THE Australian Parliament’s Agriculture and Water Resources Committee has tabled the report of its inquiry into the Australian aquaculture sector: Supporting a strong future for Australian aquaculture.

The report found that Australian aquaculture was a growing industry with a strong positive outlook. Australia’s aquaculture already has a reputation for producing premium product and further improvements will strengthen its market position. The report noted that unlocking the full potential of the industry would require the removal of some barriers to growth.

Committee Chair Rick Wilson MP said, "There are many exciting opportunities for the growth of Australian aquaculture. The growth of the industry will help meet domestic demand for seafood, boost exports and provide thousands of additional jobs, especially in regional areas.

"Aquaculture, like all industries, has its share of challenges and potential barriers to growth. The committee has made a number of recommendations with the aim of overcoming these barriers," Mr Wilson said.

Mr Wilson noted the confusion caused by current rules around the country of origin labelling of seafood.

"Consumers are unable to know whether they are buying imported or Australian fish at their local fish and chip shop.," Mr Wilson said.

"Consumers have the right to know where the seafood they buy originates from. It is nonsensical that there are no country of origin labelling rules for the food service industry, and this must be addressed."

For further information, visit the inquiry website.

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THE Australian Parliament’s Northern Australia Committee has tabled the report of its inquiry: The engagement of traditional owners in the economic development of northern Australia.

The report found that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were keen to participate in the economic development of northern Australia, both for their own communities and for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Committee Chair Warren Entsch MP said, "The challenge for traditional owners is to leverage the rights provided by native title and land rights for the economic and social advancement of their communities.

The bodies representing traditional owners have a very large burden of responsibilities and expectations placed upon them, but government funding and capacity-building support for them is insufficient. Secure, long-term funding is essential," Mr Entsch said.

"There are important new opportunities for traditional owners in emerging sectors of the economy. These include environmental protection initiatives such as savanna burning, land management, carbon abatement and renewable energy.

Opportunities like these have the special strengths of using traditional knowledge of country. They also support efforts to stay connected with country and to fulfill traditional obligations of custodianship."

Further information, including a copy of the report, can be obtained from the Inquiry website.

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HESTA has urged Federal Parliament to progress important legislation currently languishing in the House of Representatives that would fix a loophole that sees those earning less than $450 a month from an employer miss out on super.

HESTA CEO Debby Blakey called on all sides of politics to take this opportunity to prioritise improving the financial security of some of Australia’s lowest paid casual and part-time workers.

“We have a small of window of opportunity to ensure that this basic equity measure is passed and implemented by 1 July, but Parliament must act now,” Ms Blakey said.

“This basic equity measure will make an important difference to our members who spend their entire working lives caring for others.

“Super is meant to be for all Australians, paid on every dollar earned. Ending this outdated measure will send a strong message to those working in casual or part-time positions for multiple employers that their work is valued.”

The government had previously flagged the legislation would be dealt with by both houses of Parliament today, but the legislation has seemingly not been prioritised. The change has bipartisan support and is expected to pass, if the government progresses the Bill.

Ms Blakey said If Parliament rises tomorrow without passing the Bill, many casual and part-time workers would continue to be unfairly excluded from the full benefits of super.

“The government should not miss the opportunity to make a difference to the financial security in retirement for those Australians who need it most,” Ms Blakey said.

Many HESTA members working in health and community services are low-income earners, working a small number of irregular shifts for a range of employers. This means they may not meet the $450 threshold with one or more employers, further reducing their super balances at retirement.

“We know that women experience a gender super gap that results in them having more than a third less super than men,” Ms Blakey said.

“Scrapping the $450 threshold is long overdue. Parliament must not miss this opportunity to make our super system fairer for women and the lower paid.”

The government committed in its 2021-22 Federal Budget to removing "this antiquated threshold" that sees around 300,000 working Australians – about two-thirds of whom are women – miss out on the full benefits of super.

"If it does not pass before Parliament rises tomorrow, it is unclear whether the legislation will pass before a Federal Election. HESTA has been advocating for this change for many years and will continue to urge politicians to ensure it becomes law as soon as possible."

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THE Indigenous Affairs Committee inquiry into fostering better engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers will hear from the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) at a public hearing this Thursday.

Committee Chair Julian Leeser MP said, "NAAJA had expertise on many of the issues currently faced by Indigenous consumers and the gaps that continue to exist in the corporate sector’s understanding of meaningful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander engagement.

"The committee looks forward to NAAJA’s insights and to having a productive discussion," Mr Leeser said.

Public hearing details

Date: Thursday, 10 February 2022 (AEDT)
11.35am    North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency

A live audio stream of the hearing will be accessible at https://www.aph.gov.au/Watch_Read_Listen.

For more information about this inquiry, including its terms of reference, details of upcoming public hearings, and instructions on making a submission, please visit the Inquiry webpage. 

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