Category: Australian News

We are currently seeking input from interested parties on proposed changes to Australia’s IP regulations.
The draft regulations make consequential amendments to the regulations as a result of the changes proposed in the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Productivity Commission response Part 2 and Other Measures) Bill 2018. They also improve and streamline processes involved with obtaining and maintaining IP rights and ensure Australia’s compliance with international treaties.
We invite you to provide a written submission on the draft regulations by 21 December 2018. Further information (including details on how to provide a written submission and what input we are seeking) is available on our consultation page.

The National Capital Authority (NCA) is delighted to have experts from John Taylor and Co visiting from the UK to commence works in preparation for the restoration of the iconic Carillon Bells.
Gifted to the people of Australia by the British Government in 1970, 2020 will mark an important milestone birthday for this iconic musical instrument in the heart of the National Capital.
With signs of wear and tear on the musical instrument after 48 years of use the NCA is undertaking an extensive repair and upgrade works in preparation for the 50th anniversary when it is proposed a yearlong celebratory program will be held.
Representatives from John Taylor & Co, founders of some of the world’s finest bells  began detailed planning which has involved measurements to cross check the instrument against the original 1970 drawings, the development of an enhanced design,  the clavier to be built to new World Carillon Federation standards, the installation of larger bell clappers to create an increased depth of tone from the bells as well as enhancements to the practice instrument located on the upper floor to the main clavier.
“Sitting on Aspen Island the Carillon has become an instrument and landmark that resonates with visitors and locals alike.  With such an iconic building and with the instrument itself  one of only a few in the world, it is important that the sounds the carillon produces is first class. We have brought in the experts [John Taylor and Co] and look forward to working with them over the next few years  to ensure the sounds of the carillon are heard better than ever come 2020.” Said Sally Barnes Chief Executive, National Capital Authority.
The NCA manages the Carillon on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia and the Carillon is  played on a regular basis by Carillonneur’s at weekly recitals and special events.

2018 New Year’s Eve event – Last Coin of the Year
This will be your chance to secure the last coins produced by the Royal Australian Mint in 2018. On December 31 at 3:30 pm, a lucky door draw will be held at the Mint for the last coins of the year.We will draw the last ten customers to strike a coin and each lucky winner will receive a certificate authenticating their coin. Ticketing closes at 3.25 pm.
2019 New Year’s Day event – first 100 by 9.30 am!
On 1 January 2019, the first 100 people at the Mint by 9.30 am will receive a ticket to go into the draw to be the first person to strike a coin in 2019! Tickets will be drawn to declare all 100 places, with those drawn receiving corresponding certificates authenticating their piece.
Similar to 2018’s event, the public will no longer be required to line up at the Mint overnight. In fact, due to concerns about health and safety issues, there is likely to be a ruling introduced which disallows people to line up at the Mint before 6 am on New Year’s Day.

There are more full-time jobs in Australia than ever before following a surge in October.
The latest ABS jobs figures show the economy added more than 300,000 jobs in the past year, including 238,800 new full-time jobs. Full-time employment now stands at a record high of 8,703,700.
The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was steady in October, at 5.0 per cent, and is at its equal lowest rate since June 2011. Seasonally adjusted employment increased by 32,800 to stand at a record high of 12,671,500.
Encouragingly, female full-time employment rose strongly by 29,000 over the month – total female employment is now at a record high.
The Minister for Jobs and Industrial Relations, the Hon Kelly O’Dwyer MP said the figures showed the Coalition Government’s plan for a stronger economy is working.
“We have again seen the number of Australians in work reach a record high. Importantly, we have seen a strong surge in full-time jobs, with an increase of 42,300 over the month,” Minister O’Dwyer said.
“The figures come as we have seen the strongest wages growth in three years, showing how important a strong economy is to both jobs growth and wages growth,” she said.
“While there is still work to do, we know that the RBA expects wages to pick up further as the labour market tightens, so today’s jobs numbers are very encouraging.
“Since the Government came to office in 2013, a total of 1,183,800 jobs have been created.
“By contrast, Labor doesn’t have a plan for the economy, only a plan for $200 billion higher taxes on electricity, workers, housing, savings, investments and retirement which would hit millions of Australians,” Minister O’Dwyer concluded.

