457 Visa Changes

The Office of the Prime Minister and Minister for Immigration and Border Protection has announced the abolition of the Subclass 457 Visa for foreign workers and the creation a new temporary visa restricted to critical skills shortages. The intent is to ensure...

Forestry Standard LTD is promoting a nationwide photo

Forestry Standard LTD is promoting a nationwide photo contest aimed at further raising awareness of the importance of sustainable forest management and certification. AFS CEO Simon Dorries said the contest theme – ‘experience forests, experience PEFC’ – would enable...

Product Testing for Safety

Product testing is one way of preventing unsafe products from entering the Australian market, and ensuring supplier responsibilities are met. It is the responsibility of all suppliers to ensure products: are free from defects meet mandatory safety standards meet any...

International Green Interior Awards

Our Partners at Australian Living are calling for nominations from Australian Furniture Association Members that celebrate green interior products! FOR FURNITURE MANUFACTURERS AND PRODUCT DESIGNERS – Enter innovative interior products that respect the health of...

Training Package Development and Endorsement process policy

Furnishing IRC Chair and AFA CEO, Patrizia Torelli recommends that industry leaders familiarise themselves with The Training Package Development and Endorsement Process Policy, which is one of three documents that form the organising framework of standards that...

E-commerce: Challenges and Opportunities for Exporters

As a well-established hub for finance and trade, Hong Kong is home to many traders who have a wealth of experience in conducting import and export business. Thanks to efficient management, the bilingual environment and an internationally-recognised legal regime, it...

Training Providers Forum 2017

The WA Forum is getting a makeover, becoming a one day conference for the first time. A busy and vibrant one day program will both engage and challenge delegates. In 2017 the Forum themes will focus on: the student experience; employer perspectives; and assessment....

PROFESSIONAL DESIGNERS PROGRAM – MALAYSIA 2017

This article was written by Alby Johnston who attended the EFE in Malaysia – For several years now Australian Furniture Association’s (AFA) Chief Executive Officer, Patrizia Torelli has been developing relationships with many Governments, Furniture Councils,...

Are you an IMPORTER of Products that contain timber and wood fibre?

Implementation of the changes to import conditions for manufactured wooden articles outlined below in the Australian Government Release will be deployed in September 2017 to give importers reasonable time to meet the new conditions. As reported, the Australian...

IMPORTERS BEWARE – YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE GOODS YOU IMPORT

Are you aware that your business is responsible for any furnishing product that you import, manufacture, sell, supply or distribute? This means that you can be held liable for any defect or other condition that renders the product unsafe and results in injury, death...

Australian Furnishing Community of Practice Network Update

Check out the latest edition of the TAFE Futures Magazine In this edition read about Continuity and Change: AFA Members and Australian employers’ training practices and partnerships with training providers A year of challenge and opportunity for TAFE and the VET...

Aligning Business and People Strategies

Business leaders spend considerable time and energy developing business strategies and seek to align all business activities to ensure optimisation of effort, business growth and sustainability.  This should always include the people within a business. For example,...

Sure you can buy direct from China!

This is an article from Graham Smith CEO Innova Group that he wrote in a LinkedIn forum we thought we would share with you –  Keeping costs low and profits high have always been fundamental in business. One source of low-cost furniture items is buying from...

Unfair Contract Terms Under Scrutiny

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has a number of in-depth investigations underway across a range of industries following the introduction of the new business-to-business (B2B) unfair contract terms laws in November 2016. In November 2016, the ACCC...