Latest news with #BIAs
The Advertiser
30-05-2025
- Business
- The Advertiser
Business owners to give their two cents on controversial rate scheme
BUSINESS owners who fork out to pay City of Newcastle business rates will have the chance to offer their two cents on a controversial scheme. Several submissions to a recent independent probe into the council raised concerns about the transparency of how Special Business Rate (SBR) funds are levied, allocated and spent. Some argued Business Improvement Associations (BIA) may not be the most appropriate bodies to oversee funds intended for local benefit. The BIAs are independent organisations responsible for the disbursement of up to $100,000 a year. That money can be used for strategic directions to promote local business, marketing and promotions, prioritising and managing beautification projects and coordinating community events aimed at encouraging business demand. Business owners have long questioned the value they receive and the costs of administering the scheme. Liberal councillors Callum Pull and Jenny Barrie at this week's council meeting moved a motion that will give business owners in SBR precincts in the city centre and Darby Street, Hamilton, Mayfield, New Lambton and Wallsend a chance to have their say on the future of the scheme. Cr Pull said the independent review reinforced the need for better engagement with businesses about the SBR. "Council will now oversee annual consultation with business owners in the SBR precincts, with much broader consultation occurring with the whole community each council term," he said. The SBR is an additional charge levied on businesses in the precincts on top of their standard commercial rates. The scheme has long been a point of contention, with some business owners questioning its necessity and others calling for it to be axed entirely. City of Newcastle made $65.9 million in business rates in 2023/24 from 15,489 active businesses, the second-highest sum of any NSW council. In 2024/25, the council said the cost to administer the scheme, including BIA governance and support, is $152,700. That figure is 10 per cent of total funds levied. The Davidson Business Advisory review of the council recommended that it require BIAs to undertake research with membership and the community annually, or at agreed regular intervals, to assess satisfaction, impact and present the findings to the council for consideration. As part of the council's decision this week, business owners will be asked annually whether they feel the scheme provides value for money and whether they think it should continue. A broad survey will poll community members, grant recipients, property owners, rate-paying residents and tenants on the value of retaining the SBR. Cr Pull said the survey should give the council a clear picture of the position of business owners on the scheme. "These won't be the only questions the council asks in their consultation, but they will be a crucial part of deciding the future of the scheme," he said. Reports were made to the Davidson review of SBR money being redirected to unrelated council promotions that do not directly benefit businesses. The funds, according to Newcastle council, are reserved exclusively for the promotion, beautification and development of those business precincts. BUSINESS owners who fork out to pay City of Newcastle business rates will have the chance to offer their two cents on a controversial scheme. Several submissions to a recent independent probe into the council raised concerns about the transparency of how Special Business Rate (SBR) funds are levied, allocated and spent. Some argued Business Improvement Associations (BIA) may not be the most appropriate bodies to oversee funds intended for local benefit. The BIAs are independent organisations responsible for the disbursement of up to $100,000 a year. That money can be used for strategic directions to promote local business, marketing and promotions, prioritising and managing beautification projects and coordinating community events aimed at encouraging business demand. Business owners have long questioned the value they receive and the costs of administering the scheme. Liberal councillors Callum Pull and Jenny Barrie at this week's council meeting moved a motion that will give business owners in SBR precincts in the city centre and Darby Street, Hamilton, Mayfield, New Lambton and Wallsend a chance to have their say on the future of the scheme. Cr Pull said the independent review reinforced the need for better engagement with businesses about the SBR. "Council will now oversee annual consultation with business owners in the SBR precincts, with much broader consultation occurring with the whole community each council term," he said. The SBR is an additional charge levied on businesses in the precincts on top of their standard commercial rates. The scheme has long been a point of contention, with some business owners questioning its necessity and others calling for it to be axed entirely. City of Newcastle made $65.9 million in business rates in 2023/24 from 15,489 active businesses, the second-highest sum of any NSW council. In 2024/25, the council said the cost to administer the scheme, including BIA governance and support, is $152,700. That figure is 10 per cent of total funds levied. The Davidson Business Advisory review of the council recommended that it require BIAs to undertake research with membership and the community annually, or at agreed regular intervals, to assess satisfaction, impact and present the