THE Queensland resources sector can help put downward pressure on the state’s increasing unemployment rate with more than 1300 vacancies currently advertised.

Queensland Resources Council chief executive Ian Macfarlane said Queensland’s trend unemployment rate increased by 0.1 percent to 6.3 percent –a two-year high – which was disappointing, but the resources sector was offering hundreds of opportunities across the state.

Mr Macfarlane said the QRC was surveying its member company chief executive officers to understand their employment intentions.  QRC will release those findings soon in its quarterly State of the Sector report.

“Already we know unemployment rates in mining regions are well below the State average.  Mackay-Isaac-Whitsunday is below 5 percent,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“Resource sector employers are currently advertising 1360 positions across Queensland in resources, mining and energy on seek.com.au.”

Mr Macfarlane said 980 of those advertised jobs – or almost three quarters – pay more than $100,000 per annum.

“These are good jobs in a great industry in the best State of Australia,” he said.

The advertised positions by region, noting some roles are advertised in multiple regions, are:

• Mackay and Coalfields 499
• Brisbane 342
• Gladstone and Central Queensland 125
• Western Queensland 105
• Townsville 83
• Mount Isa 82
• Rockhampton and Capricorn Coast 66
• Toowoomba and Darling Downs 50
• Cairns and Far North Queensland 43
• Sunshine Coast 9
• Bundaberg and Wide Bay 8

www.qrc.org.au

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DUBAI-owned DP World Australia has today announced plans to slash more than 10 percent of its workforce, with 100 more jobs scheduled to be axed at both Melbourne and Sydney container terminals.

The cuts — announced to the media before affected workers or their union had been notified — come in addition to another 47 wharfies due to finish up this week in Melbourne.

The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) said the timing of the announcement — during protected industrial action at the company’s Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Fremantle container terminals — was a clear attempt to threaten workers into accepting cuts to their rights and conditions.

MUA assistant national secretary Warren Smith said DP World sacking workers and destroying families to achieve an industrial outcome was "an extreme act that reflected the unfettered corporate power available to bosses in today’s society".

“From day one DP World started with threats to our families. Management have refused to meet telling wharfies that they’ll get an agreement only if they withdraw their claims and accept the company’s claims, which result in less job security and worse conditions,” Mr Smith said.

“It started with threats to workers income protection insurance, now they are targeting wharfies jobs.”

The MUA slammed DP World for notifying media outlets of the cuts before contacting the affected workers.

“What kind of company tells the media about job cuts before talking to the workers who are directly affected?” Mr Smith said.

“This is corporate bullying and intimidation using the livelihoods of wharfies in an attempt to intimidate the workforce into accepting anything the company wants.

“This situation, where a massive multinational company is showing total contempt for Australian workers and their families, shows once again how broken our country’s workplace laws are.

“Threatening people’s jobs, their livelihoods, and their families well-being should never be considered an acceptable way to achieve an industrial outcome.”

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AUSTRALIAN visitors continue to flock to Brisbane in record numbers as the latest statistics show Brisbane has become a favourite destination for Sydneysiders and Melburnians.

Deputy Mayor Krista Adams said the National Visitor Survey from Tourism Research Australia revealed record numbers of visitors from Sydney and Melbourne had converged on Brisbane over the year to March 2019.

“The number of visitors from Sydney climbed 9.4 per cent to reach an all-time high of 923,000 while Melbourne visitors rose 4.6 per cent to reach a record 554,000 over the year,” Cr Adams said.

“The National Visitor Survey also revealed the total number of domestic visitors to our city reached an all-time high and we smashed records across the holiday, business and visiting friends and relatives’ segments.

“Overall, these visitors spent a record amount in Brisbane – up 7.5 percent to $4.8 billion.

“Australians are increasingly attracted to Brisbane as the city offers more to see and do through new hotels and attractions, culinary experiences and entertainment precincts such as Howard Smith Wharves.

“We continue to drive Brisbane as a destination of choice through campaigns in our southern markets.

“Major events over the year also attracted visitors - including the Brisbane International, Australian Youth Water Polo Championships, Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art, World Science Festival Brisbane and Curiocity - and we continue to work to grow our events calendar.

“Increasing the number of visitors to our city is vitally important to support our small businesses and jobs across our accommodation, retail, hospitality and service sectors.”

Brisbane, National Visitor Survey, year-ending March 2019:

Total expenditure            $4.8 billion up 7.5% - record

Total visitors                   7.6 million up 9.9% - record 

Holiday visitors                2.2 million up 6.8% - record

VFR visitors                     2.9 million up 7.9% - record

Business visitors              1.9 million up 14.5% - record

Total visitor nights          22.0 million up 4.3% - record

www.brisbanemarketing.com.au

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THE Federal Government and APRA must act quickly on the recommendations of the APRA Capability Review, or risk leaving consumers further exposed to the exploitation and misconduct we saw during the Royal Commission, Industry Super Australia (ISA) said.

ISA acting chief executive Matthew Linden today welcomed the findings and recommendations of the APRA Capability Review and the need to strengthen the regulatory framework to put members’ interests first.

“This review has exposed a culture of under-reporting, poor regulation and enforcement and a failure to adequately protect consumers from exploitation and misconduct,” he said.

“This review and its recommendations must give APRA the impetus it needs to go after those parts of the sector that exploit vulnerable members for their own financial gain.

“It confirms what the Royal Commission already told us – that consumers have not only been let down by the institutions that perpetrated the misconduct, they have ultimately been let down by the regulator,” Mr Linden said.

“The government and APRA have an obligation to members to act quickly on these recommendations, and put in place the necessary capability, regulatory and enforcement frameworks to take action against those who have committed wrong-doing.”

In its submission to the Capability Review, ISA argued for a more transparent, strengthened regulatory scheme where institutions who do the wrong thing are held to account, and member benefit comes first.

ISA also argued for a greater focus on superannuation regulation and reporting, noting the current discrepancy in APRA’s reporting and regulatory frameworks between superannuation and other financial sectors has left members’ vulnerable to exploitation.

ISA welcomes the recommendations relating to APRA’s supervision of superannuation. In particular, we welcome the following recommendations:

1. Embed, publish, performance benchmarks for super funds and take action on underperforming funds that consistently fail on member outcomes and make APRA’s mandate explicit.
2. Develop a superannuation performance tool.
3. Update its superannuation reporting standards and collect product level data that facilitates accurate assessments of outcomes and comparability across funds and to crack down on non-reporting.

While supportive of the recommendations, Mr Linden said it was important APRA applies it powers fairly, and prioritises decisions and regulatory action in the areas where member harm is the highest.

“We expect any new powers to be applied by APRA in an even-handed way, with appropriate checks and balances, with members’ best interests at its heart,” he said.

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