Connections sample

AUSTRALIAN CANVAS AND SYNTHETIC PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION INC.

Vol 11 No 5 Nov/Dec 2011—Jan 2012

Superb structures

Creative, colourful, eye-catching installations

Camping capers

Max Brady and company on the road to ACASPA Expo

Young guns

Luke and Chris of Lukris have a big vision of the industry

Marine trimmers

Partake in specialist workshop at Sydney TAFE

For more information on Austech Welders, please see pages 13 & 44

www.austechwelders.com.au

ACASPA Member News • Training and Events • Member Spotlight • Developments

Contents

30

18

8

20

ACASPA MATTERS

TRAINING

02 ACASPA officers’ report 04 Office report 06 ACASPA matters

10 Sydney TAFE and Serge Ferrari deliver …

Marine trimming techniques

Members’ activities and achievements

16 32 34 36

State Reports ACASPA your voice ACASPA Membership form Membership Directory

SPECIAL EXPO FEATURE 08 Camping capers Max Brady and colleagues take to the road

14 Young guns Luke and Chris of Lukris A budding new business

CONNECTIONS magazine is published on behalf of the australian canvas and synthetic Products association inc. by commstrat Limited.

PUBLISHER commstrat EDITOR Nicola card CREATIVE Timothy Hartridge

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10 SPOTLIGHT ON ACASPA MEMBERS 44 Trade events across the globe

SUPERB STRUCTURES

PRODUCTS

20 Creative talents in recreational areas

48 Industry related products and services Taking a wider look at the world

GADGETS 28 Simon Sharwood checks out new gadgets Shiny gimmicks or beneficial to business?

TRAINING AND EVENTS 52 Industry events and a list of RTOs

BUSINESS 18 Vox pop on carbon tax 30 Ushering in new regulations

DESIGNER odette Boulton CONTRIBUTORS Lawrence De Paoli, meleah maynard.

SALES Yuri mamistvalov yuri@commstrat.com.au CONTACT EDITORIAL nicola.card@commstrat.com.au office@acaspa.com.au

COMMSTRAT aBN 31 008 434 802 Level 8, 574 st Kilda Rd melbourne vic 3004 www.commstrat.com.au ACASPA suite 201, 22 st Kilda Road, st Kilda 3182 vic Phone: 03 9521 2114 Local call: 1300 555 787 Fax: 03 9521 2116 www.acaspa.com.au

Disclaimer: except where specifically stated, the opinions and material published in the magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher or the acasPa council.

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nEWS Movers and shakers…

1a 1 Justifiably proud dad …

Eric Moonen from Abacus Shade Structures is proud of his two daughters who share an academic streak. The pictures tell the stories: daughter Zsa Zsa (pictured above) is just completing a fiveyear double degree in Business Management and nutrition at Wollongong University.

The course included six months’ study in France.

Meantime, Eric’s daughter Avalon has been asked to do honours in Medicine at Sydney University; she is currently doing her internship in a hospital in Melbourne.

What Connections would like to know is: given the friendly rivalry between the two great cities, what is Avalon’s view?

1a eric moonen and his daughter Zsa Zsa at the rocks on Fathers Day. 1b avalon ponders the relative merits of two cities.

6 · coNNecTioNs

1b

2 welcome shade for cabramatta Bowls club Following enormous success at Pine rivers Memorial Bowls Club in Queensland the bowls community appears to recognise the value in covering greens and providing a sun-safe playing environment. To that end, MakMax Australia recently completed another major project: a long span bowling greens cover.

Cabramatta Bowls Club is reputedly the first lawn bowls facility in the world to cover a bowling green with state of the art PTFE (polytetraflouroethylene) fabric roofing. The inner fibres of PTFE are in essence fibreglass with a Teflon outer coating, which helps keep the surface a clean, crisp white colour for decades to come.

Other facilities that use PTFE for roofing include Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast, The Gabba in Brisbane, Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre and many more stadiums worldwide.

The application for bowls is brand new, but tension membrane specialist MakMax is confident the product is perfectly suited to Cabramatta’s needs now and into the future. Construction was due to be complete by mid October 2011. Cabramatta will boast a state of the art covered green leaving

2a cabramatta Bowling club.

