THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman has expressed dismay that politicians continue to argue over energy policy while small businesses suffer.

Ombudsman Kate Carnell said the latest East & Partners SME survey* of 1280 businesses showed 70 percent would reduce investment in capital expenditure because of higher energy prices.

The survey shows that:

• 39.5 percent of SMEs would scale back in the short term (long-term capex unchanged);
• 20.8 percent would scale back in the long term (short-term capex unchanged); and
• 9.9 percent would scale back capital expenditure in the short and long term.

Ms Carnell said that despite evidence of spiralling energy costs and reduced business confidence, politicians had not provided investment certainty.

In particular, she criticised State Governments for failing to agree with a national approach.

“The ACCC has revealed the impact of gas exploration bans on supply and distribution in Victoria and New South Wales, but these governments continue to shift the blame elsewhere,” she said.

“The Labor states talk about going alone on a clean energy target, which is putting politics ahead of the national interest.

“Meanwhile, businesses in South Australia may have to use dirty diesel generators to keep the lights on over summer.

“The Finkel Report provided a roadmap to repair the long-term damage of failed policies.

“All parties and all governments should endorse the report, remove bans on gas exploration and adopt a bipartisan approach to provide investment certainty.

“The danger with continued political bickering is that businesses will go to the wall, jobs will move offshore and be lost and consumers will feel even greater pain.”

www.asbfeo.gov.au

* The energy question was asked as part of the East & Partners SME Transaction Banking survey, which examines and forecasts demand for transaction banking product lines and service offerings within Australia’s Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) segment (A$1-20 million turnover per annum).

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INDUSTRY giants submit their wicked problems, and engineering students solve them – with the winners going to Silicon Valley: that’s the premise of the Maker Games, a rapid prototyping competition headed for the finals this weekend.

Curly problems provided by leading companies – Cisco, Commonwealth Bank, Telstra, Transurban, Phillips, WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff, Westfield, Rebel Sport and Vertif IT Solutions – have been taken up by teams of undergraduate engineering students at the University of New South Wales, who pitched solutions, then spent three months in an intensive rush to develop technical prototypes. 

The prize? A $25,000 all-expenses-paid trip to California to visit Silicon Valley icons and all the hot new start-ups.

The response? Almost 1,000 UNSW engineering students have signed up, and 17 teams have been beavering away for the past 12 weeks ahead of the showcase and finale on Saturday in front of the participating companies who will determine the winners.

“Engineers are not made like they used to be – students now need to be entrepreneurs and develop ideas and solutions to real-world problems, from which many of them either launch their own start-ups, or become part of emerging companies,” said Prof Mark Hoffman, UNSW’s Dean of Engineering.

“That’s the inspiration behind The Maker Games,” he added. “We have industry partners with really wicked problems, and we match them with the brightest engineering students in the country – and large numbers of them –  who are keen to apply the knowledge they’ve gained at UNSW to solving real world problems.”

Co-ordinator of the project is Danielle Neale, Entrepreneur-in-Residence at UNSW Engineering. “It’s been the most successful undergraduate exercise of this kind we’ve ever had. Students have taken up difficult industry challenges, and done so with gusto. Some of the ideas are really innovative, and those ideas are getting prototyped into products and solutions that are coming to life before our eyes.”

Five experienced industry specialists – with backgrounds in areas such as wearable computing, chemical engineering and internet-of-everything (IoT) devices – have also been on hand to help the students during a three-day ‘hack session’ earlier this month.

One of the challenges set by Cisco was to develop an advanced capability tracking sensor with very low-power requirements to monitor and track gas cylinders.

“The prototype developed by the students was well thought-out, and went beyond just tracking, which is a very common IoT use case,” said Jeff Apcar, a Distinguished Services Engineer at Cisco. “It uses a suite of sensors – including a gyroscope, GPS module, temperature and pressure sensors – that integrate into a IoT network via a LoRa low-power wide-area radio technology. The guys put a lot of work into the cylinder collar design using 3D prototyping. The end result is going to look great.”

