Archived News for Professionals in Federal Government
While overall our life expectancy continues to climb and our educational attainment increases, gaps remain between the health and education outcomes of Australians living in cities and those living elsewhere, according to the Australian Social Trends report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Gaps and gains in health outcomes
Health outcomes differ between those living outside major cities and those living within them. In 2008, people who lived outside major cities were more likely than people in major cities to die from certain causes. They were three times as likely to die from transport accidents, almost twice as likely to die from high blood pressure, 1.7 times as likely to die from heart failure and 1.6 times as likely to die from diabetes.
1.3 million Australians job seekers "discouraged"
In September 2010, there were 1.3 million Australians who were not in the labour force but wanted to work according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
National Financial Literacy Strategy launched
The Australian Securities and Investment Commission has launched the National Financial Literacy Strategy, designed to deliver quality financial literacy education to all Australians through schools, workplaces, higher education institutions and in the community.
2011 Energy Report Released by ABARES
The Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics and Sciences has released its annual report into energy use and consumption throughout the country.
Delays and disputes hit Murray-Darling Basin Plan
The Murray Darling Basin Authority has released a statement saying that the socio-economic report on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan has been delayed indefinitely due to interruptions caused by the floods throughout the region.
CSIRO strikes spread over new enterprise agreement
Staff at CSIRO are continuing a series of rolling strikes in support of their demands for a 4.6 per cent pay increase and changes to employment conditions.
Call for comment on new Work Health and Safety regulations
Safe Work Australia has called for public comment on the model Work Health and Safety (WHS) Regulations package by 4 April 2011.
New appointments to Future Fund Board of Guardians
Two new appointments and two re-appointments have been made to the Future Fund Board of Guardians, following the expiry of terms of members appointed at the commencement of the Future Fund in 2006.
Federal Government to review disaster insurance
The Federal Government will launch a major review into disaster insurance in Australia, examining if there is a role for the Commonwealth to provide an insurance scheme to protect homeowners, business and government from floods, bushfires and other disasters.
Inquiry into national funding agreements
The Parliamentary Joint Committee of Public Accounts and Audit is reviewing the operation of funding agreements between the Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments, including the National Agreements entered into under the Intergovernmental Agreement on Federal Financial Relations.
Government advertising scrutiny 'inappropriate for Auditor General'
A parliamentary inquiry into the role of the Auditor-General in scrutinising government advertising has found that such involvement was inappropriate as it blurs the boundary between executive decision-making and audit review.
$200 million for apprenticeships
The Federal government has announced the launching of an $200 million, 18 month apprenticeship training program. The program, which aims to train 1,000 workers, is designed to build jobs in resource areas that are experiencing "critical demand" and are suffering from skill shortages.
Childcare services "failing to meet basic standards"
The latest report by the National Childcare Accreditation Council (NCAC) has found a large number of child care centres are "failing to meet basic standards of hygiene, safety and education".
Ombudsman finds systemic weaknesses in Centrelink review process
"Systemic weaknesses" in Centrelink's review process have been clearly identified by a Commonwealth Ombudsman report. The report found " lack of transparency and insufficient education about available options to customers, often leading to delays and inaction".
Over 700,000 part-time workers underemployed
Almost three quarters of a million (733,900) part-time workers were underemployed in September 2010, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
This represents 22% of all part-time workers. Over half (55%) of all underemployed part-time workers preferred to work full-time hours (at least 35 hours per week).
One in two underemployed part-time workers were looking for more hours of work. The most common steps taken to find more hours of work were to ask their current employer (62%), contact a prospective employer (53%), or search the internet (51%). Over half (59%) of all underemployed part-time workers preferred to work more hours with their current employer.
Older workers tended to experience longer durations of underemployment. One in two (49%) underemployed part-time workers aged 45-54 years, and 52% of those aged 55 years and over, had been underemployed for one year or more. In comparison, 25% of underemployed workers aged 15–19 years had been underemployed for one year or more.
Further information is available in Underemployed Workers, Australia, September 2010 (cat. no. 6265.0)
Australian unemployment rate unchanged
The Australian unemployment rate stood unchanged at 5.0 per cent seasonally adjusted in February, as announced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) today.
FoI guidance material for government agencies released
The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) released new guidance material to assist government agencies to implement changes to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth).
New reforms to drive gender equality in Australian workplaces
The Federal Government has outlined a suite of reforms to the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency to improve its effectiveness and relevance, including an additional $11.2 million over 4 years would be provided to give the Agency the powers it needs to drive gender equality in Australian workplaces.
National Partnership for disaster reconstruction signed
Acting Prime Minister and Treasurer Wayne Swan and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh have signed the National Partnership for Natural Disaster Reconstruction and Recovery.
Report finds unemployment low across country
The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) has just released a report 'A different perspective on the "two-speed" economy' which found during the first stages of the resources boom, unemployment was actually very low across the entire country.
Discussion paper to reform the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Scheme released
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy has released a discussion paper examining opportunities to reform the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) Scheme.