Jacqui Walters

Safeguard your personal data at tax time with this expert cybersecurity guide. Aimed at tax agents and Australians preparing their tax returns, tune in now for expert tips on how scammers operate, and how to stay secure.

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Will you be joining us at this years ALPMA Summit + ALTACON? Excitement is building for this years event, with over 60 sessions, 50 business partners and a community of like minded change makers all ready to gather in Brisbane in a little over 5 weeks... Thinking of attending - here's why you should: * Inspiring Keynotes: Learn from industry leaders who will share their insights on navigating the future of law firm operations. * Cutting-edge Technology: Discover the latest technological advancements and how they can enhance your firm's efficiency. * Strategic Discussions: Participate in engaging sessions on leadership and strategy tailored to the unique challenges of the legal sector. * Change Management: Gain practical knowledge on implementing effective change management practices within your organization. * Networking Opportunities: Connect with peers from other firms, fuel your curiosity, and advance your knowledge on achieving business success in the legal industry. * Exhibition Hall: Meet our 50 partners in our exhibition hall. These companies are your key to productivity gains, driving efficiencies, and building a sustainable firm. Come find out what key law firm challenges they are solving. I invite you to join us. More details here: www.alpmasummit.com.au #ALPMA #ALPMASummit #BusinessofLaw #legal #law #legalpracticemanagement ALPMA: Australasian Legal Practice Management Association

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Round Two of the Manufacturing Energy Efficiency Grant Program has recently opened, and match funding has increased to $50,000 for eligible project costs that align with the applicant's sustainability goals and the Program Objectives.   The MEEG Program will support eligible Queensland-based manufacturing SMEs to implement energy efficiency measures to reduce energy costs and operational emissions through adoption of energy efficiency technologies, equipment, systems, or processes.   Eligible projects must align to one or more of the below focus areas: Compressed Air Improvements; Electrification (from gas or fuel-based process to electric); Heat pumps; Industrial refrigeration; Industrial HVAC system; Lighting; Energy Monitoring, Systems and Energy Action Plans; Replacement of equipment to a more energy-efficient model OR replace parts of equipment (motors, fans, compressors, heaters, conveyors) to make the equipment more efficient.   If you have an eligible project but are limited in time and resources to collate the required documentation and content, Stellar Consulting Services can provide project support to help you prepare a quality application.   A link to the program guidelines is in the comments. #manufacturing #smebusinesssupport #energyefficiency

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The strongest regional development works from the ground up with local initiative and leadership. Projects of national significance like the sealing of the Outback Way are compelling because of the transformative benefits that flow from infrastructure.

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Here’s the latest snapshot of the Australian engineering labour market. Read more:

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Thought provoking article from Tony Boyd. He’s right. The outsized growth in compliance box ticking over strategy has not been good for many companies and their shareholders. The AICD do some great work but it’s illuminating, as he says, that the AICD course notes have only 50 of the 1400 pages covering strategy. Compliance to protect stakeholders and ensure appropriate behaviour and accountability is important but we need to reset the balance. And we need directors with the rights skills and experience on boards, in particular around digital and tech, to stress test strategy and ensure performance not just compliance. Great irony of course that the ASX, who publish the compliance governance principles, now in a governance bind!

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The Arrogance Of Market Power We all know that the Aotearoa grocery market is dominated by two players. This recognition has provoked lots of concern, criticism and review. The dominant players may not cause inflation as such but they do not help and their owners profit at supplier and consumer cost. Commerce Commission issued a report today from the wet bus ticket appointment made by the last government. To absolutely no-one’s surprise a year of dithering has made no impression. The Commission is currently considering a further consolidation of market power. They have lots of evidence but will they have the conviction to act? Will this Government back up its rhetoric on competition ? The really striking thing is that in all the concern the dominant players show neither humility nor restraint but plunder away unconcerned.

