Industry News

The Western Australian Government has launched a new toolkit aimed at assisting the State’s local government sector address the ‘increasing and diverse’ challenges faced in providing services to their communities.

State Minister for Local Government, John Castrilli, said the toolkit will assist in helping councils meet the challenges faced by the local government by helping councils better incorporate workforce planning into their strategic and corporate planning processes.

“The Workforce Planning Toolkit was developed in partnership with local government representatives and aims to assist councils to develop a workforce capable of meeting community aspirations now and into the future,” Mr Castrilli said.

“To achieve this, local governments need to incorporate workforce planning into their strategic and corporate planning processes.” 

The Minister will launch the Workforce Planning Toolkit at the Local Government Workforce Planning forum which will be attended by local government chief executive officers, managers, mayors, presidents and elected members.

The forum will provide attendees with information needed to successfully implement workforce planning in their organisations.

The toolkit will also be sent to all local governments in the State and will be available on the Department of Local Government’s Integrated Planning website at http://integratedplanning.dlg.wa.gov.au

During September and October, follow-up training workshops will be conducted in metropolitan and country areas for elected members and local government staff on how to undertake workforce planning.

Mr Castrilli said grant funding would also be made available to eligible country local governments to support workforce planning.

The Western Australian Government has announced the State’s Mid-West region will receive $46.1 million for road upgrades through the Safer Country Roads initative.

State Transport Minister Troy Buswell said the Govenrment had approvedan immediate three-year program to fund upgrades to major road segments throughout the region.

“A total of $21.6million will be spent on the Perenjori to Morawa section of the Wubin-Mullewa Road to complete the upgrade of the entire link from single-lane seal width to two-lane seal width, allowing for a safer mix of heavy and light vehicles, including local and tourist traffic,” Mr Buswell said.

“A further $20million will be allocated to the construction and sealing of passing opportunities and floodways between Wiluna and Meekatharra on Goldfields Highway.  This 180km section of highway is predominantly gravel-sheeted with limited sealed passing opportunities."

The two road infrastructure projects relate to the rapid growth of the Mid-West resources sector; the proposed PortLink Project; the expanding road freight volume; and associated increase in traffic numbers within the region.

The two other Mid-West projects to be funded through Safer Country Roads are a $3.5million upgrade to the Bunjil-Carnamah Road to accommodate 36.5m road trains and $1million to widen the seal on Indian Ocean Drive.

ACT public servants claim $90 million over three years Public servants in the Australian Capital Territory have claimed an estimated $90 million over three years in workers compensations in illnesses and injuries in the workplace.

ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher said the Government was in the midst of delivering a plan to shift the burden away from injured workers while decreasing the premium paid to Comcare to 10 per cent.

Ms Gallagher released the figures in response to calls by the Territory Greens, who have outlined a policy to transform Canberra into the WHS capital of the country.

The figures show that the ACT paid $24 million in compensation last year, $34 million in 2010-11 and $29.5 million in 2009-10.

The Minister said the plan will see improved results for injured workers and the time it takes them return to work while reducing the burden placed on the Territory Government.

Intelligent Transport Systems Australia is calling for entries for the 2012 National ITS Awards. The awards, launched in 2010, recognise the achievements of the country’s ITS sector.

ITS Australia President and Chair of the Awards Judging Panel Brian Negus said competition for the Awards has been strong from academia and the infrastructure, transport and vehicle manufacturing industries.

"Entries to the National ITS Awards have reflected the leading position held by our industry on the global stage. Sophisticated major projects won the first two National Awards - the Intelligent Access Program by Transport Certification Australia in 2011 and the inaugural award was won by Transurban and VicRoads for the Melbourne M1 Freeway Upgrade," Mr Negus said.

ITS Awards are offered in three categories:

• ITS Excellence Award – For projects exhibiting excellence in one or more of the themes of safety, mobility and/or the environment
• Young Professional Encouragement Award – Recognises excellence in a employees or students under 30 years old
• Max Lay Life Time Achievement Award – Honours the achievements of those who have made a significant contribution to ITS in Australia or abroad

 More information can be found here

Singaporean gold investment group LionGold has announced a full withdrawal from the formal takeover bid it proposed to Perth based Navigator Resources, following weeks of speculation over the proposed bid.

The withdrawal from the bid comes after Navigator Resources has struggled to continue viability following complications with its Bronzewing gold operations.

