Business News 238

March 2015

How We Can Help Our City to GROW Issue 238

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CONTENTS

18. COVER STORY CONTENTS 6/ Biz News 11 / Port News 12 / New Appointments 13 / Inside Word 26 / Legal

14. FEATURE

At it’s heart, GROW is trying to change the fabric of an area. It’s a big task; in fact, it’s huge. But what’s different about this project is that is uses an economic model, rather than a welfare model.

27 / Governance 29 / VECCI

36. ARTS

34 / Elevator 50 /

38. COMMUNITY

Stuff 51 / Books

ISSUE 237 MARCH 2015 Read online at: www.biznewsmag.com.au

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EDITOR

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EDITOR

Do We Need a Little More Lagom?

I

.like a bit of background noise when I’m working late and one night, not so long ago, while writing a completely different story, I picked up on the rounded tones of River Cottage chef, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. The affable Brit was hosting a series titled ‘Scandimania’ and I was intrigued enough to hold off the typing to focus on the TV. There is so much to be fascinated by about Scandinavian countries, not least of which are the economic and social policies that have seen the Nordic nations rise from their post-Viking and slightly daggy recent-past to become leaders in the global status stakes. Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Iceland are renowned for the quality of their education systems, the egalitarianism of their welfare and aged care systems, and the curious - certainly to British, Australian and American eyes – combination of very high tax rates and overall happiness of their citizens. Being all the way on the other side of the world, and being amongst those nations that invaded Britain rather than being invaded, we don’t share a lot of obvious cultural similarities…. Or do we?

Sweden, the subject of this particular episode of the series, is perhaps best known here in Australia as the exporters of ABBA, flat-pack furniture, very reliable cars, year-long paternity leave, clean cities, great public transport and tall good looking people.

But what it also has is a cultural tradition of lagom, which can be loosely translated at ‘not too little and not too much – just enough’ and it doesn’t just refer to stuff or food. Lagom, as interviewees including Bjorn Ulvaeus from ABBA and a Swedish soap star explained, is about living a ‘whole’ life, with everything in balance.

For instance, consistently working late would mean you are placing too much emphasis on one area of your life at the expense of others like family life, recreation time or sleep. ‘Everything in moderation’ might be a way of looking at it, or the antithesis of the more-is-more culture perhaps seen most spectacularly in the USA or Dubai.

It’s a concept that doesn’t sit easily with we of the striving nations, where working harder and always wanting more are celebrated, and it has many of us just a little puzzled as to how these quiet,

modest nations have managed to soar up the status stakes, seemingly without trying.

Of course, it’s never that simple, or that ideal, and that’s where some of the similarities between nations like Australia and New Zealand and the Nordic countries emerge. The tradition of lagom means that bragging and showing off is a social no-no in Sweden (which perhaps explains why Stefan Edberg, when the World Number One tennis player, was still flying economy for most of his playing career, or why Volvos were so often beige) and Australia has the tall poppy syndrome.

Similarly, like Denmark, Sweden and Norway, Australia sits around the top of the global happiness charts. It makes you wonder then, as reported in the Washington Post, why the Scandinavian countries record the highest consumption of anti-depressants in the world?

Another thing Australia has in common with Norway in particular has been a rapid rise in prosperity driven by commodities. For Norway, and to a lesser extent Denmark, it was an oil boom that, in much the same way as Australia’s mining boom, is now declining. Like Australia, a sharp increase in household and national debt has caused concerns. Like Australia, there is an increasing gap between the rich and the poor. And despite having a strong reputation for gender equality, Nordic countries have very high rates of domestic violence and violence against women. And similarly, immigration is a trigger issue, with hard-right political parties gaining increasing support. Just as it does here in Australia, racism in Scandinavia is unveiling the ugly underbelly of nations renowned for smiling faces.

Facing a national agenda of pulling our heads in as we are, the concept of lagom seemed to be one perhaps we could benefit from, in moderation, here in Australia. Not to the beige Volvo extent, but something about having just enough certainly resonated.

Yet, the fact that I was working with this documentary on quite late at night was evidence that I was failing the lagom test… and the fact that others were responding to my emails so late at night was proof positive that I wasn’t the only one.

DAVINA MONTGOMERY BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 5

BIZ NEWS

Ring Road Extension Rolls On Image by Pam Hutchinson

The Baanip Boulevard connection between the Geelong Ring Road and the Surf Coast Highway at Mount Duneed is closer to opening with the lifting into place of 18 concrete bridge beams for the 112-metre bridge over the top of the Geelong-Warrnambool railway line.

VicRoads Project Director, Tony Hedley, said construction on Baanip Boulevard began in December 2013, with an expected completion date of 2016.

“I’m pleased with the level of progress on Baanip Boulevard, and that things are moving forward and upwards,” he said in a statement released after the beams, weighing up to 83 tonnes each and measuring up to 39 metres long, were lifted into place.

The extension of the Ring Road is a 4.5 kilometre two-lane road. Lined with an avenue of trees, the road will look more like a traditional boulevard than the concrete and steel dominated designs of modern freeways. The boulevard will feed into the fast-growing Armstrong Creek residential area and will link with pedestrian and cycling paths.

“Baanip Boulevard was named out of respect for local Wathaurong man, Willem Baanip, who was well known to the Geelong community during the 1800s,” Mr Hedley said.

“VicRoads has worked closely with the local community in an effort to address their concerns about traffic noise. As a result, a 2.2 kilometre earth mound has been constructed and an 850 metre noise wall is being installed.”

Christmas really did come for retailers

T

here was more than a little concern amongst retailers in the lead up to Christmas that the ongoing trend of saving rather than spending amongst consumers was going to mean a not-so-merry Christmas at the registers. And while there was a slow start to the peak November-December sales period, the present-buyers came with a rush, exceeding the expectations of the retail peak body, the Australian Retailers Association (ARA) and research partner Roy Morgan Research.

to December 25th to complete their Christmas shopping.”

And the results closely matching the predicted spend for this most important period for retailers aren’t a fluke. In 2013, the ARA forecast that $42.2 billion would go through the tills during the pre-Christmas trading period, and the confirmed figure came in at $43 billion.

ARA Executive Director, Russell Zimmerman, said in a statement that the positive result (confirmed by ABS data) was an extremely encouraging sign for the retail industry.

“The retail industry can now enjoy a heightened sense of confidence leading into 2015 knowing that shoppers spent a significant $45.2 billion in the lead up to Christmas last year,” Mr Zimmerman said. “The festive period can be an extremely stressful time for business owners and I’m sure they will all be relieved to know that Christmas 2014 has indeed been one of the most successful to date.

“We are pleased to see that the ARA’s predicted figure of $45 billion was exceeded, despite reports of shoppers cutting it close

“The ARA looks forward to confirming the post-Christmas spend (26 December 2014 – 15 January 2015) in the next month or so.”

Australian shoppers spent a whopping $45.2 billion in retail stores from 15 November – 24 December 2014.

Is the SME sector ready for big expansion?

A fresh study conducted by Business Connector and released in early March suggests that there is significant expansion underway in the Australian SME sector – a key driver of the national economy and employment. The study found that 54 per cent of companies raising capital are looking to raise $500K or more, which seems to dispel the myth that most companies are not raising enough funds. Over two-thirds of respondents are in revenue and many companies seeking funding are substantial SMEs ($5M+ annual revenue), allowing them to substantiate the funds they’re seeking.

However, a disturbing 50 per cent are approaching funding without a business plan in hand, and only one-third have a proper cash flow forecast.

The State of SME Funding 2015 study into the SME and start-up funding landscape provides an interesting snapshot view into the funding habits of the sector; with 179 companies in various stages of seeking funding answering an exhaustive questionnaire.

“We are seeing a shift in how SME businesses are being funded that is remarkably different from how the typical StartUp is being funded,” says Mike Boorn Plener, Founder of Business Connector.

“Most of these businesses will go and test the market first, build revenue and then raise capital, not the other way around.

The study shows that the potential multiplier effect on growth is remarkably high. If the sector is able to attract the funding it needs, it could mean a 30 per cent lift in the forecast GDP growth over the next 4 years. The question is, of course, whether banks, equity players and policy makers are ready to support this step up.

Mr Plener said too many business owners are leaving ‘money on the table’ funding that is readily available from alternative lenders, crowd-funding campaigns and government grants; “all of which is available without parting with shares in the company you’re running.”

BUSINESS NEWS | 6

GST compliance costs SMEs $13.7 billion a year

I

t is a staggering figure, but this is the figure that came out of research released by accounting software provider, MYOB.

Based on a survey of 1026 SME owners and managers, the research looked into the true cost of complying with Australia’s GST rules on the men and women running small and microenterprises across the country.

Of those surveyed, it was found that the SME businesses were spending an average of 84.1 hours every year collecting tax on behalf of the government. That’s more than two full working weeks a year. And because time is money, MYOB equated the time spent to $6778 a year, spread across the estimated 2.02 million Australian SMEs and non-employing businesses and you get a total GST burden across the SME sector of $13.7 billion a year.

MYOB also identified where the GST burden falls within a business. Of the 84.1 annual hours of work each company commits to the GST 64 of those hours are performed by the owners and managers. MYOB CEO, Tim Reed, said governments need to better understand the impact the GST has on the running of a small enterprise.

“If Australia is to have a debate on the GST then let’s start with the way it is collected and reported. Let’s look at ways to ease the cost and burden on SMEs. “The GST represents two full weeks where the owner’s attention is dragged away from the day to day running of their business.

This is a significant drain on the productivity and profitability of SMEs,” said Mr Reed.

“If the Government’s focus is on improving Australia’s productivity and reducing red-tape, then easing the burden of GST compliance should be a priority.”

The survey found that the biggest problem for SMEs is the recording of information needed by the ATO, which takes 78.2 hours a year on average.

Currently SME operators need to asses each transaction on an invoice to determine if GST applies if the transaction is GST-free.

They then have to assign each of the GST-free transactions into one of eight possible categories, based on the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO) GST-free codes.

The need to determine and assign codes has nothing to do with the collection of GST revenue as it only relates to transactions that are GST-free. The GST-free codes are used by the ATO to benchmark industries for auditing.

Mr Reed called on the Australian Government to make a simple and effective reform of the GST by abolishing the requirement to provide additional information on GST-free transactions.

“We need to simplify the GST so that small business operators need only determine if a transaction is one where GST applies or if it is GST-free.”

“This reform would bring Australia in line with New Zealand where there is no requirement to report additional details about GSTfree transactions, making it easier for small business to comply, Mr Reed said, adding that the modest reform could be achieved through regulation, without the need for political negotiation through parliament.

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 7

BIZ NEWS

Victorian small business to be hit hard by new public holidays

M

ore public holidays: good, bad, or ‘Oh My God, Why?’

When the first announcements came out about two new public holidays came out, I’ll confess my first thought was that having a day at home to get all the pre-bash stuff done before grand final day would be a good thing. But what if I had to pay triple the prices at the supermarket? Triple the prices for the balloons and streamers, for the barbecue meat at the butchers and triple the price for the beer – would I still like it then?

For many of us, public holidays are a mixed bag of happy holiday and painful halt to momentum at a busy time around the office, but for small business owners they bring the added stress of public holiday wages.

VECCI Chief Executive, Mark Stone, says the new Victorian public holidays on Easter Sunday (5 April 2015) and grand final eve (2 October 2015) will result in both lost productivity and higher wage costs for small business “at a time when many are facing difficult trading conditions.”

“On grand final Friday, the cost to pay many of Victoria’s almost 2 million full time employees not to come to work could reach $543 million for the day,” Mr Stone said.

VECCI estimates additional wages for small businesses in the retail, accommodation, food services and recreation industries at $105 million for the two holidays as wages can be 50 per cent higher on Easter Sunday and 150 per cent higher on grand final eve.

The new holidays mean Victoria will also have more public holidays than any other state (NSW has 11, and QLD and WA each have 10).

A statement released by VECCI said, “VECCI recognises the introduction of two new holidays was a pre-election commitment of the Government. However, their significant costs highlight the consequences of making populist decisions at the expense of good public policy.

“VECCI urges the Government to carefully consider impacts on business, especially small business, when making future decisions in respect of public holidays.

“The December 2014 quarter VECCI-Bank of Melbourne survey of business trends and prospects examined the impact of penalty rates on business operating costs and found that if penalty rates were changed, businesses would give more hours to existing staff, hire more workers or reinvest the savings back into their business.”

Lengthy meetings the number one productivity killer

T

hat’s right, you’re not alone – with a recent report by global workplace provider, Regus, revealing that lengthy meetings are hampering Australian workers’ output, with 54 per cent of survey respondents claiming this as their biggest productivity killer.

Of course, those painfully long and mind-numbing meetings aren’t the only brakes on productivity at work; IT glitches and traffic jams were also cited as major causes of hold ups in our working days.

to 38 per cent for those not lucky enough to boast a home office suite.

Outside of the home, business centres topped the chart for the most productive setting, with almost half of the respondents believing these to be a safe haven for work outside the office.

Noisy and disruptive venues, including public libraries and hotel bars and lounges, sat at the bottom of the list.

The report also revealed that the early bird really does catch the worm, with 51 per cent of Australians claiming that they are at their most productive in the early morning, compared with just five per cent of night owls.

CEO of Regus Australia and New Zealand, Paul Migliorini, said, “In today’s business climate, where many professionals now have the option to work outside of the main business environment, its important to identify what the biggest productivity killers are so that these can be avoided.

For workers who labour outside of the office, the survey revealed that 67 per cent of Australian respondents found a professional setting in their own home as the most productive out-of-office environment, although the appeal of working from home dropped

“For those without a professional home office, business centres, with their professional, productive working environments and IT security, provide an answer, allowing busy professionals the peace and functionality they need, when they need it.”

