Industry News

Eleven experienced mentors will be employed by the National Rugby League (NRL) to help support Australian Apprentices complete their training in key trades, thanks to a grant of more than $2 million from the Federal Government.

Announcing the three year, $2.3 million mentoring and support project, the Minister for Skills, Senator Chris Evans, said the project would help support more than 1,000 Australian Apprentices, including NRL and Toyota Cup players, to complete their apprenticeship.

"The funding will help support Australian Apprentices who might otherwise be at risk of withdrawing to complete their training," Senator Evans said.

"Mentoring is a proven way to help improve the experience of an apprentice, especially in the first years of their training where they are not only learning new skills, but also about routine, discipline and the workplace.

"Only about half of all apprentices currently complete their trades training.

"The Government's partnership with the NRL aims to boost the number of completions in order to support the supply of skilled workers in sectors with current or emerging skills needs."

NRL Senior Education and Welfare Manager Paul Heptonstall said the Federal Government's support for 'Trade Up With the NRL' recognised the strong influence Rugby League can have in encouraging young people to commit to and pursue their career goals.

Mr Heptonstall said he hoped 'Trade Up With the NRL' would not only encourage young people to enrol in an apprenticeship but give them the support to be able to complete it.

"With 70 players in the NRL's Toyota Cup national youth competition currently working as apprentices, the game can use first-hand experience in how to assist others in overcoming the challenges they may face in trying to achieve their vocational goals," Mr Heptonstall said.

"The new program will assist apprentices who have an affiliation with any Rugby League club, or employers who feel that Rugby League can be a positive influence in their apprentices' lives."

The mentors will be current and former players or personnel with experience in the Rugby League system who are either completing or have already completed their trades.

"The mentors will be able to use their first hand experience to teach Apprentices how to manage the competing demands of a football career, an apprenticeship workload and a family," Senator Evans said.

"Their experience means they'll be able to give players a unique perspective on life after football and the value of getting a trade to set up a lifelong career."

The program will focus on apprentices in small and medium enterprises and is expected to be strongly taken up in the building and construction, electrical, landscaping and horticulture industry sectors.

"The project will not only reach those playing in the NRL or Toyota Cup, but also those in the school system who aspire to play professional football," Senator Evans said.

"With training and support, Australian School-based Apprentices may be close to completing their trade qualification by the time they are picked up by the NRL or Toyota Cup, meaning they already have the skills they need for a rewarding career after rugby."

NRL Player Education and Welfare Officer and Australian Government Apprenticeship Ambassador, Andrew Ryan, who was at Homebush for today's announcement, said the Australian Apprenticeships Mentoring Program would further enhance Rugby League's initiatives to prepare players for post-football careers.

"As a former player who has experienced the benefits - and challenges - of working as an apprentice (landscaper) and studying throughout my football career, it is very exciting to see these new programs in place to help players plan for a genuine career post footy," Mr Ryan said.

"Now with the Australian Government's Apprenticeships Mentoring Package and the flexible programs available, the likelihood of take-up, retention and completion rates of apprenticeships is certain to increase."

More than $100 million has been allocated for the Australian Apprenticeships Mentoring Package nationwide.

Researchers from the Australian National University have made a major advance towards developing the next-generation super-fast networks needed to drive future computing.

Mr Seiji Armstrong, a PhD researcher from the Department of Quantum Science in the ANU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, has led a team which has developed a technique that allows for quantum information to travel at higher bandwidth using a beam of light and the phenomenon called entanglement. Mr Armstrong’s research is published in Nature Communications.

“Broadly speaking, entanglement is when two things are correlated in some way so that by measuring one of them, you can infer information about the other. It is important because without it, it’s impossible to teleport quantum information,” said Mr Armstrong.

“This quirk was discovered by Einstein in 1935 and from the late 1980s people started suggesting that entanglement might be useful for processing information. It turned out that by encoding information into systems that are entangled you can perform computations that are unfeasible for ordinary computers.

