Industry News

The Australian Workers’ Union (AWU) has welcomed an new power agreement between Pacific Aluminium and the Tasmania Government that will secure the future of the company’s Bell Bay aluminium smelter.

The Australian Workers' Union (AWU) National Secretary Paul Howes said the power contract came a crucial time, with the aluminium industry battling the combined effects of the high Australian dollar and increasing global competition.

"The new power deal will underpin the viability of the Pacific Aluminium smelter for the next decade and beyond,” Mr Howes said.

"This is great news for workers at Bell Bay. It will give them confidence in the future of their jobs, and in the future of their industry."

"The Bell Bay smelter is a vital piece of economic infrastructure for Tasmania, directly employing 500 people and injecting millions into the local economy."

The Federal Government has introduced legislation before Parliament aimed at improving rail safety. The Transport Safety Investigation Amendment Bill 2012 will establish the country’s first rail safety investigator by tasking the Australian Transport Safety Bureau with responsibility for investigating safety events on all metropolitan passenger and freight rail networks.

“This national approach will see more investigations conducted across a greater range of safety matters. It will mean better sharing and implementation of safety findings between states and territories which will save lives and prevent injuries,” Federal Infrastructure and Transport Anthony Albanese said in a statement.

“The ATSB has a proven record in conducting independent investigations that achieve practical improvements to transport safety. The findings from the ATSB’s investigations will help improve overall safety and identify areas of improvement.”

The ATSB’s rail safety investigation role will complement the work of the new National Rail Safety Regulator.

The Bill forms part of a suite of reforms being introduced by the Federal Government across the transport sector that will see the country’s 23 separate state and federal regulators covering heavy vehicles, rail safety and maritime safety\ replaced by  three national regulators administering one set of nationwide laws.

The National Rail Safety Regulator means interstate rail operators will no longer have to deal with:

• 7 separate regulatory authorities; and
• 46 pieces of State/Territory and Commonwealth legislation including 7 rail safety Acts, 9 occupational health and safety Acts, and 7 dangerous goods Acts. 

The Federal Government has introduced legislation before Parliament that will aim to reduce pollution from ships in a bid to protect the marine environment.

The Maritime Legislation Amendment Bill 2012 requires new ships to adhere to new energy efficiency targets and fall all ships to develop energy efficiency management plans.

The Bill will implement amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) adopted by the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the United Nation’s International Maritime Organization last July.

The Bill makes mandatory the Energy Efficiency Design Index for new ships of 400 gross tonnage and over that will be built on or after 1 January 2013 for international trade. New ships can meet energy efficiency targets through improved hull design and more energy efficient engines.

It also makes mandatory a Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan for all ships of that size. Energy savings can be achieved through speed optimisation and hull maintenance.

Passenger ships operating in designated ‘special areas’ will also face new restrictions relating to the discharge of sewage and the disposal of garbage in environmentally sensitive areas.

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) has released a snapshot of the country’s nursing and midwifery workforce, finding that while their numbers continue to grow, it’s failing to keep to keep pace with the growing population.

The report, Nursing and midwifery workforce 2011, shows that in 2011, the total number of nurses and midwives registered in Australia was 326,669, a 6.8% increase since 2007.

‘The number of nurses and midwives employed in nursing also increased between 2007 and 2011—up 7.7% from 263,331 to 283,577,’ said AIHW spokesperson Vicki Bennett.

Of those employed in nursing and midwifery, 36,074 were midwives, though only 15,523 reported working in midwifery as the principal area of their main job.

Despite the increasing numbers of registered and employed nurses and midwives, when compared to the population, supply decreased by 1.3% between 2007 and 2011, from 1,095 to 1,081 full-time equivalent nurses and midwives per 100,000 population based on a 38-hour week.

‘Supply also varied regionally, ranging from 1,102 full-time equivalent nurses and midwives per 100,000 population in Major cities to 995 in Outer regional areas to 1,336 in Very remote areas based on a 38-hour week,’ Ms Bennett said.

