The Australian Government has committed $6.6 million over two years for a Migrant Communities Employment Fund to support innovative projects to help unemployed and underemployed migrant and refugee job seekers prepare for and gain sustainable employment to progress their careers.  The Migrant Communities Employment Fund will encourage effective engagement between employers, employment service providers and community organisations.

Applications for the first round of the Migrant Communities Employment Fund are open and will now close at 5.00 pm (AEST), Friday, 9 August 2013.

Migrant community organisations, other community organisations, government agencies, local government, employment service providers and employers are encouraged to apply.

Further information, including the Application Form and the Guidelines, are available at www.deewr.gov.au/mcef

The Productivity Commission has released a new issues paper on Geographic Labour Mobility to seek public comment on the movement of people around Australia for work.

The Commission has been asked to look at the patterns of geographic labour mobility across Australia, what factors make people move or stay, and if there is a role for governments.

It said such a study was of vital interest to all communities, from those experiencing strong population growth and skills shortages to communities that were losing workers to other regions and to communities experiencing high persistent unemployment. "Geographic labour mobility has many possible meanings," it said.
 
"The Commission's preliminary view is that geographic labour mobility entails people's work relocation and could include moves motivated by both employment and other reasons, and cover long distance commuting and telecommuting, as well as relocations from one's usual residence. 

"The Commission seeks feedback on the advantages and disadvantages of different interpretations of geographic labour mobility. It is particularly interested in understanding geographic labour mobility in terms of the flexibility it provides for matching workers and jobs across locations."

The Commission said it wanted to see evidence on how geographic labour mobility affected individuals and their families, businesses, communities and governments. 

"The decision to relocate can have far-reaching effects on workers and their families, and can lead to increasing employment opportunities and income," it said.

"But long commutes and separation from family and friends may adversely affect the wellbeing of the individual, their family and community."
 
Submissions close 21 August and the paper can be accessed at www.pc.gov.au

New research has been released which shows the importance of supporting jobless families back into work.

The report, Parental Joblessness and financial disadvantage and the wellbeing of parents and children, was released by the Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS).

It provides an insight into the links between parents’ employment and the wellbeing of children, revealing that joblessness and short part-time hours of work result in lower levels of wellbeing for parents and for children, compared with families working full-time or long part-time hours.

It shows jobless families on average rated more poorly on demographic characteristics such as education, health, and access to basic services, than families working full-time or long part-time hours.

Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs, Jenny Macklin said the Government was delivering record levels of assistance to help people back into work to secure a better future for themselves and their children.

"Under our $3 billion Building Australia's Future Workforce package, we're working in 10 areas of high disadvantage around Australia to trial a new approach to tackle welfare dependency and high unemployment," Ms Macklin said.

The AIFS report can be accessed at this www.fahcsia.gov.au

Victoriam Planning Minister Matthew Guy has released a discussion paper inviting feedback on the new VicSmart process for assessing straightforward permit applications.   

Simple planning applications will be dealt with faster and more efficiently with the new VicSmart process.  

VicSmart will speed up the assessment of straightforward, low impact applications such as fences, decks, pergolas and business signs from an average 62 business days to 10 business days.

These applications make up approximately 8500, or about 15 per cent, of all permit applications a year.

The Planning Minister also announced a streamlined VCAT process should an application review be required, including a shorter decision timeframe.

The Department of Transport, Planning and Local Infrastructure will be conducting a series of information sessions across the state with councils, industry stakeholders and peak bodies.

A report from the Australian Institute of Criminology's (AIC) Research and Public Policy Series, provides information on the geographic distribution of crime in Australia.

The report shows  chronic offenders, who account for a large proportion of all offences, are not randomly distributed. It also highlights locations where interventions and resources can be effectively directed.

AIC Director, Adam Tomison, notes: "These locations typically have very high levels of social and economic disadvantage, pointing to the need for programs and social interventions that can effect change at the community level.  Interventions likely to yield demonstrable outcomes are those that work with families and that operate holistically to address the multiple dimensions of disadvantage."

The report is available here.

A new investigation is being launched by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to examine local  television content and the operation and effectiveness of section 43A of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992. 

Section 43A currently applies to regional commercial television broadcasters in Regional Queensland, Regional Victoria, Tasmania and parts of Regional New South Wales.

They are required to broadcast minimum amounts of material of local significance.

Determining whether regional Australians have adequate access to material of local significance on commercial television is one of the issues to be covered as part of the investigation, which was announced following a ministerial direction.

ACMA is to  survey regional Australians and undertake economic analysis as part of the investigation, with regional commercial television broadcasters to also be consulted.

Submissions are  being sought from the public, with both individuals and organisations encouraged to comment on a range of issues, including the importance of local information in regional Australia.

Comments on the availability of local information across media platforms in regional Australia and particular issues faced by television broadcasters in providing local content in regional Australia will also be welcomed.

