THE Walkley Foundation today announced the shortlist for the Walkley Book Award, part of Australia’s most prestigious journalism accolades, the Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism.

The Walkley Book Award celebrates Australian writers who take enduring subjects from news, eyewitness accounts, investigations and history. Their books bring readers immersive detail, clear analysis and new revelations.

A total of 65 books were entered this year. Their subject matter ranged from true crime, politics and war to memoir, biography and investigative journalism.

The 2018 Walkley Book Award shortlisted finalists announced today in Sydney are (in alphabetical order):

• Peter Greste, The First Casualty, Penguin Random House
• Chris Masters, No Front Line: Australia’s Special Forces At War in Afghanistan, Allen & Unwin
• Helen Pitt, The House, Allen & Unwin
   

The judging panel chairs, who selected the shortlist for the 2018 book award, are:

• Colleen Ryan, journalist and author
• Paul Bailey, editor, The Australian Financial Review
• Pamela Williams, investigative journalist

The winner of the 2018 Walkley Book Award will be announced at the 63rd Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism on Thursday November 22, at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, thanks to the support of Tourism and Events Queensland.

The awards will be broadcast live on Sky News Extra Foxtel channel 604 and streamed live on the Walkley website (walkleys.com) from 8:30pm AEDT.

A full list of Walkley Awards finalists is available at walkleys.com.

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PRO BONO Australia has launched the call for responses for its seventh annual Salary Survey. 

The survey acts as a source of vital benchmarking data for key roles within the social sector, as well as executive and manager remuneration comparisons, professional development trends and remuneration policies implemented by organisations across the social sector. 

This year’s salary survey aims to collect insights into remuneration trends, employee engagement and workplace benefits, including salary sacrificing and superannuation contributions. 

Pro Bono Australia CEO and founder, Karen Mahlab said that the annual Salary Survey has become a trusted piece of Australia's social sector infrastructure by providing critical information to guide boards, management and individuals who want to be paid, and pay fairly. 

“We are calling again for the not-for-profit sector to participate in this seven-minute survey. The survey is the largest and most comprehensive remuneration report of its kind, providing extensive and practical information on selecting appropriate benchmarks and building a remuneration framework for Australia’s not-for-profit sector.” Mahlab said. 

“We thank all those who have trusted us with their information in the past and encourage those who haven’t to fill out this short survey for our common benefit.” 

Kim Kelloway, HLB Mann Judd head of clients and markets, said they were proud to partner Pro Bono Australia Salary Survey for the fifth consecutive year. As specialised not for profit advisers, HLB Mann Judd collaborates with organisations to make an impact and advance their mission. 

HESTA is a national industry super fund dedicated to health and community services and has been for more than 31 years. HESTA has more than 860,000 members and $60 billion in assets, and joins Pro Bono Australia to help deliver a comprehensive salary survey. 

Beveridge Consulting, which partners with organisations to drive business results through workshops, conference sessions, remuneration consulting and candidate assessment, will again provide the rigorous survey analysis and compilation. 

Participants who complete the survey will have access to 50 percent off the report upon its release in April, and will also go in the draw to receive $500 to be donated by Pro Bono Australia to the charity of their choice. 

The salary survey results will be published in April 2019. All responses will be kept strictly confidential. 

The survey can be found online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TWDYQPB.  

All not-for-profit employees are urged to contribute. 

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QUEENSLAND Resources Council (QRC) chief executive Ian Macfarlane has welcomed the Land Court’s decision on New Hope’s New Acland Stage 3 mine expansion near Toowoomba.

"The ruling will be welcome news for the people of Oakey and the Darling Downs whose future livelihoods would have been in jeopardy with resources depleting," Mr Macfarlane said.

"The New Hope mine is one of the region’s most significant employers and one of the most important economic contributors for the Darling Downs.

"This is new hope for New Hope and the 3,000 workers who rely on the Acland Coal Mine for their living either directly or indirectly," Mr Macfarlane said.

"With the expansion, the mine will be able to produce 7.5 million tonnes of coal per annum for 12 years, providing more jobs, more economic opportunity and more revenue for every tier of government. Construction of the mine would be over a three-year period and the mine would operate until 2031.

"In terms of direct employment, with the expansion the mine will employ 726 staff and contractors in 2025; without the expansion it would employ only 35."

The Queensland Government will now make its final decision on the approval of New Acland Stage 3.

www.qrc.org.au

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QUEENSLAND's coal exports have been the star performer for the state’s exports over the last two years, taking the title as Queensland’s most valuable export earner.

Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane said coal exports had been consistently delivering for the state in a run that stretches back to December 2016.

“Queensland’s coal industry is our economic powerhouse. And its run at the top dates back to December 2016. Every single month since then, coal has recorded the largest increase in value for Queensland commodity exports,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“That’s 22 months back-to-back in which the coal industry has taken gold for all Queenslanders.