The company has announced it will continue with its previously announced $16 million capital raising efforts.

Queensland Coal’s Chief Executive, Michael Roche, has warned that the State’s coal sector could be facing tough times in a speech delivered to the 8^th Coaltrans Australia Conference in Brisbane.

Mr Roche warmed that the sector has rapidly become uncompetitive as a result, and has also projected that further job losses ‘are a certainty’.

“What we have told the Queensland Government clearly and with the best interests of the state in mind is that in many cases, the Queensland coal industry is already globally uncompetitive,” Mr Roche said.

“At current prices, most thermal coal mines in this state are either running at a loss or struggling to stay in the black. It is not a position unique to thermal coal because the contagion is spreading quickly among our premium coking coal operations.”

The transcript of Mr Roche’s speech can be found here

The Port of Melbourne Corporation’s (PoMC) $1.6 billion redevelopment of its Webb Dock facilities has taken the next major step after the awarding of major civil and maritime design contracts.

PoMC’s Chief Executive, Stepgen Bradford, announced the appointment of two consultants who will be responsible for the delivery of detailed designs for the project’s internal roads, services infrastructure, interface buffers and maritime engineering services.

Following the Expression of Interest and tender process, PoMC has appointed Aurecon Australia to deliver the civil engineering requirements, while Arup has been appointed to deliver martitime engineering consulting services for the project’s extensive maritime works.

“Aurecon & Arup both have an excellent track record for designing and delivering large scale infrastructure with a focus on innovation and sustainability – their worldwide experience will help to create the innovative design outcomes we are seeking for Webb Dock” Mr Bradford said.

The expansion of the Port of Melbourne, which is already the country’s largest container, automotive and general cargo port was announced earlier this year.

The WorkCover Authority of NSW has announced it will hold a free webinar later this month to help businesses better understand how to manage hazardous manual tasks in their workplaces.

The announcement of the webinar comes after data shows that manual handling is one of the top five causes of injuries throughout the state.

WorkCover’s General Manager of Work Health and Safety, John Watson, said the webinar forms part of WorkCover’s Focus on Industry program, which targets the 10 highest risk industries in NSW as well as the five most common injuries and illnesses.

“The Focus on Industry Program aims to make NSW businesses and workers more productive, healthy and safe,” Mr Watson said.

“Between 2006/07 and 2008/09 there were more than 100,000 claims for manual handling injuries, accounting for a third of all workplace injuries and almost double any other cause of  injury.

“The webinar will outline the basic requirements for managing hazardous manual tasks, including lifting, carrying and restraining.

“It will also cover how to control risks, including who is responsible for checking and identifying manual handling risks.

“The webinar provides the perfect opportunity for business and workers to ask questions from the convenience of their workplace.

The Hazardous Manual Tasks webinar is the first of several as part of the Focus on Industry Program. During September and October WorkCover will also hold webinars on slips, trips and falls and sun safety.

As an added incentive, small business owners with 20 or less full-time employees may also be eligible to claim a Small Business Rebate of up to $500 towards the cost of purchasing and installing eligible safety equipment after attending the webinar.   

The webinar will be held on Wednesday, 29 August from 11am – 12pm.

All webinar participants must pre-register at: http://www.workcover.nsw.gov.au/newlegislation2012/assistance-and-support/Pages/whs-webinars.aspx

National occupational health and safety agency, Comcare, has outlined further details of its 2012 National Conference.

The two and a half day long conference will be held from 19-21 September at the Sydney Convention Centre, with Comcare anticipating over 500 delegates from related industries to attend.

The 2012 conference theme has been announced as Build, Connect and support – Lead the conversation, with an overall focus on mental health, incorporating sub-themes of wellbeing.

The three main themes have been identified as:

Build—capability and awareness 
Connect—people for better work ability
Support—people in recovery and return to work.

Speakers will present thought-provoking ideas, concepts and challenge traditional thinking in the areas of psychological injuries, social inclusion, ageing workforce and rehabilitation. The conference will provide participants with professional development and networking opportunities and examine issues in work health and safety (WHS).
  

The objectives of the conference are to:

• examine contemporary issues and explore continuous improvement opportunities to better manage psychological injury
• contribute to improving individual and organisational resilience
• raise awareness to recognise the importance of effective people management as critical success factors for organisations managing workplace injuries
• provide participants with significant professional development and networking opportunities
• deliver relevant information, ideas and strategies to assist organisations to develop their capabilities and improve their health and safety practices.

