carbon pricing and small to medium sized businesses

Greater Dandenong’s business news June - September 2011

The Price of Carbon - Page 2Disaster Management - Page 6Local wins London bid - 1

Preparing your

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Contacts:Ron Ghiggino Manager Economic DevelopmentSandra George Manager South East Business Networks Enquiries to 9238 1550 Fax 9239 5196 www.greaterdandenong.comPaul Dowling South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA) Ph: 9238 1565 www.semma.com.auDeanne Johnson Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce Ph: 9794 8881 www.greaterdandenongchamber.orgPaula Brennan Stakeholder Editorial Ph: 9238 1573 [email protected]

Address:Business Development Centre 4th Floor, 329 Thomas Street Dandenong, Victoria 3175

Views expressed by individual contributors in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the City of Greater Dandenong.

Material from Stakeholder, Greater Dandenong‘s business news may be reproduced for non-commercial purposes provided the source is acknowledged, e.g. ‘This material first appeared in the City of Greater Dandenong’s Stakeholder publication, June - September 2011’.

2. Stakeholder June 2011 - September 2011

FocusWhat a spectacularly busy few months we have had. The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival; the Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce’s Platinum Regional Business Awards, the annual Greater Dandenong Race Day, and commencement of the 2011 awards program; Manufacturing Week; and the Manufacturing Hall of Fame and the inaugural Melbourne’s South East Business Awards - to mention just a few activities.

The success of the Chamber’s Platinum Regional Business Awards Gala Evening, with over 700 attendees, has set a new benchmark for celebrating awards for the region. Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up in the very competitive field.

The phenomenal success of the ‘Take a Swing for Charity Golf Day’ has made a significant contribution to our community so put 20 February in your diary to participate in the 2012 event.

There are still more events to come, so join us to celebrate the winter solstice at the Shortest Lunch on 22 June.

This edition looks not only at the very

topical “barbecue stopper” of carbon pricing but also some very positive outcomes of responding or working with the environment – about turning challenges into opportunities ranging from sustainable building design, manufactured products, electric vehicles or to responding to major weather events.

Business continuity is something that is always with us whether it is succession planning or responding to a significant event (or catastrophe) and we hope some of the articles in this edition are food for thought for you and your business.

As always enjoy the read and make sure to check the calendar of events.

Ron Ghiggino Manager Economic Development

Ron Ghiggino

City of opportunity

WorD froM tHE EXpErt

In recent months the media has been whipping up a storm over how a carbon

tax will send us all into poverty. The view has been that a carbon tax is yet another lever for the government to pull to grab more revenue and everyone and every business is going to suffer from a price being put on carbon.

Here are some realities:

•Australia has commitments under the UN to reduce national greenhouse gas emissions;

•Australia won’t be leading the world if it introduces a carbon tax. Many countries have already implemented a tax or scheme for putting a price on carbon;

•A critical issue for businesses will be keeping a competitive advantage in a new tax regime.

The bottom line is that a carbon price will be another risk for businesses to manage. BUT in some instances, a price on carbon will provide an opportunity, both in forcing businesses to review and update their operations to become more efficient, and in providing new industries and products to service a new carbon regime. How can your business take advantage of these opportunities?

In this article, I propose that SME leaders (if they haven’t already) ought to consider getting a view of how carbon flows through their business. This will enable an understanding of how a carbon price is likely to impact your balance sheet.

A carbon price has never been costed in our economy before and the environment, specifically the atmosphere, has carried the

Carbon Pricing and Small to Medium-Sized businesses: Don’t Wait to See What HappensArticle by turlough Guerin,

Turlough Guerin, Chairman Access Melbourne, Board Advisor Climate Alliance and Former Environmental Manager at Telstra, Shell and Rio Tinto. www.au.linkedin.com/in/turloughguerin

continued page 3

Greater Dandenong’s business news June 2011 - September 2011 3.

inDuStry StoriESweight of years and years of greenhouse gas emissions from our industrial activity. There is no point trying to delay or dodge the inevitable. I agree small businesses should voice their view on the potential downside of cheap imports that do not necessarily properly cost a price of carbon, but they should also be preparing themselves for the impact of a carbon price.

Energy and fuel prices are likely to be the main sources of additional costs for your business. Based on your current annual energy and fuel bills you can estimate the forecasted increases. By knowing where the carbon flows are in your business, you can prioritise efforts on where to reduce or substitute this flow. For other SMEs that produce large volumes of waste for landfill, the costs of disposal will increase because of the greenhouse impact of methane – a by-product of landfill waste decomposition.

But the specifics of estimating a financial impact for your business will vary according to your own systems, processes and products. There is no way to put all the options in this article for reducing your carbon footprint. In essence, what will give you a factual basis for evaluating the carbon risks in your business is to identify and collate these carbon emission sources. This is a basic carbon emissions inventory.

This is not rocket science but it does require some rigour, attention - detail and analysis:

1. Prepare a list of the sources of greenhouse gas emissions in your business. Look for anything that uses energy, fuel or contributes to landfill. Don’t limit yourself to the boundaries of your own facilities – consider what you are purchasing in raw materials i.e. over and above energy and fuel.

2. Rank the sources of carbon according to the total tonnage of CO2e (i.e. equivalent).

3. Identify ways to eliminate or reduce CO2e from the main sources.

4. Redesign those “carbon-intensive”2 parts of the business so that a competitive edge is established. This is where it counts. It is highly likely there will be a cost to deliver this

carbon reduction. Funding for business process redesign should be offset against the impacts of a carbon price on your business if you were to make no changes in the carbon passed through your business.

With knowledge of your carbon footprint you can determine the likely risks you’ll need to manage and plan for. The bonus of being proactive is that it will also expose opportunities for your business to be a low-carbon provider in your sector. This may give your business a competitive edge if you act on this knowledge.

Case study: A recent carbon footprint assessment for part of a large business yielded some interesting results for the business and its customers1. It showed that the environmental impact of its services was predominantly a result of servers and switching devices (routers) which the customer had to purchase to enable the services to work. When this information was shared with the customer, they were able to change their own processes to ensure the most energy-efficient routers were now used. It also provided a missing piece of information for the customers undertaking their own carbon emissions inventory.

1See “Measuring our own carbon footprint onto our largest customer” http://slidesha.re/hFNCAz 2That is, where the tonnes of CO2e (t CO2e) per unit of production or revenue is high compared to other parts of the business.

With a carbon-constrained world inevitable it is up to businesses to

set their own sustainability path, and explore the opportunities that sustainable practices can bring. One business taking advantage of these opportunities is Noble Park company Festo Pty Ltd.

Festo is one of the world’s largest industrial automation companies, supplying innovations in pneumatic, process and electric drive technology delivering productivity gains for clients.

Festo have taken advantage of the Local Industry Efficiency Program (LIEP), which provided an independent review of the company’s Noble Park site to determine the sustainability improvement potential with water, power and waste savings throughout its production facility.

“Going through the program has re-educated our business in relation to energy savings and waste management on a day-day basis. Incorporating our company’s strong environmental focus into our work environment has been easy to do, and has provided us with ongoing cost savings,” said Gavin Cocks, Festo Operations Manager.

Measures implemented on site included

•assessing power use of lights, water boilers and air conditioners;

• installing low-watt lights in office areas

•putting timers on air conditioners

• investing in programmable water boilers which operate only during business hours.

Air quality improvements were also made by fitting larger filters on compressed air equipment which improved efficiency and reduced energy use.

A review of waste materials has also led to changes at Festo. Compacted cardboard is now sold to a third party recycler and is no longer a cost. Festo is

now actively pursuing a similar strategy for timber waste from inbound shipping.

