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21/01/2015 8:48 pm FMA.com.au Page 1 of 46 http://www.fma.com.au/cms/index2.php?option=com_oriondb.news&task=getissue&issuenumber=20&emailable=false&printable=true This edition of FMA Online is proudly supported by Culligan Water Issue 20, Dec 2007 It’s been a busy month since the last edition of FMA Online. We’ve seen the election to power of a new Labor government and I have taken the opportunity to write to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to offer my congratulations on behalf of FMA Australia. Along with Chairman, Andrew McEwan, I’m looking forward to meeting with the PM or his ministers in the near future in order to establish a highly productive and mutually beneficial relationship from which to further the interests of the facility management industry. I have also had the pleasure of attending FMA Australia’s AGM in Brisbane late last month, at which, as Company Secretary, I announced the re-election of George Spink and Steve Jones to the board for another two years. Whilst in Brisbane I was able to visit the venues for next year’s ideaction conference which is being held on the Gold Coast. I was accompanied by all of the branch chairs giving them a great opportunity to see first hand some of the fantastic event locations and site visits that we’ll be offering to delegates at what I believe will be our most successful conference yet. One of the best parts of my job is getting out to meet with our members, an element that I was able to indulge in twice this month. Firstly, at a very well-attended WA branch AGM I updated attendees on FMA Australia’s plans for the future, including the recently completed three year strategic plan. We also enjoyed a very informative presentation from Ross Moody, Executive Officer of IPWEA National who is passionate about sustainable asset management, having attended Al Gore’s climate change training workshop in Melbourne last September. Secondly, Carolyn Journeaux and I attended a very positive meeting with members in South Australia, following which we are extremely hopeful of re-establishing a branch committee and building a better presence in South Australia for FMA Australia members. With the festive season upon us, our branch committees and FMA Australia staff have been working very hard to organise some first-class Christmas events, one of which I attended in Melbourne last week. A great time was had by all and I particularly enjoyed the entertainment, provided by Dr Elwood Jefferson, a ‘US based consultant in innovative procedures’ and ‘advisor to the world business council for sustainable development’, aka the very talented comedian Graeme Bowman. I would also like to give tremendous credit to the VIC branch committee for their tireless efforts in sourcing some wonderful raffle and auction prizes, which contributed to the raising of a fantastic $7,000 for charity. We look forward to similar success stories from other forthcoming December branch events.
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This edition of FMA Online is proudly supported byCulligan Water
Issue 20, Dec 2007
It’s been a busy month since the last edition of FMA Online. We’ve seen the election to power of anew Labor government and I have taken the opportunity to write to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd tooffer my congratulations on behalf of FMA Australia. Along with Chairman, Andrew McEwan, I’mlooking forward to meeting with the PM or his ministers in the near future in order to establish ahighly productive and mutually beneficial relationship from which to further the interests of thefacility management industry.
I have also had the pleasure of attending FMA Australia’s AGM in Brisbane late last month, atwhich, as Company Secretary, I announced the re-election of George Spink and Steve Jones tothe board for another two years. Whilst in Brisbane I was able to visit the venues for next year’sideaction conference which is being held on the Gold Coast. I was accompanied by all of thebranch chairs giving them a great opportunity to see first hand some of the fantastic eventlocations and site visits that we’ll be offering to delegates at what I believe will be our mostsuccessful conference yet.
One of the best parts of my job is getting out to meet with our members, an element that I wasable to indulge in twice this month. Firstly, at a very well-attended WA branch AGM I updatedattendees on FMA Australia’s plans for the future, including the recently completed three yearstrategic plan. We also enjoyed a very informative presentation from Ross Moody, ExecutiveOfficer of IPWEA National who is passionate about sustainable asset management, havingattended Al Gore’s climate change training workshop in Melbourne last September.
Secondly, Carolyn Journeaux and I attended a very positive meeting with members in SouthAustralia, following which we are extremely hopeful of re-establishing a branch committee andbuilding a better presence in South Australia for FMA Australia members.
With the festive season upon us, our branch committees and FMA Australia staff have beenworking very hard to organise some first-class Christmas events, one of which I attended inMelbourne last week. A great time was had by all and I particularly enjoyed the entertainment,provided by Dr Elwood Jefferson, a ‘US based consultant in innovative procedures’ and ‘advisor tothe world business council for sustainable development’, aka the very talented comedian GraemeBowman. I would also like to give tremendous credit to the VIC branch committee for theirtireless efforts in sourcing some wonderful raffle and auction prizes, which contributed to theraising of a fantastic $7,000 for charity. We look forward to similar success stories from otherforthcoming December branch events.
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The Association of Consulting Engineers Australia (ACEA) Awards took place this month, which Iwas privileged to attend as a guest of the Co-operative Research Centre for ConstructionInnovation (CRC-CI). Vice Chairman, George Spink and Immediate Past Chairman, StephenBallesty attended also. The ground-breaking CRC project ‘Adopting BIM for FacilitiesManagement: Solutions for Managing the Sydney Opera House’, won the top award of the night.This really is a substantial achievement for a project that has gained world recognition andfollows a string of other awards including the FMA Australia and Rider Hunt Terotech IndustryAchievement Award, so congratulations once again to CRC.
Lastly, I would like to introduce two new members of staff to the FMA Australia team: CharlieSimson as Senior Policy Advisor and Tim Farrelly as Membership Co-ordinator. We now have a fullteam at FMA Australia and look forward to making next year our most successful yet.
Seasons greetings to you all and have a wonderful Christmas.
David DuncanCEO
Issue ContentsEdition Supporter
Culligan WaterUpcoming Branch Events
For the latest in upcoming eventsBranch News
FMA Australia VIC Branch NewsFMA Australia NSW Branch NewsFMA Australia ACT Branch NewsFMA Australia WA Branch NewsFMA Australia QLD Branch News
General NewsA tribute to two great members of the FM industryFeature Article: Climate Change - Policy and PoliticsFeature Article: A Mandate for ChangeAchieving Sustainability in Existing Buildings: Opportunities and ChallengesFormal FM qualifications in WAFMA Australia staff member Profile: Rosie BennettFMA Australia Christmas Office HoursNew Member Profile: Alan DaherNew Member Profile: Lyndon UrquhartLAA/APICS Mentoring Program expandsKey Contacts
Edition SupporterCulligan Water
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We also offer professional in-house and laboratory water testing to ensure we deliver the bestsolution for your needs.
Phone Culligan on 1300 655 295 or visit www.culliganwater.com.au to find out more.
Upcoming Branch EventsFor the latest in upcoming eventsFMA Australia Victorian Branch
VIC Lunch 8 FebruaryVIC Lunch 14 MarchVIC Golf Day 18 AprilVIC Lunch 5 JuneVIC Lunch 11 JulyVIC Lunch 29 AugustVIC Lunch 19 SeptemberVIC Lunch 17 OctoberVIC Lunch 21 NovemberVIC Lunch 19 December
FMA Australia New South Wales Branch
NSW Lunch 13 FebruaryNSW Site Visit 26 FebruaryNSW Lunch 12 MarchNSW Site Visit 25 MarchNSW Lunch 9 AprilNSW Site Visit 22 AprilNSW Lunch 14 MayNSW Site Visit 27 MayNSW Lunch 11 JuneNSW Site Visit 24 JuneNSW Lunch 9 JulyNSW Site Visit 22 JulyNSW Lunch 14 AugustNSW Site Visit 26 AugustNSW Lunch 10 SeptemberNSW Site Visit 23 SeptemberNSW Lunch 8 OctoberNSW Site Visit 28 October
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NSW Lunch 4 NovemberNSW Lunch 10 December
FMA Australia Queensland Branch.
QLD Breakfast & Site Visit 20 FebruaryQLD Lunch 19 MarchQLD Site Visit 16 AprilQLD Breakfast 21 MayQLD Lunch 18 JuneQLD Site Visit 23 JulyQLD Golf Day 22 AugustQLD Lunch 24 SeptemberQLD Site Visit 22 OctoberQLD Breakfast 12 NovemberQLD Lunch 1 December
FMA Australia Australian Capital Territory Branch
ACT Lunch 28 FebruaryACT Site Visit 27 MarchACT Breakfast 24 AprilACT Site Visit 29 MayACT Lunch 26 JuneACT Lunch 31 JulyACT Lunch 28 AugustACT Breakfast 25 SeptemberACT Golf Day 16 OctoberACT Site Visit 27 November
Branch NewsFMA Australia VIC Branch News
The park pathway leading into the heart of the city, Memorial Gardens, Melbourne, Australia
Vic Branch Chairs Report
Accreditation Awards
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One of the privileges of my position as FMA Australia VicBranch Chair is having thehonour of congratulating our members who have accomplished an outstanding feat! Asmany of you know, FMA Australia runs an accreditation system for the industry, wherefacility managers apply to achieve the professional credentials of an AFM1, AFM2 orAFM3. The AFM1 level is for practitioners, AFM2 is for managers and AFM3 is for
leaders. Facility managers who gain accreditation have the right to use the AFM post-nominals.
At our November luncheon, it was my pleasure to recognise three people who have recentlygained accreditation and ask them to come up and accept their certificates.
Nathan Dallas achieved AFM1. Nathan is a Facilities Manager at FM services company,Melbourne Facilities Management.Ashley Wakefield achieved AFM2. Ashley is a Building Manager at FM services companyFacility Management Victoria.Phillip Warren is an Executive Manager at Transfield Services Australia and he has achievedAFM3.
An outstanding achievement for all three, congratulations!
I would also like to acknowledge Melbourne Facilities Management and Transfield Services whohave understood the prestige that comes with this accreditation and its importance, not just totheir staff, but also to them in undertaking this rigorous project.
Women in FM – Melbourne BranchThank you to Schiavello’s who sponsored the WIFM event last month on the topic of SustainableFurniture.
Michael Pitcher, Environmental & OHS Coordinator for Schiavello’s took us through a step by stepguide to ensure a comprehensive evaluation and environmental performance of products, whichin some cases stretches beyond the Green Star and GECA criteria. Since 1997, the organisationhas lead the Australian furniture industry in the development of Environmental practices, leadingto the formation of their own Environmental Rating Tool. Michael confidently highlightedconsiderations for the modern Facilities Manager to review when selecting furniture, relating tothe source of materials, potential to recycle, take back schemes, energy usage, manufacturingprocesses, packaging, durability and modularity.
The event as ever, was warmly attended by a mix of industry professionals and posed manyinteresting questions afterwards. Drinks and nibbles were kindly laid on by Schiavello’s whichenabled all to network and discuss the points raised by Michael in an informative and relaxedenvironment.
May I extend a warm ‘Thank you” to all of our guest speakers who contributed in 2007 in makingthis year’s calendar interesting, informative and successful. Finally as some of you will be aware,I will be going on maternity leave as of the end of November. However, I still intend to organizeWomen in FM events for 2008. For the oncoming year, we have some fascinating speakers andtopics and if you would like more information about WIFM, then please feel free to contact me [email protected] or 0400 509 640.
Our final event of the year is to be held on Wednesday 5th December at the Belgian Beer Café,Eureka.Congratulations to Louise for all her incredible work over the last year in sourcing venues,speakers and topics! This has become a very popular event indeed! On behalf of FMA AustraliaVic committee I would also like to wish Lou all the best for the birth of her baby due at the end ofthe month!
November LuncheonThe November Vic lunch was our much anticipated panel session, and was attended by almost200 members and guests.
