THE Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has heralded today’s launch by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry of its key federal election policy platform aimed at boosting Australia’s global competitiveness.

Victorian Chamber Chief Executive Mark Stone said the Victorian Chamber had worked closely with the Australian Chamber in developing the Top 10 in 10: Ten steps towards a more competitive Australia platform.

“Victorian business plays an important role in Australia’s economy and stands to benefit enormously from the policy priorities outlined by the Australian Chamber today,” said Mr Stone.

“Top 10 in 10 outlines recommendations to increase Australia’s global competitiveness through practical measures that encourage innovation, lower business costs, reduce red tape and deliver world class infrastructure.”

“Over the past decade, Australia has fallen from 10th to 21st on the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index, affecting not only our business and economic growth, but also our liveability.”

“We want to see Australia return to the top ten and are seeking a commitment from all political parties to implement reforms that will help us to become more competitive,” said Mr Stone.

The key recommendations outlined in the Top 10 in 10: Ten steps towards a more competitive Australia are: 

1. Give young people a chance to succeed by making it easier for employers to take on apprentices and trainees
2. Ensure government spending is sustainable by reducing it to less than 25% of GDP
3. Help industries grow through workplace regulation that better responds to their needs
4. Let entrepreneurs get on with growing their businesses by reducing government red tape each year
5. Create jobs by allowing employers and employees to negotiate workplace arrangements that best meet their needs
6. Boost incomes by cutting the company tax rate to 25% within ten years through annual reductions
7. Build the transport, communications and energy facilities we need by backing the independent plan of Infrastructure Australia
8. Lower building costs by bringing back the Australian Building and Construction Commission
9. Encourage innovation and value for money by facilitating greater competition in government-funded education, health and aged care services
10. Welcome more international visitors by making visas cheaper and easier to obtain 

For further information visit: www.top10in10.com.au

The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, established in 1851, is the most influential business organisation in Victoria, informing and servicing more than 15,000 members, customers and clients around the state.

victorianchamber.com.au

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AUSTRALIA’S resource industry employer group, AMMA, strongly encourages Queensland MPs to today vote down proposed legislation that would prematurely end sand mining on North Stradbroke Island in 2019.

“All eyes will be on the Palaszczuk Government today and whether they are truly about ‘delivering jobs now and jobs for the future’, or whether that is just empty rhetoric,” says AMMA executive director Scott Barklamb.

“The transition away from sand mining will impact on the livelihood of hundreds of the island’s best paid employees, both sand miners and those that indirectly rely on the industry.

“The government’s plan to end sand mining in 2019 is highly premature and its failure to undertake a proper regulatory impact statement does not instil a great deal of confidence.

“Any timetable for ending sand mining on North Stradbroke must be supported by a thorough regulatory impact statement and a realistic economic transition plan that supports the island’s residents and community.”

Earlier this month, a Queensland Parliamentary Committee concluded that closing the mine in 2019, instead of the current legislated closure date of 2035, would cripple the island’s economy and community.

Further, Deloitte Access Economics has calculated that ending sand mining on North Stradbroke Island in 2019 (opposed to 2035) would cost the regional economy up to $1 billion.

“A 2019 closure to sand mining risks massively and unnecessarily harming the island’s economic and community well-being,” Mr Barklamb continues.

“This includes significant job losses for the local Indigenous community, which will also lose considerable revenue under an Indigenous Land Use Agreement when sand mining exports from the island come to an end.

“The sand mining employees that can transition to become waiters, baristas or take up other hospitality jobs are going to face a wait before tourism develops to replace mining, and their pay will fall considerably, if they are lucky enough to find a job.

“This is a $1 billion decision that the community of North Stradbroke Island cannot afford for their parliamentary representatives to get wrong.

“AMMA urges state MPs from all sides to today vote down these bills and instead commit to gradually wind-down sand mining over a more sensible timeframe – preferably 2035 but certainly no earlier than 2027.”

www.amma.org.au

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SILICON DRAGON is bringing its well-known venture and tech forum series to Sydney, to focus on fintech innovations and fast-rising startups in Australia . This founder and investor forum will be held ON May 31 FROM 4PM TO 8PM.

The program will assess the future of disruptive fintech startups and emerging companies that are having an impact in Australia , in Asia and beyond. Speakers include leaders drawn from investors, accelerators and entrepreneurs in the fintech space including Alex Scandurra of Stone & Chalk, Ben Heap of H2Ventures, Andrew Corbett-Jones of Tyro Fintech Hub and James Mabbott of KPMG Innovate. The panelists will explore how Sydney fares as the region's startup hub.

Five Australian founders who were named as winners in the recent Forbes Asia issue, 30 under 30, will take the stage to tell how they are getting ahead in today's competitive marketplace with disruptive technologies and business models.  

