The Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST) today welcomed the Government’s move to begin the process of enshrining the objective of the superannuation system in legislation.

AIST CEO Tom Garcia said the setting of a super system objective – as recommended by the Financial System Inquiry and long-called for by AIST – would provide a framework to protect the integrity and sustainability of the nation’s retirement income system.

“Setting an objective for super will provide a much-needed framework to protect the super savings pot – now worth more than $2 trillion – from endless ad hoc policy changes,” Mr Garcia said.

Mr Garcia said it was vital that the objective recognise the role of the Age Pension in supplementing many people’s retirement incomes.

“We need to recognise that super will deliver different outcomes for different people,” Mr Garcia said.

“Some people will be self-funded in retirement, some will draw their retirement income from a combination of super and the Age Pension, while others will qualify for the full Age Pension”.

Mr Garcia said AIST would recommend that the objective also establish that super was for retirement purposes only and not a wealth creation tool for estate planning purposes.

“Setting an objective will be an important step to improve the fairness in the super system, particularly around the way super is taxed and what it is meant to be used for,” said Mr Garcia.

Mr Garcia said agreement on super’s objective would also help restore confidence and certainty in the compulsory super system.

“Just about every week brings a different proposal for super which must be causing great uncertainty for Australians saving for their retirement,” he said. “Since the start of this year alone, we’ve had calls for super to pay off university debt, for super to save the agricultural industry, for super to pay off home loans and for low-income earners to opt out of compulsory super altogether. Without a clear objective, these calls will keep coming.”

Mr Garcia said he hoped the Government would resist making ad-hoc changes to super in the upcoming Federal Budget, now that the process of setting an objective had begun.

“Any Budget changes to super would be putting the cart before the horse,” Mr Garcia said. “A key purpose of the objective will be to road-test proposed policies to ensure they deliver on agreed outcomes.”

Further media enquiries: AIST Executive Media Manager Janet de Silva: 0448 000 499

This article was sourced directly from Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (ASIT) online here.

Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation faces unprecedented opportunities and challenges according to Westpac who have released their Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation Industry Insights Report. The mood among businesses they spoke with was overwhelmingly buoyant, but some sub-sectors are being forced to reinvent themselves.

New Zealand’s tourism performance has been driven by demand from China, softness in Australia bringing visitors here instead of further afield, new airline capacity and routes as oil prices plummet, a weaker New Zealand dollar, and New Zealand’s reputation as a safe haven. But businesses catering mostly to local residents, such as the performing arts, museums, and sports venues, are finding the going a lot tougher.

Unlike Accommodation and Air travel, Food and Beverage services, the largest employer in the Tourism, Hospitality and Recreation sector, primarily provides services for local residents.

The food and beverage sub-sector has grown strongly since 2000 although rates of growth have stuttered in recent years, with most growth in percentage terms being in Takeaways.

The outlook for Food and beverage services

There are a number of disparate but important trends that will continue to affect the sub-sector:

Flexibility of menu and customer demands: Customers are demanding a wider variety of menu options, and variations on existing menu offerings. Several fast food chains, for instance, have formally introduced options that allow customers to customise their orders. Menus will need to be reviewed more regularly to keep up with customer preferences. “Healthier” options need to be offered as well as traditional staples.

Transparency: Customers want to know more about what they are eating. This will be reflected in a number of ways, from Food and beverage businesses providing nutritional information on their products, to highlighting whether their products are organic or fair-trade, to redesigning stores so customers can see how clean and organised the kitchen is.

A bigger role for technology: From allowing customers to order their meal online before picking it up, or using technology to select an order in-store, to proactively creating or responding to publicity in the media, Food and beverage businesses will need to be digitally savvy to succeed.

Risks over security of tenure: Strong growth in commercial property values in Auckland in particular, but also in some other parts of the country, will likely see large increases in rents for some Food and beverage businesses. Redevelopment of commercial space to increase gross lettable floor area may also reduce security of tenure for the sub-sector.

In the years ahead, the sub-sector will need to face these challenges, and deliver to a customer-base that is increasingly diverse, and demands a wider range of product and service offerings.

Click here for a copy of the full report.

This article was sourced directly from Restaurant Association of New Zealand online here.

The New Zealand Medical Association (NZMA) welcomes the release of data on unmet need for elective surgery, and looks forward to the Government taking the next steps—analysing the data and developing a transparent, consistent and equitable selection system.

"In 2014 we asked the Government to put numbers around the unmet need," says NZMA Chair Dr Stephen Child. "We are pleased that this is now being done. What is needed now is the analysis that will help ensure consistency of clinical decision making.

