Insider 128 | Convention Issue

Insider

128

DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

MAGAZINE OF THE SELF STORAGE ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALASIA

Convention Issue Gold Coast 2022

Industry Award Winners 30 Year Celebrations

Unlocking the Next Normal

State of the Industry 2022

INDUSTRY NEWS | HUMAN RESOURCES | OH&S | LEGAL | TRADE DIRECTORY

For all SSAA Members we’ve got everything you need for this season...and more!

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CONTENTS 3

SSAA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Chairman – Michael Alafaci Storage King Group, New South Wales Shaun Bain (outgoing) Keepsafe Storage, Western Australia Ryan Coom (outgoing) National Mini Storage, New Zealand Martin Coote (outgoing) Lock Distributors, New South Wales Ned Coten City West Storage, Victoria

Wayne Dade (outgoing) Glenelg Self Storage and Western Self Storage, South Australia

8

25 GC CONVENTION 2022

8 16 17 19 25 36

David Daddow Able Self Storage, South Australia Ivor Morgan (outgoing) Jim’s Self Storage, Victoria

Thomas Whalan Rent A Space, New South Wales

LIFETIME MEMBERS Mark Bateman David Blackwell Frank Cooney Elaine Coote Liz Davies Dallas Dogger John Eastwood Simone Hill Neville Kennard Sam Kennard Bob Marsh Jim Miller Jon Perrins Phil Robbie Mark Snooks Richard Whalan

SSAA STAFF

Makala Ffrench Castelli CEO Sandra Evans Office Manager

Georgia Dogger Member Relations

www.selfstorage.org.au TOLL FREE – AUS: 1800 067 313 TOLL FREE – NZ: 0800 444 356

T: +61 3 9466 9699

Address: Unit 4/2 Enterprise Drive, Bundoora Vic 3083 E: admin@selfstorage.com.au Connect to our Social Media via our website

4 6 37 36

40 41 42 44

Facility Tours Golf Day

30-Year Celebrations

Women in self storage Gala Dinner

20 STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 2022

28 REGULARS

Unlocking the Next Normal

AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 27 Life member SSAA 2022 28 Awards for Excellence Winners

Chairman’s Report CEO’s Report Industry News OH&S – Safety considerations when purchasing and repurposing an existing building OHS – Safety Simplified HR Help Desk – Nurturing and valuing your team Legal Help Desk – Changes to unfair contract terms lie ahead Trade Directory

32 Service Award recipients 34 DFV RESOURCES

The long reach of domestic violence

35 STORCO ADVERTORIAL

Faster installation with fastener-free lockers

38 New service members 39 STORMAN SOFTWARE Meet Haydn Salvas, General Manager of Storman Software

Insider is published and edited by: Social Ties / E: vforbes@socialties.com.au

Designed by: Keely Goodall / E: keely@itsallgood.net.au

Printed by: Homestead Press / E: printing@homesteadpress.com.au Insider magazine (Insider) is published bi-monthly by the Self Storage Association of Australasia Limited (ABN 23 050 341 725). This publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, in whole or in part, without the express, prior written permission of the publisher. While every care has been taken in the preparation and publication of Insider, none of the Insider’s publisher, editor nor any of the publisher’s employees, subcontractors or contributors give any warranty as to the completeness or accuracy of the publication’s content, nor do any of them assume any responsibility or liability for any loss, damage or expense which may result from, or arise in connection with, any inaccuracy or omission in the publication. The views or opinions expressed in Insider are not necessarily those of Insider’s publisher or editor. Furthermore, Insider has the right to accept or reject any editorial and advertising material. All letters addressed to Insider will be regarded as ‘for publication’ unless clearly marked ‘Not for Publication’. All submissions to Insider may be edited for reasons of space or clarity and opinions expressed in letters published in Insider are those of the author, not of Insider’s publisher or editor.

DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 INSIDER 128

4 CHAIRMAN'S REPORT

Michael Alafaci Chairman SSAA

“

We thank all our outgoing directors for their service and welcome our new directors who we’ll feature in the next edition of Insider.

INSIDER 128 DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

W

hat a year 2022 has been.

The sector continues to go from strength to strength and we’re proud to have delivered State of the Industry 2022 that captures the success of our sector these past few years. While the future looks a little more uncertain, we’re confident that strong fundamentals will underpin the return to stabilised growth.

From skiing in Queenstown to summer on the Gold Coast, it’s been great to reconnect with so many members in person and share industry knowledge, insights and learn more about how we can best support your businesses.

The Board gathered at GC22 to review our strategic plan and chart our priorities for the coming years. We’re pleased to have delivered both on our strategic objectives and our operational goals, having streamlined your association and invested in a range of new resources for members, including StorerCheck, SIP, new online training and an updated parking study, all while improving our financial sustainability.

At GC22 we presented a number of important SSAA Service Awards (you can read more on page 32) and at the AGM we farewelled a number of longstanding and experienced directors who have made significant contributions to the SSAA. We thank all our outgoing directors for their service and welcome our new directors who we’ll feature in the next edition of Insider.

Here’s to a prosperous 2023 for us all. l

www.selfstorage.org.au

6 CEO’S DINK REPORT

Makala Ffrench Castelli CEO SSAA

W

e were delighted to welcome more than 300 members to the self storage event of the year – a record for our industry and a great way to celebrate our return to large scale events.

In keeping with our commitment to forge strong relationships within the self storage community, there were plenty of opportunities to connect, reconnect, network, and engage with owners, operators, executives, investors and suppliers across the three days.

For those who were unable to join us in person, we offered a live stream of the plenary sessions which was warmly received by members across Australia and New Zealand. The full recordings are now available in the SSAA Member Portal for all to enjoy and refer back to across the year. There are so many interesting insights and valuable lessons within these resources so I encourage all members to make the most of them.

It’s impossible to pack three days of content, networking and engagement into the pages of a magazine so we’ve done our best to share the highlights in this edition of Insider.

Thanks must go to our event sponsors, major partners, speakers and all those who have engaged in and supported the planning of our return to in-person events. These events are for you, our valued members, and we’re looking forward to delivering more of the same in 2023. l

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INSIDER 128 DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

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Highlights Gold Coast | Nov 9-11 2022

The Self Storage Association of Australasia (SSAA) Convention was held from 9–11 November at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort on the Gold Coast. The event drew more than 300 self storage enthusiasts from around the globe who engaged, networked and celebrated with each other across three days. In keeping with our abnormal world, this year’s theme was ‘Unlocking the Next Normal’, with thought leaders, industry experts and delegates all looking ahead to the future of self storage.

DAY ONE

Attendees kicked off the first day of the Convention with the TransTasman Golf Tournament and others explored some of Southport’s biggest self storage facilities – Kennards Self Storage and National Storage.

The afternoon was filled with workshops - from sales and digital marketing to a full house for the ‘Getting Started in Self Storage’ session presented by RegisBuilt.

Each speaker had 15 minutes to impart their knowledge and expertise on everything from feasibility to construction, management and marketing.

The first day ended with a spectacular Welcome on the Water, where delegates cruised around the Broadwater sunset. It was the perfect way to celebrate being back together and officially get the self storage event of the year underway.

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www.selfstorage.org.au

SSAA CONVENTION 2022 9

DAY TWO

A day of speakers and presentations with an economic update from leading commentator Michael Pascoe, followed by Linda Sharkey of Cushman & Wakefield and Makala Ffrench Castelli launching SSAA’s comprehensive industry report, State of the Industry 2022. Expert panellists shared their insights on various topics, from tips when operating at capacity to how new entrants are thinking about investments in self storage.

Day two ended with a Women in Storage High Tea at the Palazzo Versace, followed by the much-anticipated Trade Show In Between The Flags, where delegates browsed the booths and discovered the latest innovations and all things self storage.

www.selfstorage.org.au

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10 SSAA CONVENTION 2022

DAY THREE

To start the final day, Lucinda Hartley from Neighbourlytics took everyone through lifestyle and community changes impacting self storage.

Terry Bagley of Janus International shared the latest insights and trends from across the US. Jo Mason from Work Haven addressed one of the most challenging topics for workplaces – domestic and family violence at work, and the role self storage employers can take in both supporting their staff through DFV situations and supporting customers experiencing DFV within the self storage environment.

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Local and global panellists then explored self storage trends and insights from around the world. After lunch an esteemed panel of industry pioneers took a closer look at the changes over 30 years in self storage. The final keynote speaker was behavioural scientist Darren Hill, who encouraged us to find success on the brink of uncertainty.

With the conclusion of the formalities, there was only one thing left to do – celebrate those leading the way in self storage with the 30th anniversary poolside cocktail celebrations presented by R6 Digital and our glitzy SSAA Awards for Excellence presented by VISY Boxes and More. l For more information about GC22 and to view the recordings visit the SSAA Member Portal.

Find out more about SSAA State of the Industry on page 20-23.

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INSIDER 128 DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

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SSAA CONVENTION 2022 11

GC22: Key Highlights More than 30 speakers and industry experts shared their knowledge and insights with the industry over three days at GC22. Here we share some key takeaways from the self storage event of the year.

Unprecedented times and unprecedented demand

Leading finance and economics commentator Michael Pascoe set the scene for the next normal and provided a brilliant overview of the state of the economy. Michael spoke of the opportunities that lie in challenging times and encouraged us to find better ways of doing things. While the world is largely in an uncertain state, Michael remains optimistic about Australia, stating there is “no better place to be right now.”

Linda Sharkey of Cushman & Wakefield and SSAA CEO Makala Ffrench Castelli presented an overview of State of the Industry which saw 2022 deliver another year of record performance right across the industry. l 9.4% of the total adult population in Australia and New Zealand are now using self storage, up from 8.6% in 2020 l Average facility occupancy rates are now sitting at 91% l Perth and Brisbane have been the standout performers, with RevPAM (Revenue Per Available Square Metre per annum) growth of 41% and 21%, respectively The increase in demand has coincided with an increase in supply, but there is still considerable untapped storage demand across both markets.

Know your demographics

The report revealed long-term storage users are now more likely to be part of a younger family, in the 25-45 age category.

“The report shows us that for these demographics, safety, cleanliness and technology are all important.

There are so many insights that can www.selfstorage.org.au

Keynote speaker, Michael Pascoe.

“

Michael remains optimistic about Australia, stating there is “no better place to be right now.” be used as education in who you appeal to and who you are likely to appeal to in the future.”

At our Getting Started in Self Storage workshop, Patrick Mulcahy from Cushman & Wakefield provided an overview of what to look for when understanding the potential of a self storage development. He said knowing your local market and demographics before you turn soil – including population, catchment area and household income – is critical.

“A market that in today’s terms may not seem like a great place to develop storage may be a great opportunity down the track,” Patrick

said. “Understanding that self storage is a long-term play is critical in recognising where opportunities present themselves in the market.”

