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PUBLISHER’S NOTE Politically, it’s been a big few months to the start of 2015. Former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser passed away rather abruptly, Mike Baird retained his position as NSW Premier by winning his first state election, and South Australia announced a royal commission to begin considering uranium mining. When it comes to the issue of uranium, should it be decided to open up South Australia to the opportunity it will allow them to claw their way back to national relevancy after being the 2nd worst performing state in the country. It will simultaneously allow the state to address the issue of climate change. The world’s continuing energy needs place uranium and nuclear opportunities as the bridging technology between coal, and the burgeoning but heavily subsidized renewables sector. In our exclusive with Premier Jay Weatherill, we welcome his positive step to address SA’s economic issues while making a step that differentiates SA Labor from the Greens. For some though, calling yet another royal commission is just another way to spend money by moving a problem aside, while appearing to take action. From my point of view, we’re at least talking about it again; by talking about it, we remove the taboo.
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CONTENTS REGULARS Publisher’s Note
3
News in Review
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State By State
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Cities and Regions
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SOUTH AUSTRALIA: SPECIAL REPORT
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COVER STORY
Our coverage looks at the festival state including recent developments in mining, technology, engineering and construction beginning on Page 16
Premier Jay Weatherill
Premier Jay Weatherill The South Australian Premier discusses his vision for the state in our exclusive
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Tonsley Since Mitsubishi left town, the new Tonsley centre is firing up interest as a new technology hub 4
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TONSLEY
New Haven of Innovation
CONTENTS
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Basetec Services Discusses their investment in Tonsley and their work on some of Australia’s largest projects including Olympic Dam and Ichthys
South Australia: the Saudi Arabia of Uranium
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By South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy (SACOME) Chief Executive, Jason Kuchel
Bower Construction The Adelaide residential developer discusses their award-winning projects
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Bower Construction
ASTRA Group Services Making training engaging and fun for corporates and government
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Diabetes Australia - Vic Bringing awareness to the dangers and growth of the disease
EVENTS
NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee at the Sydney Mining Club
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Craig Bennett Discusses Diabetes 5
NEWS IN REVIEW Commonwealth Bank Appoints New Group Executive
after almost six years as CEO.
Telstra Chairman Catherine Livingstone announced that Mr Penn, 51, who is Telstra’s Chief Financial Officer and Group Executive The Chief Executive Officer of Commonwealth International, had been selected by the Board to Bank, Ian Narev, has announced the appointment be Telstra’s next CEO. of Vittoria Shortt as Group Executive, Marketing and Strategy. In this role Ms Shortt will report Mr Penn, a former Group CEO of AXA Asia directly to Mr Narev as a member of the Group Pacific, has more than 30 years’ experience in Executive Committee. Australia, New Zealand, Europe and across Asia-Pacific in roles including chief executive, Ms Shortt joined the Commonwealth Bank finance, strategy and other executive positions. in 2002 and has held a number of line roles in the retail banking businesses of both CBA “Andy is a seasoned executive in global markets and Bankwest, including customer-facing, with proven capability to lead organisations operations and strategy leadership roles. through significant transitions and major Most recently, since May 2013 she has been expansion,” Ms Livingstone said. the Commonwealth Bank’s Chief Marketing Officer. Ms Shortt began her career in audit and “He has played a key role in developing corporate finance with Deloitte and Carter Holt Telstra’s long-term growth strategy and we Harvey in New Zealand. are delighted he will continue to lead Telstra’s plans to increase customer advocacy, core Mr Narev said: “Vittoria is an experienced business value and capitalise on new growth banker with a track record of achievement in opportunities. multiple roles during her 13 years with CBA. Her combination of skills has given us the opportunity to combine our marketing and strategy functions, which is a natural step given our on-going focus on customer service as the keystone of our strategy. I am delighted that she will join our senior leadership team.” The appointment of Ms Shortt follows Rob Jesudason’s move from Group Executive, Group Strategic Development, to Group Executive, International Financial Services, in November 2014. Ms Shortt will commence in her new role with immediate effect.
Andrew Penn Appointed New Telstra CEO Andrew Penn will be the new Chief Executive Officer of Telstra, effective 1 May 2015, replacing David Thodey who announced his retirement 6
Andrew Penn replaces David Thodey as Telstra CEO
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“It is testament to David Thodey that we were able to select the next chief executive from within the business.” Mr Penn said he was delighted to have been appointed CEO to build on Mr Thodey’s transition of Telstra into a customer-focused organisation with significant opportunities in new businesses, domestic operations and overseas investments and partnerships. “Telstra plays a critical role to provide leading technology solutions and service to our customers in the consumer, business and broader social environment,” he said. Mr Thodey will continue to assist with Mr Penn’s transition from 1 May until the end of the financial year and remain available to the business until late August.
Ms Livingstone paid tribute to Mr Thodey’s tenure as CEO, during which the company’s value more than doubled from below $40 billion to a recent 14-year high above $80 billion.
Chevron to Sell Caltex Australia Stake Chevron has said it will sell its 50% interest in oilrefiner and fuel-seller Caltex Australia. The Australian company has a market value of 10.22 billion Australian dollars, indicating Chevron could raise around A$5 billion from the sale. The biggest U.S. oil producer by output behind Exxon Mobil Corp. said it entered an underwriting agreement to sell its Caltex Australia shares to what it expects to be a range of institutional investors.
Chevron will offload its interests in Caltex Australia 7
STATE BY STATE ACT Canberra Discusses How To Support Mature Aged Workers Business leaders, experts in seniors issues and government representatives have met to discuss barriers to mature aged workers, Minister for Ageing Mick Gentleman said. “As part of ACT Seniors Week, the ACT Government is organising its inaugural Mature Age Workers Roundtable.
“Today’s roundtable will help us develop ways to support mature age workers and help the development of Canberra as an age-friendly capital,” Minister Gentleman concluded.
NSW Virgin Australia Announces Flights Between Tamworth and Sydney
“This is an important meeting for a range of experts in this area to get together to discuss some of the barriers older people in Canberra face in employment,” Minister Gentleman said. The roundtable included Chris Faulks, Chief Executive of the Canberra Business Chamber; David Lawrance, Chair of the ACT Ministerial Advisory Council on Ageing; Ewan Brown, Rod Gardiner, President of Council of the Ageing ACT; acting executive officer of Council of the Ageing ACT; and Helen Watchirs, ACT Human Rights Commissioner. Participants examined the range of potential barriers that mature age workers may face when looking for employment as well as identifying the opportunities that currently exist and what solutions could be developed. Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti
“The nature of employment is changing in Australia, people are maintaining good health for longer than ever before and as a result are looking to keep active in a variety of ways, including through work.
Virgin Australia has announced it will introduce flights between Tamworth and Sydney from May 2015.
“Employers are changing their practices to make the most of the opportunities that this provides but there is a still a lot more that can be to promote the involvement of mature age workers in workplaces.
Virgin Australia CEO John Borghetti made the announcement in Tamworth, where he was joined by the NSW Deputy Premier, the Member for Tamworth, the Mayor of Tamworth, Councillors and members of the business community.
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The airline will introduce this new service on 25 May 2015, using its ATR-72 Turboprop 68seat aircraft to operate six return services between Tamworth and Sydney each week. Virgin Australia Chief Executive Officer John Borghetti said: “We are delighted to bring competition and choice to Tamworth and the New England Region for the first time since 2001. “Tamworth is both a thriving commercial hub and a tourist destination, and the introduction of six Virgin Australia services between Tamworth and Sydney per week will support the ongoing development of Tamworth as an important regional destination. “We are pleased to be bringing the great Virgin Australia service and product to Tamworth as we continue to build on our strong commitment to regional Australia. “I would like to thank Tamworth Regional Airport and Tamworth Regional Council for their support,” Mr Borghetti said.
jurisdictions to attract over 150 domestic and international delegates to Darwin. “I’m delighted the Australia-Taiwan Business Council has chosen Darwin as the host city for its 2015 Joint Conference later this year,” said Chief Minister Adam Giles.” This event is an opportunity to showcase the Northern Territory to potential investors, exposing local businesses to future opportunities. “Links like this are critical to expanding our economy and creating jobs for our children.” The Joint Conference is open for nonmembers of the Australia-Taiwan Business Council. “The decision to host this conference in Darwin reflects the increased international interest we are currently seeing in the Northern Territory through our Developing the North agenda,” Mr Giles said.
NSW Deputy Premier Troy Grant welcomed today’s announcement: “This is really terrific news that will benefit hundreds of people living and visiting Tamworth and the wider New England region.”
“Events like this are also a boost for tourism bringing delegates and dollars into the Territory. Part of our FestivalsNT initiative is getting delegates to stay longer so that they can enjoy our tourist attractions either side of their work commitments.”
Virgin Australia will operate a return flight every day (excluding Saturday) departing Sydney at 1.55pm arriving into Tamworth at 3.00pm. The flight will depart Tamworth at 3.30pm arriving into Sydney at 4.35pm.
Minister for Business Peter Styles said Taiwan is ranked 8th as Australia’s export market and 12th as Australia’s trading partner (two way trade).
Fares are now available.
NT Darwin To Host Major Business Conference The Northern Territory will host the AustraliaTaiwan Business Council Joint Conference later this year, selected over two other
“Taiwan’s China Petroleum Corporation has invested in two major gas developments involving the Northern Territory – the INPEX led Ichthys Liquefied Natural Gas and Shell led Prelude Floating Liquefied Natural Gas projects,” Minister Styles said. “There is great potential for the Northern Territory to do more business with Taiwan. Having a large group of Taiwanese corporate executives and government representatives visiting the Territory is an unprecedented opportunity to showcase what we have to offer.” 9
State By State
QLD New Gold Coast Estate To Deliver Homes, Jobs And Lifestyle Opportunities The Queensland Government’s approval of the Gold Coast’s newest estate Pacific View will mean new home and lifestyle opportunities and 2,700 jobs for Queenslanders. Deputy Premier and Minister for Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning Jackie Trad said the decision to approve the $1 billion Pacific View Estate at Worongary proved the Queensland Government was committed to creating jobs and delivering infrastructure projects. “The proposed development was ‘called-in’ on 17 December 2014 at the request of the proponent, Pacific View Farm (Queensland) Pty Limited, and after careful consideration I have now made my decision to approve the estate based on a rigorous review by the department,” Ms Trad said. “This development will create more than 2,700 jobs during construction—builders, carpenters, electricians, landscapers, and all their apprentices—and has the potential to contribute $3.2 billion to our state’s economy. “Pacific View Estate will also provide approximately 3,500 new homes for Queensland families. “As a mixed-use, master-planned community, Pacific View Estate will offer excellent community lifestyle advantages including open spaces, parks and facilities, including a village centre, restaurants, retail and office space. “The development will include an industrial precinct that will support further employment and provide an ongoing contribution to the Gold Coast’s economic development.” Ms Trad said Queensland’s suburbs should be encouraged to grow and develop, but that this should happen with a commitment to community values and also considering the environment. 10
“There are plans to upgrade existing transport options and establish new ones such as bus routes, cycle lanes and railway connections which will ensure residents are well connected to the city and surrounding estates,” Ms Trad said. “In response to concerns raised during consultation, I have imposed strict conditions on this development. “This includes the provision of an Ecological Corridor Precinct to protect valuable habitats and maintain scenic values, while a Green Space Precinct will also be provided for the community to enjoy.”
SA Export Opportunities And Tax Reform The Focus Of Small Business Roundtable Opportunities for small business in export markets and the State Tax Review were the focus of the Small Business Roundtable, which convened for the third time at Parliament House today. Investment and Trade Minister Martin Hamilton-Smith said the Roundtable was established in 2014 to improve communication between Government and the small business community. It is co-chaired by Mr Hamilton Smith and Minister for Small Business Tom Koutsantonis. “Small businesses are a key driver of successful economies, creating jobs, attracting investment and shaping our city and regions,” Mr Hamilton-Smith said. “These quarterly meetings facilitate ongoing discourse to discuss key policy items of interest for the small business sector.
