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SearchArchives for October 2011
28 October, 2011
Whistleblower circular
hits right note
The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) has issued a Circular to all Departments and Agencies advising them of their obligations when dealing with reports from whistleblowers.
Circular 2011/5: Electronic publication for Advice to agencies on providing procedural fairness in whistleblower investigations sets out the requirements of the APS whistleblower framework relating to recognising a whistleblower report; ensuring procedural fairness when dealing with whistleblower reports; and requests for anonymity from a whistleblower.
It also requires appropriate reference to procedural fairness in agency procedures.
“An APS employee may choose to make a whistleblower report, and, if they do, it must be dealt with under the whistleblowing regime,” the Circular says.
“In particular the agency must investigate the report, unless it is considered frivolous or vexatious; agency procedures for investigating whistleblowing complaints must be followed; and the whistleblower must not be victimised or discriminated against for having made the report.”
It says the employee needs to make clear to that person that they believed an employee of the agency had acted inappropriately and that they would like the agency to take misconduct action against that person.
The Circular says that an investigation resulting from a whistleblower’s report was not to establish whether there had been a breach of the Code of Conduct.
Instead, it says, the purpose of the investigation would be to determine if there was sufficient substance to the report to justify starting an investigation under an agency’s procedures for investigating alleged breaches of the Code of Conduct.
“A person making a whistleblowing complaint can ask to remain anonymous,” the Circular says, “but it will not always be possible for the agency to guarantee anonymity.
“The person who receives the report can undertake to protect the whistleblower’s identity as far as is reasonably possible, but complete and ongoing anonymity cannot be guaranteed.”
It says an individual could make a completely anonymous report of suspected misconduct (i.e. make a report without identifying themselves as an APS employee).
“Such complaints should not be characterised as whistleblower reports, and whether they are investigated or not is a matter for each agency head (or their delegate) to decide.”
The full text of the APSC Circular can be accessed at this PS News link and more information on the whistleblowing framework is available from the APSC Ethics Advisory Service (EAS) on (02) 6202 3737 or by email ethics@apsc.gov.au
28 October, 2011
Army camps out to
help at CHOGM
More than 200 Army Reservists and regular soldiers have been put to work in Perth helping Western Australia police ensure the smooth running of the current Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, CHOGM.
Parliamentary Secretary for Defence, Senator David Feeney commended the soldiers from the Army’s 13th Brigade who were supporting WA Police with communications, critical-incident management and search capability.
“The Task Group will comprise approximately 229 Reservists and 130 regular Army soldiers working together as one total force to deliver the required capability,” Senator Feeney said.
“13th Brigade have demonstrated that they are a versatile, competent and adaptive organisation.”
He said having recently returned from operations in the Solomon Islands, the members of 13th Brigade were well placed to meet the challenges that CHOGM 2011 would present.
Commander of the Brigade, Brigadier Stephen Cain said his soldiers had completed months of comprehensive training and planning in low-risk search techniques and would play a support role to the police to ensure a safe and secure CHOGM 2011.
“Reserve soldiers from the 13th Brigade, Regular Army soldiers from the Darwin-based 1st Combat Engineer Regiment trained in high-risk search, and a Royal Australian Air Force Explosive Detection Dog team will work together to provide the required support,” he said.
“We will deliver effective security measures designed to support Western Australia Police and other Government agencies while minimising public disruption.”
Senator Feeney said the Australian Government had deployed appropriate ADF assets (maritime, land and air) for the Western Australia Government to provide a secure environment for the conduct of CHOGM 2011 in Perth.
28 October, 2011
Sitting gets to seat
of the problem
Comcare has issued a warning to office workers that their health could be at risk if they sit at their desks all day without a break.
The work health and safety regulator released results from a trial which found taking regular breaks from sitting in the one spot could improve wellbeing.
Chief Executive of Comcare, Paul O’Connor said the survey found that the typical office worker spent over two-thirds of his or her day remaining seated and inactive.
He said it also found that even 30 minutes of exercise a day could not offset the high risk of cardiovascular disease and death associated with prolonged sitting.
“Comcare is currently piloting sit/stand workstations to reduce sedentary time by promoting more standing and increased movement,” Mr O’Connor said.
“Initial results indicate a reduction in sitting time across the day for the workers who were given these special workstations.”
He said the trial revealed a marked change in behaviour by participants when the amount of standing and stepping movement was increased.
He said a sit/stand workstation was just one of many avenues open to employers to promote movement in their workplaces.
“Leading by example is important,” Mr O’Connor said.
“If more frontline managers model strategies to reduce sedentary behaviours, such as taking regular breaks to get some fresh air, and standing up when they’re on the phone, we’ll see the behaviour of employees change, too.”
He said however, it was about promoting movement, not just standing.
“Our research has shown that remaining in any posture for a prolonged period is a health risk.
“We need to promote movement and regular changing of work postures.”
He said data from the trial continued to be analysed, with the results used to demonstrate a stronger link between sit/stand workstations, increased movement and the goal of lowering health risks to workers.
Mr O’Connor said further data from the analysis would be released by the end of year.
28 October, 2011
CHOGM wins new
stamp of approval
Australia Post has released a new postage stamp to mark the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
The CHOGM 2011 stamp was designed by Rachelle Flynn of the Australia Post Design Studio and costs 60 cents.
Managing Director and Chief Executive of Australia Post, Ahmed Fahour said the organisation was delighted to commemorate the 2011 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting with the stamp issue.
“The hosting of CHOGM 2011 in Perth will provide a great opportunity to showcase Western Australia to the world,” Mr Fahour said.
“CHOGM 2011 is the most significant international event to be held in Perth for almost 50 years and marks the third time that Australia has been host.”
He said previous meetings had been held in Melbourne in 1981 and Coolum, Queensland in 2002.”
He said this year’s event would be the largest ever gathering of world leaders in Australia.
“It will attract around 3,000 delegates, including Heads of Government, Foreign Ministers, senior officials and support staff,” he said.
“The media will provide coverage to more than 50 nations.”
Mr Fahour said CHOGM was a biennial meeting of the Heads of Government from all Commonwealth nations.
He said every two years the meeting was held in a different member State, and was chaired by that nation’s respective Prime Minister or President, who became the Commonwealth Chairperson-in-Office.
He said there had been meetings of Commonwealth leaders since 1949 when just eight countries were members.
“The stamp issued to commemorate CHOGM 2011 depicts the Perth skyline,” Mr Fahour said.
“Recently rated as one of the top 10 most liveable cities in the world, Perth is currently enjoying unprecedented growth and development fuelled by the boom in mineral resources.”
He said CHOGM stamp products included a first day cover; a stamp pack; a maxicard; and a sheetlet of 10 x 60c stamps.
The stamps and associated products were available from participating Australia Post retail outlets, via mail order on 1800 331 794 and online at this PS News link until sold out.
28 October, 2011
Bottom up overhaul
for top down power
A Minister in the Commonwealth Government has called for a new system of cooperative Federalism in Australia that would see local communities and regions given a greater say in governing the country.
Minister for Regional Australia, Simon Crean has called on political and community leaders across the country to endorse a new ‘bottom-up’ approach that he said would deliver long-term benefits to regional Australia.
Mr Crean said the new system would turn the existing ‘top down’ approach on its head.
“This is about ‘whole of government’ and ‘whole of governments’ approach to regional development,” Mr Crean said.
“We need to embed this regional approach, this bottom-up co-operative federalism in a way that cannot be unpicked - in a way that compulsory superannuation and Medicare cannot be unpicked.”
He said support for regional Australia was part of his party’s tradition and the Government was determined to embed localism into the way Australia was governed.
“We must engage the regions to identify new opportunities for diversification and strengthening their economic base,” Mr Crean said.
“Regional Australia can drive the new approach to government and drive new investment in their regions by ‘joining up the dots’ across Governments at all levels and breaking down the silo approach that still dominates government thinking and funding.”
He said the Regional Development Australia network had been renewed and strengthened across the country and its capability significant improved.
“Two themes dominate my discussions with regional leaders about the future growth of regional Australia: the need to diversify and the desire to embrace a clean energy future and a more liveable environment,” Mr Crean said.
“For them it is not just about tomorrow, it’s about rewarding innovation and creating new jobs today.”
28 October, 2011
Australia digs deep
to give mining help
A new plan to help developing countries develop their natural resources has been announced by the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard.
The Mining for Development Initiative has been introduced to help more than 30 developing countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America get the most from their mineral assets and sell them.
Ms Gillard said Australia was an expert in developing mineral commodities using environmentally responsible practices.
“We want to make sure resource-rich developing countries use opportunities generated by mining to create much needed education and job opportunities for some of the world’s most vulnerable people,” Ms Gillard said.
“Well-governed mining, gas and petroleum sectors can not only help reduce poverty but also reduce a developing country’s dependency on aid.”
She said the centrepiece of the Initiative was the International Mining for Development Centre which would be based in the University of Western Australia’s Energy and Mineral Institute and operate in partnership with the University of Queensland’s Sustainable Minerals Institute.
“The first-class expertise on offer at both of these universities will mean this new centre will be a valuable resource for developing countries around the globe,” Ms Gillard said.
“Through this Centre Australia will provide up to $31 million for practical advisory, education and training services to developing countries.
“We expect this to include 1,870 training places in Australia and in developing countries and 24 research fellowships.”
She said the Centre was part of a broader mining for development initiative launched during CHOGM which would include new funding of up to $29 million for short-course undergraduate and post graduate Australian Mining Awards scholarships; $20 million over four years to see Federal and State Government agencies work more closely with their counterparts in developing countries to improve public sector capacity in mining regulation and administration; and $22 million to support selected Non-Government Organisations already active in social and environmentally sustainable activities in mining.
The Prime Minister said further elements of the package would be announced soon.
28 October, 2011
Policy joins dots on
Indigenous culture
A new Indigenous Repatriation Policy has been launched by the Minister for the Arts, Simon Crean.
Mr Crean said the policy recognised the value and importance of preserving, revitalising and strengthening Indigenous culture.
He also announced the opening of a $28.3 million competitive funding round for the preservation and strengthening of Indigenous culture, languages and visual arts.
“This funding round sees the creation of a single set of streamlined funding guidelines for Indigenous culture, languages and visual arts projects,” Mr Crean said.
“It will make it easier for artists and organisations to access these funds which currently support nearly three hundred Indigenous projects throughout Australia.”
He said that in the latest round, the names of the funding streams had changed to reflect better the purpose of the funding.
“The Maintenance of Indigenous Languages and Records (MILR) program is now called Indigenous Languages Support (ILS) and the National Arts and Crafts Industry Support (NACIS) program is now called Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support (IVAIS),” Mr Crean said.
“Indigenous Culture Support (ICS) will retain its current name.”
He said the repatriation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ancestral remains and secret sacred objects provided an opportunity to right the wrongs of the past and to build positive relationships between the collecting institutions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“The streamlined funding and consolidation of the domestic and international repatriation programs will generate a stronger recognition of Indigenous culture, languages and visual arts both here and internationally,” he said.
Mr Crean said the latest round of funding opened on 29 October and would run to 3 February 2012.
More information, including details on how to apply, can be accessed at this PS News link.
28 October, 2011
New money back scheme
comes with guarantee
A new scheme to assist migrants from Commonwealth developing countries working overseas to meet the costs of sending money back home has been unveiled by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd.
Mr Rudd said a $3.5 million package of support would provide practical help over the next two years to developing countries in the Commonwealth, including those in the Pacific, to drive down the costs of remittances or sending money home.
“Every year migrants from developing countries working overseas give more money back to their home countries than developed countries give in aid,” Mr Rudd said.
“In Commonwealth countries such as Tonga and Samoa, remittance flows equal more than 20 per cent of gross domestic product.
“Remittance flows to developing countries are expected to reach US$350 billion globally by the end of 2011.”
He said providing the support would change lives.
“It will mean more dollars make it home to pay for school fees, health care and to put food on the table,” Mr Rudd said.
Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer, David Bradbury said Australia was an active supporter of lower remittance costs and had been promoting improved remittance flows through the Group of Twenty (G20) and the Pacific Islands Forum Economic Ministers’ Meeting (FEMM).
“A major impediment to facilitating remittance flows is the relatively high cost of transactions,” Mr Bradbury said.
“The global average cost of sending remittances is approximately 9 per cent of the total amount remitted.”
He said already Australia and New Zealand’s website (www.sendmoneypacific.org) had contributed to reducing the average cost of sending $200 to Pacific island countries by approximately $6 or 3 percentage points between January 2009 and June 2011.
“The assistance announced today will support developing Commonwealth countries in setting up their own mechanisms to increase transparency and competition in the remittance services market,” he said.
“Australian funding will also support the uptake of new technology, such as mobile banking services, to increase access to financial services for the poor and help improve the development impact of remittances.”
28 October, 2011
And in Other News...
Unionists continue action
Members of the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) are continuing their industrial action in support of pay increases with staff from the Customs and Border Protection Service, Bureau of Meteorology and the Australian Communications and Media Authority stopping work this week.
National Secretary of the CPSU, Nadine Flood said the members expected better than payrise offers that didn’t keep pace with inflation.
“Our members only take industrial action as a last resort but they are becoming very frustrated,” Ms Flood said.
Museum wins cup
The National Museum of Australia has won a Melbourne Cup.
The Museum won the 1867 Melbourne Cup and 1867 Queen’s Plate Trophy at a recent Sotheby’s auction, successfully bidding $720,000 for them.
Access to the Cup and Plate will now be available for all Australians.
ABC sends data OS
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation is to host its ABC Shop Online site in the Amazon Web Services’ cloud, resulting in some customer data moving offshore to Singapore.
The ABC has emailed its customers informing them some of their personal information would be held overseas.
The emails said credit card details would not be sent offshore and that customers could object to their data being included.
Other offshore data storage locations will be advised on the ABC Shop’s Online privacy policy page from time to time.
Airservices rewards excellence
Airservices Australia has recognised three air traffic controllers for going ‘above and beyond’ on the International Day of the Air Traffic Controller.
David Horn from Karratha Tower (WA), Mark Stevens from the Gold Coast Tower (QLD) and Stephen Giles from the Melbourne Centre (VIC) are this year’s recipients of a peer nomination program that will see them visit an international air navigation services provider as a professional development opportunity.
Airservices Australia employs around 950 controllers who work from two major centres, four terminal control units and 28 towers around the country.
PS reach women’s finals
Two public service organisations are among the finalists of the 2011 Business Achievement Awards.
Alan Robson from the University of Western Australia is a finalist for the award for Leading CEO for the Advancement of Women and the University of Sydney is a finalist in the Minister’s Award for Outstanding EEO Initiative/Result for the Advancement of Women category.
The Awards are conducted by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency and the winners will be named on Wednesday 9 November 2011.
Childcare places increased
The creation of more than 1,500 new Occasional and In Home Care places has been announced.
Minister for Child Care, Kate Ellis, said the new allocation of places was an acknowledgement that centre-based care may not be suitable for all Australian families.
She said families would be able to access the additional places by mid-next year and details of the application process will be available on the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations website www.deewr.gov.au/earlychildhood in late January 2012.
