Find Geelong - March 2020

MARCH 2020

findgeelong.com.au

WHAT’S INSIDE: 02

COLUMNIST CONTRIBUTOR SECTION

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LOCAL STORIES

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COLUMNIST ARTICLES

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TAX UPDATES

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GEELONG COUNCIL NEWS

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CONNOVIRUS’ HURTING CHINESE BUSINESSES

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COLUMNIST CONTRIBUTOR FOUNDER | ACCOUNTANT

BUSINESS COACH

LIFE COACH

GENERAL INSURANCE

WARREN STRYBOSCH

SALLY HIGOE

LESLEY-ANNE BANTON

CRAIG ANDERSON

LAW | SPONSOR

FINANCIAL PLANNING

EDITOR | WRITER

MARKETING CONSULTANT

HUTCHINSON LEGAL

MARI NGUYEN

SUSAN PIEROTTI

KELLIE EMMETT

BOOKKEEPER

PHOTOGRAPHY

ARCHITECT

BUILDING BIOLOGIST

NEHA NAYYAR

JONATHAN NEWTON

KATHY ISMAIL

LOUISE COPEMAN

MORTGAGE BROKER

GARAGE DOORS

LACTATION CONSULTANT

CATEGORY

REECE DROSCHER

CHANTAL DJURIC

JOANNA STRYBOSCH

Geelong The

EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES: Warren Strybosch | 1300 88 38 30 editor@findgeelong.com.au PUBLISHER: Issuu pty Ltd POSTAL ADDRESS: 248 Wonga Road, Warranwood VIC 3134 ADVERTISING AND ACCOUNTS : events@findgeelong.com.au GENERAL ENQUIRIES : 1300 88 38 30 EMAIL SPORT : sport@findgeelong.com.au WEBSITE : www.findgeelong.com.au

OUR NEWSPAPER The Find Geelong was establish in 2019 for the purpose of bringing together everyone in the community in one place.

Our core focus is the support all the Not-For-Profits in the region by providing NFP’s with FREE advertise and helping them raise funds for their respective organizations. A core of business owners attend the Find Network luncheons held one a month to discuss the paper and how best to make it even better fo the local commnunity. The Find Geelong has a strong editorial focus and is financed predominately by the business community.

ALL THINGS GEELONG

The Cith of Geelong is one of Victoria’s largest regional capital cities. Geelong had a population of approximately 230,000 as at the 2019 Report which includes 16,000 businesses. Geelong’s location is in strong growth corridor, making it an ideal location for businesses to explore options outside of the capital city.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Find Geelong acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands where Geelong now stands, the Wadawuarrung people of the Kulin nation, and pays repect to their Elders - past, present and emerging - and acknowledges the important role Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue to play within our community.

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NEXT ISSUE

Next Issue of the Find Geelong will be published on the Monday, April 8, 2020. Advertising and Editorial copy closes Monday Readers are advised that the Find Geelong accepts no responsibility April 6, 2020. for financial, health or other claims published in advertising or in articles written in this newspaper. All comments are of a general nature and do not take into account your personal financial situation, health and/or wellbeing.We recommend you seek professional advice before acting on anything written herein.

findgeelong.com.au

EVEN THE POPE CANNOT STOP THE VIRUS

By Warren Strybosch

Italy is now in lock down with nearly all shops closed and the WHO declaring a pandemic.

The Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has also closed bars, hairdressers, food establishments and pretty much any store that does not provide general food items. It is the biggest lockdown Europe has seen.

With the dramatic increase in deaths throughout Italy, the President Donald Trump has now suspended all travel from Europe the United States. The travel restriction will be in place for the next 30 days and if the death rate does not decrease it is likely to be extended.

It is likely Australia will follow America’s lead in this area.

I personally know of people who have lost thousands as their travel plans to Europe have been cancelled.

It seems the Pope cannot stop this disease from spreading in his own country. The virus obviously does not respect sex, religion or race given it has now spread to over 100 countries.

Let’s hope we see a decline in deaths and of new cases and that everything will get back to normal as soon as possible.

PET REGISTRATION INCREASE BY OVER 30% IN TWO YEARS AND COUNCIL ARE KEEPING MOST OF THE FEES

By Warren Strybosch

Are you a dog or cat lover? If so, you might be interested to know that local council are benefiting from pet owners.

Recently, residents on Facebook were questioning why dog rates had increased from $37 to $52 over a two-year period and cats from $27 to $42.

So, we decided to dig a little deeper to find out why.

When we spoke to Maroondah City Council, we were told that “the state government charges us [Maroondah Council] a fee, so the amount goes through to them [Victorian Government]”.

We enquired with the Victorian Government and found that under Part 6 of the Domestic Animals Act (1944), the Victoria Government does indeed charge a levy to local council for each resident who owns either a dog or a cat.

Firstly, here is the list of fees charged by my local council. Taken directly from the Maroondah City (Source:https://www.maroondah.vic.gov.au/Customer-service/Payments-and-fees/Fees-and-charges) Council website:

Here are the Levies the Victorian Government charges local council:

So, let’s get this right. Council have increased the pet registration fee by over 30% in a 2-year period, but the levy increased only by 2.5% by State Government each year. The Victorian Government was asked if there were any other levies charged to council that related to dogs and cats. Their response was a categorical “No”.

So, why are council gouging pet owners?

There is a disparity between what Government is charging and what our local council is asking its pet owners to pay. As a pet owner, I have not received any additional benefit from paying these higher fees. I simply pay the fee so that I don’t get fined in the future.

Dogs - $3.50 (three dollars and fifty cents) * Cats - $2.50 (two dollars and fifty cents) * *Each year this levy increases by roughly 2.5%.

I asked State Government if it was lawful for Local Council to be able to charge suchexcessive fees to its local residences?

They could not answer this question and directed me to ask our local council this question.

So, is it lawful? I would like to know. Should pet owners be a revenue source for local council?

If you would like to have your say, then write your response to editor@findmaroondah.com.au

MARCH 2020 | FIND GEELONG

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CHINESE RESTAURANTS ARE HURTING

By Warren Strybosch

Across Australia and even in our own backyard Chinese businesses are hurting from the Covid-19.

Already there are over 4,92 deaths across the world and $117, 747 known cases with Mainland China recording over $80, 000 of those cases.

In Australia, there were a recorded 112 cases of which NSW recorded the highest being 60.

Only three (3) have died in Australia to date from Covid-19 and hopefully that number will not rise much more over the coming month.

SOURCE: World markets have been affected with dramatic drops in share prices, toilet paper has disappeared off shelves in all but a few shopping outlets, and trade had nearly ground to a halt across the world.

Interestingly enough, most commentators believe we will all forget about this in 12 months to 24 months’ time when the media stop making it more than what it is…just another flu strain that unfortunately results in deaths like every other year.

Even so, we need to be mindful of how we are reacting to the virus and what we can do to support those around us that are feeling the impact more so than others.

One group that is definitely feeling the impact is our local Chinese Restaurants. We spoke to the owner of D for Dumplings in Ringwood, who stated that they had noticed a decline in patronage due to the virus.

However, they pointed out that their dropin numbers were no way near as bad as those restaurants in the Box Hill and Glen Waverley areas. It seems that where there is a higher number of Chinese people living in those areas, those restaurants,

Chinese or otherwise, also in that area, have been the hardest hit with little or no customers attending. Even China town seems like a ghost town. As a Maroondah citizen, I encourage everyone to either dine in or at least Uber out a meal from a Chinese restaurant or a restaurant affected by the virus. Let’s show our support to those in our local community. Rather than spending money on toilet paper I encourage you to spend money on at least one meal at your local restaurant.

findgeelong.com.au

TREASURER READIES MULTI-BILLION STIMULUS

The federal government is eyeing a substantial stimulus package to help Australian businesses and workers through the coronavirus crisis but how that affects its much-touted return to surplus won’t be clear until May. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg said on Monday the support would be delivered using existing tax and transfer systems, which takes in welfare payments, family assistance and pensions. He described the package under consideration as “substantial” – an upgrade from what he and Prime Minister Scott Morrison have said previously would be a modest or measured response.

Unions will also use a meeting with Industrial Relations Minister Christian Porter and employer groups on Tuesday to ask for compensation for casual workers who don’t get paid sick leave.

ACTU secretary Sally McManus said the package must address the financial risk to Australia’s 3.3 million casual workers in retail, hospitality, health and aged care, who will lose pay if they have to take weeks off work.

We don’t want people with virus or people with symptoms going to work, but they are going to have to choose between paying the bills and feeding themselves or going to work,” she told Nine’s Today program.

“It will be designed about getting support to those who need it but also we won’t undermine Mr Frydenberg said the government was the structural integrity of the budget,” Mr very conscious of people’s concerns about Frydenberg told reporters in Canberra. their job security.

“It won’t undo all of the good work that we’ve “Our focus is ensuring that businesses are done over the last six-and-a-half years to get flexible, given the stresses and the strains the budget back on track.” that we will see as a result of the spread of the coronavirus,” he said.

