Industry News

The Federal Budget has extended the government’s investment in the Interstate Rail Freight Network, with two new projects added to the existing capital works program.

They are:

• Moorebank Intermodal: the private sector will be commissioned to design, build and operate a major, new facility in Sydney's south west.  Scheduled to be up and running by 2017, it will aim to take 1.2 million trucks a year off the City's road network, prevent gridlock around Port Botany and ultimately transform the movement of freight across the entire eastern seaboard. The redevelopment of the Moorebank site will involve the relocation of Department of Defence facilities to new purpose built facilities at the Holsworthy Barracks at a cost of $559.4 million over four years.

• Torrens and Goodwood Junctions Upgrade: the section of the Interstate Network which runs through the heart of Adelaide will be upgraded by eliminating two existing bottlenecks: one at Goodwood and the other just north of the CBD. This will speed up the movement of freight trains through the City and allow bigger trains to operate along the rail corridor between Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. The Government will provide $232.1 million in 2015‑16 from the Building Australia Fund to fund 50 per cent of the estimated cost of the Torrens and Goodwood Junctions rail project.

Commitment to these projects means that every nationally-significant, ‘ready-to-proceed’ project listed on Infrastructure Australia's original 2008 Priority List has now been funded.

Of the 47 major upgrades scheduled to be delivered across the Interstate Rail Network under the existing National Building Program (2008–09 to 2013–14), 22 are completed and a further 17 are underway.

The Federal Government has confirmed it will raise the low-income thresholds for the Medicare Levy and Medicare Levy Surcharge as part of the 2012-13 Budget.

The increase in the threshold will be backdated to take effect from 1 July, 2011 and will see the low-income threshold increase to $19,404 for singles. Up from $18,839, and to $32,743 for couples, up from $31,789.

For families, the additional amount of threshold for each dependent child or student will also be increased to $3,007 (up from $2,919).

The increased threshold for families applies for the 2011‑12 income year and future income years while the increased threshold for singles applies only in the 2011‑12 income year, as this threshold will rise to $20,542 in 2012‑13 as part of the Clean Energy Future Plan household assistance package.

The Medicare Levy low-income threshold for pensioners below Age Pension age will also be increased. For the 2011-12 financial year, the threshold will rise to $30,451 (up from $30,439).

State high school students will learn engineering in Years 8-12 and be encouraged to consider engineering as a future career under a new teaching program being developed by The University of Western Australia and Governor Stirling Senior High School.

Students at the Midland high school will be being exposed to the world of engineering and learn how to find practical solutions to simple engineering tasks with the aim of demonstrating how they can make a mark on the world through further study.

UWA's Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, and organisations such as engineering firms Beacon and Sinclair Knight Merz, are working with the high school to develop a ground-breaking curriculum and delivery style for a new fully integrated Year 8-12 Engineering Program.

The Dean of the Faculty, Winthrop Professor John Dell, said Governor Stirling Senior High School was part of the WA Education Department's gifted and talented program.  The new partnership with UWA would now also offer a specialist high school Engineering program with two streams of student intake: academic and vocational.

"The school is becoming a specialist centre in Western Australia for engineering education," Professor Dell said.  "Being a part of this is important because UWA is striving to want to promote engineering as a career pathway.

"We want to show that engineering is more than calculating an exact answer.  It's about sustainability, social impact and environmental responsibility and about finding solutions to the very big problems facing the world - such as climate change, poverty, and the supply of clean water and health services.

"We're helping to provide a new model for excellence in education and boosting engineering expertise in the State.

Established in 1959, GSSHS has a large number of educationally high-achieving students.  The school is undergoing a $63 million building redevelopment program with new facilities due to open next year in time for the first intake of Year 8-12 engineering program students.

Australian research has shown that computers can be used to identify cancer treatment targets that wouldn't otherwise have been considered.

Professor Mark Ragan from The University of Queensland's Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), who led the research team, says they found that computational methods could be used to untangle the intricacies of cancer biology.

“Cancer is not a disease caused by single genes. Rather, it is changes to the underlying gene regulatory networks that prompt tumours to grow and spread,” he said.

