western sydney business access - october 2013

BUSINESS COMMUNITY WEALTH BUILDER KIDS LIFESTYLE COMPETITIONS

180,00 WEB VIEWS, 45,000 READERS EACH MONTH ISSUE 30, OCTOBER 2013 FOUNDED IN PARRAMATTA WWW.WSBA.COM.AU

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Forget B2B or B2C, now it’s Business to People

PAGE 9

THE business and retail landscapes have changed. It is no longer retailer/supplier/brand run in a bricks and mortar location or face to face business that is conducted in an offi ce. Anyone who sells a service or product is a retailer by today’s defi nition. It is no longer a B2B or B2C environment – now it’s B2P, Business to People, says retail expert Nancy George.

Reality of what we haveand what we really need in super

PAGE 21

THE Reserve Bank of Australia has commented on the recent changes to legislation which have allowed SMSFs to borrow money to invest in property. The trend in SMSF property is particularly strong in NSW. However, a report by Deloitte found that the potential to generate wealth and prosperity may well be at risk for average Australians.

Exploding the myth thatsugar makes kids hyperactive

PAGE 30

MOST parents will tell you that children fuelling up on sugar is a sure-fi re recipe for rampaging hyperactive kids. The connection between sugar and hyperactivity is one of the most popular food-behavior myths. Science has been unable to fund any diff erence in behavior between children who ate sugar from lollies etc and those who did not.

NNEW: Women In BusinessCherrybrook mum’s doll business

PAGE 33

IN our new section Women In Business, we profi le Cherrybrook mum, Adriana de Simone and her knack of creating amazingly life-like baby dolls. As Celebrity Dollhouse’s creative director, Ms de Simone and her team recently produced a replica of royal baby Prince George – the moment he was presented to the world by Kate and Prince William.

How Adam built classic

car heavenAdam Hughes, founder of

American Classic Cars at Castle

Hill in the business he built with

passion.

Full story page 14.

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www.wsba.com.auNEWS

OCTOBER 2013, ISSUE 30

VIEW EACH EDITION ONLINE ATwww.wsba.com.au

Western Sydney Business Access (WSBA)ABN 9336 7098 582

Publisher/editor: Michael WallsM: 0407 783 413. E: [email protected]

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New York planner engaged to reshape citiesBy Red Dwyer

Western Sydney councils have tapped into American expertise to find ways to spruce up their city centres and make them more appealing and

boosting the local economy.Parramatt a City Council has sought the

help of Ed Blakely, who helped rebuild New Orleans aft er Hurricane Katrina, to “trans-form” the Church Street Mall, in front of the town hall, by June next year.

Professor Blakely, a former US national and now an Australian citizen, is an urban planning expert att ached to the University of Sydney’s United States Study Centre, and will work on the project with US-based urban designer, Ethan Kent, who helped transform New York’s famous Times Square.

Th ese high profi le people aim to revitalise the space by June next year, at a cost up to $2 million, subject to public consultation.

Th e visit to Parramatt a by Professor Blakely and Mr Kent, the vice president of the Project for Public Spaces, who has worked on over 200 projects in the USA and overseas, follows council’s participation in a United States Studies Centre’s Future Cities Mayors Program, to the USA which was led by Profes-sor Blakely

Another tour participant, Liverpool City Council in partnership with Sydney Univer-sity recently conducted an Urban Design Sym-posium at which Professor Blakely, who has been retained by council, spoke.

Th e all-day event was the start of a project aimed at assisting council with its plans to revitalise the city centre.

Meanwhile, council has called for expres-sions of interests for the operation and man-agement of the Liverpool Night Markets to be held on Friday and Saturday evenings as a means to liven up and to encourage pedestrian activity in the CBD, in particular, between Macquarie Street Mall and the southern end of the city centre.

A report prepared by property consult-ing fi rm, Urbis, noted that Starry Sari Night, a Bollywood fi lm night, held in August, was

successful in encouraging people into the CBD at night and indicated the same could be expected for the night markets.

Turning to Penrith, where yet another American, Mike Lydon, described by Penrith Mayor, Mark Davies, as a “leading US tacti-cal urbanist” has guided a group of business people, residents, architects and others in council’s Make My Park Pop project.

Th e group, together with place-making

specialists Place Partners and Th e Lot, aims is to “radically and rapidly transform an under-used asphalt space into a buzzing CBD park installation”.

Clr Davies said the project – part of coun-cil’s $17 million CBD masterplan – would help to revitalise High Street’s economy and be a blueprint for other Australian communi-ties placing radical urban transformation in local hands.

Th e “exciting and edgy new space” is scheduled to open on October 23.

Blacktown City Council also participated in the tour to the USA and will include the fi ndings as part of the master planning process for the Warwick Lane CBD site.

Western Sydney councils on the tour were Blacktown, Liverpool and Parramatt a, together with Botany Bay, Waverley and Woollahra.

Framework complete for $850m Panthers development

PLANNING framework has been finalised for the Penrith Panthers site which would facilitate a 10-year development with an end value of $850 million.“Th e Panthers Entertainment, Leisure and

Sporting Precinct [is] a substantial investment for Penrith creating jobs, a boost to the local economy and importantly delivers commu-nity facilities,” said Stacey Fishwick, gen-eral manager, corporate real estate, Panthers Group.

Facilities include a vertical wind tunnel, cinemas, bowling, restaurants, hotel and services apartments, 37,500 square metres of retail and outlet shops, a 25,000-square-metre, campus-style offi ce park, and sporting

facilities.Th e development would generate 5000

jobs with 2100 jobs when operational, said council’s Major Developments and Invest-ment Opportunities document

“Th is brings a signifi cant new dimen-sion to our local employment and lifestyle opportunities and reinforces Penrith’s role as a regional city,” said Penrith City Council, general manager, Alan Stoneham, in his half-yearly report.

Other issues in his report included the completion of the $6.6 million Erskine Park and Mamre Road intersection upgrade, lob-bying for improved train services including quadruplicating of the Western Line, separate

freight rail lines and improved bus/rail inter-changes.

He said a research project to assess the feasibility of an agribusiness precinct and ways council could promote sustainable agriculture had been completed.

“Recruitment and selection of the boards for the two new centre management corpora-tions for the Penrith City Centre and St Marys Town Centre was fi nalised,” he said.

Th ey would support the marketing and promotion of the retail and services sectors and assist with business development and improvement, and contribute to amenity improvement and faster activation of public spaces. P art of the existing Panthers World of Entertainment.

Parramatta Council has engaged Professor Ed Blakely to w ork with Ethan Kent to help transform the Church St mall. Ethan Kent helped transform New York’s Times

Square.

DISCLAIMER: The publisher, authors and contributors reserve their rights in re-spect of the copyright of their work. No part of this work may be reproduced or copied in any form without the written consent of the publisher. No person or organisation should in any way act on the information and content of Western Sydney Business Access or www.wsba.com.au without fi rst seeking profes-sional advice. The publisher, contributors and agents accept no responsibility for any actions that may arise from the contents of this newspaper or website www.wsba.com.au. The opinions and views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Advertisements are published in accordance with WSBA terms and conditions published in the media kit downloadable at www.wsba.com.au. Advertisers agree to indemnify the publisher and his agents for any actions that may arise as a result of published advertisements.

WIN tickets to Waterview

Melbourne Cup lunch ...........................pg 4

Qantas hops away from

Richmond for $80m ..............................pg 5

Region’s first indoor

cycling studio ........................................pg 6

Johnny Warren’s memory

gambled away in election .....................pg 7

Council moves to divide

Parramatta CBD ....................................pg 8

Race on to find the

next compelling thing ........................ pg 18

Charity starts in the office

and ends in community ..................... pg 23

Cine Buzz Crew

time and it’s FREE .............................. pg 29

How financial health checks

can protect businesses ...................... pg 39

Why networking holds

key to selling well ............................... pg 40

2013 WSABEs attract

best ever entry pool ............................ pg 41

Gloria Jeans NSW

Open in full swing .............................. pg 46

Can your super be used to buy property? ....... pg 25


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Win tickets to Melbourne Cup lunch at WaterviewI

T can be a long afternoon while you’re wait-ing for the race that stops a national but not at WatervieW in Bicentennial Park! This is a venue that knows how to entertain.

Guests will be dancing in their seats this year as Melbourne Cup has a Motown feel. Boys in the Band will sing and dance their way through some of the best music of the 20th Century – including hits from Th e Jackson 5, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons and the Backstreet Boys.

It wouldn’t be Melbourne Cup with-

out the fashion so there is a parade of new season’s fashions courtesy of Myer and hosted by celebrity fashion stylist, Caitlin Stewart. Th ere will also be Myer Best Dressed Fashion Awards for both men and women.

Of course there will be big race bett ing opportunities, sweeps, raffl es, taxis on call and a magnifi cent, fi ne-dining 3 course lunch that includes beer, wine and sparkling.

Melbourne Cup Day registrations begin at 11.30 am with business networking and drinks overlooking the enchanting parklands

that surrounding the venue.Melbourne Cup Day registrations begin

at 11.30 am with business networking and drinks overlooking the enchanting parklands that surrounding the venue.

Celebrating Melbourne Cup at WatervieW in Bicentennial Park is a truly magical experi-ence. Businesses are encouraged to purchase tables to entertain clients and reward staff while family, friends and social groups are welcome to share in the fun.

WSBA has fi ve double tickets to give away

to the Melbourne Cup lunch at WatervieW in Bicentennial Park. Th ese are valued at $130, or $260 per couple.

To win a double pass simply send us an email describing in 25 words or less why you deserve to win. Th e best fi ve entries as judged by the WSBA team wins. Send entries to [email protected]. Mention Melbourne Cup in the subject line.

CONDITIONS: Judge’s decisions are fi nal. Entries must in by Friday, October 25 COB.

Scenes from last year’s Melbourne Cup lunch at Waterview.


NEWS BRIEFSMP promoted

PENRITH MP, Stuart Ayres, has been appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Transport and Roads. He replaces John Ajaka who has been promoted to cabinet.

$35 million centre openedGYMNASTICS NSW has relocated

from Sydney Olympic Park to the new $35 million Sydney Gymnastic and Aquatic Centre, at Rooty Hill, which was funded solely by the adjacent Rooty Hill RSL Club.

Rezoning of Bonds factoryHOLYROYD City Council has

received a DA to rezone the former Bonds factory, at Pendle Hill, from light industrial to residential to create high-density hous-ing with over 1800 dwellings as well as 8000 square metres of retail space and 1.5 hectares of open space.

Carrington’s anniversaryTHE iconic Carrington Hotel, in

Katoomba, has celebrated its 130th an-niversary since its reopening in 1999 and a $10 million facelift including renovations to the adjoining Old City Bank Brasse-rie, Harp and Fiddle Irish Pub, Baroque nightclub and the conversion of an old power station into the Carrington Cellars and Deli.

Council wins an awardPENRITH City Council’s Health

Strategy and Action Plan won the Heart Foundation Healthy Community Award, at the 2013 Local Government Week Awards .Th e draft Health Strategy won the Commendation in Th e Planning Institute of Australia NSW Division’s Planning for Healthy Urban Environments category, in 2010.

Flying kangaroo hops away from Richmond for $80mBy Red Dwyer

THE Flying Kangaroo has fled one of the largest defence industry clusters in Aus-tralia in pursuit of selling non-core as-sets in recent years.

Qantas has sold its defence services di-vision, Qantas Defence Systems (QDS), at RA AF Base Richmond, for $80 million to USA-based Northrop Grumman, a leading global security company providing a range of services to government and commercial customers worldwide.

While the Flying Kangaroo may have hopped away, the new owners are expected to rename the facility and off er employ-ment to the 320 employees at QDS, which has its main operation at Richmond.

It provides maintenance, supply, deep maintenance and training support to major defence aerospace systems with sales of around $140 million.

Th e facility is one of a cluster of 275 businesses, which have formed around the RA AF base contributing goods and services to meet the nation’s defence requirements

Th is cluster is one of the largest in the country, according to a Deloitt e Access Economic study in 2012.

Th e size of the cluster is a combination of its proximity to the large population and diversifi ed economy of Sydney and the fact that Defence has been operating in the area for a signifi cant amount of time, according to the NSW government’s NSW Position Paper On Defence, September 2013.

Th e paper notes that the NSW share of Australia’s Defence expenditure is around

24 per cent which is at risk through reloca-tion interstate or closures of assets and, therefore, it is critical that the NSW gov-ernment continues to promote and develop the state’s defence industry.

Th e two-year old, Parramatt a-based Sydney Aerospace and Defence Inter-est Group (SADIG) has over 150 mem-bers who aim to work collaboratively to strengthen the state’s successful aerospace and defence industry in a competitive marketplace.

Western Sydney is well represented in the industry with companies such as Ray-

theon Australia and BAE Systems, at North Ryde, Th ales and Indra, at Rydalmere, CAE Industries, at Silverwater, ETMS Technolo-gies, at Parramatt a, SAFRA N Group, Quick-step Technologies and Australian Aero-space, at Bankstown, Broens Industries, at Ingleburn, and Flite Path, at Penrith.

Bob Germaine, executive offi cer, of the Parramatt a-based RDA-Sydney, said his or-ganisation and SADIG – a RDA-S project – welcomed the position paper as it provided a clear statement sett ing the direction for the future growth and sustainability of the industry in NSW.

www.wsba.com.auNEWS

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Region’s fi rst indoor cycling studio rides into townBy Belinda Hill

PELOTONE is set to ride into Norwest Business Park with the opening of the region’s first dedicated premier indoor cycle studio.In December 2013 Pelotone, a state-of-

the-art, 55 bike indoor cycling studio geared for cyclists will open its doors in Lexington Drive in the Norwest Business Park.

Th e studio follows a trend in in cycling gyms that started in the US and is fast gaining

traction in Australia.Pelotone director, Karen Newham who

lives in the Hills district said: “I want to encourage people from all walks of life to get on a bike and ride at Pelotone off ering a safe, supportive, professional and fun environment. Th e studio provides options for indoor and outdoor cyclists.”

In 2012 Karen suff ered a signifi cant sports injury which presented an immediate oppor-tunity to reevaluate her life.

Aft er 20 years in the corporate world, with a lot of time away from my family, and having

experienced heartfelt local community sup-port during my recovery, she was determined to follow her dream.

Th e outcome of that dream is Pelotone, and a life where family, fi tness and community come fi rst, she said.

“I am extremely passionate and excited to give back to the community and provide the one and only dedicated premier indoor cycle studio to one of Sydney’s fastest growing regions,” Karen said.

Pelotone, named aft er the cycling term, ‘peloton’, will not only include a state-of-the-art studio and equipment but will also have a hang-out area that will become the Pelotone community.

Th e facility will have no lock-in contracts, just pay as you ride, with a variety of cycle classes catering to all types of riders and levels of fi tness.

“Pelotone will cater for not just the regular cyclist looking for a safe place to train, but also for cycling beginners and professionals, and those looking to use cycling to get fi t, lose weight and to improve their mental wellbeing,” Karen said.

Benefi ts of regular cycling include: increased cardiovascular fi tness; increased

muscle strength and fl exibility; improves joint mobility; decreases stress levels; im-proves posture and coordination; strength-ens bones; decreases body fat levels; reduces anxiety and depression.

