Small Business Consultative Committee

The Small Business Consultative Committee (SBCC) was established by the ACCC to provide a forum through which competition and consumer law concerns related to the small business sector could be considered and addressed collaboratively.

Functions, membership and administrative arrangements.

1. The Small Business Consultative Committee was established by the ACCC to provide a forum through which competition and consumer law concerns related to the small business sector could be considered and addressed collaboratively between the sector and the ACCC.
2. Members are invited to discuss and comment on the following:
1. the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and the ACCC’s role in securing industry compliance with that Act
2. emerging issues or market developments impacting on the small business sector
3. education and information strategies developed and undertaken by the ACCC to assist small business.
3. The SBCC is a consultative body that helps inform the ACCC on issues relating to small business; however, its decisions and recommendations are not binding on the ACCC.
4. Members are drawn from a range of areas including small businesses, industry associations, business advisory groups and government agencies, with a focus on ensuring membership represents the broader interests of the small business sector. There is no fixed limit on the number of members.
5. Observers from the Australian Taxation Office, the Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the offices of various State Small Business Commissioners, the Western Australian Small Business Development Corporation, the Tasmanian Department of Economic Development, Tourism and the Arts and the Australian Bureau of Statistics are also invited to attend and participate in SBCC meetings.
6. Committee meetings are convened and chaired by ACCC Deputy Chairman, Dr Michael Schaper.
7. SBCC meetings are held twice a year in the ACCC’s Canberra office; other attendees are also able to participate by videoconference link from the ACCC’s other offices. Meetings generally run for 2–3 hours.
8. The ACCC does not pay sitting fees or reimburse travel costs for participation in the work of the SBCC; members must meet their own expenses.
9. In general, members are encouraged to disseminate information provided at committee meetings to members of their industry. However, information provided on a confidential basis must be treated as such. Deliberations and debate between members of the committee are held under a variation of the Chatham House Rule to encourage free discussion, namely: 'Participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed'.
10. Appointment to the SBCC is at the discretion of the ACCC, and members typically hold office for a period of 2 years.

Current membership

Members of the committee represent of wide range of industry associations with a high small business membership or whose members are engaged with the sector. There are currently 15 members of the committee.

These members are:

• Curtin University
• Master Grocers Australia
• National Farmers’ Federation
• Master Builders Australia
• Australian Retailers Association
• Business Enterprise Centres Australia
• Real Estate Institute of Australia
• Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
• Council of Small Business of Australia
• Institute of Public Accountants
• The Pharmacy Guild of Australia
• Australian Motor Industry Federation
• Optometrists Association Australia
• Business Foundations