Business News June 2013

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ISSUE 219 JUNE 2013

What the Frac?

The future of Victoria’s gas supply

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ISSUE 219 JUNE 2013

VIEW ONLINE AT: www.biznewsmag.com.au

FEATURES 12. Governance for NFPs 16. What the Frac?

24. Professionals In Their Field

CONTENTS 4. Editor 5. Biz News 9. Comment 10. New Appointments 14. The Dream Roll 22. VECCI 23. Comment 27. Legal 28. Recruitment 29. Tax 30. Legal 31. Australian Masters Games 32. Rotary 33. Tech Guy 36. Arts

16. What’s the Fraccing Story?

38. Community 42. After Hours 46. What’s On

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BUSINESS NEWS | 3

EDITOR

DON’T PANIC!

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hould we be issuing emergency towels, with ‘DON”T PANIC!’ printed in large red type? Do we need to fly ‘DON’T PANIC!’ flags from the city’s flagpoles? Is this the final death knell of manufacturing in Geelong?

that are being developed – and, in the case of the carbon wheel project, being commercially established right now - through Deakin.

Think of the hundreds of local Ford workers that have already faced retrenchment. In most cases, they have taken the opportunity to retrain, reskill and find new career pathways. A good friend is now a train driver with Metro and describes it as the best job he or anyone else he knows has ever had. I know many more who are now working in health, in disability support, in aged care, even in child care – all of which are skills shortage areas.

While I can’t imagine anyone about town who doesn’t feel for everyone associated with Ford in Geelong, with a three-year window to work with, solid government support and an excellent record of these highly skilled workers finding So yes, Ford will be shutting new jobs, there is little it’s doors in October of 2016, need to start distributing and yes, Shell and Alcoa face emergency towels and issuing evacuation orders. uncertain futures. But while The sky isn’t falling and the city is not about to become a wasteland of indigent unemployed former Ford workers standing around fires burning in old oil drums in the streets.

these big companies attract big attention, it is the smaller, smarter, more innovative, more demand-driven companies that are quietly creating a new future for the city.

Most businesses have already moved on, and for those that haven’t, they have a three-year transition period before them in which to come to grips with their future.

Jobs will be lost. New jobs will be created.More than anything else, Victoria’s future prosperity lies within the skills and the willingness to adapt of its people. And the state in general, and Geelong in particular, will continue to manufacture and to export. Think of the opportunities of carbon fibre manufacturing

future for the city.

ISSUE 219 JUNE 2013 BUSINESS NEWS, an Adcell Group publication, is mailed to more than 6000 businesses across Geelong, Ballarat and Werribee.

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So yes, Ford will be shutting it’s doors in October of 2016, and yes, Shell and Alcoa face uncertain futures. But while these big companies attract big attention, it is the smaller, smarter, more innovative, more demanddriven companies that are quietly creating a new

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Which is why perhaps the biggest threat from the Ford announcement lies in its potential to destabilise local confidence.

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“ G w t G l t I

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BIZ NEWS

The good, the bad and the future

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hile the focus of local manufacturing interest has rightly been on Ford and the closure of its Geelong and Broadmeadows manufacturing operations in three-years’ time, there are also good news stories from within the sector, and we will be doing our best to bring some of those to you as well.

For example, City of Greater Geelong Mayor, Cr Keith Fagg, last month welcomed the announcement of State Government funding of $215,000 to assist Geelong firm, Farm Foods Retail Services, to expand its operations in Breakwater.

“Government support to help Geelong industry is always welcome and today I’m pleased to acknowledge the State Government’s contribution to local business Farm Foods through the Greater Geelong Industry Fund.

many important industry sectors,” Cr Fagg said.

“Geelong has a long history in manufacturing. I think it is very important that we retain and build on our ability to make things – it’s important not just for local jobs, but for Australia’s long term trade interests.

“Local enterprises that show an ongoing commitment to invest in Geelong such as Farm Foods should be encouraged through whatever means are available to them,” he said.

“The Farm Foods grant is the second allocation to Geelong from the State Government’s Greater Geelong Industry Fund – the first allocation being $180,000 to IXL Metal Castings in April.”

In response to the announcement of Ford’s impending closure, Cr Fagg said all tiers of government needed to play a role in supporting the industrial sector.

“We’ve had experience of how well-placed funding support can assist when Ford closed its engine plant in Geelong some five years ago. At the time the state and federal government, along with Ford, worked together to develop the Geelong Investment Fund.

“The Geelong Investment Fund turned a $20 million outlay into more than 1000 jobs new jobs in Geelong.

State and Federal funding support for Greater Geelong is an investment in the future of Victoria and Australia

“This grant will be combined with funds from the firm on a two-to-one basis, to enable the purchase of new equipment, which will provide more jobs. This is good news.

“State and Federal funding support for Greater Geelong is an investment in the future of Victoria and Australia; we are a key population growth area and we have demonstrated capacity in

“The Ford closure is clearly significant news but it is not devastating for Geelong as a whole - we have proven our resilience and resourcefulness in the past and will continue to grow as an economy and a city.

“Geelong’s economy is much more diverse now than in the era when manufacturing was our mainstay. Geelong’s manufacturing tradition has given us the springboard to branch out into advanced manufacturing including the production of carbon fibre products,” said Cr Fagg. “We do not want to lose the skills for which our city is renowned.

BUSINESS NEWS | 5

BIZ NEWS

NGOs could safeguard Bangladesh factories Workers’ safety in Bangladesh could be improved if western retailers use NGOs to report on conditions, says outsourcing expert Professor Michael Mol from Warwick Business School in the UK.

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uropean retailers, including Marks and Spencer and Hennes and Mauritz, signed an accord to improve safety conditions in factories in Bangladesh after a factory collapsed, killing more than 1,100 people.

Professor Mol says there is no way back for the garment industry, and expects them to carry on outsourcing to countries like Bangladesh, but he believes they can and should do more to help improve working conditions.

“Incidents like this one are of course completely unacceptable. One way out of this situation might be to give independent monitors, like NGOs, full access to assess the working conditions in these factories and to allow them to report this. But it is unclear whether such openness is on the agenda for these companies.

“I believe these companies will continue to outsource activities to Bangladesh and similar countries, so managers must develop ways to deal with these problems.

“This type of outsourcing is still very much driven by the desire to reduce the costs of producing garments. The minimum wage in Bangladesh is $38 a month and

Waurn Ponds expansion commences

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customers all want cheap clothing.

But western companies continuously underestimate the total costs of outsourcing activities, especially to countries like Bangladesh,” Professor Mol said.

he $65 million expansion of the Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre in Geelong, which will create a regional shopping centre with 35,000m² of retail space as well as offices and services, has commenced.

“We have seen other instances of this in the past with Nike and IKEA. There are hidden costs to outsourcing - in this case damage to their reputation - that companies fail to understand and predict. At some point they end up just having to trust whoever they are doing business with.

A further 21,000m2 will be added to the existing shopping centre as part of the expansion, the majority of which has already been taken up by major retailers including Coles and Kmart, who join current retailers Target, Priceline, Reading Cinemas and Woolworths.

“From an ethical point of view that is simply not good enough, because the people they trust may have other motives and they might not all have the same ethical standards that western customers want from their retailers.

“The complexities of their supply chains mean it is impossible to directly manage conditions at all these different suppliers, as Walmart from the United States has promised to do. And even if they could do it, this would raise the costs so much that outsourcing looks a lot less attractive – it reintroduces all the bureaucracy they tried to get rid of when they outsourced activities in the first place. This is why NGOs could be part of the solution.”

The expansion is being undertaken as part of a joint venture between Australian Unity Investment’s (AUI) Retail Property Fund and Coles Group Property Developments Limited.

Peter Lambden, AUI’s head of property and asset management, said the expanded shopping centre has been designed for, and will be well-positioned to, respond to the needs of the growing population of Greater Geelong, which is forecast to grow by 35 per cent, reaching 298,000 in 2031*.

“The expansion will also provide an additional 700 free car parking spaces, which our research has shown is a key attraction for shoppers,” Mr Lambden said.

Phase one of construction, which would see Coles and Kmart open for trading is expected to be completed by mid-2014.

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BIZ NEWS Some of the country’s leading businesses are well aware of the benefits of ‘green breaks’ and are incorporating green spaces into their offices. For example, the 2011 property development of Commonwealth Bank Place in Sydney included a rooftop community garden.

Beat the daily grind It seems that around three-quarters of Australians would prefer to head outside for a fresh air break over a cuppa to boost their work performance.

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utdoor products manufacturer, The Husqvarna Group, recently released the Global Green Space Report 2013, studying the relationship of people from nine countries, including Australia, with green spaces.

Heading to a nearby park should be easy for most. The average time to the closest accessible green space in Australia is just 9 minutes, making it a viable option for an outdoor trip without travel eating into the 1-hour lunch break. The global average time to a park was 15 minutes, making Australia the leader when it comes to access to parks, forests or bushland; Australia is closely followed by Canada (10 minutes), France and Sweden (13 minutes), Germany (16 minutes), Poland (17 minutes), Russia (19 minutes) and China (22 minutes).

According to the report, over 85 per cent of Australians consider access to green spaces - such as a park, forest or bush - as a human right. Over 50 per cent believe in the The average time to the closest positive impact of green spaces on the accessible green space in quality of life and 47 per cent contribute Australia is just 9 minutes a boost in their workplace performance to the availability of a nearby park.

Taking a stroll (57%) was a popular alternative to the daily cup of coffee (31%). And for those who couldn’t get outside during the work day, they said just having more plants at work would assist work performance. Coffee only beat having a pet at work (18%) and the completely indecisive (8%).

Mr. Clark believes a combination of both could be the magic formula to injecting the much-needed 3pm hit of energy.

“The Global Green Space Report has proven we love the outdoors, even during our work day. In addition to investing in that shiny new espresso machine, employers should be encouraging their workers to leave their desks and get outside every once in a while – take away coffee in a recyclable cup in tow.”

And we all know taking a daily stroll is good for our health, it could also improve our bank balance. Bypassing the local café for a walk in the fresh air would save the daily takeaway coffee drinker around $550 each year, maybe even more for those who like to upside their caffeine hit.

Stephen Clark, General Manager of Product Marketing at Husqvarna Group, said, “The report found that heading outdoors is recognised by many to boost work performance, over and above a cup of coffee. Contact with green spaces is believed to aid concentration, while at the same time relieving stress and anxiety. It is something that employees and work places are starting to realise to a greater extent.”

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BIZ NEWS

Back to Small Business In 2013 the City of Greater Geelong will lead the third Geelong Small Business Festival. The Geelong Festival is part of the broader and highly successful Victoria’s Small Business Festival.

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he Mayor of the City of Greater Geelong, Cr Keith Fagg, said, “The Festival acknowledges the importance of the small business sector to our local economy. Over 95% of businesses in the region are small to medium enterprises.

“The Festival runs throughout August and provides local business owners, employees and those seeking to start a business, the opportunity to access a range of technical information and expertise,” said Mayor Fagg.

There are over 40 information sessions, seminars and events on offer during the Festival at no cost or minimal cost. Event topics include social media and marketing, recruiting and retaining staff, leadership, buying and selling a business, how to develop and grow your business. There are also plenty of opportunities to network with other small business operators.

This year the Festival’s feature events include, “The Art of Attraction” (1st August), hosted by the City, featuring business coach and author, Jennifer Harwood; “From Passion to Profit” (2nd August), a one day conference hosted the Geelong Chamber of Commerce and “Tech Trends” (28th August) part of the Festival’s regional series, hosted by Small Business Victoria.

“The festival would not be possible without the support of the Victorian Government through Small Business Victoria and all the Festival Hosts who have agreed to run events this year, many of them small businesses themselves,” said the Mayor.

“I hope small business operators will take advantage of the tremendous opportunities on offer during the month of August,” Mayor Fagg added.

For more information, visit www.geelongaustralia.com.au

A little birdie told us…

Sarah Czarnuch was spotted at Thomas Jewellers trying on diamonds in preparation of choosing what she’ll wear for the 2013 Miss Universe Australia contest in July. Sarah wore Thomas Jewellers diamonds for the State heat last month, which won her through to the national finals.

“It was so amazing to put on these exquisite diamonds when everyone else was wearing costume jewellery!” she said.

Good luck, Sarah!

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COMMENT

Time to abolish awards The ghosts of Work Choices still haunt the Coalition on industrial relations policy. The Coalition’s recent labour market reform policy was timid and politically driven: It addressed issues of union accountability and corruption, while failing to make significant inroads to prominent flexibility concerns.

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ustralia’s outdated and onerous award system is at the heart of the issues confronting the labour market.

Awards were the centrepiece of Australia’s industrial relations system and the bedrock of the Aussie ‘fair go’ in the 20th century. But in today’s modern, competitive market, awards are burdensome, restrictive, and redundant; they are the relics of a Byzantine IR system and ought to be abolished in favour of a simple minimum standard for all employees.

Awards set minimum pay and working conditions on an industrywide basis. There are layers upon layers of minimum wages, restrictions on working hours, penalty and overtime rates, and other allowances and conditions.

It is possible to achieve greater labour market flexibility, create more jobs, and ensure employees retain acceptable minimum standards.

The Fair Work Act introduced a comprehensive set of statutory entitlements available to all employees. This safety net, made There have been reforms to the award system. Most recently, up of a federal minimum wage and 10 National Employment Labor’s Fair Work reforms simplified and reduced the number Standards, is one of the most generous among the world’s of awards down from 3,715 state and richest countries. In 2011, Australia’s federal awards to 122 modern awards. federal minimum wage represented There are layers upon layers of minimum This was a positive step, but minimum 54% of the median wage and ranked wages, restrictions on working hours, wages and conditions (particularly fifth highest among OECD nations. penalty and overtime rates, and other penalty rates) have increased Australia’s annual leave and holiday allowances and conditions. significantly in the new awards. Small entitlements also compare favourably businesses in particular have borne against other wealthy nations. the brunt of these cost hikes.

It is high time we abolished the award system in favour of a single Award wages, and particularly penalty rates, have become a standard for all employees. significant cost hurdle and barrier to employment. Businesses Alexander Philipatos is a Policy Analyst at the Centre for in the retail and hospitality sectors are increasingly shutting their Independent Studies and author of “Relics of a Byzantine IR doors on weekends and public holidays, because they cannot System: Why Awards Should Be Abolished”. afford to pay the exorbitant wage costs mandated in awards.

When firms close their doors nobody wins – employers lose business, workers lose jobs, and consumers cannot access services.

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NEW APPOINTMENTS DENTIST Dr Jodie Eales has recently opened her own dental practice with Dr Ed Houghton - Pakington Dental Care in Newtown. Jodie brings with her over 10 years of experience and performs all aspects of general dentistry. She especially enjoys treating families and providing children with positive dental experiences. She has a preventative and conservative approach to dental care.

DENTIST Dr Ed Houghton has recently opened his own dental practice - Pakington Dental Care in Newtown, alongside Dr Jodie Eales. Ed moved from the UK two years ago with his family and lives locally. He believes prevention is better than cure and encourages children to attend from a young age. Ed enjoys all aspects of dentistry, particularly cosmetic dentistry and endodontics.

CIVIL CONSTRUCTION John Holmes is the Director and owner of Aus Pits, a custom pre-cast manufacturing company. John recently stood down from his Managing Director role to allow young talent to develop within the company. With his extensive industry know how John is now a crucial component of the Aus Pits Advisory Board.

MEDICAL Dermal Clinician. Fiona Condon has been part of the Cosmetic Refinement Clinic team for over seven years.