“At Pelotone the community will engage in cycling, and that makes for a healthier community and a happier community,” Karen said.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.PELOTONE.COM.AU.

Artist’s impression of the cycling studio.

Pelotone Founder, Karen Newham.

NEWS BRIEFSResort wins excellence award

EMIRA TES Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa has been awarded a Certifi cate of Excellence by leading travel advisory site TripAdvisor. Th e award signifi es that the resort is in the top 10 per cent of all hotels in the world based on traveller feedback. Th e resort was also recognised by TripAdvisor in January of this year as the Best Hotel in Australia.

www.wsba.com.auNEWS


www.wsba.com.auNEWS

Johnny Warren’s memory gambled away in election

By Anthony Stavrinos

THE memory of Johnny Warren and his legacy has been trashed by political opportunism, ac-cording to his childhood best

mate John Economos.Economos, a veteran soccer

journalist who att ended Cleveland Street High School with Johnny Warren and had known him for about 50 years at the time of his passing in 2004, was referring to a funding promise before the recent federal election.

A week before the September 7 federal election, the former Labor government through Treasur er Chris Bowen, pledged $10 million towards the establishment of the Johnny Warren Football Institute.

But in hindsight, it appears the Institute was given the kiss of death.

Politicians lined up for publicity opportunities and an extraordinary amount of coverage was received. But a week aft er the announcement, it was dead and buried with Labor Government, which found itself on the wrong side of the election result.

“I was disgusted to see what looked like a very worthwhile initiative in Johnny’s name desper-ately gambled away on an election result,” Economos told Western Sydney Business Access.

“Th e media reports made you think it was a done deal – that the funds had been allo-cated and that it was going ahead, but nothing was further from the truth.

“I just hope the new government doesn’t cast the idea aside and gives strong consid-eration to funding it, especially considering how valuable Johnny was to the game in this country.”

Economos said greater care needed to be taken in future to ensure initiatives had bipar-tisan support and did not ultimately end up being obstacles in realising the Warren legacy.

“What I’d really like to see now are all the people who jumped at the opportunity of publicity in Johnny’s name, to appealing to the new federal government to fund the Johnny Warren Football Institute,” he said.

Only Th e Age’s football writer Michael Lynch drew att ention to the tentative nature of the Labor funding initiative by noting: “Th e cash is dependent on it pulling off a shock win in next weekend’s election.”

But the tenuous nature of the funding was not spelt out by those who, perhaps, should have known bett er.

At a media call for the funding announce-ment, Johnny’s nephew, Jamie and SBS presenters Craig Foster and Les Murray – all board members of the Johnny Warren Foot-ball Foundation – spoke as if the funds had already been banked.

Politicians fl ocked to take part in a photo opportunity for the local papers who were there along with other outlets including SBS TV and radio station 2GB,

Half of Foster’s column In the Sun-Herald the next day lauded the arrival of the institute without so much as a mention of the decreas-

ing likelihood Labor would be around to cough up the funds.

Th e reality check was a story in the Fairfi eld Advance on September 11 under the headline: “Youth centre to go ahead. But outgoing Treasurer cannot guarantee Labor’s other campaign pledges.”

“I think the youth centre will happen but we will have to see about the other ones,” Bowen told the paper. “Th at’s what I will fi ght for as the local member.”

Economos said it was essential that Bowen made good on his comments and made eff orts to gain bipartisan support for the initiative.

“Johnny’s sporting talents deserve celebra-tion and remembrance.Th ere’s plenty to cel-ebrate, he was the Don Bradman of soccer and the funny thing was that he was just as brilliant as a cricketer, if not bett er,” Economos said.

WSBA was unable to reach new federal Sports Minister Peter Dutt on for comment.

John Economos after being named as an inductee

to the Football Federation Australia Hall of Fame.

Johnny Warren on the cover of his ‘incomplete biography’ Sheilas

Wogs and Poofters.


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City lanes and car parks transformed to eateries

ONE of Western Sydney’s biggest food celebrations, Parramatta Lanes is trans-forming eight ordinary-

looking lanes, car parks and spaces into trendy, vibrant eateries and bars over four days in October.

Produced by Parramatt a City Council, Parramatt a Lanes is off ering gourmet street foods, cocktails and craft beer, live music and art installations on Th ursday 17 and Friday 18 and Th ursday 24 and Friday 25 October from 4:30-9:30pm.

Lord Mayor of Parramatt a, Cr John Chedid said that the event refl ects Parramatt a’s changing food scene, which is increasingly focused on pro-viding higher quality produce and experiences in unique and creative sett ings.

“We’re asking people to come to Parramatt a Lanes to discover a new taste around every corner – spicy laksa from local institution, Temasek in Roxy Car Park, craft beer from local brewer Riverside Brew-ing Company and authentic Mexican tacos in Erby Place, as well as delectable desserts from Adora Handmade Chocolates in Red Cow Lane,” Cr Chedid said.

“Th is year’s event builds on the success of the inaugural Parramatt a Lanes in 2012, which att racted over 9,000 visitors to dis-cover our hidden lanes and spaces.”

To download the full program and Parramatt a Lanes map, visit www.discov-erparramatt a.com/parramatt alanes

Red Cow Lane.

Council moves to divide CBD between professional and

street economy businesses By Red Dwyer

DIVIDE and capitalise is the tacit strategy of Parramatta City Council’s drive to revitalise the central business district (CBD) – divide its economy into two

sectors and leverage their strengths and op-portunities.

Council has readily agreed that the CBD economy be divided into the professional economy and the so-called “street” economy.

A council report argued the city’s business and professional communities were “under-utilised assets”, and the mobilisation of each group could boost the CBD economy.

Potential outcomes included an “increase in localised economic opportunity, higher Parramatt a brand value impacting no property values in surrounding locations, att ainment of transport infrastructure and safer and more vibrant CBD streets.

“Professional economy initiatives such as the activation of the legal sector around Supreme Court functions, facilitation of business-university graduate programs and business/talent att raction with the profes-sional, scientifi c and technical sector are also recommended,” the report said.

To further emphasise the potential of the city’s legal sector in boosting its contribution to the CBD economy, council’s new 4-year corporate plan notes the sett ing up of a CBB Professional Services Business Group to showcase the capability of the city’s profes-sional services.

Th e city’s legal fraternity, itself, has mounted a campaign to urge the federal and state governments to have additional judges sit in Parramatt a, which would save all those involved

the expense and time travelling into the Sydney CBD for court cases, and their presence in Par-ramatt a would add to the street economy

Council aims to work with the small busi-nesses operating at the street level to improve the retail, food, beverage, services and cultural off ering of the CBD, which, if successful, could deliver signifi cant outcomes to the CBD economy, particularly at midday and in the evening.

Th e recent opening in the CBD of a Uni-versity of New England campus and the pend-ing arrival of undergraduate and postgraduate teaching facilities, of the University of Western Sydney, are welcome week-day additions to the street economy.

Council’s revitalised Farmers Market, held outside the town hall on Fridays, is also add-ing to the life of the city centre, and trading in the restaurant precinct on Th ursdays-Sundays gives a signifi cant buzz to the CBD – and the economy.

Weekend sport is yet to be fully lever-aged in the street economy. For example, the economic benefi t of the home games of the Western Sydney Wanderers, at Parramatt a Stadium last summer, was an estimated $15 million to $18 million.

With the Wanderers playing in the sum-mer and the Eels in the winter, CBD Street traders – given they are motivated – have the opportunity to leverage as fans travel through the CBD before and aft er the games.

Looking ahead, the proposed 1200-seat conference and exhibition centre, as part of the proposed Lennox car park site redevelop-ment would make Parramatt a “an ideal busi-ness events destination’, according to council and a boost to the CBD accommodation and hospitality businesses.

www.wsba.com.auPARRA MATT A CBD

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Region’s potential overlooked, says inv itation-only group

WESTERN Sydney has been over-looked for too long by decision mak-ers who have failed to grasp the true social and economic potential of the

region.Th at is the view of the Sydney Business

Chamber which is actively seeking to expand it Western Sydney First (WSF) membership – see box.

“Th e chamber believes in Western Syd-ney, and has a dedicated focus on the region through the establishment of the WSF mem-bership,” according to the chamber’s website.

“Th e WSF brings together leading Sydney and Western Sydney organisations to focus on the development of the region, particularly in generating jobs for one of the fastest growing regions in Australia.”

Th e latest to join is Liverpool City Council, which sees value in its membership as part of its strategy to att ract new business investment and employment to the city, at a fee of $12,000 plus GST.

“As part of its strategy to attract new

investment to Liverpool there is merit in council becoming a member of relevant business groups where there is demonstrat-ed interest by these groups in Liverpool and the broader Western Sydney area,” a council report said.

“Membership of such organisations will allow council to promote Liverpool as a business destination to a relevant audience, as well as tap into sources of intelligence that can potentially generate new business leads for Liverpool.”

Th e council report said membership would provide council with intelligence on emerging business and economic trends and access to key private and public sector stakeholders.

Blacktown City Council has been ap-proached but has deferred a decision.

WSF’s priorities for Western Sydney include promoting advanced manufacturing in Western Sydney and creating knowledge based jobs for the region; securing Western Sydney’s fair share of transport services

and infrastructure funding; and enhancing and promoting the cultural off erings of the region and establishing the brand “Western Sydney”.

WSF enables members to have direct access to the NSW government, at invitation-only functions, to discuss issues and off er comment and advice.

Th ese functions are understood to operate under the Chatham House Rule

which encourages openness and the sharing of information among members; it allows members to speak as individuals and to express views that may not be those of their organisations.

WSF, supported by Deloitt e in Parra-matt a, expects to hold functions with the Minister for Transport, Gladys Berejiklian, in November and the Minister for Trade and Investment, Andrew Stoner, in December.

Members of Western Sydney First

Membership of Western Sydney First program includes Brickworks Lim-ited, Catholic Education Office - Diocese of Parramatta, Coleman

Greig Lawyers, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu – Parramatta, Dyldam Developments Pty Ltd, Evolve Housing, GWS Giants (SF/WSF), Insurance Australia Group (IAG), Moore-

bank Interm odal Company Ltd, NRMA Mo-toring & Services, Parramatta City Council, Parramatta Eels, Sydney Markets Limited, Sydney Water, University of Western Sydney, UrbanGrowth NSW, Western Sydney Park-lands Trust, Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Westlink, Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research, Liverpool City Council.

B2B or B2C? No, now it’s B2P – Business to People

THE business and retail landscapes have changed. It is no longer retailer / supplier / brand run in a bricks a nd mortar loca-tion or face to face business that is con-

ducted in an office with products and services of the business’ choosing.

Anyone who sells a service or product is a retailer by today’s defi nition. It is no longer a B2B or B2C environment - it is now B2P, Business to People, says Nancy George, a retail expert who presented at the Sydney Hills Business Chamber on September 25.

“Th e consumer is the driver and the play-ing fi eld is offl ine, online and mobile! Given

the current retail climate, it is now more important than ever to get back to basics to ensure that your business’ foundation is based on sound fundamentals,” said Nancy.

Do you know how your customer behaves in today’s connected world? Do you really know who your customer is and what they want?

Do you know what the customer is doing online, how they connect, what tools they use in the retail space that impact how they interact with every business they deal with?

“Gone are the days when the customer deals with their bank manager, accountant, newsagent, shoe shop in diff erent ways. Th e

expectation and interaction is the same,” she says.

During her presentation, Nancy showed what the customer is doing and off ered some tips and tools for navigating the new environment.

Nancy is a retail strategist, with over 25 years’ experience in retail, marketing, strategic planning, wholesale, product development, customer service, training and manufacturing in a diverse range of retail environments and product categories, in Australia, Asia, USA and Europe.

She started Magnolia Solutions in re-sponse to an increasing demand from retailers for marketing support.

Nancy George presents at the Sydney Hills Business

Chamber.

www.wsba.com.auNEWS

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NORTH WESTAussie beer in India

THE Australian Brewery, in Rouse Hill, has secured an export deal with two Indian distributors. Th e initial agreement was for 250 cases of pale and pilsner.

Food showcaseTHE festival that showcases the diverse

food culture of Western Sydney, Best From Th e West, will take over Western Sydney Parklands on October 27 featuring more than 40 stallholders.

Bought for $$2.44 millionAN undisclosed private buyer has pur-

chased a 1363-square-metre warehouse, at 70 Peter Brock Drive, Eastern Creek, for $2.44 million, from Calvert & Grier Properties.

600 truck movement weeklyPENRITH dairy processing facility,

Lion, produces about 275 million litres of fresh milk annually involving up to 600 truck movements weekly receiving and distrib-uting products. Staff complement is 150 workers

Leased for five yearsFOAM and plastics manufacturer, Rema

Industries, has leased a 6534-square-metre offi ce and warehouse, in seven Hills, from PPK Properties, at $85 per square metre for fi ve years.

New warehouse for firm STORA GE and logistics provider, Pick

Packers, has leased a new warehouse, in Arn-dell Park, at an annual rental of $175,059

SOUTH WESTProperty bought for 1.25 million

BUILDER, Fadi Mansour, has purchased a 1385-square-metre warehouse and factory in Smithfi eld, for $1.25 million, from New Global International.

$67.5 million in capital worksTHE $67.5 million which Bankstown City

Council listed in its capital works budget, in the 2012-13 fi nancial year, has been described as one of the biggest amounts it’s ever spent on projects.

$27 million order bookTHE order book of Quickstep Hold-

ings Limited the manufacturer of high-grade carbon-fi bre composite components, at Bankstown Airport, stands in excess of $27 million, mostly to be delivered before the end of December 2014.

Bought for $1.15 millionPEIGAN Cai, an international steel fi rm,

has purchased a 1100-square-metre site, with a 602-square metre warehouse, in Padstow, for

$1.15 million, from Farah George Matt ar and Marlin Matt er.

Furniture maker beats ChineseSEBEL Furniture, at Padstow, the world’s

biggest school-chair maker, says its edge against Chinese competitors is research and innovation. Th e company has beaten competi-tors from countries such as China to export its stadium, health and school chairs to 58 countries.

Police lease spaceTHE NSW Police Service has renewed

its lease over 3445 square metres of space at 2 Meredith Street, Bankstown Th e offi ce space has been leased from Fortius Funds Manage-ment for a 7 year term at a net rent of $320 a square metre

Panania town centreBANKSTOWN City Council, which has

invested $2.1 million in a two-stage upgrade of the Panania town centre, has completed the second stage.

CENTRA L WESTNew CEO for Eels

SCOTT Seward has been appointed CEO of the Parramatt a Eels following 11 months as general manager, membership and consumer business for the Eels. During that time Eels mem-bership has grown by 49.5 per cent on 2012 to a record 17,205, the largest increase in the NRL.

Council seeks a designerPARRA MATT A City Council wants

to commission a qualifi ed design and/or architect fi rm to design and oversee the fi t out of council’s proposed new civic facilities and council workplace, in the Parramatt a Square project

$50 million for NSWSYDNEY Olympic site at Homebush

will be the home to V8 Supercars for the next three years under an agreement believed to be worth around $12 million to V8 racing and an estimated $50 million to the state’s economy

over three years. Th e 2013 race takes place from December 6 to 8.

