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November 2016 Kingston Business Bulletin 1 Unprecedented private and public sector investment, across diverse sectors such as transport, health, sport and construction, is transforming the City of Kingston. Major new residential developments, with a total value of over $400 million are either under construction, or have been committed to, in and around Kingston’s main activity centres, with a number of other proposals in the pre-application or planning stage. These developments will accommodate the forecast population growth of around 18.7% over the next 20 years and will see the number of residents increase from the current 156,000 to 185,000 by 2036. However, the investment is not just in residential development. The new $100 million Healthscope hospital at Holmesglen’s Moorabbin TAFE campus, with operating theatres, pathology, day surgery, pharmacy and diagnostic imaging, will open early in 2017. The co-location at the Moorabbin campus will add to the already strong focus on health education, providing better training opportunities and clinical placements for students. Alongside the existing TAFE operations, the hospital will add an additional 750 healthcare staff to service the 150 beds, patients and visitors. Further healthcare investment will see Southern Cross Care build a new state-of-the- art aged-care home in Collins Street, Mentone, where support for people with all levels of needs will be provided. This home, with an investment of over $22 million, is expected to open in late 2019. Further investment and economic activity is underway on Moorabbin Airport with the 2015 Master Plan envisaging on-airport jobs to grow from 3,300 to 8,500 over the next 20 years; economic value to increase from $340 million to $825 million annually; $10 billion of economic activity over the 20 year period and an investment of $570 million in high quality facilities and infrastructure. Transformation of old industrial sites such as the Clayton Business Park and the Philip Morris tobacco processing plant in Moorabbin are expected to deliver hundreds of new jobs over the next decade. And we can’t overlook the major investment associated with the return of St Kilda Football Club to Moorabbin Reserve and the possibility of Hawthorn Football Club building new facilities in Dingley. Each of these is a multi- million dollar investment that will cement Kingston as a major sporting precinct. All of these investments are supplemented by public sector investment as well. The Victorian Government will be spending around $1 billion in Kingston over the next few years removing level crossings and building a new station at Southland. Kingston Council will also be contributing to the investment story with a capital budget of $56 million to be expended this financial year to construct and maintain key infrastructure and facilities. This figure includes grants from the Victorian Government towards specific community facilities. So, if you think there is a lot going on in the municipality, you are absolutely right. Business Bulletin taking care of business in Kingston Volume 4 • 2016 Major Investment Driving Kingston 9581 4735 kingston.vic.gov.au/ kingston-business Melbourne Business Awards Gala Award Breakfast Get involved with Kingston’s Christmas Windows ASPIRE 2 7 3 in this edition Unprecedented private and public sector investment is transforming the City of Kingston.

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Page 1: Business Bulletin - City of Kingston › files › assets › ... · November 2016 Kingston Business Bulletin 1 Unprecedented private and public sector investment, across diverse

November 2016 Kingston Business Bulletin 1

Unprecedented private and public sector investment, across diverse sectors such as transport, health, sport and construction, is transforming the City of Kingston.

Major new residential developments, with a total value of over $400 million are either under construction, or have been committed to, in and around Kingston’s main activity centres, with a number of other proposals in the pre-application or planning stage. These developments will accommodate the forecast population growth of around 18.7% over the next 20 years and will see the number of residents increase from the current 156,000 to 185,000 by 2036.

However, the investment is not just in residential development. The new $100 million Healthscope hospital at Holmesglen’s Moorabbin TAFE campus, with operating theatres, pathology, day surgery, pharmacy and diagnostic imaging, will open early in 2017. The co-location at the Moorabbin campus will add to the already strong focus on health education, providing better training opportunities and clinical placements for students. Alongside the existing TAFE operations, the hospital will add an additional 750 healthcare staff to service the 150 beds, patients and visitors.

Further healthcare investment will see Southern Cross Care build a new state-of-the-art aged-care home in Collins Street, Mentone, where support for people with all levels of needs will be provided. This home, with an investment of over $22 million, is expected to open in late 2019.

