Issue 59 - 18 May 2009

Innovation can be a key strategy during tough economic times. CCI is supporting the Designedge Innovation Festival to encourage small and medium enterprises to think laterally and consider innovation within their business.

This event brings guest speakers from around the country to talk about how to apply innovation in business. It will demonstrate how other businesses have been innovative and what results can be expected when innovating.

CCI’s Innovation Working Group recognises the importance of innovation to business and the need for a greater understanding about how it can be applied to all industries.

Innovation is about more than undertaking research and development or adopting new technology.

It is the process of transforming ideas into practical means of achieving a new or improved benefit for business operations, the bottom line or customers. It includes innovating products, processes, marketing and organisations.

CCI encourages all small and medium enterprise to attend this free event.

To register click here or contact CCI senior adviser, industry policy Sharon Dignard on (08) 9365 7531 or sharon.dignard@cciwa.com

The State Government will make a significant investment of $260 million through this year’s State Budget to improve the reliability of Western Australian’s electricity supply.

Premier Colin Barnett and Energy Minister Peter Collier last week announced key works to be carried out in gas and coal power generation.

These works will be balanced by an increase in the use of renewable energy for power generation as the Government meets the Council of Australia Governments (COAG) commitment of 20% of Australia’s electricity being generated by renewable sources by 2020.

“This Government’s strategic approach is about ensuring a reliable and secure electricity supply for all Western Australians. We have a long-term plan for energy security,” Mr Barnett said.

“There were two significant gas supply disruptions last year, highlighting the need to develop strategies to avert future shortages and provide secure energy supply to meet the needs of the community."

Mr Collier said a major part of the commitment was the construction of two 100-megawatt High Efficiency Gas Turbines (HEGTs) at the Kwinana Power Station, with an investment of $263.4 million over the budget period.

“These kinds of turbines have not been installed anywhere else in Australia,” he said.

“They will be at least one-third more efficient than the generators they will replace and more efficient than the existing open-cycle gas turbines in Verve Energy’s fleet.

“The additional generating capacity will also help maintain a secure supply of electricity to meet projected demand for power in WA.”

Construction is to begin immediately, with the turbines expected to be operational by late 2011, ready for the 2012 summer.

The Minister said installing the HEGTs was part of the process to transform Verve’s ageing portfolio.

“These use unique, state-of-the-art gas turbine technology combining excellent efficiency and flexible operating capabilities,” Mr Collier said.

“This will allow Verve Energy to better use existing base load plant, which is designed for continuous operation rather than a stop-start operating regime.

“It will also improve Verve’s overall plant efficiency by making better use of gas and lowering the carbon intensity of the generation portfolio.”

While substantial investment is being made to provide more reliable electricity supplies for the long-term, Verve Energy is investigating the future use of Muja AB to help address energy security concerns.

“Negotiations are continuing with a potential joint venture partner to fund a refurbishment and recommissioning the units with improved environmental performance,” the Minister said.

“A refurbished Muja AB, with a total capacity of 240 megawatts, fitted out to improve its environmental performance, will help address potential energy security concerns flowing from the slowdown of investment in new generation caused by the current economic downturn.

“Verve Energy’s ageing fleet is becoming less reliable and investment is required to ensure these assets can be relied upon.”

CCI recently made a submission to the National Broadband Network’s Backhaul Blackspots Initiative, highlighting the importance of Western Australia’s regional areas.

CCI has long argued that competitive access to backhaul infrastructure is a key blockage to industry accessing high speed broadband in Western Australia.

Backhaul infrastructure impacts all industries’ use of telecommunications including telephone, internet and mobile services.

CCI welcomes the Australian Government’s investment in vital infrastructure including backhaul telecommunications which is consistent with the Government’s commitment to other utilities and infrastructure.

Earlier this month CCI met with the Australian Government’s advisers on this initiative and urged them to consider the unique needs of Western Australian industry.

CCI is concerned that the backhaul blackspots initiative will have limited coverage in Western Australia based on the population centric model proposed for the National Broadband Network.

