Casual changes deliver certainty and confidence

The passage of the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia's Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2021 today is a responsible...

The passage of the Fair Work Amendment (Supporting Australia's Jobs and Economic Recovery) Bill 2021 today is a responsible outcome, ensuring casual employment remains a viable option for business, and employees have clear pathways to permanent work. By passing the casual changes contained in Schedule 1 and 7, the Federal...

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Top 5 tips for a quick recovery after a natural disaster

Written by Kyle Swain, Retail Director, Australia and New Zealand – Lpc Cresa Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by...

Written by Kyle Swain, Retail Director, Australia and New Zealand – Lpc Cresa Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by the devastating flooding occurring this week. Having assisted numerous retailers impacted by flooding over recent years, we have some idea of the financial and mental stress these events can place...

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February fall shows retail still braced for challenging period ahead

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) preliminary figures for the month of February reveal that retail is still in...

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) preliminary figures for the month of February reveal that retail is still in for challenging period ahead according to the National Retail Association (NRA). Retail turnover nationwide fell by 1.1 per cent compared to January’s figures, partly due to both Victoria and Western Australia...

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Retailers urge Senate to pass Omnibus Bill

The National Retail Association (NRA) urges the Senate to pass the Morrison Government’s industrial relations reforms without delay. In a...

The National Retail Association (NRA) urges the Senate to pass the Morrison Government’s industrial relations reforms without delay. In a member impact survey undertaken between 8 and 15 March 2021, NRA members overwhelmingly supported the need for change. The need for certainty around casual employment featured heavily, with casual employment being...

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Up to $20,000 support payments available through Back to Work program

The Queensland Government’s Back to Work program is open for applications. Since 2016, this program has been providing Queensland employers...

The Queensland Government’s Back to Work program is open for applications. Since 2016, this program has been providing Queensland employers with the confidence to hire unemployed jobseekers, helping to change lives and improve businesses along the way. And at a time when jobs have never been more important it’s good...

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CBA’s new weather data model supports customers impacted by natural disasters

Commonwealth Bank harnesses new technology to better anticipate and respond to customer needs.  CommBank customers impacted by natural disasters can...

Commonwealth Bank harnesses new technology to better anticipate and respond to customer needs.  CommBank customers impacted by natural disasters can now expect same-day tailored support solutions from their bank thanks to a new purpose-built data model solution. The new technology solution uses custom-built algorithms to monitor, in real-time, a mix of...

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Message from the CEO | 16 March 2021

There is no doubt that all eyes are on Canberra at the moment. With the retail industry made up...

There is no doubt that all eyes are on Canberra at the moment. With the retail industry made up of 55% women and the largest employer of youth in the country, we cannot ignore the statistics which show that 1 in 3 Australian women have experienced physical and/or sexual...

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Preparing for the end of JobKeeper – Key dates and actions for employers

The Federal Government’s JobKeeper scheme is coming to an end on 28 March 2021, meaning businesses will no longer...

The Federal Government’s JobKeeper scheme is coming to an end on 28 March 2021, meaning businesses will no longer be entitled to receive JobKeeper payments for their eligible employees or utilise the temporary JobKeeper provisions under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (Fair Work Act) which gave employers certain...

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IR Omnibus Bill needs to be passed this week

Australia's leading industry groups are calling for Parliament to vote on the IR Omnibus Bill this week and for...

Australia's leading industry groups are calling for Parliament to vote on the IR Omnibus Bill this week and for all Senators to support it. There is no valid reason why the Bill should be delayed. The certainty that these reforms will deliver is needed urgently to boost confidence, investment and...

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$2,000 Victorian Government’s Business Costs Assistance Program Grant Applications Closing Soon

A reminder that applications for the Victorian Government’s Business Costs Assistance Program close at 11.59pm on 16 March 2021. Businesses with...

A reminder that applications for the Victorian Government’s Business Costs Assistance Program close at 11.59pm on 16 March 2021. Businesses with an annual payroll of up to $3 million, whether they have employees or not, can receive grants of $2000.   Program Overview The new $92 million Business Costs Assistance Program is part of...

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Retailers support QLD single-use plastics ban

The National Retail Association (NRA) commends the Queensland Government for passing legislation yesterday to ban single-use plastics in Queensland,...

The National Retail Association (NRA) commends the Queensland Government for passing legislation yesterday to ban single-use plastics in Queensland, starting with straws, stirrers, cutlery and plates, as well as expanded polystyrene foodware. The NRA commends the Palaszczuk Government’s strong track record reducing the impact of plastic waste and protecting our...

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$7,000 per quarter subsidy opportunities extended

In October 2020, it was announced that the Morrison Government would invest an additional $1.2 billion to support Australian...

In October 2020, it was announced that the Morrison Government would invest an additional $1.2 billion to support Australian businesses to employ 100,000 new apprentices or trainees, as part of their COVID-19 economic recovery plan. These 100,000 new apprenticeship positions have been successfully filled by businesses across Australia in less...

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Message from the CEO | 9 March 2021

There has been promising economic news in recent days, as Australia seeks to rebound from the COVID recession. The...

There has been promising economic news in recent days, as Australia seeks to rebound from the COVID recession. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) has revealed that the economy grew by a substantial 3.1 per cent in the December quarter. To put that into context, it’s the first time...

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Solid start to New Year for retail

Australian retail has made a solid start to the New Year according to the January trade report released today...

Australian retail has made a solid start to the New Year according to the January trade report released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). Nationwide turnover rose by 0.5 per cent for the month, while January spending rose by 10.6 per cent compared to January 2020. NRA CEO Dominique...

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Call for Queensland businesses to help shape future of retail

In July 2019, the Queensland Government launched the Skills for Queensland – Great training for quality jobs strategy. The...

In July 2019, the Queensland Government launched the Skills for Queensland – Great training for quality jobs strategy. The goal of that strategy is to create a workforce that has the skills to ‘meet the current and future needs of the labour market right across the state’. This is an enormously...

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Retailers welcome appointment of new Small Business Ombudsman

The National Retail Association has welcomed the appointment of former Small Business Minister Bruce Billson as the new Australian...

The National Retail Association has welcomed the appointment of former Small Business Minister Bruce Billson as the new Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman. Small Business Ombudsman NRA CEO Dominique Lamb said the association looks forward to working with Mr Billson and acknowledged the work of outgoing Ombudsman Kate...

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