Business News 242 by Adcell Group

July 2015

THE UNION MOVEMENT: How the picture has changed from the 8-hour day to today

ISSUE 242

BUSINESS NEWS | 2

CONTENTS

18.

CONTENTS 5 Biz News

COVER STORY

12 New Appointments 13 Inside Word

The Original EUREKA FLAG Unknown maker The flag of the Southern Cross (Eureka Flag), 1854 wool, cotton Collection: Art Gallery of Ballarat Gift of the King family, 2001 (image courtesy Art Gallery of Ballarat)

24 Business Advice

14. FEATURE

25 Finance 26 Recruitment 27 Business 28 Governance 30 Elevator 34 Tech Guy

38. ARTS ISSUE 242 JULY 2015 Read online at: www.biznewsmag.com.au

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40. COMMUNITY

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EDITOR

WHEN DID WE BECOME WOWSERS?

It is a brilliantly earthy Australian word, wowser; and has proved quite a successful export in its century or so of common usage. The Australian National University’s ‘Meanings and Origins of Australian Words’ defines Wowser as: “a mealy-mouthed hypocrite, a pious prude, one who condemns or seeks to curtail the pleasures of others or who works to have his or her own rigid morality enforced on all.” What it was never meant to be was a description of a quintessentially Australian outlook. But a worryingly wowserish trend in our national rhetoric around trigger issues including gay marriage, human rights, asylum seeker detention, immigration policy, and even the arts has left me wondering if wowserism is on the rise?

Suburbia and rural Australia are natural hotbeds of wowserism in the same way that inner urban areas are collecting pools of radical progressiveness. But these generalisations don’t really fit in the way they did half a century ago, or even a few decades ago. People move location and profession for all sorts of reasons now and place is not the static indicator of political and social views that it once was. But do people move perspective and ideals as easily as they move jobs or move house? I wonder what Gillian Triggs would have to say on the issue of advancing wowserism – or how long she will have a voice under a government that sends out a very loud and clear, ‘I don’t like it’ when the Human Rights Commissioner shares her opinions.

When Pauline Hanson declared “I don’t like it” in the 1990s, the nation had a collective chuckle; those four words became a catch cry against the onset of wowserism and nothing is more damaging to the wowser’s cause than laughter.

And perhaps therein lies part of the big issue. There are so many things that we as a nation just don’t want to hear, issues that don’t fit into our picture of ourselves as Australians. Perhaps that is why Sydney shock jock Alan Jones is so phenomenally popular. After all, if Australians didn’t like what he had to say he wouldn’t have a job.

When successive federal governments instituted the policy of locking up asylum seekers, including children, in horrific detention centres both on the Australian mainland and in offshore centres on Nauru and Manus Island – or shipped them to Cambodia - no one was laughing, but an alarming proportion of the voting public agreed with the policies; after all, the government had to do something about the boats. Right?

We have, on the whole, become comfortable, comfortable with our way of life, our self-created status and our relative wealth as a nation. Comfortable people don’t protest, they rarely rage except at sport or the loss of entitlements; comfortable people don’t want things to change. Comfort breeds conservatism, and conservatism is the building blocks of wowserism.

In a recent conversation about the issue of asylum seekers in detention I asked a sage observer of politics why this issue had perpetuated for so long, and how much we would come to regret accepting this appalling failure of human rights protection perpetrated in our name. The newly instated detention secrecy laws are an example of the new wave of wowserism pushed into the nasty old realms of bureaucratic suppression of uncomfortable truths.

How else do we explain the deafening silence that surrounded the gutting of funding to the Australia Council and the proposed handing over of funding choices to George Brandis’ National Program for Excellence in the Arts? Wowserism would suggest that you can’t trust those artist-types with all their flittering about - what if they say something we don’t like, and we’ve (partly) paid for it with our (or taxpayers’, which is almost the same thing) money?

She replied, “The average person out there agrees with it.”

A wowser, once upon a time – otherwise known as the 1980s – was someone who didn’t drink. Of course, now we know that not drinking does not make you a wowser, despite the great Aussie idiom being abused in this way over the last few decades. No, not drinking really just makes you healthier and can help raise money for a very worthy cause, like Dry July – when sensible people everywhere are giving their livers, not to mention their waistlines, a break from the booze.

It was a shockingly apt observation; shocking because I suspect it’s true, and if it is true then surely our national identity has changed. Has the narrow-minded view that we laughed at 20 years ago when it came from a Queensland fish and chip shop owner become the national point of view? Is this wowserism writ large? Rigid morality is something we’ve come to expect from our federal pollies in recent years, with the firm ability to drive a point home – at times regardless of the point itself – has become a key criteria of career elevation amongst the two big parties. And, to a certain extent, we expect a level of wowserish rigidity – not to mention a healthy dose of mealy-mouthed hypocriticality - amongst the political class. But how far is wowserism spreading in Australia?

What does make you a wowser is when you feel somehow empowered, or worse, that you have a right to force your views on the people around you and expect those people to agree with you – or at the very least to disagree as quietly as possible. Now, can we just change the subject before some damn fool brings up climate change or the ABC?

DAVINA MONTGOMERY BUSINESS NEWS | 4

BIZ NEWS

AUSSIES HAVE HOW MUCH ANNUAL LEAVE ACCRUED? Ever been told you have to take holidays because you’ve accrued too much annual leave? Well, according to Roy Morgan Research, you’re not alone. Collectively, Australia’s full-time workforce has a grand total of 123,510,000 days of annual leave accrued averaging just under 21 days leave each. Time to pack your bags? Of that whopping total annual leave balance, male workers account for two-thirds of the nation’s accrued holiday pay with 85,357,000 days - or an average 22 days each. The remaining 38,153,000 is owed to female workers, with the individual average being 18 days. Of course it worth remembering that men comprise almost two-thirds of Australia’s full-time workforce when comparing workforce figures on gender. According to the research, only 9 per cent of workers have no leave, while the majority (41 per cent) have less than four weeks’ leave; leaving 11 per cent of workers with between four and five weeks’ leave up their sleeves, and 28 per cent with more than five weeks due. The remaining 11 per cent can’t say how much leave they’ve accumulated. Workers in certain industries tend to have a higher level of annual leave accrued than others, with those employed in wholesaling (25 days), public administration and defence (24 days), agriculture (24 days) and transport and storage (24 days) being especially likely to have accumulated substantial leave balances.

With average leave balances of 15 and 16 days respectively, construction and communication workers tend to be among those who actually make use of their leave. Angela Smith, Group Account Director, Roy Morgan Research, says, “It’s almost impossible to fathom: Australia’s six million fulltime workers have no less than 123,510,000 days’ annual leave accrued between them. Even when we consider that this equates to just under 21 days each, that’s a lot of leave – more than four working weeks per person. “It is interesting to note the difference in average leave balances between industries, with people employed in wholesaling, public administration and defence, and agriculture having above-average amounts of annual leave waiting to be enjoyed. “With the average full-time leave allowance being four work weeks per annum, this would suggest that people are not taking much time off. Yet, contrary to what their leave balances might suggest, our data reveals that Australia’s full-time workers do take holidays. In the last 12 months, 75 per cent went on at least one trip. “What’s more, 80 per cent are planning to take a trip in the next 12 months. Considering the volume of annual leave between them, this represents a great opportunity for destination marketers and tourism operators to target these people and offer suggestions on how and where to spend their leave.”

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 5

BIZ NEWS

THE MAN WHO RAN TO AMSTERDAM There’s a lot to like in the new wave of action-based activism and amongst the movement’s proponents is one young Aussie, Adam Yu, who returned home last month after having run 3,174kms solo, over four months, from Barcelona to Amsterdam. Dubbed the ‘Man Who Ran to Amsterdam’ and creator of the Why You Collective, Adam’s mission was two-fold; to get people talking and thinking about their big ideas to encourage motivated thinking in business and beyond, while also raising money and awareness for Arts Access Australia (AAA), the national peak body for arts and disability. “I believe our own ideas are the soul of our motivation. For me this run was all about setting a definitive example and showing others what you can achieve when you focus on bringing to life your big ideas. And it so happens that raising money for an organisation that is close to me is one of those ideas” he said. “I’ve had so many amazing moments. I’ve run across though the French Riviera, the north of Italy, through the Swiss Alps and out into Zurich. The south of Germany along the base of the Alps was unbelievable and I’ve surfed in Munich.”

But the 125-day journey wasn’t exactly a walk in the park for the 30 year-old entrepreneur. Adam pushed through moments of acute physical and mental hurdles. “Some moments were tough. There were times when I dealt with severe anxiety from being isolated. Other parts of the journey pushed my limits physically like in the north east of Spain, I had to run through terrible weather. There is a wind called La Tramontane that regularly reaches 100km/h and I had to run through it, causing nose bleeds and general discomfort,” he said. Intrigued? Find out more at www.thewhyyoucollective.tumblr.com/ www.facebook.com/thewhyyoucollective and www.artsaccessaustralia.org

NORTHERN HEALTH HUB CHOSEN FOR BARWON HEALTH-NORTH

he wheels of bureaucracy rarely turn swiftly and an announcement by the Andrews Government that the long-anticipated northern hospital – to be known as Barwon Health-North – will be built on the Waterworld site in Norlane is proof that while they are indeed slow, at least the wheels are still turning. The $33 million health facility will be built as part of the new Northern Arts, Recreation and Community Health and Wellbeing Hub. Construction is expected to start in the second half of 2016, with the doors expected to open in 2017.

Designed to alleviate pressure on University Hospital Geelong as the region’s population continues to expand, Barwon Health-North will provide community-based health care services including x-ray, CT scanning, pathology, pharmacy and consulting. But it is in the urgent care centre, offering nonemergency patients with an alternative to hospital emergency departments, and same-day medical services such as renal dialysis that the health facility will fulfill a long-held need for hospital-based services in Geelong’s northern suburbs. The decision on the siting of the new state-of-the-art facility follows years of community consultation and masterplanning.

BUSINESS NEWS | 6

BIZ NEWS

HOW ONLINE REVIEWS ARE DRIVING BUSINESS

ccording to research undertaken by TrueLocal, two in three online reviewers only post feedback after a positive experience with a business, while over 80 per cent of survey respondents saying good reviews help them make a purchase decision. Ruth Trewhella, Group Manager of TrueLocal, says, “Australians are more inclined to give positive feedback, with 67 per cent of respondents revealing they only write reviews after a positive experience. “Our findings debunk a belief among many businesses that reviews are used by the public to vent about their experiences. In reality, just 6 per cent of reviewers admitted to doing so.” TrueLocal, a local business directory and review platform, surveyed just under 950 Australians about their online reviewing habits to uncover the findings. “While you’d imagine that Aussies would draw on negative reviews to help them choose a business, the opposite is true. Our research found 82 per cent of those surveyed say glowing reviews, not negative ones, made their purchasing decisions easier,” Ms Trewhella said. Meanwhile, more than half of reviewers need to be ‘furious’ before reviewing a business negatively online. Most respondents admitted that negative emotions would need to run extremely high to motivate them to post a negative writeup. Fifty-six per cent said an experience would need to leave them ‘furious’ before they’d review negatively, and a further 16 per cent would need to be ‘annoyed’. For positive reviews, 36 per cent would need to be ‘happy’ and a further 30 per cent ‘satisfied’ with an experience before giving positive feedback. Proving that emotions are high when people tap out a negative write-up, further TrueLocal research found that reviewers use nearly twice as many words when penning negative reviews.

Highly positive (five-star) write-ups were short and sweet, averaging 55 words, while negative reviews were verbose at 83 and 95 words for two- and one-star ratings, respectively. Ms Trewhella adds, “While the public finds positive feedback more relevant, businesses should not ignore negative reviews, as they offer a window into the areas of their product or service that may need improvement. It’s really important to respond to negative reviews as doing so demonstrates to consumers that the business is committed to improving customer service.” TrueLocal’s tips for businesses to take customers from satisfied to delighted: Follow Up – Online reviews give valuable feedback. TrueLocal has found that consumers are more likely to use a business where the business publicly responded to a negative review to resolve the issue. Communicate with your customers at all times, even when they’re unhappy, and your online reputation is likely to improve. Service, service, service – TrueLocal revealed that just 6 per cent of customers use reviews to vent. Customers are seldom motivated by spite; most reviews give valuable information about the service you offer. Call me – A personal courtesy call after a job to ensure everything went well can reap rewards. Resolving any issues that arise in a personal way can keep your customers loyal. Keep it personal – Use simple customer relationship management software to keep customer details on file including needs, wants and regular requests. Gifting works – Gifts on special dates such as a customer’s birthday or Australia Day go down well. Coffee vouchers or business-focused rewards such as discount vouchers for future services are popular options. Small businesses tend to baulk at the idea of giving gifts, but a coffee voucher could cost $5 and it will make your customers feel special and appreciated.

