BDmag Issue 06

OpenFund

Calling all investors

Festival of Change

Celebrating our change makers

Full STEM Ahead Townsville STEM Hub

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BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS WEEK 2018 PROUDLY SPONSORED

BY HAYS Townsville, 16th - 27th October 2018 BPW2018 provides a platform for all business and industry bodies to network, share knowledge on market trends, and obtain key career development skills. The events offer a low cost solution to both managers and staff to dedicate time to their professional development with most events offering industry CPD points.

BPW will have an event for all progressive business people, Directors through to Graduates, across professional services, construction and mining, commercial, government and not-for-profit sectors.

Visit hays.com.au/bpw for details and a regularly updated timetable of events.

For more information, contact Hays Townsville at nqevents@hays.com.au or 07 4771 5100.

Proud sponsors of 2018 Townsville Business Professionals Week include:

hays.com.au/bpw

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AUGUST - SEPTEMBER 2018 / Issue 06

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CONTENTS

06 BDAMBASSADORS

Gerard Wyvill & Kari Arbouin

08 ENGINEERED FOR SUCCESS

Stephen Phillips

13 CELEBRATING OUR CHANGE MAKERS

Festival of Change

15 DEVELOPING NETWORKS DevNQ

16 HAYS BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS WEEK

Networking & development

19 YES | MILLENNIALS ARE ENTITLED

Dr Joann Lukins

21 A NEW SCHOOL OF FISH

NQ Fishing Academy

23 TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL

36 TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF HEADWEAR

Delivering on Promises

Christie Millinery

24 CALLING ALL INVESTORS

39 A LIFT IN CONFIDENCE

OpenFund

26 A HEALTHY INVESTMENT

41 LOCAL VENUE LEADING THE $2BILLION WEDDING INDUSTRY

Mater Hospital redevelopment

29 FULL STEM AHEAD

Townsville STEM Hub

31 POINT OF SAIL

Race Week adding boom to the region

33 RETURN TRIP

Why travellers are returning to travel agents

35 FAMILY BUSINESS A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS Jean-Pierre Artisan Bakery

Queensland Plastic Surgery

Mercure Townsville

42 GROWTH FROM FAILURE

Kerry Spina

45 THE MAN BEHIND THE MUSIC

Tim Pellegrino

47 THE NEXT CHAPTER

Local Author Ian McIntosh

49 BURSTING AT THE SEAMS

Peta C Dressmaking

51 iNQ YOUNG INNOVATORS

Tristan Fivas

PUBLISHERS Maddy Voinea, Sarah Jones ADVERTISING Sarah Jones DESIGN Brooke Fowler, TBD Design JOURNALISTS Jade Kennedy, Julie Johnston PHOTOGRAPHY BlueKino COVER Stephen Phillips BD MAGAZINE 183 Ingham Road, West End QLD 4810, ABN 15 620 607 258, P. 0409 272 461, E. bdmag.com.au EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES sarah@bdmag.com.au All contents of BDmag are subject to copyright. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the publisher. The views and opinions of authors and advertisers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information at the time of print, the publisher accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors, omissions or subsequence including loss or damages from reliance on information in this publication.

ONE YEAR

2017 y t r a p nch BDmag lau

Startups, innovators, entrepreneurs, our regions real movers and shakers, the up-and-comers, our next generation of leaders who will drive this city forward. They are out there and they have extraordinary stories to tell.

As we celebrate 1 year of BDmag we THANK YOU, our valued readers, clients and contributors who have exhibited tremendous levels of support. You have proven that Townsville is ready to embrace the emerging pillars that will hold our city high.

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BD AMBASSADORS THESE LEADERS ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF INNOVATION AND DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THEIR FIELD. STRIVING TO IMPROVE NOT ONLY THEIR OWN BUSINESS, BUT OUR CITY’S PROSPERITY AS A WHOLE. OUR BDAMBASSADORS WILL BRING YOU REGULAR UPDATES ON THE LATEST NEWS, ADVANCES AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS WITHIN THEIR INDUSTRIES. THIS ISSUE WE SPEAK WITH HEALTH AMBASSADOR GERARD WYVILL AND EDUCATION AMBASSADOR KARI ARBOUIN.

As a not-for-profit Catholic health service, the Mater believes people in the North deserve the same high level of facilities and services offered in major metropolitan cities and should be able receive them without the need for travel.

HEALTH

Travelling a long way from your home town for a hospital stay not only creates additional financial pressure on patients, it also increases the emotional strain when your network of family and friends are not close by.

GERARD WYVILL

CEO Mater Health Services North Qld

EDUCATION

KARI ARBOUIN

Associate Vice Chancellor CQUniversity

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The Mater has recently begun Stage 1 of the $52 million Pimlico Campus expansion

project which will deliver private hospital facilities and services which will be equal to, or better than, any private hospital in Australia.

The expansion includes the latest state-of-the-art digital operating theatres, a new Day Surgery Unit, expanded X-Ray facilities and a new hospital entrance.

Stage 1 of the Pimlico Campus expansion project will be completed in 2020. Final planning for future stages of the Pimlico Campus expansion, which will include a multistorey carpark are nearing completion.

I was in Sydney recently and was introduced to a retired GP. She asked me a number of questions which began to feel progressively interrogative: “How do you feel about depleting Australia’s economy through training students in regional areas when they would get a better education and experience if they relocated to a city?” she asked. She continued by saying that all regional universities should close and resources re-directed to building bigger universities in metros. I was shocked! I really haven’t come across this type of view before, even less from someone who I thought was ‘well-educated’.

to relocate for university.

CQUniversity for example, is Australia’s largest regional university and is ranked second-highest in the sector for first-in-family participation. So, it goes without saying that the regions need quality education as much as, if not more than, the cities.

Regional universities serve a critical purpose. Regions generally have higher underserved populations whose students often cannot afford

As our region’s economy changes and opportunities present themselves, we need our community to re-train and re-skill to support growth. This

Part of a city’s growth trajectory is built on the skills and workforce of its community.

We need local people who know our city to be that workforce.

There may be few jobs for some professionals in large cities but there are vacancies for those critical jobs regionally, that locals will fill…and they will stay!

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The Mater first opened in Townsville in 1945 by the Sisters of Mercy and has served the people of Townsville continuously since. The values instilled in us by the Sisters of Mercy of Compassion, Justice, Excellence in Care and Mercy live on in the hospital today.

The Mater recognises its place in the community both as a not for profit quality health care provider and the largest private employer in the city and will continue to reinvest in its infrastructure and equipment to meet the growing health needs of the community.

requires educational institutions in close proximity who understand that while studying is important, a student’s family may be their main priority and certainly a central ingredient of their support system. So too, is often maintaining their job while they re-train.

Finally regional areas have universities whose quality are comparable to their city counterparts (and we can prove this) and in many areas exceed the expertise and study conditions that over-crowded and jaded city universities may offer.

Take the student out of the region and we drain regions of Australia that collectively are the backbone of our economy.

And that retired GP’s ‘Sydney life’ may not survive the consequences.

Mater is here for you for life

Phone: 4727 4444 www.matertsv.org.au 07

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ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE, NOT THE PLACE YOU’D EXPECT TO FIND THE STORY OF A SOFTWARE ENGINEER WHO GREW UP ON A HORSE STUD OUTSIDE CHARTERS TOWERS, AND YET THIS IS EXACTLY WHERE STEPHEN PHILLIPS FOUND HIMSELF. This begs the question – how did this software engineer from regional North Queensland get his story in one of the world’s most prestigious magazines?

Let’s be business partners. How much money do you need to really scale this business?’”

The next step was building a team of half a dozen of the best minds in sales, mathematics, programming and design, who then holed up in a room together working on the site for 12 months before they were nominated for a Telstra internet award for best news site in Australia against ABC, News Limited and Fairfax.

“Up until I was about 35 I’d built sites for banks, retailers and real estate agents, and many crappy ideas for startups, but I’d never last more than two years at any job,” Stephen said.

“I had no money, I had nothing. Then I met Melanie, who I ended up marrying, and she was a lot like me.

They won.

“I remember we’d reached a point where we were in our mid-30s, sitting around the kitchen table, and we had this moment of clarity – as you do about this time of your life, when you have no money and a $500,000 mortgage and you’re working in some job you don’t like for $60k, and you’re thinking, ‘how do people do this?’

“What came out of that was another function where I was talking about this technology we’d developed, which was essentially machine learning with social media, very early on,” Stephen said. “I was always interested in this idea that there’s wisdom in crowds – that, if we could monitor crowds, we could learn what their tastes are.

“We looked at our successful friends and they had all worked for big companies and just sucked it up for a decade; we both just couldn’t do that. We had to start our own company so that we could define the culture and do the things that we enjoy.”

“The biggest hit inside this Plugger that we’d built, was the ability to monitor the news overnight and predict what the stock market would do tomorrow.”

Following the function, a music label rep approached Stephen with a problem the music industry was facing:

The couple combined Melanie’s design talents with Stephen’s programming experience to develop ‘Plugger’, which, in 2005, “was like Google News for Australia before Google News.”

“The news was dominated by three major players and there was no independent site for blogs,” Stephen explains.

“We got to about 10,000 users, and we hadn’t seen anything like that – these people were paying to have the news delivered to them.”

“One of the cool things about having 15 jobs in 10 years is that you meet a lot of really cool people,” says Stephen.

One of those cool people was Scott Moorhead the Creative Director of ‘Wotif’ in Brisbane, who informed Stephen that his boss was about to leave Wotif and wanted to invest in start-ups.

The challenge from them was, “Could you work out a way to tell us who the hottest new bands in the world are?” With this in place, Stephen and the team went to work.

Their first idea was to track popular torrents (which music was being stolen the most).

This was the start of a meeting that would change his life.

Stephen met with Graeme Wood, an entrepreneur and philanthropist who had started Wotif in 2001 and had made millions before resigning as Chairman. The two clicked straight away and it wasn’t long before Stephen had secured Graeme as his business partner and mentor.

“I remember at the end of our initial lunch meeting he said, ‘Look I think we’re very similar. You’re a lot like me, except you’re not very successful. I think I can help you with that.

“We thought we were just doing this to see if it would work,” Stephen said. “We had no idea this thing would go so big”.

“I remember we woke up on the Friday morning and all of a sudden there we were, on the cover of Billboard magazine and TechCrunch, and all these big American tech sites. TechCrunch, which was the start-up zeitgeist of the day, said, ‘This is the Billboard of the new generation,’ that this was the ‘real’ chart – it was no longer based on sales. It was unreal.”

