Oct/Nov 2019
TAKEME ME HO AD TO RE
A real Australian business magazine
MEET KATHLEEN BUZZACOTT
Artist, poet & designer
GO WILD IN THE NT & WA
Some of the country‘s best wildlife experiences
Meandering in
Mornington
Stay connected with us for the best in regional people, places, travel and experiences FOLLOW US
@AIRNORTH _ MAG
/AIRNORTHAIRLINESMAG
Welcome aboard Welcome aboard your Airnorth flight. Looking out your window today you may notice our aircraft’s winglet has had a makeover. We encourage you to take photos while travelling on Airnorth and to share your journey with us by tagging #AirnorthAU on social media. We always enjoy seeing photos from our passengers and sharing in those special moments along the journey to your destination. Whether travelling for business or pleasure, there is always something exciting happening across the Airnorth network. Toowoomba has officially ushered in spring with its annual Carnival of Flowers. Each year the event draws in thousands of visitors who enjoy the spectacular blooming gardens, tasty local produce and live entertainment that transforms the charming city into a destination bustling with excitement. Although Toowoomba’s biggest annual attraction has concluded, the entertainment certainly does not stop there. With its historical sites, galleries, museums and a diverse lineup of entertainment throughout the year, the Toowoomba
region offers its guests a perfect retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the city. In Darwin the city is alight with the fantastical displays of Bruce Munro – a world-renowned artist best known for his immersive large-scale light installations. The exhibition entitled ‘Bruce Munro: Tropical Light’ is a free event open to all ages, and is set to run throughout the Northern Territory’s tropical summer, November 1–April 30. There are many ways to view the exhibition, whether by a leisurely stroll along the 2.5-kilometre walking trail or by attending one of the unique tours designed specifically for the exhibition by local Darwin operators. For more information on what tours are available throughout the event, visit tropicallight.com.au For now, please sit back, relax and enjoy your journey. Daniel Bowden Chief Executive Officer, Airnorth OCT/NOV 2019
1
Indulge your
wild side
10%
DISCOUNT
If you mention this ad at time of booking. Call by 1st December 2019*
WINNER - Best Deluxe Accommodation in Australia 2017 Australian Hotels Association Awards for Excellence
If you’re looking for an exciting, all-inclusive, luxurious adventure, look no further than Jamala Wildlife Lodge in Canberra. Immerse yourself in the wild and sleep amongst some of the world’s most dangerous and endangered animals. Your African safari style experience is completed by dining in our rainforest cave, joined by our beautiful white lions and spotted hyenas, whilst sipping on fine wines and enjoying a gourmet, 5 course, African inspired meal. Please note that while the animals generally join guests as shown, no guarantees can be given as they are free to roam their entire area at all times. *Conditions apply - check our website.
@jamalalodge @jamalawildlifelodge
02 6287 8444 | www.jamala.com.au info@jamalawildlifelodge.com.au Canberra, AUSTRALIA
Canberra
contents 33. christmas gift ideas Our great gift ideas for the whole family.
AusBiz. Check out AusBiz. at the back of the magazine. DRIVING DIVERSITY Mining has changed so much in the last decade, but has diversity improved and how will things look in the future?
22
TIMES OF CHANGE Will wind farming be our biggest generator of sustainable energy?
11 Airnorth News
LIFESAVERS WITHOUT WATER Meet the people helping those who find it hard to a see light at the end of the tunnel in crippling times of drought.
15 Regional News
Airnorth shines a spotlight on some fantastic sponsorship initiatives. We bring you the latest news around the country.
16 Events Calendar
Don’t miss what’s happening around Airnorth’s locations this October and November.
28 18 Entertainment
The latest theatre, books, art shows and tours in Oz.
21 Out & About
The latest offerings from hotels, restaurants and bars.
22 Art Space
In the West MacDonnell Range foothills, we meet with talented Indigenous artist Kathleen Buzzacott.
26 Wildlife Experiences
Great wildlife experiences around the country, which are dedicated to conserving endangered native animals.
28 Mornington Peninsula
This stunning spot offers relaxed beaches, outdoorsy adventures, charming wineries and hot springs. OCT/NOV 2019
3
publisher’s letter
EDITORIAL
As Airnorth flies directly from Toowoomba to Melbourne, in this issue of Together We Fly we explore a region of Victoria that has been close to my heart since I spent my 30th birthday there. With its rolling vineyard-covered hills, windswept bushland and fields of flowers and berry farms, the hinterland of Mornington Peninsula is quintessentially country Victoria. It’s coastline is ruggedly beautiful in some parts and peacefully pristine in others. The wine and food offerings are some of the best in Australia, which is always a big drawcard, especially for those in the NT or Qld without our abundance of grape vines on their doorstep, and the artistic nature of the region has been steadily growing in size and stature for decades. We also meet artist Kathleen Buzzacott, a proud Pitjantjatjara and Western Arrernte woman of Scottish and English heritage, who works from her eclectic studio in the West MacDonnell Range foothills outside Alice Springs. You might have heard her name recently as she made some jewellery for Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge. Keep turning and check out some cool wildlife experiences in the Northern Territory, Queensland and Victoria, where you can get up close and personal with kangaroos in Alice Springs, miniature penguins on Philip Island, and marine turtles in Bundaberg, Qld. On a serious note, in AusBiz we meet some of the incredible people who are lifesavers to those struggling with the drought that continues to ravage so many parts of Australia. It’s a story that our writer found hard to write, but he also found much hope and strength in the fact that there are so many Australians out there who are selflessly helping others in need. On a recent airing of The Sunday Project, Hamish Macdonald met with Greg Jerry, a fourth-generation farmer whose business and family have been devastated by drought. It shocked viewers to learn that every morning many of his cattle have to be lifted to standing position as they are too weak to stand up themselves. Within just 15 minutes of the show going to air, Australians around the country had donated more than $120,000 for the family. That makes us very proud to be Australian, and we will continue to do what we can, creating stories that matter, to help those in need. Enjoy the read and drop us a line anytime – we love hearing from you
MICHELLE HESPE, AND THE TEAM AT TOGETHER WE FLY
4
@AIRNORTH _ MAG
/AIRNORTHAIRLINESMAG
Publisher: Michelle Hespe publisher@publishingbychelle.com Art Director: Jon Wolfgang Miller Lifestyle/Travel Brand & Communications Manager: Shakira Wood shakira@publishingbychelle.com AusBiz. Brand & Communications Manager: Effe Sandas advertising@publishingbychelle.com Assistant Editor: Sarah Hinder editorial@publishingbychelle.com Sub-editors: Claire Hey, Lucy Pearson & Shane Cubis
CONTRIBUTORS
Kerry Heaney Sarah Hinder Natasha Dragun Darren Baguley Lisa Smyth Ian Lloyd Neubauer Kirsten Craze
PRINTING
Blue Star PRINT 81 Derby St, Silverwater, NSW 2128
Cover image: Visit Victoria/Robyn Lea.
Together We Fly is published by Publishing ByChelle, (ABN: 78 621 375 853 ACN: 621 375 853) 3 Westleigh Street, Neutral Bay, NSW 2089 publishingbychelle.com The reproduction of any content, in whole or part without prior written permission by the publisher is strictly prohibited. Opinions expressed in the content are those of the contributors, and not necessarily those of the publisher. All information in this magazine was believed to be correct at the time of publication, and all reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders. Publishing ByChelle cannot accept unsolicited manuscripts or photographs. If such items are sent to the magazine, they will not be returned. We apologise if we don’t get back to your email, as we do receive a large volume of communication via various online channels. Some images used in Together We Fly are from istock and Getty images, and we make every effort to credit all contributors.
KIMBERLEY GRANDE HOTEL EXPERIENCE THE BEAUTY OF THE KIMBERLEY
Nestled amongst the wilderness of the Kimberley’s you will find Kimberley Grande, the perfect place with spacious room to come home to after adventurous days. Spend your day relaxing by our picturesque pool and indulging at our restaurant and bar facilities. Numerous conference and function packages are available all year round
www.kimberleygrande.com.au 20 Victoria Highway, Kununurra WA 6743 Phone: 1300 9555 49 | 08 7918 7885 | Email: reservations@kimberleygrande.com.au
LIMITED EDITION
TLCOO018
TLPLA018
TLJOU018
E170 MODEL AIRCRAFT
COOLER BAG
A5 JOURNAL
SOLID RESIN MODEL AIRCRAFT WITH STAND, 1:100 SCALE, SNAP FIT ASSEMBLY, WINDOW GIFT BOX READY.
BRANDED AIRNORTH COOLER BAG, IDEAL FOR PICNICS. CAN FIT WIDE PLATES AND PLATTERS OR UP TO 20 X 375ML CANS. INSULATED PCV LINING, DOUBLE ZIP CLOSURE, HEAVY DUTY CARRY HANDLE, TWO INTERNAL ICE BRICK COMPARTMENTS (ICE BRICKS NOT INCLUDED)
LUXURY 80 PAGE NOTEBOOK WITH LINED PAGES. HARDCOVER WITH A STITCHED SOFT TOUCH ANTIQUE NEOSKIN FINISH AND CARDBOARD ENVELOPE INSIDE BACK COVER.
TLCAP018
TLSTU018
TLPEN018
TLBAL018
CAP
STUBBY COOLER
PEN
LIP BALM
BRANDED HEAVY COTTON CAP
BRANDED NEOPRENE STUBBY COOLER, MADE TO FIT 375ML AND PREMIUM BEER BOTTLES AND CANS.
A PLASTIC METALLIC SILVER BARREL CLICK ACTION BALLPOINT PEN WITH BLACK INK.
BEESWAX LIP BALM SPHERE
To place an order, simply email marketing@airnorth.com.au your name, best contact number, postal address and the SKU code of the merchandise you wish to purchase and one of our friendly staff will contact you to help complete your order. All orders under $100 will incur a $15.95 handling and postage fee.
1800 627 474 AIRNORTH.COM.AU
Milingimbi
(DIL)
Maningrida (MNG)
(MGT)
Elcho Island (ELC)
DARWIN
Gove
(DRW)
Truscott Kununurra
(GOV)
Groote Eylandt (GTE)
Katherine
Cairns
(KTR)
(KNX)
(CNS)
River
Broome
(MCV)
(BME)
Tennant Creek
Bootu Creek
Townsville
(TSV)
(TCA)
Alice Springs (ASP)
Toowoomba (WTB)
Gold (OOL)
Perth (PER)
OUR DESTINATIONS CHARTER ROUTES SCHEDULED ROUTES SEASONAL SERVICES
Melbourne (MEL)
KICK BACK AND RELAX WITH AIRNORTH. EXCITING DESTINATIONS. PREMIUM SERVICE.
MEMORIES BEGIN WITH US
FIND US:
AIRNORTHAU
AIRNORTHAU
WWW.AIRNORTH.COM.AU E S T A B L I S H E D
I N
1 9 7 8
FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 1800 627 474 OR EMAIL RESERVATIONS@AIRNORTH.COM.AU
i
Port Keats
R Bootu Creek
!