Another initiative introduced the use of more environmentally friendly water-based cutting lubricants, instead of difficult-dispose-of-oil-based products.

As a company, Festo recognises that its long-term economic success in a world of finite resources and limited carrying capacity of ecosystems necessitates responsible interaction with the environment.

Festo has reinforced its commitment to minimising the environmental impact of its business and products by joining the Support 155 Business Program.

www.festo.com.au

Positioning Your business for the Future

inDuStry StoriES


The cleantech industry is growing exponentially across the world. In

Australia, Victoria is leading the nation in terms of the number of companies involved, the people employed, and industry turnover.

To ensure it stays this way, the Victorian Government and its Department of Business and Innovation (DBI) recently organised trade missions to the USA and India.

The first mission to the USA was in pursuit of approved water projects with the United Nations and the World Bank. The 14-delegate mission returned in February with significant new business for the Australian businesses who attended.

The second mission to India in April highlighted Victoria’s general cleantech industry capabilities with the aim to maximise export and partnership opportunities.

Every participant in the Indian trade mission had a tailored program of one-on-one meetings in addition to joint

activities such as site visits. Austrade auspiced the Indian trade mission and ensured that participants were matched with suitable Indian organisations.

Three capability presentations were also organised so each participant could present to a hand-picked audience of about 40 Indian companies.

The trade mission to India was the first of a number planned by the Victorian Government. Eligible companies were also provided a $3000 rebate to assist with airfares and accommodation costs.

The multi-sector trade missions are part of the Victorian Government’s focus on India, which aims to achieve $60 million of additional exports in the next two years in addition to the existing $2 billion of Victorian exports to India. The Trade Mission’s visit in April set the tone for larger trade missions, targeted missions and industry promotion over the next two years.

A 2008 ICN report estimated that 19,000 people were employed by more than 300 companies in the cleantech industry, which produced revenues of $3.5 billion. This number is expected to double by 2020.

To register interest in future cleantech trade missions, contact Peter Hansford at [email protected].

Agricultural crops-such as grapes, potatoes and other vegetables,

fruits, cereals and even nuts-are facing an increasing prevalence of fungi and microbial plant pathogens.

One innovative Noble Park business has invented a multi-purpose solution to fight these diseases on greenhouse productions, in-field throughout the plant’s development and also in post-harvest storages.

Jaegar Australia, one of Australia’s foremost ‘creative formulators’ of industrial and commercial cleaning and sanitation agents, has developed a product Peratec Fungicide that is gaining widespread recognition nationally and overseas.

Mario Azzopardi, Jaegar’s Managing Director, said there several unique features of Peratec, which is environmentally friendly and can kill botrytis and other infections such as powdery and downy mildew in the one application.

“Peratec utilises per-oxygen chemistry that does not leave toxic residues or

pose any risk to human health. It is biodegradable and only has a one-day withholding period, so crops can be sprayed one day and harvested the next. Most other fungicides have a seven-day withholding period,” he said.

“Farmers know if it’s working within half an hour as affected leaves start to change colour. It’s that immediate. And the beauty of Peratec is that it not only kills the infection, it also kills the spore or eggs of the infection.”

The savings in using one application rather than three aren’t just restricted to the cost of purchasing products. The labour and fuel costs involved in having to do three applications at different times can be considerable.

Established in 1989, Jaegar remains a small operation with less than 10 staff. However, with the success of Peratec and other products, including a non-toxic biodegradable graffiti remover, Jaegar’s turnover has doubled this year, which points to a healthy growth path.

www.jaegaraustralia.com.au

Victoria Leads in Cleantech industry

Jaeger Formulation is the Farmer’s Friend

Before.

After.

inDuStry StoriES


Sustainability has become an essential ingredient for any new development.

The Beaumont Tiles building in Abbotts Road Dandenong South, constructed in late 2009 by the Pellicano Group, was a leading example of incorporating sustainability into the planning, design and construction thus reducing the environmental impact of the building.

More recently Australand announced that one of its latest projects, a 27,200-square-metre office and warehouse to be built on The Key estate in Greens Road Dandenong South, is expected to be one of Australia’s first Green Star-rated industrial buildings. The Australand project will aim for a four-star Green Star Design, leading the charge for industrial developments to follow standards previously set in the commercial marketplace.

The company expects the project to have an end value of about $25 million and to be retained within the investment property portfolio of the Australand Property Group.

Australand has been involved in the development of the Green Star Industrial tool, working with the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), the City of Greater Dandenong and the end owner, Australand Property Trust.

Chris Mackenzie, Australand’s commercial and industrial General Manager of Development and a member of the GBCA committee that developed the tool, said Australand was confident about the demand for green industrial buildings. ‘’Tenants and investors are increasingly recognising the advantages of properties with strong environmental credentials,’’ he said.

Implementing the next step is the nearby VicUrban LOGIS North estate which will set a new standard for entire industrial precincts by incorporating a host of cost-effective and future-friendly sustainable design features – including water-sensitive urban design, energy-efficient street lighting, recycled water and smart building design.

Greater Dandenong is privileged to be the home of these developments which are clearly setting the standard for others to follow.

www.gbca.org.au

The new Ikea and Harvey Norman Homemaker Centre in Springvale

is a great example of a sustainable development.

With the building nine metres longer than the Empire State Building is tall, this means plenty of roof space — approximately 55,000 square metres — to capture rainwater.

Steve Evans, Director of Leffler Simes Architects, designer of the building, said

every bit of water is used throughout the complex.

“In total, 4.8 million litres of rainwater are stored, which is used to flush toilets, top-up the air cooling towers and irrigate the landscape. It can also be used for general non-potable use such as cleaning the building and loading docks.”

Other sustainable features to conserve energy and materials include:

* Skylights deliver a happy balance between providing natural light and heat transfer issues. Approximately five per cent of the roof is translucent glass with high-UV values.

* Natural car park ventilation. Because the building is relatively narrow it can rely on wind pressure to vent the car parking levels that have an open facade. Additional ventilation is provided via fans that activate when carbon monoxide sensors are triggered. This eliminates the use of exhaust ducts and also reduces energy consumption.

* Insulation. The building is insulated above the recommended level to ensure the mechanical system works to its peak.

* Windows. All the glazing is shaded, providing natural light but preventing heat transfer by direct sunlight hitting the glass.

* Air cooling. The Ikea store uses an innovative ‘chilled beam’, water-based cooling system where a ‘beam’ (radiator) suspended from the ceiling allows denser cool air to fall to the floor, replaced by warmer air moving up from below. The running cost is approximately 16 per cent of a standard system.

www.ikea.com www.harveynorman.com.au

Leading the way in industrial Design

Green Building Designs Adapt to Changing Climate

Beaumont Tiles site in Abbotts Road

Ikea/Harvey Norman on-site

rainwater storage

DiSAStEr MAnAGEMEnt


Business continuity management can be divided into two segments: the

known risk factors that will affect your business and the more frequent unknown factors, which can strike at any time.

Perhaps the most well-planned for ‘known’ factor was the Y2K ‘bug’, with businesses investing resources to ensure minimal disruption. The increasing costs of oil and electricity also fall into this category.

Fires, floods and earthquakes are disasters that are beyond our control and highlight our vulnerability. Add to this energy disruptions, such as the Longford gas explosion in 1998 when there was no gas supply for nearly three weeks.

That’s why it’s important to be prepared. You need to identify preventive and alternative measures to manage risks through a business continuity plan. Risks need to be identified, assessed, analysed and tested; then monitored and reviewed regularly.

This, along with good financial plans and comprehensive insurances, should be in place to protect your business and reduce the impact on the business and your employees’ lives.

