THE House Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs will on Thursday hold the second public hearing for its inquiry into constitutional reform and referendums.

The Committee will hear from the Department of Finance and the Department of Education, Skills and Employment to discuss the Referendum (Machinery Provisions) Act 1984, and education and public awareness of the Constitution.

Chair of the committee, Andrew Wallace MP, said, "Hearing from the Department of Finance will be a good opportunity to discuss whether amendments to the Referendum Act are needed to ensure that the processes for contemporary referendums remain fit for purpose.

"The committee is also looking forward to learning more from the Department of Education about civics education in schools and the broader population, and whether there is more that can be done to inform and motivate people about Australia’s Constitution. Engaging students and the wider public in constitutional matters is important to ensure that all Australians can cast an informed vote during a referendum."

Further information about the inquiry, including the terms of reference and a full program for the committee’s hearing, is available on the inquiry webpage at www.aph.gov.au/constitutionalreform.

Public hearing details

Date: Thursday, 7 October 2021
Time: 1pm to 2pm (AEDT)

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, Committee proceedings held in Parliament House are not currently open to the public. The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

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GEOFABRICS Australasia Pty Ltd, Australia and New Zealand’s largest manufacturer and supplier of geosynthetic products, has announced the acquisition of Plascorp Holdings Pty Ltd.

Plascorp is one of Australia’s leading privately-owned manufacturers of industrial products with strong market positions in PVC pipe, mine ventilation, steel reinforcement, ducting and hose.

The acquisition creates one of the largest private companies in Australia and New Zealand, manufacturing and selling highly engineered industrial products. The acquisition complements Geofabrics market leadership in building key road, rail and mining infrastructure through Australian manufacturing and the use of recycled materials.

“This is a very significant milestone for Geofabrics and Plascorp," Geofabrics group managing directorDennis Grech said. "Both companies are leaders in Australian manufacturing and leaders in providing innovative and local solutions to a diversified customer base across multiple segments.

"Individually, Geofabrics and Plascorp are wonderful local businesses with a customer-centric culture, experienced teams and state of the art manufacturing assets. Together, the combination of Geofabrics and Plascorp brings to market a business that provides our customers a broad range of geosynthetic and industrial solutions, using local and recycled content, Australian R&D and the creation of local jobs.”

“Plascorp will continue to operate as a stand-alone business with its own leadership team and Geofabrics looks forward to sharing our expertise in R&D and innovation, access to a deep project pipeline and a diversified product range.”

Plascorp directors George Antonopoulos and Jeff Goldberg will remain in the Plascorp business. Michael Loudovaris has been appointed to the position of Plascorp executive general manager.

“You don’t just build a business, you build people and then people build up that business," Mr Antonopoulos said. "The value of any business is through the support of its staff and its customers. We believe Geofabrics fits the ethos that we have always used in building up Plascorp to its current stage.

"I am certain Geofabrics will take Plascorp to the next level of growth. Jeff and I will continue to work for Plascorp under Geofabrics ownership for a transitional period to ensure a smooth takeover of the business and to help Geofabrics in its endeavour to grow Plascorp to its full potential.”

Mr Goldberg said, “I am very excited to hand over the baton to a very competent and experienced team. Plascorp, as well as Geofabrics, will continue to champion the needs of customers, suppliers, staff and shareholders; ensuring that what is delivered meets our original goals and objectives.

"I would like to thank Geofabrics for the professionalism on all negotiations carried out. My hope is that Geofabrics and Plascorp grows from strength to strength.”

Mr Grech said, “George and Jeff have grown the Plascorp business into a market leader in steel reinforcement, PVC pipes, ducting and mine ventilation. It is wonderful George and Jeff have agreed to remain in the business to transition Plascorp into its next phase of growth.

"I am excited to work with Michael, Jeff and George as well as the Plascorp leadership team to provide our customers with best-in-class infrastructure solutions.”

AUSTRALIA'S major professional accounting bodies, CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) have joined 10 global and national accounting bodies to commit to net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

Today’s global launch is an initiative of The Prince of Wales’ Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) Project Accounting Bodies Network (ABN).

Representing more than 300,000 accountants globally, CPA Australia and CA ANZ acknowledge the impact of climate change and the urgency of taking national and international action to achieve net zero emissions.