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PLUGGER WE ARE HUNTED SONY TWITTER MAWSON VENTURES

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“ON MONDAY MORNING I WENT IN TO OUR BOARD (OF DIRECTORS) AND SAID, ‘WE DID A LITTLE EXPERIMENT OVER THE WEEKEND, AND SOMETHING BLEW UP…’ THINKING THEY’D BE REALLY EXCITED.

the first thing Kevin said was ‘We’ve been tracking you for a year, we love everything you do. We want you to come and run music at Twitter for us.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, ok, that sounds great, let’s do that,’ and that was it.”

Stephen spent three years at Twitter, two years in the product team deciding what to build and how to make it better, and the last year in mergers and acquisitions, where his role was to acquire other companies.

“They were not excited. They were really unexcited. They thought it was a bad idea. With too much risk.” At the time, the music industry was famous for suing everyone, and Stephen’s Board didn’t want any part of it.

“I worked for six months on one deal, which was to go and buy SoundCloud, which at the time would have been the biggest acquisition in music history,” Stephen said. The deal fell through in the end, wisely squashed by Twitter’s board, but by this point Stephen was already back in Australia. “My time working for someone else was over,” he said.

Disappointed, Stephen’s team told the Board they would leave ‘We Are Hunted’, this new music tool, alone and continued to invest another year and $1 million into Plugger, which peaked at 600,000 users.

“We thought, maybe this is it, maybe only 600,000 people in Australia care enough about the news this much and want to track it,” Stephen said. “Then one day out of the blue one of our young designers said, ‘Hey, have you guys seen Hunted?...’”

After returning to Australia and meeting up with Graeme again, the duo delved into a new project ‘Mawson Ventures’, with the intention of investing in talented young engineers.

“We couldn’t help but wonder ‘why were we good at this so late?’ Maybe there were young people out there in their early twenties who we should help,” Stephen said.

Although the team had told their Board they would halt the We Are Hunted project, they never actually shut it down. It had been left sitting there, slowly simmering in the background. Unbeknown to them, magic was happening.

“So, for the last two and a half years we’ve been trying to do that.”

“We hadn’t touched this thing in 12 months and when we checked it, we had half a million users,” Stephen said.

Stephen found himself in the shoes of his original mentor, Graeme, when he found Mawson’s first candidate, Adam Hibble. Together they set out to build the best team of talent possible to create ‘Popgun’ – an Artificial Intelligence (AI) model that can create original pop songs.

“We’d put all this time and money into news, which we’d grown 10 per cent, and here was Hunted that had trebled in size with no effort”.

After forming Popgun, the team ended up back in America in accelerator ‘Techstars’ and went on to meet with Vinod Khosla - founder of Sun Microsystems in Silicon Valley (worth a cool $2 billion) who invested in the company.

After coming clean to the Board and trying to figure out how to promote the app without being sued (the Board’s main hesitation in the first place), MTV invited Stephen to New York to meet with their executives.

“I said to him, ‘Why do you want to invest in this?’ and he said, ‘Can I be honest? I’ve actually made a bet with a friend of mine that an AI will have a top 40 music hit by 2022, so, I’m investing in AI music,’” Stephen laughs.

“Because we were running in stealth, no press, no nothing, there was all this mystery around who we were.” Stephen said. “I remember walking into the MTV head office in the States and there was 100 people waiting for me; there were cheers and autographs, and we (Dad and I) were like, ‘What the hell?’”

“Why these things happen like that, who knows, but that’s how these guys operate sometimes. “Some of them have a billion dollars that they have to invest every two years, and it’s really hard to invest a billion dollars, so in the end they do some crazy stuff, and do a bet that just feels right.”

After seeing all the hype in New York, Stephen rang his team and said “grab your stuff, we’re moving to New York”.

Part of the team relocated their families to the big apple, where they built up the app to a staggering three million users with a team of 10 people.

Stephen’s advice for the next generation of start-ups? “Kids should be making stuff, they should be building things.

That’s what they should be focused on. Pick any problem, there’s problems everywhere, and if you can solve one of those, if you can give a tech demo that shows the world we understand this problem and here’s how to fix it, they can be worth millions of dollars. There’s a limit to how far hustle gets you unless you actually have something that makes you unique. What I really like about the Californian education system is they’re forcing kids to make stuff. Not just to study and learn, but actually make stuff. We need to get kids making things, not consuming things. As a parent you should be letting your kids access technology and use it to make stuff. These are skills they’re going to need, the tools will change, but they have to lean to make stuff, not be consumers. The question is, can I imagine something and then make it real?” In Stephen’s case, yes, he can.

There they were, working for Sony in the end, but by the 5-year mark Stephen says “We’d run out of money. One of the flaws in this grand plan was that nobody was paying to use this thing. Even though we were growing, we couldn’t work out how to make anyone pay.

After 6 months in New York City Stephen received a call from a guy called Kevin who worked with Twitter who was interested in meeting his team. After fielding calls from Microsoft (three months before X-Box music came out) and multiple calls from Google, Stephen was wary.

“I was on my way to finalise new funding for the company when Kevin called again saying he was in New York and still wanted to meet,’ Stephen explains. “We sat down and

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A change is in

THE AIR

CQUniversity wants to change the world for the better – and through social innovation its students, staff, academics and the wider university community are all driving that transformation.

Written by Isis Symes

On August 1, CQUni’s Townsville

OSA is now helping to positively

“We continue to be a leader within the

Campus played host to The Festival of

connect people experiencing

social innovation space by not only being

Change (FOC) - a multi-campus event

homelessness through free laundry,

Australia’s only Ashoka U-accredited

that celebrated and brought to life

showers and conversation and Nic and

Changemaker Campus, but also by

changemaking both at CQUni and within

Lucas’ presentation, The Power of a

offering a number of Social Innovation

our community.

Conversation, focused on just that.

opportunities to our staff and students

Festivities featured CQUni students, staff,

To a live audience of close to 100 people

that. We now have a number of our staff

academics, alumni and stakeholders that

as well as dial-in audiences from across

registered as Orange Sky volunteers and

are making a difference, and promoted

CQUni’s diverse national footprint, the

I’m extremely proud of that.”

opportunities for engagement, learning

duo spoke about the powerful and also

and collaboration.

sometimes gripping conversations that

Following Nic and Lucas’ presentation,

have shaped the lives of not only their

CQUni students were given a unique

journey but that of Orange Sky’s.

opportunity to participate in special FOC

and this collaboration is an extension of

The FOC included a Changemaker market stall that showcased local businesses that

workshop, run by YLab - a consulting,

are committed to social innovation such

They explained that the average

learning and digital storytelling enterprise

as Sage Circle (re-useable shopping bags

household does 36kg of washing every

that brings fresh thinking to complex

and keep cups), Artisan Vegan Culinary

week and their Orange Sky laundry vans

social challenges.

Nutrition (vegan, raw food, dairy and

facilitate over 200 times that amount each

gluten free cooking classes and food-

and every week – for the homeless and

“YLab’s ‘Finding Your Purpose’ workshop

drying classes), iNQ (innovation centre

disadvantages…and for free.

gave our students the chance to explore

offering co-working space, offices,

what ‘purpose’ really means,” Ms Arbouin

mentorship and events) and of course,

OSA’s launched Kaz – their first van for

BDmag.

Townsville – earlier this year and CQUni is a proud sponsor of the vehicle.

An initiative dreamt up by CQUni’s

said.

“Participants were encouraged to reflect on what drives and inspires them, and to

Office of Social Innovation, the FOC

CQUni Townsville and North West

develop ways to pursue their social change

also featured a keynote presentation by

Queensland Associate Vice-Chancellor

career and personal aspirations.

Orange Sky Australia (OSA) co-founders

Kari Arbouin said the partnership was one

and 2016 Young Australians of the Year Nic

she was honoured to be a part of.

Marchesi and Lucas Patchett.

“Overall, CQUni’s inaugural FOC was a huge success.”

“CQUniversity is strongly committed to In October 2014, these two best mates had

Social Innovation and we put a huge focus

a crazy idea to put two washing machines

on building on our long-term strategy of

and two dryers in the back of a van, and

engagement and ‘giving back”, Ms Arbouin

wash and dry clothes for free.

explained.

We implement effective, long-term IT solutions, allowing our customers to achieve their mission, which in turn achieves ours.

PROUDLY SUPPORTING OUR NORTH QUEENSLAND COMMUNITY, BOTH IN BUSINESS AND LIFESTYLE.

Contact us 07 47 599 477 enquiries@adits.com.au Level 1, 85 Denham St. Townsville

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DEVeloping Networks

As we dart into the technological age at breakneck speed, the number of career and casual tech-savvy people increases – so it only makes sense that these dexterous individuals are creating their own networking communities, including one right here in North Queensland.

Written by Jade Kennedy

DevNQ is a community of software

throughout North Queensland, with 40

“Last year a group of DevNQ members

developers, programmers, designers,

or more regularly attending the monthly

used our weekly Code Club events to

project managers and other professionals,

events held in Townsville.

build ‘Rudolph,’ an app for discovering

amateurs or students interested in

There is also an active Slack (online chat

Christmas light displays,” Tristan said.

software development from throughout

platform) community, as well as a weekly

“It launched last Christmas to great

the region, brought together by group

‘Code Club’ meet up and live streams

success and plans to return this festive

founder Tristan Davey.

of many of their educational events on

season bigger than ever.”

YouTube.

Tristan formed the group in 2016

Tristan cited the group’s wide member

when he saw the need to provide a

The group recently held a Hackathon

focal point for the industry in North

event, with 30 competitors forming six

base as part of its success.

“Our community is successful because we

Queensland, one which was sorely lacking

teams. The winning team, CodeCrack,

have support and engagement from many

in the professional development and

developed a system for teaching

local Townsville employers and their

networking opportunities afforded by

students how to program which could

employees,” he said.

our metropolitan cousins in Brisbane and

automatically validate the functionality

Sydney.

and quality of the students’ code,

“Some of our members are high school

providing them with instant feedback. The

students interested in pursuing careers in

“When I would travel to these centres I

team worked the full 24 hours around the

software engineering, university students

would see the amazing communities and

clock to build their app and deliver it on

studying IT and hobbyists.

skills that grew out of regular meet-ups

time.

“Other members are established in

and user groups,” Tristan said.

software industry roles (e.g., software

“I saw the industries that grew off the

“The Hackathon was a huge success,”

engineers, designers and local business

back of individuals who were engaged

Tristan said.

owners), whilst others are educators,

and learning from a community of likeminded individuals.

product and graphic designers, and even “Teams worked on a variety of problems

scientists who use programming as part of

from digitally validating educational

their discipline.

“Back in Townsville, I also saw first-hand

certifications, to building games around

the number of university graduates, and

homework for primary school students.

even established professionals, that would

“There are many more businesses in North Queensland doing innovative things

end up moving to Brisbane, Sydney or

“The winning team, consisting of André de

with technology and we want to hear from

even Palo Alto, San Francisco or Seattle.

Jager, Alex Scott, Joanne Walter and Caleb

them! There is always something more

Often this was simply because they

MacDonald Black, plan to commercialise

our members can learn from you or your

didn’t have contact with the outstanding

the project as a product in the coming

employee’s experiences or things your

businesses and talented individuals we

months at DevNQ Code Club.”

business can learn from others.”

have here in the North.”

It wouldn’t be the first DevNQ app on the Since DevNQ was initiated, the group

market.

has grown to around 200 members

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BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS WEEK

If you’re a business professional looking for low-cost, high reward networking and professional development opportunities,

HAYS Business

Professionals Week (BPW) has got you covered.

Written by Jade Kennedy

Running from Monday 22nd to Friday 26th

‘Hays Salary Guide’ launch on Tuesday 16th July

October this year, BPW2018 will offer business

2018.

professionals and graduates the opportunity to participate and engage with industry leaders across

The events will be hosted by top nationally and

a variety of events in our region.

internationally

recognised

industry

bodies,

and will be an outstanding opportunity for Comprising of local, national and internationally

local professionals to network, discuss relevant

recognised presenters and leaders; BPW offers

industry issues, complete intensive professional

an opportunity to learn, share and embrace new

development, and connect with relevant industry

and innovative ideas to connect employees and

body representatives.

businesses. BPW utilises a vocal platform to address regional issues and overcome skill gaps via

BPW promises an event to appeal to all progressive

intensive professional development programs.

business people, from graduates to company directors, across professional services, construction

“Now in its sixth year, the event originally started

and mining, commercial, government and the

as an opportunity for graduates to link together

not-for-profit sectors.

with businesses, as well as provide professional development for core industry groups,” according

“Most professional development events are free of

to Ged Welsh, HAYS Regional Director for North

charge,” Ged said.

Queensland.

“However, some include lunch or breakfast at a small fee of approximately $50.”

“Running over six years, BPW has had significant growth in Townsville,” he said. “Hays BPW presents

Last year’s event included day time and evening

a unique opportunity for North QLD-based

events at various locations across the city and

industry leaders and business professionals to

James Cook University. This year, Ged said there

come together to share market insights, innovative

will be even more on offer.

ideas and industry knowledge. We offer a plethora of events suitable for everyone from graduates

“The highlights this year will be the focus days for

through to senior business professionals, and we

small business support and mental health in the

welcome you in joining us again this year for BPW

workplace,” he said.

2018.”

“These include Yoga in the Perfume Gardens and Ged explains that this year’s topics will cover an

Drumbeat on Flinders Street.

extensive range of businesses from all different

“Another highlight to mention is the development

industries this year, including mining, accounting,

forum – this is for young professionals who want

law, science, human resources as well as SMEs.

to learn key skills as the next generation of leaders in Townsville.”

“There will also be new mental health in the workplace focus days. Other topics cover business

Catering for a vast range of professional industry

growth

groups

and

global

trading,

strategic

human

including

Accounting,

Law,

Human

resources, practical approach in procurement,

Resources, Engineering, Construction and Mining,

regulator rally and managing millennials.”

Commercial,

Government

and

Not-For-Profit,

there really is something for everyone at HAYS Furthermore, Hays will be hosting the Annual

Business Professionals Week.

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PLATFORMS EDUCATION

SOCIAL MEDIA

BRAND EXTENSION

LEAD GENERATION

A L L YO U R

Digital Marketing Solutions IN ONE PLACE Contact your Townsville Digital Specialist: brooke.flanagan@sca.com.au

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18

YES

Millennials are entitled

BY 2025 THREE QUARTERS OF THE AUSTRALIAN WORKFORCE WILL BE MADE UP OF THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION. Written by Julie Johnston This selfie crazed, avocado and latte loving generation living

generation has the highest likelihood of not meeting their

the Instagram life are often the subject of jokes, and typically

career expectations, and reports the lowest levels of satisfaction

labelled (mostly by their elders) as lazy and self-absorbed.

with where their current career is currently at.

Psychologist Dr Joann Lukins of Positive Peak Performance, suggests that businesses seek to better understand Millennials

Consider too that they are the first generation to be born into

and harness the innovation, creativity and skills they can bring

a digital world, with around half checking social media at least

to the workplace.

hourly, and what effect this can have on their mental health.

“Work is a place to do something meaningful and to make a

Yes, they do things differently, but so too has each generation

difference within the world,” she explains. “Millennials want a

before them. Joann explains that the ‘kids these days’ notion is

career path, an opportunity to work with an organisation that is

really just history repeating itself.

consistent with their personal values, and they are motivated by the opportunity to have experiences, and take risks.”

“Humans have something of a habit of looking back to those who follow them and making comments such as ‘not as it was

Critics will often accuse Millennials of expecting to achieve

in my day’.” Joann observes. “To describe a person by their

leadership positions early in their career, or rushing in to start

generation is a short-hand strategy and typecasting everyone by

their own businesses, but Joann explains that this is not a sign

the generation into which they are born is also not wise. A key

of disrespect to their seniors.

thing for us to think about is that each culture and expectations of each generation is strongly influenced by the generation that

“Millennials are optimistic, they are more comfortable with a

have gone before.”

‘flat’ leadership structure - hence the belief that they can hold positions of influence early and it is deserved,” she explains.

It’s essential that leaders equip themselves with the skills to mentor this upcoming workforce and bring out the best in

Through no fault of their own, Millennials are also the result of

them. “Take the time to find out who they are,” Joann advises.

a parenting style that has since been phased out.

‘Engagement in work is critical. Gain feedback from staff as to what they find engaging and encourage them to be part of the

“When the current Generation X were younger, the research

solution in getting less palatable tasks done in a more productive

was supportive of the benefits of enhanced self-esteem to

way. When work is meaningful, even if it’s tedious, it will get

overall wellbeing. What occurred though was an honest mistake,” Joann admits. “Whilst high selfesteem might help you to nail that job interview or ask someone out, it is not sufficient to help you to keep that job or keep that relationship. Where the message became somewhat skewed was in the assumption that self-esteem is

done more effectively. People

SELFIE CRAZED, AVOCADO AND LATTE LOVING

matter,

the

opportunity to

form meaningful relationships within the workplace central to the task is important.”

GENERATION LIVING THE

“Most workforces will benefit

INSTAGRAM LIFE

it, in terms of age, gender,

enhanced by adding to someone’s

from having diversity within experience,

and

ethnicity,”

Joann says. “Diversity allows

self-worth by telling them how great they are and that they can

for new ideas and challenges, and helps to overcome the

achieve anything, there are no limits. The challenge is that if

dangerous phrase, ‘That’s how we’ve always done it around

we tell a whole generation that they are outstanding and above

here’.”

the average, then it makes it quite challenging for anyone to be that average.”

There’s a lot that businesses can learn and gain from this next generation, and if you can successfully tap into the massive

Perhaps it is frustration, not arrogance, driving some of the

pool of Millennial talent that’s out there, you may just find your

behaviour that draws criticism. Joann points out that this

business has a serious competitive advantage.

19

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Rates notices in your inbox, not your letterbox.

Register today and switch to paperless billing. townsville.qld.gov.au/enotices

A NEW SCHOOL

OF FISH

NORTH QUEENSLAND’S IDYLLIC LIFESTYLE AND LOVE OF OUR INFAMOUS COASTLINE AND RIVERWAYS HAS BIRTHED A NEW CONCEPT IN EDUCATION AND SPORT IN THE FORM OF THE NQ FISHING ACADEMY - THE BRAINCHILD OF LOCAL MILES TAM. Written by Jade Kennedy

The idea for the Academy first came to

“With fishing there was literally nothing

The basic course runs one afternoon

life when Miles worked at Tackleworld

for these kids, and I wanted to provide

per week for six weeks. During this time

Townsville.

them with a unique program that gives

students will learn basic knots, how to

“I used to see kids come in full of

them the opportunity to learn more

throw a cast net, rod and reel techniques,

energy and a genuine zest for fishing,”

about the sport. Not just with fishing

a simple cooking class, how to make soft

he said.

in general, but also conservation and

plastics, lure education and environmental

environmental issues.”

education.

smile and give me a gentle roll of the

The academy program is designed for

“I want them to go home and say, ‘That

eye, explaining that they themselves

children aged 5 to 15 years. Miles said

was the best Academy ever!’” Miles said.

knew nothing about fishing, but their

he understood that while some children

kids were obsessed with it.”

show skills at an early age, some take

“I want participants to go away with a basic

longer to find a sport or hobby they’re

knowledge of the sport of fishing, and

Just like training for junior football or

interested in and he wanted to cater for

hopefully with the friends they make, go

soccer, Miles thought there should be a

a wide range of ages to cater to this.

on and meet up with them on the outside

“Their parents on the other hand, would

place that allowed kids to learn the sport

for more fishing trips.

of fishing properly and safely – but

“I have a set program for the course but

“For the parents, hopefully their kids

there was clearly a gap in the market.

I’ll adapt to those less skilled or those

come home with a spring in their step and

more advanced,” he said.

a boost in their confidence from learning

“Most kids go to footy training to be

new skills and being surrounded by a

the best they can be in that sport and

“Either way, if they show interest I

gain as much knowledge and skills as

want them on my team and in the NQ

possible,” Miles said.

Fishing Academy family!”

positive group of like-minded kids.”

For Miles, who hails from a family for whom fishing was a way of life and a means of putting food on the table in Papua New Guinea, some of his lifelong friends have come from fishing circles and that is something he hopes to pass on to those who attend the NQ Fishing Academy.

“This course is all about positivity, confidence and respect for one another,” he said.

“I can see a lot of kids finally finding their feet with this and gaining so much confidence. To say I’m excited is an understatement; it’s like putting the last piece of the jigsaw in for so many kids.

“And for me to be a part of it, just makes it the most rewarding job on the planet.”

21

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TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL Delivering on Promises

Mayor Jenny Hill has

The infrastructure spend includes over

Cr Hill said the record spend on

handed down her

$69 million on upgrading our roads,

infrastructure will be a huge win for

other transport infrastructure, $16

local jobs.

Budget with the biggest

million on the CBD utilities upgrade, $8 million on drains and stormwater

“This Budget invests in projects that

infrastructure spend in

management and $5 million for the

will create jobs and ensure the city has a

upgrade of Tobruk Pool.

prosperous future,” Cr Hill said.

Cr Hill said her team of Councillors

“The work packages on the new water

are committed to building the

pipeline have been tailored to ensure

infrastructure Townsville needs to

local firms have the best chance of

grow, while creating jobs for locals.

securing work on the once-in-a-

Townsville City Council’s history.

Council will spend $433

generation project.

million on infrastructure

“I’m very proud to hand down

including $159 million on

the biggest ever investment in

“Council is also investing in

infrastructure our city has ever had,” Cr

upgrading infrastructure around the

building the new water

Hill said.

Stadium Precinct to encourage new

pipeline.

“This Budget delivers on my team’s

developments to transform the area into a new destination for Townsville.

promises, whether it’s upgrading basic infrastructure across our city, such as

“These projects will not only be huge

new roads and drains, or investing $159

job creators during construction they

million to build the new water pipeline.

will help transform the city’s economy and provide lasting employment once

“This record spend on infrastructure

operational.”

will ensure that our city gets back to work.

Cr Hill said Council will complete the

“Whether you’re a concreter or a crane

CBD Utilities Upgrade in 2018-19.

driver – this is a budget for you.”

“The CBD Utilities Upgrade has created Cr Hill said one of the shovel-ready

close to 300 jobs since the project

projects Council is investing in is 1.5km

started,” Cr Hill said.

of kerb and channel upgrades on Thuringowa Drive.

“It is another important project that will set Townsville up for future growth in

“This $1 million project will include

our CBD.”

works between Ross River Road and Charles Street and take about six weeks

This record infrastructure spend also

to complete,” Cr Hill said.

includes funding for grants available to the Townsville community.

“Council crews will be out there upgrading our basic infrastructure.”

23

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OPENFUND: calling all investors

Written by Jade Kennedy

The young architecture student

life in 2012 to focus entirely on

the co-founder of Y Combinator

worked across the globe in London

advising and supporting startups in

(one of Silicon Valley’s top startup

and Japan before settling in

America and Queensland.

incubators),” he said.

Information Technology and Software

“In 2005 my graduate software

“Paul said, ‘A startup is a company

Engineering. Scott then began work

engineering salary of $65k per year

designed to grow fast. Being newly

as a software engineer, and started

was smaller than the increase in the

founded does not in itself make a

investing in real estate and US-based

value of my Brisbane home, which in

company a startup; nor is it necessary

tech companies like Apple and Google

turn was smaller than the increase in

for a startup to work on technology,

in 2005.

the value of my Apple shares,” Scott

or take venture funding, or have some

said.

sort of ‘exit.’ The only essential thing

Brisbane to complete a Masters of

“While I was living in Japan, I read the

is growth’.

book ‘Rich Dad Poor Dad’ by Robert

“Work is good for gaining skills and

Kiyosaki,” Scott said.

experience, but it’s how you invest

“I also learned that great ideas often

your time and money which is where

look like bad ideas to most people

“I recognised that I couldn’t realise

there is massive value, and over time,

based on their past experience or the

financial freedom and a wealth

your wealth is actually created.”

current status quo.

forms of income and investing in

Scott said his time working as a

“Future technology waves, like

assets that increase in value.”

software engineer on a global product

microchips, smart phones, AI machine

taught him that he could work and

learning or blockchain technologies,

Since 2005, Apple shares have

invest anywhere in the world, and with

transform what appears to be bad

increased 40 times and Google shares

the aid of the internet, he has been

ideas or ugly ducklings into beautiful

have increased 11 times from Scott’s

able to remain based in Queensland

black swans.

initial investment. It is these kinds

whilst investing in Silicon Valley.

“By riding these technology waves,

of investment returns, he said, that

“I learned the true definition of the

startups like Apple, Uber, Airbnb and

allowed him to retire from corporate

word ‘startup’ from Paul Graham,

Coinbase have grown into multi-

mindset without developing passive

BD mag BDmag

24

LONG BEFORE CRYPTO CURRENCY - EVEN BEFORE SMART PHONES - INVESTORS RODE THE FIRST WAVES OF THE DIGITAL AGE, BETTING ON GOOGLE AND APPLE WITH MASSIVE RETURNS. ONE SUCH INVESTOR WAS TOWNSVILLE-RAISED SCOTT ROGERS.

a sustainable solution for North

have the potential to scale to very large

Queensland.”

markets.”

Forward-thinking Scott made a small

To get involved with OpenFund and

seed investment in FundersClub.com in

sigNQ, Scott said locals should become

2012, when it was part of Y Combinator.

active members of Innovate NQ (iNQ),

As the first online venture capital

as they would be working closely with

platform for investing in Silicon Valley

the organisation to coordinate the

startups, the company’s valuation has

program in Townsville.

grown from $5 million to $125 million in five years, and now has over 18,000

“Remember how many years ago,

accredited investors who have invested

North Queensland used to lose it’s best

over $US90 million in over 250 startups

rugby league players to Sydney and

from more than 20 countries.

Brisbane clubs?” Scott said.

Scott would like to encourage similar

“That is what is currently happening

growth and investment in his home

with North Queensland startups.

state, which has led him to start

Our startups like Safety Culture, now

OpenFund which has received the

valued at $440 million, and FlyFreely

support of the Advance Queensland

are moving south in search of venture

billion dollar companies while creating

Regional Business Angels Support

capital as they are not being supported

whole new markets and disrupting

Program.

by North Queensland’s investment

Photo: Marvin Fox Photography

community.

established industries.”

“I created OpenFund to facilitate the After seeing firsthand some of the

formation of a Startup Investment

“OpenFund is working on solving

most cutting-edge growth and forward

Group in North Queensland (sigNQ),”

that problem by bringing local high

thinking in new markets globally,

Scott said.

net worth investors, professionals and entrepreneurs together monthly at

and investing his own money in much of it, Scott said he was shocked

“Our goal is to develop new economic

to see how stagnant things were in

opportunities in regional areas through

Townsville when he returned here five

investment in promising Queensland

“Over the next year we aim to share

years ago.

based startups. I see OpenFund

startup investment strategies and

growing into an Australian version of

consult with successful entrepreneurs

FundersClub for Queensland’s startups.

and investors who have originated here;

“The same problems of employment

iNQ.

people like Glen Richards (Green Cross

and water security that Townsville faced when I was a child have not been

“OpenFund is actually designed to

Vets) and Stephen Phillips (Mawson

solved in the last 50 years,” he said.

assist the North Queensland investment

Ventures).

community, to understand the “Local business and government

opportunities and risks of investing in

“The goal is to form an active angel

appear to be poorly prepared for

technology startups.

investor group in North Queensland to support our most promising startups

the risks and opportunities of technological change within an

“It is also designed to raise the bar,

– to do this we need to unite North

increasingly connected and carbon-

so that only the most promising

Queensland’s investment community

free economy.

startups are funded. There is actually

by making small early-stage

no shortage of investment capital for

investments together in our scalable

“Sorry, but coal does not have a

quality startup teams that are solving

high-growth companies.”

bright future globally and it is not

real problems, creating value and which

25

www.bdmag.com.au

A HEALTHY

investment

STAGE ONE OF THE MATER HOSPITAL REDEVELOPMENT HAS BEGUN AT THE HOSPITAL’S MAIN PIMLICO SITE, BRINGING WITH IT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND THE PROMISE OF STATE-OF-THE-ART HEALTH FACILITIES FOR NORTH QUEENSLAND.

Written by Jade Kennedy

The $52 million stage one expansion

“The Mater is a not-for-profit Catholic

will include four additional operating

health service that continually re-

theatres, a new Day Surgery, expanded

invests in facilities and services for our

X-Ray facilities and a new main

community.”

hospital entrance.

Mater Health Services is the largest Mater CEO Gerard Wyvill said people

private employer in Townsville,

in the north deserved the same high

employing over 960 staff. The

standard of facilities and services

redevelopment is creating more than

offered in major metropolitan private

100 jobs during construction, with

hospitals, and should be able to receive

contract builders CPB Contractors

it without the need for travel.

committing to using local workforce and suppliers for the project.

“The expansion project will deliver the latest private hospital facilities and

Gerard said the builders had been

services for our patients which will

chosen because of their specialised

be equal to or better than any private

expertise in constructing large-scale

hospital in Australia,” he said.

health facilities such as the new Royal Adelaide Hospital, Sydney’s

“With the new day surgery and state-

Royal North Shore Hospital and the

of-the-art operating theatres our

Townsville Hospital Redevelopment.

patients will be operated on by the

BD mag BDmag

North’s leading surgeons in the latest

CPB Contractors Project Director

facilities.

Carmelo Di Bella said the project

26

“A PROJECT OF THIS SIZE NOT ONLY DELIVERS INCREASED HEALTH SERVICES, IT CREATES A BOOST TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY THROUGH CONSTRUCTION JOBS AND INCREASED EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN THE HEALTH CARE SECTOR” Mater Chairman Patrick Brady

had been a great opportunity to

Mater Chairman Patrick Brady said

“The Mater’s master plan is a

keep their locally based staff and

the economic effect would flow on

far-sighted commitment to high-

families in the Townsville region,

from construction.

quality health care services for our

all of whom worked on the recently

communities here in Townsville

completed Townsville Hospital

“A project of this size not only

and throughout the north and

Redevelopment.

delivers increased health services,

north west,” she said.

it creates a boost to the local “We will continue our long-

economy through construction

The next stage of the Mater’s

standing, successful working

jobs and increased employment

Master Plan for the Pimlico

relationship with the local supply

opportunities in the health care

campus includes a multi-story

chain to maximise local industry

sector,” he said.

carpark and doctors suites.

participation,” he said.

Stage One of the Mater

Future road works are also planned

“We are committed to targeting

redevelopment is part of a Master

for Fulham Road including a new

a 90 per cent local participation

Plan that will establish the Fulham

roundabout at the Fulham Rd/

rate for the project. To date 100

Road, Pimlico medical strip as the

Diprose St intersection which will

per cent of the contracts have been

foremost private health precinct

divert traffic into the new hospital

awarded to suppliers in the local

north of Brisbane, according to

entrance.

region.”

Mayor Jenny Hill.

27

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A moment of clarity.

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BDmag

28

Full

STEM ahead Townsville STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics) Hub was founded following Sarah Chapman’s attendance at the Prime Minister’s Science Prize Award Ceremony in 2013.

Written by Jade Kennedy Being in Canberra and meeting so many influential people, Sarah

“It is a challenging occupation but a tremendously rewarding one,

saw an opportunity to promote and advocate for our region.

when you get to be the person that connects a young person with science,” Sarah said.

“I spoke to as many politicians, STEM experts and communicators as possible,” Sarah said.

“To see their eyes light up and connect with the wonder of science is truly amazing and necessary to inspire and empower our

“I followed up my discussions with emails pitching my idea of

problem solvers of tomorrow.”

a STEM hub. The concept was primarily around the belief that Townsville and North Queensland has an exceptional number of

A dedicated educator, Sarah has committed significant portions

STEM organisations that are not celebrated or recognised.

of her own time to raising the profile of science education by working with students, teachers and the wider community.

“Our community does not hold STEM as one of our strengths, however we have extraordinary world-recognised STEM research,

Not only was Sarah the founder of Townsville STEM Hub; in

industries and businesses here in North Queensland.

2016 she was instrumental in establishing a virtual STEM Hub for North Queensland, developing authentic STEM research, industry

“I decided it was time to change, to connect, to collaborate and

and education opportunities for students from regional, rural and

most importantly in the community, champion what we were

remote areas of North Queensland.

doing.”

“The Townsville STEM Hub has successfully elevated STEM in Sarah connected with Inspiring Australia in 2014 and Townsville

our region. We have hosted a number of community events to

STEM Hub was created, which now includes amongst its ranks

promote awareness and networking between STEM organisations

James Cook University, Townsville City Council, Queensland

including our STEM Faire held this month, STEM Photography

Government, Museum of Tropical Queensland, a range of local

competition, primary school student robotics competition and

high schools, GBRMPA, AIMS, CSIRO, Ergon Energy, Innovation

secondary student entrepreneurship competition.”

NQ, Safety Culture and more.

A respected industry keynote speaker, published researcher The Townsville STEM Hub was the first regional STEM Hub to be

and prized STEM educator, Sarah was selected as a Fellow by

formed in Australia, and was a flagship for the other regional hubs

the Royal Australian Chemical Institute this year and remains

that have since been formed across the country.

passionate about exploring STEM Hub opportunities in Townsville.

As a teacher for the past 15 years, Sarah has been passionate about inspiring, engaging and empowering people through

“The resounding learning experience as an educator and advocate

STEM. She is currently the Head of Department of Science at

for STEM is the importance of connection, the bringing together

Townsville State High School, and is driven by “fueling sparks of

of each sector of the STEM ecosystem. The next important

curiosity in the classroom that build strong lifelong connections

component is communication between each sector of the STEM

with the wonder, ingenuity and dynamic possibilities of science,

ecosystem, to strengthen connections and grow, along with the

technology, engineering and maths.”

importance of positive and enabling communication to young people, absent of unconscious bias. Connection, communication

Growing up as a curious-natured child in remote North

and the third being collaboration, working together to share

Queensland, Sarah was inspired by a childhood science teacher

their strengths to influence and grow the STEM ecosystem.

to follow her passion to study a science degree, completing her

Championing success and telling stories is the all-important

honors thesis in cell death following traumatic brain injury.

cherry on top. Championing the brilliant achievements of our

She worked in research and science communication and event

STEM community must happen to promote engagement and

management before studying to become a teacher.

pave a pathway for our young people to aspire to in the future.”

29

www.bdmag.com.au

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POINT OF SAIL: race week adding

boom to the region Written by Sarah Jones

Now in its twelfth year, the annual

race director and committee have also

SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week

added a new course this year, which will

continues to be one of the island’s

see the fleet set sail along our exquisite

largest draw cards, experiencing

Strand shoreline on Saturday, 1st

Captain Cook exclaimed

growing numbers year on year from

September to ensure that the public can

that the island had a

regional, national and international

revel in the racing action from the best

strange magnetic effect on

guests who come to enjoy a week of

vantage point, bringing the yachts and

first-class competitive racing on the

their colourful spinnakers toward the

water and an enviable social calendar

mainland.

Legend has it that Magnetic Island got its name when

his compass as he sailed through our waters in 1770.

off it.

This year’s social line up is just as It was 2007 when a group of passionate

impressive as the race itself and will

yachties banded together to begin what

incorporate Father’s Day celebrations

would become the annual regatta in the

at Picnic Bay with market stalls, free

the unique pull exerted by

magnificent waters of Cleveland Bay,

kids’ activities, on water activities and of

‘Maggie’ continues to lure

with 25 local yachts taking part in the

course the famous ‘Beer Can Regatta’.

inaugural race.

Whatever the explanation, there’s no denying that

crowds in their droves to this quintessential North Queensland coastline.

New social additions such as the Beach SeaLink’s North Queensland General

Retreat at the Picnic Bay Surf Life

Manager Chris Briggs says it’s the local

Saving Club will include live mud crab

support that has seen the race go from

races and a barbeque, giving patrons

strength to strength. “To see the growth

a fantastic space to enjoy a Sunday

of the event, the way the community

session on the Island. And of course,

of Magnetic Island embrace it, that has

Peppers Race HQ will be a hot spot

been its strength. It is now the biggest

where participants and spectators can

annual event the Island hosts”.

enjoy stories of the day’s sailing and celebrate the race winners.

SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week provides a significant boost to our local

If the allure of sun-kissed days spent at

economy, community and greater

one of the East Coasts most picturesque

Townsville region, with the event now

playgrounds sounds like your idea

generating over $660,000.

of a good time, rest assured, as you don’t need to be a competitive sailor

Following on from the Airlie Beach

to participate in the SeaLink Magnetic

and Hamilton Island Race Weeks as

Island Race Week. There truly is

the finale of the Queensland Season

something for everyone, from jumping

of Sailing, the race week is now a

onboard a racing yacht or partying after

highlight in the calendar, with over 50%

dark with the crews at one of the many

of the fleet coming from interstate to

social functions.

participate.

The SeaLink Magnetic Island Race With over 60 yachts registered for this

Week commences on Thursday, 30th

year’s regatta so far, more than one

August, and continues through until

thousand competitors and their families

Wednesday, 5th September.

are expected to attend this year’s event, presenting fantastic opportunities for North Queensland businesses.

With five days of sailing, the event

31

www.bdmag.com.au

D E S

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32

RETURN TRIP Why travellers are returning to travel agents Written by Julie Johnston

It’s been 20 years since the launch of the world’s first online travel booking site and there has been much speculation since that the role of the travel agent would become obsolete. Yet while other traditional industries seemingly struggle with the impact of technological and online advancements, the online onslaught has seen travel agencies not only survive, but they are now thriving, with consumers realising the value and benefits travel agents can provide.

“I think this gives us an edge when creating inspirational travel packages for our clients.

“Travel agents offer a point of difference to the internet and the key is human contact and relationships - not just the relationships we have with our clients but the imperative relationships we have with all our suppliers,” Rane explains.

“Repeat business continues to evolve and grow. Our clients appreciate the VIP touches and perks that we pull together.”

Many consumers have now returned to booking with travel

“We are busier than ever,” claims Rane Reguson, Managing

agencies after experiencing problems booking online.

Director of italktravel & cruise Townsville City and Jetsetter Travel Ayr. “For agents, the significant difference is that most

“We often hear the horror stories,” Rane says. “People who have

are available 24/7 to support the client at every moment during

booked with an online, off shore provider and then had major

their travel booking process. What people don’t always realise is

dramas with arrangements. There’s no personalised service

agents often offer service and pricing that can beat the internet.”

nor anyone to talk to due to time delays or cancellations, not to mention the cost to call offshore.”

What was perceived by many as a threat for travel agencies has in fact proven to be beneficial. While there may be fewer agents

In the time since online bookings first took off, travellers have

than a decade ago, there are still almost 4000 travel agencies

been bombarded with prices, reviews, deals, times, layovers,

operational throughout Australia. That’s more shopfronts than

chat rooms, pop-ups....their fingers are now worn, they have a

McDonalds.

headache and are drowning in too much information.

The internet has given consumers the ability to do their own

“As the internet continues to evolve, it also continues to

research which has resulted in more educated clients who know

confuse the consumer with information overload which we see

what they want. “The online world is quite helpful to us as it

happening every day,” he says. “Everyone is busy, we easily take

assists in the client qualifying exactly what they want. Our job

the stress out of their holiday planning.”

is to deliver on their needs and educate them about the benefits when they book with us. The access to very competitive pricing

Rane and his team expect to see even more growth in the

across the board gives us an edge,” says Rane.

industry, with an increasing number of local clients booking their corporate and leisure travel through travel agencies.

The onus is on the travel agents to provide a level of knowledge and service that can’t be provided from booking online.

“Our hot destinations are New Zealand, UK/Europe, USA and Canada, and we are seeing a quickly growing market for

“I, like most of my colleagues in the industry, have travelled

adventure travel,” Rane says. “Passenger numbers for 2018

extensively, experienced diverse cultures and embraced many

across both domestic and international was higher year on end

once-in-a-lifetime experiences,” shares Rane, explaining that

and I think we should expect the same for this new year.”

it’s this hands-on experience that gives agents the upper hand.

33

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BD mag BDmag

34

Family business a recipe for success Written by Jade Kennedy

From the Italian restaurant created

Adeline explains that the pros have so far

is key, you have to do your best to keep

with Nonna’s famous recipes

outweighed the cons, and the experience

your work and family life separate, but

has strengthened her relationship with

you need to still have fun at work.”

passed down through generations to the Fairfax dynasty created by

her Father.

Kerry Packer, family businesses

“I have gotten to know my Dad in a

Research group McCrindle predicts that

different way and discovered things I

more than $3 trillion will change hands

come in every variation and make

never knew about him,” she said.

in Australia over the next 10 years as

up a whopping 70 per cent of all

“We are both very similar in the way

ageing baby boomers pass their estates

we work, although we have similar

to their heirs – some of that wealth being

personalities; we can drive each other

tied up in the family business.

Australian businesses - employing more than 50 per cent of the

crazy at times – we spend a LOT of time

workforce.

together.”

The truth is that there are extensive lists

Jean-Pierre said their similar thought

of both pros and cons when running a

processes were an advantage to working

family business, and what works well for

together.

So, what are some tips on how family businesses can run smoothly?

The Australian Small Business and

some is a potential nightmare for others.

“We know each other’s personalities Townsville’s own Jean-Pierre Artisan

extremely well. We’re both passionate

Bakery, is one such business proving that

about the business and want to succeed.”

they have the recipe for family success.

Adeline agrees adding “Family members

Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO) has put together these 10 tips for family enterprises:

are always going to have more of a vested

• Leave work at work and home at home.

Established in the mid-1980s, when

interest in the business and how well it

• Have clear roles for each family

namesake Jean-Pierre Danoy and his

does.”

member.

• Pay the award rate to all family

family opened Le Café de France in Townsville, this family were the first

Although Adeline is very new to the

members who work there.

French pastry chefs and bakers in North

business, she says she has already learned

• Use outside advisors for unbiased

Queensland.

a lot from her Father.

advice.

“He has a wealth of knowledge and

• Have a good management structure

Jean-Pierre went on to expand into his

experience from being in the business for

- don’t confused ownership or

own popular boutique bakery franchise

so long,” she said.

inheritance with management.

with several successful stores across

“I’ve learnt that there are many solutions

• Be open with communication – both

Townsville, then known as Jean-Pierre

to a problem and that they aren’t always

good and bad news must be shared.

Patisserie. The retail stores have since

obvious – think outside the square.

• Clearly outline the entry and exit

ceased trade to allow Jean-Pierre and

Multitasking and prioritising is key.”

conditions for family members involved with the business from the

his team to focus on the growth of the wholesale side of the business.

Jean-Pierre’s daughter, Adeline Griffin,

Adeline said the pair try their best to keep

beginning.

work at work, although “this can be very

• Develop a succession plan and

difficult at times.”

make sure that all parties agree on the transfer of ownership.

has now joined the team as Operations and Marketing Manager, and as with

“We would like to think that we work

• Hold regular meetings and family

many family run businesses, the pair are

quite well together, even though we

‘retreats’.

finding the balance between work and

can sometimes get a little heated in our

• Use mentors and family business

home life.

exchanges,” she laughs. “Communication

forum groups as a sounding board.

35

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Transformative power of headwear sparks

creative awakening Imagine opening the May issue of Vogue magazine to see a photo of Kylie Minogue perfectly styled and wearing a headpiece that you have designed and created – that was the reality for Christie Murray, who has established a globally successful millinery business in Brisbane.

Written by Julie Johnston

Growing up in Townsville and

marketing mentor, Vanja Stace

my customers responded to. The

attending The Cathedral School

from Stace and Co. in Sydney, who

analytical side of my brain loves the

Christie never envisaged a career in

I worked with for over a year and

business side of fashion – production

fashion.

completed her online business

schedules, branding, social media.

course. I also did an online business

Owning my own business is so

“I was too busy having an amazing

course with acclaimed British

satisfying, it challenges every facet of

childhood outdoors!” she recalls.

milliner Piers Atkinson and took

my being and is the perfect creative

“Although I never had a sewing

inspiration from other mentors such

soup for me.”

machine, Mum taught me to sew by

as New York milliner Anya Caliendo,

hand and I found myself altering

who helped me navigate the industry

Christie maintains close ties

outfits when I left home and went to

at an early stage.”

with Townsville with her and her

University. Looking back, I always

husband’s parents both still living

had an eye for balance and flow in a

The combination of natural talent,

here. She keeps an eye on the

look, I even made my sister’s formal

training and business acumen has

evolving fashion scene and would

dress by hand.”

resulted in a thriving business.

love to see financial support for up

Christie employs up to 12 milliners

and coming designers.

Christie worked as a physiotherapist

to work with her on projects and

for five years and was living overseas

millinery orders for weddings,

“It would be great if the local council

when at the age of 28, she took the

cocktail parties, races and runway

provided grants to be put towards

leap and moved back to Australia

shows, and her clients have won

industry mentoring in the early

to study millinery at TAFE in

national ‘Fashion on the Field’

stages of launching a business.

Melbourne.

championships at Oaks Day at

Fashion is 90% business, so this is

Flemington, and have been finalists

where a lot of very talented designers

“I feel like this was my creative

at Derby Day and Melbourne Cup

fall short,” she says.

awakening, where I really found my

Day. Industry trends also influence

passion in life, what I was born to

Christie’s work.

Christie does not believe you need

do,” she explains. “Since this time,

to be based in a capital city to be

I’ve fallen head over heels for my

“My current focus is on developing

successful in the fashion industry and

industry. I love the transformative

my bridal millinery business,

encourages aspiring local designers

power of headwear.”

providing fine headwear and veils for

to pursue a career in their field.

brides, bridesmaids, and high-end Christie believed she had something

headwear for wedding guests and

“There definitely seems to be some

different to offer and a fresh

mothers of the bride,” she says. “It’s

exciting steps forward with emerging

aesthetic, but with no internships

exciting to see more guests wearing

labels such as Mara Swim being

available in Australia like other

headwear to Australian weddings,

based in here, along with events

countries, she decided to start her

particularly with recent events

such as The Townsville Fashion

own business. To ensure she had the

around the British Royal Family,” she

Festival highlighting local talent,” she

necessary business skills, she enrolled

says.

observes.

course through QUT’s Creative

Christie enjoys the freedom of

“Never before have we lived in an

Enterprise Australia in Brisbane.

working for herself.

era where you can access millions via

“I received valuable industry

“You have the ability to be agile and

grown labels have been started from

mentoring on the business side

approach your industry through

rural and remote locations. All you

of fashion,” she says. “I also had

a fresh lens,” she says. “I loved

need is talent, a unique product, and

an incredible fashion brand and

testing the market and seeing what

passion for what you do.”

in the Fashion Business Accelerator

social media and online. Many home

BD mag BDmag

36

37

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A lift in confidence

The face of beauty has changed dramatically over the years with Australia’s cosmetic business now a billion-dollar industry Written by Jade Kennedy According to statistics from the

happy to talk about it,” he said.

don’t necessarily want to be employing

Australasian College of Cosmetic Surgery,

Business is booming so much in

the youngest men and women that come

Australia now has an even bigger spend on

Townsville, in fact, QPS has welcomed a

straight out of the training program

cosmetic procedures per capita than the

new surgeon to its ranks, Dr Tristan de

because they can’t do the work yet.”

US, with Aussie’s consuming $350 million

Chalain.

worth of Botox procedures, having 8000

With advances in technology – stem cell

breast augmentation surgeries and 30,000

“Tristan is an old friend of mine, we did

treatment, fat grafting, 3D printing of

liposuction procedures.

a fellowship in America together in 1993,

moulds for body parts to suit individuals,

he is very experienced and does a lot of

and new imaging technology – plastic

With advances in technology and

facial work, a lot of work with skin cancer

surgery is constantly changing, and the

medicine, and the open (Face)book

patients,” he said.

challenge for surgeons is to stay on top of

society we now live in, cosmetic surgery

the latest trends.

is no longer considered taboo like it was

“We had the opportunity to increase

20 or 30 years ago, with cosmetic surgery

our local business and asked him if he’d

“We plan to merge our business with

procedures now as common as spray tans

come work with us here in Townsville.

Chrysalis and have all of our skin care,

or lash extensions.

He brings with him 25 years in private

lasers and procedures all in one place,

practice.”

we’ll have more synergy if we merge

Dr Mark Vucak is one of the most

together,” Mark said.

prominent plastic surgeons in Australia,

With clinics in Townsville, Cairns,

and he’s based right here in Townsville –

Rockhampton and Mackay, QPS treats

“We have several more cosmetic doctors

at his clinic, Queensland Plastic Surgery

hundreds of North Queenslanders every

in the pipeline who we are training and

(QPS). He has personally witnessed the

year. In fact, Mark and his colleague, Dr

will join us so we can offer a broader

growth of the industry here in our own

Ian Tassan, have operated on 60,000

range of laser services: skin care, derma

region.

North Queenslanders in their practice.

logical examination and non-surgical

“We’ve been lucky that our growth has

“Anybody can do this line of work, but

increased year on year from a revenue

it takes a long time to learn how to do it

Mark said the biggest plastic surgery

point of view despite there being a

well,” Mark said.

trend in the US that he expected to see

treatments.”

general downturn in the economy in Townsville,” he said.

here, was body contouring after weight “When you come out of plastic surgery

loss surgery.

training, because most of the work is done Part of the growth, Mark said, may also

in a public hospital, the early focus for

“This January 32 gastric sleeves were

be due to the lack of stigma that now

the first 5 to 10 years of practice is usually

done in Townsville and a large number of

surrounds cosmetic procedures.

reconstructive so that you get good

these patients will come to us following

experience in microsurgery but you don’t

their weight loss for tummy tucks, breast

“Every day in the media we hear about

know anything about cosmetic surgery

reductions, face lifts, arm surgery, thigh

it and see it, I think if anything we’ve

because that’s the domain of private

reductions and so forth.

actually seen the reverse of what we did 15

practice.

or 20 years ago, where in fact people are proud of the work they have done and are

“That’s a big part of our practice now and “Our business is different in that we

39

I think that will only get bigger.”

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ENROL NOW 1300 308 233 | tafeqld.edu.au BD 3144 I RTO No. 0275 mag BDmag

40

industry leaders setting the bar in the Australian wedding scene.

LOCAL VENUE

leading a $2billion industry

In June this year, the ABIA hosted its prestigious National Designer of Dreams Awards at The Star on the Gold Coast where North Queensland’s very own Mercure Townsville was awarded ‘Best Hotel Reception Venue’ in Australia.

All ABIA winners and finalists are determined solely based on the ratings provided by the brides and grooms of Australia. The ABIA Awards Program receives more than 25,000 registrations every year, who are invited to rate and review their wedding vendors. The ABIA state algorithm automatically calculates the ratings of each vendor in the 12-month nomination period and determines the ranking of all vendors in their respective categories.

Margaret Cotton, who has been part of Mercure’s specialist events team for over 10 years, said that staff is one of the key components of any successful event.

“When someone is planning an event, it is usually a long-term thing,” she said.

“With wedding planning especially, they are usually saving for a long time for their special day, so they are very emotionally invested and expect value for their money.

“Our staff understand that we have a great responsibility to deliver on our promise. We train our teams not only in exceptional customer service, but also the understanding that each of our clients has a story, and the part we play in that story.”

Generating over

With approximately 22,000 marriages

Set amongst 11 acres of lush tropical

in Queensland each year, over 120,000

gardens next to ‘The Lakes’, Mercure

Australia-wide and the recent addition

is situated just minutes from our CBD

annually, the Australian

of same-sex marriage to the industry,

and airport and designed to cater to an

wedding industry is

demand for exceptional wedding and

extensive range of events, with a variety

events venues has never been higher, or

of unique indoor and outdoor venues that

competition fiercer.

sets this destination apart.

The Australian wedding market consists of

“Mercure has a mix of corporate, group,

approximately 40,000 businesses, making

leisure and event business,” Margaret said.

$2 billion dollars

big business, with the average wedding now costing over $50,000.

Written by Jade Kennedy

the client’s decision to select the best

“It is certainly a strength of the business

possible event partners, one that can be

that we can cater to guests from all sectors

both time consuming and costly.

meeting their needs and expectations, which often differs.”

The Australian Bridal Industry Academy (ABIA) was established in 1996 to assist in

Competing in an industry demanding

setting standards in the ultra-competitive

the very best of the best, these award

wedding marketplace and has hosted both

winners prove that they continue to set the

state and national awards ceremonies

national standard in our local wedding and

for over 20 years, shining a light on the

events scene.

41

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Deep within you already know what you need to do

BD mag BDmag

42

O

WTH F

FA I

L

UR

E

Written by Julie Johnston

OM

GR

a n i p S Ke ry

R

After being left emotionally, physically and financially stressed following a failed online teaching program in 2014, Kerry Spina had vowed she would never create another one.

The passionate parent educator has put her own

Despite the support, the experience was painful

teachings into action and found the courage and

and humiliating, and it took Kerry three years to

resilience to move forward from her “best and

bounce back financially from the lost investment.

biggest mistake” to launch the Can-Do Growth

Kerry poured all of her energy into the existing

Mindset Online Toolkit.

Kids In Harmony business to up-level what she already had, and started to write a book on

As the owner of the successful Kids In Harmony

Growth Mindset for parents and educators. A

music and values program and author of parent

colleague encouraged her not to give up on the

resources, Kerry saw an opportunity in the

idea of an online course and recommended a

budding online market and had launched a 12

platform that Kerry could manage herself.

month parenting course which resulted in over 40 participants signing up. On day 21 of the course

“This gave me back control,” she explains. “Now

being live, Kerry pulled it.

that I understand the back end of the online course systems, I can do it myself. This meant

“Leading up to the launch I had feelings that it

that I had the funds to outsource things I needed

wasn’t right. So many things went wrong. I felt

done professionally, like design and promotional

like they weren’t aligning,” Kerry recalls. “But I

videos.

kept going because I felt so invested. I’d put so much money and time into launching this and

“Using the power of reflection and feedback from

felt like I had to commit, and because I am so

what went wrong last time, I changed the course

passionate about parent support, I felt pulled

of how I did it, the planning, connecting with the

along for the ride.

right people and setting aside money for videos and design work so it was first class, beautiful

“I got to a point where I was ready to quit,”

work.”

she recalls. “I had a choice to keep going, keep pouring money at it, but I knew I couldn’t fund it

The Can-Do Growth Mindset Online Toolkit

anymore because I had to outsource so much.”

has been received with much enthusiasm and

Kerry recalls it was one of the most stressful and

positive feedback, with the course now available

saddest times of her business life.

for enrolment.

“It was heartbreaking,” she said. But rather than

Kerry’s story is a powerful reminder that knowing

blaming the platform or making excuses, Kerry

when to quit is not a sign of weakness.

was upfront with her clients who in turn offered unwavering support, embraced her honesty and

“Quitting can be a very powerful action step,”

became more loyal than ever.

she says emphatically. “It’s not about persistence or perseverance. It would have been foolish and

“I told them the truth. That it wasn’t how I wanted

idealistic to continue. It was absolutely sensible

it to be, it wasn’t the standard I wanted for them,

and empowering to quit and I am so glad I did.

and that I would refund their money. They were amazing and their support was exactly what I

“Deep within you already know what you need

needed at that time.”

to do,” she smiles. “If you are brave enough to go there, when you know it’s not going to work, then

“Being able to tell the truth was healing for me.

I am a firm believer in the failing fast theory, but

If you’re lying to your customers, you’re lying to

you’ve got to be prepared for the recovery and

yourself.

consider if you have the energy for that. We can all repair and recover, and in some cases, thrive

Your business isn’t authentic, it’s not a reflection

because of it.”

of who you are.”

43

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BUDGET 2018 / 2019

TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL DELIVERING ON OUR PROMISES $433m

RECORD

INFRASTRUCTURE SPEND

WATER

PIPELINE

1.9%

RATES AT CPI & PROMPT PAYMENT DISCOUNTS Rates paid by the due date will receive a generous 10% discount.

ON TRACK

$159m DEC 2019

FOR DELIVERY

Over $15m IN PROMPT RATE PAYMENT DISCOUNTS In savings that are utilised by 90% of ratepayers

1,771km

FREE

ANIMAL SHELTER RELEASE FEE ABOLISHED First release fee of $169 now abolished for registered dogs and approved cats.

ROADS Maintaining and improving our roads. This is enough road to get you to Cairns and back 2.5 times!

Over $5m

TOBRUK POOL UPGRADE Full refurbishment of the 60 year old buildings, pools and filtration systems.

$41m

PARKS AND OPEN SPACES Manage 338 parks, equivalent to 3,300 rugby league fields.

1,650 tonnes

HARD WASTE 1,650 tonnes collected so far with more to continue in 2018.

ARTS, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY EVENTS

Over $3m

Including V8s, Strand Ephemera, Netball Constellation Cup, PBR Grand Final, Heritage Day, Eco Fiesta, Carols by Candlelight and more!

COMMUNITY GRANTS AND SPONSORSHIPS Includes new sporting infrastructure grant and other arts and cultural grants.

300+

IMPROVING YOUR PARKING

Free 15 minute parking in the CBD, free two hour parking in December and free Eyre Street parking.

FEES AND CHARGES SIMPLIFIED OR ABOLISHED

Reduced the number of hire fees and related costs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION 13 48 10

enquiries@townsville.qld.gov.au

townsville.qld.gov.au

one-off special events that just blow people away, like the bigger international acts that we all fly down to capital cities to enjoy and the mid-level acts that surprise you the first time you see them.

“We also don’t really support local original artists the way we should. There’s seldom

THE MAN BEHIND

a platform for these ‘up-and-comers’ and

tHe mUsiC

venues tend to not take a risk on originals, choosing to stick to pub cover bands instead” According to a 2014 study by the University

Not many people can turn a lifelong passion into a job, but for former Cloncurry native Tim Pellegrino, that’s exactly what he managed to achieve.

of Tasmania, the net benefit of live music in Queensland is $1.9 Billion annually.

Tim says we need to explore opportunities to enhance Townsville’s share of this market. “I would propose Townsville City Council and Townsville Enterprise look more closely at the opportunities to further

Written by Jade Kennedy

develop our region into a more integral part of the national touring circuit and align with our neighbours such as Cairns and Photo: Constantine Create

Airlie Beach to form a trifecta of amazing destinations to play, and therefore attract more acts and events to North Queensland as whole.”

On Australia Day 2010, Tim travelled

we had some more stakeholders in our

to Townsville to work a trial shift with

city, but that’s another story,” he said.

The local live music industry is certainly not all doom and gloom with Tim has noting

Townsville’s then home to live music, The Venue. That trial turned into a two-year

In addition to bringing great live

that some amazing shows and festivals are

management role which cemented his

entertainment to our fair city, Tim has

taking place in Townsville, including events

place in the local and national music

also managed several national artists over

such as the recent ‘Neck of the Woods’

scene.

the last few years, including Clint Boge,

festival and annual crowd pleasers like

frontman from The Butterfly Effect, Like

Groovin’ the Moo. “There are a small group

From his very first live music event, it

Thieves and more recently has joined the

of local promoters that are keeping the

seemed fate was already calling. “My first

management team behind Jeff Martin

local scene afloat, many of them the unsung

live music experience was Pearl Jam at

(The Tea Party).

heroes who don’t get to share the spotlight very often, choosing mostly to stay behind

the Myer Music Bowl in 1994. They were

the curtains.

supported by the group ‘The Meanies’,

“I’m proud to be able to do this work

who I ended up working with on their final

from Townsville, proving you don’t need

show 20-plus years later,” he said.

to be in a big capital city like Sydney or

“This handful of locals do everything they

Melbourne to be an integral part of the

can for live music - they put up the posters

music industry.”

for the show, man the door, take care of

Tim’s love of music began as a child, with

merchandising, drop the artist off at the

his weekly pocket money being spent on one ‘cassingle’ at a time. “By the time I

With The Venue now closed and a need for

airport the next day, all usually just for the

was in grade four I had my own music

more viable locations to host live music

love of it.”

collection and had already amassed a solid

events, Tim is now part of the team behind

knowledge of the classics from my parents’

the format change at the Kirwan Tavern,

In addition to his dedication to music, Tim

vinyl” he said. “Then came Metallica, and

with ambition to turn it into another live

is now also venturing into a new nostalgic

a few years later Nirvana, I was hooked for

music destination for Townsville.

venture, Empire Alternacade and Events – a licensed bar focused on retro and vintage

life.”

“One of the challenges we face is

gaming, including classic pinball, arcade

Tim has been regularly involved with

providing a live music venue that supports

machines, retro consoles, table top games

bringing countless bands to Townsville

the local and mid-level touring acts,” he

and pool tables. Now open seven days a

including international headliners Simple

said. “My aim for the Kirwan Tavern is to

week on Flinders Street, Empire also has an

Plan (CAN), Ace Frehley (USA), Donovan

fill this need.

events arm that Tim is very excited about, “We are setting up to provide large scale

Frankenreiter (USA) and Fear Factory (USA), as well as Australian acts such as

“Townsville will always be on the national

events in Townsville. There’s some amazing

Dead Letter Circus, 360, Boy and Bear and

touring circuit, we will always get the ‘big’

artists being lined up already and I can’t

The Butterfly Effect to name a few. “There

national tours from Aussie artists and

wait to be able to announce some of these

could have been a lot more on that list if

bands, but what we miss out on are the

massive shows, Townsville is gonna flip out!”

45

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Managing your investment like it was one of our family’s properties Property management is more than coordinating tenancies and rental payments. It’s about helping you achieve your financial goals. Ray White Townsville has the expertise and market insight to make sure you’re maximising your return on investment and will always have your best interests at heart.

Get the Ray White property management_Know How on your side, and make it happen today.

Errol Munro Principal 0417 798 522 errol.munro@raywhite.com raywhitetownsville.com.au

Written by Jade Kennedy

BURSTING at the seams This home business grew very quickly it wasn’t too long before Peta would obtain her own store in the prestigious Brisbane Arcade in Queen Street Mall. “This is where I launched Peta C Designs. Those years were so much fun. Getting to create gorgeous gowns for clients, this is where my heart is. To see a woman feel so good, so confident in a garment that I created, is a blessing.”

In 2013 Peta and her husband left the hustle and bustle of Brisbane and relocated to Townsville where her husband had

THE CHALLENGES OF OPERATING IN THE EVER-CHANGING INDUSTRY OF FASHION HAVE NEVER BEEN GREATER.

found work as a commercial pilot. During this time the pair welcomed children to their family and Peta took six years away from her work to raise her children.

Written by Sarah Jones “I became a bored housewife once the kids The modern consumers’ growing love of

it’s advantages, the experience that

were at school,” Peta laughs. “I missed my

online shopping for cheap, mass produced

comes from a personal consultation to

work and decided to kick things off again.”

apparel from overseas, delivered straight

individually craft a handmade, one of a

to their door has seen the need for

kind piece, custom made for your special

Peta began sewing from home again and

Australian designers to rapidly adapt to a

event is truly unbeatable, with hundreds of

before too long was moving into her own

changing market.

Peta’s local clients a testament to that.

Townsville shop, this time in Mooney

Consumers’ purchase habits have

Peta’s love of sewing was the creative outlet

drastically altered from traditional models

that first drew her to the fashion industry.

and the ‘offline’ fashion field becomes

“It wasn’t fashion that caught my eye, it

Three years of tremendous growth and

harder to successfully play in. While

was sewing, being able to create things

demand for her amazing creations has

major retail fashion chains seemingly

with my hands. I was 15 years old and left

now seen her outgrow these premises and

struggle to juggle sluggish in store sales,

school half way through year 10, I just

Peta C Dressmaking will open at their new

high overheads and smaller margins, one

wasn’t that type of person who could sit

home at 81 Ingham Road in August where

Townsville fashionista is bucking the trend

in one spot listening to the teacher,” she

Peta will continue to do exactly what she

and expanding her thriving local business

laughs.

loves, “I feel very proud to do what I do”.

“My first job was working on school

With a growing number of ambitious local

uniforms which I did for five years, this

fashion designers, Townsville’s need for

Despite her own booming business, Peta

is where I was able to advance my skills

a local institute to harbor these talents

Cripps, director of Peta C Dressmaking,

learning from experienced seamstresses.

has never been greater. Local events such

agrees that competition with overseas

From there I moved onto corporate

as the Townsville Fashion Festival are

distributors is making the industry much

uniforms where I gained a position with a

unearthing hidden talent amongst our

more difficult. “The fashion industry in

large manufacturer as production manager

community, however handfuls of these

Australia is a dying trade, it’s difficult

and sample machinist, and at 20 years old

creatives are forced to leave our city every

to compete with cheap overseas labour

I had 20 other women looking up to me

year in search of the training and facilities

and conditions. Even high schools these

for guidance.”

to advance their skills and passion. While

Street, where she has spent the last three years creating tailor made garments.

into bigger and better premises to keep up with demand.

Peta agrees that the need to go elsewhere

days are dropping subjects such as home economics, they just don’t think it’s an

After furthering her experience and skill

for training is unavoidable at the moment,

important skill anymore like it was for

set, Peta delved into the designer fashion

she believes that designers should consider

earlier generations.”

world and began sample sewing for local

Townsville as a base to work from, saying

Brisbane designers. “This is where my love

“Townsville is a different scene, there’s

Regardless of online or offline purchase

of fashion began. Before too long I wanted

room for everybody here. It’s not like

habits, the consumers’ expectation

to go out on my own and I began sewing

the competition in capital cities, and the

for quality remains high. While the

for customers privately from home.”

demand is definitely here!”

convenience of online purchases has

47

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LET OUR TEAM FEED

VISIT Sir Leslie Thiess Drive

BOOK (07) 4721 2567

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YOUR SUBURB TO OUR SCHOOL Our dedicated fleet of buses means it doesn’t matter where you live in Townsville, our bus routes are determined by your address.

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Tel. 4722 2000 | 154 Ross River Road, Mundingburra. Townsville | cathedral.qld.edu.au

THE NEXT

Chapter “Oh, the places you’ll go!” Dr. Seuss famously wrote three decades ago, encouraging kids across the globe to follow their dreams. Similarly, local author Ian McIntosh is encouraging kids right across the country to get creative and dream big.

Written by Jade Kennedy

“I specialise in working with kindergarten

After sending the manuscript to 10

competition and an online creative

and primary age children,” Ian said.

publishers and receiving a polite

writing master class for kids who want

rejection from only two, Ian’s daughter’s

to take their writing to the next level. His

“My message is all about letting kids

teacher read the story to the class and said

summer program offers 40 boredom-

know that they can become whatever

the five words that would change his life:

busting creative writing challenges in 40

they want and that they don’t have to wait

“You should become an author.”

days over the Christmas holidays, keeping

until they are older to start using their

the little ones entertained and creative

imagination, dreaming big and doing

Two years later Ian self-published

awesome things with their lives.”

the book and presold 350 copies via

over the school break.

crowd funding. Within four months of

Ian said he would like to see a more

Ian achieves his objective by writing

its release, Ian was a finalist at the NQ

collaborative, long term approach to

stories that encourage self-belief and

Arts Awards and was invited to attend

nurturing creating talent in Townsville.

reflect positive values. He also shares his

Savannah Writers Festival as a guest

“From a writer’s perspective, I would like

own life story, “from being a kid in the

author.

to see more inclusion of local writers in

bush who didn’t finish high school and a

the planning and delivery of Savannah

former rodeo clown to becoming a full-

Ian said his next book would further his

time author.”

message to kids that they can achieve anything.

Writers Festivals,” he said.

“I also think that the NQ Arts Awards

Five years ago, the idea for Ian’s first

should become a permanent fixture

children’s picture book came like a bolt

“‘The Little Kangaroo’ is about a kangaroo

either annually or biannually; both of

from the blue.

who doesn’t think she can do anything,

these events are essential for nurturing

but thanks to the help of a wise old emu,

local creative talent.”

“As a joke I pretended to take some

she discovers that she was born for a

biscuits from a friend’s two-year old

purpose.

For the bigger kids wanting to flex their

daughter,” Ian said.

creative writing muscle, Ian said there “I have already pre-sold around 600

were plenty of resources locally.

“The little girl was too quick for me, so I

copies and have received interest and

missed out on getting any biscuits. But I

endorsements from a number of larger

“The Townsville Writers and Publishers

did have a random idea for a story about

organisations that work with children and

Centre (TWPC) seems to be running well

a little boy who thought a bickie monster

families, including the USA. The plan is

at the moment,” he said.

lived in his house.

to do a short tour of the US with the book in April 2019.”

“There is currently a core of talented

“I jotted down some notes, then later that

and dedicated emerging and established

evening I wrote the first draft to what

Two years ago, Ian began the Junior

authors involved with TWPC. As a result,

would become ‘Watch Out For The Bickie

Writers Club, an online club for children

there’s quite a bit of activity on offer for

Monster.’

eager to develop their creative writing

local writers.”

skills. Ian also hosts an annual writing

49

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TEL TALK: FOSTERING EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE, RESILIENCE & MINDFULNESS Research shows us that emotional intelligence in the workplace increases employee engagement, commitment and productivity. In turn, developing a culture that increases business success and longevity.

The Institute of Managers and Leaders is delighted to invite you to a lunchtime TEL Talk on fostering emotional intelligence, resilience and mindfulness.

SPEAKER

PANELLIST

PANELLIST

PETER ROBERTSON

ANDY ROBERTS

SCOTT TIMMINS

Operations Manager, College of Science and Engineering, JAMES COOK UNIVERSITY

Founder BREATH AUSTRALIA

PEOPLE SOLUTIONS SPECIALIST

TEL TALK FORMAT – WHAT TO EXPECT?

KEY TAKEAWAYS

You will gain the latest insights on management and leadership theory as our speakers and panellists show you how to develop team culture which embraces emotional intelligence, resilience and mindfulness.

•

How to create a workplace culture that embraces emotional intelligence, resilience and mindfulness

•

Simple and practical tools to increase employee performance and workplace culture

EVENT DETAILS

REGISTRATION TICKETS

DATE

Wednesday, 29 August 2018

MEMBER

$45

TIME

12:00 – 1:30

NON-MEMBER

$55

BOOKINGS

1300 661 061

LOCATION

Mercure Townsville, 166 Woolcock St

th

pm

pm

Proudly supported by

BD managersandleaders.com.au/events mag BDmag

|

1300 661 061 50

|

events@managersandleaders.com.au

iNQ Young Innovators Tell us a little about yourself.

My name is Tristan Fivaz, I’m fourteen years old and I love being inspired to create wonderful inventions, such as my Mail Sensor and a couple of others.

Tell us about your idea.

The Mail Sensor, a smart mailbox, is an app that sends your phone Wi-Fi notifications such as ‘You Have Mail!’ when a letter or parcel is delivered to your letterbox. The Mail Sensor also alerts you through colour changing LEDs which indicates if you have mail.

How did you come up with your idea?

I was inspired to create this invention when I was riding my bike one day and spotted a man on my street, physically impaired, (in a wheelchair) struggling to check his mail.

How does the Mail Sensor work?

For my circuitry, I used an Arduino UNO to send Bluetooth notifications to your phone. I also used a pressure sensor to retrieve the data and turn the lights green or red (depending on mail status). It is powered by a 12-volt solar panel which is constantly recharging a 5-volt lithium battery.

What are your next steps from here?

The next thing I will be focusing to do in the future will probably be changing the sensor, maybe to an ultrasonic, this will allow it to receive data more efficiently.

PROFILE:

Tristan Fivas A HUB FOR CREATIVES, THINKERS, DOERS, CHANGE MAKERS AND INVESTORS IN OUR REGION, INQ IS FOSTERING THE FORCE OF OUR YOUNG LOCAL INNOVATORS. THIS ISSUE WE SPEAK WITH INQ MEMBER TRISTAN FIVAZ ABOUT HIS IDEAS AND THOUGHT PROCESS FOR HIS INVENTION ‘MAIL SENSOR’.

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What do you see yourself doing when you’re older?

When I’m older, I hope to work at a sustainability centre. They do lots of cool stuff with sensors, and get paid for it!

What would you like to do with iNQ, how do you see them assisting you? iNQ really helps me to get in touch with mentors and people that can advertise, code, and do all sorts. However, I need to patent the Mail Sensor, and that’s what iNQ is helping me through.

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BDmag

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