Legal representation in CBDOVER 200 law fi rms are based in Par-

ramatt a and two chambers, Arthur Phillip Chambers and Lachlan Macquarie Chambers, with over 40 barristers.

Sale of commercial buildingsAUSTRA LIA and off shore-based inves-

tors are the purported combination of buyers of the $175 million Sydney Water site, in the Parramatt a CBD, according to Th e Sydney Morning Herald, which also reported the pos-sible sale of the NSW Police headquarters, in the CBD fo0r about $240 million.

$22 million facilityHOLROYD City Council will transform

the Hyland Road Reserve, a former dump, into a $22 million sporting facility.

Western Sydney’s newest online dining guide.

12

PARRAMATTA CITY COUNCIL NEWS

WESTERN SYDNEY BUSINESS ACCESS OCTOBER 2013

Content on this page is sponsored by Parramatta City Council in the interests of informing residents and businesses of council initiatives and events. Any views expressed on this page are not necessarily those of

WSBA, nor does WSBA accept any responsibility for claims made on this page.

Parramatt a development and activation is going gangbustersW

ith Parramatta Square, one of the largest urban renewal developments in NSW, powering along, and the jam-packed events season almost

upon us, Parramatta is certainly on an up-ward trajectory.

Over recent weeks, Parramatt a City Council has made signifi cant progress on Parramatt a Square, the $1.6 to $2 billion three hectare development of prime real estate at the centre of the City’s rapidly expanding CBD.

Construction of Stage One, a com-mercial tower at 169 Macquarie Street, will commence shortly following the recent approval of the Development Application by the Joint Regional Planning Panel, the independent regional planning authority.

Lord Mayor of Parramatt a Cr John Chedid said the 16 storey tower, which is being developed by Leighton, will feature 25,000 square metres of offi ce space ac-commodating about 2,000 workers.

“Th ere’s very strong interest in pre-leasing offi ce space for this project due to the buildings high profi le location, proxim-ity to the train station and its large fl oor plates,” Cr Chedid said.

“Th e design also delivers on key ele-ments that businesses want in modern workplaces - effi ciency, fl exibility, connec-tivity and abundant natural light.

Parramatt a Square Stage Th ree, at 153 Macquarie Street, is also moving ahead, with Council and Alfasi Property Develop-ments Pty Ltd recently lodging a Develop-ment Application.

Designed by award-winning archi-tecture practice FJMT, the project will include a 16-level 22,000 square metre commercial tower and a separate podium building for a new civic building and li-brary. In total, it will feature 7,000 square metres of public facilities, opening onto the public domain.

Cr John Chedid said he expected the DA for Stage Th ree to be approved early next year, with construction to commence mid 2014.

“We’re confi dent we will be able to deliver these state-of-the-art facilities to the Parramatt a community by late 2015,” he said.

“Our residents, workers and visitors can look forward to vibrant and contem-porary spaces and high quality amenity. As the design evolves, Council will be going out to the local community to seek input on how these new public facilities should look, feel and be used.”

A design competition for Stages Five and Six, the two remaining commercial towers with gross fl oor area of up to 130,000 square metres, will commence in October, with a design excellence com-petition for the remaining projects - the public domain and Stage Four - scheduled for early next year.

Th e DA for Parramatt a Square’s 90-storey mixed-use tower on the corner of Church and Darcy Streets is expected to be approved early next year.

In addition to Parramatt a Square, there’s also a lot planned for the activation of the City to make it an exciting, safe and vibrant place to work and visit.

Over the next month, the City will be a hive of activity, with the events season in full swing - kicking off with Parra-masala on 4-7 October, the Freedom of Entry Parade on 8 October from 12.30pm and Parramatt a Lanes on 17, 18, 24 and 25 October.

Parramasala’s 2013 program is fi lled with an exciting array of world class

theatre, music and dance, celebrating the cultures of Asia and Parramatt a’s many diverse communities. Highlights include the spectacular opening night parade and concert and the Masala Market.

Closely following Parramasala is the HMAS Parramatt a Freedom of Entry Parade on 8 October, starting at 12.30pm along Church Street, which will involve more than 250 sailors.

Th e Freedom on Entry Parade grants the crew of HMAS Parramatt a IV the right to march through the City’s street with swords drawn, bayonets fi xed, drums beating, bands playing and ensign fl ying.

“Th e Parade recognises the strong relationship between the Navy and the City of Parramatt a. We look forward to welcoming the Navy back to our City and the opportunity to pay our respects to its service men and women,” Cr Chedid said.

Th is year’s Parramatt a Lanes, as part of Good Food Month, will transform eight lanes, car parks and spaces into vibrant, trendy bars and eateries.

“We’re asking people to come to Parramatt a Lanes to discover a new taste around every corner – spicy laksa from lo-cal institution Temasek in Roxy Car Park, craft beer from local brewer Riverside Brewing Company and authentic Mexican tacos in Erby Place, as well as delectable desserts from Adora Handmade Choco-lates in Red Cow Lane,” Cr Chedid said.

“Th is year’s event builds on the suc-cess of the inaugural Parramatt a Lanes in 2012, which att racted more than 9,000 visitors to discover our hidden lanes and spaces.”

Th ese events will then take the City through to the major summer events, including Loy Krathong, Christmas festivi-ties, New Year’s Eve celebrations and the Sydney Festival. The commercial tower at 169 Macquarie Street, part of Parramatta Square.

A space transformed as part of Parramatta Lanes

2012.


Xavier’s head’s in the cloud and he loves itBy Anthony Stavrinos

TWO phone chats and a flick through his slides from a recent presentation is all it took to realise Xavier Simon is a man with his head in the cloud.

And that’s fantastic news for his existing and future clients at VOIP Pty Ltd.

Th e company is a Telstra Cloud partner and Microsoft Gold partner which com-bined, ensure a potent cloud solutions off er-ing, which Simon oversees as ICT Services product manager.

But I don’t totally get this whole “cloud” thing, I hear you all desperately say.

IT research and advisory fi rm Gartner defi nes Cloud Computing as a style of computing in which scalable and elastic IT-enabled capabilities are delivered as a service using Internet Technologies.

Walt Heuer, general manager at ACT-based Alacrity Technologies said the “cloud” concept was nothing new and had been with us for at least two decades.

“It’s the internet version of a service bu-reau in the 70s and 80s,” he told WSBA.

“Not long ago, the marketing boffi ns came up the with “cloud” tag and it worked so well, it’s stayed with us ever since.”

And along with prolifi c use of the tag, there’s been a similar trajectory of growth in the number of self-appointed cloud experts.

Without a formal defi nition of what constitutes a cloud solution, Simon admits it can be challenging to prospective clients why he’s bett er equipped to provide advice.

But he’s an accomplished IT bof-fi n – 15 years in IT and more than fi ve of those already in cloud solutions underpin a confi dence in his product knowledge, which relieves him of any need to disparage competitors.

In fact, he readily acknowledges that

competitors such as Google, off er solutions of similar high quality to Microsoft , which he represents.

“What we do is before we declare some-thing to be a cloud solution we do have a certain amount of rigour,” Simon explained. “For us, to be a cloud solution it needs to meet certain criteria.”

Simon said that among those require-ments:

• It’s got to be flexible. • Usually there’s no long term commit-

ment attached to it.• It’s usually involves a per user, per

month fee.• It should be useful or of some value to

an organisation.“Just a website in itself, is not ‘cloud’ be-

cause it doesn’t provide any kind of business value to the people using it,” he explains.

“But if you’re talking about something like Offi ce 365 providing an email address, that’s business value.”

His main weapons include Microsoft ’s Offi ce 365 suite for communications and Telstra’s T-suite covering HR, accountancy, project management and customer relation-ship management.

“Th e reason why I like cloud solutions is because it actually got me from crawling out from under desks and having arguments with the users, to actually be able to have a normal discussion with people and get them to like IT,” he said.

But he’s not in denial when it comes to the ability of discussion about the cloud to put an audience to sleep.

In presentations to business people, one way he likes to keep his presentation enjoy-able is to launch into a discussion on the phenomenon of the IT worker and why they are mostly grumpy.

He explains that it’s all to do with having to crawl under desks, put up with entangle-

ment in cabling and hide in dark, dingy rooms at the back of or underneath the offi ce.

I couldn’t help thinking that the idea of companies switching to cloud solutions must be making those IT workers even grumpier by threatening their jobs, but Simon doesn’t believe that’s necessarily the case.

He believes the cloud has the potential to take skilled IT workers away from menial, time-consuming tasks to focus on areas that will increase an organisation’s productivity and functionality. Cloud boffin, Xavier Simon.

NEWS BRIEFSCouncil calls for EOI

PARRA MATA City Council is seeking expressions of interest from food, merchan-dise, information stallholders, casual staff , entertainers and performance groups to take part in its major events.

Electronic savingsTHE change from a paper to electronic

format of Parramatt a City Council’s business papers and other information for councillors and senior management has saved council an estimated 35,000 pages of printing a month and signifi cantly reduced printing costs

28-storey unit buildingCOUNCIL has approved alterations

and additions to an approved mixed-used development, at 29 Hunter Street, to add an additional fi ve storeys to create a 28-storey mixed-use development containing 133 units, one retail tenancy and two commer-cial tenancies over four levels of basement parking.

Parking figuresCOUNCIL’S June 2013 quarterly report

show parking meter revenue of $61,000 was below budget due to inclement weather. Revenue from parking stations was down $314,000 due to lower rates of competitive alternatives. Parking fi nes were $400,000 above budget

$800,000 after infrastructureSYDNEY Water is currently spend-

ing more than $800,000 on wastewater infrastructure across the Parramatt a area. Th e work will take about two months to complete, weather and ground conditions permitt ing.

$17 million refurbishmentTHE $17 million redevelopment of the

35-year-old Greystanes Shopping Centre will create 400 construction jobs, and once completed it will include a new and ex-panded Woolworths supermarket and more than 20 other specialty shops. Completion is expected in late 2014.

www.wsba.com.auNEWS




www.wsba.com.auNEWS

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Ingham awards dinner to honour researchers

THE Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research will host its inaugural Research Awards Dinner at the Liverpool Catholic Club on December 6 2013.

Th e event places some of Australia’s best talent in health and medical research in the spotlight for their work in improving the health of the nation.

Th e Ingham Institute for Applied Medi-cal Research is a charitable organisation that facilitates cutt ing-edge research on a range of disease areas aff ecting the local community in South West Sydney.

Th e night will celebrate and acknowledge the signifi cant eff orts of Ingham Institute researchers who have made their mark in the

world of medical research.Ingham Institute researchers had a pros-

perous year and have been well-deserving of a variety of major national and international awards.

“We have an immense range of some of Australia’s best talent working at the Ing-ham Institute on a range of critical disease areas aff ecting Australians including cancer, cardiovascular disease, early childhood disease and mental health,” said Research Director Professor Michael Barton OAM.

To purchase a ticket, a table or for spon-sorship enquiries contact Tracey Roberts, Community Relationship Manager on 02 8738 9000 or [email protected]

Professor Michael Barton OAM, Ingham Institute Research Director and Chief Executive Officer of the

Ingham Institute.

Residential tower proposal supported against rules

A PRELIMINARY concept proposal for a 24-floor tower in the Parramatta CBD has been supported by council in an area where residential units are

prohibited.Th e owner had sought rezoning of 7

Charles Street, on the eastern periphery of the CBD’s commercial core, from B3 (Com-mercial Core) to B4 (Mixed Use) to allow construction of a 114-unit building.

A council report said it would set an undesirable precedent and erode the com-mercial viability of the city as a business and employment centre.

It might, also, compromise council’s abil-ity to decline further requests for residential development in the CBD core which would likely result in an imbalance of land uses.

Approximately 35.8 hectares, or 25 per cent of the CBD, is allocated exclusively for business uses.

“Th e removal of land supply and conver-sion to residential land uses will permanently prevent the creation of employment fl oor space on this [1000-square-metre] site located within the commercial core,” the report said

“Parramatt a’s ability to provide land

exclusively for business purposes is critical to ensure it continues to develop into a true business district supported by residential, on the periphery.”

Once developed for residential purposes and strata titled council’s ability to provide employment fl oor space would be compro-mised, the report said.

Th is would restrict Parramatt a perform-ing its role as the premier regional city in the metropolitan area, the primary business services centre for Western Sydney and a signifi cant business location for metropoli-tan Sydney.

Th e current residential population in the CBD and immediate surrounds was approxi-mately 10,000; in the 2007-2013 period council approved 31 residential projects, rep-resenting approximately 4850 apartments.

Th e r eport recommended the proposal be held in abeyance until the completion of the planning review of the city centre cur-rently underway.

Councillors resolved to support the preliminary concept proposal following a debate at a recent council meeting and the applicant would be invited to proceed with a detailed planning proposal for the site.

Council moves on from $16b Civic Place debacleBy Red Dwyer

PARRAMATTA City Council is on the move from the debacle of its $1.6 billion Civic Place project with approval for the first of a six-stage redevelopment of a

3-hectare prime site in the CBD.Council has renamed site, Parramatt a

Square, surrounding the historic town hall, and upped the ante to $2 billion.

Th e fi rst stage will be the demolition of the council-owned 7-storey Macquarie House, on the corner of Macquarie and Smith streets, later this year.

Leighton Properties, which has devel-oped three other commercial properties in the CBD, won the right to redevelop Macquarie House, in July, for a 14-storey, 25,000-square-metre offi ce tower, estimated to be worth $200 million upon completion in late 2015

“We are currently in the process of pre-leasing the offi ce space and are experiencing very strong interest,” said Mark Gray, MD, of Leighton Properties

Th e DA for stage 2, a 90-storey mixed-use tower on the corner of Church and Darcy streets, the former Hungry Jack’s site, is await-ing approval, which is expected later this year.

Also, this year, approval is expected for stage 3, the Alfasi Property Develop-ments’ redevelopment of the Australia Post building in Macquarie Street, into a 16-level, 22,000 square-metre commer-cial tower.

A separate podium building of 7000 square metres, at the rear of the tower, will be developed by council for its new civic building and library.

Council said the design excellence competition would commence later this year for stage 4, a low-rise retail and commercial building behind the town hall.

In the meantime, council has jumped ahead and approved a design competition be conducted prior to December this year, for stages 5 and 6 which are towers on Darcy Street, providing approximately 100,000 square metres of commercial space.

Parramatt a Square, opposite the Par-ramatt a Transport Interchange and bounded by Church, Macquarie, Smith and Darcy streets, is expected to accommodate up to 13,000 workers when completed.

Council owns over eight hectares of development sites, including Parramatt a Square, in the CBD, representing over 500,000 square metres of potential fl oor space.

Strong local economy leads to Stockland’s $220m expansion

TH E undersupply of retail space in the trade area, fragmented competition and a strong lo-cal economy were the catalyst for Stockland to undertake a $222 million expansion and rede-

velopment of its Wetherill Park Shopping Centre Th e centre, developed by Stockland in 1983,

has been through three phases of development, with the most recent completed in 2003.

Stockland will expand the centre by 15,000 square metres to create a shopping centre with a gross lett able area (GLA) of more than 70,000 square metres.

