Industry News

The Housing Industry Association (HIA) has warned the that the housing industry is facing a looming recession if government bodies fail to act in support of the industry.

“If the current conditions continue housing starts will fall below 130,000 for the year. To put this in perspective, that’s about 30,000 dwellings below what is needed just to meet underlying demand for homes,” HIA Managing Director Shane Goodwin said.

“The industry has suffered 8 years of declining new housing activity, which combined with current low levels of activity places us on the brink of recession.”

Mr Goodwin urged the three tiers of government to act collectively to halt the looming crisis by increasing expenditure on infrastructure that supports the industry, introducing financial incentives to stimulate new housing construction and reducing red tape.

“As well, the housing industry is bearing a disproportionate amount of the nation’s taxation burden, with for example, over 40% of the price of a new house and land package being taxes and charges,” Mr Goodwin said.

“What the Australian economy needs now is a revitalisation of the housing industry through tax relief and an injection of investment and funding into the new housing sector. Such an injection will provide a profound economic dividend to the broader economy.”

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has published the 2012 electricity performance report for the Victorian distribution network service providers (DNSPs).

The report examines the financial and service quality performance of the state’s five electricity DNSPs. Including:

• CitiPower
• Jemena Electricity Networks
• Powercor
• SP AusNet
• United Energy Distribution.

The report found that overall, Victorian DNSPs reported improved supply reliability when compared to 2009, with sharp falls in unplanned minutes-off-supply and unplanned interruptions.

The report found that unplanned minutes-off-supply fell by 27 per cent, whule there was a 16 per cent decrease in the number of unplanned interruptions.

AER chairman Andrew Reeves said that the improved reliability performance was principally due to less extreme weather in 2010.  

"While all businesses improved reliability in 2010, Jemena Electricity Networks was the only business which met the performance target set by the previous regulator, for unplanned minutes-off-supply." 

Mr Reeves said the AER has increased the financial penalties and bonuses for performance from 2011 to strengthen the incentives for the businesses to provide better services for customers. 

"The financial returns for these businesses over the period 2006 to 2010, were consistently higher than forecast. This is due to sales being above and costs being below the amounts forecast in 2005," Mr Reeves said.
  

The report can be found here

The Western Australian Government has announced $58.5 million in child health spending to provide free health checks and increase access to school-based health services.

Treasurer Christian Porter said the funding forms the centrepiece of the State’s $6.76 billion health budget, and will contribute to the major expansion of community child health services across WA.

“Community child health services play a vital role in preventing chronic disease, so this is a targeted project to address real issues facing families in accessing health care,” Mr Porter said.

“We have listened to the people of WA and have already made real changes by investing $49.7million over four years to recruit more than 50 community allied health staff in physiotherapy, speech pathology and occupational therapy.  As a result, wait times for these services have dropped by more than 50 per cent.”

The State’s health budget includes work starting on:

• $360.2 million Midland Health Campus - completion 2015
• $117.9 million Busselton Health Campus - completion 2014
• $22.2 million Remote Indigenous Health Clinic Project - completion 2014
• Work will continue on the:
• $1.2 billion New Children’s Hospital - completion 2015
• $1.7 billion Fiona Stanley Hospital - completion 2013
• $239.0 million on the new State rehabilitation service - completion 2013
• $325.3 million Southern Inland Health Initiative capital works
• $229.8 million Joondalup Health Campus expansion - completion 2013
• $55.8 million Kalgoorlie Health Campus redevelopment - completion late 2013

Planning will continue on the:

• RPH redevelopment - $22 million for preliminary works
• Karratha Health Campus - $207.2million
• Construction will be completed in 2012-13:
• $55.6 million for a new PathWest Centre at the QEII Medical Centre
• $47.9 million for Cancer Centre Stage 2 at the QEII Medical Centre
• $170.4 million new Albany Health Campus

The Victorian Minister for Innovation, Services and Small Business Louise Asher has called for applications for the 2012 Victoria Prize for Science and Innovation, and the 2012 Victoria Fellowships.

Ms Asher said the Victoria Prize for Science and Innovation will recognise two outstanding scientists this year for their lifelong commitment and achievements. Two individual awards of $50,000 each will be presented – one for work in life sciences and one for work in physical sciences.

As part of the Victoria Fellowships, the Government will provide $18,000 to up to twelve outstanding early-career researchers and innovators to enhance their careers with international study missions.