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The topic was Achieving Energy Efficiency in Existing BuildingsThe Opportunities and Challenges
Panel members: Jeff Robinson; Chris Wallbank and Chris Callanan
The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report* described energy efficiency asthe low hanging fruit in the effort to reduce worldwide carbon emissions and stated that energyefficiency options in existing buildings could considerably reduce CO2 emissions with neteconomic benefit. Australia’s existing buildings represent a significant opportunity for reducinggreenhouse emissions; however achieving lasting change in an occupied and operating buildingalso presents considerable challenges and difficulties.
Moderator: Byron Price
We assembled a group of leading experts with successful experience in achieving energyefficiency in existing buildings to share their expertise and knowledge – from design through
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upgrade projects to operational improvement.
Moderated by Bryon Price, our panel consisted of:
Jeff Robinson, Director from Connell Wagner.Chris Wallbank – National Sustainability Director for Jones Lang La SalleChris Callanan, Facility Manager from Investa
Shane Williams, GJK Facility Services, thanks the panel on behalf of GJK and FMA
Kris Greenwood thanks the speakers – with our major sponsor banner in the background
Thank you once again to our major lunch sponsors, GJK Facility Services.
February Luncheon
Don’t miss out on our February luncheon! It’s early February so if you are away for the Januaryholidays, please be sure to look out for the flyer before Christmas to secure your spot! Our guestspeaker will be Laurie Reeves on the topic of The Changing World of Maintenance & Energyin Pre-Loved Buildings.
Over the past 15 or so years, maintenance attitudes and practice have changed due to a largeincrease in the diversity of physical assets, complex designs and changing views on maintenanceitself. These changes have been due to a large increase in the quantity and diversity of physical
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assets that must be maintained, more complex designs, new maintenance techniques andchanging views on maintenance itself.
Maintenance of a buildings energy consuming services is gaining importance as organisationspursue the balance between environmental morality and economic reality. The greening ofbuildings environmental systems takes more than making a profound public statement or puttinga plaque in the lobby of a building. It takes commitment, a plan and a team of people willing tomake a difference.
Fifteen years ago most property and facility management groups had as their highest engineeringexecutive position a ‘chief engineer’. This has gradually evolved to ‘engineering manager’ and inmore recent times in many companies a new title has emerged; ‘maintenance manager’.Generally the maintenance manager is now part of the senior management team and has theresponsibility for providing significant input into the planning and general operations of abusiness.
Now at the heart of a profitable facility and business operation is a strong, well plannedmaintenance strategy directly linked to the company’s business goals.
Every facility is unique, but our approaches should always have a common outcome; manage ourcosts, reduce our energy consumption, solve the root cause of problems, extend the life of assetsand continually evaluate and improve our maintenance planning.
In the face of these changes, managers everywhere are looking for new, innovative and costeffective approaches to their evolving maintenance needs. So what are our next steps? Now weget to choose if we want our Yesterday's or our Tomorrow's.
Upcoming National Ideaction ConferenceI was very pleased to be included in a group of people attending a pre-conference visit to theGold Coast to give feedback on the conference facilities and social event destinations! Everythinghas been very well researched and this is sure to be a ripping conference!!! I especially enjoyedthe lunch and site visit to Carlton Breweries, and I don’t drink beer! Fascinating experienceregardless, and this is just one of the site visits that will be on offer at the conference. More onIdeaction to follow in 2008!
As this is the last newsletter for 2007, I wish all of our members and guests avery Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!See you in 2008!
Kristiana GreenwoodVic Branch Chair
FMA Australia NSW Branch News
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The Blue Mountains, New South Wales
The festive season is upon us and as we celebrate our year’s achievements we are alsoreminded that we live in a world of uncertainty. At the end of a year it is often a goodtime to reflect on the successes achieved, and acknowledge how our accomplishmentshave been determined by decisions we’ve made along the way.
What can we expect in 2008 for FMers?. Our new Federal Government has bought about theimmediate ratification of Kyoto, which may bring many challenges for the FM industry in time tocome. Whatever the changes, it is certain that Climate Change and Sustainability will remain highon everyone’s agenda.
We offer our sincere thanks to our sponsors for their continued support, without it we may nothave been able to deliver some of the fantastic events we were able to offer members during2007. To our members, non members and guests who have attended functions throughout theyear, thank you for participating and supporting the continued growth of the FM industry.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the NSW Committee, David Ronksley, ChristineKelly, Doug Collins, Peter See, Carol Gould, Dario Falchi, Gavin Lowe and Anthony Williams whohave taken on the responsibility to provide benefits to our strong member base.
On December 12 the NSW Branch held its Christmas Lunch at WatersEdge at Pier 1 with key notespeaker Max Walker. The afternoon kicked off with a ‘Bang’ with the sounds of Human Rhythmsopening the afternoon. 240 guests filled the venue which overlooked the sensational Harbour.
Thanks to our major sponsors for providing a number of novelty items to entertain the guests.Judd Farris provided the “Cocktail Slushy Machine”, interesting pictorial place mats and the everpopular Bon Bons. The second major sponsor was Kinnarps who provided gifts for the winners ofthe “Swedish Trivia” game. I would also like to mention Movers and Shakers for their support forthe AV.
Max Walker provided most of the entertainment with his interpretation of how innovation was amajor factor throughout his childhood, career as an Architect, VFL/AFL Footballer, AustralianCricket representative, Sports commentator and Author.
With his unmistakeable sense of humour, Max recounted events that happened on and off thefield. He also generously donated one of his latest books “Caps, hats and Helmets cricket’s afunny game!” and signed it for the winner of the lucky door prize.
Max also mentioned his most popular book “How to Hypnotise Chooks” and his attempt topromote it on Hey Hey It’s Saturday which made it his number one seller.
May the festive season be kind to you. Have a safe Christmas and a Prosperous New Year. I lookforward to seeing you at future events in 2008.
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Robert IaconoNSW Branch Chair
Max Walker speaking to the guests at NSW Branch Christmas Lunch 12 December 2007
Guests over looking Sydney Harbour at the NSW Branch Christmas Lunch 12 December 2007
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Max Walker with NSW Chair Robert Iacono at the NSW Branch Lunch 12 December 2007
FMA Australia ACT Branch News
Commonwealth Avenue Bridge over Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra, ACT
Many of us have been very busy over these past few weeks completing major projectsand other tasks, to make sure that they are all completed before the end of the year.Suddenly, we also notice a few invitations for Christmas Drinks have arrived in our InTrays - is it really that time of the year already?
Yes, unfortunately the end of 2007 is nigh and we are forced to look back over the busiest year inthe ACT FM industry. We have had a few new buildings and new fitouts completed and peoplesuccessfully relocated to new workplaces, but we are still dealing with the issues that have
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emerged as a result of those moves. Some of us have also been busy revisiting: cleaningservices, preventive maintenance, security guarding, and other FM related service arrangements,whilst others are busy doing long term plans for their respective facilities in anticipation for largerbudget bids next year.
Of course we also finally saw the end of a long Federal Election campaign, which hopefully will notdramatically alter all existing plans and strategies that we have all invested in throughout most of2007.
Above and beyond all the hectic activities, the FMA Australia ACT Branch Committee still managedto find time and resources to continue to wave the FMA Australia banner and stage events for itslocal members.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all members and their guests for supporting theFMA Australia ACT Branch events throughout 2007. Your support and your feedback regardingthese events is critical for us in the Committee as we strive to provide events and benefits thatoffer opportunities to share relevant knowledge and experience while networking with colleaguesin the local FM industry.
We would also like to wish a Happy Christmas and safe Holiday Season to all our members andour Committee, and we sincerely hope that 2008 will bring greater opportunities for us to worktogether again in the FM industry.
FMA ACT Branch November Site Visit to the new DAFF buildingsThe visit to the new Dept of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry buildings in Canberra City onWednesday 3 November was a great success, as many of us took the time out of a busy scheduleto take advantage of this rare opportunity to view the new building and fitout before it isoccupied.
FMA Australia ACT Branch Chair Peter Mollison, introducing the DAFF project team.
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The DAFF project team
Peter Mollison, the FMA Australia ACT Branch chairman, welcomed guests at the magnificentLobby of the 18 Marcus Clarke Street building, and introduced Gary Leifheit - Chief InformationOfficer of DAFF. Gary provided a brief background to the project and subsequent challengespresented to DAFF upon the prospect of having to leave the famous Edmund Barton building andcommence the search for a new office accommodation. Gary thanked the project team forproducing a brilliant workplace that everyone in DAFF can be very proud of, and introduced theteam who will be taking guests for a tour of the building:
Jon Webb - Project DirectorWendy Haugbro - Assistant DirectorPaul Wilkin - Client Advocate - Property Advisory Australia.Karen Bolin - Communications officerPeter Grant - Project officer
Soon after introductions, visitors were invited to tour parts of the building, which featured whathas been claimed as the best fitout for the new millennium. Some of the unique features includeflexible workstation configuration to minimise churn and a wintergarden lounge/breakout areaswith interconnecting stairs. We also noted the innovative use of graphics in the fitout combinedwith the colour themed floors reflecting the Australian environmental zones. However, the thingsthat made many of us envious of were the provision of quiet rooms as well as stacks of personaland corporate storage spaces!!!
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A typical workstation layout at DAFF
The new building has utilised a series of Environmentally Sustainable Design concepts to achieveits high Greenstar and ABGR merits. Some of these include the use of t5 high efficiency lightscontrolled by an ECS lighting control systems, night purge louvers, waterless urinals andstormwater retention tanks.
The tour lingered a little longer around the Executives suite on the top floor, before we were allinvited for networking drinks and nibbles in the foyer area downstairs. The foyer grew withdelighted noises as guests started to discuss ideas and concepts that they noticed during the tourand exploring how they could incorporate the ideas into their respective workplaces.
Networking in the DAFF Foyer
We would like to thank Jon Webb of DAFF for inviting the FMA ACT Branch to enable other facilitymanagers to share this exciting opportunity.
2008 Calendar of Events
The recently elected Committee of the FMA Australia ACT Branch has commenced drafting the2008 Calendar of Events for the Branch. Whilst no confirmed details can be released yet, some ofthe promises include:
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PSP from a FM PerspectiveSite visits to – the new Centrelink building at Greenway, the new Tidbinbilla Centre, theCanberra airportBreakfast- Floriade
Plus the ever popular:
forum and site visit on Basic Building Services,the Pitch and Putt Golf
Look out for our flyers next year, show them to your colleagues and come to theEvents.
FMA Australia WA Branch News
A sunny day on Cottlesloe Beach, Perth, Australia
The FMA Australia WA Branch Annual General Meeting was held on the 22nd November2007 at The University Club of WA, an impressive and delightful venue. Chairman PhilGale spoke, stating that due to the booming WA economy the branch has beenrelatively inactive during the past year. Membership numbers have remained static, butare supported by a strong core of Facilities Management professionals interested in
supporting future development and progress of the branch. It was widely agreed upon that themost popular event of the past year was the Breakfast event held at the City of Melville.
We would like to thank the outgoing committee comprising of Gerald Stack, Sithu Aung, IanPickens, Ryan Taylor, Susie Hitchcock, and Don Hitchcock for all their ongoing help and supportduring the year.
The new Committee members for 2008 were appointed unopposed and include Phil Gale (Chair),Gerald Stack, Sithu Aung, Amie Montefiore, David English, Ian Bonner, Glen Fraser, and NindaKaur.
CEO David Duncan also spoke at the meeting, stressing his desire for WA to become a stronger,vibrant Branch.
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Guest speaker, Ross Moody was introduced to speak on “Climate Change”. Ross has spent 28years in Local Government; and has been a member of IPWEA (Institute of Public WorksEngineering Australia) since 1982, during which time he served as President. He recentlyattended a training seminar hosted by Al Gore, and is convinced that global warming is real issuethat needs to be immediately addressed.
