A new report into Australia’s model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws has recommended the introduction of industrial manslaughter as an offence in workplace health and safety legislation. In 2018 Marie Boland was appointed as an independent reviewer of Australia’s model Work Health and Safety (WHS) laws for the consideration of safety ministers. In developing her 196-page report, Ms Boland consulted with numerous businesses, workers, unions, employer associations, industry associations, and health and safety representatives and regulators which resulted in 34 recommendations that could enhance the curr... more

The ACT Government will be introducing amendments to the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 this week, aiming to continue its efforts to improve the health and safety of local workers. The changes mean that ACT workers that could potentially come in contact with materials containing asbestos will be required to complete an approved training course on handling asbestos safely. Asbestos becomes a health risk when its fibres are released into the air and breathed in, as breathing in asbestos fibres have been known to cause asbestosis, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Minister for Employment and Workplace... more

Brisbane and Perth have emerged as new property investment hotspots as investor interest shifts from the Sydney and Melbourne markets. According to a recent report by property investment consultancy, Momentum Wealth, which surveyed 483 investors across Australia, Brisbane and Perth are leading the pack when it comes to investor preference, as 36 per cent and 33 per cent of survey respondents picked the respective capital cities as the best places to invest. Team Leader of Momentum Wealth’s buyer’s agents Emma Everett said a combination of affordability and potential growth opportunities are contributi... more

Legislation to establish Infrastructure WA (IWA) is expected to be introduced in State Parliament this week, which will approve IWA as a statutory authority that advises the Premier and Government on infrastructure needs and priorities in Western Australia. The legislation will ensure the state’s long-term infrastructure priorities are informed by robust independent advice and will foster a bipartisan approach and greater collaboration between the government, community and industry. Once established, IWA's immediate task will be to develop a 20-year State Infrastructure Strategy that will identify WA’s... more

WorkSafe inspectors will be focusing on the risks of falling objects when they visit Victorian building sites over the next few weeks. Falling objects are a leading cause of death and serious injury in the construction industry and pose a risk not only to workers but to people in streets near work sites. According to WorkSafe, there has been five deaths and 721 injuries caused by falling objects at construction sites over the past five years. In January alone, there was an incident involving falling objects at a Southbank site where a piece of timber fell 22 floors after it snapped in half while being ... more

Infrastructure Australia has just released the 2019 Infrastructure Priority List, identifying a record 121 nationally significant infrastructure proposals and a $58 billion project pipeline which is set to foster the nation’s growth. Each year Infrastructure Australia releases the Infrastructure Priority List to reflect emerging infrastructure priorities across Australia and to provide independent, evidence-based advice to the industry and governments on the projects that would greatly assist communities to meet the challenges of the future. Infrastructure Australia Chair, Julieanne Alroe, states that th... more

Despite social media giants Google and Facebook hosting their Australian headquarters in Sydney, Melbourne has been named as one of the top global cities for tech firms. The news comes straight from the third edition of global research and property firm Savills’ Tech Cities in Motion report which measures what makes a successful technology-driven city and how they compare to the rest of the world. Savills assessment for each city comprises over 100 individual metrics, ranging from the number of days needed to start a business, through to the cost of a flat white. These metrics are then grouped into s... more