19 September, 2006
Parking your tax return
Tempted to fritter your tax refund on shopping bargains? According to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, if you’re lucky enough to have some extra cash, one of the better ways to use this bonus is to pay off a debt or contribute extra into your superannuation.
    “This is your money, so think about how to spend it to your advantage,” said ASIC’s Deputy Executive Director of Consumer Protection, Delia Rickard.
    &“It’s always tempting to treat yourself, but with a little planning, you can actually make a big difference to your finances.  Chances are, if you weren’t expecting the money, you won’t miss it if you put it away for the future.”

    2. Get the recent interest rate rises working for you. As interest rates go up, so do the levels of interest you can earn on your savings.
   “Put your refund away now and watch your money grow – choose an account that offers competitive interest rates and won’t charge you fees. If you have a savings account already, add to your funds and earn interest on the increased balance,” Ms Rickard said..
   “In time, you could use the money you’ve saved to cover unplanned expenses, rather than relying on your credit card.”

   3. Make an additional contribution to your super fund.
   “Making additional contributions from time to time can give your super balance a real boost. You can also make contributions to your spouse’s superannuation and, depending on your salary, you may be eligible for a Government co-contribution,” Ms Rickard said.
    Check the ATO’s website at www.ato.gov.au or contact it on 13 10 20 to find out more about the Government’s co-contribution scheme.

 *ASIC’s consumer website, FIDO at www.fido.gov.au, offers information and advice on a range of financial topics including tips on how to cut down on expenses and maximize your savings.

*Your Money, ASIC’s practical guide to making the most of your money, is also available on FIDO, or contact ASIC’s Infoline on 1300 300 630 to request a copy

19 September, 2006
Greens See Red Over Procurement Buy-Lines
Government procurement has been singled out as a major weapon in the war to make Australia more sustainable.
   A report from the House of Representatives Environment Committee has suggested that better environmental outcomes could be achieved for the nation through better management of the Government’s procurement dollar.
   In a recent report, the Committee said it was deeply concerned by shortcomings in Government Agency green procurement performance and the apparent lack of a clear policy framework to drive ecologically sustainable practices.
   Committee chair, West Australian Liberal, Dr Mal Washer MP said Australian Government Agencies spend around $17 billion each year on goods and services and their activities generate greenhouse gas emissions, office waste that went into landfills, as well as using other scarce resources such as water.
   Dr Washer said Australia had one of the world’s highest levels of water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions per capita and the Committee was keen to examine the environmental performance of Government Agencies.
   According to the Committee, in an office environment the cost of office equipment goes beyond the purchase price.  An environmental cost is also incurred in the manufacture, use and subsequent disposal of office equipment and products.
   “Green procurement is a market instrument to achieve sustainable consumption," Dr Washer said. "It is crucial that the Commonwealth Government lead the way in implementing green procurement principles and practices.”
   The Committee reviewed the 2005-06 Cross Portfolio Audit of Green Office Procurement as part of its inquiry into an Australian Sustainability Charter. It found the Auditor-General’s report to be an important snapshot of Government procurement and environmental behaviour.
   The Committee’s review was an interim report that did not contain recommendations, however, it highlighted the need for national action to develop a cohesive and coordinated approach to procurement and sustainability.
The interim report could be viewed at www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/environ/charter/interim_report.htm

19 September, 2006
High Court Foils FOI Bid
A High Court decision on the role of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal will have significant consequences for agencies considering using conclusive certificates when responding to Freedom of Information requests according to a lawyer with the Australian Government Solicitor’s office.
    Justin Davidson of AGS said the High Court’s decision, in McKinnon v Secretary, Department of Treasury, confirms the view that the Tribunal does not make its own assessment as to whether disclosure is contrary to the public interest when reviewing a conclusive certificate.
   “Instead, the Tribunal must focus its attention on whether reasonable grounds exist for concluding that disclosure is contrary to the public interest,” Mr Davidson said.“In doing so, the Tribunal must consider the relevant facts and arguments put before it.”
    “This means the Tribunal retains its important role in reviewing conclusive certificates, however it seems that one reasonable ground in support of the claim may be enough if supported by strong evidence, including the content of the specific documents in issue.”
   Mr Davidson, who acted as instructing solicitor for Treasury in the case, said the High Court ruled in Treasury’s favour, dismissing the appeal by a majority of 3-2, Justices  Callinan and Heydon delivering a joint judgment for the majority, with Justice Hayne delivering the other majority judgment. Chief Justice Gleeson and Justice Kirby  delivered a joint judgment in dissent.
   Mr Davidson said all five judges held that it was not the role of the Tribunal to decide whether the disclosure of a document was contrary to the public interest, instead, the focus under the subsection is on the existence of reasonable grounds supporting the decision in the certificate.
   The Freedom of Information Act 1982 establishes a regime for members of the public to access Government documents but allows some kinds of documents, including internal working documents to be protected if Ministers or Secretaries of Agencies issue certificates to conclusively exempt them from access.

19 September, 2006
Women Still Shortchanged on Pay Rates
New research into women’s pay and conditions has highlighted concerns about gaps between male and female wages and the availability of family friendly working hours and leave provisions.
   The report from the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, National Foundation for Australian Women and Women’s Electoral Lobby looks at women's wages and conditions in the Australian workforce.
   The Women’s Employment Status Key Indicators report was based on research by the Women in Social and Economic Research Unit at Curtin University of Technology's Graduate School of Business.
   The report emphasises the need for more comprehensive collection of national data about women's pay and working conditions.
   It recommends a greater role in collecting data by the Office of the Employment Advocate, and said there should be ongoing research by the Australian Fair Pay Commission, given the high number of women working in minimum wage sectors.
   Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Pru Goward said the research ensured we have a detailed and accurate picture of the current position of women workers in Australia.
   "This will allow us to reliably track any changes in years to come, especially in key industries where many women work, such as childcare, aged care, cleaning, retail trade and hospitality," Ms Goward said.
   It would assist development of comprehensive public policy on issues facing women in the labour market and highlight the responses needed to improve gender equality in Australian workplaces, she said.
   The report can be viewed at www.humanrights.gov.au or www.nfaw.org.