However, that bottom-line impact might not be fully known until May, with the treasurer Shadow treasurer Jim Chalmers said there saying forecasts wouldn’t be updated until was a lot of anxiety among Australians about budget night. The share market shed nearly the economic impact of the virus. six per cent – about $120 billion – on Monday’s opening amid ongoing panic over the impact Labor’s frontbench will consider its stance on of coronavirus and an oil price plunge. the government’s plan soon after the detail is announced, but Dr Chalmers said it was Mr Frydenberg sought to calm things, saying inclined to be constructive and supportive. market volatility was not uncommon in times like this and there were a number of factors “We also have a responsibility to point out if at play. we think the package that they announce is insufficient or deficient in any way,” he told Business is calling for tax relief and reporters in Brisbane.

a regulation and red tape “holiday”.

The government may consider reducing deeming rates for pensioners, giving local councils funding for small projects and an expansion of instant asset write-offs for businesses.

“We need to make sure that whatever the government announces is not too little too late. We need to make sure that whatever they announce is big enough and fast enough to make a genuine difference in a floundering economy.”

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SMSF - HAVE YOU GOT YOUR INVE ACCOUNTING

By Warren Strybosch

Each year, a SMSF must get their tax return prepared and have it signed off by a SMSF Auditor prior to it being submitted to the ATO. One requirement of the SIS Act is that the SMSF must have an investment strategy and have it reviewed annually. Until now, no one has really paid too much attention to this requirement…until now.

Last year, the ATO mailed out over 17,000 letters to SMSF Trustees asking them to provide evidence that they had reviewed their Investment Strategy.

The ATO provided guidance as to what they considered to be a valid investment strategy e.g. one that was a tailored strategy to the specific requirements of the trustees and their individual circumstances.

For many years, the Trust Deed contained a one-page investment strategy that was very generic. An example might have been as follows:

To invest in the following assets: 0-100% Cash 0-100% Fixed Interest 0-100% Equities 0-100% Property 0-100% Alternative Investments

UPTICK IN WRITING TEST RESULTS OFFER HOPE

By Katina Curtis, AAP Senior Political Writer

An uptick in the quality of Australian students’ writing is giving education experts hope and underlines the value of national testing.

The final results of the 2019 NAPLAN tests,released on Tuesday, show writing improved across all years in all states and territories compared with the previous year. But for Years 5, 7 and 9, those results are still lower than the base year of 2011, the first time comparable tests were done.

The head of national testing authority ACARA, David de Carvalho, described the results as a national upward movement.

“I don’t think we can get too excited about this at this stage, one swallow does not make a summer, but if this was to be repeated, this kind of improvement in the coming NAPLAN results, it would be an encouraging trend,” he said. “What happens in 2020 will be an important source of information about what might be behind the change.”

The results showed the beneficial way NAPLAN could call attention to problems. “We’ve had a national debate about our declining writing results in NAPLAN over the last few years,” Mr de Carvalho said. “One possible explanation for the uptick last year was that the renewed efforts and focus on writing that has been undertaken across jurisdictions is bearing fruit.”

Federal Education Minister Dan Tehan said the tests did provide valuable information.

“The Morrison government continues to back NAPLAN because our community deserves to know how our students and schools are performing,” he said. Critics have also suggested the tests are behind an apparent flatlining of student results over time.

Some states have questioned the usefulness of NAPLAN, with NSW, Queensland and Victoria reviewing whether the standardised testing gives parents and teachers diagnostic information in the most efficient way.

Before NAPLAN was instituted in 2008, there was no nationally consistent testing to compare the achievements of all students. Mr de Carvalho said it wasn’t correct to say results

were flatlining, highlighting improvements in the average scores in most domains and years in the decade since testing began. Those improvements are most pronounced in the primary school years, a trend Mr de Carvalho said was also seen in international results.

Labor’s education spokeswoman Tanya Plibersek said the latest results combined with those from international testing did not paint a pretty picture of Australian students and the nation couldn’t afford for the next generation to be held back.

findgeelong.com.au

VESTMENT STRATEGY IN ORDER? Already, we (accountants) are receiving requests from auditors to obtain SMSF investment strategies from our clients that reflect the SMSFs circumstances and the trustee’s current needs/situation.

clients who do not wish to have a SMSF, we would encourage you to speak to us about our superannuation offering. For anyone that is interested, we provide a FREE Super Report to compare your current fund and it’s cost to our preferred fund. You will be surprised how As such, trustees of a SMSF must now organise much you might be able to save in fees which for their SMSF investment strategy to be can result in a higher balance in retirement. reviewed annually by a qualified financial planner and provide this paperwork to their You have all seen the ads…the retail fund vs the accountant prior to the SMSF return being industry fund.We are the third person that is not been shown in the picture…and our fee savings completed. are higher. As such, based on those ads, if all It is important to note that an accountant other things being equal e.g. performance, than would be reasonable to assume our super cannot prepare the investment strategy for it balance would be larger over time compared their clients. Only a financial planner, by law, to the other two in the ad. can prepare the investment strategy. This will result in trustees having to pay additional Warren Strybosch fees each year to financial planner to get this You can call them on 1300 88 38 30 or email requirement met. info@findaccountant.com.au www.findaccountant.com.au Given the additional costs that trustees will have to bear going forward, one must consider whether or not maintaining a SMSF is going to be in the client’s best interest, especially, the SMSF does not hold any property. Given there are alternative superannuation funds that provide access to direct shares, ETFs and Term Deposits, at a very low cost, trustees will need to consider whether it is time to close down their SMSF. At Find Accountant, we provide SMSF tax advice and under the banner of Find Wealth Pty Ltd, we can provide Superannuation advice (financial planning advice). For those

CURRENT ACCOUNT SURPLUS NARROWS TO $1B

By Liza Kappelle

(Australia Associated Press)

Australia’s current account is in surplus for a third consecutive quarter but it shrank by $5.5 billion to $955 million in the December quarter.

The result is lower than the market’s anticipated $2.4 billion surplus, which slips from a downwardly revised $6.5 billion in the September quarter.

Tuesday’s seasonally adjusted figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed exports of non-rural goods fell by 6.0 per cent as prices for metal ores, minerals, coal and mineral fuels softened.

Export volumes of meat and cereal grains increased.

The balance on goods and services surplus increased by half a billion, widening the surplus to $8.9 billion, with an expected contribution of 0.1 percentage points to growth in the December quarter.

BIS Oxford Economics chief economist Sarah Hunter says the results confirmed general trends seen in 2019, with exports were broadly flat as sharp falls in the volatile net exports of goods and non-monetary gold offset gains in rural and non-rural goods.

Tourism-related services grew by two per cent, suggesting the bushfires in NSW at the end of the year had a limited impact on demand, she said.

“Put together with the capex survey released last week and the retail turnover figures, we expect the national accounts data to report an expansion of around 0.4 per cent for the December quarter.”

Services exports were also largely flat as “We expect to see a sharp fall back in the gains in transport and travel offset falls in current quarter, when the full impact of the She expects the next data will report that other services, Dr Hunter said. fires and the COVID-19 will be seen in the growth momentum ground to a halt in the first data,” she said. quarter of 2020.

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LIFE IS NOT HOW WE KNOW IT! PARENTING

By Lesley-Anne Banton

You’ve read this quote before “If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”- Wayne. W. Dyer.

What if the life you are living right now isn’t how it has actually been?

What if you did have a choice over your experiences; how you feel, how you hear, and see your world?

Have you ever asked your neighbour, your siblings, your partner if they are experiencing the world the exact same way you are? Do they?

Have you ever wondered why they don’t?

See the power in challenging our thoughts and how this impacts our personal reality.

For Example: A child at a supermarket being held by an adult, the child is screaming, throwing its body around and hitting the adult. The Adult is holding on tight to the child using a loud firm tone, telling the child “no, we’ve got to get the shopping”. The adult is looking ‘cross’ and red faced. There’s an observer who looks at the adult then at the child gives a subtle shake of the head and turns away. The adult feels judgment.

Have you just made a judgement of this situation? What was it?

Have you ever been that child? Parent?

Observer?

The child was over tiered, missing his parents, being overstimulated by the noise due to his undetected hearing impairment and didn’t yet have the understating of himself or the language to put to what was happening to him, he just wanted to take flight and remove himself from the environment. He also needed the comfort of his parents. – I wonder what the child made this situation mean about themselves in that moment?

Notice how when you read the above questions you went into your mind, your thinking to find that initial thought. Then you may have questioned that and looked at it from a different point of view and you may The adult had been at the hospital visiting now have a different perspective and you the child’s parents, had looked after their own may now be questioning similar situations family in the morning whilst working from that have happened in your own life. home, picked up the child from childcare and needed food for dinner.The adult was focused By you searching and by asking yourself on what they needed to do and managed questions, you are being given tools to the child’s behaviour the best they could. – I challenge your own perception, thoughts and wonder what the adult was making the child’s meaning. behaviour mean? I wonder what the adult was making this mean about themselves in that Your new perception (if you allowed yourself moment. to explore and be curious) was a glimpse of how you can become more aware of your The observer, also being over stimulated in own thoughts and your ability to expand the environment, could hear the distress of the and change your experience of your reality. child, see the look on the adult’s face, couldn’t It has also given you a moment of becoming help and just wanted to leave but knew they the observer of your own thoughts and the had to get their shopping.- I wonder what meaning you give them. the observer thought about the adult and child and what assumptions they made? I Challenging your thoughts and the meaning wonder what the adult made this mean about you give to your experiences empowers themselves. you, gives you even more choices, helps One situation/reality yet different you become more and more aware of your experiences, perceptions and meanings of it. thoughts and beliefs which are all parts of creating your personal reality.