Ross gave a very interesting presentation, explaining what is meant by global warming, providingevidence to support the premise that global warming is primarily caused by human activity. Hediscussed the ramifications of global warming, and concluded strongly with what needs to bedone to address this issue.
The meeting concluded with drinks and canapés, and the opportunity for some lively discussionon the issues raised.
Introduction to the 2008 Committee MembersName: Philip Gale (WA Chairperson)
Background: I have been employed at the City of Melville for the past 20 years. I have anundergraduate science degree with post grad qualifications in Landscape Architecture andManagement.Where I work: City of Melville.My position and brief description of duties: I am currently the Manager ofInfrastructure Services at the City of Melville.This role covers all infrastructure within theCity including engineering structures such as roads drains paths and parks as well as all thebuildings under the care, ownership or control of the City. I also take in all the contract andproject management for large building projects and all Environmental issues such as bushland management and sustainability responsibilities.How and why I got involved in FMA Australia: I originally became involved because Isee this as an exciting developing industry. Being in control of asset management, Ipersonally wanted to take the traditional local government view of asset management andpush it towards the more holistic facilities management approach. I am also a very firmbeliever in the benefits of professional organisations and you reap what you sow. So I amhappy to contribute.What I aim to contribute personally to the FMA here in WA this coming year(goal): To lead the committee into providing a professional development opportunity for allpractitioners of facilities managementWhat I would like to see the FMA Australia WA branch achieve in 2008: Same asabove.
Name: Gerald Stack
Background: As a Civil Engineer with 20 years experience in local government and 10years in university facilities management. My interests include family, hockey, and WAnative orchids.Where I work: University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia.My position and brief description of duties: Manager, Operations and Maintenance.Leading some 120 staff in delivering the services and infrastructure underpinning theteaching and research objectives of this university. It has the aim to be among the top 50universities of the world in 50 years – now about 120th. We are responsible for thecorrective, the preventative and the life cycle renewal maintenance; for the grounds andsports facilities; for building operations and statutory compliance, and for all to be done in asustainable way. Asset valuation $1.6 billion. Overall revenue $600m. Maintenance budget$14.3mHow and why I got involved in FMA Australia: Australian universities have a sharedassociation (TEFMA – Tertiary Education FM Association), but I looked for a group whichconnected to the wider range of FM practitioners. FMA Australia added the commercialproperty management perspectives to the benefits gained from TEFMA.
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What I aim to contribute personally to FMA Australia here in WA this coming year(goal): To promote professionalism and recognition of the Western Australian practitionersof FM through formal and informal development.What I would like to see FMA Australia WA branch achieve in 2008: In 2008 FMAAustralia WA Branch will be better recognised as an organisation which transcends special orlimited interests to speak for and advance the broader profession of facilities managementin Western Australia.
Name: Sithu Aung
Background: Facility Management for the past 12 years. My past experience has includedFacilities Management, Project Management; Building & Asset Management, Consultant inBuilding Condition Audit, OH & S and Risk Management. Experience within the Facilitymanagement Industry - where I have played a key role in implementing and managing theongoing building preventative maintenance to multiple complexes and their services. Isubsequently managed buildings, facilities management operations, and business processesincluding the asset management and building condition inspections for both private industryand for Local Government. I have knowledge and hands-on experience gained from a careerin facilities management and corporate service operations.Where I work: Both private and government sector.My position and brief description of duties: Facilities Manager, Consultant and ProjectManager.How and why I got involved in FMA Australia: From networking with the activemembers and non active members.What I aim to contribute to FMA Australia here in WA this coming year (goal):Promote FMA, promote the FMA Australia WA monthly seminar, assist in decision making.What I would like to see FMA Australia WA branch achieve in 2008: Increased FMAAustralia WA membership, and achieving FMA Australia WA monthly seminar.
Name: Ninder Kaur
Background: I was born and raised in Singapore, and migrated to Western Australia in1986. I have qualifications in Business Management and Administration.Where I work: RAC WA Head Office located in West Perth.My position and brief description of duties: Group Facilities Manager. At a corporatelevel, facilities management contributes to the delivery of strategic and operationalobjectives. On a day-to-day-level, it ensures a safe and efficient working environment.How and why I got involved in FMA Australia: To excel in any chosen profession, it isnecessary to proactively seek and build the knowledge base in the chosen field. FMAAustralia has the body of knowledge that can meet the needs of FM practitioners.What I aim to contribute to FMA Australia here in WA this coming year (goal):Actively promote and raise the profile of FM in Western Australia.What I would like to see the FMA WA branch achieve in 2008: Professionalnetworking and development opportunities.
Name: Amie Montefiore
Background: Qualifications in Business Administration. Bachelor of Arts Film & Television,combined with Creative Advertising. Worked for several years in the film and televisionindustry, before a career change to Recruitment.Where I work: Hays Specialist Recruitment Group, in the Construction & Property sector.My position and brief description of duties: Recruitment Consultant. My area of speciality isrecruiting for permanent positions in Facilities Management industry.How and why I got involved in FMA Australia: I am passionate about learning,understanding, and gaining further insight into the Facilities Management industry and the
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current climate here in WA. FMA Australia provides the ideal opportunity to talk to peopleinvolved professionally in the industry, helping me to establish and address both my clientand candidate recruitment needs.What I aim to contribute to FMA Australia here in WA this coming year (goal):Increase FMA WA membership. Speaking directly with people involved in the industry andnewcomers to WA every day, I aim to increase their awareness of this professionalaffiliation. I firmly believe that FMA Australia can assist them in their career growth andprogression.What I would like to see the FMA WA branch achieve in 2008: Increasedmembership, and events to get people interested and excited to be involved in FMAAustralia.
An FMA Member's perspective on the current WA Facilities ManagementIndustry"Facility Management is demanding, dynamic and at times frustrating profession. It requiresknowledge and skills in a wide range subjects as well as patience and stress tolerance. Many of usare so flat out looking after our company's business that we have little time left for professionaldevelopment and networking. The problem with this is that our careers can suffer and ouremployers can miss out on us learning new and better ways of getting the job done.
Over the past couple of years we have seen a huge growth in business activity and work load. Ibelieve that one of the consequences of this has been the drop off in activities and attendance atFMA Australia functions. There have been a number of attempts by FMA Australia to get qualitytraining courses run in Perth but low registrations have forced cancellation and we keep missingout.
I think it is time we all take stock of what is happening in our profession in Perth. There are manynew initiatives being introduced around the country and around the world to improve productivityand reduce costs as well as improve the environment. Our organisations can benefit from uslearning about these and introducing improvements to how we do things. FMA members in otherstates are well connected and very active. I get the feeling that in Perth we all beaver away in ourown businesses and operate very much in isolation. I urge you all to dust off your ownprofessional development plans and start getting involved in FMA Australia. We have a lot toshare with each other that will be for the betterment of all.
It was really good to see the renewed interest in the WA Branch at the AGM the other week. Nextyear should see a lot more opportunity to get together.”
Peter ScottManager Office FacilitiesWoodside Energy Ltd
Formal FM qualifications in WACurtin University of Technology is again offering a course in Facilities Management in 2008.Associate Professor David Baccarini has developed two units which are scheduled for the benefitof working Facilities Management professionals in the evenings of first and second semester. Withtwo other units (Project Management and Strategic Procurement) this would give a formalqualification of Graduate Certificate of Facilities Management and enhance the professionalism ofany Facilities Management practitioner.
Further details can be found at: http://handbook.curtin.edu.au/courses/30/307071.html
15 students need to enrol for the course to proceed.
If this course is something that you wish to pursue, or if you believe that members of your teamwould acquire value through obtaining qualifications, please contact Gerald Stack in the firstinstance, on [email protected].
Future Events
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The branch committee has had an inaugural meeting and has decided to concentrate on threemain areas for member participation and development for the 2008 year.
Set aside the third Thursday of each month for an event from FMA Australia startingFebruary 2008!Line up for the Curtin postgraduate course as outlined above and…Watch out for communications from the National Office and your very busy branch!
From the committee to all FMA members we wish you a very happy Christmas and safeNew Year.
FMA Australia QLD Branch News
Outback Queensland
Christmas Lunch 2007Attendees at the Qld Branch Christmas lunch enjoyed a full program of events. Thehighlight of the afternoon was the special guest speaker, Ian Maurice (“the Bear”). Ianhas enjoyed a long career on television and is probably best known as the jovial sportspresenter from the Wide World of Sports. Ian entertained guests with his tales from thelocker room and hilarious story telling.
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The event was used to raise funds for Youngcare, a relatively new organisation providing facilities
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for young Australians with high care needs. The event raised $312.00 from a raffle as well as thegenerous donation of three items of commercial office furniture from Wilkhahn and Living Edge.Shane McGowan from Wilkhahn and Bryan Mahony from Living Edge were on hand to present thegifts.
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I would like to thank our major sponsors for the event, Unifor and Isis. Their generous supporthas made it possible to run a quality event.
I would also like to thank the following organisations for their in-kind support:
DexionThe Gibbon Group
The Plough Inn TavernRoyal on the Park Hotel
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Queensland Hosts 2007 FMA Australia AGMQueensland was proud to host the recent 2007 National Annual General meeting of FMA Australia.The event was held at the Brisbane City Council Corporate Conference Centre within the newlycompleted Green Square South Tower, Queensland’s first 5 green star commercial office building.This was an excellent opportunity to meet the board and some of the National Office staff face toface.
2008 – back bigger and better than ever2008 holds in store an impressive program of forums, site visits and networking events.
The year kicks off on February 20th with a business breakfast and site tour of 63 George Street, a10,000m2 refurbished government office building. This is a unique project that effectively joinstogether two adjacent buildings to create larger floor plates and better utilise common facilitiesbetween the two sites. The breakfast and tour will cover some of the issues and opportunitieswith refurbishment and retro-fitting of existing buildings.
A message from the Branch ChairI would like to thank the Queensland committee for their dedication and energy in delivering theservices to our Queensland Members.
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I would also like to thank all our local members and associates who have provided their supportthroughout 2007 by attending one of our many local events.
All the best for a happy Christmas and prosperous New Year.
Lex Dewar
General NewsA tribute to two great members of the FM industryIt is with great sadness that Kristiana Greenwood, FMA Australia Victorian Branch Chair, paystribute to two amazing men, both involved in the FM industry.
Greg McManis, a Director at Woodhead International, was a key member ofour Victorian Branch committee, our Innovation & Best Practice Nationalcommittee, and most of all, a great friend. The Vic committee was very shockedwhen Greg contacted us in January to tell us that he had to resign from thecommittee due to health issues. It soon became apparent that these were serioushealth issues and on Tuesday 27th November, after a year long battle with cancer,Greg passed away in Adelaide. I speak with much emotion when I say, on behalfof the Victorian FMA Australia committee, farewell to a great man, you will beremembered fondly, and our deepest condolences to Greg’s family and to hiscolleagues at Woodhead International.
David Oppenheim was a registered architect and a director of SustainableBuilt Environments. I came to know David quite well over the last few years; hehas been an inspiration to our industry with his advice and understanding of theESD issues and solutions. David was involved in energy efficient and lowenvironmental impact architecture for over three decades. He was a favouredpanellist at the FMA Australia Vic branch lunch forums and at Ideaction 2007, andit was with shock that we were told he has recently passed away. On behalf of theFMA Australia Vic branch, the FMA Australia national office and me personally, Iwould like to pay tribute to an inspirational man who will be sorely missed, andoffer our condolences to David’s family, friends and colleagues.