"As we noted in 2014, there is no certainty that the 'right' patients are always seen and treated in the appropriate order. While the volume of elective surgery has increased and those who do get surgery do so more quickly, we still need a system that can demonstrate national consistency and equitable outcomes.

"Where a need can be shown, it should not matter where in the country a patient is. If they meet the guidelines, their need should be met."

This article was sourced directly from New Zealand Medical Association online here.

The benefits of marine tourism must be recognised in plans to create marine protected areas around New Zealand, the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) says.

Establishing marine protected areas will help attract both international and domestic visitors, TIA Chief Executive Chris Roberts says. A network of marine protected areas would increase visitor numbers to adjoining regions, growing local economies.

However, more consultation with the tourism industry is needed, particularly if a concessions system is introduced, Mr Roberts says.

“Tourism operators such as whale watch operators, seal swimming operators, diving and snorkelling operators, kayak operators and recreational fishing charters have strong links and interest in marine protected areas. We are of the opinion that tourism and the sector’s interests are strongly under-represented in the proposal.”

In its submission to the Ministry for the Environment, TIA says the proposal shows a lack of understanding of the potential impact on the tourism sector.

Seafood exports are worth $1.38 billion a year to New Zealand but international tourism adds $11.8 billion to the economy.

So it is vitally important that any legislation for Marine Protected Areas take the tourism industry into consideration, Mr Roberts says. It must also consider the needs of the cruise sector, which is worth $436 million a year to New Zealand’s economy.

The benefits of marine reserves to communities has been proved, with Northland’s Poor Knights Islands being an excellent example, he says. Since the Poor Knights received Marine Reserve Status in 2008, there has been significant growth in dive/snorkel adventure tourism to the area.

Dive! Tutukaka, a dive charter/eco-tourism operator on the Tutukaka Coast, estimates that the direct value of their tourism attraction to the local community over the last 20 years exceeds $50 million. During the height of the season, they directly employ over 60 people, all due to activities generated from having the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve.

Research has shown that dive visitors to Tutukaka spend considerably more than other visitors. This success could be replicated elsewhere, Mr Roberts says.

“The proposal to establish Marine Protected Areas could bring benefits to New Zealand for years to come and will support the tourism industry’s Tourism 2025 goal of growing total annual tourism revenue to $41 billion over the next decade,” Mr Roberts says.

To read the full submission, go to www.tianz.org.nz/main/policy-issues/

This article was sourced directly from Tourism Industry Association New Zealand and can be viewed online here.

“If any good can be said to have come from the Kawerau shooting of four police officers, it is that the public of New Zealand and, more importantly, the politicians are becoming aware of the extent of the firearms situation in our country,” Police Association President Greg O’Connor said today.

“The Association has for some time now been voicing the concerns of frontline police officers around the proliferation of firearms in the hands of offenders and calling for an inquiry into the reasons for that.

“This week’s shooting of police officers in the Bay of Plenty, and the discovery of military-style firearms in Auckland are symptoms of a much larger problem,” Mr O’Connor said.

“Politicians should be wary of stop-gap measures, which are unlikely to make a difference in the long term, before we fully understand the reasons why so many people in New Zealand who should never have access to firearms are in possession of these weapons.

“The onus falls on firearms users, owners and others in the firearms industry to support such a call before there is a more serious incident involving multiple deaths and which would necessitate just such an inquiry taking place, but in an emotionally and politically charged environment,” he said.

This article was sourced directly from New Zealand Police Association and can be viewed online here.

In the Bay of Plenty region, a community centre is playing a pivotal role in reducing youth crime and encouraging families to be physically active.

In south Auckland, a married couple with four children is running free exercise programmes with funding from a local healthcare provider, helping people get fit and communities to connect.

These are just two of the many initiatives across New Zealand that illustrate the value of community engagement in building healthy, connected and resilient communities.

Four years ago, Arataki Community Centre was erected in the Mt Manganui area to cater for community and corporate events. Today, the centre serves as a focal point for the local and wider community, including disaffected youth and families. Last year, the New Zealand Recreation Association (NZRA) presented the centre with the 2015 NZRA Outstanding Recreation Facility award.

Arataki Community Centre manager Matthew Strange says much of this success can be put down to community involvement and Tauranga City Council’s vision in funding the centre.

“This is a low socio-economic community. Traditionally, there was a lot of crime. But about a year and a half after the centre was opened, we started to notice a huge drop-off in youth crime rates,” he says.

