Business News 234

“For God’s sake, be economical with your lamps and candles!

Not a gallon you burn, but at least one drop of man’s blood was spilled for it.”

- Herman Melville, Moby-Dick; or, The Whale

October 2014

• POWER TO THE PEOPLE

• THE MODERN SENIOR

ISSUE 234

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS Biz News

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16. COVER STORY

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8/ Comment 9/ VECCI 10 / New Appointments

“Renewable energy is a real option.

Half of the world’s new electricity generating capacity in 2012 came from renewables.”

22 / Governance

12. FEATURE

23 / VECCI 40 / Community 44 / After Hours 50 / Stuff

38. ARTS ISSUE 234 OCTOBER 2014 Read online at: www.biznewsmag.com.au

26. TRAVEL

51 / Books

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EDItOR

Time to rethink the training and employment equation

Education and training is one of the most influential means that Australians have at their disposal to change their future. The importance of ensuring that everyone in this country is able to access education and training cannot be overstated. But I have to wonder if we’ve come to view the gaining of qualifications as some sort of panacea to unemployment, and if we have, what are the big questions that we aren’t asking that we should be?

Like most of you, I know people who have been retrenched or lost their job and directed towards retraining. In some cases the new qualification resulted in a job, and in others it didn’t. The industryled training packages seem, anecdotally, to have been fantastic - where the training was generated by jobs vacancies, and the trainee slotted into a new career fairly seamlessly. In the cases where the training was directed by a wider industry shortage however, the results, again anecdotally, have not been so good.

This training is heavily if not completely government-funded, and it makes a nice headline to say how many people the government have put through training, but the more telling line would be the one that quantifies how many people got a job after completing that training.

We hear about it and read about it endlessly, employers unable to find suitably trained staff despite rising unemployment.

Which makes me wonder how hard it would be train someone for those jobs. Why can’t we turn the training and job-seeking relationship on its head, and rather than sending people off to gain a qualification and then join the queue of job seekers, why not interview the job seekers first, try and find the right person for the job, then train them – preferably on the job as much as possible?

It wouldn’t work for all jobs and all people, but where it could work, wouldn’t it be better than sending job seekers off to successive courses, only to find that there is no job at the end of it?

While there are all sorts of reasons why people don’t get a job that they are qualified to do, one of the big reasons is experience.

When you are looking to hire a new employee or member of staff, relevant experience is invaluable. There is a sense of surety when

a candidate knows what they are getting into with the job on offer – that they are much less likely to either not cope or simply not like it and leave. But experience isn’t the whole picture.

For instance, there have been more than a few former Ford and Alcoa workers who have retrained into the health and disability sectors, and made the transition successfully. There was next to nothing in their former roles that prepared them for their new ones, yet plenty of them are thriving in their new careers. Given that, on average, Australians will change their careers seven times in their working lives, being open-minded about people being able to successfully do a job they haven’t done before is something we all need to think about.

Could we be targeting our education and retraining budget in a more effective way? Well, that would largely depend on employers.

Often when a workplace loses an employee, they want someone to step straight into that role. Sometimes they will find that person, and other times they won’t. It’s the times when they don’t that a hire-first and train-later option might just work. But it would only work if governments, employers and employees accepted it.

From young people unable to find an entry point into a career, to older workers being pushed out of one job and struggling to find a new one, to people who have lost jobs and no longer have a direct career path, there are thousands of reasons to rethink the education and training process in Geelong alone.

Of course, education provides more than simply employable skills. Education helps to open our minds to new ideas, to think more critically – or it does when it’s done well – and there is immeasurable social value in having an increasingly educated population.

While I truly believe that education is never wasted, for too long we’ve thought of education as a box to be ticked, without thinking seriously enough about the real value of what it is we are learning or being asked to learn. And while there are no easy answers to the training-to-jobs equation, having some open-minded conversations about possible solutions surely can’t hurt.

DAVINA MONTGOMERY BUSINESS NEWS | 4

BIZ NEWS

revenue growth stable for SME businesses

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ustralia’s SME sector is consolidating the gains of the last 12 months, with one of the highest revenue performances in the last three years and those experiencing revenue declines falling to a five year low, according to the latest research from MYOB.

revenue results for Australia’s SMEs continuing to move in the right direction. Although the latest Business Monitor reflects that running a small business in the current economic environment is not easy, many local operators are beginning to see their hard work pay dividends.

The September 2014 MYOB Business Monitor Report highlights a relatively stable level of revenue growth amongst local SMEs and a continuation of the downward trend in falling revenue. Under a third (31%) reported a decrease in annual revenue in the 12 months to August 2014, and 21% reported an increase. A further 42% reported a steady level of revenue over the past 12 months.

“This survey again reinforces how resilient our SME community is and underscores how important they are to the economy as a whole. It is particularly heartening to see many more businesses looking forward to an improved end to the year, and confident about what 2015 will bring.

Looking ahead to 2015, almost a third of business operators (32%) expect to see revenue increase in the next 12 months, though down slightly from 34% in the March survey. A reduced number of businesses also expect revenue to decline in the year to August 2015, down from 22% in March to 18% in the latest survey.

Business confidence also remains relatively steady, with 24% of SME operators expecting the economy to improve in the next year – up slightly from 23% a year ago.

Most improved was the business pipeline, with 36% of business operators reporting more work or sales booked in the next 12 months. This figure has trended steadily up over the last year, from 28% in August 2013, and 33% in the March 2014 Business Monitor.

MYOB CEO Tim Reed says, “We are very pleased to see the latest

“It’s also pleasing to see the manufacturing sector, which has had a pretty tough road to travel in recent years, showing renewed vigour.”

Manufacturing has seen a significant turn around in the last six months, with the proportion of businesses seeing revenue decline falling from 43% in the March Monitor to 32% in the latest survey.

In a boost to the sector the report found Australia’s SME manufactures have experienced some of the highest levels of revenue growth in the last 12 months to August 2014 with 29 per cent of the SME manufacturing and wholesale business operators reporting rising revenue.

The SME’s are equally positive with regards to their growth prospects with 35 per cent projecting revenue will increase in the year to August 2015.

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BIZ NEWS

Universities warn Senate

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eak university body, Universities Australia, has told the Senate inquiry into the Government’s Higher Education and Research Reform Amendment Bill 2014 that the quality, performance, competitiveness and reputation of Australia’s higher education sector will be condemned to a path of inevitable decline if, in the absence of increased public investment, the Government’s higher education proposals are entirely discarded.

“Against a backdrop of successive governments unable or unwilling to invest in universities and research at the level needed to keep the system strong in an increasingly intense and globally competitive environment, a new approach is required,” said Belinda Robinson, Chief Executive of Universities Australia.

“With amendments to improve fairness and affordability for students, the Bill will allow universities to build more predictable and durable business models, less vulnerable to government funding instability and frequently changing policy and budget priorities,” Ms Robinson said.

Australia is now in second last place amongst developed countries for the level of public investment in tertiary education (30th out of 31 OECD countries), and public investment per student has declined in real terms by 16.7 per cent between 1994 and 2012. Ms Robinson said the sector is at a crossroads.

“An under-funded university system isn’t serving students, it isn’t serving families, and it certainly isn’t serving our economy or Australia’s ability to remain globally competitive.”

Ms Robinson said opposing the Bill was not a solution - it would simply defer indefinitely a problem that previous governments had failed to adequately address.

“We may not get another shot at this for some time. We are urging Senators to pass the Bill with amendments, including to reduce the magnitude of the 20 per cent cut in the government contribution to relieve upward pressure on fee price; maintain the CPI interest rate on student loans; and provide for an adjustment package to assist with the transition to a market-based system.”

Automotive suppliers urge Senate to reject automotive bill

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ustralian automotive component manufacturers are urging the Senate to reject a move by the government to cut $500 million of funding from the Automotive Transformation Scheme over the next three years and the proposed early closure of the scheme. “Reducing funding of the ATS by 66% in 2015 and by a further $150 million each year in 2016 and 2017 will have serious implications for the continued operations of many firms within the automotive supply chain,” said FAPM chief executive, Richard Reilly.

“The ATS has been and continues to be an integral part of the business planning processes and quoting mechanisms of companies for many years. To reduce the funds available midstream leaves companies in the supply chain vulnerable to more competitive international pressures,” Mr Reilly said.

The proposed early closure of the ATS upon departure of the vehicle manufacturers ignores the reality that many dozens of component manufacturing companies employing many thousands of workers will still exist post 2017.

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Ph 03 5229 2332 www.bcu.net.au

BUSINESS NEWS | 6

BIZ NEWS

Have your say on the Competition Policy Review

Minister sets sights on Lovely Banks and Batesford South

he Competition Policy Review Panel released its Draft Report last month, with Chair of the Review, Professor Ian Harper, saying the recommendations in the Draft Report seek to bring Australia’s competition policy up to date.

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“Australia’s competition policy needs to be fit for purpose, and updated for the economic opportunities and challenges Australia will face in coming decades. We face forces for change from increased globalisation, population ageing and new technologies, which are rapidly changing the way our markets operate.

The City of Greater Geelong is set to begin work on a project to gauge the impacts of bringing two future growth areas on line earlier than previously anticipated under the Managing Future Growth Project, which will look at the cost implications of starting the development sooner rather than later.

“The Panel has reviewed Australia’s competition policies, laws and institutions against a set of questions to consider whether our current competition policy settings are capable of navigating these changes.”

Council’s Planning portfolio holder, Cr Michelle Heagney, stated that the Minister had written to the Council in May this year seeking support for the proposal.

The Draft Report sets out the Panel’s draft recommendations and seeks further input from stakeholders.Consultation on the Draft Report is now open, and will run for eight weeks until 17 November 2014.

The Panel will be holding public forums around the country and is also asking for written submissions and feedback from interested parties on the views and draft recommendations in the Draft Report. After the close of consultation on 17 November 2014, the Panel will then consider its final recommendations, with the Final Report due with the Australian Government by March next year.

Australian Industry Group CEO, Innes Willox said, “Overall, Australia’s ranking on the Global Competitiveness Index has deteriorated since 2009-10, dropping continuously from a peak ranking of 15th place in 2009-10 to 22nd place in 2014-15. This further demonstrates the need for reform across the economy including to competition policy and industrial relations. We look forward to further discussions with the panel.”

For more information, visit the Review’s website: www. competitionpolicyreview.gov.au.

Vehicle Finance

uture land developments at Lovely Banks and Batesford South may be brought online earlier than we thought, with the Planning Minister seeking Council’s support to accelerate the projects.

“The Minister for Planning is seeking Council’s support to bring land at Lovely Banks and Batesford South onto market earlier than planned for in the G21 Regional Growth Plan.

“The two areas are nominated as Further Investigation Areas, or FIAs, in the regional Growth Plan and as such are identified as being required only in the longer term,” said Cr Heagney.

“To accelerate the development of the two areas will likely have major implications for the delivery of essential services to communities based at the new growth areas as well as those living in existing growth precincts such as Armstrong Creek,” she said.

“Based on the experience of growth areas at Armstrong Creek and Jetty Road timing the delivery of community infrastructure in growth areas is a challenge,” said Cr Heagney.

“The combined cost to Council of providing community infrastructure at Armstrong Creek and Jetty Road is $19 million – and this does not include larger regional facilities such as a library, pool or indoor sports centre. Typically the ‘up front’ cost to Council to provide infrastructure is high and income streams are dependent on how quickly land sales occur.”

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BIZ NEWS

Smorgasbord of diet info confusing older Australians

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wo-thirds (66%) of Australia’s Over 50s say there is too much conflicting health information about diet and lifestyle, according to new research by over 50s insurer Apia. Apia’s research found that roughly one in five (21%) older Australians are confused about what they should be eating to maintain a healthy and active lifestyle.

Dr Ross Walker says that to maintain good health as we age, the key is to eat less, and as natural as possible.

“While there are many diets promoted through the media that promise weight loss, optimal health and vitality, the best thing you can do to maintain a healthy body weight is simply balance the amount of calories consumed through food and drink with the amount of energy your body uses,” he said.“A problem for many of us is that we often eat more food than we need to, and don’t move enough. This is a major health issue for Australians over 50 because as we grow older, our metabolism begins to slow down, making it easier to gain weight.”

Dr Walker suggests some simple ways to help ensure you’re eating a healthy diet: “Try eating off smaller plates to reduce the size of your meals, take it easy on dessert and remember that grazing is an easy way to lose track of the calories you’re taking in. Most importantly, whole foods and anything fresh will always be better for your weight and cardiovascular health.”

