VECCI Chief Executive Mark Stone said VECCI welcomes the introduction of legislation to the Victorian Parliament this week to enable the lease of the Port of Melbourne.

"The lease will allow significant funds to be raised to support critical infrastructure initiatives including the removal of level crossings, the building of Melbourne Metro and the West Gate Distributor," Mr Stone said.

"The lease will make Victoria eligible to access the Commonwealth Government’s Asset Recycling Initiative and receive a 15 per cent payment for investment in new infrastructure projects.

"It is encouraging that the lease holder has a clear mandate from government to ensure they maintain and improve the port’s operations, raising efficiency and boosting competitiveness.

"Importantly, port user interests will be protected by the oversight of Victoria’s independent economic regulator, the Essential Services Commission (ESC). The ESC will cap annual tariff increases at CPI to ensure port pricing remains competitive.

"The lease of the port has been a long-term priority for VECCI and we welcome this positive step which will reinforce Victoria’s position as Australia’s premier freight and logistics capital.

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

vecci.org.au

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THE ROLE of smart information and communication technology (ICT) in the design and planning of infrastructure will be investigated in a new inquiry by the House Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications. 

Smart ICT has the capacity to vastly improve the design and planning of new infrastructure and the use of existing infrastructure by allowing for the fast and accurate mapping and modelling of proposed and existing infrastructure. This has profound implications for planning, development, management and maintenance of infrastructure, with significant productivity benefits for governments and the community.

In particular, the inquiry will:
• Identify innovative technology for the mapping, modelling, design and operation of infrastructure;
• Identify the new capabilities smart ICT will provide;
• Examine the productivity benefits of smart ICT;
• Investigate harmonising data formats and creating nationally consistent arrangements for data storage and access;
• Identify international best practice in the use of  smart ICT in the design and planning of infrastructure;
• Consider the use of smart ICT in related fields, such as disaster planning and remediation; and
• Consider means, including legislative and administrative action, by which government can promote this technology to increase economic productivity.

Committee Chairman Jane Prentice (Ryan, Qld) said the committee believes that smart ICT will revolutionise the planning and design of infrastructure.

“As part of its recent inquiry into infrastructure planning and procurement, the Committee took evidence on technological advances in survey and imaging techniques which have the capacity to significantly increase the speed and accuracy of data collection for the mapping and modelling of infrastructure, making it much more efficient and cost effective, with huge benefits to the community as a whole.”

The committee invites interested persons and organisations to make submissions to the inquiry addressing the above terms of reference. Submissions close on Friday 10 July 2015.

Further information on the inquiry, including the full terms of reference and how to prepare a submission can be obtained from the committee’s website at www.aph.gov.au/ic or from the Secretariat on (02) 6277 2352.

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INDIVIDUALS or organisations who have participated in the Seasonal Worker Program are encouraged to share their experiences in a new inquiry into the employment scheme. 

The Seasonal Worker Program contributes to the economic development of Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste by assisting Australian employers to access overseas seasonal workers to satisfy labour shortages.

Established in 2012, the Program now provides over 3,000 seasonal workers to horticulture sector employers including growers, contractors, labourers and accommodation providers.

Through this new inquiry, the Federal Parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Migration will examine the Seasonal Worker Program and its scope for expansion.

Committee Chair, Louise Markus MP, said the Seasonal Worker Program is an important mechanism that supports development in the Pacific while also meeting identified labour shortages.

“The Seasonal Worker Program benefits Australia’s horticulture industry, increasing productivity in areas of labour shortages. It also provides potential benefits to the participants of the program through skills development, knowledge transfer, and poverty alleviation,” she said.

“As part of the inquiry, we will be focusing on the role of seasonal workers in the horticulture industry and investigate whether the program should be expanded to include other countries and sectors.”

The committee will also focus on:

• how new sectors can benefit from the program;
• how the program affects Australian jobs;
• increasing access for overseas women and youth workers;
• how the program supports development in the Pacific; and
• issues with attracting seasonal workers, including the granting of visas.

The committee would like to hear from all individuals or organisations interested in the inquiry. Submissions will be accepted until Friday 10 July 2015.

Further details about the inquiry, including the full terms of reference and how to make a submission, can be obtained from the committee’s website at http://www.aph.gov.au/mig or by contacting the committee secretariat on (02) 6277 4560 or emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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PARLIAMENT’s Joint Public Accounts and Audit Committee (JCPAA) today tabled its report into the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) and Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) Major Projects Report (MPR) 2013-14.

Committee Chair, Dr Andrew Southcott MP, said that the DMO MPR constitutes the ANAO’s review and analysis of the progress of selected major Defence acquisition projects managed by DMO, and aims to consider cost, schedule, and capability performance and to function as a longitudinal analysis of procurement projects over time.

“Specific areas of focus in the Committee’s review of this year’s report include some particular projects listed in the ‘Projects of Concern’ as well as broader issues regarding governance and business processes,” Dr Southcott said.

The committee, in conjunction with Defence and ANAO, is now focussed on establishing a mechanism through which sustainment reporting can be better scrutinised.  Sustainment expenditure is currently at approximately $5 billion per annum and predicted to increase significantly over time. 

The committee considers sustainment expenditure to be an area requiring further parliamentary scrutiny on the adequacy and performance of Defence involving billions of dollars in the future and the scrutiny of sustainment expenditure will complement the reporting of acquisition spending in the MPR.

DMO’s abolition and the Department of Defence re-absorbing the DMO’s functions, has added an extra dimension to this year’s review.

“The Committee, along with ANAO, DMO and the Department of Defence, have worked diligently and constructively over the past eight years to progress the MPR to where it is today.  The reforms to the Department are designed to bolster efficiency and they should not result in a diminution in the intensity with which Defence approaches its work. 

"The Committee looks forward to working with the new reformed Department of Defence to produce the same high-quality MPR in the future so as to ensure that the improvement gains made in terms of project acquisition management over the past eight years are maintained.  This also applies to the new sustainment reporting that the Committee, ANAO and Defence are now embarking upon,” Dr Southcott said.

The JCPAA’s report can be found at the committee’s website http://www.aph.gov.au/jcpaa.

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