2b Karen murphy, australian women’s indoor champion 2011. Photo from Bowls australia

2a

The new covered green means a big change for our club

2b

two greens as a natural surface.

The variety in playing surfaces means the pro’s at Cabramatta will be even more skilled on any surface.

Barry Watkins, General Manager of Cabramatta Bowls Club says “The new covered green means a big change for our club; we’re looking forward to the opportunity to host major events, even international competitions.”

With one green out of three covered the club is able to plan events and programmes that weren’t possible previously.

Watkins adds, “The fact that play won’t be interrupted by weather also helps, we can rely on a schedule and there is definitely comfort in that.”

Cabramatta currently boasts eight world champions past and present calling the club home, the space and flexibility created under the roof allows the club to expand its operations considerably. Watkins said, “In the future we hope to set up a training centre, and develop programmes that will benefit our community.”

With Cabramatta bowler Karen Murphy holding the Australian Indoor Championships title, it appears the club is determined to keep its winning edge.

3 3 Old timer golfers Each and every year, without fail, The Victorian Canvas Goods Manufacturers stages an annual golf day.

This year the event took place on Friday September 23 at the golf course in Cheltenham.

Keith Bartlett took the photo at the Canvas Goods Association Golf dinner.

3 ACASPA Life members Left to Right: Bill Menahem, Cliff Bartlett and Arthur Evans 5 Max Brady of DDT Liners

4 Odour elimination Is it for real? Can it be true? Just some of the questions fielded by Bob Cahill of Tex Connex when he mentions Hiraoka’s new product, a shade cloth that successfully eliminates nasty odours.

Bob discussed the special properties of the fabric during his popular presentation at this year’s ACASPA Expo, and we hope to bring you a fuller feature in a later issue.

5

Is it for real? Can it be true? … a shade 5 Max Brady appointed to cloth that successfully IAGI Board of Directors eliminates nasty In early June ACASPA statesman since its inception ­— in fact ‘big picture’ Max played a role in its odours. Max Brady of DDT Liners

Have we missed YOUR news?

Email us at Nicola.card@commstrat.com.au and we’ll run your news in the next issue.

accepted an invitation to fill a casual vacancy on the Board of Directors of US based IAGI, the peak body representing geomembrane Installers worldwide.DDT Liners has been a member of IAGI (www.iagi.org)

development ­— and has since been a keen supporter of the association’s aims and objectives.

(This is but one of Max’s many achievements. See his story on the epic annual trek to ACASPA Expo on the following pages.)

Nov/Dec 2011 — Jan 2012 · 7

SPECIAL FEATUrE

MInInG CAMPErS AnD CAPErS as regular as clockwork it is. if there’s an acasPa expo taking place somewhere in australia, there’s a posse of campers on the way. max Brady tells us that this year’s group took to the off-beaten track of old mining towns where they took in the local sights and enjoyed home-cooked tucker.

If there is a better way to prepare for an Expo — an interlude between work and exhibiting — we’d like to know, because Max Brady and company seem to have the formula down to a fine art. That is, take a week-long road trip to unwind and share valuable time with a bunch of like-minded colleagues.

Seven days is what it takes to arrive refreshed and ready to take on the 14-hour days demanded by an Expo.

Max tells us that this year’s pre-Expo camping tour loosely followed a ‘Mining Town History’ theme. Along for the ride were Jim and Helen Kelman, roger and Margaret Bishop, and Ernie and Sue nagy. Max’s travel diary read thus:

Day one Found us establishing our camp in the Torrington State Conservation Area, off the beaten track near the old mining town of Torrington.

Day Two Was spent at the same place, enjoying the serenity, the animal and bird-life, and the odd wildflower — wattles

8 · coNNecTioNs

blooming here and there … oh, and the persistent light rain!

[Serenity 1 — Stress diminishing.]

Day Three Taking the road less travelled we set out in search of the Split rock Dam between Barraba and Manilla. En-route we called at the Emmaville Mining Museum, and stopped briefly to photograph the Asbestos mine at Woodsreef.