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BIZ NEWS

A SMALL DROP IN THE COST OF LIVING OCEAN

THE IMPORTANCE OF VACCINATION

arwon Water prices are set to decrease as of July 1. In 2013, the independent Essential Services Commission approved Barwon Water’s 2013-2018 Water Plan, a five-year business blueprint that details service standards, business initiatives, prices and infrastructure investments. In support of Barwon Water’s commitment to minimise cost-ofliving pressures on customers, the commission approved a decrease of 1.6 per cent a year, excluding CPI, over the life of the Water Plan. Once CPI of 1.33 per cent is factored in for the financial year commencing July 1, 2015, residential and non-residential bills will reduce 0.30 per cent. A Victorian Government water rebate of $80 will apply to residential customers whose bills include a water usage component. The rebate applies in the first quarter of the financial year and reflects continued efforts to improve customer affordability. Barwon Water Chairman, Dr Michael King, said although prices before applying inflation had decreased 1.6 per cent in 2013 and 2014, the higher CPI rate in those years meant small increases had applied. “This year, inflation is lower and, as a result, customers will actually see a reduction in prices,” Dr King said. “For an average residential customer using 160 kilolitres of water a year, this translates into a decrease of around $4.15 a year. “Although only a minor saving, the price reduction bucks the trend in terms of cost of living increases,” he said. The ESC is the independent regulator of gas, water and electricity prices in Victoria. All water corporations are required to submit five-year Water Plans, including pricing structures, to the Commission.

he Office of the Chief Scientist of Australia released a new paper in June that highlights the nation’s history of vaccination is a case study in the importance of science and science literacy. “Australia has a proud record in both advancing the science of vaccination and spreading the benefits throughout the community,” said Chief Scientist Professor Ian Chubb in a statement. “We have achieved one of the highest rates of vaccination coverage in the world, and freed generations of Australians from the fear of deadly diseases. “Like many Australians, I grew up in the shadow of polio, diphtheria and measles. I believe we have an obligation to maintain and extend the protection we now enjoy to the generations to come.” The World Health Organisation estimates that vaccination programs prevent between 2 and 3 million deaths every year, but the efficacy of vaccination in preventing death and irreversible damage caused by disease depends on widespread vaccination – meaning every individual vaccination is important in protecting the wider population from preventable disease. Professor Chubb emphasised the need for constant vigilance. “Our scientists remain on the frontline against disease, developing new vaccines to protect us and better ways for vaccines to be administered. As a community, we need to support them – and as individuals, we need to be informed. “I hope we will not allow the remarkable achievements of the past to blind us to our obligations in the present.” The four-page paper is available at www.chiefscientist.gov.au.

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BIZ NEWS

TOURISM AND EVENTS SECTOR GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT TO SHINE

BIG CHANGES NEEDED IN TAX SYSTEM

ictoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) has welcomed the acknowledgement by the State Premier of the need for a more holistic and connected approach to tourism growth, as highlighted by the Victorian Visitor Economy Review. “We are delighted that the Premier has acknowledged that we must bring the various aspects of the government’s tourism, marketing and events functions together, to drive growth with “one voice and one clear plan” for Victorian tourism,” said VTIC Chief Executive Dianne Smith. Ms Smith said the changes could result in greater synergies between, and within, government at all levels and the tourism sector; greater cohesion on the ground for delivering crucial aspects of the visitor experience such as transport, infrastructure and information to increase visitor satisfaction, length of stay and spending; and greater coordination with other sectors including international education, sports, food and wine, agritourism and business events. “VTIC supports an events focus to spur growth, however we must better leverage these events to capitalise on their significant economic potential by encouraging further spending on other parts of the economy such as restaurants, accommodation, entertainment and wider regional travel,” she said. “This holistic approach will reap the economic rewards only if it is accompanied by significant expenditure on tourism marketing and further regional infrastructure investment throughout Victoria. “VTIC looks forward to continued work in partnership with the government as the review outcomes are implemented, to drive job growth and prosperity for Victoria.”

eleasing the Australian Industry Group’s submission to the Tax Reform Discussion Paper, Chief Executive, Innes Willox, has said the Australian tax system needs a shake-up.

“Our current tax arrangements are under strain. We rely too much on taxes that undermine the effective working of the economy: taxes that detract from investment, job-creation, workforce participation and saving. Businesses are snowed under with excessive reporting and compliance obligations. We need a commitment, from across the national parliament and the federation, to a bold remodelling of our approach to taxation. The challenges faced by our tax system are set to grow further as the pressures of globalisation, technological change and population ageing intensify over coming years. The Ai Group’s submission focused on key directions including reducing the company tax rate to more competitive levels; moving towards a cash basis of taxation for small businesses; financing the removal of the harmful state and territory payroll and insurance taxes by broadening the base and raising the rate of the GST; restoring the effectiveness and stability of the Research and Development Tax Incentive; and raising the thresholds from which the two higher personal income tax rates apply.”

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BIZ NEWS

COMPANY DIRECTORS COURSE HEADS TO GEELONG Geelong Chamber of Commerce was very pleased to welcome 14 new members at our June After 5 at the Pier and Hosted by Allianz. Bayside Technologies Pty Ltd Coastal Golf Victoria D & D Worldwide Logistics Evolve Online Content - Photography & Copywriting Gatehouse Legal Recruitment Geelong Golf Club ICON Wealth Solutions Jims Cleaning Highton L.P. Thompson Constructions Pty Ltd PT Iseka Services Simon Ramsay MP Surfcoast Hotel Taj Barr Production The Geelong Club

Upcoming events:

The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) is on the road across August and September, with courses being delivered in Geelong, Mildura and Bendigo. Developed and facilitated by directors for directors, this internationallyrecognised education program is designed to provide directors with a comprehensive understanding of their duties and responsibilities, as well as the necessary skills and knowledge to successfully govern their organisations. The Victorian State Manager, Paul Geyer, said it was important that regional directors have the same opportunities as those in metropolitan areas. “We recognise business leaders, directors and Not-for-Profit (NFP) board members aren’t just located in metropolitan areas and it’s important

that regional directors have the opportunity to attend the same education programs without travelling long distances,” said Mr Geyer. Established in 1975, the Company Directors Course is updated annually and provides a unique opportunity for directors to discuss current issues affecting governance and directorship. It also provides outstanding opportunities for directors to network with their peers from a wide variety of industries and sectors. The Company Directors Course that attracts leaders from the public and private sectors, as well as the NFP sector, is to be held in Geelong for five consecutive Mondays, commencing on the 10 August 2015 with places still available. For more information on the course visit: www.companydirectors.com.au

JULY AFTER 5 – ‘DRY JULY’ 15 July 2015 The Pier Geelong Hosted by TAC

ANNUAL WESTPAC ECONOMIC BREAKFAST 7 August 2015 The Pier Geelong Hosted by Westpac

AUGUST AFTER 5 12 August 2015 Waterfront Kitchen Hosted by Deakin University

BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS PRESENTATION DINNER 20 August 2015 The Geelong Arena Hosted by Geelong Chamber of Commerce

SEPTEMBER AFTER 5 24 September 2015 @ Cotton On Hosted by United Water

PRIVATE PARKING CRACKDOWN The Victorian Government is set to introduce new laws to protect drivers from having to pay excessive or bogus car parking fees. According to Geelong MP, Christine Couzens, private car park operators have in the past requested the details of more than 50,000 Victorians so that letters of demand could be sent and a number of operators have been the subject of consumer affairs reports highlighting misleading and unfair practices. Fines issued by private operators are typically between $80 and $150, with unpaid fines being chased by debt collectors.

concern about these car park fines and are confused about whether they must pay them or not.” Ms Couzens said constituents have reported a number of dubious practices amongst private operators, and challenging these privately-issued fines have become a burden on our court system and a waste of tax payers’ money.

Ms Couzens said recent decisions from the Supreme Court and VCAT have found that some private car park fines were unenforceable because the damages did not reflect the actual losses suffered by the operator. “In the past, people have been intimidated into paying excessive and bogus fines. This legislation will put an end to this. “I have met with a number of constituents who have raised their

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BIZ NEWS

NORWAY DIVESTS FROM COAL While the Australia parliament continues its resistance to action on climate change, the global investment market is taking some big steps towards CO2 reduction. The Norway pension fund – the largest sovereign wealth fund in the world at US$900 billion) has announced that it will divest all shares from companies with over 30 per cent of their revenue or power derived from coal. The decision by the European heavyweight resonated throughout the financial world. And Norway is not alone in large-scale divestment from fossil fuels, with French insurer, AXA, is announcing divesting a EUR 500 million portfolio from fossil fuel intensive industries. A report in the Ethical Investor (ethicalinvestor.com.au) states that the GPFG holds roughly 1.3 per cent of the world’s listed assets and the decision on the sovereign wealth fund’s green stance will be felt in Australia with the fund to divest of more $138 million shares in Australian companies. The GPFG will continue to support industry companies that fall below the 30 per cent threshold, including BHP Billiton and Origin Energy. Speaking in May this year, AXA Chairman and CEO, Henri de Castries, said of his company’s move away from fossil fuel

investment, “It is our responsibility, as a long term institutional investor, to consider carbon as a risk and to accompany the global energy transition. The burning of coal to produce energy is today clearly one of the biggest obstacles preventing us from reaching the 2°C target. For this reason, AXA has decided to divest from the companies most exposed to coal-related activities for the assets managed internally. This initiative represents a divestment of EUR 0.5 billion. Divesting from coal contributes both to de-risking our investment portfolios and to building better alignment with AXA’s corporate responsibility strategy to build a stronger, safer and more sustainable society.” Mr de Castries said that in addition to the divestment policy, the insurer is committed to tripling its green investment footprint, aiming to reach EUR 3 billion in investments in clean technology private equity, green infrastructure, impact investment and green bonds by 2020 for AXA’s General Account and has committed to integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria into all relevant asset classes of the General Account by the end of the year.

SURF COAST TO BALANCE BUSINESS COSTS The Surf Coast Shire Council has announced that it will embark on a business improvement program to help manage increased financial pressures brought about by state and federal policies.

15 years. At the same time, if rate capping resulted in a two percentage point cut to rate rises, Council’s budget would be reduced by some $105 million over 15 years,” said Cr Smith.

“It’s a challenging equation and one we’ll have to tackle a number of ways, including through a review of our operations. We recognise our community requires critical services at an appropriate level of quality – it’s more about finding the best way for these to be delivered with any financial gains to offset external cost pressures.”

“Financial sustainability is a key priority at the best times,” said Surf Coast Shire Council Mayor Cr Margot Smith in a statement announcing the new program. “The introduction of rate capping combined with the existing freeze on increases to federal financial assistance grants has made it even more important that we understand our financial commitments and manage them as thoroughly as possible. “The freezing of federal government grants to Councils will cost the Surf Coast community an estimated $5 million over the next

The Council plan involves the adoption of five themes to guide the business improvement program: Governance; Community; Value; Collaboration and Transparency. “The principles will guide the roll out of the program and amongst other things ensure that the community is kept involved and informed if ever a service is changed as a result of the program,” said Cr Smith. Council recently adopted a mid-term revised Council Plan which notes ‘sustainable service and staff’ as one of three priority areas for the Council over the remaining two years of its term.

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 11

NEW APPOINTMENTS

LEGAL DI NELSON - BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER TOURISM GREATER GEELONG & THE BELLARINE Di Nelson has been appointed to the role of Business Development Manager at Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine. Di is a well-known face in the Geelong business community after a successful career at the Geelong Chamber of Commerce for the last 4 ½ years. As Business Development Manager, Di will focus on strengthening relationships between the region’s peak tourism body and the local business sector and driving membership growth. Tourism is the one of the world’s biggest growth sectors and Geelong and the Bellarine has enormous potential for growth in attracting domestic, international and business visitors . Di will be looking to strengthen industry participation and corporate partnerships as part of Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine’s strategy for growth.

Gabrielle joined Harwood Andrews after working overseas in the offshore jurisdictions of the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands and Guernsey. While overseas, Gabrielle gained experience advising private and commercial clients about complex trust litigation and general commercial law. Gabrielle completed a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (International Relations and Development Studies) at the Australian National University in 2008. Gabrielle was admitted to practice in 2010 while working for a commercial law firm in Canberra.

LEGAL Aaron Jolly will become a Principal of Whyte Just & Moore from 1 July following the retirement of Peter Spear after some 47 years of practice. Aaron joined Whyte Just & Moore in 2010 and has developed expertise in a broad range of practice areas, but particularly in Wills & Estates, succession planning, commercial transactions and Estate-related litigation.

LEGAL

LEGAL Lorraine Clarke joined Whyte Just & Moore as a family lawyer on the 30th of March 2015. Lorraine has spent the past 12 years working in the Family Law section of a Melbourne CBD firm. Lorraine has extensive experience in all aspects of Family Law including parenting disputes, family violence issues, contravention issues, negotiating property settlements and divorce.

Bronwen Charleson has been promoted to Principal and will continue to work in the Wills and Estate Planning department. She joined the firm in 2012 after previously working in the self-managed superannuation fund industry. Bronwen holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Queensland.

BUSINESS NEWS | 12

LEGAL Matthew Kinross – Smith, an Accredited Specialist in Business Law has established a new firm, Kinross – Smith & Co Lawyers Pty Ltd (www. kinrosssmithco.com.au). He has over 17 years’ experience in a broad range of business, property and commercial related areas including employment law, intellectual property and commercial litigation.

INSIDE WORD

PROTOTYPE WAVE POWER UNIT FOR PORT FAIRY

ioPower Systems Pty Ltd has finished constructing its prototype wave power unit that will be installed off the coast of Port Fairy later this year. Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) CEO, Ivor Frischknecht released a statement congratulating BioPower on the achievement that he said would advance the renewable wave energy industry in Australia. “The $21 million project, supported by $11 million ARENA funding, aims to move BioPower’s bioWAVE technology towards commercialisation,” Mr Frischknecht said. “If successfully installed, it will be the second ARENA supported wave energy device supplying energy to a major Australian grid, feeding 250kW of renewable energy into the National Electricity Market. “The bioWAVE unit is a 26 metre high steel structure that sways back and forth, mostly below the surface of the ocean. The design was inspired by undersea plants and the entire device can lie flat on the seabed out of harm’s way during bad weather. “The oscillating motion activates hydraulic cylinders to spin a generator, with the power transported to the shore via a subsea cable. “The site near Port Fairy is in the final stages of preparation for the arrival of the completed unit, with the onshore electrical equipment in place and divers working on subsea power and data cabling.” Mr Frischknecht said BioPower had been working on the technology since 2006, taking it through an in-depth research and development phase to full-scale demonstration. “This illustrates how new renewable energy generation ideas require substantial time, effort and cost to shape them into functional, commercial propositions,” Mr Frischknecht said. “The bioWAVE pilot is on track for installation in November 2015 and is expected to operate for at least 12 months, with testing throughout and an independent performance assessment at the conclusion. “This data will inform the design of a larger 1MW commercial-scale bioWAVE unit, planned as the next phase of development for the technology.” BioPower Systems CEO, Dr Timothy Finnigan, said achieving practical completion of the bioWAVE device is the most important milestone in the history of the development of the technology. “It has been very satisfying to see it come together and to witness functional testing of the onboard systems,” Dr Finnigan said.