Further investment and economic activity is underway on Moorabbin Airport with the 2015 Master Plan envisaging on-airport jobs to grow from 3,300 to 8,500 over the next 20 years; economic value to increase from $340 million to $825 million annually; $10 billion of economic activity over the 20 year period and an investment of $570 million in high quality facilities and infrastructure.

Transformation of old industrial sites such as the Clayton Business Park and the Philip Morris tobacco processing plant in Moorabbin are expected to deliver hundreds of new jobs over the next decade.

And we can’t overlook the major investment associated with the return of St Kilda Football Club to Moorabbin Reserve and the possibility of Hawthorn Football Club building new facilities in Dingley. Each of these is a multi-million dollar investment that will cement Kingston as a major sporting precinct.

All of these investments are supplemented by public sector investment as well. The Victorian Government will be spending around $1 billion in Kingston over the next few years removing level crossings and building a new station at Southland. Kingston Council will also be contributing to the investment story with a capital budget of $56 million to be expended this financial year to construct and maintain key infrastructure and facilities. This figure includes grants from the Victorian Government towards specific community facilities.

So, if you think there is a lot going on in the municipality, you are absolutely right.

Business Bulletintaking care of business in Kingston

Volume 4 • 2016

Major Investment Driving Kingston

9581 4735kingston.vic.gov.au/ kingston-business

Melbourne Business Awards Gala Award Breakfast

Get involved with Kingston’s Christmas Windows

ASPIRE

2

7

3

in this edition

Unprecedented private and public sector investment is transforming the City of Kingston.

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2 Kingston Business Bulletin November 2016

The Melbourne Business Awards, South East Region is an incorporated, not for profit organisation celebrating 23 years of incorporation, providing a forum to recognise the achievements of business enterprises operating in the South East Region of Melbourne.

The Awards inspire and assist small to medium sized companies and enables engagement with other businesses as well as across all levels of Government.

Come to the Business Gala Awards breakfast for an end of year celebration. Meet the 2016 Nominees and be there for

the announcement of the ‘Business of the Year’ Award winner.

Hear from the special guest speakers, be entertained and help celebrate the Young Achievers.

The continuing shift in focus from Australia’s manufacturing heritage to an expanding service-based business economy will be reflected in the introduction of a new Melbourne Business Awards Category this year.

The Service Business Excellence Award aims to showcase the new breed of businesses that are rapidly expanding across Melbourne’s South East.

Details: Friday 2 December 2016

Woodlands Golf Club 109 White Street, Mordialloc

Networking 6.30am Formal Proceedings 7am – 9.30am

$68 per person

melbournebusinessawards.com.au

Joining Forces: Innovation Success through PartnershipsThe Ai Group has released a new research report that confirms that Australia lags in collaboration. Ai Group surveyed hundreds of businesses and interviewed leading innovators to shine a light on Australia’s collaboration performance and the ways to improve it.

The report identified substantial barriers to more and better collaboration between research organisations and business. “A lack of skills and time for collaboration were the most widely cited barriers for SMEs, while larger businesses were most likely to find difficulties in aligning objectives with public researchers,” Ai Group Chief Executive, Innes Willox, said.

There is not enough practical and easily accessible information for business on how to build, maintain and get the most out of successful innovation partnerships.

“The resulting report confirms that Australian collaboration is low, but also identifies a range of positive and productive collaborative practices. Informal relationships between businesses and universities are nearly three times more common than formal research partnerships (28% of surveyed businesses versus 10%). Businesses are much more likely to collaborate with each other on new products, processes or business models (59% of medium sized business respondents) than with public sector researchers (23% of medium sized business respondents).

Kingston Council provides a number of opportunities for business to engage in collaboration and partnerships. Currently the Economic Development Team is working on a regional “Food Economy” project with neighbouring South East Melbourne Councils to support active collaboration with the food industry supply chain, South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance, Food Innovation Australia Ltd, Regional Development Australia Southern branches and State Government.