Dr Walker recommends that the best diet to reduce the risk of age related diseases and stay healthy after 50 includes: • Eating 2-3 pieces of fresh fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables every day. Anyone eating those amounts will have the lowest risk of cancer and heart disease.

• Maximise your intake of fresh whole-foods, as that is the diet, while incorporating small portions of meat, nuts, olive oil, fish and eggs.

• Minimise your intake of processed and white foods including pasta; bread, rice and potatoes.

• Be conscious of your intake of sugary drinks and fruit juice as these are often loaded with sugar and count towards your daily calorie intake.

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Dr Walker added: “There’s a lot of evidence that shows that the Mediterranean lifestyle is one of the healthiest ways of life. It boasts a diet rich in natural fats, carbohydrates and red wine, with the biggest meal consumed at lunchtime, followed by a sleep and then hours of manual labour in the afternoon to burn up energy.

This is starkly different from our modern way of life where we consume most of our food in the evening and then sit around watching television. We should be enjoying a sizeable breakfast and lunch, and having our smallest meal at night.”

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VECCI

Action needed on youth unemployment

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JAMES GULLI, VECCI REGIONAL MANAGER

fficial estimates suggest that the unemployment rate among 15 to 24 year olds in Geelong has risen over seven percentage points to 18.2 per cent in the past year, meaning 4400 young people are looking for work in the region.This rate is above the state (14.8 per cent) and national (13 per cent) rates of youth unemployment.

The true picture of youth unemployment is likely to be much worse, when we consider that the official unemployment data excludes many youngsters who do not participate in the labour market at all. A lack of employment opportunities and success in applying for positions can leave many job hunters demotivated to the point where they drop out of the job search market altogether.

Once lower participation rates are taken into account, the real level of youth unemployment is likely to be at least one to two percentage points higher than the official estimates. These are not just figures; they are real people. As we know, there are major economic and social costs associated with having so many young people idle.

Making matters worse is the fact that the consequences of youth unemployment can last for years. Those who begin their careers without work are more likely to have lower wages and suffer joblessness again in later life.

While undoubtedly a strong influence, not all youth unemployment can be explained by the current economic environment where consumer spending levels are well below what many employers require in order to justify taking on new workers.

Lack of qualifications can be a major barrier to youth employment. In this case the candidate may be missing not only specialised skills and core competencies like literacy and numeracy, but more rudimentary ‘employability’ skills such as the ability to problem solve, initiative, self-management and teamwork.

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 9

Realising that there are many influences on youth unemployment provides a guide as to where policy makers should focus their efforts. VECCI’s Taking Care of Business 2014 State Election business agenda calls on both major parties to commit to a series of reforms that will help address youth unemployment in Victoria. Among these is our recommendation to raise the payroll taxfree threshold from $550,000 to $850,000, as I have previously mentioned. This will lower business costs and create an incentive for employers to hire new staff, including youth. We also want to see both sides of politics deliver priority projects, including the Yarra Street pier redevelopment; maximising opportunities for apprentices and trainees.

Importantly, VECCI is calling for further reform of the education and training system, to support not only industries and workforces undergoing structural change, but the continued internationalisation and innovation characteristic of our advanced manufacturing and service industries.Recent State Government reforms to vocational education and training have sensibly sought to shift training funding towards specialised or skill shortage occupations. However, as a consequence, funding for lower level qualifications that provide literacy, numeracy and work preparation skills for many young people has been reduced and both the workforce and employers have suffered.

VECCI’s recommended reforms alone will not solve youth unemployment, but they are needed as part of a coordinated response by state and federal governments to curb the prospect of a jobless generation. For further information on the Taking Care of Business agenda please visit vecci.org.au/tcob.

(Referenced data obtained from ABS Labour Force statistics (July 2014) reported in original, unadjusted terms at 16 September 2014.)

NEW APPOINTMENTS

SPORT Beris Marshall has been appointed president of the Geelong Lawn Tennis Club.

Beris has become the first female president of the club, which is currently in its 132nd year. Prior to retiring in 2012, she worked for commercial real estate company Allard & Shelton Pty Ltd in Melbourne. Beril has held a number of community and Board positions, including with the Friends of Geelong Botanic Gardens, elder at St David’s Uniting Church, the Geelong Ladies Wine & Food Society, Treasurer – The Geelong Art Gallery, The Grasshoppers Committee and Midweek Ladies Tennis Geelong Assoc. Inc. A long time member of the club, beris will bring energy, passion and success to the No.1 regional club in Victoria.

HEALTH

Insurance Broking

Insurance Broking

Sharelle McGuirk’s new role will see her implement the Barwon Health Aboriginal Employment Plan. The main objective of the AEP is to increase the employment and retention of Aboriginal people at Barwon Health and enhance partnerships with the Wathaurong Aboriginal Cooperative and other local Koorie service organisations.

Karyn has joined Tresidder Insurance Group as Finance and Administration Manager.

Karyn’s expertise lies in Finance and Operations and ensuring the business has the systems and processes in place to safeguard client, underwriter and supplier relationships.

Her organisational and finance skills will be a huge asset to the Tresidder team.

Paul has taken up the role of Account Executive with Tresidder Insurance Group and brings with him over 10 years broking experience across Geelong and Melbourne.

With his strong background in Business Insurance Broking and likeable demeanour, Paul will be a great asset for the Tresidder Team in servicing both existing and new clients.

BUSINESS NEWS | 10

ACCOUNTING

Hospitality on the move

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Josh Easton, Senior Manager, Accounting & Business Advisory, Crowe Horwath

t’s common knowledge the everyday hospitality worker rolls their eyes when it comes to bookkeeping. My brotherin-law not only loves free accounting advice but runs and operates a café using an online cloud accounting package. He’s been in the industry his whole life - Year 10 drop out into a chef apprenticeship, and even he can jump online, prepare payroll and run his reports.

The one thing people in this industry don’t have much of is time. The early starts and late finishes leave no time for bookwork. To make your life easier (and your accountant’s) you need to make sure you have live bank feeds uploading automatically and the point of sale system and stock control integrated with your accounting package. A lot of these systems are already compatible with major cloud accounting packages. If you find your software doesn’t integrate, it would be best to contact your current provider and discuss the options for integration. They may be able to code you a program to use, or refer you to someone who can.

If they cannot assist, you could try an IT consultant or maybe a new software system that is already compatible. Having all this data integrating not only saves you valuable time in data entry, it also gives you live up-to-date financial data you can use strategically within your business, data you can then use to budget and forecast to grow your business into the future or possibly sell off to a potential buyer.

This article provides general information only, current at the time of production and does not take into account your personal circumstances.

You should seek expert professional advice before acting on any issues raised in this article.

Crowe Horwath Financial Advice Pty Ltd AFSL 238244 ABN 51 060 092 631.

A good reason to keep control of your bookwork is the current targeted ATO benchmarking. Small business benchmarks are financial ratios that have been created by the ATO to help compare the performance of businesses within the same industry. This is to help them identify businesses that may be avoiding their tax obligations. Mainly to avoid the time-old skimming of cash sales, but of course, if everyone in the industry is doing it, it would be reflected within the benchmarks…

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 11

Should you get audited due to your business being outside the standard benchmarks, you will need to make sure you have proper record keeping in place to support your case. This would mean looking at whether your accounting reports match the point of sale and stock reports?

If you were already organised you would have it all integrated and should have no issue. To review your current industry benchmarks and see how your business stacks up, see the ATO website www.ato. gov.au Another checking device is making sure you are complying with the most upto-date industry award - that’s if you don’t currently have your own enterprise agreement in place with your employees.

One of the major issues I’ve came across when accessing hospitality industry clients is the superannuation guarantee minimum threshold of $350 per month per the award (Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2010). Most accounting packages default to the standard threshold rate of $450 per month, meaning clients are potentially at risk of under paying employees their superannuation entitlement. Of course, this is an issue for businesses with casual employees or low working part-timers.

Another sometimes missed component is the 17.5% leave loading on annual leave for part and full-time employees paid on top of when taking their leave as well as on termination and paying out their entitlements. To review your current industry award, visit the Fair Work Ombudsman website fairwork.gov. au or should you wish to setup your own enterprise agreement, visit the Fair Work Commission website fwc.gov.au For those who comply with their industry award, utilise their financial data and keep up-to-date with the most current technology, the industry has moved a long way forward from the old receipt and cash book days and I cannot wait to see what’s over the horizon.

FEATURE

The Modern Senior

Living well, and particularly ageing well, is far more common today than it was even a single generation ago.

There used to be a few of them – vibrant, energetic people who even as they physically aged seemed almost ageless in spirit, and people would say of them, ‘They really knew how to live’. The word that was always missing at the end of that sentiment was ‘well’; they really knew how to live well.

Living well, and particularly ageing well, is far more common today than it was even a single generation ago. The Modern Senior is more active, more financially savvy and more involved than in previous generations – they are world travellers, financial investors and entrepreneurs, they are philanthropists, sports and fitness fanatics and adventure seekers.

And while there are all sorts of factors that have contributed to this generational shift, longevity is one of the most significant. There are some startling statistics on global ageing, and all of them point to not only an unprecedented shift in life expectancy, but also to an inevitable cultural shift that is already changing the way we think about living and growing older.

In the late 19th century in Australia, if you were lucky enough to reach 65 – at the time, average life expectancy was 47-50 years of

age, factoring in high infant and child mortality rates – you might have expected to live until you were in your early 70s, perhaps approaching 80 if you were lucky - hardly a long retirement. And government concerns over population ageing were as prevalent at the time as they are now, with the population of over 65s rising by a staggering 60 per cent between 1891 and 1901. The rapid increase of older Australians saw the old age pension introduced in successive states in the first years of the 20th century.

Just over one hundred years later, a period that doesn’t even rate a blip on evolutionary scales, and we are looking at a very different world. While statistically a man at 65 could expect to live until they were 83.9 years of age, and a woman 86.8 (source: ABS), the reality is that many of today’s retirees will live well into their 90s, and beyond.

As the World Health Organisation tell us, the number of people aged 80 or over will quadruple between 2000 and 2050 to some 400 million, meaning that for the first time in history the majority of middle-aged adults will have living parents. Worldwide, the number of centenarians – people over the age of 100 – is predicted to

BUSINESS NEWS | 12

FEATURE

increase ten-fold between 2010 and 2050. That is a lot of royal birthday messages…

that nearly a quarter of all new businesses started in the United States in 2013 were started by those aged 55 to 64.

The fact is, it isn’t just the western world with our medical advancements and health education that is living longer, the global population is ageing, with the population of over 60s expected to double from 11 per cent to 22 per cent between 2000 and 2050 - meaning by 2050 there will be over 2 billion people aged 60 or over. Developing nations have some of the fastest growing ageing populations, and by 2050 a staggering 80 per cent of the world’s older people will live in low- and middleincome nations.

Here are some more fast facts about seniorpreneurship prepared

by Tony Featherstone for seniorpreneurship.org:

But for seniors, weight of numbers is just part of the picture, with wider perceptions of our more mature citizens also changing dramatically, from one of passive recipients to one of active participants. Just last month, a new national ageing blueprint was launched in Canberra, with the strategy outlining the many opportunities for business growth generated by population ageing.

Some seniorpreneurs are ‘necessity entrepreneurs’, starting a business as a means of earning a necessary income, while others are ‘opportunity’ entrepreneurs, starting a business in response to fill a gap in the market.

One of the driving forces behind the Blueprint for an Ageing Australia was seniors advocate and former National Seniors Chairman, Everald Compton, who along with the rest of the blueprint panel including Neville Roach AO, Professor Gill Lewin, Professor Brian Howe AO, Michael O’Neill from National Seniors, Helen Brady from NAB and David Hetherington from Per Capita, drove the project to completion despite its funding being cut late last year.

Speaking at the National Press Club during the official launch of the blueprint, Mr Compton said, “Instead of people sitting in front of their televisions and waiting to die, they can have a hell of a good time in their later years,” adding that at 83 he was far from done.

The ageing market is a growing market, with opportunities not only for Australian businesses to sell into that market, but also to export ageing services and associated technologies. Another big factor changing the way older Australians live is wealth. And the blueprint highlights that while over 60s are already big spenders globally, spending an estimated $8 trillion, by 2020 that figure is expected to almost double to $15 trillion. Here in Australia, the 50 to 69 age group hold more than 40 per cent of the national wealth.