Stockland will commence the redevelopment with a “light touch” over the fi rst few months to minimise its impact on pre-Christmas trade.

Major works will begin in earnest in January 2014 and will be managed in three sequential stages to minimise disruption to retailers and

customers, with practical completion of the entire project forecast for mid-2016.

Th e centre currently supports 132 specialty stores and is anchored by Big W, Woolworths, Target and a 12-screen Hoyts cinema.

Th e expansion includes a larger entertain-ment and leisure area, an upgrade of the cinema complex, additional restaurants and a new 800-seat food court

Th e centre is located in Prairiewood within Fairfi eld City Council area and is nominated as a potential major centre under the Sydney Metropolitan Plan

Stockland forecasts the redevelopment would provide strong fi nancial returns, deliver growth in market share and recapture a portion of the estimated $600 million escape expendi-ture in its trade area.


www.wsba.com.auCOVER STORY

How Adam built classic car heavenStory: Mike WallsPhotos: Jessica Fahd

AS a builder Adam Hughes makes a pretty good collector of American classic cars.

So much so that this Hills resident has converted his passion into a business

with a stunning new showroom where people can see his creations – 18 fully restored Ameri-can classic cars which are available to for hire.

It’s been a labour of love for Adam, years in the making and design. Alongside him all the way has been his experienced and dedicated mechanic Andrew Ezzy from Nick Combes Automotive in Castle Hill.

Adam has converted an industrial unit in Castle Hill to a grand showroom which re-sembles an old school 50’s themed workshop and vehicles can be viewed by appointment only. (You can call the team of ACCH on 9634 7274.)

Th e skill involved in restoring cars of this vintage is very much in the detail. Each car can take months of skilled labour to restore, not to mention the necessary modifi cation requirements to each vehicle to conform to the Australian road regulations.

All cars must pass stringent regulations in order to obtain a blue slip and due to the vehicles being left hand drive. Th e law states that the vehicle can remain left hand drive if they were built prior to 1971.

Th is means basic things such as indicators need to be adjusted for Australian conditions. Some cars need rust removed and some substantial motor work.

No expense or time is spared to bring each vehicle to pristine condition.

Adam buys his cars from various auction houses through-out the USA. Th e main one

being www.mecum.com.au – an American based auction house that is a world leader in live auctions in collector cars.

Auctions are also held online which means Adam is able to purchase vehicles sight unseen but recommends buyers seeing each vehicle in the fl esh as the only way to go. Once a car is purchased, the importation process begins.

Each vehicle can take up to a period of 3-6 months before they are in the country and released to the owner. Th en the restoration process starts.

Adam plans to hire these gems out for weddings, formals, movies and advertising as well as photo shoots or any special occa-sion. He has created packages that include full chauff eur services, champagne and fl owers.

“Building this business has been an excit-ing and rewarding project. We have already seen some success in terms of people booking weddings but the range of experiences these cars can provide is huge,” said Adam.

“We believe we have something very special to off er. No expense has been spared to recreate these special cars back to their original character and the experience we off er is second to none.”

Visit www.americanclassiccarhire.com.au for more details.

Adam Hughes, above, and below, the classic cars at his showroom.


Mayors hit the ground running

NEW Holroyd City Mayor, Nasr Kafrouni, says he will be leading from the ground as he refocuses

Council on meeting private sector shortfalls in services and building local business.

A Holroyd resident for 37 years and a Councillor for fi ve years, Mayor Kafrouni says he will be spending time working with residents, com-munity groups and businesses to reduce shop vacancy rates in town centres, att ract new business, improve roads and infrastructure and meet the key service needs of ratepay-ers.

“I have close ties with the resident and business com-munity and I’ll be the kind of Mayor who meets with people to fi nd out what they need and works with Council and the people to deliver.

Mayor Kafrouni, a local real estate agent and father of fi ve, says his priorities for his Mayoral term stem from seeing fi rsthand how Councils that work closely with their communities can build cities that are strong, economically and socially.

Councillor Len Robinson has been re-elected as Mayor of Blacktown City with Councillor Dr Russ Dickens OAM as Deputy Mayor. Mayor Robinson said the past year as Mayor has been an extremely busy time.

“My commitment was that I would work to ensure Council provides value for money to the community, and the Council’s long term fi nancial position is protected”.

Th e Mayor said the Council had adopted a $377 million budget the largest ever for Black-town City.

“Th e budget gave drive to Council’s Asset

Management Strategy, allocat-ing more than $13 million to asset renewal. More still needs to be done in the area of asset renewal with forecasts show-ing we need to spend more so that Council’s infrastructure remains in an acceptable standard and so that we do not leave an unmanageable burden for future generations”.

Mayor Robinson also touched on the initial work of creating Masterplans for Blacktown Aquatic Centre and Emerton Leisure Centre, the steps that have been taken to have the Warrick Lane site redeveloped and the improved relationships with national sporting bodies such as Tennis Australia and the National Rugby League.

Liberal Councillor John Chedid was re-elected to serve as Lord Mayor of Parramatt a City Council for another 12 months and will be aided by new Deputy Lord Mayor, Cr Paul Garrard.

Cr Chedid was fi rst elected to Parramatt a City Council in 2004 and previously held the position of Lord Mayor in 2010-2011 and 2012-2013.

“My priorities for this term will be to build on the work I’ve been doing to activate key areas of the City including Church Street Mall and the River foreshore, promote healthy lifestyles, progress Parramatt a Square and our Light Rail Network proposal, along with delivering a sport and recreation precinct for Western Sydney in Parramatt a.

“I take this opportunity to thank my Liberal council colleagues for their support and assistance over the past year and I look forward to working with everyone in the Chamber to take Parramatt a forward,” Cr Chedid said.

Blacktown Mayor Councillor Len

Robinson.

Residents reminded to register their pool

WITH temperatures climbing and the Swim-ming Pool Register deadline approaching,

residents are reminded to make sure that their pool fence is com-pliant and their pool is registered by October 29.

In an eff ort to increase safety around water and decrease the annual number of drownings or near drowning incidents, the NSW Government has developed new rules for pools and spas.

Th ese rules also apply to any swimming pool with a depth of 300mm or more, which includes temporary rubber swimming pools.

So far only 6,348 swimming pools have been registered in Th e Hills Shire out of an estimated total of 20,000.

Home owners are reminded that they must provide a compliance certifi cate for every home sold or leased aft er April 29, 2014.

Pool owners must:Register their pool on an online regis-

ter provided by the State Government.Self-assess and state in the register

that, to the best of their knowledge, their pool complies with the applicable standard.

Provide a valid swimming pool com-pliance certifi cate before being able to sell or lease a property with a pool.

Council inspectors may conduct swimming pool inspections initiated by the owner. Council will:

Develop and implement a swim-ming pool barrier inspection program in

consultation with the community.Report annually on the number of

pool inspections and the level of compli-ance with requirements.

Inspect pools associated with tourist and visitor accommodation and multi-occupancy developments every three years

At the request of a pool owner, inspect pools prior to sale or lease

Issue compliance certifi cates aft er an inspection which fi nds a pool barrier compliant with the legislation.

A $220 penalty applies for failing to register a swimming pool. Find out more at www.dlg.nsw.gov.au and select backyard swimming pools.

High-profile Hills residents Nathan Hindmarsh

and David McAllister got behind Hills Council’s

campaign to alert all pool owners to register

their pool.

www.wsba.com.auCOMMUNITY


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TABLET sales showed their first sequential decline ever in the second quarter of this year, according to research firm IDC.

Apple sold fewer iPads than expected in its most recent quarter. Barnes & Noble’s Nook e-reader sales fell 20% in the fi scal fi rst quarter ended August 20, two months aft er the company announced it will no longer make color versions of Nook, only black and white ones. And analysts are worrying about whether smartphone profi t margins can hold up as buyer fatigue sets in.

All of this points to what is becoming the new normal for tech gadgets: a rapidly acceler-ating product cycle.

Devices hit the market, wow the crowd, mature and sunset at an ever increasing rate. For instance, the netbook, a light, stripped-down laptop, was created in 2007, shortly peaked and then plummeted as consumers bought tablets.

Research fi rm IHS iSuppli predicts that by 2015, netbooks will be extinct aft er hitt ing a peak of 32.14 million units in 2010.

Experts at Wharton say that smartphones and tablets are here to stay, but slower growth as markets mature isn’t too far behind.

“Smartphones and tablets have grown more quickly than any consumer electronics device we’ve ever seen,” notes Kevin Werbach, legal studies and business ethics professor at Wharton.

“Th e torrid rate of growth means those devices are reaching the maturation stage more quickly than personal computers or other prior devices did. It has been only a handful of years since the introduction of the iPad in 2010, but already much of the core market in the U.S. and other developed countries has a tablet.”

IDC said that worldwide tablet shipments were 45.1 million units, down 9.7% in the second quarter relative to the fi rst quarter.

Second quarter shipments were up 59.6% from a year ago, but the research fi rm noted in a press release that the lack of a new iPad from Apple hurt the market.

“With no new iPads, the market slowed for many vendors, and that’s likely to continue into the third quarter,” said IDC analyst Tom Mainelli.

“However, by the fourth quarter we expect new products from Apple, Amazon and others to drive impressive growth in the market.” On August 29, IDC cut its 2013 forecast slightly from 229.3 million to 227.4 million tablet shipments.

In other words, the tablet market now is experiencing similar dynamics to the PC industry, where much of the growth falls in the second half of the year.

Barclays analyst Ben Reitzes wrote in a research note that sales of the iPad “clearly have the fl u.

“Apple shipped 14.6 million iPads in the fi scal third quarter, well below the 18 million he expected. Th e market has really suff ered from a lack of new and compelling devices.”

According to Citi Research analyst Glen Yeung, the desktop PC market took 12 years to mature and hit saturation in developed mar-kets in 2008. Th e laptop market took 10 years

to mature in 2012. Smartphones and tablets are expected to mature in 2015 - for a life cycle of seven years and fi ve years, respectively, Yeung wrote in a research note.

Smartphone sales remain strong largely because they are replacing mobile phone sales overall. Research fi rm Gartner said that global mobile phone sales grew 3.6% in the second quarter, and smartphone units surpassed so-called feature phones for the fi rst time.

Nevertheless, analysts covering Samsung and Apple question whether the two mobile market leaders can maintain profi t margins and have expressed doubt that they will be able to launch new devices that are enticing enough to off set buyer fatigue.

Sales of Samsung’s Galaxy S4 phone didn’t live up to initial expectations. Meanwhile, Apple recently introduced the latest upgrade to the iPhone, the 5S, along with a new lower-cost model, the 5C.

With its $99 price tag for a 16GB model, Apple is hoping the 5C - which is made of plastic and comes in fi ve colors- will put the phone within reach of consumers in fast-grow-ing emerging markets.

Th e 5S, meanwhile, includes an upgrade to an A7 chip and is the fi rst smartphone based on a high-performance 64-bit architecture. It also comes in three colors - silver, gold and “space gray.”

Played outAccording to Wharton legal studies and

business ethics professor Andrea Matwyshyn, rapid product cycles mean that consumers, who have grown dependent on electronics, are becoming more demanding.

“Consumers are increasingly comfortable when it comes to appreciating novel designs, but if the bells and whistles don’t add new functionality, they won’t buy” a device, she says.

Matwyshyn adds that the tablet, smart-phone and PC are all variations of the same computing theme.

“Th e tablet, smartphone and PC all have functionality limitations, and consumers fi nd shortcomings with all of them,” she says. As a result, tech companies need to fi nd a way to combine those devices or entice consumers with something new.

Wharton management professor David Hsu agrees. “Th e underlying question is: What functionality is unique and can push consumers to upgrade? Upgrading just for incremental improvement isn’t as compelling.”

Werbach points out that although smart-phones and tablets have been refi ned in recent years, they have fallen short of any break-through uses.

“Th e fi rst few years of smartphones and tablets were about soft ware innovation, and then the development of cloud-based systems tied to the devices,” he notes.

“Th ere has been signifi cant refi nement since then, but today’s devices basically have the same functionality that Apple fi rst delivered when it added the App Store to the second-generation iPhone.”

According to Knowledge@Wharton tech-nology and media editor Kendall Whitehouse, screen size might be the most critical diff eren-tiator for consumers.

“Th e middle ground [in screen sizes] is where the market challenges will be.” Th e smartphone is highly portable and will con-tinue to do well, Whitehouse predicts. Tablets will increase in functionality to become lightweight PCs. Standalone, limited function tablets are the most vulnerable.

“Th e extremes at either end have a niche. At home I want the biggest screen I can get. When I’m on the go, I want something portable. It will be a market made up of large screens and things I can carry in my pocket.”

Today’s winners, tomorrow’s losers?Th e angst over whether consumers will

continue to buy the latest, greatest device has Apple’s board of directors pushing for a faster innovation cycle, according to Fox Business News, which reported that there is pressure on CEO Tim Cook to bring new products to market faster.

Apple’s iPhone 5C is on sale, and the 5S model is available for pre-order started on September 20. An Apple television set also has been long rumored.

“Apple has created so many product waves, one has to wonder whether it can continue to do so,” says Whitehouse. Barclays’ Reitzes argued in a research note that Apple should concentrate its iPad sales eff orts on

corporations to hold market share against Samsung and a bevy of inexpensive Android tablets. According to Reitzes, Apple’s tablet already has traction in corporations, and if it could develop more business use, the company would have a more stable base for its device.

Meanwhile, Apple’s rival, Samsung, has its own concerns. Competition from Chi-nese smartphone makers ZTE, Huawei and Lenovo are cutt ing into the fi rm’s profi ts.

“Samsung and Apple both have to worry about the ‘Dell problem,’” says Hsu. Dell pioneered an effi cient PC supply chain and the ability to quickly customize computers, but it missed the mobile trend and hasn’t been a player in smartphones or tablets.

“Both [Apple and Samsung] have been doing great many quarters in a row, [but they are] focusing on giving people what they want now, not what they want in the future.”

Neither Samsung nor Apple can look to recent history from PC companies for much insight on how to navigate faster product cycles. Few traditional PC players have been able to handle the rapid pace of the mobile product cycle.

Microsoft is currently looking for a new CEO, as Steve Ballmer plans to retire within the next year aft er a not-always-successful at-

“And as more people have

multiple connected mobile

devices at the same time,

services that tie them

together will become

increasingly prominent.”

Race on to fi nd the next

“We’re going to see new

form factors like smart

watches and smart glasses

such as Google Glass, as

well as a proliferation of

sensors.”

www.wsba.com.auFEATURE - FUTURE TECHNOLOGY

Continued on page 19


compelling thingtempt to focus the company on cloud services and devices like the Surface tablet.

Microsoft ’s mobile platforms are a distant third to Android and Apple’s iOS. PC vendors in general have struggled in the so-called “post-PC era” -- Hewlett -Packard, Dell, Acer and Asus have all failed to hit home runs with

mobile devices.Of the PC makers, only Lenovo, which

recently became the number-one PC vendor globally, has managed the transition to mobile relatively well.

In China, Lenovo is the second-largest smartphone maker and has plans to take a smartphone called the Vibe X global.

