Western Sydney Business Access - January 2022 by Access News Australia (ANA)

JANUARY 2022 | EDITION 129

BUSINESS | LIFESTYLE

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RESOLUTIONS

COVID

EDUCATION

See what tops the list in new Year resolutins: 9

Beatrix, 6, was one of the first children to be vaccinated: 7

WSU’s Long standing Chancellor announces retuirement: 2

FLIGHT READY Airport set for 2026 first flights

ESTERN Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airports appears on track for first flights to be taking off in 2026 as projected. More than 20 million cubic metres of earth has already been moved and shaped, pumping more than $100MM into businesses in Western Sydney.

The new airport will offer an exciting and easily access alternative to Sydney’s existing airport, the crowded Kingsford Smith Airport. Sydney sprawls out over 12,000sqkm and many of the city’s 5.3 million inhabitants live in the Sydney western suburbs. More: page 15.

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Peter Shergold confirms retirement

WSU search for new Chancellor ROFESSOR Peter Shergold AC has announced his intention to retire from the role of Chancellor of Western Sydney University at the completion of his term on December 31 2022, after 12 years of distinguished service. He has served as Chancellor since 2011, continuing a highly-respected career that has spanned academia and Australian public life for over 30 years, including serving as Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet from 2003–2008. Having served three consecutive terms, the Chancellor’s outstanding service was acknowledged by the University’s Board of Trustees at its December 8, 2021 meeting. Further, the Board resolved to formally convey its sincere thanks and appreciation. Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Barney Glover AO, thanked Professor Shergold for his exemplary leadership of the University’s Board of Trustees, and acknowledged the extraordinary contributions he has made as Chancellor across every aspect of University life and the broader University community.

Strong culture of philanthropy

The much lauded, Peter Shergold.

“Professor Shergold’s decades of knowledge and wealth of experience have been indispensable as he has strategically shaped and guided the University through an incredible period of change, growth and development for more than a decade. For this we owe him a debt of gratitude,” said Professor Glover. “He has been one of the strongest and most passionate advocates for this University, our students, and the transformational power of higher education, as well as for the Western Sydney region and its diverse and vibrant communities. “Among his many and varied achieve-

ments, is his leadership of the Board to oversee an ambitious program to leverage University assets to build new educational and research infrastructure. This program is co-creating cities across Western Sydney in partnership with industry and government – not only ensuring the University is a catalyst for the region’s economic advancement and social prosperity but leaving the University in a robust position to respond to future challenges.” Professor Glover said the Chancellor has been a leading voice for social justice and social inclusion; and has nurtured the University’s distinctive identity. WSBA enables readers to appreciate and engage with the physical, community, cultural and business environments of one of Australia's fastest growing regions, Greater Western Sydney.

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He has been passionate about promoting excellence in teaching and learning, research and engagement with the University’s local communities; and instilled a strong culture of philanthropy and social investment amongst the University’s staff and students. In addition to his commitment to the University, Professor Shergold has provided an outstanding national contribution to policy development and higher education in a range of roles. These include as Convener of the University Chancellors’ Council (2016– 2018), Coordinator General of Refugee Resettlement in NSW, and advisor to State and Federal Governments including, most relevantly, with David Gonski AC for the Review on the NSW vocational education and training sector, entitled ‘In the same sentence: Bringing higher and vocational education together’. “He has also brought his own brand of warmth, ease and humour to these roles. At the University, this is evident in the many graduation ceremonies he has presided over during his tenure, where he has conferred degrees on thousands of graduands – many of whom are the first in their families to attend university – and shared in the celebrations with proud families,” Professor Glover said. To begin the process of selecting and appointing a new Chancellor, at its December 8, meeting the Board of Trustees also resolved to establish a Chancellor Nomination Committee and approved a Role and Profile Statement.

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JANUARY 2022

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New laws in place

Crackdown on dumped trolleys RRESPOSNSIBLE supermarket operators could face on-the-spot fines for failing to collect abandoned shopping trolleys from public places under reforms to NSW’s impounding laws. Former Minister for Local Government Shelley Hancock introduced the Public Spaces (Unattended Property) Bill 2021 to Parliament in a bid to to make valuable public places safer and more enjoyable for communities across the State. Mrs Hancock said the overhaul of the Impounding Act would see owners of shopping trolleys, unregistered cars and trailers and stray stock face harsh penalties if they do not remove them from public places within risk-based timeframes. “These sensible new laws meet community expectations for safe, accessible and useable open spaces now and into the future,” Mrs Hancock said. “Abandoned items such as shopping trolleys and unregistered vehicles are not only a safety hazard and nuisance but a blight on streets, footpaths, nature strips and other public places across the state. “We are now future-proofing our laws to arm councils, police and other public land managers with strong powers to take swift and effective action and rid our open spaces of the scourge of abandoned and unattended items. “These new laws resolve key concerns our communities have been raising for years and years. We are now putting the obligations firmly on property owners and others responsible for items left in public places to do the right thing and remove them within risk-based timeframes

or face harsher penalties, more rapid impounding action and enforcement orders.” It costs the NSW community $17M a year to deal with abandoned and unattended shopping trolleys, vehicles and animals in public places. These reforms will cut these costs by 60 per cent saving at least $9.7 a year for councils, other public land managers and the community. The changes have been developed following widespread consultation with councils, members of the public, industry/ business groups, retailers, peak bodies and government agencies.

Proposed model for penalties Shopping trolleys • Supermarkets would face an onthe-spot fine of $660 for failing to collect a shopping trolley from a public place within three hours of being notified it is causing an obstruction or safety risk, or within four days of being given notice if left unattended for seven days or more in a public place • A further 10 per cent ($66) would be added to the fine for each additional trolley in the same spot (up to 11 in total) to reflect the greater

access and amenity issues caused by unattended groups of trolleys • Individual retailers would face a court-imposed penalty of up to $2,750 and a maximum of $13,750 for corporations for more serious offences • A mandatory code of practice would provide clarity for supermarket operators and enforcement authorities to greatly reduce the impact of trolleys • Exemptions would apply for small businesses with less than 25 trolleys.

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$100k for local charities

Signature group’s Christmas gift

Blacktown Mayor Tony Bleasdale, Hills Mayor Peter Gangemi and Blacktown MP StephenBali, unveiled the van anf right, one of the beneficiaries.

HE Signature Group of Companies, based at Bella Vista has donated $100,000 to various charities in Western Sydney. The donations were announced at the company’s recent Christmas party and include: Community Foundation of North Western Sydney: $35,000, Lisa Harnum Foundation: $20,000, Rufftrack Ltd: $20,000, Jesuit Mission: $15,000; and Blacktown Women’s & Girls’ Health Centre: $10,000. The event was attended by Blacktown MP, Stephen Bali, Blacktown Mayor, Tony Bleasdale and Dr Peter Gangemi, Mayor of Hills Shire Council. Speaking at the function, Mr Atul Kumar, managing director of Signature Group of Companies said every year, as

part of their corporate social responsibility, Signature endeavours to make donations to charities and not for profit organisations. The group also provides pro-bono services in architectural design and project management. In 2020 they donated $50,000 and in 2019, they donated $100,000. The three criteria for the selection of the charities / not for profit organisations is that they should have low or no overheads, be locally based in Western Sydney and their work touches the hearts of the people at Signature. Mayor Bleasdale handed over the CDC approval for a shelter for women and children fleeing domestic violence which will be built in Dharruk, for which Signature provided their pro-bono services for the architectural design and project management.

