MGA Independent Retailer Issue 4 July-August 2021

Issue

04 JULY - AUGUST 2021

Business organisations seek urgent action to reduce card payment fees | PAGE 6

YOUR INDUSTRY NEWS PROVIDED BY MGA INDEPENDENT RETAILERS

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OUR MISSION The mission of MGA Independent Retailers is to deliver the best possible industry specific business support services to independent grocery, liquor, hardware and associate store members.

MGA NATIONAL SUPPORT OFFICE Suite 5, 1 Milton Parade, Malvern, Victoria, 3144 P: 03 9824 4111 • F: 03 9824 4022 admin@mga.asn.au • www.mga.asn.au Freecall: 1800 888 479

CEO welcome

6 Why are exorbitant Merchant Payment Fees affecting the viability of members businesses?

8 Stop crippling card fees adding further cost to your business 10 Sexual Harassment in the Workplace – What are the implications for Employers?

12 Fair Work Act 2009: New Definition of Casual Employment – what does this mean for Members?

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MGA TMA welcomes Aimee and Jenny to the Legal and IR Team

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Major changes to part-time hours in the general retail industry award

16 The Australian Economy - A better economy = more confident firms 17 The Australian Economy - The infrastructure projects boosting the economy 18

Single-Use Plastic item bans around Australia

20 Grocery unit pricing here to stay 21

Introducing Wage Inspectorate Victoria

22 Victoria – Lockdown meetings 23 Qld Department of Health – Review of Qld Smoking Laws 23

Queensland Small Business Commissioner

RETAILER DIRECTORS

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Meeting with Qld Treasurer and Minister for Industrial Relations

Debbie Smith (President): Queensland Grant Hinchcliffe (Vice President): Tasmania Graeme Gough: New South Wales Ripple Parekh: New South Wales Ross Anile: Western Australia Carmel Goldsmith: New South Wales Chris dos Santos: South Australia Lincoln Wymer: Victoria Jeff Harper: Victoria

24 MGA meets with QLD Minister for Small Business Hon Di Farmer MP

MGA CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Jos de Bruin 03 9824 4111 E: jos.debruin@mga.asn.au

CORPORATE PARTNERSHIP & MEDIA SALES Mark Paladino 0417 264 331 E: mark.paladino@mga.asn.au

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Cindi Damian E: cindi@mga.asn.au

FOLLOW US ONLINE www.facebook.com/ MGAIndependentRetailers www.linkedin.com/company/ mga-independent-retailers www.twitter.com/ MasterGrocers Front Cover: Open letter from business organisations seeking urgent action on debit payments.

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25 The NSW Budget at a glance 25 U.S. Independents 33% of Market 26 A message from the ATO: JobMaker Hiring Credit 27 Cybersecurity with Minister for Home Affairs Hon Karen Andrews MP 28 NSW Treasury Small Business Economic Recovery Forum 29 2021 Budget Supports “Go Local” 30 ACCC will not oppose Woolworths acquiring 65% share of PFD 32 Metcash annual ‘Supplier of the Year’ Awards 34 A Sustainable Supermarket - Case Study 36 Local Supermarkets preferred by Australians 39 COSBOA’s Peter Strong to retire; Alexi Boyd appointed CEO 40 Federal Budget Summary and highlights 42 SPAR Australia announces upgrade to Brisbane Distribution Centre 44 Consumers want to Shop Local – Go Local!

45 Can businesses mandate COVID-19 inoculation for Australian workers?

47 Woolworths Scraps Darwin Dan Murphy’s Development 48 Flu Season: The Importance of Personal Hygiene and PPE 2021 50 WHS Systems- What are they?

52 Getting to know our MGA TMA members 53 South Australia Timber Industry Roundtable 54 Frederick O’Connell Scholarship 55 Apply Wood and Timber Product Knowledge training 56 Adroit’s top tips to help you to prepare for your supermarket insurance renewal 58 IGA Victoria Conference 58 MGA meets ACCC Small Business and Franchise Consultative Council 61

IGA launches new-look ‘Supa Valu’ stores to rival Aldi

62 Industry Tribute: Dean White 63 eftpos’ digital identity solution connectID is now live 64 Welcome new corporate partner: Pernod Ricard Australia 64 Edgemill Group makes a key appointment with Zach Wilson 65 VCGLR has increased its fees, fines and penalties from 1 July 2021 65 Victoria moves to the nationally accredited RSA course from 1 July 2021 67 19 Crimes Cali Red wine in partnership with California icon, Snoop Dogg 68 ASEAN, Australia launch Project Portcullis 2021 to tackle Illicit Tobacco 69 Same day alcohol delivery regulations tightened

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tasmanian independent retailers

CEO REPORT

CEO Welcome

We live in uncertain times!

The past months have been very challenging for members throughout Australia. At the time of writing, the state of NSW is in the grips of the COVID–19 Delta variant breakout, with increasing daily cases reported and lockdowns enforced in affected Local Government Areas (LGAs).

COVID-19 contact tracing has been enhanced with QR Code checkins becoming mandatory in all Australian jurisdictions for the public to use as a condition of entry into public buildings, spaces and businesses. MGA TMA’s members around the country have procured their own unique business QR Code and have located them at the entry of their stores and at the points of sale for the public to “scan themselves in” before entering or when in the store.

Lockdowns have catastrophic economic and social effects upon the many thousands of small business owners and their families who cannot trade and have no way of earning an income and paying their vast overheads. It has been devastating for these business owners, their families and staff.

MGA TMA has been very active in voicing members’ concerns to Government regarding staff being properly protected from the COVID-19 virus. Retail workers must be classified as essential frontline workers and, as such, be prioritised for vaccinations.

It continues to concern industry association leaders that Victoria, for example, was recently subjected to its 5th lockdown, and was without a small business rescue contingency plan ready to be implemented.

MGA and many other Industry Leaders have made countless suggestions to the Victorian State Government and all other governments through various forums, to have a small business rescue contingency plan ready, should such a lockdown occur in respective states again. ‘There is always going to be another lockdown.’

Unfortunately, the concerned voices of many were ignored. Disappointingly

we saw the Victorian Government (and other State Leaders) intent on playing Australia’s most popular game when things aren’t going well, “the Blame Game”.

On the 11th of May, Treasurer Josh Frydenburg released the muchanticipated 2021 -2022 Federal Budget. A Budget adopting a fiscal approach - big on spending and big on getting the economy going.

Many essential health services were supported with hefty allocations, including Mental Health, Aged Care and National Disabilities.

Infrastructure spending continues to be heavily focused on as well.

MGA TMA applauds the Government as Small Businesses continue to be supported with extended tax incentives such as Loss Carry backs and Instant Asset write-offs with no limits. Various assistance tools such as an Employment Contract tool and digital solutions coupled with a “Go Local” program help drive consumers into their local businesses rather than online or to the big chains and corporates.

MGA TMA continues to work closely with the FWC on several fronts. The Annual Wage Review (AWR) is an enormous MGA undertaking each year. MGA’s AWR submission, together with members research and survey results, advocated for a zero % increase for the financial year 2022.

This recommendation was based upon our members already having absorbed increases totalling 11.55% over the past four years. The most recent of which was 1.75% in February of this year.

Disappointingly on the 16th of June, FWC Commissioner Justice Iain Ross announced a 2.5% wage increase for FY 2022. Justice Iain Ross also announced that given the distressed

nature of the Retail Sector, this wage increase would be delayed for the Retail Sector to commence on the 1st of September 2021.

MGA TMA and COSBOA collaborated with the ACTU, SDA and AWU early in 2021 to apply to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) for a schedule to be inserted into the GRIA, allowing Permanent Part-Time (PPT) Flexibility.

The ability to offer PPT employees extra hours at the ordinary rate of pay.

The FWC commenced an extensive consultation process to allow other employer groups and parties to have a say. The upshot after almost five months is that the FWC has developed a Draft Determination to disregard the application for a time-limited schedule to be inserted into the GRA and instead has taken the decision to vary the Award to reflect all that MGA TMA and COSBOA has requested regarding PPT flexibility and the ability for employers to offer additional hours of work at the ordinary rate of pay so long as the variation in hours is confirmed in writing prior to the shift commencing. This is now confirmed and enshrined in the Award and will be a massive opportunity for members to de-casualise their workforce, employ more permanent part-time people and offer additional hours of work.

Congratulations to all Foodland store owners and the Drakes family supermarket group in South Australia, who once again have topped CHOICE consumer surveys for their amazing shopping experiences. For providing locally produced fresh and gourmet foods and the outstanding manner in which they handled COVID-19 Safe workplaces and shopping environments.

Until next edition – Good Trading!

Jos de Bruin CEO MGA TMA Independent Retailers

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Why are exorbitant Merchant Payment Fees affecting the viability of members businesses?

MGA members accommodate almost 600 million debit card transactions per annum. The cost to members by their customers enjoying the “tap and go” facility is $88m per annum. We know these costs can be reduced by banks introducing Least Cost Routing and maintaining the dual network debit cards. So, why don’t they?

Below is an open letter MGA, together with other organisations, has sent to federal politicians, the RBA and the media.

In other essential business services like energy and telecommunications, providers are expected to offer customers a default low-cost option.

MGA members cannot recoup merchant payment fees as some cafes, rental car firms, accommodation houses, and airlines do. They have to absorb these costs in their razor-thin margins.

The introduction of LCR in Australia has been tortuous, with a raft of obstacles slowing its rollout and uptake. New barriers are being erected that put at risk the progress to date and make it nearly impossible to access LCR in the growing mobile wallets and online channels.

We need to do something quickly – the current merchant payment fees system is unsustainable.

The Open Letter is as follows: Australia’s debit payments system is at a critical juncture. We need urgent action, so hundreds of thousands of businesses do not face the cost burden of higher transaction fees in-store and online.

Debit is by far Australians’ preferred means of transacting, using tap-andgo cards and increasingly mobile wallets. Fees for these debit transactions are incurred by merchants, making it imperative that there is maximum competition in the debit payments market to drive down business costs.

Least Cost Routing (LCR) enables merchants to choose the lowest cost debit fee offering – usually eftpos – to minimise their costs. Hardly novel.

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These new barriers include:

• Moving from Multi-Network

Debit Cards (MNDCs) – which are necessary for LCR – to Single Network Debit Cards (SNDCs) using international schemes (Mastercard & Visa), whose fees are usually higher.

• Failure to enable LCR in mobile

wallets, which is available in other markets, for what is an increasingly common form of payment in Australia.

• New rules and fees make it harder to access LCR in online payment channels.

This is on top of a total lack of transparency in merchant fees and

concerns about the tying of credit and debit fee offerings, resulting in a recent court-enforceable undertaking by Visa.

In its recent Retail Payments Regulatory Review consultation report, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) makes clear that “a widespread shift towards SNDCs could threaten the viability of LCR” and that if eftpos cannot compete and potentially has to exit the market, this “would result in a significant lessening of competitive pressure in the debit market and would likely result in an increase in both interchange rates and scheme fees, impacting all merchants.”

Australia’s merchants, the vast majority of which are small businesses, cannot afford to pay higher fees for their debit transactions. Urgent regulatory action is needed in three areas:

• Multi-Network Debit Cards

(MNDCs) are mandatory as part of every bank’s social obligation to promote competition in Australia.

• Least Cost Routing (LCR) is made

available as the default option for all merchants in all payment channels, including tap-and-go, mobile wallets and online transactions.

• Full transparency of merchant fees.

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21 June 2021

Open Letter from Business Organisations Seeking Urgent Action on Debit Payments Australia’s debit payments system is at a critical juncture, and we need urgent action so hundreds of thousands of businesses do not face the cost burden of higher transaction fees in-store and online.

Debit is by far Australians’ preferred means of transacting, using tap-and-go cards and increasingly mobile wallets. Fees for these debit transactions are incurred by merchants, making it imperative that there is maximum competition in the debit payments market to drive down business costs.

High debit transaction fees ultimately hurt all Australians, with small and family businesses and poor and disadvantaged consumers impacted the most.

As the national representatives of Australian merchants and small businesses, we will continue advocating until the necessary regulatory action is taken to address this critical issue.

Least Cost Routing (LCR) enables merchants to choose the lowest cost debit fee offering – usually eftpos – to minimise their costs. This is hardly novel. In other essential business services like energy and telecommunications, providers are expected to offer customers a default low-cost option.

The introduction of LCR in Australia has been tortuous, with a raft of obstacles slowing its rollout and uptake. Now new barriers are being erected that put at risk the progress to date and would make it near impossible to access LCR in the growing mobile wallets and online channels.

These new barriers include: -

Moving from Multi Network Debit Cards (MNDCs) – which are necessary for LCR – to Single Network Debit Cards (SNDCs) using international schemes, whose fees are usually higher.

-

Failure to enable LCR in mobile wallets, which is available in other markets, for what is an increasingly common form of payment in Australia.

-

New rules and fees that make it harder to access LCR in online payment channels.

Yours sincerely,

This is on top of a total lack of transparency in merchant fees and concerns about the tying of credit and debit fee offerings, resulting in a recent court enforceable undertaking by Visa.

Jos de Bruin, CEO, Master Grocers Australia

In its recent Retail Payments Regulatory Review consultation report, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) makes clear that “a widespread shift towards SNDCs could threaten the viability of LCR” and that if eftpos cannot compete and potentially has to exit the market, this “would result in a significant lessening of competitive pressure in the debit market and would likely result in an increase in both interchange rates and scheme fees, impacting all merchants”.

Theo Foukkare, CEO, Australasian Association of Convenience Stores Mark McKenzie, CEO, Australasian Convenience and Petroleum Marketers Association Ben Kearney, CEO, Australian Lottery and Newsagents Association Paul Zahra, CEO, Australian Retailers Association Mary Aldred, CEO, Franchise Council of Australia Alexi Boyd, interim CEO, Council of Small Business Organisations Australia Wes Lambert, CEO, Restaurant & Catering Australia Dominque Lamb, CEO, National Retailers Association Suzanne Greenwood, executive director, Pharmacy Guild of Australia We will keep members informed of any response we receive from the Treasurer, the RBA or any other regulator who is able to assist us with this matter.

Australia’s merchants, the vast majority of which are small businesses, cannot afford to pay higher fees for their debit transactions. Urgent regulatory action is needed in three areas: -

Multi Network Debit Cards (MNDCs) are mandatory as part of every bank’s social obligation to promote competition in Australia.

-

Least Cost Routing (LCR) is made available as the default option for all merchants in all payment channels, including tap-and-go, mobile wallets and online transactions.

-

Full transparency of merchant fees.

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Stop crippling card fees adding further cost to your business

Encourage your customers to sign our petition today!

How you can help MGA TMA encourages members to request from every customer coming into your store that they help keep card fees down by signing the petition to the Reserve Bank and Federal Government – to help save your business from crippling debit card fees.

Members and your customers can show your support by signing this petition to demand the Reserve Bank and Federal Government make low-cost card payments the default for small and local businesses and keep Australia’s local payment network, eftpos, as a choice on all debit cards.

» We urge you to ACT NOW

to involve your customers and help STOP this unjust and detrimental decision being made. Join the fight by following the links and actions below, to play your part to save YOUR business!

Petition: Every signature counts Go to Change.org

» To sign the petition today go online to change.org web address http://chng. it/6YNfFG7t

Visit Facebook Click on the link to share and like with other small businesses in the local area and with your customers, to encourage them to also sign the petition. Make sure you ask your followers to share too!

» Visit https://www.facebook.com/ MGAIndependentRetailersPoint of sale:

» Encourage your customers to scan the QR code to sign the petition.

Download Posters Visit mga.asn.au eftpos grassroots campaign to download and print the A3 posters and display in a prominent position near the entrance or register area of your store to educate your customers. Request customers Scan the QR code to sign our online petition. Don’t forget to sign it too!

» Encourage your customers to scan the QR code to sign the petition.

» Print the A5 counter cards and

place near your register at your point of sale – this is where your customers will bear the costs, so encourage them to scan the QR code.

