ACT Business Development Invitation to Comment

8/3/2019 ACT Business Development Invitation to Comment

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B U S I N E S S

D E V E L O P M E N T

I n v I t a t I o n t o C o m m e n t


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Australian Capital Territory, Canberra 2011

Produced by Publishing Services

Publication No 11/1510

www.business.act.gov.au/consultation
http://www.business.act.gov.au/consultationhttp://www.business.act.gov.au/consultation


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Contents

Invitation to Comment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

How to comment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Issues for consideration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Leveraging our unique competitive advantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Innovation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Encouraging investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Trade and export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Growth sectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Small business programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Access to inormation and advice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Compliance costs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Tax Reorm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Government procurement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Inrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Workorce development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Promoting Canberra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Our role in the region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Consolidated discussion questions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14


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Invitation to Comment

The ACT Government recognises the need or a diverse ACT economy. A diverse economy provides

or solid and stable employment and growth, provides opportunities or innovation and provides

a buer to weather more challenging times. Both government and industry have roles to play in

achieving this - and those roles are complementary. Government must, through ecient markets,

create an environment that supports growth. Industry must take advantage o that environment to

drive innovation and achieve competitiveness.

Our economic base lies in the service, research and knowledge industries which provide us with our

skilled workorce and highly capable institutions. We must build on these solid oundations and ocus

our eorts to reinorce current comparative advantage, where critical mass and skills provide an ability to

leverage industry partnerships. We must also use this sound base to seek out new areas o comparative

advantage. We cannot stand still. We have to recognise our innate strengths and rom that, what the likely

trajectories will be. Business policy and programs may well ampliy these directions, provide or more

ecient markets and inormation ows, but they will not supplant our economic undamentals.

The Governments current approach is based on sound strategy and tested approaches developed

through the 2003 Economic White Paper, the 2008 Innovation System Audit o the ACT; and the

2008 Capital Development: Toward our Second Century. This policy oundation has served us well

and we will continue to do those things that are working well such as:

n Focusing on innovation strategy

n Supporting a commercialisation pathway

n Supporting ACT frms to export

n Continuing to invest in the liveability o Canberra to create an attractive, vibrant and well

unctioning city that draws talent and new investment

Recognising the vital role o small business in our economy we remain committed to strong fscal

management and ensuring a business riendly environment through strong policy settings and

eective regulation.

This discussion paper identifes some key issues or consideration. My invitation to you is to have

your say on these issues and raise other ideas and views that you see as relevant to the ACT

Governments role in building a robust local economy.

The Government will not trade short-term returns or long-term prosperity. We wont be

implementing expensive schemes to attract big business nor developing detailed sector plans

across the board. We will be looking to the best, most sustainable ways to support private industry

to help us all achieve the goal o a more diverse Canberra economy.

Andrew Barr MLA

Minister or Economic Development

Treasurer


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How to comment

In providing your comments you are encouraged to reer to the issues and questions that are raised below. While we

have tried to capture some o the issues we hear and see, the list is not prescriptive. Given the diversity o the business

sector in the ACT we ully expect to hear about other issues, and we look orward to those contributions. Please raise

whatever you eel is important.

This Paper is one way to order your response. The questions under each topic are designed to help ocus your

comments but dont necessarily need to be individually answered. It is also not necessary to comment on all the

discussion topics, just the ones that you have a view on.

Comments may be submitted in any orm.

An online orm is available at www.business.act.gov.au/consultation.

You can email your comments to [email protected] or post them to:

Business Development Strategy - Consultation

Business Development

Economic Development Directorate

GPO Box 158

Canberra ACT 2601

You are welcome to arrange a meeting with Business Development to discuss your views, ask questions, or simply

provide verbal eedback. To make a time please phone the Business Hotline on 1800 244 650.

The closing date or comments is Tuesday 14 February 2012. Please note that the inormation you provide may be

subject to release under the Freedom o Inormation Act 1989 unless you clearly indicate that your comments should be

treated as confdential.

