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SearchArchives for January 2011
25 January, 2011
Flood wash-up brings
out agency’s best
The staff of Centrelink continue to serve above and beyond the call of public service duty to help victims of the Queensland floods.
Minister for Human Services Tanya Plibersek said 300 Centrelink staff had been flown to south east Queensland from across Australia to help with the recovery effort.
Ms Plibersek said about 2,500 Centrelink staff were now working as operators in call centres and to process claims to help flood victims.
She said front-line staff were also assisting people face-to-face in emergency and recovery centres to fill in applications – and in some cases offer counselling.
Ms Plibersek said Centrelink workers based in the Hunter Valley were playing a key role, with 25 staff based in Charlestown and another 65 staff based in the surrounding regions processing many of the cash assistance claims.
“Staff in the Hunter have been working late into the evenings and over the weekends since the disaster assistance hotline was opened on January 1 - helping to deliver assistance to those in need,” Ms Plibersek said.
“As well as the work being done by the processing staff, both in the Hunter and in Centrelink offices across the country, some 1,600 additional call centre staff are taking calls on the disaster assistance hotline.”
Ms Plibersek also reminded people in flood-affected Queensland to take advantage of financial help being offered by the Australian Government.
She said $1,000 and $400 was available for adults and children respectively, under the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP).
Ms Plibersek said the Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payments was available for a person: whose principal place of residence has been destroyed; whose principal place of residence sustained major damage; who was unable to gain access to their principal place of residence for a period of 24 hours or more; who was stranded in their principal place of residence for a period of 24 hours or more; whose principal place of residence was without electricity, water, gas, sewerage services or another essential service for at least 48 hours (a utility failure) and the utility failure was caused by damage to public or private infrastructure; who was seriously injured; who is the immediate family member of an Australian who died as a direct result of the disaster; or who is a principal carer of a dependent child who has experienced any of the above.
For information about assistance call the Australian Government’s Emergency Assistance Hotline on 180 22 66 (between 8am – 8pm QLD time, seven days a week) or visit this PS News link.
25 January, 2011
Enhanced website to
click with parents
Enhancements to the Office of Early Childhood Education and Child Care’s MyChild website mean the site can now tell parents whether child care services have casual or ongoing vacancies.
Minister for Child Care, Kate Ellis said the improvements to www.mychild.gov.au build upon recent website developments announced in November 2010.
“This is great news for parents and carers who may be looking for either casual or ongoing child care in their area,” Ms Ellis said.
“Families have told us they want useful, easy-to-access information about child care and MyChild is helping to meet these needs.”
She said the MyChild website provided a searchable database of more than 13,500 child care centres, including information on vacancies, locations, fees and services.
“Child care services can now display vacancies on the MyChild website for casual care by age group, for each day of the week that they are open,” Ms Ellis said
“Future improvements to MyChild will include information on session type, such as whether the vacancy is for a full day, half day or other session type.”
She said the Government would continue to improve and update the MyChild website, to ensure parents were getting the information they needed to make the best choices in child care for their children.
Ms Ellis said the Australian Government was committed to supporting parents and children, providing $18.2 billion over four years to improve the quality, affordability and accessibility of child care.
“Australian parents and families deserve to know that when they drop their children off to care, they will be well looked after,” she said.
“The MyChild website is part of our commitment to providing transparent information about child care to Australian families.”
Ms Ellis said more information about child care, vacancies and early childhood education was available at this PS News link or parents could ring the Child Care Access Hotline on 1800 670 305 (8am to 9pm Monday to Friday).
25 January, 2011
Paper means business
for not-for-profits
A consultation paper has been released on the design of a new national regulator for the not-for-profit sector.
Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten said the paper sought the views of stakeholders to determine the precise role, functions, feasibility and design options for a “one-stop shop” regulator.
“The consultation paper marks the beginning of a reform process that will deliver smarter regulation, reduce red-tape and improve the transparency and accountability of the sector,” Mr Shorten said.
“Without the work of Australia’s 600,000 not-for-profits and community organisations, many of our most disadvantaged and vulnerable citizens would not be able to access the vital services they require.”
Mr Shorten said commissioning Treasury to undertake a scoping study for a national not-for-profit regulator delivered on an election commitment to strengthen the sector.
He said Treasury would use the consultation paper to seek the views of stakeholders on the goals and scope of national regulation, and the functions and form of a national regulator.
Minister for Social Inclusion Tanya Plibersek said the current regulatory framework was complex and placed a significant compliance burden on the sector, which was growing in size and importance.
“We want to make it easier for not-for-profits to do what they do best – help people,” Ms Plibersek said.
“A new national regulator should streamline reporting requirements, reduce compliance costs and provide certainty to not-for-profits about their rights and responsibilities.”
She said submissions in response to the paper would close on 25 February 2011 and the consultation paper was available on the Treasury website at this PS News link.
25 January, 2011
Review prescribed
for drugs agency
An independent Review Panel examining the transparency of the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has called for input from the public to assist it with its enquiries.
Chair of the panel, Professor Dennis Pearce, said it had been commissioned by the Australian Government to provide recommendations on improving public access and understanding about the work of Australia’s medicines regulator, the TGA.
“Our Review will focus on the ways in which the TGA communicates its regulatory processes and decisions,” Professor Pearce said
He said the Panel would like to hear from the general public about instances in which people would have benefitted from better access to information about their medicines or devices and about the type of information that would have helped them.
“We would also like to know how they would prefer to obtain information, for example on the internet, through the media or from a doctor or pharmacist,” Professor Pearce said.
“The Panel is also seeking feedback from health professionals, particularly about access to information provided by the TGA on the safety, quality and efficacy of medicines and medical devices.”
He said the Panel would like to hear from industry organisations which either manufactured or marketed therapeutic goods, about how the TGA could provide greater assistance to them in evaluating and registering their products.
“We would also welcome media comment on the quality and utility of information provided, including under Freedom of Information,” Professor Pearce said.
He said the Panel would hold a limited number of public meetings in late February and March and details would be on the TGA website from 3 February 2011.
Professor Pearce said the TGA Transparency Review Panel would report to the Government by the end of April 2011.
He said written submissions closed on 11 February and suggestions and comments would be posted on the TGA website.
For more information go to this PS News link.
25 January, 2011
Transplant Authority
lifts donation rates
Just one year into its work, the Organ and Tissue Authority has revealed figures showing donation rates at an all-time high.
National Medical Director of the Organ and Tissue Authority, Dr Gerry O’Callaghan said with 2010 being the Authority’s first full year of operation, this was a significant result.
“It shows that the Australian Government reform program is delivering significant outcomes,” Dr O’Callaghan said.
He said the 2010 organ donation total of 309 donations, equated to a national organ donor rate of 13.8 per million.
Dr O’Callaghan said this was significantly higher than the annual average of 205 donors that occurred during 2000 to 2008 (10.2 per million of population), prior to the implementation of the national reform package in 2009.
Chair of the Australian and New Zealand Organ Donation Registry, Professor Graeme Russ said the generosity of the 309 donors and their families had saved or significantly improved the lives of 931 Australians in 2010.
