October 2023 CBCC Magazine

BUSINESS FEATURE

JOANNE TONKS FROM WATERTIGHT!

SPOTLIGHT

THREE GREAT SPOTLIGHTS. KEEP READING!

Watertight Group is a leading provider of cost effective plumbing facilities maintenance management, roofing, inground water drainage and sewer services.

S t r a t e g i c G o a l s

JASON ARRAJ Forward LegalPrincipal Solicitor

BILL PARASIRIS WSU - Director

WALLY MEHANNA CBCC CEO

GEOFF GAYMER TAFE NSW - Manager

SANDRA DUARTE Sandra Duarte Consulting - CEO

ANTOINETTE KHALIL Khalil LawyersPrincipal Solicitor

TRACY MINETT Minett Group - CEO

JESSICA WEHBE Kleanwell - Director of Client Relations

T A B L E O F NEW & RETURNING MEMBERS 23 NEWS & OFFERS FROM OUR MEMBERS 34 MEDIA RELEASES

Get Updates 7 SPOTLIGHT

5 CEO'S MESSAGE

C E O M e s s a g e

SALES IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF

small business

Small businesses drive innovation and economic growth by fostering competition, spurring creativity, and adapting quickly to market demands. They often introduce disruptive ideas and technologies, fuel job creation, and contribute significantly to local economies, making them essential catalysts for overall innovation and economic advancement.

Supporting local businesses means investing in your community's prosperity.

Clearly, sales drive small businesses. As consumers, we can be their lifeline. Let's prioritise local businesses and Central Business Districts in our spending habits for their prosperity.

Supporting local businesses and local contractors (particularly those who tender for Government contracts) is of paramount importance, as it not only bolsters our individual interests but also plays a pivotal role in nurturing our communities and catalysing social and economic development.

By choosing local options, we are fostering a strong sense of community and solidarity, creating betterpaying jobs, and stimulating economic growth right where we live. Moreover, these businesses often reinvest in the area, leading to improved infrastructure and services. Therefore, our commitment to supporting local enterprises is an investment in the well-being and prosperity of our society as a whole, ensuring a brighter and more resilient future for everyone.

Wally Mehanna CEO

CLARE PEARSON

YourJourneyIsOurMission

This story, and countless more, are the ones that remind Clare to stay connected to the people, community, and teams that Little Wing supports. In her experiences in various leadership roles so far in her career, Clare considers human connection to be the element that makes a great leader.

Clare Pearson wears many hats: CEO, author, qualified psychologist, mother, humanitarian, leader With a career dedicated to the not-for-profit sector, Clare has worked in positions of senior leadership in both Australia and the United Kingdom.

Clare’s recent book, ‘Threads of Hope’, uses her experiences as CEO in the anti-human trafficking industry to shine a light on survivor stories of triumph. Her work reflects her passion for working in community-based projects aimed at making a difference in the lives of children and their families.

This passion is clearly seen in Clare’s latest role as CEO of Little Wings, a charity that is dedicated to flying seriously ill children from across regional and rural NSW to hospitals in Major Cities to access life-saving medical treatment that is not available in their hometowns

They help families save time, money, and energy to focus less on the logistics of what they need to do to even access treatment and more on recovery and staying connected to their loved ones.

Clare shares one meaningful story that comes to her mind: Little Wings flew a young boy home to see his family after being in isolation for 11 months at Westmead Children’s Hospital in the deepest of treatment. He died a few days after returning home. After his passing, his mother called Clare because ‘her son wanted [Clare] to know that they were the best 4 days at home that he had had in a long time’.

A united effort is how meaningful and significant change can happen on a local and global level.

And clearly, her leadership style is working Since becoming CEO in 2019, Clare has taken Little Wings to new heights. There are 90 volunteers (and counting!) who dedicate their time and energy to making sure the children and families who rely on Little Wings reach their essential treatments. Little Wings has three hangars: Bankstown, Cessnock, and their newest base at Archerfield, allowing them to extend their service into Queensland. Their new service, Medical Wings, launched to great success, flying healthcare staff to regional and remote areas of NSW to provide medical support in a culturally safe and welcoming environment.

