This Week in the Market edition 150 – 26 September 2017

In today’s This Week in the Market, we highlight the risk to businesses without a drug and alcohol policy, the LED lighting upgrade is underway, the AFL Grand Final public holiday and it’s the last chance to register your children to visit the Market.

Market News

Risk to businesses without a drug and alcohol policy

Did you know a business without a clear drug and alcohol policy may leave itself open to unnecessary risk?

In 2014 Fair Work Australia awarded an employee almost $300,000 for unfair dismissal after they were accused of being drunk at a work conference and consequently sacked.

One of the reasons why the employee won the case was because the company’s policy was unclear about unacceptable behaviour around being drunk at work.

An effective and well communicated drug and alcohol policy helps your business:

Proactively address alcohol and other drug problems in the workplace;
Deal with difficult situations that arise in a fair and consistent manner; and
Meet your duty of care obligations under the OHS Act 2011 to ‘provide a working environment that is without risk to the health and safety of its workers’.

As a starting point, WorkSafe Victoria has a comprehensive guide to establishing a drug and alcohol policy for your business which you can access here.

You can read about the unfair dismissal case here.

LED lighting upgrade underway in the Market

Our site wide lighting upgrade has kicked off with the team from BEON and Next Generation Electrical making swift progress. You may have noticed that the high bay lighting in the Flower Market has been completed.

Replacing all old light fittings with highly efficient LED luminaires is an important project designed to significantly reduce our energy consumption to help offset some of the energy price increases we are facing in the new year.

There are other benefits too, using less energy is good for the environment and the colour and light levels achieved with these sophisticated LED fittings will vastly enhance the presentation of produce.

We have fitted out a sample section of the Buyers’ Walk which clearly demonstrates the improved colour and light levels you can expect when the project is completed.

Improving light and colour rendering is not restricted to the common areas and Buyers’ Walk. Store owners can also benefit by taking advantage of an exclusive tenant offer to retrofit their stores.

We are retrofitting Ferrinda Fresh’s store with the new LED fittings on Tuesday so stop by Store 62 and see for yourself.

If you are interested in finding out more about the exclusive tenant offer you can contact Next Generation Electrical Project Manager Jack Rutherford on 0448 373 138 or jack@ngelectrical.com.au, or talk to David Whitchelo or John Gordon.

AFL Grand Final public holiday reminder

A reminder the Market will be closed this Friday 29 September 2017 for the AFL Grand Final public holiday.

Normal trading hours apply on Thursday 28 September.

Children in the Market

Time’s running out to register your children to visit the Market during the Term Three school holidays next Tuesday 3 October and Wednesday 4 October.

Registrations will close on Monday 2 October and are limited to the first 100 registered children.

Download the registration form here and read the accompanying information carefully, ensuring your business nominee has signed it before returning it to the MMA as soon as possible.

Contact the MMA on 9258 6100 for more information.

Safety in the Market

Keeping pedestrians safe on the Buyers’ Walk

If you operate an electric vehicle on the Buyers’ Walk it’s your obligation to drive safely, stay within the speed limits and park your vehicle appropriately.

So where can you park your vehicle? Electric vehicles must park on the edge of the carriage way. They are not permitted to park on or across the pedestrian paths or in the centre of the electric vehicle lanes.

The image below demonstrates safe and unsafe parking.

Natpos Integrated Technology

Check out Natpos’ range of integrated point of sale technology – a must for all smart green grocers.

Industry News

2018 Science and Innovation Awards grant opportunities available

Don’t forget grant applications are open for the 2018 Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Grants of up to $22,000 are available to fund projects by researchers aged 18-35 covering an innovative or emerging scientific issue that will benefit Australia’s primary industries.

There are 11 industry categories open for applications: cotton; dairy; established, new and emerging rural industries; fisheries and aquaculture; grains; health and biosecurity; meat and livestock; pork; red meat processing; viticulture and oenology; and wool.

Applications close 5:00pm on Friday 13 October 2017.

For more information on the awards including how to apply, please see the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources’ website.

Key Dates

AFL Grand Final public holiday

Friday 29 September 2017

Children in the Market

Tuesday 3 October 2017
Wednesday 4 October 2017

Ask the MMA

If you’ve got a question for the MMA email it to submissions@melbournemarket.com.au.