B2B in Canberra March 2010 (Issue 46)

MARCH 2010 Issue 46 $5.95 PP 255003/09169

feature pages 20–21point project Management's success

read More pages 18–19

consensus faMily lawyers page 10

Telstra Business Awards

Nominate for the ACT Training Excellence Awards

HOW TO DIVORCE PROOF YOUR BUSINESS

DOING BUSINESS AT THE SOUTHERN CROSS CLUB Pages 22–23

t

t

Premium Home Entertainment Solutions

Designed with Bose technology, the SoundDock Series II digital music system delivers a unique combination of small size and powerful performance. Available in Black or Silver

®Designed with Bose technology, the SoundDock ®Designed with Bose technology, the SoundDock

SoundDock II Digital Music SystemSoundDock II ®SoundDock II

Designed with Bose technology, the SoundDock ®Designed with Bose technology, the SoundDock

$449SoundDock Portable Digital Music System

The SoundDock Portable digital music system reproduces your favorite tunes with fullness and clarity unusual for a portable system. And it’s so compact, you can take it just about anywhere.

SoundDock Portable ®SoundDock Portable $549

SoundDock 10Digital Music System

New | Brace yourself for our best-sounding system for your iPod. The SoundDock 10 system delivers performance so powerful and lifelike, it could become your home’s main music system.

SoundDock 10®SoundDock 10

for your iPod. The SoundDock 10 system delivers ®for your iPod. The SoundDock 10 system delivers

$999

The SoundDock Portable digital music system ®The SoundDock Portable digital music system

Canberra Homemaker Hub / DFO | Shop T16 | Cnr Newcastle & Canberra Ave | Fyshwick 02 6112 6371

iPod sold seperately |®iPod sold seperately |®iPod sold seperately |


iPod sold seperately |®iPod sold seperately |®iPod sold seperately | iPod sold seperately |®iPod sold seperately |®iPod sold seperately |

The Bose Store AdvantageExpert staff to assist you The complete range, including product exclusive to The Bose Store Bose Recommended Installation Specialists Site Inspections Pre-wire of new homes or renovations Indoor & Outdoor demonstration rooms Custom Home Theatre with your choice of Plasma, LCD, LED or Projector

Lifestyle V20 Home Theatre System

Designed for connecting your Blu-ray Disc™ player and other Hi-def components. Features Direct/Reflecting speakers, HDMI connectivity and video upscaling to 1080p.

Lifestyle V20 ®Lifestyle V20 $3499

Both models available in Black or White |

Reflecting speakers, HDMI connectivity and video ®Reflecting speakers, HDMI connectivity and video

Lifestyle V30 Home Theatre SystemLifestyle V30 ®Lifestyle V30

$4999

| Bose Lifestyle V30 pictured Bose Lifestyle V30 pictured® Bose Lifestyle V30 pictured

PLUSSimply mention in March

to receive a further 10% Offour sensational range.

Conditions Apply*

BUSINESS AND GOVERNMENT MAGAZINE

TBS-C B2B Mar09.indd 1 11/02/2010 3:41:42 PM

t

t













$999













$4999




Conditions Apply*



t

t













$999













$4999




Conditions Apply*



SPIC

EA

ND

CO

DE

SIG

N.C

OM

The original Kevi chair.designed in 1959 by danish architects the rasmussen brothers, the Kevi remains a design icon of today. the classic Kevi chair is now available at ino.

INO CONTRACT FURNITURE | 1sT FLOOR 42 MORT sT

BRADDON | INOCONTRACT.COM.AU | T: +61 2 6230 5466

t

t













$999













$4999




Conditions Apply*



t

t













$999













$4999




Conditions Apply*



t

t













$999













$4999




Conditions Apply*



t

t













$999













$4999




Conditions Apply*



t

t













$999













$4999




Conditions Apply*



SPIC

EA

ND

CO

DE

SIG

N.C

OM

The original Kevi chair.designed in 1959 by danish architects the rasmussen brothers, the Kevi remains a design icon of today. the classic Kevi chair is now available at ino.

INO CONTRACT FURNITURE | 1sT FLOOR 42 MORT sT

BRADDON | INOCONTRACT.COM.AU | T: +61 2 6230 5466

B2B in Canberra | March 2010 5

PUBLISHERTim Benson 02 6161 2751

EdItoR Liz Lang [email protected] 02 6161 2751

dESIGNwww.voodoocreative.com.au

PHotoGRaPHyAndrew Sikorski, www.art-atelier.com.au

adVERtISING [email protected] 02 6161 2751 0402 900 402

PUBLISHEd ByMan Bites Dog Public Relations ABN 30 932 483 322 PO Box 4106 Ainslie ACT 2602 t 02 6161 2751 f 02 6262 7721 [email protected] www.b2bincanberra.com.au

dIStRIBUtEd ByAustralia Post

PRINtEd ByBlue Star Print Group

Full day conference catering packages

per person from

www.cscc.com.au

Southern Cross Event Centre – 6283 7200

Can you afford not to hold your next corporate event at the Southern Cross Club Events Centre?

$35

COVER Photo: Sian Lovekin, events sales manager, Canberra Southern Cross Club.

Photography: Andrew Sikorski

EVERY MONTh

05 UPFRONT Read about local business success

10 OPINION hear from people in the know

14 PROFILES Kathryn heuer, director, Certus Law Caroline Le Couteur MLA

26 ADVICE Advice from business experts

42 NETWORKING See who’s out and about in Canberra

FEATURES

18 DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING ACT Training Excellence Awards

20 TELSTRA Entry to Telstra Business Awards can deliver valuable rewards

24 INNOVATION INVESTMENT FUND Call for further applications

22 CoVER StoRy doing business at the Southern Cross Club

2BUSINESS

32 G2B Chief Minister Opposition Leader ACT Government ACT Work Safety Commissioner

36 A2B ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry Chamber of Women in Business Canberra Business Council ACT Exporters’ Network

40 U2B The University of Canberra

March 2010 issue 46

B2B in canBerra business and

governMent Magazine


per personfrom

www.cscc.com.au



$35


Melrose automobiles and Renault launch new partnership

Melrose Automobiles dealer prin-cipal, Domenic Alvaro is clearly energised when he describes the new partnership his business has

entered into with car manufacturer Renault which makes Melrose Automobiles the only Renault dealer in the ACT.

“I believe we will do exceptionally well with Renault in Canberra and I’m enthusiastic about the opportunity. Renault has good pedigree of performance and reliability but it hasn’t been a mainstream brand in Australia,” Domenic said. “We’ve launched the partnership with a range of cars which are competitively priced includ-ing the Koleos SUV, the Laguna Hatch and Laguna Estate, the Clio Sport, the Megane and commercial vehicles.”

Melrose Automobiles is also home to French car brand Peugeot as well as Hyundai and Proton. Domenic mentions that Melrose Automobiles is the number one provincial deal-er for Peugeot in Australia.

A family-owned business, Domenic and his wife Mary-Anne commenced trading in 1993. They have been joined over time by their son Anthony who along with Melrose Automobiles sales consultant Li Hong Bo are responsible for the introduction of the Renault brand. Son-in-law Soren Reinstadler is the general sales

manager of the Hyundai dealership and daugh-ter Terri is 2IC within that dealership.

“One of the reasons that we’re happy to take Renault on board is because many of their vehicles have five star Euro NCAP Safety Rating. Renault’s aim is to provide equal safety for all occupants, regardless of car size. Renault invests a great deal of time and energy into producing engines that provide consumer benefits such as reducing the cost of ownership, increasing performance and reducing impact on the environment,” Anthony said. “While safety and technology are probably Renault’s biggest drawcards, they also provide impressive quality and French design flair throughout their mod-el range.”

Domenic be-lieves that Melrose Automobiles’ experi-ence with French car brands is going to be one of the key factors which will shape Renault’s success in Canberra which is backed by the dealership’s profes-sional service and parts department.

“My technicians have already undertak-en full factory training in Renault’s training centre in Sydney to ensure that their me-chanical knowledge is at the leading edge of best practice."

“We believe that by giving people clear prod-uct information and the backup and service that they deserve, Renault will take its place among the successful European car brands sold in Canberra. All we ask of the Canberra public is to give Renault a go,” he said.

Melrose Automobiles, 118-120 Melrose Drive Phillip, T: 6282 2311 www.melroseautomobiles.com.au

L-R: Domenic and Anthony Alvaro infront of the new Renault dealership

Phot

o: A

ndre

w S

ikor

ski

up

fro

nt

WiCK Consulting – putting a light in your life

"What great changes have not been ambitious?"Melinda Gates, Melinda and Bill Gates Foundation

WiCK Consulting is a new and unique, Canberra based, future-focused, people development venture. WiCK specialises in

building individual well-being, capability, and high performing teams.

WiCK represents Well-being, Integrity, Communication and Knowledge. WiCK pro-vides a value-based, holistic approach to leader-ship and individual initiative, incorporating intel-ligence, emotional intelligence, and physical and psychological well-being.

Five principal consultants – Barbara Baikie, Joanna Holt, Dr Peter Fletcher, Mick Shadwick,

and Dolores Cummins – are the core of WiCK Consulting. They have a track record of achiev-ing outstanding results and have extensive ex-perience working across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors, throughout Australia and internationally. WiCK consultants’ backgrounds in health and education provide a natural syn-ergy between mind and body well-being training. They provide the tools to enrich an individual’s personal and work life and to help teams and or-ganisations become more effective and efficient.

“We have three main areas of consulting: sus-tainable and effective leadership, the well-being of individuals and organisations, and change

management. We are dedicat-ed to working in partnership with our clients, to enable them to maximise their perform-ance,” Barbara Baikie said.

WiCK is tar-geting its serv-ices to govern-ment and non-government

organisations, educational bodies and profes-sionals in private practice. WiCK focuses on evidence-based approaches to training and development drawing from positive psychology and mindfulness paradigms.

“People who have a positive approach to life and work, have been shown to have less health problems, live longer and are generally more productive for you and your organisation,” Joanna Holt said.

“We are in the business of growing people. We inspire them to live life to the full and give them the tools to become more effective and resilient and to shine brightly,” Barbara said.

WiCK can tailor a program to a client’s needs regardless of whether the focus is on the individual, the team, the entire organisation or at all levels.

“WiCK Consulting is committed to excellent service that incorporates the values of respect, trust, integrity, fairness, and honesty,” Joanna said.

WiCK consultants would like to invite B2B readers to attend a free seminar on Wednesday, 31 March to meet the WiCK team and to find out how WiCK can assist you to improve your performance and to become an outstanding organisation. Please contact WiCK on [email protected], www.wickconsulting.com.au or 62302210 if you would like to attend.

L-R: Mick Shadwick, Joanna Holt, Barbara Baikie, and Dr Peter Fletcher of WiCK Consulting.Absent at time of photo: Dolores Cummins


per personfrom

www.cscc.com.au



$35

6 March 2010 | B2B in Canberra

up

fro

nt

Infront owner, Allan King

Vikings urges local business to nominate for training awards

Vocational education and training is the backbone of the Vikings Group, so it perhaps comes as no surprise that the Group has been awarded

ACT Employer of the Year two years in a row at the ACT Training Excellence Awards.

The Group has also been short-listed in the top three employers in Australia for the past two years at the Australian Training Awards and received the Industry Award in recogni-tion of their outstanding contribution to the services industry.

Vikings Group Human Resources Manager Anthony Hill said training was vital to the or-ganisation, as was continued investment in their staff.

“With more than 50,000 members we need to be competitive in our industry and provide the best service we can to those members,” he said. “A big part of this is investing in our more than 300 staff members and ensuring our staff have the most up to date and relevant training to meet those needs.”

Anthony said training was also important to ensure the Group remained ahead of the ever-changing environment they operate in, including ongoing changes to legislation in the evolving service industry.

“Training is integral to ensure we don’t become obsolete and is the backbone to our service,” he said.

The Vikings Group will again be nominating in this year’s ACT Training Excellence Awards and Anthony also encouraged other local busi-nesses to enter.

Anthony said even the nomination process provided important information to businesses about their investment in training, indentifying areas they can improve or grow and identifying best practice.

“The nomination process is a great way to au-dit what your business is doing when it comes to training through your own submission,” he said.

“The awards also provide recognition of your training plans and allow you to be judged along-side other industries in the ACT or even nation-ally. I would definitely urge local businesses to nominate for the awards.”

This year marks the 73rd ACT Training Excellence Awards and nominations open on 1 March. The Awards ceremony will be held on 2 September.

The ACT Department of Education and Training also urges all businesses, employers and vocational education and training pro-viders to get involved by nominating in one

or more of the several organisational and stu-dent categories.

There are also many sponsorship opportu-nities available for this year’s awards. Contact Cindi Hage for more details on (02) 6205 7037 or visit www.det.act.gov.au

a sea change for It

Infront, a local company, is bring-ing about a sea change in IT support services. Empathetic to the frustrations of their clients,

Infront has identified a tipping point in technological innovation. Solutions previously only available to much larger, more highly funded organisations are now accessible to small to medium business.

Continuing their dedication to quality service and value, Infront is excited to preview the upcom-ing launch of their BusinessONE product. BusinessONE provides a comprehensive IT framework spe-cifically aligned and costed for SMB. Framed in simplicity and support-ed by ‘plain speaking’ engineers, BusinessONE represents a revolu-tion in IT support services.

Allan King, owner of Infront ex-plains, “IT is a highly technical profes-sion and engineers sometimes strug-gle to explain, in plain language, why something doesn’t work as it should.

Our brand is built by our employees who are committed to delivering a higher standard of IT and superior customer service.”

Infront sees the potential to reduce the tra-ditional gap between enterprise and small to medium business clients as ground breaking. “Technologies such as virtualisation and uni-fied communications are now available to small to medium business clients,” Allan said. “These strategies and technologies will allow organisa-tions to focus their valuable time on business goals and objectives rather than on the technol-ogy that sustains it. This will enhance employee productivity and operational agility.”

In coming weeks, Infront will offer BusinessONE to local organisations enabling them to simplify and optimise their IT environ-ments. BusinessONE promises to reset clients’ expectations for IT support services. Look for further details of BusinessONE in upcoming editions of B2B.

