UP TO 43, 000 new homes will not be built in the next 12 months as a result of COVID-19 according to new economic modelling released today.

Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia said, “The new modelling conducted by Master Builders Australia shows the devastating impact the lockdown of the economy is having on the building industry, the economy and the community.

“In the light of the economic impact being wrought by COVID-19 we have now revised our previous industry forecast which was released in February this year. While we obviously did not expect good news, the scope and depth of the potential damage to our industry and the economy is devastating.

“We previously forecast that there would be around 159,000 new housing commencements in 2020/21. We now expect there to be only around 116,000, a drop of 27 percent,” Ms Wawn said.

“The housing industry is vital to the economy and jobs. There are nearly 400,000 building and construction firms in Australia and more than 90 percent do work in the residential building sector. Around 388,000 of these are SMEs.

“There is already a current shortfall in achieving the required target of 200,000 homes a year which means that the impact on housing needs of our community will be severe,” Ms Wawn said.

“To be clear, Master Builders commends the Federal Government and State and Territory Governments for the stimulus measures they have already announced. We have proposed a range of stimulus measures to the Federal Government and are working with them in an effort to advance them.

“But what this forecast shows is that stimulus measures cannot wait. Our industry, the economy and the community cannot afford to wait months,” she said.

“Our industry is the nation’s third largest, it’s the largest provider of full-time jobs in Australia and they employed by 400,000 businesses, over 90 percent of which are SMEs. If governments do not act to support us now then the battle against the COVID-19 economic emergency could be lost just as the battle against the health emergency is starting to be won.

“We want the building and construction industry to be in shape to rebuild Australia. We want to protect the viability of hundreds of thousands of small businesses and the jobs of a million Australians. For that we need governments to act now,” Ms Wawn said.

www.masterbuilders.com.au

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THE House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy will hold a public hearing on the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Amendment (Transparency in Carbon Emissions Accounting) Bill 2020 on May 1, 2020.

Details of the public hearing are:

Date: 1 May 2020
Time: 11am – 2.35pm AEST
Location: via teleconference

The Bill seeks to amend the National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting Act 2007 to capture ‘scope 3’ indirect greenhouse emissions in all reporting obligations, and to ensure that the Federal Government tables Australia’s national greenhouse gas inventory estimates in Parliament each quarter. 

The Committee will hear from:

• the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources;
• the Clean Energy Regulator;
• Doctors for the Environment Australia;
• the Australian Industry Greenhouse Network; and
• the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility.

Chair of the Committee, Ted O’Brien MP said the Committee looked forward to the public hearing.

"We welcome a discussion about the potential costs and benefits of the Bill, and the opportunity to gather information to assist the Committee in making its recommendations," Mr O’Brien said.

"This hearing is a valuable part of the Committee’s work in assessing the proposed legislation."

In order to ensure public safety during the COVID-19 situation, Committee members and witnesses will all participate in the hearing remotely, via teleconference. Interested members of the public are invited to listen to the broadcast, available on the Parliament House website

Further details about the Bill and the Committee’s work are available on the inquiry website.

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THE FEDERAL Government is being urged to work with industry, unions, and experts to solve critical vulnerabilities in the nation’s supply chains after a leaked Defence Department report revealed essential services would break down within months in a major crisis.

The union also urged the public release of the full report, commissioned by the Defence Department and produced by Engineers Australia, saying the public had a right to know exactly what impacts a breakdown of international trade could have on key sectors of the economy.

The MUA has warned repeatedly that Australia’s reliance on foreign-owned shipping — which carries 98 percent of the country’s imports and exports — make our island nation highly vulnerable to disruptions caused by natural disaster, military conflict, or economic crisis.

The union has been advocating for action since 2015, including through submissions to parliamentary inquiries and by commissioning shipping expert John Francis to produce a report, ‘Australia’s Fuel Security – Running on Empty’, which examined the nation’s reliance on foreign-owned tankers to supply petrol, diesel and jet fuel.

MUA assistant national secretary Ian Bray said the COVID-19 pandemic had provided a stark warning, causing shortages of medical supplies and essential products across the economy.

“This Defence Department report has vindicated our repeated warnings that Australia is incredibly vulnerable to any major crisis that impacts on international trade, revealing how quickly essential services and the broader economy would grind to a halt,” Mr Bray said.