(Barraba is also referred to as Taengarrahwarrawarildi; the place of the yellowjacket trees. And it is one of the longest aboriginal place names we have ever encountered.

The more easily pronounced Manilla or Muneela means winding river; round about. ) We located our campsite just as the sun was setting.

The huge grassy and largely unoccupied campsite at the northern end of Split rock Dam turned out to be a ripper … and the ideal place to erect our new ‘Community’ flysheet- come-shelter (WCT Coolabah canvas — about the size of one of Julia’s BEr shelters but nowhere near the price!)

[Serenity 1 — Stress 0.]

Below left: coolabah community shelter Below: Jim tending the Furphy

Day Four The huge grassy and largely unoccupied campsite at the northern end of Split Rock Dam turned out to be a ripper

Because roger forgot to bring along his guitar, as promised (or should we say threatened?) the year before, we bypassed country music capital Tamworth, favouring smaller towns such as Somerton, Breeza and Caroona etc. Tyre trouble delayed us somewhat, so we detoured to Quirindi for repairs and with a deft touch of flexibility we chose to camp alongside the busy new England Highway at Wallabadah.

TRAVELLER’S LOG: Wallabadah: a delightful creek bank setting near a park commemorating the First fleet and naming all who sailed therein.

(Quirindi: aboriginal for ‘waters fall together’, ‘dead tree on a mountain top’.) Wallabadah: ‘stone’, although on its own wallah means ‘rain’).

Both 14-inch Furphy camp ovens were deployed to produce a perfectly cooked lamb leg and roast vegetable dinner complemented by the now traditional drop of Penfolds Bin 389. For a while we couldn’t even hear the highway noise!

[Serenity 0.5 — Stress 0.]

Day Five Brought more flexibility. We travelled through some more lovely country in the Liverpool ranges, visiting towns such as Meriwa, Cassilis, Ulan (with its coal mines) and gold mining towns of old Gulgong (‘a deep water hole’) and Hargraves until we reached our destination, the historic gold town of Hill End. With premature darkness upon us, and precipitation that looked suspiciously like snowflakes hitting our windscreens, we rejected the idea of camping and instead checked into the royal Hotel that was established back in 1872.

above: Helen Kelman dishes up dinner above right: Royal Hotel, Hill end

TRAVELLER’S LOG: If you haven’t yet visited Hill End, it’s worth the trip. National Parks owns the town, and steeped in gold-mining history as it is, there’s plenty to see and learn. Exquisite bird-life abounds, Crimson Rosellas and King Parrots being my favourites, and kangaroos run — or should that be bounce — rampant.

Jim was pleased to find a commemorative pine tree that in 2008 one of his friends had helped plant in the park opposite the pub. The sapling successfully took root from a seed harvested from the Canberra LOnE PInE daughter tree of World War 1 fame. With plenty to see, and a steep 4WD-only drive down the ‘Bridle Track’ to fit in, we opted to stay a second night — at the Pub of course — where we were invited to join in the ‘send-off ’ party for the interesting young man who holds the Pub’s lease/licence.

[Serenity 0.5 — Enjoyment 1+.]

TRAVELLER’S LOG: The pub’s lease is for sale; google ‘Royal Hotel Hill End’ if you are interested!

Final Day By now the weather had cleared, making way for a sunny day as we left Hill End, bound for the Hunter Valley and newcastle. The mining theme got a further workout: gold at Sally’s Flat and Sofala, lime for cement at Kandos, and coal all through the Hunter Valley.

Our route took us through the picturesque Bylong Valley, skirting the Wollemi national Park which is home of the back-from-the-brink WOLLEMI PInE TRAVELLER’S LOG: Wollemi Pine — another fascinating story to search on google.

Wax Converters’ Textiles kindly allowed us to park our camper trailers at their new warehouse for collection after ACASPA Conference/Expo. We then had a day to mentally prepare ourselves for the comforts of the Darling Harbour Conference. One point that we reflected upon was that all the people who flocked to these mining towns of yesteryear all relied on CAnVAS TEnTS for their shelter!

