Business Pulse June 2018

JUNE 2018 BUSINESSPULSE

IDLING ON EVs Globally, we’re behind

CATCHING RAYS Hot on renewables trail

Safety first ... the budget we love

Print Post Approved No. 100004175 ISSN 1328-2689

CCI: WE BELIEVE IN BUSINESS Did you know, as a Member of CCI, you are part of a business network spanning hundreds of industries that believe in the value business brings to the WA community?

With your valuable contribution, more jobs are created, services are delivered and our economy thrives.

CCI makes it easier for you to do business in WA and we do this through our range of Member services.

Here’s how we’ve helped our Members this financial year:

MORE SUSTAINABLE WA GOVERNMENT SPENDING AND STABLE TAXES TO CREATE WE ADVOCATED FOR

MORE JOBS AND BETTER FINANCES WE ARE FIGHTING TO

SAVE OUR SKILLS

TO ENSURE WA BUSINESSES CAN CONTINUE TO UPSKILL THEIR WORKFORCE OUR INTERNATIONAL TRADE CONSULTANTS

THE PRODUCTIVITY COMMISSION BACKED CCI’S MODEL TO

FIX THE BROKEN GST IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST

RAN

HELPED

3,116

BUSINESSES ACCESS EXPORT OPPORTUNITIES OVERSEAS

250 FREE FTA

TRAINING SESSIONS FOR WA TO EXPAND

17,256 TRADE DOCUMENTS ISSUED

ENABLING MEMBERS TO REACH NEW MARKETS WE CONNECTED MORE THAN

5000 PEOPLE AT CCI EVENTS

OUR EMPLOYEE RELATIONS ADVICE HOTLINE

27,000 CALLS

TOOK FROM WA BUSINESSES LOOKING FOR HR EXPERTISE TO HELP MANAGE THEIR WORKFORCE OUR WORKPLACE CONSULTING TEAM DEFENDED

62 BUSINESSES AGAINST UNFAIR DISMISSAL CLAIMS

OUR APPRENTICESHIP SUPPORT AUSTRALIA TEAM HELPED OVER

4000

WA BUSINESSES GET ACCESS TO TRAINING SUPPORT

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP TODAY! 1300 422 492 | membership@cciwa.com | cciwa.com

WELCOME A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR ROBYN MOLLOY

JUNE 2018

IN THIS EDITION Message from the CEO

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Message from the Chief Economist

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Pump on policy

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Business Pulse Editor

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udget week is gone for another year with the outlook for State and Federal governments much better than when their respective budgets were handed down last year, fitting in light this edition’s theme of ‘Sustainable Savings’.

We feature expert commentary on what it means for WA business from CCI CEO Chris Rodwell and Chief Economist Rick Newnham, while Energy Policy Advisor Justin Ashley explores a deregulated electricity market.

State Treasurer and Energy Minister Ben Wyatt (pictured on the cover) shares his thoughts on WA’s bright future in renewables, while Federal Urban Infrastructure and Cities Minister Paul Fletcher explores the Federal Government’s vision for smart cities.

Much is happening on the world stage when it comes to electric vehicles but Australia’s uptake has been comparably slow. We explore what it is in the Australian setting that is holding progress back, despite significant inroads by the RAC and Toyota.

We also look at what opportunities may lie ahead for recyclers in the wake of China’s restrictions on the import of dirty recyclables, as well as what the plastic bag ban will mean for supermarkets such as Coles.

Sustainable housing is also firmly on the agenda in WA with property developers exploring and offering any number of green options.

Next month’s edition will look at our freight and logistics systems under the theme of ‘Moving Ahead’. Email robyn.molloy@cciwa.com.

It’s your business to register.

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Lesson Learnt, CEO, Perth Airport, Kevin Brown

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What’s holding back our uptake of EVs? Plans to recycle lithium batteries

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Trash builds as China ditches dirty waste

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Greener designs go industrial

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Sales surge for solar

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Guest columnist: Energy Minister Ben Wyatt

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Guest columnist: Urban Infrastructure and Cities Paul Fletcher

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Budget: Governments reduce their spending

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Aluminium manufacturer consolidates

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Q&A: Your questions answered

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Industrial Relations: Homeowners, volunteers at risk

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Taking ownership of safety in the new world

39

Apprentices drive mining services company

40

Winners are grinners

45

Five

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Published monthly by Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (Inc) 180 Hay Street, East Perth WA 6004 T (08) 9365 7555 E info@cciwa.com W www.cciwa.com

If you employ workers in the construction industry you may be required by law to register in the Construction Industry Long Service Leave Scheme.

Find out by visiting www.myleave.wa.gov.au or by calling 08 9476 5400.

President Ray Sputore

Chief Executive Officer Chris Rodwell

Editor - Robyn Molloy (08) 9365 7628 | editor@cciwa.com

Graphic Designer - Katie Addison (08) 9365 7518 | katie.addison@cciwa.com

Sub Editor - Tim Trevenen (08) 9365 7729 | Tim.Trevenen@cciwa.com

Advertising sales - Paula Connell (08) 9365 7544 | advertising@cciwa.com

Disclaimer: This information is current at 1 June 2018. CCI has taken reasonable care in preparing this information, however, it is provided as a guide only. You should seek specific advice from a CCI adviser before acting. CCI does not accept liability for any claim which may arise from any person acting or refraining from acting on this information. Reproduction of any CCI material is not permitted without written authorisation from the Editor. © Copyright CCI. All rights reserved

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 3

The Breast Cancer Research Centre - WA (BCRC-WA) is reshaping the future of breast cancer care.

• 48 people are diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia every day.

• BCRC-WA is Australia’s busiest breast cancer research centre.

• We’ve undertaken over 80 international and national trials to find new and better treatments for breast cancer patients and to save lives.

• BCRC-WA has contributed to increasing survival rates.

• BCRC-WA is self funded. We do not receive government funding.

• Your support goes directly to enhancing patient outcomes – all donations received go fully to patient research, treatment and services.

• At least 13 of our research projects have contributed to enhanced breast cancer treatment worldwide.

• In 2019 we will move into our fully integrated breast cancer centre where patient research, treatment and support services will be available in one central location.

Corporate partnerships and naming right opportunities will be considered with this worldclass entity right on your doorstep. Please contact Carmelo Arto, CEO BCRC-WA if you are interested in partnering with us.

Carmelo Arto, CEO, and Prof. Arlene Chan, founder and medical oncologist at BCRC-WA. Prof. Chan’s long held dream of opening a comprehensive breast cancer centre will be realised in 2019. This Western Australian first will offer enhanced treatment and care to breast cancer patients and their families under one convenient roof.

Breast Cancer Research Centre (BCRC-WA) 4 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

Hollywood Private Hospital Entrance 3, 101 Monash Avenue, Nedlands WA 6009

+61 8 6500 5501 info@bcrc-wa.com.au www.bcrc-wa.com.au

ADVOCACY IN ACTION

Sensible set of books A MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

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ay is always an interesting month for budgets, and with two in one week, CCI staff worked hard to analyse and unpack the Federal and State budgets to highlight what it means for WA business.

While public sentiment toward both revealed a heightened level of boredom, CCI was enthused by the absence of high spend items on the basis that clearly taxpayer money is being spent more wisely.

We strongly welcomed both budgets, with the WA State Government’s Budget in particularly closely following the advice of CCI to reduce spending growth and keep taxes stable to encourage jobs and economic growth. This is a snapshot of our analysis.

STATE BUDGET Of our top 10 Pre-Budget Submission recommendations, six were given the green light and two an orange light, with more work needing to be done by the Government — a very good outcome for the WA business community.

Maintaining a surplus for 2020-21 and reducing net debt was the highest priority recommendation from CCI and the Government remains on track to achieve this, and is forecast to spend $2.8 billion less over the forward estimates.

CCI has consistently advised the WA Government that if it is the highest spending state government in the country then it has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.

This advice has clearly been heard. It will, however, take continued discipline to bring us in line with the rest of the country over the next few years — this cannot be fixed overnight.

Some external factors have contributed to the State’s finances, namely rallying commodity prices, an expected boost to household consumption, an upgrade to the national pool

of GST — giving WA an extra $124 million — and a cash injection for infrastructure from the Federal Government.

CCI has, and will continue to urge the Government to consider new models to deliver services in partnership with the private sector to accelerate its savings effort and improve the lives of West Australians.

We will also continue to advocate for the Government to review all State-owned assets for sale, including Western Power, which if partially sold would wipe almost $11bn off net debt.

As Members know, CCI recently launched a Save Our Skills campaign, calling on Members to share their stories on how the McGowan Government’s plan to remove the Payroll Tax Exemption for existing worker trainees will affect their business and put their future workforce at risk.

Unfortunately, the State Budget papers reflect the additional revenue the Government will receive from this change despite no funding being committed for the Government’s proposed Grants Scheme for which no detail has been provided.

This confirms that the Government has no firm plan for training in WA to replace the removal of the Payroll Tax Exemption, despite traineeship numbers already being in freefall.

CCI will continue to advocate on behalf of business to ensure their workers can continue to upskill as the economy diversifies.

Saveourskills.com.au is very much alive.

FEDERAL BUDGET CCI welcomed confirmation that the Federal Government’s savings measures and a stronger economic outlook will put the Budget back in surplus a year earlier than forecast — $2.2bn in 2019-20 — and a forecast reduction in net debt of $21.7bn by the end of the forward estimates.

We have warned that reining in spending to reduce net debt must remain a priority for the Federal Government, with the interest repayments to service this debt costing taxpayers $12bn per year.

We congratulated the Federal Government for standing strong on its company tax policy. WA relies on attracting global investment so if we want to continue to attract investment to WA we must be competitive across the board, including our tax mix. Without a change to the company tax rate we are letting down Australian businesses in their efforts to be internationally competitive.

We also welcomed the Government’s self-imposed 23.9 per cent of GDP cap on Government taxation as a responsible line in the sand for the size of Government in Australia, as well as targeted tax relief for low-income earners to boost confidence and help with rising cost of living pressures.

The Federal Government’s $3.2bn infrastructure investment in WA will be a muchneeded boost to our State’s economy. This will go a long way toward addressing WA’s infrastructure needs and will underpin future economic growth and productivity.

It’s great to see the constructive relationship that has been built between the two tiers, especially given the different politics at play.

Chris Rodwell Chief Executive Officer

BUDGET COVERAGE Read CCI’s full Budget Analysis here: State Budget - cciwa.com/state-budget-2018 Federal budget - cciwa.com/federal-budget-2018

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 5

ADVOCACY IN ACTION

GST fix is in the national interest CCI CHIEF ECONOMIST RICK NEWNHAM

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t’s official — most Australians support fixing the GST if it is in the national interest.

National polling of 2350 Australians, commissioned by CCI, has revealed that 70 per cent of them believe that WA’s GST share fell to an unacceptable level — below 35 cents — and most (52 per cent) believe that if it is in the national interest to change the GST distribution it should be changed.

Fixing the GST distribution has never been more important to national economic growth.

On May 15, Federal Treasurer Scott Morrison received the independent Productivity Commission’s final report investigating how the GST distribution impacts the national economy. He confirmed he would release it to the public soon.

It’s a myth that WA’s share will return to pre-boom levels. The mining boom contributed to WA’s falling share of GST, but the major factor has been WA’s sustained increase in iron ore production and the royalties that have flowed to the WA Government.

This is what sets us apart from the rest of the nation and why WA’s GST share will not return to its previous levels for decades to come.

There is enormous sympathy in Australia for WA’s poor GST share. No other state has ever had its GST share fall below 83 cents, while WA’s fell all the way to 30 cents.

The Productivity Commission has made it clear that without a change to the GST formula the national

which is intended to raise WA’s GST to 70 cents (for as long as the fund lasts).

CCI modelling shows that if Labor’s Fund was enacted today at 47 cents, WA would receive its ‘fair share’ for just one year and one day. This is not a long-term solution.

Now is the time to make real GST reform — the future of the national economy depends on it.

“No other state has ever had its GST share fall below 83 cents, while WA’s fell all the way to 30 cents” The Productivity Commission concluded in its draft report that the current GST arrangements hold back the national economy and has backed CCI’s proposal to fix the GST — the only organisation to have this support.

The New South Wales and Western Australian Governments have also backed CCI’s solution.

The reason is simple — it is in the national interest.

This isn’t about ‘poor WA’. We are just the unfortunate state that has copped the brunt of a broken GST system that has not been updated since it was introduced almost two decades ago.

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economy will suffer, holding back business investment and job creation.

The Federal Treasurer has admitted this and said that short-term payments to states that suffer are no longer enough.

West Australians have welcomed the Federal Government’s top-up payments over the past four years, with its latest $188.9 million cash injection taking the Government’s total support to $1.4 billion over four years, but band-aids will no longer cut it.

This is why CCI has raised concerns about Labor’s $1.6 billion ‘Fair Share for WA Fund’,

Long-term reform, as recommended by the Productivity Commission, is the only way to ensure all Australians get a fair go when it comes to GST distribution.

Every state should be expected to stand on its own two feet and no state can be left to fall behind, and that is exactly what a change to the GST carve up will ensure.

CCI will continue to work closely with the Federal and State governments to fix the GST once and for all.

ADVOCACY IN ACTION

Time to feel the gain from the pain In Energy Minister Ben Wyatt’s own words, electricity customers would benefit from competition by paying a lower price for electricity JUSTIN ASHLEY

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n its 2018-19 Pre-budget Submission, CCI recommended the State Government should continue to progress towards ‘cost reflective’ electricity tariffs as part of a broader strategy for modernising WA’s electricity sector.

The latest electricity tariff increases announced in last month’s State Budget gets us very close to cost reflectivity and removing a major barrier to introducing more choice and competition in the electricity market.

Charging all residential and many small-to-medium business customers (known as non-contestable customers) a regulated tariff that is below the cost of supply has required ongoing subsidisation of electricity prices by the State Government.

Non-contestable customers, those who consume less than 50 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, are able to buy electricity only at regulated tariff rates from government-owned retailer Synergy.

Subsidies for non-contestable customers have kept prices artificially low and been a major drain on the State Budget.

From 2008-09 to 2016-17, subsidising electricity for customers in the South West Interconnected System cost WA taxpayers more than $3.2 billion dollars. This is a massive opportunity cost that could otherwise have been spent on critical infrastructure or reducing the State’s budget deficit.

It has been a long and difficult road, but successive tariff increases have contributed to

a big reduction in the electricity subsidy. After peaking at almost $600 million in 2013-14, the subsidy is expected to be around $114m in 2018-19, following the latest 7 per cent increase in electricity tariffs.

Eliminating the subsidy and achieving cost-reflectivity is not only crucial for budget repair, it also creates a level playing field for electricity retailers looking to enter the market. This, combined with changes to government regulations preventing competition, would enable more consumers to choose their electricity supplier.

“The subsidy is expected to be around $114m in 2018-19 following the latest 7 per cent increase in electricity tariffs” CCI has been supportive of the McGowan Government’s move towards cost-reflective electricity tariffs, but it should not stop there.

Consumers have gone through the pain of price rises, now it is time to enjoy some gains.

By opening the market to competition (also known a ‘full retail contestability’), the entry

of alternative electricity retailers will put downward pressure on costs and drive system-wide efficiency improvements.

Competition will also drive innovation and the development of new products and services for electricity customers as retailers seek to differentiate themselves from their competitors.

Limiting the number of businesses competing in the electricity sector will limit innovation.

WA consumers have seen the benefits of choice in the gas market, with discounts of up to 35 per cent off the regulated gas usage tariff the result of competition between retailers Alinta, Kleenheat, AGL and Origin.

