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  • 03-Jun-2015 11:15 | Deleted user

    Recent plans for the Blacktown's future have been announced with the creation of four development hubs in Blacktown CBD, Seven Hills, Rooty Hill and Mount Druitt.


    The 25 year program of growth and renewal is designed to create a positive identity and provide certainty for residents, developers and investors as well as opportunities for a greater variety of housing and employment opportunities that don’t currently exist.


    30,000 new job opportunities will be presented in Blacktown CBD, new business parks and the health & education precincts surrounding Blacktown hospital and TAFE.



  • 01-Jun-2015 19:03 | Anonymous

    Many of you may already know this kind hearted and friendly individual with the contagious smile as she is often seen at many events within the Western Sydney business community. Introducing Angie Soong, Director of Sales and Marketing at Novotel Sydney Parramatta.  

     

    Angie’s passion for creating ‘people’ experiences for guests lead her to Accor in 2001 where she began her role as a Hotel Assistant Manager in their North Sydney property after studying hospitality.  From here, Angie developed her love for Sales and Marketing, where she went on to work at Accor’s Darling Harbour Hotels, Sydney Olympic Park Hotels and the Menzies Sydney in Sales Executive positions before taking on role as Director of Sales and Marketing at their Sydney Airport hotels.


    Born and breed in Western Sydney, Angie’s career has always stayed close to home and working at Parramatta was easier already knowing the local history and culture. During her time at Novotel Sydney Parramatta, Angie has strived to develop strong relationships with business partners in the area and has been delighted by everyone’s responses to suggestions in creating Parramatta as a ‘destination’ within Sydney. This is evident in the conference and events Angie has been a part of and through the personal connections created with community partners such as Parramatta City Council, Westfield Parramatta, Western Sydney Business Access, Western Sydney Business Connection, Riverside Theatres and more.  


    The enjoyment of being a part of a community and team is the main reason why Angie loves working at Novotel Sydney Parramatta and within Western Sydney. Possessing the Accor ‘People-ology’ values, she is very proud of her team and all departments within the hotel work together to assist in creating memorable and positive customer experiences. Working within hospitality, means every day is different and all walks of life come through the door, making it an exciting and interesting industry.


    At Novotel Sydney Parramatta, many great events have occurred from State of the City Addresses with the Lord Mayor and Premier Mike Baird to Napoleon Perdis to regular visits from sporting teams from both national and international competitions, and amongst the crowd is always the friendly Angie greeting guests with a grand smile, excited by the day ahead.


    When the business meetings and conferences are over, the well-presented and lady like Angie has another side that many might not get to see, it’s when the heels come off and the NRL jersey goes on.  Angie is a passionate fan of all kinds of football from the Bulldogs to the Wanderers and enjoys the occasional night eating a meat pie and watching the footy. Always up for a good laugh and some friendly banter, Angie is often seen haring a joke with colleagues or reciting a line from her favourite comedy film or show.


    For a successful and exceptionally well planned event or conference, be sure to contact Angie and her friendly team at Novotel Sydney Parramatta. For further information visit www.novotelparramatta.com.au or contact the hotel on 02 9630 4999.


  • 30-May-2015 16:00 | Anonymous

    Small businesses will have been largely pleased with the recent Federal Budget announcements. They will certainly welcome the immediate write off for all assets of $20,000 or less purchased from Budget night to 30 June 2017. This will provide a spending incentive before 30 June and again as a sustained incentive next year.  The accelerated asset write-off for small business also simplifies tax compliance as businesses are no longer required to account for these assets over their useful life. So a double-win.  However, there is just one quibble here – it would have been desirable to see more businesses get the chance to access these incentives. Instead the threshold for qualifying as a small business remains at $2m turnover. It would be good if this could be revisited and indeed indexed in the future.  Extending the initiative to private businesses (too often referred to interchangeably with small business) with higher turnover to really boost Australia’s economy would also be welcome.Measures that could have been considered are accelerated asset write-offs for larger private businesses. Investment allowances on asset purchases were another option.


    The reduced tax rate to 28.5 percent for small businesses operated as a company is welcome. Australia joins other countries in having a lower rate for small companies. Having dual corporate tax rates is not ideal as it introduces more complexity into the tax system but Australia is not unique in this respect. It should be seen as the practical cost of having a targeted measure aiming to give small business, and hence for the wider economy, a kick-start.


    Of course not all small businesses operate through a company and so sole traders, partnerships and trusts do not benefit from this measure. The Budget addresses this issue by allowing a 5 percent tax discount up to $1,000.  The Budget announcements on digital age investment to improve dealing with government and a simpler way to file tax returns is welcome – any reduction in compliance costs for business is good.