Next year’s Victorian tour is likely to begin at Mildura, although the Northern contingent may well first rendezvous somewhere up the Darling, perhaps at Bourke. Anyone interested in participating you know who to contact: max@ddt.com.au Nov/Dec 2011 — JaN 2012 · 9

Superb STRUCTURES

Eye-catching creations for recreation The superb work of ACASPA members can be seen in suburbs and cities all around Australia. But here on these pages we bring you some of the very best of those structures. To kick-start the best-of the-best series we showcase several recreational themed installations that members submitted to ACASPA’s 2011 Awards for Excellence. In future issues of Connections we will feature more awe-inspiring structures.

Sail-shaped shade sails Advanced Shade Systems undertook a colourful project at Bulimba Riverside Park on the scenic Brisbane River. The fabric of choice?

Monotec 370 supplied by Pro-Knit Industries.

Following is their description of the work undertaken: The Riverside Park is large and separated into two areas. Our design had to cover the two areas, and take into consideration the need to construct shade sails in two different stages.

The council wanted sails that provided shade over the playground equipment. They wanted sails that would stand the test of time in a very open and windy setting; would look attractive and would have a contemporary feel in keeping with the new development in the Bulimba area. They also wanted sails that looked like boat sails to echo the feeling of the river.

We designed sails that harmonised with the river setting and were sufficiently sturdy to withstand high winds. A large open site added to the complexity of this design brief. Our project enhances a popular local area. Other developments were underway at the same time in

20 · CONNECTIONS

We designed sails that harmonised with the river setting and were sufficiently sturdy to withstand high winds.

Sail-shaped shade sails by Advanced Shade Systems created using Monotec 370 fabric supplied by Pro-Knit Industries.

NO SHADE On the opening of Bulimba Riverside Park back in November 2009, not all was rosy.

As reported in the Southeast Advertiser $500,000 had been spent on its development but there was a mixed reaction from parents who remarked on the lack of shaded areas.

Their calls to Brisbane City Council to install shade sails were backed by Cancer Council Queensland’s acting SunSmart coordinator, Rachel Adams who remarked that unsafe sun exposure in childhood and adolescence can lead to skin cancer in later life.

“We need to make sure that our parks and public spaces provide appropriate shade, to reduce the risks of future skin cancer, and we encourage local councils to make greater investments in sun protection,” she said.

Evidently her pleas were not only heard but also acted upon, and Advanced Shade Systems was charged with the task of providing structures for sun protection.

the park and we had to take account of other users’ needs.

We were asked to complete the project in two stages over a three month period because of this.

The site plan showed existing landmarks such as playground equipment and the location of trees and paths, but did not identify new works and that meant some changes had to be made to our original planning The posts for the sails have a 700mm taper that gives an excellent aesthetic value. Our low posts are 4.00 metres high and the high posts 7.500 metres which creates a dynamic look for the sails. Our design withstands winds and takes account of the special requirements of the site.

The verdict: Excellent. The council felt Advanced Shade Systems met their practical and aesthetic needs excellently.

The success of the playground’s new feature is also acknowledged by families who have commented on the high quality of the whole project. That’s one big thumbs up.

Above: the colourful look of Kangaroo Point Park adorned by Abgal shade sails

… these shades are interesting in form, and at the same time are discreet enough to blend in with the landscaping design of the park.

Jumping joy Abgal Liners and Covers was commissioned to develop Kangaroo Point Park in Queensland. Fabric: Architec 400 supplied by: Australian Shade Wholesale The folk at Abgal (overall ACASPA Award Winner 2010 ­— remember that super pool?) describe the nuts and bolts of the project thus: Our client requested four shade sails to be manufactured for a series of specially designed structures to enhance the beauty and usability of the prestigious Kangaroo Point Park which overlooks Brisbane’s CBD. The park is adjacent to the river, and the play areas and gardens have been designed to complementthe natural shape of the river which winds its way around a large part of Brisbane city.

Originally the park was designed without shade which meant children found the play areas too hot, especially in mid summer. They needed shade, but the shade structures themselves had to look like sculptures and blend in with the theme of the park. You can see by the photos that these shades are interesting in form, and at the same time are discreet enough to blend in with the landscaping design of the park.

Part of the steel structure is supported by a ‘Lightning Bolt’, which formed part of the design brief of the art inspired shade sculptures.