“This is the highest annual total of transplants in Australia’s donation and transplantation history, and well exceeds the 846 and 799 recipients in 2008 and 2009, respectively,” Professor Russ said.
“This represents a 56 per cent increase - an additional 111 donors - if compared to the 198 deceased organ donors in 2007.”
Professor Russ said most States and Territories recorded increases in their rate of organ donations.
He said Tasmania had the highest outcome (19.7 donors per million), followed by South Australia (18.8 per million), Victoria (17.7 per million), Australian Capital Territory (17.3 per million), New South Wales (12.4 per million), Queensland (10.8 per million), Western Australia (9.6 per million) and Northern Territory (8.7 per million).
Dr O’Callaghan said increasing on this number by just 10 per cent would help nearly 100 more Australians who were waiting on transplant waiting lists.
25 January, 2011
Compliance report
reports compliance
The Department of Finance and Deregulation has published its second annual report on the Certificate of Compliance program.
The program requires all Agencies operating under the Financial Management and Accountability Act 1997 (FMA Act) to furnish Certificates of Compliance to their Minister each year, disclosing any instances of non-compliance with the financial management framework.
The purpose of the Certificate is to improve compliance with the framework.
According to the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Senator Penny Wong, Chief Executives of all agencies under the FMA Act were required to provide a completed Certificate to their portfolio Minister each year.
Senator Wong said the Certificate process was therefore an important means of identifying and disclosing instances of non-compliance with the financial framework, as a basis for continuous improvement within agencies.
She said agencies reported a relatively small increase in non-compliance in 2009-10 compared to 2008-09.
She said the increase could largely be attributed to the 2009 introduction of new public reporting requirements for grants.
She said however, that there had been a reduction in reported non-compliance against four of the six categories used in the report.
Senator Wong said like this report, the new grant reporting requirements were introduced as a means of promoting a pro-disclosure culture.
She said the possibility of a consequential increase in reported non-compliance was foreshadowed in last year’s public report, as Agencies worked to bed-down the reforms.
She said overall however, Agencies had again reported relatively low levels of non-compliance when compared to the many millions of financial activities they undertook each year on behalf of Government.
Senator Wong said it was important to assess the results presented in the report in that context.
The annual report on the Certificate of Compliance program can be found at this PS News link.
25 January, 2011
Time is right for
aged care report
A draft report on Australia’s aged care system by the Productivity Commission recommends the establishment of an independent new regulatory commission to recommend prices for aged care services and accommodation and be responsible for quality accreditation and complaints.
The recommendation is one of many in the Commission’s report Caring for Older Australians which is open for public comment.
Welcoming the report, the Minister for Mental Health and Ageing Mark Butler said the Government had tasked the Productivity Commission to undertake a public inquiry to develop detailed options for redesigning Australia’s aged care system.
Mr Butler said the Government would wait for the PC’s final report in June before responding to any of its recommendations, adding that he would be guided through the process by the following three broad principles.
“First, every older Australian has earned the right to be able to access quality care and support that is appropriate to their needs, when they need it;
“Secondly, older Australians deserve greater choice and control over their care arrangements than the system currently provides; [and]
“Thirdly, funding arrangements for aged care need to be sustainable and fair, both for older Australians and for the broader community”.
The draft report says the system suffers several key weaknesses, including being difficult to navigate; the quantity of services was limited; there were gaps in service coverage and pricing; and subsidies and user co-contributions were inconsistent.
The report says that under the proposed reforms, older Australians would contact a simplified ‘gateway’; receive a flexible range of care and support services; choose to receive care at home or in a residential facility; and contribute in part to the cost of their care.
It says safety and quality standards would be retained.
Mr Butler said the report could be found at www.pc.gov.au/projects/inquiry/aged-care/draft and written submissions would be received by Monday 21 March 2011.
He said public hearings would also be held in all capital cities except Darwin.
More information could be obtained by phoning (02) 6240 3233, visiting this PS News link or emailing agedcare@pc.gov.au
25 January, 2011
DAFF chips in
with forest study
The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has commissioned CSIRO to assess all State and Territory codes of practice for their management of plantation forest resources.
General Manager of Forestry at DAFF, John Talbot said the assessment was aimed at verifying environmental measures to protect Australia’s plantation forest resources and increasing opportunities for new export markets in forest and wood products.
Mr Talbot said it would look at codes of practice for the establishment, management and harvesting of plantations.
“This important review will give certainty to Australia’s plantation industry, which is showing leadership in its implementation of sustainable practices,” Mr Talbot said.
“By working together, government and industry can further refine these already rigorous measures and ensure they keep pace with industry and market changes.”
He said the review built on Australia’s existing reputation as a responsible forestry producer, thereby strengthening the opportunities for Australian businesses to pursue new export markets.
Mr Talbot said the codes of practice incorporated scientific knowledge, regulatory and legislative requirements, and took into account the range of plantation types, conditions and situations that applied due to natural variations in regions.
He said CSIRO was working in cooperation with each State and Territory and would conduct a scientific assessment of each code of practice against the Forest Practices Related to Wood Production in Plantations: National Principles.
He said the findings would be provided to the Minister for Forestry for approval under the Export Controls (Unprocessed Wood) Regulations 1996.
CSIRO’s technical review is expected to be completed by July 2011 and copies of the assessment reports would be available online afterwards at this PS News link.
25 January, 2011
Numbers up for
phone report
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has issued a consultation paper on the future of telephone numbers.
Entitled Customer location information and numbering data, the paper says that while telephone numbers have provided a successful way of conveying a range of information to allow call connections, provide price details, as well as identify customer name and locations, the information is under pressure as alternative communications devices and services become more widely adopted.
Chairman of ACMA, Chris Chapman, said some of the pressures on numbering included the dominance of mobile phones and the decline in landline phones which led to callers being more often dynamic than fixed; the growth of IP-based voice services, which were not constrained to fixed locations; and the widespread use of alternative communications services that did not use numbers at all, including chat and social network services.
He said these pressures also impacted on location data used by emergency services.
“Finding alternative models to enable communication services and networks to provide accurate and dynamic location information to emergency services in an all-IP environment will be a key challenge for the future,” Mr Chapman said.
He said the consultation paper sought views on the role telephone numbers should play in a future communications environment; how the Numbering Plan could support bridging in the current communications environment; and the future extent to which numbers could and should be used to achieve policy objectives or support call routing, charging and other functions of carriage service providers.
“This work program is not about immediate changes, but is interested in identifying transition paths in the medium term that will take advantage of opportunities to capture, and on-forward information created by new technology in the medium term,” Mr Chapman said.
He said ACMA would accept responses until 18 March 2011.
More information, including the consultation paper, was available from this PS News link.
25 January, 2011
Super results for
super schemes
Information released by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority shows that the nation’s superannuation assets increased by $150 billion, or 13.9 per cent in the year to 30 June 2010, to a total value of $1.23 trillion.
Public sector funds increased by 13.8 per cent to $172.9 billion.
According to APRA in its Annual Superannuation Bulletin, the average rate of return (ROR) for large funds (more than four members) was 8.9 per cent.
It said public sector funds recorded an ROR of 9.8 per cent, corporate funds 8.9 per cent, retail funds 8.7 per cent and industry funds 8.5 per cent.