Write a small business letter of complaint to your local MP’s » Go to www.mga.asn.au eftpos

grassroots campaign to download the letter we have prepared for you to customize with your own stores details and send to your local MP to show the impact of these decisions effecting your business.

» A well-crafted, passionate, and

personal message will have the most impact on your local MP.

» We have also provided information to locate your local MP.

mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

INDUSTRY NEWS

SAVE YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS FROM CRIPPLING CARD FEES.

NATIONAL

It’s unAustralian to force local businesses to pay higher card fees. Demand the Reserve Bank chooses our local businesses and their customers, and brings costs down!

SCAN NOW TO SAVE LOCAL BUSINESS

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Sexual Harassment in the Workplace – What are the implications for Employers?

Sexual harassment in the workplace has arguably, now more than ever, been at the forefront of the media and the minds of business owners throughout 2021.

Under various laws, businesses and organisations are obligated to manage the health and safety risk of sexual harassment in the workplace.

• Inappropriate staring or leering;

Individuals conducting a business are required to ensure that their workers and others that have a relationship with the business, such as customers, are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. This includes being free from sexual harassment.

• Using suggestive or sexualised

Businesses must implement strategies to manage the risk of sexual harassment with the clear aim of eliminating the risk or minimising the risk as far as is reasonably practicable.

• Sexually explicit or indecent physical

Sexual harassment is defined as any unwelcome sexual advance, unwelcome request for sexual favours or other unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature in circumstances where a reasonable person, having regard to all the circumstances, would anticipate the possibility that the person harassed would be offended, humiliated or intimidated. For example, sexual harassment can include the following.

• Unwelcome touching, kissing, cornering or hugging;

• Suggestive comments or jokes;

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• Sexually explicit pictures, gifts or posters;

Sexual harassment is a workplace hazard that can cause physical and psychological harm. Managing the risks of sexual harassment must be part of an employer’s approach to work health and safety.

nicknames for co-workers;

• Pressure or requests for sex; • Intrusive questions about a person’s private life or body;

contact or indecent emails, phone calls, text messages or online interactions;

• Threatening to share intimate images or film without consent; and

• Actual or attempted rape or sexual assault.

Unlike bullying, sexual harassment does not need to be repeated behaviour; it can be a one-off incident.

Sexual harassment can also be a behaviour or action that is not directed to a particular person, however, affects someone who is exposed to it or witnesses it. This can include overhearing a conversation or viewing sexually explicit images in the workplace.

Employers must eliminate and minimise the risk of sexual harassment in the workplace so far as is reasonably practicable. Otherwise, they may be liable for sexual harassment.

Some actions that employers can implement in the workplace to aid in eliminating or minimising the risk of sexual harassment includes but is not limited to the following.

• Implementing sexual harassment

policies and practices that promote respectful and inclusive workplace culture from all levels of workers;

• Addressing unwanted or offensive behaviour early;

• Encourage workers to report sexual

harassment and providing safe, confidential and clear avenues to do so, such as anonymous reporting;

• Responding to formal and informal sexual harassment complaints;

• When responding to sexual

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harassment complaints, deal with complaints in a way that focuses on supporting the worker and is sensitive to any trauma to minimise further risk to health and safety;

• Implementing appropriate

• Consistently enforce a positive and

Employers can also ensure the layout of the workplace provides good visibility of work areas and avoids restrictive movement, and improving natural surveillance in areas such as offices, storerooms and other segregated areas (such as using semi-opaque glass or screens).

respective culture at work;

• Use recruitment and promotion strategies that create a diverse workforce;

• Monitor and review the effectiveness

consequences for sexual harassment misconduct, such as disciplinary action;

of strategies.

Employers should also consider the physical work environment that may affect the likelihood of sexual harassment occurring. For example, having facilitates and amenities that give privacy and security, such as secure change rooms and toilets.

• Training employees on sexual harassment.

• Revisit training and policies frequently;

Should you require any assistance please contact

MGA’s Legal and Industrial Relations team on

1800 888 479

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Spotlight on casual employees:

Fair Work Act 2009: New Definition of Casual Employment – what does this mean for Members?

There has been much previous discussion and case law on when an employee should be regarded as a casual employee. To clarify the meaning of casual employment, a new definition on ‘casual employee’ has been inserted into the Fair Work Act 2009 (the Act).

The new meaning of casual employee under the Act Pursuant to the Act, a person will be considered a casual employee if each of the following criteria is met: 1. An offer of employment was made to a person on the basis that there is no firm advance commitment to continuing and indefinite work according to an agreed pattern of work; 2. The person accepts the above offer on that basis; and 3. The person becomes an employee as a result of that acceptance.

The above criteria are to be assessed at the time of offer and acceptance of employment.

Subsequent shifts offered and actually worked after the time of offer and acceptance of employment are not to be considered when determining if an employee is a casual employee.

“No firm advance commitment to continuing and indefinite work” The Act places emphasis on considering whether the employer makes any “firm

mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

advance commitment to continuing and indefinite work according to an agreed pattern of work” at the time that the offer of employment was made.

The Act prescribes what must only be considered in determining whether there has been such firm advance commitment:

• Whether the employer can elect to offer work and whether the employee can elect to accept or reject this work;

• Whether the employee will work as required according to the needs of the employer;

• Whether the employment is

described as casual employment; and

• Whether the employee is entitled

to a casual loading or specific pay for casual employees under the offer or applicable modern award or enterprise agreement.

How can Members ensure that new casual employees fall under the new definition?

It is paramount for Members to ensure that any offers of employment made to casual employees are made on the basis that there is no firm advance

commitment to provide them continuing and indefinite work in the form of an agreed pattern of work.

This means that at the time of offering casual employment, Members should make it explicitly clear to the employee that:

• They are being offered casual employment;

• That there is no guaranteed fixed or agreed pattern of work;

• That there is no commitment from

the Member that their employment will continue into the indefinite future;

• That the Member will offer shifts at its own discretion, depending on staffing and operational requirements;

• That they can choose to reject offered shifts at their own discretion; and

• That they will receive the casual loading.

Then, the Member should take care that the employee accepts employment on the above representations.

Only after acceptance of employment on the above representations should the

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It is best practice for Members to also issue prospective casual employees with a casual employment contract which formalises the offer and acceptance of employment.

Our Legal and IR Team has prepared template casual employment contracts which can assist Members in ensuring that offers of employment are made in accordance with the new definition of casual employment.

How should existing casual employees be managed in light of the new definition?

Casual conversion obligations may apply to eligible existing casual employees.

Should these employees convert to permanent employment, there is no need to take steps to ensure that they fall under the new definition of casual conversion.

For any existing eligible casual employees that decline offers of casual conversion, Members should ensure that they maintain written records that they have declined the offer. Likewise, should Members decide on reasonable grounds not to extend offers of conversion to

otherwise eligible employees, those employees should be provided written notice of such reasons.

Existing casual employees that are not eligible for casual conversion and/ or decline casual conversion may not automatically fall under the new definition of ‘casual employment’ due to defects in the manner in which they were engaged. This may carry the risk of implied permanency, where the employee may claim that they are entitled to entitlements as if they were engaged as a permanent employee. To counter this risk, Members are advised to ensure that casual employees are paid an identifiable casual loading to compensate for entitlements that they would otherwise receive as a permanent employee, as Members will be entitled to make a claim to recover this loading amount should there be a finding that the employee is entitled to these permanent employee entitlements.

modern awards (the Review). The General Retail Industry Award (GRIA) was included in a small group of awards as part of the first stage of the Review. The Review aims to resolve any inconsistency, difficulty or uncertainty in relevant modern award terms so that the modern award terms operate effectively with the Act as amended.

The MGA Legal and IR team has provided submissions to the Fair Work Commission to assist in the Review. We anticipate an outcome of the Review around September 2021.

As a result of the Review, the Fair Work Commission may make changes to the GRIA, particularly to casual employment definitions in the GRIA and the casual conversion clauses in the GRIA. The MGA and Legal and IR team will keep members abreast of developments and any changes to the GRIA. Next steps:

Interaction between the definition in the Act and definition of casual employment in Awards.

As part of the introduction of the definition of casual employment in the Act, the Fair Work Commission is required to review relevant terms relating to casual employment in

The Legal and IR Team can assist Members with any queries on engaging casual employees. Please phone 1800 888 479.

MGA TMA welcomes Aimee and Jenny to the Legal and IR Team Jenny Nguyen joined the MGA TMA Legal and IR Services team in July 2021. Jenny is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Jenny has exclusively worked in the area of employment & industrial relations, providing both advisory and litigious support to both employers and employees on various types of employment-related matters. Prior to joining MGA, Jenny worked at an employment law firm advocating for employees located across Australia. She then worked in a mid-sized firm where she provided legal assistance and support to local and international employers across diverse industries.

Aimee Lyons joined the MGA TMA Legal and IR Services team in July 2021. Aimee is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Before Aimee joined MGA, she worked at a personal injury firm providing support to clients through both the no-fault and common law schemes. She has over 7 years of experience in the retail and service industry, including a position at IGA. Aimee also holds a Bachelor of Arts (Major in Psychology) and is passionate about helping others.

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Major changes to part-time hours in the general retail industry award MGA, with the support of COSBOA was involved in a joint application to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) requesting changes to the part-time clause in the General Retail Industry Award (GRIA).

The FWC agreed to amend the GRIA, effective from 1 July 2021. These changes now allow a parttime employee to work additional hours without needing to be paid overtime rates.

Previously, if a part-time employee had an agreed number of hours, for example, 12 hours per week, they would need to be paid overtime for any hours worked above the agreed 12 hours.

the significant overtime payments that would otherwise have been required to be paid. This change will also help manage the impacts that casual conversion is having on employers.

Employers must ensure that part-time employees do not work more than 38 hours in a week. If this occurs, any time worked above 38 hours must be paid at overtime rates.

Currently, employers and employees can agree to vary the employees guaranteed hours on a temporary or continuing basis if this is confirmed via an email, text message, or another form of written communication. The effect will mean that the part-time employee can work agreed additional hours, up to 38 hours in a week, without the payment of overtime rates.

Employers must ensure that any agreement to work extra hours at ordinary pay is made in writing (including text messages) before the end of the affected shift.

The FWC has advised employers that the variation process must not be used on any one employee week to week or fortnight to fortnight to avoid retail entitlements; however, there is no other clause in the GRIA that governs how frequently the variation process can be implemented.

A part-time employee is also permitted to ask their employer to review the employees guaranteed hours if they have worked in excess of their guaranteed hours over the last 12 months.

These new changes allow employers in the retail industry some much-needed ability to extend or rearrange the hours of part-time employees without incurring

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For example, if there is a part-time employee in the middle of a guaranteed 6-hour shift on a Friday morning, the employer can send the employee a text message asking them to work an additional number of hours (such as 2) at the ordinary rate of pay. The employee will then need to respond to the text message agreeing to the variation before the two extra hours are due to commence. This process will be the same if an employer asks an employee to pick up an additional shift on a particular day in the future.

Employers must keep a copy of all written agreements to vary shifts in the relevant employee’s file.

Should you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the Legal and IR team on 1800 888 479.

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The Australian Economy - A better economy = more confident firms Go back a year, and the consensus view was that the economic impact of the virus would be short.

Certainly, the economy would take a significant hit from the shutdown but then bounced back strongly once it re-opened.

Forecasters turned more pessimistic following the Melbourne lockdown in July last year. But it looks increasingly likely that any ‘scarring’ to the economy will be negligible. The economy has roared back to life, spurred by very low interest rates and significant budget deficits.

Firms say they have not seen conditions like these for at least twenty years.

Business investment is picking up strongly, powered by higher-thanexpected capacity use and significant government incentives. Low interest rates mean financing stronger investment is not a concern. Business credit growth is low, reflecting a large amount of saving that firms were able to sock away last year. But lending to firms has begun to grow.

equipment (uncertainty about the future of the office and physical shopping is weighing on non-residential investment).

The need for more equipment has driven the pickup of imports of capital goods over the past 6-9 months. Car imports are on the rise.

With even bigger Capex budgets likely for next year

And this is leading to more business investment

Concern about a lack of business investment was an issue well before COVID. Back then, low Capex spending was put down to an uncertain economic environment. The impact of technology and changes in consumer tastes also had an impact. For example, what longterm investments should the ‘traditional’ retail sector make when confronted by the rise of online shopping. The more capital-intensive sectors (such as manufacturing) have also become a smaller part of the economy.

Firms are not only saying that they will invest more. They already are. Capex in the March quarter of 2021 rose by over 6%. Much of that was plant and

More generally, investment spending is expected to rise strongly next year. A recent ABS survey suggested that firms might be increasing their investment

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spending by 15% next year, with substantial increases projected in some services (including accommodation) and retail sectors.

This is all good news. And the big-budget deficits and very low-interest rates will make sure the economy is humming.

But sustained strong economic growth will require widespread immunity to the virus (as recent events in Victoria have reminded us). A key question is when population growth will return to pre-COVID times? Another is what policy changes (if any) will be made to encourage stronger productivity growth?

Source - quantum

INDUSTRY NEWS

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The Australian Economy - The infrastructure projects boosting the economy As the post-COVID economic recovery gathers steam around the country, the Federal and State Governments are progressing a long list of infrastructure development projects to accelerate the recovery. Beyond the short term jobs benefit, the knock-on effects of these investments are likely to be significant. We discuss the coming infrastructure boom and what it means below.

Australian economy in recovery mode The Australian economy is recovering after last year’s pandemic-related economic weakness. IHS Markit estimates the economy will grow by 3.2% in 2021, after a 2.4% contraction in 2020.

And here comes the infrastructure spending boom Both Australian Federal and State Governments responded to the pandemic by committing to spend more on infrastructure. The reasoning is sound. In fact, late last year, the IMF presented to its member countries about the benefits of investing in infrastructure in a low-interest rate world with rising unemployment. They showed that increasing public investment by just 1% of economic output would create 7 million jobs directly and between 20-33 million jobs from the knock-on effects across the global economy.

Australia’s Federal and State Governments have followed the IMF’s recommendations by budgeting to spend a total of $226 billion over the coming four years, until 30 June 2024.

That’s a 26% increase on the previous budget, so we are in the midst of an infrastructure spending boom.

Where is the money going?

The upcoming $226 billion of infrastructure spending is good news for all states and territories, with solid

spending growth planned across the board. The list of planned projects includes: 1. WestConnex (NSW): $16 Billion 2. Sydney Metro (NSW): $12 Billion 3. Melbourne Metro Tunnel (VIC): $11 Billion 4. Melbourne to Brisbane Inland Rail (National): $9.3 Billion 5. Bruce Highway Upgrade Program (QLD): $8.5 Billion 6. West Gate Tunnel (VIC): $6.8 Billion 7. Cross River Rail (QLD): $5.4 Billion 8. Western Sydney Airport (NSW): $5.3 Billion 9. Melbourne Airport Rail Link (VIC): $5 Billion 10. Western Sydney Infrastructure Plan (NSW): $2.9 Billion Implications The economic implications of this infrastructure spending boom are likely to be significant, bearing in mind the IMF’s research shows that the knock-on economic benefits are 3-5 times larger than the direct benefits.

For example, the Inland Rail project connecting Melbourne with Brisbane is expected to create 21,500 jobs at peak construction. Over its first fifty years of operations, it’s expected to boost economic growth by $18 billion

above the cost of delivery. And then, there are the knock-on benefits which include increased domestic tourism and business travel.

The $6.5 billion Western Australian ‘Building for Tomorrow’ road and rail infrastructure projects are another good example. Whilst the short term benefits are focused upon job creation; the long term knock-on benefits include time savings for commuters, growing tourist numbers, and increased private sector investment.

And then there’s the Marinus Link project, an undersea and underground electricity connection between Tasmania and Victoria, which will enable the more efficient transfer of renewable energy. This project is expected to create thousands of jobs and billions in economic growth, and the knock-on benefits include stronger growth in the renewables sector and a more robust grid system.

