Ian Scott, a Community Account Manager with NBN Co will address the meeting to outline the NBN Co plans for wireless internet in the outlying areas of Bellingen Shire. Possible tower locations will be a hot item of discussion. Ian is happy to answer all your questions about this important initiative.

The actual township of Bellingen is slated for Fibre at some point in the future (timing not yet announced) , and the fixed wireless is for areas surrounding Bellingen. You will only get access to a single delivery method so if you are getting fibre at some stage, you will not connect to fixed wireless.

Therefore the audience for the fixed wireless is not premises in the actual township of Bellingen,

The audience for fixed wireless is very much the properties at Gleniffer, Fernmount, Brierfield, Kalang and Thora.

Read the NBN Co Fixed Wireless Fact sheet

Read today’s press release announcing areas

15 May, 2012

NBN Co announces plans for fixed wireless broadband on the North and Mid North Coast

The company building Australia’s national broadband network, NBN Co, today unveiled the locations in the Taree, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour regions, which are scheduled to receive high-speed fixed wireless broadband.

The fixed-wireless network will deliver high-speed broadband to homes and businesses at wholesale speeds up to 150 times faster than dial-up and up to eight times faster than ADSL*.

“For decades, rural and regional Australia has been left behind when it comes to telecommunications,” NBN Co General Manger of External Relations Trent Williams said today.

“NBN Co’s plan to deliver high speed broadband to every Australian using one of three technologies – fibre, fixed wireless and satellite – aims to change that.

Read the full list of sites here

Read all about it here

Read all about it here.

Tonight the Federal Government has delivered a long awaited balanced Budget for 2012-13, but the path to surplus has been paved with additional cost burdens on Australian business.

This is a Budget that returns to surplus on the back of hard working Australian businesspeople. The Government has imposed significant additional costs on businesses, costs that will be particularly difficult to bear given the current weakness in the economic outlook.

It is a Budget that fails to reward Australian businesses for driving the world’s most resilient economy by stripping away the promise of a modest company tax cut and instead imposes an even greater burden through the start of the world’s biggest carbon tax from 1 July.

Budget key points:

• A forecast $1.5 billion surplus in 2012/13;

• Economic growth forecast next year at 3.25%;

• Abandonment of the promised company tax cut (was to reduce from 30% rate to 29% as part of mining tax);

• New small business loss carry back scheme;

• Other tax imposts (not proceeding with standard deduction promise, reduced living away from home concessions, reducing some higher income concessional caps for superannuation, reduced tax concessions on termination pay);

• Spending cuts (including to defence, foreign aid, tightening access to some traineeship payments and extra GST compliance);

• New spending on families, on disability scheme, aged care and dental care;

• Modest new investment in skills (including mature aged workforce participation, and upskilling trades persons to operate own businesses – an ACCI proposal); and

• The carbon tax remains from 1st July.

NSW Business Chamber has analysed tonight’s Budget and has provided our judgement on the impact it will have on our members.

A full copy of the NSW Business Chamber’s media release is available on our website.

NSW Business Chamber would warmly welcome the sharing of your views on this Federal Budget.

You can share your views with us on NSW Business Chamber’s Twitter account or through our Facebook page.

P.S. TELL THE FEDERAL TREASURER WHAT YOU THINK OF THE BUDGET

NSW Business Chamber will be hosting the Federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan, for his annual post-Budget Luncheon address to the NSW business community on Tuesday 15 May.

This event is your opportunity to tell the Federal Treasurer what you think of the Federal Budget and share your views on the direction Australian business is heading.

Please join us for this important business briefing.

Further details including registration are available on the NSW Business Chamber website.

Yours sincerely

Stephen Cartwright

Chief Executive Officer

NSW Business Chamber

GOVERNMENT’S ‘FAIR GO’ BUDGET COMES AT COST TO BUSINESS

While the Government has delivered a long awaited balanced Budget in 2012-13, the path to surplus has been paved with additional cost burdens on Australian business according to NSW’s peak business organisation, the NSW Business Chamber.

“This is a Budget that returns to surplus on the back of hard working Australian businesspeople. The Government has imposed significant additional costs on businesses, costs that will be particularly difficult to bear given the current weakness in the economic outlook,” said Kellon Beard, Regional Manager of the Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber.

“It’s a Budget that fails to reward Australian businesses for driving the world’s most resilient economy by stripping away the promise of a modest company tax cut and instead imposes an even greater burden through the start of the world’s biggest carbon tax from 1 July.

RETURN TO SURPLUS

“The Prime Minister and Treasurer had made a public commitment to return the budget to surplus and this budget does indeed deliver on that promise.

“A strong sense of fiscal responsibility and a determination to balance the nation’s finances should be applauded when compared to other nations which are facing up to the reality of painful austerity measures due to lax spending restraint.

“Returning the Budget to surplus will help to take pressure off interest rates and exchange rates, both of which are hurting Australian businesses.

SMALL BUSINESS TAX CUT / TAX LOSS CARRY BACK

“The Government’s decision to dump their promise to cut company tax to 29% is a blow to small and medium enterprises across the country, especially those who are not getting any benefit of the mining boom.