The Silicon Dragon Sydney 2016 conference comes at a pivotal time for Asia's rise in technology innovation, and Australia's place in this region's emergence. Welcome remarks will be made by Duncan Challen, Executive Director of the NSW Department of Industry.

Now in its 6th year, Silicon Dragon is led by founder Rebecca Fannin , an expert on global innovation trends, a Forbes contributor, and author of two well-received books - Silicon Dragon (McGraw-Hill, 2008) and Startup Asia (Wiley, 2011), plus co-author of Innovation in Emerging Markets (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016) .

The Silicon Dragon conference brings together business leaders, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors and leaders of the startup ecosystem for discussions on what's next in Australia's emerging tech and venture markets. Participants will gain insights on how to raise financing and develop strategies to succeed in the region and in leading innovation hotspots such as Silicon Valley.

Main Sponsors

KPMG
NSW Department of Industry
UniSA Center of Business Growth 

To register online and to obtain full program details, visit www.silicondragonventures.com. For questions, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

About Silicon Dragon

Silicon Dragon runs a series of tech innovation and venture investment forums in Asia , the U.S. and Europe , publishes the  e-newsletter Silicon Dragon News , provides consulting and research services, and develops thought leadership reports. Formed in 2010 by author and Forbes contributor Rebecca Fannin , Silicon Dragon has locations in San Francisco , New York and Hong Kong , and reaches 25,000 business and tech professionals globally. 

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THE Banksia Foundation welcomes the Prime Minister’s recognition in acknowledging the leaders and innovators who are guiding Australia towards a more sustainable future.

On the weekend the Coalition issued their Policy to Support Local Parks and the Environment. With a total investment of $30 million to support local parks and environment that are at the heart of Australia’s communities and neighbourhoods, the Coalition’s support of the Banksia Foundation as part of this investment will ensure that Australia’s most prestigious sustainability accolade continues to grow in importance and influence.

The Banksia Foundation has been seeking out and recognising excellence in the sustainability arena for over 28 years through the Banksia Sustainability Awards. Banksia recognises that in pursuing environmental sustainability it is important to also be socially responsible and financially viable.

Getting the balance right is critical and often difficult to achieve but over the years Banksia’s winners have been able to demonstrate leadership in triple bottom line sustainability, continually raising the benchmark in business and throughout the community.

The Environment Minister, Greg Hunt is a keen supporter of the Awards and has shown his own leadership in creating the Environment Minister’s Award categories for a Cleaner Environment which includes an award for Science and Research and an award for Community Environmental Leadership.

Two vastly different perspectives but Minister Hunt recognises how diverse sustainability leadership needs to be, if we are to enact change on a large scale. Minister Hunt believes that through the Banksia Sustainability Awards and his own Minister’s Award categories, we can educate the rest of Australia on how we are achieving success, locally, nationally and internationally and thereby encourage further innovation.

Key Facts and Figures

The Banksia Foundation is a well-established not-for-profit organisation in Australia, dedicated to working with industry and community to create an array of platforms to focus attention on sustainable development.

The Banksia Foundation was founded in 1989 in Melbourne by a diverse group of 44 Australians, who shared a common goal; to support and recognise members of the community for their positive contribution to the environment.

Today, Banksia is a strong and expanding brand and its Awards program, the Banksia Sustainability Awards, is regarded as the most prestigious and longest running sustainability awards in Australia.

The 2016 Banksia Sustainability Awards are now open for entry. Entry closes August 26 2016. 

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THE Australian Retailers Association (ARA) is proud to announce the opening of submissions for the 2016 eftpos ARA Australian Retail Awards.

The 2016 program boasts a collection of awards representing the breadth of talent and achievement in the ever-changing retail landscape. As Australia’s first and largest national retail awards program, the ARA Awards have now celebrated Australia’s leading retailers for over 40 years.

Major event sponsor, eftpos, is excited to support the ARA Awards for a third consecutive year. “Retail plays a vital role in the daily lives of all Australians and it’s important that we recognise the industry’s contribution through these awards,” eftpos Managing Director, Mr Bruce Mansfield, said.

“eftpos CHQ and SAV has supported everyday payments at Australian retailers for the past three decades and we are proud to sponsor these prestigious awards to honour the hard working men and women who serve their customers every day."

ARA Executive Director, Russell Zimmerman, eagerly anticipates the event held on Wednesday 10 August in Melbourne will the biggest and best awards event to date.

“The ARA Awards represent a national platform to showcase the best of the industry, recognising the extraordinary and innovative work of those moving retail forward. The Awards breakfast is an opportunity for retailers to share their inspiring retail success stories, and gain industry insights from esteemed guest speakers and valuable sponsors.

“Retailers are looking forward to strengthening industry conditions in the coming year, and we can share this optimism and enthusiasm through the experiences of those thriving within the sector.