19 September, 2006
Lights, Cameras, Everything in ABC Energy Audit
The Australian Braodcasting Corporation is to undergo a comprehensive energy audit targeting every aspect of the broadcaster's operations across Australia.
   Managing Director of the ABC, Mark Scott, said the audit would show where and how the ABC was using energy and areas of waste, then recommend where and how reductions could be made.
   He said the audit would look at the ABC's use of air-conditioning, lighting and more efficient ways to reduce lighting energy, best practices for recycling paper and other materials.
   "Individuals and organisations are being challenged everywhere to find practical steps that can be taken to ensure we are efficient users of energy," Mr Scott said. "This energy audit will help us determine as a corporation what we can do to help reduce the energy consumption of the ABC."
   He said the audit would identify operational procedures to reduce energy consumption and minimise waste.
   "It will allow us to build on best practice that is already underway at different parts of the organisation and implement some new measures across the ABC."
   He said the ABC would benchmark itself against industry leaders in creating environmentally sound and responsible workplaces.
   "In such a large organisation, I think we can make a significant achievement in this area," Mr Scott said.

19 September, 2006
Finance Promoted in Defence Force
Members of the Defence Force hare to have access to independent financial advice following the launch of the Australian Defence Force Financial Services Consumer Council.
   The council will provide financial education to all ADF members and their families to enable them to make informed decisions about their financial futures.
   According to Defence Minister, Dr Brendan Nelson, the new council would be independent and include a range of people from within and outside Defence, combining Service experience with expertise in the financial services industry.
   The Minister said the Council would be chaired by Ken Kipping, a consumer advocate with wide experience in the insurance, superannuation and financial services industries.
   Other members would be Wing Commander Robert Brown who is chair of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia’s financial planning committee and member of their national superannuation committee; RAAF Specialist Reservist Glen Tye, Defence’s Director of Personnel Support and Amenities and the three Directors General-Personnel of the Navy, Army and Air Force, Commodore Nigel Coates, Brigadier Paul Symon and Air Commodore Lee Roberts.
   Dr Nelson said the council would develop educational resources, training and guidance with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
   He said the move built on Government commitments to financial literacy, including establishing the Financial Literacy Foundation in June 2005 and this year’s Understanding Money campaign.

19 September, 2006
Security Blanket for IT Systems
A new agreement with AusCERT, the Australian Computer Emergency Response Team, has been entered to further secure the Government’s information technology systems from security threats.
   Announcing the agreement, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock said AusCERT provided information on computer threats and vulnerabilities to its subscribers, and the Government’s subscription would strengthen protection of its computer systems overall.
   “In subscribing to the AusCERT service, the Government is raising the level of security that protects Australian Government computers and the information they hold,” Mr Ruddock said.
   “Unfortunately there are many people – hackers, criminals and even terrorists – who see our computer systems as fair game.
   "We need to do everything we can to protect our IT systems, the subscription to AusCERT is an important part of this process,” he said.
   Mr Ruddock said the ability of the Government to serve Australians relies to a very large degree on robust and effective computer technologies.
   He said AusCERT was a not-for-profit team of IT security professionals based at the University of Queensland.
   The Government’s AusCERT subscription followed its recent Memorandum of Understanding to work together to protect Australian information infrastructure from cyber incidents

19 September, 2006
New Adoption Deal Adopted
The Commonwealth is to take primary responsibility for the establishment and management of bilateral arrangements on inter-country adoptions, a role currently held by State and Territory Governments.
   Attorney-General, Phillip Ruddock announced the move in his response to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Family and Human Services’ report, Overseas Adoption in Australia.
   “The Committee’s recommendations represent a blueprint for major reform of Australia’s overseas adoption system,” Mr Ruddock said.
   “The Australian Government supports the Committee’s call for reform and has accepted the vast majority of the Committee’s recommendations.”
   He said the response to the report also included commitments to:
   •  support adoptive parents by extending the eligibility criteria for the Maternity Immunisation Allowance to cover children adopted from overseas who arrive in Australia before the age of 16;
   •  ensure children whose adoption had been finalised under full and permanent Hague Convention arrangements could be registered as Australian citizens; and
   •  help establish a national peak overseas adoption group.
    Under the new arrangements the State and Territory Governments would continue to be responsible for the day-to-day processing and management of individual adoption applications, including the assessment of applicants.
   “The Government urges the States and Territories to ensure that applications are assessed quickly and thoroughly, so that aspiring adoptive parents are able to benefit from these reforms,” Mr Ruddock said.
   “The Government will also work with the States and Territories to renegotiate the Commonwealth-State Agreement to improve the effective delivery of inter-country adoption programs. Together, we can achieve better outcomes for Australian families.”

19 September, 2006
Super a Casualty of Medibank Sale
The Community and Public Sector Union has expressed concern at the planned sale of Medibank Private, saying it could affect superannuation outcomes for staff.
   "Once Medibank is no longer majority owned by the Government there will be no obligation to make employer superannuation contributions to the CSS and PSS schemes," the Union said.
   "The only obligation on Medibank for employees in CSS and PSS is an employer contribution of nine per cent paid into a new superannuation fund."
   It said that for CSS and PSS members this represented a “massive” cut in super of between 6.4 per cent and 11 per cent depending on the fund.
   The Union called on Medibank Private staff to join the CPSU to support its    campaign.
   "We need to be in a position of majority support to win a good outcome," it said. "In the past, we could bargain good pay and conditions with a low membership."
   The union said Medibank management was under pressure to maximise the sale price for Government.
   Australian Workplace Agreements were being offered which reduced existing pay and conditions, the union said.
   The CPSU said that when the Australian Government ceased majority ownership of a business, contributory membership of its employer-financed super arrangements also ceased.   The Union said Telstra staff would be in the same position when the Commonwealth shareholding fell below 50 per cent.
   "This means that Telstra employees who are members of the CSS will have to cease their CSS membership," the CPSU said.