Changes in lifestyle and living spaces

Consumer expectations are changing, and so is the way people use self storage, highlighting the importance of the customer experience. Lucinda Hartley from the leading social analytics platform Neighbourlytics got us thinking about how lifestyle shifts impact the location, effectiveness and demand for self storage.

“The most significant changes to our lives throughout the pandemic were lifestyle behaviours, and not physical environment or demographics,” she said. “The challenge is using this data to forecast the future of property and places.

“People want a local lifestyle experience within 15 minutes of

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Linda Sharkey, Cushman & Wakefield.

“Make sure you first design with traditional storage in mind,” he said, “then try to adapt other areas into any leftover space.”

Javier also shared his tips on getting around council requirements, from the impact on neighbours to plant species used in landscaping and how to tick all these boxes early on.

“Before you lodge a set of plans, request a pre-lodgement meeting with the council, and they’ll tell you about any concerns they have with the site.”

Design smarter to avoid making your life harder

their house. People don’t want to commute. This has had a huge impact on self storage and how that density changes demand.”

Downsizing, disruption and decluttering

With COVID came changes in how we live and work, including the continued growth of e-commerce, which provided even more reasons for individuals and businesses to use self storage. Moving to homebased businesses, for example, created a need for storage as people moved to operate their businesses more flexibly.

Belinda Aanensen from Fiftyfive5 encouraged self storage owners to consider how to best leverage these use cases.

“There are many reasons to use storage, and the more we can demonstrate that to customers, the better,” she said. “We need to help people appreciate the value of storage.”

Getting Started Know your calculations (and your council)

While there are multiple types of self storage and ways to utilise space effectively across a site, Javier Rezzonico from Storcad said the traditional model is by far the most popular and most lucrative.

More operators are looking to make self storage work on smaller blocks of land – and they have to get creative to maximise net lettable space and minimise build costs.

Anthony Regis from RegisBuilt provided an overview of new builds compared with conversions, citing design space, financials, demographics and project timelines as key considerations in making your decision.

Anthony said operators are trying to maximise vertical space, mainly due to land costs going up.

“Twenty years ago, we only built single-level facilities,” he said. “Ten years ago, it was two levels. These days, three levels are becoming more common.”

Maximise your net lettable area

Mark Layton from Storco shared his tips on how to maximise your net lettable area (NLA).

“The greater your NLA, the more space you can potentially rent, which means the greater your potential returns,” Mark said.

Mark suggested going with a varied range of unit sizes, and getting your customers into the smallest unit they can fit into.

“Half the space earns you two thirds the money.”

Maintain a strong visual brand

Mark also provided an overview of smart design choices for building successful facilities, and said an attractive design can improve brand salience, “whether that be custom colours or murals on the wall.”

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“

There are many reasons to use storage, and the more we can demonstrate that to customers, the better.”

– Belinda Aanensen, Fiftyfive5 He also expressed the importance of building for the future to minimise maintenance costs, with good, energy-efficient lighting essential to making people feel safe.

“The customer wants more of a retail feel,” he said. “A lot of bigger facilities have music playing and are very well lit…Light, bright and airy is what people want today.”

Value your supply chain

It’s been a challenging few years for the construction industry, with widespread delays leading to few projects being delivered on time, and cost escalations leading to frustration.

In his wide-ranging conversation with Makala Ffrench Castelli, Steve Taylor from Total Construction Group told the audience that this difficult period has made the importance of relationships and experienced teams clearer than ever.

“The shortage of resources has taught us to value the supply chain and form those strong relationships,” he said. Steve said while supply chains are going to continue to be an issue for the foreseeable future, there is plenty of room for innovation in the industry, with increasing opportunities to source products locally and support Australian manufacturing where possible.

Organised crime is on the rise

Self storage owners and operators have a critical role to play in helping combat the growing rates of organised crime seen across the sector.

Roman from BorderForce and Nick from the Australian Federal Police encouraged members to trust their instincts and report any suspicious activity.

“You are the subject matter experts within your fields. Go with your gut www.selfstorage.org.au

SSAA CONVENTION 2022 13

feeling. If something doesn’t feel right, make it your business and give us a call” said Roman from BorderForce.

SSAA will be working closely with the AFP next year to develop additional resources that address this widespread issue.

Build your facility like a fortress

Jason Keane from Storage Security Group stressed the importance of eliminating vulnerable and unauthorised access areas.

“The more investment you can make into CCTV, individual unit alarms, access control and data – the better,” he said. “If you can build your storage facility like a fortress, then do so. The intention is to make it too hard to break into your facility.”

Benjamin Parsad from Janus Australia agreed, and said facility automation can help to ensure you are well aware of what’s happening in your facility.

“In the past, software stayed on the computer – if you don’t open it, you don’t see it,” he said. “Now with technology in your pocket, if anything happens [within your individual unit or at your facility], you’ll know straight away.”

return without having self storage expertise internally.

“You need somebody that knows exactly what they’re doing. We go to a lot of effort to make sure we have the right people who make self storage an experience that’s memorable.”

Having the right manager with the right skill sets was also highlighted in our expert panel, Close to Capacity, where experienced operators shared their tips and tricks for managing facilities that are full.

Structuring the sales process to understand your customer’s needs, being strategic with unit size recommendations and making sure you’re keeping on top of arrears were key learnings from Daniel Stern, Operations Manager at Fort Knox Self Storage.

Grant McNamee from iBidonStorage shared insights from his many years of operational management experience, stressing the importance of pricing strategies and providing tips such as taking clear photos, removing personal items from storage units prior to auctions and not telling tales when someone comes to collect an auctioned lot.

Protect your online data

Mark Greig, Chief Operating Officer of StoreLocal spoke about effective management and clear communication when disaster strikes.

With so much inclement weather around, Mark took the audience through his learnings from managing through several flood events and reinforced the importance of planning and preparation.

…and the right management software

Self storage software is integral to operating and streamlining your business, so it’s important to choose the right product that will go on your self storage journey with you. Ben Williams from Storman provided an overview of the different use cases for self storage software and outlined some key considerations to look for: l Will it do everything you need it to do? l Will it grow with your business? l Has the product been made for the market you operate in? l Are the add-ons integrated or do you have to use third-party software? l Who has access to the data and what are the privacy implications?

“

Just like any other organisation, self storage operators are at risk from cyber scams. Dr James Carlopio from Cultural Cyber Security took us through the dark web and the challenges around cyber security.

His top tips for protecting yourself and your customers included: 1. Use a VPN. 2. Establish a password manager – and change your password often.

3. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA).

4. Backup and encrypt your data.

The SSAA is partnering with Cultural Cyber Security to develop more cyber security resources for members in 2023.

People want a local lifestyle experience within 15 minutes of their house. People don’t want to commute.

This has had a huge impact on self storage and how that density changes demand.”

Find the right manager…

Peter Camphin from StoreLocal spoke about the management of self storage facilities, and what you need to know to run your facility. Third party management is one way to generate a good www.selfstorage.org.au

Lucinda Hartley, Neighbourlytics.

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“Look for a software solution that’s all-in-one, and use software that is recommended by SSAA,” said Ben. Miles Davison from Storeganise shared his perspective during the Smarter Facilities panel, where he agreed with panelists Aaron Alsweiler from Safe Store and Jonathan Wildon from Storman that every part of automation is a journey and it doesn’t have to be “unmanned”.

Businesses can start with simple processes and basic tasks, then work right through to online bookings, payments and integrating systems.

Not every business wants or needs to automate everything - finding a blended experience that works for the business, the brand and the customer is important.

The future is automated

Over in the Owner’s stream, an expert panel discussed what’s driving the trend towards automation from an owner’s perspective. Thomas Whalan from Rent A Space said it’s all about return on investment.

“The wonderful thing about self storage is it’s quite a simple business – we’re trying to get more customers, drive more occupancy and drive the rates. If you focus on these things in

automation, you’ll drive that return on investment.”

Haydn Salvas from Storman agreed, and said the intent around automation from a technology perspective is driving that benefit across three areas: “Customers, stakeholder and people. The challenge is not losing sight of what the original intent was.”

Will Debord from Janus International provided an American perspective, and said trying to do more with less is key.

“We’re seeing increasingly more after-hours rentals with over 50 percent of move-ins being online and contactless bookings,” he said.

“We’ll start to see more IT products with more integrated solutions.”

When it comes to integrating the customer journey, Michael Dogger from R6 Digital said he sees potential in automating every single touch point, but a missing piece has been automated ID solutions.

“We’ve automated all the pre-sale touchpoints like digital marketing and booking,” he said. “However, with all the recent hacks, customers no longer want to hand over their licence. Now the biggest part for new customers is ID verification. This is becoming integral.”

“

Most businesses hire too late, when we’re too busy. We don’t have enough time to invest and really set them up for success. How are you building the relationship with your new employees as they start? – Damien Gooden, HR Central Damien Gooden, HR Central.

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Deliver a better customer experience using technology as the enabler

Michael Dogger went on to speak about moving to a model that enables customers to interact with us however they want to – “whether it’s a high touch in-person model, a fully autonomous self service model, or something in between.”

Terry Bagley from Janus International said automation was already occurring in the USA, but really took off during Covid. He expressed the importance of using technology to enhance the customer experience.

“In a survey of 25,000 active tenants, 87 per cent of respondents said they would rather use a cell phone app than a traditional padlock. Their number one priority was that they didn’t want the hassle of remembering a key or gate code.”

Ben Parsad from Janus Australia said implementing smart access through mobile phones can be instrumental in attracting new audiences.

“With a smart facility you can capture an audience you wouldn’t have captured before, with move-ins that are after hours,” Ben said.

“We’ve seen it can also reduce the number of calls, because customers don’t have to remember anything [like an access code], which is increasing operational efficiency.

Keep marketing, even if you think you don’t need to

Gavan Stilgoe from R6 Digital provided an introduction to marketing for self storage operators, and highlighted the importance of having a marketing plan and budget for your first and second year.

Within the first year, Gavan said your efforts should focus on intent marketing – that’s Google Ads, Google My Business, investing in your website, and tracking all marketing leads. After that first year, turn your focus to brand marketing to get the edge over competitors.

Stephen Hughes from R6 Digital led the digital experience workshop for larger operators, focusing on the use of personalisation to increase relevance and value across the www.selfstorage.org.au

SSAA CONVENTION 2022 15

self storage journey, which in turn improves conversation rates and yield.

Darren Hill, Behavioural Scientist.

Be an employer of choice

Across the world, ‘The Great Resignation’ has left employers in search of staff. Michael Pascoe highlighted the opportunity for organisations to work smarter, not harder, to find employees.

“When there’s a challenge, when there’s no staff, that’s when the opportunity is there to be smarter,” Michael said. “We’re forced to invest in automation, to invest in people and train them.

Find ways to be better

With hiring being such a challenge across all organisations, Damien Gooden from HR Central spoke to us about how to manage people to get the best out of them.

Damien encouraged us to think about how we are building relationships with new employees, starting from the moment we hire.

“Most businesses hire too late, when we’re too busy,” he said.

