A MAJOR national poll has shown that the majority of Australians do not feel they have personally gained or don’t know if they have gained from Australia’s record run of economic growth.

Instead, Australians were more likely to report that large companies, senior executives and foreign shareholders have gained the most.

Releasing CEDA’s latest report Community pulse 2018: the economic disconnect, CEDA chief executive, Melinda Cilento said the report, based on a nation-wide poll of almost 3000, showed that government delivery of critical services and support in health, aged care and law and order are top priorities for Australians.

“The expectation that government should provide the services fundamental to the quality of life in Australia remains strong,” she said.

“Over recent decades there has been a narrative that growth equals prosperity but the results suggest that many Australians do not feel like they are getting ahead.

“Only five percent of Australians reported having personally gained a lot from our record run of growth, while 74 percent felt larger corporations and senior executives have gained a lot.

“A decade of stagnant incomes and cost of living pressures in areas like health and electricity are contributing to this feeling but waning trust in business and politics are also likely factors.

“Economic development and reform are important for improving Australians' quality of life, but if the community feel removed from the benefits or have lost trust that the benefits from growth will be broadly shared, then gaining traction on economic reform becomes more difficult.

“The poll results support this. Key issues around supporting business competitiveness, from reducing the company tax rate and red tape to supporting new industry ranked as least important for poll respondents.

“Australia’s competitiveness is fundamental to future economic opportunities. There is more work to do if Australians are to feel that their aspirations and expectations are genuinely connected to the actions and activities of business.

“Supporting a stronger, more productive economy through economic reforms and improving the way that government deliver services must go hand in hand. This will be the surest way to meet community expectations in the future.”

The poll also showed that people over 50 and those outside of capital cities were more likely to feel they had not gained at all from economic growth; the majority of Australians do not think the gap between the richest and poorest in Australia is acceptable; and more than 30 percent are finding it difficult or very difficult to live on their current incomes.

Ms Cilento said in addition to exploring who Australians feel has benefited most from our record run of economic growth, the poll also examines their attitudes to work and national and personal policy priorities.

“The poll shows that Australians generally have reasonable levels of job satisfaction, although it is lower for those Australians in the most insecure forms of work,” she said.

“Almost one-third of respondents would like to work more hours to earn more.

“This poll also shows that Australians are optimistic about new technology in the workplace, with 71 percent welcoming it and only 12 percent concerned that it would replace them.

“The top five most important issues to people were reliable, low cost basic health services; reliable, low cost essential services; access to stable and affordable housing; affordable, high quality chronic disease services; and reduced violence in homes and communities.

“The most important issues nationally were high quality and accessible public hospitals; strong regulation to limit foreign ownership of Australian land/assets; increased pension payments; high quality and choice of aged care services; and high quality and accessible public schools.

“The least important national issues were a strong private school system; lower company tax; increased humanitarian intake of refugees; less business regulation; and less restrictions on using our natural resources.

“The issues of least importance personally were access to exercise and recreation facilities; ability to move between jobs/sectors with ease; increased competition from new entrants in key consumer sectors; strong regulation of new technologies to protect people and reduced commuting times.”

Key results from CEDA’s poll include:

Who has gained from 26 years of economic growth?

• Five per cent of people believe they have personally gained a lot
• 44 per cent of people did not feel like they had gained at all
• 11 per cent didn’t know if they had gained
• Those outside capital cities were less likely to feel they had gained
• People over 50 were more likely to feel they had not gained at all
• 31 per cent of people are finding it difficult to live on their current income
• 74 per cent of people believe large corporations have gained a lot
• 79 per cent of people believe the gap between the richest and poorest Australians is unacceptable.

The report can be downloaded here.

CEDA’s report is being officially launched today at CEDA’s two-day State of the Nation conference in Canberra. The conference includes more than 30 speakers and is being live streamed via www.ceda.com.au.

Speakers include: Treasurer Scott Morrison, Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack, COTA chair and ANZ Banking Group non-executive director, Jane Halton, AO PSM, CSIRO chair David Thodey AO and Infrastructure Australia CEO Philip Davies.

