1st December 2008
Industrial Relations Update - Forward with Fairness
The Australian Government is delivering on its election commitment to implement Forward with Fairness, creating a fair and flexible workplace relations system that achieves the right balance between employers and employees.
Fact sheets:
- The new workplace relations system
- Fair Work Australia institutions – a one stop shop
- A strong and simple safety net for all Australia
- General protections for freedom of association and other workplace rights
- Bargaining in good faith
- Assisting low paid employees and those without access to collective bargaining
- Approval and content of enterprise agreements
- A simple, fair dismissal system for small business
- Clear, tough rules for industrial action
- Transfer of business
- Union right of entry
- Enterprise Agreements
For more informaiton, follow the link:
http://www.workplace.gov.au/workplace/Publications/PolicyReviews/ForwardwithFairness/ForwardwithFairness.htm
The National Employment Standards
http://www.workplace.gov.au/NR/rdonlyres/1955FD28-3178-44CD-9654-56A3D5391989/0/NationalDiscussionPaper_web.pdf
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17th October 2008
FarmReady - program provides specialised training to equip primary
producers with the tools to manage climate change.
The Australian Government is investing $26.5 million over four years in
FarmReady. The program provides specialised training to equip primary
producers with the tools to manage climate change.
FarmReady provides up to $1500 a year to farmers, fishers, foresters,
their immediate family members and indigenous land managers to attend
approved training courses.
Funds will be available to cover course costs, as well as excess travel,
childcare or accommodation expenses....more
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13th October 2008
Using Light Brown Apple Moth Pheremone to Control this Pest in Flower Crops...more
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3rd October 2008
Letter to Queensland Department of Primary Industries & Fisheries
re: Expression of Interest to become involved in the Traveston Dam Food & Fibre Futures Project
The Flower Association of Queensland Inc. would like to formally register our interest in
collaborating with QWI and the Queensland Government (through the Department of Primary
Industries & Fisheries) to pursue the establishment of a floriculture precinct in the Traveston
Dam area as part of the Food and Fibre Futures project....more
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3rd October 2008
Communicating Climate Change - Weather drivers in Queensland...more
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3rd October 2008
Communicating Climate Change - Glimpsing Queensland’s future climate...more
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3rd October 2008
Regional women leaders initiative: This initiative consists of a six-month national promotional campaign designed to celebrate the contribution of regional women to business, community, and family life. The program will culminate in the Australian Regional Women Leaders convention at the Melbourne Town Hall on 17-19 November. Guest speakers include Jeff Kennett, chair of Beyond Blue and former premier of Victoria, Virginia Haussegger, ABC news presenter and Gina Rinehart, chairman and director of Hancock Prospecting. The early bird rate for Queensland participants is $1195.00. Contact the Workplace Training Advisory Association of Australia on phone 1300 138 037 or email info@wtaa.com.au.
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3rd October 2008
RIRDC Rural Women’s Award: The 2009 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) Rural Women’s Award closes in two weeks on 15 October - World Rural Women’s Day. The award is open to women working in agriculture, fisheries, forestry, natural resource management and related sectors. The award winner receives a $10,000 bursary aimed at assisting them to develop their skills and contribute to profitable and sustainable primary industries in Queensland. Contact Kaye Nunan on 07 3239 3254 for information or email wiriu@dpi.qld.gov.au.
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3rd October 2008
Education /training - FarmReady: Primary producers will be able to apply for grants of up to $1,500 each financial year to attend approved training courses. The funds are to cover travel, accommodation and childcare costs. Courses will focus on: the integration of new techniques to address impacts of climate change; natural resource planning and adaptive management; integrated catchment management, fire management and flood management as a result of climate change; risk assessment and management options and financial management including budget preparation, monitoring and reporting. Information on FarmReady and participating courses will be released through the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, phone 02 6272 3933.
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3rd October 2008
Climate Ready Program: The Climate Ready Program aims to increase the level of innovation by small to medium sized enterprises that address the effects of climate change. It provides grants from $50,000 to $5 million for the costs of research and development, proof-of-concept and early-stage commercialisation activities in eligible projects. The program will support activities including:
- water recycling, waste recovery or small scale renewable energy technologies
- technologies that reduce the energy used by appliances or increase the efficiency of industrial processes
- products, processes or services to monitor emissions or power usage
- using biotechnology or nanotechnology to address the effects of climate change on humans and the environment
- information systems for businesses or consumers to compare the carbon footprints of different activities
- green building materials that make homes more energy efficient.
The second round of applications closes on 2 - 4 December. Contact the AusIndustry Hotline on 13 28 46 or hotline@ausindustry.gov.au
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23rd September 2008
Letter from WildFlowers Australia
Re Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM)
I am writing to you to alert you to a serious risk issue - the possible
impact of detection of Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM)in a shipment to
the US.
Adrian Parsons, President Australian Flower Export Council sent an
email that demonstrated the consequences of a shipment containing LBAM
eggs arriving in the US.
The US halted the import of flower and foliage from all repeat ALL
suppliers in New Zealand due to the detection of eggs of the Light
Brown Apple Moth(LBAM)in two shipments.
Please go to the WildFlowers Australia website
www.wildflowersaustralia.com.au and look in the What's New area for
more details.
While this seems to affect only those growers that ship to the US all
growers who export their production as well as those who supply the
Australian market could be severly affected. Were the US to halt
imports from Australia, that product initially destined for the US
would in all likelihood end up in your market - whether Domestic,
Japan, other Asian markets, Europe etc. The flood of product would
have a serious consequence to the supply/demand balance.
So this concerns all of us.
Action Item 1 - If you are shipping to the US at present, learn more
about the LBAM this weekend.
Find out how to detect it, what it looks like etc. Also find out why
the US is so sensitive about it. Enter LBAM (or in full) into a search
engine.
Action Item 2 - If LBAM is present on your farm - discuss this with
your exporter and outline what control measures you have in place and
what your market options would be.
Action Item 3 - Whether you ship to the US or not, pass this email on
to your contacts - it's better that they get a couple of copies of this
email than for someone to not be aware of this serious issue and all of
us will suffer the possible consequences.
Individual growers now still have some control over this problem - if
LBAM is detected in the US we may all lose control and that would
probably be unfixable this season. As I understand it, in NZ only
specific farms, after inspection by MAF (their AQIS) are permitted to
recommence shipment to the US. Look up AQIS fees and charges on their
website to see what it would cost you to undergo this inspection. Open
air farms may find it very difficult to obtain LBAM-free certification.
I would like to thank all those people who spent their time thinking
about this issue and sharing their research, thoughts and ideas with me
so that I could pass on the urgency and seriousness of this issue on to
you.
Hopefully, we can together prevent the the most serious situation
ocurring and this will give us a bit more time to identify effective
management and control measures that reduce the risk of a quarantine
problem ocurring.
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