A Shorten Labor Government will deliver $750,000 in funding towards the revitalisation of the Kinglake community, transforming the face of the town in the lead up to the ten year anniversary of the 2009 bushfires.
Black Saturday in Victoria remains Australia’s worst bushfire disaster, devastating rural and regional communities across the state. The town of Kinglake was particularly hard hit, and ten years on, the region continues to rebuild.
This project marks a turning point in Kinglake’s future, ten years on from the devastation.
Federal Labor will partner with State Labor and the Murrindindi Shire Council, providing a $750,000 investment to make the revitalisation a reality.
The project will deliver a significant economic boost to the region, with new streetscape for providing a focal point and sense of pride for the communities of the Kinglake Ranges.
The revitalisation will include a revamped town centre and streetscape, renewal of visitor facilities, upgrades of key roads and new planting and signage.
Opposition Leader Bill Shorten is returning to the region today to make the announcement and meet with the local community.
“I have a clear message to the Kinglake community, and those towns that were changed forever by the Black Saturday bushfires – I have never forgotten what a terrible time you went through.
“The devastation I saw in the wake of Black Saturday will stay with me forever – but so will the courage and strength of the communities impacted.
“This region was particularly hit by unimaginable devastation in terms of loss of lives and livelihoods.  Over the last decade, this is a community who has united and worked hard to rebuild their lives – their homes, businesses, and their community.
“But I know they need our support to continue this work of rebuilding. That’s why this commitment is so important to me.
“This funding gives some modest certainty to the community ahead of the ten year anniversary next year. It’s a sensible investment in this region’s future and a testament to the community’s ongoing resolve and spirit to rebuild.”

A Shorten Labor government will invest $17 million towards the Ellenbrook Indoor Leisure Centre, delivering the community a long overdue swimming pool.
The Ellenbrook Indoor Leisure Centre is the final stage of the Ellenbrook District Open Space and will include a 25 metre lap pool, indoor multi-purpose ball courts and facilities for other service providers.
Ellenbrook is one of Australia’s fastest growing suburbs,  with the population forecast to reach over 70,000 residents by 2036.
And Labor knows that investing in infrastructure isn’t just about building roads and rail – it’s about investing in better lives for the community, through increased access to sports and leisure facilities like the Indoor Leisure Centre.
Labor believes every child has the right to learn to swim, but parents shouldn’t have to drive 20km to make sure their kids can learn to swim. And with the nearest swimming facilities in Midland or Joondalup, we don’t want local kids missing out on swimming because of the lack of facilities.
A local pool is long overdue – the community has been campaigning long and hard for a new pool and thanks to the advocacy of Kim Travers, Labor is delivering.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be $51 million. Labor will work in partnership with Premier Mark McGowan and City of Swan to make sure it is delivered. The State Government has already allocated $7 million towards the project.
We led the way in announcing funding for the Morley-Ellenbrook rail line and we’re leading the way again to make sure this community has a leisure centre and a swimming pool.
Labor has made hard budget decisions to ensure our priorities are fully paid for – we will make multinationals pay their fair share and close unsustainable tax loopholes, because we want all kids to have access to sports and swimming facilities.

The Australian Conservation Foundation’s nation-wide air pollution report today proves our national environmental laws do not go far enough to protect us from harmful pollution.
“Our environmental laws are not up to scratch. We need environmental laws with teeth and national standards that view every Australian as equal, no matter where they live,” Greens environment spokesperson Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“The Morrison Government is not up to the task of taking on the big polluters. They allow lax regulations for their rich corporate mates and it’s poor Australians who are first and worst affected.
“It shouldn’t matter what state you live in, or what your postcode is, we all have the right to breathe clean air. Our environmental laws must do more for not only the natural environment but the people who call Australia home.
“We cannot clean up our air pollution crisis and break down the divide by sticking to business as usual. The Greens in the senate are standing up to big polluters and the politicians that give them free reign to pollute.
“The Morrison Government cannot be trusted to reverse this dirty pollution trend, and end the dirty politics that allows it to continue.”
 