I you have any questions about the Paper or would like to receive a hard copy please phone the

Business Hotline on 1800 244 650.

The Paper can be accessed on line at www.business.act.gov.au/consultation.
http://www.business.act.gov.au/consultationhttp://www.business.act.gov.au/consultationhttp://www.business.act.gov.au/consultationhttp://www.business.act.gov.au/consultation


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Introduction

The frst major ACT Government policy on economic and industry development was the 2003

Economic White Paper (EWP). The development o the EWP involved signifcant research and

consultation resulting in nearly 50 action items. The our key policy directions o the EWP were

supporting business, a ocus on competitive advantage, leveraging intellectual assets and providing

supportive planning and inrastructure to private sector development.

With many o the specifc EWP actions completed by 2006, there was a reocusing o the business

support ramework in the 2006-07 Budget. Government resources or business and industry

development were channelled into inormation and advisory services and generic program support.

A more active partnering agenda with the business community on business development was also

put in place.

The ACTs current overarching economic

development policy is laid out in Capital

Development : Towards Our Second Century.

Released in 2008, Capital Developmentis a high-level

strategic ramework that guides Government

decision making. While the our key policy

directions o the EWP are still visible in Capital

Developmentit also rearmed the importance o

prudent fscal management, appropriate regulation,

sustainable development and working with the

region to increase economic beneft. Three new

strategic themes were also introduced:

1. Investing in people to increase the capacity

and exibility o the economy;

2. Encouraging innovation to help oster a more creative, competitive and dynamic business

sector; and

3. Building infrastructure and planning or the uture to support and coordinate economic

activity.

Capital Developmentagged the articulation o a separate business and industry strategy to urther

detail actions aimed at developing a stronger more innovative and globally competitive business

sector. On 17 May 2011 the Chie Minister reconfrmed this commitment in her statement o 2011-12

ACT Government priorities.

The Business Development Strategy will provide a link between the Governments high-level ACT

strategic plans and indicators and the delivery o business programs. It will explain how we will

continue to deliver on the Governments strategic priorities.

Cpil Dlp:

visi s

Ensuring that a strong, dynamic and

resilient economy meets the needs of the

Canberra community now and into the

future; maintaining economic growth

that promotes a fully sustainable city;

and promoting the ACTs place as heartof the economic region.
http://www.cmd.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/119723/capital-development.pdfhttp://www.cmd.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/119723/capital-development.pdfhttp://www.cmd.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/119723/capital-development.pdfhttp://www.cmd.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/119723/capital-development.pdf


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The development o the Business Strategy has begun with a series o industry ocus groups. The issues raised by

participants have been included throughout this discussion paper along with a range o questions relating to CapitalDevelopments strategic themes and vision. The Government is seeking input at a number o levels rom the broader

community, rom business groups, rom unions, and directly rom some o the major stakeholders to ensure that a

diverse range o views are considered in the development o the Business Development Strategy.

Issues for consideration

Leveraging our unique competitive advantage

There is no doubt that Canberra is a knowledge based economy. Economic growth will occur in places that have highly

educated people with the ollowing key characteristics:1

n Thick labour markets: people move around a lot and want a choice o employment opportunities;

n Diversity: people look or visible signs o diversity visual cues that a place is open to all and possess low entry

barriers to human capital; and

n Quality o place: the buildings, the neighbourhoods, the physical design, the human energy and whats going on

in terms o caes, restaurants, music venues and active outdoor recreation.

Canberra, along with many other cities displays these characteristics. However there are competitive advantages that

are unique to us. We know our unique competitive advantages lie in the ollowing areas:

n Our proximity to the purchasing power o the Australian Government;

n Our people, who are talented, creative, knowledge workers;

n Our large publicly unded research base;

n Our national institutions;

n Our world class learning institutions;

n Our business communitys enthusiasm and its innate external market ocus; and

n Our city, its beauty, its lack o congestion, its unique acilities, its clean air and green spaces.