For more information contact Infront on (02) 6239 8400 or www.infront.net.au

Your hell.Our happy

place.Keeping your business running means more than just creating order out of

cabling chaos. We can streamline your IT environment and provide an end-to-end solution that meets your business requirements while saving you money. It’s

what we do best. Call us today on 6239 8400 and let us make your hell a happy place.

Solving business complexity with i3

I n t e l l I g e n t I n f O r m at I O n I n f r a st ru c t u r e

GREY

19122

Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard presenting David Paull from the Vikings Group with the Industry Award at the

Australian Training Awards.

"When a small business grows like eBay did, it has a multiplier effect. It creates other small businesses that supply it with intellectual capital, goods and services."

Meg Whitman, former eBay CEO


Vikings urges local business to nominate for training awards

10 B2B in Canberra

Growing a business in a competitive environment is demanding. So you should demand an adviser who can evaluate your situation and develop an innovative solution or even a number of solutions.

Monaro Screens has relied on RSM Bird Cameron to be this adviser, taking the business from start up to mature business while maintaining profitability.

David is pictured above in his new factory. When he purchased it, RSM Bird Cameron was there to advise.

Growing my business takes effort and passion. So I take RSM Bird Cameron’s advice.

David Byatt Owner and operator Monaro Screens Pty Ltd.

RSM Bird Cameron Ph: (02) 6247 5988 103-105 Northbourne Avenue Canberra, ACT www.rsmi.com.auM

BD

31

1108


up

fro

nt Help you in your office!’ is exactly what Lee

Corrigan, owner/operator of Canberra Secretarial Services loves to do.

After 26 years in the ATO, Lee found that there was life after the public serv-ice when she set up her business Canberra Secretarial Services. According to Lee, she "helps people to do the things she loves doing, and that her clients generally don’t like doing." This can include assistance with office admin-istration, document design such as leaflets or advertisements, one-on-one help with using a computer, editing and proof reading, data entry, MYOB bookkeeping and office re-organisation.

“My clients not only enjoy their clean and tidy offices after we have done a big re-organ-isation but they work far more efficiently due to the fact that they don't have to waste time searching for things that need to be at hand,” Lee. said. “The process pays for itself in time saved by my clients once they are organised.”

Lee also loves the variety of the work under-taken by Canberra Secretarial Services. “Nearly every day something new and different comes in. We have had projects involving scanning photographs and creating DVDs, designing and printing Christmas cards for businesses, and producing books for special occasions.

"One book we created was for a young woman celebrating her 18th birthday and included photographs and good wishes from people from all over the world," Lee said.

“We have also sorted chronologically and stored in folders, 60 years worth of hand written letters for another client. The client now has a wonderful legacy to leave to his children and grandchildren and the letters are protected against any further damage," she said.

Lee admitted that because of the demand for her skills, her own business reached satu-ration point. She then quickly brought on three part-time staff who shared her passion to manage the business' workload.

Lee has her next business challenge firmly in her sights. "My next challenge is to move to bigger premises and I am working on that,” she says enthusiastically. “I get so much sat-isfaction seeing people realise that by em-ploying our services it frees them up to use their valuable time to do what they do best – which is generally earning more money. It can't get better than that!”

Canberra Secretarial Services, 7 Painter Place, Palmerston, T: 6241 770 or 0427 559 446 [email protected] www.cansecserv.com

Canberra Secretarial Services: helping you sort out your office

Lee Corrigan, owner/ operator of Canberra Secretarial Services

Phot

o: R

oss C

orri

gan

OzHarvest Canberra, a food rescue serv-ice has a new van following a $50,000 donation by Calwell and Wanniassa Community Banks Branches.

The local branches have used a percentage of their profits to purchase a new van equipped with refrigeration and signage.

Since its commencement in February 2008, OzHarvest Canberra has rescued more than 300,000 quality meals which would have other-wise ended up as landfill.

Calwell & Wanniassa Community Bank’s Chairman Jayson Hinder said directors of the local branches were constantly on the look out for worthwhile community organisations, which will benefit from the bank’s profits.

“What better community organisation than providing food to local charities, which are run by volunteers dedicating their time to rescuing unwanted food,” Jayson said.

“Our Community Bank directors and staff and I’m sure our shareholders and customers, are thrilled to be able to assist an organisation such as OzHarvest Canberra,” Jayson said.

The latest community grant is one of many already delivered to the community since the Community Bank branches inception.

Other significant community contributions

include $10,000 to Tandem Respite, a not-for-profit organisation which provides respite, per-sonal care, and other support services to more than 600 children, young people and adults with disabilities, people with mental illness, frail older people, and their families and carers living in the ACT community.

The board also allocated funds to ACT Eden Monaro Cancer Support Group, Autism Asperger Association, Down Syndrome Association,

Neighbourhood Watch, Kulture Break, Lions Youth Haven, RSPCA and numerous local schools.

“Our Community Bank branches have met their primary goal of providing personal and business banking services to the district while also making significant grants to community organisations and providing shareholders with dividends,” Jayson said, “This is the tip of the ice-berg. As our business continues to grow, so too will the benefits to the community.”

Bendigo donates $50,000 for local ozHarvest van

"Surviving a failure gives you more self-confidence. Failures are great learning tools.. but they must be kept to a minimum."Jeffrey Immelt, Chairman and CEO of General Electric.

L-R: Alan Hodges, George Kelly, Jayson Hinder, Maureen Cane, Toby Mahoney, Terry Godfrey, Deb McLellan, and Peter Groves


A D

aim

ler B

rand

MBA

5456

We’re also very good at engineering some great benefits.Mercedes-Benz Corporate Programme.

The Mercedes-Benz Corporate Programme offers exclusive pricing and servicing to full time employees of Top 500 companies. Whether you’re the CEO, or the young rising star, if you’ve got an eye for excellence we’ll reward you for the company you keep with access to preferential pricing, complimentary scheduled servicing and added extras such as a total of four years membership of our nationwide Road Care Service. For a full list of the entitlements you deserve, see the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Sales Consultant at Capital Star Motors today. Or, for more information, call 1800 888 170, or visit www.mercedes-benz.com.au/corporateprogramme

A D

aim

ler B

rand

MBA

5456

We’re also very good at engineering some great benefits.Mercedes-Benz Corporate Programme.

The Mercedes-Benz Corporate Programme offers exclusive pricing and servicing to full time employees of Top 500 companies. Whether you’re the CEO, or the young rising star, if you’ve got an eye for excellence we’ll reward you for the company you keep with access to preferential pricing, complimentary scheduled servicing and added extras such as a total of four years membership of our nationwide Road Care Service. For a full list of the entitlements you deserve, see the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Sales Consultant at Capital Star Motors today. Or, for more information, call 1800 888 170, or visit www.mercedes-benz.com.au/corporateprogramme

38 Collie Street, Fyshwick, ACT Tel: 02 6280 5500 LMD 1700531


agreements with your spouses to make sure that, if there is a marriage bust up in the future, the business will be left out of it.

How do you do that? Marriage and de-facto couples can enter into Binding Financial Agreements (BFAs) under the Family Law Act. If a BFA provides financial disclosure, is carefully draft-ed and complies with the necessary formalities, it will oust the jurisdiction of the Family Court in rela-tion to the assets specified in the Agreement.

You may be thinking my wife and I are never going to separate and our kids are not official owners of the business, so there is no problem. But look more closely: Are your children benefi-ciaries of the discretionary trust through which you own your business or own your premises? Are your children, and maybe their spouses, also shareholders of your operating company? If so, the trust assets are likely to become caught up in the child’s divorce case.

As with all areas that challenge the success of a business, planning is the key. With sound advice and the assistance of people who un-derstand how family businesses work and the threats presented by potential marriage break-downs, you can ensure that your hard work is not torn apart in the Family Court but is handed on to future generations.

The cost of the BFA can be regarded as a one-off premium in a 'relationship insurance' exercise which, while not inexpensive, may save you, your business partners and your wealth from untold future damage. If, as it is to be hoped, your marriage never fails then you can leave the agreement in the bottom drawer of your desk with your other insurance policies.

Your commercial solicitor may have reas-sured you that a trust structure will make your business divorce-proof. Unfortunately, this ad-vice is not right, the reach of the Family Law Act into trust structures is beyond doubt.

For a commercially savvy, Out of Court solution contact Consensus Family Lawyers.

Businesses have the best financial advi-sors, accountants and commercial lawyers helping them. They have every sort of in-surance to cover against commercial risks.

They have complex trust and company struc-tures set up to ensure that the business is pro-tected from the bankruptcy of one of the direc-tors and so that the income stream can be dis-tributed most effectively between the extended family members.

They have HR managers, staff amenities and team building exercises to keep the team strong.

Business owners have covered every possible angle to protect their business in the future – right? Wrong!

What the business owners have not thought about is 'divorce proofing' their business. If one of the business owners’ marriages breaks down, watch out. Even if the business assets are held in a discretionary trust in which the owner has an unspecified entitlement, the Family Court is likely to include their share of the business in the asset pool for division in the divorce.

Suddenly, the other business owners are caught up in their co-owner’s divorce. Documents relating to the business become relevant to the divorce case and must be pro-duced. That includes commercial in-confidence material. Accountants and other valuers may well need to come in and value the business as-sets and pore over the books.

In any divorce settlement, the divorcing owner’s business share might have to be sold be-cause he or she cannot afford to keep that share as part of their settlement. At the very least, this will all cause distraction, anxiety and intru-sion for the other business owners. At worst it could precipitate the devastation of the entire business empire. Is there anything you can do to avoid this? Yes there is.

Whether you are in business with family members or not, you can suggest to your fellow owners that all of you should enter into legal

op

inio

n

By Olivia Gesini, Director, Consensus Family Lawyers

Business asset protection: have you forgotten something?

Many families spend their working lives establishing and then growing a successful business empire. Yet they forget to 'divorce-proof' their business.

OPINION: CONSENSUS FAMILY LAWYERS

Business owners have

covered every possible angle

to protect their business in

the future – right? Wrong!

What the business owners

have not thought about

is 'divorce proofing' their

business. If one of the

business owners’ marriages

breaks down, watch out.

Melrose Automobiles 118-120 Melrose Drive, Phillip ACT 2606. Sales: 02 6282 2311 Service: 02 6282 2377 LMVD 17000268.

For more information, call Melrose Automobiles today or visit www.melroserenault.com.au REN1646

CLIO RENAULT SPORT 197 The F1 Inspired Hot Hatch

RENAULT KOLEOS 4X4 AND 4X2 Right For The Land Down Under

LAGUNA HATCH AND ESTATE Beautiful Thinking

MELROSE AUTOMOBILESTHE NEW HOME OF RENAULT

By Jonathon Colbran, Manager, Turnaround & Insolvency

Phoenix Companies – how aSIC is moving on the advisors

The term ‘phoenix’ activity is derived from the mythological bird, the phoenix, which bursts into flames at the end of its life, only to be reborn again from the ashes.

OPINION: RSM BIRD CAMERON


op

inio

n

The Court considered Somerville’s conductThe Court examined the advice given by

Somerville and concluded that Somerville:1. Arranged for the execution of the relevant

documentation2. Drafted or was responsible for the

documentation which gave effect to the transaction(s)

3. Advised on and recommended the transactions which resulted in the breaches of the Act;

4. Arranged for settlement of the transactions to occur prior to any judgement being obtained against the company.In considering the facts of the case, the Court

concluded noted at paragraph 49 that:…when advice is given by a solicitor to carry

out an improper activity and the solicitor does all the work involved in carrying it out apart from signing documents, it seems to me that there can be no question as to liability.

The Court held that Somerville was ‘involved’The Court held that Mr Somerville contra-

vened sections 181, 182 and 183 of the Act and was subsequently disqualified from managing a corporation for a period of 6 years.

Lessons for professional advisorsASIC v Somerville serves as a reminder

for all professional advisors, when providing advice to directors of companies which are faced with financial distress, the advisor must ensure that the advice they give is technically, legally and ethically correct and moreover that they do not become ‘involved’ with their client’s actions.

If a professional adviser finds themselves in a position where they are providing advice to a company which is or may be facing fi-nancial distress, they should consider seeking guidance on the matter from a suitably quali-fied insolvency practitioner such as RSM Bird Cameron Partners.

Similarly, you may have seen a company that appears to go into liquidation ow-ing hundreds of thousands of dollars and all of a sudden it is operating again. We

call companies that go into this type of scheme ‘Phoenix Companies’.

What does ‘Phoenix activity’ typically involve?What we have seen happen is that the direc-

tor of a company that is having financial difficul-ties will transfer assets into another company. The business will normally be having trouble

paying its debts and may even be insolvent at the time of the transfer. You will find that the directors and shareholders of the new company are either the same or connected in some way. The end result is that the transfer has or may have the effect of hindering creditors in their at-tempt to access the assets of the company that they dealt with, which are now owned by a dif-ferent company.

The regulators are catching on The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) sent a very clear message to professional advisors in ASIC v Somerville [2009] NSWSC 934, ‘involve’ yourself in the il-legal phoenix activities of your clients and YOU risk being prosecuted.

Mr Somerville was a partner in the Sydney legal firm, Somerville & Co. During this time, Mr Somerville provided legal advice to a number of clients whose companies were fac-ing financial distress.

Somerville’s adviceIn each case Mr Somerville provided his cli-

ents with written advice which maintained a number of common characteristics, including:1. The old company which was suffering from

financial distress would cease to trade2. A new company would be established, often

with a similar name to the old company3. The old company agreed to transfer its

business, or the assets of its business, to the new company

4. All payments invoiced prior to the settlement would be collected by the old company to pay its debts

5. The old company would retain the liability for all amounts payable to its unsecured creditors

6. The employees of the old company would be terminated and offered re-employment by the new company on the same terms

7. Plant and equipment leased or hired by the old company would be transferred to the new company and leases over premises assigned.

The directors breached their dutiesFollowing ASIC’s submission, the Court held

that by engaging in the activities linked to Mr Somerville’s advice the directors had breached the duties set out at sections 181, 182 and 183 of the Corporations Act 2001. The duties breached were:1. Failure to act in good faith and in the best

interests of the relevant company;2. Improper use of their position to gain

an advantage for themselves or to cause detriment to the relevant company; and

3. Improper use of information to gain an advantage for themselves or someone else or to cause detriment to the relevant company.

