ON MONDAY November 25, the PFAS Sub-committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade (JSCFADT) will hold the first public hearing for its inquiry into the Department of Defence’s remediation of per-and poly-fluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) contamination on defence bases.

The chair of the PFAS Sub-committee the John McVeigh MP said the National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health at the Australian National University (ANU) has been invited to report on work being advanced under its PFAS Health Study.

“The ANU’s PFAS Health Study was commissioned by the Department of Health to examine the potential health effects of PFAS exposure on people who have lived or worked in the areas surrounding RAAF Base Williamtown, the Army Aviation Centre Oakey and the RAAF Base Tindal,” Dr McVeigh said.

Dr McVeigh explained that the epidemiological study utilises blood samples gathered by the government in a free blood testing program for people who had possible exposure to PFAS at/or near these sites. The PFAS research team will use this source for comparison and analysis and release a sequence of assessments over 2020.

“Phase two of the study, now underway, will establish whether rates of diseases, including cancers, can be associated with higher PFAS exposure among people who have lived in the investigation areas, compared to the general population”, Dr McVeigh said.

“The PFAS Health Study is doing essential work to provide up-to-date results based on local information to affected communities, as international research continues.”

The PFAS Sub-committee’s scrutiny follows on from recommendations made to Government last parliament that the Department of Health should review its advice in relation to the human health effects of PFAS and its potential links to certain medical conditions.

The inquiry report, tabled in December 2018, made nine recommendations to address Government’s management and coordination of PFAS remediation and related concerns.

Public hearing details: 

Date: Monday 25 November 2019
Time: Approximately 4:10pm to 5pm
Location: Committee Room IR4, Parliament House, Canberra.

This hearing will be audio streamed live at www.aph.gov.au/live.

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THE long-term stewards of major Australian infrastructure assets will make a $25 billion capital expenditure investment to upgrade and expand their assets over the decade to 2030.

The expenditure will build the value of these investments for millions of industry super fund members by ensuring they continue to deliver the services the community expect for many decades to come.  The expenditure is expected to generate more than 50,000 new jobs over the next decade.

The assets include iconic Australian household names like electricity distributor Ausgrid and the international airports for the cities of Brisbane, Melbourne, Darwin and Adelaide, as well as major seaports such as the Port of Brisbane, Port Botany and Port Kembla.

The new investment aligns with a recent exhortation from Australian Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who in August called for such measures in preference to share buybacks and special dividends.

IFM Investors CEO Brett Himbury said the investment would drive strong and stable returns for 7 million working Australians invested in the assets through their industry super funds, as well as giving the whole nation a productivity and jobs boost.

“This ongoing capital expenditure is a result of the alignment between the long term time horizon of superannuation money and major critical Australian infrastructure," Mr Himbury said.

"The responsible stewardship of these assets by industry super funds and their partners protects and grows the retirement savings of members. These investments are an investment in the future value of these assets and will increase the productive capacity of the entire country.”

The $25 billion in capital expenditure will fund numerous new projects, including a rail upgrade at Port Botany to continue the shift of freight from road onto rail, new solar generation at Darwin Airport that will support reductions in carbon emissions and reduce energy costs, a new international cruise ship terminal at the Port of Brisbane, and several airport terminal and aviation capacity upgrades across Australia’s growing international city airports.

The additional investment will average over $2 billion per annum through the next decade, exceeding $2.6 billion per annum in 2020, 2021 and 2028.

Over the last eight years, IFM Investors and its partners have supported $8.7 billion in capital expenditure at its major Australian infrastructure assets, including $1.3 billion on the new second runway at Brisbane Airport, at the time the largest private expenditure into airport infrastructure, globally.  

Major new terminals were also built in recent years at Darwin, Adelaide and Melbourne airports and a $110 million road upgrade delivered at Port of Brisbane.

www.ifminvestors.com

About IFM Investors:

IFM Investors is an investor-owned global fund manager with A$152 billion under management as of September 30, 2019. Established more than 20 years ago and owned by 27 major pension funds, IFM Investors’ interests are deeply aligned with those of its investors. Investment teams in Europe, North America, Australia and Asia manage institutional strategies across infrastructure (equity and debt), debt investments, listed equities and private capital. IFM Investors is committed to the United Nations supported Principles for Responsible Investment and has been a signatory since 2008. IFM Investors has offices in nine locations; Melbourne, Sydney, New York, London, Berlin, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Seoul and Zurich. 

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THE Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS) is busy finalising its consideration of the Inquiry into the impact of the exercise of law enforcement and intelligence powers on the freedom of the press.

The chair, Andrew Hastie MP, said, "The Committee has received considerable evidence from submitters and witnesses regarding the media and their ability to operate effectively within Australia’s democratic society. All members are endeavouring to achieve a bipartisan report, which delivers tangible areas for reform and consideration. This will not be possible by the end of November."

The deputy chair, Anthony Byrne MP, said. "As this inquiry has progressed, the complexity and nuances of the issues raised have become acutely emphasised to the Committee. The ability for the Committee to make targeted recommendations is reliant on time, and the Committee would rather report later to ensure that occurs."

The Committee has written to the Attorney-General informing him of the later reporting requirement, with the undertaking to present a report in the week before Christmas at the latest.

Further information on the inquiry can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell has welcomed the Federal Government’s new measures announced as part of its Deregulation Agenda and looks forward to working closely with the taskforce on its key priorities.  

“The next wave of deregulation reform, announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, is a step in the right direction to make it easier for small businesses to employ staff and invest in growth,” Ms Carnell said.

“A new online checklist providing small business employers with a guide to employing their first worker, along with a commitment to developing a new prototype ‘regtech’ platform, is encouraging. While this may assist small businesses in hiring a staff member, the industrial award system itself remains highly complex and fluid for small business owners to navigate.

“Small and family businesses are crying out for a simplified system, so they can get on with the job of growing their business," she said.

“That’s why my office is calling on the government to develop an algorithm to be integrated into accounting software to make it easier for small and family businesses to pay wages and entitlements correctly and on time.

“The next logical move would be to clarify the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code, to give small and family businesses the confidence they need to employ more Australians.

“We’ve provided the government with our Review of the Small Business Fair Dismissal Code, which recommends a suite of changes to help small business employers meet their obligations," Ms Carnell said.

“It’s also critical the government consults widely as part of the deregulation process, which my office is ready to play an active role in, so the small business community is part of these important discussions that affect them directly.

“Of particular interest is the government’s plan to deal with the degree of regulatory complexity, the length of time for approvals and duplication across levels of government. This has the potential to be a game-changer for Australia’s 2.3 million small businesses and family enterprises.

“We will continue to work with the government to achieve the best possible outcomes for the small business sector.”

www.asbfeo.gov.au

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