Shipwreck protected
The only known shipwreck of a vessel from the First Fleet has been placed on the National Heritage List.
The Australian National Maritime Museum was the venue for the announcement that the wreck of the HMS Sirius would be given Australia’s highest form of heritage recognition.
The shipwreck site of the Sirius lies south east of Kingston Pier in Slaughter Bay, Norfolk Island.
Website for taskforce
The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Implementation Taskforce has launched its website.
The website will serve to advise the public of the Taskforce’s role.
It was established to ensure that the ACNC is operational by 1 July 2012.
The website can b accessed at this PS News link.
It also has a YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/acnctaskforce
Previously this week... Disability scheme closer
The foundations for a National Disability Insurance Scheme by mid-2013 have been laid a year ahead of the timetable set by the Productivity Commission.
Ministers from each State and Territory have agreed on the key reforms necessary for the NDIS, including common assessment tools to determine eligibility, national quality standards, and strategies to boost the disability workforce.
The next meeting of the Select Council charged with the reforms will start work on funding and governance.
Health check for veterans
War Veterans have been asked to connect with their mates and consider their mental wellness during Veterans’ Health Week, which is this week.
Running until next Sunday, Veterans’ Health Week, focuses on building on the strength of the veteran community’s mental wellness.
Events are to be held around the country not just encouraging veterans to consider their health, but also providing opportunities to re-connect with mates and try something new.
Sports events, sight-seeing tours and music concerts will run alongside information sessions focused on health issues particularly affecting veterans.
Heritage week dates out
The annual national celebration of Australia's unique heritage which is Australian Heritage Week, is to run from 14 to 22 April in 2012.
More than 300 events were held across Australia in 2011, with communities in each State and Territory involved.
In the lead up to Australian Heritage Week 2012, information will be available from this PS News link.
25 October, 2011
PS call to spearhead
Indigenous jobs
Senior Public Service managers have been called on to copy their private sector counterparts and go into bat for Indigenous employment.
Writing in the new-look magazine of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, Public Administration Today, the National President of the IPAA, Percy Allan called on the senior echelons of the PS to pledge more jobs for Indigenous Australians.
“Indigenous success stories tell us those who find work have far fewer problems than those who don’t,” Mr Allan said.
“To find work, Indigenous Australians need skills and opportunities to escape the downward spiral of hopelessness and despair that many regrettably view as the natural fate for Australia’s original peoples.”
His plea echoes a similar call by Special Minister of State, Gary Gray for Public Service Chiefs to lead by example in hiring more Indigenous employees.
Mr Gray said he expected the Public Service to be doing more towards achieving the 2018 target of a further 100,000 private and public sector jobs for Indigenous Australians.
The Magazine looks at other aspects of Indigenous affairs, including The
Strategic Review of Indigenous Expenditure Report to the Australian Government, which recommended 25 existing Indigenous-specific programs across the Commonwealth be closed immediately, and 51 others be consolidated into 18.
The report said Commonwealth Government expenditure on its Indigenous-specific programs amounted to some $3.5 billion annually and that it had yielded dismally poor returns to date.
Public Administration Today also features articles supporting its Indigenous employment theme by Public Service Chiefs including Auditor General, Ian McPhee, former Commonwealth and ACT Ombudsman, Allan Asher and the Australian Public Service Commission.
It is distributed nationally and read by public sector employees in all three tiers of Government, Statutory Authorities and not-for-profit organisations.
Mr Allan’s comments can also be found in the PS News Feature pages at this PS News link.
25 October, 2011
Asher to ashes as
watchdog resigns
Outgoing Commonwealth Ombudsman, Allan Asher maintained he had always acted in the interests of the public and his Office when he announced his resignation last week.
“I have always acted in the interest of those I have served and to bring about meaningful, broad-ranging and long-term reforms to public administration,” Mr Asher said.
“However, I accept that my actions prior to the May 2011 Budget Estimates hearing caused many in the community and the Parliament to call into question the impartiality of my Office.”
He deeply regretted that his Office’s reputation might have been damaged and apologised to his staff and clients.
“However, I do hope that some good will come of this incident by way of public discussion and debate about future funding and an appropriate accountability mechanism for the Commonwealth Ombudsman,” he said.
Mr Asher said that during his tenure he placed particular emphasis on the importance of Government Agencies becoming more socially inclusive and customer-focused, improving governance and integrity in the public sector, and using plain language to communicate with members of the public.
“We have identified issues in a wide range of operational and service delivery systems, and helped Government Agencies to establish and improve their own complaint-handling mechanisms,” Mr Asher said.
“This has resulted in improvements to Government administration and the services provided to Australians.”
He said he was especially proud of his Office’s investigations into systemic issues, citing as examples the school chaplaincy program, the use of interpreters for Indigenous Australians, tax file number compromises, how Agencies engaged with people suffering from mental illness, and review rights for people under income management.
Rather than discussing the broader issues of governance, finances and relations with the Executive at this time, Mr Asher said he would consider making further comment in due course.
25 October, 2011
Pathway developed for
students with disability
The Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) is considering launching a special APS employment pathway for students with disability.
In a notice on its website, the APSC has called on university students with disability, disability support officers and career advisors to contribute to a short survey offering feedback on the idea.
The feedback will help the Commission’s thinking on how to make employment and work experience more accessible, relevant and timely.
In its website message the APSC invited respondents to share their thoughts on student employment aspirations, job searches, and preferences for a potential employment pathway.
“Through completing this survey, you will help ensure that a future employment pathway will be designed accurately and help as many people as possible in the most effective way,” the APSC said.
It said the survey should take about 10 minutes to complete for a student and five minutes for a support officer or careers advisor.
“Your responses are voluntary and will be confidential. Responses will not be identified by the individual and all responses will be compiled together and analysed as a group,” the APSC said.
The Commission also wants volunteers to comment on new disability-related employment initiatives.
“If you would like to participate in further consultation activities, please include your name and contact details at the end of the survey,” it said.
The feedback period will close on Friday 18 November and to find out more, or to complete the survey, go to this PS News link.
25 October, 2011
Mental health is
front of mind
Findings of the 2010 Australian Defence Force (ADF) Mental Health Prevalence and Wellbeing Study have been published.
The study coincides with the launch of the 2011 ADF Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.
Minister for Defence, Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon said the study was the first comprehensive assessment of the overall mental health of the ADF’s serving population.
“It has shaped the blueprint for managing the mental fitness of our personnel,” Mr Snowdon said.
He said the study was part of a $93 million Mental Health Reform Program designed to improve access to mental health care for servicemen and women and veterans.
The four-year reform program was commissioned following recommendations from the 2009 Dunt Review of Mental Health Care in the ADF. About half of the ADF workforce was surveyed.
Mr Snowdon said the Mental Health Prevalence and Wellbeing Study involved a screening questionnaire followed by a clinical interview with personnel more likely to experience a mental health problem.
The study confirmed that mental disorder was as common in the ADF as in the wider Australian community, with about half of ADF members experiencing a mental disorder at some point in their lifetime.
Chief of the Defence Force, General David Hurley said there was still some reluctance among ADF personnel to seek help for mental illness, stemming from a fear that having a mental disorder may affect an individual’s career.
“The ADF is working hard to change that perception, providing a range of support to people who are experiencing mental health disorders,” General Hurley said.
“Importantly, we have changed our policies and procedures to give us more flexibility with managing recovery times, with discharge from the Defence Force being an option of last resort.”
The Study and Strategy can be accessed at this PS News link.
25 October, 2011
Products shelved in
shelf crackdown
More than 95,000 unsafe products have been withdrawn from the market following a national program instituted by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
In addition, almost 100 retailers have been issued with warnings.
Deputy Chair of ACCC, Peter Kell said the results showed the effectiveness of enhanced collaboration between the ACCC and State and Territory Consumer Protection Agencies in detecting and addressing non-compliant goods in the marketplace.
“Some retailers may face court action for selling products that fail to meet mandatory product safety standards,” Mr Kell said.
He said the ACCC would continue to take action against manufacturers, importers and retailers that did not comply with the mandatory standards.
“Suppliers must meet Australia’s mandatory standards or face potential prosecution with fines,” Mr Kell said.
“The ACCC is ready to take action against any supplier who breaches these laws.”
He said the ACCC was pleased to see high levels of compliance with new national mandatory standards covering products such as moveable soccer goals and corded blinds and curtains which only came into effect this year.
He said however that compliance in some product categories with long-standing mandatory safety standards, such as hydraulic trolley jacks, was poor.
Mr Kell said the ACCC and State and Territory Consumer Protection Agencies had already begun work on the next national surveillance program which would be focused on toys and children’s products and would be completed before Christmas.
25 October, 2011
Fair workload for
Fair Work Office
The Fair Work Ombudsman has delivered his second annual report card revealing that his website attracted more than 2.4 million visitors in the past financial year seeking information, assistance and advice,
The website - www.fairwork.gov.au - delivers a range of free online self-service tools and resources that can be accessed 24 hours a day.
In addition, the Fair Work Infoline – open from 8am to 6pm weekdays – provided help to more than 825,000 callers.
Email and postal requests for assistance were also up significantly, rising 61 per cent from 22,500 to 36,400.
In addition, Fair Work inspectors completed more than 22,000 educational visits to employers in 2010-11 and provided businesses with more than 32,000 education packs.
A key educational initiative saw the development of new resources in partnership with some of Australia’s leading employer organisations.
According to the Fair Work Ombudsman, Nicholas Wilson his Office finalised 22,523 complaints, recovering $21.3 million in underpaid entitlements for 9,747 employees; undertook four national and 28 regional campaigns, recovering a further $4.7 million for another 7,613 underpaid employees; achieved court-ordered penalties of more than $2.1 million in 40 litigation matters finalised in 2010-11, and supported 31 large national enterprises, collectively employing more than 209,000 staff, to provide fairer, compliant workplaces.
Mr Wilson said his Office’s work promoted harmonious, productive and co-operative workplace relations.
“The advisory, auditing and compliance services we offer the community are pitched to ensure that as much as possible, Australians have the information they need to pay, or be paid, properly,” Mr Wilson said.
“My objective is to progressively re-orient the services in order to expend the greatest effort on the areas of greatest need, especially the employment of young, migrant and other vulnerable workers in workplaces which are not members of industry or employer organisations and the workforce is not unionised.”
The Fair Work Ombudsman’s Annual Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
25 October, 2011
Boarding schools
fail audit test
An audit of two building projects aimed at providing boarding school accommodation for Aboriginal students in the Northern Territory, South Australia and Queensland has found the projects to be three years behind schedule and their viability in doubt.
The Indigenous Boarding Facilities (IBF) program, administered by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and the Indigenous Boarding Hostels Partnerships (IBHP) program, administered by the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) were not living up to expectations, the audit found.
In his report Indigenous Secondary Student Accommodation Initiatives, Auditor-General, Ian McPhee said taken together, the programs represented an investment of more than $80 million in secondary school accommodation for Indigenous students in remote communities.
He said the IBF program was the larger of the programs and aimed to establish three boarding facilities in separate locations in the Northern Territory.
“Under the IBHP program, FaHCSIA has funded an expansion, worth $3 million, to an existing boarding facility in South Australia, which opened in June 2010.”
He said however that the main funding of the program was directed at the construction of a new facility in Weipa in Queensland, and that was the focus of his audit.
“The construction of the boarding facilities under the IBF program and the IBHP program is now three years behind the schedules,” Mr McPhee said.
“At various stages, and to different degrees across the programs, the Departments have encountered difficulties in implementing the programs with the result that timeframes have slipped significantly.”
He found that both Departments had put in place arrangements to implement planning and consultation phases although the arrangements were not effective in all respects.
“From a planning perspective, the original timeframes developed by the Departments were overly optimistic and did not allow for sufficient time for community consultations, negotiations with State/Territory Governments, the engagement of implementation partners, and the design and construction of the facilities,” he said.
“The effectiveness of the planning phase would also have been improved by the development of a stronger information base to support the key decisions on locations for the facilities.”
The audit also revealed there was uncertainty about whether sufficient demand existed to generate the revenue required to pay for the operation of the boarding facilities.
“Greater emphasis on quantifying the likely levels of demand specifically for boarding facilities in each potential location would have led to better informed considerations.”
Mr McPhee said the Departments’ community consultation processes were generally effective, drawing out a range of local perspectives about the possible location, size, and operating models for the proposed boarding facilities.
He found formal agreements had been developed with counterpart Departments in the Northern Territory and Queensland, although they had not yet been signed.
“Looking ahead, a number of issues require attention in order to secure the effective and sustainable operation of the planned boarding facilities,” the Auditor-General said.
“Both Departments face potential shortfalls in their operational funding and there is still a high risk that there will be insufficient demand.”
As a result of his findings, the Auditor made two recommendations covering clarification of continuing financial requirements and the development of collaborative approaches to performance measurement.
The full text of the Auditor-General’s report can be found at this PS News link and the audit team consisted of Andrew Pope, Matt Tolley and Peter Towns.
25 October, 2011
Big build-up for
cities report
The Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese has issued his Department’s State of Australian Cities 2011 report.
The report shows that city-dwellers are using less electricity, leaving their car in the garage more often in favour of catching public transport, producing less household waste and raising children who were staying at home until an older age.
Mr Albanese said the initial report, produced in 2010, generated significant interest and he expected the 2011 edition to do the same.
“As well as giving us a better understanding of how our cities work, the report also identifies the specific initiatives of Local Councils and State Planning Authorities which are proving effective at promoting more productive, sustainable and livable urban communities,” Mr Albanese said.
He also announced that States, Territories and eligible Councils could now submit an application for funding under the Livable Cities Program – aimed at trialling new, potential solutions to urban sprawl, congestion, a lack of affordable housing and carbon pollution.
“As one of the world’s most urbanised societies, Australia’s future economic prosperity and continuing social cohesion will depend largely on how successful we are at making our cities work better,” he said.
Lord Mayors of Australia's capital cities welcomed the release of the Report and the launch of the Liveable Cities Program.
Lord Mayor of Hobart and Chair of the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors, Rob Valentine, said the report provided a wealth of information about the everyday life of the 16 million Australians who lived or worked in the nation’s cities.
25 October, 2011
Awards turn spotlight
Film and Sound Archive
Four awards from the Australian Society of Archivists have been won by the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA).
Chief Executive at the NFSA, Michael Loebenstein said he was delighted to receive the Mander Jones Awards and congratulated the Australian Society of Archivists for running an award program that raised the bar for archival writing and publishing in Australia.
The NFSA’s winning submissions, two in each category, were:
Best publication that uses, features or interprets Australian archives, written by or on behalf of a corporate body:
* Marius Sestier Collection - scholarly essay by Sally Jackson, International Film Specialist.
* Restoring For the Term of his Natural Life -scholarly essay by NFSA Historian.
Graham Shirley.
Best finding aid to an archival collection held by an Australian institution or about Australia:
*Sounds of Australia Registry - A media-rich, online gateway to Australia’s historic and contemporary sound works as nominated by the public each year since 2007 - Matthew Davies, Senior Curator, Sound, Broadcast and New Media.
