THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) welcomes today’s policy announcements by the Queensland Government of its Powering Queensland Plan to address the state’s energy needs.

This Queensland Plan has been released ahead of the Finkel review due to be released this Friday at COAG.

QRC Chief Executive Ian Macfarlane said it was good to see the Queensland Government setting an example for southern states with an energy plan and releasing more land for gas exploration.

“Once again we see Queensland showing New South Wales and Victoria on how to run an energy policy by investing in gas power and releasing another 395 square kilometres of land for new gas tenure to supply the east coast market,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“It’s common knowledge the eastern seaboard of Australia is facing a gas shortage and instead of putting their head in the sand the government is looking at how to fix the problem. This is proactive step by the Queensland government.”

The QRC is however very disappointed that the Palaszczuk Government has turned away from a technology neutral approach to electricity generation, whereby low emissions power generation is provided by the lowest cost energy source available not just renewables.

“If we are to be agnostic in terms of the sources of energy the government should also support the addition of a modern high efficiency, low emission (HELE) power plant, potentially in Townsville, using some of the highest quality, low emission coal in the world right here in Queensland,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“The government is ignoring the global shift currently underway with coal-fired power generation in countries such as Japan, with new state of the art HELE plants delivering affordable, reliable energy with a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.”

In the recent QRC State of the Sector sentiment survey Queensland resources chiefs revealed the price and supply of electricity in the state was a major concern with the decision to institute a 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030.

“The government reaffirmed this target today and industry believes it’s risky to mandate half of the state’s energy mix, especially from an energy source that is intermittent,” Mr Macfarlane said.

www.qrc.org.au

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THE Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) has voiced its support for the proposed legislation to ensure payment within 30 days to small businesses.

“The IPA has long advocated for responsible timely payment to small businesses.  Too often, small business cash flow is held to ransom by the failure of big businesses to pay small business invoices in a timely manner,” said IPA chief executive officer, Andrew Conway.

The proposed legislation caters for instances where a contract is entered into between a business with $10 million or less annual turnover and a big business of $25 million or more turnover, or a government agency.

“The commercial world is still lagging behind Government agencies which are required to pay within 30 days or else interest must be paid.

“Healthy cash flow provides ongoing incentive to reinvest in their businesses; which extends the economic benefit of growth and the capacity to employ,” said Mr Conway.

publicaccountants.org.au

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THE Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities has commenced a new inquiry into the Australian Government’s role in the development of cities.

It will examine city planning and sustainable urban development, focusing on how to transition existing capital cities, and how to develop new and existing regional centres.

Committee Chair, John Alexander MP, said collaborative and flexible urban planning is essential to Australia’s future.

“Australia’s population is expected to double by 2075. Existing cities cannot continue to absorb this growth without affecting our high standard of living,” Mr Alexander said.

“We need options for adapting infrastructure and services in existing cities to sustainably accommodate much larger populations. We also have to examine opportunities to develop new or existing regional centres.

“Our inquiry will investigate potential for the Commonwealth Government to provide leadership and coordinate longer term national city planning to address these issues.”

The inquiry will be split into two sub-inquiries:

1)      Sustainability transitions in existing cities

• Identifying how the trajectories of existing cities can be directed towards a more sustainable urban form that enhances urban liveability and quality of life and reduces energy, water, and resource consumption;
• Considering what regulation and barriers exist that the Commonwealth could influence, and opportunities to cut red tape; and
• Examining the national benefits of being a global ‘best practice’ leader in sustainable urban development.

2)      Growing new and transitioning regional cities and towns

• Promoting the development of regional centres, including promoting master planning of regional communities;
• Promoting private investment in regional centres and regional infrastructure;
• Promoting the competitive advantages of regional location for businesses;
• Examining ways urbanisation can be redirected to achieve more balanced regional development; and
• Identifying the infrastructure requirements for reliable and affordable transport, clean energy, water and waste in a new settlement of reasonable size, located away from existing infrastructure.

Submissions are open until Monday 31 July 2017.  People are welcome to make submissions to either or both sub-inquiries, but should clearly indicate which part of the terms of reference they address. For more information about how to make a submission, contact the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Further information on the inquiry, including the full terms of reference, is available on the Committee website.

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

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THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is calling all retailers to put themselves forward to be recognised 2017 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards.

As Australia’s first and largest national retail awards program, the ARA Awards have celebrated Australia’s leading retailers for over 40 years. The 2017 program boasts a collection of awards representing the breadth of talent and achievement in the ever-changing retail landscape.

ARA Executive Director, Russell Zimmerman, eagerly anticipates the event held on August 3rd at The National Gallery of Victoria, and believes it will be the biggest and most popular event to date.

“Retailing is an exceptionally important sector for the Australian economy, and this event is a great platform for forward-thinking retailers to share their inspiring success stories and gain industry insights from esteemed guest speakers.

“Retail plays a vital role in the daily lives of all Australians and the ARA is proud to acknowledge the achievement and talent of the passionate retailers that are the heart and soul of the industry,” Mr Zimmerman said.

