FRASER COAST BUSINESSES ENCOURAGED TO STREET SCAPE THEIR PREMISES SAYS TOWN MAYOR
Great Look, Easy Access…Opportunities for Business
FRASER COAST STREETSCAPE SCHEME
Business owners are being encouraged to improve the appearance of their buildings under the Fraser Coast Streetscape Scheme introduced by Council.
“By providing grants Council aims to develop partnerships with building owners and business operators and encourage them to enhance the appearance and accessibility of their businesses,” Fraser Coast Mayor Mick Kruger said.
“By increasing activity in local shopping centres Council believes it can help improve business confidence and attract new business and investment to the region.”
Round 1 of the program opened on July 4 and will cover businesses in the main street of Tiaro and Howard and defined areas of the Maryborough CBD and precincts of Pialba, Scarness, Torquay and Urangan in Hervey Bay.
A copy of the Fraser Coast Streetscape Scheme, maps of the defined areas and application form is available on Council’s web-site.
www.frasercoastopportunities.com.au
Received & published by Henry Sapiecha
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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT FUNDING WORKSHOP @ THE FRASER COAST QLD
Dear Members and Supporters,
An invitation from Regional Development AustraliaHervey Bay / Maryborough Locations5 April, 2011CLICK HERE for more information and to RSVP TODAY “Regional Development Australia Fund – Funding Workshops” RDA Wide Bay Burnett will be conducting information workshops on the recently announced Regional Development Australia Fund (RDAF) and the Project Information Data Collection Form on the 5th, 6th and 7th April. Click on the link above for more information. The workshop is tomorrow afternoon in Hervey Bay and Maryborough. Received & published by Henry SAPIECHA
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PRESS RELEASE ON GOV DISCUSSION ON OUTDOOR ADVERTIZING & OBESITY IN CHILDREN
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House of Representatives
PRESS RELEASE
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Tuesday 22 March 2011
One-day public hearing for outdoor advertising in Sydney - Friday, 25 March 2011
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs is heading to Sydney on Friday 25 March 2011 to hold a public hearing for its inquiry into the regulation of billboard and outdoor media. The Committee is investigating ways that the current self-regulatory system could be improved.
Advertising industry stakeholders Outdoor Media Association, the Communications Council, and the Media Federation of Australia, will discuss industry self-regulation and the growth of outdoor advertising as an advertising medium.
“Outdoor media is a very popular form of advertising that is rapidly growing in Australia, and this is reflected in the increasing proportion of complaints about outdoor advertisements compared to TV and print advertisements,” said Committee Chair Mr Graham Perrett MP.
The Committee will also hear from witnesses about the link between food advertising and childhood obesity, the process of making complaints about advertising and appealing decisions, and issues of stereotyping and vilification in advertising images.
“We are interested in hearing from community groups about their perspectives on advertising standards, the adequacy of the various voluntary advertising codes of conduct, and the complaints process upon which the self-regulatory system is based,” said Mr Perrett.
Public Hearing
9.00am – 3.00pm, Friday 25 March 2011
Macquarie Room, Parliament of NSW, Macquarie Street, Sydney
The program can be accessed at http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/spla/outdoor%20advertising/hearings/program%2025%20March.pdf
A public forum will be held from 2.00pm at which interested members of the public are welcome to make a brief statement regarding the inquiry.
The next public hearing is scheduled for Monday, 4 April 2011, in Melbourne.
Information about the inquiry is available on the Committee website at www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/spla/outdoor%20advertising/index.htm or by contacting the Committee Secretariat on (02) 6277 2358.
For media comment, please contact the Committee Chair, Mr Graham Perrett MP, on (07) 3344 2622 or 0408 883 312.
Issued by:
Andrew Dawson, media manager, International & Community Relations Office,
Parliament of Australia Tel: (02) 6277 2063 wk, 0401 143 724 mob.