Fiona has just completed her degree in Dermal Therapies at Victoria University. Fiona works closely with Plastic Surgeon, Ms Niamh Corduff, and the clinic team to provide the best possible results for our clients.

REAL ESTATE Scott Roncon is a wellestablished professional in Geelong real estate. A family background in property development and real estate sales have given Scott a great insight into the local market. He now brings his fresh outlook and innovative approach to Buxton Real Estate.

Are you with us?

Real Estate Mergim Ibrahimi is an experienced agent who is highly skilled in relationship building and negotiation.

He brings these attributes to Buxton Real Estate along with the pride he takes in his professional approach to real estate, that makes him a successful, sought after agent.

Morris Finance are offering a *2013 Geelong Cats 11 Home Game Membership for every new finance facility settled before June 30th, 2013. You will also go in the draw to win a Geelong Cats Guernsey signed by Morris Finance Sports Ambassador Billie Smedts.

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GET ON BOARD NOW - CALL (03) 5223 3453 10 | BUSINESS NEWS

NEW APPOINTMENTS FINANCE Morris Finance Ltd is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Hickey as our new Credit Control Manager. Chris brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to his role after a 15 year career in the banking and finance sector and has become an integral part of the team at Morris Finance.

HEALTH Australian Skin Face Body welcomes Desi Harris to their team as Operations Manager.

Desi brings 35 years of experience in the medical industry. With her energy and passion, Desi believes in creating an environment where clients are relaxed and fully supported during surgery and treatments.

TRAINING Helen Dunne is the new Head of Hairdressing & Beauty Therapy at Diversitat Training.

Helen who has worked in the industry for the past 30 years, owned her first salon at the age of 21 and later worked with renowned hairstylist Edward Beale. She is also an experienced industry awards judge and trainer.

EMPLOYMENT Carly Grandy worked in Government Employment Services for 10 years before taking the role of Operations Manager with AGB Group of companies’ new recruitment arm, Elementary Employment Services. Carly is extremely passionate about helping people change their lives for the better and helping employers find the right staff.

SALES Megan Hand has come on board with the AGB group of companies in an entry-level sales position for Moolap’s Transport and Logistics centre.

Megan successfully completed VCE in 2011 and went on to work in administration and sales in the trade industry prior to taking on this fresh and exciting role with AGB.

EMPLOYMENT Ron Kenyon comes to AGB Group with extensive experience across a range of sectors. A national buyer for Target, West Victorian Manager at Brambles Victoria, General Manager at Clothes Scene, and TAFE sector teacher both in Australia and China, Ron has also had a strong involvement in crisis counselling.

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BUSINESS NEWS | 11

FEATURE

To steer or to row: governance in the not-for-profit sector

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Governance expert and founding principal of the SED Consulting Group, Mark Schultz, says the not-for-profit sector is suffering from a lack of understanding of the responsibilities and duties of board members.

overnance has hardly been a byword of the not-forprofit sector – or, indeed the for-profit and sporting sectors – in Australia in decades past. But, with nowhere to hide when it comes to modern compliance regulations, good governance is something that all board members, including voluntary board members, need to both understand and practice.

“Governance has become a key priority for organisations in the not-for-profit sector over the past ten years at least, just for them to remain viable and sustainable,” Mark said.

“Without someone setting that direction and driving it, and holding people accountable, not-for-profit boards can confuse the difference between operational issues and strategic issues.

That is really because of their nature; and that’s not making a comment about the value of their services, because their service is extraordinarily valuable in the community.”

Mark uses the analogy of the difference rowing and steering on a boat. He explains that if you’re a rower, you just need to be told what to do, so that you get on and do it; but unless you have

12 | BUSINESS NEWS

someone steering the boat, you could end up anywhere, you could go around in circles, you could run aground.

“Generally, people in not-for-profit organisations are very good at rowing; but you really do need someone who will take responsibility for the direction of the organisation, and who holds the organisation accountable. That’s where boards step in and governance principles step in,” Mark said.

“We’ve moved to being a very litigious society, where someone wants to sue someone else as soon as something goes wrong.

Board members are exposed to potential litigation - and particularly so if there is debt involved – if they don’t understand what their responsibilities are and comply with those duties and responsibilities. That makes it tough for volunteers.”

Mark says that governance is a key issue for any organisation, but the ramifications of poor governance within the not-forprofit sector has far-reaching consequences, as not-for-profit organisations take on societies toughest challenges. When you are in the business of addressing poverty, mental health services, training for disadvantage youth or homelessness, it is unlikely

FEATURE you will have access to capital markets to grow your business; and there are limited resources to drive high performance within the organisation.

“We had two high profile cases last year. One was Mowbray College in Melton, where the organisation basically went into administration, and even the administrator said the College was governed by well-intentioned people, but people who ultimately didn’t have the capability to manage the organisation. The other big one was MLC, and they got it really wrong in terms of managing their stakeholders.

“In today’s environment, we are seeing [governance issues] in footy and rugby clubs. The Chairs of sporting clubs are coming out and saying poor governance is creating these issues.

“People just don’t understand what good governance is. Not because they are not capable of understanding, but because no one has sat down and said, ‘You’ve put your hand up, now here are your responsibilities and this is what you’ve got to do. If you don’t want to comply with that, don’t put your hand up.’”

with diversity; there’s nothing better for an organisation to have that. These people are often very good at steering, which encompasses strategic planning, risk management, performance management and compliance. Those are the toughest things to do. It’s much easier to row the boat than to steer it. When you’re steering, you have to look at all the analysis; when you’re rowing, all you have to do is row.”

Just as for commercial businesses, when it comes to not-forprofit community boards, if you’re going to steer successfully, you have to be able to look around corners; and the very best helms people all have that ability.

“That requires somebody who sits above the organisation, who is not in the day-to-day running of it. It’s the difference between leadership and management. It can be easy to get bogged down in the management side of things; but if you’re not doing keeping up with the governance component of the role, the future direction component “We’ve seen the carnage that comes of it, you can end up anywhere. from poorly governed organisations, and

there’s just too much of it. Generally, it’s the stakeholders who lose out.”

Populating volunteer positions on boards throughout Victoria, and throughout the nation, are people who have been successful in their own business or working lives, and who are, in most cases, intelligent, committed individuals with highly valuable skills and experience.

We have regulatory systems that require a complex range of duties and compliances from board members, but we do not have any requirement for board members to be trained to carry out those duties competently. We hold them to account for failing to understand their responsibilities, yet they rarely have those responsibilities fully explained to them before they take them on. “[People volunteering for board positions] tend to think that because they are good at what they do, they should be a good governor; and invariably they are, once they’ve gone through some type of professional development around what governance is about,” Mark said.

“There’s nothing better than a skills-based board, and a board

“We’ve seen the carnage that comes from poorly governed organisations, and there’s just too much of it.

Generally, it’s the stakeholders who lose out. When Mowbray College closed down, all the kids had to go somewhere else. When not-for-profit organisations fall over, programs get lost or are never delivered. Ultimately, the result of poorly governed organisations is not only a cost to the individual board member – because they will suffer if an organisation falls over – but generally, it’s the recipients of that organisation that really suffers.”

Not-for-profit organisations and community service providers are a vital and valued part of local communities. When not-for-profit organisations fail, we all lose.

Mark Schultz is a Ballarat-based governance expert. His latest book, “Good Governance Good Business” provides practical advice on implementing good compliance practices within the not-for-profit and the for-profit sectors. He is a governance training provider and author of the Governance Today blog at www.governancetoday.com.au

Davina Montgomery

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THE DREAM ROLL

Battle of the Ashes Richard Colman is a World and Paralympic Champion, a constant traveller, motivational speaker and enthusiastic blogger. He originally wrote the following piece for his blog page, The Dream Roll, and we thought it was so interesting that it was only right to share it with you all, as well.

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he everyday life of an elite athlete is full on, not just with training, but with all the other small tasks that need to be done.

I woke early this Tuesday morning, as I needed every waking minute to try and get through as much as possible. As for a lot of people, my first task is to check emails and social media. As soon as I opened each account I was bombarded with messages asking if I was ok, if I was safe and was I in Boston?

Fortunately for me, I had to race the Australian national championships in Sydney the same weekend as the Boston Marathon. I knew something terrible had occurred during the race, and when I turned on the TV, it became clear just how serious it was. My thoughts immediately turned to my fellow Australians at the race and all the wheelchair athletes. Boston is one of the most famous marathons and it always draws a top field of the best wheelchair athletes.

As I began to pack for my afternoon flight to London for the coming Sunday’s London Marathon, more information came to light and word spread that all wheelchair athletes were safe back at the hotel. My thoughts turned to how this would impact on London. Would it still go ahead? Would athletes pull out? I had no intention of doing that, so I began the long journey from Geelong to London.

This year, I decided to head to London a day earlier than normal. After only a 28-hour journey (via Dubai) I arrived at the hotel just under two hours earlier than most of the athletes who had raced Boston. It’s great to see so many of the best wheelchair athletes back in London for the first time since the amazing Paralympic games last year.

After an early night, I’m up early on race day to start the caffeine and energy drink intake. London is a later start, so we meet in the lobby at 6.30am - much better than the 4am departure at the LA Marathon. The bus ride to the race is always a quiet trip. Once at the athlete tent, everyone goes about their own business and preparation; slowly more and more athletes warm

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up. I felt great during this period and grew in confidence that I could achieve my goals for the race. As the athletes gathered at the start, tensions grew. While sitting waiting on the start not much is said, just the good luck to athletes next to you.

As the gun went the heart rate spikes as we sprint off the line, quickly forming a huge lead pack. The crazy moment of the race - which has been given plenty of air time - came at the 15km mark. As the lead pack of 15 wheelchair athletes started to pass the elite female runners, we were traveling up the left side of the road, while they were on the right. At the moment we crossed, one of the runners turned left, going through her pack and through the middle of ours, which caused chaos with chairs going so fast. She collided with two chairs, who crashed into the drinks stands; the rest of the female pack got spooked and scattered all over the road, causing lots of trouble for us to try and avoid.

The pack split, with those affected and those who had already passed by the runners. Once we regrouped I never felt fully fresh again. I stayed with the lead pack until cramp and fatigue set in at the 28km mark. I pushed the rest of the race alone, missing the cut off time for world championships in July by 44 seconds... The battle for the win continued ahead of me, ending in a spectacular sprint finish. Eight athletes came around the corner together with GB Paralympic hero, David Weir, leading the sprint before Aussie champ, Kurt Fearnley, put on an amazing turn of speed to burst from the pack and claim the win by a front wheel from Marcel Hug of Switzerland.

So, the first battle of the year in this Double Ashes year goes to Australia; but there’s many more battles to come in this great sporting rivalry between our two countries, and I hope after all is done that the Aussies will prevail.

RICHARD COLMAN World and Paralympic Champion Geelong www.colman.com.au

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COVER STORY

What the Frac?

W

hen it comes to energy and resources, Victoria is facing both literally and figuratively burning issues. More than 90 per cent of our electricity is produced from brown coal. In an increasingly sustainability-conscious world, this is unsustainable. We have an opportunity to join the dash for gas that has both revolutionised the energy market in the United States and done some rather nice things for the otherwise struggling economy. But that would mean lifting the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, otherwise known as fraccing – or fracking, depending on your preference (we use the industry spelling here, although even that isn’t globally consistent). In fact, consistency is hard to come by when it comes to the issue of fraccing. The potential economic windfalls promised by the unconventional gas industry are tempting. After all, this could be Victoria’s chance to join the next resources boom. Even Gina is getting on board. But there are equally serious environmental and health concerns around the process, which is why there was a freeze imposed upon it in the first place.

Unlike other parts of the country, and other parts of the world, that have charged headlong and unprepared into the natural gas race, here in Victoria, we have a window of opportunity to gather the data, and to properly do the scientific research, that would ultimately answer the question of ‘What the frac would lifting the moratorium on fraccing mean for Victoria?’

A

s I sit here putting the final touches on this story, State and Territory Energy Ministers are continuing to discuss whether they will support the national framework for coal seam gas regulation.

Effective regulation of coal seam gas mining is an important step in Australia. We have all heard the real life horror stories of poorly regulated and poorly managed coal seam gas operations in America.

Here in Australia, the rapid development of coal seam gas operations in New South Wales and Queensland has seen the industry surge ahead, while questions of regulation are still being asked.

Having put in place a moratorium on the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing (fraccing) used to extract coal seam gas and other unconventional gases, Victoria has largely sat apart from the mining and resources boom. The decision on the national framework for coal seam gas is not a proxy vote for lifting Victoria’s moratorium on fraccing. But there are rumblings that with gas prices set to soar, and increasing pressure on the State to promote jobs-rich industries, the State Government may move to lift the moratorium as a means of driving gas prices down and lifting economic growth.

T

he Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources, Nicholas Kotsiras, says the decision to retain or lift the moratorium on hydraulic fracturing will be made following, but independently of, the Victorian Government’s decision on the proposed national framework for coal seam gas regulation.

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“The Victorian Government announced changes to the regulation of coal seam gas in August last year, to provide greater certainty for regional communities in the lead up to the preparation of a National Harmonised Framework for Coal Seam Gas,” the Minister said. “These included a hold on approvals to undertake hydraulic fracturing and a hold on the issuing of new exploration licenses for coal seam gas.

“Exploration for coal seam gas in Victoria is at a very early stage. There is currently no coal seam gas production in Victoria and no hydraulic fracturing works approved.”

In a country where resources giants dominate the sector, much of the debate around fraccing in Victoria is centred on a small Melbourne-based resources company, Lakes Oil. Lakes Oil may be a mining minnow, but it is also the oldest Australian oil and gas explorer still operating in the country, and this company’s operations around the coastal hamlet of Seaspray in Gippsland have attracted plenty of attention.

Managing Director of Lakes Oil, Robert Annells, has been a vocal proponent of developing Victoria’s unconventional gas resources and firmly believes it is a question of when, not if, the moratorium on fraccing will be lifted and his company commences fraccing for gas. But he is not a lone believer. In January this year, the world’s richest woman, Gina Reinhart, took up an 18.6 per cent stake in the company, at a cost of $4.25 million. It seems Australia’s queen of mining also sees a future gas boom in Victoria.

If the moratorium on fraccing is lifted, expect to see fraccing operations extending across much of the state – including throughout the Otway region.

COVER STORY “So far, this has been confined to the Gippsland area, but there’s every reason to believe that the Otway – from Geelong to the South Australian border – will be very prospective for tight gas fraccing,” Mr Annells said.

“Geologically, we’ve got a few permits over on your side of the Bay. We’ve already drilled one well down there about nine months ago – we didn’t frac it – but it proved to us that the gas is present in what we call ‘tight reservoirs’.”

The reservoirs that we are talking about here bear no resemblance to deep, dark caves or misty underground lakes.

There are multiple layers of sandstone, rock and gravel – a geological trifle of god-like proportions – that can either firmly enclose gas and water; or, if the material is porous, allow water and/or gases to flow through.

Not only does this type of mining require huge amounts of water during the fraccing process, it also operates through two water tables. The first of these is generally found 50 to 100 metres below the surface, and it is these sub-surface aquifers that feeds river systems and from which farmers draw irrigation water. The other, which carries brackish water with a high salt and mineral content, is generally larger and much, much deeper. In Gippsland the deeper aquifer is many times bigger than the shallower water table. It is also where the coal that is at the heart of the gas mining debate in Gippsland is located.

That, says Rob Annells, is the major source of friction in the fraccing debate.

