Business Connect Magazine

Transcription

WINTER 2011 ISSUE 84
magazine
Memberships from
$395
PER MONTH
Making history with
the Australian Chambers
Business Congress
The Carbon Tax:
unchartered waters
New solutions
in sustainability
Recruitment
with First People HR
Super outcomes
in the Federal Budget
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Business Connect Magazine is distributed
to a database of over 7,000 NSW Business
Chamber members, primarily in NSW,
most of whom are key decision makers
in their organisation.
Many business owners struggle to find information that is appropriate to
their business operations. According to our readership surveys, Business
Connect Magazine gives business owners and managers an insight
into areas such as business planning, management, new technology,
education and training, marketing, finance, exporting and more.
Advertising Sizes and Fees
for NSW Business Chamber members (incl GST)
Ad Type
Ad Size
Casual
2 Issues
4 Issues
8 Issues
Full Page
207mm x 297mm
$1530
$2500
$4500
$6200
Half Page
181mm x 132mm
$765
$1400
$2250
$3500
Half Page
84mm x 270mm
$765
$1400
$2250
$3500
Add 3mm bleed all around to Full page ad..
Booking Deadlines Spring 30/8/2011 Summer 5/12/2011
To advertise in Business Connect magazine
please contact the Editor, Ashley Penny on
02 9458 7255 or email [email protected]
www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au
Business Connect
3
12 16 24
28 32 45
Ashley Penny (02) 9458 7255
[email protected]
Copy Editors Mitchell Lewis
DesignER Tracey Orehov
PhotographER Dan Gosse, Eventpix
Advertising enquiries Ashley Penny
(02) 9458 7255 [email protected]
Editor
NSW Business Chamber
Locked Bag 938, North Sydney, NSW 2059
t >13 26 96 f >1300 655 277 e>[email protected]
w>nswbusinesschamber.com.au
Chief Executive Officer: Stephen Cartwright
Business Connect Magazine is published quarterly.
Subscriptions: $44 per annum (incl GST). Registered by
Australia Post publication number: pp255003/03891
ISSN: 1328-259x. The information published in Business
Connect Magazine is subject to copyright and may not
be reproduced in any form without written permission
from NSW Business Chamber. The opinions expressed in
Business Connect Magazine do not necessarily represent
the opinions of NSW Business Chamber or its staff. The
information published in Business Connect Magazine is
intended as general information only and should not be
relied on in place of specific legal or professional advice.
No responsibility or liability is accepted by NSW Business
Chamber or its staff for any claim which may arise from
any person acting on the information published in
Business Connect Magazine.
Messages from the
President and CEO 4
your business cost and footprint 30
News 6
Industry Capability Network 32
Your True Brand 36
New members
Sustainability Advantage – Reducing
10
FEDERAL BUDGET
Healing the world through exports 38
Federal Treasurer’s
Budget Luncheon 12
Budget for small business 14
Big in Japan – export opportunities 42
First People HR 44
COVER STORY
Australian Business Talent grows
47
Australian Chambers Business
Congress Counter Terrorism 48
16
EVENTS
CEO Club with James Strong CHAMBERS
Local Chambers of Commerce
24
Alliance 50
2011 Business Excellence Awards 27
Affiliated Chambers of Commerce 54
FEATURES
Global award for
Carbon Tax: Unchartered waters 28
NSW Business Chamber 58
Winter 2011 | Business Connect 3
4
Business Connect
The Congress
of The grip of a powerful idea.
More than most, an entrepreneur
understands the price of pursuing
an idea or goal that no one
else can see. Derision from
peers is a very real prospect
– something which Malcolm
Gladwell refers to as ‘social risk’.
ideas
The celebrated author was among
the keynote speakers at the
inaugural Australian Chambers
Business Congress, held in early
June on the Gold Coast.
Gladwell spoke about the need to
encourage social risk takers and
those who dare to think big. His
presentation visibly impressed the
audience and seemed to capture
the spirit of the Congress. After
all, the Congress was established
to address key issues shaping
business, reaching out to megatrends
appearing on the global horizon.
If there was a social risk to the
Congress itself, it was that it promised
nothing less than bringing together,
for the first time, members from
all state and territory Chambers of
Commerce and Industry. Doubts
were quickly allayed. The benchmark
was set at a thousand delegates, and
that goal was realised. I for one was
proud to be among the gathering of
delegates who drew inspiration from
Gladwell and his fellow international
keynote speakers, including cofounder of Apple, Steve Wozniak.
His life story is one of innovation.
Something exciting was also happening
away from the centre stage. The
break-out forums, debate panels, even
the corridors, were abuzz with voices.
Here, delegates were able to lay the
4 nswbusinesschamber.com.au
groundwork for new relationships
across the table, over a quiet coffee,
and with business card in hand.
The Chamber movement is diverse by
nature, and that is generally healthy for
business representation in Australia.
Into this organic environment, the
Congress offers a structured focal
point of ideas and networking.
A secondary benefit of the Congress is
the reinforcement of bonds between
Chambers. Collective representation
and leadership on a growing number
of national issues – from a two-speed
economy, to the reduction of carbon
– are required if we are to influence
government policy and improve
business conditions on behalf of
our combined membership. In this
pursuit, NSW Business Chamber
continues to build membership
numbers through the Local Chamber
of Commerce Alliance program.
Twelve months will pass quickly,
I’m sure. The second Congress
is set for Melbourne in mid 2012,
where I look forward to joining
other delegates in what promises
to be an even larger success.
Roger Hood
President
Business Connect
5
Paying the
carbon price
The carbon tax introduced by
the Australian Government
poses a new and unnecessary
risk to the operation of most
Australian businesses.
While I sincerely hope that Australia
and the rest of the world can reach
agreement on reducing emissions, my
concern is that our nation won’t achieve
this goal through greater efficiency in
industry – but through the loss of jobs
and capacity across the Australian
economy. The reality is that every small
business will pay for the carbon tax
through increased energy prices, with
little or no compensation. It’s also highly
possible that all we are achieving through
this complex package is shipping our
jobs and emissions off-shore.
This edition of Business Connect
discusses the implications of this new
tax. In the meantime, I am heartened
by the Chamber’s new Sustainability
Advantage program, which offers
members practical tools and strategies
for reducing energy consumption and
waste, with benefits for the environment
and your business.
As we go to print, the O’Farrell
Government has recently celebrated its
first 100 days, and while this milestone
is considered important for political
“The reality is that every small business will pay
for the carbon tax through increased energy
prices, with little or no compensation.”
commentators, it does provide an
indication of the agenda of a new
government.
We have maintained our strong
dialogue with Ministers as they settle
into the important job of effectively
and efficiently running our state. NSW’s
economic conditions remain difficult
and therefore in our lobbying, we will
continue to ensure that our state is well
managed, and that good decisions are
made to set the right business conditions
for NSW businesses to thrive.
This edition also showcases the recent
Australian Chambers Business Congress
held on the Gold Coast. I was fortunate
enough to present at the Congress,
along with a range of Australian and
International key-note speakers who
sparked debate and inspired delegates.
These pages contain highlights from just
a handful of the 50 speakers, including
renowned author, Malcolm Gladwell;
co-founder of Apple, Steve Wozniak;
and Executive Director of Development
at CSIRO, James Moody. The Congress
has clearly advanced the Chamber
movement in Australia, with the 2012
event in Melbourne already confirmed.
Another exciting development for the
Chamber is the launch of First People
HR, a majority indigenous-owned HR
services company which promises to
link Aboriginal Australians with real and
meaningful jobs in the private sector.
As the former CEO of Chandler Macleod
Group (CMG), I personally welcome
CMG co-founder and long-standing
colleague, Kevin Chandler, into the
leadership team. Kevin is joined by the
CEO of First People HR, Paul Knight,
who is recognised as a national leader
in indigenous employment. Learn more
about this important new service offering
on page 44.
On behalf of the Board, Council and staff
of the Chamber, I wish you all the very
best for the new financial year.
Stephen Cartwright
Chief Executive Officer
6
News
Riverina citrus growers
turn the bitter sweet
Bonjour
la France!
The Riverina is recognised by many
as the food bowl of Australia,
but citrus growers in the region
have been hampered by declining
margins for their produce.
Many are battling to keep pace with
the rising cost of production but the
example of successful grower-owned
and managed companies such as
Southern Ag Grain, which grew from the
soil of the wheat industry’s deregulation,
has given the citrus growers hope
that their labour will bear fruit.
Riverina Citrus executive officer Dom
Testoni said research carried out with Ian
Bennett and Sara Cheng of Australian
Business and the NSW Department
of Industry and Investment showed a
new grower-owned company would
be ideally placed to take advantage
of demand for the Riverina’s citrusbased juice, oil, pharmaceutical and
therapeutic products in previously
untapped overseas markets.
Dom reports the idea, presented
over several meetings, has been
well received by growers.
“It’s really about taking your destiny into
your own hands,” said Dom.
“We can sit back and continually
complain about the prices we
get or we can get off our bums
and get into the game.”
“We’ve got a good commodity and
there’s a supposed oversupply in the
market and the time is right for people
to put their money where their mouth
is and hopefully take some of this
oversupply and push it into markets
that are still after our produce.”
The French-Australian Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (FACCI)
has recently partnered with NSW
Business Chamber (NSWBC). This
relationship will bolster FACCI’s service
to membership, with an increased
range of products and services to
members. Commencing 1 July, FACCI
via NSW Business Chamber will
equip members – from start-up to
established businesses – with a unique
set of support services in workplace
relations, sales and marketing, online
strategy, OHS regulations, people
management, operations and services,
and much more. NSWBC is proud
to welcome FACCI into the greater
chamber movement, which has now
grown to 6,900 members in NSW
and 30,000 affiliated members.
“Our goal is to increase it to a
point where it is above cost of
production because many growers
will say they’re producing it for
well below cost of production.”
“If the growers do decide to do this
then they have to back themselves
and put a professional management
structure in place that can explore
any and all opportunities.”
Australian Business’ International
Trade team annually assists over 1,000
companies to achieve their international
business goals to export, import or
establish a business presence overseas.
Visit www.globalinsights.com.au
or phone 1800 505 529.
Gerald Garcia [pictured], Business
Solutions Manager, together with Owen
Coughlan, Partnerships Manager, were
instrumental in forging NSW Business
Chamber’s relationship with FACCI.
News
7
Joe Hockey
visits the Shire
Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey visited
business owners in the Sutherland
Shire during June, answering the
combined call of Menai District
Business Chamber, Cronulla Chamber
of Commerce and NSW Business
Chamber. Joined by Federal Member
for Hughes, Mr Craig Kelly, Mr Hockey
spoke to local chamber members at
a luncheon in Menai, outlining the
credentials of a coalition government
and answering questions from the floor.
“This event really demonstrates how
an alliance of Chambers can yield
benefits at a regional level,” says Grant
Payne, Regional Manager of Sydney
South, NSW Business Chamber.
From left to right: David Rogerson, Executive of Menai District Business Chamber; Michael Zacharia, President of Menai
District Business Chamber; The Hon. Joe Hockey MP, Shadow Treasurer; Grant Payne, Regional Manager, Sydney South,
NSW Business Chamber; Antonella Sanderson, Family Law Matters; Annette Tasker, Treasurer, Cronulla Chamber of
Commerce; Craig Kelly MP, Federal Member for Hughes.