A spokesperson said climate change was an economic risk. The accounting profession plays a significant role in tackling the challenges created by climate change. Accountants work in every sector of the economy. Achieving net zero emissions requires the skills and knowledge of accounting professionals, who are eager to help chart a course of action.

CPA Australia and CA ANZ have pledged to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions within their own organisations and to provide sound advice to governments for a just transition to a net zero emissions economy.

"We have also committed to providing training and guidance to our members to support them in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in their own organisations and businesses," the spokesperson said.

CPA Australia chief executive Andrew Hunter said, “The accounting profession occupies a privileged position in the global economy. As trusted advisers, we’re privy to deep business insights about sustainability risks and opportunities. This knowledge creates an obligation to use our skills to protect our environmental heritage. CPA Australia is a global organisation in a global profession and we’re proud to be part of the global response to climate change.”

CA ANZ chief executive Ainslie van Onselen said, “The pandemic has been a living example of the significant impact that non-financial risks can have on businesses and global economies. Climate change is a non-financial risk that is no longer an issue on the horizon, it’s here and now. CA ANZ is committed to equipping members to meet these new challenges. As customers and investors increasingly consider sustainability in their decision making, the accounting profession is well placed to support a just transition.”

Executive chairman of A4S Jessica Fries said, “The accounting bodies making this commitment are showing leadership in the fight against climate change. Accountants who work for the good of their businesses, and serve the public interest, have always been the backbone of stable economies. This commitment brings us closer to building a sustainable world.” 

The importance of today’s launch is underscored by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, which revealed that Australia’s climate warmed by around 1.4 degrees celsius between 1910 and 2020. The economic impact of climate change is also gaining attention in the lead-up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) next month.

Background

CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand are members of The Prince of Wales’ Accounting for Sustainability Accounting Bodies Network. This network represents over 2.5 million professional accountants and students across 179 countries. Twelve ABN members have signed the Net Zero Commitment. Read the Commitment here.

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NEW RESEARCH reveals Australian consumers are overwhelmingly in favour of small businesses being given the ability to choose the cheapest option to process debit card payments through Least Cost Routing (LCR).

Eftpos CEO Stephen Benton said, “The new survey found that 83 percent of respondents now think it’s important for merchants to be able to select the lowest cost network, a figure that highlights growing public awareness and concern over business costs in the COVID environment.

“The new research shows that Australians clearly recognise and identify with the pressures small businesses face, and the importance of keeping their costs down”. 

The cost of debit card fees is now critical to small business because they have replaced cash as by far the most common way to pay in Australia, representing nearly 9 billion – and almost 70 percent – of total electronic retail transactions annually. 

The new research shows an eight-point rise since the previous survey three years ago, a jump that demonstrates that consumer support for Least Cost Routing (LCR) has moved up the agenda for everyday shoppers and gained their widespread support.

It also suggests that consumers are increasingly understanding the potential economic benefits to be gained from LCR, with 45 percent of consumers stating that merchants were likely to pass on any fee savings to their customers, up 12 points since the last survey.

Publicly supported by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg as a key competitive mechanism to help level the playing field between small businesses and their larger peers with more market power, LCR lets merchants decide what payment ‘rails’ debit card transactions run down based on the lowest cost.

Mr Benton said the research also showed, that when asked about which payments network Australians would prefer to process their online or tap debit card transactions, 66 percent of consumers have no preference in network or would prefer to use the low-cost Australian eftpos network, rather than international schemes.

Of those that nominated a network preference, eftpos was the preference for 28 percent, with Visa and Mastercard only being preferred by 20 percent and 15 percent respectively.

The vast majority cardholders (91%) believe merchants processing via the eftpos network would not have a negative impact on their payment experience online or instore. 

The research findings echo ongoing public support expressed via an online petition on Least Cost Routing, which has now been signed by over 15,000 people. 

The petition is supported by a leading group of influential industry organisations including the Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association (ACAPMA); Australian Association of Convenience Stores (AACS); Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI); Australian Lottery and Newsagents Association (ALNA); Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA); Franchise Council of Australia (FCA); Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB); MGA Independent Retailers / Timber Merchants Association (TMA); National Retail Association (NRA); and the Restaurant & Catering Industry Association of Australia (R&CA).

