Regulators in the Red Centre: Supporting Small Business Through Smarter Regulation

Written by Duncan Poulson, NRCoP Northern Territory Chair and National Committee member.

On 8 October 2025, as part of October Business Month, the National Regulators Community of Practice (NRCoP) hosted a landmark event in Alice Springs titled “Rules, Regulations and Assistance: What’s Changed and How Regulators Can Help.” The session brought together senior representatives from five key Australian regulatory bodies—ACCC, AFSA, ASIC, ATO and FWO—moderated by Bruce Billson, Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman.

Held at the Central Australian Development Office in Todd Mall, the event was a rare opportunity for small business owners in the Northern Territory to engage directly with regulators, ask questions, and hear about recent changes in workplace relations, tax, competition, and corporate regulation.

A Territory Like No Other

The Northern Territory, covering one-sixth of Australia’s landmass but home to just 1% of its population, presents unique challenges for regulators and small businesses alike. With limited financial infrastructure, vast distances between communities, and higher costs of living, Territorians often face barriers that are less visible in urban centres.

Alice Springs—NT’s third largest town—is a place of deep cultural significance and resilience. Surrounded by ancient rivers and ranges, it is home to the Arrernte people, who have lived in the region for over 30,000 years. Nearly 30% of the Territory’s population identifies as First Nations peoples, representing more than 100 nations and over 50 languages. For many, English is a second or third language, adding complexity to financial and regulatory engagement.

These factors contribute to heightened vulnerability to financial stress and scams, and make it harder for consumers, small business owners and their advisors to navigate regulatory systems. The event in Alice Springs aimed to bridge these gaps—bringing regulators to the community, fostering dialogue, and supporting the co-design of user-centred policies and programs.

A Purpose-Driven Conversation

The session was opened with warm welcomes from Nicole Walsh, Director of Programs, Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia and Ashley Bunce, Director of Regulatory Practice at National Regulars Community of Practice. Both emphasised the importance of regional outreach and the value of connecting decision-makers with the communities they serve. Moderator Bruce Billson then set the tone with his signature “devil’s advocate” style – challenging panellists to think critically and empathetically about the lived experience of small business owners. His message was clear: good regulation requires understanding those being regulated. Bruce emphasised how Regulation often disproportionately burdens small and family businesses, as it tends to be designed with the big corporates in mind and then applied as one-size-fits-all.  Small business owners are battling the growing burden of new and more complex compliance obligations, cashflow concerns, digital impacts, cyber threats, poor payment times and an ever-changing business landscape. Bruce shared how many small businesses are spending up to $5000 each year on compliance. For some small businesses this may be the difference between turning a small profit or breaking even, or incurring a loss or debt. “Small business needs right-sized regulation and should not be treated like a shrink-wrapped large corporate”. ASBFEO’s  14 steps to energise enterprise calls to focus on right-sized regulation, including in how governments formulate and regulators administer laws – to help, support and enable small business owners, who do not have the resources of big corporates, to meet their obligations.

Insights from the Regulators

 ATO

Angela Allen, Assistant Commissioner, Small Business, Australian Taxation Office emphasised the ATO’s evolving role in supporting small businesses by increasing transparency, improving help and education, and building towards a seamless, digital-first tax experience. Angela said that the ATO is focused on levelling the playing field through targeted compliance, debt prevention, and smarter use of data. Angela highlighted new quarterly campaigns to help businesses “get it right” from the start, spotlighting issues like misuse of business income, incorrect deductions, and GST non-compliance. Angela also spoke about the ATO’s award-winning learning platform and upcoming digital tools designed to simplify tax obligations and reduce administrative burden, reinforcing its commitment to fairness, support, and future-focused reform.

 AFSA

Gabrielle Gallagher, National Manager of Regulatory Programs and the Personal Property Securities Register, Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA), shared how AFSA is supporting small businesses through its oversight of personal insolvency and the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR). She highlighted AFSA’s new Small Business Strategy 2025–27, which aims to better understand business-related insolvency, support faster recovery, and improve collaboration with state and federal bodies. Gabbie also emphasise the importance of the PPSR as a risk management tool, particularly in sectors like construction and transport hire, and outlined AFSA’s efforts to make it more accessible and better understood by small businesses.

FWO

Carey Trundle, Director, Community Engagement, Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) spoke about the FWO’s shift to a strategic compliance model that combines dispute resolution with strategic compliance activities that aim for system-wide effects. This targeted enforcement approach is supported by extensive tools and resources, with many of these designed specifically for small business to help reduce any regulatory burden. The FWO engages collaboratively with both employer and employee groups, recognising the value of tripartism in consultation and ensuring proportionate and effective regulation.

ACCC

Chris Martin reaffirmed the ACCC’s long-standing commitment to supporting small businesses by promoting fair trading, protecting against anti-competitive conduct, and simplifying compliance with the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 and Australian Consumer Law. He highlighted the launch of the ACCC’s redesigned Small Business web page – a centralised, user-friendly resource tailored to help small businesses understand their rights and responsibilities when dealing with customers, competitors, and suppliers. In addition, the ACCC continues to advocate for stronger protections against unfair trading practices, and is actively involved in scam prevention through the National Anti-Scam Centre. These efforts reflect the ACCC’s broader goal of creating a level playing field and empowering small businesses to compete fairly and confidently

ASIC

Duncan Poulson, NT Regional Commissioner, Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) spoke about ASIC’s outreach and education, and recent enforcement actions. He emphasised that ASIC is commitment to supporting small businesses in the Territory through guidance and proactive engagement. Duncan also spoke about ASIC’s Regulatory Simplification report: REP 813 Regulatory simplification | ASIC which contains a roadmap for small-company directors. As part of ASIC’s ongoing commitment to improving industry engagement, ASIC is very keen to gather stakeholder feedback on how we can further enhance our processes. One of the key areas where ASIC is seeking input is in making interactions with ASIC more straightforward – are there any additional priorities we should focus on to improve interactions with ASIC beyond our current small business priorities? Regarding small business owners use of ASIC’s registers, are there any other improvements you would like to see? More generally, how would you prefer to interact with ASIC, and what improvements can we make to facilitate this? Duncan also emphasised the importance of trust, culture, and sustainable compliance, especially in a region where financial vulnerability is more pronounced.

Key Takeaways

Three themes emerged from the discussion:

1. Regulation as a Public Good: Panellists explored how regulation protects communities and enhances quality of life, and serves as useful guardrails for businesses to operate, grow, achieve success.
2. Understanding the Regulated Experience: The conversation highlighted the need to see regulation through the eyes of small business owners – many of whom face language, cultural, and geographic barriers.
3. Balancing Enforcement and Support: Regulators discussed how to be constructively tough on non-compliance while empathetic toward those facing hardship.

A Community Engaged

The live Q&A session was a highlight, with small business owners asking thoughtful questions and sharing their experiences. The discussion was rich with new ideas, case studies, and practical insights. It was a genuine exchange between regulators and the regulated, with Alice Springs providing the perfect backdrop for a conversation about trust, resilience, and the importance of cross-agency collaboration in supporting small business resilience.