Source: New South Wales Government 2
09 April 2025
All clients submitting the below declarations:
All clients required to use the Export / Next Export Documentation (EXDOC/NEXDOC) systems during this planned maintenance period.
Source: New South Wales Government 2
09 April 2025
All importers and customs brokers who will be required to lodge imported cargo documentation to the department for biosecurity assessment during this planned maintenance period.
All users of the Cargo Online Lodgement System Business to Government (COLSB2G) system.
To support a system release, there will be a scheduled outage to both the Cargo Online Lodgement System (COLS), and COLSB2G from 23:00…
Source: New South Wales Government 2
08 April 2025
All clients required to use Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry web-based applications during this planned maintenance period.
All users of the Seasonal Pests (SeaPest) system.
All clients required to use the eCertificate exports portal who will be required to view or download export certification during this planned maintenance period.
All clients required to use the Export / Next Export Documentation (…
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
The Northern Territory Police Force responded to a pedestrian strike in Alice Springs this afternoon.
Around 3:05pm, police received reports that a female youth had been struck by a vehicle in the vicinity of a skate park in The Gap.
The driver of the vehicle was alerted to the situation and stopped to render assistance. The driver tested negative to roadside drug and alcohol tests and is assisting police with enquiries.
St John Ambulance conveyed the female youth to the Alice Springs Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Investigations are ongoing.
Police are appealing for any witnesses of the pedestrian strike, particularly those with dash cam footage from the area around that time to make contact on 131 444 and quote reference number P25098053.
Source: Airservices Australia
I would like to start by acknowledging the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong/Boon Wurrung peoples of the Eastern Kulin nation as the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which we are meeting this evening and pay my respects to Elders, past and present, as well as any First Nations people here with us or online.
It is great to be here to mark 40 years of Chief Executive Women (CEW).
I hadn’t intended to talk about the RBA’s policy responsibilities tonight, seeing as we are here to recognise the progress in women’s economic empowerment. However, given developments over the past week, I will make a few short comments first.
Inevitably, there will be a period of uncertainty and adjustment as countries respond to the ongoing tariff announcements by the United States administration. It will take some time to see how all of this plays out and the added unpredictability means we need to be patient as we work through how all of this could affect demand and supply globally.
Financial market and economic volatility can be expected as this process unfolds. But there are two points I want to make on this. First, we’re not currently seeing the same degree of impact as previous market events like in 2008 for example. And second, the Australian financial system is strong and well placed to absorb shocks from abroad.
We are closely monitoring financial market conditions here and overseas – as we always do. We continue to engage closely with our fellow financial regulators in Australia, and our central bank counterparts overseas, sharing information and working together. We are carefully considering several factors including the response of our trading partners, additional counter-responses from the US, the response of our exchange rate, and adjustments in other financial markets. A key focus for us is how all this uncertainty is affecting decisions made by households and businesses in Australia.
All of this – together with our usual detailed analytical work and scenarios – is helping us build a fuller picture of the possible impacts as we prepare for the next Monetary Policy Board meeting on 19-20 May. There are a lot of moving parts. We are bringing all this together to form an objective assessment of what it means for the outlook for domestic activity and inflation here at home.
We are mindful of not adding to the uncertainty, and to that end, it’s too early for us to determine what the path will be for interest rates. Our focus remains on our dual mandate for price stability and full employment.
Now, back to our focus for being here tonight.
I’ll reflect on the significant strides in women’s empowerment in the Australian economy and the progress made by women at the RBA over the past 40 years. In doing so, I will provide some reflections on my own leadership journey. I’ll also highlight our efforts to help build the pipeline of future female economists and business leaders.
Over the past 40 years, women’s representation and participation in the Australian economy has undergone a remarkable transformation.
In the mid-1980s, women made up just under 40 per cent of the workforce, with married women’s participation in the labour market especially low. But through persistent efforts – including by organisations like CEW and many of the individuals in the room tonight – women’s participation in paid work has increased considerably.
Law reform has helped, too, with the introduction of the Sex Discrimination Act in 1984 paving the way for further reforms to advance women’s rights, particularly in our workplaces. This progress has been supported by a range of other factors, including greater access to education and child care. The increased availability of more flexible working arrangements – for women and men – has also helped.
