Motor Trader - June - Online Edition

motor trader

motor trader queensland | vol. 83 | issue 5 | June 2012

Intelligent Vehicles Rising Sun Honda: #1 SME’s and websites

The business Olympics

Healthy heart foods Stoner to retire

Stationery for the automotive industry gue o l a t a ct C Produ

• General Office Stationery Supplies • Motor Vehicle Sales Stationery • Job/Time Cards • Service Station Supplies • Signage • Approved Inspection Station Signage and Decals • Accessories • MTA Queensland Member Signage • Technical Publications Our Stationery Catalogue is available online at www.mtaq.com.au Telephone: 07 3237 8781 Toll free 1800 177 951

Official Publication of the Motor Trades Association of Queensland

contents

Head Office 1000 Wynnum Building 8, 2728Road, LoganCannon Road, Eight Hill, Mile Qld Plains, 4170 Qld 4113 P.O. Box 4530, 560, Morningside, Eight Mile Plains, Qld 4170 Qld 4113 Tel: 07 3237 8777 Fax: 07 3844 4488 Toll Free: 1800 177 951 Email: publications@mtaq.com.au Website: www.mtaq.com.au

2. From the editor

Editor Managing Editor Michael Taylor

7. Strong results for light commercials fuels new car sales Novated mobile site for car purchasers Motor industry needs more apprentices to address the shortage of tradesmen, p. 6 8. Opportunities for growth in management change 9. Gladstone golf day roundup Audi’s Women of Style awards 10. Holden’s Volt on the street before year’s end 11. New Holden export program bound for Daytona 12. Intelligent vehicles’ reach expands Banora Point revamp nears completion 13. Burson’s 100th store prompts $100,000 trade promotion 14. Top achiever Opel set for Australian launch 15. New catalogue available for engine rebuilds Almera to hit showrooms in August

Kellie Dewar

Art Director EditorIlinic in Chief Marco Michael Taylor

Industrial Relations Art Director Ted Kowalski Peter Richardson

Policy Advertising Enquiries Kellie Dewar, General Manager MTA Queensland

Jillian Anfield Mobile: 0414 473 944 Advertising Enquiries Facsimile: Jeff Dunlop 07 3844 4488 Email: jilliana@mtaq.com.au Mobile: 0422 075 007 Facsimile: 07 3844 4488 Editorial Email: jeffd@mtaq.com.au Editorial submissions are welcomed but cannot be guaranteed placement. For more information telephone Editorial the Editorsubmissions 07 3237 8777 Editorial are welcomed but cannot be guaranteed placement. For more information telephone Subscription Rates the Editor 07 3237 8777(including GST) Australia: $72.60 annually Overseas: $110 annually Subscription Rates (including GST) Australia: $72.60 annually Overseas: $110 annually

Motor Trader Publishing Policy Motor Trader is the official publication of the Motor Trades Association of Queensland. The role of Motor Trader is to inform members of current Motor Trader Publishing Policy issues and legislation affecting the industry. As such it can be regarded Motor is the official publication of the Motor Trades Association as the Trader business magazine for the Queensland motor industry.

The role of Queensland.

The role of Motor Trader iswith to inform members of current of Motor Trader is not to be in competition the technical magazines issues and legislation affecting the industry.

As such it can be regarded already on the market. It will advise of new vehicles being released and as thelatest business magazine for the Queensland role of the technology incorporated into them;motor it will industry. advise ofThe latest of Motor Trader is notmembers to be in competition withMTA the Queensland technical magazines technology affecting in each of the Divisions; already on members the market.

It will advise of newinvehicles being released and it will keep abreast of the latest motor industry training and of the latest technology incorporated into them; it willofadvise of latest industrial affairs; and it will keep members informed the latest technical technology affecting in each ofMember the MTAServices, Queensland Divisions; aids available throughmembers MTA Queensland which will assist it will keepinmembers abreast the latest in motor industrypresently training and members staying ahead of of the technological revolution being industrial affairs; and it will keep members informed of the latest technical encountered within the motor industry. The publisher reserves the right to aids available through MTA Queensland Member Services, which will omit or alter any advertisement and the advertiser agrees to indemnifyassist the members for in staying aheadorofliabilities the technological revolution presently being publisher all damages arising from the published material. encountered within the motor industry. The publisher reserves the right to omit alter any advertisement and the848 advertiser agrees to indemnify the MTAor Queensland ABN: 74 028 933 publisher for all damages or liabilities arising from the published material.

Corporate Partners

MTA Queensland ABN: 74 028 933 848

4. Policy/Viewpoint 6. Industrial Relations Industry Update

Features 16. 2016 ITS World Congress Opel has been awarded for the second time as the set for Australia most innovative automotive brand, p. 14 18. Would you win Gold at the Business Olympics?

22. 2012 MYOB Business Monitor

20.Members Health 24. Twenty-four foods that can save your heart

Automobile News 28. Honda City Honda Civic Hatch Kia sedan 29. Mercedes-Benz M-Class Peugeot 4008 Renault Clio

20120002

Sport 30. Yamaha’s packages at Australian MotoGP Stoner to retire at end of season 31. Leyburn Sprints 32. Eastern Creeks becomes Sydney Motorsport Park

Sydney Motorsport Park will provide a new challenge for competitors, p. 32

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from the editor

Michael Taylor, Editor

D

iscussions with the new LNP Government in Queensland regarding issues that affect our industry are well underway, which MTA General Manager Kellie Dewar highlights on pages 4 and 5.

Ted Kowalski (page 6) explains why the unions are pushing for apprentice’s wages to be increased and that members’ feedback via an online survey will aid in our Association’s submission to Fair Work Australia.

By year’s end the all-electric Holden Volt vehicle will be on the streets of Australia (page 10), with charging stations already installed in parts of Melbourne.

Along those lines, Australia will be hosting the 2016 Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress (page 16).

With the surge in international interest and current tangible growth in this sector (i.e., electric vehicles), the gathering in four years time is expected to be the largest ever of its kind.

Being an effective online player is not about having a complicated website; it’s about enabling you business to be found.

Topics will include new communications methods and data processing, electronic technologies for in-vehicle, vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicle-to-infrastructure and mode-to-mode systems. All of that together is intended to increase transport safety and mobility, improve the sustainability of travel, reduce congestion and improve the performance and competitiveness of all modes of transport.

Back to the nuts and bolts of the day to day and on the eve on the London Olympics, Sue Hirst of CFO On-Call is asking would you win gold at the 'business' Olympics? With the start of the new financial year, Sue tells us (beginning on page 18) about the three

financial success factors to focus on: income; costs and overheads; and cash flow.

A recent MYOB Business Monitor report revealed that businesses without a website are missing out on higher revenue, better sales conversion and a greater number of customer leads (page 22). Important to note, however, that being an effective online player is not about having a complicated website; it’s about enabling you business to be found.

Congratulations to MTA Queensland member Rising Sun Honda of Townsville for being named the Honda Motorcycle Dealer of the year at the Honda national conference (page 20).

Owner Bernie Koppe leads a team of 60 staff that includes his wife and two children in Australia’s largest motorcycle dealership, which was recognised for “continuing to grow their market and sales by exceeding customer expectations in sales and service”.

We come to you!

Certificate IV Frontline Management (Workplace Delivery) enrolments are now open.

An MTA Institute of Technology trainer is available to come to your workplace* on a fortnightly basis to see you through to qualification. *Areas available include Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Brisbane metro and west to Toowoomba.

Telephone Anthony Bonaccorso on 1 800 884 137 to register your interest.

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motor trader queensland

Be part of an industry president's message that offers more than you David Fraser President, MTA Queensland

•

Specialising in: • Light Vehicle Mechanical Technicians • Motorcycle Mechanical Technicians Automotive Electrical Technicians • Parts Interpreting • Management Courses • Front Line Management Courses • Specialist Automotive Technicians • Tyre Fitting Light and Heavy • Panel Beating and Vehicle Painting • Heavy Vehicle Road Transport & Diesel

I N S T IT U T E O F T E C H N O L O G Y

Building 8, 2728 Logan Road, Eight Mile Plains QLD 4113 Tel: 07) 3722 3000 Fax:motor 07) trader 3722queensland 3030 Funding for Traineeships and Apprenticeships is made available from the Department of Education and Training

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policy/viewpoint

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t the opening of the 54th Parliament, the Governor highlighted the “impact that red tape and unnecessary environmental regulation has on business and industry.”

The policy of the new LNP Government is to cut “red tape by 20 per to promote business activity and stimulate industry.”

We have been quick to present our credentials as the peak organisation representing Queensland’s automotive industry value chain to two key Ministers and to promote the “red tape” issues that have negative business impacts on our Membership. I’ve been party to such discussions with the Attorney General and Minister for Justice Jarrod Bleijie and the Minister for Transport and Main Roads Scott Emerson

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motor trader queensland

Kellie Dewar, General Manager MTA Queensland

and their appropriate Departmental staff.

At the meeting with the Attorney General, we pressed the “unnecessary regulation on motor dealers” drawing attention to some 14 forms relating to the purchase/sale of a motor vehicle. It was my view that there was some surprise at the extent of this “red tape” that accompanied the buying/selling of a motor vehicle.

We indicated that we would welcome the opportunity to work with the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) to review this regulatory regime

in conjunction with the foreshadowed splitting of the two sectors that pertain to the Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act. We have long advocated in submissions and in representations that the motor dealer should have stand alone legislation and stressed that now would be the best time to introduce the ‘paperwork’ reforms in new legislation that would provide concurrent benefits to industry and consumers.

For our Service Station Members, we advocated the concept of a voluntary code

or standard covering petrol price displayed by service stations. The aim of such a code would be to ensure service stations display only the pump price and not the discounted price which is not universally available. We have written to the OFT regarding the development of such a Code.

We drew the Attorney General’s attention to a ‘Motor Vehicle Insurance and Repair Industry Code of Conduct’ which is mandated in New South Wales (NSW) and voluntary in all other States.

We have consistently advocated the deregulation of fees for Safety Inspections in Queensland to ensure vehicle checks are comprehensive and that a one-size fits all approach does not encourage safety shortcuts.

