Archived News for Professionals in Federal Government

The Federal Government has announced the new command arrangements for the Australian Defence Force as Air Chief Marshall Angus Huston steps down from the ADF’s top job after the completion of his second three-year rotation.

The Australian Chamber of Commerce in China (AustCham) has released its first Issue Paper on the Australian financial sector in China, saying the focus in trade between the two countries should increasingly move towards services.

The Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, has announced an overhaul of senior bureaucrats, including the appointment of new secretaries in the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research and the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities.

The chief regulatory officer of iiNet, Stephen Dalby, has called for all levels of government to be completely involved in the use and execution of the National Digital Economy Strategy to ensure its success.

Government information management and Australia's open government reforms will be strengthened with the release of the Principles on open public sector information,  launched recently by Australian Information Commissioner Professor John McMillan .

The Productivity Commission is to undertake a study focusing on effective identification of regulatory reform opportunities and the evaluation of reform outcomes.

The Federal Government has announced the launching of the new National Road Safety Strategy after the Australian Transport Council officially offered its endorsement of the initiative.

The Green’s plan to build a carbon neutral economy before 2050 by banning coal mines has drawn criticism from Queensland Premier Anna Bligh, who has labeled the plan as fanciful and liable to cause an economic and social catastrophe in her state.

New South Wales has flagged its intention to push for a single federal tariff scheme for solar rebates following a tense week for the O’Farrell government after its plan to cut the state rebate from 60c to 40c per kilowatt was met with widespread public resistance.

The Murray Darling Basin Authority (MDBA) has reported that it will require $38 million in funding this financial year while new research shows that less than 3000 gigalitres will be required for environmental flow.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has opened the Forestry Industry Database (FID) with an aim to display the industry’s data and statistics to the public.

The Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations has released the Australian Jobs 2011 report into the state of employment in Australia, finding that employment with the public administration and safety sector is set to grow by 5.9%, or 40,900 jobs.

Employment opportunities for skilled workers, particularly electricians and nurses, will rise substantially over the next five years, according to the Australian Jobs Report 2011.

A report released by the Productivity Commission has identified wide-ranging differences in the ways all levels of government plan and zone land uses and assess development proposals.

The Indigenous Employment Program (IEO) has announced 220 job training and placements in aged and child care for Indigenous Australians.

The Senate Rural Affairs and Transport References Committee has called for submissions to its inquiry into the impact of mining of coal seam gas on the management of the Murray Darling Basin.

Major reform has been slated for the Federal Government’s infrastructure statutory advisory body, Infrastructure Australia (IA), after an additional $36 million injection was announced in the Federal Budget.

The Federal Government has announced a $3.4 billion injection for the country’s rail system.

The Federal Government has a threatened to ‘blackball’ councils that finish Commonwealth-funded infrastructure projects behind schedule or over budget.