“I believe we’ve been innocently caught up in it, but that’s just my opinion. Our gas is below the coal and well, well, well below both aquifers. “[Lakes] are not talking about the coal seam gas that the moratorium was brought on. In the document that the Government issued in August last year, it didn’t mention unconventional or tight gas anywhere. It only talked about CSG and fraccing for CSG, but that encompassed us as well.”

farmland inundated with salt water and concerns around the leaking of toxic chemicals. It has left a legacy of clear lessons to be learnt.

But much has changed in the US gas industry in recent years.

The evidence of those early, disastrously poor practices, in places like Powder River Basin in Wyoming, has led to vastly improved processes and the strong message to anywhere considering this type of gas mining – go slowly, work collaboratively, establish solid processes and monitoring, and above all, get the science done to do it right in the first place.

Mr Kotsiras said the Victorian Government is taking the time to get the regulations right to ensure the oversight of onshore gas remains strong and continues to protect the environment and agricultural industries.

“As part of the National Partnership Agreement on coal seam gas, the Commonwealth will carry out a bio-regional assessment of the Gippsland Basin to improve the scientific understanding of potential impacts of coal seam gas and large scale coal mining in Gippsland,” he said.

Victoria has been granted $10 million from the Commonwealth to carry out further studies on the potential impact of mining operations on water systems.

“To my knowledge, nobody has tried to get gas out of a coal bed in this state – to date,” Mr Annells said. “[Lakes Oil] are the only ones who have done any fraccing in our unconventional oil wells.

“What we’re doing is tight gas, which is found in a sandstone.

Sandstone is like a cement brick, it can be quite porous if it hasn’t got a lot of cement in it, or if it’s got a lot of cement in it, it’s clearly not very porous. We’ve got sandstone that’s quite tight (nonporous) because it’s been buried “So far, this has been confined to the Gippsland area, but there’s every reason deeply and has had a lot of pressure on it. The gas in there is bound and to believe that the Otway – from Geelong can’t get out of the pores in the rock.

to the South Australian border – will be very prospective for tight gas fraccing.”

Is tight gas versus coal seam gas simply a clever game of semantics, or is there a genuine difference? Well, the answer depends on whom you ask. “[Coal seam gas] is extracted by drilling into coal beds and either fraccing the coal to free the gas that’s in the coal, and/ or, just sucking the gas from the coal. Sometimes they don’t frac it at all, they just pump the water out of the coal, and that can release the gas out of the coal. That’s what you do to extract with coal bed methane; one of those two processes,” Mr Annells said.

One of the issues with coal seam gas mining in the U.S. in particular, but also in Queensland and New South Wales in Australia, is that the cheapest and easiest way to release the gas from the coal bed is to run vertical fractures with many more holes than horizontal fraccing. This makes a chimney of sorts, that has not only funnels up the gas, but also funnels up the highly saline water and the chemicals used in the fraccing process, through the precious potable water table.

Google coal seam gas mining in America and you will be inundated with stories of land rendered useless for cropping after being inundated with the salty wastewater of the mining process, water supplies decimated, even methane exploding in the basements of houses – and legal battle, after legal battle, played out in courts and through worldwide media.

Much of the CSG production in America has been happening in communities where farmers have worked side by side with the oil industry for decades, but in the early days of the dash for gas, poor processes and even poorer regulation saw

“Typically, we might naturally get a flow of 50,000 or 100,000 cubic feet of gas a day out of our sandstone. In other parts of Australia or the world, that figure might be several million cubic feet. So we’ve got to increase those 100,000 cubic feet to several million cubic feet, and we do that by fraccing the rock.

“We drill down to where the gas is. We put a steel casing down, and we pump cement up on the outside of the casing.

So you’ve got cement all the way to the surface, between the casing and the formation - and the water table – and, in our case, we’ve got three more lots of steel and three more lots of concrete between the well bore and the water table up the top. That’s to protect the water table and it’s just sound engineering.

“That’s at 600-metres; when we get to where the action is, at 1500 or 2000-metres, we select the area that we want to frac, and we make small holes in the casing at that particular depth.

We then pump water and liquid nitrogen down the well bore under huge pressure, so it’s got nowhere to go but out of those small holes in the side of the casing.

“The pressure forces the water out of those holes and it cracks the rock horizontally. Those horizontal cracks form highways for the gas to flow into the well bore. It increases your gathering system from a four or six-inch pipe to several hundred feet, or in some cases, several hundred metres,” Mr Annells said.

“This has been going on for a hundred years, but the technology has improved in recent years. Some people believe, and I certainly believe, it’s been one of the big factors in getting the United States economy going again.”

BUSINESS NEWS | 17

COVER STORY

INDUSTRY SAYS: While applauding the announcement made last month by the Federal Government of a study into the domestic gas market, Australian Industry Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, warns that it is urgent that all levels of government work to ensure that, at a minimum, natural gas can be sustainably produced and sold in a transparent market.

“For some time, Ai Group has been highlighting the risks to domestic gas users posed by the large scale export of gas from Eastern Australia. As we indicated in a study we released in 2012, Large scale export of East Coast Australia natural gas: unintended consequences, major sections of industry are facing critical gas supply difficulties and Australian gas customers are facing very steep rises in gas prices.

“For many years Australian industry has benefited from the availability of competitively priced energy. However, in the past decade or so, this source of advantage has been eroded, as energy prices have risen very rapidly. The removal of this source of cost advantage has come on top of the strong Australian dollar and the rise in our relative unit labour costs, and is a central feature in our current status as a highcost economy.

“While the study proceeds there is much to be done.

Wholesale gas prices are doubling, supply is already squeezed and much gas development has stalled in response to community fears about fraccing.”

MEDICAL SECTOR SAYS: The Australian Medical Association is also calling on all Australian governments, to ensure that all coal seam gas mining proposals in Australia are subject to rigorous and independent health risk assessments before they are allowed to proceed.

The United States has gone from being an importer to being an exporter of LNG. One of the effects of the shale gas boom over there has been the collapse of the gas price, because America has gone from having a shortage to having a surplus of gas. As a business case, it is a simple matter of supply and demand, and that is the argument being had now in Australia.

In Australia, the gas market is separated into an Eastern Australian market and a Western Australian market. In West Australia, gas prices are significantly higher than here in Victoria, because that market is linked to an export market through the North West Shelf. Here in Victoria, Henry Bolte stitched up a very clever 30-year deal that has kept prices low. But once the Gladstone LNG export project gets underway, there are widely held concerns that overwhelming demand for LNG from Asia will raise gas prices here.

“Unfortunately, the moratorium that the [Victorian] Government has in place is playing into the hands of a gas shortage situation, stimulating it, rather than chopping it off like is happening everywhere else in the world,” Mr Annells said. “From an economic point of view, it’s very wrong. You can make your own judgment on the environmental argument; that’s a different argument.”

Peter Voser, CEO of Royal Dutch Shell plc. describes the “natural gas revolution” as the most significant energy development in decades.

“It’s no coincidence that this year Shell expects to produce more natural gas than oil for the first time in its history,” Voser said at the 25th World Gas Conference in Kuala Lumpur last year.

Voser acknowledged the need for improved regulation, warning that the [energy and resources] industry in general needs to do a better job of listening and responding to [environmental and community] concerns. “… To meet the rising global demand for energy in the decades to come, the world must expand all available sources of energy.

The natural gas revolution offers the best, most promising opportunity we have today to make substantial, immediate progress toward a more sustainable energy supply.

Gas is the fuel for development. Its supply is diverse, secure and abundant. Generating electricity from gas requires low capital investment, and its flexibility makes it the natural ally to renewables like solar and wind.”

AMA President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said that governments must strengthen the assessment and monitoring of the health impacts of coal seam gas developments in Australia.

Mr Kotsiras said that Victorian Government is focused on delivering the safe, reliable and affordable energy supplies that this State needs into the future to keep its economy strong.”

“Despite the rapid expansion of CSG developments, the health impacts have not been adequately researched, and effective regulations that protect public health are not in place,” Dr Hambleton said.

“The Government recognises that rising energy costs are putting pressure on households and businesses and we are taking action on a number of fronts to do all we can to ease these pressures.

“There is a lack of information on the chemicals used and wastes produced, insufficient data on cumulative health impacts, and a lack of comprehensive environmental monitoring and health impact assessments.

“We have changed the law to close a loophole, which would have cost Victorians up to $94 million in additional electricity supply charges, and delivered electricity distribution businesses a huge windfall gain.

“The assessment of the health impacts of CSG developments needs to strengthened and made consistent across all jurisdictions. The regulation of CSG varies between the States, with standards for health regulation ranging from a degree of consideration to apparent disregard.”

“Closing this loophole means businesses will face appropriate revenue cuts for not meeting their reliability performance targets and should protect Victorian households and families from increases in regulated electricity charges of up to $13.50 in 2013.

Dr Hambleton said the AMA welcomes the current move by the Commonwealth to strengthen environment protection laws relating to the impacts of CSG projects on water resources, but warned that this must be supported with national standards and safeguards for health.

18 | BUSINESS NEWS

“The Victorian Government has also been driving reforms of the regulatory regime that we believe will benefit consumers, including pushing for changes to the appeals framework for network businesses, which we believe has been working against the interests of consumers.”

The Minister said, in response to our questions, that the Government recognises the challenge many of Australia’s States

COVER STORY and Territories face to secure the gas resources they need for the future. This, he said, is why the gas market taskforce was established in December last year. The taskforce was put in place to provide policy options focused on improving the operation and efficiency of the east coast gas market.

“There will be a particular focus on market transparency and transmission capability, and on ways to increase gas supplies in the short to medium-term,” he said.

But the business case for any developing industry is never as simple as bowing to the pressures of supply and demand, and costs don’t always have a dollar value.

Dr Marion Carey says the Victorian Government needs to think very carefully about both the potential costs to the health and wellbeing of people living in areas targeted for fraccing, and the potential costs to the environment.

Dr Carey is a Public Health Physician, specialising in Environmental Health. She is the VicHealth Senior Research Fellow at the Monash Sustainability Institute, and is an oftenquoted member of Doctors for the Environment Australia.

She says that when it comes to the question of fraccing, Victoria has the benefit of learning from the experiences of our next door neighbours (i.e. New South Wales) and our friends far, far away in the United States.

“There are some examples from other parts of Australia, but with New South Wales, for example, they had a moratorium on fraccing, but when they lifted it, it was basically open slather.

have to keep fraccing more and more wells to produce the supply.

“Once you set up the infrastructure – the pipelines and the ports and everything – you have to keep feeding that from somewhere. If you think about it, it’s logical that if your wells fall off fairly quickly, then you need to have more and more and more wells.

“In the Australian Senate Inquiry, they were talking about the industry really only producing for about 20 years, but it’s what sort of legacy that you leave. And if there are problems that [arise from the gas mining] down the track, will the companies still be around to be accountable or will the taxpayers be left to deal with the issues? Those are the sorts of things that we should be thinking about.”

Dr Carey said that while even environmentalists were excited early on about the possibility of trading coal-fired power for gas-fired power as a means of greatly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, questions are now being raised about the amount of methane leaked across the whole of the lifecycle of natural gas production.

“The industry often quotes the comparison between burning gas and burning coal in a power station, but we really have to look at the whole lifecycle – how it’s produced, how it’s trapped, how it’s liquefied, how it’s transported and all the rest of it. There have been a couple of papers that have come out and said that if there is more than 2 to 4 per cent emission rate for that process then it’s actually no better than coal, and it could be worse.

“There is no requirement for companies

“More information is coming out “They had a multi-party New to disclose to the regulator what that future emissions from the South Wales Government Inquiry chemicals they are using, even though [gas] industry [may be] much into the whole issue of coal seam the Chemical Regulator is supposed greater than we thought. In fact, the gas, which I actually attended Federal Government is now moving and gave evidence at. They to assess chemicals that go into the to take submissions to look at prepared a report from that, environment for the Australian people.” greater greenhouse gas accounting which basically said there should from the industry.” be a moratorium on fraccing until the safety of the chemicals Dr Carey says the limited scientific used had been assessed. reporting that has focused on unconventional gas mining in What happened was that the New South Wales Government the United States has raised significant concerns around the completely ignored that and went ahead anyway. environmental impacts of developing unconventional gas resources.

“There was a huge public backlash; primarily, I think, because there were attempts to mine in very highly populated areas.

Take, for example, this message from Professor Robert That got a lot of people involved in the issue, which put a lot of Howarth from Cornell University, who published a study in pressure on politicians.

2011 (with Renee Santoro and Tony Ingraffea) that challenged the assumption that shale gas has a low greenhouse gas “They then turned around and produced some guidelines for footprint: restriction, which is a big step forward; but there is already some watering down those restrictions by giving options at the “... Both the National Academy of Sciences and the Council of local government level for the regulations to be opted out of in Scientific Society Presidents have urged great caution before certain conditions. proceeding with the development of diffuse natural gas from shale formations using unconventional technology.”

“It’s a real yes and no situation, and it hasn’t been approached in any sort of systematic or rational fashion. The problem is Dr Carey said both the industry and governments have failed that there hasn’t been much requirement to actually collect the to provide balanced advice on the issue of fraccing and data, which would inform the debate.” unconventional gas mining.

And therein lies the real issue that confounds this debate.

“For instance, we know that almost none of the chemicals used There are both vocal proponents and vocal opponents to in fraccing have been assessed by our National Chemical the practice of hydraulic fracturing in Australia and around Regulator. There is no requirement for companies to disclose the world. What we don’t have is the scientific research that to the regulator what chemicals they are using, even though would clarify the risks and potential future impacts around the chemical regulator is supposed to assess chemicals that the practice; and if those risks and potential future impacts go into the environment for the Australian people. [Oil and gas are deemed to be acceptable, then to establish best-practice companies] hide behind commercial in confidence, and when protocols, regulations and monitoring systems. they do tell people publically what they may be using, it might not be the complete list.” “[Onshore gas mining] is a sort of smash and grab industry.

I don’t think many people realise just how short-term it is.

What happens when they frac a well is that they get a certain amount of flow, but then the flow drops off over time, and they Davina Montgomery

BUSINESS NEWS | 19

TUCKERS

Advertising Feature

Main: Ross Allen with Tuckers’ 1960 Ford Galaxy Hearse.

Insert: Ross Allen with Trevor Cole (Geelong Echo 1983).

Ross Allen – celebrating 40 years of service Ross Allen is a very well-known man throughout the Greater Geelong region, and for good reason. Ross has continuously served the families of Geelong with Tuckers Funeral & Bereavement Service for the past 40 years. Since 1973, Ross has guided and supported many families whilst representing them with absolute integrity, respect and discretion.

When talking to Ross you hear stories of a man who has given his time to serving others, regarding every family he meets as a privilege. His constant professionalism is admired by all.

How did you come to start working at Tuckers?

Working as a licensed grocer, I managed a mixed business with my father for over 15 years. After a few years of my father having health problems, we decided to sell the business. That is when Trevor Cole, suggested that I work with his family at Tuckers.

Originally I scoffed at the idea of working in the funeral industry, but as you can see it was a well suited opportunity as I am still at Tuckers today.

What do you think has changed the most in the funeral industry over the past 40 years?

The increase in rules and regulations. There have been so many changes over the years whether it be privacy issues, OH&S, health regulations, - it seems

20 | BUSINESS NEWS

nowadays there is so much information that needs to be collected for different agencies and organisations.

Seeing the need for prearranged funerals has also been interesting. The willingness of people to discuss their funeral wishes and options and then to make their decisions has grown rapidly.

Technology has also played a large part in the way we do business, I remember back in the day we would hand type Death and Funeral notices and then have to hand deliver them to the local paper – what a big change to now being able to submit notices online.

40 years is a lifetime of service, what is your secret to success/longevity?