What was your initial thought of the above scenario? Was it correct? Was there judgment? Your thoughts and believes when left Was there any comparison? Curiosity? Are unchallenged can, without you knowing, there any new thoughts? Empathy? disempower you, limit your experiences,

make your experience less than it can actually be, limit your choices, limit your potential, limit your connection with self and others. limit your choices, limit your potential, limit your connection with self and others.

By choosing to challenge your thoughts, beliefs and perception you can expand/ enhance your experiences and how you see and experience your reality, widen your choice range, move you towards reaching your fullest potential, expand and deepen your connection to self and others.

If you choose to challenge your world as you know it there are many different steps and actions you can take, such as: ° Reading books that support your curiosity and growth. ° Listening to audiobooks or podcasts. ° Watching leaders in this field on YouTube. ° Getting a coach, like myself, for long lasting results ° Going to workshops or seminars. ° Signing up for newsletters ° Follow Facebook pages ° Search out current research and education on the internet.

Lesley-Anne Banton Leadership and Parenting Disruptor and Coach.

The Parent Whisperer 0432848418 www.theparentwhisperer.com.au

findgeelong.com.au

THE BUCKS STOPS WITH YOU GENERAL INSURANCE

By Craig Anderson

You may think that you can treat insurance as you would a bill from the water board, and just wait for the red one to come in the post, and that service will continue after repeated warnings and payment defaults. You would be wrong. You may even treat insurance as an annoyance, and pass responsibility on to an employee or a family member to “take care of” never to be checked by you. This would be a mistake. “How big a mistake?’ I hear you ask. Well, in the case of one unfortunate fellow I spoke to recently it was close to a $200k mistake, which eventuated in him filing for bankruptcy. He had entrusted a family member to renew the insurance on his trade vehicle, which went unpaid and had been lapsed for an extended period. Blissfully unaware of his total lack of cover he crested a hill in his fully loaded vehicle to find the road ahead was jam-packed and at a standstill. The car he totalled was fresh from its car yard that week, and was a prestige German saloon with the full upgrades package. It then rammed the car in front of it thanks to the massive impact, and created a “show stopper” of a loss. So if you don’t have any procedures in place to

prevent this sort of administrative error, just remember that the buck stops with you. Your broker can help you keep it simple, and can follow you up before a lapse occurs. If you’d like to hear more about what a broker can do for your small business, Call Craig from Small Business Insurance Brokers on 0418 300 096 today.

Craig Anderson Small Business Insurance Brokers on 0418 300 096 www.heightsafetyinsurancebroker.com.au

IMPORTANCE OF VCFO IN YOUR BUSINESS BOOKKEEPER

By Neha Nayyar

If you thought that a CFO or Chief Finance Officer was just for the big companies, you were wrong. More and more small to medium sized businesses are bringing a CFO to the team. Whether you want to become the CFO of your own business or are considering bringing a CFO on, we’ll give you the rundown on the importance of a CFO and how they can play a vital role in the success of your business.

Remember that you can hire a virtual CFO which reduces the costs and means that they can become an affordable advisor to your team.

Here are our top 5 reasons why you should hire a VCFO 1. Cash Flow Management As your business grows there is often more money coming in, but also more money going out. Cash flow can be hard to manage and maintain, a VCFO will pull monthly reports on business performance to ensure that there is always enough coming in at the right time to pay all the money going out again. A VCFO can help you take control of how the money moves in and out of your business.

2. Managing Your Budget

5. Too many ball in the air?

Do you have a budget in your business? Have you estimated how much you are going to spend this month, next month or even next year? Creating and managing a budget can be a powerful tool to help you prioritise, plan for and stay on top of your business spending. A VCFO can help you plan this out so that you can start to set some longer- term business goals knowing that you will be in the financial position to support it.

A business that is growing rapidly can sometimes expand too quickly. They gain multiple loans, expand into new areas, hire staff and invest in equipment and infrastructure. All these things can get out of hand pretty quickly and it’s easy for the paperwork and finance side of things to get missed. A VCFO can make sure that you have everything in order, tracks your obligations and helps you develop debt management strategies.

3. Risk Management

Are you concerned about the unknown?

The ‘what ifs?’ in your business? A CFO can be a comforting team member to help you put strategies in place to prevent problems and they can monitor these and provide feedback to you along the way. Debtor and creditor management procedures are ideally something every business needs to have in place to ensure the business runs profitably.

We are passionate about this side of accounting and love providing Virtual CFO support to our clients. We become part of your business and absolutely love being part of your team. If you feel that you need more than bookkeeping support for your business, but aren’t quite big enough to employ a full time Chief Finance Officer then a Virtual CFO may provide the best of both worlds for you and help you grow your business.

4. Reviewing Your Systems Are you confident that your systems are running asefficient as they should be? A VCFO will review everything from Bookkeeping tosoftware systems which ensures everything is being allocated correctly and that your platforms are talking to each other and are integrated to work optimally.

Please contact us for any further information.

We can be reached at (03) 9424 9447 or info@sumsubstance.com.au

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FINANCE SOLUTIONS FOR THE SELF-EMPLOYED

MORTGAGE BROKER

By Reece Droscher

For people who work for themselves being able to obtain finance to buy a home, grow their business or purchase another asset can be a very challenging exercise. For a lot of self-employed there is a delicate balance between showing the Bank enough income to be able to repay a loan and claiming as many expenses against their income to reduce the amount of tax they pay.

Lenders also deem self-employed applications to potentially represent a higher risk as their income is not as predictable as someone in stable employment with a consistent income stream. It may also be difficult for some self-employed applicants to produce the financial information to satisfy a lender’s requirements.

With the changing nature of the employment market seeing more people opting to work forthemselves by either starting a new business or contracting their services to another party, lending money to the selfemployed is also changing. New providers in the lending market are trying to make it easier for self-employed applicants to access credit. Outlined below are some of the options available for those self-employed people who may fall outside the traditional lending options provided.

LOW-DOC-LOANS Low Documentation (Low Doc) loans are available for potential borrowers who are self-employed and don’t have access to the documents required to obtain a traditional mortgage. Usually borrowers cannot provide financial statements and tax returns to verify their income, so the lenders rely on other

documentation provided by the applicant to determine whether they can afford to borrow the amount requested. The applicant would provide a declaration stating their level of income which would be supported by other forms of verification.This includes lodged BAS, trading account statements or a letter from the accountant for the business confirming the income declared is accurate.

The level of information required may vary between providers, and these types of loans are available for owner-occupied, investment and commercial properties.

These loans usually have a slightly higher interest rate than standard loans where full documentation has been provided, and not all lenders provide this option as part of their suite of products. The amount of property equity you would need to have to secure this type of loan will also be greater than a standard loan. But, if your circumstances mean you don’t fit the traditional type of borrower, this can be a good option to consider, particularly for Home Lending.

CASH-FLOW LENDING Cash-flow lending is usually a short-term loan that self-employed applicants might use for any business purpose. This can mean covering a temporary cash-flow shortfall, investing in new equipment or purchasing another business. The loan amounts are small, in most cases less than $100k, and in a lot of cases no security is required.

Where traditional business lending requires the applicant to provide two years of financials and tax returns, cash-flow lending looks at things differently. The revenue performance of the business is used to determine the eligibility to borrow.

The cost of these loans can be quite high, above 10% per annum before you factor in fees and charges, as these are primarily unsecured loans so the risk to the lender is higher. But cash-flow lending is also oneof the fastest ways to inject funds into a business.

Some of the providers suggest that they can have funds available within 48 hours of receiving an application, and the number of providers in this market is growing, even including some of the major Banks who have developed a product to cater for these types of requests.

Where a self-employed applicant can meet the requirements to obtain finance through traditional means then usually this is a less costly approach to take, although potentially more inconvenient. Lenders are risk-averse businesses so the more information a selfemployed applicant can provide to verify their income is stable and secure the better.

If, however you are in a situation where that is not possible, at least you know there are options available.

If you would like to know any more about these products and whether they may be a suitable option please call me at SHL Finance on 0478 021 757, or come in and see us at 2/23 Ringwood Street Ringwood.

Reece Droscher Managing Director of SHL Finance Pty Ltd reece@shlfinance.com.au 0478 021 757

findgeelong.com.au

HOW TO WRITE A WINNING LinkedIn PROFILE

EDITOR | WRITER

By Susan Pierotti

Is your LinkedIn profile bringing you the connections you desire? Does your LinkedIn profile give a clear idea of who you truly are? Would you like to make your LinkedIn profile work better for you? Here are a few tips to getting the most out of LinkedIn.

