• Consultation opens on proposed changes supporting small businesses
• Australia’s canola industry leads with low emissions
• Local women winning at small business
• Australia’s first CLT and GLT producer launches in South Australia
• South Australian businesses and exporters honoured at awards
• Restaurant Botanic has the best wine list

Consultation opens on proposed changes supporting small businesses

The state government has commenced consultation on proposed reforms to the Small Business Commissioner Act 2011 to better support local small businesses. 

The proposed changes include a rebrand of the Commissioner’s office to better reflect its role, ensure consistent support across all sectors and introduce a new avenue for the easier enforcement of dispute resolution agreements. 

Small and Family Business Minister Andrea Michaels said she received feedback from businesses across the state that informed the proposed reforms. 

“These reforms are aimed at providing greater consistency in the support we can provide to small businesses,” Michaels said. 

Commissioner Nerissa Kilvert said her office did considerable work advocating for small businesses and that the changes would provide greater clarity and support. 

“It’s clear we need to do more to help small businesses understand what we do, so more business owners know where to turn for help with confidence,” Kilvert said. 

The changes come after the state government unveiled a 20-point-strategy of new measures to support small businesses in July.

Learn more about the proposed changes or make a consultation submission here. 

 – Clem Stanley

Australia’s canola industry leads with low emissions

The European Commission has recognised Australia’s canola industry for meeting the EU’s low-emission targets for biofuels following a report released by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

The report tracked the production of canola from beginning to end – including fertiliser and pesticide usage – and found it met the European Commission’s greenhouse gases (GHG) saving targets for biofuels entering the EU transportation fuel market.

Nick Goddard, CEO of the Australian Oilseeds Federation, said Australia’s canola industry is becoming a global leader in minimising GHG emissions from the production process.

“Australia remains one of only a few non-European countries that continues to demonstrate low GHG emissions for canola production globally,” Goddard said.

Canola is Australia’s second most valuable grain crop, with over 1.8 million tonnes of the product exported to European countries.

– Grace Atta

Local women winning at small business

Two South Australian businesses were recognised in the second year of the Australian Women’s Small Business Champion Awards.

Family and Child Consultants, a North Adelaide business run by Nicole Gent, won the top award for the Community Service Small Business category, while Vicky Troptsidis, owner of Eventful Projects, won the Event Services category.

Data from the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman 2020 report shows that women represent more than one-third of small business owners in Australia.

This, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, is a 46 per cent increase in women-led business owners over the previous two decades.

Steve Loe, Awards Founder and Managing Director of Precedent Productions, said these statistics are not surprising, with “the rising success of female-led small businesses from all corners of this country”.

– Grace Atta

Australia’s first CLT and GLT producer launches in South Australia

Having recently pressed its first Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) panel and producing its first Glue Laminated Timber (GLT) beam in August, Timberlink’s NeXTimber facility is officially Australia’s only combined CLT and GLT radiata pine mass timber facility.

Timberlink’s Tarpeena facility, which started construction in 2020, can now produce panels up to 16 metres long and 3.5 metres wide, making it possible to manufacture mass timber building products that reduce the embodied carbon of a project.

The NeXTimber by Timberlink team is now accepting orders for CLT and GLT, and the facility is scheduled for full production by the end of October.

– William Barker

South Australian businesses and exporters honoured at awards

Winners of the 2023 South Australian Premier’s Business and Export Awards were announced in a ceremony at the Adelaide Convention Centre on September 22.

Hosted by Business SA in collaboration with the Government of South Australia, the event saw more than 600 business leaders gather to recognise local accomplishments for the first time since the pandemic. 

South Australian Business of the Year went to baby formula manufacturer Mumamoo Group Pty Ltd, while electronics manufacturer REDARC Electronics was named Exporter of the Year.

Other SA winners include Rainy Day Recruitment for Indigenous Business of the Year and ResourceCo Holdings for ESG Business of the Year.

Chief Executive Officer of Business SA Andrew Kay said the awards made it evident “South Australia boasts a growing number of innovative and high-achieving businesses, of which we should all be immensely proud.

“With over 250 businesses participating and a total of 600 nominations submitted across 24 categories, the competition was fierce.”

– Clem Stanley

Restaurant Botanic has the best wine list

In its 30th year, Australia’s Wine List of the Year saw Adelaide’s Restaurant Botanic taking the gong for Best Wine List in South Australia and the national award for Australia’s Best Wine List (200 Wines).  

Renowned wine critic and event judge Peter Bourne called the local restaurant’s listing “exemplary” and “perfectly pitched to the Botanic’s freshly foraged food”.

“The wine pairings show Elle Foster’s vinous talents … a masterpiece achieved in less than 200 wines,” said Bourne.

The Uraidla Hotel was also recognised at the annual event, receiving the award for Australia’s Best Listing of South Australian Wines.

The judging panel ultimately crowned Sydney’s waterfront restaurant Cirrus Dining with Australia’s Wine List of the Year.

– Grace Atta