Conclusion The Australian economic recovery is building steam, and the infrastructure spending boom will serve to accelerate economic growth. With $226 billion to be invested in infrastructure projects in the coming four years, the direct economic benefits will be strong, whilst the knockon benefits will be far more significant.

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Single-Use Plastic item bans around Australia With the fast-growing movement of Australians advocating to “save our planet”, states and territories are initiating bans on single-use plastic items that ultimately finish up in landfill, favouring recyclable alternatives.

MGA is a member of most single-use plastic working groups around Australia.

Queensland

designed to be used only once—and then thrown away.

SINGLE-USE PLASTIC ITEM BAN Commencing 1 September 2021 - the single-use plastic items ban commences in Queensland.

MGA has been a member of the Queensland Government’s Single-use Plastic Items Ban Stakeholder Advisory Group (SAG).

The Queensland Government is taking action to fight plastic waste and pollution, starting with a ban on some single-use plastic items. MGA members are advised that Single-use plastic items included in the ban arestraws - regular straws, flexible straws, straws with a scoop, cocktail straws and bubble tea straws, stirrers - hot or cold drink stirrers, swizzle sticks and hot or cold food stirrers, plates and bowls including single-use expanded polystyrene plates, cutlery - knives, forks, spoons, teaspoons, sample tasting spoons, soup spoons, chopsticks, splayds and sporks and expanded polystyrene takeaway food containers and cups.

All members in Queensland consulted about this single-use plastic item ban have been 100% supportive of this initiative and have already begun sourcing alternative hard cardboard and wooden (bamboo) replacements.

Half of all plastic produced in the world is

This is a massive contributor to the 300 million tonnes of plastic waste created every year, almost equivalent to the weight of the entire human population.

Australian Capital Territory BANNING OF SINGLE-USE PLASTIC ITEMS Members are informed that as of 1 July 2021, the ACT Government has legislated to ban the stocking and selling of single-use plastic items such as cutlery, single-use plastic drink stirrers (including bioplastics) and expanded polystyrene takeaway food and drink containers.

Many ACT MGA members favour this initiative and see this as a contribution toward reducing waste going into landfill and littering.

Members have already begun to replace single-use plastic items with wooden and hardboard alternatives.

For more information on the ACT’s ban on selected single-use plastics and for a range of resources to help businesses make the switch, visit: www.act.gov.au/ single-use-plastics.

Western Australia FUTURE BANNING OF SINGLEUSE PLASTIC ITEMS

We’re working hard to clean up our city by reducing single-use plastics

STAGE 1 BAN from 1 July 2021 Single-use plastic cutlery, single-use plastic drink stirrers and expanded polystyrene takeaway food and beverage containers are prohibited from sale, supply and distribution in the ACT from 1 July 2021. Keep Canberra beautiful and back the ban on single-use plastics.

www.act.gov.au/single-use-plastics

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There will be a 12-month transition period as the ACT Government recognises the additional adjustment period required by businesses to transition to alternative materials.

MGA is a member of the WA Plastic Straws / Single-Use Plastic Working Group. A consultation group is advising the WA Government on the best strategy for businesses (supermarkets) to transition from single-use plastic items such as stirring spoons, cutlery, plates, bowls, cups, polystyrene items and straws to hard cardboard and wooden alternatives. Meetings have been scheduled for July.

MGA will keep members informed after each meeting.

INDUSTRY NEWS

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New South Wales

South Australia

FUTURE BANNING OF SINGLEUSE PLASTIC ITEMS

BANNING OF SINGLE-USE PLASTIC ITEMS

MGA is working with the NSW Small Business Commissioner Chris Lamont and his team to engage on the Cleaning Up Our Act: Redirecting the Future of Plastic in NSW discussion paper, and in particular, the proposal contained within relating to the phase-out of plastic bags.

There are 3 phases to ban single-use plastic items in SA.

The Small Business Commissioner is seeking a range of industry views to identify awareness and potential challenges it might present for small businesses.

Phase 2 actions - 1 July 2022 - Singleuse plastic straws (with exemptions for people that require them), single-use plastic fruit and vegetable “barrier bags,” and degradable plastic products

MGA will keep members updated on all progress and news of this initiative.

Phase 3 actions - date TBC - Additional single-use and other plastic products to be determined.

Phase 1 - 1 July 2021 - Single-use plastic cutlery, stirrers and expanded polystyrene food and beverage containers

Please note that as of 1 July 2021, South Australian Members’ stocking and selling of some single-use plastic items will be banned.

Banned Single-Use plastic items include cutlery, drink stirrers and expanded polystyrene takeaway food and beverage containers.

Members are advised to source wooden alternatives to replace plastic cutlery and drink stirrers and hard cardboard food and beverage containers.

Any surplus banned plastic items can either be returned to suppliers or, if possible, transferred to interstate businesses rather than sending them to landfill.

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Grocery unit pricing here to stay MGA has been a member of the Federal Treasury review of the Grocery Unit Pricing workgroup.

MGA advocated NO changes.

The Treasury’s remit was to follow through on the Federal Government commitment to ensuring consumers have the right information when they shop for groceries to get the best value for their money.

Following a Treasury-led review, the Unit Pricing Code of Conduct will be remade before it sunsets on 1 October 2021.

The Government considers the current arrangements are efficient and effective, and the Code will be remade with its existing requirements continuing to apply into the future. Minor changes to reflect modern drafting practices and technology-neutral language are included in the revised Code, which was released for public consultation on the Treasury website until 14 June 2021.

This will mean that grocery retailers subject to the Code must continue to display the price of groceries using common units of measurement, such as dollars per kilogram, enabling consumers to make quick price comparisons.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will also update its guidance to retailers to take account of feedback raised in submissions, which will assist businesses to enhance their unit price displays.

In conducting a review of the Code, the Government undertook extensive consultation, including with MGA, as well as surveying almost 4,000 consumers with results indicating wide use of unit pricing information to compare goods, which saved these consumers time and money.

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The Retail Grocery Industry (Unit Pricing) Code of Conduct (the Code) is a mandatory industry code of conduct prescribed under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.

The Code requires certain grocery retailers to use unit pricing when selling particular grocery items to consumers.

The Code was introduced on 1 July 2009 and is scheduled to sunset (lapse) on 1 October 2021.

INDUSTRY NEWS

NATIONAL VICTORIA

Introducing Wage Inspectorate Victoria Robert Hortle has been appointed Victoria’s Inaugural Wage Inspectorate Commissioner.

From 1 July 2021, the Wage Inspectorate becomes an independent body responsible for promoting and enforcing Victoria’s:

It also becomes a crime to falsify or not prepare employee entitlement records to gain a financial advantage.

• wage theft laws • child employment laws • long service leave entitlements • owner-driver, forestry

Victoria’s wage theft laws do not impose any new obligations on businesses beyond your current obligation to pay employees their lawful entitlements and keep accurate records. Honest mistakes made by employers who exercise due diligence in paying wages and entitlements

contractor, hirer and freight broker obligations

Robert Hortle has stated that he will lead an organisation that helps employers understand their obligations, impartially investigates breaches of the rules and enforces the law fairly.

Victoria’s new wage theft laws From 1 July 2021, employers who deliberately or dishonestly withhold wages or other employee entitlements, such as allowances, annual leave and long service leave, face a fine of up to $198,264 or up to 10 years jail for individuals and a fine of up to $991,320 for companies.

will not be considered wage theft offences.

MGA members requiring any information about the new wage theft laws or any of the other laws in the Wage Inspectorate’s remit or information on pay rates, general employee entitlements, awards and workplace agreements, please contact the MGA IR Team on 1800 888 479

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Victoria – Lockdown meetings The months of June & July were certainly busy in Victoria, with the entire state in lockdown in some form or other.

Lockdown 4 & Lockdown 5 were extremely challenging for Victoria regional areas as well as Melbourne City. Many non essential businesses have faced the threat of closure.

MGA participated in many Small Business Recovery industry leader meetings, including the Minister for Small Business Jaala Pulford and the head of COVID Recovery Victoria, Jeroen Weimar.

These meetings provide feedback and seek clarification on the lockdown measures, including the mandatory QR Code checking in, wearing face masks, etc.

MGA Membership Support Service Fees – Effective from 1st July 2021 In a communique just one year ago, I said, “Never in the 120-year history of MGA has there been a more challenging year for Members than FY2020” The past 12 months have again been equally as challenging for Members, as the MGA team did its absolute best to navigate the many and varied COVID-19 shut down and lockdown restrictions.

Members around Australia must be congratulated for their resilience and positivity to deal with the uncertainty and open their businesses for their local community every day, despite the risk of the catastrophic COVID-19 virus being present in the communities they trade-in.

MGA has been at the forefront of these increased economic and social challenges, allocating substantial resources to represent you and all our members around Australia in all relevant

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Federal, State and Territory matters, as well as at a Regulatory level.

MGA’s IR team of Lawyers stands at the ready to assist members with their compliance obligations and Industrial Relations issues from wages inquiries, dealing with staff issues to unfair dismissals.

With the commencement of the new financial year, MGA’s Board has resolved to keep a membership fee increase to a minimum. MGA’s Board has resolved to increase membership fees by a modest 2%.

This modest increase will assist MGA to fund the resources required to represent Members on various fronts, including

matters such as the Annual Wage Review, much-needed Industrial Relations Reform and other matters, such as fighting illicit tobacco and reducing merchant payment fees.

Members are reminded to call 1800 888 479 to speak with one of our enthusiastic IR specialists.

For more information concerning your Member services, please go to www.mga. asn.au MGA’s Board of Directors thank you for your membership and look forward to being of service and support to you and our Industry sector in FY 2022.

CEO – Jos de Bruin

INDUSTRY NEWS

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MGA meets with Qld Department of Health – Review of Qld Smoking Laws On Monday the 24th of May, MGA’s Jos de Bruin and George Kovits met with senior QLD Department of Health team members. To discuss the imminent review of the QLD Tobacco Control Act and discuss reducing tobacco products’ exposure to minors.

The meeting began with a discussion around how we can continue to improve the health of Queenslanders by reducing exposure to tobacco and other smoking products, helping prevent smoking uptake by young people and assisting smokers on their journey to quit smoking.

MGA’s members around QLD are already subject to the strictest compliance regulations imaginable. To help facilitate the sale of a legitimate and lawful product, MGA stressed the need to focus on education at school level and not

Queensland Small Business Commissioner

look to the retail sector to impose more red tape and cost burdens on business owners associated with stocking and selling tobacco products.

MGA raised the present and real danger of illicit and illegally stocked and sold tobacco products throughout QLD. Seniors and minors access cheap illicit tobacco products from markets, pop up stores and even some legitimate retail outlets. These outlets are not compliant and don’t discriminate between under or over age tobacco users.

The QLD Government and the QLD Department of Health must begin to focus on the real problem at hand. That is, to stamp out the growing, importing, wholesaling and retailing of illicit tobacco products.

COVID-19 lockdown expectations. Also discussed were the obligations to comply, removing any ambiguous messaging and ensuring the new rules regarding businesses adopting QR Codes are fully understood to achieve the security that they are complying with their obligations.

The Small Business Commissioners office is a huge supporter of small businesses in Queensland.

Maree Adshead, QLD Small Business Commissioner, recently held a small business forum on the 2nd of July to communicate the QLD Government lockdown rules and consult with Small Business leaders for any issues or matters concerning business owners

Meeting with Qld Treasurer and Minister for Industrial Relations In Early June, MGAQ Committee Member and IGA Springfield Lakes business L to R: Cameron Dick, Terry Slaughter, Grace Grace >>

An idea raised by MGA and discussed was introducing a very low-cost QLD Tobacco Licence, which would assist the QLD Government in better understanding where the legitimate tobacco retailers are located. And to enable local QLD Law Enforcement to prosecute those illicit tobacco sellers for trading without a licence.

On the flip side, any tobacco licence holder caught selling illicit tobacco would lose their Tobacco licence.

This measure would resukt in better protecting MGA’s members throughout Qld! Members are advised to report any illicit tobacco activities in their areas to Australian Border Force via their reporting tool on the ABF website.

owner Terry Slaughter met with the Queensland Treasurer, Hon Cameron Dick and Minister for Industrial Relations, Hon Grace Grace.

Terry was able to discuss several matters of concern on behalf of QLD members with both Ministers, in particular, the looming end to the trading hours Moratorium (August 2022) and the introduction of the Entrepreneurial Pipeline project – locally produced artisan packaged wines, beers and spirits stocked by Qld community grocers.

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MGA meets with QLD Minister for Small Business Hon Di Farmer MP Locally produced packaged wines, beers and spirits for QLD community grocers On Tuesday 25th May, MGA’s Jos de Bruin and Debbie Smith met with the QLD Minister for Small Business Di Farmer, as well as Attorney General Shannon Fentiman and Minister for Industrial Relations Grace Grace’s Senior Advisers. The meeting was to discuss two major priorities essential to the future survival and viability of the independent grocery and supermarket sector in Queensland.

They being; 1. The Entrepreneurial Pipeline Project (EPP) makes several recommendations to drive the growth and prosperity of local QLD artisans fresh and gourmet food products as well as QLD produced wines, beers and spirits and 2. Addressing the five year Trading Hours (TH) Moratorium, which comes to an end in August 2022.

Both matters go and hand in hand in terms of importance and priority.

Discussions took place to explain the origins of the EPP and why the EPP and the TH Moratorium go hand in hand.

MGA explained that the purpose of the five year Trading Hours Moratorium

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in QLD was predicated upon the independent grocery and supermarket sector being able to develop and establish a “whole of meal” solution.

To create a solid competitive point of difference between the two major chain stores and the German retailer, which already dominate the QLD food and grocery landscape.

The two major chain stores can already stock, promote and sell packaged liquor.

The independents cannot.

Minister Farmer was very keen to pursue the EPP and could see the powerful case for QLD owned grocers and supermarkets to stock, promote and sell local wine, beers and spirits.

The peak QLD bodies representing the wine, boutique beers and artisan spirits producers fully support the EPP and would like to see their local businesses grow., with their products ranged in QLD owned grocery and supermarket outlets.

MGA has advanced and recommended the Tasmanian local packaged liquor licensing model, allowing artisan wines, beers, and spirits to be sold from within the grocery and supermarket gourmet

food sections in the stores – local wine with local cheeses, for example.

Minister Grace Grace’s Adviser indicated that the Moratorium on Trading Hours review would commence in August 2021. MGA will be kept fully informed of the following steps regarding the lodging of submissions to defend the continuation of the moratorium.

Attorney General Shannon Fentiman’s Adviser fostered support for the EP project but indicated a few challenges from various quarters of government and other industry sectors toward independent grocery and supermarkets availing themselves to stock and sell local QLD wines, beers and spirits.

MGA will keep members informed of any progress after further meetings with QLD Ministers in coming months.

INDUSTRY NEWS

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NATIONAL NEW SOUTH WALES

The NSW Budget at a glance On 21st June, the NSW Government announced several measures to support small businesses as part of the State’s 2021-22 Budget.

• Introduction of the new Small

Business Shorter Payment Terms Policy. Large businesses who contract to supply goods or services (valued at or above $7.5 million) to NSW Government agencies will be required to pay their small business subcontractors within 20 business days.

businesses cover the cost of NSW and local government fees and charges.

The scheme is available to small businesses who have a total wages bill below the 2020-21 $1.2 million payroll tax threshold.

• There will be an extension of the Dine

Enterprise (SME) and Regional Procurement Policy

& Discover program by one month until the end of July, giving people more time to use all their vouchers across almost 14,000 participating businesses.

• Continuing payroll tax cuts for the

• Introduction of a new $50 million CBD

• Continuing the $1500 fees and

• Commercial refrigerator rebates for

• An updated Small and Medium

next year, with the rate remaining at 4.85 per cent, alongside a permanent increase in the payroll tax threshold to $1.2 million. charges rebate scheme to help small

Friday voucher program that will offer four $25 vouchers for use towards dining and entertainment experiences in the Sydney CBD on Fridays. eligible small businesses for the lease

or purchase of commercial fridges and freezers. Applicants can get up to $1,490 per fridge, with each business able to claim up to five rebates under the program.