Major event sponsor, eftpos, is excited to support the ARA Awards for a fourth consecutive year. “Retail is a vital part of the Australian economy and it’s important that we recognise the industry’s ongoing contribution through these awards,” eftpos Managing Director, Bruce Mansfield said.

The ARA has this year reimagined the selection process and worked with distinguished industry experts to determine what constitutes the ‘best in retail’ in the evolving retail sector.

“The Awards span 12 categories reflecting the diversity of Australian retail – from independent owner-operators, to national brands, industry innovators, outstanding staff and exceptional store-fitouts.” Mr Zimmerman said.

“The coveted ‘2017 Retailer of the Year Award’ is by far the one of hardest to critique, with the extraordinary calibre of leading Australian retailers in the field. I’m glad I’m not on the judges’ panel, they have their work cut out.”

The ARA encourages all retailers to submit an entry or nominate an exceptional retail employee before June 23 at www.australianretailawards.com.au.

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $310 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA 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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AS THE RETAIL industry’s peak representative body, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has proposed further changes to the 457 visa reform in a submission to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) ensuring the longevity of Australian retail.

ARA Executive Director, Russell Zimmerman said the ARA have long been advocating for its members on skills shortages in the local labour market and the costly flow-on effect of doing business in a competitive global market.

“Australian retailers are currently challenged by the availability of local talent to fill buying, planning and online roles in the industry,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“We have been consulting the Government and advocating for formal training and professional development options for retail employees, to support future careers in Australian retail.”

The ARA strongly believe the ability for Australian retailers to compete in a dynamic global market, and continue to employ Australian workers directly correlates with access to specialised talent.

“The recent changes to the 457 visa program have restricted Australian retailers in accessing specific roles required in modern day retailing, further crippling the growth and development of local retail talent,” Mr Zimmerman said.

Working with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) the ARA surveyed its members on how the 457 visa changes will have a major impact on future business growth, securing retail talent, promoting local employees and international competitiveness.

The survey identified Retail Buyers, Merchandise Planners, Merchandise Designers and Digital Commerce as four critical roles required in contemporary retailing and assisted the ARA in formulating an accurate response to the Department on the proposed 457 visa changes to ensure current and future applicants for these particular roles are not affected.

The ARA’s submission highlights the adverse effects to the sector caused by the removal of certain retail occupations and asks the Department to reinstate the Retail Buyer to the Short Term Skilled Occupation List.

The submission further seeks a more sophisticated and inclusive approach in identifying strategic retail occupations prior to any reforms being implemented and recommends a pathway for highly skilled visa holders in key retail categories to be offered permanent residency.

Taking a longer-term view, the ARA supports the development and implementation of HECS-HELP for tertiary qualifications to support careers in Australian retail.

Mr Zimmerman said the ARA look forward to working with the Department to develop local retail talent through relevant tertiary studies which will in turn guide the future of Australian retail.

“As skilled retail employees are an enormous asset to the industry, the ARA will work with the Government to future proof Australian retail talent.”

To view the ARA’s full submission to the DIBP please click here.

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $310 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA 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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THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) said April’s modest retail trade growth of 3.08 percent year-on-year released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) brings some relief for food retailers whilst other parts of the sector continue to struggle.

ARA Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said although April’s growth figure is quite modest, the past few months have been difficult for the industry as they continue to face a challenging operating environment.

The industry continues to demonstrate real weakness in discretionary spend categories with Household Goods (0.67%), Hardware & Building (-0.95%) and Electrical Good Retailing (-0.33%) showing signs for concern.

“As the retail sector is experiencing economic transformation, we continue to see some parts of the industry struggling.” Mr Zimmerman said.

Despite this broader industry decline, the ARA have seen strong signs of growth for categories including Food retailing (4.29%), Liquor (7.31%) and Takeaway Food Services (6.16%). Cafés and Restaurants have also picked up since March, showing a 4.19% growth year-on-year due to family-based festivities over the Easter long weekend.

“With a number of public holidays in April, consumers enjoyed their time out at cafés and bars with friends and family, especially over the Easter period,” Mr Zimmerman said.

In regards to state categories, Victoria (4.19%), Queensland (4.05%) and South Australia (4.00%) take the lead with solid year-on-year growth figures. Australian Capital Territory (3.73%), Tasmania (2.76%) and New South Wales (2.60%) also showed moderate to good increases for the period. While Western Australia (-0.05%) and Northern Territory (0.61%) illustrate a less positive growth trend.

“There has been a significant change in consumer spending habits as the Government’s tax increases after the Budget have proved counterproductive to retail growth and consumers are holding onto their pockets tightly,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“It is clear the Australian retail industry is going through a structural change, and it will only become stronger once growth returns to the sector.

“We’re hoping to see a spike in discretionary spend when mid-year sales hit in June, and look forward to seeing the whole industry receive a strong trade in May.”

MONTHLY RETAIL GROWTH (March 2017– April 2017 seasonally adjusted) 

 
Household goods retailing (0.35%), Other retailing (0.56%), Food retailing (1.19%), Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (0.27%), Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (1.12%) and Department stores (2.47%).

Northern Territory (1.79%), South Australia (1.11%), Australian Capital Territory (0.91%), Victoria (1.02%), Tasmania (1.18%), Western Australia (0.43%), New South Wales (0.12%) and Queensland (2.41%).