8
News
Kooindah Kudos
Kooindah Waters Residential Golf
and Spa Resort at Wyong won the
‘Best Meeting Venue under 500
delegates’ award at the prestigious
2010 NSW Meeting and Events
Industry (MEA) Awards.
More than 350 industry professionals
attended the event, held at Sydney
Convention and Exhibition Centre.
MOU signing by Roger Hood, President of NSW Business Chamber
and Lee Dong Geun, Executive Vice Chairman of KCCI.
“It is a huge honour and great
achievement for Kooindah Waters
Residential Golf & Spa Resort to be
recognised as the winner of such a
highly sought-after award, particularly
considering that we were competing
with some of the best and most
successful venues in NSW,” said
Sandra Kerr, General Manager.
Regional Manager to support
business in the Central West
Korean connection
NSW Business Chamber recently signed
a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with the Korea Chamber
of Commerce(KCCI) and Industry
in June. The MoU establishes a
general cooperation framework
between the two Chambers, in order
to promote economic relations
between Australia and the Republic
of Korea. KCCI is the nation’s largest
private economic organisation,
encompassing 71 regional chambers
and approximately 120,000 members
from all parts of the Korean economy.
Appointment
of Small Business
Commissioner
welcomed
NSW Business Chamber has appointed
a Regional Manager for Central West
NSW, reflecting the growth of business
membership in the region. A longtime resident of Orange, Paul Cox is
well-respected in the local business
community, and probably best known
for his real estate business with
Century 21. Paul will provide timely
support to fellow Orange residents
and President of the Regional
Advisory Committee, Ellie Brown.
NSW Business Chamber has
welcomed the appointment of Yasmin
King as NSW’s first Small Business
Commissioner as a significant win for
the state’s 650,000 small businesses.
The Chamber called for the creation
of a Small Business Commissioner
as part of its pre-election campaign,
‘10 Big Ideas to Grow NSW’ and
worked with the then Opposition to
develop the proposal into a policy.
“I congratulate the Minister for Small
Business, Katrina Hodgkinson, on
moving quickly to create and fill this
role within the first 100 days of the
new government,” said CEO of NSW
Business Chamber, Stephen Cartwright.
News
Kicking goals for
cyclone-affected communities
9
Finance events
prove a hit
The Finance series has shone brightly
on the 2011 events calendar, drawing
big numbers on the topics ‘How to
write an effective business plan’ and
‘Funding business growth’. As the major
sponsor, National Australia Bank has
put forward keynote speakers across
the business spectrum. In the months
ahead, members will be invited to
events that include ‘Understanding
financial statements’; ‘Sustainable
profits: driving your competitive
advantage’; ‘People, planet, profit’
and ‘Planning for sale or succession’.
Check your inbox for invitations.
Murray-Riverina
NSW Business Chamber fielded a
team in the recent 2011 International
Chambers of Commerce Football
World Cup. The tournament brought
together business organisations and
Chambers of Commerce alike to
raise funds for communities in North
Queensland affected by Cyclone Yasi.
With each team representing and
wearing the colours of a nation, the
Chamber wore Nigerian green.
bolsters member
support
The team played admirably, not
conceding a goal in three games,
until stopped in the quarter finals
by Dimension Data, 2-0.
Now bigger and better
Subscribers to www.workplaceinfo.com.au will have noted some
changes. Australia’s premier information resource for HR and IR
professionals has launched a new-look website with a number
of new features including: more analysis and in-depth case
studies, more videos, online experts with practical experience,
opportunity to post comments on stories, plus an invitation
to join the LinkedIn WorkplaceInfo community. If you’re not a
subscriber, contact 1800 505 529 or visit the website today.
NSW Business Chamber has opened
two new offices in the Murray
Riverina. Alongside Albury, offices
in Griffith and Wagga Wagga will
“boost our resources to provide
stronger and tailored services to the
business community,” according
to Regional Manager, Ben Foley.
Growth has also led to the appointment
of Nicole Thompson (pictured)
as Business Solutions Executive,
operating from the Griffith office.
Nicole has held positions with local
winery Casella Wines, WIN Television
and National Australia Bank.
“Nicole has an impressive career that
has focused on regional NSW, and is
well suited to delivering services to
our regional membership,” said Ben.
10 News
April to June 2011
Company
2creative Media
45 Degrees Studio
Absolute Carpets
Absolute Relaxation
Physical & Spiritual P/L
Acacia Immigration Australia
Accord Property
Maintenance Services
Ace Ceramics Pty Ltd
Advance Metal
Industries Australia
Aero Logistics
Helicopter Charters
Agape Business Development
Air Exchange
Aircalin
Airplus International
Aliance Australia
All About Pipes & All
About Traffic Control
Alliance Francaise De Sydney
Alstonville Wollongbar
Chamber of Commerce
Alternative Foot Solutions
Altios Australia
Altitude 1148 Restaurant
AMC Commercial Cleaning
Animal Doctors
Port Macquarie
Aprimo
Arc-Con Industries
ASAP Roof Maintenance
Atdi South Pacific Pty Ltd
Austin Engineering
Australasian Lubricants
Manufacturing Company
(ALMC) Pty Ltd
Australian Computer Society
Australian Institute of
Management NSW &
ACT - Canberra
Australian Wetlands Pty Ltd
Autolac
Autralia Post - Postal
Services Group
B For Business
B2B in Canberra Magazine
Balmain Rozelle Chamber
of Commerce Inc
NSW Business Chamber welcomes the following
new members during the second quarter of 2011
Barefeet Podiatry
Baycorp (Aust) Pty Limited
BCS KRESTON
Beat Medical Pty Ltd
BEC Central Coast
Ben’s Rent-A-Centre
Better Transport Futures
Birch & Waite Foods Pty Ltd
Blue Diamond
Energy Solutions
Blue Star Printing Group
Boomerang Australia Studies
- Arnaud International
Consulting Pty Ltd
Bank of Queensland
Brekky Basket
Bunnamagoo Estate Wines
Byrnes Entrance Technology
C & T Hydraulics
Penrith Pty Ltd
Caesar’s Chickens
Camden Chamber of
Commerce & Industry Inc
Canberra City News
Capital Region Business
Advisory Service
Cascade Building Services
CBM Countrywide
Building Maintenance
Centre For Training
Chamber of Women
in Business
Charisma Signs Pty Ltd
Children Worldwide Fashion
Clearly Super
Cleo Consulting Pty Ltd
Clextral Pacific Pty Ltd
Club Med Pty Ltd
Cobalt Engineering
Services Pty Ltd
Cojo Post
Commercial and
Industrial Power
Computer Networks Pty Ltd
Concours D’elegance Sydney
Consult Australia - ACT
Contract Casual
Cre8ive
Cronulla Chamber of
Commerce Inc
Cube PR Pty Ltd
D & M Research Pty Ltd
Dancing Zorbas Restaurant
Data#3
Deborah Windfield
Jewellery Pty Ltd
Deeks
Delando Corporation Limited
Deniliquin Business Chamber
DGI Trading (Aust)
Pty Limited
Diamond Liquor - Bkd Pty
Ltd Trading As Barmania
& Diamond Liquor
Dionysus Global Enterprise
DPPP
Drake International
Eastern Star Gas
Echo Forests Pty Ltd
Elite Property Management
Elite Sound & Lighting
Ellis Legal & Consulting
Emil Ford & Co Lawyers
Enigma Hair Designers
Enterprise Connect
EnviroPacific Services Pty Ltd
EPPS Engineering
Esker Australia Pty Ltd
Europecar
Eurosport Australia
Events with Pizazz
Evian Volvic Asia Pacific
Ezidebit
Ferst Training Solutions
Finn Bespoke
Technology Pty Ltd
First In Finance Pty Ltd
Football Development
Australia Pty Ltd.
Forster Tuncurry
Business Chamber Inc
Fresh and More
Gazebo Direct
Global Switch Property
(Australia) Pty Ltd
Grain Products
Australia Pty Ltd
Gredim Pty Ltd
Green Chilli Marketing
Pty Limited
Grimshaw Insurance Services
Guest Apartment
Services (Paris)
Hanwest Pty Ltd
Harwel Lifts Pty Ltd
Hillside at Figtree
Hodgkinson McInnes Patents
House and Land Properties
Hunter Marine Surveyors
Hunter Valley Events
IBM Australia
Idaia Pty Ltd
Iken Workplace Evolutions
Imagination
Immediate Reception
Important & Imperative
Business Solutions
Inkredible Art Pty Ltd
International School of
Music Turramurra
Isca
Isis Group Australia
Pty Ltd - Canberra
Jason Laws Golf Academy
Jec Group Australia
Jetmaster Fireplaces
Aust Pty Ltd
Jhalu Day Spa & Fitness
Joc Gestion Privee
Joyce Dickson
JT Mining Electrical
Contracting Pty Ltd.
