Facility Perspectives v3#3 September 2009

Refurbishing a retail giantFactoring FM into fl agship store redevelopment

Biometrics Redefi nesSecurity Industry

HVAC and Energy Management

Education and Training Guide 2010

Changing Face of Windows and Doors in Australia

i n t e g r a t i n g p e o p l e – p r o c e s s – p l a c eVOLUME 3, NUMBER 3, 2009 SEPTEMBER–NOVEMBER

Offi cial magazine of the Facility Management Association of Australia Ltd Print Post Approved 340742 00155 $9.95 inc GST

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2

FACILITY PERSPECTIVESV O L U M E 3 N U M B E R 3

CONTENTS

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Regulars + NewsThis edition, outgoing chairmanAndrew McEwan reflects on twoyears at the helm, while CEODavid Duncan discusses someexciting developments in thearea of policy and research. PlusFast Facts and News as well asthe latest inForM events.

HVAC + EnergyManagementWhile lighting accounts for alarge proportion of tenant energycosts, HVAC comes in a closesecond and also plays a majorrole in the health and welfare ofall building occupants.

RetrogreeningWhilst there have certainly beensome innovative retrofits andretrogreening projectsundertaken in Australia, it’s onlya matter of time before we seean ‘iconic’ Aussie equivalent tothe Empire State Building orSears Tower project.

4 Chairman’s Message

5 CEO’s Address

6 Fast Facts + News

14 New SustainabilityGuide

A new sustainability guide forproperty and facility managers

16 inForM

The latest news from FMAAustralia’s new networkinggroup for young FMprofessionals.

18 Email Communication

Top ten tips to improve youremail communication.

20 InnovativeProcurementSolutions

New publication fromFMA Australia.

22 Maintaining theGreen Momentum

Energy efficiency in HVACoperations proves a plus fortenancy retention.

31 HVAC: Opportunitiesfor the triplebottom line

Residential and commercialbuildings are responsible for23 per cent of Australia’sgreenhouse gas emissions. In thisarticle, the GBCA argues that aholistic consideration of abuilding’s energy load is essentialto integrating energy efficiencyinto building operations.

37 Top Tricks forUpgrading Buildings

Dr Paul Bannister looks at howControl, Commissions and Plantare the 3 top priorities for HVACefficiency.

41 Retrogreening –a must for thecommercial propertysector

Despite the current economicclimate, the environmental casefor retrogreening existingcommercial office stock is strong.

46 PB and the businessof change

We talk to PB Adelaide’s OfficeMove Project Manager, AshleyManna, about the process ofrelocating to, and retrogreening,one of Adelaide’s most iconicbuildings.

52 Retrofitting a Retail Giant

Probuild have been appointed toundertake the sensitiveredevelopment of Melbourne’siconic Myer Bourke Street store.

4 22 41

3


CONTENTS

Security and RiskManagementJust when you thought all hadbeen said, done and writtenabout security and thetechnology available to deliver it,along comes ‘Biometrics’ andredefines the industry.

Windows andWindow FilmsIndustry has already beengearing up to meet the demandsof more stringent energyefficiency measures, andnowhere is this more evidentthan in the windowmanufacturing industry.

Maintenance The redevelopment ofdeteriorating infrastructure atMelbourne’s Royal Women’sHospital, and the ongoingchallenges faced in aged careaccommodation, are exampleswhich highlight maintenanceissues and challenges faced byfacility managers.

Education +Training Guide 2010Our comprehensive annualguide to Facility Managementtertiary education opportunitiesacross Australia.

58 Talking aboutSecurity

From voice authentication, toretina recognition, to signatureverification, Biometrics coversthese and all security measuresin between.

+ What is Biometrics?

+ What is voice authentication?

+ Combating identity fraud.

+ Voice authentication –ubiquitous and secure.

+ FAQs on voice authentication.

+ Securing the call centre.

69 A Window ofOpportunity onEnergy Efficiency

The recent COAG announcementconcerning the National Strategyfor Energy Efficiency will have amajor impact on the builtenvironment. Since theintroduction of energy efficiencylegislation in Australia, theAustralian window and doormarket has been driven tochange.

+ New measures affect bothresidential and commercialbuildings.

+ Energy efficiency and comforta winning combination.

+ Changing face of windowsand doors in Australia.

+ Window Energy RatingScheme.

76 New Royal Women’sHospital

Nigel Christie, Project Managerof Operations for Bilfinger BergerProject Investments, outlineshow PPP Consortium bringsdesigners in partnership withbuilders and facility managers toensure operators andmaintenance are factored intothe design.

83 The Challenges FacingFM in Aged Care

Trish Ferrier, Property Managerfor Royal Freemasons Homes,outlines the regulatorycompliance requirements inresidential aged care, anddiscusses the ongoing challengeof maintenance and renovations.

CLIENT FEATURES

Dorma

Valorem

FM Innovations

Airconserve

Johnson Controls

Apathco Group P L

Muller Industries

Sunscreen

Efficient Energy Systems

No Flush Urinals

Wilson Security

Atlantis

MSS Security

ADT Security

SolarMaster

Wormald Tyco

Floor Safety Services Australasia

UNE Partnerships

56 69 76 89

Facility Perspectives’ embraces Green Printing Initiatives

This publication, has been printed using ECO-CLEAN print processes.Vegetable based inks and recyclable materials are used where possible.

Cert no. SCS-COC-001164

4


This edition of Facility Perspectivesmarks the end of an era for me asChairman of FMA Australia, as at thenational AGM in November I will handover to new Chairman Steve Taylor. Ithas certainly been an eventful twoyears and I have been privileged towitness, and be involved in, somegroundbreaking changes within theindustry and the Association.

The introduction of Facility Perspectivesitself was quite an achievement for FMAAustralia, marking the beginning of a newphase for the Association with the launch

of our new official magazine. The magazine’s intended focus was onpeople, process and place within the FM industry and I believe thatover the past eleven editions we have covered the important issuesrelated to these areas at all levels, from strategic and managerial tooperational. I personally believe that Facility Perspectives adds a greatdeal to the value of membership with FMA Australia and can beconsidered a fantastic source of impartial information for today’sfacility manager. Of course, improvements can always be made andwe welcome any feedback that members would like to provide on thelayout and content of the magazine going forward.

Education and training, as well as improving our relationship andincreasing interaction with government on policy matters, have beenmajor strategic priorities for the Association during my tenure asChairman and we have certainly come a long way in a relatively shortspace of time. Our offerings in the field of education and training haveseen the introduction of the extremely popular Green Retrofittingseminar, which has now been rolled out across all branches and canassist FMs in the areas of sustainability and compliance with newgovernment legislations in this area.