SURF COAST TO BALANCE BUSINESS COSTS

he Surf Coast Shire Council has announced that it will embark on a business improvement program to help manage increased financial pressures brought about by state and federal policies.

The Surf Coast council estimates that the State Government rate capping framework and the Federal Government’s freeze on financial assistance grants increases will have an impact on the community of around $5 million over the next 15 years. The business improvement program is aimed at ensuring Council is equipped to manage the expected financial challenges brought on by the state and federal decisions. “Financial sustainability is a key priority at the best times,” said Surf Coast Shire Council Mayor Cr Margot Smith in a statement announcing the new program. “The introduction of rate capping combined with the existing freeze on increases to federal financial assistance grants has made it even more important that we understand our financial commitments and manage them as thoroughly as possible. “The freezing of federal government grants to Councils will cost the Surf Coast community an estimated $5 million over the next 15 years. At the same time, if rate capping resulted in a two percentage point cut to rate rises, Council’s budget would be reduced by some $105 million over 15 years,” said Cr Smith. “It’s a challenging equation and one we’ll have to tackle a number of ways, including through a review of our operations. We recognise our community requires critical services at an appropriate level of quality – it’s more about finding the best way for these to be delivered with any financial gains to offset external cost pressures.” The Council plan involves the adoption of five themes to guide the business improvement program: Governance; Community; Value; Collaboration and Transparency. “The principles will guide the roll out of the program and amongst other things ensure that the community is kept involved and informed if ever a service is changed as a result of the program,” said Cr Smith. Council recently adopted a mid-term revised Council Plan which notes ‘sustainable service and staff’ as one of three priority areas for the Council over the remaining two years of its term.

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FEATURE

AN INSIDE GUIDE TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTY INVESTMENT

he question of whether the boom in residential property is artificially and unsustainably inflating residential property prices in Australia has received plenty of interest in recent months, but it isn’t the only question potential or current property investors should be considering. Commercial property has largely been the reserve of a limited number of high volume investors – as opposed to the widespread, typically low-scale investment of the residential sector’s mum and dad or self-managed superannuation fund (SMSF) investors. But will the boom in residential property prices see more investors considering commercial properties? Chris Lang is a third-generation real estate agent and has become one of Australia’s most sought-after advisors on commercial property investment. A graduate in economics from Monash University, Chris had a long career in real estate in Melbourne before moving with his wife to Geelong. Having been a regular keynote speaker at major business conferences and seminars around Australia since the mid-1970s, and having written six books on the subject, Chris founded and is the CEO of CommercialPropertyMadeEasy.com. Chris’ advice remains in high demand and he has established property mentoring groups and a number of investor websites, in-depth home study courses and runs detailed workshops on investing in commercial property. His latest book, written with stock market expert, Martin Roth, ‘How Investing in Commercial Property Really Works’ is now in its third print run. We asked Chris to share his insights into investing in commercial property investment versus residential property. “The question of why to look at commercial property versus residential property is a question often asked by traditionally residential investors when they’re considering the transition across to commercial property. The reasons are rather compelling and the number one reason is the longer leases you enjoy with commercial property,” Chris said.

Chris Lang

YOUR TENANTS STAY FOR LONGER “Quite often, you’ll find residential tenancies will be on a monthto-month basis; maybe six months, perhaps for a year, whereas commercial properties will tend to lease for between three and five years, and often for longer. That means you have fewer tenancy changes, and a far more predictable income stream.”

“Because they are running a business, commercial tenants consider rent as simply another regular expense each month. And generally, this gets set up as an automatic bank transfer — and can be specified as such, in the lease,” he said.

Income security is a key consideration of investing in property – no landlord wants his or her property to be sitting vacant. And while we tend to think of vacancy as more of an issue for commercial rather than residential tenancies, Chris said that if investors choose their property wisely, commercial investments could provide more income security than residential properties.”

Another difference between commercial and residential property investments is that unlike in residential properties, commercial tenants pay the outgoings of the building. But, as with any investment, it all comes down to risk and return and part of successfully investing in commercial property is being able to analyse the ongoing viability of potential tenants.

YOU HAVE GREATER CONTROL “When residential tenants want to exit half-way through a lease, they simply need to find a suitable substitute tenant and then transfer the lease across to that person. “From there on, this new tenant becomes responsible for the rental, over the remainder of the lease term. “Commercial tenants are running a business from your property. And whenever they sell their business, they also require your approval to assign the lease. “However, here’s the difference: if the new commercial tenant defaults in paying the rental, you also have recourse to the previous tenant as well as the current tenant — because commercial leases are business contracts, enforceable by law.

You want your property to be securely tenanted to get the best value out of it, and that isn’t a job for an amateur – which is perhaps why so many investors dismiss the option of including commercial assets in their investment portfolios. Seeking specialist commercial property investment advice can help work through the risks and, ultimately, lead to a better performing investment.

YOU NO LONGER NEED TO PAY THE OUTGOINGS “Typically, residential properties will provide you with a 5 per cent gross rental return,” Chris said. “From this, you need to pay the rates and taxes, insurance, maintenance and so on - leaving you with about a 3.5 per cent net return at the end of the year. Depending upon what and where those expenses are, commercial properties will generate a 5 to 9 per cent rental return.

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FEATURE “However, commercial tenants are also required to pay the various building outgoings on top of their rental - making this a net rental return to you.” Another consideration of property investment is ongoing maintenance, and while there are perfect tenants and not so great tenants, there are some general trends across the residential and commercial sectors.

COMMERCIAL TENANTS MAINTAIN YOUR PROPERTY “As you know, if the toilet stops working in an apartment the tenant asks you to send around a plumber. Whereas, commercial tenants quickly attend to (and pay to fix) the problem so as not to disrupt their business. “Furthermore, the overall appearance of the property becomes a reflection on them. As such, your property is kept in good condition at their expense. Therefore, whether the lease requires it or not, most commercial tenants will regularly repair and repaint the property, in order to maintain a good corporate image.

GREATER REGULARITY WITH RENTAL PAYMENTS

With Baby Boomers beginning to retire en-masse, he said we could expect to see a lot of older, large family homes hitting the market at around the same time. Many of these homes will not have been updated and that, combined with the basic principal of supply and demand, could lead to a fall in properties in this segment of the market. With so many Boomers relying on being able to sell their family home at a high price before downsizing to help fund their retirement, any drop in the sale price of their family will have a big impact. And more and more of the Boomer generation are choosing to remain in work, albeit often with less days in the office and more time off for travel, and that is further adding to the need for quality office space.

IT’S EASY TO MAKE A START

“The way that we think about commercial property is quite different from the way that we think about residential investment. For a start, residential property is so familiar – we’ve all lived in a property that we’ve either rented or bought.”

“As a residential investor, you soon find yourself having to deal with the vagaries of individual people. However, as a commercial investor, you tend to enjoy a more predictable long-term relationship with your tenants - based upon a proper business footing,” Chris said. “When you think about it, that sounds like a far better arrangement.”

LOOKING AT THE WIDER PICTURE The way that we think about commercial property is quite different from the way that we think about residential investment. For a start, residential property is so familiar – we’ve all lived in a property that we’ve either rented or bought. We understand the pricing structure, the basic costs involved and we’ve seen the prices of houses, and units and apartments, soar over the past decade. We see homes for sale and rent advertised online, in print and across the front windows of real estate agents. For many investors, it feels like the safe option, and it’s important for investors to be comfortable with where their money is going. Commercial properties are, on the other hand, other than being physically visible as offices, business sites or vacant spaces with a ‘For Rent’ sign out the front, all but invisible as an investment option. In Geelong in particular, it can be hard enough to find a commercial property to rent when you are looking to start or move your business. Yet, we know our region is on the upward slope of a significant population boom. The City of Greater Geelong is forecasting that the wider city will grow from 231,453 in 2015 to 320,791 by 2036. Population growth supports business growth, and businesses need suitable premises to grow into. And Chris said he sees some challenges facing the residential market other than the potential bubble that has developed around the Sydney and Melbourne residential markets.

At the other end of the investment scale, Chris said commercial property investment provides a viable entry point into the market for young buyers. While they may not be able to afford the deposit for a house, unit or apartment, the buy in price for a small office is considerably lower. As they continue to save towards a home deposit, young investors can be getting the benefits of an appreciating property market through their commercial investment and, when they are ready, can sell their commercial property and use that money to get them into the residential property market.

This back way of getting into the property market is something that has been popular in UK, Europe and the USA, and the high cost of housing in Australia means that many young or first buyers will have to look at less traditional ways of taking that first step into the market. Property markets move in cycles, with wider economic conditions, employment and, of course, interest rates all having an impact on the cycle. Residential properties are particularly sensitive to changes in interest rates, while the demand for retail, warehousing and manufacturing properties is closely tied to wider economic conditions and how much consumers and businesses are spending. Typically, the cycle for office spaces is longer than that of the residential property market, as both the supply and demand for office space closely tracks economic activity and is largely unaffected by interest rates. Chris said office property in the east coast’s two big markets, Sydney and Melbourne, should be enjoying good growth over the next three years, with those markets expected to peak around 2018/19. Ultimately, there are positives and negatives with all types of property investment. Both commercial and residential property assets offer tax benefits and relatively low volatility compared to the stock market. Commercial properties generally deliver higher yields while residential properties tend to deliver higher capital gains. But the best way to make the right decision for you is to get some good quality advice. Chris Lang will be back in Business News with a series of inside tips on commercial property investment.

DAVINA MONTGOMERY Important information: This content is general in nature and does not constitute formal advice. Individuals should seek appropriate professional advice that considers the individual’s objectives, financial situation and needs before making investment decisions.

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GOLF

ON PAR FOR AN EXCITING FUTURE

f you thought golf was just for old people or those with a penchant for checked pants, think again!

Curlewis Golf Club is moving towards becoming one of the most exciting and sought after golf destinations in the region – and for good reason. Already ranked as one of Australia’s top 100 courses, the iconic club recently changed ownership following an overwhelming majority member vote to sell to Bellarine locals David and Lyndsay Sharp of Ladcom Pty Ltd - owners of Leura Park Estate, Jack Rabbit Vineyard and Flying Brick Cider Co. Taking over the reins on July 1, the Sharps are known for their passion and commitment to the Bellarine community and have a proven track record of developing first class facilities in the area. The couple are set to roll out a host of course and club house improvements with the goal of establishing a new benchmark in regional golfing experience.

“This vote is one that is very positive for the club, providing it and the members with a bright future,” Mr Penning said. Roger Grant, Executive Director of Tourism Geelong and The Bellarine, said the Sharps have an outstanding record of delivering and managing high quality and well-maintained tourism related developments on The Bellarine. “They are very community minded but at the same time have a global perspective and have demonstrated the ability to deliver ‘world standard’ facilities,” Mr Grant said.

“We have made a sincere, serious commitment to Curlewis members and the local community and we intend to ensure that this wonderful community amenity is retained and enhanced as a premier 18 hole golf course now and into an energised and long-term future”

Curlewis Golf Club President, Peter Penning said the sale was unanimously endorsed by the management committee and put to members to vote at a meeting on Thursday, June 18.

“We are confident and excited by the prospect of future development of Curlewis Golf Club and believe David and Lyndsay Sharp have the vision, passion and experience to deliver an outstanding outcome for members, locals and visitors to our region.” In the immediate instance, the Sharps have already demonstrated their commitment to members by not only capping annual membership fees at $1,400, but removing the contentious water levy fee. If you shop around, you’ll see that Curlewis Golf Club offers top value for the golf enthusiast.

Mr Sharp said he had secured the services of Michael Clayton, one of Australia’s most esteemed golf course designers, to initiate and oversee the activation of a contemporary course Master Plan.

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GOLF

“Curlewis is already a magnificent and much-loved golf course and we are looking forward to taking it to the next level with the ongoing enhancement of the course layout under Michael’s direction,” he said. “We have also started working with architects on plans for a massive redesign of the club house and surrounding facilities – we expect to be able to announce these plans in the very near future.” Curlewis golf course is known for its sustainability practices, a key component of which is a state-of-theart water reclamation plant that ensures lush playing conditions year round. The Sharp’s improvement plans includes an upgrade of the current irrigation system. With its views towards the bay, undulating fairways and natural vegetation, Curlewis Golf Club is also dearly loved as a haven for wild life. “The only unwelcome wildlife species is rabbits and we will be adopting cruelty-free measures such as rabbit proof fencing to eradicate the potential for course degradation.” Curlewis members will reap the benefits of a premier - and constantly improving - 18 hole golf course, access to top competition, a proud and wonderful member cohort, an evolving dining and social destination and a guarantee of an exciting, evolutionary future – think family friendly, fun, great dining as well as other community facilities for members, locals and visitors alike to enjoy – definitely a case of watch this space and get excited! “On behalf of the Curlewis Golf Club, we invite current, former and potential members to join with us on an exciting journey into the future. Of course, green fee players are also welcome – come and play at Curlewis!” Mr Sharp said.

Lyndsay and David Sharp

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COVER STORY

2005: ACTU Melbourne Protest. Wiki Commons - Tirin

UNIONS: FROM THE 8-HOUR DAY TO TODAY

he union movement in Australia is facing some unprecedented challenges. After years of membership decline, the body blows have come hard and fast with fraud charges, misuse of union funds and compounding allegations of bribery, kickbacks and stand-over tactics. The Opposition Leader, Bill Shorten, will appear before the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption on July 8 to answer questions about his time as the Victorian state secretary of the Australian Workers Union.

introduction of the Electoral Act 1856, which mandated white male suffrage for lower house elections in the Victorian parliament. The bill was passed in November 1857. Interestingly, the leader of the 1854 Eureka Rebellion, Peter Lalor, who had capitalised on his Eureka fame by entering parliament, is recorded as voting against the bill.

In a fast-changing world, the Australian union movement is in a battle for relevance in much the same way as many of the industries unions represent. The world is moving on and to survive they need to find their place in it. Yet it is hard to fathom an Australia without unions.

