THE nbn™ will embark on one of Australia's largest workforce training initiatives to ensure the network can be rolled out sooner and at less cost to taxpayers.

Under the workforce training scheme, the nbn™ will work with delivery partners to recruit and train around 4,500 workers.  This will see the current project construction workforce doubled, with around 9,000 workers employed at the peak of the rollout.

The nbn™ has identified skills shortages and will work with delivery partners to ensure that trained workers have jobs after their training and stay on working in the project and the telecoms industry as the project proceeds.

The scheme will target both school leavers and people who have worked in the industry who require retraining.

"This is one of the largest infrastructure projects in Australia's history and it's certainly the most complex," Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said. 

"Each day the project is being rolled out on hundreds of work-fronts across the country so it's vital we have enough people to roll out the network as we increase the pace of the rollout.

"And it's exciting to be a part of Australian history. This is a piece of infrastructure that will be around and maintained and augmented for decades, that will be vital to people's lives."

It comes as the nbn™ significantly accelerates its rollout. Since the election, the company has gone from being able to service one in 50 premises around the country to one in ¹⁰. 

The project will continue to significantly ramp-up in coming years, with the company on track to reach every home and business in Australia by 2020.

Under the scheme, the nbn™ will work with training organisations including TAFEs and private providers, to deliver relevant training programs, while delivery partners will be responsible for providing on-the-job training.

The nbn™ will also establish a skills register to ensure that workers are being retained in the industry.

Anyone who would like to register their interest in the training program can do so at the nbn™ website: www.nbnco.com.au

ends

GROWING a small business in NSW is now easier following further cuts to red tape that has saved NSW business operators more than $815 million and provides the business confidence to build your own business without obstructive regulation.

Minister for Small Business John Barilaro and Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation Victor Dominello said the red tape reforms deliver a key election commitment that exceeded the original $750 million target by June 2015.

“This is a forward thinking, customer-focused approach by the NSW Government to provide a stronger foundation for small businesses to invest and grow in NSW,” Mr Barilaro said.

“Scaling back red tape allows the mum and dad business owners, who mortgage their homes and take the risks, to grow their businesses and create more jobs,” he said.

Mr Dominello said the focus of the NSW Government is on improved regulation rather than more regulation.

“By utilising technology, innovation and information sharing, there has been a substantial reduction in the amount of regulation in NSW, resulting in social and economic benefits for the community,” he said.

Key reforms include:

• Extending the validity of light vehicle safety inspection reports, or pink slips, from 42 days to six months generated $101 million in cost savings;
• The Opal Card integrated ticketing delivered $44 million in cost savings; and,
• Service NSW Digital Migration Project, e.g. driver licences delivered $39.8 million in cost savings for residents and businesses.

Last year over 93 reforms generated $326.4 million in cost saving measures.

ends

THE chief executive of national resource industry employer group AMMA (Australian Mines and Metals Association) has used a major national conference to call for an end to the ‘political and policy stalemate’ that is preventing the workplace relations reform that Australia needs to be productive and globally competitive.

In his opening address to around 200 resource industry leaders at the 2015 AMMA Resource People National Conference in Perth, chief executive Steve Knott pointed to competitive challenges and overregulation as key reasons for urgent workplace relations reform.

“In the second decade of the 21^st Century, genuine job security comes from working in a productive and competitive enterprise. It doesn’t come from intrusive overregulation of the workplace that serves only to push third parties into the employment relationship and create headaches and costs for employers,” Mr Knott said.

AMMA’s national conference, which is the only resource industry event dedicated to workplace and employment matters, comes after a year which saw at least $80 billion in new resource project investment slip through Australia’s fingers.

At the same time, resource employers are facing greater workforce challenges arising from a drastic low point in the commodity price cycle, productivity issues and heightened competitive pressures.

“It must be better understood that if major projects in our country don’t go ahead, or are lost to international competitors, this not only costs jobs, but decades of potential government revenues will also be foregone,” Mr Knott said.

“Fortunately, Australia still has some competitive advantages. We have great human capacity, innovation and vast natural resources that could still fuel the developing world.

“With the right support in other areas of regulation, such as workplace relations, the resource industry can bring more jobs, more royalties and more opportunities to Australia.”

Mr Knott warned that the current politicking taking place in Australia was failing to stimulate greater economic prosperity and job creation, and called for all parliamentarians to engage on the Productivity Commission’s draft report on Australia’s the workplace relations framework.

“The inertia on meaningful, necessary changes is costing jobs, costing investment dollars, and costing economic opportunities for our country.  With parliament resuming next week, there is an opportunity for our politicians to engage in meaningful discussions on workplace reform,” he says.