CCI believes this model fails to recognise the value of backhaul services to regions with low population densities and nationally significant industries.

CCI urges the Australian Government to make backhaul infrastructure to Western Australia’s North West a priority given the nationally significant industries in WA.

Download CCI's submission.

CCI will continue to argue for WA’s fair share of the National Broadband Network, and will make a submission to the National Broadband Network: Regulatory Reform for 21st Century Broadband Discussion Paper.

The discussion paper can be downloaded here. 

For more information or to comment on the discussion paper contact CCI senior adviser, industry policy Sharon Dignard on (08) 9365 7531 or sharon.dignard@cciwa.com

Don't miss this exclusive invitation to join the Federal Treasurer, to discuss the detail of the Budget, and learn what impact it will have on Western Australian business.

Click here for further information or to register.

CCI invites members to attend this important briefing to hear from three international trade specialists representing China, India and the United Kingdom/Europe.

Click here to register or for further information.

CCI invites you to attend this important business breakfast to gain an insight into some of the issues businesses face when working with an older workforce, and an understanding of how you can best prepare for Australia's future labour force.

Click here for further information or to register

CCI and the Perth Theatre Trust invite you to enjoy an evening of world-class music, ballet and theatre at the Inaugural Commerce Meets Culture Gala Dinner.

The evening will feature performances from some of Western Australia’s premier performing arts companies including:

• West Australian Opera
• Perth Theatre Company
• West Australian Ballet
• Black Swan State Theatre Company
• Barking Gecko Theatre Company

The night will also include a keynote address from the chief executive officer of Rio Tinto Iron Ore and WA chapter chair of the Australia Business Arts Foundation Sam Walsh.

Click here for further information or to register

There are many changes to the way employers must manage occupational safety and health under the proposed Model National OHS Act. At CCI OSH Talk: The National OSH Reform and Redunancy, Termination & Worker's Compensation Claims, find out about the proposed changes and the challenges business face when terminating an employee with an open workers' compensation claim.

Click here for further information and to register.

In times of economic downturn, businesses often resort to redundancies and decreasing their investment in staff training in an effort to minimise costs. However, these measures can have a dramatic impact on the ability of businesses to capitalise on opportunities once the market inevitably begins to recover.

Here are a number of strategies to help your business survive the economic downturn, without compromising your future prospects for success.

1.         Alternatives to redundancy

Redundancies ultimately mean the loss of valuable skilled and trained staff. Whilst this sacrifice is often considered necessary at the time, once the market begins to recover it can create another problem. Skills shortages and high recruitment costs in a market on the upswing can severely limit the capacity of your organisation.

Therefore limiting the number of redundancies in your organisation is essential. Here are a number of alternatives to redundancies that can be considered prior to “dropping the axe”.

• Reducing leave liability

Encourage employees to take leave during periods of reduced business, to reduce your company's leave liability. An additional advantage of this is that when business picks up again, employees will be relaxed, ready to work and less likely to take sick days.

• Reducing hours/job sharing

Investigate with staff the possibility of a short term reduction in hours or use of job sharing arrangements. This will ensure that when business increases, you will be in a good position to take advantage of it. It also means that you will keep valued staff and reduce the costs of redundancies.

• Implementing a recruitment freeze

Implement a temporary recruitment freeze, whereby work created as a result of staff leaving is allocated to remaining staff. If workload becomes too heavy for staff, consider taking on a temp to help with some of the work.

• Increasing benefits/reducing wages

Discuss with employees the option of re-negotiating the terms and conditions of their employment. For example, you could offer increased benefits such as increased annual leave, in compensation for consensual wage reductions.

• Introducing outplacement arrangements

By assisting workers to find alternative work or training either within or outside the company, you will increase the likelihood of retaining a good rapport with the worker, making it easier to attract the worker back once the market improves.

2.         Training

Investment in relevant workforce skills and training during economic downturns is essential to ensure that your business is well positioned with a suitable pool of skills and resources to drive productivity and growth.

There are a number of training programs and incentives available to both businesses and individuals to help maintain and upgrade existing skills.

