Central Coast Business Access - August - September 2021

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2021 |

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Central Coast Business

AUGUST SEPTEMBER 2021

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WE STAND ALONE

Central Coast now classified as a region, thanks to COVID

“W

Coast MP Lucy Wicks with Prime Minister Scott Morrisom during a recent visit to the Coast.

e are a region!” That is the overwhelming outcry on the Central Coast which struggled under the burden of being lumped into ‘Greater Sydney’ during the Covid-19 lockdowns. The concept of a stand-alone Central Coast region has struggled to gain acceptance for generations of “Coasties” who don’t want the Coast to be seen as a part of Sydney or Newcastle, but it took the onset of the Covid-19 for it all to change.

The NSW Government has now re-classified the Central Coast region in the Public Health Orders. Decisions about Covid-19 rules in the Central Coast local government area will now be consistent with the remainder of regional NSW and separate to Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong.

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August - September 2021 ISSUE 35 

How to get CCBA Central Coast Business Access is available at strategic locations throughout the Central Coast. To find a location near you visit our website.

Digital Edition Each edition of CCBA can be read 24/7 and downloaded in digital format at our ISSUU platform: www.issuu.com/accessnews

Contacts Publisher: Michael Walls michael@accessnews.com.au Admin and General: info@accessnews.com.au Editor: Dallas Sherringham dallas@accessnews.com.au

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Business Awards celebrate excellence HE state’s peak business organisation, Business NSW will be forging ahead with a new Awards format to celebrate business excellence across the Central Coast.

“As our region continues to battle the pandemic, it is important we take time to celebrate the incredible innovation, perseverance and resilience shown by Central Coast businesses who have done it extremely tough.” Business NSW Regional Director Paula Martin said.

“The Business NSW Central Coast Business Awards will be held on the 8th of October 2021 and will showcase and celebrate twelve areas of success: 1. Outstanding Employee 2. Outstanding Young Business Leader 3. Outstanding Business Leader 4. Excellence in Micro Business 5. Excellence in Small Business 6. Excellence in Business 7. Excellence in Export 8. Employer of Choice 9. Excellence in Innovation 10. Excellence in Sustainability 11. Outstanding Start up 12. Outstanding Local Chamber

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“This year we will be featuring a unique and new format that will bring the celebration to our finalist’s homes–which means the entire family can take part.” Ms Martin said.

“Like all businesses, our Business Awards have needed to pivot too, and our new format will make our finalists feel like they are walking the red carpet, only in a covid safe way.

“A live telecast, online audience participation, VIP catering and pamper packs are just the start of a new Awards experience.

Thanks to our sponsors University of Newcastle, NBN CO and Central Coast Business Access, our finalists will have ongoing promotion of their business throughout the year.

“Businesses have put everything on the line to create and maintain jobs, they have adapted to changing consumer behaviours and innovated through ongoing disruptions.

“Our local businesses employ over 110,000 locals and there are many stories of resilience that deserve to be celebrated.” Ms Martin said.

To apply for the Central Coast Business Awards, please go to https://www.businessnsw.com/members/business-awards/central-coast

Paula Martin.

About Business NSW Formerly the NSW Business Chamber, Business NSW is the peak policy and advocacy body which has been representing businesses in NSW since 1826.

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Support Partner Central Coast CENTRAL COAST Business Access (CCBA) is a proud media partner of the 2021 Central Coast Expo.

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Winners at past business excellence awards.

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Gosford Hotel circa 1926.

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2021 |

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Renovation works at the grand old lady.

Hotel Gosford’s 1926 charm

Makeover for CBD’s grand old lady  DALLAS SHERRINGHAM HE grand lady of CBD, the Hotel Gosford, is finally having a makeover after almost 100 years of serving visitors and locals in the heart of the city.

And the Hotel staff reckon ‘the old girl is excited to be receiving some much needed self-love’.

In a social media post they told patrons: “We’d love to have you along for the ride as we begin the renovation journey. You can check out where we are at with the plans and design style”.

It’s a far cry from days when visitors would dress up in their finest and parade along Mann St. No mobile phones or internet, you just wrote a postcard and mailed it in a red box. A week or so later, family and friends could learn of your adventures “up the Coast”.

Hotel Gosford is a local institution, bringing the local community together for all occasions since 1926. It is a

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classic Aussie pub, built to last and offering quality meals– lunch and dinner.

Dating back to the early days of the city, this traditionally styled hotel is a two minute walk from Gosford railway station, a 12-minute walk from the Gosford waterfront and 12 km from Terrigal Beach.

The hotel became the place to stay as the city moved north away from the wharf and towards the railway station.

Go-to venue for holiday makers In years gone by, Sydney folk would take the train to Gosford for a bit of a seaside break, and the Hotel Gosford was a go-to venue for these holiday-makers.

Visitors would book in for a week at the Hotel Gosford and take trips out to Terrigal and other local attractions.

And they still do. The unfussy rooms come with free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, minifridges and tea and coffeemaking equipment. Most rooms have ensuite bathrooms, while others share facilities. Upgraded rooms feature balconies.

These days the Hotel Gosford is the only accommodation in the Gosford CBD. This beautifully restored heritage-listed establishment has maintained every bit of its art deco, Roaring Twenties feel.

An enthusiastic recent visitor wrote: “The best thing about the Hotel Gosford, is its absolutely stunning Writing Room on the first floor. It’s a beautiful set up with oodles of glass French doors, wall sconces, plush lounges and chairs, wallpaper and writing desks by the window. Make sure you spend some time reading and writing in this lovely area.”

“Other highlights at the hotel include its original elevator, which will make you feel like you’re on the set of an ‘old Hollywood’ film. It’s also got a VIP room located just off the foyer. Plus it has a lovely concierge glass-paned box in the foyer.

“And one of the best things about the Hotel Gosford is its location – it’s right in the centre of town, directly opposite the train station and five minutes’ walk to the waterfront and the Sports Stadium.”

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Erosion solution options for Wamberal Beach ENTRAL Coast community members can now view Stages 1-4 of technical studies developed to inform decision-making around a long-term solution to manage coastal erosion at Wamberal Beach.

The technical studies outline five seawall concept designs – ranging from revetment to vertical and promenade style structures – with concept design renders, cross-section drawings and footprint mapping developed for each option to assist with visualising the potential solutions.

Central Coast Council Acting Director Environment and Planning, Luke Sulkowski said the local community is passionate about Wamberal Beach and Phase 2 consultation is an opportunity to provide initial feedback on the available options.

“The current release of technical studies meets a key objective of Council’s certified Gosford Beaches Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) which includes an action to investigate long-term solutions for Wamberal Beach and seek community input into a preferred protection solution,” Mr Sulkowski said.

“It is important to note that Council’s role through the CZMP is to outline a preferred protection solution but the delivery of any solution is a separate and currently unfunded process.

“The Stage 5 and 6 studies, which are still under review, will include an updated Cost Benefit Analysis and will be available to the community around the end of August.

“Final Seawall alignment, access points and terminal ends would need to be determined during the detailed design phase of the project.”

Council Administrator, Rik Hart said delivery of a long-term erosion solution at Wamberal Beach is currently not funded and proceeding with any solution would require a funding commitment from the NSW or Federal Government.

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Wamberal Beach after the most recent storm incident.

“There are many technical, financial, social and environmental complexities that need to be worked through to develop a long-term solution to erosion at Wamberal Beach,” Mr Hart said.

“Technical studies and concept design renders are an important step forward in the exploration of a long-term solution but it needs to be clearly understood that delivery of any solution at Wamberal Beach is not yet funded.

“We also need to consider that on top of the initial cost to develop a new asset of this scale there are significant ongoing maintenance and other costs.