The full report is available at: aigroup.com.au/policy-and-research/mediacentre/reports/

For more details contact our team on: 9581 4735

Media Enquiries: Tony Melville – 0419 190 347

Source: AI Group reports

Tackling Foundation Skills in the WorkforceAustralia has a higher internet penetration than Europe, the Americas and Asia Pacific, despite its comparatively small population.1

The change in employment by industry sector is reflected in the growth of the service sector. The fastest growth sectors require the highest level of skills, such as finance, insurance, business services and real estate. These services are highly dependent on computer and

ICT skills. A recent report has indicated that 44 per cent (5.1 million) of occupations are at risk of ‘digital disruption’ in the next 20 years and that 79 per cent of CEOs are concerned about the impact of changes in core technology.2

A recent report by the Committee for the Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) has noted that up to 40 per cent of jobs have a moderate to high likelihood of disappearing in the next 10 to 15 years as a result of technological advancement.3

There are significant shortages in digital skills which will become a basic skillset for the future workforce. CEDA has advocated that these be included as a core component of school education and that existing workers be reskilled as soon as possible. The teaching

of digital literacy skills must continue into tertiary education and be a core component of ongoing workplace skills development. 4

There is also a shift in occupational structure with more than a quarter of all workers across the OECD being professionals, associate professionals or skilled technicians.

For more information see: Australian Industry Group January 2016 – “Tackling Foundation Skills in the Workforce”

1 ITU World Telecommunication ICT Indicators database. 2 A smart move, April 2015, PricewaterhouseCoopers. 3 Australia’s future workforce, June 2015, Committee for Economic Development of Australia. 4 Australia’s future workforce, June 2015, Committee for Economic Development of Australia, page 162.

Melbourne Business Awards Gala Award Breakfast

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November 2016 Kingston Business Bulletin 3

The Automotive Supply Chain Transition Program (ASCTP)

Program ObjectiveThe $5 million Automotive Supply Chain Transition Program provides eligible automotive businesses with access to specialist business services valued at up to $65,000 to assist them to identify, design and implement strategies to transition into new sectors and markets.

Business Transition Plan

Eligible supply chain companies can receive support valued at $15,000 to work with an independent Business Specialist to develop a Business Transition Plan.

Business Transition Services

Following development of a Business Transition Plan, supply chain companies may receive support valued at up to $50,000 to work with Business Specialists on business transition activities identified in their plan.

Merger Advisory Services

Support valued at up to $10,000 may be provided where a business merger has been identified in the Business Transition Plan as the appropriate course of action to maximise retention of industry capability and jobs.

CriteriaApplications are open to Victorian based automotive supply chain companies who derive at least 20 per cent of their revenue from supplying new car manufacturing by the three local car manufacturers (Ford, Holden and Toyota) and their supply chain.

For more information, visit: business.vic.gov.au/support-for-your-business/grants-and-assistance/automotive-supply-chain-transition

Get involved with Kingston’s Christmas Windows Kingston Council is again holding its Christmas Windows competition for retailers and businesses with a shop front in Kingston’s shopping villages.

This competition is a sponsored event and has some great value prizes for retailers.

Enter your business’ festive-themed window into the draw for your chance to win and gain additional marketing exposure.

Metz Creative took out the top prize in the competition held last year. Based in Parkdale, Metz Creative is a family owned boutique graphic design studio with Cheryl and Shane Metz at the helm.

The window display, designed by Cheryl Metz, is based on a winter wonderland and gave the impression of being in the forest at Santa’s mailbox (see image above).

How do I register for the competition?

Registrations are now open! Register via kingston.vic.gov.au/christmaswindows

All businesses that register will receive a pack that includes promotional postcards to give out to your customers, a Visual Merchandising (VM) Cheat Sheet to apply the best VM techniques to your window design this Christmas and a window sticker to place on your shopfront to guide your customers on how to enter the competition.

Once you receive your promotional pack simply:

1. Decorate your store window (Be creative!)

2. Add the window sticker to your window

3. Take a photo

4. Email the photo with contact details to [email protected]

The competition commences on Monday 14 November 2016.

What will happen after I submit my entry?

Businesses that enter the competition must have their Christmas window decorations displayed until Thursday 24 December. The shop front will be judged and assessed by a judging panel and the winner will be announced on Monday 21 December.