“In more recent times, we’ve seen the closure of Point Henry and Alcoa Rolled Products, and with the impending closure of the Anglesea Power Station it’s not exaggerating to say that we have some challenges. We’re seeing particularly in manufacturing the demise of very large, very long-term, very iconic employers and that sets some massive challenges for us. In the current environment, our membership is declining and we need to work out how to do things differently to turn that around.

The history of unionism in Australia is intertwined with modern Australian history. The exercising of collective power took hold in Australia on a much wider scale than in many other parts of the world in the late 1800s and the flag of the Southern Cross that flew over the Eureka Stockade in 1854, the original of which is preserved in the Art Gallery of Ballarat collection, remains a symbol of collectivism – and rebellion – in Australia today. Australians elected the world’s first Labour government in 1899 and the first national Labour government in 1904. The eight-hour working day, minimum wages, redundancy pay, leave entitlements, and even the right of women to work after marriage, all came from the Australian union movement. In 1992, just under half of all Australian workers (43 per cent) belonged to a union, but just two decades later in 2012, that figure had fallen to a national average of around 17 per cent. The Eight Hour Day Campaign dates back to 1855 when Stonemasons and building workers in Sydney went on strike and won the right to the 8-hour day with no loss of pay. In 1856, workers on Melbourne building sites did the same, marching from Melbourne University to Parliament House. After the institution of the 8-hour day, plans for the world’s first Trades Hall were made and the construction of the first Victorian Trades Hall was completed in 1859. Meanwhile, in the Victorian parliament, mass support for the captured leaders of the 1854 Eureka Rebellion in Ballarat led to the

Ben Davis, state secretary of the Australian Workers Union (AWU) says the challenge for unions is to prove their relevance in the jobs and workplaces of today.

“I think the union movement more broadly, particularly in the private sector, needs to get a better understand of how small businesses operate – not just the people who work there, but the people who employ them as well. And that is challenging. The days of hundreds and hundreds of employees being in one location and working for an employer that is remote to them on a day-to-day basis, those days are gone. “The future in our space, in manufacturing, is companies that employ thirty to fifty people, that are family owned and family run, and where the employees and the employer or owner by and large will know each other; they interact, which gives those employees a much better understanding of the challenges that face the business, but it also creates a set of challenges as well. “I think we understand them reasonably well, but we do need to get better at understanding the dynamics in those workplaces, the nature of those relationships and where we can add value for the employees, and where possible, for the business as well,” he said. The kinds of issues that unions developed in response to – hours, conditions and pay – those issues haven’t gone away, and while there are employees who are unwilling to or incapable of individually advocating for themselves the need for unions will remain. But

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COVER STORY workplace dynamics and the industrial landscape in Australia have shifted dramatically in recent years, alongside seismic shifts in the economy. Like many people of my generation in Geelong, I was born into a blue-collar family and my dad worked at Ford. Dad left Ford to start his own business, but he took with him an abiding grudge against the unions who had, at least as he saw it, forced Ford workers to go on strike in the 1970s, leaving him and his mates with no pay and having to resort to food stamps and family hand-outs to feed their young families. The militancy of unions throughout Australia’s manufacturing heyday years of the 60s and 70s reverberated through the next generation. And I wonder how many of my contemporaries hold a mistrust of unionism because of experiences of being told they had to be part of a union to walk on to a job site or hearing stories of thuggery and stand-over tactics. Today, the union movement is under the microscope with several unions facing corruption investigations, including the AWU. With the AWU at the forefront of the Royal Commission into Union Corruption that is currently underway, there was a limited amount Mr Davis could say on the subject, but he did say he had been surprised that only a handful of members had contacted the AWU about the allegations being investigated by the Commission. “I wonder if even now the Royal Commission is gaining much traction in the general community. It certainly is in the media and it certainly is amongst the political classes, employers and unions, but beyond that I’m not convinced that it is. I could well be wrong, but I’m not convinced,” he said.

Western Port or OneSteel at Laverton is interested in that steel issue. They are two large traditional employers who in the case of local procurement would expect that there was increased production in the workplace as a result. But it was the people who were interested in manufacturing more broadly – large workplaces, small workplaces, and in some cases non-union workplaces – who were quite active and interested in the issue from a much bigger issue perspective. I found that quite heartening.” Mr Davis said that he believes there has been a slow but accelerating shift in the wider public interest in the provision of good schools, good hospitals, good roads and good public transport. “People are coming back to the idea that it isn’t just about them and their family, it’s about community. That never went away, but I certainly think it’s on the increase. “There are some things that motivate people regardless of economic circumstance. Everyone is always concerned about jobs, whether it’s for them, or their family or their neighbours or for their kids. That doesn’t change; obviously it gets heightened when unemployment gets higher but it never goes away. There’s always that concern of where will our kids work and what sort of jobs will there be out there, in the same way that people never lose interest in hospitals and schools.

“It’s been my view for years that where we can demonstrate relevance, then people are nterested in talking to us”

“For 130 years we’ve been advocating for a lot more than just what happens in any particular workplace around superannuation, around oc-health [sic] and safety, around social policy more broadly and that role is not going to change. What will change is how we go about exercising our role in that space, but that fundamental moral mission will not change.” Small businesses support almost half of the private sector jobs in Australia on their own and, when combined with the medium-sized business sector as small to medium sized enterprises (SMEs), businesses with under 200 employees make up 99 per cent of all Australian businesses and employ around 65 per cent of the nation’s workforce. Even small changes to the employment framework can have significant impacts on smaller businesses when economic conditions are tight and operating margins contract. “It’s been my view for years that where we can demonstrate relevance, then people are interested in talking to us, as well as joining and being active and everything else. And yes, that’s about wages and conditions and workplace agreements, but it’s also about a lot of other things; it’s about industry policy, it’s about occupational health and safety,” Mr Davis said. “Some people aren’t too concerned about what happens in the broader workforce, they’re just worried about what directly impacts on them in the workplace; whereas other people are interested. Our ‘Reserve Our Gas’ campaign and the stainless steel campaign that we ran last year got a significant amount of interest from people and places that I wouldn’t have thought would be interested. “Stainless steel is a really good example. You would expect, all things being equal, that someone who works for BlueScope at

“In Victoria what has been interesting is the role transport and public transport in particular has gained in people’s collective consciousness. My view is the Brumby government largely lost power because it dropped the ball on public transport and I think a large part of why Napthine was not re-elected was because people didn’t see that he was doing much to fix the problem.

“So, in a state sense, where it used to be jobs, schools and hospitals, now it’s jobs, schools, hospitals and transport.” A recent Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) report released this year suggested that the digital revolution means that more five million jobs, or almost 40 per cent of the jobs in Australia today, have a moderate to high likelihood of disappearing in the next 10 to 15 years. If this shift was to eventuate – and given how far the Australian employment market has shifted in just the past five years and the increasing pace of technology changes in Australian businesses it isn’t beyond the bounds of possibility – there would be a need for widespread retraining across multiple industries. Mr Davis said there was a role for unions to play in the reskilling and re-employment space. “The Point Henry example was a good one. Yes, we were super keen to see that they were paid their appropriate redundancy, but for us what was almost as important was finding out what retraining was available and what transition assistance was available both from Alcoa, but also from all three levels of government, to help people move into what’s next. A number of those people have found work and a number of them haven’t. A number of them have moved into self-employed contract situations – maybe with a mate who is a builder - or they’ve moved into the health industry and particularly in aged care.” Tim Gooden, secretary of the Geelong Trades Hall Council, said things are changing at different paces across the industrial sector. “The award system and the arbitration system for our pay and conditions, which is really entrenched in precedent, in law and in

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COVER STORY legislation, is very slow to change. Enterprise agreements however, they can change every three years, but even they are relatively slow. People’s family life, relationships, industries opening and closing, even the school curriculum system changes faster than some of those entrenched legal systems that are attached to the Federal Court,” he said.

good to know, because it cut through some of the false expectations that were in the room,” Mr Gooden said.

“For instance, with the apprenticeship system, the new system of Certificate 3 curriculum for tradespeople is really written for a 19 year-old with two-years of experience to do that TAFE course, whereas the award system they are paid under is still attached to the needs of a 15 year-old leaving school to do four years of indentured apprenticeship.

“Generally across the world there is a falling rate of profit and the pressure to keep prices down has done a number of things, and one of them is that businesses are less prepared to wear the cost of training apprentices. A lot of them can’t afford that time anymore because they need that time to be making money,” he said.

“Some of those things are incongruent now. Employers expect a 19 year-old with a Ute, tools and real life experience that have done most of their training at school so the employer doesn’t have to pay for it and they want them to be able to produce almost 100 per cent of goods. Whereas, they still want to pay them the award, which is around $200 a week, so we are sadly getting this huge drop out rate with apprentices. “On the other side, if you look at young people of 19 or 20 years-old today, they still behave and do silly things like children do because they haven’t had that real life experience. I know trainers in areas like safety, for example, who train adults but who, when they get a group of 19 yearolds in, find the students just aren’t comprehending the importance of it so will still do silly little things.

It is a challenge facing the modern business world – how to get people with the right training and job-ready experience; and, on the flip side, how people with training can break into an industry to get that experience.

Geelong Trades Hall is often where people who aren’t members of a union turn when they are having problems with their employer. Mr Gooden said the kinds of complaints that people turn up with include being sacked without pay, being sexually abused or told they have to wear a mini-skirt, and not having their superannuation paid. He cites examples of employers not paying refugee women for eight weeks of full-time work because, the employer says, the worker is being trained, and of workers on tourist visas who aren’t getting paid at all. “There are the odd bad cases like that. Most of the time it’s stuff like an employer rings someone up to find out the hourly rate, they pay that, but then they don’t check it again for three years and just keep paying the same rate.

“A generation ago many of us had left school at 15 or 16, had married, taken on debt and had that real life experience by 19. I was married and had built a house by the time I was 19,” Mr Gooden said. “I’d finished my apprenticeship at 19, I wasn’t leaving school and starting it. So there are lots of changes that have happened outside of the legal and legislative stuff.” On the wider scale, the advancements in technology are resulting in a whole range of traditional jobs across multiple sectors becoming redundant. “People put their own groceries through the checkout. You walk into a bank now and you see a row of machines and a few people to help you to interact with all their versions of computer software to do your banking, count your money, etcetera; so the dynamics in a whole lot of industries are changing,” Mr Gooden said. And along with this, the shift from a policy-driven industrial environment to a market-driven environment will produce some big challenges for the union movement. Mr Gooden pointed to the privatisation of tertiary education and training, designed to add value and choice to the sector, that has seen the number of registered training organisations (RTOs) rise to 450 in Victoria as one that has inadvertently created an issue in the quality of the training being provided not meeting the expectations of employers. “We had some workshops for civil engineering, and the LLEN [Local Learning and Education Network] ran a series of workshops for us for workers from Alcoa. There were some bosses there from big earthmoving companies and they plainly told those guys that they needed to go and get their hours up on a rock-picker out on someone’s farm, because even with a ticket there was no way they were giving someone a $6 million machine who didn’t have hundreds of hours up their sleeve. So how does a worker get that? That was

“We still get a lot of people being put on unpaid ‘trial’ for a week and we have had a couple of deliberate scams around things like long-term unemployment placement payments. “In a way, the regulations are becoming more stringent but less enforced. We hear a lot of employers complaining that the regulations are too complicated, but all the awards have been simplified right down and there are now only ten National Employment Standards with things like four weeks annual leave, ten days personal leave and the tenth one only states that you have to be given a copy of the other nine. And one of the big issues emerging in Australian industrial relations is increasing workplace pressure. “We are still losing one worker a week in the construction sector in Australia. The timeframes and the pressures involved in construction are at the cutting edge of industrial relations,” Mr Gooden said. Workplace pressure is by no means confined to the construction industry and the rise of health issues such as stress, anxiety and depression that relate back to workplace pressure is a fast developing issue in Australia. “In some ways we have moved so far forward and in other ways we are tackling issues that we dealt with back in the 1800s. The eighthour day campaign – with eight hours work, eight hours recreation and eight hours sleep – came about because people were exhausted and they were dying in their 40s. We came away from that but there are indicators now that these issues are coming back to haunt us,” he said. “For unions today, we’re not just looking at $16.35 an hour and penalty rates. We’ve tried to respond to wider issues with bullying laws, with health and safety laws around asbestos and there have been a lot of great improvements over the years, and in a lot of cases that has been done with the help of governments and employers.

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COVER STORY “When St John of God was being built there was a contractor who had Chinese workers doing some plastering. Our organisers had to spend weeks up there with Geelong workers trying to reeducate them that these workers weren’t 457s, they were Australians – some of them were sixth-generation from Bendigo – and yes, some of them were from Hong Kong and couldn’t speak English. “It took an awful lot of time making sure that the other workers accepted the situation and they weren’t going to force them off the job or bully them or do any of the things that we campaign about because we don’t want people to be doing that to each other. “That ‘us and them’ mentality can really get out of hand. So we spend a lot of time trying to counter what our workers are getting from [popular mainstream media]. The hostility towards migrants is worse now than it was back in the 1970s; it’s worse than it’s ever been,” he said. Local procurement is a big issue across Geelong and Mr Gooden and Geelong Trades Hall is working alongside the Geelong Chamber of Commerce, the Committee for Geelong, Give Where you Live and G21 Geelong Region Alliance on a local procurement committee aiming to drive more work for local businesses on local projects. “Projects like the expansion of the Waurn Ponds Shopping Centre have done this really successfully by splitting up the contracts for works. The plastering contract, for example, was a $14 million job and just too big for any one local contractor, so they split the contract into three packages that local companies could tender for, so that was good. Woolworths and Coles are doing that a little bit more so that local contractors can fit into their supply chain.” Local procurement was, he said, behind the establishment of the Geelong Agreement. “The Geelong Agreement came up in the early 2000s with John Krantz [then Geelong Trades Hall Council secretary] and Norm Lyons [Lyons Construction] and a few builders. It was pretty much the old Victorian Building Industry Association Green Book and the EBA. They re-wrote everything out in plain English and what they were trying to achieve at the time, I think, was to combat a perception that nothing could get built in Geelong because the unions were so terrible and everything went over budget. “It was really prominent and the [Geelong] Advertiser was pushing a big thing in those days. The CFMEU got together with Trades Hall and a few of the builders and they rewrote out what was expected, and they tried to get all the other builders who were coming into town to at least abide by that.