Recent reports also indicate there has been a 5.1 per cent decrease in grocery prices since Aldi entered the WA market to compete with Coles and Woolworths. For those of us who enjoy the occasional quokka selfie, the entry of a new Rottnest ferry service is reported to have resulted in a 30 per cent reduction in ticket prices.

WA consumers get it — they can benefit from competition.

Energy Minister Ben Wyatt also seems to get it, acknowledging that electricity customers in the Pilbara’s North West Interconnected System (NWIS) would “benefit from competition by paying a lower price for electricity.”

If competition is good for the NWIS, then surely it will be good for customers on our main electricity grid in the South West. The McGowan Government now has an opportunity to commit to reforms that will enhance competition, provide consumers with choice, drive innovation and put downward pressure on costs in our electricity system. It’s an opportunity worth taking.

THE PUMP ON POLICY Justin Ashley is the Energy Policy Advisor at CCI. He can be contacted at (08) 9365 7575 or justin.ashley@cciwa.com.au.

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 7

CCI@WORK 1. OPPORTUNITIES IN WA’S DEFENCE AND AEROSPACE SECTOR APRIL 27 WA is perfectly placed to grab a fair share of the nation’s growing defence and aerospace sectors, more than 60 people were told at a forum recently.

Curtin University’s Director of Research Initiatives Tim Walton, WA Senator Slade Brockman and Western Roads Federation CEO Cam Dumesny highlighted opportunities across multibillion dollar sectors.

They urged WA businesses to work together to develop the necessary infrastructure to develop a high-security, military-level road network to enhance the state’s defence supply capacity by enabling the transport of large components at reduced cost and with real-time satellite tracking.

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2. CCI FEDERAL BUDGET BREAKFAST MAY 14 More than 120 business leaders turned out to hear Federal Finance Minister Mathias Cormann unpack the federal budget at the Hyatt Regency.

Cormann promised a fix for the GST and highlighted how the federal budget was a on a much better trajectory than when the Liberals came to power in 2013.

He said the signs were good for business and the Government’s 10-year public infrastructure program would boost jobs and opportunities.

He said the Government had achieved the lowest spending growth in 50 years because it had “gone harder at controlling spending growth”.

2 DIARY NOTE: CCI RESOURCE, CONSTRUCTION AND INFRASTRUCTURE CONFERENCE JUNE 28 Join us for a jam packed day featuring presentations from senior industry executives from a number of major resource and infrastructure projects throughout Australia.

The CCI Resource, Construction and Infrastructure Conference will provide delegates with insights into the progress of a range of major resource and infrastructure projects currently planned for WA. It is held in conjunction with the annual CCI Construction Industry Dinner, WA’s largest and most prestigious networking event for the resources and construction sectors with a history spanning 30 years.

To find out more or to book tickets visit cciwa.com/events

To register your interest in receiving more information about any of our 2018 events, email functions@cciwa.com

8 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

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CC C NSTRUCT N NDUSTRY D NNER THURSDAY, 28 JUNE 2018

The CCI Construction Industry Dinner is Western Australia’s largest and most prestigious annual event for the resources, construction and infrastructure sectors.

Held in the lavish Crown Towers ballroom, this premier event brings together more than 600 local, national and international representatives from major resource, construction and infrastructure projects and is a must attend for anyone involved in Western Australia’s resources and construction industries.

With a history spanning almost 30 years, this high profile dinner includes an excellent three course meal, premium Western Australian wines, extensive networking opportunities and top quality entertainment from Danny Green, Peter Rowsthorn and AQUILA Music throughout the evening. The dinner follows a comprehensive and informative Resource, Construction and Infrastructure Conference.

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO REGISTER VISIT CCIWA.COM/EVENTS

DANNY GREEN SPORTS GUEST

PETER ROWSTHORN COMEDIAN

AQUILA MUSICAL GUESTS

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 9

IN BRIEF

GREENING THE HIGH SEAS

LESSONS LEARNT KEVIN BROWN, CEO, PERTH AIRPORT

Kevin has more than 30 years of experience in infrastructure operation and development across the power and aviation sectors in the UK, North America and Australia. Before arriving in Australia six years ago to run North Queensland Airports, which operates Cairns and Mackay airports, and now Perth Airport, Kevin was Managing Director of three of BAA UK Airports. Kevin is also a Commissioner with Tourism WA, a Council Member of the Freight and Logistics Council and a CCI Council Member.

A new worldwide agreement will see the shipping industry cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2050, compared with 2008 levels.

According to the International Maritime Organisation, shipping contributes about 3 per cent of carbon dioxide worldwide, with vessel emissions projected to increase by 50 to 250 per cent by 2050 as world trade amps up.

The initial strategy was adopted by IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee, during its 72nd session at IMO Headquarters in London in April with the meeting attended by more than 100 IMO Member States.

The IMO is the United Nations specialised agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships, which transport more than 80 per cent of global trade.

39 PER CENT Increase in sales of electric vehicles in Europe in 2017 compared with 2016.

Growing up I learnt … The value of resilience. My parents moved around with their jobs every couple of years, so I became adept at fitting into a new school. While it was tough, it showed me that no matter what is thrown at you, you need to be positive and embrace the new challenges. It also taught me to see change as a good thing and seek out new opportunities including working across four different countries.

And the second best lesson I learnt was to escape the Scottish winter at any cost!

From my family I learnt … Be considerate to others. I was fortunate to spend quality time with my grandparents who taught me to be patient and respect others. By listening to and understanding opposing views, you can make your own considered decisions. They also taught me that that we don’t all have to have the same ambitions in life and that’s OK; the world is a richer place through diversity.

The most valuable lesson I learnt in school … Respond not react. Thinking back, this may have saved a few playground scraps. Being impulsive and saying what you actually think doesn’t always pay off, but keeping things to yourself and not sharing can be a lost opportunity. There’s a balance to be struck between speaking your mind and keeping things to yourself. Re-read those emails before pressing send.

Recently I’ve learnt … The power of future thinking. We can shape the future by understanding that decisions we make every day can make a significant difference over time, despite them seeming to have only a small immediate impact. It’s challenged my way of thinking; we can influence and effect change by finding the balance between short and long-term goals, anticipating change, grasping opportunities, and looking beyond any short-term constraints.

One lesson I wish I had learnt earlier … Listen intently. Listen not only to what people are saying around you, but also to what they’re not saying. Sometimes you’re so keen to share all your own ideas, you’re not listening to what others are saying around you. Listening intently is not easy and something I need to keep reminding myself to do properly.

A small but crucial lesson to learn is … No matter how difficult a decision may be, don’t procrastinate.

Delaying it doesn’t make it any easier and just leaves you agonising unnecessarily over it.

NEW AGE OF ELECTRIFIED ROADS The world’s first stretch of electrified road opened last month in Sweden, allowing vehicles to recharge while driving.

Designed by Swedish innovation company eRoadArlanda, the 2km electric rail was installed on a public road outside Stockholm.

The electrified road works by transferring energy to the vehicle from a rail in the road through a movable arm.

The electrified road will be used by electric trucks developed as part of the project. Divided into 50m sections,

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the electric rail powers up only when a vehicle is above it.

“One of the most important issues of our time is the question of how to make fossil-free road transportation a reality,” said Chairman of the eRoadArlanda consortium and Business Development Director at NCC Hans Säll.

“We now have a solution that will make this possible, which is amazing. Sweden is at the cutting edge of this technology, which we now hope to introduce in other areas of the country and the world.”

IN BRIEF

A DAY IN THE LIFE...

GREY MACKAY, NORTHERN PROGRAM MANAGER RANGELANDS NRM

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ornings are the best time in Broome, so I get up pretty early to take the dog for a walk on Cable Beach before getting into work about 7.30am.

Rangelands NRM is a not-for-profit, non-government organisation coordinating with groups to manage land sustainably. While Rangelands WA manages 85 per cent of the state, the scope of my role includes the Pilbara and the Kimberley.

First job of the day is usually checking emails. This may sound simple, however being one of the main communication tools at my disposal, this usually takes some time.

As a natural resource management professional, we wear many hats: from project management discussions about budgets, milestones and reporting to a funder, through to community development roles talking with stakeholders about their ideas and aspirations.

This may include speaking with pastoralists about practice change, speaking with Indigenous Ranger groups about coordinated fire

management, through to a skype hook-up with multiple government departments and major stakeholders about strategic plans and funding models.

Being in a regional office, it is really important I stay in close contact with other staff around the state. Our discussions can be quite varied from supporting staff who live out on stations in isolation, to management team discussions where shared ownership of problems can be talked through and collaborative decisions reached.

I try to jam in a morning cup of tea around 10am. However, the quick early morning email check has been going on for three hours.

As Rangelands NRM is in the Community development business, we spend a lot of time listening to stakeholders needs and making sure

You are the HR Manager HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE THIS SCENARIO?

An employee has queried whether they accrue annual leave whilst taking annual leave.

A

nnual leave does accrue during a period of paid annual leave. For National System employers, Section 87(2) of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) (the Act) states that ‘an employee’s entitlement to paid annual leave accrues progressively during a year of service according to the employee’s ordinary hours of

work, and accumulates from year to year’.

Therefore, annual leave accrues during any period of ‘service’. Section 22 of the Act notes that a period of ‘service’ is ‘a period during which the employee is employed by the employer, but does not include any period that does not count as service…’

The excluded periods are: • Any unauthorised absence • Any unpaid leave or unpaid authorised absence, other than when community service leave is taken • or a period of stand down • or a period of leave or absence prescribed by the regulations.

As paid annual leave, or authorised paid leave in general, is not mentioned as an excluded period, it counts as service and therefore annual leave accrues during this period.

WHO TO CALL For information or advice regarding workplace law, please contact CCI’s Employee Relations Advice Centre on (08) 9365 7660 or at advice@cciwa.com.

our focus is being directed in the right direction. Our role is to support champions within the community and to facilitate change.

Connecting people is also really key to my role and can come in many forms, from simple sharing with a stakeholder information or people who have tried something before, through to playing a leadership role by facilitating a workshop or discussion to enable better collaboration.

With an organisation built on trust and relationships, face-to-face meetings are critical. However, when you introduce the great distances we see in the state, then balancing travel and phone and email communications is always a juggle. As our programs go for longer time periods (one to five years), I know what discussions I didn’t get to today,will be there waiting for me tomorrow.

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“The cheapest kWh of energy is the one you don’t use” Delvin Lane, Head of Energy 360, British Gas

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 11

SUSTAINABLE SAVINGS

Electric car uptake hits

GRIDLOCK The benefits of electric vehicles are numerous but uptake in Australia has been moving slowly. So, what’s holding up traffic of the future?

HAMISH HASTIE

E

lectric vehicles are the revolution Australia has been deaf to — and not just because they’re ultra-quiet on the road.

In the global push for zero carbon emissions, countries like China and Norway have embraced them wholeheartedly but momentum in Australia has been nominal.

China sold more than 600,000 electric vehicles last year while in Norway 38 per cent of new cars were electric vehicles.

Sweden has recently built an electrified road that charges electric vehicles as they are being driven along it. In April, 12 major cities — including London, Auckland, Paris, Los Angeles and Cape Town — promised to buy only zeroemissions buses from 2025.

In Australia, it’s currently a chicken-and-egg scenario. While there are 17 fully-electric models available from makers like Tesla and Nissan, there are very few fully-electric vehicles actually available for purchase because infrastructure isn’t comprehensive enough to recharge them.

On the flip side, charging stations aren’t

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being rolled out at every shopping centre carpark because there isn’t the demand. Last year, only 1000 of the 1.2 million vehicles sold across Australia were fully electric.

However, the ball is starting to roll.

A recent report by the Electric Vehicle Council detailed the estimated benefits of electric vehicle uptake by 2030. These included: • estimated consumer savings of $1700 per annum in ownership costs • $3.2 billion in economic benefits from investment in charging infrastructure • 13,400 new jobs • improved fuel security and • reduced CO2 emissions by 18 million tonnes.

In 2010, the RAC started the nation’s first

‘electric highway’. It has since installed 12 charging stations between Perth and Augusta, with each station able to charge a car battery from zero to 100 per cent in 30 minutes.

The WA State Government also recently signed the first electric vehicle Memorandum of Understanding with governments in South Australia and ACT, as well as the city councils of Adelaide and Hobart, to investigate how to cater for electric vehicles.

The Electric Vehicle Council’s CEO Behyad Jafari says some of the stagnation in Australia is caused by initial confusion that electric vehicles are one of a range of new technologies that may or may not take off.

“Our message to them is actually the decision is well and truly made — this is the future of the road transport sector,” he says.

“All the benefits from transitioning from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles are societal — it improves public health, it reduces CO2 emissions, it reduces noise pollution.

SUSTAINABLE SAVINGS

“Internationally, we’re seeing prices fall year on year and with the range of the societal benefits that the technology brings, governments have stepped in and said this is the direction we would like to head in.”

Jafari is asking governments to help bridge the gap until electric vehicle sales reach five per cent of all new sales.

“From zero to five per cent is quite hard and that’s why we look to governments and ask them to help us get to that mark,” he says. “Around that five per cent mark provides certainty for them.

“Once we hit that, they (the governments) can step away and wind back any support because the investment interest takes over.”

While Jafari and the council are lobbying for government support for infrastructure and possible incentives for consumers, he says a coordinated approach is critical.

“The most important part is to make sure it’s a consistent and coordinated framework.

We don’t want to have 21st century rail gauge issues where things that work in one state don’t work in another.”

CHARGED UP One of the biggest impacts of the electric vehicle revolution will be on the electricity grid.

As energy efficiency in our homes increases through smart appliances and rooftop renewables, electricity suppliers see big opportunities to fill the gap by charging cars. > p14

10.3 YEARS

MOTORISTS CAN SAVE

TO OFFSET THE UPFRONT PURCHASE OF A MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER THROUGH FUEL SAVINGS, (AVERAGE OWNERSHIP PERIOD IS 10.1 YEARS)

$810 TO $1400 PER ANNUM ON VEHICLE OWNERSHIP COSTS

LOWER FUEL COSTS: EVs SAVE

LOW MAINTENANCE COSTS:

$380

PER ANNUM ON EV MAINTENANCE COSTS COMPARED WITH $750 PER ANNUM ON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES AN AVERAGE NEW INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE VEHICLE EMITS 185G CO2/KM COMPARED WITH AN AVERAGE NEW EV WHICH EMITS

ELECTRIC

7 CENTS PER KM

AGAINST INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES APPROXIMATELY

VEHICLE FACTS

98G CO2/KM IF CHARGED VIA THE ELECTRICITY GRID

$70,000 TO $180,000 PER ELECTRIC VEHICLE FAST CHARGER INSTALLED THE COST OF RECHARGING A BATTERY IS

3 CENTS PER KM COMPARED TO 10 CENTS PER KM FOR FUEL

Source: Electric Vehicle Council Recharging the Economy report

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 13

SUSTAINABLE SAVINGS > Synergy Public Affairs and Corporate Communications manager Doug White says electric vehicles present opportunity for electricity providers.

“A key pillar for the future for many electricity generators and retailers around the world is to become the fuel supplier for the future transport sector and be ready for the transition to the electrification of transportation,” he says.

“Synergy isn’t responsible for setting policy frameworks but we do see the transition to electric vehicles as a means to increase electricity demand from traditional or renewable sources and provide associated products and services for commercial and private-use customers in the future.

“Our current focus is to work with industry partners, such as Western Power, to evaluate what opportunities exist and what the business needs to do to be ready for the increased uptake of electric vehicles.

“We have worked closely with the Electric Vehicle Council of Australia to roll out charging plug infrastructure across regional areas in the SWIS (the South West electricity grid) and we are working closely with Western Power to identify opportunities that will benefit the state.”

White says Synergy is also looking at the possibility of transitioning its own fleet of vehicles.