Do your processes allow you to continue to operate the business if such a disaster occurred? How soon could your business re-open and operate effectively after a major disruption? Would your back-ups really be effective if everything on site was lost? Are you sufficiently insured for such a business disaster?

To help business respond to those questions and develop their own plan, the Victorian Government Office of Small Business has produced an information sheet available online at www.business.vic.gov.au by searching for ‘Emergency Contingency Planner”.

Did you know that each Council has a Municipal Emergency Management

Plan (MEMP) - an over-arching document facilitating council’s total emergency management planning response and recovery initiatives?

The MEMP is developed and implemented in partnership with lead emergency agencies to address emergency issues which may occur within the municipality. These events could include major fire, flood, earthquake or any other emergency event which could have a broad impact on the local community.

The aim of the MEMP is to detail arrangements to minimise, respond to and recover from emergencies that could occur in the City of Greater Dandenong.

Activating and coordinating emergency resources is an integral part of the council’s day-to-day operations. Accordingly, levels of response can be increased or decreased without the need for formal declaration of an emergency or activation of the MEMP.

This MEMP is administered and maintained by the municipal emergency management team and chaired by the Municipal Emergency Response Officer (MERO) Oliver Vido,

Council’s Manager Infrastructure Services. Test exercises are conducted annually to ensure council’s systems and procedures detailed in the plan are up to date. Test exercises also ensure the Municipal Emergency Control Centre (MECC) is ready to operate in the case of a major emergency.

We are relieved that the MEMP and MECC have not often been called upon, but they were invoked recently when severe flooding occurred in several parts of the municipality.

During the 4 February flooding event the MECC was activated in order to guide council’s response and recovery to the event. The MECC consisted of a team, including emergency partners such as the SES and Victoria Police, that coordinated emergency responses to minimise the impact of the event.

This included emergency response staff from various services, including Council, working night and day to manage the emergency activities including traffic management, road closures, monitoring of stream levels, planning for escalation scenarios and evacuation of affected residents.

Planning for all Contingencies

Responding to Major emergencies


inDuStry StoriES

Prepare for the inevitableA power failure is one of the worst

events to occur for any business. Whether it’s caused by a lightning strike, a vehicle crash, power grid overload or earthworks gone wrong, it can happen.

The effects of a sudden power failure can be devastating if no preparation has been made for a “graceful shutdown” of computers, point of sale, manufacturing systems and other important equipment.

Damage can also occur to sensitive electronics through spikes, surges, brownouts and noise, which are

usually more frequent than blackouts.

Businesses can be prepared for such events with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS), which regulates the incoming power to acceptable parameters and can supply a limited amount of power when mains power fails.

Dandenong South business Upsonic Power supplies three levels of UPS that suit small, medium or large business.

Paul Riva, Upsonic’s Managing Director, said every business has a different need.

“We sit down with the customer and ascertain what their load is and how long they need to support that load for. We then design a system to fit, build the system for them, install it and then maintain it.”

With UPS costs starting from about $165, it is a worthwhile investment in “business continuity management”.

Upsonic Power supply uninterrupted power services to Council across its various sites.

www.upsonic.com.au

When fire engulfed and destroyed the Compleat Angler store in Langhorne

Street Dandenong in November last year, it was thanks to diligent business procedures that it was able to open three weeks later and capture important Christmas and holiday trade.

Vowing not to let the fire destroy the business, the first step co-owner Glenys Cooper Loft took a search for new premises.

“I was confident that once we had a new store, we could get stock and start trading quickly. We had comfort in knowing that we had off-site backups of all our data,” Glenys said.

“After buying a new laptop, reloading MYOB Retail Manager and data from our backups, our team went to work creating purchase orders. Our suppliers were great. They had

stock processed ready to ship just waiting for the new delivery address.”

Knowing that virtually everything was covered by insurance provided valuable security.

“Earlier in the year, with our broker, I had completed a total review of our insurance, which involved updating and amending the policy to ensure that if there was a total loss, as happened in our case, the loss would be reduced.

“We included items such as loss of profit, business interruption, updated inventory values and considered seasonal stock adjustments. This process ensured we got back on our feet quicker.

“A flyer mailed to 19,000 customers announcing the relocation was out within three weeks and helped generate business.

“The shock of the fire affected all the staff, but with teamwork the grief was eased as everyone worked towards the common goal of re-opening.”

Glenys’ key tips are:

* make sure backups are done regularly and test the backup copy

* store backups off-site

* review insurance policies regularly

* maintain monthly/seasonal buying procedures

* maintain a supplier contact database

* maintain a customer database for quick mailouts

* have a disaster management plan

www.compleatangler.com.au

Diligent Procedures Save Retailer from $1M+ Loss

Images courtesy of Keith Pakenham - CFA Strategic Communications

StAtiStiCS


City of Greater Dandenong Economic Activity IndicatorsProperty Sales Activity January to March 2011As anticipated, the March 2011 property sales data shows

improvement in the property market with small rises in median prices as well as number of sales compared to the December 2010 quarter. The sharp slowdown of activity in the property market observed during the 2010 4th quarter seems to have had very little effect on property prices.

With 159 properties sold at a median price of $377,000, the capital improved residential properties sales during the first 2011 quarter showed a slight improvement when compared to the 148 properties sold at a median price of $373,750 during the last three months of 2010.

The median residential site value price decreased from $329,000 in the previous quarter to $275,000 during the first 2011 quarter, however the number of sites sold increased significantly from six to 41. This median price change seems to be the result of a greater number of smaller blocks sold during the three months to March 2011 compared to the last 2010 quarter.

Industrial capital improved property sales slightly decreased from 24 in the December 2010 quarter to 21 in the March 2011 quarter with the median price falling from last year’s peak of $572,500 during the December 2010 quarter to $470,000 during the March 2011 quarter. This median is still higher than the $437,500 median recorded during the 2010 March, June and September quarters.

Remarkably, commercial capital improved property doubled in

median price from $320,000 during the December 2010 quarter to $640,000 during the March 2011 quarter but limited sales - 7 and 6 sales respectively - mean the increase in median price could be an isolated occurrence or simply related to parcel size rather than price per M². Industrial and commercial property vacant sales showed very little activity with only one vacant industrial property sold during the March 2011 quarter.

As expected, during the March 2011 quarter market prices increased especially in terms of capital improved properties, which is the most considerable property sector in the City of Greater Dandenong.

The suburbs with highest median prices during the March 2011 quarter were Keysborough and Springvale South with $410, 000 median price followed by Noble Park North and

Median Residential Prices by Suburb City of Greater DandenongDecember Quarter 2010 March Quarter 2011

No. of Sales Improved No. of Sales Improved

Dandenong 45 $333,500 32 $281,500

Noble Park 36 $340,750 46 $346,000

Dandenong North 22 $380,893 23 $369,000

Springvale 11 $490,000 15 $395,000

Noble Park North 8 $373,750 16 $405,600

Keysborough 13 $430,000 17 $410,000

Springvale South 13 $425,000 10 $410,000

*property values not shown for Dec-10 and Mar-11 due to insufficient number of sales to establish a median. Source: City of Greater Dandenong

*

StAtiStiCS, GrAntS AnD opportunitiES


Grow Me the Money is an online program designed to help small-to-medium-sized businesses become more

sustainable and save money. It provides businesses with the tools, resources and support to use less energy and water, create less waste and save money.

Grow Me the Money has been designed around the needs of small-to-medium business, but the program is open to all Victorian businesses interested in reducing resource consumption and improving environmental sustainability.