• The NSW, Small Business

Commission, will receive $13 million in funding to assist the State’s small businesses. To support: Additional mediation staff to support the low-cost resolution of retail and commercial tenancy disputes as well as business-to-business disputes; Additional customer service positions and enhanced advocacy. Surveying and stakeholder engagement activities to identify the key issues facing small businesses during the COVID recovery and develop solutions and support.

U.S. Independents 33% of Market Independent grocers now account for 33% of overall U.S. grocery sales, up from 25% nearly a decade ago, new research from the National Grocers Association (NGA) shows.

Sales by the independent supermarket sector rose almost 94% to $253.61 billion in 2020 from $131 billion in 2012, the year of NGA’s last economic impact study.

Over the same period, total U.S. grocery store sales climbed 47% from $524 billion to $772 billion, according to NielsenIQ/ TDLink data cited in NGA’s latest research, conducted by John Dunham & Associates.

As a slice of the economy, independent grocers represented 1.2% of the 2020 U.S. gross domestic product of $20.93 trillion, with a total output topping $255 billion, NGA reported. The sector encompasses 21,574 stores nationwide.

“Not only are independent community grocers at the heart of the community, but they are also at the heart of the U.S. economy, responsible for more than 1.1 American million jobs across thousands of communities,” NGA President and CEO Greg Ferrara said in a statement.

“The continued strength and growth of the independent supermarket industry shows consumers are supporting local, community grocers who continue to innovate and bring value to the communities they serve.”

Source - Supermarket News

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A message from the ATO: JobMaker Hiring Credit The ATO is reminding businesses that have employed new young people to check if they are eligible to claim the JobMaker Hiring Credit. Employers can receive up to $10,400 over year for each new job they fill between 7 October 2020 and 6 October 2021 with an eligible employee aged 16 to 29 years, and $5,200 over a year for each eligible employee aged 30 to 35 years. To receive JobMaker Hiring Credit payments, employers must complete three steps: » register for the scheme » nominate their additional

about your payment obligations to your workers and your reporting obligations to the ATO. This session does not cover your payment obligations when hiring workers.

2021 to avoid penalties. Find out more information at ato.gov.au/sgc

For more information see https:// www.ato.gov.au/General/JobMakerHiring-Credit/

The webinars will be delivered via Webex and you’ll receive a link to the session after you register.

Small Business support webinars

Don’t miss out; book now! Register for Key webinar topics for small business.

Did you know that if your employees use a business car for private use, you may be providing a car fringe benefit? The ATO has released virtual introductory sessions to help you work out whether you are providing a car fringe benefit.

employees through STP

» claim

As the world economy recovers from the impact of COVID-19, business owners’ attention is turning to working out an action plan for their business.

It’s important not only to get the basics right but also to spend your time wisely and concentrate on areas that will help your business succeed. In June, we are offering two webinars to help you improve your knowledge and be successful in your small business venture:

» Goods and services tax (GST) Introduction

This 60-minute introductory session covers who needs to register for the goods and services tax (GST), when to register and how to register. It also lists your ongoing obligations once you are in the GST system.

» Employer: Paying workers Come along to this 60-minute session to learn about how to set up systems and pay your workers. You’ll learn

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Employers Single Touch Payroll—closely held payees webinar From 1 July 2021, employers must report any closely held payees through Single Touch Payroll (STP). We’re offering a free webinar on Wednesday 2 June, to help you understand how this change affects you and what your reporting options for your closely held payees will be.

Registrations for the webinar are now open.

It will be delivered online via Webex and you’ll receive a link to the session once you register.

Missed, underpaid or paid super late?

If you missed the 28 April 2021 super guarantee due date or underpaid, you need to lodge a Superannuation guarantee charge statement by 28 May

Fuel your knowledge on car fringe benefits

Register for an Employer: Introduction to car fringe benefits session.

Scams The ATO is receiving reports of a new email scam that asks people to update their myGov or myGovID details.

Scammers are pretending to be from the ‘myGov customer care team’ and asking recipients to update their details by clicking a link. You can share our social posts on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, also see our latest alerts and more information at www.ato.gov.au/ scamalerts

Electronic sales suppression tools (ESSTs) While most people do the right thing, some business operators have used an ESST to under-report their income and gain an unfair competitive advantage.

Find out how the ATO is tackling this problem and how you can help.

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MGA discusses Cybersecurity with Minister for Home Affairs Hon Karen Andrews MP On the 29th of April, MGA TMA, together with members of COSBOA met with the newly appointed Minister for Home Affairs Karen Andrews and her team to discuss several topics, particularly the emerging risk of Cybercrime and Cybersecurity. Small and large businesses and institutions are all being affected by local and global Cyberattacks that compromise the ability of an organisation to operate its day-to-day business and activities.

Our world is now online in almost every respect. However, we cannot underestimate the ingenuity of Cybercrime perpetrators who will resort

to anything to infiltrate your operating system and then hold a business to ransom for either cash funds or bitcoins.

This form of crime is running rampant, and we as a family and private business cohort must stay vigilant by ensuring our IT systems are appropriately passworded and securitised.

As a senior leader in the forum said, you would not leave the front door of your house open for thieves to come in, so why would you allow this to occur to your computer system in your business or private life?

Newly appointed Minister for Home Affairs, Karen Andrews MP

Vodka with Sparkling Water

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO PLACE AN ORDER PLEASE CONTACT YOUR CUB PREMIUM BEVERAGES REPRESENTATIVE OR EMAIL CUSTOMER SERVICE AT APB.ENQUIRIES@ASAHI.COM.AU

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NATIONAL NEW SOUTH WALES

NSW Treasury Small Business Economic Recovery Forum Since the bushfire disasters in late 2019 and then through the COVID-19 period to now, NSW Small Business Commissioner Chris Lamont, together with COSBOA, has coordinated a regular meeting with the NSW Treasurer, Small Business Minister, Treasury and various other NSW Departments including Transport. This valuable forum has become an essential vehicle to address the many needs of small businesses throughout NSW. Discussions included the most recent updates on COVID-19 cases throughout NSW. How hotspots have been addressed, an economic update of the NSW, Australian and Global economy relative to the challenging times we find ourselves in and the issues Small Businesses are facing in NSW and what assistance can be given to small businesses.

MGA TMA has been a regular member of this leadership forum and has elevated many issues of concern on behalf of our members.

NSW is a clear Australian leader compared to other Governments and their agencies in small business collaboration and consultancy, giving small businesses certainty and confidence in very difficult times.

Members of the NSW Treasury Small Business Economic Recovery hold their regular meetings online.

NSW Treasury Small Business Economic Recovery Task Force Meeting On Monday, 28th June, MGA attended the Small Business Commissioners and NSW Treasury Small Business Economic Reform Taskforce meeting.

In particular, many matters were discussed, the COVID-19 lockdowns and the economic and social impacts on small business owners, as well as casual staff who are unable to obtain hours of work given business, are closed.

The Small Business Commissioner opened the meeting and introduced Dr Richard Broome, who updated the current COVID-19 Public Health Orders and restrictions in Sydney and NSW regions.

Minister for Small Business , The Hon

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Damien Tudehope MLC provided an update on the enhancement to the Small Business Commission’s budget and small business measures included in the State budget that was recently announced.

Minister Tudehope advised that the NSW Government was developing a small business relief package in response to the current public health orders attached to COVID-19, in addition to existing NSW Government initiatives such as the $1,500 digital voucher rebate scheme and the Dine and Discover vouchers.

Mr William Murphy provided insights on access to the www.nsw.gov.au website as the primary government platform for information on the current COVID-19 outbreak.

There have been 2.3 million visitors on the NSW.gov website between 26-27th June and a substantial increase in social media interest.

Mr William Murphy also advised that QR codes in retail premises are mandatory.

MGA will keep NSW members informed of any further COVID-19 restrictions as they arise.

INDUSTRY NEWS

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2021 Budget Supports “Go Local” MGA TMA is a council member and former Board Member of the Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia (COSBOA). The recently announced Federal Budget included a terrific $8m support package for COSBOA to continue with the very successful “Go Local” campaign.

Australians will again be urged to continue supporting small and family-owned businesses in their local areas, with the federal government setting aside another $8 million to fund a nationwide ‘shop local’ campaign. Small Business Minister Stuart Robert announced the two-year campaign in a media statement that accompanied the federal budget papers on the day of the budget release, saying the campaign will help support SMEs as they continue to recover from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During 2020, the Council of Small Business Organisation Australia (COSBOA) received $5 million in funding to run the ‘Go Local First ‘campaign, this new $8 million iteration is the next phase of the same campaign.

COSBOA’s ‘Go Local First’ campaign included nationwide advertising and marketing materials that SMEs could download to display in their businesses.

In his statement, Minister Robert said small, and family businesses are an important part of the government’s economic recovery plan.

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ACCC will not oppose Woolworths acquiring 65% share of PFD MGA (as part of an alliance of five peak industry bodies), through consultations and submissions, warned the ACCC that the Woolworths acquisition of PFD Food Service would reduce competition and enhance the market power of the Woolworths Group in the Food sector. The ACCC has made the decision not to oppose Woolworths acquiring PFD Food Services. The ACCC delivered this decision on 10th June 2021.

MGA partnered with the 5 peak bodies in February to block the acquisition, stating it would grant the company inordinate influence over the food sector in Australia.

MGA CEO Jos de Bruin said, “Regardless of any so-called undertakings that Woolworths may propose to the ACCC to secure the PFD acquisition. MGA believes this is just another ‘creeping acquisition’ to dominate the food and grocery market further and lessen competition.”

Woolworths has bottomless pockets and resources to be able to drive their agenda to acquire PFD. Now that Woolworths has acquired PFD Food Services, MGA believes this could spell the end of robust competition and choice in the Food Service and Grocery distributor market as we know it to be today.

The ACCC stated that a detailed investigation found the transaction is not likely to lessen competition substantially.

“We conducted extensive market inquiries across the industry and undertook a detailed analysis of supplier and competitor data and internal documents of key interested parties. Ultimately the evidence before us did not indicate the transaction would be likely to lessen competition substantially,” ACCC Chair Rod Sims said.

PFD is a wholesale food distributor, purchasing a wide range of food products from suppliers and distributing them to businesses such as restaurants, cafes, hotels and clubs, petrol and convenience

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stores and institutions such as hospitals.

PFD has about 15 per cent of the wholesale food distribution segment.

“Our investigation focussed on the potential impact of the transaction on suppliers of food and grocery products.

Market feedback suggested that some suppliers see the wholesale food distribution channel as a competitive alternative to supermarkets in distributing their products,” Mr Sims said.

“While some suppliers expressed concerns, many suppliers did not raise competition concerns. PFD makes up about two per cent of the overall demand from food suppliers, which was a key factor in the lack of concern from some suppliers.”

The ACCC closely investigated potential flow-on effects across the wholesale food sector and looked at specific segments of the market where supply through PFD and other wholesalers is a greater proportion of demand.

“There are very few suppliers for whom both PFD and Woolworths make up a significant proportion of their channels to market. The entire wholesale channel generally purchases less than either of the major supermarket chains,” Mr Sims said.

“We consulted with suppliers of all sizes and found that many suppliers also have additional alternative channels, such as supply to manufacturing, direct supply or negotiation with institutional and restaurant chain customers, and exports.

Many of PFD’s competitors expressed very strong concerns to the ACCC about the potential effects of the acquisition.

The strongest concerns related to the potential for Woolworths to aggressively expand in food distribution and leverage its buyer power in supermarkets into food distribution, including through selling private-label products through PFD. Market feedback indicated that Woolworths would likely be a strong competitor in food distribution. It may try to expand PFD’s share of the wholesale segment by bringing down prices for restaurants, cafes and other businesses.

“The ACCC acknowledges that the acquisition will likely lead to changes in the way the wholesale food distribution industry operates,” Mr Sims said.

“Despite these potential changes, we concluded that there are several competitors in the wholesale segment with similar market share to PFD, and non-price aspects of competition, such as range, quality and service levels are likely to remain an important part of the competitive dynamics. Consequently, there is not likely to be a substantial lessening of competition.”

Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson, expressed great concern for the unintended “lessening of competition“ consequences of this acquisition and stated he would be keeping a watchful eye out for any anti-competitive behaviours that may emanate from this acquisition.

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NEWS VICTORIA SOUTH WALES

Metcash celebrates suppliers at its annual ‘Supplier of the Year’ Awards Metcash has announced the winners of its 2020 Supplier of the Year Awards, with a prestigious array of suppliers taking out the nineteen awards presented on the night.

The awards were held at The Star, Sydney on Thursday 20th May 2021, and were hosted by Australian Olympic swimmer and TV presenter, Giaan Rooney. The annual event provides an opportunity for Metcash to acknowledge and thank its valued suppliers for their contributions and continuous support of the independent retail network Scott Marshall, Metcash Food CEO said: “It’s fantastic to come together once again to celebrate the incredible range of suppliers which support our independent retail network. In a year like no other, we saw outstanding results and amazing innovations across many categories. We’re extremely proud of all the hard work shown throughout the past 12 months and I’d like to congratulate all of our deserving winners.”

In addition to celebrating the achievements of the suppliers, Metcash also presented each of its charity partners, including McGrath Foundation, Special Olympics Australia and the Humpty Dumpty Foundation, with $100,000 cheques to support

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the important work they do. There was also a raffle during the evening, of which an additional $20,300 was raised for each charity.

Nineteen category awards were presented on the night. The major award winners include: Supplier of the Year Award

» British American Tobacco Foodservice Supplier of the Year Award

» Mrs Mac’s Pies Private Label Supplier of the Year Award

» Saputo Dairy Australia Produce Supplier of the Year Award

» Montague Fresh Bakery Supplier of the Year Award

» Allied Pinnacle

Delicatessen Supplier of the Year Award

» Primo Foods Meat and Seafood Supplier of the Year Award

» Auspork Australia Perishable Supplier of the Year Award (under $50 million)

» Primo Foods Perishable Supplier of the Year Award (over $50 million) » Bega Dairy & Drinks Ready Meals Supplier of the Year Award

» My Muscle Chef Food Supplier of the Year Award (under $50 million)

» Manassen Foods Food Supplier of the Year Award (over $50 million)

» Mars Food Impulse Supplier of the Year Award (under $50 million)

» Darrell Lea

INDUSTRY EVENTS

NEWS SOUTH WALES

Perishable Supplier of the Year 2020 - Over $50m Bega Dairy & Drinks Grant Ramage, Kant Mailvaganam, Katherine Paraskevas, Drew Pearce, Scott Marshall

Non-Food Supplier of the Year 2020 - Under $25mJohnson & Johnson Grant Ramage, Michael Del Favero, Dominic Vincent, Scott Marshall

Impulse Supplier of the Year Award (over $50 million)

» Mondelēz Australia Non-Food Supplier of the Year Award (under $25 million)

Food Supplier of the Year 2020 – Over $50m Mars Food Grant Ramage, Joe Rigby, Ryn Bowen, Scott Marshall

» Johnson & Johnson Non-Food Supplier of the Year Award (over $25 million) » Unilever General Merchandise Supplier of the Year Award » Brilliant Group Tobacco Supplier of the Year Award » British American Tobacco Product Innovation Supplier of the Year Award » Unilever Bubble O’Bill Ice Cream Range

Bakery Supplier of the Year 2020 Allied Pinnacle Grant Ramage, James Mu, Daniel Barreca, Scott Marshall

Produce Supplier of the Year 2020 Montague Fresh Grant Ramage, Mark Bailey, Scott Montague, Scott Marshall

Ready Meals Supplier of the Year 2020 My Muscle Chef Grant Ramage, Elaine Antcliff, Scott Marshall

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Local Supermarkets preferred by Australians A recent CHOICE survey of Australian shoppers determined that most Australians prefer to shop at their local supermarkets. MGA TMA members, including Foodland stores in SA, Drakes Supermarkets in SA and Qld and family-owned NSW fresh produce retailer Harris Farms, have performed outstandingly well in comparison with the two large chains.