*Wireless House - NFSA’s partnership with the City of Sydney and sonic artist Nigel Helyer to reactivate the Wireless House, built in Foley Park, Glebe in 1934, as a public listening space.
The Mander Jones awards were established in 1996 by the Australian Society of Archivists to reward publications in the field of recordkeeping and archives.
They are named in honour of Phyllis Mander Jones who authored manuscripts in the British Isles relating to Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, in 1972.
25 October, 2011
Christmas warning
is gift from police
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has joined with the Australian Bankers’ Association (ABA), and the industry body for mutual banking institutions, Abacus, to issue a reminder to consumers to protect their credit and debit cards when spending in stores or online in the lead-up to Christmas.
The three organisations have urged consumers to take some basic safety precautions and to protect their personal information.
National Manager of High Tech Crime Operations with the AFP, Assistant Commissioner Neil Gaughan, said the use of internet technology could allow strangers to obtain large amounts of personal information relating to a wide range of personal activities.
“As a rule, it is recommended you apply commonsense to any shopping activity either on or offline, particularly at this time of the year when people are looking for a bargain,” Assistant Commissioner Gaughan said.
“Small business owners also need to be vigilant with transactional safety, and consider things like the physical security of their merchant services, potential vulnerabilities in their business information systems and the security of any online presence including business web pages and online transaction systems.”
Chief Executive of the ABA, Steven Münchenberg said it was important to do some research on the online merchant.
“Then you can be confident that you are transacting with a business that you can trust and a business that will protect your personal information, including your credit or debit card details,” Mr Munchenberg said.
This advice was echoed by the Chief Executive of Abacus, Louise Petschler who said that buying online sometimes involved businesses requesting large amounts of information they did not need.
“So think about limiting the amount of information before providing it. Never send your credit card number by e-mail. E-mails are not secure,” Ms Petschler said.
Other security tips include guarding your PIN and Internet banking passwords; always checking your bank statements; maintaining up-to-date anti-virus and firewall software obtained from a reputable source; providing your bank with telephone contacts and travel plans; keeping a record of credit and debit card information in a safe place; and make sure your card is returned by the salesperson.
The organisations also advised using strong passwords and limiting the amount of personal information put online; securing your cards; reviewing your card limit; being alert for suspicious activity around ATMs or EFTPOS; and never letting your card out of your sight.
25 October, 2011
DIAC breakfast in
pink for charity
Staff at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) in Canberra marked Pink Ribbon Day with what has become a traditional breakfast.
Since 2006, the Department has raised close to $24,000 for breast cancer research by hosting an annual breakfast with DIAC’s senior executives, including Secretary, Andrew Metcalfe at which Pink Ribbon merchandise was available.
A spokesman for DIAC said the staff were extremely proud of their efforts to raise money for such a worthy cause.
“The breakfast is now in its sixth year and our staff continue to support this great initiative,” the spokesman said.
“Not only does the Pink Ribbon Day Breakfast raise money for breast cancer research, it also gives staff the opportunity to get together and have some fun.”
He said this year’s breakfast was supported by donations from the Department’s social club, the Belconnen Fresh Food Markets, Bakers Delight and Westfield Belconnen.
Pink Ribbon Day is a Cancer Council initiative to raise awareness of breast cancer as well as raise funds for research, early prevention and support programs for patients.
The spokesman said that over the past three years the Department had donated more than $100,000 to various charities, including Pink Ribbon Day.
“DIAC staff will continue the tradition and dig deep to raise money for this, and other great causes,” the spokesman said.
25 October, 2011
Bomb demo goes
off with a bang
The Australian Federal Police's (AFP) Australian Bomb Data Centre (ABDC) has conducted a bomb simulation event in Canberra.
The aim of the event was to demonstrate and educate participants about the dangers of the unlawful use of explosives and associated materials, often used by criminals and terrorists.
Participants were drawn from a range of Commonwealth Departments and Agencies.
Observers watched a wide variety of bomb detonations, including improvised explosive device (IED) scenarios comprising of homemade and commercial explosives, both of which could cause a variety of damage.
Mannequins, cars and mobile phones were just some of the items blown into tiny fragments.
Technical Intelligence Officer at the AFP, Geoff Day provided the audience with a running commentary throughout the day-long event.
"It is important that our stakeholders, including State and Territory police, are aware of the damage explosives can cause," Mr Day said.
"It is also important that they are aware of the extent of damage caused by different bombs, whether they are high explosive or incendiary in effect, and how small the explosive amounts can be to achieve these devastating results."
Director of ABDC, Phil Winter said the Centre’s role was to provide important information at pivotal moments, often during periods where organisations were responding to a major bomb incident, including bomb threats.
"In the recent collar bomb hoax incident in Sydney which was responded to by New South Wales Police, we provided those responding with 'reach back' technical intelligence,” Mr Winter said.
This was specifically on how collar bombs worked and past incidents where similar devices had been used around the globe.
The next education event being run by the ABDC is its annual conference scheduled from 2 to 4 November in Sydney, expected to be attended to by up to 200 stakeholders.
25 October, 2011
Media research
makes the news
A research project conducted by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found that a majority of Australians expect the same standards to apply to news and media content whether it is produced for print, broadcast or online.
The new research, Digital Australians- Expectations About Media Content in a Converging Media Environment, examined the impact of the increasing use of digital media on attitudes and expectations about media content.
The report found that regardless of delivery platform, familiar media brands were expected by most consumers to meet community standards for taste and decency.
Chairman of ACMA, Chris Chapman said consumers also expected news stories from reputable news organisations to meet the same journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness, whether in print, broadcast, or online.
Participants in the research expressed additional concerns for children using digital media and placed a high priority on protecting them.
Parents were more concerned about the internet than were other adults.
According to ACMA, Australians were pragmatic about the limited capacity to regulate content distributed over the internet and, with the exception of illegal content, focus group participants expected that much of the content available online would not be regulated.
“Australians have a high awareness of the ongoing changes in media and communications and regard the developments positively,” Mr Chapman said.
“While traditional media like television and radio are still dominant for most, the internet is expanding the media experience for Australians.”
He said the findings of the community research would contribute to ACMA's understanding of what convergence of media and communications meant for Australians and the possible implications for regulation and provision of advice to consumers and citizens.
25 October, 2011
Experts invited to
help assess grants
Community-based experts in science, research and resource management have been invited to offer their services to the Australian Government to help assess applications for grants.
Expressions of Interest are now open for Community Assessors, part of the teams evaluating applications for Government funding under the Caring for our Country initiative and the Action on the Ground element of the Securing a Clean Energy Future Plan.
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Joe Ludwig said community assessors played a vital role in helping decide where funds should be invested under a variety of Australian Government environmental and sustainable natural resource and agriculture management initiatives.
Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Tony Burke said the assessors would bring a wide range of perspectives to Government funding decisions.
Mr Burke said community involvement was an important finding of the recent review of Caring for our Country.
“We received feedback during the review that local people can play a key role in many aspects of natural resource management,” Mr Burke said.
Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Mike Kelly said the initiative was an opportunity for communities to be involved in the grant process, and would provide insight into what were the more appropriate projects for their region.
Community assessors will receive comprehensive training before each assessment process they are involved in and will be paid for their time and travel, Senator Ludwig said.
25 October, 2011
Livestock reform
is meaty subject
Regulations in Australia’s live cattle export industry are to be reformed as part of the Government’s response to the Farmer Review.
The Government has accepted all recommendations made by the review as well as reports from the Cattle and Sheep Industry-Government Working Groups.
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Joe Ludwig said reforms to live export industry would provide stability for the industry and thousands of regional jobs.
“The reports recommended adapting and implementing a supply chain assurance framework to all markets for the export of Australian livestock, as well as addressing a number of domestic welfare issues,” Senator Ludwig said
“The Australian Government has worked closely with the livestock industry and State and Territory Governments to develop the new regulatory framework.”
He said the framework would be phased in and be implemented in stages with 75 per cent of trade covered by February and for all trade by the end of 2012.
Under the framework, exporters will need to ensure animals will be handled and processed at or better than the internationally accepted standards for animal welfare; that they have control of the movement of animals within their supply chain; that they can trace or account for animals through the supply chain; and that they conduct independent verification and performance audits of their supply chains against these new requirements.
“The reforms give certainty to the community who made it clear they want better welfare standards and certainty to industry and livestock producers who want an industry with a long term future,” Senator Ludwig said.
21 October, 2011
Crisis centre to be
centre of crises
A new Crisis Coordination Centre has been opened in Canberra to manage national responses to large scale natural disasters or acts of terrorism.
Attorney-General, Robert McClelland opened the new Australian Government Crisis Coordination Centre saying the purpose-built secure facility would monitor risks to Australia and Australians 24 hours a day, seven days a week and had capacity for up to 100 officers from Commonwealth, State and Territory Agencies on-site during a crisis.
“The Crisis Coordination Centre connects Commonwealth, State and Territory agencies to centralise Australian Government actions during national emergencies,” Mr McClelland said.
“Operating from its temporary premises from September 2010, the CCC coordinated Australian Government assistance during the Queensland floods, Tropical Cyclone Yasi, the New Zealand earthquake and Victorian floods.”
He said while State and Territory authorities were the first responders during times of disasters, the Australian Government had a critical role in coordinating support from other States, the Australian Defence Force, Commonwealth Agencies and overseas.
“The new $14 million CCC facility includes a large operational room, linked video conferencing facilities with the States and Territories, crisis coordination rooms as well as secure premises that can be used during a national security incident,” Mr McClelland said.
“It also features high-speed and secure communications for officers from all agencies to link back to their home agency.”
He said the new CCC premises would mean staff were ready to move instantly from a 24/7 monitoring state to a response state whenever an emergency arose.
He said during a ‘steady’ state the CCC was staffed by around 20 officers from Emergency Management Australia, reporting information to the Australian Government on all potential known hazards, and undertaking contingency planning and preparation for crisis response.
“This includes threats such as natural disasters and man-made disasters, including security and cyber threats,” Mr McClelland said.
“We hope that there will be no need activate the full capabilities of the CCC this summer – but we can be confident that if a crisis occurs that we will be able to respond quickly and effectively.”
21 October, 2011
Bureau storms in for
cyclone season
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued its annual outlook for the tropical cyclone season and it’s all bad news for Australia’s four cyclone-prone regions.
The Bureau is expecting an above average number of cyclones right across northern Australia.
Climate Prediction Manager at the Bureau, Andrew Watkins, said climate models were trending toward another La Niña event, which led them to expect a slightly higher than average number of tropical cyclones.
Dr Watkins said however, no two La Niña events were the same.
“The Southern Oscillation Index, a key climate driver, was (positive) 11.7 in September this year, compared with (positive) 25 at the same time last year,” Dr Watkins said.
“While this La Niña may be weaker than the last, this doesn’t mean we can expect fewer tropical cyclones than the previous season.
“In other words, we can’t afford to be complacent.”
Climatologist with the Bureau, Joel Lisonbee said before a tropical cyclone formed it was difficult to predict its exact strength and path and whether it would make landfall.
Mr Lisonbee said however that the Bureau had a solid body of historical data which gave forecasters a likely range in which to work.
“Along the east and west coasts, less than half of all cyclones affect the coast, with most staying out to sea,” he said.
“However, along the north coast more than half of all cyclones will impact coastal regions.”
He said during a La Niña, warmer waters in the western Pacific and regions to the north of Australia, and associated changes in circulation helped focus tropical cyclone activity in the Coral and Timor seas.
“Generally we divide Australia into four regions,” Mr Lisonbee said, “with the average number of tropical cyclones in the eastern region (Queensland) being four, northern region (Northern Territory) being three, and western region (Western Australia) being seven. “The north western sub-region, which includes Western Australia and the Northern Territory, is highly active and with an average of five tropical cyclones,” he said.
More information about the Bureau’s tropical cyclone outlook can be obtained from this PS News link.
21 October, 2011
Union’s survey is
women’s wish list
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has launched its annual What Women Want survey.
Now in its sixth year, the CPSU survey is the largest survey of women undertaken by an Australian trade union.
Last year, nearly 10,000 women completed the survey, which was conducted in partnership with the University of Queensland’s Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR).
Deputy National Secretary of the CPSU, Kristin van Barneveld said the University of South Australia’s Centre for Work + Life had joined the partnership for the first time this year.
“The CPSU’s annual What Women Want survey of women raises important questions about women and work,” Dr van Barneveld said.
“Last year’s survey revealed significant gaps between the availability of flexible working conditions and the number of women accessing them.”
She said it showed that having a technical right to flexible working conditions did not always mean women would get to use them.
“The survey results give us a clear picture of women’s working lives and what our priorities need to be to improve conditions that provide flexibility and work life balance,” she said.
“The involvement of the University of South Australia’s Centre for Work + Life has seen the survey expand this year to include questions on environmental issues.”
Dr van Barneveld said results from previous surveys had been used in the 2011 round of enterprise agreement negotiations, which assisted the CPSU in securing improvements for women.
She said improvements included superannuation payments on periods of unpaid parental leave; control over hours of work and reasonable compensation for additional hours worked; flexible working conditions to ensure work life balance; and paid maternity leave in addition to the Government scheme of paid parental leave.
The 2010/11 survey report is available at this PS News link and to take part in this year’s survey go to this PS News link.
21 October, 2011
Health Institute
award a tonic
The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has won an international award for innovation and modernisation.
The FutureGov 2011 award was for the AIHW’s METeOR Metadata Online Registry which took out the Information Management category, recognising “excellence in the efficient capture, storage and distribution of citizen information”.
Director and Chief executive of the AIHW, David Kalisch said METeOR was a web-based system for managing, developing and storing data definitions and standards (metadata).
“Metadata are in effect data about data,” Mr Kalisch said.
“In the METeOR environment they provide nationally agreed underlying structures, definitions and user guidance for all kinds of data items across health, community services and housing assistance.”
He said the Institute had over 35 agencies actively using the facility.
“Through METeOR anyone can find, view and download over 2,600 data standards,” he said.
“If the standard you want does not exist, you can use METeOR’s metadata creation tools to create a proposed standard, seek expert feedback, and get the standard endorsed nationally - all online, and all free of charge.”
Mr Kalisch said in a recent development the Institute could now offer METeOR’s capabilities outside the areas of health and welfare, attracting interest from several State Departments and the New Zealand government.
“Metadata are crucial to data quality because they enable all data users to have exactly the same understanding of any data item so that we really do compare apples with apples, and record them in the same way using the same units of measurement and data codes,” he said.
“We are very proud to have won this award because METeOR has brought real efficiencies to our business by revolutionising the way users develop, collaboratively review, submit, process and disseminate new data standards.”
The FutureGov awards are run by FutureGov magazine and are open to Government, education and healthcare organisations and city administrations in Australasia, Asia and the Middle East.
The awards receive over 800 entries each year.
21 October, 2011
Fed Court releases
case handbook
The Federal Court of Australia has released a new handbook outlining how best to manage cases in the Court to avoid delays and minimise expense.
