CHIEF Executive Mark Stone said VECCI welcomes the release of Infrastructure Australia’s Australian Infrastructure Audit Report.

"The report contains a comprehensive and strategic assessment of Australia’s infrastructure, including current and prospective gaps across a range of infrastructure areas including transport, energy, telecommunications and water," Mr Stone said.

"The audit provides a compelling case to all governments that infrastructure reform must be a priority if we are to raise economic competitiveness and living standards.

"With a strong evidence based assessment of the key drivers of future infrastructure demand, especially population and economic growth, the report calls for a series of infrastructure related reforms to raise productivity and strengthen the economy."

These include:

• Better and more integrated infrastructure and land use planning.
• Further market reform, particularly in the transport and energy sectors.
• Increased infrastructure funding, encouraging more investment from the private sector in partnership with governments.      
• Improved governance in infrastructure planning and decision making.
• Changes by governments to make major project procurement more efficient, including reducing administrative burdens and streamlining assessment processes.
• More transparent links between user charges and expenditure on infrastructure planning, investment and maintenance. 

"Importantly, the report highlights the need to extract more value from our existing infrastructure assets through efficient management, improved maintenance and smarter use of technology," Mr Stone said.

"It also reinforces the benefits of a strong and consistent pipeline of well-planned infrastructure projects.  Such a pipeline is crucial to providing confidence and certainty for private sector infrastructure developers and investors.

"VECCI welcomes the report’s call for wider and deeper community engagement throughout the infrastructure decision making process.  In support of the development of the Australian Infrastructure Plan, VECCI will be making a submission on the findings from the audit following close consultation with our members."

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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APRA AMCOS, PPCA and the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) have launched a joint music licence scheme to make it easier for retailers to access and reap the benefits of using music.

Many retailers previously needed to take out a range of individual licences with APRA AMCOS and PPCA depending on how they used music in their store. The new partnership with the ARA means less paperwork, a consolidated cost for busy retail owners and makes compliance with copyright law much easier.

ARA Executive Director Russell Zimmerman said this is an opportunity for ARA members to see substantial savings in their music licence fees.

“Music is a big part of our retail experience. Research shows that music, especially recordings by well known artists, is an important factor in creating the ideal in-store atmosphere for the consumer, encourages longer browsing time and can positively influence the behaviour of customers.

“The ARA Music Licence Scheme, which comes into effect from 1 July 2015, will see a flat annual fee of $550 per store for retail premises under 500 m² in size. This will allow retailers to use a range of background music devices including radio, television, CDs, smartphones and streaming devices (depending on the streaming provider’s terms), providing access to millions of songs and recordings within the repertoire of APRA AMCOS and PPCA.

“With the ARA representing over 5000 national and independent retail members across Australia, a simple turnkey solution through their existing membership of the ARA will benefit thousands of small businesses countrywide,” Mr Zimmerman said.

PPCA General Manager Lynne Small said “'We are delighted to partner with the ARA and APRA AMCOS to create this joint licence for ARA members, which will reduce their administration while making available millions of recordings to improve the experience of their clients.”

APRA AMCOS stands for the Australasian Performing Right Association Ltd and the Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society Ltd, who together are responsible for the non-profit collection and distribution of songwriting royalties to approximately 87,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members, and around 3,000,000 copyright owners worldwide.

PPCA is a non-profit organisation that provides licences to Australian businesses to play recorded music in public. The net fees are distributed to record labels & registered Australian artists who create the recordings so they can continue to make music for us all to enjoy. In 2014 PPCA distributed almost $33 million to its registered artists and record labels.

Since 1903, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) has been the peak industry body representing Australia’s $265 billion retail sector, which employs over 1.2 million people. The ARA ensures retail success by informing, protecting, advocating, educating and saving money for its 5,000 independent and national retail members throughout Australia.

Visit www.retail.org.au or call 1300 368 041.

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BRISBANE Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has launched the 10^th annual Lord Mayor’s Business Awards, with nominations now open.

“The 10th annual Lord Mayor’s Business Awards will celebrate the achievements and contribution made by our business community to Brisbane’s economy,” Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said at the City Hall launch.