Fast forward 40 years and women now account for almost half of the paid workforce. This has given women greater financial independence and social equity, a worthy goal in and of itself. But beyond that, it has expanded the pool of available workers, providing businesses with a larger and more diverse talent base.
There are some estimates for the United States that show that between 20–40 per cent of productivity growth in the 50 years to 2010 could be attributed to better talent allocation.
The idea here is simple. If there are more people working in positions that suit their skills, this maximises their ability to contribute to economic growth and better and more informed decision-making within organisations. It is good for women, good for businesses, good for productivity and the economy, and good for society.
While women’s labour force participation has increased, there’s further progress to be made.
Research from the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) shows that fewer than 20 per cent of CEOs are women, while women made up only one-third of board members. The federal public service fares better, with women holding more than 50 per cent of Australian government board positions, and 45 per cent of chair and deputy chair positions.
The gender pay gap remains an issue. Since the mid-1990s, the gender pay gap has narrowed by about 3 percentage points, mostly in the past decade. However, men still earn $28,000 more per year on average than women.
But there are positive signs, particularly for younger workers. Participation rates for those aged 25 and under are now equal for men and women, allowing young women to build skills and experience for future leadership roles.
Indeed, in addition to closing gender gaps being the right thing to do, analysis by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) indicates that it could boost GDP by an average of 9 per cent across OECD countries by 2060. Given our ageing population in Australia, boosting the labour force participation of working-age women is not only desirable, but essential, for economic growth.
At the RBA, we have a wide range of responsibilities and rely on diverse sets of skills and experience to get the job done. Women play an essential role in all aspects of our operations.
But this hasn’t always been the case. In the 1960s and 70s, pioneers like Ann Catling and Margaret Campbell paved the way for gender equity at the RBA. Ann Catling, one of only 13 women on the men’s pay scale at the RBA in 1966, made significant contributions to development economics and gender equity. Margaret Campbell, who began at the RBA in 1967, achieved equal compensation with men while studying full-time at university. Other notable figures include Jillian Broadbent and Kerry Schott, who contributed to the RBA’s first econometric model of the Australian economy.
When I first joined the RBA in the mid-1980s, there were barely any women at the level of section head. In 1996, I was the first female to reach deputy head level in a policy department.
Reflecting on my journey, there were three important milestones for me.
The first was earning a scholarship from the RBA to undertake a Masters degree in Economics at the London School of Economics. It wasn’t just the postgraduate training. It was also an early recognition than my leaders saw promise in me.
The second was a career move when I came back from maternity leave. I was appointed as the deputy head of a new department – Payments Policy. It gave me a completely blank sheet of paper to build something new. I had very direct and regular exposure to the Governor and to the members of the Payments System Board. And I had great leaders – including men who were encouraging of me and other women as we progressed.
The third milestone was my appointment to Assistant Governor (Currency) in 2010 – the first female assistant governor. This was a big change for me. It was a move from a policy to an operational area, in which I was not an expert. I also had to lift my gaze beyond my area of specialty to the enterprise level.
In the last decade, women’s representation at the RBA improved significantly. In June last year, we achieved 40 per cent women in management roles. Women made up 44 per cent of employees, with four of seven Executive Committee positions held by women. 56 per cent of promoted employees were women, and 63 per cent of those promoted to management were women. These promotions were all based on skills and ability.
This progress reflects the RBA’s commitment to inclusion, and it is also a testament to the resilience and determination of women at the RBA.
There are four things I have learnt in my leadership journey. The first is not to undersell myself. Women have to be prepared to promote themselves even if we don’t feel 100 per cent confident. Second is don’t be afraid to do something different. I always took opportunities when they were offered. Most often it was a sideways move. Third, I found people who I trusted to guide me – some internal and, as I became more senior, people from outside the RBA. My contacts at CEW have been important here. Finally, the teams around me are my most valuable resources. They are professional, know what they are doing and always give their best. My job is to draw on that expertise, support them and guide them.