And not only are they are wealthy bunch collectively – although the collective figures mask the reality that many older Australians are facing financial hardship particularly due to rising cost of living pressures – that age group also includes a growing number of wealth generators.

That’s right - seniorpreneurs are on the rise.

Tony Featherstone is a lecturer in entrepreneurship at Swinburne and a highly respected commentator on seniorpreneurship.

Writing for Seniorpreneurs.org, Tony wrote: “Seniorpreneurship refers to people 50 and over starting a business, often for the first time. The type of business can vary from a fast-growth entrepreneurial venture, to a small business that aspires to generate a reasonable income and lifestyle for its owner.”

Seniorpreneurship is on the rise, with the US entrepreneurship think tank, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, reporting

In Australia, the 2011 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor found 8 per cent of early-stage entrepreneurial activity in Australia came from those aged 55-64 years.

There were 590,000 established small business owners aged 55 or over in 2011/12, equating to 21 per cent of all small businesses.

“As the population ages, and people stay healthier and more active for longer, seniorpreneurship has potential to create a new generation of baby-boomer entrepreneurs in Australia,” Tony writes, listing lack of financial support, red tape complexity and ageism in the workplace as some of the challenges facing seniorpreneurs in Australia. (Source: www.seniorpreneurs.org/ live/pages/facts) Gary Hipworth is a local business coach who operates Maverick Solutions and spends his working hours helping entrepreneurs make a success of their business ventures.

He is also a modern senior, and is still chuckling over the wording that came with his seniors’ card: ‘The holder is a valued member of our community, please extend them every courtesy and assistance.’ Nice words that somehow manage to convey you were less than a valued member of our community prior to reaching 65…

“What I think is different about this generation of seniors, the Baby Boomer seniors, is that some of us are still very idealistic – we haven’t given up on changing the world. And we’ve also watched this thing called retirement that’s a bit like a slow motion car crash. For me personally, I think retirement is one of the stupidest things humans have come up with.”

Gary, like many seniors around his age, exercises every day, he’s also a vegetarian and is dedicated to living a healthy and fulfilling lifestyle. He’s written one book about the violence he lived with as a child and has plenty more to say on subjects including cruelty to animals and the current treatment protocols for severe mental illnesses. And like many others, he can see why more and more seniors are choosing to become seniorpreneurs.

‘There are so many huge challenges coming along for companies because of increased global competition and the internet.

What you have to do is turn that negative into a positive, and it’s thinking outside the square, challenging the status quo and changing the rules that’s going to drive innovation and invention,” he said.

And when the kids have moved out, the house is paid off and that old career is either no longer appealing or an option, new business ideas can spark.

However they choose to spend their time, there is no doubt that the modern senior is changing the way we all see our future.

DAVINA MONTGOMERY BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 13

APS WILLS & ESTATES ThE ImPorTAncE of bIndIng SuPErAnnuATIon nomInATIonS Do you have superannuation in any of the following?

• PSSAP – (e.g. if you have joined the Commonwealth Public Service within the last 9 years), • An industry Fund (e.g. CBus, HESTA, Hostplus), • A public retail fund (e.g. AMP Super, Colonial First State, BT Super), or • A self-managed superannuation fund (you are a trustee or director of trustee).

If so, then it is important that you consider putting in place a “binding death benefit nomination” (BDBN) to cover what happens to your superannuation when you pass away.

If you already have a BDBN in place, you should check that it is still what you want and that it has not lapsed.

If you do not have a BDBN then it will be up to the trustee of the super fund to decide where your super is paid, which may not be what you would have wanted at all. Also, the absence of a BDBN will most likely cause unnecessary additional time, cost and inconvenience to the persons you have appointed as executors in your will. If you do not have a will then the potential problem is compounded.

A recent court case has highlighted this issue. The case concerned a mother who was in charge of the estate of her late son, where there was no will and there was superannuation not covered by a BDBN. The court decided that the mother was under a duty to request that the super be paid to the estate (where it would have to be shared with the late son’s father, who was estranged from the mother). This meant that the mother was under a duty to act in a way which was: • contrary to her own best interests as potential beneficiary (she would receive only half the super instead of it all); • contrary to good tax advice (as more tax would likely be payable if the super was paid to the estate); and • contrary to the late son’s known wishes (he wanted all the superannuation to go to his mother).

The only way to avoid these issues with certainty is to have a valid BDBN in place, but having a valid will also helps.

dId you knoW...

We can assist you with a variety of legal matters apart from wills and estates?

For example, if you are buying or selling real estate in Victoria then we can do the conveyancing for you at competitive rates.

Or if you have a company, a family trust or some other business or investment structure then we can assist you with the legal aspects of establishing or maintaining that business structure.

Phil Lambourne I Principal Lawyer APS Wills & Estates Pty Ltd

Direct: 03 9322 2009 Mobile: 0401 523 401 Fax Direct: 03 8327 8250 Reception: 1300 131 809 Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.

APS fInAncIAL PLAnnIng chAngES To SuPEr In rETIrEmEnT – ThE cLock IS TIckIng!

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For people entering retirement, the attainment of the Age Pension plays a crucial role in the long term financial future. For every dollar that can be obtained in Age Pension (or other ‘Income Support’ payments from Centrelink), this is one more dollar left in their own Superannuation fund or investments.

From 1st January 2015, Centrelink will be changing the Income Test for new pension applicants. Whilst for those already in receipt of an Age Pension (or Income Supported payment) who continue with their current arrangements, they will not see any change.

Whilst the changes affect all new pension applications, the biggest impact will be to people with alternative income sources in retirement, such as ComSuper Pensions, part time jobs or Investment Properties. Given this includes many of our members, we have focused on this aspect of the changes.

For many years Centrelink has determined eligibility based upon the Assets Test (the value of what you have) and the Income Test (the income received from your assets). Whilst the Asset Test will remain unchanged, the Income Test for Superannuation Pensions (known as ‘Account Based Pensions’ or ‘Allocated Pensions’) is changing on 1st January 2015. In very simple terms, at present Centrelink doesn’t count all of the Superannuation Pension for the Income Test.

From 1st January, this exemption is disappearing to be replaced by deeming.

Rather than a very lengthy and technical explanation, let’s examine the impacts of this change for a typical client, John who is still working and plans to retire in early 2015: John’s age prior to 31 December 65 Current Salary $50,000 Current Super $300,000* Other Income (eg. ComSuper lifetime Pension)# $18,000 *upon retirement, John would like to start a pension of $20,000 per year from this Super fund. #fully untaxed pension.

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ent or

Timothy foster

Certified Financial Planner TM APS Financial Planning Pty Ltd Authorised Representative No 303995 of Patron Financial Advice AFSL No. 307379

Phone: 03 9322 2000 Reception: 1300 131 809

So what would John’s Age Pension be?

If John retires $501.26 per fortnight* prior to 31st December If John retires $385.20 per fortnight* after 1st January *these calculations assume John is single, has $50,000 in personal assets, $5,000 in the bank and owns his own home.

It is important to note that this difference will continue throughout John’s retirement. So the questions John should ask?

• What is the real long term benefit of working beyond 1st January 2015 if I am already 65?

• Could I work part time to enable me to start claiming an Age Pension, even if this is only $1 per fortnight, prior to 1st January 2015?

ArE ThErE Any TrAPS? Like many rule changes, there are unseen implications that may not be felt for some time and not always by all clients. Let’s refer to John once again: John decided to retire prior to 31st December 2015 and has enjoyed the high pension for some years. John has recently reviewed his superannuation fund and would like to move to an alternative fund. John researches the options, moves the funds and is pleased with his decision.

After notifying Centrelink of the change, he is surprised to learn that he is now captured under the new rules and will have his pension reduced by $3,017 per year.

This point highlights the need to carefully select a superannuation fund that can provide flexible options and changes within the fund without the need to close the account or re-open a new account. Whilst John thought this was only a small change, with no impact to his overall financial position, the reduction in Centrelink pension will be felt for the rest of his life.

WhAT To do?

For most current Age Pension recipients there is no impact to this change if you retain your current Pension account. However if you are considering changes, planning for retirement in the coming months, or are still working over the age of 65, then further consideration of these changes is important.

APS fInAncIAL PLAnnIng Centrelink, Superannuation and retirement planning can often be confusing, stressful and time consuming. This is where APS Financial Planning can help. These strategies are how we already assist our clients, be it a once-off assistance or regular ongoing help. If you would like to discuss how we can assist further, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

DISClaImer This document has been produced by APS Financial Planning, an authorised representative of Patron Financial Advice, AFS Licence No. 307379. The advice provided in this document is General Advice Only. It has been prepared without taking into account your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before acting on this advice you should consider the appropriateness of the advice, having regard to your own objectives, financial situation and needs. If any products are detailed on this document, you should obtain a Product Disclosure Statement relating to the products and consider its contents before making any decisions.

COVER STORY

BUSINESS NEWS | 16

the future IS NOW T

here’s a State election in the air. Candidates are being rolled out, but no one is making Big Promises - yet. Meanwhile, what we’ve feared for so long has happened – the Alcoa and Ford era is over. We’re hearing a lot of words about how Geelong is moving forward, how hard our representatives are working to make things happen. Meanwhile, business and industry in Geelong are quietly working together, forming alliances, mentoring each other, making the most of what Geelong has to offer and lobbying for more of what we need.

One of the

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 17

COVER STORY

“ ... many businesses and organisations may not realise their skills and products could be promoted to the defence industry.�

BUSINESS NEWS | 18

GDA Chair Clive Pugh with Carbon Revolution CEO Jake Dingle

Judy Baulch BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 19

Momentum Energy – supporting Geelong Momentum Energy is more than just an energy retailer. Getting involved and supporting things that matter to local communities like Geelong is a key priority for Momentum.

Momentum’s support for Geelong started in 2009 when it became a major sponsor of the Geelong Football Club. This important relationship has grown over the years and Momentum is proud to have assisted the club with becoming more energy efficient by installing $40,000 worth of LED lights at Simonds Stadium. And last year Momentum was instrumental in bringing night football to Geelong by powering the ground lights at Simonds Stadium.

Momentum also recognises that small businesses are the lifeblood of local communities. It’s not that

long ago that Momentum was new to the energy industry and it is for this reason that we identify with the day-to-day challenges many small businesses face. That’s why Momentum has proudly supported the Geelong Chamber of Commerce for the last three years, by offering dedicated representatives who work with members to help them save money on their energy bills.

Sometimes the best way to support a local community is to donate money to the causes that make a real difference. Since 2012 Momentum has donated more than $60,000 to the Geelong Hospital funding key projects such as the Special Care Nursery. Momentum has also helped the Treehouse Foundation by contributing over $3,000 towards family fun days which bring families living with Autism together to offer support and the opportunity to meet people in similar circumstances.

BUSINESS NEWS | 20

Sometimes the best way to support a local community is to donate money to the causes that make a real difference.

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Momentum Energy – speak to the right people about your energy needs

one retailer, while giving new customers another great reason to switch.

Over the past seven years Momentum Energy has established a reputation for being a clean energy retailer supplying competitively priced energy solutions to homes and businesses in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

The energy industry can be complicated and confusing, but it doesn’t have to be if you speak to the right people. Momentum’s team is here to make it easier for customers by being clear and transparent, offering exceptional service and competitive pricing.

Backed by Hydro Tasmania, one of Australia’s largest clean energy generators, Momentum offers customers a unique electricity product called “SmilePower” whereby 100% of the electricity used is matched with the generation of clean energy. And in the not too distant future Momentum will begin selling gas to Victorian customers. Offering competitive rates, Momentum’s new gas product will give existing customers the opportunity to have both their fuels with the

Call: 1800 SWITCH - 1800 794 824 Web: www.momentumenergy.com.au

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 21

GOVERNANCE

Culture eats strategy for breakfast

T

he word “culture” is bandied around a lot these days, from referring to an organisation as having a “toxic culture” to claiming a football club has a “winning culture”. I suspect on many occasions it is a superficial means to explain a complex environment, however there is little doubt that culture does play an important role in the creation and maintenance of a successful organisation. For a non-profit business, governed by an independent non-executive board of directors, where does culture sit on the responsibility and management chart?

A definition: Firstly, what is the definition of culture? A Google of the word will send your mind into a spin, so a simple definition may help set the baseline for a discussion around the board’s responsibility in relation to corporate culture. Culture can be defined as the way things are done around here, or how people behave when no one is looking.