“Understanding gene regulatory networks in healthy and diseased tissues is therefore critical to devising effective cancer treatments.

“These networks involve vast numbers of interactions between different molecules, making conventional experimental approaches, which are focused on individual genes, too time-consuming,” he said.

The findings came from the team's analysis of different computational methods of studying gene regulatory networks.

By contrast, computational methods can examine complex networks of interacting molecules across entire systems. The challenge for researchers is determining the accuracy of such methods.

The IMB team undertook a thorough analysis of nine different computational methods that represented a variety of approaches. They then took the method judged most effective and applied it to real ovarian cancer data.

“Our evaluation demonstrated that it's possible in some cases to use computational methods to gain insights into cancer biology.

“These methods can pinpoint targets that wouldn't otherwise have been considered, which can then be validated with laboratory experiments.”

The findings are published in the current edition of the scientific journal Genome Medicine, where it has been nominated as part of the thematic series Cancer bioinformatics: bioinformatic methods, network biomarkers and precision medicine.

The Federal Government has announced $350 million in funding to assist irrigation infrastructure reform in the Murray Darling Basin.

The funding will allocate $150 million over six years for round three of the On-Farm Irrigation Program from 2012-13 to support individual infrastructure improvement projects. The funding will be spent as follows: $4.0 million in 2012‑13, $25.0 million in 2013‑14, $75.0 million in 2014‑15, $29.0 million in 2015‑16, $10.0 million in 2016‑17 and $7.0 million in 2017‑18.

The funding will come from the existing resourcing of the Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure Program. 

Federal Minister for Sustainability Tony Burke said he will call for applications for the funding in the coming months.

"This program builds on the good work of farmers in improving water efficiency at an on-farm level. Irrigators have informed my department that they have spent funds for supplies and services from two previous rounds of this program almost entirely to the benefit of regional businesses,” Mr Burke said.

"I expect this to be the case also with the additional funding. Other benefits will be improved flexibility of crop rotation from new irrigation systems, reduced labour times and costs, reduced nutrient run-off and application rates, increased crop yields, the ability to spend financial savings on other on-farm upgrades, and more sustainable farms."

The Budget will also provide $200 million over four years ($25.0 million in 2012‑13, $50.0 million in 2013‑14, $75.0 million 2014‑15, and $50.0 million in 2015‑16) to pilot a program to integrate water recovery with the strategic reconfiguration of irrigation delivery networks.

TheStrategic Sub-System Reconfiguration Program will provide funding for the purchase of water entitlements, the decommissioning of under‑utilised or inefficient water delivery infrastructure, a replacement stock and domestic supply system if required and a disconnection incentive. The program will replace the existing Irrigator‑led Group Proposals program.

The cost of program will be met from within the existing resourcing of the Sustainable Rural Water Use and Infrastructure and Restoring the Balance in the Murray‑Darling Basin programs.

"The program is being developed in consultation with key irrigation water providers and will be flexible to encourage projects which work for the particular circumstances of each irrigation district,” Mr Burke said. 

The Federal Budget has included a $54 million package to improve standards of science and maths teaching in Australian schools.

The package responds to the report by Chief Scientist, Professor Ian Chubb, Mathematics, Engineering And Science In The National Interest.

The package includes:

National leadership to drive inspirational and high quality teaching in maths and science

• $10.9 million to improve the quality of teacher training through innovative delivery of maths and science teaching programs for prospective teachers.
• $3.0 million for national support and advice for teachers, including funding for a national advisory and linking service, online videos to illustrate new teaching standards, practical activities for school science laboratories and to provide advice for school science laboratory technicians and science teachers on safe practices.
• $5 million for the Science Connections program to equip teachers with the ability and confidence to deliver inquiry-based science education and to provide a suite of high quality curriculum resources linked to the Australian Curriculum for Science (Foundation to Year 10).

National initiatives to set new benchmarks for raising the engagement, curiosity and participation of students at primary and secondary school levels

• $20 million to establish the Australian Mathematics and Science Partnerships Program to support innovative partnerships between universities, schools and other organisations to improve secondary students’ engagement in maths and science and increase the number of students who go on to study these subjects at university.
• $2.0 million for the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute, providing students with access to advanced programs in the fields of mathematical and scientific research including through summer schools and vacation scholarships.
• $6.5 million for expanding the Science Partnerships: Scientists and Mathematicians in Schools program.
• $2.4 million to support the participation of Australia’s most talented science and maths students in the international Science and Mathematics Olympiads.