Contact (03) 8662 5480 or visit www.growmethemoney.com.au

The Australian Tax Office offers FREE assistance visits to small businesses. These visits are covered by the Commissioner’s guarantee, are educational in nature, and the information shared is confidential and will not be used for any other purpose. The service can also be used to help set-up programs such as the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO’s) ‘Business Portal’ – a fast, convenient and secure way to lodge and view activity statements, request refunds and communicate on specific topics.

The Tax Office also has measures to help small businesses struggling to manage their tax payment obligations. This assistance can incorporate negotiated payment arrangements,

deferred activity statement dates and a free electronic calendar to help small businesses meet their tax and superannuation guarantee obligations. Visit www.ato.gov.au or phone 13 72 26

The Australian Government’s Enterprise Connect offices provide a range of services and grants to business. These include:

• Free Business Review conducted by skilled industry business advisers. These reviews will help businesses better understand their business strengths and weaknesses and provide them with strategies to achieve their goals.

• Tailored Advisory Services (TAS) grants can help businesses follow through on the recommendations of a Business Review. TAS grants reimburse half the cost up to a maximum of $20,000 (excluding GST) to engage a consultant/s to make those changes.

• A Researchers in Business (RIB) grant allows businesses to have a researcher from a university or public research agency within their business to help develop and implement new commercial ideas. RIB grants provide funding for up to 50 per cent of salary costs, to a maximum of $50,000, for each placement between two and 12 months. www.enterpriseconnect.gov.au

Springvale with $405,600 and $395,000 respectively. During the same period, the highest demand for housing was in Noble Park with 46 and Dandenong with 32 properties sold. When comparing the last 2010 quarter and the first 2011 quarter, all suburbs exhibit variations in median price. Most CGD suburbs offer various housing stock available for sale ranging from small units to second and third home-buyer family homes. Hence the differences in prices depend on the type of stock available at the time.

Building Investment

The total value of all building works in the City of Greater Dandenong increased by more than 20 per cent during the

December 2010 quarter compared to the September 2010 quarter. This amounts to over $152 million or 3.32 per cent of all building works in the Metropolitan Melbourne area.

The value of commercial building work increased by an amazing 40 per cent amounting to over $67 million during the same period representing over 41 per cent of all commercial works in the Melbourne South East (MSE) region and 9 per cent in Metropolitan Melbourne.

Domestic and Residential (Housing) works were worth over $56 million with 371 permits issued in the three months to December. In total, there were 478 permits issued in the City of Greater Dandenong during the December 2010 quarter.

building permits City of Greater Dandenong

October to December 2010

Housing Commercial Industrial Other Non Housing Total

City of Greater Dandenong

Value of Building Work $m $56.87 $67.39 $6.70 $21.20 $152.16

Number of Permits 371 68.00 18 21 478

Metropolitan Melbourne

Value of Building Work $m $3,205.96 $790.71 $44.19 $539.37 $4,580.23

Number of Permits 16437 1764 107 646 18954

MSE Value of Building Work $m $364.73 $165.18 $10.74 $87.22 $627.86

Number of Permits 2410 213 34 80 2737

% of MSE (Melbourne South East)

Value of Building Work 16% 41% 62% 24% 24%

Number of Permits 15% 32% 53% 26% 17%

% of Melbourne Value of Building Work 2% 9% 15% 4% 3%

Number of Permits 2% 3% 17% 3% 3%

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Grants and Opportunities

nEW tECHnoloGiES


The City of Greater Dandenong is part of the collaborative South

East Melbourne Innovation Precinct (SEMIP) project – a unique partnership between the Victorian Government, CSIRO, Monash University, Australian Synchrotron, Small Technologies Cluster, and Greater Dandenong, Kingston, Knox and Monash councils working in consultation with industry.

SEMIP has three key themes:

CONNECT businesses and researchers

ACCELERATE development of new innovative businesses

EXCITE by creating places to learn, work, live and invest.

Consistent with those themes, SEMIP continues to host a series of innovation workshops aimed at encouraging researchers and local businesses to gather and discover new opportunities for collaboration and innovation.

The latest of these events was ‘Hungry for Innovation’ a food and packaging innovation workshop held in April.

The event attracted food and packaging businesses from across the precinct to hear Tony Bird from CSIRO’s Food Futures

Flagship present on the development of BARLEYMax™ a new super grain. Steven Strong from Dandenong South food manufacturer, Popina Foods then presented on how Popina secured the rights to commercialise the grain, and market it through a series of products readily available on supermarket shelves.

Andrew Scully from CSIRO’s Future Manufacturing Flagship gave an overview of the CSIRO’s progress on developing effective flexible electronics into packaging, which could revolutionise the packaging industry.

On 16 June SEMIP will be holding its first Innovation Showcase, a full day event providing opportunities for innovative business people to interact with fellow innovators, local researchers and government partners. Register now at www.innovation2011.com.au or email [email protected]

The Victorian Direct Manufacturing Centre (VDMTC) has been

established in Melbourne by a consortium led by CSIRO to help make the state’s manufacturing industries more environmentally friendly, productive and globally competitive.

Direct manufacturing is a revolutionary concept where components are manufactured directly from powder, ribbon or wire in a layered manner. Direct manufacturing will increase flexibility and customer responsiveness – and significantly reduce time to market, costs, energy consumption and waste.

Established with the support of the Victorian Government, the consortium includes 10 Victorian companies, Swinburne University of Technology, Deakin University and CSIRO as research providers.

The centre will strengthen engagement between Victorian industries and research agencies, revitalise key manufacturing sectors, create new highly-skilled jobs and reduce manufacturing’s environmental impact.

The technology is particularly suited to low-medium volume, higher value and difficult-to-manufacture materials and

products Also called 3D-printing or additive manufacturing, the technology can result in savings in labour, time, materials and energy-leading to less impact on the environment. Additionally, the process allows parts to be produced from difficult-to-fabricate materials such as titanium, for advanced applications in the aerospace, defence, mining, biomedical and automotive industries.

Sound interesting? Visit www.business.vic.gov.au and search Victorian Direct Manufacturing Centre or contact Dr Mahnaz Jahedi Director of the Centre at [email protected]

Leading the way in new manufacturing

Local Food Manufacturer Pops into innovation event

The new Popina BARLEYMax™ range

ConGrAtulAtionS


nissan Casting turns over a new LeAF

One of the first things Jill Long from Sports Technology International (STI)

did when she started with the company was open a new project folder on a tender that wasn’t to be issued for five years.

That was back in 2005 when Dandenong South businesses, STI and its sister company, Advanced Polymer Technology Australasia (APTA) heard that London had won the right to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

Before STI could tender for the supply and construction of the Olympic hockey pitches it had to pre-qualify, which involved a submission of several hundred pages. From scores of submissions only four were invited to tender, including STI.

Competing against leading European and North American suppliers, STI was awarded the tender in the latter half of 2010, but it wasn’t until the end of March this year that it was officially announced.

“LOCOG (London 2012 Organising Committee) and FIH (International Hockey Federation) had a lot of planning and testing to do before details could be announced,” Jill said.

In a dramatic departure from the traditional green hockey surface, the colour of STI’s Poligras Olympia pitches for London 2012 Olympics will be the striking colour combination of blue pitch and pink surrounds.

“The blue and pink combination was one of the suggested layouts by us, so it’s gratifying they settled on this colour combination.”

It’s not STI’s first break with tradition. For the Sydney Olympics, the STI/APTA team pioneered an alternative colour pitch combination when it designed and manufactured a rust terracotta colour surrounds. And for the Beijing Olympics, STI/APTA produced red and gold surrounds to the pitches.

“We respond to every tender with a fresh and clean approach; there’s no cutting and pasting from other tenders. We give it the

respect and attention it deserves,” Jill said.