It is our Member’s experience that the current legislation is ambiguous and unnecessarily complicated and does not appear to take into account the detailed records that repairers are required to maintain for statutory compliance purposes.

We contended that the Code be mandatory in Queensland to provide a more binding agreement between repairers and Insurers.

Our representations to the Minister for Transport Scott Emerson were several with emphasis on the deregulation of safety inspection fees. We have consistently advocated the deregulation of fees for Safety Inspections in

Queensland to ensure vehicle checks are comprehensive and that a one-size fits all approach does not encourage safety shortcuts.

Studies conducted by MTA Queensland, the RACQ and verified by Transport and Main Roads confirm the current ‘regulated fee of $66.55 to purchase a Safety Certificate is inadequate compensation for a comprehensive check that typically takes more than one hour, according to established best practice.

(Typical rates for mechanical repairs are now around $100 per hour.)

Experience from Victoria (VACC) where fees were deregulated 12 years ago, shows that consumers have not been disadvantaged by the change. The reality is that charges have been maintained at more realistic levels as a result of open competition. It is my impression the Minister did hear our views and wanted it followed up by the Department. I assure Members, I will follow this issue up.

On behalf of our Automotive Engineers’ Division we raised the issue of modernising record-keeping by automotive mechanics and the body repair industry. It is our Member’s experience that the current legislation is ambiguous and unnecessarily complicated and does not appear to take into account the detailed records that repairers are required to maintain for statutory compliance purposes. We are pleased that progress is being made on this issue and that the Department is planning the appropriate legislative amendments to the Transport Operations (Road Use Management Act) 1995 and Section 166 of the Traffic Regulation 1962.

I took the opportunity to raise the matter of Statutory Write-Offs which we’ve been speaking with the Department over the past two years or so.

The Queensland automotive industry is united in the need for legislation to introduce one class of written off vehicles.

Statutory Write-Offs was introduced in NSW in 2011 and our soundings are that the automotive industry in the other States supports such an initiative.

The Queensland automotive industry is united in the need for legislation to introduce one class of written off vehicles.

Statutory Write-Offs was introduced in NSW in 2011 and our soundings are that

the automotive industry in the other States supports such an initiative.

I articulated the potential for innumerable benefits for industry and consumers if the Statutory Write-Offs was introduced. These included the reduction in vehicle theft, lessening the likelihood that vehicle crime gangs from NSW will cross the border and operate in Queensland, providing safer vehicles, reducing consumer complaints about ‘rip offs” and stimulating economic activity in the automotive industry value chain.

Overall, my impression was that both the Attorney General Jarrod Bleijie and Minister Scott Emerson were keenly interested in our issues, but I assure Members I will be following up to make sure that the issues important to our Members do not get lost amongst their thickets of other legislative and policy measures. motor trader queensland

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industrial relations

Ted Kowalski, Industrial Relations Manager

Union application to increase apprentice rates

I

n conjunction with the Fair Work Australia annual wage review that is currently underway, the

unions have lodged an application that would see the wages rates paid to apprentices increase substantially – especially for year one and year two apprentices. Their argument is that when apprentice wages were originally established decades ago it was traditional for an apprenticeship to start around age 15 - with only year 10 schooling. These days it more likely that a person will be aged 17 and having completed year 12 at commencement of an apprenticeship. They also make the observation that industry needs more apprentices to address the shortage of tradesmen and that something needs to be done to stem the dropout rate for those that do start an apprenticeship.

While these observations clearly have some merit, the size of the increase being sought by the unions could have the effect of making apprenticeships less attractive to business by making them too expensive.

The Federal government has also issued a “scoping paper” to guide Fair Work Australia on the whole issue of apprentices and trainees wages and conditions.

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Decades ago it was traditional for an apprenticeship to start around age 15. These days it more likely that a person will be aged 17 and having completed year 12 at commencement of an apprenticeship.

Included in the paper is the stated need to examine the introduction of competencybased-progression through an apprenticeship – something that has been a feature of the Queensland system for many years.

The motor industry associations, including MTAQ, are seeking the views of members via an on-line survey that will guide the submissions that will be made when the union application is eventually heard before Fair Work Australia (FWA). Clearly something must be done to address the attraction/ retention problems but it must be done in such a way that it does not alienate potential employers of apprentices.

industry update Novated mobile site for car purchasers

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ar buying in Australia has entered the realm of online shopping with purchasers now able to calculate their novated lease instantly on their mobiles anytime, from anywhere.

Strong results for light commercials fuels new car sales

A

light-commercial was the best-selling vehicle in Australia in April.

The Toyota HiLux

pushed the usual top-selling incumbent, the Mazda3, into second and drew attention to a year-on-year increase

of 7.4 per cent for light commercial vehicles.

results up four per cent on the same month last year.

Two other utes featured in the top ten list of best selling vehicles for April, the Nissan Navara and the Mitsubishi Triton.

Toyota, Mazda, Hyundai, Holden and Ford were the top five marques, although only Toyota and Mazda were able to record stronger sales than the same time last year.

Among the passenger cars, the Corolla, Mazda 3, and Cruze were the top three sellers nationally, while SUVs continued their relentless surge.

New car sales in Queensland continued their upward trend, with April

Top Ten Vehicles Model

Apr-12

Apr-11

Toyota Hilux 4X4

709

569

Toyota Corolla

623

520

Mazda3

563

574

Toyota Prado

552

252

Hyundai i30

485

730

Holden Cruze

411

501

Nissan Navara 4X4

388

392

Holden Commodore

359

371

Mitsubishi Triton 4X4

311

443

Toyota Camry (4 cyl)

295

342

The Toyota Prado was Queensland’s most popular 4WD/SUV in April, with 552 sales, while the Mazda CX-5 recorded another month of impressive sales (279 units) in April.

Looking at smiles and frowns, it was not a good month for Mitsubishi with sales down almost 35 per cent. On the other hand, a few cheers at Volkswagen with sales up 65 per cent.

Other marques that would be celebrating success in April were Subaru and Jeep.

But 2012 is fast becoming the year of the SUV with strong sales across all segments.

Launched in May, Fleetcare’s pioneering new Novated Mobile Site, novatedlease. mobi, now makes shopping for financing and other critical calculations only a click away. And with the ability to offer better pricing on cars, the Novated site is quickly becoming the first port of call.

“Astonishingly, our mobile traffic immediately jumped from 5% to over 27% and it is increasing every day,” said Nigel Malcolm, CEO of Fleetcare, Australian’s largest independent fleet management company.

“As a major employee benefit, many working Australians are buying their new cars through a novated, or salary package arrangement, with their employer. Our new Novated mobile site has totally revolutionised this car-buying experience.

Using their smart phones or tablets, shoppers are now able to rapidly determine both the costs and savings of any new car with a novated lease. We’ve made a very convoluted process very simple,” he explained. continued on page 8

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industry update Kelly Slessor, Director of Bantermob, developed the mobile site and applauds Fleetcare for its leadership and vision.

“The conversions are excellent, and both time on site and pages visited are on a steep increase, with bounce rate on a sharp decline,” she said.

“Fleetcare recognised that they were losing potential leads and are first in their industry to invest in a full mobile solution. Using Google’s ‘how to go mobile’ test tool, Fleetcare scored a 5/5 for their mobile presence – the highest score across the top five competitors in the industry, with an excellent click return,” she added.

The new site has been such success that the company is launching a “Novate-itAnywhere” competition, - “Show us the most obscure place to buy a new car!”

The winning visual or video which demonstrates the weirdest way or place to calculate a new lease on a mobile will receive $500 and become part of Fleetcare’s social media campaign.

“We’ve heard they’ve come in from all sorts of places- including the very scene of a car accident. So we’re curious to see just how inventive our public can be!” said Mr. Malcolm.

The new mobile site makes the Novated lease process easy, fast and convenient, with 24-hour access to information, instant quotes and the ability to contact Fleetcare. Additionally, Fleetcare provides a dedicated portal for clients to manage their accounts 8

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which has also been mobilised, making it easier to access them on the go.

development and technical resources with HELLA Australia.

The first fleet company to offer SMS alerts for drivers, Fleetcare (fleetcare.com.au) is committed to technology and innovation as a driving force. Managing a fleet of over 30,000 cars, the privately owned company uniquely retains its independence from financial and insurance institutions in order to offer the best value packages of goods and services.

“While HELLA Philippines has been successful for more than three decades, from a technological point of view this change will enable the levels of investment and development required to support future growth. This is where bringing the company into the HELLA Australia management structure makes good business sense,” said Mr. Rantala.

“We have excellent long term Original Equipment and Aftermarket customers in the Philippines region and we will be looking to expand our customer reach in the region with the support of the technical and marketing expertise that exists within HELLA Australia,” he added.

Opportunities for growth in management change

H

ELLA Philippines Inc., a highly successful manufacturer and marketer of both Original Equipment and Aftermarket automotive lighting and electronic products, is now under the executive management of HELLA Australia Chief Executive Officer Olavi Rantala.

This change in the senior management structure for the Philippines based HELLA operation enables the company to gain more opportunities for domestic and international growth throughout the Asia Pacific, with the addition of product

Established in 1978 as an Original Equipment supplier to the Ford Motor Company in the Philippines, the company grew substantially when HELLA Philippines entered the two-wheeler (motorcycle) market in 1988. Since then, the company has weathered the East Asian Crisis strongly Olavi Rantala

to become one of the region’s top performers in the Aftermarket, Original Equipment and Special Original Equipment sectors.

Featuring ISO 9001, EMS 14001 and ISO/TS 16949 certified manufacturing facilities and having received Awards for excellence from Original Equipment partners Honda and Mitsubishi in both 2008 and 2010, HELLA Philippines has been a strong performer in the region to date.

The company’s main manufacturing skill sets can be found in precision injection moulding, painting, metalising, metal forming and ultrasonic welding as well as low cost assembly opportunities.

This HELLA Philippines management re-structure also represents a major vote of confidence in the future of the region’s automotive industry by parent company HELLA KG, which is a globally positioned, independent family-owned company that employs 25,000 people based in more than 100 countries.

(left to right) Terry from Bill Robertson Toyota; Jeff Osborne, President, Midday Rotary; Kerry Rose, President, Gladstone Hospital Ladies Auxiliary; Brad Anderson, Andersons Auto City; David Grant, David Grant Used Cars

businesswoman, Miranda Kerr, founder of KORA Organics.