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“Today’s meeting was a great opportunity to highlight the range of Government programs in place that can assist businesses trying to enter international markets.
Tasmanian businesses, despite the major contract being award to UK based Trimline, according to the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
“We talked in detail about the State Government’s recently launched Export Partnership Program and what this means for the small business sector.
And don’t overlook the outcome of the $31 million project which is aimed at attracting tens of thousands of new visitors to the State, Chair of the TCCI, Susan Parr, said today.
“The Export Partnership Program provides funding assistance for small and mediumsized businesses to access new global markets through marketing and export development opportunities.
“The new look vessels will play a major role in growing visitor numbers to 1.5 million in the next five years which means lucrative returns to Tasmanians from a spending boost in so many sectors of the community.
“Under the Program, aspiring exporters can apply for funding to help with coaching, training, market intelligence and mentoring to assess export suitability.
“Initially we may feel we don’t like the idea of a major contract awarded to a UK company, and not a state, or national company. However, we can’t always have everything on our own terms.
“The Government also offers the TradeStart Program which is a package of free services to assist SMEs to develop overseas markets, which our Government offers in partnership with Austrade. “Under the TradeStart Program, export advisers are employed to deliver services to new and existing exporters. They help companies from all sectors access and scope trade opportunitiesin all international markets.
“The big picture for Tasmania means a boost for a wide range of Tasmanian businesses providing goods and services and, of course, employment for skilled Tasmanian tradesmen including plumbers, tilers, decorators and welders. “Also, Trimline will be based in Devonport during the contract which means increased services and expenditure in a district desperately in need of an economic upturn.”
“These support programs form part of the global business platform the South Australian Government is developing through its international connections and engagement strategies.”
Ms Parr said it was imperative that the contractual arrangement with Trimline, to use as much Tasmanian labour and consumables as possible, was meticulously monitored by TT-Line, a Government Business Enterprise.
TAS
VIC
Spirit of Tasmania Fleet Upgrades Offer Boost For State Economy
Victoria To Lead The Way On Renewable Energy
The refurbishment of the two Spirit of Tasmania vessels should be a boost for many
Premier Daniel Andrews recently announced changes to wind farm planning laws, opening Victoria back up to investors in renewable energy 11
State By State
to create more jobs. The changes reduce the household veto for a proposed wind turbine development from two kilometres to one kilometre from a dwelling. The Andrews Labor Government made a commitment to reform wind farm planning laws and open Victoria to renewable energy. These plans strike the right balance between protecting property and supporting jobs in emerging industries. Australia is forecast to attract $36 billion in renewable energy investment by 2020. This announcement sends a strong signal to investors in the renewable energy sector. This will create jobs and generate economic benefits for regional communities. Renewable energy is a matter of state significance that requires a statewide approach. Decisions on new wind farm planning applications will now rest with the Minister for Planning. Councils retain responsibility for enforcement of wind energy facilities for new and existing planning permits. The Government has also announced the development of a Victorian Renewable Energy Action Plan, which will outline a comprehensive set of measures to attract Victoria’s share of renewable energy investment. The establishment of a $20 million New Energy Jobs Fund will also offer support to community groups and businesses developing renewable energy projects.
WA Western Australia Wins From Queensland Labor Uranium Ban Western Australia’s promising uranium sector is ideally placed to capitalise on a looming Queensland Government ban on mining the nuclear fuel ore, according to Mines and Petroleum Minister Bill Marmion. 12
“The industry can rest assured we are working to maximise uranium opportunities in WA, as opposed to Queensland Labor’s shortsighted approach,” Mr Marmion said. “It begs questions over where WA Labor sits on the issue. It’s certainly not backing the communities and families that will benefit from the responsible development of this industry.” Since the Liberal National Government lifted WA’s uranium mining ban in 2008, more than $300 million has been invested in uranium exploration. “What is so exciting is that exports from WA’s four advanced projects could top $1 billion a year by 2020, if uranium prices recover to economic levels,” the Minister said. “These mines could employ more than 1,500 people during construction and 500 people during operations, not to mention the indirect employment opportunities.” Mr Marmion said milestones like this week’s Mulga Rock uranium ore announcement and the recent conditional approval of the Kintyre project augered well for the future. “Meanwhile, this week’s Queensland Labor announcement defies logic. Not only is the mining sector facing challenges at present, but global energy demand is escalating and nuclear power is an increasingly important lower-emission power source,” he said. The Minister said the South Australian Royal Commission into the nuclear industry, announced last week, would highlight potential roles for Australia in the nuclear fuel cycle. “The ALP is all over the place,” he said. “At a time when SA Labor is looking at future opportunities, we have Queensland taking a retrograde step. “But in WA investors can be confident that under the Liberal National Government, the State is positioned to reap the benefits of rapidly developing uranium markets such as India, China and the United Arab Emirates.”
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Cities & Regions Melbourne
and dining experiences.
Melbourne Spends $2.4 Billion On Shopping And Food In 2013-14
“The report card shows Melbourne enjoyed a low retail vacancy rate of 2.5 per in July 2014, down from 2.6 per cent in May 2013, due to the revitalisation of the CBD through the opening of Emporium Melbourne and the influx of global brands such as H&M and UNIQLO.”
City workers, residents, visitors and students spent $2.4 billion on retail and hospitality in the City of Melbourne in 2013-14, new research shows. Lord Mayor Robert Doyle today joined Minister for Tourism and Major Events John Eren to release the year one report card on the implementation of the Melbourne Retail and Hospitality Strategy 2013-2017. “Melbourne is the world’s most liveable city and our enviable retail and hospitality industries are a major contributor to that liveability and to our flourishing economy,” the Lord Mayor said. “In 2013 we adopted our second retail and hospitality strategy to help guide and promote further growth in these sectors and this year one report shows that those efforts are paying off with city workers, students, residents and visitors spending $2.4 billion in 2013-14. “An integral part of these industries’ success revolves around partnerships and working together to cultivate shared opportunities and address the needs of the consumer, such as the collaboration of 1000 stores in the central shopping district to begin opening until 7pm every night from April last year.” “It’s the first time research has been undertaken into where and when students and city workers spend their money on retail and hospitality in our city,” the Lord Mayor said. “This research will help our business community to identify new opportunities to reach customers, who are already in the city, and are looking for more opportunities to enjoy our unique shopping
Councillor Kevin Louey, Chair of Council’s Economic Development committee said the City of Melbourne provided more than $160,000 in small business grants, and more than $480,000 to support eight recognised incorporated precinct associations within the municipality in 2013-2014. “We are proud to provide direct support to our business community, and helped six innovative local retailers and one hospitality enterprise to set up shop amongst global brands,” Cr Louey said. “More than 450 retail and hospitality businesses attended the City of Melbourne’s first series of five business forums held across the year. “The forums allowed businesses to network, learn from the successes that others have achieved and exchange ideas.” Councillor Beverley Pinder-Mortimer, Chair of Council’s Marketing Melbourne committee, said the City of Melbourne’s enviable calendar of cultural, sporting and entertainment events also contributed to busy shops and restaurants. “We supported more than 220 city retail and hospitality businesses through our premier events and marketing campaigns such as Moomba, Melbourne Music Week and our Christmas campaign,” said Cr Pinder-Mortimer. The Lord Mayor thanked City of Melbourne’s long standing partner in the strategy, the Victorian Government, the Melbourne Retail and Hospitality Advisory Board, and the retail and hospitality businesses for their contributions to the Melbourne Retail and Hospitality Strategy and Report Card. 13
Cities & Regions
Hobart
Hobart and that have conferencing potential in the city.
Strategic Partnership Seeks To Strengthen Hobart As A Business Events Destination
“Conferences and other business events attract the highest yielding spender in the visitor economy. We know that the total direct economic annual return to Tasmania is $112 million and with a large percentage of business events being held in the south of the state, this is delivering real benefit to Hobart and the surrounding areas.” continued Wells.
The City of Hobart and Business Events Tasmania are working together to develop and support Hobart as a premier business events destination. The Lord Mayor of Hobart Alderman Sue Hickey joined with the Chairman of Business Events Tasmania (BET), Malcom Wells today to sign a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) seeking to further strengthen the already successful relationship the City has enjoyed with Business Events Tasmania for many years. The Lord Mayor said the City and BET have common interests in promoting Hobart as an attractive business events destination. “We know that conferences and other business events have a significant economic benefit for the City. When a conference is in town, everyone benefits. Taxis are full, restaurants are full and retailers do a roaring trade, so its not just the conference venue and business events suppliers that benefit, but directly and indirectly the whole community. “Business events also bring associated social, educational and economic trade benefits and have been an important part of the City for many years. This is why the Council is very keen to work with and support the peak organisation seeking to secure this business,” said Ald Hickey Business Events Tasmania Chairman, Malcom Wells said “BET very much values the ongoing support provided by the City of Hobart and we look forward to again working together to maximise the benefits that business events bring to Hobart and the state of Tasmania, particularly in the quieter shoulder and winter tourism seasons. “The purpose of this MoU is to continue to build on the formal partnership between our two organisations, to share information and to identify business sectors that link to areas of growth in 14
Deputy Lord Mayor Ald Ron Christie, Chairman of the Economic Development and Communications Committee said under the new MoU, there were a number of key initiatives that would be pursued as priorities for the first year of the new partnership. “We will jointly work to identify targeted business sectors that link to key areas of growth in Hobart and Tasmania and consider the development of Hobart specific materials to assist in event attraction, including the promotion of key Council products such as the Tasmanian Travel and Information Centre and its other venues and attractions,” said Ald Christie. “This collaboration is for the mutual benefit of Business Events Tasmania, the Council and ultimately the City of Hobart,” said the Lord Mayor.
Sydney New Awards Put City Businesses On Show A new City of Sydney-sponsored awards program will mean leading city businesses and emerging entrepreneurs will have the chance to raise their profile, expand their network and showcase their talents on a state-wide stage. The City has joined forces with the NSW Business Chamber to create a new Sydney City region in the chamber’s prestigious annual Business Awards, which recognise outstanding business achievement across the state. The winners of the regional awards, to be held at Sydney Town Hall in July, will go on to the state finals in November. The City is also sponsoring
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the state-wide award for Excellence in Small Business.
Gold Coast
Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the City’s sponsorship of the awards was part of its ongoing efforts to nurture and support a strong and thriving local business sector.
Gold Coast Provides Tool Kit To Provide Your Business With The Competitive Edge
“Over the past five years, 40 per cent of all job growth in metropolitan Sydney has taken place in the City’s local government area, with more than 2,000 new businesses opening in that time,” the Lord Mayor said.
A “one-stop shop” of programs, services and funding to support the city’s growing businesses is now available.
“Small and medium businesses are an essential part of our city’s economy, and we’re committed to supporting them. “By creating a new region within the NSW Business Chamber Business Awards, the City is giving local businesses and the people behind them a fantastic opportunity to showcase their innovative ideas to the rest of the state and learn from other business leaders.”
Mayor Tom Tate released the “Competitive Business Toolkit”, which was developed in collaboration with other levels of government and key agencies. “This toolkit details a range of local, state and federal programs designed to equip the Gold Coast’s best business operators with the knowledge and capacity to lead their sector into the future,” he said. “We are committed to diversifying the economy and investing in innovation, culture, infrastructure, workforce and our export capabilities.
For many years, the City has provided support to the 18,000 small and medium-sized businesses in the local area, which contribute more than $40 million to the local economy each year.
“And we are focused on driving the Gold Coast forward by prioritising the importance of business growth, job creation and international partnerships.
The City ran its own business awards program for 10 years until 2012, before partnering with the NSW Business Chamber for the first time last year.
“This toolkit is just one of the ways we are investing in the future prosperity of the Gold Coast – by equipping businesses with the resources to drive them forward and give them a competitive advantage.” Cr Tate said qualifying businesses seeking to expand operations, develop products and services or break ground in export markets can access resources like high-level mentorships and research, grant funding and direct access to Austrade networks. “Through workshops, networking forums and one-on-one coaching, the programs outlined in the toolkit bring some of Australia’s best commercial intelligence to bear on the specific challenges and advantages of conducting business here.
