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Issue 272 | April 2019 | $13.75 inc. GST
The Monthly Magazine for Accommodation Industry Professionals
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The legal stuff...
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Inside our April issue Front Desk Editor's Note: Walk a mile in their shoes ...................... 05
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Industry
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News In Brief ............................................................................ 06 Person Of Interest: Lynda Kypriadakis – The champion of caretaking standards ..................................10 ARAMA Report: Industry recognition key to ongoing growth ..........................................................................................12
Disclaimer Any mention of a product, service or supplier in editorial is not indicative of any endorsement by the author, editor or publisher. Although the publisher, editor and authors do all they can to ensure accuracy in all editorial content, readers are advised to fact check for themselves, any opinion or statement made by a reporter, editor, columnist, contributor, interviewee, supplier or any other entity involved before making judgements or decisions based on the materials contained herein. Resort News, its publisher, editor and staff, is not responsible for and does not accept liability for any damages, defamation or other consequences (including but not limited to revenue and/or profit loss) claimed to have occurred as the result of anything contained within this publication, to the extent permitted by law. Advertisers and Advertising Agents warrant to the publisher that any advertising material placed is in no way an infringement of any copyright or other right and does not breach confidence, is not defamatory, libellous or unlawful, does not slander title, does not contain anything obscene or indecent and does not infringe the Consumer Guarantees Act or other laws, regulations or statutes. Moreover, advertisers or advertising agents agree to indemnify the publisher and its’ agents against any claims, demands, proceedings, damages, costs including legal costs or other costs or expenses properly incurred, penalties, judgements, occasioned to the publisher in consequence of any breach of the above warranties. © 2019 Multimedia Pty Ltd. It is an infringement of copyright to reproduce in any way all or part of this publication without the written consent of the publisher.
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EDITOR Trish Riley, editor@accomnews.com.au
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State Report: Update on Airbnb legislation..................13 BCCM Report: Tow or not to tow ......................................16 SCA Report: Was this a win for owners? ........................ 17 Management Legal Ease: The perils of by-law enforcement .............18 By All Accounts: Thinking of buying a management and letting rights business? ............................................... 20 Thinking MR: Don't Worry ................................................... 22 Motel Market: The search has evolved...........................24 Intonet: Can you drop the 'C-Bomb'? ............................. 25 Behind closed doors ............................................................. 26 Best digital marketing tips for the hospitality sector ..................................................... 28 Tourism
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Will Google’s quiet launch change everything?.......... 29 Tourism Report ........................................................................ 32 Events & Appointments People ......................................................................................... 34 ARAMA Industry Events Calendar .................................. 35
STAFF WRITERS Kate Jackson
Events.......................................................................................... 36
DESIGN & PRODUCTION Richard McGill, production@accomnews.com.au
Developments
ADVERTISING Stewart Shimmin, advertising@accomnews.com.au SUBSCRIPTIONS Gavin Bill, subscriptions@accomnews.com.au CONTRIBUTORS Simon Barnard, Arvo Elias, Jonathan Hanaghan, Chris Irons, Robb Monkman, Andrew Morgan, Col Myers, Tony O’Connor, Mike Phipps and Trevor Rawnsley.
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News ............................................................................................ 38 Property New Manager Profiles .......................................................... 44 AccomProperties Sales Report ........................................ 44 Profiles Northcliffe Apartments: You’re welcome… ................... 50 Mari Court Resort: A shining example ........................... 54
KEY Commercially funded supplier profile or supplier case study Supplier information or content Suppliers share their views in one-off, topical pieces General editorial. Case studies and features may cite or quote suppliers, please be aware that we have a strict ‘no commercial content’ guideline for all magazine editorial, so this is not part of any commercially funded advertorial but may be included as relevant opinion. Happy reading!
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54 FRONT DESK
Preferred Suppliers Stratacorp: committed to making every deal a success ............................................................. 56 The Preferred Supplier Directory ......................................61
ResortNews | April, 2019
I, like most of the world, listened and watched in horror as the terror attack unfolded in Christchurch recently, and, like most of the world tried to make sense of the senseless. The senselessness that, through the aftermath and surely for years to come, has become a litany of questions that don’t have answers – and the most overwhelming question of all, why? If we are honest with ourselves however, we know why. We know where it begins. Having grown up in Africa I am familiar with violence and its precursors intolerance and prejudice, often underpinned by ignorance and exploitation. I am also acutely aware of how quickly those fears and ideologies escalate and become a fringe movement that the majority of us don’t understand. We hear a lot about tolerance these days. Tolerance is a moral virtue best placed within the moral domain – but unfortunately it is often confounded with prejudice. Much of the research about tolerance and about the understanding of others who are different from us, has been examined through research about prejudice – and not through the moral domain. The assumption made is that absence of prejudice by default means a person is tolerant.
April, 2019 | ResortNews
person is someone who does not discriminate but remains intolerant in thoughts and beliefs. And who wants to be tolerated or “put up with”?
Trish Riley, Editor editor@accomnews.com.au Prejudice and tolerance are in fact, not the opposite of each other; they coexist in most of us. Unlike prejudice however, tolerance can be grounded in the moral domain which offers a positive approach to examining relationships between groups of people who are different from each other. Based on its Latin origin, tolerance, or toleration is most commonly viewed negatively as “putting up with” something we dislike or even hate. If a person is prepared to “put up with” something – along the lines of, I do not like the colour of your skin but I will still serve you not to lose your custom – that
At the same time tolerance cannot be indiscriminate. Indiscriminate acceptance in its most extreme form can lead to the acceptance of questionable practice and human rights violations – for instance, child marriages, neoNazi propaganda and terrorism. An alternative way for us to think of tolerance is to place it within the moral domain and recognise that it is what it is, a moral virtue. Moral virtues are linked with respect, equality and liberty and we should regard tolerance as a positive civic and moral duty between individuals, irrespective of colour, creed or culture. In other words, it is a moral obligation or duty that involves respect for the individual as well as mutual respect and consideration between people. Tolerance between people makes it possible for conflicting claims of beliefs, values and ideas to coexistence as long as they
FRONT DESK
fit within acceptable moral values. Earlier civil libertarians, such as John Locke, Baruch Spinoza and John Stuart Mill argue that tolerant people value the individual, his or her independence and freedom of choice so when tolerance is placed within the moral domain relating to fairness, justice and respect and avoiding causing harm to others, it can only be viewed as a positive moral virtue; and it sits close to fairness and empathy. Empathic people are sensitive to the thoughts, feelings and experiences of others. They are able to place themselves in someone else’s shoes or understand how it would feel to be treated badly. Placing oneself in someone else’s shoes is the essence of tolerance. Certainly, the global response to the massacre in Christchurch shows that people of all ages have a strong sense of fairness and empathy towards others different from them in colour, creed or culture and that, as a majority, they reject prejudice and intolerance based on fairness and empathy. As senseless and horrific as this has been, may the enduring outcome be our solidarity and the recognition of fairness, justice, empathy, tolerance and respect when dealing with those who are different in racial characteristics, ethnicity, religion, gender or nationality.
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EDITOR'S NOTE
Walk a mile in their shoes
Industry on tenterhooks over Booking.com parity drop Industry leaders are urging Australia’s dominant online travel agent to follow Expedia’s lead and end rate parity clauses in its contracts with Australian accommodators. Booking.com has remained silent on the issue of rate parity, despite repeated requests for comment over the last three weeks. The move by rival bookings giant Expedia to abandon its rate parity agreements with Australian providers has been widely, if cautiously, welcomed by industry players. Until now, operators looking to list rooms through the platform have been contractually required not to undercut Expedia on their own website pricing, despite paying 15-25 percent commission on any bookings made through the OTA. “It’s a positive move and shows that Expedia are listening to the market and doing something about it,” said Trevor Rawnsley, CEO of the Australian
Resident Accommodation Managers Association. “ARAMA appreciate the OTAs but they are an advertising portal and we are the client. The advertiser cannot take control of the client’s pricing structure”. Rawnsley says it’s “about time” Booking.com ‘comes to the party’ on rate parity. “They are the market leaders by far, it’s crucial,” he said. “ARAMA considers this latest development a step in the right direction but by no means a final victory, and we look forward to a positive response from Booking.com. What the industry wants is to work together as partners with Booking.
com. We would jump at the opportunity to meet with them and discuss the bigger issues.”
around’ for the best price will see the lower rate on Booking. com’s sites and use them.
Chris Fozard, operations manager of the Budget Motel Chain, says his members are asking for the same outcome.
“Booking.com has a great opportunity to show that they value their Australian partners and follow Expedia’s lead, before being forced to remove their rate parity clause by the ACCC.”
Chris said: “Although the Expedia Group has stated that they will no longer enforce their rate parity clause, which is great news, property owners across Australia will not be able to fully take advantage of it until Booking.com follows suit. “Having a higher price on Expedia’s websites (even to cover their commissions, for example) will mean that any guest who is ‘shopping
Expedia’s decision follows sustained industry lobbying over rate parity clauses, an announcement by Labor that it will ban parity agreements if elected to government, and the impending results of an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission investigation into OTA practices.
Top 10 Australian business risks for 2019 According to KPMG’s second annual survey of Australian business leaders, digital transformation (#1) and disruption (#2) are the top issues for 2019. Business leaders are also wary of a potential “avalanche” of new regulations (#3), including from the banking royal
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commission. Building customer (#5) and public trust (#7) “is undoubtedly the other key permeating issue” said KPMG. Political paralysis (#4), cost competitiveness (#6), and infrastructure and liveable cities (#10) were also cited as major concerns. Cyber security and data privacy (#8), and big data (#9) also made the top 10.
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ResortNews | April, 2019
TAA pushes skills shortage in election Encouraging young people to see hospitality as a career option as opposed to a shortterm job is now at crisis point, with Tourism Accommodation Australia urging both major parties to make the skills shortage a priority election issue.
championed by the TAA and industry have taken place independent of government, Ferguson added, which highlighted the opportunities available in fields such as Food & Beverage, Human Resources, Technology and Property Management. However, the TAA National Chair said this needed further backing from the government in the form of coordinated campaigns to stimulate the workforce.
Ahead of the imminent 2019 federal election, TAA national chair and former federal Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson, has urged both Labor and the Coalition to develop strong policies favouring the current skills shortage being faced by the Australian accommodation industry. Ferguson said the TAA was constantly hearing examples of how hotels and related industry businesses were struggling to operate and grow due to a lack of suitable and skilled
“With so many tourism businesses unable to attract qualified staff, we are simply unable to meet the demands not only of today but for growth into the future,” Ferguson said.
workers in the labour pool. “Accommodation businesses looking to fill skilled and managerial positions are facing the most pressure, and with
pipeline investment of more than 40,000 rooms across Australia, we can’t afford to have a failing labour force,” Ferguson said. Career Expos
“Five out of seven states across Australia currently report severe shortages citing challenges such as finding qualified chefs, so we are keen to see new ideas from our political leaders on how they can help.”
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April, 2019 | ResortNews
hotelinteriors.com.au • 1300 876 055 INDUSTRY
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Property tax changes tipped to impact rental costs According to the Housing Industry Association’s Graham Wolfe, by following the federal opposition’s negative gearing and CGT policies, a chain reaction will affect the whole market at large.
However, less than half believe that these aspirations are achievable. “Australia needs to reverse this trend, renew our national commitment to home ownership and adopt measures that support first home aspirants. That includes support while saving for a deposit,” Mr Wolfe concluded.
The crux of the matter lies with a rise in rental costs, Mr Wolfe said. “While their grandfathering provisions are intended to encourage investors to retain their existing investment properties, decisions about new investments will be strongly influenced by the higher taxation grab on investment returns and uncertainty about subsequent sales of new properties and future tax changes,” he said. “Research conducted by HIA analyses this impact and shows that rental costs will increase and the supply of rental properties will decrease.” The decline of rental supply, Mr Wolfe added, is
significant when considering the property market.
home ownership aspirations of renting households.
“The September quarter of 2018 marked the first time since December 2006 that rents in Sydney declined in real terms. The recent additional supply of rental properties has underpinned the improvement in rental affordability,” he said.
“For many households, living in a rental property is an interim step towards home ownership.”
“Changing the tax treatment on residential investment properties risks undoing the good work, lifting rental prices and dampening the
Then, by increasing rental costs, tenants will be able to save less money towards a deposit for a first home, which will then “dampen their home ownership aspirations”, with Mr Wolfe claiming that over 90 percent of renters aspire towards home ownership.
While first home buyers are often seen as a competitor to investors, if first home buyers decline, it could spell bad news for the property market. “First home buyers aren’t a big share of the market, but they’ve really been the one source of growth in the market over the last 12 or 18 months, so if they come out of the market, then it could mean there’s further declines in the market, which is obviously not good from anyone’s perspective but particularly investors,” said Mr Wolfe. Source: SmartPropertyInvestor
Airbnb on an expansion drive The ambitions of Airbnb are enormous. After acquiring Gaest.com, a platform that allows users to find and book a place for meetings, earlier this year, the company is looking for more potential expansions to broaden their offer. This month Airbnb bought HotelTonight’s last minute hotel reservation service. The application and its website, which offers daytime bookings at preferential rates (valued at $463 million), will continue to operate independently, at least for the time being. Once the acquisition is complete, HotelTonight CEO Sam Shank will lead Airbnb’s hotel category. The
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present an original offer. A few months ago, the company was interested in Skyscanner, the flight comparator that was bought at a high price by the Chinese Ctrip.
company founded in 2010, offers deals in more than 1,700 cities and in more than 35 countries. This is another step in Airbnb expanding path towards creating an “endto-end travel platform”.
In recent years, Airbnb has planned to get into air travel and has hired Fred Reid, former CEO of Virgin America as Transportation Manager. This is a sure sign of the desire of the company to
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In addition to holiday rentals between individuals, hotels and excursions, Airbnb is also planning to offer boat rentals, car rentals, restaurants and more. The company also plans to go public this year as it has announced for two or three years. The value of Airbnb is estimated at $31 billion, which puts it in second place behind the famous hotel company Marriott ($39 billion). ResortNews | April, 2019
Push for “enforceable” codes of conduct The Coalition government recently released details of action being taken in regard to yet another recommendation from the royal commission final report. The statement outlined the efforts being made towards creating enforceable codes of conduct in financial services, as well as in equipping regulators and consumers with more power to hold the institutions accountable for misconduct. The government has agreed to implement recommendation 1.15, which will enable ASIC to approve codes for a wider range of entities and will treat a breach of code as a breach of the law. The changes are in direct response to Commissioner Hayne stating, “There must be adequate means to identify, correct and prevent systemic failures in applying the code… in order to do that, some provisions
Online survey set to predict industry trends
of the codes should be picked up and applied as law.” Additionally, mandatory codes can be imposed by the government should the financial services industry fail to propose updated enforceable code provisions “in a timely manner.” According to a statement from the Australian Banking Association (ABA), the move “is welcomed by Australia’s banks, who look forward to working with regulators and the treasury to identify what more can be done to further enforce its new Banking Code of Practice.” The Banking Code of Practice, slated to take effect on 1 July, will introduce new measures intended to make banking products more customer focused, such as through making them easier to understand for the average consumer. Source: Australian Broker
Each year the AAoA conducts a comprehensive online survey of accommodation industry operators to help us understand the trends and issues within the industry, and all stakeholders are encouraged to participate. Your responses provide a valuable snapshot of the current market climate, which assists the Accommodation Association in refining the advocacy agenda, strategies, services and benefits for the year ahead. Last year the top three issues identified were:
1.
The impact of OTAs
2.
Non-compliant accommodation (AKA Airbnb)
3.
Energy/Utilities costs
These issues made up the bulk of the work the AAoA undertook on behalf of its members across the country and announcements such as the one banning rate parity in Australia is a great example of how powerful this work is. The Annual survey has been mailed to over 6000 business contacts. Please email mail@aaoa.com.au if you have any queries.
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Lynda Kypriadakis The champion of caretaking standards By Trish Riley, Editor
It’s little wonder, having spent an inordinate amount of time in her father’s engineering workshop during her formative years, and then taking on an apprenticeship as a sheet metal worker just days after she left school, that Lynda Kypriadakis; founding director of the Diverse Group of Companies and the ABMA, has all the inherent characteristics of forged steel. Her strength and resilience however, are matched with sophistication and the more temperate values of accountability, compassion, loyalty, freedom and creativity; and as the oldest of four children growing up in a small town in New Zealand, Lynda speaks frankly about her innate thirst for knowledge and yearning for financial stability. Lynda’s unusual, but highly successful apprenticeship led to her being appointed the leading hand in an engineering firm until, at the age of 20, personal tragedy led to a move to Perth where she joined a large steel fabrication company and enrolled
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at Curtin University of Technology to achieve a Bachelor Degree in Architecture and Design. As a firm advocate of “you make your own way”, Lynda then left Perth to explore Australia and got as far as Broome where she stayed for five years learning the finer arts of construction management. By 1994, she was living in Brisbane, where she met and married her husband, a construction manager and they had two daughters. Keenly aware of the unstructured growth occurring in the construction, tourism and management rights sectors, Lynda started Diverse FMX in 2006; a company providing facilities management and building management advocacy services for bodies corporate and in 2008, as a QBCC open licensed builder, she started DPX Construction to provide inspections for defective building work and project management services for bodies corporate. By 2012, the self-confessed “project initiator” combined her skills and knowledge with her desire to develop and upskill and Pro-BMT; a company providing professional building management training services to deliver skills development programs for facility managers and caretakers was created. Lynda’s primary focus has
always been on supporting building owners to deliver compliant building maintenance outcomes on common property for the full life of the building, thereby optimising the return on investment while maintaining the health, safety and amenity of occupants. Holding the view that Australian legislation is one of the best in the world and that the communitytitle sector provides a largely under-utilised resource as the “eyes and ears” of the regulator (e.g. fire, WHS/OHS, building), Lynda believes that building defects and maintenance non-compliances can be more effectively managed, and that by empowering owner’s corporations with knowledge of the standards, it will be of benefit for all concerned. And so, in 2015, in conjunction with Paul Cooper, Lynda registered the Australian Building Management Accreditation (ABMA), an initiative designed to provide a platform for selfregulation across the residential strata building management sector. The custodian of the ABMA Building Management Code© of Australia and New Zealand; an annually updated publication that provides implementation guidelines around the compliant maintenance of commercial buildings and common property, provides the objective industry
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standards (and explanation of regulatory compliance standards) that forms the basis of the self-regulation platform. The code delivers a compliance supporting institution and bridges the regulatory gap effectively providing guidance to building owners (post-practical completion of construction) around how to maintain their essential services infrastructure, safety provisions and common property in accordance with statutory obligations – particularly the Building Act, Occupational Licensing laws, fire legislation, public health laws, WHS/OHS, local laws, Australian Standards and building owner rights under the statutory builder’s warranty. State-specific editions (plus New Zealand) of the ABMA Building Management Code© are reviewed by an independent review panel made up of 30-plus specialists across Australia and New Zealand, and a new edition is published annually. Lynda’s mission, both personally and through her group of companies, is to provide the tools and a support system that simplifies complex matters such as legislation, regulations and compliance to ensure a greater understanding of the strata and management rights industry, and better management for all stakeholders. ResortNews | April, 2019
“There are over 100 Acts, regulations, Australian standards and Codes of Practice imposing duties and responsibilities on committees, managers and caretakers, and it’s important that those involved; those who will be held liable, know and understand what they are,” says Lynda. Lynda is actively working towards ensuring that the ABMA operates as an independent, not-forprofit organisation by 2020. And in keeping with this ‘desire’ to promote a greater understanding about the industry and ‘best for building’ practice, Lynda notes that another trend that is emerging is where English is the second language for a large number of managers, and in addition to informing and educating them about compliance, there is also an opportunity for operators to address and learn from our cultural differences.
There are over 100 Acts, regulations, Australian standards and Codes of Practice imposing duties and responsibilities on committees, managers and caretakers, and it’s important that those involved; those who will be held liable, know and understand what they are
the standard of cleaning on the common property. “In the past, a manager’s inferred duties and work schedules were generic in nature and intentionally vague. Now however, in order to avoid misunderstandings and disputes, there is a need for clear and concise terminology, thorough handover procedures and additional training. “All parties; the bodies corporate and managers have to be very clear about their roles and responsibilities, and to embrace the fact that neither can be completely compliant without the other,” says Lynda. “What everyone needs to understand is that they all have skin in the game. Neither party is immune to prosecution because of a lack of understanding or knowledge. There are resources
“In my experience, new Australian operators are business savvy and appreciate the business opportunities available to them through management rights,” says Lynda. “They tend to work exceptionally hard and understand the need for professionalism and providing value. Problems surface however, around things like gardens, cleanliness and record keeping when the parties involved have a different understanding of what is required or even why it may be considered important.
and a number of companies (consultants, training and legal) providing assistance for those who want to succeed. And for those who don’t have the time or aptitude to implement what is regulated, then my advice would be to get out of industry as you may be exposing every lot owner to liability. “We’ve all heard the saying, ‘Knowledge is power.’ That’s truer than you can ever imagine in this industry. Few people understand how important that knowledge can be when guiding or
“In Australia we love our gardens. They tend to represent the status and standing of the building itself, and we love to ‘show them off ’; but for new Australians with different cultural norms, this may seem like a quirky concept. Experience has shown however, that a lot of difficulties with committees arise when they are unhappy about the
April, 2019 | ResortNews
presentation of the garden or
negotiating with a body corporate or committee. Gaining knowledge will help you become more selfempowered, and to look after yourself in more situations than before. It will help you understand your environment better, but also to understand and appreciate the others as well.”