1. Don’t describe what you’ve done but where you want to be.

A friend of mine is creative, empathises with people well and is able to see the ‘big picture’. However, in applying for roles in her industry, she says that no one seems to want to know about her creative side.

I checked out her LinkedIn profile. Up the top Two things a LinkedIn profile shouldn’t be: were her recent achievements in her current A LinkedIn profile is neither a CV nor an boring job, with her activities as a worker author bio. What do I mean by that? with children with disabilities and her theatre work right down the bottom. I suggested that An author bio is the sort of thing you read an employer wanting a creative person with about on the back of a book or on a sheet her ability to empathise would want to see describing the speaker at a conference. everything in the first three lines.

It gives you a microscopic version of the person and why he or she is qualified Your profile is there to promote you, the to write or talk. This is in not what your whole you, and to link you and that great job LinkedIn profile should look like. and potential employer. Insert causes that are important to you, charities you work for, Neither should it look like a CV or resumé. schooling, groups that you follow. LinkedIn is This is where many people err in their so much bigger than just the normal CV. Think LinkedIn profiles. A CV describes what where you want to be and use your profile to you’ve done, plain and simple. It is a list get you there. of your achievements and where you’ve

worked. It’s a useful tool for prospective 2. Use SEO words throughout your profile. employers to build up a picture of whether you can do the task.

I am an editor and proofreader. I use these words and variations of them (edit, But here’s the bad news – there is always professional proofreading, etc) not only in somebody else who can do what you can do. job titles but in describing what I’ve done. If Employers want their job made easy: have you have specialised in any area, e.g. editing we picked the ‘right’ candidate for our firm, for the health sector, put that in wherever you team, workplace? They are looking for much can as well. more than who can do what.

The employer who wants and need to contact What I will give you now are three tips to you doesn’t want to wade through hundreds make LinkedIn work better for you. of LinkedIn profiles. They want their search

engines to optimise the search and reveal a number of suitable candidates. Your profile will continue to climb to the top if you have the right key words in your LinkedIn profile text.

3. Get references!

You must have done one job somewhere, sometime for somebody who liked what you did. Ask them for a reference. There are tabs on the profile page that set this up for you.

Ask your friends; if they’re too busy, write one out for them that they would be happy to endorse, send it to them and ask them to post it on your profile. People who look up your LinkedIn profile will see wonderful things written about you (no one writes a bad reference!), so get some!

Apply these few tips and your LinkedIn profile will increase SEO activity, increase people’s awareness of your profile, and provide a fuller picture of who you are, thus adding to your chances of success.

Susan Pierotti at Creative Text Solutions can assist you in improving your LinkedIn profile Contact me at susan@creativetext.com.au for all your proofreading and editing needs.

MARCH 2020 | FIND GEELONG

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12 FIND GEELONG | MARCH 2020

PROTECTING YOUR COMMERCIAL GARAGE DOORS

GARAGE DOORS

By Chantal Djuric

Businesses rely on having secure premises.

Business owners want to be able to sleep at night knowing that their products and equipment are safe from weather events like storms and fire, from internal crises like floods or electrical faults and from irresponsible human activity.

One way business owners secure their premises and the assets within is with an industrial garage door. Strong, tough, longlasting – and simple to use. Just click the button and the door rolls down to seal your precious plant, tools, widgets, records, accounts and whatever.

all. It leaves the employees and business assets should. It might have been installed incorrectly, at risk. Sadly, this is a common problem. it may need a new motor or simply needs a bit of lubrication. Arrange for regular servicing Even if the damage was not caused by of your commercial garage door and ask for negligent people, a garage door can be a full report whenever you have a service adversely affected by stormy weather events. done. And don’t forget that if you are leasing A door that does not shut fully to the ground the premises, you will need to check your can let in flood water that can damage goods contract to see if you are required to have the within, especially if the floor slopes inwards. door serviced before you vacate the premises.

Trees can fall on roofs, affecting the alignment of the garage door beneath. Hailstones can Twenty-four-hour emergency repairs are puncture doors with pockmarks that could available for all types of garage doors. Check weaken the fabric and also let in rainwater. that the repairers you contact are specialist Strong winds can also negatively affect slats commercial door technicians as not all garage and panels. door repairers are able to fix industrial garage doors. They should be able to identify your If the door hasn’t been serviced regularly, garage door problem within thirty minutes the door may not raise and lower smoothly, of being on site. The garage door technician slats and panels may become warped and the should be able to assess how long it will door may end up jamming completely. Look take to repair, how long it will take to supply at the ‘before’ photo – who wants to arrive replacement parts and, if relevant, explain at work to see that? Imagine having to have how to prevent the problem for arising again. to hang around for your commercial garage door to be fixed when your stock is timed to For 24/7 garage doors servicing, give Cruzin go out that day and customers are waiting. Garage Doors a call on 0427 894 603 or email us at sales@cruzingaragedoors.com.au There are several things that can be done to protect your doors, and to have them repaired swiftly if they are damaged due to forces of nature or vandalism.

Many businesses operate in commercial or industrial zones or business parks because it makes sense to set your business alongside like-minded business owners. The only thing is, at the end of the day, everyone goes home and the business premises are left largely devoid of people. Overnight, and especially if a business storage area has been left unattended for a while, the owner may find that their storage facility is now in danger. This is because, even though there are usually security systems in place, it doesn’t take long for the garage door – the one thing protecting their assets – to be First and foremost, arrange regular servicing. driven into. The door is buckled, the slats don’t There are many simple reasons why your align, it might not even be able to go up at garage door could be not working as well as it

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STRUGGLING TO THINK OF BLOG IDEAS? USE KEYWORD RESEARCH FOR INSPIRATION

MARKETING CONSULTANT

By Kellie Emmett

The all-important blog, it’s a reason for customers to visit your website from the socials, allows for that all-important SEO component and allows them to stay longer and potentially have that ah-ha moment to move from a lead to a customer.

But are you struggling to come up with content or even content people are actually searching to write about? This is where keyword research comes into play.

It’s not only blog stories keyword research can be useful for, with the right keyword research and tools it can help form your content strategy, improve the copy on your landing pages and tap into what your potential customers are searching for and direct them through wellcrafted ads and content.

Here are some keyword tools to help you research (by no means the full list) 1. AnswerThePublic Are you a visual person? AnswerThePublic is the keyword tool for you. For content planning there is a free version, which will allow you to see a visualization of a keyword you place into the tool. It’s a great tool for discovering phrases you might not have thought of or have forgotten. Visit: answerthepublic.com

keywords, and also give you a direction on what questions to answer in content. Visit: Do you sell on Amazon, Etsy, eBay? Keyword https://alsoasked.com/ Tool Dominator is the tool for you. With keyword data from some of the largest 5. Ahrefs and SEMRush (Paid tools) platforms including: Amazon, eBay, Etsy, Walmart, Google, Google Shopping, These are paid tools for a reason, get YouTube, and Bing, you can see where your competitor insights and keywords that are opportunities present itself. Plus, you can see SUPER in-depth information on each keyword. where you could expand your product range! An example of why this is a paid tool is that Please note: Use the free account wisely, you Ahrefs tells you EXACTLY how many backlinks are limited to 3 searches per day per tool. you’ll need to rank on the first page of Google.

But the benefit is that you can download These should help you get started! There the data for each search. Visit: https://www. are also tools including Ubersuggest, keywordtooldominator.com/ Google Search Console, Soovle, YouTube Autocomplete, Amazon Autocomplete, Side3. Google Trends by-Side SEO Comparison Tool, Google’s “People Also Ask”, Jaaxy, Moz Keyword Google Trends. See what’s trending in Explorer and the list goes on.. but this should Australia right now (it’s hand sanitizer right be a good start to get those ideas flowing! now!), it’s all about event-triggered spikes in keyword search volume, which will allow Good luck with those new blog stories. you to gain valuable data of the relative popularity of keywords, provide valuable If you need a hand with keyword research, blog data on regional variations, and is a great creation or optimising your website so it’s SEO source for evaluating seasonality and trends friendly, get in touch! Email Kellie at in changes with search engine volume for hello@trekdigital.com.au or call 0417 706 165. specific keywords over time. Visit: trends. google.com 2. Keyword Tool Dominator

4. Also Asked This was created to help marketers understand how questions are topically grouped. These questions can help with keywords and related

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14 FIND GEELONG | MARCH 2020

CORONAVIRUS: STAYING SAFE FINANCIALLY AND PERSONALLY These economic impacts, along with the psychological consequences of the fear that a

By Mari Nguyen pandemic creates, can lead to share markets The emergence of the novel coronavirus falling.

(COVID-19) has led to a sharp increase in financial market volatility, and within the What to expect public, concerns about their own health.

We don’t know just how wide this pandemic At this point in time, the facts as we understand will spread, but it is certainly plausible to believe that it will spread further around the about the coronavirus are: globe and within Australia.

• It is highly contagious and can be spread through one’s physical contact of surfaces The effects of the coronavirus can be put into containing droplets from an infected three categories: person’s cough or sneeze, and also by airborne means through close contact 1. There will be a negative impact on the economy and the magnitude of such with an infectious person. Its method of impact lies on a range from mild to serious. transmission is roughly analogous to that Extrapolating to more serious scenarios, of the flu. this could lead to a recession in Australia and abroad.