The showcase and finale for UNSW’s Maker Games is being held on Saturday at the University of New South Wales from 3pm-7.30pm at Leighton Hall, Scientia Building, Kensington campus in Sydney.

UNSW’S FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

UNSW’s Faculty of Engineering is the powerhouse of engineering research in Australia, comprising of nine schools, 32 research centres and participating or leading 10 Cooperative Research Centres. It is ranked in the world’s top 50 engineering faculties, 11^th in the world in civil engineering and 6^th in the world in water resources. 

The faculty is home to Australia’s largest cohort of engineering undergraduate, postgraduate, domestic and international students. UNSW is ranked #1 in Australia for producing millionaires (#33 globally) and ranked #1 in Australia for graduates who create technology start-ups.

ENDS

COULD Australia’s solar expertise be key to helping tropical countries that have little or no access to energy?

The Joint Standing Committee on Treaties will hold a public hearing on Monday to discuss Australia’s membership of the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

The alliance aims to strengthen cooperation on solar research and development and encourage the diffusion of solar technology amongst countries in the tropics. The ISA is seen as an opportunity to promote Australia’s expertise in the solar and energy sectors.  

Committee Chair, Stuart Robert MP, said  joining the ISA could provide opportunities for Australian businesses and research institutions.

“Large sections of the population in many of these tropical countries have little or no access to energy, including many of our neighbours in the Indo-Pacific region. Membership of the ISA will support Australia’s engagement in the region,” the Chair said.

The committee will also discuss three air service agreements that Australia has with Israel, Hungary and Mauritius at the public hearing. These model agreements ensure international safety regulations and security measures are adhered to.

Public hearing details: 

11.30am – 1.00pm, Monday 16 October
Committee Room, 1R2, Parliament House, Canberra.

11.30am: Department of Energy and the Environment
                  Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

12.15pm: Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development

1.00pm: Close

The proceedings will be broadcast live (audio only) at aph.gov.au/live. 

ENDS

FEDERAL Parliament's Northern Australia Committee will hold two public hearings in Canberra on Thursday, 19 October and Friday, 20 October 2017 as part of its Inquiry into Opportunities and Methods for Stimulating the Tourism Industry in Northern Australia.

As part of this inquiry, the Committee is examining the impact of tourism on the economy of Northern Australia including how infrastructure investment can facilitate a sustainable tourism industry and have a lasting spill-over benefit for the greater economy.

Flight services and travel routes are vital to narrowing the distances between tourist destinations in Northern Australia as well as transporting goods at a faster rate. For international tourists and visitors, undertaking a flight bound for Australia often forms their first impression of Australia, and so has an impact on the overall tourism experience.

‘The Committee is eager to learn more about how Austrade is increasing tourism investment under the Australian Government’s Tourism 2020 strategy, especially through the Tourism Major Project Facilitation Service‘ Committee Deputy Chair, the Hon Warren Snowdon MP stated.

‘Easily accessible, affordable and reliable flight connections have long been a point of discussion for those who live and work in Northern Australia, and for tourists, can either make or break the tourist experience. The Committee is pleased to be able to discuss what is being done to improve flight services and routes within and to Northern Australia into the future.’ Mr Snowdon said.

Public hearing details: 

Thursday, 19 October 2017
Committee Room 1R6, Parliament House, 8.45 am to 9.45 am.

Friday, 20 October 2017
Committee Room 1R2, Parliament House, 10.00 am to 12.45 pm.

The proceedings will be broadcast live (audio only) at aph.gov.au/live.

Further information about the Committee’s inquiry, including submissions and the terms of reference, is available on the Committee’s website.

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website. 

ends

AUSTRALIANS throw out between $8-$10 billion of food every year[1]. This is an exorbitant amount, considering an estimated 1.9 million Australians go without food because they can’t afford it[2] and nearly 3 million people are living in poverty, one quarter being children[3].

