Alliance Airlines Magazine - Oct/Nov 2018

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018

on yer bike!

GET OUT THERE INTO THE BALINESE WILDNERNESS The Lay of the Land

Spray Grass ensure that ex-mining sites are expertly restored

Baggy Green Dreams What’s on the horizon for cricket season?

AusBiz.

The new Aussie business mag Dolly’s Dream

Joining the fight against online bullying

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Welcome.

WE’RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE OUR REGULAR TRAVELLERS ON BOARD AS WELL AS THOSE FLYING ON ALLIANCE FOR THE FIRST TIME. From 31 August through to 2 September, 15 Alliance Airlines employees and trade partners took part in Hangar2Hangar, a threeday cycle tour of North Queensland. The workplace-giving initiative for Breast Cancer Network Australia saw participants ride more than 430km from Cairns Airport to Townsville Airport, with stops in Innisfail, Mission Beach, Cardwell and Ingham. Not only was the event a physical challenge but also a fundraising challenge which saw us exceed our target of $50,000 to raise more than $62,000 to show our support of BCNA. I’m extremely proud of all our staff, suppliers and clients who have been involved and supportive of Hangar2Hangar. I’d particularly like to thank VIVA Energy Australia, PwC, Norton White Lawyers, iOR Petroleum, QBE Insurance, BMG Aviation, Skysnacks, Perth Airport and Alliance Leasing, who supported the event from the start.

If you would like to support our fundraising efforts visit hangar2hangar.com.au for more information or visit bcna.org.au. If you have any feedback about your experience on our flights, email the Alliance Airlines team at media@allianceairlines.com.au

Lee Schofield Chief Executive Officer

EDITORIAL

Publisher: Michelle Hespe

publisher@publishingbychelle.com Editor: Katrina Holden editor@publishingbychelle.com Art Director: Jon Wolfgang Miller Lifestyle & Travel Sales Manager: Sonja Halstead sonja.halstead@publishingbychelle.com AusBiz. Sales Manager: Effe Sandas advertising@publishingbychelle.com Sub Editors: Claire Hey, Sally Macmillan, Jessica Multari Editorial Assistant: Sarah Hinder editorial@publishingbychelle.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Darren Baguley Kirsten Craze Anna Farrell Ian Lloyd Neubauer Karl Peskett Ben Smithurst

PRINTING

SOS Print + Media 65 Burrows Road, Alexandria, NSW, 2015

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018

on yer bike!

GET OUT THERE INTO THE BALINESE WILDNERNESS The Lay of the Land

Spray Grass ensure that ex-mining sites are expertly restored

Baggy Green Dreams What’s on the horizon for cricket season?

AusBiz.

The new Aussie business mag

Gotta Go Glamping

Some of the country’s best glamping spots

1300 040 050 Environment ISO 14001

Quality ISO 9001

Alliance is published by Publishing ByChelle (ABN: 78 621 375 853 ACN: 621 375 853) Suite 8, Level 8, 100 Walker Street North Sydney, NSW, 2060 (02) 9954 0349 publishingbychelle.com The reproduction of any content, in whole or part without prior written permission by the publisher, Michelle Hespe, is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed in the content are those of the contributors, and not necessarily those of the publisher. All information in this magazine was believed to be correct at the time of publication, and all reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders.

Publishing ByChelle cannot accept unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If such items are sent to the magazine, they will not be returned. We apologise if we don’t get back to your email, as we do receive a large volume of communication via various online channels. Some images used in Alliance are from istock and Getty images, and we make every effort to credit all contributors.

OCT/NOV 2018

1

beyond anxiety

Remains of an old CobB+Co Bridge in Outback NSW, near Menindee Lakes

PUBLISHER’S

I’ve always believed that travel is the best thing anyone could spend their hard-earned money on. Not only does it open our eyes to new places and ideas, it allows us to see how other people live. Even in a first-world nation such as Australia, where travel is relatively easy and inexpensive, someone living in the city of Sydney or Melbourne can’t really understand what it’s like to be living in remote Australia, in a place where drought continues to devastate properties, livestock and lives. They need to actually be there on the land to witness the daily struggles that come with the territory. They need to see the people on the frontline.

This is one of the many reasons that my team and I love doing what we do, as we are always creating stories — with photography, illustrations and words — that hopefully offer insight into how other people are living. And travel stories that show off lesser known (or talked about) destinations. Whether it’s a story on beekeepers or olive famers, a food and arts piece on the Tweed Valley, a story on cricket or mountain biking in Bali, there are endless topics that we want to bring you, because they shed light on real people, real issues, and we get to cover really cool places.

Sadly, one of those topics this issue, that is more prevalent than ever in Australia, and indeed the world, is suicide. Life, and the many day-to-day problems and thoughts that it musters up when times are tough, can be too much for some people. And the online world and social media often amplifies this because it makes people feel that they are alone, and that everyone out there is a having a great old time, travelling and loving life. People often need someone else to show them there’s light at the end of a seemingly endless tunnel.

So, in this issue, we dedicated some pages to Dolly, the beautiful young 14-year old teenager from Katherine, who took her own life after being overwhelmed by online bullying. Dolly’s devastated family have since set up a trust to help stop other children from taking their own lives, called Dolly’s Dream, and now the Alannah & Madeline Foundation has partnered with them to further drive change around bullying. We hope it continues to grow and reach more and more people in need of support.

And please, if you are feeling the pressures of life becoming too much, reach out and let someone know. Ask for help.

You are not alone.

Michelle Hespe

@ALLIANCE _ MAG /ALLIANCEAIRLINESMAG OCT/NOV 2018

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Biking ‘round Bali

Christmas gift guide

There’s more to it than meets the eye. We take an adreneline-fuelled mountain bike tour around the lush trails of Bali.

Our review of great presents, gadgets and ideas for under the Christmas tree.

In this issue. upfront

Features

9 Alliance News

20 Philanthropy

Alliance celebrates its continuing air charter services to St Barbara, and the great work of Northern Rise Village Services, providing accommodation, catering, support and property services.

We speak to the CEO of the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, which is partnering with Dolly’s Dream to change the culture of bullying.

13 Meet the Team

Interview with senior base engineer, Chris Echlin, who oversees aircraft maintenance and engineering at the Alliance head office.

18 Entertainment The latest films, books and art to inspire you.

4

ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

We ask some of the the big questions looming over the upcoming Australian Test cricket season. Watch out!

AusBiz. Check out AusBiz. at the back of the magazine.

In this edition you’ll find: WORK IN MINING What the future holds for workers in the mining industry.

AGRIBUSINESS The Australian olive and olive oil industry.

FARMING Farming innovations and solar energy.

14 Events Calendar

A great line-up of national events during October and November not to miss.

22 Cricket Season

22

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OCT/NOV 2018

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OCT/NOV 2018

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Alliance News.

Stay in the know with what’s happening with our airline and in our industry.

Racing for charity Alliance held its first charity cycle ride Hangar2Hangar from 31 August to 2 September 2018 across North Queensland covering 430km from Cairns Airport to Townsville Airport.

The tour saw 15 Alliance staff and their support crew raise awareness from Cairns to Innisfail and Mission Beach, on to Cardwell and Ingham, and finally Townsville. At each stop the riders and support staff met with local guests and breast cancer survivors to raise awareness and support for Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA).

Hangar2Hangar raised more than $62,000 for BCNA which will help those diagnosed and undergoing treatment, as well as provide support services for their friends and families.

A sincere thank you to all our riders, our staff across the country and

our corporate sponsors who have made Hangar2Hangar possible and have wholeheartedly supported our initiative to raise awareness for Breast Cancer Network Australia.

• VIVA Energy • BMG • QBE Insurance • PwC Australia • iOR Petroleum • Perth Aiport • Skysnacks • Norton White Lawyers • Alliance Leasing • Townsville Airport • Hawker Pacific • Menzies • Perth Inflight Catering • VIP Freight Perth • North West Aviation Services • Northern Rise Village Services

OCT/NOV 2018

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Norton White Lawyers Level 4, 66 Hunter Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia Tel: +61 2 9230 9400 contact@nortonwhite.com www.nortonwhite.com

Norton White is acknowledged as leaders in the practice of transport and tourism law in Australasia and the Pacific.

We are accomplished in advising on commercial and corporate transactions, finance, mergers & acquisitions, disposals and acquisitions of high value assets, international trade, competition, employment, intellectual property, insurance, dispute resolution & litigation and administrative law.

Delivering a personalised service, and multi-award winning dishes to your passengers.

www.inflightcatering.com.au 2 Newton Road Perth Domestic Airport Western Australia 6105 p +61 8 9477 0777 e info@inflightcatering.com.au

Alliance News

WE LIVE TOGETHER - Live well, live safely As conditions continue to improve across the country for on site accomodation, expectations are shifting from industrially led service provisions to a more desirable hospitality experience. Residents are flying across sites for work opportunities, exposing varied service styles, which has contributed to the demand for a more people-led approach.

Some of Australia’s leading sites are recognising the value of improved and personalised services for residents.

Northern Rise are a service providor at the forefront of this new market approach and in recent years have been awarded a number of contracts across Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Recent acquisitions include Delamere Weapons Range for NT Link, Tindal Airforce Base for Lend Lease, Cosmos Village for Kirkland Gold and most notably the Jundee Gold Project for Northern Star Resources.

In the past, service providors have pitched the concept of on-site living as a home away from home. After years of providing services in the industry, Northern Rise have reframed their approach: “The concept of home away from home has been well used in the last decade, I once used it myself. However, recent developments in our service approach have led to a new school of thought. We now treat each site as the unique experience that it is and make it as comfortable and welcoming as possible for our guests,” says Gary Bradford, Director, Northern Rise.

In recent years Northern Rise have formed a close partnership with hospitality leaders Delaware North.

Delaware are frontrunners in delivering highly skilled and trained hospitality service in world class venues.

One of Delaware’s highly regarded training schemes is GuestPath®, based on 10 universal service standards.

Northern Rise have taken cue from their global partner to develop a hospitality-led service approach customised for onsite accomodation.

A recent example of this fresh approach is the Jundee

Gold Project contract awarded to Northern Rise in late 2016.

In consultation with Northern Star, Northern Rise successfully implemented improvements to the quality in food, presentation and service with a clear hospitality-led value proposition.

In addition to accommodation management, Northern Rise are also delivering catering, village cleaning, mine site cleaning, aerodrome management, bus services, tavern operations and underground laundry. This bundled service approach allows the company to translate strong personable values across a diverse pool of staff: “The people Northern Rise choose to employ are individuals who are passionate about hospitality, embrace diversity and enjoy the wins of what can be a challenging vocation in a demanding environment,” says Melanie Wilson, HR Adviser, Northern Rise.

Northern Rise are also committing to genuine engagement of local communities, taking part in local schools’ work experience programs, with the first student from Wiluna learning what it takes to be a remote chef in the kitchen this year under the village head chef: “It’s rewarding being able to give someone this experience. In the short time he has been here, he is asking how we make the white sauce and is asking the right questions. I’m sure we will see him in the industry in the near future,” said Michael Beech, Head Chef, Jundee Village.

Do you want to know how you can improve services at your own site? Contact Gary Bradford or Adrian Greene for a confidential discussion leading to superior solutions, based on fiscal efficiencies and people focused service improvements. +61 8 92271633 garyb@northernrise.com.au adriang@northernrise.com.au northernrise.com.au OCT/NOV 2018

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Alliance News

Passenger Feedback

St Barbara Limited & Incitec Pivot contracts extended

In late July, Alliance announced it had won the selective tender process to continue the provision of air charter services to St Barbara Limited’s Leonora operations for a further three years. St Barbara Limited is an Australian gold producer which has operations in the Leonora region in Western Australia.

Alliance has been providing air charter services to St Barbara since 2012 and will continue to provide eight flights per week from Perth. Alliance also announced earlier in the month the contract extension for Incitec Pivot for a further five years. Alliance has been providing continuous air charter services to Phosphate Hill in North West Queensland for a 16-year period since 2002. Both contract extensions are considered a great acknowledgement of Alliance’s ability to provide safe, reliable and cost effective services to our clients.

