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New national work, health & Safety Laws

1 November 2011

New national Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws have been developed to replace the existing state based Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) laws. 

The WHS laws mean that the same safety protection and the same penalties for safety offences will apply across all locations in Australia. 

The current state based safety laws are similar in some ways to one another but there are differences which can be confusing. Under the national WHS laws, Australian workers should be entitled to the same work health and safety standards wherever they work. 

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Youth allowance changes benefit regional students

1 November 2011

Legislation has passed through Parliament extending to students from Inner Regional Australia the workforce participation independence arrangements for Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY that currently apply only to students from Outer Regional Australia, Remote Australia and Very Remote Australia. 

The legislation was drafted in response to the findings of a Review of Student Income Support Reforms that students from regional areas experience higher costs in relocating for the purposes of study than their metropolitan counterparts. Areas classified as “inner regional” include the regional cities and surrounding areas of Wagga Wagga, Goulburn, Tamworth, Orange and Bathurst. 

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7 considerations for investors in the 21ST century

1 September 2011

Change is upon us. Investors must either embrace change or risk missing out on some of the biggest investment themes in a generation. This article discusses how investors can position themselves. 

Making predictions is inherently fraught. It is virtual guesswork to say what level the Dow Jones Industrial Average will be in five years’ time. However, when it comes to the big, secular themes that are influencing economies and financial markets, there is more scope to be forthright. 

Most of the themes that appear set to be prominent in the 21st century – the rise of the east, growing consumption and urbanisation in emerging markets, the changing demographics and ageing of the world population, the challenge of feeding and powering the world, technological and climate change, the rise of Africa – are visible and investible, or will be soon enough. 

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Personal property security (PPS) reform is coming

1 September 2011

In early 2012 new Personal Property Securities (PPS) laws will come into effect. PPS reform has been on the agenda since April 2007 when the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed to establish a national system for the registration of personal property securities. Currently in Australia there are significant limitations on the use of personal property as security due to difficulties and gaps in registering security interests. More than 70 Commonwealth, State and Territory Acts regulate personal property securities. 

PPS reform is taking place to create a national system for using personal property as security in business transactions. The reform will replace existing laws in order to reduce the cost and complexity for small and medium-sized businesses. 

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The importance of good record keeping

The importance of good record keeping

1 September 2011

There are many reasons why business owners should have good record keeping systems and processes in place. 

The most important reason is that it is a 
legal requirement and there are penalties for not maintaining the required records. Also, most business owners are aware that good records can assist to: 

  • Make it easier to complete your activity statements and prepare your annual income tax and fringe benefits tax returns 
  • Monitor the health of your business and be able to make sound business decisions – for example, by keeping track of debtors and creditors 
  • Help you to manage your cash flow
  • Demonstrate your financial position to banks and other lenders, and also to prospective buyers of your business
  • Show the basis for any amendments you need to make to activity statements or tax returns you have already lodged.

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