Greens Deputy Leader and climate and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP has outlined a significant new election policy on coal when addressing a conference of the United Firefighters Union in Hobart today.
Highlighting the link between worsening bushfires and climate change, Mr Bandt has detailed how the Greens would phase out thermal coal exports by 2030.
The burning of coal is the biggest cause of global warming. Australia is the biggest coal exporter in the world and the second biggest exporter of thermal coal that is burnt in power stations to generate electricity.
The world’s scientists have said that the burning of coal must end by the middle of the century at the latest and that by 2030 at least two-thirds of the world’s power stations must close.
If we are to have any chance of halting and reversing global warming, most of Australia’s coal must stay in the ground.
The time has come for Australia to accept that the time of coal is over. Australia is moving to renewables and so is the rest of the world. There is no future in coal exports.
To reflect the urgency and reality of a constrained carbon world, The Greens are announcing an election policy to phase out and eventually criminalise the burning and export of Australian thermal coal by 2030.
Based on laws to regulate asbestos, Greens Deputy Leader and climate change and energy spokesperson Adam Bandt MP will introduce legislation to make it illegal under Commonwealth law to export thermal coal by January 1, 2030 with the exception of narrow exemptions for research and heritage purposes. Between now and 2030, quotas will be imposed on the export of coal so that the amount of coal exported reduces to zero by 2030.
The policy builds on the existing Greens policy of no new coal mines which would prevent, for example, the proposed giant Adani mine.
Before 2030 the auctioning of export permits by the Clean Energy Regulator will fund a Clean Energy Transition Fund to support the social and economic transition in coal communities in NSW and QLD.
Quotes attributable to Mr. Bandt:
“When coal exports are added to Australia’s domestic emissions, Australia is the sixth highest emitter in the world.”
“Australia’s coal exports produce over 1 billion tonnes of pollution a year, doubling our domestic emissions.
“Coal is the next asbestos and it is time we regulated it as such. It is toxic and dangerous. We need to stop exporting coal.”
“Australia could be a renewable energy superpower, exporting clean, cheap renewable energy instead of coal.”
“The Greens’ plan would see at Australia quit coal at home and abroad by 2030.”
“Funds raised from coal export permits during the phase-out period would be used to support Australia’s coal communities during the transition.”
Background
Export
In the years up to 2030, a declining amount of coal will be permitted for export each year. After 2030, it will be an offence to export coal.
The Commonwealth will issue tradable permits equal to the declining quota set out in legislation each year.
Each year, thermal coal exporters will be required to surrender permits equal to their annual coal exports. In the first year exporters will purchase permits from the Clean Energy Regulator at $1 a tonne equal to the previous year’s exports of each company, in subsequent years permits will be auctioned by the authority and the price will be set by the market with a floor price of $1.
Export companies will either need to lower their exports, secure enough permits in the auction and/or purchase from other companies that have a surplus. Over time the value of traded permits are expected to rise as the quota declines.
Existing mine licence and royalty obligations administered by states and territories’ will continue.
The Greens’ plan for an orderly phase out will provide certainty to industry, providing ample opportunity to invest capital into developing the infrastructure and expertise to export clean energy.
The Greens will establish a ‘Clean Energy Transition Fund’ to support the reskilling and redeployment of workers and the redirection of investment into the clean energy industry. Funds from the auction of tradable permits (up to $1 billion until 2030) will be allocated to the fund.
Australia exported 203 million tonnes of thermal coal in 17-18, with a value of $22.6 B. 80% of Australia’s thermal coal is exported.
Domestic
The bill prohibits building new coal mines or expanding existing mines immediately. It also makes it an offence to burn coal for power generation after 2030.

The Australian Greens Education Spokesperson, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, has introduced a bill to completely remove the Education Minister’s ability to veto research grants funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC).
The move would bring the ARC in line with other research bodies, like the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and follows the revelation that former Education Minister Simon Birmingham vetoed eleven grants for no reason.
Senator Faruqi, who is a former academic at the University of New South Wales, said:
“Simply publishing the reasons for veto isn’t enough. We need to take concrete action to protect academic independence and that means taking politics out and leaving it to the experts.
“As a former academic, I know that the independence of researchers is of the utmost importance and we now know that this has been massively undermined by political intervention by the Liberal Government.
“It is patently clear that politicians simply cannot be trusted to put the interests of the community ahead of their own political agendas.
“The Australian Research Council has a rigorous peer review process that must be trusted to guide research funding.
“Having the Minister list the grants that they have already refused is not good enough as the damage is already done. We will move to take away the veto power to ensure that researchers can continue their brilliant work building a better Australia knowing that they can do so with complete independence,” she concluded.
Background
The Australian Research Council Amendment (Ensuring Research Independence) Bill 2018 would amend the Australian Research Council Act 2001 to remove Ministerial discretion over research grants and over the accompanying funding arrangements that are recommended by the Australian Research Council (ARC). The National Alliance for Public universities has been calling for this: https://napuaustralia.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/veto-statement.pdf 

Telcos were subject to increased audit and compliance activities by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) from July to September 2018.
In this quarter, the ACMA launched 59 new telco compliance investigations—41 of which relate to a new Complaints-handling Standard. The Standard, which came into effect in July 2018, requires telcos to clearly set out minimum complaints-handling requirements and processes.
The investigations follow an audit of 41 telcos that found that, as at August 2018, none were providing consumers with all the information required by the Standard. Instead, the audit indicated to the ACMA that:

• two telcos had no written complaints-handling processes available on their website
• seven telcos had substantial deficiencies in their written processes
• a range of telcos did not classify complaints or set out processes for classification.

‘Telco consumers need easy access to information about how to make a complaint and how their telco will handle that complaint. They also need to be confident that their problems will be dealt with promptly and effectively,’ said ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin.
‘While many providers moved swiftly to rectify the shortcomings identified by the ACMA’s audit, it is clear that not all customers are receiving the service required by the Standard. We will now consider formal action against the telcos that continue to fail to comply,’ said Ms O’Loughlin.
‘This is the first time the ACMA has reported on telco compliance with new rules we introduced to help consumers migrate to services delivered over the National Broadband Network (NBN).
‘The time critical nature of the NBN rollout means that early and consistent industry compliance is essential,’ Ms O’Loughlin said.
Details of the audit is contained in the ACMA’s latest quarterly report, Action on telco safeguards. The quarterly report also identifies 15 investigations finalised in the period, with outcomes ranging from a remedial direction given to Telstra about its priority assistance licence condition, to a $12,600 infringement notice paid by Lycamobile for failing to lodge annual compliance returns with the industry compliance body, Communications Compliance.