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FRASER COAST BUSINESSES REQUIRED TO SUPPLY GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS WITH GOODS & SERVICES
DEPT OF EDUCATION & TRAINING REQUIRES SUPPLIERS OF GOODS/SERVICES IN THE FRASER COASTHello, My name is Matt Anderson and I am contacting you on behalf of the Department of Education and Training. We are currently in the process of creating a number of Preferred Supplier Arrangements which will set up contracts between suppliers of goods and educational and training institutes. We are investigating prospective suppliers in your local area and would greatly appreciate your assistance in locating some suitable candidates. If you have a local business directory, could you please send a copy to: Matt Anderson Education House 30 Mary Street Brisbane QLD 4000 Alternatively could you please send us a list of the following suppliers in your area. Suppliers of: * Food products * Limited to businesses that supply food to businesses/organisations * Art and craft products * Suppliers, wholesalers or outlets * Sporting goods * Suppliers, wholesalers or outlets Although we are looking at businesses in your local area, please do not limit your response to "local businesses" as such, we are looking for all businesses that fit the above categories in your area including chain stores, national companies and local businesses. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me directly. Your assistance in this matter is greatly appreciated,
Kind regards, Matt Anderson Matt Anderson Procurement Graduate | Business Services Category Corporate Procurement Branch Department of Education and Training Floor 13 | Education House | 30 Mary Street | Brisbane Qld 4000 T 323 71196 | F 322 91767 | E Matthew.ANDERSON@deta.qld.gov.au | http://deta.qld.gov.au/ Received & published by Henry Sapiecha
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INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY CELEBRATIONS BY THE FRASER COAST REGIONAL COUNCIL
MEDIA RELEASE
24 February 2011
International Women’s Day morning tea
The Fraser Coast is now on the map of centres joining the National Rural Women’s Coalition to celebrate the centenary of International Women’s Day on Tuesday, 8 March 2011.
The National Rural Women’s Coalition has invited women across the country to join them at a Morning Tea and Interactive Webinar with ABC radio and television host, Geraldine Doogue.
The morning teas will be linked together by webcams.
Fraser Coast Regional Councillor Belinda McNeven has enthusiastically taken up the charge to celebrate.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for Women of the Fraser Coast to meet in Maryborough and hear from Geraldine Doogue as well as other women from across Australia. International Women’s Day is all about working together – we are looking forward to the women of the Fraser Coast sharing their stories.”
The morning tea will connect women across the country to provide a unique opportunity for women in rural, regional and remote areas to network and learn about the National Rural Women’s Coalition’s latest initiative – the National Rural Women’s Network.
Belinda said that it was fantastic to have an event of this calibre being organised on our doorstep and congratulated the National Rural Women’s Network on the great work they do.
Cr McNeven said “It’s great to see Maryborough on the map with the other areas across Australia that are joining in the morning tea.” Those locations can be seen at
http://www.nrwc.com.au/events/iwd-council-locations/
The Fraser Coast morning tea and Interactive Webinar will be held at the Brolga Theatre in Maryborough on International Women’s Day, Tuesday, 8 March 2011 from 10am to 11.30am.
Bookings are essential as space limitations limit the venue to 50 participants.
The register contact Toni Souvlis on 4197 4458 or Kellie McElligott on 4190 5747 by Thursday, 3 March.
Received & published by Henry Sapiecha
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AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT FUNDING OF $200M FOR SKILL SHORTAGES
The Critical Skills Investment Fund (the Fund) provides $200 million Australian Government co funding for industry partnerships to undertake projects that provide training and employment opportunities in critical industry sectors.
The goal of the Fund is to help increase the supply of skilled labour for enterprises in these sectors. To achieve this, the Fund will support projects that train and place job seekers into available positions, or that up-skill existing workers to meet new demands. The Fund may also be used to support the recommendations of the National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce (NRSET).
The Advisory Board for the Critical Skills Investment Fund was announced on 12 November 2010 by Senator Chris Evans, Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations. The Board, comprising seven external members with relevant expertise in employment, training, labour market and skills development, will be responsible for overseeing the Fund’s administration.
The Critical Skills Investment Fund Guidelines set out the funding arrangements, eligibility requirements, application process and assessment criteria for project proposals under the Fund. The Guidelines are now available to assist organisations in understanding the program.
- Guidelines (
PDF 1.37MB | 
RTF 794KB) - Expression of Interest Form ( PDF 1.17MB | RTF 77KB)
Please note that Expressions of Interest cannot be submitted yet.
The first funding round will be announced soon.
Consultations on the Draft Guidelines occurred in late 2010 and all submissions were considered before finalising the guidelines.
This fact sheet provides an overview of the Critical Skills Investment Fund.
