THE NSW Office of Responsible Gambling is looking for the best and brightest minds to help understand gambling-related problems and develop innovative solutions.

Prevention, innovation and technology grants are available for projects that develop innovative initiatives to promote responsible gambling and/or reduce gambling harm.

The Office welcomes proposals or projects that will relate to people living in NSW from organisations or individuals across Australia and internationally.

Submissions open from Tuesday 29 January and close on Tuesday 26 February.
 
Find out more about this grants program. 

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SMALL BUSINESSES in the building and construction industry will benefit from the Federal Government’s decision to extend the instant asset tax write off scheme, according to Master Builders Australia.

Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia said, “Master Builders are strong supporters of this measure because it boosts our member’s business success. There are more than 370,000 small business builders who will be winners from this initiative.

“The increase in the small business tax write off scheme to $25,000 and its extension till 2020 is good news for builders around the country but we continue to call for it to be made a permanent fixture.

“This decision is a sign that the Government is listening to industry on what is needed to support small business,” Ms Wawn said.

www.masterbuilders.com.au

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THE Joint Intelligence and Security Committee will hold a public hearing in Canberra tomorrow as part of its review of the Australian Citizenship Amendment (Strengthening the Citizenship Loss Provisions) Bill 2018.

The Committee will hear from a range of submitters including the Law Council, Australian Human Rights Commission and the Department of Home Affairs.

Committee chair Andrew Hastie MP said that the Committee looks forward to hearing from the Human Rights Commission and the Law Council.

“Input from these organisations will greatly assist the Committee in preparing its report on the Citizenship Loss Bill before it,” Mr Hastie said.

The Australian Citizenship Amendment (Strengthening the Citizenship Loss Provisions) Bill 2018 was introduced in the House of Representatives in November of 2018. 

Public hearing details: 9am to 2.30pm, Wednesday 30 January, Committee Room 2R1, Parliament House, Canberra

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live.

More information about the inquiry, including a full list of witnesses and submissions received to date, can be obtained from the Committee’s website.

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THE Palaszczuk Government deserves credit for declaring the $1.4 billion Sconi project near Greenvale in North Queensland a prescribed project and the Queensland Resources Council has urged it to continue to work to unlock a more than $70 billion pipeline of resource sector projects.
 
QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the Sconi project aims to produce nickel, cobalt and scandium for use in battery manufacturing, electric vehicles and similar high technology applications for export markets, and the 'prescribed project' declaration was another milestone in its development.
 
“The Queensland resources industry is at the forefront of the State’s future in terms of advanced manufacturing and the development of technologies such as batteries for electricity storage or for the expansion of renewable energy or for the addition of more electric vehicles on our roads,” Mr Macfarlane said.
 
The government has confirmed that two million tonnes of ore per annum would be processed at the Greenvale site producing an estimated annual average production of 8500 tonnes of cobalt, 53,500 tonnes of nickel sulphate and 77 tonnes of scandium oxide for at least 18 years.
 
“The approval announced by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and State Development Minister Cameron Dick today follows the important work in exploration and proving up the resource led by our member Metallica Metals,” Mr Macfarlane said.  
 
“The QRC and the Queensland Exploration Council applauds the Government’s commitment, through Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Minister Anthony Lynham, to promoting exploration for coal, minerals, petroleum and gas across our State.  By proving up these resources, the industry can attract more investment, create more jobs, deliver more exports and generate more royalty taxes for the Government and all Queenslanders.”
 
Mr Macfarlane said Deloitte Access Economics last year estimated a $77.5 billion resource project pipeline, with $3.4 billion under construction, $2.6 billion committed, $52.5 billion under consideration and another $19.4 billion possible.
 
“The challenge and onus for the Government is to ensure we have stable policy – from assessment and approval of projects to the underpinning policy for the operation and rehabilitation of projects to rates of royalty taxes paid back to the Government – to ensure we secure as much of this project pipeline as possible,” he said.
 
Mr Macfarlane said resource project approvals, like other major projects in renewable energy and tourism, have to go through a comprehensive environmental assessment process with the Queensland and Commonwealth Governments.  This assessment process includes public consultation.
 
“All projects should be treated on their merits, but through the same process applied consistently.  Each project deserves a ‘fair go’,” he said.

www.qrc.org.au

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