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ARAMA REPORT
Industry recognition key to ongoing growth Around 38,000 people stay in resident managed accommodation in Australia each day and 2019 will be the first year ARAMA formally recognise and celebrate the variety of stakeholders behind this thriving industry. Management rights as an industry has been operating for almost 50 years and it now contributes more than $55 billion to our economy annually. There is no denying its economic significance, and for the first time we will also be highlighting the professional skills, experience and opportunities its existence presents. Launched in March, the inaugural ARAMA TOP Awards
The initiative is an opportunity to lift the profile of the industry by showcasing the best operators in the business Trevor Rawnsley, CEO, ARAMA
aims to celebrate the variety of stakeholders instrumental to the strength and success of management rights, from resident managers in short and long stay rental properties to sales brokers and service providers. This initiative is an opportunity to lift the profile of the industry by showcasing the best operators
in the business and in turn, establishing and enhancing the professional standards and experience that exist.
long stay letting. It is the most effective method of serving the interests of unit owners, body corporates, tenants and guests.
ARAMA want to recognise the ‘mum and dad’ management teams who are so important to the tourism sector, and collectively responsible for managing in excess of $15 billion in property. Industry members alone accommodate in excess of 30 million people each year, with guest satisfaction and upkeep of properties among the key priorities.
A model most suited to community title schemes (CTS), which currently accommodate 40 percent of Australians, it will be hard to ignore the opportunity presented as this number grows to an estimated 65 percent by 2050.
Management rights is a business that a resident manager conducts in a property operating under a corporate, strata or community titles legislation. Like any business it can be an unpredictable and all-consuming journey, but it can also be one of the most rewarding roles ever held. Some manage buildings for short-term letting (leisure or corporate letting), others manage long-term rental buildings and some have buildings that have a mixture of short stay and
Australian Resident Accommodation Managers Association is the peak industry body representing the interests of people who are involved in management rights.
As we look to capitalise on these exciting opportunities, it is our responsibility to ensure that we are inspiring the next wave of top talent to participate in the industry’s growth and success. This will be the outcome of the ARAMA Top Awards and you can play your part by selfnominating or nominating a peer who you believe deserves to be recognised. Awards include the Resident Managers of the Year (Short Stay and Long Stay), Sales Broker of the Year and Service Provider or Supplier Professional of the Year. Entries close at the end of April and all details can be found at www.arama.com.au.
For membership enquiries:
national@arama.com.au | www.arama.com.au 1300 ARAMA Q (1300 27 26 27)
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ResortNews | April, 2019
Like strata legislation, real estate licensing and just about everything else that impacts on our daily lives, the various State governments in Australia simply cannot agree on a uniform approach about how to deal with the Airbnb phenomenon. Looking down the east coast of Australia, only Victoria has legislation that is up and running. New South Wales has formulated its proposed legislation and the expectation is that it will be passed (and commence) sometime this year. Meanwhile, Queensland is still in the early review stages and from what I can gather, legislation is not on the horizon during the 2019 year. Looking at each of the eastern states:
Victoria The Owners Corporation Amendment (Short-Stay Accommodation) Act 2018 commenced on 1 February 2019. The Act only applies to stays of a maximum seven days and six nights. Under this legislation, an owner or occupier of a lot, or a strata manager, may make a complaint to the owners corporation about an alleged breach by a short-stay occupant. The following behaviour can constitute a breach:
Amending the Fair Trading Act 1987 •
Col Myers, Small Myers Hughes
•
Any claim of a breach has to be made in writing within 60 days of the alleged behaviour and even if the short-stay provider has already rectified the breach, the owners corporation can still apply for a short-stay dispute resolution with VCAT. VCAT can make an order in relation to a dispute: Prohibiting short-term letting arrangements in the property if the short-stay provider has been served with three separate breach notices within a two-year window;
Platforms and letting agents will not be permitted to offer services to anyone or any dwelling that is listed on the exclusion register. Platforms and property agents will have to check the register before taking on new customers and if they fail to do so, significant penalties of up to $1.1 million for a corporation and $220,000.00 for individuals can apply.
Amendments to the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 •
Order a short-stay provider to compensate up to $2,000.00 per affected occupier (resident or guest of a resident) for behaviour done by the short-stay guest; Order a short-stay occupier to pay up to $1,100.00 as a single penalty for bad behaviour as listed above.
New South Wales New South Wales is proposing to adopt a three-way solution:
These amendments will include reference to a mandatory code of conduct. This code will establish a “two strikes and you’re out” policy where hosts or guests who commit two serious breaches of the code within two years will be banned for five years.
•
These amendments will allow a by-law to be made by an owners corporation special resolution (effectively 75 percent) that will prohibit a lot being used for the purpose of shortterm rental accommodation if the lot is not the principal place of residence of the person who, pursuant to the arrangement, is giving another person the right to occupy the lot. A by-law however has no force or effect to the
extent that it purports to prevent a lot being used for the purpose of short-term rental accommodation if the lot is the principal place of residence of the person who, pursuant to the arrangement, is giving another person the right to occupy the lot.
Change to planning laws •
If the host is present, they can use their unit for shortterm letting all year round as exempt development: ie no need to submit a Development Application to Council. If the host is not present, the residence can only be used for short-term holiday letting for periods:
•
up to 180 days per year in the Greater Sydney area, and
•
365 days a year in all other areas of New South Wales, unless a Council decides to reduce the minimum period (but it cannot be reduced to less than 180 days per year).
Queensland The Queensland Government has set up an industry reference group and formal recommendations from the Queensland Government are currently overdue. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation Disclaimer – This article is provided for information purposes only and should not be regarded as legal advice.
Unreasonably loud noise that disturbs the peaceful enjoyment of residents; Causing a substantial hazard to the health, safety and security of any person; Unreasonably and substantially obstructing the use of common property; Intentionally or negligently damaging or altering a lot or common property. April, 2019 | ResortNews
INDUSTRY
13
STATE REPORT
Update on Airbnb legislation
Nominations Close th 30 April! Visit arama.com.au and download the ARAMA TOP Awards Nomination Booklet and Application Form.
Awards Presentation Awards will be presented on 23 July 2019 at the Tattersall’s Club Brisbane.
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For more information contact 1300 ARAMA Q (1300 27 26 27) INDUSTRY
ResortNews | April, 2019
Awards Categories • Short Stay Resident Manager of the Year • Long Stay Resident Manager of the Year • Sales Broker of the Year • Service Provider, Supplier, Professional of the Year
Short Stay Resident Manager of the Year Award Recognising an individual who can demonstrate that they are worthy of the title Resident Manager of the Year (Short Stay).
Entry is open to people who are eligible to be an ARAMA practising member by way of application in accordance with the rules. Entry is free of charge for ARAMA members. Entry fee = $600 + GST for non-members which includes an ARAMA membership for one year.
Long Stay Resident Manager of the Year Award Recognising an individual who can demonstrate that they are worthy of the title Resident Manager of the Year (Long Stay).
Sales Broker of the Year Award Recognising an individual ARAMA member who is a Sales Broker and who has demonstrated commitment to membership recruitment by introducing the largest number of new members to ARAMA during the judging period. Based on total number of new ARAMA memberships sold by volume, first past the post.
Service Provider, Supplier, Professional of the Year Recognising an individual ARAMA associate or practising member who has demonstrated commitment to membership recruitment by introducing the largest number of new members to ARAMA during the judging period. Based on total number of new ARAMA memberships sold, by volume first past the post.
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INDUSTRY
15
BCCM REPORT
Tow or not to tow...
The issue of vehicle towing, including if, when and how the body corporate can tow an “illegally” parked vehicle, has recently been raised at a number of public information seminars presented by my office. There are no simple answers to these types of questions. Each situation is different and it depends on the facts to hand, including what–if any–by-laws about parking and towing are applicable.
In this article, I will provide an overview of some adjudicators’ orders about towing as a way of providing guidance about this vexatious issue, by presenting some of the adjudicators’ statements of their reasons. I stress that orders are made specific to a scheme and the facts of a dispute. It is up to bodies corporate and owners to consider the orders and how applicable they may be to their own circumstances. All adjudicators’ orders are published at www.austlii.edu.au, with the ability to search by keywords. In Mt Gravatt Business Centre [2017] QBCCMCmr 315 (26 June 2017), the adjudicator stated: “It has been noted in previous adjudications that a body corporate may have common law rights to have a vehicle towed which is separate from the body corporate’s rights to enforce the by-law. This may include the right to action an interference with the enjoyment of land as a common law nuisance. Any action to have vehicles towed based on common law rights rather than because of a by-law contravention would be outside the jurisdiction of an adjudicator because it would not relate to the enforcement of rights under the Act or the CMS. A body corporate might wish to seek legal advice about the implications of exercising common law rights to tow a vehicle.” In Aztec on Joyce [2013] QBCCMCmr 28 (29 January 2013), the adjudicator stated: “If the body corporate were to seek to rely on common law
16
It should not be assumed that all owners and occupiers– let alone visitors– know what the by-laws are Chris Irons,
Commissioner, Body Corporate & Community Management
rights to tow a vehicle it would be prudent for the committee to obtain independent legal advice on those rights. The committee would then be able to arrange for towing in a manner compliant with those rights. In arranging for towing the committee should still be aware that the decision making of the committee must still comply with the [Act’s] procedures. For example, even if the towing was lawful, the decision by the committee to enter into a contract with a tow truck company would be contrary to the [Act] if the committee chose to do this unreasonably or without following proper meeting procedures. This is because, regardless of the subject matter of a committee decision, the committee must follow [the Act’s] procedures in making the decision and must act reasonably in coming to the decision.”
the occupants of lot 62 to cease to park vehicles in visitor parking, will permit the body corporate from resolving to have the offending vehicles removed from the common property and to seek the costs of removal from the owners of the offending vehicles.” I would also point out that within these orders, there are references to other orders about parking and towing, which of themselves may be of relevance. So, then, what are some of the key take-outs from these orders? I’d suggest they might include the following: •
•
It is equally ill-advised, if not more so, for a body corporate to undertake or even consider undertaking towing without having first informed itself about its potential liability arising out of towing–that is, by seeking legal advice.
•
On the flipside of the equation, it is not a good idea for owners and occupiers to assume they can park ‘anywhere’ or that there will not be consequences if they continue to park in contravention of by-laws.
The adjudicator also stated: “I have no jurisdiction to determine whether or not it would be lawful for the committee to have the vehicle towed based on any common law rights. However, provided the committee has first made a reasonable effort to warn the respondent that his car is causing an obstruction and will be towed then a decision by the committee to arrange for towing would not be unreasonable under the [Act]. I am prepared to make a declaration to that effect.” In Fernbrook [2015] QBCCMCmr 330 (14 July 2015) the adjudicator stated: “I will make orders that effectively ensures that the owner and occupiers of lot 62 must cease to park any vehicles in the visitors parking spaces and that failure by
It is unwise for a body corporate to assume its by-laws provide for parking and towing without having first checked that such by-laws are properly registered.
•
•
INDUSTRY
The body corporate must undertake a proper decision-making process, including acting reasonably, if it is considering towing a vehicle. Part of acting reasonably
might include giving some kind of notice of warning for when it is intended to tow a vehicle. Putting these points to one side, it needs to be remembered that towing is just one option of several available to a body corporate in addressing a parking problem and, as such, does not need to be the only option a body corporate ever considers. At the risk of repeating myself from other articles and statements I’ve made in seminars and presentations, it should not be assumed that all owners and occupiers–let alone visitors–know what the by-laws are about parking and towing. A body corporate facing issues about parking should be asking itself, have we done enough to ensure the by-laws are widely known? Are we making clear what our by-laws say about where someone can park and when? If we are considering towing, are we giving sufficient notice about that? Do we need to consider our signage and our communication to owners and occupiers (and visitors, if possible)? While neither I nor my office can provide advice about parking or towing or comment on the appropriateness or validity of a by-law, the information in this article might at least provide some prompts for bodies corporate on what they need to think about. For further, general body corporate information please visit www.qld.gov. au/bodycorporate. ResortNews | April, 2019
SCA REPORT
Was this a win for owners? On the very last day of February, the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) delivered a ruling that may have serious repercussions throughout the strata community. More than four years after the Lacrosse building fire, the presiding Judge awarded lot owners $5.7 million in damages and indicated that they would also receive the nearly $6 million in remedial works that it is projected to bring the scheme up to code. With an estimated thousand buildings using combustible cladding on their facades, there is the potential for costs associated with rectification, legal disputes, and insurance to top $1 billion. Unfortunately, the judgement brings us only marginally closer to an answer to the question of: “who pays?” Back in the early hours of November 24, 2014, an abandoned cigarette started a fire on a balcony of the Lacrosse building. The fire quickly spread skyward, racing up the 13 floors of the building, as the aluminium cladding used on the façade proved to be highly combustible. Fortunately, the mixed-use building was immediately evacuated and none of the 500 residents suffered serious injuries. However, what followed has seen blame apportioned to all those involved in a prolonged battle for remedial costs. Over the course of 22 days, five QCs working with an army of solicitors, paralegals, and expert witnesses argued their clients’ cases, with 91 volumes of documents being tendered as evidence. Experts claim that April, 2019 | ResortNews
There is still remarkably little financial assistance, given that the safety of strata residents is at stake Simon Barnard, President, SCA, Qld
legal costs alone would almost certainly have exceeded $2 million. Non-conforming building materials can be near impossible to identify without the appropriate training, access to building material records, and often even a laboratory. Personally, I don’t believe that owners should be stuck facing the issue alone and I was pleased to see that Judge Woodward felt the same. Somewhat surprisingly though, the judgement did not place the liability on the builder, LU Simon. Although, the decision instructed them to immediately pay the owners’ corporation $5.7 million in damages, the architect, the building surveyor, and the fire engineer have been ordered to reimburse LU Simon all but three percent of this amount, as well as an extra $6.8 million to replace the cladding. It is this apportioning of blame that has sent ripples of concern through the greater building industry despite the Judge explicitly stating that the decision applies to the specific circumstances of Lacrosse only.
the final decision, does it answer the question: “who pays?” Each building will be erected according to its own unique circumstances, so uncertainty remains over whether a judge presiding over a future case would believe the Lacrosse ruling sets a precedent. At the February Building Ministers’ Forum, politicians from each state agreed ‘in-principle’ that “building practitioners should owe a duty of care to building owners (and subsequent building owners) for residential construction work”. They also agreed ‘in-principle’ to a “national ban on the unsafe use of combustible ACPs in new construction work”, pending a cost-benefit study being undertaken. The decisions may
Of course, this is not the end of the road for the case, and the ruling is almost certain to be appealed. However, even if it was INDUSTRY
demonstrate the political desire to tighten the building industry’s regulatory framework, but there is still remarkably little financial assistance, given that the safety of strata residents is at stake. If governments really want to atone for their lack of compliance enforcement, they need to ensure that each building is rectified and made safe from this issue as soon as possible without leaving owners footing the entire bill. Unfortunately, while this decision is welcome news to Lacrosse residents, it leaves the rest of the affected strata community in the same place they have been since the first flammable cladding worries appeared; facing an uncertain financial future.
QUEENSLAND WIDE
(07) 5443 5266 www.simpsonquinn.com.au Level 1, 13 Carnaby Street, Maroochydore
Management Rights Transactions Conveyancing and Property Law Estate Planning
17
LEGAL EASE
The perils of
by-law enforcement The job of an onsite manager can be a difficult one. It necessitates a delicate balance between maintaining a good relationship with lot owners and occupants on the one hand, and ensuring adherence to the body corporate scheme by-laws on the other. This was illustrated in a recent case in the Southport Magistrates Court, in which Short Punch & Greatorix successfully acted for a manager. In this instance, the manager had been concerned with ensuring that the pool and spa area of his building were operated in a manner that was compliant with the scheme by-laws. The building had, amongst its occupiers, a number of families and small
heated disagreement occurred, at which time the manager, out of frustration, picked up the lot owners plastic drink bottle and food packets and threw them over the fence and out of the pool area. There was then an altercation between the manager and the lot owner.
Tony O’Connor,
Short Punch & Greatorix
children. The manager became concerned when one particular lot owner was persistently breaching the by-laws of the scheme by bringing food and alcohol into the pool area, and, on occasions, bringing what appeared to be glassware. After repeated attempts to have the lot owner remove these items from the pool area and refrain from breaching the by-laws, a
Structuring Income Verification Accounting/Taxation Superannuation Audit
The lot owner alleged that he was assaulted by the manager, although this was successfully disputed by the manager with the assistance of CCTV footage. The lot owner also alleged that the drink bottle (containing coca-cola) landed in the lot of the lot owner, exploded and caused damage to a floor covering. The lot owner brought proceedings in the Southport Magistrates Court pursuant to a Complaint and Summons under the Justices Act. The substance of the Complaint and Summons was that the manager had breached Section 5 of the Peace and Good Behaviour Act 1982. This particular legislation entitles a complainant to bring action in the court in circumstances where another person has threatened:
Are you looking for a pre-purchase financial verification report, profit and loss for sale or just an accountant who really understands your management rights business? We provide a comprehensive range of compliance and consulting services for all entity types operating within the industry. Jonathan Grant Accountants operates within a wide referral network of other professional industry specialists and we are dedicated to ensuring you receive the right advice from the right people.
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•
to assault or do bodily injury to the complainant or a person under their care or charge; or
•
to procure another person to assault or do bodily injury to the complainant or a person under their care or charge; or
•
to destroy or damage the property of the complainant; or
•
to procure another person to destroy or damage the property of the complainant.
These proceedings eventually resulted in a full day hearing in the Magistrates Court in January 2019. Had the complainant been successful in establishing a breach of Section 5, it was open to the court to make orders against the manager, which could have included, amongst other things, an order that the manager keep a certain distance from the complainant lot owner. Such an order would have
18
MANAGEMENT
represented an extraordinary impediment to the manager in the context of his attempts to future enforce any breaches of bylaws by that particular lot owner. After the examination and crossexamination of witnesses for both parties, and following legal submissions, the Magistrate ultimately dismissed the complaint and ordered costs in favour of the defendant manager. The case highlights the difficulties that managers can face in attempting to enforce the by-laws by themselves. In circumstances where a lot owner is displaying recalcitrant behaviour in the context of non-compliance with the bylaws, it may well be a safer path for the manager to seek the assistance of the committee in dealing with the issue. The Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 provides a mechanism for the body corporate committee to provide “Continuing Contravention Notices” to non-compliant lot owners or occupants, where there are ongoing breaches of by-laws. Section 182 of that legislation specifically authorises the body corporate to issue such notices, which in turn provide a reasonable time for that lot owner or occupier to become compliant with the by-laws. If the lot owner or occupant fails to become compliant after the reasonable time, then the body corporate may bring proceedings against the non-complying lot owner / occupier, either in the Magistrates Court (by way of private prosecution under the Justices Act) or to the Office of the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management pursuant to Chapter 6 of the BCCM legislation. The take out from this case is that it is better for managers and committees to work together in resolving the issue of habitual breaches of by-laws by lot owners or occupiers, rather than trying to go it alone. ResortNews | April, 2019
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a management and letting rights business? So, you’re a first-time buyer and looking to get into the industry… Well, while by no means exhaustive, what follows is a basic staged plan that may assist with the process. It should be viewed as a guideline and while some of you may require a more detailed approach, others may be lucky enough to have it even easier.
broker to determine how much you can borrow and what your budget is.
Jonathan Hanaghan,
Jonathan Grant Accountants
Pre-Contract Step 1 – Do your homework Review as many businesses as you can. Get a feel for the type of complex that ideally suits you. You may want a permanent with minimal office and garden hours, or you may be chasing a dollar and wanting to purchase a larger
partnership, company or trust or a combination depending on your circumstances. Taxation and asset protection circumstances generally weigh in heavily with this choice as they vary widely. Typically, your accountant will establish the structure then your lawyer will document the contract and advise you on the details.
Step 3 – Find the right complex and negotiate price
short-term complex or perhaps something that has been run down and in need of some TLC. Step 2 – Establish what your budget is Seek advice from an industry specialist financier or finance
This will solely depend on your circumstances. Discuss your offer with the applicable agent and hopefully you will have a verbal agreement. Be aware though, that its not uncommon for the offer and acceptance process to take some time.
Post Contract Step 5 – Sign the contract
Step 4 – Engage an industry specialist accountant and lawyer
Generally speaking the contract will contain three major conditions. Firstly, income verification, secondly finance and thirdly legal due diligence (which also covers body corporate approval).