Judging Criteria

• overall display & visual impact

• colour

• creativity and innovation

Entries must be received by no later than 5pm on Wednesday 14 December 2016

Why get involved?

We are encouraging shoppers to get out and about this Christmas to visit their local shopping village, take a photo of their favourite Christmas window and post to social media.

Shoppers will go in the draw to win a hamper of goods from local businesses. Businesses will benefit from free promotion on social media, and additional marketing by the business team at Kingston Council.

To keep up to date with the competition follow us on: facebook.com/CityOfKingston or head to kingston.vic.gov.au/christmaswindows

Metz Creative – Window Competition Winner 2015

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4 Kingston Business Bulletin November 2016

The World Cup of Golf 2016A major international event is descending on the City of Kingston, and it’s one you don’t want to miss. The 58th edition of the World Cup of Golf returns from 23 – 27 November this year. Hosted at the Kingston Heath Golf Club, the event will feature two-man teams comprised of the best golfers from across the globe competing for a world title and a prize purse of $8M USD.

With a field made up of six major championship winners, 27 Olympians and 18 past participants of either The Ryder Cup or The Presidents Cup, the competition’s never been stronger. Defending champions, Jason Day and Adam Scott will headline the event for Australia.

Businesses in the City of Kingston area can take advantage of this world class event on their doorstep. Limited opportunities to be a part of the World Cup of Golf corporate hospitality program still exist.

Daily children’s activities will take place in the Tournament Village and families of all ages are encouraged to come and see the best from around the world in their own backyard, and try their hand at golf!

With a Nation vs Nation competition, the local Kingston community is encouraged to come along and cheer on their own nation’s heroes.

For further information about the World Cup of Golf, visit: worldcupofgolf.com or call 8558 2709.

Kingston Farmers’ Market

Special Christmas MarketThe Kingston Farmers’ Market will be holding a special twilight Christmas Market on Thursday 22 December from 4pm – 7.30pm.

Buy your Christmas goods direct from over 60 producers including:

• Christmas puddings and turkeys

• Chocolate truffles, nougat, liquorice and cakes

• Fresh fruit and veggies

• Gourmet breads and cheeses

• Organic meat and chicken

• Plus a large range of speciality products

The Kingston Farmers’ Market is held at the Sir William Fry Reserve, Nepean Highway, Highett.

Please bring along your own reusable shopping bags and a $2 donation.

Call 9581 4735 for any queries.

Meet your Mates event in CheltenhamKingston’s next Meet your Mates networking event will be held at the Naked Racer Café in Cheltenham on Thursday 1 December.

This cafe is a great example of a diversified business model. From a retailer of motor cycles, the owner has added a unique experience by including an antique motorcycle museum and memorabilia area, to a zany bar and eating area. This has made the Naked Racer a “go to” destination for a much broader consumer market than just the bike enthusiast.

As a truly amazing backdrop, Antique Motorcycles has been hosting successful

corporate functions and birthday celebrations for over 10 years. With the rising demand for an exclusive and truly unique experience, the Naked Racer Bar and Cafe was born.

Providing a fully licensed venue catering for small and large groups, the Naked Racer Bar and Cafe is a great venue for your next event.

For further information, visit: nakedracer.com.au

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November 2016 Kingston Business Bulletin 5

To view the calendar of events visit: kingston.vic.gov.au/ kingston-business

2016 Workshops and Events For bookings and further information, visit: kingston.vic.gov.au/kingston-business

01

Sustainable Business Network Breakfast Thursday 10 November, 7:30am – 9am Mordialloc

You are invited to be part of a growing network of businesses that are aware of the competitive advantage of sharing sustainable knowledge and business innovation.

Join with other local business owners over a hot breakfast, to hear participating businesses profile their interest in sustainability and new initiatives to reduce operating costs.

Check out the topic of conversation for this event on the booking page.

