INDIVIDUALS or organisations who have participated in the Seasonal Worker Program are encouraged to share their experiences in a new inquiry into the employment scheme. 

The Seasonal Worker Program contributes to the economic development of Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste by assisting Australian employers to access overseas seasonal workers to satisfy labour shortages.

Established in 2012, the Program now provides over 3,000 seasonal workers to horticulture sector employers including growers, contractors, labourers and accommodation providers.

Through this new inquiry, the Federal Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Migration will examine the Seasonal Worker Program and its scope for expansion.

Committee Chair, Louise Markus MP, said the Seasonal Worker Program is an important mechanism that supports development in the Pacific while also meeting identified labour shortages.

“The Seasonal Worker Program benefits Australia’s horticulture industry, increasing productivity in areas of labour shortages. It also provides potential benefits to the participants of the program through skills development, knowledge transfer, and poverty alleviation,” she said.

“As part of the inquiry, we will be focusing on the role of seasonal workers in the horticulture industry and investigate whether the program should be expanded to include other countries and sectors.”

The committee will also focus on:

• how new sectors can benefit from the program;
• how the program affects Australian jobs;
• increasing access for overseas women and youth workers;
• how the program supports development in the Pacific; and
• issues with attracting seasonal workers, including the granting of visas.

The committee would like to hear from all individuals or organisations interested in the inquiry. Submissions will be accepted until Friday 10 July 2015.

Further details about the inquiry, including the full terms of reference and how to make a submission, can be obtained from the committee’s website at http://www.aph.gov.au/mig or by contacting the committee secretariat on (02) 6277 4560 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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CHIEF Executive Mark Stone said VECCI welcomes the release of Infrastructure Australia’s Australian Infrastructure Audit Report.

"The report contains a comprehensive and strategic assessment of Australia’s infrastructure, including current and prospective gaps across a range of infrastructure areas including transport, energy, telecommunications and water," Mr Stone said.

"The audit provides a compelling case to all governments that infrastructure reform must be a priority if we are to raise economic competitiveness and living standards.

"With a strong evidence based assessment of the key drivers of future infrastructure demand, especially population and economic growth, the report calls for a series of infrastructure related reforms to raise productivity and strengthen the economy."

These include:

• Better and more integrated infrastructure and land use planning.
• Further market reform, particularly in the transport and energy sectors.
• Increased infrastructure funding, encouraging more investment from the private sector in partnership with governments.      
• Improved governance in infrastructure planning and decision making.
• Changes by governments to make major project procurement more efficient, including reducing administrative burdens and streamlining assessment processes.
• More transparent links between user charges and expenditure on infrastructure planning, investment and maintenance. 

"Importantly, the report highlights the need to extract more value from our existing infrastructure assets through efficient management, improved maintenance and smarter use of technology," Mr Stone said.

"It also reinforces the benefits of a strong and consistent pipeline of well-planned infrastructure projects.  Such a pipeline is crucial to providing confidence and certainty for private sector infrastructure developers and investors.

"VECCI welcomes the report’s call for wider and deeper community engagement throughout the infrastructure decision making process.  In support of the development of the Australian Infrastructure Plan, VECCI will be making a submission on the findings from the audit following close consultation with our members."

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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PARLIAMENT’s Joint Public Accounts and Audit Committee (JCPAA) today tabled its report into the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) and Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) Major Projects Report (MPR) 2013-14.

Committee Chair, Dr Andrew Southcott MP, said that the DMO MPR constitutes the ANAO’s review and analysis of the progress of selected major Defence acquisition projects managed by DMO, and aims to consider cost, schedule, and capability performance and to function as a longitudinal analysis of procurement projects over time.

“Specific areas of focus in the Committee’s review of this year’s report include some particular projects listed in the ‘Projects of Concern’ as well as broader issues regarding governance and business processes,” Dr Southcott said.

The committee, in conjunction with Defence and ANAO, is now focussed on establishing a mechanism through which sustainment reporting can be better scrutinised.  Sustainment expenditure is currently at approximately $5 billion per annum and predicted to increase significantly over time. 

The committee considers sustainment expenditure to be an area requiring further parliamentary scrutiny on the adequacy and performance of Defence involving billions of dollars in the future and the scrutiny of sustainment expenditure will complement the reporting of acquisition spending in the MPR.

DMO’s abolition and the Department of Defence re-absorbing the DMO’s functions, has added an extra dimension to this year’s review.

“The Committee, along with ANAO, DMO and the Department of Defence, have worked diligently and constructively over the past eight years to progress the MPR to where it is today.  The reforms to the Department are designed to bolster efficiency and they should not result in a diminution in the intensity with which Defence approaches its work. 

"The Committee looks forward to working with the new reformed Department of Defence to produce the same high-quality MPR in the future so as to ensure that the improvement gains made in terms of project acquisition management over the past eight years are maintained.  This also applies to the new sustainment reporting that the Committee, ANAO and Defence are now embarking upon,” Dr Southcott said.

