Principle 2: Stronger engagement on new policy and regulation

Action 1: Promote greater and more consistent sector consultation and engagement

The Have Your Say community consultation platform on nsw.gov.au is a central place used by government for community and stakeholder consultations. It helps gather feedback and opinions from a wide range of stakeholders, including businesses, which are used to make decisions about policies, programs and digital products.

Across the financial year 2023-24, Have Your Say was used to support consultation with small business by government agencies, including Destination NSW, the Department of Education, the Building Commission NSW and NSW Fair Trading. Input was sought on the Visitor Economy Strategy Review (PDF 3.64MB), future workforce skills, women in construction and a review of motor trades qualifications and certifications which received over 1,250 contributions through the site.

Department of Customer Service (DCS) proactively supports businesses across NSW by sending emails containing up-to-date information about government services, initiatives and legislative changes. In 2023-24, the team delivered monthly newsletters on behalf of NSW Government Agencies communicating to 1.3 million businesses per month. In combination with further communications, 16.1 million emails were sent to businesses across the year. Topics included:

• work, health and safety information
• electric vehicle fleet incentives
• superannuation obligations for employers,
• information on trademarking and tax
• how to access free business support through the Bureau.

Across the year up to 47% of businesses opened the NSW Government newsletter email every month.  

The following government agencies were featured across the 12 months in the monthly newsletter and targeted emails:

• Business Bureau  
• Small Business Commissioner  
• Safework NSW  
• Australian Tax Office  
• NSW Health  
• IP Australia  
• Department of Education  
• ID Support  
• Building Commission NSW  
• Environment Protection Authority  
• Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water  
• Fair Work Ombudsman  
• TAFE NSW.

The Bureau’s social media channels, Facebook and Instagram, went live in January 2024 with posts seen by over 1.8 million people and receiving 81,000 interactions. These channels supplement promotional activity on key initiatives for small business, including reforms to engineered stone, electric vehicle charging grants and procurement support.

Action 2: Publish government agency statements on delivering the Charter principles

At a whole-of-Government level, we are keeping small business top of mind across government activities and decision making, with each Department required to develop and publish statements on how they will deliver the Charter. This builds greater awareness and consideration of small business for NSW Government agencies and delivers insights into how each department is actively supporting small businesses in NSW.  

Statements have been published by the Departments of: Customer Service; Communities and Justice; Primary Industries and Regional Development; Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water; Health; Planning Housing and Infrastructure; The Cabinet Office and Premier’s Department. These detail how Departments and Agencies assist small businesses through engagement and consultation, providing help with compliance obligations, and providing opportunities to sell to government. The statements are published on the Departments’ websites, and have been collated on the Charter website. More statements will be published during 2025.

Action 3: Examine and report on further steps to manage major infrastructure project impacts on small business

While major infrastructure upgrades provide construction and supply chain opportunities for small businesses, and lift overall productivity, the impacts during construction can particularly affect small business. Key government departments are collaborating to ensure access to information on infrastructure projects is more accessible for small businesses. A searchable website is available for businesses to search by postcode to understand future and current work in their area.

The Small Business Commission has developed a comprehensive guide to help small businesses mitigate the impacts of local construction activity. The Preparing for Local Construction Works guide features a detailed checklist, helping businesses prepare before the start of construction, and strategies for handling disruptions during and post-construction. It offers tips to help small businesses communicate their needs to construction teams and authorities.

The NSW Department of Education has published the Managing construction impacts in your community commitment to support business planning and concerns when infrastructure projects are identified and underway. The Department of Education employs dedicated community engagement professionals who work with the key stakeholders to plan, communicate and manage the impacts of construction on communities and businesses. This includes consultation through a community participation plan, accessible to stakeholders on the website, and providing information translated into 12 languages.