Introducing Certus, Canberra’s new specialist law firm in the areas of superannuation, estate planning, wills and trusts.

We have a certain approach towards preparing for your future. Our comprehensive, collaborative solutions protect your valuable assets from any and all eventualities, no matter how complex your situation. With our expert guidance, you can always be certain that the fruits of your life’s labour are handled in exactly the way you want.

For your family, for your children, for your future. Be certain with Certus.

Level 5, 28 University Avenue, Canberra ACT 2601 P 02 6268 9090 www.certuslaw.com.au

Your future just got more certain.

...you may have seen a company

that appears to go into liquidation

owing hundreds of thousands of

dollars and all of a sudden it is

operating again. We call companies

that go into this type of scheme

'Phoenix Companies'.

Introducing Certus, Canberra’s new specialist law firm in the areas of superannuation, estate planning, wills and trusts.

We have a certain approach towards preparing for your future. Our comprehensive, collaborative solutions protect your valuable assets from any and all eventualities, no matter how complex your situation. With our expert guidance, you can always be certain that the fruits of your life’s labour are handled in exactly the way you want.

For your family, for your children, for your future. Be certain with Certus.

Level 5, 28 University Avenue, Canberra ACT 2601 P 02 6268 9090 www.certuslaw.com.au

Your future just got more certain.


pr

ofi

lep

ro

file

Kathryn Heuerwords: Liz Lang, photo: Andrew Sikorski

It’s always challenging to interview someone who is a good listener because you find that you end up talking about yourself when you should be focusing on the interviewee.

Kathryn Heuer, director, Certus Law, is one such person. She has made a career out of listening, empathising, and guid-ing people to help them resolve their

family law and estate planning matters.Admitted to practice in 1989, Kathryn’s le-

gal career spans public and private practice. A trained mediator, she managed Relationships Australia’s mediation service in Canberra (1996-98) and has also conducted mediations for cli-ents of private law firms.

Among her career highlights, Kathryn was a Registrar of the Family Court of Australia from 2001-2005 and became a director of family law firm Farrar, Gesini & Dunn in 2007. In the same year, Kathryn was asked to head-up Certus Law, Canberra’s only law firm specialising in estate planning, superannuation, wills and trusts, with fellow director, Stephen Bourke. Kathryn works collaboratively in both estate planning and fam-ily law matters. Collaboration is problem solving with lawyers where parties try to understand each other, gather information and formulate solutions.

“As a lawyer, I believe it’s really important to listen carefully to people so you can understand exactly what it is that’s worrying them. After you have established what the underlying issues are, then you’re in a position to guide people to make

some informed decisions about their children and matters such as finance,” Kathryn said. “In areas such as estate planning and family law, it’s critical to be able to listen and empathise with people so you can assist them to move forward.”

“In terms of legal practice I have always been very focused on dealing with people. I have nev-er wanted to do the sort of law that would have me in an office reading over piles of contracts with minimal people contact,” Kathryn said.

Kathryn admits that her entry into law wasn’t a long held childhood ambition. She spent a large part of her childhood in Papua New Guinea where her father was employed by the Australian Government to assist the Territory with its independence efforts. A classmate of PNG Prime Minister Michael Somare’s daughter Bertha, Kathryn completed her schooling in PNG up to high school level when she returned to Canberra.

“I have to say that I started law because I got the marks to get into it. I remember my father saying to me that ‘law was a good profession and that it ‘wouldn’t hurt to have a law degree’. It has been a great career choice because twenty years later I’m still in the profession and I really enjoy helping people to resolve their personal matters."

Kathryn said that some of the common mis-conceptions that people hold about estate plan-ning is that it is simple and uncomplicated.

“Many people aren’t aware of the implications of the various arrangements that they have in place. An accountant may have advised a fam-ily to put all of their assets in one party’s name - which is a very safe way of protecting assets from creditors – but on death, the implications of that arrangement are profound,” Kathryn said.

I asked Kathryn what triggers people to sort out their wills, superannuation, powers of attorney,

and/or insurances. “Often it might be an up-and-coming overseas trip or a medical diagnosis which causes someone to think about their life and lon-gevity and this then becomes the catalyst for them to get their affairs in order,” she said.

“Estate planning represents an opportunity for people to constructively sort out how they want their assets to be distributed in the event of death or when they are unable to make deci-sions for themselves.”

During the interview, I asked Kathryn about her family life and whether there was someone who inspired her. She paused for a while when considering the inspiration question and with a great deal of courage answered that it was her first husband who died when he was thirty-two and she was thirty-one and they were parents of two boys, two and five years of age.

“My first husband is still a huge part of who I am and the decisions and judgements that I make. But, life moves on. I have since remarried, my husband is a wonderful man, and my boys are now 18 and 14, almost 15 years of age.”

Estate planning is an essential part of life. With Kathryn’s extensive legal expertise and and her genuine interest in assisting people to sort out their wills and trusts, Certus Law clients will be assured of a certain future.

“In areas such as estate planning

and family law, it’s critical to be

able to listen and empathise with

people so you can assist them to

move forward.”


Ambius offer a superior selection

of plants, containers and artwork.

Legendary service to keep your

plants healthy & looking great!

Phone: (02) 6241 1451www.ambiusindoorplants.com.au

INTERIOR PLANTSCAPINGDESIGN • INSTALLATION • SERVICE

Greener on the inside

AMB731 - Ambius B2B FP ad.indd 1 2/6/09 12:49:49 PM


pr

ofi

le

Caroline Le Couteurwords: Liz Lang, photos: Andrew Sikorski

The daughter of ANU’s first professor of theoretical physics, a self professed ‘hippy,’ and the ACT Greens spokesperson for business and economic development, gives you a quick insight into the interesting life of Caroline Le Couteur, member of the ACT Legislative Assembly.

My first impression of Caroline was that she was a reserved woman – an unusual trait in a politician – but as soon as we started discuss-

ing issues that she held close to her heart, she became more and more animated and absorbed in our conversation.

Arriving in Canberra from England when she was four, Caroline is the eldest daughter of Emeritus Professor Kenneth Le Couteur, who was the foundation professor of theo-retical physics at the ANU.

In recognition of Professor Le Couteur’s outstanding contribution to the develop-ment of the Research School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, the University named the Mathematical Sciences Building, the Le Couteur Building in 1996.

Caroline reflects on her early days in Canberra and how small the Canberra com-munity was in the late 1950s. “When we

moved into Yarralumla, people would say ‘how can you live in Yarralumla as it’s so far away’? We had a dirt track out the front of our house rather than a road. It’s hard to believe now that this was the case.”

“Canberra was tiny and the academic and embassy communities were proportionally much bigger than they are now. This is be-cause the ANU was established early and the embassies had to be in Canberra because it was Australia’s capital.”

“My childhood was very much influenced by the ANU. We used to have Nobel Prize winners coming for dinner,” she said.

Caroline has been conscious that she led a fortunate existence compared to many in the community.

“With Dad as a university professor, we’re weren’t rich but we didn’t have any financial problems. I’ve always thought ‘There but for the grace of God, go I’”.

Caroline acknowledges that it was her mother’s passion for social justice issues, and helping less privileged people through the Anglican Church, that laid the foundations for her interest in this area.

After finishing an economics degree at the ANU, Caroline went to Nimbin to take part in the Aquarius Festival, a counter-culture music and arts festival organised by the Australian Union of Students in 1973. She remained in Nimbin, and with a group of people bought a 1600 acre property.

“In some ways it was great preparation for local government. We built houses and we decided that we didn’t want to sign on to the local electricity. I sold solar panels for a semi-living. We started a pre-school and

primary school – both of which are still run-ning. It was a wonderful time.”

In 1985, Caroline returned to Canberra with her nine year old daughter and worked in IT in the federal and ACT public service then moved into renewable energy policy. From 1991, she was a director of the local ethical investment company, Australian Ethical Investment. In 2000, Caroline became the company’s IT man-ager where she stayed until she was elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly in 2008.

“On election night, The Greens got three people elected and we were all incredibly happy with that result. I certainly didn’t think then that I would gain a seat.”

“My first week as an MLA wasn't a quiet be-ginning. I also made what is quite possibly the most important decision that I will make during my time as an MLA, which was whether to sup-port Liberal or Labor.”

Caroline is member for Molonglo and her ACT Greens portfolio responsibilities span planning, territory and municipal serv-ices, business and economic development, and arts and heritage. She is also chair of the Public Accounts Committee and deputy chair, Planning Public Works and Territory and Municipal Services Committee.

“The Public Accounts Committee is con-ducting an inquiry into ACT Government pro-curement and any submissions that B2B readers would like to make are welcome,” Caroline said.

“The ACT Government’s Budget is $3.6 billion and while the majority of that is salary dollars, we would like to see the Government spending money in ways that advance social and environmental policy objectives and also support local business.

pr

ofi

le


“If the government wants a strong, vibrant com-munity, then part of that is supporting local business. I receive a lot of complaints from people asking why the Government is employing businesses from outside of Canberra,” she said.

Caroline explained that the Inquiry will also ex-amine the question of how much should the ACT Government support local businesses and what defines a local business within the context of Canberra.

In terms of the question of whether the ACT Government is actively supporting local business, Caroline replied, “Not particularly, I think it’s pretty agnostic and much more fixated with best value for money in terms of its procurement processes.”

I asked Caroline what she believes business expects from The Greens. She replied, “I talk to business groups often and we try to map out sensible ways to go for-ward. Most businesses recognise that environmental and social issues are important and interwined.”

“These days we’re all on the same page, the only question is how high up the page are environmental or social issues – are they the headline or the footnote?”

“I do discuss green related issues with businesses. They will talk to me when they feel they are not get-ting traction with the Government,” Caroline said.

The ACT Greens would like to see the ACT econo-my as a greener economy but Caroline acknowledges that is easy to say but harder to achieve.

“Part of our agreement with the Labor Party was for a study to be carried out into the greening of the ACT econo-my. This is being undertaken by the University of Canberra. We would like to see recommen-dations flowing from the study such as green focus innova-tion grants for small business. Many small businesses don’t need a lot of money to make a difference,” she said.

“From a planning point of view, we would like to see the strong delineation between residential and non-residential zoning relaxed. You can run very small businesses at home at the moment but it be-comes difficult once you move past the one to two person business.

We’d like to see more support given to small and home-based businesses. There are so many large houses in Canberra which are half empty and we’d like to see more small businesses run out of the suburbs.

The demand on the suburbs won’t be any more than when the houses were filled with children. From a green point of view, people aren’t commuting as much now that the internet is here,” she said.

Caroline is a keen supporter of groups such as the Australian and New Zealand Solar Energy Society, Pedal Power, Oxfam, Anglicare, and the Conservation Council. She has renovated her house for increased energy efficiency and is a regular bike rider and gardener.

I asked Caroline what she believes

business expects from The Greens. She

replied, “I talk to business groups often

and we try to map out sensible ways to

go forward. Most businesses recognise

that environmental and social issues are

important and interwined.”

Nominations for the 2010 ACT Training Excellence Awards are now open. This is your opportunity to be recognised for the valua-ble contribution you make to training in your

workplace and the ACT. There are several award

categories including ACT Employer of the Year, ACT Small Business of the Year and ACT Business of the Year – Vocational School Placement. You can also nominate an outstanding ap-prentice or trainee in your organisation. There are many student categories including ACT Australian Apprentice of the Year, ACT Australian Apprentice (Trainee) of the Year and ACT Australian School-based Apprentice of the Year.

Nominating for the award categories is easy. All you need to do is complete a nomination form, provide supporting documentation, any letters of support and other relevant attachments you wish to include.

Nominations will open on 1 March 2010 and close on 14

May 2010. A full list of categories and details about the nomination process and selection criteria are available at www.det.act.gov.au.

The ACT Department of Education and Training convenes a panel of judges for each award, usually com-prising a member of the Department’s senior manage-ment team and representatives from industry and the vocational education and training sector.

Finalists in each category will be invited to attend the awards ceremony and dinner on Thursday 2 September at The Auditorium, Vikings Erindale.

Winners of an ACT Training Excellence Award may be eligible to represent the ACT at the Australian Training Awards and compete against other state and territory winners in their respective categories. Last year, the ACT had its strongest contingent ever in the national awards with seven student finalists and four organisational finalists. This year the Australian Training Awards will be held in Sydney in November.

For the 2009 ACT Employer of the Year, the Vikings Group, the Australian Training Awards were a great opportunity to demonstrate the exceptional train-ing and professional development available to staff in their workplace.

Last year, the Vikings Group was short listed in the top three employers in Australia at the Australian Training Awards and received an Industry Award in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the services industry.

It's time to submit a nomination and get involved in the awards. Share your story of excellence and success in vocational education and training and help inspire oth-ers in the community to get involved.

This is your opportunity to stand out and be recog-nised yourself, or to recognise the great achievements of someone you know.

If you are interested in learning more about the ACT Training Excellence Awards, please contact the Training and Tertiary Education Branch of the ACT Department of Education and Training on (02) 6205 7037 or email [email protected].

The ACT Department of Education and Training wel-comes sponsorship from interested businesses and or-ganisations to support the ongoing success of the awards.

The ACT Training Excellence Awards are the premier celebration in vocational education and training in the ACT and showcase Canberra’s most outstanding Australian Apprentices and Trainees, students, training providers, businesses and employers (industry and government).

the aCt training Excellence awards

feat

ur

e


Above: Minister Andrew Barr presenting the 2009 Employer of the Year Award to Ray Sweeney of the Vikings Group. Top: Some of the 2009 ACT Training Excellence Awards winners

Criteria and nomination forms are available on the ACT Department of Education and Training website

www.det.act.gov.au or by calling 6205 7037Nominations close at 5pm on 14 May 2010

It’s your opportunity to stand out and be recognised!

Nominations are now open for the ACT Training Excellence Awards

The awards categories include:

Organisational categories

Small Business of the Year

Employer of the Year

Small Registered Training Organisation of the Year

Large Registered Training Organisation of the Year

ACT Training Initiative Award

Business of the Year – Vocational School Placement

VET in Schools Excellence Award.