Total sales (0.95%).  

YEAR-ON-YEAR RETAIL GROWTH (April 2016 – April 2017 seasonally adjusted)

Household goods retailing (0.67%), Cafes, restaurants and takeaway food services (5.01%), Food retailing (4.29%), Clothing, footwear and personal accessory retailing (0.27%), Other retailing (3.67%) and Department stores (0.13%).

New South Wales (2.60%), South Australia (4.00%), Tasmania (2.76%), Victoria (4.19%), Australian Capital Territory (3.73%), Western Australia (-0.05%), Queensland (4.05%) and Northern Territory (0.61%).

Total sales (3.08%). 

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $310 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA 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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WASHINGTON DC —  As world leaders gather at the first UN Ocean Conference that will get underway on June 5, World Environment Day, Ocean Conservancy is releasing data from more than half a million International Coastal Cleanup volunteers who removed 18,399,900lbs of trash from beaches, coasts and waterways in 112 countries last September, in the world's largest volunteer effort on behalf of the ocean.

"We are grateful for the volunteers around the world who literally moved mountains of trash from entering our ocean," said Allison Schutes , senior manager of Ocean Conservancy's Trash Free Seas Program.

"Together, we walked over 14,490 miles of beaches, coasts and waterways  — enough to walk around the moon twice. This is no small feat and we are grateful for every person who showed up and every piece of trash they picked. It makes a difference in our efforts to stem the tide of ocean trash."

The report  released today identifies a piano among the other more unusual items found. Small, ubiquitous items like cigarette butts, plastic beverage bottles, food wrappers, plastic bottle caps and plastic straws remain the most commonly collected items — and remain among the most deadly to wildlife like seabirds, marine mammals and sea turtles.

The International Coastal Cleanup contributes to the world's most robust database on marine debris, which is built entirely on the individual action of the citizen scientists who meticulously log their finds. Last year, Ocean Conservancy debuted the Clean Swell mobile app to allow volunteers to more easily log trash that they collect.

"The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) is perhaps the clearest expression of grassroots global action on behalf of our ocean, something Ocean Conservancy is proud to have led for over 30 years," said Janis Searles Jones ( @InVeritas_Jones ), CEO of Ocean Conservancy.

"But we recognize that cleanup efforts alone cannot tackle a crisis of this magnitude with an estimated 8 million tons of trash makes its way into our ocean every year, which is why we invite partnerships and collaborations across sectors."

The Cleanup is part of Ocean Conservancy's larger strategy for Trash Free Seas and is one of the many ways the organization is joining with others to help find answers and solutions to address existing ocean trash and eventually stop its flow into the ocean.

Ocean Conservancy also started the Trash Free Seas Alliance to coordinate across industry, government, NGOs and public interest organizations to identify ways to stop land-based trash from ever reaching the ocean.

Scientists have identified that by improving waste management and collection in the 20 countries where the mismatch between plastic consumption and mismanaged waste is greatest, we can reduce by 2025 the amount of plastic entering the ocean by more than 40 percent. 

"Ocean Conservancy is excited to see the solutions and commitments that emerge from the United Nations' Ocean Conference to tackle ocean trash," added Ms Jones. "We are ready to step up to the challenge of turning the tide on ocean trash together."

Ocean Conservancy acknowledges with thanks the support of The Coca-Cola Company for the International Coastal Cleanup over the past 19 years.

Last year, Coca-Cola activated a global employee engagement campaign to encourage participation in the Cleanup -- more than 7,000 Coca-Cola system associates volunteered along with their friends and families, cleaning more than 150,000lbs of trash.

As part of its commitment to address global climate change, Bank of America has supported the Cleanup since 2002, with thousands of employees participating in Cleanup events all around the world. Other national sponsors include National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Altria Group, Inc, Brunswick Public Foundation, Cox Enterprises, The Dow Chemical Company and the Martin Foundation. 

https://oceanconservancy.org/

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THE Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit will hold a hearing for its Inquiry into Cybersecurity Compliance based on the Auditor-General’s report No. 42 (2016-17) Cybersecurity Follow-up Audit on Friday, June 2, in Canberra.

Committee Chair Senator Dean Smith said the JCPAA is interested to hear how the audited agencies are improving their cyber resilience.

“With an increasing threat of cyber intrusions, it is more important than ever that Government agencies are cyber resilient,” Senator Smith said.

Compliance with the Government’s mitigation strategies is an important step for agencies to protect their systems and secure the continued delivery of Government business.

The Australian Signals Directorate has a list of strategies to assist agencies to achieve cybersecurity resilience and at least 85 percent of targeted cyber intrusions would be prevented if the top four strategies were fully implemented.

The Auditor-General found the Australian Taxation Office and Department of Immigration and Border Protection had not implemented the top four strategies since they were last audited.

The Committee will hear from witnesses from both Departments at the hearing.

Public hearing details: 8.30am – 10.30 am, Friday 2 June, Committee Room 1R1, Parliament House, Canberra

A copy of the full hearing program can be found at the Committee's website.

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

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

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