THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) said Queenslanders would have every right to question the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment to the regions without a decision to keep 150 workers at New Hope’s Acland mine near Oakey in their jobs.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said while the Parliament would begin its regional sittings in Townsville today, a long shadow was cast over the fellow mining communities of Oakey and Toowoomba by the drawn-out saga over approvals for the New Hope Stage Three expansion.

“Today Parliament begins sitting in the state’s north.  We welcome that commitment to one of our most important resources regions. 

“But Queenslanders have every right to ask just how seriously the Palaszczuk Government takes that regional commitment as workers near Oakey are now confronting real-life redundancies because of a drawn-out approvals process that has pushed the limits of credibility,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“The future of 150 workers at the Acland mine is up in the air because of outstanding approvals for the next phase of the mine and an associated water licence. The approvals process has been running for 12 years.

“At the recent Labor Party conference, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said ‘coal, gas and renewable industries…all these jobs are good decent jobs.’

“The Premier can’t expect miners in Central and North Queensland to accept her word that this Government supports coal mining when their colleagues at Acland are left out of a job because the Government won’t make a decision on New Hope Stage Three,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“We hope to see the pro-mining rhetoric turn into a reality by ending the uncertainty for workers at the New Hope Acland mine.   The mine can be expanded while still complying with environmental sustainability requirements.

“Relocating the Parliament to the regions is an important symbolic gesture.  Backing our resources jobs from the state’s north all the way to the south is an even more important concrete action the Government can take to prove it backs regional Queensland.

“It’s time to end the decade long uncertainty for workers at the New Hope mine and support our resources sector to keep delivering for our state.”

www.qrc.org.au

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell is urging prospective franchisees to do their homework before investing, after the ACCC found some franchisors were failing to provide adequate information to buyers.

The regulator found one-in-three franchisors in the food services sector had failed to disclose useful contact details of former franchisees to allow prospective buyers to conduct due diligence.

“It’s vitally important that potential franchisees know what they are getting into before signing off on a franchise agreement,” Ms Carnell said.

“Part of that due diligence process when considering buying a franchise is speaking to previous franchisees. If the franchisor is making it difficult to contact former franchisees, that’s definitely a red flag.

“The ACCC also found a third of the franchisors failed to disclose key ongoing costs such as wages, rent and inventory," she said.

“The cost of setting up a food service franchise can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars, so it makes good business sense to seek independent legal and business advice before making that significant investment.

“My office has received more than 50 complaints in the June quarter from franchisees in strife, highlighting the need for greater awareness in this space," Ms Carnell said.

“We encourage anyone who has been affected by these practices or who is involved in a franchising dispute to contact ASBFEO.”

Further information is available at https://www.asbfeo.gov.au/industrycodes/franchisingcode

The ACCC also has helpful resources: Buying a franchise? Know the risks

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THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed the release of official figures that show 96 percent of workers in Queensland’s resources and quarry sectors have completed safety resets.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the resources industry has been fully engaged in the reset process, underscoring the sector’s commitment to safety for all workers.

“Safety is the number one priority in the resources sector. It’s not just words, it’s the reality for everyone who works in or with our sector,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“From day one when the reset was first proposed at a meeting with industry, government and unions, resources companies have made this their top priority.

“Although the circumstances that have led up to the reset are tragic, the reset process has had a positive impact on the safety settings for the sector in the long-term.

“Each safety reset was implemented according to site-specific circumstances and specific fatal risks," Mr Macfarlane said.

“I have had feedback about resets that show they have strengthened the two-way communication between workers and management. There have also been occasions where the resets have identified external issues that could improve safety, for example upgrading roads near mine sites.\

“The resources sector always strives to implement the best practices and best technologies to maximise site safety. Every measure we put in place to enhance safety is time well spent.

“Thank you to all our member companies who have participated in this reset and given it their full resources and attention," he said.

“Extenuating circumstances relating to shift logistics and individual cases of worker leave mean we expect the small number of workers who are still participating in the reset to complete the process in the coming weeks.

“QRC supports the two independent reviews commissioned by the Queensland Government, which are due to report back by the end of the year.”

The reviews will focus on why mine and quarry workers have died over the past 20 years; how industry can improve and how the mines inspectorate can work better and review the state’s mining health and safety legislation.

www.qrc.org.au

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"AUSTRALIA'S economic growth rate remains stuck at a decade low but the government has what’s needed to get it moving again,” according to Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia. 

“What’s urgently needed is an acceleration of infrastructure projects to the construction phase and more discussion of measures to encourage business investment.  We need investment in new plant, equipment and other assets need to be sharpened so that the appetite for growth and expansion returns,” Ms Wawn said.

“This morning’s GDP figures show that Australia’s economy grew by 0.5 percent during the June 2019 quarter equivalent to a 1.4 percent annual growth rate – the lowest since September 2009.

“Many components of domestic demand have shrunk over the past year – including key elements like business investment in addition to both residential and commercial building. Even though household spending has grown it has done so at the weakest pace in years,” Ms Wawn said. 

“We back the government’s transport infrastructure agenda and the announcement by the Federal and Victorian Governments today of $367.5 million for Melbourne’s Monash Freeway is good news, but today’s figures also show that the volume of engineering construction actually dropped by some 14.8% over the past year.

“Announcements won’t kick-start economic growth. That’s why governments need to streamline planning and approvals processes and harness the capacity of smaller construction contractors.

“In addition to commitments in Melbourne and Sydney there is great opportunity to unlock growth by targeting projects to other major cities, towns and regions and the government’s new skilled migration visa measures would help support that ambition. Master Builders has made a submission to Infrastructure Australia with a proposed package of projects that fits this criteria,” Ms Wawn said. 

“Our industry provides the most full time jobs and has the most small businesses of any sector but we need growth to continue being a major driver of economic activity. That’s why we also want to see more discussion around other policy measures to encourage business investment. 

 “The key thing is to get the work happening as quickly as possible on this and other previously announced infrastructure projects. So far, the official data show that the infrastructure wave has yet to make an impression on the ground,” Ms Wawn said.

www.masterbuilders.com.au

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