Federal government urged to look at retail tenancy leases

The federal government is being urged to include retail tenancy leases as part of its broader small business fair contracting review.

Phillip Chapman, managing director of Lease1 - a retail lease advocate - said that prior to the election, the federal Coalition outlined a new small business policy that sought to extend to small businesses similar protection that consumers had enjoyed since 2010 under the new Australian consumer law.

He said it was now up to the new federal government to follow through on this promise and include retail shop leases in the fair contracting review.

“If such legislation is to be introduced, as promised under the review of business-to-business contracting by the new government, it would be wholly biased to exclude the estimated 350,000 plus retail leases held around the country,” he added.

Mr Chapman also called on the new federal Minister for Small Business Bruce Billson to act quickly and decisively to cut red tape that was holding back the retail sector across the country.

“If the new Minister is fair dinkum about red tape reduction, then the introduction of a common form simple disclosure statement across all states and territories will deliver massive savings in valuable time and resources for all parties in the retail sector, " he said.