Business Resource & Lifestyle Magazine Issue #66

GWP M a g a z i n e s

S YD NEY

BUS I N E S S

SYDNEY - ISSUE 66 | JUNE 2014

M A G A Z I N E

S I N C E

2 0 0 5

Factional Cancer Riddles Politics in NSW Page 14

The Budget isn’t Tough Enough Page 16

The Era of Entitlement... verses the Age of Reason

Page 32

The Australian Meat Industry A national treasure...

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Editor and Publisher: Dmitry Greku Cover Story: Adrian Payne Contributing Writers: Charlie Lynn Angry Anderson Daniel Moisyeyev Karen Doughty Erin Adams Adrian Payne

Stephen Frost Zoltan Jorden

Art Director: Svetlana Greku Executive Officer: Daniel Moisyeyev Director of Public Relations: Angry Anderson Cover Design and Cover Story Layout Xabier Goñi, XDesigns Printing: Pegasus Print Group Business Resource & Lifestyle Magazine® is published by GWP Media® and GWP Magazines® ABN: 82 096 352 064 www.gwpmagazine.com.au Office Address: Unit 31, 7 Hoyle Avenue, Castle Hill, NSW 2154 International Standard Serial Number ISSN 1837-199X Advertising Enquiries p | 1300 889 132 e | info@gwpmagazine.com.au To Subscribe w | www.gwpmagazine.com.au

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

CONTENTS

CONTENTS 28 20 Cover Story

Regulars

Features

Australian Meat Industry - a National Treasure ...

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

16 The Budget isn’t Tough

Adrian Payne

18 What Projects are in The Hills Shire Plan? The Hills Shire Council

Regulars EDITOR’S LETTER

Diplomacy … a Business Imperative! Dmitry Greku LEADERSHIP

14 Factional Cancer Riddles

Politics in NSW

Greener If You Nurture

Your Existing Staff

Explosive Growth in the Development Market

Karen Doughty

Parramatta City Council

26 The Time to Act is Now!

BUSINESS ADVICE

Customer Service, What Level of Service are You Providing? Erin Adams SOCIETY & LIFE

Charlie Lynn

24 The Grass Can be

20 Parramatta’s

Enough Daniel Moisyeyev

Stephen Frost

28 How Bartercard Can

Help Business Owners to Grow Their Business

30 Glass Films and Decoration

Zoltan Jorden

The Era of Entitlement,.. verses the Age of Reason

Angry Anderson

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

EDITOR’S LETTER

Diplomacy … A Business Imperative! Dmitry Greku, M. Sc. - Editor and Publisher - GWP Magazines®

I think that diplomacy is one of the most important qualities in a business person. Not only should we recognise we have it and that it’s a necessary business attribute, but that we will need to use it on a regular basis. An honest approach is always a safe approach. At least if we know where we are with someone or a business, then neither party is wasting time and money on ‘nice’ polite conversations or pretentious relationships that we really don’t value. Usually such relationships give nothing back and only soak up a lot of resources and generate unnecessary pressures. Diplomacy used to no effect is probably dishonest! In my opinion a great client is someone who was kind enough to trust me to do something for them in exchange for some of their money. I was thinking about this social aspect of a business relationship… how much people must trust you personally, if they trust you with their money. No need for diplomacy here, ‘trust’ does the job. We do a lot of transactions every day which are, on the one hand, purely business and part of our economy, but on the other, there’s a social aspect to every transaction because it’s a recognition of professionalism, trust and respect from another human being who happens to be a client. We all loose a client from time-to-time, at least I hope I’m not the only one who occasionally has to give way to a competitor. But I’m sure we’d be unlikely to find a business person who would deliberately upset a client and tell them ‘you will no longer be receiving my goods or services’. Special circumstances do exist where that might happen, but it’s not diplomatic and is likely to spoil a possible future relationship. Mind you, it seems that telling a business partner something like that is a luxury that sometimes politicians give themselves, at our expense!

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

For example, in this issue we decided to run a cover-story on the long-suffering but still great and strong Australian Meat Industry. Diplomacy didn’t seem to be an option when left-wing journos turned a couple of minutesworth of footage into a disaster for the whole cattle economy and thousands of Australian families; families who had been growing cattle for years to sell to Indonesia. The whole industry, people’s lives and businesses were in ruins after this footage went to air on Australian TV as thousands of Australian animals were stopped from being shipped overseas. Animal cruelty at abattoirs in Indonesia was the reason for this. Which certainly is a problem, no question. But instead of resolving the issue and going ahead with the sale of cattle, the resolution seemed unbelievably simple for those who overnight, managed to stir up a shrill public voice yelling ‘no’ meant an ‘absolute no’ - so stop the ships! Nobody wants animals to be cruelly treated, but was this an acceptable outcome for others? In my view, and I don’t belong to a family of cattle growers, it was painful to think about something like this happening to any business. As a consequence of public opinion and the government knee-jerk reaction, we later heard from the media that in the midst of the fuss, animals in transit had started starving to death, because farmers didn’t have any resources to feed them. Some simply shot their cattle as they couldn’t see them suffer.

Australia immediately lost a multi-million dollar deal supplying meat to Russia. This was simply due to a complete lack of understanding by our PM’s advisers about the history of mankind and the history of Russia and Ukraine in particular. Spare a thought for the cattle businesses that copped a direct hit from that one remark! That situation could have been so different had a bit of thoughtful diplomacy been applied. Government advisers should do their homework instead of thoughtlessly reacting to whatever media sensationalists enjoy throwing at them. Stupidity and failure to think through the consequences does start wars, it does cripple businesses, it ruins whole economies and kills otherwise good healthy people. One well-known rule in business says: ‘If you’re not good enough and can’t do something yourself, then hire someone who can.’ My personal extension to this is: …’or just keep it quiet and go get a proper job.’ (Think carefully if the job ad is looking for a diplomat!) Have a great day. Take care of yourselves and your clients. G

Here’s another one … not so long ago, Tony Abbott, who generally I respect, told Mr Putin to ‘back off’. Was it a direct ‘order’ from our ‘diplomatic’ friends in Washington DC? or another silly attempt by our PM to show how important and not very smart we are when it comes to Australian foreign policy responses? The result of that ill-considered comment was that

e | editor@gwpmagazine.com.au

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1300 889 132 Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June June2014 2014

GREAT AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIES

The Australian Meat Industry -

A national treasure...

oday, Australia is among the world’s largest, most successful and efficient producers of commercial livestock and a leader in the export of red meat.

Cattle were first brought down-under by the First Fleet in 1788. Five cows and two bulls of the Indian Zebu breed were purchased at Cape Town. They were not intended to be eaten but to be used for transporting goods and for breeding. The cattle soon strayed and were found about seven years later in a herd of about sixty. By 1820, there were around 54,000 head of cattle in Australia, the largest herds were owned by John Macarthur and the Reverend Samuel Marsden. By 1840, only 58 years after the landing of the first fleet, there were 371,699 head of cattle living on the Australian landscape. The gold rushes in the 1850’s created a strong demand for meat, all the new miners were hard workers and had ravenous appetites. Because

there was a demand for beef, drovers moved their cattle from Sydney as far west as the Kimberleys in Western Australia. When droving, the cattle sometimes had to swim as much as 80 metres in fast-flowing water. Nowadays, the cattle are transported across country by semi-trailer. The off-farm meat value of Australia’s beef industry today is $12.3 billion. It’s estimated that Australians ate around 32.5kg per person in 2012-13. In the same year we exported 67% of Australia’s total beef and veal production to more than 100 countries and the beef industry makes up 13% of total Australian farm exports. Our largest export market for beef is Japan, followed by the US and South Korea.