Lenovo has also created laptops, called

“convertibles,” that can double as a tablet. In addition, the fi rm has an all-in-one PC that can act as a table-top tablet. Lenovo execu-tives say the company is the largest player in the Windows 8 convertible market and that its Yoga convertible PC will inspire new func-tions throughout its products.

The next big thingFor smartphone and tablet makers, the

pressure to innovate will remain high. Th e question is: How?

“Th e next stage of innovation is going to be about hardware and data analytics,” says Werbach.

“We’re going to see new form factors like smart watches and smart glasses [such as] Google Glass, as well as a proliferation of sensors. And as more people have multiple connected mobile devices at the same time, services that tie them together will become increasingly prominent.”

According to Werbach, the connections and services will matt er more to consumers than the actual hardware. Google has multiple cloud services focused on documents, sharing and apps, and Apple has its App Store and iTunes juggernaut.

Ultimately, these services will be tailored to individuals. More business models similar to Amazon’s are likely to take root: Amazon breaks even on its hardware sales, but profi ts from usage and follow-up sales of content.

Hsu, however, adds that there’s still plenty of potential for hardware innovation. “It’s hard to disrupt the dominant design for computing. Th e form factor for what we do is usually a rectangular screen. Th at’s why there’s excite-ment for Google Glass and wrist watches. Th ere’s going to be some interesting experi-

mentation.”Recently, Samsung has been highlighting

the potential of fl exible displays - which can bend and wrap around a person’s wrist, for example - and is holding a business model contest to fi nd creative uses for the technol-ogy.

Matwyshyn says that she has hope for this particular innovation because it would give consumers the ability to tailor hardware to their personal needs.

According to Whitehouse, new designs or product categories will need to combine existing devices in order to gain considerable traction.

Th e market won’t support distinct catego-ries of devices that perform tasks being sub-sumed by smartphones and tablets. “Consum-ers will gravitate to a future enhanced tablet or a souped-up smartphone,” he says.

“Th ere are signs of convergence. It’s not like people are buying separate GPS devices or point-and-shoot cameras [anymore].”

ARTICLE COURTESY OF KNOWLEDGE@

“The angst over whether

consumers will continue

to buy the latest, greatest

device has Apple’s board

of directors pushing for

a faster innovation cycle ,

according to Fox Business

News.”

www.wsba.com.auFEATURE - FUTURE TECHNOLOGY

Continued from page 18

Business to business distributionCall for expressions of interest

For more information about WSBA visit www.wsba.com.au

Western Sydney Business Access (WSBA) is a regional business and

consumer newspaper covering the rapidly progressing region of Greater

Wrester Sydney.

A key element of our success has been the effective nature of our distribu-

tion to businesses throughout the region.

Due to a restructure in our distribution coverage we are now looking to

outsource these services.

As a result we now seek expressions of interest from suitable people to

undertake business to business distribution services in the following areas:

• Parramatta.

• Blacktown.

• Norwest/Hills.

• Penrith.

• Liverpool.

You may be interested in all, or some of these areas. You will need a

reliable vehicle (ideally a commercial type) and be able to complete the

deliveries primarily during business hours.

Rate of pay is by negotiation. WSBA is published monthly with the printer

located at Rydalmere.

If this opportunity interests you please contact the publisher, Michael

Walls, direct at:

Email: [email protected]

Mobile: 0407 783 413

LAUNCH OF NEW EDITIONSCall for expressions of interest

For more information about WSBA visit www.wsba.com.au

Western Sydney Business Access (WSBA) is a regional business

and consumer newspaper with a five-year track record of successfully

covering the issues and people that shape the region.

The WSBA formula is unique in that it provides exclusive coverage

of the business and lifestyle issues that impact upon people’s lives.

With a highly regarded website and hard copy edition, WSBA is a

journal of record the region in business circles.

With the recent addition of a lifestyle section, the brand will

continue to grow in influence and reach throughout the GWS region.

We are now considering launching new editions of this popular

product and are seeking expressions of interest from people who may

have an interest in publishing and may be looking to launch their own

publishing business as a prime business or as a support business to

established entities.

There are a range of options available in terms of locations for new

products. Minimal start-up capital is required for the right

person/people.

If this opportunity interests you please contact the publisher,

Michael Walls direct, in full confidence:


Mobile: 0407 783 413


www.wsba.com.auOPINION

Reality of what we need VS what we h ave in super

By Kate HillPartner Delloite Private

IN recent weeks I haven’t been able to open a newspaper without hearing about the growth in Self Managed Super Funds (SMS-Fs) and their impact on property prices.

It seems the baby boomers in some sub-urbs are snapping up more than their fair share of properties at auction, leaving potential fi rst home buyers baffl ed at the prices being paid for starter homes or units.

Last week, in its latest Financial Stability Review, the Reserve Bank of Australia com-mented on the recent changes to legislation which have allowed SMSFs to borrow money to invest in property.

“Since then, property holdings by SMSFs have increased and this type of investment strategy is being heavily promoted,” the review said.

Th e RBA says there has been a particularly strong increase in SMSF property investment in NSW.

Australia’s superannuation system is the fourth largest in the world and as such is a source of pride for government and those working in the fi nancial services industry.

Its purpose is to provide the country with a pool of investible funds with the potential to generate wealth and prosperity for our ageing population.

For many super is not enough However, a report launched by Deloitt e

last month - Th e Dynamics of the Australian Su-perannuation System – found that despite the $7.6 trillion asset pool projected for 2033, that potential to generate wealth and prosperity

may well be at risk for the average Australian.Th e research shows that many Australians

will not have enough savings in superannua-tion alone to fund their retirement.

Increasing longevity means that half our retirees are expected to live past age 86 with a 100% increase in the number of Australians over the age of 75 in just 20 years.

According to the fi ndings, today’s average 65 year old Australian will not have enough superannuation to fully fund his, and particu-larly her, life expectancy.

Th e Deloitt e report also looks ahead to the younger Australians who will have received the compulsory Superannuation Guarantee (SG) contribution for a full lifetime and considers a worker currently aged 30 with a salary of $60,000 and with an average current balance of $27,000 (these are median fi gures for someone in the 25-34 age range1).

Th e projection estimates that this person will have $1.1 million on reaching age 65 in 2048 in future dollars. Th is account balance is expected to last to age 94 under the modest retirement standard of $22,654 pa and to only 77 under the comfortable retirement standard of $41,197 pa.

To aff ord a comfortable retirement stan-dard covering life expectancy, a current 30 year old male would need a retirement benefi t in 2048 of $1.58 million and a female, $1.76 million both in future dollars.

To achieve this, current 30 year olds would need to make an additional contribution of 5.4% as a male and 7.5% as a woman on top of their current SG rate.

With all this in mind it is no surprise that future retirees are looking to maximise their investment in property in order to gener-ate the amount required to live comfortably through retirement!

Th e report goes on to identify that cur-rently there are four individuals of working age to each retiree. Over the next 20 years to 2033, there will be less than three individuals of working age for each retiree.

Given the pressures on tax collections – there will be fewer workers paying tax to fund

1 AMP Retirement Adequacy 2012

the government’s aged pension and other social security commitments – so the country will need more self-funded retirees to lessen the burden on the public purse.

Th e Deloitt e projections show that, while the overall level of superannuation assets will grow signifi cantly, retirement adequacy and longevity risk will remain concerns for both the government and individuals.

Th e good news is we can all take steps to improve our position through actions such as increasing contributions or delaying retire-ment.

Other options include taking superan-nuation as an income stream or annuity rather than a lump sum, to help address the demographic challenges of adequacy, and this is what the report recommends. But these options are not available to all and they do not fully eliminate the longevity risk.

Unfortunately superannuation is still re-covering from the global fi nancial crisis which caused more than a ripple for the aggregate system, bringing lasting adversity for those on the verge of retiring as well as many currently retired Australians.

Many Australians now approaching retire-ment have only contributed to super for a limited portion of their working lives as our system is still maturing.

Th e concern is that current policy sett ings, including changes to caps and drawdowns, and the SG 12% increase, will not deliver the lifestyle that the majority of those retiring in the next 20 years are seeking.

Th e reality is that many Australians will need to work longer and where possible con-tribute more.

To that end the report projects the pos-sibility of Australians deferring retirement by two and fi ve years respectively.

By deferring the retirement age by two years to age 67, Australia’s asset pool will increase by $400 billion. If it were possible to defer retirement age by fi ve years to age 70, another $1 trillion would be added to the system.

Th is will bring the total pool of superan-nuation assets to $8.6 trillion. Although, not everyone would be able to spend extra time in

the workforce and the jobs would also need to be available.

Whether it is through company, industry or self-managed super fund the message is clear, take control of your super early. Know where you stand, understand what you can do to increase payments, whether it is through salary sacrifi ce or through lump sum pay-ments.

Leaving it in the too hard basket could leave you with fewer options as you near retirement. When I mention to my kids about how important it is to keep track of the super accounts they have acquired through part time or summer jobs, they look at me as if I’m from another planet.

My key focus however is to get them set up in a good job so they can keep me in the man-ner to which I’m accustomed once I retire!

For more information on the Dynamics of the Australian Superannuation System: the next 20 years, download the Report at www.deloitt e.com/au/super-dynamics

Contact Kate Hill at [email protected]

Roll out the red carpet, not the red ta pe

By Cr John ChedidParramatta Lord Mayor

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell and Sport and Recreation Minister Gabrielle Up-ton met with members of our new Par-ramatta Sports Precinct Advisory Board

recently to discuss ways to fast track the City’s stadium development.

Joining me at the meeting were PCYC Manager Chris Gardiner, Eels Chairman and Deputy Chairman, Stephen Sharp and Tom Issa and Wanderers CEO Lyall Gorman.

Once again, partnership has made this project a success and the group wasn’t there to ask for money.

In fact, all of the stakeholders, including the federal government, have committ ed generously to the project. We had one main message: roll out the red carpet, not the red tape!

A key to the redevelopment of the site is

the approval and cooperation of two NSW State Government entities: the Stadium Trust and the Parks Trust, and their support will be critical to the progression. We anticipate the Premier’s feedback this week.

Th e revitalised sports precinct will include an enlarged and renovated stadium, a high performance centre for our pro sports teams, an indoor pool and new facilities for the PCYC.

Ensuring safety for the Church Street Mall

Our thoughts are with the victim of the tragic fatal assault in the Church Street Mall last weekend. We have been meeting with the police to improve the police presence in the Mall, particularly on Th ursday, Friday and Saturday. In the meantime, we have engaged a private security fi rm to patrol the mall during this time so our residents will be as safe as can be.

We want feedback from businessesUrban design gurus, Ethan Kent and Ed

Blakely have arrived in Parramatt a to help the Council transform key areas of the City, including Parramatt a Square, Church Street Mall and the River foreshore.

We’re committ ed to ensuring that key gateways to our City are active and vibrant spaces that att ract residents, workers, visitors and business, so we will be working intensely with Mr Kent, Prof Blakely and the commu-nity to transform our key public spaces and

build this City for the People.We’re honoured to have such internation-

ally-renowned urban designers as part of my City Activations Committ ee.

An important facet of activating urban spaces like the Church Street Mall is that busi-

nesses are frequently partners in this activa-tion – especially the hospitality sector. To share your thoughts about Parramatt a’s public spaces, email us at: [email protected].

Premier Barry O’Farrell, (fourth from left) and Sports and Recreation Minister Gabrielle Upton, and

Parramatta MP Geoff Lee (second from right) met with the delegation from Parramatta’s sports precinct

advisory group sporting delegation, including (from left) Eels deputy chairman Tom Issa, PCYC’s Chris

Gardiner, Wanderers CEO Lyall Gorman, Lord Mayor, Cr John Chedid and Eels Chairman Stephen Sharp.

“Increasing longevity means

that half our retirees are

expected to live past age

86 with a 100% increase in

the number of Australians

over the age of 75 in just 20

years.”


Perception of parking problems plague Parramatt a

By Geoff LeeState Member for Parramatta

LACK of parking in Parramatta is one of the issues I hear the most complaints about.

Th ere is a perception that fi nding parking in Parramatt a is dif-fi cult. Perceptions matt er!

Parking is important to lure businesses, shoppers and diners to the CBD to keep the city vibrant and expanding. To encourage visi-tors to our city we need to make it easy for them to park.

In 2011, Parramatt a City Coun-cil estimated that the city had in excess of 26,000 parking spaces in the city centre. Parramatt a has more than 10,000 spaces spread across 21 public car parks, 15,331 in private off -street parking spaces and 1,363 in metered on-street parking.

Th e question remains ‘Is that enough for Parramatt a’s CBD?’

As a past retailer, I know that parking matt ers. If parking is not available, shoppers do not stop. Westfi eld shopping centre’s strategy works with their centres att ached to multi-deck car parking. West-fi eld Parramatt a has close to 5,000

spaces alone. When talking to business leaders, they all recognise the need for parking for their staff and clients.

Our city parking strategy needs to be carefully managed as:

58% of Parramatt a residents drive to work,

79% of Parramatt a households have one or more cars,

Projections of the city sees growth from 50,000 to 100,000 workers in the next 25 years.

Parramatt a Council’s Car Parking Strategy September 2011 provides interesting recommenda-tions. It recommends improved signage to direct traffi c to car parks,

bett er management of parking fees to encourage longer stays on the edges of the city, and improving the amenity of multi-deck car parks, which make good sense.

However, the recommendation to relocate around 500 car parking spaces from the city’s CBD to the outer areas is problematic.

I do not see how you can solve the parking problems by removing public parking.

In an ideal world we would not need car parks as everyone would have access to convenient public transport. Yet despite continued Government investment in trains, buses and ferries – most people in

Western Sydney still drive a car.Th ere is no ‘magic bullet’ –

solving parking concerns needs a multi-faceted strategy.

Encouraging residential and commercial development around transport hubs is essential to fully utilize public transport options.

Parramatt a is doing this par-ticularly well with new high-rise development in the CBD to off er an inner-city lifestyle.

Th e elimination of the need for people to use their cars to get to work is the ideal solution but not practical or desirable for everyone.

All developments need ample parking. Development controls need to refl ect the reality of the need for parking.

Residential developments need to have more than one car space per unit - two people means two cars.

Commercial developments need basement parking for their staff and the option for paid public parking – we should encourage de-velopers to put in as many off -street parking spaces as possible – the more the bett er.

We need to bett er utilize our existing parking more effi ciently. Th e Council has made some good eff orts with parking on the outskirts of the CBD off ering commut-ers ‘park and ride’ options, and improved street signage so people can fi nd the parking stations, and variable pricing as a mechanism to manage demand.

With parking increasing in cost closer to the centre of the city, people can then choose the option which suits their budget.

Finally, we need to ensure the traffi c management of CBD streets reduces congestion. Cars need to be able to get to and from their desti-nation in the most direct manner.

While more cars does mean more traffi c, if we optimise the fl ows onto local streets we should be bett er able to manage the in-creased traffi c.

Despite the 5,000 car spaces at Westfi eld Parramatt a the area around the mall is in grid-lock at Christmas time.

Something needs to be done to address choke-points like this. Th e proposed ring-road around Parramatt a, shared cars, and the introduction of a dedicated police metropolitan response team on motor cycles are a good start but we need to do more.