19 September, 2006
Air Safety Reforms Take off
A series of key reforms to air safety arrangements has been announced to progress the Australian airspace reform program and improve both safety and efficiency.
.    Minister for Transport and Regional Services, Warren Truss said Australia’s aviation safety record was among the best in the world and the new changes would make it better.
   “We will now move ahead with transferring airspace classification and designation functions from Airservices Australia to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority,’’ Mr Truss said.      “These airspace regulatory functions will be performed within CASA by a dedicated unit ­ the Office of Airspace Regulation.”
   Mr Truss said this change would address any perceived conflict of interest between Airservices Australia’s service delivery functions and its role as the airspace regulator.
   He said the reforms would establish clear decision making responsibility for airspace changes, establish requirements for a single common risk management framework and processes for assessing and implementing future changes, and make agencies more accountable for their regulatory decisions.
   According to Mr Truss, as a nation Australia managed and provided air traffic services to 11 per cent of the airspace over the Earth’s surface.
   In 2002 the Government instituted a process whereby Australian airspace management would be modelled on the National Airspace System, in part to align Australia’s airspace classification system with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s internationally recognised system.
   It was also aimed at modelling Australia’s airspace system on the US system.
   Mr Truss said there had been important developments since the 2002 decision to adopt the NAS and these developments were the drivers of the reforms.

19 September, 2006
Bluestone Milestone for Victorian Barracks
Melbourne’s Victoria Barracks turns 150 years old this year.
   Established in 1856, the first bluestone building in Victoria has been headquarters to all three Australian Defence Services in its time as well as the Department of Defence.
   According to Army News, the building was constructed by soldiers of the original British garrison force, the Imperial 40th (2nd Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot between 1856 and 1872.
   The anniversary was marked with a colourful parade by the Victorian Re-enactment Society and a speech from the Commander, Joint Logistics, Air Vice Marshal Chris Spence.
   AVM Spence said thousands of servicemen and women had given countless years of service in Victoria Barracks.
   Many important decisions regarding the make-up of the Australian Defence Force were made at Victoria Barracks following Federation in 1901. The Royal Australian Air Force called the Barracks home in 1921, the year it was formed and between the 1920s and 1945, it was the centre from which Department of Defence infrastructure was decided and developed and from where war strategies were unveiled.
   In 1942 the Commander in Chief of the South West Pacific Area, General Douglas MacArthur met Prime Minister John Curtin to plan the conduct of World War II operations.
   According to AVM Spence, while much of Defence had moved to Canberra in the 1960’s the logistics area remained at Victoria Barracks.
   “Our demanding work in the tradition of service continues in the essential delivery of new capability, sustaining in-service capabilities and supporting ADF operations at home and when deployed,” AVM Spence said.
    “That work is recognised and appreciated not only at the highest levels, but also by the men and women we currently have in harm’s way,” he said.
   The Victoria Barracks are heritage-listed but also have an important place in military heritage.  

19 September, 2006
Centrelink’s Megan Rings up a Winner
Centrelink’s Megan Hughes has been named South Australia’s Call Centre Champion by the industry’s peak national body the Australian Teleservices Association.
   After only two-and-a-half years in the industry, the 27-year-old from Centrelink’s Adelaide CBD Call Centre was delighted to take out the State award.
   “It’s obviously a bit of a thrill but the remarkable thing is that I’m really just doing my job," Ms Hughes said.
   Despite the potentially stressful nature of the work, Ms Hughes said she really enjoyed what she did at Centrelink.
   "The people I work with make the job easy and I like having the variety of being able to do so many different things – one week I’m on the phones, the next I’m training new staff or acting as a Team Leader," she said.
   Ms Hughes said Adelaide Call was recognised as one of the best Centrelink Call Centres.
   "It’s a dynamic team environment that is hugely motivating and rewarding.”
   Ms Hughes was nominated for the award for the outstanding support and guidance she has provided to staff.
   She works in various capacities, including taking inbound calls, assisting colleagues with complex enquiries, assisting under-performing staff and coordinating training for new staff.
   The Call Centre Champion category is open to staff who have a major impact on the operation of a call centre, such as trainers and schedulers. Nominees must participate in a rigorous assessment process by the Australian Teleservices Association.
   Centrelink operates the largest single-purpose call centre network in Australia, employing more than 4500 staff across 25 sites and handling more than 28 million phone calls. Around 255 of the staff are employed at Adelaide Call.

19 September, 2006
Another Piece in Peacekeepers’ Memorial
A national memorial to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Australian peacekeepers is closer to reality, with the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Bruce Billson, handing over a cheque for $200,000 towards its construction in Canberra.
   Mr Billson presented the cheque to the Australian Peacekeepers’ Memorial Project Committee of the Australian Peacekeeper & Peacemaker Veterans’ Association, at a ceremony at the Australian War Memorial.
   “The Australian Government is pleased to be able to lend its support to this important project, in acknowledgment of the outstanding contribution of our peacekeepers to international peace and security,” Mr Billson said.
   He said since 1947 Australia had been involved in many peace operations around the world, mostly under United Nations mandate but also through groups such as the British ommonwealth and the South Pacific Forum.
   “We have earned a good reputation for our past and present peacekeeping in many of the world’s troubled spots, including the Middle East, Cyprus, Cambodia, former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, and closer to home in East Timor, the Solomon Islands and Bougainville,” Mr Billson said.
   To date some 30,000 Australian men and women have served and 10 have died in peace operations around the world.”