POWERING AHEAD In addition to the electric highway, RAC is proving its commitment to electric vehicles by trialling fully electric and driverless shuttle buses and cars as well as adding them to its fleet.

RAC Executive General Manager of Advocacy and Members, Patrick Walker, says reducing carbon dioxide emissions from personal vehicle travel is a key element of its mobility agenda.

“In the coming months, WA — alongside just two other cities in the world — will take delivery of and begin testing new French-manufactured cars called Autonoms, which are electric, driverless and designed to be hailed using a smart phone app,” he says.

“We are also aware that global electric vehicle production is forecast to accelerate and we want to ensure motorists can access new models and that WA is well-prepared for increased numbers of electric vehicles.

“RAC has called on the Government to plan for and support the provision of infrastructure, including the expansion of public charging facilities.

14 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

“We’re also eager for government to actively consider and potentially trial a range of incentives that would make electric vehicle ownership more viable and appealing.”

Walker says a very topical issue is how electric vehicle owners will be charged for their road use, which currently occurs via an excise on fuel.

“It is very important that any reform to fuel excise occurs

cents of every dollar collected by the Federal Government from WA motorists has been returned to the State for investment in roads.”

A Western Power spokesperson says the utility has a vast infrastructure network including the SWIS that can be accessed by commercial and residential customers for electric vehicle recharging stations.

“Our role is to continue to supply and maintain this backbone infrastructure, which enables

“We’re eager for Government to actively consider and potentially trial a range of incentives that would make electric vehicle ownership more viable and appealing” as part of a broader review of the numerous taxes and charges paid by motorists to multiple levels of government.

And this review should extend to how the revenue is allocated across the nation — and back to WA — for reinvestment in transport networks,” he says.

“Historically, on average, only about 28

HYDROGEN POWER Not all electric vehicles need charging.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology is finally maturing and could prove to be a viable alternative to internal combustion engines — and its only by-product is water.

Perth was one of the first cities in the world to investigate the technology when the State Government trialled three hydrogen fuel cell buses in 2007. But interest has been subdued.

The technology uses pure hydrogen to create electricity, avoiding the need for any recharging. Currently, there are only three brands globally with hydrogen fuel cell cars in the marketplace — Toyota, Hyundai and Honda.

Only Toyota and Hyundai have hydrogen cars in Australia, but they are not yet for sale.

Hydrogen Mobility Australia CEO Claire Johnson says hydrogen fuel cell cars shouldn’t be seen as direct competitors to battery electric vehicles.

“We see both technologies coexisting and, in fact, complementing each other,” she says.

“They both arrive at a zero-emission outcome but it’s really about individuals’ lifestyles: What kind of range do they drive?

Do they live in the city or country?”

customers to choose how they connect to the grid and use technologies to meet their energy needs,” he says.

“As electric vehicle popularity increases, we’re keen to continue the conversation with the community, businesses and government to manage peak demand for recharging with available supply.”

Johnson says hydrogen has particular benefits is in its range and refuelling time.

“To refuel a hydrogen vehicle takes about three to five minutes on average. It’s a very similar process to filling up a petrol or diesel car,” she says.

“The range that can be delivered from one of Hyundai’s hydrogen passenger vehicles, the Nexo, is up to 800km.”

Johnson says one kilo of hydrogen costs $10 — $15, varying depending on the amount of fuel cells in the car.

“The Toyota Mirai takes five kilos of hydrogen to fill up, which gives you a range of 550km. So, you’re looking at about $50 to fill up your car, not far off petrol and diesel.”

As the scale of hydrogen production increases and infrastructure improves, the price will drop below traditional fuel, Johnson says.

Like battery electric vehicles, the current challenge is infrastructure.

“The manufacturers will bring the vehicles to market but are looking for other interested parties to build the station network,” she says.

“Some of those interested parties are state governments — the ACT, Victoria and South Australia are looking to build stations in the next 12 to 18 months.”

SUSTAINABLE SAVINGS

Leaving little to waste A WA company is scrutinising a plan to extract base metals from millions of lithium-ion batteries which die after a lifetime powering electric vehicles ROBYN MOLLOY

L

ithium batteries are all the rage across the globe with WA at the forefront of mining the soft metal.

Electric vehicle sales — which contain lithium as a key component of the rechargeable batteries — will hit three million by 2021 and a staggering 14 million by 2025, according to global financial firm UBS. Construction of the world’s largest lithium hydroxide processing plant is underway in Kwinana, with lithium mines popping up or expanding across the state — from Greenbushes to Kalgoorlie to the Pilbara.

World demand for lithium is through the roof, with the global car industry hungry for a better way to power vehicles. But what happens when the batteries reach the end of their life?

One WA company is developing a solution, as so far only 5 per cent of lithium batteries in the world are recycled, with the rest ending up in landfill.

Extracting the lithium doesn’t make financial sense as it’s cheaper to mine the raw material.

But recovering the other base metals — nickel, cobalt and copper — is a viable concept.

Minerals project developer Neometals, which has a high-grade lithium mine at Mt Marion near Kalgoorlie, has a pilot research project underway at the company’s laboratory in Montreal, Canada, and hopes to commercialise the process for recovering cobalt from lithium batteries.

Managing Director Chris Reed says the company is also considering setting up lithium battery recycling plants in WA alongside its proposal to establish a Kalgoorlie lithium hydroxide facility near the mine.

Reed says only a small percentage of lithium batteries are recycled because of a lack of viable solutions close to the sources of supply.

“Umicore is in Belgium and Glencore in Falconbridge, Canada. It is a small pond of recyclers and the batteries don’t travel all that well,” he says.

“The lithium is only a couple of per cent of the value of the battery and supply will grow to meet demand over the coming years. So, it’s not essential economically, but strategically it is better for the ecosystem.

“The recovery of base metals (nickel, cobalt and copper) makes more sense economically and strategically in terms of security of supply.”

Reed says the company aims to recover and produce the base metals as either sulphates or hydroxides, which would be suitable to go back into the supply chain.

“Cathode producers would be the main client or their customers further downstream — the consumer electronics/EV/ESS makers — who will likely be responsible for providing a collection and recycling solution at the end of life, as is presently required in California.”

Reed says the volume of material for the next five to seven years will come from LCO (lithium, cobalt and oxide batteries) used for consumer electronics. Heavy-duty NMC (nickel, manganese, cobalt) batteries used in electric vehicles will pick up considerably by mid-next decade.

A decision on whether to build lithium battery recycling facilities in WA will be made by mid next year. Reed says the company can finance the facility off its own balance sheet, with supply the critical element in the decision-making process.

“Initially, we will be looking to locate the plants

adjacent to the battery-making facilities, the 10 tonne-per-day demo plant is designed to take the 10 per cent or so of materials that are rejected or spoilt in the battery-making process (off-spec cathode, failed cells, failed packs etc),” he says.

“These will then have to be scaled up in time to accept the 90 per cent of spec production at the end of its product life.

“We hope to get to a financial investment decision in the first half of 2019.”

Neometals has contracted engineering firm Primero to complete the remainder of the construction and commissioning of the pilot plant in Canada to initially process LCO batteries.

“Flowsheet development for the NMC batteries will run in parallel with the construction of the pilot plant,” Reed says.

The company announced last year it would build the pilot plant to accelerate commercialisation of its technology.

Its subsidiary, Urban Mining Pty Ltd, will hold Neometals’ 50 per cent interest in the intellectual property and exclusive rights to commercialise the technology.

Reed says the company hopes to finish the pilot program in the September quarter before commencing the front-end engineering design study, subject to successful results and board approval. If established, it will be one of the first recycling plants in the country. Envirostream Australia, based in Victoria, established Australia’s first battery recycling facility last year and launched the country’s first lithium battery recycling plant at the end of April.

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 15

TRASH or TREASURE?

China’s restrictions on the importation of dirty recyclables has created a number of issues — and opportunities — for WA DEBORAH KENNEDY

T

he unfortunate reality is that Australia has been selling its recyclable waste off shore for years because it’s been cheaper than processing it at home.

So, when China — our biggest market for plastics and paper waste — placed restrictions on imports of many recyclable materials, it impacted Australia and many other countries.

According to some reports, China imported about half of the world’s metal, plastic and paper recyclables reused in manufacturing.

DOWNWARD PRICES The strict requirements, placed to avoid China being the drop-off zone for heavily contaminated rubbish, have had a double whammy impact on local recycling collectors — higher costs and lower prices.

They have also created a world glut in the supply of recyclable materials, pushing prices down. One collector, who didn’t want to be named, told Business Pulse that international prices were “through the floor”.

“Some plastics we now pay to have recycled, rather than them paying us,” he said.

“With the over-increase of supply, there’s half as much demand.”

With the luxury of choice, other importing countries are now demanding cleaner recycled material too.

This, in turn, has meant WA’s major recycling collectors have had to employ more sorters and cleaners to meet the new demands.

That meand employing full-time auditors to prove to international buyers that each load has a low contamination rate before being shipped.

“There’s no set limit (to the level of contamination) but because everyone’s bidding to send them their material — they say they’ll take only the best quality levels,” the collector said.

COUNCIL RATES It’s likely this could be bad news for ratepayers.

The increased costs will be passed from major collectors to contracting local councils, which could pass them on.

Cleanaway’s Solid Waste Services General Manager David Williamson says his processing costs have risen by about 10 per cent and the

16 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

SUSTAINABLE SAVINGS

company is working with councils to readjust their cost agreements.

“If you then think about what it means for the ratepayer at the end of the day, it’s probably around two or three per cent in terms of the cost that will be imposed on them,” Mr Williamson told Radio 6PR.

SOLUTIONS To counter the amount of contaminated material mixed in with recyclables in yellow-top bins, WA Environment Minister Stephen Dawson has forecast a government-funded public advertising campaign as to what can, and cannot, be placed in the bins. He’s also indicated his own preference for councils to adopt a three-bins policy.

as road base had been rendered unworkable by cost-inhibiting conditions imposed by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulations, he said.

“The conditions included non-mandatory conditions as well — it was destined for doom from that moment on,” Mr Markham said.

He’s called on the McGowan Government to widen the parameters and mandate the use of 15-20 per cent of recycled material in all roads.

The WA Waste Strategy, which aims to divert 75 per cent of concrete and demolition waste from landfill by 2020, is currently under review but it reveals that the amount of waste being recovered in WA has been steadily growing, probably thanks to increasing landfill levies.

“The strict requirements have created a double whammy impact on local recycling collectors — higher costs and lower prices” The minister stopped short of branding it a ‘recycling crisis’ last month but said he was working with his national counterparts to find solutions. He said he’d already had queries from Thailand and Indonesia as to whether WA could become a viable supplier but he encouraged WA business to step in.

Dawson says he doesn’t want to see a situation where collectors start pushing their material to landfill, so he’s encouraging WA business to find solutions.

“I’d like to see industry here and we’re looking at things like innovation grants to see if there are opportunities to get small business, or medium business, off the ground so we can do more in Australia and re-use and recycle here,” Dawson said.

The idea is supported by collectors, who agree there are local opportunities to develop new streams of business.

“One opportunity is that intermediate step — the cleaning and pelletising of the plastics,” one said. “Anyone who is a plastic manufacturer, locally, can then buy that product direct.”

However, he said the challenge was convincing WA businesses, local authorities and householders to use recycled products.

ROAD BASE BLOCK There’s another big issue for recycling in WA — and that involves concrete and demolition waste, which makes up about 50 per cent of the state’s manufactured waste.

Capital Recycling’s Managing Director David Markham said WA had the most unworkable restrictions in the country.

State Government incentive payments to local councils and private contractors to use waste

However, WA still performs poorly when compared with other states and territories.

It confirms a low take up of recycled concrete and demolition waste products — in particular, road base.

However, it says that while local government would be a prime candidate for the product, the problem is a lack of accurate information about the suitability and performance of the recycled material, as well as a view that it’s more expensive than raw materials.

It says there’s business uncertainty as to the

conditions of use and unfamiliarity with different operational techniques that may be required to use the material.

Markham maintains that the harsh restrictions are the problem.

“They’ve taken stuff out of New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria and made them the most unworkable (laws) in the country,” he said.

WA, he said, was lagging other states and territories and it was hard to change the mindset from using natural resources.

“It’s easier and nobody gets into trouble buying virgin material. But trying to get people to change is very hard here in WA,” Markham said.

“Our product is actually cheaper than the natural resources,” he added.

Upon the Auditor General’s recommendation, last year’s Budget earmarked $50,000 for a consultant to determine the needs for a recycled products policy that would encourage thier use in the community.

Its uses for the more unusual products — such as salt-laden sludge from WA’s sea water desalination plants — that seek innovation.

Ideas are being rewarded in Europe, with the first Plastics Recycling Awards held in The Netherlands last month.

Electronics manufacturer Grundig won the Product of the Year category, with its vacuum cleaner made from recycled waste electricals.

The awards, themselves, were true to the cause. Its trophies were 3D printed from 100 per cent recyclable car dashboards, while the top award was cut from compressed clean-up bottle caps — of course.

GOVERNMENTS CONTINUE RECYCLING PUSH The McGowan Government is working towards job creation around recycling.

From mid next year, WA is set to introduce a 10 cent buy-back scheme for eligible bottles and cans, which is expected to generate about 500 jobs at new container sorting and processing facilities.

In April, the Government announced it had amended regulations to ensure that landfill sites that accepted only clean fill and uncontaminated fill were exempt from a waste levy, predicting that use of clean fill would promote recycling.

“This decision provides certainty, minimises regulation and promotes recycling of materials that would otherwise be waste,” said State Environment Minister Stephen Dawson.

Meanwhile, through a Waste Avoidance and Resource Recovery Account, businesses, community groups and local governments can apply for a $1 million grant to develop projects to divert waste from landfill.

Waste Authority WA has prepared a paper to look at opportunities to improve the state’s waste and recycling performance.

The Federal Government’s latest National Waste Report, released in June last year, said that the financial viability of recycling was constrained by big distances between collection points and recycling markets.

Environment ministers at the latest COAG meeting agreed to a target that 100 per cent of Australian packaging be recyclable, compostable or reusable by 2025 or earlier, mirroring similar targets overseas.

Meanwhile, WA’s first waste-to-energy facility is moving ahead, after Phoenix Energy carried out geotechnical drilling for its long-delayed $400 million Kwinana project.

Plans, which have been 10 years in the pipeline, are for the facility to use up Perth’s residential rubbish to fuel generation of electricity for up to 65,000 households.

(Full story page 30)

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 17

SUSTAINABLE SAVINGS

Packed to the rafters with

GREEN IDEAS

An increasing number of new home buyers are seeking sustainable housing and communities — and property developers are offering solutions HAMISH HASTIE

I

n a cutthroat market where price has always been king, a growing number of new homebuyers are placing more emphasis on sustainability — and developers are meeting their needs.

From planning to construction, more and more developers are ensuring they preserve existing bushland, regenerate waterways, plant water-wise plants and provide plenty of public open space.

Some developers are even offering grants for energy-efficient homes.

LandCorp, for example, is heavily involved in several sustainability focused and award-winning estates, including Carine Rise, Alkimos Beach and Satterley’s Allara in Perth’s north and White Gum Valley in Perth’s south.

Alkimos Beach was the first project in Australia to be awarded a 6-star Green Star Communities rating.

And its White Gum Valley project achieved endorsement as a One Planet Community by international charity trust Bioregional, which aims to create and deliver practical solutions for sustainability. The organisation’s endorsement for the White Gum Valley development was a first for WA, second for Australia and eleventh in the world.

The development met the trust’s One Planet principles, which include net zero carbon

18 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

buildings, reduction in waste generation, best practice water conservation and native biodiversity.