Church and counselling-related organisations use the centre, as does a group that provides free meals for the community. The centre is set within a park, with facilities that include a basketball court, a playground and a skateboard park.

Mr Strange says the centre actively helps community groups to reach out to people in the area through social media and networking, as well as posters and press releases. The centre has more than 600 likes on its Facebook page, which it maintains actively.

“The more people know about the activities on offer, the more they’ll come,” Mr Strange says.

The results have been astonishing. Over the past few years, levels of crime have dropped significantly, he says.

“Families are coming back to the area, making the most of the park, where before they would have stayed away because they didn’t feel safe.”

Building good community relationships is also at the heart of an exercise programme devised by John and Fiona Mann in south Auckland.

The couple, who have four children, started in 2011 with a group of about 20 people, in Mangere. Today, they draw about 250 people to their Fitlife exercise and bootcamp programmes in Mangere and Otara. Individuals are turning up to exercise with their extended families, says Mr Mann.

“The exercise is just a starting point. Our goal is for individuals to take what they learn about nutrition and exercise home and make some lifestyle changes for themselves and their families.”

The programmes, which are completely free for the community, are also changing the way people interact with each other, says Joseph Liava’a, community manager at East Tamaki Healthcare which is funding Fitlife.

“People who didn’t speak to each other before, though they might see each other every day at the shops, now stop to make conversation, because they are participating in the same activities,” Mr Liava’a says.

Outside the eight-week programmes, families in the same street are now getting together and doing their own offline activities, he says.“The community strengthening has been an unintended consequence of the programme, but what an awesome thing it’s turned out to be.”

At Arataki Community Centre, one of the most uplifting developments has been the change in people’s perceptions of themselves, which are more positive than before, says Matthew Strange.

“What the centre has clearly done is help build a sense of pride in the community.”

*Matthew Strange was a participant at the Engagement in Practice Workshop, led in collaboration by NZRA and Sport Waikato on February 17.

This article was sourced directly from New Zealand Recreation Association and can be viewed online here.

The New Zealand Meat Industry Association (MIA) has announced that its chairman, Bill Falconer, is to retire in April after more than 15 years in the position. The MIA is the trade association of New Zealand’s meat processors and exporters, New Zealand’s second largest export sector with annual exports of $7.7 billion, and New Zealand’s largest manufacturing industry with some 25,000 employees. Mr Falconer has chaired the MIA through a time of considerable change in the sector, including a reorientation of market focus to emerging markets in Asia.

As independent chair, Mr Falconer has successfully ensured that the highly competitive meat industry has presented a collective voice on key issues including on government policies and trade. He was also instrumental in the development of the 2011 Red Meat Sector Strategy which sought to identify ways in which industry profitability, for both farmers and processors, could be increased sustainably.

John Loughlin has been appointed to replace Mr Falconer and will take up his role on 6 April. Mr Loughlin has extensive governance experience as a professional director and company chair, currently including Powerco, agricultural technology company Tru-Test, EastPack and Port of Napier. He is a previous chair of Zespri, having held that position from 2008 to 2013. Mr Loughlin also has a sound understanding of the meat industry having been Chief Executive Officer of Hawkes Bay meat processor, Richmond Limited, from 1997 to 2002.

This Media Release was sourced directly from Meat Industry Association and can be viewed online here. 

Newly-formed industry association Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia (HVIA) today announced plans to invest heavily in building a national voice for the manufacturers, distributors and suppliers of heavy vehicles and their components, equipment and technology.

HVIA CEO, Brett Wright announced the appointment of four new staff and the establishment two new offices to ensure that HVIA delivers on its promise to build a strong, national voice on behalf of the entire heavy vehicle industry. The HVIA was formed late last year from the former Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Queensland (CVIAQ) with the aim of better resourcing the advocacy and representation of the industry.

‘We are delighted to build upon our strong reputation for technical and regulatory advocacy and member service,’ Wright said when announcing two of the new roles. ‘Our National Manager, Policy and Government Relations and our Chief Technical Officer are both engineers and each bring deep experience from government and industry.’

Greg Forbes – National Manager, Policy and Government Relations and Manager, Southern Region 

Greg Forbes has more than twenty years’ experience in formulating and implementing strategic reform programs at both the state and national level. Greg spent more than two decades working in a series of senior roles within the WA Department of Transport. Critically, Greg has spent the last five years assisting in the development of two Council of Australian Governments (COAG) reform projects. He served as the Principal Manager of Policy and Systems in the National Heavy Vehicle Regulator Project Office and more recently worked within the Heavy Vehicle Charging and Investment project.

