THE Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has applauded QCoal’s Indigenous participation rates at the company’s Byerwen Coal mine in Central Queensland.

QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said QCoal’s Indigenous representation at its Bowen Basin mine was 12 percent which was three times the industry average.

“Indigenous people comprise 4 percent of the state’s workforce in resources and Queensland’s Indigenous population is 4 percent. We are one of only two sectors with a true representation of Indigenous people in our workforce," Mr Macfarlane said. 

“Another milestone is Indigenous women in resources who represent 24 percent of the Indigenous workforce, which is close to twice the non-Indigenous rate.

“QCoal has a resolute commitment to playing its part in creating economic opportunities for Indigenous Australians at its Byerwen Coal mine."

In consultation with the Traditional Owners of the area, the Jangga People, two key programs have been developed and implemented. A pre-vocational work readiness program: Thida Bullaroo, or 'step-by-step' in local language, and a trainee operator program, Yila Yina Mundu, or 'Turn Around from Here'.

“QCoal has implemented a comprehensive Indigenous participation strategy across the business and were joint winners in the Best Company Indigenous Employment and Training Initiative category at the 2019 QRC Indigenous Awards,” Mr Macfarlane said. 

“Across all of its operations the QCoal Group’s Indigenous representation is 7 percent which is incredibly high compared to the industry average and other sectors."

www.qrc.org.au

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THE World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and Sommet Education are calling on career climbers and switchers, entrepreneurs and innovators to put themselves forward for the joint 'Hospitality Challenge'.

The initiative, which closes at the end of the month, will grant 30 scholarships for world class education programmes that will allow winners to develop themselves and their projects and so help drive tourism's recovery.

Around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought tourism to a standstill. Now, as the sector restarts, UNWTO is welcoming applications from individuals with ideas capable of accelerating recovery while promoting inclusivity and sustainability.

With the competition closing on August 30, the United Nations specialised agency has issued a final call for applications from both established tourism professionals and those new to the sector.  

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said, “The tourism sector is a source of employment for many millions. Jobs in tourism provide opportunity, empowerment, and equality, including for women, youth and people living in rural communities.

"As we restart tourism, the time is right to rethink hospitality, and to identify and implement new ideas to make the sector more inclusive and sustainable. The UNWTO Hospitality Challenge will do just this.”

Sustainability and scalability are key priorities for UNWTO.

"As we restart tourism, the time is right to rethink hospitality, and to identify and implement new ideas to make the sector more inclusive and sustainable," Mr Pololikashvili said.

Selection criteria include the degree of disruptiveness, project maturity and potential for implementation, as well as viability, scalability, digitalization, sustainability, and the potential to attract the interest of investors.

The competition will focus on four different categories:

• Luxury travels, good and service.

• Hotels and hotel related operations: small to medium sized properties, family businesses.

• Food and beverage: restaurants, catering, delivery services and retail.

• Smart real estate: small to medium sized properties and family businesses.

Sommet Education chief executive, Benoit-Etienne Domenget said, “Education is the foundation of a more hospitable world. Offering scholarships is a contribution to the recovery of the hospitality economy, by accelerating the personal development of talented people with creative views and to support their vision to revamp hospitality.”

The competition is open now and will close at the end of August. A Selection Committee made up of an international network of investors, entrepreneurs and experts from UNWTO Member, Affiliate Members and strategic allies, as well as from representatives of Sommet Education, will then choose 30 finalists.

The finalists will be eligible for full scholarships in 15 different programmes in Hospitality, Culinary and Pastry Arts Management, (Bachelors, Masters, MBAs) offered in the world-class academic institutions of Sommet Education: Glion Institute of Higher Education in Switzerland and London, Les Roches Crans-Montana in Switzerland, Les Roches Marbella in Spain and École Ducasse in France.

Among the 30 winners, the top three most innovative entrepreneurial projects will be granted funding to support their initial development from Eurazeo.

www.unwto.org

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell said the majority of small business disputes dealt with by her office are resolved at mediation or before.

Releasing a short video today outlining the benefits of mediation and ASBFEO’s free dispute resolution support services, Ms Carnell said small businesses should only consider taking legal action as a last resort.

“We want to keep small businesses out of the courts, where let’s face it, the only winners are lawyers,” Ms Carnell said.

“Since my office opened four years ago, we have provided free assistance to more than 20,000 small businesses nation-wide. Two-out-three of those disputes were successfully resolved at mediation or prior to that through contact with our assistance team.

“Our assistance team can often help the small business resolve their dispute without any need for mediation.

“But when a dispute is referred to mediation, it is faster and far more cost-effective than seeking a resolution through the courts.

“We know small and family businesses that get swept up in legal proceedings can spend thousands of dollars seeking a resolution and are often left feeling the process was a waste of time and money," Ms Carnell said.

“Even if the small business has $100,000 owing – which is a huge amount for them – that can be eaten up quite quickly by legal fees and may take a long time to get a resolution.

"The ASBFEO assistance team can help small businesses with a range of issues including everything from intellectual property, disputes with the ATO and payment disputes.

"We can also provide assistance with disputes that fall under a number of industry Codes including Franchising, Dairy, Horticulture and Oil.

“At the end of the day, we want to help small businesses resolve a dispute as quickly as possible so they can get on with what they do best – running their business,” Ms Carnell said.

Small businesses that need help with resolving a dispute can visit www.asbfeo.gov.au or call the hotline 1300 650 460.

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell said the Victorian Government’s $26 million wellbeing initiative for small business owners and workers would save lives.

“The enormity of this second wave lockdown and the psychological distress it is causing for small business owners cannot be underestimated,” Ms Carnell said.