BUSINESS NEWS | 8

BIZ NEWS

Committee On Collision Course to Pitch Local Start-Ups in the USA

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delegation of local industry leaders will head off to the U.S. in May to showcase the opportunities for investment in Geelong and attend the world’s leading entrepreneurial conference – ‘Collision’.

The Committee for Geelong will lead the trade mission, with Chairperson Dan Simmonds, CEO Rebecca Casson and Sky Software CEO Nick Stanley.

According to Ms Casson, the trade mission aims to support Geelong’s long-term economic prosperity and innovation and raise the profile of Geelong as a destination for ‘start-up’ investment.

“This mission provides an opportunity for Geelong industry to meet venture partners and to also compare our early stage commercialisation ventures. We talk about ‘jobs of the future’ and we need to have a very clear understanding of the challenges and opportunities. We also need to be a strong advocate for major corporates to move to Geelong and develop Geelong’s international links.

“With the right advice and support, the Geelong start-up scene could see numbers grow rapidly, with an early target of 100 easily achievable. This tour will support and inform our strong, local entrepreneurial sector that includes the work of HeadStart, ICT Geelong, Australian Sports Technology Network, Upstart Challenge and Geelong Angel Investment Network,” Ms Casson said.

Sky Software’s Nick Stanley is Chair of ICT Geelong and an Angel Investor, and said that Geelong’s start-up economy is ripe for development, but added that there is a need for capacity building to help entrepreneurs tell their story.

“One of the main issues hampering new business opportunities in our region is the capacity for our entrepreneurs to successfully articulate and pitch their vision. My experience has been that we have people with great ideas, innovations and technology,

combined with a really good amount of enthusiasm. However, we’ve got to get better at pitching our vision and ‘selling the sizzle’.

“We have a great deal to learn in this area and become more mature at how we pitch our business concepts. It is a critical aspect to the commercialisation process and something we can learn a lot from via our North American colleagues. Attending ‘Collision’ over 5-6 May in Las Vegas, Nevada will return direct, quantifiable opportunities to Geelong and Geelong businesses as a consequence.

“We also aim to make new connections with Silicon Valley. We believe this will provide a more direct avenue to overseas venture capital markets for Geelong companies looking to access Series A+ funding. The North American market is currently streets ahead in this area, with big funds, large investments and many, many more early stage investment opportunities. We hope to help the local market bridge the gap. Access to the right investors could lead to more than $1 billion in potential funding opportunities,” Mr Stanley said.

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BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 9

BIZ NEWS

Sustainability Masterclasses for Geelong Manufacturers

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fficiency and sustainability are critical issues for today’s manufacturing businesses, and finding ways to reducing the overall spend on materials and energy of local manufacturers is behind the Greenlight Energy and Materials Masterclass Series, a free series of workshops run by the Geelong Manufacturing Council.

for previous participants. One company who took part last year found that switching to LED lighting and installing solar panels resulted in an annual saving of $113,000 and a neutral energy bill.

The workshops are conducted by one of Australia’s leading business sustainability experts, Deane Belfield from ECO2Sys, along with a team of industry experts.

“Sustainability is a key foundation of our business practices and through the Greenlight programme we’ve been able to reduce our environmental impact and create financial benefits by reducing our resource consumption by more than $30,000 per annum,” said La Madre’s Tez Kemp.

“Energy efficiency improvements can typically result in commercial gains for businesses of up to 30 per cent and beyond, with material efficiency this can be greater still,” Mr Belfield said in a statement issued by the Geelong Manufacturing Council.

“Energy prices are continuing to rise. Furthermore, many businesses don’t fully understand the risks and opportunities presented by the Federal Government’s Emission Reduction Fund.

These Masterclasses go much further than an energy audit; they will equip businesses with the understanding, knowledge and skills to find substantial energy efficiencies and understand the commercial value to be gained.”

The Masterclasses can be undertaken individually or as a whole, and the programme has already delivered some stunning results

La Madre bakery reduced its energy usage by more than 20 per cent through lighting and equipment upgrades.

“Our aim now is to be Australia’s first zero waste bakery, it will provide us with a major point of difference, help strengthen our brand and improve our triple bottom line.

The Greenlight Energy and Materials Masterclass Series is funded

by Sustainability Victoria’s Smarter Resources Smarter Business.

The first workshop was held on March 3, and local manufacturers are encouraged to participate in any or all of the remaining three workshops on Tuesday March 24, Wednesday April 15 and Wednesday April 29.

Find out more at www.geelongmanufacturingcouncil.com.au

Bay’s King Whiting Numbers on the Rise

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ecreational fishers have long bemoaned the of the decline in the Bay’s King George Whiting stocks, and while many a weekend angler has been told the bay has been all but fished out of whiting, a new survey is predicting increased catches from this summer and autumn.

Annual surveys by Fisheries Victoria scientists have shown an abundance of small juvenile whiting in seagrass beds around Port Phillip Bay. The juvenile fish take two to three years to reach legal size, leaving the bay at around four years of age to live in the coastal waters. The brief number of years the fish live in the bay is why numbers of King George whiting in the bay tend to fluctuate.

The predictions, made by Fisheries Victoria scientists, are based on annual surveys of the abundance of small juvenile whiting in seagrass beds around Port Phillip Bay. As King George whiting are only available to the bay fishery for a few years of their life, the fishery is prone to annual fluctuations, meaning regular monitoring is important.

The numbers of small juvenile whiting found in 2011 and 2012

surveys showed the stocks had come back to the average, and in the 2013 survey, scientists measured the third highest numbers recorded since the surveys began back in 1998. The juvenile whiting surveyed in 2011 will be reaching legal catch sizes this year, while the high numbers of juveniles found in the 2013 survey will reach legal catch sizes in 2017.

A research collaboration between Fisheries Victoria, Deakin University, the University of Melbourne and the South Australian Research and Development Corporation is investigating the links between whiting spawning in South Australia and the supply of juvenile fish to Victorian bay waters, and research is continuing to better understand the species and sustainably manage the fishery.

There is a daily bag limit of 20 King George whiting per person and the legal minimum size is 27cm.

Minister for Agriculture, Jaala Pulford, said the Victorian Government is committing to boosting fish stocks, investing in fishing and boating facilities and increasing the number of recreational fishers in Victoria to one million by 2020.

BUSINESS NEWS | 10

PORT NEWS

Cyber-smart shipping

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omputer simulation programs are triggering real-life improvements as the Victorian Regional Channels Authority draws on sophisticated cyber technology to help plan a strong future for Geelong’s thriving port.

Using a Full Mission Bridge simulator, they successfully `piloted’ vessels measuring up to 280 metres long into Geelong’s port, safely round a newly-widened city bend and into berth at Refinery Pier and Lascelles Wharf during this year’s latest round of tests.

VRCA chief executive officer, Captain Peter McGovern, said the high-tech tools have played a part in major port upgrades, including last year’s $9 million Geelong dredging program. And he’s adamant they give port planners valuable lead-time to prepare for coming challenges in the maritime industry.

``The simulation program helped pave the way to last year’s dredging program, when regular tests showed these large ships of the future would struggle to navigate City Bend safely,’’ Captain McGovern said.

``Computer simulation programs - both at VRCA headquarters in Geelong and at Smartship Australia in Brisbane - are so important when it comes to looking into the future of Geelong’s port,’’ Captain McGovern said. ``Safety, efficiency and productivity are the key words to keeping this vital port competitive. The technology allows us to constantly test those factors in the face of bigger ships, increasing trade and new commodities, pinpoint necessary upgrades and then carry them out.’’

The authority, responsible for managing shipping lanes into and within Corio Bay, is already planning a new round of upgrades to the channel network near Refinery Pier and Lascelles Wharf to ensure it remains safe for the next generation of longer and wider ships.

The latest proposal follows the successful multi-million dollar dredging program that improved safety at the channel network’s City Bend and boosted the productivity of Corio Quay North Number 4 Berth by deepening it.

The port owners are also planning a major new berth upgrade at Lascelles Wharf to relieve congestion on the wharf’s three existing berths.

Harbour Master, Captain Dilip Abraham, and Port Phillip Sea Pilots use Smartship Australia’s world-class ship simulators to test both the port berths and the shipping lanes’ capacity to handle bigger ships set to regularly call at Geelong over the next few years.

``With ship owners turning to bigger ships to achieve economies of scale, it’s imperative our port infrastructure can handle these big visitors when they arrive. The 2014 City Bend work was part of that continual upgrade to keep the port’s competitive edge.’’

The VRCA’s computer simulation program Planimate is another cutting-edge tool the authority draws on to help prepare the port for a projected doubling of trade by 2030.

The authority uses the interactive development tool to test channel capacity and existing infrastructure’s ability to cope with increases in ship size and trade. ``It allows us to do sophisticated logistic modelling, which includes the movements of ships, traffic on land and cargo to and from the port,’’ Captain McGovern said. ``We can test how the port’s infrastructure will cope with half a million tonnes of a new commodity, model the number of ships needed to transport that cargo, the time they’d need alongside the berth and the supporting road and rail transport the new trade would trigger.’’

Captain McGovern said computer simulation programs paint realistic scenarios that allow the VRCA, port owners and users to carefully plan and carry out major infrastructure boosts at the port. ``It’s imperative this port can continue to embrace new trade and vessels. This technology is definitely helping us keep the port in a great position to capitalise on future opportunities,’’ he says.

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NEW APPOINTMENTS

Medicine

Frank Conte recently joined Insight Engineering as a Senior Electrical Engineer. Frank has extended his skillset into many areas including Lean, Six Sigma, Training, Functional Safety, Process Control and has Chartered Status with Engineers Australia. Frank has 30+ years’ experience in Electrical and Automation Design, having initially completed a Cadetship at Alcoa Point Henry in the 1980’s. Frank’s dedication and skill has made him a valuable member of the team.

Engineering

Professor David Watters, Professor of Surgery at Deakin University and Director of Surgery at University Hospital Geelong, has been elected the next President of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Professor Watters, a General Surgeon with special interests in endocrine, emergency and colorectal surgery, will become President of the College on 7 May, having served as the College’s Vice President since May 2014 and a Councillor since 2007.

His previous appointments include ten years as Professor of Surgery at the University of Melbourne, based in Geelong, eight years as Professor of Surgery at the University of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby, a sabbatical year at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 1991, six years as Senior Lecturer at the University of Zambia and senior registrar at the King Edward VIII and McCord Zulu hospitals in Durban, South Africa.

Professor Watters acknowledged the work of his predecessor, Professor Michael Grigg, and has undertaken to continue his strong advocacy efforts around important issues such as alcohol-related harm, tobacco, and excessive fees.

“Externally, the biggest challenge facing surgeons and surgery in Australia and New Zealand is the ongoing reform and sustainability of the health system. The College is determined to work closely with all governments to get this reform process right and ensure that it leads to a sustainable and safe health sector.”

FINANCe

Tax Advisory

Maddison Rogers joined the Morgans Geelong team in 2014 as a Private Client Adviser after working with ANZ Financial Planning on the Sunshine Coast. Maddison specialises in investment and strategic planning within SMSFs and assists clients to proactively manage their wealth. He is a welcome addition to the growing Geelong team.

Geelong resident Brad Ivens has joined Crowe Horwath after working in Melbourne for 17 years in the Tax Divisions at Ernst & Young and KPMG. Brad’s broad experience includes working with listed multinational organisations through to SMEs and family groups, helping clients on all of their business and personal tax affairs.

TRAINING

LEGAL

Welcome Melissa Shell AGB’s newest Account Manager.

Melissa brings with her a wealth of customer service experience, she has previously worked in a variety of roles in the Financial Services & Mortgage Broking industries. Melissa is excited to undertake the challenges of the new role and learn more about further education and training.

Lisa Williamson recently joined Coulter Roache as a Senior Lawyer in the Property & Development department. She can assist with commercial leasing, acquisitions, divestments and developments.

Lisa has previously worked as a Corporate Lawyer in the Wesfarmers Group and holds a Bachelor of Law/Arts from Deakin University.

BUSINESS NEWS | 12

INSIDE WORD New partnership to develop NDIS The Committee for Geelong has announced a formal partnership with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) to provide feedback on development of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) over the next two years. The Committee says it will work with the NDIA to design, develop and administer an independent, participant-led feedback mechanism for the NDIS. The key goal of the program will be to build a sustainable base of participant led analysis, ideas and feedback about how to make the Scheme work in an optimal way.

Committee CEO, Rebecca Casson said the CfG is delighted to be working directly with the NDIA on the new feedback program. Ms Casson said it was the accomplishments of the Committee’s LEAD (Leading, Educating, Advocating for Disability) Barwon program, delivered in partnership with the Victorian State Government in 2013-14, which led to the new partnership agreement with the NDIA. David Bowen, CEO of the NDIA said, “LEAD Barwon was the first leadership program in Australia specifically designed to provide feedback on the NDIS. We are now looking forward to working in partnership with the CfG on a program that will help to further shape the NDIS into the future.

“By strengthening the voice of participants and building a strong and active platform for regular input about the operation and objectives of the Scheme, I am confident that the program will be valuable not only for the NDIA but for businesses and the community more generally in their interactions with the Scheme.

This will mean that we then have a model that we can look to replicate across other areas of Australia,” Mr Bowen said.

If would like to know more about the project, or know of a person with a disability, a carer or family member who may be interested, please contact Juliet Williams on 52278591, or email juliet. williams@committeeforgeelong.com.au

Our Town’s ICE Fight brings Tradie App to the battle Work has progressed since the successful “Our Town’s ICE Fight” IDEAS Summit held mid last year and DECLARATION DAY held on November 14 2014.

The Tradie App, developed specifically for, and fully funded by the building and construction industry from an idea put forward at the summit, offers a workplace induction with a focus on raising awareness of the risks of ICE at a key time when new employees are being welcomed into workplaces.