The JCPAA’s report can be found at the committee’s website http://www.aph.gov.au/jcpaa.

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BRISBANE Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has launched the 10^th annual Lord Mayor’s Business Awards, with nominations now open.

“The 10th annual Lord Mayor’s Business Awards will celebrate the achievements and contribution made by our business community to Brisbane’s economy,” Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said at the City Hall launch.

“The international spotlight is firmly fixed on Australia’s New World City, following our successful hosting of the G20 Summit in November 2014 and ahead of the Asia Pacific Cities Summit in July this year.

“The Lord Mayor’s Business Awards highlight why an increasing number of decision-makers worldwide are choosing Brisbane for business, investment, study and conventions.”

“By celebrating the excellence, success and innovation that hallmarks the Brisbane business community, we are promoting the message that Brisbane is an ideal city in which to invest, expand and, most importantly, live."

Cr Quirk said he was hoping to see more nominations from emerging small to medium businesses that are contributing to the success of Brisbane’s business economy.

“We now need a new set of young, energetic business minds to join us as Brisbane takes its place on the world stage and cements its reputation as an emerging, exciting, and rewarding city in which to do business.

“I encourage all Brisbane businesses to enter this year’s Awards so we can honour their role in making Brisbane what it is today; a city internationally recognised for its depth of innovative and fresh, original talent.

“I would also like to thank our 2015 sponsors, without their support these awards would not be possible.”

The 2015 winners will be announced at the Gala Dinner on Friday 30 October, where they will join LMBA winners from past years.

There are 11 award categories in total, with eight open to businesses:

• Australia TradeCoast Award for Small Business Growth
• Brisbane Times Award for Business Innovation
• Award for Digital Strategy
• Clayton Utz Award for Corporate Citizenship
• ANZ Made in Brisbane Award for High-growth Business Start-Up
• Energex Award for Sustainability in Business
• HSBC Award for Doing Business in Asia
• Award for New Investment 

And two awards open to individuals, including:

• Young Business Person of the Year Award
• Channel 7 Business Person of the Year Award

 One outstanding category winner (chosen from a business award winner):

• Optus Business Platinum Award

 Key dates

• Tuesday 19 May - Nominations open
• Friday 24 July - Nominations close at 5pm
• Early September - Finalists announced
• Friday 30 October - Gala Dinner and winners announced

www.lmba.com.au

www.brisbanemarketing.com.au

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CONSTRUCTION Skills Queensland (CSQ) is advising of a new ‘pre-qualification’ process for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) interested in applying to deliver CSQ contracted programs in the building and construction industry.

CSQ contracts the services of RTOs on an annual basis to deliver a range of training and assessment programs which are outlined in CSQ’s Annual Training Plan.

This year for the first time CSQ requires RTOs to make an initial application to become a CSQ Registered Training Supplier.

Only RTOs that are approved as a CSQ Registered Training Supplier through this pre-qualification process will be invited to apply for CSQ funded training programs when they are released.

Further information for RTOs is available on the Training Procurement page of CSQ’s website www.csq.org.au

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Following the Federal Government’s announced abolition of the tax-free threshold on income earned by working holiday makers (WHM), the Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) has called on the government to act to ensure labour availability is spurred in the tourism industry.

“Cafes, restaurants, hotels and operators throughout our industry already face labour shortages. Last week’s announcement will be a disincentive for working holiday makers, who are a long-staying international market and an important labour source for our industry,” said VTIC Chief Executive Dianne Smith.

“The taxation change must be accompanied by measures that make it more attractive and easy to stay in Australia so this significant group of travellers doesn’t abandon us.”

Measures to boost working holiday numbers include:

- Giving WHM who work in regional tourism and hospitality businesses (for three months or more) eligibility for a one-year visa extension. 

- Increasing the qualifying age upper limit from 30 to 35 years, in line with international norms. 

- Removing the six-month cap on employment duration with a single employer. 

- Allowing WHM who have finished a working holiday to apply for a second visa. (One between 18-25 years of age and a second from 26-35 years of age). 

“There is great opportunity for the government to improve the working holiday maker visa program and help address the tourism and hospitality labour shortage, particularly in regional Victoria,” said Ms Smith.

“We call on the Federal Government to support our industry by adopting these changes to make Australia an increasingly attractive destination for working holiday makers.”

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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THE Queensland Government could raise much-needed revenue by revamping the way it collects resources royalties from miners, according to a QUT economist. 

Dr David Willis, from QUT Business School, said with the State Government preparing to hand down its first budget in July, it must focus on ways to raise revenue.

"While the options available are limited, the government must relook at the income it recovers from miners and gas producers throughout the state to find the best value for Queenslanders," he said.