TROPICAL LIGHT 1 November 2019 - 30 April 2020
DARWIN’S INSPIRING OUTDOOR EXHIBITION
‘Bruce Munro: Tropical Light’ is an outdoor exhibition featuring 8 illuminated sculptures installed across Darwin’s CBD outdoor spaces. www.tropicallight.com.au 1 November 2019 - 30 April 2020 TO BOOK FLIGHTS, VISIT AIRNORTH.COM.AU OR CALL RESERVATIONS ON 1800 627 474 FOLLOW US ON
AIRNORTHAU
Tropical Light is an initiative of the Northern Territory Government Tropical Light. Photographer Louise Denton. © NTMEC
Great fares to Darwin AVAILABLE NOW
airnorth news
Sponsorship highlights Airnorth is delighted to provide support to our local communities and connect businesses and events throughout our ports. MARNIN STUDIO As part of the Darwin Festival, Airnorth assisted Marnin Studio, based at the Marninwarntikura Women’s Resource Centre in Fitzroy Crossing, with airfares to bring over artists participating in the Darwin Aboriginal Art Fair (DAAF) August 10–11. The exquisite designs of Marnin Studio were showcased in the DAAF fashion show ‘From Country to Couture’ and were available for purchase. Back in the studio, Marnin provides a therapeutic healing space where women come together to create, learn and relax. The space is an incubator for developing products that reflect the artist’s deep knowledge of the local environment, culture and community. The studio combines a strength-based, communityled therapeutic approach to empowerment. Through this social enterprise model, the women have the opportunity to reach financial stability through the sale of their products. Marnin Studio aims to grow and connect women through the creation of exquisite pieces sold on a local and national level. For a look at the artists’ featured designs or to purchase a piece of ‘country couture’ for yourself, visit marninstudio.com.au OCT/NOV 2019
11
Management Licenced Agent
airnorth news
BRIDGE TOYOTA LADIES’ DAY Airnorth was a proud sponsor for the Darwin Cup Carnival’s annual Ladies’ Day on July 17. The day was all glitz and glamour as women came together for one of the biggest days on Darwin’s horse racing calendar. Darwin Turf Club Chief Executive Keith Stacy said the day exceeded expectations. “The ‘Carnival of Colour’ has had all the colours turn out on Bridge Toyota Ladies’ Day,” he said. “The luncheon sold out, and it shows what a well-supported and stunning day it is.” Airnorth was delighted to launch the new cabin crew uniforms at the event with a dedicated Airnorth fashion parade that showcased its beautiful bespoke design featuring Indigenous artwork by Gary Lang.
LEGENDS OF LEAGUE NRL’s Legends of League visited Darwin in early August, raising awareness for anti-bullying in local schools, and for a big showdown between the Darwin Allstars team on August 10. As a first for Airnorth, we were proud to be a naming sponsor for the game and to provide flights for the Legends travelling to Darwin from Townsville and the Gold Coast, along with airfares for one lucky winner at the halftime kick-off competition of the main event. The game was an all-out demonstration of strength and talent as the Legends battled it out on the field in good fun, all to raise awareness for anti-bullying initiatives. In the lead-up to the main event, the Legends visited local schools throughout the week, attending eight schools per day to host coaching clinics, give assembly speeches to educate children on anti-bullying, health, exercise, the perils of social media, goals and to encourage the kids to ‘dream, believe, achieve’. We would like to congratulate Jacob Sciacca for winning the kick-off competition and return flights to Townsville with Airnorth. We look forward to welcoming you onboard. OCT/NOV 2019
13
airnorth news
SEALINK RACE WEEK Townsville played host to the annual SeaLink Magnetic Island Race Week once again this year, offering spectators first-class racing on the Coral Sea, August 29–September 4. The event marked the finale of the Queensland Season of Sailing, with racers sailing the crystal blue waters of Cleveland Bay, which is situated off the coast of Townsville within the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The exhilarating week-long event saw sailing enthusiasts from across Queensland come out for the race. Among them was Airnorth – a proud sponsor of the event. We were delighted to provide flights as first prize for the winning team. AN
14
regional news
Eastcoast Beverages Eastcoast Beverages began in 1965 when Salvatore Lentini picked and packed fresh fruit from his Central Coast orchards to supply to Australia’s Flemington Markets. Years later, when the Australian Government removed tariffs on imported juice concentrate, it became less profitable to produce juice derived solely from fresh fruit. That’s when Salvatore’s three sons – Sam, Mick and Frank Lentini – saw an opportunity to create their own niche market by squeezing citrus fruit juice made entirely from 100 per cent fresh fruit. Today Eastcoast Beverages is a third-generation Australian family business that creates a range of fruit juice, spring water, sparkling water and kombucha on its farm in Kulnura. The company’s solid philosophy is to Return – Regrow – Re-juice, so that absolutely nothing is wasted.
What’s on & what’s hot Our pick of the very best gigs, festivals, and cultural and sporting events from around the country. Compiled by: Sarah hinder
October 2–20 Melbourne International Arts Festival
Melbourne Vic Through performance art, outdoor installations and free events across the city, this art-centric festival seeks to break new ground in culture and the arts. festival.melbourne/2019
October 17–20 Cape to Cape MTB Western Australia Australasia’s biggest mountain biking multi-stage race sees almost 2,000 riders hit the trails from Cape Leeuwin, through Boranup Forest and Margaret River, to Middle Earth. It’s a fun race, with all skill levels encouraged to ride. capetocapemtb.com
16
October 20, November 10 & 24
October 25–27
The Color Run Love Tour
Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix
Perth WA, Sydney NSW & Melbourne Vic This colour-sprayed fivekilometre fun run, which raises funds for the Starlight Children’s Foundation, adds Perth to its Tour for the first time this year. thecolorrun.com.au
October 25–27 Vodaphone Gold Coast 600
Gold Coast Qld The V8 Supercars descend upon the Gold Coast for an exciting weekend of races, stunts, rock gigs and auto shows. supercars.com/gold-coast
Phillip Island Vic On the famed Phillip Island Circuit, the absolute best of adrenaline-pumping MotoGP is set to return. motogp.com.au
November 2–3 Augusta Adventure Fest Augusta WA Involving swimming, paddling, trail running and mountain biking – all nonstop around beautiful Augusta – this is the last year of the world’s biggest adventure race weekend! augusta.rapidascent.com.au
Events calendar November 8–10
WESTERN AUSTRALIA GOURMET ESCAPE.
Fremantle BeerFest
Fremantle WA Australia’s biggest alfresco beer festival offers a fantastic range of local, national and international craft beer and cider, plus live gigs and masterclasses. fremantle.beerfestivals.com.au
November 2–9 Melbourne Cup Carnival
Melbourne Vic The race that stops a nation is an iconic date on the Aussie calendar. Flemington Racecourse features an electrifying week-long atmosphere, while the rest of the country participates at courses and social events nationwide on November 5. flemington.com.au/ melbournecupcarnival
November 8–10
November 15–23 Melbourne Music Week
Melbourne Vic The city of Melbourne is transformed into a pulsing live gig venue in this week-long celebration of the city’s diverse music scene – think German techno to acapella to folk. mmw.melbourne.vic.gov.au
Perth International Jazz Festival
Perth WA More than 40 jazz performances will take place in venues around the city, both free and ticketed. perthinternationaljazzfestival. com.au
November 8–10 Tour of Margaret River Margaret River WA This highly tactical team cycling event provides the
opportunity for amateur cyclists to ride alongside and compete against professionals from the pro tour peloton. tourofmargaretriver.com
November 8–17 Western Australia Gourmet Escape
Swan Valley, Perth & Margaret River WA This internationally acclaimed long weekend attracts some of the best chefs from around the world in a showcase of these stunning region’s wine, craft beer and local produce. This year extends to the Swan Valley with events also running in Perth. gourmetescape.com.au
November 22–24 Queenscliff Music Festival
Queenscliff Vic Glamp or camp at this cool community festival right by the sea. This year’s line-up features The Cat Empire, The Waifs and The Delta Riggs. qmf.net.au OCT/NOV 2019
17
entertainment
Compiled by: Sarah hinder
MUSICAL School of Rock
Image: Johnny Diaz Nicolaidis
November 10– January 26, 2020 at Capitol Theatre in Sydney NSW Based on the laughout-loud ‘80s film, this brand-new musical follows the life of failed rock star and dropout Dewey Finn, as he poses as a teacher at a preppy high school to teach pupils how to become ‘the most awesome rock ‘n’ roll band off all time’. capitoltheatre.com.au
MUSICAL Black Is The New White
November 13–December 1 at Dunstan Playhouse in Adelaide SA With a toe-tapping soundtrack and star cast led by Miranda Tapsell, Sydney Theatre Company’s smash hit romantic comedy about an Indigenous lawyer, written by award-winning playwright Nakkiah Lui, comes to Adelaide just in time for the festive season. statetheatrecompany.com.au
18
MUSICAL Billy Elliot: 10th Anniversary Australian Tour
From October at Sydney Lyric Theatre in Sydney NSW, then touring Australia Featuring a legendary Elton John and Bernie Taupin soundtrack, this classic musical kicks off in Sydney before heading to Adelaide in December, then Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane in 2020. billyelliotthemusical.com.au sydneylyric.com.au
THEATRE Tennessee William’s Baby Doll
October 18–November 16 at Ensemble Theatre in Sydney, NSW This anticipated new adaptation of Tennessee William’s Baby Doll brings to life a tale of lust, jealousy and betrayal set in the Deep South. Peppered with comedy, power and passion come irresistibly to the fore as a game of truth or dare plays out. ensemble.com.au
books
tour Elton John: Yellow Brick Road Tour Me, Elton John
October 2019, Macmillan, autobiography The first (and only) complete autobiography of Sir Elton John reveals the truth about his life in his own words, also chronicled in recently released film Rocketman. The release of Elton’s book coincides with his Australian world tour, which kicks off in Perth this November.
Damascus, Christos Tsiolkas
October 2019, Allen & Unwin, fiction One of Australia’s most esteemed contemporary writers releases his muchanticipated first long-form work since novel Barracuda in 2013. The story is set during the founding of the Christian Church, focusing on Saint Paul and the early years following Jesus’ death.
ANZAC & Aviator, Michael Molkentin
October 2019, Allen & Unwin, biography In November 1919 Sir Ross Smith was one of four Aussie serviceman to make the first ever flight from England to Australia. From enlisting in the cavalry at age 22 to earning his reputation as one of the greatest fighter pilots of the war, this true story recounts his remarkable life.
November 30– March 7, 2020 around Australia In his last ever tour, Elton wraps up half a century on the road and one of the most influential music careers of the 20th century. Performing in locations right around the country, Aussies sing ‘Goodbye Yellow Brick Road’ alongside Elton one final time. eltonjohn.com
ART WOMEN IN VOGUE: Celebrating 60 Years in Australia
Adut Akech by Charles Dennington (Vogue 2018).
October 11–November 24 at National Portrait Gallery in Canberra ACT Showcasing the remarkable Vogue Australia archive of the last 60 years, this one-off exhibition pays tribute to eminent Australian women who have graced the pages of Vogue from the early days to now. The archives include iconic portraits of Kylie Minogue, Elle Macpherson and Cate Blanchett. portrait.gov.au
ART Tarnanthi at AGSA
October 18–January 27, 2020 at AGSA in Adelaide SA This travelling exhibition showcases Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art across a variety of mediums, alongside talks, tours, performances and creative activities. Major projects include a ground-breaking research-based display demonstrating the influence of traditional Aboriginal agriculture in shaping the Australian landscape, and an exhibition by Yolngu artists. agsa.sa.gov.au OCT/NOV 2019
19
Meet Robbie and Kylie Paediatrician, Health Professional and happy to call the Territory home.