Unlike fixed assets or products, culture cannot be readily identified, however it has been determined to be the single most important components of organisational success and sustainability. Why is this? A competitor can readily replicate products and services, can easily understand and copy a marketing strategy, steal your customers/clients through various means and poach your best staff through offers of wealth and glory, however your culture is yours and yours alone and cannot be copied or stolen.

Culture is innate; it’s understood by all and managed by all in an organisation. It is how people behave as a matter of course because “that’s the way things are done around here”.

The board’s role

is about doing something because it has to be done. Both achieve the same outputs (i.e. a risk management plan, a performance review) but very different outcomes. Leadership provided by the board in terms of best practise, values based decision–making and integrity in the way business is conducted will provide very clear and unambiguous direction to the whole organisation in terms of behaviour and culture.

• External behaviour – a director cannot have two sets of standards - behaving one way when a board member and another when an ordinary citizen in another environment. If there is a conflict between roles for an individual board member then a choice must be made, for nothing destroys culture quicker than conflicting behaviours and mixed messages by the leadership group.

Board members in non-profit organisations are generally part-time, non-executive leaders. They carry considerable responsibility and accountability, both individually and collectively for the long-term success of the organisation they govern. If we accept the premise that culture is a key ingredient for viability and sustainability, then the board must play a leadership role in both the creation of the right culture and the maintenance of that culture during their custodian period as a board member.

Culture is as important as financial management, strategic planning and performance management, so if your board does not have a handle on your establishment’s culture, then action should be taken, sooner rather than later, to elevate culture to its rightful place in the governance practices of your organisation.

For further information, go to www.governancetoday.com

Peter Drucker, one of the first great thinkers and writers on business and management, made this observation: “culture eats strategy for breakfast”. Given that a board of management/ directors is responsible for the viability and sustainability on their organisation, detailed below are a few ways in which a board can contribute to creating and maintaining the right culture and therefore fulfil one of its primary responsibilities: • Develop, articulate and live according to an agreed set of values and principles – all board behaviour, both individually and collectively, should be consistent with these values. There is no opt in, opt out clause when it comes to accepted behaviours and standards and the board must set the benchmark in this area; • Appointment of the CEO – as this is the only appointment that the board makes, the person the board choses for this role must be aligned with the culture that exists (if it is the right culture) or be the right person to create a new culture, as defined by the board.

The behaviour of the CEO will set the benchmark for those who both directly and indirectly report to this role; • Reward and recognition systems – what a board rewards will be what an organisation focuses on – chose carefully, for the reward and recognition system will underpin and drive behaviour and therefore must be consistent with the values system; • Leadership v Compliance – Leadership is about doing something because it is the right thing to do, whereas compliance

Mark C Schultz, Principal, Governance Today BUSINESS NEWS | 22

LEGAL

High Court bids farewell to the implied Trojan Horse

T

Sonia McCabe, Lawyer, and Jim Rutherford, Principal & Accredited Specialist in Workplace Relations

“... employment involves a relationship of trust and confidence and attracts a number of implied duties, including a duty of fidelity imposed on employees.”

hose with an eye on the industrial relations landscape will be familiar with the long running legal dispute between the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and a former employee bank manager, Mr Barker, concerning whether or not Australian employment contracts contain an implied term of mutual trust and confidence. Barker brought proceedings against the CBA in 2010, claiming that the CBA had breached its redundancy policy and a term of trust and confidence implied in his employment contract by failing to redeploy him when his position was made redundant.

In Federal Court decisions in 2012 and 2013, it was found that although the redundancy policy was not incorporated into Barker’s employment agreement, a term of mutual trust and confidence was implied into the agreement and had been breached by the CBA by its failure to attempt to redeploy Mr Barker. This resulted in damages in excess of $300,000 being awarded to Mr Barker.

In what has been widely heralded as a landmark case in the law of employment, the High Court recently overturned the decision of the Full Federal Court, finding that there is no implied contractual term obliging the parties to an employment relationship not to conduct themselves in a way which is likely to damage the relationship of trust and confidence between employer and employee, without reasonable and proper cause. So, aside

from the immediate financial effect on Barker, who lost his substantial award of damages, why is this decision so important?

In practical terms, the previous Federal Court decisions opened the door to a host of claims based on a potentially broad and previously unrecognised common law duty, most colourfully described by Jessup J in the Full Federal Court, as “a Trojan Horse from which a miscellany of unforeseen obligations might emerge.”

In rejecting the implication of the term of mutual trust and confidence, the High Court recognised that there was inherent uncertainty about what the obligation imposed by the implied term would practically require of an employer and employee.

The High Court ultimately held that the implication of a term of mutual trust and confidence which “may have a significant impact upon employment relationships and the law of contract of employment in this country” was not necessary in the sense required by Australian common law, while complex policy considerations marked the issue as a matter more appropriate for determination by the legislature. It nevertheless remains well established in Australian law that employment involves a relationship of trust and confidence and attracts a number of implied duties, including a duty of fidelity imposed on employees.

Harwood Andrews is launching possibilities

We work in a collaborative partnership with our clients, to understand their business and bring to bear our expert judgement, to ensure the advice and service we provide is specific and tailored to their needs.

Geelong Melbourne Ballarat Bendigo harwoodandrews.com.au

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 23

TIME HONOURED

Thanks Geelong – we couldn’t have done it without you!

Josie’s Transport is celebrating its 40th Anniversary and wants to mark the occasion by thanking Geelong for its support and loyalty, and pay tribute to our founder Josie, whose trailblazing can-do attitude made her a pioneer for women in business in Geelong.

She built a significant transport company from nothing, starting with an ironing board and a card table for desks, two phones and a two-way radio system in the sunroom of her family home in Lara.

Chief executive, Fred Runia, said Josie’s Transport was a true Geelong success story that could only be achieved with the support of hundreds of Geelong businesses over the past 40 years.

Josie’s Transport came about after Josie, Ursula and her four women contractors lost their jobs when a Melbourne company bought the Messenger service they worked for and shut down the Geelong Branch.

“When my wife Josie and I began this company 40 years ago, we had no concept that Josie’s Transport would be the company that it is today – and we can only thank Geelong for supporting us as we’ve grown. Josie would be so proud of the company we are today.”

Mr Runia said “Josie just brushed herself off, talked to the businesses and suppliers that used the messenger service and decided she’d just start a business of her own – employing Ursula and the other contractors who’d lost their jobs”.

Josie’s Transport founder, Josie Runia, passed away more than nine years ago but the legacy of her entrepreneurial spirit, family values and commitment to business in Geelong lives on with her family still involved in running the businesses that she began.

“When it came to choosing a name for the business, one of her clients from Alcoa said: ‘we always say “Just ring Josie” for their urgent pickups, so why not call it that’ – and that’s how Josie’s Transport came about,” he said.

“We’d like to think that Josie was a bit of a pioneer for entrepreneurial women in business in Geelong (her first four contractors were all women)”.

With four children underfoot, and another born after the business was established, Josie knew more than a bit about managing the demands of working and raising kids, with her days spent juggling five children and the business long before ‘work-life balance’ was talked about. She just got on with it.

Above right: Our dedicated team.

Below: Josie’s has been operating for 40 years.

We are grateful to all the customers and our suppliers who came on board to back us in this new venture back in 1974, Mr Runia said.

Although Josie was usually the voice behind the two-way radio, she was also well known for jumping in a vehicle to make deliveries if needed – surprising storemen by pulling up in one of the company’s trucks.

After starting as a simple messenger service, Josie’s reliable service saw demand grow. Josie increased her fleet to include larger, heavier vehicles, and increased her staff and eventually added more contractors.

As Josie’s Transport continued to grow, Fred became more involved in the business and it moved from their home’s sunroom, to a bungalow in the backyard and eventually to their current headquarters in Lara, which was purpose-built in 1994.

Over the years the bigger manufacturers like Ford, Alcoa, International Harvester and Shell were our customers, but at the same time we also stayed loyal to those salt-of-the-earth Geelong businesses that were with us from the beginning.

40 years down the track our customer base has grown to include many Melbourne, Ballarat and Western Districts clients.

“We can’t thank all of our customers, our many long term staff members and contractors (past and present) enough for the loyalty and support they’ve given us over the 40 years. Their support and loyalty has been an important factor in our success”, Mr Runia said.

Like many Geelong businesses, Josie’s Transport is adjusting to Geelong’s shift from its traditional manufacturing base.

“What’s happened in the past few years has really made us look at the future differently. We decided from the outset that we were going to seize the opportunities as they come up, and that’s what we’ve done. We’re forming new relationships with Geelong’s new industries and we’ve had to adjust our services to make sure we’re relevant in the new Geelong marketplace,” Mr Runia said.

“What hasn’t changed is that we can deliver anything for anyone.

Our clients are big and small, as are the items we transport using everything from Small Vans, Taut Liners, Semi-Trailers and Tray Trucks.

“After 40 years our service is still a personalised service, delivering goods for more than 2000 clients using state-of-the-art tracking systems. Our signature ‘Rocket Service’ is where the driver who picks up your item takes it straight to where you need it to go, no fuss– just like Josie and her ladies would have done 40 years ago.”

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 25

A FO R GO T T E N P I E CE O F

Paradise S

urprisingly, the Royal Association of Steam Driven Travel Writers has no professional rules on whether travel writers should expose secret, unspoiled destinations. That’s left to the individual conscience of each writer. The dilemma goes something like this: It’s an amazing destination and because it’s new and interesting my story will be published (and I will be therefore be paid and/or become famous). But if I write the story it will encourage others to visit, and if too many people visit the place will be spoiled – for me. What to do?

For a start, objectively, there are other issues that should be considered. Is the destination capable of supporting additional visitors – culturally, ecologically and economically? What do the locals want and are they making a reasonably informed decision? If no, don’t write the story.

Certainly, South-East Asia is littered with horror stories.

Those who were fortunate enough to visit Bali in the late 1960s, or Koh Samui in the 1970s, are likely to weep when they return looking for the thatched losmen on the pristine beach where they stayed for $1 per night.

Today, the beaches are awash with plastic and traffic jams spew choking fumes, aggressive touts harass you; ancient traditions and perfect environments have been trashed…

The locals’ response to development may be tinged with nostalgia, but they’ll look at you as if you are insane if you start talking about the good old days. The good old days when there were no hospitals? The good old days when there was no electricity? The good old days when there were no roads? The good old days when there were no schools?

Nonetheless, given the opportunity, there aren’t many tourists who wouldn’t leap at the chance to travel back in time to Bali or Koh Samui, but here’s the thing, you don’t have to go back in time… you can go to the Philippines.

The locals are desperate for the economic development that tourism will bring. And there’s even a chance that, at least in some provinces, they have learnt some of the hard lessons about the potential negative impact of uncontrolled development.

There are a multitude of linguistic, cultural and racial groups in the Philippines, but 400 years of Spanish colonization have left behind a predominantly Catholic country. English has been taught to Filipinos from primary school upwards since early in the 20th century and English is one of two official languages (the other is Filipino / Tagalog). The people are hospitable and friendly.

Filipino food ranks more closely with Indonesian – but it’s unique and interesting in its own right. It’s a curious mix of island cuisine (fish, coconut and rice), with influences from Malay, Chinese, Spanish and other Asian cuisines… definitely a pass mark.

From dreamy tropical beaches and smouldering volcanoes to mesmerising rice terraces and crumbling Spanish relics, the Philippines is one of Southeast Asia’s most beautiful destinations. And many parts are well and truly off the beaten track.

If you really want to get off the beaten track, in a country that is already off the beaten track, Palawan could well be the Philippines province for you. Palawan is made up of 1780 islands (more than the total in Thailand). The main island

BUSINESS NEWS | 26

TRAVEL

Image courtesy einidoresorts.com

with its mountainous spine points southwest towards Borneo like a kris (sword). It’s the country’s fifth largest island, but it has less than 1 per cent of its population and it remains only lightly developed. This will change.

much or as little as you like. All the paddling groups are accompanied by motorized safety boats, and you can choose to paddle or catch a ride in the boat whenever you like.

The main area of Palawan that has so far been developed for tourism is the northern tip around El Nido. You can fly direct from Manila. There are a number of luxury resorts, several of which are built out over lagoons in the tradition of Tahiti and the Maldives. They are definitely not the equivalent to $1 per night losmen in price or luxury, but they are special in their own way. If you’re looking for the direct equivalent to the $1 per night losmen, you’ll actually have to pay $10 (which given inflation over the last 40 years, is not too bad).

