Sector and AuSAE News

  • 10 Apr 2015 10:10 AM | Louise Stokes

    The NZAS's (New Zealand Association of Scientists) conference in Wellington today had experts sharing their experiences, and encouraging others, in speaking publicly. The conference, titled Going public: scientists speaking out on difficult issues, focused on exploring the issues surrounding and challenges for experts stepping up and speaking to the public on topical science-related issues.


    NZAS president Nicola Gaston kicked off the day by describing how fear and peer-pressure often discouraged scientists from speaking out.


    “The fear of being wrong is compounded by the myth of scientific expertise, where a person is seen as having to be right all of the time,” she said.


    Dr Gaston said that when dealing with controversial issues there was seldom one right answer, but it was important the right scientists were speaking at the right time.


    The Science Media Centre’s Peter Griffin emphasised the need for scientists to get on the front foot when science issues were in the headlines.


    “Put your hand up, or it is more likely you will get pseudo science and vested interests controlling the narrative.”


    Dominion Post journalist Nikki Macdonald agreed that scientists needed to be heard for the media to get it right.


    “Journalists are looking for information, we want to understand the issue and understand the science. The more access to different voices, the better we have the complete picture.”


    While there were no easy answers, Auckland University researcher Siouxsie Wiles captured the sentiment of the room as she described the difficulties, and rewards, of good science communication.


    “A lot of people say “what the hell do you know about this”, but the reason that I’m here, it’s not about me, it’s about wanting New Zealand to be a scientifically literate country.”


    You can follow the conference on Twitter, using the hashtag #GoingPublic


    This article first appeared on NZ Doctor website here.

  • 10 Apr 2015 9:00 AM | Louise Stokes

    Notes of a  presentation to ASSR September 2007 Forum by Andrew Rae (Stats NZ) and Diana Suggate (OCVS – MSD) about Classifying New Zealand’s Non-Profit Sector For Comparability with International Standards.


    Context


    Diana Suggate, Senior Analyst at the Ministry of Social Development’s Office for the Community & Voluntary Sector, and Andrew Rae, representing Statistics New Zealand’s Non-Profit Institutions team, were part of a research effort that brought together Stats NZ, MSD, Massey University, and private researchers in an ambitious international drive to map the non-profit institutions of more than 40 countries.


    Non-profit institutions contribute almost 5% to the country’s gross domestic product in 2004, and marshal the efforts of more than a million New Zealanders—half of whom made a habit of volunteerism. These findings were part of a presentation to the September Forum by two researchers working across departmental boundaries to produce a taxonomy of the New Zealand non-profit sector. The taxonomy will then become an essential reference for policy makers and help to drive policy.


    The New Zealand team also consulted an expert advisory committee that included Not-for-Profit Sector representatives, several academics, Maori community advisors, and others. The team met an important benchmark a month ago in launching the New Zealand Satellite Account through Stats NZ. Just what a satellite account is, what it allows one to discern, and how the team constituted it, provided the body of the Forum presentation.


    Please find original post here.

  • 07 Apr 2015 12:11 PM | Louise Stokes
    Research into businesses across Australia and New Zealand has found that 34% of companies with offshore operations have encountered a foreign bribery or corruption incident over the past five years – up from 21% in 2012.

    The 2015 Deloitte Bribery and Corruption Survey had respondents from 269 organisations in New Zealand and Australia, finding that 23% had experienced at least one case of domestic corruption since 2010. More than half of these transpired during the last year.

    The survey was the second of its kind conducted by Deloitte, but was the first to ask questions about domestic bribery and corruption. “Almost one in four organisations reporting an incident is a significant level of corruption,” Barry Jordan, lead forensics partner at Deloitte, told The New Zealand Herald. “There is no longer any excuse for complacency against this risk. Apart from the legal ramifications, which can include heavy fines or even jail time, the long term reputational damage from corruption can have serious long term flow on effects on an organisation's bottom line.”

    According to the report, the most common types of corruption cited were undisclosed conflicts of interest, supplier kickback and personal favours. Over 25% of the incidents occurred within organisations with over 5000 employees, while 68% of incidents involved private or business individuals. It was also found that corruption was occurring within all sectors.