We are dealing with people at a vulnerable and challenging

time, I believe that being non-judgmental and allowing families to find harmony when making decisions together are very important. I aspire to give the best advice I can without imposing myself onto others.

I would also not have been able to manage my role without the support from my loving wife Margaret and her ability to raise our 4 children with me in and out of the house at all hours of the day and night at times this could be quite demanding.

What other activities do you do outside of Tuckers?

I have been actively involved in Church Leadership for over 45 years and a working member of Rotary for 35 years, being president in 1984 with an honor of being recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow. Other passions I have include local football

where I was the junior football coach and administrator for many years and local cricket for 30 years with much time as the captain coach and admistrator in the local district competition.

Do you have any tips/advice for the younger generation of Funeral Directors?

I believe that a genuine concern and compassion for people are such important qualities, but most importantly, be attentive to families and their needs – it doesn’t matter how busy you are or what else may be happening, when working with a family give them you undivided attention.

Get to know the names of all people you meet with and use their correct names throughout all of your dealings with families. I think it can be extremely difficult, but it is tremendously rewarding.

TUCKERS

Advertising Feature

Industry Leader Tuckers Funeral & Bereavement Service The company’s history dates back to the 1890’s and over the years Tuckers has grown from a small father and son operation into a company that now employs over 38 local staff.

Any organisation that has lasted for more than 100 years has achieved so much and Tuckers is no exception.

Using their diverse ability to provide products and services for a culturally diverse community Tuckers have evolved as an industry leader.

FORESIGHT Tuckers ability to adapt to a changing world has allowed them to grow alongside their community, providing a service that in some ways is entirely different from the early 1900’s.

Many years ago funerals were held in a parlour at someone’s house and everyone attending wore black. Today, funerals are a public event bringing together a mixture of memories and reflections that personalise the celebration of life.

“With one eye on tradition, we focus on the continued

improvement and innovation of Funeral Services for the families we serve” says General Manager Mark Osborne. In the late 70’s Tuckers introduced Bereavement and Aftercare Services. As an extension of the service they already provided, bereavement care was a much needed service for the community as it is today.

In more recent years technology has played a major part in the development of service delivery. Tuckers utilise technology in a way that separates them from

the crowd – personalised print production, audio visual tributes, online memorials, etc.

In 2011 Tuckers introduced Funeral Webcasting to Geelong which has also been positively received by the community. “Today, we share the same innovative spirit of our founders, ensuring care and quality inspires every funeral service” says Mark.

LONGEVITY Long-lasting organisations also make their mark by giving back to the communities in which they’ve thrived, and Tuckers is no exception. “We invest in local communities

and our recruitment process and business strategies assure long-term benefits to employees, their families and the communities in which they live,” says Mark. Helping to build strong communities through charitable contributions and local involvement, Tuckers have also become a Barwon Health Foundation Partner supporting the region’s health services such as the Geelong Hospital Appeal. “We get involved - participating in events, sponsorships and donations – giving back is part of who we are as a company.”

“With one eye on tradition, we focus on the continued improvement and innovation of Funeral Services for the families we serve”

BUSINESS NEWS | 21

VECCI

Reducing the cost of doing business A survey of small businesses across Australia had found minimising the cost of doing business should be considered the number one priority for the next Federal Government.

T

he national Small Business - Too Big To Ignore campaign, launched in April, indicated that the cost of doing business was a major frustration for business owners. The survey, conducted by the national chamber of commerce, has confirmed that this is the case.

the concerns of business without requiring monetary policy to carry the full load.

Other key concerns revealed by the survey include: - The increase in the superannuation levy (63%)

The federal budget announced last month did little to support small businesses, with no substantive measures to reduce costs, cut red tape, improve skills and training, or support business confidence.

- The current level of government spending (61%)

Business is now asking the Federal Government to make the rising cost of business a priority consideration in their election commitments.

- The level of taxation (53.2%)

- Cost of red tape and regulatory compliance (60.4%) - Tax system complexity (56.5%)

Small businesses across Victoria

- Complying with employment laws (52.1%)

- Australia’s overall international Faced with rising costs and a high are encouraged to add their voices competitiveness (48.6%) currency outstripping revenues, to the more than 10,000 who have action on cost pressures rank - Recruiting employees with already joined the Small Business number one for 72.4 per cent of appropriate skills (48.5%) Too Big To Ignore campaign the surveyed businesses, fixing employment regulation was necessary to 54.1 per cent and Small businesses across Victoria are encouraged to add relieving the tax burden a necessity to 51.1 per cent. their voices to the more than 10,000 who have already joined the Small Business - Too Big To Ignore campaign, which is a In reference to tax reform, Australian businesses rated company genuine grass roots movement, driven by social media and tax reductions, personal income tax reductions and carbon an innovative online social aggregator that dynamically brings tax abolition as the top three priorities for the next Australian together posts, images and videos from small businesses at government. www.toobigtoignore.org.au Almost 90 per cent of those surveyed showed either a moderate The small business survey can be accessed at or major concern at the current level of government spending. www.acci.asn.au This further demonstrates that tackling the cost challenge requires a whole-of-government response, starting with James Gulli economic and regulatory reform that puts private enterprise and the small business sector at the heart of policy making and VECCI Regional Manager public investment.

The federal budget and the next government must respond to

22 | BUSINESS NEWS

vecci.org.au

COMMENT

Dreams of different natures Getting Google Ready The clear and stated ambition of Google is to be the King of Search.

Put simply, when any human anywhere wants to think about buying something, they want Google to be able to solve their problem quickly and efficiently.

Right now they dominate the way in which you can buy products; things like cars or coffee machines.

Consumers who spend a half an hour on Google can potentially save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

But here’s the thing, Google don’t just want to be the kings of product search, they also want to be the kings of regional and services searches.

In the 12 months to March 2013, there have been 155,306 total dwellings approved in Australia, which is 4.7% more than at the same point in 2012.

However, this is still down 10.2% compared to two years ago when 172,870 dwellings were approved in the prior 12 months, and is 19.6% below the maximum number of approvals set in October 1994.

The most recent housing slumps can also be seen as fairly mild compared to past slumps, when looking at peak to trough. From October 2010 to June 2012, the number of total dwelling units approved over the prior 12 months dropped by 33,037, while the slump from March 2008 to July 2009 saw a drop of 28,146.

In contrast from Get ready for the day This means that April 2000 to May they want to start when every annoyed 2001, the number gathering consumer customer that you have of dwelling data - they missed can write a review on approvals in Skype, they missed Australia dropped Google Local Twitter and their by 58,034, while competitor products from October have been a bust 1994 to August but now they are trying really hard to 1996 approvals dropped by 68,701. enter the world of customer ratings This just goes to show that the current and customer feedback with Google slump has been much softer than Local. those of the past.

Here’s the rub though – it’s their All About Melbourne dream to begin gathering information on every local service provider in While dwelling approvals may Australia - every doctor, every dentist, be trending up across Australia every insurance salesman and, of altogether, the hot spots of activity course, every financial planner. are centred in Victoria. The top Get ready for the day when every annoyed customer that you have can write a review on Google Local and the first thing that anyone ever sees about you when they Google your name is said review.

This means that Google has now progressed from owning search, to owning your reputation. That is a pretty scary thought.

From net-based nightmares to the ups and downs of the Great Australian Dream…

Housing Market Turns Looking at historical dwelling approvals data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) reveals a fluctuating Australian property market, with a multitude of peaks and troughs. The past several months of data suggests that the Australian property market appears to have bottomed out, and is now beginning to trend upwards.

three larger statistical areas for new housing approvals (2011-2012) are in the Victorian capital, with West Melbourne (5,022) leading the way, followed by South East Melbourne (4,576), North East Melbourne (3,547) and South East Perth (3,393).

[Editor’s note: Across the list of the Top 20 areas for new housing approvals nationwide, Geelong came in 7th (2,219), Latrobe-Gippsland 9th (1,939), Mornington Peninsula 18th (1,419) and Bendigo 19th (1,400).]

In terms of other dwelling types, which are primarily composed of units, apartments and townhouses, inner Melbourne is leaps and bounds ahead of anywhere else in Australia, with 10,107 approvals in 2011 to 2012. Western Sydney follows, with 3,505 approvals in Parramatta, and 3,462 in inner Sydney.

Two more articles from the insightful minds at Burning Pants www. burning-pants.com. Burning pants is a product of CoreData.

Know your rights and responsibilities It can be just another time burden, knowing your obligations under Australian competition and consumer laws as a small business, but understanding your rights and responsibility under the law can protect your business from the heavy burden of dealing with a breach.

The ACCC has released a free online education program for small businesses to help you learn about your rights and obligations under the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.

The program is a simple, interactive learning resource, which provides a broad overview of the key provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act. It includes 10 modules covering topics such as pricing, advertising, consumer rights, selling safe products, unlawful competition and scams.

Each module should take about 15-20 minutes to complete and you don’t have to do them all - you can select the ones most relevant to your business operations.

Most of the modules include a short selfassessment quiz where you can test your understanding of the topic.

“The ACCC is committed to helping businesses understand their rights and responsibilities under the Act. We recognise that small business operators are busy running their businesses, and need simple, clear information, which can be accessed at any time, at their own pace,” says ACCC Deputy Chair, Dr Michael Schaper.

“I strongly encourage small businesses to take advantage of this free, easy-touse online education program to ensure they are aware of all the protections and obligations they have.”

The free online education program for small business is available at www. ccaeducationprograms.org

BUSINESS NEWS | 23

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BUSINESS NEWS | 25

COMMENT

Ross Garnaut: Ending the great Australian complacency Author of the Garnaut Climate Change Review and one of the nation’s most prominent economists, Professor Ross Garnaut, says Australians need to shift their thinking, and their spending habits, away from those that have dominated the boom years if the nation’s prosperity is to continue.

P

resenting the Annual Vice-Chancellor’s Lecture ‘Ending the great Australian complacency’, at Victoria University, Professor Garnaut laid out some of the economic realities that face Australians at the end of the China resources boom of 2003-2011, and the Australian long boom of 1991-2012.

“Avoiding deep recession and high unemployment will require some technical dexterity amongst political advisers — securing policies that reduce the nominal exchange rate and turn it into a real exchange rate depreciation. That will require many of us to accept that price increases from a fall in the value of the dollar will not be compensated by an increase in incomes.

During the May lecture, he discussed the policy responses that would avoid the most damaging possibilities, and the immense changes in political culture that are necessary for the Australian success of the past two decades to continue into the future.

“The loss of living standards in the adjustment process will be less the more we can return to the acceptance of wide-ranging productivity-increasing policy change that characterised the reform era of the late twentieth century. That, in turn, requires individual businesses to accept that they have no right to compensation for the withdrawal of benefits from bad regulatory policies that are changed to raise national productivity.

Professor Garnaut said, “Australians are still enjoying the longest economic expansion unbroken by recession of any developed country at any time. This Australian long Avoiding deep recession and boom has taken average incomes high unemployment will require members converted into international currency of our society to be willing to share to well above the United States, equitably a moderate reduction in the European Union and Japan, material living standards, to avoid from well below the average of the developed world. inequitable distribution of a large reduction.

“Avoiding deep recession and high unemployment will require members of our society to be willing to share equitably a moderate reduction in material living standards, to avoid inequitable distribution of a large reduction. It will require a radical “We owe this widely based It will require a radical change in the role of change in the role of interest interest groups in the policy process prosperity to both good policy, well groups in the policy process that implemented, and good fortune. that has emerged during The Great has emerged during The Great Australian Complacency. Business Australian Complacency.

“For the first few years of the new and union and other interest groups century, poor policy kept growth will have to learn again to argue their going at a rapid rate by stimulating contributions to national policy in genuine public interest terms, or an unsustainable housing and consumption boom, funded Government will need to learn to ignore them. by the commercial banks’ borrowings in overseas wholesale debt markets. We were saved from unhappy consequences of “Hardest of all, Australians whose expectations of steadily rising the housing and consumption boom by the China Resources after-tax incomes and services have increased beyond reasonable boom, with huge increases in export prices adding to average limits over the past dozen years, will have to accept that even incomes and employment from 2003, and unprecedented levels current average levels of expenditure cannot be sustained through of resources investment augmenting the bounty from about 2005. an adjustment period”, Professor Garnaut said.

“With the end of the China resources boom, Australians face a sharp deterioration in all dimensions of their material living standards, unless we can move swiftly to rapid expansion of investment in and exports from the non-resources trade-exposed industries — services, rural products, manufactures. Investment and exports in all of the non-resources trade-exposed industries are in decline, on the back of the strong real exchange rate.

“The real exchange rate will have to come down a long way, and quickly, if the markets are not to impose their own large retrenchment on Australians, damaging disproportionately a large number of people who lose their jobs or are who want paid work and are unable to find it.

“It will not be an easy task to secure the timely economic adjustment that is necessary to avoid deep recession,” Professor Garnaut said.

26 | BUSINESS NEWS

The lecture forms part of a broader series of engagement by Victoria University, which will be holding the ‘Victoria and the Asian Century’ Conference in August, with partners The Age and Committee for Melbourne exploring the opportunities and challenges facing Victoria in the Asian Century; and how industry and government can work together to build stronger relationships across the region, including closer educational, cultural and people-to-people links.

Ross Garnaut is an economist whose career has been built around the analysis of and practice of policy connected to development, economic policy and international relations in Australia, Asia and the Pacific. He is Vice-Chancellor’s Fellow and Professorial Fellow in Economics at The University of Melbourne. He is also Distinguished Professor of Economics at The Australian National University. Professor Garnaut has held senior roles in universities, business, government and other Australian and international institutions.

LEGAL

Powers of Attorney: An important part of your planning Powers of Attorney are legal documents, which allow you to choose and appoint someone who can make decisions for you. Powers of Attorney give you choice and control.

T

here are four types of Powers of Attorney.

1.

General Power of Attorney

2.

Enduring Power of Attorney (Financial)

3.

Enduring Power of Attorney (Medical Treatment)

4.

Enduring Power of Guardianship.

Each document has its own specific purpose.

A General Power of Attorney allows you to appoint an Attorney or Attorneys to make decisions on your behalf in respect of financial and administrative matters but potentially ceases when you lose capacity.

An Enduring Power of Attorney (Financial) provides for the same appointment and decision-making powers as a General Power of Attorney but, importantly, the Power does not cease when you lose capacity. It is therefore a useful means to ensure that someone, chosen by you, takes control of your financial and legal affairs if and when you are unable to do so yourself.

Additionally, you may allow for alternate attorneys in the event of your initial attorney being unable to act and you may impose conditions upon the operation and effect of your Power (as required).

An Enduring Power of Attorney (Medical Treatment) allows you to appoint an agent and, if desired, a substitute, to make

medical treatment decisions on your behalf.

An Enduring Power of Attorney (Guardianship) allows you to appoint a guardian and, if desired, an alternate guardian, to make lifestyle decisions on your behalf.

This may include, but not be limited to, where and with whom you live, where and when you work, your healthcare and the restriction of visitors. This power commences when you lose capacity to make these types of decisions on your own.

Procedure By making a Power of Attorney whilst you have legal capacity, you choose who you wish to appoint to this important role. This may be different people for different roles. If you do not have an Enduring Power of Attorney and you lose capacity, a family member, friend or the Public Advocate may make application to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) on your behalf. VCAT will then choose whether the applicant or another individual or a Trustee Company is most suited to be appointed as your Administrator and/or Guardian.

This person or organisation may not be whom you may otherwise have chosen to administer your affairs or make lifestyle or treatment decisions on your behalf. There is no guarantee that they will be mindful of your preferences and cannot necessarily make decisions that reflect your personal wishes, which an Attorney of your own choosing is more likely to do.