“Of particular concern are indications that essential services like clean water could be impacted within weeks, along with our health system, while the fuel needed to transport food and essential goods would run out in less than two months. Australia has received a clear warning from COVID-19, which has shown how quickly shortages of health products and essential consumer goods can occur when supply chains are impacted.

“Unless there are actions taken to address these risks, a future military conflict, natural disaster, economic crisis or pandemic that cuts seaborne trade will result in catastrophic consequences.”

Mr Bray said the union was urging the Federal Government to release the full Defence Department report and convene an urgent round-table of experts, including industry representatives and unions, to develop potential solutions.

“There are solutions available that would make the country more resilient to a crisis, such as creating domestic stockpiles of fuel and other essential products, increasing local manufacturing capacity, and creating a strategic fleet of Australian-owned vessels to carry essential goods, but they will need cooperation and clear leadership to deliver,” Mr Bray said.

“The COVID-19 crisis has provided an unprecedented opportunity to put politics aside and work together to defend our nation’s long-term interests by securing supply chains and addressing clear vulnerabilities.

“The union has been warning for years that the decline of Australian shipping is a national security risk — a view vindicated by this Defence Department report — which is why we continue to urge the Australian Government to invest in the creation of a strategic fleet.

“When 98 percent of our trade depends on foreign-owned ships, with no guarantee we could continue to access them in a crisis, it is clear that we are in an incredibly vulnerable position.”

The MUA’s report Australia’s Fuel Security – Running on Empty: https://bit.ly/31cDisq

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THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell SAID small businesses have been given an extension to pay their employees under the JobKeeper program.

Small businesses that had concerns about paying their staff the $1,500 fortnightly JobKeeper payment for the first month prior to payments flowing in early May, now have until May 8 to ensure those payments have been made to their eligible employees.

“This will come as a welcome relief for small businesses struggling with cash flow,” Ms Carnell said.

“Small businesses now have extra time to deal with cash flow pressures as a result of any delays with their financial arrangements.

“It’s especially critical now that those small businesses that had chosen not to apply for JobKeeper because they were worried they couldn’t pay their staff by April 30, do so now.

“The big four banks have established JobKeeper help lines that are dedicated to ensuring small businesses have the funding they need to pay their staff. They are promising to fast-track these applications.

“There are also some fintechs that have released products to help small businesses with cash flow," Ms Carnell said.

“For those small businesses struggling to pay their rent, remember you are only covered by the Mandatory Commercial Tenancy Code of Conduct if you are eligible for JobKeeper, so this could be essential to your business’ survival.”

Businesses have until May 31, 2020 to formally enrol to claim JobKeeper payments.

However, the sooner an employer pays their staff for April and enrols, the sooner the ATO can reimburse them the JobKeeper payments.

Further information can be found at: www.ato.gov.au/general/JobKeeper-Payment

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THE Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) board has announced the appointment of Ainslie van Onselen as chief executive officer of CA ANZ.

Ms van Onselen, who recently spent six years at the Westpac Group including as the managing director of RAMS, commences her role as CEO at CA ANZ on May 18. She succeeds Simon Hann who is interim CEO.

CA ANZ chair John Palermo FCA said the board conducted an extensive search process.

“Ainslie is a great match for the qualities we were looking for," Mr Palermo said. “She’s a nimble thinker with an eye to the future, has a strong record of strategic thinking alongside a proven ability to be agile and a visible advocate for change for a public benefit.

“Her membership body mindset, future focus and digital acumen will be invaluable to make a difference for the profession of Chartered Accountants across Australia and New Zealand.”

He thanked Simon Hann for ably steering CA ANZ through the adjustments required to support members and continue to operate effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based in Sydney, Ms van Onselen is an experienced executive with a background in financial services and as a non-executive director with various listed, government and not-for-profit organisations. She has practised as a litigation lawyer, including as a partner in a specialist corporate and commercial practice in WA.

About Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand

Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand is a professional body comprised of more than 125,000 diverse, talented and financially astute members who utilise their skills every day to make a difference for businesses the world over. Members are known for their professional integrity, principled judgment, financial discipline and a forward-looking approach to business which contributes to the prosperity of our nations. 

www.charteredaccountantsanz.com

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CFMEU’s INDUSTRY partner and redundancy fund, Incolink is utilising their health buses to test construction workers for COVID-19 under a new initiative supported by the Victorian Government.

Onsite testing commences tomorrow, Wednesday April 29, at Multiplex’s Melbourne Square, the site which had the second confirmed case of COVID-19 in the industry.  

To welcome the initiative, CFMEU Victoria and Tasmana secretary John Setka will be one of the first from the construction industry to receive a test via the new mobile health buses, with full details listed below.

Mr Setka stressed the importance of this momentous initiative in supporting the health of workers and the construction industry during this time.

“CFMEU Vic/Tas will continue to support any initiative that further protects the safety of construction workers whilst our industry continues to help rebuild the country’s economy," Mr Setka said.

"We are proud to support Incolink to extend the use of their health buses to test for COVID-19 and I encourage all members to utilise this great tool to ensure their safety.”

Incolink’s health bus is supported by a range of industry partners in addition to the CFMEU Vic/Tas, including the PPTEU, ETU, Cbus, MBV and CoINVEST.

Builders and workers can register to have the Incolink Bus visit their workplace at:  http://incolink.org.au/covid19-testing/

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AN INQUIRY into whether Australia should adopt Magnitsky-style laws to impose sanctions upon individuals who commit human rights abuses will hold two further public hearings this week, via teleconference.

Kevin Andrews MP, Chair of the Human Rights Sub-Committee of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, said the inquiry is continuing, working around restrictions arising from the COVID-19, using teleconferences to connect witnesses and Sub-Committee Members. 

"A number of stakeholders have expressed support for the inquiry continuing, reflecting on the hardships their communities have been through in relation to human rights issues," Mr Andrews said.  

"These teleconference hearings will provide further evidence to inform a comprehensive report that the Human Rights Sub-committee is aiming to deliver later in the year."

The public hearings will provide an opportunity for the sub-committee to hear from human rights advocates and community groups.

Due to the current circumstances the sub-committee is continuing to take submissions via the Inquiry website until April 30 2020. For further information, contact the Secretariat on 02 6277 2312 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Public hearing details Via teleconference

Tuesday 28 April 2020
12.00pm – 12.45pm

Thursday 30 April 2020
9.30am – 10.30am

Audio of the hearings will be streamed at www.aph.gov.au/live

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THE Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) has indicated its strong support for the Federal Government’s contact tracing app, designed to digitally alert Australians of nearby COVID-19 infections.

As the peak industry body for innovation technology in Australia, the AIIA was given an exclusive briefing on Monday by the Minister for Government Services, Stuart Robert, Digital Transformation Agency CEO Randall Brugeaud, and head of Australian Cyber Security Centre, Abi Bradshaw and others, on the technology behind the tracing app and the cyber security protections built into it. 

Commenting on the detailed briefing of the app, AIIA CEO, Ron Gauci said, “AIIA thanks Minister Robert, Mr Brugeaud and Ms Bradshaw for their detailed briefings and assurances provided to members today.

“Cyber security and online personal privacy is of paramount importance to all Australians and so is the health and safety of its citizens. Based on this detailed briefing and understanding that the app does not track your geo-location and that personal data and cyber security concerns have been designed into the app and through government regulations, the AIIA therefore supports the government tracing app and strongly recommends that all Australians download it.

“By encouraging all Australians to engage with the app, we can support state health contact tracing teams to help identify community clusters and secondary spread of the COVID-19 now we have flattened the curve. This data will be able to give the government more confidence in considering relaxing of quarantine measures,” Mr Gauci said.

The government tracing app is available to download for free on the app stores.

Using Bluetooth, the app interacts with other app users within a certain distance, sending key codes anonymously. When users test positive for COVID-19, they update their status on the app - thereafter, the app will alert all users that the infectee had interacted with in the past 14 days to self-isolate and test for COVID-19.

Speaking of the digital advancement of medical containment, Deloitte Australia chief strategy and innovation officer, and chair of the AIIA Robert Hillard said,  “In the absence of a medical vaccine, you could think about contact tracing as a digital vaccine with our contact data being the virtual antibodies.”

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