    The whistle was most often being blown on domestic corruption in management reviews, internal controls and tip-offs from employees; but in larger organisations with more than 5000 employees, the most common way of informing employers of corruption was via a dedicated hotline.

    “Hotline channels have increasing potential in terms of incident detection and deterrence,” Jordan said, adding that the report’s findings emphasised that large organisations should provide a platform to enable tip-offs to be made.

    Several countries, including China, India and Indonesia, have begun to increase their efforts to combat corruption, the report stated. However, just 31% of respondents with offshore operations reported having a comprehensive understanding of relevant legislations.

    Forty per cent also reported either not having or not being aware of a formal compliance program to manage corruption risk, while almost one in five participants operating in high risk jurisdictions did not discuss the risks at management or board level.

    “A large percentage of respondents do not have adequate systems in place to identify foreign bribery risks, nor have they carried out foreign bribery and corruption risk assessments,” said Julie Read, chief executive and director of the New Zealand Serious Fraud Office. “This is surprising given the success of Kiwi companies overseas, in jurisdictions identified by Transparency International as high risk, and where UK, US and NZ legislation all apply. We see the potential for an increase in foreign bribery cases given this profile and would encourage all companies trading in international markets to be proactive in taking steps to identify and respond to risks of foreign bribery in their organisations.”


    This article originally appeared here.


  • 07 Apr 2015 11:52 AM | Louise Stokes
    A healthy visitor economy is vital to the regions but local government support is essential, the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand (TIA) says.

    In its submission to Local Government New Zealand’s Local Government Funding Review, TIA says local government plays a central role in regional economic development.

    "The visitor economy generates jobs and income, as well as contributing to the vibrancy of communities. Only a fraction of the money international and domestic visitors spend is in places commonly considered tourism-specific, such as accommodation, activities and attractions. They also spend in shops, cafes, restaurants, supermarkets and petrol stations," TIA Chief Executive Chris Roberts says.

    Many regions rely heavily on visitor expenditure, ranging from $75 million a year in Gisborne, to $4.8 billion a year in the Auckland region.

    Local government investment in assets such as stadia, conference facilities, parks and museums brings great benefits to both visitors and ratepayers, Mr Roberts says.

    "However, the tourism industry acknowledges that growth in visitor numbers is putting pressure on areas with small rating bases like Kaikoura, Queenstown and the West Coast. We want to work with local government to find solutions to the fiscal challenges being faced by councils," he says.

    TIA is open to the possibility that visitor levies could be introduced in some regions but only if they are supported by the local community and are re-invested in tourism-related projects.

    TIA’s submission points out that ‘bed taxes’ are inequitable as they target only those visitors staying in commercial accommodation, not those staying in private homes or renting holiday homes. They are also costly for accommodation providers to administer.

    "Bed taxes can work in places like Queenstown where many visitors stay in commercial accommodation, but they don’t work in areas like Thames-Coromandel where visitors tend to stay in rented accommodation or their own holiday homes," Mr Roberts says.

    "This highlights the difficulty of introducing a national policy. Any visitor levy regime should be decided at the local level, on a case by case basis."

    TIA’s view is that other rating models set out in the LGNZ paper, such as development contributions, local income taxes, user charges and regional fuel taxes, should also be considered as ways to fund destination marketing and visitor infrastructure because local residents also benefit.

    To read TIA’s submission, go to www.tianz.org.nz/main/local-government
  • 07 Apr 2015 11:46 AM | Louise Stokes
    Under a law change that has recently come into force, charities must improve financial reporting. Registered charities now need to include information about their income and expenses with their annual returns.

    A spokesperson for the government agency Charities Services, Michael Wiles, said that up until now, there had been no minimum requirement for what the financial statements should cover. He said the change was aimed at boosting public trust and confidence in the sector.

    A lawyer who works with charities said it would be hard for charities to adjust to tougher reporting standard. Susan Barker said it would be difficult for organisations where there was significant change and there will be a period of adjustment. She said the changes were designed to ensure accounting information was consistent and easily understandable for the public.


    This story originally appeared here.