In January 2009, FMA Australia adopted IFMA’s Certified FacilityManager (CFM) and Facility Management Professional (FMP)credentialing programs, as a result of a comprehensive review of itsprevious accreditation system. The new credentials are internationallyrecognised and have been comprehensively updated in recent years.The Board is confident that the decision to transition to the newprogram will be of significant benefit to those who take it up.

A new Vocational Graduate Certificate in Energy Efficiency forFacility Managers has also been introduced, which is being jointlydelivered by FMA Australia and AIRAH and is intended to give FMs astrong grounding in where energy is consumed in buildings andeducate them how to monitor and analyse energy use.

You will have seen many updates on our progress in policydevelopment and relationship building with government and industrybodies, which have been significantly more frequent over the pastyear. We have seen some really positive developments in this area,indicating that government is taking facility management far moreseriously and recognising the contribution that our industry can haveon the wider economy, in particular in helping to reduce carbonemissions in the built environment. FMA Australia has made excellentheadway in representing the needs of the industry to government viavarious roundtable discussions and policy submissions, and I ampleased to note that the Association’s perspective is now beingactively sought out which is testament to the time and effort that hasbeen invested in this area.

The FM Action Agenda was one of the first governmentinvestments in the FM industry and was announced in January 2004following representations by FMA Australia on behalf of the industry.The FM Action Agenda represented a unique collaboration betweenFM industry participants, the Australian government and FMAAustralia, the purpose of which was to improve the recognition of FM

as a contributor to a more productive and sustainable builtenvironment through improved innovation, education and regulatoryreform. The FM Action Agenda’s tenure was completed in June 2008and in line with the Implementation Board’s wish to ensure that ideasprogress and that the intellectual property is preserved, the transitionplan denotes that FMA Australia is the principal future custodian ofthe FM Action Agenda’s deliverables and legacy. Since its conclusion,we have seen the release of ‘Innovative Procurement Solutions forService Delivery’, one of the outstanding publications initiated duringits three year term. Two further publications, the ‘Practical Guide toSustainability for Operational Facility Managers’ and ‘FacilityManagement Contribution to Productivity Improvement’ are nearingcompletion. FMA Australia will continue to oversee the delivery of alloutstanding actions from the FM Action Agenda and to ensure thatrelevant intellectual property is disseminated as appropriate.

Another noteworthy event that I have been proud to see theintroduction of in Australia is World FM Day, a new initiative intendedto boost the profile of the FM industry, both in Australia andinternationally. Pioneered by FMA Australia for Global FM, World FMDay will be celebrated every year on 28 August by FM communitiesacross the world, with the aim of increasing awareness of the FMindustry and celebrating the role that it plays in the global economy.Special events were held in all FMA Australia branches to celebratethe inaugural World FM Day this year and we hope that in years tocome, the day will become even more successful and go fromstrength to strength along with the industry.

This will tie in with the continuing development of our Partners inFM Excellence agreements, which we currently hold with the BritishInstitute of Facilities Management (BIFM) and the InternationalFacility Management Association (IFMA). Much work has gone intodeveloping our partnerships with these two organisations and weenjoy excellent relationships with them resulting in members beingable to take advantage of various benefits. Global FM too, has grownconsiderably since its inception in 2006. The four founding bodies,the Association Directeurs et Responsables de Services Généraux(ARSEG), BIFM, IFMA and FMA Australia, have now been added towith representation from Hungary (HFMS), Brazil (ABRAFAC) andSouth Africa (SAFMA). FM ARENA of Switzerland and AFE, the US-based organisation for facilities engineering have also joined GlobalFM as affiliate members. It is encouraging to see that discussions arealso underway with other FM organisations in Europe, Asia and theMiddle East and that Global FM now involves more than 42,000 FMprofessionals worldwide.

On reflection, there is much that has been achieved, both withinthe FM industry and FMA Australia itself, during my term asChairman and this is truly a time that we can look back on and beproud of the advancements that have been made. It remains crucial,however, that we do not rest on our laurels, particularly in these timesof economic unrest. There is much work to be done by theAssociation to ensure that facility management is seen as amainstream industry and that we continue to build on the work thathas been done on combating climate change.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those peoplethat I have had the pleasure of working with during my time asChairman of FMA Australia, and in particular for the support of DavidDuncan, FMA Australia CEO and the Board of Directors, as well as thenational office staff. Thanks also to all members for their continuingsupport and loyalty to the Association. I look forward to seeing thefacility management industry go from strength to strength and graspthe opportunities now within its reach.

Andrew McEwanChairmanFMA Australia

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

Andrew McEwanChairman

FMA Australia

5


Welcome to the first FacilityPerspectives issue of the new financialyear and what we hope will be a farmore positive one than last year. Itwas, of course, an incredibly toughyear from an economic perspectiveand I am well aware that this hasaffected the facility managementindustry. From the Association’s pointof view, I am pleased to be able toreport that the outcome of thefinancial year was better thanexpected, albeit though not asbudgeted. Membership levels have

remained stable and my thanks go to all of our members fortheir loyalty and support of FMA Australia.

You will be able to read more on FMA Australia’s performance andother significant events and achievements throughout 2008/09 in theannual report which is due for release at the national AGM inNovember and will be available on the FMA Australia website.

We will continue to repay the loyalty of our members by ensuringthat they have access to quality events and information throughoutthe year. Planning for the ideaction10 conference in Perth is currentlywell ahead of schedule – the draft program has been confirmed andwill be finalised following the close of the call for papers which is setfor Friday 11 September. In addition to the usual format of keynoteand concurrent sessions, we will also be holding a poster session.Obviously the conference timetable limits the number of keynote andconcurrent presentations that we are able to include in the program,so we are introducing the poster session in order to provide as manyopportunities as possible for FM practitioners to share theirachievements, best practices and innovations. The hope is that thiswill also be an additional networking opportunity where delegatescan meet and discuss new initiatives in a less formal setting, as wellas providing a vehicle for recognition of FM achievements. If youmiss out on the call for papers or would like to share your ideas atthe conference in a more relaxed environment, consider submitting aposter. For more information visit www.fma.com.au.

