Annual Report 2008-2009 COMMITTED TO THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGION Affiliated with THE CANBERRA BUSINESS COUNCIL GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGES ITS PRINCIPAL MEMBERS PRINCIPAL MEMBERS Annual Report 2008-2009 Affiliated with Canberra Business Council Annual Report Canberra Business Council Limited VISION: AN ORGANISATION THAT IS RESPECTED FOR THE QUALITY AND IMPACT OF ITS CONTRIBUTION TO THE CAPITAL REGION. MISSION: PROVIDE BUSINESS LEADERSHIP IN THE PROMOTION OF ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT OF THE CAPITAL REGION BOARD OF DIRECTORS Criag Sloan: Chair Prof John Howard Tim Overall KPMG UNIVERSITY OF CANBERRA QUEANBEYAN CITY COUNCIL Brand Hoff: Vice Chair Glenn Keys Kristine Reithmiller NICTA ASPEN MEDICAL KMR CONSULTING Michael Capezio David Marshall AUSTRALIAN HOTELS TALKFORCE CONSULTANTS ASSOCIATION & TRAINERS Hugh Chalmers Michelle Melbourne John Butt: Company Secretary MEYER VANDENBERG INTELLEDOX NSW BUSINESS CHAMBER John Hindmarsh Stephen O’Brien Chris Faulks: CEO HINDMARSH NSW BUSINESS CHAMBER CANBERRA BUSINESS COUNCIL Canberra Business Council Annual Report COMMITTEE MEMBERS AS AT 30 JUNE 09 Colin Alexander OAM: Canberra Investment Corporation Limited John Smeeth: National Australia Bank Dale Budd: Dale Budd & Associates Pty Ltd Mary-Anne Waldren: ASF Limited Phillip Butler: Australian Institute of Company Directors Alison Walker-Kaye: National Capital Authority Andy Castle: ActivIdentity Sue Whelan: CRDB Hugh Chalmers: Meyer Vandenberg Todd Wills: PricewaterhouseCoopers Ian Davis: National Publishers James Willson: CRE8IVE Patti-Jane (PJ) Gould: Toll Priority Bob Winnel: The Village Building Company Lincoln Hawkins: BEACONHILL Consulting Chris Faulks: CEO - Canberra Business Council Robyn Hendry: Canberra Convention Bureau Inc STAFF John Hindmarsh: Hindmarsh CEO: Chris Faulks Brand Hoff: National ICT Australia Policy Officer: Koroush Ghazi Trish Kirkland: National Museum of Australia Business Development Manager: Dennis Hopper/Darryl Bozicevic Geoff Knuckey: Ernst & Young Services Trust Office Manager/PA: Elly Szkobel Kathy Korsch: Canberra Institute of Technology Events & Communication Manager: Kate Holland Elaine Kos: eKonsulting Administration: Amelia Sankey David Malloch: Malloch Digital Design Pty Ltd Export Development Manager: Brooke Anderson David Marshall: Talkforce Consultants & Trainers ScreenACT Manager: Brendan Walsh/Monica Penders David Mathews: Crystal Approach Pty Ltd John Miller: Master Builders Association (ACT) CONTACT DETAILS Denis Page: Denis Page Management Pty Ltd National Associations Centre Dr Neil Primrose: Primrose Solutions Pty Ltd Unit 4, 71 Constitution Ave Karsten Richert: Staging Connections (ACT) PO Box 132 Kristine Riethmiller: KMR Consulting Campbell ACT 2612 Ken Roberts: Ken Roberts Marketing P 02 6247 4199 Robin Schall: Life Member F 02 6257 4421 David Segrott: Australian Health and Safety Services E [email protected] Craig Sloan: KPMG W www.canberrabusinesscouncil.com.au Phil Sloper: Oracle Corporation Canberra Business Council Annual Report Canberra Business Council Annual Report CONTENTS Chairman’s Report 8 CEO Report 12 Special Thank You 15 Canberra Business Council – Celebrating Thirty Years 16 Submissions 19 Life Membership – Denis Page 20 Events & Activities 22 ACT Exporters’ Network 26 ACT Chief Ministers Awards 28 ScreenACT 29 Economic Impact, Employment & Special Initiative Task Force 30 Planning and Infrastructure Task Force 33 Tourism, Sports & Arts Task Force 36 International Business Task Force 38 Innovation and Education Task Force 40 Business Environment Task Force 42 Small Business Task Force 45 ScreenACT Task Force by Michael Tear 48 Business Success Series 50 2008 Annual Winner – Business Achievment Award 53 Membership List 54 Canberra Business Council Annual Report | Chairman’s Report 8 Chairman’s Report It is my pleasure to present the 2008-09 Canberra Business Council THE ECONOMY Annual Report. In the seven years that I have been privileged to be 2008-09 has been dominated by what was described by the Chairman of the Board, the Council has had many successes – and Treasurer in his 2009-10 Federal Budget speech (May 2009) this year has been no exception. as “the deepest global recession since the Great Depression.” The severity of the global economic downturn was reflected in the THIRTIETH ANNIVERSARY World Bank Global Development Report (June 22, 2009) which The Council reached a significant milestone in 2009 – its thirtieth painted an unprecedented picture: global output falling by 2.9 birthday. From relatively humble beginnings and only 22 members percent and world trade by nearly 10 percent; accompanied by in 1979, the Council has grown into the key business representative plummeting private capital