August 5, 2016
“While sales and employment improved and prices remain positive, wages and profitability went backwards this quarter,” said Sensis Chief Executive Officer John Allan. “These are not the results you would expect to see when confidence has lifted to a five year high. “Rather than being driven by these indicators, confidence is instead being driven by perceptions that the overall economic environment is improving. On top of this, the non-cyclical influences remain strong, with businesses continuing to feel particularly positive about their own specific business strengths.” The net balance score of +44 – the difference between the number of confident SMBs (60%) versus the number of worried SMBs (16%) – is the highest business confidence score recorded since March 2011. The Index, which reflects the views of 1,000 small and medium businesses from across Australia, also found that perceptions of the economy improved by 14 points this quarter, although they remain negative overall on -8. “Perceptions of the economy…
August 5, 2016
It happened again in 2008 when Kevin Rudd announced a $25bn high-speed rail network connecting Melbourne and Sydney that never got over the line. Julia Gillard then spent time analysing a feasibility study on a network connecting Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane budgeted at $114bn before rejecting the proposal. And in 2013 Tony Abbott showed his hand by winding up the High Speed Rail Advisory Group. That is why we now need to take some decisive action. The latest proposal by the private equity firm Consolidated Land and Rail Australia Pty Ltd (CLARA) claims it can deliver a high-speed rail network from Melbourne to Sydney via Canberra with no government funding required. The…
July 22, 2016
Hunt’s appointment was part of a complete shake-up of the ministerial team at the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science. Senator Matt Canavan was sworn in as Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, while Craig Laundy MP was appointed as Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science. Hunt’s predecessor as Industry Minister, Christopher Pyne, was moved into the role of Minister for Defence Industry, and reappointed Leader of the House. Minister Hunt said it was a “great honour” to be appointed to the role, commenting: “I look forward to continuing the implementation of the Prime Minister’s National Innovation and Science Agenda. I would also like to congratulate my ministerial colleague Christopher Pyne for the leadership and energy he brought to this portfolio – they will certainly be big shoes to fill.’ Industry leaders were welcoming of the reshuffle and of Hunt’s appointment. AMTIL CEO Shane Infanti expressed his support for the ministerial appointments and optimism at the prospect of working…
July 1, 2016
“All fabricated steel being erected in Australia must be certified as compliant with the standards and the standards must be enforced,” Crittenden said. Crittenden added that he had received copies of documentation that show a grain silo under construction in a rural Australian location, which he would not identify, is being built from imported fabricated steel modules that are not compliant. Crittenden said a WTIA-certified senior welding inspector’s report showed ten separate items tested did not comply. Problems identified included undersize, missing and incomplete welds. A separate qualified consultant’s visual weld inspection of the imported silo support structure found none of the welds inspected was compliant with the Australian standard, AS/NZS 1554.1:2014. According to the report, the welds are “deemed unacceptable”. Both reports include photographs that clearly show the sub-standard welds. “Despite the serious safety issues raised in these reports, my understanding is construction is proceeding with no rectification of the non-compliant welds,” Crittenden said. “Compliance with Australian standards is not mandatory and there is…
May 27, 2016
The push of the Turnbull Government into the policy of innovation is to be congratulated and supported. It is early days for policy definition, which we know is still evolving, and accordingly it would be premature to be a critic. So in the spirit of ‘contribution’, there are some issues to be suggested by a team who have embraced this need for change and innovation for over 10 years. This is not a new economic theory to overcome the Chicago School or Marx’s theories. It is part of ISO 9000 and extolled by the management guru W. Edwards Deming in the 1950s. Constant improvement and adaptation are known to the best manufacturers in the same way Wheaties are an athlete – you have them for breakfast. In the Hunter Valley, the business organisation Hunternet is the only business association that has the word on its website, and has done so for over eight years. Ten years ago, its then-CEO John Coyle embraced the need to bring…
January 22, 2016
The Entrepreneurs’ Programme is the Australian Government’s flagship initiative for business competitiveness and productivity at the firm level. The $7.8m has been offered to assist the 17 Australian companies launch their innovative products, processes or services into the global marketplace and help advance Australian industries. Some of the products, processes or services include: A device to optimise carbon use and maximise gold recovery for the gold mining industry A software and training platform for the agribusiness sector to help improve farm profitability, business management and sustainability A real-time, cloud-based data management system for intelligent buildings and smart cities Laser-based 3D printing for lighter, more easily produced metal components for aerospace and defence applications Advanced manufacturing for reliable, cheaper and highly efficient silicon solar cells A world-first clinical diagnostics device to help assess the health of the human gut. The Entrepreneurs’ Programme commercialisation grants help Australian entrepreneurs, inventors and businesses address the challenges associated with commercialising novel intellectual property. It aims to: Accelerate the commercialisation of novel intellectual property in…
July 24, 2015
The Entrepreneurs’ Programme, developed from the Enterprise Connect initiative of the previous Government, is a flagship initiative focused on raising the competiveness and productivity of eligible companies at an individual level. The Programme will deploy more than 100 experienced Advisers and Facilitators, offering support to businesses through three elements: Business Management, Research Connections, and Accelerating Commercialisation. AMTIL is a partner organisation in the Programme. Under Enterprise Connect and throughout the transition to the Entrepreneurs’ Programme, AMTIL employed a team of six people across Australia. Of that group, Bruno Bello, Neil Clarke, Michael Fetherstonhaugh and George Pofandt have remained on board to implement the new Programme on behalf of AMTIL. In addition, five new faces have been added to the team, with the appointment of Vineet Ahuja, Mal Clark, John Lochery, Rob Murphy and Richard Penman. Vineet Ahuja Business Adviser, Victoria Tel: 0418 566 381 Email: vahuja@amtil.com.au Vineet has a passion for supply chain continuous improvement, with over 39…
July 10, 2015
AMT: What is the Entrepreneurs’ Programme and what is it aiming to achieve? Deborah Anton: I’m really excited to be a part of the Entrepreneurs’ Programme, which aims to improve business competitiveness and productivity at the firm level. It is the Australian Government’s flagship initiative that drives business growth and competitiveness by supporting business improvement and research connections in targeted growth sectors and through the commercialisation of novel products, processes and services. Based on my experience managing this programme, I can say that it is very business-orientated. It uses experienced Facilitators and Advisers drawn from industry to help small-to-medium-sized organisations develop the skills and knowledge they need to advance and grow. It also focuses on providing access to quality advice and established expert networks to meet business needs, and the programme delivers this objective through three distinct programme elements. AMT: What are those three elements? DA: ‘Accelerating Commercialisation’ helps entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized businesses, and researchers to address the commercialisation challenges…
June 12, 2015
The Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme (EIP), developed from the Enterprise Connect initiative of the previous Government, is a flagship initiative focused on raising the competiveness and productivity of eligible companies at an individual level. The programme forms a part of the Australian Government’s Economic Action Strategy and will deploy more than 100 experienced Advisers and Facilitators, offering support to businesses through three elements: Business Management Business Evaluations – A business assessment resulting in a detailed report and recommendations for improvements. Supply Chain Facilitation – A practical approach to assist companies in interacting with, and supplying into, new and existing markets. Business Growth Services – Access for eligible businesses with high growth potential to specialist advisers, services and connections aimed at accelerating their growth. Business Growth Grants – Small, co-funded grants to…