The launch will be followed by a series of events in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Sydney in July and August where additional state-specific data will be released.

To find out more about these events click here.

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BP AUSTRALIA will not continue with the proposed acquisition of Woolworths’ retail fuel and convenience business, originally announced on December 28, 2016.

Despite its best efforts, BP has determined the transaction cannot be structured to meet its strategic objectives.

The decision does not deter BP Australia from its strategy to transform the retail convenience sector in Australia.  BP has a proven track record in delivering leading fuel and convenience offers to millions of customers around the world, through partnerships with strong local brands including Marks and Spencer in the UK and REWE in Germany.

Andy Holmes, BP chief operating officer for Asia Pacific, said today: “I am very confident in what the future holds and the delivery of BP’s strategy for strong market-led growth to 2021 with a continued focus on safe and reliable operations, increasing efficiency, simplification and modernisation.

“Our ambitions are underpinned by our long-standing strong relationships and partnerships. We are committed to working with our commercial partners, new and existing, to continue our transformational agenda for the integrated fuels value chain, and deliver innovation, technology and a best-in-class offer consumers expect,” Mr Holmes said.

“BP is making good on its promise and continues to grow across the Downstream. In marketing, BP has differentiated and material businesses, underpinned by strong brands, distinctive premium offers and increasing exposure to growth markets. In manufacturing, the refining portfolio is geographically balanced with good access to advantaged feedstocks. BP is also growing here in Australia with investments at Kwinana Refinery and growing midstream volumes. In retail, BP is transforming convenience with new in-store offers and leading-edge technology, like BPme.”

About BP in Australia

BP is one of Australia’s leading premium fuel retailers with around 1,400 branded retail fuel sites across the country, of which approximately 350 are company-owned, and more than 1,000 are owned and operated by our independent business partners. BP is one of Australia’s most significant investors, contributing to local economies, building infrastructure and creating jobs through our upstream and downstream businesses. BP directly employs around 5,700 people with many thousands more indirectly employed through our partners, contractors and suppliers. For more information about BP in Australia please visit www.bp.com.au.

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ABB and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, both global leading players in industrial automation and robotics, are showcasing the world’s first common collaborative robot operating interface at automatica in Munich, Germany from June 19-22, 2018.

The common interface will also help address the shortage of skilled workers in many industries. In Japan for example, one person in five is within a decade of retirement.

Demand for collaborative robots has outpaced the rapidly-growing industrial robot market, as easier-to-use robots open doors to new users. The fact that collaborative robots can be programmed and operated by people without specialized training helps small and medium enterprises, in particular, to leapfrog traditionally longer industrial robot learning curves.

Collaborative robots (cobots) that can be operated by nearly any user can help offset labor shortages. Their flexibility to work nearly anywhere in a factory without safety barriers also makes them ideal for meeting sudden and unexpected demand peaks.

“The new state-of-the-art, industry-standard operating interface will accelerate the already rapid growth we see in collaborative robots,” said Per Vegard Nerseth, managing director of Robotics for ABB.

"It will give many new manufacturers flexibility and scalability, while providing more interesting jobs for the world’s vital industrial workforce.”

The interface is a result of the collaboration between ABB and Kawasaki announced in November of 2017, designed to share knowledge and promote the benefits of collaborative automation, in particular dual-arm collaborative robots. It includes a simplified human–robot interface with intuitive, smartphone-like navigation and icons.

Yasuhiko Hashimoto, managing executive officer and president of the Precision Machinery and Robot Company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd said: “We are proud to take this first big step together with ABB and it is entirely appropriate that we usher in a new age of collaboration automation with a collaborative approach. Collaborative robots will make a large contribution to society in making manufacturing more flexible and efficient and in keeping our factories productive with an increasingly scarcer workforce.”

A joint collaborative automation demonstration located at the East Entrance of automatica will feature Kawasaki’s unique and innovative Dual-Arm SCARA Robot 'duAro' working together with ABB’s dual-arm YuMI robot.