Chris Echlin

Position: Senior Base Engineer Location: Brisbane Briefly describe your role..

Control, co-ordinate and oversee aircraft maintenance and engineering functions at our head office maintenance facility in Brisbane.

Can you tell us about your professional background?

I studied Aircraft Engineering at Aviation Australia in 2002 then commenced my apprenticeship at Alliance in 2003, which I completed in 2006. I continued further studies in Engineering from 2006, obtaining my Aircraft Maintenance Engineer’s Licence in 2009. After this time I was given many amazing opportunities to travel and work in all of Alliance’s main ports throughout Australia, as well as participating in further training overseas.

“I have to just say the flight attendants on the recent flights I’ve been taking from Coondewanna to Perth (Jordan and Caris) are absolutely fantastic. Nothing is too much trouble; their smiles are genuine and they truly go out of their way to accommodate all the passengers and their requests, as well as serving the customers efficiently. Rather than the flights being a ‘blah’ part of the end of a week, they are now a fun and energised part of the day.” — Ann G.

In 2010 I successfully advanced to the role of Line Maintenance Supervisor which I continued until my most recent appointment in early 2018.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

As a father to two beautiful girls aged two and four, I enjoy spending my down time with them, and sharing time with my family. Some of my other interests include my wide and varied taste in music, the great outdoors, camping, DIY projects, and travelling.

Who would you choose for your mentor, if you had the choice?

If I could turn back time I would choose Stephen Hawking because despite his disabilities he still managed to get to the top of his field.

He was always a source of inspiration for me because of the way he could achieve anything in a world that said he couldn’t. He always opened his mind to every possibility and never discredited ideas and beliefs.

q&a If you have your choice of aircraft and/or destination, what would you fly and/or where would you go?

If I was to dream big I would love to fly VIP in a Gulfstream to Japan.

Although I’ve been to Japan before, it is a beautiful destination with rich history and extraordinary culture.

Flying in a Gulfstream would be amazing albeit a pipe dream because it is a large, powerful VIP jet for the rich and famous.

OCT/NOV 2018

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What's on.

Our pick of the very best gigs, festivals, and cultural and sporting events from around the country.

WORDS: Sarah hinder

October 1–7 Australian National Polocrosse Championships

Image: FLOW

Swan Valley WA In its 50th Golden Jubilee event, all ages compete in Australia’s highestlevel polocrosse competition. polox2018.com.au

October 18–21 Cape to Cape MTB

Western Australia Australasia’s biggest mountain biking multistage race sees almost 2,000 riders hit the trails from Cape Leeuwin, through Boranup Forest and Margaret River, to Middle Earth. It’s a fun race, with all skill levels encouraged to ride! capetocapemtb.com

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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

October 3–21

October 10–21

Melbourne Vic Through performance art, outdoor installations and free events, Melbourne Festival seeks to break new ground in culture and the arts. festival.melbourne

Adelaide SA A biennial celebration of Aussie screen culture that features screenings, film forums and special events. adelaidefilmfestival.org

Melbourne Festival

October 5–14

Crush Festival

Bundaberg Qld Celebrating its 10th year showcasing quality arts and crafts, Crush attractions include film showings, sand sculptures, reggae music and an accompanying WriteFest. crushfestivalqld.com.au

Adelaide Film Festival

October 12–14

Port Fairy Spring Music Festival

Port Fairy Vic This regional music festival presents a range of jazz, classical and contemporary ensemble, orchestral and choral music throughout Port Fairy. portfairyspringfest.com.au

Events Calender Emirates Australian Open

October 19–21

V8 Supercars Gold Coast 600

November 3–4 Augusta Adventure Fest

Augusta WA Involving swimming, paddling, trail running and mountain biking – all non-stop around beautiful Augusta – this is the world’s biggest adventure race weekend! rapidascent.com.au/augustaadventurefest

Gold Coast Qld The V8 Supercars descend upon the Gold Coast for an adrenaline-pumping weekend of races, stunts and rock gigs. supercars.com/gold-coast

October 20–27

Invictus Games 2018

Sydney NSW An international sporting event for wounded and injured defence personnel, striving to inspire recovery, support and understanding through the power of sport. invictusgames2018.org

November 6

Melbourne Cup

October 31– November 4 Noosa Triathlon

Noosa Qld Swim off Noosa Main Beach, ride through the scenic Hinterland and run across the best this region has to offer in the largest Olympic-distance triathlon in the world. noosatri.com

Melbourne Vic The race that stops a nation, Melbourne Cup is an iconic date in the Aussie horse racing calendar. Flemington Racecourse features an electrifying track-side atmosphere, while the rest of the country participates at courses and social events. flemington.com.au/ melbournecupcarnival

November 15–18

Emirates Australian Open Sydney NSW

Sydney’s Lakes Golf Club hosts the prestigious 2018 Emirates Australian Open. In a world-first, a championship for golfers with a disability will also be contested. golf.org.au/ausopen

November 16–24

Melbourne Music Week

Melbourne Vic Melbourne’s gothic St Paul’s Cathedral is transformed into a pulsing live gig venue in this week-long celebration of Melbourne’s music scene. mmw.melbourne.vic.gov.au

November 23–25

Queenscliff Music Festival

Queenscliff Vic Glamp or camp at this cool community festival right by the sea. This year’s line-up features Courtney Barnett, Kasey Chambers and Sarah Blasko. qmf.net.au

November 24–December 2 Great Vic Bike Ride

Victoria Victoria’s biggest bike riding festival begins in Bright and ends in Benalla. The event boasts live gigs, outdoor cinema, regional tours and nightly celebrations at every destination along the way. bicyclenetwork.com.au OCT/NOV 2018

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Naked Wines is offering Alliance Airlines the chance to sample 12 wines for just $59.

wine voucher* www.nakedwines.com.au/al18 Code: AL18 Normally over $200, this case of 12 bottles of highly rated wine is now just $59.99. What’s more, delivery is next day to Sydney and Melbourne metro areas.

That works out at less than $5 a bottle, delivered directly to your doorstep.

Naked Wines are working hard to break the dominance of the supermarkets and major retailers, all while revolutionising the way wine is made and enjoyed in Australia. They don’t just sell great wines, they make them happen.

Their customers directly support independent winemakers, and in return receive exclusive access to delicious, handcrafted wines at amazing prices. And the more support they have, the more independent Aussie winemakers they can support!

Password: JNW15PJ3

Overnight delivery*

Choose your wines from our tasty range

Supporting real winemakers

No requirement to join any “wine clubs”

Are your tastebuds tempted? Then why not enjoy $100 off your first case from Naked Wines!

To use this voucher you must be 18 years or older. This voucher entitles first time Naked Wines customers to $100 off their first order of $155.88 or more meaning you can enjoy 12 delicious wines. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion. See website for full Terms and Conditions. *Next day delivery is available to Sydney, Melbourne and Perth metro areas for orders placed before 3pm.

Regional News.

Keep up with what’s happening across our communities. WORDS: Sarah Hinder

PHOTOGRAPH: BRUCE MUNRO STUDIO

Field of Light in Albany commemorates 100 years since WWI Armistice Albany’s Avenue of Honour will light up this October in a largescale art installation by Bruce Munro to mark 100 years since the end of WWI. While many travel to Gallipoli or Villers-Bretonneux to pay their respects to the Anzacs, The Field of Light: Avenue of Honour aims to offer visitors a significant memorial closer to home. Particularly relevant to Albany’s history, the installation will also pay tribute to the 41,000 Anzac soldiers who departed the port city

Atlanta Botanical Garden

to fight in Europe more than a century ago, as well as the Armistice of 1918.

Sixteen thousand glass spheres will illuminate the tree-lined Avenue of Honour in hues of white, yellow and gold — the colours of wattle and kowhai, the national flowers of Australia and New Zealand.

The Field of Light: Avenue of Honour opens October 4, during the region’s peak wildflower season, and continues until Anzac Day 2019. fieldoflightalbany.com.au

Underwater artwork brings the Whitsundays to life In an exciting new trial, Langford Reef, near Hayman Island in the Whitsundays, will play host to the Great Barrier Reef’s first underwater art installation.

The project is part of a $7 million Tourism Recovery Fund, backed by the Queensland Government and Federal Government, which aims to boost tourism and create jobs across the Whitsundays region in the wake of damage caused

by Cyclone Debbie in 2017.

The sculptures installed at Langford Reef this August are expected to attract greater numbers to the area, as well as provide “proof of concept” to gauge audience reaction. Propositions have been made to construct a Museum of Underwater Art across several reefs in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park if the project is a success.

OCT/NOV 2018

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Entertainment.

WORDS: Sarah hinder

ART October 18–November 4, Sydney NSW The largest free public sculpture exhibition in the world, featuring 100 exhibits

by Australian and international artists, returns to the coastal walk between Sydney’s Bondi and Tamarama. sculpturebythesea.com

October 19–21, Queenstown Tas Inspired by the rare geological unconformity that gave birth to the small mining community of Queenstown, this arts festival boasts a unique creative vision. Participants are encouraged to engage with all manner of creative arts at this offbeat cultural experience. theunconformity.com.au

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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

ATP9: 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art

Image: Glenn Mead

The Unconformity

November 24–April 28 2019, QAGOMA Brisbane Qld The Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art’s flagship contemporary art series will feature more than 80 artists who are making waves in the contemporary art world, alongside accompanying interactive art for kids. qagoma.qld.gov.au

Image: Imeiro Koizum

Image: CYee

Sculpture by the Sea

books

TOURS

Foreigner 2018 Orchestral Australia Tour

Under Your Wings, Tiffany Tsao

Out now Viking, Fiction.

From Jakarta to the Californian coast to Melbourne’s university scene, this thriller follows the story of two sisters reeling from a cataclysmic event that forces them to come to grips with the subversive loyalties and unspoken resentment of their family’s past.

Don’t Stop Believin’, Olivia Newton-John

Out now Viking, Biography.

From the carefree days of Grease to her charity work founding the Cancer Wellness & Research Centre, four-time Grammy awardwinner Olivia Newton-John shares her personal journey and the mantra that got her where she is today: don’t stop believin’.

Overlander, Rupert Guinness

Out now, Simon & Schuster, Biography.

Overlander is one man’s honest memoir of Australia’s most gruelling bike race.

In the trip of a lifetime, the Indian Pacific Wheel Race sees competitors ride 5,000 kilometres, entirely unassisted, from Fremantle in Western Australia to the Sydney Opera House.

October 12–30 in Canberra, Adelaide, Perth, Sydney & Melbourne Foreigner will perform their greatest hits album alongside an 18-piece orchestra, with special guests Cheap Trick also performaing in Adelaide. The band will also headline Rock the Boat 2018, a rock-themed cruise departing Sydney October 21–28.

Sam Smith, The Thrill Of It All World Tour

MUSIC John Williamson, Butcherbird

Album out now, on tour until November 24, nationwide Partially written on his property in rural Queensland, Williamson’s 20th studio album takes inspiration from the Australian bush.

The Aussie icon is currently on tour with his new album, visiting towns around the country throughout October and November.

documentary David Attenborough’s Tasmania

Available on iTunes, Google Play, YouTube & DVD Sir David Attenborough’s latest documentary explores the diversity, and fragility, of life across the Apple Isle – including the exceptional, endemic animals that inhabit Tasmania from its ancient forests to its striking coastline.

November 6–20 in Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney & Perth Grammy awardwinning Sam Smith returns to Australia for the first time in three years to perform his new ‘The Thrill Of It All’ album, alongside special guest soul singer Paloma Faith.

OCT/NOV 2018

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Philanthropy

Speak even if your voice shakes

Amy ‘Dolly’ Everett.

When a Northern Territory girl took her own life, her devastated family set up Dolly’s Dream. We speak with Lesley Podesta, CEO of the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, which is partnering with Dolly’s Dream to change bullying.

WORDS BY: Katrina Holden

In January 2018 Northern Territory schoolgirl Amy Everett, whose nickname was Dolly, tragically took her life after being the victim of bullying and cyberbullying. She was just 14 years old. In her childhood Dolly had been the face of Australian hat and clothing company Akubra in their ad campaigns. Her story, as well as the strength of her grieving parents Tick and Kate Everett, struck a chord and resonated around the nation — particularly in regional Australia, when the raw reality sunk in that this could happen to any of our children.