APRA’s Bulletin said in the 10 years to 30 June 2010, the average ROR for large funds was 3.3 per cent per annum.
It said over that time, public sector funds recorded an ROR of 4.2 per cent per annum, corporate funds 3.9 per cent per annum, industry funds 3.9 per cent per annum and retail funds 2.5 per cent per annum.
According to the Bulletin, for the year to 30 June 2010, contributions to all superannuation entities totalled $107.7 billion, and contributions to large funds totalled $77.7 billion, of which public sector funds received 29 per cent ($22.5 billion).
The Bulletin also included, for the first time, features on asset exposure of superannuation funds and on gender diversity of licensed trustee boards.
In its feature on ‘Gender diversity of trustee boards’, the analysis found there were significantly fewer women on the boards of licensed trustees than men, which was not dissimilar to the boards of the majority of entities in other APRA-regulated industries.
It said the analysis also showed that the number of licensed trustees that increased the proportion of women on their boards had risen over the past five years.
Copies of the Annual Superannuation Bulletin are available on APRA’s website at this PS News link.
25 January, 2011
Violence study
tackles trust
The Australian Institute of Criminology has found a lack of trust in the justice system and Government Agencies to be one of the factors preventing Indigenous Australians from reporting violence, especially family violence.
The AIC paper Non-disclosure of violence in Australian Indigenous communities was funded by the Australian Crime Commission’s National Indigenous Intelligence Task Force and showed that the interconnectedness of Indigenous society along with its rules and obligations tended to operate against disclosing victimisation.
Director of AIC, Dr Adam Tomison, said that in some Indigenous communities violence was so widespread there was an expectation that it was inevitable and was something to be tolerated and not disclosed.
“Overall, Indigenous people experience violence (as offenders and victims) at rates two to five times those experienced by non-Indigenous people,” Dr Tomison said.
“This can be even higher in some remote communities and much higher for Indigenous women.”
He said Indigenous people were more likely to turn to their families and communities than police when victimised, due to a fear of being ostracised, causing more harm to their families and the possibility of disclosures leading to further violence in the community.
Dr Tomison said in addition, societal obligations and previous experiences with the criminal justice system were found to be barriers to disclosing violence, especially child abuse.
He said the paper showed some female victims feared that reporting violence might lead to their children being taken away.
Dr Tomison said a lack of Indigenous-specific victim support services and a lack of Indigenous staff within mainstream services were also found to reduce disclosure by Indigenous victims.
“It is essential that services take flexible culturally-secure approaches that respond to the diversity in Indigenous culture”, Dr Tomison said.
“Responses for Indigenous victims need to be developed in conjunction with Indigenous communities and incorporate Indigenous perspectives, while recognising the practicalities of service provision in this environment.”
25 January, 2011
Welcome reduction in
child abuse figures
A new report showing a drop in the number of Australian children subjected to child abuse and neglect has been published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
Parliamentary Secretary for Community Services, Julie Collins said the AIHW report, Child Protection Australia 2009-10, found the number of children who were the subject of a substantiated notification decreased by 4 per cent from 32,641 in 2008-09 to 31,295 in 2009-10.
Ms Collins said the report found the number of substantiated notifications declined by 15 per cent in the same time from 54,621 to 46,187.
She said it also found the number of children subject to a notification of child abuse or neglect in Australia fell from 207,462 in 2008-09 to 187,314 in 2009-10, a drop of10 per cent.
She said this decline coincided with a rise of 7 per cent in the number of children on care and protection orders, reaching 37,730 in 2009-10 from 35,409 in 2008-09.
“The AIHW report shows the number of substantiated child abuse and neglect across Australia has fallen but there is still more to be done,” Ms Collins said.
“Protecting children and their right to a safe and healthy life is one of the most important responsibilities of all governments.”
Ms Collins said the Australian Government had worked closely with the States and Territories, the non-Government sector, academics, carers and young people to develop the National Framework for Protecting Australia’s Children (2009-2020) to help reduce child abuse and neglect.
She said the National Framework was an ambitious, long-term approach supported by all levels of Government to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Australian children.
Ms Collins said the new standards would be rolled out from 1 July this year.
25 January, 2011
Biosecurity safe in
Ombudsman study
An Ombudsman’s investigation of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s NSW Biosecurity Services Group has found that correct policies and guidelines have been observed but they could be improved.
In his report, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Compliance and Investigations Activities of the Biosecurity Services Group, Report Two, the Ombudsman, Allan Asher examined the activities of the Biosecurity Services Group of DAFF, and in particular, assessed whether investigations had been conducted appropriately in NSW.
Mr Asher said his investigation found the Sydney office of the Compliance Branch was staffed by a team of investigators who were experienced and well qualified; and also that investigations met legislative requirements.
“It is important that we regularly review the processes for our biosecurity arrangements because these processes are designed to identify and reduce quarantine risks for Australia,” Mr Asher said.
He said the report was the second audit as part of the BSG’s investigations, which arose out of a recommendations of the Senate Standing Committee on Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport’s report on the administration by DAFF of the 2004 citrus canker outbreak.
Mr Asher said the Senate Committee’s report criticised DAFF’s investigation into the outbreak and recommended that the Ombudsman undertake a review.
He said the main issues arising out of the audit related to the need to ensure defensible decision-making by keeping comprehensive records; and the need for consistency between internal guidelines on case prioritisation and that which occurs in practice on the case management database.
Mr Asher said DAFF had accepted and commenced implementing all seven recommendations in his report.
He said the recommendations included that the Biosecurity Services Group update SOP 4 – Investigation Prioritisation Procedure to reflect and ensure consistent practices with the use of the Jade case management system; and that the Sydney office consistently follow internal policies on case management, including considering the use of case management tools appropriate to the investigation.
The full Ombudsman’s report is available at this PS News link.
25 January, 2011
Football agreement
is kicking goals
A partnership between the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and the Australian Football League (AFL) is to be extended for a second year to encourage young Indigenous people to stay in school or training.
Minister for Indigenous Employment and Minister for Sport, Senator Mark Arbib said the Learn. Earn. Legend! program was part of the Government’s commitment to Closing the Gap on Indigenous employment.
He said with the assistance of Government funding, the AFL had selected an Indigenous All Stars team to participate in the AFL Players Association Indigenous Camp from 29 January to 5 February 2011 and would encourage young Indigenous Australians to stay in school or training and become a legend in their community.
Senator Arbib said the Indigenous All Stars team would be involved in education and career sessions, community visits, culminating in a game against the Richmond Tigers in Darwin.
“We know the best thing all kids can do is get a good education,” Senator Arbib said.
“We know the more education they have, whether that is school, TAFE, an apprenticeship or tertiary studies, the more likely they are to get a good job.”
He said Sydney Swans co-captain Adam Goodes was the AFL Learn. Earn. Legend! Ambassador for 2011.
Senator Arbib said business and sporting codes across Australia had come together to support the Learn. Earn. Legend! program and it would continue in 2011 and the Government had provided the AFL with $375,000 to assist in hosting multiple events and programs throughout the year.
“2011 is a year filled with Learn. Earn. Legend! Events,” he said.
