St.George Banking Group has introduced Cardless Cash, a service that allows customers to withdraw up to $1,000 cash a week, without a card, conveniently and securely from their mobile phone.  

From accessing cash when cardless, to helping a family member or friend out if stranded without cash, Cardless Cash puts customers in control of their money and prevents them from being caught short.

Dhiren Kulkarni, St.George’s CIO, said Cardless Cash means customers can always access their money, even if their card is lost, stolen or not with them.

“Our customers never want to be shut off from their cash and they want quick, simple options to access and manage their money. That’s why Cardless Cash is so handy - it takes the fear out of losing or misplacing your card and puts you back in control of your money.” 

“Over 50 per cent of our customers use our mobile banking app to make payments and now they can use the app to get cash out too,” Dhiren added.

To access cash, customers simply generate a ‘cash code’ in their mobile banking app and use it at any St.George Group ATM nationwide, including BankSA and Bank of Melbourne, to withdraw cash.

Travis Tyler, St.George’s Head of Mobile, said Cardless Cash also provides customers with the ability to easily share a cash code with someone from within the app via SMS.

“Cardless Cash enables you to help the people you care about during a cash emergency. Whether you’re a parent rescuing a teenage daughter who is stranded in the city and needs a taxi home, or you’re lending some lunch money to a colleague who’s left their wallet back at the office, Cardless Cash will help bail them out with a few taps on your mobile phone.”

How does Cardless Cash work?

• Sign into your St.George mobile banking app and select the ‘cardless cash’ feature

• Select the account and enter how much you wish to withdraw (you can withdraw up to three times a day and a total of $1,000 per week)

• A ‘cash code’ is generated instantly which expires in 3 hours

• Go to any St.George Banking Group ATM and select ‘Cardless Withdrawal’ button

• Enter the cash code and the agreed amount or less to withdraw your cash

Council is interested in understanding what the people, workers and visitors to Parramatta would like to see in the new public domain/open space associated with Parramatta Square.

Parramatta Square is a 3 ha mixed use redevelopment precinct located in Parramatta CBD, bounded by Church, Macquarie, Smith and Darcy Streets and will include, offices, a new University of Western Sydney campus, public library, council offices and the reported 90 storey Aspire building that will include conference facilities, a new hotel and residential apartments. 

For the past 4 months Council has been busy preparing the project brief and engaging a dynamic and experienced multi-disciplinary design team to lead the design of the public space. The selected design team is headed by James Mather Delaney + Taylor Cullity Lethlean + Tonkin Zulaikha Greer + Gehl Architects.

To help them design the space you want to see, Council would like to invite you or any of your staff members to have your say on what you would like to see in that space or activities that should be undertaken in that space.

Council is keen to hear your views so please take the opportunity to come to the Parramatta Farmers Market in Centenary Square this Friday, 26 June between 8:00am and 11:00am.

Have you had your say?

The “Making Western Sydney Greater” survey  is targeted to business owners and managers, and supported by WSBC, William Buck, St George and UWS. 

We’re focused on driving positive change for the needs you identify.  Research from the first survey has already been used in a submission to Government in May 2015.  If you want to have your say on the issues affecting you or your business, we encourage you to join the conversation here

http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2090112/a9fefc53e471

The survey takes under 10 minutes of your time, and is the most valuable tool we have to advocate on your behalf.

Join the conversation and make Western Sydney Greater.

Download your copy of the first research findings here.

Gallop Solutions’ very own CEO, Daniel Davis shared his business success lessons and insights at the last WSBC Business Leaders Luncheon held on Thursday the 28^th of May. The sold out event saw 250 people pack the room to hear how they could ensure they are leading their business to leverage the opportunities presented by the massive growth in Western Sydney.

‘Opportunity’ was the key message of the day; how to grab it and use it to better your business and enhance growth. We heard how Greater Western Sydney is the fastest growing region in the country and how tapping into the +2 million population and more than 240,000 businesses could just be that piece of the puzzle you were looking for. We walked away knowing that seeing holes in the market before anyone else and thinking outside the box were the real secrets to success!