“The problem is we realised that entanglement experiments around the world were getting very complicated. Each entangled mode of light required its own laser beam, as well as a whole range of other equipment. Given that a quantum computer would need hundreds or thousands of entangled states of light, this was impossibly complicated.”

Mr Armstrong said that their research dramatically simplified this process.

“We were able to entangle eight quantum modes of light within one laser beam, a practice that used to require eight separate beams,” he said.

“Our research is also a world first, as the previous best entanglement was four modes of light in the one laser in 2011. Our research shows that it is now possible to create a high bandwidth light beam with relatively a lot of quantum information on it. ”

The Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF) will bring together local construction industry leaders at briefings around Australia during October to outline the key issues affecting building and construction businesses, and present the forecasts for business over the next decade.

Discussion at the ACIF Briefings will be seeded with the latest release of the ACIF Forecasts, the industry’s rolling ten year forecasts of demand across residential and non-residential building plus engineering construction. This half-yearly update of the construction industry forecasts will be presented in a new and interactive format – concise, punchy and focussed on the main drivers of change ahead of a dynamic expert panel discussion on the key issues, plus addressing questions from the floor.

The panel for each ACIF Briefing includes local industry experts pulling out the key data and changes revealed by the ACIF Forecasts, and outlining their view of the impact upon costs, commercial property and more.

“We asked our industry what they wanted from our Briefings, and we’ve delivered it,” said Peter Barda, Executive Director for ACIF. “Each ACIF Briefing will be a dynamic and highly informative event. Delegates will take away detailed reports from the updated ACIF Forecasts, with all the numbers they need to plan their future. However the greatest benefit of the ACIF Briefings will be to hear and discuss the biggest issues which are affecting every business in the room.”

The ACIF Forecasts presentation has been restructured to focus on the major changes since the last release, and what is bringing them to bear. Other expert contributions will be concise and informative, and the panel discussion has been extended to thrash out local market conditions and what is happening for business costs, customers and their future.

“ACIF Forecasts provide Engineers Australia with a trustworthy, reliable and impartial source of industry data,” said Brent Jackson, Director International and National Policy, Engineers Australia. “With their proven track record, ACIF Forecasts will continue to be an essential tool in our analytical capability.”

ACIF Briefings include the release of the updated ACIF Forecasts, and will be held in six cities from 4-12 October 2012. Allen Consulting Group will present the ACIF Forecasts, which include data from ABS and Cordell Information.


The discussion panel will include local experts from Rider Levett Bucknall on construction costs, from Jones Lang Lasalle on commercial property and from Master Builders Association on building and construction. More information and registration is available from www.acif.com.au/events.

Bionic Vision Australia (BVA) has announced the first ever successful implantation of an early prototype bionic eye with 24 electrodes.

A team of researchers at BVA successfully implanted the bionic eye in patient Dianne Ashworth, who has profound vision loss due to retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited condition. 

After years of hard work and planning, Ms Ashworth’s implant was switched on last month at the Bionics Institute, while researchers held their breaths in the next room, observing via video link.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but all of a sudden, I could see a little flash…it was amazing. Every time there was stimulation there was a different shape that appeared in front of my eye,” Ms Ashworth said.

Professor Emeritus David Penington AC, Chairman of Bionic Vision Australia said: “These results have fulfilled our best expectations, giving us confidence that with further development we can achieve useful vision. Much still needs to be done in using the current implant to ‘build’ images for Ms Ashworth. The next big step will be when we commence implants of the full devices.”

Professor Rob Shepherd, Director of the Bionics Institute, led the team in designing, building and testing this early prototype to ensure its safety and efficacy for human implantation. Cochlear technology supported aspects of the project.

The implant is only switched on and stimulated after the eye has recovered fully from the effects of surgery. The next phase of this work involves testing various levels of electrical stimulation with Ms Ashworth.

The Queensland Government has closed submissions for applications by local councils to de-amalgamate and return to previous local government boundries.