In addition, the InStyle and Audi Style Scholarship award was presented by Audi’s General Manager, Marketing, Janet Markus, to Alyssa McClelland.

Gladstone golf day roundup

G

ladstone’s 35th Motor Trades Golf Day on 16 May attracted 114 players in an Ambrose tournament that was supported by the Rotary Midday Club and The Gladstone Hospital Ladies Auxiliary.

MTA Queensland’s AADA and Used Car Division were well represented with financial sponsorship from Errol Roots, Gladstone Nissan/Hyundai; Chris Zagami, Reef City Ford; James Robertson, Bill Robertson Toyota; Brad and Les Anderson, Andersons Auto City Holden Mazda Mitsubishi; David Grant, David Grant Used Cars; and Brian Hedley, Brian Hedley Used Cars.

According to MTA Queensland past President, Greg Klease, the event was a shotgun start at 9 a.m. and the day was a perfect 27 degrees.

“The ladies from the Hospital Auxiliary made sandwiches for the start, with Rotary Midday cooking a progressive lunch barbeque and a successful Sports Memorabilia Auction was held in the late afternoon,

which raised approximately $10,000.00 for The Gladstone Hospital Ladies Auxiliary,” he said.

Since the 1989 tournament, Mr. Klease has been responsible for the announcing and selling of the raffle tickets. Charlie Prizeman (ex Charlie Prizeman Used Cars), a long time member of the MTA Queensland Used Car Division has been involved for the past 35 years.

Audi’s Women of Style awards More than 300 people attended the fourth annual InStyle and Audi Women of Style awards in Sydney in May to recognize and celebrate the outstanding achievements of successful Australian women.

In total, 14 women were recognized for their contribution to the Australian community through their work in nine categories including Environment, Charity/Community, Beauty, Fashion, Arts/Culture, Business, Design, Lifestyle and News/Entertainment.

The overall Reader’s Choice award was presented to Australian supermodel and

With acting roles on Home and Away and All Saints, McClelland is no stranger to lighting up the camera, but her lifelong dream is to be behind one. After forming production company ‘Pickled Films’ in 2009, McClelland’s first short film, Emilia Eckle, was shown at 10 film festivals worldwide.

Audi Australia’s Janet Markus is a judge for the InStyle and Audi Women of Style awards and says that the brand is proud to support young, talented women in their career progression.

“The hardest thing for me, and most film-makers, is getting funding for projects,” McClelland said.

as an actor, and with the scholarship she will now be able to complete her next film project, further boosting her career as a film-maker. She also plans to study comedic directing in Chicago,” Markus said.

Audi has been the major sponsor of the InStyle and Audi Women of Style awards since it’s inception in 2009, as it fits perfectly with Audi’s brand values of sophistication and progressiveness.

The brand supports the award to celebrate the achievements of Australian women, and to recognise this success formally, as an inspiration to future generations.

Kerrie McCallum, Editor of InStyle said, “The InStyle and Audi Women of Style Awards are the country’s premier awards recognising the efforts of outstanding women who not only display innovation and passion, but also have a special place in Australian culture today.”

The full list of InStyle and Audi Women of Style Award winners are:

After winning the Scholarship, a thrilled McClelland said she plans to invest the $10,000 prize into her film Sleep Tonight, a short romantic script she’s written and plans to direct.

Audi Australia’s Janet Markus is a judge for the InStyle and Audi Women of Style awards and says that the brand is proud to support young, talented women in their career progression.

“Alyssa has already achieved great success

Readers’ Choice: Miranda Kerr Beauty: Co-winners Miranda Kerr and Rebecca Morrice Williams Nominees: Belinda Fraser and Melanie Gleeson continued on page 10

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industry update News & Entertainment: Asher Keddie Nominees: Rose Byrne and Natalie Imbruglia Fashion: Pamela Easton & Lydia Pearson (Easton Pearson) Nominees: Bianca Spender, Camilla Freeman-Topper Arts & Culture: Nikki Gemmell and Lally Katz Nominee: Nicolette Fraillon Lifestyle: Indira Naidoo Nominees: Donna Hay, Michelle Bridges Charity & Community: Alison Thompson Nominees: Julie McKay, Jodie Fried Business: Kate Weiss Nominees: Lorna Jane Clarkson, Diana Williams Design: Liane Rossler Nominees: Blainey North, Caroline Pidcock Environment: Abigail Forsyth Nominees: Natalie Isaacs, Tanya Ha

Holden’s Volt on the street before year’s end

H

olden and ChargePoint unveiled the first electric vehicle charging station for Volt drivers in Port Melbourne outside Holden’s Salmon Street headquarters in mid May. The head-turning Volt charging station is powered

by Origin’s governmentcertified 100 per cent GreenPower and will be available to Holden Volt drivers in one of Melbourne’s fast-growing business and industrial precincts.

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The Holden Volt, on-sale in Australia later this year, is a game-changing electric vehicle (EV) with extendedrange capability and can recharge in less than four hours using the dedicated level two, 3.3kW charging station.

To support the Volt launch, ChargePoint has also installed six more green energy charging stations in Holden’s engineering and design headquarters and at its Proving Ground in Lang Lang for Holden employees driving Volt evaluation vehicles and working on the program.

Minister for Climate Change, Energy Efficiency, Industry and Innovation, the Hon Greg Combet AM MP was the first member of the public to plug into the petrol pump of the future with one of Holden’s first Volt vehicles.

Holden’s Executive Director Engineering Greg Tyus, whose team is responsible for preparing the Volt for Australia, said Volt would change the way Australians

“You can drive emission free and recharge at home from a standard power outlet in less than six hours for around $2.50.” think about sustainable transport and Holden.

"Volt can travel a distance of up to 80 kilometres on pure electric driving – more than enough for most drivers to commute each day without visiting a petrol station.

“You can drive emission free and recharge at home from a standard power outlet in less than six hours for around $2.50,” he said.

“If you need to drive further in one trip the Volt’s backup generator, a 1.4 litre petrol engine, will kick in seamlessly to recharge the battery and take you more than 600 kilometres. With this sort of range, suddenly Volt becomes an extremely attractive electric vehicle and possibly your only car.

“Our engineering team is doing the final validation work around the launch of Volt in Australia. We’re really excited to have our first cars on the road and we’re looking forward to announcing more details to customers soon,” Mr Tyus said.

Speaking at the launch, ChargePoint CEO James Brown said there would be a growing need for infrastructure in Australia to support new EVs coming to market.

“In the coming years more and more of the world’s most respected car manufacturers will head down the EV path and ChargePoint will be there to ensure use of the best possible technology to support the charging requirements of these vehicles,” he said.

Origin Executive General Manager Corporate Affairs, Phil Craig, also welcomed the opening of the new piece of EV infrastructure.

“Origin is seeking to support this new technology with electric vehicle charging equipment and services,

delivering a simple and effective one-stop solution to consumers,” Mr Craig said.

“Together with Holden, Origin hopes to encourage the take up of more electric vehicles in Australia.”

New Holden export program bound for Daytona

H

olden in May announced a new export program that Commodore will return to North America in late 2013 as the new Chevrolet SS performance sedan.

The limited production derivative of the yet to be launched VF Commodore will arrive in North American showrooms late next year.

It will be the first time in 17 years that Chevrolet will offer a rear-wheel-drive sedan for sale in the US. The SS will also become Chevrolet’s next NASCAR

Sprint Cup racecar debuting next year in its race configuration at the world renowned Daytona 500.

Based on the muchanticipated Australian-built car, the Chevrolet SS will benefit from significant technology advances including innovations in light weighting and fuel efficiency.

Mark Reuss, GM President of North America said as a passionate race fan and performance enthusiast he was thrilled with today’s announcement.

“I am delighted to say that Chevrolet will deliver a true rear-wheel-drive NASCAR racecar in the SS that very closely links the performance sedan that will be available for sale,” Reuss said.

“The Chevrolet SS is a great example of how GM is able to leverage its global product portfolio to deliver a unique performance experience that extends well beyond the track and I am personally looking forward to driving it.”

GM Holden’s Executive Director of Engineering Greg Tyus said Chevrolet and its customers would benefit from Holden’s proven expertise in developing and manufacturing rear wheel drive vehicles.

that add value to Holden

“Holden has a great track record of producing performance cars for GM and the world,” Mr Tyus said.

programs to the Middle East,

"We were responsible for the design and engineering of the Chevrolet Camaro, VE Commodore was sold as the Pontiac G8 and we are currently exporting the Chevrolet Caprice Police Patrol Vehicle - so we understand the needs of the North American market."

the talent we have here at

Mr Tyus highlighted that although exporting in the current economic environment was difficult, Holden vehicle exports were up 54 per cent last year compared to 2010.

highlights the flexibility

"Today's announcement shows that we can, and will, continue to pursue targeted, profitable export programs

and GM. “We continue to export our engineering and design capability around the GM world and we have significant vehicle export New Zealand and North America.

“I’m incredibly proud of Holden to design, engineer and build performance vehicles that appeal to both local and overseas markets and the new VF Commodore will be no different.

“Our expertise in this arena is second to none and of Holden’s Elizabeth manufacturing operations.

It's great to have secured this new export program that will continue to support our plant."

The Minister for Industry and Innovation Greg Combet said Holden had again demonstrated to

The SS will also become Chevrolet’s next NASCAR Sprint Cup racecar debuting next year in its race configuration at the world renowned Daytona 500.

the world the quality of Australian technological innovation, and the design and engineering skills of our manufacturing workforce.

“In what are challenging times for many manufacturing businesses, Holden is designing and making products wanted in markets across the world,” Mr Combet said.

“This achievement shows what Australian manufacturers can do and is possible because of the co-investment support of the Australian Government through our $5.4 billion New Car Plan.” motor trader queensland

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industry update

Intelligent vehicles’ reach expands

I

ntelligent vehicles, through embedded connectivity, will be directly responsible for creating revenues of $14.4 billion by 2016, as existing telematics players extend to new geographical markets and expand their service models in the next five years, finds a new report from Juniper Research.