Applications close on Friday 29 June 2012. Application forms are available at www.business.vic.gov.au/vicprize or www.business.vic.gov.au/vicfellows 

Health Minister Tanya Plibersek has announced that $50 million over two years will be made available to Medicare Locals – networks that support frontline health providers – to assist GPs and other health care providers to adopt and use the Gillard Government’s new eHealth records system.

Ms Plibersek said the funding was part of a package to support doctors and other health professionals to help rollout the new system.

“Family doctors co-ordinate healthcare for most patients, so we know they have an important role to play in the eHealth records system,” Ms Plibersek said.

“eHealth records will ensure doctors can access a patient’s medical information in one convenient online location, reducing errors and making diagnosis and treatment quicker and easier.”

Ms Plibersek said the funding for Medicare Locals will enable them to provide practical training to GP practices and other health care providers and to drive awareness and consumer literacy of the potential of eHealth records at a regional level.

“The practical training will include how to get the practice ready for the eHealth record including how to achieve data quality, the registration process for eHealth records, engagement and support of the practice’s patients.”

“To assist providers link up to the system, Medicare Locals also will work with other health care providers – allied health, nursing, and community based specialists – as well as with Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, non-government organisations, professional associations and hospitals.”

The $50 million is the final piece of a support package for doctors to help rollout the new eHealth records system and is in addition to the Government’s $233.7 million investment announced in the Budget.

It complements the three other initiatives already announced, which are:

• From February 2013, up to $50,000 in Practice Incentive Program payments for each practice that shows it is capable of: (1) secure messaging, (2) integrating healthcare identifiers into electronic practice records, (3) using data records and clinical coding of diagnoses, (4) the capability to upload Shared Health Summaries and Event Summaries using compliant eHealth record software, and (5) electronic transfer of prescriptions to a prescription exchange service. Further consultation with the profession and professional associations will occur in the coming weeks about how the criteria will apply in practice.
• The ability for GPs to use longer consultations (Medicare Benefit Scheme general attendance items B, C and D) when creating or adding to a shared health summary on an eHealth record which involves taking a patient’s medical history as part of a consultation.
• The continuation of the Practice Nurse Incentive Program which provides up to $125,000 per year to eligible general practices towards the cost of a practice nurse. Practices can choose to have their practice nurse talk to patients about the eHealth record, and help patients set up their record.

From 1 July 2012, interested Australians will be able to register to create their own eHealth record.

The Western Australian Government approved the construction of a new $443 million transmission line for the state’s Mid-West region.

“The 330kV transmission line will enable the connection of new mining projects at Three Springs, facilitate the connection of new sources of electricity generation in the Mid-West and secure power supplies for the people of the region,” State Energy Minister Peter Collier said.

“The construction of this transmission line and associated works is due to commence in June and will utilise up to 300 construction workers over a two-year period.

“The Mid West Energy Project will provide more than 500MW of additional capacity for the Mid-West region. This is equivalent to supplying 500 large supermarkets with typical peak power demand.”

The 189km transmission line will run from Neerabup (north of Perth) to Eneabba. It then connects with the 70km line between Eneabba and Three Springs, being constructed by Karara Mining Limited. This line will ultimately be purchased as a part of the Mid West Energy Project and will service both the Karara mine site and the broader region through the Three Springs Terminal substation.

Between Neerabup and Eneabba, more than 2,000 wooden power poles will be removed and replaced with 387 transmission towers, weighing a total of 10,000 tonnes.

Planning has started on Stage 2 of the project to extend the 330kV line a further 160km north to Geraldton (Moonyoonooka).

When combined with Stage 1, the project will facilitate the construction and operation of several other major Mid-West infrastructure developments, including Oakajee Port and Rail, and the proposed Oakajee Industrial Estate adjoining the port.

Karara Mining Limited is developing a magnetite mine 100km east of Three Springs and is currently constructing a double circuit 330kV transmission line between Eneabba and its mine site.

The Tasmanian Government has announced $195 million in spending on the state’s road and rail network in 2012/13.

Comprised of $64 million from the Federal Government and $130 million from the State, the spend will be targeted at key infrastructure throughout the state.

The funding secures the $90 million Community Roads Program and the $21 million spend on the Murchison Highway.

Australian computing researcher, Dr André Carvalho, from the ARC Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology and the Research School of Physics and Engineering, part of the ANU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, has worked with collaborators from Brazil and Spain to come up with a new proposal for quantum computers.