    But more widely, smaller businesses will be feeling pretty positive. Like all businesses, they want stable conditions at all levels so that they can invest and recruit staff with certainty. When employing, businesses would welcome measures that increase the pool of job candidates and more assistance with child care and parental leave should be viewed through this lens. The Budget measures here should go some way to encourage more women into the workforce.


    This was not a Budget with lots of complex tax measures – indeed, this was not expected given that the government’s tax reform process has not yet reached a White Paper state.


    Australian businesses want to have a level playing field with their competitors and the so-called ‘Netflix tax’ goes part way to ensuring this happens. But the levying of GST on physical as well as digital goods and services sold in Australia could have been part of this discussion.


    The government will be expected to show its cards on significant tax reform over the next year in the lead up to the next election. But for now, small business will consider the Budget positively and will take its lead, in part, from the leadership shown in implementing those measures. If business can feel a sense of stability and certainty, it will be more inclined to invest and employ more people, which we all want to see.


    To get a comprehensive review of the budget you can read KPMG’s Federal Budget Brief:


    http://www.kpmg.com/AU/en/topics/Federal-Budget/Pages/Default.aspx


    Article Author: David Pring, Managing Partner, Western Sydney



  • 30-May-2015 14:51 | Anonymous

    In support of Ronald McDonald House Westmead, our friends at Universal Pictures Australia are giving you the opportunity to be among the first in Sydney to see MINIONS!


    Join us for a red carpet experience on Wednesday, 17th June @ 6pm at Event Cinemas Castle Hill.


    Tickets are $30 each and include luxurious V-Max seating, gift bag, drink, popcorn and bragging rights of seeing it before your friends!


    Seats are limited so don’t wait to contact michelleb@rmhwestmead.org.au for a booking form.



  • 30-May-2015 14:35 | Anonymous

    Three TAFE NSW – South Western Sydney Institute (TAFE SWSi) students are bound for Brazil to represent Australia against the world’s best skill technicians at the 43rd WorldSkills International competition in August 2015.


    Following their gold medal triumph at the recent Oceania WorldSkills competition, Floristry student Jessica Peters; Fashion Technology student Emma Hillier; and Refrigeration & Air Conditioning student Beau Kupris will be part of the 25-strong Skillaroos team in Brazil. 


    The trio are “thrilled” to be representing Australia in Brazil.


    “All the hard work and long hours of training have paid off,” Emma said. “The training by our world class mentors at TAFE SWSi has given us the confidence to take on the world’s best.”


    Jessica said it was an “absolute dream come true” to wear the green and gold for Australia.


    “Floristry is my passion and to be able to share my skill with the world will be more than I could ever ask for in this lifetime,” Jessica said.


    TAFE NSW – South Western Sydney Institute Director Peter Roberts congratulated the trio on being selected in the Skillaroos team and also paid tribute to dedication of the TAFE SWSi teachers and staff who contributed to their success.


    “Our winning students have excelled in their individual trade areas and demonstrated their advanced skills and abilities learnt at the Institute by beating the best in Australia and then Oceania,” Mr Roberts said.


    “We are very proud of their achievements and the excellence it represents and I wish them greatsuccess in Brazil.”


    The WorldSkills Competition occurs every two years and is the biggest vocational education and skills showcase in the world. This year’s competition will see 59 countries represented by 1,176 experts and over 1,200 competitors competing in 50 skill categories. The Skillaroos will compete in 23 skills categories in the hopes of winning gold for Australia.


    WorldSkills Australia CEO, Mark Callaghan said trades and skills competitions played a unique role in emphasising the importance of vocational education and training to local economies.


    “Each member of the 2015 Skillaroos will not only represent their country but also their respective industries and, collectively, showcase the high quality of vocational education and training which exists in Australia,” Mr Callaghan said.


    TAFE SWSi is one of Australia’s largest training organisations and has an enviable reputation for providing high quality skills training across a range of disciplines vital to growing the local, regional and state economies.


    More than 21,000 students are enrolled across nine colleges in more than 400 courses ranging from certificate to degree programs.


    TAFE SWSi also provides training for more apprentices than any other RTO in NSW and was awarded the 2013 Australian Large Training Provider of the Year at the Australian Training Awards.


    For more information about TAFE SWSi courses please visit www.SWSi.edu.au or call 13 79 74. 


  • 30-May-2015 13:18 | Anonymous

    This year, BREED in collaboration with WSI TAFE NSW will be delivering workshops for small to medium and home-based businesses. All workshops will be delivered by business professionals and focus on key activities to help you grow your business.

    These 2.5 hour workshops will be hands on sessions and will focus on a range of business related issues.  Topics throughout the year will include; Social Media, Photo and Video Editing, Microsoft Office and WordPress.