After-market focus New Telematics units that can be installed once the vehicle is on the road from players like OnStar will give the market a second wind, finds the report.

Meanwhile the range of subscription services on offer is becoming more comprehensive says Juniper Research.

“Intelligent vehicles can now come equipped with features including safety, security, navigation and emergency service access under the same subscription,” says Anthony Cox, the report’s author, noting that targeted services for insurance and stolen vehicle recovery are also gaining momentum through regional players. For most telematics areas,

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motor trader queensland

however, the US is ahead of other geographical regions, finds the report.

Further findings from the Telematics and Smart Vehicles report include: • The integration of the smartphone into consumer vehicles will become all but standard on new models by 2016 due to new protocols such as MirrorLink from the Connected Car Consortium • By 2016 there will be 92 million internet-connected vehicles on the road, featuring technology to integrate the smartphone into the head-unit.

• Commercial telematics is seeing sustained take-up, driven by its promise of increasing driver efficiency and managing costs In the commercial telematics market, Juniper Research observes an increasing level of sophistication as fleet managers use telematics to increase fleet efficiency, comply with regulation and monitor driver behaviour.

Players are also leveraging the power of the cloud and internet portals to enhance the service they offer.

The ‘Telematics ~ The Route Ahead’ whitepaper can be downloaded from the

Juniper website along with further details of the study Telematics & Smart Vehicles: Infotainment & Commercial Uses, Insurance & Vehicle Recovery 2012-2016.

Juniper Research provides research and analytical services to the global hi-tech communications sector, providing consultancy, analyst reports and industry commentary.

Banora Point revamp nears completion

M

otorists and truck drivers travelling to the Gold Coast and Brisbane can now use the new northbound lanes built as part of the upgrade of the Pacific Highway at Banora Point, with the entire project on track to be completed later this year.

“Motorists heading north along the Pacific Highway will from next week travel on the newly built section at the viaduct bridge between Barneys Point Bridge and Laura Street.”

“Once fully completed, the improvements made as part of this multimillion upgrade will deliver smoother, safer driving conditions for the 55,000 vehicles which use this section of highway each day,” said Federal Infrastructure and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese.

“Even more significantly, this project eliminates the last set of traffic lights between Coffs Harbour and Brisbane's CBD, a distance of almost 400 kilometres.

“The Banora Point project is part of the ongoing upgrade and full duplication of the Pacific Highway, the most expensive and complex road project ever undertaken in Australia.” The Banora Point Upgrade is a jointly funded project with the Federal Government contributing $349 million and the NSW Government a further $10 million.

NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay said the final stage of the project—new ramp connections—would be completed mid-year.

“Motorists heading north along the Pacific Highway will from next week travel on the newly built section at the viaduct bridge between Barneys Point Bridge and Laura Street,” said Mr Gay. “After years of planning work, community consultations and construction, the local community, as well as regular users of the Highway, will soon be enjoying the considerable benefits this project will deliver.”

Parts focus on its highly valued trade customer relationships. The goal of this acquisition was clear, to make Burson Auto Parts the number one national trade aftermarket supplier with its “can-do” approach and the outstanding professionalism derived from the company’s many long-term members of staff and management.

Burson’s 100th store prompts $100,000 trade promotion

B

urson Auto Parts achieved an outstanding milestone in May with the opening of the Australian company’s 100th store. To celebrate this achievement with the people who made this possible - Burson Auto Parts’ loyal trade customers - the company is offering $100,000 worth of fantastic prizes in an exciting new trade promotion taking place during June and July 2012.

It was 1971 when Burson Auto Parts founders Garry Johnson and Ron Burgoine opened the fledgling company’s first store in the Victorian suburb of Braybrook. (The Burson name was derived from the first half of Ron’s surname and the second half of Garry’s). Steady business growth saw the first Burson Auto Parts interstate store opened in Albury (NSW)

in 1984 and after buying out Ron Burgoine’s share in 1986, Garry Johnson oversaw an impressively performing group of 15 stores by 1987.

Steady organic growth continued for Burson Auto Parts into the 90’s as the automotive trade bonded with the company that provided them with the most trusted brands and excellent value for money, along with timely delivery and knowledgeable telephone and personal service. By 1996 the Burson Auto Parts group had grown to 25 stores and within eight years the Australian company reached the milestone of 50 stores with the state of Victoria as the primary focus.

By 2005, the growth of the company was such that a new purpose built head office and distribution centre was commissioned, planning ahead for further national growth and excellence in customer service and logistics into the future.

Within the following two years, a further 16 stores in New South Wales were

We have a team of talented and dedicated employees who truly care about their customers, which has enabled us to grow and to continue this growth well into the future. added to the Burson Auto Parts family, 11 were added in a Queensland acquisition during 2008 and in 2010 the first Burson Auto Parts store opened in the Northern Territory. Continued expansion into the South Australian automotive trade market followed, with the acquisition of 11 stores in 2011.

A major step forward for the privately owned company took place in October 2011, when Quadrant Private Equity acquired the high performing Burson Auto Parts Company. Their goal is to grow this sustainable business profitably; retaining the now famous Burson Auto

This year has become the most exciting yet in the 41 year history of Burson Auto Parts, with the company acquiring and establishing several more strategically located stores, highlighted by the acquisition of five Sunshine Coast Queensland stores, bringing the total number of Burson Auto Parts stores to 100 in May 2012.

The strategic growth of Burson Auto Parts is focused on the company becoming a truly national business that operates out of every state and territory in the near future.

According to Burson Auto Parts Chief Executive Officer, Darryl Abotomey, this milestone is extremely special to everyone involved in the company.

“The loyalty and support from our trade customers across the nation has enabled Burson Auto Parts to grow its business while maintaining the principles of excellent service and technical knowledge that were the hallmarks of the establishment of the company’s first store all the way back in 1971. We have a team of talented and dedicated employees who truly care about their customers, which has enabled us to grow and to continue this growth well into the future.“ continued on page 14

motor trader queensland

13

industry update Burson Auto Parts Chief Operating Officer Andrew Schram has certainly seen it all in his outstanding 34-year career with the company, which commenced as the assistant store manager at the company’s first store in Braybrook (VIC) on February 27, 1978.

“To think that all those years ago an assistant manager would become the Chief Operating Officer of a company overseeing 100 stores is something that I never imagined. The growth of Burson Auto Parts over the past three decades has been very satisfying, but the growth since we moved into our head office some eight years ago has been truly outstanding. None of this could have been achieved without having solid business foundations and stepping stones laid for us along the way. We have an excellent team culture at Burson Auto Parts, as the nucleus of our team is 20 year plus employees. Their dedication and hard work has contributed enormously on our journey to reaching this milestone of 100 stores and counting,” Mr Schram said.

To celebrate the achievement of this milestone with the loyal trade customers that have made this growth possible, Burson Auto Parts presents the Burson 100th Store $100,000 Giveaway trade promotion.

Open to all trade account customers, each $100 spent on participating brands during June and July earns one entry into the draw to win one of ten $5,000 home entertainment packages and one of 100 Apple i-Pads (one allocated to each of the 100 Burson Auto Parts stores across Australia).

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motor trader queensland

The participating brands represent the most trusted in the business including NGK, KYB, Ryco, Bendix, Narva, Dayco, Clutch Industries, DBA and many more.

Present at the awards, Opel’s executive director of Sales, Marketing and Aftersales at Adam Opel AG, Imelda Labbe spoke of the honour at receiving the award for the second time.

The most recent model to join the global Opel line-up the Mokka, a compact SUV, rounded out the awards for Opel scoring well in the areas of functionality, innovation and design.

Top achiever Opel set for Australian launch

“The fact Opel has been awarded for the second time as the most innovative automotive brand fills me with great pride and is reward for the efforts from the whole Opel team over recent years. The 2012 award reaffirms how important it is that we follow this path and continue to develop and advance our products for our customers,” said Labbe

Opel will launch in Australia from September with the initial launch model line-up including the Corsa three and five-door variants, the Astra five-door and Tourer, Insignia Sedan and Tourer and the hero model the Astra GTC coupe.

O

pel in May took out eight categories to be named the Most Innovative Automotive Brand at the 2012 Plus X Awards held in Cologne, Germany.

The Plus X awards are given for new and innovative technologies, extraordinary design and intelligent, easy to use operating systems.

Criteria for the awards include ergonomic and environment characteristics along with the quality of materials and manufacturing of the products, all contributing to sustainable products with long lasting value.

Opel led the automotive brands at the award with eight awards across the Opel model line-up. Models recognised included the new Astra GTC impressing in the design category and the versatile Zafira awarded for its functionality and advanced design.

With a jury comprising more than 130 members from 32 countries and a variety of industries, the Plus X Award is the world’s largest competition for technological, sport and lifestyle products.

The competition is being conducted for the ninth time in 2012. Opel has previously been awarded the Most Innovative Automotive brand at the 2010 awards.

Opel led the automotive brands at the award with eight awards across the Opel model line-up.

Almera utilises the latest V platform, also used for the Nissan Micra.

The entry-level light sedan offers strong value, attractive exterior design and exceptional interior space.

New catalogue available for engine rebuilds

D

rawing on more than 30 years experience as a key supplier to the engine rebuilding trade, Australia’s engine parts specialist, Nason Engine Parts, has released the most comprehensive Timing Components and Seal Catalogue that will prove an invaluable asset to the trade.

Covering passenger and light commercials vehicles up to 6 litres, the layout is logical and simple, listing models alphabetically by vehicle marque and also an alpha/numeric index by the engine manufacturer’s series.

Each page layout is colour coded showing a white column for the belt, and a light green column for timing chain models. Where a chain model has both a single and double row variable the double row is shown in dark green. In applications where a timing belt varies by model, the belt length, teeth and width are specified to assist with the correct selection. For the first time all the seals required in the timing area of the engine are listed with

high heat resistant seals to OEM application. Alternative original equipment NOK seals are also available and these are marked with a hash (#) symbol.

Three brands of kits are available under Nason, Gates and Optibelt brands with the Optibelt specifically catering for original equipment replacements for European vehicle applications. More than 500 kits are available with components sourced from many of the world’s leading suppliers such as GMB, SKF, NTN, INA etc. and Nason Engine Parts offers the original manufacturer’s warranty on these items.

