Grow Magazine Summer 2016

ISSUE

05

DECEMBER 2016

DRESS SENSE CLOTHES FOR HIRE

Shaking things up in Hampton Park When nature and profit go hand in hand ■ Bread business rises in Garfield ■

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CONTENTS: 8

Education boost

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Baker’s healthy dough beckons

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A glimpse of the future

22

Doing business solo

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Garry Howe garry.howe@starnewsgroup.com.au Phone: 5945 0624

Women doing it for themselves

CASEY CARDINIA REGION

27

Winners toast their success

31

Q&A with Nick Russo

Andy Jukes andy.jukes@starnewsgroup.com.au Phone: 5945 0666

32

Home and Away

DESIGN

35

Snapshot of the region

EDITOR

Samantha Henderson shenderson@casey.vic.gov.au

ADVERTISING

Mark Dinnie mark.dinnie@starnewsgroup.com.au

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Cnr Princes Hwy & Army Road Pakenham 3810 Phone: 5945 0666 Fax: 5945 0777 Produced and published by Paul Thomas for Star News Group Pty. Ltd. ACN 005 848 108.

Star News Group Trading Terms and Conditions can be found on www.starnewsgroup.com.au

Find an electronic version of grow. online at:

growcaseycardinia.com.au

ISSUE

05

DECEMBER 2016

10-11

Sweet sensations are a hit with the crowds I made the mega shakes so people feel they’re getting value for money and leaving here completely satisfied.

Casey Cardinia Region

DRESS SENSE CLOTHES FOR HIRE ■

■ Shaking things up in Hampton Park When nature and profit go hand in hand ■ Bread business rises in Garfield

Cover Kate Delaney and Robyn Pulford with their collection of Camilla garments.

Picture: GARY SISSONS

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Aaron Garth won office space at the Casey Cardinia Business Hub.

Keeping helpers in the LOOP

By Victoria Stone-Meadows

High turnover in the youth services industry inspired Aaron Garth to start Ultimate Youth Worker in 2012.

“A whole heap of my friends had left the youth sector in a short period of time for no good reason,” he said.

“When we started to ask about why, it was general things like a lack of communication, lack of jobs, no ongoing support, and a lack of supervision and training.

“So we decided to have a look and see if anyone was trying to fix it and no-one was.”

Mr Garth’s mission was to help people in the youth services industry maintain a passion for their work.

“We want longevity in the social sector,” he said.

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“The average youth worker lasts about five years and general social workers about eight, compared to nursing which is about 28 years.

“For us it’s all about how we can we provide the support social workers need to have career longevity.”

He and his colleagues provide youth work professionals with supervision sessions, coaching mentoring, and clinical training like youth mental health, first aid, and self care.

The business has expanded into different areas of Melbourne, including the new Casey Cardinia Business Hub in Narre Warren thanks to a competition win.

“I was driving home one day and heard about the competition for the Casey Cardinia Business Hub on the radio,” he said.

“There was the potential to win a co-working space and a major prize of an office and I had to jump on it.

“I knew the City of Casey has the largest youth population in Australia and there would be youth workers facing the same issues.”

Mr Garth said Ultimate Youth Worker had received great feedback from the people they’d been working with in Casey.

“We are getting positive feedback, and found there was a real need for us here but biggest issue is the lack of funding,” he said.

“With most of the government’s agendas of free market economy and de-funding health and community services, there is going to be a much higher turnover in years to come.”

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Shimmering in Camilla silk Friends Robyn Pulford and Kate Delaney have turned their collection of designer clothes into a thriving online hire businesses.

By Narelle Coulter

“COME into our Camilla cave,” beckons Robyn Pulford.

She heads up a flight of stairs, her loose silk top flowing behind her, to a loft studio where she and business partner Kate Delaney store their Aladdin’s Cave of dresses, kaftans and playsuits by leading Australian designer Camilla Franks.

The long-term friends are the owners of Share Our Camillas, an online business they started 12 months ago.

The studio, at Kate’s beautiful Berwick home, is full of racks of colourful silk dresses, kaftans, skirts and playsuits.

Strewn around are Camilla cushions, beaded purses, scarves and jewellery.

Share Our Camillas is part of the burgeoning online hire culture in which customers rent expensive items of clothing they could not otherwise afford.

“The whole concept is taking off in Australia,” Robyn said.

“You don’t buy, you rent.”

Robyn and Kate, who met when their children attended St Margaret’s School, were Camilla fans long before starting their business.

“We used to joke about how many we had collectively,” Kate said, estimating that they owned at least 80 Camilla pieces between them.

“We’ve both worn Camilla for a number of years since she first brought her range out about 10 to 12 years ago.

“We have both been very keen on the product for a long time,” added Robyn.

“At the end of last year Kate said to me that her daughter and nieces were hiring things so why don’t we start a little business.

“It’s been hard work but from where we were 12 months ago to now, we’ve got a lot more sophisticated. We are learning and getting better at it each time.”

Social media has been the key to Share Our Camillas’ success.

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The friends have used Instagram to build a customer base of more than 9000 followers.

Kate has driven the social media side of the business.

“It’s definitely been an Instagram thing,” she said.

“You have to really work on growing your business and part of that is becoming media savvy. It’s no use buying followers because they are not going to buy anything from you.”

“I agree with Kate,” added Robyn. “It’s no use having them (followers) unless they are genuinely interested in your product.”

we know the market is there …

We work on word of mouth and back it up with good service and product.

Kate and Robyn recently finished the mammoth task of photographing the 300 pieces in their collection for their new website.

“It always stuck in my mind because she got voted best dressed. It was $900 dress, which I never would have paid.”

The business attracts a range of customers from teenage girls wanting a special piece to wear to an 18th or 21st, through to more mature women who love the drape and flow of silk, Camilla’s signature fabric.

Robyn said there are two types of hire customers: those who are proud of the fact they have hired a garment and are willing to share images of themselves on social media and “the other school of thought is ‘I’m not telling anyone I’ve hired this’”.

“The clothes are comfortable,” Robyn said.

“Silk is really great to wear. It drapes beautifully on all shapes and sizes. And they aren’t just summer outfits, we wear them all year round. We live in Camilla.”

Kate adds: “We have customers from 16 right through to my mum, and she’s 75.”

Customers can hire a Camilla for a weekend for about $130, or take a piece away with them on holiday for a two-week hire.

Playsuits and jumpsuits are slightly cheaper at $80-$90 for a weekend.

The retail cost of a Camilla starts at around $400.

The concept of an online hire business was sown when Kate hired a dress for her daughter’s school formal.

“I was in Thailand for the week when she was at her school formal so I wanted to be organised way before.

“We’d heard about these hiring sites so I hired a dress for her from Perth.

“Younger girls are really happy to talk about us all the time. They are very happy to say it’s from Share Our Camillas.”

Robyn and Kate use young brand ambassadors to promote their business, like model Chantelle Price.

“Every time she posts something we get heaps of new followers,” said Kate.

They say their business has been slowly embraced by the Camilla corporation (they have never met Camilla herself) who no longer see share businesses as a threat, but recognise that Robyn and Kate cater for a different segment of the market – those who wouldn’t normally afford to wear the brand at all.

Robyn said their aim was to get 10 per cent of followers hiring regularly.

“We know the market is there, the concept is more accepted all the time. We work on word of mouth and back it up with good service and product.”

cover story

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1. Kate Delaney and Robyn Pulford in their Camilla cave.

2. Camilla fans Robyn and Kate with Kate’s niece Jess Breen and her friend Abbie Shears.

cover story

Pictures: GARY SISSONS

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The courses FedUni will deliver at the Berwick Campus in 2017 are:

New degree courses on offer

Bachelor of Business

An impressive number of business students are set to graduate in the Casey Cardinia region in the future thanks to the arrival of FedUni.