“That game, the building industry, it hasn’t changed a bit. We try to keep it a level playing field so that all the subbies and all the bosses are tendering on the same price but the best way for them to win a job is to cut corners and safety is often the first one that goes, then workplace conditions.” While the need for workplace protections remains, the role of unions has been shadowed by years of poor practice. Unions now have to not only be doing the right thing, but also have to be very publicly seen to be doing the right thing if they are to rebuild public and member faith. “Particularly now with the allegations against the HSU officials who have been shown to be corrupt,” Mr Gooden said. “Back in the 1950s when there were some corrupt officials, rank and file members took over and some unions got better and others got worse. There were some industries that were famous for having lots of criminals in them – and that’s because jailbirds couldn’t get a job anywhere else except say with the Painters and Dockers on the wharf, and they would get them a job. That bred up its own dynamics, but once again, it wasn’t everybody. “With the health industry, you would wonder how people who work in hospitals could end up becoming union officials who would become some of the most corrupt bureaucrats. The reality is that a lot of those people never worked in the hospital system. “You have to put in a lot of safeguards to prevent your own leadership from becoming self-serving, and you don’t always win that. “Some are really good at it, like the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation in Victoria. They get more than 300 members as part of their state council that they bus down to Melbourne and still have a mass-members meeting in Melbourne to work out the conditions for their deal with the Health Department and the Minister. That’s not easy to get that many nurses off work and to get them together. “The unions that survive and grow – and the nurse’s union with 45,000 members is the largest union in Victoria and the education union is growing – that is how they will work. “I think [unions] definitely need to strive to be seen to be doing things better than everybody else,” Mr Gooden said. Once they move away from mass members meetings, once they move away from the members having a real democratic say and being able to recall officials, those types of things, then you just have people maintaining their own existence and perhaps even unknowingly putting themselves first before their members.”

DAVINA MONTGOMERY

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03 5251 5536

BUSINESS NEWS | 22

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 23

BUSINESS ADVICE

GETTING THE BEST TAX RESULT

t’s that time of year again. In preparing documents for 2014/15 Tax Returns, businesses and investors should consider a number of issues if they wish to maximise tax refunds or minimise their tax payable.

WENDY MALONEY, PRINCIPAL, BUSINESS ADVISORY, CROWE HORWATH

What can appear to be a relatively straightforward tax issue can hide a complex situation that requires the interpretation and application of legislation to your particular facts. Recent law changes and court cases have changed the accepted interpretation of the tax legislation and further complicated the situation.

Accelerated depreciation concessions for SBEs

“Recent law changes and court cases have changed the accepted interpretation of the tax legislation and further complicated the situation”

The recent Federal Budget included a major announcement deduction for purchases of depreciating assets costing less than $20,000. This significantly increases the current $1,000 threshold below which asset purchases by SBEs (small business entities) may be immediately deductible. Furthermore, expenditure of less than $20,000 on existing depreciating assets may also be immediately deductible, and the closing balance of a small business general depreciation pool of less than $20,000 may be fully deductible. Again, both thresholds are significantly increased from their current amount of $1,000 each. The entitlement to deductions under these rules is subject to normal depreciation deduction requirements (including business use percentages), along with some specific additional requirements, which should be confirmed by your Advisor. Based on legislation that has now been passed by Parliament, these measures are in place and apply from the Budget date (i.e. 12 May 2015) until 30 June 2017. Accordingly, they may be relevant to your 2015 tax return.

Crowe Horwath has a Business Tax checklist outlining a number of these issues as they may impact on your business so please call to obtain a copy. In general terms whether you are a sole trader, partnership, company or trust, you will need to provide and the following to your Business Advisor (where relevant):

Documentation •B ank reconciliations •L edger (can be sent electronically for convenience) •B ank statement showing 30 June balance •D ebtors and creditors listings • I nventory list •L oan statements •M otor vehicle expenditure (including log books) In preparing your tax return our expert Business Advisors will consider such issues as: •B ad debts • Shares • Non-commercial loss provisions ersonal Services Income (PSI) •P •P repayments (i.e. Workers compensation)

Small Business Capital Gains Tax (CGT) concessions

•S hareholder Loans

Four specific small business concessions may apply to reduce capital gains from the sale of your business. These are:

•S mall Business Capital Gains Tax (CGT) Concessions

•S mall Business Entities (SBE)

• Superannuation

1. A 15-year exemption

•T rading stock

2. A 50% reduction for active assets

•T iming of Income

3. $500,000 Retirement concession 4. Replacement asset roll-over relief

Tax Audits

Superannuation

The ATO is continuing to devote more and more resources to Tax Audits. This highlights the importance of keeping all relevant documentation to substantiate claims. If these documents are not available, claims will be disallowed and penalty tax and interest may be imposed.

Contributions in respect of the year ended 30 June 2015 must have been made before 30 June for a deduction to be available in the 2015 year. There may also be other conditions to satisfy depending on whether the contribution is made by an employer or the member personally.

As Business Advisors, the challenge for us is to steer you down a path that will provide you with the most tax effective outcome without exposing you to any unacceptable risk. Sometimes new laws or the ATO’s new stance will affect a path taken previously with no perceived risk.

If the 15-year exemption does not apply, you may apply one, two or all three of the remaining concessions.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation other than for the acts or omissions of financial services licensees. Crowe Horwath (Aust) Pty Ltd ABN 84 006 466 351

For family businesses, consider maximising concessional contributions for key individuals. Concessional contributions are limited to $35,000 for individuals aged 50 or over at 30 June 2015 or $30,000 for all other individuals. Concessional contributions above these caps are subject to tax at your marginal tax rate. For individuals with adjusted taxable income in excess of $300,000, the rate of tax paid by the superannuation fund on your concessional contributions up to that excess amount is 30 per cent (rather than 15 per cent).

BUSINESS NEWS | 24

FINANCE

THAT BIG C WORD!

’d like a dollar for every time I’ve heard that age old quote from Benjamin Franklin that “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail!”

Some tips on how contingency planning allows companies to handle the unexpected events and occurrences are:

Most recently that got me thinking about the strategic business planning that most businesses update or complete come the dawn of a new financial year and whether or not it included a contingency plan should the unexpected happen on an internal or external front. Let’s start with the definition of a contingency plan as a plan devised for an outcome other than the usual (expected) plan. I have been party to businesses that operate with a successful Plan A and the attitude they adopt is if Plan A doesn’t work don’t panic as there are still 25 letters left in the alphabet, dare l say it “a sure way to end up in the alphabet soup!” In business a contingency is an unexpected event or situation that affects the financial health, professional image, or market share of a company. It is usually a negative event, but in some cases it can also be an unexpected windfall such as a huge sales order due to competitor’s inadequacies. In short anything that unexpectedly disrupts a company’s expected operation can harm the company even if the disruption is because of a positive nature, conjuring up challenges such as staffing, resources, supply and levels of customer satisfaction. That is why companies create contingency plans for every possible situation, so executive management has a pre-researched plan of action to immediately follow. Without going into great detail some of the threats usually covered in contingency plans are, namely, crisis management, business continuity, asset and intelligence security, mismanagement and reorganization. The business environment is constantly changing, and businesses must deal with unexpected events, both positive and negative. Contingency planning is a means of coping with the uncertainty inherent in managing or owning a business. A contingency plan is a question and an answer to the question and it’s also known as a “what-if scenario” asking what management will do in response to a certain challenge?

•R eacting quickly as companies that are adept at contingency planning take the time to have plans already in place to deal with any changes in the economy, or their competitive situation that could affect revenues and profits. •S taying ahead of competitors as effective contingency planning requires managers to be creative. The often-used expression “think outside the box” is one way of looking at contingency planning. Managers must be able to anticipate the strategic moves their competitors may make, and have measures in place to counter those moves. •L eading with confidence as having contingency plans in place allows management to act decisively and to move forward with confidence. They accept that they cannot forecast the future with complete accuracy. •F orecasting accurately as executive management encourages everyone in the organization to adopt a philosophy of contingency planning, the result being that the entire organization are always forward-looking. The company takes a long-range approach to growing the business rather than just hurriedly reacting to day-to-day operational or financial challenges. In conjunction with business contingencies one should always constantly assess, theorise, verbalise and formalise what personal contingencies are in place should the unexpected happen. Life experiences have taught us that “sometimes life can be unexpected, sometimes things surprise you and all you can do is roll with the punches or let them beat you to a bloody pulp. One thing l can assure you of is that if you are “fighting fit” you can counter punch!” Until next month, onwards and upwards in your pursuit of business and personal excellence, an ongoing challenge that the only careful, considered and decisive planning can ameliorate the effect of that big C word!

MARTIN CARTER, BUSINESS MANAGER, MORRIS FINANCE

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 25

RECRUITMENT

9 TO 5, 8 TO 6, 7 TO 7: HAS OVERTIME EXTENDED YOUR WORKING DAY?

ver one quarter of organisations in Australia increased overtime in the last year and more than 60 per cent of reported overtime was unpaid according to recruitment experts Hays. Unpaid overtime creep is a growing issue in workplaces across Australia. The recently released 2015 Hays Salary Guide reported that only 11 per cent of employers managed to decrease overtime and extra hours over the past year, while just under 30 per cent increased overtime. According to the Guide, of the 28 per cent of organisations that upped their overtime, one-third did so by five hours or less per week. A further 34 per cent said overtime was up five to 10 hours per week, and 11 per cent said overtime was up by more than 10 hours each week. Employers also reported increasing overtime at heavy workload periods such as end of month and year-end.

professional services, tend to undertake a lot of this overtime. Add the high number of employers who expect their levels of business activity to increase in the year ahead, and it’s no wonder that more employers are increasing not decreasing overtime in their organisation. “If not managed carefully, overtime has the potential to cause employee stress and burnout. In many of the organisations that increased overtime, there could be a very good business case for [increasing the workplace] headcount – either permanent or temporary – to get through peak periods and relieve pressure on existing staff. “These employers also need to consider if overworked and stressed employees can really perform at their best,” says Nick.

For non-award employees the picture is stark, with 68 per cent of employers saying their non-award employees were not paid for these additional hours.

The Hays Salary Guide includes salary and recruiting trends for over 1,000 roles in 14 locations in Australia and New Zealand. 2,610 organisations were surveyed, representing almost 2.9 million employees.

“Many Australians work more hours than they are paid for,” says Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays in Australia & New Zealand. “Professionals in highly-skilled roles, often on a salary, and often in

Get your copy of the 2015 Hays Salary Guide by visiting hays.com.au/ salary-guide, contacting your local Hays office or downloading The Hays Salary Guide 2015 iPhone app from iTunes.

BUSINESS NEWS | 26

BUSINESS

GREYPRENEURS – DRIVING OFF THE ROAD AND INTO BUSINESS

he latest in the Bankwest Financial Indicator Series, the Bankwest Business Trends Report, has found that an increasing number of Australians over the age of 65 are trading their caravans for business plans. The grey nomad, it seems, is fast becoming the ‘greypreneur’. Entrepreneurs aged 65 and over accounted for 7,400 new businesses in Australia last year (a 6.6 per cent increase), taking the total of businesses owned by those of retirement age to around 118,900. In fact, the only age demographic to record a higher business start-up rate was the 45 to 54 year-olds, with 18,000 extra businesses (a 6.7 per cent increase). At the other end of entrepreneurial age scale, the 15 to 24 year-olds also increased their start-up activity, with an additional 2.5 per cent of business owners. Bankwest Executive General Manager of Business Banking, Sinead Taylor, said there were a number of factors driving the ‘greypreneurial’ trend. “Greypreneurs are certainly quite inspiring. These people are at an age where traditionally you’d expect them to shy away from risk, but instead, many of these people are doing the opposite in taking on a new business. “There is certainly a strong element of financial necessity - Australians are living longer than ever before, the costs of living have never been higher, returns on savings deposits have been low and, in order to maintain the lifestyle they have become accustomed to, many people need to work well beyond the traditional retirement age of 65. “There would be some who choose to continue in the workforce for personal fulfillment, social interaction or because they fear boredom – however these people often work part-time,” Ms Taylor said. The Bankwest Business Trends Report found agricultural pursuits topped the list of businesses established by greypreneurs, with the number of 65-plus operators entering the sector jumping 20.5 per cent - or by 6,600 businesses in the year to February.

“Growth in business ownership was particularly strong in Western Australia, where falling iron ore prices have reduced employment in the mining sector and forced many workers to seek other opportunities,” Ms Taylor said. “There is a strong demand for quality food and fibre coming from throughout Asia, boosting conditions for primary industries. Prices for Australian agricultural products, such as wheat, lamb and beef, are expected to rise with this demand, assisted by a lower-valued Australian dollar.” Meanwhile, there was a sharp drop in the number of cafes, restaurants and takeaway outlets across most of Australia, leading some analysts to question whether the cappuccino bubble has burst. The number of these businesses contracted by 10 per cent in the year to February - or by 3,700 - and there were 1,700 fewer pubs, taverns and bars. Ms Taylor said the Australian coffee industry had become quite specialised and competitive. “Over the past decade Australians have embraced the coffee culture wholeheartedly and now demand very high quality at a competitive price. If that quality isn’t offered, customers will quickly move their loyalty elsewhere. The market pressures are starting to push some players out of the coffee game – if they are forced to spend more on raw ingredients, their profit margin can be eroded. “There are also the significant costs of staffing these businesses, especially on weekends and public holidays. As a result, these business owners often find themselves working extremely long hours and facing a real risk of burnout.” The burnout issue is significant. The recently released Bankwest Future of Business Series Leadership Report found the majority of leaders of businesses with a turnover between $5 million and $250 million were at risk. The only States to buck the trend and increase food outlets were Western Australia and Tasmania.