Nursing and midwifery continued to be a female-dominated profession, with women comprising 90% of employed nurses and midwives in 2011.

‘The nursing and midwifery workforce is also getting older, with the average age increasing from 43.7 to 44.5 years between 2007 and 2011. The proportion of nurses and midwives aged 50 or older also increased over this period—from 33.0% to 38.6%.’

The average weekly hours worked by employed nurses and midwives decreased from 33.3 hours in 2007 to 32.8 hours in 2011. Nurses and midwives working in the public sector (almost two-thirds of all nurses) worked an average of 2.4 hours more per week than their private sector counterparts.

Of all employed clinical nurses and midwives, almost two-thirds worked in hospitals.

The full report can be found here

A new entrepreneurial program at Melbourne University, the Melbourne Accelerator Program (MAP), has been established to assist the translation of innovative ideas to commercial reality.

The University’s Melbourne School of Engineering (MSE), which is hosting the program, joins only a handful of leading institutions globally providing an entrepreneurial program to students, staff and alumni. 

Launched this year, MAP aims to help entrepreneurs in the Melbourne School of Engineering community maximise their chances of success through access to resources and mentoring, accelerate the progress of participants’ start-ups and create a culture of entrepreneurship at the University. 

Dean of the Melbourne School of Engineering Professor Iven Mareels said MAP would help translate ideas into practice and increase opportunities for staff, students and alumni to develop successful entrepreneurial careers.

“Engineering is all about investing in new ways of doings things and the MAP program offers a practical way for ideas to develop into potentially commercial ventures,” he said. 

“By involving mentors in the program, our students, academics and alumni can gain unlimited exposure to a range of experts who can guide, advise and support them through the journey of innovation. Who knows, we may see the next iteration of a Facebook come out of this program.” 

Four teams out of 32, have been selected to receive entrepreneurial fellowships, as well as mentorship and assistance for their business start-ups. The four teams come from a variety of backgrounds including engineering students, alumni and external participants.

The 2012 MAP participants are:

• VenueMob: An Internet venue booking system that will streamline venue bookings. This tool will enable venue owners to better use their function spaces and function organisers to compare venues and make the right venue booking quickly and easily.
• Remote Area Power System: A remote area power system that will enable clients in rural and remote areas to get the most effective use from their available energy supply, whether it be off-grid alternative energy sources, single wire earth return (SWER), or a combination of both.
• UniSquare:  A next-generation Internet social platform for University students aimed at improving students’ experience of going to university, by sharing relevant information. 
• 121cast: A free, personalised, interactive radio station that reads emails, calendar, news, weather and social media, as well as playing music and podcasts. The stream mixes a combination of text content converted to speech and traditionally produced audio content (such as radio and music). It is customised to individual needs and can be used on a variety of devices such as mobile apps for phones; tablets; desktop web browsers; and embedded devices such as internet connected car stereo or home entertainment systems.

More information is here.

Vodafone Australia has revealed plans to rollout its new 4G network and expand its existing 3G network.

The move has been welcomed by the Federal Government, with Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, saying the move will ensure broader and better service for its customers.

"We are seeing extraordinary growth in demand for mobile broadband capacity. Australians are increasingly using smartphones, tablets and other portable devices. Deployment of 4G mobile networks will ensure consumers and businesses get the improved services they need,” Senator Conroy said.

"It's also increasingly clear that as more Australians use portable devices to access more data, there is an increasing need to offload the data to a fixed-line network as quickly as possible. That's why Vodafone's announcement complements the Gillard Government's investment in the National Broadband Network.”

The new Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Water Sensitive Cities, based at Monash University, will open this week.

The CRC will have research hubs in the University of Queensland, the University of Western Australia and the National University of Singapore.