Here are the five key points that we’ve taken away from it and want to share with you:

1.   The Expansion Formula – The holy grail of all formulas! In order to grow, move forward and expand, complete these three steps and watch your company prosper:

“Expansion Formula:

1.   PROVIDE GOOD POLICY.

2.   MAKE IT EASILY KNOWABLE.

3.   BE STRENUOUS IN MAKING SURE IT IS FOLLOWED"

In other words, providing good policy is outlining the ‘rules of the game’ and how your business operates. Making it easily knowable is keeping the message simple, visible, and available at all times. Be strenuous with the guidelines by implementing team training, measuring KPIs and regular reporting.

2.    The 7 Ingredients of Structure – Structure your business robustly into the 7 Divisions and you’ll have a strong foundation from which to rule the business world. Divide your company into an Executive team, an Establishment team, a Sales and Marketing team, a Finance team, a Delivery team, a Quality assurance team and a team that attracts New Clients and you’ve got a recipe for success! Start by having clear defined roles and then focus on filling them with the right people. You are ‘The Pilot who has the Dream’, it is important that YOU take responsibility for this.

3.    Board of Directors – If opportunity is key, then having a Board of Directors helping you run your business is a no brainer. Why not gather together a group of people who have different skill sets and can bring something new to the table? Imagine having the support of a group of professionals who can share experiences you may not have and who have your best interests at heart – the opportunities are endless. This does not mean a paid board necessarily; the key is an Advisory Board of people who are deep in knowledge and generous in their spirit of sharing it.

4.    Monitoring Performance – Running your business with statistics enables you to create company performance indicators. Could you drive your car without a dashboard? The same applies in business; statistics for each area ensures you always have your finger on the pulse. Predict when you are at capacity and may need to hire or outsource, monitor how each team is performing, what they are producing and celebrate your successes as you go – not just in retrospect!

5.    Be Prepared – In every way possible, have a business plan with clear directions of where you want to go. Live it, breathe it and revisit it as often as possible and adapt it to the changes that will inevitably happen around you. Build a business structure with the numbers (i.e. statistics) behind it, if the numbers don’t work, the business won’t work! How do you do this? Read each of the previous points above and adopt them as your own.

The opportunity to leverage the business growth happening in Western Sydney is now. Research

the market, look for gaps to fill and steer your ship into the path of expansion, prosperity and success! Those gaps may not be product innovation or expensive marketing campaigns; they may just be as simple as providing extraordinary service which clients rave about, keeps them coming back and even makes them refer you to their connections.

To find out more about how Gallop Solutions helps businesses to adopt all of the above and achieve evolution and growth, contact Caroline Gilroy on 0488 335 010 or cgilroy@gallopsolutions.com

You may be eligible for complimentary tickets to one of Gallop Solutions business leader events or seminars!

Parramatta City Council has been invited to work with Transport NSW to determine the best financial model to underpin the first stage of the $1 billion Western Sydney Light Rail project.

Lord Mayor of Parramatta Cr Scott Lloyd says he and CEO Greg Dyer today met with State Transport Minister Andrew Constance when they were told that, contrary to recent media reports, no decision has been made on the preferred first route of the light rail network.

Cr Lloyd said the Minister did confirm that the initial ‘spine’ of the network will pass through the heart of the Parramatta CBD, most likely along Macquarie Street and close to the new Parramatta Square development.

“But Mr Constance also made it clear that no decision would be made on the precise first route until potential passenger numbers and financial feasibility had been thoroughly investigated,” Cr Lloyd said.

“We also re-affirmed to the Minister Council’s strong preference for a route from Westmead to Epping via Carlingford as the first stage of the network, which could later be expanded to Macquarie Park, Castle Hill and Sydney Olympic Park.”

“A Light Rail Network from Westmead to Epping would have high passenger numbers taking in major residential and business centres as well as key education, health and community facilities.

“For the network to expand we need the first stage to be a success and we believe a Westmead to Epping route would make the project financially viable.”

Parramatta City Council has proposed an expanded Local Government Area with the scale and capacity to drive Sydney’s future economic growth and development in response to the State Government’s ‘Fit for the Future’ local government reform process.

Lord Mayor of Parramatta, Cr Scott Lloyd said the proposal would create a new Parramatta LGA which would be at the centre of Sydney’s largest growth corridor and would provide the basis for improving community services and value for money for ratepayers.

The proposal would see the boundaries of the Parramatta local government area redrawn to include the whole of the current Parramatta and Holroyd LGAs, and portions of the Auburn LGA, Ryde LGA, and the Hills and Hornsby council areas.

