Geelong Business News - 200

ISSUE 200 SEPTEMBER 2011 $4.50 (inc. GST)

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Bill Mithen’s charitable challenge Give Where You Live’s new CEO

GBN Turns 200 Celebrating 200 editions

National Skills Week Recruitment & Training feature

06 Biz News 10 Appointments 35 Medical 40 Tech Guy 42 Arts 46 After Hours 51 What’s On

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EDITOR

Have we created a Frankenstein parliament?

When we, the people, voted to create a minority Federal Government in August 2010, the conventional wisdom was that this was supposed to be the great warning to our major parties – to do better, or risk reaping the rewards of our displeasure. It was well intentioned, but we all know that old adage about the road paved with good intentions.

Rather than a parliament that works harder to develop balanced policy, that works under a greater umbrella of accountability and responsibility, we have a parliament that has turned on itself, canobilising the adversarial system to such an extent that Parliament has become disfunctional. Instead of a place where Government is held to account it has become a place where power struggles and petty point scoring have all but deafened any reasoned argument. We have, in short, created a monster.

Like the unnatural creation of Mary Shelley’s gothic horror novel, it is disjointed, lurching around the edges of the real world and reacting aggressively to its inability to make sense of itself – it wants to belong, to fit, to work – but it doesn’t, and, just as in the 19th century fiction, there is a feeling of inevitability to its destruction. But which is the real monster – the creation or the creator?

ISSUE 200 SEPTEMBER 2011

accept the line that is shouted the loudest rather than sitting down and thinking about what the agenda is behind that line, and why it may or may not be accurate.

We’re all busy, and there is only so much we can take in on a daily basis. There are all the usual things to deal with at home, and then there is whatever is happening or not happening, going to happen or not happening as much any more at work. There are family issues, health issues, personal and business financial issues, regulatory issues and many more, all vying for our attention. Politics has changed to fit into this changing landscape of Australian lives, and like just about everyone else, pollies want to get the most out of every second they have our attention.

At the moment, the balance of power in the federal parliament is incredibly tentative and is wavering more each day. These are extraordinary times in our political history; it’s just a shame that these extraordinary political times have not created extraordinary politicians.

Perhaps we only have ourselves to blame…

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Reactionary politics – such as we are seeing in Canberra almost on a daily basis – is reacting to something. It might be easy to blame the ubiquitous ‘media’, which is more often than not a reference to the daily papers, but newspapers exist in a consumer-driven market and have always printed what sells.

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So, why do we buy into the overly simplistic, fingerpointing political arguments? I honestly don’t know, but I suspect it has something to do with it being easier to

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BIZNEWS

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BIZNEWS

Telco reform is achievable‌

Leading comparison site WhistleOut is pushing for telcos to adopt a new accessible comparison tool in their marketing to disclose minutes and data to consumers. The solution was developed

by WhistleOut in response to recent claims by telcos that unit pricing – displaying minutes in cap plans – is near impossible. “We have developed a dynamic online mechanism allowing consumers to quickly visualise the difference between advertised plans in minutes and data, not just total value. It further lets consumers refine for their own needs, including call frequency, SMS and data usage,� says Cameron Craig, Director of WhistleOut. According to the WhistleOut statement, a high number of complaints were made by consumers last year – over five times the number of complaints made in the UK – leading the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to launch its Reconnecting the Customer inquiry. The recommendations from the inquiry

called for an easier way for consumers to compare mobile phone plans.

In the report, ACMA recommended, “The introduction of a mechanism for comparing prices, with a requirement that service providers refer to that mechanism in promotions should help consumers to compare the price offerings of service providers.�

WhistleOut’s mechanism breaks down all the major cap plans in minutes and data, allowing consumers to make informed choices when choosing plans. “Australians are paying a high price for this complacency on confusing mobile plans – the prices charged for excess call charges in Australia are almost three times what they are in the UK,� says Cameron.

By contrast, consumers in the UK benefit by seeing their plans clearly advertised in monthly minute allowances, and they have their excess data costs capped at ÂŁ1 per day.

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Thoughts from Main Streets Conference The Victorian Small Business Festival threw up plenty of interesting topics and ideas, and we thought this, from a conference discussing issues around what Main Streets mean to cities, might interest you too‌ President of Mainstreet Australia, Steve Bentley said, “Most members of the public recognise town centres, main streets and local shopping strips are unique and special as well as being a critical and essential part of their community. Approximately 370,000 jobs are supported in Main Street centres, generating $15,500 million in wages income each year.â€? “Main streets provide opportunities for small business development, with many successful national and international businesses having expanded from a main street location. Main streets have a vital role to play in serving communities, ranging from small, local centres, too much larger centres of metropolitan and state-wide importance. Importantly, they are a source of community identity. “With the current global impacts on business combined with fierce competition from big box shopping centres and on-line retailing, we believe there is no better time to be supporting, training and ‘skilling up’ small businesses in our towns and main streets .â€?

Couldn’t agree more Steve!

Presenteeism an Ongoing Economic Problem Medibank Health Solutions says that its research has found that presenteeism continues to burden Australia, having cost the economy $34.1 billion in 2009/10.

The research follows on from Medibank’s 2007 study, which looked at the cost of presenteeism on Australian businesses and the economy.

Prepared by independent economic consultancy KPMG Econtech, the updated study reveals that presenteeism is a problem that isn’t going away, so it is important that steps are taken to tackle it.

Presenteeism is defined as when employees come to work, but due to illness or medical conditions are not fully productive. The condition has a high cost, and Dr Matthew Cullen, Medibank Health Solutions General Manager, says it urgently needs to be addressed. “On average, 6.5 working days of productivity are lost per employee annually and the overall cost of $34.1 billion equates to a decrease in gross domestic product (GDP) by 2.7%. If we are to minimise further negative effects to businesses and the economy we need to take steps to invest in the health of staff. Employers have the ability to reduce presenteeism rates, thereby improving productivity and, in the longterm, generate a positive impact on their business bottom line.�

Presenteeism is a marker of ill health and can result from any number of illnesses or health problems. The study considered twelve key medical conditions - allergies, arthritis, asthma,

cancer, depression, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, migraine and headache, respiratory disorders, skin conditions, and back, neck or spinal problems.

The report also investigated the effect of Australia’s ageing working population. By 2050, the 45+ age range is projected to make up 40.2% of the workforce, compared to the current 36.7%. The results showed that while the prevalence rates of some diseases increase with age, there are others that remain flat with the rest declining. As such, the impact of the ageing of Australia’s population on productivity losses from presenteeism increases over time but is muted. In line with this, the rate of presenteeism is expected to increase slightly to 2.7% by 2050.

Presenteeism is not going away. Medibank says that employers need to take action to address the situation now so that they can create more positive and productive environments for their employees and, consequently, better performing, more profitable businesses.

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BIZNEWS

New thoughts on Central Geelong A demonstration project to showcase ‘shop top’ living in Central Geelong is one of the measures the City of Greater Geelong has identified to stimulate development in Central Geelong. The City of Greater Geelong Council adopted a report that has amongst its recommendations the development of a shop top living demonstration project in partnership with the State Government’s Urban Renewal Authority.

Council’s Planning portfolio holder, Cr Rod Macdonald, said the Council would look to work with the Urban Renewal Authority to identify a suitable property in Central Geelong that could be converted into a residential apartment.

“We will be seeking to work with the Urban Renewal Authority and private property owners to develop a shop top style apartment that could serve as a demonstration project,” Cr Macdonald said. “An actual conversion will enable us to identify what issues need to be overcome to make shop top living a commercially viable prospect for property owners, and we hope such a project would serve as a stimulus to other owners to follow suit,” Cr Macdonald said.

“A similar project was mooted prior to the change of State Government so we are keen to progress the idea with the newly formed Urban Renewal Authority,” he said.

Cr Macdonald said the Council would also consider the waiving of formal car parking requirements where a developer is seeking to convert an existing Central Geelong property into a residential apartment.

“The aim of the waiver would be to encourage the reuse of Central Geelong properties, and in particular the development of residential conversions in locations where there is not the physical space to provide the required off street car parking,” Cr Macdonald said.

Cr Macdonald said the Council would ask the Minister for Planning to defer the implementation of the Parking Precinct Plan for Central Geelong for 12 months to provide flexibility on parking for suitable refurbishment projects. In addition, the Council will ask the Minister for Planning to formally adopt the Activity Centre Zone.

Central Geelong was identified by the previous State Government as one of five areas in Victoria to be designated a Principal Activity Zone and a special planning control known as the Activity Centre Zone was subsequently developed to consolidate existing planning policies and make for a more user friendly planning control for developers and businesses.

Retailers welcome Productivity Commission report Peak retail industry body, the Australian Retailers Association, said it welcomed many of the recommendations in the Productivity Commission's (PC) draft report into the Economic Structure and Performance of the Australian Retail Industry released in August.

However, he said that the ARA is disappointed there is no further recommendations for third party reporting of turnovers to avoid abuse of what he termed ‘predatory negotiations’ from landlords, nor a national registration of retail leases as suggested in ARA's submission.

ARA Executive Director, Russell Zimmerman, said in a statement that the draft report touched on many issues highlighted in the ARA's submission, including the imbalance of power between landlords and retailers and the need for increased workplace productivity.

"As retail is Australia's largest employer, we are pleased that the PC also recognises the disincentive retailers have to retain low-skilled staff under the current Fair Work Act. We also welcome the PC recommendation to improve Customs and parcel processing inefficiencies from the 'multi-step, clunky process between Australian Post and Customs' to a more streamlined method, but we call on the Government to make the necessary changes as quickly as possible.

"As retailers struggle with poor trading conditions, skyrocketing rents are driving many businesses into the ground. The ARA welcomes the PC's acknowledgement that planning and zoning restrictions are propagating the power imbalance between landlords and retailers at the negotiation table. The ARA also supports recommendations for a harmonisation of lease information and nationally consistent model legislation as well as voluntary national code of conduct for shopping centre leases that is enforceable by the ACCC.”

"The ARA looks forward to working with the Government to implement the many of PC's proposals including the improvement of customs efficiencies allowing for a lowering of the low value importation threshold," Zimmerman said.

State Govt Support Needed On Buses The City of Greater Geelong has said it will lobby the State Government to increase support for better public transport services, more DHS officers, and additional police presence as a result of the Moorabool Street Bus Interchange review.

“Whilst submissions show that the interchange has had a positive effect on bus patronage with a 19 per cent increase in passenger numbers, significant increases in pedestrian counts in the surrounding streets and there is strong support for the current location of the bus interchange, the review highlighted a number of issues,” said Council’s Transport portfolio holder Cr Andy Richards “Amongst the concerns expressed during the review were that congestion was affecting nearby traders, the general public and bus users; antisocial behavior by some individuals is having a negative impact; there is a need to improve the level of amenity for bus patrons and smoking in and around the bus interchange needs addressing. We’ll be taking these issues up with

the relevant authorities and the State Government as a matter of priority” said Cr Richards.

Cr Andy Richards said the review of the bus interchange gave public transport users, retailers and shoppers an opportunity to comment on the interchange, and discuss ways to improve it.

Ninety-three written submissions were received and 20 people made a presentation to a Council panel on 25 June 2011. Additional data was collected via a survey of 270 bus patrons, pedestrian counts and bus passenger number counts.

Cr Richards said the City of Greater Geelong would be writing to the Department of Transport and advocating for continued safety officer patrols and cleaning services in the area of the bus interchange and improved signage and information on bus times and routes.

“We will also write to Victoria Police requesting additional foot patrols in Central Geelong and write to the Department of Human Services with a view to seeking its assistance in managing behaviour around the interchange,” he said.

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APPOINTMENTS Health

Fiona Trotter

Barwon Health recently welcomed Professor Lee Kennedy to the role of Professor of Medicine, continuing the vital work undertaken by Geoff Nicholson and his research team. Prof Kennedy commenced work as the Foundation Professor of Medicine at Deakin University on 1 July; a joint appointment with Barwon Health, where he also functions as the Director of Endocrinology. He previously worked for six years as Professor of Medicine at James Cook University and as staff specialist and Director of Endocrinology with Queensland Health.

Fiona Trotter joined the team at Morris Finance Ltd earlier this year and has already been promoted to one of our New Business Specialists. Fiona has recently completed her anti money laundering training and will soon commence studying her Certificate IV in Finance and Broking Services. Fiona prides herself on providing outstanding customer service. Fiona has become an integral part of the team at Morris Finance Ltd.

Advertising

Glynn Sadler

Pace Advertising welcomes Mel Russell as the newest member to their successful advertising team. Appointed as Account Manager, Mel has a diverse background in marketing and advertising from local government, tourism, regional Fairfax newspaper publications and event management. Mel enjoys the diversity in which her role offers and the opportunity to provide quality marketing services to all her clients.

Glynn Sadler joined Morris Finance Ltd in April 2009, after a seven year career at Telstra working as the Credit Manager.

Prior to this Glynn worked at the Westpac Banking Corporation for twenty years as the Legal Manager and brings with him an abundance of industry experience. Glynn is held in high regard by the staff here at MFL, with a strong focus on processes and procedures. Glynn has just been appointed our Operations Manager.

Kon Likoudis

Yoland Marshall

Kon Likoudis joined Morris Finance Ltd in 2006 as a Credit Analyst. After building successful relationships with MFL’s Australia wide broker network he was promoted to Business Development Manager servicing and maintaining over 400 brokers around Australia. Kon has successfully completed his Certificate IV in Financial Services (Finance/Mortgage Broking) as well as Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing Act. With his strong dedication, qualifications and industry experience, Kon has now been promoted to General Manager of Finance with MFL.

Morris Finance Ltd welcomes Yoland Marshall to the Direct Marketing and Promotions team. Yoland has carried strong customer service values throughout her career beginning at Target Australia.

Since then she has had seven years experience in sales and marketing when she worked for Kraft Foods Ltd in a number of roles, therefore bringing creativity, enthusiasm and passion to everything she does. Yoland will now be managing all marketing, advertising and sponsorship enquiries.

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APPOINTMENTS

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Community Services

Legal

Colin Frisch has joined Karingal as executive officer of the newly established Karingal Foundation. Colin has an expansive background in public relations and marketing and 15 yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in foundation governance, operations and fundraising. Most recently Colin worked as executive officer of Geelongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Rainbow Riderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s therapeutic childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s charity to refocus its operations in the interests of improving sustainability. The Karingal Foundation will focus on building a funding base for building projects to accommodate people with disabilities.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Gizelle Manoli. Gizelle joins Coulter Roache Lawyers as a Trade Mark Attorney and Senior Lawyer. She comes with 5 years experience working at boutique intellectual property law practices, Phillips Ormonde Fitzpatrick and Choy Lawyers in Melbourne. Gizelleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s area of interest and experience is in trade mark law, but she also has extensive experience working in the areas of Designs, Copyright, Trade Practices and Advertising and Marketing law.

Real Estate

Barwon Computer Solutions

Wayne McKay recently commenced with Gartland Real Estate as the Manager of Residential Sales and Auctioneer with a real estate career in Geelong spanning 33 years. A licensed agent for 15 years, Wayne is well respected within the industry and is known for his honesty and friendly manner. A past president of the REIV Geelong branch, he is well aware of the importance of promoting ethics in Real Estate and providing quality service. With 30 years experience as an Auctioneer, Wayne has an exceptionally high client satisfaction level and auction clearance rate.

Barwon Computer Solutions is pleased to announce the appointment of Keith Dobbins as Business Development Manager IT Consumables. Keith brings a wealth of customer service experience from companies such as Fairfax, GEC, Geelong Advertiser. Barwon Computer Solutions recognises the importance of a quick personal response to the organisations IT consumables needs.

Keith understands the critical availability of IT consumables to the organisation and personally responds to requests.

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Community Services

Markus Schwaiger has joined Barwon Computer Solutions as Business Development Manager. Markus has worked with companies such as Compaq, EDS, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard and ADP in Australia and overseas. His key focus is understanding clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; business needs and matching these to technology, support and service solutions. Barwon Computer Solutions has been helping Geelong region companies since 1984 by always exceeding clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expectations through local technology expertise, service and supply.

Kerry McFarlane has recently joined Barwon Centre Against Sexual Assault Counselling Services as the Program and Client Services Manager. This position was developed to meet the needs of the expanded BCASA service and assist in the development of the multi discipline centre which brings together BCASA, Police and Child Protection, providing a more integrated level of service delivery for victim/survivors of sexual abuse and family violence.

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COMPETITION

What a way to spend a weekend!

What does the combination of 200 wonderful wines from 25 superb wineries, mouth-watering food and live music all spread over two days add up to? One fantastic weekend! This year, Geelong’s food, wine and music festival will be bigger and better than ever, as Toast to the Coast returns its 10th anniversary. And to celebrate, Geelong Business News is giving away double passes to the October event. For your chance to win, simply enter your details on the competition page of our website at www.adcellgroup.com. au.

