QUEENSLAND Resources Council Chief Executive, Ian Macfarlane, today applauded the decision by MMG to transfer its Century zinc mine in north west Queensland to Century Mine Rehabilitation Project Pty Ltd as a clear and practical example of MMG’s commitment to the environment and the local economy.

“I congratulate MMG on its decision to transfer the mine with not only a focus on reviving the region’s economy but also to the benefit of the environment,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“It provides a new economic opportunity for the mine while also supporting a dedicated rehabilitation plan.”

The announcement is a win win for rehabilitation and the region – the mine will be given a new life with substantial zinc still to be extracted while the rehabilitation plan will be in place for the end of the mine’s life.

www.qrc.org.au

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FUNCTIONAL stupidity can be catastrophic. It can cause organisations to collapse, financial meltdown and technical disaster.

But, says Professor Mats Alvesson, an internationally respected expert on management, stupidity can also produce good short term results through enthusiasm, trust, focus and compliance.

Professor Alvesson of Sweden’s Lund University, describes this as “the stupidity paradox” and his book of the same name has become an international bestseller.

“It’s a tome against mindless conformism,” Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who included the book on the Christmas reading list, recently told The Guardian.

It explores the dangers of mindless conformity and deference, and how a culture which questions established ways of doing things better enables organisations to innovate and succeed.”

Professor Alvesson is to give an address at the University of Sydney Business School, titled The Stupidity Paradox – the power and the pitfalls of functional stupidity at work.

Previewing the talk, he said it would tackle head-on the pros and cons of functional stupidity.

“You'll discover what makes a workplace mindless, why being stupid might be a good thing in the short term but sometimes very problematic in the longer term, and how to make your workplace a little less stupid by challenging the thoughtless conformity that most organizations cultivate,” Professor Alvesson said.

www.sydney.edu.au

Date:               Thursday 9th March 2017

Time:              12:00 noon

Venue:            Room 5050, Abercrombie Building (H70)

                        Cnr Abercrombie and Codrington Streets, Darlington

ENDS

AUSTRALIA’s resource employers have launched a 2017 workplace relations campaign focusing on ‘Five Urgent Reforms’, and is first calling on the Turnbull Government to take action on Labor’s excessive and costly union workplace entry laws.

“AMMA’s members across the national resource industry are deeply concerned that our parliament appears unable or unwilling to address fundamental problems in our workplace relations system,” Steve Knott, chief executive of AMMA, said.

“Reform priorities identified in 2016 by more than 100 leading resource companies – a highly representative cross section of an industry directly and indirectly employing around 1.1 million Australians - are yet to be acted upon or even debated.

“This is despite many of these reforms lining up with changes recommended by the Productivity Commission, and Australia’s deteriorating economic and employment conditions highlighting the urgent need for political action.”

The five reform priorities identified by AMMA's members and forming its 2017 campaign are:

1. Restore balance to union workplace entry laws;
2. Focus enterprise bargaining on employment matters;
3. Expand agreement making options for employers and employees;
4. Return to balanced termination of service laws, where a valid reason exists; and
5. Replace the Fair Work Commission with modern, balanced institutions.

On the first priority, AMMA has released an animated video and written to key senators and members of parliament, highlighting the absurd costs, delays, productivity impacts and safety issues associated with the thousands of site entry requests resource employers now receive each year.

“When Labor’s Fair Work Act gave union officials and recruiters almost unlimited rights to enter worksites, the number of visits sky-rocketed to thousands. One project received 17 visits in just 24 hours, while another received more than 300 in 90 days,” Mr Knott said.

“We are even seeing union recruiters target employees in their lunchrooms and resource employers expected to cop the costs and disruptions associated with union visits to remote projects.

“The resource sector needs the government to take action and address these well-documented concerns.  Our 2017 campaign will build public awareness by simplifying the practical impacts our unbalanced, prehistoric workplace relations system has on Australian employers every day.
“KPMG research indicated that if these five priorities were addressed, the benefits through the resources sector alone would be a $30.9 billion boost to national GDP and 36,000 additional jobs.

“Our nation can no longer afford to send these jobs and economic benefits overseas. It’s time to get the balance right in our workplace regulation.”

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TODAY the House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy launched an inquiry into modernising Australia’s electricity grid.

The electricity grid in Australia is entering a significant period of transition, driven by the shift from traditional sources of electricity generation to new sources such as wind and solar. At the same time, new technology is rapidly changing the way in which households and businesses interact with the grid.

The Chair of the Committee, Andrew Broad MP, said the inquiry would seek to understand the community’s expectations of the electricity grid, examine challenges and opportunities involved in modernising the grid, and learn from the experiences of other countries.

“New technologies such as renewables and energy storage are already transforming the grid—both here in Australia and overseas. We want to hear from the community about their priorities for the grid, and about how a modern grid can better meet the needs of all Australians,” Mr Broad said.

The Chair emphasised that the Committee would work together to identify practical recommendations that balance the need for security and affordability, and to ensure that the grid has the flexibility to adapt to emerging technologies and needs.

“The Committee sees this inquiry as an opportunity for all sides to work together in the national interest. The grid is essential to our way of life, but it is complex and needs careful consideration. Parliamentarians have an important role to play in building support in the community for changes that will bring about a grid that is more secure, more sustainable, and fairer for consumers,” Mr Broad said.

The Deputy Chair of the Committee, Mr Pat Conroy MP, explained that despite the uncertainty about how the mix of electricity generation will evolve into the future, the Committee’s focus would be on the pressing need to modernise the electricity transmission and distribution networks.

“There is a legitimate debate about how our electricity will be generated in the future. Yet, it is already clear that the electricity grid is approaching the limits of what it was designed to do. The critical question for the Committee is, what actions can be taken now to ensure that the grid has the flexibility to integrate electricity from a variety of sources at the lowest possible cost?” Mr Conroy said.

In conjunction with the inquiry, the Committee has launched an online questionnaire, which asks households and businesses to share information about how they currently interact with the electricity grid, and about their expectations of the grid into the future.

The Committee will also accept written submissions, addressing one or more of the terms of reference, until 28 April 2017. To assist stakeholders in formulating their submissions, the Committee has prepared a brief discussion paper expanding on the terms of reference.

Throughout the inquiry, the Committee will hold public hearings with government agencies, industry and community groups, and other interested stakeholders. In the coming weeks, the Committee will be looking to set the context for the inquiry, so that the Committee and the community can better understand the current state of the grid, and have a clearer picture of the task at hand.

Further information about the inquiry—including the terms of reference, the discussion paper, and the online questionnaire—is available on the inquiry webpage. Information about how to make a submission to an inquiry can be obtained from the Parliament of Australia webpage.

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