ROUSE HILL

The project is being developed jointly by Habitat for Humanity, Australia and DV West and has got a federal government funding of $1M. As part of their $35,000 donation to Community Foundation for North West Sydney (CFNWS), Signature paid for the purchase of a new van to be used as a coffee van as part of a social enterprise to employ young adults with special needs including those with borderline down syndrome to boost their self-esteem and help assimilate them into mainstream society. CFNWS paid for the fit out of the van. The coffee van was unveiled by Stephen Bali, Tony Bleasdale and Peter Gangemi at the event. Atul Kumar from Signature said that the $15,000 donation to the Jesuit Mission was

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meant to kick start the initial survey and other works for a lift irrigation scheme for farmland owned by 29 families comprising 60 acres in a remote and impoverished part of India where the missionaries of the Australian Jesuit Mission first arrived and started working in the 1950s. This project will be undertaken on a co-operative basis and will guarantee the 29 families three crops a year instead of only relying on the monsoon. The total cost of the project is going to be donated by Signature Group of Companies. Atul fondly recalled his school days at St Xaviers school, Bokaro run by the Australian Jesuit Mission in India and attributed a lot of his philanthropic values to that taught to him at school and taught to him by his parents.

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Programs Profile

Following the easing of COVID restrictions the Academy has moved quickly to develop and commence a number of our athlete development programs, with seven programs now underway and a further four to commence in the New Year. Cycling Following selection trials, our athletes have commenced the track component of the program at the Dune Gray Velodrome, with the road racing component to follow in April 2022. BMX With the 2021 program severely disrupted by COVID we are extending the program right through 2022 and will be seeking nomination from potential new athletes to add to our squad. With five BMX Club facilities across western Sydney the program is exceptionally well supported by these Clubs, enabling a variety of venue access.

About Us All Western Sydney Academy of Sport programs are endorsed by and implemented under collaboration with the respective State Sporting Organisations, and the collective of Regional Academies across the State is also guided by a Memorandum of Understanding with the NSW Institute of Sport. The Academy also continues to build significant partnerships that enable the servicing of our athletes at a high level of quality and relevance. A significant example of this process is the recently introduced sports science framework developed and implemented in partnership with Sydney West Sports Medicine. All Academy athletes (and parents) will receive educational seminars in key focal areas such as nutrition and strength and conditioning. The athletes will also under go a battery of tests as part of their physiological assessment, with reports provided to each athlete concerning their status and areas of improvement. Athletes will also be offered the opportunity to join in extended strength and conditioning programs. As part of the Academy's commitment to inclusive sport and underrepresented groups such as ATSI, CALD and Athletes with Disability, we are developing initiatives that will provide opportunities to these athletes and looking to engage with key supporting organisations.

Golf Our talented young golfers recently selected in the squad for 2021-22 will receive the benefit of two first class venues at which they will receive technical development training delivered by highly accredited coaches. The Twin Creeks Golf & Country Club at Luddenham has been a long term partner of the Academy and provides first class facilities. Our new venue partner is the 19th Golf Driving Range at Jamisontown which boasts high end technical analysis and coaching technology aids and is accessible after daylight hours. Lone Star Designed to cater for athletes who are excelling at non-mainstream sports not featured in our squad based programs, our numbers continue to grow with 10 male and female athletes representing sports such as Fencing, Athletics and Canoe Slalom recently selected into the 2021-22 program. Digital Realty Netball With an abundance of highly talented young netball players across western Sydney, our Netball Program has always been the benchmark for talent identification and development. There are currently six Academy netball alumni competing at the highest level of the sport in the country. A large squad of 24 has recently been selected with the full program to get underway at the end of January 2022. Digital Realty Netball Umpires The Academy not only supports the development of athletes and coaches, we provide a development program for netball officials (umpires) and recently selected seven aspiring top level umpires to participate in all facets of our netball program commencing in 2022. Triathlon Supported by some exceptional coaches, our Tri program has commenced with 12 male and female athletes undertaking a highly focused technical development program across the three disciplines of running, swimming and bike riding. The program is delivered across a range of venues reflecting the diversity in sport disciplines for Triathlon. Rugby Union A long time coming, but we have finally been able to get a development program for junior rugby players underway. This program has been developed and is being delivered with strong input from all local western Sydney Clubs, and through the assistance of many coaches from these Clubs who have volunteered to help implement the new program. It will cater for male and female players in the 13-18 age range. Once we enter the new year the Academy will be implementing its Netball and Netball Umpires Program, a Softball Program, Rowing Program and a new indoor Volleyball program. Further details regarding all our programs can be found at our website: www.wsas.com.au

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COVID

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Covid vaccinations for kids start IX-year-old Beatrix was one of the first children to be vaccinated at The Granville Centre Vaccination Clinic today with COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged 5 to 11 years old commencing across NSW. “My vaccine didn’t hurt! It was quick and easy. To everyone out there, get vaccinated,” the six-year-old said. Beatrix’s mum Carly accompanied her to the vaccination saying, “if there’s anything as parents we can do to keep our kids safe, we should do it, and that’s why I haven’t hesitated to get my daughter vaccinated.” NSW Health vaccination clinics across the state are administering the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to children. Parents can book their child’s appointment at a range of centres including general practitioners, community pharmacies, and NSW Health clinics.

Beatrix’s and mum Carly.

100 million RATs for vulnerable HE first batch of 100 million Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) will be distributed to NSW essential public workers and vulnerable communities from this week to help slow the spread of COVID-19. Premier Dominic Perrottet said the NSW Government will receive 50 million tests from mid-January to February, with a further 50 million tests being sourced for delivery from February and into March. “We are ensuring essential workers in our public workforce and vulnerable communities have access to free kits in this first round,” Mr Perrottet said. “These tests, all approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, will help them to quickly ascertain if they need to self-isolate and ensure support and health advice is provided to those who need it.” Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade, Stuart Ayres said the Government’s procurement teams have

worked hard to secure tests that meet the TGA’s robust standards. “The NSW community has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, which is why we’re able to confidently shift to this new phase of test and isolate.” “The procurement of these additional rapid antigen tests will support the NSW public sector workforce, support our return to school plan and provide support to those most in need.” Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the boost to NSW’s RAT supply will help alleviate the pressure on the NSW Health system – as well as provide protection for our most vulnerable. NSW Health and the Department of Communities and Justice will jointly lead distribution of the RATs, with logistical support from NGOs and Primary Health Networks.

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Vulnerable populations will be prioritised, including: a. Aboriginal communities. b. People receiving aged care services in the home. c. People with a disability in supported independent living accommodation. d. Refugees. e. Social housing tenants, rough sleepers and women’s refuges. f. Vulnerable families and children and young people in residential and out-of-home care. Critical government settings have also been prioritised to ensure continuity of essential public services, including return to school, health and transport. Planning is underway for the rollout of additional tranches of Rapid Antigen Tests in the coming months The NSW Government has allocated $250M to procure the first tranche of 50.1 million RATs.

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Charting our future

Growth plan for parkland city HE NSW Government has released a new set of critical infrastructure priorities to help create jobs and economic opportunities in the Western Parkland City. The Draft Western Parkland City Blueprint and the Draft Economic Development Roadmap – Phase 1 sets out a plan to leverage the skills and industrial strengths of the Western Parkland City and support the creation of 200,000 jobs over the next 20 years. Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney and Minister for Trade and Industry Stuart Ayres said the new documents formed a vision for how people will live and work in the future city. “We are fundamentally shifting how we think about the Western Parkland City, building for the long term and aligning our investment with the significant forecast growth and potential,” Mr Ayres said. “We have committed $5B to the WestInvest Fund and together with the Commonwealth we are investing $20B in job-creating infrastructure, like the Western Sydney International Airport, the new north-south Sydney Metro line and more than $1B to develop the Bradfield City Centre. “This is a down payment on the future of the Western Parkland City. By 2036 the Western Parkland City will account for more than a quarter of NSW’s population growth. It puts jobs at the centre of that growth.” The Draft Blueprint details extending rail from Leppington to the new advanced industry hubs in the Bradfield City Centre, as well as rapid bus connections between

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Artist impression of Bradfield.

the Aerotropolis and the Greater Macarthur region, Liverpool and Penrith as key to linking communities to the high-paying jobs of the future. It also identifies the need for ongoing investment in liveability, including new regional parks in the Thompsons Creek and South Creek corridor and addressing the impacts of climate change.

