Australian Furnishing Industry Current State of Play
No one knows the Australian Furnishing Industry better than you, but how can we help make it better? Have your say here…
Action on the Furnishing Industry Skill Shortage
It is not an industry secret that we are currently experiencing challenging times. Navigating the most significant gap between work volumes and availability of skilled labour to date. Without immediate intervention, we can not see our shared low labour woes arresting.
Why “fast fashion” runs rampant in the furniture sector
The Australian Furniture Association (AFA) was successful in securing a federally funded grant on product stewardship early in 2022. Design of Commercial Furniture for the Circular Economy – Furniture 360 – will unpack how the furniture industry will address the...Furniture 360 Briefing – September 2022
Furniture 360 Project Leader, Mark Thomson, speaks with the Australian Furniture Association (AFA) head of Partnerships and Marketing Jason Ross about the Furniture 360 project. Jason Ross – Mark thank you for your time. Earlier this year you were appointed Project...$27.4 billion confirmed furniture industry contribution to Australian economy
The Australasian Furnishing Association (AFA) is recognised as the peak industry association for the furnishing sector supply chain in Australia. Collectively the industry employs more than 250,000 Australians directly and up to 500,000 indirectly. With an estimated value of $27.4 billion, the furnishing industry is an important contributor to the economic well-being and wealth of the nation.
Focus on Online Surveillance for Product Safety
The ACCC is strengthening product safety online, with a focus on expanding participation in the Australian Product Safety Pledge, online surveillance and contributing to greater consistency of international practice.
Commercial Furniture Design Strategies for 2030
In keeping with Australia’s carbon commitments for 2030,,the need to reduce Australian landfill and societal changes since COVID, Australian Commercial Furniture requires a transformational change to a circular economy . The AFA Furniture 360 Project has now developed design principles to enable such a transformation.
Discover the best practice when hiring and firing
Discover the best practice when hiring and firing with Richard Thompson from Archer Thompson Lawyers in this webinar…
Certification and Sustainable Forest Management
Forest and chain of custody certification is underpinned by sustainable forest management. Learn more from Matt de Jongh of Responsible Wood
SME Share of Government Spending Doubled
The federal government has dramatically boosted the share of government procurement earmarked for Australia’s small and medium sized businesses.
Preventing Sexual Harassment (Positive Duty on Employers)
The introductory session informs AFA members of some minimum standards that all organisations must follow to comply with the positive duty. The standards require actions to be taken to both prevent and respond to sexual harassment. Learn more from Richard Thompson of Archer Thompson Lawyers.
New laws would require employers to actively prevent sex harassment
Employers may be required to train staff to speak up about workplace sexual harassment with a view to preventing it, or at least intervene earlier, and deal with power imbalances without excluding women, under legislation committed to by the new Labor government.
WA Premier flags potential use for COVID quarantine hub
The Western Australian government may consider alternative uses for the purpose-build COVID-19 quarantine facility that is still under construction in the Perth suburb of Bullsbrook.
Reserve Bank of Australia increase cash rate by 50 basis points to 1.35 per cent
Global inflation is high. It is being boosted by COVID-related disruptions to supply chains, the war in Ukraine and strong demand which is putting pressure on productive capacity.
Round Two Export Market Development Grants Program Open 6 July 2022
To prepare for the opening of Round Two, Austrade has updated the EMDG web pages to provide detailed information about the Grants.
Sexual harassment in the workplace
The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has found that 72% of Australians have experienced sexual harassment in their workplace.
Queensland Government Grants up to 50K
AFA Members are eligible for AFA endorsement to apply for a single up-front payment of up to $50,000 for eligible QLD businesses.
How will the future of retail impact on vertically integrated furniture businesses?
For the furniture manufacturing sector the retail industry is a barometer and catalyst for constant change. But what will happen in 2022 and future years to come?
Redundancy
Redundancy occurs when an employer decides they no longer need an employee’s job to be done by anyone and terminates their employment. The job itself, not the employee, becomes redundant.