The Court’s Case Management Handbook was prepared by members of the Federal Litigation Section of the Law Council of Australia in conjunction with the Federal Court.
Chief Justice of the Federal Court, Justice Patrick Keane said the Handbook contained information, guidance, ideas and suggestions about the tools and techniques available for use in the Court.
Justice Keane said a key driver of the development of the Handbook was the perceived need to address two principal criticisms of the legal system – delay and expense.
“The Handbook provides guidance on how delays can be minimised, particularly through the early identification of issues of fact and law, and on the best ways to ensure litigants get value for money,” Justice Keane said.
“The Handbook contains a wealth of information, guidance, ideas and suggestions about tools and techniques available in the Court based on the experiences of both Judges and practitioners.”
He said the use of the Handbook would help to ensure that Judges and practitioners served litigants well and also that practitioners could enjoy to the fullest the interesting work of the Court.
Chair of the Federal Litigation Section of the Law Council of Australia, Simon Daley said the Handbook evolved from a workshop on case management conducted in 2008 by the Judges of the Federal Court and practitioners from around the country.
“The principle aims of the Handbook are to highlight the case management tools and techniques available to the Court and practitioners, which will assist in ensuring the quick, inexpensive and efficient resolution of proceedings before the Court,” Mr Daley said.
“The Handbook will also assist in gathering and distilling the experience of practitioners and judges alike as to the merits and perils of specific techniques in different contexts.”
Copies of the Case Management Handbook are available at the Law Council of Australia website at this PS News link.
21 October, 2011
Police take names
for identity theft
The Australian Federal Police have unveiled an online survey to help members of the public find out how well they are protecting their identity against ID fraud.
The initiative has been applauded by the Minister for Home Affairs and Justice, Brendan O’Connor.
Mr O’Connor said the Australian community needed to realise how serious identity crime was and to understand the devastating effects it could have on an individual’s life.
“This survey allows members of the public to test how vulnerable they are to identity crime and take remedial measures if they need to,” Mr O’Connor said.
He said the survey was part of National Identity Fraud Awareness Week which ran till Sunday (23 October) and covered safety tips such as checking ATMs for signs of tampering before use; shredding bank statements and other documents instead of putting them in the recycling bin; and deleting spam emails from the deleted email folder.
“I encourage all members of the public to take the online survey,” he said.
“A 30-second community service announcement will be aired on television throughout the week and can be downloaded and viewed on the AFP’s website.”
Manager of Special References at the AFP, Chris McDevitt said identity crime cost the Australian community hundreds of millions of dollars each year and according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics at least five per cent of the Australian population had been a victim of personal fraud, of which one fifth was identity fraud.
“Identity fraud is an emerging threat to Australia and is growing rapidly,” Commander McDevitt said.
“Be aware that identity fraudsters are specialists at manipulating their victims, including their trust, friendliness, loneliness, fears, concerns or financial situation.”
He said National Identity Fraud Awareness Week was held each October to raise public awareness about identity crime issues and the protective measures available to the public.
He said in addition to the survey the AFP would broadcast a 30 second community service announcement on national TV for the month of October.
To take part in the survey visit this PS News link.
21 October, 2011
Website focuses on
Canberra camera
A new website documenting in photographs the development of Canberra as the national capital in the 1920s and 30’s has been launched jointly by the Museum of Australian Democracy and the National Archives of Australia.
Based on the work of early government photographer William James Mildenhall, the Discovering Mildenhall’s Canberra website contains more than 7,700 images and captures most aspects of the city’s early history.
Director of Digital and Online Access at the National Archives, Zoe D’Arcy said the images provided a fascinating view of how the buildings of Canberra were constructed in the early years as well as revealing aspects of early domestic and community life.
“We are delighted to be able to share them with the Australian people who we hope will add their own stories and photographs to the site,” Ms D’Arcy said.
“As both items of heritage and works of art, the Mildenhall photographs are of great cultural and historical value to Australians.”
Director of the Museum of Australian Democracy, Jenny Anderson said the website aimed to highlight the significance of the Old Parliament House building and to encourage Australians to explore Canberra’s early development as their nation’s capital.
Ms Anderson said it included a social media component that allowed users to retrieve images by place; to add commentary and stories about the images; and to rephotograph Mildenhall’s sites to provide a “now and then” visual comparison.
“We encourage Australians to engage with this website and help create a rich collection of lasting value,” she said.
“The website will contribute to the centenary of Canberra celebrations in 2013, by which time it would include both an important historical collection and a significant set of contemporary stories and images.”
The website can be accessed at this PS News link.
21 October, 2011
Strategy spearheads
Indigenous benefits
A long-term strategy to increase the participation of Indigenous Australians in the Australian economy has been released by the Minister for Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin.
Ms Macklin launched the Indigenous Economic Development Strategy 2011-2018 in partnership with the Minerals Council of Australia which she said provided a leading example of private sector partnerships with Indigenous communities and governments to create employment and job opportunities for Indigenous people across Australia.
Ms Macklin said she was committed to increasing economic opportunities for Indigenous Australians so they could fully share in the opportunities of the nation’s strong economy and enjoy the financial and social benefits of work.
“The Indigenous Economic Development Strategy 2011-2018 puts jobs and real economic activity at the centre of our efforts to close the gap on Indigenous disadvantage,” Ms Macklin said.
She said the Strategy recognised the importance of education, skills development and jobs as a pathway to greater economic participation; the need to support Indigenous-owned and run businesses to promote economic growth and self-sufficiency; the need for improved housing options; and the need to build financial independence.
Minister for Indigenous Employment and Economic Development, Senator Mark Arbib said the Strategy identified five priority areas which were key to improving the prosperity of Indigenous Australians.
He said these were strengthening foundations; education; skills development and jobs; business and entrepreneurship; and financial security and independence.
“Each of these priority areas includes a detailed set of objectives which will guide Australian Government decision making, policy and program development through the next eight years,” Senator Arbib said.
“The strategy is the result of extensive consultations with Aboriginal people across Australia.”
Ms Macklin also announced the appointment of new members to the Board of the Indigenous Land Corporation (ILC), including a new Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson.
She said Dr Dawn Casey had been appointed as the new ILC Chairperson and Ian Trust would be Deputy.
The Strategy is available online at this PS News link.
21 October, 2011
And in Other News...
Defence names partners
The Department of Defence has selected five “Preferred Industry Partners” (PIPs) to provide application services to Defence.
The change is a significant milestone in Defence’s strategy to improve the Department’s performance in delivering Information and Communications Technology capability.
The selected PIPs are Accenture Australia; BAE Systems Australia; CSC Australia; IBM; and Hewlett Packard.
NSW home to legal reformers
The new National Legal Services Board and National Legal Services Commissioner are to be set up in New South Wales.
The Board ad Commissioner are major aspects of reforms to the Australian legal system which aim to serve the interests of both consumers and the legal profession by improving consumer protection, protecting the independence of the legal profession and ensuring access to justice.
Four jurisdictions - New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the Northern Territory – are taking part in the reforms, covering around 85 per cent of Australia’s practising lawyers.
School gardens growing
Another fifty schools are to join the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Gardens program.
The new participants will join 128 schools already growing tomatoes, green beans, sweet corn and other veggies at school while learning about food and healthy eating habits.
The $12.8 million program has provided the schools around Australia with up to $60,000 each to help with the construction of kitchen and garden infrastructure.
Post delivers to town like Alice
Residents of the Alice Springs town camps are to receive a regular postal service for the first time.
The service is a part of the Australian and Northern Territory Governments’ $150 million Alice Springs Transformation Plan.
The new mail service is seen as an important step in the work of transforming the town camps and for the first time, there are street names and signposting at one of the camps.
As part of the Transformation Plan, street signage and postal services will also be progressively rolled out to other town camps.
Scholarship to ABC reporter
ABC radio reporter Miriam Hall has won the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Andrew Olle Scholarship for 2012.
Based in Townsville, Ms Hall is the rural and resources reporter for 630 ABC North Queensland.
The Scholarship commemorates the life and work of journalist, broadcaster and program maker Andrew Olle and creates career development opportunities for ABC journalists and program makers early in their careers.
It provides opportunities for talented journalists to develop their skills and potential under the guidance of experienced journalists who are leaders in their field.
Manufacturing members named
Membership of the new Manufacturing Taskforce has been announced by the Prime Minister.
The high-level Taskforce has been established to map out a shared vision for the future of Australia’s manufacturing sector and help strengthen local firms.
The Prime Minister is to personally chair the Taskforce, with the Minister for Innovation and Industry, Senator Kim Carr her deputy.
As it is a whole-of-Government body, a number of other senior ministers will also sit on the Taskforce.
It will meet for the first time in November.
Previously this week... Paul named top leader
The Secretary of the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, Lisa Paul has been named the Federal Government Leader of the Year.
Ms Paul was one of two Public Servants honoured for their leadership qualities at the Chartered Accountants Leadership in Government Awards.
First Assistant Secretary of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Stephen Sheehan, was presented with the Outstanding Contribution in Public Administration Award.
Universities unite
A new Regional Universities Network to advocate on behalf of universities based in regional areas has been established.
The network will assist regional universities in their ability to help local communities diversify and drive growth and new development.
It recognises that regional universities have strong links with local communities and have particular research strengths in areas like health, social and environmental sciences.
Chemical package released
A new DVD training package has been aimed at workers in the pharmaceutical and pool retail sectors.
The DVD will help the workers stop household chemicals being purchased for potential violence and terrorism.
Titled Know Your Customer, the DVDs are designed to help staff identify suspicious behaviour by people looking to purchase or stockpile chemicals of security concern.
ABS reports on wealth
The Australian Bureau of Statistics has found that the net worth of the richest 20 per cent of households has increased by an average of 15 per cent since 2005-06.
The poorest 20 per cent of households saw only a four per cent rise.
According to the Bureau, the average wealth of an Australian household in 2009-10 was $720,000, up 14 per cent since 2005-06.
Surveillance report out
The latest six-monthly report on law enforcement compliance with the requirements for the use of surveillance devices has been published by the Commonwealth Ombudsman.
The report covers inspections of the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Crime Commission and the Ethical Standards Department of the Victoria Police.
It found that all three Agencies were compliant with the Act.
Antarctic Fellow named
Jesse Blackadder has received the 2011 Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship.
Ms Blackadder, a writer and academic, will use part of the Fellowship to research an historic novel about Ingrid Christensen, the first woman to see Antarctica.
She will travel to Antarctica on the Australian Antarctic Division icebreaker Aurora Australis, this month and visit Australia’s Davis Station before returning in early December.
Neighbourhood Watch to expand
Neighbourhood Watch Australasia is to receive $1.5 million in funding to help with the expansion of its work.
The organisation is Australia’s largest community based crime prevention program, covering more than three million homes across the country.
This funding will enable it to expand to reach more communities and more houses across Australia, including in remote areas.
18 October, 2011
Ombudsman clears air
on Estimates actions
The Commonwealth Ombudsman, Allan Asher has responded to public commentary about interactions with politicians at Senate Estimates hearings earlier this year by stressing his statutory independence and his Office’s commitment to the public interest.
He has however, apologised to the Senate committee for his “error of judgment” and “mistake” in drafting possible questions for a Greens Senator to ask him.
Mr Asher said that while he was accountable to the Parliament, he had only infrequent and limited opportunities to engage with the Parliament.
He called for a Parliamentary Committee or other system to be established to review his office, its works and needs, without compromising its independence.
“The end goal would be greater public sector integrity and good governance,” Mr Asher said.
He said that in the last Budget, his Office was allocated extra responsibilities relating to immigration detention on Christmas Island, but no additional funding.
He said he raised his concerns about the capacity of his Office to take on the additional work without extra funding with the Government, and the consequences for other areas of work for which he was responsible.
“I expected to have the opportunity to raise these matters at the May 2011 Budget Estimates hearing, but was not called to appear,” Mr Asher said.
“I then briefed Senator Sarah Hanson-Young about my immigration detention-related concerns and subsequently provided some possible questions to her office as a guide.”
He admitted this approach was “unorthodox” and agreed that drafting the questions was not justified and wouldn’t happen again.
“It was a very unwise thing to do,” Mr Asher said.
“I really am deeply, deeply sorry in so many ways.”
He said the questions he raised concerned the administration of Government policy and were not political in nature: “as the answers I provided to the Committee clearly showed.”
He said that in 2010-11, his office received 2,137 approaches and complaints on immigration matters, a 34 per cent increase on the previous year.
According to Mr Asher, when the Ombudsman’s Office took on oversight of the Refugee Status Assessment process in 2008, it was anticipated that there would be about 100 Irregular Maritime Arrivals each year.
There were more than 6,000 people in immigration detention in May 2011.
18 October, 2011
Unrest to continue
over Customs pay
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) has foreshadowed more industrial action at the Customs and Border Protection Service in the coming weeks over the Agency’s stalled pay agreement.
According to the union, this is despite staff and management meeting in recent days and negotiations being positive.
“We have made real progress in our direct talks with Customs but the Government and the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) have rejected all of the potential solutions we negotiated,” the CPSU said.
Customs Officers at more than 50 stop-work meetings voted to take further industrial action if necessary.
National Secretary of the CPSU, Nadine Flood said the officers’ spirits were buoyed by the support they received from some passengers during the stoppages.
“Thanks to TV shows such as Border Security, people now understand what a difficult, dirty and sometimes dangerous job Customs Officers have,” Ms Flood said.
“We had a number of passengers clapping and cheering striking staff at Sydney Airport.”
She said the workers had sent a very clear message to the Government that the current three per cent pay offer was not good enough.
She said reports about a salary boost for the Chief Executive of Customs, Michael Carmody from $500,000 to $800,000 a year had made staff even more determined to get a decent pay outcome.
“If the Government was serious, we could resolve this dispute today,” she said.
Ms Flood said the CPSU had recently struck new agreements in the Department of Immigration and the Australian Bureau of Statistics which delivered increases that matched the current Consumer Price Index of 3.6 per cent.
“We want to do the same in Customs but the Government keeps getting in the way,” she said.
18 October, 2011
System working for
super sufferers
The Department of Finance and Deregulation has responded to a report from a Senate Standing Committee into claims by former Public Servants that they missed out on superannuation payments due to incorrect advice.
The issue arose in 2007 when a former temporary employee of the Department of Interior successfully challenged for compensation after being misinformed of his superannuation entitlements in the 1960s.
According to Finance, the case sparked 670 similar claims of which 350 have been dismissed for lack of evidence, 15 settled and the rest still under consideration.
In its investigations, the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Public Administration considered that the Department had established an appropriate claims handling process which was fair and equitable.
The Department told the committee that in assessing the claims, Comcover had developed criteria that required a claimant to demonstrate he or she was eligible to apply to join the relevant Commonwealth superannuation fund; that they received incorrect advice; that they relied on that advice and that they were submitting a claim within six years of the date they retired.
The claimants also needed to demonstrate they suffered a quantifiable financial loss.
According to the Department the Minister for Finance and Deregulation had the power to approve an act of grace payment if that was considered appropriate but it should not be used as an alternative to other avenues of financial redress.
