Western Sydney Business Access - September 2021

SEPTEMBER 2021 | EDITION 125

BUSINESS | LIFESTYLE

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WSABE 2021 PRESENTS - BACK IN BLACK

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THE BIG IDEA How Rooty Hill RSL created an entertainment icon

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F you had the choice to invest $18M or $100M of your business capital into a bold new venture, rife with critics, what would be your pick? West HQ’s CEO Richard Errington chose the latter, and hasn’t looked back, citing the recreation hub’s Sydney Coliseum as being a muchneeded entertainment boon. Before the theatre idea was conceived, Mr Errington and the management at the formerly named Rooty Hill RSL, had already had an idea that the club needed to evolve into something bigger.

CEO Richard Errington.

More page 7.

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Putting a face to the name

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 WSABE 2021 | LUKE MAGEE SABE as its affectionately known, is the flagship event founded by the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce in 1990. It is the prestigious platform that prides itself on its credibility and ability to share success stories across the region.

But over the past few years, more than ever, I have learnt that WSABE is so much more!

The awards platform showcases the perfect blend of strong sponsor relationships that firstly bring the program to life.

Then those same sponsors and partners enable the planning that is required to run the program and eventually bring the experience to fruition with the crowning celebration.

The buildup is the journey, and the burst of pride is the gala.

But when you dig a little deeper, you ask what is behind all that? And where does it come from? The answer is Western Sydney.

It comes from grunt and hussle, it comes from hard work, sweat and tears. It comes from recognising opportunities and having the courage to go for it, even if the capital runs short of the vision.

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Over the past few years, more than ever, I have learnt that WSABE is so much more.”

– Luke Magee.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne at last year’s WSABE gala event.

Last year WSABE taught me more about the true significance of WSABE and what it represents in these challenging times.

When you have a flagship event, you can’t just sit back, there is no choice but to lead from the front.

And that’s what we did. In 2020, in the face of unprecedented challenges of epic global proportions, WSABE 2020 delivered a unique hybrid covid-safe event in line with government restrictions.

Pivoting to the point that the impossible became possible with separate rooms and facilities video streamed for the best sit-down gala experience Greater Sydney had to offer.

We took a collaborative approach Not only did WSABE 2020 take a collaborative approach expanding its geographical region but rather it gave businesses in those areas a sense of belonging and recognition.

In the year WSABE turned 30, it turned out that we metaphorically became true finalists in our own awards program. We felt a sense of responsibility to lead by example and remain positive and determined to do all that could be done to avoid celebrating WSABE via zoom!

WSABE 2021 is proud to stand by the Greater Western Sydney business community and once again deliver a program

SEPTEMBER 2021

Tickets on sale now https://wsabe.com.au/2021-wsabe-gala/ Luke Magee is President of the Parramatta Chamber of Commerce.

WSBA enables readers to appreciate and engage with the physical, community, cultural and business environments of one of Australia's fastest growing regions, Greater Western Sydney.

CONTENTS ENTREPRENEURS Property COVID BREED Australia Family Business Auto Films Travel Fitness

that offers a voice to the many businesses, professionals and leaders throughout the region and more than ever, showcase their extraordinary resilience, innovation and drive.

WSABE 2021 gala evening will be held on Wednesday 24 November 2021 at the beautiful Rosehill Gardens. Come along as we lift the mood with an uplifting celebration of business success in Greater Western Sydney.

Book a table with your family, partners, colleagues and clients for a spectacular night out. Sit back and enjoy the entertainment and networking with exceptional hospitality and a three-course dinner as we cheer on excellence in Western Sydney.

Parramatta Chamber of Commerce will once again put a face to the name (WSABE) and celebrate with a theme of BACK in BLACK with a Touch of Gold–celebrating Hope and Resilience.

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Parramatta Local Business Awards feature starts page 17.

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WINNER restaurant

Biviano’s Dural

Celebrating 21 Years

The Ultimate Dining Experience ITALIAN & SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

We would like thank the Hills community for the terriffic response we recieved for our Fathers Day promotion. Even despite COVID and all its restrictions we were able to work hard preparing amazing gift boxes and delicious dishes for all the amazing fathers of our community and beyond!

Biviano’s Over 21 Years The last 21 years have been a whirlwind and Biviano’s has been a part of so many lives and integral part of the community. It has been an inspirational adventure as we have watched The Hills District grow within New South Wales. Over the last 21 years we have worked with over 550 staff and watched them grow and develop into passionate individuals.

We have made over 630,000 pizzas, had the privilege of seating and serving over 1,040,000 guests and have handed out over 100,000 takeaway orders for people to enjoy at home. We have hosted more than 800 special events. We have enjoyed watching as life flourishes with a young girl holding onto her dads’ finger as they walk in to their favorite restaurant Biviano’s Dural and walk out 21 years later on a mans arm with an engagement ring on her finger. We have had the honor of being a part of memories being made for every guest that walks in our doors.

Looking forward to continue servicing The Hills Community & others areas.

BIVIANO’S DURAL WINE & DINE @ YOUR PLACE

LOCKDOWN GETTING YOU DOWN?

HIGH TEA @ YOUR PLACE

Available every Saturday for pick up or delivery.

Something special for someone special?

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Can’t visit during lockdown?

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Send them a high tea gift box by Biviano’s

complemented with our special Wine & Alcohol range

Although you may not be sitting on our chairs, enjoy Biviano’s favourites from the comfort of your own home with takeaway and NOW home delivery.

We have created a new menu for you to order from.

Gift Vouchers Available

Gifts can be tricky. tr Especially when you can’t visit. With vouchers an experience voucher at Biviano’s is perfect. lasting for 3-years, 3-y

02 9651 ŏ 2022 www.bivianosdural.com ŏ ŏ 628 Old Northern RdRd Dural NSW 2158 Book Now2022 02 9651 ŏ www.bivianosdural.com ŏ 628 Old Northern Dural NSW 2158 WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

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Liverpool presents a vision for the future

BRIEFS Kids vaccinated at Mt Druitt ORE than 250 Aboriginal people, including children aged 12 to 15, received their first COVID-19 vaccination at a dedicated outreach event hosted by Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) at Mount Druitt Hospital’s Aboriginal Health Hub. WSLHD Aboriginal Health Service manager Belinda Cashman said the western Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community has been turning out in force for vaccination – and her own 13-year-old twin girls were among those to receive their vaccinations today. “We started running these outreach clinics in July.

They’re always booked out and we were being asked when children could get vaccinated,” Belinda said. The Aboriginal outreach day was one of several held across western Sydney in recent weeks with more planned for the near future.

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 CITIES | DALLAS SHERRINGHAM IVERPOOL will soon have a world class city centre allowing it to leverage its positioning as the closest CBD to the new Wester Sydney Airport and adjacent Aerotropolis.

It is known as Liverpool Civic Place and is the brainchild of the Liverpool City Council, one the most progressive local government areas in Australia.

The Council recently presented its future vision for the region to the Property Council of Australia.

Highlighting the long-term vision for the development of the city centre and across the Local Government Area, it was part of an online briefing event hosted by the nation’s leading property advocate.

Liverpool City Council CEO Dr Eddie Jackson was the keynote speaker at the event.

Dr Jackson presented Council’s Public Domain Master Plan to transform the CBD, improving transport connections in the region and the role of the Western Sydney International Airport and Aerotropolis in Liverpool’s future.

Dr Jackson also discussed Liverpool Civic Place, the biggest public project in the heart of Liverpool, which is currently under construction. Council and Built Development have partnered on this landmark building due for completion by early 2023.

Liverpool Mayor Wendy Waller welcomed the opportunities presented by the Property Council briefing to promote devel-

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Dine and discover extended HE NSW Government’s Dine & Discover NSW initiative has been extended by 10 months, with the vouchers now due to expire on 30 June 2022. The extension gives Blacktown residents more time to redeem their hundreds of thousands of ‘unspent’ vouchers. Earlier this year, every adult in NSW was offered two $25 ‘dine’ vouchers to use at restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs and clubs and two $25 ‘discover NSW’ vouchers to be used at cultural institutions, live music and arts venues.

More than two thirds of adults in NSW signed up for Dine & Discover NSW. The vouchers would help local businesses bounce back more quickly when the COVID-19 lockdown ends.

T Artist impression of the project.

opment within Liverpool to key stakeholders and strengthen investment in the area.

“With the Western Sydney International Airport under construction this will open up Liverpool to the world and the opportunities ahead for our city have no limits.”

“Liverpool is the city of opportunity and its transformation will see us forge ahead as a city of innovation, with improved infrastructure and connectivity to Greater Sydney and beyond,” Mayor Waller said.

Liverpool City Council has approved

on average more than $1 billion in development applications per year, during the past four years.

Council also recently hosted an online developer forum in July which brought together leading real estate, property, planning, law, and hospitality practitioners to discuss Liverpool’s future.

To learn more about Liverpool City Council’s planning vision visit: https://www.liverpool.nsw. gov.au/development/planning-the-future

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$670M office tower above Westfield Parramatta HE concept plan for a 47-storey office tower above Westfield Parramatta, which will add thousands of square metres of new commercial space and support hundreds of construction jobs in Sydney’s second CBD, has been given the green light by the NSW Government.

Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Rob Stokes has approved an increase of 22 storeys to the original proposal which equated to an extra 105,000 square metres of commercial floor space.

“Parramatta’s status as Sydney’s second CBD will be further enhanced by this development. It will bring jobs to Sydney’s west and capitalise on city-shaping projects like Parramatta Light Rail and Sydney Metro West,” Mr Stokes said.

“As Minister for Planning, it is my goal to ensure we have the right development in the right place at the right time, and this proposal does that. It will add to the exciting mix of developments that are reshaping Parramatta’s skyline, such as those in Parramatta Square.

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“Since 2020, the NSW Government has approved 19 State Significant projects in the Parramatta LGA, generating more than $7.9B in capital investment value and more than 5,500 jobs.”

Member for Parramatta Geoff Lee said the Westfield development was perfectly positioned near the train station and would provide 700 construction jobs and 2,200 operational jobs.

“This $670M project is a major boost to the Parramatta economy and will provide close to 3,000 jobs at a time when NSW is moving to bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mr Lee said.

“This is part of Parramatta’s post-lockdown pandemic future. More office workers will mean more money for local businesses who are doing it tough right now.

The applicant will now need to hold a design competition for the tower. Detailed public domain street designs will be finalised after a development application is lodged.

Artist impressions of the development.

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

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ENTERTAINMENT CENTRAL West HQ’s CEO recounts how it evolved into reality  COVER STORY | JADE HOBMAN F you had the choice to invest $18M or $100M of your business capital into a bold new venture, rife with critics, what would be your pick?

West HQ’s CEO Richard Errington chose the latter, and hasn’t looked back, citing the recreation hub’s Sydney Coliseum as being a much-needed entertainment boon.

“We have built a theatre for the people of Western Sydney, who would have never gone to the arts, never gone to the city to see a live production, and we have given that opportunity with not one cent of government money, for such a big community,” Mr Errington said.

Before the theatre idea was conceived, Mr Errington and the management at the formerly named Rooty Hill RSL, had already taken the view that the club needed to evolve into something bigger.

A recent IBISWorld market research report said RSL clubs have faced significant challenges, even within the last five years– from regulators, bars, pubs, online sports betting companies, and declining alcohol consumption.

“If we just remained a small suburban licenced club we were going to become irrelevant to future community needs,” Mr Errington said. “And we knew entertainment would be relevant to all ages, and all nationalities.”

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Above: drone view of West HQ and below, CEO Richard Errington.

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Barangaroo So a ‘Barangaroo of Western Sydney’ dream started with a premise of what the community needed, in a meeting at the Rooty Hill RSL in 2012.

The team had been inspired by the former disused container terminal, turned top eatery, and arts hub, Barangaroo on the western waterfront of Sydney’s CBD. Mr Errington said they were impressed about how quickly it transitioned into the go-to destination it has been.

And so they wanted to do the same revamp for the west, adding extensive key services to their business in Rooty Hill, including brand restaurants typically found at Barangaroo–plus entertainment.

So from what started out as an $18M, 1000-seat entertainment expansion idea eventually extended into a $100M, 2000seat plan, as the club realised, via talks with industry insiders, how much Western Sydney lacked a large entertainment area to that scale.

“We found that west of the Anzac bridge, there was nothing that had 2000 seats, excluding Homebush,” Mr Errington said.

“The ability to have things like opera, Sydney symphony, Australian Ballet, musical theatre, bands – the design and our vision expanded and grew.”