Clover Moore supports a strong and thriving local business sector.
“I strongly encourage growing businesses to consider the programs detailed in the toolkit as we work together to achieve our potential as a truly world class city.” 15
Jay Weatherill Australand
An Exclusive with Premier Jay Weatherill
Advancing South Australia and the Royal Commission into Nuclear Power Interview by J. Landry Editorial by Nicholas Paul Griffin
“We want South Australia to be the best place to do business in the nation.” - Jay Weatherhill
South Australian Premier Jay Weatherhill
South Australians will know Jay Weatherill as the state’s 45th Premier, born and raised in Adelaide’s western suburbs, and a man with as much concern regarding the prosperity of the state as its many citizens. In a recent interview with Australian Business Executive, Mr. Weatherill makes clear his intentions for the future of South Australia in addressing the economic challenges faced by the state: “We want to send a message that we are open for business, we’ve got an international stance. That also flows through to the openness of our community for involving people in decisions that affect their lives. We want the whole of the South Australian community to be behind us as we seek to transform our economy.”
SA Economy After the recent closing of the Holden manufacturing plant and job losses at Arrium Mining, traditional industries in South Australia are in decline. Mr. Weatherill describes his plans for economic progression in the state, talking 16
of the focus being upon the identification of those sectors of the economy that are growing faster than average and offer the opportunity for employment growth. From there, investment into these expanding sectors is promoted, with the aim of encouraging further growth. In August 2014, the SA government published its ten economic priorities for the state, a list compiled with the input of thousands of people from South Australian businesses, academia and the general community, identifying the key economic areas on which most attention will be focused. “We want South Australia to be the best place to do business in the nation,” Mr. Weatherill says, “so we’ve set ourselves that agenda. The best place to do business involves lots of different elements. Obviously we want the most cost competitive business environment, that includes taxation, but it’s also other elements of cost that create that environment.” In order to encourage business and investment into the state, the government has recently announced a written branch review of the State Taxation System, as well as embarking upon a public sector renewal process, as Mr. Weatherill knows how important the public sector can be in terms of creating a good business environment.
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The SA Premier and Minister Snelling discussing property development
“This is an example of us being very proactive about seizing opportunities to grow. It’s a classic example of a declining industry being transformed into a growing sector of the economy.” - Jay Weatherhill In addition, the government is currently in receipt of a thoroughgoing review of the system of development control, which will be turned into legislation and promoted to the South Australian parliament. “We’re also reviewing all our regulation to make sure that it achieves its objectives to protect the public interest, but also drives innovation and is not overwhelmingly burdensome,” he says. When asked about the forthcoming business developments in Tonsley, an area in the process of being transformed into a collaborative and high-value industry, education and residential
precinct, Mr. Weatherill is proud of the decision to capitalise on the availability of the site: “This is an example of us being very proactive about seizing opportunities to grow. It’s a classic example of a declining industry being transformed into a growing sector of the economy.” “Instead of allowing that car-manufacturing plant to be sold off,” Mr. Weatherill continues, “perhaps for retail or some other bulky goods factory, which may not generate large-scale employment opportunities, we decided to purchase the land and then partner up with Flinders University, which just moved their department of Engineering, Science and Computer Science down into the site. We’ve created an urban development there, so that we can showcase sustainable living.” Tonsley sits on a major rail link about 10km from Adelaide CBD and within reasonable traveling distance from Adelaide Airport, making it ideally located to attract investment from a wide range of industry. The factory at Tonsley—one of the largest in the Southern Hemisphere— has been adapted to 17
Jay Weatherill
create a new technical and further education hub for sustainable industries. Invitations have been extended to many industries to co-locate to the sector and take advantage of the access to tertiary and vocational training in the nearby residential area, with the aim of growing the sort of businesses that will help the long-term future of the economy. “What we’re seeing down there,” Mr. Weatherill says, “is ICT industries, renewable energy industries and a centre of excellence for oil and gas resources.”
Nuclear Fuel Cycle
about climate change, but also to see whether there are benefits that we can secure for our state and for our nation.” In response to these concerns over the state’s future position in the industry, a Royal Commission is soon to be set up to address the matter. “It’s a very controversial proposition,” Mr. Weatherill says. “It involves changing policies and laws and regulations at both a state and a national level, and before we get to that point we need to assist the community to come to a considered judgement about the matter.”
One of SA’s key strengths is its resources industry, and in particular uranium mining. The state has the world’s largest uranium mine and substantial reserves of uranium, possessing about 30% of the world and 80% of the nation’s deposits. Australia already has a place in the nuclear fuel cycle, as for many years it has mined, lightly processed and exported this uranium.
“A Royal Commission is the most significant and high status level of inquiry that we can undertake. It has powers of compulsion to bring evidence before it, and it’s generally headed up by an eminent person, so the findings are often used to then settle or inform public debate about important issues. So, we thought it was the right mechanism to use to deal with such a controversial issue—namely, what role South Australia can and should play in the nuclear fuel cycle.”
“In a carbon constrained environment,” says Mr. Weatherill, “where large sections of the world’s population are relying upon nuclear power to provide a source of carbon free energy production, we need to give consideration to what role we play in that nuclear fuel cycle—because of that global effort
In the case of a Royal Commission, it can often be some time before a judgment is made, and there is not always a fixed time scale involved. But Mr. Weatherill believes it won’t be too long before a decision is reached: “It’s estimated at
Premier Jay Weatherill speaking will Karl Stefanovic on the Today show outside the Adelaide Oval 18
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Welcoming Indian fans to the ICC World Cup at the Adelaide Oval
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Jay Weatherill Australand
“The depleted price of resources in the state is a matter still needing to be addressed, as prices promise not to rise in the next two years. There has been a substantial drop in prices of many commodities, but certainly not all. Copper is the most significant of South Australia’s commodities, and that in the long-term still has a strong outlook.“ - Jay Weatherhill about twelve months, but we can’t be certain. It really depends on the nature of the material that’s assembled and how the evidence unfolds.” The Labor party was an early supporter of nuclear power, but with the threat of nuclear accident and proliferation growing in the second half of the twentieth century, the party shifted to strongly opposing any involvement in the nuclear fuel cycle, including mining. Over time that stance has altered, due in the most part to growing social concerns, the most recent of which is climate change. As circumstances change, so too has the party position, and Mr. Weatherill believes community sentiment has likewise shifted. “I think people are much more open minded about the debate,” he says. “They obviously still carry concerns about this industry, but I think people are open to understanding the risks and the opportunities associated with our involvement in the nuclear fuel cycle. I’m open minded about it, I have moved from a position of opposition to one of open mindedness, and that’s where I am at the moment.” When asked about possible opposition from environmental lobbyists on the issue, Mr. Weatherill agrees that there is by no means unanimity: “Yes, there has been some concern expressed about that, although I think most people are welcoming 20
of the opportunity for the matter to be discussed in an orderly and reasoned fashion. The same people who might have very strong views of opposition I think will also cooperate with the enquiry and seek to advance their arguments to the enquiry.” The depleted price of resources in the state is a matter still needing to be addressed, as prices promise not to rise in the next two years. There has been a substantial drop in prices of many commodities, but certainly not all. Copper is the most significant of South Australia’s commodities, and that in the long-term still has a strong outlook. “[Copper] will be the centerpiece of our resources strategy,” says Mr. Weatherill. “And of course we’ve got renewable assets which are very prospective, and we have the largest proportion of the nation’s wind power that’s installed here, and a very substantial proportion of our solar power. There are bright points within the resources and energy sector.” In addition, the state still has substantial reserves of conventional gas and iron ore.“We’re continuing to advance on all fronts,” Mr. Weatherill says, “but obviously some of those resources have been affected by recent movements in price.” The Premier goes on to speak briefly about the government’s new taskforce to further encourage and support sustainable industries, announced in February’s Governor’s speech: “Green Industry SA is about taking the opportunities that exist for our leadership role in waste, and in water and in renewables, and turning them into an economic asset, and really matches up with our ambition to be the world’s first carbon neutral city, which is to drive not only important reputation, but also economic opportunities through innovation.”
Political Landscape With the political landscape in Australia continuing to shift, questions have been asked recently about a possible review of the remuneration of MPs. “I think it’s a question of reviewing [MP salaries] against comparable salaries for people within the private sector,” Mr. Weatherill responds, when asked for his opinion on the matter, “and
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Jay Weatherhill at walk together rally (refugee advocacy)
“Green Industry SA is about taking the opportunities that exist for our leadership role in waste, and in water and in renewables, and turning them into an economic asset, and really matches up with our ambition to be the world’s first carbon neutral city, which is to drive not only important reputation, but also economic opportunities through innovation.”
- Jay Weatherhill making judgments about what the relevant comparison is there. Whatever I think about it is irrelevant, because it should be determined, and we’ve said as a matter of policy it should be determined, by an independent body, rather than politicians setting their own salaries.” “The one thing I have made observations about is superannuation. In the most recent Governor’s speech we raised the issue of integrity in public
office as being a critical issue. We’re proposing to toughen up on what MPs can do after they leave politics in terms of lobbying and other activities, and in that context I think it is worth reflecting on the superannuation arrangements for politicians, which have recently been altered in a way which means there is no long term security for members of parliament.” Mr. Weatherill goes on to speak of the undesirable situation of MPs considering their next professional move whilst still undertaken a job in parliament, especially if they are making decisions which potentially could upset large, powerful interests and thereby reduce their marketability in a post-political career. “We think that there should be enforceable periods of exclusion about how people advance their post-political careers,” Mr. Weatherill says. “It undermines confidence in government decision making if people turn up shortly after being a member of parliament, especially one with substantial responsibilities in certain sectors of the economy, and then you see somebody 21
Jay Weatherill Australand
“We think it’s unacceptable that teaching is one of the easiest subjects to get into, when we want to have the very best students teaching the rest of our community, and allowing them to grow and to be successful both in work and also in life. - Jay Weatherhill end up in that sector. I think that needs to be set off against the integrity of our political process.” Considering the economic issues currently being experienced in SA, is there a clear economic problem with the government being the largest employer in the state? “SA has always required a strong role for the state,” Mr. Weatherill responds. “It’s a small economy, away from large population centres, with a very large landmass, and one of the most sparsely populated communities in the nation. So, it’s an expensive place to run, and it does require an assertive role for government.”
Premier Weatherill at a recent cabinet meeting
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The Premier concludes, however, that ultimately the prosperity of the state will depend upon a mixed economy driven by private sector investment. In that respect, the SA government is focused on reaching out to the nation and the rest of the world, presenting coherent investment attraction and trade based strategies, and maintaining an open and outward economic stance. “We accept our responsibility to play a leadership role,” Mr. Weatherill says, “but ultimately we believe it will be down to the private sector to make all the key decisions about the way the economy runs.”
Community Spirit It is clear that the Premier believes in the power of a united community to help improve South Australia’s fortunes. The community always comes first, and this can be seen in the government’s commitment to helping with bushfire recovery. Assistance is first offered to those who have suffered the most immediate loss, in terms of homes, farms and businesses losing economic assets. In these cases, support is given in terms of accessing insurance, government grants
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Jay Weatherhill speaking at Telsta Business Women’s Awards
or any other funds that are available to assist recovery. Equally important is the broader recovery necessary to rebuild those parts of the community damaged by the fires: “these fires are often very frightening experiences,” Mr. Weatherill says, “even for people that haven’t been directly affected, or even particularly damaged in terms of their property.” Exposure to bushfires can create substantial psychological issues, and it is important to identify people who might be having delayed reactions to the experience and ensure the right health and wellbeing services are available. Karlene Maywald, a former minister, has recently been appointed as recovery coordinator, and is supervising the effort in the wake of recent fires. A key area of upcoming change for communities is in education, where a new ruling will come into effect in 2020 for all teachers to hold a Masters qualification, an effort to lift standards in local education. But with a high percentage of dropouts from higher classes in teaching across the previous decade, is this scheme not merely creating more of a burden for the nation’s youth attempting to enter the field of teaching?
