The Northern Rivers NSW Business Chamber has welcomed the appointment of Steve Toms as NSW's first Cross Border Commissioner.

The Northern Rivers NSW Business Chamber, on behalf of local business operators, has been a strong advocate for the appointment of a Cross Border Commissioner to reduce the competitive disadvantage that border businesses are burdened with.

"The appointment of a Cross Border Commissioner, along with the appointment of a Small Business Commissioner, is welcomed evidence that the O'Farrell Government has economic growth and slrong support for the business community as its priorities: said John Murray, Northern Rivers NSW Business Chamber Regional Manager.

"Business communities located on the NSW side of the Queensland border have found themselves at a competitive disadvantage to their competitors across the borders that frequently have the advantage of lower taxes, less red tape and more business friendly government policies.

"I certainly hope that the appointment of a Cross Border Commissioner will be followed by a campaign to improve the competitiveness of our local businesses along the border. I know that they will be enthusiastic with identifying the challenges that they face to Mr Toms when he visits border communities in March:

Mr Murray said he would be encouraging the Government to ensure that the Cross Border Commissioner reports to Parliament every six months on progress in improving cross border competitiveness,

"It's important that we make the competitiveness of the NSW economy a public policy priority and reporting to Parliament is a way of ensuring that border communities can be sure that a Cross Border Commissioner is more than a token appointment:

Opening excerpt from the listening tour undertaken by NSW Small Business Commissioner Yasmin King folowing her recent visit to the Northern Rivers region.

Small businesses are the backbone of Australia’s economy, representing 96% of all businesses. An estimated 2 million small businesses across the nation provide nearly half of all employment. In NSW alone, there are 650,000 small businesses which provide employment for around 50% of the NSW workforce. In addition to contributing to the economy directly, the small business sector is a crucial platform which underpins the efficient operation of many medium-sized and large businesses.

Find attached the ‘Listening Tour’ report (click here to download) generated by Yasmin King, the NSW Small Business Commissioner, following her recent visit to the Northern Rivers.

New work health and safety laws commence

New work health and safety (WHS) laws commenced in NSW on 1 January 2012, and it is important that businesses, industry and workers are aware of how the new laws will affect them. To find out more about the changes visit the WorkCover NSW website.

WHS transitional arrangements

Transitional arrangements have been put in place in NSW to help businesses, industry and workers move to a new system of WHS laws. These transitional arrangements have been based on national transitional principles agreed to by all jurisdictions.

Worker Representation and Participation Guide
The Worker Representation and Participation Guide has been released by Safe Work Australia and provides information on the representation and participation of workers in health and safety matters in the workplace. It also provides guidance on resolving health and safety issues.

Incident Notification – by phone

WorkCover NSW must be notified of all incidents involving a fatality, serious injury, serious illness or dangerous incident by phone on 13 10 50. Click here for more information on incident notification.

Volunteers

Volunteers participate in many areas of society including community health care, heritage and arts, environment and conservation, emergency services, education, social justice and sports. They perform an essential range of activities, from providing support services, coaching and mentoring, to collecting donations and serving as volunteer directors. Find out more about how the new WHS laws affect volunteers by visiting the WorkCover website, or watch our webinar for volunteers.

Long Haul Trucking

There are no provisions in the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 for long haul trucking. However, a Person Conducting a Business or Undertaking (PCBU) has obligations to ensure the safety of workers they engage or whose activities they direct or influence. It is expected under the work health and safety legislation that safe systems of work are in place, including the management of driver fatigue.

In the event of an incident, WorkCover will work closely with NSW Police and the Roads and Maritime Services (RMS) to carry out an investigation. There are still specific requirements under the RMS and National Transport Commission for long distance trucking. Details on heavy driver fatigue laws and heavy vehicle compliance are available online.

Webinars Series 2012

A series of detailed webinars has been scheduled covering specific areas of the new work health and safety regulation. Click on the links below to register.

• 15 Feb - Consultation – What to do next
• 22 Feb - Managing risks in your workplace
• 29 February 2012 – Hazardous work
• 7 March 2012 – Electrical Safety
• 14 March 2012 – Construction – what does the new regulation mean for you?
• 21 Mar – 2012 Plant and structures
• 28 March 2012 – Hazardous Chemicals – What do you need to know?
• 4 April – 2012 Asbestos removal and demolition requirements

This article is sourced from www.workcover.nsw.gov.au

Since the1960s, new technologies have helped police to keep up with advances in the way that crime is committed. The increased mobility of criminals has been matched by the patrol car and radio communication; analysis of crime and anti social behaviour hot spots allows response teams to see where they should be targeted.

But whilst technology has enabled the police to keep up with new types of crime and criminal, the ongoing centralisation of the police can lead to disconnect from the communities police are here to serve.

The social network phenomenon continues to expand across the world. Yet the challenges facing law enforcement have seen most agencies dabble at the edges of the social networks rather than truly engage the same.

The NSW Police Force uses facebook, Twitter and YouTube to provide information about policing activities and general information. It also uses these networking sites to assist in trying to identify suspects for criminal offences by publishing images. Such use of modern media technologies is replicated all over the world by police agencies. Yet all police agencies have yet to harness the power of the internet and social networking to truly engage our communities.

NSWPF has developed a new strategic direction and platform for the delivery of information to the community of NSW. Utilising facebook as the network tool, NSWPF have created neighbourhood watch communities, organised into precincts. In addition the NSWPF will supply information in real time, including crime figures, issues affecting the community, keep a look out for information via Local Area Command facebook open pages.

The Project “eyewatch” aim is to engage the community to participate in law enforcement at a level never seen before under specific governance.

Tweed/Byron LAC Facebook page