Estate planning is the focus of new research
The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Health Law Research Centre is conducting a study on the process of making a will and distributing assets.
The aim of the study is to explore the level of understanding people have surrounding asset distribution and intestacy.
Professor Ben White from QUT’s Health Law Research Centre said that creating a will and estate planning can be difficult for people to address. Such issues can also be tricky when there are complex circumstances surrounding the division of the estate.
Victorian businesses audited by Fair Work Ombudsman
More than 200 Victorian businesses are being checked out by the Fair Work Ombudsman to make sure they are complying to federal workplace laws.
The employers have all previously been found to be in breach of the laws in the last 12 months, so a second audit of their employment records is being undertaken.
Acts of previous noncompliance include underpaying employees or pay slip and record-keeping mistakes.
What are unfair contract terms?
Presently the unfair contract provisions of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL) apply to consumer contracts only, but do not apply to a contract to supply goods or services from one business to another for business use.
Consultation regarding unfair contract terms for small businesses was recently conducted by the Australian Treasury.
The Australian Treasury states that small businesses are being negatively affected by unfair contract terms that are being written into standard contract terms. The aim of the consultation process is to provide small businesses with the same protections, in regards to unfair contract terms, as consumers.
Increase in property sales in Greater Brisbane and Redlands
There is growing confidence in the Queensland property market, according to the Real Estate Institute of Queensland (REIQ).
REIQ’s 2014 Queensland Market Monitor (QMM) which was released in June 2014 found that the Queensland property market has entered a recovery phase. This has been helped by strong sales in some of Queensland’s regional tourism hubs and the southeast corner of the state.
However, there has been a decrease in sales in Queensland’s regional mining centres, according to Anton Kardash, chief executive of REIQ.
Crime rate is decreasing in Queensland
A number of initiatives, such as increasing the number of frontline police and introducing tougher laws, tackling crime in Queensland are having a positive impact according to new statistics.
Premier Campbell Newman, Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services Jack Dempsey and Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said in an August 6 governmental media release that reported offences in Queensland decreased 11 per cent in 2013/2014.
Premier Campbell Newman stated that the government is committed to taking a tough stance against crime and increasing the number of frontline police in Queensland.
Gender reporting may address the widening pay gap
The gender pay gap has reached its highest point in thirty years, according to statistics released last week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).
Men were found to earn on average $283.20 more a week than women – that’s 18.2 per cent more, according to the Australian government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).
Diversity Council Australia (DCA) CEO Lisa Annese explained that this may in part be attributed to the motherhood penalty, which refers to the negative effect starting a family has on a woman.
Small business is an integral part of the Queensland economy
The Queensland government will emphasise the importance of small business to the Queensland economy during Small Business Week in September.
In a newsletter regarding small business week, the Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games Jann Stuckey said small businesses are vital to increasing employment and economic progress throughout Queensland.
Do you use bitcoins in your organisation?
If your organisation uses bitcoins or other crypto-currencies for any business transactions then new guidance from the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) may be useful when completing 2013-14 income tax returns.
Earlier this month the ATO issued a guidance paper and draft tax rulings on how the ATO treats crypto-currencies within the Australian legislative framework.
A crypto-currency is a digital unit of money that uses encryption techniques for regulation of the units and to verify fund transfers. Bitcoin was the first crypto-currency used and became available in 2009. Crypto-currencies operate independently of a central authority.
Saturday marks the beginning of Seniors Week
Last Saturday marked the beginning of Seniors Week in Queensland. Seniors Week celebrates the older people in Queensland and the contribution they make to the wider community.
Seniors Week is organised by the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Queensland and runs from August 16 to 24. A number of activities are run throughout the week for Queenslanders to get involved in, including tai chi, outdoor activities, high tea, workshops to help Seniors with new technologies and advance care planning training.
COTA Queensland say the aim of the week is to improve community attitudes toward older people, enhance community connections and facilitate community participation. The Queensland Government is the principal sponsor of Seniors Week.
Directors under the spotlight in recent appeal case
A recent appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal of Australia has highlighted the very real risks that directors face when overseeing the operations of a business.
The appeal was made by two directors who had previously been disqualified from directing a company by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). The two men, who were both barred from holding a directorship for 12 months, were unsuccessful in their appeal, with one having their sentence extended further by the Appeals Tribunal.