“Retailing is an exceptionally important industry for the Australian economy - driven by hardworking individuals and businesses – and the ARA is proud to acknowledge these deserving retailers.

“The Awards span a range of categories reflecting the diversity of Australian retail – from small owner operators, retail graduates and HR practitioners, through to multichannel retailers, industry innovators and outstanding store fit-outs.  And not to mention the coveted eftpos ‘Retailer of the Year’ award!” Mr Zimmerman said.

The ARA encourages all retailers to submit an entry or nominate an exceptional retail employee.

Category details, submission forms and early bird tickets are available now at http://retail.org.au/2016-retail-awards/. 

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THE GOLD COAST Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC) today announced that Atos will deliver complex and innovative information technology solutions crucial for the planning and staging of Australia’s largest sporting event in more than a decade.

The solutions will form a critical part of a world class technology environment being implemented by GOLDOC in preparation for and during the Games.

Atos has joined the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) sponsorship family to deliver the comprehensive Games Management System (GMS) and Information Diffusion System (IDS) to power performance at the heart of the Games.

Minister for the Commonwealth Games, Stirling Hinchliffe welcomed Atos as an Official Supporter to GC2018.

“As a global technology company, Atos have a proven history of successful delivery of GMS and IDS solutions at major international events including the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games and London 2012 Olympic Games.

“For GC2018, Atos will manage the delivery of complex and innovative technology solutions and applications through their Games Management System that will support Accreditation Management, the Volunteer Portal, Volunteer Application Form, Sport Entries Management and more.

“The Information Diffusion System will incorporate the central results platform during the Games so that results are immediately available on the Games website for the public to follow their favourite teams and athletes.

“This is IT at its most innovative and we are fortunate to have this platform in the Games. I thank Atos for helping showcase GC2018 to the world,” Minister Hinchliffe said.

GOLDOC Chairman, Peter Beattie AC said he was delighted to welcome Atos to the GC2018 sponsorship family.

“This level of commitment gives businesses across the country and Commonwealth confidence in the GC2018 brand and highlights the significance of being involved in this global event. 

“Atos will bring innovations to GOLDOC which will ultimately underpin the very complex and critical technology framework and services to power a successful GC2018,” Mr Beattie said.

Atos Australia’s Managing Director, Peter Robertson said the opportunity to showcase the company’s digital innovations and products by supporting GC2018 and demonstrating their capabilities was an opportunity that Atos welcomed and was very proud to engage and be a team player to deliver an excellent Games experience.

“Atos has developed the most advanced IT systems for major sporting events  – this is robust technology, tried and tested on international events around the world and we welcome this opportunity to deliver this capability for the first time in  Australia to add to our global expertise.

“GC2018 gives Atos a platform to leverage our expertise, share our knowledge and deliver a team based highly innovative IT solution befitting of such a grand scale event hosted in Australia.

“And the Atos capability will deliver the Games Management and Information Diffusion Systems from an Australian hosted and managed private (Canopy) cloud platform,” Mr Robertson said.

Globally, Atos employs 100,000 staff across 72 countries with the Australian team comprising expert staff spread primarily across Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and Brisbane.

Atos’ team will be embedded with GOLDOC at its Gold Coast headquarters in the lead up to and during Games time. Expert technologists will also be supporting the systems from Atos’ Technical Technology Operations Centre in Spain as well as from its Australian Canopy data centre. 

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WHO WINS the marginal seats will determine the upcoming election and the vote of small business people in these seats cannot be underestimated, says the Council of Small Business of Australia (COSBOA).

Peter Strong, CEO of COSBOA commented on the critical importance that small business will play in this Federal election, where small business people count for large numbers of voters in marginal seats. COSBOA will focus on the small business community being informed on key policy issues, and he warns that transparency should be at the heart of this election.

“Small business people in electorates across Australia will play a vital part in the election. They make up between 8% - 16% of voters, on average around 11.7% per electorate.  This is significant when margins are as low as 0.2% for contested seats. There is no denying that the vote of every small business owner and those working for them count,” said Mr Strong.

Small business represents a significant number of voters in marginal seats across Australia. For example, in the seat of McEwen (VIC) there is a 0.2% margin and the small business community makes up 9.4% of voters. In Eden-Monaro (NSW), the margin is 0.6% and small business is 11.3% of voters, while in Capricornia (QLD) the margin is 0.8% and small businesses make up 11.6% of voters.

“It’s easy to get caught up in the frenzy of a Federal Election and focusing on the major two parties, but communities need to look to at the individuals who will representing their community and what they stand for. Small businesses impact everyone’s day-to-day lives, from local accountants, gyms, cafes and grocers to health practitioners and owner drivers. We need a government with a clear direction that includes key policies to support small business, then the entire community benefits and Australia’s cultural fabric gains strength.