Construction of the theatre and the Barangaroo-inspired restaurants was complete by the end of 2019, with the new theatre offering a vast range of entertainment, including space for large banquets and corporate events.

Criticism Now all these activities at the club site were not going by unnoticed. The entertainment industry was enthusiastic with hope, but the plans also faced a large degree of scepticism.

Mr Errington said opposition, and uncertainty arose from a range of groups: media, promoters, and other licensed clubs.

“We were ridiculed by the industry … there were doubters, who said the people of Western Sydney wouldn’t pay the amount of money to go to the theatre,” Mr Errington said.

If we just remained a small suburban licenced club we were going to become irrelevant to future community needs. And we knew entertainment would be relevant to all ages, and all nationalities.”

– Richard Errington.

“We had to believe that there was a growing population in Western Sydney, who didn’t want to travel into the city.”

“We identified that if we built this, no one in the west would compete or be able to match it, that we would have the ability to become the ultimate entertainment destination.”

In 2017 a media report said the project was funded by poker machines, highlighting the social cost for problem gamblers. Mr Errington told the Sydney Morning Herald

that the club would eventually dilute revenue away from poker machines–something he says they were on track to doing before the pandemic hit.

“Our aim, through building and diversifying, was taking our reliance off gambling, away from poker machines. We achieved that in the first month–but then we were disrupted with Covid,” Mr Errington said.

“Because we were increasing our revenue in more entertainment space, gambling became less of a relevance to our business model.”

The pandemic When Covid hit in 2020 the West HQ venue went from being a bustling hub–with four million visitors annually, to a ghost town–and the theatre was closed for six months.

Then after reopening, the business started to slowly recover, and they were managing up to a 60 percent recovery. Now that has been thwarted again with the current lockdown affecting Greater Sydney, now in its seventh week.

“We have lost profitability to reinvest, because we have had to call on our reserves to keep us liquid,” Mr Errington said. “It has put our plans back two years, and affected us financially, but because we are large and diverse, we are able to weather the storm.”

Despite the misgivings, there are still plans and hopes for future expansion at West HQ, with an idea for a large-scale indoor family entertainment, and plans for a 300-room Pullman Hotel, in preparation for the airport opening at Badgerys Creek.

Artist impressions of the facility in use.

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

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Bankwest to host food, wine festival  EVENTS | STAFF REPORTERS FOOD and wine festival in the Bankwest Stadium precinct is being planned to showcase the best produce in Western Sydney.

With Western Sydneysiders having endured a long and difficult lockdown, the Western Sydney Forage may be just the tonic as we slowly get back to doing the things we love.

Bankwest Stadium will become a centre of celebration for Western Sydney culture on Saturday, March 26 as the festival features more than 60 wineries, breweries, distilleries and food vendors from the west on a jam-packed day full of fun and flavour.

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The Stadium’s western precinct will be transformed into one of Greater Sydney’s biggest Food & Wines shows with a host of stalls and outdoor dining at the event, which will also feature entertainment headlined by chart-topping ARIA Award-winning artists Sneaky Sound System.

The Western Sydney Forage will be a community event to bring back the joy to Greater Sydney, post-COVID lockdown.

The event will run in full compliance of NSW Public Health Orders at the time with an approved COVID Safe protocol.

The day will run from 11am to 6pm with tickets to go on sale soon.

Bankwest Stadium Business Development Manager Jordan Kerry said: “We’re

looking forward to bringing people back together again in a COVID Safe environment as we welcome some of the best food and wine producers in Western Sydney to the venue.

“Because it is Australia’s most culturally diverse region, Western Sydney features an amazing array of flavours and delicacies.

“There will be an exciting range of food and wine that highlights the flavours of local operators in the community, promotes local providores, and showcases NSW growers, producers and winemakers. ”We want this to be an opportunity for Greater Western Sydney to move forward and to embrace everything that is great about the region.”

Drone view of Bankwest Stadium precinct.

Western Sydney Forage is delivered by the minds behind the highly successful Capital Food & Wine Festival, Capital Promotions Group.

For more information head to www. westernsydneyforage.com.au.

Parramatta Leagues confirms CEO ARRAMATTA Leagues Club Interim CEO Chris Dimou has won the coveted role of permanent CEO after a rigorous search by the PLC Board.

His appointment followed an extensive six-month appraisal of candidates by the seven-member board led by PLC President Greg Monaghan.

The Board members include Darren Adam, Sue Coleman, Joy Cusack, Richard Foda, Mark Jenkins and Phil Sim. Mr Monaghan announced the appointment to members on August 27.

“Chris’s extensive industry experience and his recent role as interim CEO made him the best candidate to lead our Club into the future,” Mr Monaghan said.

“Importantly, Chris has a very strong commitment to our members and will drive our shared Vision of maximizing our experiences for Members and the community we live in.”

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Mr Dimou has 20 years’ experience in the club industry with the plum role of CEO at the Eels as the highlight.

“Chris has displayed a great passion for Parramatta Leagues Club,” Mr Monaghan said.

“In his recent role, Chris made major contributions to key initiatives at the PLC including the multi-million-dollar development of the carpark, the refresh of the Vikings Club and implementation of our COVID safe plans which saw the Club as an industry leader in its response to COVID-19.”

Mr Dimou said it was an honor to be named CEO of “our great Club” and to have the support of the board.

“Like everyone else, we have certainly felt the effects of the global pandemic and while the last few months have been challenging, our Club can play major role in the recovery of our region both economically

and socially,” he said.

“The strategic plan developed last year is a great launchpad for our Club and I am excited to lead our team in rolling those initiatives out starting with the exciting new Eels Lane bar and grill next year. Even though the Club is closed, we are still working hard to make these plans a reality.

“I am also looking forward to working closely with the Eels and supporting them as they continue to grow,” he said.

Mr Monaghan said the Club was eagerly awaiting the chance to welcome patrons back.

“At this time, we do not know when we will be able to open the doors of Parra Leagues and Vikings, although as vaccination levels in the community rise, that day is most certainly getting closer,” he said.

“All indications from Government are that vaccinated staff and patrons will have fewer restrictions.

Incoming CEO Chris Dimou.

“We encourage members to follow State Government and medical advice regarding restrictions and vaccinations so that we can re-open as soon as possible,” Mr Monaghan said.

See next edition of WSBA for our interview with Chris Dimou.

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Brilliant packaging concept

Couple’s idea saving the planet  ENTREPRENEURS | DALLAS SHERRINGHAM ERO Packaging is one of those great ideas that came to a young couple as their online business was booming.

Anaita Sarkar and Vik Dave were shipping over 80-100 products a day - in plastic. When they would see their customers opening their packages, they started to feel incredibly horrified at the amount of waste they were creating.

The real cherry on top of the plastic pie was when their two girls were in their office during school holidays and were sitting amongst a pile of plastic, playing with the bubble wrap. They knew there had to be something better.

They Googled alternatives to plastic mailers and the only solution they could find was paper-based packaging. It was a great idea, but not waterproof so it wouldn’t work for their products.

“During our research, we had come across companies across the world doing amazing things for sustainability, like turning pineapple leaves into leather, but there wasn’t a single eco-friendly solution to replace plastic shipping mailers,” Anaita said.

“From that moment, we were on a mission to create that solution. And after testing a bazillion different materials, we found a material that was compostable, but also waterproof, super durable and acted like plastic in the shipping process, but would break down in a compostable environment.”

Now, imagine the potential around the world. If a small business ships, on average, 10 orders a day, it can prevent the size of two championship-sized tennis courts worth of plastic from entering landfill or our oceans.

One small business making 10 orders a day produces about 368sqm of packaging waste every year.

The sheer impact of eradicating plastic from online retailers in there shipping process, is set to grow as Anaita and Vik set their sights on global expansion.

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Imagine the potential….

IF a small business ships, on average, 10 orders a day, it can prevent the size of two championship-sized tennis courts worth of plastic from entering landfill or our oceans.

Fueled by COVID “Online retail is growing exponentially fast, partly fueled by Covid, and we think e-commerce packaging is a really key issue that is flying under the radar simply because the volume of online retail packaging is not as visible as the use of plastic in physical retail stores, restaurants and supermarket,” Anaita said.

“So, that’s where we’ve decided to focus our energy: on the packaging and shipping process for small to large e-commerce businesses.”

“We have learnt along the way that recycling is not enough. You see, 90% of plastics and food scraps end up in landfill and in that environment, they produce methane which is a deadly enemy of our Planet,” Vik said.

“So, we decided to specialise in mailers that were certified home compostable, but also made from such materials that if they ended up in landfill, they would still break down with no micro plastics and no waste.”

Hero Packaging was Australia’s first Australian owned and certified retail compostable company and have just celebrated their three-year anniversary. Their year on year growth is currently sitting at 212% , and another 122% growth is forecast for 2022.

With 23,000 customers, their bigger clients include Cue, Veronica Maine,

Anaita Sarkar and Vik Dave.

Beginning Boutique, Apero Label, Ripcurl, ZaneRobe, Lush Cosmetics, Piping Hot, Moana Bikini and Wests Tigers.

Experts in the space Not only are the Founders of Hero Packaging composting ambassadors, they’re also simply good at business.

With more than 20 years of experience in the ecommerce industry, Anaita and Vik are experts in this space and know what works and what doesn’t.

Vik has worked in sales, marketing and ecommerce his entire working life.

From starting in door-to-door sales through to the Head of ecommerce of one of the largest online retailers in Australia, where he increased sales by two and a half times in his five-year period there.

Vik has been involved in every aspect of sales and marketing from both a faceto-face perspective and online. If there’s

something you want to know about marketing or ecommerce - ask Vik. Anaita’s path to ecommerce guru was a bit different. Growing up in a family that owned a small business, Anaita began her working career behind the reception desk and she therefore fully understands the challenges small businesses face on a daily basis.

After studying a Bachelor of Commerce, specialising in Accounting, Anaita soon realised the accounting industry wasn’t for her and moved into media.

Within her first year she was promoted twice and began presenting at meetings whilst a junior, which at the time was not standard practice.

In 2013 Anaita began guest lecturing marketing subjects at Macquarie University and while pregnant with her second child, Anaita started her first ecommerce business Olivia & Co (now exited). Anaita is also author of the digital marketing book Sell Anything Online.

Workers who may have missed payments ANY workers living in the Western Sydney region and who sustained a workplace injury between October 2012 and October 2019 may have missed out on important payments.

The State Workers Compensation manager icare has encouraged more than 35,000 workers from the Western Sydney to have their past compensation payments reassessed to ensure they have received the correct entitlements.

A review of weekly payments between 2012 and 2019 has revealed NSW workers injured at work should come

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WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

forward to see if they are owed money on their workers compensation payments.

A spokesman said identified workers would have received a letter from icare outlining the reassessment process for a review within the below council areas: • City of Parramatta.

• Blacktown City Council.

• Cumberland City Council.

• Lithgow City Council.

• Blue Mountains City Council.

• Penrith City Council.

A review of historic payments has indicated earnings information used to determine weekly compensation payments was in some cases not provided to the insurer at the time.

A review of historic payments has indicated earnings information used to determine weekly compensation payments was in some cases not provided to the insurer at the time.

For more information visit www.icare.nsw.gov.au/assessment or call 02 6714 8003.

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PROPERTY SHOWCASE WESTERN SYDNEY

Published in Western Sydney Business Access | Parramatta Times | Blacktown News | www.westernpropertyguide.com.au

Blacktown tops investment buying  INVESTMENT | DALLAS SHERRINGHAM LACKTOWN local government area has surprisingly been rated the best region for investors buying houses and units in the Greater Sydney Region.

A leading real estate internet sales site placed the houses in the Blacktown LGA top of the tree in a recent survey of the 50 most popular investment property regions.

In 2021, a total of 482 investment houses have sold in the 2148 postcode representing a 10-year growth rate in median house prices of 109%.

The rental yield was 2.9% this year and the rental demand annual growth averaged 3.3% over the 10-year period.

The Kellyville region covering the 2158 postcode was fourth on the list with 413 investment houses purchased, representing an annual growth rate over the 10-year period of 111.4%.

Penrith and Liverpool were close behind placing sixth and seventh in the number of sales.

In Penrith, units were the most popular type of investor property with 333 sold this year, representing a growth rate of 94.3%.

Liverpool units were the most popular investment properties in the 2170 postcode area with a 65% increase over the period and 302 sales this year.

Blacktown units also featured in the top 10 list of suburbs attracting investors with 250 sales in 2021, a 10-year increase of 79.5%.