I would also like to bring to your attention that FMA Australia hasrecently entered into a memorandum of understanding with theGreen Building Council of Australia (GBCA). This is part of ourongoing effort to foster relationships with other industry bodies, forthe mutual benefit of the members of both parties. We also havestrategic alliances with the Tertiary Education Facilities ManagementAssociation (TEFMA) and the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, AirConditioning and Heating (AIRAH). Members of FMA Australia areable to take advantage of member rates on events, products, servicesand publications offered by these organisations, so I encourage youto visit their respective websites or go to the information on strategicalliances on the FMA Australia website to see how you can benefit.

Work continues behind the scenes to ensure that member needsare represented at government and industry forums and there is agreat deal happening on the policy and research front. Increasingly,governments are recognising the wide range of knowledge and skillsthat FMA Australia’s members bring to the table and consequentlyour advice and input is being sought more frequently on a greatervariety of issues.

Since the last edition of Facility Perspectives, FMA Australia hasbeen invited to form part of the implementation group forFluorocycle, a federal government initiative to increase the recyclingrates of mercury-containing lamps. In conjunction with other industrygroups, the scheme will target key generators of commercial lightingwaste through an outreach program and encourage recycling ratherthan disposal to landfill. Initial discussions regarding the scheme’s

direction have already been held with representatives from theDepartment of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA)and we will keep you advised of progress.

Following the devastating Victorian bushfires in February this year,I wrote to Victorian Premier John Brumby offering the assistance andexpertise of FMA Australia in any subsequent reviews that may takeplace to develop better emergency management plans goingforward.

As a result, we have recently been invited by the Office of theEmergency Services Commissioner to be involved in discussions ondesigning a national telephone-based warning system for emergencyincidents (such as fires, floods, terrorist incidents and other securitythreats). I would encourage members to monitor future issues ofFMA Online and Facility Perspectives for further information on thisimportant national initiative as it is developed and rolled out over thecoming months.

The importance of sustainability issues has not diminished, despiteAustralia’s ongoing economic challenges. FMA Australia remainsactively involved in ensuring the full carbon abatement potential ofthe built environment is unlocked. In particular, we are workingclosely with other industry partners through the AustralianSustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) to ensuregovernment recognises that the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme(CRPS), whilst important, will not truly unlock the capacity of thebuilt environment to reduce emissions. Retro-greening of existingcommercial office stock and the introduction of accelerateddepreciation to affect same, are examples of complementarymeasures that are being advocated to government by FMA Australiaand its industry partners

To more effectively target our policy and advocacy priorities, wehave recently put together a comprehensive strategy for the next 12months that will allow us to focus on particular sectors within thewider FM space and further enhance understanding of the FMindustry by governments and the commercial sector as a whole. Staytuned for further developments in the coming months, including thelaunch of a dedicated policy-focussed electronic publication fromFMA Australia.

Finally, it was with great pleasure that I attended the University ofCanberra conferring of awards ceremony in August, to see FMAAustralia Chairman, Andrew McEwan, receive his Master of FacilitiesManagement degree. Along with his family I enjoyed the spectacularoccasion, which was held in the Great Hall at Parliament House.Congratulations to Andrew on his excellent achievement.

David DuncanChief Executive OfficerFMA Australia

CEO’S ADDRESS

David DuncanChief Executive Officer

FMA Australia

6


FAST FACTS + NEWS

SYDNEY, 10 JULY 2009 – Jones Lang LaSalle has beenappointed property services provider to the CommonwealthDepartment of Families, Housing, Community Services andIndigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) to manage the department’scommercial tenancies and residential portfolio, located inall states and territories across Australia.

This latest appointment is the eighth government or corporateclient to appoint Jones Lang LaSalle’s Integrated FacilitiesManagement business (IFM) as provider of propertymanagement services this year, following a strong fourth quarterin 2008 where further appointments were secured.

So far in 2009, Jones Lang LaSalle has been appointed tomanage property assets and facilities for the followingorganisations in Australia: Woolworths (with a national contractfor over 20 shopping centres), Ericsson (14 sites in Australia andNew Zealand), the Commonwealth Department of HumanServices (DHS), Centrelink, Medicare Australia, Nokia, Philipsand now FaHCSIA.

The Head of Jones Lang LaSalle in Australia, Stephen Conrysaid: “This appointment demonstrates the maturity and growthof the Facility Management market in Australia and our positionin it.

“We have taken a long-term view in the current challenging

economic environment by maintaining the high level of servicethat our existing and prospective clients require. We envisagemany more corporate roles such as this coming to the market inthe next year or so,” Mr Conry said.

Andrew McColl, National Director and Head of GovernmentBusiness, said the FaHCSIA appointment meant the combinedCommonwealth Government portfolio under Jones Lang LaSalle’smanagement now exceeded one million sq.m.

The FaHCSIA portfolio comprises 54 commercial sites in allstates and territories, spanning approximately 110,000 sqm NetLettable Area (NLA) in total. It also includes a residentialportfolio of 131 houses, located primarily in northern Australiaand remote townships.

For FaHCSIA, Jones Lang LaSalle will provide a comprehensiverange of property management services, including strategicadvice, contractor management, lease acquisition andadministration, facility management services, procurement, helpdesk, environmental management, program and projectmanagement, financial services and reporting.

The FaHCSIA contract is for a maximum term of seven yearsand will be managed by Jones Lang LaSalle’s Canberra-basedIntegrated Facilities Management team.

FaHCSIA appoints Jones Lang LaSalle to manage nationalproperty portfolio

The Green Building Council ofAustralia (GBCA) has releasedits new AssessmentFramework for ForestCertification Schemes, as partof its ongoing review of theGreen Star environmentalrating tools for buildings.

According to the GBCA’sGreen Star Executive Director,Robin Mellon, the newassessment framework willcreate a level playing field forcertification schemes, simplifycompliance requirements in theGreen Star ‘Timber’ credit andencourage the use of Australiantimber over illegal importedtimber.

“When we commenced thereview of the Green Star Mat-8‘Timber’ credit in 2007, the aimswere to recognise the value ofcertified timber products and topromote the important role thatthe Australian timber industryplays in the green buildingsupply chain.“

Mr Mellon says that the newFramework was developed inconsultation with anindependent Timber Expert

Reference Panel and addressesstakeholder concerns over theexclusive recognition of only onetimber certification scheme.

“These revisions to Green Starwill encourage the specificationof reused and post-consumerrecycled timber, as well as virgintimber certified by forestmanagement certificationschemes that meet therequirements of the newFramework,” Mr Mellonexplains.

Forest certification schemes

seeking recognition in the GreenStar Timber credit will beassessed according to howmany of the Framework’s fifteenbest practice criteria it partiallyor fully meets.