State Local Government Minister David Crisafulli said the submission process was critical to let communities have their say on the 2008 forced amalgamations.

"We have urged communities to put forward submissions based on what’s in their best interests now and in the future, and not just to try and right a wrong from the past," Mr Crisafulli said.

Mr Crisafulli will now assess each of the applications before deciding which will progress to Boundaries Commissioner Col Meng and Queensland Treasury Corp for closer analysis.

To progress to the next stage, the community needed to provide a strong, evidence-based, community-backed submission based on the pre-amalgamation local government boundaries.

The submission had to include a petition signed by at least 20 per cent of the voting population that showed an understanding of all the cost implications.

Petitioners needed to demonstrate an understanding that the former shire wishing to de-amalgamate would have to meet all costs involved, including their own, and those of the Council they wished to break away from.

If the Minister refers a proposal to the Commissioner, Mr Meng will provide a report including recommendations to the Minister by 28 November 2012.

The Federal Government has announced that 16 schools for special purposes (SSP)  in New South Wales will share in $80 million in reallocated funding  as part of the Primary Schools for the 21st Century (P21) element of the Federal Government's Build the Education Revolution initiative.

The funding was announced following an agreement struck between the State and Federal Government.

P21 is the largest component of the BER, providing funding to primary schools, special schools and K-12 schools for the building or renewing of large-scale infrastructure works like libraries, multipurpose halls and classrooms.

“I’m thrilled these funds will be targeted to the schools that need it most. This is what the BER is all about − delivering the best possible outcomes for school communities," State Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli said

SSPs cater for students from Pre-school to Year 12, who require extensive levels of support because of their physical, intellectual, sensory or behavioural learning needs.

The Victorian Government has introduced legislation before State Parliament that aims to cut planning system red tape and increase local councils' ability to provide open space to their communities.

State Minister for Planning Matthew Guy said that amendments to the Planning and Environment Act will scrap Development Assessment Committees, which centralised authority in creating open spaces.

"The Coalition Government will introduce a new body of Planning Application Committees which will strengthen the role of Councils in the planning system by acting as a voluntary opt-in body to which Councils may delegate applications, or from which they may seek advice, thus giving a greater level of support to local government," Mr Guy said.

"The new voluntary opt-in Planning Application Committees will provide a similar level of support in decision making as a Planning Panel, should the Council wish to seek further advice," Mr Guy said.

The legislation will also seek to strengthen public open space requirements and allow Councils to obtain levels of public open space greater than the 5 per cent minimum, as specified in the Subdivision Act.

Other elements of the reform to the Planning and Environment Act include:

• clarifying which statutory authorities will keep powers of veto over local planning decisions, with some authorities such as CMA's to lose this authority;
• streamlining the planning scheme amendment authorisation process so that all decisions are made within ten working days, or deemed authorised; and
• allowing Councils to vary a permit issued by VCAT if changes are required, rather than applicants having to go back into the VCAT queue.

A report published by the Diversity Council of Australia (DCA) has found that men increasingly want flexible working hours to support their roles as fathers, carers and engaged volunteers in their communities.

The Men Get Flexible! Mainstreaming Flexible Work in Australia Businesses, produced in partnership with Westpac, shows that flexible work can generate positive outcomes for men, women, families and organisations.

Nareen Young, DCA’s CEO said the findings reveal a significant number of men desire greater access to flexible work and this is especially the case for young fathers:

“Having the flexibility to manage family and personal life was one of the five most highly valued job characteristics for men, and for young fathers it was the third highest. As more men are now part of dual-earner families and are expected to be involved in parenting and family, we need to consider how we can support the contribution men and fathers make to individual, family and social well-being.

Men can be reluctant to use flexible work for fear of career penalties, explained Ms Young.

“Organisations need to foster an organisational culture that is more supportive of flexible work for men, one that pro-actively encourages men to engage in flexible work. Providing senior male role models who work flexibly and using fatherhood as a pathway to greater access will assist.

