March 2014 Issue 91

As we swing into Autumn, so do our deliberations for the Federal Budget. The government's main economic document won't be announced until 13 May, but right now the Treasurer and his colleagues on the Expenditure Review Committee are deep in consultation deciding spending and policy priorities across all government portfolios. Make no mistake - this document will play a very...

The New Year is a time of renewal and new beginning I recently joined the Canberra Business Council as the Export Development Manager/ACT Exporters Network Manager. Prior to joining the Council, I worked as a Business Development Manager at Austrade Jakarta for 12 years. During my time with Austrade, I assisted many Australian companies grow their export business in various...

Canberra Business Council partnered with representatives of Canberra's major industry groups involved in the property and construction industry (MBA, Property Council Aust ACT, Consult Australia and the Planning Institute of Australia ACT) to present a joint industry submission titled 'Call to Action' to the ACT Government. Beyond both the Commonwealth and ACT Governments, the property, building and construction sector is...

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) can be a useful mechanism to facilitate a comforting commitment between two parties to either informally agree, or to agree to negotiate an agreement. While for some this may inspire confidence and assist in speeding up negotiations, for others, in light of the supposedly non-binding legal nature of such agreements, the MOU is nothing more...

Personal Properties Securities Act 2009 (PPSA) which came into force on 31 January 2014 fundamentally changes the way security interests in personal property are regulated across Australia. If your business borrows or lends money; purchases or sells goods on agreement, assignment or credit; grows crops or livestock; owns or leases machinery or vehicles, then this Act affects you. The legislation...

Nearly every small business owner can benefit from using various mobile and web applications to improve productivity, save costs and make life easy for themselves. Try out the following apps to make a difference in your business today. Most of these apps are free to use with limited features, so you can try before you buy. File sharing and storage...

There's little doubt the last six months have been a fascinating and challenging time in the Canberra recruitment market. Whilst conditions in the market have been better, there are still plenty of opportunities if you know how to find them. The hidden job market is very active in Australia and there are many vacant positions that are never advertised. These...

Based on recent trends and commentary, it would appear that the Canberra residential property investment market short to possibly midterm prospects for solid capital growth and 'secure' positive investment return on new purchases are not particularly bright. In my view, even though interest rates are very attractive at the present time and continue to attract buyers, the combination of the...

A few weeks ago I addressed an audience of Canberra business owners on behalf of Google as part of the Australia Post Business Hub eCommerce event; Go Online & Grow Online. The event highlighted opportunities available right here in Canberra, for local businesses to achieve sales objectives online. Following a brief introduction to Google AdWords Search Advertising I responded to...

New changes to the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act) come into effect in March this year. These changes may create new obligations for you, especially if your business (including not for profit organisations): * has an annual turnover of more than $3 million * is a health service provider * buys and sells mailing lists * provides services under a...

For many, being an Olympian is merely a dream and getting close to the sporting world stage is another lifetime away. With the Winter Olympic Games showcasing the best athletes in the world, we have no choice but to admire the journey that got them there. When it comes to health we can learn from the best athletes in the...

For separated parents the child support system can be a mine-field to navigate but there are options available to those who wish to move away from the inflexible assessment scheme and enter into a private agreement. From 1 July 2008, separated parents have had the option of entering into two types of child support agreements - binding child support agreements...

In Wooster v Morris VSC 594 (1 November 2013), the trustees tried to say that a binding death benefit nomination or BDBN did not bind them. They had to pay the death benefits and the cost of the court proceedings which came out of the remaining member's account. The family in this case was a blended family. The deceased...