• Productivity Places Program

The Productivity Places Program is a Commonwealth Government funded initiative aimed at delivering 701,000 training places over five years, in skills shortages areas. 392,000 of these places will be allocated to existing workers looking to gain or upgrade their existing qualifications. Currently in WA there are over 110 qualifications, at Certificate IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma level. For more information visit http://www.det.wa.edu.au/apprenticentre/detcms/navigation/category.jsp?categoryID=318039

• Apprenticeships and traineeships

Another option available to help upgrade and enhance your workforce are apprenticeships and traineeships. Apprenticeships and traineeships attract a number of incentives from both the Commonwealth and State Governments, allowing you to increase the skills of your workforce, while also receiving financial increntives. Fact sheets on Australian apprenticeships and incentives can be accessed from http://www.cciwa.com//Education_and_Training_Adviser.aspx

• Small Business Training institute

The Small Business Training Institute is a Commonwealth Government funded initiative which, in partnership with West Coast TAFE, gives small businesses access to personalised one-on-one mentoring from qualified and experienced small business professionals via the tailored Small Business Solutions program. For more information on the program see http://www.smallbusinesssolutions.wa.gov.au/

• Enterprise Connect

Enterprise Connect provides comprehensive support to Australian small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), to help them become more innovative, efficient and competitive. The program is designed to help SMEs acquire the knowledge, tools and expertise to improve productivity, increase competitiveness and fully capitalise on their growth potential. The program is funded by the Commonwealth Government to provide a comprehensive business review, which is delivered at no cost to your business. More information is available at http://www.enterpriseconnect.gov.au/

• Workplace English Language and Literacy

The Workplace English Language and Literacy program provides funding which assists organisations to train workers in job-relevant English language, literacy and numeracy skills. The program is designed to help workers meet their current and future employment and training needs. For more information see http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/training_skills/programmes_funding/programme_categories/special_needs_disadvantage/well/

For more information on the above programs contact CCI’s education and training adviser on (08) 9365 7657 or email laura.price@cciwa.com

Minister for Education Julia Gillard has released an extended list of masters by coursework programs that have been approved for student income support, with students studying these courses now eligible to apply for Youth Allowance and Austudy.

The updated list of over 400 courses includes qualifications required for entry into a profession and builds on the list of previously approved masters courses.

The updated list includes courses that provide the fastest pathway to professional entry offered at an institution, or where they are the only pathway offered by the higher education institution following a restructure of existing course delivery.

Many professional bodies require members to have completed studies at the masters level for entry into the field. This includes fields such as nurse practitioner, teacher-librarianship and some specialisations in dental health.

Since the beginning of 2008, over 2000 students have received financial support while completing an eligible masters by coursework program.

The Australian Government is committed to supporting and encouraging students to undertake higher level studies in professional fields, given the long term benefit to Australia’s society and economy.

The approval of masters courses for the purpose of student income support is an ongoing process.

Higher education institutions will be invited to submit masters course applications to the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations in the further round of masters by coursework program assessments that will commence in mid 2009.

The new list of courses and further information is available at www.deewr.gov.au/student_income_support

Do you need assistance and advice on overcoming skills shortages? CCI’s education and training adviser is available and ready to meet your needs.

The Education and Training Adviser (ETA) Program is funded by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) under the Industry Training Strategies Program. 

Advisers work through peak industry associations like CCI to increase members’ understanding of vocational, education and training issues, particularly the National Training Framework, Australian Apprenticeships and training packages, with the ultimate goal of improving employer take-up of Australian Apprenticeships.

Advisers provide a translation service, making use of their knowledge of industry and the different elements of the training system to help employers understand the issues and achieve their training goals. The advisers also assist in providing industry advice to government on vocational, education and training issues affecting their membership.

The key benefits for members include:

Information and advice to employers

• The Australian Apprenticeship system, including the role of organisations such as Australian Apprenticeship Centres, Group Training Organisations and Registered Training Organisations.
• State and federal government programs, and the funding, incentives and subsidies available for training.
• Training packages.

