THE Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson has called on Australia Post to defer its plans to stop delivering perishable goods, saying this would be a crushing blow to small business producers.

Mr Billson said Australia Post’s decision to cease delivery of various perishable goods from June 30 is a self-imposed deadline that could be delayed to work through its concerns, to support small business food producers.

“Given Australia Post has 80 percent share of the total delivery market, this abrupt decision could prove to be devastating to those small business food producers who rely on this essential postage service,” Mr Billson said.

“So many small businesses moved to selling their products online as a result of the COVID crisis. They need some additional time to consider what options they have to fulfil their orders.

“We strongly encourage Australia Post to consider the impact this will have on their small business customers and to work with regulators to find a way to continue this essential service. 

“Australia Post says the carriage of perishable food requirements differ state-by-state however there has been a national Food Regulation Agreement in place since 2000.

“My office has reached out to Australia Post and the state small business commissioners, who have all expressed their willingness facilitate discussions with industry regulators, to help resolve any issues Australia Post is experiencing across the delivery network," Mr Billson said.

“It is crucial to support small businesses as they work to recover from an incredibly challenging 12 months.

“Part of that is ensuring essential services such as postage of goods are both readily available and affordable to these affected small businesses.”

www.asbfeo.gov.au

ends

THE Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works has announced that it will scrutinise a new project from the Department of Defence which aims to provide vital estate maintenance and upgrades to support capability across RAAF Base Townsville, Townsville Field Training Area and HMAS Cairns.

Details of the project are: Department of Defence - North Queensland Mid Term Refresh Program – RAAF Base Townsville, Townsville Field Training Area and HMAS Cairns — $111.2 million.

It is anticipated that the committee will conduct a public and in-camera hearing for the inquiry in mid-May 2021. The committee wants to hear from all individuals or organisations interested in the project.

Submissions for the project will be accepted until Thursday May 13, 2021.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works is not involved in the tendering process, awarding of contracts or details of the proposed works. Inquiries on these matters should be addressed to the relevant Commonwealth entities.

For more information about this Committee, you can visit its website. On the site, you can make a submission to an inquiry, read other submissions, and get details for upcoming public hearings.

ends

AS WE APPROACH ANZAC DAY, Sunshine Coast veteran Krishell Ennis hopes that time can be taken to highlight the support structures available to fellow female veterans along their transition back to civilian life.

Ms Ennis hopes that by sharing her own struggles, other veterans will navigate the experience a little easier.

Joining the navy when she was 22 years old, Ms Ennis served for nine years as a communications information systems sailor. Like many other veterans, Ms Ennis found it difficult to find her footing after rejoining civilian life in 2013.

“I think the biggest issue when I left, and I think it’s still that way today, is the transition between military and civilian world,” Ms. Ennis said. “There is no explanation of your skills and what sort of job you can now go for.

“You have to fumble around a lot.”

Ms Ennis emphasises the mental toll that this struggle can take, and how it can make veterans feel as if no-one wants to give them a chance.

“Getting my first job, it was hard…  I was unemployed for ages,” Ms Ennis said. “You end up thinking maybe I should just go back [to service] because as far as I know I have all these skills, but no-one wants to give me a job.”

Ms Ennis believes that it is not lack of services that is causing veterans to feel alone, but instead the lack of information about where to find the right services in an already overwhelming process.

“There is no little handy pack that says where you can go when you leave,” Ms Ennis said. “If you are feeling isolated, especially with mental health, there is nothing that says who your contacts are. Even one little sheet of paper would make a huge difference.”

Ms Ennis said that making this information readily available would help veterans to be able to easily access services before they may begin to feel isolated or overwhelmed.

Ms Ennis specifically hopes to stress this to young female veterans, who she believes can often be especially isolated upon their return. Speaking of a wellness group she helped create for fellow female veterans, she noticed the importance of making sure that everyone felt included.

“We had women who had not really been engaged and had just looked at programs and events,” Ms Ennis said.  

“They came to our wellness event and were saying ‘This is the first thing I have come to’ and it was just wonderful to see that we could engage those who otherwise may have been isolated.”

Ms Ennis pinpoints connection for all veterans as one of the most important factors in successful reintegration.   

“It’s hugely important for people to still connect, it’s the disconnect that makes a lot of problems,” Ms Ennis said.  “It’s important for people to know who you are so if you’re not doing well, we can tell.

“If someone isn’t commenting on the page or they’re speaking negatively, you will be able to know what is out of character.”  

