THE Parliament’s Northern Australia Committee will visit Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands from Saturday 27 January to Thursday 1 February 2018 to hold public hearings as part of its Inquiry into Opportunities and Methods for Stimulating the Tourism Industry in Northern Australia.

The Committee Chair, Warren Entsch MP said ecotourism is becoming increasingly popular with Australian and international visitors and the potential is there to develop existing tourism operations and create new experiences on the Indian Ocean Territories.

“Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands have recently been voted as having some of the best beaches in Australia, with their pristine coral reefs, and largely untouched national parks,” Mr Entsch said.

“Increasing tourism to the islands has the potential to also boost jobs and create a positive impact on the local economy,” he said.

Draft Public Hearing Programs:
Monday, 29 January 2018: Christmas Island Court House, 8.30am to 3.30pm.
Tuesday, 30 January 2018: West Island, Cocos Club, 1pm to 3.30pm.
Wednesday, 31 January 2018: Home Island, Council Chamber, Shire Offices, 8.30am to 12.30pm.

The Committee is interested in hearing from a range of tourism stakeholders. These times are indicative only and may be shortened or lengthened depending on community interest.

People wanting to participate in the inquiry can contact the Committee secretariat by telephone on 02 6277 4162 or by email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as soon as possible, and no later than 19 December 2017.

For more information about the Committee’s inquiry, including the hearing program, submissions and terms of reference visit the committee website.

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website. 

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AN INDUSTRY body representing thousands of consulting firms in the built environment, Consult Australia, has welcomed the Federal Government’s move to ensure small businesses are paid faster. 

From July 2018, the government will be required to pay invoices for contracts worth up to $1 million within 20 calendar days – an improvement from the current policy of 30 days.

The CEO of Consult Australia, Megan Motto, said, “Small business is big business for the built environment and the Australian economy. Cutting red tape and making it easier to manage cash flow turns government into an enabler for small business – critical for industry confidence, our country’s competitiveness, and subsequently economic growth.”

As part of the government’s response to the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman’s report into payment times and practices, the government announced it will: ensure small businesses are paid faster, setting a new benchmark for government and industry; increase the transparency and accountability of Commonwealth agencies and entities; and create the right environment for the development, innovation and adoption of technological solutions.

Ms Motto said, “The government spends billions each year on infrastructure alone, and whilst many of our large firms have the resource to work with the system, too many of our small firms feel they have to work against the system. For sole trader and small practice engineers, architects, and planners, time is money and their level of administrative burden, be it through contracts or managing debts, can be the difference between thriving or simply surviving.”

Consult Australia represents some 48 000 firms of which 72 percent are defined as ‘small’ through having less than 20 employees. It published ‘Economic Benefits of Better Procurement Practices’ in 2015 which identified $240 million could be saved each year through better procurement practices alone.

“We hear a lot about the government being a model litigant when it comes to procurement reform. This announcement is a step towards the government becoming a model client,” Ms Motto said.

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THE Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) has congratulated Fellow member, Timothy Munro and his company, Change Accountants and Advisers for being listed in the Financial Review’s Top 100 Accounting firms for 2017.

“It’s a credit to Timothy and his team to be acknowledged in this way,” said IPA chief executive officer, Andrew Conway.

“Change Accountants and Advisers pride themselves on delivering better services at lower costs for clients by using online services for as many aspects of the practice as possible.

“Embracing, and in fact, driving technology for the benefits of clients is highly commendable and something the IPA encourages all members to do,” said Mr Conway.

publicaccountants.org.au

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman has welcomed the Federal Government’s move to introduce 15-business-day payment terms for small business suppliers.

The government today announced the plan in its response to the Ombudsman’s April 2017 Inquiry into Payment Terms and Practices.

The report found that late payments have been a perennial problem for businesses in Australia.

Ombudsman Kate Carnell said the Government’s response showed leadership and a willingness to lead by example.

“This is a game changer for small businesses and family enterprises that provide goods and services to the Government,” Ms Carnell said.

“Cash flow is king for small business and this will make a huge difference.

“It will save money on interest payments, boost confidence and free up capital for reinvestment.”

Ms Carnell said overseas experience showed significant benefits from faster payment times.

Her inquiry report cited the European Union, which estimates that each day of reduction in late payment times saves European companies approximately 158 million euros in financing costs.

In the United States, a study showed that faster payments to businesses had created 75,000 jobs and $6 billion in wages growth.

Ms Carnell said she hoped the Federal Government’s initiative would inspire similar responses from states and big business.

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