“In February we have Cricket Australia’s Imparja Cup Carnival, the NRL All Stars Game and Youth Summit.
“The AFL will then assist in hosting four Indigenous career and employment expos during the 2011 AFL season.”
25 January, 2011
Energy program has
the force with it
A review of the effectiveness of the Energy Efficiency Opportunities Program (EEO) being conducted by the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism has found it to be leading large organisations to change their behaviour and reduce energy use and emissions.
Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson said the EEO program would now be extended to all power stations and consultation on this was underway.
Mr Ferguson said the key findings of the mid-cycle review included that as a result of the EEO program, effective energy savings were being identified and implemented and that evidence existed that organisations participating in the EEO program were changing their behaviour and procedures and improving their energy management systems.
He said the review also found that participating organisations had reported that the EEO program was bringing greater rigour, structure and focus to their processes and systems and was reducing barriers to the identification of energy efficiency opportunities.
Mr Ferguson said previously announced findings from the EEO program in November 2010 had found that corporations had identified opportunities to save a total 113 petajoules of energy, or eight per cent of their assessed energy use.
He said the latest review showed the program was delivering results that benefitted both industry and the environment.
“The energy savings identified through this program are equal to 2.9 per cent of Australian energy end use – that equates to the combined total annual energy use of around 2.3 million households,” Mr Ferguson said.
“Importantly, just more than half of the identified energy savings have been, or are in the process of being implemented.”
He said corporations participating in the EEO program were reducing emissions and actually saving money in the process.
Mr Ferguson said based on the findings of the mid-cycle review, the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism would shortly begin a consultation process on improvements that could be made to the operation and administration of the EEO legislation.
The mid-cycle review Report and Executive Summary is available at this PS News link.
25 January, 2011
Teaching program
chalks up success
Forty-two of Australia’s best and brightest university graduates have completed their initial training under the Teach for Australia program and are about to begin teaching in schools.
Prime Minister, Julia Gillard and Minister for School Education, Peter Garrett congratulated the Teach for Australia associates who would begin teaching in Victorian and ACT schools this term.
Ms Gillard said Teach for Australia was an education program that offered intensive training and support for top university graduates who then went on to teach in disadvantaged schools for two years.
She said during this time the associates continued to study while they completed their teaching qualification.
The first group of Teach for Australia associates, who commenced last year, were currently teaching in 13 Victorian Government secondary schools.
Ms Gillard said the research was clear that teacher quality was a critical factor influencing students’ success in the classroom.
She said the Teach for Australia program was part of the $550 million Smarter Schools Quality Teaching National Partnership to attract, train, place, develop and retain quality teachers and leaders in schools and classrooms.
According to the Prime Minister, the 42 Teach for Australia associates who completed intensive training at the University of Melbourne were chosen from 750 applicants from across Australia.
She said Teach for Australia and the University of Melbourne would continue to support the associates through mentoring and support from clinical specialists, leadership and training advisors, business mentors and experienced teachers.
She said of the 42 associates, 37 would be teaching in Victorian Government and a Catholic school, and five would teach in the ACT.
On successfully completing the two year program, participants would be awarded a Postgraduate Diploma in Teaching.
For more information on the program visit this PS News link.
25 January, 2011
ACMA scam warning
The Australian Communications and Media Authority is warning people to be aware of spammers and telemarketers trying to cash in on the Queensland flood fundraising efforts.
ACMA said it had received reports of various scams linked to flood relief and advises people to treat requests for donations or assistance made my email, SMS or phone with great caution.
The Authority recommends that consumers avoid the scams by looking out for messages coming from or containing unknown or unusual email addresses and telephone numbers; messages containing spelling errors or poor grammar; and requests to wire money or donate by way of money transfer.
IPAA seeks editor
The Institute of Public Administration Australia has put out a Request for Tender for the Editorship of the Australian Journal of Public Administration.
The AJPA is a quarterly refereed publication issued under the auspices of IPAA National.
The role of editor is to manage all aspects of the journal in consultation with publishers Wiley-Blackwell, and consistent with the policies set by IPAA’s National Council. The Editor is a member of the IPAA National Council and currently receives an honorarium.
Interested parties are invited to address the requirements set out in “Request for Tender (RFT) for the Editorship of the Australian Journal of Public Administration (AJPA)” by Friday 25 March, 2011.
OzCo reports scams
The Australian Council for the Arts is warning people about a scam involving callers who claim be from it.
According to the Council, the caller tells people they are eligible to be reimbursed overcharged bank fees and quotes the name and ABN of the Australia Council.
Another tells people they are eligible for a refund and leaves a number to call if they want to proceed - a number answered by a voice identifying as the “Australia Council”.
The Australia Council wants it known that it is not in the business of reimbursing bank fees or phoning people to offer “refunds”.
Reports of scams can be made to SCAM Watch at this PS News link or by phone to 1300 795 995.
Disability report
A new report has found the Government’s investment in disability services is helping to improve the lives of people with disability.
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare report - Disability support services
2008-09: report on services provided under the Commonwealth State/Territory
Disability Agreement and the National Disability Agreement – shows that people with disability and their carers were benefiting from increased access to disability support and respite services.
The report found that between 2003-04 and 2008-09 the number of people accessing disability services increased by almost 50 per cent, from 187,806 to 279,374.
In addition the number of people accessing respite services rose by 67 per cent, from 20,547 to 34,346.
Exploration permits awarded
Seven offshore exploration permits from the 2009 Offshore Petroleum Acreage Release have been awarded in Commonwealth waters off Western Australia and South Australia.
The proposed work programs are expected to result in guaranteed offshore petroleum exploration investment of $682 million over the next three years.
Three permits, awarded to Finder No.4 Pty Ltd, Woodside Energy Pty Ltd and Riverina Energy Pty Ltd, are in the highly prospective Carnarvon Basin which remains Australia’s leading offshore petroleum-producing area.
Maps and full descriptions of the areas can be found at this PS News link.
Women feature on stamps
Four eminent women – Eva Cox, Elizabeth Evatt, Germaine Greer and Anne Summers – are to be immortalised in this year’s Australia Day stamp series.
The women, who are renowned for their role in advancing gender equality in Australia will be presented with the prestigious Australia Post Australian Legends Award for 2011.
The Legends Award began 14 years ago when Sir Donald Bradman was the first living person, other than a ruling monarch, to be featured on an Australian stamp.
The stamps and book can be purchased at participating Australia Post outlets or online at the Australia Post Legends Issue website.
University bans bottled water
The University of Canberra has become the first Australian university to ban bottled water across its entire campus.
Initiated by students and assisted by the action group Do Something!, the ban will be phased in across all cafes, restaurants, retail outlets, vending machines and University run events, stopping the sale of 140,000 bottles of water every year.
Sales of bottled water will totally cease by World Water Day on 22 March 2011.
As a result of the ban, the University’s 13,000 students and staff will have access to a wide choice of drinking water facilities that will offer free of charge water and cheaper chilled water.
NBN signs up contractors
NBN Co has awarded three equipment contracts worth more than $1.6 billion to Australian-located companies to supply passive network infrastructure to build the national broadband network during the next five years.