“We want teaching to be high status and well rewarded, but most of all we want to attract the best and brightest into the teaching profession,” Mr. Weatherill replies. “We think it’s unacceptable that teaching is one of the easiest subjects to get into, when we want to have the very best students teaching the rest of our community, and allowing them to grow and to be successful both in work and also in life. There couldn’t be anything more central to the health of a nation than the quality of its teaching, investing in our children. So, we do want to lift standards, and one way which we can do that is to lift educational qualifications.” The recent Governor’s speech saw many of South Australia’s key issues addressed, and Mr. Weatherill certainly seems determined to ensure a bright future for the state. As we reach the halfway point of the decade, the introduction of key economic and sustainability initiatives has put SA well on the way to achieving its key goals by the end of the decade, and the Premier is leading the way in pushing for success. 23
Tonsley
Tonsley:
South Australia’s New Haven of Innovation
A former car factory in Adelaide’s south is now blazing a trail as Australia’s premier Innovation District. The former Mitsubishi factory at Clovelly Park was a southern suburbs icon for more than 40 years, but after the plant’s closure in 2008, the 61-hectare site was ripe for redevelopment. Now, almost three years into a 20year redevelopment project, Tonsley is transforming into a world-class collaborative, innovative precinct - already home to 880 jobs, with scope for thousands more. With collaboration at its core, Tonsley represents a $253 million State Government investment and integrates on the single site industry, research, education, training, retail, residential living and community. Tonsley has already attracted significant investment from companies such as global technology giant Siemens, Hills (whose Innovation Centres will foster innovation in health and medical technologies), medical device company Signostics and clean energy company ZEN Energy Systems. Nearby is Flinders University, which recently (March 10) unveiled its new $120 million flagship Flinders at Tonsley building, and TAFE SA’s Tonsley campus for all building and construction trade training in Adelaide – which also houses the newly opened Onshore Petroleum Centre of Excellence. Tonsley is about new ways to capitalise on our collective talents to stimulate jobs growth. While other Australian states have long talked about creating a precinct of this nature, South Australia is the only state to have achieved it – and it’s open for business.
A New Model Of Public Investment
By Kyam Maher, South Australian Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation
Tonsley supports the South Australian economy by helping companies to move up the value chain in terms of global competitiveness, growing those firms, their networks and the key industry sectors that drive prosperity. It encourages the creation of clusters focused on: • mining and resources • clean-tech and renewable energy • health and medical technologies • sustainable building products and services. Partnerships between industry and research institutions will be fundamental to innovation and future prosperity.
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A feature of Tonsley TAFE is a large and flexible learning space
These four main market sectors align with the State Government’s 10 economic priorities, which aim to foster economic growth and job creation. The State Government is committed to accelerating advanced manufacturing by supporting new smart specialisation clusters and precincts where future industries can work together to innovate, create jobs and secure export growth. The 880 jobs already on site will potentially grow to 6,300 when the site is fully occupied, while 800 workers helped build the major infrastructure to date. There are also 6,500 students per year so far, with a target of 8,500 students on site. For companies wanting to accelerate their success, Tonsley is a “high metabolism precinct” which supports collaborative thinking, discussion and new ideas. It’s a place where collaboration results in innovation and the commercialisation of high value products and services. South Australian Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation Kyam Maher at a recent Tonsley milestone industry event
Siemens Australian Chief Executive Jeff Connolly said Tonsley’s vision helped Siemens decide where it wanted its business to go in South Australia: 25
Tonsley
“The State Government is committed to accelerating advanced manufacturing by supporting new smart specialisation clusters and precincts where future industries can work together to innovate, create jobs and secure export growth.” “For a business creating technology for a sustainable future, it was a natural progression of our commitment to doing business in South Australia. Our 2,500 square metre energy workshop, on track for completion next month (April), will house a maintenance and repair facility to service our energy technology business. It will be able to overhaul larger equipment locally for the oil and gas industries, instead of sending it offshore to South Africa, Asia, the United States and Europe, which adds four to six weeks to a job. At Tonsley, we are closer to our customers and can be more responsive to critical local industries. There is also scope to attract work from customers in Queensland and Western Australia, which would otherwise go offshore. Industry reference groups guide the course design and content at Tonsley TAFE
Our move to Tonsley comes at a perfect time for Siemens as we are making a serious push to be more relevant in the oil and gas markets, with recent acquisitions of US oil-equipment manufacturer Dresser-Rand Group and Rolls Royce Energy, global suppliers to the sector. It also gives South Australia an opportunity to lead Australia’s participation in Industry 4.0, or the 4th industrial revolution.” Very close to the Siemens site at Tonsley is the iconic South Australian technology and communications company Hills, which has relocated its Hills Innovation Centres from Hindmarsh. Hills will develop and manufacture medical devices and offer investment, business assistance and advanced manufacturing support to new start-ups. It received funding through the Next Generation Manufacturing Investment Program, a partnership between the state, Victorian, and Australian governments as part of its response to the closure of Holden’s car making operations in 2017.
High Impact Solutions To Real-World Problems
Flinders University’s flagship building at Tonsley
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Bold in both structure and vision, Flinders University’s flagship building will house its School of Computer Science,Engineering and Mathematics, the Flinders Medical Device Research Institute, Flinders Partners, and the Centre for Nanoscale Science & Technology.
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TAFE’s $120 million Sustainable Industries Education Centre brings together building and construction training
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Tonsley
Industry reference groups guide the course design and content at Tonsley TAFE
Vice Chancellor Colin Stirling said Flinders at Tonsley will also become a hub for entrepreneurs and future employers working with the Flinders New Venture Institute to create next generation start-up companies: “By bringing together the very best students, researchers and entrepreneurs in a collaborative environment we can build links, and foster knowledge-exchange, in ways that build businesses and enhance impact. Our students will enjoy “hands on’’ experiences in engineering – from aircraft wings and autonomous underwater vehicles – located in a 2,000 square metre“pod’’ – to nanoscale devices and advanced manufacturing techniques. In the Flinders’ Medical Device Research Institute – led by director Professor Karen Reynolds – researchers are using a $1m robot to study human joint movements. This will enable the design and manufacture of more efficient, longer-lasting joint replacements for what is predicted to be a $16bn global market.” At the helm of Tonsley’s next phase of development is former Oz Minerals chief Terry Burgess, who was last year appointed by the government as Chair of the Tonsley Project Steering Committee: “I’m really excited to be associated with it. Importantly, unlike remote business parks or isolated campuses, the precinct will be closely integrated into the local community providing work, housing and recreation. 28
The precinct will enable, encourage and support collaboration and innovation, and the site provides companies with direct access to a pool of talented future employees via the TAFE and university. Commercialisation programs on site will help innovators to take new ideas to market. “I believe the development of Tonsley has the potential to make the precinct one of the leading Innovation Districts in the world.”
Driving Growth Into The Future The next phase of Tonsley’s investment attraction efforts are underway, with the State Government working to achieve land sales and leasing arrangements that will contribute to the attraction of an estimated $1 billion of private investment during the 20-year life of the project. A Memorandum of Understanding was recently signed with Prospect SV in Silicon Valley, to help local cleantech innovators to better access overseas markets, networks and sources of capital. It will also bring overseas cleantech innovation into Tonsley. Tonsley’s green credentials are impeccable, with a major three megawatt capacity solar electricity generation project under development - one of the largest solar installations in the state’s history. Origin Energy will partner with Tonsley-based ZEN Energy Systems to install the solar array on the old
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Every aspect of TAFE SA’s Sustainable Industries Education Centre reflects industry workshop conditions
Mitsubishi Main Assembly Building, which is the physical heart of the precinct. This will not only support the State Government’s renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2025, it will also reduce costs for tenants. Tonsley is also on track to become one of only a handful of sites in Australia to achieve the five star Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) ‘Green Star – Communities’ rating. Along with Siemens, Tonsley’s target sectors of mining and resources have two other significant facilities. One is the Onshore Petroleum Centre of Excellence, a partnership between the state government and Santos, Senex Energy, Beach Energy and TAFE SA. Students at the centre are training in petroleum production and maintenance operations in a fully simulated environment, avoiding costly fly-in, flyout training arrangements. The $32.2 million Drill Core Reference Library, which began construction in January, and will start receiving the state’s treasure trove of drill cores towards the end of the year. Housing more than 7.5 million metres of drill core material currently held in four libraries across the state, the library will be the one-stop-shop for industry and geoscience explorers seeking easy access to the State’s inventory of drill cores
generated from historical and recent exploration – enabling companies to better target future discoveries.
Opportunities There are several ways for investors to have a presence at Tonsley: through membership of Tonsley’s co-working space (Co-HAB, which opens next month); through Flinders NVI’s facilities, by leasing a Pod in the Main Assembly Building; or on a freehold allotment in the land surrounding the Main Assembly Building. The State Government is also demonstrating how it can support and co-invest in elements within the site, such as the Flinders Engineering Pod, which houses a heavy engineering technical services workshop and laboratory facilities for its civil, mechanical, and maritime engineering courses and research. A residential development on site will provide housing, built to 21st Century environmental and design guidelines. 850 dwellings will house 1,200 residents, some of whom will work or study on site and others who will have easy access to businesses in the City of Marion or via the newly electrified Tonsley train line to the Adelaide CBD. A strong precinct brand, inclusive governance and a vision for the future will ensure Tonsley retains its unique benefits long into the future. www.tonsley.com.au
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Basetec Services
Basetec Services
Taking South Australia Worldwide By Nicholas Paul Griffin South Australia-based Basetec Services, a leading manufacturer of composite pipelines for major projects in Queensland and across the country, is well known amongst the oil & gas, mining, energy and water industries for producing innovative composite materials which have greater corrosion resistance and durability than similar steel pipelines. Basetec has forged a reputation as a leader in composite technologies thanks largely to its commitment to research and development activities, which has resulted in expansion and innovation of its Novafast product range.
Charles Figallo As the company’s founder and Managing Director, Charles Figallo is well acquainted with the industry within which they work. Primarily self-taught in his area of expertise, Mr. Figallo describes his introduction to the business as something of a grasped opportunity: “I got involved in this industry simply because I was working on a project and I overheard some engineers talking about a problem they were facing. I told them even though they were a bit unfamiliar with how to take on the problem, I made it very clear to them that I could fix it for them.� Basetec Services/Novafast Managing Director Charles Figallo
US Ambassador Jeffrey Bleich & Charles Figallo
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This simple intervention soon led to Mr. Figallo being approached to provide assistance on the project, and subsequently offered a contract for his services. From that moment a business began to grow. This initial contract was followed by approaches from other companies facing similar problems, and further opportunities for work soon presented themselves. More recently, major projects in affiliation with Olympic Dam and BP in Brisbane, has propelled him into an entirely new sphere of business opportunity. With his ongoing work in the Middle East, Mr. Figallo was also approached to become a member of the Australian-Arab Chamber of Commerce. For several years he has been taking his industry knowledge to Iraq, Abu Dhabi and Jordan, where a number of high profile contacts have been secured.