Riverstone 239 house sales, Harrington Park 235, Cranebrook 225 and St Clair 231 were all in the top 15 and rose in value between 101% and 105% over the decade.

At the other end of the scale, Kingswood, North Richmond and Cabramatta were 45th, 47th and 48th and were less popular with investors. Moorebank was 50th with 118 house sales.

However, it had a 98% growth rate over the period which means it is still a very sold area for investing.

Leading real estate agent John McGrath said:” We’ve never had a year quite like this one’.

“Investor activity has been increasing every month since the start of 2021, while first home buying began declining in February and continued to do so for three consecutive months,” Mr McGrath said in the Real Estate Conversation.

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Activity dropping off a bit “In January, investor loans represented 23% of the total loans market–a record low.

They have since gone up to 28%. This is below the long-term average since 2002 of 36%.

“Conversely, first home buyer loans in January represented 25% of the market and this has now gone down to 21%. This is still above the long-term average of 16%, so activity might be dropping off a bit but it still remains high.

“This is great news for sellers of sub$1.5m houses and units. Any lost demand from first home buyers is being more than offset by new activity from investors and this will keep prices growing for now.”

Mr McGrath said this was important because the unit market was most at risk of feeling the effects of negative population growth if demand from local first home buyers and investors ran out before the interna-

“

Blacktown units featured in the top 10 list of suburbs attracting investors with 250 sales in 2021, a 10-year increase of 79.5%.” tional border opens. He said was expected by the Federal Government in mid-2022.

“Although the COVID boom has been going since last year, investors are only now getting in on the action. They’ve sat on the sidelines mainly due to the rental moratoriums and uncertainty. No one wants to make

big financial decisions when their job might be at risk.“ “However, the general economic outlook for the country is much better now, despite what is happening in Sydney with the Delta variant now. Most investors now know whether they have job security or not, so the path has been cleared to invest if they can.

“The investment landscape looks great,” he said.

Australian home values lifted 12.4% across the combined capital cities in FY21, and a remarkable 17.7% across the combined regions.

The average national weekly rent went up 6.6% in FY21 according to CoreLogic, which was the fastest pace since 2009.

Growth was best in the regions at 11.3% vs 5% in the capitals.

Sources: McGrath RE report, www.realestate.com.au

Demand for buyer’s agents soars Jacque Parker.

 BUYING | PIA LENARDUZZI HE COVID lockdown may have crippled bujsinesses in Western Sydney, but local buyer’s agents say they have never been busier, with demand for their services increasing throughout the pandemic.

Latest data from CoreLogic shows that property values rose by 1.5% for the month of August. This rise was higher than average, but the slowest monthly rise since January.

“Lockdowns are having a clear impact on consumer sentiment, however to date the restrictions have resulted in falling advertised listings and, to a lesser extent, fewer home sales, with less impact on price growth momentum,” CoreLogic’s Research Director, Tim Lawless said.

T 10

“It’s likely the ongoing shortage of properties available for purchase is central to the upwards pressure on housing.”

Jacque Parker, Director of House Search Australia, said buyer’s agents are making it easier for prospective buyers in COVID hotspots to secure homes in a market where stock is limited.

“This latest lockdown hasn’t had a huge impact on the market, given there is still strong demand,” Ms Parker said.

“Not as many vendors are listing, which is the biggest change that we’ve noticed.

“We are definitely giving our clients the edge, particularly those that live in local government areas (LGA) of concern, where their movement is limited.

“We can get out and inspect a property on their behalf, which is saving them a lot of time and helping them secure their home

off-market or at online auctions.”

According to Domain, Sydney auction clearance rates in August remained above 80%, compared to 61% this time last year.

“In Western Sydney, particularly the Hills District, a free-standing house with decent land size is still important to buyers, as well good school catchment areas and proximity to transport,” Ms Parker said.

“There are still opportunities for first home buyers to get into the market, but for free standing houses under the $1million mark, we’re seeing people searching further afield out of Sydney and considering other areas, including the Blue Mountains and Central Coast.”

Pia Lenarduzzi is studying Media and International Studies at UNSW and holds a Certificate of Registration in Real Estate. Linkedin: Pia Lenarduzzi

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What businesses are doing to survive or service. This could be the case but true innovation moves beyond new products or services.

Ideo – the global design and innovation firm defines innovation simply as: “The ability to generate and execute new ideas”.

And therein lies a definition and a lesson for all of us.

Innovation can result in the launch of something new but new ideas that are successfully executed also classify as innovation.

 LOCKDOWN | DALE KHOURY S I write this article, I am well aware of the hardships faced by many individuals, families and businesses as Greater Sydney moves towards its ninth week of lockdown.

In many parts of our great State, employees have been stood down and businesses mothballed as owners come to terms with the challenges of running a business in the face of COVID-induced uncertainty.

The 2020 lockdown, in some ways proved to be the curtain raiser for this more extensive, harder lockdown.

But, if there are any silver linings to look for, the fact that businesses were forced to become more agile and more focussed in the first lockdown can surely count as one.

In the segment of the market that I focus on (mid-market businesses across Sydney and Greater Western Sydney) I have seen a number of businesses deploy differing strategies and tactics to see them through these economic challenges.

Businesses in 2020 were focussed on employee wellbeing and safety, cash flow forecasting and negotiating with key stakeholders – landlords, suppliers and funders.

We also saw a radical increase of board involvement in business decisions – both to (probably) support CEOs navigate the uncharted waters, but also a measure of stronger corporate governance.

This lockdown is different. The financial pressures are exacerbated given there is no JobKeeper-like package (although smaller State and Federal packages are available to individuals and businesses) and the Delta infection rate remains stubbornly high despite very limited community interaction.

A

But, on the other side of the ledger there is a sense of familiarity about what lockdown means, how it feels and what we can expect from the economy when we emerge.

The rapid rebounding of many parts of the Australian economy after the pandemic’s first wave has given businesses and business owners hope and to some extent, confidence that while times are tough now, the Australian economy is resilient, and things will get better. It is for this reason that many business leaders are looking over the parapet and investing in innovation.

There is a renewed focus on post-pandemic business strength. This more often than not is manifesting in doing things better – or innovation.

I recently gave a lecture to the MBA students at the Macquarie Graduate School of Management. This is something I have now done for a few years, and every year, the topic of innovation is raised – probably because it is such a well-known, but poorly understood concept.

Many people believe innovation necessitates the launch of a new product

Putting the customer first Businesses can innovate almost any aspect of their business or operating model.

Think process innovation, price innovation, brand innovation – and the list goes on.

Through the challenges of the pandemic, I have been fortunate enough to both see clients innovate and help them design and implement innovations.

Recently, I have spent a lot of time working with the CEO and Executive Team at the Rawson Group (the business that builds Rawson and Thrive Homes).

“Building better, together” is the Rawson Group’s promise to the market and to deliver on this promise, the Rawson Group has innovated and continues to innovate across many aspects of its business.

As with many large organisations that deal with multiple stakeholders across their value chains, Rawson Group identified several innovation opportunities to enhance customer excellence.

By putting the customer at the centre of their business, the Group CEO and Executive Team identified a need to streamline

the customer journey, reduce manual and internal processes and provide certainty and clarity of hand-off points to different teams.

Fundamentally, these innovations were aimed at reducing complexity – and with that, increasing customer NPS and reducing cost to operate.

Is it working – early results are promising. Doug Phillips (Rawson’s General Manager for Sales & Marketing) says year to date sales are ahead of budget, double those of the prior year – and the organisation is winning market share too.

There are many case studies like that of the Rawson Group. If I look across the projects I have delivered over the years, here are the key takeaways: • Organisational alignment greatly enhances the probability of successful innovation. But it should start at the top • There is value to be had by starting small – identify complex or convoluted processes and start from there. Bank the wins along the journey • Leverage existing, or consider investing in technology to drive efficiency and scale. Break the nexus between revenue growth and headcount growth • There are always innovation (or continuous improvement) opportunities – truly innovative companies consider innovation to be part of BAU Dale Khoury is a partner at KPMG and leads its mid-market advisory practice in Parramatta.

Dale’s areas of expertise are in strategy development and implementation, operational improvement, finance optimisation and governance. E: dkhoury@kpmg.com.au

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AUGUST 2021 Edition 124

ISSUE 13 | August 2021 | www.parramattatimes.com.au

BUSINESS | LIFESTYLE

T I M E S

HEROS

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Voice of Australia’s most progressive city

Issue 5 | August 2021

Blacktown's LOCAL media voice

Women need more refuges

OLYMPIC

AL LOC NEW

LOCAL ARTIST

THIS EDITION

GOES NATIONAL

Local hero: Rosemary Kariuki.

Married 54 years, they spent their last minutes together: 5

Lockdown: we are here to help. Michelle Rowland: 15

Bianca among team of three to collaborate on BWS rebrand

THIS EDITION

Penrith’s whitewater chamopion, Jessica Fox in action.

Tribute to Western Sydney’s Tokyo Oympics top achievers

P

ENRITH’S whitewater champion Jessica Fox was the pick of Western Sydney’s athletic achievement achievements at the Tokyo Olympics. Jessica, who was born into Olympic royalty, added the elusive Gold Medal to her long list of

achievements in her final event, the C1 canoe slalom. Jessica’s teammate at Whitewater Club Lucien Delfour finished eighth in his first Olympic final in the men’s k1 after recording a disappointing 17th at Rio 2016.

See inside.

INNER WEST LOCAL BUSINESS AWARDS SPECIAL FEATURE

Seek peace in

YOUR HEART

Penthouse living at Epping: 19

P

ARRAMATTA'S Local Hero of the Year, Rosemary Kariuki has urged men and women to “always seek peace in your heart” and called on governments to open more refuges for women, girls and children, escaping domestic violence. Speaking recently before a large audience at Granville Community Centre for the screening of Rosemary’s Way, a documentary film recounting how she gave hope to migrant women hurt and abused by their husbands or partners, Ms Kariuki said women in violent relationships should “walk away and just don’t come back.” Full story page 11.

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toE 2022, 2 3Postponed SEPTEMB R 2021 due to COVID restrictrions.

C L U B P A R R A M AT TA Refer to website for details.

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Jessica lives up to her potential. Exclusive interview with Olympics star: 27

B

WS has unveiled new outfits for its 9000 store team members nationally after collaborating with three Australian designers. Team members will get to choose which artist’s designs to adorn their t-shirts as part of a wider revamp of BWS work wardrobes.

“We want our team members to feel empowered and wear clothes that reflect their personality and style,” said BWS Managing Director Scott Davidson about the new initiative.

Blacktown artist and designer Bianca Beers is an independent artist and designer specialising in digital illustration and was chosen as one of the three designers for the collaboration.

More page 5.

Kate's coffee invention proves a winner: 13

How to avoid the COVID kgs: 15

ParramattA T I M E S

Blacktown City blacktown.nsw.gov.au

Blacktown

Snapshot

395,000 population

$

18.81 billion regional economy

4.6%

average economic growth

24,990 registered businesses

143,259 local jobs

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Contact us today for a conversation about your success plans: graham@accessnews.com.au

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BREED AUSTRALIA

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On the road to transformation  SMES | MADELEINE MARTIN ESTERN Sydney based BREED Australia Inc, a long established and experienced not for profit that has traditional focused on empowering small businesses and their communities, is on a transformational journey through an upcoming brand relaunch and new strategic plan.

As part of its evolution, the brand that has helped hundreds of small businesses through its BREED Business Centre at Quakers Hill, has identified a purpose driven collaboration ecosystem that will help Australian communities navigate the new world emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Emmanuel Martin, BREED’s General Manager, who is heading the transformational strategy, believes the organisation needs to build meaningful partnerships with local government, tertiary education providers and schools, business chambers and networking groups while also linking with non-government organisations that are focused on social impact.

“We believe that education and continuous learning is a key driver to build resilience and knowledge in our communities and BREED Australia has identified key players in order to facilitate our mission and goals”, he said.

“We are very keen to partner with institutions such TAFE NSW to launch new business incubator models at co-working spaces in the future”, he added.

Dr George Verghese, Head of Skills- Design and Creative Ideation at TAFE NSW, created the Co-F.A.B Lab, a collaborative venture with other skills teams aimed at exploring innovative education models that

W

Trevor Oldfield.

BREED leadership team from L to R: Nathan Burbridge (chairperson), Yasmine Shah (independent director) and Emmanuel Martin (general manager).

utilise Fabrication and Business ideas. He believes that there is immense potential in partnering with BREED Australia.

