THE Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet will appear before the Infrastructure, Transport and Cities Committee in Canberra tomorrow to discuss the Australian Government’s plans to develop Launceston and Townsville.

At opposite ends of the country, the two cities are both subject to City Deals which aim to deliver transformative social and economic development through intergovernmental cooperation and strategic investment.

The Department’s appearance is part of the Committee’s inquiry into the Australian Government’s role in the development of cities.

Committee Chair, Mr John Alexander OAM MP, said it’s very important that the future of Australian cities is considered in conjunction with regional centres.

“Regional centres like Launceston and Townsville are just as important to the future prosperity of Australia as capital cities like Sydney or Melbourne,” Mr Alexander said.

“Australia’s cities and regional centres are interconnected on both an economic and social level. We need to ensure regional centres develop at the same pace as our capital cities and we’re interested in hearing how the government’s City Deals aim to achieve this.”

The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet said, “City Deals focus on leveraging cities’ unique strengths and responding to their specific needs”.

“Instead of nationwide policy programs delivered by different departments, negotiations with local stakeholders produce a unified deal that addresses a city’s priorities.”

Further information on the inquiry, including the full terms of reference, is available on the Committee website.

Public hearing details: 5.00 PM – 6.30 PM, TUESDAY 15 AUGUST, COMMITTEE ROOM 1R3, PARLIAMENT HOUSE, CANBERRA

5.00 pm  – 6.30 pm: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
6.30 pm: Close

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

 Interested members of the public may wish to track the inquiry via the Committee’s website.

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MORE than a quarter of Victorian businesses affected by changes to 457 Visas for foreign workers say
they will look to employ Australian workers, a survey by the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and
Industry indicates.

Of 323 Victorian businesses responding to the latest Survey of Business Trends and Prospects, 60 percent said they invest in training or poach employees from their competitors to fill skills gaps.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chief Executive Mark Stone AM said the survey
revealed how prevalent skills gaps are, with 35 percent of respondents having difficulty hiring skilled
Australian workers, but just nine per cent used the skilled migration visas to hire qualified workers.

“Our findings show that more than a third of surveyed businesses are training up their existing workers
and a quarter were actively seeking to attract skilled employees from local competitors,” he said.

“The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is calling for better alignment between the
education system such as vocational education training and other pathways to align with what
industries need to succeed.

“The key is for employers to be able to recruit from a qualified and trained pool of candidates in
Australia without having to look offshore to fill vital skilled roles.”

The building and construction sector is having the most difficulty hiring skilled Australian workers (54
per cent struggling to hire staff), followed by business services (44 percent) and education, health and
community services (42 percent).

Other findings from the survey included:

 Retailers and wholesalers are operating in a very difficult climate, with many forced to
constantly discount products in an attempt to boost sales and combat falls in profits.

 Confidence in the Australian economy weakened by one percentage point over the first six
months of the year, this fall was led by metropolitan-based businesses.

 Over the past two quarters, confidence in the Victorian economy also rose by four percentage
points.

“Victorian businesses are operating in a tough climate, and need support to address and fill their skills
shortages whether that be through accredited training or non-accredited training,” Mr Stone said.

About the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, established in 1851, is the most influential business organisation in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.

www.victorianchamber.com.au

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THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has applauded the NSW Government in legislating Boxing Day trade across all parts of NSW after it was welcomed by retailers, employees and consumers during a two-year trial.

An independent review with comprehensive feedback from business owners, employees and shoppers has revealed this legislation will level the playing field for retailers who were previously prohibited from taking part in the Boxing Day sales simply because of their location.

ARA Executive Director, Russell Zimmerman said this announcement is great news for NSW retailers as Boxing Day is one of the busiest trading days of the year.

“Consumers want to shop on Boxing Day, and retailers want to trade, it’s as simple as that,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“Giving NSW retailers an opportunity to trade on this public holiday not only gives retailers a chance to increase their sales it allows physical stores to compete with online and interstate retailers.”

As the retail sector is the largest private employer, the ARA believes this decision is also great news for NSW retail staff.

“Allowing Boxing Day trade in all areas of NSW gives retailers the opportunity to roster volunteer staff on one of the biggest trading days of the year,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“Public holiday rates are a great way for employees to earn money and increasing trading hours for NSW retailers significantly reduces underemployment.”

This legislation aligns with the ARA’s submission to the NSW Government which supports deregulated trading hours on Boxing Day and will be introduced in the coming months.

The ARA will work with retailers and their employees to ensure they are fully aware of their rights ahead of Boxing Day this year.

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 7,000 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 Foreign Affairs and Aid Sub-Committee of the Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade will hear from a range of organisations, experts and government officials at a public hearing in Canberra on Friday 11 August for its inquiry into establishing a Modern Slavery Act in Australia.

The Sub-Committee is investigating measures to improve Australia’s framework for combatting modern slavery. This includes examining whether provisions of the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 could be improved and introduced in Australia, such as the requirement for businesses to report on measures to eradicate modern slavery from their global supply chains.

Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Aid Sub‑Committee, Mr Chris Crewther MP, said the Sub-Committee welcomed the opportunity to meet with organisations and experts including UNICEF Australia and Dr Anne Gallagher AO, as well as Australian government officials responsible for implementing the National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking and Slavery 2015-2019. The Sub-Committee will also hear from UK witnesses via videoconference, including Ms Caroline Haughey who was commissioned by the UK Government to review the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

“The Sub-Committee looks forward to hearing from these organisations and experts on how Australia can better combat modern slavery here and around the world,” Mr Crewther said. “The opportunity to meet with key government officials will inform the Sub-Committee’s inquiry to ensure that Australia is doing all it can to eradicate these monstrous crimes.”

Public hearing details: 9:00am to 5:00pm, Friday 11 August, Committee Room 2S3, Parliament House, Canberra

The full program for Friday’s hearing is available from the committee’s website.

This hearing will be streamed live at www.aph.gov.au/live.

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

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