Finally, I want to say a few words on the work the RBA is doing to build a diverse pipeline of future economists, policymakers and business leaders in Australia. There has been a sharp decline in the size and diversity of the economics student population since the early 1990s. The trend raises concerns about economic literacy in society and the long-term health of the economics discipline.
This is an important reason for the RBA’s education program, which engages with students and teachers and provides a range of resources that aim to inspire and support the next generation of economists. Some of our initiatives include school outreach programs and providing educational resources, research into the economics education landscape, and engagements with educational and curriculum bodies.
Today, males still outnumber females by two to one in high school and university economics. Our research confirms that a confidence gap exists for females; that female students tend to underestimate their proficiency when it comes to economics. It is not the case that women can’t do economics – which I am sure will come as no surprise to anyone in this room.
Even among year 12 students who do study economics, a recent RBA study has found that there is a low interest in pursuing economics at the university level, particularly for females. Instead, these students are more likely to enrol in commerce, finance, or arts and social science courses.
One approach to increase the flow of high school students into university economics could be to develop some tailored advocacy to emphasise the connections between economics and other preferred fields of study. Increasing the representation of female role models amongst economists, female economics teachers and female advocates for economics in the public domain could also help.
While we have made significant strides in improving gender equity and increasing female participation both at the RBA and within the broader Australian economy, there is still much work to be done.
I hope that my role as Governor of the RBA – the first woman to hold the role – gives encouragement to women coming up through the ranks of Australian businesses and the public service. You can do it.
Thank you to CEW for the opportunity to speak to you ahead of what I’m sure will be an engaging panel discussion.
Source:
Christina and Alannah and their team at the awards presentation.
The team made the decision for the comfort and inclusion of the women runners in the team who are overjoyed they were able to have less to worry about on the track when competing this year.
Two women competitors from the team, Christina and Alannah spoke on what the change meant for them and why other teams should consider the move.
| Submitted by | Courtney Walker |
|---|
Source: South Australia Police
The City of Wanneroo’s support for the Australian Automation and Robotics Precinct (AARP) was officially renewed this year, with the City signing a three-year Enterprise Funding Agreement with CORE.
City of Wanneroo Mayor Linda Aitken, CEO Bill Parker and CORE Innovation Hub Director Brodie McCulloch signed the agreement at the Wanneroo Business Association Sundowner in February, which brought together more than 60 local business representatives at the internationally recognised AARP.
The $225,000 agreement with CORE will support the activation of the AARP in the Neerabup Industrial Area.
Spread across 51 hectares the AARP was developed and is managed by DevelopmentWA, the State Government of Western Australia’s land development agency.
The purpose-designed AARP allows local and global companies to enter the automation and robotics global megatrend set to transform entire sectors, with facilities for research and development, testing, training, as well as demonstrating automation, robotics, and zero emissions technology.
City of Wanneroo Mayor Linda Aitken said beyond the strategic and economic returns AARP is expected to deliver for WA – an economic impact assessment placed its potential impact at $608m by 2030 – the City’s support furthers its focus on creating new and direct opportunities for local business and residents.
“AARP’s presence in Neerabup Industrial Area enhances the City’s reputation as a place for innovative and strategic industries to locate, and outcomes will include more opportunities to work closer to home, particularly for those in professional and technical roles,” Mayor Aitken said.
“In the immediate term, the agreement secures exclusive opportunities for City businesses to participate in AARP programs including AARP Start, AARP Community Coffee Series, AARP Sundowner Series and the Global Robotics and Automation Technology Showcase.
“The City of Wanneroo is committed to facilitating the delivery of sustainable economic growth, enhancing social and environmental outcomes and enabling businesses to provide diverse, quality and rewarding local job opportunities. I encourage all local businesses to explore opportunities to engage with this internationally recognised innovation hub in the heart of Neerabup.”
AARP National Robotics and Innovation Lead, Renu Kannu, said the agreement signalled confidence in AARP’s value to the State and its innovation sectors, while recognising the immediate value the facility delivers to local business.
“CORE is pleased to collaborate with the City of Wanneroo to provide comprehensive support services to local businesses, including tailored, needs-based support for new and existing businesses at the AARP,” Ms Kannu said.
