Business News Releases

To brie or not to brie? - public hearing in Victoria

AT THE EIGHTH public hearing for the inquiry into food and beverage manufacturing in Australia, the House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources plans to hear from a range of stakeholders in Victoria, including representatives from an independent think tank on alternative proteins and an advocacy group working to improve diets and prevent obesity in Australia.

Committee Chair, Rob Mitchell MP, said, “The committee has held multiple public hearings across the country to find out more about what it is like to be an Australian food and beverage manufacturer. At this final interstate hearing, the committee looks forward to continuing to hear from local manufacturers, as well as stakeholders from the academic, health, and recycling & packaging sectors.”

The committee will conduct further public hearings in Canberra during August 2024. Further information about the inquiry, including the Terms of Reference, is available on the Committee’s website: aph.gov.au/isr

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday, 7 August 2024
Time: 9am to 2:30pm (AEST)
Location: Legislative Council Committee Room, Parliament of Victoria, Spring Street, East Melbourne VIC 3002
Witnesses: La Trobe University, Australian Dairy Products Federation, Independent Brewers Association, Food for Health Alliance, Food Frontier, AUSVEG, Starward/New World Whisky Distillery, Pact Group.

 

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Master Builders statement on application for CFMEU administration

MASTER BUILDERS Australia has welcomed the lodgement of the Fair Work Commission’s application seeking to place the CFMEU into independent administration.

The detailed statement read: "While we are disappointed by the exclusion of the ACT and WA, we commend the strong and positive stance of both Minister Murray Watt and the Federal Government in getting behind the application, and will seek their support for future inclusion of these key jurisdictions.

"While this is an important first step towards tackling criminality and the poor culture within the sector, far more needs to be done in order to build on the moves to date and ensure that they drive lasting and meaningful change once and for all.

"This starts with making sure strong and comprehensive protections are in place for people wishing to come forward with evidence, information, or materials to support the various investigations and inquiries underway.

"These protections must be complemented through stronger powers for regulators to receive information, obtain materials and conduct investigations in a manner that protects everyone from reprisals, payback or future adverse consequences.

"We are also calling for the Federal Government to establish one central overarching body to coordinate the various inquiries currently underway.

"Beyond these immediate actions, Government needs to look beyond the usual industrial relations landscape and be open to a more holistic and comprehensive ‘whole of government’ approach.

"History shows that the only way to comprehensively crack down on criminality and corruption is to tackle a poor culture underpinned by disregard for the rule of law.

"This poor culture is ingrained in some parts of the industry and it is this culture that allows criminals and organised crime to flourish. It also stifles productivity and increases the cost of construction at the expense of the community, taxpayers, jobs and small business.

"Fixing this once and for all can only be achieved through a comprehensive and coordinated approach involving permanent changes to create a range of industry specific laws, enforced by one dedicated industry specific regulator with the tools and powers it needs.

"It’s clear existing regulators and law enforcement units cannot operate in silos and require collective resources and the removal of legislative barriers.

"To be effective, a dedicated industry regulator must also be home to a permanent cross-jurisdictional police unit dedicated to targeting criminal activity and organised crime linked to the industry.

"We all, whether as employers, workers or union members, deserve to work in an industry that is lawful, safe and free from corruption, coercion, bullying and intimidation.

"Everyone in building and construction recognises the important role that unions play in workplaces but it’s clear some within the CFMEU have lost their way.

"This is a unique opportunity for governments of all levels to ensure that the building and construction industry is lawful, modern, safe, and productive now and in the future."

www.masterbuilders.com.au

 

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Fair Work Commission applies for appointment of independent administrator for CFMEU

THE Fair Work Commission’s general manager, Murray Furlong, has today initiated proceedings in the Federal Court under s.323 of the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (RO Act) to appoint an independent administrator for the Construction and General Division of the Construction, Forestry and Maritime Employees Union (CFMEU).