Preparing an Enduring Power of Attorney is a relatively simple and straightforward process. Being in a position where such appointments have not been effected can cause difficulties and delays in the administration of your affairs.

Additionally, the necessary arrangements in the absence of such appointments can cause expense, delay and stress for loved ones.

Self Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSF) The need to hold an Enduring Power of Attorney is even more important if you have a SMSF (because of the risk of your SMSF potentially becoming non-compliant) or if you are a Director of a company. SMSF members should ensure that proper planning is in place for the continued management of the SMSF in the event of a loss of capacity or if Trustees intend to travel overseas for an extended period of time. Additionally, Company Directors should ensure that a Corporate Power of Attorney allows for the appointment of an Attorney, particularly Sole Directors.

Bronwen Charleson Senior Lawyer, Wills, Estates & Succession Planning Coulter Roache Lawyers

BUSINESS NEWS | 27

RECRUITMENT

Relevancy is the name of the game Candidates are missing out on opportunities because they are not showcasing how their skills and experience are relevant to the job being advertised, warns leading recruiting expert Hays.

T

he April to June 2013 Hays Quarterly Report shows there is candidate demand for a large number of roles across a range of sectors, but that employers are being very specific about what they want right now.

“A rushed resume or one that fails to use the correct terms used in a job advertisement to describe the candidate’s previous roles, their qualifications and proven work experience, could see their application passed over,” says Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays in Australia.

“The advertised job market is also not the place to make a career change, so only those resumes that detail a track record of the experience being sought, as well as the right qualifications, will make the short list.”

“No matter what your role is, being able to demonstrate that you understand the importance of having a customer focus – even when that is only internal customers – as well as the need to support for revenue generation and/or cost saving efforts in an organisation will help you stand out in this market,” says Nick.

Succession planning – not only for the ‘big end of town’ Succession planning is something that all businesses should be thinking about. However, it’s the SME sector that is failing to prepare for the future as other priorities always seem to jostle to the front.

Lining up the next generation of leaders to run an organisation can ensure that a company continues to thrive, but many SMEs are failing to focus on this business critical issue.

Many SMEs point to the lack of financial resources to tackle While there is demand for candidates in a wide range of non-immediate concerns like succession planning, as well as sectors right now, and even skills shortages in a number of the burden of extra work and the lack of a dedicated people areas, competition for good roles always remains strong and management resource. When in fact, the preference from employers the cost of losing someone in a key role is for candidates who can clearly is significantly magnified in a smaller demonstrate that they meet the company environment and managing Search through your own career history criteria outlined in job ads and this risk is a worthwhile exercise. for specific examples of how you can position descriptions. demonstrate you have what the The latest Hays Journal explores To ensure you don’t miss out, follow employer is looking for. the business risks and how an these five tips: unexpected departure can take on a more significant impact the smaller the 1. Go through the job advertisement workforce. and underline the keywords used to describe the skills, training and experience being sought. Search Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director, Hays Australia and New through your own career history for specific examples of how Zealand, says, “You don’t need a large HR department to you can demonstrate you have what the employer is looking for. address the challenge of succession planning. One of the most critical responsibilities of any business leader is to pose and 2. Phone up the contact listed in the job ad to ask if there is a answer some basic questions to put the business in a better position description (PD) and if so, request it be emailed to you. state of readiness.

The more information you have, the better able you are to target your application.

“They need to ask themselves, which roles are critical? What capability exists in them right now? Who are the potential 3. When tailoring your resume and cover letter to a specific job successors?” on offer, ensure you mimic the words and phrases used in the ad and PD when compiling your list of key skills, as well as your Whatever the business, succession planning can seem like an career history, to help you stand out from the pack - provided unnecessary and uncomfortable chore. However, avoiding these you can back up your claims. Don’t rely on just the cover letter to occasionally difficult decisions will only create greater risk as the relate your skills to the role - it is quite possible that your resume company grows and matures. will get separated and so having the skills outlined in your work With that in mind, in many ways, the key to succession planning history ensures that your relevance to the role is clear. is just to start.

4. Highlight the training and education you have completed or To access the Hays Journal please visit: www.hays-journal.com are currently undertaking to demonstrate your commitment to continuous development.

5. Make sure you include a few achievements for your last two roles to demonstrate how you added value to your employer organisation. Achievements that feed directly into a company’s key aims are particularly strong.

28 | BUSINESS NEWS

Example two: working capital dashboard

Sales value

Top previous1212 months Topten tencustomers customers ––previous months

Average debtor Average debtor days days Current toptop tenten debtors Current debtors

Watts Pearce Kennedy Thomas

Number of days

Berry King Moore Marks Jones Smith

Current toptop tenten debtors Current debtors

The$80,000 objective of dashboard reporting is to provide clear and $ $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000 concise information of the key drivers of business performance. $60,000 Sales value performance and This should in turn report on business $40,000 decision-making. improve Customer over credit limit

$20,000 Most financial software systems provide a myriad of reports to help meet compliance$8,000 requirements and monitor the financial Current toptop ten debtors $0 Current ten debtors results of a business. $6,000 However, those reports are rarely used $4,000 on ($20,000) a regular basis to $8,000 help improve the business.

Mth 1 Mth 2 Mth 3 Mth 4 Mth 5 Mth 6 Mth 7 Mth 8 Mth 9 Mth 10 Mth 11 Mth 12

Customer over credit limit

$2,000 $6,000

Mirrors

1

0

$70,000

2

1

3

4

5

2

3

4

5

Actual

Budget

$10,000

Bunks

$-

Tallboy

Mth 1

Actual

Uply, $6,000

$40,000 Chairs $30,000

0

50

100

150

200

350

300

Number of days

Monthly Monthly net South, $2,000 $net profit 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

20% 10%current Work progress Workin in progess current monthmonth orders orders

10

0%

$2,500

Stock daysby byitem item Stock days -10%

$5,000

Lamps

Taken

-20%

Bunks

-30%

Tallboy Single bed

($8,000)

Completed

$25,000

Outstanding

-40%

Queen bed Mth 2 Mirrors

$20,000 Mth 3

Returned

Net profit margin

Bedside

Berry

$67,200 $68,400 $79,600 $67,200 Step 3 – Consider who will be$73,200 using $67,200 the report.

This$73,200 is important Cashflow out $67,975 the when considering way $49,600 you present the information, i.e. $46,408 $56,883 $80,950 $65,603 $111,883 Ely, $11,000 Uply, $6,000 graphs or just numbers.

Belmore, $5,000

Chairs 0

50

100

150

200

Mth 8 Forecast

Mth 9

Mth 10

250

300

350

Mth 10

Mth 12

Work progress current Workin in progess current monthmonth orders orders

$32,698 $31,348 $38,945 $2,500 $24,262 $22,912 $79,600 $73,200 $67,200 $79,600 $5,000 $73,200 Taken

$80,950 $65,603 $81,883 $80,950 $65,603 $25,000

$15,225 $37,217 $60,817 $71,134 $69,784 $77,381 $32,698 $31,348 $38,945 $24,262 $22,912 $30,509

Step 4 – Ensure that the information is easily obtainable. One of the benefits of the dashboard is that itSharp, is$10,000 easily prepared, Main, $1,000 concise and easy to understand.

Developing the Information

250

Sharp, $10,000

Number of days

Step 2- Ensure that the items in the report are consistent with Pine, $2,000 $15,225 $60,817 $71,134 $69,784 $77,381 theOpen keybank goals$16,000 and plans for $37,217 the organisation.

Close bank

Berry

Ely, $11,000

$50,000 Bedside

Credit Limit

Current supplier Current supplierbalance balance

Cashflow in

Harry

Belmore, $5,000

Gross profit margin

What to Include10in a Dashboard Report Step 1 – Identify key items that are criticalCashflow to business Mth 1underperformance.

Mth 2 Mth 3 Mth 4 Mth 5 Mth 6 Mth 7 performance and

Completed Outstanding

$20,000

Returned

South, $2,000

The next step is to design and categorise how the information is to be presented10in the report. For example, dashboard reports could be presented in the format of raw numbers, graphs, diagrams, trend analysis, or even a tick or cross if goals are achieved.

Matt Le Maitre

9

Business Advisor, WHK

Quality of Information The quality of information used in the report is critical – as the saying goes, “rubbish in rubbish out”. Ensure the information used is both accurate and timely.

0

WW

Mth 3

Mirrors $60,000

Mth 1

Harry

Rosa

Watts

Marks

Smith

Outstanding

12

5%

Mth 2

Net profit

South, $2,000

11

Monthy stock purchases previous 12 months

Gross profit Queen bed $70,000

Cost of sales

($4,000)

Mth 10 Mth 11 Mth 12

10

Pine, $2,000 Monthly stock purchases previous 12 months 0%

Single bed $80,000

Sharp, $10,000

$Main, $1,000

Mth 9

12

Current supplier Current supplierbalance balance

Lamps

Harry

Rosa

Moore

Watts

Pearce

Berry

King

Marks

Jones

Smith

$2,000

Mth 8

7 Credit 8 Limit9

6

Chairs

11

10%

$20,000

($6,000)

Mth 7

10

Stock daysby byitem item Stock days

$30,000

$0

Uply, $6,000

9

Previous 12 mths

$2,000

Ely, $11,000

8

15%

$4,000

$8,000

7

20%

$40,000

($2,000)

Mth 6

6

Outstanding 25%

$50,000

$6,000

Customer over credit limit

$4,000 Mth 4 Mth 5

30%

Bedside

$60,000

$8,000

Customer over credit limit Belmore, $5,000

Rosa

$80,000

30 $

$20,000

Current supplier Current supplierbalance balance

Mth 3

Harry

Queen bed

Monthly $10,000 gross 60trading summary

Credit Limit

Pine, $2,000

Mth 2

Rosa

Single bed

$30,000 120 $2,000 $20,000 90 $-

$10,000

Mth 1

Watts

$4,000 $40,000 150

Main, $1,000

$6,000

1

Bunks

$10,000

$100,000 $90,000 $80,000 $70,000 $60,000 $50,000 $40,000 $30,000 $20,000 $10,000 $-

$

Tallboy

Monthly gross trading summary

Berry

Harry

Rosa

Watts

Marks

Smith

When preparing a dashboard report, it is important not to just $Actual Budget Cumulative actual Cumulative budget $4,000 include financial measures in the report - other areas such as marketing and OHS are $2,000just as important.

Monthlysales sales Monthly

$10,000

Lamps

$6,000 $50,000 180

Number of days

Harry

Rosa

Moore

Watts

Pearce

King

Berry

Jones

Marks

Smith

Marks Jones Smith

Outstanding

Customer over credit limit Customer over credit limit Average debtor Average debtor days days

$70,000 $8,000 $60,000

Many small businesses don’t take the time to prepare a Watts Example one: profit / cashflow dashboard Pearce budget or don’t find$4,000 them particularly helpful. An easier Kennedy Thomas $2,000 performance way to monitor business is to implement Berry Year to date profit and loss King dashboard reporting.Year $ to date profit and loss Moore

$

$20,000

Monthy stock purchases previous 12 months

$80,000

Top previous1212 months Topten tencustomers customers ––previous months

$6,000

$100,000

$30,000

Monthly stock purchases previous 12 months

Watts

$8,000

Pearce

Sales value

Moore

1 2 3should 4 5 be 6 viewed 7 8 9at 10 11 monthly.

12 The dashboard reports least This $ allows management to react Previous to certain 12 mths areas of their business if required.

King

$60,000

$40,000

Berry

$50,000

$50,000

Reviewing Reports

Marks

$40,000

$60,000

Jones

$30,000

$80,000 $70,000

Smith

$20,000

120 90 $4,00060 30 $2,000 0 $6,000

Smith

$10,000

M

TAX

Marks

Dashboard Reporting – Monitoring Business Example two: working capital dashboard Performance $

Mont

180 $8,000 150

These tax planning tips are a general guide only and your specific circumstances need to be considered. Accordingly seek expert advice to discuss your personal situation before undertaking any strategies, to ensure all of your circumstances and objectives are considered.

BUSINESS NEWS | 29

LEGAL surprisingly, only 1% of cases were reported where employers agreed to reinstate the employee.

A retrospective on Unfair Dismissal The Fair Work Commission (formally Fair Work Australia) has now been in operation for over 3 years.

The Commission’s General Manager; Bernadette O’Neill, was charged with the responsibility of preparing a report into the operation of the unfair dismissal regime under the Fair Work Act 2009 over the past three years. Being at the coalface of all unfair dismissal claims, O’Neil’s report provides employers with a useful insight into the effectiveness of the regime and the extent of claims are being resolved.

T

he process for managing an unfair dismissal claim through the Commission is reasonably streamlined.

All claims (that do not have any jurisdictional issues) are automatically referred to conciliation, which is conducted by way of a phone conference and mediated by an experienced conciliator from the Commission. The average timeframe, from the employee filing the claim to the conciliation being conducted, has been 29 days. Parties mediating by telephone can often be less effective than meeting in person, however, O’Neil revealed that over the reporting period, 63.7% of unfair dismissal claims resolved at the conciliation stage, while 17% of matters were finalised prior to conciliation. A further 14.9% of matters were finalised before the matter was heard at the Commission. Remarkably, the Commission decided only 2.4% of unfair dismissal claims.

The surprisingly low percentage of arbitrated claims may be as a consequence of the Act’s no costs jurisdiction for unfair dismissal claims. There is often little commercial benefit in proceeding to arbitration in circumstances where legal costs cannot be recovered (except in limited and exceptional circumstances).

O’Neil’s report revealed that the typical settlement agreement at conciliation involved payment of money by the employer to the employee, with around 80% of settlements being less than $8,000. Claims by employer groups that the process encourages ‘go away’ money are likely to persist. Not

Confused by Workplace Laws?

The Act’s preferred remedy for successful unfair dismissal cases is reinstatement, however the potential for reinstatement is often a cause for concern for employers, as the relationship with the employee has usually irrevocably broken down or the position has been replaced by time the claim is arbitrated at the Commission. Over the reporting period, only 19% of successful claimants were reinstated. Our experience is that reinstatement is more common in cases involving large employers where the employee can be redeployed into other departments away from personnel who may have been involved in the circumstances that led to the dismissal.

The balance of successful claimants were awarded compensation, with 23.6% of compensation awards falling into the range of $2,000 to $3,999 and almost half falling below $6,000. Therefore, if the employee is legally represented, even though successful in his or her claim, any award of compensation is likely to be offset by the legal costs incurred.

Recent changes to the Act have provided the Commission with more scope to make an award of costs in an unfair dismissal claim, although this is predominantly confined to circumstances where a claim or defence is bound to fail.

One final statistic from O’Neil’s report that employers may be interested to learn is that only 24.8% of arbitrated cases found that the employee’s dismissal was harsh, unjust or unreasonable. Employers that receive an unfair dismissal claim should swiftly seek legal advice, as the Commission generally requires the employer’s written response within 7 days of receiving the claim.

JIM RUTHERFORD Principal, Accredited Specialist in Workplace Relations Law

Rohan Kux Associate The information contained in this article is general in nature and should not in any way be construed as legal advice. You should not act on any information contained within this article before first seeking specific legal advice.

Get specialist advice you can rely on.