Bookings: bit.ly/2cQa66J

03

Selling your goods to China: Intensive Wednesday 16 November, 9am – 4pm Frankston

This workshop will give you in-depth knowledge of the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement and the rules you need to comply with. This workshop will allow you to develop effective strategies to expand your market reach in the world’s largest consumer market.

Bookings: bit.ly/2cx0n4T

04

Meet your Mates Networking Event Thursday 1 December, 5.30pm – 7pm Cheltenham

Kingston City Council invites business owners to get together after work at a local venue to network with other business owners and get to know “who’s who on the block” and to potentially establish new business relationships with neighbouring businesses.

The event also provides an opportunity for those attending to hear what business services and support Kingston Council offers, and to discuss any issues or challenges they are facing in their business. This two-way exchange of information enables Council’s Economic Development team to be an effective voice for the local business community.

Bookings: bit.ly/2cQa66J

05

The Melbourne Business Awards Gala Breakfast Friday 2 December, 6:30am – 9:30am Mordialloc

Join us for our end of year celebration event where we will be celebrating our local award nominees and announcing the ‘Business of the Year’ winner, along with other awards and entertainment.

Bookings: melbournebusinessawards.com.au

06

Kingston Farmers’ Market & Special Twilight Christmas Market Saturday 3 December & Thursday 22 December Sir William Fry Reserve

Victorian food producers direct to you. There are between 60 and 65 stallholders and a wide range of farm fresh produce.

A special Christmas market to stock up on all your Christmas Day needs!

See more details about this Christmas Market on Page 4.

$2 entry – at Sir William Fry Reserve

02

HR Mythbusters Seminar Tuesday 15 November, 5.30pm – 7.30pm Cheltenham

What every business owner needs to know. This seminar will cover recent changes in Industrial Relations and Human Resources, Compliance – what you need to have in place and things that trip businesses up and much more.

Bookings: bit.ly/2cWMNYR

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6 Kingston Business Bulletin November 2016

Getting it done: Construction of Southland Station startsMore than 4,000 passengers a day will benefit from direct and safe access to Southland shopping centre with major construction beginning at Melbourne’s newest train station.

Works will begin with the construction of an underpass which connects the two platforms. The new station will include direct access from the shopping centre, bathrooms and ramp and stair access to both platforms.

Early works on the project were completed earlier this year, including the installation of track drainage and cabling works, as well as raising the tracks to provide a straight track for the station.

Local residents, shoppers and staff will for the first time have direct access to the shopping centre by public transport. They currently have to walk or catch the bus from Highett and Cheltenham stations.

Traffic and parking congestion in the surrounding streets will be eased by encouraging people to leave their car at home.

Key design elements of the station have been shaped by consultation with the local community including incorporating toilets into the station layout.

Construction will be completed by the end of 2017.

Media Contact – Sacha Fenton: Call 0467 784 528 or email [email protected]

Buses for Jobs, Training and Education: Making the Case for a New Bus Services model in Melbourne’s South East

Strong public transport infrastructure is seen as fundamental to supporting economic growth and business investment, providing access to jobs, education and training, improving workplace skills, choice and productivity, and increasing opportunity and mobility for people less ‘advantaged’ than others.

The Southern Melbourne Regional Development Australia (SMRDA) has identified that a major challenge facing the economic growth of the South East Melbourne region is a lack of adequate transport links to employment and training hubs. In particular, limited or poor access to regular, reliable bus services to employment nodes outside of the main activity centres.

The SMRDA is seeking to build an evidence base to support the claim that limited bus services in Melbourne’s South East are a major impediment to employment, productivity, training, education, livability, social equity and inclusion.

The SMRDA has undertaken to consult with stakeholders such as local councils, bus operators, employers, and training and education providers operating in the region. The purpose of these consultations is to understand the effect that limited bus services has on employers in the industry nodes of Kingston, Dandenong South and Carrum Downs and extrapolate an economic and cost benefit analysis.

For further information, or to provide feedback on your employees’ needs for transport, contact: Southern Melbourne Regional Development Australia (SMRDA) Committee Representative:

Anita Buczkowsky [email protected]

Over the next eight years, the Level Crossing Removal Authority (LXRA) will oversee the removal of 50 dangerous and congested level crossings across Melbourne.

