THE Australian Parliament’s Trade and Investment Growth Committee is currently undertaking an Inquiry into the Business Experience in Utilising Australia’s Free Trade Agreements.

The Inquiry is examining the experience of Australian business in using existing free trade agreements (FTAs), including any barriers that may be preventing business from realising the benefits of these FTAs.

As part of its inquiry, the committee will be holding public hearings in Melbourne on 27 July and Sydney on 28 July.

The Melbourne hearing features a range of industry associations including many representing horticulture businesses.

"Horticulture businesses are being prevented from accessing some export markets because of quarantine and phytosanitary concerns. Without market access these businesses cannot benefit from Australia’s FTAs. We need to understand why this is occurring and how these obstacles can be overcome," Chair of the Committee, Mr Ken O’Dowd said.

In Sydney, witnesses will include representatives from a range of service industries.

"Asia’s growing economies present many opportunities for Australian service industries to expand. To benefit from these opportunities we need to seek to remove any barriers to Australian foreign investment, and ensure that Australians are enabled to conduct business in key overseas markets," Mr O’Dowd said.

Melbourne
Date: Monday 27 July 2015, 9.00 am – 3.40 pm
Location: Room G6, Parliament of Victoria, Melbourne

Sydney
Date: Tuesday 28 July 2015, 9.00 am – 5.40 pm
Location: Macquarie Room, 6 Macquarie Street, Sydney

More information is available at: www.aph.gov.au/fta

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BRISBANE has been painted red this week as the city hosts English Premier League giants Liverpool FC for the first time in the club’s 123-year history.

Tourism and Events Queensland CEO, Leanne Coddington, said a crowd of more than 50,000 people was expected to fill Suncorp Stadium tonight when Liverpool FC take on A-League legends the Brisbane Roar.

“This fantastic event is promoted as part of the It's Live! in Queensland events calendar, with thousands of local and international supporters travelling to Brisbane to see the game," said Ms Coddington.

“Brisbane is right behind Liverpool FC’s visit, hosting the club’s official Away-Kit Launch in King George Square, rebranding Caxton Street into Anfield Road for the day, and holding an open training session at Suncorp Stadium last night.

“King George Square has become a fan zone to give supporters the chance to celebrate Liverpool FC’s visit and meet some club legends. 

“This event is proudly supported by Tourism and Events Queensland. We know that events play a vital role in promoting a destination, driving tourism and fostering community pride.”

Chief Commercial Officer Liverpool FC, Billy Hogan, said: “We are delighted with the support for LFC from the city of Brisbane. We first visited Australia two years ago and received a great reception from the Australian fans and we hope this tour visit will be no exception.

“LFC strives to give supporters the chance to see the team up close, no matter how far away from Anfield they live and we are delighted to be able to make this a reality for more of our Australian fans.”

Deputy Mayor of Brisbane, Cr Adrian Schrinner, said this was an opportunity for Brisbane residents to show their colours for their heroes in what would be a blockbuster weekend of football for the city. 

“We look forward to welcoming thousands of Liverpool FC supporters from across Australia and around the world, as they take on our local heroes Brisbane Roar at Suncorp Stadium, and we’ll be lighting the Story Bridge red on Friday night to mark the occasion,” Cr Schrinner said.

“Hot on the heels of Liverpool FC’s clash with Brisbane Roar we have Australia taking on the South Africans in the rugby and the Brisbane Broncos clashing with Wests Tigers in rugby league, further reinforcing Brisbane’s reputation for staging world-class sporting events.”

Suncorp Stadium General Manager, Alan Graham, said securing the world famous Liverpool FC had been two years in the making.

“The game against Brisbane Roar will be part of a massive weekend for the Stadium. It will be the first time we’ve hosted a quadruple-header which will see up to 140,000 fans across three football codes through the gates over the four day period," Mr Graham said.

“We will ‘Liverfy’ the Stadium including the re-creation of the famous Kop zone and renaming of stands and bars at the venue in honour of Liverpool legends. We’ve also been working with local businesses to activate Liverpool theming and activities for the full week prior." 

Julieanne Alroe, Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO and Managing Director, said: “Brisbane Airport is delighted to be a part of the effort to bring Liverpool FC to Queensland.