From the time you wake up, to the time you go to sleep, you have to pinch yourself to prove what you’re seeing and doing is real. Paddling across water that is so clear you feel as if you are suspended in air, paddling through caves to find hidden beaches, exploring the weightless underwater world, sharing lunch on deserted beaches…

Once you’re there, there’s a lot you can do – although there’s a strong argument for doing nothing. Diving and snorkeling are high on the agenda for most, but there are also hikes and mountain biking routes.

For me however, Palawan is all about the water and the islands. And the best way to explore the water and the islands is the slow way – kayaking.

Tim Altman, a highly credentialed local paddler, runs guided paddling holidays around Palawan’s fairytale islands, beaches and lagoons. You are based in a luxury resort by night and explore during the day. You discover remote, untouched beaches, snorkel in hidden lagoons, island-hop across crystal clear waters, visit villages…

You don’t need previous paddling experience; you can explore at your own pace; and, critically, you can do as

Out on the water, breathing in sunshine and drinking in the view I feel peace, like a blanket, descending on my shoulders. So I rest for a bit and find a still point. How often can we just … be? And how often are we just … ourselves?

How often do we get a chance to stop running from one thought to another?

Back at the resort, the sun sets, and the resort seems enchanted. The moon throws light across the bay. The restaurant, where a musician plays gentle guitar, calls us in. and all is right with the world. Wherever the rest of the world is… Thailand or Bali perhaps? Perfect.

Richard Everist was the CEO of Peregrine Adventures.

He recently founded Around The Sun with his partner Lucrezia Migliore. Around The Sun organises small groups tours and private trips to selected destinations, including Palawan, and including paddling. See www.aroundthesun. com for full details or call 5264 8667.

Richard Everist

“To strive to be outstanding in all we do for our Clients, our People and our Community”.

This is what Brad Tresidder set out to achieve when he first established Tresidder Insurance Group in 2009.

After 20 years working in the insurance broking industry, Brad, seeing an opportunity in the market for an honest and transparent insurance partner for businesses, resolved to make this happen. Having begun the journey, he has not looked back. The company has grown incredibly over the past few years and while Tresidder clients are scattered all around Australia, a decision was made to base the head office in Geelong.

“Our family has a long term history with Geelong and its surrounds. My wife’s grandparents were born and raised here, being some of the first of the farming community within the Moolap region. We believe Geelong offers a wonderfully balanced lifestyle, fantastic community spirit and extremely strong future potential”. Our family and our business are here to stay and we are keen to play our part in enhancing the City of Greater Geelong.

BUSINESS NEWS | 28

Tresidders

Advertising Feature

P: 03 9021 7700 F: 03 9021 7701 E: info@tresidders.com.au W: www.tresidders.com.au

Tresidder Insurance Brokers have positioned themselves as the insurance broker for businesses.

They follow a strict process, ensuring business risks are thoroughly assessed, before any insurance program is put in place. “We often find through this initial risk assessment, clients can mitigate their own risks and reduce their insurance premium, through making some simple adjustments to their business practices. We see this as part of our job, to help identify such opportunities, structure the right program then select the right insurers to support this.”

As unusual as it sounds, Brad embraces the challenge when his clients have claims. It gives him and his team the chance to demonstrate the commitment Tresidders have to solving client problems in a time of need.

“In the event of a claim, a policy should respond if a thorough risk assessment has taken place and the correct advice provided upfront. It is at claim time where a broker is really tested, both their service and advice. At Tresidders, we welcome this opportunity to confirm our worth.”

Brad has worked hard at role modelling these values with his team, surrounding himself with people of similar values, commitment and integrity. “Our people work hard and take enormous pride in the reputation we have developed. We really want to stand out from the crowd. Tresidders are not aiming to be the biggest

in the industry but our people and our clients all know we want to be the best. That means working hard, being tenacious, at all times respectful, but most importantly, being driven to provide clients with the peace of mind to allow them to get on with doing what they do best”.

“Our workplace culture is very strong and we make no apologies for the high standards we expect from each other. However, we are also committed to providing the right recognition and rewards for this extra effort.

At Tresidders we also like to make sure we have quite a few laughs along the way….…after all who says Insurance has to be dull?!”

Tresidders have recently moved into their new office in Gheringhap Street Geelong and have appointed two new staff to their team, as a result of continued growth, due to referral business from existing clientele.

In addition to the move, Tresidder Insurance Group is once again the presenting sponsor of the Go Bike Expo, part of Around The Bay in a Day Cycling Festival, taking place in October. Tresidders have enjoyed an ongoing relationship with Bicycle Network and are proud once again to be taking on this role, helping support such a key cycling event in Victoria.

The event is held in Melbourne at Alexandra Gardens each year over three days commencing Friday 17th of October.

AFSL No. 454484

Tresidder Insurance Group Pty Ltd 2/74 Gheringhap Street, Geelong, Vic 3220 P: (03) 9021 7700 F: (03) 9021 7701 E: info@tresidders.com.au

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energy and materials efficiently

For more information geelongchamber.com.au/events

geelongchamberofcommerce the voice of business

Suite 13, Level 2, 10 Moorabool S P. 03 5222 2234 F. 03 5222 2235 www.geelongchamber.com.au

Smarter Resources Smarter Business Lean Thinking and Resource Efficiency for Your Business

T

he Geelong Chamber of Commerce has partnered with VECCI, Sustainability Victoria and the Victorian Government to present the Smarter Resources Smarter Business project, helping businesses make sustainability an intrinsic part of every working day.

The Project will engage at least 170 SME businesses in a range of services aimed to build the knowledge and skills needed to understand, plan and implement materials and energy efficiency in their business.

The project will bring in businesses from across the Greater Geelong area, focusing on hospitality and food-related sectors and professional services businesses.

The activities will include: • A breakfast on 21 November at the Captain’s Room, Simonds Stadium, targeting multiple industry sectors with up to 220 attendees.

• Three hosted site visits to businesses that can demonstrate how they achieved materials and energy efficiency, the skills they adopted along the way and the benefits they realised, attended by ten to fifteen businesses.

The site visits will demonstrate how the host business achieved materials and energy efficiency outcomes, the skills they adopted along the way and the benefits they realised. Participants at the site visits will be shown working examples and presented with information that can be applied in their own operations.

Attendees will receive

booklets, tools and templates that they can take away with them to use in their own businesses following on from the site visit.

• Two half-day industry specific workshops with a minimum of ten businesses in each to focus on specific knowledge and skills required by participants.

The first workshop will be for the Hospitality and Food related sectors and the second for the Professional Services sector.

The two workshops will target very different audiences and will be delivered to suit their differing needs, building capability in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer SME types.

Knowledge including lean thinking principles will be covered in the half-day workshops to provide the necessary foundation for participants to build projects around. Project ideas and cases studies will be discussed to provide greater insight into the benefits and challenges for project implementation.

Tools such as operational mapping, developing business cases and waste audits will enhance skills and assist to identify materials efficiency opportunities back in the workplace.

The Hospitality and Food sector workshop will have a practical focus on project ideas and related skills and tools, while the Professional Services sector workshop will focus more on technical components such as developing and advising on the business case for materials and energy related projects and the available funding and grants their clients could leverage.

• On-going support for businesses that participate in site visits and workshops in the form of mentoring and coaching.

Support will be provided to workshop and site visit participants via a free telephone and email consulting service. Two hours per workshop participant will be allocated to provide advice and assistance with the application of their newly obtained knowledge and skills.

VECCI says: VECCI is pleased to be delivering the Grow Me The Money – Energy and Materials program on behalf of the State Government’s Smarter Resources, Smarter Business program, for the significant benefit it brings to Victorian business.

The program assists businesses to reduce energy and materials-

BUSINESS NEWS | 30

SME

related costs and consumption and therefore enable them to run their businesses more efficiently. The business health checks are an important part of the program and are provided free of charge.

Our advice has helped businesses from throughout Victoria, across many sectors, achieve significant savings and we are proud to be working with the Geelong Chamber of Commerce to deliver this support to business in the Geelong region.

Smarter Resources Smarter Business Breakfast - November 21 When it comes to making the best use of available resources, Rachael Robertson has quite the story to tell. The keynote speaker at the Smarter Resources Smarter Business Breakfast at Skilled Stadium on November 21, Rachael led the 58th Australian National Antarctic Research Expedition to Davis Station in 2005, becoming only the second female to ever lead a team at the Station.

With nine months of total isolation, with 18 people Rachael hardly knew, this was no ordinary leadership role. Antarctica in winter is totally inaccessible, which means once the last ship leaves at the end of February, no one can leave the base under any circumstance (not even if you are dying) until the ship returns in November.

Rachael was seconded to the Australian Antarctic Division from her job as a senior manager (Chief Ranger) at Parks Victoria.

Since returning to Australia in 2006, Rachael has completed her MBA and is now working in the field of leadership development.

With breathtaking photographs and plenty of humour, Rachael recounts her leadership and team building experiences from a year in the highest, driest, coldest and windiest place on earth.

After managing a highly complex operation with the added

challenge of isolation and extreme risk to life, Rachael shares the lessons she learned from her most challenging leadership role to date. From the complicated logistics of using airplanes and helicopters to deploy scientists thousands of kilometres away deep into remote Antarctica, to managing a team of trades people delivering a maintenance program for the station infrastructure including an adequate supply of power and water, having dealt with everything from plane crashes to negotiating a diplomatic settlement in the bacon wars, there was never a dull moment. Rachael’s is a story of success and achievement that explores themes around the ability to adapt to a changing environment.

Make your business sustainable...

adapt to a

changing environment by planning and implementing energy and materials efficiently

Business Breakfast 21st Nov 2014, 7:15am - 9:00am

The Chamber has partnered with VECCI and Sustainability Victoria to provide free training, advice, site visits and ongoing support through mentoring and coaching to help small to medium sized businesses understand, plan and implement energy and materials efficiency.

Plus listen to our keynote speaker Rachael Robertson a former Antarctic leader talk about her success and achievements and the ability to adapt to a changing environment.

For more information geelongchamber.com.au/events

geelongchamberofcommerce the voice of business

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 31

Suite 13, Level 2, 10 Moorabool St, Geelong P. 03 5222 2234 F. 03 5222 2235 www.geelongchamber.com.au

FINANCE

That overwhelming “I” word

I

MARTIN CARTER, BUSINESS MANAGER, MORRIS FINANCE

“... what we need to ask ourselves is whether or not we are literally dying for information.”

.don’t know about you, but I for one am finding that an ever-increasing percentage of my time in the corporate world is being spent on researching and digesting information. We shouldn’t be surprised that this information overload epidemic plaguing our world has already been coined with a term to describe it: “infobesity”. Surprisingly, “infobesity” was first coined some 44 years ago by Alvin Toffler, author of “Future Shock” a novel that highlighted the psychological effects of too much change in too short a period of time.

• 44% of managers think that important decisions are delayed as a result of information overload.

Advances in modern technology have allowed us to satisfy our craving for information, but what we need to ask ourselves is whether or not we are literally dying for information. Some startling statistics have been produced by the international news agency Reuters:

Schedule time to check information received and stick to it.

• Two-thirds of managers report that tension with work colleagues and loss of job satisfaction arise because of stress associated with information overload.

• One-third of managers suffer from ill health as a direct consequence of stress associated with information overload and this figure rises to 43% among senior managers.

• Almost two-thirds (62%) of managers testify that their personal relationships suffer as a result of information overload.

Q: Who takes the fuss out of finance?

• One in five senior managers believe that substantial amounts of time are wasted collecting and researching information.

Sometimes the chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken, but I believe we can unshackle the chains and break free from this information epidemic: • THINK BEFORE SENDING • SCHEDULE YOURSELF

• ENLIST A “TO-DO-LIST” • USE YOUR DOWN TIME WISELY Read a book or just relax rather than using a mobile device to fill in time.

• WEED THE INFO GARDEN • TEACH OTHERS Set communication standards in the workplace aimed at reducing information overload.

• SCHEDULE UNPLUGGED TIMES & UNLUG AT WILL Until next month, onwards and upwards in your quest to find that consistent routine to keep the infobesity wave well and truly under control!