National leadership to promote sustained awareness of mathematics, science and statistics targeted at industry, school and higher education sectors.

• $4.3 million for a National Mathematics and Science Education and Industry Adviser, an important new post to be located within the Office of the Chief Scientist to champion the role of mathematics, science and statistics across education and industry.

The Government has also taken the decision to simplify student contribution amounts for maths and science units at universities by reinstating amounts for all students to Band 2 from 1 January 2013. This treats all students studying these units equally.

The Government will consider the Chief Scientist's recommendations regarding student incentives and career pathways for maths and science students in its response to the Lomax-Smith report on the base funding of universities later in 2012.

The ASIC personal finance website MoneySmart launched the Top 4 End of Financial Year Tips.

The tips tell Australians now is the time to get organised, set some goals, consider a first home savings account or sort your super.

Delia Rickard, Senior Executive Leader Financial Literacy said “The end of financial year is not only a time to set up solid financial practices; it is the perfect time to get your super right. Especially since some superannuation benefits will be less generous after 30 June.

“Being ‘MoneySmart’ this end of financial year means thinking beyond receipts to reassessing your finances and planning for your future. This applies no matter your age or life stage,” she said.

Here are MoneySmart’s Top 4 Tips for 2011/2012 end of financial year:

1. Become a master record keeper!

Start sorting out your tax receipts now. If you keep them in one place you'll find them easily at tax time and won't miss out on any tax deductions.

2. Create financial goals

If you didn’t get around to setting financial goals in January, now is the perfect opportunity. MoneySmart’s saving goals calculator helps you work out what it will take to reach your savings goals, how long it will take you and the steps you need to put your plan into action.

3. Sort your super

Get the government to contribute to your super.

If you earn less than $61,920 per year (before tax), you can take advantage of the Government's co-contribution if you make an after-tax contribution to your super. The government will match your contributions, dollar for dollar, up to $1,000 (depending on your income). Be sure to get in before June 30 as the co-contribution matching rate is proposed to decrease to 50c for each dollar next year.

Contribute to your partner's super
If you contribute to your spouse’s super because they’re not working or on a low income, you may be entitled to a tax offset of up to $540.

Sacrifice your salary
Many Australians are not taking advantage of salary sacrificing to top up their super. Only 25% of Australian employees contribute more than the standard 9% and only 20% use salary sacrifice.2

By 'sacrificing' some of your pre-tax salary and putting it into your super, it will only be taxed at the concessional rate of 15%. This may be lower than the tax rate for your regular salary. There is a limit on how much you can put into super each year by salary sacrifice.

4. Open a first home saver account
If you’re thinking of buying your first home and starting a first home saver account, now is the time. For every $1,000 you put in each financial year, the government will give you $170 (up to $935 each year).

The Queensland Government has announced plans to conduct an audit into Queensland Rail’s maintenance after date shows reliability of peak services fell to a three year low in the last few months.

Transport and Main Roads Minister Scott Emerson said reliability of the south-east Queensland rail network dropped to 90.01 per cent for peak on-time running in the January to March 2012 period – the lowest result since 2009.

“The interim report of the audit of the city rail network, which I ordered last month, is due at the end of May and will focus on ways to improve reliability,” Mr Emerson said.

The Queensland Government has confirmed it will not look to challenge the Federal Government’s carbon tax in the High Court.

“The LNP is opposed to the introduction of the Gillard Government’s carbon tax because of the negative effect it will have on industry development, jobs and the cost of living for families as companies pass on the cost of the tax,” Mr Bleijie said.

“Unfortunately, we’ve been advised that a challenge is unlikely to be successful, so we won’t waste taxpayers’ money fighting a losing battle.”

Mr Bleijie confirmed the State Government will push for the carbon tax to be costed separately on all residential electricity bills from 1 July. 