Student categories

Vocational School Student of the Year

Australian School Based Apprentice of the Year Certificate III

Australian School Based Apprentice of the Year Certificate II

Vocational Student of the Year

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student, Trainee

or Apprentice of the Year

Australian Apprentice (Trainee) of the Year

Australian Apprentice (Apprentice) of the Year.

The awards are the premier event on the ACT vocational educational and training (VET)

calendar and celebrate the achievements and dedication of the many individuals and

organisations who participate in and support VET. Winners will be announced at an

awards ceremony and dinner on 2 September 2010.

Winners in some categories also have the chance to represent the ACT on the national

stage at the Australian Training Awards in November 2010.


up

fro

nt


Entry to telstra Business awards can deliver valuable rewards

feat

ur

e

20 March 2010 | B2B in Canberra B2B in Canberra | March 2010 21

Canberra’s Point Project Management says a win in the Telstra Business Awards, for which nominations and entries are now open for 2010, can trigger an upsurge in business.

The company also believes the entry process alone can be of enormous value to businesses that get involved. Even more so with the ad-dition this year of a free business analysis tool,

the 'Business Health Check'.After being named the ACT Panasonic Australia

Medium Business Award winner, Point Project Management went on to win the national category in last year’s Telstra Business Award finals.

The increase in client interest was immediate.“Following our win we saw an instant change in the

demand for our services. We were receiving phone calls almost every day in the weeks following our win from potential clients and customers with new opportuni-ties,” said Michael Snare, founder and joint national principal of Point Project Management.

“Not long after our success, we won our first open tender, something we hadn’t been able to achieve prior to the Telstra Business Awards. The recognition we re-ceived in mainstream newspapers and highly influential trade publications has been acknowledged by industry peers, friends and family.

“The entry process also gave us the opportunity to think more about our business plan, and provided a good introspective assessment.”

Deena Shiff, Telstra business group managing direc-tor, says 2010 will be a milestone year for the Telstra Business Awards with the added value of the new Business Health Check.

"Running a small business can be a lonely job at times with owners usually working long hours often on their own – they don't readily have the opportu-nity to get an independent assessment of how they are really travelling.

"We've had great feedback from hundreds of en-trants and finalists over the past 18 years that en-tering the awards has helped them focus and plan their businesses.

The new Business Health Check really takes that a step further offering all businesses entering the chance to check their vital signs and get an even better picture of where they stand and how well placed they are to take advantage of opportunities to grow and expand."

“For the first time, the free Business Health Check has been integrated into the 2010 Awards entry proc-ess to evaluate all areas of a business – from custom-ers, staff, products, financial management and market-ing – leaving no corner of their business neglected.”

For finalists and winners, the Telstra Business Awards offers accolades, public profile, a share of $400,000 in overall cash and prizes and the privilege of joining an exclusive national business alumni.

All finalists and winners get the opportunity to dis-cuss their business activities with judges selected from

a panel of some of Australia’s best business minds that Telstra brings together for the Awards.

The awards are open to all eligible Australian busi-nesses, including micro-businesses (with up to 5 em-ployees), small businesses (up to 20 employees) and medium sized companies (up to 200 employees). Nominations will close on 16 April 2010.

Awards categories for 2010 include: • The News Ltd businessowner Micro-Business Award

– For businesses with five employees or fewer. • MYOB Small Business Award – For businesses with

more than five employees, but less than or equal to 20 employees.

• Panasonic Australia Medium Business Award – For businesses with more than 20 employees, but less than or equal to 200 employees.

• AMP Innovation Award – For businesses that have successfully introduced an innovation.

• Sensis Social Responsibility Award – For demonstrated leadership and contribution by a business to the environment, people, education or the community.Category awards are offered in each state and ter-

ritory, and an overall state/territory winner is selected from the category winners. These overall state/ter-ritory winners then become eligible to win the 2010 Telstra Australian Business of the Year, which will be an-nounced in August.

Businesses that enter will be judged on a range of criteria including growth, customer base, their team, in-novation and financials.

Michael Snare said that not only was the increased profile directly from the win valuable, the flow-on ef-fect surprised him.

“One of the biggest advantages has certainly been the publicity that is associated with winning,” he explained.

“I went to my 20 year school reunion recently, and peo-ple that I hadn’t seen in since my school years had a good understanding of what I am doing and of the business, which was only started four years ago, so to know that the busi-ness is going so strongly is very satisfying.”

Deena Shiff ex-plained that Telstra Business engages more small and me-dium businesses across Australia than almost any other organisation.

“We recognise the need to support their develop-ment in today’s challenging and ever-changing envi-ronment,” she said.

“As part of this commitment to helping small busi-ness grow and prosper, Telstra has invested 18 years and millions of dollars in creating, building and running these national Telstra Business Awards.

Nominations and entries for the Telstra Business Awards are open to all eligible businesses with between 1 and 200 employees. Entries close at 5pm Eastern Standard Time on Friday 16 April 2010. To nominate go to www.telstrabusinessawards.com or call 1800 262 323 during business hours.

Facing Page L-R: Michael Snare and Brendan Bilston 2009 National Winner of the Panasonic Australia Medium Business Award

“Following our win we saw an instant

change in the demand for our services.

We were receiving phone calls almost

every day in the weeks following our win

from potential clients and customers with

new opportunities.” Michael Snare


In years gone by, clubs were viewed by many as the second

cousin in terms of their conference and event facilities.

Now with the Canberra Southern Cross Club’s glamorous multi-million dollar Events Centre in

Woden and the facilities of their six other clubs, government

departments and business no longer view the club as a second

tier option. Liz Lang reports.

doing business at the southern cross club

co

ve

r s

tor

y

It’s been a year since the Southern Cross Events Centre opened its doors for business replete with imported Italian chandeliers, contemporary decor, custom-designed carpet, and the highest quality fit-

tings and accessories.

The events, sales and function staff are clearly proud of what the centre can offer the Canberra community. They want to ensure that as many people as possible know about and experience what is referred to as the ‘jewel in the crown’ of the Canberra Southern Cross Club event and function facilities along with the func-tion capabilities of the individual clubs.

Events sales manager, Sian Lovekin, first joined the Canberra Southern Cross Club when the Events Centre was nothing more than a ‘shell and a construction site’. Formerly of the Hyatt Hotel, Sian encourages business, government, and community organisations to come and view the Events Centre facilities.

“Once you see the decor of the room, witness our service in action, and experience the quality of the food at the Events Centre, I’ll guarantee that you’ll be con-verted,” Sian said. ”It’s a mistake to assume that our facilities are not as good as some of our top-end com-petitors just because our facilities are set in a club.”

“My role is to introduce the Events Centre and explain what the Centre’s capabilities are to the Canberra com-munity,” Sian said.

Since opening, the Events Centre has hosted some sizeable conferences including one for the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts which ran over three days. The department needed a busi-ness centre as part of its conference requirements. The functions team or-ganised for a business centre to be set up which was tailored specifically to meet the department’s needs.

“In many ways, this conference was a landmark in the history of the Events Centre. It dem-onstrated to staff and to the client that we can pro-vide conference services on par with other venues in Canberra of a similar size,” Sian said. ”NAIDOC Week

1

4

Photography by Andrew Sikorski

Photo credits: 1. Sian Lovekin 2. David Hull 3. Jo Teixeira 4. Con Efrossynis


The events, sales and function staff are

clearly proud of what the centre can offer the

Canberra community.

For more information on the function facilities available at the Canberra Southern Cross Club, visit www.cscc.com.au

was also another stand-out event in the history of the events centre. We hosted a luncheon for the Aboriginal Hostels Limited where the room was at capacity and logistically our service and food deliv-ery was seamless.”

The event’s centre Corinna Ballroom has the ca-pacity to seat 700 people banquet-style making it the largest function room available within the ACT club industry. The Corinna Ballroom can operate as one space or it can be divided into rooms for 400, 200, 60 and 40 people which can all operate inde-pendently of each other. The room has showcased entertainers such as Kate Ceberano to a capac-ity audience, David Campbell, and Peter Byrne, and Marcia Hines will no doubt attract large audiences when she appears in May.

For those businesses, government departments, community organisations and individuals who haven’t considered using the Events Centre, Sian says, “There is a clear delineation between the every-day operations

of the club and the facilities of the Events Centre. When clients of the Events Centre come to the Club, they enter through the formal reception area, take the lift or the stairs, and then are straight into their func-tion within the Events Centre.”

Con Efrossynis is the events manager at the Woden Club who takes pride in delivering a first class experience to customers.

“I genuinely feel privileged to be part of people’s celebrations whether it is a wedding,

21st birthday party or wedding anniversary. I work very hard to ensure that we deliver the experience that the customer is looking for as you can’t repeat these important life cel-ebrations,” Con said.

Con explained that the upstairs areas at the Woden Club are private and beautifully-appoint-ed. With eight reception rooms and interchange-able walls and seating configurations, the Club can cater for every type of occasion, budget and taste, from an intimate family gathering to a stylish gala ball.

David Hull, func-tions manager at the Yacht Club wants to let B2B read-ers know about the benefits of entertaining on the MV Southern Cross ferry.

“The ferry is a perfect way to take clients out on the lake. The boat is fully air-conditioned and caters for 90 guests for a cocktail party, 75 for a sit-down dinner and 55 for a buffet. Entertaining clients on the lake has a cer-tain wow factor.”

The ferry can also be hired out as a floating restau-rant subject to availability.

“The Yacht Club is in an excellent location as there are limited lakeside venues in Canberra. We offer the best value for money, good service, great food and wonderful surrounds,” David said.

Jo Teixeira, functions manager at the Tuggeranong Club encourages Canberrans to experience the club’s fa-cilities including the cuisine of their chef, Anurag Gautam, who was ACT Chef of the Year within the club industry.

“The club is well located in the centre of Tuggeranong and I consider our facilities one of the

best in terms of providing for the needs of government departments,” Jo said.

“An added bonus is that we offer free parking, good value for money, and ‘old-fashioned’ friendly service. My customers receive personalised service and attention.”

2

3


up

fro

nt

feat

ur

e

Investment in venture capital is a driver of innova-tion. In the wake of the global recession it is more im-portant than ever to attract investment to support the commercialisation of great Australian ideas.

Opening the latest ap-plication round, Innovation Minister Senator Kim Carr said the fund has been an impor-tant catalyst for building new innovative busi-nesses, develop-ing fund manag-ers, and grow-ing a domestic venture capital market.

“Having a domestic ven-

ture capital market helps Australian start-up and high growth companies grow and generate wealth and new sources of employment to benefit industry and the economy,” Senator Carr said.

“Through the Innovation Investment Fund (IIF) program the Australian Government will provide $20 million to each successful fund manager to establish new funds of $40 million or more.

“These new funds will assist promising early stage Australian companies commercialise Australian re-search which will result in the creation of competitive products and services.

“Fund managers will provide the necessary capital and management expertise to help these products and services succeed in a competitive global market.

“The IIF program has generated a total commitment of almost $500 million to date from government and the private sector to commercialise Australian research. A number of world leading products and services have been developed through the program.”

The IIF Program is a venture capital program that supports new innovation funds and fund managers with expertise in early stage venture capital investing. It co-invests with private sector investors in venture capital funds to assist early stage companies to commercialise the outcomes of Australia's strong research capability.

Under the first tranche of round three the Australian Government licensed the Cleantech Australia Fund Management Partnership LP and Brandon Capital Management Pty Limited. The Government has recent-ly licensed Yuuwa Capital under the second tranche of round three and a second manager is currently finalising their IIF licence.

Applications for the current round (Tranche 3 of Round 3) close on Monday 31 May 2010. To assist po-tential applicants, information seminars will be held in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra in early March 2010.

Visit www.ausindustry.gov.au or call the AusIndustry Hotline 13 28 46 for more information.

AusIndustry is the Australian Government's principal business program delivery division in the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.

It is committed to delivering business services that build on three key drivers of economic growth - inno-vation, investment and international competitiveness and offers both entitlement and concession programs. For grants-based programs, customers compete for limited funds, based on the merits of their application.

AusIndustry provides incentives to help Australian businesses: conduct research and development; grow small business; take up new technology; undertake industry-specific manufacturing and production; and commercialise a new technology or venture.

Fund managers around the country are invited to submit applications under the latest round of the Government’s venture capital support program, the Innovation Investment Fund.

FUNdING to GRoW VENtURE CaPItaL: CaLL FoR FURtHER aPPLICatIoNS


1/58 Shepard St HUME

(02) 6260 1031

car, bus & truck rentals

4 Faunce St QUEANBEYAN

(02) 6284 2988

9/13 Brooke St MITCHELL

(02) 6242 7155

corporate I events I editorial I portrait I product I architecture I fashion

www.art-atelier.com.au I [email protected] I t. 6288 3626

art atelier photography - professional photography services since 1996

Canberra's Website Experts

FREE

SEO R

EPOR

T

aD

vic

e


CoRPoRatE HEaLtH

Don’t fall for the quick fix trap

Are you ready for Google Buzz?

By Chris Males

By Sam Gupta

It’s 4.00pm and you need to get that report done, you are feeling like you need an energy hit so you stalk the nearest fundraiser box of chocolates and devour a freddo frog so fast that David Attenborough would find it compelling viewing! Does this sound familiar?All too often we turn to high sugar quick fix food and drink options

when we are under pressure with work. These foods do provide that im-mediate pick up, but as with most high glycaemic index (GI) foods, the pick up doesn’t last very long and the subsequent drop in blood glucose levels often leads to even worse performance.

When faced with high pressure, we need to make sure we are running on what I call true energy, rather than the fake energy boosts that come from the sugary drinks and foods. True energy comes having enough of these four vital elements: water, oxygen, vitamins and minerals.

Therefore we need to stay well hydrated, get up from our desks more often and breathe deeply, and eat a wide variety of plant foods (veges, fruits, nuts, grains, legumes) that will ensure that we are providing our body all the vitamins and minerals it requires for peak performance.

If you’ve heard me talk before, I will often use the phrase ‘Either Pick it from a tree, pluck it from the ground, or fish/hunt for it!’ as a simple way of suggesting that the best foods out there, don’t require label reading – because quite simply they don’t have them! Choose these sorts of foods over the highly processed options as much as you can, especially when work demands are high.