Business BusinessResource Resource&&Lifestyle Lifestyle | | Issue Issue66 66 | | June 2014

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY By-products from the Beef and Cattle Industry are used in the manufacture of medicine, soap and glue as well as leather products from the hides. Without Australia’s Beef Industry, Australia would not be such a lucky country. Pigs have been part of civilisation for thousands of years. The earliest records of pigs are in cave paintings in Europe that date back more than twenty-thousand years. Like cattle, pigs came with the First Fleet in 1788 when there were fortynine in the colony. There is no evidence that there were pigs in Australia before white men arrived. Pigs were once thought to be unintelligent. Actually, they are both intelligent and sensitive animals, smarter than dogs and most species of monkeys. When the pig-meat industry began, animals roamed about in a muddy patch in one small paddock. These days Australian conditions demand that pigs for the meat industry are largely kept inside. In Queensland, in 1997/8 the estimated gross value of pork production was more than a hundred and fifty-five million dollars. A large part of this was exported to other states. New knowledge, science and technology and a desire to meet the changing needs of customers has produced very different pig farms from those in previous decades. Nevertheless, pigs are profitable animals, they grow quickly and mature early.

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

The national sheep flock, now at around 68.1 million head, is down on the historical highs of 1960 when it reached 170 million and we really did have an economy that ‘rode on the sheep’s back’. This evolutionary change reflects a more competitive international fibre market, land use changes in the agricultural sector and more recently, the ravages of drought.

The national sheep flock is on about 43,760 properties where there are about 44.9 million breeding ewes altogether, one-year and older. Major prime-lamb production areas include the NSW Riverina, the Murray region and high rainfall areas in south-west Victoria and eastern South Australia . In 2012-13, Australians ate 9.7kg of lamb and

GREAT AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIES 0.3kg of mutton per person. In that same year, our producers exported 51% of all lamb and 96% of all mutton they produced. The Middle East, where the population is largely Muslim, is the biggest Australian market for lamb exports - 29%, and mutton exports - 34%. Halal describes what is lawful for Muslims to eat.

The standard for meat production in Australia is that all animals must be effectively stunned (unconscious) prior to slaughter. The vast majority of halal slaughter in Australia complies with this standard. The only difference with halal slaughter is that it uses a reversible stunning method, while conventional humane slaughter uses an irreversible stunning method. Halal slaughter in

(Jewish slaughter rules) for the domestic market. These are effectively exemptions from standard Australian slaughter practice. The proportion of animals slaughtered under these exemptions is very small. In 2003 a broad-ranging investigation into Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s livestock export industry chaired by Dr John Keniry recommended a range of initiatives to improve animal welfare conditions in the livestock export trade including better infrastructure to reduce livestock stress or injury and training for feedlot, abattoir and transport staff in overseas markets. Australia now leads the world in animal welfare practices. The government and the livestock export industry are working cooperatively with our trading partners to address post-arrival welfare concerns and to improve the transportation, handling and slaughter practices of livestock in overseas abattoirs. The government jointly funds a number of projects with the live export industry to improve infrastructure and training to promote better animal handling and slaughter practices.

Caption

It lists a range of beverages and foods (including meat) that are acceptable. Halal food laws are based on interpretation of the Quran, the Muslim scripture. Before halal slaughter, the invocation of Allahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name over the animal is required. Halal slaughter in Australia may differ from halal slaughter overseas because of the differing interpretations of the Quran.

overseas abattoirs often does not include stunning at all - this is the key difference between halal slaughter in Australia and many other countries. There are instances where the relevant Australian state or territory meat-inspection authority can approve an abattoir for ritual slaughter without prior stunning - under either halal or kosher

But the export of live animals is becoming more and more controversial especially among animal welfare organisations like the RSPCA. There is a growing number of abattoirs in Australia that are attempting to slaughter in such a way as to provide acceptable chilled, halal meat for overseas Muslim customers, instead of exporting live animals, subjecting them to an unpleasant ocean voyage and possible cruelty in unregulated slaughter-houses. For all that, the live export industry is still an important part of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vibrant and growing livestock industry. In 2009 the live export sector earned $996.5 million and underpinned the employment of around 10,000 people in rural and regional areas.

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY Australia is a relatively small producer of goat meat and certainly not a huge consumer, but is the world leader in goat meat exports. The industry has room for growth as it currently remains constrained by several aspects including inconsistent supply and quality. Supply chains need to be developed to better meet the needs of potential markets and add value to the industry. Australian goat slaughter in 2012-13 was around 1.99 million head. 31,876 tonnes of goat meat were exported in that year. That may come as a surprise to many Australians because we don’t have a culture of eating goat meat, but it’s the most widely consumed meat in the world. Boer goats and Rangeland goats are predominately used for meat production while Cashmere and Angora breeds are bred for the production of fibre. China, India and Nigeria are the largest producers and consumers of goat meat for homeland consumption. Our two largest export markets for goat meat are the US and Taiwan and our exports were worth A$145.8 million dollars in 2012-13. Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei are the largest live export markets for Australia. Australia’s chicken meat industry is a relative newcomer compared to other major livestock industries. As official records were not kept until the mid 1960s, it is not certain exactly when intensive poultry production began. Industry

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

sources estimate three million broilers were produced in 1950/51, compared with around 420 million in 2003/04. By the 1950’s the poultry industry had expanded rapidly as demand escalated - growing almost seven-fold. Most production was in the hands of ‘backyard’ producers and larger family operations, who tended to produce chickens as an offshoot to egg production. Commercial production started in the outer Sydney metropolitan area and other ‘chook farms’ quickly sprang up around major population centres. The first real efforts to develop an Australian meatchicken breed resulted in the release of Australia’s first scientifically bred meat-chicken strain in 1959. Chicken processing became faster and more efficient as continuous-chain systems were introduced, leading to a rapid drop in the price consumers paid for chicken meat. Came the 1960’s and chicken meat consumption increased five-fold. The ‘integrator’ emerged in the industry. These vertically integrated companies were fashioned on a highly successful US meatchicken company model. They owned chicken breeding and hatching operations, feed mills and chicken processing plants and either owned or contracted the growing of chickens from dayold to slaughter- weight. This continues to be a successful model in the Australian market.

Beginning in1968 and in just 12 months, 75 Kentucky Fried Chicken stores opened. Australian production of chicken increased by 38%. Production more than doubled again in the 1970s because there were improvements in the genetic material available, refinement of the nutrition and husbandry of broiler chickens, improvements in processing technologies and there was further growth in demand. Throughout the 80’s, production and consumption of chicken continued to grow, although less spectacularly and by the 90’s new breeding strains came onto the market. In the period between the 1940s and the late1980s, importing live poultry, eggs for hatching, or sera was prohibited. For this reason local breeders developed their own strains of chickens, looking for growth and meat producing characteristics. From the late 1980s, breeder birds could be imported through quarantine facilities at Torrens Island, South Australia and Spotswood, Victoria. The first commercial meat chicken hatching eggs were introduced through Torrens Island in August 1990. Today, virtually all broiler chickens used in commercial production are derived from imported eggs through either the government’s quarantine facility at Torrens Island, or company-owned quarantine facilities.