There was a 59.5 per cent increase in arts and recreational services run by retiree-aged business owners year-on-year (equating to 1,200 businesses) and there were an extra 17 per cent (or 1,100 older operators) running cleaning, gardening, religious service provision and repair and maintenance businesses. However, not all business sectors are seeing a surge in people over retirement age keen to remain at the helm. There are now fewer over65s running administrative, support service, professional, scientific and technical services businesses than a year ago.

Interestingly, there were also 4,800 fewer owners of accommodation and food services businesses (9.7 per cent decline), however the sector provided an extra 5.4 per cent jobs, showing larger businesses are growing, whilst business numbers are declining.

Middle-aged business owners also favoured agricultural, forestry and fisheries operations with an extra 9,300 business owners (up 37.8 per cent) followed by the professional, scientific and technical services sector (7,700 new businesses).

Other key findings of the report included a 2.8 per cent increase in the number of people running part-time businesses; women running part-time businesses increased 4.9 per cent to 249,800; there are about 171,200 full-time female business owners, down 1.9 per cent from 174,600 in 2014; while there was no growth for males running businesses part-time, with figures stable year-on-year at 180,200; however the number of men running their own full-time businesses increased 1.5 per cent to 575,300.

Across all age groups, the agricultural, forestry and fisheries sector recorded the largest 12-month business growth of more than 15 per cent, with an extra 18,200 business owners nationwide.

In the same way, there was an overall decline in retail trade businesses business ownership fell 13.8 per cent or by 10,200 people over the last year and by 35.9 per cent or 35,900 over 10 years - while total retail turnover actually increased by $8.48 billion or 54.4 per cent in the decade to February 2015.

* The Bankwest Business Trends Report data was sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Labour Force survey. The report was prepared for Bankwest by CoreData.

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 27

GOVERNANCE

THE FOUNDATIONS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE PART 5: ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

his is the final article in the series on exploring the foundations of good governance. The focus is organisational culture and the role this plays in the governance of an organisation, irrespective of its size, business or sector. If you Google “organisation culture” you will discover that there are approximately 5.3 million references to this term on the www, so there is no shortage of research and commentary on this most important component of good governance, leadership and management. Nevertheless, what is generally agreed is that culture is one of the true sources of competitive advantage that any organisation, irrespective of size, type or business can acquire and protect. A competitor can poach your staff, mimic your marketing, copy your goods and services offer and match or under cut your price, but it cannot steal your culture. The definition itself could consume many pages (refer again to www if you wish to explore this further); however, it is commonly defined as “the way we do things around here” or “how people behave when no one is watching.” So, what has culture got to do with good governance and what can Boards do in the development and maintenance of the best culture for their organisation? Firstly, in terms of relevance to good governance, a board of management is ultimately responsible and accountable for the performance and the longterm viability and sustainability of an organisation. Therefore, by association and definition, the board then must also be responsible for establishing the right culture in the organisation; for it is culture that is the true source of competitive advantage, a key success factor in viability and sustainability. The board cannot distance itself from playing a leadership role in the culture strategy, it cannot delegate this responsibility and it must put in place a mechanism to ensure that the culture it holds dear and believes to be so is the one that is actually in place and being followed in the day-to-day business activities of the organisation – this is a key component of good governance.

Recruit the right CEO: As this is the only person a board recruits, the importance of getting this right cannot be over-stated. The CEO will be the custodian of the culture within the business, so the alignment between board and CEO on this most critical issue must be perfect if success is to be achieved. Communication: When is communication never essential to the successful implementation of any business strategy? The board must take a leadership role in communicating the standards, behaviours and expectations that underpin an organisation’s culture and then put in place a means to monitor and assess on going performance. Resources: Provide adequate resources for the organisation and its people to do what it is required to be done (i.e. as detailed in the strategic plan). A sure-fire way of destroying culture is to establish expectations and then not allocating sufficient resources (people, cash and infrastructure) to implement the strategy. Feedback: Endeavour to implement a system that provides the board with evidence that the overall culture that the board believes will drive sustainable performance is the one that is actually evident on the shop floor - make sure there is no disconnect between what is aspired to and what is being delivered. Do not accept bad behaviour: If an individual behaves badly, then the matter should be dealt with swiftly, transparently and fairly. Accepting poor behaviour because the individual is a top performer, merely “passionate about his/her job” or holds a special place within the organisation will do more harm than good and will send all the wrong signals both within the organisation and to external stakeholders.

Given this is a fundamental governance responsibility here is a few suggestions on what a board can do to contribute to establishing the right culture in their organisation: The strategic plan: Clearly articulate and communicate the organisation’s business direction, goals, and values, code of conduct, expectations and performance measures. Have clarity around these matters and ensure that the scorecard is balanced (i.e. not just financial, but those that drive overall performance and indicate long term success).

In summary, creating and maintaining the right culture is one of the most challenging aspects of leadership and management. Culture has no physical form, there are no medications to cure an ailment nor are there experts to easily repair a broken system. Because of its very nature, it requires commitment and resources to establish and is more easily destroyed than crafted. It must be protected at all costs and clearly understood by all those involved in its delivery. The board, as custodian of the organisation it governs, by definition is then the custodian of the organisation’s culture. This role sits equally alongside being accountable for strategy, risk and performance and when all four components of good governance are delivered, the likelihood of long-term viability and sustainability of an organisation will be considerably enhanced. The right culture is not an optional extra; it is a standard feature oforganisational success.

MARK SCHULTZ For further information, go to www.governancetoday.com

BUSINESS NEWS | 28

VECCI

REGIONAL SUMMIT WILL STRENGTHEN BUSINESS COMPETITIVENESS

egional Victoria has performed strongly over the past decade. Local leadership and resources have been skilfully blended to create modern, dynamic and internationallyoriented regional business communities in Geelong and across Victoria.

• Create jobs, particularly for young adults and displaced workers. • Strengthen regional infrastructure. • Enhance regional workforce skills. • Lower regional business costs and reduce red tape.

Now is the time to build on Victoria’s many regional strengths, overcome emerging pressures and create new employment, trade and investment opportunities.

• Get more regional businesses into exporting.

With this in mind, we recently launched our Victoria Summit 2015 – Regional Victoria. The Summit will bring business leaders across the state together to identify the reform priorities that will support the future growth and prosperity of regional Victoria.

We look forward to hosting the Victoria Summit workshops for the Warrnambool (Wednesday 8 July) and Geelong (Thursday 9 July) regions, giving all local businesses and governments the chance to contribute to the Summit’s agenda.

VECCI’s engagement with regional stakeholders, including local government executives, through a series of seven workshops, will capture first-hand insights on the policy reforms needed to ensure continued business success in Geelong and across Victoria.

The workshop program will culminate in the Victoria Summit, to be held in Bendigo (13-14 August 2015), giving regional leaders the opportunity to inform the State Government and Opposition on the policy changes needed to keep their regions growing.

Although the barriers and opportunities for growth vary across each of Victoria’s diverse regions, common themes VECCI’s regional members have already foreshadowed include the need for reforms that:

The Victoria Summit recommendations will form the basis of VECCI’s regional business agenda into 2016 and beyond, including for VECCI’s 2016-17 state budget submission and the next federal election.

• Attract more investment into our regions, including for our highquality tourism and events industries.

JAMES GULLI, VECCI REGIONAL MANAGER GEELONG & SOUTH WEST VICTORIA For further information or to register for you local Victoria Summit workshop, please call (03) 8662 5333 or email customerservice@vecci.org.au.

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 29

the

ELEVATOR

Okay Luna is Australian designed, we have our roots spread between Melbourne and Victoria’s Surf Coast. Okay Luna begun in April 2014 from a creative craft-a-noon between the two of us, Kat Petrovska and Annaliese Spiteri, we have been close friends since meeting in high school, we draw on our individual talents which combined make a great team. We love creating bright & vibrant homeware pieces that we would want to see/ have in our own homes, however still with a reasonable price tag. Being first home owners ourselves we know how important this can be to people. Kat (our creative director) gets the inspiration from our designs from colour, we both love colour! As well as colour we seek a lot of inspiration from nature and our travels & we really like traditional Mexican art and the vibrant colours in their designs.

The ELEVATOR allows businesses the opportunity to give their ‘Elevator Pitch’ to the rest of the regional business community free of charge.

FOR DETAILS SEE WWW.BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU

City to Surf Mobile Cafe, is locally owned and operated providing mobile espresso coffee vans and carts to Geelong and the surrounding areas. We provide a professional service to the corporate and private sector, community and fundraising events and weddings. We currently provide continuous service to the all Surf Life Saving Club’s, Surfing Victoria, AFL, Highland Gathering, Festival of the Sea, Athletics Victoria and Geelong Amateurs Football and Netball also incorporating many events locally. Our mobile coffee vans and coffee carts are operated by a fully qualified barista to provide our Guatemala Arabica espresso coffee beans, hot chocolate, chai and a selection of gourmet teas. Light snacks can be provided upon individual requirements. We welcome all enquiries and strive to provide you with all your coffee solutions.

I am a highly competent consultant with skills and experience gained from a wide range of industries including mining, warehousing, manufacturing, automotive, steel, transport and logistics and public transport. Assisting you in being compliant is a small part of what I do and who I am. I am happy to attend your site no matter where in the Nation you are. I genuinely care about safety and I will not rest until I am satisfied that I have provided you with the best outcome available. I offer a wide range of work health and safety services to all employers who are in need of assistance to reduce their risk, improve their safety performance, culture and wellbeing for their employees and assist in ensuring organisations are legally compliant.

We currently stock a range of prints & cushions on our etsy shop oline and can be found popping up at markets & stalls around Geelong, Melbourne & the Surfcoast. We have been really lucky to be supported by so many local businesses, through pop up shops, markets & stocking a few retail shops & online stores.

E: okay_luna@hotmail.com @okayluna #okayluna W: etsy.com/au/shop/OkayLuna Find us on

M: 0428 535 544 W: www.citytosurfmobilecafe.com.au E: info@citytosurfmobilecafe.com.au

BUSINESS NEWS | 30

PO Box 5404 North Geelong VIC 3215 M: 0420 788 558 E: wayne@mccoysafetyconsultancy.com.au www.mccoysafetyconsultancy.com.au

THE ELEVATOR

At MAS Tax Accountants Geelong West we love helping individuals and small business owners meet their tax and accounting needs. MAS Tax Accountants Geelong West is managed and operated by Duncan Warnock CPA. We pride ourselves on being upfront & transparent with our pricing. We can provide an upfront fixed price quotation for our services in most circumstances. We offer a comprehensive range of tax, accounting & accounting software services for both businesses & individuals. We love small business because we are a small business! Our appointments are flexible in terms of time and location. We can meet you at our Geelong West Office at 42 Aberdeen St Geelong West or alternatively at your home or other mutually convenient location. We are also passionate about cloud accounting software solutions which includes a specialisation in both Xero and Intuit QuickBooks. We can set up your cloud accounting software and will set up an appropriate chart of accounts and help you automate your bank feed data into your software to make record keeping so much easier.

The Great Southern Credit Management group specialises in providing debt prevention, credit management and debt collection services. We are experts in more than just the collection of overdue accounts. We offer clients a full range of Credit Management solutions - from when a customer first applies for credit to when they refuse to pay. • Debt Prevention services to prevent problems before they arise include: -C redit Applications -C redit Terms & Conditions -C redit Checks -C redit Reports -C redit Management Consultancy redit Management Training -C - L edger Management • Debt Collection services to give you the best chance to recover your money include: -D emand Letters & Phone Collections (including SMS campaigns) - Field Calls - Legal/Litigation Services (through associated solicitors) - Skip Tracing - Company/Business Searches - Litigation Searches - Property & Title Searches - Personal Properties Securities Registrations

With over 15 years’ experience as a mortgage broker, Sarah Thomson is perfectly placed to give you all the information you need about home loans. Sarah has made a career of turning the challenges of property into a truly rewarding experience. Whether you’re buying or selling, Sarah can support you through the mortgage process. And regardless of whether you are a first home buyer, an investor or looking to refinance, she can work with you to choose the right finance deal. When you use a Loan Market broker like Sarah you’re giving yourself the insider’s edge. That’s because Sarah talks to lenders daily to find you the hottest home loan specials and takes a truly impartial view of hundreds of loans. And by doing all the leg work such as completing paperwork and liaising with solicitors, she makes it easy and stress free for you. Sarah serves all of the Geelong region and Surf Coast, as well as Melbourne and surrounding suburbs. Get in contact with Sarah today!

Still locally owned and operated and the largest provider of these services in the Geelong region, Great Southern Credit Management (formally Barwon Credit Management) has offices in Geelong, Warrnambool and Adelaide. Quality services provided by LOCAL experts with superior LOCAL knowledge.

Phone: 1300 627 829 Mobile:0402 210 614 Office Address: 42 Aberdeen St Geelong West Postal Address: PO Box 7600, Geelong West, Vic 3218 www.mastaxgeelongwest.com.au/ contact-us.php @MASTAXgeelongwe

greatsoutherncm.com.au Phone 03 5246 5444 1/7-9 Yarra Street Geelong BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 31

21a Ormond Road, East Geelong, Vic 3219

As of 17/8 /15 we are moving to 34 Ryrie Street, Geelong 3220

P: 03 5224 2125 W: sarah-thomson.loanmarket.com.au/ E: sarah.thomson@loanmarket.com.au

BUSINESS NEWS | 32

Who are we and what do we stand for? We are an accounting, taxation, advisory and wealth creation business, so we look after the tax affairs of everyone from Individuals, companies, trusts and self-managed super funds, including how best to structure your financial affairs. At APS Tax, Accounting & Business Services we are so much more than that. We work with clients to have your tax returns and financial statements completed each year – we schedule your work, quote up front, guarantee you a completion date and hold an AGM with you to talk about how you and your business could perform better.

rd Standa ax al T u d i v i d in hen w 9 9 $ Return te this o you qu umber nt n discou 05 9 1 S P *A

We know you need more than just tax returns. That’s because we have worked with hundreds of businesses and individuals over the years, so we know what it takes to build and grow a great business. We specialise in working with businesses to improve their financial position and to create a successful, profitable business, that is sustainable into the future and to make your money really work for you. If you would like to know more we can catch up virtually or in person. That is really what APS Tax, Accounting & Business Services stand for – you, your business and your growth.