An independent third partywill assess documentation andmake recommendations to theGBCA, in the same way that theGBCA employs independentassessors to review Green Starprojects. A full report will beprovided to each applicantscheme and made public on the

GBCA website.“The Framework has been

released following an extensiveperiod of stakeholderconsultation, and the GBCA nowwelcomes ongoing feedback toensure the Frameworkcontinues to evolve and reflectbest practice in forestcertification,” Mr Mellonconcludes.

For more information visitwww.gbca.org.au

New Green Star Assessment Framework supports bestpractice timber use in buildings

7


FAST FACTS + NEWS

Message from CEO Keith Hampson:30 June 2009 marked eight years of operation for the CRC for

Construction Innovation. While Construction Innovation has beenformally extended to 31 December 2009, there will be limitedactivities continuing over the next 6 months. The focus will be on thecompletion of existing research projects, with the National BIMGuidelines being rolled out through September/October and a launchof the Dispute Avoidance and Resolution project on 17 Novemberfollowed by a series of seminars nationally.

Though Construction Innovation winds-up at the end of this year,research in this space will continue. We shared the news with ourpartners this week that we have been able to secure seed funding fora new centre from 2009-10 as a transition is made to the SustainableBuilt Environment National Research Centre.

We are certainly pleased to be in a position to get on with theurgent business of developing and delivering sustainability researchand education solutions for the built environment industry. Thecritical task of securing the new centre’s on-going funding basecontinues. We have been buoyed by strong support for the newcentre’s objectives and work program by stakeholders ingovernment, industry and research and are confident of their supportas we move to establish a national research centre.

It is probably fair to say that we are currently at a cross-road as wetransition from the existing CRC for Construction Innovation to thenew centre. We are already in discussions about new researchprojects and new centre activities look set to overlap withConstruction Innovation’s wind-up period to 31 December 2009.

I look forward to continuing our communications with you as weseek to ensure our applied research service to Australian industry ismaintained.

The CRC for ConstructionInnovation evolution toSustainable BuiltEnvironment NationalResearch Centre

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ideaction10Burswood Entertainment Complex, Perth 12-14 May 2010

Don’t miss your opportunity to present at the FM industry event of the year

Visit www.fma.com.au for details

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FAST FACTS + NEWS

As commercial buildings increasingly focus on reducing theircarbon footprint, Australia’s longest serving provider of energyefficiency products and services has undergone a radicalcompany restructure to cope with this growth and prepare forgreater business opportunities.

Established 26 years ago by prominent Melbourne entrepreneurPeter Szental, ‘Energy Conservation Systems’ (ECS) has restructuredfrom a geographical to a functional structure.

Mr Szental said the restructure would better enable his companyto help commercial office buildings prepare for MandatoryDisclosure, which would require them to disclose their energyefficiency rating at the point of sale or lease.

“Building owners and tenants are fuelling a growing demand forenergy efficiency products and services as they make the smartdecision to cut energy costs and reduce their building’s greenhousegas emissions,” Mr Szental said.

“We foresee a dramatic increase in this demand when MandatoryDisclosure legislation is implemented in 2010, so we want to beready for this business opportunity, which is not only good for theenvironment, but good for the economy as well,” he said.

ECS currently employs 80 staff in Australia and overseas. Threenational teams have replaced the company’s State-based teams. The‘Energy Efficiency Products’ team now focuses on developing newproducts and securing business, ‘Solutions’ concentrates ondelivering projects, and ‘Finance and Administration’ provides back-end support.

Mr Szental said the new structure would overcome the limitationsof being a State-based operation, support better knowledge transfer

amongst staff, and improve career development.“Now ECS can pool its expertise from around Australia to work on

large scale projects, while also offering our junior engineers andexecutives the opportunity to work with a range of more experiencedcolleagues,” Mr Szental said.

ECS is currently planning a recruitment drive to fill newly createdpositions in different States.

ECS provides commercial and non-residential buildings with arange of tailored, engineered solutions to reduce their emissions, addvalue to their building, and are cost-effective. ECS solutions include:3 Whole of building/facility energy efficiency solutions3 Integrated occupancy control of electrical, lighting, mechanical

and security services3 Intelligent lighting3 Greener air-conditioning using clean and recyclable energies 3 Monitoring and management of electricity, gas and water usage3 Building and NABERS Ratings 3 Water efficiency solutions. Many of ECS’s solutions are showcased in the multi-award

winning ‘Szencorp Building’, which is Australia’s highest ratedsustainable building (as measured by the most widely used buildingrating systems).

For more information about ECS visit www.ecsaustralia.com

ECS is part of the Szencorp group of companies. www.szencorp.net

Company restructures to meet green economy growth

Door Controls Automatic Glass Fittings

and accessories Movable Walls

DORMA Service � 46 Abbott Rd, Hallam VIC � T: 1800 675 411 � [email protected] � www.dorma.com.au

Service

Service & Maintenance of Movable Walls

The ability to utilise floor space with movable walls can result in increased revenue through greater cost

efficiencies. Regular service and maintenance should therefore not be overlooked. By not maintaining

these products in perfect working condition, the level of privacy on either side of the wall is

compromised, and in some circumstances health and safety of employees and patrons can be at risk.

DORMA specialise in the service and maintenance of all brands of movable walls. To benefit from long-

lasting product performance and continual ease of use, contact us for a free assessment.

Green air conditioning?The A.G.Coombs Group provides

leading industry specialist service

at any stage of the building life cycle

to minimise the environmental impact

of your air conditioning systems.

DISEGNO COO3107B

Contact the A.G. Coombs Group for expert service and advice or visit www.agcoombs.com.au today.

InstallationConstruction practices to minimise installation waste and emissions.

Commissioning and TuningIntegrated HVAC and controls tuning for Star Rated outcomes in new and existing buildings.

MaintenanceEnhanced services to improve performance, lower operating costs and retain Star Ratings.

OperationManagement, monitoring, ongoing tuning, reporting and verification for total performance.

Project Management and AdviceIndustry leading support to ensure the success of sustainability initiatives.

Integrated DesignLife cycle design for low ongoing environmental impact.

Technical Services and Advice

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Ian Stewart +613 9248 2700

Service and Maintenance

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Ian Taylor +613 9645 4066

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DORMA OFFERS ONE-STOP SERVICE

DORMA Service is now offering customers a new level of convenience as two DORMAdepartments merge to create one centralised Service Department that satisfies all door andmovable wall needs.

