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ARA calls upon NSW Government ot abandon 'unnecessary' gift card regulations

THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) strongly oppose the NSW Gift Card Reforms as the proposed regulation by NSW Fair Trading will significantly disadvantage consumers, hurt small businesses and place NSW at a competitive disadvantage to other states. 

The ARA on behalf of the NSW Business Chamber (NSWBC), Australian Sporting Goods Association (ASGA), Franchise Council of Australia (FCA), Pharmacy Guild of Australia (PGA), and Restaurant and Catering Australia (RCA) all disapprove of the proposed reforms to NSW gift cards as previous Federal inquiries into the operation of gift cards have found no associated consumer benefit to altering the regulations.

ARA Executive Director, Russell Zimmerman, said the ARA along with the above industry groups are concerned that members and the business community were not properly notified of these reforms and believes implementing any changes without consultation to key stakeholders is concerning. 

“Introducing a three-year minimum expiry limit for gift cards within New South Wales places an unnecessary regulatory burden and significant additional administrative costs on small, medium and large businesses,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“It is unreasonable to expect small retailers and family businesses to amend their administrative practices and incur extra liabilities on their books simply to respond to unnecessary regulation.”

The ARA are highly concerned these reforms will also create jurisdictional and competitive issues for small businesses in New South Wales. 

“Gift cards are issued to consumers free of charge, with the majority used within their first 12 months. Increasing red tape and imposing conflicting rules on gift cards from retailers who operate across the nation will simply not work,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“This will restrict trade and competition between New South Wales and other states, and there is no means of monitoring the use of gift cards across borders.”

Given the issues of consistency, the extra administrative burden on small business, and the lack of engagement with stakeholders, the ARA call upon the NSW Government to abandon these unnecessary regulations, which will serve to hurt consumers and small businesses alike.

About the Australian Retailers Association:

Founded in 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is the retail industry’s peak representative body representing Australia’s $310 billion sector, which employs more than 1.2 million people. The ARA 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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Online safety a must for small businesses

SMALL business owners across Australia are encouraged to take part in Stay Smart Online Week by taking simple steps to ensure that they don’t fall victim to cyber criminals.  

Minister for Small Business Michael McCormack said cyber criminals don’t discriminate when looking to extort or disrupt operations and often take advantage of small businesses.

“In a rapidly changing online world small businesses need to be equipped to manage the challenges that cyber criminals and syndicates pose,” Mr McCormack said.

“I encourage all small businesses to learn more about the risks of being online and how to protect their business.

“Cybercrime is estimated to cost the Australian economy more than $1 billion a year, and around 43 per cent of cybercrimes are targeted at small businesses.

“There are practical steps that small businesses can take to improve their online security to ensure that personal information doesn’t fall into the wrong hands.

“Setting strong passwords, making sure your software is up-to-date, backing up your important data and knowing what to look for with online scams are just some of the ways can work towards improving the online security of your business.

“Stay Smart Online Week is the perfect time to take steps to improve your cyber security and to talk to family, friends, and colleagues about internet safety.

“Everyone has a role to play to ensure Australia’s cyber security and Stay Smart Online Week is a great opportunity to ensure you are taking effective cyber security measures.

“If you think you or your business has been targeted in a scam or cyber-attack you can take action. You can report suspicious online activity at the Australian Cybercrime Online Reporting Network website or at the Scamwatch webpage.”

Stay Smart Online Week, from 9-13 October, is a national awareness raising initiative to encourage Australians to be more proactive about their cyber security.

For more information about Stay Smart Online Week 2017, visit the Stay Smart Online website.

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Westpac and ANZ to face parliamentary scrutiny

THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics is conducting further public hearings with Australia’s four major banks in October as part of its ongoing scrutiny. On 11 October 2017 in Canberra the committee will hear from Westpac and ANZ banks.

The committee’s First Report was published in November 2016, following on from the initial public hearings in October 2016. The committee affirmed the ten Recommendations of its November Report in April 2017 following on from the further public hearings held in March of this year. In the May Budget, the Government broadly adopted nine of the committee’s ten Recommendations.

Recommendations adopted by the Government relating to the banking sector include a one-stop-shop for consumer complaints, a regulated executive accountability regime, and new powers and resources for the ACCC in investigating competition issues in the setting of interest rates.

The committee’s mandate from the Government to review the banking sector is ongoing. The Chair of the committee, Mr David Coleman, MP, stated that ‘these hearings provide an important mechanism to hold the four major banks to account before the Parliament.’