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His Excellency Dr Hassan El-Laithy, Ambassador of Egypt and Charles Figallo, Basetec Services/Novafast
Just recently he has begun to receive offers from These two separate parts of the company work countries in Africa to visit and undertake new projects. effectively along side each other to deliver the company’s core vision. The Basetec arm of the Mr. Figallo’s two sons are also a part of his business, business continues to oversee the mechanical having worked with Basetec for over ten years, and engineering and civil work, putting together plants are heavily involved in the Middle East connections. and pipes, trenching, digging, laying and assembly Working in conjunction with the Australian-Arab work, before commissioning and handing over to the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Figallo and his sons client. NovaFast takes care of the design and highhave made great technical input into the region, pressure work, building and designing some of the utilising Basetec’s solid relationship with a number of highest-pressure pipes in the world, an endeavour Australian universities to adopt testing and technical which has produced an influx of enquires from all facilities to provide a high technological advantage. over the globe. When the New Guinea government requested his help with a project on a water plant in West New Development in Tonsley Britain, a failing plant that was tainting the town’s water, In the coming months, Basetec will be investing Mr. Figallo won a large contract with the company to $9 million to establish facilities at Tonsley, located fix the problem, and from there the Basetec business just 10km south of Adelaide CBD, including a grew into the company it has become today. Basetec Centre of Excellence in Composites Research and was officially formed eighteen years ago, and at its Development. The project represents a union with height was home to around 75 employees and several other National companies, a relationship promising contractors. Today the number employed is 25, as a to greatly increase the export potential for Basetec’s lot of the mining and energy work has scaled down products and services, as well as offering a chance since the company’s inception. But Basetec has to increase the scale and scope of their investment in embraced a slightly different model in expanding its South Australia companies. business, realising the benefits of working overseas and initiating in response the technical arm of the With the assistance of $1.5 million in funding from the business, NovaFast, through which it has developed State Government, the proposed Centre of Excellence its own products and technologies. It is the NovaFast will be used for research discoveries, postgraduate arm which works closest with Australia’s universities, education, national and international linkages and providing equipment for students and forming commercial outputs. The Centre will allow Basetec to pursue opportunities to apply its composite valuable working partnerships. 31
Basetec Services
technologies to the defense and marine sectors, particularly the locally built Air Warfare Destroyers. Many industry leading organisations such as BHP Billiton, Santos and SA Water have already pledged support to the Tonsley development, but the major players at this stage of the project are Australia’s universities. “Tonsley has become a much needed opportunity for South Australia to showcase our young engineers and our Centre of Excellence in this region of work,” Mr. Figallo says. “We believe it’s very important in this business to be in close relations with our universities, and it is being recognised this way through the Middle East, through Europe, through Asia, and I’ve had some great support from other parts of the world.”
“Tonsley has become a much needed opportunity for South Australia to showcase our young engineers and our Centre of Excellence” - Charles Figallo The completed Centre of Excellence will allow university students to develop hands- on engineering skills with composite materials, as well as assisting local and international companies with complex composite design and engineering excellence. It will provide help for engineers in selecting the right material for their critical processes and gain a better understanding of composite products, as well as providing engineered solutions for industry through research and development collaborations. Tonsley offers students a chance to develop into bluecollar workers with high technical training skills behind them.This means opening up a wealth of opportunities for success in the industry, and providing them with the necessary training to be forefront leaders.
Basetec Services Staff 32
The global appeal of Tonsley is already evident, with governments across the world— including Asia , Russia, Poland and several Middle Eastern countries—already showing increased interest in the project, opening even more international doors for Basetec. There is significant value in Basetec being a part of the Tonsley project, as it will create huge opportunities for the future of the industry, not just in terms of creating jobs, but also in terms of encouraging the flow of young people from the country’s universities into the future of the sector. Mr. Figallo admits that it is worth investing an extra few
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“There is significant value in Basetec being a part of the Tonsley project, as it will create huge opportunities for the future of the industry, not just in terms of creating jobs, but also in terms of encouraging the flow of young people from the country’s universities into the future of the sector. “ 33
Basetec Services
Basetec Services Staff
hundred million dollars in order to keep these kinds of opportunities in Australia. “We need the technology, if we lose the technology, we lose our edge in business. And so the Tonsley project is a must for this country, and especially for the state just as the submarines are.”
NovaFlo GRE Operating in conjunction with a wide portfolio of clients, Basetec is currently involved in a number of key projects, across Australia and further afield, that have helped build the company’s national and international profile. One such project is the Santos Gladstone liquefied natural gas project in South East Queensland, involving the design and supply of approximately 75km of high-pressure NovaFlo Glass Reinforced Epoxy (GRE) composite pipes, facilitating oil production flow lines between wells in the outback. Basetec’s position as the leading Australian company working with composite piping, coupled with the international recognition garnered from continuing work in Africa and the Middle East, made them the perfect choice for the contract. Further NovoFlo composite piping was used in the process at the Ichthys gas project in Darwin, NT. This project fell into Basetec’s hands after the failure of an existing overseas company to meet procurement requirements, highlighting the company’s reputation for providing reliable and highly skilled work. Likewise, NovaFlo will be utilised on the current project for Origin Energy in Port Campbell, at the Otway Basin gas plant, involving refurbishment work on production lines and pipeline. Over the years the company has fostered a good working relationship with local service providers SA Water, having worked together several times in the past, on multiple projects. Currently, Basetec is 34
involved in work at the Bolivar water treatment plant, initiating an upgrade. Basetec has for many years maintained a good relationship with the SA Water, regularly receiving representatives at its offices, and commissioning work on mainly material related problems. The company’s expertise in materials technology and continuing positive presence in the region has helped this relationship to stay strong and produce impressive results.
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Installation of piping onsite
“We need the technology, if we lose the technology, we lose our edge in business. And so the Tonsley project is a must for this country, and especially for the state just as the submarines are.” - Charles Figallo In addition to important national and state projects, Basetec’s expanding overseas business has led to recent work with Petronas in East Malaysia. Regular visits to the country over the last six months, incorporating meetings and presentations in the stunning Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, have led to the company’s involvement in a project for an Eastern oil and gas plant. Once more, NovaFlo piping will be installed to process transfer lines. The relationship with Petronas was developed through the oil and gas giants’ involvement in the Santos project, representing a huge advantage for Basetec, since gaining references and winning contracts in this business, especially overseas, are by no means easy tasks. One of the company’s major contracts has been with key South Australia mining centre, Olympic Dam. The relationship began several years ago, when Mr. Figallo was contacted by a company in Perth,
requiring assistance in fixing a problem with piping carrying sulphuric acid. On approaching the company, Basetec discovered that the wrong information and components had been supplied, and stepped in to take over the remainder of the project. Through this company’s existing association with Olympic Dam, Basetec’s affiliation began. From then on, Basetec began to receive bigger orders, commissioned to design and build anything from chemical settler tanks through to storage pressure vessels, all for chemicals and water. Since then the company has nurtured a long and fruitful relationship with Olympic Dam, and is currently engaged in talks over several new projects, with the projects parent company BHP Billiton. Mr. Figallo concludes the interview by explaining what it is that makes his job so special. “The technical side of this work is massive,” he says. “Every day is a challenge. It’s not a nine to five job, it’s a 25-hour a day job, to work around the clock. And the team love it, they love the fact that they get to use their own skills and their own head, and they have to make a lot of their own decisions. It’s like going to outer space, where the technology is just immense. And that’s the same as our industry.” With its continuing work across Southern Australia, and expansion opportunities within higher education and overseas development, it looks like Basetec Services will be utilising this immense technology for many years to come. Pushing the industry towards the future and ensuring sustained local and worldwide success. 35
SACOME
South Australia:
The Saudi Arabia of Uranium By South Australian Chamber of Mines and Energy (SACOME) Chief Executive, Jason Kuchel
“Last financial year, South Australia produced 4,483 tonnes of Uranium Oxide at a mine gate value of $350 million which equates to a price of $35 per pound. While South Australia has the lion’s share of world resources it only contributes to 11% of production compared to Kazakhstan’s 38% and Canada’s 16%.” Uranium has been a part of South Australia’s mining history since its beginning, with ores mined from Mount Painter in the northern Flinders ranges, to mining at Radium hill, the world’s largest Uranium deposit at Olympic Dam and recent In-situ recovery mines on the edge of the Flinders Ranges. Presently South Australian Uranium is mined from hematite breccia complexes in the Gawler Craton or Sandstone hosted deposits in the Curnamona province. These two distinct regions contain 25 percent of the world’s global economically demonstrable resources of Uranium compared to Canada and Kazakhstan’s 12 and 11 percent. This has led some commentators to declare South Australia as “the Saudi Arabia of Uranium”.
SACOME Chief Executive Jason Kuchel
Last financial year, South Australia produced 4,483 tonnes of Uranium Oxide at a mine gate value of $350 million which equates to a price of $35 per pound. While South Australia has the lion’s share of world resources it only contributes to 11% of production compared to Kazakhstan’s 38% and Canada’s 16%. It is no question that Uranium mining has played an important part in our States mining history. SACOME
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Drums of Uranium at the Beverly Uranium Mine
“While there are concerns about the current global market SACOME is confident that the industry in South Australia is resilient to cope with the current market conditions, and capable of ramping up when the market improves.” has always advocated for greater opportunities for the entire industry to develop into a sustainable and valued industry. It was a great surprise that the Premier Jay Weatherill announced a Royal Commission into the nuclear fuel cycle, providing the opportunity for a mature transparent discussion to discover where these opportunities lie for the South Australian Uranium Industry.
CURRENT MARKET While there are concerns about the current global market SACOME is confident that the industry in South Australia is resilient to cope with the current market conditions, and capable of ramping up when the market improves. Over the past decade production has remained constant while the mine gate value has increased by 9% per annum over this period. The Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011 combined with the Japanese Diet’s decision to shut down all reactors pending safety evaluations, has impacted on demand for fuel, along with the resulting glut in enriched Uranium and the Megatonnes-toMegawatts program to down blend Russian Nuclear weapon material into reactor fuel. 37
SACOME
Uranium Production in Tonnes
Uranium Value Mine Gate
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BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam Operation
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SACOME
“Asia has been and will continue to be a key trading partner in all mining and petroleum related industries. None more so than the Uranium and Nuclear industries.” In light of these recent events that have softened the Uranium market, the Japanese government is in the process of restarting their reactors after safety enhancements; the Megatonnes-toMegawatts program has ended; and the current list of 69 reactors under construction globally will result in the demand for South Australian uranium to increase once again.
ASIAN DEMAND Asia has been and will continue to be a key trading partner in all mining and petroleum related industries. None more so than the Uranium and Nuclear industries. Presently there are 25 reactors under construction in China, 6 in India, 5 in the Republic of Korea, 2 in Pakistan, 2 in Taiwan, 4 in the United Arab Emirates, and a further 25 globally. Further to these reactors under construction there are 110 reactors planned and 180 proposed in the Asian region. With our closest neighbour Indonesia planning one and proposing four reactors. To put this in perspective for demand of Uranium, the list of reactors above would require approximately 19,800 tonnes per year for those planned and 31,270 tonnes per year for those proposed compared to our present average production of 4,500 tonnes per year. This is just the Asian market ignoring the planned and proposed developments in Europe, Middle East, North and South America. In addition to the restart of 50 reactors in Japan that are due to pass safety inspections over the coming years.
LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES
Drums of Uranium at Heathgate’s Beverly Mine
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While nuclear will be a big development for the Asian region, Australia has opportunities that can expand and reenergise the Uranium industry at home. The first step will be realising the public’s positive
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perception towards Uranium, and South Australia is the perfect place to start. Last year SACOME published the results of a Uranium attitudes survey conducted by an independent third party. What we found surprised and reaffirmed a belief that the public’s attitude was not as negative as portrayed.
“Privately at home, 55 percent of respondents indicated that they supported the Uranium industry and 54 percent agreed with its continued development.