flows; the US contracting by 3 per cent, organisation in the Canberra region. Thirty years ago, the Council the Euro area by 4.5 per cent, and Japan by 6.8 percent. – then called the ‘Committee of 22’ – had an important mission: As the global economy deteriorated rapidly throughout the year, “the growth of the private sector in the region, to create job governments around the world initiated extraordinary policy opportunities and conditions that encourage the development of responses which, according to the IMF, “helped save the global private enterprise.” That same important mission drives Canberra financial system from systemic collapse.” Business Council today. Australia and particularly the ACT were not immune from these To mark its thirtieth anniversary the Council produced a short international forces. However, we weathered the global financial history which highlights both the individuals who have worked crisis (GFC) much better than many other countries. The Federal tirelessly over many years to promote our mission and the Government acted decisively by implementing a targeted fiscal considerable influence that the Council policies have had on stimulus strategy. In addition, our financial system remained government decisions. What are also evident are the enormous soundly capitalised and well regulated; Australian banks retained changes that have taken place within the ACT during the period their high credit ratings, despite the difficult global environment; the Council has been in existence: in the devolution of government the Government’s bank guarantee arrangements successfully functions and improved relationships with government; in the sustained depositor confidence; our housing market held up much built environment; in the growth of employment opportunities better than in other countries, primarily because of lower interest and population; and in the development of the ACT as a place of rates, the Government’s First Home Owners Boost and unmet business innovation and export potential. demand; and, finally, Australia’s forecast net debt was expected to peak at 13.8 percent of GDP in 2013-14 whereas average net debt What is more important from the Council’s perspective has been levels in the major advanced economies were projected to increase the relative change that has taken place in the ratio of public to to over 80 per cent of GDP over the same period. private sector employment. The Council can rightly take great credit for the role it has played in that change and, as a result, Although Australia technically avoided a recession, and is the only for the part it has played in the economic development and major advanced economy not to have fallen into recession, the population growth of Canberra and the Capital Region. A shorter global financial crisis did have a significant impact on both the summary of that brief history is included elsewhere in this Annual ACT and Federal Government’s budget bottom lines. The Australian Report. budget was hit with a $210 billon collapse in Australian tax revenues – the greatest collapse in tax revenues in our nation’s The Council will celebrate its thirtieth birthday at the Annual Gala history. Similarly, while the ACT was largely shielded from the Dinner in late October 2009. full brunt of the GFC by the stabilising effect of government employment and procurement in the region, the impact was notable nonetheless. The Territory lost substantial amounts of revenue including half a billion dollars in GST revenue over five years. Canberra Business Council Annual Report | Chairman’s Report 9 SUBMISSIONS NEW NATIONAL MEETING FACILITY During the course of the year, the Council prepared 28 submissions The 2008-09 Budget included a commitment from the ACT on behalf of its members. These are listed separately in this report Government for $250,000, to be matched by the business and include submissions on Light Rail in the ACT, High Speed Rail, community, to develop the business case and a scoping study for the ACT Government 2009-10 Budget, Canberra Airport Master a new national facility for meetings and conferences in Australia’s Plan 2009, the ACT Government’s Review of ACT Work Safety National Capital. In mid-2009 the Council signed the Deed of Grant Regulations, and the Family and Community Day Public Holiday, with the ACT Government for this funding and moved quickly to to name but a few. In addition the Council released two discussion establish a Working Group headed by John Hindmarsh to drive the papers – one on Payroll Tax and the other on an Information project forward. A tender for the development of a Business Case Infrastructure Plan for the ACT. for a ‘Meeting Place for the Nation’ will be advertised late in 2009. This is an exciting project that will need the full support of the These submissions