“AARP’s success will contribute to the City’s prosperity through uplift in property values, growth in strategic industries, developing an innovation cluster, and generating strategic employment. We appreciate the City’s three-year investment toward achieving these outcomes.
“From co-working and private office space in a state-of-the-art building, along with access to dedicated testing and development sites and networking and connection events featuring industry relevant guest speakers, the AARP offers connection to an industry led ecosystem and world-class innovation infrastructure. We welcome all local business operators to take advantage of AARP’s many opportunities.”
For more information on AARP, visit www.theaarp.com.au
Source:
We’ve reviewed our advice for Malaysia and continue to advise exercise normal safety precautions. Higher levels apply in some areas.
You must complete a Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) before arrival in Malaysia. The MDAC must be submitted through the Malaysian Immigration website. Travellers registering to use the MDAC will receive an email acknowledgment containing a link and a pin number to view their visit pass online after they pass through the auto gate. Travellers who use the auto gate to enter Malaysia will need to be able to take and keep a snapshot of their visit pass on their phone and present this visit pass if requested by Malaysian authorities (see ‘travel’).
Malaysian law requires that you carry identification, such as your passport or a Malaysian Immigration Issued Card (IKAD), with you at all times and electronic evidence of the visa entry if you entered via auto gates. If you are asked by police and you are unable to provide this evidence, you may be detained until you can present it (see ‘local laws’).
There’s a risk of terrorism in Malaysia. Be vigilant in public places and follow the advice of local authorities (see ‘Safety’).
Source: New South Wales Ministerial News
Make the most of the 2025 Bendigo Easter Festival with traditional cultural activities, entertainment, family fun and community events.
City of Greater Bendigo Manager Economy & Experience James Myatt said the final preparations were underway for the homegrown community event over the long weekend from Good Friday April 18 to Easter Monday April 21.
“The festival is a major highlight in the events calendar for residents and visitors with something for everyone to enjoy and experience,” Mr Myatt said.
“With the Bendigo Easter Festival just over a week away, now’s the time to start planning your time at the festival, particularly if you are hosting visiting family and friends during the school holidays.
“I encourage you to check out our extensive online program which features many cultural performances celebrating Bendigo’s Chinese heritage and plenty of fun attractions and activities.
“This year will see an extended format for the Awakening of the Dragon which will bring together a traditional celebration of lion and dragon dance, including contemporary elements presented by the Bendigo Chinese Association and visiting lion teams. It will take place from 11am to 4pm on Easter Saturday, April 19 at Dai Gum San Precinct.
“Firecrackers will be used as part of the ceremony to wake up Dai Gum Loong from his slumber, but please note the Imperial dragon’s only public appearance will be at the Sherridon Homes Gala Parade on Easter Sunday.
“The La Trobe University Torchlight Procession – Commemorating the service of Rod Fyffe OAM will be on Easter Saturday April 19 evening starting at 7pm until approximately 8.30pm. The procession finale will be a dynamic fireworks display with the best viewing locations in Rosalind Park (near the Rotunda), the Dai Gum San precinct, View Street, Queen Elizabeth Oval and Barnard Street.”
This year’s festival has a new program addition with the Bendigo Chinese Association launching its Dragon Passport, featuring seven activities for primary school-aged child, including dragon-scale stamping, a scavenger hunt and mask-making. Booking is required for the hour-long sessions on Good Friday from 10am to 2pm at the Dai Gum San Precinct.
Rosalind Park will be a vibrant precinct bursting with family-friendly entertainment, stage shows, hands-on activities, live music, roving performers, and some tickets are still available for the traditional Easter Egg Hunt with 85,000 eggs nestled in straw.
The award-winning Arena Theatre Company will present a Hidden Creature Gallery combining magical adventure and amazing digital art. Using a free Arena free app on a mobile phone, families will love spotting the animated creatures hiding in plain sight in Rosalind Park.
Other highlights include The Mik Maks, The Blurbs, Djaara workshops, the Easter Bunny Stage Show, dragon craft and sand art workshop, Fosterville Gold Mine panning for gold, Farmer Darryl’s Animal Farm, Sonic the Hedgehog, Bendigo Bricks and much more. The lively atmosphere at Carnival Central on Mundy Street comes alive with lights, rides, and a sideshow alley. The CFA Kids Amusement Rides is at William Vahland Place for younger thrill seekers.