“The Western Parkland City is often one of the hottest places on the planet during summer,” said Minister Ayres. “The Draft Blueprint prioritises projects that will increase the tree canopy and cool our urban areas, as well as making the Bradfield City Centre Australia’s first hydrogen and electric vehicle-ready, zero-carbon city. “Improving liveability not only has a

positive impact on the environment but it helps attract world-class businesses and talent. We want jobs-led growth in the Western Parkland City, nurturing the advanced industries that will deliver more and higher paid jobs for generations to come.” The Draft Blueprint and Draft Roadmap will be open for consultation and feedback until March 31, 2022.

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2022 RESOLUTIONS

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Our biggest vow for 2022

Health, fitness tops the list E’VE all made our resolutions for 2022 – and already broken most of them, but the nation’s top vow to do more exercise will dominate our lives this year. Australians vowing to do more physical activity or exercise was the overwhelming number one resolution on January 1, according to new research conducted by HCF Australia. The research also revealed that Aussies plan to prioritise making money over improving connections with loved ones and changing their relationship with alcohol in 2022. And HCF, Australia’s largest not for profit health fund, is encouraging Australians to set realistic health goals and seek support to help them achieve a happier and healthier new year. The results of a survey conducted by HCF of more than 2500 people, show that while three quarters of Australians say they set New Year’s Resolutions, 78% won’t make it to the end of the year. The survey also revealed that more than 3.4 million Aussies have taken out a gym membership as part of a New Year’s Resolution they hardly used; and 50% of parents with kids under 18 who set New Year’s Resolutions said they got too busy to stick to them. The most popular goals this year are: 1. Do more physical activity or exercise 54%. 2. To eat more healthily and improve nutrition 47%. 3. Stress less 36%.

4. Make more money and chase financial freedom 36%. 5. Get more sleep 35%. Other popular resolutions included to say ‘yes’ to new adventures and experiences at 33%; improve connections

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with loved ones 27%; reduce screen time 22%; and change relationship with alcohol 12%. An analysis of HCF member benefits found there was an 80% increase in claims for Weight Management Classes in one year.

HCF Chief Officer Member Health Julie Andrews said health management programs were a great tool for people to ensure they had a support network set up to help them achieve success with health goals. “We’re always looking for ways to help members be their healthiest selves,” Ms Andrews said. “That’s why we offer evidence-based programs to help people develop healthier habits, lose weight if they need to and prevent the onset of various chronic conditions like heart disease and diabetes.” Dietician Trent Watson said the best way for people to maximise their chances of achieving their goal was to use the ‘SMART’ acronym: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. “Be specific when you state your goal. You have to know exactly what you want in order to set yourself up to have it,” Dr Watson said. “If your goal is vague, it’s much harder to create a roadmap to achieving it, and it’s also much harder to know when you hit it. “Resolutions like ‘getting fit’ or ‘losing weight’ are difficult to quantify to say the least, and for best results, your goal needs to be measurable. This is the key piece that must be in place in order for you to know when you’ve reached your goal. “You want to set goals that are challenging yet attainable if you put in the hard yards. Dangle the carrot sufficiently in view by not making them easy either. “And finally, your goal should have a date attached to it so that you know how much time you have to hit it.”

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FREE tourism training on offer S state and national borders reopen, the NSW Government is helping the tourism sector address critical skills shortages with thousands of free training places on offer ahead of a bumper holiday season. Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee today announced more than 2,700 fee-free training places initially available across 35 short courses at TAFE NSW and other registered training providers with scope to increase with demand. This includes training in specialist outdoor recreation and accommodation and customer services for businesses large and small. Mr Lee said the training is available now to attract more workers to tourism businesses at a vital time in the sector’s recovery, as well as open the door to a new career for thousands of people. “People from around the country are lining up to book holidays all over our great state and the NSW Government wants to help support those businesses attract enthusiastic and skilled staff,” Mr Lee said. “Industry estimates around 600,000 staff across the country left the sector during the pandemic, which is why training opportunities like these free courses are so valuable, filling labour gaps and giving jobseekers the opportunity of a bright future in tourism.” Minister for Jobs, Investment Tourism and Western Sydney and Minister for Trade and Industry Stuart Ayres said access to skilled workers is one of the greatest challenges facing tourism and hospitality businesses in NSW right now. “Our tourism operators, event owners and local tourism organisations are the backbone of this industry and they need more skilled staff to rebuild. Offering feefree training means we can support both businesses and workers, which will help

grow NSW’s visitor economy,” Mr Ayres said. A recent Tourism and Transport Forum Australia survey of more than 500 businesses reveals a third of tourism businesses who took had to let staff go during COVID-19, compared to less than ten percent in other sectors.

Crying out for staff Tourism Accommodation Australia CEO Michael Johnson said the tourism, hospitality and accommodation sector was crying out for more skilled staff. “This initiative is a great way to give school leavers and employees displaced over the last 18 months the skills they need to join our great industry,” Mr Johnson said. Tourism & Transport Forum (TTF) Chief Executive Margy Osmond said the free training would help to provide valuable

entry opportunities for people keen to join the vibrant NSW tourism sector. “Tourism & Transport Forum Australia is fully behind the NSW Government’s efforts to rebuild skills capacity and address gaps across the state’s tourism labour market,” Ms Osmond said. “As the NSW visitor economy recovers, the tourism industry that can take its employees all around the state from the coast to the far west, as well as much further afield and it can also reward them with pathways to senior leadership roles over time.” Free courses available under the program include: • Outdoor Leadership (Basic Water Rescues, Snorkel, Lead Snorkeling, Paddle and Lead Stand Up Board on Inland Flatwater.) • Tourism Product Design and Promotion.

• Hospitality (Interact with Customers, Safe Work Practices and Visitor Information, Housekeeping, Responsible Service of Alcohol, Social/Cultural Sensitivity). • Outdoor Recreation (Vertical Rescues, Abseil, Establish Ropes and Lead Single Pitch Abseiling on Natural Surfaces). • Bicycle Servicing. • Swimming and Water Safety Teacher. • Infection control. Today’s announcement complements the nearly 250,000 free training places being funded under the joint State and Federal JobTrainer program, and adds to the NSW Government investment in free training recently announced for the Retail and Hospitality sectors. Visit: www.skills.education.nsw.gov.au/jobtrainer

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Penrith’s newest commercial building ENRITH’S newest proposed A-grade commercial building has reached a key milestone with the Development Application (DA) for 131 Henry Street formally submitted for assessment. The DA seeks to transform the former Council Chambers at 129-133 Henry Street into a workplace of the future with 7,300sqm of A-grade commercial space, ground floor retail, on-site parking, green spaces and a building façade that activates both street frontages. Penrith City Council’s spokesperson, Karen McKeown OAM, said the DA lodgement for 131 Henry Street is an important step in progressing Council’s vision to revitalise the City Centre. “Council is committed to investing in major revitalisation projects for Penrith such as 131 Henry Street, a new City Park and the transformation of Soper Place car park. “Located in the heart of the CBD, 131 Henry Street will be the catalyst to set the benchmark for future commercial developments across the city,” Ms McKeown said. “131 Henry Street will deliver essential A-grade commercial space to help keep jobs close to home and strengthen Penrith’s role as an employment hub within Western Sydney. “Throughout construction the project aims to create 150 jobs on site with a further 430 jobs upon completion, helping to boost our local economy and contributing to a thriving City Centre,” added Ms McKeown. Global architecture firm, Woods Bagot, won a rigorous Design Excellence Competition for the building with an innovative design that benefits both the community and the future workers.