As Clare continues to lead with confidence and purpose, she is mindful to remain connected to her team and her community One person can only do so much, but a united effort is how meaningful and significant change can happen on a local and global level Together, she hopes to bring change to the children and families who need help the most.

Little Wings Christmas Cards Help Us Fly A Sick Child Home For Christmas

DavidAmaneddine

ChangingTheWorldOneMoveAtATime

Beyond AAA City Removalists, David is a compassionate and driven leader. For David, every engagement he has with other people is an opportunity to leave a seed of confidence and motivation to build a better mark. He believes that one of the most successful traits of a person is their willingness to learn as these are the people who will continue to strive to improve and make better families, better businesses, and a better world.

This philosophy that like-minded people will naturally gravitate towards each other has guided David Amaneddine to success. Sharing his vision with his team at AAA City Removalists to provide genuine care, safety, and assurance to clients already dealing with the naturally stressful procedure of relocation, David has provided removalist services to over 140,000 satisfied clients across Greater Sydney and NSW.

Despite having a client base that ranges from local families and small businesses to highprofile customers like the Sydney Opera House and the Hon. Scott Farlow MLC, MP, David remains humble and credits his success to his personal motto of living an authentic life full of love, respect, and genuineness. He cares deeply for all his clients and strongly believes that prospective clients can tell that they can trust his team to take care of them with sincerity.

These lessons are what David aims to pass on to his mentees as part of the CBCC’s ‘CEO For A Day’ program, and he is hopeful that they will absorb enough leadership and positivity to make a change. He proclaims himself as an optimist and a realist at the same time, and despite acknowledging that there is a generation of youth who are disillusioned with their leaders and society, David believes that our society is on the precipice of building a collaborative world that will initiate new and shared ideals with the new generation of leaders.

With these ideas, what’s next in store for David? He’s learnt, after many years, that his own ego can get in the way of doing things. He now lets life give him what it wants to give him, working actively to enact change through example, communication, and collaboration with his growing network of like-minded people.

‘One of the most successful traits of a personistheirwillingnesstolearn.’

‘Youneedtosurroundyourselfwith therightkindofpeopleinordertobe abletoprogressandstaythatway’.

NAJLA TURK

Meet the world’s first Diversologist

Najla Turk defines Diversologist as a specialist in diversity Dedicating her life to promoting authenticity and embracing diversity, she aims to help people connect with themselves and others from their heart She strongly advocates for everyone to engage ‘outside the square’ because, as a society, we love to confine people to predefined boxes. By engaging outside of the squares created by these boxes, she hopes to push our society to recognise the richness of authentic selfexpression

Najla’s journey began with her own selfdiscovery. Born and raised in Australia to a Middle-Eastern Muslim family, Najla is a proud bi-cultural woman who still admits to struggling to own her identity. She was motivated to pursue education after hearing the African proverb, “If you educate a man, you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.”

Wanting to be an example and an inspiration to her daughters, she took her first step by enrolling in a computer course at TAFE in 1995. Since then, she has finished multiple degrees, including a Master’s, and now only has a PhD left to complete her education journey.

Throughout her studies and interactions with other students, her teachers and professors, and later, her own students, Najla realised that people would still place her within their preconceptions of a Muslim woman instead of seeing her as an individual. Only when people began to engage with her outside these boxes did true engagement and interaction begin.

“If you educate a man, you educate an individual, but if you educate a woman, you educate a nation.”

SPOTLIGHT

Engaging ‘outside the square’ is now Najla’s personal philosophy and one that she hopes to instil within the community and especially the younger generations. She aims to create safe spaces within her interactions with others to help and nurture others to get out of their squares. She continues to dedicate herself to reawakening people’s consciousnesses to the profound impact of genuine human connection for a more accepting, authentic, and connected world.