The naysayers and idea killers never came this far... Welcome to the Territory! It’s home to people like us, those who saw the boundless potential of this place. Here, you can create a new business, propel your career, and make a real impact. For this is a land where ambition and drive lives in harmony with lifestyle and the moments that truly matter. Because The Territory gives you the time and the space to connect in ways you can’t anywhere else. Come find your Boundless Possible.
Discover it. Share it. Be part of it. boundlesspossible.com.au
out & about
The Byng Street Boutique Hotel, Orange The Byng Street Boutique Hotel is Orange’s newest 4.5-star, luxury accommodation experience located right in the heart of town. Formerly the historic ‘Yallungah’ homestead (c.1896), the building has undergone extensive renovations to create a spectacular juxtaposition of the significant historical homestead and contemporary architecture. As you explore the building, you quickly appreciate the hotel’s commitment to its historical past, coupled with the magnificence of the modern additions. The hotel presents 22 beautifully appointed rooms and suites. Choose from the superior comfort of the contemporary designed ‘Modern Wing’ or discover the historical style and charm of the ‘Heritage Wing’. After a relaxing slumber, wake up to a delicious à la carte breakfast showcasing fresh local produce from Orange and the surrounding region. The Byng Street Boutique Hotel will not disappoint if you are someone who appreciates unique style, luxurious comfort and service with warmth and sophistication. For more information, visit byngstreethotel.com.au
CRAFT WORKS DISTILLERY
HUMANISING THE ART OF WHISKY We tell our story one cask at a time. We pride ourselves that we engage with our loyal followers so they become part of Craft Works Distillery Australian craft spirits journey We share what it is to make small batch craft spirits. We are Craft Works Distillery, distilling Australian craft single malt whisky, Eau de Vie and releasing internationally multi awarded independent bottlings.
WWW.CRAFTWORKER.COM.AU
&
Art Space
Cake, cuppas
creativity Just outside Alice Springs, Yia Nuka is a coffee, cake and creative culture experience with talented Indigenous artist Kathy Buzzacott. WORDS: kerry heaney A poet, artist, designer and entrepreneur, Kathy Buzzacott has made jewellery for the Duchess of Cambridge, collaborated to put her designs on homewares and created an award-winning toilet. A proud Pitjantjatjara and Western Arrernte woman of Scottish and English heritage, Kathy works from her eclectic studio in the West MacDonnell Range foothills outside Alice Springs. At a long table in the centre of this stylishly decorated space, she paints, runs
22
workshops and shares her story. When I pull up outside her door after a busy day exploring the Red Centre Way loop from Alice Springs for a Yia Nuka Aboriginal Culture experience, there’s a broad smile and warm welcome to greet me.
Story of the studio The Kathleen Buzzacott Art Studio opened in 2014, named both after Kathy and as a tribute to her late mother-in-law, another Kathleen Buzzacott. Created from an old shed, it has been improved and expanded into a comfortable workspace and gallery decorated with Kathy’s vibrant paintings and designer’s style. These are the traditional lands where Kathy’s husband Keith, and sons Kyle and Klinton, have lived with the rest of the family for the past 25 years. The studio opening came from Kathy’s desire to create a family business where she could offer her art direct to the public, and visitors could learn about Aboriginal culture. Her work features very fine, layered work in the Central Desert Dot Painting style. It is a technique Kathy has perfected over a quarter of a century to tell the stories of her life. The subjects include pink and grey galahs,
Image: K Heaney
Art Space
OCT/NOV 2019
23
“They were eager to hideaway from reality; relaxing, indulging and making memories by the bay”.
For The Romantic Explore the softer side of the Western Wilds, as you hide away on the waters edge of Lettes Bay. Designed to spoil the senses, Saltbox Hideaway highlights some of Tasmania’s finest products and produce for you to relax, indulge and unwind with, throughout your stay.
saltboxhideaways.com.au
Art Space
bright green budgerigars, cheeky finches, spiny desert creatures, family hunting trails and children’s stories. A triptych of red-tailed black cockatoos cruising above the red desert and wise white owls hang on the studio walls.
It’s all about the door
Image: K Heaney
Successful collaborations with Australian companies such as Koh Living and Allegria Designs have seen Buzzacott art on mugs, coasters, candle holders and a jewellery range. You’ll also see her distinctive style in cement imprints and balcony dividers at Alice Springs Lasseters Hotel Casino. But none of these can compare to an achievement that’s closer to home. “One of the greatest joys of my artistic career was winning Best Design in the Inaugural 2017 International My Travel Research Tourism Toilet Awards,” she says, referring to the studio facilities, which are designed as a talking point for visitors. “A lot of hours went into carefully choosing the colours and the design. The doors feature my signature dot painting style inside and out.”
Sharing the skills
The Yia Nuka Aboriginal Culture experience
Chatting with Kathy is like spending an afternoon with an old friend, sharing tales about her childhood. In Kathy’s studio the Yia Nuka (’my story’) tales centre around her early life growing up with her father’s family in Queensland, returning to live in the Hermannsburg community at the age of 10, and exploring her Pitjantjatjara, Scottish and English heritage. Her joy in returning to outback Hermannsburg and life with her mother’s people is intense, and she delights in sharing the wonders of this rich culture. “I have so many people from all over the world visit my studio,” says Kathy. “One of the most common things they say is that they would like to meet Aboriginal people, so I created Yia Nuka to give them a fun and active culture experience.” Selecting hand-painted beads and seeds from a basket, then threading them together to create a bracelet or key fob is an engaging activity. Long afterward, I’m pleased with my colourful finished bracelet and the Alice Springs memories it holds.
FAST FACTS People travel from as far as Sydney to see Kathy’s awardwinning, dot-painted toilet doors. Kathy’s art has featured on AAT Kings tour bus doors to reflect their ongoing connection to Central Australia. Studio visitors have special permission to enter Arrernte Native Title Homeland without a permit.
Yia Nuka also supports the broader local Indigenous community. Kathy sources her deliciously thick slices of afternoon tea cake from Raylene Brown’s Kungkas Can Cook Café and Catering Service. The yummy treats are infused with native seeds and fruit, all wild-harvested by Aboriginal women in Central Australia. The income they receive from their harvesting supports their families, creating economic participation and wealth creation. “Young Aboriginal women from Hermannsburg community, where I grew up, also attend workshops here to learn seed preparation for jewellery making,” Kathy explains. “The skills they learn will enable them to make and sell jewellery to art centres and galleries in their community. “I have come a long way from painting at the kitchen table. My family have quietly watched my progression over the past few years, and I don’t think they are ever surprised at what I may decide to do next!” Kathy’s studio is open from Tuesday to Thursday 9am to 2pm, and Saturday 10am to 2pm. AN OCT/NOV 2019
25
Explore
Go Wild Up close and personal experiences where conservation sanctuaries work to save endangered native animals, while teaching visitors about their plight. WORDS: Sarah Hinder
Image: Tourism NT
The Kangaroo Sanctuary, Alice Springs NT
26
The Northern Territory is bursting with thrilling and unforgettable animal experiences. A standout among them is the Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs. This rescue centre is dedicated to the rehabilitation and protection of orphaned baby and adult kangaroos. Wonderful for educational and up-close experiences, Chris ‘Brolga’ Barnes, aka the Kangaroo Dundee, and his team rescue, rehabilitate and release orphaned baby kangaroos back into the wild. Those kangaroos raised by wildlife carers from infancy which cannot be released, inhabit the wilds of the 188-acre refuge. Visitors can explore the sanctuary throughout the year on guided sunset tours led by Brolga and the other wonderful sanctuary tour guides. kangaroosanctuary.com
Image: TEQ
Explore
Mon Repos Conservation Park, Bundaberg Qld Home to one of the highest concentrations of nesting marine turtles in Australia, Mon Repos runs nightly tours where visitors can witness turtles come ashore to lay eggs, and, later on in the year, watch their hatchlings make their way to the sea. The entire season runs between November and March with the highest concentration of hatchlings arriving in February and continuing to emerge through to late March.
Championing education alongside conservation, Mon Repos Turtle Centre is an interactive learning centre where children and adults alike can learn about the astounding journeys sea turtles have made – for more than 200 million years – and can better understand the current threats and conservation efforts underway to protect our ocean’s great reptiles. bundabergregion.org/turtles
Jamala Wildlife Lodge, Canberra ACT For an immersive experience that can only be described as an overnight safari, Jamala offers guests the chance to stay in luxury lodges virtually built into the habitat of native and exotic animals. Choose to stay just inches away from a lion, tiger, cheetah or a Malayan sun bear – with only a glass wall between you. Or reside among the treetops in a Giraffe Treehouse that overlooks Humberkhali the giraffe, known to wander right up to balconies in search of a feed. Dedicated to conservation, Jamala Wildlife Lodge focuses its efforts on those animals considered vulnerable and critically endangered, including Sumatran tigers and Malayan sun bears. Set up as an addition to Canberra’s National Zoo & Aquarium, Jamala contributes funds to the zoo’s all-important breeding and conservation programs. jamalawildlifelodge.com.au
Image: Visit Victoria
Explore Phillip Island, Vic Lying just off the south coast of Victoria, Phillip Island is most well-known for its population of more than 20,000 miniature penguins who call the island home. Hundreds of people gather to watch the little penguins ‘parade’ ashore at sunset… every day of the year! It’s a special experience, where every allowance has been made to ensure that humans don’t impede upon the penguins’ natural habitat and behaviour. The island is home to a diversity of wildlife, including Australia’s largest colony of 16,000 fur seals. Visitors can watch them lounging about on the rocky shore from the Nobbies Centre or can head out on a seal watching cruise. The 100 square kilometre island is also home to an abundance of first-rate wildlife parks (including Phillip Island Wildlife Park, Koala Conservation Centre, Moonlit Sanctuary, Maru Koala and Animal Park, and Churchill Island Heritage Farm), whose primary aim is to preserve the astounding biodiversity of life that calls this tiny island home. visitphillipisland.com | piwildlifepark.com.au moonlitsanctuary.com.au | marukoalapark.com.au OCT/NOV 2019
27
Mornington’s Moment
Food & Wine
Within easy reach of Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula is a blissful union of hot springs, heavenly hotels and hedonistic wineries. WORDs: Natasha Dragun 28
It’s 11am on the Mornington Peninsula, and I’m confidently sipping my second glass of chardonnay. Looking around Rare Hare, I’m pleasantly surprised to see I’m not alone. The glass-enclosed cellar door overlooking gentle vine-clad slopes is the perfect perch for a mid-morning imbibe. Plus, the deliciously oaky tipple helps to digest the incredible architectural drama that surrounds. Clad in dark zinc with charred timber and black metal detailing, Rare Hare and its adjoining Jackalope Hotel could have slipped straight from continental Europe, so high-style is its jagged form against the bucolic backdrop. Thanks to the likes of Frank Gehry at Marques de Riscal in Spain’s Rioja, and Zaha Hadid’s Rafael Lopez de Heredia Tondonia Winery in the same region, having an Alice in Wonderland moment like this one – in some of the world’s most wonderful wine country – is now becoming perfectly normal.
