DEFENCE is seeking applications from the cyber community across Australia to develop cyber solutions of high relevance to the country's national security.

Applications close August 15.

Cyber is a priority theme of the Next Generation Technologies Fund, aimed at realising the potential game changing cyber capabilities afforded by research and development in Australia. Defence recognises the need to respond to this technology opportunity, and that technological advances in the cyber domain are likely to lead to the introduction of new capabilities in our region.

Defence is seeking to leverage the vibrant cyber science, technology and innovation capability across Australia to develop technology solutions of high relevance to the country's national security.

Through partnerships with Data61, academia and industry, Defence aims to understand the potential of cyber technologies, create prototype systems, and demonstrate the practical application of systems to Defence problems.

One of the goals of cyber technologies research is to inform Defence of the potential benefits and practical limitations of cyber technologies through studies and demonstrator systems within a three to five-year timeframe.

DST is seeking submissions from academia, and other research agencies, detailing how they propose to contribute to research in the following areas:

• Trustworthy Machine Learning
• Symbolic Execution for Rapid Threat Analysis
• Formal verification of Network Control Protocols
• Data Security and Privacy of Inference Models
• Detecting and Analysing Vulnerabilities in Concurrent Software
• Resilient Cyber Systems
• Depicting human vulnerabilities towards cyber threats via trust analytics
• Privacy-Preserving distributed Edge Computing
• Policy-Defined Networking
• SDN Data Plane Security and extensions to Software Defined Clouds
• Formal Mathematical Modelling Environment
• FPGA Security
• Assisted System Decomposition for Vulnerability Assessment
• Cyber-Enabled Information Warfare

Proposals will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Alignment to Defence strategy and the project priorities articulated in this document
• Future science criticality
• Collaboration depth (e.g. Collaboration with DST staff, Data61 staff, other universities, an industry partner, etc.)
• Delivery of outcomes (e.g. the ability of the proposal to deliver the agreed outcomes and milestones).
• Game changing potential to Defence

For more informaiton visit the Next Generation Technologies Fund - Cyber page.

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THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) says southern states must follow Queensland’s lead to develop their own gas resources in order to bolster supply and lower prices.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said today’s ACCC Gas Inquiry Interim Report reaffirmed what’s clear from the evidence – that the best way to bring down prices is to bring more gas to market.

“Queensland has been safely developing its coal seam gas industry for 20years,” Mr Macfarlane said. “The fact that we have developed our resources has meant not only gas for us here in Queensland, but it’s also been the supply that’s kept the lights and the heaters on in New South Wales and Victoria.

“Queensland is our nation’s energy super power, exporting coal-fired electricity and gas to southern states.

“Our gas industry has also paid almost $400 million to local landholders, who have benefited directly from co-existence with the gas industry, which is particularly important as landholders battle with the current severe drought.

“Queensland is the case study that works, and other states ignore it at their peril.

“New South Wales and Victoria can’t expect Queensland to continue to supply, and subsidise, their own gas users when each of those states has either a handbrake or a full-blown ban on any gas development.”

The ACCC notes that a looming gas supply crunch has eased and that prices have come down from highs of more than $20 a gigajoule, but that prices remain in the $8-$11 a gigajoule range.

“It’s unrealistic to expect prices to fall below the international price and they certainly can’t fall below the cost of production. But as Queensland shows, developing a local gas industry has the triple benefit of increasing supply, reducing costs and adding value to local communities,” Mr Macfarlane said.

www.qrc.org.au

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ASIC has approved the Australian Banking Association’s (ABA’s) new Banking Code of Practice (the Code).

ASIC’s approval of the Code follows extensive engagement with the ABA, following a comprehensive independent review and extensive stakeholder consultation. The ABA made additional significant changes to the Code in order to satisfy ASIC that it met our criteria for approval.

This is the first comprehensive broad-based industry code ASIC has approved under its relevant powers.

The Code will commence operation from 1 July 2019.

SIGNIFICANT NEW PROTECTIONS FOR SMALL BUSINESS

The new Code provides for improved protections for small business borrowers and expands the reach and impact of legal protections against unfair contract terms.

For small businesses who borrow up to $3 million, the Code provides that lending contracts should not contain a range of potentially unfair and one-sided terms. Unfair contract terms protections in the law apply to businesses who borrow up to $1 million.