GREAT AUSTRALIAN INDUSTRIES As a result of selective breeding techniques, chickens used for meat production and egg production are very different birds. Despite community perception, birds used for egg production are not sold for the table. Chicken meat has continued to get less expensive compared to other meat. Two factors have driven this change. Increasingly automated poultry plants and improvements in how efficiently chickens convert feed into meat. These gains are due to improved breeds of chicken more suited to meat production, better nutrition, improved health management and better husbandry strategies. No hormones are added to chickens in Australia The price competitiveness of chicken, increasing product diversity, improved quality, better consistency and targeted marketing, have made chicken one of Australia’s favourite meats. Kangaroo meat was legalised for human consumption in South Australia in 1980, and in all other Australian states in 1993.Kangaroo was once limited in availability, although consumption in Australia is becoming more widespread. Many Australian supermarkets

now stock various cuts of kangaroo including fillets, steaks, minced meat and ‘kanga bangas’ (kangaroo sausages). Some Australian restaurants serve kangaroo meat and make a feature of it. Home consumption isn’t yet part of the family tradition so seventy percent of kangaroo meat is exported, particularly to the European market, Germany and France. It is sold in supermarkets in England and before a suspension on imports of kangaroo meat to Russia in 2009 it was widely used in Russian smallgoods. In 2008, the industry was worth around $250-270 million a year and provides around 4,000 jobs in Australia. There are a few restaurants particularly in Sydney and Melbourne who specialise in serving Australian game like Emu, Crocodile and Buffalo meat dishes, but it may be a while before these delicacies find their way to the supermarket shelves in any quantity.

It’s hard to write about the Australian meat industry without a mention of the iconic Australian meat pie. Its origins are thought to have developed among the early settlers who made them with basic, readily available ingredients. The English and the Irish when they came out to Australia brought their own pie versions, Cornish Pastie, Steak and Kidney and Guinness pies. For the English, the pie has been part of their cuisine since medieval times... but with the exception of the pastie, it wasn’t usually a ‘hand-held’ meal. The Aussie meat pie is so well-enjoyed around the nation it could almost be called a national dish. Where the Americans eat hot dogs at their football games, for Australians, the meat pie is the meal of choice at sporting events. And, let’s not forget that other iconic Australian event, the barbeque, where ‘burning’ a few chops and sizzling a snag or two is a national pass-time. Without a plentiful supply of quality meat the fire under the great Aussie barbie, might simply fizzle out. Fortunately, that’ll never happen, the Australian Meat Industry is diverse, efficient and forward-looking, not to mention a great export earner and champion contributor to the credit side of the national ‘ledger’. G

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

LEADERSHIP

Factional Cancer Riddles Politics in NSW The Hon. Charlie Lynn - Member of the Legislative Council

Respect for NSW politics has taken a battering with ICAC’s recent trawl through its underbelly. The hearings have led to the downfall of a Premier, a Minister and a couple of backbenchers. They will also ensure a couple of former Labor Ministers will spend years and vast sums of money trying to avoid long internships at Her Majesty’s pleasure. Snake oil entrepreneurs driven by the credo that greed is good have been exposed as corporate shysters while their cohorts in the political lobby industry scurry for cover. Ideology, once the bedrock of political parties, has been replaced by opportunism. The emergence of a new ruling class includes Labor politicians who have never had a working class job and Liberals who have never run a business. Their empathy for ‘workers’ and ‘small business enterprises’ are abstract concepts because many have never ‘walked the walk’ in either domain. The political class is now riddled with factions and sub-factions driven by ambitious wannabees in their quest for power, influence, status or personal enrichment. They resemble an Ikea factory floor with pieces lying everywhere. Victory goes to the wannabee who can join the most bits together to support their particular self-interest – usually a Ministry for them and a selection of Parliamentary Secretariats or Committee Chairs for their minions. The factional head of Labor’s Terrigals faction and former Minister for Mineral Resources, Eddie Obeid, was reportedly one of the richest MPs in the NSW Parliament. Ian MacDonald, also a former Minister for Mineral Resources, was rumoured to be a wealthy socialist. Obeid was anointed by the Labor Right and came into Parliament as a business entrepreneur with extensive contacts in the Lebanese community. MacDonald worked his way through Labor’s radical left factions but doubled-crossed them and joined Obeid’s right when the opportunity presented. According to ICAC MacDonald and Obeid featured in the greatest corruption scandal since the days of the notorious Rum Corps more than

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

two centuries ago. If they had not been sprung they would have pocketed tens of millions of dollars on top of their generous parliamentary pensions. There is no indication they would have donated any of these proceeds to the poor and dispossessed i.e. those they purported to represent as Labor politicians. Eddie Obeid even sported an OAM for his ‘services to ethnic welfare’.

it’s all wrapped up. Both major parties now have much work to do to restore trust with voters. And this won’t happen until they address the cancer gene identified as ‘faction’. Bill Shorten’s declaration that Labor will be transformed into a membership based party not a faction based party was immediately thwarted by his home states’ right-wing shop assistants

Ideology, once the bedrock of political parties, has been replaced by opportunism. The emergence of a new ruling class includes Labor politicians who have never had a working class job and Liberals who have never run a business. The corruption virus jumped the political divide when ICAC focused on illegal donations to the Liberal Party. Entrepreneurial spivs with past links to Labor and the Obeids’ sniffed the winds of change and sought out new best friends in the Liberal Party. They engaged the State Liberal President on a generous contract and sent a $3000 bottle of grange hermitage to the incoming Premier. They enlisted a political staffer to assist in discrediting a senior public servant who was seen to be obstructing their endeavours to gain lucrative government contracts. I was to become an unwitting victim of their scam through what appeared to be a legitimate request to lodge a Freedom of Information request. I assumed it was aimed to assist our Shadow Cabinet’s research in the lead-up to the 2011 election and lodged the applications with two cheques for $30 each. I was not aware of the scam until I received a visit from ICAC investigators four years later. I was obviously used as a decoy to throw any likely investigators ‘off the scent’. It says a lot for political mateship and supports former Prime Minister Paul Keating’s contention that if you want a friend in politics you should get yourself a dog! The ICAC hearing continues however one thing is clear – there will be no political winners when

union and the Victorian Socialist Left faction who combined to impose a cap on new entries to the party. Bill needs to exercise caution in placing himself between factional union thugs and ordinary voters. In August 2012 then Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, wanted to curtail the influence of the factional warlords on his NSW State Executive. He was warned they would blow the party up from underneath him and cause him to lose the upcoming election if he persisted. Abbott is now Prime Minister but the factions still call the tune in NSW. The factional warlords of both parties are strongly united in their stand against democratic process. They are determined to restrict membership to the chosen few who can be relied on to toe the factional line. And pity any poor bugger who gets between them and their quest for power, money, fame or just plain old relevance. G For more topics and to contact Charlie Lynn, please visit www.charlielynn.com.au/blog.

