Recent news that one of Australia’s prominent vacuum retailers, Godfreys Group, was entering voluntary administration cast doubt over the future of the company’s Shepparton store.
PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia has appointed three partners as administrators of the company, and announced that 54 stores would close permanently within the next two weeks, resulting in almost 200 job losses.
However, PwC administrators have told The News that the Shepparton store on Benalla Rd will not be one of them and is set to continue operations.
PwC cited lower customer demand, increased operating costs and heightened competition as factors affecting the company’s profitability.
Engineered stone ban awareness campaign
WorkSafe in Victoria is launching an awareness campaign ahead of the July 1 ban on engineered stone.
The Victorian Government said the campaign would focus on “reaching workers working with engineered stone, including those in regional communities, and will be translated for culturally and linguistically diverse communities heavily involved in the industry”.
Businesses and consumers have been asked not to enter into contracts for engineered stone products from January 1, as the government said the contracts may not be able to be legally fulfilled.
Workers in the industry have been offered a health assessment at the Alfred Occupational Respiratory Clinic in Melbourne in an effort to encourage early identification of silicosis and silica-related diseases in workers who work with engineered stone.
Australia’s work health and safety ministers agreed to ban the use of all engineered stone, which is widely used for kitchen and bathroom bench tops, after meeting in Canberra on December 13 last year.
From July 1 this year, Victorian employers will no longer be permitted to carry out work involving the manufacturing, supply, processing or installation of engineered stone.
“This campaign is about making sure workers know their rights and employers their responsibilities – before and after 1 July,” WorkSafe Minister Danny Pearson said.
ATO launches free online learning support for small businesses
The ATO has launched a new online learning platform offering free courses to help small business owners master their tax and super obligations.
The ‘Essentials to strengthen your small business’ website includes more than 20 short courses and a calendar of key lodgment due dates to support small businesses.
Deputy Commissioner Will Day said the new platform was designed for small business owners who want to enhance their knowledge of tax and super.
“Small business owners can now access short, free and flexible online courses to sharpen their knowledge of tax, super and the core aspects of effective small business management,” Mr Day said.
The new platform can be found at https://smallbusiness.taxsuperandyou.gov.au/ and includes a variety of learning styles, such as videos, case studies, audio content and written information, as well as tips on areas where small business owners commonly make mistakes.
NBN upgrade available
Eligible residential homes and businesses in Kyabram and Tongala can now place an order to upgrade their NBN connection to fibre to the premises.
Labor Senator for Victoria Jana Stewart said the latest upgrades were available on demand where a customer has an eligible property and seeks a higher speed service through their retail service provider.
Senator Stewart said the Federal Government had invested $2.4 billion to enable an additional 1.5 million premises to transition from fibre to the node to fibre to the premises by 2025.
She said around 80 per cent of all regional and remote premises will have access to plans based on wholesale speeds of 100 Mbps or more by late 2025.
“I encourage the community to check the NBN website to see whether they are eligible for an upgrade,” Senator Stewart said.
For more information on upgrade eligibility, visit www.nbn.com.au/fibreupgrade