Geelong Winegrowers Association (GWA) marketing executive Lyndsay Sharp said Toast to the Coast, held Melbourne Cup weekend – 29th and 30th October - had evolved into a premium event for the Geelong region and a highlight of the Victorian major event’s calendar.

“Toast to the Coast is a true community celebration in every sense – it all about getting people out and about to discover, experience and delight in the Geelong winery ‘experience’, showcasing the calibre and diversity of our wonderful wines, local produce and entertainers,” Mrs Sharp said.

“What started as a relatively small group of vignerons showcasing Geelong wines in 2001 has evolved into a major celebration with more than 25 wineries hosting the event throughout the Geelong wine region,” she said.

“Across The Bellarine, Surf Coast and Moorabool Valley, more than 200 different wines will be on the pour as our vignerons pull out all stops to showcase the rich viticultural bounty that sets Geelong apart as a truly iconic Australian wine region.”

Mrs Sharp said Toast patrons would get the opportunity to sample and enjoy rare back vintages, vertical tastings as well as eagerly anticipated new releases.

Mrs Sharp said the 2011 Toast to the Coast Festival had the support of a range of sponsors including local tourism authorities and media including Regional Development Victoria, City of Greater Geelong, Tourism Victoria, Tourism Geelong, The Bellarine, Golden Plains Shire, Geelong Advertiser and Bay FM. “In addition, a number of local businesses have come on board for the first time this year as sponsors including Gartland Real Estate, Winter & Taylor, Macmillan Cowan & Co, Williams & Jackson, Goodway Print Group and MC Herd.

“It is particularly gratifying to have such wonderful support and goes to show that the Geelong region is proud of its wine industry – it’s all about community supporting community.”

Entry to all Toast to the Coast venues is free and a $30 ticket provides patrons with a tasting glass – an unlimited passport to wine tastings across all venues for the weekend. Tickets, programs, maps and bus schedules available at www.toasttothecoast.com.au Wine lovers can also indulge in the best the season has to offer right through spring during the Great Geelong Wine Pour - an exciting feature in the local epicurean calendar which sees local wines literally ‘on the pour’.

Now in its fourth year, the 2011 Great Geelong Wine Pour has been extended to run for three months - September, October and November.

Mrs Sharp said the Great Geelong Wine Pour was all about encouraging community celebration and enjoyment of Geelong’s premium cool climate wines.

“Restaurant patrons will get to select from a huge cross section of Geelong wines and enjoy the chance to really savour and learn more

“In addition, patrons will get to enjoy some of the intriguing new and emerging alternative wine varietals emanating from our region and contributing to Geelong’s status as a dynamic and innovative winemaking force.”

Mrs Sharp said another highlight of the Toast to the Coast Festival was the fact that it included some very small boutique producers who rarely open their doors to the public.

“Exotic grapes, biodynamic and micro boutique wineries are all part of the booming viticulture industry of the region - this is the public’s opportunity to engage with the personalities and concepts behind the wines.”

“Couple this with a sensational array of food and entertainment and the Toast to the Coast weekend is definitely one worth celebrating.”

Trevor Cooke Photography

about the rich viticultural bounty that sets this region apart from the rest of Australia,” she said.

“Many restaurants will be offering special deals of Geelong wine by the glass to encourage diversity of varietal tasting and enjoyment.”

Mrs Sharp said a great aspect of the Great Geelong Wine Pour was that it both initiated and strengthened synergies between local wineries and restaurants, facilitating the opportunity to simultaneously showcase our premium wines and innovative regional cuisine.

“A number of restaurants will also be featuring regional produce matched with local wine so patrons are in for a real treat,” she said.

“One thing is for sure - Geelong wine is kicking serious goals both in Australia and overseas.

The Great Geelong Wine Pour is a great opportunity to kick back, celebrate and scream it out loud!”

For a full list of participating restaurants and wineries, www.winegeelong.com.au

For further information, please contact: Lyndsay Sharp – Geelong Winegrowers Association 0438 54 1169 Released by: Geelong Winegrowers Association www.winegeelong.com.au

FEATURE

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A new local challenge for an old Geelong boy Bill Mithen has been CEO of Give Where You Live (formerly United Way Geelong Region) for just three weeks when we meet, and he’s a little overwhelmed. Not by the demands of the job and the challenges of moving the organisation forward, but by the amount of support and goodwill the nearly 60 year-old philanthropic not-for-profit enjoys in the local community.

It’s extraordinary the amount of people who have said, “Just tell us what you need, we’re here to help, we’re happy to help”. I think sometimes offers of help are a little rare these days, so when you get every person you meet from big businesses to small businesses saying, “Tell us how we can help”, it’s a pretty overwhelming and, at times, humbling position to be in.

Born and bred in Geelong, Bill was aware of Give Where You Live’s reputation before taking on his new role, but he still says the support is “terrific”. His new job as GWYL CEO is Bill’s second role in the not for profit sector; he was previously Australian Operations Director at Save the Children Australia and prior to that he had a varied career in marketing and management.

GBN: Do you think the support has been heightened by the change from United Way Geelong Region to Give Where You Live – highlighting that specific focus on helping the Geelong region?

GBN: You’ve been CEO of Give Where You Live since August 1. What are your impressions so far?

Bill: From an internal organisational point of view, it’s clearly a great organisation with a really rich and long history. It’s had a couple of manifestations, starting in 1954 as Geelong and District Community Chest and then changing to United Way Geelong Region and now to Give Where You Live, but I think throughout those changes it has maintained its heritage of supporting the community by raising funds and then granting those funds out to partners within the community.

Externally, I’ve been quite overwhelmed at the amount of goodwill in the community for Give Where You Live.

Bill: Maybe. There’s certainly huge support, in fact I’d say uniform support, for that decision taken by the Give Where You Live board late last year. No one has said, “Oh gee, we wish you hadn’t done that”. That’s been really encouraging, because you’re always worried with such a big decision that there might be two sides to the argument, but it’s been very much a one-sided argument.

United Way Australia went through a nationalisation process, whereby it would be affiliated with United Way International. [That] meant there would be a national board and a national CEO. Individual CEOs from individual

regions would report to the national board and there would be almost a dismantling of the local regional boards and, if not a dismantling, then certainly a lessening of their authority. Coupled with that was the circumstance that, if push really came to shove, monies generated in regions could be distributed by the national body in a region other than the one where the funds were raised. If United Way Australia decided they really needed to spend money in Brisbane, then it would have been possible that Geelong raised money would be spent in Brisbane. This effectively meant that workplace givers in Geelong, who are committed to the Geelong region and giving money out of their own hip pocket, would be giving money to people or a program in Brisbane. That’s not what they’re giving for and not what this organisation has been about since 1954.

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[United Way Geelong Region officially became Give Where You Live earlier this year, after making the decision to disaffiliate from United Way Australia. The name, Give Where You Live, was chosen as a reflection of the organisation’s purpose in Geelong – to help disadvantaged people right here in the Geelong region.]

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FEATURE

GBN: You’ve said that you feel lucky to be given the opportunity to lead Give Where You Live into “this next exciting phase of its development”. Is working on confirming the organisaton’s place in the Geelong region part of that phase?

Bill: Yes, the next phase is extremely important, because we suddenly have a new name and a new brand, which is clearly not as well known as the old one and there is still not a complete awareness that we’ve changed. But Give Where You Live is very clear, it’s hard to get it wrong, which was certainly one of the reasons for deciding on that name. So there’s a lot of work for us to do now in, number one, establishing Give Where You Live as a very strong and important community organisation within the Geelong region and number two, we really want the message out there that Give Where You Live isn’t a new organisation; it’s a new name for an already well-established organisation.

For me personally, it’s a really exciting opportunity because you don’t often get the opportunity to come into an organisation with nearly 60 years of history that has a new name, brand and image. Mostly you start with a new organisation with few, if any, years of history, or a 60 year organisation that is steeped in history.

But I’ve got a real mix here, where we’re trying to establish and develop something new, but we also have that fantastic foundation of 60 years of community support and community work that people before me – well before me - have completed.

large organisation in Australia, it generates income of about $80 million and the Australian budget was about $20 million. As Australian Operations Director, I managed and controlled that budget, which included about 35 retail stores, or op shops, and about $13.5 million in program spend. Prior to that I had worked in commercial roles, with the most recent being as general manager of a national marketing services business in Port Melbourne. You’d have to ask Save the Children why they appointed me though (laughs…)!

GBN: But what made you go looking for work in the not for profit sector?

Bill: I had always thought I would work in a not for profit organisation at some point in time, [but] I guess I thought it would probably be when I was closing in on retirement and maybe working a couple of days a week and playing golf or surfing on the others! Then the role came up at Save the Children and I liked the look of it. I wasn’t exactly certain what they were searching for, but I was certainly excited by the opportunity and applied. It turned out I was what they were looking for.

GBN: How did you come to take up this opportunity?

I think at that point in Save the Children’s history they were looking to attract people who had experience other than community services experience. They were trying to attract people who had general management and business experience and could apply more of a - they used the term ‘commercial focus’. I always thought that it wasn’t so much about commerciality, but more about financial and operating efficiencies.

Bill: The last two years I’ve been working with Save the Children Australia - that was my first foray into the not-for-profit and community services sector. Save the Children is quite a

Effectively all community organisations are businesses, they generate income and then they spend it. They certainly have a ‘not for financial profit’ motive but they don’t have a ‘not for profit’

motive in many respects. The profit they’re trying to achieve is a social profit - they’re trying to achieve some sort of social outcome and that effectively is what the profit of the organisation represents. So, in many respects, a lot of the principles and ways of operating such an organisation are not that dissimilar to any other business. There still needs to be the same level of operating efficiency and governance accountability, in some cases it could be argued there is a greater accountability, because you’re dealing with money that other people have donated.

So I can only assume - I never really asked the question - but I assume that’s why I was appointed to that role, and what that then gave me was two fantastic years of having a good look at the community services and philanthropic sectors and the amazing work that goes on all over the place by a huge range of organisations.

I remember when I left I said to some of my staff that there wasn’t a day that went by that it wasn’t a really humbling experience to work at Save the Children, and likewise at Give Where You Live.

We have community partners here in Geelong who are working in really difficult environments and situations, and dealing with sometimes troubled people, sometimes disabled people, and certainly people who need assistance, and they’re doing it every day. They get up every day and they go to work and they deal with that and they still presumably have all the same trials and tribulations that we all have personally with kids at home and running houses and all that sort of thing, and yet they still go and do this. I find that fairly amazing, that people have that much ability to give to their communities and we’re really fortunate here that we have over 70 community partners who are doing that every day of the week.

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FEATURE GBN: How do you feel being back at work in Geelong?

privileged position and I think we can capitalise on that position.

Bill: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been quite a while since I actually worked in central Geelong. One of my previous roles was general manager with Jindalee Estate Wines [now known as Littore Family Wines], but that was of course out of town, so I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really connecting with the Geelong business community in that role. So, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s probably been 20 years since Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve actually worked in Geelong and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really enjoying it - so far, so good.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to see us, as an organisation, really develop a strong and bold vision for what we see Geelong being, particularly in terms of how it supports the disadvantaged in the region and in the community. If we develop that bold vision, I feel our supporters and community partners will be galvanised behind it and will really support us and help us achieve that vision.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m reconnecting with a whole lot of people I had lost contact with here and there and finding there a lot of people in Geelong I know from school [St Josephâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College] or played sport against or with, and I played quite a bit of sport back in my younger years. A lot of those people are now running businesses and some are involved in the community sector as well.

Catching up with all of them again and establishing, or almost re-establishing, all those networks has been really good. And Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve found the Geelong business community, as I said earlier, to be really supportive of Give Where You Live and really supportive of each other. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very happy to give advice about who I should talk to and where I should go and what events I should attend, so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been a very welcoming beginning to my career back in Geelong.

GBN: Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next?

Bill:I think Give Where you Live is in an extraordinary, and in some ways privileged, position within the Geelong region, in that it has developed a huge amount of trust both with its donors and supporters, and particularly our premium supporters, Ford, Shell and Alcoa, and in fact with all our corporate supporters.

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve also built a huge amount of trust with our community partners, who put us in a really

Effectively all community organisations are businesses, they generate income and then they spend it... The profit theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to achieve is a social profit - theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re trying to achieve some sort of social outcome and that effectively is what the profit of the organisation represents.

So weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to work hard in the next few months on developing that vision and strategy and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking forward to going out and talking to all our partners, whether theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re supporters in terms of a financial point of view, or goods in kind, or community partners in terms of their service delivery.

In Geelongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business community we have a couple of very large major corporations, but the vast majority of business done in Geelong is in small and medium sized businesses, and we would like to connect with them, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to hear from them and talk to them about what they can do. I think corporate social responsibility has developed a bit of an image of being only the domain of major corporations, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not.

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enterprises as well. They are working in, and relying upon, their local communities, just as much as the larger corporations. We want to get that message across and talk to some of those businesses about what it is that we can help them to achieve in that area.

One other thing Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d say is that part of that vision needs to be a real focus on creating a sustainable funding model for the Geelong community. At the moment, our model is very much that we fundraise and hand those funds on. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very lucky that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to raise substantial funds, but, if for whatever reason, that fundraising experienced a downturn, then naturally weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to be handing as many funds on as we have in the past.

About 12 months ago we created the Give Where You Live Foundation, and we have a focus of building the funds in that foundation so it becomes a much more sustainable income stream that allows us to provide sustainable funding to our community partners into the future. The Geelong community has been extraordinarily supportive and generous, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to ask for continued support and generosity from them to try to build up a strong investment base that we can then use to generate a sustainable funding stream. That needs to be a real focus for us and getting that mix, getting that transition right, is going to be critical. We need to continue to fund in an ongoing manner to the same levels, as well as building an investment fund. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be a tricky bit of work, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m sure we can do it with the level of support that we get from the community.

Judy Baulch

16

COVER STORY

28 Years, 200 GBN Editions and Counting...

The Geelong Business News celebrates 200 editions with this September 2011 issue – 28 years after the first edition of the then Geelong Business magazine went to press. There have been a lot of changes over those 200 editions and a many people that have passed through the various offices and played their part in 200 planning meetings, 200 cover designs and 200 deadlines. There have been a few tears and tantrums along the way, and there have been triumphs, but looking back across almost three decades of magazines, there has been something more than the discussion of the issues of that time – there has been a cataloguing of almost three decades of the Geelong business landscape.

By 1984, ‘decentralisation’ of manufacturing became the hot issue, with the withdrawal of rebates for companies who moved operations to regional areas.

Reading back through the early editions through to today, there is a wonderful sense of the resilience and resourcefulness of our local businesses. Business is about making money, we know, but what can be found across the years is that here in Geelong, the worth of a business is much more than its bottom line – businesses here in Geelong are woven tightly into the very fabric of the city – and the history of businesses in this city is intricately and inescapably enmeshed with the history of the city itself.

By 1985, Geelong Business had established its place in the Geelong media landscape and within the business community. It was the middle of the 1980s, the ‘Greed is Good’ decade when businesses were taking off and everyone wanted a piece of the economic pie.

Technology was slowly creeping into the small business sector and everyone had a power suit!

1985 saw Prince Charles and Princess Diana tour Australia, and here in Geelong, the retail landscape would never be the same again as the historic Market Square building underwent a $30 million redevelopment.

It has been a fascinating exercise to look back through these past editions, and while I can’t hope to present to you all the issues, furious debates, the characters and the crises that have graced the pages of the magazine over the years, I have had the absolute pleasure of pulling out a few threads of what it has meant to produce Geelong’s business magazine from 1983 to 2011.

In the October 1985 edition of Geelong Business was a gem of an article entitled, ‘How Much Does A Computer Cost??’ by Rob Dunstan of Computerland Geelong. “… These days, a small business with low data storage requirements can expect to pay at least $4,000.00 for a computer system with floppy disc storage, a software package for general accounting and a print to output results.

Anything below this cannot be regarded as a machine suitable for business.

GEELONG BUSINESS – THE FIRST EDITION In October 1983, the first edition of Geelong Business hit the shop fronts and offices, factories and warehouses of Geelong. At the helm as publisher was John Loughnan of The Communicators, who remains a stalwart of communications in this city. Peter Millard was the editor, and in this first edition, he welcomed readers with the ‘In Passing’ message reprinted here about the new magazine.

In the very first cover story, Geelong Business asked how important the Geelong Football Club really was to Geelong, and explored the relationship between the football club and the city itself. The conclusion – that the club was at the very heart of Geelong. That for Geelong to survive and prosper as a community, the football club must survive and prosper.

Also in that first issue was an interview with then Chairman of the Geelong Regional Commission, Colin Atkins, following state government intervention in the management of regional Victoria.

What else was happening in September of 1983? Pyramid Building Society announced a before tax profit of $11.3 million. The redevelopment of Market Square was announced. Three Geelong hotels commenced

Going from this point, the next step for small to medium sized businesses is a hard disc based system which will handle larger volumes of information at a higher speed. Such a system [is] in the vicinity of $7,000.00 to $10,000.00.