Feature Article: Climate Change - Policy and PoliticsInterview with Guy Pearse, author of High and Dry.By FMA Online’s Bianca Frost
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Guy Pearse is the author of High and Dry, a damning accountof Australia’s greenhouse policy under the Howardgovernment. Pearse, Liberal Party member, lobbyist andformer Howard-government advisor, takes us behind therhetoric he once helped write to explain how Howard’sgovernment became captive to the interests of the powerfuland pervasive fossil fuel lobby – also known as the“greenhouse mafia.” In his only interview to date since the2007 election he also shares with us some insights into whatopportunities and dangers Australia now faces, post-Kyoto,under Rudd’s Labor government.
FMA Online: First of all, what motivated you to writeHigh and Dry?GP: Basically, it was a concern that grew over time about thedegree of contamination in the federal government policymaking process related to greenhouse gas emissions andclimate change.
FMA Online: Can you explain a little more about that?GP: In the early days of the Howard government there was astrong view amongst those of us involved in the environmentportfolio in that we could be doing something very positive,
that we could start the clean energy transition in Australia, and that, while some people viewedour Kyoto target as being too lenient, ratifying the Protocol was at least an opportunity to getstarted.
However, by about 1998-99, it became clear that things weren’t moving as fast as we hoped.There was a concerted campaign being mounted by fossil fuel producers and large fossil fuelconsumers to stall progress in the area of emission cuts and I became increasingly concernedabout the direction that Howard’s government was taking on climate change.
FMA Online: What exactly were you concerned about? GP: After a stint writing speeches for Senator Robert Hill, I commenced a PhD at the AustralianNational University (ANU) . The substance of that research made it clear to me that there weresome serious issues surrounding the influence of Australia’s largest greenhouse gas emitters ongreenhouse policy. When I started to see how rotten the whole thing was, I had genuine beliefthat if Liberal Party voters, members and supporters knew how pervasive this influence was andhow we were confusing the national interest with our political interests, that I would be doing theParty by a favour by revealing the situation and giving them an opportunity to shift ground andend the contamination. I thought that if we did this in a timely manner that not only could wechange direction and beat the Labor Party to it, but also that we could avoid the political crunchthat would inevitably follow if we didn’t.
FMA Online: What direction was the Liberal Party taking under Howard?GP: Howard was gradually taking greater control of greenhouse policy to the point that even Hill,as the then environment minister, didn’t have total control over environment policy.
Howard began overruling his own ministers, including Hill, who sat on the greenhouse ministerialcouncil. The fossil fuel lobby had a strong influence on this committee and as a result, wereeffectively managing that committee remotely.
FMA Online: Why did Howard seem to believe that he had a mandate for unilateraldecision making in the Liberal Party, quashing the views of his own senior ministersand appointed committees?GP: I think this was a reflection of the strength of the majority when he came into office. He hadwaited so long to get into government and when he finally won – and won so emphatically - hefelt like it was really his government.
FMA Online: When did you realize that all was not right with the management of
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greenhouse policy development in Australia?GP: A couple of years after Howard came to power, I started a PhD at ANU to look at why somany industries were “missing in action” on greenhouse debate in Australia. The interests offossil fuel, mining and metal industries were represented on the ministerial council, yet it seemedstrange to me that industries like agriculture, tourism, forestry, insurance and a few others,weren’t.
FMA Online: What did you discover?GP: In the course of my research, I conducted interviews with people who were prominent in thegreenhouse policy debate including a dozen or so people who were lobbyists for the AustralianIndustry Greenhouse Network (AIGN) which was really a front for the fossil fuel lobby.
These people, allowed me to tape our interviews on the condition that they remained anonymous– that is, the quotes were on the record but I couldn’t link them publicly with the source. BecauseI wasn’t asking them directly about their organization but about the MIA’s (the industries thatwere “Missing in Action”) they really opened up and spilt the beans.
FMA Online: From reading your book, it sounds like this greenhouse “mafia” highjacked policy making through the Howard era.GP: Well and truly. One of the main reasons they were able to do so was because they used torun the relevant sections of the bureaucracy. When these bureaucrats moved out of public serviceto become lobbyists for the fossil fuel sector, their underlings moved up to run the relevantsections of the same department. These bureaucrats were now dealing with their former boss inthe position of industry lobbyist. The former boss would still have the whip hand in thoserelationships and if those current public servants were looking forward to a lucrative career postpublic service, then it made a lot of sense to go along with their former bosses with whom theyhad really long-standing, congenial relationships.
I began to realize how contaminated the policy process had actually become when I was first toldby one of these former bureaucrats, that they were still writing cabinet submissions even thoughthey were now lobbyists for the fossil fuel sector. They were being invited into the Department ofPrimary Industries & Energy (DPIE) by their former underlings to literally sit there at a computerin the department writing cabinet submissions- castings, briefings, exactly the same kind ofmaterial they used to write before leaving the public service.
FMA Online: Did this surprise you?GP: It confirmed what a lot of people in the greenhouse debate had thought but never reallyknew. Now there was proof that this cosy carbon club was both inside and outside governmentand the game was absolutely fixed in their favour.
FMA Online: Does this suggest a deep structural flaw in our democratic process?GP: I think there is a flaw in a way but it’s more just a set of circumstances.
In Australia, the restrictions on, or should I say the “cooling off” period provisions that we have inplace to stop people leaving government – either as politicians or bureaucrats – and thensuddenly lobbying the government in the same area, are almost non-existent. People just moveone seat over from bureaucrat to lobbyist.
There’s also a kind of “corporatist” flavour to all this, which has been problematic. Unlike the restof the world, we include fossil fuel industry lobbyists in our official delegations to internationalnegotiations such as December’s Bali conference. No other country in the world does that.
FMA Online: Why do we do that?GP: Because the fossil fuel industries have the big interests to protect and have successfullybrought about a confusion of national interests and political interests. I call this a “quarry vision”of the economy. A small number of industries, principally in the mining, metals and energysectors, have been able to persuade our bureaucratic and political leadership - and some seniorpeople in the media - that the national interest and their interests are indistinguishable. This hasbecome conventional wisdom yet it’s completely out of touch with reality.
FMA Online: How so?
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GP: If you actually look at the figures, those industries provide less than a dollar in ten of GDPand one job in twenty. They are not the backbone of the economy that we are led to believe. Butunfortunately this idea has become conventional wisdom in Canberra and is accepted by seniorbureaucrats and politicians bringing about the inclusion of those industries at the exclusion ofalmost every other stakeholder in the debate. The fact that you don’t see renewable energy, thegreen movement, the financial sector or any other industry with a stake in Australia’s greenhousepolicy direction is a reflection of how deeply held that “quarry vision” has become.
FMA Online: How did this situation come about?GP: These industries very cleverly, over a long period of time, recognized that they werebecoming less labour intensive and less important in terms of their share in the overall economy.They knew that if they were to preserve their political clout they would need to invest all the rightmoney in all the right places.
FMA Online: Will things be any different under Rudd’s government?GP: There is a real embedment of what I call the “carbon capture” forces in government andpseudo-government agencies like Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics(ABARE) and partly via certain hired gun lobbyists and consultants. The fossil fuel industry areusing them and then convincing the government to use the same people and organisations on thesame issues often without tender, which effectively creates a situation where all the same peopleare pushing all the same advice from all sides.
This will be one of the real challenges for Rudd. You can’t necessarily get rid of that embedmentbut you can stand up to them. You can go through and work out where the real hubs ofcontamination are. Rudd needs to address the issues which have given rise to that contaminationand get rid of them.
FMA Online: How might Rudd go about this?GP: If he’s smart about it, he’ll be able to harness support from other areas of the economy -such as the MIA’s that I’ve mentioned - which form some 90% of the GDP and 95% of jobs.
FMA Online: What is the position of these MIA’s on greenhouse policy?GP: The vast majority of Australia’s business community is on the right side - or should be. Thelevel of public support for Australia to be part of the clean energy transition, to lead the world onthis - not merely to ratify Kyoto – is enormous.
FMA Online: You must feel vindicated by the watershed revelations following theelection loss that many of Howard’s ministers did not agree with his climate policy? GP: There were always ministers who disagreed. Hill wanted to ratify Kyoto. Kemp, Campbell, andthen Turnbull all wanted to ratify Kyoto. They all supported stronger renewable energy targetsand they all got knocked back. Turnbull was one of the few that came close to doing so publiclybut it wasn’t until we saw Peter Debnam the other week publicly repudiating the main aspects ofHoward’s greenhouse position that the Liberal Party had someone speaking out aside from aLiberal Party rank and file member like me.
FMA Online: The recent IPCC report claims a 95% consensus on the fact of climatechange. The statement that climate change is directly linked to human activity wasmade with “very high confidence”. Is there still really any credible doubt that climatechange is happening?GP: No, definitely not. The only area of doubt that I am aware of is the level of human influence.The warming itself is undeniable. The debate is over the extent of human involvement in that. I’mnot going to pretend to be a climate scientist but when I see a consensus as persuasive as theIPCC saying that they are over 90% confidant that human activity is mainly responsible, and theyspell out the catastrophic implications of that if it is left unchecked, I just don’t see how policymakers can sit back and say we need to wait another decade to get more information.
FMA Online: Given the delay campaign that you’ve mentioned, is it still possible to turnaround our emission output in time to meet the kind of deep cuts required by 2050?GP: Absolutely. If ABARE has concluded that we will nearly triple the economy if we halveemissions, then I expect the truth is far, far rosier because ABARE was always in the game of
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giving Howard arguments to justify delay.
FMA Online: What, in your opinion, do we need to be doing then?GP: We need to look at the scope for deep cuts, even deeper than those Labor have committedto, and much sooner than they have promised. This will not be economically devastating toAustralia, in fact, it will be unlocking all sorts of new opportunities for the economy. Now Kyoto isratified, we are suddenly part of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) which presents allnew these opportunities for Australian businesses to get credit towards their emission obligationsthrough investment in both Kyoto-ratified developed and developing countries.
FMA Online: What are these opportunities?GP: This is a multi-billion dollar game that we’ve been locked out of. Now there are all sorts ofopportunities that we can be part of. However, one of the concerns that I have about ratifyingKyoto is that we sit back, enjoy the kudos and simply become a mere donor country to the cleanenergy transition around the world. That is, that we simply write cheques to developing countriesso they can cut emissions for us--effectively out-sourcing our obligations rather than cuttingemissions here. This is a real risk if we only focus on emission trading rather than theopportunities offered by Kyoto and the global clean energy transition.
FMA Online: What is likely to happen if we ignore these opportunities?GP: Nearly half of the impacts outlined by the IPCC are going to happen regardless of what we doabout greenhouse gas emissions. There are going to be enormous problems that we’re going tohave to deal with in Australia from the inevitable climate change impacts. Whether it’s food scarcity, water scarcity, energy security or other things such as the impacts onthe coast, these things are going to cost an awful lot, but they are also going to create bigopportunities and in a way, climate change adaptation is going to be one of the boom industries.The sooner we realize that and start investing in that, the better.
FMA Online: You say on Crikey.com (November 25) that, “The leeway Rudd has lefthimself (combined with a potentially difficult Senate) gives the 'delay forces' thatcaptured John Howard a big foot in the door. And they are already deeply embedded insections of business, the media, and the Canberra bureaucratic and lobbyingestablishment. They have plenty of good links into the Labor Party at the state andfederal level too”. Does this mean that you are skeptical about what action the Laborparty will actually take on greenhouse gas emissions? Is Rudd susceptible to the samekind of pressures from the fossil fuel industry as Howard? GP: He definitely is. I think although you have to give someone an opportunity before youcondemn them he has left himself vulnerable to the same sort of capture because he has focusedon some of the symbolism in the short term with the Kyoto ratification but, as I said in thatCrikey piece, Kyoto is the easy part. It gives us a seat at the table, but it doesn’t require anyheavy lifting to meet our existing Kyoto target. What really matters is whether Rudd startsmoving Australia on course to cut emissions in line with what we expect from the rest of theworld – 60% reductions by mid-century.