Registrations can be made here

The full program is available here

Newly ASX listed coal miner Yancoal has posted its first half year ASX report, posing a $415.7 million after tax for the 2011-12 year, while admitting that adverse market conditions may hamper its growth.

The company is now the largest pure play coal producer following the successful merger with Gloucester Coal earlier this year, a move that Yancoal’s CEO, Murray Bailey, said would mean continual benefits for the company’s stakeholders.

“With the integration well underway, Yancoal is now seeking to benefit from the synergies identified in the Scheme Booklet, and is reviewing expenditure across all its operations to identify other potential efficiencies,“ Mr Bailey said.

Despite the relatively strong results, the company has identified a number of obstacles that may hamper its continual growth, citing a depressed short-term market outlook for coal.

In light of the dropping coal market, Yancoal has announced it will review costs in its mining operations where possible and focus on reforming its capital expenditure on essential items and projects.

The company has also announced it will review expansion plans to ‘ensure that capital discipline is maintained’ while it searches for new markets for the range of coals produced by the company.

“The next few months will be difficult for the company as lower coal prices and the strong Australian dollar impact the business. However, Yancoal has a number of quality assets, a highly capable workforce and is well positioned to ride through the current market downturn,” Mr Bailey admitted.

BlueScope and Nippon Steel have confirmed the formation of a new joint venture (JV) with Nippon Steel Corporation (NSC) of Japan, forming the world’s second largest steelmaker following the completion of the venture.

The new 50:50 JV, dubbed NS BlueScope Coated Products, is expected to capture an increased share of the $40 billion per annum building and construction sector in ASEAN and North America.

BlueScope says the JV will open previously inaccessible markets for the company, citing expected supply of whitegoods manufacturing products to Asia.

“It clearly highlights the long-term strategic value created by BlueScope over many years. It’s a great vote of confidence in our strategy, global reach, capabilities and our people. It will enhance BlueScope’s growth and opens an exciting new era for the company,” BlueScope Chairman Graham Kraehe said.

The joint venture will comprise BlueScope’s current building products businesses in ASEAN (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Brunei) and North America (Steelscape and ASC Profiles).

The announcement of the JV comes after BlueScope posted a $1 billion loss for the 2011-12 financial year in its results. However, the company maintained a positive outlook, saying the company had reached a transformational point.

A team of theoretical physicists the from the University of Melbourne and the RMIT has challenged the existing model of the formation of the universe, arguing it should be modelled on a big chill, rather than the Big Bang.

By investigating the cracks and crevices common to all crystals, including ice, the team suggested that our understanding of the Universe could be revolutionised.

Lead researcher, James Quach, said that the current theorising was just the next incarnation of humans attempting to better understand the origins and nature of the Universe.

"Ancient Greek philosophers wondered what matter was made of: was it made of a continuous substance or was it made of individual atoms?” he said. “With very powerful microscopes, we now know that matter is made of atoms.”

"Thousands of years later, Albert Einstein assumed that space and time were continuous and flowed smoothly, but we now believe that this assumption may not be valid at very small scales.

“A new theory, known as Quantum Graphity, suggests that space may be made up of indivisible building blocks, like tiny atoms. These indivisible blocks can be thought about as similar to pixels that make up an image on a screen. The challenge has been that these building blocks of space are very small, and so impossible to see directly.”

However James Quach and his colleagues believe they may have figured out a way to see them indirectly.

"Think of the early universe as being like a liquid," he said. "Then as the universe cools, it 'crystallises' into the three spatial and one time dimension that we see today. Theorised this way, as the Universe cools, we would expect that cracks should form, similar to the way cracks are formed when water freezes into ice."

RMIT University research team member Associate Professor Andrew Greentree said some of these defects might be visible.

“Light and other particles would bend or reflect off such defects, and therefore in theory we should be able to detect these effects,” he said.

The team has calculated some of these effects and if their predictions are experimentally verified, the question as to whether space is smooth or constructed out of tiny indivisible parts will be solved once and for all.

The team is supported by the Australian Research Council, and their research was published in the latest edition of the journal Physical Review D.

The Western Australian Government has called for comment on the costs and benefits of the proposed national Work Health and Safety (WHS) reform as they apply to the State’s workplaces.