Okay, I know what you are thinking. Just when you thought you were finally getting your head around all these social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, you are now hit with the a new tool in the online arena:

Google Buzz. For those of you, who use Gmail, you will already no-ticed Google Buzz appearing on your screen. It’s that little Google coloured talk bubble.

What’s Buzz about? Google Buzz is very similar to Facebook, except it offers a few more

cool features. You can share photos quickly via Picasa and view them in a full screen width, You can get all your tweets on Buzz. Unlike Facebook, you can pick and choose who you want to share your content with. There is ‘Recommended Buzz’, which also auto-learns over time based on your choices. The great thing is that you don’t have to open a new site, Google Buzz is nicely integrated with the Gmail service.

It’s also easily usable on iPhone or any Android operating system phone such as Google’s nexus one. If you prefer to disclose your location, it finds your location via GPS and displays the possible places you could be at, for you to choose and select. Best part is, you don’t have to type the post. You can simply use the Google Voice feature to make your life easy. You can take a snapshot of whatever you may want to share and just upload it on your post with a click of a button. It’s simple and it’s fast.

And according to Google, this is just the start. We are going to see, more and better features on Buzz in the future.

Chris Males is one of the country's freshest corporate speakers on the topics of health, stress management and productivity. He is also the managing director of

Pro-Fit Corporate Health, a national corporate health and wellbeing provider. To contact Chris please email

[email protected] or phone 02 62915902.

Sam Gupta is the managing director of Synapse Worldwide. If you would like to discuss how your business can best take advantage of the social media, please contact Sam

on 1300 785 230 or [email protected]

Some examples of great afternoon snack options and ‘mood booster’ foods are:• Small can of tuna/salmon or baked beans on one slice of rye toast• Handful of almonds, piece of fruit and yoghurt• Bowl of steamed veggies or wholegrain cereal• A couple of squares of dark chocolate – the antioxidants can help

reduce blood pressure and the tryptophan - serotonin link acts as an anti-depressant. And the great thing about dark chocolate is that you won’t overeat, unlike the high milk/high sugar varieties.

Which brings me back to the fundraiser chocolates. Throw in the $2 coin but leave the chocolate bar behind and save yourself about 300 calories (which requires a 90 minute fast walk to burn off) in the process.

Buzz for businessAccording to Google, they will 'soon' launch a Buzz for Enterprise ver-

sion. They themselves have been using it internally within their company. I think it could be a great tool for SMEs and obviously large corporations with hundreds and thousands of employees. If used responsibly, I think it will be a great tool for many enterprises, organisations, universities and other education bodies. Imagine a Facebook for B2B in Canberra. Now, that would be interesting!

Although it’s all exciting; the entire online social arena still seems to be in a big mess right now. Users just don’t know where to turn and who to choose. As for me, I am not sure if I am ready to switch fully to Buzz yet, Facebook is still gonna be a part of my life for some time. It’s likely to be a transi-tion over time.

WEBSItES

26 March 2010 | B2B in Canberra B2B in Canberra | March 2010 27 Sydney | Canberra | Melbourne | Brisbane | Perth

Myers-Briggs®

CertificationCanberra 14 –17 May 2010

For sample reports and details of upcoming public programs or in-house programs, please call us on 03 9342 1300, email [email protected] or visit us at www.cppasiapacific.com

® Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, MBTI, Myers-Briggs, MBTI logo are registered trademarks of the MBTI Trust Inc.® Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation, Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation-Behavior, FIRO, FIRO Business, FIRO-B,

California Psychological Inventory, CPI, CPI 260 and the Strong Interest Inventory are trademarks or registered trademarks of CPP, Inc.® Benchmarks and Skillscope are registered trademarks owned by the Center for Creative Leadership® BarOn EQ-i, EQ-i, BarOn EQ-360 and EQ-360 are trademarks or registered trademarks of MHS® CPP Asia Pacific and the CPP Asia Pacific logo is a registered trademark of CPP Asia Pacific Pty Ltd.

MBTI® Certification Programs

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) certification is the ‘must have’ credential for every HR and L&D professional, providing the expertise to drive success.

Key Applications:

n Leadership development n Team buildingn Conflict management n Change managementn Communication n Career development

Already MBTI® Step I certified? Please ask us about our Step II certification program.

New!… Myers-Briggs® ThinkBox

This dynamic, web-based learning environment delivers the power of the MBTI® assessment with the ease of learning on-demand. Please contact us to arrange for a demonstration. (Note: MBTI® certification is not required to purchase this product)

CPP Asia Pacific, the Australasian distributor of the Myers-Briggs® suite of instruments, offers certification programs and product solutions for a range of world-renowned psychological instruments.

Other Product Solutions

Benchmarks® & Skillscope® 360Leadership focused 360-degree feedback instruments.

Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI)Making conflict management a core competency.

California Psychological Inventory™ (CPI™)A powerful personality indicator with a 50+ year history.

Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation® (FIRO-B® & FIRO Business®)The interpersonal behaviour indicator of choice.

Strong Interest Inventory®

A powerful occupational interest inventory.

BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQ-i® & EQ-360™)A leading emotional intelligence assessment.

CPPAP eb10 Ad indd 1 22/2/10 11 06 57 AM

aD

vic

e


EStatE PLaNNING

Simple rules for DIY superannuation

Plan your run to the end of the financial year

By Stephen Bourke

By Andrew Sykes

Self managed superannuation is suited to those who want to take a greater interest in and greater control of their retirement savings.

However, the law governing the administration of self man-aged superannuation, despite the Government releases can

be complex. The trustee has responsibilities under the fund’s trust deed, the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (SISA), the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Regulations 1994 (SISR), the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (ITAA 1997), the Tax Administration Act 1953 (TAA 1953), and the Corporations Act 2001 to name a few.

Here are a few tips to avoid the traps of non-compliance.Don't use your super fund as a bank: The most common form of

non-compliance is when the fund lends money to a member or a related person of the member. Under superannuation law, members must not lend money to a member or related party and such a loan is what is termed an 'in house’ asset. There is a limit on the amount of in house assets that an SMSF may hold, being 5% of the value of the investments in the fund.

Don't use the investments personally. Some members may ‘invest’ in a coast house which is then used over the Christmas holidays or a Brett Whiteley which is hung in the family living room. Personal use of invest-ments does not satisfy the arm's length dealing and will always give rise to problems with the Taxation Office. It is a simple rule for members to follow that the investments should not be personal use investments but an arms length investment for retirement purposes.

The lead up to the end of the financial year often sees a flurry of activity from Businesses – and justifiably so! 30 June is not far away so it’s a good idea to look at some tax planning strat-egies and get planning. There are two types of tax planning:

1. Tax deferral – where you transfer your tax liability to a later period. 2. Tax saving – longer term strategies to minimise your tax rate.

1. Tax deferralTax deferral is the most popular and effective form of tax planning

as businesses look to delay their tax liability. Some of the more common examples of deferring tax include:• Delaying or withholding income – planning when income will be

generated to ensure that it falls in the next financial year • Prepaying expenses – bringing forward future expenses into the

current period • Leasing plant or machinery instead of other finance such as HP or

chattels mortgage • Using 30% company tax rate if individuals are currently in a higher

tax bracket • Using small business concessions available under the various tax acts.

Tax deferral can be an extremely successful approach to reduce your immediate tax liability, and an important part of an overall tax plan.

2. Tax savingA longer term approach to tax minimisation is tax saving where the

Stephen Bourke is a director in the boutique firm, Certus Law, specialising in superannuation, trusts and estate planning. He also consults to other practitioners through the consulting practice, SuperSplitting. Level 5,

28 University Avenue T: 6268 9090 www.certuslaw.com.au

Andrew Sykes is a partner at RSM Bird Cameron. For information on business improvements, contact the

experienced team at RSM Bird Cameron, 103-105 Northbourne Avenue Canberra, T.6247 5988. www.rsmi.com.au

While the Taxation Office remains committed to educating trustees and members of SMSFs, it is now playing a more active role in enforcing compliance measures.

Penalties for contravention of superannuation law range from disqualify-ing the trustee of the fund, suspending the current trustee and appointing a constitutional corporation or person to act as the trustee. The Taxation Office can also direct the trustee to deal with the assets in a particular way or enter into an agreement to ensure fund compliance. In 2009, 99 SMSFs were shut down, compared to 24 funds in 2008 and 5 funds in 2007.

The best way to avoid having the ATO on your heels is to follow the simple rules – keep investments at arms length, don't use the SMSF as a bank and don't use the investments personally. Speak to a SPAA accredited superannua-tion specialist. If you believe your SMSF may be at risk of non-compliance, take the remedial ac-tion immediately.

benefits are more effective and ongoing. Some of the common strategies for tax saving include:• Income splitting – sharing income among as many individuals as

possible (including kids) • Utilising entities or structures or individuals with lower tax rates • Timing of sale of assets likely to yield a capital gain or realise a capital loss • Capital gains tax concessions available only to small business.

These are general comments only and not intended to be advice. All businesses are different with varying tax rates, cash-flow priorities and debt structure, therefore some of these strategies may not be suitable to all. It is imperative that businesses consult with their accountant in all aspects of tax planning. It’s also important to get started sooner rather than later. The sooner you start to plan the better the results will be.

aCCoUNtING


insitec A4 Ad B2B Feb10.indd 1 26/2/10 5:47:41 PM

aD

vic

e


CoRPoRatE GoVERNaNCE

Do your due diligence

Training and development – it’s personal

By Phil Butler

By Jerome de Rose

What is your reaction when you receive a call inviting you to join a board? Excited, flattered and enthusiastic would be the normal reactions. However before you accept the offer too quickly make sure you ask some important questions.

You should remember however, that directorships carry serious liabili-ties and responsibilities, so it is critical to do your due diligence prior to formally accepting a directorship.

If you are thinking of joining, or are invited to join a board, here are a few things to consider and questions to ask as part of your due diligence. 1. Do some research. Find out what you can about the organisation

and then talk to the Chair and listen to how he/she explains the organisation – it will not only give you a picture of the sort of environment you are joining. It will also give you and idea of whether you think you will enjoy this style of organisation.

2. Investigate the financial position. Request a copy of the last two financial reports and review them for their comprehensiveness. Make sure you can understand the financials. You need to know upfront whether you are facing a potential solvency problem.

3. Understand what legal and regulatory environments does the organisation operate in? You need to know if there are any major litigation or unusual actions pending.

4. Find out about the board. You should meet face-to-face with at least the Chair, CEO and two or three directors to ensure you share

Development for your career won’t just help your job pros-pects but also your personal growth. Expanding your skills and knowledge about your own industry or business area will help keep you in-front – which is not only good for your customers

or your department but also your own self esteem.There are many ways to develop yourself. You could take a personal

development course which impacts how you work with other people, or gives insights into how you or your colleagues operate at work.

Courses that help stimulate creativity, such as life drawing or visual art, give your right brain a boost, strengthening your abilities to solve problems and think laterally. Although you may not consider art to be related to your job, the potential benefits may surprise and enrich your work environment.

Alternatively, you could focus on learning and development di-rectly related to your job, which can increase your sense of being in control of your career, update you on new technology and give you fresh industry perspectives.

Areas of study, such as business, management, accounting or market-ing, can add valuable skill sets, recognise your current skills and update your knowledge of current business theory. This could add many dollars to your business’s bottom line.

Sharon Button, a manager in the public service, elected to study a Diploma of Business to help her feel confident about her new management role. “It gave me the skills and confidence I needed,” she said. Her experience,

Phil Butler is state manager of the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ ACT Division. For more information

about AICD 's course programs and events, call 6248 5954.

Jerome de Rose is the director of the CIT Centre for Business. Call 6207 3542 to find out how CIT can work with your

organisation to up-skill your staff. http://www.cit.act.edu.au

common attitudes and approaches to the organisation, including its vision, strategy and risk appetite. This will also give you an idea as to the culture of the board and the organisation

5. Why does the board need a new director and what are they looking for? A good board has a well thought out succession plan and clear expectations of the type of contribution they are seeking from a new director.

6. What can you contribute and do you have the capacity? Honestly assess your skills and ability to effectively contribute. Make sure you understand what time commitment and other demands may be placed on you.If you do your homework, and remain

engaged and vigilant while on the board, you should have a rewarding experience as a director.

both at work and study, was so positive that she went on to do a postgradu-ate management qualification at the Canberra Institute of Technology, which is helping her as she moves into higher levels of management.

Sharon, like many others, learned that getting formal qualifications helped to not only do her job better but offered further opportunities to go higher in her career. And since many business principles are evolv-ing over time, especially during an economic downturn, learning the lat-est trends and strategies is important for any business or department to stay on top. Even to get more efficient use and benefit from software upgrades it is worth retraining staff at the time of the upgrade, especially when, for example, Office 2007 was so radically different to Office 2003.

Whatever development you decide on, personal or professional, big or small, it will make a positive contribution to both your work and personal life.

BUSINESS tRaINING

AICD MEMBERSHIP

AIC

D#7

89

Inspiring small businessto take the next stepThe Australian Institute of Company Directors(AICD) is Australia’s membership institute fordirectors delivering knowledge and continuinglearning in the field of directorship.

For more information, contact LauraTierney on 1300 764 633 or visit thewebsite at companydirectors.com.au

set the pace in 2010

With 2010 bringing a new decade, are you looking for talent to drive your team? As a leading recruitment company, Randstad can give you access to the broadest database of quality staff for temporary and/or permanent positions.

To find out how we can help you build your team and set the pace for 2010, contact our local team on 6278 0088. www.randstad.com.au

B2B Canberra 210x297.indd 1 22/2/10 3:10:51 PM


g2b

Jon StanhopeACT Chief Minister

Zed SeseljaACT Opposition Leader

One of the main tasks of the Opposition is to scrutinise the government, to keep the incumbents accountable to the community, to expose faults where we find them and oppose flaws in policies before they become problems in

the community. From major projects such as the misplaced power station, the

GDE gridlock or the quarter of a billion dollar cost blow-out of the Cotter Dam – they all point to the inherent importance of diligent scrutiny for effective governance.