At its current setting of applying to small businesses who borrow up to $3 million, the Code will cover the considerable majority – between 92-97 percent – of businesses in Australia. 

To ensure the settings in the Code provide a high level of coverage of the small business sector, ASIC’s approval is conditional on an independent review of the definition of small business within 18 months of the Code’s commencement. This targeted review will test the adequacy and application of the Code’s small business coverage in practice, and will occur well before the Code’s comprehensive review, due three years after its commencement.

At the same time, ASIC will collect quarterly data from banks and the Australian Financial Complaints Authority to monitor the extent of the Code’s coverage of small business. ASIC will ensure that this data is made public every six months. This will provide the public with ongoing transparency about the coverage of the Code.

EXPANDED PROTECTION FOR CONSUMERS

The Code has built on and enhanced the existing protections for consumers in the 2013 Code.

The new Code includes:

• provisions for inclusive and accessible banking, including for vulnerable customers, customers on low incomes and Indigenous customers;

• protections relating to the sale of consumer credit insurance (CCI) including a deferred sales period of four days for CCI for credit cards and personal loans sold in branches and over the phone;

• protections for guarantors of loans, for instance, giving prospective guarantors generally three days to consider information about a guarantee and requiring banks to only enforce a guarantee once they have taken action against the borrower;

• rules requiring credit card customers to receive reminders about balance transfer promotional periods ending, as well as more consistent treatment about how repayments are applied; and

• enhanced processes for assisting customers in financial difficulty and processes for resolving complaints.

MONITORING AND ENFORCEABILITY

All ABA member banks will be required to subscribe to the Code as a condition of their ABA membership and the relevant protections in the Code will form part of the banks’ contractual relationships with their banking customers.

The Code will be administered and enforced by an independent monitoring body, the Banking Code Compliance Committee (BCCC). Any person will be able to report a breach of the Code to the BCCC, and consumers and small businesses with disputes about the Code protections will be able to have those disputes heard by the new Australian Financial Complaints Authority.

ASIC notes the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry may make findings relevant to the Code. ASIC may review its approval of the Code in light of the Royal Commission findings.

BACKGROUND

ASIC has provided guidance on its approach to approving codes, including how to obtain and retain approval in Regulatory Guide 183 Approval of financial services sector codes of conduct (RG 183).

 In approving the Code, ASIC considered that:

• the rules in the Code are binding on the ABA’s members and form part of the contracts between banks and their customers;

• the Code was developed and reviewed in a transparent way, which involved significant consultation with relevant stakeholders including consumer and small business groups; and

• the Code is supported by effective administration and compliance mechanisms. The BCCC will have oversight on banks’ Code compliance, tools to require banks’ cooperation with their monitoring and investigations, and a range of sanctions for non-compliance with Code provisions.

www.asic.gov.au

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics will hold public hearings in Sydney on Tuesday, 31 July 2018 and Melbourne on Wednesday, 1 August 2018 for its inquiry into impediments to business investment.

The chair of the committee, Sarah Henderson MP, said the committee will examine how government at all levels can better support business investment in Australia.

Ms Henderson said,"The committee will hear from a range of stakeholders and industry sectors about how the Government can remove impediments to business investment, foster innovation and create jobs."

Public hearing details

Sydney: Tuesday, 31 July 2018, Macquarie Room, NSW Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney

9.15am: KPMG

10am: Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

10.45am: Australian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association Limited

11.30am: Break

11:40am: Consult Australia

12.10pm: Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals

12.40pm: NSW Business Chamber

1.10pm: Lunch break

1.30pm: Australian Dental Industry Association

2pm: The Tax Institute

2.30pm: Public Interest Advocacy Centre

3pm: Insurance Council of Australia

3.30pm: Finish

Melbourne: Wednesday, 1 August 2018, Room G3, Parliament of Victoria Committee Rooms, 55 St Andrews Place, East Melbourne

9.30am: Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association

10.15am: National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority

11am: Australian Retailers Association

11.45am: Break

12pm: CSL and Cochlear

12.45pm: Minerals Council of Australia

1.30pm: Institute of Public Affairs

2pm: Finish

The hearings will be streamed live in audio format at aph.gov.au/live

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A $4 MILLION joint funding program aimed at growing South Australia's forest and forest products industry is officially open for applications. ​

Federal Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources Senator Anne Ruston and South Australian Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Tim Whetstone have today released guidelines for the Mount Gambier National Institute for Forest Products Innovation fund.