“And that’s money in the bank for the State Government and for the people of Queensland.

“The most recent stats from the ABS show coal was worth $34.3 billion dollars to Queensland for the year through to September," he said.

“Our coal exports are on track to deliver a huge windfall for the State Government. Coal royalties are already forecast to be a record $3.76 billion dollars. The Palaszczuk Government’s budget is banking on total royalties from minerals and LNG to reach $4.32 billion. But on current figures, they’ll be even higher.”

The Queensland budget assumed thermal coal prices for this financial year to be US$89 a tonne. The latest thermal coal spot price was $US100 a tonne. Similarly, the budget assumes a coking coal price of US$161 a tonne, but the most recent trading value was US$225 a tonne.

“The consistent returns from the Queensland resources industry fund schools, roads and hospitals, and are particularly important at a time when rural exports have hit a rough patch,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“On top of this record return for Queenslanders, there are about 300,000 people who work in the resources sector, either directly or in associated industries.

“It is essential that we have stable and reliable regulation for our resources sector to continue to attract the investment that builds our state and delivers for every Queenslander.”

www.qrc.org.au

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CHAIR of the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB), Ian Taylor, has today welcomed the decision of the Federal Court in the most recent case of Philip Ham.

Mr Ham was sued by a former client for breaches of ‘fiduciary obligations’ or trust after he derived millions of dollars from the sale of land in which his former client had an interest. He was later disciplined by his professional association and was excluded from membership but failed to disclose these issues to the TPB.

In 2017, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) affirmed the TPB decision to reject Mr Ham’s renewal application for registration, determining his conduct was "inconsistent with the qualities of moral soundness, uprightness and honesty that one would expect of a tax agent". Mr Ham pursued his case with an appeal to the Federal Court.

Justice Logan dismissed the appeal on Friday and upheld the AAT decision which affirmed the TPB’s rejection of Mr Ham as a tax agent as he was not a "fit and proper person".

Mr Taylor said the Federal Court’s decision confirms the high ethical and professional standards expected of a trusted adviser like a tax practitioner.

"This case is an important reminder for all members of the tax profession to act with competence and integrity, to ensure that the community, the TPB and the ATO can have confidence that services are provided with professionalism," Mr Taylor said.

"Tax practitioners are engaged by three quarters of individual Australian taxpayers and entrusted to manage their tax affairs in compliance with the law. It’s important that agents respect the mutual trust between client, agent and the TPB, and act properly to protect the public and to ensure the integrity of the tax system."

Mr Taylor added that the TPB takes these matters seriously, with around 400 current investigations into tax practitioners across Australia.

"This is particularly important following ATO research linking some tax practitioners with overclaimed deductions, tax avoidance and evasion."

Mr Taylor urged taxpayers with concerns about their tax practitioners’ services to contact the TPB at www.tpb.gov.au/complaints

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THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has congratulated Peabody Australia after its central Queensland Coppabella Mine celebrated 20 years of operations "while supporting jobs and paying royalties to all Queenslanders".

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the Bowen Basin mine has been a significant economic contributor across the region producing around 65 million tonnes of pulverized coal injection (PCI) used in the production of steel.

“Mining is what makes our state great and Coppabella has been a major contributor to Queensland’s economy since it opened in 1998, last year it supported 435 jobs,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“Coppabella has exported coal to Japan, Korea and Taiwan paying royalties to the State Government which are used to build the schools and hospitals. That is good news for every town and community that relies on mining – from Mount Isa to Maroochydore. 

“The good news is, the resources industry is still creating jobs for people now, and for decades to come.

“Queensland would be an unimaginably different place without the huge scale of mining investment over the past 25 years and in the past 12 months the Queensland resources industry has added 10, 000 new jobs – or a new job every 40 minutes, invested $1 million every hour and exported $1 billion every week."

According to the QRC, the Queensland resources sector now provides one in every six dollars in the Queensland economy, sustains one in eight Queensland jobs, and supports more than 16,400 businesses across the State – all from 0.1 percent of Queensland's land mass.

www.qrc.org.au

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THE Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources Committee will hold a public hearing in Singleton in the Hunter Valley on Monday, November 5, 2018 as part of its inquiry into mining sector support for regional businesses.

The Committee will meet with a diverse group of academics, community groups, local government members and business owners to discuss ways the mining industry can contribute more to the communities where resources are extracted. 

Mining company Glencore, which is headquartered in the Hunter Valley, will also give evidence.

“We’re heading into the final stages of the Inquiry, so we’re really going to be pushing for answers to the big questions that have come up,” said Committee Chair, Barnaby Joyce MP. 

“Questions around fair payment terms and contract provisions, local employment and apprenticeships, and whether mining companies are giving enough back to the regions.”

Public hearing details: 9:55am to 2pm, Monday, 5 November 2018, Singleton Diggers, York Street, Singleton.

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live 

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