Bachelor of Business (Marketing) Bachelor of Business (Human Resource Management) Bachelor of Commerce

It follows the July announcement that FedUni will take over Monash University’s Berwick Campus.

A transition period next year will see both institutions teach from the site, prior to FedUni assuming full responsibility for the campus in 2018.

Government approval paves the way for FedUni to deliver 16 courses at Berwick next year, including business, community welfare, education, nursing, IT and science degrees.

Professor Andy Smith, Acting Vice-Chancellor, said it was exciting to have the Berwick Campus join Federation University Australia, given the enormous opportunities in the region.

“We appreciate the area is one of the fastest growing in Australia and we’re focused on supporting the local community and producing job-ready graduates,” Professor Smith said.

“The university is committed to working with local businesses and industry to boost the economic potential of the region and ensure our programs meet the area’s needs.”

Among the initiatives to be implemented at the Berwick Campus is FedUni’s Industry Placement Program. The program provides a unique opportunity for businesses to tap into the next generation of employees, while enhancing students’ academic studies with workplace experience.

The Industry Placement Program at Berwick is available in the study areas of business, IT and science, and ensures students who don’t already have compulsory practical placement within their degree (such as nursing and education) have the opportunity to gain valuable experience.

Student support is also a major focus at FedUni, including comprehensive pathway and transition support programs, as well as a commitment to student wellbeing.

In addition, the national Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) survey – which is endorsed by the Department of Education and Training – have ranked FedUni as number one in Victoria for teaching quality, student support, skills development, full-time employment and median salary.

“We stand proud of the excellent employment prospects and careers of our graduates and look forward to welcoming the next generation of FedUni students to the Berwick Campus,” Professor Smith said.

“Federation University Australia will build on the great work Monash has done at Berwick and maintain a strong and vibrant campus.”

Although Federation University Australia is a new tertiary institution, it is based on a proud 146-year history of predecessor institutions, providing tertiary education in Western Victoria and Gippsland. FedUni has seen significant annual increases in higher education student numbers since its inception in 2014.

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Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) Bachelor of Community and Human Services Bachelor of Education (Birth to Year 6) Bachelor of Education (Primary) Bachelor of Education Studies Bachelor of Environmental and Conservation Science Bachelor of Information Technology Bachelor of Information Technology (Business Information Systems) Bachelor of Information Technology (Mobile App Development) Bachelor of Nursing Bachelor of Nursing (Accelerated Program) Bachelor of Veterinary and Wildlife Science To learn more about studying at FedUni Berwick, call 1800 333 864 or email info@federation.edu.au.

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RESIDENTS of the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire are set to benefit from a new generation of local tertiary education with Federation University Australia receiving Federal Government approval to offer courses at Berwick next year.

business in focus

Federation University Australia will build on the great work Monash has done at Berwick and maintain a strong and vibrant campus.

Professor Andy Smith, Acting Vice-Chancellor of Federation University, is excited about the opening of the Berwick campus in 2017.

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Sweet sensation are a hit with the crowds Hampton Park’s own Willy Wonka is building a business empire based on the not so humble milkshake.

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

HAMPTON Park’s home of the wildly popular sensation ‘mega shakes’ has long queues of sweet-tooths and is even being chased by international franchises and national shopping centres.

Steven Richard, the owner and director of Sugar Buns bakery cafe, is experiencing his own form of a sugar hit.

He has plans to cash in on the rave reviews with a second store in Dandenong by February.

Titled Sugar Buns Jr, it will focus on kids and “mums with prams”, Mr Richard said.

The craze started with a relaunch of the menu this year. The new lavish and spectacular mega shakes drew customers from across town and interstate.

“The key these days is that people eat with their eyes,” Mr Richard says.

“Every person, before they eat, takes a photo of their food and shares it (on social media).

“They call it food porn.

“We have to give people the excuse to market for us.”

Behind the scenes, staff meticulously construct the shakes like they’re an artwork, a figment of Willy Wonka’s imagination.

For instance, on top of the ‘chocoholic’ shake is an ice-cream mountain covered in chocolate sauce and affixed with Tim Tams, wafers, fairyfloss – and then lined on the plate with mud cake.

The cafe is typically buzzing with 30 staff.

It now occupies the double-storey retail space next door, more than doubling its capacity, Mr Richard says.

Despite trying to scale back on social media, the cafe’s Instagram followers total 13,000, its Facebook likes about 21,000.

Sugar Buns has placed bollards outside its

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shop to herd the lines of waiting customers that have run 50 metres deep.

Mr Richard, born and raised in Dandenong, is in no doubt the ‘mega shakes’ are the most popular of their kind in Australia.

On average, Sugar Buns create a staggering 700 mega shakes a day, including the ‘chocoholic’, ‘candyland’, ‘salted caramel’ and ‘strawberry shortcake’.

His closest national competition might make 20 in an hour.

“It’s numbers I’ve never seen in my life,” Mr Richard says.

“Why I made this a success is I never chase the dollar.

“I love the art of hospitality. I made the mega shakes so people feel they’re getting value for money and leaving here completely satisfied.”

Mr Richard is holding off on an international franchise deal, not satisfied that the cafe’s standards can be replicated overseas.

Meanwhile, national shopping centres have been wooing him.

“The interest has been huge. They tell me the amount of traffic you bring to (Hampton Park) shopping centre, we need you here.”

He says he’s ready for the next challenge – to maintain the standard across a number of franchises.

“I’m ready to spend the effort. I’m ready to go.”

Mr Richard is loving his 90-hour week at the cafe, even savouring the long drive from Preston each day.

Mr Richard had set up at Hampton Park shopping centre to be close to his parents Lucille and Burty’s 25-year-old business Lucy’s Divine Cakes and his brother Didier’s Heroes Burger Diner.

When he launched the cafe three years ago, he was told it would never work.

His prospective coffee supplier told him

I made the mega shakes so people feel they’re getting value for money and leaving here completely satisfied. he’d be lucky to serve five kilograms of coffee a week, and refused to stock their coffee at this cafe.

The cafe now has its own specially roasted blend, and Mr Richard has vowed never to use that former coffee supplier again.

“One person told me you’ve changed Hampton Park to Hampton On the Park,” Mr Richard said.

Mr Richard insists it’s not just the food that’s drawing crowds – one family even flying in from Tasmania for the day after seeing a national TV news story.

It’s the buzzy atmosphere, attention to detail and an enthusiastic staff that he teaches to “make a difference”.

“Part of my journey is to inspire the uninspired.”

He said the seemingly overnight success had been built on 12 years in the industry as a cafe developer and investor in about 50 different stores around Melbourne.

Ambitiously, Mr Richard started as an 18 year old jointly involved in a cafe in Pakenham.

It forced him to grow up quickly, he says.

It’s helping him to handle his new-found fame, such as being stopped in a Queensland street for his autograph.

“I’ve donated my life to hospitality, now my phone won’t stop ringing.”

Sugar Buns’ staff member Elaine with Steven Richard holding a double serve of mega shakes.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

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Baker’s healthy dough beckons Rising in the early hours of the morning to fire up his historic wood oven is all part of the job for passionate baker James Fisher.

Chance encounters set James Fisher on the path to setting up Cannibal Creek Bakehouse.

James said even his earliest, messy loaves were still head and shoulders above what he could buy.

He came across Richard Bertinet’s Dough on his sister-in-law’s bookshelf during a trip to the UK and fell in love with baking bread, and discovered the 120-year-old oven he now uses in Garfield through a mate and work associate, Ken.

“What I started learning about was the effect that other bread has on your system,” he said.

He sells a small amount through his Main Street store and has strong wholesale demand.

“I wasn’t willing to feed my kids that stuff anymore.”

