THE Palaszczuk Government’s proposed changes to Queensland’s work health and safety laws to provide unions unfettered workplace access would create an environment ‘rife for misuse of entry privileges’, national resource industry employer group AMMA told a parliamentary inquiry.

This week AMMA appeared at a hearing for the Queensland parliament’s Inquiry into the Work Health and Safety and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2015, where it reiterated concerns outlined in its submission on behalf of the state’s resource employers.

The Bill proposes to reverse the previous Newman LNP Government’s amendments to the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (Qld) that took effect in May 2014. It seeks to overturn a provision requiring union permit holders to give at least 24 hours’ notice to enter Queensland workplaces to investigate alleged safety breaches.

“AMMA supports a well-resourced inspectorate exercising appropriate powers to investigate alleged safety breaches. We do not support handing unions unrestricted access to worksites,” says AMMA senior workplace policy adviser Lisa Matthews, who appeared at the inquiry.

“Unions have a role to play in workplace safety that includes consulting with and advising members on safety issues. However, that role should not automatically extend to the immediate triage of incidents without appropriate notification.

“This is particularly relevant to safety critical resource operations where management, authorised inspectors and emergency teams must be able to immediately respond, investigate and act on serious incidents if and when they occur. Other less serious issues should be brought to the immediate attention of management.”

AMMA highlights that Australia’s other prominent ‘resources state’, Western Australia, would abstain from the same right of entry provisions that are proposed in the Queensland Bill.

AMMA also has concerns with the Bill’s proposed reinstatement of the power of elected health and safety representatives to order work to cease.

“While elected health and safety reps have a role in consulting with members of their work group, they should not be empowered to order work to cease. The potential for such powers to be used for industrial purposes is obvious,” Ms Matthews says.

“Everyone has a common law right to stop work if there is an imminent risk to health or safety, without being directed to do so by a health and safety representative. Our members have made a sustained cultural effort over many years to create an environment where all employees immediately identify, assess and act on safety risks. We are concerned these proposed changes would create a culture of ‘leaving it to someone else’.”

The changes implemented to the Work Health & Safety Act in Queensland by the former state LNP government followed a wide-ranging review and consultation with stakeholders.

Click here to read AMMA’s full submission to inquiry.

www.amma.org.au

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ENCOURAGING small business to employ culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people will be the topic of tomorrow’s Education and Employment Committee public hearing.

The committee will meet with the Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia (FECCA) to discuss the challenges that CALD people face when seeking employment – challenges such as prejudice, language and skills recognition. 

Advice on how small businesses can be encouraged to benefit from the range of unique skills and experience that CALD people can bring to the workplace will also be discussed along with improvements to existing workplace policies and practices.

Committee Chair, Ewen Jones MP, said CALD people have a range of positive attributes and skills that often remain unrecognised to potential employers.

“Encouraging businesses to recognise the advantages of employing CALD people would benefit the wider community and help to boost employment for this group,” he said.

Details of the hearing are as follows:

Date: Wednesday 17 June 2015
Time: 11:20 am – 12:45 pm
Venue: Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra

Submissions to this inquiry are also welcome. For further information, including the full terms of reference and how to prepare a submission, please visit the committee’s website at www.aph.gov.au/SmallBusinessEmployment or contact the secretariat on (02) 6277 4573.

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The House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment will conduct two public hearings in Canberra on Tuesday, 16 June 2015 and Thursday, 18 June 2015, as part of its inquiry into the Register of Environmental Organisations.

Evidence will be heard from two of the agencies that administer not-for-profit environmental organisations, the Department of the Environment and the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.

Details of the public hearings are as follows:

Department of the Environment
Time: 4.00 pm
Date: Tuesday, 16 June 2015
Location: Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra

Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission
Time: 9.30 am (approx.)
Date: Thursday, 18 June 2015
Location: Committee Room 1R4, Parliament House, Canberra

Audio from the hearings will be webcast at: http://www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Events/Watch_Parliament.

Submissions made by both organisations (submission numbers 185 and 189 respectively) are available at:  http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/House/Environment/REO/Submissions.

Further details about the inquiry, including submissions received and the terms of reference, can be found on the inquiry’s website at: http://www.aph.gov.au/reo

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VECCI Chief Executive Mark Stone said VECCI is "delighted to form an alliance with the Bendigo Business Council (BBC) and is committed to the long-term relationship and benefits for members".

"This agreement enables VECCI to enhance our reach in the local area, providing greater opportunity to develop policies that drive job creation, trade, investment and business growth in the Bendigo region," Mr Stone said.

"The alliance provides VECCI members in the Bendigo region and BBC members with a considerably expanded suite of benefits.

"We are pleased to welcome BBC members to the benefits of our VECCI Essentials membership. Benefits include access to business tools and templates, business intelligence through a range of publications and discounts on VECCI networking events, consulting services and training courses.

"We encourage VECCI members in the Bendigo region to capitalise on the BBC’s membership offerings including access to briefings and innovation forums, business promotional opportunities and discounts on BBC policy events and other functions.

"The agreement supports VECCI’s focus on regional business in the lead-up to our “Victoria Summit 2015 – Regional Victoria”. To be held in Bendigo (13-14 August 2015), the event will give regional leaders from throughout Victoria the opportunity to inform the State Government and Opposition on the policy changes needed to keep their regions growing.

"A workshop will be held in Bendigo on Tuesday 16 June, giving local businesses the chance to contribute to the Summit’s agenda.

"VECCI is delighted with this agreement that will be of great benefit to Victorian business, particularly those in the Bendigo region. For further information on the agreement or the Victoria Summit 2015, please call (03) 8662 5333 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

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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