These competitive attributes have sustained and stimulated growth and development in many sectors. These

include construction, property and business services, tourism, education and training and health. Inormation and

communication technologies, including sotware development, have been major enablers in the development o all

sectors o industry in Canberra. We stand to beneft urther rom these advantages.

H w cpurd ll h ls ur uiqu psii?

Hw c w bs lrg ur cpii dg?

Wh quliy plc crs r w lckig?

1. Richard Florida, 2003, Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Regional Economic Growth, in Hart, D M (Ed.) The Emergence o Entrepreneurship Policy: Governance, Start-ups, and Growth in the U.S.

Knowledge Economy, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.


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Innovation

Innovation sits at the heart o debates over economic growth, and encouraging an innovative economy

is high on the wish-lists o many governments.2 The ACT Government is acutely aware that economies

that innovate hold signifcant competitive advantage in the global market. We already have that

advantage but as a community we can always do more.

One area where innovation improvement is possible is business investment in research and

development. While the Canberra region has the highest research expenditure intensity in Australia,

most o it is in the public sector or institutions.

Private sector research and development is signifcantly less. Businesses that invest in research

and development will increase the ow o new products to the market, introduce more ecient

processes and develop more eective ways o doing business. In this way it is expected that frms

will become more productive, proftable and competitive and, in turn, generate higher levels o

employment and economic growth.3

Is i rsrch d dlp by aCt busisss is lw by bh ausrli d

iril sdrds. Wh r h crs bhid his d shuld w b ccrd?

Another area to develop is innovation leadership. Business innovation is not a linear process but

one characterised by skill in collaborating and making connections so that knowledge ows and

grows, and so becomes available to meet customer and community needs.4 Over the last fve years

the ACT Government has played a key role in building and connecting the parts o our innovationsystem and acilitating collaboration between those involved. But governments can only support

these directions to a point. Is it time or the non-government players in the innovation system to

take a more active role in direction setting? What might a leadership model look like?

Wh ds ldrship rgil ii sys, lik h aCts, lk lik?

Encouraging investment

Knowledge o Canberra as an international business destination is increasing, both outside Canberra and

also among the global corporations that already have some presence here. Foreign direct investment

is oten associated with high value jobs, more localised business R&D, the introduction o innovation

to local companies that become part o the supply chain, and also new channels to export or local

suppliers. To date the ACT Governments activities in this area have been largely reactive that is,

responding in a case by case manner to approaches. The Government also has a policy o not providing

investment subsidies and we have been part o an agreement with the other states to minimise the use

2. NESTA, 2009, The Innovation Index

3. Howard Partners, 2008, Innovation, Creativity and Leadership: Report o a Study o the ACT Innovation System, pg 11.4.Cutler, 2008, Venturous Australia: Building Innovation Strength, pg x.


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o incentives. Across Government we have most o the skills and expertise to support more proactive investment acilitation,

but they have not been brought together in this way beore. Is it time?

Wh is h s pprpri rl r h aCt Gr i is rci?

Wh sr cpis d ciiis shuld w b pursuig?

Commercialising ACT intellectual property building new companies

With a research base and concentration the envy o any Australian region, the ACT has been called an innovation well-

spring. But getting products, processes and services to market requires specifc skills, knowledge and money. Just about

everywhere in Australia, those three things are in short supply.

The ACT has made good progress in recent years. We have ocused advisory services, we have access to local unding

sources, we are linked up to Australian Government programs, we have an emerging Business Angel community,

and we have all the players in the system that are linked up and working together. But is there still a sense o

under-perormance?

ar h aCt Gr crcilisi prgrs d suppr isibl?

ar hy dqu, prprly cusd, d prprly udd?

Wh is issig? Is i ldrship? Wh ds ldrship lk lik i his r?

ar hr gps i h crcilisi phwy (g skills, cllbri,) h c b srghd? Hw?

Trade and export

At the enterprise level, innovation and trade are inexorably linked. To compete internationally frms have to be

innovative in the products and services they take to market and they must learn to respond aster than their

competitors. Exporting is now considered to be one o the most pervasive inuences supporting innovation at the

enterprise level. Exporting is also important because it develops links to the global supply chains o larger enterprises

that, in total, now manage about three-quarters o world trade.