The new council’s boundaries would be defined using existing infrastructure and the natural landscape wherever possible, and would incorporate the business hubs at Macquarie Park, Epping and Sydney Olympic Park.

“This is a once in a generation opportunity to redefine the future of local government in NSW and is strongly aligned with the Government’s Metropolitan Strategy, ‘A Plan for Growing Sydney’”, Cr Lloyd said.

“We believe the current scale and capacity of our council make is difficult to maximise Parramatta’s potential as Sydney’s dual CBD, and an expanded council should be created with a stronger revenue base and improved resources.

“A new LGA would bring with it a significantly expanded residential, commercial and industrial rate base capable of generating at least $500 million a year in revenue to provide improved services for the community. It would also allow the council to become a true partner to the State and Federal Governments in supporting the ongoing growth in the geographic centre of global Sydney.

“Parramatta could not respond directly to the Government’s proposed merger model for our LGA as we were unable to secure support to carry out the analysis required from our neighbours, Holroyd, Auburn, Ryde and the Hills councils.

“Our model will not only benefit Parramatta, it will benefit all communities in the new LGA through the council’s increased capacity to deliver services and support growth.”

Cr Lloyd said Parramatta will ask the State Government to establish specific legislation for the new council similar to the arrangements currently in place under the ‘City of Sydney Act’.

This would recognise the administrative and economic importance of the Parramatta region, and facilitate a coordinated approach to planning, transport and traffic management.

“The next big step for Sydney is to develop the economic region surrounding Parramatta comprehensively and well.  Parramatta and its future development have significance well beyond the current LGA. This is an opportunity for important reform that must not be missed,” Cr Lloyd said.

Parramatta City Council is calling for a detailed review to be conducted to determine the exact scale and scope of this new proposed LGA and is seeking to work with the NSW Government to define its boundaries.

“We now have the opportunity to move from being a well-run suburban council to a strong regional council with expanded scale and capacity. We believe this would place Council in the best possible position to serve our community and contribute to the vision for Sydney.

“In terms of the future of Parramatta, doing nothing is inconceivable,” Cr Lloyd said.

Following our last business leader luncheon we had a number of enquiries from business owners for further tips on how to leverage their business growth. So we asked each of our panelists to write an article and share with us their thoughts and their client’s experiences. 

In the first of these articles, Tracy Morgan, MD of About HR, offers advice and a case study on how to develop and implement a strategy that also measures the alignment of your most important asset, employees, with the strategic direction of your organisation.

“   Businesses owners must carefully analyse their retention strategies. 

What people do in jobs and how they do it are more important than ever.

Tracy has also included a white paper that looks at addressing a major issue for Western Sydney businesses with real consequences to the survival of the business sector - managing the labour shortage and implementing effective employee retention strategies.

I recently had the privilege of being a panel member at the WSBC Leading your Organisation lunch, sharing the stage with Daniel Davis (Gallop Solutions) and Greg Travers (William Buck). The event explored the leadership challenges facing businesses working towards leveraging business growth in the Western Sydney region. One challenge the panel discussed was the importance of building an organisational structure that supports business objectives and harnesses competitive advantage.

Business managers and owners are fond of the maxim “Employees are our most important asset”, but is this simply rhetoric or is this view embedded in the organisation? In the increasing shift towards a service based economy, for many companies employees are likely to become the only source of long-term competitive advantage. Most traditional measures of HR performance – such as employee turnover rates, average time to fill; open positions, and total hours of training provided – don’t predict organisational performance. So how can we harness this advantage to maximum impact on 
organisational performance?

Perhaps the most critical factor in building a successful and sustainable business is the alignment between organisational strategy, group and individual goals. Employees need to understand organisational goals and, even more importantly, they need to understand the role they play both individually and as part of a team in achieving those goals. It is the role of leaders to communicate organisational goals effectively to employees, and to translate these into group and individual level plans and activity.

“   It is the role of leaders to communicate organisational goals 

effectively to employees, and to translate these into 

group and individual level plans and activity.