“We don’t have enough time to invest and really set them up for success. How are you building the relationship with your new employees as they start?”

From induction to retention and building a team culture in between, Damien shared practical tips and tools to help keep good operators around for longer.

Speaking of investing in staff, Phil Neville from Action OHS took us through the importance of keeping staff and customers safe in the self storage context. Phil shared practical insights and launched the SSAA’s new OHS training modules which will be available online in the SSAA Member Portal early in the new year.

Storage trends around the world

We were joined by local and global panelists who explored self storage trends and insights from around the world.

Hans Pearson from StoreLocal said the concept of last mile logistics is one to watch.

“The evolution, I think, will be, ‘What role does storage play in the www.selfstorage.org.au

“

We’re in the business of moments.

This industry flourishes and does best off of life’s biggest moments.

Whether they’re happy or tragic, this industry provides the backbone of life.” – Darren Hill, Behavioural Scientist logistics chain, and is self storage part of logistics in some respects?’

I think it’s already there – it’s just whether the investment market can accept it.”

From a European perspective, Colin Jeromson from Janus International said the next normal is already with us.

“I’ve seen more changes in the last two years than in the last 15,” he said. “Storage is a proven industry with a proven product – but it will look very different in 10 years time. It will be multi-use.”

Chris Oosthuizen from Store-Age REIT and Digital First said there has been a fundamental shift in the way we communicate with clients.

“Consumers want to speak to us on the platform of their choice,” he said. “A very easy win is just

communicating the way your clients want to communicate. It’s not expensive or complicated – you just need to apply it.”

Terry Bagley from Janus International shared the latest insights and trends from across the USA. With higher disposable incomes and more reasons to use storage, the American self storage market has boomed.

The great thing about traditional storage, Terry said, is that it’s a needs-based or events-based business that will always be relevant – something that needs to be conveyed to analysts and investors.

“We’re not tied directly to the housing market, per se; we’re tied to these events that drive our business.”

We’re in the business of moments

Finally, behavioural scientist Darren Hill encouraged us to find success on the brink of uncertainty.

As many self storage operators know, there’s usually a pivotal moment in people’s lives that leads them to use storage – from death to divorce to disaster and displacement (aka “the four Ds”).

Darren posed the provocative question: “Is self storage really the business we’re in?”

For his moving spoken word piece about moments, visit the SSAA Member Portal. l

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Facility tours

This year at the SSAA Convention, three full buses headed to two impressive facilities.

Kennards Self Storage, Southport

National Storage, Biggera Waters

This facility offers 6700 sqm of rentable space with 820 units over five levels. Attendees viewed the range of unit offerings, including drive-up, ground floor and lift access units.

National Storage Biggera Waters is a leading example of how regional retail spaces can be repurposed into state-of-the-art self storage facilities. In 2020, the existing marketplace building at 610 Oxley Drive was converted into storage, and a purpose-built multilevel self storage centre was then constructed on the former carpark.

This state-of-the-art facility was purpose-built

by McNab and opened in September 2020. It has 24 hour access, the latest security monitoring, a meeting room, delivery concierge service to handle inbound and outbound deliveries and tea and coffee facilities. The Southport location is geared for the Queensland weather, with undercover unloading and loading areas to protect customers and their goods from the elements.

INSIDER 128 DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

National Storage Biggera Waters boasts 9,900 sqm of net lettable area on a highly visible arterial road on the Gold Coast. The centre was awarded Excellence in Construction of Industrial Buildings over $5 million at the Gold Coast 2021 Housing & Construction Master Builders Awards. l

www.selfstorage.org.au

SSAA CONVENTION 2022 17

Golf day leader board

T

he sun was shining on the Gold Coast as our keen golfers headed to Links Hope Island Golf Course, one of Australia’s top ten resort courses, for a truly remarkable round of golf.

The game involved careful strategic thinking as the teams made their way around the Par 71 course, avoiding the natural and man-made hazards and the 115-challenging pot-style bunkers.

Australia won with a mixed team of members and service members.

Congratulations to Martin Richards from Storage King, Hamish McGregor from Southwell Lifts and Hoists, Michael Tate from Storage King and Grant McNamee from iBidonStorage with a net score of 56.75.

Sonja Becke from Visy Boxes and More and trusty sidekick Sandra from the SSAA were on hand to encourage the players and ensure they were well hydrated throughout the day.

The Trans-Tasman Golf Championship was sponsored by Visy Boxes and More. l

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30-YEAR CELEBRATIONS 19

In their own words

Industry pioneers share the wisdom and insights gained across 30 years in self storage.

Right: Richard Whalan, Sam Kennard , Michael Tate, Andrew Catsoulis and David Blackwell. Below right: David Blackwell and Liz Davies. Below far right: Richard Whalan and Sam Kennard.

T

hirty years is a special milestone for the Self Storage Association of Australasia (SSAA) and the industry. We were pleased to host a panel of industry pioneers at SSAA GC22. It was a privilege to hear from our esteemed panellists, all of who have helped shape self storage into the successful and thriving industry it is today.

Richard Whalan, Managing Director, Rent A Space

Richard is one of the industry’s earliest pioneers, having opened his first self storage facility in 1979. He talked about what drew him to self storage and why he continues to serve the industry 30 years later.

Sam Kennard, Chief Executive Officer, Kennards Self Storage

Sam was at the first meeting of the Association, held at the Hotel Lawson in Sydney. He shared what he remembers about the meeting, his father’s influence, the spirit of the industry and where the opportunities are for the sector

Michael Tate, Chief Executive Officer, Storage King

Michael shared advice for those entering the industry and reflected on his dedication to transforming self storage into a retail business with a clear focus on the customer.

Andrew Catsoulis, Managing Director, National Storage

The ASX listing of National Storage marked a new chapter for self storage. Andrew Catsoulis shared his original vision, and his experience of how being listed continues to shape the sector. www.selfstorage.org.au

David Blackwell, Independent Consultant

As an experienced valuer, David has seen the industry from a different perspective. He shared his insights on the changes he’s seen as self storage has matured into a sought-after institutional and investment-grade asset class.

Liz Davies, Chief Executive Officer, Self Storage Australia In the mid-1990s, Liz flew to all corners of the country, rallying facilities to join the SSAA. She shared some highlights from her experience on how working together and collaboration were key to the success of the Association and the industry at large.

SSAA Documentary Special

A group of dedicated foundation members, life members and long-time supporters of the SSAA contributed to a documentary that celebrates the story of self storage in Australasia and features some of the most influential figures in our industry to date.

The three-part documentary series is available on the SSAA website, with an archive of 30th video interviews and stories in print. This archive is an important record of our Association and industry history, and we thank all those involved, with special thanks to Life Member Dallas Dogger and the R6 Digital team who produced the documentary.

Scan to view the video

You’ll find the 30th Anniversary Panel Discussion inspiring and entertaining. The recording is available to view in the SSAA Member Portal.

DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 INSIDER 128

20 STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

State of the State of the Industry 2022 State Stateofofthe the Industry 2022 Industry Industry2022 2022 Exploring the current state and future outlook for self storage across Australasia.

Exploring Exploring the current the current state state and and current state and futureExploring future outlook outlook for the self forstorage self storage across across Australasia.

Australasia. future outlook for self storage

across Australasia.

State of the Industry is the leading research report for the self storage sector, combining property, operating and people insights to explore the potential for self storage across Australasia.

The 2022 edition showcases the resilience and record growth of the sector in these remarkable times.

More than just storage

A year in perspective, our achievements in 2021 • Consistent stakeholder engagement • Regular team events • Interactive training • Innovative Marketing Programs • Superior Trading Results.

With thanks to our industry partners and all those who contributed data and insights in support of this important research.

INSIDER 128 DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

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STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 21

Key Insights:

2022 delivers another year of record performance across the self storage industry Self storage continues to demonstrate its resilience and provide strong returns. Increases in occupancy and average storage fee rates have driven record performance, outperforming traditional asset classes.

Changes in lifestyle and living spaces are driving demand for self storage Three fundamental shifts are changing how we live. Smaller living spaces, working from home and moving to the regions are all driving demand for self storage. Severe weather events also contribute to disruption, affecting demand and supply.

Consumer expectations are changing as the shift online accelerates

Macroeconomic factors continue to shape the outlook

Prospective customers are increasingly turning to digital sources to find self storage. They are open to technology-enabled solutions, cementing the importance of customer experience.

The challenging macroeconomic environment will affect operators and customers alike. While operators are cautiously optimistic, the self storage customer of the future is concerned about the rising cost of living.

Business use is increasing, and opportunities abound

There is untapped storage demand across both markets

The way people use self storage is changing, with business users on the rise. Supply chain challenges, the increase in online retail and the growing importance of last-mile distribution all present opportunities for self storage.

Growth is expected to normalise in the near term

After a transformational 2021, 2022 offers more stability

The customer of today will be the customer of tomorrow

Following a record year in 2021 with more than $1.3 billion in self storage transactions, market activity has slowed, and capitalisation rates have stabilised in the rising interest rate environment.

Customer satisfaction with the self storage offer remains high. The relationship between past and future use has strengthened, with nine in 10 current customers indicating they will use storage again in the next two years.

www.selfstorage.org.au

More than 2.8 million Australians and 660 thousand people in New Zealand needed storage recently but didn't use it. Breaking down category barriers and promoting storage benefits will be critical to unlocking this latent demand.

Changes in discretionary spending, softer housing markets and record levels of new self storage supply are expected to bring revenue growth back to sustainable levels in the near term. Density, displacement and disruption will continue to drive demand for self storage.

DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 INSIDER 128

22 STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

Industry partner perspective The State of the Industry 2022 report emerges from the volatile and disruptive era of the Covid global pandemic.

The pandemic and the subsequent governments’ reactions were catalysts for significant society-wide disruption and change. Businesses and households changed the way they did things and where they did them. Our sector turned out to be a beneficiary all over the world.

No one imagined that a global pandemic would prove to be a boost for self storage demand.

The sector is increasingly attractive to new investment. Demand for operating centres has pushed capitalisation rates lower and a substantial amount of new supply is planned to enter many markets.

Overbuilding is always a risk. In some detail, this new supply pipeline is explored in the State of the Industry report.

The new demand emerging from late 2020 followed a relatively benign growth period in self storage in Australia. With the rise of inflation and the pressure on energy, wages, and other input costs, particularly property taxes, the sector is entering another challenging phase in the coming years. Higher operating expenses, increased supply and interest rates are sure to feature.

The State of the Industry 2022 report contains several important data points. It reveals that current use has reached 9.4% of all adults in Australia and New Zealand, an increase from 8.6% two years earlier.

The Valuation Drivers matrix with ‘traffic light’-green, orange, red -assessment over eight years is an insightful perspective on the sector.