I we look at our export and innovation sectors we can see that the Territorys $1.1 billion export eort grew by 8%

during the GFC thanks to the large number o ACT small-to-medium enterprises that are exporters. This is why the ACT

Government is helping those businesses who want to sustain permanent export markets through initiatives such as: theTrade Connect Program; the ACT Exporters Network and Trade Mission activities and the Government Services Pilot.

ar h aCt Gr xpr prgrs d suppr isibl?

ar hy dqu, prprly cusd, d prprly udd?

Wh is issig? Is i ldrship? Wh ds ldrship lk lik i his r?


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Growth sectors

Raise the spectre o a sector approach to business development and the phrase picking winners

tends to come to mind. The act is most Australian governments and indeed some cities now

employ a sot touch approach to developing capability where there is existing or emerging

competitive advantage. This approach usually sees general access business programs (e.g., in export,

small business, commercialisation, and so on) connected to these capabilities more deliberately,

private sector leadership is encouraged and supported in the sectors to increase collaboration, land

planning might support industry cluster ormation and the co-location o companies and research

capability, strategically aligned research might be unded by government in partner universities,

and regional capability might be more promoted through vehicles such as trade missions. The

contemporary iteration o sector development is perhaps best seen as an industry overlay to open

access business programs that are otherwise well grounded in market ailure rationale.

Wh r h rl d rgig wlh grig scrs i h trriry?

Wh iiiis will cclr dlp d build rgig scr cpciy?

Small business programs

Small businesses make a vital contribution to the ACT economy and community. There are

approximately 24,600 operating businesses in the ACT with the vast majority o these being micro

and small businesses (single person businesses and those with up to about 10 employees).5 A

dynamic small business sector is an important eature o any growing economy. The way mostgovernments support the micro and small business sector is by providing inormation and advisory

services at critical development stages in the business lie cycle. In the ACT this is largely done

through Canberra BusinessPoint and the Lighthouse innovation and Commercialisation Centre,

both majority unded by the ACT Government. See www.business.act.gov.au or urther inormation

on Canberra BusinessPoint and other business programs.

ar yu wr r h yu usd h aCt Gr busiss prgrs d disry

srics dlird hrugh Cbrr BusissPi d Lighhus?

ar hy ci?

D hy lgiclly wih srics d suppr pridd by h ausrli Gr?

Wh is issig i h rll ix?

Hw wuld yu lik s hs prgrs l i h uur?

5. ABS 1367.0 - State and Territory Statistical Indicators, 2011.
http://www.business.act.gov.au/http://www.business.act.gov.au/


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Access to information and advice

Access to inormation underpins a lot o business decision making. However, small businesses sometimes say that

Government inormation is hard to fnd, dicult to access and dicult to understand.

Is his rfci, h Gr iri is hrd d, csis wih yur xpric?

C yu disiguish bw ausrli Gr d aCt Gr iri issus?

I s, wh d yu s?

Hw c ccss gr iri b iprd?

Wh yps iri wuld k dirc yur busiss?

Compliance costs

The majority o businesses want to comply with reasonable government regulations. However o concern to many

businesses is the cost o compliance and understanding how to comply. The impact o regulation and compliance on

small business can be disproportionate due to their small size.

B ry spcic - wh rgulry issus r ccr yur busiss w? ar yu bl cs h ipc

h r yur busiss?

mig h brd iw, wh r yur bsris bu aCt Gr rgulis d h rgulry

ir hr i h aCt?

ar yu sig hs issus h Cwlh ll s wll? Wh r hy?

Hw c w k cplic sir wihu diiishig ipr csidris (such s wrk sy d

irl susibiliy)?

Tax Reform

The uture o the ACTs tax system is currently the subject o the ACT Taxation Review. This review is considering whether there

are ways o improving the current tax system and how the ACT Government collects revenue to provide important services.