“It cannot be stressed enough the importance of being informed on policy when casting a vote. Small business drives the economy and supports a diverse culture. To disadvantage this sector would be disastrous,” said Mr Strong.

COSBOA has outlined the key policy issues that need to be front and centre for small businesses in the upcoming election. These include Competition, Workplace Relations, Telecommunications, B2B Communications, Health, Training, Financing and Superannuation*.

Above all else, COSBOA says the main election theme needs to be about transparency in government.

“There must be an end to secret big union and big business influence on policy and process. It is not just small business people that suffer from covert influence, it’s also medium businesses, non-employing independent contractors and Australian workers. The economy cannot be managed effectively in back rooms and dark places,” warned Mr Strong.

An Effects Test in Competition (Section 46)

As announced by the Turnbull Government, when the election is over this must be enacted.

The Road Transport Remuneration Tribunal (RSRT) must not be reinstated

If road safety is to be achieved, it won’t be through the workplace relations system.

Health of the self-employed person must be considered

this is particularly important for mental health; we need equality in consideration and responsibility for health where everyone counts, including the self-employed and employees.

Reform of Vocational Education and Training (VET)

The current system is failing workers, unemployed, businesses and productivity. Small business needs to be funded for training through their own businesses and sectors.

Efficiency from Employment Service Providers

Unemployed people and employers are not given the service needed from many of these government funded providers - provide assessment of performance by associations.

Ensure large businesses pay their tax

most big businesses pay their tax, the ones that don’t need to be brought to task.

Telecommunications, Technology & Innovation

Get the NBN happening faster, ensure fair access to telecommunications and lower cost for businesses and consumers.

B2B communications

There are billions to be saved in time and money if businesses can communicate faster and more efficiently. We need to support the Digital Business Council and e-invoicing.

Workplace Relations

Focus on small workplaces; use plain English in awards and agreements and create a small workplace industrial award and remove the industry/union cartels.

Superannuation

Remove employers from the superannuation collection process and place it in PAYG. Billions will be saved in administration costs for employers and funds.

The threshold for defining a small business must be up to $10m

This change picks up an additional 90,000 businesses who are still small businesses who employ, innovate and add to culture and diversity.

Financing for Small Business

The issues with banks, Fintech, P2P lending and financing in general needs urgent attention.

For more information on COSBOA, visit www.cosboa.org.au

http://www.cosboa.org.au/election-2016/ 

ENDS

AUSTRALIA’S resource industry has launched a campaign for 5 Reforms Over 5 Years to get our workplace relations system back on track, and ensure our resource industry and broader business community can compete globally and attract job-creating investment to Australia.
 
“Australia needs to do better on how we regulate work and workplace relations,” says AMMA chief executive Steve Knott.
 
“A modern and competitive workplace relations system needs to do more than provide protections for employees, it must also support individual choice, flexibility and agility to ensure businesses can invest, prosper and create job opportunities.
 
“These five reforms would deliver growth, productivity and a more positive operating environment for businesses of all sizes and across all industries.  They address significant flaws and imbalances in the current Fair Work laws that create barriers to employment, investment and doing business in Australia.”
 
The 5 Reforms over 5 Years draws from AMMA’s federal election survey in which over 100 leading resource employers, employing more than 85,000 Australians, detailed their experiences working under the Fair Work Act.  The five reform priorities are as follows:
 

1. Focus enterprise bargaining, and ensure legally protected strike action can only be taken over claims pertaining to the employment relationship, not union ‘wish lists’ of claims.
2. Return balance to union workplace entry laws by creating an enforceable code of conduct and removing union access to employee lunch rooms when other suitable meeting rooms are available.
3. Expand agreement making options to facilitate employment arrangements, both individual and collective, directly between employees and employers.
4. Reform unfair dismissal and ‘general protections’ laws to ensure employers are not forced to pay ‘go away money’ to settle claims without merit.
5. Replace the Fair Work Commission with modern, balanced institutions by creating an Australian Employment Tribunal and a separate Employment Appeals Tribunal.

“Australia has a choice - either remain stuck in a rigid and dysfunctional workplace relations system unfit for a highly-competitive global economy, or provide businesses with the flexibility to employ and keep Australians in work,” Mr Knott continues.
 
“Commodity prices have fallen off a cliff, CPI is in the negative, wages growth is at an all-time low and the Reserve Bank has reduced rates to record lows.  To avoid recession we must have the courage to again pursue genuine labour market reform.
 
“We are looking to the next term of government to end the paralysis that has characterised our workplace relations system following the vast re-regulation under the Rudd/Gillard government.
 
“Getting Australia’s workplace relations system back on track is critical to re-energising business with the confidence to invest, employ and create economic value for Australia now and in the future.”
 
AMMA has recently written to every Member of Parliament on these five reform priorities and key results from its resource industry election survey.  Visit amma.org.au/backontrack to learn more.

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