Our Town’s ICE Fight Project Manager, Anthony Francis, said the app delivers a ground breaking change to the way that education and safety training is delivered with regards to ICE within the building and construction industry.

“It’s positive to see such strong industry support from the Greater Geelong region, including construction companies, builders, MBA, Unions and ADF.” “This is the first stage of addressing the ICE issue in our regional community,” Anthony added. “To make a real change we need to have a strong influence in key industries, and this is one example of doing just that.”

The App was launched on February 25 and will be trialled in Geelong and rolled out statewide before going national.

For more information, go to Facebook: ourtownsicefight or www.icefight.com.au

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BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 13

FEATURE

The $249 Billion Cost of Following the Rules

“Hell, there are no rules here … we’re trying to accomplish something.”

– Thomas Edison, inventor and founder of General Electric Last year in Business News, we published a series of articles looking at the opportunities for businesses in the Geelong region around the five biggest growth sectors as identified by Deloitte Access Economics. Deloitte returned to Geelong earlier this year to present the fourth edition of the “Building the Lucky Country” series with a timely message: it’s one thing to know where the opportunities are, but if we want to remain the lucky country, we need to get out of our own way and reduce the enormous weight of the compliance burden.

In the “Get Out of Your Own Way: Unleashing Productivity” report, Deloitte points out that Australia has become a nation of micromanagers. There are rules everywhere at work – from who can order the stapler refills to when you can eat lunch. Dot the I’s and cross the T’s, just make sure you do it in exactly the right way, get it signed off by multiple departments, and don’t even consider changing from blue to black pen… Sound familiar?

Deloitte conservatively estimates that across Australia, the real annual cost of rules is in the order of $249 billion. There are more people working in compliance today than there are in construction, manufacturing and education. In fact, more than a million people

are working in compliance in the public sector in Australia; we are pedalling fast but getting nowhere.

And, before you say it, because we are all thinking it, it’s not all due to government-imposed rules. As we’ve seen with the introduction of Repeal Day, at least governments are aware they need to be cutting back on the sheer number of rules they impose and the need to get on with it.

After finding there was no data anywhere in the world that identifies the costs to corporates, and therefore to the national economy, of self-imposed red tape, Deloitte undertook that research here in Australia. Astoundingly, they found that the cost of administering and complying with self-imposed rules in the private sector is roughly double that of complying with those set by public bodies. Business growth is being crushed under the sheer weight of compliance.

In a statement outlining Deloitte’s response to the business’ own dumb rules, Gerhard Vorster, Deloitte’s Chief Strategy Officer and Building the Lucky Country series co-author, observed that: “Bureaucracy isn’t solely something that governments can do better – we all can. Remember when you actually used to be able

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FEATURE

to do work when you were at work? The pay offs to better rules have the potential to be a big driver of gains in productivity, as well as our living standards. Individual businesses need to unlock the profit potential they’ve tied up in their own red tape.”

not a cheap country to live, so we need to be seriously looking at being smarter about how we do things or risk seeing our pretty good standards of living drop away.

Deloitte instituted a ‘Dumbest Things’ internal program, asking employees to identify the kinds of ‘dumb rules’ that were getting in the way of them doing their job, or that were holding them back from finding better ways of working.

The prosperity equation required to build Australia is pretty simple according to former CEO of Deloitte Australia, Deloitte CEO, Giam Swiegers, who wrote in the report’s introduction, “either we get a bigger share of Australia’s population working, or we help our workers become more productive.”

“Every few years over the past decade we ask our people, ‘what are the dumb things we do? What is stopping you doing your job?’ And each time we identify a disappointing level of unnecessary rules, which we have to remove,” Vorster said. “We only did this recently, for the fourth time, and still we are finding rules that slow us down.

Australians, in general, and governments and large-scale business and organisations in particular, have a habit of thoroughly abusing the word productivity, dragging it out of its appropriate usage and slapping it in for everything from job cuts, as in the ubiquitous productivity review, to justifying longer working hours.

“For us, our Dumbest Things Campaign is the beginning of a purposeful and programmatic unleashing of productivity across the organisation. It’s about actively reminding all our people that innovation comes from building a culture that focuses on what must go right, not what could go wrong.”

Economically, productivity refers to what you get out - typically money and/or products, sometimes services - for what you put in, or output per unit of labour.

Hosted by the Committee for Geelong and presented to Committee members, Stuart Rodger, Ian Trevorah and Matt Pieroni from Deloitte shared many of the insights from the report with local business owners and executives.

This is just eight of the thousands of dumb rules Deloitte have come across and are sharing as they tour the country with the Unleashing Productivity presentation: • The small taxi fares that have to await approval from the weekly executive team meeting.

• The firm that rejects application forms from potential customers if they are completed in blue ink.

• The firm that made engineers sign off on new parts at a fixed location, making them walk 15 kms a day.

• The rules that made staff record every guest coffee made, but let them order as much alcohol as they like.

• The firm that made staff do an ergonomic checklist when moving desks, then introduced ‘hot desking’.

• The global HQ that told a newly acquired Australian subsidiary that it couldn’t put an Excel spreadsheet on its website, even though the new subsidiary’s line of business was selling data in Excel format to its clients.

• The public servant who needed two approvals to spend $20 on marshmallows for a workshop.

• The senior public servant in Sydney who needed the approval of his departmental head to travel to Parramatta as it was deemed to be outside the ‘city limits’.

As the founder of General Electric and the inventor of, among around 1900 other things, the light bulb and the phonograph, Thomas Edison is quoted as saying, “Hell, there are no rules here … we’re trying to accomplish something.”

And Australia has much to accomplish. The Baby Boomers are retiring and the workplace participation rate is falling. Australia is

Businesses, organisations and public sector departments across the nation are part of the great national quest for productivity.

According to Deloitte, our biggest untapped source of productivity is, well, us.

Every week, across the nation, middle managers and senior executives are spending an average of 8.9 hours a week complying with rules that businesses and organisations have imposed on themselves, while other staff are spending around 6.4 hours every week. If Edison had done that, would he have invented the light bulb? It’s hard not to wonder what isn’t getting done, or thought of, or created while so many of us are so busy abiding by the rules.

Co-author of the report and Deloitte Access Economics partner, Chris Richardson, said at the time of the report’s launch, “Unless and until we address this choking cost, it will be hard for Australia to be truly ‘open for business.’

“To be clear, rules and regulations are vitally necessary. They cement the key foundations of our society, protecting the rule of law and a wealth of standards in everything from health to safety and the environment. And they can help businesses to reduce risk and plan for the future.

“However, a decade of prosperity has seen Australia’s policymakers ‘reach for a rule’, often without weighing the costs and benefits of doing so, and the cost of government rules has risen since the last time the Productivity Commission added them up.”

Risk avoidance and fear of risk is stifling innovation and entrepreneurship, with our national obsession with rules dating back to the 1990s and the microeconomic reforms of the Hawke, Keating and Howard governments.

So, where are all these rules coming from today? According to the report, IT departments are the biggest imposers of rules, followed by legal and marketing departments, finance and human resources. And while no rules, as advocated by Edison, isn’t really practical, we need to be questioning how much of the rules burden is actually necessary? Deloitte estimates that 23 per cent of rules are of low or no value. Time to pull out the scissors …

DAVINA MONTGOMERY BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 15

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COVER STORY

G

w or

Stepping Outside the Welfare Model on Unemployment

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COVER STORY

A

s a city and as a nation we’ve been hit by slogans in response to issues so often, and seen real results come from sloganeering campaigns so rarely, that they move from splash to trash with the click of a button or the swish of paper.

So it came as a pleasant surprise, bordering on relief, to hear about the early development of a multi-sector response to longterm and place-based unemployment across the Geelong region.

GROW, or G21 Region Opportunities for Work, is a joint initiative between Give Where You Live and G21, and I was invited to meet those behind the launch of the project, including Give Where You Live CEO, Bill Mithen, and G21 CEO, Elaine Carbines.

Both organisations were looking at what is known as a collective impact approach to addressing disadvantage – which basically means recognizing that to meaningfully address a complex issue, it takes approaches from many angles. And when they realised they were both looking along the same lines, it made sense to work together.

The G21 board had put together a taskforce including the CEOs of the local governments in Geelong, Queenscliff and Colac, as well as Jane den Hollander, Vice-Chancellor of Deakin University; Colin Carter, President of the Cats; Dr Bernie Jenner, paediatrician and the founder of Gateways Support Services and Hope Bereavement Care; and Avalon Airport CEO, Justin Giddings. But this couldn’t be just another top-down project, The issue on the ground is unemployment, and long-term persistent unemployment at incredibly high levels in some areas.

Geelong currently has an unemployment rate of 7.4 per cent.

That’s significantly higher than the Australian average, which is 6.2 per cent, and the Victorian average at 6.45 per cent.

“We know that’s the average, but when we look at certain suburbs and townships, it’s much higher. When we look at Whittington, at Colac, at Corio/Norlane, unemployment can be up over 20 per cent,” Ms Carbines said.

Other areas with high unemployment that the project will be targeting include Thomson, central and east Colac, Bell Park, parts of St Leonards, Winchelsea, Breakwater, Newcomb and Dereel and Meredith in Central West Golden Plains Shire.

Widespread unemployment in a local community can have a devastating impact. If you look around you and so many of the people you know can’t get a job and don’t know how to go about getting a job, that’s bad enough. Then you hear the rhetoric, the thoughtless speeches that tell you that apparently you don’t want to get a job – that you are disadvantaged, not a person with ideas and skills and aspirations, but a person who lacks advantage.

That collective sense of helplessness is hard to find a pathway out of.

As Bill Mithen, CEO of Give Where You Live, pointed out, there is a large body of evidence and the research that says that one of the best, if not the best way out of a situation of disadvantage is to find employment.

“The issue for GROW is place-based joblessnes, but it’s not the typical unemployment issue that we often hear about in Geelong around unemployment. The typical issue is that with the closing of the manufacturing base all these people are going to become unemployed, and what are we going to do about it?

That clearly is an issue that needs to be addressed, and there are

lots of programs that do that, as there should be. It’s a massive transformation that the local economy is undergoing. But, the underlying issue for us is the 20 per cent unemployment in the targeted areas of GROW that has existed for years, for decades.”

At it’s heart, GROW is trying to change the fabric of an area. It’s a big task; in fact, it’s huge. But what’s different about this project is that is uses an economic model, rather than a welfare model.

“The welfare model has been tried for decades and, while it helps individuals and individual organisations and small cohorts, it doesn’t change the big picture, it doesn’t create systemic change,” Mr Mithen said.

“Another thing that’s worth mentioning is that there’s a growing body of evidence coming out of the OECD and the United Nations that inequality will drag down the whole community. To break that inequality or to reduce that level of inequality actually encourages economic activity across the whole community. So, if you like, the haves have more and the have-nots start to have something as well. There’s a strong economic argument to do this.”

Sarah Leach, G21 Health and Wellbeing Director, said that it doesn’t work to simply take a bottom-up approach when you are looking at ways of changing systemic disadvantage in an area or a community.

“There are a number of ways we have to address these kinds of systemic, multi-factoral issues. It’s the wicked problem issue – they are complex problems and they need some complex solutions to address them.”

Some of those issues that recur in areas of significant placebased disadvantage include joblessness and higher youth unemployment, lower levels of education and skills, low income retirees, low English proficiency, higher rates of single parent families. The name of the program, GROW, is an apt one, because to make any kind of lasting difference to systemic, generational disadvantage you have to grow a lot of things; you have to grow confidence in people, to grow hope, to grow skills, to grow capacity, to grow opportunities, to grow entrepreneurialism, to grow understanding both from without and from within the area, and to grow on the strengths that are already there.

“While I guess developed by G21 and Give Where You Live, the strength of the project will be in how many other organisations connect to it and how we can allow and enable other organisations to connect to it,” Mr Mithen said. “At the end of the day, no one owns this project, it’s a regional project and the issue is everyone’s business.”

Some of the region’s largest employers, like Barwon Health, Deakin, Barwon Water, the Cotton On Group, BDH Constructions and the five municipalities of the region have put their hand up to be part of the project, as have businesses of all sizes, including many small employers with only a couple of employees.

One of the things this project really needs is time, time to develop, to bring all the data, the research and the people together, and time to let programs develop fully. Give Where You Live is, at present, the major funder of the project and has committed to ten years of funding. But this is a job for many hands, and many sources of funding, and it’s hoped that some of those funding sources will start to roll into the project and commandeer the title

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 19

of major funder.

“To be able to say to businesses and the community that a philanthropic organisation like Give Where You Live has committed to ten years of funding is so significant, everyone is just blown away by that, and it’s fantastic for us to be able to say that it is a longterm solution that is required and that these are longterm partners who are really committed,” Ms Leach said.

The Alcoa Foundation has been a major early supporter of the project, donating US$300,000 and this early support may prove invaluable to the long-term success of the project.

“The Alcoa Foundation came to us and were very excited about the GROW project. They were saying that if Alcoa can leave a legacy payment that ultimately leaves a legacy of systems change for a community or communities, then that’s probably the best thing that they could possibly do,” Mr Mithen said.

On Give Where You Live’s ten-year commitment, he said that you can’t even begin to tackle a forty-year problem with a 12-month program.

“Maybe even ten years won’t be long enough, but it can make a solid start. Our challenge will be to convince government that an equal length of time is required. Governments typically work in [election] cycles, so that’s going to be a challenge.”

There are many reasons why it makes sense to run a program like this in Geelong. The city has areas of high long-term unemployment and high youth unemployment, but it also has a strong history of businesses and community organisations working well together. The city has a very strong history of philanthropy, not just amongst its wealthiest citizens, but amongst the wider community. And a less obvious, but important factor when seeking government funding, is that the Geelong region is a good statistical representation of the wider Australian population. Being able to measure and study the impact of this economic approach to addressing systemic disadvantage over a significant period like a decade is a valuable opportunity for governments at all levels.