Projects that will focus on better ways to manage urban water resources to ensure future cities are resilient to climatic extremes - of floods, droughts and heat - will be undertaken in all Australian capital cities, Singapore and The Netherlands.

The Australian Federal Government has provided $30 million in start-up funding for the Centre, and industry partners and universities have committed an additional $90 million in resources over the next nine years. Substantial private sector investment in projects is also anticipated.

Monash University's Professor Tony Wong, will lead the CRC which has already identified 19 projects and forged links with more than 70 partners across the public, private and tertiary sectors.

Professor Wong said sustainable urban water management was an international issue with city population densities increasing globally.

"By 2050, up to 80 per cent of Australia's population will live in our cities. In order to ensure urban water supplies, urban water systems will require a radical overhaul," Professor Wong said.

"Current systems cater for water supply and waste water disposal, without any focus on recycling water, stormwater collection or incorporating ecological solutions. Supported by access to water, the greening of cities will enhance their biodiversity and urban heat management. The CRC will work directly with government and communities to implement sustainable water management solutions."

The CRC for Water Sensitive Cities grew from the Centre for Water Sensitive Cities established under the auspices of the Monash Sustainability Institute in early 2010. Professor Wong co-founded the centre with Monash Professors Ana Deletic and Rebekah Brown. 

"Our centre is a great example of cross-faculty research - Ana is one of our top researcher in engineering and Rebekah a leading social science scholar from the Faculty of Arts, both with a keen focus on delivering positive impacts to society. We now have five faculties involved in research projects," Professor Wong said.

"The successes we had on the ground allowed us to make a very strong case for the establishment of the CRC."

The Monash Centre for Water Sensitive Cities will independently continue its research on developing water management strategies to enhance urban liveability. 

The 2012 National Climate Change Adaptation conference has wrapped up in Melbourne, covering issues such as preventing food and water shortages, managing more intense natural disasters and their economic fallout and avoiding climate-driven extinctions.

Hosted jointly by the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (NCCARF) and CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship (CAF) the conference has urged a more concentrated agenda on tacking a range of issues that have become more urgent since the previous conference in 2010.

“Decision makers in government, business and the community are faced with making choices now that will determine how successfully we manage the impacts of climate change in the future. These issues have become more urgent since the previous conference,” NCCARF Director, Professor Jean Palutikof said.

Speakers at the conference included:

• Francis Zwiers, Director, Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium, University of Victoria, Canada.
• Tony McMichael, National Centre for Environmental and Population Health, Australian National University.
• Mark Howden, Chief Research Scientist, CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences.
• Kristie L. Ebi, Executive Director of the Technical Support Unit for IPCC Working Group II.
• Peter Cosier, Director and Founding Member of the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists.
• Mark Rogers, Asset Manager, Infrastructure Investment at Colonial First State Global Asset Management.
• Hugh Possingham, Director, ARC centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions and the National Environmental Research Program Environmental Decisions Hub.

Australia’s regions are leading the uptake of clean energy programs, with 28 of the fist 63 Community Energy Efficiency Program (CEEP) grants being awarded to regional organisations.

The 28 regional organisations will share in $10.4 million of the $42 million allocated to improve energy efficiency for local government and community groups.

"It's clear that the community, including, councils and community groups, have embraced the opportunities that come with reducing carbon emissions," Mr Crean said.

Parliamentary Secretary for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency Mark Dreyfus said the CEEP grants will help organisations overcome barriers in adopting energy efficiency measures, such as replacing outdated technologies with new, smarter and cleaner ones.

"Councils and community groups will reduce their operating costs, while lowering greenhouse gas emissions - it's a win-win for the regions," Mr Dreyfus said.

For example, Wagga Wagga City Council will receive $375,075 toward a $776,520 project to install a co-generation plant at the aquatic centre.

Applications for round one of the $200 million Community Energy Efficiency Program were assessed by an independent committee on the potential to improve energy efficiency, encourage and demonstrate energy management, value for money, project management and design.