Researchers with projects to grow Australia's forest and forest products industry are encouraged to apply for funding between $50,000 and $500,000.

Minister Ruston is encouraging innovative applications to continue growing the plantation forest and forest products industry.

"The National Institute for Forest Products Innovation fund is aimed to seize upon opportunities to harness the potential of our forestry assets, and maximise the contribution of the industry to our regional and national economies," said Minister Ruston.

"The fact that one of the National Institute for Forest Products Innovation hubs is located in Mount Gambier demonstrates the importance of South Australia and the Green Triangle to Australia's forest and forest products industry."

Minister Whetstone said the fund will provide important opportunities to boost research and development in the forest and forest products industry.

"The forest and forest products industry is a significant contributor to the state's economy and an important employer in our regions. The industry in South Australia generates over $2 billion in revenue annually," said Minister Whetstone.

"This research funding will play an important role in exploring and facilitating innovation in areas such as forest management, timber processing, wood fibre recovery and value adding, advanced manufacturing and the bio-economy.

"Priority areas for funding in the plantation forest and forest products industry include the development of new products, innovative, safe and efficient workplaces, and precision management; as well as tree growing, and robotics, automation and artificial intelligence."

Applications for the National Institute for Forest Products Innovation fund close on September 7, 2018. For more information and funding guidelines visit www.nifpi.org.au.

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WITH THE AUSTRALIAN retail industry having experienced a complete shake up over the past 12 months, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) will be seeking to crown the 2018 National Retailer of the Year at the 2018 ARA Retail Awards this October.

The 2018 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards are the nation’s longest running and most prestigious retail event, showcasing the most influential retail leaders and employees within the Australian retail industry.

This year’s awards,  themed The Retail Realm: thinking outside the shop, will touch on every element in the retail sphere including customer experience, technology, payments, sustainability, supply chain, growth, employee development and corporate social responsibility.

With Naomi Simson, founding director of online experience retailer RedBalloon, addressing this year’s Awards, retailers across the country have been submitting their entries to demonstrate how their small, medium, large or franchise business thinks ‘outside the shop’.

Russell Zimmerman, executive director of the ARA, said thinking beyond the shopfront is a crucial element in today’s retail marketplace with various external factors transforming the traditional course of retail.

“The Australian retail industry has undergone some serious changes over the last 12 months, and as a result, retailers have had to change their thinking to adapt to the new retail realm,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“This year’s Awards will highlight and identify those progressive retailers who have revolutionised their business model and transformed to accommodate the new 24/7 retail landscape."

With 13 awards up for grabs across three retail categories, the Retailer of the Year category will surely be one of hardest to critique, and an impressive amount of extraordinary retailers have already submitted their entries on the ARA’s Awards platform.

“This Award category is huge, containing awards for independent, small, medium, large, online and retail franchisees,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“I’m certainly glad I’m not judging this year’s Awards as the sheer amount of entries we’ve received over the past few weeks will be no mean feat for our exceptional panel of judges."

The 2018 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards judging panel includes Warwick Ponder, head of Corporate Affairs and Communications at eftpos Australia, Bernie Brookes AM, adjunct industry fellow at Swinburne University of Technology, Camille Reed, founder of Australian Circular Fashion (ACF), Rupert Deans, founder of augmented reality platform Plattar, and Radinck van Vollenhoen, country manager of Stocard, Australia’s leading mobile wallet app.

With only two weeks left to enter, the ARA recommend retailers get their submissions in quickly as entries close Friday, August 10.

“After submissions close, the judges will have two weeks to review each submission before finalists are announced on the 20th of September,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“So, if you want to be recognised in the Retail Realm, and acknowledged as a leading retailer in your field, you have to act fast – because just like the retail industry these Awards present endless opportunities.”

The 2018 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards will be held on Thursday 18 October at the Myer Mural Hall in Melbourne. The ARA encourage retailers of all sizes to submit an entry by nominating an influential leader or instrumental employee before Friday 10 August via the 2018 eftpos ARA Retail Awards platform.

To secure your seat for the 2018 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards head to The Retail Realm.