  • 07 Apr 2015 11:30 AM | Louise Stokes

    As one of an elite group of Annual Partners, Advanced Solutions International will support AuSAE events, programs, and workshops benefiting the New Zealand association community

    Advanced Solutions International (ASI), the largest, privately-owned global provider of not-for-profit software, today announced it will provide sponsorship funding in 2015 to the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE) through the New Zealand. AuSAE is the peak professional society in Australia and New Zealand for executives working in associations; ASI will serve as one of an exclusive group of Annual Partners for New Zealand.


    ASI’s sponsorship will help support AuSAE’s member conferences, workshops, leadership symposiums, peer-to-peer networking events, surveys and research, online communities, and more in the New Zealand region.

    “Reaching out to the New Zealand association community is important to ASI and there’s no better way to accomplish this than through AuSAE,” said Paul Ramsbottom, Managing Director of ASI Asia-Pacific. “Their timely and informative events and innovative tools/resources are invaluable to the industry and we’re proud to support their efforts.”

    “ASI is an established leader in the global association community and we’re thrilled they will be joining us as an Annual Partner of New Zealand this year,” said Brett Jeffery, General Manager of AuSAE — New Zealand. “ASI’s support will ensure we can continue to provide the exceptional level of programming our members expect.”

    About ASI
    Advanced Solutions International (ASI) is a recognised global industry thought leader that focuses on helping associations and not-for-profits increase operational and financial performance through the use of best practices, proven solutions, and ongoing client advisement. Since 1991, ASI has served nearly 4,000 clients and millions of users worldwide, both directly and indirectly through a network of over 100 partners, and currently maintains corporate offices in the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia.

    ASI is the provider of iMIS 20, an Engagement Management System (EMS) ™ that enables organisations to engage members, donors, and other constituents anytime, anywhere, from any device. It includes constituent relationship management, commerce management, member self-service, online fundraising, social engagement, private communities, and mobile access in one seamless cloud-based system. Plus, iMIS 20 has the flexibility to work with an existing Content Management System (CMS) or – for many organisations – the power to manage their entire website. This eliminates costly integration efforts, enables you to gather better constituent intelligence, and helps you make smarter business decisions.


    Please find the full press release here.


  • 07 Apr 2015 10:33 AM | Louise Stokes

    Superannuation, Sport, the ASX100, NSW Government Boards and Cooperative Research Centres are the only areas where gains of more than five per cent in the number of women on boards have been made since 2013, in new research released today.


    Releasing the 2015 Boardroom Diversity Index (BDI) in Sydney, Women on Boards Directors, Ruth Medd and Claire Braund, said these sectors stood out for the greatest gains, but there were encouraging trends in all areas – except the Federal, Queensland and Western Australian Governments.

     

    “It is clear to us that the message is starting to hit home in a number of important areas in the economy – in particular superannuation and ASX companies – but unfortunately not with some Governments,” Ms Braund said.

     

    “It’s hard not to conclude that conservative leaning governments are bad for women.”

     

    Queensland posted the biggest loss of -13.6% in the number of women serving on the boards of state owned corporations, followed by Western Australia with -3.2% and Rural Research and Development Corporations at -2.0%.

     

    While the 91 significant Federal Government boards included in the research only posted a loss of -0.6%, the 2014 Australian Government Gender Balance on Boards Report (not compiled by WoB) showed the number of female board members down by two per cent on the previous year across 387 government boards.

     

    “This is a worrying trend that, if it continues, could easily move to five or 10 per cent and erode the excellent work done by the previous Federal Government to move women into board roles via its Boardlinks program.”

     

    The research reveals gender balance on governing bodies of universities, National Sporting Organisations, affordable housing companies, Medicare Locals, State Health Services (NSW, Vic and Qld) and State Owned Corporations in NSW, Victoria and South Australia is above 30 per cent.

     

    Ms Braund said listed companies beyond the ASX100 still had some way to go, noting there were 81 companies in the ASX300 without a woman on their board.

     

    She drew particular attention to five companies in the ASX100 - TPG Telecom, Ramsay Healthcare, Qube Holdings, Sirtex Medical and Domino’s Pizza Enterprises – who do not have a woman on their board.