“The Productivity Commission’s draft report has fallen short of the systematic reform we so desperately need. The Fair Work laws and institutions need an overhaul, not a ‘repair job’.

“Nonetheless, the report does address some important issues for the resource sector and, if we can drown out the predictable scare campaigns with reasoned debate, it can still be a catalyst for meaningful discussions on our nation’s future.”

www.amma.org.au

ends

THE number of international visitors to Brisbane has reached one million for the first time with expenditure hitting record highs, according to new tourism research.

The latest International Visitor Survey from Tourism Research Australia revealed overseas visitors spent $1.7 billion in Brisbane in the year ended March 2015, up 10.8 per cent on the year before.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the survey revealed that total international visitor numbers increased by 7.2 per cent to one million while holiday visitors were up 10.3 per cent over the same period. 

“International visitor numbers and spending in Brisbane have reached record levels with expenditure more than doubling in ten years, from $802 million in 2005,” Cr Quirk said.

“Brisbane scored some impressive wins in our key international markets, with the number of visitors from China up 21.9 per cent in the year to March and the number of visiting New Zealanders increasing 6.3 per cent,” he said.

“We also saw impressive growth from India, with visitor numbers rising 50 per cent.”

Cr Quirk said Brisbane’s hosting of the G20 Leaders Summit would have contributed to the rise in the number of international visitors.

“Not only did the G20 attract thousands of delegates and media when it was staged, the world-wide exposure of Brisbane would have created more awareness of the city in international markets,” he said.

“Brisbane Marketing also works with Tourism and Events Queensland on rolling out marketing activities and trade missions to key markets such as New Zealand, Japan and China to attract potential holidaymakers.

“These promotional activities are driving home the point that our New World City is constantly evolving with outstanding new experiences, venues and hotels with a vibrant calendar of major sporting and cultural events.

“Major sporting fixtures such as the recent blockbuster football weekend featuring the Liverpool FC clash with Brisbane Roar and the Qantas Wallabies’ match with the Springboks attract thousands of visitors to Brisbane.”

Cr Quirk said the future of international tourism looked bright with recent aviation and infrastructure announcements ensuring Brisbane would become increasingly accessible and attractive to overseas visitors.

“Qantas will re-instate direct services between Tokyo and Brisbane on 1 August; Etihad Airways has upgraded its Abu Dhabi-Brisbane route to a direct service; and Air Canada will fly directly between Vancouver and Brisbane from June 2016,” he said.

“On the infrastructure front, we will see world-class dining, retail, resort and entertainment precincts come on line through the Howard Smith Wharves and Queen’s Wharf Brisbane projects.

“These developments are set to transform Brisbane as a lifestyle capital and further enhance our reputation as an internationally-competitive tourism, major events and conventions destination.”

www.brisbanemarketing.com.au

ends

THIS Wednesday, August 5, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) will release three new research reports from its National Rural Issues program in Canberra.

The National Rural Issues program aims to consider themes that cover multiple industries and in areas where industry and government leaders need independent advice to help inform their roles.

Authored by some of Australia’s leading rural industry experts from organisations like the CSIRO, the Australian Farm Institute and various universities, the reports highlight lessons which will help inform the future positioning of the Australian agricultural sector. The reports include:

• ‘Australian Farm Business Performance – insights from effective farm business managers’ contributes to an improved understanding of farm business performance across selected Australian agricultural industries. It provides insights into how highly effective producers analyse and innovate in their businesses to achieve their goals.
• Geographical Indications of Origin have so far only been used for wine in Australia. However the ‘Provenance of Australian food products – is there a place for Geographical Indications?’ argues that there is reason to seriously consider potential advantages of such a tool for regional development. For example this tool has facilitated the promotion of premium wine and associated tourism in Queensland, a state not normally associated with wine production.
• ‘Collective Bargaining in the Agricultural Sector’ examines why Australian farmers seem to underutilise the provisions of competition law which would enable collective action in purchasing and selling. The report analyses the factors impacting the uptake of collective bargaining opportunities across a wide range of food products. It suggests how farmers could improve their bargaining position in the future.

Two other pieces of research will be released on Friday August 14 ; one that synthesises the big-picture 15 to 20 year agricultural sector megatrends, and the other considers factors that will influence Australian farm competitiveness in the global marketplace.