The proposed scheme of administration covers the Divisional Executive and offices in the Victoria-Tasmania, New South Wales, Queensland Northern Territory and South Australian divisional branches. The remaining divisional branches in Western Australia and the Australian Capital Territory would continue to function as usual but could be brought under the scheme at a later date on application to the court.

Following significant consultation with a wide range of stakeholders representing both employer and employee interests, it is proposed that the court appoint Mark Irving KC as administrator.

Mr Irving KC has been a member of the Victorian Bar for over 26 years. His experience is extensive and includes acting in significant matters relating to both unions and employer organisations. 

The court has been asked to approve a scheme for the taking of action by Mr Irving KC as independent administrator.

The proposed scheme

The members of the Construction and General Division of the CFMEU and the broader community deserve to have confidence in the ongoing effectiveness of the administration proposed in the scheme, which will take as long as necessary to bring the branches of the division into lawful compliance, and then systemically embed this governance for the future. 

If appointed, the administrator will have the ability to ensure that the division and divisional branches function effectively and lawfully within the legislative framework and the lawful objectives of the CFMEU. The administrator will be required to ensure that the rights of members of the union continue to be protected and that the division and divisional branches operate in accordance with their objects.

The scheme proposes that the administrator will have power to:

  • remove officers, officials and employees from their positions, engage employees and consultants as required, and apply to the court for the appointment of assistant administrators;
  • take possession of all property and credit cards;
  • exercise votes of the offices he holds;
  • appoint proxies to represent him at meetings and exercise voting rights as instructed;
  • bring proceedings to recover funds, impose penalties and award compensation;
  • cooperate with any investigations;
  • establish and implement policies, including Rule alterations to ensure the CFMEU can be representative of and accountable to its members, operate lawfully and effectively and encourage member participation and democratic functioning;
  • keep and maintain the register of members;
  • prepare financial accounts as required; and
  • issue a certificate when satisfied a divisional branch is operating effectively so that the process to remove it from administration can commence, including by commencing elections for office.

The administration of the division or a divisional branch will only end after the administrator certifies that it is functioning effectively, and the Fair Work Commission’s general manager agrees. Before reaching that conclusion, an independent audit of the financial affairs of the division or divisional branch must be conducted.

Independent special purpose audit and general manager’s industry committee

To support the integrity of the scheme, the application to the Federal Court also seeks the appointment of KordaMentha Pty Ltd to undertake a special purpose audit and prepare a report into the financial position and financial risks relating to the Division and Branches in administration. This report will be provided to both the Administrator and to the General Manager following commencement of administration.

As part of the commitment to being an open and transparent regulator, the Fair Work Commission’s general manager is establishing a Building and Construction Industry Committee. The committee will report to the general manager. The administrator will also be required to meet with the general manager regularly throughout the administration to report on the scheme’s progress.

Yesterday the general manager wrote individually to approximately 250 CFMEU office holders to remind them of their obligations as elected officials under the RO Act and of the information and education resources the commission publishes to assist them in their roles.

The general manager said he was unwavering in his commitment to ensuring the success of this process for the benefit of CFMEU members, employers and the broader community. The objective in making this application is to ensure that the CFMEU can meet the expectations and act in the interests of its members, lawfully and in a proper and democratic way, and in accordance with its statutory obligations and the expectations of the broader community that it operates within.

About the Fair Work Commission

The Fair Work Commission is Australia’s national workplace relations tribunal and the independent regulator of registered organisations. It exercises its functions and powers in accordance with the Fair Work Act 2009. The commission and general manager also have responsibilities in relation to registered organisations under the Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009.

 

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Live music inquiry - Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth public hearings

THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts is holding its final round of interstate public hearings next week for its inquiry into the challenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry.

Hearings will be held in Melbourne, Adelaide, and Perth, with final hearings to be held in Canberra.