The two major chains are, however, leading the independent sector in online retail. Meaning that, consumers were very satisfied and praised their online shopping experiences.

The survey results indicated that Australian consumers are very proud of their locally owned brands and businesses that produce high quality fresh and gourmet foods of every description.

The compelling insight for members to take note of is that Australian consumers want to see a wide range of new and local foods in the independent grocery stores and supermarkets to choose from.

This is a huge opportunity for MGA members, small to large, to engage with their local fresh and gourmet food producers. To invest in floor and shelf space in displaying and selling these local food products. The Foodland and Drakes stores performed well in the range of their products and local food availability, with shoppers eager to support their local producers.

We are the hubs of the communities in which we trade, and we should never let the two big chains or the German discounters take that position away from us!

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MGA members, please note that Choice Australia has the most discreet shoppers in Australia with over 3000 members, providing comprehensive feedback on their supermarket experience in-store or online against 39 criteria.

The challenge for all of us is to lift our retailing standards in every respect and provide our customers with the locally produced fresh and gourmet foods they desire.

they buy. Moreover, it’s easier to browse and compare different products instore, according to our survey respondents.

Between them, Coles and Woolworths have almost 70% of Australia’s grocery market.

This duopoly certainly dominates in terms of the number of stores and geographical distribution, but does the sheer presence (and the convenience this offers) translate to satisfied in-store customers?

Here is how Australian supermarkets rank in the 2021 CHOICE Supermarket Satisfaction Survey: Until recently, just four percent of Foodland (82% overall) grocery shoppers bought their groceries Drakes Supermarkets (79%) online in an average month, according to Harris Farm Markets (78%) market research group Roy Morgan.

Aldi (75%) Costco (75%) This number was always forecast to IGA / Supa IGA (74%) increase, but the COVID-19 pandemic Foodworks (72%) helped rapidly move a whole swathe of Woolworths (71%) customers from shopping in-store to Coles (69%) online.

Friendly grocery (67%) Supermarkets, particularly independents, play a significant role in the lives of Australians favourite Australians, one that the COVID-19 Supermarkets pandemic has highlighted.

Although online grocery shopping is on Over the past 12 months or so, the rise, most people still prefer to shop supermarkets and grocery stores have in the bricks-and-mortar branches of frequently made the news headlines, supermarkets – mainly because they like with stories about the panic buying of to check the quality of fresh produce (like toilet paper, grocery stockpiling, product fruit, vegetables, meat and fish) before

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purchase limits and dedicated opening hours for essential workers, to name just a few.

Two years on from the previous CHOICE survey, the concept of supermarket satisfaction now has a pandemicrelated criterion. A supermarket may have helpful staff, efficient checkouts, good-quality produce and easy parking – but how happy are customers with its approach to cleaning and other COVIDsafe measures?

People are also doing more and more of their grocery shopping online, a trend that’s likely to continue. Are the supermarkets that offer this service delivering a good experience?

Shopping online When CHOICE asked people to nominate the benefits of supermarket shopping online (as opposed to in-store), the most frequently selected responses were ‘I can shop any time I want’ (78%) and ‘I can avoid the crowd/contact with people’ (74%).

The next highest-ranking benefits – less likely to have been influenced by the pandemic – were ‘I don’t have to carry/ transport my groceries’ (68%) and ‘I don’t have to commute/find parking’ (63%).

Of the 3000-plus people CHOICE surveyed, 32% have bought their groceries online, and 14% grocery shop online at least once a month, most of them at the two major chains.

The number of responses for other supermarkets and groups that offer online shopping was too small to include.

Supermarkets – COVID-19 Safe A major change in supermarkets in the past 12 months was the putting in place of COVID-safe measures to help keep staff and customers safe during the pandemic.

These measures included more regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces, the installation of hygiene stations (hand-sanitising liquid/sprays) and guidance around social distancing.

MGA members around Australia indeed implemented COVID-19 safe workplaces as well as shopping environments.

Supermarkets were rated on five different COVID-safe measures, as well as place them overall for COVID-19 safety.

Overall, Foodland stores rated higher than most other supermarkets with a score of 76%, closely followed by Drakes supermarkets with a score of

72%. At 54%, Friendly Grocer’s score was significantly lower than those for all other supermarkets, apart from FoodWorks (62%).

Foodland outranked all other supermarkets in four of the criteria:

• Sanitisation supplies (the availability

of disinfecting wipes and hand sanitisers for use instore, for example)

• Social distancing (including managing the number of shoppers, markers on the floor and staff enforcing social distancing in checkout queues)

• Cleaning (staff regularly wiping down frequently touched surfaces, for example)

• Tracking (the presence of QR codes to scan).

Congratulations to Foodland Supermarkets SA and to the Drakes Group of Supermarkets for their outstanding ratings and survey results.

We congratulate all MGA members for the considerable effort you have made in coping with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and being resilient in very uncertain times.

Thanks for being the HUBS of the communities in which you trade!

Source: CHOICE

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A Sustainable Supermarket As a community-minded small business, sustainability and cost efficiency were top priorities for Paul’s IGA. After identifying an enormous cost burden with organic waste in the store, placed into bins and sent to landfill, Arthur Corcoris decided to act.

Arthur implemented an organic waste solution to take this waste and convert it to a rich fertiliser.

Located in Melbourne’s outer east, Paul’s IGA offers the community a range of fresh fruit and vegetables and specialised food and liquor products in addition to standard supermarket lines.

As a family business established in 1977 with a footprint of 1,800sqm,

today, it derives its’s sales from fresh produce, gourmet deli items, preprepared meals, and bakery items.

Faced with organic waste of up to 1 ton per week, managing director Arthur Corcoris understood that the organic waste dehydrator was a great solution to significantly reduce waste going to landfill while reducing his cost for waste removal. The end product is a nutrient-rich fertiliser distributed to local gardeners, community gardens and local primary schools.

Pauls’ IGA underwent a business sustainability assessment to then become the first ‘Sustainable

Supermarket’ by implementing a range of initiatives aimed at reducing waste, improving energy usage, and updating operational procedures to improve overall sustainability.

of n

“The addition of the organic dehydrator waste solution to our supermarket has reduced our landfill waste by about 50%, reducing pickups and saving $600 per month with both stores”. Arthur Corcoris.

Since implementing the Organic solution at both stores – Heathmont IGA & Paul’s IGA Ringwood East, Paul’s IGA have:

imp Diverted over 900kg of organic waste per week Pauls enrich 360 TM waste dehydrator

For more information on how to save waste costs, improve energy usage and learn more about ‘Sustainable Supermarkets’, please visit: www.mga.asn.au/sustainability Call MGA sustainability team on 1300 849 908 or email: aces@mga.asn.au mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

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Created 5,775 kg nutrient-rich fertiliser

57,000kg since plementation

Both Pauls IGA Heathmont and Ringwood East stores have implemented the organic waste soluton

Saved $600 per month of waste collection costs

An estimated $7,200 annually

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CONTACT: MGA Industry Training P: 03 9824 4111 (Option #2) E: training@mga.asn.au

NATIONAL SOUTH AUSTRALIA

MGA Industry Training approved by ROC (Registered Organisation Commission) is now delivering

MGA Finance & Governance Training for Registered Organisations

The Fair Work (Registered Organisations) Act 2009 (the RO Act) requires all office holders whose duties relate to financial management to undertake approved training within six months of taking office.

•

This course is designed for newly elected officers that are comfortable with self-paced learning.

•

No virtual classrooms and keeping appointments.

•

You can complete at any time or place.

•

There are 8 interactive modules to complete with a final assessment.

•

No need to wait for a trainer to assess your work, once the assessment has been completed, you can download your Certificate of Completion immediately.

Full details can be found on our website www.mga.asn.au

www.mga.asn.au mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

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COSBOA’s Peter Strong to retire; Alexi Boyd appointed CEO Small business advocate Peter Strong has announced his retirement as chief executive of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) after 11 years.

Strong commenced three months leave in June, with Alexi Boyd stepping in as interim chief executive. Boyd has now been appointed as chief executive of the council, which brings together small business organisations from around the country.

Strong has played a high-profile role in supporting the nation’s small businesses over the past decade, and been intimately involved in key policy areas affecting small business, including industrial relations and vocational training, as well as the introduction of policies such as Single Touch Payroll and e-invoicing.

He said in a statement it has been a ‘privilege’ to represent COSBOA and “stand up for the rights of small business folk”.

“I know Alexi Boyd will continue the fight and add her own experiences and skills to the battle,” he said.

Strong paid tribute to COSBOA members and its board for their “constant support”, and to the staff who have joined COSBOA in more recent years.

“The first years in the job was just me as we struggled for resources but, once we could, we attracted high quality staffers who have added depth to our advocacy; depth that has allowed us to take advantage of the knowledge and skills in our membership to influence the policies that matter most,” he said.

Strong also thanked others who had supported him over this tenure, including former Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell and current Ombudsman Bruce Billson; state small business commissioners, politicians, ministers and their staff; policymakers, public servants and regulators; and the media.

Boyd said she is looking forward to adding to Strong’s legacy.

“In every forum COSBOA is recognised as the leading voice for small business with considerable reputation with policymakers, leaders and media. Peter created that and I’m looking forward to building on that foundation of honest, dependable advocacy from real small businesses.”

Recently elected COSBOA chair Matthew Addison said the council is “excited for this new phase for COSBOA’s growth” with Boyd at the helm.

“Peter Strong will be missed without a doubt, but we (and Peter) know that Alexi has shown her passion for small business advocacy in her role as interim CEO,” he said.

Strong added that he won’t “fully retire” yet, and plans to continue to support the small business community, including via policy development and advocacy. He may also write a memoir, he suggested, or maybe a “how-to guide for advocacy for the common folk”.

“Either way thank you, be healthy and safe, and I’ll see you around,” he said.

Source: Eloise Keating, Editor of SmartCompany.com.au

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Federal Budget Summary and highlights Australia – still the lucky country!

The theme of the recent 2021 – 2022 Federal Budget delivered on 11 May 2021 was for more jobs and more spending – get the economy going!

A lot can change in a year.

In May 2020, 12 months ago, the first instalment of JobKeeper had just been paid. JobKeeper, a wage subsidy paid by the Federal Government to businesses significantly impacted by COVID-19, would go on to be the largest single fiscal initiative in Australia’s history.

Although we had just emerged from the first wave of COVID-19 better than some of our international peers, the economic outlook in May last year was decidedly bleak. Reputable commentators — Treasury included — warned of an unprecedented economic recession, with unemployment potentially reaching 15 per cent.

Fast-forward to today, and in the words of Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, delivering his third Budget, “Australia is coming back”.

On virtually any measure of economic performance, Australia’s economy has demonstrated remarkable resilience. The economy contracted only 0.2 per cent last year, outperforming all other major developed economies, translating to far more benign labour market impacts than expected. After increasing to 6.9 per cent in 2019-20, unemployment is expected to fall to 5.5 per cent this financial year and 4.5 per cent by the end of the forward estimates.

Good management or good luck?

The latter certainly has played a part.

For instance, the Budget has benefited from iron ore prices which are now more than four times the level Treasury

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projected in 2020. But as the saying goes, sometimes you need to make your own luck. Australia’s economic recovery owes much to both the speed and scale of the measures introduced by the Government last year, in both managing the COVID-19 health crisis and the associated economic fall-out.

values. With a bit more luck (and good management), Australia can build on the reforms announced in the Budget and look to re-engage in the future on the unfinished business of reforms like fundamentally reshaping our tax system for the next decade and beyond. (source PWC)

Tallying up the bill is, however, a sobering task. The total cost of the Government’s COVID-19 economic support package is now nearly $300 billion. The Budget’s underlying cash balance for 2020-21 is expected to be a deficit of $161 billion.

Federal Budget highlights

Budget repair remains very much a medium-term challenge. The Government’s immediate focus is on expenditure measures targeting a range of social and economic challenges — from aged care, mental health, child care, training and skilling, community resilience, and the perennial budget priorities of infrastructure and defence.

The targeted approach seeks to support a wide range of sectors in the economy and some areas where much-needed support is required.

So, where are the risks?

The effectiveness of Australia and the world’s management of COVID-19 remains critical. In only October last year, Treasury projected border restrictions broadly would ease by the end of that year, with international students and tourism to gradually recover by late 2021.

Those optimistic projections have had to be recalibrated to the gradual arrival of international tourists, students and migrants over 2022.

Beyond that, Australia needs to regain its growth mojo as quickly as it can. Growing the economy is the key to both budget restoration and funding the structural expenditure programs the community

Spending initiatives are focused on a transition from broad-based support for the economy to a more targeted approach.

For Individuals and families

• An extra $1.7bn has been allocated to

child care. Costs will fall for families with two or more children in child care, and the annual cap on the subsidy will be removed. These changes will come into effect from 1 July 2022

• The low and middle-income tax offset

(LMITO), due to expire 30 June 2021, has been extended for another year.

This offset gives workers earning less than $126,000 per year up to $1,080 of tax relief. This extension is expected to cost $7.8bn

• The new Family Home Guarantee

program will help single parents buy a home. This program allows single parents with a household income of less than $125,000 to buy a home with a deposit of just 2%. The Government guarantees the remainder of the deposit. There will be 10,000 places

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available from 1 July 2021

• The existing New Home Guarantee program has been extended, with another 10,000 places added.

This program allows first home buyers to build or buy a new home with a deposit of just 5%, with the Government guaranteeing the remainder of the deposit

• The First Home Super Saver

Scheme (FHSSS) has been tweaked.

Currently, anyone seeking to save a deposit for their first home can make voluntary contributions to their superannuation fund, capped at $15,000 a year, to take advantage of the special tax treatment of super.

The maximum they can save under the scheme is $30,000. That cap has been raised to $50,000 in the Budget

• The Government already allows

older Australians to make a post-tax downsizer contribution to super when they sell their family home. From 1 July 2022, the minimum age will be lowered from 65 to 60. This policy is designed to encourage downsizing and free up larger homes for families

• The Budget scraps the $450 per

month superannuation threshold allowing super contributions to be paid on amounts less than this

For Businesses and Institutions

• The tax rate for small and medium

companies has been ratcheted down for a number of years. From 1 July 2021, the tax rate will drop to 25% (from 30% in 2014/15)

• The temporary full expensing of

capex and temporary loss carry-back provisions will be extended to include the 2022/23 financial year. These two

measures are expected to provide an additional $20.7bn in tax relief over the forward estimates

• Small craft brewers and distillers will

receive up to $250,000 in tax breaks

• There are provisions to reduce taxes on R&D and a tax offset for digital game development

• There is $1.2bn in spending to

support the tourism and aviation sectors. Measures include more than 800,000 half price air fares

• There is $300m for support of the creative and cultural sector

Priority Spending Initiatives Health • The Government has committed an extra $13.2bn over four years to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). More health services will be included on the Medicare Benefits Schedule, and more medications will be included on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme

• The Budget allows for $2.3bn for the

provision of mental health prevention and treatment services over the forward estimates

Aged Care • The Budget has included an extra $17.7bn for aged care over five years.

The funding will train an additional 33,800 staff, provide support for the elderly to stay in their own homes and mean more resources for residential facilities

subsidies for apprenticeships

• There is $2bn set aside for spending from 2022 to 2025 for pre-school funding

ESG and Sustainability • $565.8m has been allocated for international technology partnerships/initiatives and cofunding research and demonstration projects

• $275.5m will accelerate the

development of four additional clean hydrogen hubs and implement a clean hydrogen certification scheme

• $263.7m will support the

development of carbon capture, use and storage (CCS/CCUS) projects

• $316.7m is earmarked to help

industry and businesses reduce their emissions through voluntary action and adopting low emissions technology

Infrastructure • Funding for transport infrastructure is a feature of the Budget, with an extra $15.2bn of spending over 10 years

• Infrastructure spending of $110bn is planned over the next decade

Women • There is a $1.1bn package of initiatives to support the victims of domestic violence and funding for legal support for women

• The Government has set aside

$16.6m for programs that address women’s health

(source CBA)

Education • There is $6.4bn earmarked in the Budget for skills training and

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SPAR Australia announces transformational upgrade to Brisbane Distribution Centre SPAR Australia has reaffirmed its commitment to the local retail market with a transformational upgrade to its Brisbane (Queensland) Distribution Centre. The upgrade is set to improve business efficiencies and create significant cost savings while reducing the environmental footprint.

