September update from the Commissioner

I’m pleased to announce that the Commission has substantially reduced the cost of mediation.

Mediation has proven to be a very effective means of resolving business disputes - particularly tenant-landlord disputes - during the past two years and was a lifesaver for many of those hit by tough times. Applying for mediation is easy and we try to get the parties talking even before the formal mediation process, so don’t wait until the situation escalates.

An issue the Commission has been pursuing for some time is the cost and reliability of card payment systems for small businesses. We continue to advocate to government and regulators for changes that will make the system cheaper and provide service guarantees, such as automatic lease cost routing (LCR) of transactions. In the meantime, I encourage businesses to shop around for a better deal and ask their provider whether LCR is available as an option. Our fact sheet will guide you.

Getting affordable insurance is a major challenge for small businesses and we have recently made a number of recommendations to governments on how they could help alleviate the problem, such as by reducing insurance taxes. While it’s mostly a problem with the way insurance markets operate, governments can help.

We’ll also soon be releasing our report on the childcare sector, with some recommendations for making it easier for small businesses to operate in this growing and important sector.

Chris Lamont