You will need both to assist you with the process but the immediate priority needs to be the establishment of a business ownership structure. This can be either as a sole trader,
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Making sure you understand each element is crucial. In essence, this gives you three get-out-of-jail cards, should you need them, or if your circumstances change during the process.
Your solicitor will guide you through legal due diligence including obtaining body corporate approval.
Step 6 – Income verification
Step 9 – Statutory and licensing requirements
Your accountant will complete the income verification in accordance with the contract for sale. This will cover the most recent twelvemonth period (or projection if off the plan) with the view to verifying an actual net operating profit figure as specified in the contract. This profit figure is usually the number the vendor’s accountant has calculated for the same or similar period. Owner letting agreements are also checked, and any variances in letting pool numbers during the verification period, are reported. Step 7 – Obtain finance Your financier will require a copy of the income verification report and various other documents. Your financier may also require amendments to the body corporate caretaking agreement. Step 8 – Follow your solicitor’s advices
Unconditional Contract
Make sure all applicable ATO registrations are in place as Australian Business Numbers can take up to 28 days to be processed. OFT licensing can also take longer than expected so make sure this process is well advanced. Step 10 – Record keeping Careful consideration needs to be given to record keeping for the trust and general bank accounts. We recommend specialised software be purchased or leased. Advice from your industryrecognised accountant should be sought rather than just going with “what the vendor was using”.
Settlement Step 11 – Hand over process You will need to negotiate the hand over process with the vendor; this is commonly one week prior to and one week following
settlement. Try to extract as much knowledge from the vendor as possible during the agreed period. I also recommend having a coffee or similar with the chairman/ chairwoman of the body corporate as soon as possible following settlement. After all, the body corporate committee can be your strongest advocate or your worst nightmare.
In summary always stick to and take advice from your industry experienced accountant, financier, solicitor and sales agent and the purchase process should run as smoothly as possible. Good luck to all those readers looking to purchase in the near future!
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MANAGEMENT
21
THINKING MR
Don’t worry… Before you read any further it’s important that you take the time to dial up Bobby McFerrin on You Tube and get into the reggae groove. The following will simply not work otherwise! Here’s a little song I wrote You might want to sing it note for note... Don’t worry, be happy Some say credit crunch I say bugger that, let’s do a long lunch
a daily basis but it’s also a bit of a trap. The fact is that things are actually going okay and could be a hell of lot worse. If your job is primarily to warn of the danger of being dashed on the rocks it’s easy to miss the calm seas, beautiful sunsets and bracing morning breezes. Jeez, I am in danger of lapsing into poetic cliché but you get the drift.
Mike Phipps, Director, Mike Phipps Finance
that resonates, particularly in these interesting times.
With apologies to Bobby McFerrin “Don’t Worry Be Happy” (released 1988)
We move on. I’ve had a bit of writers block this month and the deadline looms. Given my predicament I reached out to my colleagues here at Mike Phipps Finance for inspiration. They replied as if with one voice… for goodness sake Mike, say something positive for once! Hmmm, have I really been that negative of late. A quick review of past pronouncements suggests that perhaps I have. Depressing really.
Interestingly enough, the Indian mystic Maher Baba (1894-1969) often used the expression Don’t Worry, Be Happy. The expression has a certain simplicity and charm
I’ve always felt that as a finance observer my job is to be the lighthouse, warning of impending danger and possible wreckage. It’s a pretty easy gig given the challenges that we all face on
Don’t worry, be happy In your loan application, there is some trouble Royal Commission might make it double Don’t worry, Be Happy Ain’t got no cash or equity You can always call on me Don’t worry, be happy.
22
Anyway, I have decided to try and find a few positives to talk about this month. To quote one of my favourite musicians Mr Ian Dury, I am going to look for reasons to be cheerful. Never heard of him? Look him up on You Tube, a dead set genius. A warning though, not for the faint of heart lyrically. Let’s start with the Banking Royal Commission. After a very gloomy few days post presentation of the final report it is now becoming clear that the politicians and policy makers have woken up to the possible catastrophic consequences of some of the report’s recommendations. Obviously as a finance broker, I am delighted that both sides of the political divide have signalled that recommendations to kill the finance broking model and give all the power back to the banks will not be implemented.
MANAGEMENT
I also note that the more savvy politicians have realised that making credit compliance too difficult will simply lead to a credit crunch we don’t need to have. Already we are seeing signs that the knee jerk reactions to the royal commission report are being tempered by reasoned common sense. Nobody wants the housing market to tank, least of all those who rely on the votes of those same home owners and aspirational buyers. It’s also very clear that while a certain sort of person begrudges bank profits, those same profits make a substantial contribution to super fund returns, employment and taxation contributions. I suspect the broader population will start to appreciate a robust banking sector as the industry is better understood through the current public discussions. I’ve always had a concern that the average punter simply does not understand banking and finance. Certainly, we spend a significant amount of time educating clients. The current discussions around financial literacy and consumer education are very welcome if not long overdue. Wouldn’t it be great to get to a day where no one said: ResortNews | April, 2019
“The bank shouldn’t have lent me that money, they should have known I couldn’t repay it” because the borrower could work it out for themselves. In the commercial and business finance space the review of the banking sector looks to have shone a much-needed light on the availability of credit to small business. The current discussion around bank support for small business, credit conditions and interest rates is good news for the accommodation sector. Remember, the definition of a small business in Australia is generally accepted as being a business with less than 15 employees and a turnover of less than $2 million. That’s the vast majority of management rights, motel and caravan park operators. It is true that finance is taking longer but here’s the thing. The time frames have little to do with the banks credit appetites which remain strong. The greatest impact on finance time frames seems to be a lack of supporting staff for specialists within the banks. The commercial reality is that we gravitate toward bankers who know what they
April, 2019 | ResortNews
are doing. As a result, they get snowed under and time frames blow out. Banks are notoriously slow to increase support in these instances and no surprise where we end up. I think it’s important not to interpret slower credit approval time frames with diminished credit appetites. In fact, sometimes the inverse is actually the case. Our experience is that properly qualified buyers are getting finance approved, simple as that. On the political front I think we can also find some silver linings in apparent unhappy news. Let’s take negative gearing and CGT as an example. It seems that there is a chance that tax benefits relating to interest costs and capital gains may be reduced depending on who gets in at the next election. I expect that one of the outcomes of such changes may well be increased incentives for investors to retain their investment units and not sell until retirement benefits can be accessed. Certainly, if negative gearing and CGT are grandfathered I can’t see a rush to sell the assets that accrue these benefits. If you’ve got a stack of investors in your letting
pool maybe good news indeed. There’s also talk of a relaunch of some form of social housing, maybe NRAS MK2. From a permanent letting viewpoint I would argue that potentially the safest and most profitable unit in any letting pool is an NRAS unit. With any luck a relaunch of such a scheme will drive investment and assist management rights operators to ensure higher occupancies and a very low loss of unit risk. Watch this space, I am certain it’s coming. While on the subject of unit investment, current signs suggest that the predicted catastrophic oversupply of new units in Brisbane has failed to eventuate. To be sure some values are down a bit and there’s certainly some developer stock overhang, but the supply cycle appears to have experienced a pretty soft landing. It’s true that the outcomes of some limits on interest-only lending and foreign purchaser finance are yet to fully play out but I think it’s fair to say we don’t have blood in the streets. I suspect population increases, demand by young adults leaving home (do they ever leave?) and a slowdown in new
MANAGEMENT
developments will contribute to reasonable uptake and the afore mentioned soft landing. In the accommodation sector, I think our shared regimented processes and tight industry professionals’ groups have contributed to a steady ship and ongoing confidence from banks and buyers. We don’t have too many cowboys (or girls) in our industry, and we enjoy the support of a very robust industry body in ARAMA. Finally, and unlike most industries, when we all see a problem emerging, we discuss it and resolve to ensure it doesn’t blow up. That’s a sign of an engaged, mature and professional industry. Don’t worry, be happy. PS : Most of you will know how much I love quoting Winston Churchill. Here’s Winston on happiness: “The way to achieve happiness is to try for perfection that is impossible to achieve, and spend the rest of your life trying to achieve it.” Sorry Winston, sounds like a good way to send yourself insane!
23
MOTEL MARKET
The search has evolved Whether you’re looking to buy a small leasehold motel or a large freehold hotel, the search must start somewhere. So where does it start? How does one find what they are looking for?
Way, way back in the 1990’s, ‘the good ol’ days’ those looking to buy a motel would check the newspaper on a Saturday morning and see columns of motels being advertised for sale under the heading “Hotels/ Motels for sale”. Caravan parks had their very own heading however, there were generally only about three or four advertised compared to dozens in the Hotel/Motel section which was a combination of pubs, motels and resorts. If the reader liked something they saw in the three or four lines within one small newspaper column, they would
Andrew Morgan, Motel Broker, Qld Tourism & Hospitality Brokers
pick up the landline in most cases (mobile phones were in their infancy) and call the office of the broker who had advertised and information on that motel was then posted by the broker via ‘snail mail’. Fast forward 25 years to today, and things have changed significantly. The ease of finding information is simply a couple of clicks away and people can access substantial amounts
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of information on scores of different businesses quickly. No waiting for the postman to turn up with an A4 envelope three or four days after having made the initial enquiry. The days of advertising for the industry in the Saturday newspaper are prett y well over. You will still find the odd agent stepping out of their field of expertise and trying to sell a motel business in the newspaper, however it is just not cost effective anymore for this particular field. Colour photographs in newspaper print were not a common thing all those years ago, but again, things have changed and advertisements via any medium without colour just don’t cut it from the point of trying to attract buyer’s attention. Not only this, but they need to be large, and that makes hard copy ads very expensive. The web offers as many idyllic photos as you like and the space to write as much dialogue as needed. The costs can be high sometimes however, in most cases can be kept to a minimum if the motel is also advertised with professional specialist motel business brokers. These brokers are focused on the sale of motels and therefore dedicate all their time to that sector. Marketing campaigns are largely centred around the web, which reaches the target market looking for such a business directly.
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In fact, currently many motel listings are sold before even being put out to the view of anyone who has internet access. And where web advertisements allow for photos to be ‘touched up’ to make the product look better than it is, specialist motel brokers present photos they have taken themselves of the property and are generally untouched. As much as they want to present a property as best as possible, professional brokers know they will be attending the site with their clients and need to show the property in its real state. The line about ‘things looking good on paper but when you get there it is a different story’ is not what a professional broker wants their client to experience. Starting the search for a potential new business on the web is the obvious choice, but this will usually just provide a preliminary base to work from. The way to progress from general research to real action is to speak directly to a specialist motel broker and you will be provided with those select properties that are for sale but may not have been listed for confidentiality reasons. Serious buyers know that the way to cut through all the outdated information and hyperbole that can be found on the web is to go to the source – the people who deal with this industry on a daily basis. ResortNews | April, 2019
To prove that I am a thoroughly modern author I have started this article with all the commonly used innuendos. The PC, meaning politically correct language today is full of bombs; just run through the alphabet. I have decided to use the "C" one. No dear reader, I’m not being adversary, my C-bomb stands for ‘competition’ - a powerful and effective word in any industry. By now you will have produced a new website, as suggested in my past articles, and you are getting traffic. Great. Let’s be realistic though, there is more to do to ensure you realise your goals. If you think your visitors are going to fall over themselves to book their next holiday with you, just because your site looks great, think again. Your prospective client's first thought is not about how good your site looks but WIFM - what's in it for me? Tourism was one of the first industry groups to embrace the web and continues to grow its' presence. From a designer’s perspective however, it generates considerable creative difficulty. Take resorts as an example: They are all beautiful – they all have pools, spas, superb gardens, broadband and so on, and it may be difficult to find an innovative way of packaging the same fundamental product. Yet the client rightly expects a great site each time and without trying to put too fine a point on it, what is the difference between his great resort and the other guys great resort? April, 2019 | ResortNews
Emotions are the gateway to making a buying decision.
Arvo Elias, Cybercons
A comic once said about dragons: "Once you've seen one, you've seen them all". So, when we look at all these web sites what do we see? Pictures and more pictures of pools, spas, gardens, magnificent vistas, stunning sunsets and lovely colour schemes. And are the words any different? No, not really… ho-hum, dragons. Obviously, we need to distinguish between these creatures, but how best to go about it? Features versus benefits. As I browse around the web, I wonder if anyone has heard of this concept despite it being drummed into all at every marketing course ever attended. Very few business owners highlight benefits, much less make the effort to translate features into benefits. Yet power-packed words graphically describing benefits are what trigger the emotions that motivate us to spend our time, energy or money. People, like you and I buy because of the positive emotions associated with the benefits. So ‘emote’. Speak to your audiences in their ‘language’ so they can understand and react to your benefits. Ensure that your site focuses on appealing to emotion, not just intellect.
Zig Ziglar, a world- renowned sales trainer, and once the world’s most successful salesman and author of several books explains: "People usually buy on emotion and then they justify it with logic." Therefore, appeal to their emotions first and foremost. Benefits are the language of emotion. Features are the language of logic. Even people who insist they buy logically, or based on features, do so because that's what makes them feel better. One of the most common problems enterprises have translating their product or service features into benefits is that they are, in the words of an ad guru, "looking at the label from the inside of the bottle". Meaning, because you know your business inside-out, you assume that others do too. If that were so, why advertise or promote at all? So, how do you make that change? Here is a simple process to use to identify benefits based on the four underlying attributes of any product. Take the resorts as an example: Features – what products have - This resort can cater for large groups. Advantages – what features do - No need to scatter convention participants all over town. One reservation does it all.
as well as participants. List all of the features of your product or service, including standard, technical (if applicable), supportive, and abstract features. For each feature, develop a list of relative advantages, then list the benefits, and finally the motives. With this process you may well understand your own business better, and you will certainly be better equipped to sell it effectively by espousing the decision-making differences between your product and the one down the road. And when you choose your words, remember a further welldocumented consumer response pattern. Some people have their emotional response triggered by ‘visualising’, others by ‘hearing’. For example, one group may respond well to sentences such as: “Can you imagine the look on their faces when...", while another group may respond better to "Can you hear them saying..." Clever text will cover both response groups. Ask yourself a simple question: Would you prefer to read an article that will provide you with data on sales, marketing, usability, consumer psychology, and website design, or one that can actually show you how to increase online sales?
Benefits – what features mean Conveniently allows you to have those after meeting social events or networking without having to organise additional transport and logistics.
I would be surprised if you didn’t respond to the latter question that appealed to your emotions. Yet obviously you cannot increase online sales without all the other listed elements. An effective example of features and benefits in one breath.
Motives – what features satisfy - This feature provides costsavings, control and efficiency for the convention coordinator
This is just one of the many steps to answering ‘WIFM’? And yes, that "C" word is what should prod you into thought and action.
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INTONET
Can you drop the 'C-Bomb'?
closed doors They’re often alone on a floor, cleaning a vacant room, back to the door, the vacuum’s loud drone silencing all sound. A perfect setup for a horror movie.
By Robb Monkman, CEO, React Mobile
Housekeepers perform the most physically demanding work necessary to operate a luxury hotel. Assigned 10 to 14 rooms a day on average, they strip beds, dump sheets down laundry chutes, remake beds, scrub bathroom floors, clean tubs and toilets, empty trash, polish mirrors, clean glasses, vacuum carpets and the work does not end there. On top of that, they have to be sexually accosted by guests? Sadly, yes. And more often than you’d think. These words lined the beginning of a New York Times article, Behind Closed, Sequentially Numbered Doors, penned by Jacob Tomsky, which detailed the
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commonly under-reported risk assumed by hotel staff, especially housekeepers. The hospitality industry has been and continues to be, built upon the provision of outstanding, guest-centric service, at every opportunity. Hospitality staff work tirelessly around the clock to understand and anticipate the unique needs and expectations of each guest, ensuring they leave a hotel property with a lasting, positive impression. Day in and day out, hoteliers and their staff make it their utmost responsibility to cater to each guest and provide them with a home away from home – one that offers every comfort, luxury, and convenience that one expects. It is within this guest-centric model, that staff safety can (even unknowingly and unintentionally) take a back seat. It is also within this model that the weight of guest opinion can wrongfully supersede the well-being and treatment of hotel workers.
Identifying the problem With these realisations in mind, it becomes no surprise that the hospitality industry – which is also plagued with notoriously high staff turn-over rates – also falls victim to an alarming rate of workplace safety issues. In fact, a recent survey in Chicago shows that 58 percent of all hotel workers there have experienced sexual harassment by guests and nine out of ten hospitality workers say they have suffered abuse. Further, in a 2014 paper in the journal Gender, Work & Organization, a team of researchers interviewed female hotel workers employed by 5-star hotels on the Gold Coast. Of the 46 women who participated in the study, 44 had experienced some kind of inappropriate advance from a guest. From assault and harassment to abuse or injury, sweeping guest indiscretions under the rug for the sake of client satisfaction and public reputation had become something of a painful tradition in hospitality. Luckily, that tradition has finally come to a grinding halt.
MANAGEMENT
On September 6th, 2018, the CEOs of Hilton, Hyatt, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott, and Wyndham joined the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) in announcing the 5-Star Promise. This included a pledge to provide hotel employees with safety devices – ensuring hotels are proactive and demonstrative in their efforts to prevent and police harassment towards workers. This promise has led countless properties to their search for solutions and practices to create a more secure workplace for every employee, which brings us to the hotel panic button. Until recently, most hotel panic buttons have been known as ‘noise-makers’ – handheld devices which emit an audible alert/noise to signal an incident or threat. While these were, undoubtedly, a good initial step in the right direction, we arrived at a resounding issue: The size and complexity associated with modern hotel infrastructure call for more robust hotel technology and support platforms – and employee safety devices are no exception. ResortNews | April, 2019
Today’s hotel panic button should be more than just an app or a noise-maker; rather, it should be a dedicated safety platform that is configurable and customisable to the unique demands of each individual hotel. Our best-inclass hospitality safety platform is cloud-based, easy to use and integrates seamlessly with a hotel’s existing property management software to provide location-based alerts in the event of an emergency. In a crisis scenario, hotel staff can press their sidekick panic button, which is paired with a smart device via Bluetooth, to transmit an SOS signal. Utilising Bluetooth beacons placed throughout the property, support staff can immediately identify the precise room location of an incident to respond in a faster, more effective manner. Those staff members who do not have a smartphone can rely on a standalone LTE panic button which transmits the same, location-specific information to help hoteliers locate an employee within seconds of a distress call.
Technology: The key to a safer workplace Considering the size and scale of many hotel properties, especially those of the luxury travel segment (as cases of assault tend to be more prevalent in those environments), outdated noise-makers are no longer a suitable solution. If a staff member experiences a medical emergency or impending threat behind the closed door of a room within a multi-level hotel and support is not within range to hear that signal, the old-school panic button simply cannot effectively protect the user. Not only that, but some instances may require a more discrete alert system, to further protect the immediate well-being of the user and ensure the perpetrator doesn’t act out in response to the alert. This brings us to the modern employee safety device, one which is better equipped to serve and protect hotel staff, throughout any emergency. So, what does the next generation hotel panic button look like?
From assault and harassment to abuse or injury, sweeping guest indiscretions under the rug for the sake of client satisfaction and public reputation had become something of a painful tradition in hospitality Outside of the hotel, the system relies on GPS coordinates to follow an incident in real time, relaying that information back to support services while also maintaining a digital log of all distress reports and incidents. This technology not only helps to provide immediate response in emergency situations but equips hotels with the software they need to better track and report staff-related incidents and concerns. It is an exciting time to be part of the hospitality industry with the continued evolution of innovative
new technology platforms that, not only transform the guest experience, but also work to ensure the safety of employees. After all, as businesses that are centred on serving the public, no issue should be more critical or top of mind for hotels than the security of guests and staff members alike. With improved measures, and the right safety technology in place, hotel personnel can approach their work with new-found peace-ofmind – and that is precisely what the industry’s important new movement, the 5-Star Promise, was created to achieve.
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April, 2019 | ResortNews
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Best digital marketing tips for the hospitality sector When it comes to digital marketing and management in today’s tourism industry, companies face an enormous challenge to break into the travel market segment and fight against the traditional ways of selling a tourist experience: ranging from the radio and television, and other channels in order to obtain visibility, particularly the internet, whether this represents social media or online platforms. Research has shown that the main trends and key elements to ensure a good digital marketing strategy in your tourism business are:
Design simple travel apps for visibility and positioning Given the boom of apps and their usefulness in smartphones, we are talking about reaching the Millennials and Generation X markets with a remarkable reach, offering advantages for the traveller and the common tourist. Developing simple applications that display lists for accommodations and redirect to your establishment, as well as restaurant services, maps, and travel tips would be the key to maintain a quality application and prevent the user from deleting the app after using it once.
