Creek to Creek Chamber of Commerce

Chamber News June 2007

Gold Coast tops world water quality list

Gold Coast City is setting a world example on water quality management, according to the World Health Organisation.

Council’s Water Sustainability Chair, Councillor Daphne McDonald said Gold Coast Water had successfully implemented a third party certified ‘catchment to tap’ water quality control (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point).

“In simple terms, this means we are setting a world example of water quality control. In fact, the World Health Organisation refers to Gold Coast Water’s system as ‘the plan’ in water quality management,” said Cr McDonald.
“Our Water Quality Management System has been included as the model ‘water safety plan’ by the World Health Organisation in its 2005 publication Water Safety Plans: Managing drinking water quality from catchment to consumer.
 
“In 1998 Gold Coast Water decided that in order to minimise risks to water quality and safety, a formal structured risk management and quality assurance system would be developed and implemented.
“It was decided that a quality assurance system used in the food industry known as HACCP would be best suited to the water industry and third party certification would be sought. 

“This third party certification and inclusion as a shining example in the World Health Organisation’s publication emphasises the excellent work that is being done to provide Gold Coast residents with the best in water quality.”

Green business red hot

Three local businesses have taken up the challenge to reducing their carbon foot print and they are encouraging others to follow their lead.

Bendigo Bank, Coast Creek Country Real Estate and Wilson National Home Loans all offer products that are greenhouse friendly or they have become completely carbon neutral.

In fact Bendigo Bank has become a green bank, where customers can purchase green credits to off set their carbon emissions. Through Generation Green™, and with local communities, Bendigo Bank can play a role in addressing climate change issues by providing customers and communities with simple, practical, straight forward solutions that add up to a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future. 

Several years ago Bendigo Bank introduced Green Home and Personal Loans to encourage customers to make their homes more energy efficient. And the Bank itself has undertaken significant measures to reduce its own impact – offsetting our vehicle emissions, reducing power usage and building one of Australia’s first five-star energy rated office buildings. 

With a Generation Green™ Carbon Offset Certificate, you can still drive your car and use your existing electrical appliances when you need to and know you are reducing their impact on the environment. When you choose to buy a Generation Green™ Carbon Offset product, Bendigo Bank makes arrangements to revegetate cleared land with native species on your behalf to offset the carbon dioxide you produce over time. 

This vegetation absorbs the equivalent amount of greenhouse emissions you’ve chosen to offset. Put simply, it’s a simple and practical way to reduce your personal impact on the environment. 

Coast Creek Country and Wilson National Home Loans are also taking the issue of climate change seriously. Both Businesses have become certified as carbon neutral by the Carbon Reduction Institute which means the Creek to Creek Chamber is now home to Australia’s first Carbon Neutral real estate agency and Queensland’s first carbon neutral home loans provider. 

Coast Creek Country Real Estate Principal Nils Turner says, “With more customers wanting carbon free alternatives it presents businesses with a chance to position themselves in niche markets. And gives business a real comparative advantage.” 

Wilson National Home Loans Managing Director Geoff Wilson says, “Becoming carbon neutral is about best practice and giving customers a choice. Customers can now choose a carbon neutral home loan and at a reliable low rate.” 

From more information about the Bendigo Bank Generation Green click on the following link http://www.bendigobank.com.au/public/generationgreen/generation_green/index.asp or simply click to find out more about CCC Realty and Wilson National Home Loans.

Blaze Breakfast

The Gold Coast Blaze will be special guests at the next Chamber breakfast on Thursday 28 June at the Currumbin RSL Club.

The breakfast will be a chance for members, and basketball fans to get the inside goss from a team that is going to set the National Basketball League ablaze in September.

The breakfast will also feature an issues update local from Commerce Queensland Gold Coast General Manager Noel Millers.

The June breakfast is proudly sponsored by Gold Member Mackintosh International College and will feature a special gift card give-a-way thanks to Wilson National, Blossoms in the Pines, and Emerchants Australia.

So if you only come to one breakfast, make it this one. All you have to do is tell us you are coming. You can RSVP by clicking here or SMS your full name and the word BLAZE to 0411 484 715.

Broadband infrastructure debate heats up 

One thing is for certain, Australia must start making a serious investment in a faster and more reliable broadband network, or risk slipping further down the world ranking, and becoming a broadband back water, that is an opinion of a number of business groups around the country.