This site is unique in that the cliffs were a major source of stone for many early Brisbane buildings, road works, wharfage and marine walls.

But they presented a challenge when installing the footings.

The shades are mostly attached to the steelwork with a kedar edge, following the bends in the steelwork perfectly and there are only two tensioning points for each shade sail. This meant that the shape of the shades and the tension allowance had to be exactly right.

Verdict: What a great look — fun and functional. No wonder the client was delighted with the result.

Nov/Dec 2011 — Jan 2012 · 21

Superb STRUCTURES

as several seating areas located within and around the play area.

We were required to ensure our post set-out catered for the need for parents, carers and supervisers to have full and unobstructed views of the play areas at all times from the seating positions.

Before commencing sail design we met our client on-site and marked out the position of the proposed play equipment. By creating a grid of the site based on this layout we were able to develop a concept design that divided the area into three individual sections — junior, senior and parent seating.

Using this plan we then set out our post positions compliant with fall zone regulations, shade coverage in relation to the equipment and seats as well as overall height of sails above equipment. Due to the height of some play equipment combined with the need to use minimal posts we selected a design that made use of a number of higher central posts that had several sails radiating out from them at various heights.

This allowed larger sails without the use of mutable support posts.

We then selected a variety of bright colours in a premium quality high UV block shade fabric to complement the facility.

Selected colours were similar to those of the play equipment.

24 · CONNECTIONS

Before construction could commence the design was checked by a number of Government Departments and disability consultants in relation to OHS compliance for the intended use. The design was approved without any changes.

Posts were installed in coordination with several other trades on site and sails were then manufactured to site specific building codes that included cable edges, heavy duty patches and 10mm chain attachments that can be tensioned or released with a removable quick release system by trained staff.

Once completed the project was assessed by a team of consultants on behalf of the client and was approved for immediate use.

Success! The facility is an exceptional success for both the special needs children and their parents who enjoy peace of mind knowing it is a purpose built facility.

Apart from meeting all the technical requirements of the client the shade sail layout as designed has resulted in an area that protects users from the sun and has a bright and open feel which complements the rest of the playground and gives these special children a facility like no other in the region.

Right: Cool cover for the Ithaca Pool Complex Below: Shade structures by Port Douglas Sailmakers

Pooling talent When constructing a cover at the Ithaca Pool Complex in Paddington, Queensland, Advanced Shade Systems used Ferrari 8023 that was supplied

by Innova.

… the sails had to be designed in a way to fit within the proposed set out and offer full shade to specific areas of the equipment…

Advanced Shade constructed a cover at the Ithaca Pool Complex in Paddington, Queensland.

The project brief was to develop a waterproof cover over the ‘Learn to Swim’ area, and the structure was also to provide an undercover area for the ‘Learn to Swim’ teachers.

The client required a cantilevered waterproof structure to cover the entire pool in order to

provide shade for swimmers and an undercover area for teachers.

The team at Advanced Shade Systems designed the structure with rolled hoop rafters in order to be able to get more shape into the fabric. The finish of the steel and the vivid white of the membrane makes the quality of the structure stand out.

But the project presented some unique challenges as the excavation of the pool had undermined the sub structure.

Assisted by engineers, the team completely redesigned the footings to take account of this.

Tensioning the fabric on the swimming pool side was also an issue.

Thumbs up: The client reported that the structure fulfils the purpose excellently.

an element of environmental consideration. For this reason we developed a custom design that worked to these constraints.

The purpose according to builders was to create an inviting public recreation area. The architects specified a tensile membrane roof in order to cover the area while allowing natural light to enter the space.

The tensile membrane portion of this project was manufactured in order to satisfy the needs and wants of our client above all, however the reasons for using tensile membrane are clear.

The most unique detail of this project is the fabric used.

This particular fabric is something we’ve come up with through our research and development department. This is the first time this fabric has been used by ourselves in the region, with great success.

Although this fabric is the most unique aspect of the project it also turned out to be the most challenging. Through trial and error we developed a slightly altered manufacturing technique in order to yield the best result.

This was a big learning curve for

us however we are all pleased with the result.