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MELBOURNE TO FRASER COAST FLIGHT SUPPORT MESSAGE FROM FRASER COAST COUNCILLOR MESSAGE
Melbourne Flights Update
Dear Maybe Melbourne Supporter
Firstly, let me thank you for the incredible support that this campaign has generated. We received over 3600 emails or letters in support of a new air route to be established between Melbourne and Hervey Bay.
At this stage, I do not have anything super positive to report. We have been in constant negotiations with the airlines and they are still very keen to explore the establishment of a new route when the economic climate is more stable. Whilst we missed out on the summer scheduling, we are by no means out of the race.
Please be assured that I will continue to give this project my energy and dedication, and hopefully in the future, we will all be able to fly to Melbourne on a direct flight.
Once again, your support is not only much appreciated, but critical to the cause.
Kind regards
Anne Nioa
Cr Anne Nioa
Fraser Coast Regional Council
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ELECTION PROMISE BY A CONTENDER FOR THE NEXT LOCAL FRASER COAST ELECTIONS.ARE YOU A STARTER?THEN SEND US YOUR MESSAGE.
Invest in Your Future
The unedited article is posted with no input or opinion from the editor
Help ensure that we elect better Councillors to the Fraser Coast Regional Council (FCRC) at the next elections.
If you desire a proactive Council that will provide us with –
Ø A more realistic system of rates and Charges;
Ø More transparent and responsive representation;
Ø More accountability of where our money is spent;
Ø More responsible use of Council money;
Ø Opportunities for our children and grandchildren to have a better lifestyle.
Then we need your help to secure these results at the Council elections.
There are three (3) ways you can invest in the future of the Fraser Coast –
1. Invest Your Time – Invest some of your time to talk to your friends and neighbours about what we are working to achieve. It is achievable if we all pull together. Also invest a little time to tell us about the issues that concern you and any solutions would like to see the Council implement. Help us to spread the word – there is a better way.
2. Invest Your Energy – Through this year we need people to help deliver newsletters. If you walk for exercise or have some spare time and energy, you could be of great assistance to the cause by dropping off some newsletters along your way. The more we can deliver the wider we can spread the message that there is a better way.
3. Invest Your Money – Just $10 to $20 each month will help us to continue to spread the word around the Fraser Coast. Think of pledging $10 – $20 each month as an investment. When we elect a new Council, the Councillors can vote to return the money paid by Wide Bay Water (WBW) to the FCRC back into the water and sewerage rates where it rightfully belongs. And this will mean a saving of at least $250 each year for you and every other user of the services.
It is a big job, there is no denying that, but with your help we can do it. Because we believe passionately that there is a better way for our Council to serve its people. We must make this potential into a reality before it is too late and we are forever condemned to be the poorest people of Queensland with too few employment opportunities, and too many expenses.
Please call Jim MacKellar on 0418732506 if you can be of assistance
Received & published by Henry Sapiecha
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IS THE US DOLLAR ABOUT TO FREE FALL…WATCH THIS PRESENTATION >>
Have come across this presentation of what is about to happen to the US dollar
The info is startling to say the least but worthy of paying attention to.
View the presentation and make up your own mind
Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha
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QLD SMART BUSINESS BULLETIN ON NEW COMMERCE REGULATIONS
December 2010
Message from the Minister
Welcome to a special ‘Australian Consumer Law’ edition of the Smart Business Bulletin.
The introduction of the Australian Consumer Law on 1 January 2011 will bring a number of important changes to the Queensland marketplace. For the first time businesses trading across state borders will be regulated by a single set of rules, and consumers will enjoy a broader range of protections covering a greater range of transactions.
This special edition is designed to give you an overview of the Australian Consumer Law and how it may affect your business.
For more information visit www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au.
Peter Lawlor MP
Minister for Tourism and Fair Trading
Introduction to the Australian Consumer Law
On 1 January 2011, a single, national consumer protection and fair trading law will commence across Australia. It will mean that businesses only have to comply with one fair trading law, regardless of where they are located in Australia.
The Australian Consumer Law (ACL) replaces the Commonwealth Trade Practices Act 1974 and large sections of Queensland’s Fair Trading Act 1989. The new Commonwealth Act will be called the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.
The ACL is designed to:
- reduce costs to business, as they will only need to comply with one set of national laws
- enable the confident participation of consumers in markets in which both consumers and businesses trade fairly
- improve consumer wellbeing through consumer empowerment and protection
- foster competition.
It is essential that businesses and legal practitioners familiarise themselves with the new legislation to ensure compliance from 1 January 2011.