Parking has become a perennial issue for cities such as Parramatt a. Oft en town planners assert that we should reduce parking to encourage the use of public transport and dis-courage car ownership. However, public transport relies on high-densities to be most effi cient.

Th e sprawling suburbs that make up Western Sydney neces-sitate the use of cars to get people to work.

Restaurants and retailers rely on parking close by to att ract trade. Businesses want on-site parking for their staff and clients.

Without adequate, convenient and cost-eff ective parking solutions customers will choose to do their business elsewhere. Personally, I don’t believe we can ever have too much parking in our city.

Geoff Lee talking t o the community about parking issues.



Charity starts in the offi ce and ends in community

By Tony EadesChairman Sydney Hills Business Chamber

OCTOBER is community month at the Sydney Hills Business Chamber and an opportunity for us business leaders to focus on what more we can do for our

community. Our local charities especially are doing

it hard with a recent Roy Morgan Research survey fi nding that Australians are giving less to charity but are increasingly using digital technology to make their donations.

In 2012, 66% of Australians aged 14+ donated to charity — down from 70% in the year to December 2008, according to the latest fi ndings.

As local charities feel the pinch, twice as many donations are going to charities which fund overseas development - with the lion’s share going to World Vision, the Christian-based giant in the market.

Greater Western Sydney is home to more than 150,000 small businesses and collectively we can make a real diff erence in our local com-munity.

Here are six reasons why you should consider supporting a charity or non-profi t endeavor in your community:

Th e opportunity to give back. Your business success is probably down to the local customers who support you so giving back some of your good fortune to assist charities

or community groups in your area makes good sense and may bring added business benefi ts too.

Community support and good will. Be-ing an integral part of a community is vital for small business. In today’s competitive world of mega stores and the convenience of the in-ternet, it can oft en be diffi cult to maintain the awareness of your small business. One way to ensure that your business thrives in your com-munity is to help build a thriving community.

Marketing opportunities. If you donate money, products or services or even your time you will fi nd that most charities and non-prof-it groups usually have some sort of recognition program. Th is is positive recognition for your brand and one of the reasons you see your child’s sporting team wearing shirts sponsored by a local business.

Th e opportunity to support causes you believe in. Get your staff involved in choosing

a local charity or not-for-profi t organisation for your business to support. Ideally relate it to your business purpose, for example a swimming pool store may support the work of Royal Life Saving.

Non fi nancial contributions. Many local organisations are under resourced and have particular needs for time and services as well as cash. Contact the group you would like to

help and ask them if there are volunteer op-portunities available.

Th e opportunity to be involved. Gett ing involved in your local community is a great business strategy for many reasons and helps build a solid network of likeminded people and other businesses. You’ll become part of a special group of people who are in tune with the needs of the local community - market research that would be almost impossible for small businesses to att ain.

According to a study commissioned in the UK by fi nancial services group, Forest-ers - most consumers think businesses should support charities and nearly half are more likely to buy from companies that donate to good causes.

Th e survey of 1,100 people from across the UK found that 89 per cent thought busi-nesses should support their local communities and 59 per cent that companies that did so would benefi t from increased profi ts.

All in all, supporting a charity or non-prof-it group can help a business grow, but most of all, it can be a great way to give back to your community and help support causes that need your help.

Th e Sydney Hills Business Chamber is running a breakfast event at Th e Mean Fiddler, Rouse Hill on Wednesday October 9th from 7am.

Join members and guests to discover how business and charity work together includ-ing three ways of partnering with charity that doesn’t involve $$$ and provides direct benefi ts to business.

Support Chamber members and local community groups - Royal Institute of Deaf and Blind Children, Men In Action, Sustain Foundation and Th e ‘Hills’ Relay For Life and hear about an exciting initiative designed to assist all of these charities in 2014.

For more details on this and other up-coming events visit the Chamber website at htt p://www.sydneyhillsbusiness.com.au

“Greater Western Sydney is

home to more than 150,000

small businesses and

collectively we can make a

real difference in our local

community.”



October 2013, Issue 5

IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR WEALTH BUILDER EMAIL [email protected]

Can your SMSF be used to buy property?Y

OU may have heard your friends or colleagues talking about buying SMSF prop-erty as a method of wealth

creation.SMSF property is an asset (or

assets) you purchase through your self-managed super fund (SMSF).

Th e rules and regulations around what you could and couldn’t invest in through your SMSF underwent some changes in the middle of 2007. Because of this, you can now borrow money to buy investment properties through your SMSF.

Just keep in mind that your SMSF will need to be set up in a certain way to enable this kind of borrowing.

Th is has since become one of the most popular wealth creation solutions for Australians looking to fund their future and retire in style.

Th ere are a number of tax ad-vantages associated with purchas-ing SMSF property, which is the main reason that people are buying investment property in this way.

For instance, you aren’t required to pay tax on the rental income you receive from a SMSF property. In addition to this, if and when you end up selling this asset, you shouldn’t have to pay tax on the capital gain you make.

If you borrow money through your SMSF, you can also lever-age it when buying investment property.

It also be a good idea to pur-chase SMSF property in order to diversify your investment portfo-lio. If you have a mixture of assets in your portfolio - such as cash, shares and property - the value lost by some at certain times can be counterbalanced by the value gained by other assets.

If you’re thinking about buying SMSF property, there are a num-ber of factors to take into consid-eration. Will you, for instance, be able to pay off your home loan before you retire?

Th is is the kind of question a property consultant can help you to answer - so get in touch with one today!

Aussies share views on superannuation A

STUDY, titled “Superannuation - Aus-tralia’s View”, was recently conducted by the Financial Services Council and ING DIRECT.

Approximately 1,000 people contrib-uted to the study, which reveals that the vast majority of Australians are fans of superan-nuation.

An impressive 89 per cent of participants said they “strongly support superannuation” and think it’s a great way to save for retire-ment.

In addition to this, 83 per cent admitt ed

they are ready and willing to see “compulsory superannuation savings” increase to 12 per cent.

John Brogden, chief executive offi cer of the Financial Services Council, said in a September 16 statement that this positive feedback proves Australia’s superannuation system is “working well and is on track to achieve its goals”.

However, “Superannuation - Australia’s View” also demonstrates that many people don’t really understand how the superannua-tion system works or what they’re actually

paying.A shocking 48 per cent said they “don’t

know the fees they pay on superannuation,” and believe the whole system needs to be a lot more transparent.

Mr Brogden said that “superannuation will be the biggest investment many Austra-lians will make during their lifetime,” so it’s important they know where their hard-earned money is going.

“Financial advice along the way can signifi -cantly help consumers achieve their retire-ment goals, said Mr Brogden.

If you could use some investment consult-ing, you may want to get in touch with ZAC Investments today.

Th e study also revealed that 62 per cent of Australians don’t think they’ll have enough money to retire on comfortably. If you feel this way, you may want to investigate buying in-vestment property through your self-managed super fund (SMSF)

SMSF property is becoming a popular method of wealth creation among Australians who want to make sure their golden years are well fi nanced.

“This has since become one of the

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www.wsba.com.au

Asset protection comes down to TrustBy Steve Brown

YOU take years of hard effort, saving and going without things to build up assets, be they land, business, shares and

or a combination of all of these.While the eff ort and time to

accumulate assets can take years, loosing what you have accumulated can take seconds. One wrong choice or even the right choice taken at the wrong time can result in you losing your assets and wealth.

Assets need to be protected at all times and one of the more common means of seeking to protect assets is to use a legal structure known as a trust.

What is a Trust?A trust (including a family

trust) is established whenever there is separation of the legal owner-ship of an asset from the benefi cial (equitable) or real ownership of the asset. For example, the ownership of shares can be in the name of the Sergi Family Trust, but are actually owned by William and Maria Sergi.

Different types of trustsTh ere are three common types

of trusts. Th ese are:• Fixed Unit Trusts Unit trusts distribute income

and capital according to the units you hold in the Unit Trust. Unit trusts are usually established as an alternative to companies. A public unit trust like those listed on the Australian Securities Exchange are typical of fi xed unit trusts.

• Discretionary TrustsDiscretionary trusts are the

most common form of trust. Money assets or even whole businesses are generally transferred into a trust by sale or gift .

• Hybrid Trusts Hybrid trusts are similar to

fi xed unit trusts except the Trustee has given discretion to vary the entitlements to income and capital distributions.

Forming a TrustEach of the common forms of

trust is usually established by a doc-ument. A trust can be established during a person’s life time or upon their death through the deceased person’s will.

A Trust needs a TrusteeA trust is an obligation that

binds a person (known as the trustee) to deal with and manage property for the benefi t of oth-ers (known as benefi ciaries) in accordance with the requirements of the trust deed. A person (e.g. William Sergi) can be both trustee and a benefi ciary of a trust (of the Sergi Family Trust). A Company or another trust can be a trustee.

Trusts are used for many rea-sons. (You should seek professional legal and tax advice before making any decision to establish a family trust).

Common uses include:• Asset protection;• Estate planning;• Masking the ownership of

assets; and• Tax planning.

Asset protection and estate planning

Th e pooled nature of a trust means that benefi cial ownership of assets and income is masked.

Th us, if William Sergi was to accumulate wealth in a trust rather than his own name, then in the

event of bankruptcy or insolvency (say of his business) the ability of his business’s creditors to seek compen-sation directly from William’s own “pocket” is limited. Company direc-tors, lawyers, engineers, architects, doctors, electricians, builders and plumbers are exposed to litigation and potential bankruptcy being more likely to be sued than other workers and should consider using trusts as a form of asset protection.

Be aware that transferring:• Existing assets particularly

those subject to capital gains may trigger a tax payment to the ATO as beneficial own-ership will have changed; and

• Assets into trust may be still subject to claim by creditors for up to five years after the day they were shifted. This is designed to capture people who suspect claims from creditors or litigation and shift assets in anticipation.

Trusts allow considerable estate planning benefi ts. You can preserve assets (e.g. a holiday home) for succeeding generations and secure income for certain benefi ciaries, either for life, a specifi ed period, or until a particular event (e.g. until the marriage of a child or the competi-

tion of education). For example, if you die at a rela-

tively young age, your widow might inherit substantial wealth, such as a life insurance policy. It is possible that your widow spends, lends or loses (or remarries someone who does the same), this wealth leaving nothing for your children’s educa-tion or general benefi t. A trust is one way of preserving capital and providing an education for your children.

Tax planningTrusts are not tax shelters.

Discretionary trusts do permit the trustee to vary income and capital distributions each year to minimise overall family tax without incurring stamp duty or capital gains tax.

Th is is particularly useful where the income of individual family members fl uctuates from year to year. Th us, William Sergi can elect to pay Maria Sergi income this year, but not next year if it suits to do so.

Th is ability to distribute income to family members who are on low tax can be very useful. Trustees can “stream” income. Income streaming, is, where the trustee distributes one type of income to one person (e.g. franked income and another type of income to another person - unfrank-ed income).

Income not distributed in any one year is taxable at the top margin-al tax rate plus the Medicare levy. So there is a real stimulus to distribute income each fi nancial year.

Th e decision as to which benefi ciaries are to receive income technically has to be made by the trustee by the end of each year It is the ATO’s practice to allow that to be done up to August 31, each year.

Who are the players in a Family Trust?

• The Settlor Th e Sett lor is the person/

company, who establish the trust by putt ing in an asset (usually $10). Aft er the family trust is set up, you transfer in assets or cash to purchase assets into the trust. Th e sett lor is typically a lawyer, accountant or fi nancial adviser. A Sett lor should never be a benefi ciary. (Income Tax Assessment Act (1936) section 102(1)).

• The Appointer Th is is the most important

person in the trust structure as the Appointer appoints and can dis-miss the Trustee. Th e appointer can be anyone, but it’s wise to make the Appointer yourself. Your spouse can also be an appointer alongside you.

• The Trustee Th e Trustee is the legal owner

of the trust’s assets (but not the real owner of the assets) and manages the trust, including making invest-ment decisions aimed at increasing the value of the assets.

Trustees, among other things, must be fully acquainted with the terms of the trust, know who the possible benefi ciaries are, know what the assets and liabilities of the trust are, keep proper accounts and prepare tax returns.

• The Beneficiaries Benefi ciaries are the people

who benefi t under the trust. In normal family trusts the benefi cia-ries are generally immediate, and sometimes extended, family. Th ey have no right or claim to any of the trust property until it is distributed or otherwise vested in them under the terms of the trust. Th at means, they can be a benefi ciary but not receive anything unless the Trustee so determines.

What happens if the Trust goes broke?

Th e Trustee of the trust is indemnifi ed out of the assets of the trust. Th e benefi ciaries of a trust are likewise personally indemnifi ed.

Th is means that should the fam-ily business fi nd itself in diffi culty with creditors and you have signed no personal guarantees, then it is possible that the only assets that can be called upon to pay these debts are those owned by the family trust.

Th e trust can also limit the personal liabilities of individual members of the trust’s business. Properly set up, the business is not owned by the individuals, as in the case of a partnership; the business is owned by the trust for the benefi t of it’s benefi ciaries.

Can trusts avoid the death taxes such as capital gains tax?

Yes. A benefi ciary does not own the Trust Fund. Th us, when a ben-efi ciary dies the Family Trust fund does not form part of your estate under your Will.

Th e Appointer and Trustee need to think carefully about who will take over these roles in the event of their death. Children are the obvious choice but this can cause problems as well.

Further, what happens when they pass-on? It maybe that you decide that this is the time that the Family Trust is wound-up and the remaining assets distributed.

* Steve Brown is chairman at Eti-enne Lawyers Parramatta. Email: [email protected]

A typical discretionary or family trust structureTh e following diagram shows a typical discretionary family trust structure.

Settlor

• Cannot be a beneficiary • Settlor and trustee

establish trust by executing a Trust Deed

Trustee

• Can be yourself and your spouse or your company • Trustee taxed on accumulated income and pays tax on behalf of non-resident, minor,

intellectually disabled or bankrupt beneficiaries • Trustee holds investments and/or conducts business on behalf of trust • Trustee has discretion to choose which beneficiaries are to receive income or capital

(to the exclusion of other potential beneficiaries).

TRUST FUND

• Beneficiaries are taxed on any income paid or allocated to, or applied for, them

• Beneficiaries have no right to claim any unallocated trust income or capital

• Stamp Duty and CGT may be payable on transfer of assets to the trust

• Less choice of beneficiaries if a family trust than a discretionary trust, but fewer restrictions on utilising company losses, bad debt deductions, utilising or carrying forward income losses and no loss of Franking Credits for post 1997 shares

Companies/Trusts wholly owned by family members

Primary individual and legal/de facto

spouse

Current legal/ de facto spouses of family members

Family Trusts with same Primary

Individuals

Tax deductible entities

Tax exempt entities

No tax is paid on income distributed to tax exempt

Other defined family Members

Includes children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, siblings, nephews and nieces of test individual or current

spouse

Appointor

• Appointor hires & fires trustee

• Usually Appointer indirectly controls the trust.

• Trust deed should provide for the future control of the trust after the Appointer dies.