From here, the sky is the limit…”

The article sagely goes on to point out that most businesses that install a computer system can make enough savings, both tangible and intangible to pay for the machine in 12 months!

Sunday bar trading. Home loan interest rates were at 15 per cent. Australia II won the America’s Cup, after which any employer who sacked a worker for not turning up the following day would be, according to PM Bob Hawke, “a bum”.

The second edition of Geelong Business looked at the challenges facing the city’s textile industry – it was an issue that would play out for many years to come as the TCF industry across the nation buckled under the enormous pressure of cheaper imports.

The industrial landscape was also changing, and in 1986 the proposal for mandatory superannuation saw the business community involved in heavy debate. In the January/ February 1986 edition, the issue was front and centre, with a ‘Super Hit? Or Miss?’ article opening with: “The Federal Government’s proposed National Superannuation Scheme is one of the more radical proposals to hit the Australian working man since the introduction of the eight hour day…”

COVER STORY I think I can still hear the clank of those gold watches as fists hit oversized desks across our fair city!

In March 1987, the focus fell on itinerant traders, a significant issue facing businesses at the time, as unlicensed operators unfettered by the cost burden of legitimate businesses continued to undercut the market. In this edition, publisher and editor John Loughnan commented: “How free is local enterprise, and free for whom? As the saying goes, nothing comes for free.

“The right for a retailer to trade in Geelong costs him dearly. General rates for a modest Moorabool Street outlet may range from $3,000-$10,000 a year, and the larger chain stores may pay $25,000-$35,000 a year.

“Add to that lighting, power, water, and/or landlord or agent’s profit margin on a lease, insurance, security and leave entitlements for permanent staff, and it is clear that itinerant traders have an unfair advantage…”

Other big issues at the time included the threat to the local cement industry from imported cement ‘dumping’ - at the time Geelong produced 1.5 million tonnes of the state’s 1.6 million tonne total cement production; and the Port of Geelong Authority was in the news as the State Government sought to bring the local port under the control of the amalgamated Victorian Ports Authority.

1989 saw the eyes of the city turn to the water as the Bay Link plan to redevelop the Geelong’s foreshore produced furious debate. On the business front, the Cain Government was pressured into initiating a public inquiry into the failure of the Victorian Economic Development Corporation (or VEDC) that had funded business development via loans out of the public purse at a time of soaring interest rates. Economic pressures were coming to bear across the business sector, and while the region’s three industrial giants, Alcoa, Ford and Shell, were investing – Alcoa with a $90 million capital works program at Point Henry, Ford with a $40 million factory upgrade and Shell looking at a $450 million catalytic cracker at the Corio refinery – the vast majority of businesses were under serious pressure.

Perhaps the 1989 Grand Final result was portentious, because right across Geelong, there were even tougher times ahead.

In 1990, the Farrow Group of building societies, comprised of the Pyramid Building Society, the Geelong Building Society and the Countrywide Building Society, collapsed with a debt bill of over $2 billion. The collapse had the effect of an earthquake on the local economy. In already grim financial times, for many businesses, the collapse and the subsequent freezing of the remaining funds resulted in financial ruin. In

the wake of the Pyramid collapse, Geelong was sunk deep in recession, with raging unemployment and home loan interest rates peaking at 18 per cent. Businesses and families left the city in droves – many heading for Queensland. But not everyone left, and not every business closed. For those that kept afloat, it was a long haul, but eventually the outlook began to brighten. Stoicism slowly turned to hope…

In December 1993, the magazine was rebranded as Geelong Business News, with the launch heralded by then managing director, Terry Tayler, as coinciding with a revitalised Geelong business community.

“I believe we are now experiencing a new and exciting era of growth in this region, spurred along by the unity of the Greater City of Geelong, various foreshore developments, a stronger Chamber of Commerce and much needed financial support from the Government.”

The new magazine was glossy and slick, and the features became good news stories looking at progress and change across the region – with everything from the benefits of council amalgamation to infrastructure upgrades and business investment. Victorian Premier, Jeff Kennett, turned his sights to turning around the prospects of Geelong, and called on the city’s business leaders to ‘come forward’ and stand for council. The Geelong Regional Commission past into memory, along with its Bay Link foreshore plan. In its place came a local and state government collaboration that resulted in the Waterfront redevelopment that stands today.

Tourism developed as a new force in the local economy, and everyone wanted to talk about marketing strategies and exporting to China.

Aquaculture became a burgeoning regional industry and it was boom time for training and employment services as the government looked to turn around the unemployment rate.

Construction took off across the city and new development began springing up.

In April 1996, “Great Expectations” was the cover, featuring the newly elected John Howard and his re-elected Liberal state counterpart, Jeff Kennett. The story went: “Geelong’s small business community is expecting a great deal from John Howard and his new Coalition Government. A GBN survey of small business proprietors and managers has uncovered a new confidence in local business leaders. They expect the new Federal Government to move quickly and decisively to restore consumer confidence and to actively assist small business growth…”

By 1997, ‘privatisation’ had become a buzzword, with everything from utilities to the Geelong Port and Baxter House at the Geelong Hospital becoming privatised under the Howard

17

Government. Locally, the issue of tariff cuts had the textile, clothing and footwear (TCF) and automotive industries up in arms as Geelong manufacturing companies and workers urged the government to protect Australian-made.

Wild swings on international markets saw the November 1998 GBN cover proclaim 1998 as “The year of trading dangerously”. Robert Gottliebsen, founder of Business Review Weekly, told GBN at the time: “It’s not an absolute certainty that we will have a significant global economic downturn… While Wall Street is predicting the US will get through the current predicament unscathed, I think the Wall Street market is a bit dangerous.”

The business sector was once again getting nervous, but having come through the crippling recession of the early 90s, local businesses were forging ahead. While the development of first Market Square and then Bay City Plaza shopping centres had seen a major decline in occupancy of street-frontage retail tenancies, elsewhere across the region, big plans were being made. On the cover of the July 1999 edition of GBN shouted the headline, “QANTAS resurrects Avalon”.

Out at Avalon airport, aircraft servicing was back on the ground after the demise of ASTAAS. The flying kangaroo had landed, and was getting serviced, at Avalon. Premier Jeff Kennett was excited, saying: “This is perhaps the most significant development in Australia’s aviation industry in recent years ... And at the local level, one of the most significant investment decisions for the Geelong region in decades.”

This move by QANTAS became the first step in the eventual move by trucking magnate, Lindsay Fox, to negotiate his way into Australian aviation transport.

It was only a few months later that Jeff Kennett was ousted from power, as Steve Bracks led a landslide Labor victory. In the December issue of GBN, the new Premier talked about what he called his ‘Geelong Plan’ – including a threelane freeway to Melbourne, a fairly fast train, a rejuvenated Central Activities Area, a new secondary school at Lara, connecting the city’s wharves to the standard gauge rail network, upgraded arterial roads and increased funding for the Gordon TAFE. And over the following decade, some of these plans did actually eventuate!

The turn of the century saw a new vision of Geelong, with an illustrated front cover of the January 2000 edition by Mark Gallagher featuring McDonalds at the end of Cunningham Pier and a Thomas Jewellers building on the Waterfront… While the vision would not prove exactly accurate, it was an era of growth for Geelong. Gone was the Sleepy Hollow tag and the city by the bay was becoming a serious rival

18

COVER STORY

to outer metropolitan development as a lifestyle choice for families, and ‘Sea Changers’ would affect some serious change on coastal property prices. But what was really making headlines?

Water!

The region was in the grip of the worst drought on record, with water becoming an increasingly rare commodity.

The GST was introduced in July 2000, with the Howard Government claiming its GST would be an easier tax system that introduces a straight forward and less costly cash accounting regime.

It was an interesting line, and – particularly with the benefit of hindsight – grossly untrue, but it also said a lot more about how the political game was being played in Australia than it did about the impending Goods and Services Tax. GBN’s July cover story included the following little gem from GBN journalist, Kevin McCarthy: “The biggest irony of the new tax system is that Australia’s biggest battler, multi-billionaire Kerry Packer, will become one of the country’s biggest tax collectors.

“Readers will remember how the tough tycoon recently refused to pay $30.55 in personal income tax for the three years 1990 to 1992 – that’s barely $10 per year. It seems he considered the assessment excessive.

“Now Australia’s richest man is to collect millions of dollars on behalf of the Australian Government …”

During the early to mid-2000s, local businesses were once again riding the wave of good times.

In 2003, a clanging alarm clock on the cover announced that “Geelong Awakes”. Editor of the day, John Van Klaveren, wrote about a city awoken by those knocking on its door: “It’s a good time to be in business in Geelong.

“The property boom is continuing, partly fuelled by more Melbourne discovering the region. The global economic downturn triggered by the weakness of share markets, linked in turn to corporate accounting issues, has delayed the predicted bursting of the property bubble, particularly along the coast. Retail is strong, with people buying items to furnish the new houses they have bought and built.

“All this has initiated significant changes to Geelong and the business scene is finding itself responding with change itself. The Geelong Chamber of Commerce is crowing at the record number of members signed up and sales of businesses are strong. More people are looking to get into business both as proprietors and as investors and business expansion plans are being drawn up. Businesses are relocating to Geelong from Melbourne and country areas.

There is a feeling that business in Geelong has a future, rather than being a routine treadmill…”

By 2006, Geelong was experiencing a tech boom, with scientific research emerging alongside health and education as the new economic base of the city in the aftermath of the manufacturing downturn. In July 2006, the cover of GBN spoke of “Science City”, as a surge in research funding had propelled the region on to the national and international research stage. Then Barwon Health CEO, Sue De Gilio, said in the story: “Victoria has six key biotechnology precincts, all located in Melbourne. In total, they employ some 6000 researchers and have annual research funding of almost $450 million.

Parkville is the largest precinct, with 2000 researchers and funding of $200 million. It contains Melbourne University, RMIT, 11 research institutes and eight hospitals.

“Geelong aims to be Victoria’s seventh precinct, and I believe this is still some five years away…”

At the end of the 2000s, research remained a key element of the economic future of our city.

A research revolution was underway at Deakin University, as the university’s Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (ITRI) was bringing together some of the country’s leading thinkers in bio, nano and info research in a way that was getting the attention of the research world. Advanced robotics, leading metals technology and manufacturing innovations began to pour out of ITRI, and after years of brain drain out of Geelong, local research across a wide range of fields was attracting some of the best and brightest minds from around the world.

In 2011, the big issues are as big as they have ever been. The world is experiencing enormous economic upheavals, and across Australia, the two-speed economy is becoming more pronounced every month. Political instability as a result of the minority government means that the really big issues – mining profits, carbon tax, national broadband network – are not attracting the full attention of the parliament.

Instead we have a Government that is desperate to hang on to power, and an Opposition just as desperate to seize government. In the face of this leadership vacuum, the business sector is getting smarter, evolving, diversifying and transforming its business practices and systems through technology. We are getting cleaner and greener; we are also slowly becoming more flexible, and getting better at balancing work and life.

Looking back over the years and decades, it’s been a hell of a journey. Here at GBN we would like to thank everyone who has played a part in the history of this magazine. And as for doing business in Geelong – where else would you rather be?

Davina Montgomery

LOOKING BACK… Looking back over the past 200 editions of GBN, I found myself wondering what those who had previously occupied the editor’s desk thought of the milestone, so shot off a few questions to two former Geelong Business News editors – Mandy Squires, who was the inaugural editor of GBN in its current incarnation, and John Van Klaveren, who sat at the editor’s desk for more years than he would probably care to remember!

Mandy Squires: Q: What is the most memorable story from your time at Geelong Business News and why?

A: The explosion of the surf coast – particularly Torquay – as a centre for (the surf) industry.

Hard to believe, but all those years ago it was just beginning!

COVER STORY Q: What would you say were the biggest issues facing Geelong during your time at Geelong Business News?

A: Council in-fighting and (related) State Government vs. Geelong – ultimately leading to appointment of administrators – and the demise of manufacturing, with no clear direction as to an alternative regional, economic base; and also, the push for the development of Geelong’s waterfront.

Q: How has the city changed from then to now?

A: Torquay and Surf Coast grown exponentially over last two decades – hardly recognisable.

The emergence of research, science and education as the region’s alternative economic base. Geelong’s waterfront is magnificent and the heart of the city – with the CBD now empty and in trouble! And the new suburbs.

Q: Where has your career led you since leaving Geelong Business News?

A: I left GBN to go to Geelong Advertiser, where I worked as a senior journalist for several years.

I then left the Addy to publish my own, successful Bellarine Peninsula (Queenscliff/ Point Lonsdale) newspaper. After selling the newspaper I worked as a media advisor for Geelong-based disability organisation, Karingal, for two years and later started full-time postgraduate education studies at Deakin University.

I am now back at the Geelong Advertiser, and until recently have been working part-time as a senior features writer for GT and other Geelong Advertiser magazines. I have recently been appointed the paper’s family and education reporter in the general newsroom and am the editor of the most recent (seasonal) Addy tourism magazine, Breakaway.

I have also married and had two children, who are now 10 and 13.

Q: What would you say were the most important lessons/skills/strengths you took away from your time at Geelong Business News?

A: Self-confidence! Coming up with story ideas, juggling several tasks at once, sub-editing and general layout skills, working with contributors and photographers, and turning out a quality product under deadline.

Q: Any other comments on 200 issues of Geelong Business News?

A: Well done – what an achievement!

John Van Klaveren: Q: What is your most memorable story from your time at Geelong Business News and why?

A: The stories that stick in my mind are breaking the issues behind what was to become the cash for councilors saga with journalist Kevin McCarthy, and a story about telemarketers using local service clubs as a front to extract significant fundraising dollars, only a small proportion of which went to the charitable cause. Thanks to the efforts of a couple of local individuals, the telemarketer behind that has this year been banned from these activities, a long battle, but a worthwhile one.

My favourite cover was for a story on a wine festival on the waterfront that failed to meet expectations, mainly for the great shot of a shattering glass of red wine by photographer Tony McWilliam.

Q: What would you say were the biggest issues facing Geelong during your time at Geelong Business News?

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A: Being a monthly, it was always a challenge to find stories or angles that transcended what had been done by the daily and weekly newspapers. It was also a challenge, as well as a privilege, to provide a long-term perspective of the issues facing the region.

Q: How has the city changed from then to now?

A: There has been significant growth and the influx of people has broadened the region’s base, bringing with it new approaches and with it the ability to present a stronger case to state and federal governments for support and funding. Geelong is now well and truly on the national agenda.

Q: Where has your career led you since leaving Geelong Business News?

A: I joined the Gordon Institute as Public Relations Manager before returning to part-time journalism with the Geelong Independent. I also run a private consultancy called JVK Communications and do some tutoring and assessment work for Deakin University.

Q: What would you say were the most important lessons/skills/strengths you took away from your time at Geelong Business News?

A: Networking – Geelong is network city and you have to hone your networking skills in the business scene, across various networks and circles. A good contact is always useful.

Q: Any other comments on 200 issues of Geelong Business News?

A: GBN has achieved a number of milestones along the way and this is another one – congratulations to the team!

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20

COMMENT

Waiting for the other shoe to drop

Newsflash: the world has changed fundamentally and will never be the same again. If your business looks anything like it did five years ago or is still trying to make money the way it did five years ago, then prepare yourself for a long, slow extinction.

This isn’t the casual opinion of a researcher and an unlicensed economist; it’s the opinion of the greater Australian public and at least the people running HSBC Bank.

Right now in Australia we are running what we are calling a “second shoe” economy – that is, despite what the Government is telling us, we don’t really believe that we have dodged the GFC bullet and we are now waiting for something bad to happen. Economically speaking, we are waiting for the second shoe to drop.

The HSBC Bank, one of the longest surviving and most venerable of the worldwide banking cartel, announced this week that after a tidy profit of $10 billion (enough, it seems, to purchase an entire American State on a cash flow basis) that it is cutting 30,000 jobs, shifting its focus to Asia and essentially abandoning a bricks and mortar strategy. In short, HSBC Bank is bidding a fond farewell to the American dream of easy credit, a comfortable lifestyle and a long and happy retirement.

The clues to this change are all too easy to see in the research CoreData is doing. Twelve cents in every dollar is being saved (by those who can save); business debt is drying up (a handy little proxy for growth) and money is being sucked

straight out of the retail system and into bank savings accounts as consumers batten down the hatches waiting for the second shoe to hit the floor. But what does that mean to Australian financial services? How do we cope with an era of instability, when new technologies, Government-mandated transparency and the disdain of consumers are all combining to keep financial planners up at night?

The answer is that we change our model. Like the American Marines, we adapt, we improvise and we overcome. We learn to communicate to our customers about the value we add, about how the work we do is valued and we focus on providing clear utility against the current need.

But what is so far unreported is just what this instability means to operating margins, which have been pretty static in financial services since 2003. Now it’s almost impossible to see who is doing well and where.