FMA Online: What is the price, economic or otherwise, of Rudd resisting the claims ofthe fossil fuel industry? Does he have the political experience and where withal toachieve this?GP: Let’s do the economics first. I think the economic cost is minimal. We’ve got a pile ofresearch – even from ABARE who have always been part of the delay campaign – showing thatwe will roughly treble the size of the economy and roughly double our real wages even if we evenmore than halve our emissions by 2050. So the argument that somehow the economy collapsesand people pay catastrophically higher energy bills if we halve our emissions is nonsense. In fact,the research shows that the share of our income that we end up paying for our energy needs ifwe halve emissions in Australia actually falls. Therefore it’s a fraudulent argument. While therewould be some structural adjustment in various sectors, I don’t think this will lead to thecatastrophic outcomes that we've been led to believe
FMA Online: What economic impacts will there be in different sectors?GP: Over the last few days of the election campaign, I talked about how ABARE have said that
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various industries would shrink by 25-75% if we halved our emissions. This sounds devastating,particularly for agriculture, but what they refused to do was to say what size compared withtoday they expect different industries to be by 2050 (absent 50% emission cuts). That’s the realyardstick against which they are projecting catastrophic losses in different sectors, but theselarge ‘business as usual’ projections are being treated like state secrets.
To see through the deception, people need to appreciate that ABARE have said the economyoverall will more than treble by mid-century and their work suggests that energy intensiveindustries are the backbone of the economy. It’s therefore reasonable to assume that ABAREexpects most of those industries – aluminium and steel, for instance - to at least treble in size by2050 compared to today.
It’s against that kind of ‘business as usual’ growth that you have to measure the ‘catastrophic’sectoral losses being projected. When people hear that if we halve emissions by 2050 output inthe aluminium industry will fall by say 50% , 9 out of 10 would interpret that to mean theindustry would be half the size it is now--that there will be devastation, that all these jobs will belost and that communities will be destroyed. Well, no. What ABARE really means is that output inthe aluminium industry will be 50% less in 2050 than the trebling in size they project ifAustralia’s emissions remain on their current path (plus 70% by 2050). In other words, most ofthese industries where ABARE projects catastrophic losses would still be far bigger in 2050 thanthey are now, even if we halved emissions.
FMA Online: These figures then, do not accurately represent the economic benefits tobe delivered by other industries that will record growth and compensate for the smallergrowth potential of particular industries?GP: Exactly right. ABARE is damned either way on this. If they are suggesting that thoseindustries will actually shrink yet project that economic growth will be 246% higher in 2050 thanit is today even if we halve emissions, what they are effectively saying is, that other sectors ofthe economy will grow much, much faster than that 246% because they will be picking up theslack for those industries that grow less rapidly. For example, what they are not saying is thatother sectors like financial services may grow by as much as 500%. So, ABARE is deliberatelyoverstating the economic losses and deliberately ignoring the economic opportunities.
FMA Online: What political impacts might impede Rudd’s progress with greenhousepolicy?GP: The same forces that have been running ABARE and sections of the CSIRO - the ones thathave been peddling clean coal, for example. They will be doing to Rudd exactly what they did toHoward: they will be exaggerating the economic impact of cleaning up Australia’s energy systemfor their own economic benefit.
FMA Online: Why will Rudd be vulnerable to this kind of industrial lobbying?GP: Rudd will be vulnerable to this because many of his state governments will also bevulnerable. A lot of these industries have a great influence on the states, particularly in NSW andQLD and, to a different extent, WA which is more gas based but also more dependant on theresources boom. The states will find themselves being lobbied hard by the same forces thatlobbied Howard, and in turn, they will be lobbying Rudd. In particular, they will be pushing toensure that they obtain carve out provisions as part of any emissions trading scheme.
FMA Online: What are the implications of Australia’s largest polluters becoming exemptfrom an emission trading scheme?GP: If we have an emission trading scheme that effectively carves out the worst offenders ofgreenhouse pollution on the basis that they’re trade exposed, what we would be talking about isnot merely transitional support for those industries but permanent exemptions.
If that was to be the case, we’d be better off without a scheme because the only thing worse thanno scheme is really bad one. Any scheme that excludes the worst offenders will, according toABARE’s own calculations, double the carbon price that the rest of the community has to pay.
This also effectively reduces the relative competitiveness of cleaner industries – who would thenbe bearing the full brunt of the carbon price - compared with the dirtiest industries which is
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exactly the opposite of what we want to be doing.
Let me give you an example: Forestry – wood products – are in direct competition withaluminium products in the building sector – the same with steel – if forestry is not given thesame carve-out provisions because it is not deemed sufficiently trade exposed or energyintensive then the competitiveness of wood is actually reduced relative to its dirtier competitionbecause it will have to pay a carbon price that aluminium and steel don’t.
FMA Online: Isn’t this anti-competitive?GP: Exactly right. I think it is. But I don’t think the penny has dropped. We’ve had this reallysuperficial argument over the past year and a half, especially over the course of the electioncampaign, that never got down to this important detail.
FMA Online: As a former Liberal staffer and party member, what has the personal andpolitical fall out of your book been?GP: Before I did all this I was seriously in the running to move back to Queensland and run forparliament so I really had to make a choice between a political career or writing the book. I knewthat by writing the book I would, as Graham Richardson used to say, be “taking a long walk in thesnow.”
Even so, my friends in the Liberal party have really stuck by me, even though it has been in apretty low key way. It’s only really been the Howard government MP’s that I was close to andthose senior staff whose future was tied up with the Howard government, who have gone cold onme. I’ve had maybe three hostile emails from members and supporters of the Liberal party.They’re outnumbered, however, by a ratio of about ten to one, by Liberal party people that I don’teven know coming up to me after speeches I’ve given, or via emails, taking the exact oppositeapproach, many saying that “they won’t listen to you now, but one day they’ll realize theyshould’ve”.
FMA Online: What’s next for you?GP: Next for me is to take some time off because I haven’t really had any time off since August2005 and just to reassess what options there are next. I’ve been approached by a range ofdifferent people to do some really interesting things and, fortunately, Penguin seem interested inhaving me back to write some more, so I think it will be a combination of book writing andadvocacy on climate change.
FMA Online: Can we now expect a resurrected political career for Guy Pearse?GP: Not for the short term, I wouldn’t. But you never say never in politics, so let’s wait and see.
Find out more about High and Dry by visiting http://www.highanddry.com.au
Feature Article: A Mandate for Change- Special Report on the United Nations’ IPCC Report on Climate Change by FMA Online’s Bianca Frost
One of the central platforms of the newly elected Rudd government is that of addressing the issueof climate change, and having ratified the Kyoto Protocol, the Australian Government is presentlyin Bali to discuss Australia’s contribution to carbon emission reduction.
Underpinning the need and urgency of the U.N sponsored Conference at Bali is the recentlyreleased U.N IPCC report on Climate Change. Bianca Frost reports on the documents findings,and what facility managers can do to play their part.
Soaring temperatures, rising sea-levels, an increase in extreme and unpredictable weatherpatterns, species extinctions and mass population displacements. These are just some of theprojected outcomes of global warming forecasted by the latest United Nations’ IntergovernmentalPanel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, released on November 17 in Valencia, Spain. The goodnews, according to UN scientists, is that we already have a majority of the technologies in placeto combat accelerated global warming. The only thing standing between sustainability and
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catastrophe is a commitment from the world’s largest greenhouse gas polluters to immediatelyand substantially reduce emissions.
The recent IPCC report is the fourth and final release of five years of policy-relevant assessmentof the existing worldwide literature on the scientific, technical and socio-economic aspects ofclimate change. The Nobel Prize winning panel brings together the world’s leading climatescientists and experts who have concluded that “warming of the climate system is unequivocal”.
Since the panel’s last report in 2001, major advances in climate modelling and the collection andanalysis of data now give scientists “very high confidence” – defined as a 9 out of 10 chance ofbeing correct – that human activity is contributing to the rate of global warming.
While the panel argue that it is theoretically possible to halt global warming if the world'sgreenhouse gas emissions start to decline before 2015, the reality is that emissions are tipped toincrease by up to 90 per cent by 2030 on present estimates, according to the report.
Any turnaround of emission levels will take a huge collective effort. The panel has called for theworld's carbon emissions to level off by 2015-2020, then to be reduced by another one-third bythe end of the century.
The study warns that if emissions continue to rise without action being taken until 2050, thenglobal average temperatures could rise by up to five degrees.
Such an average rise would cause "significant extinctions" around the world, a decrease in cerealharvests everywhere and the flooding of about 30 per cent of coastal wetlands.
IPCC chairman, Rajendra Pachauri, an engineer and economist from India, acknowledged the newtrajectory. "If there's no action before 2012, that's too late", Pachauri said. "What we do in thenext two to three years will determine our future. This is the defining moment."
The panel’s report outlined two starkly different future scenario’s in relation to climate change:"Society's current path leads to increasingly serious impacts ... The other path leads to atransformation in the way society generates and uses energy [and] creates economic opportunity,and helps reduce poverty."
"Humanity must act collectively and urgently to change course through leadership at all levels ofsociety. There is no more time for delay”, the panel warns.
The report says the UN and governments should be galvanised to respond, and countries shouldimmediately agree to limit further global temperature rises this century to no more than 2C. It ispredicted that inaction on climate change could lead to temerature increases of up to 11C by theyear 2100. The report calls for more public transport and better fuels, and cities based on thehighest energy efficiency standards.
Improved transportation systems, tighter building codes and financing for energy-efficiencyinvestments are among the measures recommended by an additional report, “ConfrontingClimate Change: Avoiding the Unmanageable and Managing the Unavoidable”, commissioned bythe UN Foundation.
The report notes that the technology exists to “seize significant opportunities around the globe”to reduce emissions and provide other economic, environmental and social benefits.
It calls on policy makers to improve efficiency in the area of transportation through measuressuch as vehicle efficiency standards, fuel taxes, and registration fees or rebates that favour thepurchase of energy efficient and alternative fuel vehicles.
Improved design and efficiency of commercial and residential buildings through building codes,standards for equipment and appliances, incentives for property developers and landlords to buildand manage properties efficiently, and financing for energy-efficiency investments, were alsoidentified as key drivers for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The following are some key findings of the IPCC report:
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Global warming is "unequivocal." Compared to a temperature rise of 0.74C in the past 100years, warming of about 0.2°C is projected for each of the next two decades alone.Eleven of the last 12 years are among the warmest recorded since the start of the industrialera in 1850.Even if greenhouse gases were stabilized at 2000 levels tomorrow, the Earth will keepwarming and sea levels will continue to rise by around 0.1C per decade. Continual increasesin greenhouse gas emissions could bring "abrupt and irreversible" changes, such as the lossof ice sheets in the poles along with a corresponding rise in sea levels.Sea levels have gone up by an average 1.8 mm per year since 1961 and by 3.1 mm peryear since 1993. Whether the faster rate from 1993-2003 is due to decadal variation or alonger term trend remains unclear.About 20 percent to 30 percent of all plant and animal species face the risk of extinction iftemperatures increase by 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit. If the thermometer rises by 6.3 degreesFahrenheit, between 40 percent to 70 percent of species could disappear.Human activity is contributing to global warming. Global emissions of greenhouse gasesgrew 70 percent in the years from 1970 to 2004. The concentration of carbon dioxide in theatmosphere now is far higher than the estimated natural range over the last 650,000 years.