The key findings of the report are:

• Demographics have changed and more men in the workforce are now experiencing higher levels of demand in terms of balancing their work and family/personal commitments.
• 64% of fathers had a partner in the paid workforce, and 31% had elder care responsibilities.
• There is considerable diversity amongst men and many now do not conform to the ideal ‘full-time’ worker model and have different priorities and aspirations (e.g. to be active fathers).
• Workplace flexibility is a key driver of employment decisions for men, including young men, men approaching retirement and especially men who are both younger and are fathers.
• Having the flexibility to manage family/personal life was in the top five job characteristics for all men, and for young fathers, it was the third most highly valued job characteristic.
• 18% of men indicated that they had seriously considered leaving their organisation because of a lack of flexibility. Young fathers and men under 35 years of age without caring responsibilities were much more likely to indicate this – 37% and 29% respectively.
• Men who have the flexibility that meets their work and family/personal needs are more likely to be engaged and to contribute their discretionary effort.
• Men who have greater access to flexible work that results in a reduction of either work/life conflict or reduced work to family/personal life spillover:
• Are more effective in their jobs, report higher work performance, are less troubled by work overload, take fewer risks that can compromise productivity and are absent for fewer days; and
• Have lower levels of personal stress and burnout and work-life interference or conflict.
• Fathers who have greater workplace flexibility experience lower levels of work to family conflict, and higher quality parenting and family relationships.
• Active fathering has been found to relate to higher quality family relationships, the psychological well-being of men and to gender equality both in domestic work and in paid employment.

The Queensland Government has held a roundtable discussion with industry groups to examine the national Workplace Health and Safety Laws introduced at the start of the year.

Attorney-General Jarrod Bleijie said the Government was intent to see Queensland businesses support safe and productive workplaces.

Mr Bleijie said the purpose of the roundtable was to get a full understanding of the impact of the implementation and operation of these laws.

“I want to hear from businesses and workers directly affected by the new laws on whether aspects of the legislation are unworkable or have compliance or cost burdens,” Mr Bleijie said.

“Given it is an employer’s responsibility to ensure a safe workplace for staff, it is essential that Government listens to how this can be best achieved.

Industry groups attending the round table include the Chamber of Commerce, National Retailers Association, Australian Industry Group, Australian Workers Union, Master Builders Association, LGAQ and Queensland Council of Unions. 

The Western Australian Government has announced new petroleum environment regulations which mandate public disclosure of any chemicals introduced into a well or formation.

State Mines and Petroleum Minister, Norman Moore, said the Petroleum Environment Regulations would be introduced under the Petroleum and Geothermal Energy Resources Act.

“The regulations aim to ensure petroleum and geothermal operations are conducted in accordance with best industry practice and ecologically sustainable development,” Mr Moore said.

“A key element of the regulations is to mandate public disclosure of any chemicals introduced into a well or formation, which will be made available on the Department of Mines and Petroleum (DMP) website.

The changes are complementary to recommendations from a DMP-initiated independent review of WA’s regulatory framework for unconventional gas activities in WA, conducted in 2011 by petroleum law expert Dr Tina Hunter.

The Hunter Review concluded that current regulatory processes were stringent but required further strengthening to improve legal enforceability.

The City of Boroondara has introduced new local laws aimed at curtailing smoking in public places.

The Council passed the new Smoke-Free Areas Local Law 2012 will prohibit smoking in the following areas:

• within ten metres of children's playground equipment, barbeques and picnic tables
• within ten metres of organised activities taking place at sporting fields, sporting facilities and playing fields on Council-controlled land
• within five metres of an entrance to a municipal building
• within five metres of taxi ranks and public transport stops located on Council-controlled land
• at events organised or sponsored by Council
• in areas prescribed by Council to be a smoke-free area.

Before adopting the new smoking laws Council sought feedback from the community and invited public comment and submissions. Council received eight written submissions and all but one supported the new local law.