The conversations around sustainability in the welfare system and the need for structural change in the national budget are firmly on the agenda. Last year’s Federal Budget failed to win over the Senate and the public, largely because it was seen as failing the fairness test. The GROW project provides a different approach that should have Canberra and Spring Street paying attention.

It is a model that puts economic return and sustainability at its centre and people at its heart. Imagine if Joe Hockey had made announcements like that last May… The current Centrelink model that is far more stick than carrot, it pushes people classified as long-term unemployed into training programs they don’t necessarily want to do, often repeatedly, in the hope that it may, at some point, lead to a job. It is an exorbitantly expensive system that simply hasn’t been effective in addressing long-term unemployment. It can’t be an easy system to work in and the system isn’t made any easier by being asked to almost continually respond and react to political shifts. There is an enormous weight of bureaucracy within the Centrelink system

and it weighs heavily on all of us, but it is the most disadvantaged among us that bear the greatest share of the burden.

The idea behind GROW is to come at the issue from a different direction; to connect employers looking for new staff with people from the target areas who want a sustainable, secure job, but who haven’t been able to find one.

“This is building upon the fabulous work that’s been done at Northern Futures and Whittington Works and the Colac Community Hub, so it’s actually looking at making what they do on a small scale systematic across the whole region.There’s some really interesting examples already taking place in the region, like the New Norlane project. The former state government invested multi-millions of dollars in this housing project, demolishing very outdated former public housing and replacing them with new homes, some of them for public housing and some of them for private sale. As part of the contracts that the former government signed with construction companies in the Geelong region, those companies had to commit to offering a certain number of apprenticeships to people who live in the 3214 post code.

“That’s a really interesting idea, where they are providing targeted opportunities through new investment in the region for people who wouldn’t have had those opportunities before. The TAC offers traineeships to people who come from post codes with relatively high levels of disadvantage. One of my staff members has done that traineeship. And then Cotton On, working with Northern Futures, has a certain cohort of its staff profile that comes from the 3214 post code.”

She said that from the perspective of G21, the GROW program came out of ‘disillusionment with the lack of investment and opportunities in the most disadvantaged areas in our region from state and federal governments over successive elections.’

“We always see investment targeted at marginal seats and, of course, Corio and Norlane are not in marginal seats. There was one particular year when there was a state and federal election where nothing was promised at all... We can’t just rely on governments to address this issue, and if we do just wait then it’s never going to happen. So, we started to think about other ways of addressing the issue and is there a different way that we can look at this that could involve all sectors of the community.

That’s where the involvement of philanthropy, particularly the involvement of Give Where You Live, and the private sector has been so important; and then the state government came on board with a grant through Regional Development Victoria to prepare the business case.”

The business case for the GROW program is expected to be released in April and the inside word is that it makes for compelling reading.

For Give Where You Live, which celebrated its 60th Anniversary in December last year, the organisation’s underlying mission has been to address disadvantage.

“From Give Where You Live’s perspective, we’ve seen the investment in these areas. There’s been philanthropic investment, there’s private investment, there’s community services sector investment and there’s certainly been a huge amount invested by governments in terms of social security payments. That’s just the money, then there’s the time and effort and human capital that’s all gone in and yet the dial isn’t shifting; in fact, in some places it’s going backwards.

“We ask all of our grant applicants to nominate post codes, and

BUSINESS NEWS | 20

COVER STORY last year 94 per cent of applicants nominated 3214 as an area they are going to be working in. That’s a lot of effort going in for little discernible systemic return. So, we started looking at collective impact models because we thought that we needed to do things differently. The system is broken. It’s not that the work that is currently being undertaken is bad, it’s far from it, it’s really good, but if the dial isn’t shifting overall then we have to look at how we can change.”

Part of that conversation is being based around what the people at the centre of all this focus actually have: their skills, experiences, interests and ideas, rather than simply focusing on what they don’t have, and doing that on a large scale rather than in small pockets or small, disconnected programs.

But, as we know, earnest conversations and good intentions are where it starts, but they aren’t what gets the job done, and I was particularly interested to hear what this project was proposing to do when so many other projects have failed to deliver real change in the past.

There are three main components of GROW: social procurement, demand-led employment brokerage and impact investing. Social procurement, Mr Mithen said, is essentially asking the question of how can we shift the procurement of goods and services by larger organisations in the region to suppliers that are going to give opportunities for work to people from our targeted areas?

“It’s about saying that this is how we do things here in Geelong.

We want new business, we want new investment, and we would like those opportunities for work to go right across the region,” he said.

“The second thing that we hope will create opportunities is impact investing. Impact investing has been around for a little while, and essentially is saying that if we are going to put money into something, we want a social return and a financial return.

We might take a little hit on the financial return because we are looking for that social return of opportunities for work for people living in the targeted areas”

That means making sure people are not just well trained, but trained in the right areas and ready for work.

“Employment opportunities have to come from the demand side, not the supply side. So it’s not the potential employees saying, ‘I want a job in …’, it’s the demand side, the employers, telling us the areas in which they have jobs and are willing to make those jobs available, and what they need in terms of training and skills.

“When this was designed, it became very clear that none of these things work in isolation. You can’t just create an opportunity and just present it as, ‘Here’s an opportunity’. People need to be ready to not only take that opportunity, but to make it work.

We’ve had good programs, good people and good opportunities, but they’ve all been happening in isolation,” Mr Mithen said.

The beginning of the GROW project feels a lot like the early development of the Northern Futures program that began with a similarly wide-reaching goal, that of addressing disadvantage in Geelong’s northern suburbs. The GROW project is currently one of 11 shortlisted projects in ‘The Search’, a national competition run by the Centre for Social Impact that will award $1 million in assistance to the winning project.

This is what happens when you get good people from the wider community talking to good people within an affected community about what will actual work on the ground, and then go about getting it done together. It seems like a simple approach, and makes you wonder why we don’t use it more on all sorts of issues.

Just imagine a Geelong with unemployment at 4 or 3 per cent unemployment across the board …

To find out more or to become involved in GROW, visit the website at www.grow.g21.com.au

As Ms Leach pointed out, the long-term rates of return from impact investing is equal to, and can exceed, those of private investment.

“It’s like a super fund,” Mr Mithen said. “You have a whole lot of investors putting into that fund, and that fund then going and seeking investments that will provide a social and an economic return.

Bridges Ventures in the UK is probably the most successful impact investment program running today. Founded in 2002, the fund has had some stunning successes in changing the future of people and communities previously boxed into longterm welfare programs. Bridges provides financial backing for businesses that provides jobs in areas with high unemployment, they build environmentally-friendly care homes for the elderly and provide flexible financing for projects with a clear social return – like the creation of innovative community transport models.

And they fund entrepreneurialism in communities that have high unemployment, funding start-ups from new clothing labels to one of the fastest-growing companies in the UK, The Gym Group.

Demand-led brokerage is a means of tying opportunities together with the people GROW wants to see take advantage of them.

Davina Montgomery BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 21

ACCOUNTING

The clock is ticking on the tax reform White Paper – but why should you care?

O

Brad Ivens Principal - Tax Advisory Crowe Horwath

ver-reliance on high personal and business income tax rates… complex concessions and exemptions… bracket creep… inflexible GST arrangements… inefficient smaller taxes…

I could go on, but we’re talking about the exciting subject of tax reform!

number of tax issues that distort economic activity and may adversely affect outcomes in the financial system. Broadly, they included:

With the decline of the traditional manufacturing sector, the tapering of the resources boom, and the looming mass retirement of the baby boomer generation, it is a critical time for the Government to develop and implement the right tax framework to support Australia’s future prosperity.

• The CGT discount / concessions; and

In August 2013, the Coalition’s Policy for Small Business included the pledge that: “…within 2 years of the election of a Coalition Government, we will publish a comprehensive White Paper on tax reform.

We will take proposals from that paper to a subsequent election, but rule out any increase to the GST.”

This information is provided under Crowe Horwath Financial Advice Pty Ltd AFSL 238244 and does not in any way constitute advice as each individual investors situation is different.

Advice should be tailored and sought from professionally qualified, experienced financial experts before any action is taken.

• Taxes on superannuation contributions and earnings • Negative gearing • Dividend imputation The Board of Taxation’s August 2014 “Review of tax impediments facing small business” report also highlighted the urgent need to address fundamental issues in the tax system, including aligning tax treatments across business structures or entity types, and the related taxation of trusts.

The Government’s response was that this report: “…will be an important input to the Government’s broader considerations on small business taxation and is particularly timely ahead of the Government’s release of the Tax White Paper.”

It was a welcome announcement, given the prevailing view that there was much unfinished business to fix the tax system after the former Government’s somewhat underwhelming response to the 138 recommendations of the Henry Tax Review in 2009/10.

More controversially, Justice Richard Edmonds of the Federal Court recently called for the tax reform process to bring everything to the table, including sacred cows such as the main residence CGT exemption, the CGT discount, negative gearing and superannuation concessions.

Unfortunately, with nine months until the revised target date for the Tax White Paper’s release before the end of 2015, that initial optimism is increasingly being replaced by scepticism as to the paper’s breadth and also to its ultimate prospects of being meaningfully implemented.

The Government’s course of action on tax reform from here will be compelling viewing, given the current political environment in which a second term in office cannot be presumed.

The case for the Tax White Paper, nonetheless, remains stronger than ever.

Last month, the OECD commented in its “Economic Policy Reforms 2015: Going for Growth” report that Australia’s productivity gains over the past decade have been weak despite growth in household incomes, and noted that improving the efficiency of the tax system was a key priority, with a recommendation to: “…reduce the corporate tax rate as part of a wider reform that also envisages raising the currently low rate of goods and services tax (GST) and/or widening the base.”

The Final Report of the Financial System Inquiry (FSI) in December 2014 identified a

BUSINESS NEWS | 22

The overdue tax discussion paper to formally commence the White Paper process is expected shortly (indeed it may have been released by the time of publication - please refer to our website for further details), and will provide an indication of the Government’s appetite towards reform both generally and in politically sensitive areas such as the GST and also superannuation tax concessions.

All business operators should take an active interest in these developments, and your tax advisors can help you understand what any reforms might mean for your personal and business tax affairs in the short and longer term, so that you can either participate in the upcoming consultation process, or ensure that you are prepared for any changes.

FINANCE

That Big B Word

I

n today’s modern world, we are inundated with increasing levels of business and life pressures that make us question our work-life balance.

Both sides of the work life balance scales are actually positive, but if too much weight is placed on either side the scales will topple and something that is intended to be positive can end up being detrimental.

MARTIN CARTER, BUSINESS MANAGER, MORRIS FINANCE

At Morris Finance we believe that by following nine simplistic steps you can create that perfect balance of your life scales:

l believe balance means having control of the three critical elements of time in your life business time, family time, and me time - and being physically and mentally present when working and playing.

• Acknowledge -Take some time to really look at your life, your state of mind, and how you’re feeling. Be honest with yourself and notice the areas of your life that you’re neglecting.

• Examine - Notice if you’re leaning more toward an internal or external focus, or if there are areas within each category that you would like to be more balanced.

• Set Goals - Make a list of the desired specific, measurable, achievable and agreeable, results-driven and time-framed goals that will create the equilibrium.

• Keep a To-Do-List – Plan and update daily, weekly and monthly to-do lists, incorporating business and personal tasks.

Consider what have you tried in the past, did it work, if so why and if not, why not, and how can l do it differently?

• Reflect - What is the most important thing you’ve accomplished in the past? How did

Q: Who provides business finance solutions to cater for your growth?

A: Morris Finance, call Abby, Fiona or Stephanie, because finance is our business.

you stay focused toward this goal? How did you handle your fears, doubts, anxieties, worries, and negative self-talk? How does it feel to know that you accomplished the goal in spite of these parts of yourself?

• Prepare - What is your inner “stuff” that will try to keep you from sticking to your plan?

Can you specify the things you will say to yourself to push you back on track should you stray?

• Empower - What do you need to remember in those times? What are things you can say to that self-sabotaging part of yourself? Be kind to yourself, as balance won’t feel good if you’re cruel to yourself in creating it!

• Connect - Is there a person or a tactic you can use to keep yourself supported, motivated, and focused in those hard times? We recommend connecting and sharing your inner process with someone.

Find someone who can help you challenge your inner demons, and celebrate your little accomplishments.

• Plan - Just like accomplishing any goal in life, it takes time and effort to overcome your habitual patterns and create new ones.

Until next month, onwards and upwards in finding that true balance between business, family and that “me” party you were preparing for.

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.

Abby Davis

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

TM

WINNER

Family Business of the Year

Fiona Trotter

1300 4 MORRIS www.morrisfinance.com.au

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 23

Stephanie Witcombe

Matching businesses with the best people is our specialty and our passion.

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trainees apprentices recruitment outplacement human resources Call us today to find out how we can help with your recruitment.

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LEGAL

Redundancy

A

s businesses face tough times, redundancy has frequently occupied the headlines. Businesses considering hiring or making employees redundant should be clear on what redundancy entitlements will be payable.

Benjamin Capill Lawyer Litigation & Dispute Resolution Martin Reid Principal and Head of Litigation & Dispute Resolution

Depending on the employment arrangements in place, businesses may have redundancy pay obligations under the National Employment Standards (NES) established by the Fair Work Act 2009, under a modern award, under an enterprise agreement and possibly under an individual employment contract.

The NES entitles an employee to redundancy pay if the employer terminates their employment because it no longer requires the job to be done by anyone, or because the employer becomes insolvent or bankrupt.