The committee is continuing to speak with industry stakeholders, including state and local organisations, peak bodies and event organisers. It will also host several roundtables with musicians, venues, and youth and community outreach programs.

Committee Chair Brian Mitchell said, "The committee wants to ensure live music has a strong and healthy future in Australia so it can continue to contribute to our national story, and provide jobs and viable income streams for performers and support workers.

"We’ve heard plenty of evidence about live music being part of an ecosystem—everything needs to work in harmony to work at its best. That’s a great way to look at it.

"Just as it has with a host of other sectors, the internet has been a massive disrupter to the music business. Most fans don’t buy records anymore, they stream songs, and artists only get a tiny fraction of the streaming proceeds.

"Performers used to go on tours to help sell records, now they go on tour to earn a living, so that’s really changed the dynamic," Mr Mitchell said.

"The streaming platform algorithms also play a key role in what’s called 'discoverability'. We want to look at ways to ensure Australian consumers are at least aware of the presence of Australian artists on their streaming apps, so they know they have a choice of discovering the amazing Australian talent that’s on offer.

"Our committee has heard lots of really valuable evidence from performers, venue owners, labels, festival organisers and others about the challenges facing live music, and just as importantly they’ve proposed ideas for rescuing the sector. I’d like to thank everyone who’s appeared before us and who are yet to appear.

"We’ve got another couple of weeks of hearings and then it’s heads down bums up to prepare a report and recommendations."

Details of the public hearings are below, with the full programs and terms of reference available on the inquiry webpage.

More information about the committee, including membership, may be found on the Committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date:          Monday, 5 August 2024
Time:          9.40am – 4.30pm [AEST]
Location:    Legislative Council Committee Rooms, Victorian State Parliament, Spring Street, Melbourne, Victoria

Date:          Tuesday, 6 August 2024
Time:          9am – 10.20am [AEST]
Location:    Legislative Council Committee Rooms, Victorian State Parliament, Spring Street, Melbourne, Victoria

Date:          Wednesday, 7 August 2024
Time:          9.40am – 2pm [ACST]
Location:    Constitution Room, South Australian State Parliament, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia

Date:          Thursday, 8 August 2024
Time:          9am – 2.40pm [AWST]
Location:    Executive Lounge Room,Doubletree by Hilton, 1 Barrack St, Perth, Western Australia

The audio of these hearings will be broadcast live via the Parliament’s YouTube channel.

 

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Final public hearing of flood insurance inquiry

THE House Standing Committee on Economics will hold a virtual public hearing tomorrow, July 30, as part of its inquiry into insurers’ responses to 2022 major floods claims.

The committee will take evidence from Sydney Water, the Australian Building Codes Board, Standards Australia, Engineers Australia and the NSW Reconstruction Authority.

The hearing program has now been published on the inquiry website.

A live audio stream of the hearing will be available on the APH website.

The hearing is expected to be the final public hearing of the flood insurance inquiry, which commenced in August 2023.

Last minute submissions addressing the terms of reference for the inquiry are still being accepted and can be uploaded through this online link or emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. until midnight Wednesday, July 31 2024.

An online survey about individuals’ experiences with their insurer is also still open until midnight July 31 and is available here. More than 600 people have completed the survey to date.

The committee is due to report its findings by October 18, 2024.

Public hearing

Tuesday 30 July 2024
By videoconference
9.45am to 3.30pm

 

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Public hearing on National Redress Scheme

THE Parliamentary Committee will hold a public hearing on Friday for an inquiry into the National Redress Scheme to hear from Knowmore Legal Service, who provide free legal advice and support to people applying for redress, and survivors about their experience accessing the Scheme.

The inquiry is looking into a range of areas, including the experience of First Nations applicants and applicants with disability in their dealings with the scheme; and accessibility, performance and effectiveness of support services and legal advice for survivors and their advocates.

A program for the public hearing will be available on the Committee’s website shortly.

