What disputes can SASBC assist with?
Small businesses need a competitive and fair operating environment in order to thrive. The fundamental role of the SASBC is to provide a service to small business operators to assist them resolve disputes with as little stress as possible.
The Office receives and investigates disputes by or on behalf of small businesses regarding their commercial dealings with other businesses, and state or local government agencies or bodies.
All enquiries and disputes are dealt with in three key phases:
- Preliminary assistance
- Pre-mediation assistance
- Low cost mediation
See more information here about the phases.
The types of enquiries and cases that the office assists small business operators with include:
- tenancy disputes between small business operators and landlords (eg repairs and maintenance)
- business transactional issues (eg late or non-payment for goods and services, issues with the quality of goods supplied, non-delivery of goods)
- problems with business related motor vehicles and equipment
- franchising matters
- payment disputes in the building and construction industry
- assisting farmers who find themselves in financial difficulty with their financier or bank through the administration of Farm Debt Mediation
- negotiations between farmers and resources companies in relation to access to farming land.
To view the dispute resolution process click here.