There are a number of exceptions, including the well-known exceptions relating to the employee’s length of service and the size of the business. A more obscure exception applies where the employee’s position is terminated due to the “ordinary and customary turnover of labour”. This includes terminations related to the employee’s performance and (at least in some cases) the employer’s loss of a major contract.

However employers should be aware that the exceptions in the NES will not necessarily apply if an award, enterprise agreement or employment contract expands an employee’s redundancy entitlements.

In the recent case of CFMEU, CEPU and AMWU v Spotless Facility Services Pty Ltd [2015] FWCFB 1162, Spotless terminated 78 employees after it failed to obtain a new contract with the Department of Defence. The employees were covered by an enterprise agreement, which entitled them to redundancy pay if their employment was terminated due to “redundancy”, but the agreement contained no further specifics. The unions argued that as the agreement contained no exceptions, the employees were entitled to redundancy pay. Spotless argued that redundancy pay was payable under the agreement in the same circumstances as it would be payable under the NES, and therefore included the exception for turnover of labour. The Full Bench of the Fair Work Commission decided that the agreement did not contain the limitations in the NES and, therefore, the exception for turnover of labour did not apply.

The case serves as a warning that employers should not presume that the NES defines redundancy pay entitlements for all purposes. As in all respects, the NES sets minimum standards but other employment arrangements may create more generous employee entitlements.

Consequently, employers should consider in what circumstances they will be liable for redundancy pay both when negotiating agreements with new employees and when planning redundancies.

Coulter Roache.

Understanding you.

We needed someone who understands workplace law

Talk to us today about how our experienced workplace relations team can assist your business. Our services include a variety of workplace solutions such as employment agreements, unfair dismissal and industrial disputes.

Angelo Lauricella - Timbertruss

T 03 5273 5273 coulterroache.com.au

BUSINESS NEWS | 26

GOVERNANCE

The foundations of good governance

“S

ystems and structures can provide an environment conducive to good corporate governance practices, but at the end of the day, it is the acts or omissions of people charged with relevant responsibilities that will determine whatever governance objectives are in fact achieved.”

(HIH Royal Commission, 2003) This article will be the first of a series of five that will explore the foundations of good governance. Whilst the above statement was made by the Royal Commissioners that presided over the investigation into the collapse of HIH Insurance Group in 2003, the opinion offered then is just as relevant and pertinent today as it was twelve years ago. Furthermore, this statement sets the scene for a discussion on what comprises best practice when it comes to the two key components of good governance, namely systems and structures and culture. This article will provide an overview of our thinking of what constitutes best practice and then follow up over the next three months with a more detailed narrative of each component.

Setting the scene The application of good governance practices is a matter of depth, not width. Irrespective of the type of organisation (nonprofit, for profit), size (ASX listed or community organisation) or sector, the governors of all organisations have the same duties and responsibilities – the only differentiator is the depth of that responsibility. This was first acknowledged in our legal system when the trial judge, Justice Tadgell, in the case of The National Safety Council in 1991, stated: “ there is nothing in the Code (now the Corporations Act) to suggest that the standard to be expected of a part-time non-executive director of a company not for profit is different from the standard expected of any other director of a profit-making company; both are required … to exercise a reasonable degree of care and diligence in the exercise of their powers and the discharge of their duties.” Nothing has happened since to diminish this statement, rather the responsibilities have generally become more onerous as a result of both common law decisions and an increase in legislation and regulations.

Systems and structures The following key elements of Systems and Structures are fundamental to good governance and if Boards diligently and systematically address each of these, then they will be able to demonstrate that they have acted in good faith and in the best interests of their organisation. The components are:

The strategic plan: Where are we going, how we will get there and how will we know if we are on track to achieving our goals?

What makes our business unique and how will we sustain our business model over the long term? The establishment of these expectations is critical to the successful leadership and management of all organisations and the board must play a role in this process.

The risk management plan: What is our appetite for risk, what is the likelihood of adverse events occurring and what is the likely impact on the business should any of these events occur? The risk management plan is the outcome of process that a cross section of the organisation participates in - thereby ensuring the best result possible is achieved. The challenge is to develop strategies to mitigate and manage these risks.

The performance management framework: How is the organisation, the CEO and the board itself tracking against the expectations agreed on at the start of the year? How does the scorecard look against the performance benchmarks set and how can we improve performance from what we have learnt during the review period?

Organisational culture The second component of good governance is the development and establishment of the right organisational culture. Culture has many explanations (Google the word and it will be all in front of you), however, a couple that resonate with us are “the way things are done around here” and “how do people behave when the manager is not around”.

Suffice to say, without the right culture that determines and authorises behaviour through clearly articulated expectations and standards, then the business will be subject to the whim of individuals and driven by attitudes and actions that may or may not align with what the board and the leadership team see as fundamental to long-term success.

How to create the right culture will be the subject matter for the final article in this series on the foundations of good governance.

Good governance is a journey, not a destination. A constantly changing external environment (social, economic, technological and legal) means we must have an adaptive business model in place and this refers to our governance practices as well – both are fundamental to business sustainability and relevance over the long term.

Mark C Schultz, Principal, Governance Today www.governancetoday.com BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 27

CHAMBER

Geelong Business Excellence Awards Power On In 2015

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ominations are now open for the Powercor Geelong Business Excellence Awards, and it’s not only businesses that can nominate businesses and organisations. Members of the public are invited to put forward business or organisations that have inspired or impressed them.

involved in the Awards for more than 20 years. The local business sector contributes significantly to the economic and social wellbeing of our community and the Awards provide an excellent opportunity to recognise and celebrate business excellence in our region.

The Geelong Chamber of Commerce is holding information sessions now for all entrants and those considering entering the awards this year. Information session times and details can be found on the Awards’ website www.gbea.com.au

“The Awards play a vital role in recognising and encouraging business excellence and community participation within the Geelong region,” said Chamber Chief Executive Officer, Bernadette Uzelac. “They also offer an ideal opportunity for business operators to conduct a free self-health check for their business.”

This year marks the celebration of 30 years of the Awards.

Established in 1986, the Awards recognise organisations that have achieved business excellence in the Geelong region. The Awards are the oldest continuously running and most prestigious business awards programs in Australia, and, as such, provide a significant recognition and celebration of business achievement and performance.

Once again this year, the Chamber has partnered with Powercor Australia as the naming rights sponsor and is welcoming back both new and returning sponsors, some of whom have been

This year the Chamber has introduced additional support to assist entrants with feedback on their entries.

“We encourage all Geelong businesses to enter the Awards this year and make 2015 their time to shine!” Ms Uzelac said The Awards program will finish with one of the biggest Presentation Dinner Ceremony nights on the Geelong calendar, to be held on Thursday August 20th.

For more information, visit the Awards website at www.gbea.com.au

BUSINESS NEWS | 28

VECCI

A role for Government in boosting business confidence

A

pick up in export activity, sales and employment saw out the last quarter of 2014 for Victorian business but has not translated into improved confidence for 2015, according to the recently released VECCI - Bank of Melbourne survey of business trends and prospects.

On a positive note for Geelong businesses trading in overseas markets, exports - particularly among Victoria’s diverse manufacturing sector - rose for the quarter and were one of the few business indicators expected to continue to rise into the new year as a result of the lower Australian dollar and healthy underlying demand among our key trading partners.

Among other highlights of the quarterly survey of over 400 businesses across seven major industry sectors were the comparatively strong sales and employment performance of the wholesale and retail sector.

Unfortunately, the strong finish to 2014 has not led to positive sentiment towards prospects for the state and federal economies in the year ahead.

Although 17 per cent of respondents anticipate stronger economic growth for the Australian economy over the next twelve months, this is well below the 28 per cent who held this view in the previous quarter.

These findings reflect the lowest level of optimism about the national economy in two years.

For Victoria, 18 per cent of respondents anticipate that state

economic conditions will improve over the year ahead, a fall from 25 per cent in the previous quarter.

Encouragingly for Geelong, regional respondents were more optimistic about the Victorian economy than their metropolitan counterparts, with 22 per cent expecting stronger conditions over the year ahead, compared to only 16 per cent of metropolitan respondents.

The results show enormous opportunity for the new Victorian Government and the Federal Government to deliver policy reforms that raise business sentiment and competitiveness.

Action to reduce business costs and provide long-term certainty is needed to ensure this is a one-off dip and not the start of a downward trend in business confidence.

Bank of Melbourne Chief Executive, Scott Tanner, added, “The latest VECCI-Bank of Melbourne survey of business trends and prospects is a mixed report card for the Victorian economy, revealing a disappointing decline in business confidence.

“However, the combination of relatively low interest rates and a weaker Australian dollar should ease pressure on Victoria’s key sectors and provide growth opportunities.”

James Gulli, VECCI Regional Manager Geelong & South West BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 29

TECHNOLOGY

[Anything] as a Service

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e have become familiar with Software as a Service, or SaaS, but the transformation of business services through cloud technology is creating a new wave of tech services that could see, well, [Anything] as a Service, or XaaS. And while technology is the means, the online services revolution is firmly being driven by consumer-demand for more flexible, more responsive services, when and where they want.

Agility is the aim of the game, and a key way for businesses to become more agile is to move from the more traditional location or server-based IT services to ‘anything as a service’ delivered via the cloud. One key benefit of a XaaS model is that it does not demand upfront capital spend and the often quite high maintenance costs on infrastructure such as servers and storage devices, but instead works on a pay-as-you-go model.

[Anything] as a Service represents a profound change in the delivery of IT services to business. The Optus Future of Business Report 2012 showed that, within three to five years, over forty per cent of Australian organisations planned to adopt a combination of in-house and outsourced cloud services. Organisations are increasingly moving everyday business functions such as email, backup and archiving, as well as testing and development, onto the cloud. The following is a 3-step plan to moving towards XaaS in your busines.

1. Foundation A shift to XaaS may seem a logical step for those driving the move – more often than not the IT department – but a successful shift requires buy-in from across the organisation. You will need the support of the CEO and the chief financial officer in order to implement changes in organisational culture, process and policy, as well as business or sales departments, marketing and human resources, who will all need to be part of the shift throughout the business.

Part of the cultural, process and policy shifts that come with these rapid changes in service delivery is changing how a business or organisation views their IT departments. Whilst we have become used to the IT department acting as a gatekeeper of technology in the office, with almost everything to do with computers and computer systems passing across the desk of IT specialists. But cloud services are all about direct access, and that means having independent access to cloud services.

There are some incredible opportunities that come from cloud computing, but businesses transitioning onto the cloud need to be sensible about how they do that, with inforamation security of paramount importance.

2. Transformation Once the foundation is set in place, businesses can move from a private cloud to a hybrid cloud, which is a combination of internally and externally provided cloud resources. Having access to a hybrid cloud offers businesses a virtually unlimited pool of resources to manage peak demand periods and continual growth.

A hybrid cloud also eliminates the issue of hardware and/or software becoming redundant.

3. Enablement With the foundation and hybrid cloud models in place, businesses are able to move into the [Anything] as a Service, or XaaS space.

You can now offer access to ordering, managing accounts and resources, bookings, payments, information – really, just about anything – all online both within the business and for clients and customers. XaaS offers a new world of flexibility, growth capacity and business agility – it will be how businesses and organisations grow and operate in the near future – and early adoption comes with big benefits. After all, the early bird gets the worm!

Michelle Synot, Optus Business Communications Geelong

BUNDLE YOUR SERVICES WITH OPTUS YOUR ANDSERVICES SAVE WITH BUNDLE We understand how important cash flow is to your business. So when you sign up for multiple OPTUS AND SAVE products with Optus, like our office broadband, phone lines and value-packed mobile plans, we could We understand how important cash flow is to your business. So when you sign up for multiple help to reduce your costs. products with Optus, like our office broadband, phone lines and value-packed mobile plans, we could help to reduce your costs.

Want to improve your bottom line? Chat to the team at Want toto improve your<Northern bottom line?

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Chat toSynot the team atteam at Optus Business Centre Optus Business Centre Rivers> onto<BCP number>.

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BUSINESS NEWS | 30

MONEY

Time to Tackle Your Tax

S

mart businesses spend the first stage of the year focused on improving profits and cashflow (amongst other things). To achieve an optimal after taxation position and manage your tax commitments effectively requires careful thought planning and strategy development prior to 30 June 2015.

Kylie McEwan, Director, Taxation and Business Services

It is essential to understand our future tax timeline of what taxes are to be paid, when and by whom. This is critical to your personal and business cash flows and, if left unchecked, can cause significant financial distress.

Start by understanding the year-to-date performance and then forecast the remainder of the year to determine a year-end taxable income position. Then forecast the flow of distributions and estimate expected tax positions. This is when the fun starts! We work closely with our clients to reduce, mitigate or defer tax commitments. We consider the tax impacts of various strategies and can forecast a revised and improved tax position.

Davidsons provides the information in this article for general guidance only, and does not constitute the provision of specific advice or professional consulting of any kind. Before making any decision or taking any action, you should consult a professional adviser who has been provided with all pertinent facts relevant to your particular situation.

Davidsons has several employees who are authorised representative of Professional Investment Services (No. 245208). Davidsons is a member of the worldwide network of legally independent accounting firms, GMN International.

Optimal year-end positions can only be achieved by implementing strategies prior to 30 June. After 30 June is too late. Specific events during the year can have a taxation impact, so these must also be clearly understood, including the sale or purchase of property, changes in trading conditions or structures, new business opportunities, as well as planning for personal events such as retirement.

Apart from the obvious reasons for tax planning there are a number of sneakers that can crawl under the radar and cause

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 31

significant tax headaches if not addressed prior to 30 June.

If you operate a company, there are very specific rules with regard to how you extract your profits and cash. The application of the debit loan rules can have serious adverse taxation impacts. These rules can now extend to Trusts also. Reviewing and forecasting inter-entity and owner loan accounts is critical.