An announcement on the second round will be made later this year.

The regional recipients of round one CEEP funding:

Queensland Assistant Minister for Planning Reform, Ian Walker, has held the state’s first bi-monthly breakfast meeting with leaders of the state’s property and construction industry leaders.

Mr Walker said the meeting was evidence of the State Government’s commitment to growing the Four Pillars of the Queensland economy – Construction, Resources, Agriculture and Tourism. 

“In April, Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney appointed me as the ‘go-to’ person for the property and construction industry,” Mr Walker said. 

“This Government is committed to ensuring there is a ‘can-do’ culture across departments and this morning I met with key industry representatives to discuss industry-wide issues. 

The organisations which met with Mr Walker included the Property Council of Australia, the SEQ Council of Mayors, the Queensland Master Builders Association and the Housing Industry Association of Queensland. 

The Queensland Government is calling tourism operators, pastoralists, traditional owners, environmental groups and industry representatives to comment on the release of a scoping paper for the proposed bioregion management plan of the Cape York area.

“What we have been hearing for some time is that stakeholders are concerned about the number of ‘ad hoc’ programs on Cape York,” State Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection Andrew Powell said.

Minister Powell said he would outline the consultation strategy in greater detail when he visits Cairns next week, but said the bioregion management plan would focus on protection and management of the Cape’s iconic natural areas, while allowing appropriate opportunities for economic development.

“Specifically, the plan will protect Cape York’s unique environment, allow for appropriate development opportunities, deliver better management of our National Parks and deliver integrated natural resource outcomes for the Cape,” Mr Powell said.

The Bioregion Management Plan will replace the Wild Rivers declarations and will be the statutory land use plan for the region, guiding decisions, promoting appropriate development and protecting the Cape’s most important assets.

The ACT Government has announced the formation of a reference group to prepare the territory for the rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), as discussions between territory and Federal governments continue over the possibility of the ACT being one of the launch sites for the scheme.

"The NDIS a huge development for the disability sector and while it will provide significant benefits community groups will need assistance to prepare for the change," ACT Minister for Community Services Joy Burch said.

"The ACT Government wants to ensure that the sector is well prepared for the rollout of the NDIS, which is why we are making this early in partnership with the sector."

Membership of the reference group will include people with disability, families, carers, the sector and government, and will focus on preparing people with disability, families, carers, the sector and government for the advent of the NDIS.

Among the areas of the NDIS that the reference group may consider are: how it relates to enabling people with disability to exercise control over their lives and choose services to support them; the quality of service; and its effect on the workforce of the sector.

The Victorian Government has announced the development of a central service hub in Wodonga to provide much needed facilities to support long-haul truck drivers.

"The major new development will include the construction of a 24-hour service centre, a Fatigue Management Centre (large rest area) for up to 45 trucks and a secure area for the exchange of trailers between Sydney-based and Melbourne-based drivers," State Minister for Regional and Rural Development Peter Ryan said.

"The Fatigue Management Centre, in particular, will be a major improvement addressing the critical shortage of rest areas along this route that has existed for many years.

"The Trailer Interchange site will support greater flexibility for drivers, allowing Melbourne-based drivers to exchange trailers with Sydney-based counterparts, which will effectively reduce time away from their home base."

"In addition to 48 indirect jobs, it's expected that the Wodonga Logic Transport Project will create up to 120 direct ongoing jobs at the site including service centre attendant roles, jobs in food and beverage, delivery and cleaning," Mr Ryan said.

"It will also build on the strength of the existing Logic Industry Park, which is already a major industrial hub supporting 470 full-time employees across a range of industries including food distribution, skills training and freight networks."

The Victorian Government has released detailed mapping of the state’s coastline to assist local decision makers and developers.

State Minister for the Environment and Climate Change said that coastal inundation data, maps and guides would paint a clearer picture for local councils and planning authorities on the impact of impending sea level rises.