• Advice on ever changing workplace laws • Assistance with redundancy and termination issues • Preparation of workplace / employment agreements • Protect your business from former employees • Assistance with OH&S prosecutions • Help to avoid and defend discrimination claims • Advice on workplace law compliance regime • Assistance with workplace investigations

Sonia McCabe, Lawyer Jim Rutherford, Accredited Specialist in Workplace Relations Law

70 Gheringhap Street Geelong t. 5225 5225 30 | BUSINESS NEWS

Monique Austerberry, Lawyer Rohan Kux, Associate

www.harwoodandrews.com.au

MASTERS GAMES EMC Group have also committed to managing the Avalon Airport Games Village on behalf of the Australian Masters Games throughout the duration of the Games. In addition EMC Group will supply over a thousand workforce meals for Games volunteers.

The partnership will help complement the festival atmosphere that will be created in Geelong throughout the Games.

Darren Holroyd, Director of EMC Group, says he is thrilled to showcase the group’s restaurants and event spaces to participants who visit Geelong during the Games.

“We could not be more excited to support such a massive event in Geelong. The Australian Masters Games is the perfect platform to showcase the city to the 8,000 plus visitors who are expected to attend,” Mr Holroyd said.

Rocking the Games Iconic Australian entertainers, Mental as Anything and James Reyne, will have more than 8,000 participants rocking when they open the 14th edition of the Australian Masters Games in Geelong this October.

H

eaded by Martin Plaza and Greedy Smith, Mental as Anything will Live it Up on opening night, complemented on a double bill by former Australian Crawl frontman, James Reyne.

Entry is exclusive to registered Games participants who will be entertained by MC and Games ambassador, Mark Beretta, in what promises to be a spectacular opening to the eight day event.

The opening ceremony will take place at the Avalon Airport Games Village at Kardinia Park and will be part of a massive Games social program, to be managed by Geelong-based event management company, EMC Group.

EMC Group will provide a series of entertainment hot spots along Cunningham Pier for the 8,000 plus visitors, with The Pier Geelong, City Quarter and Baveras Brasserie set to be abuzz during the Games as some of the key sites for the social program, as well as Lambys, Gold Diggers Arms and Edge Geelong.

“EMC Group is dedicated to providing the perfect venues for the Games social and entertainment program and we want to make sure that every visitor to Geelong during the Games has the best experience possible.”

Kean Selway, chair of the 14th Australian Masters Games, says the partnership will ensure participants have exclusive access to Geelong’s best entertainment facilities and hopes the partnership will encourage a tremendous social atmosphere.

“We are Australia’s premier mass participation multisport event, with participants coming from all walks of life. This partnership is designed to encourage and support the social and festive atmosphere of the Games, allowing participants to make the most of their time in Geelong,” Mr Selway said.

The Australian Masters Games is a mass participation sporting event for anyone over the age of 30, attracting over 8,000 participants in 55 sports, with its 14th edition being held in Geelong from the 5th to 12th October 2013.

For further information, visit www.australianmastersgames.com

BUSINESS NEWS | 31

ROTARY to tap into the community to gain an insight into the real issues and people’s expectations,” Michael explains.

Rotary opens doors to ‘new world’

B

arwon Water has taken to the Rotary Club of Geelong’s Corporate Membership program like, well, like a duck to water.

That’s the view of the corporation’s Business Services General Manager, Michael Watson, who is one of four Barwon Water management leaders to enrol in the membership initiative.

“We have only been involved since January, but it has already opened up a whole world in terms of business contacts, new friendships and community service,” says Michael, who is also the corporation’s Board Secretary.

“It is very much a two-way street of opportunity. From our perspective, it means developing a new set of business and social skills; from Rotary’s point of view, it provides an injection of new blood and new ideas and is a forum for sharing knowledge.

“Rotary touches on the entire gamut of life in Geelong and it is something of a litmus test to what is happening, not only at grass roots level, but in the upper echelons of business and industry.

“The most pleasant surprise, however, has been discovering the organisation’s involvement in educational, humanitarian and vocational projects and activities. It has opened our eyes to the important yet selfless role Rotary, and the Geelong club in particular, plays in this critical sphere of society.”

He cited a project in Papua New Guinea’s Sariri village, focusing on re-settling the community after a devastating cyclone that saw tragic loss of life.

With the village completely washed away, Rotarians have been establishing a portable sawmill to provide timber for new homes, a market garden for food and income generation, a nursery for sustainable development, a new drinking water source, as well as a school building and a business management structure.

“...there are other worthy projects too, in Fiji and Sri Lanka, while at home Rotary helped refurbish Alexander Thomson kindergarten and provides Rotary health scholarships for indigenous students.”

“It’s a perfect marriage that benefits both parties,” he says.

Michael and work colleagues Joe Adamski, Paul Northey and Graeme Vincent, bring to the club expertise in business and financial management, corporate governance, project management, communications and media.

For all four, this is their first foray into a service organisation like Rotary – and they are enthusiastic about what they have found.

“For an essential service provider like Barwon Water, it is crucial

“We were unaware of the wonderful work being undertaken in PNG,” says Michael. “But there are other worthy projects too, in Fiji and Sri Lanka, while at home Rotary helped refurbish Alexander Thomson kindergarten and provides Rotary health scholarships for indigenous students.”

Michael has become a strong advocate of the Corporate Membership program.

“It is ideal for business people who are pressed for time outside of work, yet want to put something back into their community. It is the practical solution,” he says.

Further information about Corporate Membership with the Geelong Rotary Club can be obtained by telephoning Andrew Lawson on 5222 3775.

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32 | BUSINESS NEWS

club

THE TECH GUY

The Tech Guy

Every month, our Tech Guy, Jon Mamonski, brings us the wildest, most mind-blowing gadgets he can find...

Curved OLED HDTV from LG is now in production and you can expect the 55EA9800 to ship before Christmas. According to the specs, its 4.3mm curved depth results in a weight of just 17kg, thanks to a carbon

fiber reinforced frame. Like IMAX theatre screens, the edges are curved towards the viewer to provide a more immersive feeling. And the price? Around $15,000.

Merry Christmas!

The First Computer On May 6th, 1949 EDSAC (or Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator) ran its first programs, calculating a table of squares and generating a list of prime numbers. The massive vacuum-tube-powered machine was put into service at the University of Cambridge and almost immediately changed how research was done at the school.

It was among the first general-purpose computers capable of storing programs in rewritable memory, which

took the form of mercury delay lines. David Wheeler invented subroutines, an essential component of modern programming, that allows developers to reuse bits of existing code to simplify the act of writing software.

LG Curved TV

There aren’t too many miniature USB-powered accessories that have captured our imaginations of late, but here’s one that has. This nifty lamp from Satechi named USB LED Bottle Lamp consumes just 1.2 watts of power and, while it won’t fill a room, it’ll light

up your workstation. The kit includes only a lampshade, LEDs (rated for 50,000 hours) and a USB cable; so it’s a case of bring your own base.

A formerly full Cointreau or cognac bottle would do the trick and the USB Bottle Lamp can be yours today for just 30 bucks.

Light up your keyboard

This milestone piece of machinery is little more than scraps at this point, but a team at the UK’s National Museum of Computing is working to build a working replica. The hope is to have the computer up and running by May of 2015.

BUSINESS NEWS | 33 37

THE TECH GUY What about the weather?

It defaults to your current location, but lets you ask about other places, as well.

Your Future is Glass Watch people in just about any crowded area, and you’ll see the same thing: slouched shoulders and faces turned down, staring at smartphone screens. Sometimes those faces never seem to look away, completely immersed in whatever is happening in the palm of their hands. Others will pull out their phones from pockets or purses and turn on the screens for just a moment, compelled to check for Facebook notifications every 30 seconds, before putting them away again.

A heads-up display seems like a natural fit for those fully immersed in the information age. So please, welcome Google Glass.

This is eyewear with a projected display, a camera and a data connection that will revolutionise information; just like the PC, laptop, smartphone and tablet before it. It’s not a pair of Google Glasses, but a single Google Glass headset.

All the circuitry for Google Glass lies in two plastic housings, one that rests behind your ear, containing the battery and bone-conductive speaker; and a second, which sits up with the processor, camera and display assembly.

The side of the forward portion is also touch-sensitive, forming a slender track pad.

This design does a good job of hiding the bulky battery from sight and balances the whole contraption evenly.

Wearers are affectionately known as “glass-holes”.

34 | BUSINESS NEWS

Connectivity When Glass was first mooted, many made the assumption that it would be wholly dependent on a smartphone to function at all. As it turns out, that’s not the case, it can function quite happily with a WiFi (802.11b/g) or Bluetooth data connection, even through an iPhone.

Display The panel itself is off to the right, built into the headset, and beaming light into a glowing image that appears to be floating in space.

Google describes the visual experience as equivalent to that of a 25-inch high definition screen viewed from eight feet away. There is also a sunglasses attachment, which slots in between your eyes and the Glass display.

Tilting your head up, or tapping the capacitive touch portion on the side, activates the display. The touch controls let you swipe forward or backward. Swiping forward takes you back in time, with all recently captured photos, videos, emails, messages and notifications from apps.

Swipe backward from the start screen and you’ll get Google Now cards and, ultimately, a screen showing connection status and battery life.

Voice commands The most basic ones are, “take a picture” or “record a video.” Googling is also a very handy one, where you can say “Google, what’s 10 per cent of 30” to calculate a tip at dinner, or “What year was Brave New World published?” You’re sure to be a hit at dinner parties.

Do this enough and Google Now will thoughtfully include a persistent weather screen, which will slot in to the left.

Navigation is also a big feature, with a command like, “Give directions to 125 Gheringhap Street.”

You can say, for example, “Find me the closest La Porchetta’s” and it will bring up a card showing a result, which you can tap on to call or get navigation directions.

Photos and videos There are two ways to capture imagery with Glass: by voice (as described above) or by hitting the shutter release on the top-right of Glass.

Click it once to take a picture and, whether you do it by voice or with the button, there’s a momentary delay, which gives you time to take your finger off, helping to stabilise things.

For video, hold the button down for a moment.

Glass captures 10-second videos, but if you want longer, you can tap on the side twice and it will record until you run out of storage or battery.

Once captured, you can swipe forward or backward through what you’ve seen. Videos play automatically in this way, but with a few taps, you can either share them on

Google+ (with the public, or within certain circles) or delete them.

Photos are synced with your Google+ account, so you can share them later at your leisure.

Navigation and messaging Navigation is one of the best features in Glass.

You can speak an address, find a business, or tap on a Google Now suggestion and get turnby-turn directions there.

As with Google Nav, spoken directions are sent into your ear as you drive.

When you get an email or a text, you’ll hear a chime.

To see the message, just tilt your head up. You’ll see only the first few lines of the message, which is a bit unfortunate, but it’s enough to know if you want to see more. If you do, it’s two taps: one to bring up the menu, another to select “Read More.” From there, it’s another tap and a few swipes if you want to have the email read to you.

The current version of Google Glass is basically an early prototype, intended for developers and lucky reviewers.

The potential here is amazing and, as you can imagine, millions want to get their hands on a set; because you can be certain that it is the future of mobile information communication, as we know it.

Our kids won’t even blink…

THE TECH GUY

Which tablet to take?

There are literally scores of tablets to choose from, and yes, the iPad still dominates this sector, but other brands

are knocking at the door. There is also the odd hybrid ultrabook to consider as well.

Blackberry Playbook

HP ElitePad

HP’s latest tablet, the ElitePad 900, offers a sleek design and a bright display, with the rear aluminium panel gracefully curved on the two short sides, wrapping around to the front.

At 0.6 kilos, the ElitePad 900 is lighter and larger than the fourthgeneration iPad, whilst the Dell Latitude 10 is bigger and heavier than them all.

With a resolution of 1280 x 800, the ElitePad 900 is almost as sharp as the Dell Latitude 10 - both of which have resolutions of 1366 x 768 - but all fall short of the iPad’s resolution of 2048 x 1536.

That said; the ElitePad 900’s display is one of the brighter tablets tested close to the Dell Latitude 10.

The rear-facing 8-megapixel webcam on the ElitePad 900 takes very good photos, and the front-facing camera is capable of taking 2.1-MP stills and video in 1080p.

Like other Windows 8 tablets in its price range, the ElitePad 900 has a 1.5-GHz Intel Atom Z2760 processor and 2GB of RAM - and it comes with some really useful accessories.

The desktop dock is coated in a soft-touch paint, with two USB ports on each side, a 3.5mm

line out, on the back are HDMI, VGA and Ethernet connections and the dock also features a Kensington lock slot.

The Expansion Jacket is designed to provide ports not on the tablet itself and is also coated in a soft-touch rubber. At the bottom are two USB ports, HDMI and a 2-in-1 card slot. You can also purchase an extra battery that attaches to the inside of the jacket, which HP says will increase battery life up to 20 hours.

The Productivity Jacket is the most useful of the three accessories, but also the bulkiest and most expensive. An island-style keyboard sits inside this hinged case, also coated in a softtouch rubber.

The portion of the jacket where the ElitePad 900 docks has a magnet at its base, so when open, the tablet rests in a secure, upright position. The keys are large and well spaced, and we found ourselves quickly typing at our regular pace.

On the back of the Productivity Jacket is a power plug (the same one used with the tablet), two USB ports and an SD card slot.

From $699 the HP ElitePad 900 is worthy of serious consideration.

Whilst Blackberry mobiles are making a comeback, the BlackBerry Playbook is a tablet designed for the business professional.

This device offers intuitive multitasking capabilities, excellent multimedia features and a fast dual core processor. It runs the BlackBerry operating system, so those familiar with the interface won’t have any difficulty navigating around this computing device. The Playbook has a music player and GPS navigation with Adobe Flash 10.1 enabled.

There’s a 3-megapixel front-facing

camera, along with a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, producing high quality photos. Along with the photo capability, video calling is available, and you can view video in full HD 1080p.

The selection of applications isn’t as large as that offered by Android or Apple devices, but there is still plenty to choose from.

The Playbook runs on a dual-core 1GHz processor and you can purchase from $299 with 16GB, 32GB or 64GB of memory.

If you’re a Blackberry user, you’ll feel right at home with the Playbook.

Dell Latitude 10 The release of Windows 8 has started to bridge the gap between tablets and notebooks, with these new tablets now able to support the diverse software offerings we’ve come to expect from Windows. This one ships with a 60 watt-hour battery, which is one of the largest ever used to power a tablet. According to Dell, the result is a battery life of up to 30 hours.

Intel Atom CPUs have a new lease on life, and this 32-bit dualcore CPU uses a frugal 1.7 watts of energy, which extends the battery life.

The Dell Latitude 10 ships with 2GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage, and comes closer to emulating a notebook than any Android tablet. Dell also offers

a docking station, which adds additional ports and makes the tablet suitable as a desktop PC replacement.

Dell offers many different configurations: the user can decide between batteries with 30Wh or 60Wh capacity, eMMC storage of 32GB or 64GB. The back houses an 8-megapixel camera, which features a resolution of 3264x2448 pixels, and the 2-megapixel camera upfront compares well with those found in notebooks.

As always, Dell have made a solid, well designed and well featured tablet for those who love their Windows heritage.

Voted Editor’s Choice by PC Magazine, the Dell Latitude 10 sells from $599.

BUSINESS NEWS | 35 37

ARTS

Impressions of Geelong — a portrait of the city and its region 18 May – 25 August

Max Dupain, Eastern Beach, Geelong 1946 (printed 1999) black and white photograph Collection: Geelong Gallery Sybil Craig Bequest Fund, 1999 Reproduced courtesy of the Max Dupain Exhibition Negative Archive

Over 150 years of artistic interpretations of the historic port city of Geelong and its surrounding districts. Includes rare historical works by artists including John Skinner Prout, ST Gill, William Duke, Eugene von Guérard, Walter Withers and Arthur Streeton. Selected modern and contemporary works by Lina Bryans, Marion Manifold, Mahgo SmithArmstrong and Jan Senbergs extend this portrayal of the regional landscape into the present.