New artist impression of 131 Henry St.

Progressive changes underway Woods Bagot principal Jason Fraser said the climate-responsive design means this building will be fundamentally different from commercial buildings of the past. “Informed by progressive changes underway in workplace design and the impact of recent times this will be a diverse and adaptable, breathable workspace that promotes different ways of working for different people,” Mr Fraser said. The building will incorporate best practice principles of environmentally sustainable design and is targeting a mini-

mum 5 Star Green Star rating in line with Council’s ‘Cooling the City Strategy’. Council has been working closely with Woods Bagot to further develop the project’s design. This has allowed a more refined design to be submitted for assessment as part of the DA. Council partnered with heritage specialists Curio Projects, to ensure the history of the site will be celebrated through a robust heritage interpretation strategy which includes the reuse of building elements and high-quality public domain features.

Council is also working with COLA Studio on a co-design landscaping solution that will activate the surrounding public domain and create a connection to the adjacent City Park. 131 Henry Street will be on Public Exhibition for community feedback from 24 January to 25 February 2022. You can view the DA proposal via Council’s online DA tracker by searching DA21/0957 at www.penrith.city/datracker To find out more about 131 Henry Street visit the website penrith.city/131Henry

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Back to the local days

Getting to know your neighbour  OUTLOOK | DALLAS SHERRINGHAM NE of the few positive aspects of the fundamental shift in the population during Covid-19 has been the switch back to a more localised way of living for the community. We have returned to a way of life enjoyed by generations past, where we know our neighbors’ names, our children play together in the streets and local businesses have an important role in the community. Research by sociologists has found that wellbeing is positively influenced by community belonging and togetherness during disaster. They expect relationships to be strengthened due to community identification and feelings of unity in response to the pandemic. Working from home is now an entrenched way of life, giving more of us the opportunity to spend quality time in our communities, getting to know our fellow locals better. Researchers expect many workplaces to adopt a hybrid model allowing staff to work from the office and from home once we have a pathway forward to living with COVID-192. Global consulting firm Deloitte has announced a new workplace model prioritising outcome, not hours. They have told their 10,000 staff that they can choose when and where they work, as long as tasks are completed. Westpac and Telstra are considering selling off floor space no longer needed in their Sydney city offices because many staff will be working from home on a permanent basis. This change in the way we work is expanding the horizon for Australian city residents. As social demographer Bernard Salt said: “The city centre is no longer the pivot around which urban life revolves”. COVID-19 is inspiring a shift to middle and outer ring suburban living as more people search for greater open space, more connected communities and housing affordability. The desire to live close to the city to reduce the work commute is no longer

relevant, so lifestyle has moved up as the No. 1 priority. Mr Salt describes these relocators as ‘VESPAs’ or Virus Escapees Seeking Provincial Australia.

Larger more affordable homes These inner-city residents are buying larger, more affordable homes with backyards away from the CBD, while others are leaving the big cities for a regional sea change or treechange and a closer connection to nature. Both trends have a common denominator – a lifestyle shift away from the urban hustle and bustle to local village living and a slower pace of life. Social connections form part of an area’s appeal. One in two Australians say they feel lonelier due to COVID-19 and the isolation created by restrictions is making life difficult. Research shows people feel more connected to their neighborhoods when they are living away from the urban density of capital cities.

An ABCnsurvey of 60,000 Australians found 55% of inner metropolitan residents know many of their neighbors, compared to about 70% in rural and regional areas. People are increasingly shopping locally, driven by a strong desire to support local business owners and producers, even if it means spending more than they would at large retailers. Going forward, this trend is likely to remain, with a survey of more than 1650 shoppers and businesses finding 73% of Australians want to see brands demonstrate they are connected to local communities. The growing focus on staying local is highlighting the benefits of the 20-minute neighborhood standard of urban planning. This ideal scenario gives residents access to shops, services, schools, public transport and employment within a 20-minute walk. Residents of such neighborhoods not only enjoy convenience but also better health because they are walking more often and spending more time outdoors. “Residents of these neighborhoods

often have a strong sense of community and connection to place,” Professor Linda Corkery of the University of NSW said. “People are out and about on the street socialising, supporting local businesses, being involved with local schools, enjoying local parks.” Finding joy in green spaces is a popular pastime these days. With gyms shut and local sporting activities postponed, people are turning to parks, bike trails and walking paths to exercise their bodies and minds. This is pushing usage of natural spaces up, with a dramatic increase of 112% in Melbourne, 36% in Sydney and 17% in Brisbane during the first few months of the pandemic in 2020. What’s more, green spaces have a positive influence on housing prices. This is particularly the case in higher density areas, where proximity to parks and reserves is more important. CoreLogic Research Director Tim Lawless described a “statistically significant positive relationship between unit prices and proximity to green areas”.

HOW TO WIN THE WEST WESTERN SYDNEY MEDIA ALLIANCE DECEMBER 2021| |EDITION EDITION126 128 OCTOBER 2021

CELEBRATE FUNDING Sydney Hills

Chamber’s Local business plan for arts awards sector: feature:416

BUSINESS| |LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE BUSINESS

POLITICS Why new State leadership Dune – 5 Stars. is good for The greatest the West: 2

FILM REVIEWS movie of the decade: 26

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MANUFACTURING Local firm’s World ranking game changing for WSU deal with Business ASIA: 46

EDUCATION School: 8

PCOVID LESSONS WSABE 2021 celebrates hope, resilience

ARRAMATTA Chamber of Commerce found- 2021, about 700 guests gathered at ATC, Rosehill immaculately dressed in theme ‘Back in Black’ with ed the Western Sydney Awards for Business Gardens to celebrate business excellence in the a touch of gold celebrating hope and resilience. Excellence in 1990, affectionately known region. After what has been the most challenging The resilience of the business community in EEP saying the risk of getting a24, side effect to AstraZeneca renowned experts held recently a collaboration Access News “ as WSABE. Onthat Wednesday, November period of our working lives, guests flowed, Westernby Sydney is second toofnone. More page 17. is one person sitting in a full SCG, and the risk of dying from it Australia and The Westmead Institute for Medical Research. The panel, is one in a million - the equivalent to a lightning strike.” Vivid who hail from a range of disciplines, spoke about their take on the stats voiced by infectious disease expert Professor Tony Cunningham lessons learned from COVID, and their prognosis of future trends in a as he took part in a Regional Roundtable webinar of internationally post-pandemic world. See pages 4,5.

What it might look like to have flying cars over Parramatta CBD.

Thank you to all our readers and advertisers for your support during 2022 and we look forward to returning with some exciting new projects in 2022.

ITS beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the City of Parramatta with an assortment of fun Yuletide activities for people of all ages to enjoy. See page 12.

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ParramattA

160 YEARS

CARS OVER CBD OF GROWTH C AN you imagine cars flying above the Parramatta CBD? Parramatta Chamber of Commerce president Luke Magee can certainly see it as a possibility after the N its 160 years asTimes a localdiscussed government area, from Parramatta certainly hassuggesting grown up -the all Parramatta a report University of NSW the way to thewas sky.not Four after a ceremony commemorating the declaration ofto concept fardays away. “I hope it can be something we can look forward Parramatta as a municipality, Sydney’s burgeoning second city welcomed Premier in the future. It would be good for Parramatta, with its lack of parking,” Mr Magee said. Dominic Perrottet to the “topping out” ceremony of the 225 metre 55 storey high 8 “These flying cars could work like the proposed driverless cars where you park them Parramatta Square, which, with adjoining 4 and 6 Parramatta Square, will house 9500 outside the city and they come to pick you up." More page ͢2. NSW Government workers. More page 8.