The 2012 Timing Components and Seals Catalogue is now available from Nason Engine Parts regional warehouses located in all states throughout Australia or Phone: 1300 662 766.

Almera to hit showrooms in August

N

issan will introduce a new model to its fastevolving passenger car range this August with the arrival of the extraspacious Almera.

Almera shares a new Nissan global design direction with the new Pulsar and Altima models, both recently unveiled at the Beijing and New York Auto Shows respectively.

“With Pulsar sedan and hatch and the all-new Altima set to reach Australia in 2013, Nissan is strengthening its passenger car range as we seek to reach our target of becoming the Number One importer in the Australian car market,” said Nissan Australia CEO Bill Peffer.

Almera utilises the latest V platform, also used for the Nissan Micra.

Further details including specification and pricing will be confirmed at the launch of the new Almera this August.

The new catalogue will be a valuable reference guide for spare parts personnel as it will act as a prompt for detailed questions to be asked where various options are listed thus ensuring the correct parts are supplied avoiding time lost with incorrect parts.

To provide further assistance in the selection of the right part, more than 500 illustrations have been included at the rear of the catalogue along with their respective parts numbers. motor trader queensland

15

2016 ITS Wor set for Australia At its 9 May meeting in Tokyo the ITS World Congress Board of Directors has confirmed that Intelligent Transport Systems Australia (ITS Australia) will host the 23rd ITS World Congress in Melbourne in October 2016.

I

TS Australia President Brian Negus said it was a great honour for Australia to be selected as the host country and this will be an important landmark for ITS developments in Australia.

"We are particularly pleased with the support shown by our ITS Asia Pacific region colleagues who assessed the World Congress bids and selected Australia at the ITS Asia Pacific World Congress Board Meeting in April 2012," said Brian Negus.

"We are also delighted with the enthusiasm of our World Congress ambassadors from across the globe, which added to our strong bid.

We thank Michael Noblett, from the USA, Dr Young-Jun Moon, South Korea, Dr Jason Chang, Taiwan, Dr HansJoachim Schade, Germany and Christer Karlsson, Sweden. The advice of our international colleagues will continue to be a key part of our planning.

"The support of the Victorian Government was another critical element of Australia's strong bid. The theme for the 2016 event will be ITS - enhancing liveable cities and communities. Between 6,000 and 8,000 ITS

16

motor trader queensland

professionals from around the world are expected to attend," said Brian Negus.

ITS value adds transport infrastructure Surging growth in international demand will ensure that this gathering of ITS researchers, developers and users will be among the largest meetings in Melbourne during 2016.

"Australia organised the successful 2001 ITS World Congress in Sydney. We will build on that experience, and with the collaboration of our international friends, Melbourne will host a 2016 World Congress to help all cities and communities to become more liveable," said Mr Negus.

International recognition

The ITS World Congress is all about sharing transport technology, policies, ideas and experiences to improve global sustainability.

Among the first to congratulate ITS Australia was Prof SK Jason Chang of National Taiwan University and Vice President of ITS Taiwan. He said Melbourne is one of the best cities to demonstrate the applications of information and communication technologies for multi-mobility.

ITS technologies include communication, data processing and electronic technologies for in-vehicle, vehicle-to-vehicle, vehicleto-infrastructure and mode-to-mode systems that increase transport safety and mobility, improve the sustainability of travel, reduce congestion, and improve the performance and competitiveness of all modes of transport.

"The integration of transport and land use in Melbourne is considered a model for intelligent urban design of transit oriented development. Traffic safety, commercial vehicle operation management, traveller information and multi-modal ticketing systems for public transport and toll roads are also excellent ITS deployments in Melbourne and in other Australian cities," said Prof Jason Chang.

Director of the Centre for ITS & Olympic Transport at the Korea Transport Institute Dr Young-Jun Moon said he looks forward to learning how Melbourne became the world's most sustainable city in terms of safer, smarter, and greener transport.

"The ITS World Congress is all about sharing transport technology, policies, ideas and experiences to improve global sustainability. I will be delighted to take the opportunity to see what is going on in Melbourne in 2016," he said.

Chief Executive Officer of ITS Sweden Christer Karlsson congratulated ITS Australia and said Australia's 2001 World Congress was regarded by delegates as one of the best ever.

"Melbourne is a highly developed ITS city and has many technical and organisational solutions to demonstrate," he said.

"The hospitality of the Australian people was exceptional and I expect a huge number of exhibititors, delegates and visitors from Europe to participate in the 2016 World Congress."

rld Congress

World Congress program theme Former ITS Australia President Dr Norm Pidgeon is chair of the 2016 World Congress Committee tasked with the planning and delivery of the speakers program, exhibition and site visits.

"I am delighted to be contributing to this exciting event," said Norm Pidgeon.

"The ITS - enhancing liveable cities and communities theme will bring Melbourne's reputation as the world's most liveable city to the

spotlight as we explore the benefits that ITS delivers to critical elements of our daily life.

Transport safety, reducing congestion and the environmental impact of our networks are all greatly improved by effective ITS delivery.

"Australia is at the forefront of development and deployment of ITS technologies in many fields. That we export our

products and ideas to international customers, and that we continue to implement state of the art systems across Australia proves the strength of our ITS industry.

"We expect that by 2016,

"Our industry resources will collaborate with our international peers to produce a strong World Congress program to help move the industry forward globally. Transport safety, reducing congestion and the environmental impact of our networks are all greatly improved by effective ITS delivery.

foster further international

these themes will be even more pressing in our busy cities and communities.

This World Congress will be Australia's opportunity to cooperation in unleashing the power of ITS," said Mr Pidgeon.

Brian Negus said that in the meantime, ITS Australia looks forward to supporting the Vienna World Congress in October this year, Tokyo in 2013, Detroit in 2014 and Bordeaux 2015. motor trader queensland

17

Would you win Gold at the Business Olympics?

Winning Gold at the Olympics requires, among other things, strategy, mind-set and determination, much like succeeding in business.

I

f you want to do better next financial year in business, here’s a guide to the key financial success factors to focus on.

Income If your business sells more than one type of product or service it pays to know how profitable each category is. The easiest way to achieve this is to set up your accounting system to break it down. Set up an account 18

motor trader queensland

for each type of income as well as a ‘Cost of Sales’ account. You will then be able to see how much gross profit each contributes to the total and which to focus on. 1st July is a great time to start doing this, as your Profit and Loss is cleared out at end of year and a new one begins.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are another great way to get a detailed view of what’s happening. Have

a think about what are your business KPI’s and start measuring them e.g.

• Income per salesperson • Income per square meter of retail space • Income per service person per hour A good place to get inspiration about KPIs is your industry benchmarks.

Google ‘businessbenchmarks’, and you’ll find resources to help with this.

1st July is a good time to review your pricing. If it’s written into your contracts or Terms of Trade that’s great, if not, it might be a good time to consider it. Costs are constantly increasing and you need to adjust your prices to ensure you maintain your gross profit margin.

If you’re competing in a price sensitive market, your best way of producing profits is efficient management of costs and overheads.

Understanding your income ‘break-even’ point helps to provide clarity about sales targets. Your ‘break-even’ point is the amount you need to sell to cover costs and overheads. Obviously you want to make a profit, and understanding your ‘breakeven’ is a great place to start compiling a target to make a profit.

In a service business, try to negotiate ‘Progress Payments’ on big jobs. This provides vital cash flow rather than you having to borrow and pay interest.

Industry average cost and overhead percentages are a good thing to know.

When you know these you can compare your own business to see how you’re performing. If you fall short of the benchmark you can investigate what others are doing and find ways to improve.

If you sell products, close management of stock holdings will have a positive impact on both profit and cash flow. Stock needs If you give discounts, do you know how much you need to sell to compensate for the discount? Extra sales to cover a discount is an often a misunderstood factor.

Remember a discount comes straight off your bottom line, as costs usually stay the same.

Costs and Overheads If you’re competing in a price sensitive market, your best way of producing profits is efficient management of costs and overheads.

to be managed in line with sales forecasts with minimum and maximum levels to avoid surplus stock or not having enough.

Monitoring purchasing from suppliers provides ammunition to approach them for better pricing and terms. Introducing freight efficiencies can create big cost savings e.g. fortnightly deliveries instead of weekly.

If you sell services, close management of jobs will

Minimizing wastage, rework and travel time will have a positive impact. A good question to ask is “How many hours am I selling compared to what I’m paying for?” This helps to see how much unproductive time is being spent by staff. Their time is a valuable resource and needs to be maximized wherever possible. There are some very cost effective systems for measuring staff productivity available today.

A close review of overheads can uncover many opportunities for saving. Have a look at every line of your ‘Profit and Loss’ report and ask yourself “How does this contribute to the business and can we do it more efficiently or cost effectively?”

Jobs need to be managed to be in progress for the minimum time.

If you offer terms to customers, speeding up their payments will improve cash flow. Review your Terms of Trade, invoice timing, follow-ups to slow payers and debt collection practices.

If you receive terms from your suppliers, ensure you use them all and try to seek longer terms. For every day you pay early, that’s vital cash flow you have to find elsewhere. Monitor the business done with suppliers and use to negotiate better terms.

In a service business, try to negotiate ‘Progress Payments’ on big jobs.

This provides vital cash flow rather than you having to borrow and pay interest.

Finally, have a ‘Financial Roadmap’ including both a Budget and a Cash Flow Forecast. These will help you to stay on track with Profit and Cash Flow.

have a positive impact on both profit and cash flow.

Cash Flow

Overheads differ from Costs, as they occur constantly whether you sell anything or not. Overheads include things like Admin wages, rent, postage, printing and stationery etc. A close review of overheads can uncover many opportunities for saving. Have a look at every line of your ‘Profit and Loss’ report and ask yourself “How does this contribute to the business and can we do it more efficiently or cost

A Cash Flow Forecast

effectively?”

for your copy.

especially will help you to proactively manage the ‘peaks and troughs’ throughout the year, and give you peace of mind, as well as vital funds to take advantage of opportunities and grow your business.