Positioning the business idea in ‘Google My Business’ Google as a search engine where users can access thousands of search results related to travel and tourism, allows the option of guiding the user to offer recommendations, ratings, and rate places, experiences, plans, share photos, and comments. It also gives small businesses that
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Blogs of traveling experiences The production of natural and colourful content in social media is the perfect way to portray an image of how digital marketing works in tourism. Telling experiences on microblogging platforms such as Twitter or exploring different narratives can lead to a good amount of traffic through valuable information that generates positive references.
recently entered the tourism sector the possibility to “exist” among the various options that the internet has to offer.
Social media as a window of the company to the world Just as search engines such as the above-mentioned Google, social media like Instagram, Facebook, or messaging services like WhatsApp, make advertising easier and with a greater exponential reach in the future than that of radio or TV. With just a click or a tap, users interested in the world of tourism can browse through an ocean of recommendations, and in the same way, contribute themselves to experiences from the world of travel. Other platforms such as TripAdvisor, Twitter, and Pinterest allow a shorter-scale study of travel trends, and in that sense, to assess the preferences of users when it comes to starting an adventure to an unknown destination.
The power of influencers Added to an excellent campaign of content and recommendations in social media, influencers (as opinion leaders) are a fundamental tool to establish trends in the tourism market with respect to digital marketing. Their recommendations and posts in various social media and blogs make it possible for marketing campaigns to have a higher
reach and, therefore, allow the positioning of your digital business to grow or not. Influencers are ideal for improving visibility, loyalty, and sales increase strategies.
Highlighting information of interest through email marketing Although email is generally seen as obsolete in terms of advertising and marketing, it really is very useful when used to actively target a well-maintained database of previous guests as long as helpful information is shared. Once you have established a database of registered customers in your digital business, it will be of utmost importance to share recommendations and information of interest, such as “monthly promotion...”, “new restaurant...”, or “top 10 places to visit...”, are a few examples of content you can add in short emails that customers see as commercial treats and invite them to action. Email, as a tool that allows direct contact with the customer for commercial purposes, should be used consciously to avoid causing discomfort or invading privacy. Once databases and subscribers increase over time, it is advisable to enhance this communication channel in the future through advertising or promotions strategies with the goal of increasing loyalty and presence in the market.
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The added value of blogs is that they are not intrusive, but have a persuasive nature when people reach them through keywords or references from specific social circles. The success of a blog is determined by two things: dedication and time. There’s no doubt that the tourism sector is an industry with infinite opportunities to prosper through digital media. Whether it is travel for recreational, educational or business purposes. Nowadays, travellers spend a good part of their time looking for references, offers on destinations, hotels, parks, activities, and so on. In addition to the above tips, it is highly recommended to work on positioning strategies through SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or SEM (Search Engine Marketing), so that as a small company or business, you can perform well in the management of keywords and featured snippets as techniques for correct positioning on the web. In the same way, keep in mind that social media reflect the image and perspective of a company and, while it can increase the popularity and prestige of a business over time, it could also destroy it completely in a second. Social media marketing is vital considering that these interactive platforms have millions of active users on a monthly basis and offer many opportunities to connect with people beyond commercial settings. Source: Tourism Review
ResortNews | April, 2019
Will Google’s quiet launch change everything? By Lily McIlwain, Content Director Triptease
Google has launched a full destination search site for hotel listings in a move that could seriously shake up online travel – again. Under the innocuous title “There’s still time to plan your perfect spring break trip”, Google’s Richard Holden published an article late last week that showcased a range of new features from the search giants. Amongst updates to Google Flights and the ‘nearby hotels’ feature on Google Maps was a glimpse of ‘google.com/ hotels’. A closer look revealed a full-scale hotel search site with definite similarities to Airbnb’s clean, uncluttered, map-based interface. So, what has actually changed? Well, Google has consolidated various elements of its hotel search experience in one platform. There are several new ways to filter results, including ‘deals’ determined by Google based on current and historic pricing data. The user experience still isn’t perfect and the process of actually comparing like-for-like pricing can still be frustrating. But while the hotel search April, 2019 | ResortNews
experience in itself isn’t vastly different to what Google have been experimenting with in recent months in both their organic and Maps search, these new features and the simple fact that Google now has a dedicated site for hotel bookings could signal a watershed moment for online travel. It looks like Google is making a play to own the lion’s share of the user booking journey within their own sphere of influence. It’s no wonder that Expedia and Booking Holdings spent $10.6 billion on brand advertising in 2018. If they weren’t already, hotels need to be taking very seriously the power of Google over their customers, their competitors, and their distribution partners.
and more. It’s a clear play to own the territory previously presided over by the major OTAs, suggests Triptease’s chief product officer Alasdair Snow. “Google’s changes bring their search experience much closer to the core historic utility of an OTA: the ability to compare and contrast hotels and use tools like maps and reviews to refine a hotel search down to a shortlist of possible options,” says Alasdair. “With this functionality now present and prominently positioned inside the world’s number-one search engine, you can expect a lot more of this guest activity to take place within Google itself rather than on OTA sites. This puts Google in an amazing position to make itself the central hub where all guest research and decision making will take place.
But there’s opportunity here too. Let’s take a look at what this update really means.
If there’s one thing that’s clear as a result of the update, it’s that Google wants to be the place where people decide what hotel they want to go to and how much they’re going to pay for it.
“And, as long as Google continues to allow hoteliers to own the guest relationship when participating in this experience – and we don’t see that changing – this is a huge and timely opportunity for hoteliers that they should seize with both hands.”
The search platform aggregates a huge amount of content from both organic and paid sources: photos, reviews, business listings, prices, room descriptions, map data,
If Google continues to become the destination of choice for guests searching for hotels and comparing prices, hotels should be looking to make the absolute most of that by getting
Seizing the opportunity of Google hotel ads
TOURISM
their direct price in the mix when they are likely to win the booking. That means bidding when you have the best price and when the guest’s previous searches indicate they’re a good match for your hotel; it also means not bidding when you’re being undercut by an OTA. Chetan Patel, VP E-commerce at Onyx Hospitality Group, suggests that combining meta with an organic Google strategy is the way for hotels to take advantage of the changes. “Unless Google changes tack and cares only about monetisation, something they do not quite have a track record for, this is a massive opportunity for the travel industry,” Chetan suggests. “At Onyx, we generate over a third of our organic traffic via the Google listings of our properties. This is huge. That traffic also converts at a significantly higher rate than traffic from other sources. If users are able to use Google to find all the information they need to decide on their accommodation, and hotel websites are a regularly viable option for finishing the reservation, this could undermine OTAs.”
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Google’s search experience (left) compared to Airbnb’s (right)
So, how are Google making that organic information more accessible for potential guests? And how can hoteliers make their websites the ‘viable option’ for completing the booking? Let’s take a look at what’s actually changed with Google’s latest update.
The search experience Most of what you can see on google.com/hotels has been available for a couple of months already. When we tested it searching from both a desktop and mobile in London, we were still presented with the familiar top-of-listing ads followed by the Google Hotels panel before the organic listings. Having the panel here rather than to the side of the results certainly makes it a more interruptive experience, and the prompt to enter search dates after having made a very generic query (‘hotels in Paris’) is a simple yet highly effective way to retain the user (and their potential for revenue generation) instead of having them immediately
click out to Booking.com, Expedia or TripAdvisor. Entering search dates takes you into the Google Hotels experience proper. As an interface, it’s more than a little reminiscent of Airbnb’s search result listings. You can explore results via the map, by altering your preferred price, or by filtering on a variety of different criteria – including the new ‘Deals’ marker, which we’ll come onto in a second (or you can jump down there now). At this stage of the search, the meta auction isn’t visible – which makes sense from a user perspective. If you’re yet to choose an exact location, price range or even accommodation type (the opportunity to adjust our search to vacation rentals was clearly highlighted on desktop), you don’t need to know that there are five or six different prices available for every hotel. But that’s not to say that price and pricing options aren’t playing a role in the user experience, even at this early stage.
How is Google determining the sort order of hotels? When we first ran our search for ‘hotels in Paris’ then input our dates of June 12-13, the first two hotels we saw on our results were the Hôtel Ritz Paris (rate: £1,029) and the Four Seasons Hotel George V (rate: £1,079). We then searched Barcelona and clicked on a result at random: the Barcelona City Centre hotel (rate: £79). When we then went back and refreshed our Paris search, our results had completely changed: five of the top six hotels we had to choose from had rates under £100, and two were advertised as having ‘great deals’. We’d been firmly put in the lowbudget, deal-hungry bucket of potential guests. As is to be expected, Google is altering how results appear to guests based on what it can learn from their search behaviour. What we know less about is whether or not there is still an extent to which advertisers can promote a specific property at this stage of the
search. When searching from within Google Maps, the top two results for a hotel query are often ‘Featured offers’. An advertiser can pay to promote a property within a generic destination search, with the benefit that theirs is the only rate shown initially when the user clicks through. Mirai published a great detailed overview of this feature when it launched in the summer of 2018. It doesn’t seem as though these advertisements have been migrated over to the Google Hotels site, but we’d be surprised if some form of promotion on the results page didn’t become available to advertisers in the near future.
There’s endless choice – but it’s easy to tailor The search experience on Google Hotels is tangibly designed around getting the user to what they want in as frictionless a way as possible. We’ve already seen that they’ll adjust how results are displayed based on factors like previous search behaviour, but that’s prett y much expected practice of ecommerce in 2019 (though it’s something hotels struggle to achieve on an individual basis). What’s more notable is how phenomenally easy it is to narrow down your choice to two or three properties in just a few clicks. Starting with our generic search – just location and dates – we began by filtering our price point down to £145 and under. One click. Then, we upped our minimum guest rating (based on aggregated Google, TripAdvisor and OTA reviews) to 4+. Another click. Next, we selected a couple of amenities – free wifi and a bar. Lastly, we opted to filter on ‘Just deals’. In no time at all, we were down to seven properties to choose from.
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TOURISM
ResortNews | April, 2019
Google’s filtered search results
reviews, high-quality photos and well-documented amenities.
We tried to replicate the search on Booking.com and reached an almost identical number of results – six hotels. One property appeared in both sets of filtered results (Google’s and Booking.com’s).
What may be a red flag for some businesses though is the ‘Deals’ tag and how it can be used to narrow down results. We’ve already seen how tightly it can constrain the set of properties under consideration. It looks like Google is calculating these ‘deals’ based on a combination of historic pricing data for each hotel and a market comparison of other hotels in the location, both of which it is turning outward for the user to see.
The major difference between the two experiences? Booking. com makes almost no visual distinction to suggest your results are filtered. Scrolling past the list of six takes you straight into more suggested properties. It may be subjective, but the Google experience certainly gives a stronger impression of actually producing results tailored to the user.
Pricing data laid bare So what does that mean for hotels? Well, as with almost everything Google does, there’ll be proponents and detractors of this change. In terms of the good stuff, the traffic that does end up looking at your property will be more highly-qualified as a result of the easy filtering process. It also means there’s room for you to compete on organic (rather than paid) grounds with other hotels and accommodation providers in your area. While you may not be able to bid higher than the Marriott next door on PPC, you can keep yourself in the same consideration set on Google Hotels with great guest April, 2019 | ResortNews
Google’s ‘Price evaluation’ feature There are a bunch of implications here. Firstly and perhaps most obviously, your revenue management strategy (or lack thereof) will be made visible to any searcher checking out your hotel. Secondly and perhaps most importantly, it’s entirely feasible that an undercut price from an OTA will trigger that ‘deal’ tag,
especially if it’s a significant disparity – which, while it might help your hotel stay in the consideration set for price-conscious searchers, will promote the fact that the best price for your property is available elsewhere.
business is experiencing and will continue to experience.”
Going forward
“It has since dramatically expanded into a one-stop shop where you can locate a property on map or search, access useful information, see reviews, look at pictures, watch videos and even take virtual tours. It even shows price fluctuations. Unlike hotel and OTA websites, you also get to see pictures posted by other guests. This allows for well-rounded informationgathering that consumers need to make a decision.
Getting Google right is hard, not least because the search giant is famously cagey about its algorithms, sorting criteria and product direction. And that can make it hard for hotels to know where to turn. “Google knows better than anyone that the key to driving revenue online is through relentless experimentation, measurement and iteration,” explains Scott Stirling. Scott manages Triptease’s guest acquisition and metasearch bidding technology. “This makes it hard for a hotelier to keep up to date with the sheer pace of change that Google’s Hotel
Google knows better than anyone that the key to driving revenue online is through relentless experimentation, measurement and iteration TOURISM
“A year back, Google’s hotel booking interface merely acted as a quick gateway to the hotel website or to OTAs via Google Hotel Ads,” adds Chetan.
“Google search and Maps are so ubiquitous that it is hard for most users not to pass them on their way for a perfect hotel,” he continues. “Because Google cares as much about providing great user experience as they do about monetising their traffic, the hotel website link and official site option on meta are properly highlighted for consumers. “That is why it is significant. Google seems to be taking over the role OTAs have played in the guest journey so far, and are arguably doing a better job at it.”
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Terrorism impacts on tourism:
will they come back? “As our Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has said, New Zealand represents diversity, kindness and compassion and visitors can be assured those values remain. “Rightly, the focus at this time for all tourism, international education and visitor agencies is on the safety and security of New Zealand’s people and communities, including our visitors.” Canterbury branch president of Hospitality NZ, Peter Morrison states that the situation is very different to 2011, when visitor numbers dropped by some 100,000 and took six years to climb back up post-quake, and that he is hopeful visitors would not be deterred from coming.
Experts are predicting a sharp fall in visitor numbers following the terror attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, despite current tourists pledging to stay and support the city. Economists writing for ANZ’s Weekly Focus have warned that following the attack on worshippers as they prayed at the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in the New Zealand city, tourists are likely to avoid Christchurch for a time, particularly those from riskaverse Asian markets. “The impact is likely to be smaller than if tourists themselves had been targeted, as in some terrorist attacks overseas, but the impact on tourist numbers will be noticeable nonetheless, and it will likely take at least a year to dissipate,” said the report. It is another blow for a city which was just returning to normality following decimating earthquakes in 2011. Last year Christchurch generated $2.3 billion in tourism revenue. “Pre-incident we were looking
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at the strongest season post-earthquake,” said Loren Heaphy of the city’s promotional agency ChristchurchNZ. Dr David Beirman, senior lecturer in tourism from the University of Technology in Sydney, says it may be a struggle to regain the confidence of visitors following the shootings. A successful tourism industry requires political stability, security and peace. Therefore, the appearance of terrorism could interrupt the stability of tourism sector because it might create fear, prevent contacts among people and hamper travel. As a result, government and stakeholders which are involved in the tourism sector need to improve the policies to deal with terrorism so that they can preserve the tourism sector.
never something like this,” he said. Locals, however, have a more optimistic outlook. Chris Roberts, CEO of the representative body Tourism Industry Aotearoa, said: “Christchurch is open (transport, accommodation, attractions etc), and warmly welcomes visitors who wish to explore the city or to pay their condolences. “We are told by our Christchurch colleagues that many visitors are coming into the city to pay their respects and TIA, together with many other organisations, is helping to communicate where and how they can do this.
New working holiday maker campaign to launch in April Tourism Australia will launch a new campaign in the UK, France and Germany next month, Australia Inc., to attract more working holiday makers by demonstrating how living and working in Australia will benefit their long-term career and life goals when they return home. “We know working holiday makers who travel to Australia, stay longer, spend more and travel further into regional areas
“If you look at all the places where something like this could happen, Christchurch was down the bottom of the list. But the city, and especially a place of worship, is an incredibly soft target,” said Dr Beirman. “People travelling to Christchurch might worry about the shaking from earthquakes or a natural disaster but TOURISM
ResortNews | April, 2019
Rising trend: more countries implement a tourist tax
than most other international visitors,” said Australia's Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Senator the Hon Simon Birmingham. “Whilst Australia is a highly desirable working holiday maker destination, research shows there are some barriers to travel, such as distance and a lack of understanding of the long-term benefits of a working holiday in Australia.” Just over 300,000 working holiday makers came to Australia for the year to September 2018, who collectively spent just over $3 billion.
Mid-year holidays send accom nights rocketing Holiday and business travel is booming in most parts of Australia, with nights in hotels, motels and resorts up eight percent to a record high of 94 million nights, according to new National Visitor Survey data for the year ending 30 September 2018. The mid-year holiday boom also impacted positively on caravan parks and campgrounds, which saw a nine percent spike to 54.8 million. Rented apartments including short-term letting was also up 11 percent to 32.4 million nights, the Tourism Research Australia (TRA) data showed. Hotels and more established forms of accommodation made up the lion’s share of commercial options, claiming 26 percent of all travellers and lagging only behind VFR (Visiting Friends and Relatives) in overall rankings, with 35 percent opting to stay at the home of a friend or family April, 2019 | ResortNews
member. Broken down by state, NSW saw the greatest jump in traveller spend, skyrocketing 13 percent to bring in $20.4 billion for the 12-month period to September. The state led the way over all other states and territories, which together added up to a national spend of $70.3 billion. Spending was strong among domestic travellers in Australia’s regional areas, with a ten percent climb reported to take spending outside capital cities to $36.2 billion for the year. Tasmania and Western Australia led the way in terms of overall visitor numbers, posting growth of 11 percent and ten percent respectively. The Apple Isle cracked the three million barrier, while WA saw a solid 10.6 million visitors for the timeframe. International visitors to Australia for the same period were slightly more subdued, however growth was recorded across all three major metrics of visitor numbers, nights spent and amount spent. In all, Australia welcomed 8.4 million overseas visitors for the year ending September 2018, who collectively stayed 271 million nights and pumping $43.2 billion into state and territory economies.
Holidaymakers are often used to it – many destinations require the payment of a tourist tax. Often the fee is incorporated into the overall fee, for example in an airline ticket, during payment at hotels or at Airbnb apartments.
Italy has a similar system, as the tax depends on the attractiveness of a destination. Tourist taxes in Rome can vary between three to seven euros per night. Venice, meanwhile, is dealing with the already mentioned phenomenon of over-tourism and an ‘entrance fee’ of 10 euros was introduced at the end of 2018.
In recent years this has become a common trend in the industry and more and more countries are likely to implement these rules sooner rather than later.
Most popular destinations in Spain have a similar policy. The usual amount during the high season is about four euros per day per person, while in Barcelona there is a 2.5-euro tax, there is no tourist tax in the capital Madrid.
The goal of some countries is to tackle the issue of overtourism with these measures and essentially support the sector with the funds raised.
Other European countries with variations of tourist taxes are Switzerland, Greece, Belgium, Romania, Austria or Portugal.
Many countries in Europe have some kind of regulation regarding tourist tax. For example, in France, the tax depends on what place you visit. Places considered popular tourist centers, such as Paris or Lyon, collect higher taxes and use the funds to keep the industry’s infrastructure going.
Some states in the USA are also on a similar wave and the tourist tax is a rising trend there. For example, California and Texas have a so-called “occupancy tax” payable during the accommodation bookings. This tax is collected at motels, inns, hotels and other accommodation facilities.
Germany has the so-called “culture tax” and a “bed-tax” in its biggest cities. These include Berlin or Hamburg. The fee reaches 5 euros per person per day or represents five percent of a customer’s hotel bill.
Asian countries are also ‘cashing in’ and one of the latest countries to adopt regulations was Japan. Their socalled ‘sayonara tax’ came into effect this January.
Australia’s top five markets all recorded growth, with China climbing eight percent and New Zealand, USA, UK all posting three percent gains. Japan posted a six percent improvement, however the latter four markets all stayed for shorter periods of time in Australia than the same time last year. India was the fastest growing foreign market, up 20 percent to 324,000 arrivals. TOURISM
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Meet Australia’s newest
tourism accommodation chief Respected tourism industry hotelier Michael Johnson has been named as the next national and NSW head of the accommodation sector’s peak body Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA).
Michael Johnson
Johnson will step into the role to be vacated next month by Carol Giuseppi, who recently stood down from the role after nine years at the helm and a litany of achievements in her time. Most recently, Johnson oversaw the comprehensive transformation and relaunch of PARKROYAL Parramatta and has been in the role since April 2013. His CV also includes stints in charge of the PARKROYAL Melbourne Airport and the Amora Hotel Jamison, Sydney. Plaudits from all levels of the industry have been forthcoming in the wake of the announcement, with National TAA Chair, Martin Ferguson, welcoming Johnson to the role. “Michael Johnson is well known and respected right across the tourism and accommodation sectors,” Australian Hotels Association national and NSW president Scott Leach said. “He has extensive experience at the highest levels and strong industry connections across Australia and New Zealand. Johnson, who will head both the NSW and national organisations, is a current board member of TAA.
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The organisation’s national chairperson, Martin Ferguson, says he brings “undoubted abilities and integrity” to one of the industry’s foremost voices and powerful lobbying bodies.
Youngest female GM named by The Star Gold Coast
Mr Johnson has worked as general manager of several PARKROYAL hotels across Australia and New Zealand and previously headed Totally Tourism New Zealand.
Proving age is no barrier to success, The Star Gold Coast has named 33-yearold Jessica Mellor as its new general manager Hotel, Food & Beverage and Events – claiming the mantle as the company’s youngest female GM.