A series of guides are available, covering:
- consumer guarantees – an updated set of rights and remedies, similar to Queensland’s current refund and warranty laws
- sales practices – provisions relating to door-to-door trading, telemarketing, the unsolicited supply of goods and services, lay-by agreements and how goods and services are priced
- avoiding unfair business practices – advice on avoiding activities that constitute misleading or deceptive conduct and false or misleading representations
- product safety – a new national regime will commence as part of the ACL
- unfair contract terms – a court will be able to void unfair terms in standard form consumer contracts.
From 1 January 2011, you will be able to order hard copies of these resources from the Queensland Government bookshop.
What’s changing for Queensland businesses?
The provisions of the ACL are drawn from Australia’s existing fair trading laws, so most businesses will already be familiar with many parts of the ACL.
For Queensland businesses, there are a few significant changes:
- Lay-by agreements must now be in writing and clearly expressed in plain language. If a consumer terminates a lay-by agreement, the business may only charge a reasonable termination fee (one that covers its costs).
- A business cannot display a price that is only part of the total cost of an item, without also displaying the total cost as prominently as the part cost. For example, if a consumer must sign a two year contract to qualify for a particular deal, you must display the minimum cost over the two years of the contract, not just a monthly cost.
- The provisions for door-to-door sales have changed. A consumer is now entitled to a 10 business day cooling-off period. To assist businesses with the transition to these new rules, a business may comply with either the ACL or the pre-existing Queensland laws, up to 30 June 2011.
- A national regime for product safety will be introduced. Governments will have increased power to issue safety warning notices to the public, issue temporary or permanent bans on unsafe products and compel a business to recall an unsafe product. Anyone involved in the supply chain of a product who becomes aware that it has caused death or serious injury/illness must notify the ACCC.
Seminars
In early 2011, fair trading experts will be conducting seminars for businesses and consumers throughout Queensland.
Business’ new obligations under the law will be discussed, and fair trading experts will be available to answer your questions.
The seminars are free and open to anyone. Places are limited, so please RSVP by filling in the online form.
| Date | Town/Suburb | Location | Time |
| Mon 31 Jan | Brisbane | Ground Floor, Primary Industries Building 80 Ann St, Brisbane City |
Businesses: 5:15pm and 7:15pm |
| Wed 2 Feb | Cairns | Holiday Inn Cairns Cnr Esplanade and Florence Street |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
| Mon 7 Feb | Brisbane North | Kedron/Wavell RSL 375 Hamilton Road, Chermside |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
| Wed 9 Feb | Mt Isa | All Seasons Verona Hotel Cnr Marian Street and Camooweal Street |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
| Thu 10 Feb | Townsville | The Shoredrive Motel 118 The Strand |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
| Mon 14 Feb | Brisbane South | Pacific Golf Club 430 Pine Mountain Road, Carindale |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
| Wed 16 Feb | Rockhampton | Rockhampton Leagues Club Cnr Cambridge Street and George Street |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
| Mon 21 Feb | Toowoomba | Shamrock Hotel Motel 4 Ruthven Street |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
| Tue 22 Feb | Gold Coast | Quality Hotel Sunshine Boulevard, Mermaid Waters |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
| Wed 23 Feb | Caboolture | Centenary Lakes Function Centre Riverview Street |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
| Mon 28 Feb | Sunshine Coast | Maroochydore Surf Club 34-36 Alexandra Parade, Alexandra Headland |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
| Tue 1 Mar | Hervey Bay | Hervey Bay RSL and Services Memorial Club 11 Torquay Road, Pialba |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
| Fri 4 Mar | Ipswich | Metro Hotel Ipswich International 43 South Street |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
| Mon 7 Mar | Mackay | Quest Mackay 38 Macalister Street |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
| Thu 10 Mar | Longreach | Longreach Civic Centre 96A Eagle Street |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
| Mon 14 Mar | Roma | Roma Explorers Inn Warrego Highway |
Consumers: 5:30pm Businesses: 7:00pm |
Video resources
A general introduction to the ACL, focusing on consumer guarantees and sales practices, was presented on 26 October. Click here to watch the video.
A product safety presentation, discussing mandatory reporting and recalls, was hosted on 12 November. Click here to watch the video.
A training module for businesses, focusing on consumer guarantees, has been produced by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Watch or download the video here.
Received & published by Henry Sapiecha