It said there were around 20 cases related to the matter before the Courts.
According to Finance, the eligibility for superannuation for temporary employees’ was defined in three pieces of legislation – the Superannuation Acts of 1922, 1976 and 1990 and the Federal Government owed no statutory or general duty to advise employees of their entitlements to Commonwealth superannuation unless requested for advice from the employee.
It said Comcover had settled two claims that had not been litigated, finding they had a reasonable prospect of success since incorrect advice had been given, the claimant had suffered financially and the claims were supported by documentary evidence.
In other evidence Comcover said that under the Statute of Limitations it was bound not to consider claims made more than six years after the claimant had retired.
The Committee noted that with cases before the courts, any recommendation that a tribunal or special panel be formed to investigate and determine the cases would be premature.
The Government’s full response to the Committee can be found at this PS News link.
18 October, 2011
Legal therapy for
cancer sufferers
New laws that provide in-principle support for fire-fighters contracting cancer from their work have been proposed by the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Senator Chris Evans.
Senator Evans said the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (Fair Protection for Firefighters) Bill 2011 amended the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 to provide a presumption that if a firefighter developed a certain form of cancer, it was work-related for the purpose of determining their workers’ compensation claim.
He said firefighters had an increased incidence of cancer and the Government wanted to ensure that any unnecessary or unfair barriers to accessing appropriate workers’ compensation arrangements were removed.
“Every day firefighters risk their safety to protect the lives and property of others,” Senator Evans said.
“Their contribution to the wellbeing of Australian communities cannot be underestimated,”
He said the Safety Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 covered approximately 2,800 firefighters, the majority of whom were employed by the ACT Government.
This represented approximately eight per cent of the Australian firefighting labour force, the remainder being covered under State and Territory workers’ compensation legislation.
He said the Bill would be considered in detail on 31 October.
“The Government has identified a number of technical issues with the Bill and intends to work with key stakeholders – including firefighters and their representatives as well as the ACT Government – to ensure the scheme is workable and sustainable,” Senator Evans said.
18 October, 2011
Capital planning
to the letter
A report into the National Capital Authority (NCA) has recommended a simpler planning system for the national capital, a five-year public education campaign and a refined role in fostering awareness of Canberra as Australia’s national capital.
The report, completed by former senior Public Servant Allan Hawke, examined the Federal Government’s responsibilities in the national capital and considered reforms to planning, the NCA’s sustainability and future administrative arrangements.
It provides advice to the Federal Government on how to find the right balance for planning responsibilities between the Commonwealth and the ACT Governments.
Minister for Regional Australia, Simon Crean said Canberra was a place of symbolic importance to the Australian people and the Government had a role to play in preserving and enhancing that national interest.
“Dr Hawke’s report provides important advice on how we can achieve this in the lead-up to the Centenary of Canberra in 2013,” Mr Crean said.
The report recommended simplifying the planning system and better recognising the role of the ACT Government; it urged the development of a five-year plan for information and education activities and presented options for how the NCA could continue to operate effectively with its present budget while fostering awareness of the National Capital.
Mr Crean said the Government was now considering the recommendations and would respond by the end of the year.
The report Canberra a Capital Place: Report of the Independent Review of the National Capital Authoritydraws on work already produced by various taskforces and committees. It is available at on the Department of Regional Australia website this PS News link.
18 October, 2011
Games still on for
computer games
The Minister for Home Affairs has assured the community that mobile phone game apps and online games would continue to be available while a review of the national classification regime was completed.
The Minister, Brendan O’Connor, said the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Amendment (Mobile and Online Computer Games) Bill was an interim measure to deal with the increasing number of these games.
Mr O’Connor said the current classification system never envisaged the technology powering smart phones, let alone the rapid development of online games or mobile phone apps.
“The Government is changing the treatment of computer games so that they are treated like other online content,” Mr O’Connor said.
“These changes will allow most mobile phone and online games to be supplied without classification for the next two years, while retaining safeguards to protect children from computer games that are of concern.”
He said the change would provide clarity for industry and the community about the regulation of mobile and online games while ensuring proper safeguards remained in place.
He said industry bodies would still be able to submit mobile phone and online games to the Classification Board, but would not commit an offence if they did not - apart from games likely to be refused classification.
Mr O’Connor said the Director of the Classification Board would retain the power to call in a computer game if it was likely to be classified M or above, and the Australian Communications and Media Authority would still investigate potential prohibited online content.
18 October, 2011
Better childcare
comes into play
State and Territory Governments have signed up to Australia’s first truly national regulatory system for early childhood education and care services.
The move has been hailed as a significant milestone in boosting quality and transparency in Australian child care centres.
Minister for Child Care, Kate Ellis said the evidence was clear that the quality of the experiences children had in their first five years of life had a profound influence on their future wellbeing.
“With more children than ever before being enrolled in early childhood education and care, those early experiences are being increasingly shaped by their child care experiences,” Ms Ellis said.
“The regulations that all States and Territories have signed up to will mean that parents can now have confidence that no matter where they live and no matter what child care centre their child is attending – they will be receiving an appropriate standard of care.”
She said the Australian Government had committed an additional $2 million to print and distribute a comprehensive set of supporting materials for child care centres to assist with the harmonisation of regulations.
These materials would be available soon through the new national body, the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority.
Ms Ellis said the National Quality Framework was being implemented by all Australian Governments and would start to take effect from 1 January next year.
The Minister said it would improve educator-to-child ratios so that each child received the individual time and attention he or she needed.
18 October, 2011
Strong future for
disability services
A new report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has found that the number of Australians using disability support services continues to increase.
The report, Disability Support Services 2009-10: Report on Services Provided Under the National Disability Agreement, shows the number of overall users increased by 47 per cent in the period 2004–05 to 2009–10.
It found that nearly 300,000 people used services provided under the National Disability Agreement in 2009–10, accounting for approximately $5.8 billion of combined Government expenditure.
According to the report, almost 45 per cent of combined Government expenditure in 2009-10 was on accommodation support, followed by community support (about 14 per cent), community access services (about 11 per cent) and employment services (about 11 per cent).
It said that between 2004-05 and 2009-10, the number of Australians with disability using employment services rose by 83 per cent.
Spokesman for AIHW, Sean Ackland said there were two types of employment services available to people with disability.
“There are those that provide assistance for people in gaining paid employment in the open labour market and those that provide employment opportunities to people with disabilities to work in specialised and supported work environments,” Mr Ackland said.
He said around a quarter of disability service users aged 15 to 64 years had some form of employment in 2009-10.
18 October, 2011
Education council
to be class act
A new body has been established to advise on the future of international education.
The International Education Advisory Council, chaired by businessman Michael Chaney, is to advise on the development of a new long-term strategy for the international education sector.
Minister for Tertiary Education, Senator Chris Evans said the Council was well placed to contribute to the Government’s development of a five-year national strategy to support the sustainability and quality of international education.
“I have asked the Council for early advice on trends in international education and on current and proposed policies affecting the sector,” Senator Evans said.
“With his extensive experience across a wide range of industry sectors, Mr Chaney will provide leadership to the Advisory Council and help bring a strategic approach to the future of international education in Australia.
He said membership of the Council included former MP Bruce Baird, who headed the review of the Education Services for Overseas Students Act, and former Western Australian Premier, Geoff Gallop.
Other members were the Chief Scientist for Australia, Ian Chubb; the Vice-Chancellor and President of RMIT University, Margaret Gardner; Pro-Vice Chancellor International at Griffith University, Chris Madden; Former Australian Ambassador to China,, Geoff Raby; Chief Executive of the Australian Council for Private Education and Training , Claire Field; Managing Director of the Boston Consulting Group Australia and New Zealand, Ross Love; Consultant ,Virginia Simmons; and the Chief Executive of the Business Council of Australia, Jennifer Westacott.
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations will provide the Council with secretariat support.
18 October, 2011
Regional reception
for digital radio
A report that will assist with the rollout of digital radio in regional Australia has been published.
According to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, the findings of the Review of Technologies for Digital Radio in Regional Australia will help with the complex planning and policy issues surrounding the regional rollout.
Senator Conroy said the review of technologies for the transmission of digital radio in regional Australia was required under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.
He said points raised in the report include the importance for regional consumers of high quality audio coupled with good geographic coverage; a preference for DAB+ as the primary digital radio technology and the reservation of a spectrum in the Medium Frequency and Very High Frequency bands to enable digital radio services to be provided in regional areas.
Digital radio was launched in 2009 in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney to supplement, but not replace, analog (AM and FM) radio services.
Senator Conroy said trial broadcasts of digital radio services were also being conducted in the Canberra and Darwin regional licence areas.
The review was undertaken by the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy with technical input from the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
The report is available online at this PS News link.
18 October, 2011
Crime paying off
for Commission
The Australian Crime Commission’s (ACC) Annual Report shows that the ACC disrupted 34 criminal groups and identified more than 50 previously unknown criminal targets in the past financial year.
Minister for Home Affairs, Brendan O’Connor said the report demonstrated the ACC’s success in working with partner Agencies to reduce the impact of serious and organised crime in Australia.
“The ACC’s major achievement in 2010-11 was the establishment of the National Criminal Intelligence Fusion Capability which has improved accessibility, analysis and sharing of criminal intelligence and resulted in the identification of more than 53 previously unknown criminal targets,” Mr O’Connor said.
He said Fusion brought together specialists from a range of Agencies to work collaboratively to prevent, disrupt, investigate and prosecute organised crime.
He said the ACC also disrupted 34 serious organised crime networks involving drug trafficking, money laundering and tax fraud, including four drug syndicates allegedly trafficking heroin into Australia from Vietnam and one network with links both to Australian outlaw motorcycle groups and Chinese syndicates.
He said the ACC also released an unprecedented amount of public information on organised crime including the Organised Crime in Australia 2011 report and Crime Profile series of fact sheets.
“An informed community creates a safer community, and the ACC is helping to make the country more robust and resilient to serious and organised crime,” Mr O’Connor said.
The annual report is available at the ACC website this PS News link.
14 October, 2011
Emergency briefings
set scene for season
Emergency Management Australia has begun operational briefings with police, fire authorities and other emergency services in each State and Territory in preparation for the upcoming bushfire and disaster season.
Attorney-General, Robert McClelland said the briefings would be held with authorities around the country and involve representatives from EMA, the Bureau of Meteorology, Geoscience Australia, the Australian Defence Force and Centrelink.
“Last year, Australia experienced one of the most devastating disaster seasons in our history,” Mr McClelland said.
“While the bushfire season nominally starts from the October long weekend, we’ve already seen serious fires in the Blue Mountains region (of NSW) this year.”
He said those incidents were an ominous sign and a strong indication that authorities and the public needed to be as prepared as possible for this year’s disaster season.
“Significant grass and vegetation growth over winter combined with higher than average temperatures across the southern part of Australia means we are looking at the very real potential for a bad grass fire season, particularly in the Western parts of NSW.
“Experts are also warning that we are likely to have a worse than average cyclone and severe weather season in other parts of the country.”
Mr McClelland said Australian Government agencies would provide a comprehensive overview of the support and services available to States and Territories during disasters and emergencies.
“The Commonwealth works with communities to prevent, prepare, respond and recover from disasters – from disaster mitigation initiatives, and community awareness and warning measures, through to disaster relief and recovery support,” he said.
“The Government has provided more than $2.2 billion in advance payments to help rebuild Queensland from the floods and Cyclone Yasi and $500 million to help rebuild Victorian communities hit by floods earlier this year.”
He said the briefings were key recommendation of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission and the interim report from the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry and would include information on the availability and capability of Commonwealth assets, including the ADF; natural disaster support arrangements; cooperative response procedures under the Australian Emergency Management Arrangements; seasonal outlooks from the Bureau of Meteorology; and bushfire detection and mapping capabilities within Geoscience Australia.
14 October, 2011
Parental leave
growing up
The national Paid Parental Leave scheme has reached a major milestone with 100,000 parents applying for the payment since applications opened on 1 October last year.
The scheme provides eligible working parents with Parental Leave Pay for up to 18 weeks at the national minimum wage (currently about $590 a week before tax).
Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin said the milestone showed Australian families had embraced Paid Parental Leave.
“Half the mothers who have so far received Paid Parental Leave earned less than $42,000 in the year before their baby was born or adopted,” Ms Macklin said.
“This shows how important Paid Parental Leave is for supporting women on low incomes, many of whom would not have access to paid parental leave through their employer.”
She said the Productivity Commission found that women on low incomes, particularly women in casual jobs such as retail and hospitality, had the lowest levels of access to employer-provided paid parental leave.
“Paid Parental Leave gives parents financial support to stay at home and care for their baby full-time during the vital early months of social, cognitive and physical development,” she said.
“This historic reform, delivered by the Australian Government, gives parents more options to balance work and family, helps employers retain skilled staff and boosts workforce participation.”
Ms Macklin said families who didn’t qualify for Paid Parental Leave still had the option of the Baby Bonus and other family payments if eligible.
She said the Paid Parental Leave scheme would be extended on 1 January 2013 to provide extra support to new parents with two weeks Dad and Partner Pay.
“Dad and Partner Pay will give fathers and other partners financial assistance to take time off work, helping them bond with their new child and be involved in their care from an early age,” she said.
The first claims for Dad and Partner Pay will be able to be lodged from 1 October 2012.”
She said information about Paid Parental Leave was available from this PS News link or phone 13 61 50.
14 October, 2011
Ombudsman to join
Taxman in review
The Commonwealth Ombudsman has welcomed an agreement from the Taxation Commissioner to work with him on simplifying the language used in Australia’s tax system.
The Ombudsman, Allan Asher told the Tax Forum held in Canberra this week that from his dual position as Commonwealth and Taxation Ombudsman he saw that the complexity of rules and difficult language used in the tax system were emerging as concerns.
“My office’s investigation work provides me with a unique insight into the delivery of services and administrative practices associated with Australia’s tax system, and it’s clear that tax reform is long overdue,” Mr Asher said.
“Complaints to my office indicate that what is required is a simpler, more accessible system, along with more streamlined and better resourced external scrutiny of tax administration.”
He said in 2010-11, complaints about the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) represented 13 per cent of all complaints received in the Ombudsman’s office.
He said common issues raised by complainants included not understanding the actions taken by the ATO or what had happened to them; having to provide the same documents multiple times; numerous interactions and navigation of multiple areas of the ATO, as well as other agencies to resolve problems.
Mr Asher said complaints regarding difficulty in locating all the information required by the ATO, or struggling to understand or interpret the ATO’s requirements were also regularly received by his office.
He said delays that caused significant financial, social and emotional problems; correspondence that was vague, not clearly explained and laden with jargon were also problems that needed to be addressed.
“It is particularly important that the more vulnerable members of our community, such as those who are reliant upon income support, have the capacity to access and engage with the tax system,” he said.
“Not surprisingly, the need for work in these areas is fairly common across government services and will be a focus of the Commonwealth Ombudsman national conference in Canberra in November.”
14 October, 2011
Screening program is
Centrelink premiere
A pilot program offering a confidential health screening service at Centrelink Offices has been launched in Melbourne.