It was mostly through trial and error that James learnt how to harness the store’s oven.

He was coaching people in middle management and his contract was coming to an end, so he decided to turn his hobby into a career.

“I put in two small fires every time I bake instead of one big one,” he said.

“I started a business teaching other people how to make bread for little Johnny,” he said.

“When this was built 120 years ago, they only had two kinds of bread – brown bread and white bread and they came in tins and that’s it.

He was meeting with Ken about the idea of setting up a community bakery when a woman Ken’s kids went to childcare with stopped by.

She said ‘it’s funny you’re doing this, because I’ve got an old oven and no one’s really using it’ and the lease was coming up.

“I came around and had a look at it and it was perfect,” James said.

“There are only six ovens like this that are in a commercial operation in Victoria. It was a real find.

“It’s way more economical than using gas or electric to run an oven.

“The wood that I use comes out of plantations and it’s the by-product of the forestry industry.”

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“A year into that, I met up with Ken and found this place.

“Things really did just sort of float together.

“Finding this place was such a unique opportunity.”

Today he bakes 150 to 250 loaves in a day, three times a week.

Each one takes at least eight hours to produce, from mixing the ingredients together to taking it out of the oven.

He sells 60 to 70 per cent at farmers’ markets – Akoonah Park in Berwick every Sunday and

Cockatoo, Beaumaris, Traralgon and Warragul on alternating Saturdays.

“They’re built for one massive fire.

“I’d heard a rumour that the lollypop man in Emerald used to work a scotch oven, so I got in touch with him.

“I got in touch with John, who runs the bakery in Trentham.

“It was a lot easier than I thought. It’s a very forgiving oven, easier than a domestic oven, I think.

“I spent the first few years learning how to be a commercial baker before I had the available head space to teach workshops again.

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1. James stokes the red hot oven.

2. The Cannibal Creek Bakehouse flour mill.

3. Working with dough is a labour of love for James Fisher.

“It’s something I really love doing.

“I think the workshops are a highlight of what we do here.

“There’s a lot of love and a lot of energy that goes into those workshops.

“They’re the start of something.

“I know because they’re coming back and seeing me at the market and they’re not buying bread anymore, I’m bringing bags of flour for them.

“They’re sending me pictures of the bread they’re making and asking me for advice.”

James teaches people how to make their own starter, mill flour and bake bread.

“Fresh, stone-milled flour is a living flour, versus the stuff you buy in the supermarket,” he said.

The breakthrough meant large mills could stockpile tonnes of flour and distribute it across the country.

“That’s just dead flour. It’s just carbohydrate.”

“You couldn’t do that with stone-milled flour because by the time it got to the bakeries, it would have started to go rancid,” he said.

He buys his grain from an 87-year-old organic farmer in the Riverina and uses a custom-made Osttiroler Getreidemühlen from the Green family in Germany.

“If you look at the health problems that are affecting the western world, where did it start going wrong?” he said.

“I would say with the invention of the roller mill and the centralisation of milling has a lot to answer for, producing dead flour with no nutritional value.”

He said that 100 years ago, bread accounted for more than 50 per cent of people’s calorie intake.

“We’re still dealing with that,” he said.

“I’m proud to be bringing milling back into the community.

“The grain that we’re using is insanely nutritious.”

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Opportunities exist for those who keep pace Futurist Chris Riddell gave his audience a glimpse of the future at the November Casey Cardinia Business Breakfast.

By Alana Mitchelson

FUTURIST Chris Riddell believes one of the best ways large corporations can stay relevant in the current landscape of fastpaced technological change is to “think and behave like entrepreneurs or start-ups”.

Riddell, who recently spoke at the Casey Cardinia Business Breakfast, keeps across the latest trends in technology around the world that he believes will shape the future.

He used an unusual analogy, comparing a banana plantation with a rainforest.

“Ordinarily a banana plantation business will spend their entire lives thinking about bananas and nothing but bananas,” Mr Riddell said.

“Whereas a rainforest, unlike a plantation, is an incredibly dangerous space. You could get bitten by a snake and die instantly, but you could also find a spider that can cure cancer.

“Volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity might give you that opportunity to change the world.”

Mr Riddell believes the greatest restriction is no longer technology but the ability for human beings to embrace change rather than trying to stop progress.

He stressed the importance of forwardthinking and embracing technology when it came to business strategies as well as the way people approached their personal lives.

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“Today technology is challenging industries to adapt to big changes, sometimes in a timeframe of less than a year,” he said.

“This is a new normal.

“Your business’s ability to adapt to change in this revolution of experience will define and shape the next 100 years.”

Mr Riddell asked the audience to think back to the release of the first computer game, Pong, which involved a dot bouncing back and forth across the screen.

He said this simple game showed people where the world was going.

“Technology offers us an insight into what lies around the corner,” Mr Riddell said.

“The company 23andMe has changed the future of the healthcare industry by its ability to provide customers with their DNA profile.

All people need to do is spit in a test tube.

products and services to meet customers’ needs.

Riddell predicts that virtual reality is going to be big within the next two years.

“In the workplace, the idea of having a screen on the desk will disappear,” he said.

“You will be able to wear a piece of equipment over your eyes that projects everything in front of you that only you will be able to see.

Mr Riddell highlighted how advertising and marketing campaigns have changed over the years.

In the 1960s BMW would sell their cars by promoting their new features such as a triple hemispheric swirl action combustion chamber.

He said there was no way that approach would sell a car today.

“If you have a partner, they can also obtain their DNA profile and tell you what kind of children you will have.”

The product is now being sold in the background with a focus instead on the customer experience that surrounds it.

Mr Riddell described the current era as the revolution of experience.

“Many people fear technology. Technology isn’t going to replace us. It’s just another tool to make life easier and better,” Mr Riddell said.

Rather than buying CDs for example, people are opting to subscribe to an experience on platforms such as Spotify.

Customers are demanding incredible experiences and data is increasingly becoming an insightful tool to create personalised experiences by tailoring

“Innovation is about re-invention – doing what we have always done but in a slightly better way.”

For more information, visit chrisriddell.com/ blog

Futurist Chris Riddell was the final guest speaker for the 2016 Casey Cardinia Business Breakfast series.

Picture: GARY SISSONS

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1. Keeper Blaire Bunter with a spotted-tailed quoll at the Moonlit Sanctuary in Pearcedale.

2. Moonlit Sanctuary runs breeding programs for endangered Australian animals such at the orange bellied parrot. Michael Johnson is proud he can help conserve Australia’s engandered wildlife.

Pictures: VICTORIA STONE-MEADOWS

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Sanctuary proves its wild appeal Moonlit Sanctuary is a successful business that is also helping protect Australia’s native animals.

One of the resident koalas at Moonlit Sanctuary known as “Little Mate”.

By Victoria Stone-Meadows

MOONLIT Sanctuary in Pearcedale celebrated 15 years of native animal conservation and attracting a booming tourist trade to the Casey area.

Director of the animal sanctuary Michael Johnson said he has always loved caring for native animals and is looking forward to many more years of operation.

“This is our 15th year and we had our anniversary in September,” he said.

“We looked around the peninsula for bushland but there wasn’t a lot of bush available and we weren’t finding that something a bit interesting and convenient we were looking for.

“We made our pick and it turned out to be a good option and has been very beneficial for the business to get people from Melbourne as well as to be in a growth area with a lot of young families which is important for this type of attraction.”

“It’s been tough work to do what we do but it’s also a fantastic thing to do.”

Mr Johnson acknowledges he made some rookie business mistakes when he first started the sanctuary 15 years ago.

Moonlit Sanctuary is located in the bushy terrain of Peacedale away from main roads – and while it is a bit tucked away, it is in the perfect location for the type of operation.