A PHD student from the CSIRO and University of Queensland has developed a new software application that will allow greater accuracy in the ‘spell checking’ of genetic sequencing.

Lauren Bragg has completed her work, which featured in prestigious journal Nature Methods, that is expected to assist biologists in better understanding the genetic sequences of their studies.

The Acacia software works similarly to a word processing spell checker, finding errors in the As, Cs, Ts and Gs that form the code of different living organisms.

Ms Bragg's development of Acacia is part of the field of bioinformatics, a blend of computer science, statistics and biology.

"It's exciting to be published in a journal like Nature Methods but I get more satisfaction from hearing how my software is helping biologists fix sequencing errors." Ms Bragg said.

The Victorian Government is encouraging stakeholders to comment on the development of metropolitan planning laws in Victoria.

State Planning Minister Matthew Guy urged everyone to contribute to the conversation that will shape the future of Melbourne’s planning and development.

"We need to build on the best of past planning strategies and bring fresh thinking to our consideration of projected growth and change and to how we address the challenges in front of us," Mr Guy said.

"The next 12 months will be critical to the successful development of the metropolitan strategy, as we embark on further consultation across the broader community.

"Strong linkages with the Regional Growth Plans will be key to integrating Melbourne with the rest of the state.

The State Government launched the Metropolitan Planning Strategy website that can be found here

Better protections for workers exercising their rights, a more balanced bargaining system and a range of improvements to economic and workplace conditions to help deliver secure jobs are all at the heart of a dynamic agenda for Australian unions leading into the ACTU Congress.

The ACTU has outlined its vision to create a better future for Australian workers with secure jobs and a stronger, more equitable economy, to be endorsed at the 2012 Congress.

Almost 1000 delegates representing workers from every industry and sector in Australia will attend the ACTU Congress at the Sydney Convention Centre from 15-17 May. ACTU President Ged Kearney said the triennial Congress – often referred to as a “Workers’ Parliament - was the largest and most important gathering of Australian unions.

“We will put forward solutions to counter this employer militancy, through better bargaining powers for workers and stronger representation rights, including a Charter of Delegates’ Rights,” Ms Kearney said.

“But we also have a growing number of workers engaged in insecure work who are often powerless against hostile employers who put profits before workers.

“In response, unions will call on the Government to strengthen the rights for employees in insecure work, and to improve their conditions of employment.

“Improvements need to be made to allow workers to bargain for job security, and to prevent big employers from holding the economy to ransom through their refusal to bargain in good faith,” she said.

The Murray-Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has announced the establishment of an Advisory Committee on Social, Economic and Environmental Sciences to advise the authority on key parts of its strategy.

"The Authority is committed to an ongoing discussion about the science and socio-economic knowledge needed to support the adaptive management of the basin over the next few years.  I see this Committee as an essential part of assisting us with that endeavour,” MDBA Chair Craig Knowles.

"We are keen to establish this independent advisory committee to help us focus our future science and knowledge priorities over the next few years. We are looking for the best and brightest minds in the fields of hydrology, ecology, social sciences and economics."

The recommendations of the CSIRO-led review of the science behind the draft plan will be part of the work of the Advisory Committee. The CSIRO review found that draft Basin Plan represented a sufficient basis to begin an adaptive process of managing the Basin.

The role of the Advisory Committee on Social, Economic and Environmental Sciences is to provide advice on:

1. The development and implementation of the MDBA's science and knowledge strategy;
2. Science and knowledge priorities to support the MDBA in the implementation of the Basin Plan and related programs including, but not limited to:
   1. Guidance on how to progress the recommendations from the CSIRO review of the hydrological and environmental science bases of the environmentally sustainable level of take;
   2. Guidance on how to progress matters arising from the social and economic synthesis report;
   3. Guidance on any recommendations arising from the current research project on cultural flows;
   4. Guidance on adaptive management, monitoring and evaluation.
3. The communication of science related matters with Basin stakeholders and to the broader community; and
4. Any other research and analysis activities undertaken by the MDBA where requested.

The Fair Work Ombudsman has recently recovered almost $60,000 for dozens of workers in Victoria’s Goldfields region.

The largest recovery was $24,700 for 68 hospitality workers at Ballarat, with underpayments ranging from $11 to $1524.