findings to the council for consideration. As part of the council's decision this week, business owners will be asked annually whether they feel the scheme provides value for money and whether they think it should continue. A broad survey will poll community members, grant recipients, property owners, rate-paying residents and tenants on the value of retaining the SBR. Cr Pull said the survey should give the council a clear picture of the position of business owners on the scheme. "These won't be the only questions the council asks in their consultation, but they will be a crucial part of deciding the future of the scheme," he said. Reports were made to the Davidson review of SBR money being redirected to unrelated council promotions that do not directly benefit businesses. The funds, according to Newcastle council, are reserved exclusively for the promotion, beautification and development of those business precincts. BUSINESS owners who fork out to pay City of Newcastle business rates will have the chance to offer their two cents on a controversial scheme. Several submissions to a recent independent probe into the council raised concerns about the transparency of how Special Business Rate (SBR) funds are levied, allocated and spent. Some argued Business Improvement Associations (BIA) may not be the most appropriate bodies to oversee funds intended for local benefit. The BIAs are independent organisations responsible for the disbursement of up to $100,000 a year. That money can be used for strategic directions to promote local business, marketing and promotions, prioritising and managing beautification projects and coordinating community events aimed at encouraging business demand. Business owners have long questioned the value they receive and the costs of administering the scheme. Liberal councillors Callum Pull and Jenny Barrie at this week's council meeting moved a motion that will give business owners in SBR precincts in the city centre and Darby Street, Hamilton, Mayfield, New Lambton and Wallsend a chance to have their say on the future of the scheme. Cr Pull said the independent review reinforced the need for better engagement with businesses about the SBR. "Council will now oversee annual consultation with business owners in the SBR precincts, with much broader consultation occurring with the whole community each council term," he said. The SBR is an additional charge levied on businesses in the precincts on top of their standard commercial rates. The scheme has long been a point of contention, with some business owners questioning its necessity and others calling for it to be axed entirely. City of Newcastle made $65.9 million in business rates in 2023/24 from 15,489 active businesses, the second-highest sum of any NSW council. In 2024/25, the council said the cost to administer the scheme, including BIA governance and support, is $152,700. That figure is 10 per cent of total funds levied. The Davidson Business Advisory review of the council recommended that it require BIAs to undertake research with membership and the community annually, or at agreed regular intervals, to assess satisfaction, impact and present the findings to the council for consideration. As part of the council's decision this week, business owners will be asked annually whether they feel the scheme provides value for money and whether they think it should continue. A broad survey will poll community members, grant recipients, property owners, rate-paying residents and tenants on the value of retaining the SBR. Cr Pull said the survey should give the council a clear picture of the position of business owners on the scheme. "These won't be the only questions the council asks in their consultation, but they will be a crucial part of deciding the future of the scheme," he said. Reports were made to the Davidson review of SBR money being redirected to unrelated council promotions that do not directly benefit businesses. The funds, according to Newcastle council, are reserved exclusively for the promotion, beautification and development of those business precincts. BUSINESS owners who fork out to pay City of Newcastle business rates will have the chance to offer their two cents on a controversial scheme. Several submissions to a recent independent probe into the council raised concerns about the transparency of how Special Business Rate (SBR) funds are levied, allocated and spent. Some argued Business Improvement Associations (BIA) may not be the most appropriate bodies to oversee funds intended for local benefit. The BIAs are independent organisations responsible for the disbursement of up to $100,000 a year. That money can be used for strategic directions to promote local business, marketing and promotions, prioritising and managing beautification projects and coordinating community events aimed at encouraging business demand. Business owners have long questioned the value they receive and the costs of administering the scheme. Liberal councillors Callum Pull and Jenny Barrie at this week's council meeting moved a motion that will give business owners in SBR precincts in the city centre and Darby Street, Hamilton, Mayfield, New Lambton and Wallsend a chance to have their say on the future of the scheme. Cr Pull said the independent review reinforced the need for better engagement with businesses about the SBR. "Council will now oversee annual consultation with business owners in the SBR precincts, with much broader consultation occurring with the whole community each council term," he said. The SBR