Specific themes in the exhibition embrace the unmistakable landmark of the You Yangs, the popular coastal destinations of Queenscliff and the Surf Coast, as well as Geelong’s waterfront, rivers, gardens and streetscapes.

View of Geelong toward great, great grandmother Stinton’s garden 2007

Eugene von Guérard’s famous View of Geelong (1856) is a focal point of the exhibition that draws extensively on the Gallery’s permanent collection and includes recent acquisitions and a number of rarely seen works.

linocut

Geelong Gallery

Collection: Geelong Gallery

www.geelonggallery.org.au

Marion Manifold

Geelong acquisitive print awards, 2007 Reproduced courtesy of the artist

National Celtic Festival 2013 07 – 10 June Home of Australia’s largest and most diverse Celtic celebration: the National Celtic Festival 2013.

Henry Winkles Henry Bibby (engraver); The London Printing and Publishing Company (publisher) Geelong c.1855–60 hand‑coloured engraving Collection: Geelong Gallery Gift of Kenneth Miller, 1995

36 | BUSINESS NEWS

For three jam-packed days and lively nights visitors return to this internationally recognised event to experience all the magic of Celtic culture - music, dance, art, poetry, cuisine, even Gaelic languages. You’ll experience a great mix of traditional and contemporary to suit all ages and musical tastes.

Held over the winter long weekend at beautiful Portarlington on the Bellarine

Peninsula, the Festival is one of the premier events of the region.

We’re gearing up for the best festival yet in 2013, so head to the National Celtic Festival for a craic-ing good time!

Township of Portarlington www.nationalcelticfestival.com

Bethany Films Lore 11 June Australia’s entry to the 2013 Oscars for Best Foreign Language Film, this movie directed by Cate Shortland is set in 1945, at the end of World War II. Lore realises that something is very seriously wrong when her father who is in the SS arrives home with a truck to pack up their belongings to move to a remote location.

Later abandoned by the father, then by her mother, Lore is left to fend for her younger sister, twin brothers and baby brother. Thomas who claims that he is a Jewish survivor of the death camp joins the youngsters on the journey to their grandmother’s home outside Hamburg.

Directed by Cate Shortland, and starring Saskia Rosendhal , Nele Trebs, Andre Frid, Mika, Seidel.

The Playhouse, GPAC, Geelong www.gpac.org.au

Tom Burlinson - Now We’re Swinging 15 June Tom’s illustrious career stretches from acting and singing, to television host and theatrical producer. He first shot to stardom in the 80s when he was cast in the role of The Man From Snowy River, becoming one of the most successful Australian movies ever made.

Come fly with Tom Burlinson and a fabulous band of top musicians, as he salutes the masters of vocal swing: Frank Sinatra, Nat ‘King’ Cole, Dean

ARTS Martin, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr and Bobby Darin.

Also celebrating the swing superstars of today - Harry Connick Jr, Michael Bublé and Robbie Williams.

Accompanying Tom on stage will be an eight piece band, including some of the finest jazz musicians. ‘...had a capacity audience on its feet twice on opening night... a truly honest production... Burlinson has got Sinatra under his skin’ The Australian Tickets available from Box Office 87346000 Wyndham Cultural Centre, Werribee wyncc.com.au

Harbour Agency: Kate Miller-Heidke 18 – 19 June Building on the announcement of her metro tour of churches and cathedrals, Kate MillerHeidke will be embarking on her first extensive regional tour since 2009.

Described as a ‘triumphant statement’ (Daily Telegraph) and a ‘masterpiece’ (The Brag), Kate’s third studio album ‘Nightflight’ was released last year to critical acclaim, debuting at #2 on the ARIA album charts.

Previously Kate’s first album ‘Little Eve’ achieved gold status and received four ARIA nominations, her second album ‘Curiouser’ going on to reach double platinum sales in Australia, spawning two platinum hits ‘Last Day On Earth’ and ‘Caught In The Crowd’. In 2009 Kate, along with collaborator Keir Nuttall, became the first Australian to win the grand prize in the International Song writing Competition for ‘Caught In The Crowd’.

Tom Burlinson

The past year has been a whirlwind for Kate as she undertook two national tours, dates in Asia and Europe, a handful of festivals including Splendour In The Grass, Woodford Folk Festival and Pyramid Rock, a headline tour across the US, as well as

Kate Miller-Heidke a return visit to support the newly re-formed Ben Folds Five in stadiums throughout the country. Kate also performed a principle role in “The Death of Klinghoffer” with the English National Opera in their 2012 London season.

And now, for the first time since the release of ‘Nightlfight’, Kate is heading out on the road for an extensive tour of regional centres around Australia.

Playing in intimate theatres and venues, Kate will be performing as a duo with her long-time collaborator Keir Nuttall on guitar.

Kate says, “Of course I love playing in the capital cities, but there is something very special about the audiences in regional areas. It has been more than three years since my last big regional tour, so this one is long overdue.

These fans are hugely important to me, and I can’t wait to see them!”

Supporting all shows on the tour will be Franky Walnut, a well-scrubbed country boy who has been enthralling audiences both locally and at home with his extensive back catalogue of between six and seven songs, most of which he can remember the lyrics without prompting.

His material tackles weighty issues such as Australian identity and ringworm.

Don’t miss the opportunity to experience an up close and personal night with Kate Miller-Heidke as she tours Australia throughout May and June.

Drama Theatre, GPAC, Geelong

Foster And Allen 20 June Foster and Allen – Ireland’s most famous and successful duo return to Australia in 2013.

Mick Foster and Tony Allen have been performing together for over 30 years.

They first toured Australia in 1983 and this will be their 18th trip down under.

These charismatic singers have been performing their unique blend of easy listening and folk music and their popularity is proven with their record sales. Between them they have sold 18 million records, making them one of Ireland’s biggest entertainment exports, in the same league as U2, Enya, Boyzone and The Corrs. Their 23 albums have included the immensely popular The Rambles of Spring, A Bunch of Thyme, Maggie and After All These Years.

Formed in 1975, this most famous ever singing duo in Irish music history began working on the local music circuits of Ireland and England. Soon with their own special brand of music the duo became hugely popular.

In the first year, Foster and Allen recorded their first single, The Rambles of Spring which was a massive hit on both sides of the Irish Sea. After 30 years, their popularity continues to flourish and fans often travel long distances to catch their shows as they tour around the country.

Her Majesty’s Theatre, Ballarat www.hermaj.com

www.gpac.org.au

BUSINESS NEWS | 37

COMMUNITY

Girls’ Big Day Out: introducing girls to trade The Geelong region has been facing significant skill shortages for some time now, with trades appearing on the Victorian Government’s Skill Shortage List at the end of 2012.

T

he Girls’ Big Day Out, facilitated by Karingal through its initiative BacLinks, in partnership with the Gordon, was developed six years ago to introduce trade and other non-traditional career options to young girls as a way to address these identified shortages.

Held at the Gordon, the event saw around 100 Year 9 girls from eleven senior schools in the Geelong, Bellarine and Surf Coast regions spend the day gaining hands on experience from specialist Gordon tutors in a range of trade activities: bricklaying; cabinet making and joinery; electrotechnology; GTEC engineering; information technology; painting; horticulture and sustainability.

“The Girls’ Big Day Out is an invaluable tool for motivating and emphasising the importance of education and training to gain skills for a successful career,” said BacLinks Manager, Sheree Holdsworth. “It gives these students a taste of the many opportunities out there for them, and the chance to get their hands dirty!”

This year’s event was sponsored by the Alcoa Foundation, Gforce Employment Solutions, the Geelong Manufacturing Council, Blood Toyota and Faggs Mitre 10. Each of these businesses has special interest in promoting non-traditional career options to girls, viewing each event participant as a potential workforce candidate.

The girls also had the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge from four industry professionals who work at the Alcoa Point Henry Smelter, each sharing their real life personal and professional experiences of working in male dominated workplaces and assisted the girls to understand the complexities of using special tools and equipment.

“Alcoa is proud to sponsor the Girls’ Big Day Out. It showcases the large variety of career paths that are available, while offering a small sample of what it is really like to work in the field. The day also demonstrates how important a combination of academic, technical and social understanding is to these jobs,” said Kate Betts, Community Relations, Alcoa Point Henry.

Schools see this event as an important way to promote alternative careers to girls and believe participating students not only enjoy the activities, but also learn new skills and discover first hand some of the realities of females working in trade. As such, the event is a good adjunct to other school programs focussed on encouraging girls to consider trade career options.

“We had a fun time,” said one student, echoing the sentiments of the majority of participating girls. “It was interesting trying out new things, especially the hands on stuff, and I also got to make some new friends as well.”

This experience is valuable, given the number of barriers that can exist to discourage girls from pursuing non-traditional careers. These can include cultural aspects such as pressures from parents and peers, as well as negative perceptions of the physical limitations and overall work conditions of trade.

“The Girls’ Big Day Out gave Geelong girls in Year 9 the opportunity to learn about working in what is considered nontraditional trades for women. It showcased the large variety of career paths that are available, while offering a small sample of what it is really like to work in these jobs,” said Anthony Petkovic, Work and Further Education Coordinator, Sacred Heart College. “We hope this event helps the students to make more informed and confident career decisions.”

The Girls’ Big Day Out is just one of the many events and projects that BacLinks facilitates to meet a range of community need. Local businesses are encouraged to contact BacLinks or visit their website www.baclinks.org.au to find out how they can get involved, make a real difference and deliver fantastic outcomes for the community.

38 | BUSINESS NEWS

COMMUNITY

weeks talking to the less fortunate and to the agencies that support them,” Pam said.

Suspended Coffee Paying it Forward In a world where many wish they could lend a hand to the less fortunate, but are either not sure how to go about it, or too time poor to offer hands on assistance, the suspended coffee movement offers a simple answer - one that combines Italian tradition, charity and warm coffee and café fare.

T

hought to have begun in Naples over 10 years ago, where the movement goes by “caffé sospesso” it has swept the world through social media.

The pay it forward process is simple: a customer purchases an extra coffee, or meal, to leave suspended for someone who can’t afford to buy a coffee or meal.

Cafés keep track of the suspended coffees purchased by using a number of methods, including writing the tally on a blackboard or putting tokens in a jar.

After being alerted to the Suspended Coffee Movement in April, Pam Jewson, Golden Plate Award Project Manager and Shayne Goodall of Lavish Coffee, have together been working closely with Col Hastings from the Christ Church community meals program to make sure the word is being spread to the less fortunate and needy in the Geelong area.

“It was important that we made the right connections with those at grass roots level, to make sure that this great initiative was getting to the people most in need. Col has spent the last few

We have had fantastic support from the Geelong business community. Dyno Displays have donated the window decals, which are displayed on the windows of all cafes involved.

Market Square and Josie’s Transport have paid for the leaflets to be distributed to agencies that deal with the underprivileged, and Lake Imaging are donating $200 to the first café on board in each region they have a practice in, to kick start the movement.”

Lavish Specialty Coffee Geelong and Coffee by Design Ballarat were two of the first cafes in Regional Victoria to join up to support those down on their luck by offering suspended coffee.

Both have received the $200 donation from Lake Imaging.

“A suspended coffee may not be shelter for the night, but there’s something about a warm coffee or soup in your hands that can be comforting and uplifting, especially in the cold, wet months of winter. This simple act of charity is a humble means of expressing generosity in a situation where donors and recipients rarely come into contact. This is social cohesion; it is such a brilliant concept, so simple and accessible,” Pam said.

The suspended coffee campaign will help individuals who have to watch every penny feel part of the general community and to feel less isolated. It means a warm welcoming environment to walk into to obtain a free coffee or a sandwich and not feel judged.

“A lot of people in our community are doing it tough, and this is a simple and practical form of generosity that works at the local level,” said Lavish owner, Shayne Goodall.

The Geelong Suspended coffee facebook page was set up to spread the word to cafes and the community, and within a few weeks, the page received over 500 likes.

Around 60 cafes across Victoria have signed up to the suspended coffee movement. Sixteen cafes from the Geelong Region and three cafes in Ballarat are now taking part in the Suspended Coffee movement.

For more information or to join the Suspended Coffee Suspendcontact a coffee orJewson a Ginger Queenscliff movement, Pam on p: 03Mai’s, 5222 7779 or e: meal at: pamela@maximpr.com.au

Lavish, Market Square and High St Degani’s, Market Square Ramsays, Market Square, Bellarine Village & Geelong West Melting Moments, Belmont

Community Café, Corio 2 & 5 Fresh Food Shop, Corio Michel’s Patisserie, Ocean Grove

Café Smudge, Pakington St Little Europe, Geelong

Gobble, East Geelong

Coffee By Design, Ballarat

Warren and Hutch, Pakington St

Retro Church Café, Ballarat

Cravings, Geelong

Salt Fish and Chips, Ballarat

BUSINESS NEWS | 39

EVENTS

Extravaganza – Eat Drink Discover Geelong Extravaganza – Eat Drink Discover Geelong is an exciting new event being held in Geelong on Sunday 14 July. Patrons will have the chance to take their tastebuds on a journey through the countryside of the Bellarine, along the awe-inspiring Great Ocean Road, through the rainforests of the Otways, meander through the majestic valleys of the Golden Plains and back into central Geelong.

E

xtravaganza - Eat Drink Discover, is a celebration of the region’s finest produce, wines, boutique beers and ciders. The festival will boast a range of tantalising food and wine, from Bellarine Estate, Bellarine Brewing Company, Jack Rabbit Vineyards, Zeally Bay Sourdough, Gracious & Delicious, Flying Brick Cider, Mazamigo, Dinny Goonan, Barwon Lamb, Little Creatures, Terindah Estate, Prickly Moses, Churros Yummy Donuts and many more producers all from within the greater Geelong region.

Visitors will have the chance to talk to producers, taste their wares and fill their baskets with local discoveries. Hawker stands will also make sure no one goes hungry, with Diversitat’s Wholefood Cafe offering Middle Eastern and African dishes and local cafe’s preparing soups, BBQ delights, seafood and more.

Provedore, Andy Pye from Rue Cler Market, and Dwayne Bourke from the Black Sheep, as well as time on the couch with Tez Kemp from La Madre Bakery, Nathan Johnston from Coffee Cartel, local wine gurus and more. There’s also the Kids’ Patch for the younger patrons to enjoy some foodie-focused activities.

Geelong’s Extravaganza brings local chefs, baristas, media and professional ‘foodies’ along to educate, talk and dissect the region’s produce

Geelong’s Extravaganza brings local chefs, baristas, media and professional ‘foodies’ along to educate, talk and dissect the region’s produce. Learn more about what the region has to offer at the Master Class sessions and demonstration cooking at the Kitchen Corner.

Poh Ling Yeow, runner up in the first MasterChef series and now host of hit ABC TV show, Poh’s Kitchen, will host the Kitchen Corner open stage. The Kitchen Corner line up includes demonstrations from chefs Robin Wickens from Wickens

of foodie knowledge.

Master Class sessions are included in the entry price (registration is required prior to the event or on the day) and will include a Coffee Snobs Coffee Master Class, Little Creatures Beer Master Class and a Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz Master Class. All classes will run for 45 minutes and will be pitched to all levels

An indoor event for the whole family, Extravaganza - Eat Drink Discover is being held at Geelong’s iconic Cunningham Pier. Book through GPAC. $30 Adults, $20 concession, $10 children (3-18 years), $50 for family (all activities mentioned above are included). Children under 3 are free.

Visit www.extravaganzageelong.com.au for more information or follow Extravaganza Geelong on Facebook and Twitter.

