FARMERS and other interested stakeholders are encouraged to have their say on regulation affecting Australia’s agriculture sector, with the release of an issues paper today as part of a Productivity Commission inquiry that will look at ways to reduce unnecessary regulatory burden across agriculture.

Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce, said the Coalition Government was delivering on its commitment under the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper to make doing business easier and to cut red tape for farmers.

“Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of regulation is important for all sectors of our economy — but particularly for our $58 billion a year agriculture sector, where our competitiveness in international markets is crucial to profitability,” Minister Joyce said.

“Sensible regulation has important roles to play, such as protecting consumers from unsafe food and supporting our agricultural exports. But poorly administered or implemented regulation can have significant impacts on the profitability and productivity of our farm businesses, and can undermine the sector’s global competitiveness.

“This inquiry will identify priority areas for removing or reducing unnecessary red tape to improve the sector’s productivity and competitiveness, and will also take into account regulation in key supply chains.

“I encourage farmers and anyone else with an interest in our agriculture sector to get involved and have their say.

“In undertaking its inquiry, the Productivity Commission will also be considering submissions received during the development of the Ag White Paper and White Paper on Developing Northern Australia, as well as other relevant material in the public domain.

“This is just one way the Ag White Paper is creating a better business environment for farmers—we have already delivered fairer taxation arrangements, established an ACCC Agriculture Enforcement and Engagement Unit, and have commenced work to streamline regulation of agricultural and veterinary chemicals.”

To find out more about the Productivity Commission inquiry into the Regulation of Agriculture, including how to make a submission or to read the issues paper, visit pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/agriculture.​

To read the Agricultural Competitiveness White Paper, visit agwhitepaper.agriculture.gov.au.

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AUSTRALIAN shoppers were out in force at Boxing Day retail sales yesterday, with around $2.3 billion expected to have gone through registers across the country as part of the annual Boxing Day sales event, according to the Australian Retailers Association (ARA).

Russell Zimmerman, ARA Executive Director, said retailers across the country were inundated with shoppers, with some keen shoppers forming queues in anticipation of the discounts from very early morning.

“This year’s Boxing Day crowds certainly did not disappoint, and if anything, were larger than previous years,” Mr Zimmerman said of consumer participation.

“Judging from the number of people in stores and our prediction of $2.3 billion in purchases nationally, I think we’ll be looking at a record Boxing Day in 2015 in terms of sales.

“We anticipate this sales momentum will continue for the next two weeks or more, with the ARA and Roy Morgan Research expecting that Australian consumers will make retail purchases to the tune of $16.8 billion from December 26 to January 15,” he said.

“Boxing Day is traditionally known as the biggest sale day of the year, and while physical stores are the focus for many, online stores will also have seen an uptick in consumer activity for both Boxing Day and right throughout the post-Christmas sales period.”

Categories tipped to enjoy the biggest increases in year on year sales in the next three weeks according the ARA and Roy Morgan will be ‘other’ at 6.1 percent growth, and ‘department stores’ at 4.3 percent.

On a state basis, Victoria will be the big winner, with year on year growth of 5.6 percent growth for the period encompassing December 26 to January 15.

“South Australia will have experienced relatively lower sales at $115 million on Boxing Day because of the retail trading ban in metropolitan areas which only allows CBD stores to open,” Mr Zimmerman said.

ARA ROY MORGAN POST-CHRISTMAS 2015/16 SALES PREDICTIONS

December 26, 2015 – January 15, 2016

Boxing Day 2015 sales

(Australian Retailers Association)

2015/16 Post-Christmas Sales Growth by State

(ARA/ROY MORGAN)

2015/16 Post-Christmas Sales Growth by Category

(ARA/ROY MORGAN)

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $284 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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THE Minister for Small Business and Assistant Treasurer, Kelly O'Dwyer, has released draft legislation and regulations for public consultation on resilience and collateral protection, and a policy paper on client monies.

THE Victorian Chamber’s submission to the Productivity Commission (PC) has argued that the key outcomes of its review of Australia’s workplace relations framework must be the creation of a simpler, fairer and more efficient framework that spurs economic growth, increased productivity and improved business competitiveness.
                                                                         
Victorian Chamber chief executive Mark Stone said he welcomed a number of the final report’s recommendations including:

• Aligning penalty rates on Sundays in hospitality, entertainment, retail, restaurants and cafes with Saturday rates.
• Reform to curtail the cost impost of state based public holidays in addition to the national public holidays, as recently seen with the introduction of two new public holidays in Victoria.
• An emphasis on substance rather than process for unfair dismissal claims.
• The return of upfront assessments of unfair dismissal claims in some circumstances, which would limit the time and effort spent by employers in defending unmeritorious claims.
• Recognition that the enterprise agreement approval process is overly rigid and requires reform.
• Addressing ‘strike first, talk later’ tactics that subject business to costly disruptions. The PC has recommended prohibitions and restrictions that would limit this avenue.
• The PC’s assessment that the costs involved with expanding existing portable long service schemes would not be justified, given this would effectively introduce an additional employment tax on business with no associated benefit. 

"However, the report falls short in removing costly and lengthy general protections claims, though it does propose reforms to limit the ability of frivolous and vexatious claims to proceed, and for greater powers to award costs against applicants," Mr Stone said.

"We are disappointed that our recommendation to remove the ‘complaints’ element of the expansive general protections regime was not adopted, despite our analysis revealing only one successful case in over six years that would not have attracted protection under prior legislation. The thousands of claims against employers and rise in ‘go away money’ are therefore set to continue.

"The report also misses the opportunity to recommend crucial changes to restrict access to unfair dismissal claims, including for high income earners and genuine redundancy situations.

"Despite urging the PC to remove the burden of unfair dismissal for businesses with under 20 employees, this recommendation was not part of the final report, meaning small business will continue to spend time and money defending claims rather than running their businesses," Mr Stone said.

"We now urge the government to consider the recommendations of the PC and take on the heavy lifting required to legislate much needed reforms for business."

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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