“The Everetts made a decision that they wanted to form Dolly’s Dream in her memory,” says Lesley Podesta, CEO of the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, who is proudly bringing Dolly’s Dream to life along with Tick and Kate, and an advisory board.

Before entering into the partnership there was much discussion with the Everett family. “They wanted to have Dolly’s Dream established through us because we have a really similar view about some of the causes of bullying and the things that need to be done to address it,” explains

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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

Lesley. The Everetts were also inspired by Walter Mikac, who founded the Alannah & Madeline Foundation in honour of his two daughters, who along with his wife were killed in Tasmania’s Port Arthur massacre in 1996, aged just six and three. “They saw that the Foundation has been going strong for 21 years and it’s had such a big impact on children,” says Lesley.

Dolly’s Dream aims to raise awareness in communities among children and parents about the seriousness of bullying, and that it can have devastating consequences.

“Dolly’s Dream wants to work to prevent and address bullying issues, to support victims of bullying and, most importantly, create positive change in our schools and communities so that there is no tolerance for bullying behaviours. One of the critical messages from Dolly’s Dream is that they want to act as a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves by creating really positive change,” says Lesley.

A number of companies throughout regional Australia, including Akubra, have extended their support to Dolly’s Dream in a number of ways.

“We’ve been working with clubs, people, organisations undertaking fundraising activities — and the wonderful Dolly’s Dream Pins of Hope by Akubra are part of the fundraising. But we’ve also seen shirts, hats, raffles, auctions and more. We’ve had children making lemonade, we’ve had debutante balls and rodeos, we’ve had camp drafting events.

People around Australia have really come together to say ‘we want to do something, and this story has really touched us,’” says Lesley.

According to the Foundation, the problem of online and face-to-face bullying is greater than most people imagine.

Recent data following a study conducted with Price Waterhouse Coopers about the cost of bullying in Australian schools revealed that approximately one in four students is bullied face-to-face and one in seven is bullied online; and approximately 900,000 children experience bullying in Australia each year.

“A lot of people talk about online bullying and the epidemic of it and there are terrible examples, but for most children it’s still more likely that they will be bullied face-to-face in their school or in their community,” says Lesley.

A particular stress for people living in regional Australia is that many children attend boarding school, as Dolly did, and those parents don’t get to see their children daily.

“Of all of the things we’ve learned as a result of Dolly’s Dream, the issue of supporting parents and getting parents the right advice is absolutely critical,” says Lesley.

Equally parents need to model respectful behaviour and provide emotional support.

“Keeping communication open with your child is so important: being able to talk to them and making sure that you’re not judgemental, and teaching them to value respect and kindness. There are strong pathways to be able to take down information on the internet in Australia using the Office of the eSafety Commissioner, for example. Step into your child’s world. We need children to feel that bullying is not something that is their responsibility to solve. The responsibility is with their parents and their school — the child is living with the pain but it’s not their job to fix it as well,” says Lesley.

Parents are advised to talk to their kids before their teens.

“We have to be talking about this from the beginning, not shielding them from the consequences of their actions, however hard that might seem at the time. From when they are very young children, help them understand that mean words have consequences, and mean actions of isolating other children and not including them. Think about the impact on not just your children but other children, and practice that kindness and inclusion really early on,” advises Lesley.

Alligator creek pony club hosted a ‘Do it for Dolly’ open sporting day. Image credit: Katrina Alexander-smith.

POSSIBLE SIGNS OF BULLYING Children often find it hard to report a problem with bullying, so it’s important to know the potential signs if your child might be experiencing bullying:

Speak to your child’s school first, as most schools have strong bullying processes.

Further help if needed can be sought from the resources below:

• Change in sleep patterns • Change in eating habits • More frequent tears, anger and mood swings • Frequently saying they are sick and not wanting to go to school • Starting to bully or be mean to siblings • Constantly saying they’ve lost their money • Unexplained bruises or cuts

• Alannah & Madeline Foundation amf.org.au • Office of the eSafety Commissioner esafety.gov.au • National Centre Against Bullying ncab.org.au • ReachOut Australia au.reachout.com

To connect with Dolly’s Dream, contact the Alannah & Madeline Foundation (ABN 96 514 115 810).

• Ph: 03 9697 0666 • amf.org.au • fundraise@dollysdream.org.au • email: info@dollysdream.org.au • Facebook: @DollysDreamAustralia EFT donations can be made to BSB 083-004 Account 98-827-4318

OCT/NOV 2018

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2018/19 Cricket Preview

Baggy

premonitions Virat, no Nine and … Bruce McAvaney? The big questions awaiting Australian Test cricket this summer when the baggy greens return.

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Words: Ben smithurst ILLUSTRATION: ANNA farrell

Is Virat Kohli the world’s best batsman?

Fans have long considered bushbred paceman Josh Hazlewood to be the heir apparent to the great Glenn McGrath as Australian cricket’s wicket-taking metronome.

How wrong we were! Actually, it’s Pat Cummins. If only because, in July, he made a decidedly McGrathlike pre-series declaration about how dominant Australia would be.

“My brave, bold prediction?” he told Bruce McAvaney at an SCG function. “I’d say I think Virat Kohli is not going to get a hundred and we’re going to knock them off over here.”

Which is a little keen, considering Kohli — magnificent, dedicated, pugnacious and exactly as ultra-aggressive as any middling Aussie player (which is to say, insanely) — scored four tons in four Tests during India’s last Australian tour.

“Is he the best batsman in the world? Yeah, he probably is,” said Aussie great Ricky Ponting in 2017 — even as Steve Smith was in his most golden of runs. “I thought he was six or seven months ago and he’s probably taken it to another level since then.”

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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

Will cricket be the same without Channel 9?

Well, no — obviously.

For cricket fans, for the best part of 40 years the most stirring moment of the warmer months was the first time they heard Channel 9’s iconic cricket broadcast theme (the tune is actually called ‘New Horizons’, and was composed by British musician Brian Bennett, one-time drummer for Cliff Richard’s backing band). Now that Nine has lost the rights — taken in a coup by Channel Seven and Foxtel — it’s all out, all change. Financial analysts had suggested that Nine was losing $30-40 million every year on its Summer of Cricket broadcasts. So will Seven cut corners — or worse, have every third over guest commentated by some whacky schlub from My Kitchen Rules? God forbid.

2018/19 Cricket Preview

FAST FACT The term to ‘carry the bat’ — describing an open who remains not-out when the rest of team has been dismissed — dates back to cricket’s earliest days. Originally batsmen shared a single bat, and the dismissed player would leave his bat at the crease for the next player as he trundled off. The last batter would, accordingly, ‘carry the bat’ back to the pavilion.

OCT/NOV 2018

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Which network has the best commentary team?

Seven has signed canny former Test commentators such as Ricky ‘Punter’ Ponting, Damien ‘the Bowlologist’ Fleming, Lisa ‘Can I buy a vowel?’

Sthalekar and Simon ‘The Kat’ Katich — so far, so good — and proven commentary talents in Alison Mitchell, Tim Lane and presenter Mel McLaughlin. But they’ve also revived the career of atonal dullard James ‘Braysh’ Brayshaw and madcap boob Michael ‘Slats’ Slater. Plus Bruce McAvaney, who seems out of place. Fox has Warnie, who’s brilliant (when he sticks to cricket), plus Adam ‘Gilly’ Gilchrist, Mark ‘Junior’ Waugh, Mike ‘The Huss’ Hussey and Michael ‘We won the Ashes with admitted ball-tampering by using mints so I should shut up’ Vaughan. Plus Mel Jones, Isa Guha, and network OGs Allan ‘Captain Grumpy’ Border and Brendon ‘Nightclub bait’ Julian. Fox seems to have its nose in front, both in terms of talent and nicknames.

Is Tim Paine up to the captaincy?

4

The Tasmanian ’keeper became the first man to assume the Australian captaincy during a proper force-nine shitstorm since Alan Border in 1984. As such, Paine had to try to steady a ship that was by then as seaworthy as an iceberg-holed Titanic, upside down on the seabed and already inhabited by squid. Paine is decent, honourable, and seemingly entirely without mongrel. This made him the man for the job.

Without our best bats and our old chutzpah, however, Australia has been awful.

Lose three Tests at home and we’ll turn on Timmy like a post-war populace that’s forgotten the worst elements of fascism and just wishes that the bloody trains would run on time again.

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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

5 Can we swing the ball without, ahem, popping into Bunnings on the way to the game?

2018/19 Cricket Preview

7 When Smith, Warner and Bancroft were rubbed out for their roles in rubbing sandpaper on the ball to help it reverse swing in South Africa, recently vanquished English rivals declared their suspicions that Australia had done more of the same during the Ashes.

That series properly solidified Australia’s pace attack of Mitchell Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins as the best in the world. Will that speedy trio again be unplayable? If they’re not, eyebrows will be raised.

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Will the stars of women’s cricket become superstars?

It’s an exciting time for mainstream coverage of women’s team sport in Australia, with the AFLW competition and the NRL Women’s Premiership, and our women’s rugby sevens squad triumphant. And, you know, there’s still netball. But when will uber-talents such as Ellyse Perry reach the sponsorship, gravitas and zeitgeist-dominating echelons inhabited by, say, such sport-transcending names as Steve Smith, Mick Fanning, Dustin Martin or Johnathan Thurston?

Will we forgive Dave Warner?

When Steve Smith cried in his press conference, then hugged his dad, Australia immediately decided he was an ok bloke who’d cracked under stress. Cam Bancroft — the junior team member who actually carried out the sandpapering — was always considered a bit of a patsy. But Davey Warner’s apology came third, and for some reason found little traction. Pre-ball tampering scandal, Warner was seen by Australians as Donald Trump is by the GOP: a bit of a knob, maybe, but our knob, and always winning bigly! Now, when our openers collapse versus India and/or Sri Lanka, will we pine for him? Or curse him for his absence?

OCT/NOV 2018

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8 The Australia Test summer

Australia VS India • First Test — Adelaide, December 6-10 • Second Test — Perth, December 14-18 • Third Test — Melbourne, December 26-30 • Fourth Test — Sydney, January 3-7

Australia VS Sri Lanka • First Test — Brisbane, January 24-28 • Second Test — Canberra, February 1-5

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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

Are India just a bunch of enormous sooks?

Their batsmen are superstars. India’s board shamelessly runs the game.

Their fringe one-day players have more Instagram followers than Hollywood stars (Virat Kohli alone has 23 million). Yet India refused to play a day-night Test in Adelaide — reportedly alarmed by the unplayable twilight swing. So: yes, they’re sooks. “Isn’t it the right of [the] host country to decide whether or not to host/play Day Night Test?” tweeted a disappointed Vikrant Gupta, one of India’s foremost TV sporting journalists. Good point.

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Is Glenn Maxwell the answer?

Definitely. But what’s the question?

Victoria’s freakishly talented batting allrounder prefers his more banal nickname, ‘Maxi’, to the more marketable ‘The Big Show’. His hand-eye coordination is astonishing, but with characters such as Queensland ball-atomiser Chris Lynn dominating T20, can a head-down Maxwell anchor an Australian middle order that’s as prone to collapse as one of those fainting YouTube miniature goats?

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Has James Sutherland jumped out of the plane with the last available parachute?

When Rupert Murdoch signed a lucrative deal to silo all of the UK’s Test cricket behind a Sky TV paywall in 2004, the English Cricket Board rejoiced and counted their millions.

Yet it’s led to a long period of increasing anonymity for the game in its founding country, with occasional exceptions, drawing fewer kids to the sport and reducing cricket to a pursuit of private schools and Asian immigrants. Under Sutherland’s Channel Seven and Fox deal Australia will still get all Tests on free-to-air, but to watch full short-form series — the T20s and ODIs that attract kids and new fans — you’ll have to pay up.

Sutherland has already announced he’ll resign, effective mid-2019.

Whoever comes after him will have his or her plate full.