EVENT DETAILS

WHEN: 3pm – 5.30pm, 5 August 2015 (followed by drinks and canapés), with media interview opportunities with RIRDC and report authors
WHERE: The Boat House by the Lake (West End Room), Grevillea Park, Menindee Dr, Barton, ACT
  

ends

SCREEN Australia congratulates the producers and creative teams of Australian films The Dressmaker and The Daughter, which have both been selected overnight for the 40th Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). 

The Dressmaker will have its world premiere in the red carpet Gala Presentations section, and The Daughter will have its North American premiere in the Special Presentations section. Other Australian talent including Wayne Blair, Nicole Kidman, Naomi Watts and Joel Edgerton will feature over various titles throughout the Gala and Special Presentations sections.

The Dressmaker.	The Daughter.

Richard Harris, Head of Business and Audience at Screen Australia, says: “2015 continues to be a banner year for Australian film on the international stage, where the hits just seem to keep coming. The Dressmaker and The Daughter are both such assured and yet distinctive films, and it is wonderful to see them get the profile they deserve at the 2015 Toronto Film Festival. We congratulate directors Jocelyn Moorhouse and Simon Stone, and their creative teams, on their selection into the festival and look forward to supporting their releases to Australian and international audiences in the months to come.”

Director of The Dressmaker, Jocelyn Moorhouse, says: “I am delighted The Dressmaker was officially selected for TIFF. This is a huge honour, and I can’t wait to show audiences the beautiful performances of Kate Winslet, Liam Hemsworth, Judy Davis and Hugo Weaving as well as our extraordinary ensemble cast.”

Producer Sue Maslin says “The invitation to hold the world premiere of The Dressmaker at a Gala screening of the Toronto International Film Festival is an enormous honour and hugely exciting. It is recognition of our extraordinary actors and crew who took their screen artistry to the highest level in this film. It also announces that, like Tilly Dunnage, Jocelyn Moorhouse is back!”

Producers of The Daughter, Jan Chapman and Nicole O’Donohue, say: “We are delighted to present The Daughter at the Toronto Film Festival as a Special Presentation and our North American premiere. Toronto is a vibrant festival well attended by local audiences and the international industry and is the home of our sales agent, Mongrel International. We look forward to sharing Simon Stone’s debut feature and the moving performances of our ensemble cast.”

OTHER AUSTRALIAN TALENT

Gala Presentations

Wayne Blair’s Septembers of Shiraz starring Salma Hayek and Adrien Brody and shot by Warwick Thornton, will have its world premiere in the Gala Presentations.

Naomi Watts will star alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Chris Cooper in the Opening Night film Demolition from director Jean-Marc Vallée.

Special Presentations

Joel Edgerton will star alongside Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rory Cochrane, Jesse Plemons, Kevin Bacon, Dakota Johnson, Julianne Nicholson, Corey Stoll and Peter Sarsgaard in Black Mass from director Scott Cooper.

Nicole Kidman will star with Jason Bateman and Christopher Walken in The Family Fang directed by Bateman.

Mountains May Depart by Jia Zhang-ke was partially shot in Western Australia.

More announcements by TIFF will happen over the next month in the lead up to the festival, which runs 10–20 September 2015.

http://tiff.net/festivals/festival15

FILM DETAILS

THE DAUGHTER

Screening North American premiere / Special Presentations
Genre Drama
Production Company Jan Chapman Films & Wildflower Films
Writer/Director Simon Stone
Producers Jan Chapman, Nicole O’Donohue
Cast Geoffrey Rush, Ewen Leslie, Paul Schneider, Miranda Otto, Anna Torv, with Odessa Young and Sam Neill
Sales Mongrel International
Australian Distribution Roadshow Films
Media Enquiries This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. & This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Synopsis In the last days of a dying logging town Christian returns to his family home for his father Henry’s wedding to the much younger Anna. While home, Christian reconnects with his childhood friend Oliver, who has stayed in town working at Henry’s timber mill and is now out of a job. As Christian gets to know Oliver’s wife Charlotte, daughter Hedvig and father Walter, he discovers a secret that could tear Oliver’s family apart. As he tries to right the wrongs of the past, his actions threaten to shatter the lives of those he left behind years before.