“For the best coastal erosion management solutions to be developed and deliv-

ered it is vital that all levels of government, residents and the broader community work together.

“Following the release of all technical studies and a thorough community consultation process we will have a full understanding of the funding commitment that would need to be forthcoming from the NSW and/or Federal Government in order to deliver a long-term erosion solution at Wamberal Beach.”

The technical studies now available to the community represent a $498,996 investment and were 50/50 funded by Council and the NSW Government through the NSW Coastal and Estuaries Grants Program, inclusive of an additional $36,380

from the NSW Government for the renders and additional engagement As well as being a key objective of Council’s CZMP, the technical studies are an important milestone for the Wamberal Seawall Advisory Taskforce which was established by the NSW Government in July 2020 to provide Council with support to develop a sustainable long-term solution to coastal erosion issues at Wamberal Beach.

Community members can provide feedback on the technical studies (Stages 1-4) during a consultation period that runs from Thursday 29 July 2021 to Friday 10 September 2021 by visiting yourvoiceourcoast.com

The project disgraced council shunned

Northside hospital to go ahead  DALLAS SHERRINGHAM HE long-awaited $172m Northside Private Hospital in Racecourse Rd, Gosford has finally been approved, but it won’t be thanks to the Central Coast’s disgraced council.

AA Crown Holdings has been granted planning approval by the State Government to build Hospital with 238 beds on the old Ausgrid site.

The project hit a hurdle in 2018 when Central Coast Council’s infamous voting bloc inexplicably decided to refuse all state significant developments in Gosford.

Amongst the ludicrous reasons considered in submissions at the time was a claim the hospital would spoil the view from Racecourse Rd to Presidents Hill.

The hospital will be 11 storeys high and features state-of-the-art facilities including radiology, pathology, intensive care and operating theatres.

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2200 jobs in construction

Artist impression of the project.

AA Crown Holdings spokesperson Marcello Ramirez said construction was expected to start in mid-2022 with the hospital to be operating by 2025.

Stage two, bringing the entire investment to $350M, will include a second development application for construction of a five-story building for retail and medical support services.

When completed it will provide 460

skilled jobs for the Coast and will also alleviate the Coast’s shortage of private beds.

The hospital, recognised as a state significant development, will be delivered

by AA Crown Holdings in collaboration with Northside Group, which is developers Commercial HQ and the Gibbens Group.

Northside Group purchased the 3.1ha site on Racecourse Road in late 2018.

The second stage will be an ancillary five-storey building to be used for retail and medical tenancies.

The development will create 2200 jobs during its construction phase.

“We had a vision for a medical precinct close to the existing public hospital,” Commercial HQ managing director Tim Gunasinghe said.

“There is a growing demand for medical facilities on the Central Coast with continued population growth.”

The decision resulted in an extended approval process through the Independent Planning Commission (IPC), which led to the NSW Planning Department’s close involvement with the application, the applicant and the subsequent approval.

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Support for mass vaccination clinic EDETAL Liberal Member for Robertson, Lucy Wicks MP said while mass vaccination clinics are a matter for the States and Territories, she would support the NSW Government setting up a mass vaccination clinic on the Central Coast.

“I am in full support of the New South Wales Government setting up a mass vaccination clinic on the Central Coast within their current vaccine allocation,” Ms Wicks said.

“While GP clinics are doing the bulk of the work in regard to the vaccine roll-out, I would support the NSW Government prioritising the Central Coast for a mass vaccination clinic to assist with the efforts of our hardworking GPs in the future.

Ms Wicks also wanted to address the text messages that local residents have received over the weekend.

“I want to assure Central Coast residents that the Pfizer vaccines which are being redirected are from the NSW Government’s allocation of vaccines, and will not impact Commonwealth Vaccination Clinics, GP’s and future community pharmacies on the Coast.”

“The Federal Government is focused on

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ensuring there are more locations across the Central Coast, so locals can get a vaccination in their own community.

“Around 75% of GPs on the Central Coast are administering vaccines, with 12 of those able to administer Pfizer and more coming online soon.

“Since opening, the Coast and Country Primary Care Vaccination Clinic at Erina has administered almost 20,000 vaccinations. This is a sign of the hard work our primary care sites are doing to help get Australians vaccinated.

“It is important to note recent ATAGI advice which states that all individuals aged 18 years and above in greater Sydney, including adults under 60 years of age, should strongly consider getting vaccinated with any available vaccine, including AstraZeneca.

“To all those on the Central Coast who wish to be vaccinated, book in with your GP and have a conversation so you can make the choice which is right for you.

“We will only see these numbers increase with community pharmacies and additional GP’s who choose to participate in the rollout coming online across our region in the coming weeks.”

Black sport funding for three projects ESIDENTS of the Dobell electorate received a major road safety boost today with the Australian Government announcing it will invest $979,500 toward three projects under the 2021–22 Black Spot Program.

Senator for New South Wales Jim Molan said community input was critical to identifying key black spots in the electorate.

“Road crashes place major emotion-

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al and economic strains on all affected communities but particularly the families and friends of the victims,” Senator Molan said.

“I am pleased to see that projects like the Hue Hue Road upgrade in Alison will be delivered under the 2021–22funding round.

“The Liberal and Nationals Government is committed to securing our recovery and keeping our communities safe.

“Motorists living within and visiting Dobell will be pleased to know a total of three dangerous black spots in the electorate will be fixed with funding from the program.

“None of these projects would be delivered without the community’s vital input and I encourage all resident sand motorists in the region to nominate projects for future funding rounds.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister

for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Barnaby Joyce announced New South Wales would receive $34.4M in 2021–22 under the latest round of program funding, with Local and State Governments contributing a further $2.5M to the successful projects.

“The Liberal and Nationals Government is committed to making roads safer in NSW and right across the nation,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

NOW OPEN Outstanding Employee Outstanding Young Business Leader Outstanding Business Leader Employer of Choice Excellence in Innovation Excellence in Sustainability

Outstanding Community Organisation Outstanding Start-up Excellence in Micro-Business Excellence in Small Business Excellence in Business Business of the Year

Entries for the Central Coast Business Awards close on Monday 23 August 2021.

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with EMMA MCBRIDE

Businesses Need More During Lockdown There are also hundreds of businesses who are still waiting for their applications to be processed. They need support now.

They also need a way forward. A plan for recovery and measures to help them get back on their feet.

We will get out of this lockdown, but until then we need to make sure business owners can access support when they need it. They can’t afford to wait.

 EMMA MCBRIDE ocal businesses are the backbone of our community. They create local jobs and they drive the economy through construction, hospitality, retail, and tourism. Thankfully, some are operational right now but unfortunately, many have been forced to wind back services or close entirely because of lockdown.

When stay-at-home orders were first issued on the Central Coast during the peak school holiday period two months ago, local businesses were hit hard. They were left with bills to pay, cancellations to process and little certainty about the future.

Unfortunately, we’re now at the end of August and not much has changed.

The Government’s financial support measures have been a welcome relief to many businesses, but there are countless others who are slipping through the cracks.

I heard from a local beauty therapist whose business is under the threshold for Government support and who found out through social media that her business would have to close with a few hours’ notice. She told me being forced to seek government support for the first time in her life was confusing and frustrating, and the uncertainty about the length of the lockdown was adding to her stress. While her partners business did qualify for support, he hadn’t received any money by week 5 of lockdown.

Then there’s people like Ben. Ben is a local musician, studying a Bachelor of Music at the University of Newcastle.

He’s a sole trader and, since he’s unable to do live performances during lockdown, he tried to apply for a business support grant. Unfortunately, he was also below

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Accessing Support

Emma McBride MP at local cafe Toast & Co, The Entrance. Supporting local businesses during lockdown.