The program was opened by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, who said it would initially be available for up to 2,000 unemployed or underemployed residents of Melbourne’s western suburbs.
“We want to keep Australians healthy and out of hospital and we know that prevention works,” Ms Roxon said, “so it’s important that all Australians get regular checkups.
“Australians who are unemployed or underemployed are less likely to have regular health checks so offering them through Centrelink makes a lot of sense.”
She said the western region of Melbourne had higher than average rates of preventable diseases so early detection was crucial and the program was a practical way of improving health outcomes for the area.
“In just 10 minutes, people will be screened for conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, sleep apnoea, and certain cancers and receive a printout at the end explaining the test and their results,” she said.
“The quick health screening involves completion of an online questionnaire and a cholesterol check conducted by a University of Melbourne medical student at kiosks set up within the Centrelink offices in Footscray, Melton, Newport, Sunshine and Werribee.”
Ms Roxon said the screening program was developed as a social inclusion project and was coordinated by the Western Melbourne Regional Development Australia Committee, supported by the Local Government Councils of Moonee Valley, Maribyrnong, Melton, Wyndham, Brimbank and Hobsons Bay.
“The results of the pilot project will be analysed by the University of Melbourne and will inform strategies to improve future health outcomes in Melbourne’s West,” she said.
“The Government is doing more to keep Australians healthy and out of hospital,” she said.
14 October, 2011
No hang ups for
phone alerts
Australia’s national telephone based emergency warning system - Emergency Alert – is working well according to the Attorney General, Robert McClelland.
Mr McClelland said independent reviews of the system had shown it was effective and an invaluable tool to help State and Territory authorities notify communities of an emergency.
“Emergency Alert is one tool in the suite of emergency warning mechanisms that State and Territory Emergency Service Organisations have at their disposal,” Mr McClelland said.
“Emergency Alert proved to be an invaluable addition to the range of warning and information systems used to alert communities during one of the most severe disaster seasons Australia has ever seen over summer.”
He said since Emergency Alert commenced operation in December 2009, the system had sent over 7 million warning messages and had been used on 330 occasions.
“Prior to Emergency Alert, Australia had no ability to provide intrusive warnings on such a scale,” he said.
“Reviews have shown the system is working very well, including The Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emergency Alert a review by the South Australia Fire and Emergency Services Commission and the Torrens Resilience Institute.”
Mr McClelland said that report found Emergency Alert achieved its purpose if activated properly and there was overall satisfaction with the system of message development and delivery.
He said Victoria’s Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner (OESC) had issued National Guidelines on the system in 2009 following consultation with States and Territories.
He said those guidelines provided protocols for each State and Territory to enable consistent operation of the system but ultimately it was up to State and Territory emergency management authorities to decide to whom, when and where warnings were issued and the content of the message.
“Independent review shows the system itself is working very well but, as always, it’s important that those entrusted with the management of any communications system fully understand its capabilities and limitations and operates it accordingly,” Mr McClelland said.
He said the Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emergency Alert report is available at this PS News link.
14 October, 2011
ACT complaints a
capital concern
Complaints against Government agencies in the ACT rose significantly in the 2010-11 financial year.
The ACT Ombudsman said the cause was in part due to a sweeping reorganisation of the ACT Public Service that saw it become one large Department with nine Directorates.
The Ombudsman, Allan Asher said the level of complaints showed the residents of the Australian Capital Territory were not receiving the level and quality of services to which they are entitled.
Mr Asher said his office received 600 complaints in 2010–11 compared to 507 the year before.
He said the agencies that drew the most complaints were Housing ACT; Corrective Services; Department of Territory and Municipal Services; the ACT Planning and Land Authority; and Roads ACT.
He said since the end of the financial year complaint rates had continued to climb, due in part to the reorganisation.
“I have held a series of meetings with senior ACT Government officials and members of the Legislative Assembly, and put forward a 10-Point plan to improve service delivery,” Mr Asher said.
He said the plan’s recommendations included that the ACT Government clarify the new government structure and its areas of responsibility; introduce a consistent complaint-handling structure across the whole of Government; use plain language information in all communication; and improve its approach to decision making.
He said his office had also developed a program for working with all the Government directorates to improve complaint handling and to ensure consistent high-quality administration.
Mr Asher said he had also made a submission to the ACT public sector review conducted by Dr Allan Hawke, pointing out that over the past decade the ACT had failed to keep pace with the integrity and accountability reforms underway in other States and Territories.
“Among our recommendations and discussions with government were that consideration be given to the establishment of an ACT Integrity Commission to comprise responsibility for Ombudsman, personal privacy, law enforcement inspections, freedom of information, ethical advice, anti-corruption and lobbyist regulation functions,” he said.
“Meanwhile, we will continue to regularly liaise with ACT agencies and maintain the good working relationship that helps see many of the complaints we receive remedied quickly and effectively.”
More information about the Ombudsman’s findings in relation to the ACT is available at this PS News link.
14 October, 2011
eHealth laws go
for the doctor
Draft legislation to set up the eHealth records system has been released for public consultation.
Unveiling the draft legislation, Minister for Health Nicola Roxon said electronic health records had the potential to save lives, time and money and make the health system more efficient.
“The draft legislation outlines the process by which consumers, health care organisations and data repositories will register to be part of the eHealth system,” Ms Roxon said.
“It also will establish a new independent advisory council to advise the Government on the operation of the system.”
She said the legislation would underpin the strict security regime being established to protect the privacy of patients using the eHealth system.
She said a benefit of eHealth was making medical information much more secure and private than paper-based records.
“Using a combination of legislation, security and technology, backed by strict penalties for infringements, we will give patients peace of mind that their sensitive medical information is safe and secure,” Ms Roxon said.
“For the first time patients will have control over who accesses their information – and further they will know who has accessed their medical records, and the exact time that record was accessed.”
She said the system would be a first for Australia.
She said the legislation included strong penalties of up to $66,000 for a record being inappropriately accessed and if more than one record was accessed without authorisation then the penalty multiplied by the number of records.
Ms Roxon said there would also be proactive monitoring of the system to detect suspicious or inappropriate behaviour, ensuring that records were only accessed when there was a need to do so.
“Doctors, or other health professionals, will be the only people allowed to create medical notes on the file,” she said.
“Patients can add their own notes about their general health but cannot make medical notes.”
She said the public comment period would be open until 28 October and all Australians would be able to register for a personally controlled eHealth record from July 2012.
The draft legislation is available from this PS News link.
14 October, 2011
Water Commission
floats new report
The National Water Commission has launched a new national framework for assessing river and wetland health.
National Water Commissioner, Professor Stuart Bunn launched the Framework for the assessment of river and wetland health saying it could be used to compile a consistent and comparative picture of river and wetland health across Australia.
“This is important because it allows governments to better prioritise investments in river and wetland health projects and the delivery of environmental water,” Professor Bunn said.
He said the National Water Commission strongly supported environmental water purchases and recognised the positive outcomes being delivered in the Murray-Darling Basin but it also found that governments needed to improve how they monitored the ecological results of environmental watering.
“This is essential to build community confidence in the benefits of recovering water for wetlands and rivers,” he said.
“The development of this practical framework is a step towards being able to produce an authoritative national assessment of river and wetland health that brings together the results of existing monitoring programs conducted at State, Territory and basin scales.”
Professor Bunn said the framework used a comprehensive model based on seven river and wetland health components that ranged from catchment disturbance through to water quality and the condition of fish and other aquatic species.
“The framework has now been successfully tested by experts and found to be suitable for use around the country,” he said.
“The National Water Commission developed the framework in cooperation with States and Territories I is now up to governments around Australia to use the framework to improve the way they assess and monitor river and wetland health”
The full report is available at this PS News link.
14 October, 2011
Safe Work Week this month
Safe Work Australia is encouraging all working Australians to become involved in Safe Work Australia Week from 23 to 29 October.
There is still time for individuals and organisations to get involved in Safe Work Australia Week through the Safety Ambassador program.
Registrations to become a Safety Ambassador can be made at this PS News link.
Telescope turns 50
The 50th anniversary of CSIRO’s Parkes radio telescope - ‘The Dish’ – has been celebrated with two public open days.
The telescope is known for its role in receiving the television signals of the 1969 Moon landing and continues to be one of the best-performing radio telescopes in the world.
Repeated upgrades have made the telescope 10,000 times more sensitive than when it was opened in 1961. Its surface panels, focus cabin, receiving equipment, pointing system, control panel and data processors have all been replaced.
Bushmasters better
Bushmaster vehicles in Afghanistan have been upgraded to provide soldiers with better protection against Improvised Explosive Devices.
The upgrades include new seating and flooring in the cabins to provide additional protection for commanders, drivers and the troops being transported.
In May the Government announced that it would purchase an additional 101 Bushmasters to support current and future Australian operations.
Council congratulates Schmidt
Nobel Prize winner, Brian Schmidt has been congratulated by the Australian Research Council (ARC)
Professor Schmidt, who was awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics, is currently head of the High-z Supernova Search Team at the Australian National University.
He was a recipient of a 2009 ARC Australian Laureate Fellowship, and is node Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for All-sky astrophysics.
Housing start
A start has been made on a Defence housing development in Ermington, Sydney.
The site will provide 42 new townhouses for Defence members and their families built to six star Energy Efficiency Ratings.
It has significant historical heritage as it was once home to Australian sporting legend Betty Cuthbert. The existing heritage-listed cottage will be preserved in its current condition.
iView to Xbox
ABC Television’s online viewing service, iview, has been transferred to Xbox LIVE, subscription free.
The new arrangement will allow audiences to connect with iview and other ABC TV content.
The ABC claims its iview records around 5.7 million video plays per month on computers, mobile devices, connected televisions and other platforms.
Housing grants available
Local Councils in regional areas have been invited to apply for funding to support more affordable housing in their communities.
Councils in 47 regional centres have the opportunity to apply for a share in $100 million in funding under the Building Better Regional Cities Program.
Applications close on 18 November.
7 October, 2011
Emergency briefings
set scene for season
Emergency Management Australia has begun operational briefings with police, fire authorities and other emergency services in each State and Territory in preparation for the upcoming bushfire and disaster season.
Attorney-General, Robert McClelland said the briefings would be held with authorities around the country and involve representatives from EMA, the Bureau of Meteorology, Geoscience Australia, the Australian Defence Force and Centrelink.
“Last year, Australia experienced one of the most devastating disaster seasons in our history,” Mr McClelland said.
“While the bushfire season nominally starts from the October long weekend, we’ve already seen serious fires in the Blue Mountains region (of NSW) this year.”
He said those incidents were an ominous sign and a strong indication that authorities and the public needed to be as prepared as possible for this year’s disaster season.
“Significant grass and vegetation growth over winter combined with higher than average temperatures across the southern part of Australia means we are looking at the very real potential for a bad grass fire season, particularly in the Western parts of NSW.
“Experts are also warning that we are likely to have a worse than average cyclone and severe weather season in other parts of the country.”
Mr McClelland said Australian Government agencies would provide a comprehensive overview of the support and services available to States and Territories during disasters and emergencies.
“The Commonwealth works with communities to prevent, prepare, respond and recover from disasters – from disaster mitigation initiatives, and community awareness and warning measures, through to disaster relief and recovery support,” he said.
“The Government has provided more than $2.2 billion in advance payments to help rebuild Queensland from the floods and Cyclone Yasi and $500 million to help rebuild Victorian communities hit by floods earlier this year.”
He said the briefings were key recommendation of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission and the interim report from the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry and would include information on the availability and capability of Commonwealth assets, including the ADF; natural disaster support arrangements; cooperative response procedures under the Australian Emergency Management Arrangements; seasonal outlooks from the Bureau of Meteorology; and bushfire detection and mapping capabilities within Geoscience Australia.
7 October, 2011
Parental leave
growing up
The national Paid Parental Leave scheme has reached a major milestone with 100,000 parents applying for the payment since applications opened on 1 October last year.
The scheme provides eligible working parents with Parental Leave Pay for up to 18 weeks at the national minimum wage (currently about $590 a week before tax).
Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin said the milestone showed Australian families had embraced Paid Parental Leave.
“Half the mothers who have so far received Paid Parental Leave earned less than $42,000 in the year before their baby was born or adopted,” Ms Macklin said.
“This shows how important Paid Parental Leave is for supporting women on low incomes, many of whom would not have access to paid parental leave through their employer.”
She said the Productivity Commission found that women on low incomes, particularly women in casual jobs such as retail and hospitality, had the lowest levels of access to employer-provided paid parental leave.
“Paid Parental Leave gives parents financial support to stay at home and care for their baby full-time during the vital early months of social, cognitive and physical development,” she said.
“This historic reform, delivered by the Australian Government, gives parents more options to balance work and family, helps employers retain skilled staff and boosts workforce participation.”
Ms Macklin said families who didn’t qualify for Paid Parental Leave still had the option of the Baby Bonus and other family payments if eligible.
She said the Paid Parental Leave scheme would be extended on 1 January 2013 to provide extra support to new parents with two weeks Dad and Partner Pay.
“Dad and Partner Pay will give fathers and other partners financial assistance to take time off work, helping them bond with their new child and be involved in their care from an early age,” she said.
The first claims for Dad and Partner Pay will be able to be lodged from 1 October 2012.”
She said information about Paid Parental Leave was available from this PS News link or phone 13 61 50.
7 October, 2011
Ombudsman to join
Taxman in review
The Commonwealth Ombudsman has welcomed an agreement from the Taxation Commissioner to work with him on simplifying the language used in Australia’s tax system.
The Ombudsman, Allan Asher told the Tax Forum held in Canberra this week that from his dual position as Commonwealth and Taxation Ombudsman he saw that the complexity of rules and difficult language used in the tax system were emerging as concerns.
“My office’s investigation work provides me with a unique insight into the delivery of services and administrative practices associated with Australia’s tax system, and it’s clear that tax reform is long overdue,” Mr Asher said.
“Complaints to my office indicate that what is required is a simpler, more accessible system, along with more streamlined and better resourced external scrutiny of tax administration.”
He said in 2010-11, complaints about the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) represented 13 per cent of all complaints received in the Ombudsman’s office.
He said common issues raised by complainants included not understanding the actions taken by the ATO or what had happened to them; having to provide the same documents multiple times; numerous interactions and navigation of multiple areas of the ATO, as well as other agencies to resolve problems.
Mr Asher said complaints regarding difficulty in locating all the information required by the ATO, or struggling to understand or interpret the ATO’s requirements were also regularly received by his office.
He said delays that caused significant financial, social and emotional problems; correspondence that was vague, not clearly explained and laden with jargon were also problems that needed to be addressed.
“It is particularly important that the more vulnerable members of our community, such as those who are reliant upon income support, have the capacity to access and engage with the tax system,” he said.
“Not surprisingly, the need for work in these areas is fairly common across government services and will be a focus of the Commonwealth Ombudsman national conference in Canberra in November.”
7 October, 2011
Screening program is
Centrelink premiere
A pilot program offering a confidential health screening service at Centrelink Offices has been launched in Melbourne.