He said: “It is a great honour to represent the accommodation sector’s peak body, an association which has seen its membership more than double in recent years and which advocates for its members at the highest levels.
Archers chairman, Colin Archer, said Mrs Lonergan joins Archers from specialist accountancy firm SV Partners, where she was chief operations officer.
AHA WA chief Bradley Woods is acting head of TAA nationally and Adele Lausberg acting chief for TAA NSW until Mr Johnson takes up his position on 20th May.
“Nicky is a professional services industry leader who brings a high level of business acumen to Archers as we go through an important growth phase,” Mr Archer said.
Apartments surge fuels strata management growth
“While we enjoy continued growth and success, the strategic CEO appointment has been made to ensure the business continues to leverage its existing strengths to drive and implement new strategies as the industry develops further with technological advancements.”
One of Queensland’s leading strata management companies, Archers the Strata Professionals, has appointed a chief executive officer to guide the company through a strata industry growth phase generated by the surge in residential apartment buildings. Archers, which has been at the forefront of the strata management sector in Queensland since it was founded in 1981, has ventured outside the strata industry in appointing leading professional services executive Nicky Lonergan as its CEO to support company expansion.
Nicky Lonergan
Mrs Lonergan said she welcomes the opportunity to manage the growth of Archers while maintaining the highest quality of body corporate management services. “I will be working with an exceptionally knowledgeable and dedicated executive management team to ensure continued growth across customer care, quality service delivery, effective operations and business development; ensuring growth does not compromise service. These are exciting, but also challenging times for the strata industry as there has been strong growth in people moving into strata communities, and particularly an increase in the number of families choosing to live in apartments.”
EVENTS & APPOINTMENTS
Jessica Mellor
The Brisbane-born Bond University graduate now oversees a department of more than 1,500 people through the newly-created role, which holds responsibility for The Star Grand hotel, The Star Gold Coast’s 20-plus restaurants and bars and the overall delivery of events of all sizes across the property’s function venues. Mellor has been in the hospitality industry for around six years, beginning with an executive director role with the Aquis Group, which at the time was lobbying government to build its mega-resort and casino development in Cairns. This experience also saw her move into a director on the company’s Board and eventually to the CEO role in 2016. Other achievements include returning Aquis’ Casino Canberra business to profit following several years of losses. Mellor said she was incredibly excited to be part of The Star Gold Coast team and was excited about the company’s focus on developing female leaders. ResortNews | April, 2019
“As a female general manager, I want to ensure we have a more diverse and inclusive workforce – where women who have passion and capability are given the opportunities to showcase that and can continue to develop and be promoted wherever possible. There’s a saying that ‘you can’t be what you can’t see’ – so we definitely need to see more women in leadership roles to continue raising confidence among other women that anything is possible.”
New deputy chair for ASIC On 28 January 2019, Karen Chester succeeded Peter Kell as the fulltime deputy chair of the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) and will fulfil the ASIC role for term of five years.
TheManagement Rights Lawyers
Karen Chester
Chester is a former Mercer partner and its global head of infrastructure, and a former CEO of Access Economics.
BUYING/SELLING ASSISTANCE
She has presided over ten inquiries and projects during her time with the Productivity Commission, including its review of the superannuation system.
OFF THE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
Chester has a first-class honours degree in economics from the University of Queensland and received an honorary doctorate in economics by the university in 2017.
Got a new appointment? Let us know, email editorial@accomnews.com.au
RENEWAL STRATEGY
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
www.mahoneys.com.au
2019 ARAMA INDUSTRY EVENTS CALENDAR For registration and/or event information please contact us on 1300 ARAMA Q (1300 27 26 27), email national@arama.com.au or visit: https://www.arama.com.au/ BRANCH
EVENT TITLE
DATE
TIME
Gold Coast
Management Rights Industry Training Program
Tuesday, 30 April 2019
8:30am - 4:00pm Property Training Australia
LOCATION
REGISTRATION Open
Brisbane
Training and Education “State of the Nation”
Tuesday, 14 May 2019
6:00pm - 8:30pm Calamvale Hotel
Opening Soon
Gold Coast
Training and Education “State of the Nation”
Wednesday, 15 May 2019
6:00pm - 8:30pm Nerang RSL
Opening Soon
Sunshine Coast Training and Education “State of the Nation”
Thursday, 16 May 2019
6.00pm - 8:30pm Maroochy Surf Club
Opening Soon
Brisbane
Management Rights Industry Training Program
Thursday, 13 June 2019
8.30am - 4:00pm Riverside Hotel
Open
Brisbane
Industry Forum
Tuesday, 23 July 2019
10:00am - 3:00pm Kedron-Wavell
Opening Soon
Brisbane
ARAMA Industry Awards Night
Tuesday, 23 July 2019
6:00pm - 10:00pm Tattersall’s Club
Opening Soon
Brisbane
Management Rights Industry Training Program
Monday, 12 August 2019
8:30am - 4:00pm Riverside Hotel
Open
Gold Coast
ARAMA Industry Expo
Tuesday, 20 August 2019
6:00pm - 9:00pm Southport Sharks
Opening Soon
Sunshine Coast ARAMA Industry Expo
Wednesday, 21 August 2019
6:00pm - 9:00pm Maroochy RSL
Opening Soon
Brisbane
ARAMA Industry Expo
Thursday, 22 August 2019
6:00pm - 9:00pm Kedron-Wavell
Opening Soon
Gold Coast
Management Rights Industry Training Program
Tuesday, 10 September 2019
8:30am - 4:00pm Property Training Australia
Open
Melbourne
Training and Education Roadshow
Thursday, 17 October 2019
6:00pm - 8:30pm Campari House
Opening Soon
Airlie Beach
Training and Education Roadshow
Tuesday, 29 October 2019
6:00pm - 8:00pm Coral Sea Resort
Opening Soon
Gold Coast
Training and Education Roadshow
Wednesday, 6 November 2019 6:00pm - 8:30pm Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club
Opening Soon
Sunshine Coast Training and Education Roadshow
Thursday, 7 November 2019
Opening Soon
Port Douglas
Training and Education Roadshow
Wednesday, 13 November 2019 6:00pm - 8:00pm Oaks Port Douglas
Opening Soon
Cairns
Training and Education Roadshow
Thursday, 14 November 2019
6:00pm - 8:00pm Brothers Leagues Club
Opening Soon
Brisbane
Training and Education Roadshow
Tuesday, 19 November 2019
6:00pm - 8:30pm The Colmslie Hotel
Opening Soon
Brisbane
Management Rights Industry Training Program
Thursday, 28 November 2019
8:30am - 4:00pm Riverside Hotel
Open
April, 2019 | ResortNews
6:00pm - 8:30pm Maroochy RSL
EVENTS & APPOINTMENTS
35
Industry Golf Series continues to grow It seems hard to believe but the first round of the quarterly Accommodation Industry Golf Series has already come and gone, with a fine field teeing up to take on the Links course at the Hope Island Golf Course. The next round, a four-ball Stableford team competition, is to be held at The Glades Golf Club on Thursday, June 13. For further information please contact Tracey Taylor on taylor77@bigpond.net.au.
Ladies in Management lunches kick off in fine style The first of the 2019 monthly Ladies in Management luncheons was held recently at Fu Manchu on the Gold Coast, and there was a wonderful turnout.
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The number of women committed to furthering the industry, across all sectors, was gratifying and as one would expect, a huge amount of networking was had. The food was excellent and organiser Marisa Millane of Freedom Internet is now under pressure to deliver another in April. Should you be interested in attending one of the Gold Coast lunches, or starting a similar group in your region, please contact Marisa on marisa. millane@freedominternet.org.
EVENTS & APPOINTMENTS
ResortNews | April, 2019
South Australia's Kangaroo Island
Canadian media get a taste of Victoria and South Australia Two Canadian journalists and an influencer who cover luxury experiences ventured Down Under recently as part of a visit to promote Air Canada's direct Vancouver - Melbourne route which is increasing in frequency in 2019.
Specialist Program and the opportunity to attend Corroborree West 2019 in Perth and six day familiarisations this October.
Sculpture at Scenic World returns to transform the Blue Mountains
The trio travelled to Victoria and South Australia, attended the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival World’s Longest Lunch, went hot air ballooning and visited Kangaroo Island. The visit was hosted through Tourism Australia’s international media hosting program and supported by Visit Victoria and South Australia Tourism Commission. A profile on Melbourne and The Great Ocean Road has already appeared in Quebec's affluent online magazine Avenues.
Australia on show at Travel Agent Forum in the US
Sculpture at Scenic World returns to New South Wales heritage-listed Blue Mountains rainforest from 12 April to 12 May 2019. Now in its eighth year, 25 world-class artworks and sculptures will be exhibited amongst the natural environment transforming the ancient rainforest into a fascinating outdoor gallery. Featuring daily tours, kids’ activities and a new
‘Sculpture Otherwise’ outdoor expedition which promises to capture the imaginations or the young and old. Tickets are on sale now.
TA rebrands offshore missions to Australia Marketplace Tourism Australia’s offshore missions are being rebranded to Australia Marketplace. Upcoming Australia Marketplace events to diarise include: Australia Marketplace India (formerly India Travel Mission) from 8 to 12 August 2019; Australia Marketplace South East Asia (formerly Walkabout South East Asia) from 30 September to 2 October 2019; Australia Marketplace UK & Europe (a new event which replaces European Product Workshop and World Travel Market), from 30 to 31 October 2019; Australia Marketplace China from 11 to 15 November and Australia Premium Showcase China (formerly Greater China Travel Mission and Greater China Premium Showcase) from 14 to 16 November;
Australia Marketplace Japan (formerly Walkabout Japan) will take place in early 2020. Australia Marketplace USA remains an event owned by the STOs, from 26 to 29 August 2019. All events are listed on Tourism Australia's industry events calendar.
Bold, exciting and diverse – Vivid returns to Sydney’s Harbour The largest festival of light, music and ideas in the Southern Hemisphere, Vivid Sydney will return to the Harbour City this winter from 24 May to 15 June 2019. The 22-day festival is the largest outdoor gallery of its kind and will celebrate a new decade of innovation and creativity with an inspiring and star-studded program of events. Bright lights and bold animations will illuminate some of Sydney’s most iconic locations including Luna Park, the Sydney Opera House sails, the Argyle Cut in the Rocks, the Royal Botanic Gardens, Taronga Zoo and more. The 2019 Vivid program is available now.
Over 200 travel advisors from across North America were given an in-depth update on Australian destinations and experiences during training sessions at the Travel Agent Forum in Las Vegas recently. Many of the agents also registered for the Aussie April, 2019 | ResortNews
EVENTS & APPOINTMENTS
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140 Hectare ‘Ocean Park’ plan for Gold Coast Seven precincts have been earmarked as part of a multimillion-dollar plan to revitalise The Spit located on the northern end of Main Beach on the Gold Coast. The state government has released the latest draft masterplan for the “Ocean Park” that would transform almost 140 hectares of The Spit’s 201 hectares, and would include light rail stations, super-yacht berths, and a proposal for an ocean cruise ship terminal. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said plans for The Spit’s open space areas would see it more than eight times the size of Brisbane’s South Bank parklands and 12 times the size of the public spaces in Sydney’s Barangaroo.
open space; while the second outlines the prospect of a cruise ship terminal located in the northern section of Philip Park. The master plan will not decide whether the potential cruise ship terminal will proceed, stating that “the decision will be subject to a separate process of approval that CoGC may pursue once the master plan has been released”. New features include 4000sq m set aside for a restored shore rainforest, a light rail extension to Sea World, a super-yacht marina, improved cycle, and walkways through the dunes. A special curlew habitat will be developed, as well as an underwater sculpture garden for divers to explore. And the blueprint even includes a “selfie tower” for tourists and locals alike to capture the best shots of the Gold Coast’s skyline. Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said he will be “urging council to install the necessary
infrastructure in partnership with the local major water users” to supply recycled water in line with the plan to create and maintain a Central Parkstyle green open space. The blueprint is being released for further discussion before a final plan is released in coming months.
Australia top infrastructure investment destination in 2019 Australia tops the Asia Pacific region for future investment opportunities, with more than half of all investors looking to Australia for its stable investment offerings, according to a White & Case report.
“And the Gold Coast Ocean Park has something none of them have – the Broadwater and the surf.” Queenslanders provided more than 21,100 pieces of feedback to have their say on the future of The Spit. Parts of the park are earmarked for sensitive commercial development with a three-story height restriction in place. Proposals for Phillip Park precinct envisage two alternative outcomes — the first addressing the park as
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DEVELOPMENTS
The international law firm found Australia was the top destination for infrastructure investment for the next year, at 54 percent, followed by India at 48 percent and China at 39 percent. Given current global macroeconomic and political volatility, the inaugural report found the majority of respondents, including investment funds, sovereign wealth funds, and financial institutions were looking at larger, more “stable” economies. The Asian Development Bank estimates that the region needs US$1.7 trillion of infrastructure investment by 2030 to keep pace with climate change and economic growth. While investors are looking at a variety of sectors in the region, the survey reveals that roads are the top priority, while both conventional and renewable energy is still on the radar. Almost half of mergers and acquisition deals in Australia (47 percent) are in renewable energy. Australia is also the country which most investors are excited about in terms of future opportunities at 41 percent, followed by Singapore (32 percent) and India (28 percent). Infrastructure Australia released its annual list of priority projects last month, detailing 121 national significant infrastructure proposals with a $58 billion project pipeline. The White & Case survey included senior-level investors and financial services firms who had developed, funded or invested in at least one APAC infrastructure project in the past 12 months, with a value in excess of US$100 million. ResortNews | April, 2019
Unfair strata rules need to be changed to enable sustainability upgrades Although most of the conditions are now right for sustainability upgrades to strata buildings, Green Strata president Christine Byrne says there are still major regulatory and cost barriers stopping these retrofits. She told ResortNews that this is a “hot button issue” and that inaction to overcome these structural issues in many Australian jurisdictions means apartment owners are missing out on the cost-saving benefits of sustainability upgrades, including rooftop solar. At the same time, Byrne says rooftop solar is now affordable for townhouses, the medium and the high-rise sector. The main thing holding back widespread sustainability upgrades, she says, is that “governments don’t understand strata.” She says that although intentions are generally good, sustainabilityboosting incentives and measures are usually focused on houses, with “apartments” often tacked on as an after-thought. There’s a tendency to treat strata like “50 houses stacked on top of one another” when in reality the April, 2019 | ResortNews
structural dynamics of apartment buildings are quite different. “If we buy an apartment our home comes in the form of an airspace. That’s the bit we own or lease,” she says. “This means we can’t change anything on those boundaries because that’s outside our airspace and is collectively owned by everyone, it’s common property.” This means decisions to alter windows or the lighting in corridors is a decision that must be made by the body corporate. She says this is significant because the common areas include energy-guzzling features such as lifts, ventilation systems and pool pumps, and can use up to 60 percent of the entire energy consumption of apartment buildings. But there’s movement afoot… Lowering voting thresholds – generally from a 75 percent majority to a 50 percent majority – is one way to make it easier to make sustainability upgrades. And according to NSW President of Strata Community Association Chris Duggan, the majority of states are investigating this option. ACT led the pack a few years ago with strata structural reforms in favour of sustainability upgrades, followed by the recent changes to legislation in Western Australia which involved lowering voting threshold to 50 percent among other changes. Victoria is currently going through a strata law review where Duggan expects better approval thresholds to be implemented.
He also says Queensland will likely go through body corporate reform in the next few years. And as part of the NSW government’s pre-election campaign last week, the reelected Premier Gladys Berejiklian and energy minister Don Harwin said the government would change the strata laws to make it easier for strata committees to get owners’ support for solar panels, battery storage and electric vehicle charging point by lowering the voting threshold from 75 to 50 percent.
Scott Morrison rolls out $2bn high speed rail proposal Prime minister Scott Morrison has thrown federal support behind two major fast rail proposals, committing $40 million in funding for five new business cases as part of its wider plan to connect Australia’s capitals to regional centres. High-speed trains would travel at speeds of up to 200km/ hr, cutting the Melbourne to Geelong commute to just 32 minutes, while Brisbane to the Gold Coast would take just 35 minutes. At a recent press conference, the prime minister promised $2 billion in investment for the Geelong-Melbourne fast rail service. The Victorian government would need to match the $2 billion federal contribution for the project to be viable.
DEVELOPMENTS
Minister for Urban Infrastructure Alan Tudge joined the prime minister and treasurer Josh Frydenberg, saying construction on the GeelongMelbourne link could begin in as little as 18 months. “This is all part of our plan to manage population growth to take the pressure off big cities like Melbourne and make our regional cities like Geelong even more attractive places to live and work,” prime minister Scott Morrison said. The prime minister also flagged plans for a “congestion busting” Gold Coast to Brisbane link. Gold Coast-based federal member Karen Andrews said that a fast rail link will reduce commuter travel times and get people off the M1. “Easing the commute from the Gold Coast to Brisbane is something I’ve long fought for. “Improving rail connectivity will complement the work happening to upgrade the M1 to get people home to their loved ones sooner, boost productivity and create jobs.” High speed rail between Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast is already on the cards, with the Queensland project securing business case funding from the Turnbull government in early 2018. Among other fast rail election promises, shadow infrastructure minister Anthony Albanese pledged $2.8 billion in funding for a high-speed inland rail link from Melbourne to Brisbane. If elected, the Coalition said it will create a National Fast Rail Agency to guide the work and determine priorities for the construction and funding of the projects.
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Gold Coaster to chair nationleading pub, hotel and venue chain One of the nation’s largest portfolios of pubs, restaurants and function centres is set to be chaired from the Gold Coast following the $200 million sale of venues owned by supermarket giant Coles. Former Mantra Group CEO Bob East is chairman of Australian Venue Co, which has inked a deal to buy 78 Coles hotels and pubs which is expected to settle in coming months. The acquisitions, part of a joint venture deal with US private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), will see Coles continue to manage and profit from its 243 retail liquor outlets while AVC manages and profits from the Spirit Hotels branded venues. The sale, once finalised, will take AVC’s portfolio from 70 venues to 148, ranging from chef-hatted restaurants to suburban pubs. As well as chairing AVC, Mr East remains chair of Tourism Australia and adventure tourism company Experience Co, and is also on the Federal Government’s
National Brand Council. The plans for AVC are to network the venues with technology and clever marketing, centralising operations like sales, finance, social media and fly-in event teams so venue managers can do more with less. An app with shared rewards programs, offers, table service, phone payment and popup event notifications will also be expanded to the new venues once the sale is settled. A comprehensive events planner will be the centrepiece, allowing venues to capitalise on an influx of potential customers in realtime using the resources and expertise of the wider company. “More and more people are organising things around major events,” Mr East said. “We will have an accommodation aspect around this as well, which will be starting smaller but has some potential.” The group’s Gold Coast portfolio will include Runaway Bay Tavern, Ferry Road Tavern, Burleigh Town Tavern and Salt Bar in Kingscliff and it also has a high presence in Cairns and Darwin. In Brisbane, the Regatta Hotel and Fridays are in, while Sydney hotspots Kingsleys Restaurant, Cargo Bar, Bungalow and 12-Micron round out the high-end offerings.
Harry Triguboff
Triguboff’s Ocean: Building an apartment a day High-rise king Harry Triguboff is putting the construction accelerator down on giant Surfers Paradise tower Ocean in a move that will lead to more than one apartment being built each day. The veteran founder of the Meriton group said that he had told his building team to be more vigorous and that he wanted the 75-floor tower finished by the early part of 2022. “Ocean’s our biggest tower ever in Queensland and it’s going to be our best. “It’s also by far the most challenging ever for Meriton in construction terms but the builders have nailed the hard part and within a short time it will be a case of the sky’s the limit. “The sooner Ocean sticks its head up, the sooner buyers will be able to see that it’s happening — and it will be happening quickly.” Mr Triguboff said as part of the move to hasten Ocean’s arrival, the number of on-site staff had been doubled to 120. Once the tower’s podium was completed there could be up to 600 workers on the site.
Bob East
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The 75-floor Ocean will have DEVELOPMENTS
more than 700 apartments, with 446 of them making up a Meriton Suites hotel on the tower’s first 44 floors. Work started on the $58 million site, overlooking the ocean on The Esplanade, in June 2018. David Cremona, Meriton’s national director of construction, was on the Gold Coast yesterday to finalise the ‘vigorous’ construction schedule of what he termed the most complex tower the 55-yearold group had undertaken. Mr Cremona said the complexity was due to ground conditions and the tower’s spinnakerlike architectural design. He said one of the critical parts of the build had been completed, with 52 pylon foundations, each 2.1 metres in diameter, bedded into rock 50-metres below the surface. “To put those pylons in context, you could drop a family car down each hole and it wouldn’t touch the sides — you wouldn’t need to fold the mirrors.” Mr Cremona said Ocean’s engineers had come up with a unique design to solve wind assaults on the 252-metre tower, which was shaped almost like a sail. “We couldn’t use the traditional tower method of controlling swaying — putting huge water-filled tanks on the roof. “We looked at projects around the world and the answer came from bridges such as the Golden Gate, the Brooklyn and Sydney’s the Anzac. ResortNews | April, 2019
“They use cables so Ocean’s being built like a bridge that’s standing upright. “It will have four 4m x 2m mega columns running halfway up, all with cables running through ducts. “Once the thousands of cables are installed they are tensioned up. “When the wind loads the building, the cables stretch like a rubber band, therefore reducing the amount of Ocean’s sway.” Mr Cremona said Meriton expected to complete Ocean’s podium early next year and from then would be building on average the equivalent of 1.2 completed apartments each day.