It’s devastating to see local businesses and industries suffer like this. Things are hard enough right now, without having to worry about being eligible for Government support.

the threshold for Government support. He told me, it will take a long time for the live music scene to recover from this lockdown and the effects of the shutdown will be felt for many years to come.

Businesses and sole traders who have been affected by lockdown can apply for the 2021 COVID-19 Business Grant. Grants of up to $15,000 are available for businesses who have an annual turnover of $75,000 and have seen a decline of 30 per cent or more.

This grant will cover you for the first three weeks of lockdown (26 June–17 July, 2021). From week 4 of lockdown (July 18), you can also access the JobSaver scheme.

Eligible businesses will receive fortnightly payments to cover wages, rent, and utilities. The payment will be equivalent to 40 per cent of the weekly payroll, with a minimum of $1,500 available.

You can find more information and apply online via Service NSW. If you need assistance accessing Government support, you can contact my office at Emma.McBride.MP@aph.gov.au.

If you need mental health support during this time, there are services available to you. Please call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.

Emma McBride is Federal Member for Dobell Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health Shadow Assistant Minister for Carers

Caring for our community • • • • 204/1 Bryant Drive PO Box 3763 Tuggerah NSW 2259

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“

Coast reclassified as a REGION Chances of early lockdown exit increases  DALLAS SHERRINHAM e are a region!” That is the overwhelming outcry on the Central Coast which struggled under the burden of being lumped into ‘Greater Sydney’ during the Covid-19 lockdowns.

The concept of a stand-alone Central Coast region has struggled to gain acceptance for generations of “Coasties” who don’t want the Coast to be seen as a part of Sydney or Newcastle, but it took the onset of the Covid-19 for it all to change.

The NSW Government has now re-classified the Central Coast region in the Public Health Orders.

Decisions about Covid-19 rules in the Central Coast local government area will now be consistent with the remainder of regional NSW and separate to Greater Sydney, the Blue Mountains and Wollongong.

Terrigal MP and Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast Adam Crouch announced the change late last week.

“Being treated separately to Greater Sydney improves our region’s chances of coming out of lockdown earlier,” he said.

It is the first step in getting the Coast recognised as a stand-alone region in the eyes of the Government and a public service.

While political factions battle to disassemble the disgraced Central Coast Council and revert to the old separate Gosford and Wyong councils, the public stood firm in demanding the Coast be recognised as a region in its own right.

The Central Coast has traditionally been lumped in with Sydney and the Hunter in vital Government departments such as the Health Department and regional planning and investment. It was included in ‘Greater Sydney’ right from the outset of the pandemic lockdown which meant Coast residents were banned from leaving the region.

They were consequently also banned from entering Queensland which effectively wrecked the travel plans of thousands of locals.

Social media lit up with complaints about the Coast being lumped in with hotspots like Western Sydney and Bondi.

The Coast has suffered relatively few cases compared to Sydney.

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It’s way past time that the Coast was recognised consistently as its own stand-alone region government departments, including for services, government grants and infrastructure funding.”

– Lucy Wicks.

Businesses were also angry, losing millions of dollars because of the lockdown.

Leading the charge was Federal Member for Robertson Lucy Wicks who launched a petition calling for the Central Coast be recognised as a stand-alone region with Gosford as the capital city.

It drew 13,500 signatures and Ms Wicks wrote to the Premier and Federal Government demanding that the Coast be officially recognised.

She said she strongly supported the NSW Government’s decision to prioritise lives and keep people safe in Covid-19.

“At the same time, the lockdown has also brought to the surface the longstanding challenges associated with our region being linked with Greater Sydney or other regions by government bureaucracy.”

“I requested the NSW Government investigate the impacts of the various classifications of the Coast at a state level and expressed how residents want a clear and consistent classification of the Central Coast as a stand-alone region with Gosford as its capital city.”

We get skewed outcomes Ms Wicks said by being linked with other regions such as the Hunter, “we get some really skewed outcomes as to who we are as a region and what we need to grow”.

“Levels of bureaucratic red tape have meant that all the different definitions and classifications of the Coast we are missing out on the kinds of government investments and funding that you see in standalone regions like Newcastle or Western Sydney.”

“During the lockdown there has been considerable confusion over whether the Central Coast is classified as part of Greater Sydney, or as regional NSW,” Ms Wicks said “This is a huge win for around 13,500 local residents who signed our petition to make the Central Coast a stand-alone region with Gosford as our capital city.

“It’s way past time that the Coast was recognised consistently as its own standalone region government departments, including for services, government grants and infrastructure funding.

“This is an important step towards being declared as a stand-alone region within our own right and great news for the Central Coast.”

Leading businessman and Central Coast councillor Bruce McLachlan is a strong advocate of a united, standalone Coast.

“In many State and Federal Departments, the Coast was–and I suspect still is– being classified as either Northern Sydney or The Hunter. So, government department expenditure in, say, Hornsby or Maitland, is ticked off as expenditure on the Coast.

“The merger of the two councils into the new regional council was to help drive recognition and a united local effort in obtaining grants. Unfortunately, an improved and prosperous Central Coast is not in the interest of those that benefit from a high welfare vote and have deliberately impeded the Council merger process, seeking to maintain the status quo and hold the Coast back.”

Parliamentary Secretary for the Central Coast and Member for Terrigal Adam Crouch said the Coast’s identity as a standalone region with Gosford as capital had been enshrined in law since 2020.

He said all agencies and departments of the NSW Government now formally recognised the Central Coast as a stand-alone region.

“I’ve worked hard to ensure our region receives and retains its own local Health District, Rural Fire Service, Police, Education departments plus Planning, Industry and Environment departments.”

“Central Coast Council is already reaping the rewards of our regional status, having received tens of millions of dollars of grant funding that is not available to like Newcastle and Wollongong.”

Minister for Planning Rob Stokes agreed, saying the Central Coast region was its own region, separate from the Greater Sydney or Hunter regions.

He said to support the region’s future, the NSW Government would soon be releasing a ‘first-of-its-kind’ Central Coast Strategy and his department was currently developing a new Central Coast Regional Plan.

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Family Business Welcome

Welcome to KPMG Family Business feature articles.

If you would like to discuss these articles or how KPMG can help with your business please feel free to contact me on 9455 9996 or pwakim@kpmg.com.au

Federal Government co-funds further business support for NSW and Victoria  DR BRENDAN RYNNE HE new business support packages announced by the NSW and Victorian governments, co-funded by the Federal Government, are to be welcomed, and represent an appropriate step-up in fiscal support commensurate with the economic pressures businesses in both jurisdictions are facing.

These additional support packages announced today, combined with the existing support provided by the Commonwealth Government, form an underpinning for individuals and businesses that aligns to the recovery path of this pandemic.

Targeted, proportionate fiscal support is more appropriate today in an environment where the end of the pandemic is visible, compared to broad-based, generous support which was more required in the early part of the pandemic when uncertainty and risk was the greatest.

It is for this reason that I believe JobSaver is the right solution for today rather than a re-introduction of JobKeeper, as has been called for in some quarters.

With COVID-19 restrictions continuing in both New South Wales and Victoria the Federal Government is contributing to economic support programs in both states.

The Federal, NSW and Victorian Governments have announced further economic support packages – to be co-funded for both states, following the extension of COVID-19 restrictions.

In NSW, additional funding has been announced for the JobSaver program, while in Victoria the funding has been applied to the Victorian Business Support package, which includes the Small Business COVID Hardship Fund and the Business Continuity Fund.

The NSW Government extended its current COVID-19 restrictions on Wednesday for four weeks, while the Victorian Government ended its lockdown but left restrictions in place across multiple industries.

The Prime Minister advised that the same arrangement would also be available to South Australia.