This report is another valuable contribution to the Australasian self storage industry and everyone involved. We are delighted to be supporting this worthwhile initiative from the SSAA. Sam Kennard Chief Executive Officer Kennards Self Storage

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STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 23

Strong fundamentals underpin the return to stabilised growth

SSAA Performance Indicators The SSAA has developed a range of trackers and indicators that measure the strength and performance of the sector over time.

In addition to a range of standalone data points, State of the Industry 2022 comprises the SSAA Macro Influence Tracker, Valuation Drivers matrix and the SSAA Storage Industry Gauge.

The SSAA Storage Industry Gauge measures the strength of the self storage market at a point in time, taking into account six key drivers: movement of people, disruption, discretionary spending, residential sales, new apartments and new storage supply.

The 2022 SSAA Storage Industry Gauge result of 3.24 is 49 points below the record 2021 year (3.73) and 95 points above 2020 (2.29).

The softer 2022 result can be attributed to downward pressure on discretionary spending and a reduction in housing turnover volume.

Positively, the continued movement of people and ongoing uncertainty brought about by disruption have contributed to a healthy score in 2022.

In each edition of the Insider across 2023, we'll explore a section of State of the Industry 2022, helping members turn research into strategy and practical actions for their businesses.

www.selfstorage.org.au

The most significant risk to the 2023 result will be the high volume of anticipated new self storage supply scheduled to come onto the market across 2023. The continued movement of people through interstate migration and returned immigration will assist the 2023 result.

View the SSAA Storage Industry Gauge online to explore each of the six demand drivers in more detail.

State of the Industry 2022 Explore the full report

DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 INSIDER 128

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WOMEN IN SELF STORAGE 25

Women in self storage More than 40 women in self storage came together at Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast for high tea, presented by National Storage.

The group heard from world-renowned meditation teacher Jacqui Lewis. Jacqui founded The Broad Place, a globally focused school sharing ancient knowledge and modern neuroscience, tools and experiences for mindful living. She enthralled everyone with her innate wisdom, practical advice and a little comedic timing to boot.

Everyone was gifted a copy of Jacqui’s latest book, The 14 Day Mind Cleanse, which offers a short, practical program to enhance clarity, strengthen the mind-body connection and banish busy thinking – all concepts that were well received in the lead-up to Christmas and looking ahead to a new year.

www.selfstorage.org.au

This Women in Storage event marked the first in a new event series which will unfold across 2023, supporting the growing number of women in the self storage sector.

If you’d like to get involved in Women in Storage, please register your interest by emailing membership@selfstorage.com.au. l

DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 INSIDER 128

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AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 27

Life Member SSAA 2022 David Blackwell received the coveted SSAA Life Membership Award for his exceptional contribution to industry over many years.

D

avid Blackwell received a standing ovation when it was announced he had received a Life Membership of the SSAA at the Convention’s Awards dinner.

It is a well-deserved award, as David has been involved in self storage for more than thirty years.

A chance meeting with Jim Miller in the early 1990s saw David learn about self storage.

This work led David to develop forms of financial analysis that proved the strength of self storage and set the stage for years to come.

David was instrumental in educating financial lenders about the asset class to provide comfort when lending. He established appropriate valuation methodology that the banks could understand and accept, and that was not an easy task.

David joined the SSAA as a service member and soon brought his understanding of the industry to a role on the Board. With the assistance of other board members, David recruited SSAA’s first CEO and worked tirelessly to ensure the SSAA focused on educating self storage operators on industry best practices.

After two years on the committee, David took on the role of president in 2003. One of the most important initiatives during his tenure was the transition from part-time association executive to a full-time management structure.

In 2007 David authored the Technical Information Paper – Valuation of Self Storage, published by the Australian Property Institute and Property Institute of New Zealand, setting the standard for self storage valuations across Australasia. www.selfstorage.org.au

“

His advocacy for sharing knowledge and building a culture of collaboration across the industry has been for the benefit of all.

In 2008, 2010 and 2013, in association with the SSAA, David authored the seminal series of Demand Studies, surveying and reporting on user motivations, attitudes and behaviours.

David has guided the next generation of self storage valuers to great success while building a broad acceptance of self storage as a mature, standalone asset class.

His tireless efforts in mapping the performance of our industry and upholding the high standards of self storage have strengthened the sector into what it is today.

David understood the importance of industry statistics and in the midst of the global financial crisis, he developed the Blackwell Storage Index - the first of its kind to track industry performance.

Today it is known as the widely referenced Urbis Storage Index.

His advocacy for sharing knowledge and building a culture of collaboration across the industry has been for the benefit of all. As we move forward as a mature highvalue asset class, we thank David for his tireless work with financial and property institutions.

In 2020, David stepped aside from Urbis and now has more time to pursue his passion for fly fishing and spending more time with his young grandchildren. To be there on the night of the Convention to receive this accolade meant cutting short his fishing trip, but this one, was not going to get away.

David, you have landed the big one, congratulations on your Life membership of the SSAA. l

DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 INSIDER 128

28 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

Gold Coa

WINNERS

SSAA AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE The strong performance of the self storage industry was recognised with an expanded number of award categories this year.

Industry peers gathered for a night of collegiality and celebration for the SSAA Awards for Excellence, presented by VISY Boxes & More.

Energy was high as we were finally able to connect faceto-face once again to recognise the strong performance of those leading the way in self storage.

In 2022, the awards returned with four new categories, reflecting the changing nature of industry while providing more opportunities to celebrate excellence across the sector.

An independent judging panel of distinguished industry leaders were appointed to critically assess all entries in their respective categories to determine both finalists and winners. The judging panel commented glowingly on the notably high calibre of award nominations received this year, once again reinforcing the exceptional resilience and professionalism demonstrated across industry.

We will be sharing stories of all the winners and finalists throughout 2023.

Excellence in Community Engagement sponsored

by Universal Storage Containers, presented

by Shay McQuade This award recognises excellence in engaging with the local or broader community for societal benefit and/or outstanding contributions to the community.

The winner is Storage Choice for their community Shed Initiative,

launched in 2020. The program is designed to assist charities, and community organisations that do not have the profile of some more well-known organisations yet offer amazing and often life-changing assistance to those in need. Storage Choice’s donation of space to these organisations allows them to concentrate their resources on helping the community.

The judges remarked, “This initiative reflects well on the whole industry and demonstrates an outstanding level of community involvement with the opportunity to share the model more broadly.”

Thank you to our sponsors.

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INSIDER 128 DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

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AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 29

Excellence in Sustainability sponsored by The Energy Alliance The award aims to recognise excellence in sustainable pursuits, including environmental, social and governance initiatives that benefit the self storage facility, industry or broader community.

The winner is StoreLocal, Hendra, Queensland. From efficient lighting

to smart-access technology, solar installations and a high-tech approach to water and cleaning systems, StoreLocal Hendra employs a range of eco-design principles and carefully chosen materials to present strong ESG credentials.

The judges remarked, “StoreLocal has taken a complete and multi-faceted approach to sustainability and environmental management that sets a high standard for the industry.”

Excellence in Innovation sponsored by Midland Insurance Brokers This award recognises excellence in innovation and improvement to a business process, product or service that benefits the self storage facility, industry or broader community.

This was a hotly contested category with many outstanding innovations that will propel our sector forward in the coming years.

iBidOnStorage for innovations within its auction platform and StorApp for its next-generation customer experience app tied for the win. The judges couldn’t split these two outstanding innovations

and felt both applicants should be recognised equally for their efforts. iBidOnStorage has revolutionised how self storage operators manage abandoned goods and auction processes. With more than 1200 selling locations using the platform, the industry has embraced iBidOnStorage.

The judges remarked, “The platform has taken the pain out of the sell-up process for many operators with new improvements continuing to deliver efficiencies for operators.”

StorApp, developed by R6 Digital, is a mobile phone application that integrates with SiteLink and all major gate access providers to be the single end-to-end customer application that a storage facility needs.

The judges remarked, "It's a leap forward for customer experience in self storage with a broad scope for continued innovation into the future.”

Excellence in Industry sponsored by PTI Security Systems This award seeks to recognise excellence in industry leadership, education, transformation or other business projects or initiatives that positively impact the self storage sector.

The winner of this year’s Excellence in Industry award is StoreLocal. They

manage over 30 facilities nationwide and are self-proclaimed as “customer obsessed”, which has driven them to constantly innovate and push the boundaries in an increasingly digital age. StoreLocal’s approach to excellence across all aspects of their business has delivered benefits for their partners, staff, customers and industry. They continue to push the boundaries of traditional storage while personifying what “being local” means.

The judges remarked, “It was StoreLocal’s holistic approach to excellence across a range of business operations, and practices that earned this achievement”.

www.selfstorage.org.au

DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 INSIDER 128

30 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

Gold Coa

Facility of the Year (Up to 150 units).

Sponsored by Southwell Lifts & Hoists, presented by Hamish McGregor This award endeavours to recognise excellence for more compact facilities. Applicants were encouraged to showcase how their facility thrives from a team, operational and performance perspective.

The winner is Stax of Storage Churchill, Victoria,

who offer premium storage solutions to the Gippsland, Victorian region. The facility’s recent conversion has maintained the history of the original building, though now they are at capacity, meaning that the planning for their second stage is underway. With newly built units secured with individual unit alarms, carpeted walkways and CCTV throughout, customers are left impressed with the look and feel of the facility.

Facility of the Year (150 – 500 units).

Sponsored by Janus International Australia, presented by Stephen Boxall The winner is StoreLocal Hendra, a cutting-edge,

customer-focused storage destination for Brisbane.

StoreLocal Hendra boasts the latest keyless entry technology with Nokē™ Smart Access Technology and ‘Work Local’, a co-working space for customers to work collaboratively.

The judges remarked on the exceptionally high standard of amenities and presentation demonstrated by StoreLocal Hendra. One judge noted, “People talk about taking self storage to the next level, but this store has truly followed through.”

Facility of the Year (Over 500 units).

Sponsored by VISY Boxes and More, presented by Sonja Becke The winner is Rent A Space Marsden Park, New South Wales. Rent A Space opened its 14th facility

at Marsden Park in December 2020, with 850 units showcased in a state-of-the-art building, backed by excellent service and a deep commitment to local community. The store staff excel in their customer service, going above and beyond to deliver a seamless experience, resulting in 134 Google reviews awarding the facility a 4.9-star rating.

The judges remarked, “This impressive facility has all the hallmarks of a state-of-the-art self storage experience with outstanding operational performance to boot.”

INSIDER 128 DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

www.selfstorage.org.au

AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE 31

Best Facility Expansion or Upgrade.

Sponsored by Highway Frontage presented by Matthew Walsh For members who own and/or operate a facility that has undergone an upgrade or expansion in the last two years that demonstrates excellence in functionality and design.

The winner is Safe Store Papatoetoe, Auckland. Prior to its expansion, Safe Store Papatoetoe was a ‘ranch style’ facility that was at capacity for many years due to its premium location, close to the Auckland motorways and airport. With their ground level space fully utilised, the only way to go was up! What proceeded was the building of a three-storey extension on top of the two existing blocks of units. Occupancy rates can now continue to build. With the additional refresh of the reception area and a focus on displaying merchandise well, Safe Store Papatoetoe has been transformed into one of the best storage facilities in South Auckland.