“A trust (including

a family trust) is

established whenever

there is separation of

the legal ownership

of an asset from the

beneficial (equitable)

or real ownership of

the asset.”


www.wsba.com.au

We are currently working in offering health & wellbeing ser-

vices, in order to fulfil our continuous improvement goals as

well as provide our residents with the best possible quality of

life. The services provided to our residents include:

• Physiotherapy.• Pain Management.• Falls prevention.• Manual handling.• Exercise classes.

420 Woodstock Ave,

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Phone (02) 8887 5555

Fax (02) 8887 5500


Cine Buzz Crew time and it’s FREE C

HILDREN aged 3 - 14 years can join the free Cine Buzz Crew at Event Cinemas.

Patrons can pick up a membership card at the Event Cinemas Castle Hill

box offi ce or join online at eventcinemas.com.au.

Members can earn points for every movie experience to redeem free movies plus, get discounted tickets to exclusive screenings, ac-cess to Scoop Alley deals, and more!

Cine Buzz Crew Preview Screening of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2

Sunday 24 November, Event Cinemas Castle Hill, Th e Piazza

Join Event Cinemas on Sunday 24 November at 10:30am for a Cine Buzz Crew preview screening of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.

Plus from 9:30am enjoy free family activities including colouring-in and craft s,

face painting and more! Tickets are on sale from October 24. Tickets $10 for Cine Buzz members.

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Scenes from Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2.


Medical myth: sugar makes kids hyperactive

By Tim Crowe Associate Professor in Nutrition at Deakin University

ANY parent would tell you that seeing children fuelling up on sugar-laden cake, lollies and soft drinks at a birthday party is a sure-fire recipe for a bunch of ram-

paging hyperactive kids.Th e connection between sugar and

hyperactivity is one of the most popular food-behavior myths going around, yet it is one that has been well and truly busted by science.

Where there’s sugar, there must be hyper-active kids – or so says conventional wisdom.

Science says otherwise. An abundance of published randomised controlled studies have been unable to fi nd any diff erence in behavior between children who ate sugar (from lollies, chocolate or natural sources) and those who did not.

Even studies that included children with att ention-defi cit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could not detect any meaningful dif-ference between the behavior of children who ate sugar compared with those who did not.

Th e most important aspect of all these myth-busting studies is they used a study design where the researchers (or parents) and the children were unaware of whether they were consuming a product containing sugar or a non-sugar substitute.

It is only when you introduce an intentional bias into the experiments – and allow the parents to know what food their child was given – that the real culprit behind the myth emerges.

When parents believe their child has been given a drink containing sugar, they consistently rate their child’s behavior as more hyperactive, even if the drink did not contain any sugar.

So why do kids seem so hyperactive when they consume an abundance of sugar?

It all comes down to the context. When kids are having fun at birthday parties, on holi-days, and at family celebrations, sugar-laden food is frequently served.

It’s the fun, freedom and contact with other kids that makes them hyperactive, not the food they consume.

But that doesn’t mean hyperactivity should be ignored. ADHD is a serious be-havioral and developmental disorder that can impact on the child’s academic performance and family life.

As such, extreme hyperactivity should be investigated by an appropriate health profes-sional. Simply removing sugar from the child’s diet isn’t going to reduce their hyperactivity.

In fact, eliminating whole food groups in an att empt to treat hyperactivity is an extreme approach that can do more harm than good.

Growing children have diff erent nutrient needs to adults, so eliminating whole foods groups – without a valid medical reason – can aff ect their growth, overall health, and even later-life food preferences.

Having too much sugar, especially if it is coming from drinks, has been linked to excess weight gain and dental problems in kids. So even with the sugar equals hyperactivity myth busted, there are valid reasons to restrict how much kids consume.

ARTICLE COURTESY OF WWW.THECONVERSATION.COM.AU

Associate Professor Tim Crowe is a nutrition aca-demic within the School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and is also an Accredited Practising Dieti-tian. He teaches across the undergraduate and post-graduate programs in nutrition dietetics in the areas of nutritional physiology and biochemistry as well as the applied role of nutrition in disease preven-tion and management, particularly obesity, diabetes and cancer. He is actively involved in several areas of nutrition research including specialised nutrition in the prevention of surgical complications; malnu-trition identification; and nutrition support in wound healing.

“When parents believe

their child has been given

a drink containing sugar,

they consistently rate their

child’s behavior as more

hyperactive, even if the

drink did not contain any

sugar.”

Kids and sweet food: the myth has been broken.


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Cherrybrook mum turns doll making into dollarsBy Anthony Stavrinos

CHERRYBROOK mum Adriana de Sim-one has a knack of creating amazingly life like baby dolls and after encouragement from two entrepreneurial friends, is using

her artistic talents to launch an exciting new business.

As Celebrity Dollhouse’s creative director, Ms de Simone and her team set to work on the company’s launch project – a replica of royal baby Prince George – the moment he was presented to the world by Kate and Prince William on the steps of St Mary’s Hospital.

“Th e birth of Prince George was probably the biggest celebration of a newborn that most people are likely to see in their lifetime,’ Ms de Simone said.

“It was incredibly exciting to be celebrat-ing the prince’s arrival by creating a human-like, detailed replica that preserved the positive, beautiful things we associate with newborns.”

Th e mother of three, has devoted almost a decade to her hobby and over that time signifi cantly refi ned her techniques and skills in the art form she describes as “a celebration of new life”.

Celebrity Dollhouse aims to create premium quality, life-like, replica dolls of high profi le newborns as well as jewellery, accesso-ries and other related fashion items.

Most of the profi ts will be channelled into creative industries, in which her part-ners in the venture - Bianca Biasi of Morn-ing Starr Productions and Rebekah Biasi, of talent agency, Rebekah Biasi Management – are heavily involved.

When Celebrity Dollhouse’s replica doll was publicly unveiled in early days of August, it was believed to have been the world’s fi rst, premium-standard, hand-craft -ed replica doll of Prince George, utilising the highest quality moulds and componen-try.

Ms de Simone said the week-long online auction – as was typically the case - only ramped up into a three-way bidding contest in its fi nal half hour.

A United Arab Emirates-based collec-tor, who requested that her identity not be disclosed, secured the exquisitely detailed, premium quality doll artwork with a bid of GBP 1,020 (AUD 1,730) just 12 minutes before the auction closed.

“I’m thrilled that Celebrity Dollhouse’s fi rst creation has found its way to someone who truly has an appreciation of this very specialised art form,” Ms de Simone, said.

“I’m even thrilled to see it go to her at such a fantastic price. She can be sure this Prince George re-creation involved excep-tional workmanship, dedication and eff ort from each member of our team.

“In the coming months, we hope to cap-

ture the public’s imagination with a series of premium quality, intricately-designed re-creations of high profi le newborns.”

Hand-craft ed doll art can at times achieve incredibly high sale prices, with a premium quality re-creation of a high-pro-fi le newborn, typically achieve a sale price

approaching $5,000 and on rare occasions, closer to the $10,000-mark.

A leading doll artist from South Africa, sold one of her creations last April for nearly $25,000.

For more information, visit www.celebritydollhouse.com

“Ms de Simone set to work

on the company’s launch

project – a replica of royal

baby Prince George – the

moment he was presented

to the world.”

Dollmaker Adriana de

Simone with the replica of

Prince George.

Castle Hill Country Club’s Melissa Ellis.

Residential Gardens CEO, Marta Aquino.

Non-golfer leads iconic golf venue

WITH an extensive background and management experience in the club industry together with a love of sport, Melissa Ellis, the new

general manager at Castle Hill Country Club is a non-golfing female in a male dominated industry.

Despite no golfi ng experience Me-lissa has strong expertise and emphasis on management, business growth, cost control, hospitality, and customer service together with great visions for the club.

Since her appointment in early 2013 Melissa has brought about positive progression, growth and a strong sense of community excitement to the club.

In November 2013, Castle Hill Coun-try Club will host the prestigious NSW Open. Th e NSW State Amateur Champi-onships will be held on January 29, 30 and 31 2014, as well as the Renault Ladies Pro AM on the January 20 2014.

Clubhouse renovations off ering a new modern bistro lounge and fi rst-class con-ference centre and facilities are also on the agenda for Castle Hill Country Club.

Melissa’s main aim is to create a unique vibe and excitement within the club, make it the talk of the town and the place to be – a gem of the Hills with a strong sense of community and pride.

Melissa loves her sport and plays soft ball (masters Pan Pax 2012) and tennis. She also enjoys boxing, kickboxing, bush walking and horse riding. Th e mother of two practises her golfi ng swings twice a week on the club’s driving range.

Melissa is excited by the future growth of the club. Memberships are rising, to-

gether with increased social memberships, junior golf and many new lady members.

Since its birth in 1950 Castle Hill Country Club has become one of Sydney’s leading private golf clubs and for many years has been recognized among the top 100 golf courses in Australia.

Boasting a world class par-72 champion-ship golf course, Castle Hill Country Club is nestled among 167 acres of open fairways and picturesque bush land with state-of-the-art clubhouse amenities.

Residential Gardens CEO focus on community

MARTA Aquino came to Australia as a migrant of Uruguayan decent. She eventually established herself as the CEO of Residential Gardens – the

only aged care facility in Australia dedicated to providing for the Spanish-speaking frail aged community.

Th is year marks her 19th year as CEO of Residential Gardens.

Mrs Aquino currently employs over 45 employees covering a range of roles includ-ing, but not limited to, registered nurses, care staff , physicians and a strong and knowl-edgeable administration team who ensure Residential Gardens operates as effi ciently as possible.

Personally, Mrs Aquino is heavily involved in local community service and pas-sionately dedicates herself to helping those in the community.

She is a member of fi ve separate commit-tee boards and oft en takes time out of her busy schedule to educate the community on aged care issues.

Under her leadership, Residential Gardens has passed every single accredita-tion and has ensured that the facility remains transparent, thorough and effi cient in provid-ing care for the residents who call Residential Gardens home.

She is driven by a genuine passion for her work and continues to deliver her services at the highest professional level.

Residential Gardens was established in 1993 as a hostel for Spanish Speaking Frail Aged People.

As a non-profi t organization, its aim was to manage and operate an Aged Care Service to meet the needs of the elder people of Spanish Speaking background.

Residential Gardens was, and remains, the only Aged Care organization in Australia with a focus on the Spanish Speaking com-munity.

Services include a wide and wholesome menu with the option to cater for individual needs.

Each resident has choice of their own doctor and each room is equipped with inter-com, fi re system and satellite television.

Residential Gardens currently accepts residents from all over Australia and has undergone redevelopment and expansion for new places to meet the demand that has been investigated in the growing ageing population.

Upgrading and extension of the facility has been carefully planned and meets both the short and long term needs of our com-munity. For information phone 8887 5555.

PROFILEMelissa Ellis, Castle Hill Country Club

PROFILEMarta Aquino, Residential Gardens


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www.wsba.com.auDINING OUT - REVIEW

Being a true foodie, I just love tapasBy Kim WilkinsonFounder – Go West Gourmet

I YOU are like me, you believe that being a true foodie means you like tasting food more than just eating food. And that’s one of the many reasons why I love Tapas!

With small portions designed to share, you can try a range of dishes and fl avours, without feeling full too quickly.

Delishus at Richmond was on my must try list for just this reason, and I’ve now had the opportunity to dine there on more than one occasion, always with pleasing results!

Looking inside the late 1800s building is like visualising the Spanish arriving in colonial Australia. Dark wood and high ceilings are paired with vibrant red and yellow Spanish decor.

Although this might sound gaudy, this unique sett ing works nicely, and harmonises well with the appropriate Spanish guitar back-ground soundtrack.

Delishus impressed me immediately by having my favourite Cider available, and the complimentary spiced peanuts and olives ac-companied this perfectly to calm my anticipat-ing stomach!

As this is Tapas, I recommend choosing three or four dishes to share, always making sure you leave room for dessert!

Th e variety of food will make it hard to choose, but aft er sampling at least eight diff er-ent dishes on my visits so far, I can guarantee you will be pleased with whatever is decided upon.

One of my favourites is the pork belly with apple sauce, which isn’t always on the menu so ring ahead to check if it’s one of the daily specials.

Th ankfully it’s not the typical pork belly with lots of visable fat, but rather a juicy, melt in your mouth pork portion superbly matched by salty crispy crackling.

Th e Ensalada de radicchio is a warm salad combining chorizo, potato and broad beans served in a crunchy radicchio leaf.

While that already sounds amazing, the real champion of this dish is the mustard vinaigrett e, which combines the textures and fl avours wonderfully. Another mention must go to the Empanadas de Carne con Man-chego Mousse.

Th ese beef empanadas exceed expecta-tions by tasting more baked than fried. Th e Manchego Mousse is like a hard cream cheese, and when you melt it on top of your empanada, it’s a crunchy gooey match of “delishus-ness”’!

As I recom-mended, make sure you leave room for dessert because you’re going to want to try the Tast-ing Plate – Postre Messe!

Selections can vary from day to day, but the sample I tried included white chocolate mousse with lavender, fresas en balsamico (fresh strawberries with aged balsamic vinegar), Leche Frita (fried milk with cinnamon and vanilla – like a mini custard fi lled donut) and Crema Catalana which is like a Creme Brûlée.

Th e Crema Catalana is a favourite I’ve now had more than once, however the Leche Frita comes a very close second – oh, if only I had a separate dessert stomach!

Th eir courtyard area off ers a lovely outdoor eating option, but even when the temperatures rise in western Sydney, you’ll

be pleased to have plenty of air condi-tioned room inside to choose from.

Dog owners will be pleasantly surprised to know they can bring their furry friends on a leash when dining in the courtyard, something that will encourage me back again in the future

(as if the food wasn’t enough)!Whether you’re relishing the romance of a

date night, or hanging out with a party of friends, it is well worth treating yourself to a meal at Deli-shus, for an enjoyable experience that will leave your taste buds feeling truly satisfi ed.

DELISHUS122 Windsor StreetRichmond NSW 2753(02) 4578 6999www.delishs.com.au

“This might sound gaudy, but

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nicely, and harmonises

well with the appropriate

Spanish guitar background

soundtrack.”


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BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE www.wsba.com.au

How to conduct a fi nancial health check for your business

By Eric Tjoeng

WHEN setting up a new business, some business owners have developed a business strategy and financial plan.

Then they get so involved in the daily operations that they often don’t go back and revisit their strategy and plan. Over time, the positioning, profitability, and cash flow of a business can suffer as the business environment changes, and finan-cial controls are overlooked.

A business’ ability to take advantage of opportunities and offset any threats de-pends upon its strengths and weaknesses.

One of the key concerns is whether you are selling the right product or services at the right place and at the right price.

This can be evaluated through a busi-ness strategy review to ensure a business model that still satisfies customer demands and can be profitable at the same time.

You might think your business is doing well. A financial health check conducted by

a qualified independent expert will verify that. More importantly recommendations for improvement will follow.

Examine your business records focus-ing on the key business drivers which affect profitability and cash flow.

They are price, volume, cost of goods sold, margin, overheads, accounts receiv-able days, accounts payable days and inven-tory days. The key to this is to set up your accounting system to capture this informa-tion timely and accurately.

Ask yourself a few critical questions, for example:

MarginDo you know the margin of each of your

products or services? Which ones are your most and least profi table areas?

As focusing on higher margin products or services will improve your profi t greatly.