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Commonwealth disaster payment The Prime Minister announced an extension to the COVID-19 Disaster Payment across NSW. From next week it will increase from $600 to $750 per week if people have lost more than 20 hours and from $375 to $450 if people have lost less than 20 hours.

It will be available from day one of any potential lockdown in the future, with claims made from day eight in arrears for the previous seven days. A weekly payment will then be made for the duration of the hotspot declaration.

NSW JobSaver payment Individuals who currently receive an income support payment through our social security safety net will receive a weekly payment of $200, in addition to their existing payment, if they can demonstrate they have lost more than 8 hours of work and meet the other eligibility requirements for the COVID-19 Disaster Payment.

The NSW JobSaver payment has been increased with businesses now able receive between $1,500 and $100,000 per week, up from $10,000.

The payments are based on 40 percent of a business’s weekly NSW payroll, with employee headcounts needing to be maintained.

Business eligibility for the payments has also changed, with the t maximum turnover threshold to be increased.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet says more than 14,000 applications have been received since the program opened for applications.

Victorian Business Support package Businesses are expected to receive the first payments by July 31, with close to $28M approved for payment so far.

Non-employing business remain eligible for a maximum of $1,000 per week, according to Mr Perrottet.

The Victorian Business Support Package, as announced on Wednesday, is to provide $400 million in funding for grants under the Small Business COVID Hardship Fund and the Business Continuity Fund.

According to Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas, small businesses with a payroll of up to $10 million who have experienced

a 70 per cent or greater reduction in revenue will be eligible for grants of up to $5,000, under the Small Business COVID Hardship Fund.

The Business Continuity Fund will provide $5,000 grants to up to 30,000 businesses that remain impacted by capacity limits placed on businesses by COVID-19 restrictions.

Mr Pallas says CBD businesses will be eligible to receive an additional $2,000 in recognition of reduced foot traffic due to office density limits.

The Victorian Government also announced a Licensed Hospitality Venue Fund, with grants of up to $20,000 to be made available to affected businesses, with an additional $2,000 for CBD businesses.

In addition, the Alpine Business Support Program will provide grants of between $5,000 and $20,000 to 430 Alpine-based businesses.

First published on KPMG Newsroom

by Dr Brendan Rynne, Chief Economist, KPMG Australia on 28 June 2021.

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FAMILY BUSINESS

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Justified Trust: COVID tax lull over for private groups and wealthy individuals  CLIVE BIRD  BELINDA CHEESEWRIGHT TO compliance activity went into a COVID lull for many taxpayers during 2020. But that hiatus has now ended, and private groups and wealthy individuals are under renewed scrutiny.

Late last month, the ATO released a findings’ report in relation to its ‘Top 500’ private groups tax performance program.

This assurance program is part of the wider Justified Trust initiative to ensure all Australian corporate taxpayers pay the right amount of tax and involves regular one-to-one engagement with a dedicated ATO team tracking compliance from year to year.

The Top 500 program is an intensive information-gathering exercise focusing on four pillars: the effectiveness of tax governance; tax risks flagged to the market by the ATO; significant and atypical transactions; variances between accounting and tax results.

The headline findings were that, as of 28 February 2021, 403 private groups have been approached by the ATO to undertake the Top 500 Program: • 13 percent have achieved Justified Trust; (52) • 30 percent have engaged and progress towards Justified Trust; (121) • 46 percent have engaged but no evidence to support Justified Trust; (187) • 6 percent have engaged but not yet committed to attain Justified Trust; (26) • 2 percent are unwilling to work towards Justified Trust; and (6) • 3 percent have not engaged. (11) The ATO report identifies low levels of tax governance maturity as the main reason why only a small number of groups (52) have obtained Justified Trust status.

The areas of concern, requiring improvement, include lack of documentation of frameworks and procedures, but also quite significant concerns in integrity of data being relied on for tax calculations

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and insufficient management of key people risks.

So what does this mean?

On the positive side, for those taxpayers that have achieved Justified Trust the result is a lighter touch “monitoring and maintenance” approach over a period of three years in which ATO review is limited to verifying significant new transactions and any other material changes.

But for the large number of taxpayers which have failed to do so, the ATO will approach their review from a position of much lower assurance.

This potentially means a lengthier and more detailed review from the ATO because they don’t have comfort that the taxpayer has governance frameworks in place. So, rolling reviews could be more onerous, more time-consuming and more expensive.

Importantly, the ATO findings report identifies common tax risks: • Inappropriate revenue versus capital characterisation (particularly in the property development industry); • Wealth extraction – Division 7A

(for example, payments, loans or debt forgiveness by a private company to a shareholder or a shareholders’ associates) and misuse of trusts and SMSFs (for example, non-arm’s length transfers); • Inappropriate Research and Development tax incentive claims (particularly in the building and construction, and agricultural industries); • Misuse of tax concessions, for example, the small business CGT concessions and associated manipulation of an entity’s turnover or control; and • Related party international dealings – particularly for those groups with significant overseas operations that give rise to cross-border dealings whose pricing requires assurance.

KPMG Enterprise research has previously indicated a degree of wishful thinking among taxpayers – many believed they were prepared for the ATO yet nearly two-thirds do not have documented tax risk management frameworks. This is a key part of proper tax governance as the ATO

sees it and an integral focus of each review program.

For those taxpayers in the Top 500 – or the Next 5,000 private wealth populations – generally those groups with net wealth over $50 million – KPMG recommends taking the following steps before being approached by the ATO: Prepare early – we suggest an early assessment of where there are gaps against ATO guidance and the four pillars of Justified Trust listed above, paying attention to the identified risks areas Governance – create a documented and operational tax governance framework, having regard to the size and complexity of the private group. Consider how systems and testing models can be an efficient means of achieving higher levels of both comfort and performance The pause in ATO compliance activity last year is firmly over. Private groups and mid-market companies need to take the Justified Trust program very seriously.

First published on KPMG Newsroom by Clive Bird, Partner, Head of Tax, Enterprise, KPMG Australia and Belinda Cheesewright, Partner, Enterprise Tax, KPMG Australia on 19 July 2021

Why we need to encourage innovation, post-COVID  KRISTIANA KIPPER HE need for new measures that encourage investment in innovation is vital as the Australian economy looks to recover from COVID-19.

While we have weathered the health crisis well, border closures mean limited access to overseas talent, increasing the cost of labour and limiting the ability for some businesses to pursue innovation agendas and invest in growth.

Further, as the world opens at a faster trajectory than Australia, we will be competing with our international peers to secure footloose investment. What can be done?

One area which plays to Australia’s strength as a service-focused economy is incentivising software-specific innovation.

This is why KPMG was pleased that the Senate Select Committee on Australia as a Technology and Financial Centre has recommended the Federal Government considers the establishment of a Software Development Tax Incentive (SDTI). This would be separate from the long-standing Research & Development Tax Incentive (RDTI).

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A start has already been made in the recent Federal Budget with the introduction of the Digital Games Tax Offset.

Our hope is that this measure could be the first step in the development of an SDTI framework to incentivise innovation in software that doesn’t currently meet the eligibility criteria set out in the RDTI program.

Why is it needed? As the Industry Innovation and Science Australia (IISA) reported last year, close to 50 percent of innovation in Australia is non-R&D based and many initiatives are from digital innovation.

Simply, there are other types of innovation which do not require R&D but have the same potential, and in some cases more, to benefit both the business developing the innovation and the broader economy IISA gives many examples of this, including novel hardware and software solutions which use existing technologies to develop previously untapped markets, combine and integrate platforms and technologies for innovative applications.

Another key issue is the creation and use of datasets that are required to test and unlock new product offerings.

This problem was also highlighted in the recently published Kalifa Review of UK FinTech with a recommendation that the UK R&D tax credit program should be expanded to accommodate the cost of financial data sets.

