Archived News for Professionals in State Government

The Tasmanian Treasurer and Premier Lara Giddings has released the latest Progress Report on the Government’s savings strategies.

Queensland has become the first state to sign up to the newly strengthened regulatory framework for coal seam gas and large coal mining developments.

The Victorian Premier’s Business Roundtable has met to discuss a range of issues relating to the state economy, with special attention paid to the business sector.

The Victorian Coalition Government will invest $3.3 million to boost participation rates in vocational and higher education and grow jobs in the state's north-east.

Western Australian State Government employees will be able to choose their super fund from March 30, 2012, following sweeping reforms made last year to the State Superannuation Act 2000.

The South Australian Government has released a discussion paper on the recommendations developed by the Resources & Energy Sector Infrastructure Council (RESIC) to promote growth of the South Australian minerals and energy sector.

South Australian Planning Minister John Rau has announced that the State Government will respond to increasing community concerns over urban sprawl in the Barossa and McLaren Vale regions by introducing measures to constrain further development.

The Victorian Government has passed the City of Greater Geelong Amendment bill 2011, which will see the people of Greater Geelong directly elect their mayor at the 2012 local government elections.

The Tasmanian Premer, Lara Giddings, has welcomed the decision by New Zealand billionaire Richard Chandler to invest $150 million in Gunns Limited, saying it was "a sign that Tasmania is well and truly open for business”.

The Federal Government has announced all senior appointments to the New South Wales Regional Development Australia (RDA) fund.

Alcoa has announced it is conducting a review of the viability of its Point Henry aluminium smelter in Geelong, placing increasing uncertainty on the future of the plant’s 600 staff. The company has yet to rule out extensive job cuts in its Victorian operations.

Federal Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten has accused the Victorian government of deliberately frustrating progress on the national occupational health and safety harmonisation initative.

Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu has urged the Federal Government to back down from its plan to dismantle the office of the Australian Building and Construction Commissioner, saying that the proposed legislation would significantly jeopardise infrastructure building and promote unsafe building practices.

The Federal Government has reportedly struck a deal with the Northern Territory Opposition that could result in the country’s first ever Nuclear Waste Dump likely being constructed in the territory.

Senior British corrections specialist, Mr Brian Edwards OBE, has been appointed as Director, Change Management for the Tasmania Prison Service.

The Queensland Government has allocated $6.3 million for two initiatives that will boost the number of people working in communities to support people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

The Community Action for a Multicultural Society (CAMS) initiative funds organisations to employ community based workers to support the needs of people through capacity building and group advocacy to strengthen multiculturalism in the local area.

$1.429 million will be invested per annum in CAMS for the next three years, which will see community workers employed in 14 parts of the state.

The Corporation of the Trustees of the Order of the Sisters of Mercy in Queensland (Toowoomba), the Kenalwyn Bundaberg and District Neighbourhood Centre Inc and the Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre Inc will received the CAMS funding to employ community workers.

The Local Area Multicultural Partnerships (LAMP) initiative provides funds to local councils to employ a multicultural policy officer to strengthen multiculturalism in the region.

Funding of $680,000 per annum over three years through the LAMP initiative, matched by funding from thirteen local governments will enable them to employ a multicultural policy officer.

The Queensland Government is also providing funding for a program coordinator to be employed at the Local Government Association of Queensland.

Among the local governments receiving funding under LAMP over the next three years are the Gold Coast City Council, Gladstone Regional Council and Lockyer Valley Regional Council.

More information is at www.communities.qld.gov.au/multicultural

The Queensland Minister for Information and Communication Technology Simon Finn has launched the Queensland NBN strategic plan: The Queensland Government’s plan for making the most of the National Broadband Network.

Seqwater has advised the Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management that two of its senior flood engineers involved in the operations of the Wivenhoe Dam during the 2011 flood.

The NSW Minister for Finance & Services, Greg Pearce, has stated that the Government will fast track reforms to WorkCover and the Compensation Authorities following the resignations of the Chairman, Greg McCarthy and CEO Lisa Hunt. The reforms will be aimed at checking WorkCover’s deficit, which in the six months to June 30 the deficit had blown out from $994 million to $2360 million.

"I have made it clear that the WorkCover scheme in its current form is untenable - the deficit is growing and WorkCover must be reformed to get it back in the black," Mr Pearce said.

"Both Mr McCarthy and Ms Hunt agreed there was a need to reform WorkCover and the government will now move to press ahead with the reforms under a new leadership team," he said.

"The reforms will be fast-tracked with Deputy Chair, Nicholas Whitlam, acting as Chair and current Chief Financial Officer, Julie Newman, acting as CEO until replacements are appointed.

"One of the possible reform options, developed by Mr McCarthy, includes merging WorkCover and the four other compensation authorities - the Motor Accidents Authority, Dust and Diseases Tribunal, Sporting Injuries Committee and Lifetime Care and Support Authority to achieve savings.

Mr McCarthy has been a member of the Board of WorkCover since 2002, including the position of Chair since 2005, and was in the process of developing the reforms to turn the scheme around.

Ms Hunt has been CEO since 2010 and was instrumental in driving change in the workplace including the implementation of the new Work, Health and Safety regime.

The NSW Treasurer Mike Baird has announced the government will invest $175 million in Reliance Rail in 2018 in return for 100 per cent of the equity in the company.