Victorian fibre optic equipment manufacturer, Warren & Brown Technologies has been awarded an equipment contract worth up to $110 million; Optical cable company, Corning has been awarded another for multiple types of equipment worth up to $1.2 billion over five years; and telecommunications cabling company, Prysmian has won the third, worth about $300 million.
18 January, 2011
Centrelink shines
in flood crisis
Centrelink staff have been congratulated on their response to the Queensland flood disaster, fielding a dramatic surge in applications for assistance and volunteering to work longer hours.
Minister for Human Services Tanya Plibersek said the Australian Government Mobile Office had also been diverted to Toowoomba, to provide on-the-spot assistance to families and businesses in need.
“On January 12 more than 15,000 calls were made to the Australian Government’s Emergency Assistance Hotline (180 22 66), up from 8,000 the previous day,” Ms Plibersek said.
She said to make claiming as quick and easy as possible for flood-affected families, about 400 Centrelink staff had been processing claims by day, and more were volunteering to work overtime.
“Up to 1,200 call centre workers at a time are taking thousands of calls for assistance from flood victims,” she said.
Ms Plibersek said the number of approved claims for the Australian Government’s Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) had spiked on 13 January to more than 20,000, bringing the amount paid to flood victims to almost $26 million.
She said the previous day it was 14,000 approved claims and $18 million paid to victims.
Ms Plibersek said the Mobile Office was staffed with Centrelink customer service advisers and social workers who could assist with a wide range of services and could provide information on the various forms of disaster assistance being made available.
She said Medicare staff were also on board.
Ms Pilbersek said disaster assistance being made available to flood victims included the AGDRP, the newly activated Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy and the joint Commonwealth/Queensland Government payments being made under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements.
She said flood-affected people could also make claims by calling Emergency Assistance Hotline on 180 2266, by visiting Centrelink and Medicare offices which have remained open, or by going online at this PS News link.
18 January, 2011
Auditor in line for
greater powers
A report from the Parliamentary Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit has recommended significant new powers for the Auditor-General and his Office.
In its report Inquiry into the Auditor-General Act 1997, the Committee proposes the Auditor be free to launch audits of Government business enterprises, review the adequacy of agencies’ performance indicators and audit some private companies that receive Commonwealth funding.
Chair of the Committee, Independent MP Rob Oakeshott said the report completed an inquiry into the provisions of the Auditor-General Act 1997, which replaced the Audit Act 1901 and formally recognised the Auditor-General as an “Independent Officer of the Parliament”.
Mr Oakeshott said the Act greatly strengthened the independence of Auditor-General and the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) and reflected many of the recommendations made by the Committee in its October 1996 report Guarding the Independence of the Auditor-General, and earlier reports.
According to Mr Oakeshott, in February 2009 the Committee resolved to review whether the provisions of the Auditor-General Act 1997 remained adequate in the modern public sector environment, noting at the time that eight years had passed since the Committee’s last review.
He said the new report contained 13 recommendations, including ensuring that the Auditor-General has sufficient legislative backing for assurance reviews the Parliament may wish him to carry out; removing antiquated restrictions on the Auditor-General’s capacity to initiate audits of Commonwealth Government Business Enterprises; enhancing the Auditor-General’s role in reviewing the adequacy of agencies’ performance indicators; and giving the Auditor-General greater authority to “follow the dollar” where non-Commonwealth bodies are in receipt of Commonwealth funding to deliver agreed outcomes.
Mr Oakeshott said that in its report the Committee acknowledged what the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) had described as the “glaring gap” in accountability of Commonwealth grants to States and Territories and as such was supportive of the need for changes to the Auditor-General Act 1997 to enable the Auditor-General to access information and records relating to the use of Commonwealth funds.
He said the Committee also recognised that there was an increasing use of contractors to implement Government programs and services.
Mr Oakeshott said the Committee considered it imperative that the Auditor-General be provided with the statutory authority to address these issues.
18 January, 2011
Intelligence community
to face review
An independent review of the Australian intelligence community has been announced by the Prime Minister Julia Gillard.
To be led jointly by former Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department, Robert Cornall and University of Melbourne Associate Professor Rufus Black, the review has been called to ensure the nation’s intelligence agencies are working effectively together and are well positioned for the challenges ahead.
Ms Gillard said intelligence plays a key role in preserving Australia’s national security and supports a wide range of our national interests and the review would ensure Australia continued to have a well-coordinated, appropriately resourced and adaptable intelligence system.
She said the review would also consider working arrangements between intelligence agencies and their international partners.
She said it would take into account the significant growth in the intelligence community’s resources and capabilities over the past decade.
The Prime Minister said the timing of the review met a recommendation of the Inquiry into Australian Intelligence Agencies in 2004 by Philip Flood, that the intelligence agencies undergo further external review every five to seven years.
She said funding for the Review was announced in the Budget in May last year.
According to the PM, Mr Cornall has extensive experience at a high level in public administration, particularly as the Secretary of the Attorney-General’s Department until his retirement in 2008 and Associate Professor Black was a highly regarded and notable ethicist, management consultant and theologian.
Ms Gillard said the Review would produce its final report to the Government in the middle of the year.
18 January, 2011
Remote housing
exceeds targets
A program of building new houses for Indigenous families in remote Northern Territory communities exceeded its targets in 2010.
Minister for Housing and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin said almost 1,200 Indigenous families in remote communities were provided with improved housing under the Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program.
She said 174 new houses had been built and 1,023 rebuilds and refurbishments were now finished, exceeding the target of 150 new houses and 1,000 rebuilds and refurbishments by 31 December 2010.
Ms Macklin said the program was also exceeding its 20 per cent Indigenous employment target, with more than 30 per cent of the workforce made up of Indigenous employees.
She said decent housing and reduced overcrowding was essential for protecting children, improving health, education and employment and re-building positive community norms.
She said the program was one element of the National Partnership Agreement on Remote Indigenous Housing which is delivering $5.5 billion nationally over 10 years to tackle the housing backlog across remote Australia.
The Minister said this included $1.7 billion for remote housing and housing related infrastructure in the Northern Territory.
She said exceeding the 2010 SIHIP targets confirmed the Australian and Northern Territory Governments’ recent decision to accelerate delivery of housing and housing-related infrastructure in the Northern Territory under the National Partnership.
She said the Governments’ SIHIP commitment of 750 new houses, 230 rebuilds and 2,500 refurbishments would be delivered within the SIHIP budget.
Ms Macklin said by accelerating the National Partnership, the Governments would also build about 180 new houses and 180 rebuilds in the Northern Territory under the National Partnership sooner than anticipated.
She said the Governments were rolling out new houses, rebuilds and refurbishments in the Northern Territory as quickly as possible so that families could live in safe and healthy homes.
18 January, 2011
Women on boards
get makeover
A report on the number of women on Australian Government Boards has revealed strong gains being made in gender diversity and progress towards established targets.
Minister for the Status of Women, Kate Ellis said the Women on Australian Government Boards report for 2009-10 found that 12 out of 19 Government departments had increased the proportion of their female appointments to boards and bodies.