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%ඔඉඋඓග඗ඟN COVID Guide to vaccination centre across Blacktown: 19

COMMUNITY NITY rren Vale Warren Hardy, ity community warrior: 14 Special free event for you and your business: 13

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Cash boost for local precincts

IGH growth greenfield precincts in Blacktown will benefit from a share of $139M being handed out by the State Govt this year. The cash is up for grabs for eight Western Sydney councils as applications have opened for round two of the Accelerated Infrastructure Funding (AIF). More page 4.

Key to business relationships: 7

From top left clockwise: Grange Avenue, Loftus St and Glengarrie Rd all projects for possible development under the AIF program.

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COVER STORY

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West’s biggest project

Airport set for 2026 first flights  DALLAS SHERRINGHAM ESTERN Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airports appears on track for first flights to be taking off in 2026 as projected. More than 20 million cubic metres of earth has already been moved and shaped, pumping more than $100m into businesses in Western Sydney. The new airport will offer an exciting and easily access alternative to Sydney’s existing airport, the crowded Kingsford Smith Airport. Sydney sprawls out over 12,000sqkm and many of the city’s 5.3 million inhabitants live in the Sydney western suburbs. And according to specialist media out Simply Flying, the new airport is making a big deal about being “their” airport. In comparison, the existing airport is handy to Sydney’s downtown area and its eastern suburbs. “This project will be a game-changer for Western Sydney locals who want to work closer to home and have more time to spend with their families, not just in the construction phase, but for many decades to come,” Western Sydney Airport CEO Simon Hickey said. “Construction of Western Sydney International has already led to more than $100m being contracted to businesses across Western Sydney and we are only at the beginning of the build.” Mr Hickey calls the build ‘one of the biggest earthmoving challenges in Australian history’. Construction of the airport terminal is now underway and construction of the runways and taxiways will begin this year.

State of the art facilities The new airport is expected to create 28,000 direct and indirect jobs. More than half the people working at the airport will come from Sydney’s western suburbs. Sydney’s second airport has been a long time coming and remains mired in some controversy. However, with Sydney’s current operational airport feeling the squeeze space-wise and capacity wise, there is room for another airport. Mr Hickey has signed MOUs with various airlines, including local heavyweights Qantas and Virgin Australia. Various dedicated freight airlines, including FedEx, DHL, and Qantas Freight, have expressed interest, as has Qantas’ lowcost offshoot Jetstar.

The question remains, will it be a future hit or future white elephant? Critics of Western Sydney Airport point to Melbourne’s Avalon Airport, which is also a similar distance from Melbourne’s downtown, as an example of an alternative passenger airport that has struggled to gain much traction. But Simon Hickey dismisses this. He notes three million people live in the local catchment area, giving the future airport the third biggest catchment area of any airport in Australia. “Western Sydney is home to one in 10 Australians. It is the third-largest economy after Sydney and Melbourne. It is one of Australia’s fastest-growing areas in terms of population, and it will have the third-largest catchment

of any Australian airport on day one of operation.” For many of the present Sydney-based passengers using the existing airport, the new Western Sydney Airport will prove a more convenient alternative. And the difference between the primitive facilities offered at Avalon are a century behind the facilities being offered at Western Sydney. I often used Avalon when I lived in Melbourne, but it was purely because it offered cheaper flights than Tullamarine. Avalon is more like a bus station that provides flights and is set in bushland near Geelong. Western Sydney will offer state-of-theart facilities for passengers. Sources: Simply Flying, Western Sydney Airport

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$98B investment in BEV technology, 30 new models by 2030: Akio Toyoda

 MATT BROGAN OYOTA global president Akio Toyoda has introduced no fewer than 16 new battery-electric vehicles at Toyota’s Megaweb showcase in Tokyo this week, while simultaneously reiterating that the Aichi-based company planned to transform Lexus into an electric-only brand by 2035. Toyoda-san says the models are part of an ¥8 trillion (A$98 billion) investment in electrified vehicles and technologies that will elevate the company’s global BEV sales target to 3.5 million vehicles annually by 2030; Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) plans to roll out as many as 30 carbon-reducing and carbon-neutral vehicles and technologies over the next eight years. The numbers represent an increase of 75 per cent on the previous annual sales projection of two million BEVs, which was issued in May. TMC says that of the investment funds will be devoted to research and development and capital expenditure for BEVs, while the other half will be dedicated to hybrid-electric (HEV), plug-in hybrid-electric (PHEV) and fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV). The total includes ¥2 trillion (A$24.7 billion) – one-third higher than the ¥1.5

trillion (A$18.5 billion) announced in September – to accelerate the development of more advanced, high-quality and affordable batteries. Toyoda-san said TMC was committed to offering carbon-reducing and -neutral vehicles at an affordable price, while addressing the needs of customers with varying vehicular requirements. “We will not only add battery EV options to existing vehicle models, but offer a full line-up of reasonably priced mass-production models, such as the bZ series, to meet the needs of all kinds of customers,” he said. “We can position batteries and electric motors to bring more freedom to battery EVs. This freedom will allow us to be more attuned to our customers, such as by meeting the various needs of different regions, the various lifestyles of our customers and, when it comes to commercial vehicles, everything from long-distance transport to last-mile delivery.” TMC said because every market had its own specific energy requirements, the firm would offer a diverse range of carbon-reducing and carbon-neutral vehicles to suit both established- and developing markets. “That is exactly why Toyota is committed to providing a diversified range of carbon-neutral options to meet whatever

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might be the needs and situations in every country and region. It is not us, but local markets and customers, who decide which options to choose,” Toyoda-san added. The 16 battery-electric vehicles displayed at Toyota’s Megaweb event included five bZ branded vehicles, seven lifestyle models – including light commercial vehicles – and four Lexus models.

Entire line-up electrified Toyoda-san said TMC aimed to electrify the entire Lexus line-up by 2035 – the Megaweb event even showcased an intriguing LFA-inspired all-electric supercar. He said Lexus intended to offer a battery electric vehicle in each segment by the end of the decade, and that BEVs would make up 100 per cent of Lexus’s global sales by 2035 – totalling one million units globally. The five vehicles from Toyota’s bZ (or beyond Zero) battery electric range include the recently announced bZ4X; a small, medium and large SUV, as well as a lone mid-size sedan. At this stage, only the BZ4X is confirmed for Australia. Toyota Australia President and CEO Matthew Callachor said the model would appear in local showrooms sometime after the model’s international launch in 2022. “We are absolutely committed to providing our customers with a range of

technologies that will help them on their journey to zero emissions based on their individual circumstances, ensuring we leave no-one behind,” Mr Callachor said. “Importantly, Toyota is not limited to a single technical solution because Australians have vastly different motoring needs, with locations from inner cities to suburbs, regional and rural areas and outback Australia.” Mr Callachor said local buyers are already beginning to make the switch to electrified vehicles, and that there was a strong desire among Australian motorists to reduce their carbon emissions. “Australians are already buying Toyota hybrid electric vehicles in record numbers, which is significantly reducing the amount of carbon emissions. This demonstrates their support for a cleaner, more sustainable future and affordable, practical options,” he added. “We have also embraced fuel-cell electric vehicles with the second-generation Mirai, supported by the new Toyota Hydrogen Centre in Melbourne, and we have announced plans to introduce our first battery EV in Australia, the bZ4X SUV. “All of this adds to our excitement and anticipation around the latest investment Toyota is making in BEVs and our ongoing commitment to sustainable motoring solutions,” he concluded.