Signs informing residents of the ban will be erected near sports and playing fields, playgrounds and other designated smoke-free areas. 

The Federal Government has outlined a $4 billion initiative aimed at boosting subsidized dental care, reducing waiting times and providing services to over one million low income adults and Australians in rural and remote areas.

The Dental Health Reform Package is unprecedented in the country’s history, and will specifically target the increasingly poor oral health amongst Australians, particularly those in low to middle income familes.

The $4 billion package will be rolled out over six years and will include:

• $2.7 billion for around 3.4 million Australian children who will be eligible for subsidised dental care;
• $1.3 billion for around 1.4 million additional services for adults on low incomes, including pensioners and concession card holders, and those with special needs; who will have better access to dental care in the public system; and
• $225 million for dental capital and workforce will be provided to support expanded services for people living in outer metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas.

“While Medicare and free hospital care have been a basic right for Australians for decades, millions of people in this country still go without adequate dental care,” Minister for Health Tanya Plibersek said.

Ms Plibersek said recent studies showed children in the poorest areas experience one and a half times the amount of tooth decay and cavities, compared to those in the wealthiest areas. 

“We also know that low income households have more than double the number of family members with untreated tooth decay compared with high income households.” 

Ms Plibersek said the $4 billion package was in addition to the $515 million announced in the 2012-13 Budget, which included a blitz on public dental waiting lists, additional dental training and support for people in rural and remote areas.

Federal Shadow Health Minister, Peter Dutton, wasted little time in upping the rhetoric against Ms Plibersek, accusing the government of ‘betraying’ the country’s dentists.

“Labor and the Greens have combined in the Senate to kick dentists in the teeth again. In the House of Reps they betrayed honest dentists and they have done it again in the Senate,” Mr Dutton said.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has joined BAE Systems Australia Chief Executive David Allott in turning the first sod of the new advanced titanium manufacturing facility at Edinburgh Park.

BAE System’s titanium facility will be the largest of its kind in Australia and will produce the highly specialised, five metre long, thin titanium parts for the Joint Strike Fighter vertical tail fin as well as other small specialised components for the aircraft.

“On this site, BAE Systems Australia will deliver the single largest manufacturing package awarded to Australian industry on the Joint Strike Fighter program,” Mr Weatherill said.

“The production of vertical tail fin parts is high precision, advanced machining work employing state of the art manufacturing technology, tools and techniques.”

To complement BAE’s investment, Rosebank Engineering will establish a new processing facility alongside BAE’s site, providing world-class specialised treatment and metal finishing services.

“BAE Systems and Rosebank’s combined capability will be an Australian first, opening up a raft of other aerospace, commercial and defence opportunities for local industry,” Mr Weatherill said

The South Australian Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Tom Koutsantonis, has announced the Parliament’s Public Works Committee has held a hearing into the proposed $38 million Mining Engineering Centre.

“The Mining and Engineering Centre together with the $125 million Sustainable Industries Education Centre at Tonsley Park will ensure South Australia has the skilled people we need to meet demand from our growing mining, cleantech and advanced manufacturing sectors,” Mr Koutsantonis said.

“South Australia is still going to need more people, with a higher level of qualifications, to drive our growth industries and deliver on a strong pipeline of major projects throughout the State.

“The Mining and Engineering Centre at Regency Park will consolidate and integrate programs previously delivered across the TAFE SA network.”

The Committee has been inquiring into government-funded infrastructure and will prepare a final report to be tabled in Parliament.

Mr Koutsantonis has urged the approval of the centre, saying the number of approved mines is placing unprecedented pressure on the state’s work force.

“As those projects begin to advance, they will continue to demand a highly skilled work force and the Mining and Engineering Centre will improve the chances that those employees will be sourced locally.

The Victorian Government has approved $5.53 million in funding for 22 library projects across the state under the Living Libraries Infrastructure Program 2011-12.

