Queensland employers will have an additional incentive to hire local young people this festive season. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced in Parliament today the doubling of the Government’s $10,000 incentive, offering a $20,000 kick-back for regional businesses who hire unemployed youths. “Youth unemployment was unacceptably high in some regions and my Government is redoubling its efforts […]
POLICY & ADVOCACY > TASMANIA The Tasmanian Government has announced that it has instructed its Environment Protection Authority to provide advice on the possibility of introducing a container deposit scheme (CDS). Before the Government introduces any such scheme, the National Retail Association has asked that they consult with the retail industry to ensure that no […]
Over the last 12 months, the NRA has delivered training to over 200 jobseekers through the Skilling Queenslanders for Work program, and we are very pleased to report that almost 50% of these people have found employment in retail. Recently we asked for expressions of interest in hiring trainees from our members, and were overwhelmed […]
Last week’s retail trade data may not have been the most high-profile activity performed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in recent months. That honour clearly went to the national Census. But in terms of outcomes, this exercise was almost as disappointing! The ABS reported that retail trade flatlined in July – in official terms, […]
With more than 1 million people working in Australia on temporary work visas, claims are revealing fraudulent visa applications on the black market and exploitation of Australia’s visa regime. The immigration department is currently facing more referred allegations of corruption in the past 12 months than the watchdog has received since 2006. In the past, […]
There are just 12 days left in the Federal Election campaign, and I think all Australians – including the politicians – are well and truly ready to see the end of it. Regardless of which side you support, we know that these events can have a disproportionate impact on consumer sentiment and business purchasing. I […]
Tonight, we will know the details of the 2016 Federal Budget, as Treasurer Scott Morrison hands down his first budget. Given the current mixed retail environment, we have been urging the Federal Government, in the lead up to the delivery of its third budget, to provide as much certainty and clarity as possible. The Australian […]
As the Chairman mentioned in last week’s message, we have farewelled CEO Trevor Evans, who has been preselected to contest a seat at the Federal Election on July 2nd. While the National Retail Association is strictly a non-partisan organisation, we do wish Trevor every success. It is important that we have Federal MPs who understand […]
This week’s Australian Bureau of Statistics results for February showed a continuation of the longer term growth in our sector we have been witnessing for some time now. The headline figures were no doubt disappointing – showing effectively no change from January’s results. However, the annualised growth rates showed a 3.7 per cent increase compared […]
As a result of the Harper Review into competition policy, the Federal Government announced that it will legislate to amend Section 46 of the Competition and Consumer Act – the misuse of market power provision. The Harper Review found that Australia’s current misuse of market power provision is not reliably enforceable and permits anti-competitive conduct. […]
The retail trade figures for January, released today, showed a steady start to the year with an increase in turnover 0.3 per cent for the month, seasonally adjusted, and a 4.0 increase compared with January last year. This steady, if not spectacular, growth is welcome as we see consumer sentiment stabilising and spending patterns becoming […]
Federal Parliament resumes next week, with the Government and Opposition both looking to finalise their pitches to voters ahead of the election due later this year. To coincide with the resumption of Parliament, a delegation from the NRA will be in Canberra for meetings with the Prime Minister, Mr Turnbull, as well as a range […]