 

Public hearing details: 

Wednesday, 11 October 2017

Main Committee Room, Parliament House, Canberra

Westpac—9.15am to 12.15pm
Mr Brian Hartzer, CEO
Mr Peter King, Chief Financial Officer

ANZ—1.15pm to 4.15pm
Mr Shayne Elliott, CEO
Mr Graham Hodges, Deputy CEO
Ms Alexis George, Group Executive, Wealth Australia

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

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Select Committee to hold public hearings in Victoria and Tasmania

BENDIGO will host the first of a series of public hearings this week, as the Select Committee on Regional Development and Decentralisation heads to Victoria and Tasmania.

Launceston and Burnie in Tasmania, and Wodonga, on the border of New South Wales and Victoria, will also host public hearings.

The Chair of the Committee, Dr John McVeigh MP said, “these public hearings will provide the Committee with some good opportunities to engage with local communities in regional Australia. The Committee is keen to hear from the diverse range of witnesses to better inform ourselves of the issues impacting regional communities, and what can be done to address them.

“Each regional and rural community in Australia is unique, with localised issues. The Committee has heard that what works well for these communities is local, tailored strategies. We are hoping to hear more about the local strategies being adopted by the communities of Bendigo, Launceston, Burnie, Albury and Wodonga,” said Dr McVeigh.

Dr McVeigh indicated that witnesses across the four public hearings will include business and communities leaders, universities and TAFEs, community advocacy groups, healthcare providers, and regional development specialists.

The hearing will be broadcast live at aph.gov.au/live and a transcript will be available on the Committee’s website.

 

Public hearing details: 

Bendigo

Time: 9.00am – 3.20pm (click to listen live)
Date: Monday 9 October 2017
Location: Bendigo Town Hall (Reception Room), 189-193 Hargreaves St, Bendigo Vic


Launceston

Time: 9.00am – 2.20pm (click to listen live)
Date: Tuesday 10 October 2017
Location: Hotel Grand Chancellor (Chancellor 6) 29 Cameron St, Launceston Tasmania

 
Burnie

Time: 8.30am – 12.15pm (click to listen live)
Date: Wednesday 11 October 2017
Location: University of Tasmania, Domestic Arts Building (103 Lecture Room) 8 Bass Hwy, Parklands Tasmania


Wodonga

Time: 8.30am – 4.00pm (click to listen live)
Date: Thursday 12 October 2017
Location: 158 Lawrence Street, Wodonga TAFEspace, Strategic Planning Room, Wodonga, Victoria

For the full programs of these public hearings, see the Committee’s website.

Interested members of the public may wish to track the committee via the website. 

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Supporting women in STEM and entrepreneurship

BUSINESSES, not-for-profits, education and research organisations are encouraged to apply for grants to inspire more girls and women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) and entrepreneurship.

Acting Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Senator Michaelia Cash, today announced the second round of the Australian Government’s $8 million Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (WISE) grants program.

“It is vital that all Australians are equipped with the skills they need for the jobs of the future but in particular, we need to get more girls and women engaged with STEM in schools, universities, TAFEs and in the workforce,” Minister Cash said.

“The WISE program supports activities to get girls and women interested and involved in STEM education and careers. This includes helping them develop entrepreneurial skills and professional networks, paving the way for more Australian women to start their own businesses and become entrepreneurs.”

The first round of WISE grants, announced in December 2016, saw approximately $4 million awarded to a diverse range of projects including coding workshops for teachers and primary school girls, networking and mentoring for female entrepreneurs in rural and remote Queensland, drone flying and programming camps in Northern Australia, and a new ‘Superstars of STEM’ initiative to raise the profile of Australia’s women in science, technology and engineering.

Minister Cash said eliminating barriers for women’s participation in STEM education and careers was a key aspect of the WISE program.

“As a Government we understand the importance of ensuring our young women have female role models in science and research, entrepreneurship and corporate leadership to look to for inspiration,” Minister Cash said.

Minister Cash also announced today that the Australian Mathematics Trust would receive $75,000 over 2017­­­–­18 to 2019–20 to recruit and send a team of four Australian students to the European Girls Mathematical Olympiad in each of the next three years.

“For the first time, Australia’s best and brightest female high school mathematics students will compete at this prestigious international event,” Minister Cash said.

“This will open up new opportunities for Australian girls to compete in elite international mathematical competitions and inspire more students to strive for mathematical excellence.”

Applications for round two of the WISE program close on 15 November 2017, and the successful projects will be announced in early 2018. The Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship program is part of the ‘Inspiring all Australians in Digital Literacy and STEM’ component of the National Innovation and Science Agenda.

business.gov.au/wise

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