With World Food Day approaching on Monday, Managing Director of online office catering leader Order-In, Jonathan Rowley explains how offices can put more thought in how they can reduce their food wastage.

Mr Rowley said, “As an organisation, we are very aware of this issue, which is why we are long-term supporters of OzHarvest. We have looked at the reduction habits of hundreds of our customers and found that the best practices to prevent food wastage at work, many of which can also translate to the home, are very easily implemented.” 

At work:

• Donate, don’t discard: There are many charities or organisations that will happily collect your unused produce and reallocate to places or people in need. This is perfect for when you’ve ordered too much food or if a meeting has been cancelled at the last minute. This will not only benefit those in need but it will also reduce the increasing amount of food that ends up in landfill, as currently 4 million tonnes of food ends up in landfill every year[4].
• Purchase in-season food: In order to make educated decisions, you should familiarise yourself with current in-season produce. Seasonal food will most likely be locally produced, meaning you will be supporting our farmers and growers. The produce will also be fresher, taste better and won’t perish as fast.
• Care for the environment: At your next corporate event or working lunch, you should look to use reusable or disposal plates, serve ware, utensils and glasses. When choosing these items, ensure they are bio-degradable or can be composted and recycled.

At home:

• Plan before you shop: The saying is true for grocery shopping, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. At the beginning of the week, plan each meal so you don’t buy unnecessary items, check what you already have at home and construct a list to save time and money. And lastly, don’t get sucked into the world of impulse buying! Stick to the plan. 
• First in, first out (FIFO): No we aren’t referring to the accounting method but a helpful way to unpack your groceries. You should move the older products to the front of your fridge or pantry and then put the newer products towards the back. Australians waste up to 20% of the food they purchase, which is equivalent to 1 out of 5 bags of groceries purchased[5], so this method will dramatically decrease your food wastage as you utilise the older stuff before it expires.
• Maximise it: Several foods will have more than one use. Vegetables, bones and meat scraps can be used to make stocks as the base of many meals. Overripe fruit will also make tasty smoothies, muffins or even cakes. Although wilted vegetables may seem unappetising, they can be used in soups or health juices. If you have a surplus of perfectly fine fruit, why not freeze them, make jam or marmalade, or even pickle them. Get creative!

“We all have to do our bit and at Order-In, we actively encourage all of our corporate catering clients to notify OzHarvest when they have a surplus of food that is perfectly edible.  We urge all households and offices to do the same." Mr Rowley said.

“We also offer our clients the option to make a $1 donation each time they place an order, which goes directly to OzHarvest. It might seem like a small contribution but over the length of our partnership, we have matched this dollar for dollar and have raised close to $8,000, which has provided more than 16,000 meals to disadvantaged and vulnerable men, women and children over that time frame. World Food Day is a good reminder of how fortunate we are and how we can all do our little bit to make it count.”

https://www.orderin.com.au

JOBS for NSW chairman David Thodey will join television personality David Koch and a diverse audience from the finance sector at an event today to address the widening gap in the market for accessible finance for fast-growing businesses.

Jobs for NSW CEO Karen Borg said the Mind the Gap: accessible, affordable finance for scaling business event, to be held at The Mint in Sydney on 12 October, will bring together finance industry leaders to raise debate about the growing need for entrepreneurial capital.

“Funding fast-growth SMEs at the right time, with both public and private sector funding, is essential to the long term success of the NSW economy,” Ms Borg said.

“Government has a role to play and that is not to compete with traditional lending institutions but instead to meet the market where there are gaps in funding support.

“Funding options are growing in diversity in NSW and Australia – more and more VCs are around, and we see more equity and debt coming in to the market.

“However, many of these can only lend up to a certain amount and must charge a level of interest to run commercially.

“This is where there is a role for government to support fast-growth businesses – and why Jobs for NSW is offering grants, loans and loan guarantees.

Ms Borg said the event would feature discussion between David Koch and David Thodey, followed by a panel conversation focused on supporting scaling businesses who need a greater quantum of capital in order to scale.