The judges remarked, “This was an ambitious multi-level upgrade.

The quality of design and scale is impressive and ensures maximum economic use of a prime site.”

Manager of the Year.

Sponsored by Storman presented by Ben Williams The Manager of the Year demonstrates excellence across all facets of facility management.

The winner is Apryl Hawker from Stax of Storage. Apryl is a dedicated manager constantly researching and expanding her knowledge, finding innovative solutions and cost-saving measures to grow the business. Apryl has a genuine passion for self storage, and her commitment to the Portland facility and overseeing the Churchill and Yarraville facilities is outstanding. In addition to her commitment to the industry, Apryl’s supportive and friendly attitude builds camaraderie within the team, follows through and extends to all Stax customers.

The judges remarked, “Apryl’s award nomination showcased business growth that could be directly correlated to Apryl’s committed contribution as a manager who demonstrates competence across sales, management and customer service.”

Service Member of the Year.

Presented by the SSAA This award recognises businesses that have delivered exemplary service throughout the course of a client engagement or project.

The winner of this award is R6 Digital, who

is focused on leveraging digital technology to improve self storage businesses. With a range of products and services focused on enhancing the success of both facilities and the industry at large, R6 Digital continue to innovate and support the sector with strategy, creativity, development and marketing.

The judges noted R6 Digital’s significant contribution to the industry and its commitment to advancing self storage across all aspects of the sector.

www.selfstorage.org.au

DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 INSIDER 128

32 AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

Gold Coa

Susan Phillips –––––––––

SSAA Service Award recipients We were thrilled to recognise several members who have demonstrated exceptional service to the self storage industry in recent years.

Shaun Bain –––––––––

Shaun joined the SSAA Board in 2016 and the Audit, Finance & Risk Committee in 2018. He has been instrumental in guiding the SSAA with his commercial acumen, focus on financial sustainability and reinvesting members’ funds to maximise outcomes. A forward thinker, Shaun’s strategic and well-considered advice and guidance has strengthened the SSAA.

Ryan Coom –––––––––

Ryan joined the SSAA Board in 2016 and has served his full term, with his final year as Deputy Chair in 2022. Ryan’s strategic advice, particularly around technology and innovation, and his calm and considered approach has helped modernise the SSAA. As the voice of New Zealand members, Ryan has openly shared perspectives and insights for the benefit of both Australia and New Zealand.

Ryan was unable to attend the Convention on the Gold Coast and was recognised at the SSAA AGM in late November.

For more than six years, Susan led the SSAA with achievements too great to count and too long to list. She took on the role at short notice, and her dedication to SSAA soon became apparent as she moved to Melbourne and set to work, bringing together the team and laying the foundations for the next phase of SSAA’s growth Her passion and enthusiasm for self storage are second to none. The experience Susan brought to the role, combining her understanding of facility ownership and operations with her strategic business background, saw the association progress to the professional peak body it is today.

Susan’s natural ability to bring people together to achieve a common goal, all with good humour, strengthened the self storage community. She was instrumental in building the governance framework for SSAA, revitalising events programs, developing the help desks, launching SIP, investing in research and supporting members throughout the pandemic.

There is not an aspect of the SSAA today that has not been shaped by Susan, whose attention to detail, high standards and professionalism raised the bar and developed an association fit for a maturing asset class.

She remains a mentor to many and graciously offers her advice and perspective whenever asked, contributing to the success of this industry after so many years. Her sunny disposition matches her North Queensland home, where she has returned with her husband, Geoff, to enjoy a little more time in the garden.

Ivor Morgan –––––––––

Ivor joined the SSAA Board in 2016, taking on the role of Chair in 2018 and has been a strong voice for independent operators and an advocate for the industry at large. During his tenure, Ivor has overseen significant progression at SSAA. His invaluable industry experience and focus on practical outcomes has led the SSAA to develop and deliver projects and resources that add value to members’ businesses.

A staunch supporter of the association and building connections within the industry. His dedication and commitment to self storage is evidenced by the longevity and strength of his relationships with many in the sector. His care and consideration for the industry and his colleagues saw Ivor hand the Chair to Michael Alafaci last year, remaining on the Board for his final year to ensure support and a smooth transition. Under Ivor’s leadership, the SSAA has gone from strength to strength. l

INSIDER 128 DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

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34 DFV RESOURCES

The long reach of domestic violence

SSAA has partnered with WorkHaven to provide domestic and family violence resources.

D

omestic and Family Violence (DFV) is a serious issue affecting one in four women and one in 16 men in Australia. It is the leading health risk to women of reproductive years and the highest cause of homelessness in women and children. These sobering statistics clearly show why we all need to take a stand against DFV to reduce the impact and incidence of violence in our communities.

Due to the nature of our work, the self storage industry will likely encounter DFV situations during our day-to-day activities. Some members have expressed that they have needed to manage situations involving or caused by violence.

These situations include customers who need to get their belongings in or out of storage at short notice as they are fleeing abuse. Conflicts at storage facilities have escalated to violence, and people have attempted to sleep in a unit due to the homelessness that DFV caused.

The SSAA understands the importance of equipping members with the proper knowledge and tools to address this situation and support customers or employees facing violence. We have recently worked

“

As an industry with thousands of employees, we need to provide the right support and assistance to affected workers.

The resources we have created with WorkHaven will help do so. with WorkHaven, which supports workplaces in addressing DFV in a relevant and meaningful way. As a result, we have developed a leader guide, factsheet and DFV policy template for use by our members.

One in six women in the workforce is impacted by violence, and a recent study by Monash University revealed that 84% of victims of DFV struggle to do their job as a result.

As an industry with thousands of employees, we need to provide the right support and assistance to affected workers. The resources we have created with WorkHaven will help do so.

INSIDER 128 DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

WorkHaven founder and CEO Jo Mason, who presented at the recent Convention, shared her own story of DFV and provided valuable insights to enable the industry to understand more about this complex and challenging situation.

“Domestic and Family Violence doesn’t discriminate – it can happen to anyone,” Jo said. “The self storage industry has a part to play in supporting customers who may be impacted by violence. It all starts with kindness – leaning in to listen to someone and encouraging them to seek support through a specialist service.”

When supporting a person who is affected by DFV, it is important to remember to: l take time to understand the impacts and complexities of the situation so that you can provide appropriate support; l lean in with empathy and let the person know you believe them and you are there to help as needed; l let them explain their situation in their own words and in a way they feel comfortable – they may share a little at first to gain trust; l respect that they understand their situation and possible risks better than anyone; l give them agency to make their own decisions; l recognise that the support they need may change over time; and l encourage the person to reach out to a specialist support service, as they can provide expertise and pathways to safety. l If you are affected by DFV or supporting another person who is, please reach out to 1800 RESPECT for free and confidential assistance.

For more information about WorkHaven, please visit www. workhaven.com.au, and access the SSAA DFV resources in the SSAA Member Portal under Member Services. www.selfstorage.org.au

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Faster installation with fastener-free lockers There are countless ways a project can be delayed – from financing issues to delayed material delivery. That’s why Storco has been working on new products that cut down on manufacturing and installation time. The latest innovation in this area is the new Series 1000 Locker.

T

he locker has an updated design that delivers on both these goals. It was officially released at the annual SSAA Convention at the Gold Coast in November, where the locker received substantial interest from developers and facility owners alike.

The benefits for developers working on new sites are most apparent in the reduced installation times. With a frame that simply slots together, a team of skilled installers can assemble an entire wall of Series 1000 lockers in under an hour, dramatically cutting down installation time and getting new facilities operational sooner.

Owners and operators of existing sites can benefit as well. The simple design allows almost anyone to assemble a locker bank in minutes, allowing operators to take advantage of unused space and increase their net lettable area. Because the only fasteners used are in the door hinges, the entire locker comes with fewer parts and is easier to assemble than most flat-pack furniture.

www.selfstorage.org.au

The lightweight design means the lockers can be redeployed throughout a facility, and highquality materials and an interlocking panel design affords stability, strength, and security where it counts. They come with Storco’s swing doors, which offer a fastenerfree face, a stainless-steel latch that supports overlocking, and the thickest swing door on the market.

Storco’s mechanical draftsman, George Asarloglou, says the redesigned Series 1000 locker is about improving the entire end-toend experience.

“Our new approach means the entire process is easier,” he says. “It covers everything from dramatic changes to streamline the manufacturing process to little things like not having to fiddle around looking for the right box of bolts.”

“We’ve even managed to cut the manufacturing time right down from over an hour to just ten minutes per locker. All these tweaks add up to a product that makes everyone’s lives easier.”

The Series 1000 locker comes in a standard capacity of 1m³, but custom capacities and dimensions are available. This means the lockers can be used in various circumstances, such as in facilities near ski resorts or banks of smaller lockers in high-traffic areas. An optional base that supports up to nine standard-sized lockers is also available. The base comes with levelling legs for added stability and tyne slots to allow whole banks of lockers to be quickly deployed or relocated.

“Our investment in new plant equipment offers tremendous opportunities like this one,” says Storco Director Jonathan Layton.

“This new locker design is the first in a series of improvements that refine our existing designs and open doors for entirely new product lines. It’s incredibly exciting to see what we can accomplish.” l The Series 1000 locker is available to order now. For more information visit storco.com.au

DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 INSIDER 128

36 AWARDS DINK FOR EXCELLENCE

Gold Coa

Gala Dinner

Thanks to VISY Boxes and More for presenting the SSAA Awards for Excellence.

INSIDER 128 DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

www.selfstorage.org.au

INDUSTRY NEWS 37

(L-R) Craig Salter – Director, Janelle Corbett – Senior OHS Consultant, Action Tim Callinan – General Manager.

Action OHS won

Light the path out of homelessness

Kennards Self Storage was a platinum sponsor of the Stepping Stone House, Sleep Under The Stars event at Taronga Zoo on 14 October 2022.

In early October, Action OHS was recognised, with its project partners Tree Mason and Macedon Ranges Shire Council, in the Health & Safety Excellence (Small to Medium Enterprise) category at the Australian Workplace Health & Safety Awards 2022 Gala Dinner.

The award results from an incredible combined effort to keep staff and contractors safe at the Storm Recovery Project Site. They guided the project team to establish and operate the site safely.

As a result, the project continues to deliver fantastic outcomes for the community.

The Kennards team, called the FREEDOM Fighters joined in on the night and raised over $40,000. Overall, the event raised $1.2 million to help Stepping Stone House continue its work in supporting homeless and at-risk youth.

Stepping Stone House provides a safe place for children and young people at risk or experiencing homelessness so they can begin to heal, build resilience, create connections and become the best they can be. They are a dedicated community, giving long-term support to young people aged 12 to 24-years-old.