Privately at home 55 percent of respondents Clearly showing that while the overall realistic indicated that they supported the Uranium attitude is positive, the imagined perception industry and 54 percent agreed with its continued is negative. This more positive, open view development. Borrowing from a Canadian survey appears to be reinforced by the public and the conducted by CAMECO respondents were also media’s response to the recently announced asked what they thought their peers and community at large though. Of those that responded positively Royal Commission.” only 18 percent indicated that the rest of the community had a positive view. Clearly showing that while the overall realistic attitude is positive, POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES the imagined perception is negative. This more positive, open view appears to be reinforced by Presently South Australia is only involved at the the public and the media’s response to the recently mining and milling stages of the nuclear fuel cycle and any expansion into a facility to enrich, announced Royal Commission. process, or store nuclear and radioactive materials would require legislative changes. Presently there are Federal and State prohibitions to store spent ROYAL COMMISSION nuclear fuel or to construct a nuclear facility. After As previously mentioned, in February this year assessing the direction to take from the Royal Premier Jay Weatherill announced that he would Commission these legislative changes would need initiate a Royal Commission into our (South to occur as a second step. Australia’s) role in nuclear energy. SACOME welcomed the royal commission decision as it If the State and Federal government allows an has been a core part of our advocacy that when expansion into the entire nuclear fuel cycle there debating and discussing sensitive topics there is are great opportunities in spent nuclear fuel sensibility, rigour, and openness in the process. management and use of South Australian uranium Furthermore it took great political courage to in local reactors. This new industry has been touted initiate this review in light of perceptions, and by commentators and those within the industry as something that can bring billions in investment, political maturity to have bipartisan support. and make hundreds of millions in revenue for the The Royal Commission has powers as outlined State. in legislation to inspect any land, building place or vessel, and any goods or other things as they In the United Kingdom they are current undertaking see fit. The chair can summons persons they think a review of the GE-Hitachi PRISM reactor that has fit to come before them and require answers or the benefit of taking the spent fuel or other nuclear returns to inquiries, in addition to any documents wastes, processing them into fuel bundles, and or records. All witnesses are examined on an oath, consuming the waste in a fast reactor. This is one affirmation or declaration and cannot be misleading example of many where South Australia could lead the world in mining and managing our Uranium or evasive in their testimony. from cradle to grave. It could also mean collecting SACOME hopes that due to the formality and payments from other countries for consuming their independence of the Royal Commission this waste for the benefit of South Australia. process will be a proper effort to analyse the merits of further engagement in the nuclear fuel cycle By taking the lead of those that have embraced the in a logical, scientific and open manner rather full nuclear fuel cycle, defining and implementing than resorting to prejudices, out dated fears and the best standards based on objective scientific analyses, combined with a supportive population irrational doubts. and the largest global resource, the uranium industry has a bright future for South Australia. 41
Bower Construction
Bower Construction ALL IN THE FAMILY By Nicholas Paul Griffin
Adelaide Local business has not been helped by the increase in recent requirements for workplace health and safety, which are not relevant to contractors experienced in the residential renovation and extension projects. The requirements of these standards are too onerous from a cost perspective for contractors to undertake these projects. As it is, individual renovations are amounting to individual contract values close to $3 million. These burdens are forcing good trades from the industry, meaning some contractors are taking full time positions, as salaries are equal to the income gained from running a team of contractors. Nevertheless, Bower Construction continues to thrive in the area. In recent years, the company has been the recipient of several major awards, including the two highest gongs for residential renovations in the 2014 Master Builders awards—the 2014 Renovation under $1 Million for the Medindie Project, and the 2014 renovation over $1 Million for the Hawthorn Project. Director Piers Bower
Bower Construction & Design is an Adelaidebased construction company synonymous with quality and renowned for bringing architectural vision to life through excellent workmanship and use of the finest materials. A family company through and through, Bower Construction was founded by Robbie Bower in the 1970s, representing a groundbreaking move for women in the construction industry in Adelaide. Bower Construction specialises in high end residential and commercial construction, embracing an awareness of the needs of top tier residential builders to supplement their portfolio with commercial construction and development projects in order to thrive. Adelaide has seen a recent increase in the acceptance of high-rise and high-density living, with inner city apartment construction exploding, as well as high-density developments close to town. 42
One of the people now in charge of the company is Mrs. Bower’s son, Managing Director Piers Bower. Mr. Bower studied at St Peters College before moving on to a Building Engineering course at the University of South Australia. After a move to Sydney, a secondment in Darwin soon followed, which saw him working for St Hilliers Construction, honing his skills on commercial projects of up to $50 million. Prior to his time in Sydney, he was an employee of the family business at a site level, during his school and University years, learning the business from the inside. In 2000, Mr. Bower returned from Sydney to rejoin the family business, and has since been joined by brother Josh who is now also a director. Mr. Bower’s role includes the overseeing of project management and site supervision on many of the company’s ongoing projects. In addition, he is responsible for accounts, estimations and cost reporting, as well as ensuring that the projects meet the required performance standards and comply with contract specifications. The mainstay of the company’s operation remains working on high-end residential projects with Adelaide’s top architects,
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Kitchen interior of the MBA Award Winning Hawthorn property for rennovation and extension in the category of $1 million plus
a list that includes Williams Burton Architects, as well as maintaining an in-house design service. In addition, the company stays committed to dealing with just a select group of suppliers and contractors, in order that the highest standard of materials and workmanship are consistently maintained. Over the last decade, the company has grown significantly in both scope and size, with turnover rising from around $2 million to a projected turnover approaching $10 million. In that same period, the company’s modest workforce has grown significantly to reflect the developing needs of the business, with the company now employing a dozen employers.
Master Builders Award In the last half decade, the company has twice received the Master Builders Award at the prestigious National Excellence in Building and Construction Awards. The first came in 2012, for the Crawford Residence in North Adelaide. When the company approached the project it was somewhat stuck in a time warp, with the terrace upon which it sat still reflecting the original ‘70s design. Good bones and great views were clearly in evidence, but bulky brick stairs cut the living areas in half and the cellular rooms didn’t inspire. Once removed, with little more than the shell and floor plate to remain, it was essential that whilst a sense of the original remained, new moves were not only evident but also celebrated. 43
Bower Construction
New extension of the Hawthorn property
By working through the clients’ existing and future needs, the horizontal zoning over three levels was improved. The clawing back of floor space previously given over to indents and light wells helped expand the property’s functional space. Moving the stairs to a single run of suspended treads opened the front to the back, but resulted in structural gymnastics that impacted on the interior space. Addressing this is a ceiling that folds up and down, defining the functional spaces of dining, living, kitchen and circulation, and concealing new plant and new structure. Lighting recesses and LED strips reinforce these spaces, with a dramatic flair achieved by the plunging pendants over the stair landing. The Achilles heel of the original building was its low ceilings and lack of flexibility; the ceilings have since been manipulated and the level of flexibility increased, achieved by introducing bold structural changes that have all but removed them from the consciousness of the owners and visitors. Whilst virtually every external opening has been altered, the essence of this transformation from a tired but interesting 1970s time warp to a contemporary expression of 21st century urban ‘retirement living’, lives and breathes on its interior resolution, and refined execution of the external changes, a hard fought battle with a militant Strata Corporation. The second award win came in 2014, for the Fennell Residence in Hawthorn. This already substantial, multilevel villa house had served its purpose for the previous 44
www.AustralianBusinessExecutive.com.au owner, but for the new owner it had become outdated and undersized, both for the changing residential expectations and the open plan living now so common for a modern growing family. The decision was made to give over most of the existing house to the adults and guest wing and, in so doing, making substantial internal alterations to insert bathrooms and bedrooms into previous family zones and creating a new second storey zone dedicated to the owner’s young children. The kitchen and the double height void is the hub of the house, and the focal point of the plan, with the dining to the north and living to the south, and outdoor entertaining immediately in front, all overlooking the beautiful western vista of the tennis court and pool. These rooms embrace the potential of the orientation, enabling activities to be separate or conjoined. The structural steel stair has been lovingly wrapped in engineered oak boards and abuts a seven-meter limestone tiled wall. The external columns have been clad sympathetically in veneered sandstone, which blends seamlessly with the existing sandstone structure. Every available piece of roof space has been utilised to accommodate the electrical solar panels, solar hot water system and solar pool heater. Blinds are also being installed between the external columns to minimise the Western Sun. Whilst conceived as a major
renovation, the complete redefinition of the spatial flow of the house means the impact and functional transformation reflects that of a new dwelling.
Residential With a large portfolio of clients, Bower Construction is involved in many major residential projects throughout the region. Another of the company’s key designs and builds was undertaken at the Horbelt Residence in Aldgate. The Adelaide hills throw up such wonderful and surprising vistas, it’s a wonder so few houses seem to take up the opportunity to embrace them. This already substantial, single storey conventional house paid little heed to views down or up the valley, and was dislocated from the western garden, infinity edge pool and new tennis court that had been constructed a few years earlier. It also made very little of its northern orientation. The problem was how to address these inadequacies without completely overpowering the old house, which although hardly inspiring, was nevertheless solid. The majority of the existing house was converted into a wing for the children and guests, creating further room for the insertion of bathrooms and bedrooms. A new two storey living and ‘parents’ pavilion was then constructed, incorporating a first floor Master suite, retreat and
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New extension of the Hawthorn property
enviable north facing study. A new entry lobby became the central horizontal and vertical circulation core, and physical junction between old and new. The entry sequence remains an underplayed stroll through a courtyard, which then opens up upon entering a 1½ storey entry void, to the pool and valley beyond. A full height timber wall and cantilevered stair provide a fitting sculptural backdrop to a semi-formal dining area, which via the lower ceiling remains a human scaled area. With the kitchen and double height void once more representing the hub of the house, the northern light is invited in, creating a sense of space and connecting the kitchen with the adult retreat upstairs. The entire ground floor is designed to capture flow to outdoor areas and frame the valley vistas both to the east and west, whilst the upper level floor allows the previously unrealized garden along the southern escapement to be drawn into the house. Existing storm water discharge to the dam and subsequent re-use in irrigation has been upgraded. New evacuated tube gas boosted solar hot water has been added for the entire house. Expansion of the existing hydronic heater panel system, and inclusion of new electric under tile and in slab heating provides the best heating compromise. The existing HVAC system was extended to the lower levels and a new system installed for upstairs, which along with plentiful cross ventilation allows targeted cooling only when necessary. 46
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New extension of the Hawthorn property
Commercial Residential design trends have been making their way into commercial spaces for good reason, since half our waking lives are spent at the workplace. Making tenants, employees and customers comfortable can have a demonstrable impact on a company’s bottom line. The recent expansion into the commercial sector has seen Bower Construction move into the medical and wine industries, with its strong reputation proving enough to encourage referrals and approaches from commercial organisations looking for great design and execution for their projects.
to the detail of design, coupled with a substantial client list that is continuing to grow, suggests that, to add to its history, it is also a company with a bright future ahead.
Having now completed offices in Kent town for Aerotech Pty Ltd, a doctor’s surgery in North Adelaide and a cellar door in the Adelaide Hills for the Nepenthe winery, Bower Construction is quickly building the same reputation for itself in the commercial construction sector as it has long been famous for in the residential circle. The company’s commitment for the future is to continue to expand on the commercial and development sides of the business, whilst maintaining the core business of residential which has brought them so much success over the last few decades. With its commitment to quality and use of the finest materials, Bower Construction is a company building upon a rich history of serving the Adelaide area, offering an excellent service and working with some the biggest names in Australian architecture. It is clear the company sees plenty of further opportunities for growth in Adelaide, a region it has no plans to expand outside. This is a testament to the work it has already done in the city, and the reputation it has forged for providing high quality builds. Bower Construction’s wonderful attention 47
ASTRA Group Services
ASTRA Group Services: EMBRACING INNOVATION By Nicholas Paul Griffin
As joint founders and the business minds behind ASTRA Group Services, Shareholding Directors Anthony Beasley and Trevor Jones bring a wealth of experience across a variety of industries to a truly eclectic business model. Since its inception in 2005, ASTRA has developed a strong reputation in the marketplace as a results oriented organisation, committed to providing innovative, cost effective and sustainable solutions.
ASTRA Group Services Director Trevor Jones
Renowned for its ability to meet client needs, ASTRA remains wholly customer driven, providing a diverse range of services and training solutions to ensure businesses remain fully compliant, legislatively focused and successful for many years to come. As Mr. Jones recently told Australian Business Executive, “ASTRA provides true business solutions through partnering with clients for the purposes of risk and crisis management, audit and compliance, safety, security and health, training and organisational behaviour. Our success is demonstrated through innovation and independence of thought, but not intrusion. Our best for client approach ensures a proven ability to deliver service excellence.”