In KPMG’s submission to the senate Committee, we identified that in the context of FinTech and RegTech, there are many innovative solutions being developed that do not currently qualify for the RDTI due to the interpretation of software-based R&D activities.

There are also more common examples of innovative software solutions that the regulator, AusIndustry, has assessed as having no levels of R&D but where the product later went on to be shown to be highly innovative and led to significant ongoing investment in, and revenue for, Australia.

Having access to incentives at the early stages of software development for start-ups could accelerate investment and provide much needed capital to grow the business.

In addition to establishing an SDTI, we support a collaboration premium which would reward companies for collaborating with each other and with research

institutions could be developed to further incentivise innovation.

KPMG has just issued a paper which sets out seven key principles that would form the framework of an SDTI. These include eligibility being based on the outcome or the intended outcome of the development activity, rather than the process.

That is, the primary test is the product and whether it is innovative and a driver of future jobs and economic growth. We also call for industry consultation and a pilot program ahead of implementation with the aim of avoiding problems there have been with RDTI in recent years.

It is increasingly agreed that enhanced productivity is the key to generating the real growth Australia will need in the years ahead given the scale of our deficits. Increasing innovation will be the key to achieving this greater productivity.

Read the full submission: Principles for an innovative software development tax incentive at www.

KPMG.com.au First published on KPMG Newsroom by Kristina Kipper, Partner in Charge, Mid-market, KPMG Australia on 8 July 2021

EXPERTS

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Preparing your business for disruption  FINANCE | JOSEPH ESSAY HEN the Covid-19 virus rocked the world in early 2020 for many it was a game changer, as entire industries were put into hibernation and businesses were forced to change their way of operating to

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survive.

And while prudent government support packages largely helped protect Australia from the economic toll that other countries experienced, recent floods and fires and the return of state-based lockdowns have proven that risks to businesses are still ever present and you must be prepared with your own business continuity plan for when unexpected events disrupt your business.

HAVE A FINANCIAL PLAN Disruption can come in many forms but in almost all cases your cashflow will be one of the first areas where you feel the pain. Government support is not always applicable and even then, is unreliable and often inadequate.

To prepare for this you should be aiming to structure your finances such that you have an emergency fund of available cash that you can draw down on in the short term until other support arrives or your business recovers.

The amount will be different for every business but usually three months of essential operating costs is a good buffer to keep on hand. The other practical cashflow musts include putting in place forward cash flow projections and proactively contacting your lenders and suppliers early in the piece explaining the situation and that you may be delayed in making payments.

If nothing else this signals that you are in control of the situation which will usually buy you a bit more leeway.

MANAGING AND ANTICIPATING THE RISK There are also many other strategies you can employ to anticipate risks and make these disruptive events easier to manage when they do occur. One key strategy is ensuring you have offsite backups for key financial and business records.

Modern cloud-based storage and accounting systems make this easy to execute. You must also ensure you have enough of the right insurance in place to cover you against your biggest risks and protect your assets.

While income protection or business interruption are a must, I also advocate strongly for cyber protection insurance with this type of fraud becoming more sophisticated and harder for software to keep out.

Lastly, one of my favourite tools for managing risk is

an internal risk register through which you can identify the specific risks most relevant to your business and have a plan for avoiding or better managing these when they do occur. As they say prevention is much better than any cure!

HOW FLEXIBLE IS YOUR OPERATION Another must for businesses in protecting against disruption is ensuring your business operation is flexible enough to move quickly if key assets and people are compromised.

Strategies to have in place include having staff setup with the equipment and know how to work from home, ensuring cross training of key roles and having a plan in place to move your fixtures and stock in a hurry which will save you precious time when a disaster is looming.

One harder to execute but very important strategy is ensuring your trading is diversified across different industries, geographic and demographic sectors.

It also helps if you have different channels to market i.e., online, email, telephone and face to face sales in case one of these channels becomes compromised.

CUT COSTS AND KNOW YOUR RIGHTS When your business is suddenly hit by a disruptive event that shutters operations you must move quickly to control costs.

An obvious one is to cut all non-essential discretionary spending, but you should also contact key providers (rent,

utilities, financing companies etc.) and see what support they are willing to offer.

Temporary excess staffing can be the big concern for many businesses and there are options available in terms of temporarily standing down staff or enforced leave, but it is imperative you understand your legal rights and responsibilities in this respect.

For small business it can often pay to have an engagement with a HR specialist, such as the industry leading Employsure, to protect your business and your employees’ interests in these circumstances.

As marketplaces have opened so have many opportunities for small businesses, but it has also resulted in an increase in the risks involved in running a business and has turned a business continuity plan from a “nice to have” to a “must have”.

When your business is disrupted, the key is to move quickly and take a considered but decisive approach, with good financial planning and early communication being at the bedrock of this.

Disclaimer: This is article provides general advice and is not intended to be tailored business, accounting or financial advice. Advice may vary depending on your specific circumstances.

Joseph Essey is owner of Your Business Finance Manager. www.ybfmanager.com

Your world as you know it is over Not because you are a charity but to show gratitude. Why are you doing this? To show respect, kindness and motivate your employees. They will appreciate it, trust me.

Reply to your emails, don’t keep your clients and suppliers waiting. Pick up the phone and call few clients and ask them how they are. They will welcome it. Don’t ask them for work, just smile and ask them how their day is.

Open that journal of yours with ideas, concepts and blueprints. Choose some to follow through. Sit next to employees and ask them what they are doing today and how you can help them. Then relax, you are already showing leadership qualities and displaying courage that no gurus can teach you.

 INFORMATION | MARIO BEKES E can argue and discuss how life, business and social interactions were in the pre-COVID world, however, none of these changes the fact that the world we know is over and we need to refocus our activity on positive things.

To enable us to continue to go about our daily lives and enjoy family, health and business, we now have to fully concentrate on things we can control. From a business perspective, it is about how we can assist our clients, peers, employees and contractors.

We all witnessed in pre-COVID world how many gurus and ‘prophets’ there were seeking to charge you to listen to their success stories. We should not be focusing our efforts on them.

So, who am I? Who are you? You are true unsung business heroes, true disciples of success and above all, determined to be on the front foot of life and business. I am a businessman who in my early years experienced the horrors of war and how it effects people. It also proved to me that I was capable of creating my own destiny.

That old way of life and thinking is over, you don’t need prophets, gurus and high paid executives to tell you how to run your business. You now have the full authority and credibility to share your wisdom and knowledge to others on how to stay afloat.

When you wake up in the morning, instead rushing to the internet and being fed

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Mario Bekes.

bad news about the virus, crime or natural disasters, do yourself a favour.

Wake up and say to yourself, “Today will be a great day” followed by putting on the biggest smile and then ask yourself, “what do I truly want from life” – after all you may be the only person who will never lie to you!

Say hello to your family, ask them how they are. Say hello to your neighbours, whether you like them or not. Say hello, they will feel alive or perhaps they will tell you to FO, who knows.

Come into your office, or have your team zoom call, and say hello to your peers and employees. Maybe buy them an occasional coffee if you are together in person.

Life is risky after all Try to feed that starving feeling for business development inside of you through networking. Be targeted, chose whom you spend time with, as not all introductions are made equal.

Take the time to go to gym, see your GP to get a for blood exam and to check your blood pressure. Show up to our meetings feeling healthy. Repeat this action so often that it becomes a discipline. The healthy leader in you will project to clients that you are present, reliable and dedicated. Ask for and help instill this into your employees.

No one can promise you what your tomorrow will be like. Work on creating your own legacy and empire. Write books, diaries, blogs and share your wisdom or

whatever you fancy, but do it so that others can learn from your mistakes.