Now an educator by profession, with 20 years of teaching experience, and a book, ‘The Art of Diversity’ under her belt, Najla sees these issues everywhere within modern society and hopes to spread the message of engaging ‘outside the square’ to promote true understanding and connection in our society.

We love to put everyone in a box... But we are more than a box. For true connection, we need to engage ‘outside the square’ created by these boxes.

BA5 - Canvasing Success Small Business Month - 30 October

Gala Dinner - 18 November

Micro Credentials Focus Group - 17 October, 3 November, 14

December

Christmas Party - 12 December

Women in Leadership - 8 March

MONTH 2023

SMALLBUSINESS

Canvassing Success Canvassing Success Canvassing Success

Canterbury League Club

30

6PM - 8:30PM

We welcome an amazing panel including Group Product Lead from Canva. Canva is an Australian global multi-national graphic design platform that is used to create social media graphics and presentations The company has announced it intends to compete with Google and Microsoft in the office software category with website and whiteboard products. We talk...

Product development

Changing consumer preference Supply chains Teams

Online and the IoT, & Resilence.

1 Course meal included. Plenty of networking opportunities!

TICKETS $10 MEMBERS

$20 NON-MEMBERS

BOOK NOW!

Event Supporters

Mr Martin Roger CEO, Realise Business

Jo Johnston Founder, Collappor8

Matt CRAFT Detective Superintendent Cybercrime Unit NSWPF

Dr W. Kathy Tannous Western Sydney University

Stephanie De Francesco Group Product Lead Canva

Mr Joseph Rizk AM CEO & MD Arab Bank Australia

MICRO CREDENTIALS

Focus Group

We value your insights in empowering CALD Women!

Join our engaging focus groups (MAX 30people), and connect with likeminded peers. Let's grow together through meaningful discussions.

Register your interest

All are welcome. We will also be giving a 15 minute presentation about organisational partners.

Light meal & refreshments included!

Tuesday October 17th, 2023

TIME 10:00 am to 12 pm

Club Rivers

32 Littleton St, Riverwood NSW 2210

Friday November 3rd, 2023

TIME 6:00 pm - 8 pm

Lady Banks

Bankstown Sports Club

Bankstown NSW 2200

Monday December 14th, 2023 6:00 pm - 8pm

Kingsgrove RSL Club, 8 Brocklehurst Lane Kingsgrove NSW 2208

PRIZES

Party Party

FOOD GAMES FREE BOWLING

The Entertainment Park 361 Milperra Road, Bankstown 12 December 2023 from 6pm - 9pm

$10 Entry, kids under 12 free

Gifts donated to families experiencing domestic violence. Please bring your gifts to the Entertainment Park and place them under the Christmas tree. Thank you for your help!

We had 25 new and renewed members during September 2023. If you have any questions regarding your membership status, please contact ceo@cbchamber.org.au

Accredited Civil Training

Barca Metals

Dekkan Insurance Brokers

Eyecare Belmore Optometrist

JAPM

Pestop Group

Meraki Mental Health Training

Celebrating is a Breeze

Capital City Waste Services

Seeth

Embrace Kids Foundation

Karolina Writes

Room 12 Productions

James Hickey Consulting

DAS Insure

Tademark Group of Companies

Veritas Law Firm

Charmeleon Confidential Solutions

Crown Hookah Pty Ltd

ETrading Office

We already #inspireinclusion as a leading community of tolerance and peace, so we’re keeping on track with digital as a key contributor for financial success, freedom, and choice.

DigitALL

Innovation and technology for gender equality", the United Nations Observance of International Women's Day 2023 highlights the need for inclusive and transformative technology and digital education

If you have news or special offers you want to share with our membership, please email your inclusion to advertising@cbchamber.org.au

Jack embarked on his academic journey with a focus on aeronautical engineering after completing high school. However, a pivotal moment two years into his studies led him to discover his true passion the hotel industry.

