THE Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) are contacting thousands of West Australian taxpayers to offer assistance after they used the services of Jessa Van Stroe (also known as Jessa Layola), who was illegally preparing tax returns.

An order to stop preparing and lodging income tax returns for payment, as she is not and never has been registered with the TPB, was issued to Ms Van Stroe by the Federal Court on August 23, 2021.

Professor Dale Pinto, head of the Taxation Discipline in the Curtin Law School, said, "It is important for anyone who has used the services of unregistered preparers, like Ms Van Stroe, to review their tax returns. Unregistered preparers do not have the necessary skills or expertise to provide tax advice and by using her services these taxpayers have no protection against penalties which could be applied for mistakes Ms Van Stroe may have made."

The TPB is working closely with Curtin University’s Curtin Tax Clinic (CTC), which is offering free tax advice to people impacted by Ms Van Stroe. 

Co-Founders of CTC, Annette Morgan and Donovan Castelyn, said, "CTC is happy to provide free assistance in situations like this as it aims to assist unrepresented taxpayers in meeting or complying with their tax affairs. In return the experiential learning opportunities for students who work under the supervision of experienced tax practitioners in these situations are most valuable."

Only tax agents registered with the TPB can legally charge a fee to lodge income tax returns – find a registered tax agent using the TPB register.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) said anyone who has used her services should urgently review their income tax returns and ensure that the details provided to the ATO are correct and substantiated. This can be done by logging into your MyGov account or by contacting the ATO on 13 28 61.

"To get help help reviewing your tax return it is recommended that you seek independent advice from a registered tax agent," the ATO said.

Anyone who has used Ms Van Stroe's services that needs help understanding their tax affairs can contact CTC by phone on (08) 9266 2575 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About the Tax Practitioners Board

The TPB regulates tax practitioners in order to protect consumers. The TPB aims to assure the community that tax practitioners meet appropriate standards of professional and ethical conduct. Twitter_@TPB_gov_au, LinkedIn and Facebook.

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"WE NEED BANKS to fuel the economic engine of recovery and back households and small business," said chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics, Tim Wilson MP, in the lead up to the forthcoming hearing with ANZ and CBA.

THE Joint Select Committee on Road Safety will hold further public hearings for its Inquiry into Road Safety on September 29 and 30, 2021.

The hearing on September 29, 2021 will be an opportunity for the committee to hear from driver education programs, allied health professionals, academics and legal organisations about the ‘human’ factors which contribute to road trauma and measures that may be taken in this space to improve road safety outcomes.

Committee chair, Darren Chester MP, said, "The majority of fatalities and serious injuries on our roads result from human error. Indeed, the 'fatal five'—speeding, distraction, fatigue, drug and alcohol impairment, and failure to wear a seatbelt — are all consequences of actions taken by drivers.

"The committee strongly favours a holistic approach to road safety, including ongoing investment in better, safer roads, and considers human factors to be a critical component of the road safety environment. Accordingly, the hearing will be an opportunity for the committee to gather valuable evidence on how human error contributes to road trauma, and measures that can be taken to reduce error and enhance safety on Australian roads."

The hearing on September 30 will be an opportunity for the committee to hear from peak bodies, research organisations and safety authorities about the measures which Australia can take to reduce road trauma via safer vehicles and improvements to the nation’s infrastructure.

Mr Chester said "Ensuring vehicles on Australian roads are as safe as possible — including by encouraging the uptake of proven safety technology — is crucial to addressing road trauma. Equally important is maintaining the quality and currency of road infrastructure and ensuring new and upgraded infrastructure fully considers the safety of road users.

"Accordingly, the hearing will be an opportunity for the committee to hear about measures to ensure the safety of vehicles on our roads, and the infrastructure that is needed to reduce road trauma and ensure Australia is prepared for future vehicle technologies."

Public hearing details

Date:               Wednesday, 29 September 2021
Time:              9.30am to 4.15pm

Witnesses:  Occupational Therapy Australia, Maurice Blackburn Lawyers, Road Safety Education Limited, BRAKE, National Road Safety Partnership Program, Road Safety Matters, Engineers Australia.

Date:               Thursday, 30 September 2021
Time:              9.30am to 5pm

Witnesses:  Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia, Dr Richard Tooth, Roads Australia, Australian Automobile Association, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society of Australia, Australian Road Safety Foundation, 3M, Electric Vehicle Council. 

Due to health and safety concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, hearings will be held remotely via videoconference and will not be open for public attendance. However, interested members of the public will be able to view proceedings via the live webcast at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed member company Rio Tinto’s decision to build a new solar farm and battery storage project in the state’s far north.

The project will generate even more renewable energy for Rio’s bauxite operations at Weipa – tripling the local electricity network’s solar generation capacity.

Under the plans, QRC member company EDL has been contracted for the build with construction of the whole project expected to be complete by late 2022.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said Rio’s move to incorporate more renewables into its operations and boost local access to green power was part of a resource industry-wide commitment to lowering emissions.

“Resources companies understand they have an important role to play in lowering global emissions to meet the challenges of climate change and the expectations of the community,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“Investments in renewable energy projects like this is great news for Queensland and will help our industry lower its global carbon footprint, and add value to the Weipa community in a reliable, sustainable and cost-effective way.”

Rio Tinto already operates a 1.6-megawatt (MW) solar farm in Weipa which generates 20 percent of the town’s daytime energy demand, saving up to 2.3 million litres of diesel and 1,600 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.

“This will be the biggest battery on the Western Cape – and that’s great news for expanding Rio Tinto’s use of solar energy,” Mr Macfarlane said.

The new plan announced today will extend the project’s capabilities to a 4MW solar capacity, and the 4MW/4MWh battery will provide approximately 11 gigawatt hours of energy annually.

In a statement, Rio Tinto Aluminium Pacific Bauxite Operations general manager Michelle Elvy said the expansion of the company’s renewable energy capabilities would further reduce diesel consumption at its Weipa operations by around 7 million litres per year, and lower its annual carbon dioxide emissions by about 20,000 tonnes – the equivalent of taking more than 3,750 cars off the road.

Mr Macfarlane said renewables provided an important new source of long-term demand for Queensland’s minerals.

"There's two and half times more copper in solar PV per kilowatt hour of generation capacity compared with conventional thermal generation fleet. That's good news for Queensland's copper miners – we're growing our own demand," he said.

“Queensland’s economy was built on reliable access to low-cost energy and it remains a vital ingredient for the success of the resources sector.

“As we manage the transition to our low emission future, QRC members are showing how to ensure that Queensland’s energy mix remains affordable, and reliable while still driving down emissions.

“Today’s announcement from Rio Tinto and EDL ticks all the boxes – lower emissions, more jobs, and more demand for Queensland’s minerals. Win. Win. Win.”

www.qrc.org.au

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