Contact Richard Ferraro at APS Tax, Accounting & Business Services on 1300 131 809 or (03) 9322 2000 and you will notice the difference. *Available to NEW customers for their first tax return. This is a 50% discount off our normal tax return fee of $198

BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 33

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

WHICH PHONE?

CAR BY REMOTE CONTROL

The sheer variety of Android devices out there means that it’s hard to know which one will best serve your needs. Google is now offering a second opinion. The company has launched ‘Which Phone’, a website that asks you a handful of questions to narrow down which device you should purchase. Would-be Android owners are asked which three things they do with their phone most often, from a list that includes the obvious things like photos or social media through to staying fit and “Expressing My Style”. You’ll be offered up a trio or more of suggested devices. Just punch in – which phone? on Google.

Never mind James Bond, the real purpose of remote control may be to get your vehicle out of a tight parking spot or past a muddy trench. Jaguar Land Rover is developing smartphone control technology that lets you pilot a car (at very low speed, mind you) while you’re outside, helping you get past difficult terrain or tricky parking spots. You have to operate everything manually at the moment, but the hope is that this will eventually bring a level of push-button autonomy where you simply tap a button to get around some rocks or to back out of your garage.

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VAC IN A TIGHT SPACE Testers spent 56 hours researching and 20 hours testing handheld vacuums over the past few years and the Black & Decker BDH2020FLFH 20 V MAX Flex Vac ($A160) has proven to be the most versatile portable vacuum out there. For small spills and tight spots that a regular vacuum can’t reach, its powerful 20-volt lithium-ion battery delivers about 16 minutes of strong, steady suction, which means better cleaning for longer than most of the competition can muster. Equally important, its flexible hose reaches where other hand vacuums can’t, like under car seats, and it accepts clip-on attachments like a regular vac does.

FLY ON THE PHONE IN THE U.S. ONE WEB TO RULE THEM ALL One of my favourite bug bears is that announcement you get when boarding a plane – “switch off all electronic devices”. Where’s the proof that navigation is affected? Well, there’s none really. The United States Court of Appeals has thrown out a lawsuit challenging the FAA’s 2013 decision to allow passengers to use gadgets during all phases of flight. That lawsuit was filed in 2014 by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), which accused the FAA of failing to follow standard procedure before issuing its ruling. The union complained that passengers now barely pay attention to pre-flight safety demos, because they’re glued to their gadgets. It also argued that electronic devices could become projectiles during turbulence. That’s in America. There’s no sign of CASA changing the ruling here in Australia anytime soon. More’s the pity.

Imagine a world with Internet access everywhere. OneWeb, founded by Richard Branson’s Virgin and Qualcomm, has announced that it has awarded European aerospace giant Airbus a multi-billion dollar production contract for internet-beaming satellites. The company aims to provide connectivity to communities around the world through an enormous constellation of small satellites with each one only weighing about 150kg and costing under $500,000 to produce. Of the 900 units that Airbus is contracted to create, 700 of them will be launched by 2018. Once in orbit they’ll create a constellation 10 times larger than any other satellite set currently in orbit. The other 200 will be held on-planet as replacements and backups.

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BEST ULTRABOOK Those tough judges at the Consumer Electronics Show and Computex this year were unanimous. The Dell XPS 13 ultrabook won best laptop hands down. Dell’s new model focuses on reducing the bezels, resulting in a virtually borderless infinity display with edges that are 5.2 millimetres thin. Reducing bezel size also means reducing overall size, so the new XPS 13 weighs just 1.18 kilos. The display itself has been upgraded, as well with an optional 3,200 x 1,800 panel, which translates to 5.7 million pixels overall and 282 pixels per inch. Intel’s 5th-gen Core processors unsurprisingly power the system and Dell says their efficiency helps the notebook achieve up to 15 hours of endurance on a single charge. That’s particularly impressive given the high-resolution display. All of this is packed in a new chassis that takes inspiration from carbon fibre but features a new, more angular design with silver aluminium lining both the lid and the bottom. The display itself is made of Corning Gorilla Glass to enhance the strength of the laptop. It’s necessary, as the system is a surprisingly thin 9mm at its front and only 15mm at its rear. A wide range of connectivity enhances the new XPS 13 including two USB 2.0 ports, Mini-DisplayPort, an SD card reader, 802.11ac WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0.

THIS SUPERHEATED KNIFE TOASTS BREAD AS YOU CUT IT Colin Furze, a homebrew inventor, has just built a toasting knife that toasts whatever you’re cutting. It ultimately amounts to a modified microwave transformer sending loads of heat into a blade. You can even use it to melt butter as you spread it, like a kind of culinary steamroller. Is this practical for your kitchen? Probably not, but there’s no denying that it’d be convenient for those hectic mornings when every second of breakfast-making counts.

Available now from $1899.

WASTED POWER CAPTURED Nikola Labs co-founder, Dr Rob Lee, says some 97 per cent of the energy a smartphone expends to forge data and voice connections using radio frequencies is lost to the ether. Rather than let it all go to waste, an Ohio-based startup claims to have cooked up a way to harness that power and redirect it using a humble-looking, $99 iPhone case. There aren’t any transmitters that you need to stand in range of. The end result? A case that silently, slowly captures your iPhone’s wasted power and uses it for recharging.

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FREE MICROSOFT OFFICE FOR ANDROID PHONES Microsoft has just outed a free version of Office for Android smartphones. As with the tablet version, Microsoft said the software marry the “familiar look, feel and quality of Office” apps including Word, Excel and PowerPoint - to a touchfriendly smartphone experience. You’ll be able to open documents not only from OneDrive, but also via Google Drive, Dropbox, and other cloud services. This is a big win-win for Office fans and Microsoft.

A CAMERA PHONE A fastidious photographer are you? Panasonic has started selling a serious camera phone called the CM1 in the US that will set you back an eye-watering $1,200. There’s a good reason for the giant price tag, mind you. The phone has a 4.7-inch 1080p screen, Android 4.4 KitKat and a Snapdragon 801 chip but you’re also getting a big 1-inch, 20-megapixel imaging sensor with a bright, high-quality Leica f/2.8 lens. If you already treat your smartphone as a camera that just happens to make calls, this might be your next handset of choice.

LIVE TRANSLATION If you want to use an almost real-time translation service, you can just download it. The service closes the communication gap between individuals speaking different languages by transcribing what a person just said or typed for the other party. The app is available for Windows 8.1 and will be available for Windows 10 when it is released at the end of this month. If you’re interested in chatting to folks that speak a language different than your own, the service supports up to 50 languages; so go ahead, make new friends in China and India and start chatting.

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Amber Daly ‘In Light and Love’ 150x170cm Acrylic and pastel on canvas.

ARTS

AMBER DALY EXHIBITION: PAINTINGS AND DRAWINGS 17 JULY – 1 AUGUST

Artist Amber Daly has been inspired by her new experiences, connections and relationships after recently moving to Geelong. As a result, she has created a series of paintings and drawings for her solo exhibition. “This is my first exhibition in Geelong and I felt it was important to show some of the work that I created during the first few months of moving to Geelong, especially the Waterfront-themed paintings,” says Daly, who is also undertaking a Masters of Fine Art at RMIT. The artist’s interior/still life works are also on exhibition, along with some of her earlier paintings in digital print. Daly works with a created sense of urgency and exhilaration. “I find this integral to my practice. I use colour, line and gesture as a device to express my thoughts, feelings, and reactions. My work is often described as ‘immediate’ and ‘playful’ and this way of working comes naturally, allowing me to quickly lay down marks and capture a direct response to my subject.” www.metropolisgallery.com.au

Amber Daly in her studio

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ARTS

INSPIRING A NEW WAY FORWARD UNTIL 17 JULY

To celebrate Diversitat’s Refugee Week in Geelong, the multicultural community organisation is showcasing a contemporary exhibition of refugee artwork. Over 30 artworks will be displayed throughout the community as part of several workshops encouraging community groups to connect, develop new skills and share a passion for the traditional cultural craft. Local artist, Mirjana Margetic, will facilitate the workshops; and “with courage let us all combine” is the philosophy behind the exercise. Funded by the City of Greater Geelong’s Community Arts Grants Program, the display is “inspiring a new way forward” through the identity and joint image display. Margetic’s migration and resettlement experiences have led participants through their own deconstruction experiences to enter a path that reconstructs their identity. Iranian, Afghani, Ukrainian, Karen, Serbian, Scottish, Croatian and Polish cultural communities are involved. The exhibition will run from until July 17 at the Geelong West, Bannockburn and Corio Libraries. www.diversitat.org.au

Amber Daly ‘The Whisperer Archival’ digital print

LET’S GET CREATIVE ABOUT VICTORIA’S FUTURE The state Government has launched its first creative industries strategy to help broaden creativity and cultural awareness in Victoria. The sectors of discussion are visual arts, screen, literature, performance, music, design, digital games and cultural fields. The Minister for Creative Industries, Martin Foley, launched the discussion paper Let’s get creative about Victoria’s future on June 10. He has invited Victorians from the creative and cultural industries, along with the broader community to discuss the strategy and its development. “This strategy is an opportunity to reimagine the role the creative and cultural industries play in our lives, our communities and our state – and ensure that all Victorians reap the cultural, social and economic benefits they bring,” the Minister said.

Victoria’s creative industries contribute approximately $22.7 billion to the state economy and support over 200,000 jobs – and the aim is to grow this contribution. The ultimate goal is to create new jobs, nurture creative talent and strengthen the state’s unique and diverse creative culture, to encourage everyone to be a part of it. “Victoria’s creative and cultural industries lie at the heart of what makes our state a great place to live and visit, and they make a sizeable – and growing – contribution to our economy.” The discussion paper addresses how we build audiences and markets, cultivate skills and innovation, harness the opportunities of digital technology, and increase support for Aboriginal arts and culture, along with arts and performance in regional Victoria and outer metropolitan Melbourne. The ‘Let’s get creative about Victoria’s future’ paper is available online and is open for comment and public forums are being held around the state. www.strategy.creative.vic.gov.au

Amber Daly ‘Waterfront Geelong’ 60x240cm, Acrylic on canvas.

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LET’S THANK VICTORIA’S COASTAL CHAMPIONS Nominations are now open for the Victorian Coastal Awards for Excellence. The annual Awards celebrate the hard work of the community in enhancing and protecting the state’s coastal and marine environments. Nominations for the Awards close on 2 August. There are active members of the community who are devoted to ensuring the protection and preservation of Victoria’s coasts. The Victorian Coastal Awards are a way to thank these people, and the community is encouraged to nominate these committed individuals and groups of people. Individual community members, groups, schools, committees of management, government agencies, designers, builders and architects are all previous nominees.

“These awards are an opportunity for us to recognise those who tirelessly dedicate their time and energy to the protection and preservation of our spectacular coastline,” Parliamentary Secretary for the Environment, Anthony Carbines said. Categories open for nominations include the National Environment Education Planning and Management Design, along with the Building Community Engagement Outstanding Individual Achievement. “Healthy coasts support our communities, the economy and jobs. Ensuring their protection requires the community, industry and Government to work together,” Mr Carbines said. Further information about the Awards and nomination forms are available at www.vcc.vic.gov.au

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COMMUNITY NEWS #PROJECTLOVE SHOPPING TOUR #SHOPPINGTOUR Channel your love for all things retail with the Barwon Health Foundation’s #Projectlove Shopping Tour Fundraiser. The event will take place on Saturday July 25 to help raise funds for the Andrew Love Cancer Centre at University Hospital Geelong. The fundraiser is retail therapy at its finest – an opportunity to indulge in some shopping while raising awareness and money for a uniquely Geelong local cause. Supported by Westcoast Shopping Tours, the day will be spent visiting local shopping warehouses to secure some great bargains. The following warehouses will be visited on the shopping tour: • Feelgood Planet Earth – body and lifestyle products • Five Star Direct – exclusive kitchen wear • Bags & Luggage Outlet

PRINCESS DIANA EXHIBITION SUPPORTS BEYOND BLUE The Elephant & Castle Hotel in Geelong is launching a gallery exhibition to celebrate the life of Princess Diana and support a charity close to the community’s heart. The exhibition launched on July 1 and is supported by Beyond Blue, with Beyond Blue Ambassador Tony McManus speaking at the event. McManus shared his own personal experiences with mental illness, along with encouraging others to seek help from the organisation if they find themselves in a similar situation. Community members are asked to bring a gold coin donation for entry, with all donations going to Beyond Blue. The Princess Diana exhibition will run for six months, in a combined effort with the national charity to support the local community.

SANDCRUISER BRINGS THE BEACH TO ALL

• NATIO – Australian made cosmetics • The Linen Factory – wide range of Manchester • TS 14 Plus – ladies clothing from sizes 10-24 • Beaches Fashions – clothing for ladies, men and children • Candy Stripes – children’s clothing from sizes 0000-16 (nothing over $15!) • Bambis – popular homewares The #Projectlove Shopping Tour costs $50 per head and includes bus transportation, morning tea, a picnic lunch and afternoon tea. Come and experience an enjoyable day full of bargain shopping, good food, community engagement and even a raffle or two. Numbers must be confirmed by July 17 so don’t miss out on this unique shopping opportunity to have a great time while supporting the local community.

GEELONG’S DOSE OF COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS Health and wellness is transforming the way we live and breathe. This revolution continues to evolve as we develop a greater understanding of how stress, anxiety and obesity can be underlying triggers for chronic health issues.

People of all abilities will now be able to enjoy more of the Surf Coast’s renowned beaches thanks to a new wheelchair made to cruise on the sand. The Sandcruiser Wheelchair has been purchased by Surf Coast Shire Council and is one of a number of wheelchairs available that are made to go off-road. The wheelchair, which can negotiate wet and dry sand or take on shallow water with some assistance, can be booked through Torquay-based surf school Go Ride A Wave.