is an additional charge levied on businesses in the precincts on top of their standard commercial rates. The scheme has long been a point of contention, with some business owners questioning its necessity and others calling for it to be axed entirely. City of Newcastle made $65.9 million in business rates in 2023/24 from 15,489 active businesses, the second-highest sum of any NSW council. In 2024/25, the council said the cost to administer the scheme, including BIA governance and support, is $152,700. That figure is 10 per cent of total funds levied. The Davidson Business Advisory review of the council recommended that it require BIAs to undertake research with membership and the community annually, or at agreed regular intervals, to assess satisfaction, impact and present the findings to the council for consideration. As part of the council's decision this week, business owners will be asked annually whether they feel the scheme provides value for money and whether they think it should continue. A broad survey will poll community members, grant recipients, property owners, rate-paying residents and tenants on the value of retaining the SBR. Cr Pull said the survey should give the council a clear picture of the position of business owners on the scheme. "These won't be the only questions the council asks in their consultation, but they will be a crucial part of deciding the future of the scheme," he said. Reports were made to the Davidson review of SBR money being redirected to unrelated council promotions that do not directly benefit businesses. The funds, according to Newcastle council, are reserved exclusively for the promotion, beautification and development of those business precincts.
CBC
02-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Vancouver striking task force to understand root causes and effects of retail theft
Vancouver city councillors have voted to strike a mayor's task force composed of police, BIAs, merchants, legal experts and social service organizations to come up with solutions to curb shoplifting and retail theft. The motion brought by Coun. Brian Montague, a former police officer, passed unanimously at the city's Standing Committee on Policy and Strategic Priorities on Wednesday. "A large number of businesses here in Vancouver don't expect to last the next four years," said Montague. "A lot of that is due to loss from crime, retail theft in Vancouver. It continues to increase." As the COVID-19 pandemic waned in 2022, police said they saw a more-than-30 per cent increase in shoplifting crimes compared to 2021. The latest numbers show a 12 per cent citywide increase in shoplifting incidents in 2024 compared to 2023, with a 40 per cent increase in Vancouver's downtown core for that time period. Retailers, businesses and community groups have provided the narrative to those numbers over the past three years with stories of repetitive crime in their shops and workers facing unsafe conditions. "Businesses were put at risk and we've had store closures, some other significant companies that are desperately trying to hang on and not close, hoping that something will come along and help," said Jess Ketchum, co-founder of the Save our Street Coalition, which includes retailers such as London Drugs, Lululemon, Aritizia and Save-on-Foods. The purpose of the task force is to bring together stakeholders to conduct "a thorough assessment of the root causes and effects of retail theft, including but not limited to organized retail crime, social factors, enforcement challenges, and existing legislative and policy frameworks," according to Montague's original motion posted online. The final amended version put the task force under the mayor's office, similar to Ken Sim's budgetary task force, meaning his office would determine the membership and terms of reference for what's to be called Retail Security Task Force. The amended motion also struck a section directing staff to explore potential funding partnerships with other levels of government. That could come after results in six months from the task force forming, outlining its findings and making "evidence-based recommendations for immediate, short-term, and long-term solutions and strategies to reduce retail theft and enhance business security," according to the motion. Montague told councillors the task force would look to other jurisdictions about "what's working in other cities, what isn't working," and hoped the task force would provide solutions that have so far eluded the city. In early March, Vancouver police hosted a forum to tackle retail crime, which involved 200 businesses, law enforcement, and public policy leaders from across the country. Police said at the time that its Project Barcode, which involves officers waiting outside stores while staff watch for known and new shoplifters, had made approximately 1,500 arrests since 2023. Businesses and both local and provincial governments have said part of the solutions rest with the federal government over bail reform, with drug decriminalization, policing resources and mental-health reform also factors that need to be addressed in concert. Ketchum said that reform is needed, but did welcome the new task force, in hopes it would be another approach to solving a seemingly entrenched problem that exists across B.C. "The issues that are here in Vancouver will also apply or relate to Prince George, Victoria, Kamloops," he said. "I'm hopeful that the work that this task force will do will come up with some programs and projects that will apply provincewide."