Food & Wine
Southern exposure
by vivid neon installations lead to slick guest rooms and suites – mine comes with an open fireplace, vineyard views from the enormous patio and a massive black-resin Japanese soaking tub. The big ticket, though, is the fivecourse evening degustation beneath a mesmerising kinetic sculpture of 10,000 light bulbs – they represent the bubbles created during the fermentation of champagne – at fine dining restaurant Doot Doot Doot. Just off Peninsula Link you will find Dainton Brewery, brewer of the Champion Australian Craft Beer and Port/Stout in 2017, the #3 Rye IPA in the world, and world record-holder for the World’s Biggest Tap Takeover. The venue itself showcases 18 different innovative and traditional beers on tap, plus local wine, spirits and cider. Wood-fired pizzas, locally sourced cheeseboards and live music are all part of the offer. Watch out for special events like American BBQ competition days and the annual music festival ‘Dainton-Fest’. Come in for a tasting paddle, brewery tour or casual catch-up with friends and family.
Image: Anson Smart Photography
Dainton Brewery is located in Carrum Downs, just off the Peninsula Link.
Take a tour 80 kilometres south of Melbourne, and just as the suburban landscape begins to turn to green you’ll arrive on an outcrop of vinelaced land. The Mornington Peninsula is definitely a place to visit if you like the ocean: head for booming surf at Point Leo, or paddle in calm waters at Portsea Front Beach. And it’s now also one of Australia’s hottest destinations for forward-thinking wineries and boundary-pushing restaurants – and hotels that house them both. The moody Jackalope project comes courtesy of wunderkind Louis Li, who wanted to create a place for wine lovers to taste, stay and play. He embraced the 30-year-old chardonnay and surrounding pinot noir grapes, and commissioned Carr Design Group to craft spaces that leave my jaw on the floor. The property is filled with whimsical works of art, from the glossy sevenmetre-tall sculpture of a mythical namesake Jackalope (basically a rabbit with antlers) to the electric blue pool table in achingly cool cocktail lounge Flaggerdoot. Dark hallways lit
OCT/NOV 2019
29
Image: PT Leo Estate
Food & Wine
To the Point Out the front of Jackalope, a fleet of shiny black cars are on stand-by to shuttle guests to nearby wineries, including the award-winning Pt. Leo Estate. One of the newest additions to the prestigious Relais & Châteaux portfolio is the property’s Laura restaurant, headed up by chef Phil Wood (ex-Rockpool) and delivering inventive, flower-dusted plates like fluffy magenta beetroot pancakes with lemon curd and salmon roe, and shocking-orange Dutch carrot soufflé. Tear your gaze away from Wood’s culinary creations and you’re nose-to-glass with an overwhelming collection of more than 50 large-scale modernist sculptures. Created by the likes of Tony Cragg, Inge King and Andrew Rogers, the art park is scattered around elm tree woodlands and grassy panoramas, overlooking the estate’s 10-year-old vines and reaching right over to Western Port Bay.
Grand Arch by Inge King at Pt Leo Estate.
Images: Visit Victoria
Soak It Up
30
Victoria’s Daylesford region may be famed for its mineralrich waters, but Peninsula Hot Springs – situated on Mornington’s south coast – steals the spotlight when it comes to spa offerings that pamper above and beyond your usual soak and massage. This lavish network of more than 20 pools, waterfalls and hamams makes the most of the region’s geothermal water, which happens to be among the oldest of its kind in the world. It’s not new, but a 2018 expansion saw the addition of a Fire and Ice experience (think saunas and snow caves) and a lakeside amphitheatre. In the coming months, a series of terraced vegetable gardens will be completed to supply the spa’s on-site kitchens, alongside a cultural meeting place for fireside storytelling, yet more pools (some with underwater speakers), a new wellness centre offering aerial yoga and a reflexology walk. It also comes with a reason to return next year: the promise of glamping and luxe eco-lodges, each sporting private pools for hot spring soaks.
Peninsula Hot Springs.
Food & Wine
Going Green While it doesn’t come with grapes, the new Cape Schanck Resort is surrounded by green of another kind. This enviable golf resort has unbroken views over an 18-hole Robert Trent Jones Jr-designed course, hugging the coastline and hemmed by native forest. Constructed to resemble a starfish from the air, the property is a distracting union of glass and stone, with gold leaf on the ceiling, granite on the floor and furniture courtesy of interiors guru Tom Dixon. It’s also full of artwork, which I learn about on an audio loop. For another dose of culture, I drive a few kilometres south to the Sorrento-Portsea Artists’ Trail, which includes a clifftop track – Millionaires Walk – that takes in some of the most stunning aspects of the western side of the peninsula. Over a course of 1.5 kilometres I stroll past interpretative signs depicting paintings by the likes of Arthur Boyd and Sir Arthur Streeton, while enjoying views of Port Phillip Bay on one side, Western Port Bay on the other, and Bass Strait just in view to the south.
All around there are vineyards criss-crossing rolling hills and small farms producing fresh food, from strawberries and cherries to lavender and goats’ cheese. And then there are the apples, which are transformed into biodynamic cider at Mock Red Hill. Newly refurbished, the orchard’s cellar door now features a lovingly curated collection of sofas dotted across the original 1945 cool room. I settle in and order a classic apple cider from the menu, which lists a dozen or so other options featuring apples and pears from the fifthgeneration-owned-and-operated farm. This is one of the places you’re encouraged to visit on the new Beer, Cider & Spirits Trail, which also lists the relatively new St Andrews Beach Brewery. A stunning spot housed in old horse stables, the establishment serves five standard and two seasonal home brews – head outside to find the former 1200-metre race track, now planted with 8000 apple and pear trees to fuel their future cider-making plans. TB
Fast Facts • The Mornington Peninsula is home to more than 50 cellar doors, with vineyards known for their production of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes. • A great way to get some perspective of the region is on the Arthurs Seat Eagle, a gondola that offers a scenic ride over bushland with views across Port Philip Bay, towards Melbourne.
Details
Images: Visit Victoria
Portsea Pier.
Arthurs Seat Eagle aseagle.com.au Beer, Cider & Spirits Trail visitmorningtonpeninsula.org Cape Schanck Resort racv.com.au
Jackalope jackalopehotels.com Lindenderry at Red Hill lancemore.com.au Mock Red Hill mockredhill.com.au
Mornington Peninsula Wineries mpva.com.au Peninsula Hot Springs peninsulahotsprings.com
Pt Leo Estate ptleoestate.com.au St Andrews Beach Brewery standrewsbeachbrewery. com.au OCT/NOV 2019
31
The Aboriginal Artists Project combines the fashion accessory designs of Catherine Manuell with the artworks of many wonderful women artists from remote Australian communities. Shown here is the Bush Yams artwork by Evelyn Pultara from the Utopia region of Central Australia. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of these products goes directly to the artists.
Call us on 03 9486 4066 for help or a little personal service, or email: info@catherinemanuelldesign.com
www.catherinemanuelldesign.com
Christmas gift ideas
Christmas gift ideas Get organised early with these Christmas gift ideas for the whole family.
1
Compiled by: Sarah Hinder
1. Blundstone Boots The new Blundstone #600 is built for comfort, with a soft brown leather upper and leather lining. It also features hidden stitching in the heel for added durability. It’s the perfect boot to wear for work or play. $149, blundstone.com.au
3
2. Bose QuietComfort 35 wireless headphones II This is second release of these top-tier wireless headphones, now engineered with even more precise noise-cancelling technology. Allowing greater focus and the opportunity to block out noise when travelling, the headphones are sturdy, impactresistant and connect via Bluetooth. The best part – 20 hours of battery and super-quick charging. $499.95, bose.com.au
2
3. Tom Dixon Tank Decanter This Tank decanter takes its minimal, sculptural design from the functional shapes and volumes of scientific glassware. Each decanter is handmade, and fuses clear and solid black glass. $250, top3.com.au
4. SHREK THE MUSICAL
4
On at Sydney’s Lyric Theatre from January 1–19 (then on to Melbourne and Brisbane), this Broadway hit will have the whole family in stitches. From $49.90, sydneylyric.com.au
OCT/NOV 2019
33
Christmas gift ideas
5. noble cut gin This New World Australian Gin introduces techniques and flavours from both brewing and distillation. Young Henrys has produced a unique expression of quintessential Australian botanicals, including pepperberries, lemon myrtle and Tasmanian hops. $75, shop.younghenrys.com
6
34
7
6. Catherine Manuell Design Overnight Bowler Bag
7. Waverley Mills Blackwatch Recycled Travel Rug
Perfectly suited for an overnight or long weekend trip, this stylish bag has a separate base compartment for storing your laptop or shoes, an accessible side pocket for essential items, and the option of adjustable shoulder or across-the-body straps. $180, catherinemanuelldesign.com
Waverley Mills is Australia’s oldest working textile mill. Using timehonoured, artisan craftsmanship, bolstered by the latest sustainable practices, the range includes these soft and stylish travel rugs made from recycled wool fibre. $199, waverleymills.com
8
8. brookie’s byron gin and mac In the Byron Bay Hinterland, Cape Byron Distillery is set in the heart of the Brook family’s macadamia farm and regenerated subtropical rainforest. It’s in this unique rainforest that many of the botanicals are sourced to create Brookie’s Byron Gin and Mac Roasted Macadamia and Wattleseed Liqueur. From $40, capebyrondistillery.com
Christmas gift ideas
9. Wouf Messenger Bag Inspired by the classic bomber jacket, this messenger bag is both functional and stylish. It is available in three colours, is waterproof and has multiple compartments for storing essentials. $295, top3.com.au
10
11
10. FAME greeting card pack
11. Southern Wild Co Candles
Good greeting cards never go astray. Featuring artworks by local Australian designer Danielle B Latta, FAME’s card designs include the Tasmanian devil, western quoll, southern cassowary, numbat and Mary River turtle. $19.95, to order email fame@fame.org.au or call the Foundation on 08 8374 1744
Inspired by the diversity of Australia’s distinct landscapes and references, Southern Wild Co pays homage to our cultural Australian identity through its range of beautiful bespoke candles and its collection of various scented goods. $65, southernwildco.com.au
12
12. Islands of Australia: Travels through Time In this new photographic travel/history book, travel guru Tony Wheeler takes a journey around the Australian coast and beyond to discover the stunning natural features, unique wildlife and chequered histories of our remarkably diverse islets, cays, atolls and archipelagos. $39.99, bookshop.nla.gov.au
OCT/NOV 2019
35
Since 1983, Hollick Estates has been producing some of the Coonawarra’s finest handcrafted wine. Come and enjoy an exceptional cellar door experience and indulge in our region’s fantastic culinary offerings at our award-winning restaurant, Upstairs at Hollick, with sweeping views over the vineyards.
