News

1.  Superway design and construction contract awarded

Work will swing into action in February 2011 on one of Australia’s largest elevated roads – the $812 million South Road Superway in Adelaide.

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2.  Private sector takes control of QR National and leases Port of Brisbane

The Queensland Government has floated QR National and signed the documents for a 99-year lease of the Port of Brisbane to the Q Port Consortium.

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3.  Report outlines achievements of IWG

Federal Infrastructure Minister, Anthony Albanese, has released a report which he says shows the major reforms the government has already delivered to upgrade the way Australia plans, finances, builds and uses infrastructure.

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4.  EOIs called for major marina at Fremantle

Consortia have until February 11, 2011 to lodge submissions for the development of a major recreational marina – Rous Head Harbour Marina at Fremantle.

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5.  Proposed dam for NSW Hunter region scrapped

The New South Wales Government has refused a planning application for a major piece of water infrastructure – the 450 billion litre Tillegra Dam near Dungog – and will not consider further plans for a dam in the Hunter region.

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6.  Infrastructure industry group supports progress on Moorebank Intermodal

The announcement that the long-awaited Moorebank Intermodal will progress through planning and approval processes is important to national economic outcomes, according to Infrastructure Partnerships Australia – the peak infrastructure body.

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7.  Record level of major projects in SA

The value of major developments in South Australia in 2010-2011 is projected to hit a record $80 billion.

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8.  Minimising the Impact of Compulsory Acquisitions

Compulsory acquisitions of land are often undertaken by state government authorities, generally for road and transport infrastructure purposes. Although less frequent, local councils may need to undertake compulsory acquisitions, be it for educational or other community services.

The key factor in a compulsory acquisition process is the value of the properties affected and the amount of compensation to be offered to the property owners. However, in many cases, behind those properties sit long established businesses, ranging from small retail stores to large industrial manufacturing facilities. As lessees, the business owners are generally entitled to some form of compensation, be it the cost of relocating to new premises or in a worst case scenario, the cost of destruction of the business.

The key to ensuring a smooth acquisition process is obtaining proper professional advice to support the offers of compensation. Equally important is that the claimant obtains proper professional advice to support the amount being claimed. This includes:

• Business valuation – this provides the local council with the support that the compensation offered does not exceed the value of the business being impacted. If in fact the value of the business is below the relocation costs, the amount of compensation would generally be limited to the value of the business plus any redundancy costs.
• Relocation assessment – this provides the business owner with an estimate of the cost of relocating to new premises and the local council support for the level of compensation to be offered. Such costs would include not only the physical move but the cost to fit out the new premises.
• Loss of profit assessments – it may be that the relocation may result in loss of profits. This may be due to closure during the relocation, or it may reflect losses attributable to re-establishment of the business at a new location. This may be estimated at the time of the relocation assessment, however it can be difficult to assess. Where the amount being claimed is material, it may be better to review after the relocation has been undertaken.

With the right advice, delays and disruptions to all parties can be minimised.

Piera Murone, Valuations and Compulsory Acquisitions Advisor, Pitcher Partners. Phone: 03 8610 5601, email: piera.murone@pitcher.com.au.

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9.  Queensland Motorways sale dropped

The Queensland Government has dropped plans to privatise one of the state-owned companies it had identified for sale to reduce debt.

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10.  Administrators appointed to power infrastructure project

BRI Ferrier has been appointed administrator of AE & E Australia, the company constructing a $500 million co-gen power station for the Worsley Alumina Refinery in Western Australia.

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11.  Global architects invited to prepare Master Plan for Adelaide's Riverbank

The South Australian Government is calling for the “best urban architects from Australia and the world” to submit ideas for Riverbank – Adelaide’s signature precinct.

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12.  Canberra reaffirms pledge to sell NBN Co

The Federal Government remains firmly committed to selling its stake in NBN Co once the National Broadband Network is built and operational, according to The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Stephen Conroy.

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13.  Michael O'Brien expected to be Infrastructure Minister in new Victorian Government

A Liberal MP first elected to the Victorian Parliament at the 2006 State election is expected to be the Minister for Infrastructure and Public Private Partnerships under the new Baillieu Coalition Government.

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14.  Sydney home to new data storage infrastructure development

A project that will increase Sydney’s data centre infrastructure capability and strengthen the city’s role as a financial and IT hub has been given planning approval by the New South Wales Government.

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15.  Newcastle transport studies key to submission to Infrastructure Australia

The New South Wales Government has released two transport studies that will contribute to the development of a submission to Infrastructure Australia dealing with the revitalisation of Newcastle’s CBD.

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Conferences & Events

16.  One week until Local Government OHS & Risk Management Conference

• Dates: March 2 & 3, 2011
• Venue: Dockside, Darling Harbour, Sydney
• Program available at www.halledit.com.au/ohs2011

The Local Government OHS and Risk Management Conference will be staged at Dockside, Darling Harbour, Sydney, on March 2 & 3, 2011.

This conference is designed to provide local government senior executives, risk management and OHS coordinators, human resource professionals and elected members with information on how to identify, plan and implement OHS and risk management strategies that result in safe, productive workplaces and lower insurance premiums.

A key element of the conference will be the presentation of case studies of innovative and successful local government OHS and risk management practices.

This conference will provide councils with important analysis of issues including:

• How councils must respond to the impending harmonisation of Australia’s OHS regulations.
• How to promote and encourage a culture of safety within a council workforce and achieve premium reductions.
• Successful implementation of risk management frameworks in a local government organisation.
• Methods for implementing effective strategies in other vital areas such as: business continuity; internal audit procedures; and climate change risk management.

SPEAKERS WILL INCLUDE:

• Bernie de Vries - The National Safety Council of Australia’s Senior OHS Consultant.
• Peter Napier – Risk Management Institution of Australasia Vice President and Ipswich City Council’s Integrated Risk Management Coordinator.
• Cr Bill Kritharas – Senior Associate at law firm Norton Rose Australia and Deputy Mayor of Canterbury City Council, who will analyse the ramifications for councils of the national harmonisation of OHS regulations.
• Luke Wallace, Manager Corporate Planning Performance & Risk, Redland Council, how will describe how the council has successfully undertaken processes to implement enterprise risk management frameworks.
• Matthew Paul, Director of Occupational Medicine, Medibank Health Solutions.

To register for this conference download the Registration Brochure from the conference website www.halledit.com.au/ohs2011 or access the online payment facility on the website.

For more information about this conference contact:

Denise McQueen
Hallmark Conferences & Events
Phone: +61 3 8534 5021
Email: denise.mcqueen@halledit.com.au

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