Going well but want to do better? Go AIPC not APEC Mr Bush!
AIPC is not just another acronym out of Canberra but represents a new initiative called Australian Industry Productivity Centres. Set up a few months ago by the previous government it is supported by the new one. AIPCs are a national network of delivery centres developed by the Australian Government to support Australian SMEs to grow their business and adapt to a rapidly changing business environment.
Basically the centres will provide a free business review and then funding of up to $20,000 on a dollar or dollar basis to implement the changes recommended by that review. The centres are targeting businesses with a turnover between $2m and $100m but can apply to businesses with turnover between $1m and $2m on a group basis. A number of organisations are supporting the AIPCs including the NSW Business Chamber, Australian Industry Group and the University of Western Sydney. For further details on the initiative and business adviser contact details go to www.productivitycentres.gov.au or call 131 791.
At a recent i3net (www.i3net.com.au ) members meeting, Peter Watts, Business Adviser Illawarra explained the AIPC concept as well as his background and experience. Peter has vast industry experience as do other advisers across NSW. He brings 18 years international business development and relationship management experience to the role. Peter has worked with numerous clients to develop new business opportunities in the automotive, light manufacturing, pharmaceutical and light metals manufacturing industries in Australia and overseas. He also has strong transport and supply chain experience having worked both in international logistics and most recently as Commercial Services Manager for Sydney Ports responsible for pricing, trade analysis and NSW regional containerised trade development.
There are other advisers like Peter across NSW including for Western and Southern Sydney. For further details on the AIPCs and advisers for your area call 131 791 or visit www.productivitycentres.gov.au. Peter can be contacted on 02 4226 3496, 0417 277 336 or peter.watts@nswbc.com.au
Recycling the PVC way!
Increased recycling, a reduction in use of heavy metal additives and an emphasis on life cycle management of manufactured products were the highlights of the polyvinyl chloride (PVC) industry's environmental progress last year. The annual report from the Vinyl Council of Australia summarises progress of its voluntary Product Stewardship Program (PSP).
Photo: PVC recyclable scrap material
While the report outlined significant increases in recycling of PVC materials it also says signatory companies are increasingly recognising the importance of life cycle management of their products. Examples of initiatives undertaken last year include:
• Armstrong developed a new flooring product that will incorporate more than 25% recycled content, including on-site off-cuts and end-of-life material;
• Plastics packaging supplier Aperio has been working with a number of major customers to down-gauge (producing thinner film) where possible and estimates it has cut the amount of material used by 2%;
• PVC manufacturer and supplier Iplex introduced material efficient products such as oriented PVC pressure pipes and foam core non-pressure pipes and conduits in which the required mechanical properties are achieved using less material than with traditional PVC products and are more suitable for recycling. (from www.EnvironmentalManagementNews.net )
The winner is.… Semiconducting Homebush Bay not just for Olympics!
Peregrine Semiconductor Australia, a Homebush Bay company, along with CSIRO and La Trobe University reveals a rare example of Australian expertise in silicon chip design which will open up new opportunities in science and business. This trio won the international EDN Innovation Award for a prototype chip for a miniature low-noise amplifier integrated circuit designed to operate in radio telescopes.
The chip is undergoing performance testing by the CSIRO to see if it is capable of amplifying signals from galactic sources such as remnants of the Big Bang, pulsars, magnetic fields, black holes and dark matter. Peregrine Semiconductor Australia’s Managing Director Andrew Brawley says the chip’s ability to operate at temperatures close to absolute zero has implications for another international research effort – the quest to develop so called quantum computing. (from Western Sydney DSRD)
Cool Engineers and “Southern” Aurora win gongs
A building cooling unit that is set to reduce air conditioning energy use at an IKEA store in Brisbane by 62% won Building Services Engineers a sustainability award last week. VicUrban also took home two gongs in the separate awards run by the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) Victoria.
VicUrban, the Victorian Government's sustainable land development agency, won the environmental excellence award for its Aurora housing estate in Melbourne's Epping North. Launched a year ago, all Aurora homes have a six star energy rating and require 50% less energy to run. The houses also use 40% less water and all houses have rainwater tanks. Every house is expected to have recycled water for toilet flushing and outdoor use sometime in 2008.
Photo: VicUrban’s Aurora residential development
Meanwhile, Building Services Engineers received a gold award in the small firm category of the Association of Consulting Engineers Australia (ACEA) awards for excellence for sustainable design. Its work with the IKEA Logan Store in Brisbane achieved energy savings by directly reducing the quantity of electricity used, transferring energy from incoming to outgoing air and by reducing the load on the fan coil units by installing chilled beams for cooling.
The gold award in the building services category went to engineering firm Norman Disney & Young (NDY) for its work on Brisbane Square, a 43-storey commercial office tower in central Brisbane. The company undertook early collaboration with the main building tenant, Brisbane City Council, to develop key energy and environmental measures and to establish a benchmark total building energy efficiency rating. This included the design that incorporates energy efficient lighting and air conditioning systems to assist in the achievement of a four star Australian Building Greenhouse Rating.
NDY also received a Silver Award for excellence in the environment category for its energy efficient design solution for Digital Harbour Port 1010 in Melbourne's Docklands. Digital Harbour Port 1010 is an office tower which attained a five star green office design rating and is designed to achieve a potential savings of over 688,300kg of CO2 emissions a year and 6,720 litres of water a day compared with a similar standard office building. (from www.EnvironmentalManagementNews.net)
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