+61 8 8737 2318 | www.hollick.com | 11 Racecourse Road, Penola, SA 5277
Christmas gift ideas
13. Hunter Candles All about celebrating earthy natural scents, these candles make you feel as though you’re surrounded by Australia’s best flora and fauna. Hand-poured in Newtown, Sydney, these stylish candles have notes of blue gum, lemon myrtle, Kakadu plum and yuzu. The Christmas candle of nutmeg, pine and smoke is unlike anything you’ve experienced! $29–$99, huntercandles. com.au
16 15
14
14. Danish Fuel Bar Cabinet
15. Hampers With Bite
16. The West Winds Gin
Made from recycled fuel cans which would otherwise end up in landfill, this truly unique handcrafted ‘art bar’ makes for a fantastic conversation piece and will store all your bar essentials. All Danish Fuel designs are made using Jerry Cans that are collected from Military surplus stock-houses in Europe, and are one-of-a-kind. $795, top3.com.au
Looking for an extra special gift? Look no further than The Veuve Selection from Hampers With Bite. Starring Veuve Cliquot Brut Yellow Label with notes of brioche and biscuit, alongside smooth Fosette Heathcote Shiraz and an assortment of sweet and savoury snacks, this hamper is sure to impress. Use code INFLIGHT10 for 10% off. RSP $200, hamperswithbite.com.au
‘Handcrafted and tailored for the discerning palate’. This mantra stays true for The West Winds Gin’s latest creation: the ready-to-drink Gin & Tonic. Pairing the award-winning citrus and juniper flavours of ‘The Sabre‘ with a custom-made tonic, this is a new adventure from The West Winds team. $99 for 24-pack, available at all good bottle shops or thewestwindsgin.com
OCT/NOV 2019
37
The Secret is Out Interior Secrets is your online destination for great designer furniture. Based in Melbourne and delivering Australia wide, Interior Secrets is passionate about excellent craftsmanship and iconic modern styles, offering homeowners a wide range of designer furniture at honest, straight from the manufacturer prices. By partnering with the best suppliers and manufacturers directly, Interior Secrets cuts out unnecessary costs to help you stay within your budget. Give your home the modern makeover it deserves for less. Save more with Interior Secrets' online store and live the styles you want today.
interiorsecrets.com.au | 1300 668 605 | sales@interiorsecrets.com.au
Christmas gift ideas 18
17. George & Willy Letter Display
Inspired by the lazy board game afternoons you daydream about, the Letter Display makes the ideal menu, to-do-list, spot for ideas or at-home thought-board. $583, georgeandwilly. com
19
18. Lamb Chop Socks Who said socks have to be boring? Who said socks even have to be identical? These ‘odd socks’ are made from sustainable bamboo, which is moisture wicking and anti-bacterial. Meaning: no more stinky feet! $16.95, lambchopssocks. com.au
19. Moore’s Dry Gin This classic citrus and juniper dominant dry gin is enlivened with a selection of native botanicals, including wild lime, macadamia nut and Illawarra plum. It’s the first Australian gin to ever win gold at the prestigious London International Wine and Spirit
20
Competition. The judges said Moore’s Gin is: “Truly classic in style – uplifting, assertive, balanced; pleasing and captivating.” $60, distillerybotanica.com
20. Sullivans Cove XO Single Cask Brandy Rich, powerful and complex, Sullivans Cove brandy is a gift for the serious spirits connoisseur in your life. Distilled from 100 per cent Tasmanian wines and aged for many years in hand-selected oak casks, each unique bottling is single cask, single varietal and non-chill filtered. $275, shop.sullivanscove. com
OCT/NOV 2019
39
DOMETIC CFX SERIES
The ultimate cooling performance The CFX series is the next generation of powerful compressor portable fridge/freezers that keeps food and drinks cold or frozen for longer. With generous gross capacity, these portable fridge/freezers can store fresh food and drinks effortlessly, perfect when you need extra refrigeration for your summer get-togethers or holidays. The series includes a variety of sizes ranging from an ultra-compact model to a large model with two separate temperature zones for simultaneous cooling and freezing. For more information visit dometic.com or freecall 1800 21 21 21. *Suitable on Android or iOS phone or tablet. Excludes CFX 28.
81029
Controlled via WiFi app*
AusBiz.
NEWS+VIEWS | MINING | AGRIBUSINESS | INFRASTRUCTURE
21
3
16
6
12 P.3 buisness news+views p.6 driving diversity in mining P.12 real estate special p.16 farming and mental health p.21 australian wind farming P.26 charity spotlight: careflight P.31 education special
insoles
Business News+Views Maseur has looked after Australian feet for more than 30 years In Australia, 44 per cent of adults report having sore and tired feet. Incorrectly positioned feet can place pressure on knees, hips and spine as your body compensates. Maseur sandals help to reduce this pressure with contours and arches that gently and comfortably help your feet find their optimum position. This may help to relieve stress, tension, pains and aches. Maseur sandals come in two variants: Invigorating and Gentle. Flexible nodules on Maseur Invigorating Massage Sandals are designed to massage and help support healthy circulation, invigorating feet and body. The contoured footbed gently supports arch profiles to facilitate correct position of your feet and help relieve pressure on your body. The cushioning sole provides protection from hard surfaces. Maseur Gentle Massage Sandals alleviate fatigue and help recovery after sport. Its comfort soft straps align to the curvature of your feet and allow for adjustments to fit both narrow and wide feet.
NOW Leasing NT NOW Leasing NTÂ was formed by Joely Sullivan and Joanne Griffiths almost four years ago. They are long-term, experienced Darwin Property Managers with a reputation of providing personal and proactive service to clients in the management and leasing of residential property. In the current market, its commitment to service has the company outperforming its competitors in leasing in under 20 days on average compared to the industry average of 69 days. Managing property in all suburban areas of Darwin, the office in Darwin Corporate Park on the Stuart Highway means NOW Leasing NT are just 15 minutes away from almost any potential appointment. Call today if you have property to lease in the Darwin area on 08 8984 4404, or visit nowleasingnt.com.au OCT/NOV 2019
3
Business News+Views
Dust control at its finest – from Pit-to-Port Achieving effective dust control in mines and across the supply chain is an ongoing challenge for operators. Relying on conventional methods alone, such as water carts and lowpressure watering systems, is rarely enough. A combination of customised measures tailored to specific dust issues is required. Dust-A-Side is a global specialist
in dust control management to the mining and resources sector. First established in South Africa in 1973, Dust-A-Side Australia has been in operation since 2005. The business has grown steadily from its core capabilities in dust control management and maintenance of mine haul roads to its current ‘Pit-to-Port’ strategy incorporating custom-designed dust suppression
solutions in fixed plant, freight transport, soil erosion control and road stabilisation. Dust-A-Side Australia operates in Brisbane, Perth and Newcastle and is investing heavily in sales and operational capability to meet demand. For more information, visit dustaside.com.au or call 1800 662 387.
Tropical North Queensland birds exposed from the air Environmental research into the rainforests of Cape York has revealed new insight into the life of large Australian land birds which incubate eggs in large mounds of rotting vegetation, aka megapodes. Hundreds of large megapode nesting mounds, including those of brush turkeys and yellow-footed scrubfowls, have been located by the Airborne Research Institute, using cutting-edge light detection and ranging (LiDAR) techniques. “It’s fascinating to think an eye in the sky can strip away the rainforest with this technology to record and study the terrestrial nesting patterns of Australian brush turkeys on remote parts of the Cape York Peninsula,” says Airborne Research Australia’s chief scientist, Jorg Hacker. LiDAR remote-sensing
4
AusBiz.
technology has been used across several worldwide archaeological applications, including the discovery of Mayan pyramids in Central America. “Now we have used our configuration of airborne LiDAR to [virtually] ‘remove’ the dense vegetation of the Australian rainforest to ‘see’ what’s on the ground in high resolution when it’s otherwise almost impenetrable to the human eye and aerial photography,” explains Hacker. Backed by the not-for-profit Maxim Foundation, which funds philosophical and environmental research initiatives, the aerial mapping research forms part of a greater biodiversity project in the region. For more information visit airborneresearch.org.au or news.flinders.edu.au
Business News+Views
Celebrating Indigenous Business Month 2019 This October marks the fifth annual Indigenous Business Month. Events will take place around Australia, as well as in New Zealand for the first time this year, celebrating and showcasing the talents of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women entrepreneurs from across a diverse range of business sectors. The initiative is headed up by Melbourne Business School’s MURRA Indigenous Business Master Class alumni, with an aim to spark conversations about Indigenous business development and innovation. Since the inception of Indigenous Business Month in 2015, the Indigenous business sector has become one of the fastest growing sectors in Australia.
Regionally based NGOs deliver significant results to local economies New research undertaken by the University of South Australia has shown that for every dollar spent by regionally based Australian NGOs, there is a return of 2.3 times the original dollar value to local communities. The study found that the benefits flowing from NGOs in regional areas extend well beyond the direct services that they provide and play a significant role in reinvigorating local rural and regional economies. Director of the study Dr Catherine Mackenzie explains, “The findings in this study suggest there are enormous social, civic and economic benefits of supporting country based non-government community service organisations and the significant role they play in underpinning and supporting local economies and vibrant communities. They provide residents with something to build a community around and help to counter some of the problems associated with recent regional industrial and social change.�
OCT/NOV 2019
5
Mining
Darren Baguley Darren specialises in the fields of technology, mining, agriculture, energy and business.
Diversity and the mining company boardroom THE MINING INDUSTRY IS FACING CHALLENGING TIMES – PROPONENTS ARGUE DIVERSITY WILL HELP COMPANIES FUTUREPROOF THEMSELVES. The Australian mining industry is in the midst of a once-in-ageneration transition. William Gibson has oft been quoted as saying, “The future is here, it’s just not evenly distributed.” And nowhere is this truer than the mining industry. The mine of the future is close enough for its features to be seen and to transition to that future, companies must innovate, unlocking the power of digitisation. To do this they will need to attract a different type of talent. The pace of change in mining’s global operating environment would be enough for any industry to deal with, however mining faces a host of other
6
AusBiz.
Mining
challenges. Environmental issues and distortions in the economy caused by the long-over mining boom have led to governments, communities, investors and other key stakeholders scrutinising the industry more than ever. According to Deloitte’s ’Tracking the trends 2018’ report, “This level of scrutiny mandates new forms of co-operation and collaboration. To repair broken relationships and tarnished reputations, miners must also explore ways to operate more sustainably. These drivers make it clear that companies will need to make substantive cultural shifts. “Some companies have already taken steps in this direction by engaging in cross-functional collaboration, seeking out best practices from other industries, strengthening their executive teams and setting targets to achieve greater diversity and inclusion. To cement these changes, however, mining companies will also need to ensure that their boards are properly constituted to support transformation.” This new reality presents a challenge
for boards because they need to be able to embrace new operational realities before they can help drive the changes the industry needs. As shareholder activism ramps up, companies are held to higher standards of corporate governance and technological disruption alters industry dynamics, this will be especially critical. In the past directors were focused on oversight, however this notion is also under challenge. Today directors are increasingly expected to weigh in on corporate strategy, and studies show the best boards take a more active role in constructively challenging the executive team than merely fulfilling their fiduciary responsibilities. According to Deloitte, “Boards mired in old ways of thinking will increasingly struggle to fulfil this mandate. Although experience can help inform opinions, it can also inhibit directors from questioning their current assumptions – leading to a form of cognitive bias that prevents them from considering non-traditional solutions. “Low levels of diversity among
OCT/NOV 2019
7
Mining
Fast Facts
46.9%
Women comprise 46.9 per cent of all employed persons in Australia.