LandCorp CEO Frank Marra says WA is on the cusp of a new wave of thinking in the way communities are developed.

“Good design and affordable housing will always be in demand,” he says. “Combining both of these criteria is the new challenge and one we are excited about addressing.

“There are a number of underdeveloped pockets of metropolitan Perth where infill will ultimately provide new housing solutions and generate economic and employment growth.”

Peet Lakelands Estate

The survey identified 90 per cent of buyers who were familiar with the sustainability design guidelines felt they contributed to better quality building and design outcomes in their neighbourhood.

Sixty seven per cent felt they contributed a great deal to better outcomes.

Of the 45 purchasers who received a sustainability package, which included smart home rebates, 76 per cent believed it was very or extremely important in their decision to purchase a block.

Marra says it strives to obtain EnviroDevelopment certification, waterwise

“WA is on the cusp of a new wave of thinking in the way communities are developed” — LandCorp CEO Frank Marra Marra says LandCorp promotes sustainability through its design guidelines and does its best to encourage home owners to think about climate responsive design including orientation, ventilation and solar access.

A recent LandCorp survey of 100 people who bought their residential properties last year, found sustainability was a major priority for prospective landowners.

accreditation and Master Builders smart waste zone accreditation.

“Alkimos Beach water initiatives result in a 20 per cent reduction in potable water use,” he says.

Transport is also a big aspect of sustainability: “Reducing reliance on cars will play a significant role in achieving true triple bottom line sustainability outcomes.

“Access to good transport, amenity and

SUSTAINABLE SAVINGS

INDUSTRIAL SUSTAINABILITY

employment are important factors and will be addressed through transit orientated developments and Metronet, which will open up opportunity for greater housing diversity and reduce reliance on cars.”

Peet is one of those developers that have seen the benefits of sustainability and have implemented best practice standards at communities like The Village at Wellard, Lakelands estate north of Mandurah and Shorehaven at Alkimos.

Peet Managing Director and CEO Brendan Gore says competition in an increasingly demanding market will only intensify the commitment developers already make to the social and environmental features.

“Today’s modern community — including homebuyers — expect sustainability principles to be integrated into new property developments and the industry itself sets the standard at a high level,” he says.

“The growing and highly vexing issue of affordability is driving the creation and delivery of new and highly innovative housing options — a diverse range of housing choices from apartments and townhouses through to low-maintenance homes and traditional family-style residences on a variety of lot sizes in a range of locations within quality, master-planned communities.

“Other issues like the increasing cost of energy and water is also driving the design of passive solar homes and the inclusion of features, such as solar panels and grey

water recycling.” Gore says economic, social and environmental sustainability are key considerations throughout the development process — from acquisition of land right through planning, construction, marketing and community development and activation.

“Sustainability priorities evident across Peet communities include the protection, restoration and enhancement of wetlands and bushland, passive solar design, water-wise initiatives, energy efficiency, community engagement, access to public transport and the establishment of walkable neighbourhoods,” he says.

“Environmental conservation and sustainability are ingrained in the overall design of our communities — in the way the homesites are positioned to maximise their energy efficiency, the way natural water and run off is addressed, how public open spaces are planned and maintained, and local flora and fauna is protected.”

Satterley’s Allara development is leading the way in terms of sustainability and one of its features is the clever lifestyle bundle to help property buyers build an energy-efficient home.

Allara development manager Carl Buckley says each home is provided with a package of products that allowss residents to live sustainably.

The bundle includes energy efficient heating/cooling, smart energy meters, waterwise landscaping (including a smart irrigation controller), LED lighting, security alarms and solar power.

The sustainability shift isn’t just focused on residential estates. Industrial areas are getting some love too.

LandCorp CEO Frank Marra says it uses sustainability accreditation to help drive improvement in its industrial estates.

Recently, the Rockingham Industry Zone was the largest industrial estate in Australia to be certified by EnviroDevelopment, a scientifically-based assessment scheme that certifies outstanding performance across four or more criteria: ecosystems, waste, energy, materials, water and community.

“Design guidelines require climateresponsive design for buildings,” Marra says. “Overall, projected energy consumption is 52 per cent less than a standard industrial development, with every development/tenant required to achieve a minimum 30 per cent improvement (against a reference case).

“Landcorp requires an energy study to be submitted as part of the building license process.”

Marra says similarly at Flinders, which is part of Latitude Industry Zone and the Western Trade Coast, design guidelines require climate-responsive design for buildings.

“To date, they have achieved a 30 per cent reduction target,” he says.

“Design guidelines require energyefficient lighting, minimum 4-star appliances and solar hot water or 5-star gas heat pump. An energy consumption and efficiency plan needs to be prepared.

“We continue to explore and implement similar initiatives and frameworks across all industrial estates.”

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 19

SUSTAINABLE SAVINGS

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(08) 9365 7720 | erconsulting@cciwa.com | cciwa.com 20 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

SUSTAINABLE SAVINGS

Moving to a smarter city The City of Perth is one step closer towards embracing smart technology that will streamline efficiency — saving resources and money

BY SALLY GRANDY

T

he City of Perth has secured $1.3 million in Federal Government funding for four projects that will embrace sustainability and move towards a ‘smart city’ using advanced connected systems and smart technology.

The Government funding was secured through the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program, which promotes sustainability, productivity and liveability.

Chair of Commissioners, Eric Lumsden, said the $1.3 million in funding — which matched the same amount raised by the council — would help the City of Perth move towards a more connected, more informed and data-driven future.

The projects were submitted for funding after consultation with community groups and neighbouring local governments.

A series of workshops were also held to gauge opinion about ideas.

“Those who attended these workshops were briefed on urban challenges and what as a city we wanted to achieve and the benefits the projects would deliver to our community and citizens,” said Lumsden.

HI-TECH IRRIGATION One of the projects is the Smart Irrigation Project Trial — an innovative ecosystem which aims to dramatically reduce the amount of money spent on watering costs.

“At the moment, the City of Perth uses traditional time-based watering schedules —

but new technology aims to only water plants when it’s required.”

“The new irrigation system will have the capability to operate at the optimum time.”

“Each plant will get the right amount of water it needs to maximise absorption and minimise water waste, Lumsden said.

With the decline in rainfall in Perth and WA, along with the annual mean temperatures rising, conserving water will continue to be a priority over the coming decades.

“It’s exciting that the science used in the state’s agriculture sector can be implemented in urban areas for enhanced environmental outcomes,” Deputy Lord Mayor Dr Jemma Green said.

The sustainability projects and the savings obtained will be posted on an online dashboard to be shared with other local authorities and communities. The idea is to share knowledge so people can easily find out about the effectiveness of irrigation technology and schemes such as bin sensors, which detect when they are full and need emptying.

“This Smart Sustainability Dashboard Project provides flexible, scalable and uncomplicated reporting for the community and others to see”, Lumsden said.

MINIMISING DISRUPTION Smart technology will also be used at the Optus Stadium to establish the impact this venue, which can hold 60,000 people, will have on the community. It’s the third largest stadium in Australia and council officials are keen to

see whether this megastructure will affect the neighbourhood with excessive light and noise.

“We will be using multiple sensors and a CCTV system to monitor and manage community impact and mass gatherings within the city close to Perth Stadium,” Lumsden said.

“This smart precinct and CCTV project trial will make us more aware of security and, in turn, will reduce response times for any incidents. If this is a success, then we can replicate these systems elsewhere.”

GREEN POLICY The grants for Perth City couldn’t have come at a better time.

The city will be unveiling its new sustainability policy in a few months and is sending out a clear message that saving energy and resources is a top priority.

“These projects, which have to be completed by 2019, will mean we will become a more streamlined and efficient local government, which in turn will lead to a better investment of ratepayers’ money,” Lumsden explains.

It’s no surprise the Federal Government is sinking millions into these projects. Advanced, connected devices and systems — aimed at improving efficiency — mean the people of Perth can look forward to enjoying a better environment and quality of life.

BLOCKCHAIN TECHNOLOGY The City of Perth’s Smart City Projects were among 52 projects throughout Australia. Curtin University also secured a grant from the Federal Government which, together with its own contribution, amounted to over $8.2 million.

This is to be invested into blockchain technology, a digital ledger which will demonstrate the benefits of integrating technology to improve water and energy efficiencies.

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 21

SUSTAINABLE SAVINGS

Golden time to invest in solar Businesses are embracing cheaper solar panel systems for lower electricity bills

BY SALLY GRANDY

T

he uptake of solar panel systems has risen dramatically as prices continue to fall against increasing electricity rates.

Figures from solar energy consultancy SunWiz reveal that sales of solar energy systems jumped by a massive 50 per cent from 2016 to 2017.

Solargain CEO Dominic Mercuri said things had come a long way compared with six years ago, when the cost of photovoltaic systems were high.

“Each year, the cost of the PV systems, panels and inverters gets cheaper — so it’s more affordable. Plus, there’s the value of savings it provides as electricity prices creep up. It’s a smart choice to make,” he says.

And it’s a choice that more businesses appear to be taking as greater commercial viability becomes a reality. For most firms, solar energy systems paid for themselves within five years,

Mercuri said. Energy-hungry companies that used electricity 24/7 obtained about 30 per cent of their energy needs through solar panels.

Acceptance of solar panel systems has included banks, which see solar assets as an investment that pays dividends and are offering financing options.

Commercial property investors have also begun using solar panels as they see it as an attractive financial proposition. And landlords are realising they can get revenue from their roof as well as their floorspace.

Solargain commercial manager Deana Cesari said vegetable growers were high adopters of solar panel systems to power large refrigerators 24/7. One of the company’s original customers, for example, had a 100kW system installed to power her refrigerators.

Wineries have also proven to be big users of solar panel systems. AGL, for example, recently installed a 1.39MW system across three

“Energy-hungry companies that used electricity 24/7 obtained about 30 per cent of their energy needs through solar panel systems”

Barossa Valley sites for winemaker Yalumba, making it the largest solar system installation at an Australian winery.

Heritage Fine Chocolates, based in Melbourne, has also enjoyed the sweet rewards of solar energy after installing a 100kW system at its Melbourne factory. About 10 per cent of the factory’s roof space is taken up with 350 solar panels that generate about a third of its electricity needs.

Some companies, like Heritage Fine Chocolates, have chosen not to own the solar panel system. Under a 10-year power purchase agreement, Heritage pays cheaper rates for electricity generated by the system, which is owned by AGL. While there’s plenty of enthusiasm about solar as a low-cost alternative to electricity generated by other sources, battery technology is still not widely considered commercially viable.

“We get a lot of customers who want batteries — solar and batteries are the perfect match because you are levelling out your usage,” says Cesari.

“But batteries are still expensive and take up too much space. In our opinion, they need to come down in price and be more compact.

“For a residential customer, you need the price of storage energy to drop from $700 a kilowatt to $300 dollars per kilowatt hour to make it viable.”

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22 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

DESPATCH BOX

Modelling for

GREEN

The future is bright for the growth of renewable energy in WA, explains Energy Minister Ben Wyatt

W

estern Australia has been blessed with a large, diverse natural environment that makes our state ideally placed to lead the nation in the development and rollout of renewable energy technology.

The benefits of renewable energy are well known and undisputed. They reduce the impact of climate change, help our state meet its obligations under the Federal Government’s Renewable Energy Target and, importantly, help reduce the cost of electricity for consumers.

Renewable energy also represents a significant area of future job growth, something this government is firmly committed to securing.

Governments, businesses and individuals are all embracing the opportunities that investing in renewable technology provides. Over the past decade, we have seen huge growth in the renewable energy sector, particularly in the rapid increase in the uptake of rooftop solar.

As with all disruptive technologies, the significant growth in renewable energy requires a great deal of creative thinking from governments and industry in order to capitalise on the opportunities it provides, while also ensuring the security and reliability of supply we currently enjoy in Western Australia continues.

The McGowan Labor Government is committed to investing in and supporting renewable energy. Within six months of coming into office, we announced that Synergy would be collaborating with private investors to develop significant renewable energy projects across the state, through the expansion of Greenough River Solar Farm and the refurbishment of the Albany Grasmere Wind Farm.

This joint venture represents one of the biggest renewable energy developments in Western Australia’s history, and does so in way that has a minimal impact on the state’s bottom line.

We have also progressed the Albany Wave Technology Research Project and pre-feasibility studies for a solar, biomass and pumped hydro demonstration project to help secure the future of Collie and surrounding regions.

The research and development of new technologies will become increasingly important as we work to fill the void left by old, coal-fired power stations as they reach the end of their operational lives and retire. I want to see Western Australia become a major force in technology development, to help drive job creation and economic diversification, particularly in regional WA. We have also seen significant investment from the private industry in the renewables sector.

APA’s Emu Downs Solar Farm has come online in the past few months, and there is a significant pipeline of projects that will be commissioned over this term of government.

Of course, the significant changes to the state’s generation mix creates a number of challenges for government in the management of a secure and reliable electricity supply.

Renewable energy can lead to difficulties in balancing the frequency and stability of the grid, as well as altering its load profile.

The intermittent nature of renewables requires more adjustments to maintain the stability of supply, putting stress on traditional generators who are seeing an increase in the need to adjust their output. This increases wear, shortening the operational lives of many

generation assets. As rooftop solar increases, we are also starting to see a trough in demand during the day followed by an extended peak.

This presents market-based challenges where rules and mechanisms were never designed for such a pattern of supply and demand.

The shift from traditional power generation to renewables also presents a need to transition workers in the energy sector and ensure they have the opportunity to expand and adapt their skills to remain employable.

The Government is aware of these challenges and the need for proper forward planning to ensure that we respond adequately.

To make the best decisions, the Government needs to understand the likely changes to the type, proportion and location of different kinds of generation and storage as this will have implications for the overall management of the electricity system and for wholesale electricity costs and prices for consumers.

I have instructed the Public Utilities Office to undertake modelling of the future generation mix in the South West Interconnected System (the South West grid) for the next 20 years. The modelling will provide information to Government that will be used to anticipate risks to security, reliability or affordability of electricity supply, and to consider any necessary changes to policy or market settings.

It will also be used to assess the Federal Government’s proposed National Energy Guarantee and other possible emissions reduction or renewable energy policy that may be applied to Western Australia The future of renewable energy is bright and exciting, and I look forward to seeing the opportunities that it will continue to bring.

Ben Wyatt is the State Treasurer; Minister for Finance; Energy and Aboriginal Affairs.

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 23

DESPATCH BOX

Smarter living for city dwellers When Malcolm Turnbull became Prime Minister, he made cities a key focus of the Australian Government. Paul Fletcher explains how the focus is playing out

F

or the first time under a federal Coalition government, Malcolm Turnbull appointed a Minister for Cities. And he launched the Smart Cities Plan — a plan to position our cities to succeed in the 21st Century economy through the use of City Deals negotiated with state, territory and local governments.

Liveable, vibrant cities are critical to our prosperity.

After all, 64 per cent of us live in our five biggest cities; 84 per cent of us live in our 21 biggest cities; and almost 90 per cent of us live in cities or towns — one of the highest rates of any country in the world.

Our cities are not just where most of us live.

They are also where most economic activity occurs — 80 per cent of economic activity is generated in our eight capital cities and they account for two thirds of employment.

Improving the functioning and efficiency of our cities is important for many reasons.

One of the ways we’re achieving this goal is through City Deals, and in April, we committed along with the Western Australian Government to negotiate a City Deal for Perth.

The Perth City Deal will leverage the investment of both governments in Metronet, an ambitious plan to connect Perth’s suburbs, reduce congestion and meet Perth’s future planning needs by investing in new public transport infrastructure and services and planning for new urban communities. This aligns strongly with the objectives of our Smart Cities Plan.