As well as providing accommodation and personal development to help young people become independent, Stepping Stone House focuses on key areas such as:

l Wellness – by providing counselling and traumainformed care, l Skills for Life – offering more than 800 life skills not taught at school, and

l Emotional resilience – developing self-confidence and self-esteem through courses and adventurous activities.

www.selfstorage.org.au

Following a successful Convention, board member David Daddow organised a networking dinner in South Australia to ensure the camaraderie continues.

DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 INSIDER 128

38 NEW SERVICE MEMBERS

A powerful new member

SSAA welcomes new service member The Energy Alliance, which works to find optimal power solutions.

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he Energy Alliance has been operating for more than 22 years and manages more than 3500 active customers around Australia.

It is a market-leading independent energy broker that uses market knowledge, relationships with energy retailers, and leverage, to find the best possible outcomes in energy pricing and network structure so that clients can minimise their expenditure on energy. On clients’ behalf, negotiating directly with the energy retailers ensures The Energy Alliances customers pay the most optimal price for their energy.

There is no cost for customers in the preliminary analysis and negotiation. When customers are presented with alternative energy

pricing, there is no obligation to accept the proposal or cost incurred by the customer at that point. The Energy Alliance does all the work to determine if clients can find a more optimal solution for their energy costs for free and upfront – so there is no risk in engaging with them.

Consider this a free evaluation of your current energy arrangement.

On the basis that there is no cost or commitment required from clients until they have demonstrated an outcome, there is no downside to engaging them.

Recently, The Energy Alliance worked with an SSAA member facing an increase in costs with the current energy crisis. A solution that avoided an increase was provided, saving a potential 16% rise in price.

INSIDER 128 DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

To proceed, all that is required are two things: 1. A signed and completed Letter of Permission that permits work on a client’s energy accounts. This does not bind clients in any way and is a requirement by energy retailers.

2. The most recent electricity and gas bill.

Once Energy Alliance receives your energy bills, it will send you the Letter of Permission to complete.

Then the work can begin to reduce your bills for SSAA members*.

Email your bills to ssaa@energyalliance.net.au For more information, head to www.energyalliance.net.au or call +61 03 9872 6869. *Valid for Australian members only

www.selfstorage.org.au

STORMAN SOFTWARE 39

Meet Haydn Salvas, General Manager of Storman Software

Earlier this year, Storman Software welcomed Haydn Salvas into the role of general manager.

We asked him a few questions to learn more about his experience, learnings, and future plans.

Q

What was your experience before accepting the role of Storman’s general manager?

My experience comes from roles in banking and finance. I was consulting with corporations about their software and automation and helping them optimise their business processes. Before coming to Storman I led the school finance business unit within Sentral, a software business servicing schools and education departments across Australia. At Sentral, we started out with just a handful of customers wanting change from their inefficient and dated systems to a scalable, end-toend solution – and grew the business significantly from there. I’ve been with Storman since June and enjoy the new opportunity and challenge.

Q

What key opportunities do you see for the self storage industry?

I think the broad range of different businesses, all with other customer value propositions, are looking to solve and support the customer’s needs in different ways – and I see technology and automation playing a crucial role in supporting that.

I’m excited to work alongside the team at Storman, storage operators across Australasia, and the SSAA to provide a cloud-based solution that can support and empower each of these unique offerings.

As part of the opportunity that technology offers for self storage, I also see the evolving and everpresent security and compliance that our industry relies on coming to the fore. From a software perspective, we’re keen to provide www.selfstorage.org.au

operators with a modern, secure and compliant platform that offers realtime visibility into areas where they can improve service, reduce cost, and automate their business.

Q

How can Storman assist self storage facilities with those opportunities?

Storman is incredibly lucky to have a team with decades of hands-on storage experience, and the support and experience that comes from being a part of a Fortune 500 company. Our industry understanding and unique position leaves us firmly placed to stay on top of global market trends and to provide a unique cloud-first approach to servicing our customers.

Additionally, the deep and secure payments integration we provide offers storage operators an all-inone storage management solution they can be confident in, no matter their size or structure.

Q

What’s on the roadmap for Storman in 2023 and beyond?

Storman has been incredibly successful and is privileged to be a market leader within Australia and New Zealand. We’re planning to take stock of that growth and work to deliver an even greater customer experience. We will achieve this by incorporating more feedback from the Stormanites, that love our product and have great ideas for improvements, and by introducing new features and innovations that we see emerging in future markets.

From a product perspective, many exciting things are on the cards next year and beyond. We’re exploring

contract management designed to allow storage facilities to quickly and easily adjust the components of the storage contract to suit their business needs. We’ll also launch integrated Eftpos payments, making it easier for end users to pay and increasing timely payments. We also have plans to expand our dashboard and portfolio reporting capabilities, giving customers a deeper insight into the performance of their facilities.

Q

Tell us a little about yourself outside the world of Storman and self storage

Weekends are pretty busy keeping up with my two boys and pup. I enjoy diving on the wrecks offshore in Victoria or the caves in Mt Gambier, South Australia. One happy coincidence of cave diving in South Australia is that there’s a winery not too far away to have lunch or a postdive debrief.

I’ve been lucky enough to dive in several places worldwide, including Bikini Atoll (a testing site for nuclear weapons), Scapa Flow (WW1 German wrecks in Scotland), Florida caves and Mexico Cenotes. If tempted, I will bore anyone with multiple albums of photos from my dive trips. l

DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 INSIDER 128

40 OH&S

Safety simplified

Safety education and training is simple and accessible thanks to a partnership between SSAA and Action OHS Consulting.

I

f you attended the SSAA Convention held on Queensland’s Gold Coast, you might have caught a safety presentation by Phil Neville. Here, Phil, a senior consultant at Action OHS Consulting, provides a recap on how to manage health and safety risks at storage facilities. He discussed some simple health and safety management strategies for the storage industry.

Safety support and advice for members

SSAA has partnered with Action OHS Consulting to provide expert OHS advice and support for its members.

This has meant developing a range of resources to help make safety education and training simple and accessible for members and their teams and some guidance via the OHS Help Desk.

The safety resources include a health and safety manual template, safety training modules, and safe work instructions to help manage common workplace hazards.

With guidance from the SSAA, we have also developed a suite of 10 online training modules to help you increase your and your employee/ worker’s knowledge of workplace health and safety.

The training modules cover various topics such as safety inductions, hazard and risk management, incident reporting, injury management, return to work and ergonomics and manual handling. Each module contains a simple overview of the safety topic with case studies and examples relating to storage and includes access and links to supporting resources.

While these modules are not mandatory, we recommend you complete them and allow time for your teams to complete them to help build a safety culture within your workplace.

“

With guidance from the SSAA, we have also developed a suite of 10 online training modules to help you increase your and your employee/ worker’s knowledge of workplace health and safety.

Safety training as an investment

There are many reasons to dedicate time and resources to training your staff and increasing your health and safety knowledge. Increased hazard and risk awareness and management through safety training can not only keep your people safe but also help protect you from prosecution in the event of injury or incident. It’s a legal obligation to provide information, instruction, and training under the various Acts.

Introducing safety training and growing your knowledge can create a strong workplace culture.

When employees see that you are dedicating time to safety, they know you take it seriously. This can also lead to better employee engagement, which can help reduce turnover and increase productivity.

Some key strategies to help you build on and improve workplace safety at your storage facility include: l make safety a value within your organisation and commit to proactively managing risks in your workplace; l identify ways your people could get hurt at work and put things in place to control or eliminate the risk. Document this process.

INSIDER 128 DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

Phil Neville, Grad Dip. (OHSE), B. Engineering (Electrical)​ ​ hil has more than 10 years of P experience in health and safety management, consulting, training and regulatory advice roles in various sectors.​He is a Professional Member of the Australian Institute of Health and Safety (AIHS) and has extensive experience in high-risk industries (construction, infrastructure, utilities, mining).

l ensure safety roles and accountabilities have been allocated and communicated; l take advantage of the SSAA resources (Health and Safety Manual, Safe Work Instruction, and training modules); l embed safety into existing practices – don’t make it an ‘add-on’. Just integrate it into what you already do; l plan ahead – List all of the “safety” things you do (test/tag, emergency drills, workplace inspections) and ensure they get done; and l reach out if you need support.

We’re here to help

If you have a health and safety query, please do not hesitate to contact the OHS Help Desk.

The OH&S Help Desk has been established by the SSAA to support its members. This advisory service is free. Free call 1800 067 313 (Australia); 0800 444 356 (New Zealand); or email admin@selfstorage.com.au. www.selfstorage.org.au

HR HELP DESK 41

Nurturing and valuing your team Leaders who put time into nurturing and valuing their teams are likely to be rewarded with engaged and proactive employees.

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any of us will hold fond memories of a leader who has inspired us, appreciated our contributions and helped us develop our careers.

These leaders tend to have shared qualities. They actively listen to their employees, placing time and effort into the relationship and building rapport that forms a basis for mutual understanding. This helps support and encourage employee productivity, strengthens a positive culture and opens doors when an employee may need to raise an issue or concern.

Happy and connected teams

Research confirms that happy employees put more discretionary effort into their work because they genuinely want to. Employees learn more effectively and quickly with strong and supportive leadership and feel more challenged when their leader actively identifies and provides opportunities to them, which encourages progress.

So how to connect, nurture and value your team and provide good leadership? l Recruitment and onboarding: Build momentum from the beginning. l Psychological profiling: Is done at the pre- or post-recruitment stage to bring valuable insight into what makes someone work the way they do, what drives them, and how they connect with others. It can help when you assign tasks, create teams, communicate and plan out potential pathways. l Meetings: Address your team daily, in person or virtually. People feel acknowledged and noticed.

Make time for individual employee meetings. Hear what they are interested in with work and what they might struggle with. Act on it. Don’t just listen. Any person in a leadership role can do that. A good leader will follow up.

Meetings can also be created just for the sole purpose of connection. www.selfstorage.org.au

“

A safe and secure work environment where leaders encourage and respect the diversity of thinking (and being) fosters a healthy exchange of ideas.

Share weekend news or upcoming plans, hold trivia quizzes or randomly generated questions that everyone has to answer for a bit of fun or a laugh. A good leader uses these opportunities to gain insight into what an employee places value on and how they think. l Socialising: Gathering together is a great team connection. Occasional drinks, conferences, or spontaneous gatherings help bond your teams together. l Acknowledging

and celebrating work accomplishments: Don’t wait for

the annual performance review.

Unexpected appreciation and rewards help to build a solid and healthy team culture. Other ways, such as personal acknowledgement of employees, can be in the form of written cards of thanks, or small gifts, summarising what you have respected in that team member or have been thankful for.

The workplace of today is evolving

Leaders need to ask (and be genuinely interested in) how someone feels. If you don’t, it will be inconsistent with everything else you try to do to connect and value your team.

If burnout is a risk, leaders need to manage this with the team and come up with solutions.