“The international spotlight is firmly fixed on Australia’s New World City, following our successful hosting of the G20 Summit in November 2014 and ahead of the Asia Pacific Cities Summit in July this year.

“The Lord Mayor’s Business Awards highlight why an increasing number of decision-makers worldwide are choosing Brisbane for business, investment, study and conventions.”

“By celebrating the excellence, success and innovation that hallmarks the Brisbane business community, we are promoting the message that Brisbane is an ideal city in which to invest, expand and, most importantly, live."

Cr Quirk said he was hoping to see more nominations from emerging small to medium businesses that are contributing to the success of Brisbane’s business economy.

“We now need a new set of young, energetic business minds to join us as Brisbane takes its place on the world stage and cements its reputation as an emerging, exciting, and rewarding city in which to do business.

“I encourage all Brisbane businesses to enter this year’s Awards so we can honour their role in making Brisbane what it is today; a city internationally recognised for its depth of innovative and fresh, original talent.

“I would also like to thank our 2015 sponsors, without their support these awards would not be possible.”

The 2015 winners will be announced at the Gala Dinner on Friday 30 October, where they will join LMBA winners from past years.

There are 11 award categories in total, with eight open to businesses:

• Australia TradeCoast Award for Small Business Growth
• Brisbane Times Award for Business Innovation
• Award for Digital Strategy
• Clayton Utz Award for Corporate Citizenship
• ANZ Made in Brisbane Award for High-growth Business Start-Up
• Energex Award for Sustainability in Business
• HSBC Award for Doing Business in Asia
• Award for New Investment 

And two awards open to individuals, including:

• Young Business Person of the Year Award
• Channel 7 Business Person of the Year Award

 One outstanding category winner (chosen from a business award winner):

• Optus Business Platinum Award

 Key dates

• Tuesday 19 May - Nominations open
• Friday 24 July - Nominations close at 5pm
• Early September - Finalists announced
• Friday 30 October - Gala Dinner and winners announced

www.lmba.com.au

www.brisbanemarketing.com.au

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CHIEF Executive Mark Stone said small business is a priority for VECCI.

Leading up to the 2013 federal election, VECCI, as part of the united chamber movement led by ACCI, ran the “Small Business. Too Big to Ignore” campaign in support of small business.

"The campaign highlighted the fact that there are over 2 million small businesses in Australia, employing more than 7 million Australians, which need government support, including through tax relief, to grow jobs and remain competitive," Mr Stone said.

"Small business policy interests were further reinforced by VECCI during our 2014 state election campaign, “Taking Care of Business”.

"This week’s federal budget, handed down by the Hon. Joe Hockey MP, Treasurer of Australia, acknowledged the importance of small business, with new measures to lower costs, stimulate investment and grow jobs."

Mr Stone said these included:

• The 1.5 percentage point corporate tax cut for small businesses with an annual turnover of less than $2 million.
• The 5 per cent tax discount up to $1,000 a year for unincorporated small businesses with an annual turnover of less than $2 million.
• An expansion in accelerated depreciation rules providing an immediate tax deduction for assets costing less than $20,000, for small businesses with an annual turnover of $2 million or less.
• A new regulatory regime for crowd sourced equity funding to help provide finance for innovative business ideas. 

"These measures were all welcomed by small business," Mr Stone said.

"In his budgetary response, the Hon. Bill Shorten MP, Leader of the Opposition, similarly acknowledged the vital role small business plays in the economy with the announcement of strong plans to reduce small business costs and spur investment."

The ALP’s plans include:

• Cutting the small business corporate tax rate to 25 per cent.
• Committing $500 million to a smart investment fund to invest in early-stage companies.
• Establishing a StartUp Finance partial loan guarantee scheme to provide capital to entrepreneurs.   

The measures to lower business costs and improve access to finance announced in the budget, and those proposed in the ALP’s budget response, are consistent with the recommendations contained in VECCI’s Small Business Taskforce report: “Small business. Big opportunities”.

"The attention both sides of politics are now giving small business is refreshing and overdue," Mr Stone said. "VECCI commends the Federal Government for its initiatives and the Federal Opposition for its alternate plans to support small business.