The Fair Work Ombudsman randomly audited the business and found the workers had been underpaid the minimum hourly rate for almost three years between October, 2008 and June, 2011.

After a Fair Work inspector contacted the business and explained its obligations, the employees were reimbursed without the need for further action against the employer.

Other recent recoveries include:

• $11,700 for a care worker south of Ballarat underpaid the minimum hourly rate and annual leave entitlements,
• $7400 for a retail worker at Maryborough underpaid penalty rates, overtime allowances and annual leave entitlements,
• $5800 for a labourer at Ballarat underpaid the minimum hourly rate,
• $5200 for a food and beverage attendant at Daylesford underpaid the minimum hourly rate, and
• $5000 for a North Ballarat receptionist underpaid termination entitlements.

Fair Work Ombudsman Nicholas Wilson says that when Fair Work inspectors identify a problem and contact a business, most employers check their records, realise a problem has occurred and fix it immediately.

The Fair Work Ombudsman provides a single point of contact for people working or running a business in Australia to get accurate and timely information about their workplace rights and obligations.

The website has a number of tools and resources, including PayCheckPlus and an Award Finder, to assist business owners to calculate the correct pay for their employees.

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) Select Council on Climate Change has reached a bipartisan agreement for a national approach to reforming climate change policies and programs.

The council agreed to fast track a range of programs that are not complementary to a carbon price and will ensure no duplication occurs with existing reporting requirements.

“Today we’ve seen the Council agree to seven national priorities for collaborative adaptation action - water resources, coasts, infrastructure, national ecosystems, agriculture, emergency management and vulnerable communities,” Tasmanian Minister for Climate Change, Cassy O’Connar said.

Victorian Environment and Climate Change Minister Ryan Smith welcomed the agreement.

"Victoria will do its fair share towards reducing Australia's overall greenhouse gas emissions with practical measures to achieve this, such as improving energy efficiency,” Mr Smith said.

The CSIRO has warned of drastic changes to volume of Antarctic Bottom Water, the cold dense water that drives global ocean currents, after releasing recent findings.

The CSIRO took detailed measurements of the bottom water and compared the findings with a similar study in the 1970s, finding as much as a 60 per cent reduction in the volume of the water.

The 25-day observing program measured temperature and sailinty at 77 sites between Antarctica and Fremantle and suggest that the densest waters in the world are gradually disapeeearing and being replaced by less dense water.

The amount of dense Antarctic Bottom Water has contracted each time we've measured it since the 1970s," said Dr Steve Rintoul, of CSIRO and the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems CRC.

"There is now only about 40 per cent as much dense water present as observed in 1970."

The ocean profiles also show that the dense water formed around Antarctica has become less saline since 1970.

"It's a clear signal to us that the oceans are responding rapidly to variations in climate in polar regions. The sinking of dense water around Antarctica is part of a global pattern of ocean currents that has a strong influence on climate, so evidence that these waters are changing is important," Dr Rintoul said.

The research was carried out by more than 50 scientists on the Australian Antarctic Division's research and resupply vessel Aurora Australis, which sailed to Commonwealth Bay, west along the Antarctic coast, and returned into Fremantle.

Increasingly mums are returning to the workforce when their youngest child begins school, statistics from the ABS show.

For mums whose youngest child was of school-age (6 to 14 years), 79% participated in the labour force in 2010-11, up from 77% in 2006-07.

For mums with school-aged children, 55% were working part-time in 2010-11, and 10% of those mums both wanted to and were available to work more. 

Two-thirds of employed mums with children under 6 years of age were working part-time in 2010-11, and 9% of those mums both wanted to and were available to work more. 

But mums don't just work in a job. In 2006, mums of school-aged children on average spent 5 hours and 9 minutes a day caring for their children, while mums of younger children spent 11 hours and 25 minutes. Those mums employed part-time spent almost 2 hours more per day looking after their children (8 hours and 34 minutes) compared to mums who worked full-time (6 hours and 39 minutes per day).

In 2009-10 there were 1.2 million mothers of children under 6 years, another 1.1 million mothers whose youngest child was aged 6 to 14 years, and a further 1.3 million mothers with older children.

