QUEENSLAND Resources Council (QRC) chief executive Ian Macfarlane has welcomed the Land Court’s decision on New Hope’s New Acland Stage 3 mine expansion near Toowoomba.

"The ruling will be welcome news for the people of Oakey and the Darling Downs whose future livelihoods would have been in jeopardy with resources depleting," Mr Macfarlane said.

"The New Hope mine is one of the region’s most significant employers and one of the most important economic contributors for the Darling Downs.

"This is new hope for New Hope and the 3,000 workers who rely on the Acland Coal Mine for their living either directly or indirectly," Mr Macfarlane said.

"With the expansion, the mine will be able to produce 7.5 million tonnes of coal per annum for 12 years, providing more jobs, more economic opportunity and more revenue for every tier of government. Construction of the mine would be over a three-year period and the mine would operate until 2031.

"In terms of direct employment, with the expansion the mine will employ 726 staff and contractors in 2025; without the expansion it would employ only 35."

The Queensland Government will now make its final decision on the approval of New Acland Stage 3.

www.qrc.org.au

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CHAIR of the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB), Ian Taylor, has today welcomed the decision of the Federal Court in the most recent case of Philip Ham.

Mr Ham was sued by a former client for breaches of ‘fiduciary obligations’ or trust after he derived millions of dollars from the sale of land in which his former client had an interest. He was later disciplined by his professional association and was excluded from membership but failed to disclose these issues to the TPB.

In 2017, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) affirmed the TPB decision to reject Mr Ham’s renewal application for registration, determining his conduct was "inconsistent with the qualities of moral soundness, uprightness and honesty that one would expect of a tax agent". Mr Ham pursued his case with an appeal to the Federal Court.

Justice Logan dismissed the appeal on Friday and upheld the AAT decision which affirmed the TPB’s rejection of Mr Ham as a tax agent as he was not a "fit and proper person".

Mr Taylor said the Federal Court’s decision confirms the high ethical and professional standards expected of a trusted adviser like a tax practitioner.

"This case is an important reminder for all members of the tax profession to act with competence and integrity, to ensure that the community, the TPB and the ATO can have confidence that services are provided with professionalism," Mr Taylor said.

"Tax practitioners are engaged by three quarters of individual Australian taxpayers and entrusted to manage their tax affairs in compliance with the law. It’s important that agents respect the mutual trust between client, agent and the TPB, and act properly to protect the public and to ensure the integrity of the tax system."

Mr Taylor added that the TPB takes these matters seriously, with around 400 current investigations into tax practitioners across Australia.

"This is particularly important following ATO research linking some tax practitioners with overclaimed deductions, tax avoidance and evasion."

Mr Taylor urged taxpayers with concerns about their tax practitioners’ services to contact the TPB at www.tpb.gov.au/complaints

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PRO BONO Australia has launched the call for responses for its seventh annual Salary Survey. 

The survey acts as a source of vital benchmarking data for key roles within the social sector, as well as executive and manager remuneration comparisons, professional development trends and remuneration policies implemented by organisations across the social sector. 

This year’s salary survey aims to collect insights into remuneration trends, employee engagement and workplace benefits, including salary sacrificing and superannuation contributions. 

Pro Bono Australia CEO and founder, Karen Mahlab said that the annual Salary Survey has become a trusted piece of Australia's social sector infrastructure by providing critical information to guide boards, management and individuals who want to be paid, and pay fairly. 

“We are calling again for the not-for-profit sector to participate in this seven-minute survey. The survey is the largest and most comprehensive remuneration report of its kind, providing extensive and practical information on selecting appropriate benchmarks and building a remuneration framework for Australia’s not-for-profit sector.” Mahlab said. 

“We thank all those who have trusted us with their information in the past and encourage those who haven’t to fill out this short survey for our common benefit.” 

Kim Kelloway, HLB Mann Judd head of clients and markets, said they were proud to partner Pro Bono Australia Salary Survey for the fifth consecutive year. As specialised not for profit advisers, HLB Mann Judd collaborates with organisations to make an impact and advance their mission. 

HESTA is a national industry super fund dedicated to health and community services and has been for more than 31 years. HESTA has more than 860,000 members and $60 billion in assets, and joins Pro Bono Australia to help deliver a comprehensive salary survey. 

Beveridge Consulting, which partners with organisations to drive business results through workshops, conference sessions, remuneration consulting and candidate assessment, will again provide the rigorous survey analysis and compilation. 

Participants who complete the survey will have access to 50 percent off the report upon its release in April, and will also go in the draw to receive $500 to be donated by Pro Bono Australia to the charity of their choice. 

The salary survey results will be published in April 2019. All responses will be kept strictly confidential. 

The survey can be found online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TWDYQPB.  

All not-for-profit employees are urged to contribute. 

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