AUSTRALIA'S peak body for research, insights and analytics has unveiled its new name: The Research Society.

The organisation formerly known as the Australian Market and Social Research Society (AMSRS), has more than 2000 members and 80 company and client partners, and has been regarded as Australia’s leading research and insights community for 65 years.

Every decision across government, business and not for profit sectors affecting Australians in every aspect of their lives is informed by high quality research conducted by the society's members.  And never more so than right now when high quality up to the minute information is critical to the community.

The Research Society ensures the industry works to the highest standards and protects the interests of Australians who participate, as well as those who design and conduct research, by setting and enforcing a stringent Code of Professional Behaviour, as well as providing ongoing training to the research sector.

The Research Society’s chief executive, Elissa Molloy said the rebrand provided a fresh contemporary look and feel to complement the suite of new ways in which the organisation supports research professionals and partner organisations.

“As the leading Australian research and insights community for over 65 years, we know this is the best time to refresh our look and bring on new services to reflect a changing world and to support our members in their careers,” Ms Molloy said.

“We have some 2000 individual research professional members and over 80 partner organisations that include research agencies and end-client organisations that commission research in commercial and government sectors.

“We provide discounts and benefits to them and include individual membership for their employees. Everything we do at The Research Society is designed to promote, protect, connect and develop members and partner organisations.

“Our rebrand and the raft of new opportunities and services we are introducing reinforces our confidence in the smart creative research industry we support.  New services we are launching over the coming months include:  mentoring, live and on-demand online training, networking and conferences (including digital conferences), accreditation and a new suite of research awards all designed to reflect the dynamism of our industry,” Ms Molloy said. 

About The Research Society

• The Research Society is the leading research association in Australia.
• It supports the careers of research professionals with specialist training and professional qualification (QPR), professional membership, mentoring, networking opportunities and research awards.
• The Research Society partners with research agencies and end-client organisations that commission research, in commercial and government sectors, and provides additional organisational discounts and benefits to them as well as included individual membership for their employees.
• The Research Society is underpinned by a strong ethical Code of Professional Behaviour for its individual members and company and client partners that aligns with the Australian Privacy Principles.
• It supports company partners to certify to globally recognised ISO standards and it has exclusive rights in Australia to the Fair Data program that ensures companies collect, store and use the general public’s personal data and information in line with Australian Privacy and EU GDPR requirements.
• The Research Society is a founding member of the Global Research Business Network (GRBN) that links 45 research associations globally.

ends

THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy will hold a public hearing on the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Amendment (Transparency in Carbon Emissions Accounting) Bill 2020 on May 1, 2020.

Details of the public hearing are:

Date: 1 May 2020
Time: 11am – 2.35pm AEST
Location: via teleconference

The Bill seeks to amend the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 to capture ‘scope 3’ indirect greenhouse emissions in all reporting obligations, and to ensure that the Federal Government tables Australia’s national greenhouse gas inventory estimates in Parliament each quarter. 

The Committee will hear from:

• the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources;
• the Clean Energy Regulator;
• Doctors for the Environment Australia;
• the Australian Industry Greenhouse Network; and
• the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility.

Chair of the Committee, Ted O’Brien MP said the Committee looked forward to the public hearing.

"We welcome a discussion about the potential costs and benefits of the Bill, and the opportunity to gather information to assist the Committee in making its recommendations," Mr O’Brien said.

"This hearing is a valuable part of the Committee’s work in assessing the proposed legislation."

In order to ensure public safety during the COVID-19 situation, Committee members and witnesses will all participate in the hearing remotely, via teleconference. Interested members of the public are invited to listen to the broadcast, available on the Parliament House website

Further details about the Bill and the Committee’s work are available on the inquiry website.

ends

NSW BUSINESSES looking to ease the pressures of COVID-19 are reminded to review their workers compensation needs, as they may be eligible for reduced premiums.

Icare NSW CEO John Nagle said to date more than 14,600 businesses had been in touch to review their policy.

“We’ve been on stand-by during this difficult period to assist our customers with their changing circumstances. So far around 9,000 customers have made contact, or have been contacted by icare, to update their estimated wages and their business activities, which are major drivers of their premium,” Mr Nagle said.

“This is particularly true of customers impacted by social distancing measures in industries such as construction, hospitality and retail, with many needing to reduce staff numbers working at any one time.

“This has helped the majority of our directly impacted customers revise their wages down, leading to premium reductions of $40 million.

“At the same time one in nine businesses have increased their estimated wages, reflecting the upswing in some industries such as deliveries, groceries and cleaning services.”

In addition, icare has helped around 1,900 customers pause a further $38 million in premium payments whilst their businesses are in hibernation or they work through financial hardship.

“As restrictions are eased and ways of working evolve in the coming weeks, we expect to see further adjustments and we remain on hand to help customers during this time,” Mr Nagle said.