The determination of appropriate dividend strategies and the repayment of loans can mitigate any of these hidden tax nasties.

Trustees must now determine, in writing, how to treat the income of the trust prior to 30 June. Failing to do so can trigger an assessment at trustee level with the adverse application of a 47 per cent tax rate to the whole assessable income of the Trust.

You also need to consider how your retirement targets will influence your pre-30 June concessional and non-concessional superannuation contributions and the optimal dollar value of contributions. For those with a Self Managed Super Fund, the drawing of pensions within minimum and maximum amounts prior to 30 June is essential to ensure ATO compliance.

The above is a guide to only a few of the issues and actions we discuss and work with our clients in the final quarter of the financial year.

It is often the time we have the most valuable impact to our clients financial and taxation affairs.

Geelong Awards for People with a Disability

Volunteering Award winner Ingrid Hindell with her husband Robert Hindell

2015

The Finalists Volunteering Ingrid Hindell (Winner) Dianne Speed Simone Stevens

VALID Executive Officer Kevin Ston e, Richard Marles (MP), Karingal CEO Daryl Starkey and Cr Kylie Fisher

Sport and Recreation Phoebe Mitchell (Winner) Jessica Blakeley Loretta Devlin-Smith Leadership and Advocacy Thomas Banks (Winner) Michael Chan Liz Spurdle Achievement Award Cassy Geffke (Winner) Mark Deans Ainslee Hooper

Cr Kylie Fisher and Daryl Starkey with award winners (L-R) Ingrid Hindell, Phoebe Mitchell, Cassy Geffke, Thomas Banks and Bronwyn McGuire

Outstanding Employee Bronwyn McGuire (Winner) Penny Dorgan Aimee Hovey

Thank You to the Judging Panel Robyn Bradshaw Cr Kylie Fisher Elaine Carbines Stan Corner Lynne Foreman Christine Scott

Kerry Stevens, Volunteering Award nominee Simone Stevens and Ellie Blackney

Sport and Recreation Award winner Phoebe Mitchell and dual Paralympic gold medallist Richard Colman

GAPD AWARDS

Banding together to bring groundbreaking awards to life

T

he incredible support from the Geelong community has ensured the inaugural Geelong Awards for People with a Disability were an overwhelming success.

A joint initiative of Karingal and the City of Greater Geelong, the awards celebrated the achievements of people with a disability, while they also aimed to strengthen the region’s status as the centre for innovation and change in the disability sector.

The awards ceremony was held Tuesday, February 3 and marked the opening of the 2015 VALID Having a Say Conference. More than 130 guests attended the event at Geelong Performing Arts Centre as the Geelong business community showed its support for the pioneering awards.

Joining the Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability (VALID) as supporting partners were Barwon Disability Resource Council (BDRC), K-Rock, Bay FM and Geelong News.

It was an inspiring evening as guests were treated to a performance by roots musician Bree-Arne Manley. They also heard from dual Paralympic gold medallist Richard Colman, who gave a stirring speech on self-belief.

The inspiration continued when the inaugural award recipients were announced across the five categories. Etching their names onto the honour roll as the first-ever winners of the awards

were Ingrid Hindell (Volunteering), Phoebe Mitchell (Sport and Recreation), Thomas Banks (Leadership and Advocacy), Cassy Geffke (Achievement Award) and Bronwyn McGuire (Outstanding Employee).

Karingal Chief Executive Officer Daryl Starkey congratulated the winners and said that all of the nominees in the awards should be proud of their efforts.

“These awards highlight the important achievements and contributions that people with a disability are making to the Geelong region, which we hope will assist in building a fully inclusive community,” Daryl said.

City of Greater Geelong Community Development portfolio holder Councillor Kylie Fisher said the awards were a great way to celebrate and acknowledge individuals who are living with a disability.

“This city has quickly achieved the status as a disability leader and I for one love that Geelong constantly aims to provide recognition to individuals where and when deserved,” she said.

With the initiative applauded by Geelong business leaders, it is expected the Geelong Awards for People with a Disability will grow and become an annual event that local businesses and community groups are proud to be involved in.

What the winners said… but disability award “I know this is a ity it as a commun I am accepting want to orker, as I don’t development w rn” as of “inspiration po become a figure d it. I am ella Young calle the comedian St us.” of tional than all no more inspira olunteering) Ingrid Hindell (V re of ple awa o e p e k help ma also to “This will gay and e b to s ean so many what it m because , y it il b a is bout have a d , this is a e m r o F . dge people ju people.” g educatin Banks ) Thomas dvocacy ip and A h rs e d a (Le

“I train for swim ming five sess ions a week at 5.30 in the morning. I always wanted to be a really good swimmer.

This award is exciting and sp ecial.” Phoebe Mitche ll (Sport and Re creation)

“I was a bit teary (when I found out I was nominated). I am so thrilled and honoured to win.”

Cassy Geffke (Achievement)

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 33

own away just “I was already bl three, so I was to be in the topI before the win. honoured even to ng just everythi love my job; it’s e on I get up in th me. It’s the reas wyn McGuire morning.” - Bron ployee) (Outstanding Em

the

ELEVATOR

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For details see www.biznewsmag.com.au

Fleur Organics Spray Tanning Our programme provides precise, controlled and concentrated exercise for muscles which have lost their natural elasticity. In as little as 4 weeks there will be remarkable inch loss and tightening, making this an ideal treatment for body shaping and weight loss. Our custom made Electronic Muscle Stimulation machines are teamed up with our InfraRed Treatment to effectively reduce the appearance of cellulite and is therapeutic for weak backs, painful joints and bad posture and will provide lymph drainage, flush out toxins and reduce excess fluids.

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Fleur Organics offers a mobile service where I can come to your home and you can relax in your own space while I treat you to a naturally beautiful tan. I will set up a portable spray tent to ensure no mess, or you can come to my tanning studio in Ocean Grove.

Everyone likes to feel good on the inside and outside. Now you too can achieve that sun-kissed glow all year round.

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BUSINESS NEWS | 34

Workskil Australia Elevator Pitch Workskil Australia is a not‐for‐profit organisation that has been working with disadvantaged Australians for over 30 years. Our Workskil Employment division assists individuals to find sustainable employment for our clients, connecting the right candidates with local Australian businesses of all sizes.

We match employer job vacancies to suitable, job ready, candidates at no cost to the employer.

Workskil Australia is a not-for-profit organisation that has been working with disadvantaged Australians for over 30 years. Our Workskil Employment division assists individuals to find sustainable employment for our clients, connecting the right candidates with local Australian businesses of all sizes.

Selecting the right person to fill a job vacancy is time consuming and costly. We work with employers to understand the skills and requirements for each position and provide a list of suitable, job ready candidates. In some cases we can even provide paid work trials or assist with wage subsidies.

Our proven history providing employment services assistance, combined with a pool of over 20,000 job ready candidates, presents a great value proposition for businesses seeking staff.

Let us help you. Our Geelong, Corio and Belmont offices and local staff are ready and willing to assist.

Please contact us today on 1300 967 575 or visit workskil.com.au

We match employer job vacancies to suitable, job ready, candidates at no cost to the employer.

Selecting the right person to fill a job vacancy is time consuming and costly. We work with employers to understand the skills and requirements for each position and provide a list of suitable, job ready candidates. In some cases we can even provide paid work trials or assist with wage subsidies.

Our proven history providing employment services assistance, combined with a pool of over 20,000 job ready candidates, presents a great value proposition for businesses seeking staff.

Let us help you. Our Geelong, Corio and Belmont offices and local staff are ready and willing to assist.

Please contact us today on 1300 967 575 or visit workskil.com.au

the region.

THE ELEVATOR If caring and wanting a sustainable environment for the future is what your busin we can help you meet these objectives, either by utilising the services of your dedicated volunteers of our region. Alternatively, if you are looking to volun difference to the region give us a call also.

Call today on (03) 5221 0300 or drop in for a chat at 407 Yarra Street.

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Working with our designers, we’ll create a site that’s easy to navigate through, copy that’s easy to read and absorb and most importantly – a site that improves the profile of your business. This will lead to more conversations with prospective customers and will assist you in increasing your profitability.

Digitalsmith is a full service digital agency, based in Lara, Victoria. Put simply – we build brands. We assist businesses in creating a sound marketing strategy – then help them execute that strategy, primarily online , with websites, social media and digital video. We also undertake design for print and packaging right through to running fully integrated advertising campaigns. We’ve helped one-person businesses – through to global operators, private businesses through to publically listed giants – across all industry sectors.

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Servicing the Geelong Region and beyond, Conservation Volunteers Australia aims to provide business partners to the mix. We are Eve Conservation Volunteers Australia aims opportunities everybody for to everybody be involved based Coates andand Jessheritage Tobias and we areprograms the girls for the to providefor opportunities to in conservation sustainability of these assets into the future. behind L O V E. L I G H T. L E T T E R S. be involved in conservation and heritage

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ARTS Steve Salo: Passerby and Brian Pieper: On the Street until 21st March Metropolis Gallery’s 2015 exhibition calendar launches in March with concurrent solo exhibitions by Steve Salo and Brian Pieper. The exhibitions - Steve Salo: Passerby and Brian Pieper: On the Street - are linked by each artist’s particular interests in everyday people and places.

Local artist Steve Salo’s emotive, urban portraits distil feelings of that fleeting moment when someone passes him in the street.

Over the past year, these impressions have become the basis of his powerful Passerby series of paintings.

“The first work ‘There She Stood’ came to me easily,” Salo says.

“I had a clear impression of the person I was painting. A work like this is all about feeling… I’ve translated what I felt from a five second glimpse of a young woman standing at traffic lights during her lunch break…The turn of her head in the painting is

when something distracted her and she turned to look in the distance; a busy point in time was briefly stopped.”

This is Salo’s second solo show at Metropolis Gallery after last year’s near sell-out show Portraits of Artists, which attracted local, national and international interest.

On the Street is Melbourne artist Brian Pieper’s first exhibition at Metropolis. Pieper’s grungy, urban landscapes are populated by ordinary people, on the street or at work, bringing a narrative edge to the oil paintings and watercolours in the exhibition.

Also a photographer, printmaker and occasional writer of absolute nonsense, Pieper’s wide creative interests have led to the creation of a large body of work in various media. He is represented in public and private collections around Australia and internationally, including 20 etchings in the National Gallery of Australia www.metropolisgallery.com.au

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ARTS Tina Coxall: Sweet Soul of Barwon and Susan Rice-Bellman: Navigating the City until 31st March Also kicking off its 2015 exhibition season with concurrent shows in March is ETCH Gallery with Tina Coxall’s Sweet Soul of Barwon and Susan Rice-Bellman’s Navigating the City. With a view from above and local maps recreating abstract vistas of the Geelong district, Tina Coxall’s images are truly soul soothing as she combines experimentation and numerous techniques with rabbit skin sizing, hand prepared board, oil, and encaustics, often carving into the piece to provide added depth and meaning. The Australian palette of burnt sienna, ochre, golds and brilliant blues is an intrinsic factor in Tina’s work.

Navigating the City, Rice-Bellman’s first solo exhibition, explores the cityscapes of home and abroad and raises questions associated with the over-development and consumption of the natural landscape by humanity. RiceBellman uses charcoal and finely tuned drawing skills to produce large scale cityscapes, while her intimate photographic images interpret place as abstract forms and architecture. www.etchgalleryandstudios.com

Pat Shannon and Mark Shannon: Sea, Sky and the Hills Behind 21st March – 20th April Pat and Mark Shannon are a unique mother and son combination, with each capturing the Otways and its dramatic coastline in a very distinctive way. Pat’s large oil paintings, developed from pastel studies, chronicle the “endless beauty” to be found along the coast and the Otway hills behind, while Mark’s work demonstrates courageous use of colour and form in his interpretations of local landscapes and bold still life studies.

KarnivART 2015 – Call for artists Submissions are now open for the 2015 Karingal KarnivART exhibition, an annual event on the Karingal calendar showcasing spectacular pieces from artists with a disability or mental illness.

The exhibition is open to artists over the age of 18 who live in the Geelong, Barwon-South West and Southern Metropolitan Region of Victoria and identify as having a disability or history of mental illness.

The 2015 Karingal KarnivART Exhibition launch will be held Wednesday, May 6 from 5.30pm - 7.30pm at Karingallery, where winners will be announced.

If you would like to submit artwork for the 2015 exhibition, email karnivart@karingal.org.au.

2015 Geelong acquisitive print awards The Geelong Gallery is also inviting submissions for the 2015 Geelong acquisitive print awards, sponsored by the Geelong Gallery Grasshoppers, an anonymous donor and the Ursula Hoff Institute.

The acquisitive prize and exhibition has been conducted by the Gallery since 1996 and is open to artists practicing in recognised printmaking processes such as intaglio, relief, planographic and digital processes. It does not extend to photographic prints.

An exhibition of selected prints will be held at the Gallery from 22 August to 22 November 2015, from which prizes totalling $9,500 will be awarded, including the Geelong acquisitive print award of $5,000, the Ursula Hoff Institute award of $1,500 for emerging printmakers and additional acquisitions up to $3,000. www.geelonggallery.org.au

www.artgalleryofballarat.com.au

Top left: ‘Corio Bay Abstract 2’ Tina Coxall Above: ‘Shanghai Bridge 2015’ Susan Rice-Bellman Right: ‘Barrabool Hills’ Tina Coxall

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Very special care for very special patients University Hospital Geelong’s smallest patients now have a new home with the opening of the Cotton On Special Care Nursery last month.

The culmination of two years of fundraising and partnership between the Barwon Health Foundation and the Cotton On Group-led Run Geelong, the nursery redevelopment provides additional space for up to 20 cribs, storage, separate resuscitation/treatment rooms and parents’ room. It also features overnight rooms to allow parents to stay close to their babies and a dedicated feeding room and milk preparation room, which provides a more spacious and comfortable environment for families.