“My problem was, looking in retrospect, I didn’t know how to get the name of the place out into the public. We didn’t really understand what we needed to do.”

“We wanted to be local to the south-east suburbs, Phillip Island and so on and we were looking for somewhere there was a reasonable tourism business,” Mr Johnson said.

“We didn’t put enough money and time into marketing early on, but now we put lots into marketing and going to overseas trade shows few times a year as well as targeting the local market.”

Moonlit Sanctuary keeps, breeds, and cares for exclusively native Australian animals over about 25 acres and the business attracts tourists and visitors from far and near.

“Last financial year we had 84,000 visitors come from everywhere in the world,” Mr Johnson said.

“Half our visitors were internationals from every country you can imagine; UK, North America, Asia and Europe.

“The other half were Australian and a vast majority were locals from Cranbourne, The peninsula, Frankston and so on.”

Mr Johnson said it was no small feat to get an entire animal sanctuary up and running for both conservation and tourism but it has been a worthwhile experience.

“It was very hard for the first 10 years; getting set up and getting our name out there but it is a bit easier now and we have a good number of visitors.

“It has been a lot of hard work and as it turns out, overnight success takes 15 years.”

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Dr Mary Cole

NEW LIFE FROM THE ASHES

By Russell Bennett

SCIENTIST Doctor Mary Cole would never call herself a religious person, but the world-first process she has developed to create ‘memorial trees’ has carried with it some deeply spiritual moments which has her convinced there’s a greater power out there somewhere.

Over the past two years, the Vervale microbiologist and plant pathologist, together with her team at AgPath – her home-based soil biology company – has developed a way to nullify the salt and alkalinity levels of human ash so that people can, essentially, live on as trees after they die.

She was originally approached by Warren Roberts from ‘Living Legacy’, who struggled to come to grips with the sudden passing of a close friend.

“It just came out of nowhere because Warren, the man who kind of started the company, lost somebody and he just didn’t get a satisfactory conclusion to it all,” Dr Cole explained.

– of course it can be done, you just need to find the way.”

Mr Roberts came to see Dr Cole about the astonishing idea in February of last year. By December, Dr Cole was confident she could grow any tree in any soil using human ash.

Since then, the project has made global headlines.

“It’s such a lovely story,” Dr Cole said.

“I think Warren said there’s only about three per cent of consecrated ground left in some countries, or even less. Burials are just not going to be possible for much longer.

“The days where you’d buy a plot and you’d have it for 99 years are gone. Now you’re struggling to get 20 or 25 years.”

With her concept – given her background in biology and environmental protection – Dr Cole and her team have found a way for people to become a memorial tree when they die.

Never tell me something can’t be done – of course it can be done, you just need to find the way.

“There’s some data that says that in the average lifetime of a human being, it takes 100 trees to negate the impact of our breath on the environment. That’s 100 trees per person in a lifetime. What we’re doing is planting 200 trees, so there’s a net gain.

“He thought there just had to be a better way.

“Instead of having a headstone or a plaque in a wall, you’ve got a GPS reading and your tree will probably be in a memorial garden somewhere,” she explained.

“Given a continent like Australia, that is going to be really severely impacted by climate change and global warming, the one way to bring rain back is to have forests, because you get your evaporation and precipitation. You’re protecting your soil too.

“He went along to see agriculturalists and they said it couldn’t be done – that you can’t use human ash. But then he got my name and I said: never tell me something can’t be done

“But, at the same time you are a memorial tree another 200 trees are being planted out in the environment. We’re basically going to reforest the planet with this.

“Everything about this is positive. It’s just such a great idea that he (Mr Roberts) had, and we’re absolutely delighted that we were a part of it.”

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New owners plan Gumbuya Park revamp THE founders of Carsales.com and Jayco Caravans have joined forces with Pakenham’s Car Megamart founder and a few mates to secure popular Tynong amusement park Gumbuya Park for $4.65 million.

The investor consortium – comprising Gerry Ryan of Jayco Caravans, Wal Pisciotta of Carsales.com.au, Car Megamart’s Ray Weinzierl, Jamie Johnston and Adam Campbell and Brett Murray from Campbells Constructions – acquired the iconic park, which has been operating since 1978, and have plans to undertake a major revamp of the venue.

The park features more than 300 animals with numerous species of wildlife including dingoes, cockatoos, wombats, koalas, emus and various native Australian birds.

The 166.26 hectare Gumbuya Park also features several rides and attractions including paddle boats, mini cars, waterslides, pony rides, a mini golf course and toboggans.

CBRE’s David Minty, Stephen Adgemis, Duncan McCulloch and James Beer managed the sale on behalf of the vendor.

Mr Minty said the incoming owners planned to inject new life into the much loved park, which is located just outside Pakenham.

“The buyers will look to introduce new attractions and some accommodation, helping bring the park back to its former glory,” Mr Minty said.

“A change of hands of this iconic park will ensure it remains one of Melbourne’s most popular, small-scale amusement parks, frequented by both local residents and interstate visitors.”

Gumbuya Park is located on the Princes Highway, just outside of Tynong and approximately 66 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD. It was established in 1978 by Standard Roads founder Ron Rado.

Karlie Thexton and Ray Weinzierl from Car Megamart size up the paddle boats at Gumbuya Park, which is set for a major facelift.

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The ups and downs of going it alone Julia Hebb, owner of Juro Business Services, and Shelley Flett, founder of an eponymous leadership coaching business, both took similar leaps of faith, leaving corporate jobs to start their own businesses. Over coffee with Grow reporter Narelle Coulter they discuss the highs and lows of doing business solo.

Julia: I was in the corporate sector for 20 years in banking and manufacturing and was made redundant from ANZ about four years ago. I woke up one morning and realised I had been leaving (Pearcedale) at six in the morning and getting home at 8pm and I didn’t even know who my neighbours were.

I had a bit of a crisis moment I guess.

I decided to take three months off and do volunteering and work with not-for-profits.

That crystallised my decision to start my own business.

Shelley: I also left ANZ, just under two years ago. I had been there 10 years in a variety of leadership roles. When I left I was six months pregnant with my third child so it was a little bit crazy. I had been planning to leave the corporate world for a while to start my own practice in leadership and human development. I could have put it off, but was already really passionate about what was to come so I decided to seize the moment.

How have you used your corporate skills in your new ventures?

Julia: There are a lot of the opportunities here that are really good in terms of being able to utilise some of the skills I’d learnt in the corporate environment and being able to pass them on to people who want that type of skill base.

Shelley: I still work with corporates, but what I enjoy more is working with small businesses on how to develop teams and leadership capabilities at the grass roots.

How has not having to commute changed your working lives?

Shelley: Taking the commute away really takes the pressure off. I love the community feel in Casey. Coming from Oakleigh (Shelley moved to Narre Warren a year ago) I was pleasantly surprised to how approachable people were. There is so much more of a sense of community here. Being able to work where you live you have more opportunity to meet people and every time you meet someone it is an opportunity to form

22

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a relationship and do business with them.

Julia: I enjoy the flexibly in my hours. I have a passion for triathlons so that manages to work out quite well. It’s long hours but it’s much, much more rewarding having your own business and working locally.

What has been your biggest achievement since setting out on your own?

Shelley: Probably one of my biggest achievements is I managed to write a book.

I love to be around people so I would prefer to sit down and have a conversation with someone than sit alone in a room doing research. Writing a book for me was me doing the work. It’s called the Direction Dilemma. I’m very proud of it.

Julia: I’ve had a couple of big contracts I’ve won so I think the high for me was going out and winning those jobs, doing the work and finally getting the money. You want to frame that first bank statement. For me that was a high. It just made it feel like it was completely worthwhile.

What is your key piece of advice for anyone thinking of starting their own business?