About the eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards:

First held in the 1970s, the eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards are the nation’s longest running and most prestigious retail event, recognising and rewarding outstanding retail businesses, innovations, and individuals across all sectors of retail. Relaunched in 2008, the annual 2018 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards breakfast will commence on Thursday 18 October at the Myer Mural Hall in Melbourne. For more information regarding the 2018 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) believes June trade figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) represent a fair trade for the end of financial year, with a 2.87 percent total growth year-on-year.

Russell Zimmerman, executive director of the ARA, said this positive growth is mostly due to the strong trade in Clothing, footwear and personal accessories and Food retailing.

“Winter finally hit in June as we saw the Clothing, footwear and personal accessories category grow by 5.26 percent year-on-year,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“Food retailing also saw a yummy result, growing 4.31 percent in June with supermarkets making a tasty comeback by having their strongest growth since June last year.”

With the new financial year in mind, consumers increased their spend in the Specialised food (6.05%) and Liquor (4.72%) sub-categories, which showed solid growth for the month.

Department stores (1.77%) saw a second-consecutive monthly rise in year-on-year sales, while weakness in the Household goods category (0.60%) dragged down the overall result for the industry.

“We have seen the housing market come off the boil of late in several states, which explains the flat results for Hardware and building and more significantly, Furniture, which was down by 2.55 percent,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“People don’t renovate when the housing market is down.”

Across the country, Victoria (5.77%) and the Australian Capital Territory (4.30%) showed the strongest growth in June, closely followed by Tasmania (3.87%) and New South Wales (3.05%). South Australia (2.53%) and Northern Territory (2.39%) remained steady, while Queensland (0.62%) and Western Australia (-0.46%) remained flat.

June saw the key retail categories posting healthy results, which is linked to the business confidence increase Roy Morgan has reported for the month.

“Business confidence often falls after the Federal Budget; however, this increase shows greater strength in the market, giving retailers much-needed assurance to invest in their businesses and execute product strategies,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“We believe this would grow further with the Federal Government’s company tax cuts coming into play again in the Senate in a few weeks’ time.”

Monthly retail growth (May 2018 – June 2018 seasonally adjusted) 

Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (1.71%), Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (0.86%), Household goods retailing (0.45%), Food retailing (0.39%), Other retailing (0%) and Department stores (-1.23%).

Australian Capital Territory (1.24%), Victoria (1.11%), Tasmania (0.91%), New South Wales (0.42%), Western Australia (0.22%), South Australia (-0.04%), Queensland (-0.33%) and Northern Territory (2.58%).

Total sales (0.41%).

Year-on-year retail growth (June 2017 – June 2018 seasonally adjusted)

Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (5.26%), Food retailing (4.31%), Cafés, restaurants and takeaway food services (2.36%), Department stores (1.77%), Other retailing (1.32%) and Household goods retailing (0.60%).

Victoria (5.77%), Australian Capital Territory (4.30%), Tasmania (3.87%), New South Wales (3.05%), South Australia (2.53%), Northern Territory (2.39%), Queensland (0.62%) and Western Australia (-0.46%).

Total sales (2.87%).

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is Australia’s largest retail association, representing the country’s $310 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. As Australia’s leading retail peak industry body, the ARA is a strong pro-active advocate for Australian retail and works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 7,500 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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QUEENSLAND Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane has welcomed action from the Federal Government to encourage new investment from Japan in advanced coal-fired power stations in Australia.

“It’s common sense to make full use of our vast energy resources, including high-quality coal to run high-efficiency low-emissions (HELE) power stations,” Mr Macfarlane said. “And Queensland is the ideal place to build one.

“We have access to the best energy resources for a diverse energy mix that is affordable and reliable.

“Queensland’s high-quality coal is already being exported to other countries in our region for use in advanced coal-fired power stations including Japan, China and Korea.

“It makes economic sense to use those resources here in Australia too.”

Thousands of HELE units are already in use or under construction around the world, he said.

“Queensland is Australia’s energy super power, with our extensive reserves of high quality coal, gas and renewable resources,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“Our gas resources are already keeping the lights on in the southern states, including in Victoria where gas development is banned. And we export electricity from our fleet of coal-fired power stations to NSW and Victoria to help power the national grid.

“Building a new HELE coal-fired power station in Queensland makes sense to further strengthen energy security for all Australians.

“We encourage the Commonwealth and all states and territories to finalise the National Energy Guarantee, which is technology neutral and will provide investment certainty for all types of power generation.”

www.qrc.org.au

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