THE Australian Government has received two new voluntary nominations to host a National Radioactive Waste Management Facility from landowners in the Kimba region in South Australia.

The facility would hold Australian low and intermediate level waste largely associated with nuclear medicine production.

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Senator Matt Canavan said no decision had been made as to whether the nominations will be accepted.

Under the National Radioactive Waste Management Act 2012, a landowner may nominate land to host this facility until a final site is decided upon by the Australian Government.

Both new sites will be subject to a comprehensive analysis, including scoring them on measures such as technical suitability, community wellbeing, health, safety, and the environment.

Details of the site selection process are available at www.radioactivewaste.gov.au/site-selection-process/assessing-site, and details of nomination guidelines and multi-criteria analysis are at www.radioactivewaste.gov.au/site-selection-process/nominating-site.

“The Government has always said it remains open to receiving new land nominations, and that each would be assessed on the individual merits of the site,” Minister Canavan said.

The two new nominations relate to different parcels of land than those that were assessed, but not progressed, in the Kimba region in 2016.

“I have asked my department to begin reviewing the new nominations, and advise as to whether either should be progressed further and shortlisted,” Minister Canavan said.

“If that is the case, and I progress a nomination, public consultation of no less than 60 days would begin to determine if broad community support exists to take this nomination to a further, second phase of detailed technical review and consultation.”

The second-phase assessment of a nominated site at Barndioota is continuing and includes an Independent Heritage Assessment, site-specific technical studies and detailed public consultation.

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THE MAGNIFICENT success of the Australian film Lion continues, with the film taking $11.5 million in the 11 days since it was released in local cinemas.

Saroo Brierley’s incredible true story about love, hope and family has held the Number One position at the Australian box office for the second weekend in a row, a record for an independent Australian film.

The box office for the second weekend of release moves Lion further up the record books. The Great Gatsby is the only Australian film to have taken more on the second weekend. *

Following the exciting news last week that the film had received six Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Film, Lion is also winning the hearts of New Zealand audiences with a second weekend at the top of the local box office with NZD$1.2 million.

The Australian story continues to win hearts all around the world, having grossed almost $50 million in worldwide box office to date. Lion expands to over 1,800 screens in the US this Friday.

"It is so gratifying to see Saroo's story connect with audiences.  The positive feedback has been overwhelming.  At a time when the world seems to be fractured, LION offers hope and joy.  Its themes of love and family shine bright for audiences worldwide," said Richard Payten and Andrew Mackie from Australian distributor Transmission Films.

Lion is directed by Garth Davis from a screenplay by Luke Davies and it stars Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara, David Wenham and Sunny Pawar. See-Saw Films (The King’s Speech) produced the film in association with Aquarius Films and Sunstar Entertainment. Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Angie Fielder are producers with Andrew Fraser, Shahen Mekertichian and Daniel Levin executive producing.

* Second weekend Box Office grosses for Australian films:

Great Gatsby - $4,561,335

Lion - $4,179,886

Mad Max: Fury Road - $4,169,178

Australia - $4,125,211

Happy Feet - $4,121,050

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics will conduct further public hearings with Australia’s four major banks in March as part of its review of the performance of Australia’s banking and financial system.

The Chair of the committee, Mr David Coleman, MP, stated that ‘these hearings provide an important mechanism to hold the banking sector to account before the Parliament.’

The committee will continue to hold public hearings with the four major banks focusing on:

• domestic and international financial market developments as they relate to the Australian banking sector and how these are affecting Australia
• developments in prudential regulation, including capital requirements, and how these are affecting the policies of Australian banks
• the costs of funds, impacts on margins and the basis for bank pricing decisions, and
• how  individual banks and the banking industry as a whole  are responding to issues previously raised in Parliamentary and other inquiries, including through the Australian Bankers' Association's April 2016 six point plan to enhance consumer protections  and  in response to Government reforms and actions by regulators.

Public Hearing Details

Day 1: Friday 3 March 2017
Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra
NAB
9:15am to 12:15pm

Day 2: Tuesday 7 March 2017
Main Committee Room, Parliament House, Canberra
CBA
9:15am to 12:15pm
ANZ
1:15pm to 4:15pm

Day 3: Wednesday 8 March 2017
Main Committee Room, Parliament House, Canberra
Westpac
9:15am to 12:15pm

The hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live. 

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AMMA chief executive Steve Knott has this Australia Day been appointed a Member in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AM) for “significant service to the resources and energy industries, to the advancement of women, and to industrial relations”.

Mr Knott has led Australia’s resource industry employer group, AMMA, since 1998.

Over almost two decades he has overseen the organisation’s national policy development, workplace consulting services and employment support programs during a period where the industry’s workforce grew from about 85,000 employees to now directly employ 228,000 Australians.

In his role as one of Australia’s leading identities for the national resources and energy industries, as well as one of the country’s preeminent industrial relations specialists, Mr Knott has consistently advocated for policy and industry outcomes that promote AMMA’s long held vision:

To ensure the Australian resource industry is an attractive and competitive place to employ people, invest, do business and contribute to Australia’s national wellbeing.

In addition to leading AMMA, Mr Knott’s contribution to industrial relations in Australia extends to multiple advisory councils and board positions including: 

• Member of the International Labour Advisory Council since 2006.
• Represented the resources sector and Australian employers generally at numerous International Labour Organisation forums in Geneva and the Asia Pacific Region.
• Member of the National Workplace Relations Consultative Council since 2006.
• Member of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Skilled Migration since 2015.
• Director of the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) since 2014, and member of the ACCI General Council since 1998.

Mr Knott’s contribution to the advancement of women has primarily been through leadership of the Australian Women in Resources Alliance (AWRA), an Australian Government-backed initiative which since 2011 has worked to lift the number of women working within the resources, energy and allied construction and servicing sectors.

Among the programs overseen by Mr Knott to provide women with greater opportunity in the resources sector include specialist mentoring, implementing best practice diversity and recruitment processes within resource companies and developing innovative employer toolkits and support materials for greater workforce diversity outcomes.

“Being appointed a Member of the Order of Australia is a proud and special moment.  I am thankful that throughout my career I have been able to passionately advocate for policy and industry outcomes that maximise the employment opportunities available to Australians in our diverse and wonderful resources and energy sectors,” Mr Knott said.

“I wish to offer my sincere gratitude to the many people over my working life whom without their support this award would not have been possible.  I have been fortunate to have some great career and life mentors. This, together with working in an industry that provides prosperity here in Australia and abroad, is an absolute privilege.”
 
BACKGROUND

Steve Knott now resides in Melbourne however is proudly ‘born and bred’ in Tasmania, having attended Montagu Bay Primary, Rose Bay High and Hobart Technical College.

He is well known for an amateur track and field career in which he won more than 100 state titles, held national titles in both the long jump and pole vault, and compete in the 1982 Commonwealth Games three years after having open heart surgery.

Prior to joining AMMA he worked at Tasmania’s Hydro Electric Commission in roles ranging from Principal Industrial Advocate and Site Construction Industrial Officer through to IR and HR Manager Tasmania.

Mr Knott holds a post graduate diploma in business administration from Monash University and has professional memberships with the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Industrial Relations Society of Victoria, and is also a Fellow of the Australian Human Resources Institute.

www.amma.org.au

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