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

FEATURE

The Budget is not Tough Enough Daniel Moisyeyev, B. IT

In my last article I took the opportunity to express my discontent with how little opportunity my generation (Generation Y) has in Australia – and why it was the case. I would like to thank all that commented on my article. In this article I would like to express my opinion on the May Budget. Unfortunately, the budget night and the Mainstream Media (MSM) reaction that followed the next morning confirmed what I feared most - Australia is so far down the entitlement road, we’re at the point of no return.

The Budget isn’t tough enough Dare I say this, the budget is nowhere tough enough. Somewhere along the road, Australians have forgotten that we live under an economic system widely known as Capitalism. I want to remind all that this economic system rewards innovation, hard work and risk. This system provides what is known as equal opportunity – where you have the chance to get out there and get ahead by creating new products or services or by improving an existing business model. This is also a system where the only person responsible for your well being is – you. The requirement to pay your way for goods and services creates an incentive to work, produce and compete. The only reason we even get out of bed in the morning is for the fact that we need the money to pay for food and shelter. Welfare always serves as a disincentive to a high economic output. Any sort of handout creates a situation where a certain social class is able to work less to achieve the same outcome. It’s also a zero sum game where every dollar directed into the welfare system is effectively stolen from the real productive members of our society – business and employees that reside in the private sector. Am I completely against welfare? No. Welfare is needed for the sick and disabled. It is needed for the eldery that are no longer able to work. Single parents do need help with the costs raising a child – because a child isn’t a productive member of society and is not able to take care of themselves. It is our collective duty to pitch in and help the real less fourtnate... but somewhere along the way we

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

lost track of what actually defines somebody as less fourtnate. We are now going down a rather odd path where we are cutting welfare for the genuine needy and keeping the handouts for those that already have the means to support themselves. The morning after the budget was released, I came across some commentary that expressed discontent that we’re turning into America – I only wish it were the case! America has very little in the way of welfare altogether and a far superior mentality when it comes to entrepreneurship and personal achievement.

easily worded - if you have the means to take of yourself, why should others lose out in order to take care of you? I challenge anyone to justify why the scenario I mentioned above is wrong or morally reprehensible.

The Protected Industry I have already mentioned the lunacy of the Australian housing market and how it impacts Generation Y in my last article. The Budget, as expected, did not touch the generous handouts indirectly received by this sector.

“When the people find that they can vote themselves money that will herald the end of the republic.”(Benjamin Franklin) We’re descending into a situation where our preferential distribution of handsouts is about to start class and generational warfare.

Asset-Rich Cash-Poor Paradox No politician would have the courage to implement the changes to include the family home for testing pension eligiblity. If this change was to take place tomorrow, the screaming from the entitled class would be deafening. However, with Australian housing market now resembling the commodity sector, I don’t see the big issue with this change. Since in Australia a house is no longer simply a “family home”, but is almost a liquid asset, it should be treated as such for all purposes. Consider the scenario of a pensioner that owns a house that is valued at an arbitrary value of $1,000,000 AUD. This house could be sold and the rather genereous proceeds could be invested into a diverse portfolio and yield enough return to rent and have a modest lifestyle. Additionally the house would now be available for sale to a buyer who could afford to further maintain and enhance the property. Why should the young generations work and pay to those that feel they are entitled to a pension they don’t technically need to survive? This could be

Australia is one of the few countries in the world where the taxpayer picks up the bill for the lossmaking property investorpreneur. Negative gearing, a failed interventionist system that was originally designed to boost housing stock has resulted in property investors speculating and pushing up the pricing of established dwellings. Trimming this tax concession would yield a saving of $2bn over the long term. Capital Gains Tax (CGT) exemption for Primary Place of Residence (PPOR) is another tax concession that is benefiting exclusively those that can afford a house. The less fortunate have to resort to alternate instruments and products that are subject to CGT – thus missing out on a portion of their gains. Our government doesn’t have the backdone to address the real entitled of the society. I urge members of my still young generation to pay more attention to what is taking place under their nose. I don’t hide the fact that I am not a supporter of welfare – I am of firm belief that it is up to each of us to take care of ourselves. However, while unemployment benefits are cut for the under 25 and education becomes out of reach, there is a ruling generation above enjoying all kinds of benefits and living at your expense. They need to be moved off their throne sooner than later. G e | daniel@gwpmedia.com.au.

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

What Projects are in The Hills Shire Plan? As a new financial year approaches, Council has released its budget blueprint that shows Sydney Hills residents where their money is being spent to improve the Shire throughout 2014/2015.

$1.1

million

$3.5 $0.8 million

million

The $180 million Hills Shire Plan is on exhibition for public comment on Council’s website. There are many highlights in the 2014/2015 budget including: · Infrastructure backlog slashed from $52 million reported in 2011 to $15.5 million in June 2015

park & playground upgrades

bridge Works

$10.3

$25.8

million

· 17% increase in capital expenditure on projects like roads, footpaths, parks and facilities

$2.3

· Quarter of the entire budget spent on parks, roads, footpaths and infrastructure · Council maintaining its debt-free status, sound finances, positive financial outlook and strong asset management. Council’s strong focus on promoting a fit and healthy lifestyle will see significant investment into new sporting fields and footpaths. Special focus will also be placed on community services such as libraries.

KEY PROJECTS:

street lighting

million

lights & roundabouts

$11.6

footpaths & cycleWays

$25.8 $6.9 million

million

fields & parks improvements

road upgrades

library service

million

care for frail/aged people

UPGRADING POOLE ROAD AND SAMANTHA RILEY DRIVE Poole Road and Samantha Riley Drive Kellyville will see a major redevelopment take place. Samantha Riley Drive will be widened to four lanes, from Windsor Road to Glenhaven Road.

BAULKHAM HILLS TOWN CENTRE This project will see the upgrading of the streetscape, furniture and footpaths surrounding the Town Centre.

CADDIES CREEK PLAYING FIELDS The first development stage of the Caddies Creek Sports Complex will begin in 2014/2015. ARNOLD AVENUE SPORTS COMPLEX This project will see one multi-purpose sporting field, lighting for training, informal ball playing area, public amenities, change room, kiosk, storage and meeting room, car parking for 110 Cars, a playground and youth space, a shared pedestrian and cycling trail that links around the reserve, barbecues and picnic area and more

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

GLENHAVEN ROAD & OLD NORTHERN ROAD INTERSECTION Council has finalised planning and funding in order to begin construction of traffic signals at the Glenhaven Road and Old Northern Road intersection. COMMUNITY EVENTS Significant funding has been set aside for community and signature events such as the Orange Blossom Festival, Sydney Hills Country

Music Festival, the Pop-Up Markets, The Hills Lunar Festival and more. G To view the 2014/2015 Hills Shire Plan visit Council’s website www.thehils.nsw.gov.au or phone 9843 0555. The Hills Shire Council p | 9843 0555 e | enquiries@sydneyhills.com.au w | www.sydneyhills.com.au

sy d n ey h i l l s b u s i n ess AwA r ds 20 1 4

For

co m m u n i t y co n t r ib ut i o n

Sydney hillS buSineSS awardS for community contribution Do you know a local business that has made a significant contribution to the community? Do they deserve recognition? Nominate today via the online form on Councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website. www.thehills.nsw.gov.au | 9843 0555 Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Parramatta’s Explosive Growth in the Development Market By Cr John Chedid, Lord Mayor of Parramatta

forest of building cranes on the skyline will signal Parramatta’s explosive growth in the development market.

