RE-OPENING skilled migration to supplement Australia’s talent pool will be crucial to securing "the enormous pipeline of projected growth" in the resources and energy industry, according to resources and energy group the Australian Mines and Metals Association (AMMA).

“Today’s announcement on international skilled immigration is very welcome news for Australia’s resources and energy industry which has been crippled by skills shortages,” said AMMA chief executive Steve Knott said.

“In daily conversations with AMMA’s resources and energy members, working in all sub-sectors right across the nation, finding the right number of skilled employees continues to be the most pressing and most severe challenge. 

“Despite leading the nation’s economic performance throughout COVID-19, difficulties in attracting skilled employees in the scale required has presented a very real risk to future resources and energy project growth and the enormous role it will play in Australia’s fiscal recovery.”

AMMA’s annual workforce forecasting report has identified 98 projects that are advanced in planning stages and could create over 100,000 jobs between now and 2026.

“Without access to supplementary international skilled labour, even in the very small numbers utilised by resources employers historically, many of these projects may be deemed unviable to proceed,” Mr Knott said.

“The national Labour Market Portal also predicts key resources and energy occupations – including mining and petroleum engineers, geophysicists, skilled operators and trade technicians – will remain in very tight supply over coming years.

“There needs to be a circuit breaker to the present unsustainable situation of Australian industries cannibalising each other for talent. This is occurring across the skills spectrum from operators and tradespeople to chefs, hospitality professionals and cleaners.

“The arrival of skilled migrant employees in some of these key occupations will ease the great anxieties of employers on how they will both continue to resource existing operations and secure the skills required to support expansion and new project growth.”

www.amma.org.au

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A NEW $1 billion Low Emissions Technology Commercialisation Fund announced by the Federal Government will help secure the long-term future of Queensland's $82.6 billion resources sector, the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) said today.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the initiative announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison would lead to better technology, lower emissions, improved environmental outcomes and long-term economic security for every Queenslander.

“The QRC supports the Minerals Council of Australia’s ambition for the resources sector to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, so today’s announcement will accelerate the development of new technology to help Queensland resources companies play their part in meeting this target,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“Achieving net zero by 2050 requires a practical pathway forward, so we welcome the government’s decision to stimulate large-scale investment in the commercialisation of low emission technologies as an important starting point post-COP26.”

Mr Macfarlane said every Queenslander benefitted from "a strong and sustainable state resources sector and the economic security and job opportunities it provides".

“I have no doubt Queensland resources companies will continue to be early adopters of new technologies and other innovations that deliver better environmental outcomes,” he said. 

“Queensland is well known for having one of the most technologically advanced and environmentally regulated resources sectors in the world, and many of our companies are already investing heavily in research into carbon capture use and storage, hybrid energy systems at mines sites, hydrogen production and automation.

“Our companies will continue to move as quickly as the technology allows to lower their emissions, improve energy efficiency, adopt renewable energy, invest in co-generation and implement demand management.

“You can count on resources to create a sustainable future for Queenslanders.”

A QRC report released earlier this year found the number of member CEOs investing in low emission technology research and development almost doubled over the past two years, increasing from 40 to 70 percent.

www.qrc.org.au

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SMALL BUSINESS owners and leaders have every right to be frustrated by the Reserve Bank’s review of retail payments regulations, according to Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson.

Mr Billson said while some progress was being made, it was disappointing this report "fell well short of delivering the vital changes small and family businesses have been crying out for".

“More decisive action is urgently needed to stop small businesses and family enterprises paying more than they need to for payment services,” Mr Billson said.

The Reserve Bank said it expected payment providers to “offer and promote least-cost routing” by the end of 2022 but it fell short of mandating this as the default option and provided no explicit regulatory requirement, according to Mr Billson. 

Debit cards are now the most frequently used payment method in Australia and the Reserve Bank said 90 percent of debit cards were dual-network debit cards (DNDCs) which means they allow payment via either eftpos or one of the international debit schemes such as Debit Mastercard or Visa Debit.

The widespread use of 'tap-and-go' and other contactless electronic payments, such as smart phones, means customers are no longer offered a choice to push a button to choose CHQ or SAV from the typically lower-cost eftpos network and it defaults to the international network that can have higher costs for merchants.

Mandating least-cost routing as the default would mean the cheapest payment method would be available to merchants, according to Mr Billson.

“For too long, small businesses have been slugged with unnecessarily high fees from credit card networks, when there is a cheaper option,” Mr Billson said.

“The Reserve Bank could have and should have done more after years of ‘urging banks to do the right thing’ which has resulted in an inadequate response and poor access and uptake of least-cost routing for small merchants.

“We are keen to work with sector participants to make least-cost routing the mandated default option for all small business payment methods, especially smart devices used as touchless payment tools.”

The Reserve Bank review also said the eight biggest card issuers would be expected to continue to issue DNDCs and called for this to include all forms of payment, including mobile-wallet providers.

However, Mr Billson warned, there was no enforcement behind this sentiment and the Reserve Bank report does not require other providers of debit cards, with a smaller market share, to provide DNDCs, which will cause confusion in the market place by creating two sets of rules.

Mr Billson said the small business sector would welcome the Reserve Bank’s finding that it would be “in the public interest” for buy now, pay later (BNPL) providers to remove their no-surcharge rules but noted there was no action to enforce this or help small businesses if they receive push back from BNPL operators.

“Small businesses are currently forced to absorb the cost of BNPL offerings and with often slim margins this places pressure on businesses’ bottom-line. The rapid growth in the BNPL industry means it will no longer be an optional extra for a small business and they will be significantly disadvantaged unless they are able to pass on the surcharges, “Mr Billson said. 

Mr Billson said he was heartened that the Reserve Bank acknowledged it was important to reduce the cost to small and medium-sized merchants of accepting card payments, but much more was needed to deliver on this.

“A safe and robust retail payments system that provides access to affordable and efficient means for small business owners to accept payments is crucial to their viability,” Mr Billson said.

www.asbfeo.gov.au

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BUSINESSES with Federal Government contracts will have to pay their small business sub-contractors within 20 days or risk fines and penalties under new laws now enacted, according to the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Bruce Billson.

“Fair payment times are incredibly important for the viability of small businesses, and I welcome the beginning of this significant policy,” Mr Billson said. 

Under the Payment Times Procurement Connected Policy introduced by the Federal Government, large businesses with Commonwealth government contracts of more than $4 million are required to pay their small business sub-contractors of up to $1 million within 20 calendar days or pay interest.

Importantly, they must also take reasonable endeavours to ensure smaller businesses throughout the supply chain of their contract are paid on time by other sub-contractors.  

“Challenging large businesses payment practices can be daunting for smaller businesses. I always encourage an initial conversation between the parties to try to resolve a dispute,” Mr Billson said.

“But if this is difficult, my office is here to provide support and guidance to try to resolve your dispute.”

Under the policy, where disputes arise, small and family businesses will now be able to lodge a complaint through the Treasury at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Businesses can also contact the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman for guidance and support on how to navigate the process at https://portal.asbfeo.gov.au/dispute or https://www.asbfeo.gov.au/contact-us.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman’s website www.asbfeo.gov.au has a more detailed fact sheet on the Payment Times Procurement Connected Policy and the ‘5 steps to resolve your dispute’ tool to assist with ways to manage this process.

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