While service has long been an important part of DORMA’s offering, it was previously provided on adivision by division basis through the Automatics and Movable Walls Service Departments. Now a singleentity, DORMA Service, caters for all the product lines in DORMA’s vast portfolio. Plus, it servicescompetitors’ products to simplify servicing for facilities managers.

Operating Australasia-wide, DORMA Service has a staff of more than 100, which includes some 85highly-trained service technicians and an incredible customer service team.

“Our goal is to take service to a whole new level,” says Automatics Head of Division Craig Gilmour.“True service goes beyond just fixing things – we believe it’s an integral part of the way we do businessand lays down a strong foundation for our relationship with customers.”

Craig explains that combining resources from DORMA Automatics, Door Controls, Glas and MovableWalls to create one service department has taken careful planning, based on the development ofsystems and structures in the servicing of automatic doors over a period of years.

The benefits for customers are obvious in a one-stop Service department that offers ‘the wholepackage’ in maintenance and service. Through combined resources, DORMA instigates the best practiceof Health and Safety policies, while providing a fleet of service vehicles and staff who understand theimportance of hasty response and completion times.

“With a co-ordinated team providing one method of doing business under one structure, we see theestablishment of DORMA Service as an investment in the future of our organisation,” says Craig.

To contact the DORMA Service Department ring: 1800 675 411or email [email protected]

10


CLIENT FEATURE

DORMA AustraliaTel.1800 675 411 · [email protected] · www.dorma.com.au

When you choose DORMA, you are supported

by a nationwide network of accredited and

fully trained technicians and agents, 24

hours a day, 7 days a week.

This level of exemplary service applies to our

extensive range of DORMA automatic sliding

and swing door operators, and to all types of

automatic doors, door control products and

movable walls.

DORMA Service – opening a door to the future.automatic doors · door closers · movable walls

When you call DORMA Service you will speak

to a DORMA staff member who knows the

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Valorem is the market leader in automatingsite processes and people management.With Valorem’s innovative software solutionsyou can simplify your facilities managementprocesses, enhance the efficiency of yourstaff, contractors and services.

Our solutions target the activity at thebuilding – capturing what happens in thefield. We can streamline your operationswith solutions to:

• Manage your contractors – insurances,inductions, tracking work done on siteand measuring service level agreements.

• Manage your sites – monthly reporting,inspections, audits.

• Report and measure your activities –qualitative and quantitative.

• Monitor staff – time and attendance –welfare checks – meet your duty of care.

Valorem has solutions currently deployed inhundreds of sites throughout Australia andNew Zealand. Our three solutions are:

Praxeo for automating site processes. Usinga web-based platform with a touch-screenon site, Praxeo is a flexible, easy to use, userdriven system that allows companies totrack:

• Who is on site.

• What they are doing.

• That they have the appropriate safetyinformation prior to commencing work.

• Contractor insurances and individualinductions.

• A range of on-site compliance issues(safe work method statements, check-liststo proceed etc).

• Work orders.

Kevah for mobile reporting allows you tocapture photos and text on your handhelddevice whilst doing on-site inspectionsthrough its user friendly interface.

Praxeo Remote Token Service for time andattendance verification allows contractorsto use their mobile phones to SMS in theirarrival and departure time. A range of smartactivity and duty of care alerts can be sentvia SMS and email.

Valorem’s software-as -a -service solutionshave no capital expenditure, low upfrontcosts, minimal infrastructure and minimal ITrequirements.

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12


CLIENT FEATURE

13


FAST FACTS + NEWS

With soaring fuel prices andcrippling traffic congestion,inner-city workers are embracingcycling to improve their health,reduce their carbon footprintand save money on transportand gym memberships.

New commercial developmentsin Brisbane are getting behind themovement, giving tenants everyreason to dust off their bikes byproviding high quality end-of-tripfacilities at the workplace.

The latest Census figures show a28.9 per cent increase in thenumber of people cycling to work inAustralian capital cities, with costsavings a key driver in the shift.

Developed by joint venturepartners Michael Barakat, RaymondGeorge and Pradella, 154Melbourne in South Brisbane,offers tenants 68 bicycle racks,locker storage on both basementlevels and shower facilities.

Together with the opening of theKurilpa Bridge in September 2009,linking the city centre with SouthBrisbane, workers will be able toride to and from 154 Melbourneusing a network of dedicated cycleand pedestrian pathways.

Development manager NickHinton said Pradella wasresponding to a clear demand forfacilities that supported moresustainable travel alternatives withhealth, cost and environmentalbenefits.

“More and more companies arerecognising their responsibility tosupport the environment throughsustainable business practices, butthis is no longer just about watertanks and energy efficient lightbulbs,” Mr Hinton said.

“Many businesses are seeing thecommercial merits of takingsustainability seriously, andencouraging active forms ofcommuting is not only good for employees, but also the company’sbottom line.

“Fitter, healthier and happier employees have lower levels ofabsenteeism and higher productivity, so it makes good businesssense to provide best practise end-of-trip facilities.

“It also gives companies the opportunity to promote themselvesas an employee-friendly workplace that takes its commitment tothe environment seriously.

“154 Melbourne is located in the heart of South Brisbane’semerging business hub, surrounded by excellent existing andplanned cycling infrastructure, making it all the more convenient towalk or ride to work.”

Bicycle Queensland, the state’s peak cycling body, applaudsthese commitments to workplace sustainability and health.

According to Bicycle Queensland manager Ben Wilson, “In ourbusy time-poor world, it makes so much sense encouraging staff tocycle to work. It relieves congestion on roads and produces ahealthier, more alert workplace. Plus – it’s fun, and a great way tostart and end a day at the office!”

154 Melbourne is South Brisbane’s first Five Star Green Staroffice building, offering 12,000sqm of A Grade high quality officeaccommodation over 11 levels.

5 reasons to support staff cycling to work3 Reduce car parking demands3 Increase productivity and decrease absenteeism 3 Attract future employees 3 Enhance company image3 Healthier, fitter workforce

Employers tap benefits by encouraging cycling

Exterior of 154 Melbourne in South Brisbane

14


NEW SUSTAINABILITY GUIDE

The Sustainable Property Guide contains comprehensive step-by-step guidance, checklists and worksheets to integratesustainability into property portfolios.

Ms Tebbutt said the practical online resource would helpcommercial building owners, managing agents and buildingmanagers gain the knowledge and skills to minimise the impact ofcommercial buildings on the environment.

Commercial buildings include offices, hospitals, restaurants, hotels,education facilities, and retail and wholesale premises.