September 5, 2006
Name the Game in Reputation Stakes
Public Service Commissioner, Lynelle Briggs, has admitted the Australian Public service was not perfect, but said it was the best public service in the world
    Speaking on the importance of reputation and managing the risks that could harm it, Ms Briggs said that recent high profile failings across a number of Departments had damaged the reputation of the Public Service as a whole and that unless it was restored, the Service would have difficulty attracting staff, maintaining morale and performing the roles expected of it by the Australian people.
    She said while the public sector had suffered embarrassing failures, so had the private sector, with One-Tel, HIH and others also making the news.
    “Problems in one APS Agency reflect upon us all,” Ms Briggs said. “Our reputation is only as good as the service we deliver.”
    She said it could take years to repair damage to reputation caused by a public failure, agency culture could be destabilised and an organisation’s ability to achieve its business objectives affected.
    “We can recover, but along the way there is inevitably dissatisfaction, resentment and uncertainty among our staff, clients and other key stakeholders,” she said.
    Without making excuses for past mistakes, Ms Briggs said it was important to realise the people who made up the APS were only human.  “We make mistakes and we make wrong assumptions,” she said.
    “Sometimes our processes let us down, we may not always know the right thing to do in any given circumstances, and we are often under pressure due to resourcing shortfalls, short timeframes, or bosses who don’t help us enough to do our jobs properly.”
    She said despite these restraints, the administrative and financial reforms of the past 30 years had contributed significantly to the APS’s reputation.
    “The Australian Public Service id the best public service in the world,’’ she said.
    “The APS generally has a good name and a good standing in the community and a particularly good standing overseas.”
    She said the away to build on and protect the APS’s reputation was to establish indicators that monitored the health of organisations and use them to detect signs of impending failure

September 5, 2006
Healthy Response to Disability Report
The heads of all Australian Public Service Departments and major agencies have committed to eight objectives to promote employment of people with disabilities in the APS.
    Listed in a report of the Management Advisory Committee entitled The Employment of People With a Disability in the APS, the eight objectives include creating a culture that valued diversity, adopting accessible recruitment strategies and work experience opportunities, introducing special employment measures and creating disability-friendly workplaces.
    With the number of people with disabilities falling from 6.6 per cent of the APS in 1985-86 to 3.8 per cent in 2004-05, the blame has been put on the reduction in clerical assistant positions in that time, the higher educational qualifications required these days for APS entry and the outsourcing of many functions traditionally done in-house by lower ranked staff.
    Public Service Commissioner Lynelle Briggs said there was also a likelihood many people with disabilities “simply couldn’t cope physically or mentally due to heavier workloads.”
    The move to employ more people with disabilities in the PS was welcomed by the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Kevin Andrews who said recent workplace reforms encouraged them to seek out work and the APS could be a beneficiary.
    "The policy setting has never been more favourable for encouraging the employment of people with a disability," Mr Andrews said."The Australian Public Service provides a range of employment opportunities for people with disability," he said.
    The MAC report highlighted the business case for employing people with disabilities and identified better practice strategies to help agencies meet the eight objectives.
    Mr Andrews said the report highlighted arrangements available to employers and employees to develop workplace agreements that best suited their needs and circumstances.
    He said workplace agreements were prohibited from including any terms that discriminated against an employee on the basis of a physical or mental disability.
    "We need to recognise that employing people with disability makes good business sense," Mr Andrews said.
    The report can be viewed at www.apsc.gov.au.
    A Healthy Look at Disability: This week’s PS NewsTalking Point

September 5, 2006
PS IT Staff in Line For Reboot
Opportunities for ICT professionals to join the Australian Public Service are to be improved, the 2006 Government Technology Evolution Conference was told.
   Special Minister of State Gary Nairn addressed the conference and reinforced the Government's commitment to a skilled ICT workforce within the APS.
   He said the Government had established an inter-departmental ICT professional and skills development taskforce, comprising representatives from 13 agencies and an observer from State Governments.
   The taskforce would develop practical solutions to the challenges of obtaining and retaining the right skills in the right locations, he said.
    “Mentoring plays an important part of our retention strategy," Mr Nairn said.
    With Dell Australia, the Government supported an innovative mentoring program, Women in Information Technology Mentoring. Centrelink, the Australian Government Information Management Office and the Department of Education, Science and Technology were involved.
    "We’re hoping this program will provide a template for general mentoring programs to apprentices, cadets and wider target groups in the APS," Mr Nairn said.
    He confirmed a one-year contract had been signed with the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) to promote ICT careers in the APS through its website and promotions.
    He also highlighted the importance geospatial technology played in assisting government to engage with citizens.
    “Geospatial technology was used in this year’s Commonwealth Games to provide travel advice to visitors, providing everything from maps to specific directions advice," he said.

September 5, 2006
Agency Not Kidding Over Child Support Debt
The Child Support Agency has been congratulated by its Minister for debt collection initiatives that have netted millions of dollars in previously unpaid child support.
    The Agency’s Late Payment Penalty Incentive, combined with the its Intensive Debt Collection initiative, have together collected more than $93 million, the Minister for Human Services, Joe Hockey, said.
    "This is great news for Australian children,” Mr Hockey said.
    "In Victoria alone, since July 2003 a total of 11,661 parents have paid almost $27 million in owed child support under the initiative,” he said.
    The initiative began in 2003 to target 66,000 parents owing a total of $130 million in long-term child support debt. Included were about 23,000 parents who owed more than $10,000 and 15,000 parents who had never paid any child support over the life of their case.
    The Agency recently announced it was seeking to hire up to 120 additional financial investigators to boost its compliance operations.
    National Compliance Manager, Angela Tillmanns said that parents had until the end of December 2006 to commit to pay their debts off in order to have late payment penalties cancelled.
    The Late Payment Penalty Incentive allowed the late payment penalty to be cancelled if the parent entered into, and adhered to, an arrangement to repay their debt in a timely manner.
    “Almost 65,000 children have benefited from this initiative since its inception in mid-2003 with nearly one-in-five parents contacted taking up this offer,” Ms Tillmanns said.
    Most parents who pay child support - 78 per cent - owed little or nothing in child support.
    CSA can collect overdue child support through a number of ways, including negotiated voluntary payments, direct deductions from wages, interception of tax refunds and legal action.