“A future collaboration between TAFE NSW and BREED Australia offers a unique and powerful synergy of two dynamic organisations that are driven to serve communities. TAFE NSW builds on its values of customer first, integrity, excellence and collaboration, whilst BREED Australia grounds its co-working Incubator practice on the objective to empower people, build creative and smart communities that enable long term social impact,” he said.

BREED Australia’s chairperson, Nathan Burbridge believes that the brand’s capacity to create tangible large scale social impact is also tied in with the right ecosystem.

“As a board, we are very passionate about supporting small businesses and enabling BREED Australia to deliver on its core purpose of youth education and employment as described in its constitution.” he said.

While looking forward to the future, Mr Martin’s immediate priority is to help its small business tenants at the BREED Business Centre navigate through the pain of the current lockdown.

“Our main priority is to ensure that small business based at our shared office space are able to cope through this difficult period so that they can live to fight another day,” he said.

“As a charity, our mission is to go above and beyond and help them in an ethical and empathetic manner so that they go on to build their businesses and livelihoods.”

While BREED Australia intends to partner with organisations such as TAFE NSW, Mr Martin also believes strong partnerships with business chambers and local networking groups is essential for its success.

The organisation recently joined the Greater Blacktown Business Chamber as a Gold Member, but at the same time providing virtual offices solutions for the Chamber.

Mr Trevor Oldfield, president of the Greater Blacktown Business Chamber was very hopeful that the partnership brings strong benefits to its members.

“Greater Blacktown Business Chamber is delighted to welcome BREED Australia as a Gold Member and we look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration that will result in several benefits to our community,”, he said.

Madeleine Jenson is Administration Manager at BREED Australia. Visit www. breedaustralia.com.au

DON’T LOOK EAST WHEN YOU CAN FIND IT ALL HERE Whatever business you’re in, Penrith has what you need.

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Celebrate: 2021 Parramatta Local Business Awards SPECIAL FEATURE INSIDE

SUPPORT LOCAL

Parramatta’s best local businesses celebrate success in one of the most challenging years in recent memory.

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

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We Carry Your Weight Flash Line Transport is a privately-owned full temperature controlled, Refrigerated and Ambient transport company operating since early 2010.

Our network runs every day across the entire Sydney, Newcastle and the South coast areas and extends our services to ACT and VIC. We are immensely proud to hold ISO 22000 & NSW Food Authority License.

We specialise to cater for all forms of temperature sensitive and regulated food and ambient products using our own growing fleet. Being a 24/7 service provider, we are always ready to render prompt and safe deliveries and meet our customers’ expectations.

Moreover, our fleet is closely monitored and tracked at any instant with the assistance of state-of-the-art Satellite GPS to assure our runs are always meeting ETA’s with back up trucks ready to go. We always utilise the logbooks and implement procedures to ensure that our trucks are in excellent condition to deliver.

Contact details: 1300 352 745 / www. flashline.com.au Quality services We are committed to provide our customers with dependable and safe transport services.

To meet our goal, we offer following services: Transport temperature-sensitive food & Ambient food products Door-to-Door Service (Home & Office Delivery) Multi-drops Deliveries DC Deliveries Refrigerated same day Direct Courier.

Warehouse Facility for Chiller & Dry goods storage (3PL)

Company’s vision

We are logistic partners with Major Supermarket - DC/Stores & Online Chains Fresh Food / Grocery Suppliers Fast Food chains Aged Care Facilities School Canteens Airlines Organic Produce Suppliers Food Eatery (Restaurant, Pubs, hotels and many more) Independent Grocery Stores

Our vision is to operate as a disciplined and determined company in the transport sector, directing towards the improvement of rapid and efficient service to surpass customers’ expectations at an affordable price.

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2020 2019

2021 2019

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

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PARRAMATTA LOCAL BUSINESS AWARDS

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Last year’s gala event.

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WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

PARRAMATTA LOCAL BUSINESS AWARDS

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Last year’s gala event.

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

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PARRAMATTA LOCAL BUSINESS AWARDS

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INDIAN MULTI CUISINE RESTAURANT DOSA HUT HARRIS PARK 2019

WINNER IN 2019 AND FINALIST IN 2020

Dosa Hut Harris Park 69, Wigram Street, Harris Park, NSW Australia 2150 0450114175 22

2021 2019

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

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2021 2019

BIG FIRM CAPABILITY SMALL FIRM PERSONALITY Sharon Hewitt, an accountant with over 20 years’ experience, has been a partner of Robert Bates & Co since 2010.

Having been mentored throughout her career by Robert Bates, she continues the tradition of providing quality accounting and taxation services to our long term client base of small and medium businesses together with individuals’ taxation requirements.

Sharon is a Registered Self Managed Superannuation Fund Auditor and has become a specialist in the area. As an authorised representative of SMSF Advisers Network Pty Ltd she is licenced to provide limited financial advice to SMSF’s.

The team at Robert Bates & Co work together with small businesses to achieve their goals and identify and reduce their pain points. We offer a comprehensive suite of business services for all our clients in many different industries. Whilst the team work hard they do adopt a work life balance so they can spend time with their families and beloved pets.

02 9891 9388 • www.rbcaccountants.com.au WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

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Driven to exceed client expectations, the reputable sales and property management teams at McGrath Parramatta Real Estate Agency continue to provide the market knowledge and commitment to deliver a comprehensive service tailored for each individual’s needs. They specialise in the sale and lease of properties for the entire region, offering a wealth of experience in the local market and backed by the strength of the McGrath network nationwide. Their clients will appreciate the attention to detail, as well as the superior standard of marketing resources that have been cleverly designed to leave a lasting impression.

fomparramatta@mcgrath.com.au • 02 9407 7800

Parramatta Medical and Dental centre Your local bulk billing medical centre offering quality medical care and family friendly GPs.

We offer a full range of medical and dental services with onsite pathology and comprehensive allied health services onsite like · Physiotherpist · Podiatrist · Chiropractor · Acupuncturist and Dietitian Lalitha Ashokkumar Parramatta Medical and Dental Centre 24

Shop 1 / 144 Marsden Street Parramatta NSW 2150

Phone (02) 8320 9300 mobile 0430961443

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

We teach we listen we Learn Get Set Grow Early Learning Centre Phone: 02 8377 3615 Address: Suite 1-4 Building A, 81-86 Courallie Avenue Homebush West 2140 Email: enquiry@getsetgrow.com.au Website: www.getsetgrow.com.au Facebook: facebook.com/GetSetGrowEarlyLearning/

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

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PARRAMATTA LOCAL BUSINESS AWARDS

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Parramatta Local Business Awards 2021 HONOUR ROLL - All FINALISTS Category Name