In his research, Dr Carvalho showed that disturbance – or noise – that prevents a quantum computer from operating accurately could become the very thing that makes it work.

“Most people have experienced some kind of computer error in their life – a file that doesn’t open, a CD that can’t be read – but we have ways to correct them. We also know how to correct errors in a quantum computer but we need to keep the noise level really, really low to do that,” he said.

“That’s been a problem, because to build a quantum computer you have to go down to atomic scales and deal with microscopic systems, which are extremely sensitive to noise.”

Surprisingly, the researchers found that the solution was to add even more noise to the system.

“We found that with the additional noise you can actually perform all the steps of the computation, provided that you measure the system, keep a close eye on it and intervene,” Dr Carvalho said.

“Because we have no control on the outcomes of the measurement – they are totally random – if we just passively wait it would take an infinite amount of time to extract even a very simple computation.

“It’s like the idea that if you let a monkey type randomly on a typewriter, eventually a Shakespearean play could come out. In principle, that can happen, but it is so unlikely that you’d have to wait forever.

“However, imagine that whenever the monkey types the right character in a particular position, you protect that position, so that any other typing there will not affect the desired character. This is sort of what we do in our scheme. By choosing smart ways to detect the random events, we can drive the system to implement any desired computation in the system in a finite time.”

Dr Carvalho said quantum information processing has the potential to revolutionise the way we perform computation tasks.

“If a quantum computer existed now, we could solve problems that are exceptionally difficult on current computers, such as cracking codes underlying Internet transactions.”

The research has been published in the journal Physical Review Letters.

The Queensland Government has announced broad cuts to the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities (QAHC), the state’s only LGBT health and wellbeing organisation.

Previously, QAHC had held major contracts with Queensland Health for HIV prevention work with gay men and reduction in alcohol, tobacco and other drugs work with the broader LGBT community.

“We are shocked at the announcement made by Minister Springborg today.  There has been no warning, discussion or negotiation with us about our current service agreements with Queensland Health, nor has there been any previous question about the quality or focus of our work” QAHC’s Executive Director Paul R Martin said.

“We understand that the Government is looking to find savings, and we are more than willing to work with them on that.  But to cut the only HIV prevention service for gay men and the only LGBT health service is astonishing.”

The association has received funding from consecutive Queensland Governments since 1988 for the delivery of HIV prevention services in the LGBT community.

The Western Australian Government has announced $5 million over two years for the formation of a new Mental Health Court Division Program, that will cater for adults and children with mental illness facing criminal charges at Perth’s Magistrates’ Court and Children’s Court.

The division will be headed by a full-time magistrate and supported by a dedicated team of professionals giving assessments, individualised treatment and liaison to community mental health services, the program will aim to reduce re-offending rates by people with moderate or severe mental health illness and divert them away from the prison system.

In addition to the $5 million, $1.7 million will be spent over two years for the placement of mental health experts at Perth’s Children’s Court for an early intervention pilot program to provide timely assessments, referrals and treatment.

Mental Health Minister Helen Morton said it was essential to identify young offenders early and get them essential services for their illness.

“Too often these people are inappropriately and expensively caught up in the criminal justice system, when they should be receiving effective mental health care,” Mrs Morton said.

“Traditional methods of sentencing have little impact on people with mental illness and often fail to address the cause of the offending behaviours.”

Attorney General Christian Porter said several diversion options existed within the courts, however the mental health diversion and support program was the first of its kind in WA.

“About 3,600 adults who come before the metropolitan magistrates’ courts have a serious mental illness. This program will complement existing services and fill a gap that is not currently met,” Mr Porter said.

 Eighteen local government councils have been awarded funding under the Federal Government’s $20 million Liveable Cities program, which aims to help make Australia's 18 major cities more productive, sustainable and liveable.

The largest grants of $3,750,000 each were awarded to the City of Parramatta and the City of Sydney. 

The City of  Parramatta will build a separate cycling and walking link between the University of Western Sydney, housing developments in the area and key employment precincts of the Parramatta city centre. 

Funds allocated to the City of Sydney will contribute to the Green Square Town Centre Trigeneration, Australia's first large scale low carbon trigeneration energy network that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 40,000 tonnes a year and help the City of Sydney reach its target of a 70 percent reduction in emissions by 2030.