The phenomenal expansion is testament to the perfect storm of positive opportunity for the Sydney’s “Central CBD,” blessed with excellent transportation, central Metro Sydney location and key precincts and workforce that will provide the engine for Sydney’s expansion into the future. So far this financial year we have received development applications worth $1.6 billion, double the amount received for the same period last year. Add that to the projected $8 billion worth of development and 33 major projects on the drawing board, and we can see that such development will dramatically reshape the city’s character and skyline. With this development, Parramatta is set to overtake Adelaide as Australia’s fifth largest CBD. And all of this growth is required. By 2038 the populationofSydneyisexpectedtogrowtosixmillion, and half of this population will reside in the West. The appetite for new residential developments was clearly demonstrated recently with the first two buildings of the five-acre riverside Promenade lifestyle resort selling out over one weekend. That’s 124 apartments priced between $400K and $900K reserved with deposit, and most of them within the first three hours of the offering. Like much of the upcoming development in Parramatta, the project benefits from high quality unique design, lower prices and a location in Parramatta, recently awarded the state’s “most liveable suburb.” The revamp of Parramatta’s riverside continues full steam ahead with LIDIS lodging a development application for the ‘Riverside Tower’ – a new world-class riverfront precinct with residential living, retail, entertainment, a state-of-the-art Conference Centre and a first-class visitor and exhibition facility named the Discovery Centre. The $250 million Riverside Tower will offer 41 storeys of premium grade apartments and public facilities with never-to-be-built-out views of Parramatta River, surrounding parklands and the CBD. The proposed development involves major upgrades to more than 4,400sqm of public domain

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

LOCAL GOVERNMENT and foreshore land and new pedestrian links and cycle paths for Parramatta’s growing community. The Parramatta River is our greatest natural resource; ours is the only CBD within Sydney that is located on the riverfront. As Parramatta continues to expand, access to the river and surrounding foreshore will be critical to the city’s recreational and cultural future. The project will transform the old Lennox Bridge car park site into a world-class riverfront precinct, creating more than 700 jobs during the construction phase and ongoing economic activity after the project’s completion.

The centrepiece of the Riverside Tower is the Discovery Centre which will replace the CBD’s existing Visitor and Heritage Centre and deliver a spectacular entertainment and dining experience that befits the geographical heart of Sydney. The Council owned and managed Discovery Centre will provide new business opportunities for tourism operators and hospitality and accommodation providers, along with the adjoining Conference Centre. Operated by Dockside Group, the Conference Centre is set to house the CBD’s largest function space with 1,000 guest capacity in its pillar-less ballroom.

These projects will help realise potential and bring economic, environmental benefits to Western Sydney and the whole Sydney. G

Parramatta’s social and Parramatta, of Greater

Parramatta City Council p | 02 9806 5730

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

BUSINESS ADVICE

The Grass Can be Greener If You Nurture Your Existing Staff Karen Doughty - Manager TAFE NSW, Parramatta Office

When looking for staff, is the grass really greener on the other side, or should managers water the grass they already have? For a business to function with ease, it is important to develop a contingency plan for finding personnel to temporarily fill a vacant position. Often managers are faced with two options: do they call temporary recruitment agencies, or do they look for someone to fill the role from within the organisation? The latter can be of benefit when the organisation offers internal career development opportunities. The former can be of benefit from a timesaving perspective with recruitment agencies undertaking the screening and employment process. Australian businesses and their methods for recruitment, development and promotion of skills within different industries are diverse. In larger organisations such as those in the education, health or the corporate sector, it is common for relieving opportunities to be offered to fill short term or long term positions. However some of these organisations also opt to use agencies for filling temporary opportunities. Small organisations are often quick to recognise skills and knowledge and will prioritise giving opportunities for development over bringing someone in from outside to fill a temporary position. Large corporations often know their teams and have access to human resource data which can give an advantage in choosing a known current employee over labour hire. Many organisations also make use of contractors and or long-term consultants. Often these professionals know the ins and outs of a business as well as full-time employees but bring a different perspective along with their skills. When promoting from within the organisation, enterprises can either prepare workers for advancement when an opportunity presents itself or can identify employees with potential by developing their leadership and skills before

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

opportunities come up. Business owners can learn to recognise hidden talents in their staff. Many people hold skills which rarely surface on the job unless managers are aware they exist. By talking to employees about hobbies or activities which they participate in outside of work, employers can ascertain whether there is potential for those abilities to be transferred into higher positions.

to nurture my abilities, develop my potential. All this gave rise to other opportunities for on the job training and growth. First-hand experience tells me that relieving in another position extends you professionally. It enhances networking with new people and learning new skills. It is not always easy, but something starts to happen. You use all the knowledge you have developed from this

Providing training in leadership development can be more economical than hiring new staff... Providing training in leadership development can be more economical than hiring new staff, especially if the staff members have been around for a while and have intimate knowledge of the business. Business owners may be reluctant to fill temporary positions with existing staff because they are unsure about the capacity and willingness of their staff to adapt and shift into new roles or assignments. These business owners may be interested to note that many employees are likely to engage in job mobility. An NCVER article1 from 2011 suggests that workers who have demonstrated medium to high skill in their roles will move upwards to roles with greater leadership and organisational responsibilities, while workers with lower levels of skill will move sideways into related roles, expanding their technical skills and knowledge base.

newexperience by being open to change and learning. You change and when supported by professional co-workers, it is exciting, challenging and very rewarding. It also gives you a safe passage back if it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel right or is not what you expected. This can also be seen as a positive, if proper closure is put on the activity by debriefing. Perhaps one size doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fit all for enterprises and your business may decide to use a combination of both in-house relieving and temporary recruitment which will often work just as well. If you have been dissatisfied with the results of your current recruitment practices, consider promoting from within, thus watering and fertilising the grass within the organisation. You may be delighted with the range of benefits and skills you find within the existing workforce. G 1. NCVER (2011), Sweet, R. The mobile worker: concepts, issues, implications.

This being the case, employers who provide employees at all levels with the opportunity for job training and growth will reap the benefits of having a committed and skilled workforce. Working for a large educational provider has provided me, personally, with opportunities to relieve in higher positions expanding my knowledge and skill base. In addition, the organisation has recognised my skills and offered a position in a developmental program for leadership training. This created a career pattern

TAFE NSW - Western Sydney Institute (WSI) p | 02 8842 5900Â e | karen.doughty@tafensw.edu.au w | wsi.tafensw.edu.au

We all have jobs to do. And with TAFE WSIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mix+match, I can organise my Diploma of Hospitality course around my shifts. I fast track some classes using my previous study, pick the ones I can attend on campus, and do the rest online. At work, at home, whenever is right for me.