Julia: My key piece of advice is ask. Don’t be scared to ask people for help. I had such a lot of support from people around the City of Casey, people connected with the council, networking groups and mentoring. They find connections for you, point you in the right direction.

Shelley: I think it’s a little bit like Nike, Just Do It. If you have an idea and want to do something and think you are so much more capable than you are there is no point sitting it on the shelf. The reality is there is never a better time in your life to start than now.

I think women are capable of doing so much, we can just fit so much in. I’m a working mum, very career driven, very focussed and I love my family as well but I believe you can be both people.

I think the support for small business here is phenomenal and it’s not necessarily the same everywhere.

JULIA HEBB Starting your own business is hard. What has been your low point?

Shelley: My low was probably not knowing when to stop. I had a quarter where I was investing so much because my husband had taken 12 weeks of parental leave so I worked 12 weeks full-time in my business and I expected big returns in that time. I could have earned more on unemployment benefits in those three months. I think I tried to control too much as opposed to letting things go because I felt the pressure of having that time. New businesses take time and nurturing and relationships. A lot of things I did then I am now seeing the benefit of.

I didn’t see it then.

Julia: Six weeks after I made the commitment to start my own business my partner was made redundant. We were completely gobsmacked by that. He made a similar decision to start up his own building and pest inspection business locally.

That time was very challenging trying to manage the stress, keep calm, and try not to do too many things but focus on what you’re good at and that’s really what we had to do.

I decided to choose one particular service and focus on that. It’s 18 months before you start seeing any returns. That first 18 months is really challenging.

In conversation

Julia Hebb and Shelley Flett discuss the highs and lows of running a small business.

What do you miss from your corporate jobs?

Julia: You take for granted that regular income that your lifestyle depends on.

Starting my own business made me get back to basics so it was good from that aspect.

It was a reality check and I think that has grounded us for the next phase. The way my business has developed I have transplanted what I did in the city and now I do it out here.

It’s more interesting, you’re not doing the same thing day in day out.

Shelley: I miss having a team of people to do the things I don’t want to do! When you learn to operate at a leadership level you get out of the detail and operate on a big picture level. When you run your own business you forget that you need to chase up invoices, and you need a business plan, and you have to put proposals together and do the research so I miss my team.

How do you maintain business relationships?

Shelley: I’ve got a co-working space in the Waterman Centre so I’m like a leech with people ... “tell me what you do?” I tap into whatever and whoever I can to get information. Interactions are more conversational as well. And we help each other. I love it. The passing conversations

In conversation

at ANZ were all internalised, the passing conversations now are amazing because there are so many different people.

Julia: One thing I do miss is colleagues but I get out and about and see people. Through the small business workshops I meet a lot of people and I make sure I go to at least two or three networking events each month.

It keeps your finger on what is going on.

What has surprised you about the Casey Cardinia Region.

Julia: I had my own perception of what was here but once you start meeting people and getting to know them you see there is a massive range of businesses from large corporations to small businesses in the region.

Shelley: Absolutely. I think the Casey Cardinia region is set up to support an area that is potentially a lot bigger than itself.

I see it like a Geelong. I see really exciting things looking at the diversity of the businesses and working out of the Waterman Centre highlights that.

Julia: I do a lot of work with a lot of other councils and regions, and I think the support for small business here is phenomenal and it’s not necessarily the same everywhere.

That’s what will set the area up for success.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

I’m a working mum, very career driven, very focussed and I love my family as well but I believe you can be both people.

SHELLEY FLETT

Footnote: Julia Hebb now knows her neighbours, some of whom also run homebased businesses. Shelley Flett is working on her second book, and deals with business and family pressure by taking her dirt bike for a spin.

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Pakenham Ford’s D’Nee Cook (centre) with her sales consultancy team Katie Gully and Sarah Drummond. Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS.

D’Nee has the drive to succeed

By Alana Mitchelson

PAKENHAM car saleswoman D’Nee Cook has had rude male customers request specifically to be served by a car salesman.

But times are changing in the heavily male-dominant industry, as Ms Cook reveals that she now leads Ford’s first all-female team at their new site, on Commercial Drive, in Pakenham, in the middle of the expanding dealership hub.

Beginning her career at age 19, D’Nee Cook spent eight years at Berwick Ford before being transferred to the Pakenham dealership two years ago.

Ms Cook, who leads the team as the new car manager, is a strong advocate for women pursuing a sales career in the automotive industry and plans to work her way up to a more senior role as a dealer principal in the future.

“I started in retail management at a surf shop, but always had a passion for cars,” Ms Cook said.

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“I was persistent until I was given an opportunity and I’ve never looked back.

They say that if you get through the first three months, you’re in this industry for life.

“I bought my first house at 21. Women should know that this is an industry that can really take you places.”

Ms Cook said it was purely incidental that the dealership had grown into an all-female team over the past few months.

“We need more women in this industry,” she said.

“Women bring empathy, passion and an attention to detail that sets us apart from that stereotypical idea that some people have of a car salesman. We’re more approachable.

“We’re not pushy and are naturally good listeners, offering a practical approach.

Female customers definitely love being served by a woman.

“Some people might think we don’t know what we’re doing or that we don’t know enough about cars. Sometimes male customers like to challenge us. It does

happen. I have had two customers request to be served by a car salesman, with an emphasis on ‘man’.

“The industry’s taught me to be very thick skinned.”

The Pakenham dealership is the first of Ford’s new branded styling that is to become uniform for all of the company’s dealerships across the state.

“Manufacturing has shut down in Australia, but we’ve invested so much money into research and development. It’s an exciting time for Ford,” Cook said.

“Our new Pakenham site, closer to our competition, is going to grow our business.

“This is an industry that’s always going to be here. People will always want to buy cars.

“Customers are more researched and they usually know what they’re looking for, so at the end of the day our job is to give an impression. You need good people skills and customer service skills. You have to know how to sell yourself and that’s something I think girls do really well.”

Local hotels raise the bar

By Narelle Coulter

STUMBLING into a pub with no beer insn’t something drinkers in the Casey Cardinia region need fear.

The region’s hotels are well stocked with ale, spirits and wine, and many of them are increasingly offering menus that extend well beyond parma and chips.

The quality and professionalism of the region’s hotels was applauded at this year’s Australian Hotels Association state awards for excellence.

Beaconsfield’s Cardinia Park Hotel won the regional hotel of the year title and Zagame’s Berwick took out the title of metropolitan hotel of the year.

Zagame’s Berwick also won the award for

Cardinia Park Hotel’sTim Norrish, Joanna Delacoe, Kerrie Reynolds, regional sales director for Carlton and United Breweries Kellie Barnes, hotel owner Frank Deegan, his son Francis Deegan and Renan Maiorino. Picture: SDP Media best metropolitan sports bar and the Cardinia Park Hotel won best regional bistro.

best bistro which is a real credit to the chefs and front-of-house people.”

Another region winner was Kelly’s Motor Club Hotel Cranbourne which was recognised for outstanding achievement in training.

Mr Deegan’s three sons also work in the business, which encompasses several hotels in the region.

Frank Deegan, owner of the Cardinia Park Hotel, attributed the win to “customer service and attention to detail”.

“Cardinia Park Hotel is a pretty place, it’s a boutique-y kind of pub if you like. Our customers are sensational. They have really embraced the hotel since the renovation.”

Mr Deegan purchased the hotel five years ago and instigated major renovations to the 1870s hotel 18 months ago.

“We are really focused on food. We also won

Son Francis runs Cardinia Park, another son Patrick is in charge at the Central Hotel and third son Fred is the group’s accountant.

In their comments the judges praised Cardinia Parks “lovely decor, stylish bistro room with multiple rooms and fireplaces”.

“We thought the venue had a great ambience throughout and was also nice and warm,” the judges wrote. “ The food was very nice and well-presented.

