Centre opens to provide helping hand

TOWNSVILLE small businesses devastated by the floods will be assisted with insurance, retail leases, taxation and human resources problems through a new specialised recovery centre.

The State Government will today open a Small Business Recovery Centre at 143 Walker St in the Townsville CBD for small business owners to drop in and get support.

Employment and Small Business Minister Shannon Fentiman said the centre offered a “one-stop-shop” where local small business operators who need support can access advice and services from a range of organisations ready and willing to lend a hand.

“We put out the call to local, state and national organisations to come on board to set up the centre and have been overwhelmed by the response,” she said.

“Supporting small businesses to reopen as soon as possible will assist the entire community to get back on their feet.

“The Townsville City Council has provided a venue and joined with the Townsville Chamber of Commerce, Townsville Enterprise Limited, Townsville Business Development Centre and a number of state and national industry bodies, as well as Queensland Government agencies, to provide advice on what services are needed and to contribute to the centre.”

Queensland Small Business champion Maree Adshead will be in Townsville to connect with local small businesses to hear first-hand what support is needed.

“Upon arriving at the centre, the team will provide a triage service to assess the specific challenges a small business is facing and connect them with the advice and services they need to start trading again,” she said.

“At this early stage of recovery the centre is ready to provide advice on insurance, retail leases, workplace health and safety, taxation and human resource issues.

“The centre will also offer one-on-one Mentoring for Recovery sessions, either at the centre or online, as well as group half-day workshops on a range of business recovery topics. The centre itself will also provide a workspace for those operators who are currently unable to access their normal place of work.”

Communities Minister Coralee O’rourke said the centre would provide business owners with the “vital support and assistance” needed to get back on their feet as soon as possible.

“The recent flooding has hit the local community hard and especially when residents are struggling to get their homes and businesses back up and running,” she said.