“The panel conversation will be led by Mr Koch will include myself, David Phillips, Head of Investec Emerging Companies, Investec and Kontented CEO Kate Edwards.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Small Business John Barilaro said Jobs for NSW is targeting high-growth SMEs with three new loan products ranging from $200,000 to $1.2 million to provide emerging businesses with capital to grow and drive job creation across the State.

“The three new loan products will be a major boost to fast-growth business in metropolitan and regional areas,” Mr Barilaro said.

“The loans will address barriers NSW businesses face in accessing affordable finance and consolidate the Jobs for NSW loan and grant portfolio.”

Note: Images of David Koch, Jobs for NSW Chairman, David Thodey and Jobs for NSW CEO Karen Borg attached.

www.industry.nsw.gov.au

ends

THE INTRODUCTION of Single Touch Payroll (STP) is in line with the Government’s digitisation agenda and should be supported, but there are still small businesses out there that will feel the compliance burden that it entails, according to the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA).

By July 1, 2019, businesses with less than 19 employees are expected to have implemented STP.

"While initially STP delivers little benefit to small business, we acknowledge that other benefits exist such as transparency over superannuation guarantee payments,” IPA chief executive officer, Andrew Conway said.

“Employees will be able to log on and make sure they are being paid the correct amount for their superannuation contributions so this level of transparency is most welcome.

“Our concern is for the 70,000 small businesses that have been identified that will struggle to implement STP without help and support. Many of these businesses are not digitised and will require adoption of technology and education.

“For small and micro businesses employing less than five people to implement STP before July 1 2019, will take considerable incentive and support.

“We support the notion of a phased and targeted incentive approach as proposed by the government.

“Hence, we are pleased to note that the government is considering a partial offset of costs and other incentives. However, we would like much more detail to ensure small businesses are not adversely impacted by the implementation of STP.

“There is also a reliance on strong internet connections which would disadvantage many working in more remote areas of Australia,” Mr Conway said.

publicaccountants.org.au

ends

THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed the release of the Annual Exploration Program for 2017-18, which includes more than 19,000 square kilometres for gas, minerals and coal exploration.

Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said Queensland is continuing to lead the way in responsibly developing the resources sector.

“The economics of supply and demand are simple, if demand for gas is strong you need to increase supply to put downward pressure on prices. Queensland’s latest exploration program includes almost 18,000 square kilometres for gas and petroleum exploration, which builds on the state’s advanced gas industry,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“New South Wales and Victoria must follow in the footsteps of Queensland and work with industry to responsibly develop their own gas reserves. Both states were quick to claim that they supported the recommendations of Chief Scientist Alan Finkel’s report, but they have overlooked the recommendation which calls on governments to adopt evidence-based regulatory regimes to manage gas projects.

“We need all state governments to follow the advice of science, not shock jocks and scare campaigns, to underpin the east coast gas market and the jobs that rely on it.”

In total, four gas basins are set for exploration which include the Surat, Bowen, Eromanga and Adavale basins. The exploration program also includes 1100 square kilometers of land for minerals in the North-West Minerals Province and 540 square kilometers of coal in the Bowen and Galilee basins.

“Queensland is home to some of the highest quality coking and thermal coal in the world and over the last four years we’ve set new export records. In the state’s North West there is potential to unearth significant amounts of copper, zinc and gold which are the minerals used in new technologies including batteries, mobile phones and solar panels,” Mr Macfarlane said.

Queensland Exploration Council (QEC) Chair Brad John said investors from around the world would be interested in these new Queensland exploration opportunities.

“There’s nothing like greenfield land releases of premium coal and gas provinces and the world class North West Minerals Province to catch the attention of investors, geologists and explorers,” Mr John said.

In 2015/16 Queensland coal, gas and metal industries contributed $55.7 billion to the state’s economy, supported more than 275,000 jobs and paid $2.2 billion in royalties.

www.qrc.org.au

ends