EDUCATE ON YOUR TERMS CHOOSE HOW, WHEN AND WHERE YOU STUDY

study now pay later

mix + match TAFE Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

BUSINESS ADVICE

Customer Service, What Level of Service are You Providing? Erin Adams, Business Development and Marketing Specialist – The HR Department

Every day we experience customer service – on occasion it is excellent but more often than not it is average to poor. What does this say about each of the businesses we deal with? I encourage you to reflect on what sort of customer service experience is being delivered by your business. Think about your best and worst experience as a customer – what made them positive or negative?

I admit, I am a hard marker and highly critical of the “customer service experience”, however an instance last week reminded me that customer service is really quite simple and that just getting the basics right is often enough to create the perfect customer experience. Who are your customers? A customer can be defined as a person, work team or department, business or other type of organisation, which utilises your facility, services or business. Whether you work directly with customers or behind the scenes in administration, every employee and every department has customers. There are two kinds of customers: • External customers are people that utilise your services or purchase your products and; • Internal customers are colleagues within the business The concept of customer service is to make an exceptional impression, encouraging the customer to spread positive feedback about your business. A dissatisfied customer will relate their negative experience to others, which could lead to negative feeling towards your brand. Customer service needs to be flexible as all customers are unique, service expectations vary depending on the individual and circumstances. It is important for staff to treat all customers as individuals, recognising and understanding their individual needs. It is essential to use a wide range of interpersonal skills, for example; questioning, listening, communication (verbal and written) and problem solving skills. Body language must be consistent with verbal communications.

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

Research has shown that communications skills are broken up into three components. Body language has the largest effect on customer service (Mehrabian, 1967, 2009). • Words – 7% • Tone of Voice – 38% • Body Language – 55% Body language consists of the following: • Facial expressions • Eye contact • Posture • Dress and personal appearance • Gestures All body language should be considered when dealing with customers. Staff should refrain from using negative facial expressions, rolling eyes, pointing fingers and slouching or putting hands on hips. These forms of body language can cause a negative feeling and/or response from the customer. Business owners need to coach staff in order to develop positive habits. Employees are constantly representing your brand, so they need to strive for the qualities that will help them answer customer needs, these qualities include: • Friendliness – most basic and associated with courtesy and politeness. • Empathy – the customer needs to know that you appreciate their wants and circumstances. • Fairness – the customer wants to feel they receive adequate attention and reasonable answers. • Control – the customer needs to feel their requirements and input have influenced the outcome. • Alternatives – most customers want choice and flexibility from service. They need to know there are many avenues to satisfy them. • Information – customers want to know about products and services in a time-sensitive manner. TOP 10 TIPS Ensure your staff: 1. Develop the right attitude. 2. Look at the problems through the customer’s eyes. 3. Are confident in their knowledge of your

products, services as well as policies and procedures. 4. Do not give the customer the run around and deliver the right information. 5. Paraphrase the customer needs; this will help confirm that staff and customer are on the same track. 6. Do not tell a customer they are wrong, even if they are! The last thing a customer with a problem wants to hear is that the problem is their fault. 7. Create a great experience every time and build good relationships with each customer. 8. Don’t take irate or frustrated customers personally. Staff should act professionally and accept the challenge of transforming them into a satisfied customer. 9. Are wary of making promises they can’t keep. Avoid building unrealistic expectations that will cause the customer to feel short changed. 10. Follow through. If staff promise to call or contact the customer, ensure it is done as soon as possible. Although this sounds simple, imagine how thrilled you would be as a customer if all businesses got this right 100% of the time. Effective customer service has many aspects. It is the ability to turn an everyday task into a memorable experience for the consumer. G If you would like to learn more about improving your customer experience, customer service training and how having the right people in the right roles can benefit your business call The HR Department 02 8850 6124. One of our experienced consultants would be happy to assist.

The HR Department p | 02 8850 6124 e | erin@theHRdepartment.com.au w | www.theHRdepartment.com.au

HR Support when you need it most: HR Helpline HR Framework

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Whether you are looking to add expertise to your in-house team, need an interim solution or want to outsource your entire HR function The HR Department is your cost effective solution Access to Skills Outsourcing offers your business access to all of our extensively experienced HR professionals at a fraction of the cost of employing one comparable HR trained staff member.

Reduce Costs Getting your HR strategy right is critical to your bottom line. Outsourcing is a proven strategy to maximise effectiveness.

Suite 515, 2-8 Brookhollow Ave, Baulkham Hills NSW 2153 Tel: (02) 8850 6124 www.theHRdepartment.com.au

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

FEATURE

The Time to Act is Now!

Stephen Frost, Managing Director, BREED-Education, Employment, Economic Development

The latest youth (15 – 24 year olds) unemployment figures are an eye opener: Blacktown 15.8%, Castle Hill 12% Parramatta 16.8%, well over the national average of 12.4%.

that they are Federal Governments responsibility - if we want to address the already unacceptable levels of youth unemployment, let alone increasing youth unemployment levels, the solution reverts to the community and businesses to assist in addressing the crisis.

There are pockets of youth unemployment in Western Sydney as high as 40%!

How many times have you heard of youth not knowing what they want to do when they leave school? Did you? Or did you take one of the thousands of jobs that the governments, banks, large businesses or instrumentalities had on offer for school leavers, opportunities that are not available to the youth of today due to the privatisation, corporatisation and focus on return to shareholders or dividends to treasury.

That is why it is surprising, and I believe short sighted, that the Federal government cut all funding to the youth transition programs in the recent Federal budget. One example is the School Business Community Partnership Broker (PB) program, which on the Governments own independent evaluation assessed as a greater than 500% return on their investment. Another example is the Career Connections program working with the most disadvantaged and disengaged youth. The Government has classed these youth “transition” funded programs as educational and has passed this off to State government as their responsibility when in reality they are “preemployment” programs which fall solely with the National Governments jurisdiction under the constitution. With the Federal Government saying youth transition to employment programs are a State responsibility and the State Government saying

How many times have you heard (or said yourself) that businesses want people with experience when they are recruiting? Businesses say they don’t have the time to teach the basics of the job. They want second year apprentices not inexperienced first year apprentices. It’s the “catch 22” question, how do you get experience if businesses are only hiring experienced people? A great place to start is work experience, offering youth an opportunity to experience what it is like to work in your industry and your workplace. But it has to be a meaningful and “inspiring” work place experience where they get the opportunity of practical hands on exposure to the world of work,

and an understanding of “employer expectations”. This can lead to youth undertaking a vocational course as part of their year 11 and 12 studies where they obtain dual accreditation, a subject towards their HSC as well as a Certificate II or III Australian Quality Framework (AQF) nationally recognised qualification in their chosen vocational area. They could also enter into a School Based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (SBAT). They complete Year 12, with qualifications allowing them to start in the second year of an apprenticeship. None of this can be achieved without industry partnering with schools and youth, allowing them to obtain hands on industry experience. If you would like more information on how you can assist our local youth, please contact your local Partnership Broker listed below, they are currently funded until December 31 this year to broker partnerships between schools, business and the community for the benefit of our local, youth, so why not take advantage of them whilst you can! G

Stephen Frost is the Managing Director of BREED: Education, Employment and Economic Development.

For more information on Partnership Brokers, please contact your local office listed below.