Ms Tebbutt congratulated Colonial First State Global AssetManagement for partnering with the NSW Government in preparingthe Sustainable Property Guide.

Deputy CEO and Global Head of Business Development atColonial First State Global Asset Management, Mr Neil Cochrane,said the guide would help create positive change in the propertyindustry and the broader business community.

“We are pleased to share our experience and knowledge inimplementing sustainable property management and buildingpractices,” Mr Cochrane said.

Users of the guide receive practical advice on managing energy,

water, waste and recycling as well as responsible refrigerant use andindoor air quality.

It also details how to incorporate sustainability into projectdelivery, including tenders, fitouts and retrofits, as well as supplychains and procurement.

Over the coming months, the Department of Environment andClimate Change (DECC) will work with industry partners to convertinformation in the guide into a practical training course forcommercial property professionals.

Ms Tebbutt said DECC would update the guide regularly and willlook to the commercial property industry for information on the latestsustainability initiatives and case studies.

“Environmental performance must be taken into account whetheryou are buying, leasing, upgrading or managing a building.

“The transition to more sustainable buildings is an opportunity forthe commercial building sector,” Ms Tebbutt said.

The Sustainable Property Guide is an on-line resource. To read anduse the guide, visit www.environment.nsw.gov.au/sustainbus.

NEW GUIDE FOR COMMERCIAL PROPERTYIMPROVES SKILLS AND THE ENVIRONMENTA sustainability guide for property managers, which will enhance the environmental performance ofcommercial buildings, was launched by Penny Sharpe MLC representing the Deputy Premier and theMinister for Environment and Climate Change, Carmel Tebbutt.

15


CLIENT FEATURE

INTEGRATION IN THE REAL (FM) WORLD

The Facilities Management discipline in the last 15 years has changed in many ways. The discipline hasmatured and become critical to organisations in their management of the bottom line andmaintenance of effective working places in order to conduct their business activities. The people thatnow comprise the discipline’s professional core are from different educational and skills backgroundssuch as engineering, real estate, administration, financial and so on.

The profile of the FM disciplinein the corporate world has alsochanged, given the emerging

importance of management disciplinessuch as OHS, Sustainability, Buildingcode regulatory compliance all ofwhich are impacted by FMmanagement. There are many moreindustry changes over this 15 yearperiod that have forced disciplinarychange and the increasing emergence(and convergence) of FM and RealEstate management disciplines overthis period.

This evolution of the discipline andits adherents also meant, because ofmany of the above mentionedchanges, a varying and different rangeof success factors by which the FMdiscipline is viewed or assessed. Themodern Facility Management,Corporate Real Estate Group (andmore recently Asset managementteam) goals and KPI’s are far moreholistic in nature and therefore theassessment criteria to manage in thecomplex business environment andbusiness relationships requires diverseand interrelated data to be available. Itis evident today that any organisationwithout effective IT systems andsoftware solutions to assist in thisdisciplinary field is not going toachieve an effective tactical orstrategic management capability. To compound this situation if theorganisation is reluctant or late in moving to specific softwaresolutions that assist in providing management tools (and retain Exceland/or paper based systems) then ability to implement effectivesystems at a later stage will be very costly.

This cost increase is not because of the price of the software (or itsimplementation) but the fact the modern software systems, whenimplemented into the FM and CRE management discipline, are onlyreally effective in improving management process and informationdelivery at critical times if they are integrated with existing businesssystems currently used by that organisation. Thus the effectiveintegration of the new FM or CRE system is going to deliver to theorganisations Management team (at all levels) far more benefits (andcost reductions) than only to the FM team and its usual customerbase.

There are parallels between the evolution of both FM as a businessdiscipline and the evolution of the software solution that servicethem. Much has changed in the IT world in those 15 years much ofwhich is obvious from a public perspective. The impact of theinternet, the convergence technology in mobiles phones etc allprovide the FM discipline with greater opportunity to communicate

information to a wider audience, if they have systems in place toachieve this. Less obvious is the fact that now, due to a greatercommonality of computing environments across and betweenorganisations, better application development techniques andadvanced technologies, and public data transfer protocols, integrationof the organisations disparate systems has a much greater chance ofsuccess now than at any time in the past.

This is a critical factor for long term success when implementingFM systems that they are able to exist within corporate computingenvironments, with other business critical systems (e.g. Financial, HR,CRM, Security, Asset, CRE etc) utilise new automated technologies(Smart meters, PDA, RFID, Key management, GPS tracking etc) andnew communications mediums and technologies (SMS,MMS, email,fax, web, 3D,Sharepoint etc). The software solution at the heart ofyour FM and CRE management strategy can be put in place and willprovide a sophisticated and powerful management tool with which todeal with the increasingly complex and sophisticated demands of thereal world of Facility Management.

For more information please contact Kris Greenwood on

[email protected] or 03 9600 1646

16


INFORMINFORM

inForM was initiated in May thisyear, after feedback made it clearthat the growing number of young

people in the FM industry was lookingfor a more relaxed environment thanthe usual lunchtime forums and sitevisits, in which to meet other youngprofessionals and grow their networks.

Since then, inForM events have beenheld in the majority of branches acrossAustralia and have proven to beextremely popular with the young FMcommunity.

We’ve heard interesting anecdotesand motivating success stories fromexperienced FMs such as CampbellPfeiffer, winner of the 2009 FMAAustralia and Programmed FacilityManagement Facility Manager of theYear Award and Phil Gale, Chairman ofFMA Australia’s WA branch.

The general consensus fromattendees at these events is that anetworking opportunity like this hasbeen a long time coming and with thesupport and encouragement of the FMcommunity, will continue to grow wellinto the future.

After all, what could be moreimportant than encouraging the nextgeneration of FMs to make themselvesheard by sharing ideas and buildingnetworks for the benefit of the industryas a whole?

So make sure you visit fma.com.auand get your name down for the nextinForM event in your city, or encourageyour young protégés to sign up. Welook forward to helping you to shapethe future of FM!

You can also follow inForM onFacebook. Simply logon and searchInform – Connecting Young FMProfessionals.

HAVE YOU CONNECTED YET?By now, you will no doubt have heard of inForM, FMA Australia’snew networking group especially for young FM professionals.

inForM is proudly supported by

18


COMMUNICATION

1Use the subject heading to clearlystate the intent of your email andsignal why the recipient should not

only open, but also respond to your email.For example, if you are seeking commentson a draft report, why not list the subjectas ‘Review and comment on the draftreport by 31 October 2009’.

