In the wake of the hepatitis A outbreak linked with foreign frozen berries early this year the government has announced plans to develop guidelines to overhaul food labelling laws in Australia. The topic has gained many column inches in recent weeks as government and industry alike grapple with the boundaries of labelling laws in this country. As this debate continues a forum is needed for all industry players to come together and discuss food...

In a period of depressed coal prices, the coal industry has been implementing costs reduction and productivity programmes and exploring strategy changes. After years of high investment and export levels the coal industry has now to address critical issues to establish long term sustainable solutions for the industry. The Australian Coal Conference is the only coal focussed event held in Sydney addressing the future of the coal industry in Aust...

Opening with the theme of risk and threat management, the conference emphasised the importance of engagement and communication by bringing together a broad range of stakeholders who actively exchanged ideas, initiatives and opinions around optimising student security. Although campus and student security it is not an area that is easily managed, the conference showcased the proactive initiatives and ideas being implemented with a series of cas...

According to the Prime Minister's office, one-in-three Australian women have experienced physical violence and almost one-in-five have experienced sexual violence since the age of 15. While living safe and free from violence is everyone's right, reducing violence is everyone's responsibility. An integrated response that reinforces strong partnerships between police, case workers, community groups and policy makers is crucial to addressing and...

In total, 26 key speakers from across the country will come together to discuss the integration of mental health into the NDIS, highlighting emerging lessons from the launch sites. The changing landscape for service providers and the integration of the NDIS with other schemes will be examined, including how to maximize choice and control by supporting and preparing people with mental illness for a successful transition to the scheme. The confe...

By understanding the current climate of Industrial Relations, we can comprehend the direction IR in Australia will head and if necessary what changes should be implemented to move in a more desired direction. The diverse nature of the Australian IR landscape highlights the importance of sharing the unique position of each Australian state in regards to Workplace Relations policy and subsequently the challenges national employers face where wor...

The Future of Medicare Conference is a timely event as the Abbott government debates a full over haul of the Australian healthcare system. As Medicare turned 30 at the start of 2014, it was becoming increasingly obvious that cracks in the system could no longer be ignored. The May 13th Budget, as expected, outlined many changes that the government would like to introduce. Some of these measures have been met with hostility and have sparked muc...