Once STI had won the tender, extensive testing was carried out by everyone involved including officials, photographers, broadcasters and the STI/APTA team in London and Australia. Large samples were air freighted to London with investigations looking at UV stability and playability with top hockey players called in to play on it.

Testing of the vibrant blue and pink colours was undertaken for people in the venue, such as umpires, players and the audience, and for broadcasting, with filming under every possible light condition including natural light, half-light and artificial light.

“While STI has its name on the tender, just as important is Advanced Polymer Technology, which is the manufacturer of Poligras.

“Both companies work out of the same facility and we have a very experienced team on site including engineers, designers, chemists, scientists, admin people and tech people. We work as a team and that’s what helps us win these large and prestigious tenders.”

www.sti-sports.com

A $21 million deal was secured by Nissan Casting in Dandenong to manufacture

three components for Nissan’s new all-electric LEAF vehicle.

Manufacturing, Exports and Trade Minister Richard Dalla-Riva announced the contract at the plant in March with Victorian State Manager Jayne Facey and Nissan Australia CEO Dan Thompson.

“This contract, which was won against the odds of strong global competition, is a terrific win for Nissan Casting Australia, for our automotive components sector and for local manufacturing,” he said.

The contract secures the jobs of more than 100 workers at the Dandenong plant and will drive exports worth up to $160 million.

The plant is currently being upgraded in preparation for the contract with production scheduled to start in mid 2012. By 2013 the plant is expected to be producing 22,000 components per month.

The Federal and State Government have contributed to the investment through the Green Car Innovation Fund and the Victorian Government Business Assistance Grant.

The LEAF vehicle, the world’s first zero-emissions five-door family hatch, is already available in the United States, Japan and the United Kingdom and will be available in Australia in mid-2012.

www.nissan.com.au

London Olympics Contract for STi

SoutH EASt BuSinESS nEtWorKS (SEBn)... bringing people


these pages feature stories from Council’s Business networking Department, South East Business networks (SEBn), together with the South East Melbourne Manufacturers’ Alliance (SEMMA inc) highlighting their work with industry and the diversity and innovation typical of the manufacturing sector in this region.

2011 networks & Programs Regular network Groups:

•General Manufacturing

•Export

•OH&S

•South East Quality Network

•Manufacturing ‘Xcellence’

•Women in Business

• ‘Manufacturing – Beyond 2010’

•Tomorrow’s Business Leaders

Programs:

•5S Visual Workplace

•Lean Leadership Academy

•Lean to Green Academy

• ‘Generation Next’ Leadership Forum (partnership with Burke Corporate Advisory)

•CEO MasterMind Group (partnership with CEO Institute)

For information on these and other SEBN activities, phone Manager Sandra George on 9238 1576 or email [email protected]

Focus on ExportSouth East Business

Networks (SEBN) is continuing its focus on export, partnering on a number of occasions in 2011 with the Department of Business & Innovation to deliver a series that is both relevant and topical for local exporters.

The first seminar in April focused on Free Trade Agreements (FTA) and how Victorian companies can actively use an FTA to drive export growth with their

international customers. Danny Burrows from TradeWorthy Consulting provided participants with information on the steps required to comply with an FTA and how to use this information to negotiate improved margins with their customer base. Companies wanting to know more about FTAs can find further information at www.export.business.vic.gov.au

Managing Currency was the key issue at the following

seminar. With the Australian dollar hitting a record high against the US dollar in recent months, Victorian exporters - particularly those in the manufacturing sector - are seeing their profit margins decline. The seminar covered key economic factors driving our currency; what foreign exchange risk means for exporters, and practical management strategies for exporters to protect against foreign exchange losses. Another seminar on this topic is being planned so keep an eye out for details on the next event.

Meet the Buyer Series SEMMA’s 2011 Meet the Buyer

series is designed to raise awareness of the procurement practices and capability requirements of some of our local manufacturing icons and educate members on the processes and policies required to conduct business with them.

Companies including Siemens, Bolwell, Jayco, Volgren and Toyota have presented at these forums – all identifying potential opportunities and the series also enables commercial opportunities between members to be identified.

More than 80 members attended the March forum with Bombardier which highlighted the global nature of local procurement and the opportunities that many local manufacturers may have as global suppliers.

The next forum is scheduled for August and open to SEMMA members only.

The 2nd City of Greater Dandenong – Industry

‘Take a Swing for Charity’ Golf Day held on 21 February at the Sandhurst Club achieved its target $50,000 for Wallara Australia.

This phenomenal result for a local charity event was made possible thanks to the incredible generosity of the business community – especially the major sponsors, KPJ Group (Gold); Grenda Corporation (Silver); the ARM Group and Norden Conversion (Bronze). Kia Dandenong provided the Hole-in-One opportunity. Many other businesses supplied goods and services to make the day a very special event in the City of

Greater Dandenong calendar.

The Sandhurst course once again provided a challenge to the players, but professional Craig Spence was at hand for all to buy ‘tips and tricks’ to help them out. A great day was had by all, with many commenting on the great atmosphere of the day, certainly helped by Mayor Roz Blades inviting Wallara client Andrew to help read her welcome speech!

The day concluded with a dinner and auction which raised in excess of $11,000 with auctioneer John Shore’s talents raising $400 for ‘nothing’ from one local company!

A great ‘team’ event between CGD, industry, Wallara

and the community that we encourage all to put MONDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 2012 in their diaries now and if anyone would like to sponsor next year’s event – contact Sandra George on 9238 1576 or email [email protected]

Craig Spence takes a swing

Take a Swing for Charity Golf Day

together to strengthen manufacturing knowledge and capability


National Youth Services Week

CGD Youth Services and SEBN teamed up to run a

Youth Mentoring Breakfast as part of National Youth Week. Mayor Roz Blades welcomed 45 local secondary school students who engaged with more than 50 local business mentors volunteering their time to enjoy a conversation with students on career choices and workforce expectations.

Two young business leaders - Daniel Flynn (Thankyou Water) and Tirren Staaf (Obese Records) spoke about their business experiences, inspiring the young leaders of tomorrow to ‘have a go’! A great time was enjoyed by all, with additional mentoring and work experience offered and plenty of new schools-industry initiatives being discussed.

Preparing tomorrow’s business leaders. Where is your company at? Article by Michael Burke

It is becoming an all too common occurrence.

Picture this - business owners heading towards their 60s at a rapid rate and desperately wanting more work-life balance, but actually working longer hours. With question marks over potential internal successors and no documented plan in place to address the situation. Sound familiar? If so, read on.

Five years ago everyone was talking about succession planning and the need for it. Not many of us took it seriously. Then the GFC came along and distracted us. As we emerge into the next phase of growth (at least according to most economists and the OECD), handing over the business to someone else has now become a harsh urgent reality for many. Succession is back on the agenda but is now an urgent issue.

The key question is, “Is your business ready to hand over the baton?” There are three key things you need to do.

Get yourself ready

When the penny drops that you will need to exit your business smoothly, the biggest barrier to your exit will be you.

This business has been yours. For many business owners they were there at the start. It is hard to let go.

The starting point is to look at how you want to be spending

your time in three years time. Is it travelling, playing lots of golf, more time with the grandchildren, monthly lunch with the mates and so on. Maybe you want to be working on some high-level business opportunities two days per week to help the business. Whatever you want to do, if you can identify how

you will spend your time this should give you a goal to start wanting to ease out of the business. Unless you want to ease out of the business, then chances are you won’t!