Contenders named in battle to build Tropical North tourism hub Three international firms have been shortlisted to develop a $1 billion tourism hub and casino in the heart of Cairns. Big-name developers Star Entertainment Group and Hard Rock International join Reef Casino Joint Venture as contenders to develop the 4.4 ha site linking the Cruise Ship Terminal with Cairns Convention Centre and the CBD. The development will include a stand-alone casino, luxury hotels, high-end retail, a restaurant, and entertainment. In October 2017, the Queensland government announced a gaming license would also be offered to encourage the development of tourism infrastructure following the withdrawal of the Aquis Yorkey’s Knob proposal.
heritage areas on its doorstep, Cairns has huge potential as an international hub for tourists. “Our vision is simple – to create a world-class tourism hub in Tropical North Queensland that attracts more international and domestic tourists, who stay longer and spend more in the region. The next step involves an interactive tender process with the three shortlisted companies. The project involves state government, Cairns Regional Council and stakeholders including Ports North and Tourism Tropical North Queensland. The shortlisted companies will lodge proposals with state government by July, with the announcement of the winning developer expected by early 2020.
NABERS for apartment buildings
“The three firms named today are companies with strong international and domestic reputations for delivering high-quality mixed-use, hotel and entertainment and gaming projects,” she said.
The number of Australians currently living in apartments, is higher than ever before – in fact, according to the latest Census of Population and Housing performed by Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). “The number of occupied apartments (including flats and units, excluding townhouses) in Australia has increased by 78 percent over the past 25 years”
“These companies recognise that with the reef, rainforests and world
With this rapidly-growing way of living changing the lifestyle
Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said the announcement of the three “highly-respected players” was a vote of confidence in the region.
April, 2019 | ResortNews
of many residents across the country, Australia needs to take into account the environmental impact that these residential buildings represent and develop a strategy to reduce their carbon footprint – not only to comply with the Paris Agreement but also to protect Australia’s sustainability. NABERS refers to the National Australian Built Environment Rating System; which in simple words is the equivalent to the star rating that is found on home appliances – but for buildings! This rating system was launched almost two decades ago and has helped many buildings across Australia to improve their sustainability. In June 2018 NABERS launched a rating system for apartment buildings. Why is it helpful? A NABERS rating allows owners, strata managers, building managers and investors to benchmark the efficiency of a building regarding its use of energy and water for normal operations, against similar buildings across Australia. Why is this important? Well, there is no way of knowing where to go if you don’t know where you are. Performing annual NABERS ratings will allow a building to understand and review their consumption. Statistical data shows that commercial buildings that have performed 10 NABERS ratings had experienced an average reduction of 40 percent in their energy use, compared to when they started. NABERS also represents a significant advantage for the residential sector. The NABERS tool has already been making
DEVELOPMENTS
a substantial impact in the commercial, and the key message from this is that being aware of the level of consumption does make a difference. What are the key benefits? •
Identify incorrect billing
•
Reduce energy and water costs
•
Understand the energy and water usage
•
Remove energy and water wastage
•
Green credentials
•
Attract investors
•
How does NABERS for apartment buildings work?
•
Assesses common areas energy and water consumption in apartment buildings
•
Can determine all different apartment building types around Australia
What to do after obtaining the NABERS certificate? Performing a NABERS rating and not doing anything to improve the efficiency of a building would be like winning a prize and not claiming it. After obtaining the NABERS certificate and understanding where the building sits regarding sustainability compared to similar buildings in Australia, you should implement strategies to reduce the building’s energy and water consumption. Assessors offer a wide range of services to help buildings become more efficient. Strategies will vary from one building to another, however certain activities can help any building improve and become more efficient. For more information visit www.nabers.gov.au.
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AE RC
A RC
Are you thinking of selling your Management Rights? Call Rod Askew on 0411 758 236 for a confidential coffee.
e siv u l xc
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MANAGEMENT RIGHTS RESORTS E SIV U L EXC
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SPRING HILL
KENMORE
ONE OF BRISBANE’S FINEST
These upmarket apartments enjoy a central Brisbane location. A five minute walk to China Town, 10 minute walk to Central Station and a 15 minute walk to Brisbane’s CBD. Offering guests comfortable self contained one and two bedroom accommodation, the property offers a range of modern facilities such as heated pool and spa, sauna and gym. All with secure basement car parking. This Holiday and Corporate short stay letting business has a solid letting pool, coupled with a Body Corporate salary of $89,000 and 23 years remaining on management agreements. A well appointed two bedroom manager’s apartment of over 150 sqm, inclusive of office and reception on title offers a great lifestyle choice for those wishing the convenience of a vibrant city lifestyle.
VALUE FOR MONEY This Brisbane Management Rights is in an excellent position with so much scope to improve the bottom line. Majority of current income derived from Body Corporate salary of $96,000. No need to live on-site. No office hours. So easy to rent these townhouses with such a terrific location. Enjoy Kenmore
Bobo Qi
Village, offering shopping, restaurants, health club, public transport and only 15 minutes to Brisbane’s CBD. Priced to sell with a new 10 year agreement on offer to a
0438 027 771
qualified buyer.
bobo@propertybridge.com.au
NETT $207,000 PRICE $1,655,000
NETT $100,000 PRICE $900,000
D SOL
D SOL
BUNDALL
MUDGEERABA
GREAT BODY CORP INCOME
THE WISHLIST? TICK, TICK, TICK Classy waterfront permanent in Gold Coast city heart Secure long agreement with substantial salary Mixture of one, two and three bedroom for flexibility. Impressive facilities to attract quality tenants. Super sized and super private 3 bedroom townhouse Two living areas, double car space and spacious office on title. Walk to beach, HOTA and cafe culture with bus at the door.
NETT $189,000 PRICE $1,600,000
Rhonda Perkins 0418 767 115
rhonda@propertybridge.com.au
A substantial Body Corporate salary is provided to the onsite manager with the potential to further grow the business. Long 21 year management agreements in place. This is a quality gated townhouse community, close to some of the best schools on the Gold Coast. Access to public transport, the M1 and excellent shopping centres ensures you can select the best of tenants. Providing a generously sized 3 bedroom managers villa with office on title and attached. A terrific business package offering significant business income, comfortable home and an excellent location.
NETT $312,000 PRICE $2,400,000
propertybridge.com.au
New Managers Casino Motor Inn, Casino NSW
www.accomproperties.com.au
Sales Report MANAGEMENT RIGHTS Gold Coast Condor Apartments
Ray Chen
Surfers Paradise
MRS
South Lakes
Lake Side Partners
Varsity Lakes
RB
Burleigh Palms
Michael Pavich
Burleigh Heads
RB
Norris Chase
Kaylene Walker
Bracken Ridge
RB
Wynnum Shores
Jerry Li
Wynnum West
RB
North Lakes Views
Sean Huang
North Lakes
RB
Gabba Central
Collective Hotel Management Woolloongabba
Brisbane
RB
Sunshine Coast / Wide Bay / Fraser Coast Tony Johnson with Ian and Janis
Janis and Ian are pleased to hand over the keys to Leigh for the operation on Casino Motor Inn, recently sold by Tony Johnson of Tourism Brokers.
Leigh is an experienced business owner who has an eye for detail and is looking forward to continuing the upgrades of the motel over the next few years.
Armidale Motel, NSW
Culgoa Point Beach Resort
Liam Kennedy
Noosa Heads
TO
Beachside Resort
Julie Laming
Buddina
MRS
Adrain Leary
Yeppoon
RB
North Queensland Oshen Yeppoon
MOTELS & OTHER Queensland Killarney Sundown Motel
R & L Jeffery
Killarney
TB
Emeraldene Inn & Eco Lodge
B. Shen
Hervey Bay
TB
Platinum International Motor Inn
Nicolle and Tony Rummeny
Toowoomba
RB
Countryman Motor Inn
G. Singh
Cowra
TB
Armidale Motel
David Lawson & Polly Harvey
Armidale
TB
Casino Motor Inn
Holmes
Casino
TB
Woombah Woods Caravan Park
William Hu
Woombah
RB
Jugiong Motor Inn
Angus Graham
Jugiong
RB
Poplars Inn
Teresa Tan
Mittagong
RB
Aspen Lodge Caravan Park
R. Prince
Mooroopna
TB
Commercial Hotel Birchip
Peter Smilek
Birchip
CRE
Caledonian Hotel Motel Hamilton Tony & Lyn Sammit
Hamilton
CRE
Lake Bolac Hotel
Ian Bennett
Lake Bolac
CRE
Murray Downs Resort
Michael and Nicole Slattery
Swan Hill
RB
Quest Dandenong
Greg and Fiona Harding
Dandenong
RB
New South Wales
David Lawson
David Lawson and Polly Harvey are the new owners of the Armidale Motel. Both David and Polly have been in the Armidale and North West area for the last eight years and are excited about their venture into the accommodation industry. David comes from an agri-business/accounting background and Polly is a professional artist and teaches at The Armidale School. Polly will continue her teaching
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career while assisting David with the operation of the Motel. It is a significant change in career direction for David, but with the rural sector in the grip of drought, he is looking forward to some new challenges, and views it as an opportunity for a more stable income. David and Polly bought the Motel through Peter McHugh of Tourism Brokers and said they were most impressed with Peter's approach and commitment. PROPERTY
Victoria
Note: Agent/Broker involved in the sale is listed last. Agent - KEY:  ARMS - Australian Resort Management Sales; CBMR - Calvin Bailey Management Rights; CRE - CRE Brokers; MRS - MR Sales; QTHB - Queensland Tourism & Hospitality Brokers; RAAS - RAAS Rights; RBA - Resort Brokers Australia; RS - Resort Sales; TO - Tom Offermann; TB - Tourism Brokers; TMR - Think Management Rights; SC - Stratacorp. * In conjunction
ResortNews | April, 2019
The Esplanade Apartments, Burleigh Heads
L-R: Wayne Stoll, Narelle Filmer, Brett and Candice Flanagan and Linda Stoll
The Think Management Rights Team welcomes Brett and Candice Flanagan to the Esplanade apartments Complex in Burleigh Heads. Brett and Candice said “We were thrilled and excited when Wayne and Linda Stoll from Think Management Rights presented us with the opportunity to view the Esplanade apartments, the complex ticked all of our boxes”. Brett has previously experience
in a hospitality business owning and managing a McDonalds franchise where he gained the disciplines in management systems and procedures necessary to operate a successful operation. Candice also has extensive hospitality knowledge and experience having owned and managed her own hair salon. The TMR team wish them both an enjoyable work and life experience in management rights.
Platinum International Motor Inn, Toowoomba
L-R: ResortBrokers managing director, Ian Crooks, developer and owner of the property since new in 2008, Colleen Cosgrove, delighted incoming operators, Nicolle and Tony Rummeny, and senior broker, Russell Rogers.
The leasehold interest in Toowoomba’s 4.5-star Platinum International Motor Inn, one of the city’s premium accommodation assets, has been sold for the first time since it opened in 2008. Buyers, former Brisbanebased business owners Tony and Nicolle Rummeny, have secured a 30-year lease to run the deluxe 52-unit James Street business from Platinum International’s original ownerdeveloper, Colleen Cosgrove,
who retains freehold ownership. Platinum International Motor Inn is a two-level complex with impressive facilities including a resort swimming pool, barbecue area, gymnasium, two-bedroom manager’s apartment, onsite laundry, car parking spaces for 80 vehicles and a coach bay. The business sale includes the operation of the onsite conference and function facility for 80 guests and popular Images Lounge Bar and Restaurant.
Surfers Chalet Apartments, Mittagong
Culgoa Point Beach Resort, Noosa Heads
The Think Management Rights Team welcome Caroline and Gary Witts as the new managers of Surfers Chalet Apartments. Gary has experience running and managing his own building and pest business, while Caroline has extensive Administration and business experience. Gary said he and Caroline would like to thank Wayne and Linda Stoll of TMR for their professionalism
L-R Wayne and Linda Stoll, Caroline and Gary Witts & Narelle Filmer
in managing the purchase process to successful settlement. Congratulations Caroline and Gary on your new venture.
Poplars Inn, Mittagong
L-R: Nikki Cox, Liam Kennedy and Sean Cox
Since acquiring Noosa Blue Resort’s management rights in July 2015, Stay Noosa have added Noosa Lakes Resort, Beach Road Holiday Homes, Allure Stradbroke Resort and most recently Culgoa Point Beach Resort to their portfolio. Co-owner and general manager Liam Kennedy was over the moon when Stay Noosa was able to secure the management rights to Culgoa Point. “I feel it is the jewel in the crown of our group,” Liam explained. “I regularly jogged from my place in Noosa Waters and used to take photos from Munna Bridge of Culgoa as an inspiration to one day owning the rights to April, 2019 | ResortNews
such a wonderful resort… it is one of a kind”. Liam along with friend and business partner Russell Leary settled on the property with the expert assistance of Sean and Nikki Cox of Tom Offermann Real Estate recently. Stay Noosa have big plans to grow the resort’s status. “There are big refurbishment plans that we have worked on with the body corporate and we are looking to grow international exposure of the property through conferences such as the Australian Tourism Exchange. We will be introducing Culgoa to the world in Perth in April as Stay Noosa’s newest attraction,” Liam said.
Russel Rogers with Teresa and Michael
Teresa and Michael are very excited about their first motel venture. They have been trying to enter the industry for a couple of years, but have only recently found their dream property in Poplars Inn, Mittagong.
PROPERTY
They were introduced to the property by Russell Rogers of Resort Brokers who felt the property was perfect for them as they also have a café business in Sydney and didn’t want to be too far from that.
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Think Management Rights
PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
BRISBANE, SUNSHINE COAST AND GOLD COAST Invested Active Managers required for Partnerships of two holiday resorts netting $600K + This is an opportunity to manage and own a large building with the backing of Silent partners
Renovated Managers apartment with large office and car parking
Minimal capital input, great Salary and return on your investment
Excellent staff in place
Accommodation included in package with all outgoings paid by partnership
Finance available for approved purchasers
For confidential enquiry contact: Narelle Filmer 0459 229 744 or Wayne Stoll 0452 181 505
MANAGEMENT RIGHTS SALES AGENT OPPORTUNITY SOUTH EAST QLD • Require experienced Brokers/ Salespersons either a couple or Individual • Full Real Estate Licence • Strong work ethic and team player • Commission based only All enquiries contact Wayne Stoll 0452 181 505 or Narelle Filmer 0459 229 744
THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING DEAL WITH THE EXPERTS
South East Queensland Narelle Filmer 0459 229 744 narelle@thinkmanagementrights.com.au
South East Queensland Wayne and Linda Stoll 0452 181 505 0419 506 760 wayne@thinkmanagementrights.com.au
Sunshine Coast Barry and Sharyn Alleway 0411 411 987 barry@thinkmanagementrights.com.au
Sunshine Coast Karen & Mark Ison 0434 314 038 karen@thinkmanagementrights.com.au
JUST LISTED! New Exclusive Agency Listings
Tweed Heads South Business Only
Central Gold Coast Permanent • First time to market in over 16 years
• 45 brand new luxury townhouses in new housing estate
• Great opportunity for the new purchaser to acquire a well-run and very stable business
• Only groundwork and gardens, no pool onsite
• Sought-after rental location
• No residence to buy, no requirement to live onsite
• Spacious and comfortable 2 bedroom single-level manager’s unit
• Estimating 12 rentals • Quiet location, potential to grow and add other income streams
Exclusive Agent: Tony Johnson 0433 335 679 ID8924
$65,000 (proj.)
• High Body Corporate salary over $116,000, long agreements
Exclusive Agents: Deborah Tilley 0424 428 489 Ian Forbes 0432 988 625
$205,000
Caloundra – Priced for Quick Sale
ID8929
Exclusive Agent: Lyn Pearsall 0425 168 244 $116,197
• • • • •
55 unit, 3 storey walk up complex Good letting pool, long agreements Good supportive committee Potential to grow the business Two bedroom manager’s unit with views over the Broadwater
Exclusive Agent: Phil Trimble 0418 478 966 $990,000
Rare Sydney Permanent
ID7976
$400,581
$2,560,000
Surfers Paradise Holiday Letting
• Situated in undersupplied region of Sydney close to CBD • Reliable net profit (verified by specialist accountant) • Renewed long term Caretaking and Letting Agreements • Spacious manager’s residence with private entertaining area • In excess of 100 apartments in the letting pool with further significant growth opportunity
Exclusive Agent: Michael Philpott 0433 137 927 ID8201
$1,335,000
Southport Motel Style Resort
• 8 holiday lets, 3 permanent and 17 owner occupiers • BC salary of $51,840 + GST • 20 yrs remaining - Accommodation Module agreement • Office and storage on title with no set office hours • Bright and airy 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom manager’s residence • 200m stroll to one of QLD’s safest patrolled beaches
ID8193
$188,376
$490,003
• 73% of units in the letting pool • Would suit two person team • Resort style facilities, cleaning team in place • Only 500m to the magnificent Surfers Paradise beach • Great first timer building • Long agreements expiring 2038 • 2 bedroom residence, ideal for night caretaker
Exclusive Agent: Gerard Dixon 0433 617 515 $3,700,000
ID8641
MR Sales have an extensive range of listings Australia wide Visit www.mrsales.com.au to view them now or Phone: 1300 928 556 | Email: sales@mrsales.com.au
www.mrsales.com.au
$174,592
$1,110,000
Think Management Rights CORPORATE BUILDING ZONED SHORT TERM ONLY - MILTON BRISBANE •
Located in the heart of Milton on the vibrant Park Road
•
78 lots - Studio, 1 & 2 Bedroom Apartments
•
Short term letting only no permanent residents allowed
•
‘Popular onsite restaurant ’ externally owned and managed
•
Accommodation Module
•
Body Corporate Remuneration $115,082
•
Complex operated and managed by employed staff
•
Strong corporate contracts in place
•
Occupancy circa 70.9%
ASKING PRICE $4,665,000
NETT PROFIT $721,222
RIVERFRONT CORPORATE - KANGAROO POINT BRISBANE •
Located on riverfront 950m front the Storey Bridge
•
146 Lots – 1 & 2 bedroom apartments with river views
•
Letting pool 56 with a further 41 outside lets
•
Large body corporate remuneration $227,916
•
Complex operated and managed by employed staff
•
Plenty of scope to increase nett profit
•
Occupancy circa 67%
ASKING PRICE $5,300,000
NETT PROFIT $677,899
THINKING OF BUYING OR SELLING DEAL WITH THE EXPERTS South East Queensland Narelle Filmer 0459 229 744 narelle@thinkmanagementrights.com.au
South East Queensland Wayne and Linda Stoll 0452 181 505 0419 506 760 wayne@thinkmanagementrights.com.au
Northcliffe Apartments:
You’re welcome… By Trish Riley, Editor
“You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you'll find, you get what you need” – Rolling Stones. And that’s how Brent and Karen Hansen’s foray into management rights began, 13 years ago. Having initially made the decision to get into the industry while on holiday on the Sunshine Coast, the intrepid pair reviewed more than 20 buildings between Mooloolaba and Noosa, and despite having their hearts set on a resort-style
Brent and Karen Hansen
building, Brent was eventually persuaded to “ just have a look” at Northcliffe Apartments, and the rest – as they say – is history. Originally from South Africa and then New Zealand - resident managers, Brent and Karen saw the potential of the then, fairly ‘tired-looking’ high-rise, and admit to being swayed by the extraordinary location and uniquely, generous fourbedroom managers’ unit. And when one takes in the breathtaking views of the beautiful Maroochy River, ocean and sun-drenched, white sandy beaches right on the property’s doorstep, it’s easy to understand why.
Talk to someone who understands your business. Contact Steve Austin today, your Management Rights specialist: Steve Austin Senior Relationship Manager 0408 776 067
For membership enquiries: www.arama.com.au
national@arama.com.au 1300 ARAMA Q
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Suncorp-Metway Ltd ABN 66 010 831 722 AFSL No. 229882 (“Suncorp Bank”) 22527
PROFILES
22527 25/01/19 A
ResortNews | April, 2019
Located in the heart of thriving Maroochydore, Northcliffe Apartments now appears to offer it all: spacious twobedroom, two-bathroom holiday apartments all feature large private balconies with ocean and river views. The apartments are fully self-contained and include an ensuite, dishwasher, microwave, full laundry, cable television and DVD, direct dial telephones and video intercom security. Accommodation facilities also include a riverside jetty, a heated pool, spa and sauna. Right across the road is the renowned Ocean Street offering an array of sidewalk cafés and restaurants, boutique shopping and supermarkets and just a short walk away is the largest shopping centre on the Sunshine Coast, the new $400-m Sunshine Plaza offering all things retail and entertainment. If however, a break from the hub-bub is what guests are looking for, a short stroll through parklands will take
them to the clear, quiet waters of Cotton Tree beach, and a little further is Maroochydore’s famous surf beach. While on holiday there’s nothing better than taking some lazy time out to enjoy the surroundings, have an alfresco lunch in the park from one of the various Cotton Tree cafés or try some local fish and chips on the beach.