Adventure Travel

A bike adventure across this lush paradise proves there’s more to Bali than Bintangs on the beach.

Words & PHOTOS: IAN LLOYD NEUBAUER

Adventure Getaway Travel

"don’t rely on Google Maps to guide you through the labyrinthine pathways"

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Adventure Travel

Getaway

ou’d have to be bonkers to ride a bicycle along the narrow, congested streets of Kuta, Seminyak or any of the popular coastal areas of southern Bali.

But veer inland and you’ll find a seemingly never-ending network of zigzagging country roads and single tracks, where motorised vehicles are few and far between and the knockout natural beauty for which the Indonesian island is renowned stretches to the horizon in every direction.

To show you how it’s done, we road-tested three guided bike tours in three beautiful parts of the island of the gods.

EAST BALI BIKE TOUR A string of small, scalloped sandy bays and fishing villages on Bali’s spectacular east coast, Amed is reminiscent of Kuta in the 1970s. It’s also the base for East Bali Bike Tour, a small, family-owned company that specialises in downhill mountain-bike tours from Mount Agung — the island’s highest and holiest mountain, which looms large over eastern Bali.

Tours start with an hour-long drive in a minibus from Amed to Pasar Agung, an ancient temple set in the clouds at 950 metres above sea level. There, riders jump on mountain bikes and follow their guide, Mono, down an undulating sealed road riddled with switchbacks that lead to Nanca, a village of 200 locals known for cultivating snake fruit — a small, leathery fruit the size of a plum that tastes like pineapple.

From Nanca the route hits a bumpy fire trail that cuts through thick, green jungle, before rejoining the tarmac for a long, thrilling downhill ride to the lowlands, where Bali’s emerald-green rice fields dominate the landscape.

From there Mono hacks and packs the route to suit riders’ particular competencies.

“When I see the group has good riding skills, I find technical single tracks through the rice fields and the bamboo forests to make the trip harder and more extreme,” he says. “But if the riders are not so confident and are in a big group or with children, I take them an easier way.”

After six hours of nonstop downhill fun, the ride comes to an end at Virgin Beach, where the group enjoy lunch at a beachfront restaurant and a swim in the azure Bali Sea, before jumping back in the minibus for the drive back to Amed.

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ALLIANCE MAGAZINE

BONGKASA VILLAGE BIKING ADVENTURE The spiritual capital of Bali, Ubud is best explored on bicycle, and dozens of small shops offer them for hire. But don’t rely on Google Maps to guide you through the labyrinthine pathways and jungle trails that are regularly washed away during monsoon season and rerouted around newly formed creeks and riverbeds.

To help holidaymakers navigate their way through the ever-changing maze, the Four Seasons Resort at Sayan, on the outskirts of Ubud, has introduced the Bongkasa Village Biking Adventure. Suited to those who’ve never ridden a bicycle off-road and for families with children, the soft, three-hour journey starts with a 45-minute trip in a luxury, air-conditioned four-wheel drive from the Four Seasons to

Adventure Travel

Bongkasa. From there the tour takes riders through 20 kilometres of tropical plantations, river valleys, canals and rice terraces so magical you may have to pinch yourself.

“You’d be very unlucky to spot any other tourists on the Bongkasa route,” says Marian Carroll of the Four Seasons. “The only other people you will generally see are the rice farmers working their fields and villagers walking along the back roads. It’s much quieter than just about any other cycling route in Bali — the kind of place that has people saying, ‘It’s like Bali 50 years ago’.”

MOUNT BATUR TO UBUD “Whenever I went off riding, my wife would say to me, ‘Where are you going on your silly bike?’” says Rudy, a Balinese guide who spent the past 20 years exploring the island on two wheels. “But now that I work as a bike guide, she always says, ‘Get on your bike and go and make me some money!’”

As well having one of Bali’s most experienced guides on board, Rudy’s employer, Infinity Mountain Biking, also has the best bicycles on hand. Full-suspension downhill enduro bikes come with 150mm shock absorbers that make light work out of rocks, bumps and holes. And just as well, because Infinity’s most

FAST FACTs East Bali Bike Tour in Amed offers six-hour guided downhill mountain bike tours for $113 for one or two riders including lunch. eastbalibike.com Four Seasons Resort at Sayan’s three-hour Bongkasa Village Biking Adventure is $169 for up to two riders, and $84 for additional riders. fourseasons.com Infinity Mountain Biking offers soft and intermediate full-day off-road adventure rides from Mount Batur to Ubud for $117 per rider or $70 for under-16s. infinitymountainbiking.com

popular tour (a 30-kilometre downhill ride from Mount Batur’s crater to Ubud) is riddled with technical challenges.

Tours begin with a 7am pick-up from your hotel or villa anywhere in Bali for the drive up to Penelokan — the ‘Rooftop of Bali’ — and a bird’s-eye view of the Batur crater and lakes.

From there, a short drive to the starting point at Abuan village throws riders right into the thick of it on a muddy single track that cuts a rough path through the jungle and its tricky, uneven terrain.

After a short coffee break, the tour continues on a screaming downhill path along gravel roads and fire trails, passing Gunung Raung, a majestic Balinese temple famed for the two white stone bulls guarding the entrance. Another short break later, riders take on the Campuhan Ridge Walk, a narrow stone pathway that meanders along the edge of a deep river valley where part of the movie Eat Pray Love was filmed.

The scenery is exceptionally beautiful, but watch out for the steps. “This is where a fullsuspension bike is really important,” says Rudy. “If you make a mistake rolling down the steps, the bike will self-correct and absorb the impact. But on a normal mountain bike things could get ugly!”

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Christmas gifts Events

Gadgets & gear for some Chrissy cheer Can’t find the perfect present for a loved one? We’ve taken the hard work out of that annual quest for you.

Herschel Novel Duffle The Herschel Novel Duffle is practical, wears well and will last years. Ideal as a weekender or gym bag, it comes with great storage space, a separate signature shoe compartment and is available in more than 35 custom designs. $159.95, herschel.com.au

Dyson Pure Hot+Cool Link Purifier Heater Dyson’s purifying heater uses compact filtration technology to capture 99.95 per cent of fine particles, including allergens, pollutants, bacteria and odour. For use in all seasons, the device both purifies the air and maintains your preferred temperature. $799, dyson.com.au

Everyday Super Food, Jamie Oliver Jamie Oliver makes eating well simple, fun and colourful in his best-selling cookbook, where every recipe is nutritionally balanced and loaded with nutrient- and vitamin-rich superfoods. Delish ideas. $49.99, jamieoliver.com

OCT/NOV 2018

Christmas gifts

Cheers to Christmas

Kakkoii WOW Splash Lightweight, waterproof and wireless, the WOW Splash is ideal for supplying the soundtrack to all of your outdoor adventures. $99.90, top3.com.au

A Tasmanian whisky cream liqueur dominated

by Hellyers Road Original Single Malt Whisky and fresh Tasmanian cream, made onsite. The liqueur casts aromas of chocolate, coconut, malt and biscuit, with a subtle taste of honey.

The palate is rich and creamy, delivering an explosion of malt biscuit and coconut amidst chocolate. $37.50, hellyersroaddistillery. com.au

Portable fridge The Dometic Waeco CFX portable fridge/freezer models are extremely energy efficient and have excellent cooling performance, even in high ambient temperatures.

The CFX comes in various sizes, is robust and ready for action whatever the conditions. You can live off the grid and run the CFX off the Dometic PS180A portable solar panel and Dometic RAPS44 battery pack.

From $999, dometic.com

Christmas gifts

Basil Bangs Love Rug Spruce up your campsite with the vibrant Basil Bangs Love Rug. RRP $350, top3.com.au

PlanetBox These stainless steel lunch boxes provide a neat way to pack healthy food, keeping everything inside fresh. Eco-friendly and built to last, they don’t cost the planet and better yet, they come with a customisable design. $39.95–$59.95, planetbox.com

KeepCup

Camelbak Ultra Pro Vest Ideal for the competitive runner, this vest is made from ultra-light materials and features a streamlined design. With a 4.5-litre capacity, secure phone pocket, gear storage and reflectivity for safety, the Ultra Pro Vest aims to change the way you exercise. $185.95, camelbak.com.au

This Australian company has succeeded in diverting billions of disposable cups from landfill, instead promoting sustainability through the use of reusable ones. You can design your own personal barista standard KeepCup or customise a branded one for your organisation. $11–$34, au.keepcup.com

OCT/NOV 2018

Christmas gifts

Chime in for Gin The Gingle Bells Floral Gin Baubles gift set showcases six award-winning gins.

Flavours include Finger Lime, B’Lure Butterfly Pea Flower, Wattleseed, Snow Chrysanthemum, Wild Hibiscus and Pepperberry. The gift set includes two 54ml baubles at 37% alcohol volume and four 50ml baubles at 40% alcohol volume. Accompanying each gin bauble is a cocktail recipe to ensure the receiving party knows exactly how best to utilise the gift sets’ extraordinary botanical flavours. RRP $79, ginglebellsgin.com

DOIY yoga mat terrazzo white

Sennheiser PXC 550 Wireless Headphones Your journey with Sennheiser’s PXC 550 Wireless headphones, featuring Sennheiser’s renowned high-quality sound and noisecancelling technology in a sleek, foldable design. With an intuitive touch control panel on the earcup and up to 30 hours of battery life, this headset is the ultimate travel companion. $499.95, sennheiser.com.au

DOIY’s Nature Yoga Mat is printed on one side with a natureinspired pattern, so you can bring a little of the outside into your living room/yoga studio. It’s thick, lightweight, easily portable, and has a supportive cushion. $59.90, top3.com.au

OCT/NOV 2018

Learn about the history of the Huon Valley apple industry

Enjoy a Willie Smith’s cider paddle

Take a tour of the Charles Oates Distillery

Visit the Saturday Artisan & Produce market

Visit the home of Willie Smith’s cider where you can enjoy a great meal and a cider paddle, visit the Huon Valley apple museum, get up close and personal with a working distillery, peruse the Saturday Artisan & Produce Market.

Hobart Hobart Huonville

Contact

25mins

Huonville

www.williesmiths.com.au appleshed@williesmiths.com.au (03) 6266 4345 2064 Huon Hwy, Grove, TAS, 7109 25 minutes from Hobart

Christmas gifts

The Polo Champagne and Wine Tub The Polo Champagne and Wine Tub oozes traditional elegance.

With its shiny nickel finish, and embellished with two horse head handles, it will make a statement at any event. $319, macandturner.com.au

Peach Band This revolutionary resistance band is suitable for workouts at home and the gym. Short and taut, it allows for optimal time under tension and improved muscle control. Using a Peach Band is an effective way to incorporate resistance exercises into your routine. $27.45, peach-band.com

Black Diamond Trail Trekking Poles Providing you with support as you traverse the backcountry, these poles are comfortable, durable, ultralight and affordable.

They’re perfect poles. $169.95 OCT/NOV 2018

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AusBiz.

NEWS+VIEWS | MINING | AGRIBUSINESS | INFRASTRUCTURE

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10 P.4 mining: future of work in mining P.10 agribusiness: the australian olive industry P.16 innovation in farming equipment P.22 infrastructure: regional urban development P.26 Man & Machine: Lamborghini P.30 win a south american adventure

Engineering Construction Automotive Electro Technology Information Technology Career Ready Introducing P-Tech Industrial IT in 2019

Townsville MACKAY CAIRNS MAIN Campus 54 Discovery Drive Douglas 4814 | reception@tecnq.com.au | 07 4779 2199

Business News+Views

Business News+Views Bringing you the latest insights and analysis. WORDS: Sarah Hinder Is hydrogen the future of Australia’s renewable energy sector?

Hydrogen has the potential to be Australia’s next multibillion-dollar export opportunity.

The falling cost of renewable energy production, alongside Japan’s commitment as a long-term, large-scale customer for hydrogen produced through low-emissions methods, are key factors that have influenced the profitability of producing and exporting hydrogen.

It is also an attractive low-emissions alternative for use closer to home. There is potential for hydrogen to be introduced into Australia’s existing gas network in the near future, and for it to replace diesel fuel in long-distance heavy transport.