Jungle Drums Media
Productions Pty Ltd
KAM Australia
Kinder Caring
News 11
Kingscliff & District
Chamber of Commerce
Ku-Ring-Gai Chamber
of Commerce
Kyogle Chamber
of Commerce
LA Commercial Pty Ltd
Lake Munmorah Air
Conditoning
LCF Clubs Australia Ltd
Leeton Chamber of
Commerce and Industry
Len & Julie Durheim Painting
Lennox Head Chamber
of Commerce
Less Pie More Run Pty Ltd
Lismore Chamber of
Commerce Inc
Macksville Chamber of
Mahlab Media
Mal Glanville & Co
Management Group Services
Management Group
Services - Central Coast
Manidis Roberts
Manitou Australia Pty Ltd
Manly Physiotherapy &
Sports Injuries Centre
Manufactured Homes
Insurance Agency Limited
Marais Lucas
Technologies Pty Ltd
Marks Griffths & Bova
Maxx Hair & Makeup
McGowan Lawyers
McGrath Newcastle City
Media Convergence
Asia Pacific
MEGT (Australia) Ltd
Mercuri Urval
Mezzaluna Gourmet Delivery
Mick Humphries
Training Group
Millington Electrical &
Communications
MINGK P/L
Mitchell Cleaning Services
Mosman Interiors Pty Ltd
Munchtime Pty Ltd
Murwillumbah & District
Business Chamber Ltd
Musson Jewellers
My Comfort Zone
My Sydney
Mystery Ranch Ltd
N.B.R Mechanical Services
Nambucca Glass & Aluminium
Nan Tien Institute
Narrabri & District Chamber
of Commerce Inc
National Museum of Australia
National Press Club
nCompassHR
Net Worth Financial Planners
Newcastle Police &
Community Youth Club
Noble Engineering
Services Pty Ltd
Noble Toyota
Noel Arnold & Associates
North Coast Petroleum
North Manly Bowling &
Recreation Club Limited
North Sydney Chamber
of Commerce
Northern Rivers Social
Development Council
NSW Public Works
Ocular Robotics Pty Ltd
One Metric
Partytime Hire Pty Ltd
Paw Prints Vet Clinic
Peninsula Chamber
of Commerce
Peter McInnes Pty Ltd
Pirgun Pty Ltd
Pirmil Pty Ltd
Pirtek (Blacktown) Pty Ltd
Pirtek (Campbelltown) Pty Ltd
Pirtek (North Sydney) Pty Ltd
Pirtek (Smithfield) Pty Ltd
Pirtek (Taree) Pty Ltd
Pirtek Australia
Franchise Group
Pirtek Canberra Pty Ltd
PMP Limited
PPC Consultants
Practical Systems Limited
Prestige Optics
Profity Ptd Ltd
Public Relations
Institute of Australia
Pyro-tection Military Gear
Renault Eurodrive
Australia Pty Ltd
Residential Engineering
Revolution Software Services
Riverina Wool
Rodd Peters Lawyers
Rodin Business Solutions
Rohlig Australia P/L
Rowies Cakes
Rural Funds Management
Safety Nets For Life Pty Ltd
Samaritan’s Purse Limited
Say It with Scent
Schnelle Partners The Next Step
Screen Craft Media
Servcorp Canberra
Shaw Vineyard Estate
Shipton & Associates
Sidcor Chartered Accountants
Smart Box
Smart Box Sydney Pty Ltd
Smiles Dental Surgery
Solair
Solar PV
Solatube Australia
Southern HR
SPF Australia Pty Ltd
Staging Connections (ACT)
Stockman Fabrication
Subway Erina
Supplement Planet
Surfsalt Pty Ltd
Sustain Agility
T-Consulting Australia
Tang Source of Energy
Deep Relaxation Centre
Teed Up Travel
The Fabulous Fresh
Bros Pty Ltd
The Fore
The Palms Golf Course
Port Stephens
The Sales Doctor
The Secure Document
Destruction Company
The TubeWorks
Theme & Variations
Piano Service
Thyssenkrup Marine
Systems Australia
TJS Cleaning Services Pty Ltd
Toll Group
Totel Communications Pty Ltd
Travelworld
Trend Interiors Pty Ltd
Triomf Accounting
Turbomeca Australasia Pty Ltd
Tweed Coast Office Supplies
Tweed Heads Bowls Club
Tweed Heads Chamber of
Twin Towns Services
Club Limited
UEA Pty Ltd
United World
Enterprises Pty Ltd
Urban Rituelle
Urunga Mylestom
Chamber of Commerce
UWELL Pty Ltd
Vermeer Sales & Service
Via Rustica
Virtus Health
Visa AP (Australia) Pty Ltd
Vision In Mind
Visoz Pty Ltd
Vista Information
Services and Solutions
Vopak Terminals
Australia Pty Ltd
Wagga Directional Drilling
Warialda and District
Chamber of Commerce
Wesley Vocational Institute
Wizid Pty Ltd
Wollongong Town Hall
Workforce Extensions
World Business Travel
Zimmermann Wear Pty Ltd
12 Business Connect
Business Connect 13
Federal Treasurer’s
Budget
Luncheon
Monday, 16 May, 2011. A full-capacity business
audience dined with the Federal Treasurer at
The Westin Sydney. Hosted by NSW Business
Chamber, Wayne Swan delivered his first
business address following the Budget’s launch
several days prior. The event was televised to a
live audience via Sky News Australia.
WINTER 2011 | Business Connect 13
14 Business Connect
‘Steady as she goes’
budget for small business
The Federal Government’s May budget has been described as
benign, even boring, in that there were no major tax reforms
or new policies announced – at least as far as superannuation
and financial planning are concerned. This ‘steady as she goes’
message is a welcome one for small businesses that already have
enough day-to-day pressures to deal with.
There are some practical matters
that businesses need to be aware
of, however, which will affect payroll
processes from July 2012 and beyond.
Also, there are some changes that
may affect the personal tax planning
of business owners and their staff.
to identify employees, primarily to
ensure that employer contributions
are allocated to the correct account.
Payslips to show super
contributions
Salary sacrifice and
contribution caps
From 1 July 2012, employers will be
required to include details of their
super contributions on their employees’
payslips. The information to be shown is
the actual amount credited to their super
account during that pay period, which
will include Superannuation Guarantee
contributions and any additional
contributions including salary sacrifice.
In addition, super funds will be
required to notify employees and their
employers if regular contributions
have ceased for any reason. These
notifications will be issued quarterly.
Greater use of tax file numbers
Another practical matter that will affect
employers is the increasing use of tax
file numbers in superannuation. Funds
will be allowed to use tax file numbers
This is all part of the Government’s
SuperStream initiatives, which are
designed to improve efficiency and
reduce costs within the super system.
Salary sacrifice – that is, the process
by which an agreed part of a person’s
future earnings are contributed to
their super fund account rather than
being paid as taxable income – is a
popular strategy among small business
owners, management and staff.
There is a potential tax trap, however,
in that the strategy can lead to the
person inadvertently breaching their
concessional contributions cap and so
being liable for a significant tax penalty.
To explain, the concessional cap is
the limit on the concessional (i.e.
tax-deductible) contributions that
can be made on someone’s behalf
in any financial year. This includes
compulsory Superannuation Guarantee
contributions and any additional
employer contributions, including
salary sacrifice. The cap is currently
$25,000 a year, or $50,000 for anyone
aged 50 or over (including those
who reach age 50 during the year).
To date, anyone who has breached
their concessional cap has been
personally liable for a tax penalty on
the excess at the rate of 46.5 per cent.
Many of the breaches so far have been
accidental, and to lessen the problem
the Government has announced some
limited relief to apply from the 2011/12
financial year. In future, if someone
breaches their concessional cap by
less than $10,000 they will have a once
off opportunity of having the excess
refunded by the fund and paying
tax on it at their marginal tax rate.
In another move that will be welcomed
by many older workers, the Treasurer
announced that the concessional
contributions cap is to remain at
$50,000 a year for people aged
over 50, subject to them having less
than $500,000 in superannuation at
the start of the year in question.
Given that salary sacrifice has
to be agreed in advance, while
superannuation account balances
Business Connect 15
aren’t known until after the start of
the financial year, this may result in
some ongoing calculation and fine
tuning. This is an area where individual
advice may be invaluable, because
the cost of getting it wrong and
exceeding the cap can be substantial.
Super Guarantee and wages
The Treasurer reaffirmed the
Government’s commitment to lifting
the compulsory Superannuation
Guarantee rate progressively from the
current 9 to 12 per cent by 2019/20.
Incentives for older workers
Still on the subject of the
Superannuation Guarantee, the
Government is extending the age
at which workers will be eligible for
these compulsory contributions
from 69 to 74. This may be a small
incentive for mature-aged people to
remain in the workforce, but it doesn’t
come into effect until July 2013.
Many older employees work part-time,
and so are on relatively low earnings.
They, like other low-income workers,
will benefit from another measure
announced by the Treasurer to come
“Probably the best news in the budget
announcements was the Government’
sconfirmation that the main superannuation tax
concessions would remain untouched and that
there would be no change to the age at which
you can access your superannuation.“
into effect in July 2012. From that date,
anyone earning less than $37,000 a year
will be eligible for a tax refund of up to
$500 a year to compensate them for the
15 per cent tax deducted from super
contributions made on their behalf.
This will increase the attractiveness
of super for this low-income group.
Maintaining confidence in super
Probably the best news in the
budget announcements was the
Government’s confirmation that the
main superannuation tax concessions
would remain untouched and that
there would be no change to the
age at which you can access your
superannuation. These are positive
messages from the Government that
will reinforce confidence in super as
a high tax-effective way to save.
John Paul, Chief Executive, Asset Super
For more information about Asset
Super, go to assetsuper.com.au or
call 1800 805 981. This article contains
general advice. It has been prepared
by Asset Limited (AFSL 230070) without
taking account of your objectives,
financial situation or needs. We
recommend that before your make any
decisions regarding Asset Super, you
consider the relevant product disclosure
statement available from Asset Limited.
16 Business Connect
Australian Chambers
Business
Congress
Armed with a program that appealed to
the thoughtful and the practical, over 1,000
delegates filled the Gold Coast Convention
Centre for three days in June to listen,
discuss, network and collaborate.
Business Connect 17
18 Business Connect
LinkedIn comments
“The Murwillumbah Chamber Executives offer our
hearty congratulations to the Australian Chambers
for its initiation of this event as it was extremely
well received. Very professional in all aspects.”
“Hornsby Business Alliance also endorse the
sentiment. It was one of the best conferences
I have attended for a long time!”
“The Congress will give Business Chamber executives across
Australia and business owners who attend, fresh ideas and
directions from the talent of speakers being presented.”
“Wow! What an amazing event this was ...
Highly recommend.”
“Congratulations on a fabulous event. It was the perfect mix of
stimulating lectures and plenty of networking opportunities.
Great choice of star keynote speakers. Thank you.”
Business Connect 19
Themed today, tomorrow and beyond,
the inaugural Australian Business
Chambers Congress represented
not only the personal journeys of
the attending business owners, but
reflected the cultural and social
environments in which we live.
Malcolm Gladwell, named by Time
Magazine as one of the world’s
top 100 most influential people,
opened the keynote speaking and
immediately captivated the audience
with his assessment of the way in
which we value risk takers. Innovation
and entrepreneurship by its nature
requires one to be unconcerned
about peer pressure and the adverse
publicity that taking risks necessarily
requires. Gladwell cited a number of
unique examples in his presentation,
including the founder of Ikea, Ingvar
Kamprad, who pioneered what many
companies today take for granted:
the move of manufacturing offshore.
The defining issue, however, was his
preparedness to locate in Poland, at
the time still part of the Soviet bloc
and therefore an economic pariah.
Kamprad suffered, but bravely
conquered his contesters. Today, Ikea’s
model goes not only unquestioned,
but is emulated across the globe.
The Congress was designed to inform,
educate and entertain. Sessions
offering information exchange, ideas
and best practice ran alongside new
research, the concept of the sixth
wave of innovation and the use of
marketing and data analysis to grow
business. Corridor conversations were
plentiful, new friendships were struck
up alongside strategic partnerships.
Pre-dinner drinks at the Gala dinner
were a welcome end to the first day,
and a chance to start new conversations
on gathered information. Through
her own survival story Gill Hicks
demonstrated the importance of the
will to succeed, segueing into Create
Universe’s message that a good
song undoubtedly lifts the spirit.
Big ideas were a central theme
of the inaugural Congress and
technology featured prominently.
Through innovation and chance,
Steve Wozniak co-built one of the
most iconic companies of our time:
Apple. Technology provides unique
opportunities, as evidenced by the
continued move towards a digital world
where everything we can see, hear and
touch can have an online counterpart.
In this future, the business models of
current information distribution are
challenged by technological innovation,
rather than our ability to be creative.
Tools like the iPad provide an almost
ideal magazine platform, allowing us to
simultaneously hear and read several
voices of diverse opinion, a central
key to upholding our democratic
traditions, and quite possibly a new
golden age for reading and writing.
What’s more, they are kinder on
depleting natural resources.
It is perhaps fitting that a suitably
big idea brought together the states’
Chambers to elevate small business
on a worthy platform. Gauging by
attendance numbers and postevent feedback, the Congress
sheds new light on the growing
Chamber movement in Australia.
20
Business Connect
“... surround yourself with
people who think differently.”
Malcolm Gladwell
Many entrepreneurs share a story
of hardship. Alongside operational
and financial risks, the aspirant
can run a social gauntlet. What
is the true price of success?
Named one of Time Magazine’s 100
Most Influential People, Malcolm
Gladwell has been a staff writer with
The New Yorker magazine since
1996, and has an incomparable
gift for interpreting new ideas in
the social sciences and making
them understandable, practical
and valuable to business.
How can we help aspiring
entrepreneurs?