"We seek an equally strong commitment from governments at all levels to put small business first and do what they can to support small business success."

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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Following the Federal Government’s announced abolition of the tax-free threshold on income earned by working holiday makers (WHM), the Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) has called on the government to act to ensure labour availability is spurred in the tourism industry.

“Cafes, restaurants, hotels and operators throughout our industry already face labour shortages. Last week’s announcement will be a disincentive for working holiday makers, who are a long-staying international market and an important labour source for our industry,” said VTIC Chief Executive Dianne Smith.

“The taxation change must be accompanied by measures that make it more attractive and easy to stay in Australia so this significant group of travellers doesn’t abandon us.”

Measures to boost working holiday numbers include:

- Giving WHM who work in regional tourism and hospitality businesses (for three months or more) eligibility for a one-year visa extension. 

- Increasing the qualifying age upper limit from 30 to 35 years, in line with international norms. 

- Removing the six-month cap on employment duration with a single employer. 

- Allowing WHM who have finished a working holiday to apply for a second visa. (One between 18-25 years of age and a second from 26-35 years of age). 

“There is great opportunity for the government to improve the working holiday maker visa program and help address the tourism and hospitality labour shortage, particularly in regional Victoria,” said Ms Smith.

“We call on the Federal Government to support our industry by adopting these changes to make Australia an increasingly attractive destination for working holiday makers.”

The Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) is the peak body for Victoria’s tourism and events industry, providing one united industry voice.

Tourism and events are growth industries for Victoria and contribute $19.6 billion to the state economy each year and employ more than 200,000 people.

vtic.com.au

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THE implications of selling uranium to India will be the focus of a public hearing in Melbourne on Monday.

Strategic analysts, church and environment groups will give evidence to Parliament’s Joint Treaties Committee, which is focusing on the costs and benefits of the Government’s proposed agreement to sell uranium to India.

The Government believes the agreement maintains Australia’s strong commitment to nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament and will improve the lives of ordinary Indians by reducing energy poverty in that country.

The agreement has attracted criticism from some nuclear non-proliferation specialists because India is not party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and has been subject to external and internal criticism for its nuclear safety record.

Committee Chair, Wyatt Roy MP, emphasised that this is a complex matter.

“The Committee will be undertaking a diligent and comprehensive look at the proposal to make sure all the issues are fully explored and considered,” Mr Roy said.

Public Hearing: Monday 18 May, Meeting Room G3, 55 St Andrews Place
Commonwealth Parliamentary Offices, Melbourne

9.30am – 10.30am Uniting Church of Australia, Justice and International Mission
11.30am – 12.30pm Mr Crispin Rovere, private citizen
1.30pm – 2.30pm Australian Conservation Foundation
2.10pm – 3.30pm Friends of the Earth
3.30 pm - Close

The hearings will be broadcast through www.aph.gov.au/live
Copies of the treaties and submissions received can be found at
http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Joint/Treaties
Alternatively, interested parties may email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone
(02) 6277 4002

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AUSTRALIA’s world-leading Cooperative Research Centres Programme will be celebrating 25 years of science impact and achievement at its annual conference in Canberra from 25-27 May.

Federal cabinet ministers, CRC program leaders and policy experts will discuss the research challenges of the next 25 years in areas such as manufacturing, health, communications and the development of Australia’s north.

The designs, products and services developed by CRCs are part of our everyday life; from soft contact lenses and tooth mousse that helps repair dental enamel to new materials for aircraft wing surfaces that reduce fuel use and cut global carbon emissions. In food alone, CRCs have transformed the quality of Australian lamb, assessed salt tolerance in rice, improved the health of commercial pig herds, and developed new strategies for fisheries in the face of rising ocean temperatures.

The CRCs were established in 1990 to bring scientists and industries together to work on some of the biggest challenges facing Australia. These have included better bushfire science, manufacturing, digital technology, biosecurity, sustainable farming, water management and mental health issues underpinning the unacceptably high suicide rate among young people.

“The CRCs are an Australian success story. They were designed to create research impact, and their 25 year record of achievement speaks for itself,” says CRC Association chief executive Dr Tony Peacock.

