Could the council’s new city centre team be the answer to helping small businesses succeed?
The new unit is designed to help remove the red tape which previously has restricted small businesses.
It is also responsible for working with different groups, individual artists and creatives who have interesting ideas, to bring a sense of surprise and intrigue to the CBD.
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“In the past we've been a barrier because of a whole lot of regulations for events, we can't give out money – all of those things,” Mandurah mayor Rhys Williams said.
“We've actually cleaned all of that up now. In bringing this city centre team in, there is one phone call to one person in the team.”
Mr Williams said the intention was for the community to guide what business in Mandurah could offer, through the city centre team and help shape Mandurah’s new identity.
“We'll put the investment into it, we'll support with dollars and we'll support with our own energy but we're saying to the business community and the community groups, you drive this agenda because it's your city and we'll work with you to the best of our ability,” he said.
“This is a short term win; the long term is about the redevelopment, it's about how your incentivise the landowners, it's about how you attract a university into the city centre, it's about looking at the big picture stuff.
“But while that's stuff is happening in the background – because it takes 10 years to get moving – we have to actually help our businesses be successful in the meantime.”