Identify and skill-up successors

You need to think about potential successors. Get your potential successor leading a small part of the business, to get them understanding the role of a leader. Maybe it is a pilot project. If you can, make

sure it is heading a team of people that will challenge them. In the early days they may be vulnerable as a potential leader and more likely to make mistakes so the first point is to make sure they have mentoring built into their training program. The mentor should ideally be someone who has been through a similar experience and seen

the lessons and mistakes of succession with their own eyes.

Secondly, organise a training program that covers leadership skills, general commercial training and people skills. Get them to mix and network with other young leaders who are at a similar stage of development.

Make sure you back your potential successor every time. Don’t talk behind their backs; don’t chastise them in

front of others. In fact, build them up in front of others, as long as it is not false. You also need to accept that the successor is not you, and nor will they ever be. Accept the differences and move on.

People start to become great leaders when they start to build confidence in their ability to deal with any issues that come their way. The early stage of succession is about building confidence.

Write down a plan

Your next steps from this article should be to:

•write down the things that you need to do over the next 30 days to start planning to “hand over the baton” – make sure you put dates against these actions

• jot down the name of two or three potential successors in the business

•write down your plan B if your preferred successor doesn’t work out.

Michael Burke is a Business Improvement Specialist and accredited facilitator of the consulting and senior management network, Mindshop. He also leads the South East Business Networks Generation Next program. For more details contact Michael via email at [email protected] or at www.bcag.net.au or Sandra George at South East Business Networks on [email protected].

Michael Burke and the “Generation Next” group. This mentoring program is now accepting new participants. Contact Sandra George.

inDuStry & inVEStMEnt


Smart Location for Community Kitchen GardensThe GPT Group’s Parkmore Shopping

Centre has introduced an innovative approach to teach children where their food comes from.

The Centre has created two kitchen gardens filled with more than 100 seasonal herb and vegetable plants that can also be harvested by shoppers to use at home.

A large rooftop garden (12 crates) and a smaller interior garden in the fresh food hall (5 crates) are part of GPT’s partnership with the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation and its social investment program aimed at enhancing the well-being of the communities in which GPT operates.

As part of its partnership, GPT has introduced The Magic of Growth Program, which includes events designed to help promote the Foundation’s principles of pleasurable food education and positively influence children’s food choices.

Joel Bridgwood, Parkmore’s Marketing Manager, said the Magic of Growth program of activities includes the Little

Growers Workshops held during school holidays.

“These workshops include seasonal cooking demonstrations, hands-on pot decorating and potting a plant, which children can then take home.

“Our future marketing is themed around fresh food. Rather than children thinking that oranges are grown on the supermarket fruit tree, they can learn what the process is and how enjoyable fresh food is to eat.”

Parkmore’s rooftop garden has been designed as a community kitchen garden with free membership where members look after their garden, sow new crops and harvest crops according to the season. A monthly workshop with a guest presenter and a newsletter featuring a recipe from Stephanie Alexander are included.

Community and school groups are invited to visit and tend the garden at any time.

magicofgrowth.gpt.com.au parkmoreshopping.com.au kitchengardenfoundation.org.au

A Super New Store

Among other significant investments in the local retail

market, Australia’s largest discount furniture and bedding retailer, Super A-Mart has announced that it is coming to Dandenong.

The company has almost 30 across five states, and has now signed a 12-year lease for an 8000 square metre facility at 132- 140 Frankston Dandenong Road, the former home of Mercury Marine which is moving to VicUrban’s Logis Industrial Estate in nearby Greens Road.

CB Richard Ellis Senior Manager Chris Parry and Cameron Industrial Commercial Director, Ben Cooper negotiated the lease.

“This lease was one of the largest single bulk goods deals to be completed in the Victorian market for some time,” said Mr Parry.

“Despite the challenging market conditions, retailers are committing to longer leases in the Victorian bulk goods sector, underpinned by population growth and forecast growth in household expenditure,” he added.

According to Mr Cooper the State Government’s $290 million revitalisation of Dandenong is renewing investor and tenant confidence in the area. This lease closely follows two significant property sales in the main street of Dandenong for more than $2 million.

The Super A-Mart Homemaker Centre will employ about 35 people when it opens later this year and will be its third Victorian store.

Investment in Greater Dandenong has not been limited to the industrial,

commercial and retail markets, with another new building about to crop up at Chisholm TAFE’s Dandenong site.

The DREAM project, a new $9.5 million trade training centre, has been enabled by a consortium of five secondary schools in the Dandenong area, and funded through a Federal Government initiative.

The centre will give students of all five schools access to a single, centrally

located facility with state-of-the-art equipment, providing students a fast-track into a wide range of careers.

Due to launch late this year, the two-storey centre will offer trade training programs including building and

construction, plumbing, engineering studies and hairdressing.

By working in partnership with the local schools Chisholm is continuing to be a catalyst for career pathways for people in this region.

Fulfilling local dreams

inVEStMEnt


One of Australia’s top 10 law firms has opened an office in Dandenong.

In March this year Gadens lawyers, which has been providing services to Victorians since 1845, commenced business with a full complement of professional and support staff.

The office will soon have five partners, two senior associates and a three-person support team operating from its Robinson Street office. Some of the partners studied and undertook their articles in Greater Dandenong.

Patrick Walsh, Chairman of Gadens Melbourne, said establishing in Dandenong was a strategic decision and one that was supported by the State Government’s identification of Dandenong as a growth area and its $290 million revitalisation investment.

“The businesses we have met are inspirational, particularly those at the Premier Regional Business Awards. It reinforces our decision to invest here and further service our Victorian client base.”

David Stevens, General Manager of Gadens Dandenong said, “We view Greater Dandenong as a major hub of Victoria’s manufacturing industry, which makes a very important contribution to the state’s economy”.

In addition to corporate services, Gadens Dandenong provides private client legal services including family law, wills and estates, and property law.

www.gadensdandenong.com.au

Rollforming Sets up Own HomeAustralian Rollforming has left ‘home’

and bought new premises in Gaine Road, Dandenong South.

When the company was established in 2001, its main customer was Bombardier from whom it leased factory space.

“Back then it was very convenient,” said Henry Wolfkamp, Australian Rollforming’s Managing Director. “We took over the factory that was used to make Melbourne’s W-class green and yellow trams.

“However, now that Bombardier has won contracts to make Melbourne’s new trams, they need the space back, so we’ve been thrown out of home!,’’ he laughed.

Australian Rollforming is widely regarded as Australia’s leading special sections metal rollforming company with more than 1300 different products on its books.

It provides a world-class metal design, rollforming, fabrication and project management service to a wide range of national and international engineering

projects. Each year more than 270,000 metres of metal are rollformed, shaped, drilled, punched and cut with precision accuracy for each millimetre.

“We are still a major supplier to Bombardier and our new, larger premises will better position us to serve an increasingly diverse customer base,” Henry said.

The company has made a $5 million investment in Greater Dandenong through its new property purchase and fitout.

www.ausrollform.com.au

Top Ten Law Firm InvestmentThe new Gadens

Dandenong Team


proJECtS & ACtiVitiES

Moving through Dandenong The City of Greater Dandenong’s new Free

City Shuttle bus service was officially launched in April by Mayor Roz Blades

Following on from the success of the Courtesy Bus, the Free City Shuttle is a new larger bus, with a new name and a bright new look.

The Courtesy bus provided free travel for over half a million passengers since it was introduced in 1996 and is a much-loved

service for residents and visitors alike.

The Free City Shuttle is a larger bus seating 32 passengers, with two doors and a low floor allowing easy access for prams and shopping jeeps.

The new look Free City Shuttle will allow more residents and visitors to utilise all that Central Dandenong has to offer.

Visit www.greaterdandenong.com and search Free Dandenong City Shuttle.

Food Lovers were full of great things to say about the local

events held as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. People came from all over Victoria to attend events and most were eager to return to dine and shop.