FILMS with Jacob Richardson

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House of Gucci – 3 stars Good but prone to excess. House of Gucci is undeniably a good film; it’s just a little too bland, a little too safe, and a lot too long to be truly great ESPITE a colorful performance from Jared Leto, House of Gucci is muted and bloated, turning an interesting real-life story into a cinematic tale of excess; both on screen and behind the camera. Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) is an outsider from humble beginnings, whose relationship with Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver) of the famed Gucci family causes a rift in his relationship with his father Rodolfo ( Jeremy Irons). Working with Maurizio’s uncle Aldo (Al Pacino), Patrizia organizes a reunion, and in doing so draws her and her husband into the uber wealthy circle of fashion royalty known as the Gucci’s. But her ambition increases; she wants the fabulous house, the clothes, the clout. Patrizia whispers in Maurizio’s ear, first to oust Aldo, and then to get rid of eccentric cousin Paolo ( Jared Leto). However, the drama, police interest and politics prove to be too much for Maurizio and Patrizia, and as their relationship falls apart, dire decisions are made; decisions that could be life or death for some of the famous family. Ridley Scott directs House of Gucci with a distinct absence of flair. While the costuming is excellent, for a film about something as exciting as the fashion industry, one would hope for a more colourful, lively and innovative interpretation. House of Gucci feels a lot like Scott’s All The Money In The World; all muted tones, dutch angles and restraint. But whereas that movie had an action subplot mixed in, this one does not, resulting in an overabundance of rich people talking in rooms over espressos and paperwork. Then there’s the runtime. Scott presents House of Gucci like a waterlogged corpse; bloated in the extreme, and without anything appealing to show for it. At 2 hours and 38 minutes, one might imagine this is a truly complex story, or space is given to allow the performers to plumb the depths of their character’s emotionality, but neither of those things are true. Firstly, the film is as simple a plot as could be. We’ve seen similar plots before, not just in film but in probably two dozen Netflix crime docos over the past twelve months, and Scott doesn’t need the extended runtime to showcase this story. Secondly, he doesn’t utilise the extra time to great effect. There are great stretches of indulgent scene setting, and when pivotal moments happen in the relationships of these characters, he barely explains them.

Trust your audience While it is always better to under-exposit, and to trust your audience, here it feels like a slap in the face–give me a tighter, higher thinking, shorter film, rather than one that both requires us to mentally interrogate these characters independent of the film and sit in the chair watching nothing happen for nearly 3 hours. What that all comes down to is excess. Scott, one of the powerhouse directors of his time, and delivering his second excessive and massive movie of the year, is undoubtedly a hard man to say no to, and the creative control he must exercise independent of critical exterior thought cannot always be a good thing.

Here, we see that on full display, and perhaps that is fitting given that we are discussing a family whose lust for luxury, excess and greatness was their ultimate downfall; Scott’s indulgence in those same vices critically wounds this movie. That being said, Driver and Gaga were both good, and Gaga firmly cements herself as an actress once again. That Oscar was no fluke. Between the pair of them, there isn’t a scene, or line of dialogue, that they can’t handle, and they bring a believability to the larger-than-life story. A believability that is almost shattered by the absurdist, OTT performance from Jared Leto as Paulo. That being said, we absolutely ADORED his performance–the

standout of a film that is too bland and safe for its own good. After the initial shock, you settle into his work, and it is fine; but never boring, and that is absolutely necessary with this film. All around, House of Gucci tells and interesting story, and in a very stylish but removed way. It’s anchored by tremendous actors, scenery and costuming. The problem is that it just all feels a little bland and excepting the brief flares of colour that Leto brings to the piece, it’s a monotonous slog through much of the overly long material. Reviews by Jacob Richardson Creative Director | Film Focus www.filmfocusau.com

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TRAVEL with Dallas Sherringham

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Trends revealed by Expedia

Travelers going the GOAT in 2022  TRAVEL EDITOR | DALLS SHERINGHAM RAVELERS will have the GOAT mindset in 2022 according to industry leaders Expedia. No, they won’t be chasing shaggy critters around foreign hills, you see GOAT stands for their next holiday being their Greatest of All Trips as they make up for lost time When Expedia released its 2022 Travel Trends Report it revealed new traveller priorities that are shaking up the status quo. As travel demand continues to grow, Expedia’s research shows that close to three quarters of Australians are planning to go big on their next trip with a new “no regrets” style of travel, dubbed as the “GOAT” or Greatest of All Trips mindset. And we are trendsetters because globally, Australia is one of the top three countries to feel this way, just behind Korea and Singapore, indicating how strong the desire is to make up for lost time. Appreciating that each trip is a privilege, travelers are in pursuit of fulfilling journeys, without holding back. Among the top GOAT characteristics uncovered by the Expedia report, which polled 12,000 travelers across 12 countries, travelers are planning to be more present and live in the moment, splurge on experiences and seek out excitement. Expedia Australia Travel Expert Lisa Perkovic said Australians had spent almost two years holding back, dreaming about and anticipating their next holiday.

“Now is the time to get make plans for what is set to be a huge year for travel. Coming out of such a long period of constraints and limitations, travel in 2022 will be about wringing every bit of richness and meaning out of our experiences. “Despite some still feeling cautious towards travel, a new wave of excitement is bubbling as travelers chase travel greatness to get their GOAT.” Expedia’s trends report showcases how Australians are embracing new habits as travel confidence grows:.

Scrapping the Schedule The pandemic made it difficult to travel or do anything on a whim, with 46% of Australians admitting to being less spontaneous since the onset of COVID-19. While travel advisories and guidelines will persist for the foreseeable future, Australian travelers nonetheless are planning to embrace the impromptu and let loose on their future trips, with 35% seeking to be more spontaneous and live in the moment. Expedia’s research also found Australian travelers are preferring to go-with-the flow and forgo an itinerary. They embrace the freedom to do whatever they want, whenever they want. Expedia’s tip for achieving your GOAT: With more flexible options and rates available than ever before, there’s no better time to explore last-minute trips and unknown adventures that might just help travelers find their GOAT.

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The Splurge-cation After cancelled trips, postponed celebrations and foregoing simple luxuries, people will have a new lease on life in 2022. Travelers are ready to make up for lost time and put themselves first to get the GOAT they deserve. During the next year, almost half of Australians are willing to treat themselves and spend more on their next trip, prioritising their enjoyment over budget. From luxury hotels at 17%, to dining at hatted restaurants 17% or going all out on the ultimate shopping spree 21%, there will be no expenses spared as travelers look to invest in making their trips one of their greatest yet. Expedia’s tip for achieving your GOAT: If you’re looking to treat yourself, why not opt for a luxe city getaway? According to Expedia data from the last two years, the best time to travel to a city is in February, where you can save almost 40%, compared to travelling in December, which is on average the most expensive month for city travel.

Immerse to Discover Going big doesn’t just mean taking a bucket-list trip. In the coming year, travelers are going after their GOAT by going beyond the norm, with more willing to step outside their comfort zone and immerse themselves in a destination, culture and experiences completely different to their own . After many months of confinement, travelers are craving experiences different to their own where they can develop a

deeper sense of knowledge for the local community. From embracing food they’ve never eaten before, seeking more rural, offthe-beaten track experiences to visiting a destination they never would have considered pre-pandemic Australians have a new curiosity to learn and experience the world. Expedia’s tip for achieving your GOAT: Slow travel is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in a destination. Be sure to allow plenty of time in each destination, so you can visit not just well-known tourist attractions, but also lesser-known local recommendations, to develop a deeper sense of knowledge. Giving yourself enough time to explore the area and connect with locals can make all the difference.