Whether you’re requiring business finance for motor vehicles, light & heavy commercial vehicles, equipment & machinery, properties or capital raising, contact the experts in intelligent structuring of debt.

A: The team of Specialists at Morris Finance.

Abby Davis

Call Abby, Fiona or Stephanie on (03) 5223 3453 now or go to our website for more information.

TM

WINNER

Family Business of the Year

Fiona Trotter

1300 4 MORRIS www.morrisfinance.com.au

BUSINESS NEWS | 32

Stephanie Witcombe

LEGAL

Even a wharfie can be sacked for swearing

I

Martin Reid – Principal and head of Litigation and Dispute Resolution Claire Centra – Senior Lawyer, Litigation and Dispute Resolution

.n Rikihana v Mermaid Marine Vessel Operations Pty Ltd [2014] FWC6314 (Mermaid Marine) the Fair Work Commission has found that a widespread culture of employees swearing at each other and at supervisors throughout the workplace did not excuse a wharfie for swearing in an aggressive manner or make his subsequent dismissal unfair.

The commission decision in Rikihana v Mermaid Marine is a departure from previous decisions of the Commission that sought to balance inappropriate conduct such as swearing against the nature of the workplace when deciding whether such inappropriate conduct was a valid reason for justifying the dismissal or not.

Mr Grant Rikihana who had worked as a wharfie for Mermaid Marine was sacked for swearing at a leading hand during a pre-start meeting on 4 September 2014 when the leading hand laughed at a particular safety hazard that was being raised. Mr Rikihana called his leading hand a “d***head” and a “**ck” alleging that he was not taking safety seriously. A heated argument followed and Mr Rikihana continued to swear at his leading hand.

Commissioner Williams found that the dismissal was not unfair, holding that Mr Rikihana’s behaviour was unjustified, extreme and unacceptable.

The Commission said that: “this misconduct was another example of behaviour he had engaged in over the course of his employment, where he had responded to persons in authority in a contemptuous and aggressive manner without justification.” Mr Rikihana had been put on notice by his employer on a number of occasions that this kind of conduct was not acceptable. On one such occasion Mr Rikihana had told the leading hand to “get f***d” and in reference to another employee, “get the fat lazy c**t to do it” when directed to assist another employee.

Although Mr Rikihana attempted to argue that swearing was not out of the ordinary in that particular workplace, the Commission found that neither was it the norm nor was it commonplace for employees to direct swearing at individuals as distinct from using swear words as part of their normal conversations. Indeed, a new code of conduct had been introduced in July 2013 by Mermaid Marine in an attempt to curb aggressive behaviour amongst workers. Mr Rikihana “was aware that his actions were contrary to the behavioural expectations of his employer as detailed in its code of conduct.” Also relevant to the Commission’s decision was that fact that when asked to account for his actions, Mr Rikihana “was not honest in his responses to his employer.”

Are you up to date on workplace law?

• Unfair Dismissal & Adverse

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Action

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the

CRUSH

Bringing you the pick of the latest offerings from our region’s wineries WIN TOAST TO THE COAST DOUBLE PASSES With more than 30 wineries on board this year, the 2014 Toast to the Coast Festival is already shaping up to be a huge event, set to take over Geelong over the Melbourne Cup Weekend. Toast to the Coast is a true community celebration of all that is wonderful about the Geelong Wine region’s premium wines - confirmed by critics and wine show judges here and abroad as some of the best in the country - fabulous local produce and talented entertainers. Across The Bellarine, Moorabool Valley and Surf Coast, wineries will be pulling out all the stops to showcase the Geelong winery experience in a weekend of sensational wine, food, music and fun.

For your chance to win a double pass, log on to the Business News Facebook page (/biznewsmag) and tell us which wineries you are looking forward to visiting at Toast to the Coast.

Tickets can be purchased via GPAC www.gpac.org.au. Event information, touring maps and shuttle bus details online at www. toasttothecoast.com.au.

6Ft6 2013 Pinot Noir

6Ft6 2013 Pinot Gris

Earthy, exotic and perfumed, with dark cherry and clovespiced raspberry jam notes.

The palate shows bright red berry fruits mixed with smokey, savoury nuances. A little dry tannin grip to clean up the finish.

Fragrant ripe pear and citrus blossom notes with a little hint of spiced candy. The juicy palate has crunchy pear and citrus, with a soft acid backbone. Finishes clean, crisp and very moreish.

www.sixfootsix.com.au

www.sixfootsix.com.au

The William is a Winner The awards keep coming for Oakdene’s William Shiraz, with the 2013 vintage claiming two trophies at the 2014 Ballarat Wine Show last month. The 2013 Oakdene William Shiraz was awarded Top Gold in its class, Trophy for Best Regional Shiraz and Trophy for Best Regional Red Wine. Last year, the previous vintage, the 2012 Oakdene William Shiraz also won these two trophies, as well as receiving gold medals at the 2014 Macquarie Group Sydney Royal Wine Show and the Geelong Wine Show. The 2013 Oakdene William Shiraz has not been released yet, but with the 2012 almost sold out, it should be available soon. www.oakdene.com.au

Beer Fest Bigger Again Australia’s premier festival of craft beers and ciders returns to the Geelong Racecourse on Saturday 21st February next year. Festival organisers are planning big changes to cater for the increase in visitors as word has spread that Geelong’s Great Australian Beer Festival is a ‘must attend’. GABF 2015 will use more space around the recently upgraded grounds, with more visual and performing arts together with a third stage added featuring comedy, cabaret and peculiar live acts. A cider garden will overlook the track and the food offering will include more restaurants added to the Tastes of the Region section together with a variety of renowned food trucks serving a range of gourmet & international foods. Pre-Launch Early Bird Offer (save over 20%) - Limited tickets are available now for $59 including 20 tasting tokens. General entry is $44 with tokens $1.50 each. www.gabfgeelong.com.au

EXPERTS IN EVERYWHERE

For a holiday you will want to tell everyone about, come in and speak to our travel experts.

Combined, our experts have 214 years of travel experience, have travelled to 70 countries and across all 7 continents.

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TRAVEL WORDS By Gail Palmer, Hello World

F

or years I’ve wanted to visit the renowned Bluegrass area of Kentucky. If you want to see the famous bluegrass, you must visit between April and June when the fields are transformed into a lush carpet of delicate blue flowers.

This gorgeous part of the United States is dotted with horse stud farms all around Lexington that produce the very cream of the crop of thoroughbred racehorses, and where America’s famous horse sales are held in September. Driving through the beautiful countryside, it is evident that the combination of the famed Kentucky bluegrass (seed grass originally from Ireland) and the natural underlying limestone has helped produce the region’s magnificent horses.

My quest had started on a great note when, while waiting for my flight to Lexington, I had a chance meeting with Monty Roberts, the Horse Whisperer. Although my mental image of Monty will always have Robert Redford’s face, what a bonus!

I have long been intrigued by how horses react and respond to humans, and along with natural horsemanship, Monty has been exploring this aspect with children. It just goes to show, no matter where you travel to, you always meet interesting people.

As a passionate follower of thoroughbred racing and breeding, it was a thrill to visit Lexington, acknowledged as the ‘Horse Capital of the World’ and certainly the epicenter of thoroughbred breeding in the USA. Dozens of specialist breeding farms and a couple of retirement farms for stars (including Australia’s 1993 Golden Slipper winner, Bint Marscay) are owned by fifth generation families, international conglomerates and rich sheiks, most with regular guided tours on offer. I particularly enjoyed the Keeneland Racecourse where America’s famous September horse sales had just concluded.

The Kentucky Horse Park has two museums dedicated to the horse, and its indoor and outdoor arenas draw many American competition equestrian events. I took a Behind the Scenes visit to the Thoroughbred Training Centre watching the morning’s activities and met some of the local stars.

For me, Louisville was a natural next stop and a visit to the Churchill Downs Racecourse and Museum, where I ‘rode’ a winner and designed my own jockey colours. The Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs is run each year in May, drawing crowds of up to 160,000.

My trip to America was not all about horses however, and I took in some of California and then on to some of the great eastern USA cities. The Amtrak trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco gave me a chance to sit back and enjoy the coastal scenery and chat to some of the passengers in the glassed viewing carriage. Americans are consistently amazed that Australians travel so far from home. I enjoyed the lovely sea views and the at times dramatic cliff drops down to the Pacific Ocean. Closer to San Francisco, these gave way to vast crop fields that supply much of California’s food.

I had been looking forward to seeing San Francisco for a long time. No matter what city I visit, I am drawn towards the water. Lucky for me, the weather was clear and the water sparkling, so the famous Golden Gate Bridge and Bay Bridge were looking magnificent on my cruise. San Francisco is bustling, vibrant and very picturesque. Union Square has lots of shops, cafes, restaurants and a mixture of tourists and local workers, as this is also the business district. From there, you can take a cable car to the lively Fisherman’s Wharf area, where sea lions bask in the sun at Pier 39 to fascinate the tourists. Excellent clam chowder is to be enjoyed both here and around Union Square. Allow enough time to visit Golden Gate Park as it is larger than Central Park and, of course, infamous Alcatraz.

I continued my journey to Washington, the democratic heart of the USA. For me, there’s nothing better than exploring big cities on foot, soaking up the atmosphere and the vibe and just getting a feel for the place. Tourists like me tend to walk on the wrong side of the footpath, look the wrong way and almost step out in the path of oncoming traffic!

I did become bold and took the Segway tour for a quick orientation around the massive National Mall. Those machines seem to have a mind of their own and I was most grateful for a tow home up the hill for the final 100-metres.

In good Aussie tourist style, I diligently tramped the National Mall – a mile-long promenade between the Washington Monument and The Capital Building that brought me face-to-face with famous monuments including The White House, The Lincoln Memorial and the wonderful Smithsonian museums.

Flying visits to Boston and Philadelphia for some American early history and then on to the Big Apple.

New York is everything they say it is. Vibrant, crazy and no, it never stops. I knew I wouldn’t have enough time in New York, but I did my best to see all the major highlights – Times Square by day and by night, up to the 86th floor of the Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the 9/11 Memorial, Central Park, Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Highline and ended my flying NY visit with a new Broadway show “Beautiful: the Carol King Musical” complete with live orchestra.

They say you haven’t seen New York City unless your feet are sore, and when you can walk no more, hail a yellow cab.

Trip highlights? There are too many to count. Visiting Kentucky was my perfect lead up to the Melbourne Spring Carnival. I love the colour and excitement of race days, especially in spring and autumn when the elite horses are racing, the roses are in bloom at Flemington and the ladies dress up for Fashions on the Field. But for me, there is no greater or more breathtaking sight than the beauty and courage of the horses. Bring on the Melbourne Cup Carnival!

Images from left: Lexington Thoroughbred Park, Kentucky, Central Park, New York,

New York from the Empire State building, Capitol building, Washington, Yosemite National Park.

wn BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 37

ARTS Metropolis Gallery Collectors Show: Significant Smaller Works by Important Australian Artists 11 – 25 October The Metropolis Gallery Collectors Show has become an institution in Geelong and is a great opportunity for established and new collectors to add some important names in Australian art to their walls.

For this Collectors Show, Metropolis is proud to present selected works sourced directly from the art estates of Len Annois and Ludmilla Meilerts together with significant smaller works by artists like Rick Amor, Joseph Banks, Charles Blackman, Peter Booth, Arthur Boyd, Jazmina Cininas, Sybil Craig, Lawrence Daws, Russell Drysdale, George Colville, Graham Fransella, Robert Ingpen, Robert Jacks, David Larwill, Michael Leunig, Lionel Lindsay, Marco Luccio, John Olsen, Ian Parry, Lloyd Rees, Garry Shead, Constance Stokes, Eric Thake, Brett Whiteley, Fred Williams, Joseph Zbukvic and many others.

Two major paintings by Judy Watson Napangardi and Kudditji Kngwarreye are also being made available from a private collection, together with other indigenous works from Papunya Tula, Tjala Arts and the Hermannsburg watercolour artists.