The staff were well-trained and extremely pleasant.”

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Care accompanies worker’s brave return

By Cam Lucadou-Wells

IT’S been a brave road back to work for Jason McDonald after being in a car crash just 200 metres from the factory floor.

His boss at Seelite Windows and Doors described the crash in June 2015 as a “bloody horrible accident”.

Soon after Mr McDonald left on a lunch run, he was critically injured when he was a passenger in a crash with a parked truck on Wedgewood Road, Hallam.

He had taken the brunt of the impact – and who knew if and when he was going to return to his workplace.

As police cordoned off the scene he was stretchered into an air ambulance and flown to The Alfred’s intensive care unit.

He had multiple fractures throughout his left side, a broken neck, internal bleeding and a serious head injury.

At that stage Seelite production manager Tony O’Donovan was trying to calm his voice as he delivered the unsettling news to Mr McDonald’s wife.

On 7 October this year, his worker was recognised as a finalist in the Worker Return to Work Achievement category in this year’s Worksafe Awards.

It recognised Mr McDonald’s fight back with the immense support of his employer, workmates, family and a crew of rehab helpers.

Before his return, Mr McDonald had itchy feet. He says he hates sitting still – something he had to do a lot while recuperating at his Ringwood East home.

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He was restricted to a two-kilo lifting limit which barred him from even the most simple chores such as unpacking the washing machine, mowing the lawns or vacuuming.

“I was ready to just sticky-tape my arm and come back,” he said.

He made the decision to return to Seelite with his insurer’s reluctant blessing just three months after the crash – 12 weeks ahead of schedule.

He initially worked for two hours a week on light duties, with breaks every 30 minutes.

Within a year, he was back at basically full capacity and had successfully re-tested for his driver’s licence.

Looking back, Mr McDonald remembers nothing of the accident. Even his first few gentle days back at work – initially just two hours a week – were a bit of a haze.

“When I got back, people (in the workshop) were always looking out for me. A few times I said to them I’ll be right.”

With the help of a case manager and occupational rehabilitation provider, he was forced to take routine half-hour breaks to manage his heavy fatigue.

Mr O’Donovan – who applied his maxim of matching his workers’ tasks to their capabilities.

His recollection of the crash is vivid. Workers were wondering why Mr McDonald wasn’t back from his lunch break, why police had closed local roads and a helicopter was hovering over the scene.

The obvious and horrific conclusion soon dawned on Mr O’Donovan. Then he made that difficult call to Mr McDonald’s wife.

“I believe he’s going to be OK but he’s gone by air ambulance to The Alfred,” Mr O’Donovan told her.

More than a year later, when asked what he learnt through all this, Mr O’Donovan said: “Nothing is guaranteed.”

The silver lining for his fully-recovered worker Mr McDonald is that he is becoming more self-aware.

He uses meditation to help manage the moodiness that descends as part of his injuries.

The wake-up call has made him put more priority on his family. He pays tribute to his wife who carried a great extra burden.

He was diligently attending up to four days of intensive rehabilitation sessions a week to heal his physical and mental demons.

To this day, he has not been able to resume karate with his two daughters – and is not sure if he ever will.

“It was pretty hard when you’re strong-willed like I am to take orders from doctors that you don’t know.

“I’m focusing on the important things in life.

You never know what’s around the corner.”

“But I realised they know this stuff better than I do.”

It was a new situation for his proud boss

Above: Jason McDonald, front, back at work with boss Tony O’Donovan, right, and his Seelite colleagues.

Picture: STEWART CHAMBERS

Darren and Sam Michelle, owners of Kelly Sports and Sam Michelle Painting respectively, with Suyinh and Adam Beardsley, owners of Enhance Yoga, and Melbourne Football Club representative Orry Lack.

Team up to deliver

By Narelle Coulter

LOVE your team and be bold.

Those were the top tips for business success from the Casey Cardinia Business of the Year owner Jan Vydra at a special winner’s lunch on Friday 18 November.

organisation. It’s a great place to work,” Mr Vydra said.

His second tip was be bold.

“I think if you are bold, think as far as you can. If you think small, you will always be small.”

Mr Vydra, co-owner of Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs, was joined at D’Angelo Estate Vineyard by other category winners, sponsors and councillors from the City of Casey and Cardinia Shire.

Mr Vydra said Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs, which is based at Devon Meadows and Clyde, was now looking for a third site to expand its production of herbs for the retail and hospitality markets.

When asked for his top business tips, Mr Vydra didn’t hesitate in praising his team, who, he said, had gained a fillip from the business being named the region’s best.

He was also exploring new ways to embrace the health-benefits of fresh herbs.

“The award is not for me, but for the guys.

It’s an acknowledgment that they work hard and are doing a good job,” he said.

Mr Vydra said the positive, transparent culture at Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs had been vital to the firm’s success propelling output from 2000 bunches of herbs per week in the early days to 180,000 per week today.

“I dream that one day we won’t put a pill in our mouth but a herb.”

He encouraged other businesses to nominate for the annual awards admitting that it is easy to make the excuse that you are too busy to deal with the entry requirements.

“I was humbled and touched when we were nominated. To win, I was ecstatic,” he said, beaming.

Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs supplies 15 commercial businesses across the country and employs 85 staff.

Among the other winners at the lunch were travel agents Nayaz Noor and Suchitra Reddy, owners of Berwick-based Safir Tours.

“We are all connected and care about the

The niche business organises holidays in

Australia for Indian tourists.

Mr Noor said winning the tourism award had raised the profile of their fledgling business.

“Ninety-nine per cent of our business is international, but a lot of our local suppliers now know we are a leading tourism company,” Mr Noor said.

Among Safir’s suppliers are Puffing Billy, D’Angelo Estate and Moonlit Sanctuary.

The couple moved to Berwick four years ago, and have embraced their new home.

“The first few months were tough, we were in a new country on our own. But it’s been an exciting four years.”

Suyinh and Adam Beardsley, owners of Enhance Yoga, took out the people’s choice award.

Ms Beardsley said the award and the resulting publicity had driven new clients through the doors of their Berwick-based business.

“I’ve also been happy with the networking opportunities that have come from being involved in the awards,” Ms Beardsley said.

“The award has also given us the confidence to believe that we are on the right track.”

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1. Suyinh Beardsley from Enhance Yoga with Nayaz Noor and Suchitra Reddy from Safir Tours.

2. Cardinia Shire Mayor Brett Owen.

3. Australian Fresh Leaf Herbs founder Jan Vydra.

4. Robert and Lisa Panjkov from Beaconsfield Dental with City of Casey Mayor Sam Aziz.

5. Karl Shanley and Jack Noonan (Sustainability Victoria) with Justin Malkiewicz (Victorian Planning Authority).

6. Pitcher Partners representative Daniel Burt with Richard Reid, Noella Malabar and Chamali Maddumaarachchi from Waverley Industries and Mark Montagnami from Match Works.

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Accounting for that party time

By Michael Muaremov, Principal of Michael Muaremov and Associates

WITH Christmas looming, businesses are in the throws of planning Christmas parties for staff and hosting festive entertainment for clients and suppliers.

Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) and how it applies to Christmas parties and festive entertaining is of particlar relevance at this time of year.

The costs incurred with Christmas parties are exempt from FBT if they are provided on a working day, on a business premises and are consumed by all current employees.

A ‘recreation activity’ can be specified as any form of an amusement, sport or other similar leisure-time pursuits.

Providing food and drinks and expenses associated with hiring or leasing entertainment facilities for your Christmas function are all excluded from fringe benefits for reporting purposes. Therefore, excluded fringe benefits are not reported on employees’ payment summaries.

Providing staff with a Christmas function and/or gift is not considered to be a provision of entertainment.