• For every 100 people infected with the coronavirus, around 80 to 85 will experience mild or no symptoms while 15 However, it is likely that the economic to 20 will get sick with flu-like symptoms. impacts will not last forever – even under the It is estimated that five people will need to most serious circumstances, they are likely to be hospitalised and one person might die. be over in a year. So this is, by definition, a temporary rather than a permanent economic • All infected groups can spread the disease. shock.

It is arguable that the coronavirus is more dangerous than the flu as the flu may kill 2. The financial market impacts will depend upon the severity and duration of the only one in 1,000 people infected. economic impacts, but will lead to falls in share markets across the world in the • The risk of dying is much higher for older more serious scenarios. people than for children or younger people. Indeed, while children can catch and spread the virus, there seem to be Your investment portfolio should possess a almost no serious cases in children. This degree of protection by virtue of it being well disease poses the greatest risk to older diversified (i.e. by not having all your eggs in people and/or those with pre-existing one basket) with investments spread across many share markets and individual shares. health issues.

FINANCIAL PLANNING

• There is tentative evidence that like the flu, the coronavirus seems likely to be more dangerous in winter rather than summer. This suggests the virus spreads more easily in cooler weather.

The good news is that these two methods can be employed by anyone. While physical isolation (if necessarily implemented) might cause considerable inconvenience, it is unlikely that such arrangements will last forever.

What to do Ideally, your investment portfolio should be well diversified as investing involves an element of uncertainty and some volatility.

The more important considerations include personal health concerns, particularly if you belong to the older age group brackets. It may be useful now to start thinking about how you would go about your daily life through a period where physical isolation is recommended.

This should not be thought of as preparing for a catastrophe, but rather adopting sensible approaches in your lifestyle to protect yourself.

This could include a reduction of physical contact with others, especially if such physical contact is unnecessary. Doing some planning now as to what this would entail might be a sensible thing to do.

We will respond in accordance with the relevant recommendations and directions provided by the appropriate authorities, including if and when to adopt measures relating to limiting physical contact.

Summary

In summary, the economic and financial consequences will lie on a range from mild to serious. No one knows for sure what will happen, however our view is that the impact Your portfolio has also been constructed on the financial markets on a whole is likely to with regard to the level of risk and desired be of a temporary nature and should be over investment returns that is appropriate to your within a year. own unique circumstances.

There are a range of sensible precautions and Generally we would support the idea of modifications to your lifestyle that at some staying with the agreed investment strategy, point may become necessary to implement, neither increasing risk levels in strong particularly limiting physical contact with bull markets, or selling in bear markets. others.

At this point there is no vaccine and most experts seem to believe that while it may certainly be possible to create one, the likely timeframe in achieving this would probably As with the economic consequences, the be at least a year away. financial market consequences are unlikely to In the absence of a vaccine, the key response last forever. to date is to physically isolate infected people from others so as to limit the transmission of 3. This leaves the personal health risks to be considered. While we are financial the disease. Stopping or slowing the spread advisors and not medical specialists, it also means that those who do become seems fairly clear that there are a range seriously ill can get the best quality care in of sensible precautions people can hospital. One of the major problems faced by take to limit their risk of contracting the the city of Wuhan (which was the initial site coronavirus. of infection) was that the healthcare system became quickly inundated beyond their capacity. This meant that patients could not The key method of prevention is limiting your receive appropriate treatment, which resulted physical contact with other people. If you do not unfortunately in some patients’ demise. Those come into contact with someone with the virus, patients may have well survived should you are limiting your chances of contracting it. they have received the appropriate care.

The other method of prevention is to observe Physically isolating people from others can good personal hygiene, particularly by result in significantly negative economic limiting contact with surfaces that have come consequences, as it reduces spending and into contact by many other people (e.g. public economic activity generally in a significant way. transport handrails).

However, this involves a delicate balancing act between requiring physical isolation so as to These are the two methods of prevention that limit the spread of the virus on the one hand, the authorities encourage when an outbreak and keeping the economy going on the other. occurs.

Mari Nguyen Principal Financial Adviser Canopy Financial Group Pty Ltd www.canopy.com.au 0415 658 611

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WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN BUILDING A HOUSE ARCHITECT

Based on how many rooms you need, we may need to rejig some areas so that it will fit into a single-storey layout. A double-storey house would be amazing as there are a lot of opportunities to beautify the external finishes, but a staircase would be needed to access the floors. If this is your dream home to last for decades, will you be wanting, or even able, to climb and clean the stairs as you get older?

By Kathy Ismail When people move house, they either buy an existing home and perhaps extend, or they build it from the ground up. Building a new home can be exciting as you can design something that will last, that will express your lifestyle and personality and a home that will be comfortable and convenient. Nevertheless, when designing your house, there are Just thinking about the kitchen alone, yes, many factors you will need to consider. we all would love to have stainless steel appliances and set up our kitchen just like The design of your dream home will be the one on TV’s ‘Masterchef’ but do you really affected by your preferred lifestyle choices. need it? By answering this question, you will For instance, many parents like their children have an idea of how you’d use your kitchen. to have their own upstairs area but others Also, marble benchtops are great but did you prefer to have them close to family living know that marble is not a renewable source areas. Some couples like a formal dining room and it has to be imported from halfway separate from the kitchen whereas others across the globe? The substitute, which is prefer a more open area where people can reconstituted stone, is actually harmful to the see you cooking as they chat. And consider workers who install our benchtops as it causes whether you do your entertaining indoors them to become susceptible to lung diseases. or out. Do you desire space for a billiard table, your model train set or a craft area? Then there are things to think about such as enough storage space, the outlook How many rooms do you need? How many from each window, airflow around the bedrooms? Will there be a guest bedroom? house, the flow of one room to another.

Will the kids be sharing? How about the bathrooms – individual ensuites for each At this stage, it is just a design on a piece bedroom or one large one with perhaps a spa? of paper – or maybe still only in your head! Even then, each room will have to be Think about how you will use the spaces measured to the exact millimetre before you in this house. Would you need a walk-in start building. You will also need to budget butler pantry or a whole storage room for and have a schedule so that the project your kitchen needs? Would you need an doesn’t blow out in terms of cost and time. office or will a study table nook suffice?

If you have ever watched the TV program ‘Grand Designs’, you will remember the number of episodes where the homeowner decided to design and build their own home.

They always went months over the due date, their budgets blew out, there were so many avoidable mistakes made and their marriages almost fell apart.

That is why it is far better to bring in an architect to assist you from the beginning with designing your home. They can not only design your dream dwelling but they will give you ideas for better implementation and alert you to what won’t work. They have tools that can show you what your home will look like when it is finished and that can measure every space accurately.

They will also know the council regulations that will prevent you making costly mistakes.

Contact KiR Architecture at contact@ kirarchitecture.com.au for help with planning your housing construction projects. We are always happy to answer any inquiries.

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16 FIND GEELONG | MARCH 2020

STRUGGLING WITH BREASTFEEDING? YOU’RE NOT ALONE LACTATION CONSULTANT

By Dr. Joanna Strybosch International bodies concerned with the welfare of infants and children such as the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF agree on the recommendation that mothers should breast feed their babies exclusively to 6 months of age, and then continue to breast feed until 2 years of age or beyond.

In line with the WHO, in Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council (MHMRC) recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed until around 6 months of age when solid foods are introduced. It is further recommended that breastfeeding be continued until 12 months of age and beyond, for as long as the mother and child desire.

In Australia, up 96% of women initiate exclusive breastfeeding after the birth of their baby. However, by one month of age this rate declines to 61% and by five months of

age exclusive breastfeeding rates have An IBCLC (International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant) is a health care dropped to just 15%. professional who specialises in the clinical This is despite the overwhelming evidence management of breastfeeding. They are for the health benefits of breastfeeding to charged with supporting, promoting and both mother and baby, both short term and protecting breastfeeding. They can offer practical advice and support on the many long term. aspects of breastfeeding, from correct latch What we know is that the reasons many mums and positioning, how to know if baby is getting are ceasing breastfeeding are complex and enough milk, supply concerns, expressing multi-faceted. There are many obstacles to and storage of breastmilk, managing cracked/ breastfeeding, such as social and cultural damaged nipples, mastitis and much more. attitudes to breastfeeding in public, employer attitudes and support available to Contact your local IBCLC today for support women breastfeeding at work, health care with your breastfeeding journey. Your local providers knowledge and skills to support IBCLC can be found by searching on lcanz.org. breastfeeding, short hospital stays, free Dr. Joanna Strybosch samples of breastmilk substitutes, and length Osteopath B.App.Sc(Clin.Sc)/B.Osteo.Sc/Grad Dip Paeds of maternity leave.

Mums who are struggling with breastfeeding are encouraged to reach out to a qualified local health care provider. This may be their GP or Maternal Child Health Nurse or it could be a Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) https://www.childrensosteopathiccentre.com/ 9876 3011

Lilydale Library Travel Extravaganza THU 26 March, 10am - 1pm FREE

Do you love to travel or want to travel? Would like some travel tips?