With a nine-year track record in the hotel and accommodation sector, Jack has demonstrated successful leadership across hotel operations and business commercial strategy His dedication to delivering exceptional guest experiences and his strategic acumen have been instrumental in his career progression.

As a proud local resident of the Canterbury Bankstown Area, Jack is deeply committed to supporting local businesses and giving back to the community. His newly appointed role as General Manager excites his passion for opportunity of community engagement.

O N T A C T

Jack Hamilton, a leader in the hospitality industry, serves as the General Manager of Mercure Sydney Bankstown

jack hamilton@accor com

Our new CBCC Youth Committee Member!

Integrated Medical Services

We specialise in delivering communityfocused integrated medical healthcare.

Weareactivelyseekingdedicated healthcareprofessionals,including doctorsandalliedhealthcare practitioners,whoareeagertoestablish theirpresenceintheburgeoningOran Parkdistrict.It'sprojectedthatthis districtwillhaveapopulationof approximately96,000peopleby2031.

Ifyouareinterestedinjoiningus,we inviteyoutoexploretheopportunityof leasinga100sqmspacewithinour practice.

Additionally,weoffertheflexibilityof bookingroomsonadailyratebasisto accommodateyourspecificneeds.

CALL NOW 0418 865 013

Please feel free to get in touch with us for further details and to discuss how we can collaborate.

tracy@minettgroup.com.au minettgroup.com.au

PRESS RELEASE

Keeping things local has been an essential part of life and business for the owners of proud CBCC member, Watertight Group. Growing up locally, building a successful facilities maintenance plumbing business, and raising their family in the local area has made Paul and Joanne Tonks passionate about advocating for the area as an ideal destination for SME businesses and business owners.

With a corporate head office in Milperra, the owners of Watertight Group are focused on staying local at the core: “We were always destined to have a plumbing business,” says Joanne Tonks, General Manager. Paul grew up in East Hills and Joanne, in Milperra. “Paul’s dad was a plumber and an owner of a successful business; K&D Plumbing, my dad was a plumber and Paul is also plumber, so time and opportunity decided this path for us,” says Joanne Tonks.

As a Chartered Accountant working for companies like Deloitte, Grant Thornton, Disney, and the Australian Turf Club, it was the pull of living and working locally that was the genesis of Watertight Group. “We travelled when we were in our twenties but always knew this area was our home and where we wanted to raise our family. We knew we didn’t want to commute if we were going to commit to growing a business. I can’t believe more business owners don’t both live and work here,” Joanne says, “I don’t think people realise what this area offers for building a business and living locally. We have the Georges River National Park, a major University, a main train line, and we are just 30 mins from the CBD; sitting right in between the two largest airports in the country. There are lots of opportunities. It’s an exciting time to be a business owner and resident in this area.”

Facilities maintenance in plumbing and roofing assets is the key focus of Watertight business development with flagship customers like Sydney Water, Westpac, and Sydney University. Every client has a bespoke solution. “People assume we are a residential or construction plumbing business – but that is not the focus for Watertight. We only work on commercial clients that need a plumbing company to help them achieve their sustainability and asset performance goals,” says Joanne.

“We don’t do construction or residential plumbing, rather we ensure our commercial clients have a service that delivers real, measurable improvements to their asset performance and reduces their impact on the environment through our focus on water sustainability – saving money and water in the long term so clients can redirect budget into where their business needs it the most. Since these clients have lots of assets that vary in age and complexity, we can create value for them with our knowledge, experience, and relationships with suppliers across the country.”

