ON MONDAY 7 March, the House Infrastructure, Transport and Cities Committee will be meeting with a range of witnesses at a public hearing for the inquiry into the role of transport connectivity on stimulating development and economic activity.

The hearing will be held at the Commonwealth Parliament Offices, Level 21, 1 Bligh St Sydney.

Due to the security arrangements in place at these offices, members of the media and public interested in attending this hearing should register their interest with the secretariat before midday on Friday 4 March on (02) 6277 2352 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Further details on the hearing will be made available closer to the date.

Hearing details
Date: Monday, 7 March 2016
Time: 8:30 am–4:00 pm
Venue: Meeting Room 1, Commonwealth Parliament Offices, Level 21, 1 Bligh St Sydney

The public hearing will be webcast live at http://www.aph.gov.au/live

Further background information on the inquiry, including the full terms of reference and how to prepare a submission, can be obtained from the Committee’s website at www.aph.gov.au/itc or from the Secretariat on (02) 6277 2352 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has congratulated new Woolworths Group CEO and Managing Director, Brad Banducci, on his appointment.

ARA Executive Director, Russell Zimmerman, said Mr Banducci is a worthy choice as leader of Australia’s largest retailer.

“Brad has a wealth of retail experience from his five years in various roles at Woolworths Group, as well as his background with Boston Consulting Group,” said Mr Zimmerman.

“The appointment of an Australian to lead the Woolworths business is fantastic to see, and I look forward to watching Brad in his and the board’s ambitions to reinvigorate the business.

“The Woolworths’ success story is one of retail’s best, and the ARA hope to see this continue.”

Mr Zimmerman thanked outgoing CEO, Grant O’Brien, for his service to the Australian retail industry.

“In his almost 30 years in retail, Grant served as a great ambassador for the industry, working his way up from the shop floor to the top role – it’s a fantastic example of the sort of career young people in retail can aspire to.

“We look forward to working with Brad moving forward on a range of issues for the betterment of Australian retail,” he said. 

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s more than $300 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 5,000 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 PRIVACY of Australia’s 11 million employees is under threat following a decision of the national employment tribunal to allow a trade union to access personal information of non-union members.

The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has allowed an organiser of the Australasian Meat Industry Employees Union (AMIEU) to access employment records, which often contain names, addresses and other highly personal information, for non-union employees at a major Brisbane meat processor.
 
National resource industry peak employer group, AMMA, is calling for changes to Australia’s workplace laws to ensure such invasions of privacy do not become commonplace.
 
“There is no justification for our workplace laws to allow any union official to access the personal employment records of non-union members,” says AMMA executive director Scott Barklamb.
 
“No one outside of the employee, the employer or government inspectors has any business seeing employment records that may include sensitive health, performance and financial information.
 
“Working Australians are entitled to ask why any union official should be able to know their employment history, where they live, whether they’ve had time off on mental health grounds, or if they are paying child support.”
 
AMMA understands the application was made in a longstanding pay dispute between the union and meat giant Teys Australia. Mr Barklamb points out that the Australian Government has inspectors in each state and territory who are highly trained and subject to public sector standards in dealing with personal information.
 
“The Fair Work Ombudsman, which receives more than $120 million annually in taxpayer funds, is quite capable of dealing with such matters,” he says.
 
“Any notion of granting unaccountable union officials access to employees’ private information without their permission is absurd, unsafe and a breach of freedom of association.
 
“There are no guarantees that union officials will protect personal information. This is a serious concern following evidence of union links to criminality and improper access to personal files uncovered by the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption.
 
“AMMA calls for changes to our workplace laws to specifically prohibit union officials from ever having access to the personal and employment information of non-union members. To protect employees, it should also be an offence for any union official to seek access to such information.”

AMMA (Australian Mines and Metals Association) is Australia's national resource industry employer group.

www.amma.org.au

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THE House of Representatives Agriculture and Industry Committee will conduct a public hearing on Monday for the inquiry into agricultural innovation.

Appearing at the hearing will be representatives from a range of agricultural sector organisations.

The hearing will be held in Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra:
Monday, 29 February 2016
4.00 pm - Australian Pork Limited (Submission 70)
4.30 pm - Cotton Australia (Submission 72)
5.00 pm - Grains Research and Development Corporation (Submission 87)
5.30 pm - Bayer CropScience (Submission 78)
6.00 pm - close
The public hearing will be webcast live at: http://www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Events/Watch_Parliament

Further details about the inquiry, including submissions received and the terms of reference, can be obtained from the Committee’s website at: www.aph.gov.au/agind.

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THE  Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) today commended the Victorian Government on key progress in its efforts to grow Victoria’s reputation as a leading destination for tourism and events.

“VTIC has been heartened by the commitment the government has shown towards the tourism industry through a range of announcements in recent weeks and we look forward to even more action in the near future,” said Acting VTIC Chief Executive Erin Joyce.

“Last week’s announcement of $3.6 million in funding for six key tourism infrastructure projects under the joint Commonwealth-State Tourism Demand Driver Infrastructure program is particularly welcome after a long wait.”

Ms Joyce said projects such as the new Melbourne Cricket Ground Roof Walk and Buzz Line Fly experiences will enhance Victoria’s visitor attractions and offerings.

“It is encouraging to see these projects as a start to the activation of a critical pipeline of tourism infrastructure projects for the state,” said Ms Joyce. 

Ms Joyce said the government had also positively responded to calls for support of the Great Ocean Road region following the Wye River bushfires.

“Businesses in the Great Ocean Road area rely on the influx of tourists to the region during the warmer months and again in the upcoming Easter period,” said Ms Joyce.

