Informa Australia is part of the Informa Connect Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 3099067.

Month: February 2014

Transport & Logistics

SA on the right track with Seaford line opening

More railway engineering projects could be on the horizon in South Australia following the state's Seaford to Adelaide line commencing passenger services this week. The $29.2 million extension project opened on Sunday (February 23) and is aimed at providing more transport options to SA's southern suburbs. Bryan Nye, chief executive of the Australasian Railway Association…

28 Feb 2014, by Informa Insights

Defence & Security

CASE STUDY: Enhancing police work through advanced technology

TASER Conducted Electrical Weapons (CEWs) or “TASERs” have been entrenched tools in Australian Law Enforcement, providing an accountable, incapacitating tool for everyday police duties that protects officers and the public, and saves agencies large sums in injuries and settlements. How can these products help agencies save money?  Studies show that agencies who deploy CEWs see:…

28 Feb 2014, by Informa Insights

Social Policy

Enhancing diversion for young people at risk of youth justice involvement

By Julie Edwards, CEO, Jesuit Social Services* Diversion has been a defining feature of youth justice systems throughout Australia for several decades. While experience and evidence have shown us the positive impacts that diversion can have, there are still major challenges in maintaining support for this approach. By way of some background, diversion is an…

28 Feb 2014, by Informa Insights

Leadership & Communication

Leadership skills vital for productivity, survey shows

Poor leadership skills are hampering Australian workplaces, a new survey has indicated. Research from the University of Melbourne's Centre for Workplace Leadership revealed three-quarters of employees feel good management was lacking at their company. Of the 2,000 workers polled, 25 per cent claimed they had no workplace role models, while 35 per cent of senior and…

27 Feb 2014, by Informa Insights

Healthcare

NDIS: Feedback from the first participants

In recent weeks we often reported about some of the challenges the healthcare sector is expecting for the roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Natasha Mitchell, Presenter at ABC Radio National’s program Life Matters recently spoke to two mothers and first participants in the NDIS. Their experience has been overwhelmingly positive and we…

26 Feb 2014, by Informa Insights

Mining & Resources

Fortescue triples half-year profits

Fortescue Metals has announced record half-year profit results, claiming cost-cutting measures and expansion plans have helped boost performance. The group saw its earnings after expenses more than triple, climbing from US$478 million (AUD$532 million) in the six months to December 2012 to US$1.7 billion at the end of 2013. Year on year, the company also…

26 Feb 2014, by Informa Insights

Healthcare

Close-Up: James Downie

James Downie is the Executive Director of Activity Based Funding (ABF) at the Independent Hospital Pricing Authority (IHPA). He leads the teams responsible for delivering the classification, costing and pricing functions of IHPA as well as the data acquisition activities. Mr Downie will be delivering a keynote address at the 2014 Hospital Patient Costing conference,…

26 Feb 2014, by Informa Insights

Healthcare

Close-up: Claire Austin

Claire Austin is a consulting Principal at Sapere Research Group.  She specialises in health workforce issues, primary and rural health care policy, health reform and service development, health practitioner regulation and health sector organisation strategy and change management. Claire will be sharing her knowledge and experience with attendees at the 2014 Developing the Role of…

25 Feb 2014, by Informa Insights

Healthcare

3 trends in Australia’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape

Australia's healthcare systems are changing rapidly as the country seeks to combat an ageing population, efficiency problems and uneven service distribution. A new Frost & Sullivan report said the global healthcare industry is in a state of "accelerated evolution" due to market forces and changing demographics. This is creating disruptions for traditional healthcare models and…

25 Feb 2014, by Informa Insights

Leadership & Communication

Australian middle management ‘feeling neglected’

Australia's middle managers feel neglected and lack the leadership skills to perform their roles to the best of their abilities, according to new research. An Australian Institute of Management (AIM) survey, compiled in conjunction with Monash University, found that middle managers are "significantly underperforming" despite their important role in business hierarchies. Tony Gleeson, executive general…

25 Feb 2014, by Informa Insights

Social Policy

CALD communities underutilise crisis services

Australia's crisis services are among the best in the world. Yet, with 200 languages spoken throughout the country, ensuring equal access for non-English speakers remains a tremendous challenge. In the lead-up to the National Emergency Relief Summit, we had the chance to speak to Eva Hussain, CEO at Polaron Language Services about providing access to…

24 Feb 2014, by Informa Insights

Mining & Resources

What’s next for lean production?

The lean production system has been popular in engineering and manufacturing plants across the world for more than 50 years. Lean approaches eliminate any processes that are deemed wasteful. In other words, resources used in anything but creating value for the end customer are targets for removal. According to McKinsey & Company, lean production continues…

20 Feb 2014, by Informa Insights