Local governments have an important role to play in creating respectful and inclusive local communities which are free from racism.  One way councils can take a stand against racism is to sign up as supporters of the national "Racism. It Stops with Me" campaign.  The campaign aims to ensure that more Australians recognise that racism is unacceptable and gives people the tools and resources to take practical action against racism wherever it happens.

So far approximately 150 organisations have agreed to support the campaign, including ten local councils.  Supporters agree to promote the campaign through their networks and undertake activities to prevent and respond to racism.

Current local government supporters include the City of Darebin, the City of Fremantle, the City of Monash, the City of Perth, the City of Port Philip, Hobsons Bay City Council, Maribyrnong City Council, Moreland City Council, Mornington Peninsula Shire and Port Augusta City Council.

Signing on to support the campaign sends a powerful message that racism will not be tolerated in your community. For more information about how your council can support the campaign; visit http://itstopswithme.humanrights.gov.au or email the campaign secretariat at antiracismsecretariat@humanrights.gov.au. You can also follow the campaign on twitter:  Twitter@ItStopsWithMe.

Tax Laws Amendment (2013 Measures No. 4) Bill 2013 and the explanatory memorandum were introduced into the House of Representatives on 26 June 2013. The Bill relates to refund claims of overpaid goods and services tax (GST).

On 17 August 2012, the government announced that these changes are intended to apply in relation to working out a taxpayer's net amount for tax periods commencing on or after the date of the announcement.

The Bill, as introduced, modifies the application so that the amendments are now intended to apply to refund claims relating to tax periods starting on or after 17 August 2012, but only for claims lodged on or after the date of introduction of the Bill into the House of Representatives (26 June 2013).

The administrative treatment which outlines the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) approach in dealing with the retrospective law change has been amended as a result of the change to the application provision.

The ATO will apply the existing law and follow current procedures until the proposed law is enacted where taxpayers:

• are required to write to the Commissioner to claim a refund of overpaid GST as a result of a mischaracterisation of a supply (for example, a supply is treated as taxable but is actually GST-free), and
   
• are not required to write to the Commissioner to claim a refund of overpaid GST as a result of a miscalculation of an amount of GST payable (for example, the amount of GST payable was incorrectly calculated on a taxable supply of real property using the margin scheme), and can instead self-assess their claim to a refund of overpaid GST.

After the new law is enacted, taxpayers will need to review their circumstances regarding their claims for refunds of overpaid GST made during the period between the date the legislation was introduced into the House of Representatives and enactment.

If a taxpayer is required to seek amendments and the amendments result in an increase in their liability there will be no shortfall penalties or interest imposed where the amendments are made within 28 days after enactment. Otherwise the full GIC will apply from the date of enactment.

If amendments reduce a taxpayer's liability, appropriate interest on any overpayment will be paid.

Anti-Poverty Week is a week where all Australians are encouraged to organise or take part in an activity aiming to highlight or overcome issues of poverty and hardship.  It was established in Australia in 2002 as an expansion of the UN's annual International Anti-Poverty Day on October 17.

Poverty and severe hardship affect more than a million Australians.  Around the world, more than a billion people are desperately poor. In Anti-Poverty Week, your council can help fight poverty and hardship by:

• Strengthening public understanding of poverty and hardship around the world and in Australia;
• Encouraging research, discussion and action to address these problems,  including action by individuals, organisations and governments;
• Inspiring commitment to make a difference.

Wherever we are in Australia, there's so much we can do at the local level to reduce poverty and hardship.  Anti-Poverty Week is a great opportunity for local governments to get on board and make their contribution to a nation-wide network of activities and organisations that are making a real difference to the lives of real people, at home and abroad.

To find out more, visit www.anti-povertyweek.org.au

Opera fans across a wide sweep of regional Australia are in for a treat, with Michael Gow's superb theatrical direction of Mozart's Don Giovanni about to go on tour.

The Oz Opera tour will take the creativity of some of Australia's most talented performing artists to five states and the Northern Territory between 6 July and 6 September, accompanied by a retinue of designers, technicians, dressers and other theatrical staff.

The opera - a melange of passion and humour - tells the story of Don Giovanni, a young, egotistical and promiscuous nobleman who ends up paying the ultimate price for his abuse of everyone around him.

The 1950s setting of Don Giovanni is likely to resonate with its audiences, who will enjoy the saucy rough and tumble of the Casanova-like Don - hero or villain - depending on how you look at him.

After a performance in Ringwood, Victoria on Saturday 6 July, the production proceeds to Port Pirie, Whyalla and Port Lincoln in South Australia, 9-13 July.

Then, from 17-27 July, the opera will travel to Queensland theatres in Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, Gladstone and Redland.

After visiting Coffs Harbour, NSW on 30 July, the company will return to Queensland, heading for the Gold Coast, Redcliffe and Toowoomba from 1-6 August.

Next stop is Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Darwin in the NT from 9-17 August, before going on to Geraldton, Mandurah, Bunbury, Margaret River, Esperance and Albany in WA between 22 August and 6 September.

More information at www.australiacouncil.gov.au/