This is Bob Bob is over the moon, because he chose . .. g in d il u B t n e m rt a p A is Alltech to repaint h Be like Bob! Call today (07) 5493 4150
and get excited !
Above & Beyond April, 2019 | ResortNews
PROFILES
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After 13 years, whatever the formula is, it’s definitely working. Northcliffe Apartments is a very busy building, with the majority of bookings being repeats that are made directly. “Winter is booked out year after year,” says Brent, “and we have some international guests return each year for up to six months at a time. “Of the 62 units, the building hosts a few live-in owners, six permanent rentals and 38 holiday, or short-stay apartments which is great, we have a lot to work with. “We are always at work,” says Karen. “Management rights is a 24-hours-a-day role, particularly if you want to have the kinds of relationships that ensure the business is successful. “Being ‘on-call’ at all times is a personal choice that we have made, but it pays dividends over and over again.” The prized Booking.com awards rating of 9.1 is testament to this dedication. “The last 13 years has been a process of project after project,” adds Brent. “We have repainted
inside and out, replaced carpets and undertaken a significant refurbishment of the lifts, swimming pool and surrounds.” Future projects include the replacement of all balustrades, another repaint and more carpet work; and as before, all of these will be implemented in a phased approach and project managed by Brent, so as to
keep costs down and not incur special levies. “It takes time to learn your building,” says Brent. “Knowing where everything is, how it works and how motors and so on will perform under duress or in an emergency (such as the floods in 2011) is critical. Having a comprehensive maintenance plan and working knowledge
of the building makes it easy to respond quickly and effectively, and you will find the committee is supportive when work needs to be done. “Developing good relationships with reliable contractors is another given,” adds Brent. “When you work with someone that provides a quality service, price becomes secondary.
Sunshine Coast Brochure Display The regions’ original and leading brochure service and provider of information displays “Please to be working with Karen and Brent at Northcliffe Apartments”
Phone: 07 5499 6222 Email: info@SunshineCoastBrochureDisplay.com.au
www.SunshineCoastBrochureDisplay.com.au
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PROFILES
ResortNews | April, 2019
Specialising in apartment renovations for over 10 years
from
concept to completion
These are the people that will go out of their way to help you out when you need it most.”
days. What we always agree on however, is that what is good for the building, is good for us.
“Management rights is all about people and relationships,” says Karen. “You have to be good with people – irrespective of whether they are owner occupiers, investors, tenants or guests.
“We generally have our own roles and responsibilities, but are just as happy (and capable) of jumping in and helping out when it’s required.
“Be friendly and patient, even smile when you don’t feel like it. It’s like being married – you have great days, and not-so-great
“This is so much more than a business,” adds Karen, “it’s our home and our community, and we’re very particular about how everyone is taken care of while they are under our roof.”
From a single bathroom to complete refurbishment, let us project manage the entire construction - we handle all aspects of the job, contractors, suppliers designing and approvals.
(07) 5473 9262 | info@paragonrenovations.com.au
paragonrenovations.com.au QBCC 1216316
Ascendia are proud to assist Karen & Brent at Northcliffe Apartments
15% discount
Experienced Management Rights Accountants with over 12 years experience, locally available and offering a full range of services, including:
Audits Compliance Tax Planning P&L For Sale Verifications
for Resort News readers when booked direct* *subject to availability
(07) 5343 1000
Ask for David at the Mooloolaba Office or Ask for Angela at the Noosa Office managementrights@ascendia.com.au
p: (07) 5443 5912 e: stay@northcliffeapartments.com.au 50 Duporth Avenue, Maroochydore Qld 4558 www.northcliffeapartments.com.au April, 2019 | ResortNews
www.ascendiaaccountants.com.au PROFILES
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Mari Court Resort: A shining example
By Trish Riley, Editor
Proving, without a shadow of doubt, that a committed approach and hard work is what is required to turn an average property into a sought-after asset is exactly what resident managers Steve Verkerk and Karen Cooper have done with Mari Court Resort. Ideally located on the soughtafter Gold Coast, Mari Court is positioned just a short stroll or tram ride from the glitz of Surfers Paradise or festive Broadbeach, and a mere block away from beautiful golden beaches and surf. It is also neighbour to the almost
complete, iconic tri-tower Jewel development with its boutique dining and shopping outlets. A perfect resort for families and international guests, Mari Court also offers easy access to The Star Gold Coast, with its 24-hour casino, bars, lounges, restaurants and shows galore, the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre and Pacific Fair, one of Australia’s largest retail centres with more than 400 stores, cinemas, and casual dining. The real value however, is to be found on the property. Lush tropical gardens and story-book, winding pathways create a private oasis where guests can quite literally, ‘escape from it all’. The sprawling low-rise complex
features 58 standard one-, twoand three-bedroom apartments as well as one- and two-bedroom executive (newly renovated) apartments in easily-demarcated sections. All apartments are privately owned and individually furnished and feature balconies with idyllic pool or garden views, as well as split-system aircons or ceiling fans. Resident facilities include a heated swimming pool and spa, a modern and secure barbecue area, a 9-Hole putt putt course, games room and tour desk. There are even security cameras and overnight patrols. And while it appears that Steve and Karen were born to a life in hospitality, it’s simply not the case. Steve was in the police force
for many years and when asked about how and why they got into management rights, Steve says: “We had a number of friends who went into the industry, and about 15 years ago a close friend who was involved in management rights, moved away and convinced me to take on the chairperson/ treasurer role of a large scheme. We lived in Perth at the time so I commuted for a number of years. “12 Years ago, we moved to the Gold Coast and based on the potential of having ownership of our earnings and the opportunity to set ourselves up financially, we bought into Mari Court Resort via a management rights partnership. “The property was quite run down when we took it over,” says Steve.
Let our permanent team of Management Rights experts take care of you. DUE DILIGENCE • TAXATION • BUSINESS ADVICE • TRUST AUDITING FINANCE STRATEGIES • SALES FIGURES
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PROFILES
ResortNews | April, 2019
“Our goal was to improve it and add value, so we conducted a thorough audit, determined what the priorities were and started on a comprehensive renovation and refurbishment program that encompassed the foyer/ office area, the resurfacing of pool surrounds and barbecue area, the installation of high-tech pathway lighting in the gardens, new carpeting and painting in the stairwells and an upgrade of the manager’s residence. “As successful as the renovations have been,” adds Steve, “our greatest achievement has been the development of a sound and supportive relationship between ourselves and the committee. I would go as far as to say that the greatest factor in being successful in management rights, is the
establishment and nurturing of those relationships, and the best way of achieving that is to simply perform – do your job, and do it well – and then communicate openly and transparently about everything, from day one. Other sage advice from Steve is: “Don’t try to fix what’s not broken. You simply cannot do it all in one day. Have a plan, based on a realistic budget, surround yourself with reliable and skilled suppliers, and then take each day as it comes.” When asked how he sees the future of management rights, Steve says that the industry is changing rapidly, and that there are a number of factors to watch. “The sector that impacts on a management rights business the most is short-stays and
whether it’s OTAs, Airbnb or changing regulations, it’s a very fluid situation. “From the Sunshine Coast to the Gold Coast we’re seeing a greater mix of developments; combined buildings have different dynamics and are usually more complex to manage. The demographics of managers have changed and license or accreditation training isn’t keeping up. “The number of high-rises being developed has also increased significantly, impacting on investor sales and forcing out smaller operators. “The biggest concern however, are the reported numbers of owners moving back into units, ultimately reducing the available letting pool and therefore potential income.
Obviously if this happens enough, there is a very real danger of the property (and MLR business) becoming permanent lots only. “Ultimately,” concludes Steve, “my advice for anyone considering management rights would be to be selective. Take your time when reviewing properties and ensure that you have done all your due diligence carefully. Consult with the professionals, going as far as to get a second opinion if required, and speak with other managers so that you are well prepared. “Management rights is a challenging but rewarding industry; there is always more to do and more to learn.”
Climate Control has been supplying the Gold Coast, Southern Brisbane and Northern New South Wales regions with quality air conditioning services since 1977.
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Climate Control offers a complete range of air-conditioning services to meet your specific requirements including design, service, installation, repairs, parts and maintenance. We are commercial air conditioning specialist, servicing inverter split systems, ducted systems, multi-unit split systems, VRF units and commercial package systems. We are also fully experienced mechanical contractors and can assist with any enquiries you may have in regards to ductwork repairs and/or replacements, toilet exhaust fans, and car park exhaust systems. Contact our office and a member of our experienced team will visit with you to discuss your options and provide an obligation free quotation.
Call 07 5522 1044 | email: enquiries@climatecontrol.net.au | www.climatecontrol.net.au April, 2019 | ResortNews
PROFILES
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Stratacorp: committed to
making every deal a success QLD - NSW - VIC - WA
Proud to be associated with Stratacorp
Established in 2016, Stratacorp has very quickly established itself as a major force in the property development and sales of management rights, hotels and development across South East Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. With a clear focus on top-end properties and management rights of $1.5 million and above,
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PREFERRED SUPPLIER PROFILE
Stratacorp brings years of experience to the table, offering expert sales, management, development and investment services in management rights, hotels, ‘Over 50s’ lifestyle resorts (MHE) and childcare centres. Led by founder and director, Charles Nurse, Stratacorp boasts a small but dedicated team of property and accommodation industry professionals that possess a wealth of knowledge and expertise in management rights and real estate.
ResortNews | April, 2019
Since 2012, Charles has acted successfully for a large number of Australian operators and developers, and admits to being driven by the diversity and challenge of the property industry. With a business degree and extensive experience in sales and finance, he brings a professional, streamlined approach by being able to quickly assess the comparative advantages and disadvantages of various investment options, and articulate these clearly and simply. Turning over more than $30million per annum, Stratacorp has consulted on many successful projects and while they have a reputation of ‘cherry picking’, the entrepreneurial team can confidently liaise with industry professionals including bankers, financiers and accountants to lawyers and valuers. Their innate ability to determine what
sells and why, has amassed a loyal network of industry professionals and a database of investors ready to positively review each opportunity. When asked what Stratacorp does differently, Charles says: “While we’re passionate about changing lives and helping people to grow, our fundamental strength is communication; all aspects of it. We actively listen to what is being said [and sometimes even to what is not being said] and then look at ways to make it happen. We pride ourselves on being able to ‘see’ one step ahead, and even end up ‘playing chess’ with a stacked list of buildings; moving strategically to ensure that we achieve the result that everyone needs.”
collection as well as optimising marketing processes and internal management. “We liaise with building owners and developers to ensure that every existing or new property, investment and business opportunity has maximum appeal. With new projects we also work with the developer’s media team to create a
Stratacorp has also developed a number of smart systems and procedures that enable the automation and streamlining of upfront data
campaign tailored to each unique business opportunity. “We appreciate the importance of presenting a property in the very best way,” adds Charles. “We develop detailed IMs, supported by professional photography and are innovative in the way that we target and approach prospective buyers.
Trent Pevy and the team at Pevy Lawyers are proud to be associated with Stratacorp and share their complete commitment to the management rights industry. We wish Charles and Dustin every continued success.
Holman’s are extremely proud of our association with Stratacorp and look forward to working with them in the future.
April, 2019 | ResortNews
PREFERRED SUPPLIER PROFILE
57
We pride ourselves on being able to ‘see’ one step ahead, and even end up ‘playing chess’ with a stacked list of buildings “Stratacorp understands the investment property markets in Australia. In addition to an invaluable database of current and prospective buyers and property investors generated via extensive direct and indirect marketing campaigns, our management rights and investment opportunities are listed on all major commercial real estate sites. Stratacorp also offers Mandarin and Cantonese speakers to assist foreign buyers.” Speaking of their innovative approach, Charles says: “Management rights is a rapidly evolving industry based on a proven structure and involving a contract between the body corporate and management operator and offers outstanding returns. For developers seeking integration into new buildings, management rights will bring $millions in additional returns, increased unit sales, reduced (or eliminated) developer inputs and reduced project risk. So whether you are selling an existing management rights building or looking to purchase management rights, Stratacorp can help. At all times, our focus is on reducing risk and maximising ROI. Charles Nurse, Director, M +61 477 826 666, E charles@stratacorp.com
Red
F I N A N C E
“We are definitely not the biggest brokerage out there,
and we don’t want to be,” says Charles. “And while we don’t take on every listing, and won’t pitch just for the sake of it, Stratacorp offers sellers and buyers the opportunity to deal one-on-one with a growing team of young professionals, all of who have a full-time commitment to the management rights and property industry. “For sellers, Stratacorp will market your business or property via all major commercial real estate sites, and directly to our extensive database of known buyers. We have sold many medium to large business opportunities with hugely successful results. We also specialise in selling ‘off market’ opportunities should this direction be desired. “For buyers, Stratacorp specialises in creating great opportunities for both existing and new ‘off the plan’ developments with maximum returns. We will work with you to ensure that your requests can be met and specialise in matching both on and off market opportunities. For investors, the team at Stratacorp are specialists at working with developers and building owners to maximise potential ROI throughout the project and ensure the
Professional & friendly service Over 30 years finance experience Accommodation funding specialists
Nick Smith - 0450 179 677 www.redtenfinance.com.au nick@redtenfinance.com.au We are delighted to assist Charles & Dustin on meeting their clients financial requirements
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PREFERRED SUPPLIER PROFILE
ResortNews | April, 2019
best possible outcome. The entrepreneurial team at Stratacorp is committed to making every deal a success, providing simple, strategic solutions throughout the transaction and operation processes, and while primarily set up for established buildings in South East Queensland and Victoria, the Stratacorp vision includes an expansion into new areas in the near future. And even though it’s hard to believe that he does anything other than work hard, Charles admits to ‘playing’ just as hard. A true Cancerian, he is an avid aquatic person and during
‘down-time’ can be found kite surfing, boating, jet skiing, diving or snow skiing. He also has a strong interest in personal development and travels regularly in Australia and the United States to participate in related conferences and presentations.
TheManagement Rights Lawyers
For further information or to contact Charles Nurse, call 1800 111 622 or +61 7 5592 2832. Queensland Office: Level 18, 50 Cavil Ave, Surfers Paradise QLD 4217.
BUYING/SELLING ASSISTANCE
Victoria Office: Level 27, 60 City Road, Southbank VIC 3006.
OFF THE PLAN IMPLEMENTATION
We are proud of association with Charles & Dustin and look forward to working them on future transactions
RENEWAL STRATEGY
Management Rights & Motel Finance Pty Ltd
Interest only and flexible products Borrow 70% of the purchase price Arranged finance for over 1500 buildings Personal professional & timely service assured Free client service • 7 day access
DISPUTE RESOLUTION
Mahoneys is proud to work with Stratacorp
MARK RYALL
MOB: 0419 640 215 PH: 07 5564 1100 April, 2019 | ResortNews
mark@mrmfinance.com.au www.mrmfinance.com.au
www.mahoneys.com.au
PREFERRED SUPPLIER PROFILE
59
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ResortNews | April, 2019
The Preferred Supplier Programme assisting the industry For over 21 years in Australia the Preferred Supplier Programme and directory has been an extremely valuable and effective tool for accommodation managers.
Listed below are the stages of the process that ensure only the best industry suppliers can participate in the Preferred Supplier Programme: 1.
2.
3.
4.
All suppliers must receive a nomination from a property currently using their services that is completely satisfied with their levels of service and are prepared to recommend them to another complex in the industry (ie. if asked by another manager they could comfortably recommend the required supplier). All nominations received are then qualified through a secondary questionnaire process to ensure nominated suppliers are able to provide the highest levels of service required and expected by managers. Suppliers that still qualify are then asked to commit to the required levels of service for the next 12 months guaranteeing their commitment to the industry. Subject to the satisfaction of these processes and commitments suppliers then go on to the Preferred Supplier Database. Only Preferred Suppliers in this database have the opportunity to utilise the Preferred Supplier logo and make their contact details available to managers via the Preferred Supplier Directory, located in every April, 2019 | ResortNews
Specialist Advisers to the Accommodation & Hospitality Industry
Audits ~ Taxation Feasibilities ~ Due Diligence Reports McAdam Siemon Pty Ltd Specialist Accountants & Business Advisors to the Accommodation Industry
It allows managers to access industry specialists who are committed to the highest levels of service and dedicated to the accommodation and hospitality industries. This is extremely helpful for all accommodation providers but especially new managers as it allows them to benefit from the positive experiences other managers have had with their suppliers.
ACCOUNTANTS & AUDITORS
issue of Resort News (and online at accomnews.com. au/business-directory). 5.
Preferred suppliers have their status reviewed every 12 months to ensure they still qualify and that their commitment to the industry is being met.
With these criteria in place it means that you as a manager have access to a complete range of specialist suppliers who are actively seeking to improve their services to the accommodation industry.
• Verification reports • P&L for Sale • Motel Due Diligence • Motel Business Plans • Trust Account Audits • Training & Setup on Cloud Accounting Software for MR and Motels
All Engagements Are Fixed Price. Brisbane: 07 3421 3421 shodgetts@mcadamsiemon.com.au Noosa Heads: 07 5474 8955 Buderim: 07 5408 4622 porielley@mcadamsiemon.com.au
07 5631 6900 info@hostrata.com.au www.hostrata.com.au
Specialist Business Advisors to the Management and Letting Industry • Due Diligence Reports • Trust Account Audits • Structure Advice & Tax Compliance Brisbane Level 4, 97 Creek St, Brisbane Gold Coast Level 3, Southport Central 3, 9 Lawson St, Southport
Smiljan Jankovic 0423 595 910 SmiljanJ@archergowland.com.au
www.archergowland.com.au www.mcadamsiemon.com.au
Due diligence reports
For your own peace of mind when dealing with any supplier ask if they are a Preferred Supplier. This can be verified by viewing a Preferred Supplier logo – made available for use in any of their stationery or marketing material or more simply by locating them in the Preferred Supplier Directory.
Structure and taxation advice Trust account auditing Risk and superannuation Telephone 07 55202144 Paul Shannon paul@brownandbenson.com.au www.brownandbenson.com.au
So when looking for products or services give yourself the peace of mind that you are dealing with a recognised industry specialist and support these suppliers who are committed to servicing your needs. ■
Specialist Management Rights Accountants
Contact : PETER MEYERS 155 Varsity Pde, Varsity Lakes, Qld 4227 t : (07) 5630 6559 m : 0402 943 549 e : peter@pmag.com.au
ABSEILING SERVICES accountants
Bob is over the moon, because he chose Alltech to repaint his Apartment Building...
Be like Bob!
Experienced Management Rights Accountants • P&L for Sale • Bank Financials • All Tax Compliance • Purchaser Due Diligence
Fixed Price Available
Call today (07) 5493 4150 and get excited !
(07) 5343 1000
Ask for David at the Mooloolaba Office or Ask for Angela at the Noosa Office
managementrights@ascendia.com.au
www.ascendia.com.au
PREFERRED SUPPLIER DIRECTORY
www.pmag.com.au
Due Diligence Auditing Taxation Business Advice 07 5557 8700 Paul Gaffney
mail@mbapartnership.com.au mail@mbapartn
www.mbapartnership.com.au www.mbapartn www.managementrightsaustralia.net
61
AIR CONDITIONING
BEDS & BEDDING
BODY CORPORATE MANAGERS
Online Wherever, Whenever! www.accomnews.com.au/business-directory
Structuring Income Verification Audit Accounting/Taxation SMSF Estate Planning
A H A P PY GUEST
Email: jhanaghan@jonathangrant.com.au
Phone 07 5534 4333
07 3220 9400 abcm.com.au
Industry leaders with an active approach to body corporate management
STARTS WITH When your Business Needs a Tune or a Service
A GOOD N I G H T 'S R E S T
• Bookkeeping • Marketing • Business Management • Human Resources
Where Value & Service are No.1!
www.businessmechanic.com.au (02) 6583 8386
1300 654 000 ahbeardcommercial.com
pbbconsult - Chartered Accountants Specialist Accommodation Industry Advisers QLD/NSW/VIC Ph: (07) 5449 9992 W: www.pbbconsult.com.au
- GOLD COAST MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANTS management rights income verification management rights trust account auditing preparation of bank review / re-finance figures
phone 07 5575 9649 | mobile 0411 841 868 erikathomas@bigpond.com www.managementrightsauditor.com.au
Hi-Rise Air Conditioning New name... Bigger range...
manufacturers of quality bedding QUALITY WITHOUT COMPROMISE
with the same great
service
- SUNSHINE COAST “YOUR GUIDING LIGHT ON MANAGEMENT RIGHTS”
Personal Service. Trusted Advice.
