THE Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry today supports the Victorian Government’s announcement that the desalination plant will be used to boost Victoria’s water resources.

“The Government’s decision to switch on the desalination plant will strengthen Victoria’s water security and provide all Victorians with greater confidence in the supply of this valuable resource,” said Victorian Chamber Chief Executive Mark Stone.

“Victoria is dependent on secure, high quality water supplies for a prosperous economy, highly livable metropolitan and regional communities and healthy environment.”

Water is a vital input to many Victorian industries including agribusiness, electricity generation, manufacturing, chemicals and mining.

“Our state has invested significantly to develop a world class asset with a production capacity of 150 billion litres of water a year. With below average rainfall, falling dam storage levels and a growing population, the decision to use the desalination plant to augment Victoria’s water supply is timely,” said Mr Stone.

“Despite the desalination plant increasing Victoria's water supply, water remains an essential and scarce resource which is why water restrictions and water awareness must form part of Victoria's ongoing water management strategy.”

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, established in 1851, is the most influential business organisation in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.

victorianchamber.com.au

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DYNAMIC Australian PhD students will have the opportunity to compete in a 24-hour entrepreneurship challenge to design an innovative and profitable start-up concept.

The inaugural Australian-French Entrepreneurship Challenge planned for 2‑3 June 2016 at The Australian National University (ANU) is based on a flagship event run in France since 2011 by the French National Association for Research and Technology, and Novancia Business School.

In Australia, the event will be highlighted as part of a series of innovative and creative meetings, Créative France.

A call for applications for the Challenge was announced today by Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, the Hon Christopher Pyne MP, and His Excellency Mr. Christophe Lecourtier, Ambassador of France to Australia.

“I encourage today’s PhD candidates to embrace the Challenge as an opportunity to develop the business development skills required to thrive in a global market and be effective drivers of tomorrow’s innovation,” said Mr Pyne.

“The two-day challenge will give students in any field of the natural sciences, including earth, chemical or biological sciences; technology; engineering; or medicine, or in the humanities or social sciences, an opportunity to leverage their scientific knowledge to broaden their entrepreneurial skills."

Successful applicants will work in teams and be supported by expert mentors in the lead up to the challenge.

“In line with the objectives of the National Innovation and Science Agenda, the Challenge will give students from around Australia an opportunity to engage with Australian and French innovators who have first‑hand experience in successful global innovation – from skills on what’s required to become a successful entrepreneur to how they can contribute to boosting the global competitiveness of our research and industries.”

Ambassador Lecourtier expressed his support for Australia’s interest in co-organising this new event.

“Australia and France are world-class research performers and both deliver excellent science. We strongly share the view that enhanced cooperation between academia and industry is key to deliver on the innovation agenda. International partnering is crucial in this area, bringing in the new opportunities that can generate sound economic and societal impact”, Ambassador Lecourtier said.

“One member of the successful team will be selected to fly to France to experience first-hand the country’s thrilling innovation ecosystem and build on the international networks and linkages initiated during the challenge.”

The Australian-French Entrepreneurship Challenge is co-organised by the Australian Government Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and the Culture, Education, Science and Technology section of the French Embassy, with support from the Australian and French governments, ANU and the Australian Academy of Science.

Interested applicants can find more information at https://www.science.org.au/opportunities/travel/grants-and-exchange.

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The Parliamentary Trade and Investment Growth Committee will continue public hearings in Sydney and Melbourne as part of its Inquiry into Australia’s Future in Research and Innovation. The Committee is investigating how the research and innovation sector can better assist in overcoming Australia’s geographic, economic, and labour challenges, with a focus on commercialisation including, how technology imports and exports could be further facilitated.

The Committee will be holding public hearings in Sydney on 8 and 9 March 2016 and in Melbourne on 10 March 2016.

The Committee will receive evidence from a number of universities and research groups, established businesses and business organisations, and venture capital and start-up companies.

The Chair of the Committee, Mr Ken O’Dowd MP said, “The Committee will explore new commercial avenues to encourage Australia’s future growth and prosperity.”

“The Committee will discuss university performance including research and private sector collaboration in increasing the number of graduates trained in science, technology, engineering and mathematics who are able to easily transition into business employment.”

“How fiscal settings can be reformed to encourage innovation will be discussed with businesses, including venture capital and start-up companies,” Mr O’Dowd said.

Sydney
Date: Tuesday 8 March 2016, 9.30 am – 5.40 pm
Date: Wednesday, 9 March 2016, 9.00 am – 3.40 pm
Location: Northcott Room, Sydney Masonic Centre, 66 Goulburn Street, Sydney

Melbourne
Date: Thursday 10 March 2016, 9.00 am – 3.40 pm
Location: Room G3, Parliament of Victoria, 55 St Andrews Place, Melbourne

The Committee will hold additional hearings in Canberra later in March.
More information is available at: www.aph.gov.au/ResearchandInnovation

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POST-CHRISTMAS sales, back to school, and warm weather fired up the Australian retail sector in January, according to the Australian Retailers Association (ARA), with the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Retail Trade data for January 2016 showing year on year growth of four percent.

ARA Executive Director, Russell Zimmerman, expressed hope that the January sales increase will set the pace for the coming year, with Australian retailers crossing their fingers for a buoyant 2016.

January’s four percent growth year on year growth is identical to that of December 2015, and reflects a total retail spend by of Aussies of $24.8 billion for the month.

Year on year figures provide the most accurate measure of the sector’s performance and are the figures used by most retail businesses in their own reporting. January 2016 sales showed a 0.3 percent increase over December 2015’s static result.

“The first month of 2016 experienced a healthy level of growth, well in line with the ARA’s expectations,” said Mr Zimmerman. “While this is a great start to the new year, what we really would like to see is sustained, incremental rises in retail sales.

“Retailers are now coming off the strongest trading period of the year, being December and January, and maintaining the momentum of Christmas and post-Christmas is vital,” he said.

The biggest winners in the January spending stakes were household goods and other retailing, with 5.8 percent and 4.8 percent growth respectively. Clothing, footwear, and personal accessories were hot on their heels at 4.7 percent rise.

“Post-Christmas sales, and parents and children preparing for the new school year are responsible for the bulk of January’s growth. Balmy summer temperatures combined with some January discounts on summer season apparel also contributed to the boost,” said Mr Zimmerman.

Department stores had the smallest increase, at one percent, coming off the back of very pleasing five percent year on year growth in December.

State-wise, the ACT saw a tremendous increase of an unprecedented 7.7 percent – a level not seen since June 2015. NSW beat out rival, Victoria, with the two posting rises of 5.2 percent and five percent respectively.

“Victoria has been the forerunner when it comes to retail sales growth for the past few months, and to have the ACT demonstrate such a considerable increase is wonderful news, given it follows on from handful of slower months,” he said.

YEAR ON YEAR RETAIL GROWTH (January 2015 to January 2016 seasonally adjusted)

By category:

Food, four percent; household goods, 5.8 percent; clothing, footwear and personal accessories, 4.7 percent; department stores, one percent; other retailing, 4.8 percent; cafés, restaurants and takeaway foods, two percent.

By state:

NSW, 5.2 percent; Victoria, five percent; Queensland, 2.4 percent; South Australia, 4.2 percent; Western Australia, 1.3 percent; Tasmania, 4.7 percent; Northern Territory, 4.7 percent; and Australian Capital Territory, 7.7 percent.

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s more than $300 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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