2Begin your emails with a greetingyou would hope to receive.Although this may seem

unimportant, the greeting sets the tone forthe communication. For example, ‘Hello’,‘Good morning’, ‘Dear’ or even ‘Thank youfor the opportunity to meet with you thismorning’.

3The first paragraph in your emailshould expand upon the subjectand your intent. The recipient

should be able to stop reading at this pointand understand your intent. For example,‘We would welcome your feedback on thedraft report, particularly the financialimplications for your team. To ensure wemeet the Board meeting timelines wewould appreciate your response by closeof business on the 30th June’.

4Limit your emails to one topic.This allows the recipient to focus onthe matter at hand and not be

distracted by several different issues. Emailprovides the perfect opportunity to sendseparate communications for each topic.By mixing several topics in one email youmay not receive a response to all of theissues raised.

5Only cc people for a reason andcommunicate this. By copyingpeople into emails regularly without a specific purpose or

agreement, you may dilute the impact of an important email orworse still, frustrate the recipient. If you feel it is important to cc (orcopy) someone, why not explain the reason for including them in theemail? For example, ‘David and John have also received a copy of thisemail to ensure this program is included in the budget.’ This may alsoprevent someone from forwarding the email on for the samepurpose.

6Keep words to a minimum. This will ensure your email iseasy to read and hopefully generate a quicker response.Setting a 200 word limit or limiting the text to the visible email

window can help you to be briefer.

7Avoid using email to communicate news that is likely toupset the recipient. Face to face, or phone if this is notpossible, is a much better way to communicate. By being there

in person you will be able to reveal and observe all the non-verbalcommunication that can be critical to such discussions.

8Take the opportunity to share what the next steps andfuture actions are with the recipient. This will ensure thatthe recipient is aware of the future direction, timeframes and

how they might be involved.

9Include an email signature that lists your completecontact details. This information assists people who wouldprefer to call, write or even visit you and makes it easy for

them to respond.

10If you have to use email for urgent matters,remember to follow up with a phone call or visit. Therecipient may not have understood how important the

information and timeframes are to you. Equally, they may also havehigh priorities that day.

TOP TIPS TO IMPROVE

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20


PROCUREMENT

The recent global financial crisis has elevated contractmanagement and procurement to the number one topic ofinterest for facility managers as the industry continues to seek

better outcomes from best-practice management of contracts andprocurement.

This publication is a must-read for facility managers and propertyservices industry personnel who need to better understand thebenefits and pitfalls of the different types of contract delivery models,relationships, pricing structures and contract drivers that make up aneffective contract and procurement management system.

Complete with best-practice examples and case studies,Innovative Procurement Solutions for Service Delivery isavailable to FMA Australia members at $30 including GST and non-members at $50 including GST.

The scope of the project and key areas that are covered in thedocument are:1. Contract model (i.e. head contractor vs. managing agent)2. Relationship (i.e. traditional vs. alliancing/partnering)3. Pricing structure (i.e. lump sum vs. target cost)

4. Commercial model (i.e. KPIs and approach to risk-rewardmodels)

5. Contract term and extensions (i.e. fixed duration and extensionsvs. evergreen)

In addition to the above areas, the document discusses how andwhen innovation can be introduced throughout the procurementprocess (shown in Figure 1) and provides a table of possible solutionswith potential outcomes which can be applied by the user to helpdrive innovation in procurement within their organisation. Casestudies are also included to illustrate how these innovation solutionshave been applied and the results that have been achieved in eachcase.

This information, combined with the background research andoutcomes covered in areas 1 to 5 listed above, provides a practicaltool allowing users to implement real change and innovation in theircurrent procurement processes. A must for all FMs involved incontract management and procurement.

To order your copy, visit fma.com.au.

INNOVATIVE NEW PUBLICATION AVAILABLEFROM FMA AUSTRALIADeveloped as one of the outcomes of the FM Action Agenda, Innovative Procurement Solutions forService Delivery is the result of extensive survey analysis and research by FM Action AgendaInnovation Recognition Working Group members Mike O’Shea (Currie & Brown), Emlyn Keane (AMPCapital Investors) and Mark Slater (Johnson Controls).

FIGURE 1: THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS

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HVAC + ENERGY MANAGEMENT

MAINTAINING THEGREEN MOMENTUMBY WINTERCOMMS’ MAX WINTER

23



Led initially by a groundswell of public and governmentsupport, property industry leaders have respondedquickly to seize the opportunities that energy efficiency

measures provide, while making the most of the corporatesocial responsibility accolades that embracing thesemeasures have presented.

This movement and others such as government-industryPublic Private Partnerships have also accelerated the shift inparadigm from one of cost reduction and seeing buildings asan inevitable expense of doing business, to one of costoptimisation and seeing buildings in a whole of life context,and (when properly maintained) as an appreciating asset.

There is no doubt, however, that the recent globalfinancial crisis has impacted on the momentum of this shiftin thinking, as organisations focus on the shorter-term issuesaffecting the profitability of their core business.

Federal and State Governments have, and continue to be,key players in efforts to maintain the going greenmomentum with major programs such as the AustralianGovernment Green Building Fund (part of the CleanBusiness Australia initiative), the Building the EducationRevolution (BER) programs, and through government-industry initiatives such as the CitySwitch Green Officeprogram.

Green Building Fund Program In May 2009 the Australian Government announced

89 projects totalling $29.5 million from the firsttwo rounds of its Green Building Fund

program—to help commercial officebuildings reduce their energy

consumption andgreenhouse

gas

emissions. These projects were estimated to cut greenhousegas emissions by almost 65,000 tonnes annually, and wereexpected to support a total investment of $96.8 million toretro-fit the buildings.

Successful projects so far to date have included:3 upgrades of heating, ventilating and air conditioning

such as new chillers, variable speed drives, and so forth 3 installation or replacement of Building Management

Systems, 3 installation of wind turbines and solar panels, 3 replacement of glazing, 3 replacement of base building lighting, and 3 installation of external shading. The total amount of the Green Building Fund (over four

years) is $90 million, and the subsequent round of theprogram closed on 30 June 2009. The program providesgrants through two streams of activity, namely:

Stream A: which targets owners of existing commercialoffice buildings. The program supports building owners inreducing their energy consumption, and through retro-fittingand retro-commissioning of these buildings. Grants rangingfrom $50,000 to $500,000 are available, for up to 50% ofproject costs.

Stream B: which targets relevant industry associations.The program provides a limited number of grants to developthe knowledge, skills or capability of those involved in theoperation of commercial office buildings in order to improveenergy efficiency and reduce emissions. Grants of up to$200,000 are available, for up to 50% of project costs.