Making a Difference The men responsible for founding the company first met eleven years ago, whilst attending a management conference run by a shared employer. “As part of the conference we had to pair up with people that we hadn’t met before or didn’t know,” Mr. Beasley says, “and complete a series of activities and some sharing of ideas and thoughts throughout a week-long management leadership development program.” After the conference, the two men stayed in touch, helping each other to set goals and challenges for continued career development.
ASTRA Group Services head office in Brendale
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It wasn’t long before Mr. Jones had recognised an opportunity, believing it possible to provide the kinds of services both men were engaging others in at the same or better level of quality, pricing structure and flexibility. After contacting Mr. Beasley, ideas were discussed on how best to develop the training side
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Members of the Goodline workforce participating in the ‘Ford Crossing’ activity as part of the GOLD Goodline Organisational Leadership Developmen program
says. In that respect it was a breath of fresh air for him to be given the opportunity to prove himself in an industry he was as yet untested in. From there he went on to work with BMA, before moving on to the company that has since become Downer EDI Mining and from there to the formation of ASTRA. “My predominant career focus has been on training and people,” he says, “and has extended to include It is now almost a decade since the company began, risk and safety since working with Trevor.” and within that time there has been significant growth in the size and scope of the operation. Mr. In contrast, Mr. Jones has worked for several decades Jones tells us: “We’ve gone from the concept of two within oil, gas and mining. After joining the military guys working together to make a difference, through and completing an engineering apprenticeship, he to an organisation which supports the full supply spent nearly twenty years working offshore in the oil chain of health, safety, security and environment, and gas industry, taking in projects around the world in terms of training and risk management expertise. in various roles within Engineering Maintenance We also support leadership development for a broad and Construction. Before relocating to Australia, he range of clients across a number of industries, both spent three years working with Shell, in a Safety Engineering role. His track record once in Australia in Australia and overseas.” is equally impressive, having worked primarily in the The wealth of business experience amassed by major construction project arena, taking on roles at the two men at the helm of ASTRA has clearly some prestigious organisations such as Leighton helped expedite the success the company has been Contractors, Bechtel and Transfield Services, as building over the last ten years. Prior to the move into well as some of the major mining houses such as mining, Mr. Beasley was based in the food industry, Newcrest and BMA Coal. working for some time as a food chemist. After stints in Human Resources and Training and Safety had Range of Services provided further valuable experience, an opportunity presented itself for him to enter into the mining The demonstrated experience of the company industry, just as it hit a significant boom in the country. Directors has helped ASTRA embrace work across a diverse range of industries. Mr. Beasley’s expertise His introduction to the industry was with Anglo Coal and passion is in training and systems, an area where Australia, in particular undertaking some important he fosters a unique passion for innovative design and work at Anglo’s Callide Mine in Central Queensland. implementation. His specialism is the development “For a long time, mining had been known to be quite of systems that are welcoming and make sense to internalised, with people just moving from mine site the end user, as well in terms of integration into the to mine site, and in those days you often had to know wider Safety Management System. someone in the industry to get a leg in,” Mr. Beasley of the business. Mr. Beasley explains how things developed from there: “[Trevor] rang back about two hours later and said, ‘what am I talking about, how about you and I do this together?’” After a shared holiday with their families, and a few bottles of red wine, they decided to start the business. Within two months, ASTRA Group Services had been registered.
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ASTRA Group Services
Through its work designing fresh training programs, such as the BMA Training Tracks initiative for BMA—a scheme that has proved highly influential across the whole company and its contractors—ASTRA has been able to tailor its products to the particular sectors within which it is engaged.The company has been instrumental in establishing new operations for a current trend of explorers making the shift into coal mining, such as the Adani Group, a company that is already becoming highly regarded in the Queensland mining scene. ASTRA designed all the initial safety, risk management and training systems for Adani, which has recently made the move south from India, as well as assisting in the setting up of compliance requirements with statutory obligations in Australia. Innovation and creativity are clearly significant passions for Mr. Beasley, who credits the demands for being energetic, engaging and entertaining placed on him by his five children for encouraging his creative side. “Bringing that type of philosophy to dealing with adults, who’ve seen it all before, done it all before—they’ve been there, wrote the book, got the t-shirt—and now they want to either be challenged to learn something new or to get through something they should be quite familiar with painlessly; that in itself is a big challenge, and takes a
Anthony presenting the workshop topic of “Managing and Preventing the Risk of Workplace Bullying
fair bit of artistic ability to be able get that across the line, and it’s something that we pride ourselves on being able to do, through the application of games, creativity and innovation in our training programs.” Mr. Beasley provides an example of one of the recent success stories for the company in terms of its acclaimed training programs. “Most recently, with Peabody Energy Australia,” he says, “their Moorvale mine operation near Moranbah. Peabody recently has gone from being what’s known as a contract operations site, where they had a contract mining company doing the mining and processing for them; they have now taken on that role themselves and have directly employed people to do the mining and processing for them. So they’re now an owner-operator.” ASTRA was heavily involved in this reorganisation and the success of Peabody’s on-boarding program, including the training and preparation of the majority of the mine workforce. ASTRA delivered inductions to all employees, as well as standard operating procedure training, fitness for work training, fatigue management training, leadership training and the majority of the equipment training and assessment for their fleet of mobile plant equipment on site. “That was close to a 14 month operation for us,” Mr. Beasley says, “and sometimes there would have been up to twelve of our staff on site in any one week, working hand-in-hand with Peabody personnel.” Another of ASTRA’s top clients is one of Australia’s largest privately owned construction firms, Goodline. “We’ve enjoyed a long and very successful mutually beneficial arrangement with Goodline,” Mr. Beasely says, “from John [Kennedy] the owner through his senior management team. We’ve worked very closely with those guys, to help develop the internal potential of their supervisors, superintendents and managers, in being able to learn and hone skills in effective supervision, such as risk management, incident investigation, communication, time management, quality of products and how to present information.”
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ASTRA Group Services
Goodline GOLD program participants, working together as a close-knit group
The company’s work with John Kennedy and Goodline resulted in the establishment of a tailor-made scheme— the Goodline Organisational Leadership Development, or GOLD, program. GOLD is an eight-day program, and has been completed by a large percentage of leaders, from John himself to leading hands about to step-up to a supervisory role. The scheme required a huge amount of collaborative work to develop, and is now run for the company across the entire country, ranging from Western Australia to the Sunshine Coast. Its rollout has benefited a huge portion of Goodline’s workforce, proving highly successful in educating employees in their own version of a supervisory leadership development program. There is no doubt in Mr. Beasley’s mind of the worth of projects such as GOLD: “It’s been a fantastic outcome for us as well as Goodline,” he says.
In a struggling economy, ASTRA is always concerned with providing cost effective solutions. The company is currently developing plans for an initiative to provide its clients with access to quality contract professionals. In response to the broad spectrum of people recognised in their field through experience and qualifications, and the need in the current financial climate to get the most out of contracts and employees, ASTRA’s proposal is for its client organisations to have flexible access on an ‘as needs’ basis, rather than employing full time persons in varying disciplines. The initiative has already proven very popular, and represents a huge money saver for companies needing to tighten their belts, as well as providing an accessible and professional problem solving service.
The first step during interactions with any new client is to work closely with them and establish an understanding of the unique requirements for the job, or as Mr. Jones puts it, “to work with them to define the difference between what they want and what they actually need.” Often a client will approach with a view that has evolved from an experience or a stakeholder or shareholder claim or requirement, or an expectation to display a sense of due diligence or governance, and it is ASTRA’s job to be clear about the outputs and the deliverables, to make sure that the process and schedule for completion is right for the client’s needs. “Sometimes,” he says, “very often, we can offer a client a more effective solution to provide them what they need rather than just accepting what they want.” The main concern is always that the client goes away satisfied with both the process and the outcome.
The mining sector in Australia has been very good to ASTRA over the years, but it is by no means the limit to the company’s professional scope. Much of the work the company has been involved in over the last decade has been peripheral to mining, such as its work with a number of Port Authorities, with regard to construction, commissioning and operation of infrastructure. There is a big difference in the cultures between industries and what is required in terms of industry specific compliance. ASTRA’s achievements outside of the mining sector range from assisting flour milling companies and supermarket chains, to work undertaken on main roads and in conjunction with Queensland Health.
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Versatility
Mr. Jones is keen to make the point that ASTRA’s work stretches far beyond mining, an area for which they are renown. “We’ve also done a lot of work in the water infrastructure industry here in Queensland,” he says, “in terms of pipeline,
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construction, infrastructure commissioning, auditing on behalf of the government, auditing on behalf of the client. So, our business profile is much greater than mining.” ASTRA’s area of expertise is best described as the resource sector, and is likewise not limited to the bounds of Australia.“I’ve just come back from ten months in Senegal,” Mr. Jones continues, “commissioning and setting up the operation of the largest sand mine in the world. We do a lot, in a lot of different areas.” “The services we provide are translatable across any industry,” Mr. Beasley adds. “People need to be safe no matter whether they’re working in a hospital, or a food processing factory, or a mining site, or a space launch program. They all need some form of instruction and training.” It should be of little surprise therefore to see the company making the move into Local Government, a shift that came about through its work with the Isaac Regional Council in Queensland.
Para planks – Another Goodline GOLD program attempting the ‘Ford Crossing’ activity
ASTRA were drafted in to help the Council understand the safety culture, and to ensure compliance with their own Safety Management System, as well as tightening up understanding of its obligations under the harmonised Work Health and Safety Act and accompanying regulations. In effect, the shift across industries creates few problems for ASTRA to adapt and provide quality services; Local Government is similar to mining in that all bodies need to meet professional obligations, no matter which legislation it is working under. The focus for ASTRA has always been on helping clients provide safe systems, equipment and places of work. “We all have obligations,” Mr. Beasley says. “So, a lot of what we do is about helping people to translate that into everyday activities… to relay that from just a piece of paper… it’s that cognitive belief in being safe, rather than because they have an obligation to be safe. That’s a good challenge for us to face.” With the aid of some specialised professionals, and through the use of internalised resources, the company has recently developed its own Trademarked behavioral-based safety program to help clients embrace a change of belief system in the importance of health and safety beyond compliance. This program is available for clients to immediately rollout to initiate such an important change in thinking.
Professional Affiliations The ASTRA business model and reputation have created a platform for sustained growth, both within Australia and at an international level. This has resulted in establishing working partnerships 53
ASTRA GROUP
Members of the Goodline workforce participating in the ‘Ford Crossing’ activity as part of the GOLD program (Goodline Organisational Leadership Development) program
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Anthony Beasley and Professor Jan Thomas (USQ Vice Chancellor) signing MoU providing a pathway from VET to higher education
with other entities recognised for their products and service excellence. Most notably these include the Palisade Corporation out of New York, the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) and Celemi based out of Sweden. Through an ongoing arrangement with the Palisade Corporation, ASTRA is authorised to utilise the proprietary ‘@RISK’ software for short course introductions in the use of Monte Carlo simulation and probability analysis. In 2014, ASTRA established a formal arrangement with USQ to create a simplified access and entry model that encourages and promotes access to higher education. The Graduate Certificate, Masters and Doctoral programs in the Professional Studies pathway are tailor-made for those who wish to gain recognition for specific studies and projects undertaken in their workplace environment that result in a university qualification. A unique development opportunity for busy professionals, these pathways will open up opportunities for many people to access and complete higher education in a more simplified manner. The qualifications cater for individual specialisations given that the university programs are very much focused on the role and responsibilities’ of the entrants’ workplace experience and current project work. Learning Solutions Company Celemi offers a wide range of innovative and stimulating scenario-based leadership, problem solving, decision-making and business acumen training programs. These programs have been delivered worldwide to many market sector leaders and recognised blue chip organisations, with over 3.8 million people having completed their
programs since 1985. ASTRA has just been recognised by Celemi as a preferred facilitator of its programs across Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines. This is a further example of how ASTRA’s relationships with high profile organisations of international standing adds greater depth to its existing, and extensive, supply chain capability for the delivery of leadership, safety, risk management and training related services. It is clear that the two men at the head of ASTRA Group Services are first and foremost innovators. It is not enough for them to merely provide simple, tried-andtested solutions to clients, but the role of the company encourages outside-of-the-box thinking to achieve outstanding results and foster excellent company-client relations. Mr. Beasley tells us how they are often in the position of over-delivering to clients, taking huge pride in providing a memorable product. “Sometimes our clients are quite surprised by the depth and capability of what we can provide to them as a complete end-toend solution.” In this respect, the company takes great pride in the knowledge and performance of all staff, and the unique synergy it is able to offer its clients. The backbone to ASTRA is the dynamic and broadly skilled work team of professionals that rise up to any and all challenges.The team has been together through many great successes, all of which are attributable to their input, buy-in and commitment to excellence. The success of the company has been helped no end by the broad range of clients and sectors ASTRA has been involved with; as Mr. Beasley admits: “It’s not really anything that’s special that we do for any one particular industry, we do it for a lot of industries, and we really enjoy what we do, because what we do, we do well.” 55
Diabetes Australia - Vic
Diabetes Australia – Vic
Discusses the Dangers of the Disease Background Craig Bennett is a health economist by training (University of York) and a Fellow of the Australasian College of Health Service Management. He has held senior management positions in both the private and public health care sectors in Australia and overseas and has also worked for an international consulting firm and as an academic economist.