“We recognise there is still ongoing change for many businesses across the State and customers are encouraged to get in contact to discuss their individual needs.

“We will continue to balance the needs of our customers with the long-term sustainability of the scheme to ensure it continues to support businesses and their injured workers well into the future.”

NSW icare provides workers insurance to more than 325,000 businesses across NSW and customers are encouraged to contact icare on 13 44 22 to discuss their individual business circumstances.

Further details on COVID-19 measures and impacts are available on the icare website.

ends

THE FEDERAL Government is being urged to work with industry, unions, and experts to solve critical vulnerabilities in the nation’s supply chains after a leaked Defence Department report revealed essential services would break down within months in a major crisis.

The union also urged the public release of the full report, commissioned by the Defence Department and produced by Engineers Australia, saying the public had a right to know exactly what impacts a breakdown of international trade could have on key sectors of the economy.

The MUA has warned repeatedly that Australia’s reliance on foreign-owned shipping — which carries 98 percent of the country’s imports and exports — make our island nation highly vulnerable to disruptions caused by natural disaster, military conflict, or economic crisis.

The union has been advocating for action since 2015, including through submissions to parliamentary inquiries and by commissioning shipping expert John Francis to produce a report, ‘Australia’s Fuel Security – Running on Empty’, which examined the nation’s reliance on foreign-owned tankers to supply petrol, diesel and jet fuel.

MUA assistant national secretary Ian Bray said the COVID-19 pandemic had provided a stark warning, causing shortages of medical supplies and essential products across the economy.

“This Defence Department report has vindicated our repeated warnings that Australia is incredibly vulnerable to any major crisis that impacts on international trade, revealing how quickly essential services and the broader economy would grind to a halt,” Mr Bray said.

“Of particular concern are indications that essential services like clean water could be impacted within weeks, along with our health system, while the fuel needed to transport food and essential goods would run out in less than two months. Australia has received a clear warning from COVID-19, which has shown how quickly shortages of health products and essential consumer goods can occur when supply chains are impacted.

“Unless there are actions taken to address these risks, a future military conflict, natural disaster, economic crisis or pandemic that cuts seaborne trade will result in catastrophic consequences.”

Mr Bray said the union was urging the Federal Government to release the full Defence Department report and convene an urgent round-table of experts, including industry representatives and unions, to develop potential solutions.

“There are solutions available that would make the country more resilient to a crisis, such as creating domestic stockpiles of fuel and other essential products, increasing local manufacturing capacity, and creating a strategic fleet of Australian-owned vessels to carry essential goods, but they will need cooperation and clear leadership to deliver,” Mr Bray said.

“The COVID-19 crisis has provided an unprecedented opportunity to put politics aside and work together to defend our nation’s long-term interests by securing supply chains and addressing clear vulnerabilities.

“The union has been warning for years that the decline of Australian shipping is a national security risk — a view vindicated by this Defence Department report — which is why we continue to urge the Australian Government to invest in the creation of a strategic fleet.

“When 98 percent of our trade depends on foreign-owned ships, with no guarantee we could continue to access them in a crisis, it is clear that we are in an incredibly vulnerable position.”

The MUA’s report Australia’s Fuel Security – Running on Empty: https://bit.ly/31cDisq

ends

BUSINESS intelligence platform China Money Network has unveiled its new service called the China Expert Network.

Relying on the more than 60,000 registered users across the China Money Network family of websites emanating from ChinaMoneyNetwork.com, the China Expert Network connects multinational businesses with talented 'China hands' who can provide more transparency to a marketplace that often seems opaque.

With a focus on investment and finance, the China Expert Network brings together industry experts and practitioners focused on ESG, special situations investing, technology, startups, cleantech, real estate, media, construction, healthcare, and manufacturing.

"Clients frequently ask for access to the high-level industry experts who subscribe to our platform's data, so the China Expert Network is a new framework that gives our subscribers and our clients a win-win opportunity," said Nina Xiang, founder and managing editor at China Money Network.

"We've structured our service to give our subscribers a high level of privacy and our clients gain an equally high level of compliance."

Subscribers to China Money Network's data and news services can update their profile information to make themselves available as experts for special consulting projects. Ater their expert profiles are selected by a client, a meeting or formal engagement is held wherein the expert is paid for their time and expertise. Clients, in turn, comply with strict compliance procedures to ensure their business and regulatory goals are met.