Tailored solutions to address current and future skills needs in the workforce

• Recruitment and retention options.
• Flexible learning and assessment.
• Up skilling and RPL options.

Support and advocacy to employers

• Engaging in member consultations to address education and training issues of concern.
• Communicating feedback to government and/or other relevant stakeholders.

For more information on education and training issues, or to speak to the education and training adviser, contact CCI's Laura Price on (08) 9365 7657 or laura.price@cciwa.com

Continuing the agreement making series in Business Bytes which has examined the agreement making provisions under the Fair Work Act 2009 (The FW Act), part four describes how greenfields agreements will be treated in the new system.

Greenfields agreements are agreements which relate to a new business and are made before anyone is employed in the new business. This type of agreement is particularly prevalent in the construction industry.

Greenfields agreements made before 1 July 2009

Under the current system, it is possible to make both employer and union greenfields agreements. A union greenfields agreement is made between the employer and a union and can operate for a period of up to five years. In an employer greenfields agreement, only the employer is the party, not the employees or their unions, and they only have duration of 12 months.

Like any other type of agreement made under the current system, greenfields agreements are lodged with the Workplace Authority and must pass the no-disadvantage test to operate.

Greenfields agreements after 1 July 2009

Under the FW Act it will still be possible to make union greenfields agreements for new enterprises (i.e. a new business, activity, project or undertaking). It will no longer be possible to make employer greenfields agreements.

The proposed provisions were going to make union greenfields agreements unworkable for employers. CCI’s successful lobbying of the Government resulted in changes to the FW Act, removing the employer requirement to notify and make a greenfields agreement with each relevant union. Instead, when approving a greenfields agreement, Fair Work Australia (FWA) must be satisfied that the relevant union that will be covered by the agreement is entitled to represent the majority of the employees who will be covered by the agreement. In addition, a public interest test will also apply.

Testing the agreement

With the National Employment Standards and modern awards not becoming operative until 1 January 2010, greenfields agreements made during the bridging period (the period between 1 July 2009 and 31 December 2009) will continue to be tested against the current no-disadvantage test.

Greenfields agreements made after 1 January 2010 will be required to pass the better off overall test (the BOOT). When assessing the agreement, FWA must be satisfied that each prospective award covered employee would be better off overall than if the relevant modern award applied.

If members have queries about agreement making under the new system, please contact the CCI Employee Relations Advice Centre on (08) 9365 7630 or advice@cciwa.com or contact your relevant industry adviser.

World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General Pascal Lamy has been reappointed for a second four year term at the organisation.

The reappointment will take effect from 1 September this year. Mr Lamy has been a strong advocate for the conclusion of the Doha round of trade negotiations and his reappointment has been welcomed by Australian Minister for Trade Simon Crean who noted the importance of supporting free trade even during times of financial instability.

Get the most out of the 2009 WA Industry & Export Awards. Receive application tips and learn how to leverage media opportunities to increase your business profile and exposure.

Why you should attend this seminar:

• Understand the awards application process.
• Receive tips and hints from the judges to make the most out of your application.
• Learn how to get your company name out there – using free publicity methods.
• Develop skills at writing media and press releases.
• Learn how to target media outlets effectively.
• Hear from previous winners how the awards increased their exposure.
• Meet the judges and sponsors and network with award participants

Speakers:

“How the awards directly increased our international business profile”
Doug Austin, Managing Director, Divex Asia Pacific (State & National Winner 2008)

“Make the most out of your awards application – tips & hints”
Michael O’Callaghan, Chair of Judging Panel

“How to increase your media exposure”
Lachlan McCrudden, Public Affairs Journalist, Fremantle Ports

“How to effectively access media outlets”
Sean Smith, Business Editor, The West Australian

“Getting the most out of your win”
Mike Searle, Storyteller Media Group (State Winner 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005)

Official Launch

Following the workshop will be the official launch of the 2009 WA Industry & Export Awards – all workshop participants are welcome to stay and join sponsors, prior winners, state government representatives and stakeholders to officially launch the award program.