Gold Coast: (07) 5592 0266 w w w. L M g o l d s t a r. c o m . a u
FACTORY PRICES DIRECT
Personal, Professional, Reliable Service Brisbane to Far North Queensland
P:07 5443 3138
F:07 5443 3334 sunshine@selectstrata.com.au www.selectstrata.com.au
strata title consultants & body corporate managers
Sunshine Coast (07) 5446 7541 Cairns (07) 4032 5133 www.themattresscompany.com.au
Your Sunshine Coast
Management Rights Specialists FOR OVER 20 YEARS
Verification Reports - Due Diligences Tax Planning & Structures For Sale Figures - Auditing Tax & Accounting FIRST INTERVIEW FREE! Greg Kamp FCPA FTI
07 5443 7789
Supplying the Gold Coast, Southern Brisbane and Northern New South Wales regions with quality air conditioning services since 1977.
Call 07 5522 1044
enquiries@climatecontrol.net.au
www.climatecontrol.net.au
1800 425 903
sleepmakercommercial.com.au
BEDSPREADS & BEDCOVERING PRODUCTS
www.kampba.com.au
07 5341 6500 bcs_sunshinecoast@bcssm.com.au
ASBESTOS REMOVAL BROCHURE DISPLAY
“Holbrook House” 48-50 Sugar Road Maroochydore
info@kampba.com.au
Talk to our body corporate experts.
ALL ASBESTOS REMOVED - QUEENSLAND WIDE
Sunshine Coast Brochure Display The regions’ original and leading brochure service and provider of information displays
Accounting & Taxation Trust Account Audits Tax Planning & Structures
07 5499 6222
P: 5456 4018 Eagle_Dad_Print.pdf 1 31/03/15 10:47 AM E: renee@rcbaccounting.com.au W: rcbaccounting.com.au BATHROOM RENOVATIONS
info@SunshineCoastBrochureDisplay.com.au
- NORTH QUEENSLAND C
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www.SunshineCoastBrochureDisplay.com.au
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Look for the sign of an Industry Specialist
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Find them online Wherever, Whenever!
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www.accomnews.com.au/business-directory
62
PREFERRED SUPPLIER DIRECTORY
ResortNews | April, 2019
BUILDING MAINTENANCE
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS
CLEANING CONTRACTORS
SEE THE SPECIALISTS IN L.E.D. REPLACEMENT LIGHTING
Repairs - Maintenance - Installations Testing & Repairs of Emergency Lighting Appliance Repairs
(07) 5591 9191 office@emerlite.com.au www.emerlite.com.au
QLD LIC. 9107 NSW LIC. EC29426
Risk or Repair? ASSET MAINTENANCE
• CONCRETE FATIGUE & CRACKING? • WATER INGRESS? • POOL JOINTS FAILED; TANKS? • BASEMENT LEAKING; RISING DAMP? • ROOF MEMBRANES FAILED? • CAR PARK JOINTS?
LIFESTYLE
CLEANING
ENERGY MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS & SERVICES
RESORT & COMMERCIAL CLEANING
S
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SERVICING THE SUNSHINE COAST FOR OVER 15 YEARS
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Reservations and Trust Accounting
0435 818 380
www.hirisemaintenance.com hirisemaintenance@gmail.com
CARPET & CARPET TILES
Serving the Gold Coast
Management Rights Specialists
Daily Reconciliation – Systematic Distribution
MAINTENANCE PTY LTD
PAINTING, ABSEIL ANCHOR INSTALL & CERTIFICATION, BUILDING WASHDOWNS, SIGN INSTALLATION, CONCRETE CANCER REPAIRS, SEALING REPAIRS/WATERPROOFING, WINDOW CLEANING & GENERAL MAINTENANCE
EE
FROM NOOSA TO KAWANA
HIRISE
FINANCE
FR
jporter01@bigpond.com
d an d o io ad m er lo de ial p wn tr do a vi
CIWREMEDIAL.COM.AU
Meter Provider Bulk Conversion Asset Management
Energy Tendering Tariff Review Meter Reading
Bill Presentment Payments & Receipting Debt Collection
David: 0421 618 566 1300 88 53 70 service@ciwremedial.com.au
QUALITY, COST EFFECTIVE UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE & BILLING ADMINISTRATION
S
A professional service for resort cleaning
✆5474 3299 FAX 6474 3099
Year 1 $1,100 Year 1 $990
Holiday Resident
Motels, caravan parks etc. from $220 to $330 p.a.
Puma Light
CLEANING CONTRACTORS - REFUSE CHUTES
Year 2+ $599 Year 2+ $440
No trust accounting
Phone (07) 5446 2135
www.pumasoftware.com.au
Shute Cleaning Services Pty Ltd
Chute Cleaning / Upgrading - All Repairs - Associated Work TWEED HEADS / GOLD COAST TO SUNSHINE COAST / NOOSA Mb:0437 542 968 E: shuteman@ymail.com
CURTAINS & CURTAIN FABRIC
Gold Coast Paul Geary
0401 992 632
Brisbane Lina Jin Blake McLucas
0422 646 388 0434 367 812
Sunshine Coast / Noosa Mark Hancock
0411 023 531
Sunshine Coast / Lake Kawana Bruce Baird 0411 772 182 Suzanne Copelin 0428 385 923 Townsville Brett Sievers
COMPUTER SOFTWARE
0422 009 731
Cairns / Northern Beaches Patrick Brown 0401 141 276 Port Douglas Patrick Brown
0401 141 276
Expert Advice • Great Range Friendly Service • Quick Turn Around
M 0476 327 736 darrensbsc@bigpond.com
www.wizardcarpets.com
CARPET & FURNITURE CLEANING/PROTECTION
• We clean carpets, tiles, mattresses and upholstery • Professional maintenance and emergency cleans • Water extraction and flood restoration
Across the Sunshine Coast Call 0438 302 591 www.firstresort.com.au April, 2019 | ResortNews
Trust Accounting Module Built-in CRM Channel Manager Automatic Communications Cloud & Desktop Solutions 99% of our support requests
darrensblindsshutterscurtains.com
ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
Quality Electrical Appliances
are attended to within 20 mins
New name... Bigger range...
Mention this ad to receive 3 months FREE subscription
with the same great
1800 671 179
www.reimaster.com.au * Contact us for the T&C’s
Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ) ABN 11 005 357 522. Australian Credit Licence Number 234527. ANZ’s colour blue is a trade mark of ANZ. Item No. 75143 06.2013 W349544
Whatever, Wherever, Whenever! service
Personal Service. Trusted Advice.
Gold Coast: (07) 5592 0266 w w w. L M g o l d s t a r. c o m . a u
PREFERRED SUPPLIER DIRECTORY
www.accomnews.com.au/ business-directory
Look for the sign of an Industry Specialist
63
The sign of an Industry Specialist.
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Management Rights Finance Specialists
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Brisbane: 07 3252 2219 • Gold Coast: 07 5576 7059 enquiries@pcsfinance.com.au
Whatever, Wherever, Whenever! www.accomnews.com.au/business-directory
FURNITURE - OUTDOOR
Suppliers of Quality Commercial Outdoor Furniture & Accessories • New Chairs • Tables • Sun Lounges • Umbrellas • Cushions & Accessories • Prompt Service Guaranteed REPAIRS - RESLINGS AND SUPPLY OF REPLACEMENT SLINGS TO P.V.C AND ALUMINIUM OUTDOOR FURNITURE
www.pcsfinance.com.au
- NORTH QUEENSLAND -
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0418 765 257
www.casualfurniture.com.au
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coastalcasualoutdoors@gmail.com
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VISIT OUR SHOWROOM AT: Unit 4, No. 2 Cnr Captain Cook Drive and Kendor St, Arundel, QLD
FLOOR COVERINGS
Buy direct from our friendly family business and save... ACL (364 314)
W I D E
3 ! ,. 'W #&
GYMNASIUM EQUIPMENT
Residential & Commercial Floor Coverings * Carpets, Carpet Tiles and Vinyl ecialists * In stock lines, short ends, room sizes Sp since 1987 * Rental Properties (Budget Lines) * Engineered Timber, Bamboo and Laminate
Unit 1/41 Olympic Circuit, Southport, QLD, 4215 P: 07 5571 1177 F: 07 5503 0057 Leon Bell: 0466 912 786
www.southportcarpetsqld.com
FURNITURE
A U S T R A L I A
Est. 1987
INSURANCE
Commercial Specialist Direct Importers Sales, Service & Repairs ¾LARGEST RANGE¾FURNITURE ¾UMBRELLAS¾SUN LOUNGES Cnr Main Drive & Nicklin Way, Warana, Qld 4575 | Ph 07 5493 4277 Acres Centre, 1/37 Gibson Rd Noosaville 4566 | Ph 07 5449 9336
www.daydreamleisure.com.au sales@daydreamleisure.com.au
GLASS INSTALLATION/REPAIRS
fresh finance... Mike Phipps
0448 813 090
mike@mikephippsfinance.com.au
Paul Grant 0448 417 754 paul@mikephippsfinance.com.au Cameron Wicking
0477 776 859
cameron@mikephippsfinance.com.au
Specialising in furniture for hotels, motels, serviced apartments, resorts and refurbishments
4/31 Mary Street, Noosaville, Qld - 07 5470 2194
1300 876 055
www.mikephippsfinance.com.au
dennis@hotelinteriors.com.au www.hotelinteriors.com.au
TAILORED FURNITURE SOLUTIONS
Red
F I N A N C E
Professional & friendly service Over 30 years finance experience Accommodation funding specialists
Simply send their details with a short testimonial to: psp@resortpublishing.com.au or call (07) 5440 5322
Nick Smith - 0450 179 677 www.redtenfinance.com.au nick@redtenfinance.com.au PPS3955_A
64
Reward your best suppliers by nominating them for the Preferred Supplier Programme.
info@perps.com.au 1300 884 914 www.perps.com.au
They’ll thank you for it!
PREFERRED SUPPLIER DIRECTORY
ResortNews | April, 2019
Whatever, Wherever, Whenever!
The sign of an Industry Specialist.
AUSTRALIA’S LEADING MANAGEMENT RIGHTS BROKER
www.accomnews.com.au/business-directory
Specialising in management rights sales Australia wide
LINEN &/OR LINEN GOODS
Thinking of Buying or Selling? For the right advice contact the experienced management rights brokers today
Looking for cover?
Phone: 1300 928 556 Email: sales@mrsales.com.au
• Residential & Commerical Strata • Resort and Accommodation • Professional Indemnity • Resident Unit Managers • Property Insurance
Head Office: Suite 1 Ground Floor Equinox Sun Resort, 3458 Main Beach Parade, Surfers Paradise Qld 4217
Australia’s Leading Hotel Bedding Suppliers
For an informal chat on your insurances, contact the team: 07 3387 1900 beenleigh@ajg.com.au
www.mrsales.com.au
www.accomnews.com.au/ business-directory
07 5437 8544
ref2076-0518-1.1
AUSTRALIA’S LEADER IN MANAGEMENT RIGHTS, MOTEL, HOTEL & CARAVAN PARK SALES
info@mainlinen.com MAIL BOXES
Nationwide
1300 665 966
…When you need us most!
Business Strata Landlord Protection
Quality Aust Products to meet All Building & Government Standards
P: (07) 5596 1440 E: info@sunni.com.au
Call us today on (07) 3720 6000 or email: quotes.brisbane@mga.com
YOUR PARTNERS IN SUCCESS
MANAGEMENT RIGHTS AGENTS
Management Rights Insurance Specialists stry e indu Leading insurance broker to th
Narelle Filmer 0459 229 744
Wayne & Linda Stoll 0452 181 505
www.thinkmanagementrights.com.au
Property Bridge ▪ MANAGEMENT RIGHTS ▪ RESORTS
Calvin Bailey LREA
Discreet Silent Listings Free Market Appraisals
0414 889 593 calvin@cbmr.com.au
Alex Barker-Re LREA 0414 835 128 alex@cbmr.com.au
Supporting and servicing the needs of both buyers and sellers of management rights throughout Tropical North Queensland PO Box 1037 Gordonvale 4865 • P 07 4056 6366
info@resortsales.com • www.resortsales.com
CALVINBAILEYMANAGEMENTRIGHTS.COM.AU
Professional Indemnity Public Liability Loss of fee income Home & Office contents Landlords ...and more
Bobo Qi 0438 027 771
SPECIALIST AGENTS COMMITTED TO MAKING EVERY DEAL A SUCCESS
1800 111 622
www.managementrightscover.com.au
LIFTS - MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS
2017 Winner of the Gold Coast’s Best Emerging Business
Servicing: Australia Wide & Offshore
1300 851 554 info@orbitzelevators.com.au www.orbitzelevators.com.au
The sign of an Industry Specialist. www.accomnews.com.au/ business-directory
WWW.STRATACORP.COM
Specialists in management rights Off the plan sales qld & victoria Buying or selling best advice Rod Askew 0411 758 236 (QLD & VIC) Eric Brizuela 0413 060 683 (QLD) Philip Robison 0410 663 111 (VIC) Nationwide: 07 3554 0040 Email: sales@rcabb.com.au
Rhonda Perkins 0418 767 115
info@propertybridge.com.au www.propertybridge.com.au
PAINTERS & DECORATORS
www.rcabusinessbrokers.com.au
In All Areas . . .
Whether buying or selling we have you covered U Gold Coast U Brisbane U Sunshine Coast U Townsville U Cairns . . . & Beyond
MOTELS, CARAVAN PARKS, HOTELS & MHE’S NATIONAL COVERAGE sales@tourismbrokers.com.au 1300 512 566 www.tourismbrokers.com.au The M anagem ent Right s S pecialist s SUNSHINE COAST
MANAGEMENT RIGHTS RN006
RUGECU009-190402
Discount for ARAMA members
April, 2019 | ResortNews
Andrew Morgan m 0417 608 041 p 07 4953 1611 | w qthb.com.au
Think – Buying or Selling Management Rights
DELIVERIES QLD WIDE – INSTALLATION & SERVICE IN SE QLD
With quick quote turnaround and hassle-free claims service
AFSLN 246986 ABN 31 009 179 640
Specialising in Motel & Resort Sales Qld wide
resortbrokers.com.au
MGA was founded in 1975 and has since opened up 38 offices around Australia, offering Insurance products for:
Call 1800 688 820
Whatever, Wherever, Whenever!
Phone 07 55 930 007 www.raas.com.au
Matt Campbell 0410 343 219 Barry Davies 0438 554 995 contact@managementrights.com
Aust ralian Resort M anagem ent S ales
www.managementrights.com
PREFERRED SUPPLIER DIRECTORY
65
• Painting • Grounds Maintenance
Reward your best suppliers by nominating them for the Preferred Supplier Programme.
& Landscaping • Signage & Branding
SOLICITORS
• Electrical Services • Audio Visual • Data Communications • Sustainability
Call 1800 620 911 or 07 3718 1600
Simply send their details with a short testimonial to: psp@resortpublishing.com.au or call (07) 5440 5322 They’ll thank you for it!
programmed.com.au
MANAGEMENT
RIGHTS AND MOTEL
EXPERTS EXPERIENCE COUNTS We have the largest team of specialists across Queensland and New South Wales, covering management rights and motels businesses.
Find them online Wherever, Whenever! www.accomnews.com.au/business-directory
ASBESTOS REMOVAL QUEENSLAND WIDE
FREE CALL
1800 766 366
FREE QUOTES &ADVICE
GET THE RIGHT ADVICE Don’t put your accommodation industry investment at risk. Our industry knowledge is second to none.
CONTACT US
PEST CONTROL Specialising in: Hi-Rise Repaints Large Complexes Interior and Exterior Hi-Pressure Cleaning Concrete Spalling Repair (Concrete Cancer) Waterproofing & Roof Membranes
Servicing Brisbane & Gold Coast
PEST
PEST-NETT SERVICES
CALL TODAY TO GET YOUR PEST PROBLEMS SOLVED
Residential &Commercial
Call Now 07 3206 6721 www.terminett.com
Receive the best information. Subscribe today to receive continual practical, useful and relevant content.
Visit hyneslegal.com.au/subscribe or call +61 7 3193 0500 info@hyneslegal.com.au www.hyneslegal.com.au
LOCALLY-OWNED FOR OVER 25 YEARS
Ph 5520 1256
www.anppainting.com.au QBCC Lic No 1050861 NSW Lic No 179886C
SHEET METAL
Experienced Management Rights Lawyers • Purchase or Sale
We deliver
strategic solutions in management rights Buying or selling
Fixed Price Available
Stainless Steel Handrails Restaurant Fit-Outs Exhaust Duct Work Ph 07 5593 4183 Fx 07 5593 4194 | M 0413 432 294
(07) 5343 1000
Renewing or reviewing Negotiation and dispute resolution
Michael Kleinschmidt Legal Practitioner Director
Ask for Natalie
www.stratumlegal.com.au
managementrights@ascendia.com.au
PH: 07 5406 1280
www.ascendialawyers.com.au
info@stratumlegal.com.au
Leading Sunshine Coast Law Firm
adrian@sheetmetalimprovements.com.au
COOLANGATTA TO BEENLEIGH
SIGNS
The sign of an Industry Specialist. www.amalgamatedgroup.com.au info@amalgamatedgroup.com.au
66
Whatever, Wherever, Whenever! www.accomnews.com.au/business-directory
PREFERRED SUPPLIER DIRECTORY
Need advice regarding: • Buying / Selling • Legal due diligence reports • Variations including top up of term • Renewals/Extensions • Management & Letting Agreements • Body Corporate Issues • Off Plan Developments Get it right the first time…call
Griffiths Parry Lawyers T: 5390 1400 www.gplaw.com.au
ResortNews | April, 2019
SWIMMING POOL SUPPLIES/REPAIRS
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
The sign of an Industry Specialist.
Classes from Coolangatta to Cairns TRAINED BY THE EXPERTS
VALUERS - REAL ESTATE RELAX… AND LET US TAKE CARE OF ALL YOUR POOL NEEDS.
MANAGEMENT RIGHTS VALUATION SPECIALISTS
◆ DEDICATED ACCOUNT MANAGER for Orders, Installs, Service and Sales ◆ COMPLIMENTARY equipment assessment – why not get a 2nd opinion ◆ YOU WON’T BE DISAPPOINTED ◆ PRICE IS IMPORTANT, but so is SERVICE AND SUPPORT 9/99 LOWER WEST BURLEIGH ROAD, BURLEIGH HEADS, QUEENSLAND 4220
PHONE: 07 5535 6161
EMAIL: POOLGEAR@BIGPOND.COM
WWW.POOLGEARAUSTRALIA.COM.AU
1800 080 349 www.propertytraining.edu.au TV & VIDEO HIRE/REPAIRS
Australian Valuers have proven to be the No.1 choice for this highly specialised work. Our valuation team operate on a national level providing advice to the majority of Australia’s Banks
australianvaluers.com.au mlr@australianvaluers.com.au 1800 664 094
Appliance Rentals The Management Rights Lawyers
Heat Pumps
New name... Bigger range...
Proudly installed and serviced
Servicing Resident Managers throughout Australia
with the same great
BRISBANE: 07 3007 3777 GOLD COAST: 07 5562 2959 info@mahoneys.com.au
service
www.mahoneys.com.au
SPECIALIST EXPERIENCE IN MANAGEMENT RIGHTS Short Punch & Greatorix Cnr Bundall Rd & Crombie Ave Surfers Paradise PO Box 5164, GCMC, Bundall QLD 9726 Fax: 5539 8745 Email: mnp@spglawers.com.au
Call Martin Punch on 5570 9304
CERVETTO COURTICE
Noosa 5449 7855 | Maroochydore 5443 2111 Caloundra 5438 1588 Personal Service. Trusted Advice.
20
Gold Coast: (07) 5592 0266 w w w. L M g o l d s t a r. c o m . a u
• equipment • repairs • regular servicing • maintenance • chemical supplies • swimming aids & toys
153 Cooyar Street, Noosa Junction (07) 5447 3896 shop@noosapoolandspa.com
The sign of Whatever, an Industry Wherever, Specialist. Whenever!
L AW Y E R S
Q U E E N S L A N D
Management Rights Sales & Purchases Phone: (07) 3202 2266 Fax: (07) 3812 1128 Email: cervetto@gil.com.au
Flood Legal offers all the experience & expertise of a big firm while delivering accessible, personal & affordable service that comes with dealing with a small firm
Reward your best suppliers by nominating them for the Preferred Supplier Programme.
Call Sharon Flood, Director - 0459 070 871 or 02 6674 5118 sharon.flood@floodlegal.com.au - www.floodlegal.com.au
The sign of an Industry Specialist. April, 2019 | ResortNews
Simply send their details with a short testimonial to: psp@resortpublishing.com.au or call (07) 5440 5322
They’ll thank you for it! PREFERRED SUPPLIER DIRECTORY
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Tourism Innovators CONFERENCE
JUNE 18 - 21
RACV ROYAL PINES, GOLD COAST