Aligning strategy with employee activity sounds simple enough, however in practice it is a complex challenge. Lack of consistent and clear communication, poor understanding of expectations and uncertainty are often barriers that impede alignment. Unfortunately many businesses view the Human Resources department as a predominantly compliance and administrative function and therefore do not see the need to align its role with the strategic plan. This is a missed opportunity, the irony being that HR is about people, which is the core of an organisation and its strategic plan.

When developing growth strategies, priority is often given to financial and physical resources, however determining the right structure and designing appropriate roles to deliver business goals is equally critical, as is ensuring you have the right people in those roles. In order to grow successfully an organisation needs to evolve and change, it needs to understand its starting point and have a clear vision of its destination. Furthermore, it needs a roadmap for change that enables everyone in the organisation to travel towards the same destination.

How do you know if you have the right structure, roles & people in your organisation to deliver on your strategy? And if that strategy is correct?

In order to understand the starting point and to plan the route towards the desired destination, the use of a business improvement and benchmarking tool may be useful.

About HR recommends the STAR Workplace Program to assess how a business develops and implements its strategy, in addition to measuring the alignment of employees with the strategic direction. The program provides a reality check, and creates a benchmark for ongoing business improvement and employee alignment.

To read a case study from an organisation that has benefited from running the STAR Workplace Program click here, or download your free copy of White Paper - Recognising Great Workplaces

If you wish to have an informal discussion about how you can optimise the role of Human Resources within your organisation please contact Tracy directly via email at tracy@abouthr.com.au

___________________________________________________________________________

Author: Tracy Morgan is the Managing Director and Founder of About HR, which works in partnership with business leaders to create and refine people strategies that are clearly aligned with business strategy.

Your local intellectual property (IP) experts at DCC have created a video hub of useful information for businesses of all sizes and types, with more coming soon.

The hub brings together various content, including:

• Your friendly animated patent attorney guides you through the process of registering a design or a patent to create value from your business assets

• Western Sydney entrepreneur, Richard Tamba, has 7 tips for Entrepreneurs and imparts some pearls of experience for Developing Innovation

• DuluxGroup talks about the importance of trade marks (not just a Business Name!)

• Sydney manufacturer, Brio, says if you’ve embarked on innovation “it is vital to protect your IP”

We offer a free initial consultation, so finding out how you can increase your business value should be easy!

http://www.davies.com.au

Deloitte’s Western Sydney office has been a major contributor to the professional service firm’s record revenue growth over the past year, with the local office recording 35% growth.

Managing Partner Western Sydney, Danny Rezek, said: “Western Sydney continues to be a growth powerhouse and a significant contributor to helping NSW regain its number one state ranking.  We are helping businesses of all shapes and sizes take advantage of the diverse growth opportunities, as well as working with policy makers and stakeholders across the region to jointly develop a blueprint for the economic transformation of Western Sydney, through our Shaping Future Cities initiative.

“Shaping Future Cities is led by our Deloitte Access Economics team, which has experienced particularly strong growth over the past year, and includes experts in infrastructure and contestability, health, consumer business, property, not-for-profit and the public sector.  We have also grown our corporate finance and restructuring services offering, and we have recently added a valuations team under the leadership of new partner, Christophe Bergeron.

“The depth and breadth of our service capability in Western Sydney is second to none, as reflected by the appointment of five new partners from 1 July: Tom Kim in Risk Services, Michael Billingsley in Restructuring Services, Christophe Bergeron in Corporate Finance, Graeme Smith in Tax and Harsh Shah in Assurance & Advisory, bringing us to a total of 37 partners serving clients in Western Sydney.”

Nationally, Deloitte’s momentum remains strong under the leadership of CEO Cindy Hook and her new executive team, with the firm announcing record national revenue of $1.336 billion for the year ending 31 May 2015. This is a 15% increase over the prior year.

“These results are clear evidence that Deloitte continues to have a compelling perspective on what is driving disruption in the marketplace and is making good investment decisions. We understand what organisations need to do to survive and thrive in a world of rapid change, and have the capabilities to enable business transformations,” said Cindy Hook.

Last year Deloitte became the second largest professional services firm in Australia, and its growth rate at 15% for fiscal year 2015 has more than doubled over the prior year growth of 6%. Although the firm does not release earnings numbers, Cindy said, “It is also pleasing that this growth has not come at the cost of profitability which has also grown significantly over the prior year.”  