The community clearly understands that all governments must collect revenue through taxes, and that these tax settings

should be as ecient and eective as possible. In the ACT we have the highest payroll tax-ree threshold in Australia, but wealso have the highest tax rate when payroll tax does cut in.

Even though the ACTs tax settings provide a signifcant beneft to our small and micro business sectors, our arrangements

are sometimes characterised as representing a barrier to business growth. I the ACT moved to a tax regime more in line with

the eastern seaboard states, how would this play out in terms o making the ACT a tax competitive place to do business?

I h aCt d rgi r i li wih h sr sbrd ss, hw wuld his ply u i rs

kig h aCt x cpii plc d busiss?


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Government procurement

A common theme emerging rom discussions with small local ICT companies is the importance

o reerence sites, particularly rom government customers, both local and ederal. They argue that

the risk averse nature o government procurement is hurting SMEs who oten have better and

cheaper solutions than the big end o town. However, as they say, no one got fred or buying IBM.

Governments are custodians o public money and that is why procurement principles are very

careully applied - ull, air and reasonable opportunity, ree o interstate preerences, competitive

neutrality, value or money, transparency o process, policy consistency and consistency with Australias

international obligations.

The ACT Government is committed to these principles. Buying rom smaller local frms can also

involve higher levels o risk. Against this, small frms are nearly always more innovative and theirgrowth can have signifcant ow-on benefts or the local community.

ausrli Gr prcur hs rgubly b h grs drir busiss

dlp i h aCt. Wh ls c r shuld b d? Wh is pprpri rl

r h aCt Gr? Hw d w blc cpig bjcis d g

wi-wi uc?

Infrastructure

Inrastructure is an important driver o economic and social prosperity in our community.

High-quality inrastructure makes Canberra a great place to visit, study, live, work and do business.

Transport, communication, service, hospital, education, recreation and cultural acilities provide or

the health, learning and amenity o citizens. The ACT is acing many challenges including: housing

aordability, climate change, skills shortages, and an ageing population. Expanded, reconfgured

and new inrastructure plays an important role in addressing these challenges. The ACT Government

is committed to developing and delivering high quality inrastructure and has established mature

systems to acilitate strategic planning, investment and maintenance o the Territorys inrastructure.

The second ACT Government Inrastructure Plan was released by the Chie Minister in July 2011.

Building on the frst inrastructure plan, it sets out the ACT Governments strategic inrastructure

priorities rom 2011-2021 and the primary drivers o inrastructure demand. Future plans will be

developed by the Economic Development Directorate ollowing transer o responsibility rom the

Chie Minister to the Minister or Economic Development.

Lkig h uur wh r h ky irsrucur pririis h d b

pld dy?


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Workforce development

The business environment is constantly changing, and ensuring that the knowledge and skills o workers keep pace with

those changes is critical or continuing productivity. Having the right skills, in the right place, at the right time is a key

challenge. The uture o work, the changes in employment patterns, and what skills will be required, will be intimately related

to the changes over the years ahead in our economy, our technology, our environment, and our demographics.6 Some

emerging skill drivers or the ACT might include the development o a clean economy and leveraging the benefts o the

National Broadband Network. In the past the public sector unded broad skills while industry developed specifc skills.

Wh is h rl idusry i idiyig d dlpig rgig skill rquirs?

Wh is h rl gr?

Wh is h crrc rspsibiliy blc bw busiss d gr?Hw d idusry d gr rspcily cribu h dlp dpbl d

fxibl wrkrc?

Promoting Canberra

Cities competeto attract investment, tourism, and population. They do this through marketing and promoting

distinctivenessattributes that a city has that others do not. In the modern knowledge based economy, there is global

competition to attract investment and people to build and sustain economic and industrial progress. In the global economy,

cities - and businesses that are located within them - compete. 7 There is an opportunity to develop a more progressive view

and brand o Canberra that promotes the opportunities to visit, study, live, work and do business in the city. This would be aunifed Canberra Brand that builds complementary local, national and international marketing messages.

Hw wuld Cbrr Brd ssis yur busiss?