For the past twenty years, SPAR Australia’s Head Office and Dry Goods department have been operating from a multipurpose facility, subsequently working with third-party logistics (3PL) partners to cover Chilled & Freezer requirements. From March 2022, SPAR Australia will take a 13,400m2 warehouse specific, purpose-built facility into operation, thereby bringing all parts of the business under one roof.

single pickup point compared to the current multi-site arrangement.

Preferred supplier cooperation

Additionally, the upgraded warehouse will help SPAR reduce its environmental footprint. As part of the build, SPAR Australia gains 100kw of solar panel power, LED lighting systems, and a rainwater collection depot. In addition, environmentally friendly gasses are used in the chiller freezer facility.

To achieve this transformational upgrade, SPAR Australia worked with SPAR International’s preferred supplier Jungheinrich.

Boosting efficiencies

SPAR Australia will continue to invest in its offer to retailers and work towards its goal of becoming the nation’s independent brand of choice.

The SPAR country operator has not just covered its current needs; it has looked to the future, with each area of the warehouse having a minimum 30%-50% growth factor included in the setup.

The new facility will help the SPAR country operator ensure all parts of the business work off the one system, gaining ultimate control over inventory. There will also be the costsaving factor related to 3PL and their margins.

Moreover, the move will bring improved business efficiencies.

With the purposeful layout, the warehouse will operate with comprehensive workflows. Docks on either side will provide unhindered pathways for ‘Goods inward’ and ‘Outbound movements’. In addition, warehouse targets around pick rates, replenishment, and receiving will be significantly improved. SPAR will also achieve better freight rates with a

mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

Jungheinrich has already worked on several significant SPAR material handling equipment​, warehousing, and material flow engineering projects. This 18,000 pallet racking project is reportedly Jungheinrich’s most significant to date in Australia, boosting its overall market presence.

Source: SPAR Australia

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New! Not blue, not grey ... it’s

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Integration with store database for prices, specials and stock levels.

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Customer first design thinking without clutter allowing for easy learning and speedy shopping.

Walk Optimized picking lists for staff and customers.

Ability for the customer to share their order with family seamlessly.

Contact Liam Keating (Retailer) or Craig Broadbear (Developer) to discuss your online shopping and check out our test store and website at: www. echeckout.com.au

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Consumers want to Shop Local – Go Local!

MGA members may be interested to know that a recent major bank survey of consumers found that more than 50 per cent of Australian shoppers want to buy locally sourced and produced products,

The report commissioned by CBA offers an analysis of the Australian consumer, with the first edition focusing on evaluating the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on consumer lifestyle and behaviours.

The research shows more Australians are choosing to shop locally, supporting local online retailers and manufacturers as well as suburban shopping centres and neighbourhood stores.

Our members have seen a demonstrable pick up in sales and businesses from their local customers since the emergence of COVID-19; understanding this consumer trend is especially important for all our members to comprehend. Our mantra is “Shop Local” or “Go Local” as per the COSBOA Go Local Campaign which needs to be backed up with continual investments into making the shopping experience exceptional every day, every month and every year. That’s how we keep our customers!

The shopping local trend is occurring across a variety of categories,

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including groceries (53 per cent), recreational goods (59 per cent), fashion (58 per cent) and electronics (55 per cent).

Additionally, almost two thirds (61 per cent) of consumers are praising local businesses for their adaptability to the disruption caused by the pandemic. This is certainly the case for all our supermarket, bottleshop and timber and hardware members too!

The report shows one in four consumers have increased online purchases, with the biggest change in online shoppers’ activities during the pandemic being an increase in purchases made from Australian online retailers.

This trend looks set to continue – with nearly one in two people (49 per cent) shopping more with domestic online retailers in 2020, and 52 per cent saying they will continue to do so this year. In contrast, consumers who made purchases from online retailers based offshore indicate their number of purchases moving forward will taper or revert to pre-pandemic levels.

Report highlights » Back to normal – More than 65 per cent of consumers expect spending on groceries, cafes, restaurants, personal care, and hardware will return to pre-pandemic levels.

» Pandemic spending – Over

40 per cent of consumers managed to cut their overall spending levels during the pandemic, while 39 per cent didn’t see any change, and 19 per cent increased their spending. Just under half (44 per cent) of those who spent less expect to continue to do so during 2021.

» Mobile wallet use rising –

The majority of consumers reported using cashless frequently than before the pandemic. 39 per cent of those who use a mobile wallet such as Apple Pay report doing so more frequently, with Gen Z and Gen Y driving the adoption of mobile wallets.

Source: CBA Shop Local Survey 2021

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Can businesses mandate COVID-19 inoculation for Australian workers?

Some companies in the US are asking their workers to provide evidence of their vaccination status or are implementing policies that restrict the activities of unvaccinated workers.

In Australia, employers cannot force their employees to be COVID-19 vaccinated and yet they are responsible for staff and customers safety.

Research in Employment and Work, Centre for Global Business, Monash Business School has done studies into what may happen next in Australia.

What happens if COVID-19 vaccinated staff refuse to work with unvaccinated staff members? So many questions and no definitive answers.

The following quotes can be attributed to Professor Bamber:

A Monash University expert has been looking into what this might mean for Australian workers and businesses.

Professor Greg Bamber - Director, International Consortium for

“Employees have more rights in Australia than in the US. US workers are less likely than employees in Australia to belong to a union that can defend their interests. In Australia, if employers dismiss workers who do not get vaccinated, they may be opening themselves up to an unfair

dismissal claim. There is not generally such a legal right in the US. “At this stage, US workers also have had more opportunities to get vaccinated than their counterparts in Australia, where the vaccination program has been much slower than in the US, UK and a range of other countries.

“Australian employers can encourage their employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in various ways but cannot force their employees to get vaccinated.”

Monash University Expert

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LIQUOR NEWS

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NORTHERN NATIONAL TERRITORY

Woolworths Scraps Darwin Dan Murphy’s Development After more than three years of MGA’s lobbing, the Northern Territory Gunner Government rejected the Woolworths liquor licence application to build a 1200 square meter Superstore at Darwin Airport site, close to three dry Aboriginal communities. The project has been scrapped.

MGA (unlike other retail packaged liquor organisations, which didn’t object to this development because of their conflict of interest due to having Woolworths stores as their members) put in many hours of work representing the independent package liquor licences throughout the Northern Territory. MGA highlighted the massive negative impact to sales that such a large 1200 square meter liquor outlet would have on their businesses to the Gunner Government and, in particular, the Attorney General Minister Natasha Fyles, which helped to delay the application process.

There is no question that, ultimately, the power of public opinion halted the development.

The forty-five Health and Aboriginal organisations who, as co-signatories to an open letter addressed to the Woolworths Chair, Gordon Cairns, helped to put a national spotlight on the issue by bringing him and his board to account.

There was no consideration by the Gunner Government of the economic damage that the existing Darwin bottle shops would suffer. Northern Territory

Chief Minister Gunner did all that he could to fast track the liquor licence application by introducing a new bill into Parliament, allowing the Director of Liquor Licensing to make a new and final decision to approve the Dan Murphy application December 2020.

This decision by Woolworths to scrap their application will now allow members to trade with confidence to build and develop their businesses within their local communities.

MGA will continue to monitor this issue once Woolworths demerge Endeavour Drinks to a stand-alone business.

WHITE CLAW ® HARD SELTZER MAKES WAVES ON AUSSIE SHORES White Claw touched down on Aussie shores with a splash last October!

The #1 Hard Seltzer in the USA (+125% in 2020*), White Claw has quickly become a must-have beverage for Australian made occasions, from BBQs to picnics, from weekends away to sun-soaked afternoons with mates, and now accounts for one in five Seltzer sales in Australia!

Made with sparkling water, a triple distilled spirit base and a hint of natural fruit flavour, White Claw delivers epic refreshment like nothing you’ve ever tasted.

White Claw comes in three Epic Flavours: Mango, Natural Lime and Ruby Grapefruit.

Sources: IRI USA Jan 21, IRI AU Feb 21

Hard Seltzer is continuing its strong growth, and after less than 18 months in the Australian market, the Hard Seltzer category has grown locally to a retail sales value of $37 million.

Discover a surge of pure refreshment.

To place your order for White Claw® Hard Seltzer Phone: 13 15 13 Online: www.customerportal.lionco.com Contact your Lion Sales Executive

9 5 C A LO R I E S G LU T E N F RE E N AT U R A L F L AV O U R S

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TRAINING

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The Importance of Personal Hygiene and PPE 2021 Australia’s normal flu season runs from June until September or October. In the last 18 months, influenza is currently at historically low levels in Australia.

In its latest weekly report, the “Flutracking’ surveillance system recorded no cases of the flu among its more than 52,000 participants, while in the nearly 16 weeks to 21 April, there have only been 214 laboratory-confirmed cases nationwide.

In 2020 Chris Moy from the Australian Medical Association said that high immunisation (flu) rates, as well as mask-wearing and physical distancing due to COVID-19, helped stop the spread of flu last year.

Because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar, it may be hard to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone, and testing is needed to help confirm a diagnosis.

Both COVID-19 and flu can have varying degrees of signs and symptoms, ranging from no symptoms (asymptomatic) to severe symptoms.

Common symptoms that COVID-19 and flu share include:

» Fever or feeling feverish/ chills

However, this year we need to be ever more vigilant as not only we have to contend with outbreaks of COVID-19, but we are also entering the 2021 flu season

» Cough

What is the difference between Flu & COVID-19?

» Sore throat

Influenza (Flu) and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses.

COVID-19 is caused by infection with a new coronavirus (called SARS-CoV-2), and flu is caused by infection with influenza viruses.

mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

» Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

» Fatigue (tiredness) » Runny or stuffy nose » Muscle pain or body aches » Headache » Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults

COVID-19 COVID-19 seems to cause more serious illnesses in some people. Other than the signs and symptoms of the flu, other indicators of COVID-19 could be the change in or loss of taste or smell.

How to protect your business? Hygiene!

Hygiene! Hygiene!

Now is not the time to become complacent with the good hygiene practices.

Wash Hands Good hygiene requires everyone to wash their hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds and dry them thoroughly, preferably with clean, single-use paper towels. If paper towels are unavailable, other methods such as electric hand dryers can be used. However, hands will still need to be dried completely.

Everyone must wash and dry their hands:

• before and after eating • after coughing or sneezing,

TRAINING smoking

NATIONAL

• after going to the toilet, and • when changing tasks and after

touching potentially contaminated surfaces

• Between changing gloves • Between tasks

Sanitise Hands An alcohol-based hand sanitiser with at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol as the active ingredient must be used as per the manufacturer’s instructions when it is impossible to wash hands or use it after washing hands.

Sanitiser stations should be set up through the common areas to encourage regular use.

Personal /Workplace hygiene: This includes employees;

» cover their coughs and sneezes with their elbow or a clean tissue (and no spitting)

» avoid touching their face, eyes,

gloves must be used as that, single use only. It is good practice to inspect gloves before putting them on to ensure there are no perforations, cuts, or tears in the material. Any cuts or sores on the skin must be covered appropriately before putting on the gloves.

There is also a method for putting them on and taking them off to ensure contamination is reduced- This is called Donning and Doffing.

Educate your Employees This can be done with various tools such as training and signage.

Signage is great as it is a consistent reminder to wash hands, to cover sneezes with elbows, use tissues (then wash hands!) and having good personal hygiene will help reduce the flu and any other nasties spreading. It also reinforces the correct procedure Other tools could include policies and procedures in place to train, support and enhance your employees. Having these sets up the expectations and creates the ‘culture’. Some of these could include;

nose, and mouth

» dispose of tissues and cigarette butts hygienically, e.g., in closed bins

completely before and after smoking a cigarette

» wash and dry their hands

completely before and after interacting with customers equipment and plant after use, including the basin area

» wash body, hair (including facial hair) and clothes thoroughly every day

» have no intentional physical

Have the right resources available This may sound simple- and it is – provides your workplace with enough hand wash, paper towels, tissues, hand sanitiser etc, to make it easy for your employee to do the right thing.

The flu and other illnesses, including COVID-19, cost the Australian economy billions of dollars annually through absenteeism at the workplace.

The best way to protect your business, your employees and even your customers are through prevention. By incorporating simple actions and reinforcing them through training, signage, and other administrative controls, ensure you will have smooth operations through your winter months!

MGA Industry Training offers a course regarding personal hygiene and Food Safety called SITXFSA001 – Use Hygienic Practices for Food Safety. This course is ideal for any employee working with food (retail, food preparation or café) as it teaches how to avoid crosscontamination through personal hygiene.

This unit is level 1 and the first step into a Food Safety Supervisor Course.

If you have any query regarding this short course or any other courses we offer, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly team here at MGA Industry Training at training@ mga.asn.au

» wash and dry their hands

» clean and disinfect shared

• Handwashing • Dress and appearance (personal hygiene & uniform)

• Cleaning • Illness/infection disease at the workplace

contact, for example, shaking hands and patting backs.

PPE PPE includes items of equipment such as gloves, aprons, face masks and eye protection, which are worn to protect the wearer and/or reduce the risk.

Where personal protective equipment (PPE) is usually reusable, it needs to be cleaned appropriately after every use Single-use PPE such as disposable

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MGA INDUSTRY TRAINING IS HERE FOR YOU!

Call our specialist team 1800 888 479 (option 2)

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TRAINING

NATIONAL

WHS Systems- What are they?

As an employer, establishing a workplace health and safety management system assists businesses meet their obligations and compliance standard that are required by each states Health and Safety Acts.

By implementing a workplace health and safety management system it combines all the different elements in the workplace that need attention to ensure the businesses are providing a safe working environment for everyone who enters it.

A systems-based approach is far more effective in protecting people from harm and meeting safety goals than a system which relies on documentation alone. This is because a workplace health and safety management system:

» is evolving and continuously improving

» uses feedback to manage

and improve safety related outcomes (consultation)

» builds on existing health and safety processes

» provides for more informed decision making

» strengthens workplace

culture and demonstrates due diligence

Ref: https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/

The scope and complexity of the system may vary, depending on the size and hazards of the workplace and the nature of the work performed

mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

To truly succeed in creating a safe place of work, the key is to develop implement and be active not reactive.

Leaders (aka managers) must be not enforcers of the system but role models.

Safety management systems includes:

Policies, procedures, and processes

» Strategic planning and

leadership commitment

» Well-designed policies and procedures

» Regular risk assessment and hazard management

» Consultation » Training and induction. » Reporting » Monitoring

Strategic Planning and Leadership Commitment When developing a WHS system its best to approach it in a logical manner.

From establishing the documentation, to the rules and boundaries of the system, it allows structure, clear communication, and transparency.

It should also be agile and flexible to allow the business to adapt to its current operations.

Within the system there is a need to establish roles and accountability from owners/leaders, employees on the floor, to visitors onto the premises.

Policies, procedures, and processes include all safety paper infrastructures within the business. This section is about detail. The documentation should include descriptions on all safety behaviour, expectations, record-keeping, incident reporting, and incident notification documentation.

Safe work procedures and practices ensure that everyone in the organization knows their responsibilities and can perform their duties effectively.

There should be a range safe work procedures from top level, such as how to conduct a risk assessment, to the basic manual tasks such as how to sweep the floor.

Risk Assessment and Hazard Management Managing the risk in the workplace includes identifying hazards, assessing the risks those hazards present, and controlling the risks to prevent those on the premises from getting injured.