It is also an important role for the alternative government to de-velop, over their term in Opposition, a carefully thought through, thoroughly tested and well costed set of alternative policies. That is the work that the Canberra Liberals are now undertaking. We do not pretend that this a short-term project. Nor do we propose to con-duct this process on anything other than our own timetable, but we are doing the hard work on this right now.

Already in 2010, two important elements of this program have been put forward to the public and to industry.

One of those is the in-depth strategic overview ‘The State of our Health’. This takes a strategic view of the current health system in the ACT, which is undeniably one of the poorest performing in the coun-try, despite us spending more per capita than any other jurisdiction in the country. My Shadow Minister for Health, Jeremy Hanson, will be conducting a range of forums on key areas that seeks input not from bureaucrats but from people at the coal-face, real people talking about real problems and seeking real solutions.

Another major reform project that we are currently working on is an overhaul of infrastructure in Canberra, especially in the areas of forward planning and proper procurement. Of particular importance to me is the establishment of a territory wide, long term infrastruc-ture plan. Most people would be shocked to discover that, to date, the ACT Labor Government have not actually developed an integrat-ed infrastructure plan. It is such an obvious, vital aspect that the very fact that such a plan does not yet exist is a damning indictment on the short-sightedness of the current government. As they say, a failure to plan is a plan to fail. Worse still, the Chief Minister has said such a plan would be delivered, but as yet nothing has eventuated.

I recently released the ‘Infrastructure Canberra’ Bill as a part of the solution. The Bill would establish an infrastructure plan and an independent Commissioner who can advise governments – of all po-litical persuasions – what is in the best interests of the Territory, not just what is in the interests of the government of the day. This opin-ion is backed by an expert board and requires regular reports to the Assembly to prevent problems when they are solvable, rather than the ‘hide and hope’ approach that has caused so many difficulties.

We have circulated this to industry groups and received much positive feedback, but we always welcome more.

The years leading to the next election will be very busy and exciting ones for the Canberra Liberals. While we will continue with constant scrutiny on the government we will also, carefully and steadily, be doing the hard work required to create a better alternative view for policy and delivery of services for the ACT in the future.

The ACT Government kicked off the business year on February 3 with a high-level Skills Roundtable, drawing together our city's top business, education and training thinkers and policy-makers.

The purpose of the roundtable was to seek views on emerging challenges and check that the directions that have been steered by the Government and industry in the 18 months since the ACT Skills Commission’s seminal report to government are still valid.

The Government responded to the Skills Commission report with more than $50 million in dedicated funding. But matching workforce demand with supply is an area in which things can shift quickly. Certain industries experience cyclic peaks and troughs, making forward plan-ning quite complex, while for other industries, the need for ever more skilled workers will grow inexorably, with no end in sight.

Last year I met informally with the former members of the Skills Commission to seek their views on the impact the Global Financial Crisis had had on our city’s skill shortage.

It was clear that a number of challenges had developed or height-ened since the Commission reported in April 2008 — some, but not all, as a consequence of the financial crisis.

I gave an undertaking that I would convene a broad-based roundta-ble early in the new year to seek advice and guidance on a way forward.

There was a consensus among most of those at the February 3 roundtable that there was a need for some kind of formal structure or body to respond to emerging challenges and ensure that all of us — employers, trainers, educators, unions and policy-makers — can re-spond swiftly when circumstances require concerted action.

ACT Government officials are currently working on some options for achieving this, and I will be writing to all roundtable participants soon with some ideas.

Addressing our skills needs will be one of the Government’s biggest priorities in the months and years ahead.

Access Economics has estimated that the ACT's skills needs will double over the next three years. And we will all need to work together to find ways to meet this demand.

Education and training are critical, but they are not the only ingre-dients to success.

For our particular community, where participation rates are already very high, one of the big challenges will be to encourage workers to remain actively engaged in the workforce beyond the traditional retirement age.

Another challenge will be to attract quality workers to our town - an area in which we are already achieving considerable success through our Skilled and Business Migration Program, in conjunction with the Live in Canberra campaign.

These efforts have helped boost our population by 1.6% in the year ended 30 June 2009 and have seen 167 skilled migrants with occupa-tions in demand make new homes in our city in the same year, with an estimated $7.5 million benefit to the local economy.

It is anticipated that 2009-10 will see an even higher intake, with 138 skilled migrants arriving since July 2009.

I look forward to keeping readers of B2B informed in the months to come as we collectively tackle the challenges of meeting the demand for skilled labour.

act government

Can’t see your industry?Visit www.det.act.gov.au to find out when and where

the consultation forums are being held.Call 6205 7052 or email [email protected] for more information.

IT’S YOUR CHANCE TO TELL THE ACT DEPARTMENT

OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING WHERE IT SHOULD

SPEND ITS TRAINING DOLLARS IN 2011.

MAkE SURE YOUR INDUSTRY IS HEARD!

The ACT Department of Education and Training is holding broad-reaching consultations

with industry sectors as part of its efforts to determine what the ACT’s training priorities will

be in 2011 and where funding should be allocated.

Each year, the Department administers ACT and Australian Government funding totalling

more than $23 million for training within the vocational education and training (VET) and

community education sectors in the ACT. Work is underway to assess which industry

sectors will receive priority funding in 2011.

It is your chance as an employer, business group, registered training organisation, public sector

or community services organisation to have your say about the ACT’s future training needs.

Here are some of the consultation dates:

Date Industry Group

2 March Personal Services

4 March Aeroskills

11 March Asset Maintenance & Property Security

15 March Automotive

16 March Civil Construction

22 March Metals & Engineering

23 March Water/ Public Safety

30 March Food Processing/ Seafood

Funeral Services

8 April Health (Nursing)

12 April Health (Allied Health and

Health Support Services)

15 April Retail Services

29 April Business Services

Supported by

Governments around the world recognise that they must embrace technology in their systems and busi-ness processes in order to meet the increasing expecta-tions of the com-munity, as well as to reduce costs.The e-Government Cluster places the ACT at the vanguard of such moves.

NICTA has a strong track record in e-Government research and has been working for some time with a number of government agencies in Canberra to help improve the performance of IT systems and processes. These include the Departments of Finance, Innovation, Health and Ageing, the Australian Research Council and IP Australia.

The ACT Government’s involvement and agreement to sponsor the Cluster seeks to maximise e-Government outcomes for all stakeholders in the ACT.

NICTA Project Leader Jon Gray says there is growing awareness that advanced ICT is trans-forming the way in which government and business services are delivered.

“Internationally, in leading economies, it is commonly recognised that around 40 per cent of productivity growth can be attrib-uted to the use of advanced ICT.

The e-Government technology Cluster initiative will help increase efficiency and po-sition Australia more competitively,” he said.

“We are most grateful to the ACT Government for its support of the Cluster.

We are confident that, with this support, we can now make a significant contribution to e-Government practice in Australia. And

that will mean significant benefits for the ACT ICT sector,” he said.

Already several ACT companies have ex-pressed interest in the Cluster, some with pri-or experience of working with multinational and national companies.Results are already in

Last December saw an ACT-based SME in-volved in the first demonstration of NICTA’s “OpinionWatch” technology.

“OpinionWatch” is WEB2.0 and GOV2.0 (Department of Finance and Deregulation led initiative) in action. It provides a near real-time barometer of opinion continually avail-able on line – effectively an advance knowl-edge management system (see graphic).

It is a working prototype that demon-strates the application of NICTA’s docu-ment processing technologies to a specific e Government problem.

The e-Government Cluster looks to de-veloping more of these initiatives in the next five years when the Cluster itself will become an incorporated entity managed by NICTA.

In September last year the Australian e-Gov-ernment Technology Cluster was launched in the ACT. The Cluster is a partnership be-tween the National ICT Australia Limited

(NICTA), the ACT Government, several ma-jor international companies, innovative ACT companies and other research organisations. This model is designed to encourage the ma-jor multinational and national corporations to become involved in an environment which en-ables partnerships with already capable ACT companies. The ACT Government is provid-ing sponsorship of $150,000 to help establish the Cluster in 2009-10, with a commitment for a further $100,000 per annum through to 2011-12.

NICTA is Australia’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Research Centre of Excellence and the largest organisa-tion in Australia dedicated to ICT research. It drives innovation through high quality research, research training and technology transfer.

There is a unique opportunity presented by NICTA’s e-Government research here in Canberra, which has the potential to make us the e-Government centre of the country and the region, especially given the machinery of Federal Government within our boundaries.So what will the e-Government Cluster do?

The intent is that partnerships are formed between multinational corporations, me-dium and small businesses in the ICT space, resulting in opportunities for Canberra-based SME businesses to share in the devel-opment, demonstration and ultimately sales of e Government solutions especially in the Federal sphere.

NICTA's targeted research in key areas of government service delivery is creating new technologies to improve the efficiency, effec-tiveness, agility, and responsiveness of agencies' business processes and IT systems.

The value of these improvements extends beyond the e-enabled agencies, and delivers social and economic benefits to a wider com-munity of other government portfolios and jurisdictions, to private citizens, and to corpo-rate users and customers of government.

e-Government emerging in Canberra

e-Government is the process of using technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of government policy development and service delivery for the benefit of clients, whether business or the public.


g2b

act government


ACT Work Safety CommissionerP.O. Box 158Canberra City ACT 2601T: 6205 0333F: 6205 0168E: [email protected]

For health and safety information and guidancewww.worksafety.act.gov.au www.safetyforum.org.au www.safeworkactawards.com.au www.actsafetyshow.com.au

Mark McCabe ACT Work Safety Commissioner

As well as creating a risk to health and safe-ty, bullying can impact an organisation through reduced productivity, staff turno-ver and legal costs.

'Mobbing' is a term sometimes used to describe bullying behaviour where the perpetrator is a group of people rather than an individual.

'Unreasonable behaviour' is behaviour that is of-fensive, humiliating, degrading or threatening.

Under the Work Safety Act 2008, employers are obliged to take all reasonably practicable steps to manage health and safety risks in their workplaces. Bullying is one such health and safety risk. Failure to do so could constitute a breach of the Act and could have serious repercussions, not just for those bullying or being bullied, but for the organisation as a whole.

The following are a number of actions employers should take to prevent bullying or harassment occur-ring in their workplaces.

Follow the Four Step Process (outlined in our-booklet Recognising and Managing the Risks of Workplace Bullying) to identify, assess and 'control' the factors which contribute to workplace bullying.

Inform workers about bullying and harassment, what it is, and why it is not accepted as well as what action will be taken against those who do it – our workplace bullying awareness training is just one way of achieving this.

Adopt a Code of Ethics or set of Values for your or-ganisation which make clear what sorts of behaviour are acceptable or valued, as well as those which are not.

Develop a bullying policy and procedure to ad-dress workplace bullying in your workplace – en-sure that the policy is developed in consultation with your workers – see our booklet, Developing a Complete Complaint Resolution Process to address Workplace Bullying, which outlines a process with three components:

1. Personal Options for responding to perceived bullying2. Informal Complaint Process

3. Formal Investigation Process for more serious matters or those not resolved through 1 or 2.

The booklet also provides a sample policy and procedures.

• Make sure that your bullying policies and procedures adhere to principles of 'natural justice' .

• Take prompt and impartial action to resolve any situations which may be perceived as workplace bullying or harassment.

• Provide access to external investigation and/or mediation when management may be perceived not to be partial, or to ensure independence, impartiality and objectivity.

• Ensure there is follow-through on such action – both bullies and workers will quickly recognise threats to take strong action which are not backed up by strong action when appropriate.

• Provide training, particularly for supervisors and managers.

• Provide responsible, mature supervision of workers to ensure inappropriate behaviour is not tolerated (e.g. highly demanding work, a culture that may encourage workplace bullying, a lack of support or empathy for victims, workers not being clear about what their role is or poor workplace communication).

Refer to our guidance at www.worksafety.act.gov.au/bullying for more information.

Bullying is repeated unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or a group of workers that creates a risk to the health and safety of those workers. It can be perpetrated by an individual or a group.

Preventing and responding to workplace bullying

'Mobbing' is a term sometimes

used to describe bullying behaviour

where the perpetrator is a group

of people rather than an individual.

'Unreasonable behaviour' is

behaviour that is offensive,

humiliating, degrading or threatening.

g2b

act WorK safety commissioner


gave special attention to this fact when forming its National Partnership Agreement on Youth Attainment and Transitions.

As part of this agreement, a network of partnership brokers is being established, covering the entire coun-try, whose role will be to facilitate the establishment of partnerships between industry and schools, to provide support to entire communities, including teachers, em-ployers, youth workers and of course parents, whose role is to help young people make successful transitions from school into further education and training, and into the workforce.

The ACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry is delivering this initiative in the ACT with the support of the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and the ACT Department of Education and Training (DET).

Our goal is to find synergies and facilitate partner-ships to support both business and schools, with the purpose of helping young people in the ACT make suc-cessful transitions from school to work.

We are establishing the Ready program not only to provide schools with the support they need, but also to guide businesses in connecting with schools.

Four staff are now on board, ready to work with teachers, business leaders, government and community groups to link organisations who work with young peo-ple in the hope that young people will take full advan-tage of the support offered to them.

The old adage that it takes a village to raise a child is more meaningful than ever in the context of these chang-es, and while schools are often expected to bear the brunt of the work, this is one area that they simply can’t address on their own.

For young people to make successful transitions through education and training and into the workforce, the entire community is needed to support them.

If you would like to discuss how this initiative can help your organisation, please contact our Communications Officer, Peter Ricardo on 02 6283 5231 or [email protected].

The most palpable evidence of this is the fact that you occasionally hear someone com-plaining that they’re being treated 'like school children'! This complaint seems to imply that

there is something fundamentally wrong with being treated the way we were treated at school, which, as a parent of school-age children, is a worrying thought.

I don’t think peo-ple who make such complaints are actu-ally trying to imply that schools mis-treat students, but what they’re usually trying to say is that they want to be treated like adults. Ironically, school students – high school

students especially – want exactly the same thing.Their primary objective is to learn how to be

an adult; what will be expected of them and what freedoms they will enjoy as a result of meeting those expectations.

In a nutshell, adolescents instinctively want to understand the world they live in, and if they sus-pect that what they’re being taught has nothing to do with that world, they will turn their attention to something more clearly connected.