To combat these health risks and prioritise health and wellness, it’s up to us to dedicate the time to processes like ‘meditation’ and ‘mindful eating’, which ironically aren’t as simple to take up as they sound. In response to demand for positive health and wellbeing practices to be simple, accessible and habitual, Geelong is hosting its own Community Health and Wellness Day. The event aims to make creating a healthy lifestyle much easier to adapt into our lives and successfully maintain.

Council now has four beach and trail access wheelchairs, including the Sandcruiser available for public use. The Trailrider wheelchair, made for gravel paths and tracks, can be booked from Surf Coast Sport and Recreation Centre while the Anglesea YMCA camp has beach wheelchairs for the water made for adults and children.

“Our Geelong Community Health and Wellness Day will give visitors access to expert health and wellness information, provide an opportunity to improve physical and mental health for themselves and their family, learn about affordable and nutritious food, and encourage social connection and involvement in community and group activities,” explains Natalie Pickett. Natalie is the Founder and CEO of Wellness on Time, an online wellness program that launched in January this year.

“One of Council’s priorities in accessibility is ensuring people of all abilities can participate in community life and that includes the quintessential experience of enjoying a day at the beach,” Cr Wellington said.

Geelong Community Health and Wellness Day is a unique event that will bring a wealth of experts from the industry to share their knowledge and advice. These local health and wellness practitioners come from all walks of life, including sport, fitness, recreation, lifestyle, nutrition and holistic therapies. The health and wellness event will run on July 26 from 10am – 4pm at the Geelong West Town Hall. Child entry is free and adult entry is $10.

Councillor Heather Wellington said the Sandcruiser was an important step in making the Surf Coast a more accessible and inclusive community.

“We look forward to the Sandcruiser bringing lots of health benefits and great memories for local residents and visitors of all abilities all-year-round.” Councillor Rose Hodge said the Sandcruiser wheelchair would be particularly great for families. “Because of the topography and the difficulty moving traditional wheelchairs on sand, the Sandcruiser provides great opportunities for families that include people of all abilities to enjoy the beach together.” To book the Sandcruiser, drop into Go Ride A Wave in Bell Street, Torquay or contact 1300 132 441.

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COMMUNITY

Employee volunteers from Incitec Pivot

VOLUNTEERS ROLL UP SLEEVES TO HELP STUDENTS

ight employee volunteers from Incitec Pivot spent the day working alongside students in the gardens at Northern Bay College’s Peacock Ave Campus. The employees put in some serious manual labour to dig up years of compacted soft fall and prepare the soil in readiness for a restructure of the garden beds at the school. The end result was a spectacular new feature garden that can be enjoyed by all the students, a real boost to the school, which is situated in an area of disadvantage and lacks the funding for beautification projects. Incitec Pivot responded to a call for support from Northern Bay College and chose to take on this project as a mark of their commitment to supporting their local community. Incitec Pivot Vice President of Sustainability, Clare Luehman, said the Northern Bay project aligns with their priority area of education within its Sustainable Communities Policy. “We believe that participating in volunteering events such as this has the ability to make a real and valued difference to our local communities. It also helps our employees understand the challenges of communities in which they live and work”.

A BIG DAY OUT FOR HAPPINESS In an example of community volunteering at its best, employees from a range of local businesses and people who have disabilities joined together for an inclusive day of fun activities at the Karingal BacLinks (Business and Community Links) Winter Workplace Big Day Out.

Karingal BacLinks Manager, Joanne Forssman, said this event fitted perfectly with this year’s National Volunteer Week theme of ‘Give Happy. Live Happy.’ “The Winter Workplace Big Day Out is an educational and enlightening event, but most of all it’s a whole lot of fun for everyone involved,” said Joanne. Employee volunteers taking part in this event were drawn from a number of businesses in our region, including a group of eager employees from Adroit Insurance Group in Geelong. Adroit Insurance Group Operations Manager, Jade Forsyth, said their employees had looked forward to volunteering at the event and spending a fun-filled day alongside people with disabilities. “We have partnered with Karingal on a number of projects and initiatives over the years, with the Winter Workplace Big Day Out being one of them,” said Jade. “As an organisation we are proud of our local origins, as are our people, and we relish the opportunity to get out into our community and get involved. Our volunteers had a fantastic day last year and found the experience very rewarding.”

KARINGAL BACLINKS JUNE BREAKFAST Around 90 people attended our most recent breakfast to hear Phil Cleary, White Ribbon Ambassador, passionately and emotionally appeal to businesses to take a stand against violence against women through support of female colleagues and initiation of a related code of conduct in their workplaces. Phil has been at the forefront of the campaign to stop violence against women following the murder of his 25 year-old sister in 1987 and was pivotal to the abolition of the Law of Provocation in Victoria. He is also an author of three books and numerous newspaper articles on the subject and participated in many media commentaries. Guests at the breakfast found his impassioned speech engaging, informative and, at times, confronting, generating much discussion around tables.

The event, presented by Adroit Insurance Group and sponsored by MatchWorks, St John of God Pathology, Harwood Andrews and GMHBA, follows National Volunteering Week and provides an opportunity for organisations to sample employee volunteering while breaking down barriers between people of all abilities and fostering a greater sense of community. The volunteers spent the day participating in a range of fun, challenging team activities alongside around 80 program members from Karingal, Gateways, Encompass and St Laurence. Activities on offer included netball, volleyball, dancing, basketball and soccer.

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80 YEARS YOUNG An 80th anniversary is a big deal in any industry and Coulter Roache Lawyers celebrated theirs in style in June, bringing together clients, current and former lawyers and staff and business associates. The Coodabeen Champion’s Ian Cover kept the laughs coming across the evening as MC and special guest speaker, Greg Peele, shared his memorable story. Co-founder of the Meredith Music Festival, Greg told the story of the festival, from its humble beginnings on a country farm and the incredible growth that saw it become the music-lovers music festival, producing plenty of unforgettable stories along the way. For Greg and the festival team, the focus was always on the ‘punters’, about the experience of the crowd and remaining true to that. Authenticity is a key component of longevity in business and Greg’s story resonated with the words of Coulter Roache Managing Principal Tom White, Principal Kevin Roache, Principal Martin Reid and Principal Anne O’Loughlin about a firm that has grown, evolved and continues to change eight decades on, but remains focused on the needs of clients and building partnerships. Part of that growth has been forged by a culture of supporting the firm’s own people, and this has been most recently seen with the promotion of Bronwen Charleson from the Will and Estate Planning department to Principal and Tara Paatsch from the Family Law department being promoted to Senior Lawyer.

Tony & Debbie Spence (Prestige Jayco), Sharon & David Dunoon (Newcomb Sand and Soil)

Alicia Caroll (Coulter Roache) & Ben Williamson (Morgans)

Nicholas Redman (Coulter Roache), Mark & Linda Oates, Tom Lynch (Coulter Roache) BUSINESS NEWS | 44

AFTER HOURS

Wendy & Jim Mahon, Jeanne Mackenzie (Coulter Roache)

Ian Cover (MC) and Tom White (Coulter Roache)

David & Sue Ramsay (Income Solutions), Adrian McCartney (Patrick Rowan & Associates) Wendy Maloney (Crowe Horwath) &Bronwen Charleson (Coulter Roache)

Sarah Reid & Greg Peele

Richard Hogan (Coulter Roache), Rachel & Leigh Harry (LBW Accountants) BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 45

AFTER HOURS

IN THE SHADOW OF TAX TIME Crowe Horwath Geelong brought together business people, clients, advisors and Crowe Horwath staff for their annual End of Financial Year evening on 25 June. Held at Waterfront Kitchen, it was an opportunity to talk shop, to catch up and, for those in the financial services sector, to take a much-needed deep breath before the onslaught of tax time. With world markets dancing to the tunes of Greece and China, the Aussie dollar resisting the best efforts of the reserve bank, the small business federal budget boost, and continuing talk about tax concessions around superannuation and negative gearing, there was no lack of topics to talk about. As always, the End of Financial Year evening warmed up an otherwise chilly winter night. Photos by Elisha Lindsay EL Photography

Ashleigh Wall (Crowe Horwath), Chris Bitmead (Crowe Horwath) & Stephen Gubbins

Barry Fagg (Faggs Mitre 10) & Kathryn Egan (Crowe Horwath)

Brett Ince (Tourism Greater Geelong and the Bellarine), Rachel Lawson & Matthew Boyle (Great Ocean Road Surf Tours)

Ben Tewierik (Jirsch Sutherland) & Alex Duonis (Crowe Horwath)

Jenny & Chris Maltby BUSINESS NEWS | 46

AFTER HOURS

McFarlane Pattinson (Crowe Horwath) & Adam Murray (Crowe Horwath)

Scott Anderson (Worrells Solvency & Forensic Accountants) & Harvey Munday (Des Munday & Sons)

Shane Hilton (Crowe Horwath), Helen Butteriss (Crowe Horwath), Peter Kosmetsche (Bank of Melbourne), Brad Ivens (Crowe Horwath) & Wendy Maloney (Crowe Horwath) BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 47

AFTER HOURS

EASY PEASEY PEOPLE SKILLS The Allen Pease event held in late June was attended by over 230 Geelong Young Professionals and - given the international reputation of the speaker - the event was also well attended by mature professionals. This has been the biggest GYP event to date, with the gorgeous Hopetoun Room of The Pier filled to capacity. The event sponsor, Harwood Andrews Lawyers, were thrilled with the turnout and the calibre of speaker with the humorous style of Allen’s delivery appealing to the many attendees. Breaking down basic people skills in a way that was relevant for both working and domestic relationships, Allen provided useful key messages and take home tips to improve body language. His high-energy presentation had attendees engaged and provided a highlight for the mid-week, mid-winter blues. All attendees received a signed copy of Allen’s book, Body Language in the Work Place. Allen also had copies of several of his other titles including Easy Peasey: People Skills for Life, The Secrets of Writing Letters That Really Work, and Why Men Don’t Listen & Women Can’t Read Maps for sale at the event, which also proved a sell-out.

GYP Committee: Julie Guilmartin, Caleb Plumridge, Nicole Walters, Allan Pease, Andrew Block, Jess McGlinchey, Nikki Del Rios, Patrick Hoey, Bridgette Kelly

Mellissa Fraser, Jessica Guest, Emily Donoghue, Shae Farquher, Melisa Gavin

Gillian Costa, Denice O’Neill

Allan Pease - Guest Speaker BUSINESS NEWS | 48

AFTER HOURS

Isabele Greenall & Adam McIntosh

Toni Sleep, Shelley Stolk, Megan Symington

Heath, Rebecca, Courtney, Jess

MCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s: Nicole Walters & Bridgette Kelly BIZNEWSMAG.COM.AU | 49

Market Square Shopping Centre Geelong (03) 5221 8559

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THE EBONY FOREST

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BOOKS

GO SET A WATCHMAN Harper Lee The announcement that the long-lost sequel to the modern classic To Kill A Mockingbird set the literary world alight last year, and on July 14 Go Set A Watchman will hit the shelves. Harper Lee wrote Go Set A Watchman, set in the 1950s, before To Kill A Mockingbird, but the story goes her publisher suggested she write another novel about Scout’s early years and that first manuscript disappeared. In Go Set A Watchman, Scout (Jean Louise Finch) is living in New York and returns to Maycomb to visit her father Atticus – the man she views as the moral compass, the watchman, of Maycomb. She is forced to grapple with issues both personal and political as she tries to understand both her father’s attitude toward society, and her own feelings about the place where she was born and spent her childhood. Social media and bookshop sales will explode on July 14.

THE CANCER RECOVERY GUIDE Kerryn Phelps In some ways she is Australia’s GP, and from Professor Kerryn Phelps AM comes a comprehensive, clear and compassionate guide for cancer patients and their families and carers. A cancer diagnosis is a difficult life event and just the beginning of a long and challenging journey. Professor Phelps has provided care to numerous cancer patients over many years and knows the issues they face. Her philosophy is always to empower patients with the information they need to improve their wellbeing in whatever way possible. The Cancer Recovery Guide provides expert advice on: what to do when you are diagnosed; how to get the best from your medical team; what to expect from cancer-specific treatments and how to manage side effects; medically-proven complementary therapies to help manage pain, stress, fatigue and reduced immunity; the role of sleep, exercise and nutrition in easing the effects of treatment and facilitating recovery; and strategies for both patients and carers to cope with the emotional toll of cancer.

HARRY MAC Russell Eldridge Tom and Millie are best friends who live in a quiet lane on the edge of town. They rely on each other to make sense of what’s going on in their lives and in the lives of their families - especially Harry Mac’s. Harry Mac, Tom’s dad, is a man of silences and secrets. And now Tom is involved in one of those secrets. At school, Tom sits through lessons on the arms race and President Kennedy, waiting until he can be back on the lane where life is far more interesting: why does a black car drive slowly up the lane every night? And what did Harry Mac mean when he wrote in his newspaper ‘people disappear in the night’? A series of shocking events and discoveries lead Tom closer to the truth, but threaten to tear his world apart. Set within a fascinating period of South African politics, this is a coming-of-age story full of heart, soul and hope.

MASTERCHEF: THE MASTERS AT HOME What does a master chef cook at home? Within the pages of this sumptuous cookbook are the home favourites of thirty renowned chefs and it’s all about celebrating delicious food. Away from the intensity and heat of restaurant service, these chefs were asked to share three recipes for their favourite weekend treats. This interactive and multi-platform publishing format encourages fans to take their own photos of the chef dishes they recreate at home to share online @ #BloomsburyCooks #Absolute_Press #MasterChef #LoftusLens #Greatfood… Chefs featured include Michael Anthony, Elena Arzak, Claude Bosi, Massimo Bottura, Claire Clark, Wylie Dufresne, Andrew Fairlie, Peter Gilmore, Bill Granger, Angela Hartnett, Tom Kerridge, Pierre Koffmann, Jamie Oliver, Neil Perry, Gordon Ramsay, Joan and Jordi Roca, Ruth Rogers, Curtis Stone and Tetsuta Wakuda.

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