“The benefits of having such a high profile and internationally recognised team play in Brisbane are obvious and this visit is going to go a long way to help build Queensland’s profile as one of the best places on earth for major events and holiday travel.”

Liverpool FC’s tour to Queensland is supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland and Stadiums Queensland, in partnership with Brisbane Marketing, Brisbane Airport Corporation, Suncorp Stadium, and AEG Ogden. 

www.teq.queensland.com

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THE Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) has welcomed the completion of lease negotiations that will see the construction of the Mornington Peninsula’s Arthurs Seat Skylift.

“Nature-based tourism is vital for the growth of Victoria’s tourism industry and we’re delighted to see the progression of this exciting project,” said VTIC Chief Executive Dianne Smith.

The 50-year lease allows for the construction of an all-weather, all-abilities access gondola which is proposed to open in late-2016.

“It is also positive that the State Government will complement the project with $1.5 million in public space upgrades including safety, car parking and other visitor facility improvements, making the attraction more accessible for guests,” said Ms Smith. 

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 $19.6 billion to the state economy each year and employ more than 200,000 people.

vtic.com.au

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VECCI Chief Executive Mark Stone said the organisation welcomes the release of the Issues Paper from the review of funding for Victoria’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) System, being undertaken on behalf of the State Government.

"VECCI’s submission and ongoing advocacy highlighted concerns that Victoria’s VET system is not providing industry with appropriately skilled employees, is overly complex and has lost the confidence of stakeholders," Mr Stone said.

"It is positive to see that many of the recommendations contained in the Issues Paper are aligned to those proposed in VECCI’s submission including:

• Establishing a workforce training innovation fund where businesses in new and emerging industries can co-invest with government to establish training packages to meet their growing needs.
• Ensuring courses across all industries are funded based on labour market and industry priorities, as identified by business.
• Providing fair and sustainable funding for the TAFE sector, subject to TAFEs meeting continuous improvement measures.
• Improving training provision in rural and regional Victoria, including varied funding rates to reflect local labour market needs in different geographical areas.

The reform direction outlined in the Issues Paper has the potential to substantially improve the quality of Victoria’s VET system.
 
We recognise the significant industry consultation that has been undertaken to date and look forward to contributing to the next phase of the review process.
 
For further information on VECCI’s VET policies please see our VECCI Higher Education Taskforce Report.

The Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) is the most influential business organisation in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.

vecci.org.au

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THE House Environment Committee will conduct a public hearing in Hobart on Tuesday, 21 July 2015 as part of its inquiry into the Register of Environmental Organisations.

Representatives from environmental organisations and other interested parties will appear before the committee.

Details of the public hearing are as follows:
Time: 9:00 am
Date: Tuesday, 21 July 2015
Location: Conference Room 1, Legislative Council, Parliament of Tasmania,
Cnr Salamanca Pl and Murray St

9.00 am The Bob Brown Foundation
9.30 am Environment Tasmania
10.00 am Tasmanian Land Conservancy
10.45 am Tasmanian National Parks Association
11.15 am Landcare Tasmania
11.45 am Tasmanian Conservation Trust
1.15 pm Tarkine National Coalition
1.45 pm Markets for Change
2.15 pm Mr Ian Sauer

Audio from the hearings will be webcast at: http://www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Events/Watch_Parliament.

Submissions to the inquiry, including those from the organisations appearing at this hearing, are available at:  http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Environment/REO/Submissions.

Further details about the inquiry, including submissions received and the terms of reference, can be found on the inquiry’s website at: http://www.aph.gov.au/reo.

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THE Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) has welcomed the opening of the application process for Tourism Demand Driver Infrastructure (TDDI) grants, for the benefit the program will bring to tourism product development in Victoria.

"We are delighted that Minister Eren has announced that applications for this significant new tourism funding program are now being accepted," said VTIC Chief Executive Dianne Smith.

"This funding will encourage the development of new and improved major ‘hero’ tourism products and infrastructure projects that will stimulate visitation at tourism experiences throughout Victoria.”

The program aims to develop infrastructure projects that support the achievement of the Tourism 2020 objectives, grow visitation numbers and lead to a multiplication of benefits across the sector.