Another way we’re achieving this goal is through our $50 million Smart Cities and Suburbs Program. This program encourages and supports local government, businesses and research organisations to develop and implement projects that use smart technology to solve local problems.

Round one of the program supported 49 projects, including seven from WA, and the roll-out of a wide range of technologies across four target areas: smart infrastructure, smart precincts, smart services and communities and smart planning and design.

One of those projects, led by Curtin University and to which we’ve provided $2.5 million, uses block chain technology to establish an integrated power, water and mobility system comprising renewable energy generation, battery storage, recycled and rainwater storage and distribution and an electric vehicle shared ownership trial.

employment zones along the Metronet extension are planned and developed to maximise employment and community outcomes.

We expect to support more of these sorts of projects in Western Australia as we roll out round two of the program.

Each project supported by the Smart Cities and Suburbs Program is an opportunity for all cities and suburbs across Australia to adapt these smart solutions to their own communities.

The collaboration between local governments, industry, research organisations, tech start-ups and manufacturers in cities and towns across Australia also supports the growth of emerging industries and the development of a strong domestic digital technology sector, positioning Australian companies to service the fast growing international smart cities market.

The Turnbull Government is also using its record $75 billion investment in infrastructure to fund smart solutions for our roads.

As part of our $10 billion investment in infrastructure across Western Australia, we’re funding Perth’s first Smart Freeway.

The $47 million Kwinana Freeway Smart Freeway project will use technology to create an additional lane by converting the emergency

“80 per cent of economic activity is generated in our eight capital cities and they account for two thirds of employment” The project aims to show how integrating various technology platforms can deliver energy and water efficiency outcomes.

Another project, led by the City of Perth and to which we’re contributing $1.3 million, will trial smart irrigation in public parks and we’ve also committed $490,000 to trial a driverless electric shuttle in Perth.

We’re also contribut-ing $500,000 to a University of Western Australia project which will use real-time patronage and station use data to transform the way Perth rail station precincts and

24 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

lane from Canning Highway to the Narrows Bridge into a full-time traffic lane.

The high-tech components of this project are expected to deliver journey time savings of up to 10 minutes for freeway road users travelling from Roe Highway to the city.

The technology being used here has proven successful around the world for managing congestion, improving safety and getting the most out of existing infrastructure.

Our cities are changing and our population is growing. But Western Australians can be confident that the Turnbull Government has a clear focus on making our cities and suburbs better places to live and work.

Paul Fletcher is the Federal Urban Infrastructure and Cities Minister.

CCI COURSE CALENDAR JANUARY - DECEMBER 2019

Course

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

July

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Duration

Member

NonMember

2

1

$544.50

$654.50

1

$544.50

$654.50

3

1

$544.50

$654.50

10

1

$544.50

$654.50

1

$544.50

$654.50

1½

$874.50

$984.50

EMPLOYMENT LAW FUNDAMENTALS Employment Law Fundamentals Part 1: The Basics

11

Employment Law Fundamentals Part 2A: HR is your responsibility

1 19

Employment law Fundamentals for Payroll Professionals

12 8

9

5 16

18

8 4

14

6 2

SPECIALIST ER COURSES Enterprise Agreements

11

26

2

Workplace behaviour and investigations

25

10

16

2021

Managing the Poor Performer

1213

1112

OSH AWARENESS FOR BUSINESS Safety for supervisors

18

6

5

4

1

$544.50

$654.50

Model Work Health and Safety Laws

19

7

6

5

½

$385.00

$495.00

Safety Representatives Refresher

7

Introduction to Safety

17

3

10

17

1

$385.00

$495.00

10

25

9

1

$544.50

$654.50

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Phone: (08) 9365 7500 All courses are conducted at CCI’s head office located at 180 Hay Street, East Perth.

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 25

BUDGET 2018

Outlook good as governments reduce spending

CCI has praised the state and federal budgets, with both having the potential to boost business confidence

T

he WA business community welcomed the Federal Government’s budget that it says will boost jobs and business confidence.

But it warned that spending restraint must continue because the global economic growth that underpins the positive Budget outlook is not guaranteed.

The Government’s savings measures and a stronger economic outlook will put the Budget back in surplus a year earlier than forecast — $2.2bn in 2019-20 — and a forecast reduction in net debt of $21.7bn by the end of the forward estimates.

“Reining in spending to reduce net debt must, however, remain a priority for the Federal Government, with the interest repayments to service this debt costing taxpayers $12bn per year,” CCI CEO Chris Rodwell said.

This year’s Federal Budget confirmed Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s commitment to allocate $3.2bn to crush WA congestion, allowing travellers to get home quicker and safely.

Treasurer Scott Morrison said it forms part of the Federal Government’s 10-year rolling infrastructure plan to bust congestion in cities, make rural roads safer and get products to market.

The initiative is also forecast to generate

26 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

thousands of jobs over the next few years as WA’s road and rail network pushes further north, south and east.

Rodwell said the infrastructure package would go a long way toward addressing WA’s infrastructure needs and underpin future economic growth and productivity.

“Building an efficient transport network with improved road and rail infrastructure will provide a huge productivity boost for WA industry,” he said.

“It’s also a vote of confidence in the Government’s Metronet project that will create hundreds of jobs and stimulate economic growth.”

Turnbull’s joint deal with the McGowan Government allocates a combined $5.4bn to build new infrastructure, but is still subject to business cases for major projects such as the much-anticipated Metronet rail extension from Morley to Ellenbrook.

One of WA Labor’s key pre-election promises, the Ellenbrook line, is expected to start construction next year after the Federal Government said it would stump up $500m — about half of the estimated project cost.

It remains uncertain when the first trains will begin rolling, with the McGowan Government

yet to specify where it will find its share of construction costs for Ellenbrook and other key Metronet projects.

Morrison’s budget confirmed $241m of Federal funding for the extension of the Armadale line to Byford, $83m for the relocation of Midland Station, $2m for a business case on a station at Lakelands near Mandurah, and a further $226m support “other Metronet-related projects”.

The Federal coffers also flowed money for WA road projects, highlighted by a $560m commitment to fund stages 2 and 3 of the Bunbury Outer Ring Road, $581m for the long-awaited southern extension of the Tonkin Highway and other works along the highway.

Up north, $108m was committed to help extend the Mitchell Freeway from Hester Avenue to Romeo Road.

The entire infrastructure package will help to connect the fast-growing areas of the north and south of Perth and improve key freight routes.

WA agriculture also received a boost from the deal with the $400m Myalup-Wellington Dam desalination and irrigation project near Collie effectively green-lighted by $140mm in Federal funding and a concessional loan of up to $50m.

Healthcare was another winner, with the Federal Government’s $188.9m GST top-up payment allocated to hospital projects, including $158m towards the Joondalup Health Campus expansion.

Small businesses welcomed the confirmation

BUDGET 2018

that the small business $20,000 instant asset write-off would be extended for another 12 months to June 30 next year.

STATE REINS IN SPENDING Two days after the Federal budget was handed down, CCI congratulated the State Government on its confirmation it is on track to achieve a surplus by 2020-21and is forecast to spend $2.8bn less over the forward estimates.

Maintaining a surplus for 2020-21 and reducing net debt was the highest priority recommendation from CCI. The State Government has confirmed it would continue to review the sale of Landgate and the TAB. “Recycling assets will allow the Government to pay down debt and invest in new infrastructure that will create jobs and ensure WA’s skilled workforce remains in the state,” Rodwell said.

“We encourage the Government to continue to review all State-owned assets for sale, including Western Power, which if partially sold would wipe almost $11bn off net debt.

The State Government announced $750m over the forward estimates for Metronet and $15.3m for the establishment of Infrastructure WA to drive a long-term strategic approach to planning and the prioritisation of infrastructure across WA. “CCI has long called for an independent infrastructure body to provide transparency and

certainty to industry around the State’s pipeline of works and their timing to ensure businesses can plan their investments, manage their workforce, and retain critical specialised skills within the state,” Rodwell said.

DISAPPOINTMENT FOR TRAINEES CCI said the Government could have done more in the area of skills and development and was disappointed by measures that will inhibit employers’ abilities to train workers such as removing the payroll tax examption for existing workers.

Leading up to the budget, employers told CCI via the Save Our Skills campaign, that removing the payroll tax exemption would affect businesses and put the future workforce at risk.

Treasurer Ben Wyatt reconfirmed the

Government’s plans to introduce a new Grants Scheme but no details have been provided to industry. Rodwell said that’s not good enough and called for greater clarity on the funding beyond July 2019.

Meanwhile, new payroll tax exemption laws passed through parliament the week following the election.

Rodwell said the changes would not aid WA’s bid to diversify its skills and economy with the decision to hurt regional WA, in particular.

Workers there were 1.5 times more likely to undertake VET-based training, compared with metropolitan areas, and regional businesses were already being forced to pay roughly 25 per cent more than their metropolitan counterparts to provide training.

Visit Saveourskills.com.au.

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 27

BUSINESS NEWS

New melting pot A WA aluminium manufacturer is merging its three operations into one site and upping the ante with its new equipment ROBYN MOLLOY

F

rom supplying materials for the Optus stadium façade to artworks at Cottesloe and Border Force Patrol Vessels, Capral Aluminium has left its mark across the state in many ways.

The Australian manufacturer has three centres in WA — Bibra Lake, Canning Vale and Wangara — from which it manufactures and distributes aluminium products.

With over 900 employees across the country, including more than 100 in WA, Capral is set to improve its processes with new equipment and consolidation of its three operations to the Canning Vale site by 2019.

The first major undertaking will be the installation of a vertical powder coating paint line — a state-of-the-art machine imported from Italy.

WA Extrusion Business Manager Aiden Birch says it will be the first vertical paint line of its type in WA. It will replace two horizontal lines and is expected to be up and running by the end of the year.

As part of the consolidation of the three centres into one, 7000sqm will be added to the existing 11,500 sqm Canning Vale facility.

Birch says the consolidation will create greater efficiencies and quicker lead times to meet customer requirements, something that all businesses have to do to remain competitive in increasingly tight markets.

Capral’s existing 7-inch extrusion press —

28 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

also the only one in the state — can produce sections up to a circumscribing circle diameter of 160mm for use in window, door and other building products.

The Canning Vale manufacturing plant produces up to 8000 tonnes each year, depending on orders, with the majority supplied to WA companies. Up to 80 per cent of what is manufactured at the Canning Vale plant goes into residential and commercial developments.

“Up to 80 per cent of what is manufactured at the Canning Vale plant goes into residential and commercial developments” Birch says that with a flat housing and commercial market, he’s not expecting a significant improvement until 2020, with business dropping down a few notches over the last few years — a common theme for many WA companies.

“Until the beginning of 2016 it was very busy.

Then in March 2016 there was a downturn in market activity,” he says.

From ships to artworks, supplies of Capral aluminum are used for diverse purposes across WA.

“We think it’s bottomed out and will eventually start to pick up. We’re going okay, and it could have been worse. We didn’t have any redundancies. We have a labour hire component so we flex up and down, depending on requirements.”

Capral’s State Manager Industrial Products Nigel Williamson, who is based at the Bibra Lake distribution centre, says his workplace is like a ‘supermarket for aluminium’, stocked with products manufactured by Capral across the country.

“We are a major supplier to ship and boat builders in WA, large or small. Our major market segments are marine, transport, sheet metal, signage and original equipment manufacturing,” he says. The company has been supplying WA’s shipbuilding giant Austal with aluminium components for over 25 years.

Up to 25 per cent of sales from the distribution centre are exports with much of that driven by WA expats, particularly in the marine industry.

“Naval architects from companies here will branch out to shipyards in countries such as Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines and then — because we have such a good product and value adding base to service Austal — that flows to other areas,” Williamson says.

“We manufacture the extrusions in Australia, import and process plate and send it all back overseas in kit form, which they can then weld together.”

Capral aluminium is not just a construction material. It’s also the object of art, used by artists at the famous Sculptures by the Sea exhibition in Cottesloe, as well as across Perth in urban art projects which have become an expected part of any new development in recent years.

And next time you sit down at Optus Stadium, take a look under your seat — each one is mounted on a piece of Capral aluminium. The illusion of wood on the exterior of Perth’s newest landmark — that’s anodised aluminium from Capral too.

BUSINESS NEWS

Awash with orders There’s a hot market washing across the country for degreasing machines made by a Kewdale company HAMISH HASTIE

M

anufacturing in WA is alive and kicking, despite taking some hits in the past two decades.

The sector accounted for 5 per cent of gross state product in 2016-17 and in March was employing 85,000 people — a slight increase from March 2017 — and only 10,000 employees fewer than the mining sector.

Littered throughout Perth’s industrial areas, there are workshops pumping out all manner of items from contact lenses to heavy machinery parts.

One of those personifying the resilience of the sector is Hotwash Australia.

Hotwash’s team of engineers and welders design, manufacture and distribute industrial degreasing machines in the Kewdale premises.

Their products are bought by all manner of industries and businesses of every size.

One week they could be making small basins for mechanics’ workshops and the next putting together a huge washer for a giant mining company.

Technical Sales and Service Manager Jim McDonald started manufacturing parts washers and other workshop products 40 years ago.

He’s seen the ups and downs of the manufacturing sector and has managed to navigate his businesses to success despite the downs.

“I had a precision engineering company before this and that ran for about 15 years. Hotwash has been going for about 10,” he says.

“The previous business had a wide product range selling into a specific market. That market then matured and dried up and we moved into this one.

“Now we’re selling a small range of equipment

JOHN AND TIM SCOTT JOINT GENE RAL MANA GERS

into a very big market. It’s 1000 times bigger than what the old market was.

“Washing parts was a side avenue but if we hadn’t made the change we would have closed.”

McDonald says a shift in focus to the eastern states helped the company weather the resources downturn.

“It hasn’t really affected us because we sell nationally. We’re not just restricted to WA. “What we do is very specialised, so 80 per cent of our products go over east anyway.”

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JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 29

BUSINESS NEWS

Curtin Uni helps to commercialise ideas

A

range of innovative products were unveiled recently by emerging businesses in the Curtin University community looking to commercialise their ideas.

Among the ideas was a novel integrated solar photovoltaic and thermal panel that generates electricity and heat, software that uses statistical data to prevent cyberattacks, and a platform to quicken the home-buying process.

The event was the culmination of a free 10-week course called Curtin Accelerate that provided teams of Curtin students, staff and alumni with support and guidance to commercialise their business ideas.

Curtin University Director of Commercialisation, Rohan McDougall, said Accelerate — part of a pipeline of programs to support innovation and entrepreneurship at Curtin University — provided mentoring, seed funding and access to networks that assist early-stage business growth.

The program provided each team with $5000 in grant funding as well as structured mentoring,

networking and practical advice on establishing and growing a successful start-up business.

Teams were also given use of co-working space, meeting rooms, IT infrastructure and had access to key industry contacts and networks, including commercialisation experts, investors and potential partners.

The integrated solar photovoltaic and thermal panel achieved a 300 per cent boost in energy output from a typical solar panel, in terms of electrical and thermal output. It reduced the complexities of existing photovoltaic-thermal systems while giving consumers greater flexibility in the way they use the heat generated.

Other applications for the technology include harvesting rain water, capturing atmospheric condensate and district heating.

Staff from the School of Electrical Engineering, Computing and Mathematical Science created software to prevent cyber-attacks similar to the attack on the Australian Census website in 2017.

They harnessed powerful statistical techniques to identify and filter malicious traffic, while keeping the online service running.

Phoenix set to rise?

A

ustralia’s first waste-to-energy facility looks to be inching closer after Phoenix Energy carried out geotechnical drilling for its long-delayed $400 million Kwinana project.

Phoenix, which has spent nearly a decade planning the project, has forecast 800 construction jobs and full-time operational roles at Kwinana.

