News

A warning on wage rates for growers, hostel owners and labour-hire contractors. The Fair Work Ombudsman is urging horticulture businesses to be vigilant when engaging workers from labour-hire operators this harvest season by making themselves aware of the minimum rates of pay for casual pickers under the Horticulture Award. "This season, I want to remind business operators who employ backpackers...

Top 10 career tips from 5 female CEOs in lead up to IWD Top ten tips from WaterAid female CEOs 1 - Believe in Yourself "I think that we teach young girls to doubt themselves. For some reason, the way that we bring up our girls doesn't inspire confidence in themselves. So I would say just give it a go...

'Social media' and 'print media' are now 'traditional media'. 48% of small businesses and 79% of large companies are currently using social media to promote their brand, and of those that don't currently have a social media presence, a significant number expect to add at least one platform in the coming year. So with social media such a prevalent business...

Yesterday's December Quarter National Accounts shows that our economy rebounded strongly from the unexpectedly weak result in September, growing at 1.1 per cent in the December quarter. This is well above market expectation and results in an encouraging 2.4 per cent growth through the 2016 calendar year. Once again, Australia is growing faster than every G7 economy. Our growth continues...

The Canberra Business Chamber hopes the recent penalty rates decision by the Fair Work Commission helps create new jobs, especially for young Australians. "This is not an abolition of penalty rates, but a reduction in the Sunday and public holiday loading for the hospitality and retail sectors," Canberra Business Chamber CEO, Robyn Hendry explained. "Many businesses do not open on...

Nominations are now open for a new Multicultural Advisory Council, which will support the ACT Government in ensuring Canberra continues to pave the way as Australia's multicultural leader. The Council will provide advice to the ACT Government on issues affecting culturally and linguistically diverse communities and will assist with the implementation of the ACT Multicultural Framework 2015-2020. Another key task...

Comment by Tim Benson B2B Magazine Publisher. Time for Labor to keep its head down and gloves up … Having worked as a political adviser for over a decade (for my sins, in my misspent youth), I was made aware of a boxing analogy that is most sage advice for oppositions and that is to 'Keep your head down and...

The Minister for Education and Training, Senator the Hon. Simon Birmingham, recently announced $4.9 million for another 11 successful research projects funded under the Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Projects scheme, including research to: strengthen anti-counterfeiting features for Australian banknotes; ensure safe drinking water supplies; develop lighter and stronger plastics; advance faster, higher resolution 3D printing technology; and measure driving...

Comment by Tim Benson Publisher B2B Magazine Johnny Cash and the business of getting paid … Have you ever wondered why accountants, bookkeepers and business advisors tell you to stay on top of your debtors, whilst on the other hand advise you to string out your creditors? Well, probably, because, I assume, its sound business advice. What would I know...

Local, national and international businesses are being asked to come up with innovative solutions to manage the ACT's waste into the future as part of a market soundings exercise run by Transport Canberra and City Services. "As part of ACT Government's commitment to ensuring Canberra grows into a smart and sustainable city, the waste industry is invited to share their...

Stage 1 of Canberra's light rail network has been awarded the Asia-Pacific Transport Deal of the Year 2016 by Project Finance International. The award recognises the light rail project as a clear example of how public-private partnerships can deliver transportation infrastructure to local communities. The award also highlights the world-class partnership between the ACT Government and the Canberra Metro consortium....

Canberrans are encouraged to have their say on whether public transport waiting areas, including bus interchanges, bus stops, future light rail stops and taxi ranks across the ACT, should be made smoke-free. Minister for Health Meegan Fitzharris said Canberrans are encouraged to have their say on the proposal that would restrict smoking within five metres of public transport waiting areas....

Two community meetings will be held as part of the public hearing process to give Canberrans the chance to voice concerns about the proposed Hume facility. An independent inquiry panel was established in late January to review the FOY proposal for Hume, and report on the findings to the Minister for Planning and Land Management, Mick Gentleman. As part of...

In the face of the Federal Government's failure to manage the transition to a clean energy future, the Climate Action Roundtable has agreed to new plans for sub-national government action on climate change today in Cairns, ACT Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability, Shane Rattenbury said. "The Federal Government's comprehensive failure to manage the transition to a clean energy future,...

The ACT's renewable energy investments are performing strongly and helping to insulate consumers from electricity price pressures, Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury said today. "Three of our large-scale solar farms were generating electricity during the high price spikes experienced during the recent heatwave. An estimated $840,000 of earnings will flow back to ACT electricity users as an...

Does EQ outweigh IQ when it comes to success in the workplace? Nearly all human resources (HR) managers (95 percent) and workers (99 percent) surveyed by staffing firm OfficeTeam said it's important for employees to have a high emotional quotient, or EQ, because it helps them manage their own emotions and understand and react to the emotions of others. OfficeTeam...