“Instead, the Government has chosen to redirect this funding to household support, despite households already receiving generous support for the impact of the carbon tax in previous packages.

“One of the few initiatives left from the original Henry Review is the mining tax, and it is disappointing that the Government has not even adopted an aspirational long-term goal of reducing the company tax rate to 25% or eliminating payroll tax, both of which were recommendations from the Henry Review.

“The loss carry back scheme and the increase in the small business instant asset write off scheme are both welcome but are not an appropriate replacement for a cut in the company tax rate. The scheme is estimated to only contribute about a sixth of the value a cut in the company tax rate would have provided to business.

DEFENCE

“The decision to reduce defence spending by $5.4 billion will be felt heavily by the defence industry.

“Defence is not an industry that can be turned off and on at will. Our defence capabilities are easy to lose but very costly and difficult to redevelop if we cut the wrong programs or cancel the wrong orders.

“Australia’s defence industrial capability has been progressively eroded over time with reductions in sustainment and a developing emphasis on off-the-shelf purchases, and a significant reduction in the defence budget will exacerbate this trend.

THE CARBON TAX

“This is the budget that includes the world’s biggest carbon tax on a nation that emits about 1.5% of the world’s carbon emissions. The business community remains sceptical about the benefits of the Federal Government’s ‘go it alone’ approach to reducing global carbon emissions.

“This budget confirms the Federal Government’s policy of turning a blind eye to the impact of the carbon tax on Australia’s international economic competitiveness. This budget provides practically no support for the millions of small businesses who will be hit with higher running costs as the cost of the carbon tax flows through electricity prices and goods and services used by business.

“What little the Federal Government appears to be giving Australia’s struggling business community with one hand, it is taking far more with the other.

“Businesses do not have an unlimited capacity to absorb additional Government imposed costs. These challenges are only compounded by the current weakness in the economic outlook, which is particularly difficult for NSW businesses given that so few of them are able to tap into the fast lane of the mining sector.

PACIFIC HIGHWAY

“The promise of more funding for the Pacific Highway upgrade is welcome but business is sick of the politics that surrounds this project. Both the Federal and NSW Governments need to come to an agreement on finishing this long overdue project by 2016,” Mr Beard said.

Kellon Beard

Regional Manager | Membership Services | NSW Business Chamber

“Finally one of the big banks has recognised the necessity to give their small business customers some much needed interest rate relief by passing on the RBA’s 50 basis point cut in full,” said Kellon Beard, Mid North Coast NSW Business Chamber Regional Manager.

Mr Beard said small businesses had got the short end of the stick on cuts to borrowing rates during the GFC while residential borrowers got a much better deal in comparison.

“Westpac’s decision to cut their business loans by the full 0.5% is a step in the right direction to bringing small business borrowing rates back in line with pre-GFC levels.

“The question now is, if Westpac can do it, why can’t they all?”

Kellon Beard

Regional Manager | Membership Services | NSW Business Chamber

Read Newsletter

Have you or your business developed a solution or program that has helped to reduce workplace injuries or illness? If so, why not get involved in the SafeWork awards. It’s fun, free, and you could get recognised and rewarded for helping to improve work health and safety!

Read More Here

As the peak business organisation in NSW, the New South Wales Business Chamber will be making detailed submissions to the Committee.
We will be arguing that premium increases are simply not an option, and that other solutions need to be found which take into account both the needs of injured workers and the cost to employers.
We need your help to make our submissions are strong as they can be. Attached is a very important short survey, and we would be very grateful for your input.
This survey should only will take a couple of minutes to complete and we are asking you to let us know what the impact would be on employment in your business if premiums were to rise, your experience with the system (if you have had employees make claims), and what changes you think should be made to improve it.

It is crucial that the voice of business be heard loudly and clearly in the debate which will undoubtedly come in the weeks and months ahead, if we are to find solutions that are fair and sustainable.
Many members will remember the impact, in the mid- 1990′s, that the huge increases in workers compensation premiums had on their businesses.
Unless resisted, NSW businesses are now facing the prospect of another round of big premium increases.
Background
Earlier this month, Premier Barry O’Farrell announced the most recent actuarial review of the NSW workers compensation scheme had found the scheme has an unfunded liability of nearly $4.1billion and that liability had grown by $1.7 billion in just 6 months.
The actuaries had also calculated premiums would have to be increased by around 28% if the scheme was to be restored to full funding within 5 years.
A 28% increase in premiums would mean NSW employers paying additional $670 million a year.
Premium increases will also widen the gap which already exists between the premium rates in NSW and those of our neighbouring states and competitors – Victoria and Queensland.
Clearly, premium increases are not an option and other solutions need to be found.
Those solutions need to strike the right balance between providing injured workers with the support, assistance and encouragement needed to recover and return to work as quickly as possible, and premium levels which do not undermine the ability of NSW employers to compete and provide jobs.

Yours sincerely

Stephen Cartwright
Chief Executive Officer
NSW Business Chamber