THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs has announced that its inquiry into educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from the 44th Parliament has been re-referred to the Committee for further inquiry. 

The Chair of the Committee, Ms Melissa Price MP said “the cessation of the 44th Parliament prevented the Committee from completing this important inquiry so it has been re-referred to the Committee for that purpose.”

“The aims of the inquiry are to identify the best opportunities and pathways we can give to Indigenous students to assist them to succeed in school, regardless of whether they live in a remote community or in a regional or urban centre.”

The Committee invites submissions to the inquiry by Friday 25 November 2016.

For advice on making submissions see the Committee’s website at www.aph.gov.au/indigenousaffairs or contact the committee secretariat on (02) 6277 4559.  If you made a submission to this inquiry in the 44th Parliament, it is not necessary to make another submission unless you have further information which you believe the Committee should receive

Terms of Reference

The Committee will inquire into and report on key aspects of educational opportunities and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students up to school leaving age, including but not limited to:

• access to, participation in and outcomes of pre-schooling
• the provision of boarding school education and its outcomes
• access to, participation in, and benefits of different school models for indigenous students in different parts of Australia
• engagement and achievement of students in remote areas
• impacts on, and support for, families and communities whose children experience different models of educational services
• best practice models, both domestically and internationally, and
• comparisons of school models in the transition to further education and employment outcomes.  

For background:
House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs
(02) 6277 4559
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
www.aph.gov.au/indigenousaffairs

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website. Click on the blue ‘Track Committee’ button in the bottom right hand corner and use the forms to login to My Parliament or to register for a My Parliament account.

ends

AUSTRALIAN companies now have an innovative way to get involved in the multi-billion dollar LAND 400 Phase 2 armoured vehicle program.

Minister for Defence Industry, Christopher Pyne, announced a new Australian Industry Opportunity Roadmap which helps Australian companies cash in on the work available.

“Australian industry involvement is at the centre of the Government’s plans for the project,” Minister Pyne said.

“Projects like LAND 400 give us the opportunity to modernise our defence capability while keeping jobs in Australia and boosting domestic manufacturing.

"We want to encourage Australian industry participation – particularly in assembly, systems design, integration, testing and evaluation, and support of the capability."

“This is the chance for Australian defence employers and suppliers to get their slice of a very big pie,” he said.

The Opportunity Roadmap was developed by the two shortlisted tenderers, BAE Systems Australia and Rheinmetall.

It lists opportunities for Australian industry to become involved in the acquisition and support for the project.

“This roadmap was one of the significant recommendations arising from the Deloitte Review of Australian Industry Opportunities for LAND 400 that was announced by the Turnbull Government,” Minister Pyne said.

“Both companies will participate in a series of industry showcase workshops before the end of the year, once responses to the Roadmap have been received.”

LAND 400 Phase 2 involves the purchase of 225 Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles for the Army, replacing the Australian Light Armoured Vehicle.

“BAE Systems Australia and Rheinmetall have been contracted to participate in the next stage of tender evaluation, involving extensive testing of supplied vehicles, before a final selection is made.

“I urge all Australian companies with services or capabilities sought on the Opportunity Roadmap to register for the Australian Industry Showcase Workshops now, as the closing date for registrations is Friday, 21 October 2016,” Minister Pyne said.

The Australian Industry Capability Opportunity Roadmap has now been published on Defence’s LAND 400 website.

http://www.defence.gov.au/casg/Multimedia/roadmap-9-7762.pdf

ends

QUEENSLAND’s first Chief Entrepreneur will officially open a startup incubation space to nurture the next generation of business leaders at QUT on Friday, October 21.

The QUT Foundry, a co-working and mentoring space at QUT’s Gardens Point campus, will be launched by Queensland Chief Entrepreneur Mark Sowerby at 9am.

mr Sowerby is one of the state’s most successful entrepreneurs and best known as the founder and former Managing Director of Blue Sky Alternative Investments Ltd, an ASX-listed diversified funds manager focussed on alternative assets. 

As the inaugural Chief Entrepreneur, Mr Sowerby helps set Queensland’s strategy to identify, attract and nurture opportunities to best position Queensland as the Startup State.

The QUT Foundry, powered by QUT’s innovation, venture and investment company qutbluebox, is a space for QUT student entrepreneurs, staff and alumni to devise and develop ideas. As well as mentoring opportunities, QUT Foundry startups will have access to regular events and advice from industry experts.  

WHAT: Queensland Chief Entrepreneur Mark Sowerby to open startup space at QUT
WHEN: 9am, Friday, October 21
WHERE: P Block, QUT Gardens Point campus

ENDS

THE Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities, has recommenced its inquiry into transport connectivity, with a public hearing to be held in Canberra tonight (October 18). CSIRO and RMIT will address the Committee.

Committee Chair, John Alexander MP, says enhanced transport connectivity is key to the economic and social development of our cities and regions.

“Greater transport connectivity will transform our cities and regions, making them economically more efficient and socially more connected,” Mr Alexander says.

“It will also raise the value of property along transport corridors and around transport nodes. Capturing the value of this increase will allow us to pay for enhanced connectivity, especially transformational projects like High Speed Rail.”

RMIT, in conjunction with CSIRO and others, is conducting research into how patterns of settlement may be changed by the development of transformational infrastructure like high speed rail, and what impact value capture may have on this development. This research has included a series of ‘Design Studios’ to test an Australian idea of urban density; and explore how a new inland city of 250,000-400,000 inhabitants might be planned.

Further information on the inquiry, including the full terms of reference, is available on the Committee website. The Committee is expected to report by the end of the year.

Public Hearing: 5pm Tuesday 18 October 2016, Committee Room 1R3, Parliament House, Canberra

The hearing will be broadcast live (audio only) at aph.gov.au/live.

Further information about the inquiry can be accessed via the Committee’s website. 

ends