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Business Name

Automotive Services

Oldtimer Centre

Automotive Services

MJ Auto Repairs

Automotive Services

Ken Stokes Smash & Mechanical Repairs

Automotive Services

C & S Automotive Repairs

Automotive Services

Schmicko Mobile Car Detailing & Car Wash

Automotive Services

Carlingford Mechanical

Automotive Services

AutoCraze

Bakery/Cake Shop

Just Cakes

Bakery/Cake Shop

Sergio’s Cake Shop

Bakery/Cake Shop

Watch Your Fingers Patisserie

Bakery/Cake Shop

Profiterole Patisserie

Bakery/Cake Shop

Patisserie Avenue

Beauty Services

Browtique Sydney

Beauty Services

Body Sculpting Clinics

Beauty Services

Ywax

Beauty Services

Madina Rejuvenation Clinic

Beauty Services

The Body Space

Beauty Services

Dermaclear Clinic

Beauty Services

Nailed By LaRouge

Beauty Services

Indian Beauty Lounge

Beauty Services

Piafs of Parramatta

Beauty Services

CK Beauty in the Hills

Cafe

Two Chiefs

Cafe

Qube Kaffine & Kitchen

Cafe

Leaf Cafe & Co Wentworth Point

Cafe

Lab Kitchen - Marina Square Shopping Centre

Category Name Early Childhood Centre

Business Name Reggio Emilia Early Learning Centre Gladstone Street

Martial Arts Spirit Parramatta

Fitness Services

F45 - Sydney Olympic Park Ray’s Florist and Gifts

Early Childhood Centre

Munchkin Manor ELC

Florist

Dots Flower Shoppe

Early Childhood Centre

Mini Masterminds

Florist

Florist With Flowers - Carlingford Court

Early Childhood Centre

Little Angels Kindergarten - Rosehill

Florist

Petals By Us

Early Childhood Centre

Entrada Montessori Academy Child Care

Florist

Posy & Twine Florist

Education Service

TLH Training Group

Fresh Food

Oatlands Village Fresh Produce

Education Service

Sigma Science Education

Fresh Food

Steve’s Fine Meats

Education Service

City Driving School

Fresh Food

MD Meat Parramatta

Education Service

Brilliant Learning Solutions

Fresh Food

SSS Foods

Education Service

OZ Star Driving School

Fresh Food

Webster’s Gourmet Meat Kitchen

Education Service

Soccajoeys Homebush

Fresh Food

Rossi’s Fresh Grocer

Education Service

Mukhi Driving School

Hairdresser

3 Sis Hair and Beauty

Education Service

NEXCO Consultants

Hairdresser

Education Service

Adept Training

Belcastro Hair - Northmead Shopping Plaza

Education Service

Aquatics Down Under Swim School -

Hairdresser

Michaels Hair and Beauty

Hairdresser

Lizzie Liros Hair

Hairdresser

Cheveux by Anthony Anjoul

Hairdresser

Hair Icon Salon - Marina Square Shopping Centre

Hairdresser

STUDIO Parramatta

Hairdresser

Carlo’s Hair Tech

Hairdresser

Westmead Hair Salon

Hairdresser

Hair by Phd Parramatta

Hairdresser

Karin Murton Hair Design

North Rocks Shopping Centre Education Service

Milestones Early Learning Centre

Education Service

EnglishWise

Education Service

HnH Accredited Training

Education Service

Skilled Studies

Entertainment / Recreation Business

Event Cinemas Parramatta

Entertainment / Recreation Business

Code Red Laser

Entertainment / Recreation Business

Circus Arts

Health Improvement Services

Full Face Orthodontics

Entertainment / Recreation Business

Ultimate Family Entertainment Centre

Health Improvement Services

No Gaps Dental - Dentist Parramatta

Labyrinth Escape Rooms

Health Improvement Services

Dental Avenue - Parramatta

Health Improvement Services

Argyle Street Family Dentist - Westfield Parramatta

Health Improvement Services

Speechify

Health Improvement Services

Kool KATTS

Health Improvement Services

Saltuary - Marina Square Shopping Centre

Health Improvement Services

Harbourside Medical Centre - Marina Square Shopping Centre

Health Improvement Services

Head 2 Toe Kids & Family Health

Health Improvement Services

Teachers Health Centre

The Shed Cafe Parramatta

Cafe

Chambers Fine Coffee - Parramatta

Entertainment / Recreation Business

Cafe

Courtyard Dining & Espresso

Fast Food/Takeaway

Fishbowl Newington

Cafe

XS Espresso - North Parramatta

Fast Food/Takeaway

Ace’s Seafood

Early Childhood Centre

Clovel Childcare & Early Learning Centre - Granville

Fast Food/Takeaway

Crust Gourmet Pizza - Parramatta

Fast Food/Takeaway

BL Burgers Parramatta

Early Childhood Centre

Woodstock Child Care - Olympic Park

Fast Food/Takeaway

Chatime - Westfield Parramatta

Early Childhood Centre

Little Zaks Academy Sydney Olympic Park

Fast Food/Takeaway

Eatdustry Thai Cafe

Fast Food/Takeaway

Romano’s Pizza

Fast Food/Takeaway

North Rocks Gourmet Pizza

Fast Food/Takeaway

Sopranos Gourmet Pizza

Fast Food/Takeaway

Carlingford Gourmet Pizza

Fitness Services

Snap Fitness Olympic Park

Fitness Services

Rush Hour Australia - North Parramatta

Bountiful Early Childhood Education Centre

Fitness Services Florist

Cafe

Early Childhood Centre

Kicks After School

Tiny Scholars Childcare and Preschool

Double Mac

Goodstart Parramatta

Fitness Services

Early Childhood Centre

Cafe

Early Childhood Centre

Fernwood Parramatta

North Parramatta Montessori Academy Child Care

Soul Bowl Parramatta

Woodstock Early Learning Centre

Xtend Barre - Parramatta

Fitness Services

Early Childhood Centre

Cafe

Early Childhood Centre

Fitness Services

Reggio Emilia Early Learning Centre Gladstone Street

The Smelly Cheesecake - Marina Square Shopping Centre

Whiz Kidz Early Learning Centre and Preschool

Business Name

Early Childhood Centre

Cafe

Early Childhood Centre

Category Name

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

PARRAMATTA LOCAL BUSINESS AWARDS Category Name

Business Name

Health Improvement Services

Painfree Dentistry

Health Improvement Services

Family Orthodontics

Health Improvement Services

Northmead Dental

Jewellery/Gift Shop

Nader Jewellers - Westfield Parramatta

Jewellery/Gift Shop

Category Name

Business Name

Restaurant

Grill’d

Restaurant

Armani Restaurant

Restaurant

Alpha Sushi

Restaurant

Punjabi Fusion Lounge Bar & Restaurant

Restaurant

Dosa Hut - Harris Park

Restaurant

Ginger Indian Restaurant

Angus & Coote - Westfield Parramatta

Restaurant

Vulcano Pizzeria & Restaurant

Jewellery/Gift Shop

Pandora - Westfield Parramatta

Service & Trade

Sydney Heaters & Pizza Ovens

Jewellery/Gift Shop

Swarovski - Westfield Parramatta

Service & Trade

Transom Scaffolding

Jewellery/Gift Shop

Midas Jewellers

Service & Trade

EK Trade

Most Inclusive Employer

Vasco’s Charcoal Chicken

Service & Trade

Hire A Hubby Parramatta

Most Inclusive Employer

Quest Hotel Sydney Olympic Park

Service & Trade

Elite Waterproofing

Most Inclusive Employer

Vision In White Bridal Boutique

Service & Trade

i-Kleen Cleaning Concepts

New Business

Jaypec

Service & Trade

VIP Painting and Decorating Services

New Business

Jus Ask Jack

Service & Trade

Pacific Building Management Group

New Business

Nutrition 2 go

Sole Operator

Sydney Side Distributions

New Business

Smart Phonez

Sole Operator

Roadtrainer Driving School

New Business

Blue Door Conveyancing

Sole Operator

Natural Soy Candles By Noor

New Business

Easytel Australia

Specialised Business

Snapix Studio

Pet Care

Groom 2 Grow

Specialised Business

Golden Pig & Co

Pet Care

Parramatta Veterinary Hospital

Specialised Business

Shelly Swimming School

Pet Care

The Cottage Animal Hospital

Specialised Business

Fullers Mobile Cranes

Pet Care

Dundas Veterinary Hospital

Specialised Business

Mark’s Onroad Driving School

Pet Care

Ermington Veterinary Surgery

Specialised Business

Apex Executive Interiors

Pharmacy

Carmen Drive Community Pharmacy

Specialised Business

Armani Gallery - Parramatta

Pharmacy

Chemist Warehouse - Parramatta

Specialised Business

Perfect Strata Maintenance

Pharmacy

Pharmacy Junction - Westfield Parramatta

Specialised Business

Murs De Fleurs Events

Pharmacy

Emma Crescent Pharmacy

Specialised Business

The Limousine Line

Pharmacy

Priceline Pharmacy - Marina Square Shopping Centre

Specialised Business

Bertonia Lounge

Specialised Business

Coulter Swimming Northmead

Pharmacy

John’s Max Value Pharmacy Guildford

Specialised Retail Business

Banjos Bead House

Professional Services

TLH Group

Specialised Retail Business

Peter Wynn’s Score

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Mind My Marketing

Specialised Retail Business

Forcast - Westfield Parramatta

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McCarthy Salkeld Chartered Accountants

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Skycomp

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T & R Accountants

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McAuley Hawach Lawyers

Supercharged News - Marina Square Shopping Centre

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Legal One Services

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Zetciti - Marina Square Shopping Centre

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EK Recruitment

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The Wicker Man

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Genesis Legal Partners

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Lilys Attic

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New Motion Studio

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Box Advisory Services

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Kalpaxis Legal

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CPA Partners

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Savvient Technologies

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Strictly Conveyancing

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Visualize Group

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Century 21 Western Real Estate

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Laing + Simmons - Parramatta

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Restaurant

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Enzo’s Cucina - Northmead Shopping Plaza

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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 8865 6117 or pwakim@kpmg.com.au

Lowest unemployment figures for 13 years BUT they disguise a country divide  JODIE PATRON HE latest ABS jobs data shows state variations, driven by the latest COVID-19 lockdowns which have again divided the economy.

This month: There were 36,000 fewer people employed in NSW (the only state to have fewer people employed currently compared to pre-pandemic March 2020); in contrast, there were 16,000 more people employed in Victoria, 11,000 more employed in SA and 6,000 more employed in WA. Across the nation, there were 22,000 more males were employed, while there were 19,000 fewer females employed.

Today’s data suggests that the national labour market as a whole remains fairly strong. The unemployment rate fell further, sitting at 4.6 percent, the lowest it has been for 13 years.

Employment saw another increase, with 2,200 more people in a job compared to last month and the proportion of the population employed remaining close to its June high of 63 percent (dropping slightly to 62.9 percent).

But, scratching the surface shows this positive headline isn’t all it seems, and isn’t uniform across the economy. While overall employment remained strong, the number of people in the labour market fell, which accounted for most of the fall in unemployment. Notwithstanding this fall, the overall national participation rate is still sitting at a relatively strong 66 percent.

Hours worked were the key problem however, with NSW the problem area. The Sydney lockdown in July saw total hours worked across the Nation fall further, by 3.1 million hours. NSW hours fell by 7 percent or 40.5 million hours – offsetting the gain in hours across the rest of Australia.

In NSW, over July, more than 600,000 people indicated that they worked fewer hours than usual as a result of ‘No work, not enough work available, stood down, or for other reasons not related to leave or bad weather’. There were also an additional 90,000 people on leave compared to July last year.

Victoria, by contrast, was a bright spot.

Following the significant fall (1.8 percent or 39.6 million) in hours worked in June

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as a result of the Victorian lockdown, July’s rebound saw hours worked in Victoria more than recovering from its June slide.

There were more than 270,000 less people indicating that they worked fewer hours than usual as a result of ‘No work, not enough work available, stood down, or for other reasons not related to leave or bad weather’ in Victoria in July compared to June. There were also 24,000 less people on leave compared to July last year.

Underemployment was again a problem, deteriorating in July, reaching 8.3 percent, reflecting the fall in hours worked and the effects of the lockdowns.

Again, NSW was the problem area, with its underemployment figure rising to 9.3 percent, overshadowing the improvement

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

in Victoria, where underemployment fell from 10.1 percent to 8.2 percent.

WA and Tasmania were the only other two states that saw an improvement in underemployment over the month.

Overall, there were 646,000 people in Australia who worked fewer hours than normal in July because they had no work or not enough work – 126,000 more than in June. There were also around 190,000 more people on leave compared to July last year.

In conclusion, while we saw a strengthening economy in the June labour market data, the July data shows how quickly this can reverse when lockdowns are implemented across the nation.

The impacts of the more stringent lockdowns across Sydney, and the new

lockdowns across the broader NSW state, and in many of the other states and territories, will come through in next month’s data release.

Yet there is still some positive context.

Even with these ups and downs detailed in today’s figures, the Australian economy shows remarkable resilience in the face of challenges posed by lockdowns.

Despite lockdowns in our largest state, hours worked in July 2021 remained above Australia’s pre-pandemic figure in March 2020.

First published on KPMG Newsroom by Jodie Patron, Senior Economist, KPMG Australia on 19 August 2021.

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FAMILY BUSINESS

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Recession avoided as GDP takes a surprise upswing, but next quarter looks bleak  DR BRENDAN RYNNE HE Australian economy continues to surprise on the upside, with GDP growth in the June quarter recording 0.7 percent – marginally higher than both KPMG estimates and market expectations.

A technical recession has been avoided, although the next quarter looks bleak, and the anticipated December quarter recovery is very dependent on the speed of lockdowns ending.

Household consumption (+$3.0 bn) and government spending ($1.3 bn) were the heroes of the June quarter, with these two categories alone driving more than half of the 1.7 percent uplift in domestic demand for the 3 months to June 2021.

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Household consumption was boosted by strong income growth, especially for private sector employees, with people spending more and saving proportionately less than in the previous quarter. Current dollar compensation of employees in the private sector rose 1.5 percent compared to 0.7 percent for public sector workers – although over the year public sector workers saw their incomes grow by 4.5 percent compared to 2.9 percent for private sector employees.

On trade, exports fell by 2.3 percent and imports increased by 1.5 percent. Net exports came in at around $5bn, a marked change on the March figures where net exports totalled $10bn.

The June quarter data also allows a fuller picture of which industries performed the strongest over FY21 and which

ones struggled. The sectors recording the strongest annual growth in industry gross value added were Agriculture (32 percent), Road Transport (8 percent), Forestry and Fishing (7 percent), Metal products (7 percent), Wholesale trade (7 percent), Healthcare (6 percent) and Retail Trade (6 percent). Agriculture benefitted from about a 16 percent in rural commodity prices over the year.

Changes in consumer behaviour and spending patterns due to COVID-induced lockdowns explain much of the growth around road transport, wholesale and retail trade and healthcare expenditures; while the growth in forestry and metal products can be ascribed to brought forward construction activity, associated with the HomeBuilder and Instant Asset Write-Off stimulus packages.

KPMG’s short-term economic outlook, however, is not so encouraging, with September quarter economic activity expected to decline in real terms by around -2.6 percent. The more positive news is that the December quarter should show resilience and bounce back – but this is highly dependent on the economy gradually reopening, given the increasing double vaccination rates.

Were this opening up of the economy not to occur, then the outlook would be less rosy. Economic growth in the December quarter could potentially be as much as onethird lower than KPMG’s current central case forecasts if restrictions are not eased in line with expected vaccination rates.

First published on KPMG Newsroom by Dr Brendan Rynne, Chief Economist, KPMG Australia on 1 September, 2021

A more pragmatic board room approach

 GORDON ARCHIBALD RGANISATOPNS across the world have made strides in remote working and collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the proliferation of digitisation is creating significant new cyber threats that require radical cultural change at boardroom level.

In the Australian market, where speed is critical and regulatory and legislative requirements are increasing, cyber security teams play a critical role.

Cyber security teams are responsible for building trust, resilience and forging a pragmatic security culture and helping embed secure by design thinking into every aspect of digital infrastructure and data. To do this, they must be enablers and facilitators, helping others deliver services and brands that deserve cyber trust amongst customers, employees and society at large.

A new KPMG report, From enforcer to influencer: Shaping tomorrow’s security team calls on business leaders to ensure cyber security specialists are part of the C-suite decision making process, ensuring digitisation at the heart of their future growth strategies.

Here are seven key recommendations:

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1. Act like you belong in the C-suite Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) must speak their language, building consensus, demonstrating pragmatism and navigating politics to help leaders understand the cyber implications of their strategic choices.

CISOs are becoming public figures, serving as the face of the firm to help build trust and confidence.

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2. Broaden horizons CISOs’ responsibilities are broadening to include safeguarding data, dealing with disruptive events to maintain operational resilience, managing third parties, handling regulatory compliance, and helping to counter cyber enabled financial crime. This demands they forge strong working relationships with other leaders withing the organisation including the Chief Risk Officer (CRO), the Chief Data Officer (CDO) and, of course, the Chief Information Officer (CIO).

3. Weave cyber security into the organisational DNA Today’s CISOs should be sophisticated communicators, working with other business leaders to embed cyber security into the DNA of the organisation. This involves integrating security into governance and management processes, education and awareness, plus establishing the right mix of corporate and personal incentives to do the right thing.

4. Shape the future cyber security workforce CISOs will have to acquire capabilities from outside the organisation, build new partnerships and look for unconventional and diverse talent. In future, we may even see the cyber function becoming far smaller, taking on a strategic and governance role, with cyber security being truly embedded into the business.

repeatable way. It can also help embed security and improve the user experience, as well as reduce the time to respond to a major cyber incident

6. Brace for further disruption We are heading towards a hyperconnected world in which the IoT and 5G networking will massively increase efficiency and enable radically different business models. But this also opens organisations to new attack surfaces and raises privacy concerns — demanding a shift to new, data-centric security models such as zero trust.

7. Strengthen the cyber security ecosystem Organisations are now part of a complex ecosystem of suppliers and partners, tied together through shared data and shared services. Conventional contracts and liability models seem ill-suited to the rapidly evolving supply chain threat, calling for a new partnership approach that brings security to all parties and individuals.