Australia is a frontrunner in its ability to create hydrogen on a large scale, through methods of wind, sun, coal, methane and carbon sequestration, and the industry is currently boosting its credentials as a supplier of hydrogen alongside countries such as Norway, Brunei and Saudi Arabia..

Bodangora Wind Farm contributes to future power generation The Bodangora Wind Farm, run by leading renewable energy operator Infigen Energy, is the first large-scale wind farm in the area, just under an hour from Dubbo in New South Wales.

Currently in the commissioning phase, the project is expected to provide enough output to supply power for up to 49,000 homes across New South Wales each year.

Upon completion the wind farm will feature 33

turbines together capable of generating up to 113.2 megawatts of power, depending on wind speed.

Providing a valuable source of renewable energy across the state, the project will contribute towards meeting Australia’s 2020 Renewable Energy Target.

The expected completion date for the wind farm is by the end of November.

To find out more visit infigenenergy.com OCT/NOV 2018

3

Mining

Darren Baguley An agriculture, tech, mining, energy and business specialist writer.

Are geeks in steel-toed boots the miners of the future?

THE DIGITAL MINE IS BECOMING A REALITY AND THE NATURE OF MINING WORK IS POISED TO CHANGE DRAMATICALLY. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE CURRENT WORKFORCE, AND WHAT WILL THE MINER OF THE FUTURE LOOK LIKE?

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AusBiz.

Mining

Science fiction writer William Gibson once said, “the future is already here – it’s just not very evenly distributed,” and there are few industries of which this is truer than mining.

While 'artisanal' miners in parts of Africa and South America use techniques that a Roman or medieval miner would recognise, top-tier mining companies in Australia’s Pilbara control haul trucks, drill rigs and other equipment from a remote operations centre in Perth, thousands of kilometres away. When Resolute Mining’s underground extension to its Syama gold mine in Mali, West Africa, begins production later this year, it will be fully automated, using Sandvik haul trucks, loaders and drill rigs.

According to Deloitte’s Tracking the Trends 2018 report, the way mining companies work is undergoing a major step change. The digitisation of every aspect of mine operations – big data, the Internet of Things – will improve staff performance at all levels by providing information and insights to make better decisions. Nevertheless, these trends will also cause great disruption as manual jobs are automated.

“On the positive side, this can translate into new employment opportunities as new roles are created,” says the Deloitte report. “It can deliver significant safety benefits for the mining industry by literally moving workers out of harm’s way, and boost productivity by reallocating those workers to more productive occupations. It can accommodate the realities of shifting global demographics by enabling more women and seniors to enter and remain in the workforce. It can position companies to achieve greater diversity by attracting workers from historically underrepresented populations.”

The advantages of having a more diverse workforce are considerable. According to management consulting powerhouse McKinsey & Company, “research finds that companies in the top quartile for gender or racial and ethnic diversity are more likely to have financial returns above their national industry medians. More diverse companies are better able to win top talent and improve their customer orientation, employee satisfaction and decision making, and all that leads to a virtuous cycle of increasing returns.”

One example of how this is already happening can be found at South32’s

OCT/NOV 2018

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Mining

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AusBiz.

Mining

Worsley Alumina Boddington Bauxite Mine in Western Australia. By constructing a new drill rig “with improvements in ergonomics and functions to enhance its usability by a more diverse workforce,” the company was able to deploy an all-female drilling crew. According to South32 CEO Graham Kerr, “The benefits that result from a diverse workforce, and gender equity in particular, are largely about the diversity of thought and experience that differences bring.”

And it’s not just mine sites that are being automated: it’s the back office as well. One of the technologies that will drive this change is robotic process automation (RPA), a technology that uses software robots to automate repetitive processes such as data gathering and entry by working with the graphic user interface to replicate the user’s actions as they complete the task. The most frequently reported study, by the Oxford Martin Programme on the Impacts of Future Technology, predicts that nearly half of all jobs in industrialised economies could be automated.

What this will mean is hard to say. Technoutopian commentators see automation greatly reducing or eliminating much of the drudgery of work, leaving workers to focus on the important value-added elements that drive efficiency and profitability. They argue that while some jobs may be eliminated initially, new, more interesting jobs will be created. In contrast, techno-dystopian commentators fear that a large proportion of jobs will be automated out of existence, and either not replaced at all or replaced with new jobs so slowly that there is widespread unemployment for a generation or more.

The ramifications of this trend are potentially massive for the mining industry. In many parts of the world mining is struggling to retain its social licence to operate, and the main argument advanced in favour of building a new mine is lots of well-paying jobs. If mines become mostly automated and managed remotely except for maintenance and management staff, why would local communities put up with the noise, toxic dust and risk to water and other natural resources a mine brings?

Deloitte’s report does not ignore this element and raises “concerns about companies’ social responsibility towards their existing workforce.

Traditional mining skills such as problem solving will remain hightly important, but today's mining professional needs to be digitally literate and able to think creatively.

Given the imperative of mining companies to work in harmony with local communities, the industry’s shift to the future of work will need to be measured. Rather than eliminating jobs wholesale, this will likely translate into concerted efforts to retrain people to use technology or redesign jobs to take better advantage of people’s existing human skills. To this end, mining companies should think through how to reskill and retrain people to learn technology and tools faster, and how to design the technology so it takes almost no training to use.”

As automation becomes the norm rather than the exception, mining organisations will be forced to redesign most, if not all, jobs in response. On mine sites manual workers will need to learn how to integrate technology into their job functions, while at the management level a new kind of mining professional is emerging in response to the convergence of IT and IoT. Traditional mining skills such as problem solving will remain highly important, but today’s mining professional needs to be digitally literate and able to think creatively.

Mining companies will also find themselves having to hire systems, software, robotic and mechatronic engineers as well as analysts who can glean meaningful insights from the tsunami of data these systems produce. These sorts of skills will be in high demand, and mining companies will need to compete against more attractive industries to attract and retain key talent.

To meet this challenge, miners will have to innovate and change their culture. As Deloitte puts it: “the future of work has arrived and companies that fail to embrace this disruptive opportunity could find themselves at a competitive disadvantage in today’s digital age.”

OCT/NOV 2018

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Agribusiness

Ian Lloyd Neubauer With nearly 20 years’ journalism experience, Ian is abreast of global news as it happens.

Oils ain’t oils WE DELVE INTO THE EXTRAORDINARY RISE OF THE AUSTRALIAN OLIVE AND OLIVE OIL INDUSTRY. Many stories have been told about the stellar success of the Australian wine industry – heretics of the New World who learned to make wine on par with those of European vintners with centuries of experience at their fingertips. Yet very little is known about the Australian olive oil industry and the extraordinary trajectory of its growth.

“I’m old enough to remember the first Australian wines and I remember those wines weren’t the best – but now our winemakers are employed in France. So we looked at the wine industry and saw the only way for Australian olive oil to become a heavyweight in the industry was to make a really pristine product and develop the world’s toughest standards for testing,” says Robert Armstrong of Alto Olives in the Abercrombie wilderness of NSW, one of hundreds of Australian farmers who in a single generation took a niche product sold at markets and fetes to supermarket shelves and restaurants all over the world.

“Australia didn’t just enter the olive oil trade,” observed judges at the New York International Olive Competition. “It reinvented it and sent shockwaves through the industry.”

From humble beginnings

Olive oil has been one of the pillars of the Mediterranean diet since the days of Ancient Greece and Rome, loved

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for its taste and lauded for its suspected health benefits, which are now proven by science. “Extra-virgin olive oil is the standout of all oils when it comes to effects on health and weight control,” says Dr Joanna McMillan, an Australian nutritionist and wellness expert. “There is a large body of evidence behind it.”

But most of the olive oil imported into Australia is no good. European producers keep the best stuff – “extravirgin” olive oil with a high pH and slight bitterness in the front end – for their own markets and export the dregs.

Stored in a shipping container for up to eight months and branded as “pure” and “extra light” olive oil, it is also devoid of polyphenols and antioxidants – the chemicals behind the health benefits – by the time it hits supermarket shelves.

In the late 1990s, hobby farmers started planting olives and pressing oil themselves. Consumers loved the taste, the freshness, and the fact it was Australian-made.

“But as the industry grew, margins became much tighter.

And when the Global Financial Crisis hit in 2009, a lot of groves were pulled out,” says Greg Seymour, CEO of the Australian Olive Association. “It kind of shook out all of those people who couldn’t survive. But it also saw reinvention and innovation.”

The Colossus

In 1997 Australia was producing 1,000 litres of olive oil per year – around five per cent of domestic consumption.

Today we produce 20,000 litres a year, 95 per cent of it extra-virgin, 60 per cent of which is sold domestically.

We are all consuming a lot more olive oil too – 45,000 litres a year infact – a result growers credit to an industrysponsored education campaign about the health benefits of extra-virgin. “There’s been a huge investment in the education of consumers on TV and at food shows,” says Armstrong. “People don’t automatically think Mediterranean olive oil is better anymore.”

The remaining 40 per cent of Australia’s olive oil is exported to North America and Asia. “Like most Australian food products, extra-virgin does well overseas because of our ‘clean, green’ image, highly regulated environment and ethical farming practices,” says Robert McGavin, CEO of Boundary Bend, the holding company behind Cobram Estate and Red Island olive oil brands, the biggest and most technologically advanced olive oil maker the country. Its people figured out how to extract 10 per cent more oil from a pressing than the Europeans and invented the Colossus, a 28-tonne, million-dollar mechanical olive harvester that’s the

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Did you know?

Extra-virgin olive oil is the world’s healthiest fat.

105 litres

Staff at the Sydney Opera House use about 105 litres of olive oil per year to protect its bronze railings.

industry benchmark. “We’re now taking our way of growing olives and making oil to California,” says McGavin. “We recently bought a mill and land over there, and our oil is now stocked in 4,000 stores.”

Boundary Bend produces about two-thirds of Australia’s olive oil but it’s not a monopolist. “Their attitude is very open, they run seminars all the time,” says Armstrong.

Adds McGavin: “Everywhere you go in the world olive oil is for sale at vastly different prices with different flavours and aromas. So I think there is space in the market for lots of small producers.”

Love for oil

To get into the olive oil business, there are far fewer barriers to entry and regulatory hurdles than in the wine industry. “You don't have to buy a Colossus, you can buy picking equipment that is small or work in groups with other farmers,” McGavin says. “And it’s a relatively simple process getting the oil out.”

Peter Eicher of Saluté Oliva in Victoria agrees. A retired dairy farmer who established an olive grove in 2000, Eicher and his family do everything in-house – from

processing to packaging, marketing and distributing. “Once you start putting these different businesses together, it becomes a very sustainable business,” he says.

Yet hobby farmers aren't so sure. “It’s hard work. We only break even,” says Rhoda Kriek of Anatinus Olives, a 400-tree grove in Victoria.

Guy Ward, a Sydney-based property manager who spends his weekends looking after Arkstone Olives, a 400-tree grove in the Southern Tablelands of NSW, voices similar sentiments. “It’s constant work pruning the trees and picking – you need a lot of people or heavy machinery,” he says.

“Just the press costs $50,000, and then you have to bottle it, design your labels and sell it. We make money but I wouldn’t say it’s profitable in small quantities.”

So why do it?

“Well, we love the area and take pride in making oil that’s as good as it can get, and has won awards all over the world,” Ward says. “We’ve got a good group of family and friends who help us pick the fruit at harvest time. I think that says a lot about how much people love making olive oil.”

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Loaders scales that increase productivity In the ever-changing marketplace, project managers need to ensure that they’re focused on generating the maximum productivity from their site and equipment. One way to do this is to ensure that all equipment is operating efficiently.

The Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale is an investment in productivity.

This loader scale from Position Partners has the adaptability to go on a range of heavy vehicles around your site, enabling you to keep your technology purchases to a minimum while still increasing your productivity.

In its basic form, the Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale is a tool to indicate the weight lifted by the loader and loaded into the truck, hopper, pile etc.

From there it evolves into a complete management tool with data storage, Wi-Fi and internet connections to send the captured data anywhere in the world.