Aus SIP

explore.inspire.engage

Parramatta p | 02 9633 7100 w | www.aussip.com.au f | www.facebook.com/Aussip.partnershipbrokers

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

Blacktown p | 02 9853 3200 w | www.breed.org..au f | www.facebook.com/BREED.Business.Centre

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

FEATURE

How Bartercard Can Help Business Owners to Grow Their Business

Last month Andrew Barker introduced you to how Bartercard can help business owners to grow their business. This month we feature two restaurateurs, Tracey Cantle, from The Crows Bar and Dus Pravasenung, from Five Star Thaitanic who discussed how they utilise Bartercard within their business. Tracey, her husband John and sister, Kerry Hewitt, moved from New Zealand four years ago. As Bartercard offer a life time membership, when they established their new bar – the Crows Bar, Crows Nest seven months ago they reestablished trading with Bartercard. Dus, who has six restaurants around Sydney, has been a member of Bartercard for over 5 years. Q. So Tracey, you’ve been with Bartercard now for 10 years. If you had to list the three main benefits you have found, what would they be? A. I get a ‘rent a crowd’ from Bartercard. Members of Bartercard choose to come to my bar specifically as they’re able to spend their Bartercard dollars with us. This helps to create a vibe and fill our bar. We provide a memorable experience that these members then tell their friends and family about. Through this word of mouth, we gain new cash customers. The third benefit is the income we earn through Bartercard we’re able to spend on items that we would normally have to take cash out of our profit to pay for. For example, we’ve purchased an awning, a fireplace and we’re in the process of purchasing plastic loyalty cards. Q. For you Dus, what would be your three main benefits? A. The ability to use Bartercard overseas is a major benefit to me. I frequently travel to Thailand. There is accommodation, restaurants and café’s I can use that accept Bartercard. I’m able to purchase gifts and authentic decorations for my restaurant from Thai Bartercard suppliers. The third benefit would be the general cash savings when spending Barter. Q. There are many restaurants in the Bartercard system around Australia. Some, like yourselves, have found the system very successful but some, not so successful. What do you think the difference is?

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

A. (Dus) For us, we buy in bulk and we find that’s the most effective way to make Bartercard a success in our business. For example, we purchase detergent in 35 litre drums for all our restaurants. I recently purchased $5,000 worth of take away containers on Bartercard.

A. (Tracey) I agree with Dus. They can advise on new products that are available, broker deals and in quiet times assist in obtaining function bookings or filling the bar on quiet nights. They are the pivotal point of trading in Bartercard. Without them trading slows down.

A. (Tracey) I think the differences lay in having an understanding of how and where to spend your trade dollars and the cost of your dollar.

Q. If you had advice for restaurateurs or other business owners looking to join Bartercard, what would that be?

Q. What do you mean by the cost of your dollar?

A. (Tracey) Join! Bartercard helps your cash flow and puts bums on seats.

A. (Tracey) For every trade dollar you earn you have a cash outlay to earn that dollar. For example, with us, our cash outlay is the direct product - food and beverage. So for us to earn $100 trade we have a cash outlay of roughly $45. So when I spend $100 trade it’s really only costing me $45. Even if something is on sale in the cash economy, it makes better sense to spend Bartercard dollars as it will always be more cost effective. Q. How do you rate the importance of your personal Account Manager to your account and why? A. (Dus) They’re extremely important in helping you spend your trade dollars as well as promoting your business.

A. (Dus) I agree, Bartercard saves your business cash, it’s a win win! G

Bartercard Australia p | 1300 BARTER (1300 227 837) e | andrew.barker@au.bartercard.com w | www.bartercard.com.au

Feeling your business can grow but don’t know how? Bartercard will: • bring you new customers • improve your cash flow • help move stock or fill seats • fill downtime • improve your market share • increase your networks Bartercard has been helping Australian businesses for over 22 years. With 55,000 cardholders Australia wide, it’s a great way to build value in your business.

1300 BARTER bartercard.com.au Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

FEATURE

Glass Films & Decoration Zoltan Jorden - Glass Tint Solutions

Let me first say, that clear glass has its place. It does many things really well, not least of which is to allow us to see what’s on the other side at the same time it allows light and heat to pass through. Now these properties are fine in many circumstances, but not all. There may be other more useful options which is what I wish to address here. How can plain glass be enhanced to make it look better, and stay in keeping with its environment? Ordinary glass can be decorated with various films where there are privacy issues, or what’s on the other side is just plain boring to look at. Let me explain to give you a better idea of what’s possible. Privacy … There are many situations where a clear view through a piece of glass is undesirable. Most obvious would be bathrooms. We have all seen frosted glass in bathroom windows, many are glass sheets manufactured with one side having a texture, or they’ve been etched with acid to make light refract, and block visibility, while allowing natural light to pass through. This result can also be achieved by applying a vinyl film over clear glass to make it frosted in appearance. On the market today, there is a huge range of decorative films with textures, colours and patterns that can be used to decorate glass. In fact, there are almost limitless design ideas that can be produced to give a very attractive design, pattern or decoration. By applying these films, we can achieve total privacy or partial privacy using quite elaborate designs, as well as much simpler ones. It’s a matter of which is most suitable in any given situation. Just do a Google Images search for “frosted window ideas”, or “frosted window examples” (or similar) to get a mind-blowing stack of information that will either inspire or confuse you with the number of options available. Boring to look at … Actually, we don’t usually look at glass, rather we look through it. If you want to see what’s on the other side, then that’s fine, but if you want to decorate the

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

glass, because what’s on the other side is either not worth looking at, or maybe you don’t want it seen, we can dress it up to make a statement, or create an ‘atmosphere’. With the advancement of technology, we have an almost limitless range of possibilities to work with. Frosted materials come in many textures, designs colours and patterns. They can be cut to various designs or shapes. They can be cut to form letters (words for signs) or logos. There are films that can have images printed on them. Or films that are coloured. Whatever you want, the chances are that something can be created to do the job. Office doors, windows, partitions etc can be turned from clear (boring) glass, into a base that supports messages and designs or improves the ambiance of the area.

We have sign-making technology and systems that deliver great results for our clients. Whether your ideas are based on simple designs such as stripes, blocks or tiles, or your ideas are as elaborate as logos, images or signs, they are all possible. And, thanks to today’s technology, it’s very affordable too. G Glass Tint Solutions p | 0404 599 277 e | glasstint@solution4u.com w | www.glasstintsolutions.com.au

SAVE OUR SONS September 2014 – Laugh for a Cure Comedy Night (date & venue to be confirmed)

You will be left in stitches before the night is through. Some of Australia’s best comedic talent take to the stage for a night of laughter and awareness.

Tuesday, 4th November 2014 – Melbourne Cup Luncheon The Ivy Bar Sydney Put on your best attire... Save Our Sons is going to the races in one of Sydney’s most popular hot spots.

Saturday, 6th December 2014 – A Night Before Christmas Gala Dinner Luna Park Sydney A night you do not want to miss! Hosted by Alan Jones and a line up of Australia’s A Listers. The Save Our Sons Gala Dinner is a night you will never forget.