More info

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LATEST FEDERAL RESPONSE TO CORONAVIRUS

By Paul Osborne (Australia Associated Press)

Latest on coronavirus response * A travel ban on Italians arriving in Australia will come into force from 6pm on Wednesday, adding to existing bans on residents of China, Iran and South Korea.

Government rolls out $2.4b virus response

WHAT’S NEW

Free phone consultations with GPs and popup clinics to help hospitals handle demand will form part of the government’s $2.4 billion coronavirus response.

* $2.4 billion in federal funding has been set It comes as Health Minister Greg Hunt says aside for the coronavirus health response. more than half Australia’s 100 cases had recovered and it was unlikely people could * A wide range of respiratory clinics will be be infected twice. The government released federally funded, from drive-through clinics its response package on Tuesday night, in South Australia to hospital-based services. promising further measures were on the way. * Experts say Australia is still in a “containment mode” but an epidemic is possible, lasting as short as eight weeks or as long as 14 or 16 weeks.

It will establish 100 pop-up clinics across Australia to divert people who may be infected away from hospitals. From Friday, Australians will be able to completely bulkbill phone hook-ups with GPs to diagnose * A treatment for COVID-19 will take coronavirus symptoms. researchers at least a year to develop.

Mr Hunt said it won’t be necessary to * The federal government will unveil an introduce a country-wide travel ban like in economic stimulus package on Thursday, Italy, although Qantas has slashed flights focusing on business, families, pensioners by nearly one quarter and more temporary and welfare recipients. schools closures are likely. * State, territory and local government leaders will be asked at COAG in Sydney on Friday to come up with their own additional responses to boost the economy.

Half of Australia’s virus patients are well again

The government would also be reviewing its travel advice to Italy where more than 9000 people have contracted COVID-19 and 460 have died, Mr Hunt said on Tuesday.

* Federal parliament will be asked next week There are an estimated 114,000 cases in to approve legislation to deal with the virus. 107 countries across the world, with 1000 recorded deaths. Chief Medical Officer * Health authorities are closely watching the Brendan Murphy said it was highly unlikely situation in the United States which was “a bit people could catch the virus more than once. slow” in responding to the virus outbreak, according to Chief Medical Officer Brendan “I think that’s a very important message to Murphy.

Australians,” Mr Hunt added.

Apprentice wage subsidies in virus package

MARCH 2020 | FIND GEELONG

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18 FIND GEELONG | MARCH 2020

Autumn Book 2020... read and win!

More Info

1 March to 31 May 2020

Join us for the 2020 Autumn Book Binge! It’s easy to play - just pick up a game card from any branch of Eastern Regional Libraries.

Read or listen to a book of your choice from any of the nine book categories: 1. Set in Victoria 2. Recent releases 3. Other lives 4. In translation 5. Fact to fiction 6. Book to screen 7. Beastly titles 8. Other worlds 9. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writers Fill in your game card to keep track of the books you read or listen to during the book binge.

How to enter: Once you’ve completed a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lin on the game card, you can fill out the entry slips attached to the game card. To be in the monthly draw, drop your entry into your local library branch by the end of each month.

Prizes: A $40 Readings book voucher is up for grab for one lucky reader each month of the competition.

Career Opportunities Are you the right candidate to join our Knox Library Team? We have 2 new positions available.

Customer Service - Librarian Knox Library

Customer Service - Children’s Services Officer Knox Library

Band 5 Level A-D Permanent full time - 35 hours

Band 4 Level A-D Permanent full time - 35 hours

Click below to find out more about the positions and apply!

Applications close: 12 noon Wednesday 11 March 2020.

Apply now

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OUT OF THE ORDINARY EVENTS

What’s on in March

WED 18 MAR 1 PM ROWVILLE LIBRARY COST: $5 Have you always wanted to learn the art of origami?

Now you can! Learn how to make origami with Jenny.

Six Week Mindfulness Meditation

The Power is Yours “It’s Your Energy.”

Origami Workshop

FRI 13 MAR 2 PM BORONIA LIBRARY FREE Confused about energy retailers? Find out about useful tools that can help you!

Book Now

STARTING FRI 20 MAR 7PM BELGRAVE LIBRARY FREE During this six week course, different techniques in mindfulness practice will be experienced.

Book Now

Book Now

RESERVED TODAY

New books

Meet Rone: internationally acclaimed street artist Lilydale Library 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM sat 28 March, 2020

Book Now

Rone recently held the haunting exhibition “Empire” at Burnham Beeches, an Art Deco mansion in the Dandenong Ranges. This sellout exhibition was a captivating artistic envelopment of the senses, the heart and the mind. Hear about Rone’s career to date, his unique transformative installations and amazing street art. Cost $10 Also available from 11am - 3pm will be the immersive virtual reality experience, offering the change to explore the “EMPIRE” exhibition through a virtual reality headset.

Ticket includes afternoon tea provided by the Point of View Cafe.

MARCH 2020 | FIND GEELONG

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20 FIND GEELONG | MARCH 2020

WHAT DOES RETIREMENT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

Money and Life

(Financial Planning Association of Australia)

Keeping busy with work and family year after year can make it tricky to decide how to spend time in retirement.

Discover ways to feel your best and make the most of life after work.

1. Keeping active According to research from Sydney University, people who have retired generally adopt a healthier lifestyle than their working peers.

With more time on their hands, retired people are getting a better night’s sleep and more exercise. The study of 25,000 older Australians shows that retired people sleep 11 minutes longer and spend 93 minutes more per week keeping physically active, compared with the same age group still in the workforce. These findings could be part of the reason why Australians are living longer. “We hope this information could translate to better health in older Australians, preventing cardiovascular disease and diabetes,” says Dr. Melody Ding, lead researcher for the study.

So what could your healthy lifestyle in retirement look like? If you already like to run, hike or cycle, you’ll have more time to enjoy these activities and won’t need to budget for extra equipment. Joining a gym or sports team is another way to add exercise into your weekly routine, and make new friends too.

2. Staying social Your social networks in retirement are just as important to your health and wellbeing as a regular commitment to exercise. In a 2013 research study, Oliver Huxhold from the German Centre of Gerontology[1] found a significant difference in life satisfaction among older people who regularly take part in activities with friends. Not only does this social activity improve mental health and boost positive feelings, it can also protect people from the negative effects of ageing.

Work can often play a big part on our social life. In retirement, you can find yourself feeling isolated when you’ve been used to daily contact with colleagues and friends from work.

So it’s important to strengthen social ties with friends, new and old, who share your interests.

There are all kinds of ways to reach out to likeminded people in your community, through volunteering, joining clubs or local interest groups.

likeminded people and have all the hard work and planning taken care of. When travelling Not everyone sees retirement as their chance for extended periods, it’s worth organising a to stop working altogether. Continuing to Power of Attorney to make it easier to manage work in some capacity can be a very positive your personal and financial affairs from abroad. lifestyle choice, giving your days and weeks a welcome routine and purpose. Part-time 5. Family commitments work can also be a great way to supplement Having more time to spend with family can your income in retirement and help your be one of the greatest rewards of retirement. savings last longer. Having more time on Many retirees love to be involved with caring your hands can also allow you to set-up that for grandchildren. Having finished work, they business you’ve always wanted to try or start have fewer responsibilities to juggle and may a hobby that could turn into an extra source welcome the chance to focus attention on their of income. newest family members. However, taking on too much responsibility for the care of others After a lifetime of work, you’re likely to have – whether that’s grandchildren and/or elderly knowledge and skills to offer others through parents – can limit the time you have to look a mentoring or tutoring arrangement. This after yourself and do other things you enjoy. can be a very rewarding way to develop your And when it comes to helping family out with social network and you can choose whether money, be sure you’re not putting yourself in to accept payment or offer your time and a vulnerable position with your own finances skills as a volunteer. This is one of many types and be aware of any circumstances where a of volunteering that can give you the sense family member is taking advantage of your of purpose you enjoyed in your work and goodwill and generosity with money. Cases of enable you to make a positive contribution to elder financial abuse are most likely among your community. family members and there is support and help available if you think you may be experiencing 4. Spreading your wings financial abuse.

With fewer demands on your time, perhaps you 6. Location, location can get around to ticking some destinations off the bucket list? Whether you’re planning Where you live can often be one of the most to head overseas or pack up a caravan and important choices to make for your future join the growing ranks of grey nomads, wellbeing in retirement. It can have a big impact travel in retirement can be a very rewarding on what you’ll do with your time and who you’ll experience. According to Tourism Research spend it with, as well as your retirement budget.

Australia, the Grey Nomad trend – people Sometimes downsizing can make sense for age 55+ spending long periods travelling practical reasons, as it can allow you to move around Australia – is growing, with a massive somewhere that’s easier to maintain and ‘lock 90% increase in the number of 55 to 70-year- up and leave’ if you’re planning to travel. For old domestic travellers since 2000[2] Many others, it’s a way to use the equity in their home people find they can live on a more modest to fund their retirement. If you’re planning to budget as they travel. Others are just drawn sell and make a sea change, this can bring to the lifestyle that comes with road tripping more budget benefits if you’re moving to a location where the property and lifestyle is their way through retirement. more affordable. But it’s also important to think If you’re heading overseas, many companies about the possibility of starting from scratch organise travel programs specifically for with your social life in a new neighbourhood people who are retired. These trips can be and having access to activities you enjoy and ideal if you’re looking to meet and travel with the transport and health facilities you might need as you grow older.