The Victorian Government allocated $2.4 billion in its 2015-16 budget to remove at least 20 level crossings by 2018. These sites form the basis of a long-term strategic plan being developed to remove all 50 level crossings by 2022.

Planning and consultation has started on the removal of level crossings on the Frankston line including Cheltenham, Mentone, Edithvale, Bonbeach and Carrum. In the lead up to and during construction, Council will work closely with both local business associations

and individuals to minimise impact and maximise opportunities in these locations.

Whilst Council has undertaken some early preliminary planning, we encourage all businesses to give some thought as to what they can do themselves, and how Council can provide support, to ensure business continuity during the construction phase. Please send your ideas and feedback on how you can maximise business opportunities during the transition to [email protected] or telephone 9581 4735.

For information on level crossing removals please refer to: levelcrossings.vic.gov.au

New Bus Depot at HeathertonTransdev Melbourne has officially opened a new $10.6 million bus depot at Heatherton, working with the Victorian Government and Public Transport Victoria (PTV) to expand services.

The Heatherton depot will replace the ageing Sandringham depot and will be home to 65 staff, with up to 40 buses operating from the depot.

Features of the Heatherton depot include an automatic bus wash, a fuel refilling station, rainwater tanks and recycling, and a bodywork

spray booth. With a 44-bus capacity and enough space for 110 staff, the depot seems future-proof.

The new depot is expected to deliver a more efficient bus network in the City of Kingston and beyond.

To keep up-to-date with the new depots project, visit: transdevmelbourne.com.auSource: transdevmelbourne.com.au

Level crossing removals

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November 2016 Kingston Business Bulletin 7

SEMMA is a peak industry group established in 2003 to support manufacturing in Melbourne’s South and East region. The group is managed by an elected board of 13 voluntary manufacturing members.

SEMMA’s current membership base includes 200+ companies, which represents a sales value of over $5 billion, employing over 15,000 employees and over (an estimated) 60,000 jobs in support sectors.

Membership is drawn from diverse sectors across Melbourne’s south and east including metal fabrication, food manufacturing, transport equipment, machinery and equipment fabrication, polymer and rubber product manufacturing, furniture and other manufacturing.

Kingston has 24 businesses with SEMMA membership.

SEMMA provides its members with a strong, clear voice, to enable them to participate in the ongoing regional and national debate regarding the critical need for an innovative and sustainable manufacturing community.

By lobbying Government, promoting members’ capability and potential, and negotiating better deals on behalf of its members, SEMMA plays a critical role in ensuring manufacturing in Melbourne’s South East remains vibrant and sustainable in the 21st Century.

For further information, visit: semma.com.au

Assess your business strategy with help from a volunteer business mentor

Running a small business can be a lonely and challenging venture. Aside from the myriad of daily tasks that require attention, are the ever-present questions “Am I focusing on the right actions?”, “Am I on track?” Finding the time and knowing how to address these questions can be challenging. That’s where a mentor can help.

Kingston and Glen Eira City Councils offer local businesses a free service — the Mentor Partners Program — that matches local business owners with experienced volunteer business mentors.

This highly successfully Program has assisted more than 450 small and medium sized businesses from a diverse range of industries.

Once matched, business owners have six months to work with their mentor to review and reflect on their business approach, then develop a strategy and action plan to strengthen their business.

Businesses based in the Kingston or Glen Eira municipality, that have been trading for at least 12 months and do not operate under a franchise or license agreement, are eligible to apply.

For further information or to apply, visit: mentorpartners.com.au or contact the Program co-ordinator Sandy Brouvalis on 0438 507 010

ASPIRE is a unique match- making tool for small to medium manufacturing and reprocessing businesses. Embedded in a sustainable business network support structure, it enables SMEs to learn from each other and reduce their operating costs by finding partners for resource exchanges, diverting waste from landfill.

ASPIRE, the Advisory System for Process Innovation and Resource Exchange, has been developed in response to manufacturing companies talking to councils about increasingly high waste disposal costs.