Other councils which were awarded funding include the Melton Shire Council, the Wyndham City Council, Logan City Council, City of Cockburn, City of Melville, Campbelltown City Council, City of Port Adelaide, Maitland City Council, Sunshine Coast Regional Council, Hobart City Council, Kingborough Council, Townsville City Council, Darwin City Council, Launceston City Council, Albury City Council and Whittlesea City Council.

Seven further awards were made to state government agencies.

The funding will be used for a range of urban planning projects, infrastructure projects, civic facilities and public transport  improvements.

More information about the program is here.

http://www.nationbuildingprogram.gov.au/funding/liveablecities/index.aspx

The Western Australian Government has released the first vision for the $1 billion Gateway WA Project Master Plan.

Aimed at expediting the movement of people and freight through Perth Airport, the project is comprised of $686.4 million in Federal funding, while the State Government will contribute $276.5 million and forms one of the largest infrastructure projects in the state’s history.  

The project has been divided into two separate packages to ensure minimal disruption to users, residents and industry.

The first package, due to be completed in early 2014, includes:

• a major freeway to freeway interchange at Tonkin Highway/Leach Highway, including a new primary access road to the consolidated airport terminals
• new interchange at Tonkin Highway/Horrie Miller Drive/Kewdale Road
• new interchange at Leach Highway/Abernethy Road
• upgrading Leach Highway between Orrong Road and Tonkin Highway to an expressway standard and associated upgrades to roads and intersections in the Kewdale Freight precinct
• a principal shared path along Tonkin and Leach highways.

The second package, expected to be completed in 2017, includes:

• upgrading of the existing Tonkin Highway/Roe Highway interchange to a partial freeway to freeway interchange
• upgrading Tonkin Highway between Great Eastern Highway and Roe Highway to six lanes
• a new interchange at Boud Avenue.

The Western Australian Government has announced it a $77.6 million funding injection to implement the Skills Training Initiative and to develop training infrastructure throughout the state.

Funding for the initiative will be sourced from the state’s Royalties for Regions program, and will last from 2011-12 to 2014-15.

State Training and Workforce development Minister Peter Collier said the increased demand for training places meant that the need for quality training facilities and infrastructure is crucial for the state to counter the emerging skills shortage.

“The Skills Training Initiative will enable refurbishments and upgrades for regional training facilities; the development of dedicated regional training centres to meet industry and community needs; and the replacement of out-dated and failing IT infrastructure across the State Training Provider network,” Mr Collier said.

The Budget outlines continuation of major works at:

• Challenger Institute of Technology’s Rockingham Campus redevelopment ($28.6 million)
• South West Institute of Technology’s Bunbury Campus Heavy Duty Automotive projects complex ($16 million)
• C.Y. O’Connor  Institute Narrogin Campus upgrade ($2.3 million).

The funding outlines the commencement of planning for:

• Challenger Institute of Technology’s Murdoch Campus ($42 million)
• Great Southern Institute of Technology Mt Barker Campus ($4.4 million)
• Kimberley Training Institute’s West Kimberley Campus ($5.5 million)
• South West Institute of Technology Busselton Campus upgrade ($2 million).

The Western Australian Government has outlined a $3.9 billion spend on new and ongoing transport projects in the state’s 2012-13 Budget.

State Transport Minister Troy Buswell announced a $105 million initiative to ensure the creation of a sustainable transport network in major city projects.

The Budget also provides $5.15 million over two years for detailed project planning to assist in informing investment decision on Perth’s light rail project.

Mr Buswell said the State would also invest $276.5 million in the Gateway WA project over the forward estimates. The $1 billion project comprised Federal Government funds of $686.4 million and State Government funds of $317.5 million.

“The $1 billion Gateway WA project will deliver a safe, efficient and welcoming road and bridge network to the new Perth Airport precinct, the surrounding businesses, residential areas and the State of WA,” Mr Buswell said.

Additional major works include:

• $609 million public transport component of the Perth City Link project
• $241 million Joondalup railway line extension to Butler
• $267.3 million upgrade of Great Eastern Highway from Kooyong Road to Tonkin Highway. (Federal and State government funds.)

The Western Australian Government has outlined a $26.4 billion capital works program to be rolled out over the next four years, with $7.6 billion expected to be spent in the 2012-13 year.

Treasurer Christian Porter said the funding will enable future growth while ensuring that the state can accommodate for the continuing population increase.