3. Working and volunteering

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AUSTRALIA WEIGHS NEW VIRUS TRAVEL BANS

(Australia Associated Press)

Australia is considering travel bans for South Korea and Italy where coronavirus outbreaks have taken hold.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Tuesday “It will be targeted on the real diagnosis of asked for a reassessment of travel and border the economic issue we are looking to confront control arrangements for higher risk groups in here.” those countries.

Biosecurity control orders can direct “I would note that those cases are quite different Australians suspected of carrying the to some of the others because we are dealing coronavirus to remain in lockdown. with more advanced health systems in those places,” he told reporters in Canberra on Human health “response zones” can also be Tuesday. declared, banning people from attending places of mass gatherings like schools and “We will continue to look to the health advice, shopping centres. Mr Morrison said people which has not been – up until this point – to make should continue going about their business any changes to those arrangements.” as usual.

The prime minister has also consulted with supermarket giants Coles and Woolworths, with the fallout affecting global supply chains and consumer behaviour. Mr Morrison said Treasury was working with other government agencies to come up with a plan to boost the economy.

“It will be a targeted plan. It will be a measured plan. It will be a scalable plan,” he said.

Of the 10 aboard the ship, six have now cleared the virus and have been allowed to go home.

One of the 10 was James Kwan, 78, the first Australian to die from the virus. His wife is also infected and she remains in hospital.

Travel bans remain in place for foreign nationals arriving from Iran and China but the “I am looking forward to getting to places government has indicated further travel bans of mass gathering, particularly if it involves are unlikely to have any effect on the spread of my football team playing, or going to kids’ the disease. concerts,” he said. There have been 36 cases detected in Australia including two women in Globally there have been more than 88,500 their 60s declared ill on Tuesday afternoon infections and more than 3000 deaths spanning after returning to Sydney from South Korea 67 countries and regions. and Japan.

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“Temporary” Apartment Qualifies as Permanent Place of Abode The Australian tax residency of an individual has been ruled incorrect by the Full Federal Court on appeal, reversing an earlier determination by the Commissioner of Taxation. A subsequent appeal to the High Court of Australia by the Commissioner has been dismissed. This is a major case for expatriates living abroad, as the individual in question had been living in “temporary” serviced apartments in the Middle East. During the time in question, the taxpayer’s family had been living in Australia in a property jointly owned by the individual.

The case was overturned on account of the term “permanent place of abode” which is part of the Australian tax residency question. The ruling leaves a further option open for expatriates wishing to remain a non-resident of Australia for tax purposes when working overseas.

Luxury Car Tax Refunds Proposed for Farmers and Tourism Operators Primary producers and tourism operators may be eligible to apply for additional refunds of luxury car tax on vehicles purchased or imported after 1 July 2019. Generally, motor vehicles purchased above a certain threshold will incur additional taxes. The rate is usually 33%, although a small refund is allowed in certain industries. The increase in refund is subject to approval via both houses of parliament.

16 September 2019

19 September 2019 Announcement (24-Apr-2019) Consultation (14-Apr-2019) Introduced (19-Apr-2019) Passed Royal Assent Date of Effect

Super Guarantee Opt-out Coming for Certain Individuals Certain individuals will now have an option to opt-out of receiving certain superannuation guarantee amounts. Under the new legislation, individuals with multiple employers may get additional cash from their second employer if they can show an unintended breach of contributions caps. Generally, a breach may bring additional personal tax payable plus shortfall interest charge. The new law will allow the ATO to issue an employer with a shortfall exemption certificate. This can only occur when an employee would likely have excess concessional contributions, and removes the employer’s potential liability for super guarantee charge. This new law may reduce overall paperwork for superannuation compliance of high income earning individuals. Also, it may remove unintended interest and penalties.

19 September 2019 Announcement (25-July-2019) Consultation (24-May-2019) Introduced (24-July-2019) Passed (19-Sep-2019) Royal Assent Date of Effect

SMSF Penalties for Underreported Expenses Legislated

19 September 2019 Announcement (28-July-2019) Consultation (24-May-2019) Introduced (24-July-2019) Passed (19-Sep-2019) Royal Assent Date of Effect (30-June-2019)

Non-arm’s length income (NALI) rules are bring strengthened. In particular, the NALI provisions are bring rewritten to include situations where expenses of the fund are reduced in order to obtain a non-commercial benefit. This new law will strengthen rules which were previously only part of guidance released by the ATO for SMSFs. Specifically, an income tax liability will be enforced as opposed to previous interpretations of tax and super regulations in relation to super fund borrowings.

Superannuation Guarantee Amnesty Employers who have not paid their superannuation guarantee (SG) in the past now have a one-off amnesty from penalties to make good on their compliance. The previous rules relating to SG charge denied the tax deductibility of late super payments, and applied additional penalties. The amnesty will apply from 24 May 2018 to 6 months after the Bill receives royal assent. However, it is still going through the parliamentary process. A disclosure could theoretically be made from the quarter starting 1 July 1992. The main qualification for the amnesty to apply for the employer is that the ATO must not have previously declared an investigation into the financial quarter in question. New additions to previous iterations of this legislation are also included. The current Bill has strict penalty provisions which the ATO must charge if an employer fails to declare a SG shortfall post-amnesty period.

SMSF Penalties For Underreported Expenses Legislated Non-arm’s length income (NALI) rules are bring strengthened. In particular, the NALI provisions are bring rewritten to include situations where expenses of the fund are reduced in order to obtain a non-commercial benefit. This new law will strengthen rules which were previously only part of guidance released by the ATO for SMSFs. Specifically, an income tax liability will be enforced as opposed to previous interpretations of tax and super regulations in relation to super fund borrowings. Draft ATO guidance has provided further situations where an SMSF may have underreported non-arm’s length expenditure, including where it may apply to all income.

25 September 2019 Announcement (20-July-2019) Consultation (18-Sep-2019) Passed (18-Sep-2019) Royal Assent Date of Effect

10 October 2019 Announcement (28-July-2019) Consultation (24-May-2019) Introduced (24-July-2019) Passed (19-Sep-2019) Royal Assent (2-Oct-2019) Date of Effect (30-Jun-2019)

Testamentary Trust Minor’s Distribution to be Limited Minors may only receive concessional tax treatment on testamentary trust income that is derived directly from assets originally transferred from a deceased estate. Subject to passing legislation, this will take effect for assets transferred into a testamentary trust after 1 July 2019. The exposure draft provides trustees of a testamentary trust with a clear understanding of when minor’s income will not be taxed at regular rates. The announcements are part of a crackdown on the misuse of testamentary trusts by some. This has included “injected” unrelated property into the testamentary trust vehicle for tax minimisation purposes.

Luxury Car Tax refund Increase for Farmers and Tourism Operators Primary producers and tourism operators will be eligible to apply for additional refunds of luxury car tax on vehicles purchased or imported after 1 July 2019. Generally, motor vehicles purchased above a certain threshold will incur additional taxes. The rate is usually 33%, although a small refund is allowed in certain industries. Primary producers and tourism operators can now use their BAS lodgements to get the increased refund, beginning with the September 2019 BAS.

11 October 2019 Announcement (18-Jun-2019) Consultation (30-Oct-2019) Introduced Passed Royal Assent Date of Effect

18 October 2019 Announcement (24-Apr-2019) Consultation (14-Aug-2019) Introduced (19-Sep-2019) Passed (17-Oct-2019) Royal Assent Date of Effect (1-Jul-2019)

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Builders and Building Designers in NSW to Face Increased Regulation NSW government has proposed a bill designed to regulate builders and building designers in the state. This is in response to various building disasters experienced by the state, which includes the Opal Tower and Mascot Towers cases. Enforcement measures in the bill include the power to investigate and audit the various building projects in different stages of completion. If found unsatisfactory, a stop order can be implemented for the offending building works. The Bill not only seeks to register all building design and construction industry players, but to also impose penalties on the players for performing unsatisfactory work in their building projects.

Non-arm’s Length International Arrangements Associated with Intangible Assets The ATO is aware that there have been international arrangements that purport to mischaracterise Australian activities in relation to the development, enhancement, maintenance, protection and exploitation (DEMPE) of intangible assets. The ATO is concerned that in some cases, these arrangements may be non-arm’s length or structured to avoid tax obligations.

Announcement (29-Jan-2019) Consultation Introduced (23-Oct-2019) Passed Royal Assent Date of Effect

Announcement Consultation Introduced Passed Royal Assent Date of Effect

Tradespersons Register Launched for Bushfire Relief The Insurance Council of Australia has introduced an online disaster-affected trades register to assist local tradespeople in helping rebuild communities affected by disaster. Qualified builders and tradespeople who have the relevant skills and capacity to work on property repairs and rebuilds are invited to register online. This initiative will assist tradespeople in bushfire affected areas by making themselves available for insurance work.