     

    “These companies are bucking the trend when it comes to other ASX100 companies who have steadily increased the number of women on boards to be in reach of a 25% target by 2016.”

     

    “While this is clearly a long way short of the desired 40 per cent, it is moderate progress that we trust will continue.”

    Ms Braund said Women on Boards has been focussed on the superannuation sector over the past year in terms of moving women onto boards and was pleased to see gains being made following stagnation in the 2013 index.

     

    Of the 135 Superannuation Trusts measured for this year’s index, 254 of the 955 trustees were female (26.6%) – a rise of 5.7% on the 2013 index.

     

    Speaking at the launch of the BDI, Anne Richards CVO CBE, Global Chief Investment Officer at Aberdeen Asset Management, congratulated the Australian Superannuation industry on the result.

     

    Ms Richards, rated one of the most influential female executives working in financial services across Europe, the Middle East and Africa by the Financial News in 2014, said the global influence exerted by superannuation trusts meant it was critically important to get the right gender balance of trustees.


    This media release originally appeared here on Women on Boards.

  • 07 Apr 2015 10:30 AM | Louise Stokes
    Over the coming months the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), the independent national regulator of charities, will be delivering a series of free webinars. The webinars will be held monthly and will cover a range of topics to support charities registered with the ACNC. They include an overview of the topic, practical examples and a Q&A session. The first webinar was held on 12 March and helped the 30 participants better understand the ACNC’s governance standards.

    The next webinar, scheduled for 20 April 2015, will help charities manage their obligations to the ACNC via the online Charity Portal. Other topics scheduled for later in the year are likely to include:
    • Managing your charity through the ACNC Charity Portal
    • Reporting to the ACNC – the Annual Information Statement
    • Meeting the governance standards
    • What to do before applying to be a registered charity
    • Obligations of newly registered charities, and
    • The roles and responsibilities of new charity board members.
    ACNC Commissioner, Susan Pascoe AM, said that the series of webinars was part of the ACNC’s broader approach to helping charities understand their obligations, aimed at ensuring those in more remote areas could also have the opportunity to learn more and ask questions. “This is an exciting, new way for charities to interact with the ACNC,” Ms Pascoe said. “Webinars are an easy way for people across the country to communicate directly with ACNC staff and ask questions in real time. Since the establishment of the ACNC, we have been committed to providing education, guidance and advice to help registered charities comply with their obligations. The series of webinars builds on the Facebook sessions we have run in the past and complements the existing web content, factsheets, guides, podcasts, and videos produced by the ACNC to date. These webinars are free to attend, but places may be limited, so please register your interest for upcoming events as soon as possible. We are also interested to know which topics would be of most interest to charities, so we can respond to need.”

    Charities can find more information, register their interest for upcoming sessions, or watch the 12 March session at acnc.gov.au/webinars.

  • 02 Apr 2015 12:13 PM | Louise Stokes
    Carbine Media Year Planners provide a simple way to enhance your media strategy by distributing its spread throughout the year. Reach is excellent, with a national distribution that targets your chosen planner segment and a high frequency of exposure through consistent planner utility. This reinforces awareness to aid retention of your brand and its benefits. Through your company's contribution, Carbine Media Year Planners also provide an excellent means of aligning your company to an industry through the support of a product that is tailored to its members. In this way it is similar to sponsorship, with the added advantage of daily exposure in a relevant environment - the work place. Most importantly - unlike journals, diaries and calendars - a planner is never closed.

    Benefits to user
    • Receive a free professional resource
    • Useful information e.g. school terms, public holidays
    • Industry events e.g. seminars, conferences, meetings
    • Tailored to their industry for professional use
    • See the entire working year at a glance
    Benefits to sponsor
    • Target market through a direct channel
    • Align company/brand with chosen industry
    • Gain high frequency of exposure through regular use
    • Gain extended reach through multiple planner use
    • 12 months exposure for 1 annual spend
    Carbine Media is a multimedia and publishing company. They work with associations to generate revenue from corporate sponsorship of printed and digital member products. In addition to providing associations with another revenue channel, their products are positioned to increase engagement and improve renewal rates amongst your members. Their clients include the Australian Medical Association, Australian Veterinary Association, Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Radiologists.