In the past, simple sums on funds under management or the number and value of loans on book would act as a reasonable proxy for the current and future value of the business, but as far as we can tell, all the old models have evaporated. A great example of this is what’s been happening at NAB. The bank has “broken up with the banks”, killed its fees and lowered its home loan costs and charges and from every measure we have, it’s worked. The fact that it’s an expanded Ubank strategy seems to have escaped everyone. The work first done by Gerd Schenkel and Alex Twigg is now being mimicked

by NAB – success, they say, has many fathers.

But what has it been worth? Has there been a fundamental shift in the cost of the bank doing business; has the bank been able to lower the cost of customer acquisition to zero; or has NAB just created a future problem? According to data leaking out of the USA, the volatility of business operating margins has more than doubled, as has the size of the gap between winners (companies with high operating margins) and losers (those with low ones).

It turns out that market leadership is even more precarious. According to Bain Consulting, the percentage of companies falling out of the top three rankings in their industry increased from 2% in 1960 to 14% in 2008. Added to that, market leadership is proving to be an increasingly poisonous chalice: the once strong correlation between profitability and industry share is now almost non-existent in some sectors.

I caution you now that all the sectors that are getting explosive growth will wake up in a couple of years with a business growth hangover.

These low fee customers will at best squash profit growth for years to come and at worst send the businesses to the wall.

[The articles on this and the facing page come from the insightful minds at burning-pants.com. Burning Pants is a product of CoreData.]

COMMENT

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The cold hard dilemma of cash By the time you read this, it is probable the total amount of cash saved by Australian individuals, businesses and superannuation funds will have exceeded $1 trillion, an amount of money so colossal that if you stacked it up in $1 coins it would reach 400 kilometres into space.

Let’s be frank – this money will not stay in cash forever and the moment the economy starts to get some positive signals about the future, or even some robust information from the Government sector then it will start to flow out of cash and into something more interesting. The saving of cash isn’t news in the public or the private sector and it’s easy to see where it’s been sucked out of the economy; retail sales and house sales are at 20 year lows for a start – it’s what happens next that is on everyone’s mind.

For the businesses that are hoarding cash there are two choices; return the money to the shareholders or, which is frankly more likely, buy something – either another company or potentially their own shares. It’s clear that this is underway at least in financial services. AMP has bought AXA and now CBA is in the process of hoovering up Count Financial Services, and there are any number of other deals on the boil.

But the big question on the mind of accountants, financial planners and private bank managers everywhere is what is going to happen to all the retail money? The estimated $50 billion that the mass affluent Australians have been slowly putting away since the fan became unusable in October 2007. It’s curious given that we know there is about $50 billion of otherwise investable

cash being stockpiled at the moment that will create a benchmark for the next few years’ success. As the money flows out of cash – what share will your business get?

Here at CoreData, we’ve been tracking the savings rate very closely every quarter looking for the first signs that the love affair with cash is over and that something more interesting is going to happen to the cash – and for the first time we started to see a flattening in the growth of the savings rate. Year on year, the cash savings rate has now returned to 7.5% of GDP – towards the bottom of the normal range which suggests that something else is going to start to happen to the money that was previously being saved as cash.

choppy, they reckon it will be three years before some sort of normality returns); a dim view of managed funds (far too expensive); a binary view on ETFs (while there are some lovers of the product, a large number of them are convinced they are a scam and it will end in tears); and a broad view that property still remains overpriced.

A more interesting finding that emerged from a recent focus group held by CoreData in Melbourne was the question of who they would turn to for advice. While there was the usual smattering of adviser and accountant aficionado’s, by and large the group were not able to give a clear answer on who they would be working with to maximise their wealth.

The question remains: where is it going to go?

There are two probable scenarios for this; the first is that some of it gets sucked up by what is called deferred spending, which means all the cars and washing machines and fridges we didn’t buy suddenly start to get bought again and money starts to flow back through the retail coffers. The second is that it starts to be invested; that the rich – who tend to lead the market by three to six months in this type of behaviour – stop hoarding cash and once again start to invest.

When it came to the question of private banking – all of the people in the room had at least one private bank relationship (most had two) – all of them were unaware that their private banker was able to do anything other than debt, either housing debt or investment debt. It seemed the total value of the relationship with their banker was based on how cheaply they were able to source funds for them. There was no mention of structuring, no mention of planning, no mention of floats, of opportunities or what to do other than cash.

But as far as we are able to tell, the rich in particular have changed the way that they think about their relationship with the market and what they think is going to happen. Right now, our data suggests that they are still out of love with the investment market; they have a punctuated view of the stock market (still too

When asked if they would like to hear from their private banker about those opportunities – they all said yes. When asked how long it had been since they had heard from their private banker – the vast majority said that their private banker had never contacted them about anything other than the debt they held.

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RECRUITMENT

How to get on the Board: Five skills you need for a successful finance career Technical skills, business knowledge, staff development, communication skills and international experience are the five key skills any finance professional needs for a long-term successful career, says recruiting experts, Hays.

Paul Venables, Group Finance Director for Hays plc, who is visited the Australian Hays business in August, here shares his expertise on the skills finance professionals need to get to the top.

Technical skills: “Finance professionals need to be finance experts,” says Paul. “You need good accounting knowledge in order to know that records are accurate. You also need good financial analysis skills to interpret data. If you want to specialise, such as in treasury or tax, you’ll need to develop the appropriate technical skills in your area of specialisation.”

Business knowledge: “There’s no point having good technical skills if you don’t understand their importance in the business world. You can

attain these skills by getting involved in your own business and reading financial media every day to get a good business understanding in a world context.

Staff development: “Understand how vital your people are,” says Paul. “There’s no point being a loner in your career. The ability you have to influence a business and do a good job is dependent on the calibre of the people who work for you. So take time to build the best possible team and develop your staff. All team members should be a representative for you – you want them to be able to walk into a meeting and show how good they are, which will reflect positively on you.”

Communication skills: “This doesn’t just mean the ability to make a presentation. It also refers to your ability to influence others. If you’ve got 30 seconds with the MD, you need to be able to communicate the three or four key messages you need to get across simply so it can be understood.”

International experience: “With these first four skills you can have a great career, but if you want to reach the top, increasingly international experience is important,” Paul said. “To gain international experience you do not necessarily need to complete a secondment, although that will obviously be an advantage. Perhaps you could go and work in the Asian or European part of the business, or you could get involved with projects that are abroad. Such international experience is important as it gives you a solid understanding of the culture of the business.”

According to Paul, if you have a mix of these five skills, you’ll have a good career.

Hays employs 7,086 staff operating from 257 offices in 31 countries across 17 specialisms.

For the year ended 30 June 2010, Hays placed around 50,000 candidates into permanent jobs and around 180,000 people into temporary assignments.

Paul Venables, Group Finance Director for Hays plc

Hays, the world's leading recruiting experts in qualified, professional and skilled people.

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TAX

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Strategic planning for success I often find in talking to our clients that they are so time-poor from running their business that they have no time to sit back and think. Many of us have the same issues in our home lives and it’s only when we take a holiday and have some quiet space to reflect, that we make the big decisions.

One of the most important things you can do as a business owner is to give yourself the time to look at your business in a holistic way, think about the longer term, and decide which way you want to steer the ship.

The long-term view Strategic planning is all about anticipating what is going to happen in the future, and proactively developing a plan to respond, rather than reacting to events when they have occurred or are about to have a serious impact on your business.

This is very different to the process we all normally go through for budgeting – which typically relies on what is happening now, or what you know is coming up soon. It takes an incremental approach to planning, not necessarily a steep change.

One example of change that is gaining traction in several industries is the move to more sustainable materials, processes and supply chains. There is a consumer driven imperative to either include sustainable raw materials as inputs to products and packaging, or for manufacturers to use more sustainable energy in their operations and those of their suppliers.

Examples include a “plastic” bottle being

developed by Pepsi for trialing in 2012 which is entirely made from plant waste such as switch grass, pine bark, corn husks, and the “eco+” carpet developed from Geelong’s own Godfrey Hirst, which includes polymer made from corn sugar.

The best idea might be something that sounds quirky or unusual, but might just take off. Just look at Facebook.

These are developments that would have been commercially difficult a few years ago, but consumer pressure has led to a market creating itself out of nothing – and those who anticipated it are the ones who will grow. If you’re jumping onto the bandwagon too late – you have lost the competitive advantage.

How to spot the trends and anticipate changes If we could predict the future, we’d probably keep that quiet. But the simplest way of understanding what is likely to happen in your market is to ask your customers. Where do they see their needs in 3 to 5 years? What help do they want from you in meeting those needs?

Perhaps it is time for you to undertake some customer interviews - not only will it help you respond to longer term trends, it will strengthen your relationships in the meantime.

It’s also important to keep your head out of the detail and take a high level view. Trends in regulations, the national and global economy, resource and skill shortages that may be looming – these will all have an impact on your customers’ needs, and what you should be thinking about to be in a position to respond.

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She facilitates their strategic planning process with a structured approach.

Lastly, don’t be afraid to use your imagination.

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24

LEGAL

A new era of web branding From early 2012, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the body which co-ordinates the role of the Internetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s naming system, will introduce a new generic top level domain (gTLD) name program, that is very likely to change the way in which the every day person navigates and uses the Internet.

This new program will allow interested parties to apply for and run their own top-level domain (TLD); a good way to think of it is as, a piece of Internet real estate. The new program will be segmented into four distinct areas, namely, Generic Word TLDs, Geographic TLDs, Corporate TLDs and Internationalised TLDs. The segment of Corporate TLDs is going to be of most significance and importance to brand owners in the future. The new program will essentially allow for branded name spaces for businesses and organisations within the digital realm.

Instead of www.brand.com/product; or www. brand.com/service; or casey.jones@brand.com, the new Corporate TLD, will allow the following to become possible: product.brand; service. brand; or casey.jones@brand.

The benefit of securing a Corporate TLD for businesses and organisations is that it allows continued and more secure protection of brand history and also future brand and trademark investments.

In addition to keeping a control on a branding, the Corporate TLD will enable businesses and organisations to create deeper customer engagement and long-term brand loyalty. It will also assist businesses and organisations to

Gizelle Manoli Senior Lawyer and Trade Mark Attorney Coulter Roache

build trust with their key target audiences and help strengthen business connectivity.

object to the registration of a new Corporate gTLD.

A person will no longer need to rely on a search on a search engine such as Google to go to a page that is owned by Coke. They will simply need to enter a simple address in the navigation bar to know they would be gaining access to an owned and operated website by Coke, for example cherry.coke to see information about Cherry Coke.

ICANN will also implement a trademark clearing house, as a means of sorting out and keeping track of trade mark owners and the rights granted to their respective trade marks.

According to ICANN:

Applying for a new gTLD is not cheap. At present, the evaluation fee is estimated at US$185,000.00. Applicants will be required to pay a US$5000.00 deposit per requested application, which will then be credited against the evaluation fee.

The Applicant will also need to show that they are of good standing within the Internet and business communities, can demonstrate financial capability to support the ongoing needs of owning a TLD and establish policies and procedures for the TLD's use and management.

The very big concern for brand owners is whether the new gTLD program will ensure that the integrity of trademark owner's rights is maintained. It is anticipated that many of the large multinational corporations around the world will be seeking to apply for Corporate gTLDs, but smaller Small to Medium Enterprises (SME's) will undoubtedly find it very difficult to pay for and maintain their own gTLD. It will be possible for trade mark owners who share an identical trade mark with another company, for example in different countries, to

"The Trademark Clearinghouse is a central repository for information to be authenticated, stored, and disseminated, pertaining to the rights of trademark holdersâ&#x20AC;Ś The Clearinghouse will be required to separate its two primary functions: (i) authentication and validation of the trademarks in the Clearinghouse; and (ii) serving as a database to provide information to the new gTLD registries to support pre-launch Sunrise or Trademark Claims Services. Whether the same provider could serve both functions or whether two providers will be determined in the tender process."

The implications of decisions made under the new gTLD program dispute resolution process and the implications of the Clearinghouse, longterm are yet to be known. However, it is clear that trade mark owners will now have the opportunity to further secure their trade mark rights, strengthen their brands and become a part of Internet real estate.

The effects of trade marks on the Internet will mean that owners, will more than ever, need to be vigilant about how the use and promote their brands and enforce their trademark rights.

BUSINESS OF THE MONTH

25

Air Radiators heats up for AIMEX 2011, showcasing innovative cooling systems for Australia’s largest Mining Exhibition.

After more than 35 years of experience, Lara based company Air Radiators is getting ready for the challenge to conquer new markets with innovative engine cooling solutions. Global leader in the provision of heat transfer and air movement solutions, Air Radiators delivers custom engineered solutions to meet the toughest applications and environments for On-Highway (heavy trucks, buses), Off Highway (Mining, Rail, Defence,) and Industrial applications (Power Generation).

Air Radiators is part of the Australian owned Adrad Group of companies that specialises in all forms of cooling systems. Headquartered in Australia with four manufacturing plants and over 400 employees, the Adrad Group boasts significant resources and capabilities.

At Air Radiators, it’s not just about designing and building a good cooling system for our clients. It’s about creating a great one, then making sure we do even better the next time round.

Gary Washington, Adrad’s Managing Director driving continuous improvement across product and processes.

The key to supporting this business success is also made possible through in-house R&D team, a significant manufacturing operation and comprehensive production methods ensuring Just In Time delivery to customers.

Some major partnerships include Hitachi, Caterpillar, Kenworth, Thales and Iveco.

Many of the company’s achievements have been recognised through various business excellence awards. The culminating point was in 2006 when Air Radiators was inducted into the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame for its long-time success through innovation and engineering excellence.

Sustained growth and development have seen Air Radiators establishing two new facilities: one in Western Australia and one in Thailand. With its Lara Headquarters, total employees now exceed 250 people. Furthermore, Air Radiators is genuinely seeking to fill open vacancies at Lara as opportunities keep growing. The message is clear:

From design to after-sales service, the company develops strong partnerships with their customers with a constant quality framework

“We are striving to be at the forefront of product innovation in heat transfer equipment. This is our platform for market growth both domestically

45 Heales Road, PO Box 243 Lara, Victoria, Australia 3212 Phone +61 3 5275 6644 www.airradiators.com.au

and for export. We are building a technically focused business and are currently recruiting for people to join us on this journey”, says Jamie Baensch, Air Radiators’ General Manager.

Air Radiators will be exhibiting its latest innovations at the upcoming AIMEX (Asia Pacific’s International Mining Exhibition) from the 6th to the 9th of September 2011 at the Sydney Showgrounds. Centre stage are four custom-made radiators that have been painted in the corporate red colour featuring the largest radiator made in Australia for dump truck.

For employment opportunities, please visit the Air Radiators website: www.airradiators.com.au

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28

VECCI

Tax summit missing the big picture The Federal Government has released an official discussion paper ahead of its two day tax summit in October, examining potential reforms to Australia’s tax system.

While the political debate has swirled around the carbon tax in recent months, the need for wide reform of Australia’s tax system has been sadly overlooked. The tax summit was originally promised in Labor’s negotiations with independent MPs, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott after the Federal election and both have reiterated the need for “full, fearless and frank discussion” on tax reform. VECCI agrees that anything less may result in ad-hoc and ineffective changes to the tax system.

However, the carbon tax will not be on the agenda for discussion at the summit and the legislation is expected to be before Parliament before the summit gets underway. Nor will the much-discussed GST threshold on goods valued under $1000 purchased online be discussed at the summit, as the whole issue of the GST has been excluded from the agenda. VECCI believes the exclusion of the GST in the summit’s discussions will mean Australia’s tax system is not examined in its entirety; again resulting in ad-hoc and ineffective changes to the tax system.

The summit will be divided into six sessions, with one of the sessions dedicated to a review of business taxation and potential methods of making Australian business more internationally competitive. Potential areas for improvement in the business taxation system previously identified include barriers to investment in large and long-term projects (mainly relating to infrastructure) and provisions “which favour some assets and activities over others”.

There will also be an examination of Australia’s total tax revenue on corporate income, which is one of the highest among OECD nations. VECCI hopes the Government will take the chance to

James Gulli VECCI Regional Manager South West region

hear from business leaders about reforms that could increase investment and profitability, such as steps to lower the business tax rate to 25 per cent over the medium term, as recommended in the tax review. The company tax rate will be lowered to 29 per cent by 201314, but VECCI would like to see the reforms go further.

Other questions to be potentially discussed include ways of simplifying businesses’ interaction with the tax system to reduce red tape. Small business is currently being swamped by red tape, costing them time and money as well as stifling further business investment.

The topics will be discussed by more than 150 individuals in Canberra in October from the Federal and all State Governments, community organisations, academia, unions and representatives of business, including the

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, of which VECCI is a member.

VECCI certainly hopes there will be meaningful discussion and, more importantly, action on all the areas identified by the discussion paper (which also covers personal taxes, state taxes, social taxes and general governance) to reduce the regulatory and taxation burden on businesses.