Ms. Ennis highlights STEPS Young Veterans Support Program as one of the important available resources to veterans.

The program provides specialised employment support, from helping to identify career pathways, translating military experience into applicable workplace skills, and providing support for how to excel in your new role.

Ms Ennis specifically credits the importance of the program’s consultants having lived experience.

“You can talk to them in a different way knowing that they’ll understand, you feel like you don’t have to filter and they’re really open and sharing,” Ms Ennis said. “They have been so encouraging.”

Ms. Ennis approached the program to undertake a community services diploma and was grateful to feel involved and valued in the process.

“I wanted to start doing a community services diploma and they were so helpful,” Ms Ennis said. “It was amazing to have someone say ‘hey, we could help you’, rather than just directing you to a website or getting you to do something online.

“It’s personal, you’re not just another number because no-one wants to be just another number.”

Ms Ennis hopes that accessing these programs will become standard for veterans and wishes to see a more positive shift in the experience of all veterans.

“Put yourself out there to engage with others and know that there is always the support and help available to you,” Ms Ennis said.

“Never feel like you’re alone and you have got nowhere to go to.”

If you or someone you know could benefit from the STEPS Young Veterans Support Program, speak to one of the veteran support consultants today on 5453 8700 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. More information can be found at https://www.stepsemploymentsolutions.com.au/young-veterans-support-program/

ends

IT IS A YEAR since a policy to protect workers in hazardous occupations has been in operation. In welcoming the many workers who have benefited from this policy Cbus is concerned proposed legislation could put that vital insurance protection at risk.

Under the Putting Members Interest First Bill, the Senate Crossbench and the Government, together with the ALP and Greens Senators, voted to recognise the importance of insurance for super members in hazardous jobs.

Due to this recognition and amendment, from 1 April 2020 workers in dangerous jobs have been able to keep their automatic entitlement to insurance if they were under 25 years old (via the Dangerous Occupation Exception).

Claims made and paid out by Cbus in this period include tragic incidents of teenagers, fathers and carers dying during this period, and includes members being killed or injured at work.

Just for the building and construction sector that Cbus covers, the Dangerous Occupation Exception has allowed 115,800 building and construction workers to obtain or retain vital insurance. A total of $7,256,200 (58 claims) has already been paid to members or their beneficiaries between 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 that would not have received any insurance at all, had the exception not been passed into legislation.

About 93,000 existing Cbus members were able to retain their insurance from 1 April 2020 due to the existence of the Dangerous Occupation Exception. 22,800 new members who joined Cbus from 1 April 2020 to 31 March 2021 were provided cover automatically under the Dangerous Occupation Exception.

Cbus is concerned that the availability of insurance for workers in hazardous occupations is now at risk of being undermined with the stapling proposal in the Your Future, Your Super Bill. Stapling would link a worker to their first super account for their first job, unless the worker actively chooses another fund (unfortunately, most young workers don’t). The proposed stapling measure puts at risk young workers new to building and construction, who are at risk of no longer receiving automatic, affordable insurance cover through the Dangerous Occupation Exception.

In addition, many funds’ policies – including those funds that workers are most likely to be stapled to under Your Future Your Super – contain exclusions or unfavourable terms and conditions because insurance cover has not been tailored for their hazardous industry. This means that despite paying insurance premiums, workers in higher risk heavy blue-collar occupations or people working above 15 metres are not actually covered. Members and their families typically only discover these exclusions when tragedy has struck, and they try, and fail, to make a claim against cover they believed they had.

Cbus CEO Justin Arter said, “The first year of the Dangerous Occupation Exception has shown tangible benefits to Cbus members who continued to have insurance coverage. We acknowledge the positive implications of the amendment from the Senate Crossbench and Government.

“This first year of operation of the Dangerous Occupation Exception underscores the importance of the amendment. Why would there be recognition for the importance of insurance for workers in dangerous occupations then, but not after a year in operation? The flow through effects of the amendment illustrate how we must stay the course with providing industry specific insurance for workers in hazardous jobs.

“If a construction worker is ‘stapled’ to a fund they joined at their first job, they could be paying for insurance that won’t cover them if they’re seriously injured. Many Cbus insurance claims are from workers in their first year on the building site when they are new to the industry and at higher risk.

“For example, having access to automatic insurance is fundamental for members working with heavy machinery and working from heights.

“Workers need protection from their first day on site. The first year of the Dangerous Occupation Exception has meant that protection has been there when workers most need it. Without it, their families would suffer financially.