Awards Sponsors:

• Government of Western Australia - Department of Commerce
• Austrade
• Export Finance and Insurance Corporation
• The West Australian
• ANZ
• Craig Mostyn Group
• Fremantle Ports
• Rio Tinto

Awards Supporters:

• Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia
• Australian Institute of Export
• Chamber of Minerals and Energy of Western Australia
• Unions WA

Register online at www.exportawards.gov.au/waexportawards or call (08) 9261 7923.

Each week the International Trade Centre at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia receives buy/sell offers and trade enquiries from overseas.

Click here to view the latest trade opportunities.

Australia’s involvement with the Shanghai World Expo 2010 has been successful thus far, with several Australian companies already securing deals with Chinese organisers to develop, design and operate the expo.

Minister for Trade Simon Crean visited the Australian pavilion in Shanghai last week and expects it to be fully effective in showcasing Australia to the world when the expo opens in May next year. The expo expects to attract more than seven million Chinese and overseas visitors and provides an excellent opportunity to showcase Australian innovation and capacity.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics trade figures for March indicate a $2.5 billion trade surplus, the second highest on record.

The Acting Minister for Trade Martin Ferguson welcomed the indication that Australian exports remained strong despite slowing economic conditions. Exports remained steady from February figures despite a significant and expected fall in coal exports, due mainly to a 41% increase in cereal exports.

Demand in Asia remained strong, with exports to China, Korea and Japan recording increases while demand in UK and US moderated.

Increases in imports of consumer goods and textiles, clothing and footwear were offset by decreased imports of capital goods resulting in a 3% overall decrease in imports overall.

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) has implemented the Revised Low Risk Wooden and Related Article Scheme (LRWRA), effective from 4 May 2009.

The LRWRA Scheme will replace the current Low Risk Wooden Article Scheme (LRWA). The new scheme recognises that some manufacturing processes may provide a suitable quarantine treatment. It also includes additional products made from solid wood, plywood, veneer, highly processed bamboo, willow, wicker, cane and rattan.

AQIS has also developed a LRWRA Treatment Standard in consultation with an industry working group to provide information to importers of AQIS’s treatment and storage requirements. The standard recognises that standard industry production practices may also provide a suitable quarantine treatment. It outlines minimum AQIS-acceptable processing/treatment, quality control requirements and substrate requirements for a range of veneered products including guidelines on storage/shipping requirements.

AQIS will review the performance of the Scheme/Treatment Standard after two years from the implementation of the modified scheme. AQIS reserves the right to modify, improve or cease the scheme at any time or pending the outcome of future review.

The LRWRA Scheme is separate to the existing Automatic Entry Processing (AEP) procedure for clearance of manufactured wooden articles. AEP requires an accredited customs broker to assess treatment certificates from AQIS approved sources. The LRWRA Scheme requires an AQIS assessment of manufacturing processes and consignments are cleared at Integrated Cargo System (ICS) level apart from a percentage referred to AQIS for inspection.

All current LRWA approvals will remain valid until their current expiry dates specified in their approvals. However, consignments with current LRWA approval will now be subject to a random 5% physical inspection.

The Treatment Standard and further information is available on the AQIS website www.aqis.gov.au or from the Timber National Co-ordination Centre by contacting (03) 8318 6929 or timber.imports@aqis.gov.au

Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith met in Perth last week with his Thai counterpart His Excellency Mr Kasit Piromya on the occasion of the inaugural Australia-Thailand Joint Commission on Bilateral Cooperation.

The Ministers noted the already deep cooperation between the two countries and vowed to maintain and strengthen it in areas such as security, the movement of people, education and trade.

How are Australian businesses with export and offshore operations coping with the global economic crisis? Is it prompting them to batten down the hatches and wait for the storm to blow over, or to lose faith in globalisation entirely?

No is the clear answer from a survey conducted by the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (EFIC) in February.

EFIC’s 2009 Global Readiness index (GRi) spanned 726 Australian businesses. It found that 84% of companies with offshore operations were planning to expand them, 52% within the next year. Of respondents without offshore operations, 44% were planning to go offshore, 32% within the next two years. So companies aren't tearing up their expansion plans, or even putting them aside temporarily, but rather are setting out for new markets, despite stiff headwinds, to position themselves for when growth resumes.