The social gauntlet is the difficult
one in many cases. If we are plainer
about the fact that one obstacle on
the path to entrepreneurial success
is that you may have to ride out the
derision of peers - then it might be
easier for people. It’s astonishing how
entrepreneurs of every stripe come
up to me and say ‘That’s exactly what
I went through. It was a great idea,
but no one else saw it except me.
And everyone told me I was an idiot.
And the hardest part was enduring
people’s derision until it panned out’.
What is your impression of
entrepreneurship in Australia?
Is it strong enough?
There is a lovely quality to culturally
open societies – those that welcome
people from around the world. I think
these diverse societies have an easier
time of social risk taking. Some of the
most enduringly innovative economies
of the past 200 years – United States,
Canada, Australia, Singapore;
these are open-minded places.
How can business people develop
the ability to think differently?
One thing is to surround yourself
with people who think differently.
Our default as human beings is to
hire people who are versions of our
self, and that is the crucial error.
We need to be reminded of the
importance of true diversity. It’s a
reason why entrepreneurs very often
situate themselves in places that are
geographically different from traditional
power centres. Why is Silicon Valley
on the west coast [US]? Because they
wanted to get away from the east coast!
Have you greater freedom to pursue
certain kinds of ideas in Shanghai than
Manchester? Maybe. It’s a kind of virtue
of how far flung the world economy
has become that you can always find
a little corner to invent things.
How do you transform a mediocre
business person into a social risk taker?
People in the grip of a powerful idea
are willing to take social risks. It’s a
question of whether you can find that
idea, right? I’m in the middle of writing
a new book. If everybody told me it was
going to be a disaster, I wouldn’t care.
Luckily, I’ve found an idea with that level
of attachment. Something that you’re so
attached to you will pursue at all costs.
In this day and age, business people are
talking about emotional intelligence.
How important is it to small business?
It’s hard to single out small businesses,
because emotional intelligence applies
to all walks of life. If one is involved in
a marginal enterprise on the fringe of
economic viability, every tool you have
in the kit is of importance. Emotional
intelligence varies between businesses.
If you’re developing software, it’s
not so important. If you’re starting a
travel agency – it’s really important.
What are the top three things we can
do today to facilitate entrepreneurship?
Be tolerant of the weird and eccentric.
Be tolerant of failure. Some people
are going to pursue these quixotic
ideas at all social cost. It shouldn’t be
the end of the world. And the third
thing? Hmm... I only have two!
Business Connect 21
“... machines will start observing us.”
Steve Wozniak
A pioneer of the computing industry,
Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple
Computer Inc. with Steve Jobs and Ronald
Wayne in 1976. The rest is history. What
does this visionary make of the future?
How can business adapt to technology?
Businesses employ people, and people
have ways of communicating and working.
It turns out that a major facet of our lives is
now smart phones and electronic devices
which we use to communicate in our personal
lives. We should bring that style of media
usage into our business lives as well.
Where is technology heading?
Input and output have been the biggest
changes in our computers. The screens
changed from television to thin LCD. Now we
have reduced down to such tiny devices that
have an amazing computer inside with all the
human senses: vision, hearing, touch, location
and movement. And I think these machines will
start observing us in the way a human would.
So the next five years?
Oh, lots of gadgets are coming out today!
When will computers begin reacting to my
presence in the world, knowing what I like
when talking to me, but also what my wife
is requiring when talking to her? Five years
isn’t too short to have those expectations.
Will voice recognition replace
keyboards on computers?
There will remain a need for typing. Think about
accountants and numbers – they’re not going
to use voice! The left brain occupations of
accountants, lawyers, engineers and so on will
still have a lot of work to be done through typing.
Are you seeing creativity in
the computer industry?
Yes. I run into parents with children so bright
about everything, and adaptable. Is it there to
the extent of when I was young? It’s hard to say.
On creativity in the computer industry...
If you just think of your TV set and think, ‘How
can I make it better?’, then it’s not the way to
think. How can I make something totally different
from what it is today? Right now, the whole
world is waiting for Apple to show them the way,
because Apple generally does it so well, and
have a million people that jump in on day one,
setting a direction for the world. The followers
of Apple are a large asset of the company.
22
Business Connect
“
We’ll see a future that looks a lot
more integrated with nature.”
James Moody
Since the industrial revolution,
there have been five long waves
of innovation: starting with steam,
then railways, electrification, mass
production, and most recently;
information, mass communication
and technology. Are we on
the cusp of a sixth wave?
James is Executive Director,
Development, at the Commonwealth
Scientific and Industrial Research
Organisation (CSIRO). He was
named Young Australian of the Year
in Science and Technology in 2001
and one of the Australian Financial
Review’s Young Executives of 2007.
What is the ‘sixth wave’ in your thinking?
Our [CSIRO] bold prediction is that
the sixth wave of innovation will be
driven by resource efficiency and
resource scarcity. Firstly, there’s almost
a perfect storm occurring where on
one side we are seeing increasing
scarcity of resources. Water is a good
example. According to a study by the
World Economic Forum, the amount of
available fresh water around the world
is 4,500 billion cubic metres, and we
are currently consuming 4,200 billion
cubic metres. On the other side we are
seeing increasing demand, and that
same economic report is anticipating
demand of China alone to increase
by 61 per cent from 2005 to 2030.
When you add these things together,
you realise something’s got to give.
Countries and companies start realising
there are a whole lot of different
business models that emerge when
resources become more valuable,
and allow us to unlock or de-couple
value from resource consumption.
So it’s that decoupling of economic
growth from resources which is
at the heart of the sixth wave.
What does the future look like?
The story of the sixth wave really is
about the next thirty to forty years. We
try to paint a picture where we have
succeeded in de-coupling economic
growth from resource consumption.
But in the long-term future, there are
a couple of things you’ll start to see.
We’ll have removed a lot of waste
from our systems. Secondly, food
and things we consume will originate
as locally as possible, while services
can be sourced from anywhere in the
world. The third piece of the future
relates to underpinning the business
and service models with information.
We’ll see the digital world and natural
world converge. Lastly, we start
looking much more natural. When
you consider how waste from one
process can provide fuel for another,
running off sunlight, only doing one
way chemical reactions so that you can
recycle things – when you put that all
together, that’s how nature operates!
We’ll see a future that looks
a lot more integrated with
nature, and copies nature.
Business Connect 23
Chambers working together to support
businesses affected by Queensland
flooding. From left, Wayne KaylerThomson, CEO of the Victorian
Employers’ Chamber of Commerce
and Industry; Stephen Cartwright,
CEO of NSW Business Chamber; and
Campbell Newman, Leader of the
Liberal National Party of Queensland.
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24 Business Connect
Business Connect 25
The art of
business
It is an early winter night, and
distinctly after Art Gallery of
NSW hours, but the warm
and well-lit spaces within are
animated by the chatter of guest
patrons. Welcome to NSW
Business Chamber’s CEO Club,
where corporate members of
NSW Business Chamber enjoy
an elite networking event among
peers, set to fine catering, guest
speakers – and on this occasion –
a private viewing of the paintings
in this year’s Archibald Prize
exhibition.
CEO
Club
26 Business Connect
CEO
Club
Viewing the exhibition with a keen eye,
James Strong AO pauses to contemplate
a world without art. “It would be a
barren place to live,” remarks the guest
speaker and Chairman of Woolworths.
“It’s a great idea for any organisation
to encourage its staff to be involved
with outside groups and volunteer...”
His appearance is distinctly that of a
successful businessman, with perhaps
the addition of a red bow tie, which
hints to a playfulness befitting the
arts. He is currently the Chairman of
the Australia Council for the Arts, but
has also chaired the Sydney Theatre
Company, the Australian Brandenburg
Orchestra, the Australian Business
Arts Foundation, the State Library, and
acted as a Director of Opera Australia.
lobbying, aviation, the liquor industry,
retailing and insurance. One of his higher
profile roles was as CEO of Qantas.
“I really get a lot out of the arts because
I think they stimulate you,” says James
with expressive hands. “They provide
you with a perspective that you don’t
receive in the ordinary course of events,
which prompts you to think differently.”
James is clearly relishing the speaking
engagement, holding all captive with his
frank and candid insights on executive
management. He’s well-qualified for the
job, with a business career that spans
industrial relations, law, mining, political
If there is an underlying moral to his
various roles in the arts and business,
it’s that one world can symbiotically
benefit the other. So while the arts
can prosper with corporate funding,
the flip side is business is enlivened
by art and the power of ideas.
“It’s a great idea for any organisation
to encourage its staff to be involved
with outside groups and volunteer
– particularly if the company has
a commitment to supporting the
arts,” says James. “Good companies
are not introverted or inwardlooking, but actively engage and
learn from the arts community.
“I think that another important aspect
of the arts is the amount of support
that corporations can offer, which
can come through sponsorship,
philanthropy or any kind of assistance
to an arts company. For example,
it’s tremendous when a CFO will join
the board of an arts company.”
James concedes government funding will
never reach the levels to facilitate highstandard arts in Australia, one reason to
passionately rally the corporate sector.
A cheer ignites the presentation
area, where the winners of the lucky
door prize have been announced.
With formal proceedings at a
close, guests begin to spill back
onto the streets, with expressions
ranging from jubilant to thoughtful,
and quite possibly – inspired.
The next CEO Club will be hosted
on Thursday, 17 August. The CEO
Club is an exclusive entitlement
of corporate membership.
Business Connect 27
2011 Business Excellence Awards
NSW Business Chamber annually celebrates the vision, leadership and
commitment of its members through the Business Excellence Awards.
Gain recognition for your business and showcase its talents to the
broader NSW business community by entering the Awards.
With the focus on business excellence in 2011, the challenge is set to
our 6000 plus members to stand up and let the business community
see those who are achieving new benchmarks for business in local,
national and global markets in the following award categories.
Family reputation shines in trying times
Westend Estate Wines received
the 2010 Excellence in Community
Involvement Award. The winery
belongs to the Calabria family,
who are renowned in Griffith and
Murray Riverina for their community
involvement. “My parents arrived as
immigrants to the region, and the
community provided an opportunity
for the family to prosper,” says Andrew
Calabria. “We now travel the world
with our business, but remain devoted
to our home town, putting back into
the community that supports us.”
In the year since winning, Andrew reports a tightening of the wine market
through sluggish foreign buyers and a stronger Australian dollar. “We’re
working harder and smarter,” says Andrew. “In times like these, awards
are points of difference in a competitive environment. Last year’s award
from NSW Business Chamber has helped reinforce our reputation as a
family business in the community. Working outside the wine industry can
ultimately lead back to the business and enhance brand awareness.”
Andrew looked on with pride as his wine-making father, Bill, received
the award on stage last November. “Bill was overwhelmed by emotion.
The Awards Dinner is simply one of the best nights of the year.”
Enter now
Visit www.annualawards.com.au to
lodge your entry before 17 August.
“In times like these, awards
are points of difference in
a competitive environment.”
28 Business Connect
The
Carbon Tax:
unchartered waters
Business Connect 29
Over recent months, Australian policymakers have been debating
the vexed issue of pricing carbon emissions. The Carbon tax
debate has become one of the mostly hotly contested debates in
recent history and the decision of the Government, Greens and
Independents to introduce a $23 per tonne carbon tax will define
the economic debate for some time.
There is no question that this is a
difficult policy issue and not all of the
difficulties surrounding this debate
are of the Government’s own making.
Global warming, and humanity’s
influence, is a global problem and it will
worsen in coming years as countries like
China, India and Brazil continue to grow.