The tax debate has already kicked off with the Finance Industry Council of Australia’s proposal to abolish a range of state taxes and replace them with broader based taxes, which they say will result in $12 billion in efficiencies each year. There is sure to be a range of interesting proposals for extensive tax reform before and during the October summit.

LEGAL

29

A new agenda on discrimination in Victoria Last month we discussed amendments to the Federal Government’s discrimination laws in the area of employment. This month’s article discusses the Victorian Government’s recent amendments to the Equal Opportunity Act 2010. All employers should familiarise themselves with the new Act that commenced on 1 August 2011.

Whilst the Act largely replicates Victoria’s previous equal opportunity legal framework, it does make a number of reforms, the most significant of which are outlined below.

The reforms re-define and simplify the definitions of direct and indirect discrimination. Direct discrimination now occurs if a person treats someone with an attribute (eg. physical features, age, religion, race, etc.) unfavourably because of that attribute. That means it would be direct discrimination on the basis of age if an employer sacked an employee for reasons including that the employee had reached a certain age. The “comparator test” is also removed. That test required a comparison of an individual with a particular attribute (eg. racial origin) and an individual without that particular attribute (or with a different attribute) in the same or similar circumstances.

Indirect discrimination now occurs if a person or organisation imposes a requirement, condition or practice that has, or is likely to have, the effect of disadvantaging people with a particular attribute, and the requirement, condition or practice is not reasonable. For example, a requirement that employees wear a

particular uniform could be considered indirect discrimination if that requirement excluded people from applying for that job because their religion prevented them from dressing in that manner.

The Act also shifts the burden of proving indirect discrimination from the complainant to the person or organisation that imposes the requirement, condition or practice. This means, once indirect discrimination is asserted, the person or organisation will need to prove that the reason or reasons for imposing a condition that, for example, all employees refrain from wearing headwear at work, had nothing to do with the religious beliefs of particular employees.

A new positive duty provided for by the reforms requires employers to take reasonable and proportionate measures to eliminate discrimination, sexual harassment and victimisation as far as possible. This duty replaces the complaints-based system, which required an individual to make a complaint rather than requiring the organisation to comply.

It is intended that this duty will promote proactive compliance by organisations.

Jim Rutherford, Principal and Accredited Specialist in Workplace Relations and Criminal Law Ashleigh Wall, Graduate Lawyer

The reforms place an additional positive duty on employers to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to accommodate an employee or prospective employee who has an impairment. A breach of this duty will amount to discrimination without needing to prove direct or indirect discrimination.

An exception to this duty will apply where the employee or prospective employee could not adequately perform the genuine and reasonable requirements of the employment, even after the adjustments are made.

When introduced by the Labor government, the Act contained a prohibition on faith-based groups and schools from discriminating on grounds such as race, age and disability.

However, the new Coalition government later removed this prohibition, therefore allowing such bodies to discriminate on grounds of race, age and disability. Amendments to the Act by the Coalition government also limited the powers of the Commission as initially provided in the Act by the Labor government.

Although the Act is not limited to discrimination in the course of employment, it is recommended that all employers ensure they have an understanding of these new reforms and develop policies and procedures to ensure compliance.

30

COMMENT

Getting it spectacularly wrong on UK riots The British chattering classes can’t make up their minds about what triggered the furious urban rioting in [England last month]. They are swaying between two different theories. Some put it down to the fact that the rioters aren’t very well off, with sympathetic hacks arguing that ‘high poverty and large unemployment [are] the reason why people are taking to the streets.’

Others claim it is the culture of consumption that tempted urban youth to smash up shops and grab whatever they could. Apparently the rioters are aping the bankers and other cashrich sections of society, their antics a ‘crude attempt to mimic the conspicuous consumption exercised by the affluent,’ according to the New Statesman.

In other words, the riots were caused either by the fact that urban Brits don’t have enough or that they want too much; either by their poverty or by their greed. Both these theories are spectacularly wrong. The first, the notion that being poor automatically leads to becoming a looter, overlooks the fact that there have always been sections of society with little money and few opportunities, but they didn’t respond to their predicament by burning down the local pizza restaurant. The poverty-causes-rioting argument is patronising and fatalistic, depicting urban youth as automatons who are incapable of making moral choices and who instead

stagger like zombies towards episodic lashingout.

And the claim that the culture of consumption triggered the laptop looting and tracksuit thefts is wrongheaded, too. Reading some commentators, you could be forgiven for thinking that Thatcher – evil, handbag-waving Thatcher – was still exerting a deleterious influence over British youth. The riots are a result of ‘decades of individualism, competition and state-encouraged selfishness,’ says one commentator. Another writes about ‘the greed of the disenfranchised,’ who have been ‘taught that consumerism is a recreational right.’ From this point of view, the riots are a more violent version of the capitalist culture of ‘keeping up with the Joneses,’ with everyone apparently under constant pressure to surround themselves with more and more stuff and luxuries and mod-cons.

This second theory is even more ridiculous than the first. It was not any Thatcherite cult of consumerism and dog-eat-dog individualism that nurtured these riots. Rather it was its opposite, the arguments of the influential antiThatcherite sections of the political and media elite, that helped create the conditions for the violence we have seen in English cities in recent days. It was their promotion of welfare dependency, their post-Thatcher demonisation

of apparently outdated ideas such as selfsufficiency and material aspiration, that helped raise a generation so entangled in the welfare ‘safety net’ that they effectively unlearned ideals like social solidarity and community bonding.

The most shocking thing about these riots is the lack of care the rioters have shown towards their own neighbourhoods, as well as their sense of entitlement to all the stuff in shops.

These attitudes are a product not of poverty or the culture of consumption but of institutionalised welfarism, which both weakens community bonds by making individuals dependent on the state rather than on each other, and gives communities the idea that their needs should and will be met by others rather than them having to exercise any social wherewithal or go-getting aspiration. These are welfare-state riots – and it is a bit rich for those commentators who have been at the forefront of promoting insidious, patronising and spirit-killing welfarism in recent years to lay the blame for the riots at the doors of poverty or material desire.

Brendan O’Neill Brendan O’Neill is a Visiting Fellow at The Centre for Independent Studies and is Editor of Spiked Online magazine, London. He was also a speaker at the CIS’s Big Ideas forum.

TRAINING & RECRUITMENT

31

National Skills Week

Hands and Minds â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The DNA of skills and trades OCTOBER 1-8, 2011 Background Australia continues to experience an increase in demand for skilled labour, which requires increased workforce participation, increased skill attainment and the employment of attraction and retention strategies. The recent report Apprenticeships for the 21st Century from January 2011 highlighted the need to dispel the outdated myths often associated with vocational training. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There should be a strategy to lift the status of apprenticeships and traineeships as

Australian Apprenticeships, especially traditional trades are an undervalued career choice and often described in negative terms.

representing a pathway towards a satisfying career. There should also be strategies to increase involvement by males and females in non-traditional gender occupations. A plan

should be developed that targets career counsellors, parents, the community, students and employers.â&#x20AC;?

National Skills Week is a new initiative, a collaborative approach dedicated to raising the status of practical and vocational learning, enabling all Australians to gain a greater understanding of the opportunities, their potential and how they contribute to a successful, modern economy. Learning by doing is as important as academic learning there are many paths to success.

Importantly, the concept of National Skills Week will provide focus to Vocational Education & Training (VET), its achievements, the contribution, the career pathways, the opportunities and the success stories. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Australian Apprenticeships, especially traditional trades are an undervalued career choice and often described in negative terms.â&#x20AC;?

Key Messages One of the significant features of recent government policy recommendations related to the Skills Agenda has been â&#x20AC;&#x153;Shared Responsibilityâ&#x20AC;? Government and Government

alone cannot solve the skills shortage. It requires an undertaking from Industry, Government (State & Federal), the community, education and training providers, enterprises, job seekers, workers, parents, students and career counsellors to be engaged and play a role in meeting workforce development needs.

A partnership with these stakeholders will assist Australia in meeting the unique challenges that address the skill and labour demands of our industries and provide the opportunity for Australians to benefit from a growth economy.

National Skills Week will bring to life the positive messages, highlighting the talents, the skills and the value of apprentices and trainees across Australia to the wider public and employers. The week will be dedicated to raising the status of practical and vocational learning.

Primary messages of National Skills Week are: - Raise the general reputation of vocational education, showcasing its diversity within skills and trades, and its value as an entry point to a successful career.

RE-TRAINING OPENS UP NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYERS AND JOBSEEKERS -ANY BUSINESSES IN THE 'EELONG AREA ARE CONTINUALLY SEARCHING FOR TRAINED AND COMMITTED STAFF 4HIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY WHICH OFTEN EXPERIENCES HIGH STAFF TURNOVER AND SEASONAL VARIATIONS IN STAFF AVAILABILITY #ENTACARE %MPLOYMENT IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH LOCAL EMPLOYERS TO ASSIST THEM TO ĂźND THE RIGHT STAFF FOR THEIR BUSINESSES AND WITH LOCAL JOBSEEKERS TO MATCH THEIR SKILLS AND EMPLOYMENT GOALS TO LOCAL OPPORTUNITIES .ATALIE 3MITH WAS LOOKING FOR A CHANGE IN EMPLOYMENT DIRECTION AFTER WORKING FOR MANY YEARS IN THE COMMUNITY SECTOR (ER #ENTACARE %MPLOYMENT CONSULTANT RECOGNISED THAT HER OUTGOING FRIENDLY NATURE AND ABILITY TO CHAT WITH ANYONE WERE IDEAL ATTRIBUTES FOR WORKING IN THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY %XCITED BY THE PROSPECT OF EMBARKING ON A NEW CAREER .ATALIE READILY ACCEPTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLETE A #ERTIĂźCATE IN (OSPITALITY ĂźVE WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM PROVIDED BY #OMPLEX 4RAINING AT #LOUD "AR AND ,OUNGE IN 0AKINGTON 3T 'EELONG 7EST !T THE COMPLETION OF THE TRAINING PLACEMENT #LOUD TRAINER AND BUSINESS OWNER 'ORGE #AMORRA RECOGNISED .ATALIElS POTENTIAL AS A POSSIBLE EMPLOYEE AND SUPPORTED BY #ENTACARE %MPLOYMENT 'ORGE OFFERED .ATALIE ONGOING EMPLOYMENT WORKING BEHIND THE BAR AND UNDERTAKING THE CLEANING m.ATALIElS SENSE OF FUN HER HONESTY AND RESPONSIBLE NATURE ARE GREAT ATTRIBUTES FOR THIS BUSINESS n +ELLY ,ANGDON

#ENTACARE %MPLOYMENTlS %MPLOYER ,IAISON CONSULTANT SAID m)N A BUSY BAR A SENSE OF HUMOUR AND FUN IS ESSENTIAL AND .ATALIE HAS BOTH 'ORGE AND .ATALIE LOVE TO SHARE A JOKE AND A LAUGH ITlS GREAT FUN FOR THE CUSTOMERS AND THE OTHER STAFFn 2E TRAINING INTO A NEW CAREER HAS CERTAINLY CHANGED .ATALIElS LIFE 3HE NOW HAS AN ADDITIONAL QUALIĂźCATION AND A NEW CAREER

, 2 +ELLY ,ANGDON #ENTACARE %MPLOYMENT 'ORGE #AMORRA #LOUD /WNER -ANAGER

.ATALIE 3MITH

2ETRAINING AND UP SKILLING OF NEW AND CURRENT EMPLOYEES OFFERS GREATER Ä&#x152;EXIBILITY AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESSES AND STAFF "USINESSES BENEĂźT FROM HAVING MORE HIGHLY SKILLED WORKERS AND NEW AND CURRENT WORKERS ARE REWARDED WITH GREATER JOB SATISFACTION AS WELL AS GAINING ACCREDITED TRAINING QUALIĂźCATIONS 2ETRAINING CAN ALSO OFFER WHOLE NEW CAREER PATHWAYS TO JOBSEEKERS WHO ARE LOOKING TO MAKE A CHANGE FROM THEIR PREVIOUS ROLES #ENTACARE %MPLOYMENT CAN ASSIST JOBSEEKERS TO PLAN THEIR CAREER PATHWAYS AND TO ACCESS THE MOST APPROPRIATE TRAINING AND WORK EXPERIENCE TO MAKE THOSE DREAMS MORE ACHIEVABLE

&OR ASSISTANCE FOR BUSINESSES TO ĂźND THE RIGHT STAFF AND FOR JOBSEEKERS TO ĂźND THE RIGHT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES &OR REAL EMPLOYMENT CHOICES CALL 'EELONG \ #ORIO WWW CENTACAREEMPLOYMENT ORG AU

TRAINING & RECRUITMENT

32

- Showcase how skills excellence contributes to the sustainable economic prosperity of Australia.

- Celebrate teaching.

and

recognise

excellence

in

- Highlight opportunities for equity groups such as Indigenous Australians and workers with disabilities.

- Focus on the success stories.

- Encourage women to get into non-traditional trades such as building and construction or automotive, and emphasise the changes in technology, as well as society, that make careers in non-traditional industries accessible.

- Engender a culture of employers, industry associations, government and the education sector working together for a common purpose.

Collaborate to develop activities that support the central thrust of Skills Week.

- Nationwide celebration of vocational qualifications and to shine a spotlight on the achievements of practical learners.

- To highlight the talent and skills of apprenticeships to the wider public and employers.

- An opportunity to celebrate vocational

qualifications taken by people of all ages and at all levels.

- To showcase and profile Registered Training Organisations, Trade Schools (VETiS), GroupTraining Organisations and Employers.

- Focus on the vocational landscape, its diversity and the opportunity for young and old.

- To highlight the range of Apprenticeships available in different sectors and the progression routes.

- To engage and influence employers on the advantages of employing and supporting apprentices.

Wider benefits sought include: - Motivating more entrants to the workforce with an appreciation of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Australia at Workâ&#x20AC;?, raising skills within the adult workforce, re-skilling to address the challenges of change and productivity.

- To showcase industry and the sector (TAFE) working together to increase positive economic outcomes.

- Profile major industry projects (energy, mining), what they mean to Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s economic growth and the career opportunities they provide.

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ACTIVITIES OCTOBER 1 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8, 2011 WorldSkills In 2011 the International WorldSkills Competition, often referred to as the Skills Olympics takes place in London (October 5th â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8th). Over 50 nations will be competing including Australia who will be sending a team of 29 of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elite skilled champions (The Skillaroos) who will train tirelessly for the next months, refining their skills in preparation to compete against other competitors from around the world in their quest for gold at the 41st WorldSkills International Competition in London.

The Skillaroos will be representing 27 different skill categories such as Restaurant Service, Fashion Technology, Car Landscape Gardening etc.

Painting

and

The 41st WorldSkills International Competition will be a showcase of the global skills standards displayed by competitors from over 50 countries representing 45 skill areas.

National Skills Week provides a broad platform to showcase the Australian team. You will be able to keep up to date with daily news bulletins from London as it happens. You can also view the Australian team and their profiles by visiting www.worldskills.org.au.

We want stakeholders to get involved with

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TRAINING & RECRUITMENT activities. You might be an employer, a registered training or group training organization. You could be a past WorkSkills participant, a winner of a National or State Training Award, a career advisor, parent or teacher.

What can you do in your local community, town, region, or city to help showcase the diversity and excitement of vocational education?

Activity ideas could include...

- Invite local businessmen or employers to a dinner or lunch where food is prepared and served by hospitality students and apprentices.

- Engage with local councils and arrange for local trade apprentices to repair or build local facilities (a park bench, bus shelter etc.)

- Horticulture students could brighten up a war memorial or other community landmarks, liaising with council.

- Music and fitness students could visit retirement homes to showcase their talent and provide a fun day. Perhaps hairdressing or beauty students could perform some â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;makeoversâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

- Past students, award winners (National/State Training Awards), previous WorldSkills medalists are all worthy â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ambassadorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. Many have inspiring stories, which could encourage others.

33

- Perhaps they could team up with the local Rotary as a guest speaker at a barbeque event.

- Registered Training Organisations could have open days, highlighting some of the lesserknown skills courses they provide â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an opportunity to showcase vocational diversity!

- Invite schools to attend events. Careers advisors and teachers are always looking for ways to engage.

Here in Geelong, the Gordon Institute is running a competition two weeks prior to National Skills Week to choose a family for a makeover experience to showcase how skills can change lives. The experience will involve various departments from the Institute to help transform the family, with personalised fitness programs, remedial massage, hairdressing, beauty treatments, fashion makeovers, lessons on preparing healthy meals and a sustainability audit of the family home. Then the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Skills Change Livesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; makeover family will be interviewed by Gordon PR students on state at the Streets are Alive Festival to talk about their makeover experience. For more information, see the Gordon Institute website.

For more information on National Skills Week, visit www.nationalskillsweek.com.au.

AGB Human Resources â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Skills Recognition.