“About 1,000 people are moving to WA every week and this creates enormous demands on infrastructure,” Mr Porter said.

“The State Government is responding to this unprecedented growth by planning for the future with a number of capital works projects, including the Perth Stadium, Fiona Stanley Hospital, Perth City Link and the Perth Waterfront.”

Mr Porter said construction had commenced on civil engineering works for the Perth Waterfront project and $167 million of the total $270 million project would be spent in 2012-13 to continue development of the inlet and public domain.

The Budget provides $183 million in 2012-13 on the $744 million Perth City Link project, with 2012-13 funding focusing on sinking the Perth to Fremantle railway line west of Perth station.

Also included in the capital works program is an additional $281 million for the $2 billion Fiona Stanley Hospital, as well as a $227 million on the $1.2 billion Children’s Hospital at the Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre. 

The Western Australian Government has posted a surplus of $196 million for the state’s 2012-13 Budget, with surpluses projected to continue for the period going to 2015-16.

State Treasurer Christian Porter said the state’s projected growth of 4.75 per cent GDP underpinned the state’s ongoing strong growth.

“Business investment is strong, particularly in the resources sector, and exports will drive growth in 2012-13 and the next three years of this budget period,” Mr Porter said.

But the Treasurer said despite the strong economic outlook, the State faced a challenging revenue and fiscal outlook.

“This reflects growth being concentrated in areas not covered directly by the State’s revenue base, most noticeably the massive LNG projects such as Gorgon and Wheatstone which fall under the Commonwealth’s Petroleum Resource Rent Tax,” he said.

The Treasurer said the 2012-13 State Budget contained major re-prioritisation of service delivery, with a range of new State Government initiatives being introduced and funded through savings measures.

Mr Porter said the savings initiatives totalled $4.9billion over four years and included:

• an efficiency dividend to be applied to public sector agencies from 2012-13, starting at two per cent for all departments (one per cent for Education), with additional one per cent dividends to be achieved in each of the three financial years to 2015-16
• a further efficiency dividend for Government Trading Enterprises to be measured as a percentage of the discretionary spending, starting at 2.5 per cent in 2012-13 with an additional 1.5 per cent in 2013-14, 1.5 per cent in 2014-15 and 0.5 per cent in 2015-16
• a two-year cap on the growth in the number of public sector workers to further control public sector salaries expenses. This measure will require all departments to operate for the next two financial years inside their FTE cap as it was set in 2011-12
• a formal policy of limiting general government sector FTE growth to 1.5 per cent per year in 2014-15 and 2015-16
• deferral of spending on a range of capital works projects across a number of agencies.

Swinburne University of Technology Vice-Chancellor Professor Linda Kristjanson has announced the appointment of Professor George Collins to the role of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Development).

Professor Collins has more than 30 years experience in research and research management, and is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the CAST Cooperative Research Centre. He is also Professor of Materials Science in the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering at The University of Queensland.

Professor Collins was previously Chief of Research at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) where he coordinated research in environmental science, radiopharmaceutical development, materials engineering and applications of neutron scattering.

As a researcher, Professor Collins has achieved international recognition in the field of plasma surface engineering.

Professor Collins will take up his appointment with Swinburne on 1 August 2012.

A Deakin University study, funded by VicHealth, shows significant economic savings and health benefits could be achieved if Australian adults cut their alcohol consumption by 3.4 litres a year.

Deakin health economists, working with researchers with the National Stroke Research Institute, estimated the economic savings and health benefits from reducing alcohol consumption in Australia.

They found that a 3.4 litre cut per adult per year could result in a $789 million annual saving to the health sector and in one third fewer cases of alcohol related disease (such as alcohol dependence, suicides, injuries and cancers), deaths and working days lost.

“Excessive alcohol consumption is a global health issue, with around 13 per cent of the Australian adult population having long term drinking problems,” said Anne Magnus, a Senior Research Fellow with Deakin’s  Population Health Strategic Research Centre.

“Through this study we calculated the potential economic and health benefits if a realistic reduction in alcohol consumption were achieved, which is an important consideration in light of the current political and policy interest in Australia, and overseas.

“We found that considerable economic and health benefits could be gained if Australian adults drank an average of five standard drinks less each week. This is equivalent to three-four less glasses (150 ml) of wine or four-six less cans (375ml) of beer (full to light strength respectively) each week.”