There is no dispute that climate
change represents one of the greatest
challenges of the 21st century. The
question is, how can we meet a global
challenge when our economic, legal
and political systems operate at a
national, regional and local level?
It is this dilemma which stands
at the heart of the Government’s
actions and the business response
to it on the Carbon Tax.
The hope of the Government, despite
the collapse of international talks in
Copenhagen in 2009, is that unilateral
action on climate change will act as
a catalyst for world action. The hope
is that if Australia forgoes its national
economic interests then maybe
the rest of the world will as well.
Unfortunately, the world we live in
does not necessarily respond to good
intentions and wide-eyed optimism.
The decision to impose a $23 carbon
tax on Australia’s 500 largest emitters
increases the costs of all Australian
goods and services. Unlike the GST,
which is removed from the costs of
production for exports, the cost of the
carbon tax is incorporated into the cost
structures of all goods and services.
In other words, we create a competitive
disadvantage for Australian goods
and services against all other goods.
We are running the risk of creating
a tax that seeks to cut emissions,
but will simply result in exporting
jobs and those same emissions. This
means the Australian economy takes
an economic hit and the policy goal
of contribution to a reduction in
global emissions becomes muted.
In developing a carbon tax, and a
subsequent emissions trading scheme
(ETS), the Government is embarking
on a major structural change to the
Australian economy. In the past, when
such major economic reforms have
been undertaken they were either the
result of a direct mandate from the
people, they had bi-partisan support,
or were introduced very slowly. In the
case of the $23 carbon tax announced
by the Government, none of these
options were embraced. This cut
across the call of the NSW Business
Chamber in its letters to the Prime
Minister and NSW independents prior
to the release of the Carbon Tax, where
the Chamber argued that if a tax was
to be pursued then the Government
needed to “start low and go slow”.
Unfortunately, the final package
announced by the Government has
not started low. Instead it has been
loaded up with programs, tax cuts,
giveaways and three new bureaucracies
to manage the tax. These additional
burdens will make the tax more risky
than it might have been. It will take
Australia into uncharted waters,
with no guarantee of success.
Paul Orton, Director of Policy and
Advocacy, NSW Business Chamber
WINter 2011 | Business Connect 29
fo
r
u
o
y
r
ss
e
in
s
Bu
?
Sustainability
advantage
G
re
e
n
Go
od
30 Business Connect
Is
While the environment and predictions
of rocketing energy prices dominate
the headlines there are a plethora
of commentators with advice, views
and opinions. Frankly, it is quite
difficult to find direct answers.
That’s why the Chamber has conducted
an assessment of tools in the market
and has produced a simple online
destination designed to provide
just the practical and plain-English
information so you can spend less time
researching and more time making
a difference for your business.
Introducing GreenBizCheck
The new service launches with a special
arrangement with GreenBizCheck, an
established online diagnostic program
that is simple to use and yet thorough
in its approach. GreenBizCheck guides
you through a series of questions across
broad criteria including Organisational
Procedures, Energy Efficiency, Waste
Reduction and Recycling, Transport
and Travel, Information Technology,
Supply Chain Management and
General Environmental Issues. This
all-in-one diagnostic is customised for
the size of your business and offers
a comprehensive report highlighting
positive initiatives your business has
already actioned and identifies the
areas where you need to focus your
attention to reduce your environmental
footprint further– and your energy
costs. The tool even estimates
savings where changes are made.
It’s a great place to start as it provides
you with both a report and a strategic
approach to making a difference. Most
importantly, GreenBizCheck offers
certification – a valuable asset these
days as many organisations ask for
this when tendering for business.
As additional verification, GreenBizCheck
certification also carries a desktop audit
and certificate from Bureau Veritas, the
world’s second largest international
specialist in conformity assessment and
certification services in the environmental
and social responsibility fields.
Small Business and GreenBizCheck
The GreenBizCheck is the perfect
starting point for small business
to have a Green Plan for the future
and be prepared for any challenge
relating to environment. To examine
some immediate ways to wrestle
those spiralling energy costs, the
Department of Environment and
Heritage offer the “Energy Efficiency
for Small Business program” allowing
business to have a consultation
on energy from as little as $75.
For this small investment, members will
receive a visit from an energy specialist
and a personalised plan to decrease
their energy usage and therefore cost
to the business. There are also some
discounts available on energy saving
products when you are on the program.
Business Connect 31
With all the noise about carbon, how can you
cut through and provide your business with a
sustainability advantage? Knowing where to
start can prove a headache. That’s why NSW
Business Chamber has a solution for members.
For small business the combination
of the GreenBizCheck and the NSW
government’s Energy Efficiency program
for Small Business could be all you
need. To start, visit www.nswbc.com.
au, log onto the member dashboard,
and click on the sustainability link,
where you will find a wealth of
information to assist you further.
Bigger Business - Sustainability
Advantage and GreenBizCheck
If your business has over 50
employees or is a corporate, there
is a GreenBizCheck program
specifically for you as well as an
option to undertake the ISO14001
environmental certification standard in
an efficient, streamlined process with
GreenBizCheck. The NSW Business
Chamber attained GreenBizCheck
certification last month and took
several steps recommended to
achieve our current status.
F I CE
OF
For large organisations that need a
formal process to instil sustainability
and energy saving into the culture,
there is the Sustainability Advantage
program. This is a formal, structured
program available at a flat cost of
$3,100. Once on the program, your
organisation will benefit from a program
of facilitated workshop to guide your
organisation through steps required
to embed behaviours and ensure
focus on delivering outcomes.
Information at your finger tips
The benefit of Sustainability Advantage
is that the program incorporates practical
learnings from other organisations so you
don’t have to start at square one with
suggestions for your business.
GreenBizCheck is perfect if you
want to run the program through
your business using the remote tool.
If you feel you need a more formal
process, Sustainability Advantage
is the way to go.
Rick Dunn, Manager,
Membership Products and Services,
The members area of the site will carry
insightful articles on Sustainability
and Energy savings as well as simple
toolkits, tips and tricks to make simple
changes that make a difference. This
is just a sneak preview of what the
site can offer you. The information
will be constantly updated with
new material and information that
genuinely helps members to save
money or become greener.
10 per cent discount
NSW Business Chamber has negotiated a 10 per
cent discount on the GreenBizCheck program
for NSW Chamber members, and can offer a
one hour consultation on your business at no
cost. Available face-to-face in the metropolitan
area or over the phone in regional areas.
Book your appointment: 02 9007 6777 or
send an email to [email protected]
32 Business Connect
Business Connect 33
Industry
capability
network
A rich seam of opportunity runs through the construction of major
resource projects in Australia and abroad - whether coal mining
facilities, power stations or rail links. How do local and smaller
Australian suppliers join a national or even a global supply chain?
The Industry Capability Network (ICN) offers unique solutions.
Philip Sellars, CEO of Industry
Capability Network in NSW
What’s the premise for ICN?
Large, complex projects often
involve hundreds of subcontractors,
and that can be difficult to build
supply chains for, particularly if you
are an overseas corporation.
You are not familiar with the local
market, and need to find people in
our diverse and scattered industrialbased country of ours. This is where
ICN steps in. The corporation becomes
our client. We develop a clear
understanding of what’s required, and
then target suppliers in our database,
helping them tender for the work.
What are the benefits?
For the deliverers of major projects, we
save their procurement operations a
huge amount of time in finding the best
local suppliers for tendering. It saves
time and administration costs. There’s
also far more control and minimisation
of risk in sourcing locally. For instance,
there’s been a move on major
resource projects to import from Asian
economies, which on the face, appear to
provide better value and quicker turnaround. But there are so many stories
about equipment that arrives here,
especially fabricated steel, that is poorly
fitting, is the wrong grade of steel, has
dimensional and quality problems etc.
Major projects can’t afford to have
large equipment repaired and rebuilt.
Our services are not a substitute
for normal methods of tendering or
marketing by a local supplier – but it’s
a worthwhile addition, and another
way of keeping businesses informed
of what’s happening in the market.
Does ICN promote Australian
suppliers to the world?
ICN services developed from working
with major global corporations
and enabling local business to get
involved in major projects has given
us a profile in global supply chains.
So increasingly our services are
extending to global supply chains
and because of our relationships with
global suppliers, we’re able to promote
local companies into global projects.
I was personally involved in taking
Australian companies to New Orleans
after Hurricane Katrina and helping
them to obtain work. A dozen
companies established operations
there and now have a footprint in the
US market. We are doing this in China
with the coal mining industry. In the
last two years we have enabled local
companies to win about $160 million of
34 Business Connect
“Local companies are often,
unbeknownst to themselves,
world champions.”
Business Connect 35
work in the coal mining industry. We are
doing that in Europe and other markets.
Local companies are often, unbeknownst
to themselves, world champions in some
areas. Australian industry has a history of
being innovative, because of our great
distance from the markets of Europe
and the US. Australian companies
are more nimble and adaptive.
major corporations or local suppliers.
We’re able to do that because we were
established with grants from State,
Territory and Federal Government.
The objective was to provide a
completely independent service,
with adequate funding to ensure
our operations were not influenced
by commercial interests.
Is there an issue of Australian
suppliers delivering?
What tips can you provide to local
suppliers in using ICN services?
Australian manufacturing and industry
is at world’s best. Where local
supplies sometimes fall down is in
scale. Some of our industries consist
of a large number of small players.
For businesses on our database,
ensure the information and data is
updated. The task of us keeping
the data updated is impossible.
Often when bidding for work on major
resources projects, there’s a need to
deliver quantities in a fast turn-around.
We encourage businesses to
amalgamate when bidding. If scale
is an issue, we encourage businesses
to cooperate with other businesses
that are ordinarily competitors.
Is there a fee for your services?
The best part of our service is that we
service all Australia and New Zealand
industries, and we don’t charge
anything for our services, whether to
If your business has acquired new
skills, equipment, merged with a new
company or so on, we are always
pleased to receive a personal contact.
The squeaky wheel receiving oil
certainly applies. Companies that take
the time to keep us informed, chat to
us, invite us to the opening of their
new office, commissioning of new
equipment – they’re at the forefront of
our mind. So when we are talking to
that major corporation that’s looking
for a company with certain machining
or manufacturing capability, if we have
just been informed, that all helps.
So relationships are the key?
Irrespective of what kind of net-based
tools we have at our fingertips, there
is no substitute for personal contact.
At the end of the day, business is
about people forming relationships,
being comfortable and confident.
Promote your
business – ICN Facts
Connecting project deliverers with suppliers.
ICN has a database of 50,000 companies, and
120 industry-experienced consultants who
liaise between corporate client and supplier.
“Without doubt, we have the best knowledge
of Australia and New Zealand industry,” says
CEO, Philip Sellars. “We’re not a Yellow Pages
or database, we’re a live, knowledgeable
consultancy in terms of industry capability.”
Create a profile. If you are a supplier, register
your business in the online database at www.
icnnsw.org.au. Be sure to update information
and flesh out products, services and skills.
Get personal. Take the time to email or call
ICN and develop a rapport. It all helps to
bolster your representation when consultants
are engaged with project deliverers.
36 Business Connect
Your
Being on brand is
more than having
a smart logo, slick
stationery and eye
catching colours.
It’s the way in which
you deliver your key
message to your
target audience.
true
brand
Logos, colours, uniforms and symbols
all play a significant part, but they’re
a by-product of your brand vision.