Sensation Seeking In 2022, travelers aren’t just craving new tastes and places, they want to feel something. For Australians, a sense of gratification, like they’ve made the most of the trip and excitement and exhilaration is what they’re craving most. When it comes to their next trip, having an unforgettable night out, sleeping under the stars and having a holiday fling are just some of the things travellers are willing to do, to ensure they have the best trip of their life. Interestingly, 12% of Australians want to skinny dip – the highest of any country and tied with France – with one in ten willing to try daring or high adrenaline activities and feel a sense of danger or riskiness on their next trip.

FITNESS ENTERTAINMENT with Adam Simpson

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How mum Bec lost 20KG for 12 months, so it was amazing when I finally did and realised I had lost 20kg.

 ADAM SIMPSON

What dietary changes have you made?

F you have read some of my other articles you would know that I am very big on making small changes that you can stick to long term. Rebecca is a perfect example of this, she started by just committing to some regular exercise and has gradually changed her nutritional habits along the way without feeling like she has been strictly dieting. After a year of being super consistent the results she has achieved are nothing short of amazing! Rebecca North, 44, Schofields, Occupation Compliance Manager and Mother

I have gradually made small changes over the past year. I have started taking breakfast and lunch to work instead of buying something out. I use an air fryer and a Tupperware micro pro grill to save time on cooking when I am in a rush. I also subscribe to Hello Fresh, to take away the thinking when it comes to dinners and meal prepping. This means I am always having home cooked meals and am eating far less takeaway. In addition, I have stopped watching TV after dinner and try to stay busy before going to bed. By doing this I have reduced my late-night snacking and eating out of boredom.

What do you love about Repetitions Group Training and when did you start? I started in August 2020 doing a 12 Week Personal Training Challenge as at the time I needed the extra accountability. After I completed the 12-week personal training program I got straight into group classes. I really love that there is always somebody there to encourage you, and help you with your exercise technique. You don’t get that when you are training alone! don’t get the when you are alone. I also love the encouragement from other members and not just the trainers. My very first group session, I was helped out by another member and it really made me feel welcome.

What results have you achieved and what are your goals for the future? I have dropped 3 dress sizes, I have toned up my entire body and have lost 20kg! I have another 5kg to lose.

How many days a week do you train? How many days were you doing before? I used to not train at all, then when I first started I was doing 3 sessions a week. Now I train 6 days a week and also like to do an active every day. I have also changed my son’s habits and have got him doing martial arts a couple nights a week.

What pushes you to keep training? How do you feel now? When I first started, even just walking up the stairs at home was difficult. I was not motivated in general life or to exercise. I didn’t cope with stress very well and life just felt harder. Now I can cope with stress much more easily, I have double the motivation, I feel like I have got my spark back and my overall work performance is much better.

Why do you think you have gotten results and others haven’t? I feel like the first 12 weeks of Personal Training I did really kept me accountable and helped me build the exercising habit. I also had the mindset going in that this wasn’t going to happen overnight. I made a conscious effort to not worry about the scales and I just focused on my fitness and body shape. I actually didn’t weigh myself

I just love feeling great and thrive with the increased energy that I now have. I won’t be going back to what I was before. What is the biggest piece of advice you would give to someone looking to start? I would say to not expect everything to happen straight away and just set small goals. Adam Simpson is lead trainer and founder at Repetitions Group fitness and Personal Training. Visit: www.repetitionspt.com.au

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CROSSWORDS/GAMES

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CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Japanese hostesses 5. Location of the mile-long Galle Face Green 9. Windy latitudes, ... Forties 10. African fenced village 11. NW Israeli port 12. World's highest peak, Mount ... 13. Pop music's address, Tin Pan ... 15. Antarctica's McMurdo ... 17. Le Havre river 20. Port Moresby is there (1,1,1) 21. Michigan university town, ... Arbor 23. Greece's Mount Athos residents 27. Joan of Arc's trial city 30. Western Australian capital 32. Rome, the ... City 33. Paris' ... de la Concorde 34. Ruhr valley metropolis 35. New Zealand city in Otago region 36. Famous Rio beach district 37. Fashionable London area DOWN 1. Nepalese Hindu natives 2. Hebrew country 3. London's medical region, ... Street 4. Thai 5. From Santiago 6. Aurora borealis, northern ... 7. LA beach resort 8. Florida's Disney World city 14. US bird emblem, Bald ... 16. Chicago's airport (1'4) 17. Personification of the US, Uncle ... 18. Historic Bodmin Moor building, Jamaica ... 19. Western German town & river 22. Major Lebanese city 24. Pacific region 25. Great Britain & Northern Ireland, United ... 26. Ontario port, ... Bay 28. East African land 29. Thames monument, Cleopatra's ... 30. NE New Zealand area, Bay of ... 31. Moscow is there

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Jobs of the future

You’ll need a good roadmap  REQUIRE A ROADMAP N an age where there is an ever-increasing chance a robot will one day take your job, the world of work today is as unpredictable as it is different from anything that’s come before. According to the experts at Deakin University, the straightforward, linear job path has become a thing of the past, leaving many young people more educated – and out of a job – than ever. But the University said a new report from the Foundation for Young Australians or FYA suggested a bold new roadmap that young people, policy makers and educators could follow to shape a brighter future of work, together.

The new normal Professor Dineli Mather, Pro Vice-Chancellor of Graduate Employment at Deakin University, explained that digital disruption had played a large part in reshaping our world, ‘Because increasingly, robots can do our jobs.’ With this has come the need for a new kind of graduate who’s able to make the world their own. “Communication, collaboration, critical thinking and creativity are the key skills employers value. They’re not interested in WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS JANUARY 2022

graduates or employees who can’t problem solve,” - Prof. Mather said.

A broader scope This premise is aligned with recent findings from the report produced by FYA. Through big data analysis of more than 2.7 million job advertisements, FYA has identified digital skills, critical thinking and creativity as key to navigating the modern world. FYA’s key finding is that skillsets are not isolated. Rather, they can be used across a number of jobs that FYA has grouped into seven ‘clusters’: • The Generators cluster, comprising jobs that require good customer service and organisational skills, and involve a high level of interpersonal interaction • The Artisans cluster, comprising jobs that require good organisational skills and involve hands-on, manual tasks • The Designers cluster, comprising jobs that require good problem-solving skills and involve using science and maths skills to design, construct or engineer buildings or products • The Coordinators cluster, comprising jobs that require good organisational and customer service

skills and involve process-oriented, administrative, behind the scenes tasks • The Informers cluster, comprising jobs that require good interaction and problem-solving skills, and involve imparting information or education • The Technologists cluster, comprising jobs that require good interaction and detail-oriented skills, and involve manipulating digital technology • The Carers cluster, comprising jobs that require good interaction, problem solving and organisational skills and involve improving the mental or physical health of others. He said if you were someone who had strong interpersonal skills, you were probably most suited to jobs in the ‘Generators’ cluster and could work as anything from a bank manager to an entertainer. “But if you’re strong on maths and design skills, you’re able to shift between any number of careers in the ‘Designers’ cluster, which includes areas like geology and architecture.” As young people navigate these changes, FYA estimates that future employees will have up to 17 different jobs over five different career areas – a far more diverse and unique path than ever before. Source: Deakin University