The state-wide coastal inundation maps provide modelling of possible sea level rises, while the Coastal Hazard Guide provides new information to support better informed strategic and regional scale decision-making and development.

To support local and property-scale decision making, more detailed local coastal hazard assessments are now underway at Port Fairy, and Gippsland Lakes.

Led by local authorities in conjunction with the Department of Sustainability and Environment and Department of Planning and Community Development, two more of these localised assessments will be undertaken later this year in priority areas.

To access the Victorian Coastal Inundation Maps and Victorian Coastal Hazard Guide and more information about the spatial data visitwww.climatechange.vic.gov.au 

The Australian Local Government Association (ALGA) has renewed its push for the recognition of local government in the Australian Constitution following last week’s High Court decision over the Williams Case, which calls into question the Federal Government’s ability to provide direct funding.

“In our view, this decision indicates that funding currently provided to local government through programs such as Roads to Recovery is clearly open to constitutional challenge,” ALGA President Genia McCaffery said.

“The local government sector is calling on the Australian Government to confirm its commitment to holding a referendum by 2013 on the financial recognition of local government in the Australian Constitution.”

“This is an urgent issue for local government.  We have been arguing for years that we need to be recognised in the Australian Constitution to ensure the continuation of direct federal funding through programs such as Roads to Recovery.

Western Australia’s Verve Energy’s new $300 million gas turbines have come online at the company’s Kwinana Power Station.

The new high efficiency gas turbines (HEGTs) are the first of their kind to operate in Australia and represent the latest in gas turbine technology. The machines add 200MW of flexible, efficient gas fired generation to the WA power system.

“The new HEGTs represent an investment by the State Government of $263million in a long-term power asset for WA that combines excellent efficiency with extremely flexible operating capabilities,” State Energy Minister Peter Collier said.

“They replace older generators at Kwinana Power Station, reinforce the security of power supplies in WA as demand continues to grow and will assist Verve Energy’s balancing operations in the WA power system, in particular in supporting its unique role in driving renewable energy platforms in WA.”

Key features of the new HEGTs include significantly improved efficiency compared to their predecessors; fast start capabilities, lower emissions and superior hot weather performance.

The HEGTs continue Verve Energy’s transition in the competitive electricity market and improve Verve’s overall plant efficiency by making better use of fuel, in particular the gas, freed up by the closure of older machines at Kwinana Power Station.

The 26^th National Awards for Excellence in Local Government has been held in Canberra, with a tool for communicating between cultures and languages and a regional tourism smartphone.

Regional Australia and Local Government Minister, Simon Crean announced the winners during the 2012 National General Assembly of Local Government.

The National Award winners are:

• Moreland City Council, Victoria, for its CALDCOM (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communication) Storyboards; and
• Golden Plains Shire Council, Victoria, for its Visit Golden Plains Tourism Smartphone / Tablet App and Website Digital Infrastructure Project.

Mr Crean said the two National Award winners were chosen from a highly competitive field of 27 category winners.

"Moreland City Council and Golden Plains Shire Council stood out as councils making substantial contributions to their communities and creating an environment that makes their region a better place to live and visit," Mr Crean said.

"Both councils have developed innovative local solutions to local challenges and they deserve this national recognition.

"The National General Assembly of Local Government brings a vast amount of local government experience and expertise together and it's fitting that the winners are here to receive the praise of their peers.

"More than 179 councils from across Australia participated in this year's Awards and submitted over 370 entries in 16 categories.

In 2009, four million people in Australia reported having a disability (18.5%), according to new profiles released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). 

The main conditions associated with disability were back problems (15.6%), arthritis (14.8%), hearing loss (6%), leg damage from injury/accident (3%), depression (3%) and asthma (3%). Most (87%) people with disability had specific restrictions, meaning they had limitations in one or more of the everyday core activity areas of self-care, mobility and communication or that they had a schooling or employment restriction. The remainder (13%) had disability that was non-restricting. 