Cindy, who took over from Giam Swiegers in February 2015, has moved quickly to deliver on her commitment to build on the firm’s strong foundations, momentum and differentiation in the market.

Deloitte saw outstanding growth in its Consulting and Risk Advisory business lines, with solid growth also delivered by its heritage service offerings of Assurance and Tax, as well as by Financial Advisory Services (FAS) and its mid-market and private company practice Deloitte Private.

“Integrating technology-based solutions with the quality, custom-designed experiences clients now want, is fundamental to future business success,” Cindy said.

“I am passionate about creating the rich and diverse talent pool necessary to ensure we continue to be leaders in innovation, while challenging ourselves to be disruptors of our own profession.”

Expanded capabilities

The firm has achieved added impetus by continuing to rapidly expand its capabilities and capacity both organically and inorganically, including transactions with six adjacent businesses since May 2014. These include:

• Analytics Group (Consulting)
  
• Engineering Informatics (Consulting)
  
• KD Johns & Co (Deloitte Private)
  
• The Lonsdale Group (Consulting)
  
• GMK Partners (Deloitte Private) and
  
• Dataweave (Consulting)
  

New partners

58 new partners have been admitted to the Deloitte partnership this year through internal promotion with an additional 51 joining the firm as lateral hires or through transactions.

Reflecting Deloitte’s focus on the importance of diversity, 31% of the partners promoted internally are women increasing the overall female partner percentage to 23%.

The growing demand for diversity of skills is reflected in the different academic and career backgrounds including IT, engineering, mathematics, education, aviation and law enforcement. A significant number of the new Deloitte partners have also lived and worked in global markets, a trend that Cindy Hook believes will only increase as cross border activity, collaborations and capability exchanges continue to grow throughout Deloitte’s global network. 

Industry and Geographies

From an industry perspective, the Australian firm’s growth has been led by Financial Services, Public Sector and Consumer Business & Transport industry teams, highlighting the significant changes that are transforming these sectors of the Australian economy.

By geography, offices in NSW (including Sydney and Western Sydney), Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane have all delivered double digit growth.

Cindy highlighted how the firm’s regional and middle market strategy, led by Deloitte Private, remains core to the firm. “Our regional offices and their support for local businesses are a valued and important part of our strategy, as demonstrated in these results.

“We are seeing robust demand federally and within state governments for Deloitte’s strengths in technology and digital consulting as well as advisory and risk capabilities across all major areas in the public sector, including health, transport, education and defence.

“Given the slower energy and resources market, it is also great to see Queensland and Western Australia growing again.  These practices continue to have a strong focus on mining and oil and gas, but are also diversifying by building strong capability to serve the public sector,” Cindy said.

Disruption, innovation and transformations

“Our Deloitte Access Economics team, as well as our digital, data and design teams, are at the forefront of industry restructuring, as well as technology and digital transformation projects across private and public sectors.

“Our redesigned core heritage services in tax, audit and financial advisory are also proving to be differentiators for Deloitte.

“While the redesign of the client experience, data analytics and technology are changing the face of professional services, our regulatory role remains important to help address the surge in regulatory activity as globalisation and other economic drivers compel countries to modernise their regulatory structures.

“In this time of rapid change and disruption for all businesses, I am delighted with the depth and breadth of the contribution our firm is making at the national and local levels. We will continue to shape the national agenda through our annual research flagship Building the Lucky Country series,” Cindy said.

Global & Asia Pacific

As the world’s largest professional services firm, Deloitte continues to be recognised by clients and other stakeholders worldwide as a global leader in innovation.

“We have strong links to Deloitte’s Asia Pacific and other global member firms. With emerging economies growing quickly, these relationships and cross-border capability exchanges across the Deloitte network will only deepen, as organisations take advantage of Australia’s natural strengths in commodities and services to increase their presence on and offshore,” Cindy concluded.

NB: See our media releases and research at www.deloitte.com.au

With an array of hospitality options to suit every single need from private suites, to corporate areas, and quality dining options, tailor your Sydney Spring Racing experience to your exact needs.

 
Explore the options across nine exciting race days held at Royal Randwick and Rosehill Gardens, plus enjoy the all the racing action from Melbourne Spring Carnival from the super screen at each venue.

Click here to view Sydney Spring Racing Hospitality, Dining & Ticketing Brochure 

or visit 

www.theraces.com.au/springracing