SUNDAY

14 JULY 2013

CUNNINGHAM PIER GEELONG

WWW.EXTRAVAGANZAGEELONG.COM.AU

40 | BUSINESS NEWS

gourmet pizzas… all day grazing menu… cocktails… three decks… dJ… live music… extensive wine list… perfect for after-work drinks open monday to wednesday - 3pm ‘til late and thursday to sunday - 12pm ‘til late. available to be privately booked monday - tuesday and function spaces are available to be booked from wednesday - sunday.

Cunningham Pier. 10 Western Beach Foreshore Road, Geelong 3220 | www.thecityquarter.com.au | manager@thecityquarter.com.au | (03) 5222 6233

City Quarter

cityquarterbar

‘Meet’ in Geelong’s most spectacular conference & events venue

Call our Events Sales Team now to arrange a site inspection, you’ll be surprised what The Pier has to offer

Conferences & seminars • Exhibitions • Cocktail parties • Product launches • Major events • Private functions Voted #1 Best Regional Venue in Victoria.

Cunningham Pier, 10 Western Beach Foreshore Rd, Geelong (03) 5222 6444 enquiries@thepiergeelong.com.au www.thepiergeelong.com.au

Cunningham Pier

@CunninghamPier

Come in and try our new Winter menu...

Spectacular views out over the water and alfresco dining Open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner (excluding Sunday night)

Including express & long lunches Geelong’s most impressive private meeting room available for corporate meetings

...reignite the romance with a stroll along Cunningham Pier Cunningham Pier, Geelong (03) 5222 6377 reservations@baveras.com.au www.baveras.com.au

Baveras

@BaverasThePier

credo.GBN.09.12

Voted by readers of Spice News.

AFTER HOURS

Lunch with Mark Bouris It just has a nice ring to it doesn’t it? “Oh, I’ve just come from lunch with Mark Bouris…”

Well, for a couple of hundred guests at the Geelong Chamber of Commerce President’s lunch last month, they could quite honestly facebook and tweet the above, and many did.

The Mr Charisma of the finance world, Executive Chairman of Yellow Brick Road Wealth Management and host of TV reality show, Australia’s Celebrity Apprentice, Bouris shared his personal insights and reflections on a career in business shaped by mentors such as the late Kerry Packer.

Mark Bouris

“The Chamber holds two or three President’s luncheons each year, featuring well known and high profile keynote speakers,” said Chamber President, Mark Sanders.

“Mark’s presentation resonated with many of the business leaders in the room. He has the business credentials, and he delivered some very key messages.

“The Chamber was pleased to also support a great cause with proceeds from the luncheon going towards Barwon Youth’s Big Brothers, Big Sisters Geelong, part of the world’s largest youth mentoring program,” Mr Sanders said.

Mark Sanders, Mark Bouris and Bernadette Uzelac

42 | BUSINESS NEWS

AFTER HOURS

Katrina and Nick Nydam

Mark Bouris with Di Nelson

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BUSINESS NEWS | 43

AFTER HOURS

Smiles all round at Admin Breakfast Held at The Pier Geelong and hosted by Channel 7’s Rebecca Maddern, the Business Technology Specialists (BTS) Administrative Professionals breakfast was a fun morning to celebrate the work of admin professionals across our region, and to raise valuable funds for Give Where You Live.

Cr Keith Fagg & Rebecca Maddern

The morning raised over $36,000, which will assist Give Where You Live help build a better Geelong.

The morning consisted of a special interview with Amanda Lee, the Executive Assistant to the Mayor Cr Keith Fagg, and a Westfield fashion parade hosted by stylist, Renee Enright.

Joy Leggo walked away with the major raffle prize of a half-carat diamond pendant valued at $3,000 from Duff’s Jewellers.

Renee Enright & Rebecca Maddern host Wesfield fashion Parade

44 | BUSINESS NEWS

Cher Wakefield, Gail Lee, Amanda Lee & Trevor Lee

AFTER HOURS

Golfers have a ball in terrible weather 19Th Annual Rotary Club Of Geelong Barry Bell Classic Charity Golf Day

Torrential rain and freezing winds didn’t deter the 120 keen golfers who rolled up to support the Barry Bell Classic Charity Golf Day on Thursday 16th at 13th Beach Golf Links.

The golf day is a highlight of the corporate calendar and continues to grow in success.

Over the last 19 years the event has raised in excess of $600,000 to support local charities as well the Rotary ‘International donations in-kind’ project.

The 2013 event was proudly sponsored by Malishev World Class Homes. Director Paul Malishev says: “As the major sponsor we believed we could contribute so much more by actively engaging in the facilitation of the event. Our aim is to help the Rotary Club raise funds for various charitable causes.” One of the major beneficiaries of this year’s event is the Geelong Hospital Appeal and in particular the Special Care Nursery Redevelopment Fund.

The event is held in memory of Paul Malishev’s father-inlaw and long-serving Rotarian Barry Bell OAM. Barry and his fellow Rotarians pioneered the golf day which has become a

major charitable fundraising event. The event organizers were delighted that Barry’s widow Barbara and his daughters Mandy Malishev and Melissa Hoare were able to attend the lunch and enjoy the occasion with the other participants.

This year’s event has been highly successful with $58,000 being raised to support the Geelong Hospital Appeal and to provide overseas aid to underdeveloped countries.

The winning team from Ilve walked away with the trophy and some great prizes. All enjoyed a delicious lunch and the proceedings were hosted

by MC Warren Jackman.

Although wet to the skin when returning from the course, everyone warmed up during the enjoyable lunch and formal proceedings. Rotary volunteers provided a delicious cooked breakfast before players braved the freezing conditions.

The event enjoyed a huge amount of support with so many kind sponsors and donors that there are too many to list individually.

The organizers of the event are hugely grateful for such tremendous support.

R (

BUSINESS NEWS | 45

WHAT’S ON

Arthur BARTHOLOMEW (1834-1909) Brown Tree Frog (Litoria ewingii)

01 June – 21 July The Art of Science: Scientific illustrations from Museum Victoria Whether they fly, swim, crawl, wiggle or walk, we are endlessly fascinated and inspired by the creatures of our world. The Art of Science showcases the uncommon beauty produced from 300 years of exacting scientific observation and illustration.

As exploration and science have expanded our horizons across time and space, the ability to capture and communicate the truths held in nature have become increasingly important.

Scientific artwork is as important and astonishing today as it was in the 18th century.

In this exquisite exhibition Museum Victoria presents the development of scientific art from the State museum’s seldom seen collection of artworks and rare books, and stunning images produced with microscopes, macro-lenses, and computers.

Mars and Timken Galleries, Ballarat www.artgalleryofballarat.com.au

03 June – 01 July Living Greener course Start your journey to a greener future with this fun community course. Learn how to save energy and money at home, understand electricity bills, assess the energy efficiency of household appliances, and reduce your carbon footprint.

Conducted over four morning sessions with lots of practical activities and demonstrations.

Energy testing equipment and a six-month membership of Geelong Sustainability Group 46 | BUSINESS NEWS

is included. The course is supported by Future Proofing Geelong.

Portarlington Neighbourhood House www.geelongsustainability.org.au

07 – 10 June Melbourne International 3 Day Event Families searching for the perfect winter’s day outing should look no further than the Melbourne International 3 Day Event this Queen’s Birthday Weekend, offering fun and action, a variety of children’s activities, the Wyndham Community Day and a fantastic program of equestrian sporting over four days, from Friday to Monday.

Werribee Park National Equestrian Centre www.equestrianvictoriaevents. com.au/Melbourne3DE/

07 June – 12 July Andrew and Irena Sibley – Sibley2 Andrew Sibley (b. 1933) is a renowned Australian artist whose career has spanned over 5 decades and he has consistently exhibited around Australia and overseas. His artworks focus on the human condition and the ways in which we interact and relate.

Irena Sibley (1943 – 2009) was a renowned Australian artist, writer, illustrator of children’s books, and art teacher. Her artwork employed a range of techniques, including handcoloured linocuts and acrylic painting. Art from a wonderful husband and wife team.

Gallery on Sturt, Ballarat www.ballarat.vic.gov.au

John James AUDUBON (1785-1851) Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)

07 June – 12 July

15 June

Kat Pengelly Wear Art Now Exhibition of artful fashion by Kat Pengelly, including wearable art outfits and accessories. The opening night on Friday 7/6 features a fashion parade of Kat’s outfits.

Andrew Stockdale After nearly a decade on the road with Wolfmother, winning a Grammy and numerous ARIA Awards along the way, Andrew Stockdale returns to us with a surge of creativity. Keep Moving is his first self-produced studio album, under his own name and a fourteen-date national tour.

Gallery on Sturt, Ballarat www.ballarat.vic.gov.au

The Wool Exchange, Geelong

08 June – 10 June

http://andrewstockdale.com/

Ballarat Junior Basketball Tournament 42nd Annual Junior Basketball Tournament attracting over 200 teams to Ballarat from all areas of the State. Games played at WIN Minerdome, WSEC and many school venues.

15 June

WIN Minerdome, Ballarat www.ballaratbasketball.com

14 June African Drumming Class Learn the fundamentals of drum technique and timing by exploring dynamic rhythms from Ghana & beyond. What are the benefits of African drumming? African drumming is fun, energising and inspirational to people of all ages and of different backgrounds and abilities.

Playing the djembe drums improves co-ordination and motor skills. It also requires concentration and focus to learn the different drumbeats. African drumming encourages creativity and self-expression. Drumming circles help to reassure young people of their own abilities and talents.

Memorial Hall, Grovedale www.africanstardance.com

Tom Burlinson - Now We’re Swinging Come fly with Tom Burlinson and a fabulous band of top musicians, as he salutes the masters of vocal swing: Frank Sinatra, Nat ‘King’ Cole, Dean Martin, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr and Bobby Darin. Also celebrating the swing superstars of today - Harry Connick Jr, Michael Bublé, and Robbie Williams. Accompanying Tom on stage will be an eight piece band, including some of the finest jazz musicians.

Tickets available from Box Office 8734 6000.

Wyndham Cultural Centre, Werribee www.wyncc.com.au

18 June Managing People for Work Performance Feedback and Appraisals Develop skills to manage performance feedback, comply with legislation and business policy, design and manage an effective performance appraisal process, unlock peak performance and productivity, understand the relationship between job expectations

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B h S y T o a G w y

WHAT’S ON

Ken WALKER (b.1956) Head of a Cerambycid beetle (Chlorophorus annularis)

and high performance, set realistic performance standards and goals, provide valuable performance feedback, and document performance appraisals and development plans.

Designed for HR professionals, small business owners wanting to gain important HR skills, Managers and supervisors with performance management and development responsibilities.

Includes interactive learning experience, participant training guide, feedback and performance appraisal resources, and refreshments.

Mercure Geelong

corporate dinners, this is an event not to be missed.

The Old Geelong Goal www.stlaurence.org.au

www.trybooking.com/47378

www.experiencewyndham.com. au

20 – 21 June Winter Solstice One Act Plays As the nights grow colder and the days get shorter, the Potato Shed is proud to present two unique nights of entertainment to warm you up over the Solstice weekend.

Come and celebrate winter with fire, warm wine, music and two amazing one act plays.

Guaranteed to stimulate the senses in more ways than one!

Patrons will be welcomed with a warming shot, mulled wine, barrels of fire and fine music.

Potato Shed, Drysdale www.geelongaustralia.com.au/ potatoshed/

21 June Blue and White Ball hosted by St Laurence SAVE THE DATE for a party like you’ve never been to before.

This year, St Laurence is pulling out all the stops by throwing their annual ball at The Old Geelong Goal … and you should see what they have got in store for you! Gone are the days of stuffy

29 June The Faulty Towers Dining Experience The Faulty Towers Dining Experience includes a three course meal with beverages available at bar prices. Limited seating 130 people per show, members $70ph and nonmembers $75ph.

Phone the ISCW for bookings on 9741 1225.

Italian Sports Club of Werribee

29 June Public pruning demonstrations With over 5000 roses (covering about 6 acres), the Victoria State Rose Garden is one of the tourist gems of Victoria.

Awarded the International Garden of Excellence by the World Federation of Rose Societies in 2003, it was the first rose garden outside of Europe to receive this Award and the only one (at that time) cared for entirely by volunteers. Come and learn how the Victoria State Rose Garden Supporters prune for a maximum display of roses.

The Rose Garden is open from 9.30am to 5pm during the winter months.

State Rose Garden, Werribee www.vicstaterosegarden.com.au

29 June AFL Round 14 – Geelong v Fremantle See the Cats take on the Dockers under lights at Simonds Stadium.

Ludwig BECKER (1808-61) Weedy Seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus)

Game kick off is at 7:40pm with gates open to the public at 5:30pm.

for the evil creature Black Anny haunting the farm.

Simonds Stadium, Geelong

Bookings essential, contact Alaine or Bart Beek on 9742 3068.

www.ticketmaster.com.au

Historic farm at Werribee Park

Tickets through Ticketmaster.

02 July 2013 Wyndham Amazing Adventure Wyndham’s children are being invited to come on an Amazing Adventure this school holidays, with a treasure hunt through the city. We are encouraging children to come dressed as ‘something magical’ as we will be hosting a best dressed competition.

Children in kindergarten and early primary school are encouraged to come along for the free event, as clues lead them to a treasure chest of goodies along Watton Street, Werribee. Also included in the treasure hunt are craft workshops, a magic show, and face painting.

As this is an outdoor event, please be prepared for all weather conditions. Bring a raincoat or jacket, hat and sunscreen and wear sensible shoes. The treasure hunt will take children approximately one hour to complete and the free show will go for about 40 minutes.

Watton Street, Werribee www.experiencewyndham.com.au

06 July Eerie comedy play, ‘Down to Earth’ at Werribee Park Performed at the wonderfully atmospheric historic farm at Werribee Park, this fun interactive play takes you back to farm life in 1866, but look out

www.essenceproductions.com.au

06 July Winter Luncheon and Gardens Talk: Where Horticulture Meets Ecology Now a popular annual event, the Winter Luncheon & Gardens Talk will feature a presentation

by John Arnott, Horticulture Manager of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne and home to the multi-award winning Australian Garden.

The Australian Garden shares with visitors the beauty and diversity of Australian plants. It is a place to explore the evolving connections between people, plants and landscapes.

The Australian Garden is also a place to discover inspiration and information about how to use Australian plants in your garden.

After 20 years of planning, construction and planting, the vibrant Australian Garden is now fully realised with completion of Stage 2, bringing the total size of the Garden to an impressive 15 hectares.

Stage 2 comprises 11 new precincts and facilities including a visitor kiosk at the northern end of the Garden, boardwalks and viewing platforms on Howson and Gibson Hills, and an amphitheatre for education programs and performances.

Buninyong Town Hall, Ballarat www.ballarat.vic.gov.au

BUSINESS NEWS | 47

the right person can transform your business speak to the experts

We are Geelong’s leading experts in recruiting qualified, professional and skilled people.

We operate across the private and public sectors, dealing in permanent positions, contract roles and temporary assignments.

Over the last year our Geelong office we placed around 95 local job seekers into permanent jobs with local employers and around 150 people into contract roles and temporary assignments. Our service is based on our belief that the right job can transform a person’s life and the right person can transform a business.

Our recruiting experts are available in the following areas: • Hays Accountancy & Finance • Hays Architecture • Hays Construction • Hays Engineering • Hays Information Technology • Hays Office Support • Hays Trades & Labour To find out more about our services and how we can bring you together with the right people contact us at geelong@hays.com.au or 03 5226 8000.

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