Recognising this, teachers have, for decades now, made great efforts to link the principles they’re teaching to real-world applications. Mathematical principles ap-plied to construction, for instance; principles of gram-mar applied to writing; the study of history applied to current events. It is in linking teaching to the world out-side the classroom that teachers get the traction they need to engage young people in learning.

While teachers work hard to devise learning expe-riences that are at once engaging and enriching, they often find it difficult to seek the support they need to engage their students in learning that links meaningfully into the real world.

The Council of Australian Governments (COAG)

School is an entirely unique experience in life. While it may be a common experience for the vast majority of Australians, it is nonetheless a culture and an experience that is not replicated in any other experience we have in life, least of all our working lives.

Trevar Chilver. Director of Employment, Education & TrainingACT & Region Chamber of Commerce & Industry

Corporate SponsorsacteWagl, 104.7 / mix 106.3, prime tv, the canberra times, the good guys tuggeranong, Duesburys nexia, synapse Worldwide, b2b in canberra.

Associates and Affiliatesretail traders association, australian industry Defence network

Foundation Memberaustralian chamber of commerce & industry

In a nutshell, adolescents instinctively want to

understand the world they live in, and if they

suspect that what they’re being taught has

nothing to do with that world, they will turn their

attention to something more clearly connected.

a2b

Linking schools and businesses

act anD region chamber of commerce & inDustry

Robbos: Women are an important source of new business as riders but they also make or influence buy-ing decisions. So yes they are a very important group to our business.

CWB: Has Purple Tick changed your approach to delivering service to women?

Robbos: It has helped us to develop a more “female friendly” approach in recognising the needs of nursing mothers and of wives, girlfriends and friends of male buy-ers. In the past we tended to concentrate more on female buyers and female partners of male buyers. The Purple Tick enables us to widen our focus to include families.

CWB: What has been the reaction of your staff to being a Purple Tick business?

Robbos: Staff have always worked at mak-ing women welcome, the café, cleanliness of showroom, restrooms, inclusion of women in financial conversations, merchandise and now baby change facilities.

Staff are frequents speakers at “Ladies Garage Nights” which is a networking evening designed for women who may be interested in the sport of motorcycling. The evenings are very popular and all ladies are invited regardless of the brand they ride.

CWB: What do you envisage will be the greatest benefit your business will receive from being a Purple Tick business?

Robbos: Acceptance that women ride too, our cus-tomers are ‘normal’ they work in the public service, offices, are professionals and may live next door. It is extremely important to us to value our customers and women are our greatest growth area. We see the Purple Tick as a positive move towards a better image.

CWB: What advice would you give to other busi-nesses about getting involved with Purple Tick?

Robbos: Get involved, think of new ways to appeal to customers and just make your business a better place to do business.

The consumers and businesses (and even the Government) that women in business serve are increasingly concerned about issues such as sustainability, health and wellbeing in the com-

munity and community relationships. As part of that community business women are also often personally interested in such issues.

This means two things for business women: First, we feel as if we want to help. Second, our customers like it when we help others. Helping out the commu-nity through giving cash, goods and services or through sponsoring an event is a great way for women in busi-ness to show their customers and staff that they sup-port the community they live in.

Studies show that consumers often make decisions on products they purchase and people choose to work in a business based on the company’s support of the community – compared with that of their competitors.

It’s not that simple though. Business women need to be clear about which community organisations are go-ing to be the most highly valued by their customers and which offer the best opportunity to display the busi-ness’s social credentials to customers.

CWB and other groups should understand that to get help from businesses they need to be clear about two things: first – exactly what do they want from the business and what will it be used for. This helps the business decide whether this will be appealing to its market and to get a sense of how useful its con-tribution will be.

Second – what opportunities can the organisation offer the business to promote itself to the members and supporters? This helps the business to compare the benefits of sponsorship with other more traditional promotional methods.

At the end of the day – giving to community groups can be a great promotional opportunity for businesses that benefits everyone involved. CWB and our col-leagues in other organisations are always grateful to the businesses that help us out.

Purple Tick Profile – Robbo’s Harley DavidsonPurple Tick rewards businesses that deliver the kind

of service that women want. This month CWB profiles Purple Tick business owner – Kris Macauley of Robbo’s Harley Davidson.

CWB: How important are women customers as a group to your business?

Jean McIntyre talks about how philanthropy can be a good strategy for women in business to raise their profile and develop customer loyalty.

Philanthropy is good for business women

Jean McIntyre, PresidentChamber of Women in Business


CHAMBER OF WOMEN IN BUSINESS

For more information: Chamber of Women in Business T 6282 6255 F 6282 7191 E [email protected] www.cwb.org.au

cWb next eventCWB Events are held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.Tues 16th March – ‘The Executive Brain’ The Brassey Hotel - Members $25, Guests $35Register: www.cwb.org.au

a2b

Kris Macauley of Robbo’s Harley Davidson.

chamber of Women in busiiness


Affiliated with

Principal Members

actew corporation, actewagl, bank West, bega cheese, bluestar printing group, clayton utz, cre8ive, ernst & young, elite, eWay, medibank health solutions, hindmarsh, holistech, Kpmg, mba, national australia bank, national museum of australia, nec australia, staging connections, the village building co, thyssen Krupp marine systems australia

upcoMing events

canberra times business series Guest Speaker: Harold Mitchell, Mitchell Communication Groupthe commonwealth clubcost: $77 Members $99 non-Members $700 table of 10 12.30pm – 2.00pmthursday 25 March 2010

canberra times business series Guest Speaker: Robyn Archerhyatt hotel cost: $77 Members $99 non-Members $700 table of 1012.30pm – 2.00pmthursday 22 april 2010

act budget breakfastGuest Speaker: Katy Gallagher MLAnational press clubcost: $65 Members $75 non-Members $600 table of 107.30am – 9.00amWednesday 5 May 2010

to register all eventswww.canberrabusinesscouncil. com.au

By Chris Faulks Chief Executive Officer, Canberra Business Council

With the impact of the global downturn steadily unwinding in the ACT, our economy is beginning to gain strength again and will soon return to its previous vigour.

Skills shortages threaten our prosperity

However as a relatively small jurisdiction with a population of around 350,000 people, the Territory's prosperity hinges almost entirely on the efforts of skilled workers - they are the life-

blood of the ACT. Whether in business or in government, these skilled workers are what makes Canberra the best example of a successful knowledge-based economy in Australia, with the highest concentration of knowledge-based activity in the country as ranked by the National Institute for Economic and Industry Research.

Canberra also has one of the lowest unemployment rates in Australia which, combined with an ever-ex-panding selection of world-class innovative businesses, means that the Territory has an insatiable appetite for highly skilled workers across various industries, particu-larly information technology.

Recognising the importance of this issue, the ACT Government acted upon calls from Canberra Business Council and several other prominent business and government organisations to establish the ACT Skills Commission in late 2006. The Commission's role was to advise the government on skills issues and the strate-gies required to meet the ACT's immediate and long term skills needs. After much deliberation, the Skills Commission released its final report in April 2008, pro-viding a range of practical recommendations.

Unfortunately not long afterwards, the economic downturn hit the ACT and, quite understandably, the concept of a shortage of skills was not the foremost problem in the minds of many businesses, nor govern-ment. Throughout 2009 Canberra Business Council con-tinued to hold discussions with the ACT Government on this issue, but little progress could be made in the poor economic climate.

This year, with the crisis over and a resurgence in the economy, the ACT Government acted swiftly to con-vene a Skills Roundtable in early February. Canberra Business Council was well-represented at the Round Table with seven of our Board members and Task Force chairs present along with a range of other busi-ness and government representatives. The focus of the Roundtable was to continue the work of the ACT Skills Commission, addressing new employment chal-lenges resulting from the aftermath of the financial crisis, and emerging issues of relevance, such as recent

federal changes to the skilled migration laws. Those at the Roundtable overwhelmingly recognised the high priority which this issue must take.

What types of skills does the ACT need? According to the latest ACT Government Skills in Demand List, information & communication technology, health and engineering professionals are in high demand. This is particularly true for positions at senior levels and/or re-quiring specialist skills. The Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) Vacancy Report also highlights that the managers, professionals, and clerical and administrative workers categories cur-rently have the highest levels of vacancies in the ACT, with these three categories making up over half of the approximately 5,000 vacancies available in the Territory at the moment.

Another issue to consider is the relatively unique employment environment we have in the ACT. With more than a third of our workforce employed by the public sector, the majority of these in the Federal Public Service, there is the ever-present risk that businesses could be starved of skilled workers, unable to compete with the higher salaries and better conditions which government offers. There is even the possibility that the Federal Government, unable to draw sufficient skills from the local workforce to replace its retiring public servants, will decide to relocate key government de-partments to other parts of Australia. Again this would be disastrous for our economy, given that much of the private sector activity in the ACT is reliant, directly or indirectly, on providing products and services to the public sector.

Canberra Business Council recommended to Government last year that a body similar to the Skills Commission be re-established to coordinate the re-sponse to this critical issue. The reinstatement of such a body was also the strong recommendation from the Round Table. Given the importance of the skills short-age – it is generally regarded as the single most signifi-cant constraint on business growth – there is no more critical issue for business and the economy in the ACT. There are no easy answers, however business must work with the ACT and Federal Governments to address skills shortages if we are to secure the economic future of the ACT region.

a2b

canberra business council


upcoMing events

the act exporters’ network business breakfast series presents...the great debateThe motion "Canberra is an ideal environment for the development of globally focused, knowledge-based companies" will be debated by exporters and industry specialists.cit school of hospitality, Level 2, constitution ave, reid7.15 for 7.30 – 9amWednesday 17 March 2010

3rd annual export Leaders’ LuncheonThe Export Leaders’ Luncheon is part of the 2010 ACT Chief Minister’s Export Awards and will showcase some of Australia’s most successful export leaders including 2009/10 Australian Export Heroes.cit school of hospitality, Level 2, constitution ave, reid12.15pm for 12.30 – 2pmFriday 30 april 2010

breakfast with the parliamentary secretary for trade the hon anthony byrne Mp The Hon. Anthony Byrne, Parliamentary Secretary for Trade and the Prime Minister’s Office will discuss his role in implementing export, business development and investment attraction programs. cit school of hospitality, Level 2, constitution ave, reid7.15 for 7.30 – 9amthursday 27 May 2010

By Brent JuratowitchPresident, ACT Exporters' Network

On 10 and 24 February 2010 the ACT Exporters’ Network, in partnership with Austrade and the Centre for Customs & Excise Studies at the University of Canberra

delivered 'Getting into Export' workshops for potential exporters and those new to export companies.

The introductory workshops, catering to both product and service exporters were designed to pro-vide management with an overview of export as well as some guidance and assistance regarding growing and consolidating export businesses.

The number of topics covered during the half-hour workshops were numerous and varied from de-veloping an export strategy and establishing export

pricing models to identifying the legal issues for ex-porters when engaging with distributors and cost-ef-fective means of marketing and promoting products and services offshore.

One of the important take home messages from the workshop was the importance of having an ex-port strategy and accompanying action plan in place to ensure that growth is matched to the company’s capability and resources.

According to one of the workshop’s presenters, Kevin Reilly from GTR Consulting, “an export strat-egy should form an essential component of a com-pany’s business plan. It represents a blueprint for on-going export success and growth.”

Some of the more lively sessions happened to be

when we invited some of our successful ACT & Region exporters in to talk about their respective export mod-els and journeys.

Workshop participants heard from Kylie-Ann Petroni from Cackleberry Kids, Neil McGregor from Yarrh Wines, Harry Telfer from Yellow Edge and Danny Moulis from Moulis Legal on their specific export mod-els for growth.

According to Danny Moulis, “the choice of wheth-er you partner with a local services organisation or whether you go solo and direct, depends on the serv-ices being exported, the customer’s requirements and the local laws”.

The ACT Exporters’ Network along with its partner organisations will continue to work closely with work-shop participants to assist them in engaging with the various export-related support programs and to lever-age off of the experience and skills of those companies who are successfully exporting their goods and services to all parts of the globe.

Benchmark your business with the 2010 EFIC Global Readiness index

How has the global financial crisis changed the trends and outlook for exporting and investing offshore over the last 12 months?

How ready are Australian businesses for the oppor-tunities and challenges of today’s ever-changing interna-tional marketplace? In other words, what is their current state of ‘global readiness’?

Export Finance and Insurance Corporation (EFIC), the Australian government’s export credit agency, is conducting its annual Global Readiness index (GRi). Now in its third year, the GRi is a wide-ranging study of the current destinations for Australian exporters and offshore investors, their motivations and the barriers they face in an increasingly globalised world.

Take part in the EFIC online survey. It only takes around 10 minutes and closes on 31 March. Visit www.efic.gov.au/gri to complete the survey.

The ACT Exporters’ Network is proudly sponsored by the ACT Government, Canberra Business Council, the Centre for Customs & Excise and AusIndustry.

Getting into the export game

There were some important take-home messages from the recent workshops held by the ACT Exporters' Network in partnership with Austrade and the Centre for Customs & Excise Studies.

a2b

According to one of the workshop’s

presenters, Kevin Reilly from GTR

Consulting, “an export strategy

should form an essential component

of a company’s business plan. It

represents a blueprint for ongoing

export success and growth.”

act exporters' netWorK


The term ‘business-facing university’ is being widely adopted in Great Britain as a place maker to define a new type of emerging university – those that are business-like and have made a strategic decision to focus on working closely with the business sector.

Professor John H HowardPro Vice-Chancellor, Development, University of Canberra

the business of being a 'business-facing university'

Cities and regions with strong business oriented universities are proving to be the most resil-ient, the most innovative and the most able to address the complex issues required by busi-

ness on a day to day basis.The University of Canberra has an important place in

Canberra’s business community through its responsibility for educating students for successful professional careers. Graduates must leave the University not only ‘work ready’ but also equipped with the ‘softer’ skills of leadership, com-munication, and teamwork.

Our staff are committed to the quest for new knowledge through quality research – research that contributes to the stock of useful knowledge that is available to all, as well as research that is relevant to business and the broader community. We are also committed to innovation – the application of new knowledge and ideas in addressing business problems and opportunities.

