Proposed amendments to the contentious SA Small Business Commissioner Bill 2011 have been welcomed by the Franchise Council of Australia.

Independent MP Anne Bressington has flagged an amendment to ensure that SA franchise owners are not disadvantaged compared to those in other States. Family First MP Dennis Hood has proposed an amendment requiring a mandatory industry consultation process to accompany any future change to a Code (such as the Franchising Code of Conduct), with any failure to do so triggering a disallowance of the change.

Executive director Steve Wright of the FCA said “The amendments acknowledge that some sectors, including franchising, already have substantial federal regulations and that to adopt and then change these at the State level is very unusual and highly contentious.”