THE DRESSMAKER
Screening World premiere / red carpet Gala Presentations
Genre Comedy/Drama
Production Company Film Art Media
Director Jocelyn Moorhouse
Writers Jocelyn Moorhouse, PJ Hogan
Producer Sue Maslin
Executive Producers Gavin Poolman, Michael Shyjka, Tim Haslam, Hugo Grumbar, Ian Kirk, Roger Savage, Karl Engeler, Fred Gaines, Greg Sitch, PJ Hogan, Daryl Dellora
Cast Kate Winslet, Judy Davis, Liam Hemsworth, Hugo Weaving
International Sales Embankment Films (co-represented in the US with CAA)
Australian Distributor Universal Pictures International (UPI)
Media Enquiries This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Synopsis Based on the best-selling novel by Rosalie Ham, The Dressmaker is a bittersweet, comedy-drama set in early 1950s Australia. Tilly Dunnage (Kate Winslet), a beautiful and talented misfit, after many years working as a dressmaker in exclusive Parisian fashion houses, returns home to the tiny middle-of-nowhere town of Dungatar to right the wrongs of the past. Not only does she reconcile with her ailing, eccentric mother Molly (Judy Davis) and unexpectedly fall in love with the pure-hearted Teddy (Liam Hemsworth), but armed with her sewing machine and incredible sense of style, she transforms the women of the town and in so doing gets sweet revenge on those who did her wrong. 

http://www.screenaustralia.gov.au

ends

THE House of Representatives Economics Committee will conduct its second and third public hearings for the inquiry into home ownership in Sydney on Thursday 6 August and Friday 7 August 2015. 

The Chair of the committee, John Alexander said that ‘we have now received more than 50 submissions to this very timely inquiry and a number of these contributors and other experts have been invited to provide further evidence to the Committee in Sydney. All Australians deserve a fair chance to own a home and we look forward to further discussing the challenges that many prospective buyers face in today’s very competitive housing market at these hearings.’

Public hearing details
Macquarie Room, NSW Parliament House, Sydney
Thursday 6 August 2015
9.15am     Reserve Bank of Australia
11.00am    Australian Prudential Regulation Authority
11.45am    Australian Bankers’ Association
12.30pm    Lunch
1.30pm     Curtis Associates
2.15pm     Law Society of NSW
3.00pm     Urban Taskforce Australia
3.45pm     Mr Saul Eslake
4.30pm     Close

Macquarie Room, NSW Parliament House, Sydney
Friday 7 August 2015
9.15am    Insurance Council of Australia and Genworth Mortgage Insurance Australia Ltd.
10.00am   Business Council of Co-operatives and Mutuals
10.45am   Mr Christopher Moore
11.15am   Mr John Symond
12.00pm   Lunch
1.00pm    LF Economics
1.45pm    Dr Judith Yates
2.15pm    Mr Andrew Skinner
2.45pm    Close

Members of the public are welcome to attend.
The proceedings will be audio webcast live on: www.aph.gov.au/live

ends

AUSTRALIA’s national resource industry employer group, the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA), is calling on Bill Shorten and the Labor Party to rise above the superficial and dangerous misinformation campaign being waged against the China-Australia free trade agreement (FTA).

“Notwithstanding what he may owe unions after the weekend’s stage-managed ALP National Conference, it’s time for Mr Shorten and the ALP to rise above the politics of opposition and support this historic trade deal with our largest trading partner,” says AMMA CEO Steve Knott.

“This is an historic deal that will deliver greater economic prosperity and job creation for our country.

“Opposition to the FTA is coming dangerously close to xenophobia and can only threaten Australia’s reputation as a mature, welcoming and stable place to do business.”

Mr Knott says it is especially disappointing to see Bill Shorten and the ALP support another round of misleading union rhetoric on the role of skilled migrants in this country.

“Despite the blatant mistruths being peddled by the union movement, this agreement makes clear that skilled overseas labour will only be used to supplement shortages in the Australian labour market, and represents no threat to local jobs, conditions and wages,” he says.

“It requires Chinese companies to be registered in Australia and therefore to comply with all Australian employment laws and market rates and conditions.

“The inference that these international skilled employees could be subject to inferior occupational health and safe standards is also untrue, mischievous and unhelpful.”

With resources investment under consideration in Australia falling by more than $80 billion in the past 12 months, Mr Knott says the economy ‘desperately needs the kick along that greater trade with China will deliver’.

He notes Trade Minister Andrew Robb is quoted in today’s press estimating that a delay to the passage of the deal could cost the national economy $300 million in the next year alone.

“Australia is operating in a highly competitive, global marketplace. It’s time to stop acting like a remote island where we can all shove our heads in the sand and indulge ‘fortress Australia’ thinking,” Mr Knott continues.

“We need our politicians to rise above the hysteria and opportunism being sown by some of our unions.

“Any serious alternative Prime Minister would push back on shallow, opportunistic sectional views that threaten our ability to compete globally and secure new investment in Australia.”

Last week the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade published a fact sheet about the Free Trade Agreement, clarifying key aspects of the deal and debunking misconceptions.

www.amma.org.au

ends