And like a pollie in campaign mode Telsta have hit the hustings promoting their bid to create Australia’s much needed fibre optic broadband network. According to Telstra, improving the speed of Australia’s broadband infrastructure by laying new cables in Australia’s six largest cities, is worth $30 billion annually to the Australian economy in return for a $4.5 billion investment.

By providing a faster and more reliable broadband network business will be able to exchange larger amounts of data at a real time pace, this will open up doors for small business, medical advances, and other emerging industries that rely on information being sent electronically.

But how does Australia do it, do Australian customers trust Telstra to put in place the broadband infrastructure and allow Telstra to charge other providers like Optus to use it?

Or should the Federal Government or a government body invest in the infrastructure and charge network users like Optus and Telstra to use the network?

At a recent Commerce Queensland breakfast Chamber Vice President Gordon Watson asked Federal Minister for Industrial Relations Joe Hockey MP, when it comes to national productivity what was the Liberal Governments strategy for improving broadband infrastructure in Australia.

Mr Hockey responded by saying, “The government realise the importance in improving the broadband infrastructure, but the sticking point is letting Telstra implement the network was the cost of access to other service providers such as Optus, the government does not want to see a monopoly in this area.”

And only yesterday the government showed its hand on broadband strategy. The Howard government proposes to roll out 'to node' services in the major cities, and use wireless technology to connect the remainder of rural Australia in a part private part government funded initiative . And instead of waiting three years as compared to Labor, the The Howard Government would get started in 2009.

The Labor Party has suggested using the future fund to invest in Australia’s future broadband infrastructure. And although the government see this as robbing the future fund, one would suggest, if Telstra’s figures are right, a $4 billion investment which produces a $30 billion injection into the economy annually, may not be such a bad thing, and would guarantee equal access to all the service providers.

Whatever the out come, Australian consumers and business need and want fair and affordable access to a faster broadband network. You can have your say simply by sending an email to admin@creektocreekchamber.org.au

The results will be made available to other members and forwarded to our Federal Member Margaret May MP for her consideration and comment.

We want daylight savings! 

Creek to Creek Chamber of Commerce members and other local businesses have had their say when it comes to daylight savings in South East Queensland and it is all bad news for Premier Beattie.

A whooping 80% of respondents say Peter Beattie is prehistoric, and stuck in a curtain fading mind set when it comes to daylight savings, and South East Queensland should adopt Daylight savings.

Creek to Creek Chamber President Darren Mackintosh says, “We have lobbied for a number of years on this issue and the Premier keeps insisting there is no reason to change. You only have to look at the change in attitudes to this issue to realise business and people want this to happen, and we will keep lobbing the state government till it does happen.” 

Lunch with the Premier

It is becoming a trend, you can buy a dinner with Kevin Rudd, have a function a Kirribilli or even a round of golf with a celebrity, but this a chance to have lunch with the Queensland Premier and Minister for Trade for just $95 or $850 for a table of 10. 

The Premier will outline key points from this year’s state budget, as well as outlining the future for the region and the state.

The lunch will take place on Wednesday 1 August 2007 from 12.00pm for a 12.30pm luncheon start, and will conclude at 2.30pm. The lunch will take place at the Paradise Room at the Gold Coast Arts Centre.

For tickets and further information simply visit www.gccc.net or call Simone Hewitt on 0417 200 001.

(Maybe we can bring up daylight savings at this lunch!)

Needling issue

With the needle supply now operating in the Palm Beach Community Centre in Fifth Avenue, there have been increasing reports of discarded needles in the community, and according to reports in the Gold Coast Sun newspaper, needle disposal units have been found over flowing in the local area.

The State Member for Currumbin Jann Stuckey MP and a spokesperson for the Palm Beach Community Action group warned against this before the centre was established in Palm Beach.

A spokesperson for the Palm Beach Community Action Group says, “We tried to engage the community and work with Queensland Health to avoid this and the others issues associated with supplying free needles, and now it is happening in our community. And we encouraged the local council to review the needle disposal strategy in the local area but we were told the collection strategy did not need to be reviewed. Well this is clearly not the case. The local collection strategy and the entire program needs reviewing, and we are encouraging local businesses and residents to sign a petition demanding for a review.”

To sign the pettion simply visit the Office of Jann Stuckey Suite 1 1045 Gold Coast Highway Palm Beach.