September 5, 2006
Defence Staff Urged to Get Behind Frontline
Army and Air Force personnel have been urged to support the Frontline canteen and tavern services while new arrangements are put in place to shore up the organisation’s future.
    Deputy Chief of Air Force, Air Vice Marshall John Blackburn issued the call in Air Force News,  saying the Air Force had participated in a Departmental review of Frontline and it was clear the organisation required renewal if it was to be an effective provider of services.
    Frontline is a Commonwealth authority that supported Army and Air Force personnel with canteen and tavern services on bases and on certain operations and exercises.
    Air Vice Marshall Blackburn said the Frontline services were important to the morale and welfare of Defence personnel and in some locations like Tindal, it also supported Air Force families.
    "Over the last five years several factors, including smaller base populations and increased retail competition, have adversely affected its profitability," Air Vice Marshall Blackburn  said. "Unless action is taken to improve its profitability, we will lose this support."
    AVM Blackburn said his staff were working with Frontline, the Army and other Defence groups to put in place sustainable arrangements that would provide a good level of service to customers.
    "I ask you for your patience and support while these changes are made," he said.
    "Most importantly, I ask you to continue to support Frontline with your custom. "Frontline exists to serve Air Force and Army people and relies on your custom."
    Frontline will continue to operate canteen services, but there will some changes, such as to store opening hours.
    "Some may already have noticed the closure of the Pay Plan facility.
    "Though I appreciate that Pay Plan was attractive to customers, there are ready alternatives for most of the products sold under the scheme."
    AVM Blackburn said the RAAF Welfare Trust Fund also provided loans for a variety of purposes.
    He said there was still a great deal of work to be done to determine the new arrangements for canteen and tavern services.
    "As these become clearer over the next few months, more details will be provided."
    Frontline provided a service which in many locations was not commercially viable. Regulations and stakeholder expectations required it to operate on a competitive, commercial basis to service a customer base which was very small, about 30,000, via its 30 convenience stores on 33 bases.
    By comparison, commercial convenience stores will not invest unless the customer count is greater than 8000 customers per day.
    In excess of $1.2 million of cross-subsidisation was absorbed by Frontline to ensure members in remote locations, smaller bases or during exercise and operations had access to the reliable and consistent retail offers.
    Frontline employs more than 300 people, about 20 per cent of whom are spouses/partners of ADF personnel.

September 5, 2006
Aussie Exporters Going For a Song
Austrade, the export promotion agency, has created a new China Entertainment Team to help Australian entertainers enter the Chinese market.
    The team is based in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.
    Austrade’s Shanghai-based Senior Trade Commissioner, Christopher Wright, said the organisation had recently helped Aussie jazz great James Morrison and Emma Pask to promote their performances at the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre in August.
    Mr Wright said the success of James Morrison was an example of a range of opportunities in China where the market was opening up rapidly to imported or international talent and performers.
    “As the market continues to mature, there is an increase in demand for international acts and Chinese audiences are open to more diverse types of shows and artists," Mr Wright said.
    "From rock to reggae, to classical and jazz, then to full scale Broadway musicals, the market opportunities are seemingly endless," he said.
    Mr Wright said shows such as Cats, Phantom of the Opera and The Sound of Music, had played to sellout audiences in Shanghai.
    “Lion King with a predominantly Australian cast has been performing at the Shanghai Grand Theatre since July with many shows sold-out.” 
    While European and USA artists enjoy mass awareness in the China market, Australian talent has been lesser well known – until now.
    The development of Austrade’s new Entertainment Team coincided with Austrade’s inaugural Celebrate Australia in Shanghai from 21-24 October. 
    The Australian Ballet will perform Swan Lake in late October during Celebrate Australia.

September 5, 2006
Three Tiers For New Agreement
An historic agreement between Federal, State and Local Government in Tasmania promises to improve the coordination of aged care and services for older people in that State.
    Signed in Hobart recently, the Tripartite Partnership Agreement for Population Ageing in Tasmania was signed by the Commonwealth Minister for Ageing, Senator Santo Santoro; Tasmanian Premier, Paul Lennon; and President of the Local Government Association of Tasmania, Councillor Mike Gaffney.
    The three said the agreement was the first of its kind in Australia and an excellent example of innovative collaboration between governments.
    Senator Santoro said the Commonwealth provided more than $200 million each year for aged and community care services to support older Tasmanians.
    "This agreement should see more cooperation between different levels of government to ensure that planning meets the needs of Tasmania’s ageing population," Senator Santoro said.
    Mr Lennon said the agreement had been initiated by the State Government and was particularly relevant to Tasmania.
    "One in four Tasmanians is over 55 and in population terms, we are the second oldest state but the fastest ageing," Mr Lennon said.
    He said the agreement would build on the work that all governments were doing for older people and would help address the challenges of an ageing population.
    The agreement committed to joint action for better coordination and access to information, improved planning of aged-care services and encouraging best practice and innovation in providing aged-care services and accommodation.
    Councillor Gaffney said councils around Australia faced significant challenges in providing age-friendly environments.
    "This agreement recognises that to meet these challenges successfully, there must be authentic cooperation between the three spheres of government, positive working relationships with business and industry and, importantly, effective consultation with our communities."

September 5, 2006
Runway Project Straight and Level
Antarctica’s new runway for large aircraft will be ready to welcome its first trial flights in December.
    Environment Minister Ian Campbell said construction on the 4km Wilkins ice runway – the largest runway in Australia – had been underway since last year and was part of the Australian Government's $43.6 million intercontinental Antarctic airlink commitment.
    Teams of expeditioners had been working on the runway for weeks at a time over the past year, sometimes in temperatures hovering around -40°C.
    A runway construction team would arrive in early October to continue proof rolling and compacting the runway surface ahead of the trial flights.
    Senator Campbell said the direct five-hour airlink was a long-held dream of researchers and support personnel, particularly those who could not afford to spend weeks at sea.
    "The new air transport service will provide a far more efficient way of getting people to and from Antarctica," Senator Campbell said.
    He said the new service would change the way we engaged with Antarctica, possibly opening up tourism and other opportunities.
    "We already know that thousands of tourists visit Antarctica every year," he said.
    "It is predicted that around 200,000 people will visit Antarctica each year leaving from South America alone over the next 20 years."