Other predicted impacts of climate change include:
Climate change will affect developing nations the most, but the effects of global warmingwill be felt everywhere. It is estimated that by 2020, 75 million to 250 million people inAfrica will suffer water shortages; residents of Asia's large cities will be at great risk of riverand coastal flooding; Europeans can expect extensive species loss, and North Americans willexperience longer and hotter heat waves and greater competition for water.Extreme weather conditions will become more common across the globe. Tropical stormswill become more frequent and intense. Heat waves and heavy rains will affect some areas,raising the risk of wildfires and the spread of diseases. Elsewhere, drought will degradecropland and spoil the quality of water sources. Rising sea levels will increase flooding andthe salination levels of fresh water and threaten coastal cities.Sea ice is projected to shrink in both the Arctic and Antarctic regions. Large areas of theArctic Ocean could lose year-round ice cover by the end of the 21st century if humanemissions reach the higher end of current estimates. The extent of Arctic sea ice hasalready shrunk by about 2.7 per cent per decade since 1978, with the summer minimumdeclining by about 7.1 per cent per decade.Snow cover has decreased in most regions, especially in spring. The maximum extent offrozen ground in the winter/spring season decreased by about 7 per cent in the NorthernHemisphere over the latter half of the 20th century. The average freezing date for rivers andlakes in the Northern Hemisphere over the past 150 years has arrived later by some 5.8days per century, while the average break-up date has arrived earlier by 6.5 days percentury.
While there is not a lot of good news to report, some of the more positive outcomes show that:
A wide array of tools exist, or will soon be available, to adapt to climate change and reduceits potential effects. One is to put a price on carbon emissions.By 2050, stabilizing emissions would slow the average annual global economic growth byless than 0.12 percent. The longer action is delayed, the more it will cost.The best estimates for sea-level rise due to ocean expansion and glacier melt by the end ofthe century (compared to 1989 – 1999 levels) have narrowed to 28 - 58 cm, versus 9 - 88cm in the 2001 report, due to improved understanding. However, larger values of up to 1 mby 2100 cannot be ruled out if ice sheets, such as the Greenland ice sheet, continue to meltas temperature rises.
The UN has called on the world’s two largest greenhouse gas polluters, the US and China, to endtheir stalemate over the Kyoto Protocol and concede to binding emissions targets as soon aspossible.
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The advent of a national carbon emissions trading scheme in the near future for Australia ishighly likely and various industry sectors are expressing great interest in the possible impact thescheme may have, and the Built Environment is no exception.
In the meantime however, what can facility managers do to optimise their triple bottom line?
Dr Paul Bannister of Exergy Australia provides some tips, courtesy of the Exergy Australia websiteat http://www.xgl.com.au
Dr Paul's Guide to Saving Energy around the Office
Here are some simple strategies which will save you some energy and money. They are generalprinciples only. All buildings perform differently depending on their location, design and age. Toget specific advice for your building, you need to get us to have a proper look for you. Given thatan average office building can save up to 30% of its energy use without trying too hard, it'sdefinitely worth the effort!
How efficient is your office?
One of the wonders of the modern day office is that it is almost impossible to tell, as anoccupant, whether it's super efficient or an energy hungry monster. Given that reality, why shouldyou care? Does it affect you, as a mere building occupant? The answer is, resoundingly, yes.Some reasons:
Research suggests that there is a link between poor building maintenance, poor energyefficiency and poor indoor environment. Your dry eyes and gasps for fresh air may be asymptom of an inefficient building.Energy is typically up to 5% of the total costs of running an office-based organisation.Sounds like peanuts? Well, think again: if your organisation has more than 20 staff, that 5%represents somebody's entire salary. Your building could be threatening your livelihood.Energy in offices represents approximately 9% of total energy use in Australia and NewZealand, and more in larger industrialised countries. Controlling the energy use of youroffice helps reduce energy use, which helps reduce pollution, including smog andgreenhouse gas emissions.
The very first step in understanding how energy efficient your office is to find out how muchenergy it uses. Thus may not be as simple as it sounds. If you are lucky, there will only be oneenergy bill, covering everything. More normally, however, there will be one bill for the lights andequipment power on your floor(s), and a share of one or more communal power bills, coveringlifts and the air-conditioning. Don't forget the gas, oil or coal bills, if relevant. Unless yourcompany has already done something about energy efficiency, there may be quite a hunt to findall this information. To make things worse, you will really need to gather the energy bills for allthe other tenants in the building to understand how much the whole building uses.
Once you've got all the information together, work out the total energy used in the last year inkWh. Be aware that you will need to convert non-electrical fuels from a wide range of units tokWh. Ring up the suppliers of your non-electrical energy - they should be able to provide youwith the necessary conversion factors. Now divide the total kWh by the net lettable floor area inm2. You can get gross floor area from plans by measuring the floor area of the building(excluding carparks, plant rooms and external balconies).
You are now finally equipped to find out how good - or bad - your building is in terms of energyuse. If you are in Australia, log onto the Australian Building Greenhouse Rating scheme websiteat www.abgr.com.au and do a rating of your building. I can thoroughly recommend this because Iwas the lead technical developer for it, but also because it has achieved a really high level ofsupport from the industry.
It's a miracle!ABGR 5 star rating. Hey, wow, either you are in an amazingly energy efficient building, oryou forgot to add in some of the bills. Check again before breaking out the champagne!However, there may still be good energy savings opportunities. Often small buildings with
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relatively rudimentary services can perform at this level without a great deal of difficulty. Asa result they can still have good savings available.Reason to be cheerfulABGR 4 star rating. Buildings in this range are performing well. There will almost certainlybe good energy savings opportunities, but you have a basically functional building,particularly if energy use is below 150 kWh/m2.The unhappy medianABGR 2-3 star rating, the “average” building. The average rating for buildings is 2.5stars. But don't think that this means that your building is OK. Buildings in this region oftenhave quite serious energy waste problems. It's just that serious energy efficiencyperformance problems are normal practice in the industry!Intensive care requiredABGR 1-2 star rating. Buildings in this region have real problems. Bear in mind that bythis stage, your building is using three to four times the amount of energy that a perfectlyoperating building should. Get help now!It's a dinosaurLess than 1 star. If your building is using this much energy, then it probably has a seriousproblem - or a some large piece of equipment like a major city telephone exchange or threefloors of shops. In the absence of such obvious explanations, I would expect to find majorproblems with the control of heating and ventilation, and quite possibly a terrible lightingsystem. The scope for energy savings could be huge: you may be using twice the nationalaverage and three times what a really good building would. act now!
Get your office's act together
There are a million office buildings out there that have had professional energy efficiency expertssurvey them and identify great savings. Unfortunately something like 90% of these reports endup as shelf fillers and are never acted upon. This is generally because company structures justaren't conducive to anything being done. Consider this: Management commissions an energyaudit. The building manager is given the task of handling the report, which finds some savings.
Now, what can he/she do? Present a report that says that he/she has cost the company moneythrough not seeing the energy savings opportunities? Without support to get over this hurdle,many excellent energy savings opportunities go to waste. Find out whether your office has had anaudit done. Was anything done about it? How long ago? If it was more than five years ago, it'stime to repeat the whole thing again. Many of the most cost effective energy efficiency measuresare maintenance related, so time tends to produce new opportunities.
If you want to save your company some money, get management support to set up an energyaction group, set yourselves some real goals and go for it. It's an ideal opportunity to dosomething for the environment, improve your company's profits, and impress your boss!
Computers and other office equipment
Many people still believe that it is important to leave a computer running constantly to prolong itslife. While this may have been true back in the bad old days of amber screens and 1MB harddrives, it's certainly not true now. Consider this: you are in your office for a mere 25% of thehours in a week. A modern computer may only use 100-120W but, added up over the dozens ofcomputers in your office, not to mention the millions of computers nationwide, that's a lot ofenergy. What's more, overseas research has shown that turning your computer off actuallylengthens its life. After all you don't leave your TV on all night for fear that turning it off willdamage it! So some simple rules:
1. Turn your PC off at night unless it needs to be accessed remotely in your absence.
2. Turn your monitor off if you are going to be away from your computer for more than 15minutes. Screen savers may be pretty but they don't save energy.
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3. Enable the energy saving features of your computer. You may have noticed that whenyou turn it on it shows an "Energy Star" symbol in one corner. This means your computerhas settings that close it down partially after long period of non-use. Unfortunately thisdoesn't mean that these features are enabled, so check this out or get your localcomputer whiz to do it for you.
4. Don't turn your PC on until you need it! In some research I did a few years ago, wefound that in a typical office building, 70% of the computers are operating but only 30%of those are actually in use. Would you turn on your car and leave it running just in caseyou wanted to use it later on?
5. Don't EVER turn off a PC that may be operating controls, operating as a network server,running an old or unfamiliar operating system, or is otherwise outside your domain ofunderstanding. An error in this respect could make your life very uncomfortable.
6. Similar rules can be applied to office equipment such as printers and photocopiers but becareful - you could make lifelong enemies by turning off equipment that is needed byother people when you don't expect it. Rather than becoming an office equipmentvigilante, form an energy conservation team and get your company to set a policy onturning off equipment. This will save more money than anything you can do individually.
Lights - some simple measures
The key sins of inefficient lighting are lights on in empty rooms, too much light, and badlyplanned light switching layouts. You can improve on some of these problems quite easily.However, before you touch anything, check your local regulations and/or your local occupationalsafety and health representative first as to whether you have to be an electrician to work withlight fittings, and always use an electrician if you don't know what you are doing. Energy savingsaren't worth being fried for.
1. Turning lights offIncandescent bulbs are inefficient and should be turned off immediately they are nolonger needed. Fluorescent lights are affected by being turned on and off too often. Ifthese are not going to be needed for 10 minutes or longer, turn them off.
2. Delamping.If there's too much light around it's OK to take tubes out of fluorescent fittings. You candisable a tube easily by removing the starter, (which is the little cylindrical thing visible inmost fittings).
3. Selective relamping.If you have older style tubes (called cool white or colour 33) you can often replace thesewith newer triphosphor (colour 84) tubes which give out 50% more light at the end ofthe tube life (which is what your lighting will be designed for). This means that you canoften leave a lot of tubes out, saving lots of energy.
4. Daylight.The sun's light - particularly the diffuse light out of the direct beam of the sun's rays - isgreat to work in and is much cheaper than electricity. But it only saves you money if youturn your lights off when there's enough light around from the windows!The above tips help deal with energy use on any lighting system, good or bad. However,how can you tell whether your lighting system is an energy monster or a sight for soreeyes?
Self-diagnose your lighting systemThere a million reasons for a lighting system to be poorly designed. The first is that half of themwere never really designed in the first place, they just sort of grew. I encountered one suchsystem where the original building had been fitted out by a speculative developer - and then
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tenant had added in a few extra fittings. In this case, they had nearly doubled the lightingenergy, for no good reason.When assessing your office's lighting system, there's two basic questions you have to consider.
How much light do you need?For an office this is typically 320 lux (this is the minimum requirement under the currentAustralian Standard), which you can measure using a light meter. Your local occupational safetyand health people may have taken some measurements of this to make sure you are notstruggling with too little light.
From an energy perspective, however, the problem is that more than this is a waste of energyand may even detract from your visual comfort. This is particularly the case is you are glued tothe computer all day. For heavy computer work, you are better off with 240 lux general lightingand a desk lamp shining on any written material.
How efficient is the lighting system?Assuming you are getting a reasonable level of light, it's possible to do a quick check on yourlights. The procedure I'm about to describe isn't one for the purists, but it does provide a realquick sanity check on your lights. Take a typical floor of your building. What you need to do iscount how many fluorescent tubes there are, in total, on your floor. Note that any given lightfitting (also known as a luminare) may have anything from one to four tubes in it.