A safe and secure work environment where leaders encourage and respect the diversity of thinking (and being) fosters a healthy exchange of ideas. It leads to “out of the box” thinking,

Handy tips

Communicate in a genuine manner and frequently.

Be intentional in every space and every meeting so the team can hold important conversations that will help them bond and socialise.

Ensure the employee’s working needs and legislative entitlements are provided.

Act and conduct yourself how you want your employees to perform in their roles and exchanges with colleagues.

Choose to listen without judgment, respect differences, and approach all employees with open-mindedness and humour. brainstorming and innovation, which is vital for growth in a business.

If someone is not working at their usual standard, it is essential to ask how that person is going and if you can be of assistance. Being aware of someone’s situation can make for a better understanding that may require flexible work arrangements to ensure an employee’s health, safety and performance at any time.

Hybrid working models, individual working arrangements, and acknowledging an employee’s personal commitments can also assist in an employee feeling that they are heard and understood and will promote productivity. l

If you would like any further information call the SSAA

HR HELP DESK 1300 01 SSAA / 1300 017 722

DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 INSIDER 128

42 LEGAL HELP DESK

Changes to unfair contract terms lie ahead: how SSAA is responding to the reform

By Philippa Thorne, Tony Raunic and Emily Clapp, Hunt and Hunt Lawyers.

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SAA has recently updated the template agreements to reflect not only the changing way members are doing business in a post-pandemic, technologydriven world but to ensure that the agreements reflect changing legislative requirements in Australia.

The template agreements include the Standard Self Storage Agreement, the Managed Storage Agreement, the Mobile Storage Agreement and the New Vehicle Storage Agreement.

It is important for members to understand how the strengthening of consumer laws across Australia and New Zealand impacts their dealings with storers.

Strengthening consumer laws

In August 2021, the Australian federal government released a draft bill for consultation which aims to strengthen the unfair contract terms protections for consumers and small businesses. The Australian government was expected to introduce the Bill sometime during the Parliamentary sitting period, which ended in December 2022.

Similarly, in August 2021, the New Zealand Parliament passed the Fair Trading Amendment Act 2021, which introduced new protections against unfair conduct and unfair businessto-business contract terms.

It is clear that change is on the horizon. Both governments and regulatory bodies have identified that the current laws do not sufficiently deter businesses from imposing unfair contract terms on consumers. If the proposed changes to the law are implemented, significant civil penalties may be imposed if a contract term is found to be unfair.

Philippa Thorne.

The ACL and ‘Standard Form Consumer Contracts’

The laws surrounding unfair contract terms apply to what are known as ‘Standard Form Consumer Contracts’. In Australia, a consumer contract is defined as a contract for the supply of goods or services, or the sale or grant of an interest in land, to an individual for personal, domestic or household use or consumption.

A standard form contract is typically an agreement prepared by one party that is not negotiated between the parties – it is offered on a ‘take it or leave it’ basis, meaning that one party has all or most of the bargaining power in the transaction.

The SSAA template agreements would be classified as Standard Form Consumer Contracts, as facilities supply storage services and use a standard set of terms that storers cannot negotiate. Facilities must take care to avoid imposing any unfair contract terms in their agreements.

What is an unfair contract term?

A term of a consumer contract is unfair if it: l would cause a significant imbalance in the parties rights and obligations arising under the contract; l is not reasonably necessary to protect the legitimate interests of the party who would be advantaged by the term; and l would cause detriment (whether financial or otherwise) to a party if it were to be applied or relied on.

If a contract term is found to be unfair, that term is void (treated as if it never existed). If the contract can

INSIDER 128 DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

Tony Raunic.

Emily Clapp.

operate without the unfair term, it will still be binding on all parties.

Whether or not a term is unfair is a legal question and not for a facility to decide on its own. For example, the SSAA Legal Help Desk has assisted facilities to determine whether they can charge an early termination fee. Whether a facility can charge an early termination fee (or similar) depends on a number of factors, but primarily whether the fee is a genuine estimate of the loss the facility may suffer as a result of early termination.

Some other examples of fees that would likely be unfair contract terms and considered a ‘penalty’ would be: l charging an ‘accelerated payment’, that is, the amount that would have been paid had the contract not been terminated; or www.selfstorage.org.au

l if a storer had paid a discounted rate when signing up, charging the balance between the discounted rate and the standard rate in the event of an early exit from storage.

We recommend contacting the Help Desk if you need assistance determining whether your arrangements with storers may be classified as an unfair contract term.

How do unfair contract terms impact facilities now and in the future?

Currently, the law does not impose penalties on a business that has unfair contract terms in its contracts.

However, consumers and regulatory bodies can seek compensation for any loss that is incurred as a result of a term of a Standard Form Consumer Contract that is found to be unfair.

The proposed changes to the unfair contract terms regime in Australia will have implications for businesses that use standard-form contracts. The key changes include: l expanding the regimes to apply to a broader range of business contracts; l more significant penalties and a broader range of remedies for breach of the regime; and

l a rebuttable presumption that similar terms to those declared to be unfair (in a party’s own contracts or other contracts in the industry) are unfair.

Takeaway

The updated SSAA template agreements have been carefully drafted with the upcoming changes to the Australian Consumer Law in mind. It is for this reason that we

advise against facilities amending the SSAA template agreements, as this can create inconsistencies in facilities dealings with storers, and may make enforcement more difficult.

If you are applying any terms, fees or penalties that are outside of the usual scope of the SSAA template agreements, we recommend contacting the SSAA Legal Help Desk for assistance. l

Disclaimer: The information contained in these answers is of a general nature and is not intended as legal advice. It is important that you seek legal advice that is specific to your circumstances. Please refer to the SSAA’s website for more information on the SSAA’s Legal Help Desk.

For all your printing needs • Standard Storage Agreements

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44 TRADE DIRECTORY – TRUSTED SUPPLIERS TO THE SELF STORAGE INDUSTRY ACCESS CONTROL, FIRE & SECURITY PTI SECURITY SYSTEMS T: Sales: 1300 798 860 Support: 1300 159 473 E: apac-sales@ptisecurity.com www.ptisecurity.com AD-TECH Security Adrian Rostirolla T: 1300 306 090 E: adrian@ad-tech.com.au www.ad-tech.com.au –––––– AlarmQuip Security Systems Evan Richardson T: 1300 552 520 E: admin@alarmquip.com.au www.alarmquip.com.au –––––– QueAccess Pty Ltd Mike Bristol T: 1300 783 222 E: info@QueAccess.com.au www.queaccess.com.au –––––– Sentinel Storage Systems Jason Keane T: 1300 852 117/+61 3 9988 2035 E: info@storagesecurity.com.au www.storagesecurity.com.au

ANCILLARY SERVICES PACKAGING VISY BOXES & MORE Ralph Inglese T: 13 84 79 E: vbm_vic@visy.com.au www.boxesandmore.com.au Branches across AUS and NZ

PRINTING Homestead Press Ingrid Nammensma T: +61 2 6299 4500 E: printing@homesteadpress.com.au www.homesteadpress.com.au

CLEANING Sweepers Australia Michelle Maxwell & Vaughan Rose T: +61 3 9562 7533 E: info@sweepersaustralia.com.au www.sweepersaustralia.com.au

COMPUTER REPAIR & IT SERVICES Millennium Technology Shane Goodall T: 0800 724 376 E: info@millenniumtechnology.co.nz www.miltech.co.nz

LOCKS Lock Distributors Australia Martin Coote T: 1800 28 77 24 E: service@lockdistributors.com.au www.lockdistributors.com.au

STORAGE AUCTION iBidOnStorage Brennan McLoughlin T: +61 2 4302 0605 E: info@ibidon.com.au www.ibidonstorage.com.au

TELECOMMUNICATION URL Networks Ashley Breeden T: 1300 331 178 E: support@url.net.au www.url.net.au

DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION STORCO STORAGE SYSTEMS

Jonathan Layton T: +61 2 6391 2800 E: jonathan.layton@storco.com.au www.storco.com.au Aluminium Specialties Group PTY LTD Peter McLean T: 1300 257 732 E: pmclean@alspec.com.au www.alspec.com.au –––––– Cloustruct Pty Ltd Robert Clouston T: +61 409 726 789 E: bobby@cloustruct.com.au www.cloustruct.com.au –––––– Gliderol Garage Doors Tom Ainscough T: +61 8 8360 0000 E: tainscough@gliderol.com.au www.gliderol.com.au –––––– Kiwimark Construction Ltd Travis Morgan T: +64 7 576 5494/+64 7 576 5491 E: travis@kiwimark.net.nz www.kiwimark.net.nz –––––– RegisBuilt Group Anthony Regis T: 1300 388 224 E: anthony.regis@regisbuilt.com.au www.regisbuilt.com.au –––––– Janus International Australia PTY LTD Stephen Boxall T: +61 7 3865 1600 E: sales@janusintl.au www.steelstorage.com.au –––––– Storcad Pty Limited Javier Rezzonico T: +61 447 566 988 E: info@storcad.com.au www.storcad.com.au –––––– Taurean Door Systems Vikram Indugula T: +61 3 9721 8366 E: Vikram.Indugula@stramit.com.au www.taureands.com.au –––––– Total Construction Pty Ltd Steven Taylor T: +61 2 9746 9555 E: stevet@totalconstruction.com.au www.totalconstruction.com.au

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FINANCIAL SERVICES Bishop Collins Pty Ltd Phillip Keenan T: +61 2 4353 2333 E: mail@bishopcollins.com.au www.bishopcollins.com.au –––––– Debtplacer James Cook E: support@debtplacer.com www.debtplacer.com

HR SERVICES HR Central Cath Grawe T: 1300 717 721 E: cath.grawe@hrcentral.com.au www.hrcentral.com.au

INSURANCE SERVICES AON Risk Services Darren Clauscen E: darren.clauscen@aon.com T: +61 2 9253 8350 www.aon.com.au/storage –––––– AON Risk Services NZ Jeffery Nathan E: jeffery.nathan@aon.com T: +64 9 362 9535 www.aon.co.nz –––––– Midland Insurance Brokers Gilda Mihran T: 1300 306 571 E: storage@midlandinsurance.com.au www.midlandinsurance.com.au –––––– Wallace McLean Ltd Insurance Brokers and Risk Advisers Simon Keenan T: +64 9 358 7233 E: simon@wallacemclean.co.nz www.wallacemclean.co.nz

LEGAL SERVICES Hunt & Hunt Lawyers Graeme Armstead T: +61 3 8602 9200 E: garmstead@huntvic.com.au www.hunthunt.com.au

LIFTS & HOISTS SOUTHWELL LIFTS AND HOISTS Hamish McGregor T: +61 2 4655 7007 E: sales@southwell.com.au www.southwell.com.au