September 5, 2006
Sports Commission to Honour Write Stuff
Nominations have opened for the 2006 Australian Sports Commission Media Awards — the only awards dedicated solely to the coverage of sport.
    The Awards are open to all journalists and broadcasters whose work appeared in the Australian media between 1 October 2005 and 30 September 2006.
    Now in its fifth year, the ASC Media Awards focus on analytical, insightful reporting in the presentation of sport and sporting issues by journalists, broadcasters and photographers.
    Australian Sports Commission Chief Executive, Mark Peters said the past 12 months highlighted the important role media play in covering sport and issues in sport.
    “Australian media have brought the most defining moments, crucial issues and controversial incidents in sport, including the successes and dramas of this year’s Melbourne Commonwealth Games and the rise of Australian football culminating in the Socceroos wonderful World Cup performance,” Mr Peters said.
    “While Australian media convey the passion, controversy, achievement and drama of sport, they also highlight key moments and issues that often dominate conversation and shape public opinion.”
    He said the Awards complemented the work of the Sports Commission in its leadership role in the development and operation of the Australian sports system at all levels — grass-roots and community through to elite.
    He said last year’s ASC Media Awards highlighted the quality of sports journalism and photography in Australia, amongst the significant awards was the Best Reporting of an Issue in Australian Sport won by Inside Sport’s Neil Jameson. Also recognised for his significant contribution to the coverage of tennis was Alan Trengove who was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award.
    Categories for the 2006 Awards are:
    •  Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to Sports Journalism
    •  Best Reporting of an Issue in Australian Sport
    •  Best Contribution to the Coverage of Sport – by an Organisation
    •  Best Commitment to the Coverage of a Sport – by an Individual
    •  Best Profiling of an Athlete, Team or Coach
    •  Best Sports Journalism from Rural, Regional or Suburban Media
    •  Best Journalism on Community Sport
    •  Best Journalism on Australian Sports Commission-related Programs
    •  Best Sports Photography
    Nominations close on 6 October 2006, with winners announced at the presentation dinner in Sydney on Wednesday 29 November.

September 5, 2006
Smooth Sailing for Young Endeavour
A three-year study of Australia's national youth sail training program has found the Navy's Young Endeavour Youth Scheme built positive social capital in the young people who took part in the program.
    Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence, Bruce Billson said findings from the University of Sydney Study - Sailing into the Future - concluded that youth development training conducted by the Royal Australian Navy builds social capital among the young people it attracted.
    “The Young Endeavour Youth Scheme and its staff from the Royal Australian Navy offer a confronting and inspirational experience at sea for young people,” Mr Billson said.
    “On each voyage, youth crew learn to work with a diversity of other young Australians adapting to living and working in a new environment while experiencing the challenges of learning new skills.”
    He said they also did all this while often experiencing tiredness and seasickness.
    The study found that experiences gained on the Young Endeavour translated over time into more enduring social skills such as self control, goal achievement and an outlook of trust, tolerance and cooperation, bringing benefits to the Australian community as well as to youth crew participants themselves.
    Around 76 per cent of youth crew interviewed said the voyage had a positive influence on their social skills, 85 per cent said their views on cooperation were enhanced and 73 per cent said it shaped their views on tolerance.
    Since 1988, more than 9000 young people aged 16- 23 had sailed on the 44-metre tall ship, experiencing challenges including climbing a 30m mast, setting sails, navigating, keeping watch and taking command of the ship for 24 hours.         
    Applications were now open for voyages in 2007 at www.youngendeavour.gov.au.

September 5, 2006
Summit on Drugs For Better Performance
The Australian Federal Police has been hosting some of the world’s foremost experts on drug trafficking in another step towards combating the changing face of the illicit drug trade.
    More than 70 law enforcement authorities and intelligence experts from 12 countries gathered in Sydney recently to share information on how organised criminal groups avoided detection and to examine the changing drug trafficking environment.
    AFP Manager, Intelligence Collection, Grant Edwards, said there was a demonstrated need for collaboration to address the sophisticated methods of drug manufacturers and importers.
    “The advantage of bringing experts together is that we can work collectively to prevent drugs entering Australia by hearing about the new approaches our international colleagues are using to fight this crime type,” Federal Agent Edwards said.
    He said the meeting focused on how organised crime groups in the drug trade constantly evolve to avoid detection.
    “This means understanding how these groups use new communication technologies and systems of money transfer and being aware of trends regarding the manufacture, import and distribution of dangerous drugs.
    “We want to keep ahead of which drugs are profitable for manufacturers, and identifying new methods used to make and import the finished product or its precursors," he said.
    Federal Agent Edwards said law enforcement agencies must be flexible and willing to change how intelligence was gathered, analysed and used to target operations.

September 5, 2006
Customs on Watch For New Chopper
The Australian Customs Service has called tenders for a rapid response helicopter to help deal with illegal foreign fishing incursions into Australia's northern waters.
    The Customs helicopter would be based in Gove in the Northern Territory and be able to respond quickly to landings by foreign fishing vessels on the Arnhem coast and around the Gulf of Carpentaria.
    It would carry up to six Customs or other officials.
    Customs Minister, Senator Chris Ellison said the response activity would be the helicopter’s primary function, but when not required for response services, it would also be used for surveillance.
    He said Gove was selected due to its central location, available infrastructure and availability of Customs response teams.
    The helicopter tender, which closes on 10 October, was the third request for tender to be released by Customs as part of a $389 million package to boost Australia’s capacity to deal with the illegal fishing problem.
    It followed the release of tenders to establish an accredited list of providers for towing and transporting vessels and for a dedicated northern patrol vessel.
    The towing and transporting vessels would be used to tow apprehended boats and transport illegal foreign fishers to an Australian port for further investigation, enabling Customs and Navy patrol boats to return to duty without delay.
    The dedicated northern patrol vessel would be a significant boost to the Customs fleet patrolling our northern Australian fishing zone.