In addition to continued development of the operating interface, the collaboration also focuses on other topics such as common safety standards. Traditional industrial safety standards are based on years of practice, supported by very specific parameters. The goal for collaborative automation is to develop safety standards which ensure worker safety, but also allow for entirely new ways of working together without unduly restricting collaborative robots’ many benefits.

About the partners:

ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a pioneering technology leader in electrification products, robotics and motion, industrial automation and power grids, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport and infrastructure globally. Continuing a history of innovation spanning more than 130 years, ABB today is writing the future of industrial digitalization with two clear value propositions: bringing electricity from any power plant to any plug and automating industries from natural resources to finished products. As title partner of Formula E, the fully electric international FIA motorsport class, ABB is pushing the boundaries of e-mobility to contribute to a sustainable future. ABB operates in more than 100 countries with about 135,000 employees. www.abb.com

ABB Robotics is a pioneer in industrial and collaborative robots and advanced digital services. As one of the world’s leading robotics suppliers, we are active in 53 countries and over 100 locations and have shipped over 400,000 robot solutions in a diverse range of industries and applications. We help our customers to improve flexibility, efficiency, safety and reliability, while moving towards the connected and collaborative factory of the future. www.abb.com/robotics

Kawasaki was founded more than 120 years ago and has been developing globally while producing revolutionary products by working together to ensure technology synergies across its different divisions.

Kawasaki is now recognized as a global leader in diverse industries in wide ranging fields going beyond land, sea and air, offering state-of-the-art technologies for environmental and energy infrastructure, machinery and robotics, and various types of transportation in marine, railway and aerospace to a leisure vehicles as motorcycles and personal watercraft in global basis with about 35,800 employees. global.kawasaki.com

Kawasaki Robotics is a leading supplier of industrial robots and robot automation systems with a broad product portfolio having shipped 180,000 robots in about 50 countries. As a pioneer in Japan, Kawasaki celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2017. As one of the world’s leading robotics suppliers, we are now transforming ourselves from an industrial to a fully integrated robot supplier. Kawasaki is a solution provider having deep application know-how through diverse business and products on land, sea and air. robotics.kawasaki.com

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ASSISTANT Minister for Vocational Education and Skills, Karen Andrews, has called on Australians to have their say on the future of the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network.

Minister Andrews today released a discussion paper on the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network, following a recent evaluation of the AASN model of delivery.

“The release today of the discussion paper is the start of a process to build on the successes of the AASN model to date,” Ms Andrews said.

“For three years now, AASN providers have been supporting Australian Apprentices and employers to succeed in their apprenticeship arrangements. We’re looking to collect innovative ideas that will further enhance those services.

“Ithaca Group’s evaluation of the AASN model of delivery was completed in February 2018. It found the current model is comprehensive and widely supported by stakeholders, but also identified areas for improvement.”

The Department of Education and Training will tender later this year for the delivery of Australian Apprenticeships Support Services to commence from mid‑2019. The process will be informed by the Ithaca Group evaluation and consultations with interested parties.

Minister Andrews said the Turnbull Government is committed to building a high quality Australian Apprenticeships system to better support apprentices and respond to the needs of employers and the economy.

“The announcement of the government’s $1.5 billion Skilling Australians Fund aims to deliver up to 300,000 more apprenticeships and traineeships, pre- and higher-level apprenticeships and traineeships Australia-wide over the next five years," Ms Andrews said.

“This means that getting the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network model right is more important than ever.

“The discussion paper and consultations sessions are integral in bringing innovative ideas together and ensuring the system delivers for everyone who uses it.”

Consultation sessions will be held in the coming weeks with stakeholders via webcast and in‑person for all states and territories to further explore issues raised in the discussion paper.

Interested parties are invited to respond to the discussion paper by 31 July 2018.

Further information on contributing in writing or by attending a consultation session is available on www.australianapprenticeships.gov.au/AASN-Discussion-Paper

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