Around the world there is growing expectation that universities will be partners in metropolitan and regional economic development strategies. It is well understood that universities make a significant contribution to the economic health of a region: as major employers and purchasers of goods and services; the income generated through export of education services; the licensing of technologies and creation of start-up companies based on research outputs; and the creation of an educated and talented workforce. Recent work by the OECD has pointed to the existence of ‘local talent pools’ as critical drivers of economic development.

Business-facing universities partner and collaborate with the business community to supply advanced level skills in areas of need and support both employers and employees in their research, ongoing professional devel-opment, and broader innovation strategies. In addition, the University campus is a tremendous asset for the city and the region. A well utilised, open campus allows a university to exist at the heart of its community. We encourage the business community to engage with the University on campus.

Over the past few months, the University has hosted a number of events in conjunction with the Lighthouse

Innovation Centre. We have also hosted a semi-nar by the Creative Industry Innovation Centre. The InnovationACT program, delivered in co-operation by students of both ANU and the University of Canberra, has held events at Bruce.

The University is in regular discussion with business groups and organisations such as the Business Council, the Chamber of Commerce, the ACT Government Business and Industry Development agency, Regional Development Australia (ACT) and a range of industry specific groups. The University has a commitment to Work Integrated Learning (WIL) which involves busi-ness internships and participation in the development and delivery of professional courses and programs that produce the qualified graduates that industries seek – both now and in the future.

The University is also undertaking a major invigora-tion of its Alumni program in order to better link gradu-ates with the University. Many of University of Canberra graduates, whether from recent years or years gone past, have major roles within the Canberra and regional business community – and they can provide an important bridging function between the University and the business sector.

We continue in our endeavours to raise business aware-ness of the University's capability and capacity and its strong desire to better link to this critical sector of the ACT economy. For a business-facing university, constant con-nectivity with business is key and that means establishing a revolving door philosophy with a regular interchange of ideas, people, events and activities.

We all recognise that it is relatively easy to work with the corporate sector that has the infrastructure and the maturity to respond to higher education. We all know that the more challenging market is that of the small and medium sized enterprises – and of course this rep-resents the bulk of the local business community. This is a challenge the University is responding to.

The University of Canberra will continue in these endeavours to become a leading business-facing univer-sity and looks forward to the greater levels of interac-tion that this role brings, and the increasing economic outcomes to not only individual businesses, but to the economy as a whole.

For further details about how your business can interact with the University, please contact Professor John H Howard at the University of Canberra on (02) 6201 5050.

For a business-

facing university,

constant connectivity

with business

is key and that

means establishing

a revolving door

philopsophy with a

regular interchange

of ideas, people,

events and activities.

the university of canberra

u2b


AIC

D#1

664

How to add financialclarity to your companieslong term successAICD’s Finance for New Directors offersa straight forward introduction tofinancial statements from a director’sperspective.

As a director you need to know how toreview financial statements and monitorfinancial performance. This course is thestart you need.

Course detailsThursday 25 March 2010

For more information or to enrol on this course, contactRenee Heins on 1300 764 633 or visit the website atwww.companydirectors.com.au

Foundations of Directorship

Unlock the secretsof prosperity introubling times

Learn4Results 2010 – Canberra

Workshops

MARCH

For course outlines and registration forms go to www.learn4results.com.auor email [email protected] For enquiries, call 03 9889 5150.

Negotiating for Results1 Day 10 June Canberra $495.00

Emotional Intelligence – Improving workplace relations

1 Day 11 June Canberra $495.00

Minute Taking Workshop1 Day 19 May Canberra $495.00

Essential Skills for EAs & Administrators1 Day 20 May Canberra $495.00

The New Team Leader/Supervisor1 Day 25 May Canberra $495.00

Selection Criteria & Interviews1 Day 26 May Canberra $495.00

Managing & Leading Teams2 Days 17 & 18 March Canberra $946.00

Minute Taking Workshop1 Day 23 March Canberra $495.00

Project Management Fundamentals1 Day 24 March Canberra $495.00

Assertiveness in the Workplace1 Day 27 April Canberra $495.00

Business Writing for the Public Sector1 Day 28 April Canberra $495.00

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

ne

tWo

rK

ing


Anne Brown, Anne-Marie Perret, Greg Field, Mark Nixon, Christine Nixon, Catherine Friday, Rowan Moffitt, and Lyn O'Connell @ Ernst & Young Women with Ambition breakfast

Emma Johnson, Fiona Mauris, Joan Gersekowsk and Sarah Elphick @ Ernst & Young Women with Ambition breakfast

Felicity Prideaux, Ashlea Perry and Lisa Berwick @ Ernst & Young Women with Ambition breakfast

Deirdre Allen, Lynnere Gray, Monica Atkinson, Robyn Keegan and Mary O'Neill @ Ernst & Young Women with Ambition breakfast

Christine Nixon addressing the capacity crowd at the

Ernst & Young Women with Ambition breakfast.

What’s next? ey.com

7:15 am - 8:45 am Wednesday 21 April 2010 Cost: $35 inc GST

Contact Bronwyn Cather on Tel: +61 2 6267 3810 or [email protected]


we think differently

6282 0888 // voodoocreative.com.au

EXCELLENCE IN NEW MEDIA MULTIMEDIA / WEB DEVELOPMENTWINNER

PAGEAWARDS

PRINT AND GRAPHICEXCELLENCE 09

KEEP YOUR WEBSITEUP-TO-DATE

You can easily manage your website with ourstraightforward content editing solutions.

B I U

ne

tWo

rK

ing


Belinda Ayers, David Blogg and Julie Beck @ Westpac Night at the Zoo

Amelda and Glenn Keys and Ian Gash @ Westpac Night at the Zoo

Ginny Acworth, Senator Gary Humphries, Ellie Hyde, Brian Acworth,

and Beverley Henman @ Westpac Night at the Zoo

Greg and Linda Mann, Andrew and Trish Turnball, and Shaughan Cooke @ Westpac Night at the Zoo

Vanessa Pirotta, Tim Benson and American alligator @ Westpac Night at the Zoo Ron Costerie and Hugh Cooke @ Westpac Night at the Zoo


50% off alltreatments*

For a limited time onlyValid Monday to Friday

* Conditions apply

Ph // 02 6262 8185OPEN 7 DAYSCrowne Plaza, 1 Binara Street,Canberra City, ACT 2601www.earthdayspa.com.au

Treat yourself to: Healing Massages I HydrotherapyRevitalising Body Wraps I Nourishing FacialsSpa Manicures & Pedicures I Waxing and Tinting

* Bookings are essential and the offer is valid for minimum 1 hour treatments. This promotion cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

Where will you go?

CANBERRA CAMPUS

UNSW Canberra Campus offers PhDs, Masters, Graduate Diplomas, and Graduate Certificates across disciplines in Arts, Business, Engineering, Science and Technology.

Applications Close:Semester 1 – 20 January 2010Semester 2 – 20 July 2010

Further information regarding postgraduate coursework and research study opportunities is available online via the student gateway: www.unsw.adfa.edu.au/student

Contact details:T: 02 6268 6000 F: 02 6268 8666 E: [email protected]

www.unsw.adfa.edu.auCricos Provider Code: 00100G

Image Copyright Andresr, 2009 Used under license from Shutterstock.com

Help in your officeLord knows you need it!

If you can relate to this we can help you... Telephone—6241 7700Mobile—0427 559 446Facsimile—6241 7711

Email—[email protected]

Services include...

www.cansecserv.com

Design & print •MYOB Data Entry/Bookkeeping •Help to use your own computer•Digital photography for documents•

Officere-organisationincluding •writingofficeproceduremanualsGeneralofficeadmintasks•Special project? We can help!•

At budget prices, we can design and print—

We can take photos to

enhance

your document!

flyers/advertisements•trainingmaterials•posters/banners•business cards•invitations•yourspecialproject!•

Our experienced team will create your design, get your

material printed & delivered to you, hassle free. Call us today!

Intro to Business Workshops

Capital RegionBEC

with Colin Emerson

‘The services provided by Capital Region BEC are partially funded by the Australian Government.’

Cost FreeTo secure your place call: 6297 3121

for details visit www.crbec.com.au

This excellent two and one half hour workshop is for business intenders and those who are in the early stages of their business plans.

Dates for 2010:Wednesday 3rd February - Canberra. 9.30 am to 12.00 pmWednesday 3rd March - Queanbeyan. 9.30 am to 12.00 pmThursday 11th March - Yass. 6.00 pm to 8.30 pmWednesday 7th April - Canberra. 9.30 am to 12.00 pmWednesday 5th May - Queanbeyan. 9.30 am to 12.00 pmWednesday 2nd June - Canberra. 9.30 am to 12.00 pm

ne

tWo

rK

ing


Present this voucher in Spring and Save $147!

Pro-Fit Health Club includes A boutique and private setting unlike the big gyms Free weights & machine weights Separate cardio room with plasma TVs Outdoor heated pool & sauna Lunchtime classes in Glebe Park Personal training & nutritionist

Bronze memberships start from only $15 per week

Located on the Glebe Park level of the Crowne Plaza Hotel

6230 7893 | [email protected] | www.pfcorporatehealth.com

MB

D 0

90

9

WORK IN THE CITY?WORK OUT WITH US! Present this

voucher in Spring and Save $147!

Pro-Fit Health Club includes A boutique and private setting unlike the big gyms Free weights & machine weights Separate cardio room with plasma TVs Outdoor heated pool & sauna Lunchtime classes in Glebe Park Personal training & nutritionist

Bronze memberships start from only $15 per week



MB

D 0

90

9

WORK IN THE CITY?WORK OUT WITH US!

month by month memberships a boutique and private setting unlike the big gyms free-weights & machine weights separate cardio room with plasma tvs outdoor heated pool & sauna lunchtime classes in glebe park personal training & nutritionist Weight loss & exercise physiology.



No ContractsNo Cancellation FeesJust Fitness!

Flexi-standard & Flexi-Platinum memberships available

Pro-Fit Health Club includes

B2B

[voo

doo

]I462

010

Phillip Dean, Robert Blake, Bruce Arthur, Darleen Barton, Ian Stenneti,

Lahiru Arachchige and Ignatius Rozario @ 10X launch

Kerry Andrew, Wayne Bolin and Irene Cassimatis @10X launch

Will McFetridge, Sofia Majewski and Trevar Chilver @ 10X launch Glen Spencer, Brian Corkhill and Ken Spencer @ 10X launch

legal notice relating to copyright, Warranties anD liabilitiesman bites Dog public relations (‘mbD’) owns the copyright in this publication. except for any fair dealing as permitted by the copyright act 1968 (cwth), no part of this publication may be reproduced without the prior written permission of mbD. mbD has been careful in preparing this publication, however: it is not able to, and does not warrant that the publication is free from errors and omissions; and it is not able to verify, and has not verified the accuracy of the information and opinions contained or expressed in, or which may be conveyed to readers by any advertisement or other publication content. mbD advises that it accepts all contributed material and advertisements contained in this publication in good faith, and relies on various warranties and permissions provided to it by the persons who contribute material and/or place advertisements. those warranties and permissions include that neither the material and/or advertisements are misleading, deceptive or defamatory, and that their use, adaptation or publication does not infringe the rights of any third party, or any relevant laws. further, mbD notifies readers that it does not, nor should it be understood to endorse, adopt, approve or otherwise associate mbD with any representations made in contributions and/or advertisements contained in the publication. mbD makes no representation or warranty as to the qualifications of any contributor or advertiser or persons associated with them, and advises readers that they must rely solely on their own enquiries in relation to such qualifications, and be satisfied from those enquiries that persons with whom they deal as a result of reading any material or advertisement have the necessary licences and professional qualifications relating to the goods and services offered. to the maximum extent permitted by law, mbD excludes all liabilities in contract, tort (including negligence) and/or statute for loss, damage, costs and expenses of any kind to any person arising directly or indirectly from any material or advertisement contained in this publication, whether arising from an error, omission, misrepresentation or any other cause.

You’ll be in good company, please call Pepe’s Corporate for your inspiration...

On permanent exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art New York.

The LAMY 2000 is a corporate gift prominent corporations give to their valued customers. Available in different

finishes and only one example of the LAMY collection.

Available at the Canberra CentreT: (02) 6162 4448

www.pepespaperie.com.au

LAMY 2000, a

reward used by

the World’s most

prominent

companies


1300 266 236 or 02 6123 8900Unprecedented Levels of Customer Service

Commander Centre (ACT) | Unit 4, 26 Sandford St, Mitchell, ACT, 2911 | [email protected] | www.commander.com

LOCAL PEOPLE DEDICATEDTO HELPING LOCAL BUSINESS

COMMANDER PHONE SYSTEM SPECIALISTS

VOICE AND DATA CABLING

FIXED LINE AND 3G MOBILE PLANS

Independently owned and operated by Inncom (ACT) Pty Ltd ABN 28 233 896 242

Get FREE handsets !!Save up to 25%

Receive one FREE handset for every four you purchase with your new Commander system.

Offer applies to our entire product portfolio. Maximum 10 handsets free. Must be ordered prior to Mar 31 2010.

B2B[

vood

oo]I4

6201

0

Seeking.

Partner for better banking. Are you looking

for a local business banker who is always there

for you? Someone with the time to devote

to your business and with the products and

know-how to make a difference? Want real

service? I’m ready to commit. Call me now on

1300 366 666.

Lost. My Business Banker. When we first got together

you promised you’d be there for me through thick

and thin. But now when I call you’re always out with

someone else and I only hear from you when you

want something from me. You said you understood

my business and that we had an exclusive thing.

I deserve better banking than this.

business

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited ABN 11 068 049 178 AFSL 237879 (S25700-a) (09/09)

Start. Run. Grow. Finance.

Business banking’s best kept secret. No longer classified.Call in and see us at:

• Calwell Community Bank® Branch, Shop 19 – 21 Calwell Shopping Centre, Webber Crescent, phone 6291 3385

• Wanniassa Community Bank® Branch, Unit 13 – 14 Wanniassa Shopping Centre, Sangster Place, Wanniassa, phone 6231 9024

• Canberra branch, 161 London Circuit, Canberra, phone 6290 9700

• Jamison branch, Shop D05 Bowman Street, Jamison Plaza, phone 6253 0088

Or why not visit www.bendigobank.com.au/business and find out more.

www.bendigobank.com.au/business