The Fair Work Commission has announced that SUNDAY penalty rates will be cut from the existing levels for employees in the hospitality, retail and fast food this morning in Melbourne. Saturday rates won’t be changed, with the commission finding they provide an adequate safety net, but public holiday rates will be reduced in the hospitality industry.

Full-time and part-time workers in retail will have their Sunday penalty rates dropped from 200% to 150% of their standard hourly rate, while casuals will go from 200% to 175%.

Hospitality employees will face a reduction in Sunday pay from 175% to 150%, while causal hospitality workers’ pay will remain unchanged.

Fast-food employees’ Sunday rates will go from 150% to 125% for full-time and part-time staff, and casuals will go from 200% to 175%.

The pay cuts take effect from 1 July 2017.

This decision will affect the small to medium enterprises positively, which are the engine room of the economy. Many of them have had to simply abandon Sunday trading altogether because they couldn’t find a way to make it viable when paying double time. Changes to Sunday rates could cost staff working a six-hour shift up to $66. The double-time rate under the general retail award is $44 an hour. The reduction will allow them to trade in the future.

However, the decision that announced by the Fair Work Commission today will greatly affect the thousands of employees who rely on working weekends negatively, they are facing the possibility of a double-digit pay cut.

Source:
Penalty rates cut: Fair Work Commission cuts Sunday penalty rates
Penalty rates for Sunday, holiday work to be slashed after landmark decision by Fair Work Commission

The Federal Court has held that persons who are Uber drivers are required to be registered for GST purposes. The court considered that the provision of a ride by an uberX Partner to a customer was the supply of “taxi travel” for GST purposes.

Businesses with an annual turnover of less than $75,000 do not need to register for GST.

However under a special rule or exemption, created by s 144-5(1) in Pt 4-5 of the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, taxi and limousine operators are required to be registered for GST regardless of turnover.

Source:
Providing taxi travel services through ride-sourcing and your tax obligations
A NEW TAX SYSTEM (GOODS AND SERVICES TAX) ACT 1999 - SECT 144.5

​​BRISBANE vacancy rates have bounced back into the healthy zone despite a massive onslaught of new unit supply, new data shows.
The latest REIQ residential vacancy rates report found good signs in positively that the Queensland capital’s rental market safely survived with the massive influx of new units in recent years – seeing that vacancy rates now tightening across Greater Brisbane.

Overall Brisbane’s residential vacancy rate tightened to 3 per cent (3.3 per cent in September quarter), with the highest level of vacancies coming from the inner area (0 to 5km from the CBD) at 3.6 per cent (3.7 per cent previously).

Brisbane City moved into the healthy zone which is considered anything between 2.5 and 3.5 per cent vacancy rate, according to REIQ chief executive Antonia Mercorella.

“The data has shown that supply and demand in the rental market is fairly evenly matched in the southeast corner. The vacancy rate in inner Brisbane has fallen to 3.6 per cent, which is very close to the healthy range and this is good news for both landlords and tenants,” also “When vacancy rates are within the healthy range it means landlords can secure tenants comfortably and it also means tenants have the opportunity to secure appropriate and suitable rental accommodation.” She said.












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Brisbane vacancy rates:
Overall 3 per cent
Brisbane City 3.4 per cent
Inner (0-5km) 3.6 per cent
Middle (5-20km) 3.3 per cent
Brisbane Surrounds (Ipswich City, Logan City, Moreton Bay and Redland City) 2.4%
Ipswich City 2.4%
Logan City 3.3%
Moreton Bay 1.8%
Caboolture 2.2%
Pine Rivers 1.6%
Redcliffe 1.6%
Redland City 2.7%
Mainland 2.7%
Bay Islands 2.4%

Source: 
REIQ 
http://www.realestate.com.au/news/