ABT Loadmac Ltd Chris Walker T: +61 431 281 108 E: chris.w@loadmac.com www.loadmac.com –––––– Safetech Lifts & Hoists Tony Krlevski T: +61 3 5127 4566 E: sales@safetech.com.au www.safetech.com.au

www.selfstorage.org.au

TRADE DIRECTORY | 45 MANAGEMENT SERVICES Kennards Self Storage Management Services Fiona Harding T: +61 2 9764 9815 E: fiona@kss.com.au www.kss.com.au –––––– Pioneer Performance Leigh Thewlis T: +61 438 021 944 E: admin@pioneerperformance.com.au www.pioneerperformance.com.au –––––– Storage King Management Services Martin Richards, Australia/ New Zealand T: +61 2 9460 6660 E: martin@storageking.com.au www.storageking.com.au –––––– StoreLocal Mark Greig T: 1300 099 022 E: partners@storelocal.com.au www.storelocal.com.au –––––– Vision Self Storage Management Gavin Koorey T: +61 2 9432 2880 E: gavin@vssm.com.au www.vssm.com.au

OHS SERVICES OHS Action Consulting Craig Salter T: +61 409 772 499 E: craig.salter@actionohs.com.au www.actionohs.com.au

REAL ESTATE & VALUERS CBRE Limited Peter Hamilton T: +64 9 355 3333 E: peter.hamilton@cbre.co.nz www.cbre.co.nz –––––– CBRE Dylan Adams T: +61 7 3833 9833 E: dylan.adams@cbre.com www.cbre.com.au/people-andoffices/corporate-offices/brisbane –––––– Colliers Baden Mulcahy T: +61 2 9257 0222 E: baden.mulcahy@colliers.com www.colliers.com.au –––––– Collins & Associates Malcolm Collins T: +61 3 8456 5134 E: malcolm@malcolmcollins.com www.malcolmcollins.com –––––– Cushman and Wakefield Linda Sharkey T: +61 3 8359 0091 E: linda.sharkey@cushwake.com www.cushmanwakefield.com

www.selfstorage.org.au

Highway Frontage Specialist Estate Agents Matt Walsh T: 1300 661 950 +61 3 9944 9350 E: matt@highwayfrontage.com.au www.selfstoragerealestate.com.au –––––– m3property Jeremy Hoffman T: +61 7 3620 7900 E: Jeremy.hoffman@m3property.com.au www.m3property.com.au –––––– My Haus Property Group Kira Steinhaus T: +61 7 5478 9122 E: info@my-haus.com.au www.my-haus.com.au –––––– Urbis Shane Robb T: +61 2 8233 7627 E: SRobb@urbis.com.au www.urbis.com.au –––––– Valuation Partners Martin Fallon T: +61 3 9674 0374 E: mfallon@valuationpartners.com.au www.valuationpartners.com.au

SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS STORMAN AUSTRALIA T: +61 7 3319 1522 E: sales@storman.com www.storman.com

STORMAN NEW ZEALAND T: +64 9 280 3393 E: sales@storman.com www.storman.com

Centreforce Technology Group Pty Ltd Dallas Dogger T: +61 7 3889 9822 E: sales@centreforceit.com.au www.centreforceit.com.au –––––– Podium Chris Connelly T: +61 478 180 191 E: chris.connelly@podium.com www.podium.com –––––– Sitelink Michael Dogger T: +61 7 3889 9822 E: support@sitelinksoftware.com.au www.sitelinksoftware.com.au –––––– Stora Limited Gavin Shields E: hello@stora.co www.stora.co –––––– Storeganise Miles Davison T: +1 416 639 0873 E: hello@storeganise.com https://storeganise.com/

STORAGE CONTAINERS UNIVERSAL STORAGE CONTAINERS (USC)

Shay McQuade T: +61 438 256 541 E: shay.mcquade@universalstorage containers.com www.universalstoragecontainers.com AIM Quickbuild Elise Kelsey T: +61 3 9720 4455 E: ekelsey@aimhire.com.au www.boscontainer.com.au –––––– NZBOX Ltd James Scott T: 0800 818 818 E: james@nzbox.kiwi.nz www.nzbox.kiwi.nz –––––– Royal Wolf Trading Craig Baker T: +61 2 9482 3466 E: removals@royalwolf.com.au www.royalwolf.com.au

WEBSITE DESIGN Big Budda Boom Pty Ltd Andy Pudmenzky T: 1300 660 937 E: info@bigbuddaboom.com.au www.bigbuddaboom.com.au –––––– R6 Digital Michael Dogger T: +61 7 3889 9822 E: sales@r6digital.com.au www.r6digital.com.au

From the team at the SSAA we would like to wish you all the best for the festive season and we look forward to another great year in self storage for 2023.

COMING SOON:

2023 Self Storage Supplier Guide delivered with the next edition of the Insider

DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 INSIDER 128

46 NEW MEMBERS FACILITY MEMBERS

All In Storage Yarragon 12 Industrial Court YARRAGON VIC 3823 T: +61 484 951 591 E: allinstorage3823@gmail.com –––––– Nimbin Storage 36 Sibley Street NIMBIN NSW 2480 T: +61 491 015 654 E: nimbinstorage@gmail.com –––––– Ryan's Storage Wendouree 15 Old Creswick Road WENDOUREE VIC 3350 T: +61 417 543 881 E: ryansstorageunits@gmail.com –––––– SA Storage Solutions 131 Mooringe Avenue NORTH PLYMPTON SA 5038 T: +61 439 919 575 E: store@sastoragesolutions.com.au –––––– Savvy Storage Centre 12 Ashley Park Drive CHELSEA HEIGHTS VIC 3196 T: +61 423 224 016 E: adamkurtwhite@me.com –––––– South Burnett Containers 9-11 Kingaroy Street KINGAROY QLD 4610 T: +61 409 274 550 E: masonrj@bigpond.com –––––– St Arnaud Serenity Storage 16-18 Napier Street ST ARNAUD VIC 3478 T: +61 409 337 276 E: hayleybatters123@bigpond.com –––––– Storage Cube 9 Wilks Road DAIRY FLAT AUCKLAND 0794 T: +64 9 421 1666 E: dairyflat@storagecube.co.nz –––––– Taylor Made Storage 21 Tasman Highway TRIABUNNA TAS 7190 T: +61 438 571 209 E: admin@taylormadestorage.com.au –––––– TMS Removals & Storage 15 Industrial Avenue LOGAN VILLAGE QLD 4207 T: 1300 100 867 E: reception@tmsremovalstorage.com.au

ADDITIONAL FACILITIES

Goodspace Kingsgrove 14-26 Commercial Road KINGSGROVE NSW 2208 T: +61 2 9145 8181 E: brooke@sentumar.com.au –––––– The Launceston Lockup 32 Charbooday Drive YOUNGTOWN TAS 7249 T: +61 3 6227 2448 E: admin@thelauncestonlockup.com.au –––––– Storage King Kingsgrove 14-26 Commercial Road KINGSGROVE NSW 2208 T: +61 2 9145 1045 E: kingsgrove@storageking.com.au

PROVISIONAL MEMBERS

Raymond Alfred Robert Blackburn PO Box 1581 ARMIDALE NSW 2350 T: +61 458 715 038 E: rayblackburn27@hotmail.com –––––– Bruac Design 23 Dana Street CASHMERE QLD 4500 T: +61 416 352 057 E: michael@bruacdesign.com.au –––––– Glen Coolahan PO Box 68 MANSFIELD VIC 3722 T: +61 407 787 492 E: glen_timberline@yahoo.com –––––– Michael Cooper 61 Robertson Street NATHALIA VIC 3638 T: +61 493 261 747 E: mikecharley993@gmail.com –––––– Brett Epstein Level 1/1-5 Link Road ZETLAND NSW 2017 T: +61 414 761 363 E: brett@hireamover.com.au –––––– John Garth PO Box 140 TRINITY BEACH QLD 4870 T: +61 7 4055 2388 E: beckslea@gmail.com –––––– Tabitha Loveday 643 Murphy Road CAPTAIN CREED QLD 4677 T: +61 411 961 750 E: greenmarlin@outlook.com –––––– Joseph McDonald 38 McComb Blvd FRANKSTON SOUTH VIC 3199 T: +61 400 490 640 E: jmcdonald.eng@gmail.com –––––– Warren Peffer 26 Coombes Drive PENRITH NSW 2750 T: +61 2 4721 3377 E: naturesbestwater@ymail.com –––––– Josh Phillips Macquarie 50 Martin Place SYDNEY NSW 2000 E: joshua.pphillips@macquarie.com –––––– William Reynolds 52/3 Tedder Ave MAIN BEACH QLD 4217 T: +61418 150 276 E: gcwilly.reynolds@gmail.com –––––– RK Family Trust PO Box 23 NORTH TAMBORINE QLD 4272 T: +61 498 096 540 E: ryan.kingsnorth@hotmail.com –––––– Vaughn Royer 429 Main western Road TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN QLD 4272 T: +61 431 054 597 E: vaughnroyer1@gmail.com

INSIDER 128 DECEMBER 2022 / JANUARY 2023

Neil Schmidt 4 Gillen Court WHYALLA PLAYFORD SA 5600 T: +61 429 042 967 E: nrdsas@hotmail.com –––––– Fiona Seitz 27 Woodlands Drive OCEAN GROVE VIC 3226 T: +61 466 011 649 E: fionaseitz@hotmail.com –––––– TZ Sunshine Pty Ltd 81/110 Scrub Road CARINDALE QLD 4152 T: +61 426 917 288 E: charlie@tzsunshine.com.au –––––– Tony Swaddling 17 Lindsay Parade PARADISE POINT QLD 4216 T: +61 410 557 788 E: ashtor1960@gmail.com –––––– Brian Williams 1 Trewhitt Court DROMANA VIC 3936 T: +61 3 5987 1788 E: crbubble@bigpond.net.au

SERVICE MEMBERS Centennial Level 27/25 Bligh Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 T: +61 2 8277 6688 E: ablackman@centennial.com.au –––––– Digital First 216 Main Road CLAREMONT CAPE TOWN SA 5600 T: +27 216 713 233 E: info@digitalfirst.co.uk –––––– Gallagher Group Limited 181 Lahikatea Drive HAMILTON 3206 NEW ZEALAND T: +64 7 838 9800 E: sales.nz@security.gallagher.com –––––– Gallagher Group Limited Epping 65 Scanlon Drive EPPING VIC 3076 T: +61 3 9308 7722 E: sales.au@security.gallagher.com –––––– Karibu GmbH Rubik Landstraßer Hauptstraße 72/2/29 VIENNA 1030 AUSTRIA T: +431 997 41 96 E: info@rubikapp.com –––––– Network Steadfast Suite 6.02/Level 6/135 King Street SYDNEY NSW 2000 T: +61 456 560 500 E: jmorrell@networksteadfast.com.au –––––– The Energy Alliance Pty Ltd Level 1/Suite 9 830 Wellington Road ROWVILLE VIC 3178 T: +61 3 9872 6869 E: sam@energyalliance.net.au

www.selfstorage.org.au

EXPERIENCE THE POWER OF ONE

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