CISOs must see themselves as enablers and facilitators, helping others deliver services and brands that deserve cyber trust among customers, employees and society at large. The digital world is part of everyone’s daily life; with the pandemic heightening its importance trust in the robustness and security of systems will make their role more visible and more important.

5. Embrace automation as the rising star Automation can reduce the manual workload and ease skills shortages, bringing in greater efficiency and helping meet growing compliance requirements in a consistent and

First published on KPMG Newsroom by Gordon Archibald, National Lead, Cyber Security Services, KPMG Australia on 12 August, 2021 WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

© 2021 KPMG, an Australian partnership. All rights reserved.

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

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AUTO

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Budget-minded Hyundai Kona Standard Range twins drop price, power and range  CALLUM HUNTER YUNDAI Motor Company Australia (HMCA) has doubled the size of its local Kona electric portfolio with the addition of two new ‘Standard Range’ variants to complement what are now known as the ‘Extended Range’ duo.

With prices now starting from $54,500 plus on-road costs for the Standard Range Elite and $58,000 for the Highlander, the Kona Electric’s entry price has come down $7500, making the range, as Hyundai puts it, “more accessible than ever”.

Consistent with the lower price and new nomenclature, headline figures of the Kona Electric Standard Range have been reduced compared to Extended Range variants, which were previously known as just Kona Electric.

Instead of the familiar 64kWh battery, 150kW/395Nm outputs and 484km claimed range, the Standard Range variants are powered by a 39.2kWh battery and a 100kW/395Nm electric motor, resulting in a reduced range of up to 305km, according to Hyundai.

As a bonus, HMCA has also reduced the pricing of Extended Range variants by $1500 for the Elite and $2000 for the Highlander to now start from $60,500 and $64,000 respectively.

HMCA chief executive officer Jun Heo said this is just one of the ways the brand is “leading Australia’s charge towards a greener transport future”.

“The new Kona Electric Standard Range gives customers zero-emissions electric motoring in an attractive, sporty and practical small SUV, and at more accessible price,” He said.

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Leadership for eco cars “It is Hyundai’s intention to establish leadership for eco cars in Australia. We already have the most diverse range of electrified vehicles including Kona Electric, NEXO our hydrogen-powered SUV, and the soon to launch game-changing Ioniq 5.”

While the Standard Range Konas may feature lesser mechanicals to their more expensive counterparts, no features have been omitted from the equipment list.

For the Elite grade, this means both the Standard and Extended Range versions come with 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, a 10.25-inch digital cockpit and infotainment system, eight-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system, wireless phone charging, satellite navigation, climate control, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and leather appointed upholstery, among other features.

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As before, the Highlander nameplate ups the ante with a head-up display, LED head- and tail-lights, glass sunroof, ambient lighting, heated and ventilated front seats with power adjustment, a heated steering wheel and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.

Standard safety tech on all Kona Electrics is accounted for by the SmartSense suite, comprising of blind-spot collision-avoidance assist, driver attention warning, forward collision-avoidance assist, lane following assist, lane-keeping assist, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, rear occupant alert, safe exit warning and adaptive cruise control.

HMCA launched its facelifted Kona Electric earlier this year and nudged the price up accordingly given the extra standard gear included and the 35km range improvement.

So far in 2021, the brand has sold 8858 Konas (petrol and EV) as of July 31, accounting for 11.5 per cent of the sub$40,000 compact SUV segment.

2022 Hyundai Kona Electric pricing* Standard Range Elite (a) $54,500 Standard Range Highlander (a) $58,000 Extended Range Elite (a) $60,500 Extended Range Highlander (a) $64,000 *Excludes on-road costs

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

AUTO

www.accessnews.com.au

All-new Mitsubishi Outlander arrives in November, PHEVs to follow early next year  CALLUM HUNTER ITSUBISHI Motors Australia Limited (MMAL) has announced the pricing and specification highlights of its new-generation Outlander SUV ahead of its local showroom arrival in November, bearing a starting price of $34,490 plus on-road costs.

Riding on a new platform, flaunting a radical new look and powered by a new engine, the MY22 Outlander will following its predecessor’s tyre tracks and be offered in both five- and seven-seat guises, each with the option of all-wheel drive.

Nine variants will be on offer to begin with before the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions touch down early next year.

The nine variants are spread across five trim levels, starting with the ES and stretching up to the flagship Exceed Tourer ($49,990), comprising two five-seaters, five AWDs and a septuplet of seven-seaters.

All-wheel-drive versions carry a $2500 premium over the two-wheel drives, with all variants sharing the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, developing 135kW/245Nm. Irrespective of the drive type, power is sent to the road via a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with eight pre-determined ratios on hand for when drivers want to take matters into their own hands via the paddle-shifters.

Fuel economy across the range varies from 7.5L/100km in the two-wheel-drive ES up to 8.1L/100km in the Exceed and Exceed Touring on the ADR cycle.

Riding on 18-inch alloy wheels as standard, the ES trim level comes with fabric upholstery, a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 7.0-inch TFT driver’s display, dual-zone climate control, five or six drive modes (FWD vs AWD), reversing camera, hill descent control, adaptive cruise control and an electric park brake with auto hold function.

Stepping up to the better-equipped LS adds silver bumper garnishes, rear prvacy glass, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, keyless entry, wireless phone charging, powered tailgate, auto-diming rearview mirror, automatic headlamps, LED fog lamps, rain sensing wipers and heated wing mirrors.

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Went several steps further Building on everything mentioned previously, the Aspire roll on 20-inch alloys and features Microsuede/synthetic leather upholstery, powered driver’s seat adjustment, heated front seats, a 12.3” digital instrument cluster, head-up display,

adaptive self-levelling headlights with and a 360-degree camera.

Towards the top of the tree, the Exceed goes several steps further with leather upholstery, memory function for both front seats, a panoramic sunroof, a Bose premium sound system, tri-zone climate control, integrated rear sun shades and colour-coded exterior front, side and rear lower garnishes.

The Exceed Tourer’s kit list reads much the same as the Exceed, but adds a two-tone exterior body colour, two-tone high-grade leather upholstery and massaging front seats.

Describing the new Outlander as “the best-equipped vehicle the company has

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

ever sold in Australia”, MMAL said it was “was crafted under the design language of ‘I-Fu-Do-Do’, which means ‘authentic and majestic’ in Japanese”.

“Mitsubishi’s all-new flagship boasts a newly developed platform and powertrain, bold and distinctive exterior styling and a refined and serene interior with high-end finishes and thoughtful engineering touches throughout,” a local spokesperson said.

“Outlander also features more standard driver connectivity and driver assistance features and a re-engineered, upgraded version of the brand’s signature Super Allwheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel drive system.”

In addition to the extra surety of the allwheel-drive system – on some variants – all Outlanders come with the latest suite of airbags and driver assist systems including driver attention alert, forward collision mitigation with cyclist detection and junction assist, blind spot warning with brake assist, emergency lane change alert with brake assist, trailer stability assist, lane departure warning and lane departure prevention with more features added at each trim level.

A few extra safety gismos are added to the mix on the LS, including rear automatic emergency braking and rear cross-traffic alert, which are also included as standard on the higher grades.

Despite being a bit long in the tooth now, the current Outlander has continued to find favour with new SUV buyers, accounting for 8.9 per cent of the sub$60,000 mid-sized segment with 8264 sales so far this year ending July 31.

2022 Mitsubishi Outlander pricing* ES 5-seater (a) $34,490 ES 5-seater AWD (a) $36,990 ES 7-seater (a) $35,490 LS 7-seater (a) $37,990 LS 7-seater AWD (a) $40,490 Aspire 7-seater (a) $41,490 Aspire 7-searer AWD (a) $43,990 Exceed 7-seater AWD (a) $47,990 Exceed Tourer 7-seater AWD (a) $49,990 *Excludes on-road pricing

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FILMS with Jacob Richardson

www.accessnews.com.au

Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings – 4 Stars A new phase for the Marvel Cinematic Universe is heralded by a fun new hero, a strong villain, an exciting film and a hell of a lot of cool action.

HAUN (Simu Liu) and Katy (Awkwafina) are valets in San Francisco, but their normal life is interrupted when Shaun is attacked on the bus by a group of assassins on the hunt for his pendant.

Katy is stunned to discover that Shaun is actually Shang-Chi, the son of Xu Wenwu (Tony Leung)–a 1000-year-old power broker, who runs a nefarious organisation with the help of ten magical rings that give him both immortality and unique powers.

Shang-Chi, trained to be an assassin by his father after his mother died when he was 7 years old, hasn’t seen his family in years after running away at age 14.

But the assassins arrival indicates that his father is on his path, and when he finds out he is also gunning for his sister Xialing (Meng’er Zhang), Shang-Chi and Katy travel to Asia to track her down and protect

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her–only to discover that Wenwu’s plans are much more dangerous and destructive than they ever thought.

As the first Marvel Cinematic Universe film with an Asian-American lead, Shang Chi is a really exciting piece of cinema that is well acted, serviced by the casting and the scripting. Simu Liu, who campaigned very publicly for the role, is magnetic as Shang-Chi, and solidly defines himself as an ‘above the marquee’ title star. Awkwafina is hilarious as Katy, and her performance (along with the strong script writing in her department).

Perhaps the most impressive performance on display though is in the villain department. Many of the MCU films have been criticised for middling antagonists, but Tony Leung, who is an incredibly wellknown thespian in Asia, tackles the role with

aplomb, creating a lasting legacy as the real Mandarin that is impressive and constantly engaging.

The script gives these actors plenty of moments to flesh out the actual emotionality of the story, and bring real pathos to some of the action scenes.

But it’s not all talk–Shang Chi also brings the action, in new and exciting ways when compared with the rest of the MCU ilk. There’s a hell of a lot of incredible kung-fu style action on display here, and it feels new and refreshing in a franchise that too often deals with CGI monsters fighting CGI heroes. It’s great to be able to see some exciting stunt work on display.

The visuals also complement the action.

The set decoration, the costuming, and even the CGI is fresh and vibrant, with a mix of exciting colours and patterns, as well as

some whimsical and amazing creatures. It’s a beautiful film to watch, and that sucks you into this world all the more.

Faults only appear in terms of the story and the structure. For a franchise that is moving towards the exciting possibilities offered by the multiverse, there are elements of this film that seem played out–there’s a lot of Thor’s DNA here for example. Then again, there’s something nice about the comfort of seeing a story we love told again well, and with diverse new faces.

Shang-Chi is a welcome big screen gem from Marvel, that will breed excitement for where the MCU goes post-Avengers.

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

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

FILMS with Jacob Richardson

www.accessnews.com.au

Joe Bell – 3 Stars A semi-biopic that tugs on the heartstrings, while not necessarily practicing what it preaches.

OE Bell (Mark Wahlberg) is walking across America–end destination; New York. Accompanying him seems to be his son Jadin Bell (Reid Miller), as he journeys across the country spreading an anti-bullying message at town halls, schools and AA meetings.

As the movie unfolds, however, we discover that Jadin took his own life. Joe’s walk of penance is murky in its reasoning, his wife Lola (Connie Britton) asking him the point of all of this and him being unable to explain what exactly he is trying to achieve.

The film, therefore, is an exploration of Joe’s own reckoning with his guilt, and his redemption.

Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, Joe Bell is short at 93 minutes and snappy–it never drags, and always holds your interest.

It’s also relatively compelling. Our emotions are adeptly pulled at and tugged on in all the right ways throughout the piece, to create a genuine connection with the story and the material.

Structurally, the piece intersperses two time periods rather than functioning linearly, which again adds an element of both pathos and intrigue, although outright surprise will be avoided by anyone who has seen the over-expositing trailer.

The issues with Joe Bell stem from the

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story itself, and indeed the title gives it away–as much as there is a tragedy in the death of Jadin, the story is fundamentally Joe’s story.

Which is counterintuitive to the extreme, given that the film itself has Wahlberg literally lament making Jadin’s story in his lifetime all about Joe, while simultaneously making his afterlife (and this film), all about Joe. Then again, the story necessitates this because the only thing uncommon about this tale is the walk across America from the title character. The fact is, suicide, bullying, and discrimination are all too common to make a feature film out of, and that lends this movie a distinct air of sadness that we need Joe to craft a story out of Jadin.

Nevertheless, this is a tight story told with feeling. It features a strong performance from Wahlberg, reminding us that he can act and not just run and shoot guns.

It also introduces us to Reid Miller, who is magnetic on screen.