Committee Chair Senator Catryna Bilyk said, "Throughout the inquiry, survivors and redress support services have told us about many different barriers that people experience when applying for redress. For example, we have heard evidence that suggests the redress application form can be hard to fill out, redress outcomes can be confusing or that the Scheme can be hard to contact.

"The committee hopes to learn more about these barriers at Friday’s public hearing. This will assist us with making recommendations to government on how the Scheme could be improved."

Full details of what the inquiry is examining can be found in the terms of reference on the committee’s website. An easy English guide is also available.

Public hearing details

Friday 2 August 2024
10am to approximately 4pm (Canberra time)
Committee Room 1R5, Parliament House, Canberra

Listen online at www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Events/Watch_Parliament then click on a link marked ‘live streaming’ or visit https://www.youtube.com/@AUSParliamentLive>.

 

 

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Hitting the road: Committee to hold public hearings for EV inquiry

THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water will be holding public hearings in Sydney on Thursday and Friday for its inquiry into the transition to electric vehicles (EVs).

Chair of the Committee, Tony Zappia MP, said, "The public hearings will be an opportunity to further explore the priorities necessary to support Australia’s transition to EVs.

"The committee is looking forward to hearing from a diverse range of stakeholders who can offer insight into a number of issues, including the manufacturing and charging of EVs, experiences using EV fleets, and opportunities for the safe and equitable uptake of EVs in Australia."

The program for the public hearings is available on the committee’s website.

The committee will be holding further public hearings in Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra in August and September 2024. Further information about the inquiry is available on the committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: 25 July 2024
Time: 9am to 4.30pm
Location: Remington Room, Sydney Masonic Centre, 66 Goulburn St, Sydney
Witnesses: RACE for 2030 and iMOVE CRC, Association for the Battery Recycling Industry, Veolia, Australian Council of Recycling, Polestar, Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, Essential Energy, Energy Consumers Australia, FleetPartners, Australian Finance Industry Association

Date: 26 July 2024
Time: 9.00am to 12pm
Location: Remington Room, Sydney Masonic Centre, 66 Goulburn St, Sydney
Witnesses: Strata Community Association, IKEA, NSW Young Lawyers Environment and Planning Sub-Committee, AECOM.

 

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F&B manufacturing hearings continue

AUSTRALIA's first certified carbon-neutral distillery, a local business that is successfully exporting to the Asian market, and one of Australia’s largest food manufacturers will be appearing as witnesses at the seventh public hearing for the House Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources’ inquiry into food and beverage manufacturing in Australia.

Committee Chair, Rob Mitchell MP, said "The inquiry has received a lot of interest with over 120 submissions to date. At the public hearing in Tasmania, the Committee will continue to hear from stakeholders to find out what the key challenges are right now for Australian food and beverage manufacturers.”

The committee will conduct further public hearings during August 2024. Further information about the inquiry, including the Terms of Reference, is available on the Committee’s website: aph.gov.au/isr

Public hearing details

Date: Thursday, 1 August 2024
Time: 9:40am to 12pm (AEST)
Location: Committee Room 1, Parliament of Tasmania, 1 Salamanca Place, Hobart TAS 7000
Witnesses: Lark Distilling Co., Tasmania Fresh/Tas’Mania, Cadbury/Mondelēz International

 

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Challenges and risks facing local government sustainability

LOCAL government associations from Queensland, Tasmania and New South Wales will appear before the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport as part of an ongoing inquiry into local government sustainability.

The virtual public hearing on July 25 continues the committee’s in-depth examination of the financial sustainability challenges and risks facing local government.

The committee will also hear from the Australian Services Union, the Northern and Yorke Local Government Association, Torrens University Australia, Always Thinking Advisory, and the United Services Union and Local Government Engineers Association.