    The eBusiness Series kicks off in June with the Social Media Suite where you will learn: 

    • How to optimise your Facebook page to boost engagement.
    • How to use Twitter to enhance your business.
    • How to use Google Plus and set up your own business page.
    • How to manage your LinkedIn account and engage with your network contacts.

    To see the full program, and to learn what each session entails download the eBusiness 2015 Calendar here.


    For more information,please contact BREED on 9853 3200 or www.breed.org.au



  • 30-May-2015 13:04 | Anonymous

    The Federal Treasurer, Mr Joe Hockey, handed down the Commonwealth Government’s 2015/16 budget on Tuesday, 12 May 2015.


    Small businesses with aggregated annual turnovers of less than $2,000,000 received special attention in this year’s budget.


    Highlights for small business owners:

    • 1.5% cut in the company tax rate, down to 28.5% from 1 July 2015
    • 5% tax discount for unincorporated small businesses, capped at $1,000 per individual per year
    • Immediate write-off of the cost of assets bought and first used in the business, or installed ready for use, between 12 May 2015 and 30 June 2017, subject to a cap of $20,000 per asset.  This measure applies to both new and second-hand assets but does not apply to acquisitions of horticultural plants, primary production assets, software created in-house, capital building works or assets leased out to another party (including super funds)
    • Capital Gains Tax rollover relief for changing the legal structure of the business from 1 July 2016 (e.g. CGT will no longer be payable if changing from say a trust structure to a company structure)
    • Fringe Benefits Tax exemption if providing employees with more than one work-related electronic device, even where the devices provide similar functions (e.g. a tablet device and a laptop).  Currently the devices have to provide substantially different functions to qualify.  The exemption is to apply from 1 April 2016.

    Measure for start-up businesses:

    • Introduction of an immediate write-off for start-up expenses, including for legal and accounting advice and establishment costs paid to professional services providers

    Work-related car expenses:

    • From 1 July 2015, there will only be two acceptable methods for claiming motor vehicle expenses for work-related travel through your personal income tax return.  Claims will be accepted using a rate of 66 cents/km up to 5,000km, regardless of the size of the vehicle.  Alternatively, calculation based on actual expenses multiplied by a business usage percentage determined by keeping a detailed logbook will also be acceptable.  The one-third of operating expenses and 12% of vehicle cost methods will no longer available.

    Find out more details on the government’s plan for small businesses, and other areas within our comprehensive Federal Budget Report 2015-16.  


    Click here to access our Federal Budget Report 2015-16.


    In partnering with LexisNexis® Capital Monitor, our experts have analysed the 2015 Federal Budget, with a focus on: business taxation, education, employment, health, infrastructure, not-for-profits, property & fund management, private clients and social services.


    Should you wish to discuss the budget measures in more depth or better understand how they apply to your plans or circumstances, don’t hesitate to contact Moore Stephens.


    Contacts


    Gregory Wilkins
    Senior Manager, Business Services
    Moore Stephens Sydney
    T +61 (0)2 8236 7750
    gwilkins@moorestephens.com.au

    Allan Mortel 

    Partner, Taxation
    Moore Stephens Sydney
    T +61 (0)2 8236 7755

    amortel@moorestephens.com.au


  • 30-May-2015 12:54 | Anonymous

    St.George Foundation has joined a local fight to save an innovative educational program assisting youth in Sydney’s West.


    Once a week local young people from Mt Druitt in Sydney's West get the opportunity to spend a day out of school at a local Learning Ground Behavioural Change Management Centre. Here they attend a program built around fostering relationships with children and giving them a sense of self-worth.


    The centre has only one paid employee, and one volunteer, but due to lack of funding has been fighting to keep its doors open.


    St.George Foundation has granted $25,000 in funding towards this great local initiative, which will see the program continue for some of the centre’s youngest members.


    Leona Fell, Head of St.George Foundation says the Mt Druitt Learning Ground Younger Persons Project works with the most seriously disadvantaged families in low socio-economic environments.


     “The Foundation has funded this program because it has a proven ability to really help local families, with school principals in the area reporting how children who attend Learning Ground return to school as much better students,” says Leona.


    “In the past five years 188 young people who were suspended from school have attended Learning Ground and returned to the classroom.”


    Children who previously refused to go to school also changed their minds after attending the centre.


    Learning Ground co-founder, Margaret Bell, has been tirelessly campaigning to save the centre, and says the $25,000 grant from St.George Foundation will enrol 25 new families.


    “We’re grateful for the grant because it will assist some of our younger members aged 8 - 13 years from any one of the 11 suburbs in Mt Druitt who are most ‘at risk' of disengaging from school,” Margaret said.