This will also assist with the rapid recovery of the communities affected by the bushfire disaster.

Announcement Consultation Introduced Passed Royal Assent Date of Effect

Bushfire Tax Assistance tax exempt for volunteer firefighters The Federal Government has passed a Bill that addresses the compensation of volunteer firefighters for the 2019/20 bushfires and those affected by the 2019/20 Australian bushfires. This payment is meant to compensate their loss of employment income when working with the State or Territory fire service during the 2019/20 year.

All payments made to people for bushfire support or as a volunteer firefighter will be non-assessable nonexempt income. The payment for loss of income caps at $300 per day, with a total cap of $6,000 for the year. The payment is not means tested, and multiple applications for the payment is excepted, provided the annual cap of $6,000 has not been reached. The payment is applied through each state or territory department which deals with the volunteer service. Some states and the territories have yet to implement it yet.

Announcement (4-Feb-2020) Consultation Introduced (5-Feb-2020) Passed (7-Feb-2020) Royal Assent (13-Feb-2020) Date of Effect (14-Feb-2020)

Superannuation guarantee amnesty Employers who have not paid their superannuation guarantee (SG) in the past now have a one-off amnesty from penalties to make good on their compliance. The previous rules relating to SG charge denied the tax deductibility of late super payments, and applied additional penalties.This Bill has now passed both houses of parliament and will receive royal assent shortly. The amnesty applies from 24 May 2018 to 6 months after the Bill receives royal assent. The disclosure period that applies to the amnesty can be made from the quarter starting 1 July 1992 to the quarter ending 31 March 2018.The main qualification for the amnesty to apply for the employer is that the ATO must not have previously declared an investigation into the financial quarter in question. The passed legislation also has strict penalty provisions which the ATO must charge if an employer fails to declare a SG shortfall post-amnesty period.

Announcement (20-SEP-2019) Consultation (18-SEP-2019) Introduced (18-SEP-2019) Passed (24-Feb-2020) Royal Assent Date of Effect

Construction labour costs to be capitalised: TR 2019/D6 issued Labour costs and other associated cost for employees involved in the construction and creation of capital assets will no longer be deductible due to s 8-1(2)(a) of ITAA 97. The draft ruling issued by the ATO states that not only are wages and salaries expenses affected by this ruling, but also other employee entitlements such as long service leave, annual leave, sick leave, bonuses and allowances will all be affected. However, not all capital asset labour costs will not be deductible. The functions undertaken by employees or contractors will determine whether their labour costs are deductible or form part of a capital asset.

Announcement (19-NOV-2019) Consultation (14-FEB-2019) Introduced Passed Royal Assent Date of Effect

DPN regime extended to GST liabilities The Director’s Penalty Notice regime will be extended to include GST liabilities, with legislation now passed parliament. Also, the legislation extends the regime for LCT and WET, taxes which are paid as part of activity statement lodgements. From the quarter following royal assent (at this stage likely 1 April 2020), the Commissioner of Taxation would be allowed to declare a GST liability estimate. From there, the director has 21 days to ensure an outstanding amount is dealt with to avoid a personal liability of outstanding GST. The extension will mean that a director may become personally liable for PAYG withholding, superannuation guarantee or GST owed by the company they represent.

Announcement (20-Nov-2018) Consultation (27-Sep-2019) Introduced (4-Jul-2019) Passed (5-Feb-2020) Royal Assent (17-Feb-2020) Date of Effect (1-Apr-2020)

Investment strategies and SMSFs An SMSF must hold an investment strategy as part of the requirements of the SIS Act, and it must be reviewed at least annually.

Recently, the ATO has provided guidance to where an investment strategy is not considered valid under the SIS Act. This includes tailoring the strategy to be specific to the SMSFs circumstances rather than a document which merely repeats the words in the legislation. Advisers are being encouraged to review their SMSFs investment strategy to ensure it does meet these and other areas such as risk. In particular, using asset investment ranges of 0-100% for all classes is considered invalid when formulating an investment strategy.

Announced: 25-Feb-2020 Updated: 28-Feb-2020

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Geelong. For listing enquiries call 1300 88 38 30 or email editor@findgeelong.com.au

Coronavirus (COVID-19) update

Greater Geelong Mayor Stephanie Asher “I am confident that the organisation has thorough plans in place to respond to the rapidly evolving Coronavirus situation as it unfolds.

The health of the community, City staff and volunteers will be the top priority in all decision making, and decisions will be made based on the latest advice from the Department of Health and Human Services.”

“We encourage members of our community to be calm and careful.

There are many simple precautions you can take to help prevent the spread of the virus, including regular hand washing with soap and water, and covering the mouth if coughing or sneezing.”

“We also encourage everyone to plan for how you and your family, including pets, would manage if you needed to stay at home for two to three weeks. If you are feeling unwell, please contact your GP or the dedicated hotline on 1800 675 398. We will keep the community well informed of any impacts to City services via the Geelong Australia website.”

“Based on advice from the Department of Health and Human Services, we are aiming to minimise face-to-face contact wherever possible. This is designed to protect the health of our staff and to help reduce and slow the spread of the virus in the community. In turn, this provides us the best chance of continuing to deliver our many crucial services.”

“As part of this, we have made a decision to support our employees to work from home where it is operationally possible. We have also made the decision to postpone, cancel or find alternative ways to deliver city-led events in the short-term.”

“For example, all City-run Geelong Design Week events have been cancelled.We have postponed a citizenship ceremony scheduled for Monday evening at City Hall and a planned parenting forum for 400 people in Barrabool next Wednesday. We have notified Pakington Street traders that our drop-in sessions regarding the draft Pakington Street Urban Design Framework have been cancelled, but we will extend the online feedback period to compensate.”

Greater Geelong CEO martin Cutter

“We are also considering our approach to council meetings and how we might use technology to maintain public access to the council’s decision-making. This may mean rescheduling our Community Focus council meetings to City Hall so that they can be live streamed.”

“The City is well prepared to respond to any possible impacts of the coronavirus on our employees, volunteers, services and community.

We have devoted significant resources to be able to respond quickly and decisively to any escalation of the outbreak.”

“We are also considering our approach to council meetings and how we might use technology to maintain public access to the council’s decision-making. This may mean rescheduling our Community Focus council meetings to City Hall so that they can be live streamed.”

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Safety improvements in Leopold

New state-of-the-art ‘smart’ lighting at bus stops and key locations along the Bellarine Rail Trail will help increase safety for Leopold residents.

As part of a $250,000 Victorian Government initiative to improve public safety and combat anti-social behaviour, lights will be installed at the intersections of the rail trail with Melaluka Road, Kensington Road and Christies Road, as well as other highly used entrance points.

These lights will also feature CCTV cameras.

In addition, lights with WiFi capability will be put in place at several bus stops in Leopold, increasing the visibility of passengers to approaching drivers and providing live waittime updates to those using the stops.

The City of Greater Geelong will contribute $30,000, bringing the total investment in the project to $280,000.

Mayor Stephanie Asher:

“We want Leopold residents to feel safe when If successful, there’s potential for similar using the rail trail and waiting for the bus, and a technology to be rolled out across the region. big part of that is making sure these areas are well It’s expected the lights will be in place by mid- lit. The smart features will offer the added benefit 2021. of increasing surveillance through the CCTV

cameras, and giving bus users up-to-theminute information about how far away their bus is. Anything that encourages more people on the Bellarine to use the rail trail and the bus service is a good thing. We thank the state government for its investment in this project.”

Would faster internet improve your business

The City of Greater Geelong wants to learn about Our community internet survey, conducted in our business community’s internet connectivity 2019, will enable us to expand the free public needs.

WiFi network in 2020 (access the engagement report).Now we’re asking our business This will help us to identify and advocate for community to tell us about their connectivity improved services. issues and needs.

Complete our Business Internet Connectivity Survey by 8 April 2020 to have your say.

If you’re a registered business owner in Greater Geelong, you’ll go in the draw to win one of five $100 JB HiFi vouchers.

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CACHE

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MARCH 2020

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MARCH 2020

RETIREMENT

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RETIREMENT ADVICE

info@findretirement.com.au findretirement.com.au This information is of a general nature only and has been prepared without taking into account your particular financial needs, circumstances and objectives. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, it is not guaranteed. You should obtain professional advice before acting on the information contained in this publication. Superannuation, tax and Centrelink and other relevant information is based on our interpretation and continuation of law current as at the date of this document. The information contained in this document does not constitute legal or tax advice.You should seek expert advice in this regard. Warren Strybosch, Find Wealth Pty Limited ABN 20 140 585 075 trading as Find Retirement, Corporate Authorised Representative No. 236815 of ClearView Financial Advice Pty Ltd ABN 89 133 593 012, AFSL No. 331367.

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES • Hair Dresser • Osteopath • Chitopractor • Beauty Therapy • Gym • Massage Therapy

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TITLE HERE

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TITLE HERE

We invite a representative from each sporting club to submit team selections, results and any interesting stories relating to your club/sport. For enquiries call 1300 88 38 30 or email editor@findgeelong.com.au

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TITLE HERE

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