The $3.8 million redevelopment is totally community funded and has received strong support from the local community, including corporate partners, community groups and individuals. Over the past two years, more than 24,000 people have participated in Run Geelong, raising more than $1 million for the Special Care Nursery.

Every step makes a difference Relay For Life, the largest fundraising event for cancer in the world, is an inspirational overnight event that unites local communities to fight cancer. Beginning in the US with the efforts of just one man, Dr Gordy Klatt, Relay for Life took off in Australia in 1999 when the community of Murrumbeena raised over $75,000 for Cancer Council.

Relays are now held in every Australian State and Territory, with more than 134,000 participants raising over $24 million each year.

Every dollar raised goes towards funding Cancer Council’s research, prevention and support programs.

For businesses, the Relay for Life National Corporate Team Program offers a fun way to bring your workplace together and give back to your community, as well as creating opportunities for client participation through support of your organisation’s team efforts, integrating employee families into your organisation’s community and providing support for staff who have been directly touched by

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cancer. For more information on how your business can get involved, contact Alicia Lowndes National Marking Manager Relay For Life on alicia.lowndes@cancervic.org.au or (03) 9514 6554.

The Geelong Relay for Life 2015 will be held at Geelong Showgrounds on 21st March. Visit Geelong Relay for Life’s Facebook page or relayforlife.org.au

Pioneering awards honour high achievers The inaugural Geelong Awards For People with a Disability last month recognised the achievements and invaluable contributions that people with a disability make to the Geelong community.

Etching their names onto the honour roll as the first-ever winners of the awards were Ingrid Hindell (Volunteering), Phoebe Mitchell (Sport and Recreation), Thomas Banks (Leadership and Advocacy), Cassy Geffke (Achievement Award) and Bronwyn McGuire (Outstanding Employee).

Tee off for a sparkling day of golf The 2015 Duffs Jewellers Diamond Golf classic for Give Where You Live tees off on March 26 at 8am for a day of fun and fundraising that caters for all golfing abilities. Following a sold– out event in 2014, this year’s Diamond Day includes a 9 hole Princess Classic and 18 hole Brilliant competition, as well as a gourmet luncheon with a fashion parade and lots of prizes to take home.

The awards, a partnership between Karingal and the City of Greater Geelong, aim to strengthen the Geelong region’s status as the centre for innovation and change in the disability sector.

For more information, or to book your place, go to www. givewhereyoulive.com.au or call 5229 4364.

Karingal Chief Executive Officer, Daryl Starkey, who also announced his retirement last month, praised the introduction of the awards.

“People with a disability are making valuable contributions to our community and it is important we recognise their efforts and achievements,” he said. “Hopefully sharing these inspiring stories will help build a more inclusive community.”

March 26 is also the day to be proud in purple to raise funds for and awareness of epilepsy, a condition that 1 in 26 people will suffer from at some point in their life. A global event supported in Victoria by the Epilepsy Foundation, Purple Day was started in 2008 by Canadian nine-year-old, Cassidy Megan, a sufferer of epilepsy who wanted to get people talking about the disorder and inform those with seizures that they are not alone.

Barwon Disability Resource Council (BDRC) board member, Lynne Foreman, who is a former Karingal Achiever Award winner, was a member of the judging panel and applauded the quality of the nominations.

“I started Purple Day because I wanted to tell everyone about epilepsy, especially that all seizures are not the same and that people with epilepsy are ordinary people just like everyone else,” Cassidy said in 2008.

“I was blown away reading all the entries,” she said. “The experience and the talent we have here in Geelong, it’s incredible.”

The Epilepsy Foundation provides services to people living with epilepsy and their families, and works to raise awareness of epilepsy in organisations and the broader community to reduce the stigma and create a more welcoming and inclusive society.

The awards were supported by VALID (Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability), BDRC, K-Rock, Bay FM and Geelong News.

Purple Day

For more information on how to get involved in Purple Day, visit www.purpleday.com.au.

Building a Better Geelong

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COMMUNITY GMHBA employee volunteers spent a day alongside young Karingal participants with disabilities taking part in abseiling activities at the You Yangs.

Preparing for a big year ahead

- 6 May – KarnivART launch

2015 is shaping up to be another big year for the Karingal BacLinks team with a range of community events in the pipeline that will truly make a difference to the lives of those most vulnerable in the Geelong and Bellarine region.

KarnivART is a unique art exhibition featuring high quality artwork created by artists with a disability or a mental illness. The 2015 event is proudly sponsored by Technology One and City of Greater Geelong. Following the KarnivART launch on May 6, the exhibition will be open to the public between 10:00am and 3:00pm May 7 – 29.

While plans are already underway for annual favourites such as the Workplace Big Day Out events and KarnivART to be bigger and better than ever, exciting new projects are also being planned for later on in the year.

Karingal BacLinks Manager, Joanne Forssman, said that she and the entire BacLinks team is excited to work with our community partners again in 2015 to deliver some wonderful events.

“Quite simply, our community events just wouldn’t be possible without the support of our wonderful business partners,” said Joanne. “In particular, we are thrilled to have Business Technology Specialists (BTS) on board as our funding partner in 2015. They will join existing premier partners Alcoa and GMHBA and our premier supporters GPAC, BayFM and Target, who will be helping us deliver a range of community programs and events.

“Together, each of our 68 members also play an essential role in supporting our community events and enjoy the many benefits membership has to offer.

“In addition to providing unique opportunities to give something meaningful back to the Geelong community, a Karingal BacLinks membership can improve your business profile, provide opportunities to reward your employees and assist them to develop new skills and provide your business with exclusive networking opportunities.”

- 28 May – Winter Workplace Big Day Out Employees from a range of local businesses and people who have disabilities will join together for an inclusive day of fun activities including bowling, badminton, dancing, basketball and soccer. This event provides an opportunity for organisations to sample workplace volunteering while breaking down barriers between people of all abilities and fostering a greater sense of community.

On Target to change lives in 2015 Target Australia has continued to generously support Karingal BacLinks by donating 30 cartons of clothing and accessories that will be used during various Karingal BacLinks programs this year.

“Target has been an incredible supporter of the Karingal BacLinks program, and this donation is further testament to their dedication to helping those in need,” said Karingal BacLinks Manager Joanne Forssman.

“This donation of clothing will enable us to supply disadvantaged jobseekers participating in our Destination Work and related events with some new items for their wardrobe to help them feel more prepared and confident when attending job interviews.”

Any businesses interested in becoming a member in 2015 should contact the Karingal BacLinks team on 5222 7445 between 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday.

Dates for your diary!

Key dates for the first half of 2015 are as follows: - Karingal BacLinks Breakfast Events Karingal BacLinks Breakfasts (formally the 730 Breakfast series) provide excellent opportunities to network with like-minded businesses people from across the region. The remaining breakfast events for 2015 will be held on June 2, August 25 and December 8.

- 28 April - Girls’ Big Day Out The annual Girls’ Big Day Out provides young female students from secondary schools around the region an opportunity to try their hand at non-traditional trades such as cabinet making and joinery, painting, horticulture and plumbing and electrical trades.

Target employee Darren helps Karingal’s Trevor Dunt and Tracy Bull collect the latest donation of more than 30 boxes of clothing and accessories from Target’s despatch centre.

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Karingal participant Michael and BTS employee volunteer Jermaine at last year’s Summer Workplace Big Day Out.

COMMUNITY EmbroidMe Geelong

Building a Better Geelong

It’s a Small Business Blitz!

Give Where You Live is blitzing Geelong’s small to medium businesses throughout the month of March asking them to think BIG and become Give Where You Live BIG Partners. The BIG (Business Investing in Geelong) Program provides an opportunity for businesses of any size to make a significant contribution to support our region’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged people.

The Program is about small businesses joining together, each making a small manageable monthly donation (from as little as $50) that together will make a BIG difference. The BIG Program was introduced in the wake of the changing Geelong economic environment following the closure of Alcoa Point Henry and the pending closure of the Ford Australia Plant, seeing a huge shift in philanthropic donations.

Chapman Welsh Financial Services

Give Where You Live CEO, Bill Mithen said, “There’s a great opportunity for Geelong’s small to medium businesses to take the baton from the traditional large corporations and really make a difference to the community in which they operate.”

In its first year, the Program has received strong support from a variety of business sectors.

“We are proud that the BIG Program has already seen over 90 local businesses join together to raise over $90,000 over this past year. It’s a perfect demonstration of how a small donation can collectively have a big impact on our community,” Bill said.

Ausland Landscaping

Give Where You Live has a target of welcoming its 200th BIG Partner during 2015 and encourages all Geelong business big or small to consider their contributions to the Geelong community and how their donations (big or small) can help to Build a Better Geelong.

Joining the BIG Program is so easy and you can become a Partner for as little as $50 per month. For further information or to sign up to the Give Where You Live BIG Program please visit givewhereyoulive.com.au or phone 5229 4364.

Geelong Chamber of Commerce Hanlon Industries JHill Bookkeeping

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THE TECH GUY

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

Got the curves

One of the outstanding releases at CES 2015 was LG’s G Flex2, a worthy successor to the original G Flex. The new smartphone has been designed with a number of curves, ranging from a radius of 400mm to 700mm across the front, back, sides and top-tobottom edges. The dynamically curved layers deliver a sleek and dynamic feel to G Flex2.

The phone’s ergonomic design brings the microphone closer to the mouth, for enhanced sound pickup. The slimmed down 5.5 inches screen with curvatures is a stylish grip and the display’s 700mm radius curvature delivers an immersive viewing experience, while the steeper 650mm radius curvature of the back is more comfortable to grip and fits easier in the pocket.

The display’s resolution has also been bumped up to 1080p full HD, and, under the bonnet, the G Flex2 is the first smartphone to come equipped with the Snapdragon 810 processor and the advanced Qualcomm Adreno 430 graphics processor for stunning video performance.

What’s more, the G Flex2’s cover glass is more durable, thanks to a special chemical treatment technology developed by LG. Now, the next feature is real but a little hard to believe at first.

The ‘self-healing back’, keeps the phone looking new even through scratches from normal everyday use (axe attacks don’t apply).

Another innovative technology is the amazingly fast Laser Auto Focus camera, first introduced in the popular LG G3. This technology enables the G Flex2 to capture the best moment - even in low light - by measuring the distance between the subject and the camera using a laser beam. Combined with LG’s proven OIS+ technology and dual LED flash, the G Flex2 delivers images that rival even standalone point and shoot cameras.

Gesture Shot makes it easy to capture the perfect selfie with a simple hand gesture recognisable from up to 1.5 meters away.

Gesture View means you can check your last shot immediately after taking a photo or selfie. Glance View displays key information such as time, recent messages or missed calls with a downward swipe of the curved screen even while the display is off. Fast Charge allows the embedded 3,000mAh battery in the G Flex2 — the only curved mobile battery in the world - to be charged up to 50 per cent in under 40 minutes Australian availability of the G Flex2 is not confirmed at this point in time, but here’s hoping for sometime after Easter and will initially be available in two colours: Platinum Silver and Flamenco Red.

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THE TECH GUY

Gorilla tough

Problem - you drop your phone and the glass shatters and it’s a very costly fix. Gorilla Glass 4 provides at least two times improved damage resistance over competitive aluminosilicate glass. Corning scientists examined hundreds of broken devices and found that damage caused by sharp contact accounted for more than 70 percent of field failures. They then developed new drop-test methods that simulate real-world break events, based on thousands of hours analysing phone glass that had broken in the field or laboratory and by using the new methods to drop devices face down from one meter, such that the cover glass directly contacted a rough surface, found that it’s up to two times tougher than competitive glass and survives up to 80 per cent of the time - and that beats current phone glass hands down.

Alienware by Dell is a leader in high-performance gaming systems and has introduced the portable powerhouse Alienware 13 gaming laptop.

At CES, Alienware also revealed the innovative Alienware Graphics Amplifier - literally doubling the graphics performance, a truly no compromises approach to gaming. The Alienware Graphics Amplifier boosts the already potent gaming performance of the Alienware.

Starting at $1499, the Alienware 13 features an Intel Core i5 processor and NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 860M with 2GB of dedicated GDDR5 graphics memory, all squeezed into a redesigned chassis constructed with carbon fibre composite surfaces making it a svelte 2.54 cms thin and weighing in from 2.04 kgs, making it Alienware’s thinnest laptop ever. For the first time in Alienware’s notebook legacy, the 13 will offer an optional display powering a 2560x1440 QHD resolution as well as touch screen technology. The Alienware Graphics Amplifier can be purchased by itself or alongside the Alienware 13 for $349, and users will have their choice of desktop graphics cards from both AMD and NVIDIA as options when purchased with an Alienware 13 laptop.

Translation on the fly

Converting foreign speech to text in Google Translate is currently an awkward affair. You have to start a recording and wait until a moment after you’re done to find out what the other person said. However, the New York Times has reported that Translate is about to get considerably smarter. An updated version of the mobile app will automatically detect speech and translate it right away. All you have to do is hold your phone up with the app running. Google’s approach combines extensive cloud translation technology with an easy-to-find mobile app.

Are you game?

The wifi talk at CES this year was all about tri-band - just when you were getting used to dual band wifi. The thing is, Mum’s looking at a facebook video on her phone, your daughter is watching YouTube and your son’s playing an online game on his laptop and there’s no bandwidth left for you. That’s why D-Link created the new AC3200 Ultra Wi-Fi Router. With tri-band technology and speeds up to 3.2Gbps, it delivers the necessary ultra-performance to power even the most demanding connected homes, making it the best wireless home router for gaming. The AC3200 ULTRA Wi-Fi Router is like three wireless routers in one. It has a 2.4GHz wireless band offering speeds up to 600Mbps and two separate 5GHz wireless bands delivering speeds up to 1,300Mbps that all operate at the same time. That means more lag free online gaming, 4k media streaming and face time on more devices throughout your home.