COSBOA CEO Alexi Boyd said she was pleased to see increasing public backing of the need for small businesses to keep their costs down.

“People know that small businesses are under intense pressure right now, and Australians clearly have a preference for merchants to choose their own destiny when it comes to debit card fees – whether it’s in stores, on mobile or online,” Ms Boyd said.

About eftpos 

Eftpos is Australia’s debit card system, processing over 2 billion debit card transactions in 2020 worth an average of more than $300 million each day. www.eftposaustralia.com.au

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THE CONFIRMED COVID-19 cases from the CFMEU Victorian head office protest gathering have grown to seven, spreading to innocent family members including, elderly parents, wives, brothers, and sisters as well as dozens of young children including two babies.

John Setka, Secretary of the CFMEU Victoria-Tasmania said, “The tragedy is that due to the actions of these reckless and selfish protesters, many of these members families who have been infected are very sick with the delta virus.

“These protesters are just selfish idiots with absolutely no care for anyone other than themselves. The have caused enormous stress and heartache for members families’ who were just doing their job on the day of the protest.

“While we welcome construction opening back up to 25% percent today, these members won’t be going back to work and along with their families will be in quarantine for two weeks with the added stress of so many family members being very sick and some hospitalised.

“The CFMEU along with the Building Industry Group of unions are committed to continuing to work tirelessly to get everyone back to work and do our bit to help stop the spread of this virus which doesn’t discriminate,” Mr Setka said.

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THE financial services industry is in the process of implementing one of the most significant and wide-ranging set of reforms ever for the sector.

Financial Services Council (FSC) CEO Sally Loane said the largest of all these reforms, the mandatory Design and Distribution Obligations (DDO), starts on Tuesday, October 5, and should improve consumer outcomes in financial services.

The DDO regime requires financial services businesses to determine which type of customers are in the target market for the products they issue, and work together so that sales are directed towards customers in that target market.

“The FSC recognised the significance of the DDO changes early, given we have members across many affected sectors. Two years ago we set out to design a set of tools to enable alignment and efficiency for businesses in the DDO regime,” Ms Loane said.

“The most important of these tools are the FSC’s target market determination templates and data standards for superannuation funds, platforms and wraps, life insurers and fund managers.

“These templates and standards will make life much easier for product issuers, platforms and financial advisers who would otherwise face confusing and inconsistent compliance requirements. More than 280 non-FSC members have purchased our templates under licence," Ms Loane said.

“We are confident that the FSC, working closely with our members, has done as much as we can to help businesses transition to the new regime. We are also pleased ASIC has said it will take a ‘reasonable approach’ to the start of the regulations, which should assist businesses as they adapt.

“The red tape burden from this raft of reforms is significant and can add to the cost of delivering products and services. We look forward to continuing to work with Government and ASIC on ways to improve consumer benefits and reduce red tape.”

The FSC has also helped its members in life insurance, fund management, superannuation and financial advice with other financial sector reforms, many of which deliver on Royal Commission recommendations, and are taking place on consecutive working days. These include:

• Individual Disability Income Insurance reforms, starting October 1;
• Reference checking and information sharing, starting October 1;
• New breach reporting requirements, starting October 1;
• Duty to take reasonable care not to make a misrepresentation, starting October 5;
• Anti-hawking reforms, starting October 5;
• Deferred sales for add-on insurance, starting October 5'
• Internal dispute resolution, starting October 5.

About the Financial Services Council
The Financial Services Council (FSC) has more than 100 members representing Australia's retail and wholesale funds management businesses, superannuation funds, life insurers, financial advisory networks and licensed trustee companies. The industry is responsible for investing almost $3 trillion on behalf of more than 15.6 million Australians. The pool of funds under management is larger than Australia’s GDP and the capitalisation of the Australian Securities Exchange and is the fourth largest pool of managed funds in the world.

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SAFEWORK NSW is warning businesses using forklifts they will be visited after the workplace regulator releases astonishing figures noting an incident involving a forklift occurs every day, six days week.

SafeWork NSW executive director of compliance and resolution, Tony Williams, said incidents involving forklifts were one of the biggest issues Safework NSW faced in the manufacturing space and inspectors would be out in force and can fine operators putting people at risk.

