VECCI welcomes the Victorian Parliament’s passing of legislation to expand police powers to “move-on” people engaging in illegal picket line and protest activities, as it will protect the fundamental rights of business.
“The right to freely enter one’s premises is a fundamental right. People should be able to go about their business and earn a living without others preventing them from doing so or making them fear for their safety,” says VECCI Chief Executive Mark Stone.
“VECCI has been a strong and consistent advocate of the need for this legislation and we applaud the Government for securing passage through parliament,” says Mr Stone.
The legislation grants Victoria Police the power to issue move-on orders where a person is: - impeding lawful access to a business premises; or - obstructing others or traffic; or - causing a reasonable fear of violence.
“It is fundamental that clients, customers and suppliers are able to freely enter and exit business premises and that private property is protected,” says Mr Stone.
“A number of Victorian businesses have been subjected to illegal picket line activities and protests in recent years including the CBD blockade of Grocon’s Myer Emporium project. More recently, traffic has been affected by the East-West link protesters.
“There is no place for a vocal minority who do not respect the rights of others to engage in lawful work and business activity, so we welcome this action to ensure the rights of businesses are protected and that major projects are able to proceed.”
including the Paid Parental Leave Amendment Bill 2014 which was re-introduced today.
ARA Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said it is now more important than ever for the Federal Opposition to also support business and back the abolition of the ‘pay-clerk’ burden from the paid parental leave scheme along with other reductions in compliance burden.
“Red tape and over compliance are major issues for business owners. The Federal Government is trying to remove this burden from all businesses but the Opposition is yet to show their support - which comes at a severe cost to business.
“The current system is overly complex and burdens business with having to carry the costs of changing their payroll systems and the additional paperwork. We are calling on all parties to put politics to one side and focus on making life a little easier for business owners, in turn helping business and the economy to grow and increasing employment opportunities.
“Under the Federal Government’s plan to remove the ‘pay-clerk’ burden, businesses of all sizes would be relieved of the red-tape burden of acting as the ‘pay-clerk’ for the paid parental leave scheme unless the employer and employee both ‘opt in’ to having the employer administer payments.
“The ARA believes the Abbott Government’s intention to return the administrative burden back to the government is the right approach. We encourage the Opposition to stop playing politics on this issue and provide the support required for retailers to get on with the job of doing business,” Mr Zimmerman said.
Since 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has been the peak industry body representing Australia’s $265 billion retail sector, which employs over 1.2 million people. The ARA ensures retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia.
THE Federal Government's announcement of cuts to red tape is a vital step towards making Victoria a better place to do business, says the state's peak employer body.
“We applaud the Government’s commitment to remove poorly designed, out-dated, overly prescriptive regulations that add to business costs,” says VECCI Chief Executive Mark Stone.
“Regulations cost the state economy an estimated $3.3 billion annually, so we need ongoing reform across all levels of government,” says Mr Stone.
Mr Stone’s comments follow the introduction of the Federal Government's Omnibus Red Tape Repeal Bill to parliament today as part of its plan to abolish more than 1000 acts and almost 10,000 regulations and cut red and green tape by $1 billion a year.
VECCI has been a consistent advocate of the need to reduce the red tape burden on Victorian business and in particular, small business.
“We are delighted that the Government has adopted our proposals that business be relieved of the burden of administering the paid parental leave scheme and superannuation payments. These were a key part of our “Too Big to Ignore” campaign for small business in the lead-up to the 2013 election,” says Mr Stone.
“We commend the Federal Government on this action and encourage both state and federal governments to press-on with their reform agendas to ensure Victoria remains competitive.”
COMMENT on the Station Precinct Engagement Program by the Victorian Government by VECCI Chief Executive Mark Stone:
- VECCI supports the State Government’s enabling of under-utilised government land to be used more effectively to benefit local communities and the Victorian economy.
- The resulting mix of housing, retail, commercial and public space from this initiative provides new opportunities for local communities, and Victoria will benefit from the estimated $1 billion in direct investment.
- The expectation that the project will create more than 3,000 direct project delivery jobs, 5,000 indirect jobs through construction and 800 full-time jobs after completion is welcomed.
- It’s very important proceeds from this release are recycled and invested in new infrastructure projects that help drive productivity and business activity and support Victoria’s liveability.
- VECCI urges the State Government to continue exploring innovative ways of funding new infrastructure.
The Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) is the peak body for employers in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.
PEAK retail industry body the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is calling on Australian retailers to prepare and submit their nominations for the 2014 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards.
This year, the ARA Australian Retail Awards are proudly supported by eftpos as the events major sponsor. eftpos Managing Director Bruce Mansfield said he hoped to see a record number of retailers submit nominations for this year’s awards, and share their success stories.
“eftpos is proud to support these awards because they recognise the extraordinary work that is done by the hundreds of thousands of retailers who serve the Australian community every day,” Mr Mansfield said.
The eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards are now officially open across eleven categories and designed to celebrate success across the entire retail sector.
ARA Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said it was an exciting period for the retail industry and there were countless stories of retailers achieving growth and excellence during challenging times - all of which needed to be told and celebrated.
“The eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards are becoming something of an icon, capturing stories of retailers who are thriving and growing during tough economic times. The 2014 Awards are shaping up to be bigger and better than ever before, and we look forward to recognising those retailers that are leading and reinventing the retail industry,” Mr Zimmerman said.
eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards - key information and dates:
AWARD CATEGORIES: eftpos Australian Retailer of the Year, BDO Australian Retail Employer of the Year, Visa Australian Independent Retailer of the Year, Quest Payment Systems Australian Retail Innovator of the Year, Expr3ss! Staff Selection Software Australian Retail Graduate of the Year, eBay Inc Australian Multichannel Retailer of the Year, FCB Australian Retail HR Practitioner of the Year, Rest Industry Super Individual Retailer of the Year – male & female, Roy Morgan Customer Satisfaction Retailer of the Year and the Victorian Government Victorian Retailer of the Year.
The ARA is also introducing one new award this year:Shop for Shops Australian Retail Store Upgrade of the Year.
Shop for Shops Director Luke Martin said Shop for Shops is proud and excited to be involved with this year’s awards.
“The inaugural Shop for Shops Australian Retail Store Upgrade of the Year award recognises those retailers who have succeeded in improving their stores and ultimately their customers in-store experience. While online retailing is a large part of today’s retail industry, nothing can ever truly replace the physical shopping experience – making store renovation, visual merchandising and aesthetic layout extremely important concepts for retailers to master,” Mr Martin said.
Since 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has been the peak industry body representing Australia’s $265 billion retail sector, which employs over 1.2 million people. The ARA ensures retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. Visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.
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