Following on from this success, a local event has been chosen as one of 25 highlight events for The Roast Collection which is another Melbourne Food and Wine Festival initiative.

Pita Lounge in Noble Park is hosting a three-course feast and will showcase their SAC cooking method using hot coals surrounding the

baking dish to enhance the wonderful flavours of their traditional Bosnian-style roast. They will be holding two events on Wednesday 8 and Saturday 25 June at 7pm.

Also for food lovers, there are a range of great tours available and the not-to-be-missed Shortest Lunch celebrating the wonderful food and culture here in Dandenong on the winter solstice on Wednesday 22 June.

To make a booking for these events or to learn more about other tours and food events in Greater Dandenong go to: www.greaterdandenong.com/tours

Highlight on Food

A Fresh StartThe Dandenong Market’s $26

million make-over is now complete with the official opening to take place on 4 June.

Works have been completed in several stages over the past six years with the finishing touches set to ensure that that the market continues to be a vital part of the City’s economy now and into the long-term future.

The market has been a drawcard for shoppers since it first opened in 1866 and the new and improved market will attract a new generation of shoppers.

The revitalised market boasts an exciting new Meat, Fish and Deli Hall – with a wide selection of quality meats, poultry, fish and smallgoods; a refurbished and expanded fruit and vegetable section – offering the best of seasonal produce, nuts and spices; the bustling new General Merchandise hall – with plenty of bargains to explore.

The official opening commences from 10.30am and will include multicultural performers, cooking demonstrations, roving entertainers and give-aways.

www.dandenongmarket.com.au


proJECtS & ACtiVitiES

Business leaders from the south-east metropolitan region met the Minister

for Manufacturing, Exports and Trade, Richard Dalla-Riva in March, to discuss the challenges facing manufacturers and ways they can be more competitive.

The roundtable was held at the Victorian Business Centre (VBC) on Thomas Street in Dandenong, and was chaired by its Regional Director, Terry Dyson. The 12 key business leaders that joined the roundtable represented a cross-section of manufacturing industries, plus representatives from the Industry Capability Network (ICN) and the South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA).

There are more than 224,000 businesses in the south-east metropolitan region.

The region’s manufacturers contribute 40 per cent of the state’s manufacturing output, making it the largest manufacturing hub in Victoria. This was the second manufacturing business roundtable hosted by the Minister and is part of the Government’s initiative to support Victoria’s manufacturing sector.

Following last year’s release of the Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee (EDIC) report ‘Manufacturing In Victoria’ the Victorian Government has asked the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission to conduct an inquiry into a ‘More Competitive Victorian Manufacturing Industry’

The inquiry will seek to add to the recommendations of the previous EDIC

inquiry by engaging with government departments, agencies, industry associations and manufacturers to gain input and recommendations on areas not previously covered.

The objective of the inquiry is to provide recommendations to the State Government regarding:

• the changing nature of Victorian manufacturing

• the key drivers of future growth in Victorian manufacturing

•unnecessary regulatory burdens imposed on manufacturing activity and investment.

These recommendations will create the basis for the Government to compile and implement strategy and policy for the future development of an internationally competitive and productive manufacturing sector in Victoria.

In recognising the importance of these inquiries in assisting to shape future manufacturing policy and the positive influence that local government and industry associations can have on this process both, City of Greater Dandenong and SEMMA have provided detailed submissions based on local industry experiences and views.

Submissions are now closed, but for further information contact the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission on 03 9092 5823, [email protected] or visit www.vcec.vic.gov.au

Scholarships Can Help Skills Shortages“There’s a skills shortage,” is a common cry from local businesses. Now businesses can help rectify the situation by sponsoring a grant in an industry and a vocation of their choice.

The Caroline Chisholm Education Foundation (CCEF) is an independent charitable trust, initiated and supported by Chisholm Institute of TAFE to provide educational grants to members of the community.

It aims to encourage philanthropy towards vocational education and educational projects that perpetuate the philosophies of Caroline Chisholm, who had a practical approach to social justice by assisting those adversely affected in accessing education and employment.

Jo Saunders, Executive Officer of CCEF, said businesses and individuals can sponsor a student who has left secondary

school and wants to do further studies but can’t afford the fees.

“Most businesses sponsor a student into specific vocational studies reflecting their industry and often from their geographic region. For example, Grenda’s scholarship is in the automotive industry whereas the Dandenong Tax Office wanted their student to come from the City of Greater Dandenong,” she said.

“While businesses don’t normally take the person on at the end of their apprenticeship or studies, some students do establish and maintain contact with their sponsor. Some are invited to visit or tour their sponsor’s facility and provide updates on how they are progressing, which can be reported in staff newsletters.

The City of Greater Dandenong is also a great supporter of the program, funding

two scholarships, with one being in honour of the late Ian Tatterson.

“While the minimum sponsorship is $500, most scholarships are $1000 and above. It’s a growing program with more than 120 recipients so far this year,” Jo added.

www.carolinechisholm.org.au

Visit Chisholm’s new ‘myJobs’ site to see how your business can make the most of this free online recruitment service which aims to match present and graduated Chisholm students with job opportunities in their chosen field. Any employer can post job vacancies free of charge and in doing so access current students and graduates to fill job vacancies.

www.myjobs.chisholm.edu.au

Minister meets key manufacturers at the VBC in Dandenong

Paul Dowling, Minister Dalla-Riva and Terry Dyson

revitalising Central Dandenong is a partnership between the City of Greater Dandenong and the State Government, through Vicurban. for more information on this project, phone Council’s revitalisating Central Dandenong Manager Kevin van Boxtel on 9239 5100.

Greater Dandenong showcased its support for local manufacturing by

featuring the sector on all flags across the municipality during the period 17 May to 3 June this year.

Other activities highlighting the strength, success and potential careers available in local manufacturing included posters on display in Council offices, libraries and the Dandenong Plaza shopping centre. Free bookmarks were also given to borrowers using Council’s library service.

Each year Council takes action to raise the profile of the sector. Previous activities included a DVD to promote the array of career opportunities available in the sector to students, and public displays in Palm Plaza showcasing recognisable and innovative items produced locally.

Paula Brennan, Council’s Industry Development Coordinator said this year’s flag display was particularly bright, and being located at various key sites around the municipality gave our local manufacturing sector wide-spread recognition.

“We should all be proud of the local manufacturing sector and all that it offers to our local residents,” she said.

Manufacturing week was officially held from 23 to 27th May with the Victorian Manufacturing Hall of Fame Awards held at Crown Palladium on Thursday 26 May. The premier event, hosted by Livinia Nixon and Ed Phillips and with entertainment by Kate Cebrano, featured the best of Victoria’s manufacturers all vying for the prestigious award.

www.business.vic.gov.au


proJECtS upDAtES

As part of the Revitalising Central Dandenong initiative, infrastructure

works have been taking place on the west of Lonsdale Street to improve north/south and east/west linkages through central Dandenong.

The upgrade of Walker Street in central Dandenong has provided a more efficient east/west link between Cheltenham Road and Lonsdale Street for pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles and buses.

VicUrban development director Christopher Hermann said, together with Stockmans Bridge, Walker Street’s realignment, streetscape works and new signalised intersections contribute to a new western entrance to central Dandenong.

“Formerly, Walker Street effectively terminated at Robinson Street. Works to realign Walker Street with the new Stockmans Bridge have provided a more direct link to and from central Dandenong over the railway line,” Mr Hermann said.

Walker Street features a dedicated bus lane operating in each direction during the morning and afternoon peak. During off-peak, one traffic lane operates in each direction while 36 two-hour car parks are available.