The researchers modeled the likely outcomes of a drop in alcohol intake from the average 9.8 litres per adult per year to 6.4 litres. They looked at economic and health impacts as well as the effect on workforce productivity, household duties (such as cooking, shopping, cleaning, child care and maintenance) and leisure time.

They found potential cost savings of $789 million in the health sector, $427 million in workforce productivity and $21 million in home-based productivity. These savings were due to 98,000 (35 per cent) less cases of disease and 380 (38 per cent) less deaths related to long term high risk levels of alcohol consumption and 21,000 (34 per cent) less healthy years of life lost as a result of this risk factor.

The results also showed five million fewer working days lost and a drop of 54,000 lost days of household duties would be possible.

However the results were not all positive, with the researchers estimating a potential 1000 additional early retirements because the data showed that high risk drinkers reported staying in the workforce longer than lower risk drinkers.

Ms Magnus said this work showed, in understandable concrete terms, the sizeable benefits of prevention efforts that aim for realistic and achievable reductions in alcohol consumption in Australia.

“It also shows where those benefits are most likely to be felt,” Ms Magnus said.

“Most benefits will occur in the health sector, followed by the paid work force with not so much benefit going to the unpaid workforce or leisure time of individuals.

“These results can be compared with the benefits of realistic reductions in other harmful behaviours such as smoking or physical inactivity, so that policy makers concerned with disease prevention can assess more accurately where the largest gains are realistically possible and hence where to direct their efforts.”

The results of this study will be published in the American Journal of Public Health and currently appears ‘ahead-of-print’ online on the journal’s website.

This study was part of a project funded by VicHealth,            completed in 2009, to evaluate the health, economic and financial benefits of reduction in prevalence of six health risk factors – alcohol, physical inactivity, high BMI, tobacco smoking, inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, and intimate partner violence.

The Victorian Government has announced it will introduce legislation to extend the Administration of the Brimbank City Council through until March 2015.

Brimbank Council was sacked in 2009  following a report by the Ombudsman report that found that councillors had behaved improperly in relation to funds, and the Council was “generally dysfunctional and marked by in-fighting and interpersonal conflicts”.

The decision to extend the period of Administration was recommended by two independent reports which led the Minister for Local Government Jeanette Powell to the conclusion that the best course of action was to maintain Administration while work was finalised.

"Both reports identified that the premature return to an elected council carries the very real risk of a return to the discredited and damaging practices of the past and the derailing of numerous important projects commenced under Administration,” she said.

Ms Powell said that, subject to the passage of the legislation, a rotation and refocusing would occur amongst the team of administrators at Brimbank.

"Jo Anderson and Meredith Sussex will step down at the end of October this year, roughly in line with the general Local Council elections. Peter Lewinsky will relinquish his role as Chief Administrator but remain a member of the Administration team.”

Ms Powell said that she wanted to put on the record her personal thanks to the current Administrators for the outstanding job they have done at the council and acknowledge the role of the former Minister Richard Wynne in the decision to appoint them.

"The community of Brimbank have been fortunate to have the skills and dedication of Jo and Meredith working for them during this difficult period," Mrs Powell said.

"The final phase of administration will feature a comprehensive community engagement strategy to prepare for the return of an elected council. I have asked the current Chair Peter Lewinsky to stay on as an administrator, thereby giving the team important continuity.

"John Watson, the current Executive Director of Local Government Victoria, will retire in October and will then assume the role of Chief Administrator at Brimbank.

"John Watson is highly respected for his skills and abilities throughout the sector and by both sides of politics. Upon learning of his intention to retire from LGV, I asked him to take on the role of Chair of the Brimbank Administrators.”

The third administrator's position will go to an individual with strong qualifications in community engagement.

Santos has announced the loading of the 1000^th cargo from its Port Bonython liquids processing plant in South Australia.

Port Bonython has been in operation since 1983, and has loaded over 40 million tonnes of product, including crude oil, LP and naphtha.

Cargoes from the port have gone to all Australian domestic refineries, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Hawaii, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Japan, India, Taiwan, South Korea and China.

Gross revenue generated by Port Bonython totals over $14 billion and total gross wharfage paid to the South Australian Government exceeds $70 million.

“We’re very pleased to celebrate this significant milestone,” said Lou Dello, Santos’ General Manager Oil & Offshore Business.

“Port Bonython has long been an important part of Santos’ business, processing liquids from the Cooper Basin in South Australia’s remote north and shipping them right across the country and the Asia-Pacific.