What is motivating companies to globalise? The GRi showed they were overwhelmingly in pursuit of increased revenues and market share - 71% rate this as their chief reason. Pursuit of economies of scale or lower costs are rated as a reason for offshore expansion by only 38% of businesses, with a mere 3% seeing this as the main driver.

In terms of the obstacles to going global, access to finance is by far the most significant. Fifty-eight per cent see it as a barrier; 34% nominate it as the biggest one. In 2008, only 29% of companies rated access to finance a major obstacle, with the change reflecting the intensification of the credit crunch.

In addition, the smaller a business’s revenue, the more likely that finance will be a barrier. SMEs seem to be suffering disproportionately from the decline in banks’ lending appetite.

Last year’s GRi survey showed a high percentage of respondents – 73% – used retained earnings to finance exports or offshore expansion. This year that reliance is even greater for those financing offshore expansion – 82% (and 64% say it’s their top method). External funding comes a long way behind: only 30% of respondents use a debt facility from an Australian financial institution, and only 4% rate this as their primary funding source.

The global economic crisis has clearly raised the finance barrier for Australian companies with export and offshore operations. However, it’s encouraging to see that they remain optimistic about globalisation and are preparing their businesses for when economic conditions do improve.

Outbound mining investment from China is growing substantially and as a consequence the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) has simplified the outbound energy and mining investment approval procedures for Chinese companies.

As part of the 2009-10 Commonwealth Budget measures, the Federal Government has announced that a higher level of English language requirements and job readiness testing will be introduced for tradespersons applying to migrate under the non-sponsored independent skilled pathway.

• The English language threshold will be increased from 5 IELTS to 6 IELTS, which means that tradespersons will need to demonstrate a competent level of English. This change will apply from 1 July 2009 for people applying offshore and from 1 January 2010 for people applying onshore.
• A job readiness test will be introduced to complement the testing arrangements already in place for offshore applicants in some trades. This will ensure that applicants have the skills claimed. This change will apply from 1 January 2010.

According to the Federal Government, these measures recognise that a skilled migrant coming through the non-sponsored pathway must compete in the local labour market when they arrive (hence the need for higher language skills) and have demonstrated that they have the skills claimed.

These measures come on the back of revised priority arrangements which will see fewer trades-level occupations granted permanent visas under the non-sponsored independent skilled pathway in 2009-10.

For further information contact CCI Migration Services (MARN 0318589) on 9365 7521 or migration@cciwa.com

The Federal Government has announced as part of the Commonwealth Budget 2009-10 that permanent skilled migration will be cut further in the next financial year.

The number of skilled migrant places will fall to 108,100 places for the 2009-10 Migration Program. This cut comes over and above the 14% (18,500) reduction in places announced in March 2009, which resulted in the permanent skilled migration falling from 133,500 to 115,000  in the 2008-09 program year.

Effectively this represents an overall 20% reduction on previous planning levels.

The Federal Government has however confirmed that priority arrangements implemented on 1 January 2009 will remain in place for the 2009–10 Migration Program. Notably:

• Employer-sponsored and government-sponsored visas continue to be fast-tracked and will remain uncapped.
• The Critical Skills List will remain in place for those people seeking to migrate to Australia without a sponsor.

These arrangements have been implemented to ensure that only those with a job offer or skills in critical need will be given priority in the current economic climate.

Employer-sponsored and government-sponsored streams of the skilled migration program have in the past collectively represented some 20 to 25% of the permanent skilled migration program with the majority of skilled migrants qualifying through the non-sponsored independent skilled stream.

The Federal Government is gradually shifting the focus of the permanent skilled migration program to these sponsored streams.

In 2008–09, employer-sponsored and government-sponsored streams will represent 43% of the skilled migration program. In 2009–10 it is anticipated that these sponsored streams will represent close to 50% of the program.