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Regular work inspections assist identifying hazards and prevent unsafe working conditions from developing.

They need to ensure that employees are trained, qualified, and competent to perform their tasks.

business, the current models of safety management systems are far too complex and time consuming.

There are many tools, and templates that assist and record this process. Such tools include

Supervisors must provide adequate instruction and oversight to workers so they can safely perform their work.

However, WorkSafe Australia and state levels encourages all businesses to integrate safety into their business. Their motto is ‘practice prevention rather than reaction’.

» Risk assessments » Risk matrix » Hierarchy of Controls » Action plan

Consultation By implementing a consultation process with staff on health and safety and return to work improvements, it assists by business in many ways such as:

» Taking ownership of the

implementation of the process and procedures of the WHS

» Brings awareness of their actions

» Provide real solutions to improve their work life

Training and induction Everyone in the workplace ─ from senior management to frontline workers ─ need to understand their responsibilities when it comes to implementing and maintaining a healthy and safe workplace.

Owners and management should understand their role in establishing policies and continually driving the WHS management system and programs.

Employees need to work safely, in accordance to how they were trained and follow the policies and procedures.

Reporting By conducting incident investigations helps identify immediate, and root causes of unsafe conditions. It also identifies ways to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future. This information is gained through the incident/near miss reporting.

Other regular reporting could be gained through training/qualification records, register of injuries, reports or minutes from health and safety meetings, maintenance logbooks etc.

All these documentation assist in maintaining and improving the safety of the workplace.

Monitoring The business should not only monitor on an operational level but regular reviews of the system itself. By doing this, it enables the business to be proactive and improve the system itself.

How does WHS Systems improve the business and the bottom line?

For those who own and manage a small

By implementing a WHS system places structure and regularity to the business with a focus. The result in the long term is cost saving. The benefits of having a comprehensive WHS system are;

» Reduction legal costs and other associated costs (insurance/ Workcover)

» Reduction in the loss reduced production/output

» Reduction labour turnover » Reduction major facility and equipment costs.

» Increased employee

engagement and morale

» Improved business efficiency The development and implementation of a health and safety management system may seem daunting – an additional strain– but it does not have to be this way. Here at MGA TMA we offer assistance and guidance through our IR department and Training department.

For any queries regarding these areas please call 9824 4111.

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TIMBER NEWS

NATIONAL

Getting to know our MGA TMA members Marie-Claire McKiernan | MGA TMA National Membership Manager

They say, “Time flies when you are having fun”, and I can say that it has been a bit of a whirlwind since I began my role as National Membership Manager at MGA TMA. Trying to learn as much as I can (I know it takes time!), and then just over a week after I started, Melbourne was plunged into another lockdown due to the pandemic, and the goal posts changed.

I am thankful that during the first week, I was able to visit some of our MGA TMA members face to face, including Mike, Wayne and Matt at Bayswood Timber Wholesalers, Richard and Rhonda at Hazelwood and Hill and Peter and Kimberley at Peuker and Alexander.

The meeting that was planned with Karen of IHG needed to be taken online due to lockdown.

We’ll be reaching out to others in the industry to discuss further what we can do around this issue to assist our members.

Other points of interest were the availability of reliable staff– one member offers staff a weekly cash incentive for them to work 38 hours a week, but even this doesn’t guarantee them being there and gender diversity in the industry.

It was wonderful to hear from our members in their own words just how beneficial they see their MGA TMA membership to their business.

L-R Luke & Kimberley Blackwell and Peter Alexander from Peuker and Alexander

During tours of their facilities, I also got to see and understand the way that Australian Circular Economy Solutions (ACES) can benefit our members. ACES focuses on the circular economy and waste hierarchy and aim to reduce the environmental and financial burden of business operations. Through innovative and practical solutions, they improve the utility and sustainability of businesses and reduce their carbon emissions footprint.

Hazelwood and Hill

L-R Matt Drew, Mike Drew, Wayne Hawker of Bayswood Timber Wholesalers

The common theme that came out of each of these visits was the effect that timber shortages are having on our members and their customers and the astronomical increase in the price of timber imports. mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

I’ll wrap my update up by saying whilst I would like to meet all our members face to face, I appreciate that may not be able to happen, but please feel free to reach out to me via phone (0411 886 716) or email (marie-claire. mckiernan@mga.asn.au) with any queries you may have.

TIMBER NEWS

NATIONAL SOUTH AUSTRALIA

South Australia Timber Industry Roundtable Frank Pangallo, MP SA Best, organised a meeting on Wednesday 2nd June which included forestry, wood products, building and construction industry stakeholders to discuss the severe shortage of structural timber – the effects of which are felt globally.

As has been seen around the country, the successful uptake of the Home Builder Grant has stimulated unprecedented demand from first home buyers. Of the 100,000 Home Builder Grants approved in Australia, approximately 10,000 applicants have come from South Australia. In a normal year, you could see 8,000 homes built across the state, but there are currently 20,000 new homes in the pipeline.

This rapid uptake in new homes is not only affecting the supply of timber and engineered materials but all the hardware components required along with the availability of the necessary labour force.

In addition, with COVID-19 causing Australian’s not to travel internationally, greater funds are being pumped into home renovations at this time

SA Roundtable attendees

Kangaroo Island Forests was also a discussion point. There are 13 growers on the island and significant stocks of timber, but logistics are challenging getting the logs from the island to the mainland.

Frank Pangallo has committed to raising this matter with the SA Parliament as a serious issue that

must be addressed – if not, the livelihoods of small to medium builders are at risk of closing, causing unemployment and leaving consumers waiting for their home to be built.

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TIMBER NEWS

NATIONAL VICTORIA

Frederick O’Connell Scholarship Frederick Richard O’Connell was Executive Director of the Timber Merchants’ Association (Vic) in the 1950s. Upon his passing, his will detailed a scholarship fund that was to be used for educational scholarships for the children of TMA members or children of their employees located in Victoria.

The Frederick O’Connell Scholarship was established to promote industrial harmony and to improve relationships between employers and employees within the timber industry.

The basis for the awarding of scholarships is character, personality, academic achievement, and proficiency at sport, valued at up to $5,000.

Emily Taylor. Bendigo Truss, Victoria

This year marks a milestone in funding attributed to the scholarship with over ONE MILLION dollars of funding passed to successful candidates over the course of the last fifteen years.

We’ve heard from a few recipients that the funding has helped them cover their educational expenses, such as the purchase of scrubs and uniforms and has taken the stress off them with managing study load and part time work.

Nicholas Forbes, Golden City Timber & Hardware, Victoria

Jack Braddick, A.G. Brown Sawmills, Victoria

Olivia Coutts.David’s Timber, Victoria

Evan Dowe, Ryan & McNulty Sawmillers, Victoria

Jacob Nunan, Drouin West Timber & Truss, Victoria

Congratulations to this year’s recipients A.G. Brown Sawmills, Victoria : Jack Braddick. Bendigo Truss, Victoria : Emily Taylor. Dahlsens, Victoria : Jorja Brown. Dahlsens, Victoria : Harrison Miller. Dahlsens, Victoria : Katherine Storck.

Danahers Mitre 10, Victoria : Phoebe Taplin. David’s Timber, Victoria : Olivia Coutts. Drouin West Timber & Truss, Victoria : Jaiden McDougal. Drouin West Timber & Truss, Victoria : Jacob Nunan. Golden City Timber & Hardware, Victoria : Nicholas Forbes. Kelly’s Mitre 10, Victoria : Brooke Kelly. Mathews Timber, Victoria : Lucy Wright. Ryan & McNulty Sawmillers, Victoria : Evan Dowe. mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

TIMBER TRAINING

VICTORIA

Apply Wood and Timber Product Knowledge training In conjunction with Timber Training Creswick, MGA TMA hosted the Apply Wood and Timber Product Knowledge training over two days in early July.

During the first day, the course participants visited MGA TMA’s office to cover Timber Product Knowledge theory..

Day 2 took the group off to Geelong and Colac on a field trip where they visited Barwon Timber’s Bar Truss facility and AKD’s two Colac locations, including their green mill.

This allowed everyone to put theory into practice and see the processes that these companies follow.

Those that attended were actively engaged and asked some great

questions of both the trainer and Barwon Timber and AKD staff.

It was great to finally hold this course as it was in the pipeline for quite some time. The feedback from those that attended has been so positive it shows that it was worth the wait!

We are hoping that our next Apply Wood and Timber Product Knowledge event will happen again soon.

If you would like to attend the training, visit MGA TMA’s website for more details. www.mgatma.com.au

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CORPORATE PARTNER ADVERTISING

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Adroit’s top tips to help you to prepare for your supermarket insurance renewal Craig Love | Senior Risk Adviser, Adroit Insurance & Risk

Employee theft is an unfortunate reality facing many supermarket businesses.

Lack of job satisfaction and/or career progression, financial insecurity, external lifestyle factors such as alcohol and gambling addictions are just a few of the more common motives for employee theft.

During 2021 and beyond, the General Insurance market will see insurers closely analyse their underwriting results across all classes of Commercial Property and Public/Products Liability insurance.

control, operations, supply chain management, and other salient features of your risk management program.

• Provide a comprehensive

explanation of your risk management procedures and OH&S protocols.

3. Provide full details of previous claims

• Insurance underwriters will always request this

Insurers now have their focus firmly set on underwriting profitability not written premium volume due to an increase in catastrophe events, rising reinsurance costs and lower investment returns.

• Identify common claims issues

With insurers still attracted to the best risks, they still have the ability to compromise on their ‘current’ pricing and coverage principles to attract them. Now, is a great time for you to differentiate your risk and gain a competitive advantage.

• If you can show that you have

We have provided you with 6 steps to assist you in achieving the best deal in your upcoming supermarket insurance renewal.

1. Start Early – Preparation is the Key

• Begin to strategise and collate

renewal submission information at least three months before renewal.

2. Be Transparent

• Provide risk surveys, risk profiling

control, any other features of your risk management program.

• Expect insurers to require more

detailed underwriting information and establish the most effective way to present it. Where possible, identify and use marketing differentiators, such as videos profiling risk

mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

and obtain advice from your Risk Adviser of ways to mitigate this going forward, thereby avoiding a negative renewal outcome. mitigated the risk of similar claims occurring again, this will assist in obtaining the most competitive terms. For example, you may have had a water leak at your premises however since the incident you have replaced and updated the guttering and regularly have the guttering cleaned.

4. Seek alternative insurance quotes with an Adroit Risk Adviser

• Speak to your local Adroit Risk

Adviser who can source several alternative insurance quotes in the market. There are still several insurers available to quote your business in the supermarket industry and it is a good time to compare coverage and pricing.

5. Time and effort into your application

• Develop a high-quality underwriting submission tailored to industry

trends and challenges.

• Insurers are working harder than

ever with fewer resources available to them. Having a high-quality renewal submission presented in a single pack saves them time and effort and will lead to a better outcome.

• Your risk will be differentiated based

on the underwriting submission and on the quality and nature of the conversations we have with insurers.

This will allow underwriters to provide the best outcome they can.

6. Stick to agreed timelines

• Allow time before renewal to put

your insurance program in place and agree on policy wordings. If a strict timeline is not adhered to, placements can lose momentum while insurers concentrate on other issues.

• Despite the transitioning market

conditions, competition among insurers remains strong, and capacity is still available. Working closely with your Adroit Risk Adviser well in advance of renewal will help you secure favorable renewal terms and conditions and forge a partnership built on trust.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of your supermarket insurance program, please contact our specialist supermarket Risk Advisers at Adroit Insurance & Risk on 1300 My Adroit for a free health check on your supermarket insurance program.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

NATIONAL VICTORIA

IGA Victoria Conference Victorian IGA retailers and the Victorian Metcash Team held their annual conference at the outstanding newly renovated RACV Cape Schanck Resort on the 19th – 21st April. Coming together was relief in more ways than one, given the state was in some form of lockdown in 2020 and early 2021.

These conferences are all about meeting together as a strong cohort of families and privately owned licensed supermarkets to share ideas, information, and stories of their experiences over the past 12 months.

It is also an important forum to gain professional development and to learn about ways to improve the business, grow sales and employ more people.

Congratulations to all concerned for putting this valuable conference and forum together.

MGA thanks Rob Pristritto, the Metcash team and all IGA retailers for the opportunity to present an update on the myriad of matters MGA is attending to on behalf of its members – all the retailers in the room.

George Kovits, MGA Liquor Committee President addresses attendees.

MGA meets with ACCC Small Business and Franchise Consultative Council MGA is a long-standing member of the ACCC Small Business and Franchise Council. This is no doubt the best regulator forum MGA TMA is a member of. Chairman Rod Sims and Deputy Chair Mick Keogh, together with the highly competent ACCC Team, are absolutely outstanding in the manner in which they engage with the Small Business community.

Small business is treated in the same way a consumer is regarded, meaning small businesses need to be protected from an array of big business, unfair and anticompetitive practices that may affect the viability and sustainability of a family or privately owned business.

The meeting was held on the 21st of May. Newly appointed Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Bruce Billson and Small Business Commissioners from each state attended.

mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

The ACCC report produced for this meeting comprises detailed information of the many workstreams and cases the ACCC is handling at any given time. Members of this forum are asked to make a comment accordingly.

MGA TMA can raise members matters of concern at this forum, often regarding illicit tobacco, unfair contract terms, least cost routing, anti-competitive behaviours by the large chains, the digital delivery services (Uber) fees and charges and so on.

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committed to: practical supportive informative training Courses on offer • Food Safety Courses for all levels • Responsible Service of Alcohol • Tobacco Courses - ALL States • WHS • Customer Service • Staff Performance For further information you can contact MGA Industry Training on: Phone: 9824 4111 (Option #2) or; Email: training@mga.asn.au

www.mga.asn.au

mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

INDUSTRY NEWS

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NATIONAL NEW SOUTH WALES

IGA launches new-look ‘Supa Valu’ stores to rival Aldi Your local IGA supermarket could look very different very soon, with the retailer set to launch its new-look stores across some parts of NSW. The first of the two revamped IGA Supa Valu stores was launched in the western Sydney suburb of Doonside.

The multimillion-dollar makeover saw the store become the first of its kind in Australia.

Prices go head-to-head with Aldi Just like budget retailer Aldi, the revamped store has been designed with wider aisles and larger trolleys.

It’s been designed as a one-stopshop The Supa Valu stores also offer a meat and deli department - where you’ll find hot roast chickens - and an instore bakery similar to retail giants Coles and Woolworths in a bid to make it a ‘onestop shop’.

The store’s concept has been developed by family-owned supermarket business Romeo’s Retail Group and wholesale distributor Metcash Foods.

So when can you expect to see an IGA Supa Valu store pop up near you? The idea behind the warehouse store concept will only be rolled out in particular locations nationally.

Source Photo Supplied

The second has now been unveiled in Ballina, in the Northern Rivers region of NSW.

And that’s not the only similarity to the German retail giant. The prices go headto-head with Aldi too.

The Australian-owned and independently operated supermarket offers a combination of customerfavoured features from other major supermarkets, including Coles, Woolworths and Aldi in a warehousestyle store.

However, Supa Valu stores will stock all the grocery items you’ll see at regular IGA stores and products from local suppliers.

“These are the first two store formats of their kind in Australia, part of IGA’s Network of the Future,” an IGA spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia.

“The store is designed with wide aisles and is easy to navigate so you can get in and get out with all the essentials.

“We have pallets of items so that we will always have enough stock of the things you need. You can always get what you want when you need it.”

But the new store format does offer some similarities to Aldi, with the middle aisle - known as Valu Alley - reserved for heavily discounted everyday items.

“The centre aisle isn’t about making you buy in bulk or providing strange special offers – it is about providing the lowest prices on the brands you love,” the spokesperson continued.

“We buy in bulk, so you don’t have to and so that shoppers can save big.”

Shoppers are impressed Since opening, the Doonside store

Source Photo Supplied

has impressed customers with the wide range of products, fresh food and produce and competitive prices.

