COVID-19 Update | 17 July 2020

NSW tightens COVID-19 restrictions on "higher risk" activities Premier Gladys Berejiklian today announced that restrictions on certain activities would be...

NSW tightens COVID-19 restrictions on "higher risk" activities Premier Gladys Berejiklian today announced that restrictions on certain activities would be put into place as more venues in Sydney have been identified as hot spots. From 12:01am Friday, 24 July 2020 the following rules will be in force as NSW enters...

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COVID-19 Update | 9 July 2020

National Cabinet to reduce international arrivals by half, quarantine program under review The Prime Minister announced in a press conference...

National Cabinet to reduce international arrivals by half, quarantine program under review The Prime Minister announced in a press conference this afternoon that there would be a reduction in the number of returning citizens and residents over the next few weeks.There are no travellers returning to Victoria due to the...

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COVID-19 Update | 7 July 2020

Victoria announces return to Stage 3 Lockdown in metropolitan Melbourne and Shire of Mitchell Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, has this...

Victoria announces return to Stage 3 Lockdown in metropolitan Melbourne and Shire of Mitchell Victorian Premier, Daniel Andrews, has this afternoon announced that based on the advice of the Chief Health Officer, Stage 3 'Stay at Home' restrictions will be reinstated across metropolitan Melbourne and Mitchell Shire from 11:59pm on Wednesday...

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Victorian Wage Theft Bill 2020 passes, introduces criminal offences for employers

In the middle of a pandemic that has left the nation in economic turmoil and prompted Australia’s first recession...

In the middle of a pandemic that has left the nation in economic turmoil and prompted Australia’s first recession since 1991, the Victorian Government has passed the Wage Theft Bill 2020 (Vic) which puts employers around Victoria at risk of criminal prosecution. The Bill creates new criminal offences in Victoria...

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19/06/19 Victorian Govt announces VIC bag ban deadline

The Hon Lily D'Ambrosio MP Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister for Solar Homes Media release: Victorian Government Wednesday 19 June Lightweight, single-use...

The Hon Lily D'Ambrosio MP Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Minister for Solar Homes Media release: Victorian Government Wednesday 19 June Lightweight, single-use plastic shopping bags will be banned across Victoria from 1 November this year, under new legislation introduced to parliament today by the Andrews Labor Government. Minister for Environment Lily D’Ambrosio said...

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Important changes to long service leave in Victoria

By Alex Millman and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal Last week, the Victorian Parliament passed the Long Service Act 2018 (the...

By Alex Millman and Lindsay Carroll, NRA Legal Last week, the Victorian Parliament passed the Long Service Act 2018 (the new LSL law), which will replace the current long service leave legislation in Victoria. Whilst much will remain the same, there are some key points of which employers in Victoria will...

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Red Rooster and Oporto to Get Rid of Single-Use Plastic Bags

Parent company Craveable Brands says some restaurants will be plastic bag-free within a month. Red Rooster, Oporto and Western Australian...

Parent company Craveable Brands says some restaurants will be plastic bag-free within a month. Red Rooster, Oporto and Western Australian fast-food chain Chicken Treat have begun to phase out single-use plastic bags across their 570 Australian restaurants. Parent company Craveable Brands announced today it would be removing single-use bags by no...

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Seeking views on plastic bag ban

Victorian Members: If you are one of our Victorian members, please note that the Victorian State Government is seeking views...

Victorian Members: If you are one of our Victorian members, please note that the Victorian State Government is seeking views from the industry and wider community on potentially banning single-use lightweight plastic shopping bags. A number of states have already introduced similar bans (most recently Queensland) and the NRA strongly urges...

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Updates to Victorian Tobacco Regulations

Tobacco Regulations 2017 will come into effect some with changes to price notices and e-cigarette retail outlets in Victoria....

Tobacco Regulations 2017 will come into effect some with changes to price notices and e-cigarette retail outlets in Victoria. From 1 August 2017, the Tobacco Amendment Act 2016 will amend the Tobacco Act 1987 to regulate e-cigarettes in the same manner as tobacco products. The changes affecting price boards are...

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Proposed Changes to VIC Workplace Health and Safety Laws

by Sid Sidhu and Troy Wild,  NRA Legal A new Bill, introduced to Victorian Parliament earlier this month, proposes to...

by Sid Sidhu and Troy Wild,  NRA Legal A new Bill, introduced to Victorian Parliament earlier this month, proposes to amend the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic) (‘the Act’) as well as some other legislation, including the Dangerous Goods Act 1985 (Vic). If passed, the new changes may...

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VIC Govt launches WorkHealth

by Alex Millman, NRA Legal Victorian Government announces worker mental health assistance program On 11 April 2017, the Andrews Victorian government...

by Alex Millman, NRA Legal Victorian Government announces worker mental health assistance program On 11 April 2017, the Andrews Victorian government unveiled its new program to assist employers in managing mental health in the workplace, WorkHealth. Launched jointly by Minister for Finance Robin Scott and Minister for Mental Health Martin Foley, WorkHealth...

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Message from the CEO: 11 April 2017

What a heartbreaking fortnight it has been for so many of you on the east coast of Australia. We...

What a heartbreaking fortnight it has been for so many of you on the east coast of Australia. We have seen family homes, local schools, roads and local businesses decimated in many communities throughout Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. We want to iterate that we are here to assist...

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Bully boss charged under Brodie’s Law

by Ben Desir, Workplace Advisor, NRA Legal An electrician has been brought before a Melbourne Magistrate to face charges under...

by Ben Desir, Workplace Advisor, NRA Legal An electrician has been brought before a Melbourne Magistrate to face charges under Victoria’s strict workplace bullying laws. In Victoria, persons who engage in bullying behaviour can be prosecuted under the Crimes Act 1958 (Crimes Act). The Crimes Act was amended in 2011 to...

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FWO blitz targets Ballarat without warning

by Victoria Hansen, Lawyer, NRA Legal The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) deployed an unannounced campaign in Ballarat this week to address...

by Victoria Hansen, Lawyer, NRA Legal The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) deployed an unannounced campaign in Ballarat this week to address concerns regarding potential non-compliance with Commonwealth workplace laws. The FWO campaign had a particular focus on businesses in the retail, fast food and hospitality industries and conducted more than 50 visits...

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Employer’s Options in Natural Disasters

The thoughts of the NRA team are with all those members affected by recent severe weather that has impacted...

The thoughts of the NRA team are with all those members affected by recent severe weather that has impacted South Australia and parts of Victoria this week, and has forced many shops to shut down temporarily. Unfortunately, this type of weather is not uncommon in Australia leading up to summer....

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Employer “on notice” for overworking manager

The Victorian Supreme Court found an abattoir business to have breached its duty of care to an employee’s health...

The Victorian Supreme Court found an abattoir business to have breached its duty of care to an employee’s health by requiring them to work 70 hours a week and be on call 24/7. Due to Castricum Brothers Pty Ltd cutting its workforce, Joseph Roussety was promoted to plant manager, increasing...

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