The Rotary Club Market returns on Good Friday (Pall Mall and Easter Fair Way) and Easter Sunday (Easter Fair Way) with a range arts and craft, handmade goodies, unique treasures, collectables, tasty produce and more.
Hargreaves Mall will host the Moonlight Easter Market from 10am to 4pm on Easter Saturday.
Pall Mall will host activities from 10am to 3pm on Easter Saturday including the Bendigo Braves basketball, Bendigo Strikers netball, Little Builders by Sherridon Homes and an Army Reserve exhibition.
Smaller community events during the long weekend also have a wide appeal (please check the full program for dates and times). Events include the 38th Annual Easter Model Train Exhibition, the Bendigo Foodshare Easter Bookfair, Steam to the Bendigo Easter Festival, the Rotary Club of Bendigo Easter Art Exhibition at Bendigo Town Hall and the Photographic Print and Digital Image Exhibition at Dudley House.
For live music entertainment, the Bull Street Festival will highlight the best of local and regional talent.
The City would like to take this opportunity to thank the festival’s premium sponsor Agnico Eagle Fosterville Gold Mine, a dedicated team of City staff who ensure the major event runs smoothly, the Bendigo Chinese Association, the Bendigo Easter Fair Society, and the many volunteers and community groups.
Source: New places to play in Gungahlin
This information may help advise trustees of APRA-regulated superannuation funds with what to consider when a super income stream starts or stops.
This applies only to taxed, complying super funds that started a super income stream in the form of an account-based pension, including a transition to retirement income stream (TRIS), on or after 1 July 2007.
A super income stream includes an income stream that is a pension, according to the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994 (SIS Regulations).
An income stream can’t be a pension in accordance with the SIS Regulations unless it meets 2 requirements:
We use the term:
A super income stream exists when all of the following apply:
A liability to make a single payment for one year is not a series of payments and won’t meet the requirement of being a super income stream. While there must be continuing liability, a super income stream may stop after only one payment.
For more information see Taxation Ruling TR 2013/5 Income tax: when a superannuation income stream commences and ceases
Once an account-based pension starts, there is an ongoing requirement for trustees to meet the minimum pension standards in the SIS Regulations.
If any of the requirements of the SIS Regulations are not met in an income year, both of the following apply:
Funds have an obligation to report when an income stream starts to be in the retirement phase for transfer balance cap purposes. Funds also have an obligation to report other retirement phase events after an income stream has started, most commonly commutations of retirement phase income streams, for transfer balance cap purposes.
Funds have a broader obligation to report when an income stream stops and an account is closed.
Once funds have completed on-boarding to the Member account transaction serviceExternal LinkExternal Link (MATS) they are required to report retirement phase events such as starting an income stream via MATS. Prior to MATS on-boarding, funds report retirement phase events via the Transfer balance account report (TBAR).
Note: Retirement phase events with an effective date before 1 July 2018 and reporting a response to a Commissioner’s commutation authority should be reported through the TBAR.
For more information see
Once a complying super fund starts to pay a super income stream, you may be entitled to exempt a portion of the income earned from the fund’s assets until such time as the pension stops. This is referred to as exempt current pension income (ECPI).
ECPI doesn’t include assessable contributions or non-arm’s length income.
From 1 July 2017, funds are unable to claim ECPI for the earnings from assets supporting a Transition to Retirement Income Stream (TRIS) that is not in the retirement phase. These earnings will now be taxed at 15%.
A TRIS is in the retirement phase when the person receiving the TRIS reaches 65 years old or notifies their fund that they have met a specified nil cashing restriction condition of release, such as retirement, permanent incapacity or terminal illness.
A TRIS will also be in retirement phase if it starts to be paid to a reversionary beneficiary after the member’s death, irrespective of whether the reversionary beneficiary has reached 65 years old or they have personally met a nil cashing restriction condition of release.
From 1 July 2017, ECPI will be extended to certain retirement phase products such as deferred lifetime annuities which are not currently paying a benefit.