Joe Bell does everything right in portraying grief on screen–it’s just a shame that focus is pulled from the tragedy.

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

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

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TRAVEL with Dallas Sherringham

www.accessnews.com.au

Regional Australia offers many popular travel options.

In love with our own backyard  DALLAS SHERRINGHAM NE positive aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the seismic shift in Australians rediscovering their own country.

A national survey has found NSW is a top 10 dream destination for an outdoor adventure and revealed locals want to spend time exploring their own backyard.

When overseas holidays disappeared literally overnight and cruise ships stopped running, Aussies took to the road in record numbers. Caravan and motorhome manufacturers struggled to meet demand and good second hand caravans were at a premium.

Now a Great Outdoors National Survey by Great Northern brewing has revealed 80% of NSW travellers have committed to keep up their camping and caravanning adventures even after international borders reopen.

More than half said they would like to spend more time outdoors this year.

When asked where they would travel if they could choose anywhere in Australia, NSW respondents nominated holidaying at home with Northern NSW their top spot followed by Southern NSW and the NSW Central Coast.

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Great Northern Great Outdoor National Survey top 10 destinations were: 1. Cairns/Far North Qld. 2. Whitsunday region.

3. Sunshine Coast/Noosa region.

4. Uluru/Alice Spring, southern Northern Territory.

5. Kakadu Northern Territory.

6. Gold Coast region.

7. South Australia.

8. Central Victoria and High Country.

9. Northern NSW. 10. Outback Queensland.

Ian Giles of Great Northern Brewing Co said the survey results showed the tough circumstances had inspired Australians to get out and really immerse themselves in the natural beauty Australia had to offer.

“NSW has some great spots to explore – and the local pubs serve great beer,” Mr Giles said.

“The Great Northern survey shows Australians have a renewed interest in their own backyard and we hope this will eventually translate to a financial lifeline for towns across NSW. “We know businesses, pubs and clubs across the state have done it tough so Great Northern Brewing Co has been working to drive tourists back to Australia’s tourism

hotspots since international borders closed.

“To get people motivated, we are giving away $26mn worth of BCF vouchers to help fund their passions to get out into the great outdoors.

“Camping or caravanning is a great boost to the place where you pitch your tent but along the way travellers stop to buy fuel, pick up groceries, sightsee, enjoy lunch – it’s all the places along the journey, not just the destination, that benefits.”

The national survey also revealed NSW respondents were not only keen to get out and about but wanted to squeeze more activity in with a third of locals wanting to go camping and fishing more often.

“Almost 43% of NSW respondents spent between up to $2000 on outdoor equipment, with 22% of that expenditure on camping and fishing gear,” Mr Giles said.

“Every person we get out and about, whether it’s a local or a visitor, we hope will pour dollars into the local economy.”

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

TRAVEL with Dallas Sherringham

www.accessnews.com.au

Time is now to prepare for demand OR the ailing visitor economy to claw back lost ground this Summer, businesses, destinations and governments need to plan now, says NSW Tourism Industry Council.

“Spring is in the air and with a significant increase in vaccination rates across NSW, due to hit the seven-million-mark, this signals to the visitor economy it’s time to plan and get ready to reopen, just before the traditional holiday season,” said NSW Tourism Industry Council Executive Manager Greg Binskin.

“The latest consumer sentiment report shows people are busy researching and preparing to take a break during the summer holiday periods.” Mr Binskin said.

“Now is the time for destinations to prepare and get ready to service the pentup demand created by travel restrictions and border closures.

“Destination management is key to success, this will require a collaborative recovery effort with State and local governments, tourist associations, small and large business to work together so they don’t miss the opportunities that will be presented.

“Consumers are looking to reconnect with family and friends while dining outdoors, experiencing our natural environment and national parks, take a swim in lakes and rivers, surf at hundreds of east coast beaches or visit the vast array of attractions dotted throughout the state.

“With local government playing a major role, will businesses have the flexibility, policies and planning in place to provide outdoor dining opportunities so cafes and restaurants have the additional space to allow people to physically distance and make patrons feel comfortable? Will Councils work in partnership with event organisers

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The popular Three Sisters in the Blue Mountains.

to host major events to attract visitors back to the regions in a COVID Safe way?

“Will the enabling infrastructure be ready for full operation, the supply chain of goods and services, road works complete, cycling ways ready, directional signage, accommodation refreshed, beaches safe and ready? Most of all will the visitor economy have the staff levels and customer service skills ready to handle the pent-up demand and reach consumer expectations?

“Now is the time to reach out to the local communities and the pending crop of school leavers to get them trained and ready to welcome visitors with local knowledge, warmth and regional hospitality.

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

“The time is now to prepare so the customers’ expectations are exceeded, they will spread the word and build repeat visitation back to regional NSW again and again.

Don’t get caught flat-footed and wait until it’s too late,” Mr Binskin said.

About NSW Tourism Industry Council Powered by Business NSW, the NSW Tourism Industry Council helps businesses operating in the Visitor Economy maximise their potential to ensure New South Wales remains the number one tourism destination in Australia.

Greg Binskin.

39

FITNESS with Adam Simpson

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Tips for training during lockdown  ADAM SIMPSON ITH gyms still closed it can be easy to have fallen out of your exercise routine, I completely get it.

It’s just not the same training within the same four walls that you eat, sleep and work in every day.

On top of that, with limited equipment and no one to push you along its understandable that you aren’t as motivated as you were back in June.

I think it’s important to remember that you just need to lower your expectations for the moment or refocus your training goals.

Anything you can do right now is going to be great for not only your body nut your mental health as well.

Here are my top tips so that you can maximise your training during lock down: 1. Choose challenging exercises – Strength training can be quite challenging if you are limited with equipment, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t make strength gains.

Choose challenging body weight exercises where you don’t need a lot of weight to progress. Exercises like chin ups, 1 legged squat’s, 1 armed push ups are a great way to make simple exercises harder.

2. Get Creative – Try and use house hold items or things around your area instead of gym equipment. For example, you could fill a back pack with books to act as a weight to hold while squatting and lunging.

You could use playground equipment for chin ups and inverted row variations to train your back muscles. In addition, you could use a member of your house hold to

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push against you and provide you with some resistance while you do any regular dumbbell exercise. You are only limited to your imagination. So why not, see what you have lying around the house and think about how you could use it to replicate your regular gym exercises.

3. Refocus your goals – Why not use this time to chase some new goals, get out and go for a run. Pick a distance that you want to run, whether that be 2, 5 or 10km then time yourself and try and beat your time every few days. If you don’t like running, get out and give it a go anyway you might fall in love.

4. Use Technology – Using technology to track and monitor your exercise is a great way to increase your motivation. There are so many great bits of technology out there that you can track your exercise with. Heart Rate monitors, running and cycling apps are an awesome way to gamify your workouts. Having a score to try and beat is going to be far more motivating then just going for a jog.

5. Stay Connected – Get your friends and family involved in what you are doing. Set each other challenges, have virtual races, make your exercise fun. By getting more people involved you are going to be far more likely to stick to your training plan then if you do it alone.

If you are in a bit of a funk right now, get up and start something today. I guarantee you will feel better for it, so stop putting it off and go get it done ☺ Adam Simpson is lead trainer and founder at www.repetitionspt.com.au

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

CROSSWORDS/GAMES

Solutions page 42

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CROSSWORD ACROSS 1. Research rooms 5. North African expanse 11. Similar type 14. Nitrogenous waste 15. Readied 16. Date or age beginning 17. Driver's ___ 18. Blow to pieces 20. Bowler, but not golfer 21. Fox chaser?

22. Orbital extreme 23. Not so cordial 25. Tot tenders 26. They're twirled in parades 28. Rome septet 29. Take effect, in legalspeak 30. Island of entertainment 31. So ___ 34. Emulated Lady Godiva 35. Less firm, maybe 36. Add a kick to 37. Common tip jar bill 38. Moisten, poetically 39. Pulverize 40. Repaired a shoe 41. Moves unobtrusively 42. Worldly, not spiritual 45. "Haystacks" artist 46. Collar, for cops 47. Whim 48. Small handful 51. Call girl 53. Bridges of film 54. Tiny particle 55. Ducks 56. Caveat to a buyer 57. Lacking liquid 58. Colt's sound 59. Bank adjuncts

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DOWN 1. Opulent 2. Grounds 3. Exalted happiness 4. Created a lap 5. Future ferns 6. Pergola 7. Saber handle 8. Bud in Burgundy 9. Shopkeeper 10. With skill 11. Celebrity's concern 12. Not as timely 13. A couple of big joints 19. Languishes 21. One of a trident trio 24. Compost heap discard 25. Connective tissue 26. Ball point pen inventor 27. In a moment 28. Was optimistic 30. Sweet or hard beverage 31. Most flawed 32. Cause of some scars 33. Lipstick hues 35. Family tree entry 36. Metal deposit 38. Prop up 39. Color for the tickled 40. Files litigation 41. Hurting the most 42. Flavorsome 43. Trial associate?

44. Close pal 45. Agrippina, to Nero 47. Form of pachisi 49. Injure badly 50. Cat in boots 52. Astaire specialty 53. Bucolic cry

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GAMES SOLUTIONS

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TRENDS

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Unconscious staff bias It’s time to rethink your hiring horizons

 DALLAS SHERRINGHAM F you are having trouble finding and developing the right staff it may be that unconscious bias is stopping you from achieving your best.

In Australia’s multicultural, multilayered community, it is all too easy to label people you ‘don’t’ want to employ. You set out to find the perfect new staff member to employ and promote based on your own perceptions.

And this can be extremely detrimental to achieving your optimal business performance.

Could be, you are making a big mistake because the best applicant for the job may be passed over by this personal bias.

A new report claims business leaders should base recruitment and promotion decisions on objective assessment data, not their own superficial perceptions.

The report from Questionmark, the online assessment provider, argues that leaders should test the skills of workers so

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that they can make objective decisions on recruitment and promotion.

Titled “Overcoming bias and building diverse business success”, it shows how more diverse workforces deliver better business performance. But despite the clear business imperative, leaders are struggling to master diversity and inclusion.

The report said there were three main barriers were preventing employers from nurturing a more diverse workforce: 1. Active discrimination – almost 30% of ethnic minority and 39% of LGBT+ respondents claim they have heard derogatory comments or jokes about people like them from co-workers, according to McKinsey research.

2. Unconscious bias – without realizing it, employers could be basing their decisions on who to recruit or promote on factors other than who is best for the job.

3. Lack of visible inclusion – diversity begets diversity. If workers do not see people like them in senior leadership positions they may not push for their own progression.

How more diverse workforces deliver better business performance. But despite the clear business imperative, leaders are struggling to master diversity and inclusion.”

Measuring and testing the skills of workers using online assessments can help employers make more objective and inclusive people decisions.

Assessments draw attention to people’s skills and knowledge irrespective of their background. Data from assessments indicates which candidates are best for the role and which workers are ripe for promotion.

This objective information can challenge bias and lead to the workforce becoming more diverse.

CEO of Questionmark Lars Pedersen said: “Assessments help employers make more inclusive people decisions. They can detect attitudes across the existing workforce that need challenging. They reveal whether diversity training is effective.”

The “Questionmark Anti-discrimination for People Managers” test provides a ready-made assessment to measure knowledge of discrimination law and help managers make fair and balanced decisions.

Questionmark was founded in 1988 and has customers worldwide including Australia. Its software is used to deliver at least 25 million assessments per year.

It provides the secure enterprise-grade assessment platform and professional services to leading organizations around the world, delivered with care and unequalled expertise.

Its full-service online assessment tool and professional services help customers to improve their performance and meet their compliance requirements. Questionmark enables organizations to unlock their potential by delivering assessments which are valid, reliable, fair and defensible.

And Questionmark offers secure powerful integration with other LMS, LRS and proctoring services making it easy to bring everything together in one place.

Questionmark’s cloud-based assessment management platform offers rapid deployment, scalability for high-volume test delivery, 24/7 support and the peaceof-mind of a secure, audited Australian-based data centre.

For more information or to download the full report: “Overcoming bias and building diverse business success” visit: www.questionmark.com

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS AUGUST 2021

News EXPERTS

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COVID vaccination and employment liable at law should the employee suffer any adverse effects.

This liability would be until the employee’s death. While the Bill is making it’s way through Parliament, business owner’s should make contact with their local State MP to outline there views on this Bill.

 WORKPLACE | NICHOLAS FISHER S COVID-19 continues to significantly change workplaces and their conditions and practices, more employers are asking what they need to do regarding vaccinations and preparing to come out of lockdown.