Getting crystal clear on what your brand
stands for strengthens every piece of
marketing you create. It even informs
the way you do business, bolstering
service or sales. It keeps your clients
coming back and staff engaged, gives
cut through with your social media,
and makes you remembered by your
prospects. With more marketing
channels at our disposal, your market is
on the lookout for consistency, and they
might read about you on a forum, follow
you on twitter, check in at foursquare,
hear about you from a friend on
Facebook, or simply over coffee. At
each one of these touch points they’re
looking to see if you’re right for them.
Customer input into the brand
Before you go out and subscribe to
more social media channels, update
your website (ideally you’re doing this
regularly), or spend money on a PR
campaign, make sure your message
is clear. Get to know the solutions you
provide for your clients, and then make
it easy for them to tell others about
you. If you’re not already doing so, you
can easily start by getting your existing
client’s feedback. As we get the best
answers by asking the best questions,
be specific. Ask questions such as:
• Why do you keep coming back?
• Is it our service? Our products? Both?
• In which specific ways
do they help you?
• What problems do they solve for you?
• Is it the way in which we deliver
our products or services?
• Could we improve on our
delivery, or perhaps the products
or services themselves?
• Is there something you’ve
always wanted in our offering,
but haven’t asked?
Refresh your brand understanding
Beyond receiving valuable feedback
on your brand, products, service,
delivery and equally importantly,
your people, there’s another more
subtle, but powerful benefit in asking
these questions. Your client has the
Business Connect 37
opportunity to remind themselves
of why they choose to do business
with you. Plus it shows you care about
your customer, especially if you turn
negative feedback around or give
them even more good reasons to
keep doing business with you. Getting
to know them is part of your brand
story. It’s a worthwhile exercise to
refresh your view of the brand by
asking yourself these questions:
1. Apart from price or location, what
sets us apart from our competitors?
2. What makes us unique
in today’s market?
3. Do our customers know this?
4. If we only had three words
to describe our brand,
what would they be?
5. How well do our prospects
and customers know us?
6. What could we do to help
them get to know us better?
7. Are there other opportunities
to engage our market?
In a large corporation the job of a good
marketing department is to eliminate as
many objections before the sales team
speaks to the prospect or customer
service talks to the customer. Many
of us don’t have the luxury of those
separate departments in our business,
but we can still be big on brand, and
give ourselves an edge by being
authentic, responsive and consistent.
Create deeper connections
Use the questions in this article to
learn more about your customers
and give them more opportunities
to understand your business. Then
choose more social media channels,
investing in search engine optimisation
or bring another salesperson. But first
be aware of the specific value you
provide and the results for customers.
building your brand story, and in turn,
gain more and better business.
Michael Neaylon is a speaker, coach
and sales and marketing coach and
consultant. He will deliver an interactive
training presentation, ‘Your True Brand’,
at the North Sydney office of NSW
Business Chamber on 9 August.
Visit www.nswbc.com.au to book
your place today. All members can
sharpen their marketing know-how
with ‘Ask Us How’ documents, located
under their member dashboard
or visit www.marketingsuccess.
com.au to learn more about how
Australian Business Marketing
Services can help you maximise
business return on a limited budget.
Survey tools
Use free tools such as www.
surveymonkey.com to conduct polls
and reward the people who give you
feedback with loyalty offers. Post
testimonials on your site, in store,
up at the office or even better, on a
video. Get to know your customers
and let them get to know you to keep
Book offer
Michael is also the author of the book
‘True Brand Toolkit: How to Bring in Big
Money for Your Small Business’. NSW
Business Chamber readers can purchase
the book through MCME, receiving
free postage – a saving of $9.80. Visit
www.mcme.com/truebrandbookoffer
before 30 September, 2011.
38 Business Connect
Business Connect 39
healing
the world
Australia currently exports goods and services to more
than 200 countries, and exports generate over 20 per cent
of this nation’s income. Aspen Medical is showing how
Australian medical services can succeed in global markets.
40 Business Connect
Exporting companies tend to be
more profitable than non-exporters
and, according to a study by the
Australian Trade Commission and
the University of NSW, exporters also
employ more workers on a full time
basis and pay them higher salaries.
During the recent global financial
crisis, exporters played an important
role in helping Australia successfully
navigate through this stressful time.
While the value of Australia’s exports
fell during this period, it was one
of only three countries in the world
to record export volume growth.
One growing export sector is the
services trade. In 2009, service
exports accounted for around onefifth of Australia’s total exports
and were worth $53 billion.
An ACT company is showing the heights
that can be reached through a focus on
exporting services to off-shore markets.
Aspen Medical was only established
in 2003 but it already employs more
than five hundred people and provides
services around Australia as well as
in half a dozen overseas countries.
Exports have played a major role in
Aspen Medical’s success and this was
highlighted in 2007 when it won the
ACT Chief Minister’s Export Award and
was a finalist in the Australian Export
Awards. That same year, Aspen Medical
was named by BRW as a ‘Fast Growing
Company’ and in 2009 it was recognised
by the same publication as the ‘Most
Successful Private Company in Australia
(turnover under $100million)’.
To be named as one of Australia’s
most successful companies after
being in operation only six years
demonstrates that Aspen Medical has
definitely hit upon the right formula.
In very basic terms, Aspen Medical
provides healthcare solutions in
complex environments. It steps in to
help when governments face difficulties
in providing public health services
because of issues such as high demand
for medical assistance, shortage of
Business Connect 41
“Ask yourself what is the benefit of
doing work in this new country?
Ensure that you are ready for things
to be much harder than you expect.”
medical personnel, an emergency
situation or the remoteness and
inaccessibility of some communities.
While Aspen Medical has been very
successful at home, it has also found
its services in demand overseas.
One factor that has made Aspen
Medical stand out is that they are often
exporting to countries that are not
traditionally known as major importers
of Australian goods and services.
The top ten countries Australia exports
to includes China, Japan, India, Korea
and the United States. By contrast,
Aspen Medical has delivered services
in Ireland, Timor, the Solomon Islands
and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
In April of this year, Aspen Medical
announced the launch of the National
Ambulance Company, a jointly owned
corporation between Aspen and the
UAE Government. This announcement
made Aspen Medical the first Australian
company to form a jointly owned
corporation with the UAE Government.
How do you transfer culture?
Aspen Medical has fixed ophthalmic
and orthopaedic waiting lists in
Ireland, responded to a cholera
outbreak in Papua New Guinea
and provided medical services in
Timor and the Solomon Islands.
• When is enough, enough?
The company has learnt a lot about
exporting since its inception and Aspen
Medical Managing Director, Glenn Keys
said the best advice he can give anyone
looking at opportunities overseas is
to be sure you really want to export
into the country you are looking at.
“Ask yourself what is the benefit
of doing work in this new country?
Ensure that you are you ready for
things to be much harder than you
expect,” Glenn recommends.
He suggests companies considering
exporting should also contemplate:
Which part of the markets
do you target?
• Spend the time to get to know
the new country markets.
• Do they overlap with your
current sales areas?
• Build regular visits by Australian
staff into your budget.
• Bring overseas staff to Australia
for briefings and project visits.
What are your milestones?
• When do you invest and how much?
Where to look for assistance
There are a number of government
and private organisations that can
help companies that are either already
exporting or thinking about exporting.
Nationally, Austrade can provide advice
on prospective markets, assistance with
getting ready to export and manages
the Export Market Development Grants
Scheme. Tradestart, which is an Austrade
program to assist new exporters, is
delivered by a number of industry
organisations, including Australian
Business International Trade. This whollyowned subsidiary of NSW Business
Chamber offers services in consulting,
export documentation, trade missions,
and events. NSW Business Chamber
members receive discounted services
and can learn more by calling 13 26 96.
Other local organisations offer
assistance as well. For example, in
Canberra, where Aspen Medical
is based, the ACT Exporters’
Network provides a forum for
companies to share knowledge
and expand export activities.
42 Business Connect
Big
in
Japan
Natural disaster has traumatised Japan, but the people and economy
are resilient. What can Australian exporters expect from this trade giant?
Q&A with Denis Zolin, Specialist Consultant, Japan, to Australian Business International Trade
Natural disaster impacted the
Japanese economy. What is the
outlook for trade and investment?
China is now entrenched in second
place as the world’s second largest
economy, a position that Japan
had held since 1968. However,
the resilience and determination
of its people will help keep it as a
leading world economic power.
Japan is an established economy
with many technologically advanced
world class brands over a wide
range of industries. The rising
Chinese middle class have a thirst
for these products, which is now
stimulating the Japanese economy.
The nation’s biggest challenge is
an aging demographic, which cites
one in five people aged 65 or older.
Combined with a declining birth rate,
that leads to zero population growth.
Are there more immediate
challenges?
Japan’s priority is to rebuild after
the devastating triple disaster of
earthquake, tsunami and nuclear
meltdown in Fukushima. Japan’s
investment in Australia, particularly
in food and natural resources, is
expected to be affected in the short
term, however these industries
are a vital component in the
rebuilding process and, as such, I am
predicting a return to normal, if not
an increase over the near future.
Looking ahead, are Japan and
Australia moving closer to a
Free Trade Agreement (FTA)?
It is my belief that Japan and Australia
are moving closer to an FTA for a
number of reasons. The two countries
have built strong economic, political
and social ties over more than 50 years.
Japan announced its new trade
policy on FTAs [the Basic Policy on
Comprehensive Economic Partnerships]
in November 2010, with the stated goal
of opening up to the world through
trade and investment liberalisation
— including an FTA with Australia.
Australia is also Japan’s fourth largest
supplier of agriculture and food
products, supplying some 10 per cent
of Japan’s needs. Their self sufficiency
ratio is as low as 40 per cent on a calorie
basis, and raising this ratio, ensuring
stable and reliable food imports is an
important policy objective of Japan.
What kind of Australian businesses
are suitable for trade with Japan?
As mentioned earlier, Japan’s
food self sufficiency level is low
therefore companies that are
suppliers of agricultural and food
products are suitable exporters.
Business Connect 43
Products in demand
In light of Japan’s natural disasters, a number
of products are now in demand, including:
• LED lamps and torches
• Personal radioactivity meters
• Portable toilets that can be set up
and used in homes, cars etc
• Portable cooktops
• Bottled water
• Emergency food packs
• Soy milk
• Seafood
• Seaweed, for its iodine which helps
rid the body of radioactivity
• Ready-prepared meals suitable for
family restaurant chain stores
Japanese food processors such as
noodle makers, dairy companies,
breweries, convenience stores and
fast food outlets use imported
products to produce food in
Japan, so they all benefit from
importing food from Australia.
tree oil, propolis and other natural
products continue to gain popularity
amongst Japanese consumers.
Are opportunities emerging
from Japan’s rebuilding phase?
Do you have tips for
new exporters?
Whilst in some industries recovery
from the earthquake has taken priority,
employee education programs continue
to gather momentum in corporate
Japan, creating niche opportunities
for a wide range of education and
training related businesses.
Health is another area that corporate
Japan is continuing to redress as part
of the Government’s healthcare reform
system first introduced in 2006. From
a private consumption perspective,
products like eucalyptus oil, tea
Further opportunities in Japan
are in areas of environmental
technologies, biotechnology,
e-commerce and communications.