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👋 Mackay Airport. From large renewable energy projects to small regional airports, loans facilitated by the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) are bringing transformational benefits to communities in the north. This week I announced that the NAIF has reached a significant milestone, with an incredible $2 billion now invested in infrastructure projects across northern Australia. Loans facilitated by the NAIF are creating jobs, unlocking economic opportunities in regional areas, and driving the nation’s transition towards a net zero economy. Data from NAIF shows project proponents are on track to create 7,638 jobs in Queensland, 6,806 jobs in WA and 3,946 in the Northern Territory!

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Peter Dutton’s “big new housing plan” is something Labor is already doing, but cuts the $19 billion we’re investing in building new homes. It’s a road to nowhere and will make our housing shortages worse. Dutton’s housing plan: ❌copies Labor’s existing infrastructure program ❌cuts $19bn from housing investment committed under Albanese Govt ❌doesn’t directly build a single new house ❌teams up with the Greens to block Labor helping renters buy their own homes Labor’s housing plan: ✅ 40,000 more social/affordable 🏠 ✅ > 40,000 new tradies through Fee Free TAFE ✅ Rent Assistance up by > 40% ✅ $5B to help renters buy their own 🏠 ✅ $3B to incentivise State Govts to build more 🏠

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Case Study – A new approach to an old problem One of my corporate positions held was as General Manager of NT Gas in charge of a 1500 km gas pipeline from near Alice Springs to Darwin. The Board of Directors gave me very clear objectives: 👉 Curb rising expenditure 👉 Lift productivity 👉 Improve leadership capability 👉 Improve governance functions (as risk mitigation) 👉 Improve relationships with key stakeholders and Government I was fortunate enough to uncover an international leadership and organisational consultant in Darwin to help me with these objectives. Obviously, I had been successful in my career to that time to reach this position. In spite of such success, this consultant (Karen White & Associates) changed my business life. The new knowledge I obtained through this process of organisational change was transformational, in spite of having worked with many specialist consultants previously. After all, I had just spent 2 years undergoing a major organisational change process transforming Federal Government employees into a private enterprise mentality under the newly formed East Australian Pipeline Limited (EAPL – owner operator of the Moomba to Sydney gas pipeline network) You see, I did not know there were things I did not yet know in this specialised area. The new insights and perspectives I obtained were practical, logical and just made sense. We deep dived to address symptoms at their root cause, thus creating a sustainable improvement. I was able to improve engagement to half staff churn, slash operating costs, implement a new operating basis and governance system we called Lifeguard’, and exceeded Board expectations on the improvement in key stakeholder relationships. Such was the impact that I was head hunted by AGL to lead the operations as state manager WA operating all AGL and APA groups energy infrastructure in that state. My charter was to grow a previously dormant business and I achieved a 119% increase in revenue and a 78% increase in profit. Now I am not suggesting this new paradigm approach I learnt from Karen was the sole cause of these successes, but I am saying that I could not have achieved this success without the new knowledge, systems and processes. So I know it works As a result, I have now joined Karen and her team as a business partner in Ourworkplace. This same information and new material are now presented in short targeted information videos and all videos and supporting material is immediately available under a monthly subscription. Comment or DM me to set up a call to discuss further if needed. ​​​​​​​

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South Australian households and businesses are bracing for more cost of living pain from July 1 with SA Water bills likely to be hiked after the Malinauskas Government failed to make an investment in last week’s State Budget to support previously announced land releases. The final SA Water determination for the next regulatory period 2024-28 is due in the coming days and will reveal how much water bills are set to increase from July 1. The former Liberal Government saved South Australian households an average of $200 per year on water bills during the last regulatory period, while small businesses received deductions of approximately $1,350. This is in direct contrast to the former Labor Government, with an independent inquiry finding they deliberately inflated the value of SA Water’s regulated asset base, driving up the cost of water bills for all South Australians. Last week’s State Budget didn’t include any new funding for supporting infrastructure, raising concerns water bills will be hiked to support the development of land releases announced more than 12 months ago. Labor’s much-hyped land releases have hardly been the “fast track” to housing as promised, with not a single house built yet and Renewal SA recently dubbing the Dry Creek site “incredibly complex” adding “there are a range of issues associated with it”.

