Media Releases August 2019

I wish to express to you the importance and urgency of the opportunity at the upcoming COAG meeting to genuinely tackle reform issues for Australia’s training system.

The Australian Industry Group/Housing Industry Association Australian Performance of Construction Index (Australian PCI®) fell by 3.9 points to 39.1 in July, recording the construction industry's steepest overall rate of contraction in six years (readings below 50 indicate contraction in activity, with the distance from 50 indicating the strength of the decrease).

A new report released today by Ai Group, The Fourth Industrial Revolution: Australian businesses in transition, outlines the state of business digitalisation as more and more businesses participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0.

"The Federal Government's announcement of an inquiry into gas reservation is an acknowledgement of the dire situation facing industrial gas users in particular and the need for a variety of actions to address supply and cost issues," Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox said today.

Ai Group Queensland welcomes the release of the State Government's Skills for Queensland plan as a promising step towards ensuring an appropriately qualified, productive, and agile future workforce for this State's businesses.

"The Australian Industry Group urges the Queensland Government to abandon plans for a Christmas Eve public holiday. The idea would impose unwarranted additional costs on businesses in numerous industries that need to operate on Christmas Eve," Australian Industry Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said today.

The Australian Industry Group Australian Performance of Services Index (Australian PSI®) fell by 8.3 points to 43.9 in July – the largest monthly fall since July 2018 as trading conditions took a dive following two months of more positive results (results above 50 points indicate expansion, with the distance from 50 points indicating the strength of the increase).

"Today's decision by AGL to push back the closures of the Liddell and Torrens power stations gives the National Electricity Market a further year of supply buffer while critical reforms and investments are put in place," Australian Industry Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox said today.