    “60% of the take up is expected to be from children of aboriginal background from at least seven schools in the area.” 


  • 30-May-2015 12:38 | Anonymous

    Domestic Violence is a sad reality in today’s society and unfortunately is a regular feature in the news we read or watch. We hope that one day, this won’t be an issue, that one day there will be no more domestic violence, however until that day comes, women and children will continue to need help escaping their lives of violence and support as they rebuild their lives for a safe and independent future.  


    Parramatta Mission’s Thelma Brown Cottages provide a home away from home and a safe environment for women and children escaping domestic violence every day.


    Thelma Brown Cottages (TBC) is one of only 3 domestic violence refuges in Sydney that accommodates for larger families, particularly those with 5 or 6 accompanying children. TBC is also different from most refuges in that women are provided with a self-contained apartment with their own bathroom and kitchen allowing them to be a family and face their difficult journey together with dignity.


    Women and children supported by TBC are offered support and access to services to help them transition into a strong future. Children are supported through the process of continuing their education and support services are accessed to help victims work through the trauma they have experienced. TBC provides a temporary home and help women and children find their own accommodation, supporting them step by step as they rebuild their lives. The support received at TBC is in such high demand there is rarely a day an apartment is empty.


    We are always needing help to make sure the TBC apartments are ready for their new residents. Items including new pillows and bed sheets are always in demand, as are the basics that help us care for our home such as mops, buckets, brooms, clothes airers and pegs. 


    If you would like to help TBC in preparing the apartments for women and children please contact Parramatta Mission’s fundraising team today by emailing fundraising@parramattamission.org.au



  • 30-May-2015 12:31 | Anonymous

    TAFE NSW South Western Sydney Institute (TAFE SWSi) has been judged to be the most innovative and excellent training organisation in its development of the local logistics and warehousing workforce.


    At a glittering ceremony last Friday in Melbourne, the National Transport and Logistics Industry Skills Council (TLISC) presented TAFE SWSi with the Innovation and Excellence in Workforce Development (Logistics and Warehousing) Award for its “innovative partnerships with the industry together with its quality teaching”.


    TAFE SWSi Head Teacher – Transport & Logistics, Wetherill Park College, Ed Tarabey, said this was “not just any award”.


    “This award aligns so perfectly with our focus on providing job ready graduates from an award winning, industry aligned training organisation,” he said.


    In its official statement on the award, the TLISC praised TAFE SWSi’s workforce development initiatives.


    “TAFE SWSi’s Transport and Logistics team has built a reputation for responding effectively to the needs of industry through innovative partnerships and quality education and training,” the statement said.


    “These ongoing partnerships with leading dynamic supply chain organisations such as DHL, Johnson & Johnson, De Lorenzo and Sydney Water have demonstrated that SWSi’s programs are aligned with rapidly changing and diverse industry needs.


    “The investment in developing these partnerships with local employers and job agencies in the south-western region of Sydney has paid off and is demonstrated in the high post-program employment rates and the many students returning to build on their initial qualification to successfully achieve career advancement.


    “TAFE SWSi is a public training organisation providing opportunities which often prove life changing for students who are drawn from one of the most ethnically diverse and disadvantaged regions in Australia.”


    TAFE SWSi Institute Director, Peter Roberts, congratulated TAFE SWSi’s Transport and Logistic team on winning such a prestigious award.


    “Our customer first approach means that we match the right training solutions to all our customers in the transport and logistics area,” Mr Roberts said.


    “TAFE SWSi’s industry-experienced team works hard to ensure that our students are equipped with the skills employers and modern workplaces demand.


    “I am proud to say that each year we work closely with our community to help build the productivity of our region’s workforce.”


    TAFE SWSi is one of Australia’s largest training organisations and has an enviable reputation for providing high quality skills training across a range of the business disciplines which are vital to growing the local, regional and state economies.


    More than 21,000 students are enrolled across nine colleges in more than 400 education and training courses ranging from certificate courses to university degrees and industry specific programs.


    TAFE SWSi also provides training for more apprentices than any other RTO in NSW and was awarded the 2013 Australian Large Training Provider of the Year at the Australian Training Awards.


    For more information about TAFE SWSi courses please visit www.SWSi.edu.au or call 13 79 74.




    From left to right: Laurie D’Apice (TLISC Board Chair); Jon Northorpe (TLISC Board Member); Terry Saunby (TAFE SWSi Director Manufacturing & Transport Faculty); Edward Tarabey (TAFE SWSi Head Teacher Transport & Logistics); Olivia Milligan (TAFE SWSi Logistics Teacher); and Robert Adams (TLISC CEO)


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