“The Australian Government is determined to get more women into leadership positions, which is why we have committed to a target of at least 40 per cent women on Government Boards by 2015,” Ms Ellis said.
“A better gender balance at Australia’s highest decision-making levels will ensure decisions are informed by a broader range of experiences.”
She said research showed having more women in decision-making positions correlated with better management and improved performance.
Ms Ellis said the Report had found that the number of Government departments reaching the target of 40 per cent women has reached five - up from only two a year earlier.
She congratulated the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Department of Health and Ageing and the Department of Human Services for being the latest to achieve the target.
Ms Ellis said these three departments joined the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, who had already reached the target.
The Minister said although the improvements were commendable, there was still a long way to go to reach the Government’s target that all Departments have at least 40 per cent women on boards.
“I have written to my Ministerial colleagues to outline how their Departments are tracking and to encourage them to consider what they can do in the selection of board appointments,” Ms Ellis said.
“I have advised my colleagues to regularly consult AppointWomen, an online register that gives women the opportunity to be considered for appointment to a variety of Australian Government boards and other decision making bodies.”
The report Women on Australian Government Boards is available online at this PS News link.
18 January, 2011
Computing strategy has
head in the cloud
The Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) has published a draft strategy paper examining the opportunities and impacts of cloud computing in the Government sector.
The paper is open for public comment.
AGIMO’s Australian Government Cloud Computing Strategic Direction paper describes a whole-of-Government policy position while recognising that the concept is still developing.
The strategy says that agencies can choose cloud-based services if they demonstrate value for money, fitness for purpose and are adequately secure.
The draft strategy also provides guidance on what cloud computing is and some of the issues and benefits agencies need to be aware of.
The paper recognises that the public cloud is still evolving, particularly in areas such as security and privacy.
It said these issues needed to be adequately resolved before critical government services could be transitioned to the cloud.
The paper outlines three streams of work that recognise these limitations:
* Stream One provides agencies with guidance and documentation;
* Stream Two encourages agencies to adopt public cloud services for public facing “unclassified” government services and to undertake proof of concept studies to fully understand the risks of the cloud environment; and
* Stream Three encourages a strategic approach to the cloud, which is dependent upon greater clarity around projects commissioned under the Data Centre Strategy.
The paper says that according to the Gartner Hype Cycle for Cloud Computing 2009 it was clear there was a major shift towards the cloud model and the benefits, such as speed and accelerated innovation, might be substantial.
It said the shape of the cloud was emerging, and it was developing rapidly both conceptually and in reality.
According to the draft strategy, Governments from across the world see cloud services as an opportunity to improve business outcomes through eliminating redundancy, increasing agility and providing information and communication technology (ICT) services at a potentially cheaper cost.
Interested stakeholders on the draft Australian Government Cloud Computing Strategic Direction Paper can view it at this PS News link.
Comments close on 31 January 2011, and should be sent to aga@finance.gov.au.
Further details are given on the website.
18 January, 2011
Credit agencies to
get code of conduct
The Minister for Privacy has called a roundtable meeting to discuss a new Code of Conduct for credit reporting.
The Minister, Brendan O’Connor said under the Privacy Act, financial institutions were required to protect consumers’ private information, including details they used to assess a customers’ eligibility for banking products.
“A binding Code of Conduct will be an integral part of the new credit reporting regime, helping to provide better protection for consumers and better guidance for business,” Mr O’Connor said.
He said the Code would encompass more specific rules about access to clients’ personal information, data accuracy and complaint handling than was currently possible to include in legislation.
“The Roundtable will contribute to the development of the industry-led Code, and will provide an open forum for interested parties to discuss any outstanding issues of concern,” Mr O’Connor said.
He said the roundtable meeting would take place at Parliament House, Canberra on 10 February.
He said credit reporting agencies that collected, stored and disclosed consumer information, finance companies, and consumer and privacy advocates had been invited to attend.
The Minister said the Government was currently preparing draft legislation to implement its response to the Australian Law Reform Commission report For Your Information: Australian Privacy Law and Practice.
He said draft provisions relating to comprehensive credit reporting would soon be finalised and referred to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Committee for inquiry and report.
“This meeting will provide a valuable opportunity for stakeholders to express their views on the credit reporting matters and to make significant progress toward an industry-agreed Credit Reporting Code of Conduct,” Mr O’Connor said.
He said any Code of Conduct developed by industry would need to be approved by the Australian Information Commissioner before taking effect.
18 January, 2011
Migrants warned
on visa scams
The Department of Immigration and Citizenship has launched a new online consumer protection resource to educate prospective migrants and visa applicants about migration scams and how to avoid them.
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen, said it was vital that people were aware of fraudsters’ tricks before handing over money for immigration assistance which was never provided.
“This is why the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has launched a new online consumer protection resource to help people to learn about migration scams online and safeguard against scams,” Mr Bowen said.
“The Protect Yourself from Migration Fraud information kit includes victims’ stories, tips to stay safe online, information on how to identify non-genuine websites and fraudulent emails, links to consumer resources and a video testimonial.”
He said the information kit had been developed following an increase in complaints about internet migration scams, which often appeared to be official Australian Government websites.
“A common tactic of these sites is the use of language such as ‘registered provider’ or ‘Australian visa application service’,” Mr Bowen said.
“They claim that they can ‘guarantee’ a visa, this is a ‘once in a lifetime opportunity’ or it is your ‘only chance’ to travel or migrate to Australia.”
He said in the most prevalent scam, clients were invited to register online before a salesperson contacted them and asked them to provide credit card details. Charges were then debited to their card despite no migration service being provided.
Mr Bowen said in Australia, migration agents must be registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority.
He said people with information about migration scams or illegal operators should telephone DIAC’s Dob-In Line on 1800 009 623 or visit the DIAC website at this PS News link.
18 January, 2011
Bandwidth overhaul
for government radio
New arrangements to simplify and harmonise Government use of the radio spectrum are expected to help State and Federal Emergency Services ‘interoperate’ better.
After a comprehensive review of spectrum arrangements in the 400 MHz band, the Australian Communications and Media Authority has released implementation plans and timeframes for the new arrangements.
Chairperson of ACMA, Chris Chapman said the change should reduce congestion in the band, harmonise government spectrum, and promote greater opportunities for new and emerging technologies.
“The harmonisation of government spectrum use in the 400 MHz band provides an unprecedented opportunity for significant gains in essential and emergency service interoperability between and amongst State and Federal government agencies,’’ Mr Chapman said.
“ACMA hopes that this harmonisation will mark the beginning of a new era in Government radio communications use through the development of large, efficient, integrated networks for emergency services and other vital government objectives.”
He said the review’s release also gave industry the certainty it needed to plan for the future and take advantage of the longer term benefits offered by the new arrangements.
He said ACMA acknowledged that transitioning to the new arrangements would be challenging for many users, but believed the implementation plans maximised the benefits of the review while minimising disruption and costs to existing licensees.
Mr Chapman said it was intended to finalise transition to the arrangements by 31 December 2015 in congested areas, and by 31 December 2018 in others.
The Way Ahead – Timeframes and Implementation Plans for the 400MHz Band is available on the ACMA website at this PS News link.