The company was expected to begin mobilising crews last month after a pre-Christmas announcement said it was dealing with Spain’s Acciona and French multinational Veolia.

Phoenix and co-sponsor Macquarie were seeking a deal with the European consortium to design, construct and operate the Kwinana facility, which aims to begin commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2020.

No deal has been announced, but Phoenix’s website reveals that preparatory site investigation was carried out in the first quarter, with bores drilled at key points across the Leath Road site.

Rock and soil samples will provide information to inform design of foundations that will support the heaviest elements of the plant, it says.

Groundwater pumping tests were also carried out, seen as important preparation for temporary dewatering during construction.

Phoenix is one of two projects looking to generate energy from council waste in Perth’s south that would otherwise go to landfill.

The other is the Hitachi Zosen Inova-led consortium’s Rockingham-based Resource Recovery Facility, which includes Alan Tribe’s Tribe Infrastructure Group as co-developer.

Tribe is a multi-millionaire who made his fortune as an IKEA franchisee in WA and SA. Having sold out of Swedish furniture last year, he is now betting that council waste could turn into a new river of gold as WA’s energy mix shifts increasingly towards renewables.

The $400m project is tipped to start construction in the third quarter of this year.

30 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

A team of Curtin alumni also devised a system that provides on-demand, real-time land data for builders to help quicken the home-buying process. The platform reduces the time and effort involved in finding the perfect place to build a home. The system, called Landguide, has already emerged as one of the largest land listing portals in Western Australia.

A staff member also created a service to make it easier for women to return to work after parental leave. The service aims to help employers to address gaps in their gender equity policies and practices.

To find out more about the Curtin Accelerate program, visit http://research. curtin.edu.au/industry-partners/ commercialisation/accelerate/

BUSINESS NEWS

Sunny days for Mid West renewables Winter may be coming, but the sun is still shining brightly on the Mid West’s renewable energy projects

S

tate Government-owned Synergy has teamed with two giant investment funds to quadruple the capacity of the Greenough River solar farm, about 50km inland from Geraldton.

The $60 million solar panel expansion, to be built by RCR Tomlinson, will be the first investment for Synergy’s new joint venture with Dutch infrastructure fund DIF and Australian super fund Cbus.

Known as Bright Energy Investments, the venture will also refurbish the Albany Grasmere wind farm, while continuing preparatory work on the huge Warradarge project in the Mid West.

Energy Minister Ben Wyatt says the three projects demonstrate the McGowan Government’s commitment to ensuring there is a sustainable plan for the State’s transition to a cleaner energy mix.

“The Mid West is emerging as the epicentre for renewable energy projects in this state, comprising a land area amounting to one-fifth of the size of WA,” he says.

“The region also contains a diverse natural environment, which can be utilised to generate economic opportunities.”

Perth-based RCR expects to start work on Greenough River’s expansion immediately.

The contract includes engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning of the solar farm, which will increase its capacity to 40MW by the second quarter of next year.

Managing Director Paul Dalgleish says RCR is pleased to win the job as it enables

the fast-growing contractor to diversify its traditional offerings in WA while expanding its “ever-increasing footprint of solar projects across Australia”.

“We are seeing increased activity in the renewable energy market in WA and are well placed to service this from our position as a market leader,” Dalgleish says.

gaining access to a pipeline of greenfield renewable assets. “Bright Energy Investments holds development rights for the Warradarge Wind Farm and will now commence the development process for the project,” she says.

Private investment is also flowing into the Mid West, with APA’s $315m Badgingarra wind farm, inland from Cervantes, approaching peak

“The Labor Government is delivering on its plan to ensure that the state meets its 2020 renewable energy commitments” Based on current estimates, Greenough River and the proposed development of Warradarge before 2020 will create about 200 construction jobs in the Mid West.

Wyatt says the Labor Government is delivering on its plan to ensure that the state meets its 2020 renewable energy commitments in such a way that has “minimal impact on taxpayers and contributes to State budget repair”.

Cbus and DIF will collectively hold 80.1 per cent of Bright Energy and Synergy the remainder.

Cbus Head of Infrastructure Diana Callebaut says the joint venture arrangement is a unique opportunity to obtain a portfolio of renewable energy assets with long-term contracts, while

construction levels of about 150 workers ahead of project commissioning early next year.

Meanwhile, Alinta is edging closer to approval for its $600 million Yandin proposal at Dandaragan, which would become the state’s largest wind power generator at 300MW.

WHO TO CALL WA Works is your go-to for updates on supply chain and major project news across five WA sectors — infrastructure, construction, energy, defence and resources. Subscribe today at cciwa.com/wa-works.

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 31

BUSINESS NEWS

Waging war against plastic bags Some of the entries for a competition to design the new range of Coles reusable shopping bags.

W

hen July 1 arrives, you might want to stick a note to the top of your shopping lists: “Don’t forget the reusable shopping bags”.

Thanks to a WA Government ban on lightweight, single-use plastic shopping bags, hundreds of thousands of forgetful shoppers will have to consider buying reusable bags, using cardboard boxes or not using bags at all.

But it’ll all be for a good cause. The WA Government has reported that an estimated five million plastic single-use bags in Western Australian ended up as litter last year, creating a “devastating impact” on marine wildlife and birds. Most were used just once to carry

shopping for an average of just 12 minutes.

In 2014, the CSIRO’s Marine Debris Report found that about three-quarters of rubbish along Australia’s coastline was plastic.

In coastal and offshore waters, most floating debris was plastic.

And, according to the report, the density of plastic in the sea ranges from a few thousand pieces of plastic per square kilometre to more than 40,000 pieces per square kilometre.

Queensland will join WA in the ban on July 1.

The move will bring both states in line with South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory.

However, the WA ban will not impact the use

of heavier reusable bags, dog waste bags, nappy bags or produce (barrier) bags.

Since April 4, the bags have not been available to customers at Woolworths stores in Singleton, South Fremantle and Cottesloe as well as a Coles store in Inglewood.

Coles is also introducing a new range of reusable bags to raise funds for Clean Up Australia, Little Athletics Australia, SecondBite and Guide Dogs Australia.

The winning designs will be applied to four different types of multi-use shopping bags including a shoulder bag, a chiller bag, a tote and a jute bag, with the first series going on sale from World Environment Day on June 5.

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32 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

AUTUMN 2018 WA WORKS 1

MEMBER MESSAGE

Cahoots has grown from a simple idea to help people with disabilities to an innovative agency that helps empower all people, explains CEO Jess Karlsson

I

nitially founded in 1982 by a group of parents, Cahoots (previously known as Kids’ Camps Inc.) provided camping experiences for children with disability and respite for families. Since then, Cahoots has evolved into a person-centred organisation empowering participants — with and without disability — to achieve their goals, especially in improving relationships, community inclusion, health and wellness.

Last year, and after much deliberation, a decision was made to rebrand, keeping in mind the vision and values of Kids’ Camps’ founders, all while remaining connected to our core mission. After a consultative process with staff, volunteers and members, ‘Cahoots’ was launched in February 2017. The change has been a phenomenal success, with the new brand presenting an opportunity for the organisation to continue diversifying and making a positive impact on even more lives.

What makes Cahoots unique is the quantity and diversity of our camping and community services. Currently operating camps and programs across WA, we offer over 3000 camping nights a year and in 2017-18 sponsored more than $50,000 worth of camps for families who needed our support.

Later this year, we will also open our new South West office, expanding our cultural camps and programs for Aboriginal families living in the region, thanks to the support of Lotterywest.

Priding ourselves on customer loyalty, research

using the Net Promoter Score methodology informs us of high levels of satisfaction and retention, with kids who started with us at the age of 5-10 progressing on to our 18+ community inclusion camps.

areas, and we are developing and adapting new revenue raising opportunities to increase the ways we support young people living with disability.

We are working with Impact Seed to deliver workshops to the non-profit sector on impact co-investing. Our goal is to build a universally designed, fully-accessible multi-purpose temporary community centre in WA. We will work with the sector to create a solution to help individuals, organisations and the community in the design and management of this facility.

We believe learning should be interactive, experiential and fun. Cahoots’ Connect is our innovative community-inclusion program which aims to help businesses understand how to engage with and offer meaningful volunteering and employment opportunities for people with disability. Feedback from businesses and local councils involved to date has been incredibly positive.

Cahoots has recently acquired an online platform company. Operating separately from Cahoots, and under the ownership and governance of Kids’ Camps Inc, the platform will provide advice to individuals and families requiring support and services.

Cahoots is working in partnership with another non-profit organisation to research whether creating a new company limited by guarantee, with both partners owning shares, is a better option for this company.

Cahoots values collaboration and, as a reputable NDIS registered provider, has the systems and capability to collaborate with other organisations to provide high

“We offer over 3000 camping nights a year and in 2017-18 sponsored over $50,000 worth of camps for families who needed our support. ” We could not do what we do without our team of volunteers. Last year, we provided lifechanging, experiential learning opportunities to over 300 committed volunteers. We also offer corporate volunteering opportunities to our partners, including Forum Group, which have donated over $40,000 worth of volunteering to support Cahoots.

We have several annual community events, including working with Telethon Community Cinemas and Zenith Central Park Plunge. These alliances are a great way for us to fundraise with a difference. The latter provides people the chance to abseil down the side of Central Park — a distance of 220 metres, making it the world’s highest charity urban abseil!

Innovation is one of our strategic priority

quality services tailored to clients’ needs.

This includes collaborating on the provision of camping services for school groups and people without disability.

Historically, Cahoots has been block funded.

This is unlikely to continue. Therefore, we are transitioning to a fully NDIS-funded model.

Understanding the impact of this, from an organisational and family perspective, is critical — as is communication and support to our families to guide them through this change.

Cahoots is raising revenue through our innovative and entrepreneurial approach to run a profitfor-purpose business, or group of businesses, to ensure they are supported.

The future is bright in Cahoots and we’re proud to share our story as a CCI member.

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 33

MEMBER MESSAGE

SUSTAINABLE

SAVINGS Tips on how sustainable practices make good business sense in some ways you may not have considered

BY LOUIS KENT

T

he benefits of sustainable practices obviously extend beyond financial benefits but businesses can also strive to make sustainable savings. Here are some reasons why your business should care: Save money: Reducing resource consumption will obviously reduce costs. Whether it is electricity, gas, diesel, coal, or renewables — it all costs money.

Reduce input cost risk: Conventional energy sources have volatile prices, a fact not lost on east coast energy users. Reducing consumption, managing load profiles and switching to renewables all reduce the impact of price rises.

Reduce regulatory/compliance risk: Large emitters are already exposed to a carbon price today via the Safeguard Mechanism. This (or a subsequent policy) will almost certainly grow to have a larger impact and broaden to capture more businesses in coming years. Actions to reduce emissions will lessen the impact now and into the future.

Reduce customer risk: Customers of all sizes

are demanding greater sustainability credentials from suppliers. Iconic brands like WalMart, Apple, Google and Tesla are applying pressure on their suppliers to improve the performance of their supply-chain across a range of sustainability measures. This trend is accelerating — to be a supplier of choice, you need to plan to meet such growing expectations.

Workforce engagement: Employees are paying attention to their employer’s values and reputation. Good performance and reputation reduces staff turnover and attracts the best talent.

“Good performance and reputation reduces staff turnover and attracts the best talent” Improve investor relations: Investors recognise the clear potential for long-term value to be impacted. The high-profile wave of divestments that began a couple of years ago were just the beginning — bigger shifts have quietly taken place with less fanfare. BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, has applied pressure to companies to understand and disclose climate risk. Super funds, banks and other institutional investors are similarly moving into a space previously only occupied by ‘activist investors’.

WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES? Renewables are cheap and getting cheaper.

Many small and large businesses have invested in behind the meter (on-site) renewables such as solar, wind turbines, biomass and waste-toenergy. In front of the meter, renewable energy procurement is gaining pace too, where large

34 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

loads and buying groups (of smaller loads) contract directly with a large, off-site renewable energy project.

Efficiency improvements are great preparation prior to an investment in renewables. Audits, improved metering and energy management plans reduce energy bills and also allow your business to size renewables to meet the needs of a more efficient business, reducing capital outlay.

Analysis of your carbon emissions gives further insight into cost risks. Your lowest cost energy sources may carry high carbon price risks. For complex operations, a marginal abatement cost

curve will show where the lowest cost abatement opportunities lie and help prioritise emissions reduction projects.

Target setting and disclosure, internal and external, provides leadership and communicates ambition to employees, decision makers and external stakeholders. Science-based targets cut through policy uncertainty and provide a long-term trajectory to rally behind. In the past, sustainability goals may have been seen as an exercise in branding, optional, or even a distraction from ‘core business’. That culture needs to change to unlock the broad and lasting benefits that flow when sustainable business becomes business as usual.

Louis Kent is a Principal Consultant in Perth with specialist energy and carbon consultancy Energetics.

A

Q &

Megan has been approached by a staff member currently on parental leave. The employee is due to return in a few months and has requested to return on a part-time basis working shorter days to coincide with school hours. The employee was full time immediately before going on parental leave. Megan wants to know if she must accommodate the request.

Employees may request to return to work on a part-time basis and may also request flexible working arrangements in a range of situations. One of these includes where they are a parent and have responsibility for the care of a child who is of school age or younger. This is a right to request, but not an absolute right to return on a part-time or a modified basis and will be incumbent on the business being

CCI ADVICE

YOUR EMPLOYEE QUESTIONS ANSWERED

able to accommodate the request.

In order to request the part time and/or flexible working arrangements option, an employee must put their request to their employer in writing. The employer then has 21 days to respond in writing.

The response should confirm if the request is accepted or denied. Details of reasons for the denial should be included in a written response.

Refusal of such a request must be based on reasonably business grounds, which are outlined in the Fair Work Act 2009. Some of these considerations include: • if the change would be too costly for the employer • if it would be impractical to change the working arrangements of others or recruit new employees to accommodate the request • if the new working arrangements would be likely to result in a significant loss in efficiency or productivity • the changes would be likely to have a significant negative impact on customer services.

WHO TO CALL If you would like more information, please contact CCI’s Employee Relations Advice Centre on (08) 9365 7660 or advice@cciwa. com for FREE*, professional employee relations and human resources advice. *FREE as part of most CCIWA membership packages.

We’ve had an employee charged with an offence unrelated to their employment. What do we do?

In most cases where an employee has not yet been convicted, it is not appropriate to terminate.

However, in some specific cases an employment contract can be terminated where an employee is charged with an offence.

In a case heard by the Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission in July 2015, a teacher employed by a school had been charged with sexual assault. Under the relevant child protection legislation, it was unlawful for a school to continue employing a teacher who has been charged with such an offence. The employer successfully argued that this amounted to a frustration of the employment contract and they could terminate.

This case is especially relevant to employers in industries where their employees may require specific clearances to be able to perform their role. If there are legal impediments to an employee continuing their employment, this can amount to frustration of the employment contract and therefore render the continuation of the employment untenable.

However, in many situations there may be no such impediment, and the charge is not related to the employee’s employment so you should obtain advice before making a decision to terminate.

WHO TO CALL If you would like more information, contact CCI Workplace Consulting on (08) 9365 7746.

If you have a question for one of CCI’s experts, email editor@cciwa.com

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 35

CCI ADVICE

Homeowners, volunteers at risk under new proposal CCI has highlighted serious concerns with the recommendations of an interim report into WA’s Industrial Relations system

“The extension of workplace regulations to home owners would raise fundamental concerns.

“A household cannot sensibly be seen as an employer.”

BY ROBYN MOLLOY AND KEITH BLACK

The interim report has also recommended that the penalties for a breach of the legislation be expanded to increase not only the monetary penalties but also to now include the additional penalty of imprisonment of up to 12 months, which CCI firmly opposes.