The median age of women having a baby in 2010 was 30.7 years, up from 29.8 years in 2000. The median age of first-time mothers in 2010 was 28.9 years.

To find out more about mothers see the ABS online products: Gender Indicators, Australia (cat. no. 4125.0), How Australians Use Their Time, 2006 (cat. no. 4153.0), Family Characteristics, Australia, 2009-10 (4442.0) and Births, Australia, 2010 (cat. no. 3301.0).

The Federal Government has outlined a $515.3 million spending initiative in the 2012-13 Budget aimed at significantly reducing times on public dental waiting lists.

Federal Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said the spending will also direct spending to help boost the public dental health workforce and bolster infrastructure in regional, rural and remote areas.

Ms Plibersek said $345.9 million will be directed to treating patients on waiting lists over the next three years, providing vital services to around 400,000 adults including support for Indigenous Australians. 

“New spending in this Budget will see a blitz on state government waiting lists to help meet the emergency treatment and prevention needs of people who are eligible for public dental care,” Ms Plibersek said. 

Funding injections into two additional programs will help to increase capacity in the dental workforce and boost services in the public sector and other areas of need, providing necessary foundations for continued improvement in dental care. 

“These are significant steps towards a better system of dental care.” 

Ms Plibersek said the Voluntary Dental Graduate Year Program will be increased from 50 to 100 placements per year by 2016 at a cost of $35.7 million over three years. 

The Government also outlined $45.2 million over four years to introduce an Oral Health Therapist graduate year program.

These placements will enable graduates to provide additional preventative dental care and health advocacy to adults and children in areas of need,” Ms Plibersek said.

The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has received a renewed report on the environmental impact of dredging at the proposed Browse Liquefied Natural Gas processing precinct.

“It is vital the information is adequate and robust prior to being subject to the EPA’s usual rigour and scrutiny expected by the public and the Minister for Environment,” EPA Chairman Paul Vogel said.

Dr Vogel said the proponent had remodelled the impacts of dredging incorporating improved geotechnical, bathymetric and metocean data.

He said the dredge volume had also been revised from 21 million cubic metres to 34 million cubic metres of material, with the duration of foundation dredging activities estimated to increase from 18 to 21 months.

Dr Vogel said the assessment would determine if there were significant different or additional environmental impacts predicted from modelling the effects of dredging using the revised information.

“The Browse LNG proposal is the most significant environmental impact assessment of a strategic proposal ever undertaken under the Environmental Protection Act,” Dr Vogel said.

“The public deserves nothing less than for the EPA to make a fully informed decision and for this reason, the EPA’s report to the Minister for Environment is now expected mid-year.”

The NSW Minerals Council has announced its annual awards for innovation safety in the mining industry.

The 2012 OHS Innovation Award Winners are:

2012 OHS INNOVATION AWARD: BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal (West Cliff Mine), Illawarra/Wollondilly Region

Ultra Lightweight Ventilation Tube: In a first for a NSW underground coalmine, trialling new carbon fibre ventilation tubes in place of traditional fibreglass significantly reduces their weight (from 35-40kg to just 9kg), increasing productivity and minimising heavy lifting risks like muscular-skeletal injuries.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Centennial Coal (Myuna Colliery), Hunter/Newcastle Region

SOTO Tow Hitch Syste: This innovative rigid towing device minimises the risk of safety incidents by increasing control of movement while towing heavy mine equipment underground. It can be used in all conditions and can be operated by just one person.

HIGHLY COMMENDED: BHP Billiton Mt Arthur Coal, Hunter/Newcastle Region

The ‘Marnett’ Belt Lifter Bracke: This specialised bracket allows conveyer belts without a mechanical belt lifter to be periodically changed without manual handling and pinch point hazards. It saves time by around 25 per cent, can be used on any conveyor and costs less than $300 each.

PEOPLE’S CHOICE (Voted by conference delegates): BHP Billiton Illawarra Coal (West Cliff Mine), Illawarra/Wollondilly Region

Ultra Lightweight Ventilation Tube:  (Also winner of the major 2012 OHS INNOVATION AWARD)