The call for comment comes after the State has released an Information and Issues Paper designed to highlight the differences between Western Australia’s current occupational safety and health regulations and the new national WHS Regulations.

“Harmonised work health and safety laws will affect all Western Australian workplaces in varying degrees, and it is important that we all provide input during this consultation process to gauge the impact of the new laws on all WA workplaces,” WorkSafe WA Commissioner Lex McCulloch said.

The release of the paper and call for comment comes after the 2010 Australia-wide consultation process.

The issues paper can be found here

Funding to secure continual commercialisation of research is the key to fostering continued growth in the country’s biotechnology industry, according to an expert advisory panel.

AusBiotech’s CEO, Dr Anna Lavelle, said that the findings show that few Australians realise that the nation’s biotechnology industry was worth $32 billion with 350-400 companies producing greater export income than the wine or auto-manufacturing industries.

The expert panel which also included industry representatives, Headland Vision, Proprietor, Dr Meera Verma, GBS Venture Partners, Partner, Dr Joshua Funder, and Biosensis, Director, Dr Leanna Read, said greater policy focus was required to:

• Promote commercialisation of research and translation of research into products;
• Secure continuity of existing industry programs;
• Remove obstacles to growing biotech companies such as stamp duty on deals between biotech companies and withholding tax for loss-making companies;
• Promote Australia as a destination for clinical trials, which would drive better treatment and greater opportunities for translation in the Australian health care system;
• Create industry sabbaticals for academics to allow them to participate in translational or commercialisation projects while maintaining their tenure and students;
• Promote superannuation fund investment in innovative companies by leveraging government funding;
• Boost the Innovation Investment Fund from $100 million to $500 million per annum to successfully attract superannuation funding in innovative industries; and
• Remove the moratorium on Genetically Modified crops in South Australia.

Dr Verma said that while the Australian biotechnology sector had great opportunities for expansion, it was hindered by a number of roadblocks.

"Agricultural biotech is being strangled in SA because there is an arbitrary holistic moratorium on GM crops. That indicates a lack of understanding about the science behind it - a lack of interest in challenging those ideas... We are the only state that has it - even Tassie doesn't have it (the moratorium) any more," she said.

"It would be great to get these (roadblocks) all in a bucket and say right, if we are really going to be serious about innovation… let's turn this thing around."

The Federal Government has announced the final stage of funding for the design and planning work for the Maldon to Dombarton Rail Link in a bid to have the project ‘shovel ready’ as soon as possible.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Anthony Albanese, announced the $25.5 million needed to finalise design work had been granted.

“In line with the commitment given by the Prime Minister late last year, we are determined to progress this infrastructure project and cement the Illawarra’s status as one of our nation’s most important industrial powerhouses,” Mr Albanese said.

The preconstruction activities are expected to be completed within the next two years.  The project involves laying 35 kilometres of standard gauge track connecting Port Kembla directly to the Main North South Line via Dombarton.  It would also include two passing loops, bridges over the Nepean and Cordeaux Rivers and one of Australia’s longest tunnels.

South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has officially opened the new Ankata underground copper-gold mine at Prominent Hill.

The $148 million project has been constructed over the last two years to target the high-grade deposit west of the existing open pit mine at Prominent Hill.

Mr Weatherill said OZ Minerals’ operation was an example of how companies can better share the benefits of the mining boom with the broader community.

“This new mine has added more than 150 jobs to its 1200-strong workforce and even more pleasing is that the employment opportunities have remained locally-focused, with about 80 per cent of the OZ Minerals’ workforce living in South Australia,” Mr Weatherill said.

“OZ Minerals has set such an example in these fields that I had the recent pleasure of presenting the company with the industry’s own award for excellence in Social Inclusion.

“Prominent Hill is a world-class copper and gold deposit and South Australia also has several other major approved projects under construction that in their own right will be significant drivers for investment, infrastructure, skills and new jobs.”

OZ Minerals Managing Director and CEO Terry Burgess said the commencement of the Ankata underground mine is a significant milestone for OZ Minerals and is a highly valuable addition to Prominent Hill.

Leading biomedical engineer Professor Karen Reynolds has been named South Australia’s Scientist of the Year for her outstanding research in her field.

Professor Reynolds received the accolade at the 2012 Science Excellence Awards, with State Science and Information Minister, Tom Kenyon, congratulating her for her extensive work.

