Industry News

12 separate pieces of Federal and State legislation spanning 8,000 pages will now be consolidated into a single law after the Queensland Government passed the Heavy Vehicle National Law Amendment Bill through State Parliament.

The Federal Government has outlined a $1 billion plan it claims will secure economic growth for the future by boosting innovation, productivity and competitiveness.

The Queensland Government has announced the formation of the new science panel tasked with providing independent expert advice on the long term management of water quality in Gladstone Harbour, with the panel preparing for its first meeting on 5 March.

The Queensland Government has announced Ian Walker as the new State Minister for Science, Information Technology, Innovation and the Arts, with Rob Molhoek taking the position of Assistant Minister for Planning Reform and Tarnya Smith named the new Assistant Minister for Child Safety.

The Federal Government has announced two new Cooperative Research Centres (CRCs) will share in $70 million in funding.

The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) has revised its Australian Dietary Guidelines and the Infant Feeding Guidelines in a bid to thwart the country’s growing obesity epidemic.

New Zealand’s largest publically listed power company, Contact Energy, has announced it will be restructuring its business in a bid to reduce expenditure costs and resize the business ‘to match current market conditions’.

The Australian Industry Group (AI Group) has lent its voice to the increasingly clamour calling for the scrapping of the Building Cod 2013, citing ‘numerous interpretation and application problem which have come to light’.

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has announced the establishment of the Consumer Challenge Panel as part of its ongoing approach to enhance engagement with consumers and their representatives.

New home lending rates recorded a lacklustre end to 2012, according to the latest aBS Housing Finance statistics.

The Housing Industry Association has announced the recent scholarship winners of the prestigious Build Your Future program.

The National Centre for Vocational Education Research has announced that employers across the country will be contacted in the coming weeks as part of its Survey of Australian Employers in a bid to identify the ways they meet their skill needs and how effective their strategies are.

Delays with works conducted by one of its major subcontractors has seen the NBN Co downgrade its June 13 target for the number of premises passed for connection to the service.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced it will allow dental practitioners who operate on a shared premises to reach agreements on the fees they charge their patients provided at least one party is a member of the Australian Dental Association (ADA).

Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency, Greg Combet, has hailed US President Barrack Obama’s overtures for the establishment of a market-based carbon pricing mechanism.

The National Broadband Network Co (NBN Co) has switched on major services across Tasmania, with eight new NBN Digital Hubs, seven Digital Enterprises, and five Digital Local Government Programs coming online across the State.

The National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) has announced the release of a set of new data centre ratings tools.

Data storage company NEXTDC has announced the appointment of Paul Gampe as the company’s new Chief Technology Officer.

The Queensland Government has passed legislation that will enable the introduction of the new R18+ rating for video games.

Hoax emails are on the rise, according to Telstra, with high profile brands increasingly impersonated by increasingly sophisticated fraudsters.