“I travel all the way from Kings Langly with my sister at least twice a week,” one shopper said.

“I absolutely love it, and that’s the reason I keep coming back.”

Source@ Katrina Micallef Contributor Yahoo News Australia

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INDUSTRY TRIBUTE

VICTORIA VICTORIA

Dean White Dear Colleagues and Customers.

On behalf of Brown Family Wine Group and the White family, I would like to pass on my sincere thanks for all the support offered by the industry at the recent MGA Golf Day, which saw us raise just under $19k for the White family. Dean White sadly passed away in November 2020, aged 46. He was a treasured member of the Brown Family Wine Group for over 18 years and left behind his wife, Melanie and three beautiful daughters – Ayla, Asha and Aria.

In May this year, the White family visited Milawa and Dean’s ashes were scattered in the vineyard. Following this ceremony, the family visited a memorial plaque and tree planted in the Milawa grounds honouring Dean’s life. This was followed by a luncheon in Patricia’s Table, our winery restaurant.

Dean loved the Milawa site, so this was a fitting tribute to a wonderful man.

We would particularly like to thank George Kovits and Mark Paladino from MGA, Simon Archer (Treasury Wines) and Peter Wagner (ALM), who were instrumental in organising this great event.

Finally, we express our deepest gratitude to the many suppliers, retailers, colleagues and friends of Dean who offered donations before and during the event. We are blessed to work in an amazing industry that truly cares for others.

Forever grateful, Michael Potenza Brown Family Wine Group

mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

CORPORATE PARTNER ADVERTISING

NATIONAL

eftpos’ digital identity solution connectID is now live The eftpos Group has announced that its new digital identity solution business, connectID, is now live and running as a standalone FinTech and fully owned eftpos subsidiary. eftpos began its new digital identity solution mid last year, aiming to make it easier for Australians to share, store and receive personal identity information online.

As part of the move, eftpos also revealed it was working with SecureKey to develop the technology.

SecureKey is a leading global identity and authentication company that has a proven track record in comparable markets such as Canada. eftpos CEO Stephen Benton said with connectID going live; the focus was now on expanding the range of partner organisations and applications while harnessing synergies and capabilities across the eftpos Group of businesses.

“For the connectID business to keep advancing and growing, it needs to keep running like a nimble FinTech at an operational level to pursue its goal of creating a national identity infrastructure for all Australians,” Mr Benton said. “connectID is collaboratively working with governments, businesses, online merchants, banks and other identity providers with a view to building identity into our national payments infrastructure, as well as other commercial applications for all Australians and Australian businesses.”

eftpos’ connectID is a ‘broker’ between identity providers, organisations that securely hold identity data on behalf of their customers, and merchants or government departments that need to verify who they are dealing with or receive identity information that they can trust. eftpos is uniquely placed to offer this service, particularly for interactions requiring a payment.

Rob Allen, eftpos Entrepreneur in Residence, has spearheaded the connectID initiative since the beginning said we are bringing that same trusted capability that eftpos has in payments into identity by building and subsequently operating national digital identity infrastructure.

“In Australia, there is a real need to facilitate identity verification methods to help reduce the instances of fraud and identity theft and improve ‘digital trust’ between customers and vendors.

We aim to seamlessly combine identity and payments transactions within the same flow and create even better customer experiences,” Mr Allen said.

Greg Wolfond, founder and CEO of SecureKey, said he was thrilled its technology was being integrated by eftpos to power its connectID service in Australia.

“As digital identity standards and ecosystems rapidly develop and evolve, ensuring the security of

users’ information while enabling the convenience of this technology remains a top priority. eftpos in Australia and the industry in Canada have both demonstrated a particularly strong appetite for its widespread use as the two economies emerge from the global pandemic,” Mr Wolfond said.

While connectID securely facilitates the identity verification or data exchange, it does not store the identity data. Identity service providers store consumer identities and take responsibility for providing this secure information only under the consent of the identity owner. connectID has applied to become the first non-government accredited operator of a digital identity exchange in Australia. As interoperability is key to the connectID solution, it is designed to work within the Federal Government’s Trusted Digital Identity Framework (TDIF) and the financial industry’s TrustID framework, as well as emerging international standards in distributed digital identity credentials.

About eftpos eftpos is Australia’s debit card system, processing over 2 billion debit card transactions in 2020, worth an average of more than $300 million each day. For more information on eftpos, please visit: www.eftposaustralia.com.au

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WELCOME NEW CORPORATE PARTNER

NATIONAL VICTORIA

Pernod Ricard Australia is pleased to partner with MGA in supporting independent retailers across the country.

As members of the Pernod Ricard Group – world no. 2 in the wines and spirits industry, Pernod Ricard Australia manages a prestigious portfolio of internationally recognised brands.

These include iconic names such as G.H. Mumm, Jameson, Chivas Regal, The Glenlivet, Beefeater, ABSOLUT, Havana Club, Malibu, Brancott Estate, Jacob’s Creek, St Hugo, Stoneleigh and Church Road; bringing celebrated brands and convivial moments to Australian consumers.

Pernod Ricard Australia is committed to taking collective action to address critical global issues, aspiring to create a more convivial world, a world without excess.

As part of the group’s Sustainability and Responsibility (S&R) roadmap, Good Times From a Good Place, clear 2030 objectives have been set in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Edgemill Group makes a key appointment with Zach Wilson to join the Australian owned family business as new General Manager.

Edgemill Group makes a key appointment with Zach Wilson to join the Australian owned family business as new General Manager.

Wilson has had a distinguished and diverse career in the liquor industry spanning over 25 years, most recently as National Sales Manager with Kollaras & Co. Wilson has commenced the role with an initial focus on sales and marketing, and a mandate of taking the Edgemill business to the next level in terms of sales and brand development. In the future, he will assume overall leadership of EMG, the sales, marketing, and distribution arm of the Stavrakoulis group of companies.

mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

Managing Director of the group Alex Stavrakoulis said of the appointment.

“Being able to acquire the calibre of Zach, an experienced liquor industry professional to transform our business is a major step in securing EMG’s future via sales growth and brand development.

I see this appointment as a critical step in realising the potential for our Australian owned and operated liquor business.

We could not be more delighted to have Zach, a family man, a straight shooter, who is bringing a suite of multi-disciplined experience and skills to the Edgemill family”.

Wilson commented.

With a strong NPD pipeline in multiple categories, a dedicated sales force and agent partners, I look forward to not only growing the EMG business but enjoying all that comes with working with an Australian owned business with strong principles and family values”. w. www.edgemill.com.au e. info@edgemill.com.au p. 03 9982 8700

LIQUOR NEWS

NATIONAL VICTORIA

VCGLR has increased its fees, fines and penalties from 1 July 2021 Each year gambling and liquor fees, fines and penalties increase aligned with the indexation under the Monetary Units Act 2004. From 1 July, the increases apply to application fees and penalties for non-compliance.

The annual Packaged Liquor License Fee for normal trading hours will increase from $1,007.20 to $1,022.20 for 2021/22. If authorised to trade during non-standard hours, the fee will increase from $6,043.00 to $6,132.80 for 2021/22 For a full list of Offences and Penalties visit online https://www.vcglr.vic.gov. au/fees-fines-and-penalties

MGA Liquor reminds all members to ensure they display their current Liquor License in an easy to read public area, along with the compulsory store signage, use the link to below to review and print the current compulsory signage https://www. vcglr.vic.gov.au/resources/industryresources/print-my-liquor-signage

Should you have any further queries regarding you fees, contact the MGA National Support Office, George Kovits on Free Call 1800 888 479

Victoria moves to the nationally accredited RSA course from 1 July 2021 From 1 July 2021, the only recognised Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) training course in Victoria will be the nationally accredited RSA qualification (SITHFAB002) obtained face-to-face or online from an approved Registered Training Organisation (RTO).

Students completing an approved SITHFAB002 course will receive both a Certificate of Attainment and a Victorian Commission for Gambling, and Liquor Regulation (VCGLR) branded Certificate of Completion.

Employees who are serving or selling alcohol, who are required to provide a copy of their RSA certification to employers, will need to ensure they provide their VCGLR RSA certificate.

VCGLR inspectors will not accept a SITHFAB002 certificate or any other

certificate during an inspection of licensed premises.

Those who have already completed the Victorian RSA course prior to 1 July 2021 and have a VCGLR branded certificate do not need to update to SITHFAB002 but will need to complete the free online RSA refresher course every three years.

Employees who are serving or selling alcohol who obtained their SITHFAB002 qualification in a

different jurisdiction will need to complete the free online Victorian RSA bridging course to ensure interstate students know Victorian liquor laws and requirements and are issued with a VCGLR certificate. This can be found on the VCGLR website.

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66

CORPORATE PARTNER ADVERTISING

NATIONAL

FIND YOUR BETTER BUSINESS SELF A free business support program for you and your team nab.com.au/businessfit

mga.asn.au | July - August 2021 | Edition 4

© 2021 National Australia Bank Limited ABN 12 004 044 937 AFSL and Australian Credit Licence 230686 A161041-0221

CORPORATE PARTNER ADVERTISING

NATIONAL

19 Crimes Cali Red wine in partnership with entertainment and California icon, Snoop Dogg, officially hits Aussie shores Hot off the heels of its hugely successful launch in the US, 19 Crimes Snoop Cali Red has officially landed in Australia.

The 19 Crimes Snoop Cali Red juggernaut has taken the wine world by storm. It became the number one wine innovation of 2020 launched in the US* and exceeded its initial 12 month sales forecast in the first two months of launch.

Born and raised in Long Beach, CA and a renowned Californian Icon; Snoop Dogg joined forces with 19 Crimes to create the first Californian wine in the portfolio, a unique red blend with ripe, punchy fruit from the Petite Sirah, complemented by bright, slightlycandied, red fruit from the Zinfandel.

19 Crimes, the first winery that used augmented reality to bring their labels to life, continues to disrupt the global wine market, as the number one brand contributing to growth in the Australian wine category**. This line extension will cast a modern lens on 19 Crimes, a series of wines inspired by rule-breakers and real stories of redemption.

“I’m such a fan of this wine and I’m excited to bring ‘Snoop Cali Red’ to my Australian peeps and share the experience with my fans. 19 Crimes is one of the most successful brands in

the market, so I’m more than eager to bring this collaboration to the world!” says Snoop Dogg.

Angus Lilley, Treasury Wine Estates Chief Marketing Officer says 19 Crimes, like Snoop Dogg, is defiant by nature, bold in character and always uncompromising.

“Snoop Dogg is a culture creator, innovator and a leader in pop culture.

Australians love him, and they have been asking for this wine since it launched in the US back in July. We are truly excited to launch 19 Crimes Snoop Cali Red to Australia.”

19 Crimes was recently announced as #4 in Drinks International’s ‘The World’s Most Admired Wine Brands 2020’ and, for the 5th consecutive year, 19 Crimes was also awarded Shanken’s Impact Hot Brand.

19 Crimes Snoop Cali Red is available now from all good bottle shops for $18 RRP.

* Source: IRI Total MULO+C Calendar Year ending 12.27.20 ** Source: IRI MarketEdge Data, Aus Liquor Weighted MAT to 08/11/20

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68

LIQUOR NEWS

NATIONAL

ASEAN, Australia launch Project Portcullis 2021 to tackle Illicit Tobacco In July, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Australia established Project Portcullis 2021, the ASEAN-Australia Task Force on Illicit Tobacco, to combat the smuggling of illicit tobacco in a month of action.

Throughout June, participating customs authorities shared intelligence information on tobacco consignments to support enhanced targeting opportunities, disruption efforts and enforcement actions across the ASEAN region and Australia.

The smuggling and sale of illicit tobacco is a global issue, with proceeds often being used by transnational organised criminal syndicates to fund other forms of criminal activities that impact our societies.

The collaboration has enabled customs authorities to apply scrutiny to an increased volume of suspicious sea cargo and land border consignments via the ‘Alert Notification System’ designed by ASEAN Customs Enforcement and Compliance Working Group (CECWG).

The operation aims to implement more effective countermeasures to disrupt the global supply of illicit tobacco and combat transnational organised crime. Collectively, the Task Force had detected the abuse of transhipment facilities to smuggle

mga.asn.au | June 2021 | Edition 4

illicit tobacco. A comprehensive regional approach is needed to address these challenges to prevent ASEAN and Australia’s economic and health consequences.

Project Portcullis, which CECWG initiated, has proven to be highly effective. The month of action had more than 50 referrals and has led to the seizure of 19 million sticks of cigarettes smuggled into the region.

The ASEAN Directors-General of Customs are committed to combatting Transnational Organised Crime and will apply similar techniques utilising the CECWG Task Force mechanism to disrupt borderrelated threats.

Tobacco Industry Group and with Federal Ministers and State Police Ministers to address this insidious and disruptive issue that costs members millions of dollars in lost sales annually.

Please use the links below to report any illegal tobacco sales in your area or contact the MGA National Support Office George Kovits on 1800 888 479 for assistance.

» ATO :https://www.ato.gov.au/

general/gen/making-a-tip-off/

» ABF : https://www.abf.gov.

au/about-us/what-we-do/ borderwatch

Source ABF Press Release

As one of ASEAN’s dialogue partners, Australia will continue to work cooperatively with ASEAN to implement effective countermeasures to disrupt organised crime in the region.

MGA welcomes the collaborative approach taken by ASEAN to combat the growing smuggling of illicit tobacco, especially into Australia.

MGA continues to work with the Black Economy Task Force, the Illicit

LIQUOR NEWS

NATIONAL NEW SOUTH WALES

Same day alcohol delivery regulations tightened Strong new liquor laws will be phased in from 1 July to help protect against alcohol-related harm surrounding online alcohol sales to minors and people who are intoxicated.

Minister for Digital and Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said these latest NSW Government reforms target the potential risks and harm from alcohol deliveries while continuing to support a safe 24-hour economy.

“Demand for online alcohol sales has grown in recent years, including during the pandemic, and we need to ensure our laws reflect this changing landscape and prioritise safety,” Mr Dominello said.

“These changes are an Australian first and ensure there are fit-for-purpose laws for the range of alcohol delivery business models that have emerged – particularly same-day deliveries.

They follow consultation with industry stakeholders.

“The new laws raise the standards for providers and delivery people, making them more like those that apply at physical bottle shop businesses. Gone are the days of a minor trying to use a credit card online to purchase alcohol

illegally. Those offering alcohol for same-day delivery will have an explicit obligation to verify that the person placing the order is 18 years or older.”

There will be a range of new offences from 1 July, which include:

• delivering to a minor or intoxicated person, whether the delivery is made on the same day or later,

• delivering alcohol outside specified same-day delivery hours, and

• not providing an online avenue for self-exclusion.

Online liquor sales in Australia are expected to grow by 27.2 per cent in 2020-21, with annual growth from 2021-26 projected to be 7.9 per cent.

The changes being phased in ensure all people making same-day deliveries undertake a new Responsible Supply of Alcohol Training course and assessment, so they are aware of the potential harms and deliver alcohol responsibly in line with the new regulatory controls.

From June 2022, same-day delivery providers will also need to undertake online age verification checks for all new customers and have systems in place to authenticate the identity of regular customers.

This measure is designed to significantly reduce the risk of inadvertent sale to minors and customers who have signed exclusion orders.

Visit the links below to view the Same Day Delivery Changes;

» https://www.liquorandgaming. nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/ pdf_file/0003/946713/ cp6360-same-day-alcoholdelivery-final.pdf

Issued by Minister Victor Dominello

69

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72

LIQUOR NEWS

Save on contactless debit card transaction costs Even if transaction costs are small, they can add up fast.

We offer Least Cost Routing (LCR) so you don’t pay more than you have to. With LCR, your contactless debit card payments are directed to the most cost-effective channel.

Learn more at eftposaustralia.com.au/lcr

©2021 eftpos Payments Australia Limited. All Rights Reserved. mga.asn.au | June 2021 | Edition 4