AMSRO remains focused on working with members to ensure that the ‘model of excellence’ our organisations work under remains understood, upheld and highly regarded by regulators and clients alike.
The last two months have been busy ones for AMSRO with important progress made across a range of issues including lobbying the government to relax 457 visa restrictions and provide better access to geo-targeted telephone sample through the IPND, and improving our members’ access to marketers through the AMI. Important changes to the regulatory and privacy environment are also provided.
See below for further details.
GOVERNMENT RELATIONS
IMMINENT BREAKTHROUGH ON IPND ACCESS
Last week AMSRO held a meeting with Phillip Mason, Assistant Secretary, Department of Communications and the Arts (and his team) to continue to lobby the government for full access to the IPND using AMSRO’s access model, thus enabling geo-targeted telephone sampling using mobile number.
To recap, the new Scheme (launched April this year) included ongoing authorisation and access to de-identified IPND data for government work however unlisted numbers (and mobiles) remain outside the Scheme.
We are now delighted to inform members that the Department’s position is that it strongly supports our members’ need for mobile access. AMSRO is therefore continuing to work closely with the Assistant Secretary (along with meeting relevant Federal Ministers) to help drive legislative change through Parliament early next year to permit (limited) access to listed and unlisted numbers under the new Scheme. Thank you to Darren Pennay from SRC and Craig Young from ORC International for their recent lobbying efforts in this space.
ACMA IPND LEADERS FORUM PRESENTATION
457 VISA LOBBYING
Lobbying the government regarding their changes to the 457 Visa (Eligible Skilled Occupations list) remains important to minimise unhelpful restrictions on AMSRO members’ businesses with respect to talent, leadership and filling skill gaps in the short and long term.
Earlier this month AMSRO met with Michael Willard, Assistant Secretary, Immigration and Citizenship Policy Division at the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, who advised that the Department of Employment will be accepting a new round of industry submissions over the coming weeks. The departmental review arising will consider labour market data and submissions from stakeholders, and will ultimately inform and direct the Immigration Department’s policy stance. Any changes to the short term list will be announced in December with changes to the medium and long term list in July.
AMSRO would like to thank members for their feedback regarding the impact on their businesses. AMSRO is preparing an industry submission and will continue to lobby government to have industry needs heard and ideally met, come December.
For further information please contact Sarah Campbell, Executive Director AMSRO on (02) 8017 6717.
IMPROVING ACCESS TO MARKETERS
AMSRO remains focused on building relevant strategic relationships that enhance our members’ commercial interests. Our partnership with AMI (the Australian Marketing Institute) is focused on:
- Elevating our members’ visibility with the marketing profession, a key client base for our industry. Members who sign up to our Trust Mark directory will be listed on AMI’s website, providing exposure to AMI’s 6,000+ marketing professionals
- Enhancing our staff’s understanding of what marketing clients demand from research and insights agencies. To this end Mark Sundquist from FiftyFive5 has been working with AMSRO on the AMI material developing a tailored training program to help our research staff better understand the challenges faced by modern marketers and how research and insights can help meet those challenges.
AMSRO is delighted to also note that through our group buying power we can offer AMSRO members’ staff individual Australian Marketing Institute (AMI) membership at a 33% discount.
Take advantage of this special membership offer of $332 (inc. GST) per person by registering your interest today (via the button below).
AMSRO-AMI MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
RECENT PRIVACY LAW CHANGES – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme is an amendment to the existing Privacy Act. The NDB scheme introduces new mandatory data notifications. The scheme will also toughen up privacy obligations by companies working with personal information with considerable fines (of up to $1.7 million) for a privacy breach.
As of 22 February 2018 this amendment will require organisations working under the Privacy Act 1998 (Cth) to notify any individuals likely to be at risk of serious harm by a data breach. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) must also be notified.
Organisations should have a plan in place as they will need to be prepared to conduct quick assessments of suspected data breaches to determine if they are likely to result in serious harm.
We remind AMSRO members that working under our Privacy (Market and Social Research) Code offers members important risk mitigation (with AMSRO being the administrator of the code) plus professional and relevant privacy advice.
AMSRO’s Privacy Compliance Committee (PCC), chaired by Former Senator and privacy expert, Terry Aulich, is working with the OAIC on NDB guidelines regarding compliance procedures such as notification, identifying a breach and which breaches are notifiable, to ensure AMSRO members are well equipped ahead of the change.
NUW-AMSRO INDUSTRY AGREEMENT UPDATE
Thanks to all NUW signatory field companies for returning information to Jennifer Hodge regarding the ballot. AMSRO is now completing the Fair Work Commission (FWC) F17 statutory documents for individual member companies to sign. Once we have collected final F17’s AMSRO can lodge the Agreement with the FWC. Any questions please contact AMSRO on (02) 8017 6717.
SAVE THE DATE – AGM THURSDAY OCTOBER 12
AMSRO’s Annual General Meeting will be held at The Primus Hotel, 339 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW from 6:00pm on Thursday, October 12. All members are welcome to attend and share a drink with their peers afterwards. The purpose of the meeting is to formally conclude the financial year reporting and to elect a National Management Committee for 2017-18. Notification to all members will follow shortly.
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