Issue 29 – 2006
1. Vic/Tas Office has Moved!
Well it has happened …. we are now located in the heart of printing in Mulgrave, Victoria. All our updated details are at the end of this newsletter. Note our main telephone number is 03 8541 7333 and we all have direct dial numbers as follows:
Elaine Brodie 8541 7301
Jim Hargrave 8541 7330
Michelle Eeles 8541 7320
Phillip Sayers 8541 7304
Ron Patterson 8541 7315
We are planning an official opening in October, but if you are nearby before then please drop in. We have excellent training facilities and the training room is available for member company’s private use. Please contact Michelle Eeles if you would like to book the training room.
2. Victorian Government Print Tender
Over the past couple of weeks we have organised a follow-up meeting with Andrew Hockley from the Department of Premier and Cabinet and have organised a meeting with the Victorian Minister for Finance, John Lenders early in August. The issue was brought up in parliament by the Opposition on Tuesday, 18 July. We believe that the Government are beginning to listen to our concerns. If you would like to discuss this matter further, please contact our Regional Manager, Ron Patterson.
3. Martin Fothergill of PaperlinX Guest Speaker at Quarterly Function
At the Quarterly Function this week we heard from Martin Fothergill from PaperlinX. He gave an overview of merchanting businesses of PaperlinX, including Dalton and Spicers. He confirmed that the issues we face in Australia are exactly the same as in the UK, ie overcapacity of paper supply, and consolidation of printing and merchanting businesses. Next Quarterly function will be held on
4. Australian Workplace Agreements
Printing
Industries has
available on our Printnet website documents to help members develop their own
Australia Workplace Agreements (AWAs).
AWA
Checklist: This checklist
provides members with tips and commentary about which matters can be negotiated
and which ones can't. Did you know you for example about the ability to buy-out
up to two (2) weeks annual leave? The member's checklist covers over 40
topics for you to decide what will work best for your employees and your
business. Remember: Whilst Printing Industries has provided these tools to
assist members, we urge all members to contact our Employee Relations department
to help you through the AWAs process.
5. Printing Industries Golfing Society
Did you know about Printing Industries Golfing Society? The next event will be held at Kingston Health on Tuesday, 8 August commencing at 7.30 am. If you would like further information please contact Brian Casey on 0418 128 328 or Greg Evans on 0416 219 924.
6. Labor's Innovation Blueprint
Leader of the Opposition, the Hon Kim Beazley MP launched Labor’s Innovation Blueprint on 10 July. The key features of the Blueprint are as follows:
Enterprise Connect:
An initial 10 Enterprise Connect centres will be established, supported by funding of up to $20 million for each centre over four years. The Centres will assist business to work with researchers to find and adapt new ideas and research, take up new technology and to test new products and processes.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships:
Australian Knowledge Transfer Partnerships - a collaboration of at least one business and a university, public research agency or TAFE working on specific projects like improving production and management processes or building and testing new prototypes or a new product launch. $10 million in funding will be provided for up to 200 Partnerships, for projects up to two years.
Venture Capital:
Labor will consult with the business community over the next few months about the establishment of an ‘Enterprise Investment Scheme’ similar to that adopted in the United Kingdom, which provides tax incentives for investors who subscribe to innovative companies. A plan to establish a new Venture Capital Exchange to help foster a risk capital market for emerging companies will also be examined.
Health Research:
Establishment of a dedicated Health and Medical Enterprise Connect where researchers would be able to test drugs and conduct other research in one central location. Small and medium bio-technology firms could negotiate access to the equipment and technology in facilities across Australia. $6 million will also be invested annually to establish and run a new National Clinical Trials Network in public hospitals, to support the development and clinical testing of new products in Australia.
Modern information and communications technology:
Investment in a joint venture with telecommunications companies to build a super-fast network, funded by the existing $757 million Broadband Connect program and supplemented by an equity injection from the $2 billion earmarked for the Communications Fund.
Lifting Australia’s R&D performance:
Reform and expand Australia’s R&D incentives potentially including the following incentives:
· Greater incentives for increased and additional R&D investment, rather than overall levels;
· Converting the benefits of the existing different rates - for all investment and new investment - into a single concession for new investment – higher than the current 175 per cent;
· Expanding the base of the current concession on increased and additional investment, to include investment in plant and equipment and other expenditure currently excluded; and
· Converting the R&D concession into a program of loans and grants, to provide a budget of many hundreds of millions of dollars.
Reform of the university sector:
Preparing a discussion paper on the sector, focus on removing ‘one size fits all’ focus.
Rebuilding our national icons:
Rebuild and reinvigorate CSIRO and the 70 Cooperative Research Centres.
7. Labour Force
The unemployment rate remained at 4.9 percent in June, while the participation rate rose strongly showing that the labour market remains very strong. The participation rate now stands at 64.8 while there were 52,000 more employed people over the month (24,400 full-time and 27,600 part-time).
8. COSHH Essentials for Printers
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) for Printers Stakeholder Reference Group met on Monday, 17 July. The meeting further refined the package which is anticipated will be released in late October 2006. For further information about this group, please contact Jim Hargrave.
9. Training Courses
OH&S 5 Day Course August 21, 22, 23, 29, 30
Customer Service that Excels September 13
OH&S 1 Day Refresher September 5
New Manager/Supervisor October 4, 5, 6
Print Production Management October 11, 12, 13
Go to Printnet or contact Michelle for a complete list of our upcoming training courses.
10. What’s On
To find out What’s on in the world of print go to What’s On
And Finally
An elephant was drinking out of a
river one day, when he spotted a turtle asleep on a log. So, he ambled on over
and kicked it clear across the river.
"What did you do that for?" Asked a
passing giraffe.
"Because I recognized it as the same turtle that took a nip
out of my trunk 53 years ago."
"Wow, what a memory" commented the
giraffe.
"Yes," said the elephant, "turtle recall".
The Team at Printing Industries Association of Australia
Unit 3, 5-7 Compark Circuit
Mulgrave Vic 3170
Ph 03 8541 7333 (note change)
Fx 03 9561 8780
michelle@printnet.com.au
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