Along with Brett Wright, Greg will be responsible for developing policy and representing the industry to government and through various industry forums. As Manager of the Southern Region, Greg will be responsible for serving existing and recruiting new member companies from its new Melbourne office.

Paul Caus – Chief Technical Officer

Paul Caus is a mechanical engineer with a solid technical foundation in product development and

vehicle regulation. He brings experience in industry and government in equal measure. Paul worked for companies including Toyota, Hino and UD Trucks for a combined total of twelve years and in government at both the state level and the Commonwealth. Most recently, Paul fulfilled senior regulatory roles in the Commonwealth Department of Infrastructure and Regional Development and in NSW Roads and Maritime Services. Paul will play a leading role in ensuring that regulation affecting the industry is both practical and workable for manufacturers and services companies. Importantly, he will provide guidance to members on how to comply with regulations and deal with technical issues. Paul will work from the HVIA National Office in Brisbane.

Two new HVIA offices will open over the next two months, one in each of Melbourne and Perth. ‘We are committed to being a truly national voice,’ Wright said, noting that HVIA will have offices in the three main manufacturing centres of the heavy vehicle industry – Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth. ‘As part of our distributed national structure, each office will lead a national function for the organisation,’ he said. The Perth office will be home to the national VET and Career Promotion function and Membership and Communications will be managed out of Melbourne. Accordingly, two additional appointments were announced.

Mark Tucek, Manager, North-western Region and National Coordinator, Career Promotion

Mark Tucek is an experienced association executive who has served as the CEO of two industry

associations in the agricultural sector in Western Australia. He is highly experienced in delivering

membership benefits via industry representation, government relations, consultation and program

development and delivery. Mark also brings experience in national workforce planning and career

promotion.

As Manager of the North-western Region Mark will have responsibility for developing the membership in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Nationally, he will have responsibility for coordinating HVIA’s extensive career promotion program and for participating in national training package development and VET policy forums. Mark will be based in HVIA’s Perth office.

Communication and membership development will be two key priorities for HVIA. These dual national functions will be managed from the Melbourne Office.

Savio D’sa – Manager, Communications and Membership

Savio D’sa is a highly-trained and experienced organisational communicator. He has a solid grounding in member-based associations having worked for the Australian Association of Gerontology and the Law Society of Western Australia.

Reporting to the National Manager, Policy and Government Relations and Manager, Southern Region, Savio will play a leading role in expanding the membership base and effectively communicating and engaging with members nationally.

The Melbourne office is slated to open by the end of March and the Perth office will follow in early April. 

‘We are delighted with the calibre of professionals who have chosen to join HVIA,’ said Brett Wright. ‘It is an exciting time to be in the heavy vehicle industry and we look forward to building a strong national voice to represent our members.’

This article was sourced directly from Heavy Vehicle Industry Australia and can be viewed online here.

Fitness Australia, the peak fitness industry association, announces Bill Moore as the incoming Chief Executive Officer.

Bill Moore has an extensive background in the fitness industry, commencing with the ownership of a strong independent fitness facility in Balmain in the early 90’s and being involved in the foundation work and establishment of key principals that now underpin Fitness Australia.

More recently Bill was responsible for the development and successful running of the Michelle Bridges Group of Companies.

Bill brings a high level of experience and expertise in business development, operations and brand development.

Having been involved at all levels including as an instructor, personal trainer and owner of fitness businesses, his understanding and connection to the industry as a whole will allow him to hit the ground running and the drive the evolution of Fitness Australia.

We look forward to welcoming Bill as the CEO on Monday 4th April.

This media release was sourced directly from Fitness Australia. 

While much has been achieved over subsequent years, the Independent Taskforce on Workplace Health and Safety recently identified a number of shortcomings in New Zealand’s approach to workplace health and safety. The result is a new law, the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, which comes into effect on April 4.

The recent changes to legislation means a refresh to our Health and Safety systems. AuSAE, has currently setup a Health and Safety working group to address different challenges we, as associations, face in regard to interpreting the recent legislative changes. Such as:

• Workplace being anywhere an employee works
  
• • Working from home
  • Vehicle
  • Home visits
  • Hotel room / other places an employee travels to
• Event / Conference delivery
  
• Governance responsibilities for board members and what are the new board duties
  
• Work done by Volunteer groups and other affiliated parties
  
• Must supply safety equipment
  
• OH&S Apps / Computer services
  

In Mid-April we will have these straight forward guides, policies and templates for AuSAE members to access on these important issues.

Should you have any questions or queries please feel free to contact Brett Jeffery – General Manager NZ brett@ausae.org.nz 027 249 8677.