OverheadsDo you regularly compare and analyze

expense items?Examining major expenses to see whether

there is a possibility of any savings is another great way to improve profi t.

Accounts receivable daysDo you know what is the average number

of days you customers owe you? Do you have an exception report with the

breakdown of each overdue receivable?Managing your outstanding account

receivables will improve both your cash fl ow as well as the amount of funding you will require.

Accounts payable daysDo you know what is the average number

of days you owe your suppliers? It’s tempting to pay suppliers who hassle

for money and ignore potential bett er terms to be had from suppliers.

Some changes to accounts payables man-agement can pay big dividends in your bank account.

I nventory daysDo you know what is the average number

of days you inventory is sitt ing in your ware-house or store?

Th ese goods oft en have to be paid for

before they are sold. Th is means you have spent working capital to have the stock waiting to be sold.

If you can reduce the number of inven-tory days, this can have a big impact on your bank account and working capital situation.

Similarly, critical examination of other key drivers and come up with pragmatic improvement actions will pay great divi-dends.

Eric Tjoeng is the Joint CEO and Senior Practicing Part-ner at CAD Partners CFO On-Call (www.cfooncall.com.au). He can be contacted at [email protected].

Confused about illegal Phoenix director activities?

By Kevin Cotter, Manager Insolvency Division, Condon Associates

WHAT are you going to do about the phoenix activities of the directors? That is a common question asked by creditors and even some accountants

and solicitors. Th ere seems to be so much confusion over

what is and is not illegal phoenix activities. Th is is because there appears to be no commonly communicated defi nition that is generally understood by the average person.

I did an internet search and found numer-ous versions from legal practices, government agencies and insolvency practices. No wonder everyone is confused.

Th e Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) recently released a state-ment advising they will be cracking down on illegal phoenix activities. So the issue has been brought back into the limelight once again.

However, there is limited information on the internet that supports the concept that a transfer prior to the appointment of an insol-vency practitioner can be legal.

So therefore everyone seems to jump to the conclusion that it must be illegal. Not only can it be legal, it can also be benefi cial to creditors.

Th is is due to the fact that a “going concern”

sale will usually return a higher value to the company and therefore ultimately to creditors.

As such, a sale prior to an insolvency practi-tioner being appointed can sometimes be more benefi cial and these pre-appointment transfers in and of themselves do not automatically become illegal phoenix style activities.

Firstly, there is a need to sell a business quickly during an insolvency administration to limit the exposure to liabilities.

For example, when deciding on trading a business during an external administration the insolvency practitioner must consider the abil-ity to cover the liabilities for any costs or claims (negligence, damages, defaults, contractual obligations etc.) incurred during the process of selling the business.

So it is a balancing act as any shortfall and costs incurred would result in a reduction in the return to creditors being traded off against the potential of squeezing out a few extra dollars from the purchaser.

Secondly, an insolvency practitioner is in a weaker bargaining position to negotiate a higher value for the sale. He needs to sell and with time restrictions a purchaser does take on a few more risks as the time for due diligence is reduced.

How can you tell if it is legal or illegal? Commonly there is a sale agreement in

place and the transfer has been done on legiti-mate grounds.

Th ese transfers only become illegal phoe-nix activities when they involve any or all of the following common aspects:

It was uncommercial;It was undervalued;It was hidden; orIt involved illegal conduct. Rest assured, the law does however pro-

tect creditors should the company be placed into liquidation and the business has already been transfers.

Th is protection is the ability to overturn any transfer found to be illegal phoenix activi-ties. All insolvency practitioners are required to conduct an analysis and investigation into pre-appointment transfers.

Th is involves, amongst other things, an analysis of the assets, values and liabilities transferred compared to the amount paid and how the transaction was completed.

Basically what needs to be considered is if the amount received is more than what would have been recovered if the Insolvency Practitioner sold the business.

So creditors and their advisors should stop automatically jumping to the conclu-sion that any transfer of a business prior to an insolvency practitioner being appointed is illegal.

Th ere are some valid reasons why these occur legally and may actually be benefi cial to them in the end.

“A sale prior to an

insolvency practitioner

being appointed can

sometimes be more

beneficial and these pre-

appointment transfers in

and of themselves do not

automatically become

illegal phoenix style

activities.”


BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE www.wsba.com.au

Successful selling hinges on the power of your networks

By Stephen Pead

WELCOME to my column on selling and sales techniques - it’s a great priv-ilege to join the team at WSBA.

What I’d like to achieve is to help sales people and sales managers to be more eff ective at what they do, so each month I’ll focus on one aspect of the skills you’ll need to take you to the top of the tree.

As a professional salesperson you need to take time out and remind yourself that choosing this career is a daily task. As a matt er of fact, let me encourage you to make this fi rst entry on your “to do” list: “I am a successful sales professional, and I will learn something today that will make me even more profes-sional tomorrow.”

Finding new clients or customers is oft en the fi rst topic that most sales people want help with, whether they have been selling for fi ve minutes or fi ve years. To do this eff ectively you have choices.

First choice is to go and pick up the phone or go door knocking to do some good old fash-

ioned cold calling - it’s a raw number game with a poor hit rate of around 5% for gett ing an initial appointment. Cold calling tends to be generally abusive to both parties and is hard work!

Your other choice is what I call “warm” calling - contacting or following up prospects who you already know.

A great way to set up those “warm” calls is via networking. It’s my opinion that network-ing forms a vital and mandatory part of any prospecting activity because you get to go where your current customers and prospects are likely to go.

Remember that your prospects are people with lives just like us, they play sport, help charities, participate in community groups, att end church, help at their kid’s school etc.; so why not connect with them there?

Here are my six easy ways to fi nd new clients (or customers):

Join a community group such as Lions, Apex, Rotary, the list is huge. Really par-ticipate. It’s a great way to meet like-minded people while helping the community.

Check out trade shows that are specifi c to your business or market. Th ese events are a terrifi c way to connect and become well known in a business environment.

Business referral groups are another way to actively network. Th ese groups help members to fi nd new prospects. Google the subject and you’ll fi nd several here in western Sydney.

Att end local chamber of commerce aft er hours business networking events. At these events you’ll fi nd any number of buyers and sellers. Th e more of these you att end the bet-ter you become known.

Get involved with a sports group or gym.

It’s amazing what conversations take place on the sidelines or as you swap a piece of ap-paratus. Maybe the conversation will be about what you sell!

Consider any of the education groups such as Toastmasters or Dale Carnegie. You get to learn something new AND cross paths with other people who are just like you.

All six of these networking ideas com-bined with your normal prospecting activities are just about guaranteed to help fi nd new leads and you get to enjoy the process too.

Networking looks simple but there are some important practices:

Plan to meet new people.

Look for “door openers” as well as deci-sion makers.

Establish the relationship fi rst, do business later.

Have a short “personal commercial” or elevator pitch ready.

Gain interest, by being interesting.Use reciprocity by off ering an idea or solu-

tion with no strings att ached.Have the best quality business cards that

you can aff ord.Let me know how these ideas work for

you. I’d also like to hear what topics are of interest in future columns.

Stephen Pead has significant experience in sales, sales management and general management. His company Sales Solutions specialises in providing training and coaching for salespeople and sales man-agers. Visit: www.yoursalessolutions.com.au

“Your prospects are people:

they play sport, help

charities, participate in

community groups, attend

church, help at their kid’ s

school so why not connect

with them there?”

Season’s Greetings.

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www.wsba.com.au

WSABE 2013 att racts largest entry pool ever

THE Parramatta Chamber of Commerce is celebrating the biggest and most success-ful Western Sydney Awards for Business Excellence (WSABE’s) to date.

Th e awards which were originally branded the Parramatt a Awards but have grown now to encompass Western Sydney have been run-ning for 23 years.

In 2013 the awards attracted the larg-est number of entries to date. There were over 340 entries spread across Western Sydney with a geographic stretch across Liverpool, Campbelltown, Blue Moun-tains, Hawkesbury, Penrith, The Hills, and Parramatta.

Th is year the awards ran for a six month period and culminated in a gala night sup-ported by a record number of 450 people, held at the WatervieW in Bicentennial Park.

Guests included fi nalists, winners and sponsors, a number of VIP guests from both state and local government and of course the families, colleagues and friends supporting the fi nalists.

Th e night was a celebration of business in Western Sydney showcasing the diversity, ingenuity and business growth that exists in this quickly growing area of NSW. Th is is encapsulated in the overall winner, Matt hews Folbigg Lawyers.

“Th e Chamber would like to thank all the sponsors for their support particularly the Commonwealth Bank and the CBA Women in Focus group that made the success of these awards possible,” said Chamber president, Roger Byrne.

“A big thank you must also be extended to Parramatt a Council and Mayor John Chedid who have been consistent supporters of the awards since their inception.”

“We have already begun planning for the 2014 awards with many of our sponsors already committ ing to join us and next year our awards will be aligned with the NSWBC

and most category winners will go on to rep-resent Western Sydney in the NSW Business Chamber awards.”

Award Winners 2013• Hope Media Excellence in Communi-

ty Service – Wesley Apartments (Para-matta Mission).

• WatervieW in Bicentennial Park Excel-lence in Hospitality - Glenorie Bakery.

• Parramatta City Council Excellence in Retail – Dive Action.

• School of Business, UWS, Excellence in Business Services – Nepean Region-al Security.

• Fairfax Media Excellence in Human Resources and Recruitment – Residen-tial Gardens for Spanish Speaking.

• Snap Phillip St, Excellence in Manufac-turing – Precision Metal Group.

• Champion Legal, Excellence in Start-ing a New Business - On Road Driving

• The Parramatta College, Excellence in Education – MWLP Linking Youth.

• Western Sydney Wanderers FC, Excel-lence in Sport and Recreation – Tania’s

Strictly Dancing.• Parramatta Chamber of Commerce Ex-

cellence in Property Sales and Manage-ment – Australian Unity Retirement Living Services.

• Business Clarity, Excellence in Sole Trading – More Than Curtains.

• Events Excellence in Sustainability (in a business not in the environmental in-dustry) – Dive Action.

• Price Waterhouse Coopers Excellence in Export – RBK Nutraceuticals.

High Achievers• Commonwealth Bank, BUSINESS OF

THE YEAR Matthews Folbigg.• Commonwealth Bank, Women in Fo-

cus, BUSINESS WOMAN OF THE YEAR Gina Field, Nepean Regional Security.

• Commonwealth Bank, ENTREPRE-NEUR OF THE YEAR David Mum-ford RBK Nutraceuticals.

• Commonwealth Bank, YOUNG EN-TREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR Marco Fahd Versatile Group .

WSABE 2013

Scenes from the 2013 WSABE gala event. PHOTOS BY MELINDA HIRD. PHOTOGRAPHER.


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Gloria Jean’s Coff ees NSW Open in full swingW

ITH a summer of golf fast approaching, preparations are heating up for the 2013 Gloria Jean’s Coffees

NSW Open to be held at Castle Hill Country Club on November 21-24.

With the majority of Australia’s leading players returning home aft er competing on the various tours around the world, Gloria Jean’s Cof-fees NSW Open organisers are liais-

ing with all to lure them to Castle Hill as a key part of their prepara-tions for their tilt at the Australian Open title the week aft er.

Some major player announce-ments are expected shortly, which are sure to att ract not only golf fans but followers of top class sport.

With the fi nal playing fi eld to be determined in the coming weeks, several notable names have

already signalled their intention to compete.

Queenslander Adam Crawford, who narrowly missed qualifi cation onto the 2014 PGA Tour, will be back from the US keen to defend his title.

Joining Crawford from the Web.com Tour will be former PGA Tour players, James Nitt ies and 2003 US Amateur champion Nick Flanagan, who will both be looking to kick start their 2013/14 seasons.

One player who can never be discounted is the 2010 champion and Australian golf stalwart Peter O’Malley, who will be keen to add another professional title to his long list of achievements.

He’ll be joined by another for-mer champion in Aaron Townsend who will take his place in the fi eld aft er regularly competing on the Japanese and OneAsia tours throughout 2013.

Two-time Australian Masters champion Bradley Hughes has also confi rmed his entry into the event. His 4 round score of 268 in 1998 is still the lowest over 72 holes in Masters hist ory.

Hughes will be looking to add one of Australian golf ’s most his-torical and coveted trophies to his two gold jackets.

Gloria Jean’s Coff ees is also gett ing into the swing of the event with a range of promotions and activities planned for the week. Spectators will be able to not only enjoy Gloria Jean’s Coff ees range of beverages on course, but will also be able to relax in their chill out zone.

Gloria Jean’s Coff ees Executive Chairman, Nabi Saleh, said: “All of us in the Gloria Jean’s Coff ees family are extremely proud to be actively participating in the NSW Open – an event which has seen so many legends of the game compete for the title. We are a local business with a strong global presence.”

Along with Gloria Jean’s Cof-fees, many other local businesses have jumped on board in support of the event. With a range of hospital-ity and access to unique golfi ng benefi ts on off er there are still some fantastic opportunities available for corporate partners.

Pro-Am spots which may include playing with one of the

marquee players, on course and sur-rounds signage, VIP hospitality are just some of the opportunities.

Gloria Jean’s Coff ees charity partner Challenge is also set to benefi t with various fundraising activities set to take place across the event. Challenge charity ambas-sador and PGA Tour player Jarrod Lyle will also be in att endance, which is sure to warm the hearts of not only those involved with the charity, but all those at tournament.

Go to www.nswopen.com for more information. Come and watch some of the best golfers on one of NSW best golf courses. Most importantly, spectator entry is FREE.

Former PGA Tour players, James Nitties.

Australian golf stalwart Peter O’Malley.

www.wsba.com.auSPORT


Welcome to the Village of relaxation for mind and body that we are proud to present the ancient Tradi-tional Thai Massage, a unique form of bodywork that incorporates Hatha Yoga, acupressure, reflexology and meditation. Its roots go back about 2,500 years. We have learned from generation to gen-eration until now, Thai Massage is an ancient healing art that we combine Traditional Thai massage technique with aromatic oil, herb and Swedish massage together which can be deeply relaxing and is an antidote for muscular tension, spasm and stress.

Welcome…Ladies and Gentleman…The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.

Get away from the stress and anxiety of everyday life and relax your body and mind with us.”The way is not in the sky, the way is in the heart”

With almost 4 years experience in the business of Traditional Thai Massage “We have learned that most people work very hard, have busy lives and face many stresses, we are happy that our business is part of their lifestyle which helps creates a healthier quality of life. Now Thai Village Massage has 3 branches, at Rose Bay North, Merrylands and full spa service at Parramatta”

Open 7 Days 9:30AM – 8:00 PMThai Village Massage & Spa 18/421 Church Street Parramatta NSW 2150CALL 02 86269248WWW.THAIVILLAGEMASSAGE.COM.AU

Thai Village Massage and Spa, we promote wellness and alleviate distress from illness and aging by offering you a variety of Thai body treatments such as Traditional Thai Massage, Foot Reflexol-ogy, Thai Herbal Hot Compress Massage, Aromatherapy Thai & Hot Oil Massage, Pure Cocoa Body Butter Massage, Body Scrub and Treatment, Facial massage, Thai herbal Steam Room, and Ear Candle.

western sydney business access - october 2013

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