7E ALL HAVE SKILLS $ONlT SELL YOURSELF SHORT 7ANT THE RECOGNITION FOR YOUR LIFElS WORK AND THE EXPERIENCE YOU HAVE TALK TO US ABOUT 3KILLS 2ECOGNITION ! FORMAL QUALIüCATION FOR THE SKILLS WHICH YOU ALREADY HAVE 3AVE TIME AND MONEY IN THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING YOUR QUALIüCATIONS 3OMETIMES IN LIFE WE GET BUSY JUST DOING THE JOB GETTING ON WITH LIVING AND ALL THE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT INVOLVES )T IS NOW TIME FOR YOU TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY OF GETTING A NATIONALLY RECOGNISED QUALIüCATION THAT PIECE OF PAPER WHICH WILL HELP IMPROVE YOUR CAREER PROSPECTS !'" (UMAN 2ESOURCES IS OFFERING RECOGNITION FOR A LIFElS WORK IN FORMALISING QUALIüCATIONS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE HAD A JOB FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS BUT DONlT NECESSARILY HAVE THAT PIECE OF PAPER THAT GOES WITH IT 4HE 'OVERNMENT IS CURRENTLY PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR

THE RECOGNITION OF SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE BY TRANSFERRING THOSE VERY PRACTICAL TALENTS INTO QUALIüCATIONS AND THE FACT THAT THEY ARE BACKING IT WITH THE FUNDING TO ACTUALLY ATTAIN THE QUALIüCATION IS SOMETHING TO EMBRACE .OW IS THE TIME TO MAKE YOUR SKILLS FORMALLY RECOGNISED THROUGH THE 3KILLS 2ECOGNITION PROCESS

o #URRENT RESUMES

!'" OFFERS 3KILLS 2ECOGNITION IN THE "USINESS #OMMUNITY 3ERVICES

(OSPITALITY 4RAINING AND %DUCATION

4RANSPORT AND ,OGISTICS SECTORS WE ARE 6IC2OADS AND 7ORKSAFE ACCREDITED 4HE PROCESS IS VERY EASY FOR THOSE WANTING TO GAIN RECOGNITION FOR THEIR CURRENT SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE THROUGH TO A CERTIüCATED QUALIüCATION

o 0ERFORMANCE APPRAISALS

!LL THAT ONE NEEDS TO DO IS CALL US WE CAN HELP ASSESS AND IDENTIFY YOUR CURRENT SKILLS &ROM THERE WE WILL BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION APPOINTMENT WHERE WE WILL GO OVER DOCUMENT SUCH AS

o #URRENT AND FORMER JOB DESCRIPTIONS o 4RAINING ANY EITHER ON THE JOB OR OFF o ! NY FORMAL OR NON ACCREDITED QUALIüCATIONS ATTAINED o 2EFERENCE LETTERS o 4ESTIMONIALS o 6OLUNTEERING ETC "ASICALLY ANY FORM OF DOCUMENTATION THAT SHOWS COMPETENCY IN THE SPECIüED AREAS WILL HELP 4HE SKILLS RECOGNITION PROCESS CAN USE EVIDENCE FROM FORMER EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS THAT CAN DATE BACK AS FAR AS YEARS 7E ARE HERE TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE PROCESS SO LETlS TALK ABOUT YOUR NEEDS 3PEAK WITH YOU SOON )NTERESTED #ONTACT -ARYANNE ON OR

34

MONEY TALK

Calculate Your Carbon Costs

Record Year for Trade Marks With all the international doom and gloom lately, it’s nice to hear some promising local news. In a press statement, IP Australia revealed that trade mark applications are up - to pre GFC levels in fact. Last financial year saw trade mark applications from Australian businesses in a record 69,003 classes.

This means new Australian brands are expanding into more categories of goods and services than in previous years. Instead of just using a brand for clothing, business owners might also see opportunities in surfboards and sports drinks.

But that's just scratching the surface. Anecdotal evidence suggests trade mark applications are leading indicators of economic activity.

Companies apply for trade marks when they are about to launch a product or a new venture. The common sense approach is to protect your brand before investing in advertising and marketing.

Want to know how the Carbon Tax will effect your business? One Australian energy management company, Energy Action, has launched an online carbon tax calculator that it says can approximate the cost impact of the new scheme on the energy bills of Australian businesses.

“The only way to beat the carbon tax is to emit less carbon in your operations. For all companies, understanding your cost exposure is the first step in understanding what investment you should now be making to reduce your carbon footprint and energy expenditure.”

“There is a great deal of confusion in the Australian marketplace about how the carbon tax will affect all manner of Australian businesses, as the debate has largely surrounded Australia’s largest industries and companies,” said Dr Ron Watts, Energy Action Chairman.

Users are encouraged to model the impact of increased and decreased energy usage then use this information to evaluate any investments in energy efficiency measures. The more bills a user can compile for an annual representation of their consumption, the more accurate the estimated costs will be. No personal or business details are required or kept during the calculation process.

“Energy Action’s online calculator enables businesses big and small to quickly understand how the scheme will influence them over a three year period and what its impact will be on their most affected business cost – energy.

“This free online calculator is available for all companies with the modelling allowing businesses to begin to more accurately predict cost changes derived from the carbon tax,” concluded Dr Ron Watts.

The Energy Action Carbon Adjustment Calculator prompts businesses to enter their gas and electricity consumption and length of billing period. From this information (readily available on energy bills) the calculator, using a set of listed assumptions, then approximates a business’ likely carbon expense for 2013, 2014 and 2015 energy bills. The calculator was developed by a number of Australia’s leading energy specialists as a forecasting tool for business and is based on information outlined in the Federal Government’s climate change policy, Securing a Clean Energy Future.

“There is a common misconception in the market that the tax will only affect Australia’s Top 500 companies. The reality is that Australia’s largest energy generators are within that group and will pass new costs down the line, eventually reaching consumers,” said Edward Hanna, Head of Energy Efficiency and Sustainability at Energy Action.

“Carbon pricing is coming and will influence the way Australians do business,” continued Edward Hanna. “Smart businesses will begin forecasting cost fluctuations and assessing energy minimisation strategies today,” concluded Edward Hanna.

Australian organisations can use the free online calculator at www.energyaction.com.au Small Business ‘plagued’ by Carbon Tax Still on the carbon tax, the Institute of Public Accountants say that a recent survey has revealed that over 70 per cent of accountants believe that the financial performance of Australia’s two million small business owners will be negatively impacted with the introduction of the carbon tax. 63 per cent of accountants surveyed also believe that small business will not be adequately compensated by the Government once the carbon tax is introduced.

The Institute’s CEO Andrew Conway said, “It is disheartening to see that those who are already feeling the financial pinch will continue to do so and that the only direct benefit to small business will be in the reform of personal income tax.”

The IPA stated that the survey was conducted by the Institute in August with more than 550 accountants.

The increase in trade mark applications may also reflect improved understanding of intellectual property (IP). Businesses realise the importance of differentiating from competitors and are taking their IP seriously. A recent small business survey supports this claim. While the majority of SMEs (54%) rated themselves “somewhat aware” of IP (consistent with last year’s figures) the proportion of those “very aware” doubled from 15% to 32%.

AUSSIE EXPORTERS BATTLE A DAZZLING DOLLAR The impact of the strengthening Australian dollar is kicking in but the exporter community is still preserving full time employment, paying wage increases and focusing on their export markets, says AusTrade Chief Economist, Tim Harcourt. The comments come on the back of the findings of the 2011 DHL Export Barometer, which surveyed around 500 exporters. For the first time, confidence has fallen below 50 per cent in the next 12 months, and 81 per cent of respondents named the high exchange rate as the primary reason. But, according to Mr Harcourt, it’s not all bad. He said the higher dollar has allowed exporters to import cheaper raw materials and make acquisitions off shore to help expand their businesses.

"The Barometer investigated the impact of natural disasters at home (the Queensland and Victorian floods and cyclone) and abroad (the Christchurch earthquake and the Japanese earthquake and Tsunami) on the business confidence of the exporter community. Almost one in five exporters said natural disasters had affected their business, with the tourism sector being the worst affected.

"Despite the impact of natural disasters and financial shocks, the exporter community has shown confidence in the emerging markets including China, Latin America (primarily Brazil), India and Africa and some improvement in the medium term in North America."

MEDICAL

35

Cancer and men: THE FACTS Cancer is a leading cause of death in Australia – more than 43,000 people are estimated to have died from cancer in 2010. In Australia, one in two men will have been diagnosed with cancer at some stage of their life by age 85.

Overall, cancer now kills more Australian men than heart disease.

Even though less than half of the Australian population is male, more men than women are diagnosed with cancer each year. Unfortunately for blokes, survival after diagnosis is also better in women.

The four most common cancers in males are prostate, bowel, lung and melanoma. They account for 60% of cancers in males. The most common causes of cancer-related death in males are lung, prostate and bowel cancer.

Here’s a snapshot of the breakdown: [Add graph here] Source: AIHW National Mortality Database Other cancers commonly affecting men include testicular cancer, kidney, liver, head and neck, oesophagus and bladder cancer.

The good news is at least one-in-three cancer cases are preventable. Thousands of men’s lives could be saved by making healthy lifestyle decisions such as: t Quit smoking – lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Australian men t Take care in the sun – protect yourself from the harmful effects of UV radiation by applying sunscreen, covering up and limiting the time spent in the sun t Stay in shape – aim to maintain a healthy body weight t Move your body – be physically active for at least 30 minutes on most days or every day t Maintain a healthy diet– choose a varied diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables and limit your intake of red meat t Avoid alcohol – try alcohol-free days and nonalcoholic drinks t Check-ups - have regular age-appropriate health check-ups with your doctor.

Some risk factors for cancer, however, are inherited and cannot be avoided through personal action. By detecting cancer in its early stages, the chances of beating the disease are improved. Cancer symptoms depend on where the cancer is in the body and may include: t -VNQT TPSFT PS VMDFST UIBU EPO U IFBM t $PVHIT UIBU EPO U HP BXBZ PS XIJDI TIPX blood, or hoarseness that hangs around t #SFBUIMFTTOFTT

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90% of cases can be cured. The National Health and Medical Research Council recommends all Australians aged 50 and over have bowel cancer screening every two years.

In 2006 the Federal Government introduced a National Bowel Cancer Screening program, inviting people turning 50, 55 and 65 to take a one-off faecal occult blood test to check for early signs of the disease.

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Professor David Ashley is the Director of Cancer Services at Barwon Health and the Medical Director for the Barwon South Western Regional Integrated Cancer Service.

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These symptoms are often related to more common, less serious health problems.

However, if any unusual changes are detected, a medical practitioner should follow up these symptoms.

As indicated in the snapshot above, lung cancer causes more than one in five cancer deaths.

Cigarette smoking is the major cause, although some people diagnosed with lung cancer have never smoked. Occupational exposures to asbestos, radon, hydrocarbons and metals (e.g. chromium, nickel) are also associated with lung cancer. There is no routine screening test for lung cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed male cancer, affecting men from their 40s onwards and with a similar incidence to breast cancer in women. Every week, about 250 Australian men are diagnosed and about 50 will die of prostate cancer.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia recommends that men aged 50 with no family history of prostate cancer, and men at 40 with a family history, should seek voluntary annual assessments in the form of a Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) blood test together with a digital rectal examination.

The Cancer Council Australia and the intergovernmental Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council have developed a joint statement summarising key messages about screening for prostate cancer, including an interpretation of the two large international trials of PSA as a screening tool.

The statement has been endorsed by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, and Andrology Australia, the nation’s centre of excellence in male reproductive health.

They suggest men considering being tested for prostate cancer should do so with information on both the benefits and harms of testing and treatment. Men are encouraged to speak to their doctor so they can make an informed choice about prostate cancer testing.

Second to prostate, bowel cancer in men kills 73 Australians each week. If found early, over

This is one of nine Integrated Cancer Services established statewide to improve coordination and integration of cancer care. Further information is available at http://www.swarh2. com.au/bswrics#.

References

Blue September campaign: http://www.blueseptember. org.au/about_blue_september.php The Cancer Council Australia 2006. Working with Cancer: a workplace resource for leaders, managers, trainers and employees. NSW: The Cancer Council Australia. February 2007 The Cancer Council Australia, Position statement on Prostate Cancer Screening available at: http://www. c a n c e r. o r g . a u / p o l i c y / p o s i t i o n s t a t e m e n t s / prostatecancer.htm Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia: Policy statement on PSA Screening available at: http://www. prostate.org.au/articleLive/pages/Testing-andDiagnosis.html Australian Institute of Health and Welfare Cancer Statistics available at http://www.aihw.gov.au/ cancer/#mortality

36

WINE NEWS

Halliday continues to laud our wines Geelong Wine continues to extend its status as an iconic and dominant force in the Australian wine industry, with local wineries receiving unprecedented, outstanding ratings in the newly released Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 edition.

More than 81% of Geelong wineries reviewed gained a four plus star rating. In addition, 45% of reviewed wineries achieved the highest possible 5-star rating for “outstanding winery” – an increase of 10% from 2011.

Commonly referred to as Australia’s wine ‘Bible’, the annual Halliday Wine Companion is

recognised as the definitive guide to Australian wine - it is compiled by James Halliday, Australia’s foremost wine judge and industry commentator.

Geelong Winegrowers Association (GWA) marketing executive, Lyndsay Sharp, said the results firmly cemented Geelong’s status as a dynamic powerhouse in Australian wine.

“Geelong Wine stands tall against the best connoisseurs from around the world now seek Geelong’s offerings out - it has evolved into a multi-award winning wine region of renowned diversity and innovation which commands

attention on the national and international stage,” Mrs Sharp said.

“The exceptional representation at the top end of Halliday Wine Companion ratings categorically showcases and reinforces the calibre of the grapes, winemakers and wines of the Geelong region,” she said.

Specific highlights in the 2012 Halliday Wine Companion include:

/ 13

Geelong wines showcased in Halliday’s ‘Best of the Best’ list, featuring the highest rated wines in Australia of each varietal.

/ 45%

of reviewed Geelong wineries were listed as maximum five star rating – ‘Outstanding Winery’.

/ 15%

of reviewed Geelong wineries were listed as 4.5 star rating.

/ 21

% of reviewed Geelong wineries were listed as 4 star rating.

“To have that many local wineries classified as being in the upper echelon of Australian wine endorses what most of us in Geelong have known for a long time – some of the best wines in this country are literally in our own back yard.”

Mrs Sharp said a unique feature of the Geelong Wine region was that it comprised three dynamic sub regions – The Bellarine, Moorabool Valley and Surf Coast - each boasting its own unique ‘terroir’.

“The sub regional influences are reflected in the tremendous diversity of wines emanating from the Geelong Wine region. Whilst the backbone of Geelong Wine ‘heroes’ has always comprised chardonnay, pinot noir and shiraz, in recent years other varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon - as well as a broad range of sparkling wines have emerged as celebrated showpieces for the region.”

Mrs Sharp said many of the top rating Geelong wines would be showcased at participating wineries in the upcoming Toast to the Coast Festival, Melbourne Cup weekend, October 29 and 30.

“The annual Toast to the Coast wine, food and music festival celebrates all that is great about Geelong wine – the Geelong wine industry pulls out all stops during the weekend to ensure patrons sample, savour and celebrate with them!”

For further information about Geelong wine – or the Toast to the Coast Festival, www.winegeelong. com.au or www.toasttothecoast.com.au

WINE

Quality over quantity Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no doubt that for many of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest and oldest wine producers there are tough times ahead. Despite the hardest vintage on record, and the fact that over 6000 hectares of grapes have been removed from across the country, we still face over supply issues.

Hundreds of growers have left the industry, returning their land to pasture or grazing as the price of grapes falls below the cost of their production. So, for those whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve decided to stick it out, what options do they have?

Despite Mother Nature throwing everything at farmers this year, yields across the country have remained high. The excessive unseasonal rains that caused all the mildew problems have actually contributed to higher yields in many areas. Although, through unrelenting mould and rain-damaged fruit, the average berry and bunch sizes have increased as the vines have taken on the soil moisture left by all the rains.

This has led to overall yields being barely impacted at all.

In the Murray Darling, one of Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest wine regions, wine growers reported that only 18 per cent of their vineyards were not affected by damage of some sort, but the overall yields dropped by only 15 tonnes over last year.

We currently have about 170,000 hectares under vine; this will potentially produce around 1.85 million litres of wine or, according to the Australian Wine and Brandy Association, 500 thousand litres too much. Industry experts believe that we need to decrease our production by at least 20 per cent.

With 70 per cent of the industry being controlled by 5 companies, we all know who needs to make some big decisions. Just think of big factories churning out products with catchy names and pretty labels at prices only a multimillion dollar enterprise could produce. The prices get lower, the names get cleverer, but who benefits?

Unfortunately, for the other 30 per cent, the artisan producers who adhere to low yield, high quality hands-on production, many will lose their money and dreams in these tough times.

They were hardest hit by the recent weather conditions, they were hardest hit by the downturn in exports and, unlike the big five, they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the means or capital to sustain themselves. They sell their wines with a story of dreams and hope, and above all else, handcrafted quality.