“Over the last two years, SafeWork NSW has recorded an astonishing 598 incidents involving forklifts. Tragically five of these incidents resulted in workplace fatalities,” Mr Williams said.

“While not all incidents involve an injury or death, many of these incidents include collisions between forklifts or other vehicles, rollovers, and objects falling off forklifts when loading or unloading.

“The main factor we see in people being killed or seriously injured by a forklift is primarily inadequate separation between pedestrians and forklifts, which leads to pedestrians being hit by a forklift or its load.

“Almost 75 percent of all incidents happen in just five industries – transport, manufacturing, construction, retail and wholesale. We have issued 494 notices to operators in the same time the 598 incidents happened – almost 20 percent of workplaces don’t have simple seatbelt compliance in place.

“The use of forklifts continues to grow and they are great tools for all sorts of businesses, but if we are not doing it safely then people will be forced to stop using them,” Mr Williams said.

SafeWork’s 2021 Manufacturing Sector Plan, Forklift Compliance Project commences this month and will see Inspectors provide education to the industry along with conducting compliance checks against high-risk industries.

“While always checking on compliance, Inspectors will be out educating users on forklift safety and is warning businesses and drivers that if they are doing the wrong thing, they will be held accountable,” Mr Williams said.

“But we will also engage, educate and build strong working relationships with identified high-risk industries, small businesses and locations to embed a culture of forklift safety.

“We have already sent over 850 awareness letters to businesses encouraging them to get their workplaces in order in preparation of Safework inspectors turning up.

“SafeWork will be targeting those in high-risk industries, but any workplace in NSW that uses a forklift should expect a visit from a Safework inspector who will be looking at a range of issues including, licencing, traffic management, seatbelts, and forklift."

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THE Joint Select Committee on Road Safety will hold further public hearings for its Inquiry into Road Safety on October 6 and 7.

The hearing on October 6 will be an opportunity for the committee to hear from industry participants, regulators, and peak bodies about road safety in the workplace, with a focus on the heavy vehicle and freight sector, and the gig economy.

Committee Chair, Darren Chester MP, said, "Vehicle use is by far the most significant contributor to work-related trauma. Over 60 percent of worker traumatic injury fatalities involve a vehicle.

"With the expanding gig economy, we are likely to see increases in deaths and serious injuries on our roads unless measures are taken to enhance workplace road safety. Also critical to reducing road trauma is understanding the causes of heavy vehicle crashes, and designing measures to enable heavy vehicles to share our roads safely with other road users.

"Accordingly, the hearing will be an opportunity for the committee to hear about issues facing Australians who use the road as a workplace and measures that may be taken in this area to improve road safety outcomes."

The hearing on October 7 will be an opportunity for the committee to hear from research institutions, as well as peak bodies in the medical and law enforcement sectors, about impacts of road trauma on first responders and medical professionals and measures that can be taken to enhance post-crash response.

Mr Chester said, "In addition to the long-lasting impacts on victims, families and communities, road trauma has a hugely significant impact on first responders, emergency services personnel and medical staff. Post-crash care — including emergency treatment, trauma care and rehabilitation — is also a key pillar of the Safe System approach and is critical to achieving our ambitious 'Vision Zero' targets.

"Accordingly, the hearing will be an opportunity for the committee to gather valuable evidence in relation to the impacts of road trauma on first responders and the medical sector, and the measures that can be taken to reduce the impacts of road trauma through enhanced post-crash care."

Public hearing details

Date:               Wednesday, 6 October 2021
Time:              9.30am to 4.15pm

Witnesses:     

National Heavy Vehicle Regulator
Uber
Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
Deliveroo
Australian Trucking Association
National Road Transport Association
Toll Group
Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP)

Date:               Thursday, 7 October 2021
Time:              9.30am to 3.15pm

Witnesses:     

Royal Australasian College of Surgeons
Australasian Trauma Society
Injury Matters
Australian Road Research Board
Police Federation of Australia
Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety – Queensland

Due to health and safety concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, hearings will be held remotely via videoconference and will not be open for public attendance. However, interested members of the public will be able to view proceedings via the live webcast at aph.gov.au/live.

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