More information about the China Expert Network is found at https://www.chinamoneynetwork.com/expert-network

About China Money Network

China Money Network delivers primary data for China's primary markets. Subscribers on the platform follow China's smart investments, special situations and technology innovations every day. By tracking China's private equity, venture capital and technology sectors, China Money Network delivers actionable intelligence to its subscribers. We connect the data points to give global investors the tools to execute deals in China, deals that otherwise would simply never take place. The company's Chinese language platform is at www.zhongjintoux.com. China Money Network, founded in 2011 in Shanghai, operates from satellites in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shenzhen, and Hangzhou. 

https://www.chinamoneynetwork.com

ends

THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell SAID small businesses have been given an extension to pay their employees under the JobKeeper program.

Small businesses that had concerns about paying their staff the $1,500 fortnightly JobKeeper payment for the first month prior to payments flowing in early May, now have until May 8 to ensure those payments have been made to their eligible employees.

“This will come as a welcome relief for small businesses struggling with cash flow,” Ms Carnell said.

“Small businesses now have extra time to deal with cash flow pressures as a result of any delays with their financial arrangements.

“It’s especially critical now that those small businesses that had chosen not to apply for JobKeeper because they were worried they couldn’t pay their staff by April 30, do so now.

“The big four banks have established JobKeeper help lines that are dedicated to ensuring small businesses have the funding they need to pay their staff. They are promising to fast-track these applications.

“There are also some fintechs that have released products to help small businesses with cash flow," Ms Carnell said.

“For those small businesses struggling to pay their rent, remember you are only covered by the Mandatory Commercial Tenancy Code of Conduct if you are eligible for JobKeeper, so this could be essential to your business’ survival.”

Businesses have until May 31, 2020 to formally enrol to claim JobKeeper payments.

However, the sooner an employer pays their staff for April and enrols, the sooner the ATO can reimburse them the JobKeeper payments.

Further information can be found at: www.ato.gov.au/general/JobKeeper-Payment

ends

UP TO 43, 000 new homes will not be built in the next 12 months as a result of COVID-19 according to new economic modelling released today.

Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia said, “The new modelling conducted by Master Builders Australia shows the devastating impact the lockdown of the economy is having on the building industry, the economy and the community.

“In the light of the economic impact being wrought by COVID-19 we have now revised our previous industry forecast which was released in February this year. While we obviously did not expect good news, the scope and depth of the potential damage to our industry and the economy is devastating.

“We previously forecast that there would be around 159,000 new housing commencements in 2020/21. We now expect there to be only around 116,000, a drop of 27 percent,” Ms Wawn said.

“The housing industry is vital to the economy and jobs. There are nearly 400,000 building and construction firms in Australia and more than 90 percent do work in the residential building sector. Around 388,000 of these are SMEs.

“There is already a current shortfall in achieving the required target of 200,000 homes a year which means that the impact on housing needs of our community will be severe,” Ms Wawn said.

“To be clear, Master Builders commends the Federal Government and State and Territory Governments for the stimulus measures they have already announced. We have proposed a range of stimulus measures to the Federal Government and are working with them in an effort to advance them.

“But what this forecast shows is that stimulus measures cannot wait. Our industry, the economy and the community cannot afford to wait months,” she said.

“Our industry is the nation’s third largest, it’s the largest provider of full-time jobs in Australia and they employed by 400,000 businesses, over 90 percent of which are SMEs. If governments do not act to support us now then the battle against the COVID-19 economic emergency could be lost just as the battle against the health emergency is starting to be won.

“We want the building and construction industry to be in shape to rebuild Australia. We want to protect the viability of hundreds of thousands of small businesses and the jobs of a million Australians. For that we need governments to act now,” Ms Wawn said.

www.masterbuilders.com.au

ends

THE Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) board has announced the appointment of Ainslie van Onselen as chief executive officer of CA ANZ.

Ms van Onselen, who recently spent six years at the Westpac Group including as the managing director of RAMS, commences her role as CEO at CA ANZ on May 18. She succeeds Simon Hann who is interim CEO.

CA ANZ chair John Palermo FCA said the board conducted an extensive search process.

“Ainslie is a great match for the qualities we were looking for," Mr Palermo said. “She’s a nimble thinker with an eye to the future, has a strong record of strategic thinking alongside a proven ability to be agile and a visible advocate for change for a public benefit.

“Her membership body mindset, future focus and digital acumen will be invaluable to make a difference for the profession of Chartered Accountants across Australia and New Zealand.”

He thanked Simon Hann for ably steering CA ANZ through the adjustments required to support members and continue to operate effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based in Sydney, Ms van Onselen is an experienced executive with a background in financial services and as a non-executive director with various listed, government and not-for-profit organisations. She has practised as a litigation lawyer, including as a partner in a specialist corporate and commercial practice in WA.

About Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand is a professional body comprised of more than 125,000 diverse, talented and financially astute members who utilise their skills every day to make a difference for businesses the world over. Members are known for their professional integrity, principled judgment, financial discipline and a forward-looking approach to business which contributes to the prosperity of our nations. 

www.charteredaccountantsanz.com

ends