"These 22 projects will deliver local communities with improved facilities that will meet the changing needs of library users in the 21st century,” State Minister for Local Government Jeanette Powell said.

"Three councils each received the maximum $750,000 funding for a new library for Braybrook, a refurbished library for Bairnsdale and a relocated library for Dandenong.

"Other councils received varying amounts of funding for projects ranging from new libraries, to new carpet, to purchasing a new mobile library prime mover.

"The grant applications are assessed by an independent committee with representatives from the Department of Planning and Community Development, Municipal Association of Victoria and the State Library of Victoria, who evaluate the projects against the guidelines which has set criteria for assessment including lasting social and economic benefits, improved library services and improved community access.

The New South Wales Government has announced it will rewrite the Local Government Act in a bid to make it simpler and easier for councils to deliver essential services.

State Minister for Local Government Don Page said rewriting the Act will ensure local government ‘is brought into the 21^st century’ and is better placed to meet the needs of ratepayers.

In his opening address to the Local Government Managers Australia (LGMA) State Conference, Mr Page said the move forms part of the State Government’s attempt to return grass-roots democracy to the state.

“We want to ensure the legislation is more easily understood by the people who rely upon it, and that includes the ratepayers and the Local Government sector,” Mr Page said.

“What we need is a contemporary, flexible and easily understood Act, written in plain English.

“The NSW Act is the longest Local Government Act in Australia – containing more than 550 pages. The Act is a how-to guide for local government and it is imperative that it is as clear and simple as possible.

“The Act was written in 1993 and since then it has been amended 178 times – it’s time for a new start,” Mr Page said.

Four local government experts have agreed to be part of a new taskforce which will oversee the rewriting of the Act. They are:

• Mr John Turner. Mr Turner will chair the taskforce and was an Alderman and Deputy Mayor of Cessnock City Council between 1981 and 1988. He is also a former member of the Legislative Assembly who has a detailed knowledge and understanding of Local Government.
• Mr Ian Tiley, a former Mayor of Clarence Valley Council.
• Ms Gabrielle Kibble AO, who was NSW Director Generals of the Departments of Housing, Urban Affairs, and Planning, Chair of the Heritage Council, Joint Regional Planning Panel.
• Stephen Blackadder who was the General Manager of Rockdale City Council between 1988 and 2002 and General Manager of Warringah Council until 2007.

“The Taskforce will strengthen and streamline the legislation to enhance and remove barriers to efficient service delivery for the people of NSW,” Mr Page said.

Mental health advocacy group Black Dog Institute has announced the formation of a new methodology to measure national mental health.

The new Black Dog Index has been formed in response to international recognition that traditional economic-based measures do not sufficiently reflect the mental health of a country’s population.

In forming the new index, the Institute contacted 1,200 adults from all walks of life around the country and asked them to provide a score out of 10 for a series of questions about their mental health and personal circumstances, varying from income, martial status, education and political views.

The results were then compiled into an overall “Happiness” score out of 100, which can be measured over time and linked with other measures such as unemployment and financial pressures.

According to NEwspoll Chief Martin O’Shannessey, the happiest people tended to be older, married, tertiary educated and earning over $90,000 a year.

Conversely, the study found that depression was often strongly connected with divorce.

Black Dog Institute Director, Professor Helen Christensen, initiated the project with the ultimate aim of determining what factors were involved with people feeling happy or unhappy.

“The good news is that the inaugural Black Dog Index score is quite high at 77. This means that overall we are quite a happy bunch of people,” says Prof Christensen.

“Worryingly, the index also showed that four percent of respondents were actively troubled by suicidal thoughts. This translates to approximately half a million people across the country. With suicide now overtaking motor vehicle accidents as the major cause of death in young people, these are results we need to take very seriously.”

Professor Christensen said that recent research, together with the compiled data, showed that actively engaging with depressed people about their suicidal thoughts can be beneficial, encouraging them to seek treatment.