Tubes come in a variety of sizes but the main types are 1200 mm long and either 26mm or16mm in diameter. For each 26mm tube, count 43 watts, and for each 16 mm tube, count 30watts. These figures allow for medium technology tubes and control gear, combined. There arelots of other tube types around, and if yours don't fit those categories, then you are out of luckbecause I'm not going to go through all the possibilities. However, those two types will probablycover 90% of what's around. Add up all the watts of all the tubes and divide by the lit floor area,to get a figure in watts per metre squared (W/m2).
A good lighting system will be 10 W/m2 or less; best practice for open plan offices is around 6-7W/m and average practice seems to be around 12-15W/m2. In practice, one can generally bringan existing lighting system down to 12W/m2 without spending an exorbitant amount of money onit; typically one can obtain a payback of less than 2 years on this sort of exercise. If your currentlighting power density is greater than 20 W/m2 a total replacement may be in order! Poorly performing lighting systems require professional help from an energy efficiency expert witha good background in lighting. We can provide this sort of help.
Common lighting nastiesYou may have encountered a few other lighting nasties while you were looking around. Theseinclude:
Dirty light fittingsA dirty light fitting doesn't use more energy, but it does deprive you of light. Make sure yourlights are cleaned once every six months.Incandescent bulbsAn incandescent bulb is the same sort of bulb that you would probably use at home, and ingeneral, they shouldn’t be there either! Any light that operates for more than 2 hours a daycan be profitably replaced with a compact fluorescent, as long as it's not on a dimmer circuitor in a closed fitting. Closed fittings seem to shorten the lifespan of compact fluorescentfittings.Flickering tubesHow anyone can work under a flickering fluorescent tube as it shuffles off its mortal coil isbeyond me. However, they are a sign of something more sinister: if your tubes get to thisstate, it means that they are being allowed to run too long. As they get older, they getdimmer, and by the end of 15,000 hours operation you may only be getting half - or less -of the intended light output. Timely replacement will improve the level of service you getfrom your lights, which is a form of efficiency even though no energy is saved. Furthermore,
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if tubes are replaced in batches rather than individually, it saves labour costs.Spot lightsIt has become very trendy to put little spotlights in buildings. You know the sort of thing -little Christmas tree like lamps with reflectors, known variously as low voltage lights,halogen spotlights or dichroics. I don't like these much, because they are inefficient and,one worse, cause big glare problems. Try to look at a ceiling full of them for a minute andyou will see what I mean.38 mm tubesFluorescent tubes come in three basic diameters, 38 mm, 26 mm and 16mm. You can spot38 mm tubes either by measurement or by looking at the wattage ratings, which are writtenon the tubes: 1200 mm fittings are 40W and 1500 mm are 65W. By contrast, 26 mm tubesare 36W and 58W respectively, a 10% saving. Before you ask, yes, the 26mm lamps do putout the same amount of light and yes, they do last as long. What's more, they cost less. Inany modern fitting these tubes are fully interchangeable so it's possible to make a 10%efficiency improvement over time just by changing the tubes you by as replacements! Somevery old fittings don't work with 26 mm tubes, but if you still have such fittings you shouldbe getting them replaced because they will be inefficient and may well contain PCBs -chemical nasties that you do not want in your building.
As you can see, there are plenty of things you can do with your lights. A number of them costnothing and save lots. Some of them cost a fair bit but save bucket loads of money. In manycases, a big lighting upgrade will give you a more pleasant working environment, too. So you'vego no excuse - do something about your lights today!
After hours heatingFor the night-owls whose work days extend into the evenings and weekends, it's not necessary toturn on the heating and ventilation for the whole floor or building just for you. If winter time coldis the problem, it's much more economic for your office to buy a few little electric heaters andhold them as a pool for people to borrow out of hours.
On one of our sites we use a heater design that has a one hour push button and a decentthermostat on it, and even on quite busy weekends, the energy consumption is much less than itwould be if whole floors were being heated. For offices where cooling is the big issue, you mayhave to turn on the air conditioning to bring the temperature down when you arrive.
However, once you've got the right conditions, turn the air-conditioning off again. Air-conditioningsystems can spend a lot of energy doing very little at low loads, so the best way to reduce afterhours air-conditioning costs is to keep running times as short as possible.
Achieving Sustainability in Existing Buildings: Opportunities and ChallengesFMA Australia VicBranch held a very successful panel session for their Novemberluncheon recently. FMA Online’s Bianca Frost was on hand to report on theproceedings.
Design, documentation and accountability – these were the key issues raised at FMA Australia’sNovember Panel Lunch, “Achieving Energy Efficiency in Existing Buildings: Opportunities andChallenges” where it became clear that the small steps facility managers can take towards energyefficiency can lead to large gains.
Guest speakers at the event were Chris Callanan, Senior Facilities Manager at the Investa group,Chris Wallbank, National Director Environment and Sustainability from Jones Long La Salle, andJeff Robinson, Principal, Connell Wagner.
Proceedings began with an introduction from Kristiana Greenwood, Chair of FMA AustraliaVicBranch before being handed over to discussion moderator, Bryon Price from AG Coombs.
Callanan lead the panel discussion by emphasizing the need for “big picture” refurbishment thatacknowledges the long term economic benefits of sustainable practices.
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Callanan pointed out that 23% of Australian greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings andwhile landlords and tenants are reluctant to commit to large upfront capital expenditure, actionsas simple as retro-fitting appliances such as lights, toilets and taps with energy efficient products,or replacing server room air conditioning with chilled water reticulation systems, could return asaving of an additional $13 per square meter of building space per year.
Callanan underscored the importance of landlords and tenants working collaboratively toimplement better sustainable practices both at the design and implementation levels.
He encouraged the input of service providers such as cleaners to report on which tenants mightbe leaving lights on or failing to utilize recycling initiatives and suggested that landlords activelyseek information from mechanical maintenance contractors with regards to the condition ofoperating systems to ensure maximum plant efficiency.
Wallbank agreed, but argued for the importance of good design practice from the outset. He saidthat the Australian Building Green Rating (ABGR) system had put Australia at the forefront ofglobal sustainability practice but again cited baseline economic pressures for the lag betweendesign and implementation outcomes.
“ABGR regulations have been instrumental in embedding documentation process and disciplinebut we need to go further by bringing facility managers into the design process”, he said.
“A knowledge transfer between designers and operators is required to achieve ongoing gains inenergy efficient building performance and facility managers can contribute to this process simplyby asking, “What can I do to make my building run better?”.
Robinson concurred, adding that the important rule in design intent is to consider the people thatwill operate that building in the future”.
He also advocated the importance of making small, progressive improvements in existingbuildings where “just getting systems to run as they were meant to in the first place” can bringabout half star energy improvements.
“It is the small steps added together that help improve energy performance”, he said.
All of the speakers agreed on the importance of improved documentation and data sets toachieving increased energy efficiency in existing buildings.
“If you can’t measure it, then you can’t control it”, said Robinson. “The future of documentation isabout delivering improved data sets that include CAD models and drawings”.
“Good data is like the “low-hanging fruit” that allows you to make immediate changes andachieve noticeable gains”, he said.
The panel went on to take questions from the floor covering topics including the skills shortage,emissions trading and building lifecycles.
The issue of accountability between designers, financial controllers, builders, landlords andtenants was a key talking point and attracted some of the liveliest discussion of the day with allparties agreeing that landlords and tenants need to better cooperate in a non-adversarial mannerto achieve more sustainable outcomes for all parties.
FMA Australia member and event attendee, Robert Pahor, Director at Spowers said that the panelhad provided a good forum for incorporating the views of facility managers with otherstakeholders in the industry and had generally been quite informative.
Ian Gardner, National Manager of Asset Management at Meinhardt Australia agreed. “It’s good toreinforce what you know and do everyday”, he said.
FMA Australia Victorian Branch Chair, Kristiana Greenwood said that the facilities managementindustry hasn’t been fully educated on the value of “green” buildings.
“Today’s panel examined a range of easy-to-implement energy efficient practices that we hope
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will encourage further professional development in the FM sector”, she said.
“We’ve had some great feedback about our panel lunches, and comments about today’s panelhave been similarly positive”, she said.
Click on this link to find out about the next event in your State.
Formal FM qualifications in WACurtin University of Technology is again offering a course in Facilities Management in 2008.Associate Professor David Baccarini has developed two units which are scheduled for the benefitof working Facilities Management professionals in the evenings of first and second semester. Withtwo other units (Project Management and Strategic Procurement) this would give a formalqualification of Graduate Certificate of Facilities Management and enhance the professionalism ofany Facilities Management practitioner.
Further details can be found at: http://handbook.curtin.edu.au/courses/30/307071.html
15 students need to enrol for the course to proceed.
If this course is something that you wish to pursue, or if you believe that members of your teamwould acquire value through obtaining qualifications, please contact Gerald Stack in the firstinstance, on [email protected]
FMA Australia staff member Profile: Rosie Bennett
Five minutes with….Rosie BennettOver recent months, a number of new staff members have joined FMAAustralia. This month we caught up with Rosie Bennett, Marketing andCommunications Advisor to find out more about her new role.
I started work at FMA Australia a month ago in the newly created roleof Marketing and Communications Advisor. This position is responsible formanaging all the communications that come from FMA Australia including thedistribution of communication materials. It also involves the development andimplementation of marketing campaigns, which are designed to raise theprofile of FMA Australia and promote the range of services we have to offer.
Before FMA Australia I worked as a Brand and Customer Communications Manager for a largetour operator in England. I moved to Australia permanently this year after meeting my husbandin Alice Springs and spending four years together in the UK.
I didn’t know a great deal about facilities management before coming to FMA Australia.Of course I was aware that there were people who look after the services in buildings but I wasn’taware that those people were part of an industry as such, or even what the name of that industrymight be.
Raising awareness about the existence of the facilities management industry will beone of the key goals of my new role as many people out there don’t know that it exists as anindustry, let alone how large, diverse and professional facilities management has become.
The scale of the facilities management industry has really made a big impression on meand that, along with all the sustainability initiatives the industry is introducing, is just one of thekey issues that I will be striving to communicate to a wider audience.
I view my new role at FMA Australia as a great opportunity to propose new ways ofcommunicating all the information available about facilities management and the broad range ofprofessions that it encompasses. The fact that facilities management is an industry that I don’t
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know particularly well actually allows me to see it from a different perspective and offer newinsights and approaches that people more familiar with the industry might not necessarilyconsider.
The best thing about working at FMA Australia is that you are recognised for the things thatyou do and you can really see the impact your contributions are making. I wanted to come andwork in a smaller organisation because I’ve come from a very big organisation where your ideascan tend to become lost. Because FMA Australia is a small office, you also have to be flexible andget involved in lots of different jobs that are not always directly related to your particular role. Weall help each other out at different times, mucking in wherever we’re needed to get the job done.
Currently at FMA Australia we’re in the process of finalising our communications strategy for2008 which will shape a lot of the work that I’ll be doing going forward. I am also working ondeveloping FMA Australia’s accreditation program communications and the marketing of nextyears’ ideaction conference as well as FMA Australia’s new webinar series.
When I’m not working, I like to spend time with my friends and my husband. Goingto the beach and making the most of the lovely weather is great because I am notreally used to weather this good, being from England. I am planning to spend more ofmy weekends in the future seeing as much of Australia as possible, as I love travellingand there’s still so much I haven’t seen.
FMA Australia Christmas Office HoursA timely reminder that FMA Australia National office will be closed from 21December 2007 until 2 January 2008.