18 January, 2011
New tenancy system to
improve rental health
A new electronic system for updating Commonwealth Rent Assistance agreements has been introduced for community housing residents.
Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness Mark Arbib said the new system would help more than 40,000 community housing residents update their Commonwealth Rent Assistance agreements automatically.
He said the Electronic Verification of Rent system would replace the existing paper-based system, where residents were required to fill out a Rent Certificate, have it signed by their landlord and return it to Centrelink in order to verify their eligibility for Rent Assistance.
Mr Arbib said under the arrangement, some residents had had difficulty returning their Rent Certificates on time resulting in their Rent Assistance payments being suspended.
He said in extreme cases, the payments were cancelled entirely, potentially leading to hardship.
“The new electronic system will take the pressure off residents by transferring the responsibility to participating community housing providers to regularly provide up-to-date rental details for each of their customers to Centrelink,” Mr Arbib said.
“This will be done via a secure online portal directly to Centrelink where the customer records will be automatically updated.”
He said the new system would ensure Rent Assistance payments were not compromised for those who have difficulty with verification processes.
“It will also ease the administrative burden on community housing providers who, until now, have had the onerous job of manually checking and signing off large numbers of rent certificates,” Mr Arbib said.
He said the system would also reduce Centrelink workloads by cutting both the paperwork and the administrative costs of suspending and recovering incorrect Rent Assistance payments.
18 January, 2011
Refugee rule changes
follow Court decision
Changes have been made to the refugee determination process for asylum seekers arriving in Australia unannounced following a High Court decision last year.
The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Chris Bowen announced the changes which he said would be introduced on 1 March.
Mr Bowen said the Government would streamline the primary assessment process, now to be known as a Protection Obligations Determination, which would allow for a faster initial assessment by a departmental officer.
“Assessment procedures for refugee claims from irregular maritime arrivals will be changed to allow an earlier decision on whether someone needs Australia’s protection,” Mr Bowen said.
“The current approach of a full initial assessment of claims, a separate independent review of negative assessments, followed now due to the High Court decision by the possibility of judicial review, goes further than assessment procedures in many other countries.”
He said under the new streamlined system, unexpected maritime arrivals which a departmental officer concludes meet the criteria for protection under the Refugees Convention would be considered for the grant of a protection visa.
Mr Bowen said where the departmental officer was not able to reach a conclusion promptly, the case would be fast-tracked directly to an independent assessor for final determination, to be known as an Independent Protection Assessment.
He said the new Protection Obligations Determination process would apply to asylum seekers who arrive by boat at an excised offshore place from 1 March, as well as those who arrived previously and who had not had a Refugee Status Assessment interview by that date.
Mr Bowen said that procedural adjustments were also being made to the refugee assessment process to ensure decisions were made more fairly.
He said the Government had asked Professor John McMillan to advise the Government on possible options for improving the efficiency and minimising the duration of the judicial review process for irregular maritime arrivals.
Mr Bowen said Professor McMillan would present his recommendations to the Government by the end of February.
18 January, 2011
Specialist group to
aid mental health
A new expert advisory group is to be established to advise the Minister for Mental Health, Mark Butler.
Mr Butler said the new, time limited, specialist group would allow for targeted advice to be provided directly to the Government on how to achieve the most coordinated, cost-effective and lasting reforms for the community’s investment in mental health care.
“In July this year Prime Minister identified mental health as a significant priority,” Mr Butler said, “and I have been working closely with the Prime Minister and Minister for Health and Ageing on genuine reform of mental health.
He said the Government was “very aware” of the need for significant reform of the way mental health services were provided in Australia and it was important the process be influenced and informed by experts.
Mr Butler said following his appointment as the first national mental health minister, he undertook a series of forums across the country with mental health consumers and carers.
“Meeting with people affected by mental ill health and their carers and hearing their thoughts and ideas about issues closest to them is a critical part of developing better mental health services for all Australians,” he said.
“The consumers and carers I have talked to during the 14 mental health forums around Australia have provided important feedback and it has been a very useful experience for me.”
Mr Butler said the new specialist group would provide key advice in addition to other sources of specialist information available.
He said the members of the mental health expert working group were Professor Patrick McGorry; Monsignor David Cappo; Professor Ian Hickie; Dr Andrew Fuller; Dr Pat Dudgeon; Janet Meagher; Dr Christine McAuliffe; Sally Sinclair; Professor Frank Oberklaid; Toby Hall; Anthony Fowke and Dr Christine Bennett.
18 January, 2011
Consumer watchdogs
sink teeth into deal
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission that promises to improve consumer safety in both countries.
Deputy Chair of the ACCC, Peter Kell said the MOU was finalised in Sydney as part of CPSC Chairman Inez Tenenbaum’s recent visit to Australia.
“The MOU formalises and progresses the already well-established product safety relationship between Australia and the United States,” Mr Kell said.
“The agreement reflects our intention to work together more closely on product safety issues, including coordinating our assessment of product safety risks which are common to both countries.”
He said the MOU would help reduce the risks of injuries and fatalities associated with consumer products in the two countries.
“For example, it creates a platform for more effective sharing of product safety intelligence that will ultimately lead to a safer marketplace for consumers,” Mr Kell said.
Mr Kell said the MOU would improve cross-border product safety compliance, as well as the sharing of relevant information about product safety hazards, standards and bans.
“The collaboration between the ACCC and the CPSC reflects the clear recognition in both Australia and the US that consumer product safety is an increasingly international issue.”
He said for more information about product safety in Australia was available at this PS News link and to find out about the CPSC go to this PS News link.
18 January, 2011
New strategy for
ports floated
A new national strategy to improve the efficiency and productivity of Australia’s ports has been put to the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) by Infrastructure Australia and the National Transport Commission and welcomed by industry groups.
Chief Executive of the peak body Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, Brendan Lyon said the Commonwealth’s new National Ports Strategy offered an important opportunity to address some of Australia’s most significant productivity challenges and safeguard Australia’s global competitiveness.
“The Ports Strategy offers a uniting national plan that will end the variable approach to long-term infrastructure planning and support Australia’s sea ports through this century of growth,” Mr Lyon said.
“Planning for future growth is essential to ensure that our ports continue to be competitive global gateways, not supply chain bottlenecks.”
He said in the coming few decades, the volume of freight Australia needed to move through its ports and across road and rail connections would more than triple.
“Business has long argued for a coordinated, national approach to deal effectively with growth across the national freight network and the National Ports Strategy is a good first step,” Mr Lyon said.
“One of the principle outcomes of the Strategy will be a requirement for port authorities to develop long-term master plans that consider the future transport connections that will be needed and ensure that steps are taken now to protect the land corridors that will be required for these in the future.”
He said protecting infrastructure corridors would help avoid the mistakes of the past, by setting aside now the land needed to accommodate growth in 50 years time.
“The strategy also recommends important reforms in terms of streamlining planning and approval measures, giving greater investment certainty and allowing for efficient infrastructure delivery,” Mr Lyon said.
“The benchmarking of the actual performance of each port against national and international competitors will also provide much greater visibility about where our most urgent shortfalls are.”
The National Ports Strategy can be accessed at this PS News link.