ASPIRE provides business match-making services, where waste from one company can be used as an input to another. ASPIRE reduces business costs, improves business

to business (B2B) collaboration and reduces waste to landfill.

The ASPIRE match-making website aspire.csiro.au has been created through a partnership of four Victorian councils, CSIRO, SMEs and a Victorian Government grant. ASPIRE leverages CSIRO’s expertise in industrial engineering, industrial ecology and operations research to provide a software tool that identifies potential business to business (B2B) resource exchanges.

Other Victorian Councils will soon have the opportunity to join Kingston, Hume, Dandenong and Knox to offer access to ASPIRE through funding from the Metropolitan Waste Resource Recovery Group (MWRRG).

For further information, visit: aspire.csiro.au or email [email protected]

ASPIRE

The South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance (SEMMA)

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For information regarding any of the articles included in this newsletter, please contact us.

Suzanne Ferguson Manager Economic Development

9581 4712 PO Box 1000 Mentone 3194 [email protected]

The information in this publication is given in good faith and has been derived from sources believed to be reliable and accurate. However, the City of Kingston does not accept any liability whatsoever for its contents or the use of the information.

YouMeUsThe City of Kingston, along with a number of other councils, has been involved in a project called YouMeUs – Achieving Inclusion.

The project’s vision is to promote an understanding of diversity in the community, challenge public perceptions of stereotypes, highlight the abilities of people with disabilities and support the development of inclusive communities.

A series of short videos has been developed for businesses to learn how they can adapt and attract more customers with a disability to their businesses.

Each of these videos has key messages on four main areas: Attitude, Communication, Access and Rights. Below are the key messages for the ‘Rights’ video.

RIGHTS• Assistance dogs have rights – they are

allowed to go everywhere their owner does.

• Don’t touch an animal with a jacket or in a harness, as they are working and you can distract them from assisting their owner.

• If you’re unsure, ask the person.

• Not all assistance dogs are Labradors – they come in many different breeds and support people with various disabilities.

The rapidly changing economic and regulatory environment means it is vital that business operators can access affordable and timely advice and business development opportunities. Kingston’s Economic Development Team provides a range of services to all types of businesses within Kingston to foster the development of an innovative, sustainable and prosperous economy.

Our well established networks, local knowledge and access to information from all levels of Government, are available to help you overcome issues and plan for the future.

The team is also out and about visiting local businesses in Kingston. We want to know your success stories and your challenges! How can we help?

Let’s have a conversation and see how we can help your business grow!

Contact us to tell us about your business, find out how we can help or arrange for one of the business officers to visit you.

Contact Details

9581 4735

[email protected]

kingston.vic.gov.au/ kingston-business

kingstonbusiness

Membership of the Australia China Business Council

Kingston Council has recently become a corporate member of the Australia China Business Council (ACBC) as a means of providing Kingston businesses with access to events, networks and cultural training which will better equip local companies to take advantage of emerging trade opportunities.

Council’s membership will allow Kingston businesses to participate in ACBC events at the member rate without the need to be a member in their own right.

China is Australia’s and Victoria’s largest trading partner, a growing source of inward investment and a major source of visitors. The recently signed China-Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA) is expected to open up new

opportunities for Australian companies to enter this fast growing market.

The ACBC is the premier business organisation dedicated to promoting business and trade between Australia and the People’s Republic of China. The ACBC can play a very important role in assisting businesses, from a variety of industry sectors, to be ‘China ready’ across the spectrum of issues confronting businesses exploring trading into China.

The ACBC website provides a full list of up-coming events that may be of interest.

For further information, visit: acbc.com.au

Assistance Animals

To watch the short videos and learn how your business can benefit, visit youmeus.info.

A number of fact sheets are also available online at kingston.vic.gov.au/Services/Disability/Good-Access-Good-Business to assist you and your business to become more accessible.

For further information on the YouMeUs program or to learn more on how to become a more accessible business, contact the MetroAccess Officer, Megan Grant at [email protected] or phone/SMS: 0448 983 707.

Business Bulletintaking care of business in Kingston