I know, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a hard world out there and only the strong survive, but in a more conscious world, I think I choose quality over quantity. I buy boutique beers and drink less of them. I buy better quality chocolate and eat less of it (sometimes). I buy better wines at higher prices from smaller producers because the quality is better and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s made by people who put their heart and soul into every bottle. Everyoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s free to make their own choice and that financially you buy what you can afford, but if the quality and price is right, the choice to support a family over a corporation should be an easy one.

Adrian Marchiaro

When not immersed in his work as Winemakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Assistant and jack-of-all-trades at the award-winning Witchmount Winery, Adrian presents wine tasting evenings at Lambyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant + Bar [check on renaming of Lambys to Black Sheep CafĂŠ?]

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38

LIBRARY

More Than a Good Read “Off to the library 1, 2, 3, Off to the library you and me.

And when we get there, What do we see?

Books, books, books, books, books, Everywhere you look.”

(Justine Clarke, Off to the Library) This favourite song of pre-schoolers just about sums up most people’s idea of a library and it’s still what libraries are about. But these days, Geelong’s libraries also have a Facebook page (www.facebook.com/geelonglibraries), those books may be e-books, and the library itself, always the source of a wealth of information, now has up to date technology to access it with.

It’s also an important venue for getting people together for various events, such as workshops on how to access those e-books, meet the author sessions, children’s story times and much, much more. Recently, Geelong Libraries has hosted visits from some big-name bestselling authors including crime-queen Lynda La Plante, Nick Earls, and children’s authors Emily Rodda and Andy Griffiths.

“Libraries have always been about helping people learn, improving their literacy and giving them access to the information they need,” says Patti Manolis, CEO, Geelong Regional Library Corporation. “This core role of a library in people’s lives remains and we maintain our firm commitment to having lots of relevant and interesting items for people to borrow to assist with this.

“However, library services have also evolved alongside society to embrace the new opportunities technological and social advances have provided. We’ve expanded our services to include many e-resources and have computers for public use in all our libraries. We also have some new genres on our shelves alongside the traditional genres, such as Manga (also known as graphic novels), which originated in Japan but are now popular worldwide.”

The Geelong Regional Library Corporation services four municipalities - Surf Coast Shire, Golden Plains Shire, Borough of Queenscliffe and City of Greater Geelong – and free membership allows members to borrow books, magazines, DVDs and CDs, read the newspaper, and use the free Wi-Fi service or library computers with internet access. There are also free school holiday activities for primary and secondary children (these are popular – bookings are essential), weekly story times for pre-schoolers and friendly and knowledgeable staff to help with any questions.

“We’re committed to providing welcoming spaces that bring communities together – we like to think of our libraries as a community living room,” Patti says.

“In today’s society, that means everyone is welcome and libraries are a bit more relaxed.

There are a lot less rules about matters such as noise. We also have a broad range of activities on the go in the spaces alongside traditional library borrowing activity, like author talks,

photography exhibitions, Nintendo Wii stations in some libraries, and book chats for book lovers of all ages. These provide wonderful recreational and learning opportunities for all ages and are free of charge in most cases.”

The introduction of technology and other activities to complement the traditional borrowing experience in Geelong’s libraries is a text book (pardon the pun!) example of how to offer new technology to those who wish to take it up, while maintaining traditional services for those who would rather not, and for those who like a mix and/or some assistance.

If you’re savvy with the Net, you can log onto www.geelonglibraries.vic.gov.au and conduct a whole range of activities, from searching the catalogue, browsing magazines, reserving books and renewing loans, requesting items from other Victorian libraries or viewing the Open Mind Lecture Series talks through YouTube, without having to leave your desk or even make a phone call. If you would rather go into a branch and speak to someone face to face you can do that, too. And now, you don’t even need to leave home to borrow your next blockbuster, with the availability of e-books through the library’s website.

“The development of our e-book collection meets the needs of our members who want to access books whenever and wherever they are at the time,” Patti says. “Reading from e-book devices also provides the advantages of increasing font size, they are generally smaller and lighter to hold and it is easy to ‘turn the

LIBRARY

page’ – all things which are an advantage to people with certain disabilities.” e-books (Tumblebooks) with animation, sound, interaction and narration are also available for young children (via PC rather than a mobile device) and school aged children (Tumblereadables). e-audiobooks are also available from the library’s website and can be downloaded onto PC, MP3 or burnt to disc (depending on the format). www.geelonglibraries.vic.gov.au is also a handy source of information for upcoming events: you can check out individual events or download the Events and Programs brochure. The brochure is also available from library branches, City of Greater Geelong Customer Service Centres and events are advertised on each branch’s noticeboards.

“The library offers events and programs as part of our commitment to providing life-long learning activities to the community,” Patti says. “We have activities for all ages, from babies in their first year of life, to youth, young adults, families, adults and seniors, including Library Learning Workshops to help people become more familiar with computers and the Internet and the Open Mind Lecture Series.

“The events are aimed at improving people’s literacy and encouraging people’s natural love of learning and nearly all of them are free of charge to help provide access to opportunities for all.”

Judy Baulch

WHAT’S COMING UP? LIZ BYRSKI - AUTHOR TALK 27 September 2011 - 11:00am 12:00pm, Geelong Library, 49 Little Malop Street STORYTIME IN THE PARK - “ BACK TO THE BUSH” - CHILDREN’S WEEK 2011 SPECIAL EVENT 24 October 2011 - 11:00am 12:00pm, Serendip Sanctuary, 100 Windemere Road, Lara BUSH POETRY WITH COLIN DRISCOLL - PART OF CITY OF GREATER GEELONG’S SENIOR’S MONTH CELEBRATIONS 18 October 2011 - 2:00pm 4:00pm, Belmont Library MEN’S SHEDS AND MEN’S HEALTH: GARY GREEN – OPEN MIND LECTURE SERIES 22 November – 7.30 – 9pm, Morrow Theatrette, above Geelong Library Visit www.geelonglibraries.vic.gov.au or your local branch to register or find more events.

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40

THE TECH MAN

Take Your Tablet If fathers didn’t get one for Fathers Day, you can rest assured they’ll want a tablet PC for Christmas.

Our Tech Guy, Jon Mamonski discovers there is a leader in the Android tablet pack, along with a few other bit and pieces from the wonderful, and occasionally weird world of irresistible gadgets.

Every computer company in the universe is pumping them out ready for the festive season.

Deakin University has hundreds of them and businesses all over Geelong are looking for reasons to buy tablets, in fact, no self-respecting sales rep would be seen without one. But just who is to blame for this craze and who’s taking the fight up to the ubiquitous iPad? In 2007, ASUS created the $499 Linux-based Eee PC, the first netbook, and it’s been highly successful with all PC makers jumping on board in hot pursuit. There is room in people’s lives for a highly portable, secondary computer that could handle basic tasks like surfing the web, checking email, listening to music and playing games.

The tablet has been around Apple for twenty years in one form or another, in fact the iPad is Apple’s second tilt at this format. The first tablet - the Newton - never really got off the ground, but thanks to the vision of the now retired Steve Jobs, combining the iPhone style operating system and a plethora of apps, the iPad was

born and greedily consumed around the world as the first new generation tablet It wasn’t long before ASUS would join the fray with an outstanding improvement on this format.

The Eee Pad Transformer TF101 is part tablet and part netbook. For $575, you get a Tegra 2-powered Honeycomb slate with a 10.1-inch display.

Shell out an extra $120 and you get a keyboard dock with an integrated battery/charger, which transforms the tablet into your typical clamshell laptop. The tablet is a stunning piece of hardware, with clean lines and its edges are covered in a bronze-coloured metal.

It’s a little wider than your average tablet and ASUS has done this to accommodate the keyboard dock, and it also has more ports than Apple’s tablet, with a mini-HDMI port, microSD card slot, and 3.5mm headphone jack. It doesn’t have a full-sized USB port but the keyboard dock houses two of those.

The quality of the 10.1-inch, 1280x800resolution Gorilla Glass display is simply impressive considering the price. Viewing angles are terrific and the display colours are extremely bright and crisp. The Transformer has two cameras, with a front-facing 1.2 megapixel and a rear 5 megapixel and the auto focus is quite swift in comparison to some of the other

Honeycomb tablets. The Transformer is powered by a dual-core 1GHz Tegra 2 processor and 1GB of DDR2 RAM, with a choice of 16GB or 32GB of storage.

In the apps department, ASUS Reader is their attempt to take on Amazon and Google’s Books.

Press Reader enables you to download free versions of newspapers and Polaris Office is a basic Office application that allows you to import, edit and save in familiar Microsoft Office formats. ASUS houses most of its tools in the MyCloud app. The MyContent section allows you to view music, video, and photos and sync them with ASUS’s WebStorage.

The killer partner in this duet is the keyboard/ battery dock that has a sturdy a metal base and a chicklet keyboard with zero flex and the keys are well spaced and responsive. Using a combination of touch screen and touchpad navigation when the system is docked is a thrill for laptop aficionados.

All in all, most analysts and reviewers agree that the ASUS Transformer is an ideal way to have your tablet and eat it too - with a quality keyboard attached for those letters and emails you’d rather send from a keyboard.

Four and a half stars from me. You’ll find the ASUS Transformer at your favourite Geelong ASUS dealer.

THE TECH MAN

Best social marriage

Canon Mouse

iPhone SLR

Happy birthday, World Wide Web!

The real Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook fame has joined hands with that other communication phenomenon, Skype. With over 300 million call minutes a month going through Skype and at peak times over half of its traffic is video. So now you will be able to ‘Facebook chat’ via Skype. According to Mark, the technology behind it was “tough”, with six months via joint development. Head on over to www.facebook. com/videocalling and have a go!

So you headed outback for a photo assignment, camera bag packed full of high-end lenses, but forgot the DSLR on the kitchen bench…

Not to worry! You never leave home without your iPhone 4 and its new must-have accessory: the iPhone SLR Mount. $250 scores you one of these aluminium saddles, eager to pair with your mega bucks Canon or Nikon optics, bringing “powerful depth of field” and manual focus to your smartphone’s itsy bitsy image sensor. C’mon you frustrated landscape iPhone 4 photographers, get to it!

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Regular readers will remember our heralding this remarkable gadget earlier this year. Canon has cleverly added a built-in calculator in its X Mark I Mouse. The combined ‘must have’ provides users with both a physical ten-digit adding machine and a numeric Bluetooth 2.0 keypad, which you can use seamlessly with a variety of apps, replacing the number pad now absent on many desktop and portable keyboards. The company’s camera design team helped to create the hybrid input device, and it will be available for around $70 in the next month or so and is available in both black and white.

Hard to believe the Web is 20 years old already. It seems like only yesterday we were hearing the pitter-patter of little dial-up and getting frustrated when calling our friends and receiving that dreaded busy signal. You’re all grown up now, helping people become overnight pop sensations. We wonder what the next 20 years will bring? Big changes, I’d reckon, just from looking at the first Web green screen (pictured) to today’s YouTube and social network offerings.

42

ARTS

NAMATIJIRA GPAC’s 2011 Alcoa Theatre Season concludes with the story of one of Australia’s most celebrated artists, the pioneering indigenous watercolourist Albert Namatjira.

His achingly beautiful works introduced the lounge rooms of Australian suburbia to the exquisite beauty of our central desert heartland.

Namatjira captures the intense beauty, depth, opportunism, mateship and injustice that has shaped our country. More than a night at the theatre, this is an experience of art, live on stage. Before our eyes, acclaimed actor Trevor Jamieson and the relatives of Albert Namatjira - third generation watercolour artists in their own right - assist with the re-telling of his life, filling the stage with a huge landscape drawing of their desert country.

Namatjira is another groundbreaking new Australian work by Scott Rankin (Box the Pony, Certified Male, Stickybricks). Here he has teamed up with Trevor Jamieson (Best Actor for Ngapartji Ngapartji, 2008 Sydney Theatre Awards) to bring to life this deeply moving story, taking audiences on a journey both deeply compelling and hilarious. This beautiful lyrical work has already taken the country by storm, premiering to full houses at Sydney’s Belvoir St Theatre in 2010.

Utilizing Jamieson’s elegant physicality, and the music of internationally renowned Genevieve Lacey, this sweeping narrative acts as a window through which we can see ourselves, and our nation, as clearly as the landscapes Albert Namatjira gave to us.

‘This work reminds us...that theatre can inspire deep feeling, in a subtle, rather than boldly visceral way. Perhaps most importantly of all, it tells one man’s too-little-told story, one emblematic of the story of this continent, over the last 200 years or so.’ - Curtain Call ‘The meticulous care and love that’s been put into this production is written all over it, and the result is a triumph of art-meetsstorytelling-meets-song-meets-music that’s a one of a kind.’ – Australian Stage Big hArt’s production of Namatjira appears in

The Playhouse at GPAC from September 8-10, supported by the Costa Family Foundation. Tickets are available on 5225 1200 or online at www.gpac.org.au Patrons wanting to expand their Namatjira experience are urged to visit Metropolis Gallery at 64 Ryrie St from September 7-17

for Namatjira: Regeneration, an exhibition of original watercolour paintings by an exciting new generation of artists who are the descendents of Albert Namtjira and his Hermannsberg contemporaries. Geelong Art Gallery will also have on display one of Albert Namatjira’s original paintings as well as some Namatjira family works.

ARTS NEWS

Albert Namatjira West MacDonnell Ranges Watercolour 12 x 17 cm

Metropolis Gallery Namatjira: Regeneration - 7 - 17 September Metropolis Gallery in association with Ngurratjuta Iltja Ntjarra ‘Many Hands’ Art Centre NT is proud to present Namatjira: Regeneration, an exhibition of original watercolour paintings by an exciting new generation of artists from the Western Arrarnta region, many of whom are the descendents of Albert Namatjira and his Hermannsberg contemporaries, including Douglas Kwarlple Abbott, Kevin Namatjira, Lenie Namatjira, Gloria Pannka, Peter Tjutjatja Taylor, Elton Wirri and Kevin Wirri.

This will be an art event like no other in Geelong. The exhibition will coincide with performances of the acclaimed play Namatjira at Geelong Performing Arts Centre from 8 – 10 September and will include artists who are also performing in the play.

Douglas Abott James Range, NT Watercolour 54 x 36 cm

Namatjira: Regeneration evokes the spectacular Central Desert country of the artists – the same country that Albert used to paint so distinctively. These artists have strong links to Hermannsberg, where Namatjira was born in 1902 and learnt watercolour painting from Rex Battarbee in the 1930s. Many of the artists or their parents or relatives were born or raised there, and they continue the legacy of painting watercolour landscapes, locating them in a continuity of ancestral connections to country, which will be passed on to their own children and to others.

Namatjira: Regeneration opens on Wednesday 7 September and runs until Saturday 17 September. The public is invited to visit Metropolis Gallery from 12.30 – 1.30 pm on Friday 9 September for a rare opportunity to experience some of the exhibiting artists painting evocative images of the Central Desert.

Works can be viewed online at www.metropolisgallery.com.au Elton Wirri West MacDonnell Ranges, NT Watercolour 26 x 36cm

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44

COMMUNITY

Lifting the lid on business generosity BacLinks, a division of Karingal, would like to thank all of our business partners for their generous contributions to our community during the last financial year.

$6,000 from this generous grant pool has been allocated to BacLinks to assist us to carry out our work in bringing business and community together.

Altogether, BacLinks facilitated 46 projects and events, successfully meeting 67 requests for support from our community through 153 individual in-kind business contributions. This support included employee volunteering, donations of goods and services and the sharing of resources and knowledge. In fact, a total of 467 employee volunteers leant a hand for a very substantial 3,122 collective hours of manpower and expertise. This level of support from our local business sector illustrates the commitment many businesses have in ensuring our community is sustainable into the future.

Freemasons actively support community programs and initiatives in the areas of health, the arts, education, aged care and youth development through funds raised from the general public, as well as Freemasons, and considers requests for assistance from organisations and groups serving these areas.

“It is encouraging to see the high level of support for our community delivered by local businesses.” said Ms Sheree Holdsworth, BacLinks Manager. “By providing essential manpower, skills and other resources, businesses allow community groups and organisations to focus on what they do best – helping community members most in need”.

This year’s Challenge was generously sponsored

by Gforce Employment Solutions and The Gordon. Their valuable support ensures the continued success of this annual event, which provides an excellent opportunity to promote the VET in Hospitality Program, the culinary talents of our local students, as well as showcasing the quality of local produce.

Support for our community also came from sources other than our business partners. This year the Freemasons Public Charitable Foundation reserved $32,000 to assist community groups and organisations inside Geelong and on the Bellarine Peninsula. Already Bellarine Community Health, Drysdale CFA, Bravehearts and the Wesley Mission recipients have benefitted from these grants and

Throughout the competition students had the rare opportunity to hone their culinary skills under the guidance of the very best in the industry - chefs from Jack & Jill Restaurant, Telegraph Hotel and Black Bull.