There is no separate FBT category for Christmas parties provided by employers.

However, a fringe benefit provided by you, an associate of your business or under an arrangement with a third party to any current, past or future employees may attract FBT.

1229325-PB25-16

Christmas gifts would not be treated as a tax exempt body entertainment benefit instead

field

However, it is important that the benefit provided to staff and their associates meet the conditions of the minor benefit exemption rule.

Providing a Christmas party and gift to your staff and their associates may instead be considered as a minor benefit if the benefit provided is less than $300 per employee.

Christmas functions and gifts

in their

it would be treated as a minor benefit exemption.

The provision of entertainment according to the Australian Taxation Office involves providing entertainment by way of food, drink and recreation. It also includes accommodation or travel in connection with an entertainment provided.

Providing these benefits to your employees or clients may give rise to a number of different types of fringe benefits, however it depends on the circumstances under which you provide the entertainment.

experts

Reporting requirements

Tax deductibility of a Christmas party The cost incurred when providing a Christmas party is income tax deductible only if the benefit provided is subjected to FBT. Therefore, any other costs that are exempt from FBT and are considered to be an exempt minor benefit (under $300 per employee) cannot be claimed as an income tax deduction.

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all Grow magazine readers, sponsors and team a very merry Christmas and a safe, healthy and prosperous 2017.

– Located in Beaconsfield for over 17 years, Michael Muaremov and Associates is a registered taxation agent.

IN SHORT OO Providing your staff with a Christmas function and or gift is not considered to be a provision of entertainment.

OO There is no separate FBT category for Christmas parties provided by employers.

OO The costs incurred with Christmas parties are exempt from FBT if they are provided on a working day, on a business premises and are consumed by all current employees.

OO Providing a Christmas party and gift to your staff and their associates may instead be considered as a minor benefit if the benefit provided is less than $300 per employee.

OO Any other costs that are exempt from FBT and are considered to be an exempt minor benefit cannot be claimed as an income tax deduction.

Accountants Tax Agents & Business Mentors Open 9.00am - 5.00pm Monday to Friday (By Appointment Only)

34 Old Princess Hwy, Beaconsfield, 3807 P: 9769 9134 F: 9769 9164 E: michael@mmapl.com.au

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Club takes the lead Melbourne Football Club is providing leadership advice to both the business and sporting communities.

By Narelle Coulter

Melbourne Football Club is playing an important role in fostering leadership skills, both on and off the field, in the Casey Cardinia Region.

In June 2009 the club signed a 30-year partnership agreement with the City of Casey.

Now in its seventh year, the partnership continues to grow and evolve, providing programs and experiences to the sporting and business communities.

The partnership focusses on five key pillars - education, multicultural, women, business and grassroots football.

Casey estimates the agreement is worth up to $2.3 million to the city annually.

Melbourne Football Club’s Experiences Manager Leon McConville told Grow that the club had started its journey back to the top and was keen help local businesses learn the keys to successful leadership by offering a tailored experience that outlines the importance of good leadership and culture within your organisation.

“Football provides numerous and ongoing examples of good and bad leadership, good and bad culture, and demonstrates that off-field leadership is critical to the success of any sporting organisation.

“The club has people in key leadership roles who have a track record of success in developing culture and building strong leadership,” he said.

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The business community can experience playing on the MCG thanks to Melbourne Football Club.

The club hosts business events throughout the year, such as a 2 Day Leadership Experience, hosted by Club CEO Peter Jackson, Play on the MCG, and is a major sponsor of the Casey Cardinia Business Awards and the breakfast series.

Play on the MCG allows participants to represent Melbourne in a curtain-raiser match at the hallowed ground, and includes coaching by Melbourne legends.

A participant in this year’s event said that it was a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I now have a memory with my clients that we can talk about for years to come”.

Mr McConville said: “Melbourne Football Club events are a fantastic way to either meet new customers or network and invite your own clients along to experience a professional and entertaining event.

“We have a wide variety of unique experiences to cater for all businesses.

“What sets us apart from the normal business event is that you’re attending with likeminded professionals with one common interest, which is football.”

The club is also mentoring the next generation of sporting leaders through its Next Generation Academy Program while players regularly visit Casey schools to conduct football clinics and the successful Read Like a Demon literacy program which offers students an opportunity to participate in reading and writing workshops with club representatives.

In 2014 Melbourne players gave more than 750 hours of their time to the Casey community through a variety of events.

For more information about the partnership visit www.casey.vic.gov.au/arts-leisure/ mfc-casey-partnership and if you are interested in the experiences Melbourne offer, visit: http://www.melbourneexperiences. com.au/

Q&A:

NICK RUSSO What has been your biggest career success to date?

My professional life has had many facets. When I was working in design and animation I think a career highlight was when I was asked to present one of my animations at the Melbourne Art Centre.

Winning Best New Nonalcoholic Beverage at this Year’s Food Magazine Awards in Sydney, however, was a thrill.

To take a brand new product to that level was exciting.

What has been your biggest career failure to date?

Nick Russo is the third generation of his family to run Bellevue Orchard at Officer.

When a hailstorm devastated the orchard in 1998, the Russos responded by installing an apple juicing plant to wring some value from the damaged fruit.

Their Summer Snow sparkling pink lady apple juice is an award winning drink which has gained traction in the competitive beverage market. Nick shares the secrets of his business success with Grow.

Q&A

Describe a typical working day?

My role at Bellevue is varied so each day does not necessarily follow a regular structure.

Managing finances is a big part of my job, from managing cash flow, deciding how to fund any capital projects, quoting as well as exploring the feasibility of the next round of business expansion or product development.

I also write the custom designed software that is used to run the plant, develop our website and any other artwork (labels, posters, flyers, calendars, cartons) that is used to promote Summer Snow and Bellevue Orchard.

Attending regular board of management and sales meetings also takes up a considerable amount of time. Those tasks alone fill a day!

What are your impressions of the Casey Cardinia Region from a business perspective?

The first thing that springs to mind when thinking about the Casey Cardinia region is the rapid growth that we have experienced over the last 15 plus years, but from a business point of view I think that one of the biggest advantages we have in this region is that we have an agricultural business that is in such close proximity to Melbourne, one of Australia’s biggest and most progressive cities.

Years ago I worked on several software and business products with an associate that promised a bright future but ended up not going anywhere.

What did you learn from that experience?

talk with a famous scientist or inventor whose discoveries have contributed to some of the big jumps in technology we have experienced.

I am thinking of someone like Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein or Alexander Graham Bell. If not one of them then I think it would be good to have Ricky Gervais, because everyone needs a laugh from time to time.

How do you relax away from work?

I have two young children and I like to take them camping or to the beach. I also have a lifestyle property that takes a bit of work to maintain and spending time with the kids at home is my preferred way to unwind.

Tell us something most people would not know about you?

Not realising this earlier and persisting for over five years without any assurance of my future was a big mistake.

I am very sentimental about some things, and I have boxes of old T-shirts going back to the mid ’90s.

I learned that working with people I trust and with people that all have the same goals is one of the most important things for a fulfilling career.

Mostly T-shirts of my favourite bands or T-shirts that I have bought while traveling.

If you had to invite five people to a business luncheon, who would they be and why?

As an Apple user for over 25 years I would have to say that I would like to have lunch with Steve Jobs. I admire Apple’s attention to detail and their ability to continually push the limits of their products.

I listen to some podcasts around productivity and technology, two of the personalities from my favourite shows are John Siracusa and Merlin Mann.

I think they would provide very interesting insights – particularly if they were at the table with Steve Jobs.

Whilst I haven’t followed Elon Musk’s career closely, I do admire the way he is trying to revolutionise the automotive and power industries and think he would have some great forward looking business commentary. For the fifth person I think it would be interesting to

Most of them are worn out or are now too small for me, but I can’t bring myself to throw them out.