Wh wuld b h lk d l Cbrr Brd?

Wh is h pri scrs rl i ciy brdig d brd dissii?

Our role in the region

Economic development ignores state lines. The national capitals role as a regional hub is an important component

o building a sustainable long-term economy. New evidence continues to emerge that supports the theory that, in aglobally competitive environment, it is the regions that are the practical units o global competitiveness, not countries,

nor indeed cities.8 The ACT is the regional hub or south-east NSW. The ACT and NSW Governments recognise that

close cooperation, joint planning and inormation sharing will optimise regional outcomes and deliver services to the

people o the ACT and surrounding NSW.

Wh ds rgil ldrship rl r idusry dlp lk lik? Hw c rgil syrgis b

prciclly rlisd?

6. Keating and Smith, 2011, Critical Issues Facing Australia to 2025 .

7. Howard Partners, 2008, Innovation, Creativity and Leadership: Report o a Study o the ACT Innovation System, pg 100.

8. ACT RDA, 2011, ACTStrategic Regional Plan 2011-12, pg 5.


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Consolidated discussion questions

Leveraging our unique competitive advantage

Have we captured all the elements o our unique position?

How can we best leverage our competitive advantage?

What quality o place actors are we lacking?

Innovation

Investment in research and development by ACT businesses is low by both Australian and international

standards. What are the actors behind this and should we be concerned?

What does leadership o a regional innovation system like the ACTs look like?

Encouraging investment

What is the most appropriate role or the ACT Government in investment attraction?

What sort o companies and activities should we be pursuing?

Commercialising ACT intellectual property building new companies

Are the ACT Government commercialisation programs and support visible?

Are they adequate, properly ocused, and properly unded?

What is missing? Is it leadership? What does leadership look like in this area?

Are there gaps in the commercialisation pathway (eg skills, collaboration,) that can be strengthened? How?

Trade and export

Are the ACT Government export programs and support visible?

Are they adequate, properly ocused, and properly unded?

What is missing? Is it leadership? What does leadership look like in this area?

Growth sectors

What are the real and emerging wealth generating sectors in the Territory?

What initiatives will accelerate development and build emerging sector capacity?

Small business programs

Are you aware o or have you used the ACT Government business programs and advisory services delivered

through Canberra BusinessPoint and Lighthouse? Are they eective?

Do they t logically with services and support provided by the Australian Government?

What is missing in the overall mix? How would you like to see these programs evolve in the uture?


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Access to information and advice

Is this refection, that Government inormation is hard to nd, consistent with your experience?

Can you distinguish between Australian Government and ACT Government inormation issues? I so, what do you see?

How can access to government inormation be improved?

What types o inormation would make a dierence to your business?

Compliance costs

Be very specic - what regulatory issues are a concern to your business now? Are you able to cost the impact o the matter on

your business?

Moving to the broad view, what are your observations about ACT Government regulations and the regulatory environment

here in the ACT?

Are you seeing these issues at the Commonwealth level as well? What are they?How can we make compliance easier without diminishing important considerations (such as work saety and environmental

sustainability)?

Tax reform

I the ACT moved to a regime more in line with the eastern seaboard states, how would this play out in terms o making the

ACT a tax competitive place to do business?

Government procurement

Australian Government procurement has arguably been the greatest driver o business development in the ACT. What else can

or should be done? What is an appropriate role or the ACT Government? How do we balance competing objectives and get to

the win-win outcome?

Infrastructure

Looking to the uture what are the key inrastructure priorities that need to be planned today?

Workforce development

What is the role o industry in identiying and developing emerging skill requirements?

What is the role o government?

What is the correct responsibility balance between business and government?

How do industry and government respectively contribute to the development o an adaptable and fexible workorce?

Promoting Canberra

How would a Canberra Brand assist your business?

What would be the look and eel o a Canberra Brand?

What is the private sector s role in city branding and brand dissemination?

Our role in the region

What does a regional leadership role or industry development look like? How can regional synergies be practically realised?


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