Some employers have asked if individual flexibility arrangements, commonly referred to as IFA’s, would work with their employees.

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What are an employer’s rights?

What is an IFA? An IFA is an agreement between an employee and employer that may change the terms of an employee’s award or enterprise agreement. An IFA may be used to change working hours, overtime and loading rates, and allowances, among other things. IFA’s can be implemented any time after employment has begun and can be terminated upon agreement by both parties.

How are IFA’s made?

The creation of IFA’s is regulated under Division 5 of the Fair Work Act 2009. IFA’s.

They must be genuine agreements, meaning that both parties must voluntarily agree to the IFA’s terms. An employer cannot force signing of an IFA through threats to job security or inducements.

It is the Fair Work Ombudsman’s position that employers must ensure that an IFA leaves an employee in a better overall position than they were in before the IFA. IFA’s are to be made on a case-by-case basis: one agreement cannot cover a group of employees.

IFA’s and COVID Whilst IFA’s are a valid tool you need to understand the shifting sands of the public

orders relative to COVID to ensure they are the right tool for you. There has been a lot of media coverage of whether an employer can mandate vaccination in the workplace.

Currently, the NSW Government has mandated a minimum of one vaccination to be able to work, under the Public Health Orders guidelines, for Construction, Authorised, Care, Quarantine, Airport and Transport Workers. Some other conditions, such as medical exemptions, also apply to these workers however at present there is no clear guidance to employers regarding refusals. At present there is new legislation proposed that caps the compen-

sation a person receives from complications after a vaccination.

In other circumstances your vaccine status is protected to some degree under the Privacy Act 1988. In short, an employer, with a duty of care to all employees, may wish to collect vaccine status. The data collection must abide by all relevant privacy principles, most importantly, how the data will be used.

There has also been a bill introduced into NSW Parliament, which would mandate that employers who require their staff to be vaccinated, outside of those covered under the public health order, will become

It is unlikely that an employer would use an IFA to require an employee to vaccinate as it is unrelated to an award or enterprise agreement. However, IFA’s are currently being used to introduce mandatory isolation periods and pay, COVID-19 impact allowances, COVID-19 safety measures such as mask wearing/sanitising/ remote working/rostered in office time, and working from home rates/benefits.

Where an employer requires an employee’s vaccination data to implement workplace health and safety measures, for example to: • Protect colleagues by outlining who is rostered to share, how many days an employee can be in the workplace, personal protection measures in the workplace • Outline a testing regime e.g., every 72 hours.

These types of measures need to be communicated to all employees as the workplace policy position under Work Health and Safety guidelines.

IFA’s can be an invaluable tool that might improve job satisfaction and productivity and may prove to be the answer for many employers.

NB: Nicholas Fisher is an intern at law under the supervision of Katherine Hawes, the Principal Solicitor of Digital Age Lawyers.

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MANUFACTURING

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Building the indigenous business sector  JOB CREATION | JADE HOBMAN NEW job-creating venture is set to make milestones for regional indigenous people and build up Australia’s independence in manufacturing and defence.

Precision Metal Group (PMG) and JNC Group Australia allied together last June in giving a hand up to some of Australia’s most vulnerable living in rural communities.

The two companies will combine indigenous-owned JNC’s commercial building and civil contracting experience, with the welding and fabrication expertise of PMG by creating an offshoot company, Indigee Metals.

PMG CEO Jason Elias said it all came together in a meeting. “They wanted a more fabrication side to their business, and we wanted to participate in more indigenous programs,” Mr Elias said. “And with all the certifications we had, and the proven track record of indigenous participation that JNC had–it just came relatively easy.”

The fresh, new Indigee Metals is a majority indigenous owned and Supply Nation Registered manufacturing company, set to be a propelling force through education and job making within the indigenous communities of NSW and beyond.

Mr Elias said their aim is to work with indigenous programs and people within the regions, and cities across the nation. “It’s the collaboration of two proven companies to deliver proven track records with the indigenous participation factor in place.”

JNC CEO Jeremy Blanch said the goal was to promote a strong indigenous youth presence within their workforce and ‘providing them real career opportunities through manufacturing’.

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The plans are to educate and employ men and women across different communities with apprenticeships, and training, sustaining them in exciting engineering career paths for the long haul, going into the next generation.

Indigee metals aims to be a solid pathway to fulfilling JNC’s vision to build a prosperous indigenous business sector, with all the trimmings, and PMG’s bold strategy to bring manufacturing jobs back to locals, indigenous and non-indigenous alike.

Plans to educate There are eight types of industries Indigee Metals will work and make impact in: 1. Defence: providing services for military and navy sectors in welding and onsite machining jobs 2. Infrastructure: fabrication and welding services of steel structures for local, state and federal governments 3. Construction: provide services for the construction market, structural and mechanical 4. Maritime: servicing onsite for machining, welding and maintenance for ships 5. Manufacturing: Nationwide, 24/7 maintenance for manufacturers 6. Mining: delivering services to a few market leaders in mining is underway 7. Rail: new certification is being sought to service the big rail industry 8. Oil and gas: fabrication and maintenance of gas piping networks, and ISO shipping containers So, with Indigee Metal’s recent social media push, and the backing of two expert industry contenders with big dreams. Watch this space.

Visit: www.precisionmetalgroup.com

PMG CEO Jason Elias (left) and JNC Group CEO Jeremy Blanch at the launch of their joint company, Indigee Metals at the LandForces Conference.

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EXPERTS

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Communication and information as warfare  INFORMATION | MARIO BEKES E know advertisers and politicians try to persuade us to believe a certain viewpoint.

The power of communication as a type of warfare is often undervalued.

Influencing your ‘enemy’ is a key part of winning any battle. Being able to analyse misinformation has become a critical skill for armies, businesses and citizens alike.

You may remember that prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, there was a slogan: “Winning hearts and minds in the war on terrorism” that used extensively.

The slogan is not the weapon in military terms, it doesn’t cause human fatalities and body injuries. But, communication, translated into carefully chosen words, along with military might, cause a deep emotional effect on military personnel and civilians on other side of the front line.

There are so many examples of how leaders, or wannabe leaders, have looked for the most effective ways to influence others through communication (words, public speaking and even subversive methods).

One of the first people to document how to influence others was Greek philosopher Socrates, with his ingenious methods of delivering messages to the public.

To delve into his students’ view, he would ask them questions until any contradictions were exposed.

The Socratic method used typically seeks to ask a series of questions to lead people to think in a certain way. Critical thinking skills are key to effectively resisting this approach.

The key objective of communication

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Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.” warfare is to infiltrate the minds of large populations, not just particular groups.

The endless possibilities of social media make these processes more powerful and effective.

We all enjoy the benefits of connecting with people on social media but have you stopped to think how it may have altered your behaviour, mood and decision making.

The work of Nicollo Machiavelli in the 1500s is still relevant when it comes to understanding how communication can be used to influence people.

His book, The Prince, has been used for both good and bad for centuries. Machiavelli’s thinking can be summed up by the quotes from the book: “Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are” and “Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.”

Words used in communications can be weaponised with emotions which are designed to lead the listener to create distorted conclusions or perceptions on the topic published.

You should never take this kind of information lightly. It is important to understand the message and learn how to decode the meaning behind it.

When making decisions based on communications, decision makers need to recognise misinformation and disinformation to understand not only who said what but why it was said and the choice of language used.

Trying to understand the truth Communications professionals usually adjust words and language to suit particular demographics and countries in order to elicit emotional responses from listeners or readers.

Most communication professionals are trying to help people understand the truth. However, when misinformation and disinformation are deliberately used in business communications then the corporate world needs to correctly analyse them.

The power of technology is being used

to help create algorithms to categorise and make decisions on information.

This has some merit and advantages but a true analysis using human intelligence will provide you with accuracy and source reliability for decision making.

Decision making in corporations and the business world, as well in private life, should be based on the reliability of the source and validity of the information.

Relying on social media is definitely not a reliable approach.

With so much talk about misinformation and disinformation being communicated from previously trusted sources, business need to put more resources into the valuable commodity of information and develop critical thinking strategies.

2021 has taught us that many of the solutions to our problems are best found using new ways of thinking and enhanced risk management tools.

Mario Bekes is CEO at Insight Intelligence. www. insightintelligence.com.au

What’s in a name: turns out A LOT  SPORT | BOB TURNER PORT has been a huge part of my life and set a pathway for success in business, relationships, and life in general.

Not everyone is a sports lover but even those not enamoured with their sports team would be affected in some way by just the sheer presence and activity of sporting teams.

Global organisations like Manchester United, Dallas Cowboys, the New York Yankees have had years of success on and off the grounds to build a following that sometimes goes beyond what might seem common sensical.

When Ronaldo recently signed to rejoin Manchester United on what I consider an amazing amount of money, I read those sales of his new MU jersey almost paid for the transfer fee in less than a week. That is what I call consumer sports power.

Growing up in Oakland, California, my sports teams needed to aggressively market their existence given the relatively small market compared to LA, Chicago or New York.

The owner of the Oakland A’s, Charlie Finlay, opened my eyes to marketing of sport and the avenues he pursued not just to win but to own his ‘Home’ City.

He was one of the key marketers of the 1970’s and some of his adventures were legendary like his team playing in White Kangaroo leather shoes, moustache competition for his players and one of my favourites, a cartoon rabbit that popped up out of the ground for the umpire to refresh his supply of baseballs VS the bat boy running out – that was boring to Charlie.

When his team won the World Series and cemented their market, he presented every player with a diamond studded ring and the inscription – S + S = Success.

S

Lily Homes Stadium.

The S + S was short for ‘Sweat + Sacrifice’. Charlie made inroads to making the city of Oakland – COOL, and this left the Oakland Raiders to market in a similar fashion to own the passion and support of their city, making the residents proud whether they won or lost.

Sport has a way of breaking down barriers and opening opportunities, which is far more difficult for music or art.

Sport is yearly and consumes great quantities of media space and thus attention from the general public. Venues like the iconic Sydney Opera House are great attractions and it identifies with the city but the sporting venues with multiple activity combined with media and attendance provide a different ball game.

The key for venues is to make it easy to attend and an experience to match the sporting activity. When I coached the Canberra Cannons back in the early 1980’s we were fortunate to be one of the few teams to play at a venue that was more than a tin shed.

The National Indoor Sports Centre at Bruce was plush but a mouthful to sell

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and promote. We needed to liven up the marketing of the venue to become an asset.

We changed the name of the venue to ‘The Palace’ in all our marketing.

The result was amazing and stimulated a rather sedentary Canberra public with full houses, despite the winter cold. Two years after taking this step, Tom Jones came to town for a concert at our venue. When his marketing said – ‘Tom Jones Live At The Palace’ I knew we had made it.

Jump on the band wagon Cities identify with their sport teams and corporates have proven over time they can successfully jump on the band wagon.

The association is not only beneficial for the corporate partner but the combined marketing power only helps to accelerate a team’s marketing and ownership of their city.

When I first arrived in Australia to play basketball for the Shoalhaven Chas Tierny Tigers, I asked who or what is Chas Tierny.

They were the local car dealer and combined with the team for a double win in the market to sell more cars and sell the

Tigers at the same time. We took this type of association to another level with the Canberra Mazda Cannons and when it came to the Sydney Coca Cola Kings the benefit to both organisations was one of the best for over ten years.

Coke had sponsored leagues and/or events but had never sponsored a team. The opportunity we presented was great value and most importantly, the Sydney Kings and their partner Coca Cola were both willing to drive the association.

The result on numerous occasions was the media often referring to the team as the Coca Cola Kings. The Kings needed that marketing assistance as they were a relatively new team, not a core sport and its representation covered from Cronulla to Hornsby to Penrith.

Blacktown City FC is now able to offer the same opportunity to a corporate with vision to back a team and Naming Rights to their home venue – Currently known as ‘Lily Homes Stadium’.

Our city of Blacktown is one of the largest LGA’s in the state and to date has no sporting team they can call their own.

Blacktown City FC sees an opportunity to become synonymous with the city. The goal is to earn a status so that when the population says Blacktown City they also consciously or sub-consciously mean Blacktown City FC. Our name says it all but more importantly we have the necessary ingredients of venue, competition status, history, coaching and a 68-year history of success on the field to achieve our goal. Blacktown City FC is determined to achieve that status and as the slogan says – Blacktown City – ‘Always Blacktown – Never Backdown’!

Bob Turner is Executive Chairman at Blacktown City FC. Visit: www.bcfc.com.au

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