Committee Chair, Luke Gosling OAM, MP, said, "The hearing will provide an opportunity to delve deeper into the particular risks threatening the financial sustainability of local governments. Local governments are facing both escalating cost pressures and increasing community expectations. The committee is interested in further exploring the key financial pressures, including the extent to which councils rely on Commonwealth and State and Territory program and grant funding to meet expanding service delivery obligations.

"The hearing also provides an opportunity to gather additional evidence concerning current and future workforce skills, attraction, and retention challenges, along with labour hire practices and job security issues affecting the local government workforce.

"The committee is also interested in exploring the local government financial sustainability drivers underlying critical workforce issues across states and territories," Mr Gosling said.

Public hearing details

Canberra, Australian Parliament House and via videoconference

Date:      Thursday, 25 July 2024

Venue:   Committee Room 1R3 and via videoconference

Time:     9.30am to 2pm (AEST)

The committee will hold further public hearings during 2024. Further information on the inquiry, including the terms of reference and how to contribute, is available on the committee’s website.

 

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Live music inquiry: Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth public hearings

THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts is holding its final round of interstate public hearings next week for its inquiry into the challenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry.

The committee is continuing to speak with industry stakeholders, including state and local organisations, peak bodies, and event organisers. It will also host several roundtables with musicians and venues.

Details of the public hearings are below. The inquiry terms of reference are available on the inquiry webpage and full programs for the hearings will be published on the inquiry webpage as finalised.

More information about the Committee, including membership, may be found on the Committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date:          Monday, 5 August 2024
Time:          9am – 4.30pm [AEST]
Location:    Melbourne, Victoria

Date:          Tuesday, 6 August 2024
Time:          9am – 12pm [AEST]
Location:    Melbourne, Victoria

Date:          Wednesday, 7 August 2024
Time:          9am – 3pm [ACST]
Location:    Adelaide, South Australia

Date:          Thursday, 8 August 2024
Time:          9am – 3pm [AWST]
Location:    Perth, Western Australia

The audio of these hearings will be broadcast live via the Parliament’s YouTube channel.

 

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Live music inquiry Brisbane and Sydney public hearings

THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications and the Arts is holding its first round of interstate public hearings this week for its inquiry into the challenges and opportunities within the Australian live music industry.

The committee will be speaking with industry stakeholders, including peak bodies, broadcasters and event organisers. It will also host several roundtables with musicians, venues, academic researchers and Commonwealth and State government agencies.

Committee Chair, Brian Mitchell MP, said, "The committee looks forward to continuing its deep dive into the operational and regulatory challenges facing the live music event industry.

"The committee is also looking forward to discussions in a roundtable format with the key music-related Commonwealth Arts agencies about how Australian live music is recognised and supported in Australia’s cultural policy Revive."

Mr Mitchell highlighted areas to be explored: "The rapidly changing face of the Australian live music industry; changing audience preferences post-pandemic—including new demographic behaviour, and how digitisation is impacting career pathways and business longevity."

The committee is keen to hear about the opportunities to foster live music as an important way to tell and maintain Australian stories, including through First Nations music.

"Members particularly hope to gain insights into how musicians are honing their craft, finding performance opportunities and engaging with audiences given discoverability challenges and how the royalties regime is impacting artists’ remuneration," Mr Mitchell said.

Details of the public hearings are below, with the full programs and terms of reference available on the inquiry webpage.

More information about the committee, including membership, may be found on the Committee’s website.

Public hearing details

Date: Wednesday, 24 July 2024
Time: 9.40am – 4pm
Location: Bristol Room, Royal on the Park, 152 Alice St, Brisbane

Date: Thursday, 25 July 2024
Time: 9am – 4.30pm
Location: The Map Rooms—The Michael Crouch Room, State Library of NSW, 1 Shakespeare Place, Sydney

Date: Friday, 26 July 2024
Time: 9am – 4.20pm
Location: The Map Rooms—The Michael Crouch Room, State Library of NSW, 1 Shakespeare Place, Sydney

These hearings will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

 

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