More than satisfactory outcome: As per the client’s needs the membrane roof delivers on all fronts. Natural light can pass through the fabric to the area below. We have been able to offer a green alternative in our own fabric, and the overall construction is lightweight and on budget.

Although this project is not the most exciting in design or appearance, the learning process involved in bringing the structure to fruition is something of great value to us.

Light, bright and lightweight MakMax Australia selected fabric known as FGT 600 Ti02 from Chukoh. The project: Blacktown Village Green in NSW. In MakMax’s words: This project was essentially a weather cover over a public space. During discussions with our sales team at the tendering stage it was clear that the project also had

Above right: A unique covering created by MakMax Right: Night light enhances the structure’s sweeping curves Nov/Dec 2011 — Jan 2012 · 25

Business news From OHS to WHS From January I, 2012 New National WHS Laws, will replace existing state and territory OHS laws. The focus a bit sharper: to secure the health and safety of workers and workplaces by eliminating or minimising risks, fair and effective representation, cooperation and issue resolution.

To ensure that workers and others are given “the highest level of protection from hazards and risks…”

After assessing these matters the cost of ways of eliminating or minimising the risk, including whether the cost is grossly disproportionate to the risk, may also be taken into account Officers or those conducting a business or undertaking with a duty or obligation under the WHS Act must exercise ‘due diligence’ to ensure that they comply with that duty or obligation.

For their part, workers must take reasonable care that their acts or omissions do not adversely affect the health and safety of other persons, and comply, so far as the worker is reasonably able with any reasonable instruction given by a person conducting a business or undertaking to allow the person conducting the business or undertaking to comply with the WHS Act. They must cooperate with any reasonable policy or procedure of the person conducting the business or undertaking which relates to work health or safety and that has been notified to workers.

One of the key provisions is the offence to give false or misleading information.

For more information please refer to www.safeworkaustralia. gov.au or www.aigroup.org.au.

30 · CONNECTIONS

Cautious consumers Dun & Bradstreet say Australian consumers are putting their credit cards away in the lead up to Christmas in favor of dipping into their own savings to pay for additional expenses — presents, turkeys, holidays and more — in the December quarter.

CEO Christine Christian attributes this year’s shift from the annual Christmas credit splurge to economic uncertainty and financial instability.

D+B also found that only 20 per cent planned to apply for new credit, down from a peak of 33 per cent in mid-2009. And the number of consumers applying for a credit limit increase has halved since the beginning of last year.

The trend among consumers is conservative: more are paying down debt or increasing savings. Sensible strategies but not so healthy for key sectors like retail and tourism that have declared this adismal year.

Carbon chronicles Looking back a decade or so, milestones on the political agenda include introduction of GST (July 2000); Saying sorry to the Stolen Generations (February 2008); and replacement of Prime Minister Kevin Rudd (June 2010).

Now November 2011 could well mark Australia’s next significant political event: a carbon pricing scheme.

Wednesday October 12 was the day the nation advanced a step closer to D day for clean energy, albeit by the narrowest of margins (the vote 74 to 72). By the time this magazine is in circulation, it is expected the Senate will have passed the legislation.

Climate Change Minister Greg Combet describes this as one of the most important environmental and economic reforms in the nation’s history, and anticipates this will encourage further investment in clean energy and low emissions technologies.

Set to cover about 60% of Australia’s emissions, the scheme will be the most broad-based in the

world, with about 500 of the biggest carbonemitting companies paying a price per tonne of carbon.

But small business still has a lot of questions — and doubts — about the new regime. As many as two in three small businesses, 66% say insufficient thought has been given to the impact of the carbon tax on the small business sector.

Hence our vox pop — voice of the people — on the page 18 of this magazine. Still on numbers, we dug around a bit and found the following: • Days left to end of oil supplies: 15,385 • Days left to end gas: 60,812 • Days left to end coal: 151,982 • Co2 emissions produced this year (tonnes): 26,889,000,000 • Bikes produced this year (to late October): 109,265,000; cars: 48,835,000 (that’s more than two bikes for every car).

One more item of note: the global population was forecast to hit 7 billion on October 31 2011.