13.7%
Women hold 13.7 per cent of chair positions, 25.8 per cent of directorships, and represent 17.1 per cent of CEOs.
35.2%
35.2 per cent of boards and governing bodies have no female directors.
8
AusBiz.
mining board members only complicate the issue by limiting their ability to uncover outside views or challenge their habitual thought processes. Diverse perspectives are necessary if mining boards are to effectively challenge organisational assumptions, assess the validity of new ways of thinking and help determine if the organisation is taking on too much risk, or perhaps not enough.” It’s not just mining companies that have issues with diversity. A recent Australian Institute of Company Directors report claimed that at 29.8 per cent, the ASX200 was just shy of the magic ’tipping point’ of 30 per cent female board representation. According to Swinburne Law School Corporate Governance Research Fellow Helen Bird, further investigation showed that when women who held multiple directorships were only counted once, the number came down to less than 25 per cent. Bird does however emphasise that recent research had shown the mining industry was no worse than any other industry when it came to diversity. “We did a networking study last year, where we looked at board networks
– looking to see what the network effect was,” she explains. “Our initial hypothesis was that female-dominated sectors such as health and education would be where we might see more women on board appointments, but we found no such connection. Gender diversity is an issue across the ASX and it’s not relevant to specific sectors.” Bird adds that it’s not just diversity of gender that’s important, “it’s also skills, ethnicity, cognitive diversity, experiential diversity. Nevertheless, although gender represents a divide of half the population, it doesn’t need to be as messy as we make it sound. Companies simply need to ask: ‘Who is our client base?’ A lot of this diversity stuff is used to make out that it is too complicated and an abyss, when what we need to do is simply sit down and determine who we’re selling to. If half your client base is female dominated, you have to wonder why half your board is not constituted by women. “No business sits still – there’s disruption, transformation and boards are increasingly accountable to a wider range of factors. Mining is a perfect example when considering the need for diversity because it’s a globally
Mining
exposed industry. We need to have a wide range of experiences and points of view if we’re going to identify future risks and opportunities. “In addition, there’s a strange similarity between mining and banking. When all is going well, the focus is on profit and there is little focus on issues beyond the financial cost of the business. Once the boom is over, other questions start to play a part, such as environmental footprint and digital disruption, and you need to have a more complex and diverse analysis of your business.” Deloitte’s ’Tracking the trends 2018’ report made the point that board members are often appointed because of their functional experience/skillset – ie. former mining company C-suite executives, but cautioned that those skills which were valid in the past may not be what the company needs for the future. According to Bird, “Companies need people with a range of skills and to not rely on the idea that a former CEO is a perfect non-executive director. Some studies have shown ex-CEOs are not the best directors because they want to tell the CEO how to do their job. No mining company, no company really, should have a board exclusively made up of ex-CEOs. There’s a natural attraction to stick with what you know, but experiential diversity is important as are reasonable periods of renewal.” Deloitte US Mining and Minerals Consulting Leader Amy Winsor closes the ’Tracking the trends 2018’ report, saying “Mining companies are considering new business models and driving step change through innovation and digitisation. To enable this broader transformation, they need the right board composition. Rather than having a firm grasp of how things were done in the past, today’s board members need to understand how the industry is evolving into the future.” OCT/NOV 2019
9
ABSOLUTE PAVING PRECISION From resurfacing Singapore’s Formula 1 Grand Prix track, to paving roads, runways and other fine tolerance projects, when you need millimetre precision look to Topcon for your next paving application. Topcon’s range of survey, milling, paving and compaction solutions will help save time, reduce material waste and deliver precision results, every time.
Let’s discuss your next project: 1300 867 266 | positionpartners.com.au
Special Feature
Technology at full throttle for Singapore’s Grand Prix For the second year running, Singapore contractor United E&P was tasked with the preparing the racetrack for the country’s Formula 1 race which took place in September. Unlike many cities that utilise existing race circuits, Singapore transforms some of its city streets into race carworthy surfaces in just a matter of days, shutting down roads for the shortest periods possible to minimise impact to residents, visitors and traffic. To meet the tight deadlines and deliver a track that passed muster with the racing car elite, United E&P partnered with Topcon Positioning Systems’ largest distributor in the Oceania region, Position Partners. Using a full suite of design software, mapping and profiling technology, survey instruments and paving machine
control systems, United E&P began by scanning and modelling the planned track surfaces before optimising a design and paving the tarmac. “We really used every bit of technology we had at our disposal for this job to give a great result in a limited amount of time,” said Mathew Connelly, Position Partners Manger for South-East Asia. The racetrack had a specification governed by global motor sport safety association FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile). “The tolerances on this job were very tight,” said Graham Castle, Construction Manager at United E&P. “We had a riding index that we had to meet, a +/- 3 millimetre tolerance on our levels and also 3 millimetre tolerance under a four metre straight
edge for the paved surface.” United E&P utilised a range of Topcon paving machine control solutions (these steer the paver to deliver the smoothest results, automatically correcting the machine for optimal compaction). Topcon offers a unique machine control system for fine tolerance work including grading and paving applications. Millimetre GPS uses a combination of a high-performance laser transmitter and GNSS positioning technology to create a large working zone that delivers up to 300 per cent greater accuracy than a standard GPS solution alone. With the proven results seen from the Changi Airport project and this year’s Formula 1 track, Castle has been very pleased with the results this year. OCT/NOV 2019
11
IMAGE: TOTAL DEVELOPMENT ARTIST IMPRESSION
Train Street Central is ideally located and surrounded by a growing customer base offered by two nearby high schools, primary school, day care centres, expanding retirement village and the established township. The airport at Moruya is 8km away and offers flights to both Sydney and Melbourne. The coastline at Broulee is stunning with golden beaches and sheltered coves and has long been the favoured destination of both locals and visitors from Canberra, Queanbeyan and Country NSW. Interest in this development has brought early sales in both commercial and residential properties. GET ON BOARD AT TRAIN STREET. To register your interest or to find out more, please contact Pat Jameson: 0405 442 905 or the First National office on 02 4472 5566, or email Pat on pat@bbfn.com.au
www.trainstreetcentral.com.au
Special Feature
TRAIN STREET CENTRAL Broulee, South Coast NSW The original vision for Train Street Central to become an exciting mixed-use development and opportunity for local businesses in our community – is now a reality! With all the buzz surrounding the sold-out completion of Stage 1, Train Street Central is now occupied, and businesses are operating! In the past 15-20 years Broulee has transformed from a haven for holiday homes to a community enjoyed by families and retirees alike. Train Street Central will offer more to a community that currently caters for three of the region’s major schools and one of the largest and still expanding retirement villages. It is envisaged that Train Street Central will add a further dimension to the community, creating more infrastructure for local businesses and tourists alike. Train Street Central is located on the corner of Cambridge Crescent and Train Street in Broulee. Train Street Central is divided into
three construction stages, incorporating a mix of office, retail, food spaces and north facing residential units. The concept of this mixed-use development is to act as a village centre mid-point between Moruya and Batemans Bay, catering for the growing population in the region. Stage 2 is comprised of four more luxurious two-storey two-bedroom townhouses and eight commercial units. Concept plans have been prepared for a potential Medical Centre and Café/Food Outlet to show prospective investors and businesses the endless possibilities. To register your interest or to find out more about this unique development becoming Broulee’s commercial hub, please call Pat Jameson on 0405 442 905 or the First National Office on 02 4472 5566. trainstreetcentral.com.au Images by @timtaplinphotography
Stage 2 selling now (Stage 1 sold-out before construction was complete) • Stage 2 – Commercial prices from $345,000 • Stage 2 – Residential priced at $515,000
Local area info • Redevelopment & upgrades of the Moruya Airport; to provide vital economic, social and medical links to Sydney and beyond. • $274M Batemans Bay bridge development providing better connections for commuters within the Eurobodalla region. • 150M Proposed Regional Hospital for Eurobodalla.
OCT/NOV 2019
13
Dream the days away at Frenchman’s River. Beauty, luxury, serenity. Come and stay. book@frenchmansriver.com.au | 0466 790 142 @frenchmansrivercygnet | www.frenchmansriver.com.au
Investment Special
QLD Invest deliver valuable property investments to Australian families Let’s face it, working for the man is good for paying the bills, but to really get ahead, we all know that property investing is a must. As a wise old investor said to me years ago: “This property will never be as cheap as it was when you bought it.” Well, I guess that’s why they call it REAL estate. Where do you start? Seriously! How much research do you need to conduct before you buy a property? When navigating all the contradicting property reports out there, it’s easy to follow the herd, simply because that’s what the herd does. Plus, who has the time to drive across the country investigating every nook and cranny, trying to locate that ‘great deal’? Well, enter Korry from QLD Invest. The really unique thing about what Korry does is he ‘manufactures’ the wealth into the property design. It’s a concept that takes time to wrap your head around. But once you get it, you’ll probably never buy a stock standard property again. QLD Invest was set up by Korry in order to deliver real wealth, to everyday families, through smart property investments.
Korry explains that his team spends most of their time looking at council zoning, and what would be allowable under council rules. Then designing a building that will deliver a specific commercial outcome to the investor. “We deliver a complete package. All the investor needs to do is be prepared to work with the mortgage broker to get the lending in place and sign a few contracts. “We’ve got dozens of clients currently involved in projects which will provide $80,000-$120,000 in immediate uplift, within six to eight months. Not only that, it provides big tax deductions. It’s hard to beat. And an investor on a normal salary can get into high return property, with around $100,000 equity or deposit.” Korry explains: “We named the business QLD Invest because southeast Queensland is in fact one of the best locations for investment at the current time and foreseeable future.
“Many of our projects are returning high weekly rents and incredible returns of 6 to 15 per cent each year. On top of that is the capital growth. One of our clients who wanted to move up from Sydney, is in fact getting a 25 per cent annual return on the project that we delivered. It’s basically allowed the family’s dad to stay at home. That’s life changing, and that’s when I get real satisfaction from my business. We are a family business, and we pride ourselves in helping families secure a great future.” QLD Invest makes the investment process seamless. With every step, from initial discussion through to securing lending, managing the project and getting it rented, the team at QLD Invest support the process at no charge to clients. “We deliver far more than most people would be able to achieve with their own knowledge, and we do it quickly, including high return SMSF property.“ Talking with Korry, you will learn more in three minutes than you may in a lifetime. qldinvest.com.au | 0439 425 855 korry@qldinvest.com.au
Korry and Roma from QLD Invest with their daughters.
OCT/NOV 2019
15
Mental Health
Ian Lloyd Neubauer With nearly 20 years’ journalism experience, Ian is abreast of global news as it happens.
WITHOUT WATER
WE MAY BE THE LUCKY COUNTRY, BUT MANY AUSTRALIANS DON’T FEEL THAT WAY. EVERY DAY, EIGHT PEOPLE IN THIS NATION TAKE THEIR OWN LIVES. 16
AusBiz.
