Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has a history that dates back more than 190 years.[6]

The Chamber Movement commenced in Australia when the Sydney Chamber of Commerce was established in 1826. Across the 19th century, Chambers of Commerce were formed in Adelaide (1839), Melbourne, Hobart and Launceston (each in the 1850s), Brisbane (1868), Fremantle (1873) and Perth (1890).[6]

Chambers of Manufacturers were also formed in this era, including in Victoria (1865), South Australia (1869), NSW (1885), Western Australia (1890) and Queensland (1911). Australia's first industry association was Master Builders Australia (1870).

Employer unions and federations also emerged, including the Victorian Employers Union (1865), the NSW Employers Union (1888), South Australian Employers Federation (1889) and the Queensland Employers Federation (1886). Business actors were important for Australia's development from the beginning, with a growing population driving the establishment of enterprises.[7]

In the decade before Federation in 1901, several Australia-wide bodies were formed to advocate national policies: the Australian Chamber of Commerce (ACC), the Associated Chambers of Manufacturers of Australia (ACMA) and the Australian Council of Employers Federations (ACEF).

In 1977 the ACMA and the ACEF merged to form the Confederation of Australian Industry (CAI). In 1992 the CAI merged with the ACC to form the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI).[8]

In 2015 the organization launched a new corporate identity, featuring the Federation Star to demonstrate "the way they bring together businesses from all parts of the country" according to their website[9]

The Australian Chamber is a non-profit organisation whose members are chambers of commerce of Australia's states and territories and national industry associations.

The Australian Chamber is governed by a constitution and is led by a Board. Board members are elected from the membership at the Annual General Meeting held each November.

The General Council, comprising the Board and other member representatives, oversees the Australian Chamber's policy development. The General Council meets three times a year and is advised by policy committees and working parties that meet between General Council meetings.[10]

The Australian Chamber has formal policies on a range of matters:[11]

Economics and Industry: The Australian Chamber supports a strong, dynamic and globally competitive Australian economy can only be achieved by advancing economic reform. It argues to lower and simplify taxes, streamline the federation, reduce the size of government, cut excessive red tape, improve efficiency and enhance national productivity.

Employment, Education and Training: The Australian Chamber supports developing innovative and proactive programs that improve workforce participation, encourage apprenticeships and provide for better transitions from learning to work. It argues for a focus on greater employment of young or disadvantaged job seekers, including mature-age workers, people with a disability and indigenous Australians.

Small Business: The Australian Chamber says Australia's two million small businesses that employ seven million people are the backbone of the economy. It argues for a focus on cutting red tape, simplifying the tax system, improving access to finance, making it easier to employ people and building better infrastructure.

Sustainability: The Australian Chamber supports sustainable development that maintains the capacity of society, the economy and the environment to satisfy the needs of current and future generations. It argues for a focus on improving transport infrastructure and services to ensure Australia's growing cities are efficient, productive and liveable.

Trade and International Affairs: The Australian Chamber supports global free trade as a principal driver of economic prosperity and peace, with greater cooperation facilitated through multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral trade liberalisation. It argues for a focus on ensuring better, easier and more seamless access to new markets, investment opportunities and innovations for Australian businesses.

Workplace Relations: The Australian Chambers supports a world-class workplace relations system that promotes individual flexibility, greater job opportunities and more productive and effective workplaces. It argues for a focus on ensuring modern workplace laws reflect and address 21st century business and community needs without undue third-party interference or lost competitiveness.

Work Health and Safety: The Australian Chamber says its member network is committed to ensuring that every person, every day, returns home safely from work; work where everyone is continually looking for better ways of doing things and improving work health and safety culture, and performance, including in psychological health. It says business supports nationally consistent WHS legislation and supports non-regulatory approaches where all parties, employers, employees and others have mutual and collective responsibilities for health and safety.

In 2016 the Australian Chamber released its “Top 10 in 10: Ten steps towards a more competitive Australia” policy manifesto.[12] The 10 steps are:

1. Give young people a chance to succeed by making it easier for employers to take on apprentices and trainees
2. Ensure government spending is sustainable by reducing it to less than 25% of GDP
3. Help industries grow through workplace regulation that better responds to their needs
4. Let entrepreneurs get on with growing their businesses by reducing government red tape each year
5. Create jobs by allowing employers and employees to negotiate workplace arrangements that best meet their needs
6. Boost incomes by cutting the company tax rate to 25% within ten years through annual reductions
7. Build the transport, communications and energy facilities we need by backing the independent plan of Infrastructure Australia
8. Lower building costs by bringing back the Australian Building and Construction Commission
9. Encourage innovation and value for money by facilitating greater competition in government-funded education, health and aged care services
10. Welcome more international visitors by making visas cheaper and easier to obtain

The Australian Chamber advocates on behalf of employers at the Fair Work Commission and other industrial bodies in matters including the Annual Wage Review.

Members of the Australian Chamber are state and territory chambers of business, and national industry associations.[13] They include:

The Australian Chamber speaks on behalf of Australian business in international forums, including:

• International Chamber of Commerce
• Business and Industry Advisory Committee to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
• International Organisation of Employers
• Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry
• Confederation of Asia-Pacific Employers
• International Labour Organization

Former staff at the Australian Chamber include:

• Dan Tehan, a government minister who was the Australian Chamber's Director of Trade Policy and International Affairs in 2007–08.[14]
• Nicolle Flint, a member of Parliament who was the Australian Chamber's Director of Corporate Relations in 2004–07.[15]

• Economy of Australia

• Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry