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operating WitHout Wires alloWs us to escape to Work

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Selling the arts education focus on touring performers

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Cover: Karen Keegan knows the performing arts and the shows available, but publicising them can be a nightmare.

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Frankston City bans smoking in some streets and looks to wider bans: Page 5

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Return of a bacon beacon THE pig is coming back. The iconic Dandy Ham sign – maybe the oldest animated neon sign in Melbourne – is about to be raised yet again.

This time the famous pig, dressed in top hat and tails, will greet visitors approaching the Clow St frontage of Dandenong Market.

The much-loved pig adorned Dandenong’s main thoroughfare, Lonsdale St, for many years, advertising the Dandy Ham and Bacon Company.

When the premises closed the dandy pig was about to be consigned to the dust of history.

The sign was taken down and placed in storage until sufficient public clamour caused Greater Dandenong Council to buy the sign and look around for a new home. The pig had many friends and supporters, including The Examiner and its editor Mike Morris. Ironically the pig outlasted the newspaper that was bought and swallowed by Fairfax’s The Journal. Morris, still carrying a torch for Dandenong, likes the latest location: “A great spot; it’s where it should be,” he told BusinesTimes.

Eventually, the pig continued its illuminated,

Dandenong icon : The Pig.

if not illustrious, career as part of another landmark, the market. From 1996 until 2009 the pig stood, incongruously, as a beacon for carnivores at the entrance to vegan heaven,

the market’s fruit and vegetable hall (right next to another Dandenong icon, the doughnut van). But when redevelopment plans were drawn for the market, the pig dropped out of sight a second time.

The dandy pig was originally part of a larger sign promoting the Dandy Hams and Bacon Factory above the main street’s shop verandas The sign was clearly visible as people entered the town from Princess Highway, becoming a symbol of Dandenong.

Dandy Bacon’s historical link to Dandenong Market harks back to the late 1800s when many dairy farms in the region also ran a few pigs.

Thousands were bought and sold at Dandenong Stock Market. In 1910, a group of enterprising Gippsland pig producers started the Gippsland Co-operative Bacon Curing Company Limited (better known as ‘Dandy Bacon’).

The Dandenong Stock Market continued to supply the bacon factory with many of pigs.

By 1965 the total intake for the Australia-wide operations of ‘Dandy Bacon’ was nearly 156,000 pigs – almost a third coming through stock market.

Numbers declined over succeeding years and in the late 1970s, the ‘Dandy Bacon’ factory closed, after being bought by a US company.

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markets

Biotechs receive injections of cash It is uncommon for a share to rise 40 per cent in a day and stay there.

That happened last month when Biota released news that the US Department of Health would grant $230 million to the development of its second generation, long lasting flu vaccine.

This news came in the same week that a US drug company Cephalon made a bid for ChemGenix and a Dutch group made an offer for Cellistis with its TB test.

This in turn followed on from the Acrux announcement of a $50 million advance from the US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly as the precursor to $280 in milestones plus royalties. Acrux immediately announced a 60c dividend and indicated that further deals were pending for another hormone drug, this time for women. Not long after this deal Mesoblast announced an even larger joint venture with Cephalon worth over a billion as milestones are reached in joint development of its stem cell technologies covering heart, artery, bone and spinal disk regeneration to list only part of the planned collaboration.

Ignoring another dozen approvals and successful trials, in the past quarter the biotech sector received over $200 million cash from off-shore companies with long tail commitments close to two billion. It was a stellar moment and a welcome antidote to the belief that all Australia is good for is large scale quarry operations but little else. But before popping the corks, we must remember that for many, patience had worn very thin. Holding a biotech for a decade

Richard Campbell* Stock Analyst

that slips steadily into oblivion is no one’s idea of fun. But that’s the past. Today Eli Lilly, Cephalon and the others seem very keen to get their hands on potentially lucrative tests, techniques, drugs and drug delivery systems . Why all of a sudden?

There seem to be several reasons. One is that coincidentally many of their own patents are either near the end of patent protection or past it. This has had a depressing effect on their share prices to the point that a $46 billion giant like Eli Lilly is trading on a price to earnings multiple of 7.7 . The other pertinent reason is that medical research is extraordinarily time consuming and costly. A 10-year research program involving dozens of PhDs may end up with nothing of value. It is a lot cheaper to buy than build, especially in times of fiscal restraint.

So, shareholders shouldn’t necessarily rush to take the cash and get out. Just as the miners are saying it is increasingly expensive to find and develop mineral deposits due the endless delays and red-tape, biotech boards everywhere know only too well how monumentally costly it is to get a drug

through the evaluation and approval stage – and that’s after years of of grinding and publically-funded basic research.

Biota is the classic case. Its first flu vaccine, developed two decades ago, depended on the identification of one unchanging part of the ever-changing influenza virus. This research in part came from ANU, not simply the College of Pharmacy which took the next step of designing a drug which would dock with that unchanging part. Given that this was the first time in history that a drug wasn’t developed by laborious trial and error sampling or by sheer chance, the $230 million from the US Department of Health is perhaps not the large sum it seems given the time frames and the sunk costs over two decades.

But the investor question is what comes next? How much is left in Acrux or Mesoblast or several of the other emerging drug and device developers like Prima or Nanosonics? Even though the sector as whole is suddenly buoyant, sceptics can say that each technology still stands on its own merits and may be competing with dozens or hundreds of similar projects in such places as the US, Europe and Israel.

That’s true enough, but it would also be a mistake not to recognise that a fresh wind is blowing through the sector. Companies are being offered serious wads of cash, not simply for patents, but to collaborate and jointly develop. The sector is full of pitfalls, but no longer is it just CSL and Cochlear “and the rest”. The cash tells us that some future giants are emerging.

Richard Campbell is Executive Director of Peninsula Capital Management. Tel. 9642 0545. email: rcampbell@peninsulacapital.com.au

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NEWS

Street smoking bans Smoking will be banned in Station St Mall, Shannon St Mall, the west side of Young St between Wells St and Station St Mall, Gallery Lane, and Stiebel Place.

Also included in the permanent bans will be the west side of Young St, between Station St and Beach St, Clyde St Mall, and Balmoral St. Council has budgeted $52,551 for signs to designate the non-smoking areas.

Council is taking an even tougher stand by making non-smoking a condition in permits issued for kerbsdie trading throughout the municipality.

Also, council has instructed officers to investigate and report on the possible introduction of smoke free outdoor areas at: • The west side of Young St between Wells St and Playne St. • Wells St. • Thompson St; and • Hastings Rd service lane.

Seamless sharing is Glide’s smooth claim U.S. company Glide has launched expanded support for the burgeoning tablet computer market further extending its compatibility platform.

Glide cuts through proprietary OS, hardware, software and file format barriers supporting QNX, iOS, Android Honeycomb and webOS for seamless sharing and collaboration between Apple iPad 2, HP Touchpad, Motorola XOOM, Samsung Galaxy, BlackBerry Playbook and other tablet computers.

No matter the tablet, smartphone, laptop or desktop computer, Glide allows secure sharing of videos, music, documents and photos. Glide enables the access, editing and sharing of files

that are synced or uploaded from PCs, Macs and other devices to Glide’s GDrive. GDrive includes 30GBs of free storage effectively turning the web into your personal shared hard drive for all of your devices.

“With more than 100 tablet computers already announced this year, the need for cross platform compatibility has greatly increased,” said TransMedia Chairman and CEO, Donald Leka.

“With Glide, mobility does not mean a loss of security,” Mr Leka said.

“Glide is a sophisticated permissions-based collaboration platform providing granular control when sharing files.”

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FRANKSTON’S female councillors were hardest on the city’s expense account in 2009-10.

In her mayoral year Christine Richards claimed the most, $14,413, while Sandra Mayer claimed $13,736, of which nearly $8000 was for childcare. Cr Richards’ expenses associated with conferences, training, accommodation and meals totalled $9285.

Expenses claimed by 2008-09 mayor Cr Colin Hampton totalled $9892. Cr Glenn Aitken claimed just $398 for fares.

Councillors’ expenses for the year were $65,232, averaging $7248 a councillor.

Too early for a drink

GETTING a drink before 10am on a Sunday at Frankston RSL is not on. The RSL has been refused permission to extend its Sunday liquor trading by opening two hours earlier at 8am. Frankston Council believes the RSL should stick with the current opening times, 10am to 11.30pm.

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VICURBAN’S $290 million transformation and “revitalisation” of central Dandenong continues with the reopening of Mason St providing the main north/south access to Foster St and Little India. Some car parks are also available. Robinson St is now closed between Foster and Walker streets as works starts on City St and Station North Plaza.

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SOME streets in central Frankston will become permanent “smoke free outdoor areas” following six months of trials by Frankston City Council.

And several streets not included in the trials also face permanent bans.

Councillors are considering extending bans to include beaches, prominent sporting reserves and playgrounds.

Street talk

April 2011 | Frankston / Mornington Peninsula / Dandenong BusinessTimes | 5

BUSY bites

City report

Watergate reporter: ‘we need to know’

From Frankston City’s 2009-2010 annual report: • Occupancy rate of business premises in Frankston Central Activities District is 89 per cent in January 2010 (target 87.5 per cent) • Visitor Information Centre (VIC) assisted close to 80,000 people in 2009-2010 and has seen a growth of 16.2 per cent • Frankston tourism is worth $324.6 million to local economy

Experience for hire The Australian government’s Experience+ program helps mature age workers and their employers to keep them in the workforce.

The program has been expanded to involve more older workers. As part of the program, employers can access a range of tools and incentives, including grants and assistance for staff training and services to find mature aged staff.

Experience+ now includes support for the employment of workers 50 years and over, down from a previous minimum of 55 years.

To see the full suite of incentives, visit the Experience+ website.

Veteran US jounalist Bob Woodward: ‘secrecy will do us in”.

WATERGATE reporter Bob Woodward has warned Americans that in order for the US system of government to work, “accountability is vital.”

“We do need to know,” Woodward told a gathering in Washington DC. “...It’s not that every citizen needs to know every detail, the issue is that members of Congress and the President represent the citizens, and we have a system of accountability.

If you ask me what’s the biggest thing we should worry about in this country, it is secret government.

That’s what will do us in.”

“Whoever said it got it right: democracies die in darkness,” Woodward said. “Democracies die when there’s no accountability. When a group of people get together and say ‘we’ve got the ball’ and there are no referees out there, there are no voters, there’s no openness, there’s no disclosure. That’s what Nixon tried; [there was] too much secrecy in the Clinton administration, in the Bush administration, in the Obama administration, unnecessary secrecy.”

Woodward has worked for The Washington Post since 1971. He has won nearly every American journalism award, and the Post won the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Woodward’s investigative reporting with Carl Bernstein on the Watergate scandal. In addition, Woodward was the main reporter for Post’s articles on the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks that won the National Affairs Pulitzer Prize in 2002.

Woodward has co-authored or authored 12 best-selling non-fiction books — more than any contemporary American writer. His books have chronicled the inner workings of seven presidencies, the CIA and the Supreme Court. In All the President’s Men (1974) and The Final Days (1976), co-authored with Carl Bernstein, Woodward tells the real story of Watergate and the many crimes and abuses of power in the Nixon Administration that led to the impeachment of Richard M. Nixon and his subsequent resignation in disgrace.

The veteran reporter said he almost called his most recent best-seller, Obama’s Wars, “The Divided Man,” because he said President Obama is of two minds on the subject of war. “He does not like war, and when I interviewed him he made that crystal clear,” Woodward said, adding he thinks Obama’s abhorrence of war co-exists in his mind with his responsibility as commander-in-chief to lead.

“This is the analysis the White House hates, but it’s so true,” Woodward added. “What’s going on here politically? What’s on Obama’s mind? 2012.

Political survival. Being re-elected.”

He said the way Obama has engaged in the war in Libya is by taking a crusading moral stance, but at the same time limiting it.

“I call it the ‘Obama innoculation,’” adopting a traditional Republican stance and by so doing, innoculating himself in the foreign policy area.”

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Challenging season for wine grapes Despite wet conditions presenting a challenge for growers in many wine grape growing regions in eastern Australia, total Australian wine grape production is forecast to decline by only two per cent to 1.5 million tonnes in 2010-11.

These projections are part of the latest Australian Wine Grape Production Projections released by ABARES mid April which covers 23 wine growing regions in Australia.

“Wet conditions this season were favourable for vine growth and berry size,” ABARES Deputy Executive Director, Paul Morris said.

“However, the humid conditions were also conducive to a number of diseases such as downy mildew, powdery mildew and botrytis, which required growers to increase spraying to reduce damage to wine grapes.

The largest decline in wine grape production is forecast to occur in the major warm climate zone of Murray–Darling – Swan Hill.

Looking ahead, production in 2011-12 is expected to increase to around 1.7 million tonnes, assuming favourable seasonal conditions and a return to average wine grape yields.

Shiraz is likely to remain the highest-volume wine grape variety produced in Australia in the coming two years, with chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon the next highest in volume.

Twiggy tops rich list again Andrew ‘Twiggy’ Forrest, head of Fortescue Metals Group, tops BRW’s Executive Rich List 2011, growing his executive wealth by almost one-third over the past year to $6.2 billion Last year’s number one Rupert Murdoch has dropped to second spot with $5.7 billion in News Corporation shares. James Packer from Crown and Consolidated Media Holdings is third with $3.6 billion Only four women made the 2011 list, with Harvey Norman’s Katie Page coming in as the richest female executive in 66th position with $50.8 million Fifty five executives from last year’s list didn’t make it this year.

Trillions in limbo through lack of wills the process of settling end-of-life affairs. The site houses information on funeral planning, legal pointers on wills, estate planning, advice for dealing with family members, pets and donations, electronic passwords, grief counselling and more.

Research by law firm Slater and Gordon conducted in 2010 reveals 2000 wills were contested in 2009 with most progressing to court, but settled early in proceedings. Cases negotiated and settled before court cost on average $4000.

Cases finalised in court cost on average $52,000.

In 2009-2010 Frankston City: • Had over 800 businesses and 6393 employees in the city centre • Labour force comprised 57,616 individuals of which 54,100 were employed • Businesses earned $1.3 billion gross revenue • Accommodated 2.2 million users of the railway station and bus interchange • Visitor Information Centre helped close to 80,000 people a growth of 16.2 per cent.

MBS accreditation Melbourne Business School has earned accreditation from US-based The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Founded in 1916, AACSB International is the longest serving global accrediting body for business schools that offer undergraduate, masters, and doctoral degrees in business and accounting.

John J. Fernandes, president and CEO of AACSB International said the association’s accreditation “represents the highest achievement for an educational institution that awards business degrees”.

Less than five percent of the world’s business schools have received AACSB accreditation.

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Research reveals half of the nation’s personal wealth, or a whopping $2.55 trillion, is left in limbo because it is not covered by a will.

Forty-seven per cent of adult Australians do not have a will, and almost two-thirds of those know they should have one but haven’t done anything about putting it in place.

A new website, WrappingUp.com, is urging Australians to take death into their own hands.

WrappingUp.com is the first social network and information portal of its kind, trying to demystify

Business snapshot

April 2011 | Frankston / Mornington Peninsula / Dandenong BusinessTimes | 7

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Worship in the shops GREATER Dandenong Council wants to close an Islamic information centre set up illegally as a place of daily worship in a small shopping strip in Springvale South.

Al-Furqan Islamic Information Centre has made an unsuccessful application for retrospective approval to use the shop as a place of assembly Council was told in late March that the ‘information centre’ was established without approval and came to the attention of planners following complaints about traffic and parking.

Three objectors cited lack of car parking, safety, noise and inappropriate use as reasons for opposing the centre in a group of five shops in Wardale Rd. A further application to use the shop next door also was refused.

13-storey plan for Davey St FRANKSTON City Council has received an application for what would be the municipality’s tallest building, a 13-storey apartment tower at 10 and 12 Davey St. The application replaces one made last year for an eight-storey building on the same site.

The first building was 20 metres high and the latest design is more than twice that height.

Ross Voci of the South Melbourne-based PNP Property Group said he hoped council would increase height limits, now set at 20m.

“We understand they are being reviewed by a council-appointed architect and could eventually be over 32 metres,” he said.

The latest plans had been drawn up by international architects Denton Corker Marshall “to a very high standard of design”.

He said developers in the city would be unable to obtain “a satisfactory yield” unless height limits were lifted.

PNP’s proposed development is next door to

The smaller first impression of the Davey St. plan.

land which investors had been told would be occupied by a $100 million 33-storey residential tower with 180 apartments.

It is understood that 19 investors had paid $1000 deposits for apartments in the “phantom tower” being promoted by Gateway Tower Developments.

However, it seems Gateway does not own the land and has no planning permits for the project.

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FINANCIAL SERVICES

How much super is enough?

THE Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia believes a single person needs an annual income of $39,081* and a couple needs $53,456* to live comfortably in retirement. To achieve this, depending on when you intend to retire, you would need to have in your super fund:

To last 15 years To last 20 years To last 25 years

For a single person to generate $39,081 pa $461,032^ $570,038^ $662,273^

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There are many strategies that can be implemented in the years before retirement that can add thousands of dollars to your final superannuation payout. Increasing your superannuation balance will allow you to

For a couple to generate $53,456 pa $630,611^ $779,713^ $905,874^

improve the lifestyle you are able to lead in retirement.

To find out when you can afford to retire, call the team at Financial Services Partners on 03 9788 5788 to book your complimentary consultation.

^ Source: Colonial First State. Assumptions: earning 6.5 % pa after fees and taxes with inflation at 3% and paid via an indexed income stream. A change to any of the assumptions and variables can produce significantly different results. *Source: Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia Westpac ASFA Retirement Living Standard, ‘How much do you need to spend to have a comfortable standard of living in retirement’ June 2010.

By Mark Dunsford, Director, Financial Services Partners. Fellow of AFA. At Financial Services Partners we provide qualified financial advice and assistance to many people in our area. Crafting the exact strategy for you requires understanding your current situation, and then providing a suitable outcome for you. We can offer you a complimentary, no obligation consultation with one of our qualified financial advisers, to help you determine if you are on track to adequately provide for your retirement.

The advice you seek and implement today can make a significant difference to your superannuation and your ultimate retirements lifestyle.

Your financial adviser can also help you make sense of the current market volatility.

Take action now The team at Financial Services Partners Carrum Downs can help. They have already helped their clients protect their retirement savings and still stay invested. What’s more, they’ve actually won the Financial Services Partners Victorian State award which recognises their solid business performance. They are the largest financial planning business on the Mornington Peninsula and have been advising clients for 29 years.

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Mark Dunsford, Anthony Donnellan, Andrea Jenkins, David Williams and Priyanka Wijesekera invite you to make an obligation-free appointment to discuss your superannuation, life insurance, you expectations and your retirement goals.

April 2011 | Frankston / Mornington Peninsula / Dandenong BusinessTimes | 9

COVER STORY

THE ART OF

MARKETING ARTS

d cats) r e h o t w o H , r (o MARKETING to a specific target sounds easy. You have a product and know which part of the population wants it, what could be easier? Actually, herding cats, would be easier. Karen Keegan knows the performing arts, knows which shows are available each year and knows which ones fit teachers’ needs.

By Keith Platt

“It’s really important to society for kids to be involved in the arts, and those that are are more likely to have leadership and academic success.”

There appears no dispute with her argument for the arts/education tie-up, but bringing the two together in an easy-to-arrange manner

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But letting them know what is available in the performing arts can be a nightmare. Thousands of schools and even thousands more teachers in each of those establishments are a ready market waiting to be tapped, but how?

In a “flash of inspiration” Keegan came up with the idea for a new website: showsforschools.com.au.

It is designed as a one-stop shop for teachers to find out about shows, their availability and suitability.

After choosing a show they can make a booking without leaving the site as well as downloading all sorts of prepared information about the performance, making it easy to add to their students’ curriculums. Coming from the other direction, the site is open to presenters (producers and venues) to add details of their shows.

“Not all teachers appreciate arts as being educationally valuable, although the arts is now included in the national curriculum,” says Keegan, who has taught in both public and private schools.

She sees a symbiotic relationship between performing arts and formal education.

60 Robinson Street, DANDENONG

Phone: 9794 0010

10 | BusinessTimes Frankston / Mornington Peninsula / Dandenong | April 2011

www.rjsanderson.com.au

Karen Keegan (left) is using the internet to tell schools about performing arts groups touring around the countryside. Karen, who has helped launch a touring group of her own, sees students involved in the arts as more likely to have leadership and academic success.

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poses a problem. Keegan knows curriculums are planned from year to year, sometimes adjusted by the term, and hopes that showsforschools.com.au will begin to reach its potential in 2012.

It was released at the start of the 2011 school year and email has so far been the main point of contact to lead teachers and show presenters to the site.

“Schools differ as to when making bookings, with excursions being locked into particular terms or even years,” Keegan says.

Dandenong’s Drum Theatre was one of the first venues to list its shows on the site.

“Each show page has all the details a teacher needs to book a show and excerpts of shows are often on u-tube,” Keegan says.

The listings also say if teacher’s notes are available and shows can researched under various criteria – including year level – to see if a show may enhance particular parts of their curriculums.Keegan says the impetus for starting a database “was that even though Australia has the most fantastic arts productions, with many being made for students, it was difficult for teachers to find out what was available”.

“This is not a [big] money making industry and it’s quite hard for artists and venues to contact teachers.

LEFT: The cover of Graeme Base’s book, ‘My Grandma lived in Gooligulch’, now a touring stage show.

“On the other hand, teachers are big supporters of the arts but might not know about some great shows.”

Presenters can upload details of shows for free while Keegan gets a small return from venues for bookings.

“I want it to be seen as a direct marketing tool as opposed to the current scatter gun approach of promotions.”

Keegan says: “My Grandma Lived in Gooligulch” is an example of life lessons that can be taught and learned through the performing arts. It is a show that is being toured this year by a company she formed in 2006 with children’s author and illustrator Graeme Base and producer Garry Ginivan.

The show is based on a picture book by Graeme Base which follows a 10-year-old city girl who visits her grandmother in the bush – “hell on earth” to the girl.

While entertaining, the show teaches that there are benefits from adapting to circumstances and being open to change.

“We have teacher’s notes and the show is a catalyst for class discussion. The lessons learnt are particularly valuable in an age where children experience change; often changing houses, schools and even parents,” Keegan says.

“This is one tiny example of how the arts can be a catalyst for children to come to terms with their own lives.”

The ripples that can flow from the performing arts have echoes in Keegan’s own career.

“A teacher took me to a Melbourne Theatre Company production in year 10 and I’ve been in the arts ever since.

“I know someone who’s now a professional dancer that saw one of my shows.

“The arts can change lives, but I’ve also seen so many fantastic artists who have had to leave the industry because they can’t make a living.”

Keegan hopes showsforschools.com.au will provide the link that helps artists survive and open up possibilities in the lives of the next generation.

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IT ISSUES

Work without wires The truth is that it’s incredibly easy to fire up a very basic version of remote access, and, as a matter of fact, most business already have the technology to do it.

You need an Internet connection, and a PC on your desk at work.

We use a technology that’s built into windows called Remote Desktop Protocol.

It’s fast, and, more importantly, secure – and it’s included with all versions of windows.

RDP (for short) will allow you to control your PC at work as if you were sitting in front of the screen and moving the mouse yourself.

So, instantly any services available at work are at your disposal so long as you have a PC and internet connection at your current location.

Usually, all that’s required to activate this technology is a couple of little tweeks on your router and a new icon on your Notebook (or PC @ home) and you’re away.

RDP isn’t always the answer, but it’s a step in the right direction and usually a very good starting point for remote access.

We can even set it up remotely!

By Matthew Gordon, Managing Director, Solution One (03) 5987 1565.

Living the dream It’s been a longtime dream of mine, says Solution One’s Matthew Gordon: Feet in the sand, sun lounge, cocktail and a flawless connection back to the office. What a work environment!

With the advent of wireless broadband and laptops that have super batteries, this dream is well within reach of the average person. Now, I do understand that the cocktail scenario may be little farfetched, but if I can work from home flawlessly why not apply it to a slightly more entertaining situation.

I don’t intend on looking closely at the client side technologies that can achieve this, Telstra (and the other mobile carriers) already do a great job of advertising their various wireless connections. And, on the other hand, I certainly don’t want to start reviewing notebooks. Both of these items are more for the discerning user to check out and adopt.

I’d like instead to take a look at the technology that sits at the other end. Technologies like Terminal Servers, VPN’s, Clouds… What do you need to do to your network to get it ready for the ultimate level of work anywhere remote access?

Let’s start with the VPN. VPN stands for virtual private network. I’m sure it’s a technology you may have heard around the traps once or twice and as the name suggests, it’s virtual (so it’s not a physical item you purchase), and it’s a private network. Think of it as your personal blue cable that literally connects your computer to the network back at the office, and because it uses a public network (the internet), it knows no geographic boundaries.

So you have your own virtual “blue cable”, what can you do with it? The answer is anything you could already do when your computer is connected at the office. Access shared folders, connect via email and even send jobs to the printer!

So, buy the plane tickets and let’s get started…

Stay tuned as next month we’ll take a solid look at the other remote access technology… The Terminal Server.

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COMMUTING

LINKS to Volvo in Sweden and a Swiss company that makes bus bodies keeps Dandenong-based Grenda Corporation at the forefront of bus manufacturing and technology, Keith Platt reports.

Grenda’s managing director Scott Grenda.

Grenda has also conducted research into using liquid hydrogen and electricalpowered engines, although neither is yet lined up to replace diesel.

Managing director Scott Grenda sees electric motors as the future powerhouse for buses, although with associate company Volgren still making vehicles to last 20-25 years, the change is not likely to be made overnight, even with fuel making up 30 per cent of running costs.

“We built Australia’s first hybrid bus, but there were no great savings. It is a heavy bus and needs more fuel to power it,” Mr Grenda told BusinessTimes.

“Electricity is the way forward, but storing it is a problem when you need to make vehicles with a range of 500 to 600 kilometres.

“It’s no good buying electric buses if you’re making power by burning brown coal.”

Mr Grenda said the company was running buses on natural gas in government-owned fleets in South Australia and Western Australia. He said government support for public transport rose and fell with the times “and it’s only in the past five or six years they’ve got re-interested in buses”.

Busline powers up for future runs

“There will be a fuel price spike and demand over the next five years will be dramatic. More efficient public transport is also the only answer to congestion on our roads.

“We can’t just keep building new roads.”

Mr Grenda said buses imported from China were “getting a foothold in the industry on price, being10 to 20 per cent cheaper [than ours]”.

However, he saw the lower price as being a false economy as vehicles made by Volgren and other well-regarded manufacturers would run for 20 to 25 years compared to 10 years for the Chinese product.

“They’re cheaper but they don’t last,” he said. “Even the big Chinese companies don’t buy Chinese buses.”

Mr Grenda said the Chinese bus makers had found a market among schools, “not people you’d call bus operators, but people who run buses”. He predicted the reputation and quality of Chinese buses would evolve much the same as did cheap products from Japan following World War 2 – eventually rising in quality and price.

As chairman of the Bus Advocacy Confederation Mr Grenda has an office in Canberra and keeps a careful eye on anything that can affect the industry as a whole and the Grenda Corporation itself, which has about 3000 employees.

His industry advocacy role has led him to appreciate of the work of Prof John Stanley (a member of the Committee for Melbourne’s Transport and Climate Change Task Force) who has “giving me a social conscience”. He has taught me how important that is, and I speak to various community groups about public transport and the need for change. I’m getting people to understand that we do some good.”

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April 2011 | Frankston / Mornington Peninsula / Dandenong BusinessTimes | 13

FRANKSTON arts centre

2011 theatre season

From Rainbow’s End

Melbourne Comedy Roadshow A feast of in-your-face laughs 1 May

Rainbow’s End Aussie drama 10 & 11 May

Capture the Flag Gripping, intelligent drama 7 June, 1 pm & 8pm

Julius Caesar Bell Shakespeare 26 July

Krakouer!

More than a footy tale 9 & 10 August

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Classic Baroque, Marvellous Mozart 22 September

Often I Find that I am Naked Outrageous comedy 29-30 September

Victorian Opera The best of everything 21 October

David Hobson & Teddy Tahu Rhodes Our favourite tenor and bass baritone 18 November BOOKINGS 03 9784 1060 www.artscentre.frankston.vic.gov.au

THERE are two outstanding reasons to book a pre-show dinner at Frankston Arts Centre, says BusinessTimes publisher Tony Murrell : the food is excellent and it is oh-so-convenient.

You know the feeling of having dinner before a show when the main course hasn’t arrived, the clock is ticking toward curtain time and you’re still 10 minutes away from the theatre.

The knot growing inside you means that there is no way you are going to enjoy that meal no matter how good it is. To know that can never happen to me again is sufficient reason to keep booking pre-show dinners and allowing the Black Tie Catering staff to produce some fine dining to be fully savoured before the show starts.

You find here a welcoming environment. Say you are meeting a friend or friends for dinner before a show: after parking below you ride

Dine, relax ... you the elevator to the foyer (or take the stairs).

Relax. You’re early but you have options: the welcoming Black Tie staff will get you seated and bring a drink. Otherwise wander in the foyer checking the latest exhibition on the Curved Wall gallery, admire (or even purchase) unique art and jewellery on sale in the glass cabinets. Walk out the entrance and watch the ‘art after dark’ projected in the glass studio at next door Cube 37. And, of course, there’s the absolute essential people watching as the foyer begins to fill closer to showtime.

The restaurant opens for most FAC theatre season shows and other special events. Its popularity and limited seating mean bookings are essential.

First impressions are of a friendly staff without being overtly so. And I could not fault what I ate, especially the succulent fillet of crispy-skin Kingfish ($30.50) on a bed of lustrous plumpbulbed Bok-choy. And the pork belly entree ($17.50) was what it was supposed to be: crisp crackling with the rest collapsing into a gelatinous, flavousome strip. Pork belly fans would smile. And the portions are generous, too.

My anonymous compatriot, Jos, far more discerning than me, is happy to return – that’s a vote of confidence in itself. Her medium steak ($32) and accompanying fesh vegetables were full of flavour. But, for her, the stand-out was the entrée of dill-cured Atlantic salmon with preserved lemon aioli ($16.50). This light refreshing dish

14 | BusinessTimesFrankston / Mornington Peninsula / Dandenong | April 2011

was attractively presented. We both enjoyed the warm-baked plum clafoutis (a calssic Italian custard) with vanilla ice cream and pistachio fairy floss ($13) with coffees after the show. Yes, place your dessert and coffee order before the show and make it a sweet end to the evening. Black Tie offers season specials combinations which include two courses (entree and main) for $44 or three courses for $55. Most will find a wine they like and a couple of varieties are available by the glass.

THE ‘WELCOME’ MAT THOSE with the impression that “the theatre” is not for them may see it as elitist or highbrow – all serious and Shakespeare, no fun and laughter.

Frankston Arts Centre management sees things differently, having year-in and year-out put together programs aimed at all sections of the community.

The arts centre by design and geography is a central community facility – next door to the library and on the fringe of central Frankston – that aims to involve all-comers in entertainments like workshops, displays and performances.

And the management team knows that it’s not just about diversity when planning programs and performances: there are more difficult steps to take and higher hurdles to clear. Not only must the programming be spot on, offering a mix of experiences, the venue itself has to be seen as open,

Become an FAC member and enjoy star treatment

will never be late Client entertaining Here is a ready-made entertainment package for businesses feting clients, prospects or rewarding staff. You can park, enjoy great food, a theatre performance and an after-show drink – all under the same roof. Dinner and a show provides businesses with the rare opportunity to include guests’ partners in a memorable PR exercise.

FAC Business Development and Marketing Manager Gillian Thompson points out that dinner

and a show at FAC is more affordable in terms of time and cost than an equivalent experience in Melbourne.

“We are in the process of converting those who didn’t know what have to offer maybe because they have been accustomed heading to the city for theatre. Businesses are starting to realise the range of performances we have, how much more affordable it is, the availability of direct parking, and, of course the dining before selected events.”

IS OUT FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY friendly and welcoming. The magic words here are ‘accessible’ and ‘inclusive’.

It’s what Frankston Arts Centre has been perfecting since it opened its doors 16 years ago.

Before a ticket sells or a foot falls on the stage, the question is asked: are we accessible to everybody who wants to use our facilities? Can anyone pursue any of the programs offered by the centre?

A quick example is captioning some of the theatre performances to cater for people with hearing difficulties.

As the baby boomers get older, hearing loss will be a problem for more and more otherwise fit and mobile individuals. Captioning stage performances will prolong theatre experiences for a growing population of hearing impaired.

Frankston Arts Centre describes itself as an

accessible and inclusive venue promoting mental health and well being for its community through arts Initiatives that include the ticket subsidy scheme (for financially disadvantaged individuals); portable hearing/listen devices (available for loan); removable theatre seats for wheelchairs (with companions, friends and family being able to sit alongside); and limited aisle seats for easy access from walking aid to theatre seating All 2011 theatre-shows have at least one livecaptioned performance. Also there are some Auslan interpreted performances.

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A sample of the dishes created by Black Tie Catering.

FOR the first time in its 16-year history, FAC is offering memberships carrying benefits like ticket discounts and early advice about events Members pay less for all FAC presented performances and nominated non-FAC presented performances.

Businesses with memberships could treat staff to top theatre entertainment at reduced prices.

Membership benefits include • Preferential booking period, best seat options and fast track processing • Pre-sale opportunities to all FAC and nominated non-FAC presented performances • Exclusive invitations to openings, events and pre-show artist talks • Deferred payment to theatre season productions.

• A personalised membership card with online access to membership pricing and purchase • Members-only communications, news, competitions and cast sheets when available • Periodic special offers from our associates including retail, hospitality and accommodation • First opportunity to view FAC’s 2012 program before general release Individual Membership cost $30; Joint Membership $60 Individual members are eligible to purchase one discounted ticket and joint members are eligible to purchase two discounted tickets to performances where membership prices are available.

• Next issue the arts access officer will discuss measures to make it easier for more and more people to enjoy the arts centre, one of Frankston City’s principal community hubs.

April 2011 | Frankston / Mornington Peninsula / Dandenong BusinessTimes | 15

NETWORKING

Drum Festival

Funk it Up...

1

2

FUNK it up about Nothin’ featuring Chicago-based rappers Q Brothers was the second big show in a month at Dandenong’s Drum Theatre over three nights from 29 March. 1. Former X man Steve Lucas with Jo Henrichmann. 2. Drum girls Arabelle Danielson, Cheryl Rush, Sharon Maine and Karen Conrad. 3. Renata and John McKay with Renata’s sister, Kristina Mikalauskas, visiting from Brisbane.

3

1

3

2

Accountants host ‘Local Heroes’ breakfast brokers; and Jim Cots, of Premier Auto Trade. 2. Alistair Freeman, senior partner, Nabbusiness; Peter Vince, of

Vince & Associates; Nick Dufourq, of NAB; and Cameron McNab, of NAB. 3.

Former Magpie champ Mick McGuane;

Frank Garth, business development director of Enabling; ABC’s Drew Morphett; and Bombers’ great Terry Daniher. Daniher and McGuane talked about their VFL/AFL playing days.

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ACCOUNTANTS Aston Ryan and Malcolm hosted a ‘Local Heroes’ breakfast on 24 March at Woodlands Golf Club. 1. Stephen Pewtress, of Spoutvac Australia; John Percey, of Philp Newby and Owen, insurance

DRUM Theatre celebrated one of its major annual events, the Drum Festival, at the theatre on Friday 18 March when drumming group Taikoz performed its show Shifting Sand. BELOW: Pictured from left Greg Hordacre, Drum’s director of cultural facilities; Dominic Arcaro, general manager of VicUrban; and Christopher Hermann, development director, VicUrban.

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Business Planning HQ Toolkit is described as an easy ‘how-to’ guide devised by Marcus Tarrant, a business planning consultant for more than two decades.

“Now, a business plan can be created in as little as four to six hours entering simple financial information.”

The planning aid costs $450.

If you’re keen on getting more structure and clarity of direction in your operations, Tarrant suggests that, among other things, you: 1. Commit to the process of creating a plan: Many SME owners put their business plan off because they are waiting for more certainty about current partnerships, sales or events. Your plan should guide your activity, not the other way around.

2. Get clear about your business vision: Your vision should outline where you want to see your business going in the medium to long term. Your plan should translate your vision into a strategy.

3. Know your primary customers: Get into their headspace for a while and it will help you determine what’s possible for your business’s future. Your business should exist to solve a consumer’s problem. And, consider different business models that could work for 2:Layout 1 Consider 25/03/2011 15:08 Page you 1 want. your business. the financial outcomes

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Dynamic working partnerships within the business community help build awareness of Drum Theatre’s vision. At Drum Theatre we are deeply proud of the innovative ways that our corporate sponsors generously support this amazing facility.

Drum Theatre partners make all the difference, and we are profoundly thankful for their vision, belief and support.

A Cultural Facility of

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Partners and Supporters

April 2011 | Frankston / Mornington Peninsula / Dandenong BusinessTimes | 17

GENERAL

I can tell from your desk...

not affect at all 17 per cent “A tidy desk won’t necessarily boost your career, but a messy one can leave a bad impression on colleagues,” said Robert Hosking, executive director of OfficeTeam.

OfficeTeam also polled members of the International Association of Administrative Professionals for desk organisation advice.

Here are tips provided by survey respondents: • Sit in your visitor chair to get a perspective

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Is a cluttered desk the sign of a cluttered mind? Many human resources managers interviewed in a new OfficeTeam survey think so. More than eight in 10 (83 percent) respondents said the appearance of an employee’s workspace at least somewhat affects their perception of that person’s professionalism.

The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a leading staffing service specialising in the placement of highly skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on telephone interviews with more than 500 HR managers at companies with 20 or more employees. The managers were asked: “How does the neatness of an employee’s desk or office affect your perception of that person’s level of professionalism?”

Their responses: Greatly affects, 18 per cent; Somewhat affects, 65 per cent; Does

on what others see when entering your cubicle or office.

• Clean your workspace so it’s visually appealing.

• From the start, establish an organisation system that suits your style.

• File, don’t pile. Eliminate clutter by organising paperwork in vertical or tickler files. Clearly label or color-code documents.

• Don’t touch the same piece of paper more than once without filing, recycling or tossing it, or passing it along to the next person.

• Keep only the materials needed for your current project on your desk, and clear these items after the assignment is completed.

Store supplies you need close at hand, and move things that are used less frequently out of the way.

• Print documents only when necessary and go paperless. Electronic calendars, task lists or e-mail alerts can help you remember deadlines, appointments and meetings.

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infrastructure

Freeway link to jobs [and] need to host a range of knowledge intensive industries which provide a range of services and employment opportunities for the residents.”

Statistics showed many Pakenham residents worked in central Dandenong and the authors predicted “the importance of the Dandenong CAD will also increase”.

n ConnectEast, owner and operator of EastLink, has reported growing revenue and usage of the freeway. It told the Australian Stock Exchange that EastLink recorded its highest average daily traffic and revenue in February, 2011.

• Average daily revenue of $638,911 for February, 2011, was 11.3 per cent higher than in February, 2010. • Average daily revenue of $638,911 for February, 2011, was 11.3 per cent higher than in February, 2010.

A STUDY commissioned by Greater Dandenong, Frankston and four other cities has shown that improving transport infrastructure could lead to a $900 million benefit in labour productivity.

Another $1.3 billion could be saved by building 42,000 “infill dwellings” instead of developing new suburbs on Melbourne’s fringes and expanding “radial road and public transport infrastructure”.

The six designated central activities district cities – Greater Dandenong, Frankston, Maribyrnong, Hume, Whitehorse and Maroondah – make these points in a submission to the state government and COAG Reform Council.

The new state government has pledged to review Melbourne’s metropolitan strategy.

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ALTHOUGH unemployment in Dandenong remains close to the double the national average (10.8 per cent compared to 5.3 per cent this time last year) hope for a turn around could ride into town along EastLink.

Economics and planning experts Terry Rawnsley and Marcus Spiller’s 2010 paper “Melbourne’s transformation: Rust belt to renaissance” said EastLink would provide a “modest accessibility advantage to the key centres of Ringwood, Dandenong and Frankston”.

“Dandenong, in particular, is now in a much better position with respect to skills access.

The transformation of its manufacturing base towards higher value added activities is already underway,” the research paper stated.

“To optimise productivity, each of these sub-cities needs a heart and needs to be well connected to each other and the centre…

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April 2011 | Frankston / Mornington Peninsula / Dandenong BusinessTimes | 19

HEALTH

Raising a healthy child Chinese medicine has a paediatric tradition continuous for 20 centuries. It has plenty to say on the subjects of infancy, early childhood development and avoiding lifelong digestive problems.

One of the greatest worries of new mothers is the vexed issue of feeding the baby. Are they getting enough? When should we introduce solids? Am I doing the right thing?

Chinese medicine considers these questions fundamental to children’s health and development.

The way your digestive system performs is directly related to what happened in your first 12 months of life – not only the food you were fed, but the other factors that impact on digestion, including even your relationship with your mother.

To keep it simple, though – and begin with the last question of my introduction – if your baby is contented, gaining weight but not becoming podgy, has a healthy clear complexion (as opposed to pasty yellow or flushed), sleeps well and is bright and alert, you can be confident you’re doing very well.

As health surveys tell us, many children in the West today are overweight, have asthma, allergies, learning difficulties, poor concentration, sleep poorly and generally struggle along at less than optimum health.

From our viewpoint, the source of all these problems is the digestive system. In fact, Chinese medicine has a saying that in infancy there’s only one disease – indigestion!

For that there’s a long explanation and a short one (which I’ll attempt).

And there’s a long list of solutions too, all of which boil down to three golden rules: One, do not introduce solids too soon.

And when you do, keep it very simple.

Michael Ellis*

Chinese Herbalist

Two, avoid giving antibiotics unless it is an emergency Three, do not demand feed after four weeks.

I know that scheduled feeding doesn’t fit with the present advice from most sources of maternal health information in the West, or those touchy-feely types who want us to respect our babies’ rights as individuals and feed them whenever they are apparently hungry, or sit them with the adults at mealtime and encourage them to try “adult foods” – but hey, how well are our kids doing following the prevailing wisdom?

The problem is that for the first year or more, babies’ digestive systems are fragile and easily compromised. They can be overloaded by the complexity (ie. richness) of foods, or by the volume of food.

If you feed a baby too often or if you give food that is too rich – like undiluted fruit juice – then “indigestion” in one form or another is the inevitable result. And there’s a fair chance you will be setting up a digestive issue that will become chronic and a lifelong weakness for your child.

Scheduled feeding, on the other hand, allows you to work your infant into a routine of sleep, activity, meal time, bath time and so on. Routines are the building blocks upon which a healthy childhood is built.

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They allow for the development of boundaries, and give a child a sense of emotional security (just as does the feeding bond between mother and child).

Demand feeding may be desirable and necessary for the first few weeks, but routine feeding is kinder on mum’s energy, and her milk production, too.

It is far from cruel to “stretch out” an apparently hungry baby to its next scheduled feed. To the contrary, the short and long-term benefits to both child and parents are immeasurable.

If you’re a mum and you’re with me so far, you may be finding this a little depressing.

But I have one piece of good news, which is that babies have an in-built alarm mechanism that can tell us when there is a digestive problem: the runny nose. Most parents write it off as indicating their children are catching lots of colds, but in Chinese medicine, in the absence of other cold symptoms, it’s a sign of “indigestion”.

It’s indicating that the food your child is eating is too complex or rich for them to digest.

Of course, we also associate runny noses, phlegmy coughs and general congestion with illnesses affecting the lung system.

All children catch colds. They are necessary events for the development of healthy immunity. But the kids with the runny noses seem to catch everything.

These frequent colds easily become chest infections, with phlegm obstructing the lungs, and inflammation of the airways or ear canals, for which antibiotics may be prescribed, bringing another problem: Antibiotics are particularly damaging to the digestion, due to their indiscriminate nature.

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20 | BusinessTimes Frankston / Mornington Peninsula / Dandenong | April 2011

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MANAGING www.businesstimes.net.au

When everybody gets the strategy For a small business to be successful, you need to have a solid offering for your customers, sound financial management, and a well managed business, but for your business to really thrive, you need much more.

The interface between your customers and your people is the most critical interface in any business and this is where you can really see and measure the difference between just a good business and a thriving one. By the term thriving, I mean a business where both the customers and front line people are enjoying their interactions, the customers are happy to give you a very large slice of their repeat business and the business financials are exceeding expectations.

Creating a thriving business starts with the business owner ensuring that each of the team members has a very clear understanding of the business strategy as well as their defined role in the implementation of the strategy. This requires a substantial, sustained effort by you, the business owner, to be able to articulate your strategy and to reinforce it very regularly through your actions and words. In a small to medium size business, this is best done by direct personal communication from the business owner to each team member. Each job role will require a consistent core message, linked to the business strategy, together with specific messages that are adjusted for each role and each team member in that role.

These conversations should also include topical data about the current performance, innovations in products and services as well as setting expectations for feedback from each job. Collecting and collating feedback from customers is a really important function for your front line people as this feedback can be the stimulus for a lot of innovations and improvements. It can also help to build a strong connection with each customer by building a “family feel” with your customers.

For example, if your business has a customer database, then it is desirable that some comment is put into that database after each interaction.

These comments could include important events and issues in the customer’s life that will allow the next team member

Hamish Petrie*

Business Consultant

who handles that customer to build on the experience of prior interactions.

A high level of communication between the business owner and their team member will really help to ensure that all of the team members start to develop a real commitment to the business, that transitions them from just being an employee towards developing a business owner’s mentality.

This usually means that they will develop and grow in their knowledge and contribution to the business. It also reduces the risk that they will develop an entitlement mentality where they start to take their job, and you, for granted. Occasionally, you may find that a team member is not comfortable handling customers in a way that meets your standards. It is really important that support and coaching is provided to this

Collecting and collating feedback from customers is a really important function for your front line people as this feedback can be the stimulus for a lot of innovations and improvements. type of individual, but if they still struggle, then it is equally important to move them away from customer interactions, ideally to another role in the business that is more suited to their skills or personality. Even one person who struggles to handle customers appropriately can negatively impact both the performance of the rest of the team as well as the reputation of your business.

To create happy customers who help your business thrive, your team will need to meet customer expectations every time and delight

them occasionally, so that customers leave your premises, not just with your product or service, but with a big smile on their face and a story to tell their family and friends.

Empowering your team members to do this is critical to your success as this level of service will cost you a little, either in time or in products or both. The business owner needs to set the standards for this and provide clear limits to each team member about just how much flexibility they have to do something extra for the customer.

If you want your team to go the extra distance for the customers, then you will need to reinforce this standard by doing the same for them. This can be done in a variety of ways through your verbal feedback, and through your actions supported by rewards of time or money.

While the traditional reward is to pay a team member a bonus for creating some customer delight, giving some time off to do something personal can be more valuable as most families are time constrained today.

Adapting your rewards to each of your team members personal needs can ensure that you get the maximum business value from your rewards.

So a thriving business will have happy, well positioned people who have a genuine interest in customers and are empowered to have some fun with them. While the financials are a great test for any business, the final measure for a thriving business is the proportion of customers who are leaving your premises with a smile on their face.

Actions planning questions: 1. Do you have a clear communication plan to connect with each of your team members who interface with customers?

2. Are you striving to create a business owners mentality with your team members?

3. Do you have a process to support a team member who is struggling to meet expectations?

4. Have you set clear standards for your team to do something extra for your customers?

5. Do you have a framework to reward team members who do something special to create happy customers? *Hamish Petrie had a 37-year corporate career including 29 years with Alcoa Inc. His last position was as VP–People and Communication for the global Alcoa corporation based in New York, NY. He can be contacted at hamish@ nitroworld.net or on 0404 345 103.

April 2011 | Frankston / Mornington Peninsula / Dandenong BusinessTimes | 21

NEWS WHEELS While Suzuki’s strength has traditionally been in small cars and compact 4WDs and SUVs, in 2010 it stepped up into the mid-sized car market with and all-new model called the Kizashi, the largest car ever made by Suzuki.

Kizashi is aimed at a multitude of competitors, including the Ford Mondeo, Honda Accord Euro, Mazda6 and Subaru Liberty, so it’s styling is relatively conservative. This makes sense as buyers in this market segment tend to be wary of radical designs. Yet the Suzuki designers have managed to create a car with a powerful look that gives a fair touch of sportiness to its nature. There are hints of the shape of the very successful Suzuki Swift and the Suzuki SX4 in the area of the Kizashi’s bonnet and front grille. The rear end really stands out in its use of built-in exhaust tips, the latter usually seen only in high-priced sports and exotic cars. Inside, there’s a real feeling of luxury, with high class materials and a design

Suzuki Kizashi prices start at the 2.4-litre four-door sedan: $28,490 (manual), $30,490 (CVT auto); Suzuki Kizashi Prestige 2.4-litre four-door sedan: $34,990 (manual), $36,990 (CVT auto); Suzuki Kizashi Sport AWD 2.4-litre four-door sedan: $39,990 (CVT auto). It appears costs have been trimmed to try to build market share.

It’s the swish Kizashi Ewen Kennedy Motoring Journalist

that could have come from a much more expensive car. Suzuki Kizashi has a body that is relatively tall to provide good interior room. There’s better than average legroom in the back seat and four adults can be carried with comfortable room for all.

Boot space is impressive thanks to the tall tail design and the opening is reasonably wide. You may find it difficult to get some really bulky items in so have a look

for yourself before settling on the car. Then again, the Kizashi is hardly alone in this era of stubby-tail car designs.

On the road is where the new Suzuki Kizashi really impresses.

It feels almost European in the strength of the body, perhaps not to the outstanding level of the VW Golf, but it’s not all that far behind. Also on the European front, the Suzuki handles well for a front-heavy car as dictated by

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22 | BusinessTimes Frankston / Mornington Peninsula / Dandenong | April 2011

TESTING: SUZUKI KIZASHI

the use of front-wheel drive. The Kizashi has precise turning and the ability to send messages to the driver through the steering wheel. Ride comfort remains good even on rough roads. The 2.4-litre four-cylinder

engine produces 131 kilowatts and a creditable 230 Newton metres of torque.

Performance is adequate rather than exciting, which matches the desires of potential buyers of this type of vehicle. On the road we found

the good handling let us keep up the speed of the car on twisty roads, thus negating the need to use the engine to get it back up to speed again. Fuel use will be in the seven to nine litres a 100 kilometres range.

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