This would mean small businesses including sole traders, unincorporated partnerships and unincorporated trusts, as well as homeowners — if deemed employers under the Act — would be at risk of these severe penalties.

P

roposed changes to the definition of an employee could have dramatic consequences for householders and community groups.

The review, among its 73 recommendations, has proposed that the existing exclusion of domestic workers and volunteers from being regarded as employees under the legislation be removed.

This would mean that a person engaged by a private home owner to do domestic work such as cleaning, ironing, weeding and other duties would now be regarded as an employee.

As an employer, the home owner would need to pay award wages, tax, superannuation, workers’ compensation and meet all the requirements of workplace legislation.

This would also result in the private home becoming a workplace.

Volunteers at sporting clubs, community events, arts and crafts festivals etc would

36 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

also be regarded as employees with the same requirements to be met.

This would be ‘unworkable and untenable’, according to the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA, which said the current exclusions for domestic work and volunteers should remain.

In response to the interim report, CCI said in its submission that the change would bring an end to mutual agreements between friends, neighbours and acquaintances for domestic services and impact local communities that rely heavily on volunteers to assist local groups and events.

CCI said the recommendation to have volunteers included as employees would disrupt the estimated $39 billion contribution they make annually to WA communities.

“CCIWA recommends that the State does not seek to include domestic workers as employees, as the consequence of making all households employers, by default, would create unacceptable, impractical and additional regulations that are unnecessary and intrusive into the private home,” CCI’s submission said.

IMPRISONMENT

RIGHT OF ENTRY The interim report also included changes to the right-of-entry provisions under the Act that would be expanded beyond an ‘industrial location’ to include ‘any place where work is or has been performed’.

This would allow the right of entry into private homes at any time, a proposition that CCI says cannot be contemplated because it is not even available to the WA Police Force.

“Consider the ability for the individual entering a private residence to proceed to

CCI ADVICE

a child’s bedroom (even more concerning if children are present in the home), view personal possessions, ‘inspect’ the home and assess activities within the residence,” CCI’s submission said.

CCI believes this recommendation would generate significant public concern, especially given the proposed entry could happen at any time, not just while work is being carried out.

complete autonomy that accompanies freelance work is more attainable than ever. As the benefits of working independently become more apparent, the freelance economy will continue to influence the workforce and the economy.

“Therefore, CCI would submit that the ‘gig’ economy is a description of a manner of work activity that is not new, is broadly encompassing and is not an industry per se.”

“The change would bring an end to mutual agreements between friends, neighbours and acquaintances for domestic services and impact local communities” GIG ECONOMY While CCI would welcome participation in a proposed taskforce to monitor the gig economy, it disputes the review’s definition that such work is ‘new’ or an ‘industry’.

“The gig economy is part of a shifting cultural and business environment,” CCI’s submission said.

“With the arrival of digital freelance marketplaces and high-speed connectivity, the

Gig work is driven by individual choice, for endless reasons in lieu of undertaking traditional employment, its submission says.

MODERNISING STATE AWARDS CCI welcomed the recommendations to modernise and consolidate the currently outdated State awards, ensuring they are written in plain English and are user-friendly for employers.

It also welcomed the range of recommendations that seek to align the IR Act where possible with the Fair Work Act, particularly establishing minimum conditions in the form of State Employment Standards — the same as the National Employment Standards.

These recommendations will go a long way to creating a level playing field, as WA was the only state not to refer its industrial relations powers for private sector employers to the federal system.

While most private sector businesses are now covered by the national industrial relations system, a percentage of mostly small business employees (about 11 per cent) remains covered by the State system.

FINAL REPORT DUE SOON The review was announced on September 22 last year with the interim report released in March. It is expected that the review’s final report will be released later this month.

The State system has not been comprehensively reviewed and updated since 2002, despite the industrial relations and employment environment changing significantly since then.

CCI’s submission can be found at cciwa.com/ advocacy/policy-and-discussion-papers.

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 37

CCI ADVICE

Working around job insecurity A new Bill proposes to provide workers with the ability to request their casual or rolling contract be changed to a secure employment arrangement THOMAS BREEN

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reens MP Adam Bandt recently reintroduced the Fair Work Amendment (Tackling Job Insecurity) Bill 2018 to the House of Representatives, claiming “insecure work is increasingly on the way to becoming the norm and not the exception”.

Under the proposed Bill, either the employee (including prospective employee) or their employee association can request their casual or rolling contract be changed to a ‘secure employment arrangement’. The employer then has 21 days to provide a detailed response stating, whether or not the request is granted.

If the employee is not satisfied with the employer’s response, they can make an application to the Fair Work Commission to grant a secure employment order which may compel

the employer to provide, or to maintain, secure employment arrangements.

Importantly, the Bill provides that a secure employment order may cover not only the employee who requested it, but an entire class of relevant people, including a particular industry or part thereof, a particular type of employment or a particular employer.

While there is not much detail around what constitutes ‘secure employment’, the Bill does require the commission to consider the following when making a secure employment order: they must have regard that “all employees should be entitled to be ongoing employees, unless there are serious countervailing business reasons relating to the specific needs of an employer’s business”.

Should a secure employment order be breached, there are heavy penalties that may apply, including up to 600 penalty units for a serious contravention — which equates to a maximum fine of $126,000.

It should be noted that under the proposed Bill there is an exemption to applying for secure employment if a person is a ‘small business exempt casual’. This is defined as an employee who is employed by a small business employer and the employee has been employed by the employer for a period of less than three months.

While the proposed Bill raises concern for some employers, it should be noted that it is still before the House of Representatives and it is not certain to pass into law. We will provide further updates on this matter as it develops.

WHO TO CALL Thomas Breen is a Senior Employee Relations Adviser for the CCI. For more information, please contact CCI’s Employee Relations Advise Centre on (08) 9365 7660 or email advice@cciwa.com.

Practising the perfect pitch Students from across Perth immersed themselves in business for a day DEBORAH KENNEDY

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he perfect pitch is something many businesses struggle to achieve but for a group of aspiring WA business leaders that’s not going to be a problem.

About 100 Year 10 high school students from around WA gathered at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA last month for its annual ‘Hackathon’ event, where they heard business tips from WA’s 2018 Youth Ambassador, David Castelanelli, and entrepreneur Conor McLaughlin.

Some of the ideas mooted at the session included a greater focus on in-school vocational training as an alternative to TAFE with work

38 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

placement for students within small businesses.

Another suggestion was that employment solutions be integrated long-term into regional areas.

Schools that attended the event included Churchlands Senior High School, Kennedy Baptist College and Bunbury Catholic College.

The theme for the day was: How can industry and business connect better with schools, to increase employment outcomes for youth?

Students were given the 10 most important aspects to any pitch, which included ideas for preparing the all-important business model, as well as outlining the unique value proposition of their plan.

The students workshopped their ideas on reducing youth unemployment before preparing PowerPoint presentations which were pitched to

WA’s Minister for Youth Affairs, Peter Tinley, CCI CEO Chris Rodwell and Youth Affairs Council of WA CEO Ross Wortham.

The winner was team “Job ED”, which pitched the idea of a website to provide Years 9-12 students with essential skills for the workforce, through information and training videos.

It promoted focusing on regional inclusion and reaching out to CCI member businesses.

The winning group will enjoy lunch with the Minister at Parliament House this month.

WHO TO CALL For more information about CCI’s Education Services, contact the team today on (08) 9365 7539 or linda.winter@cciwa.com.

CCI ADVICE

Health, safety and the gig economy The emerging gig economy could change the way industry and regulators maintain effective occupational health and safety and workers compensation frameworks MATT BUTTERWORTH

A

recent CSIRO report has considered the impact of emerging trends on health and safety at work and workers’ compensation over the next 20 years.

The report identified trends, including rising sedentary behaviour at work, blurred boundaries of work and home and the increased capabilities and uptake of automated systems and robotics in addition to the gig and entrepreneurial economy.

It questioned whether current OH&S and WHS regulatory frameworks and workers’ compensation systems adequately address these emerging trends or should they be re-worked to adapt?

In terms of legislation, those who perform services for gig economy platforms (such as Uber, Deliveroo and Airtasker) are, for the most part, considered independent contractors for the purposes of workers’ compensation.

While this varies state by state, independent contractors in Western Australia are not covered unless employed under contract for service and remunerated for such service or personal manual labour.

Gig economy workers can, however, access insurance for personal injury or income protection privately through commercial insurers. This assertion by gig economy platforms was recently tested in the Fair Work Commission as to whether it was able to hear an unfair dismissal application by an Uber driver. In brief, the particulars of the case determined that the driver was an independent contractor and, as such, had no access to general protections claims or unfair dismissal remedies.

Having said that, regardless of the communal responsibilities, the dynamic and changing environments gig economy workers are exposed to means it’s even more important for individuals to take ownership of safety and feel empowered to raise any issues.

This would depend on what are the core business activities of the platform in question.

For platforms such as Airtasker, tasks or ‘gigs’ vary greatly and, as such, effective hazard and risk management would be more difficult.

“Changing environments gig economy workers are exposed to means it’s even more important for individuals to take ownership of safety”

managing the risks by themselves or rely on the customer to manage the risk with perhaps limited ability or knowledge to do so at the point of transaction.

Contrast this to, say, Uber where a more consistent set of risks would be present and therefore easier to manage.

Health and safety risks could be anticipated to be worse in gig work due to the loss of traditional workplace protections, where hazards are identified and controlled more systematically.

However, it would be prudent for platforms to provide education on managing risk and duty of care with provision of appropriate information and instruction to ensure contractor safety.

And the contractors themselves would need to understand that both they and the organisation which engages them have OH&S obligations.

WHO TO CALL So, if, at present, the parameters by which working relationships for the gig economy platforms and its workers have been defined, who then manages the OH&S risks?

Everyone engaged in work has a duty to manage risk. However, it is the employer who has the primary duty.

Hazards that exist in this environment may include manual handling, road traffic safety, interaction with the public, use of household cleaning agents, intensive keyboard activity at poorly-arranged workstations for example.

It would appear on face value that the independent contractors face the task of

Matt Butterworth is a CCI Workplace Consulting Safety and Risk Consultant.

For further information about this and any workplace safety management contact CCI’s Safety and Risk Services on 08 9365 7415 or osh@cciwa.com.

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 39

CCI ADVICE

Future managers off to a flying start Macmahon Holdings has hired its 500th trainee through Apprenticeship Support Australia, a program powered by CCI TIM TREVENEN

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acmahon Training Coordinator Claudia Carsten-Stronach said ASA was an enormous benefit to the mining service providers apprenticeship program, which was creating its next generation of leaders.

The majority of apprentices trained by Macmahon are mobile plant, HD fitters and mechanics, fabricators and electricians and, to a smaller degree, auto electricians.

“We have a dedicated ASA training contract advisor who comes on site, which has been awesome,” Carsten-Stronach said. “We have also been benefiting enormously from the mentoring the ASA provides.”

“The biggest benefit has been the commitment from ASA to come on site to facilitate contract training sign up. I’ve done that on numerous occasions. We have sites throughout WA including the Pilbara and Goldfields. And they can come into our Perth office to sign up for the training contract.

“We used to have different providers for both apprentices and trainees but we were struggling because one provider had a cap on the training teams.”

Carsten-Stronach said a dedicated ASA mentor also visits sites to provide support to apprentices and trainees in the workshop through face-to-face meetings.

“It provides an opportunity for our apprentices to speak with someone other than their fellow tradesmen,” she said.

anything that is discussed stays in the room.

But sometimes we’ll get a pointer from Paul about working hours and some things that need to be investigated a bit further.”

Macmahon’s dynamic approach to apprenticeships is also reflected in its accelerated apprenticeship program, developed to meeting a major skills shortage driven by increased activity in gold mining.

“We are now offering an opportunity to skilled trades assistants with many years of experience to gain a trade certificate in 24 months,” CarstenStronach said.

“We used this approach in 2015 to fill the skills shortage driven by major LNG projects in Wheatstone and Gorgon. We are now facing something similar. Many workers who came from the eastern states and New Zealand during the

“It is important they have a huge network to support them throughout their apprenticeship” “As an employer, it is important they have a huge network to support them throughout their apprenticeship — they also have their supervisors and they can speak to someone from HR. “We have an employee assistance program in place, which is more available via telephone.

So we really work on the face-to-face opportunities offered by Paul Gannon (ASA mentor support officer).

“This service is really important — times are scheduled for everyone — because

40 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

last boom lost their jobs and went back home. We are now facing the challenge of filling all these spots that we have available.”

However, the accelerated apprenticeship program will take another 24 months to have people ready, so the company has looked overseas to fill immediate vacancies.

“We need people to come in now. We have looked overseas, which is not a popular pathway here. But we don’t know how else to fix it,” she said.

“A team of recruitment advisors went to

the Philippines to interview candidates. They were amazed and impressed by the skills available. So, we have 20 candidates out of 50 — which is positive.

“Unfortunately, that’s how it works because we are mining contractors. Mining owner-operators are able to plan a bit better”.

FREE SERVICE ASA services, which are funded by the Commonwealth Government, provide benefits to both apprentices and employers.

They include: • advice on accredited training packages and appropriate pathways • targeted job matching to connect apprentices and employers • workplace visits to sign up apprentices/trainees and administer the training contract • support for the duration of the apprenticeship or traineeship, including tailored mentoring for those in need of extra guidance • administration of incentives for employers and personal benefits for apprentices.

Over the past 20 years, CCIWA has successfully partnered with more than 30,000 businesses across Western Australia and signed up more than 160,000 apprentices and trainees through the scheme.

Give the Apprenticeship Support Australia team a call on 1300 363 831 or visit cciwa.com

CCI ADVICE

Can’t cut it without apprentices Salon Express Innaloo owner Rose Farcich, a client of Apprenticeship Support Australia, tells why apprentices are the backbone of her business

THE MASTER

THE APPRENTICE

Salon owner Rose Farcich has had 18 years of experience in the industry after starting out as a receptionist in a salon. She’s trained 15 apprentices in the course of her career.

Sarah Masi is a second-year apprentice hairdresser and aspires one day owning her own salon.

What do you do from day to day? I wash hair, apply toners, root colour, blow dry and clean our client’s hair.

What’s the benefit of hiring apprentices/trainees to your business? They are the back bone to the salon. Your business does not run smoothly without having apprentices.

Why did you want to work in this field and how did you find out about the job? I love being in and around the beauty industry.

How hard is it for them to adapt to your work practices when they have no experience? Young apprentices adapt quite quickly due to their willingness to learn.

What’s the most important piece of advice you can pass on to them? Take pride in what you do and always be willing to learn.

What have they taught you? They’ve taught me patience and that it’s never too late to learn new things.

What have they gone on to do after their training? Most of my apprentices have stayed with me and become senior stylists in my salon.

What do you enjoy about your training? I like learning and being able to make people feel good about themselves.

How important are your trainers/bosses? They are extremely important because they make the business run smoothly.

What’s the best piece of advice they’ve given you? Practice makes perfect.

What was the most scary part of starting your training and how did you overcome it? Failure. I overcame it by becoming very thorough in what I do to ensure only minimal mistakes occur while I’m training.

On the road with …. Gail Prosser Gail Prosser is an Industry Training Consultant/Mentor with Apprenticeship Support Australia and is based in Geraldton

M

y area goes right up to Exmouth, across to Meekatharra, back down to Morawa and Three Springs, and down to Cervantes, so it’s basically the Mid-West and Gascoyne.

I’ve been with ASA up here for three years. Being in a rural area, you do the sign ups of new apprenticeships, visits and mentoring so it’s a busy job and, covering such a big patch, my day is always varied.