"Currently the royalties system is based on the price of a tonne of coal or iron ore. But this is clearly deficient given the miners' strategy of overproducing and oversupplying the market to force prices down to artificially low levels.

"Larger miners with larger shares of the coal, gas and iron ore markets employ this strategy to try to maximise production and market share and at the same time pay less in royalties.

"We are presently running record production numbers but getting record low prices. This suits the big miners but not the state or country. It is hurting Queensland and depriving the government of revenue it needs to fund services."

Dr Willis said an overhaul of the royalty system was a better strategy than simply raising royalties.

"While not advocating raising the royalties level, although there is a case for it, it makes more economic sense to look at a two-tier system for managing this important revenue stream," he said.

"Queensland and the other states need to look at royalties based on an average tonnage shipped as well as royalties per price, with the miners paying whichever is higher at the time.

"Therefore, whatever miners produce past a certain price point, they pay for based on tonnage. This allows for slumps in commodity prices and puts a valuable floor under royalties revenue that doesn't currently exist.

"So if, as is occurring now, miners are overproducing on to a falling demand market, Queenslanders would not be the ones to take the financial hit."

www.qut.edu.au

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AUSTRALIA’s world-leading Cooperative Research Centres Programme will be celebrating 25 years of science impact and achievement at its annual conference in Canberra from 25-27 May.

Federal cabinet ministers, CRC program leaders and policy experts will discuss the research challenges of the next 25 years in areas such as manufacturing, health, communications and the development of Australia’s north.

The designs, products and services developed by CRCs are part of our everyday life; from soft contact lenses and tooth mousse that helps repair dental enamel to new materials for aircraft wing surfaces that reduce fuel use and cut global carbon emissions. In food alone, CRCs have transformed the quality of Australian lamb, assessed salt tolerance in rice, improved the health of commercial pig herds, and developed new strategies for fisheries in the face of rising ocean temperatures.

The CRCs were established in 1990 to bring scientists and industries together to work on some of the biggest challenges facing Australia. These have included better bushfire science, manufacturing, digital technology, biosecurity, sustainable farming, water management and mental health issues underpinning the unacceptably high suicide rate among young people.

“The CRCs are an Australian success story. They were designed to create research impact, and their 25 year record of achievement speaks for itself,” says CRC Association chief executive Dr Tony Peacock.

“It’s a unique programme and it works equally well across economic, social and environmental research areas. The critical factor in their success is that each CRC has well-defined goals and their management, research and industry investors all agree on those goals and work toward them.”

Dr Peacock says economic analysis has shown that while the CRCs represent less than 1.6% of Federal science funding, they drive a further $4 in investment for every dollar invested by the government.

“The CRCs have always aimed for what is now recognised as vitally important to Australia’s future – creating research impact,” he says.

The CRC’s annual conference will open on 25 May, with former CSIRO chief executive Megan Clark delivering the Ralph Slatyer address on science and society at the Australian War Memorial theatre.

On 26 May, there will be a one-day forum at Parliament House, where speakers will include Minister for Industry and Science Ian Macfarlane, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and CRC leaders Dr Jane Burns (Young & Well CRC), Professor Mike Aitken (Capital Markets CRC) and Professor Murray Scott (CRC for Advanced Composite Structures).

Details of the conference program can be found at http://australia2040.com.au/

10 things the CRCs have achieved in 25 years:

•The Hearing CRC produced the cochlear hybrid system, which has restored hearing to more than 140,000 people.

•The CRC for Oral Health invented tooth mousse, a paste that remineralises tooth enamel and reduces dental decay. It’s now sold in more than 50 countries.

•The Capital Markets CRC has developed technology to detect fraud, abuse and waste in Australia’s private health insurance markets. The technology has been used to date in over 16 million claims, to a value of more than $28 billion.

•The Australian Biosecurity CRC has produced the world’s first diagnostic test for equine influenza.

•The Vision CRC developed extended wear soft contact lenses, first commercialised as the Focus® Night & Day™ lens, which has generated over US$20 million a year in patent royalties.

•Dairy Futures CRC’s researchers have developed a way for farmers to breed cows that eat less to produce the same amount of milk. The new Feed Saved ABV (Australian Breeding Value) lets farmers identify bulls that can save at least 100 kg of dry matter per cow per year, while maintaining milk production.

•The CRC for Remote Economic Participation has created a network of over 90 Indigenous researchers who advise industry and governments on business investment, environmental and cultural issues.

•The Future Farm Industries CRC developed three new farming systems using perennial plants such as native saltbush that will make farms more drought resilient and increase the nation’s farm profits by $1.6 billion by 2030.

•The Young and Well CRC researched and published Growing Up Queer, Australia’s first report on the psychological impacts of homophobia on young people.

•The CRC for Advanced Composite Structures assisted in the design of a more fuel efficient wing surfaces for the Boeing long-range twin engine aircraft, the Dreamliner.

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