Business Boost initiative

In June 2024, City of Moreton Bay announced a $922 million 2024-25 budget. The budget included $1 million in funding for small businesses and the local rural and agribusiness sectors. This funding is on top of the generous contributions available under Council’s business support initiatives.

With this, Council has developed its City of Moreton Bay Business Boost initiative. The initiative, which includes 5 major projects, is designed to drive economic growth in City of Moreton Bay. It will focus on agritourism capability, ecotourism certification, food/coffee service, retail leasing, and small business tax governance. The initiative will engage around 500 businesses through targeted workshops, specialised training by industry experts, and mentoring aimed at fostering growth, boosting capability, and ensuring long-term sustainability.

Council’s Australian carbon credit units will partially fund these programs. Council generates these units by capturing methane gas at our waste management facilities.

Master your food business program

The Master your food business program aims to empower food business owners. It does this by equipping them with the right plans, guidance, and knowledge to navigate current industry challenges. It offers food business owners insights into best practices and innovative strategies. This helps increase profitability, enhance sustainability, scale with staff, and address key issues.

Through the program, food business owners will gain tools and strategies to streamline operations, manage time, and thrive in a competitive market.

Shopfront renewal program

The Shopfront renewal program will offer property owners and agents of vacant retail spaces the opportunity to enhance their shopfront’s appeal and attract potential tenants by applying temporary themed decals on the front windows.

Eye-catching decals improve the visual appeal of the property while also highlighting the space’s business potential. This makes the space attractive to retail lessees.

Tax clinic business program

The Tax clinic business program provides workshops for small businesses operating in City of Moreton Bay. These workshops provide tax filing support for small business owners facing financial constraints or challenges in accessing professional tax services.

Whether you’re a micro-business, sole trader, or a home-based startup, the workshops will help you navigate the challenges of tax filing and ensure your business remains compliant.

Experts from UniSC will deliver and facilitate the workshops. They’ll be held across UniSC’s Moreton Bay and Caboolture campuses.

Agritourism program

Moreton Bay provides a unique opportunity to link agricultural heritage, local farmers, fresh produce, and farming communities with a growing tourism sector interested in farming and food production.

The Agritourism program aims to help agricultural businesses blend farming, tourism, and hospitality to create immersive visitor experiences. Through tailored workshops, seminars, and online courses, the program will equip business owners with the tools, strategies, knowledge, and insights needed to grow a thriving agritourism product.

Our partner, Regionality, will deliver the program. Regionality are specialists in agriculture, tourism, food, and regional development.

To find out more, email Council's Principle Industry Lead blair.brown@moretonbay.qld.gov.au.

Eco-certification and accreditation support program

Council is working to make Moreton Bay a leading sustainability destination. It does this by helping businesses and industries get eco-certified and accredited, which can:

confirm your business’s commitment to sustainable operations, boosting market appeal
show your role in advancing environmental excellence within the community
position your business with practices that align with global standards for sustainability
help local businesses work together to build a resilient, sustainable economy.

This program gives businesses a chance to get free certification from trusted providers, including:

Ecotourism Australia - Eco-certification or Strive 4 sustainability scorecard
EarthCheck - Certified or evaluate
Queensland Tourism Industry Council - Sustainable tourism accreditation and emissions reduction tool
Business Chamber Queensland - ESG support - This program is a supportive tool for businesses seeking to embed an ESG plan, not an accreditation or certification. ecoBiz, offered by Business Chamber Queensland, is free to Queensland businesses.