September 5, 2006
Food Stores on Special in Remote Communities
The quality and availability of food in remote areas are set for an overhaul following the launch of a $48 million Outback Stores program being supported by Woolworths and Coles supermarkets.
    Unveiled by Employment Minister, Kevin Andrews and Indigenous Affairs Minister, Mal Brough, the new voluntary program would improve the health standards of remote Indigenous communities by providing quality, lower cost foods sourced from a wide range of suppliers.
    The Minsters said the Government believed the new program could overcome concerns in some communities over financial mismanagement, poor infrastructure and the limited range of foods and services.
    Mr Andrews said the move would see healthier food policies and programs in communities where the consistent provision of perishable goods was a challenge due to isolation, climate, freight reliability and produce costs.
    Mr Brough said it signalled a new approach between Government, private sector and Indigenous communities, using private sector know-how to tackle social problems through economic solutions.
    “To assist local people participate in the real economy, we need the private sector to be a part of that and that is the reason why I met with Woolworths CEO, Roger Corbett, and Coles CEO, John Fletcher to get this project up and running," Mr Brough said.
    Woolworths and Coles have no commercial interest in the company but were offering support and technical assistance. 
    Metcash would be a supplier along with others with those suppliers being determined by the marketplace.
    The Outback Stores initiative arose from a need identified by the Council of Remote Area Nurses of Australia which told the Government that if one thing could be done to reduce the life expectancy gap between Indigenous and other Australians, it would be to improve the quality and supply of food.
    The management board for the new program would  include Alan Williams, former Chief Operating Officer of the Coles Food and Liquor Group; Avner Nahmani, General Manager of Corporate Marketing at Woolworths; Alastair King, CEO of the Arnhemland Progress Association that operates 11 remote areas stores in the Top End; and Ian Myers, Deputy General Manager at IBA.
    The Board’s priority will be to consider a commercial management model to improve governance, finance and stock management systems, supply chain inconsistencies and the availability of more healthy foods.

September 5, 2006
No Flies On Quarantine Opening
The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) has opened a modern, centrally located quarantine facility that promises to improve quarantine services at Australia’s largest cargo port.
    Agriculture Minister, Peter McGauran opened the new AQIS office in Melbourne that would house 70 of the 500 AQIS staff in Melbourne.
    “Maintaining our border security and world class quarantine arrangements is vital for our $32 billion-a-year agriculture export industries and our economy generally," Mr McGauran said
    The Port of Melbourne received 38 per cent of all container arrivals in Australia, or 600,000 shipping containers a year.
    The new office at the port would facilitate better interaction between exporters, importers, cruise vessels and quarantine staff.
    AQIS staff provided quarantine clearance of commercial and cruise vessels, external inspection of all cargo containers and break-bulk cargo.
    At the opening, Mr McGauran presented Quarantine Certificates of Commendation to AQIS officers and the staff of Arts Project Australia in recognition of their work towards keeping Australia pest and disease-free. 
    AQIS’s Port of Melbourne Shipping Management Centre was commended for its up-to-the-minute data on ship movements to support quarantine clearance and Arts Projects Australia for helping with quarantine clearances for 2000 performing artists and their equipment for the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

September 5, 2006
Ideas Needed For Clever Program
Communications Minister, Senator Helen Coonan has called for ideas and proposals to spend $113 million on in the Clever Networks program.
    Speaking at the Service Providers’ Industry Association annual dinner, Senator Coonan said the Clever Networks program would support sectors such as health, education, community and emergency services to use advanced broadband technologies to enhance delivery of government services in rural, regional and remote Australia.
    "Clever Networks is a key element of my vision to drive next generation broadband capability to underpin Australia’s social and economic future,’’ Senator Coonan said.
    “It is an essential part of making Australia a world leader in the effective use of broadband.”
    She said the program would leverage additional investment from State and Territory Governments as well as the private sector.
    "A consortium approach is being encouraged with Clever Networks to support partnerships and collaborations to deliver projects of sufficient scale and scope to build on our earlier successes."
    She said some examples of innovative services that could be progressed through Clever Networks included assisting school students to access multimedia learning tools, enabling rural hospitals to access advice in an emergency or emergency services to obtain current weather forecasts during a bushfire.
    "Encouraging these types of services will encourage economic growth, increase productivity, foster innovation and promote quality of life in rural and regional Australia," Senator Coonan said.
    Clever Networks is part of the Australian Government’s $1.1 billion Connect Australia package.
    The first round of grants will close on 28 November 2006. More information from www.dcita.gov.au/clevernetworks.

September 5, 2006
Australia Signs Up For Science Formula
Australia has declared its interest in a feasibility study into an open-access research database to promote science and technology within the East Asian region.
    Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Education, Pat Farmer, said in Kuala Lumpur that the Australian Government welcomed Japan’s proposal to conduct the feasibility study and would be ready to provide any information necessary.
        Mr Farmer was attending an informal gathering of ASEAN ministers and guests from Australia, China, India, Japan, Korea and New Zealand.
    He said Australia already had a science portal providing relevant and current information for use in a database of the type Japan proposed.
    The Japanese have suggested a database for sharing information on the needs and seeds of science and technology in each country. The database could then facilitate matching research, researchers and resources across the region.
    “Countries participating in cooperative research can eliminate or minimise overlapping programs, thereby reducing inefficient or redundant investments in science and technology,” Mr Farmer said.

September 5, 2006
Job losses monitored
The ACT Government has set up a panel in the Chief Minister's Department to monitor and coordinate the job losses announced in the 2006 Budget.
    The panel was formed in response to a call from the Community and Public Sector Union and began work in July providing weekly reports and identifying positions lost.
So far, around 160 ACT PS employees are in the process of being declared excess, while 34 have been declared excess and offered a voluntary redundancy.