Life is risky, after all, it is so risky that no one will live forever. Many of your old risk management processes are now more or less useless and you need to create new ones. Adapt to this crisis and the constantly changing situation.

Do not collect your information from social media and sensationalist websites, as these will side-track you. Instead use local newspapers, coffee shops and conversations with real people. Do not rely on social media influencers and their ‘awesome’ tips.

Life is about living and for you to keep winning, you need to minimise strategic thinking. Instead, take a tactical approach by focusing on your local market and things you can control. You are clearly winning and when you win, your clients win, your employees get paid and everyone will see you as a person they can rely on.

Deliver services and goods that you know you can deliver using logistics that you can see and feel. That may sound obvious but when you challenge yourself, you may not be doing this.

While in combat, I was taught to use my senses and intuition along with my formal training, and business is all about what you can see, touch, smell, hear or taste. That’s what this new COVID business model is all about. Welcome to the new world.

Mario Bekes is managing director of Insight Intelligence. www.insightintelligencegroup.com.au

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AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2021 |

Local Business Awards 2021

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LOCAL BUSINESSES SHINE IN AWARDS

Scenes from last year’s gala event.

Central Coast Business

Central Coast Business Access congratulates all finalists in this year’s Local Business Awards. We are proud to once again to be the program’s media partner. www.coastba.com.au | www.facebook.com/CoastBA | www.thebusinessawards.com.au

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DEVELOPMENT

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2021 |

Artist impressions of redeveloped Gosford.

Lederer offloads Imperial Centre

Gosford in for big redevelopment P Generation has scooped up the Lederer owned Imperial Shopping Centre in Gosford, which indicates the old Marketplace site is about to begin a massive redevelopment.

The Ledered portfolio was sold for $300M after IP Generation entered into an agreement for six “land-rich” neighborhood centres across Sydney and regional NSW. The company, headed by Chris Lock and former Scentre executive Greg Miles, purchased the mall portfolio from rich-lister Paul Lederer, who built up the portfolio with his late uncle Andrew Lederer.

The Lederer Group recently announced the opening of an independent high school campus within the Imperial Shopping Centre in Gosford. The centre was part of the portfolio sold to IP Generation.

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The Lederer Group can now move forward with its Gosford Alive project to replace the old shopping centre with a five-tower mixed-use development.

The project is across the road from Imperial Centre and will be the most ambitious project to date in central Gosford.

The Lederer Group was previously given the green light on its $345m Gosford Alive development in 2020 to replace the “dead shopping mall” with a five-tower mixed use precinct last year.

The concept plan and stage one works on the 14,194sq m site have been approved by the NSW Independent Planning Commission.

The group, led by billionaire and co-owner of the Western Sydney Wanderers, Mr Lederer, will now be able to build

towers up to 101m high on the Donnison St - Henry Parry Dr site.

The proposed tower plans, by Buchan architecture, only range up to 88m and includes 727 units, 1015 car park spaces and 5079sq m of retail and commercial space in the podium of the buildings.

There is also 3047sq m or 21% of the site with soft landscaping and 3692sq m of communal space, including a pool and rooftop gardens designed by Arcadia Landscape Architecture.

The Gosford Alive plans went to the commission following an objection from the Central Coast Council in regard to concerns about design, built form, density, car parking, traffic and road infrastructure, environmental impacts and public benefits.

Greg Mills

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CROSSWORDS/GAMES Solutions page 23

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CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Little jerks 5. Head downtown?

10. Help in a holdup 14. Balming target 15. Beyond partner 16. Screenplay direction 17. T-bone region 18. Medical research goals 19. Every family has one 20. Illuminated 23. Holiday follower?

24. Skiier's challenge 25. Unlike a litterbug 27. Palindromic windmill part 30. End of two state names 33. Scratch, say 36. Better copy?

38. Bahrain bread 39. Passed with ease 41. Genetic info carrier 42. Arboreal abode 43. Things to rattle 45. Fishtail, e.g.

47. Daydreamer's limit?

48. Fit to be fare 50. Killed, as a dragon 53. Tux accessory 54. Prepare for hanging 57. Wrestling area 59. Serving as a diplomat 64. Beer selections 66. Hindu grouping 67. Tat-tat intro 68. Folk facts 69. Pagoda roofing 70. Black cat, some think 71. It may come before "we forget" 72. Failed as a sentry 73. Bird's perch, perhaps

DOWN 1. Chaucer bit 2. They may be clicked on 3. Flu symptom 4. Grad-to-be 5. Bushwhacker's tool 6. Go to the edge of 7. The good olde days 8. Cooking place 9. Transmit anew 10. Back on a battleship 11. Crooners, often 12. Creation location 13. "High School Musical" extra 21. Main mail drop (abbr.)

22. Disconnected, as a phone line 26. Like siblings 28. Chances in Vegas 29. Roller Derby milieus 31. Checklist item 32. Pretentiously stylish 33. Attack deterrent 34. Military sch.

35. Enrolls 37. Barbary ape's lack 40. The red 44. Inner city concern 46. Most absurd 49. Official orders 51. Emotion of the miffed 52. Long and thin 55. Sight from Biscayne Bay 56. Gourmand 57. Shoppers' site 58. Ubiquitous lily relative 60. Place for some polish 61. "Cast Away" setting 62. Manual component 63. A driver may change one 65. Firm or fixed

TRAVEL

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with DALLAS SHERRINGHAM

Go west and avoid the crowds  DALLAS SHERRINGHAM YDNEYSIDERS traditionally hug the coast heading or south when they take a holiday, but this year you can give the bush a boost and see great towns just by heading west.

Now, if America has its Route 66, than the Great Western Hwy should be our national ‘great drive’.

The good thing about heading west is that you avoid the crowds and get out into the fresh air where the sky goes on forever and the locals are friendly.

After passing through Bathurst and doing the mandatory lap of Mt Panorama motor racing track with a stop at McPhillamy Park to see the view, the road passes through beautiful country before arriving at Orange.

Next stop is Wellington with its beautiful Cave complete with an 18-hole championship Golf Course. You can camp next door or stay at the motel.

You will discover some of the hidden gems of the Great Western Plains around the regional hub of Dubbo, about a fivehour drive northwest of Sydney. You’ll find everything from historic pubs to rodeos to Akubra-throwing contests.

Just out of town is the outstanding Western Plains Zoo where you will need to spend at least half a day. Make sure you take a camera with a telephoto lens.

From Dubbo, it’s to you to decide which way to head, but here are some ideas:

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Gilgandra windmills A laid-back country town on the banks of the Castlereagh River, Gilgandra, 45 minutes northeast of Dubbo, is known for its many windmills; follow the Windmill Walk through town to spot them.

It’s also the birthplace of the 1915 Cooee March, in which men marched to Sydney to enlist to fight in World War I, calling “Coo-ee” to attract other volunteers in country towns along the way.

Get a nickname in Coonamble Australians love a nickname and Coonamble, an hour and 45 minutes north of Dubbo, is considered the nation’s nickname capital. It has even turned itself into the Nickname Hall of Fame — look out for the billboards displayed around the town with unique stories of local residents.

Every June long weekend the town comes alive with the Coonamble Rodeo and Campdraft, which attracts more than 1000 cowboys and cowgirls.

The Macquarie River runs right through the centre of the town of Warren, with a number of great fishing spots within walking distance. The town is an 80-minute drive north-west of Dubbo and about two hours south of the Macquarie Marshes, a diverse wetland that supports 20,000 birds.

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service runs tours of the wetland on the October long weekend.

Look out for galahs at Gulargambone The name Gulargambone comes an Aboriginal word meaning lots of galah birds — look out for the corrugated iron galahs on the highway and around town. The town is just over an hour north of Dubbo. Stop in at the volunteer-run Two eight two eight café (named after the town’s postcode), which also sells locally made art and crafts, fresh produce and second-hand books.

