CCBR Business Review

10 Shorter payment terms and preferencing to benefit small business The NSW Government has announced that it will deliver on shorter payment times for small business and a refreshed SME and Regional Procurement Policy from 1 July, as part of the 2021-22 NSW Budget. Large businesses who contract with NSW Government agencies for goods and services contracts valued at more than $7.5 million will be required to pay small business subcontractors within 20 business days, following the success of a pilot program earlier this year. Minister for Finance and Small Business Damien Tudehope said the Small Business Shorter Payment Terms Policy was being introduced to better support small busi- nesses engaged as direct subcontractors on Government projects. “Cashflow can be a major issue for small businesses and the new policy will support the important role small busi- nesses play in the NSW economy,” Mr Tudehope said. “There is a growing focus on the pay- ment performance of large businesses to small businesses and it is vital the NSW Government leads the way, in particular as the small business sector continues to recover from the impacts of COVID-19.” The 2021-22 NSW Budget will also include a refreshed Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) and Regional Procurement Policy. “The SME and Regional Procurement Policy was introduced in 2019, providing a range of measures to increase oppor- tunities for SMEs and regional businesses to supply goods and services to the NSW Government. While its impact has been positive, we want to continually improve small business participation in our supply chain,” Mr Tudehope said. Following industry consultation, changes introduced under the refreshed policy will include: • Increasing the current general exemp- tion of $50,000 for small businesses to $150,000 for SMEs and regional busi- nesses, meaning they can be directly engaged by agencies for goods or services up to that value, even where there is a whole-of-government con- tract in place; • Requiring agencies to first consider SMEs for procurements up to $3 mil- lion, where direct engagement is per- mitted; • Increasing the value that Government places on suppliers which deliver economic, ethical, environmental and social outcomes through a contract; and • Requiring suppliers tendering for contracts valued at more than $3 million to submit an SME and Local Participation Plan, which will become contractually binding. M A N U FA C T U R I N G N E W S West Gosford based manufacturer of garage door openers, Chamberlain Group, has announced that their myQ technology for servicing residential customers will now be available to commercial users. myQ technology was developed by Chamberlain and offered to residential cus- tomers five years ago. myQ is an innovative way to safely monitor and control their Merlin branded garage door openers. Grifco, Chamberlain’s commercial brand, will now provide industrial and commercial customers with technology to monitor and securely manage access to their facilities using the myQ platform. myQ technology also features real-time alerts, so company owners or managers know exactly when and how their properties have been accessed, plus history of when doors have been used. Chamberlain Group’s Head of Products and Services, Rodney Boag, said, “This tech- nology allows businesses to use the myQ App to control virtually any commercial shutter or door in a facility that is automat- ed by a Grifco commercial door opener. The myQ App sends real-time alerts for when a door is activated or left open and allows managers to grant access to specific doors and/or within specific times. It allows senior members of staff to see what is going on in the warehouse at all times and have peace of mind that their business is secure.” One of the first to install the myQ app was West Gosford based manufacturer of air conditioning ductwork Airpak Sheetmetal. Commenting on the myQ technology, AirPak Factory Supervisor, David Ash said, “For a large commercial business like AirPak, I can’t always be on site to open doors or let people in, especially after hours. If I have a delivery or service that requires after- hours access, myQ makes it easy for me to jump on my phone and open the ware- house securely and safely, from wherever I am. Plus, I can give recurring or temporary myQ access to my staff members or clean- ers, so nobody needs to wait for me to arrive with a key.” Chamberlain introduces new technology for commercial door opener range Jobs boost from new emissions reduction projects IT CONTINUES TO be a very busy time at Berkeley Vale’s Star Scientific. Hot on the heels of the visit by the Prime Minister and Energy Minister Angus Taylor, with Robertson MP Lucy Wicks, the hydrogen research and development company was also visited by New South Wales’s Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean. The plant also received a delegation of the Central Coast Food Alliance led by Central Coast Industry Connect’s Frank Sammut, where the group discussed the incorporation of hydrogen into the food manufacturing process. With hydrogen firmly in the spotlight as one of the main ways that industry can reduce its Greenhouse Gas Emissions, it has certainly been a busy time for the Coast’s renewable energy entrepreneurs. CCBR has been told that there are some exciting announcements are in the pipeline. The fact that the Central Coast was includ- ed as a Renewable Energy Zone under the State Government’s recent legislation means that we could see a surge of invest- ment into the region, especially around our food industry. Star Scientific reports that there is global interest from the food sector in their HERO® technology as the sector, especially those companies with a heavy export focus, looks to remove carbon from their supply chain. This is being further pushed by the pros- pect that the European Union could bring in a form of carbon levy for cross border imports. The world’s eyes could be on the Central Coast! Star Scientific Global Group Chairman Andrew Horvath with Prime Minister Scott Morrison Smart phone myQ app CENTRAL COAST BUSINESS REVIEW JULY 2021