A dedicated bike path from Cheltenham Road to the intersection of Walker and Thomas Streets has been completed which provides a safer route for cyclists entering central Dandenong.

Walker Street features 55 Jeffersred Autumn Blaze trees, new street lighting and granite paving on the northern footpath from Lonsdale Street to

Stockmans Bridge. The granite paving will be replicated on the southern footpath as the Government Services Office opens in late 2011.

The upgraded Mason Street has delivered an improved north/south link for vehicles and pedestrians accessing Foster Street and Little India.

Mr Hermann said the new streetscape in Mason Street reflects the changing face of Dandenong.

“The upgrade has delivered a wider road, and introduced granite kerbs, new footpaths and 18 Waterhousea trees. In addition, 15 car parks have been reinstated on Mason Street and in late 2010 the intersection of Walker and Mason Street was upgraded to a signalised intersection,” Mr Hermann said.

Vehicles travelling from the Princes Highway along Robinson Street can veer down Mason Street before turning at Foster Street to go to Cheltenham Road or reconnect to the Princes Highway and vice versa.

Following the upgrade of Mason Street, Robinson Street has permanently closed between Foster and Walker streets to allow for the construction of Station North Plaza.

The Revitalising Central Dandenong initiative aims to encourage more people to live, work, learn, visit, socialise and invest in central Dandenong.

www.revitalisingcentraldandenong.com This information was prepared with reasonable care and was, to the best of VicUrban’s knowledge, correct at the time of publication. Unforeseen circumstances, such as inclement weather, may prevent the indicative timeframes outlined above from being achieved

improving links to and through central Dandenong

Celebrating Local Manufacturing

The upgraded Walker Street.

About our business eventsSouth east business networks (Sebn) industry eventsThe industry breakfast series provides presentations by keynote speakers on issues of relevance to the local business community and provides the opportunity for business networking and the building of collaborative relationships.

Sebn Showcasing Women in businessThe Showcasing WIB series is designed to highlight women in business who have achieved in their chosen career and are prepared to share their own experiences and journey with local audiences. The series brings women from all walks of life to you so you don’t need to leave the area is be inspired. Gentleman are most welcome and are an important part of the audience.

SeMiP innovation WorkshopsThe South East Melbourne Innovation Precinct (SEMIP) Innovation Workshop Series provides innovative businesses and researchers the opportunity to participate in interactive sessions related to premier research facilities. Each workshop will explore challenges to business innovation and possibilities for using new knowledge and technologies available now in Melbourne’s south east.

Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce breakfast seriesThe Greater Dandenong Chamber of Commerce hosts regular breakfasts to announce nominees to the Premier Regional Business Awards. Members and non-members are both welcome to attend the events which are an opportunity for networking and to learn more about local successful businesses.

Dandenong Retail Traders Association (DRTA) meetingsFormed in 1997, the DRTA represents a diverse cross-section of Dandenong’s retail businesses. They aim to promote the area and conduct programs to assist businesses and the community. General Meetings feature a guest speaker and are open to all central Dandenong retailers.

Sebn networks Small roundtable business groups meeting monthly/six weekly for workshops, presentations and site visits that focus on issues determined by the participating companies. Currently SEBN is delivering Manufacturing (General, Xcellence and Beyond 2010), Export, OH&S, Quality, Women in Business, and Tomorrow’s Business Leaders networks as well as various programs including Lean to Green. For further information phone 9238 1576.

new beginnings for RetailersCentral Dandenong businesses

were the first to benefit from the Economic Development Unit’s New Beginnings Program.

The first session of the program, which took place in March, invited central Dandenong retailers to learn from an expert strategies to ensure the success and growth of their business.

The businesses who attended found the training to be very beneficial.

“This program gives businesses the opportunity to learn tips to plan for the future of their business,” said Economic Development Business Liaison Officer Kay Moran.

This program is offered at no charge to retailers. To resister your interest for future sessions call Kay on 9238 1550 or email [email protected].

Refer back cover for dates and details


BuSinESS AWArDS

I t has been a busy few months for the Greater Dandenong Chamber

of Commerce.

A new year of Awards breakfasts began in May, after the platinum year culminated in a fantastic awards Gala Dinner in March.

Make sure you read the liftout in this edition about the Gala event and all of the winners.

The Chamber held its annual Greater

Dandenong Race Day in May which was well-attended and lots of fun for families and businesses. This event is one of the high-profile occasions in the Dandenong calendar where it is great to see both business and the local community get involved.

At the time of going to print the Golf Day is looking to be a great success.

www.greaterdandenongchamber.org

Chamber Chat

JUN11

JuneDandenong Retail Traders AssociationGeneral Meeting•Tuesday 7 June 6pm – 7.30pm• Guest Speaker: Ross Wade,

Sign-A-Rama Dandenong•Subject: Signage and Your Business•Ramada Encore Hotel, 50 McCrae St•Enquiries Roy Aspinall Ph. 9793 3487

South east Melbourne innovation PrecinctInnovation Showcase•Thursday 16 June 9am – 5pm•Hemisphere Conference Centre,

488 South Rd Moorabbin•Bookings www.innovation2011.com.au

CGD South east business networksShowcasing Women In Business•Breakfast series showcasing women who

have achieved in their chosen field•Friday 17 June 7am – 9am•Cost $45pp Corporate Tables of 10

available $400•Bookings Rachel 9238 1566 or

[email protected]

JuLYDandenong Retail Traders AssociationGeneral Meeting•Tuesday 5 July 6pm – 7.30pm•Guest Speaker: Harry Mechielsen,

Charlwoods, Accountants•Subject: Taxation•Ramada Encore Hotel, 50 McCrae St•Enquiries Roy Aspinall Ph. 9793 3487

Greater Dandenong Chamber of CommercePremier Regional Business Awards Breakfast•Wednesday 27 July•6.45am for 7am start•Cost $48 for members or

$58 for non-members•Sandhurst Club•Bookings Deanne on 9794 8881 or

[email protected]

AuGuSTDandenong Retail Traders AssociationNetworking Evening•Tuesday 2 August 6pm – 7.30pm•Ramada Encore Hotel, 50 McCrae St•Enquiries Roy Aspinall Ph. 9793 3487

CGD South east business networks18th Annual Dinner•Key networking event for business and

industry featuring a prominent speaker.•Thursday 11 August 6.30 – 10pm•Cost $80pp – 3 course meal

+ beer/wine/soft drink•Corporate tables of 10 available•Bookings Rachel 9238 1566 or

[email protected]

Greater Dandenong Chamber of CommercePremier Regional Business Awards Breakfast•Wednesday 31 August•6.45am for 7am start•Cost $48 for members or

$58 for non-members•Sandhurst Club•Bookings Deanne on 9794 8881 or

[email protected]

SePTeMbeRCGD South east business networksShowcasing Women In Business•Breakfast series showcasing

women who have achieved in their chosen field

•Thursday 1 September 7am – 9am

•Cost $45pp Corporate Tables of 10 available $400

•Bookings Rachel 9238 1566 or [email protected]

Dandenong Retail Traders AssociationGeneral Meeting•Tuesday 6 September

6pm – 7.30pm•Guest Speaker:

Deborah Peppard, HRstaffn’stuff•Subject: Training Session•Ramada Encore Hotel, 50 McCrae St•Enquiries Roy Aspinall Ph. 9793 3487

South east Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SeMMA)Lunch with the Winners•Event highlighting careers

through local industry leaders•Tuesday 6 September

12pm – 2.30pm•Cost $44pp Students $22pp•Bookings Rachel 9238 1566 or

[email protected]

Calendar of Events from June to September 2011 inclusive.2 011J u n J u L A u G S e P