Baradine, in the middle of the Pilliga forest, two hours north of Dubbo, began life as a timber town. Pilliga is now a conservation area known for its koalas. Follow the walking track through the Timallallie National Park to see Sculptures in the Scrub. Each work is a collaboration between the artist and an Aboriginal Elder or young person and tells a story of local history and culture.

Go west to Narromine On the banks of the Macquarie River, the streets of Narromine, half an hour west of Dubbo, are dotted with heritage buildings, and the town has a rich aviation history dating back more than 100 years. Almost 3000 pilots were trained here during World War II — you can find out all about it at the Narromine Aviation Museum.

On the old Cobb & Co coach trail, Trangie, an hour’s drive west of Dubbo, is known for its authentic country pubs that date back to the early 1900s and the Big Billy (one of Australia’s ‘Big Things’) at the Goan water hole just outside town. The Wungunja Cultural Centre houses a large collection of Aboriginal artefacts and art, mostly from Central NSW, including two large carved burial trees.

At Tomingley, 40 minutes southwest of Dubbo, have a pub meal in the Cross Roads Hotel, meet alpacas and visit the gallery at Quentin Park Alpacas, and go bushwalking in Goobang National Park.

Venture beyond the Black Stump Mendooran, on the Castlereagh River, 50 minutes northeast of Dubbo, dates back to the 1830s and is known as the Town of Murals for its colorful artworks that depict the history of the area. Horse racing has taken place here since 1856 — visit in September to catch the Mendooran Races.

At Dunedoo, an hour north-east of Dubbo, learn about the region’s past at the Dunedoo Historical Society and Museum and stop for a drink at the 1913-built Hotel Dunedoo.

Binnaway, 80 minutes northeast of Dubbo, was a bustling railway town in the 1920s; a railway signal tribute has been erected in the main street to honor its heritage.

The Australian phrase ‘beyond the black stump’ (meaning beyond civilisation) is believed to be tied to Coolah: the Black Stump Wine Saloon that marked the boundaries of the colony was on the outskirts of town in the 1850s.

A 90-minute drive northeast of Dubbo, this is the gateway to Coolah Tops National Park, known for its giant grass trees, towering eucalypts and stands of huge snow gums. Walking trails wind past waterfalls, there are remote campsites for starry nights and dedicated mountain bike trails.

Details: Destination NSW www.destinationnsw.com.au

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2021 |

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20 | AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2021

FILM with JACOB RICHARDSON

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Nine Days – 5 Stars

BLIISTRERING experience, that takes a strange concept, courts exposition sparingly, and ultimately delivers a truly emotional and revelatory time in the cinema.

Will (Winston Duke) is a reclusive man, obsessed with a series of point-of-view videos playing on an array of old televisions in a prairie house in what is seemingly the middle of nowhere. He watches them and makes notes, ever vigilant.

When one of the people on the screen kills herself, however, we find out a little bit more about Will, as he begins the process of interviewing souls for a chance to be born into her place.

Aided by his similarly angelic / string-pulling friend Kyo (Benedict Wong), he works with a group of fresh souls to determine who, in his opinion, is right for the world.

His own time in the world led him to believe that anyone down there can’t be too good, and has to be tough enough to survive, so the first few days of the nine days given for the assessment period focus on Will trying to identify which of Kane (Bill Skarskgard Maria (Arianna Ortiz), Mike (David Rysdahl), Alexandr (Tony Hale) and more are strong enough for this spot.

But it is latecomer Emma (Zazie Beetz) who throws him off course, and as they journey through the nine days together

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and get closer towards a final decision, Will finds Emma’s insatiable appetite for all that is kind and good about life is addictive; and is perhaps thawing that icy cynicism he acquired in his own time on Earth.

Directed by Edson Oda, Nine Days plays out in a very ‘trust us, you’ll work it out eventually’ sort of way. It doesn’t beat you around the head with exposition up front, instead allowing you the time and space to work your way into this world. In that way, it also undoubtedly may leave viewers confused, particularly in the starting mo-

ments but also ultimately there are likely to be nuances that one viewer picks up over another.

That’s also sort of the joy in this piece– we’re discovering the story not unlike Emma unravelling the joys of life through the array of screens Will makes her watch endlessly.

It’s a beautiful story, told in a way that makes it feel real and grounded despite its fantastical nature. Ultimately it leads to an emotional climax that is earned, and truly gut-wrenching in its effectiveness. Such

an ending isn’t necessarily sad, moreso bittersweet, and there’s a lot of joy and perspective to be gained out of the narrative of this film.

On display here is some of the best acting you will see in cinema this year, and across the board every single actor knocks it out of the park. Of course, it’s Duke and Beetz who make the greatest impression however.

Zazie Beetz brings a sweet yet strong willed character to the front, adding believability to the most dreamlike qualities. Her emotional cocktail of friendship, romance and utter confusion plays so well on screen, it’s easy to understand why Will would be shaken by Emma.

Winston Duke gets a gorgeous role in Will, being able to span between emotionless, rage-filled, theatrical and ultimately joyful in the one character, and cements his place as a leading man.

In the end, Nine Days is the sort of film that is tough to sell, because the narrative and the surprises around that narrative are difficult to convey. It’s the way the story is told, the experience of watching it unfold on the big screen, that is truly unmissable.

Reviews by Jacob Richardson Creative Director | Film Focus www.filmfocusau.com

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FILM with JACOB RICHARDSON

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2021 |

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Jungle Cruise–4 Stars Jungle Cruise feels a lot like Pirates of the Caribbean, and while it doesn’t have the iconic lead performance that film did to turn it into an instant classic, it’s still a hell of a lot of fun.

ILY Houghton (Emily Blunt) is determined to track down the Flower of the Moon. While her brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall) distracts an explorer’s scientific society, she sneaks backstage and steals a fabled arrowhead from under the nose of Prince Joachim (Jesse Plemons), a nefarious German.

Lily and MacGregor travel to the Amazon, where they get a ride upriver in search of the immortality granting Flower from Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson).

But Wolff is not all that he seems, and his prodigious knowledge of the region is matched only by his talents for cheating, swindling and deceiving his clientele and enemies (vaguely Italian Paul Giamatti included).

Nevertheless, if Lily and MacGregor want to get the Flower before Prince Joachim and an undead Spanish conquistador

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Aguirre (Edgar Ramirez), they’ll have to turn the uneasy alliance with Frank into a strong friendship.

It’s tough to not make comparisons to other, classic adventure movies when watching Jungle Cruise. There are definite comparables with Pirates of the Caribbean and Indiana Jones, along with a host of lesser siblings, sequels and ripoffs.

Jungle Cruise never really does anything to distinguish itself from its ilk, but it also never feels unwelcome or anything less than upbeat, enjoyable fun.

Blunt is spectacular as Houghton, a combination of Keira Knightley and Harrison Ford. Her character is saddled with a romance that she has to frankly carry pretty heavily, but also gets a tonne of time to deliver competent adventuring and ingenuity throughout.

Johnson pushes his acting limits in certain areas of this film, and not always successfully, but for the most part he is a fun addition–a dad-joke-cracking, mammoth hustler, who has secrets of his own.

While he may struggle to carry the romantic elements of the plot off, his wisecracking and sidelong glances during schemes and the like are good, and his action chops undisputed. Whitehall, meanwhile, cracks jokes and provides comic relief.

Giamatti pops up in a ridiculous role, Italian accent fading in and out depending on the moment, and shoots for the rafters with a swaggering performance. Plemons and Ramirez both make a meal out of barebones villain characters, but Ramirez in particular feels hard done by.