Business opportunities exist in Japan
in an array of industries, and as is the
case in your home market, as long
as value is added to the products
or services that meet the particular
market demands then you are well on
the way to taking advantage of these
opportunities. Doing business with the
Japanese can take some time to get off
the ground, however it’s worth it as it is a
sophisticated, mature market and as such
they are loyal and in it for the long term.
Government grants can be extremely
beneficial to your business, allowing you
to undertake and complete projects that
wouldn’t be feasible without funding.
There are many government grants
made available every year so it can be
worth finding out if your business is
eligible. Our International Trade team at
Australian Business can work with you to
navigate around the various challenges
of developing an export market.
Denis Zolin has over 25 years of business
experience with Japan, branching private
and public sectors, including a five-year
stint as Trade Commissioner to Nagoya.
He also lived in the nation for 20 years.
To learn more about Australian Business
International Trade, including discounted
services to NSW Business Chamber
members, call 1800 505 529 today.
44 Business Connect
Introducing
First People HR
This new indigenous labour hire company seeks to
strengthen Aboriginal employment opportunities.
The new business, First People HR,
is majority indigenous owned. Its
leadership includes former Chandler
Macleod Group (CMG) co-founder
Kevin Chandler and former CMG
CEO Stephen Cartwright.
“We will offer labour hire for Aboriginal
workers and place them with
businesses that have commitments
to train and employ Aboriginal
people under various government
contracts and social initiatives.”
Paul Knight, the CEO of First People
HR and a recognised national leader
in indigenous employment, says the
new labour hire company will focus
solely on matching indigenous people
with businesses that are seeking
to employ indigenous people.
“The best path to opportunity,
equality and respect is through a
job”, says Paul. “We believe there
is an incredible social good that will
be created through our services,
designed by business for business.
“We will offer labour hire for Aboriginal
workers and place them with
businesses that have commitments
to train and employ Aboriginal
people under various government
contracts and social initiatives.
“Our labour hire arrangement allows
employers the ability to ‘try before
you buy’ engaged by First People
HR. If the match works, then after 26
weeks the worker becomes a fullyfledged employee of the business.
“With each successful placement,
the path of opportunity, self
sufficiency and respect for Aboriginal
Australians is strengthened.
“Beyond simply being a labour hire
service that takes on the business
risk of hiring an Aboriginal, we are a
business that believes the sum of the
benefits from placing Aboriginals in
jobs, strengthening our communities
and completing a successful placement
infinitely outweighs the perceived risk.
Business Connect 45
46 Business Connect
From left: Co-founder of Chandler Macleod Group, Kevin Chandler joins
the CEO of First People HR, Paul Knight, in leading the agency.
“Our service provides businesses with
access to a labour market they might not
feel confident in navigating.”
“Our service provides businesses
with access to a labour market they
might not feel confident in navigating.
At the same time, as a business
that is grounded in the Aboriginal
community, we also understand what
support is needed to help establish
Aborigines in the best role.
Paul says he welcomes the
partnership of Kevin Chandler and
Stephen Cartwright in placing more
Aboriginal Australians in long term
and meaningful career paths.
“Stephen and Kevin are respected
leaders in the HR and business
fields. Their commitment to First
People HR represents a tremendous
vote of confidence in the First
People HR business model.”
Paul also believes the emergence
of First People HR is building on the
work of business and community
leaders in recent years in setting and
establishing the workforce as the
means to break the back of welfare,
social inequality and disadvantage.
“First People HR is part of a real tipping
point in terms of building the skills and
employability of Aboriginal Australians
which in turn will assist in the creation
of new respect, opportunities and
wealth for Aboriginal Australians”.
For more details contact Paul
Knight on 0438 718 180 or visit
www.firstpeoplehr.com.au
Business Connect 47
Australian Business Talent
grows recruitment services
Australian Business
Talent has further
increased its
recruitment services
with the acquisition
of well-known
business support
and administration
recruitment company,
Options Consulting
Pty Ltd.
Options Consulting Pty Ltd, now
known as Australian Business Talent,
was established in 1992 to provide
consultative recruitment services
for both ‘on hire’ (temporary) and
permanent positions to the white
collar market and has created a solid
footing in the business support
recruitment space, particularly
with corporate clients.
If your business requires temporary
staffing solutions to cover peak
workloads, projects, or leave, or
dedicated assistance with permanent
recruitment, Australian Business
Talent’s recruiting, screening and
assessment methodologies ensure
the best fit for your needs.
Australian Business
Talent
“Skills are the number one issue for
business generally, especially as we
see skills shortages rise to pre-GFC
levels” says Darren Cocks, Director of
Commercial Services at NSW Business
Chamber. “It’s the Chamber’s role
to assist business where possible,
hence the new capabilities.
“For example, if you are looking for
a receptionist to fill in for a period
of leave, or you are growing the
business and in need of skills – then
you can place a candidate on a short
to long-term basis, with the option
of employing in the long-term, or
releasing when the work is completed.”
For more information, contact Australian
Business Talent on 1300 177 599 today.
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Contact Dr Alan Kaplan on 0418 758 555
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48 Business Connect
Clear
and
present
danger
A stadium erupts in chaos.
NSW Business Chamber’s
Policy Manager, Joanne
Yates, was on hand to
observe a counter terrorist
exercise at Sydney’s ANZ
Stadium. With Australia’s
current security level
remaining at medium,
police and the military
remain on operational alert
for a potential attack.
Business Connect 49
Joanne Yates, Policy Manager
After 12 months of planning, the
Counter Terrorism joint exercise
Black Angus was conducted over the
June long weekend. The observers’
program involved 120 participants,
including NSW Business Chamber,
other members of the NSW Police
Forces’ Mass Gatherings Taskforce,
police, defence, government agencies,
private sector owner and operators
of infrastructure and places of mass
gatherings. All gathered to observe
a terrorist scenario play out.
Under the direction of Deputy
Commissioner Nick Kaldas, the Senior
Operations Commander from the
Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics
Command outlined the afternoon’s
event. They expected to finish around
midnight, with our involvement in
the program lasting six hours.
In our briefing, we were reminded
that in the ten years since 9/11, 36
Australians have been charged and 27
convicted of terrorism related offences.
Should there be a successful attack in
Australia, it is likely to involve homegrown terrorists, firearms, bombs and
assaults on others. The lone gunman
events of Port Arthur, Strathfield
shopping centre and Hoddle Street
are deeply etched in cultural memory.
The scenario involved a number of
gunmen, and no shortage of gunfire
from an assortment of illegal firearms.
The objectives of the exercise were
to test the mass casualty triage
response, followed by an investigation
of capacity and capability from various
angles. Response time was real.
The location was the closed
environment of ANZ Stadium. Normal
security provisions for the stadium
were deployed on the day, with a
contingent of police and private
security undertaking crowd control.
From our vantage point in the stands,
we observed ‘players’ acting as a
crowd, all with a role to play. An in-play
game was broadcast, together with a
soundtrack of an enthusiastic crowd. In
all, there were 400 people in the crowd.
In real time
The anticipation is high, as we sit outside
waiting for the gunmen to appear. Do
we see movement in the dark corridor
behind a broadcast screen? The first shot
rings out. Silence, and then more gunfire.
The soundtrack turns to screaming, and
the broadcast of the game is suddenly
stopped. The crowd does not move,
and we begin to see that some have
been wounded, or worse. ‘Like shooting
fish in a barrel’, commented one of
my colleagues. It takes some minutes
before police arrive and marshal the
crowd to safety, or at least try to. This is
rather more orderly than it would be in
a real scenario, and we are advised that
trampling is a cause of death and injury.
commander advises us that there are
fatalities, including 26 police officers.
Reinforcements have been called
for, but they need to be recalled and
briefed. Later, back at police operations
command (POC), with the declaration
of the incident as terrorist related, the
military can be called in and a number
of other provisions of the national
counter terrorism strategy activated.
The aftermath
We appreciated the effort the NSW
Police Force has made in creating
the Mass Gatherings Taskforce and
extending such briefings to business to
allow us to prepare for and help prevent
a terrorist incident from occurring in
Australia. As sobering an exercise as
this was, and the level of comfort it
gives us in knowing the capability of
our police force, we cannot help but
wonder if a building evacuation in
the CBD after the detonation of an
improvised explosive devise might
have made it feel a more likely scenario
of our business sectors. Harder to
plan, but perhaps that’s the point.
“There are people moving everywhere,
but we cannot tell who is who. If real,
it is a chilling and unsettling thought.”
We notice the police control centre is
taken over. We’ve lost track of time and
while the gunfire has slowed, it remains
present and throughout the stadium.
There are people moving everywhere,
but we cannot tell who is who. If real,
it is a chilling and unsettling thought.
It’s an hour and a quarter until our
first briefing, where the operations
Managing Crisis
There are precautions that every
business should consider to mitigate a
crisis if and when it occurs. The online
business library, www.askushow.com.au,
is a membership entitlement
with new guides on crisis
management - free to download.
50 Business Connect
Chambers of
influence
Port Macquarie Chamber of Commerce
Liesa Davies, Executive Officer
What are the key issues facing
businesses in Port Macquarie?
Like many other Australian business
communities, ours is feeling the effects
of the decline in consumer confidence
and spending and the slow-down in
sectors such as retail, construction
and tourism – and these industries
account for a pretty large part of our
local economy. The increased cost of
fuel and electricity, rising interest rates
and the strong dollar are all causing
pressures for local businesses too.
Town Beach, Port Macquarie. Image courtesy of Greater Port Macquarie Tourism.
Can you provide examples of how your
chamber has demonstrated leadership?
The Port Chamber has taken a
leadership role in initiating and driving
action on many local projects which are
of strategic significance to business and
our community as a whole. Examples
include the development of a state
government masterplan to create a
vibrant and interactive foreshore to
strengthen our local economy – this
masterplan process was initiated as
a result of a Chamber-commissioned
Waterfront Consultation Report which
identified the need for an integrated
vision for our foreshore. We were
also instrumental in the development
of a masterplan for our town centre
to oversee design and investigation
work of upgrading infrastructure to
enhance the Port Macquarie CBD.
By starting the conversation on
such matters, we have encouraged
broader community consultation and
ensured there is a focus on not only
short term action but also a longer
term strategy that will meet the
needs of our growing population.
What is the value of forming an alliance
with NSW Business Chamber?
As a local chamber, our strength has
always been having a ‘seat at the
table’ to represent business with local
stakeholders. Through our alliance
with the NSW Business Chamber, our
members are also now represented
at the State-level table and with
stakeholders who might previously
been beyond our reach, or unaffected
by our comparatively small, local voice.
Also, with the workplace relations
system and some significant penalties
being imposed for those who don’t
comply, there is great value for Port
Chamber members via services such
as the Workplace Advice Line.
Business Connect 51
“Our members are now represented with
stakeholders who might previously have
been beyond our reach.”
Liesa Davies, Executive
Officer, Port Macquarie
Chamber of Commerce
What does the next 12 months hold?
There are lots of big issues and
opportunities on the local horizon
in the next 12 months. With a new
state government in place, we’re
working as part of the Foreshore Lands
Advisory Group to ensure there is real
progress on the Plan of Management
for our foreshore. With all the effort
that has gone into developing a plan
that is consistent with the wishes
and objectives of our community,
this issue has been stagnating at the
state government level for far too
long. We’re also driving the Town
Centre Master Plan Sub-Committee
– ensuring there is continuity in its
objectives and the renewal of works
to spruce up the look of our town
centre which is ideally situated at the
mouth of the beautiful Hastings River.