The new financial year kicked off with the commencement of BacLink’s 2011 ‘Y’Chef Cooking Challenge where students from VET in Hospitality were given an opportunity to win the coveted annual trophy and industry related prizes.

The 8 best pairs of students were then chosen during Semi-Finals, held at each school during July, to represent themselves and their school at the Final Challenge.

The ‘Y’Chef final was a huge success. The students did an absolutely incredible job.

Especially to perform so well under pressure and the standard of the final product was outstanding.

The feedback from the judges, Gail Thomas, Cameron Best and John Reid, was very positive and they were completely blown away with what was produced. “Restaurant Quality” was just one of the statements used by them throughout the day.

Congratulations to Kyran Trower and Jake Stevenson from Northern Bay College for taking out the First Prize for the challenge. Further congratulations to Jessica O’Callaghan and Zainabou Sheriff, also from Northern Bay for coming (a very close) Runners Up. The top 3 pairs were recipients of fabulous prizes donated by Myer. Place getters also won a dinner at Jack & Jill Restaurant where they can experience the industry from a consumer perspective and an industry tour conducted by Cory Hyde, Telegraph Hotel, while all finalists received a gift in recognition of reaching the final.

To find out how your business can support our local community in a meaningful way please contact BacLinks on 5249 8989 or visit our website www.baclinks.org.au

COMMUNITY NEWS

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Tonnes Of Benefits From Charity Bin Trial More than 5.5 tonnes of donated clothing has been diverted from landfill in the first month of a pilot program to manage the region’s charity banks.

The donated clothing, footwear, manchester, soft toys and accessories were collected in May from nine charity banks or bins across Geelong as a part of the Charity Clothing Donation Bank Management Pilot. And the environmental benefits are stacking up – 1,105,230 megalitres of water and 287,360 kilowatts of energy was saved by recycling the goods.

The six-month pilot is a collaboration between Barwon Regional Waste Management Group, Southern Cross Recycling and GDP Industries to help solve the unsightly and expensive problem of charity bin dumping. The Group’s Chairman, John Burgess, said initial data was proving positive for the pilot program.

“An anticipated outcome of the project is the development of a case study to assist charities across Australia with the location, signage and management of charity bins,” Mr Burgess said.

“These preliminary results are pleasing and we are happy to note that no illegal dumping has reported outside the charity banks so far during the trial. We will be looking to build on these positive results in the remainder of the pilot and anticipate subsequently rolling the program out to other parts of the Barwon region.”

Southern Cross Recycling’s Karl Barabas said the savings and benefits of charity banks were numerous.

“Charity Clothing Donation Banks are a vital source of donations. They provide significant benefits to charities, local employment and of course divert this product from landfill,” he said.

GDP Industries’ Eric Smith said that while the environmental benefits from the pilot were clear, it also provided a means of positive employment for people with a disability. The goods are collected from the charity banks by GDP Industries and sorted by Southern Cross Recycling for resale by charities.

Charity banks have been placed at the Cotton On Group Head Office Geelong, Geelong Resource Recovery Centre, GDP Industries and Fenix Fitness Club in Belmont, John Coumans Motors and Lucky Phil’s Milk Bar and Minerva Post Office. Bins have also been recently installed at the Anglesea and Drysdale Resource Recovery Centres.

Businesses looking to host a charity bank should contact Karl Barabas at Southern Cross Recycling on 9463 6411.

BETTER MENTAL HEALTH CARE A locally developed online tool to improve the

Garry Haberfield and Matt Ryan make a donation at a charity bank outside Fenix Fitness, Belmont for the Charity Clothing Donation Bank Management Pilot.

coordination and delivery of mental health services is being introduced into GP surgeries across the Geelong, Surf Coast, Queenscliff and Colac-Otway regions.

The Mental Health Navigation Tool, that can be used by GPs to identify the severity or type of a patient’s mental health episode, and be provided with a comprehensive list of local mental health services that might be suitable for referrals, was developed by Geelong-based Barwon Medicare Local. Referrals can cover a range of services, including adult, youth or child, perinatal, gambling, counselling, community care and residential or private services.

The Mental Health Navigation Tool was showcased in Parliament House in Canberra last month, and also helps identify service gaps.

It is intended over time to also cover diabetes services.

Announcing the program rollout, Member for Corangamite, Darren Cheeseman said, “This is about delivering better, and faster, mental health referrals for local patients across our region.

The tool is being rolled out to local GP’s and is a great step forward for Corangamite mental health care.”

service providers and strengthening the interface between public and private care. The Medicare Local also works with GP’s to provide free counselling services for young people in Geelong, and also leads the local Headspace Barwon program.

MORE VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO DELIVER MEALS ON WHEELS The City of Greater Geelong is currently appealing for more people to volunteer for the Meals on Wheels program.

Meals on Wheels volunteers deliver meals to people in need of support throughout the municipality. Volunteers can choose to work on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis, for approximately two hours each time. Meals on Wheels centres are located in East Geelong, Belmont, Newtown, Corio, Ocean Grove and Drysdale.

Other volunteer-run programs offered by the City of Greater Geelong include the Visitor Information Centres and the L2P learner driver program. L2P assist young learner drivers who are facing genuine barriers to obtain the required 120 hours supervised driving.

Member for Corio Richard Marles said mental health was a critical local issue, especially among older Australians.

Community Development portfolio holder Cr Kylie Fisher said the City of Greater Geelong appreciated and strongly supported volunteers in the community.

“We’re all getting older, and Geelong is no exception,” Mr Marles said. “By 2021, more than one quarter of Geelong residents will be over 65. And around one in three Australians will experience a mental health episode at some point in their lives.

“The City of Greater Geelong relies on the hard work and dedication of many volunteers to deliver some of our most important services,” she said. “The City is a big supporter of staff who take the time to volunteer in the community.

“This means there’s always more to be done in improving mental health care, and making sure anyone in need gets quickly and accurately referred to the most suitable provider. I welcome the introduction of this Navigation Tool, and I congratulate clinicians and staff who worked with the Barwon Medicare Local to make it a reality,” Mr Marles said.

“We have a policy that allows City of Greater Geelong staff who are already volunteering in their own time, to take one day off a year to undertake further volunteer work with a charitable Geelong organisation. This sends the message that we value volunteering and recognise the importance of supporting those who are willing to give up their time to help others.”

The Barwon Medicare Local was set up in 2010 with support from the Australian Government. It has a strong focus on addressing mental health service gaps, increasing collaboration between

To find out more information about the City’s many volunteering opportunities, contact Grant Hawkins, Volunteer Officer on 5272 4169.

46

AFTER HOURS

Mayoral Ball reaps hospital windfall

It was an evening of glitz and glamour at last month’s Geelong Mayoral Ball. The Geelong Arena was transformed into an elegant black and white themed ballroom complete with chandelier for the inaugural event. Among the 1,000-plus guests were plenty of local identities who dazzled in gowns and tuxedos, as approximately $120,000 was pledged to the Geelong Hospital Children’s Ward and the St John of God Special Care Nursery.

Mayor, John Mitchell, nominated the two hospitals as beneficiaries of the fundraising event, which included a three-course meal,

silent and main auctions and first rate live entertainment.

Well-known TV star and music performer Tim Campbell captivated the audience as Master of Ceremonies and his band’s performance had most of the guests on the dance floor. Local larrikin Billy Brownless, who made a guest appearance, provided plenty of laughs during the auction and as he roved the room interviewing different guests.

“I couldn’t be happier with the night – there was a great turn out, fantastic entertainment, a really

fun vibe and, best of all, much needed funds were raised for our two local hospitals,” Mayor Mitchell said. “I think most of us would have used either St John of God Hospital or Geelong Hospital at some point, so it’s only fair that we give back to such a worthy cause.

“I have been completely overwhelmed by the generosity of local people and businesses. A huge thank you to everyone who made donations and dug deep for the auction. The night was a tremendous success and I hope the Geelong Mayoral Ball will become an annual event.”

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Australian netballer Madison Browne (second from right) with (l-r) Kasey, Chloe and Nyah Furnari

Sandra Zeiback, Tania Babic and Melinda Brajkovic

MC and performer Tim Campbell

Elaine and Shane Carbines

Chris Mackey, Kylie Mackey, Tania Parker and Rebecca Casson

Mayor John Mitchell and his wife Sharon

Billy and Nikky Brownless

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AFTER xxxxxxxHOURS

Glastonbury Celebrates Future Vision Glastonbury Community Services celebrated the launch of its future vision with Geelong’s community, government and business leaders. Glastonbury’s Chief Executive Officer, Gabrielle Nagle, said the event followed the recent renaming and rebranding of the organisation and provided an opportunity to show the Geelong community all the great work being done for children.

“It continues to be an exciting time for Glastonbury and we thoroughly enjoyed showcasing our excellent Early Years Program. We had a great line up of guest speakers and we also announced that former Australian netballer, Eloise Southby-Halbish, will be our Early Years Champion,” said Ms Nagle.

Professor Frank Oberklaid, renowned early childhood expert and founding director of the centre for Community Child Health at The Royal Children’s Hospital, delivered a fantastic and engaging presentation at the event.

Mr Guy Hackwell, Acting General Manager of the Shell Geelong refinery, also spoke on the importance of community partnerships, in particular Glastonbury and Shell’s partnership.

Glastonbury Early Years Team celebrating the successful showcase of their program. Belinda Lewis, Petrina Hare, Debbie Maddocks, Helen Elliot, Kay Widdicombe, Karla Gumina, Gabrielle Staindl

Simon Ramsay MP (Member for Western Victoria) Terry Powell (Glastonbury Community Services)

Eloise Southby-Halbish (Glastonbury’s Champion) Guy Hackwell (Shell Geelong Refinery) Terry Powell (Glastonbury Community Services) Gabrielle Nagle (Glastonbury Community Services) Simon Ramsay MP (Member for Western Victoria) Professor Frank Oberklaid (Royal Children’s Hospital)

Right: Jessica Marriner (Shell Geelong Refinery) Jean Paul (Committee for Geelong) Cr Kylie Fisher (City of Greater Geelong) Cr Barbara Abley Professor Frank Oberklaid (Royal Children’s Hospital) Gabrielle Nagle (Glastonbury Community Services)

Left: Joan McGovern (Shell Geelong Refinery) Guy Hackwell (Shell Geelong Refinery) Eloise SouthbyHalbish (Glastonbury’s Champion) Jessica Marriner (Shell Geelong Refinery) Bill Mathers (Lions Club) Kylie Drummy (Glastonbury Community Services) Deborah Mann (Glastonbury Community Services)

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Gala event with a charitable heart The Christmas in July black tie dinner has become an annual institution in Golden Plains and a key event on the regional social calendar. The 2011 event, held at Clyde Park Vineyard, featured a masquerade theme with many of the 150 diners boasting elaborate masks.

While promoting the delights of the produce, wines and lifestyle on offer in Golden Plains, the dinner also raises much-needed funds for community service.

Above: Cara Bongiorno; Ben Kleenan and Gabrielle Bongiorno.

Above: Arnold Hennel; Vanessa Ragauskas; Damien Wigley and Kylie Rayde.

Organised by Golden Plains Major Events, a group of committed local businesses and volunteers give countless hours to put on the event and more than 50 businesses throughout the region have supported the event during the past three years. So far almost $50,000 has been raised from the first three events. The 2011 event raised another $25,000. The proceeds go directly to Give Where You Live to improve mental health support for young people in the region.

This year Give Where You Live will be working on a community impact project called ‘3331 Youth Health’. This project aims to reduce the level of high-risk alcohol consumption to the state average in two to five years by engaging the community, sports groups, schools, local government and volunteers.

Above: Dr Ian D’Cruz and Maria D’Cruz.

Above: Anthony Djugam; Maria Tsiantas and Toni Van Hammond

Above: Kim Sutter and Paul Thomas.

StLaurenceGalaDinner Join us at the St Laurence Gala Dinner hosted by well known TV star John Blackman and featuring a performance by the James Morrison trio with Emma Pask on vocals. All proceeds raised on the night will help make living independently a reality for people with disabilities. A night of superb entertainment, sumptuous three course meal, stunning views – all whilst supporting a good cause - not to be missed!

Date: Friday 7 October 2011 Time: 7.00 pm (Red Carpet Arrival) Venue: The Pier Geelong, Cost: Platinum $225 each, Gold $175, Silver $145 RSVP: 2nd September 2011 to Honnie Strachan on Telephone: 03 5246 4504 or events@stlaurence.org.au

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An inspirational story of a young success She was a household name as Dee Bliss on Neighbours and returned to television screens in the first series of Underbelly. In these roles, and others, Madeleine West’s acting talents have been showcased to Australian audiences, but what not so well-known about Madeleine are her past obstacles and her overwhelming desire to succeed.

At 16, Madeleine put herself through high school after leaving a shattered home. She achieved brilliant marks and was accepted into a Law Degree at university. Wanting to have a go at realising her dream of an acting career, she deferred and found her way into the cast of Neighbours. While working on the phenomenally successful show, Madeleine was struck by a bus – with the accident almost claiming her life and threatening to put an end to her career.

Madeleine shared her inspirational story with guests at the August Geelong Young Professionals breakfast event, held at Skilled Stadium.

Adam Natonewski (Ray White) & David Villarosa (Powercor)

Emma Pitman (Warne Marketing)

Tim Secombe (Bendigo Bank)

Guest Speaker Madeleine West

Meg Law & Shannyn Leach (Geelong College)

Some of Geelong’s young business professionals in attendance

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Throughout September So you think you know Geelong? Think again…

A one-legged circus performer, wedding dresses from four generations of the same family, an early ice-making machine invented by the founding Editor of ‘The Addy’! Join in the fun as the National Wool Museum, along with Geelong’s community museums and historical societies, unearth the city’s Hidden Treasures.

Running from 2nd September to 30th October, Hidden Treasures takes a magnifying glass and hovers it over Geelong’s endlessly fascinating past and present - its people, its places and the events that have shaped it. Did you know you could see a giant Megaladon shark’s tooth in Geelong? Do you know about the Nauruan past of The Scout Heritage Centre? What about the Maritime Museum’s Gallipoli-bound submarine?

Unlikely secrets are revealed as the exhibition takes a tour around seven of Geelong’s community museums and collections including the Geelong Maritime Museum, the Scout Heritage Centre, Osborne Park House Association, the Bellarine Historical Society, the Cement Retiree’s Museum, the Geelong Historical Society and the James Harrison Centre.

Hidden Treasures is at the National Wool Museum until October 30th. For more information visit www.geelongaustralia.com.au/nwm

From 07 September Australian Landscapes in Watercolour – Where: Geelong Gallery. Details: www.geelonggallery.org.au 10 September – 16 October Out of Darkness, Into Light: Simon Benz – Where: Geelong Gallery. Details: www.geelonggallery.org.au 11 September Sustainable House Day 2011 - Some of Geelong’s most sustainable homes and edible gardens will be on display. Details: www.geelongsustainability.com.au 14 September Light the Night - The Leukaemia Foundation support event. Where: Steampacket Gardens, Waterfront Geelong. Details: www.lightthenight.org.au

Geelong Roller Derby - Where: Leisuretime Centre, Bell Post Hill. Details: www.geelongrollerderby.com 23 September A Final Taste of Hale & Pace - Where: The Playhouse, GPAC. Details: www.gpac.org.au 24 – 25 September Special Olympics Victoria State Winter Games – 250 athletes competing in basketball, soccor, gymnastics and ten pin bowling. Where: Myer Reserve, The Arena, The Gymnastic Centre, Bowl A Rama Belmont.

Details: www.specialolympics.com.au/vic 29 September Arj Barker: Eleven – Where: The Playouse, GPAC. Details: www.gpac.org.au

15 September Free SME digital marketing seminar – Where: Captain’s Room, Skilled Stadium. Details: jan.ash@sensis.com.au

30 September Shaolin Warriors - Where: The Playhouse, GPAC. Details: www.gpac.org.au

16 September Cancer Council Walk to Work Day Details: www.walk.com.au

01 – 31 October 2011 Geelong Senior Festival - Where: Various locations across Geelong. Details: www.geelongaustralia.com.au

DownPour - A4 Circus Ensemble show. Where: Potato Shed, Drysdale. Details: www.geelongaustralia.com.au

04 October Suzi Quatro – Where: The Arena.

Details: www.geelongaustralia.com.au

17 September – 20 November 2011 Geelong Acquisitive Print Awards – Where: Geelong Gallery. Details: www.geelonggallery.org.au

05 October New OHS Laws: VECCI Briefing Session - Businesses must be ready to meet new obligations and responsibilities from 1 January 2012 when Australiawide harmonised Work Health and Safety legislation commences, replacing existing OHS acts.

Details: www.vecci.org.au

18 September Music at the Basilica - Giampaolo Di Rosa, Professor of Organ from Rome. Where: The Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels. Details: www.musicatthebasilica.org.au

To publicise your event in GBN’s What’s On in October email: editor@geelongbusiness.com.au

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