“That’s why we are encouraged by the government’s critical approval of more than $400,000 to help boost visitor numbers in the lead up to Easter through initiatives such as destination marketing and events support.”

VTIC also acknowledged the efforts the Victorian Government is making to listen to the views and concerns of tourism and event businesses in the state.

“The appointment of the Visitor Economy Ministerial Advisory Committee earlier this month is welcome, but there is still more to be done to keep Victoria’s tourism industry growing,” said Ms Joyce.

“VTIC looks forward to the imminent announcement of the new Visit Victoria Board and establishment of the entity as well as the development of an action oriented tourism and events plan.”

“These initiatives are vital steps to ensure government and industry can get on with the job of driving growth and sustainability of this important business sector and economic pillar.”

The Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) is the peak body for Victoria’s tourism and events industry, providing one united industry voice. Tourism and events are growth industries for Victoria and contribute more than $20 billion to the state economy each year and employ more than 200,000 people.

vtic.com.au

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AT A HEARING on February 26 at Parliament House, the Senate Economics References Committee will question representatives of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the Australian Tax Office (ATO) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) about whether their oversight and regulation of co-operatives and mutuals is appropriate and fair.

At two previous public hearings held late last year, the Senate Economics References Committee inquiry into the operation of co-operative and mutual firms, heard evidence of duplicative practices, red tape and inconsistencies in the way that co-operative and mutual firms are regulated.

“This inquiry has shone a light on the economic importance of the country’s co-operative and mutual businesses and how they can bring competition and fairness to the Australian economy”, said Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals CEO, Melina Morrison.

“But there are many aspects of the legislative and regulatory frameworks that govern co-ops that are antiquated and inappropriate. The inquiry is a chance to look at the urgent reforms needed to free up the operating environment for co-operatives so that they can compete on a level playing field with other businesses.”

“Co-operatives and mutuals are good for the economy. They bring much needed competition to markets, provide transparent and accountable pricing and return all profits to the local economy in which they operate.”

“It should not be more difficult to set up and run a co-operative than any other form of business. Mutuals especially are not well served by the Corporations Act. They cannot raise capital to fund innovation and growth with the same flexibility as other forms of business. In the end this institutional bias means less diversity of business models in the economy. Failing to raise capital to fund growth can open the door for a mutual to be demutualised which leads to a loss of the member benefits and community ownership model unique to mutuals”, added Ms Morrison.

The inquiry received 59 submissions from the sector and is due to report on March 17, 2016. The public hearing takes place in Committee Room 2S1 from 9am.

www.bccm.coop

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OVER many years, Australian departments and agencies have worked closely with research and technical partners from across the Indo–Pacific region to improve food security and biosecurity protection for the region’s growing populations.

The Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade’s Foreign Affairs and Aid Sub-Committee is conducting an inquiry into the role of development partnerships in agriculture and agribusiness in promoting prosperity, reducing poverty and enhancing stability in the Indo–Pacific region.

On Monday in Canberra, the Sub-Committee will meet with the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), key agencies working to improve food quality, production systems and biosecurity through agricultural co-operative arrangements across the region.

Sub-Committee Chair the Hon Dr Sharman Stone MP said Australia’s agricultural co-operation activities have played an important role in enhancing the availability of safe and healthy food through reducing crop and animal pests and disease.

“We know that access to fresh nutritious food is crucial to improve health across the region. Encouraging innovation at the village level through sustainable farming is also better for people’s wellbeing. Access to good food will reduce the incidence of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, which is a growing problem across the region,” Dr Stone said.

The Department of Agriculture and Water Resources works to achieve these outcomes through harmonisation of laws regulating illegal logging and fisheries, and working to improve animal health and diagnostic capacity to uphold standards of biosecurity protection under a range of bilateral agreements.

The CSIRO has the largest single agricultural research capability in Australia. Its submission reports that technical innovation is a major driver of agricultural led growth, as long as it works to ‘create solutions and opportunities for farmers, consumers and businesses’ and ‘help move food and agricultural systems to a more inclusive and sustainable pathway’.

Dr Stone noted that in addition to promoting regional prosperity there are other advantages to Australian producers.

“The research and technical innovations designed to improve environmental sustainability will open new markets for both Australian and regional farms and fisheries,” Dr Stone said.

The public hearing will be held on Monday 29 February 2016:
Time: 5:15 pm to 6:30 pm         
Venue: Committee Room 1R3 
Parliament House, Canberra
A live audio broadcast will be available at http://www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Events/Watch_Parliament

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THERE ARE over 5450 community pharmacies in Australia and they are often at the front line of contact with the community and those suffering with chronic disease.

The expertise of these pharmacies is crucial given that there an estimated 190 000 hospital admissions every year due to adverse medicine events, equalling $660 million in cost to the health system. It is estimated that up to 50 per cent of these admissions are avoidable.

Tomorrow, 23 February 2016, as part of its Inquiry into Chronic Disease Prevention and Management in Primary Health Care, the House of Representatives Health Committee will conduct a public hearing in Parliament House to hear from the Pharmacy Guild of Australia.

Committee Chair Steve Irons MP stated: "The Committee is interested in hearing about the role of community pharmacies in chronic disease management, but just as importantly, their role in chronic disease prevention. The initial contact that pharmacies have with people at risk of developing chronic disease, or who are in the initial stages of chronic disease, places them in a unique situation to help reduce the increasing weight that chronic disease places on the health care system and the community."

Details of the hearing are:
Tuesday, 23 February – 12.00 pm – 12.40 pm
Committee Room 1R3
Parliament House, Canberra

A program and further information about the inquiry is available at: www.aph.gov.au/chronicdisease

Audio of the hearing will be broadcast live at: www.aph.gov.au/live

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