Growing a team and expanding from the Sydney metro to regional NSW, ACT and QLD over the last 10 years has taken hard work, lessons learned, but mostly teamwork. The locally built team has been a key pillar of the culture at Watertight. “More than 20 people in our team live in or grew up in the Canterbury Bankstown local area,” says Joanne Tonks. “We have an amazing team of people who have been with us for many years, and we are so grateful for their trust in our vision to build a business that is 100% focused on our commercial clients. Everyone who comes into the team knows that we are in the service industry. Anyone joining the team must have a great cultural fit as well as solid technical ability – we want ‘tradies’ with hospitality and customer service experience.” Employing five apprentices and four university students, Joanne and Paul are keen advocates of TAFE and training for young people. “We have to keep creating opportunities for local kids in our community and we are really grateful to have an excellent TAFE system on our doorstep and lots of great talent coming through,” says Joanne.

“I am really passionate about women not just working in business but leading in nontraditional female roles in teams like ours, which is why I go outside my comfort zone to talk about leading Watertight. I was only one of six women in my Construction Management Masters course, only one of two girls in my Engineering Science class at school and I was the only female member on the Executive Committee of the Master Plumbers of NSW. To this day, I can still go to a meeting with 100 or more people and there will only be a handful on women in the room, mainly in HR and Safety and training roles. This has to change, and I believe that one by one we can make this change. Women have to not be afraid to ‘fail up’ and take opportunities that come our way. It is hard but it can also be very rewarding.”

Joanne Tonks General Manager

Watertight Group Pty Limited | ABN: 30 162 911 971 |

NSW Lic: 262331C | QLD Lic: 15245701

NSW: Unit 34, 244-254 Horsley Road, Milperra NSW 2214

QLD: Unit 3, 39-41 Nerang Street, Nerang, QLD 4211

PO Box 174, North Revesby NSW 2212

p 1300 745 758 | m 0402 334 961

joanne.tonks@watertight.com.au

www.watertight.com.au

8 M I n v e s t m e n t i n C a n t e r b u r y B a n k s t o w n

INVESTMENT

CHAMPIONS

Grant Writers

Chris Minns

Premier of New South Wales

Rose Jackson

Minister for Water, Minister for Housing, Minister for Mental Health Minister for Youth, Minister for the North Coast

Media Release

NSW Essential Housing Package to start the rebuild of broken housing system

Saturday, 16 September 2023

The 2023-24 Budget begins the long-term work of rebuilding our social and affordable housing system, through a $224 million Essential Housing Package. Over the next 12 months, the initial investment will begin to address the historic neglect of new social housing supply and trial innovative solutions to get people off the social housing waitlist. The face of homelessness continues to change as we work through tackling the state’s housing crisis. We have seen an increase of young people, seniors over the age of 55 and those with no previous history of homelessness unable to get access to housing.

The Essential Housing Package will help strengthen the safety net for those experiencing housing insecurity and provide wrap around support and services for some of our most vulnerable The package includes crucial funding to extend access to temporary accommodation to create a better place for people in crisis, along with funding to specialist homelessness services that provide certainty and stability for the people who need it most.

After more than a decade of inaction and neglect from the former government we are committed to rebuilding our housing system. As a start, we’re delivering more homes across our state and improving specialist homelessness services.

New $224 million Essential Housing Package to support social housing and homelessness services will include:

• $70.0 million financing facility to accelerate the delivery of social and affordable homes, primarily in regional New South Wales, by funding initial land and site works

• $35.3 million for housing services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and families through Services Our Way.

• $35.0 million to support critical maintenance for social housing.

• $20 0 million reserved in Restart NSW for dedicated mental health housing

• $15 million towards a NSW Housing Fund for priority housing and homelessness measures.

• $11.3 million urgent funding to continue the Together Home program in 2023-24.

• $11 million emergency funding for Temporary Accommodation in 2023-24 to support vulnerable people.

Media Release

Historic $3 billion investment for Western Sydney hospitals

Sunday, 10 September 2023

The Minns Labor Government is investing a landmark $3 billion in the NSW Budget for new and upgraded hospitals across greater Western Sydney, one of the largest investments in Western Sydney health infrastructure in recent memory

The 2023-24 NSW Budget includes an additional $400 million to build the $700 million Rouse Hill Hospital – the first brand new adult public hospital to be built in Western Sydney in more than 40 years.