The program was opened by the Minister for Health and Ageing, Nicola Roxon, who said it would initially be available for up to 2,000 unemployed or underemployed residents of Melbourne’s western suburbs.
“We want to keep Australians healthy and out of hospital and we know that prevention works,” Ms Roxon said, “so it’s important that all Australians get regular checkups.
“Australians who are unemployed or underemployed are less likely to have regular health checks so offering them through Centrelink makes a lot of sense.”
She said the western region of Melbourne had higher than average rates of preventable diseases so early detection was crucial and the program was a practical way of improving health outcomes for the area.
“In just 10 minutes, people will be screened for conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, sleep apnoea, and certain cancers and receive a printout at the end explaining the test and their results,” she said.
“The quick health screening involves completion of an online questionnaire and a cholesterol check conducted by a University of Melbourne medical student at kiosks set up within the Centrelink offices in Footscray, Melton, Newport, Sunshine and Werribee.”
Ms Roxon said the screening program was developed as a social inclusion project and was coordinated by the Western Melbourne Regional Development Australia Committee, supported by the Local Government Councils of Moonee Valley, Maribyrnong, Melton, Wyndham, Brimbank and Hobsons Bay.
“The results of the pilot project will be analysed by the University of Melbourne and will inform strategies to improve future health outcomes in Melbourne’s West,” she said.
“The Government is doing more to keep Australians healthy and out of hospital,” she said.
7 October, 2011
No hang ups for
phone alerts
Australia’s national telephone based emergency warning system - Emergency Alert – is working well according to the Attorney General, Robert McClelland.
Mr McClelland said independent reviews of the system had shown it was effective and an invaluable tool to help State and Territory authorities notify communities of an emergency.
“Emergency Alert is one tool in the suite of emergency warning mechanisms that State and Territory Emergency Service Organisations have at their disposal,” Mr McClelland said.
“Emergency Alert proved to be an invaluable addition to the range of warning and information systems used to alert communities during one of the most severe disaster seasons Australia has ever seen over summer.”
He said since Emergency Alert commenced operation in December 2009, the system had sent over 7 million warning messages and had been used on 330 occasions.
“Prior to Emergency Alert, Australia had no ability to provide intrusive warnings on such a scale,” he said.
“Reviews have shown the system is working very well, including The Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emergency Alert a review by the South Australia Fire and Emergency Services Commission and the Torrens Resilience Institute.”
Mr McClelland said that report found Emergency Alert achieved its purpose if activated properly and there was overall satisfaction with the system of message development and delivery.
He said Victoria’s Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner (OESC) had issued National Guidelines on the system in 2009 following consultation with States and Territories.
He said those guidelines provided protocols for each State and Territory to enable consistent operation of the system but ultimately it was up to State and Territory emergency management authorities to decide to whom, when and where warnings were issued and the content of the message.
“Independent review shows the system itself is working very well but, as always, it’s important that those entrusted with the management of any communications system fully understand its capabilities and limitations and operates it accordingly,” Mr McClelland said.
He said the Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emergency Alert report is available at this PS News link.
7 October, 2011
ACT complaints a
capital concern
Complaints against Government agencies in the ACT rose significantly in the 2010-11 financial year.
The ACT Ombudsman said the cause was in part due to a sweeping reorganisation of the ACT Public Service that saw it become one large Department with nine Directorates.
The Ombudsman, Allan Asher said the level of complaints showed the residents of the Australian Capital Territory were not receiving the level and quality of services to which they are entitled.
Mr Asher said his office received 600 complaints in 2010–11 compared to 507 the year before.
He said the agencies that drew the most complaints were Housing ACT; Corrective Services; Department of Territory and Municipal Services; the ACT Planning and Land Authority; and Roads ACT.
He said since the end of the financial year complaint rates had continued to climb, due in part to the reorganisation.
“I have held a series of meetings with senior ACT Government officials and members of the Legislative Assembly, and put forward a 10-Point plan to improve service delivery,” Mr Asher said.
He said the plan’s recommendations included that the ACT Government clarify the new government structure and its areas of responsibility; introduce a consistent complaint-handling structure across the whole of Government; use plain language information in all communication; and improve its approach to decision making.
He said his office had also developed a program for working with all the Government directorates to improve complaint handling and to ensure consistent high-quality administration.
Mr Asher said he had also made a submission to the ACT public sector review conducted by Dr Allan Hawke, pointing out that over the past decade the ACT had failed to keep pace with the integrity and accountability reforms underway in other States and Territories.
“Among our recommendations and discussions with government were that consideration be given to the establishment of an ACT Integrity Commission to comprise responsibility for Ombudsman, personal privacy, law enforcement inspections, freedom of information, ethical advice, anti-corruption and lobbyist regulation functions,” he said.
“Meanwhile, we will continue to regularly liaise with ACT agencies and maintain the good working relationship that helps see many of the complaints we receive remedied quickly and effectively.”
More information about the Ombudsman’s findings in relation to the ACT is available at this PS News link.
7 October, 2011
eHealth laws go
for the doctor
Draft legislation to set up the eHealth records system has been released for public consultation.
Unveiling the draft legislation, Minister for Health Nicola Roxon said electronic health records had the potential to save lives, time and money and make the health system more efficient.
“The draft legislation outlines the process by which consumers, health care organisations and data repositories will register to be part of the eHealth system,” Ms Roxon said.
“It also will establish a new independent advisory council to advise the Government on the operation of the system.”
She said the legislation would underpin the strict security regime being established to protect the privacy of patients using the eHealth system.
She said a benefit of eHealth was making medical information much more secure and private than paper-based records.
“Using a combination of legislation, security and technology, backed by strict penalties for infringements, we will give patients peace of mind that their sensitive medical information is safe and secure,” Ms Roxon said.
“For the first time patients will have control over who accesses their information – and further they will know who has accessed their medical records, and the exact time that record was accessed.”
She said the system would be a first for Australia.
She said the legislation included strong penalties of up to $66,000 for a record being inappropriately accessed and if more than one record was accessed without authorisation then the penalty multiplied by the number of records.
Ms Roxon said there would also be proactive monitoring of the system to detect suspicious or inappropriate behaviour, ensuring that records were only accessed when there was a need to do so.
“Doctors, or other health professionals, will be the only people allowed to create medical notes on the file,” she said.
“Patients can add their own notes about their general health but cannot make medical notes.”
She said the public comment period would be open until 28 October and all Australians would be able to register for a personally controlled eHealth record from July 2012.
The draft legislation is available from this PS News link.
7 October, 2011
Tax to get Advisory Board
A tax advisory board is to be set up to keep watch on the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
Assistant Treasurer, Bill Shorten announced the move at the Tax Forum saying it would have an independent chair and would make the ATO more responsible, accountable and accessible for Australians, a key recommendation in the Australia’s 2010 Future Tax System review.
Mr Shorten said he expected the tax system advisory board to add value to the administration of the tax system.
Plain packaging extended
The Australian Government’s proposed approach to implement plain packaging for non-cigarette tobacco products has been released for public consultation.
Minister for Health, Nicola Roxon said the consultation paper detailed how the world’s toughest laws on tobacco promotion would be implemented for non-cigarette tobacco products.
“Whether you are talking about cigarettes, cigars or pipe tobacco, all are addictive and all are harmful,” Ms Roxon said.
The consultation paper is being released for a four-week consultation period with interested parties and individuals invited to provide written submissions by 5pm, on 28 October.
The paper can be accessed at PS News link.
Parliamentary pay review
The Remuneration Tribunal has announced a review of Parliamentary salaries with a view to separating salary and entitlements.
As a first step it is assessing the work of Federal parliamentary backbenchers to justify any decision on remuneration and to set a benchmark for future assessments.
It expects to make an initial report by the end of the year.
Chaplaincy guidelines out
Guidelines for the National School Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Program which will enable the extension and expansion of chaplaincy and welfare services in schools have been released.
Schools can now apply for funding to continue their chaplaincy or welfare services and will be able to receive a maximum of $60,000 over three years to offer chaplaincy or student welfare services to the school community.
Online submissions for the Continuation of Service can now be lodged, with applications to be received no later than 9 December 2011.
More information is available from PS News link.
Nerve centre open
A new Centre for Neural Engineering at the University of Melbourne has been unveiled.
Established through a $17.5 million research infrastructure grant, the purpose built facility will bring together scientists and researchers who are leaders in their fields.
The new centre aims to encourage Australia’s finest researchers to delve into advanced scientific modelling, complex data processing, and the development of autonomous systems.”
Radiation staff steaming
Union members at the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) have taken industrial action in support of a stalled pay agreement.
According to the Community and Public Sector Union, staff and management at ARPANSA had agreed to a three-year arrangement but it had been blocked by the Special Minister of State and the Australian Public Service Commission.
Commission pegs MP numbers
The Australian Electoral Commission has determined that the number of Members to be elected to the House of Representatives will remain unchanged at 150.
The number of representatives for each State and Territory will remain unchanged at: New South Wales 48, Victoria 37, Queensland 30, Western Australia 15, South Australia 11,
Tasmania 5, Australian Capital Territory 2, Northern Territory 2.
New weather radar
The Bureau of Meteorology has commissioned a new weather radar in Townsville.
The facility replaces the Mount Stuart radar, which has been in operation since 1971 and was one of the oldest in the Bureau’s network.
Work on the radar, whose primary purposes are the detection of rainfall and storms in the greater Townsville region, has been completed in time for the cyclone season.
To view real time data from the radar go to this PS News link and click on the radar link on the home page.
Counterfeit deal forges ahead
Australia has signed the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA), a legal framework for 27 countries on copyright protection.
Performing the ceremony in Tokyo, Minister for Trade, Craig Emerson said Australia did not have to change any laws to be part of the agreement.
Instead that it would be trading partners that would be adapting their laws to meet Australia’s intellectual property (IP) enforcement standards.
South Sudan recognised
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd, has used the United Nations General Assembly in New York to formally established diplomatic relations with the world’s newest nation, the Republic of South Sudan.
Mr Rudd signed a joint communiqué with his South Sudanese counterpart, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Nhial Deng Nhial to formalise the relationship.
About 20,000 people from South Sudan live in Australia.
Homeless awards open
Nominations have opened for the first National Homelessness Services Achievement Awards.
Eligible are organisations committed to addressing homelessness.
There are seven categories, which celebrate excellence, quality, innovation and achievement by homelessness service providers.
They are: Excellence or innovation in addressing homelessness by an organisation; prevention of homelessness; philanthropic commitment; partnerships in delivering services; addressing Indigenous homelessness; pathways to employment or education and addressing homelessness in a regional, rural or remote location.
To nominate visit this PS News link.
Justice agreement renewed
The Australia-Indonesia Partnership for Justice’s Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been renewed for a further 12 months.
The MoU authorises official judicial cooperation between the two countries.
The Federal Court of Australia and the Supreme Court of Indonesia have been partners since 1999, while the Family Court of Australia works with the Supreme Court of Indonesia and the Religious Courts.
New laws improve audits
Draft legislation aimed at improving the quality, transparency and reliability of private company audits has been announced.
The Corporations Legislation Amendment (Audit Enhancement) Bill 2011 is the product of industry consultation and will introduce a range of reforms to help improve the standards of audits.
The draft Bill can be accessed at this PS News link and submissions will be received until 28 October.
4 October, 2011
Pay review to pay
off at the top
The Remuneration Tribunal has confirmed that the salaries of a number of agency heads are being reviewed.
According to media reports the heads of Customs, the Defence Force, Taxation, the Auditor-General and Australian Statistician were in line for significant payrises following the review which was comparing their payrates with similar positions in the private sector.
The reports said salaries as high as $800,000 a year were being considered although the Tribunal declined to comment on specific levels.
According to The Australian the pay increases would not flow through to deputies, widening existing pay gaps.
The newspaper said the Tribunal had indicated that pay increases for Departmental Secretaries were also likely following new powers it had been given to set the pay rates for the heads of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and Treasury.
Special Minister of State for the Public Service, Gary Gray told the newspaper that it was important the Tribunal be permitted to conduct its review of salaries independent of politics.
“We have a process that allows for an independent Australian Public Service rather than one where politicians can meddle,” Mr Gray was reported as saying.
“The tribunal will determine what matters it could and should take into account.”
News of the payrises was not welcomed by the Community and Public Sector Union which is currently waging a campaign to win above-inflation payrises for tens of thousands of lower level PS workers.
The union said the news had “not gone down well”.
National secretary of the CPSU, Nadine Flood said the proposed pay increases for senior staff revealed that different standards applied to different levels in the APS.
“There is no doubt that agency heads work hard and should be paid appropriately,” Ms Flood said.
“However, for the thousands of APS staff who earn on average less than $60,000 a year, these increases seem a bit rich.
“Staff feel like they are doing all the hard work, but it’s only the agency heads who are get the big rewards.”
The expected payrises for senior staff would come on top of a 3 per cent increase they received last month as part of a general Remuneration Tribunal review.
4 October, 2011
Project to account
for economic focus
Former Secretary of the Treasury, Ken Henry is to lead a project aimed at transforming Australia’s national economic growth to refocus on Asia.
A White Paper, Australia in the Asian Century, is to be developed to provide a national blueprint for Australia at a time of transformative economic growth and change in Asia.
The White Paper will consider the current and likely future course of economic, political and strategic change in Asia, encompassing China, India, the key ASEAN countries as well as Japan and the Republic of Korea.
It will also look at the economic and social opportunities and challenges of the Asian Century for Australia and seek opportunities for a significant deepening of the nation’s engagement with Asia across the board.
Finally, the White Paper will study the political and strategic implications of the Asian Century for Australia and the role of effective economic and political, regional and global cooperation.
Dr Henry’s team will encourage extensive public consultation on specific initiatives that can be implemented during the Government’s current term, but the Paper will also provide a framework for medium to longer-term policies to increase Australia’s engagement with Asia and maximise the economic and other net benefits to Australia of the Asian Century.
A Committee of Cabinet, which will include external advisers, will be established to oversee development of the White Paper.
It will be considered by the full Cabinet in the first half of 2012 and be released during the middle of the year.
4 October, 2011
Ombudsman targets
clerical workers
The Fair Work Ombudsman has announced a national education and compliance campaign to focus on clerical workers.
The Ombudsman, Nicholas Wilson said the campaign provided a great opportunity for employers of clerical workers to improve their understanding of workplace laws.
“Most employers try to do the right thing by their employees, but we do receive about 2,000 complaints from clerical workers each year, so we believe this is an area that requires some attention,” Mr Wilson said.
“We have excellent resources available to assist the large number of employers of clerical workers to ensure they provide workers their full entitlements.”
Mr Wilson said the campaign was specifically focusing on the 40,000-plus businesses in the accountancy, bookkeeping, labour-hire, employment placement and recruitment services sectors.
“We are aiming to improve awareness and compliance of workplace laws in these sectors, thereby equipping employers to provide some guidance on workplace laws to the many businesses they interact with, and the response so far has been very positive,” he said.
The Fair Work Ombudsman is identifying 1,500 employers in the sectors throughout Australia and asking them to supply employment records for audit.