Craig Bennett CEO, Diabetes Australia – Vic
Craig took up his appointment as the CEO of Diabetes Australia – Vic in March 2013. Prior to this, he had been the CEO of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Melbourne from May 2004 and the Chief Executive of the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Perth from October 1998 until April 2004. Craig has long been interested in the economics of health; in hospitals; and in how different parts of the health system connect – particularly from a patient’s point of view. This is particularly relevant to his work with diabetes, as a study published in the Medical Journal of Australia last year indicated that about one in four inpatients in Melbourne public hospitals had diabetes. Clearly, this is a wakeup call about an issue that needs urgent and coordinated action by all those involved in our public health care system. Craig is very focused on developing strategies to assist in meeting this challenge.
Diabetes Australia recent media launch event
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In this profile, Craig explains the importance of tackling diabetes now and the multi-faceted work of Diabetes Australia – Vic.
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The Challenge of Diabetes Diabetes is a serious and complex condition, in which blood glucose is either not, or only partially, converted into energy. There are three main types of diabetes – type1, type 2 and gestational diabetes. There is no cure for type 1 diabetes, which tends to be diagnosed at an early age, but can occur later in life. There are many triggers for type 2 diabetes; some known, others not. It tends to occur later in life, although there has been a noticeable world-wide trend for teenagers to increasingly be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Lifestyle modifications can reduce the risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Gestational diabetes is diagnosed during pregnancy and resolves itself upon the baby’s delivery, but it is known that such mothers are at an elevated risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes later in life. There are a small number of other types of diabetes. Of several things, we are certain.
First, the overall statistics are truly daunting. Diabetes Australia estimates that about 1.7 million Australians live with diabetes and that about 2 million Australians are at risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes accounts for at least 85 per cent of all diabetes – a consistent proportion world-wide. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (2010), diabetes will account for the greatest single burden of disease in Australia by 2017. In 2014, almost 27,000 Victorians were diagnosed with diabetes – over 70 each and every day. Second, the physical complications of diabetes are dreadful. They include heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, vision loss and loss of limbs, to name but a few. People with diabetes are also at an increased risk of mental health conditions. Third, a number of rigorous international studies have shown that a healthy diet and regular physical exercise can reduce the likelihood of
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Diabetes Australia - Vic
Recent event at Federation Square Melbourne
being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes by about of different ages living with type 1 diabetes. In 60 per cent as well as ameliorate some of the addition, we work closely with almost 90 peer known complications. support groups spread throughout Victoria and have embraced social media as a powerful way Diabetes Australia – Vic of connecting with, and responding to, people living with diabetes. The first meeting of the Victorian Diabetics Association was held in the Melbourne Town The National Diabetes Services Hall on Tuesday 24 March 1953.
Scheme
Sixty-two years on, DA–Vic is a vibrant organisation with around 40,000 financial members – the leading charity and peak consumer body working to reduce the impact of diabetes in the Victorian community. We provide support, advice, advocacy, education and training to the more than 300,000 Victorians who live with type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes, as well as to their carers; we fund research; we forge partnerships with both public and corporate organisations; we work to reduce the rate of diagnosis of those Victorians at risk of type 2 diabetes; and we strive to raise awareness about diabetes as a serious and complex condition.
The NDSS has been funded by the Commonwealth Government since 1987 and is administered by Diabetes Australia. People with diabetes, who are registered with the NDSS, have access to a range of subsidised products, as well as advice and support services. As at 31 December 2014, almost 1.2 million Australians were registered with the NDSS. However, not everyone with diabetes is registered with the scheme and some people don’t know that they have diabetes – hence the estimate of 1.7 million Australians living with diabetes. Many more Australians either live with or care for someone with diabetes.
DA–Vic is particularly well known for the DA–Vic is the Victorian agent for the NDSS. diabetes camps we have run since 1954 to foster Throughout Victoria, there are over 1000 NDSS friendships and engender confidence in children 58
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into the psycho-social and behavioural aspects of diabetes – embracing issues as diverse as language, distress and depression, social stigma, preventing complications (eg hypoglycaemia, vision loss) and self-care activities. The ACBRD, led by its Foundation Director: Professor Jane Speight, acts as a national research centre; as a national resource; as well as a national voice. After just five years, the ACBRD has an impressive reputation - largely based on its high-quality, peerreviewed research publications and their impact on our thinking and our approach to diabetes. Dave Bradley runs to raise money for diabetes
Access Points (typically pharmacies), where registrants can access NDSS products and services.
The Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes In 2010, DA–Vic signed a collaboration agreement with Deakin University to establish the Australian Centre for Behavioural Research in Diabetes. The ACBRD is unique, with a dedicated focus on research
Life! Helping you prevent diabetes, heart disease & stroke Since 2007, DA–Vic has been funded by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services to deliver the Life! Program. Almost 60,500 Victorians have been referred to the program and over 36,400 have commenced the structured group courses or telephone health coaching designed to prevent diabetes, heart disease and stroke in the at-risk population in Victoria, which we estimate to be approximately
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Diabetes Australia - Vic
500,000. The Life! Program is the largest high-risk More broadly, we want all Victorians, whether they diabetes prevention program currently underway in have diabetes or not, to eat well and be physically Australia. active on a regular basis. We are therefore delighted to be the first ever official charity partner In conjunction with the DHHS, we are currently of the iconic Melbourne Food and Wine Festival evaluating the program’s effectiveness in reducing (from Friday 27 February until Sunday 15 March weight, waist circumference, body mass index and inclusive this year) and to present our signature so forth for participants, prior to the commencement festival event: Breakfast Around the Tan on Sunday of the next funding round. 15 March. In addition, we will be holding our first all-day Diabetes Expo at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday 23 May, with DA–Vic’s core message is that we want people with the format and contents largely determined by consumers. diabetes to live well.
Living Well with Diabetes
Generously supported by corporate sponsors, we hold regular half-day seminars: Living Well with Diabetes around metropolitan Melbourne and in Geelong. At these seminars, which are typically attended by up to 500 members and others, we offer information sessions by GP’s, psychologists, podiatrists, exercise physiologists, credentialled diabetes educators and dietitians, as well as cooking demonstrations by our high-profile Chef Ambassadors.
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DA–Vic and the Corporate Sector The NDSS and government funding for other specific programs typically account for about 60 per cent of DA–Vic’s annual revenue. The remaining 40 per cent is derived from membership fees, bequests, donations, our collection business and commercial partnerships.
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An outing at the 2014 Diabetes Junior Camp
Since 1997, we have operated a collection business in conjunction with Savers Australia Pty Ltd. Upon request or following regular bag drops, we collect unwanted clothing and small miscellaneous items from households around metropolitan Melbourne and then deliver them to Savers outlets, for which we receive a volume-specified payment. These items are then on-sold by Savers.
In 2013/14, DA–Vic generated an operating surplus of almost $1.6 million. As a not-for-profit organisation, all these funds were used to support the Diabetes Australia Research Program and the ACBRD.
We greatly appreciate our relationship with Savers and are well supported by the corporate sector via a number of other highly-valued commercial partnerships - but this represents only the tip of the iceberg!
Director Emeritus Professor Paul Zimmet AO, from the Baker IDI Heart & Diabetes Institute in Melbourne, has described the current situation with diabetes as a health tsunami. We do not believe that this overstates the current situation…
We promote workplace giving programs; run regular tax, Christmas and other appeals; and have introduced an innovative fundraising program: Friends of the CEO. Funds generated from this latter initiative are used for specific projects or programs, as agreed by my friends and me!
DA–Vic urges more of the Australian corporate sector to get involved and support our work. Statistically, one in three Australians will develop diabetes in their lifetime – in other words, one in three of all employees and customers – at an estimated total cost of $14.6 billion per annum, in 2010 dollars (Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 2013).
We do not raise funds by telephoning people; nor do we undertake on the street campaigns. In conjunction with Diabetes Australia, we have established a Melbourne-based National Diabetes Business and Community Advisory Board. This Board brings together business and community leaders who understand the challenge of diabetes and who want to assist us in raising awareness and, ultimately, generate major gifts to allow us to fund comprehensive and large-scale prevention programs.
Together with the corporate sector, we can do so much more.
Further details about our work, including our events, programs and other activities, are available from our website: www.diabetesvic.org.au Adjunct Professor Craig Bennett Chief Executive Officer Diabetes Australia – Vic
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Sydney Mining Club
“This Coalition Government Has Let Us Down”
Sydney Mining Club Founder Julian Malnic and NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee
“This Coalition Government Has Let Us Down” NSW Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee at the Sydney Mining Club By J. Landry
NSW is the worst state in the country for mining investment; behind even Victoria and Tasmania. 62
These are the facts the state is facing in the lead up to the March 28 election. The information from the Fraser Institute’s survey was a major talking point during NSW Minerals Councils CEO lunch address at the Sydney Mining Club.
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“When the Coalition was elected we were ranked 20th, now we’re 39th… something has gone backwards” said Minerals Council CEO Stephen Galilee. “We’re the least attractive state for mining.” During his hour long address, Galilee provided the ammunition to back up his claims as he pointed to exploration activity falling almost by half within a period of three years from 2011 to 2014. The effect being that 1 in 5 coal miners has been put out of work in the last 2 ½ years. ”We’ve had a frank discussion with the Premier”, he explained while urging reform on state mining issues in the lead up to the election. So, just how important is mining to the country? It’s a fundamentally popular industry in NSW. Consistently, for three years running there has been 70% support. Unfortunately, the government isn’t giving them the support they need. The state’s depleted mining scene is evident as the sector’s profitability reverses while simultaneously being hit with extra fees. “We’ve had new and increased fees on our sector… we’ve been seen as a cash cow… without any warning or consultation.” During his address Galilee also made special note of the visible radical environmentalists who are gaining media attention through both legal and illegal demonstrations, aiding negative coverage of the sector. The event, kicked off by Sydney Mining Club Founder and Chairman Julian Malnic was hosted to a packed house at the Tattersalls Club. Malnic used his introduction as an opportunity to speak about the issues that have held down the industry - the MRRT, land access issues and the carbon tax. The message from both Malnic and Galilee was blunt - NSW mining is not attractive to investors. They’re staying away, its hurting the state, and voters are noticing. The Minerals Council has made sure their message is visible as well. Their current advertising campaign is gaining significant traction and the organisation is working with the Newcastle Knights NRL club as part of their “Voice for Mining Family Day.” Yet despite the current NSW Government’s remarks of jobs and growth, Galilee had this to say about the Labor alternative, “it’s difficult to make an assessment on the Labor Party because they haven’t really talked about their policies.”
Stephen Galilee addressed a full house at the recent Sydney Mining Club event
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