PARLIAMENT's Joint Public Accounts and Audit Committee (JCPAA) will conduct a public hearing to examine the joint Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) and Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) Major Projects Report (MPR) 2013-14.

Having opened the inquiry into the MPR on 18 December 2014, the Committee will now examine witnesses from the Department of Defence, the DMO and the ANAO in order to investigate further the issues raised by the report.

Committee Chair, Dr Andrew Southcott MP, said that major Defence equipment projects remain the subject of considerable parliamentary and public interest, in view of their high cost, contribution to national security and the challenges involved in completing them within budget, on time and to the required level of capability.

“This is the seventh MPR produced by the ANAO and DMO and the Committee remains committed to seeing that, when it comes to Defence procurement, Australian tax-payers’ money is being spent wisely,” Dr Southcott said.

“The JCPAA’s on-going work has been very important in the MPR’s development.  Our efforts actively contribute to greater efficiencies in terms of current Defence projects as well as helping inform government on the best way to approach new Defence acquisitions, such as the Future Submarine project.”

Further information about the Committee’s inquiry, including details on how to lodge a submission, are available on the Committee’s website at: www.aph.gov.au/jcpaa.

Details for the hearings are as follows:
Date and time Friday, 27 February 2015, 9.30am – 11.30am
Venue:  Committee Room 1R2, Parliament House, Canberra.

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PRESERVING Australia’s precious environment can be done more efficiently and effectively, according to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment, which today released the report of its inquiry into streamlining environmental regulation.

The Committee Chair, Mr Alex Hawke MP, said that it’s vitally important that we protect Australia’s unique, precious natural environment.

“That is something we all agree on. Australia has some very stringent environmental protection laws, and there is no suggestion that the preservation of the environment should be compromised in any way,” he said.

“Throughout the course of this inquiry, the committee found several instances where environmental laws were duplicative, confusing, overly onerous, or were clearly not delivering any environmental benefit. This sort of unnecessary environmental regulation, or ‘green tape’, serves only to hamper business, slow down the economy, and reduce investor confidence. And that doesn’t benefit anyone.”

Mr Hawke said the committee listened to what members of the public have told the inquiry.

“They have told us what is working, and what is not. They have told us what they would like to see changed and the committee has listened and made 13 recommendations to the government.”

The recommendations cover a range of environmental regulation, including energy-related laws, the listing of threatened species, improving the consistency of environmental laws between the different states and territories, reducing duplication, making environmental data more readily available, and making reporting requirements more user-friendly.

Other recommendations relate to the government’s ‘one stop shop’ proposal for environmental assessments and approvals, which will see state and territory governments assessing and giving final approval to development projects that fall under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.

“The committee has made some very good and very practical recommendations for changes, and I believe these will complement the federal government’s deregulation agenda nicely,” Mr Hawke concluded.

The Committee’s report is available online at: www.aph.gov.au/GreenTapeReport.

Further details about the inquiry, including submissions, terms of reference, and public hearing transcripts can be obtained from the Committee’s website at www.aph.gov.au/greentape.

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THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) Executive Director Russell Zimmerman today said NSW retailers were worried about higher taxes and underdevelopment of infrastructure proposed by State Labor.

Today NSW ARA member Judith McDonald met with NSW Treasurer Andrew Constance in her Parramatta store to tell the Treasurer small retailers wanted tax cuts and better infrastructure.

“Our NSW members appreciate NSW Labor is trying to come up with policies however, the rushed unconsidered announcements we are see being made weeks before the election will only damage small business and retailers in NSW through higher business taxes and less infrastructure being built,” Mr Zimmerman said.

“I am relieved we have a state government cutting business taxes and building better roads,” Judith McDonald said while at her Parramatta dive store.

“I have worked with NSW retailers for years trying to get taxes cut and better roads, now we could see that all reversed”, Ms McDonald said.

Meanwhile Russell Zimmerman said he would be encouraging small business and retailers to vote for any party who stood for lower business taxes, better roads and better trains.

“We have more happening in NSW since the early 2000s along with better retail sales in NSW than any other State and I would hate to see all of that go by the wayside,” Mr Zimmerman said.

The NSW ARA would be asking Mr Foley’s NSW Labor to reverse these bad announcements and explain what they will do to help business.

“The ARA has met with Treasurer Constance and Premier Baird whom have explained their pro business and retail policies, we are now waiting for NSW Labor to do the same," Mr Zimmerman said.

Since 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has been the peak industry body representing Australia’s $265 billion retail sector, which employs over 1.2 million people. The ARA ensures retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia.

Visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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VECCI Chief Executive Mark Stone said VECCI welcomes the release of the Guidelines for Market-Led Proposals that will encourage the private sector to work with the Government to deliver innovative, job-creating projects. 

"The guidelines provide a transparent and robust process where private parties can directly approach Government with new ideas on infrastructure projects and services," Mr Stone said.

"The process provides a pathway for Government to either enter into exclusive negotiations with the proponent or take the project to market through an open tender process, while protecting the intellectual property of the proponent.

"The guidelines place a significant emphasis on uniqueness and will allow the Government to harness the expertise and ideas of the private sector to deliver projects that may not otherwise be available in the marketplace.

"The ability of proponents to meet with Department of Treasury and Finance officials prior to submitting a proposal is a welcome feature of the model. It will encourage early and constructive dialogue between the private and public sectors, and help reduce the cost of developing proposals."

The Victorian Employers' Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VECCI) is the most influential business body in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.

vecci.org.au

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