The overall reduction in the permanent skilled migration program in 2009-10, combined with a 3,800 increase in places for family migration will see the proportion of the permanent skilled migration fall to only 64%, below the proportion achieved in 2004-05.

A copy of the 2009-10 skilled migration program fact sheet is available here.

For further information contact CCI Migration Services (MARN 0318589) on (08) 9365 7521 or email migration@cciwa.com

Australians’ spirits are high with 63% still ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ satisfied with life despite 60% of us thinking the economic situation will get worse in the next 12 months, according to this year’s Eye on Australia report.

The annual report from marketing communications agency Grey found that Australians’ satisfaction with life had only dropped 2%, from 65% in 2008.

The 2009 results show that women are the most concerned about the economic climate with 36% of females finding current economic talk ‘extremely’ or ‘very’ depressing compared to 27% of males, and the majority of women (74%) reading more about the economy than ever before.

Eye on Australia 2009 also found that:

• 41% of Australians feel they are living in prosperous times (down from 70% in 2008);
• 28% of respondents know someone who has become unemployed because of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC);
• most Australians (86%) are actively trying to reduce debt;
• pre baby boomers (those aged 47 to 64 years old in 2009) are most likely to have had their finances affected by the GFC (90%);
• unemployment and job security is seen as the major issue facing Australians in the next five years (29%); and,
• drought and water issues (51%) rate as the number one concern keeping us awake at night, followed by personal finances (46%) and having enough money for retirement (45%).
• the Country Fire Authority (CFA) is Australia’s most trusted organisation on Eye on Australia’s trust scale, rating 7.67 out of 10, followed closely by major charities such as The Salvation Army (6.89 out of 10) and 2008’s top-rated brand Google (6.54 out of 10).

Grey director of planning Simon Rich said the real impact of the recession so far had been the negative sentiment rather than the physical effect.

“For most Australians, life is still ok - interest rates are low, the cost of petrol is declining and unemployment has not yet reached crisis levels," he said.

"So we are positive about today but concerned about what the future may hold and as a result we are cutting back expenses and holding off on big ticket purchases.”

The State’s peak business organisation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia, believes the 2009 Federal Budget undersells Western Australia's importance to the economic wellbeing and prosperity of the nation.

The centrepiece of the 2009-10 Budget is heavy investment in nation building infrastructure such as roads, railways and ports.

CCI chief executive James Pearson said these projects were important to the nation's long term economic performance, as they would generate wealth, encourage new investment and create jobs over many years.

The Federal Government has unveiled a budget that aims to spend Australia out of the current global economic slowdown. Debt will rise to $188 billion by 2013, and the Government is not expecting the budget to return to surplus for six years.

CCI's preliminary examination of the Budget revealed Western Australia would receive less than 7% of the $22 billion national infrastructure spending package on wealth creating projects such as roads, railways and ports.

"Considering Western Australia accounts for over 40% of Australia's total exports, is home to more than 10% of Australia's residents, and accounts for around 14% of Australia's economy, this year's Federal Budget has not adequately taken into account the needs of a growing, and nationally significant, State," Mr Pearson said.

"This under-investment will put more pressure on the State Government, and the private sector, to raise the funds needed to upgrade and build the roads, railways, ports, and other critical infrastructure needed to sustain strong economic growth."

CCI welcomed the Federal Government's decision to contribute to the construction of a new deep water port at Oakajee which would unlock the mineral wealth in the State's Mid West region and help fund the sinking of the railway line dividing the city and Northbridge.

CCI also welcomed the Government's decision to increase the investment allowance for small businesses to 50% and measures to encourage businesses to invest in research and development.

Mr Pearson said these initiatives would help small business, the lifeblood of the economy, bring forward important investment decisions and encourage innovation.

However, CCI was concerned there appeared to be a lack of fiscal discipline which would consign future generations to high levels of debt. CCI called on the Federal Government to embark on a wide ranging review of government spending to speed up efforts to put the budget back into the black.

What makes a dismissal unfair? Recent management surveys reveal that receiving a claim for unfair dismissal is one of the greatest fears for most employers. The complexity of employment law means that employers and managers require training to avoid costly mistakes.