Visually there is a lot to love here, and for kids in particular it is a colourful,

fantastical adventure that evokes memories of the Disneyland ride the film is based on.

From a family perspective, the only concern is that it’s a little long–at 2 hours and 7 minutes, even those of us in the media screening room were flagging.

Jungle Cruise is overly long and has some lacklustre elements without a really iconic hero performance, but it’s a welcome return to the adventure genre.

For kids, this will be a lot of fun on it’s own, with a lot of jokes, some beautiful visuals and a swathe of good performances.

For adults, this will hit on a lot of the same levels, while also evoking a strong sense of nostalgia around the adventure classics that paved the way.

Reviews by Jacob Richardson Creative Director | Film Focus www.filmfocusau.com

AUTO

22 | AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2021

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More safety, minor styling update as Toyota gives Prado its second upgrade in a year  NEIL DOWLING AFETY first as Toyota upgrades its Prado with more improvements, some styling tweaks and only minor price rises for the second time in a year.

Externally there is not much difference – the newly styled alloy wheels and a chrome grille for one grade – while buyers should be more attracted to the active safety technology that is now stand-ard on entry-level versions.

All Prados now get the high-end safety kit previously reserved for the more expensive grades, in-cluding blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert as standard on GX and GXL. These join the existing Toyota Safety Sense features of high-speed active cruise control, lane-departure alert with steering assistance, and the pre-collision safety system with day/night pedes-trian and daytime cyclist detection.

The entry-level GX grade has more premium exterior appointments with a chrome-accented grille and puddle lamps.

Toyota’s upper-level VX and Kakadu variants now come with larger 19-inch alloy wheels with a new “Active” design for the VX and a “Prestige” design for the Kakadu.

For buyers that don’t need the larger fuel capacity and prefer a tailgate without the spare wheel, all variants except the GX can be specified with the flat tailgate option pack.

This reduces the fuel capacity to 87 litres from 150 litres and moves the fullsize spare tyre from the tailgate to under the body of the vehicle. For people wanting a rugged tow vehicle, the Prado is rated at 3000kg.

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The Prado upgrades follow a more comprehensive expansion of the standard feature list made in August last year.

Peace of mind Prices have hitched up slightly, with $990 added to the GX and GXL to make them $60,830 and $67,530 plus on-road costs respectively. The VX and Kakadu are both up $777, now $77,157 and $87,807 respectively, plus costs.

Toyota Australia vice president sales, marketing and franchise operations Sean Hanley said the safety of all Toyota customers was of utmost importance.

"We are committed to ensuring our customers benefit from the peace of mind

that comes with the latest advanced safety features," he said.

"These safety updates, along with the range of visual enhancements, ensure there has never been a better time to explore Australia's vast backyard in a Prado."

There are no changes to the drivetrain, with all Prado grades retaining the 150kW/500Nm 2.8-litre turbo-diesel and mated to the only transmission offered, a six-speed automatic.

Toyota’s large-size 4WD wagon has been the most popular in its segment for the past 11 of its 13-year history.

It is odds-on to continue that in 2021.

Year-to-date sales to June 30 show the Prado has sold 10,171 units in the six months,

up 17.8 per cent on its 2020 results.

It is the clear sales winner in its segment, with the second-placed Subaru Outback reporting 4820 sales, less than half that of the Prado.

Toyota LandCruiser Prado pricing* GX (5-seat) $60,830 GXL $67,530 VX $77,157 Kakadu: $87,807 Options Third-row seat (GX only): $2,550 Leather seats (GXL only): $3,470 Premium paint: $675 Flat tailgate (GXL,VX, Kakadu): No charge *Excludes on-road costs

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GAMES SOLUTIONS

AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2021 |

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TrendS

Attracting workers back to the office  DALLAS SHERRINGHAM HE work from home revolution may have long term consequences for CBDs like Parramatta, Blacktown and Liverpool in the future.

The phenomenon caused by the COVID-19 threatens to create a unique new generation of workers who seldom visit the head office of the company they are employed by.

And this means companies will potentially downsize, save a small fortune on rent and facilities and could leave large offices abandoned.

However, before you hastily transfer your super from property investments to mining stocks, leading companies already have a plan to entice workers back to the office.

Major offices in the USA CBDs these days are becoming temples of indulgence as much as places of work. One Vanderbilt, a new skyscraper in Manhattan, has unveiled a restaurant run by Daniel Boulud, a Michelin-starred chef, according to a feature story in The Economist.

Amazon’s second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, will include an amphitheatre for outdoor concerts. In London, 22 Bishopsgate is so dog-friendly that its receptionists issue passes to pets. The recently opened glass tower, which dominates the city of London’s skyline, also houses a climbing wall and a spa.

As companies try to tempt workers back to the office, developers and investors are betting on new buildings with alluring amenities.

But a huge uncertainty hangs over them: will enough people come? Even as vaccinations progress, workers have been slow to return in the USA and Australia.

In early May only one in 20 buildings in America had occupancy levels above 10%, compared with a third in Europe and Africa and roughly half of buildings in Asia, according to Freespace, a property-tech firm. With the return to work only just beginning and long leases yet to expire, the extent of any losses is worryingly hazy.

Covid-19 has sharpened the demand for newer buildings with better facilities.

JPMorgan Chase, a bank, will reduce its overall office space even as it builds the second-tallest skyscraper in Manhattan for its new headquarters, The Economist reports.

More than half of tours across New York City by prospective tenants are of high-quality “Grade A” offices, compared with 38% before covid-19. This shift is happening alongside another disruption: a tilt towards greener workspaces.

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Working from home has become a popular and necessary option for many workers.

Tilt towards greener workplaces As seen in the Lang Walker buildings in Parramatta, many property firms are pledging that all new buildings will be near net-zero carbon.

Meanwhile, the shift towards wellness and sustainability is no fad, insists James Goldsmith of AXA Investment Managers.

“This isn’t a social experiment. We’re asset managers—pension money is at stake.”

Few in the industry, however, will be drawn on the reckoning they may face, The Economist reports. The flight to quality is leaving older buildings looking undesirable just as remote working reduces the total demand for office space.

Start with the risk that older buildings become stranded assets. Without substantially lower rents or improved ventilation, access to outdoor space or natural light, many will struggle to sell or attract tenants.

Some dated offices are getting facelifts.

Fabrix, a developer, is upgrading a 1960s building in London to include a rooftop forest and a glass-floored infinity pool.

Others will be converted into lab and research space, or houses.

When AIG, an insurer, moves to a recently renovated skyscraper in midtown Manhattan, part of its old headquarters, a tower block built in the 1980s, will be converted into flats. The City of London Corporation, which oversees the Square Mile, plans to turn vacant space into at least 1500 new homes by 2030.

Yet none of this can mask the fact that as remote working sticks, demand for office space should fall. Companies are beginning to rethink their property needs, with many downsizing or delaying new leases. Globally, more than 103m square feet of office space has already been vacated since the pandemic began, according to Cushman and Wakefield, a broker.

The reliance of commercial property on debt financing means a downturn could have nasty reverberations across the financial system.

Banks, finance companies, insurance firms and superannuation companies rely

on office developments and healthy occupancy for income in Australia.

And CBD developments rely on high occupancy rates to attract banking finance.

CBD apartments, while creating much lower rental yield, may be a better investment in the future.

However, the falloff in workers in offices will mean that staff will no longer need to live close to work, creating further uncertainty for CBDs. In the past, attempts have been made unsuccessfully in the Sydney CBD to have office blocks converted into apartment buildings. Local Government planning codes mean older offices lack the plumbing and height requirements to be converted.

So, look for the older office buildings in Western Sydney to be revamped and relaunched complete with wellness centres, restaurants and fitness centres to attract clients.

SOURCE: The Economist

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