“It’s my hope that new programs like the Black Dog Index will improve public awareness about suicide and help those people who feel life isn’t worth living to contact Lifeline, their GP or a friend or family member to talk about it because help is available,” Professor Christensen said. 

Australia’s clean energy goals could be thwarted by recent amendments to the Victorian Planning Framework for wind farm developments, a study by the University of Melbourne Law School has found.

The study, “Planning away Victoria’s renewable energy future” published in the Journal of Environmental and Planning Law, found last year’s amendments were ill-equipped to resolve competing local, state and national interests, which could hamper future wind farm developments by creating a planning slowdown.

The study comes after recent media reports reveal there have been no applications for wind farm development projects since the latest amendments were introduced one year ago.

The new changes prohibit wind farms in many areas in the state, including in those areas that have the best wind resources, and require all turbines that are to be built within two kilometers of a home to get consent from its owner.

 
“This gives landowners veto power, which is an extraordinary change that is very unusual in the context of planning law,” said Lisa Caripis, Research Assistant at the Centre for Resources, Energy and Environment Law (CREEL) at the Melbourne Law School.

“Planning law is meant to balance competing interests; however we found that the current framework is biased towards local interests – such as land values - over more global issues such as clean energy goals, while at the same time extending wind farm ‘no-go’ zones.”

According to the study, the changes cause further problems by giving local governments the power over planning approval decisions for all wind farm developments instead of having to refer larger projects to the Minister for Planning. The research highlighted the findings of a 2010 Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry that local governments lack the capacity, expertise and resources to be exclusively in control of making decisions about wind farm developments.

“As wind is one of the most technologically mature and commercially viable of renewable technologies, the new planning law could create barriers to wind farm development and potentially entrench existing fossil fuel energy production,” she said.

“State planning policy prior to the 2011 amendments had an overall strategic vision of facilitating the development of wind farms, but the current Coalition government changed that going into the 2010 election to give greater weight to community interests.”

The study also outlined other ways the framework could have been amended to bring it in line with best practice examples. This includes having specific planning controls to support wind farm development.

“The planning framework in Germany provides a good case in comparison,” said Ms Kallies. “Like Australia, Germany has a national renewable energy target and a federal system of government, but local planning decisions in Germany must take account of federal renewable energy policies. This means that renewable energy priorities are well integrated throughout the German planning system and is one reason why Germany has been so successful at moving to a low carbon energy sector.”

The Federal Government has announced Sydney will host a G20 Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors meeting in 2014.

The meeting will bring together Leaders, Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from 20 of the world’s top economies to address critical economic and financial challenges facing the world.

“Along with the G20 Finance Ministers’ meeting that will take place in Cairns, this meeting will do important preparatory work for the G20 Leaders’ Meeting to be held in Brisbane,” Prime Minister Julia Gillard said in a statement.

Members of the G20 account for 85 per cent of global GDP, 80 per cent of global trade, and most of Australia’s major trading and investment partners.

The Sydney G20 Finance Ministers’ and Central Bank Governors’ meeting will attract up to 2,000 delegates and support staff, including international media.

Some of the country’s largest employers have met to discuss the future of affordable and flexible childcare for working parents.

Federal Minister for Early Childhood and Child Care, Kate Ellis, joined representatives from some of the largest companies in Australia, including Boeing, CSL, Qantas, Blue Scope, Sony and Telstra at the Australian Industry Group Employer Roundtable in Sydney.

Ms Ellis said it was crucial for employers to actively participate and contribute to the debate on the future of childcare in the country.

“The structures and expectations of our workplaces have changed dramatically, meaning our child care needs have also changed. In many cases it means they have become more complicated,” Ms Ellis said.

“This is not just a challenge for parents and governments. Employers must also be part of the solution.

Ms Ellis said the evidence was growing on the high return on investment in quality early childhood education and care and it was a vital policy area to meet Australia’s long term productivity goals.

“Investment in quality early childhood education and care is an investment in the long-term well-being and prosperity of our nation, so business has a key interest.”