The TDDI funding program is a Federal Government program administered and managed by the state governments. Funding is available for tourism-related projects undertaken by the private sector, local and state governments, and tourism associations.

“VTIC looks forward to working with industry throughout Victoria to secure grants for projects that will enhance the visitor experience and create jobs,” said Ms Smith.

“In making submissions VTIC strongly encourages industry throughout Victoria to focus on projects that will enhance the visitor experience and create tourism jobs.”

Eligible projects will span environmental, built, transport and ‘enabling’ tourism infrastructure projects. Funding allocations will be for $250,000 to $750,000 per project, with at least equal funding from another source (excluding Federal Government funding sources) a requirement.

Applications close Wednesday 9 September 2015.

For more information visit www.tourism.vic.gov.au

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 $19.6 billion to the state economy each year and employ more than 200,000 people.

vtic.com.au

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NEXT week’s Victorian Tourism Conference 2015 will bring Victoria’s tourism leaders together with policy makers to identify growth opportunities for business in this new chapter for the sector.

“This is a time of transformation for global tourism and we must challenge the status quo in Victoria and work together to reach our potential through 2015 and beyond,” said Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) Chief Executive Dianne Smith.

Over 400 delegates have registered to attend the conference which VTIC is proudly presenting for the second time, in partnership with Tourism Victoria.

“Our conference will bring business and government leaders together to explore this dynamic new chapter for Victorian tourism. It will be an opportunity to get a glimpse of what the future may look like for our industry, through exploring global and local business stories, challenges and triumphs,” said Ms Smith.

Speakers include: 

Dianne Smith
VTIC Chief Executive

Dianne will open the conference on the need for industry and governments to identify and embrace opportunities for growth in the ever-changing tourism sector.

Sir Rod Eddington, AO
Business and aviation leader; Chair of Victoria Visitor Economy Review 2015;
Chairman of Victorian Major Events Company and President of the Australia Japan Business Cooperation Committee.
 
Sir Rod will set the scene for discussion as he shares his thoughts on the broader state of play for Victorian events.
 
Mark Pesce
Futurist, inventor, author, educator and broadcaster.
 
Mark’s ‘Sixty Months to Everywhere’ session will explore the value of digital communication strategies that anticipate and meet the needs of customers on a personal and social level.
 
Shawn Callahan
Founder and Director, Anecdote; Business storytelling consultant.
 
Shawn will advise on how businesses can support their customers to convert experiences into stories.
 
victourismconference.com.au
 
When: 20 – 21 July 2015
 
Where: Level 2, Melbourne Convention Centre, 1 Convention Centre Place, South Wharf
 
Full program and schedule victourismconference.com.au/programs/

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Parliament’s Trade and Investment Growth Committee will hold its first public hearing in Canberra as part of its Inquiry into the Business Experience in Utilising Australia’s Free Trade Agreements.

The committee was established to examine measures to further boost Australia’s trade and investment performance including barriers to trade, the reduction of red tape and structural challenges and opportunities for the Australian community.

As part of its remit, the committee will focus on the experience of business in using Australia’s existing free trade agreements (FTAs) including: New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, Chile, the Association of South East Asian Nations and Malaysia. This will assist in informing the new North Asia FTAs.

The Chair of the Committee, Mr Ken O’Dowd MP, emphasised the importance of learning from the experience of Australian business.

“We need to ensure that business is able to realise the enormous potential that FTAs provide. The best way to do that is to learn from the experience of businesses that have been using existing FTAs on a regular basis,” Mr O’Dowd said.

The committee will hear evidence in Canberra from government agencies and from industry associations representing a diverse cross-section of the Australian economy.

“The potential benefits of FTAs are spread right through the Australian economy - in the service industries, in agriculture, in horticulture, in mining, in manufacturing – exporting businesses can expand their markets and businesses that use imported goods can reduce their costs,” said Mr O’Dowd.

Date: Tuesday 21 July 2015, 9.00 am – 4.10 pm.
Location: Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

The committee will hold additional hearings in Sydney and Melbourne in late July. More information available at: www.aph.gov.au/fta

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