With Smart Connect Technology, the ULTRA Wi-Fi Router chooses from the three Wi-Fi bands and automatically connects each device on your network to the best, clearest band available for the best connection every time. Smart Beam Forming via the six high performance antennae improves coverage by directing bandwidth to your devices as you move around your home. You can stream HD video, surf the web, Skype your friends and play online games from wherever you are, so you’ll always get the best experience.

It looks so tomorrow, you might want to put it somewhere prominent in your house.

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Blinding wireless speed

AFTER HOURS

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US Ambassador Praises Local Innovation The Ambassador of the United States of America to Australia, His Excellency John Berry was warmly welcomed in Geelong last Thursday morning as keynote speaker at the Committee for Geelong’s Annual Leadership Breakfast.

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Mr Berry told the gathering of more than 350 business and community representatives that it was a privilege to visit such an “amazingly charming city”.

In his role as US Ambassador, Mr Berry said he was a campaigner for innovation and he couldn’t talk innovation without coming to Geelong, the centre of innovation in Australia.

“Innovation is the heart and soul of Geelong. You guys get it. From carbon fibre to health care robotics, Geelong is leading the way in innovation in Australia. You have tech companies on the rise and your researchers are doing tremendous work.”

Mr Berry said his own relationship with the region’s innovators began long before he realised. “I have been wearing Rip Curl and Quiksilver since I was ten!”

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He spoke of the opportunities for the city as the gateway to the Great Ocean Road, a tourist attraction that was on “‘every American visitor’s bucket list”.

In an upbeat and at times deeply personal reflection of the strength of the alliance between the US and Australia, Mr Berry spoke about the importance of the trade relationship and the potential for further investment to drive jobs growth.

He said 2015 marked the tenth anniversary of the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement and trade between the two countries had doubled during that time.

Photography by Alan Barber, Barefoot Media

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1. Stan Corner, Daniel Lamanna, Robert Graziano, David Boyle 2. Ambassador John Berry speaking 3. Jonathan De Unamuno, Dawn Conway 4. Tina Price, Nick Stanley 5. Audience listening to the Ambassador 6. Justin Giddings, Cora Trevarthen, Paul Lucas 7.Justin Franklin, Jacqueline Suares, Rosemary White 8. Rebecca Casson, Ambassador John Berry, Dan Simmonds, Mayor Darryn Lyons

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AFTER HOURS

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Northern Futures a global leader on jobs skills

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Emil Levy, Senior Program Officer at the Institute of International Education and manager of Alcoa Foundation’s Global Internship Program for Unemployed Youth was the keynote speaker at the Northern Futures Industry Partners Breakfast in Geelong tomorrow morning.

Geelong-based Northern Futures is setting international benchmarks in its delivery of a work skills program that targets unemployed young people from the northern suburbs.

Northern Futures Program Manager, Helen Long, said Northern Futures administers the Alcoa Foundation’s Global Internship Program for Unemployed Youth and is achieving results in Geelong as good as anywhere in the world.

“Northern Futures is achieving graduate employment rates of 70% among its Alcoa Foundation interns, 23% higher than the program average. Only one other partner, in the United Kingdom, has achieved these graduate employment levels,” Ms Long said. “We are about half-way through the two year program so these are interim results but we very excited to deliver such positive outcomes for our participants.”

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The Global Internship Program, which is funded by a US$1.25 million grant from Alcoa Foundation, involves 500 participants worldwide and is administered by ten non-government partner organisations in eight countries. Northern Futures is the only Australian organisation delivering the program.

“We are thrilled to have Mr Levy join us here in Australia. His visit provides our community with a unique opportunity to hear a global perspective on job skills delivery,” Ms Long said. “It is heartening to know that what we are doing here in Geelong is world’s best practice. A big part of our success is due to the contribution of our community partners, across the industry, education, and government and not-for-profit sectors. They deserve our thanks for their continuing commitment to creating sustainable employment outcomes for young people in our city.

“We also know from feedback we have received that our understanding of the knowledge gap that can exist between the chronically unemployed and employers is unique to the Global Internship Program. Our work at Northern Futures is strongly informed by the ‘Bridges out of Poverty’ framework and so it’s particularly well-timed that we have one of the world’s most renowned ‘Bridges’ educators, Nairn Walker, in Geelong on the same day as Mr Levy.”

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Ms Walker led a “Bridges out of Poverty” workshop aimed at enabling people in Geelong to further develop their understanding of social disadvantage and enhance the effectiveness of their own programs.

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THE E.L PHOTOGRAPHY CORPORATE STYLEGUIDE AFTER HOURS

THE E.L PHOTOGRAPHY CORPORATE BRAND

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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.

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.

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1. CMYK STACKED VERSION (ON WHITE BACKG

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 BAC Commercial Photography Staff portraits Product shots Marketing shots Events & Functions Weddings & Portraits

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E.L

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1. John Miles, Peter Dorling and Professor David Ashbridge 2. Kate Kent and Sarah Leach 3. Keith Fagg and Dr Mark Kennedy 4. Emil Levy and Professor David Ashbridge 5. David Warren, Anne Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien, Denise Rock and David Johnson 6. Kate Betts, Emil Levy and Lou Brazier 7. Jean Paul and Maureen Ryan 8. Cr Kylie Fisher, Justin Giddings and Cr Michelle Heagney 9. Sharon Kerlin, Simone Bellears and Matthew Luttrell

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Studio - 162 Bellerine St, Geelong elisha@elphotography.com.au 0439 353 958 elphotography.com.au

AFTER HOURS

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Cats launch Healthy Cats recipe book The Geelong Cats launched the Healthy Cats recipe book in February, a collection of favourite recipes from every Geelong Cats player that aims to empower young people to make good choices and eat healthy foods.

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Currently one in four Australian children are overweight or obese, the Healthy Cats recipe book is all about inspiring families to cook healthy meals at home.

All 46 recipes, including Joel Selwood’s avocado and corn pasta and Tom Hawkins’ beef burritos, have been assessed by Nutrition Australia.

The assessment uses a traffic light system to classify food, green, amber and red ticks are awarded based on their nutritional value. The Healthy Cats recipe book received a green tick for 34 of its 46 recipes and an amber tick for the remaining 12.

Healthy Cats Ambassador, Harry Taylor, sees the recipe book as a great resource, which encourages young people to live a healthy lifestyle and make healthy choices.

“As AFL players, diet is an important part of our job. The energy we require to run, lift weights and push our bodies to the limit comes from what we eat.

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“Like us, kids’ energy requirements will vary throughout the day. We hope our recipes inspire families to try something new and look forward to continuing to educate kids when we visit schools later this year.”

Every school student participating in the club’s BioCats program, which educates young people on the importance of a healthy lifestyle, will receive their very own copy and thanks to Aussie Apples, a class set of the Healthy Cats recipe books will be distributed to all schools in the Greater Geelong region.

Photography by Elisha Lindsay, EL Photography

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AFTER HOURS

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SUMMER IN THE VINES Over 150 guests attended the sold out “Summer in the Vines” dinner which was held at the gorgeous Clyde Park Vineyard, raising funds for Geelong’s most vulnerable people. Hosted by Coodabeen Champion Ian Cover and the glamorous Rebecca Maddern, guests were wined and dined in style, all raising valuable funds to support the Geelong community.

2.

Hosted by Clyde Park’s Terry Jongebloed in the magnificent Moorabool Valley, guests were treated to a five course degustation menu showcasing the finest food and wine from our region.

Bill Mithen, CEO Give Where You Live said “Thank you to all who attended Summer in the Vines in support of the Geelong community, it was a great night showcasing the very best of our region and to raise over $25,000, through ticket sales, raffle and the sales of our famous Clyde Park wine barrel for the Geelong community is a great outcome.”

“We were thrilled with the response and look forward to seeing many more people back at Clyde Park next year” said Terry Jongebloed owner of Clyde Park Vineyard.

Give Where You Live would like to extend their thanks to Event Sponsor Clyde Park, hosts Rebecca Maddern and Ian Cover for their generosity, ensuring the success of the event.

Photography by Elisha Lindsay, EL Photography

3.

1. Sarah Somerset, John Fitzgerald and Jane Mithen 2. Bill Mithen and Sarah Henderson MP 3. Richie Oliver and Julie Hope 4. Samantha Cocking, Linda Allen and Mike O’Brien 5. Graeme Kent, Jill Kent, Kate Kent and Ben Kent

5.

4.

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STUFF

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Chevron Paper Bunting Hampton Blue www.hamptonblue.co.uk

Hop to it this Easter with these beautiful products sure to even give that special rabbit some inspiration!

Rustic Egg Easter Wreath ÂŁ17.00 The Contemporary Home www.tch.net

Diamond Shelf Down that Little Lane www.downthatlittlelane.com.au Bright Egg Cosy The Contemporary Home www.tch.net

Lampe blanche Miffy S & Miffy XL par Mr Maria Les Esthètes www.les-esthetes.com/index.php

Black Rabbit Pin Board The Design Hunter Pty Ltd www.thedesignhunter.com.au

Chevron Pastel Bag and Easter Tag - Pack of 12 Illume Design Partyware www.illumedesign.com.au

Kittredge Candles Etsy www.etsy.com

Bristle Bunny Ornament The Contemporary Home www.tch.net

Harley Gloss Aqua Round Side Table Zanui www.zanui.com.au

Easter Bunny & Chick Felt Baskets The Oak Room www.oakroomshop.co.uk

Bunny Rabbit - Soft Toy - Organic Cotton Biome Eco Stores www.biome.com.au

Easter House Gift BoxThe Contemporary Home www.tch.net

BUSINESS NEWS | 50

Serving Basket Our Kitchen Garden www.ourkitchengarden.com.au

Kissen Kanevas Kaninchen braun Art Chateau - Living, Design & more www.artchateau.de

BOOKS

So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed Jon Ronson From the arrow-sharp mind that brought us “The Psychopath Test” and “The Men Who Stare at Goats” comes “So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed”.

It happened like this: in 2012, Jon Ronson’s online identity was stolen. Jon publicly confronted the imposters, a trio of academics who had created a Jon Ronson Twitter bot obsessed by unlikely food combinations and weird sex. At first, Jon was delighted to find strangers all over the world uniting to support him in his outrage. The wrongdoers were quickly shamed into stopping. But then things got out of hand. This encounter prompted Jon to explore the phenomenon of public shaming and what he discovered astonished him. As he meets famous shamers and shamees, Jon learns just how quickly public ridicule, often delivered from anonymous or distant sources, can devastate its victim. Do they deserve to have their lives ruined? How is this renaissance of shaming changing the world and what is the true reason behind it?

I Am Radar Reif Larsen In 1975, a black child is mysteriously born to white parents. His name is Radar Radmanovic. Falling in with a secretive group of puppeteers and scientists, he is soon forced to confront the true nature of his identity. Though Radar is raised in suburban New Jersey, his story rapidly becomes entangled with events stretching from Belgrade in a time of siege to arctic Norway, from Cambodia in the years before the murderous Khmer Rouge regime to the modern-day Congo. It explores the furthest reaches of quantum physics, forgotten history, puppetry and human experience. It’s also about one man, one family and how far you may need to travel to know yourself.

Still Travelling Mal Leyland Mike and Mal Leyland’s first step towards becoming beloved Aussie icons came with the screening of their hazardous trip down the length of the Darling River in a five-metre aluminium dinghy. They went on to have numerous adventures, culminating in their ground-breaking TV series, Ask the Leyland Brothers, in which they travelled to unusual or far-flung places around Australia at viewers’ requests. In this revealing memoir, Mal Leyland takes us through his eventful life, from his ‘ten-pound-Pom’ immigrant childhood, adventuring with Mike through outback Australia, the brothers’ sometimes stormy relationship, their dramatic rise to success as filmmakers, their devastating financial losses, Mal’s triumph over cancer to his ongoing travels with his beloved wife of 45 years, Laraine. Ever the adventurer, Mal Leyland has continued to explore our beautiful and dangerous country. Still Travelling is his compelling account of a life lived to the full.

To Name Those Lost Rohan Wilson “The writing is compelling and vivid, the use of language superb, and Wilson skillfully weaves the narrative through fiction and history to its awful conclusion.” – the judges of the 2015 Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards on the winner, Rohan Wilson’s “To Name Those Lost”.

It is summer 1874, and Launceston teeters on the brink of anarchy. After abandoning his wife and child many years ago, the Black War veteran Thomas Toosey must return to the city to search for William, his now motherless twelve-year-old son. He travels through the island’s northern districts during a time of impossible hardship - hardship that has left its mark on him too. Arriving in Launceston, however, Toosey discovers a town in chaos. He is desperate to find his son amid the looting and destruction, but at every turn he is confronted by Irish transportee, Fitheal Flynn, and his companion, the hooded man, to whom Toosey owes a debt that he must repay. With a sharp eye for the dirt, the hardness and the sheer dog-eat-doggedness of the lives of the poor, Wilson tells a father’s story in To Name Those Lost.

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 51

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PHONE 5274 1643 DISCLAIMER: L. Bisinella Developments Pty Ltd gives notice that all information contained in this advertisement has been provided in good faith from sources we believe to be reliable. L. Bisinella Developments Pty Ltd does not represent, warrant or guarantee the accuracy of that information. Interested persons should not regard the content of this advertisement as representations of facts but should make their own enquiries to satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise as to the correctness of the information. To the fullest extent permitted by law, L. Bisinella Developments Pty Ltd expressly excludes all and any liability whatsoever for any loss and/or damage that any person may suffer by relying upon or otherwise using the information contained in this advertisement.