“Professor Reynold’s research aims to improve the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of medical conditions with projects ranging from designing orthopaedic implants to virtual reality simulators for improved surgical training,” Mr Kenyon said.

“Her development of the ground-breaking Medical Device Partnering Program has brought together industry, clinical and research partners across the country to bring innovative bioengineering solutions to the market and for the benefit of patients,” Mr Kenyon said.

The awards saw 10 of the State’s top scientists share in $100,000, with Professor Reynolds taking home $20,000.

The full list of winners of awards are:

SA Scientist of the Year

Professor Karen Reynolds - Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Flinders University

PhD Research Excellence – Health and Medical Sciences

Dr Stephanie Reuter Lange, Clinical Research Fellow, University of South Australia

PhD Research Excellence – Life and Environmental Sciences

Dr Christopher Raymond, Research Fellow, University of South Australia

Early Career STEM Professional – Natural and Physical Sciences, engineering and Mathematics

Mr Steve Barone, Network Control Engineer, ETSA Utilities

Early Career STEM Professional – Health and Life Sciences

Dr John Landers, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Flinders Medical Centre

PhD Research Excellence – Physical Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics

Dr Cameron Shearer, Research Associate, Flinders University

Early Career STEM Educator – School Teaching

Ms Susan Gaardboe, Specialist Science Teacher and Teacher Facilitator, Westbourne Park Primary School

Early Career STEM Educator – Tertiary Teaching

Dr Femke Buisman-Pijlman, Lecturer Addiction Studies, Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, The University of Adelaide

South Australian Early Career Researcher – SA Tall Poppy of the Year

Dr Rachel Popelka-Filcoff, Analytical Chemistry/ Archaeological Science (Aboriginal history), Flinders University

The Queensland Government has held the first Moreton Bay Rail Link industry briefing, attracting over 300 business representatives to hear from State Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson.

Mr Emerson took the opportunity to outline the State Government’s plan to release the Request for Proposals to industry on August 24.

“The level of interest from the construction industry ensures there’ll be healthy competition between the proponents,” Mr Emerson said.

“The Request for Proposals will involve companies submitting options for the design and construction of the project.

“It’s an opportunity for companies to show that they have the innovation and capability to build and design a project of this size and complexity.”

The briefing comes after the State Government conducted an internal review of the project, finding that the Department of Transport and Main Roads was best placed to roll out the project rather than split responsibility with Queensland Rail.

The State Government said the decision would ensure that Queensland Rail would continue to concentrate its efforts on maintaining the rail network and running passenger services while allowing the private sector to deliver the project.

Mr Emerson said that after proposals have been received, three or four proponents will be selected to investigate the best value for money, design and construction for the project.

The $1.147 billion project is being jointly funded by a $742 million Federal investment, while the State Government is contributing $300 million and Moreton Bay Regional Council contributing the remaining $105 million. 

The South Australian Government has announced $20,000 in scholarship funding is now available for those working to better the working conditions of women throughout the state.

The funding, under the Augusta Zadow Scholarship, will see $10,000 awarded to two researchwers who assist with OHS improvements undertaken by, or for, the benefit of women in South Australia.

The Scholarship is named in honour of Augusta Zadow, who became the first female Inspector of Factories in South Australia. Her work is considered crucial in securing better conditions for employees in factories, particularly for women and children.

More information is available here

The South Australian Government has announced the appointment of Anne Gale as the state’s next Commissioner for Equal Opportunity.

Acting Attorney-General Patrick Conlon welcomed Ms Gale’s appointment, saying her wealth of experience in work with the disadvantaged will stand her in good stead.

“Ms Gale’s leadership skills - gained through significant experience in senior and executive roles - willserve her well in her new role,” Mr Conlon said.

“Her strong strategic and analytic abilities, as well as her compassion and innate sense of fairness, will also make her an outstanding Commissioner.

“South Australia can expect total dedication to advancing equal opportunity and combating discrimination.”

Before being appointed Deputy Commissioner for Consumer Affairs in 2009, Ms Gale was Deputy Chief Executive of the Department for Families and Communities.

From 2005, Ms Gale was Executive Director of the Office for the Ageing, where she was responsible for implementing the SA Ageing Plan - Improving with Age.

The appointment was made following a merit-based selection process involving a strong field of candidates. Ms Gale replaces Anne Burgess who has been Acting Commissioner, and will take up the five-year term on 17 September.