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South Australian households and businesses are bracing for more cost of living pain from July 1 with SA Water bills likely to be hiked after the Malinauskas Government failed to make an investment in last week’s State Budget to support previously announced land releases. The final SA Water determination for the next regulatory period 2024-28 is due in the coming days and will reveal how much water bills are set to increase from July 1. The former Liberal Government saved South Australian households an average of $200 per year on water bills during the last regulatory period, while small businesses received deductions of approximately $1,350. This is in direct contrast to the former Labor Government, with an independent inquiry finding they deliberately inflated the value of SA Water’s regulated asset base, driving up the cost of water bills for all South Australians. Last week’s State Budget didn’t include any new funding for supporting infrastructure, raising concerns water bills will be hiked to support the development of land releases announced more than 12 months ago. Labor’s much-hyped land releases have hardly been the “fast track” to housing as promised, with not a single house built yet and Renewal SA recently dubbing the Dry Creek site “incredibly complex” adding “there are a range of issues associated with it”.

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This Australian Institute of Company Directors summary of the recent review of governance at Qantas is well worth reading, as is the report itself (under 20 pages, here: https://lnkd.in/g45Pd9gp). I enjoyed the non-ironic use by the Qantas Chairman and Chairman-elect of 'mistakes were made', a phrase once described as 'the king of non-apologies' and so discredited that it even has its own Wikipedia page (https://lnkd.in/gDNwHvtr). But the thing that intrigued and alarmed me most was the finding that 'The Board was financially, commercially and strategically oriented. This should be complemented by enhanced focus on non-financial issues, employees, customers and all stakeholders... The Group’s risk management framework is heavily weighted to focus on strategic and financial risks, and could benefit from the re-weighting of non-financial risks, with particular focus on operational reliability, customer, culture and people issues to provide enhanced visibility of these issues.' Qantas is one of Australia's most high-profile consumer-facing businesses. If you're on the Board and you're not thinking about customers, in what way are you being strategic? If your expertise is in finance and you're not talking at the Board about the people who pay for the company's services, what are you bringing to the Board table? The review is encouraging the Board to focus on customer issues alongside strategic and financial matters - but it doesn't appear to challenge a more fundamental problem, that a board strategic discussion without customers isn't a strategic discussion at all.

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I am pleased to provide you Grant Gurus exclusive analysis of Federal Budget 2024-25 for business with links to all the programs. Jim Chalmers has handed down the budget with a $9.3bn surplus! We have analysed the industry supports, new announcements and key trends that will impact businesses in the coming year. Including - The instant asset write off has been extended. - Boost for green manufacturing, supply chains and innovation. - $166.2m for the defence industry. - $46.9m to support the nuclear medicine industry. https://lnkd.in/eh8rPbVr

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Labor established the #BigCanberraBattery. In the next term of Government, Labor will deliver a further 250MW utility scale battery in the ACT. This would be delivered through either a revenue share or virtual storage agreement with a private provider, similar to the arrangement that has been delivered in this term with Eku Energy. This investment will: 1. Generate revenue for the Territory 2. Support more reliable and affordable electricity supply which puts further downward pressure on electricity prices 3. Reduce reliance on fossil fuels in the National Electricity Market 4. Increase local employment in the renewable energy sector The ongoing investment in the Big Canberra Battery complements the continuation of the Sustainable Household Scheme, another practical and proven policy introduced by Labor which is saving tens of thousands of Canberra households on their energy bills. #RenewableEnergy #BatteryStorage #Canberra #ClimateAction

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Follow the development of high speed rail to transform passenger rail on the east coast.

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