CFO On-Call offer to readers - ‘Guaranteed Do Better Next Year Checklist’. Simply email info@cfooncall.com.au or call us on 1300 36 24 36

motor trader queensland

19

members The family business at 35 Bowen Road where Mr Koppe's wife Paula, daughter Cher and son Trent are among a staff of about 60 now boasts Australia's largest motorcycle dealership of 11,000sqm and largest workshop at 900sqm.

Mr Koppe said he had gradually built the business and attributed his success to the region's diverse economy and listening to people.

Rising Sun Honda: Dealer of the Year

M

TA Queensland Member, motorcycle dealer Rising Sun Honda, is officially Australia's best.

As reported in the Townsville Bulletin on 10 May, the family owned business, which has traded at Townsville for almost 40 years, was named Honda Motorcycles Dealer of the Year at the company's recent national conference in Melbourne.

Not only that but the Townsville business has

dominated the awards for more than 20 years.

Honda Motorcycles national sales manager Sam Schepis paid tribute to Rising Sun Honda and its owner Bernie Koppe. He said the Townsville market was one of the nation's rare "sweet spots" where a combination of factors helped drive sales, but Rising Sun Honda was by no means the region's only outlet and it still required good management to capitalise on opportunities.

"Honda is very proud to have Rising Sun Honda as our national dealer of the year," he said.

"The awards are pivotal to setting a high standard through our Honda motorcycle dealers and Rising Sun Honda continue to grow their market and sales by exceeding customer expectations in sales and service."

The awards are selected on sales volume, growth, market share, customer satisfaction, parts growth and facility standard.

Mr Koppe started his own motorcycle shop in Townsville in 1974.

The self-made man left school at Year 9 and bought his first motorcycle helmet by filleting fish.

He had also constantly re-invested in the business, including developing a $750,000 rider training facility.

"We listen to people and see what their requirements are," he said.

Mr Koppe said it was not all easy riding with sales almost halving since the onset of the global financial crisis.

Mr Koppe said his biggest seller was probably the Honda CBE 250, a small commuter road bike.

"As the fuel price escalates, people are looking for cheap motor transport," he said.

Rising Sun Honda serviced a huge market to the west including parts of the Northern Territory and the Channel Country.

MTA Queensland welcomes the following new members Business Name

Principal/s

Address/Email

Ultra Tune Airlie Beach

Robert Mackenzie

2/2 William Murray Drive CANNONVALE QLD 4802

Motocorp

Kurt Johnston

8/3275 Logan Road, UNDERWOOD QLD 4119 kurt.motocorp@gmail.com

QMID

Woodriff Smash Repairs

Laurence Woodriff

126 Sugar Road, MAROOCHYDORE QLD 4558 admin@woodriffsmashrepairs.com.au

NACA

George’s Garage

Ross Krebbs

13/15 John Street, ROSEWOOD QLD 4340 georgesgarage@bigpond.com

NACA

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motor trader queensland

Division AED

give yourself an

advantage

- a well-known identifiable brand that signifies trust The MTA Queensland logo provides an element of differentiation between you and other businesses and may just form the key point of difference for a potential customer.

• Industrial Relations As a member of MTA Queensland you have access to industry specific-industrial relations expertise for advice and legal representation

MTA Queensland actively lobbies Governments with the best interest of our members to reduce red tape and streamline process for business owners.

• Consumer Complaints MTA Queensland will assist member businesses and mediate in the event of a consumer complaint.

Being a Member gives you input in the future productivity and profitability of your industry and the opportunity to positively influence it’s future through divisional and regional committees.

• Legal Advice Members can access professional legal assistance as part of their membership of MTA Queensland – intial phone advise free

One Stop Industry Advice

• Industry Awareness Members receive regular industry specific publications keeping you abreast of changes, legislative requirements, developments and initiatives in your industry.

• Technical Information Service Ever had the situation of working on a vehicle which you don’t usually work on? You don’t need a vast technical library – all you need is MTA Queensland membership to get all the technical resources you need.

Motor Trader, the official publication of MTA Queensland is issued monthly as part of your membership.

MeMbers cAn receive A subsTAnTiAl sAvings And efficiencies viA our corporATe pArTners The capricorn society is the largest independent automotive parts buying cooperative in Australia.

The Society is based on group purchasing to secure price advantage.

dun and bradstreet is the nation’s foremost credit control and debt collection agency, with an enviable record of service to the recoverables industry. Members are eligible for substantial savings on annual subscriptions.

The commonwealth bank offers members some of the lowest eftpos charges in the country. Savings in the thousands of dollars have been achieved by members who opted for the CBA deal.

MTAA superannuation, our superannuation partner has over 200,000 members who are enjoying excellent returns from the Fund.

corporate express is the leading supplier of a complete range of office consumables, bulk stationery and janitorial supplies.

nrMA insurance has vast experience in the provision of a superior level of specialist insurance services to the automotive industry, using the buying potential of the member base, can achieve pricing far more attractive than business owners are able to negotiate individually.

MTA Queensland, Building 8, 2728 Logan Road Eight Mile Plains Qld 4113 07 3237 8777 enquires@mtaq.com.au www.mtaq.com.au motor trader queensland 21

2012 MYOB Business Monitor: Online SMEs performing better than peers Survey uncovers website & social media savvy of business owners

N

ew research released

by MYOB, Australia’s largest business management solutions provider, has found nearly two thirds (64%) of Australian small to medium businesses don’t have their own website. It also found their online peers are experiencing more impressive financial and operational results.

The March 2012 MYOB Business Monitor report revealed businesses without a website are missing out on higher revenue, better sales conversion and a greater number of customer leads – benefits enjoyed by their online peers. Businesses with a website also had more sales in their pipeline and were more positive about the economy’s future.

Curiously, the proportion of website owners has declined slightly over time, with 36% in the latest report – a drop from 38% in the October 2011 report and 39% in March 2011. This may be due to the increased use of social media for business, which rose to 25% in this report from 22% in March 2011.

MYOB CEO Tim Reed said, “I am surprised the proportion of SMEs with a website has not risen in the past year, and the proportion

22

motor trader queensland

Building an online presence is a business move that should be a strategic imperative for most operators. of those using social media for business has increased only slightly.”

“All business owners should consider creating their own website and improve their chances of success in an increasingly digital economy.

Our research shows that in doing so they‘re more likely to improve their

business performance across customer acquisition, revenue and more. “Being an effective online player is not about having a complicated website; it's about enabling your business to be found.

With around two thirds of consumers searching the internet before making a purchase decision, if a

business has no online presence it’s denying itself some serious firepower.

“Getting online is a key strategy for attracting new customers, building customer loyalty, creating new revenue streams and increasing your visibility, credibility and competitive edge. The results are clear. Building an online

presence is a business move that should be a strategic imperative for most operators.”

SMEs need strong government support to not only survive but to thrive in the digital economy.

Different strokes for different folks

first sale! There hasn't been a day since where I haven't had a sale. It’s created another dimension to my business.”

• 6% communicate via micro-blogging sites such as Twitter

SA

WA

36%

29%

27%

17%

24%

22%

23%

20%

the party offering free government-funded training on how to use the internet to improve and grow their organisation. 15% would vote against the proposing party and 35% said their vote wouldn’t be affected.

Industry-wise, construction and trade business operators were the most likely to turn their vote towards the proposing party (58%). Those industries least likely to be influenced in that direction were business

An SME vote turner

and professional services,

As part of the research SMEs were asked, ‘If a Federal Election were to be called early, which of the following initiatives or policies would get you to vote for or against the party that proposed them?’

property, and finance and

The report revealed the voting preferences of exactly half the SME respondents would be turned towards

have the knowledge, or

insurance (44%).

Mr Reed said, “SMEs need strong government support to not only survive but to thrive in the digital economy.

Too many are being left behind because they don’t know where to get the knowledge, to run their business online.”

SMEs with a website – MYOB Business Monitor reports

Mar-12

Dec-11

Sep-11

Jun-11

Mar-11

Dec-10

Sep-10

42% 40% 38% 36% 34% 32% Jun-10

Victorian business owner Betrina Hill, who runs www. tangle-teezer.com.au thanks to the Getting Aussie Business Online initiative, says, “Not having a website was holding me back. It was my biggest problem in business and I was missing the sales opportunities. The very first day my website went live, at midnight my phone rang and I had my

• 12% share news and updates via a blog (either via their own website or Wordpress/Blogger)

QLD

39%

As was the case with statebased differences regarding website usage, Victorian SMEs were the biggest users of social media – 24% said they used it for business.

However, some respondents across the states displayed confusion about what constituted ‘social media’.

Although 25% nationally used Skype, no state hit that high a figure when respondents were asked if they used social media in any form for business.

Mar-10

46% of online SMEs reported their website had increased customer leads and 37% said it enabled them to compete more effectively.

31% grew their revenue/ income as a result, and customer interaction had improved for the same proportion. 30% said they enjoyed better conversion of leads to sales as a result.

• 18% connect with customers and fans via a business page on Facebook, YouTube or Google+

✔ ✔

VIC

38%

*Note: TAS, NT, ACT were excluded due to small sample size.

Dec-09

• Be satisfied with Federal Government support: 15% versus 10%

• 19% network with business colleagues and/ or clients on LinkedIn

Social media

Sep-09

• Expect the economy to improve within 12 months: 26% versus 16%

• 25% use Skype or VOIP to make free business phone calls over the internet

Website

Jun-09

• Intend to expand the number of overseas markets they work in: 16% versus 5%

Of those who said they used at least one form of social media for business purposes:

Mar-09

• Intend to increase staff numbers this year: 25% versus 9%

Social media savvy

Dec-08

• Expect their revenue to rise in the next year: 42% versus 24%

Sep-08

• Have more sales than usual in their 3-month pipeline: 37% versus 27%

Jun-08

• See their revenue increase in the past 12 months: 27% versus 17% of those without

“There are so many people who are in the same situation that I was. It's the small businesses that are really suffering because they are not online.”

Mar-08

The March 2012 report found those with a website were more likely to:

NSW

For MYOB product information, research results, business tips, discussions, customer service and more visit http://myob.com.au, http://myob.com.au/blog and www.twitter.com/MYOBteam. motor trader queensland

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health Twenty-four foods that can save your heart Fresh Herbs Fresh herbs make many other foods heart-healthy when they replace salt, fat, and cholesterol. These flavor powerhouses, along with nuts, berries -- even coffee -- form a global approach to heart-wise eating. Read on for more delicious ways to fight heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.