Other key findings:

• Most young people (92% or 260,000) with disability aged 15-34 years used internet in last 12 months.
• Almost half (46% or 132,000) of young people with disability aged 15-34 years contacted family and friends via the internet at least once a day.
• The prevalence of disability has decreased since 2003 from 20% to 18.5%.
• An estimated 23,700 people in Australia, or around 1 in every 100,000 people, have Multiple Sclerosis.

Designed to further inform key policy issues surrounding disability in Australia, these are the first of many planned for future release across the domains of:

• society 
• economic security
• environment/accessibility
• population groups and 
• conditions and impairments. 

4429.0), together with Disability, Australia, 2009 (cat. no. 4446.0) and Disability, Ageing and Carers: Summary of Findings, Australia, 2009 (cat. no. 4430.0) which are available for free download from www.abs.gov.au. 

The Melbourne City Council has adopted the city’s 2012-13 budget, committing to a zero per cent rate rise and a $110 million capital works program.

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said the budget reflected the strength of council’s economic management while investing in significant infrastructure and community services.

“Now that Council has endorsed the 2012-13 budget, we can immediately begin work on vital projects such as the $5.6 million expansion of the city’s bicycle network,” the Lord Mayor said.

“The bicycle plan is part of a comprehensive capital works package that will be delivered against the backdrop of a zero per cent rate rise. These projects will all be delivered without Council needing to reach into ratepayers’ pockets.”

Other key projects to be delivered under this year’s budget include:

• $10.2 million for stormwater harvesting initiatives;
•  $4.7 million toward the new Docklands Library and Community Centre;
• $6.5 million to finish the revitalisation of the city’s spine, Swanston Street;
• $2.6 million to enhance Melbourne’s iconic streetscapes;
• $630,000 for city safety initiatives, including the permanent installation of a mega taxi rank in Queen Street;
• $4 million to complete the construction of the Carlton Baths and Family  Resource Centre which is expected to open in October, and; 
• $2 million to complete the design and start refurbishment of the Kathleen Syme Centre.

The Local Government Association of NSW (LGSA) has called on the federal Government to invest more funds and start building the Melbourne to Brisbane Rail line this decade.

Speaking at the Inland Rail Symposium, President of the LGSA, Cr Ray Donald, said that rail is a vital component of the transport network in rural and regional areas of NSW.

“Councils are responsible for around 90 per cent of the NSW road network, and with freight movement expected to double by 2030, the better option is to shift much of the freight task off our roads and start using rail as an alternate means” Cr Donald stated.

The current rail freight route from Melbourne to Brisbane via Sydney is very congested, transporting nearly 30 per cent of interstate freight. Considering one freight train takes at least 150 trucks off the road, the Inland Rail Line would have major electoral support.

“While the Australian Government is spending $40 billion on the National Broadband Network, the $4.7 billion Inland Rail project clearly has benefits for our country and communities too. I call on both the Australian Government and the Opposition to make a commitment at the next election to start work on this important transport project.”

President of the Local Government Association of NSW, Cr Keith Rhoades AFSM, said NSW councils can not keep up with the road and infrastructure works required of them and continuing to move freight along these roads, particularly at the increasing levels we’ve seen, is only going to contribute further to their deterioration.

“Restoring existing rail infrastructure and investing in new projects, like the Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail corridor, will not only enhance the economic sustainability of regional NSW but also reduce the adverse affects on local road networks by freight vehicles,” said Cr Rhoades.

“The Inland Rail Line could also stimulate other rail traffic on nearby rail lines, many of which are under the threat of closure. Not only would these closures force additional heavy vehicle movements onto adjacent local road networks, it would impact on the growth and prosperity of local communities.”

“I urge the Australian Government to recognise the importance of this nation building project by substantially increasing the allocated funding for the Melbourne to Brisbane rail line and speed up its delivery.”