Everyone is welcome to join in opening night at the Gallery from 5-7 pm on 11 October. www.metropolisgallery.com.au

Gutless 25 October – 9 November Local young artist Casey Nicholls-Bull presents her first solo exhibition at Courthouse Arts this month, featuring new paintings, drawings and video work. Gutless also includes some drawings from Nicholls-Bull’s 365 Day project which began in January this year and involves producing a drawing each day for a year. Gutless’ official opening is at Courthouse Arts from 2–4 pm on 25 October. www.courthouse.org.au

BUSINESS NEWS | 38

ARTS Urban Delusions: An exhibition by G-TWO (Glenn Fry) 4 – 25 October “As you walk through the streets and laneways of Geelong you find the walls around you are living, breathing works of art, ever evolving and changing by the effects of the weather, the ravages of time and emerging street art. This transitional form of existence creates a beautiful aesthetic that local artist G-TWO (Glenn Fry) has used to create delusional relics of urban street art culture.”

The exhibition spans 20 years of diverse imagery that has been interwoven in multi-layered impressions of the urban art aesthetic. www.etchgalleryandstudios.com

2014 Geelong contemporary art prize Until 23 November 2014 A bright, colourful and whimsical work by 36 year-old Melbourne-based artist Rob McHaffie is the winner of the 2014 Geelong contemporary art prize.

Showcasing the best of contemporary Australian painting

practice, Geelong Gallery’s $30,000 acquisitive award and biennial exhibition features 42 works by some of Australia’s most talented established and younger generation artists working in a variety of subject matter and styles including stilllife, domestic scenes, landscapes (of the natural, urban and fantastic variety), figuration, abstraction and text-based works and assists with the development of the Gallery’s collection while fostering Australian artists and contemporary painting practice in general. www.geelonggallery.org.au

Rachmaninov Vespers: MSO Chorus 19 October Presented by The Geelong Friends Of The MSO at St Marys Basilica, Rachmaninov Vespers sees the renowned Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chorus return to Geelong with one of its favourite works. Rachmaninov considered his setting of the All-Night Vigil the crowning achievement of his life, a radiant masterpiece pulsating with the ancient traditions and extraordinary emotional power of the Russian Orthodox Church, and the MSO Chorus has been closely associated with the work for many years. www.gpac.org.au

Top left: Stieg Persson, Cat and mouse 2013 , oil on linen, Reproduced courtesy of the artist and Anna Schwartz Gallery, Melbourne & Sydney Above: Winner— 2014 Geelong contemporary art prize Rob McHaffie, Preserve this fruit 2013, oil on linen, Reproduced courtesy of the artist and Darren Knight Gallery, Sydney Top Right: Judy Watson

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 39

Cancer patients access new treatments

Appeal Brown Paper Bag Day.

Cancer patients at Geelong’s Andrew Love Cancer Centre now have access to the latest treatments that, for some, will reduce therapy times and travel after the delivery of Barwon Health’s new Linac machine last month.

Geelong has a food crisis and local charities need help to fight it, but not only with food supplies. There is also a desperate need for fridges, freezers, pantries and other equipment to collect, store, cook and distribute food.

“The new Truebeam linear accelerator is a state of the art machine that will enhance radiotherapy treatment in Geelong and the areas served by Barwon Health,” says Radiation Oncologist Dr Maithum Mathlum. “The new machine will allow treatment to be faster and more accurate. The tumour or region being treated can be visualised by plain x-ray or a special CT scan before, or even during the process to help improve accuracy and allow for patient movement or change in position due to breathing.”

Running throughout October, Feed Geelong promotes awareness of Geelong’s food crisis and raises valuable funds for those organisations that collect, store and distribute food to the growing numbers of those in the Geelong region who are finding it hard to feed their families three meals a day.

With the machine in place, the Andrew Love Cancer Centre will be able to provide new treatments that are currently only available in Melbourne. One of these, stereotactic body radiotherapy, involves the delivery of radiotherapy very accurately to tumours over a small number of treatments, meaning that some treatments only take days or a few weeks rather than the more usual six to seven weeks.

The good news is that businesses are responding to the crisis by offering surplus food to charities. However, many charities are limited in what they can accept because of a lack of fridges, freezers, cool rooms, food transport vehicles, staff to co-ordinate volunteers and other means to handle food donations.

This treatment is only suitable for highly selected cases but shows great promise in diseases such as early stage lung cancer, where it appears to be highly effective for patients who cannot undergo surgery.

Funding for the new machine was made possible by a Federal government grant with additional support from Barwon Health. Barwon Health Foundation and Geelong Cancer After Care Group have also been strong supporters of the Andrew Love Cancer Centre.

Put your money where your mouth is On 16 October we can all help feed Geelong by donating what we would normally spend on lunch to the Feed Geelong

According to Feed Geelong, these are increasingly the working poor – those with a job and somewhere to live but very little left to spend on food once they have paid the rent or mortgage, put petrol in the car and paid the bills.

Brown Paper Bag Day is not the only way to help the Feed Geelong Appeal during October. Join the Christ Church Community Lunch on 24 October to help raise funds for the Christ Church Community Meals Program, which serves over 30,000 meals to those in need each year, or take part in a half day Seeing is Believing tour of some of the Geelong Food Network Centres on 31 October to see firsthand the crisis that many in our region are facing.

To book for the Christ Church Community Lunch or Seeing is Believing Tour, visit www.feedgeelong.org.au/how-to-help/ To register your business, school, community organisation or church for Brown Paper Bag Day contact Give Where You Live (www.givewhereyoulive.com.au) before 10 October to ensure you receive your Brown Paper Bags.

BUSINESS NEWS | 40

COMMUNITY NEWS Create Youth addresses mental illness stigma Create Youth’s creative idea to link popular children’s characters to mental health disorders has earned them a third place in the Kempe Read The Play project.

The project asked students from the Geelong region to create a 90-second video clip that helped address the stigma of mental illness by talking openly about it.

Create Youth’s Intermediate VCAL students used their creative talents to produce ‘Winnie and Friends’, featuring Winnie the Pooh characters with a mental illness linked to each of them. In the film, Eeyore the donkey suffers from depression and Pooh’s obsession with honey leads to him battling an eating disorder.

This year marked the first time that Create Youth has been involved in the project, with Youth Facilitator Philip Duffy praising the students. “Hands on projects such as these are an integral part of our curriculum platform and enhance critical linkages between the broader community and our campus,” he says.

Kempe Read the Play is an innovative program which uses the strength of peer networks to address the health and wellbeing of young people, focusing on mental health, drugs and alcohol.

To view the Create Youth clip, visit www.youtube.com/user/ KaringalInc.

crosses, hybrids, commuter or road bikes.

Visit www.chasethedog.com.au for more information.

Get ready for Movember It’s November next month – gentlemen, time to get ready to grow your mo! But first you need to know the rules: 1: Once registered at movember.com, each Mo Bro must begin the first of Movember with a clean shaven face. 2: For the entire month of Movember each Mo Bro must grow and groom a moustache because rule 3 says no beards, goatees or fake moustaches. 4: Use the power of the moustache to create conversations about men’s health and to raise funds for prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health. 5: Each Mo Bro must conduct himself like a true gentleman.

Movember, a campaign to raise awareness and funds for men’s health, began in 2003 with 30 Melbourne Mo Bros and has developed into a global organisation while growing 4 million moustaches worldwide. To date, the Movember community has raised $580 million and funded over 800 programs in 21 countries, saving and improving the lives of men affected by prostate cancer, testicular cancer and mental health problems.

Women who want to join the Movember fun can become Mo Sistas, who sign up and commit to supporting the men in their lives while helping to promote men’s health at home, in the workplace and within their community.

To find out more and get involved visit au.movember.com

Get on your bike and chase the dog Depression and anxiety are often described as the “black dog,” prompting the organisation of the Chase the Dog bike ride through the Otway Ranges on 11 October to raise funds for beyondblue and increase awareness of mental illness.

A non-competitive ride with a choice of two distances (Chase the Dog over 85km or Chase the Pup over 31km) the course takes in the spectacular scenery of the Otways over some of the best old logging routes and a mixture of rail trail, fire road and quiet back country roads. Both courses can be ridden on virtually any type of bike, including mountain bikes, cycle

Pink Ribbon Day Moving onto women’s health… 27 October is Pink Ribbon Day, a day when all Australians can come together to show their support for the many thousands of women affected by breast and gynaecological cancers. You can get involved throughout October by volunteering to sell pink merchandise or holding a Pink Ribbon Fundraiser, such as a Pink breakfast, lunch morning tea, BBQ or Girls Night In. Visit www.pinkribbon.com. au for more information and to register your fundraising event.

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 41

COMMUNITY

Guests received complimentary champagne on arrival and show-bags thanks to event sponsors and Target.

Project Pamper gives 250 local women a lift Facials, mini-makeovers, manicures and massages were just some of the activities 250 local women, who have all been touched by cancer in some way, were treated to at the Karingal BacLinks and GMHBA presented Project Pamper event on August 20.

Project Pamper is a GMHBA community initiative, held at Deakin Waterfront Kitchen, designed to bring together women who have had cancer and their family and friends in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Following an overwhelming response from the community, 250 participants registered for this year’s event and enjoyed a free evening of cosmetic consultations, styling workshops and pop-up fashion parades. They also received special shopping discounts, show bags and complimentary finger food and champagne.

Acting Karingal BacLinks Manager, Tracy Bull, said Project Pamper was an overwhelming success and they hoped to continue to build on the momentum for future events.

“It was wonderful to look around the venue and see so many smiling faces and hear the laughter from so many women who had come together to support each other, despite the challenges they are facing in their lives,” said Tracy.

“Self-esteem and support play such an important role in the recovery process for women affected by cancer. We hope this uplifting event gave local women a much needed boost during this challenging time.”

The event received excellent feedback from participants with one guest saying, “I’ve had the most fabulous evening, it is so lovely to be pampered and I feel the best that I have felt in a long time.”

Amy Gillett, GMHBA Community Relations and Partnerships Manager, said that the evening aimed to make a positive difference in the lives of these women by boosting their selfesteem and providing them with an opportunity to feel good during a night out with their family and friends.

“One in three women will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 85 and each year thousands of people in the region are diagnosed with or receive treatment for cancer,” added Ms Gillett. “Everyone is affected by cancer in some way – whether you have cancer, or you know someone who has.

Project Pamper was a great way for us to demonstrate our ethos of giving back to our local communities in a fun and supportive way.”

Project Pamper participants were treated to mini manicures by students from The Centre of Excellence.

BUSINESS NEWS | 42

Future bright for Sean at Bates Pipes

M

atchWorks has been working with and placing suitable job seekers at Corio business Bates Pipes & Products for more than ten years, and the relationship has never been

stronger.

When MatchWorks Geelong Business Development Consultant Richard Johnson negotiated a potential opportunity at the organisation he immediately put his client Sean Carey forward for an interview.

Richard had met Sean after he volunteered to join MatchWorks Geelong’s newly created initiative, TeamWorks. Sean was selected to take part in the innovative ‘motivation and placement preparatory’ program where he received intensive job seeking and interview training while also being encouraged to determine where his passions and skills lay to enable him to identify a career path. Sean had joined MatchWorks in early 2014 with the hope of finding an employer who would give him the opportunity to prove his abilities.

The following week after the position became available Sean was interviewed by Bates Pipes & Products’ Production and Safety Manager Geoff Fridey, and shortly after was offered an opportunity to join their busy team.

Sean has now been successfully employed for five months, with Geoff planning to soon increase his number of work days from three to five each week. Sean is enjoying working in such a positive environment where he has become a valued member of the team, and is well on his way to move up the ranks towards his goal of one day being involved with the boiler making team.

Richard said MatchWorks pride themselves on building strong relationships with local businesses and finding the best employees for their organisation; believing that a good match between the employee and the employer is of the upmost importance.

Bates Pipes & Products empl oyee and Match Sean Carey with Works client Bates Pipes & Products Produc Manager Geo tion and Safety ff Fridey and M atchWorks Busi Consultant Rich ness Developm ard Johnson. ent

for your business •

A free service

•

Supporting businesses to find staff

•

Also providing a specialist disability service

•

Based in Geelong

•

57 offices across, VIC, QLD and SA

Call 1300 132 363 Visit matchworks.com.au

Partnering with Geelong Business • Food services

• Employment services

• Business solutions

• Employee volunteering

• Environmental solutions • Business networking • Training

• Donations

For more information call 1300 558 368 or visit karingal.org.au Karingal Inc. (Vic) Limited Liability Reg. Assoc. A0038261E ARBN 158 375 903 ABN 97 468 305 401

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 43

AFTER HOURS

1.

On a different day in September…

Bringing together many of Geelong’s accountants, bankers and solicitors was a special lunch hosted by Jirsch Sutherland at Barwon Edge last month.

2.