Mental Health
Suicide is a major problem in Australia’s country regions. A recent study by the Centre for Remote and Rural Mental Health found suicide rates in rural areas are more than 50 per cent higher than in capital cities, while the suicide rate for farming men in Australia is actually double that of the general male population. The drought, the worst to have hit Australia in 50 years, is exacerbating the crisis. Research on Australian farmers published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America shows a 15 per cent increase in the suicide rate among working-aged men during periods of drought. But the bush is fighting back with a small but determined army of mental health professionals and volunteers who go above and beyond to help farmers in need. We talk to three of them about the modern farmers’ plight and their experience working on the frontlines.
Jenny O’Connell – Leading From Within There are few parts of Australia the drought has hit harder than the Murray-Darling Basin, where below-average rains since the year 2000 have seen 60 per cent of dairy farmers sell up or go broke. “It’s very evident from doing the sums that farming is not viable anymore,” says Jenny O’Connell, a clinical social worker in Shepparton, Victoria. “But for some, especially the intergenerational farmers, their work, their lifestyle and home are all tied up with farming, so quitting the farm means losing everything. And when everything they have is being threatened by drought, vegans, water politics or any other source, their mental health can be compromised. “They feel like failures even though it’s not their fault – it’s the drought’s fault – and there’s a tendency to think there are no options other than suicide; that
OCT/NOV 2019
17
Mental Health
“Leading From Within is based on the principle that instead of internalising trauma, growth can come from traumatic events.” their families will actually be better off without them as they might get a life insurance payout.” During the day, O’Connell is a clinical social worker at a private practice in Shepparton. But at nights and on weekends she runs pro bono trauma-recovery therapy sessions under the name Leading From Within: a non-profit group she and her husband founded in 2000 after conducting an evaluation of the first-sector response to high-profile suicides in the area. “After those suicides, there was massive trauma in the community, but no one was interested in using private or public treatment,” she says. “My husband and I thought there should be a process to help people recover. Leading From Within is based on the principle that instead of internalising trauma and becoming victims with bad mental health, growth can come from traumatic events.” For more information, visit leadingfromwithin.org.au
Mary O’Brien – Are You Bogged Mate?
When a spate of suicides hit Dalby Downs in central Queensland a few years ago, people in the community turned to Mary O’Brien for help. “Friends and neighbours were ringing me to talk, which was great, but I was concerned about my lack of skills,” O’Brien says. “But what I discovered is that professionals from the city didn’t understand country people at all. They say men in the country need to sit down and express their feelings, that the men have to change. But it’s them that need to change their approach, and how they communicate with country men.”
18
AusBiz.
Are You Bogged Mate? is the manifestation of O’Brien’s research: a one-woman workshop that engages directly with rural men to break down the stigma surrounding mental health problems. “It started as something I tagged onto my work,” she explains. “I travel around the state teaching spray-application technology. Afterwards, I ask the blokes if any of them are feeling bogged, and because they already know me, they listen. My approach is fairly direct. I keep it simple, peel away all the fluffy stuff and talk to them in a language they can understand.” O’Brien reckons farmers are pretty much drought-proof. But it’s not just the lack of rain that’s draining them today. “Most farmers can cope with drought. In some parts it’s been going on for seven or eight years now,” she says. “But now there are new social issues that weren’t around 10 years ago, like the fish kill in the Darling River. There was huge public scrutiny, farmers were blamed for taking too much water from the river, their kids got bullied at school and now they’ve got this vegan activism to deal with. It’s put all this extra pressure on farmers that they don’t need.” For more information, visit areyouboggedmate.com.au
Mental Health
Dianne Gill – Rural Adversity Mental Health Program
“I always thought when the ground gets sick, so do our people. It’s very similar in the Aboriginal culture,” says Dianne Gill, a registered nurse from Condobolin in central NSW. “During the Millennium Drought, I started trying to figure out how we can help our farmers stay well and ended up joining the Drought Mental Health Assistance Package.” When the Millennium Drought ended in 2009, Gill’s work was folded into the Rural Adversity Mental Health Program. “To tell you the truth, the drought never really went away,” she says. “It takes cattle farmers seven years to recover from drought, while orchardists need 15 years to replant and regrow their trees, so even though there were a few good years of rain, for most farmers, the stress never left. Then they’ve got the isolation of modern farming to deal with. Going back a generation or two, you’d have five men working at a property. Today with machinery and the high cost of labour, they work long hours all by themselves. And while they’re very good at looking after their farms, they’re not very good at looking after themselves.” Gill connects with stressed-out farmers at field days, agricultural shows and via referrals from old patients and friends. “I am not a Florence Nightingale-type character,” she says. “I wear jeans and boots, I stand shoulder-toshoulder with farmers and ask them if they’re okay. “I also ask them to think of any mates or neighbours who normally come to these things and aren’t here, and suggest they visit them. I also teach people about the four signs that can indicate someone could be in trouble: a change in their physical appearance, substance abuse, comments about ‘ending it’ and a tendency to not talk – and then when they do talk it’s all negative.” For more information, visit ramhp.com.au
OCT/NOV 2019
19
P 1300 4 SPARES E sales@expressway.com.au W www.expressway.com.au SUPPLYING THE EARTHMOVING INDUSTRY WITH PARTS & EQUIPMENT SUITABLE FOR CATERPILLAR & HITACHI SINCE 1964
SUPPLIERS OF NEW, USED AND RECONDITIONED PARTS & COMPONENTS We currently have over 300 experienced staff that are committed to keeping your machines working to minimise downtime with the supply of quality parts and service.
WAUCHOPE 02 6585 1000
HUNTER VALLEY 02 6574 6499
MACKAY 07 4955 0220
PERTH 08 9477 1355
GUNNEDAH 02 6741 4777
Agribusiness
BUNCH OF HOT AIR
Ian Lloyd Neubauer With nearly 20 years’ journalism experience, Ian is abreast of global news as it happens.
THE WIND HAS BLOWN BOTH WAYS WHEN IT COMES TO DISCUSSING RENEWABLE ENERGY OPTIONS. HERE’S THE BECALMED TRUTH ON THIS MUCH-MALIGNED SECTOR. OCT/NOV 2019
21
Agribusiness
Thanks to exponential leaps in wind turbine technology, wind farming is on track to becoming Australia’s biggest generator of sustainable energy within a few short years.
Agribusiness
Temporal lakes, forested ridges and wide flat country bathed in soft pastel colours. These were the views enjoyed by people commuting between Sydney and Canberra on the Hume Highway for more than 100 years. But shortly after Labor won its last federal election in 2007, the landscape changed with the erection of dozens of massive wind turbines – high-vis proof Labor was keeping their promise to ensure at least 20 per cent of Australia’s electricity supply would be generated by renewables by 2020. “This is necessary to protect jobs into the future and also necessary to protect our environment into the future,” Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said at the time.
Attack of the clones
Fast-forward to 2014. Federal Labor is back in the Opposition and the wind turbines on the Hume Highway are making headlines again – for all the wrong reasons. “I drive to Canberra to go to Parliament… and I must say I find those wind turbines around Lake George to be utterly offensive,” Treasurer Joe Hockey told Macquarie Radio. “I think they’re just a blight on the landscape.” Hockey’s then-boss, PM Tony Abbott, followed through with a one-two punch combination. “When I’ve been up close to these things, not only are they visually awful, but they make a lot of noise,” he told broadcaster Alan Jones, who then alluded wind turbines can cause health problems like insomnia, headaches, dizziness, nausea, exhaustion, anxiety, irritability and depression. Later Jones also repeated a claim that wind farming was flawed because the wind doesn’t blow all the time. “No matter how romantic [modern industrial people] are, they don’t want to return to pre-modern life. I mean, what are you going to do? Live in the dark?” he asked listeners, reminding them yet again that the push for sustainable energy sources would increase the size of their power bills. All these claims are, of course, a bunch of hot air. The utility companies that provide us with power don’t rely on a single electricity source; instead, they use a mix of natural gas, coal, wind, solar and hydroelectric. So, if the wind doesn’t blow on Wednesday, we won’t be left in the dark on Thursday. On the health front, 25 different studies
– including a 2015 review by Australia’s peak medical research body, the NHMRC – have found no evidence wind farms cause adverse health effects. Yet there is ample evidence linking the particulate pollution from coal plants to heart disease, respiratory problems and cancer. And while electricity generated by emerging technologies like wind and solar power costs more than coal or gas, that’s only because there’s no level playing field in Australia. A 2013 report by think tank The Australia Institute found Canberra gives the mining industry $4 billion in subsidies annually, while state governments offer their own subsidies. And if you factor in the cost of air pollution created by burning fossil fuels with something like a carbon tax, wind farming becomes the cheapest source of electricity on the market.
Not in my backyard
Nevertheless, the writing appeared on the wall for wind farming when Hockey issued his rant. Installed capacity – the maximum output of electricity that a generator can produce under ideal conditions – increased by only 10 per cent between 2013 to 2016 compared to 56 per cent in the two previous decades.
Did you know?
Wind turbines reduce the number of fires started by lightning strikes by safely conducting the lightning to earth.
OCT/NOV 2019
23
Agribusiness
but I swear they were paid by coal companies; there’s no other reason why someone would say so many bad things about wind farms – noise, vibrations and shadow flickers. I’ve stood right under a wind turbine and felt the flicker. It did not bother me. “What the wind farm did cause was a lot of friction in the community, because the family who has the turbines on their land, they get $5000 a year for each turbine and there are 26 of them, while the rest of the community only got half a million dollars, which we used to build a park and hall,” Bonet says. “And the people who live right next door to the turbines are very bitter. They got a few perks like free Foxtel for life because they lost their TV reception, and double glazing for their windows to block out the noise. I’ve been to their homes and admit the noise can be bad. But again, if you compare it to living next door to a coal power station, well, you really can’t compare the two.”
Winds are changing
Did you know?
The first practical windmills were in use in Sistan, a region of Iran bordering Afghanistan, in the 9th century.
24
AusBiz.
In 2017 wind farming took another beating when it was falsely blamed for causing statewide power outages in South Australia after supercell tornadoes crumpled 23 major transmission towers. The culture war in which wind farms have been caught up is best summed up by a mock crowdfunding petition to erect wind turbines on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, where Tony Abbott lost his long-held federal seat of Warringah to climate change warrior Zali Steggall in the May 2019 federal election. “It’s only fair that the wake votes in Warringah put up these monstrosities, like those of us who live out in the bonnies do,” commented Mike Trigs, one of 24,000 Australians who signed the petition. But according to Shlomi Bonet, an environmental scientist and farmer who lives 2.5 kilometres from Cullerin Range (one of eight actual or proposed wind farms in the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales), having a wind farm in your neighbourhood is no big deal. “What amazed me was the way we were bombarded with so much anti-wind information by lobbyists during the consultation stage,” he says. “I know it sounds like a conspiracy,
Despite the campaign to stop wind farming in Australia, the industry has proven unstoppable. In South Australia, 41 per cent of its power is generated by wind. In Victoria, the figure stands at 25 per cent, while the national average is brushing 7 per cent – almost the same quantity generated by hydropower. But thanks to exponential leaps in wind turbine technology, wind farming is on track to becoming Australia’s biggest generator of sustainable energy within a few short years. There are currently 94 wind farms in Australia with another 24 either under construction or formally approved that will boost combined output by a third when they come online. The not-in-my-backyard phenomena will persist, but could be mitigated by strategies used in Denmark and Germany, like community sharing of rental incomes, free electricity or degrees of local ownership of wind farms. But we can also expect to see more anti-wind scaremongering by populist leaders who use the strategy to lure disenfranchised voters. “Windmills, wheeeee,” US President Donald Trump said during a rally in March 2019. “And if it doesn’t blow, you can forget about television for that night. Darling, I want to watch television. I’m sorry – the wind isn’t blowing!”