“The Your Future Your Super Bill should be rejected by the Senate Committee examining it. The recent hearings exposed that the issues with it are too many, and far too serious to be resolved via tinkering. If passed, it could leave 2.7 million people* - 20 percent of our working population - who work in in hazardous occupations worse off.”

Cbus’ broader concerns with the Your Future Your Super Bill are outlined in Cbus’ full submission, which is available upon request.

Reference:

*Figures are based on analysis of Safe Work Australia’s Work-related Traumatic Injury Fatalities data from 2016 and 2017 (the most recent available for each occupation), as set out in Tables 1 & 2, Actuaries Institute Information Note - Dangerous Occupation, November 2019, https://www.actuaries.asn.au/Library/Standards/MultiPractice/2019/INFinaltoAI261119.pdf

About Cbus:

Cbus is the leading Industry Super Fund for the building, construction and allied industries. As one of Australia’s largest super funds, we provide superannuation and income stream accounts to more than 776,000 members and we manage over $60 billion of our members’ money (as at 28 February 2021). Our members include workers and retirees, their families and employers.

ends

WHAT LIES BENEATH is about to become a whole lot clearer in Queensland following today’s launch by Resources Minister Scott Stewart of the state’s fifth consecutive round of funding to support exploration. 

Queensland Exploration Council Chair Kim Wainwright said competition for funding through the State Government’s Collaborative Exploration Initiative (CEI) was expected to be strong, based on the response to previous rounds. 

“These highly sought-after grants play a critical role in helping to get explorers onto the ground and we warmly welcome today’s announcement by the State Government of $2.5 million in funding for this CEI round,” she said. 

“So far, the CEI has provided $10 million worth of funding to more than 190 explorers over the past 14 years. 

“Explorers take on a lot of risk many traditional businesses shy away from, but their commitment and passion to uncover new resources contributes to the overall wealth of all Queenslanders.” 

Ms Wainwright said Queensland’s CEI had already led to more than 50 significant mineral deposit discoveries over the past 14 years in under-explored areas of Queensland, amongst them significant silver, lead and zinc deposits as large as South 32’s Cannington mine. 

“Funding received through a previous CEI round also contributed to Australia’s largest discovery of a copper-cobalt resource by Aeon Metals,” she said. 

“Another great example is the $200,000 in funding awarded to Red Metal to use  magnetotelluric survey equipment to undertake detailed mapping of known zinc, lead and silver deposits in and around the old Century Mine near Lawn Hill.” 

Ms Wainwright said new mineral discoveries will lead to more jobs for Queenslanders and billions of dollars in royalties going into the state budget. 

She said Queensland has vast potential to provide the critical minerals and rare earths needed to manufacture everyday items like smart phones and renewable energy products such as wind turbines, electric cars, solar panels and batteries. 

“Queensland has critical minerals the world needs to produce the infrastructure required for renewable energy as we transition to a low-emissions future,” she said. 

www.qrc.org.au

ends

ON THURSDAY and Friday, April 22-23, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health, Aged Care and Sport will hold two days of public hearings in Melbourne as part of the committee’s ongoing inquiry into approval processes for new drugs and novel medical technologies in Australia.

The committee will hear evidence from numerous stakeholders including patient advocacy groups, various pharmaceutical companies, research bodies and clinical trial centres. The program for the hearings is available at the committee’s website.

The chair of the committee, Trent Zimmerman MP, said, "The inquiry has received a lot of interest with 185 submissions to date. At the public hearing, the committee will continue to hear from stakeholders to find out how Australia’s approval systems and funding for new medicines and novel medical technologies will provide the best possible outcomes for all Australians now and into the future.

"In particular, the committee is interested in hearing about new innovative drugs and novel therapies that are being developed in Australia and overseas. The repurposing of drugs to treat new conditions will also be discussed.

"Two other important aspects to be reviewed include making the approvals process for new drugs and novel medical technologies more efficient, and consideration as to how Australia could be a more attractive location for clinical trials,’ Mr Zimmerman said.

Further information about the committee’s inquiry including the full terms of reference are also available at the Committee’s website. Seating at the public hearing will be limited due to Covid restrictions. Interested parties are encouraged to listen to the audio live streaming.

ends

AUSTRALIA'S FIRST ASTRONAUT, Paul Scully-Power, appeared before the House Standing Committee on Industry, Innovation, Science and Resources for its Inquiry into Developing Australia’s Space Industry  in Sydney today.