We’ll also engage all levels of
government and other stakeholders
on matters that will be critical to
future economic growth and a healthy
business environment. These include
the redevelopment of our airport and
a greater higher education presence.
Last, but definitely not least on the
list, in the lead-up to council elections
in September 2012 (our local council
is currently under administration),
we’re keen to ensure business and
the community are well informed of
councillor roles and responsibilities
and that there is a pool of high
quality candidates for election.
52 Business Connect
Peter Miller, President,
Wyong Chamber of Commerce
Wyong
Regional Chamber of Commerce
Wyong Regional Chamber
of Commerce
Peter Miller, President
What are the key issues facing
businesses in Wyong [Central Coast]?
Roads and parking are two of the
biggest issues facing businesses in
Wyong. Procrastination over a long
period of time on these points has
made planning for Wyong a challenge.
A clear direction and timeline would
enable all stakeholders a better
ability to plan for the future and
would encourage investment in the
area. Roads have been improved in
the area over the past few years, but
there is still a long way to go. The
roundabouts along Wyong Road are
at capacity and something needs to
be done. Turning onto the F3 in the
afternoon is also an issue which should
be addressed to ease congestion.
Smaller chambers play a big
role for local business. Does
your chamber pack a punch?
I believe so. We are one of the largest
chambers in the region with more
than 250 financial members. We
offer our membership a great variety
of opportunities to promote their
business. We’ve recently introduced
member breakfast events which
have proved popular and our dinner
meetings continue to be very well
supported. We have an almost endless
list of companies wanting to participate
in these events and are fortunate
that we have a team of experienced
people on our board with a number
of people also keen to be involved.
How important is the chamber
movement? Are you seeing
benefits – short and long term?
The chamber movement is very
important to business in the area and
can be leveraged for both short and
long term projects for businesses
of all sizes. Personally, we’ve seen
assistance from NSW Business
Chamber through introductions and
accessibility to a number of different
key people in the area and we look
forward to continuing this relationship.
What does the next 12 months hold?
The next 12 months will be an exciting
time for our chamber. We’ll have some
new people on the board following the
August annual general meeting and
we’ll be pushing hard to ensure that
our business plan is continued to be
followed and built upon. We’ll cross
the threshold for the NSW Business
Chamber alliance and will be able to
offer these additional benefits to our
members. There will be more events and
training opportunities for our members
as well as partnerships with other
organisations to provide real value for
business for our total membership base.
Business Connect 53
Business
Expo 2011
Networking, workshops, luncheons and
keynote speakers. Illawarra Business
Chamber (IBC) recently hosted the 2011
Business Expo to great acclaim.
Deena Shiff, Group Managing
Director, Telstra Business.
Business-minded people flocked to
the Business Expo at Wollongong’s
Novotel North Beach in late June.
There were 16 quality workshops on
the day, including a presentation
from Peter Blasina, aka ‘The Gadget
Guy’. The remainder of the workshops
throughout the day were streamed
into three themes: people and culture,
technology, and business process.
IBC also conducted two events in
conjunction with the Business Expo:
an executive lunch for 270 guests with
finance commentator Michael Pascoe
as guest speaker; and the Telstra
Business After Hours event, which
saw 350 guests mingle over wine.
54 Business Connect
Frances Shanks, Markey Insurance Brokers, Bridgette Landy,
Forsythes Recruitment, Jenny Noblet, Hunter Melonoma Foundation
Tara Fohmsbee, Thurnham Teece, Heather Niciak,
Hunter Life Education, Samantha Ellis, Ellis Legal & Consulting
Nicholas Saunders, Nimbler Creative, Brad Want,
Hi-Vis Signs & Safety, Richard Anicich, Sparke Helmore Laywers
Wayne Lennan, Insurance for Living, Steve Clima, Newcastle Photo & Art
The Hunter Business Chamber
continues to host a broad range of
events, including ‘My business is your
business’, the Business Development
Forum, and Hunter Business Mining.
Nicholas Saunders, Nimbler Creative, Brad Want, Hi-Vis Signs
& Safety, Richard Anicich, Sparke Helmore Laywers
Business Connect
News 55
A heavily taxed Hunter will
impact the State economy
Alan Broadfoot, University of Newcastle, Sandra Gilshenan,
University of Newcastle, Mick Cairney, Centennial Coal.
It is becoming more apparent as the
discussion rages that there are very few
businesses in the Hunter that will not feel
the impact of the carbon tax.
It is a certain fact that the carbon tax will
reach well down from the obvious target
sectors into this regional economy.
we really see significantly improved
technologies and greater concentration
on research and development?
Research from respected organisations
shows that several thousand jobs in
the coal mining sector will be lost
and this will obviously flow onto the
many service and contractor areas.
A quick glance at the contractor list
for any mine will soon illustrate this
point. Hunter business people from
sectors as diverse as accounting and
legal to manufacturing and transport
are understandably nervous.
On 25 August, our next Forum at
Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley will hear
from some of our most significant
industry leaders about these impacts.
The importance of mining and energy
production to the Hunter economy is
reflected in Hunter Business Chamber’s
Mining Forums which, with the support
of sponsor Prospect Consulting, have
provided valuable insight and direction
from, and for, those industries.
We are now turning our attention
to the nuts and bolts of life
under the new scheme.
What exactly will this new reality mean
for our biggest industries? And what
can those businesses who support
large scale industry in the Hunter
expect? How effective will the industry
assistance programs be? And will
John Lemberg is the Chief Executive
Officer of Tomago Aluminium, one of the
two aluminium producers in NSW. The
impact in this sector is much greater than
many imagine. Rob Henderson is the
Chief Operating Officer of Ampcontrol, a
Hunter founded electrical and electronics
business with world-wide operations.
Sue-Ern Tan is the Deputy Chief Executive
Officer of the NSW Minerals Council
which commissioned an extensive study
into the potential impacts of the tax.
Brett Derwin, Kristen Keegan, Minister Greg Combet
Sandra Barnett, Amber Bibby, Ruth Hutchinson, State Training
Services, Daryl Daniels, Prospect Consulting Group
The Hunter economy generates
about 30 per cent of the State’s
export income. What happens here
will impact throughout NSW.
Kristen Keegan, Chief Executive
Officer, Hunter Business Chamber
Further information: contact Hunter
Business Chamber 4969 9600 or
www.hunterbusinesschamber.com.au
Wendy Meredith, Natalie Smith,
Belinda Crosbie, Moray & Agnew Lawyers
56 Business Connect
The
natural host
The Canberra business community has achieved another
success in its bid to position the ACT as the natural host
for national and international dialogue and debate.
As the capital of the nation and the
home of Federal Parliament, Canberra
should be the recognised site for
gatherings of national significance, but
it does not currently have a facility that
can adequately support such events.
The local business community has
been working hard for many years to
demonstrate the need to fund and
build a world class meeting centre in
Canberra. It is a credit to their efforts
that this project, known as the Australia
Forum, now has so much traction
with the public and governments.
Canberra Business Council jointly
funded a scoping study of the Australia
Forum proposal. The outcomes of this
“The local business community has been
working hard for many years to demonstrate
the need to fund and build a world class
meeting centre in Canberra.”
study were released in April 2011. The
study found a strong business case for a
large and highly secure venue in the ACT
that is suitable to host events such as the
Commonwealth Heads of Government
Meeting and the Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation (APEC) forum.
The scoping study also proposed
a preferred site on the shores of
Lake Burley Griffin for the Australia
Forum to be constructed.
Following the release of this report,
the ACT Government committed $1
million in the 2011-12 ACT Budget,
for a feasibility study of the proposed
Australia Forum as an integral part of
the development of the West Basin
Precinct of Lake Burley Griffin.
Business Connect 57
While the Australia Forum will be
physically located in the ACT, it will
be designed to enable true national
dialogue and participation. The
Forum will be linked to the nation
through a multi-hub network, and
connected internationally through
outstanding multimedia capacity.
The estimated cost of the Australia
Forum is $327.6 million. Canberra
Business Council will continue to
work to secure funding from the
Federal and ACT Governments
and the private sector.
to economic development and the
transfer of knowledge from Australian
and international research institutions
to both the public and private
sectors of the Australian economy.
This project will be an investment
in Australia’s future as centres, such
as the Australia Forum, are the
learning hubs of the future – pivotal
Chris Faulks, Chief Executive Officer,
Canberra Business Council
58 Business Connect
Award winners of the 7th World Chambers Congress. To the far right, Paula Martin, General Manager
of Australian Business Consulting and Solutions, accepts the Best Small Project Award on behalf
of her team. Paula is joined on stage by Stephen Cartwright, CEO of NSW Business Chamber.
Popular small business online program
wins global award
The World Chambers Congress is a
gathering of Chambers of Commerce
from across the world to discuss
opportunities and challenges facing
the global business community
and to recognise the contribution
of Chambers of Commerce to
growing and supporting their
members and communities.
The Small Business Online Growth
Program is a comprehensive and
flexible learning program, developed
by the NSW Business Chamber,
which enables small businesses to
develop an online presence, build
their online capability and improve
their e-business capabilities.
The Program, which assisted over 1,600
Australian businesses, was recognised
by the World Chambers Congress
with the Best Small Business Project
Award for its popularity and success
A Small Business Online Growth Program
developed by the NSW Business Chamber
and funded by the Australian Government
has won Best Small Business Project Award
at the 7th World Chambers Congress held
in Mexico City, Mexico.
in helping Australian businesses
establish their online presence.
“We are greatly honoured that a
program developed in Australia to help
our local businesses take advantage
of the power of the internet has
been recognised by our international
peers,” said Stephen Cartwright,
CEO of NSW Business Chamber.
“The Small Business Online Growth
Program was initiated following the
startling reality that while 90 per
cent of Australian businesses have
access to the internet, only 35 per cent
actually have a web presence. In a
world where the internet is increasingly
the first port of call for consumers,
more Australian small businesses
need to have a presence online – and
that’s what we set out to change.”
This is an Australian Government
funded initiative under the Small
Business Online program.
Business Connect Magazine is distributed
to a database of over 7,000 NSW Business
Chamber members, primarily in NSW,
most of whom are key decision makers
in their organisation.
Many business owners struggle to find information that is appropriate to
their business operations. According to our readership surveys, Business
Connect Magazine gives business owners and managers an insight
into areas such as business planning, management, new technology,
education and training, marketing, finance, exporting and more.
Advertising Sizes and Fees
for NSW Business Chamber members (incl GST)
Ad Type
Ad Size
Casual
2 Issues
4 Issues
8 Issues
Full Page
207mm x 297mm
$1530
$2500
$4500
$6200
Half Page
181mm x 132mm
$765
$1400
$2250
$3500
Half Page
84mm x 270mm
$765
$1400
$2250
$3500
Add 3mm bleed all around to Full page ad..
Booking Deadlines Spring 30/8/2011 Summer 5/12/2011
To advertise in Business Connect magazine
please contact the Editor, Ashley Penny on
02 9458 7255 or email [email protected]
www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au
WINTER 2011 ISSUE 84
magazine
Memberships from
$395
PER MONTH
Making history with
the Australian Chambers
Business Congress
The Carbon Tax:
unchartered waters
New solutions
in sustainability
Recruitment
with First People HR
Super outcomes
in the Federal Budget
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Business Connect Magazine

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