The collection includes quite a number of Midnight Oil shirts.

What is your business mantra?

I would have to say “consistent, small, incremental upgrades” would be a motto I have towards business.

It is the approach we have at Bellevue and I think that while we have, at times, thought to ourselves ‘we should have put the big one in first’, and in hindsight that may have been more efficient, I think that having a good sound knowledge of equipment and processes and a good solid business case for each item means that we are consistently taking steps in the right direction.

Each step is manageable (both financially and in practice), and gives us flexibility to change direction if some things don’t turn out as well as we would have expected. It is a way of ensuring sustainable growth.

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Sky’s the limit for tree-change couple GROW takes a look at what those in business and industry do when they are not working – what drives them at home and away from the office, shop or factory floor. For Annie and Lachlan Thompson, their journey into the world of hills bed and breakfasts hasn’t just provided a tree-change from what they’re used to, it’s a whole world away from it – quite literally – as Russell Bennett discovered.

LACHLAN Thompson is an aerospace engineer and space vehicle design lecturer who has also had an experiment on the space shuttle, while Annie is extremely highly regarded for her work with the European Space Agency.

tightknit community they’d moved into.

They came across their Emerald property ‘Fernglade on Menzies’ – by chance around two-and-a-half years ago, and in doing so they’ve truly found their home.

But the change of pace for the couple was one they sorely needed.

“To be perfectly honest, it all started almost by accident,” Lachlan said.

“We were looking for a large house so that my brother, who had ill-health at the time, could come and live with us.

“This fitted the bill, and as we were signing the contracts the owner said ‘we’ve explained to you that we’re running it as a B&B ... ’.”

The property was advertised as a house – albeit a large one. There was no mention of the bed and breakfast.

“We worked out a settlement date and all that sort of thing and the next thing they said was ‘we’ve got some bookings around the date you’re moving in’,” Lachlan explained.

“It was actually the day after we moved in – we moved in on the Friday and had guests coming on the Saturday.”

What Lachlan and Annie didn’t know at that stage was that the bookings were for two weddings – both featuring brides named Sally, who both lived in properties on their street.

This was the first indicator of just what a

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“When we moved in we had boxes to the ceiling and we had 20 guests,” Annie said.

“It really was a baptism by fire – we became bed and breakfast owners over night!”

“I’d drive to Bundoora, then I’d go to Point Cook – this would be a typical day – to teach flight test engineering, which is always good fun, and then I’d go to the city to teach air accident investigation so I’d spend more hours on the road than a typical truck driver basically,” Lachlan said.

“They were the worst traffic times too, so in the end I said to Annie ‘this is crazy’, and we thought we’d give it a go.

“Originally I thought I’d be working at the university until my seventies but, coming here, it was basically a tree-change. It was so wonderful – the wildlife is fantastic, and it’s all in a semi-rural environment. It’s basically like finding paradise.

“This sort of lifestyle is one that my parents used to enjoy, but when I was in my thirties, forties or fifties it had vanished because I was driving so much for work that it was as if I was divorced from the community and it wasn’t real. You had a virtual community, but this is fantastic.”

The Thompsons have discovered that their business has doubled in size just through word of mouth alone.

“You just reach that point in your life where

as one chapter starts to come to an end, a new chapter opens,” Annie said.

“This was the right place at the right time and had Lachlan’s brother not been unwell at that moment we wouldn’t have come looking. It’s serendipity.”

But the Thompsons have maintained their space connection. They’re even in the process of building their own observatory.

“Coming here, we had a look at the place and fortuitously through someone we knew at London University we bought this whopping big research telescope and we’re putting an observatory on this site,” Lachlan explained.

“That will give us both a research connection with the space industry, because we can let people in Russia and America use it in our night time – their day time.”

It’s all in the name of ‘space junk’.

“There’s a lot of it up there but people want to know where it’s going and what it’s doing,” Lachlan said.

“It turns out the telescope we’ve got is perfect for the job and we’ve put in a planning permit to put in an observatory very similar to Mount Burnett in size – fractionally smaller but with a much larger telescope.

“We’ll have the best of both worlds because people who stay as guests can look through it in the early hours of the evening and because of the time zones the people in Moscow and Arizona will want to start using it from midnight to 1am and they don’t even have to leave their offices.”

home and away

Lachlan Thompson has found a way to combine his life’s work with his new hills paradise at ‘Fernglade on Menzies’.

Pictures: RUSSELL BENNETT

FEEL AT HOME AT QUEST NARRE WARREN Cnr Princes Highway & Verdun Drive Narre Warren VIC 3805 Visit questnarrewarren.com.au or call +61 3 9796 6944 1225448-KC27-16

home and away

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Small firm has global aims Rob Hall is very proud of the strides his daughter Nikita has made in a male dominated industry.

Picture: VICTORIA STONE-MEADOWS

By Victoria Stone-Meadows

THEY say the best businesses fill a gap in the market and operate in a space where no-one else does.

Being one of only two manufacturers of a specific type on machinery in Australia, it’s fair to say Lynbrook based Worldpoly has found a niche market and absolutely dominated it.

The father-daughter team Rob and Nikita Hall have recently exported their specific poly-pipe machinery to their 110th client country, Bhutan.

The team at Worldpoly design and manufacture machinery to cut, weld and lay poly-pipe for use in agriculture, civil and industrial engineering, and a whole host of other applications.

Their business developed out of a different company that Rob’s father started when he

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first bought plastic pipe to farms in New South Wales in the late 1950s.

“Nikita’s grandfather was a farmer in NSW and he saw a need for product that was missing from the market,” Rob said.

“He went to the UK and ended up bringing back the technology for the plastic pipe in 1959 and was the first in the southern hemisphere to have it.”

Worldpoly as it is today was started by Rob in 2000 and since then the business has won a number of export and industry awards that reflect the professionalism and dedication of the Halls.

in a way they can relate to.”

Both Nikita and Rob said moving to their office and factory in Lynbrook about five years ago had been greatly beneficial for their business.

“The main motivation was driving against the traffic flows,” Rob said.

“But seriously, it is affordable and you have so much access to smart people and you are surrounded by people you can utilise.”

Nikita said the wealth in industry in the south-east suburbs had made Worldpoly a stronger business through the use of local tradespeople and other businesses.

“We are the smallest serious manufacturer in the world in a really small industry compared to cars or big tech companies,” Rob said.

“When we moved in here, we were researching and developing a new machine,” she said.

“Part of our success is we show no fear with exporting and delivering to developing countries and we provide hands-on training

“When we came up with the new machine, we used laser cutters in Dandenong, fabricators in Cranbourne and so on.”

POPULATION

LOCAL JOBS

650,000

110,000

633,637

100,500

600,000

100,000

500,000

97,500

400,000

90,000

310,000 300,000 280,000

2 0 1 5

200,000 100,000 0

CASEY CARDINIA

2 0 1 6

2 0 3 6

80,000 70,000 60,000 50,000

2 0 1 5

statistics

2 0 1 6

Casey Cardinia Region

2015 $415,000

2016

0 Projection: 2036 – 633,637

TOP INDUSTRIES

BY EMPLOYMENT

MEDIAN HOUSE PRICES

$464,000

TOP INDUSTRIES

BY OUTPUT

AVERAGE INCOME

Construction Retail

Education and Training Manufacturing

Health Care and Social Assistance

Rental, hiring and real estate services

2.1% increase to

$1,690

from May 2015

*No change from 2015

70.3%

*No change from 2015

PERCENTAGE OF WORKERS WHO COMMUTE OUTSIDE THE MUNICALITY

As of April 2016 – 30.3% of workers commute outside the munipality to work

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ʸ

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