    Get in touch with John from Carbine Media today to find out more about professional planning products.
  • 02 Apr 2015 11:50 AM | Louise Stokes
    The unprecedented surge in New Zealand's tourism in 2015 until the end of February has been attested by Tourism New Zealand chief executive Kevin Bowler, who explains the record-breaking spurt in tourist arrivals as a combination of two factors--Chinese New Year and ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Bowler pointed to the strengthening of micro parameters including the lengthening of New Zealand guest nights that rose for five consecutive months till the end of November 2014. Data from Statistics NZ shows that in November 2014 compared to the previous year, Northland was the biggest gainer as a favourite destination where tourists spent more time, with a 15 percent increase in overnight stays, even as Auckland retained its allure with a 4.1 percent jump in guest nights.

    Global Destination
    The international outlook on New Zealand tourism is shared by Paul Carberry, who is a New Zealand expert, associated with U.K.-based New Zealand In Depth. He noted that New Zealand has been a favourite long haul destination for Brits and its pull is manifested in the overall 5 percent increase in international arrivals showing up since 2014.

    Among the international tourists flocking to New Zealand, Chinese tourists are topping the charts. The numbers from China showed a 100 percent hike from 27,500 to 56,000, while the arrivals from America jumped from 5,000 to 36,700. Arrivals from Taiwan also doubled, backed by flights from Taipei to Christchurch via Sydney. Bowler said the growth is remarkable as a real-time spurt in high-value holiday visitors, whose arrivals for February, were up by 24.2 percent.

    The organisation has seen a jump in tourist arrivals from key markets such as Australia (1.6 percent), the U.K. (1.8 percent) and India (36 percent). Other important markets of holidayers also showed a big spurt for the year ending February 2015, including Asian markets Singapore (9.2 percent), Japan (11.6 percent) and Korea (12.2 percent). The emerging markets, too, were exemplary in sending more tourists, with substantial year-on-year growth for Brazil (12.4 percent) and Indonesia (13.3 percent).

    On Target
    Tourism Industry Association New Zealand is also upbeat that international visitor spending has jumped 7.4 percent in 2014 and the number of international visitors rose 5 percent. TIA chief executive Chris Roberts is delighted that his members are experiencing "an outstanding" season. The association believes the industry is on the way to achieve the targeted tourism revenue of NZ$ 41 billion by 2025. The influx of high-spending travellers shows that New Zealand's tourism industry is on track to achieve the goal of doubling tourism revenue, he added. Roberts referred to the latest statistics and pointed to the 14 percent spurt in international tourist arrivals in February 2015, at 343,500, which is "exciting," compared to the same period in 2014.

    Amazing Potential
    Roberts told International Business Times exclusively that Tourism 2025 envisages the rapidly growing middle class in the Asia-Pacific region as a huge opportunity for New Zealand. Markets like China and India are showing strong growth, while Indonesia and South America are growing markets, he noted. The TIA also launched a Tourism 2025 growth framework in 2014 to meet the industry's aspirational goal to double New Zealand's total tourism revenue by 2025. Roberts said his organisation is making all out efforts to influence and propose policies in the government and regulatory settings to support that goal and identify barriers within the industry.

    The TIA's strategic plan for the next three years will include projects to address workforce and infrastructure issues in order to ensure that New Zealand meets the demands of the growing visitor market. The association has recently released its "State of the Tourism Industry 2014" report. The TIA is bullish that the tourism industry is on track and is getting aligned with the goals of Tourism 2025 with its focus on volume as well as value.

    For feedback or comments, contact the writer at kalyanaussie@gmail.com.


    This article originally appeared on International Business Times and was written by Kalyan Kumar.


The Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE)

Australian Office:
Address: Unit 6, 26 Navigator Place, Hendra QLD 4011 Australia
Free Call: +61 1300 764 576
Phone: +61 7 3268 7955
Email: info@ausae.org.au

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Address: 159 Otonga Rd, Rotorua 3015 New Zealand
Phone: +64 27 249 8677
Email: nzteam@ausae.org.au

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