The Loadmaster loader scale was the first loader scale in Australia to gain a pattern approval to allow it to be used for trade purposes. This loader scale can help project managers overcome the following challenges: • Load record keeping • ‘The Chain of Responsibility’

legislation • Under-utilisation of plant • Equipment matching for productivity.

The key benefits of the Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale are its ease of use and that it can be configured to be a basic scale or a fully featured load management recording tool. It’s also a key tool in the compliance of ‘The Chain of Responsibility’ legislation.

While the drivers and operators of heavy vehicles have been the focus of road laws, breaches are often caused by the actions of others.

The National Heavy Vehicle Regulator has introduced ‘The Chain of Responsibility’ legislation to ensure that anyone who has control over the transport task (not just the driver or operator of the heavy vehicle) can be held responsible for breaches of road laws and may be legally liable.

The Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale can work for you to ensure that you are not overloading your vehicles.

The Load Record Keeping feature of this loader scale means that you can keep track of all your loads within a certain time period. This data is then on hand if you need to prove that you have not overloaded a vehicle.

Position Partners Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale is adaptable enough

to be installed on a range of machines including front end loaders of any size, telescopic handlers, fork lifts and container lifters.

“We aim to make the integration between the Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scales and your machine as seamless as possible,” said Chris Nussey, RDS Business Development Manager, Position Partners.

“The Loadmaster is the best value for money loader scale on the market today. Along with increased logging ability of jobs – to be able to recall one particular truck load loaded in the past, say six months, to prove no overload, or just the weight loaded if an accident happened, is invaluable,” said Nussey.

The Loadmaster Alpha 100 loader scale has a range of stand-out features that set it apart from its competitors.

Its user interface is extremely straightforward which ensures that new users can be trained to use these loader scales in a very short amount of time. It also improves the efficiency of operators by removing manual inputs with GPS, barcode reader and RF tag reader. These attachments allow the operator to automatically select products, trucks and locations without touching the screen. An integrated reverse camera will improve safety on the site while improving efficiency.

“The Loadmaster also has the ability to be controlled from any computer in the world with an internet connection,” said Nussey.

The team at Position Partners recognises the important part they can play in ensuring the successful and efficient implementation of new technology on your site. “'Local’ support is critical and with Position Partners branches in each state, we are well positioned to assist,” said Nussey.

“We can supply after sales support and training packages depending on customers’ requirements. From basic telephone, on-site and remote internet to the Loadmaster, ongoing support and training is not far away.”

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Agribusiness

Agricultural shift Darren Baguley An agriculture, tech, mining, energy and business specialist writer.

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AUSTRALIAN FARMERS HAVE ALWAYS RISEN TO A CHALLENGE. AS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY FACE THE TOUGHEST DROUGHT CONDITIONS IN A CENTURY, INNOVATION TO SAFEGUARD THE FUTURE OF FARMING IS ALIVE AND KICKING. Australian farmers are an innovative crew: the stump-jump plough, the Sunshine combine harvester and the Harrington Seed Destructor are all Aussie inventions.

Today we are still among the most innovative farmers in the world. And now we are leveraging that ingenuity through the launch of the SproutX Accelerator program. Backed by $10 million in venture capital, SproutX is an agtech focused incubator that offers agtech start-ups support in

the form of $40,000 capital funding, mentoring, six months' office space, access to media and PR resources, and distribution opportunities via Ruralco and Findex.

Funding rounds for 2017 and 2018 have concluded with 19 start-ups securing funding, with a broad range of varied inventions. For example, FarmGate MSU aims to produce ethical branded paddock-to-plate meat by designing and building a “truly mobile, onfarm slaughtering service that incorporates the highest standards of animal welfare, state-ofthe-art processing methods and environmentally sustainable practices.”

IoTAg is developing a “smart cattle ear tag [that will] enable cattle farmers to track cattle over large distances, monitor for key breeding-related events, as well as alert them to illnesses and births.” Farmapp has developed an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) software-based service that can be used for broadacre crop, market gardens and greenhouse applications. The software includes a combination of scouting and fumigation apps with soil sensors and weather stations.

The Edible Bug Shop is Australia’s first farmer of edible insects. A world leader in insect protein farming techniques, it has developed a range of products including ants with dark chocolate and fingerlime and chilli-flavoured crickets. Platfarm combines normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) imagery from drones with satellite property maps in an app that enables tractor operators to vary inputs according to the needs of the plant.

AgMesh provides, designs and builds internet of things (IoT) sensors and hardware aimed at improving productivity and animal welfare. Its pilot product is the Smart Trough, a sensor that allows farmers to remotely monitor livestock trough water levels. It also includes an inbuilt RFID scanner to allow farmers to remotely

Agribusiness

Energy is a big cost for the agricultural sector, so it should not come as a surprise that Australian farmers are innovating in this area as well.

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Agribusiness

monitor their grazing animals using ear tags.

A more established example of Australian agricultural innovation is BlockGrain, a blockchain based logistics platform that connects farmers, grain brokers, trucking and logistics companies, agricultural input suppliers and customers such as grain buyers, food manufacturers, importers and exporters.

Put simply, BlockGrain allows farmers to sell product direct from on-farm storage systems to domestic or international buyers with end-toend visibility.

Using BlockGrain’s smartphone apps and web-based portal, producers can create an immutable blockchain record of the grain’s journey from paddock to plate. As a load is picked up and delivered to the end user along key nodes in the supply chain – farms , silos, trucks, delivery locations – data is collected and time-stamped at each point. BlockGrain records key commodity data such as the weight, type of product, the varieties, grades, specifications and inputs, and all parties are updated in realtime at each transaction point. As a result, both producers and end users improve productivity, increase visibility, automate freight orders and

eliminate manual paperwork. Because of the transparency and traceability of blockchain, farmers are more easily able to access bank finance and insurance. By using BlockGrain’s SEED token producers are also able to easily enter into forward contracts to hedge their risk.

Because BlockGrain provides a single, industry-wide system to track and manage the end-to-end supply chain, buyers and end users benefit from greatly improved data accuracy and completeness. If a product is found to be contaminated or any other product safety issue occurs, the affected products can be quickly identified and recalled. This greatly adds to consumer confidence in the integrity of Australia’s food production without disrupting the entire supply chain.

Energy is a big cost for the agricultural sector, so it should not come as a surprise that Australian farmers are innovating in this area as well. Nuffield scholar and fine-wool merino producer Michael Inwood, from near Bathurst in NSW, was frustrated by the lack of an electric tractor on the market – so he built his own. After converting a Mitsubishi Triton ute with a 150kW 500Nm Netgain Warp11 Series wound DC

Agribusiness

motor, Café Electric Z1K LV1000 amp, 156-volt controller and 45 x Thunder Sky TS-LFP200AHA 3.2-volt lithium-ion batteries, he can now work for three to four hours before needing to head back and recharge.

Electric vehicles are something the owners of off-grid Moores Hill winery in Sidmouth, Northern Tasmania, know all about. When building their new wine-making facilities they calculated going off grid would cost 20 per cent more than upgrading the site’s domestic power source to three-phase, but be far cheaper in the long run. So, after installing a 30-kilowatt solar array with 81 kilowatt hours of battery storage, they also put in an EV charging station.

This innovation has put the winery on the Tesla destination map, and it’s not unusual to see a sleek Model S charging while its owners do a tasting and a recharge of their own.

And it’s not just boutique vineyards that are embracing solar: one of Australia’s oldest wineries, Yalumba, has installed a 1.4 megawatt solar system – the largest at an Australian winery and one of the country’s biggest commercial installations. Consisting of 5,384 panels, the system is installed across three locations in the Barossa Valley: Angaston Winery, Oxford Landing Winery and the Yalumba Nursery.

Yalumba’s owners took advantage of AGL’s solar Smart Plan initiative, whereby the system was installed and is owned by AGL, while they purchase the power at a reduced rate for a defined period – also known as a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The system produces around 1,050 MWh of electricity per year, which has reduced the three sites’ energy consumption by 18 per cent annually.

With parts of Australia going through one of the most intense droughts in 100 years, farmers need to be innovative as well as resilient to survive and prosper. Whatever the technology, Australian farmers have shown there is no doubt they are up to the challenge.

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Infrastructure

Kirsten Craze Kirsten Craze is a freelance journalist who has been writing about property in Australia and overseas for more than 15 years.

Region to celebrate CITY LIVING IS NO LONGER THE HOTTEST TICKET IN TOWN, WITH AFFORDABLE HOMES AND LIFESTYLE BENEFITS DRAWING HOUSEHUNTERS OUT OF THE CAPITALS AND INTO THE REGIONS A sea change, tree change or push to the bush: whatever you call it, regional real estate is hot right now. At a time when many investors and first-home buyers are feeling priced out of Australia’s metropolitan centres, and even homeowners are second-guessing mammoth mortgages and long commute times, developers are reaping the rewards of regional growth.

Across the eastern states developers are building in the hope they will come – and they are.

Buyers’ agency group Propertyology has analysed ABS data that estimates around 20,000 people moved away from Sydney last year due to expensive housing and congestion.

The figures also showed that regional Australia’s population had increased by almost 78,000.

According to CoreLogic data, the best performing regional market in the year to April was Geelong in Victoria (up 9.8 per cent), while in NSW it was the Southern Highlands and

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Shoalhaven regions (up 9.2 per cent), the Central West, which includes Bathurst and Orange (up 7.3 per cent), and the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie area (up 7.1 per cent).

While such regional data does not differentiate between existing and newly built homes, anecdotal evidence shows developers are making a bee-line for these centres with property price potential.

Simon Pressley, managing director of research firm and buyer’s agency group Propertyology, said regional areas get forgotten in a sea of capital city data.

“That means there starts to be a misconception by the public about the regions. They’ve got this image that ‘regional’ means a mine or a vacant paddock with some cows in it. That describes some parts of regional Australia, but we feel there are between 30 and 40 regional cities that have all of the essential infrastructure a capital city has, it’s just on a smaller scale,” he said.

Infrastructure

THE DESIRE FOR A SEA CHANGE HAS LED MANY SYDNEYSIDERS T O C H E A P E R C O A S TA L T O W N S SUCH AS COFFS HARBOUR.

Fast facts

2.4%

Over the 12 months to April 2018, dwelling values across Australia’s combined regional markets increased by a modest 2.4 per cent, while values fell 0.3 per cent across the combined capital cities.

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There are 42 regional property markets outside of the capital cities. Of these, 25 have recorded an increase in dwelling values over the past year.

I M A G E S : D E S T I N AT I O N N S W

WAGGA WAGGA HAS BEEN A HIGH PERFORMING REGIONAL TOWN IN RECENT YEARS.

This shift of former city slickers looking further afield for their new dream lifestyle, coupled with an oversupply in Australia’s three biggest cities, has lead developers to look beyond the big smoke.

“Some developers are asking: ‘Where can we keep our workforce busy? Where can we make profits?’ And the big cities – and we’ve warned people about this for years – have gone through a residential construction boom which is a lot bigger than what we need. Many of our cities are at their tipping point now,” he said.

Pressley said developers building in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane are recognising that if they get something approved today, by the time construction is finished sales could be poor or prices could be weaker due to lack of demand.

“Some are moving outside their normal patch and developing in regional locations," he added.

New South Wales

GJ Gardner Homes has long been building across the state’s key regional areas as well as in the ACT. Right now they’re located in Tweed Heads, Tamworth, the Hunter Valley, Newcastle, Wagga Wagga and Albury.

“It’s no secret that Sydney residential property prices have had significant growth over the past few years. People are looking to the more affordable markets,” said business development manager Jason Allen. “Terry Ryder, the founder of hotspotting,com.au, states in his NSW report that regional NSW is number one in the nation for growth property markets.”

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Infrastructure

Allen said the key drivers for regional areas are strong population growth, affordability and lifestyle factors, low vacancy rates, government investment into infrastructure projects, and urban renewal.

“Affordability is driving population growth through migration into key regional centres and towns offering value for money and lifestyle options,” he said.

“House and land packages are a great way to secure a fixed price and a new low-maintenance home in a growing community. Building new homes creates jobs and supports population growth by providing affordable housing options for owners and investors,” he added.