“Given small business loans are often secured against the family home, the stakes are incredibly high and that is understandably taking a huge toll on small business owners’ mental health.

“The Victorian Government is responding to the needs of the small business community, including sole traders, who will require ongoing mental health support for the duration of this crisis. This will save lives.”

Under the program, St John Ambulance will provide accredited mental health support training to chambers of commerce across Victoria.

“Local chambers of commerce have direct links to the small business community,” Ms Carnell said.

“It’s logical to provide them with training to not only respond to small business owners experiencing stress, but even more critically -- to identify the signs of someone who needs support.

“I would encourage all small business owners to seek help if they need it – there are plenty of free support services out there. You don’t have to face this alone," Ms Carnell said.

“The expansion of the Partners in Wellbeing telephone hotline to include immediate access to business advisors and financial counsellors is also a welcome move.

“There’s never been a tougher time to be in business, so it’s really important that small business owners are prioritising all aspects of their health right now.

“Our My Business Health web portal provides free practical resources to help with running your business and also links to leading mental health organisations such as Beyond Blue.”

The Partners in Wellbeing telephone hotline is 1300 375 330 and Beyond Blue’s Coronavirus Mental Wellbeing Support Service is at coronavirus.beyondblue.org.au

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A QUEENSLAND resources industry plan for the COVID-19 recovery will assist keeping Queenslanders in work and get more back into employment, with confirmation today the State’s jobless rate was now the nation’s highest at 8.8 percent.

Queensland Resources Council (QRC) chief executive Ian Macfarlane said the industry had worked extremely hard to flatten the curve and to keep the workers prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.

“The resources industry is seeking an industry development plan to work in partnership with government to seize on the opportunities for new investment and new jobs across the state,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“The industry needs greater certainty about the assessment and approval processes for new projects and stability on the taxes and royalties the industry pays.

“On the same day, the ABS confirms Queensland’s unemployment rate is 8.8 percent, there are 800 job vacancies in resources and energy across Queensland on Seek."

QRC’s Resource Industry Recovery Agenda is a detailed plan that has been presented to the State Government, all Members of Parliament and the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Government’s economic recovery. 

Link to the QRC’s plan https://www.qrc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Resource-Industry-Recovery-Agenda_updated.pdf.

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THE INQUIRY into food pricing and food security in remote Indigenous communities is holding further public hearings on Tuesday 18^th and Wednesday 19^th August, 2020.

Julian Leeser MP, Chair of the House of Representatives Indigenous Affairs Committee, said key stakeholders from Queensland and Western Australia would be appearing including local councils, health agencies, Aboriginal Corporations, the WA Government and Metcash. The chairman of the National COVID-19 Commission Advisory Board will also appear before the committee.

"These hearings will contribute significantly to the existing body of evidence for this inquiry. The committee looks forward to discussing some of the reasons for food insecurity in remote Indigenous communities, its impacts, and some of the possible solutions," Mr Leeser said.

"We will be particularly interested to hear from the National COVID-19 Commission on the additional challenges the pandemic is causing for remote food supplies."

The hearings will be conducted via telephone and video links due to social distancing requirements relating to COVID-19. Full programs are available at the inquiry website.

Public hearing details

Date: Tuesday, 18 August 2020
Time: 9.40am to 4.20pm
Location: Via conference call

Date: Wednesday, 19 August 2020
Time: 9am to 3.40pm
Location: Via conference call

An audio broadcast will be accessible at aph.gov.au/live.

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell has welcomed action taken by Greensill to cut ties with clients that have poor payment terms, calling on other supply chain finance providers to follow suit.

“Greensill has issued discontinuance notices to its supply chain finance clients who fail to comply with 30-day payment terms,” Ms Carnell said.

“This is strong action taken in response to our Supply Chain Finance Review, showing that Greensill takes prompt payment times to small business seriously.

“There is no reason why other supply chain finance providers can’t do the same.

“As outlined in our Supply Chain Finance Review, we know there are large companies extending their payment terms to 60 or more days from the end of month the invoice is lodged and offering supply chain finance to those that want to be paid earlier and are willing to take a discount on the invoiced amount," Ms Carnell said.

“This practice is unacceptable and harmful to small businesses, especially in the current difficult trading conditions.

“Now, more than ever before, small businesses need to be paid the full invoiced amount owed, on time. Their survival depends on it.

“That’s why my office has recommended federal legislation requiring small businesses to be paid in 30 days. It is the only way to drive meaningful change in business payment performance across the economy," she said.

“Greensill has shown that supply chain finance providers can lead by example by cutting off clients that fail to pay on time.

“This should be the position adopted by all supply chain finance facilitators.”

www.asbfeo.gov.au

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OPTIONS for improving how major rail projects are funded will be discussed at a videoconference public hearing on August 17, 2020 for the inquiry into options for financing faster rail.

John Alexander MP, Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Infrastructure, Transport and Cities, said, "Governments have a responsibility to ensure that tax payer dollars are being used effectively on vital rail and wider infrastructure projects.

"Mr Steve Skinner will provide the committee with interesting evidence on opportunities lost for value capture, where infrastructure projects have created significant uplifts in land values," Mr Alexander said..

The Property Council of Australia will provide a stakeholder perspective on planning and tax reform challenges and opportunities, including voluntary planning agreements and government investment in infrastructure projects through ‘asset recycling’, involving the sale or lease of existing public assets to the private sector.

The committee will also hear from independent think tank Infrastructure Partnerships Australia about alternatives for funding major infrastructure.

Public hearing details

Date: Monday 17 August 2020
Time: 9.15am to 11.45am
Location: Videoconference

A program for the hearing is available on the Committee’s website.

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

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