On Tuesday this week, I left Geraldton around 7am and was driving into the sun, so I had to be careful. I did some business development and apprentice visits in some towns along the way and then spent the night in Meekatharra. The next morning, I had to be out at a mine site about 200km north.

I was doing a sign-up, organising a contract for the apprentice to sign.

Then I drove back to Meekatharra and Mount

Magnet to do some more sign-ups, before heading back to Geraldton. And next week I’m off to Exmouth, so it’s always busy.

I’m driving a lot, so road safety is very important. To avoid fatigue, I ensure I have regular breaks, to stretch my legs. I take plenty of water and I always prepare a journey plan.

Before I leave, I notify my team leader and, also, let them know when I arrive. If I’m visiting a mine site, they’re expecting me so will notify someone if I don’t arrive.

I drive a solid Toyota Prado 4WD which is mine-spec, including a flashing light on top. And it beeps when I reverse.

There are plenty of animals on the road, so I try to avoid driving at sunset. There are all sorts of creatures from sheep and kangaroos, to cattle and emus, as well as dogs, cats and foxes.

Until recently, I hadn’t hit anything for about 20 years and then in one trip up to Meekatharra and back I hit two roos in two days.

I love the people part of my job — seeing the young apprentices start their dream jobs, mature and then qualify into their chosen profession. It’s great.

WHO TO CALL Apprenticeship Support Australia consultants are based all across WA, so no matter where your business is, our team can complete the sign-up of your apprentice/trainee in person at a time convenient for you. Contact the team today on 1300 363 831.

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 41

RESEARCH

No place for homelessness CCI Members are working together on an ambitious plan to wipe out homelessness in WA over the next 10 years DEBORAH KENNEDY

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group including some committed CCI Members has joined forces to help put an end to homelessness in WA through a 10-year action plan.

The Western Australian Homelessness Strategy urges members of the public to donate what they can afford and to sign a petition to register support for efforts to end homelessness in WA by 2028.

Executives, community leaders and CEOs from organisations which include CCI Members Swan Care, UnitingCare West and Anglicare want to move beyond just managing homelessness and hope to end it, once and for all, through coordination and collaboration.

The strategy involves five key areas which include preventing homelessness, improving data and building community capacity to end the problem.

Anglicare CEO Ian Carter said the total cost of homelessness ran into many millions of dollars each year and the 10-year plan would concentrate its resources on programs that offered long-term results.

“The cost of homelessness is massive in the health and justice arenas alone,” Carter said. “Supporting homeless people into a home

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through funded services saves our health system over $13,000 per person that we help.

“The individual and societal cost of homelessness is unquestionable: more than ever, we need to work together as a community to eliminate homelessness.”

Carter said there was no silver bullet to ending homelessness: “It is going to take a wide range of existing, new and innovative responses to end homelessness.

“Supporting homeless people into a home through funded services saves our health system over $13,000 per person” “No matter who you are, we all have a role to play. We can all do something.”

UnitingCare West CEO Amanda Hunt, whose organisation operates 36 community service programs from 17 sites between the Mid-West

and the Great Southern, said community empathy was essential in dealing with the issue.

“We are calling for the community to have a compassionate and proactive response to people experiencing homelessness,” Hunt said.

“To remember that all people have a story and that the causes of people experiencing hardship and disadvantage are more likely to be housing affordability, financial hardship or family and domestic violence than the myths and stereotypes that surround homelessness.”

The strategy, which sought input from more than 120 community, government and business organisations, also hopes to build on the existing national Specialist Homelessness Services database to cover all services and not just those funded by government. It aims to help the homeless move to self-reliance and independence, with the most vulnerable populations prioritised.

The strategy calls for a greater focus on external public reporting requirements of outcomes and to ensure that data collection systems includes ‘flags’ for risks associated with homelessness.

It is also hoped to link WA’s Specialist Homelessness Services data with health, justice, housing and other State Government data bases, as well as Commonwealth ones.

The strategy aims to produce a five-year report card in 2023-24, with chronic rough sleeping ended in Perth and regional and remote WA by 2027-28 as well as an overall reduction of 50 per cent or more against current levels.

To donate or to read the Western Australian Homelessness Strategy, please visit www.endhomelessnesswa.com

BOOK LOOK

Top business reads this month ENLIGHTENMENT NOW A MANIFESTO FOR SCIENCE, REASON, HUMANISM, AND PROGRESS

LEADERSHIP SECRETS OF THE AUSTRALIAN ARMY

BY STEVEN PINKER If you follow the headlines, the world appears to be sinking into chaos and irrationality. If you follow the trendlines, you’ll discover that our lives have become longer, healthier, safer, happier, more peaceful, stimulating and prosperous. The author claims this is the result of a coherent and inspiring value system that many of us embrace without realising it. The challenges we face today are formidable, including inequality, climate change and artificial intelligence. The way to deal with them is not to sink into despair, says Pinker — it’s to treat them as problems we can solve, as we have solved problems in the past.

BY NICHOLAS JANS Australia’s military consistently punches above its weight and its approach to leadership is the key to its success. Developed over a century ago by fusing national values with battlefield imperatives, its approach has been fine-tuned over generations. It is now an adaptable and egalitarian leadership culture that ticks all the boxes for best practice.

Drawing on his own long military career and defence training programs, and on research, Nick Jans has identified the core principles of this consistently successful approach to leadership. These ‘3Rs’ are the leadership skills which generate loyalty and commitment at an operational level.

PICK THREE

BULLSHIT JOBS: A THEORY

BY RANDI ZUCKERBERG In this motivational handbook, the New York Times’ bestselling-author of Dot Complicated takes on the fallacy of the ‘well-balanced’ life, arguing that the key to success is learning to be well-lopsided. In an increasingly demanding world, we’ve been told that we can do everything: maintain friendships, devote ourselves to work, spend time with family, stay fit and get enough sleep. Randi Zuckerberg believes trying to balance them all every day only leaves us frustrated and feeling inadequate. But we can succeed if we pick three. Pick Three is her much-needed guide to learning to embrace the well-lopsided life.

BY DAVID GRAEBER In 1930 the economist John Maynard Keynes prophesied that by the century’s end, technology would see us all working 15-hour weeks.

But today, average working hours have increased and across the developed world, three-quarters of all jobs are in services or admin — jobs that don’t seem to add anything to society. In Bullshit Jobs, David Graeber explores how this phenomenon has happened. In doing so, he looks at how we value work, and how, rather than being productive, work has become an end in itself; the way such work maintains the current broken system of finance capital; and, finally, how we can get out of it.

THE EXCELLENCE DIVIDEND

BE MORE PIRATE

BY TOM PETERS In The Excellence Dividend, renowned global business thinker Tom Peters shows that nothing beats a high-quality product or service that is designed and delivered by people who are as dedicated to each other as they are to their shared goal. Peters offers simple, actionable guidelines for success that any business leader can immediately implement.

After spending four decades working with companies around the world in pursuit of professional excellence and giving more than 3000 presentations on the subject, Peters has delivered a contemporary personal excellence manual for any professional looking to make their mark and face today’s business challenges.

BY SAM CONNIFF ALLENDE Pirates didn’t just break the rules, they rewrote them. They didn’t just reject society, they reinvented it. Pirates didn’t just challenge the status-quo, they changed everything. Pirates faced a self-interested establishment, a broken system, industrial-scale disruption and an uncertain future. Sound familiar? Be More Pirate unveils the innovative strategies of Golden Age pirates, drawing parallels between legends like Henry Morgan and Blackbeard with modern rebels, like Elon Musk, Malala and Banksy.

Featuring takeaway sections and a guide to build you own pirate code 2.0, Be More Pirate will show you how to leave your mark on the 21st century.

All books are available at Boffins Books in the Perth CBD.

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 43

ARE YOU AN INNOVATIVE BUSINESS LOOKING TO GROW? SIGN UP TO THE ENTREPRENEURS’ PROGRAMME TO RECEIVE A FREE BUSINESS EVALUATION

WHAT IS IT?

AM I ELIGIBLE?

The Entrepreneurs’ Programme is the Australian Government’s flagship initiative for business competitiveness and productivity, designed to help Australian SMEs boost their productivity and performance.

To qualify, your business must have been trading for three years and have had turnover of more than $1.5 million but under $100 million in one of the last three years.

Your business also needs to operate in one of the following growth sectors:

HOW DOES IT WORK?

ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

An experienced Business Adviser will undertake a Business Evaluation with you to position your business and identify key actions to assist your company in reaching the next stage of growth.

It’s tailored to the specific needs of your business and can cover strategy, operations, customers and markets, finance and human resources and can open the door to government grants.

The Business Evaluation report includes an Action Plan, with strategies to improve and grow your business. If you choose to implement any of the items in the Action Plan, you are eligible to apply for a matched funding grant to the value of $20,000.

FOOD AND AGRIBUSINESS

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIES AND PHARMACEUTICALS

MINING EQUIPMENT, TECHNOLOGY AND SERVICES AND/OR OIL, GAS AND ENERGY RESOURCES OR PROVIDE ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES AND/OR ICT AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO ONE OR MORE OF THE ABOVE GROWTH SECTORS

TO RECEIVE YOUR FREE CONSULTATION, CONTACT AN ADVISER TODAY ON (08) 9365 7531.

44 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

ACHIEVEMENTS

Winners are grinners

CCI congratulates its winning Members on their outstanding achievements NEW ERA FOR ENGINEERING AND MATHS STUDENTS

ICN SNARES KEMERTON LISTING The lithium jobs boom charges on, with Albemarle predicting it will create up to 500 construction roles at its Kemerton project near Bunbury.

The global chemicals giant also confirmed that ground works for WA’s second major lithium hydroxide processing plant may start as early as September.

“We anticipate receiving final approval from both the state and federal governments sometime in the third quarter,” a company spokesperson said.

“And it is our expectation that we will commence construction in the third-fourth quarter of 2018.”

The company, which began listing work packages on the ICN Gateway — a CCI platform — said last month that between 300 and 500 construction jobs are expected to be generated by

Kemerton Stage One: “We (also) expect more than 500 direct jobs during the operational phase when full production is reached,” the spokesperson said.

“We believe we will have access to a highly skilled workforce (and) will have the infrastructure needed to move our product.”

Albemarle is also backing efforts by the State Government and parts of industry to add more value to WA’s lithium, which is currently exported as a raw concentrate to processors servicing the car battery industry.

“We are excited to see focus and priority placed on important issues like energy storage and the future development of the battery supply chain,” the spokesperson said.

“We support WA’s efforts to develop industry that will help keep resources in country for further refinement.”

POWER OF AWARDS

The swinging of sledge hammers marked the beginning of construction of an $80 million student hub for UWA’s Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences.

The hub, due for completion in 2020, is designed to change the way UWA educates students, undertakes research and engages with industry, alumni and the community.

It will include three science laboratories, 11 teaching rooms, a café and office space for 150 higher degree students UWA Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater said it would transform the campus: “Innovation and technology will be the focal point of the EZONE UWA Student Hub, to enhance the student experience and ensure students are equipped for the careers of the future.”

Pictured: Woodside Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Shaun Gregory, BHP’s Vice President of Operational Infrastructure Vanessa Torres, Vice-Chancellor Professor Dawn Freshwater and Pro Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences Professor John Dell.

Horizon Power’s relentless pursuit of a better service for customers using digital technologies earned it two major accolades at this year’s Digital Utility Awards.

The top award, Utility Innovator of the Year, went to Managing Director Frank Tudor for overseeing several Australian-first innovations, while Horizon Power was named Digital Utility of the Year for its digital transformation.

Tudor has balanced the integration of game-changing technologies with the stable supply of electricity across more than 2.3 million square kilometres of regional Western Australia.

He said the awards recognised Horizon Power’s transformation from an energy-focused utility to a technology-focused one.

“As an industry, we need to manage the broader digitisation of our economies and lifestyles — think of the ever-increasing abundance of interconnected devices and appliances, predicted uptake of electric vehicles and the growing reliance on automation and analytics — these will all have disruptive impacts on our networks,” he said.

If you have a winning story about your business or organisation you’d like to share, email editor@cciwa.com

JUNE 2018 BUSINESS PULSE 45

FIVE FIVE

2

Incentives to grow your business

1

R&D TAX INCENTIVE

EXPORT INCENTIVES

Tax offsets are available for costs incurred on eligible activities depending on a company’s annual aggregated turnover. Reforms were announced in the latest Federal Budget. WA’s Carnegie Wave Energy, the inventor, owner and developer of the patented CETO wave energy technology, has used the R&D incentive.

Visit ato.gov.au.

Export Market Development Grants offer financial assistance to aspiring and current exporters. Administered by Austrade, the scheme supports a wide range of industries and encourages SMEs to develop export markets. It provides up to eight grants to each eligible applicant.

Visit austrade.gov.au.

3 ADVANCING RENEWABLES Matched grants between $100,000 and $50m are on offer from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. So if you have a great idea that involves renewable energy technology or methods that contribute to the program outcomes you may be eligible for this grant. Visit arena.gov.au.

4

5

INDUSTRY CAPABILITY NETWORK Powered by CCI, ICN in WA connects businesses with suitable suppliers, project managers and business opportunities across the state. ICN Gateway subscriber ICON Engineering used the platform to win major contracts with Woodside and Ichthys.

Visit gateway.icn.org.au.

46 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018

ENTREPRENEURS’ PROGRAM Matched grants of up to $20,000 are available via the Entrepreneur’s Program, which is facilitated

by CCI. To be eligible you must have been trading for three years and have a turnover of more than $1.5m in one of those years. For eligibility visit cciwa.com.

HELLO TO SOME OF CCI’S NEWEST MEMBERS Heightech Safety Systems and WorkSafeGEAR

Integrated Industrial Pty Ltd

Rowe Bristol Lawyers Pty Ltd

Stewart Operations

Gerald Carr Financial Controller

Adam Rowe Director

Our height equipment specialists can help you with our wide range of products such as fall protection systems and fall arrest equipment. We are a RTO delivering height safety and confined space training.

An ISO9001:2015 Quality Assured company and specialist supplier to the oil and gas; offshore and marine; mining and industrial sectors, both in Australia and internationally.

A highly effective full service commercial law firm, which specialises in assisting small to medium businesses.

T (08) 9314 3377

T (08) 9373 1200

E orders@heightechsafety.com

E Gerald.carr@intind.com.au

W www.heightechsafety.com

W www.intind.com.au

Matrix Productions Australia

Comfort Keepers

Darryl Edwards Director Lighting, staging and audio hire.

T (08) 9371 1551 E darryl@matrixproductions.com.au W matrixproductions.com.au

Rod Taylor T/F Nine F/T Rod Taylor Principal Consultant Specialist Pay-Roll Tax Consultant with extensive direct experience in objections and policy development in Govt and private sector protection.

T 0409 407 536 E rodtaylor09@bigpond.com

Vanessa Eakins Recruitment Consultant We support the elderly with disabilities to stay in their own homes.

T (08) 9492 8920 E veakins@comfortkeepers.com.au W www.comfortkeepers.com.au

T (08) 9322 8111 E arowe@rowebristol.com.au W www.rowebristol.com.au

“We joined CCI for networking opportunities and a potential source of referrals” Quest West Perth

“We joined CCI to assist members with Pay-roll tax issues”

Dylan Stickle General Manager Award-winning apartment hotel offering 71 studio rooms in West Perth, close to the CBD and Subiaco. It also offers networking and industrial support.

T (08) 9420 8700 E Manager.westperth@questapartments.com.au W Questapartments.com.au

BUSINESSPULSE

CCI MEMBERS GET A 20% DISCOUNT

TALK DIRECTLY TO WA’S SMALL BUSINESS SECTOR ADVERTISE IN BP TODAY! Contact Paula Connell on (08) 9365 7544 or email advertising@cciwa.com 48 BUSINESS PULSE JUNE 2018