It’s at these events you can expect to rub shoulders with celebrity ambassadors such as Ada Nicodemou, Lynne McGranger, Triple M’s Grill Team, Jonesy and Amanda, Jeff Fenech, Angry Anderson, Sam Burgess, Billy “The Kid” Dib just to name a few. With other high profile names (such as Alan Jones & Ray Hadley) also giving their support you’re bound to have a great night whilst supporting a worthwhile cause. Be warned though; with all the glitz and glamour also come high emotions. You will see first hand what Save Our Sons is trying to accomplish, and how devastating DMD truly is. But with your help we can make a difference. For more event information and/or to register your interest, please contact: • Bass – 0400 004 312 (email: bass@saveoursons.org.au) • Rita – 0405 466 866 (email: rita@saveoursons.org.au) Monetary donations are also welcome and can be deposited via the Save Our Sons website: www.saveoursons.org.au. There you can also read up on DMD, the Save our Sons team, Ambassadors, Sponsors and other fundraising opportunities such as 5s for Lives.

See you at the Event! Official Sponsors of 2014

D OOLEY & A SSOCIATES S O L I C I T O R S

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

SOCIETY & LIFE

The Era of Entitlement... verses the Age of Reason Angry Anderson, AM

The Budget! And oh! … what a stir it has caused and I suspect will go on causing for quite some time to come.

The Big message in the budget is of course, that we all need to tighten our belts and share the burden and the pain, well! That’s all well and good for some if not most, but not all-good for all ...obviously! You can please some of the people some of the time but you will never please all of the people all of the time! The second budget message, as far as I’m concerned, is that the ‘Age of Entitlement‘ is coming to an end and of course that will upset the Left. I am not going to argue today about the rights and wrongs of the overall budget because I need to read through all the available material and talk to many people I know who will have qualified opinions based on facts, who’ll exercise clear thinking and take a balanced view. I will not do what many of my friends who have Left leanings have done and that is to knee-jerk and fly off the handle at reports in the press. We all should know by now that kind of hysteria serves no-one, and hardly ever does it serve the truth. But there’s no denying that people are responding with passion! I am no less passionate but experience has taught me to be measured and methodical in my response to all situations so I will err on the side of caution in this matter. But rest assured there may be more on that later should I see the need to comment further. Maybe, just maybe the time has come for us all to entertain a new concept … that the ‘age of entitlement’ is coming to an end!.. Shock horror! but maybe that is the looming reality, the coming of the ‘age of reason’, the arrival of the ‘age of a new reality’ perhaps. Let’s look at some of the more obvious complaints from those, mainly from the Left but not exclusively, who object to the end of the age of the entitlements they say are a given right. But before we do that let’s just re-establish the

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

one fundamental truth behind all the argument that has already been had and all the debate that is yet to come and that is … Nothing in life is free! There is no such thing as free education, free medicine or the right or entitlement to free public support i.e. the dole. It all has to be paid for and it’s all been paid for by those that do not expect anything for free, they don’t believe they are entitled to anything that they don’t first work for.

The truly needy are supported by the system which allows for that, yes indeed, there are those that through no fault of their own cannot manage and none of us begrudges them any assistance we can provide. But where I agree with the ending of the age of entitlement is putting an end to those who have all too often taken advantage of the system and therefore those of us that pay for it. These are the people who have bludged their way through life, taking but not giving.

Maybe, just maybe the time has come for us all to entertain a new concept … that the ‘age of entitlement’ is coming to an end!.. Shock horror! but maybe that is the looming reality, the coming of the ‘age of reason’, the arrival of the ‘age of a new reality’ perhaps. I, like most would like to see our young people educated for free and I do believe that should be the case for our really young ones … those in Primary and Secondary school up to the age of say seventeen or eighteen.

So there is no such thing as free education similarly, there’s no such thing as free medicine, doctors do not work for nothing, the hospitals do not run on solar renewable energy supplied by the sun, so the bills must be paid.

But the reality is that even our so-called free education system costs money, it costs the state and it costs the parents, teachers don’t work for nothing, they are paid wages, school books, sporting equipment, school excursions all have to be paid for by the parents where and when they can. There are support systems in place to help those parents who struggle to meet commitments to their own children and of course we all know the system is rorted by some parents who cry poor, so someone else has to pick up the tab.

I have always taken offence at those on any level, who expect a free ride for something that I’m willing to work for.

But in a sense they have been led to believe that if they choose to not pay school fees or supply their own children with the necessary tools for school, well, someone else will because they are ‘entitled’.

I have always held the view however, that those who cannot genuinely take care of themselves can look to us for a ‘hand up’, but not a ‘hand out’ … but it’s a ‘hand up’ when in need, or just a ‘hand’ to get something done. “I need a hand with this”, “Can ya give me a hand with this please?”...”Here, mate, I’ll give ya a hand” or...”Sure, mate, I’ll lend ya a hand.” It was never in my eyes an entitlement, it has always been a need seen and a hand given, that springs from the generosity of heart from one human being to another.

I have never believed that we should expect reward for a charitable kindness but we should rejoice and be thankful when that beautiful quality in one of us is revealed or displayed. I am not, nor have I ever been wealthy. I have worked and struggled for everything and anything I have received over the years, I have earned my way. I have never asked for help unless I knew that I needed it and was not able to do it on my own. I have never refused anyone that truly had need of me but I have declined to help those who would not help themselves through sloth or a twisted sense of entitlement. I have raised my children in the same way believing it to be the right and honourable way.

doctor or architect? No we don’t! And please spare me the argument that when someone succeeds in life we all benefit. So higher education and medical services are just two examples of the so called ‘free’ things that we are supposedly losing, well they aren’t free, they are paid for by those of us who choose to work for a living, those who won’t work, expecting the rest of us to carry them have always been a burden and we are sick of them and heartily decry their belief that they are somehow ‘entitled’.

• stories about his involvement in Television which introduced him to his dedication to helping others in need; • his commitment to Men’s Health; • his life long battle with depression and his dedication as ambassador, to spreading awareness regarding Prostate Cancer.

The recent budget may not be perfect or pleasing to all but it does have some merit. May you walk in the light as a reward for having walked in the darkness. As always, I am your friend - Angry.

I have always been troubled when it comes to the subject of higher education, i.e. ‘Uni’. Coming from a working class background I always knew that Uni wasn’t for me but I also knew I could go if I really wanted to, but I never dreamed that I would be given a free ride. I have known those who have worked two or more jobs to pay their way for the privilege of higher education because they believed that to work to earn anything means that you ‘own’ it. After all do we get to share in the monetary spoils of an education that allows someone to go on and be a successful lawyer,

• inspirational messages on his ability to deal with surviving all his tribulations;

Angry Anderson AM is available for the following public speaking. Subjects covered: • personal life journey experience, overcoming obstacles along the way like his battle with alcohol and drugs, humorous anecdotal stories about his life on the international stage with his band the legendary Rose Tattoo;

w | www.angryanderson.com

Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

LAND A BETTER DEAL AT LANDER TOYOTA The Lander Toyota better buying experience starts from the moment you enter our stunning new showroom. Our professional consultants will discuss your needs and present all the options available to you from the exceptional Toyota range. 3 Flexible finance options. Expert business managers on site 3 Large stocks of cars, SUVs, 4WDs and commercial vehicles 3 Over 100 quality checked used vehicles 3 Service centre equipped with the latest Toyota technology 3 Fully trained service technicians 3 Accessory and parts department

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Business Resource & Lifestyle | Issue 66 | June 2014

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