Fact: Rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme contain antioxidants.

Black Beans

Salmon: Super Food

Mild, tender black beans are packed with heart-healthy nutrients including folate, antioxidants, magnesium for lowering blood pressure, and fiber -- which helps control both cholesterol and blood sugar levels.

Tip: Canned black beans are quick additions to soups and salads. Rinse to remove extra sodium.

A top food for heart health, it's rich in the omega-3s EPA and DHA. Omega-3s lower risk of rhythm disorders, which can lead to sudden cardiac death. Salmon also lowers blood triglycerides and reduces inflammation.

The American Heart Association recommends two servings of salmon or other oily fish a week.

Red Wine and Resveratrol

Tip: Bake in foil with herbs and veggies. Toss extra cooked salmon in fish tacos and salads.

If you drink alcohol, a little red wine may be a hearthealthy choice. Resveratrol and catechins, two antioxidants in red wine, may protect artery walls. Alcohol can also boost HDL, the good cholesterol.

Tip: Don't exceed one drink a day for women; one to two drinks for men -- and talk to your doctor first. Alcohol may cause problems for people taking aspirin and other medications. Too much alcohol hurts the heart.

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Tuna for Omega-3s Tuna is a good source of heart-healthy omega-3s; it generally costs less than salmon. Albacore (white tuna) contains more omega3s than other tuna varieties.

Reel in these other sources of omega-3s, too: mackerel, herring, lake trout, sardines, and anchovies.

Tip: Grill tuna steak with dill and lemon; choose tuna packed in water, not oil.

A small handful of walnuts (1.5 ounces) a day may lower your cholesterol and reduce inflammation in the arteries of the heart.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil This oil, made from the first press of olives, is especially rich in hearthealthy antioxidants called polyphenols, as well as healthy monounsaturated fats. When olive oil replaces saturated fat (like butter), it can help lower cholesterol levels. Polyphenols may protect blood vessels.

Tip: Use for salads, on cooked veggies, with bread. Look for cold-pressed and use within six months.

Walnuts A small handful of walnuts (1.5 ounces) a day may lower your cholesterol and reduce inflammation in the arteries of the heart. Walnuts are packed with omega-3s, monounsaturated fats, and fiber. The benefits come when walnuts replace bad

fats, like those in chips and cookies -- and you don't increase your calorie count.

Tip: A handful has nearly 300 calories. Walnut oil has omega–3s, too; use in salad dressings.

Almonds Slivered almonds go well with vegetables, fish, chicken, even desserts, and just a handful adds a good measure of heart health to your meals. They're chock full of vitamin E, plant sterols, fiber, and heart-healthy fats.

Almonds may help lower LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of diabetes.

Tip: Toast to enhance almonds' creamy, mild flavor.

Edamame These green soybeans are moving beyond Japanese

restaurants, where they're a tasty appetizer. They're packed with soy protein, which can lower blood triglyceride levels. A half cup of edamame also has 9 grams of cholesterollowering fiber -- equal to four slices of whole-wheat bread.

Tip: Try frozen edamame, boil, and serve warm in the pod.

Tofu Make soy protein the main attraction more often at dinnertime by cooking with tofu instead of red meat.

You gain all the hearthealthy minerals, fiber, and polyunsaturated fats of soy -- and you avoid a load of artery-clogging saturated fat.

Tip: Chop firm tofu, marinate, then grill or stir-fry, going easy on the oil. Add tofu to soups for protein with no added fat.

Sweet Potatoes Sweet potatoes are a hearty, healthy substitute for white potatoes for people concerned about diabetes.

With a low glycemic index, these spuds won't cause a quick spike in blood sugar.

Ample fiber, vitamin A, and lycopene add to their heart-healthy profile.

Swiss Chard The dark green, leafy vegetable is rich in potassium and magnesium, minerals that help control blood pressure.

Fiber, vitamin A, and the antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin, add to the heart-healthy profile.

Tip: Serve with grilled meats or as a bed for fish. Saute with olive oil and garlic until wilted, season with herbs and pepper.

soups and stews. The fiber in barley can help lower cholesterol levels and may lower blood glucose levels, too.

Tip: Hulled or "whole grain" barley is the most nutritious.

Barley grits are toasted and ground; nice for cereal or as a side dish. Pearl barley is quick, but much of the heart-healthy fiber has been removed.

Oatmeal

Flaxseed This shiny, honey-colored seed has three elements that are good for your heart: fiber, phytochemicals called lignans, and ALA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in plants. The body converts ALA to the more powerful omega-3s, EPA and DHA. Tip: Grind flaxseed for the best nutrition. Add it to cereal, baked goods, yogurt, even mustard on a sandwich.

Carrots

Oats in all forms can help

Low-Fat Yogurt

The latest research on carrots shows these sweet, crunchy veggies may help control blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of developing diabetes. They're also a top cholesterolfighting food, thanks to ample amounts of soluble fiber -- the kind found in oats.

your heart by lowering LDL,

While low-fat dairy is most often touted for bone health, these foods can help control high blood pressure, too.

Milk is high in calcium and potassium and yogurt has twice as much of these important minerals. To really boost the calcium and minimize the fat, choose low-fat or non-fat varieties.

Tip: Sneak shredded carrots into spaghetti sauce and muffin batter.

and baked goods. Use oats

Barley Try this nutty, whole grain in place of rice with dinner or simmer barley into

the bad cholesterol. A warm bowl of oatmeal fills you up for hours, fights snack attacks, and helps keep blood sugar levels stable over time -- making it useful for people with diabetes, too.

Tip: Swap oats for one-third of the flour in pancakes, muffins, instead of bread crumbs in cooking.

Tip: Use milk instead of water in instant oatmeal, hot chocolate, and dried soups.

While low-fat dairy is most often touted for bone health, these foods can help control high blood pressure, too.

Tip: Enhance their natural sweetness with cinnamon and lime juice, instead of sugary toppings.

Oranges This sweet, juicy fruit contains the cholesterolfighting fiber pectin -- as well as potassium, which helps control blood pressure. A small study shows that OJ may improve blood vessel function and modestly lower blood pressure through the antioxidant hesperidin.

Tip: A medium orange averages 62 calories, with 3 grams of fiber. motor trader queensland

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health Foods Fortified With Sterols Want the heart-healthy power of vegetables in your milk or on toast? Margarine, soy milk, or orange juice can deliver -- when they're fortified with cholesterolfighting sterols and stanols.

These plant extracts block cholesterol absorption in the gut and can lower LDL levels by 10% without affecting good cholesterol.

Tip: Consume at least 2 grams of sterols a day.

Coffee Coffee and tea may help protect your heart by warding off type 2 diabetes.

Studies show that people who drink 3-4 cups a day may cut their risk by 25% -- and even decaffeinated coffee works. Caution is due, however, for those who already have diabetes or

hypertension; caffeine can complicate these conditions.

Tip: Choose black coffee or a non-fat latte to limit fat and calories.

Cayenne Chili Pepper Shaking hot chili powder on food may help prevent a spike in insulin levels after meals. A small study in Australia showed that simply adding chili to a hamburger meal produced lower insulin levels in overweight volunteers.

Tip: Chili powder is a blend of five spices, while dried chili pepper comes from a single hot pepper. Both are good substitutes for salt in recipes.

Kosher Salt This may be worth a try for people with high blood pressure. Kosher salt may give you more salty flavor with less actual salt -- and less sodium -- than if you sprinkled table salt on your

Coffee and tea may help protect your heart by warding off type 2 diabetes. Studies show that people who drink 3-4 cups a day may cut their risk by 25%.

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motor trader queensland

food. The larger crystals impart more flavor than finely ground salt. You’ll still need to measure carefully; a teaspoon of Kosher salt has 1,120-2,000 mg of sodium, while the daily limit for most people is 1,500 mg. And in cooking, the taste advantage is lost.

Cherries Cherries are packed with anthocyanins, an antioxidant believed to help protect blood vessels. Cherries in any form provide these hearthealthy nutrients: the larger heart-shaped sweet cherries, the sour cherries used for

baking, as well as dried cherries and cherry juice.

Tip: Sprinkle dried cherries into cereal, muffin batter, green salads and wild rice.

Blueberries The list of healthy nutrients in blueberries is extensive: anthocyanins give them their deep blue color and support heart health. Blueberries also contain ellagic acid, beta-carotene, lutein, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, potassium, and fiber.

Tip: Add fresh or dried blueberries to cereal, pancakes, or yogurt. Puree a batch for a dessert sauce.

Does your super fund tick all the right boxes?

Low fees No commissions Run only to benefit members

MTAA Super is the Industry SuperFund for the Motor Industry and anyone can join.

For more information visit www.mtaasuper.com.au Motor Trades Association of Australia Superannuation Fund Pty Ltd (ABN 14 008 650 628, AFSL 238 718) is the Trustee of MTAA Superannuation Fund (ABN 74 559 365 913). You should consider whether motor the trader 27 or not MTAA Super is appropriate for you. The MTAA Super Product Disclosure Statement (PDS) can be obtained by calling us on 1300 362 415. You should consider PDS queensland in making a decision.

automobile news Honda City The 2012 Honda City has a new look, new features and a sharp price of $19,990 drive-away (manual, flat paint only). Honda Australia Director and General Manager Mr. Stephen Collins said; “The new-look City has received a number of new features and styling. The all-new price of $19,990 drive-away makes the City sensational value for money. Australians will love the look of the new-look City.” The City is available in two variants – the VTi and VTi-L. Both variants receive a new chrome grille along with redesigned front and rear bumpers for a more streamlined look.

The brake lights are also redesigned.

Honda Civic Hatch Honda’s all-new Civic Hatch is arriving in Australia during June. Designed to meet European standards, the stylish and functional Civic hatch will compete in the fast-growing small car segment.

Honda Australia spokesperson, Mr. Lindsay Smalley, said the new Civic Hatch is sure to surprise and delight.

“The all-new Civic Hatch is a stylish and practical offering in the small segment.

It embodies style as well as substance.

Its flowing character lines, improved aerodynamics, dynamic ride and handling along with clever packaging are what our customers can look forward to.”