AusBiz. Promotion
WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT CAREFLIGHT In 1986 CareFlight established Australia’s first dedicated medical emergency helicopter service. Not only does the original rapid response helicopter service continue to serve the community in Sydney, the critical care team model it pioneered has been emulated around the world, making CareFlight an Australian success story in aeromedical training. Doctors teaching doctors
CareFlight was the first organisation in Australia to be accredited by the Specialist Medical Colleges for training doctors in critical care skills outside of a hospital. The doctor training program sets a benchmark both in Australia and internationally. It attracts and trains upwards of 50 specialist doctors each year, who will go on to fly all over the country and beyond, saving lives with CareFlight and many other organisations. For more than 25 years, doctors at the top of their game have been vying for the opportunity to attend what is a unique and independent ‘school’ developed by some of the nation’s most experienced and respected specialist emergency doctors. Today CareFlight trains doctors aboard its helicopters, propeller and jet aeroplanes, as well as in road vehicles.
26
AusBiz.
Nursing jobs like no other
The extraordinary conditions of Australia’s Top End call for a unique solution. CareFlight doctors, nurses, pilots, engineers, logistics, dispatch and support staff work together as one team, and across all operations. The team is Australia’s only fully integrated aeromedical service, operated on behalf of the Northern Territory Government. CareFlight nurses are on the front line of this busy service; they’re frequently a lifeline for families living in some of the most remote communities on the planet. Training as midwives and in other advanced skills is vital for nurses so they can learn to manage all types of emergencies and save seriously injured and ill adults, children and babies who might be hours away from a hospital.
AusBiz. Promotion
Fast Fact CareFlight trains some of the only nurses in the world who undertake downthe-wire rescues from the helicopter, day and night, over land and water. OCT/NOV 2019
27
Darwin
AusBiz. Promotion
CareFlight’s social purpose and teaching on the ground CareFlight has grown to be one of the best known and most trusted charities in Australia. Its mission is unrelenting: to save lives, speed recovery and serve the community. All of the resources the not-for-profit can muster are strategically directed into growing the charity’s social impact. The helicopter services in Sydney and Darwin are the best-known examples of CareFlight’s social impact funded with community support. In recent times, helped by businesses and individuals, CareFlight’s education programs have branched out to touch the lives of Australians right around the country, and will be expanding into Queensland soon. Highly trained and experienced pre-hospital medical specialists now deliver advanced training to volunteers and clinics in remote communities. Together, it’s about building resilience in remote, rural and regional Australia.
Territory Generation CEO Tim Duignan
“The MediSim Trauma Care Workshops have provided invaluable and potentially life-saving training to those in rural and remote areas, including some of our own employees, who may be the first responders in the event of a serious incident.”
TIO CEO Daryl Madden
“The MediSim program provides potentially life-saving education in some of the most challenging locations in the Northern Territory, and empowering local workers and volunteers with the skills and confidence as first responders is a great outcome for these regions.”
28
AusBiz.
Cairns
Alice Springs
Brisbane
Perth Sydney Adelaide
Reach of mobile training since 2011 Total MediSim Training Sessions: 352 Total Responders attending: 5,011 We are looking for sponsors to expand our MediSim program into all states including Queensland.
Trauma Care Workshops
CareFlight’s award-winning MediSim program provides medical simulation training to rural and remote emergency service volunteers and workers. Given locals in remote locations are often the first to arrive at the scene of a major trauma incident, CareFlight trains them to deliver pre-hospital emergency care while awaiting the arrival of professional help. Educators use mobile simulation equipment and realistic scenario training to give participants the confidence to take action at an emergency scene that could ultimately save a life. CareFlight instils cutting edge prehospital knowledge and skills in the workshops. Participants are also shown ingenious improvisation techniques that will work on scene, for example to stem serious bleeding or make a splint. Dr Ken Harrison developed Trauma Care Workshops after years flying on the CareFlight helicopter. He was also able to draw on his personal experience of being deployed with CareFlight’s disaster cache to Indonesia after the 2004 tsunami, experiencing first-hand the need for improvisation due to lack of surgical equipment. More than 5,000 Australians have now been upskilled with MediSim. It continues to be delivered at no cost to participants.
Canberra
Melbourne
Hobart
Sick and injured kids in remote communities
Building lasting resilience is vital in remote and regional communities. CareFlight’s Top End team last year developed an additional clinical training program designed specifically to help sick and injured children in remote and regional settings, particularly Indigenous communities. Over the past year, eight workshops have been delivered at no cost to participants and health clinics. This is largely made possible with financial support from CareFlight’s partners TIO and Territory Generation. Paediatric cases are challenging for all clinicians, particularly when access to specialists is limited. The course was designed to help clinicians diagnose and treat children to ensure they receive the vital treatment they need. Experienced CareFlight nurse and midwife Dean Blackney led development of the course. He said it was designed to share the latest evidence-based knowledge in managing and stabilising unwell and injured children and babies. “Remote area clinicians are well trained, but they don’t see trauma after trauma like those working in a big hospital. Practising their skills can mean the difference between life or death in a lot of situations,” Blackney says.
PARTNERING WITH BUSINESSES TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY
To find out how your business can benefit the community Contact Stewart on 0408 240 785 or at partnership@careflight.org
Train your team in advanced trauma care at your location
Sponsor a trauma-training workshop for first responders
Sponsor CareFlight to boost your brand presence
Education Special
Yanco Agricultural High School Yanco Agricultural High School is a public co-educational residential high school specialling in agriculture. Established in 1922, this unique institution provides a broad, wellbalanced curriculum in a rural setting, beside the Murrumbidgee River just outside Leeton in the Riverina. The school covers 280 hectares, including 180 hectares of intensive irrigation and dry land agriculture, and 60 hectares of natural bushland boarded by the Murrumbidgee. For students who come from farming properties, Yanco is a home-away-from-home. The school runs both sheep and cattle studs and students who are taking equine subjects are able to stable their horse at the school. All students from Year 7 to Year 12 are either weekly or
Yanco Agricultural High School 02 69511500 250 Euroley Road, Yanco, NSW 2705 yancoah-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au yancoag-h.school.nsw.edu.au
full-time boarders. Apart from involvement in local team and sporting competitions, school facilities include a show stock centre, equine arena, tennis, netball and basketball courts, swimming pool, gymnasium, mountain bikes, kayaks and 10 hectares of playing fields. Prospective Year 7 students sit the Selective High School Placement Test in Year 6. Students entering Year 8 to Year 11 should apply directly to the school. Applications are accepted mid-year, although requests outside this time may also be considered. Yanco Agricultural High School will be having Open Days on Monday October 28, 2019 and February 17, 2020. For further information or to arrange a school tour, please contact Yanco Agricultural High School.
Puzzles
CROSSWORD 1
2
3
4
5
8
6
7
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
27
K Y P O U E O M I G H T Y
V C E S G U E S N E M M I
D
F O R S S F S I Z A B L E
R Q N A D T N A H P E L E
P W R L G N I K L U H G Z
Y
E
A
M T
R
A
F R
L
A
B O O B O O
T
D
H
A
I
S
H
E A T
R
A
S
P O R
S
B
E
T
L
I W
R A
D
R
A
S
T T
E
R L
T
L
N
N G U
R B
Y A
F
D I
G T
D
B
F R N
U A
E
O O O
O S A
I
E
S B
T
T
A L
G R
D
E
R N N
K
C
C
C
E G A P
R
A
O A
C O C
E R
I I
D
SOLUTIONS:
H
H
D
T S
I C P L J P N R E V N M A
C
B
A
I
T
T C U
A
P
C
S
N L O O J G H O T G A N C
T
G O H C R T O A R S R I Q
S
S P W F O E E L S M N A W M G I G A N T I C B B H R
E A S E K E R I U X T Y S
I S A M I R P I I A O O L Z L M S G U V M T A G U M
I S A M I R P I I A O O L
S P W F O E E L S M N A W
G O H C R T O A R S R I Q
N L O O J G H O T G A N C
Z L M S G U V M T A G U M I C P L J P N R E V N M A
K Y P O U E O M I G H T Y
V C E S G U E S N E M M I
F O R S S F S I Z A B L E
R Q N A D T N A H P E L E
E A S E K E R I U X T Y S
T
P W R L G N I K L U H G Z
M G I G A N T I C B B H R
E
AusBiz.
MIGHTY MONSTROUS SIZABLE TITANIC WHOPPER
Find all the words listed hidden in the grid of letters. They can be found in straight lines up, down, forwards, backwards or even diagonally. Theme: BIG, BIGGER
C
32
GREAT HULKING IMMENSE KING SIZE LARGE MAMMOTH MASSIVE
WORD SEARCH
M
BUMPER COLOSSAL CYCLOPS ELEPHANT ENORMOUS GIGANTIC GOLIATH
DOWN 1. For each grade, journalist put on an act (9) 2. Beat a retreat, initially, to pub (3) 3. Weird spade adapted for use by many people (10) 4. One who carries grizzly animal and queen (6) 5. Lord’s wife seen with Chatterley’s lover! (4) 6. Do they break in to steal mice? (3,8) 7. Insert a leader in Russia (5) 13. Anna kissed Dick, said to be anti-government (11) 15. Horse-drawn transport for a theatre instructor (10) 16. Sole position in the way (9) 20. Foil what’s often on the rocks (6) 21. Come before tea to see a heavenly body! (5) 23. Raised cattle, branded, and went (4) 25. Young chap started like a dream (3)
D O
ACROSS 8. Give lawful permission to call on league allies (8) 9. You can count on it (6) 10. Raft no longer right behind (3) 11. Be salver or be disloyal (6) 12. Temptation changed a bit (4) 14. I leave train games for ships (10) 17. Longed for Ned after 12 months (7) 18. Complaining bitterly about fence (7) 19. Depress some prudish ear? Tenacious! (10) 22. Dashes off other half of code (4) 23. Mistake made by Yogi’s partner (3-3) 24. Cancelled producing child before spring (3) 26. Hope deer is let loose (6) 27. Cook taco mix for parrot (8)
D
26
BUY OUR AWARD-WINNING BEERS ONLINE Or visit Tumut River Brewing Co’s 1,500 litre brewhouse with adjoining bar and restaurant. We proudly showcase 24 taps of TRBC’s beers along with a small range of other locally sourced beer, wine, cider and food. And it’s all here all because…Two mates wanted to make great beer
Website: www.trbc.com.au Address: Capper Street, Tumut. NSW, 2720 Search for 'Tumut River Brewing' on Facebook, Insta and Twitter
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT KENNARDS HIRE IT RESPONSIVE SERVICE
ALICE SPRINGS BROOME CAIRNS
COOLALINGA KARRATHA KUNUNURRA PALMERSTON
TAILORED SOLUTIONS
PORT HEDLAND TOWNSVILLE WINNELLIE
135 135
kennards.com.au
KH1476_0919
RELIABLE EQUIPMENT