Inspectors will check that employers are paying workers correct minimum rates of pay, penalty rates, loadings and allowances and are complying with their record-keeping and pay slip obligations.
Key stakeholders, including employer groups and unions, have been briefed on the campaign and are assisting to promote it to their members.
4 October, 2011
New faces named on
IPAA Executive
The Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA) has appointed a new national Vice President and Treasurer.
The Institute has announced that Yehudi Blacher (Vice President - Journals and Partnerships) and Len Scanlan (Treasurer) would both join the Executive of the National Council.
National President of IPAA, Percy Allan welcomed both to the Council.
He said Mr Scanlan’s career in the Queensland public sector had spanned more than 30 years.
“Len Scanlan was the Auditor-General of Queensland from December 1997 until December 2004,” Mr Allan said.
“He also served with the Premier’s Department working in inter-governmental relations, the Transport Department in policy and planning, and Queensland Treasury in the area of financial management policy.”
He said Mr Scanlan was the Chair of the Audit Committees for Brisbane City Council, Queensland Health and Queensland Urban Utilities where he was also a Board member as a Non-Executive Director.
“Len brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position of Treasurer and we are very happy to have him on board,” Mr Allan said.
He said Mr Scanlan would replace Barry Mewett who had stepped down after more than 20 years as Treasurer for the Institute.”
Mr Allan said Yehudi Blacher would take over as Vice President from fellow Victorian Peter Allen, who had served on the IPAA National Executive from 2008.
He said until recently Mr Blacher was Secretary of the Victorian Department of Planning and Community Development.
“He has held senior management positions with the Department for Victorian Communities, Department of Premier and Cabinet, Department of Human Services and the Office of Local Government in Victoria,” Mr Allan said.
He said Mr Blacher served on six Boards and had authored numerous articles and contributed to books such as Local Government Reform in Victoria and The Collaborative State.
“In his role as Vice President (Journals and Partnerships), Mr Blacher will be overseeing the Institute’s two publications, the Australian Journal of Public Administration (AJPA) and Public Administration Today (PAT),” Mr Allan said.
“He will also be fostering the affiliations IPAA has with national and international bodies such as the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, the Institute of Public Administration New Zealand, the Chinese Public Administration Society, and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government.”
4 October, 2011
Algae solution
to stir up lake
A three-year trial of water circulators in Lake Burley Griffin has been instigated by the National Capital Authority (NCA).
The trial will test whether solar powered water circulators can improve the water quality of the Lake which is regularly affected by blue-green algae
Chief Executive of the NCA, Gary Rake said the Authority had been working with blue-green algae specialists from Central Queensland University to determine what was causing the blooms on the lake.
“This includes assessing what makes the blooms bigger, more toxic and last longer, and what we can do to interrupt those processes, Mr Rake said.
“There’s strong scientific evidence that water circulators can help reduce the intensity of blue-green algae blooms.”
He said the nutrient came down the river a” bound form”, which blue-green algae could not readily access.
When it hit stratified water it became unbound. The water circulators would interrupt the stratification of the water in the lake, so the nutrient could stay bound.
Mr Rake said the first water circulator would be installed at the eastern end of the lake at Molonglo Reach, with a control site upstream on the Molonglo River.
“The second will be installed near the swimming beach at Yarralumla Bay, and it will be paired with a site in Orana Bay for testing,” he said.
If the trial was successful, the NCA would consider the installation of more units throughout the lake.
4 October, 2011
Food counter gets
the numbers
A new version of a Nutrition Panel Calculator, used by industry to provide important nutrition information on food labels, has been launched.
The calculator, available in its old form since 2001, is the most popular feature on the Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) website.
Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Ageing, Catherine King said the calculator gave people in the food industry an easy-to-use tool that helped them prepare the nutrition information panel required for most products under the Food Standards Code.
Feedback from FSANZ users and the availability of new data meant it was time to give the calculator a makeover.
“FSANZ has updated the nutrient database that runs behind the calculator and improved the web interface to make it easier to use,” Ms King said.
She said some of the main features of the upgrade included incorporation of the latest Australian nutrient data and new ingredients.
She said the new calculator included nutrient data for about 80 commonly requested ingredients not previously available, including gluten free flours, herbs, sugar alcohols and sodium-containing food additives.
“Food names and descriptions have been revised along with energy equations to ensure energy values better reflect the energy content of certain foods,” Ms King said.
“The new calculator also includes improvements to the web interface including better layout and presentation, an improved search function and new save-and-print features.”
4 October, 2011
Skills Week to
build skills
Australia’s first National Skills Week has been announced by the Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills, Senator Chris Evans, to highlight career opportunities and training places available to people of all ages across Australia.
On this week until 8 October, Senator Evans has encouraged all Australians to consider the opportunities new skills offered and to investigate the life changing impacts of learning new abilities.
“No matter where you live or what skills you have, there has never been a better time to access training, gain new skills or get a formal qualification,” Senator Evans said.
“National Skills Week is a chance to celebrate skills in their many forms and to send a very clear message that technical education is very highly valued in Australia.”
He said getting a trade or skills qualification was a passport to a highly-paid and rewarding job and record numbers of training places were now available for those wanting to give it a try.
“This week is an opportunity for all Australians to gain a better understanding of the diverse range of skills in demand across our economy,” Senator Evans said.
“During National Skills Week I encourage all Australians to investigate the life changing training opportunities that are available across the nation.”
He said the theme for the 2011 National Skills Week was Hands and Minds: the DNA of skills and trades.
“Our economy remains strong and there is continued demand for skilled workers in our job market.
He said a focus was on providing training to workers making the transition from sectors of the economy experiencing structural adjustment to those in which skilled labour was in strong demand
He said during National Skills Week, there would be hundreds of activities to showcase the talents of the nation’s skilled workers and provide information about a skilled career.
He said more information about the Week was available from this PS News link.
4 October, 2011
Lifestyle stats have
satisfaction guarantee
The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has found that 78 per cent of Australians aged 18 years and over are satisfied with their lives.
This is similar to the 76 per cent who reported being satisfied in 2001, according to the Bureau’s records.
In 2010 it found that 43 per cent were pleased or delighted with their lives, while 34 per cent reported being mostly satisfied.
Those who were married (82 per cent), widowed (78 per cent) or never married (76 per cent) were more likely to be satisfied with their lives than those who were divorced (66 per cent) or separated (56 per cent).
People who had contact with friends and family outside their household at least weekly were much more likely to be satisfied with their lives (78 per cent) than those who either had no recent contact (33 per cent) or who had no friends or family outside their immediate household (28 per cent).
Most Australian adults (97 per cent) had at least weekly contact with family or friends living outside their household, however, changes in technology were clearly having an impact on how Australians communicated with their friends and family.
In 2010 twice as many adults (40 per cent) spent time engaged in internet social activities compared to 2006 (20 per cent). The proportion of people using internet services such as email and chat rooms to contact friends and relatives also increased, from 47 per cent to 60 per cent over the four years.
More information from the Bureau’s General Social Survey could be obtained at this PS News link.
4 October, 2011
Expert panel to
build on housing
An expert panel to advise on improving the current social housing system has been established.
The panel will focus on providing housing assistance for Australians in need.
The Committee, to be chaired by retired Secretary of the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jeff Harmer will also advise on how to boost the supply of social housing and ensure that support for tenants was effective and equitable.
Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness, Mark Arbib said that for too long the social housing system had been inadequate and it was time for Governments of all levels to work together for reform.
He said the Committee members provided a breadth of knowledge and experience about housing, including backgrounds in finance, affordable housing, public housing and tenant needs.
“Innovative solutions for the future are required if we are to meet the shortfall of around 150,000 social housing homes by 2020,” Senator Arbib said.
“There are currently more than 60,000 households in greatest need on social housing waiting lists around the country, many of whom are waiting up to two years to be allocated a home.”
He said the Government provided more than $20 billion for housing affordability, including $6.2 billion to the States and Territories under the National Affordable Housing Agreement to support the management of social housing.
The new panel comprises Jeff Harmer (Chair), Owen Donald, David Cant, Carol Croce, Julian Disney, Daniel Grollo, Carrie Hamilton, William Jeffries, Chris Lamont, Michael Lennon, Adrian Pisarski, Nazha Saad, and Nigel Satterley
Special Advisers to the Committee are Tim Williams, Ian Winter and Ross Jordan from Defence Housing Australia.
4 October, 2011
ALRC puts view
on viewing
The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) has issued a discussion paper proposing fundamental reform of the classification system for media material.
The Commission is concerned that the increasing numbers of media platforms, often merging into each other, is confusing for industry and the wider community.
It wants Government regulation to concentrate on media contents that is of most concern to the general public.
ALRC Commissioner in charge of the National Classification Scheme Review, Terry Flew said the goals of classification in balancing individual rights with community standards and protection of children remained vitally important.
“But we need a new framework that minimises costs and regulatory burden, and does not penalise Australian digital content industries in a hyper-competitive global media environment,” Professor Flew said.
Drawing on more than 2,400 submissions responding to its May Issues Paper, the ALRC found that the existing classification framework was fragmented, approached content inconsistently across media platforms, and was confusing for industry and the wider community.
Its National Classification Scheme Review Discussion Paper puts forward 43 proposals for reform including the introduction of a new Classification of Media Content Act covering classification on all media platforms—online, offline and television.
The discussion paper suggests a greater role for industry in classifying content—allowing Government regulators to focus on the content that generates the most community concern, and ensure access to adult content is properly restricted.
It wants content to be classified using the same categories, guidelines and markings whether viewed on television, at the cinema, on DVD or online.
It also suggests changes to classification categories, with age references—PG 8+ and T 13+ (Teen)—to help parents choose content for their children.
Finally, it calls for the Federal Government to take full responsibility for administering and enforcing the new scheme.
The discission paper can be accessed at this PS News link and the closing date for public submissions is 18 November.
4 October, 2011
More memories for
Police Memorial
Queensland Police Officers, Sergeant Daniel Stiller and Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding, have had their names added to the National Police Memorial wall in Canberra, as part of National Police Remembrance Day last week.
The two new names join those of 750 officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty since the first recorded police death in Australia in 1803.
This year’s event focused on the role of women in policing, with 13 policewomen listed on the National Police Memorial since the appointment of the first female police officers in 1915.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) held a dusk service to honour the fallen police officers.
AFP Commissioner Tony Negus said National Police Remembrance Day was a significant occasion to remember those officers who had put their lives on the line to serve the community.
“This day helps us to acknowledge the dangers of the profession, the stresses it places on individuals and the challenges that lie ahead,” Commissioner Negus said.
“These officers have made the ultimate sacrifice in upholding the law and providing a secure environment for their communities.”
He said the AFP was proud to recognise the role of women in police forces as they continued to make an integral contribution to policing in Australia and overseas.
National Police Remembrance Day began with a dawn service at Queanbeyan Police Station where the stones featuring the names of Sergeant Stiller and Detective Senior Constable Leeding were blessed.
During the day the stones were installed on the Memorial.
The evening service at Kings Park was preceded by a parade to the Memorial by police recruits, serving officers and affiliated law enforcement groups.
National Police Remembrance Day is commemorated each year on 29 September, the Feast Day of Saint Michael the Archangel and Patron Saint of Police.
4 October, 2011
Disability report
finds health link
A new report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has found that people with severe or profound disability rely up to 10 times more on health services than those without a disability.
The report, entitled The use of health services among Australians with disability, showed that the high use of health services (such as general practitioners) among people with disability was linked to the prevalence of multiple long-term health conditions.
Spokesperson for the AIHW, Sean Ackland said the combination of mental and physical health conditions was a particularly high contributor to the figures.
“The high use of services prevails even after taking into account the multiple health conditions, with or without mental health conditions,” Mr Ackland said.
“This suggests that the level of functional impairment, in addition to the presence of multiple health conditions, increases the likelihood of needing and seeking assistance from the health care system.”
He said the report showed that in the 12 months before the data was collected people with severe or profound disability were 3.5 times as likely to have consulted a specialist doctor and 5 times as likely to have consulted both a specialist doctor and other health professionals as people without disability.
He said the report also showed that of all people with mental disorders aged 16–64 years, those with severe and profound disability were 2.5 times as likely as those without disability to access health services (including hospitals) for mental health problems, and twice as likely to consult health professionals (including GPs) for mental health problems.
“Of all people with a combination of a mental disorder and any physical condition aged 16–64 years, those with severe or profound disability were around 3 times as likely to access health services (including hospitals), consult health professionals (including GPs), or consult mental health professionals, for mental health problems,” Mr Ackland said.
The full AIHW report can be accessed at this PS News link.
4 October, 2011
Saving program
creates interest
Two reports have highlighted the success of Saver Plus, the matched-savings and financial education program helping people on low incomes develop a saving habit.
Saver Plus was developed by the Brotherhood of St Laurence and the ANZ Bank and is supported by the Federal Government.
The program was analysed in two new reports, Many Faces of Saving: the Social Dimensions of Saver Plus by the Brotherhood of St Laurence and the Evaluation of Saver Plus Past Participants by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT).
RMIT’s evaluation revealed that 87 per cent of people who took part in the program between 2006 and 2009 were still saving the same amount or more than they did while in the program.
Parliamentary Secretary for Community Services, Julie Collins said the RMIT research found 81 per cent of Saver Plus participants said that they were now better able to cope with unexpected expenses than before they took part in the program.
“Another key finding from the evaluation was that 68 per cent of participants felt more confident in dealing with banks and other financial institutions, and 84 per cent said they were now encouraging other family members to save,” Ms Collins said.
“The Brotherhood of St Laurence’s report found participants valued the MoneyMinded workshops, particularly the information about services and resources and education around credit and debt.”
This had been echoed by the majority of Saver Plus workers, who felt the workshops provided the greatest benefit to participants by teaching new concepts and skills and providing an opportunity to be a part of a group, interact with others and share ideas.
Both reports can be accessed at this PS News link.
4 October, 2011
Training funds to be
trained on need
The next round of funding for Trade Training Centres (TTC) is to give priority to schools in disadvantaged communities.
Around $150 million in funding, administered by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, will be used to build new training centres in about 130 high schools across the country.
Minister for School Education, Peter Garrett said the round would also feature a new system of disbursement under which schools would receive support from their Education Authority when being given funding for a TTC, instead of having to go through a direct application process.
“The new arrangements will target resources to high priority schools and communities and deliver on the Government’s commitment that all secondary students from years 9 – 12 have access to vocational education through TTCs,” Mr Garrett said.
He said State-based Education Authorities would work with their schools to develop sector-wide plans setting out which schools, or clusters of schools, would receive priority for funding based on need, as well as individual project proposals.
“The Education Authorities will then work with the Federal Education Department to ensure the plans meet the program requirements before they are approved by the Australian Government,” he said.
State Education Authorities would be required to target schools with the greatest socio-economic disadvantage, with an emphasis on remote schools.
“The plans should also take into account other factors such as existing vocational training opportunities, current Year 12 retention rates, potential links between schools and local industries, and the response to local and national skills and labour needs,” Mr Garrett said.
He said submissions for the round close on 11 November and successful projects would be announced by the end of the year.
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