Dr Scully-Power shared  his experiences and insights into what he describes as the ‘next world revolution’.

The chair of the committee, Barnaby Joyce MP said, "The Committee is very excited to be hearing from Dr Scully-Power and his ideas around ‘new space’, new technologies, and new opportunities for people to be involved in the space industry. Space related technologies were once considered those of the future – robots, drones, remote sensors, and artificial intelligence – but are very much where we are now.  

"For Australia to be competitive, we need to not only foster these technologies and their applications but ensure we have people with the right skills and expertise to make it happen." Mr Joyce said.

Other witnesses appearing in Sydney included Saber Astronautics, Solar Space Technologies, Moonshot, and the Space Industry Association of Australia.

The Committee will also hold a hearing in Armidale tomorrow.

Mr Joyce said, "There is so much potential for our rural and regional areas to benefit from and get involved in Australia’s space sector. This includes the links between our regional industries and the space sector, the application of space related technology and infrastructure to agriculture, health and telecommunications; and of course the uptake of regional education and training to better equip young people to build careers in this industry."

The committee will conduct a site visit of the University of New England’s SMART Farm Innovation Centre to see how satellites, sensors and software are being used in agriculture and farm management.

ends

COVID-19 HAS HAD a severe impact on First Nations businesses, with Kinaway Chamber of Commerce claiming 22 percent of its Members (Indigenous businesses) in Victoria ceased operations in March 2020.

Thanks to LaunchVic, Barayamal is supporting five Indigenous businesses from Victoria during this challenging time by providing mentoring and workshops to overcome and thrive after COVID-19.

The participants include Elise Muller, a Wiradjeri and Palaway woman who started a social enterprise that supports young people with Autism through mentoring and support to achieve their goals. After achieving success as an elite VFLW player (played for the Western Bulldogs and Essendon), Elise is now looking to achieve success in business too with the help of Barayamal.

Another accelerator participant, Kira-Lea Dargin from Willow & Co started her innovative skincare brand after a serious health battle and said “I began to focus on my personal well being and implanting cultural remedies and foods into my families daily life. As I drew on my past knowledge and additionally began to further my research my love for culture, native benefits and well being developed my path into entrepreneurship and the establishment of an organic Aboriginal skincare brand.“

CEO of Barayamal, Mr Dean Foley, said an accelerator typically helps startups to gain access to business networks, knowledge, expertise and early-stage funding they need to build successful businesses.

“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entrepreneurs in Victoria and throughout Australia have been struggling during COVID-19 but Barayamal has come a long way since launching the world’s first Accelerator program for Indigenous entrepreneurs in 2016 so we are looking forward to providing the participants with world-class support to overcome their challenges,” Mr Foley said.

Over the next 6-months, participants will learn the foundations of First Nations Entrepreneurship, contemporary techniques for taking their business ideas step by step through the essential stages, and growing their revenue. At the end of the program, Barayamal will showcase their successes to the world via a vast live audience online, similar to the 2019 Barayamal Accelerator Demo Day which was presented in person and online.

Further information:
Dean Foley
Barayamal
p: +61 458 980 232 
e: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Accelerator Participants:
Sara Stuart (VIC)

• Currency Print And Corporate Communications LTD - a print manufacturer with a National footprint providing design, print, marketing and distribution products and services  
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Joseph Barnes-Hill (VIC)

• Renew Energy Services Pty Ltd (RES) - Through Renew Energy Services RES provides commercial property owners & business owners access to solar through power purchase agreements.
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Elise Muller (VIC)

• Active Support - Active Support mentors young people on the Autism Spectrum who are isolated to find connection and purpose in their community and achieve their goals.
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thara Brown & Tarsh Bamblett (VIC)

• Wala Connections - Wala Connections exists to deepen all peoples connections to self, culture and country through creative expression, storytelling, dance and wellbeing practices.
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Deb Miller (VIC)

• Aunty I’s Wellbeing Centre - Wellbeing Centre for women and girls.
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Jason Davis (NT)

• Holdaccess - software for enterprises, and a mobile app platform which integrates to a digital identification card.
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Ruby Heard (QLD)

• Alinga Energy Consulting - Research, feasibility, design, audits and training in the area of renewable energy.
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Kira-Lea Dargin (NSW)

• Willow & Co - Organic skincare formulated from traditional Aboriginal medicine and remedies using native ingredients.
• This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.