September 5, 2006
Census objectors face penalties
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has issued 305 notices of direction to people who have not filled out a census form.
    While most Australians have complied with the Census rules, 113 in Victoria did not,  60 from New South Wales didn’t, 57 from Queensland, 50 from South Australia, 10 from Tasmania, seven from Western Australia and eight from the Australian Capital Territory
    The Bureau said collection was still underway in some indigenous communities in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Western Australia where interviews were being conducted rather than Census forms completed..
    The Census and Statistics Act allows for penalties of up to $110 a day for each day a person fails to fill in a Census form after having been directed to do so.

September 5, 2006
Centrelink boost for Victoria
Centrelink is building its allied health professional numbers in western Victoria, adding about 20 new psychologists, social workers, occupational therapists and physiotherapists to help people with illness, injury or disability make the most of their capabilities.
    The new staff will undertake job capacity assessments as part of changes to the welfare system introduced in July to help people move into work.

September 5, 2006
CPSU takes Poll position
Nominations open on 6 September 2006, for a range of vacant Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) positions, including Governing Councillor, Section Officer and Section Councillor.
    All CPSU members have been encouraged to become involved and have their say in electing the Union’s leaders.
    Nominations have been called for two Governing Councillors, 15 Section Officers and 102 Section Councillors and all must be lodged by 12 noon on Wednesday 27 September 2006.
    Full details and copies of the casual vacancies election bulletin can be downloaded from www.cpsu.org.au.

September 5, 2006
Improved air traffic for Tasmania
Airservices Australia has contracted air navigation technology firm Sensis Corporation to design and install equipment for better aircraft tracking in Tasmanian skies.
    The Wide Area Multilateration system will be compared to the present secondary radar system in Tasmania before approval is sought from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to use it for aircraft separation.
    The new system is expected to improve coverage for air traffic controllers.

September 5, 2006
New weather radar
Work has begun on the new Doppler weather radar at Laverton, south west of Melbourne.
    The new radar will boost data quality, improve detection and forecasting of severe weather conditions, including thunderstorms capable of producing large hail-stones, heavy rainfall, damaging winds and tornadoes.
    It should be ready by autumn 2007.

September 5, 2006
More help for veterans’ children
The Long Tan Bursary Scheme for children of Vietnam veterans has been expanded to all children regardless of age and year of study.
    It has been increased from 30 $6000 bursaries over one or two years to 50 $9000 bursaries over three years to recognise the growing trend of children of Vietnam veterans to enter tertiary study at a mature age.

September 5, 2006
Women urged to know their rights
The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission has released a new community education resource titled Discrimination and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Women - Get the facts: Know your rights.
    It was developed in partnership with the National Network of Indigenous Women’s Legal Services Inc and provides information on race, sex and disability discrimination, including pregnancy discrimination in the workplace.

September 5, 2006
Cordes joins ABC
Katie Cordes has been appointed Manager of Product and Content Development with ABC Enterprises.
    Ms Cordes will provide a central point of contact within ABC Enterprises for producers and content developers who are interested in working with ABC Consumer Publishing and Content Sales in the development and production of consumer products and content. Her appointment takes effect on 4 September.

September 5, 2006
Native Title Tribunal reappointments
John Catlin has been re-appointed as a full-time member of the National Native Title Tribunal and Neville MacPherson appointed as a part-time member.
    The National Native Title Tribunal plays a role in the resolution of native title issues and the development of an understanding within the Australian community of those issues.
    Both Mr Catlin and Mr MacPherson have been full-time members of the Tribunal since 2003.

September 5, 2006
New Chair for Dance Board
Dominique Fisher has been named as Chair of the Australia Council for the Art’s Dance Board for a three-year term.
    Ms Fisher is director of the Malthouse Theatre (formerly The Playbox) in Melbourne and was previously a board member for the Sydney Opera House Trust.
    She is a successful Australian businesswoman, having been managing director, board member or chair of organisations across the technology, communications, health, arts and financial services sectors.

September 5, 2006
Repatriation Commissioner Extended
Rear Admiral Simon Harrington (Ret’d) has been extended as the Services member of the Repatriation Commission..
    RADM Harrington took up his original three-year appointment as Repatriation Commissioner on 25 August 2003.

August 29, 2006
Good advice: Look before you invest
Do your investment plans pass ASIC's three-way test?
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has warned consumers about the risks involved in some fixed interest investments advertised in the media.
    ASIC Executive Director, Consumer Protection, Greg Tanzer said risky fixed interest investments were aggressively advertised to consumers and ASIC regularly took action if companies failed to disclose important information or made claims that were misleading or deceptive.
    "But otherwise, these investments are regulated in many ways just like shares,’’ Mr Tanzer said. “You make your choice and take your chances."
    Mr Tanzer said that if consumers see an investment that offered an attractive interest rate they should not invest a cent until they’ve checked it against ASIC's three-way test:
Test 1: who are you giving your money to?
    Banks, building societies, credit unions, super funds and life insurance companies are the only institutions specially regulated to make sure that, under all reasonable ircumstances, they can meet their financial promises, Mr Tanzer said.
    “Otherwise, you’re taking an extra risk, like buying shares.”
    He said if property was involved, the investment was not automatically as safe as houses.
    “You alone have to judge the risk that the company you lend to may fail or default.”
Test 2: is the interest rate higher than 8.5 per cent per year?
    If the expected return seemed high, it added extra risk.
    Mr Tanzer said a proposed investment may be more risky than a typical fixed interest investment.
    “You may risk losing a significant amount of what you’re planning to invest, so it’s vital to check if you’ve got all the facts and if you can handle those risks.”
    He said these must be spelled out in the product disclosure statement or the prospectus the fund must give you.
Test 3: do you plan to put all your eggs in this basket?
    Placing a