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Consider best, worst positions  NEGOTIATION | STEVEN BROWN HE purpose of entering into a negotiation is for you to inter-act with other party. Your lawyer or if there is a conciliator can assist you to move through three stages by focusing on: 1. Opening up channels of communication; 2. Using the channels of communication to develop bridges of understanding between the parties of each other’s perceptions of the dispute and their respective strengths and weaknesses; 3. Structuring a negotiated resolution of the dispute. The first two stages–communication and understanding–overlap to a greater or lesser extent. Both are directed towards enabling the parties to discuss their dispute, to exchange views and thus more fully to understand their own and, very importantly, the other party’s points of view. A party is free THREE KEY at any time to end a negotiation simply by QUESTIONS announcing they are Ask yourself these three withdrawing. This does not questions before entering achieved a satisfactory involve any adverse negotiations: understanding regarding consequence such as • What could I get? the matters in dispute. having to pay costs • What should I get? If the negotiation fails or being prejudiced neither party’s rights are by anything that • What muﬆ I get? not affected in any way. may have been said, In most cases the or even tentatively parties reach a negotiated settlement. In the agreed, during the discussions. small number of negotiations that fail are If the negotiation succeeds the parties some in which, even though no settlement ordinarily sign a legally binding document has been reached, the discussions clarify and setting out the terms of settlement of the narrow the issues in dispute. dispute. Ultimately it is for the parties to decide Oral settlement agreements should not what settlement they can accept rather than be used as they can themselves give rise to pursuing whatever other courses that may disputes. be open to them. Rarely, the parties prefer not to enter Each party has to ask itself whether the into a legally binding settlement agreement, available negotiated outcome, although but to re-build their relationship having

disappointingly worse than it had hoped for, is nevertheless an outcome it can live with, rather than pursuing other courses open to it. The often mentioned ‘win win’ ordinarily comes not from the terms of the settlement but rather from the fact that the settlement enables both parties to put the dispute behind them. You will see that I do not mention anything about mutuality or happiness; rather what is more often achieved is a settlement that both parties will live with rather than are happy about. Negotiation is about you and the other person expressing your views in an organized manner to attempt to achieve an agreed outcome.

Negotiation should be planned and thought through. You need to consider what is your best position, what is your worst position so that you can compare and put offers on the table bearing in mind three things: • What could I get? • What should I get? • What must I get? In entering any negotiation determining the could, should and must of your position is essential. Without knowing what these things are you are not able to compare offers on the table. Steven Brown is Chairman of Etienne Lawyers. Visit www.etiennelaw.com

Importance of being Finance Fit  FINANCE | JOSEPH ESSEY SW a Virtual CFO, one question I often hear from SME’s is why they need a finance manager or a CFO when they already have an accoun-

tant? The answer to this lies in understanding the value to businesses of being what I like to call finance fit all year round. Much like the human body, a growing business needs regular and deliberate care and attention to remain healthy and for a business to maintain performance at an elite level it needs more than the traditional annual check-up to keep itself fit and able to reap the benefits of this.

What is Finance Fit? A business that is Finance Fit typically has an ordered system for managing its accounts, is receiving up to date and in depth understanding of its financial performance and has the management of its finances directed towards executing its broader strategy and achieving its goals. While a business that is Finance Fit often is performing well in terms of traditional key indicators such as sale growth, profitability, and free cash flows these are not necessarily determinative of a Finance Fit organisation. The real keys to being Finance Fit is that your financial position supports your strategy and that you have a deep understanding of

the risks and trends in your business and a plan for managing these.

Why is this important? Businesses that are not on top of their numbers or managing their financial position in line with their goals are most likely leaving a lot of value on the table. A Finance Fit business is in a much better position to identify and take advantage of opportunities that are available to them as they have a clearer understanding of the things they need to be looking for and are getting the quality information they need to identify these early. For example, a difference between identifying and reacting to upwards trends in input costs of just 3 months can result in thousands if not tens of thousands in sacrificed profits, depending on the size of your business. Also, as any experienced business owner can attest to, prevention is far better and less costly than the cure. You would much rather be compliant before the fact and invest upfront in being adequately prepared then be scrambling to get your finances in order at the last minute and risk paying what can be a significant penalty.

How do you become Finance Fit? The first step to being financially fit is to establish the goals for your business and to have a clear strategy for achieving these. This allows you to set benchmarks or indicators of what good performance looks

like and to manage, forecast and track your financial position accordingly. It is important to remember that not every business is the same in this respect as your industry and the stage of your life cycle can influence what good performance looks like. Once you have set the benchmark, disciplined management of your accounts and regular financial reporting will help you to stay informed of trends and opportunities within your business and to act accordingly. Famed business management guru Peter Drucker is famous for saying ‘what gets measured gets managed’ and the best businesses utilise insightful financial reporting to remain agile and tactile in all business operations.

The final ingredient that I see in most financially fit businesses is that they have a smarter system of managing their accounts and operations. The first step to this is having a flexible accounting system that is tailored to the needs of your organisation and saves you time and money in unnecessary manual processing. The other important step is to avoid doing everything yourself which obviously limits your capacity to grow or improve your business. While you should never outsource your core capabilities, it does not make sense to sacrifice your time on admin and accounts work when you can pay someone to do this at a fraction of the value you can create with the time that this will free up. As we embark on a new year and reflect on our experience of the turbulent year that has past, what is evident is that those businesses with a clear understanding of what success looks like and a robust reporting system that allows them to respond quickly have outperformed their competitors and will remain best positioned to perform at an elite level all year round. Joseph Essey is the founder and operator of Your Business Finance Manager, an Outsourced Finance and Accounts solution for growing small businesses and has over 15 years’ experience helping small to medium sized businesses to manage their financial position and achieve sustainable growth. Visit: www.ybfmanager.com

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INNOVATION

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Challenge fosters young entrepreneurs

Innovation born in Parramatta ESTERN Sydney University and DXC Technology have come together to hold the ‘Innovating Human Identity Challenge’ – an opportunity for students to develop solutions to complex problems associated with managing human identity in the digital age. The Innovation Challenge event, is part of the University’s new Venture Makers entrepreneurship training and development program. The hybrid showcase competition was the first event to take place at the University’s new state-of-the-art, multi-million dollar Engineering Innovation Hub building located at Hassall Street, Parramatta. As part of the challenge, 13 interdisciplinary teams including students from the University of Economics in Vietnam responded to the problem statement: ‘How we can design digital identity technologies for justice and manage digital identities for a more secure, fair and equitable world’. The teams worked to develop digital identity solutions in areas such as security, travel, services, social media, ethics and health. From the seven teams that progressed to the finals, team ‘F8’ was announced the winner for their solution the ‘Universal Healthcare Passport’. While teams ‘COVID Free Travel Buddies’ and ‘Jelly Bean Travel’ took out second and third place for their respective solutions, ‘The Passpal’ and ‘TRAVEL-EAZE’. Western Sydney University Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Barney

The winning team.

Glover AO, said the Venture Makers program allows students to not only understand and seek solutions to some of the key challenges currently impacting the world, but to understand these problems from an entrepreneurial perspective. “Our aim is to drive a new wave of entrepreneurship across Western Sydney that

will maximise the growth opportunities, both in our region and globally, by preparing our graduates to develop their own enterprises and to work as entrepreneurs within other organisations,” said Professor Glover. Keynote speaker Seelan Nayagam, President Asia Pacific, DXC Technology,

commended the teams and highlighted the importance of providing students with valuable real-world experience to develop their entrepreneurial skills. “DXC Technology is proud to be a foundation partner of the Venture Makers program, working with students to solve real-world challenges and developing work readiness skills that will be critical to support the growing Western Sydney region. We congratulate the winning team and all participants for embracing this unique opportunity to innovate human identity in the digital age,” said Mr Nayagam. Founded by Launch Pad – the University’s Business Incubator ¬– Venture Makers has been developed to drive transformational change and build entrepreneurial knowledge and skills with a focus on equipping students for the jobs of the future. Don Wright, Director, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Western Sydney University, said the students put forward a range of collaborative and innovative solutions to address human identity and digitalisation. “One of the most important aspects of Venture Makers and these challenges is that all activities are co-designed and co-delivered with industry partners, providing an authentic learning experience for students and the opportunity to build their industry networks and connections,” said Mr Wright. For more information on Western Sydney University’s Venture Makers program and the Innovation Challenge, visit www. launchpadlive.com.au

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