Click here for further information or to register.

If you need to communicate at work to peers, supervisors or as a supervisor, attend networking functions, speak at meetings, give presentations or ever get asked to "say a few words", this one-day course will help you feel more confident and speak more effectively.

Click here for more information or to register.

Workers' compensation premiums are an on going business outlay and in most instances an ever-increasing business expense. This essential workshop will provide a detailed insight into how premiums are set in WA and how employers can proactively negotiate for a better deal.

Click here for further information or to register.

All businesses, regardless of industry sector or size, are required to comply with a range of workplace safety requirements. Join us at this practical, information-packed session for an introductory overview of current safety laws and contemporary approaches to risk management in the workplace.

Click here for further information or to register.

Effective communication is fundamental to business success. In spite of improving technologies and electronic communication, interpersonal communication still underpins successful business outcomes. Even the best communicators will benefit from new ideas and an improved understanding of human relationships.

Click here for further information or to register.

The State’s peak business organisation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia, has secured an important victory for local businesses big and small by convincing the Australian Tax Office to abandon a plan to alter the way employer superannuation contributions are calculated.

CCI welcomed the decision by the Australian Tax Office (ATO) not to proceed with the plan that would have required employers to pay the compulsory 9% superannuation charge on regular overtime earnings.

The draft ruling, released by the ATO late last year, proposed a fundamental shift in the way that superannuation laws had worked in the past, or were intended.

The local construction industry would have been the hardest hit by the proposed change, as overtime is frequently required to get projects completed on time and on budget.

CCI calculated that if the proposed changes went ahead, the cost of doing business across the State would have increased by millions of dollars, at a time when local business and industry needs to be helped, not hindered, to respond to the current global economic uncertainty.

It is pleasing that commonsense has prevailed and the interests of business and industry across the State have been taken into account by the ATO.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) has called on the Australian Government to ensure that employers, especially small and medium businesses, are compensated for the costs of administering the government's paid maternity leave scheme.

"The government announcement puts the scheme in better shape than earlier proposals, but hidden costs to employers and small business remain," said ACCI chief executive Peter Anderson.

"These either need to be eliminated or compensated before the scheme commences in 2011.

"The government has done the right thing to publicly fund the scheme, but it must be cost neutral to employers. Any scheme that makes it more expensive for employers to employ women will not work in the interests of women or business.

"Most important is the need to compensate business for administering the scheme on behalf of the government. If the government expects employers to find $260 million in additional funds and seek reimbursement at a later date, then this carries a cost of accessing money, a red tape cost, and a cost of interest on borrowings until reimbursement is made. This needs to be compensated for. In the UK, the government provides small business with a 4.5% commission to defray these costs.

"If the government does not wish to provide compensation to business, then it needs to administer its scheme itself, through Centrelink, as is the case in New Zealand.

"There are also hidden costs to employers in the form of higher workers’ compensation premiums and payroll tax if payments are made though employer payrolls. These need to be avoided. State governments need to remove government maternity leave payments administered by employers from their revenue sources."

AusIndustry offers a program called Re-tooling For Climate Change, which is one of the three elements of the $240 million Clean Business Australia initiative. The other elements are the Climate Ready Program and the Green Building Fund.

The Re-tooling For Climate Change program is designed to help small and medium sized Australian manufacturers reduce their environmental footprint, through projects that improve the energy and/or water efficiency of their production processes. The program provides grants of between $10,000 and $500,000, up to a maximum of half of the cost of each project.

The program opened for application on 12 September 2008, with applications still open for funding rounds three though six.

• Round 1 - closed 20 October 2008
• Round 2 - closed 16 February 2009 
• Round 3 - open until 1 June 2009
• Round 4 - open until 24 August 2009
• Round 5 - open until 30 November 2009
• Round 6 - open until 22 March 2010

Applications may be submitted at any time up to 5pm local time on the publicised closing date.

Further information about the Re-tooling For Climate Change program can be obtained through the AusIndustry hotline on 13 28 46 or hotline@ausindustry.gov.au