Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Review

Overview

The Ombudsman was established in 2016 under the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Act 2015. Under the Act the Ombudsman must:

• advocate for small business and family enterprises in relation to relevant legislation, policies and practices (the advocacy function)
• give assistance in relation to relevant actions if requested to do so (the assistance function)
• perform any other function conferred on the Ombudsman by any Act or legislative instrument

Why we are consulting

Under the Act, it is a requirement that the Ombudsman’s assistance function be reviewed every four years. The inaugural review was conducted in 2017 and we are now inviting submissions for the next review.

Since its establishment in 2016, ASBFEO has developed and enhanced its assistance and advocacy functions and acquired several new services. This review will examine:     

1. the kinds of assistance requested during the review period and whether the assistance provided was convenient and effective for the operators of small businesses and family enterprises
2. how ASBFEO has responded to the recommendations of the 2017 review
3. the interaction and effectiveness of ASBFEO’s functions, including any new roles acquired since the previous review
4. whether there are any legislative and administrative improvements that could better support ASBFEO in the delivery of its functions

We are keen to hear from you especially if you have direct experience with receiving ASBFEO services. We are also keen to hear from you if you are a small business owner, business organisation, peak representative body or just someone with views in the space!

Discussion paper

• Review of the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman: discussion paper [PDF 568KB] [DOCX 39KB]