New Member Profile: Alan Daher
Alan Daher, Supplier Manager, Fuji Xerox, New South Wales
Each month new members join FMA Australia, bringing with them a wealth ofexperience and knowledge of the FM industry. FMA Online provides a personalglimpse of some of the responsibilities faced by facility managers and thereasons they decided to join.
This month FMA Online’s Bianca Frost spoke to Alan Daher, Supplier Managerat Fuji Xerox.
FMA Online: When and why did you join FMA Australia?AD: I joined a couple of months ago to keep in touch with developments in the industry.
FMA Online: What is your background in facilities management?AD: I started at Fuji Xerox 10 years ago as a Production Support Supervisor before moving ontothe role of Purchasing Officer. I am now the Supplier Manager – a title which does not reflectwhat I really do, which is facilities management.
FMA Online: What does your role involve?AD: I am responsible for maintenance, contractors and security for number of Fuji Xerox sitesacross New South Wales.
FMA Online: What do you like most about your work?AD: I like the fact that it’s different everyday. I find my work interesting and satisfying. I get to
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see projects start from scratch all the way through to completion. It’s exciting and does not followa set routine.
FMA Online: What kind of challenges do you face in a working week?AD: In a normal day I might have to deal with complaints about certain conditions in the workplace, such as the air-conditioning being too hot or too cold. I would then have to balance thetemperature controls to keep everyone happy. You need to wear different hats everyday – forexample, you need to be an engineer, a solicitor, a tradesman - all the time you are facingdifferent kinds of challenges.
FMA Online: How do you deal with complaints?AD: The way I deal with complaints is to make sure that the complainant is consulted, that theircomplaint is taken seriously and acted on as soon as possible. In the last six or seven years, Ihave not incurred any difficulties resolving complaints about our facilities or building services.
FMA Online: Can you tell us something about the company you work for?AD: Fuji Xerox is a document company. We distribute multifunctional devices, production systemsand document management services around the country, employing around two thousandemployees. It is a good company to work for.
FMA Online: Has your company implemented any sustainability initiatives?AD: Yes. We take sustainability seriously, with our re-manufacturing facility in Sydney and have anumber of programs that look at the environment and tackle climate change. At our Mascot site,we have implemented waste recycling. We are reviewing and assessing further opportunities toreduce our environment footprint, initiatives to reduce CO2 emission into the atmosphere.
FMA Online: What do you think would improve facilities management in Australia?AD: I think further education and specialized courses in facilities management would improve theindustry. It is important because every single day I notice that the requirements of my jobbecome more and more involved – we now have to do inductions for our contractors, comply toWorksafe legislation and there is a lot involved with environmental issues. There are just so manythings that we are doing now that we didn’t do even as little as five years ago. Our role asfacilities managers is evolving every single day.
FMA Online: What changes would you like to see occur in the facilities managementindustry?AD: Standards should be simplified. Regulations have become very complicated and requireincreased time and assistance to implement. However, I am not sure how we would achieve this.
FMA Online: What issues do you think your business will be dealing with in the nextfive years?AD: Our biggest issue is climate change. We are doing our best to reduce our environmentfootprint. Addressing climate change and looking after the environment is our main goal now.
FMA Online: Have Fuji Xerox set any emission reduction targets that you know of?AD: Yes, they have. We aim to achieve these targets by working towards increased energyefficiency such as reducing waste, applying light sensors, using solar power, installing rainwatertanks - as many things as possible to cut our CO2 emissions and generally reduce our footprinton the environment.
FMA Online: Have you attended any professional development courses put on by FMAAustralia?AD: Yes, I did a course in property risk management that I found very helpful. It really helped toopen my eyes to a few issues that I didn’t know about. I will be summarizing what I have learntand will share the information with the rest of facilities management team.
FMA Online: What would you like to see FMA Australia do for its members?AD: Run conferences and continue to inform facility managers of developments within theindustry, particularly in relation to changes in standards and governmental regulations.
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New Member Profile: Lyndon Urquhart
Lyndon Urquhart, General Manager – Petroleum, Urban Maintenance SystemsPty Ltd
Each month new members join FMA Australia, bringing with them a wealth ofexperience and knowledge of the FM industry. FMA Online provides a personalglimpse of some of the responsibilities faced by facility managers and thereasons they decided to join.
This month FMA Online’s Melanie Drummond spoke to Lyndon Urquhart,General Manager, UMS.
FMA Online: When did you join FMA Australia? LU: Unofficially in 2004, as I believed UMS had a group membership. I operated under thispremise until becoming a ‘real’ member in 2007
FMA Online: Why did you join the association?LU: To have access to a peer network with expertise in the facility management realm.
FMA Online: What is your background in facilities management? LU: I left school and started an apprenticeship as an electrician, after that I completed anelectrical contractors license and had my own business. From there I went back into the office toget some computer skills with GEC (an electrical wholesales company).
After that, I joined the Navy as an electronics technician, and eventually moved on from there toan Air Traffic Control Company for 8 years, starting as a Logistics Engineer and eventuallyworking in FM for that company. After leaving there I joined UMS, starting out as a ContractsManager, moving into an operations manager’s role and then moving into the General Manager’srole where I still am today.
FMA Online: Tell us about the company you work for.LU: Urban Maintenance Systems is a national company employing 250 personnel in all facets offacility management.
FMA Online: What does your role involve? LU: I’m General Manager of the Petroleum Business Unit; we’re responsible for FM services toservice stations. Australia wide we have 60 personnel comprising of people from all trades.
FMA Online: What services do you provide to service stations?LU: The whole gamut – one key area is making sure the building is compliant with essentialservices and safety measures. We also make sure lighting is functioning well, and deal with anyreactive works such as blocked toilets etc. Another example is a situation where canopies mighthave been hit by trucks and will need emergency instant response. We also make sure thegrounds are adequately maintained, that there’s no graffiti, we also do line-marking, painting –the whole of FM really.
FMA Online: What challenges do you and the facilities department face in a workingweek?LU: Anything from giving advice to the customer, to refurbishing building from as little as 10K to1.5MAUD. At any one time there could be 10 projects going on.
FMA Online: Has your company implemented any sustainability initiatives? LU: Yes we have sustainability as one of our KSO’s and we’re going for our ISO 140001accreditation in December so we’ve had to undertake some initiatives to get that underway.
One is that we now pay an extra $25 a month on our fleet so we can plant 16 trees to offset thecarbon. Other things we’re doing are: recycling, running energy efficient lightbulbs, and reducingour water takings by implementing water efficient showerheads, tap sensors, and changing toiletflushes to a 3-litre flush rather than a 10-litre.
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In terms of financial sustainability, obviously the company needs to be sustainable in terms ofprofitability so we have a business plan in place that all managers have a responsibility ofreporting in to across the month. If you take all of that aside then it comes down to one thing inmy mind – relationships. If you have good relationships with your customers and they know theycan rely on you, they don’t mind paying a little extra because they know you’re going to get thejob done on time, under budget and at any time of the day. So that’s a very important focus, ourmanagers must be relationship-based first.
FMA Online: What do you think government should be doing to ensure the facilitiesmanagement industry continues to advance?LU: They need to pump more money into the logistics of building maintenance whilst raising theprofile of compliancy and the benefits to the consumer and building owner.
FMA Online: What changes would you like to see occur in the facilities managementindustry?LU: As soon as possible I’d like to see national standards in the BCA along with nationalreciprocity for essential safety measure management.
FMA Online: What issues do you think your business will be dealing with in the next 5years? LU: We’ll definitely be dealing with Generation Y employees - they’re coming and we have to dealwith them by changing our baby boomers and Generation X principles to attract them. We needto become an employer of choice, to make sure they feel motivated when the come to work, sothe atmosphere is always changing.
The retention strategy that we have in place speaks to their ideologies of making sure that it is aturnover market, rather than sitting in an office, they’re out there meeting the customers.
FMA Online: Have you attended any Professional development courses put on by FMAAustralia?LU: My capacity to attend courses has been somewhat limited due to conflicting schedules.
FMA Online: What professional development courses would you like to see FMA run forits members? LU: Nothing but continuing the current suite and informing members of legislation changes.
Our customers are screaming out to us to do their FM maintenance and they want us to volunteerto them what changes are coming, they want us to be their eyes and ears and give suggestionsand innovations to them. At the moment, the Government releases a new policy such as the oneregarding ‘Working at Heights’ which is 300 pages long but nobody puts out a summary page toshow how the new changes affect you in FM.
LAA/APICS Mentoring Program expandsLAA/APICS MENTORING PROGRAM EXPANDS EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST SOUGHT IN NSW AND VICTORIA
Following the success of the LAA/APICS Mentoring Program in NSW over the past five years, theprogram is being expanded to Victoria in 2008. Expressions of Interest from experiencedprofessional logisticians and less senior practitioners in NSW and Victoria, to participate asmentors or mentees, in the LAA/APICS 2008 Mentoring Programs are now being sought.
Mentoring is a excellent way of ensuring that up and coming supply chain managers andlogisticians develop the right skills. The APICS/LAA Ltd Mentoring Program, now entering its 5thyear, offers mentees a great opportunity to talk through the issues they may be facing in theirwork life and to explore the options available to them in a supportive, non-judgmentalenvironment. They can listen to the experiences of the mentors and determine the right way forthem to overcome obstacles in their day-to-day roles and in their career development. The value of the program lies in the fact that it is industry-based. Pairing mentees with mentorsfrom different organisations provides an enhanced learning environment.
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Opportunities are also provided for participants to meet each other and discuss the issues andchallenges they face. This is done through group meetings or site visits.At the end of the program, a mentee’s knowledge and experience of supply chain issues will havebeen accelerated by two to three years.
Mentors attend a half day training program facilitated by a professional mentoring trainer. Mentortraining is free to participating Mentors who volunteer their time and expertise – giving back tothe supply chain industry by assisting less senior supply chain professionals. Mentees also attenda two hour induction session – ensuring that they understand the mentoring relationship and areable to establish realistic expectations and set clear goals.The Supply Chain Mentoring programs are made possible by the kind support of Dexion.
Mentoring NSWThe NSW Supply Chain Mentoring Program will commence in March 2008. The closing date for formal applications is 4th February, 2008, although expressions of interestwould be appreciated at the earliest opportunity. If you would like to participate as a mentee, a mentor or a sponsor in this program in NSW pleasecontact: Luke Holmick/Mike Owen – email [email protected]
Mentoring VictoriaThe Victorian Supply Chain Mentoring Program will commence in April 2008. The closing date for formal applications is 18th February, 2008, although expressions of interestwould be appreciated at the earliest opportunity. Those wishing to participate as a mentee, a mentor or a sponsor, in this program in Victoria,please contact: Luke Holmick/Mike Owen – email [email protected]
Further information:
Call the LAA office on 02 9635 3422
Key ContactsIf you would like to submit an article for FMA Online mark this to the attention of The Editor –FMA Online at [email protected]
For queries re:
Marketing & Communications Advisor Rosie Bennettt: 03 8641 6606 e: [email protected]
Events Coordinator for networking events outside Victoria Racheal Beggst: 03 8641 6603 e: [email protected]
Events & Professional Development Coordinator Stacey Vassiliadist: 03 8641 6610 e: [email protected]
Membership Coordintor Tim Farrellyt: 03 8641 6600 e: [email protected]
Senior Policy Advisor Charlie Simsont: 03 8641 6601 e: [email protected]
Professional Development Manager Ann Maree Bullardt: 03 8641 6612 e: [email protected]
Finance Manager Murray Hirstt: 03 8641 6604 e: [email protected]
Operations Manager Carolyn Journeauxt: 03 8641 6609 e: [email protected]
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