Allen also said that solid government investment in an upand-coming regional hotspot is vital. “Good infrastructure and commercial development creates economic vibrancy in any local economy. We pride ourselves on being local builders, building for locals.”

Victoria

Metricon’s general manager for regional housing in Victoria, Phil Barrett, said that the group had just celebrated the construction of its 7,500th new home in regional Victoria.

“We have been building in the Albury/Wodonga,

IMAGE: VISIT VICTORIA

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Ballarat, Bendigo, Cowes, Geelong, Gippsland, Macedon, Shepparton and Warrnambool regions for over 14 years,” he said. “In that time the regional market has expanded dramatically.”

Barrett said the exponential growth came down to a number of factors on par with the rest of the country.

“Affordable housing, strong job prospects, access to health and education services, and of course an unbeatable lifestyle makes regional Victoria very attractive for tree changers, sea changers, commuters and investors,” he said, adding that regional househunters are looking for more bang for their buck.

“They can get a bigger home on a bigger block and can perhaps get some features that might be beyond them financially in a metropolitan setting. Geelong has been the big winner of price pressures in Melbourne, but suburbs of Ballarat are now starting to appeal to first-home buyers from Melbourne too,” he said.

The doubling of the First Home Owner Grant for regional Victoria, which allows eligible first-home buyers to access $20,000 when building new homes, makes it even more attractive for those trying to get their foot on the property ladder.

GEELONG IN VICTORIA HAS BENEFITTED FROM PRICE PRESSURES IN MELBOURNE.

AusBiz.

Infrastructure

O C E A N S I D E ( B I R T I N YA , S U N S H I N E C O A S T )

BY STOCKLAND QUEENSLAND.

Good infrastructure and commercial development creates economic vibrancy in any local economy.

“However, price is just one of the drivers, with elements such as strong local employment, good health and education facilities, a lack of traffic congestion, regular train services and upgraded highway links from the regions to Melbourne are also adding to the appeal,” Barrett said.

Queensland

David Laner, Stockland’s residential regional manager for Queensland, said the group has had a 40-year history of building on the Gold and Sunshine Coasts.

“But we have another significant development in what we consider to be the jewel of the north – a major masterplanned community in Townsville,” he said.

The 5,500-property estate will become home to almost 20,000 people and will include a town centre, business and industrial opportunities, an aged care facility and schools.

Stockland is known for operating on a large scale with its masterplanned communities, and Laner said the company does its homework before breaking ground on a new neighbourhood.

“Diversity of economy is an important factor for us.

Townsville, for instance, is a location that does have a really diverse economy with strong elements of state government administration, education facilities, defence, you can tap into the resource sector up there, have the health and tourism opportunities, plus there’s also the port and manufacturing industries. So in terms of regional cities outside of the Gold and Sunshine Coasts, Townsville is the next biggest diverse and robust economy, and that’s what gives us confidence to invest like we have,” he said.

Laner added that what gives confidence to their buyers is two-fold.

“Affordability plays heavily into the equation. The median house price in Brisbane at the moment is around $670,000. If you look at the Gold Coast that’s closer to $600,000, and on the Sunshine Coast that’s around $560,000 – but in Townsville it’s $305,000,” he said.

“So that’s a 50 per cent discount on Brisbane’s median house price. That affordability is also helped along when people have confidence in employment – if they can see a good, stable job and career growth. Then couple that with the lifestyle benefits that come with some of these regional areas and they become really attractive propositions.”

NORTH SHORE WILL BECOME A SUBURB IN ITS OWN R I G H T W I T H A R E TA I L P R E C I N C T, N I N E PA R K S , 3 0 0 H A O F B U S H L A N D , 9 K M O F WA L K I N G T R A I L S A N D T H R E E E D U C AT I O N FA C I L I T I E S .

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Man & Machine

Stiff competition FORGET WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT CONVERTIBLES, LAMBORGHINI’S CHEAPEST DROP TOP IS ACTUALLY ONE OF ITS BEST.

LAMBORGHINI HURACAN SPYDER LP580-2 SPECS • Engine: 5.2-litre V10 petrol • Transmission: dual clutch, seven speed • Power: 426kW • Torque: 540Nm • 0-100km/h: 3.6 seconds • Top speed: 325km/h • Price: $429,000

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Man & Machine

Fast fact The forged composite material used in the Huracan Spyder is the same product as found in the wings and fuselage of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Apparently Lambos really can fly…

The skateboarder’s brain is working overtime, navigating the tarmac, looking ahead, trying to account for tiny imperfections in the road. It tries to keep him going straight but a slight over correction of the board’s attitude with his feet requires another correction the other way. As the speed builds, these errors become larger and more pronounced. At around 40km/h it’s too much for the board, which shimmies itself into oblivion, and the skateboarder is launched into the air.

Plenty of skin has been lost over the years, embedded into the blacktop as these daredevils of the streets try to become more adept at keeping their feet planted and the board straight. Sad to say, speed wobbles aren’t fun for anyone.

There’s a similar shimmy that happens when makers of cars decide customers would benefit from an open-air experience. Like a shoebox without a lid, convertibles miss out on the bracing that having a roof brings. As a result any slight imperfection in the road sends a jolt through the cabin and the car twists slightly. It’s called “scuttle shake”, and anyone with an old Saab convertible will be able to tell you all about it. In some cars it’s so bad that the windscreen visibly wobbles.

It makes you wonder why Lamborghini would take its wonderful Huracan supercar and then chop the roof off. Sure, some people want to be seen in a drop top, but surely this is bad news for a vehicle that’s supposed to embody Italian racing passion. You’d be forgiven for thinking so – until you spent just five minutes behind the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracan Spyder LP580-2.

Overly wordy name aside, the convertible Huracan is actually one of its most impressive offerings. Part of that is down to its drive layout.

The Huracan hit the roads as an all-wheel drive machine initially,

but after the success of the rearwheel drive Gallardo, Lamborghini decided the Huracan needed the same treatment. The car went back to the drawing board to redesign everything from the steering through to the suspension. The weight distribution was also altered from a 43/57 per cent front/rear split, to a 40/60 front/rear balance. Doing this allows more traction from the rear wheels on take-off, as well as giving a sharper turn-in. The suspension has been slightly softened, allowing for more weight transfer and promoting more progressive movements at the limit.

And while softening the suspension would normally reduce the dreaded scuttle shake, the Huracan Spyder’s design means the suspension was only altered to improve the drive experience.

The Spyder’s body is so stiff that nothing else was needed to stop those infamous speed wobbles.

Lots of aluminium, plenty of carbonfibre, forged composites and clever bracing through the chassis has created a convertible supercar that doesn’t flex or twist, and is able to hold up to the rigours of Australia’s rubbish roads. Well, until you come across a kerb that’s a little too chunky. Then you can just press a button and the nose will lift enough to stop it scraping. A small price to pay for the wedge-like design.

Open the doors (which open normally, unlike the Aventador’s scissor doors) and you’re greeted with a cabin that looks exactly like you’d expect a Lambo would. Black leather, yellow stitching, the “raging bull” emblem emblazoned on the headrests, and a fighter-jet start button, replete with flip-up cover just like a missile launcher.

There are more air force touches, too, with toggle switches across the centre stack, and a digital instrument panel that looks reminiscent of an F-22’s head-up display. The

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Man & Machine

steering-wheel mounted indicators are annoying, especially on roundabouts, and having to press the nose-up button every 10 minutes around town is also infuriating. The storage is woeful, and there’s only one space under the “bonnet”, which will only take a small bag if you’re lucky. But these are small prices to pay for what is surely the most engaging drop top you can buy.

It’s not a high-tech, smooth, quiet machine that embodies 21st century tech. Rather it recalls racing cars of yesteryear, having stiff springs, heavy shunts from the gearbox in Corsa (or race) mode, and an engine that sings a raucous metallic note. It howls to the heavens with a classic V10 timbre, creating a symphonic beat that makes your spine tingle and your mind forget that CO² emissions are actually a bad thing. And then there’s a wonderful

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crackle on the overrun which will annoy the hell out of your neighbours. Which is why you’ll do it again, and again.

It can be civilised, especially in Strada (street) mode, where it feels less urgent, a little quieter, and the gearbox shifts smoother. There’s even a stop-start mode to save some fuel.

But where the Huracan Spyder really shines is when you point it toward your favourite string of corners.

There are seemingly endless levels of grip, and freeing up the front wheels to just deal with steering has also basically eliminated understeer, allowing for much later braking into corners and the ability to carry more speed throughout the apex. It never feels like it will bite you, and there’s always the stability control to rein things in if you’re getting too out of shape.

The weighting of the steering will

put a smile on your face, with none of the artificial feedback so many vehicles today suffer from. It turns into the corners sharply, and the brakes feel progressive enough to keep you from getting into trouble. That said, the steel discs can fade when they’re really, really hot. Carbon ceramics, therefore, could be a wise option for track use.

The Huracan Spyder is definitely a heart car, not a head car. It speaks to your soul as it launches down the road, hitting the national limit in under four seconds. The sound of its naturally aspirated V10 is now a rare joy, with almost every supercar maker turning to forced induction. And its cutting-edge styling is admired universally.

Let’s be honest here: no one really needs a $429,000 Lamborghini. But if it saves you from getting the speed wobbles, who are we to argue?

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WIN! chiloé - ocio territorial hotel

A 10-day trip through Chile and Peru, worth $20,000 One thing is for sure — prizes like this don’t come about every day!

We want to get to know you a little more, so that we can create the kind of content that you love. To do this, we are giving away the trip of a lifetime in South America. Fill out the survey here or visit www.nomade.com.au/ultimatechileperu to enter online.

sacred valley peru explora valle sagrado

santiago - luciano k hotel

Terms & Conditions: by clicking ENTER THE COMPETITION you accept to be contacted by Nomade Unique Experiences South America & Publishing by Chelle for this and future travel opportunities and news. To win the “Ultimate Chile Peru Experience” you must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident 18 years of age or older. Hotels stays and tour bookings are valid between May and September 2019 (blackout dates: June and July 2019), hotel bookings at explora Valle Sagrado, Luciano K Hotel and OCIO Territorial Hotel are subject to availability in standard room categories. AIRLINE TICKETS CONDITIONS: Valid for travelling between May & September 2019 in economy (‘O’) class, from Sydney. Blackout periods may apply. This prize ticket must be taken as offered and cannot be sold, bartered or exchanged for cash. Once the ticket is issued changes are not permitted. Tickets are non-transferable.

In the event of a no-show, tickets may not be changed or reissued. Bookings to be held and confirmed by the airline. Flights must be requested, at most, 90 days prior to departure and at least, 45 days prior to departure. Tickets are subject to availability. AIRPORT TAXES and processing fees are the responsibility of the winners. Arranging travel dates with Nomade Unique Experiences South America is the responsibility of the winners. Winners will be announced by Nomade Unique Experiences South America at www.nomade.com.au and its facebook page

by November 30th 2018. Travel arrangements such as passports, visas, meals and transfers not included in the prize, and any special conditions are the responsibility of the winners.

WIN!

a $20,000 trip in Chile and Peru

Publishing ByChelle and Nomade Unique Experiences South America are giving you the chance to win a 10-day journey through Chile and Peru. Simply fill out this survey and you will automatically be entered to win the trip of a lifetime.

Name: Email Address: Postcode: Gender Male Female Other Age Group: Under 21 21-35 36-45 46-55 55-65 65+ What is your income bracket?

Less than $50,000 Between $50,000 and $90,000 Between $90,000 and $130,000 More than $130,000 Please tick the category which relates to your current circumstances: Young single Young couple Young parent Mid-life families (aged 40 and up) Mid-life households (aged 40 and up) Older households (aged 55 and upwards) When on a flight, do you…

Read the inflight magazine always / sometimes / never Read your own material eg: book, device etc. always / sometimes / never Work on a laptop or iPad always / sometimes / never Listen to your own music on a device always / sometimes / never Sleep always / sometimes / never Chat to other passengers always / sometimes / never

Do you ever take the inflight magazine home with you?