Following the merger of Jenkins Peake with Jirsch Sutherland in 2007, Jirsch Sutherland have expanded from their New South Wales base into Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne and the lunch was an opportunity to meet some of the new members of the firm from Geelong and Melbourne.

Melbourne Football Club great and now media commentator, David Schwarz, was the special guest speaker at the event, sharing his insights into the ups and downs, and a few of the laughs, of life in the AFL. For guests, it was a chance to step away from the desk, relax and talk about the only big topic in town in September – footy.

Photos by Elisha Lindsay, EL Photography 1. Nick klein, tom lynch, tom white, phillip stewart 2. murray pegg, david perkins, malcolm howell 3. Trish Irwin, Carl Jones 4. Kylie McEWAN, Mile Stojanovski, Gordon Jenkins, tony Harman 5. phil mcgibbon addresses the room

3.

4.

5.

BUSINESS NEWS | 44

THE E.L PHOTOGRAPHY CORPORATE STYLEGUIDE AFTER HOURS

THE E.L PHOTOGRAPHY CORPORATE BRAND

1. CMYK STACKED VERSION (ON WHITE BACKGROUND)

Elisha Lindsay (E.L Photography) is a Geelong photographer who was born to take beautiful photographs. Her love for the lens has followed a natural progression throughout each stage in her life.

6.

Elisha prides her business on being one that is multifaceted and has the ability to meet the needs of all clients. Whether it is commercial, weddings or portraits, E.L Photography can meet the needs of businesses, individuals and groups.

The logo represents the E.L Photography brand and is, therefore, the essence of the E.L Photography identity.

Do not attempt to redraw or rearrange it, or alter the colour in any way. It always, where possible, appears as a colour image.

2. CMYK HORIZONTAL VERSION (ON WHITE BACKGROU Commercial Photography Staff portraits Product shots Marketing shots Events & Functions Weddings & Portraits

7.

8.

E.L PHO

9.

10.

Studio - 162 Bellerine St, Geelong elisha@elphotography.com.au

6. Matt Ujma, nick evans, tim Gadd, dylan d’silva 7. geoff ridgeway 8. Christopher Goldsmith, Andrew Conlan, Paul Robson, Barry kittelty 9. Brent hewitt, david mcdonald 10. Phil Mcgibbon

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 45

0439 353 958 elphotography.com.au

AFTER HOURS

1.

Zonta celebrates 35 years The Zonta Club of Geelong is celebrating its 35th Birthday this year, and to mark the occasion the service club held a special Gala Ball at Drumoland House on Saturday, September 6.

2.

The night featured entertainment by the Sassy Soul Sisters, a special guest appearance by Imogen Brough, and a raffle with prizes including a painting produced by local artist Noreen Salt for this Zonta event.

Zonta also have a very special dinner, An Evening with Rosie Batty, planned to

1. Heather Ellis, Lauren Ellis, Carolyn Bailor, Whitney Karner & Mandy Cummins 2. Cheryl Gibbons 3. Joanne & Michael Metzger 4. Megan Blair and Gloria Blair

3.

4.

5.

BUSINESS NEWS | 46

AFTER HOURS

7.

6. coincide with Barwon Month of Action for November 5 at the Mercure. The club is thrilled to have Rosie speaking at the dinner, sharing her inspirational story and her campaign for change.

For more information visit the website at www.zontagelong.org.au Photography by Kobi-Lee Heibl, Heibl Photography

5. Anna Milner, Imogen Brough, Beryl McMillan, Maria Zaluski 6. President Maria Zaluski 7. Back: Claire Stonehouse, Kirsty Tweddle, Leeanne Irving, Fiona MacDowall, Front: Melissa Tshisekedi, Narelle Baker, Barbara Booth 8. Connie Adornetto, Deb Schmidt, Jasmine Koch, Chris Denmead 9. Lisa Savage, Anna Milner 10. Jane Adornetto

8.

9.

10.

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 47

THE TECH GUY

Smar com and Every month, our Tech Guy, Jon Mamonski, brings us the wildest, most mind-blowing gadgets he can find...

Every 2 years Apple ups the ante

With a shrinking market share Apple is desperate to recapture our hearts. Enter the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus; two models and two sizes with the smaller version at 4.7 inches and the Plus at a whopping 5.5 inches. The Plus comes with a bigger battery and better display too, a one-handed mode and an extra stabilisation feature on the camera, but everything else is essentially identical.

Under the hood, the new 64-bit A8 chipset engine is 50 per cent more energy efficient than its predecessor and about 25 per cent more powerful to boot, so you’ll be able to squeeze 16 days of standby time out of the 6 Plus, 14 hours of continual video playback and or a full 24 hours of 3G talk time out of the non-removable battery. (Who would ever talk for that long?).

One of the biggest and most anticipated features in the iPhone 6 series is NFC (near-field communication). It’s a wireless payment method that in the U.S. is being embraced by hundreds of thousands of merchants and popular banks. It’s a bit like your Visa or MasterCard PayWave/PayPass that you can swipe at the checkout. It will take a fair while to filter down under is my guess.

The iPhone 6 starts at $869 and the 6 plus starts at $999 and is available now.

Will these features win back the departed who swapped for Android or Windows phones? Unlikely.

Unless, of course, you’ve been hanging out for the Apple iWatch due next year.

Clever Apple has revealed six different looks to suit most watchers. The iWatch has a sapphire display with four sensors on the back, NFC-Apple Pay as described above and a choice of six straps at launch. The time keeping part is meant to be accurate to 50ms. With curved edges and a power button and a hardware dial so you can navigate the menus, zoom into images and more and yes, you’ll need an iPhone 5 or newer and an estimated $450 if you want one of these when they hit our shores sometime around Easter, but that’s not all folks.

In a pique of carefully planned generosity, you’re getting something for free.

Apple and U2 announced that the band’s newest album is launching right now on iTunes. It’s available free and will remain until October 13th to all account holders. If you don’t have an account, just create one and you can download all 11 tracks from Songs of Innocence free of charge. Howzat?

BUSINESS NEWS | 48

F s

THE TECH GUY

ASUS ZenWatch is the first wearable device from ASUS, powered by Android Wear and featuring a version of the ASUS ZenUI user interface developed specifically for ZenWatch. This slim device pairs seamlessly with a smartphone running Android™ 4.3 or higher to provide relevant and useful information when it is needed most and also to serve as a personal wellness manager in conjunction with the ASUS ZenUI Wellness app. It has a soft genuine stitched-leather strap and quick-release clasp. The 2.5D curved glass displays a selection of instantly-changeable software watch faces, allowing users to customise ZenWatch easily to match their style.

Features include Watch Unlock, Tap Tap, Remote Camera, Cover to Mute, Find My Phone and Presentation Control, steps taken, calories burned, activity duration, heart rate, exercise intensity and relaxation level. Users can set and monitor personal fitness goals and see their progress at a glance.

Smart watches coming thick and fast

Ready to feel small? Our sun is just one of 300 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, which itself is one of millions of other galaxies. However, now at least we now know where it is. Astronomers have mapped a “supercluster” of galaxies including the Milky Way and dubbed it Laniakea, or “immeasurable heaven” in Hawaiian. Using several radio telescopes, the team calculated the movement of nearby galaxies relative to each other, after taking into account cosmic expansion.

Check out the picture to get some idea of your personal significance in the scheme of things.

Getting cold feet?

Digitsole has announced an interactive insole that’s designed to heat your feet. Connecting to your smartphone over Bluetooth 4.0, you use the companion app for iOS or Android to set the temperature to a maximum of 40 C/104 F. Of course, no piece of hi-tech footwear is complete without some sort of activity tracking, so in addition to keeping your little toes warm, the smart insoles will monitor the distance that you’ve walked and the calories that you’ve burned.

Feeling small?

Sixteen years and nearly $47 million in the making, Dyson has unveiled its first robot vacuum cleaner: the 360 Eye. The company says it’s packing more cleaning power than any other robot vacuum currently on the market, but improvements have also made it a fair bit taller than incumbents like iRobot’s Roomba. The WiFi-connected vacuum will arrive alongside a smartphone app that’ll allow you to schedule sessions for when you’re not at home when it will clean up your mess for up to 20 minutes before returning (of its own volition) to charge.

Like all Dyson vacs, it won’t be the cheapest but probably the best.

The ultimate robot vac

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 49

STUFF

cool• Boskke Sky Planter Recycled Medium The Design Gift Shop www.thedesigngiftshop.com Gumboot Organiser Our Kitchen Garden www.ourkitchengarden.com.au

Handpresso Wild Hyprid Outdoor Set - Coffee Maker The Design Gift Shop www.thedesigngiftshop.com

Spring is here, and it’s time to get outdoors and rediscover the gardens we’ve been neglecting over the cold winter months!

Duckling Watering Can Annabel James www.annabeljames.co.uk

Corinthia Smoked Glass Candle Lantern - Medium Artisanti www.artisanti.com

Outdoor Cushion Chevron Mykonos Blue Yellow Beach Abode Living www.beachabodeliving.com.au Side By Side Whine Light Green Glass The Design Gift Shop www.thedesigngiftshop.com

Lexon LH31 Greenman Solar Powered Lamp The Design Gift Shop www.thedesigngiftshop.com

Palmerston Pink No.243 Mylands Paints www.mylands.co.uk

BUSINESS NEWS | 50

m.au

BOOKS

My Story Julia Gillard It’s what you do now, isn’t it? Start writing your biography as soon as you walk away from politics? It was certainly the case for Julia Gillard, who quickly got to work getting into print her version of her three years and three days as Australia’s first female Prime Minister. While political bios are as prolific as flies at a summer barbecue, the intensity of the turbulence that marked those three years means few have been as hotly anticipated as this one – or as divisive. That Julia Gillard entered politics as an idealist is undisputable, but when she asked her party leader and Prime Minister for a leadership ballot on 23 June 2010, she was following a less than ideal path to power. The challenges, the successes and the failures are all spelled out with clarity, coloured with splashes of wry humour. It’s fascinating stuff – a very personal account of a momentous time in Australian political history.

The Virgin Way Richard Branson In September 2012, a YOUGOV poll conducted in Britain found that the person British workers would most like to have as their manager was Sir Richard Branson. It’s not hard to see why. The Britpreneur is famed for his generosity to staff, his humour and his drive to do things better than the other guys.

He is a great disrupter, and in The Virgin Way: How to Listen, Learn, Laugh and Lead, he shares the secrets of leadership and success that he has learned from within his own business as well as many others from people he has learned from - from politicians, business leaders, explorers, scientists and philanthropists.

So, Anyway…

John Cleese A brilliantly funny and endearingly candid biography from comic genius, John Cleese. This is the story of how a tall, shy youth from Weston-super-Mare went on to become a self-confessed legend. En route, John Cleese describes his nerve-racking first public appearance, at St Peter’s Preparatory School at the age of eight and five-sixths; his endlessly peripatetic home life with parents who seemed incapable of staying in any house for longer than six months; his first experiences in the world of work as a teacher who knew nothing about the subjects he was expected to teach; his hamster-owning days at Cambridge; and his first encounter with the man who would be his writing partner for over two decades, Graham Chapman. And so on to his dizzying ascent via scriptwriting for Peter Sellers, David Frost, Marty Feldman and others to the heights of Monty Python.

Walking Free Munjed Al Muderis and Patrick Weaver Munjed Al Muderis’ story is nothing short of extraordinary and is told in Walking Free with quiet dignity. As a young surgical resident in Baghdad, the operating theatre Munjed was working in was stormed by Military Police who ordered the surgical team to mutilate the ears of three busloads of army deserters. When the head of surgery refused, he was executed. The remaining surgeons were left with the choice of stay and comply, refuse and die, or flee. Munjed chose to flee, eventually arriving in Indonesia and boarding an overcrowded boat bound for Australia. When he arrived he was sent to the Curtin Detention Centre – what was to become known as the worst of the Australian detention centres. He was stripped of his name, of his freedom and repeatedly told to go back to Iraq. After ten months Munjed was released from Curtin and went on to become one of the world’s leading osseointegration surgeons, developing pioneering techniques that allow amputees to walk again.

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 51

Imagine a bright learning future with us

OPEN

MORNING 2014

THE

G E E LONG C OL L E G E sic itur ad astra

Wednesday 22 October (Geelong Cup Day) From 9.15am

I N S E RT YO U R CHILD HERE!

Find out more or register at geelongcollege.vic.edu.au.

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