For more information see
If a fund doesn’t meet the minimum pension payment requirements for an account-based pension in an income year, the super income stream will be taken to have ceased at the start of that income year for income tax purposes.
From the start of the income year, the account is no longer supporting a super income stream and any payments from the start of the income year onwards will be super lump sums for both income tax and SIS Regulations purposes.
This is the case even if the member remains entitled to receive a payment from the fund for the pension under the governing rules or under general trust law concepts.
If income from assets supporting the income stream was eligible to be treated as ECPI because the income stream was in retirement phase, the fund won’t be entitled to treat the income or capital gains as ECPI for the income year or subsequent years.
If a pension stops being in the retirement phase because the minimum pension payment requirements are not met, the fund must report a STO event (income stream stops being in the retirement phase) for the member via the Member Account Transaction Service (MATS) Retirement Phase Event reporting.
For the member to receive a super income stream for income tax purposes in future years, the income stream must cease (for example by commutation) and a new superannuation income stream must start that meets all of the requirements of the SIS Regulations.
When a new super income stream starts, you will be required to recalculate the tax-free and taxable components of the new super income stream.
You will also need to revalue assets at market value and recalculate the minimum pension payment required at the start of the new super income stream.
If the total payments in an income year to a member are less than the minimum payment amount for a super income stream, we may exercise our general power of administration (GPA) to allow the fund to continue to claim ECPI if all of the following conditions are met.
If all of these conditions are met:
If the circumstances of the underpayment don’t meet all of these conditions, the exercise of the GPA would not be relevant.
We consider a small underpayment to be one that doesn’t exceed one-twelfth of the minimum pension payment in the relevant income year.
Generally, if an underpayment is due to an honest trustee error, we consider ‘as soon as practicable’ to be within 28 days of you becoming aware of the underpayment.
If the underpayment is due to matters outside your control, ‘as soon as practicable’ is considered to be within 28 days of you being in a position to be aware of the underpayment.
We allow you to self-assess and apply the GPA concession if all of the following apply:
In all other cases, you must write to us and outline why you didn’t meet the minimum pension requirements for us to consider the exercise of our general power of administration.
In considering whether the GPA concession would apply, the trustee would need to assess if all of the following apply:
Based on meeting all of these conditions, we will allow the trustee to self-assess and apply the GPA concession. Despite the fund not meeting its obligations under super law:
End of example
The trustee makes an honest administrative error when calculating the minimum pension payment in the relevant income year. The trustee used the incorrect minimum pension percentage factor to calculate the July 2017 pension payment. The member turned 65 years old on 28 June 2017 so the percentage factor increased to 5%, however, the trustee used 4% as this was the percentage they had used in the previous year and there was a delay in updating their computer system.
The trustee needs to assess if all the following apply:
Based on meeting all of these conditions, we will allow the trustee to self-assess their entitlement to the GPA concession to treat the fund as having continuously paid a super income stream.
End of example
If the circumstances of the underpayment don’t meet all of these conditions, the super income stream will be taken to have ceased for income tax purposes from the start of the income year.
For the consequences see:
If you think we should consider your case further, you need to outline the relevant circumstances to us in writing.
To ensure a fair and reasonable outcome is achieved in each case, our decision will be made in accordance with the statements and principles set out in the Taxpayers’ charter, compliance model and the good decision-making model, which requires that the decision be legal, ethical, overt, sensible, timely and in accordance with the principles of natural justice.
If trustees are unable to make a payment before 30 June for reasons beyond their control – such as an error or failure on the part of a financial institution – we would consider all the following in determining whether to exercise the GPA to allow the pension to continue if the:
End of example
You can’t record the underpayment of the pension as an ‘accrual’ in the accounting records of the fund. For you to meet the minimum pension payment standards you must meet the payment requirements both in form and effect. It is not enough for the rules of the pension to state a payment will be made in each income year if the payment for a particular income year is not actually made.
If you don’t make the minimum pension payment in an income year, the pension will be taken to have stopped at the start of that income year for income tax purposes, unless we have exercised the GPA.
This applies even if the member remains entitled to receive a payment from the super fund for the purported income stream under the governing rules or under general trust law concepts and you record the underpayment as an ‘accrual’ to recognise that liability.