Kia sedan Kia’s all-new luxury flagship sedan went on sale in Korea in May, powering the brand into an entirely new segment of the global automotive market. The striking new rear-wheel drive sedan will be launched in a number of key overseas markets starting in the fourth quarter of 2012. The new flagship tops Kia’s global model range and is a true landmark vehicle for the company. Kia’s first modern rear-wheel drive vehicle using its own platform combines stylish design with luxurious comfort, engaging driving dynamics and advanced hightech features.

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Mercedes-Benz M-Class The third generation Mercedes-Benz M-Class scores particularly well on outstanding energy efficiency, and on average the new model range consumes 25 percent less fuel than the previous models. One true champion in terms of fuel consumption is the ML 250 BlueTEC 4MATIC, which boasts a combined consumption of just 6.4 l/100 km (168 g CO2/km) and has a range of up to 1450 kilometres on a full tank. Further strengths of the premium SUV with permanent all-wheel drive include exceptional safety and wellbalanced ride comfort as well as excellent driving dynamics both on and off the road.

Peugeot 4008 Peugeot Australia has released the all-new 4008 SUV with a rear camera standard across the range. ``Peugeot Australia has made a decision to make safety a priority with the new 4008 given the issues that surround SUVs and, in particular, child safety,’’ said Peugeot Australia General Manager Bill Gillespie. ``With many families opting for the practicality and versatility of SUVs we decided to fit all 4008 models with a rear camera and ensure that safety is not an optional extra on the new 4008. This is an Australia-specific decision for Peugeot as our model and equipment line-up is different to that of other markets around the world.’’

Renault Clio Renault continues to add more value to its models with the announcement that the 2012 model year Clio Renault Sport 200 Cup will now come standard with leather upholstery for the body hugging sports seats. Further changes for the 2012 models include a white rather than yellow speedometer face, and red not yellow stitching on the chunky sports steering wheel. The feisty, three-door, segment defining hot-hatch garners acclaim with every drive and its naturally aspirated 2.0-litre engine has more than enough verve to see off a myriad of rivals. motor trader queensland

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sport Yamaha’s packages at Australian MotoGP

Y

amaha Motor Australia has announced a top shelf hospitality package at the 2012 Australian MotoGP. The Yamaha Australian MotoGP VIP Experience and Stars Dinner allows race fans to get close to the riders both on and off the track from 26 to 28 October 2012.

MotoGP fans can choose the Yamaha MotoGP VIP Experience or the Stars Dinner, or both. Details are: • Rider interviews

Yamaha MotoGP VIP Experience

• Live auctions (proceeds to charity)

• Three days VIP access to Yamaha's new and improved corporate suite

• Lucky door prizes (includes pit garage tour)

• Three days buffet catering, soft drinks included with cash bar facility • Yamaha MotoGP riders private autograph sessions - subject to rider availability • Indoor plus grandstand seating • GP pit lane walks • Closed circuit private LCD television screens • Superscreen viewing • Price is only $799 per person

Yamaha MotoGP Stars Dinner • Enjoy an intimate evening with Yamaha's MotoGP stars over dinner at an undisclosed location subject to rider availability • Dinner including soft drinks with cash bar 30

motor trader queensland

• Cost just $140 per person Visit www.yamaha-motor. com.au to download VIP entry form, or email events@ yamaha-motor.com.au or call 1300 79 69 79 to book. Act now, limited spots available.

Stoner to retire at end of season

R

eigning world champion Casey Stoner recently stunned the MotoGP paddock by announcing that he will retire at the end of the 2012 season.

The Australian, 26, had denied rumours that he was to quit the sport at the previous round of the championship in Portugal, but he revealed his intention to call time on his career ata

press conference ahead of the French Grand Prix.

Stoner told a press conference: "After a long time thinking, a lot of time talking with my family and my wife, this has been coming for a couple of years now, but at the end of this 2012 season I will be not racing in the 2013 Championship. I will be finishing my career at the end of this season in

MotoGP, and go forward in different things in my life."

It would be nice if I could say I would stay one more year, but then where does it stop?

He added: "After so many years of doing this sport which I love, and which

myself and my family made so many sacrifices for, after so many years of trying to get to where we have gotten to at this point, this sport has changed a lot and it has changed to the point where I am not enjoying it.

"I don't have the passion for it and so at this time it's better if I retire now. There are a lot of things that have disappointed me, and also a lot of things I have loved about this sport, but unfortunately the balance has gone in the wrong direction.

"And so, basically, we won't be continuing any more. It would be nice if I could say I would stay one more year, but then where does it stop?

So we decided to finish everything as we are now."

The New South Wales rider stepped up to MotoGP with the LCR Honda team in 2006, having finished second in the 250cc class in 2005. After a promising maiden season he moved to Ducati in 2007 and completely dominated the championship by claiming 10 wins. He finished runnerup to Valentino Rossi a year later, before a mystery illness derailed his 2009 campaign.

After another frustrating season in 2010 Stoner made the decision to move to the factory Repsol Honda team, and was once again the class of the field as he secured his second world title in 2011.

Ovarian Cancer Australia: Official charity for Leyburn Sprints

T

he community-run Leyburn Sprints for historic and classic cars on the Darling Downs will add Ovarian Cancer Australia as a worthy new cause to its list of beneficiaries in 2012.

Ovarian Cancer Australia will become the official charity for the event, which throughout its 15-year history has assisted many local community organisations and projects.

Ovarian Cancer Australia is the peak organisation for ovarian cancer in Australia and the only national organisation dedicated to raising awareness of ovarian cancer, delivering support to women and their families affected by the disease and

funding the best ovarian cancer research.

Its presence at the Leyburn Sprints on 18-19 August will help raise awareness among women in rural communities about the risks off ovarian cancer.

More than 1200 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Australia this year and around 800 will lose their battle with the disease.

New research has revealed only 33 percent of women can correctly identify the most common risk factors.

Less than one percent of women know they need to look for a family history of ovarian cancer on their father’s side.

“Given there is no detection test for ovarian cancer, it‘s vital that women know the risk factors and the symptoms of ovarian cancer.

It’s extremely concerning how poorly understood the

The Leyburn Sprints on 18-19 August will help raise awareness among women in rural communities about the risks off ovarian cancer.

genetic risks of ovarian cancer are amongst Australian women,” Ms Paula Benson, ovarian cancer survivor and Chair of Ovarian Cancer Australia, said.

The President of the Leyburn organising committee, Ann Collins, said the Sprints was one of the most popular community events in the region and would provide an excellent forum to publicise the help available to women through Ovarian Cancer Australia.

“The issue of ovarian cancer is equally important to women in the country as it is to their city counterparts, but it could be said they have less direct access to vital information and advice,” Mrs. Collins said.

“To have Ovarian Cancer Australia present during the Sprints weekend I’m sure will be a great opportunity for many women among our spectators to find out more about this disease.”

The Leyburn Sprints time trials will be run on a onekilometre course around the closed public streets of the tiny former gold town between Warwick and Toowoomba.

It commemorates the running of the 1949 Australian Grand Prix nearby.

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sport

Eastern Creek becomes Sydney Motorsport Park

S

ydney's Eastern Creek Raceway has been rebranded following a $12 million transformation, including the first new race circuits in Australia in a decade, upgraded pit facilities and the near doubling of capacity.

Eastern Creek Raceway will be known officially as Sydney Motorsport Park, reflecting the facility's significant physical and operational transformation.

Funded in a joint partnership between the NSW state government and official venue manager the Australian Racing Drivers' Club (ARDC), the facility has undergone a complete change in operations and aesthetics.

As part of the ARDC's long-term strategic plan for the facility, the rebranding coincides with the official

opening of an 830-metre extension of the existing Grand Prix circuit. The resultant 4.5km Long Circuit will provide a new challenge for competitors while offering new and fantastic spectator vantage points.

ARDC CEO Glenn Matthews said that the name change was the next important phase of the transformation plan and positioned the facility as a truly international operation.

"Firstly, I must thank the NSW state government for embracing our vision, their passion for the venue and for their decision to continue their contribution to the future of motorsport in NSW," said Mr Matthews.

"What we have in Sydney Motorsport Park is unique in Sydney, and indeed NSW. It is the only permanent race track in the Sydney basin, and as a result the decision was taken that its name should reflect this.

"There are now four different track configurations, with the ability for the North GP and South GP layouts to operate at the same time, which significantly increases our capacity."

Work on the new pit lane structure and control tower to service the separate south configuration is underway on land adjacent to turns four and five.

partner to all those involved in Australian motorsport.

Together we want to create the best environment for all of our stakeholders, be they racers, or race-goers.

This new complex will allow Sydney Motorsport Park to hold two race meetings, and multiple experiences simultaneously.

"Apart from yearlong racing, Sydney Motorsport Park offers a dynamic range of motorsport experiences for the enthusiast, with track days, motorcycle ride days, V8 racing experiences, Radical race cars, classic and supercar experiences and much more," Mr Matthews added.

The existing pit lane and paddock areas are also undergoing refurbishment, which will be completed soon.

"We have experienced a spike in demand over the past two years, and all of these changes and upgrades have been made in order for us to be able to properly service Sydney's motorsport public," Mr Matthews said.

"Much has been done, and we are committed to completing a whole lot more.

The ARDC has also worked hard to change the way we operate as a part of this transformation.

"We no longer see ourselves as just a track-for-hire operation, but rather a strong, flexible and willing

The ARDC will also offer a comprehensive range of driver and rider training and safety initiatives.

2012 is a significant year for the ARDC as it celebrates its 60th anniversary.

The club will mark the milestone by hosting major events such as round nine of the 2012 V8 Supercars Championship in August and the eighth annual Muscle Car Masters on Father's Day. ARDC president Andrew Leithhead said the major facility changes were to help both the ARDC and Sydney Motorsport Park prosper well into the future.

"We are extremely proud of our long and distinguished history, but looking towards the future we have made these changes to ensure that the ARDC and Sydney Motorsport Park brands remain strong and relevant for a very long time," he said.

"We encourage all motorsport fans that haven't been out here for a while to come and experience the new Sydney Motorsport Park, and be a part of history at Sydney's home of motorsport."

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