18 January, 2011
Productivity report
shows way for tourism
A new report prepared by the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism has shown that significant investment is needed to improve the productivity of the Australian tourism industry.
Prepared by the Department’s Tourism Research Australia, the report entitled Tourism Productivity in Australia showed that while gross domestic product statistics revealed tourism had outperformed the economy as a whole in the past year, the productivity of the industry had lagged behind the economy-wide average over the long-term.
Minister Assisting on Tourism, Senator Nick Sherry said the report used the benchmark measure, multifactor productivity, to show tourism had grown by 0.2 per cent per year against the Australian economy’s 0.4 per cent per year for the 12 years to 2008-09
He said the Government had turned the spotlight on lifting productivity and capital investment in the industry through its microeconomic reform agenda and the National Long-Term Tourism Strategy.
“The report’s findings send a strong message the industry needs to invest in capital and a skilled labour force to deliver all-important efficiencies,” Senator Sherry said.
“Productivity gains and capital investment will be essential to renew Australia’s many attractions, hotels and convention centres – and we look to the private sector on this count.”
He said the Commonwealth had been instrumental in setting a clear agenda for higher productivity through the National Long-Term Tourism Strategy work program.
Senator Sherry said as part of the strategy, State and Territory Tourism Ministers were working with the Commonwealth to boost labour market participation, encourage investment and ensure the industry had access to transport infrastructure to raise the sector’s productive capacity.
He said the Australian Government’s broader reform push would reduce the administrative and tax burden on Australian business, freeing up funds for capital investment.
The Tourism Productivity in Australia report can be downloaded from this PS News link.
18 January, 2011
Funding plan hatched
for social enterprises
A new fund to assist social enterprises get off the ground and succeed has been established by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and is looking for business partners.
Minister for Employment Participation, Kate Ellis announced the fund saying proposals to establish new banking and financial services for the enterprises had been called.
Ms Ellis said the Australian Government would make $20 million available through the Social Enterprise Development and Investment Funds (SEDIF), to provide social enterprises with access to independent sources of capital and support.
Ms Ellis said banks, financial institutions and other entities who put forward successful proposals would match the Government’s investment, creating a total pool of $40 million.
She said social enterprises used trade to create social, cultural or environmental value, and the majority were non-profit or limited profit distributing businesses.
Ms Ellis said the new social enterprise funds would help address the difficulties that social enterprises could face in accessing private capital for the development of their businesses.
“These guidelines will support organisations with relevant investment expertise and capability in applying for a one-off Government grant, to help establish funds that will provide seed and growth capital for social enterprises,” Ms Ellis said.
“Social enterprises will benefit from access to qualified fund managers in securing the funds that will enable social enterprises to extend their reach and impact.”
She said the guidelines would help bring together Government, social enterprises and the investment sector to ensure that Australian social enterprises had a strong future.
“Social enterprises play an important role in our community, including through assisting disadvantaged Australians to gain labour market skills and improve their employment prospects,” Ms Ellis said.
She said the SEDIF complemented the Government’s $74 million investment in more than 100 social enterprises through the Jobs Fund and Innovation Fund, and the $1 million national business development support initiative for social enterprises.
The SEDIF guidelines are available at this PS News link with applications open until 18 February 2011.
18 January, 2011
GG issues flood message
Governor-General Quentin Bryce has issued a message to the people of Queensland.
She said in this time of dreadful loss, anxiety and grief for so many families, it was important to hold on to the courage, determination and toughness that Australians never fail to demonstrate during great hardship.
“We must open our hearts to those in need, supporting them in every way we can,” Her Excellency said.
“Our gratitude and admiration are with our remarkable volunteers, whose skill and selflessness inspire us day after day, week after week.”
She said as Commander-in-Chief, she also paid tribute to the professionalism, care and concern exhibited by Australian Defence Force personnel.
Fundraising celebrations
The National Australia Day Council has called on the organisers of Australia Day events to
use their activities as opportunities to raise funds for flood affected communities.
Chief Executive of NADC, Warren Pearson said at this late stage of planning, there was little money to be saved by cancelling events and donating the remaining funds to flood relief.
Flood map on ABC
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has created an emergency map for the Queensland floods using reports from people on the ground in flood affected areas.
The map is available at this PS News Link.
IPAA oration next month
The Institute of Public Administration Australia Victoria’s oration is to be held on 25 February.
The annual lecture seeks to challenge the accepted norms of the public sector and build thought leadership in public administration.
This year, Martin Flanagan will speak on the horrors of slavery and how it led to the world’s first international human rights movement.
The lecture will take place at BMW Edge, Federation Square in Melbourne.
New coin a spinner
The Royal Australian Mint has joined forces with Cricket Australia to release a new coin in celebration of the Ashes.
Designed by sculptor and engraver, Wojciech Pietranik, the design on the 20c coin creates the illusion of a ‘six-stitcher’ cricket ball and celebrates the enduring sporting rivalry which has been alive since 1882.
The new coin was used in the official coin toss at the Prime Minister’s XI and is for sale to raise funds for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia.
The Ashes Series uncirculated coin is available to purchase from the Royal Australian Mint Shop in Canberra, online via this PS News link. or from Australia Post outlets.
Bureau plans cancelled
Plans by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation to merge a number of news bureaux overseas with Associated Press have been called off.
The move has been welcomed by the Australian journalist’s union, the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance.
Garnaut talks up climate
Professor Ross Garnaut who is leading the Climate Change Review Update for the Government, is to give a public lecture in Melbourne on 3 February.
The lecture will mark the first of eight papers to be released as part of the 2011 update.
The lecture will reflect on the two years of public discussion since Professor Garnaut’s 2008 Report, outline the approach to updating the Review, and examine the framework on how Australians can best evaluate the costs and benefits of acting on climate change.
ASIS’s Robertson dies
Former head of the Australian Secret Intelligence, Bill Roberston died on 2 January, 2011.
Mr Robertson was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and awarded the Military Cross and twice mentioned in despatches for his achievements in the Australian Imperial Force in World War Two.
He was a driving force in the conception and establishment of ASIS and worked for the Service for more than 25 years, during which time he was Deputy Director, Acting Director and Director General.
In 1976, he was appointed head of the new Protective Services Coordination Centre and continued to provide advice on security issues following his retirement in 1982.
Funds for Vets projects
Fifty-eight local health and wellbeing projects aimed at enhancing the lives of Australia’s veteran community are to receive more than $750,000 in Australian Government funding round three of the 2010-2011 Veteran and Community Grants program.
The program helps fund projects in communities across Australia that benefit veterans, war widows and widowers and their families by supporting a range of initiatives including exercise, nutrition and social activities.
Applications for the next round of grants close on 22 January 2011.
Organisations interested in applying for funding can visit this PS News link.
Garnaut talks up climate
Professor Ross Garnaut who is leading the Climate Change Review Update for the Government, is to give a public lecture in Melbourne on 3 February.
The lecture will mark the first of eight papers to be released as part of the 2011 update.
The lecture will reflect on the two years of public discussion since Professor Garnaut’s 2008 Report, outline the approach to updating the Review, and examine the framework on how Australians can best evaluate the costs and benefits of acting on climate change.
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