THE CARAVAN Industry Association of Australia along with the Residential Land Lease Alliance (RLLA) have released Long Term Residents in Caravan Parks and Manufactured Housing Estates: A Census 2016 Social Trends Report.

The report shows that more than 70,000 Australians lived in manufactured housing estates (MHEs) and caravan parks and that this living arrangement is a vital aspect of affordable housing from both the supply and demand side.

The report found that approximately 2 percent of Australians aged over 65 live in MHEs or caravan parks with the sector undergoing a large shift in the past decade.

MHEs and caravan parks, during the mining boom, provided an important source of temporary housing solutions in remote Australia to cater for the large amounts of support personnel required to sustain fly-in fly-out (FIFO) communities.

With the end of the mining boom, the demographic shift in communities has shown a strong take up from people aged 60-plus.

The research shows that 37 percent of residents in MHEs and caravan parks live alone – highlighting the important social benefits of living in land-lease communities which are increasingly providing facilities to encourage interactions between residents. 

From the supply side, MHEs provide an affordable downsizing option for the baby-boomer  generation who tend to have much equity tied up in their property, especially households with mid-lower income brackets. This downsizing also frees up housing supply in with ageing demographics.

The report highlights the need for government support in this sector as residents living in MHEs are nearly three times as likely to require assistance with core activities compared to Australian averages.

In terms of connectivity; only 64 percent of dwellings in MHEs and caravan parks reported having an internet connection, compared to the Australian average of 90 percent of dwellings. 

www.caravanindustry.com.au

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THE Financial Services Council (FSC) has begun consulting with its members on the Financial Adviser Standards and Ethics Authority (FASEA) Standards Blueprint and the two draft legislative instruments.

FSC CEO Sally Loane said the draft instruments - the Work and Training (Professional Year) and the Provisional Financial Adviser Term - were the first to be released following submissions to FASEA on the standards during 2018.

”FASEA’s release will provide FSC members with further guidance on what they and their advisers and authorised representatives will be required to meet from 1 January 2019 onwards,” Ms Loane said.

The FSC notes it will make submissions on the released draft legislative instruments by November 30, 2018 and the remaining legislative instruments as they are announced.

www.fsc.org.au

About the Financial Services Council

The Financial Services Council (FSC) has over 100 members representing Australia's retail and wholesale funds management businesses, superannuation funds, life insurers, financial advisory networks and licensed trustee companies. The industry is responsible for investing almost $3 trillion on behalf of more than 14.8 million Australians. The pool of funds under management is larger than Australia’s GDP and the capitalisation of the Australian Securities Exchange and is the fourth largest pool of managed funds in the world. The FSC promotes best practice for the financial services industry by setting mandatory Standards for its members and providing Guidance Notes to assist in operational efficiency.

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WITH JUST DAYS to go until the Victorian State Election on Saturday November 24, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has released its priorities for the next State Government, covering a range of policy initiatives which will benefit Victorian retailers and the state more broadly.

Russell Zimmerman, executive director of the ARA, said that with Victoria currently in a budget surplus, the next State Government would be in a good position to invest in creating the conditions retailers need to thrive.

"Responsible economic management by successive Governments has placed Victoria in an enviable position, and the time is right to implement policies which enhance liveability and help businesses grow," Mr Zimmerman said.

"Since the previous election, the Victorian retail industry has grown to represent a $62.5 billion contribution, allowing retailers to employ more 16,500 more Victorians in May 2018 than in May of 2014."

Mr Zimmerman said three key issues stood out as priorities for the next State Government to address, which would assist in boosting retail’s contribution even further – payroll tax, skills and retail tenancy.

“Payroll tax is effectively an employment levy and discourages smaller retailers from growing their businesses and taking on extra staff,” Mr Zimmerman said.

"While the ARA would ultimately like to see payroll tax abolished altogether, we believe the first step is for the next State Government to raise the threshold to $800,000 to provide immediate relief for medium-sized retailers and small retailers looking to grow," he said.

On the skills front, the ARA will work with the next State Government to ensure retail is listed as a priority industry for Vocational Education and Training in Victoria.

Mr Zimmerman said the development of important skilling and retraining requirements such as business transformation, succession planning and structural change were crucial for Victorian retailers looking to the future.

"Over the last four years, there has been a significant decline in retail traineeships and apprenticeships in Victoria, from 4,700 students at the end of the 2013/2014 financial year to just 3,000 at the end of 2016/2017," Mr Zimmerman said.

The ARA will also advocate to level the playing field for retail tenants, with key measures including market appraisals and information transparency on the radar.

"Retailers face a power imbalance when re-negotiating their leases, and the Victorian retail leasing legislation requires important changes to level the playing field,"Mr Zimmerman said.

"We are calling on the next State Government to improve transparency, and reform market reviews, to ensure retailers are not coerced into accepting bad deals."

The ARA’s election statement also outlines a range of priorities, including reforms of taxation, planning and regulation, the promotion of retail tourism, and the development of a population strategy for Victoria.

To view the ARA’s full suite of election priorities, click here. 

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is Australia’s largest retail association, representing the country’s $310 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. As Australia’s leading retail peak industry body, the ARA is a strong pro-active advocate for Australian retail and works to ensure retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 7,500 independent and national retail members throughout Australia. For more information, visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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THE House Standing Committee on Employment, Education and Training has announced an inquiry into the Status of the Teaching Profession.

Committee chair Andrew Laming MP said the inquiry is about what it takes for Australia to have a world-class education system.

“Australia’s teachers inspire, engage and challenge students to be the best they can. Although there are more teachers in Australia than ever, the attrition rate from the profession is rising.” Mr Laming said.

“This inquiry will examine ways to develop proper career structures and pathways for teachers to ensure that the profession remains fulfilling and rewarding for educators.  In addition, the inquiry will examine how teachers can be better supported within classrooms and schools more generally, to minimise the amount of time that is spent undertaking out-of-hours work."

Mr Laming explained that the Committee would seek to build on significant work already done in this area, and will consider relevant outcomes from two key reports —Through Growth to Achievement: Report of the Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools and Action Now: Classroom Ready Teachers— as well as current state and territory reforms.

In particular, the Committee wants to look at ways to overcome current constraints to deliver the best school education model for Australia. Some of those constraints include: inflexible curriculum delivery; periodic reporting and assessment practices; a lack of evidenced-based research; an absence of readily-available class room applications; time pressures for teachers and principals; and a lack of support for school principals to develop professional autonomy.

The Committee is accepting written submissions until Friday 21 December 2018.

Terms of Reference for the inquiry are available on the inquiry webpage and information about how to make a submission is available on the Parliament of Australia webpage.

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