The new Rouse Hill Hospital will include an emergency department, maternity services, ambulatory and outpatient care and medical imaging services.

The Minns Labor Government has an ambitious agenda to rebuild essential services, including healthcare, that communities across greater Western Sydney rely on

That’s why the Budget also includes:

• $550 million for Fairfield Hospital, in its first major redevelopment since it opened in 1989.

• $350 million for Canterbury Hospital, in its first major redevelopment since 1998

• $1.3 billion to build the Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital on a new site, the first major investment since the two hospitals merged in 1997.

• $120 million for additional beds at Blacktown and Mt Druitt Hospitals.

Together, these landmark investments will deliver on the Minns Labor Government’s pledge for 600 new hospital beds across greater Western Sydney.

Hospitals across greater Western Sydney have been left overwhelmed and underfunded after 12 years of neglect by the Liberals and Nationals, including not permanently funding 1,112 nurses and midwives currently working in NSW hospitals

Data from the Bureau of Health Information (BHI) shows almost 53,000 patients presented to emergency departments across the Western Sydney Local Health District in the April to June quarter, 2023.

Deputy Premier of New South Wales Minister for Education and Early Learning Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Minister for Western Sydney

Chris Minns

Prue Car

Premier of New South Wales

Ryan Park Minister for Health Minister for Regional Health Minister for the Illawarra and South Coast

The data also reveals these patients are facing long wait times in emergency departments, with just 42 percent of patients starting their treatment on time

Addressing these challenges has been made more difficult by the state of the budget we inherited, with record debt, $90 billion worth of privatised assets and $7 billion in unfunded promises

We can’t undo 12 years of Liberal and National neglect of our health system overnight – it will take time.

But we are undertaking a comprehensive suite of reforms to rebuild our health system

These historic investments in new and upgraded hospitals in greater Western Sydney are possible because the Minns Labor Government is making responsible decisions to repair the budget and reprioritise spending on essential services.

The Minns Labor Government is setting out a long-term plan to repair the budget so we can deliver essential healthcare services for families across greater Western Sydney, reduce waiting times and improving access to timely, high-quality healthcare.

Quotes attributable to NSW Premier Chris Minns:

“We were elected with a clear mandate to rebuild essential services and invest in our frontline workers.

“Our healthcare system has been under incredible pressure in recent years. Chronic underinvestment by the former Government didn’t help.

“The thousands of people moving into these growth areas every year deserve world class healthcare

– which my government will deliver.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car:

"Western Sydney is the engine room for the state's growth so it deserves a proportionate rate of investment in services.

“After many years of false promises, this historic level of investment by the Minns Labor Government delivers what the community has been crying out for.

“I'm proud to be part of a government that is delivering on such a scale for the region."

Quotes attributable to Health Minister Ryan Park:

“Families living across greater Western Sydney have a right to timely, equitable healthcare and they should have confidence in their local hospitals ”

“That’s why we’re committed to delivering the essential services our community deserves and expects all while building the healthcare infrastructure to meet the need of these growing communities into the future.

“This is all part of our ambitious and comprehensive plan to invest in the state’s healthcare system and support and increase our frontline healthcare workforce.”

MEDIA:

Bess Graham | Premier | 0427 779 257

Jessica Kidd | Minister Park | 0472 837 076

OFFICIAL

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Business listing on website

CBCC Logo use per level

Article in the CBCC Monthly Magazine

to Round Table Support

discounts to all ticketed events

to CBCC networking events

Showcase your business at networking events

Video ad on website, magazine & social media

Prime logo recognition on website

Inclusion in a group Shop Local video

Award at Annual Gala Dinner *tickets purchased separetly

Don't hesitate to contact us for any enquiries. We highly appreciate your suggestions and opinions.

0416 012 747

ceo@cbchamber.org.au