Always Sometimes Never In an inflight magazine, which categories would you be most interested to read about?

Business topics and interviews Travel destination stories Philanthropy and social conscience/ethical pieces Lifestyle (food, wine, fashion, bars, restaurants etc.)

Celebrity interviews and profiles Arts and culture How many times do you travel a year for business: 0-6 6-12 More than once a month How many times a year do you travel for leisure: 0-6 6-12 More than once a month Are you planning a holiday in the next 12 months within Australia?

Yes No Are you planning a holiday in the next 12 months overseas?

Yes No How much do you usually spend on a leisure holiday?

Less than $2,000 Less than $5,000 Between $5,000 and $10,000 More than $10,000 How often do you make luxury purchases Every week Every month Every few months Once or twice a year OCT/NOV 2018

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santiago

chiloé

What styles of Australian leisure holidays interest you Tick any that are applicable

Beach Health and wellness Sport/action/adventure Art and cultural Gourmet food and wine Family Outback Nature and wilderness

Do you own your own home (including having an existing mortgage on the property)?

Yes No Which state do you live in?

NSW VIC Qld Tas ACT NT WA SA

sacred valley Which of these airlines do you regularly fly on?

Rex Alliance Airnorth Other (please specify) How did you come across this survey?

On Rex On Alliance On Airnorth Facebook Instagram Nomade.com.au Somewhere else (please specify)

Are you planning a holiday to South America in the next 12 months?

Yes No Are you familiar with these destinations in SA? Sacred Valley in Peru Chiloe in Chile Santiago in Chile

Do you live in a regional or metropolitan area?

Regional Metropolitan Do you own or have a business interest in rural, regional or outback Australia?

Business in rural Australia Business in regional Australia Business in Outback Australia Would you be open to receiving emailed newsletters from AusBIZ about travel and business stories, and special offers?

Yes No

32 TrueBlue

Please visit www.nomade.com.au/ultimatechileperu if you would prefer to enter online. If you have completed this survey please send to: Publishing ByChelle Suite 2, Level 8, 100 Walker Street, North Sydney, NSW 2060

The Aboriginal Artists Project combines the fashion accessory designs of Catherine Manuell with the artworks of many wonderful women artists from remote Australian communities. Shown here is the Bush Yams artwork by Evelyn Pultara from the Utopia region of Central Australia. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of these products goes directly to the artists.

Call us on 03 9486 4066 for help or a little personal service, or email: info@catherinemanuelldesign.com

www.catherinemanuelldesign.com

K9 Sport Sack Australia The original dog carrier backpack that is safe, comfortable, easy and fun.

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Supporting Rural Australia With our growing number of rural assistance focused programs, we’ve got your back rural Australia!

niche programs, big hearts

ruralaid.org.au | 1300 327 624 DONATE OR GET INVOLVED TODAY

Education Special Feature

Global citizens

Stuartholme School is a Catholic, independent day and boarding school for girls in Years 7 to 12. With a focus on the individual, Stuartholme promotes an education that stimulates creative learning and leadership, enabling every girl to reach her full potential.

For boarders, Stuartholme is their ‘home away from home’.

Built at the base of Mt Coot-tha, only 6km from Brisbane’s CBD, Stuartholme is close to everything yet provides the girls with a quiet, safe environment where they can live and learn.

As a progressive international Sacred Heart School, Stuartholme School is committed to educating the whole person. Their rigorous academic program together with a supportive learning environment teaches resilience and self-value where every student feels confident in her ability to contribute to a global society.

Stuartholme is small enough for each student to be personally known, yet large enough to offer an extensive, ever-changing and dynamic range of opportunities. The School’s long tradition of academic excellence reflects the dedication and hard work of their teachers and students.

To find out how your daughter will belong at Stuartholme School visit stuartholme.com

St Ann’s College Inspiration Through Learning

Accepting applications for 2019 www.stannscollege.edu.au

St Ann’s University Residential College Affiliated with The University of Adelaide University of South Australia Flinders University

187 Brougham Place, North Adelaide SA 5006 (08) 8267 1478 info@stannscollege.edu.au

Education Special Feature

SAMUEL ARTHURSON.

Transforming school leavers into young professionals St Ann's University Residential College provides accommodation in a safe, inspiring environment where opportunities for education are promoted. Students from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to contribute to a happy social atmosphere in which academic excellence, development of judgement, personal responsibility and consideration for others are high priorities. The notfor-profit college is proudly culturally diverse, tolerant, welcoming and non-denominational.

The college is part of an international community inspired to excellence through learning, where students’ safety and security are top priorities.

St Ann’s prides itself on its academic results with 95 per cent of subjects passed with the help of 56 academic tutors.

Ten residential tutors provide academic and social leadership, as well as pastoral care to our students.

Practical academic help is also available to students including tutoring, mentoring, academic monitoring, project materials and a library.

All rooms at the college are single and air conditioned, and more than 60 per cent of our rooms come with an ensuite bathroom. From the kitchen, fresh, nutritious and tasty meals are tailored to students’ requirements.

A new ‘Enterprise Deck’ is specially designed to encourage collaborative study, learning and innovation with free and unlimited WiFi throughout the college.

Well-maintained gardens of lawns, trees and flowers are designed to assist with student wellbeing.

The minimum stay for the academic year is 30 weeks — meaning fees are 25 per cent less than anywhere else. All students are subsidised and applications are handled on a

‘first-come, first-served’ basis.

Like one big family, the college fosters friendships between students for support and inspiration, as well as arranging many social and sporting activities with leadership opportunities available at many levels.

Samuel Arthurson from the Barossa Valley completed his third year of civil and structural engineering at the University of Adelaide.

“In early 2015, I was both nervous and excited for the transition from high school to university,” recalls Samuel.

“Reflecting upon my tertiary education thus far, I can wholeheartedly say that residing at St Ann’s College was the greatest decision I have made to support me in this change.

“I still remember my first days living at college, where I was quite sick. The amount of care and support that so many new faces provided truly was wonderful, and since then living at St Ann’s has been eye-opening, exciting and naturally comfortable. It has provided ample opportunities that have enabled me to further develop my leadership and interpersonal skills. As someone who takes my education quite seriously, St Ann’s sustains my motivation and aspirations to strive for high academic success.

“More importantly, the greatest thing about college is that after the first week, you can sit back, reflect and realise that in the short space of just seven days, you feel more than welcome into the ‘Ann’s Family’, having made more than 100 friends who all come from different walks of life. Personally I know that I have made some of my lifelong best friends here, and for that I am eternally grateful.”

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BOARDING YEARS 5-12 “We knew that Nudgee College could provide so many more opportunities. Not just in normal everyday education, but in a way that would expose Tom to new challenges, that could help him to grow into a young man who will leave an indelible footprint on his surrounding world.” - Boarding parent

www.nudgee.com 2199 Sandgate Road, Boondall, QLD 4034 Australia Tel: 07 3865 0555 Email: enrolments@nudgee.com CRICOS Provider No. 00572G

Education Special Feature

The Nudgee College Veggie Garden Project Environmental sustainability has been the focus of St Joseph’s Nudgee College’s strategic vision — a vision that has seeped into the day-to-day lives of students with the creation of the Nudgee Veggie Garden.

Year 11 Longreach Boarder Kobie Smith is at the forefront of this project, after developing the concept on the back of an assignment he completed in Year 9.

“We were asked to come up with ways to make Nudgee College a more sustainable place,” he said.

“We discussed different ideas, but the common suggestion that kept popping up was developing a vegetable garden for boarders.”

From this start, Kobie took action and approached a teacher to try to get this initiative off the ground.

“I still clearly remember sitting in Mr Toovey’s office for the very first time, trying to get my message across of how the garden could be a place of encouragement, happiness, passion and, overall, a place where we can give back to others in a different way.”

After the plan was approved, the next step was building the foundations for the garden. This involved pulling apart old lockers, to be used as garden beds, and wheelbarrowing mountains of gravel and soil to the garden’s location at the back of the campus.

Kobie praised the efforts of the boarders who put in many weekend hours on the job.

“This could not have been possible without the help and support of the boarders who spent many Saturdays and Sundays helping out,” he said.

“This project has been in full swing for an entire semester, and there has not been a day where we have had to go searching for students to come and take part.”

Kobie credits fellow boarder Sigi Beschel, particularly, as being a great support since the project’s inception.

“Sigi has been involved since day one, has given advice when I needed it and helped when final decisions needed to be made,” he said.

From planting the first seed, to harvesting the first crop and then expanding the planting spaces, Kobie said the initiative has had countless rewards.

Looking to the future, Kobie said the goal of the Nudgee Veggie Garden is to go beyond serving the College, and eventually make an impact on the wider community.

“Our hope is to supply fresh fruit and vegetables on a

weekly basis to Third Space, an organisation that cooks food and caters for those who are less fortunate,” he said.

“To do this, many boarders are coming together every second afternoon to tend to the garden.”

The students have already delivered produce to Third Space on several occasions.

“It is something that not only examines the environment on a broader scale, but it also integrates into our social justice programs that focus on us as a Nudgee College community giving back to our brothers and sisters in the wider community,” Kobie said.

With the addition of a greenhouse, as well as new seeds being planted all the time, the Nudgee Veggie Garden project is continually expanding and adding to the culture of sustainability at the College.

OCT/NOV 2018

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Puzzles

CROSSWORD

A L O A C C P I E Z C C L

C E U L C E E C L A E A U

E T O K F E A C L E P L P

N T R A C T R P R A C P O

H R C A S S E A L E W A P

S E P U S R K A T W A O F

E S R O H E C A R E Q M I

S C F L J E C A L K C E N

SOLUTIONS:

N T R A C T R P R A C P O

H R C A S S E A L E W A P

S E P U S R K A T W A O F

E S R O H E C A R E Q M I

S C F L J E C A L K C E N

AusBiz.

E T O K F E A C L E P L P

REPLACE SPACE TYPEFACE

C E U L C E E C L A E A U

LACERATE MENACE NECKLACE PALACE PLACEMAT

A L O A C C P I E Z C C L

CARAPACE COALFACE CRUSTACEAN FACE CLOTH FACE CREAM

L E L W A E F Y D A A E A

T C L F A T C J T A N M C

O A C O A L F A C E E A E

O R E C A N R U F W M T P

L E L W A E F Y D A A E A

POPULACE RACEHORSE

B B P N C A R A P A C E Q

T C L F A T C J T A N M C

FACE-LIFT FURNACE

Find all the words listed hidden in the grid of letters. They can be found in straight lines up, down, forwards, backwards or even diagonally. Theme: ACE WORDS

O A C O A L F A C E E A E

BOOTLACE BRACELET

WORD SEARCH

O R E C A N R U F W M T P

40

DOWN 1. Renew membership of 2. Beer colour 3. In advance 4. Feed from breast 5. Water scooter (3,3) 6. N American tribe 10. Edge of hat 11. Great Lake 12. Animal physician 13. Humans, ... sapiens 14. Castro’s land 15. Eases off 16. Back of eye 17. Recaps (4,2) 18. Large property 19. Adder 20. Imprisoned

B B P N C A R A P A C E Q

ACROSS 1. Child absconders 5. Indonesian isle 7. Post of doorway 8. And so forth (2,6) 9. Congenital 12. Mode of transport 15. Seat divider 19. Lyrics 21. Makes shipshape (6,2) 22. Carnival 23. Lengthy story 24. Eden

94 pts

96 pts

94 pts

94 pts

95 pts

95 pts

PLANTAGENET RIESLING 2013 HOUSE OF PLANTAGENET ‘ANGEVIN’ RIESLING 2017 THREE LIONS RIESLING 2017 HOUSE OF PLANTAGENET ‘YORK’ CHARDONNAY 2017 HOUSE OF PLANTAGENET ‘LANCASTER’ SHIRAZ 2015 PLANTAGENET SHIRAZ 2013 HOUSE OF PLANTAGENET ‘NORMAND’ PINOT NOIR 2017 THREE LIONS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2017 THREE LIONS SHIRAZ 2015

96 95 94 94 94 95 92 91 90

points points points points points points points points points

Environment ISO 14001

Quality ISO 9001