O75 Public Administration

‘Death knell’ for community TV as Turnbull flicks the internet switch

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Original article by Mitchell Bingemann
The Australian – Page: 7 : 11-Sep-14

The Australian Government will reallocate the spectrum that is used by community TV stations. Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull says community stations will need to become internet-only broadcasters from the start of 2016. He says this will provide them with access to a much larger audience, noting that only about 2,000 people watch community TV stations during prime-time

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, AUSTRALIAN COMMUNITY TELEVISION ALLIANCE, CHANNEL 31, TELEVISION SYDNEY (TVS) LIMITED

Road contract invalid if councils win court case

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Original article by Henrietta Cook
The Age – Page: 5 : 11-Sep-14

The Moreland and Yarra councils have launched legal action against Victorian Planning Minister Matthew Guy. The councils want the Supreme Court to review his approval of the East West Link. The Australian Labor Party claims that if the court rules that the approval is invalid, any contract signed by the State Government will be deemed to be "unenforceable"

CORPORATES
MORELAND CITY COUNCIL, YARRA CITY COUNCIL, VICTORIA. DEPT OF TRANSPORT, PLANNING AND LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE, SUPREME COURT OF VICTORIA, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Heat is on for tanning beds ban

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Original article by Phoebe Wearne
The West Australian – Page: 17 : 10-Sep-14

Terry Slevin of the Cancer Council Western Australia and Michael Gannon of the Australian Medical Association have urged the State Government to ban commercial tanning beds. Slevin notes that the state is the only jurisdiction in Australia that has not yet imposed a ban. Health Minister Kim Hanes believes that the health concerns about sun beds justifies a ban, but he says the Government has not made a final decision on the issue

CORPORATES
CANCER COUNCIL WESTERN AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION (WESTERN AUSTRALIA), WESTERN AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF HEALTH

AMMA hits out at biased, ‘union affiliated’ Fair Work

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Original article by Jonathan Barrett
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 6 : 10-Sep-14

The Australian Mines & Metals Association has raised concerns about the processes used to appoint members of the Fair Work Commission. It claims that 19 of the 27 commissioners that were appointed by the previous Federal Government have links to the Australian Labor Party or unions. This has been rejected by the Opposition’s shadow minister for workplace relations, Brendon O’Connor

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIAN MINES AND METALS ASSOCIATION (INCORPORATED), AUSTRALIA. FAIR WORK COMMISSION, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, LAW COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF EMPLOYMENT, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA

‘Clock ticking’ on Rio coal venture

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Original article by Angela Macdonald-Smith
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 15 & 20 : 10-Sep-14

Rio Tinto is again seeking approval from the New South Wales Government for an expansion of the Mount Thorley Warkworth coal mine in the Hunter Valley. The Land & Environment Court overturned a decision to approve the project, and Rio re-submitted its plans for the mine in June 2014. Rio has warned that the mine will not be economically viable beyond 2015 unless the expansion is approved, and has argued that the mine will inject $A1.5bn into the state’s economy over two decades

CORPORATES
RIO TINTO LIMITED – ASX RIO, NEW SOUTH WALES. LAND AND ENVIRONMENT COURT, ENERGY RESOURCES OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED – ASX ERA

BCA cautions against hasty bank reforms

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Original article by Annabel Hepworth
The Australian – Page: 19 : 9-Sep-14

The Business Council of Australia (BCA) has lodged its submission for the second round of the Federal Government’s new financial system review, conducted by ex-Commonwealth Bank of Australia CEO David Murray. The BCA argues against more stringent capital requirements for large banks, as this could have a knock-on effect on all enterprises via higher borrowing costs. The issue of how to handle banks deemed "too big to fail" will also be discussed at the upcoming Group of 20 summit in Australia

CORPORATES
COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA – ASX CBA, BUSINESS COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), MOODY’S INVESTORS SERVICE INCORPORATED

L-NP closes gap on ALP following repeal of Mining Tax

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Original article by Roy Morgan Research
Morgan Poll Update – Page: Online : 8-Sep-14

A multi-mode Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention has found that support for the Coalition on a two-party preferred basis has risen by 1.5 per cent to 46 per cent. The poll, which was carried out on the weekends of 30-31 August and 6-7 September 2014, also shows that support for the Australian Labor Party has fallen by 1.5 per cent to 54 per cent. Roy Morgan Research executive chairman Gary Morgan notes that despite the increase in support for the Coalition, it faces many challenges if it is to stand a real chance of winning the 2016 election

CORPORATES
MORGAN POLL, ROY MORGAN RESEARCH LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, AUSTRALIAN GREENS, PALMER UNITED PARTY, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET

Dredge waste to go onshore

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Original article by Mark Ludlow
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 11 : 9-Sep-14

The Queensland Government has signed an agreement with Indian companies Adani and GVK for the use of an onshore site for dredge waste. The land was formerly owned by BHP Billiton. The construction of the Abbot Point coal terminal is expected to involve the disposal of three million cubic metres of dredge waste at the site. Initially, the companies planned to dump the waste in the waters of the Great Barrier Reef area

CORPORATES
ADANI ENTERPRISES LIMITED, GVK INDUSTRIES LIMITED, BHP BILLITON LIMITED – ASX BHP, NORTH QUEENSLAND BULK PORTS CORPORATION LIMITED, QUEENSLAND RESOURCES COUNCIL LIMITED, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE ENVIRONMENT, GREAT BARRIER REEF MARINE PARK AUTHORITY

Japanese subs on the way

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Original article by Phillip Coorey, John Kerin, Simon Evans
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 1 & 4 : 9-Sep-14

The Australian Government is believed to have decided to purchase a new fleet of submarines from Japan, in a major blow for the local shipbuilding industry. South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill has warned that the state’s federal MPs will face an electoral backlash if the submarines are built overseas rather than by Adelaide-based shipbuilder ASC. The Federal Government’s 2013 election platform included a commitment to build the submarines in Adelaide

CORPORATES
AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET, SOUTH AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE PREMIER AND CABINET, ASC PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, THE AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRY GROUP, SYDNEY INSTITUTE, GROUP OF TWENTY (G-20), AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF DEFENCE, LIBERAL PARTY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY, DCNS SA, THYSSENKRUPP MARINE SYSTEMS GMBH, SAAB AB

Sky set to replace Australia Network

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Original article by Sharri Markson
The Australian – Page: 20 : 8-Sep-14

The Australian Government in its May 2014 Budget abolished the Australia Network overseas service operated by public broadcaster ABC. It had won the contract from the previous federal government, over the privately-owned Sky News. The latter is now set to launch its new Australia Channel, which will have similar content but be subscription-based and online. Viewers in 180 countries, including via internet-enabled TV sets, are the target according to Sky News CEO Angelos Frangopoulos. There will be no public funding, in contrast with the $A223m over a decade for the ABC

CORPORATES
SKY NEWS, AUSTRALIAN NEWS CHANNEL PTY LTD, AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION, GLOBECAST AUSTRALIA PTY LTD, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF COMMUNICATIONS, FRANCE TELECOM SA, AKAMAI TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED, BRIGHTCOVE INCORPORATED