“It’s a unique programme and it works equally well across economic, social and environmental research areas. The critical factor in their success is that each CRC has well-defined goals and their management, research and industry investors all agree on those goals and work toward them.”

Dr Peacock says economic analysis has shown that while the CRCs represent less than 1.6% of Federal science funding, they drive a further $4 in investment for every dollar invested by the government.

“The CRCs have always aimed for what is now recognised as vitally important to Australia’s future – creating research impact,” he says.

The CRC’s annual conference will open on 25 May, with former CSIRO chief executive Megan Clark delivering the Ralph Slatyer address on science and society at the Australian War Memorial theatre.

On 26 May, there will be a one-day forum at Parliament House, where speakers will include Minister for Industry and Science Ian Macfarlane, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull and CRC leaders Dr Jane Burns (Young & Well CRC), Professor Mike Aitken (Capital Markets CRC) and Professor Murray Scott (CRC for Advanced Composite Structures).

Details of the conference program can be found at http://australia2040.com.au/

10 things the CRCs have achieved in 25 years:

•The Hearing CRC produced the cochlear hybrid system, which has restored hearing to more than 140,000 people.

•The CRC for Oral Health invented tooth mousse, a paste that remineralises tooth enamel and reduces dental decay. It’s now sold in more than 50 countries.

•The Capital Markets CRC has developed technology to detect fraud, abuse and waste in Australia’s private health insurance markets. The technology has been used to date in over 16 million claims, to a value of more than $28 billion.

•The Australian Biosecurity CRC has produced the world’s first diagnostic test for equine influenza.

•The Vision CRC developed extended wear soft contact lenses, first commercialised as the Focus® Night & Day™ lens, which has generated over US$20 million a year in patent royalties.

•Dairy Futures CRC’s researchers have developed a way for farmers to breed cows that eat less to produce the same amount of milk. The new Feed Saved ABV (Australian Breeding Value) lets farmers identify bulls that can save at least 100 kg of dry matter per cow per year, while maintaining milk production.

•The CRC for Remote Economic Participation has created a network of over 90 Indigenous researchers who advise industry and governments on business investment, environmental and cultural issues.

•The Future Farm Industries CRC developed three new farming systems using perennial plants such as native saltbush that will make farms more drought resilient and increase the nation’s farm profits by $1.6 billion by 2030.

•The Young and Well CRC researched and published Growing Up Queer, Australia’s first report on the psychological impacts of homophobia on young people.

•The CRC for Advanced Composite Structures assisted in the design of a more fuel efficient wing surfaces for the Boeing long-range twin engine aircraft, the Dreamliner.

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THE Australian Parliament’s newly appointed Trade and Investment Growth Committee today commenced its inquiry into the business experience in utilising Australia’s existing free trade agreements (FTAs) including New Zealand, Singapore, Thailand, the United States, Chile, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (along with New Zealand) and Malaysia.

In announcing the inquiry, the Chair of the Committee, Mr Ken O’Dowd MP said, "Australia is the world’s 12th largest economy with its major trading partners being China, Japan, and the United States. Australia has a number of long-standing FTAs with other countries including with ASEAN-New Zealand, Chile, Malaysia, United States, Singapore, and Thailand. These FTAs provide an important opportunity for Australia to boost its trade with these countries and benefit the future growth of Australian business."

The committee will examine the opportunities and challenges faced by Australian business arising from Australia’s existing FTAs with a view to identifying how Australia might best benefit from the recent and proposed North Asia FTAs.

"While FTAs create a framework for increased trade and investment it is important to address any barriers preventing realisation of these benefits and address them in future agreements," Mr O’Dowd said.

The committee was established to examine measures to further boost Australia’s trade and investment performance, including barriers to trade, reduction of red tape, and structural challenges and opportunities for the Australian community. As part of its remit, the committee will focus its examination on the experience of business in using Australia’s existing FTAs.

Written submissions from interested individuals and organisations are invited by COB Friday, 26 June 2015. The preferred method of receiving submissions is by electronic format lodged online using a My Parliament account. Please do not send submissions directly to the committee’s email inbox.

Guidance on preparing a submission is available on the committee’s website at www.aph.gov.au/jsctig

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