Two organisations have been successful so far in applyingfor these funds, namely The Warren Centre for AdvancedEngineering Ltd, for The Warren Centre for AdvancedEngineering’s low energy high rise project – Phase II($117,000) and the Facility Management Association ofAustralia Pty Ltd, for Tools for Change – Making CO2

Emission Reductions a Habit, an e-Book for FacilitiesManagers ($72,000).

The CitySwitch Green Office ProgramIn the meantime, occupant behaviour initiatives

designed to facilitate better environmentaloutcomes in building use have also gainedbroad acceptance, and one of these is theCitySwitch Green Office Program.

Previously known as the 3CBDsGreenhouse Initiative and established bythe City of Sydney, North Sydney Council,Parramatta City Council and the NSWDepartment of Environment and ClimateChange, the program has since beenexpanded and embraced nationally.

The CitySwitch Green Office program isnow a national tenant energy management

program run in partnership between the citiesof Sydney, North Sydney, Parramatta, Willoughby,

Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane and stategovernment agencies, the NSW Department of

Environment & Climate Change and Sustainability Victoria. With a geographical location representing approximately

70 per cent of Australia’s office space, the program works

The broad acceptance of greening the built environment by property developers, building owners,facility managers and tenants has led, in a relatively short time, to the understanding that there is nowa business case for energy efficiency measures and consequent carbon reduction, and conversely, thatnot undertaking these measures would leave property developers and owners at grave financialdisadvantage when looking for tenants.

24



with tenants to improve office energy efficiency, and reduce the CO2

emissions attributed to global warming. CitySwitch Signatories commit to achieving and maintaining an

accredited 4 stars or higher NABERS Energy tenancy rating. NABERSEnergy measures and rates a tenancy’s actual yearly greenhouse gasemissions using 12 months of energy bills.

The commitment by building occupants can be achieved bysimple, easy to implement actions that increase energy efficiencysuch as: 3 installing energy efficient lighting and office equipment 3 changing to flat screen monitors 3 activating sleep mode on equipment where applicable 3 upgrading lighting controls including occupancy sensors and

timers 3 purchasing Green Power from renewable sources 3 educating staff on the benefits of energy efficiency The CitySwitch Green Office Program aims to achieve the following

by 2012:3 Reduce the greenhouse gas emissions produced in Australia3 Significantly decrease overall electricity demand in each

participating council (and in turn water demand and wasteproduction)

3 Positively influence a widespread market transformation withinthe office tenancy sector with a focus on sustainability issues

By3 Delivering a national office tenant program in major and regional

cities that firstly addresses energy use, followed by water usageand waste minimisation

3 Encouraging a change in city worker behaviour to support anenvironmentally sustainable office culture through enrollingbusinesses as Signatories (small, medium and large officetenancies)

3 Lobbying and advocating for better energy efficiency (and in turnwater and waste efficiency) within existing commercial buildingstock

The delivery of the National CitySwitch program was coordinatedthrough the Council of Capital City Lord Mayors, and to date 98 highprofile organisations covering more than 960,000 square metres ofcommercial office space have committed to the program.

Organisations participating in the program receive the TenantEnergy Management Handbook via email. Produced by theDepartment of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), thehandbook is a comprehensive guide to effective and profitableenergy management for tenants in office buildings.

The engagement of staff in the process, their involvement in thedevelopment of the energy management plan, and keeping themcontinually informed and motivated while emphasising individualresponsibility for energy efficiency are all paramount in ensuringenergy efficiency outcomes.

Getting management buy-in for projects can sometimes bedifficult, especially if actions are likely to require capital outlay.Assistance is available however if the financing of an energy efficiencyupgrade is a challenge, since energy performance contracting (EPC) isavailable to cover your project costs with guaranteed savings.

When equipment or facilities are upgraded to improve energyefficiency under an EPC, the energy savings that result areguaranteed by the contractor for the term of the contract (usually 5-7years). If the savings fall short, the contractor makes up thedifference.

Because savings are guaranteed, they can be used to pay off thecapital cost of the project with very little risk, even over longerpayback periods of 5, 6 or even 10 years.

Organisations receive the benefits of the upgrades immediately,including better comfort or lighting levels, reduced greenhouse gasemissions, and often lower maintenance costs, while using futuresavings to pay for them. After the project has been paid off,organisations receive the benefit of the savings as well.

Energy performance contractors can:

25



3 evaluate energy use 3 identify energy saving opportunities 3 provide engineering design and

technical solutions for efficiencyupgrades

3 manage the project from design toinstallation to monitoring

3 facilitate financing, if required 3 train your staff and provide ongoing

maintenance services 3 guarantee a specified level of savings Go to the Australian Energy

Performance Contracting Association onthe web for more information.

However, energy efficiency means morethan simply installing new technology. Aspreviously mentioned, influencingoccupant behaviour is about planning, anditems for consideration include: 3 how to communicate energy

efficiency to staff 3 where the best energy savings can be

made 3 how energy efficiency projects will be

financed 3 who will be responsible for tracking

progress As part of their commitment, CitySwitch

Signatories develop and implement anEnergy Action Plan to achieve andmaintain their accredited NABERS Energyrating. They also appoint a CitySwitchEnergy Manager who is responsible formaking the office more efficient andmonitoring actual performance.

In office tenancies, energy is typicallyused in lighting (approx 70 per cent),computers and equipment (approx 30 percent).

While lighting accounts for almost 70per cent of tenant energy costs incommercial offices, using less energydoesn’t mean compromising performance.More efficient lamps and fittings candeliver the same or improved lightinglevels, and better controls can increase thepotential for saving even more. You couldreduce your lighting bill by 40-80 per cent.

Lighting upgrades include installing more efficient lamps, betterreflectors for fluorescent tubes, lighting timers or movement sensors.When considering lighting options, keep in mind that different levelsof illumination are required for different tasks. For example, typing orreading areas have different requirements compared with meetingrooms.

Efficient office lighting delivers the required light while minimisingthe amount of electricity consumed. For example, long-life productswith lower wattage or electric ballast make a good choice.

Quick tips 3 clean fittings and tubes to restore up to 30 per cent of light

output 3 remove double tubes from light fittings if they are ‘over lighting’

an area, and encourage staff and cleaners to switch off 3 arrange desks near the window or re-paint in pale, reflective

colours to maximise natural light in the office 3 if your lease still has a few years left, consider installing energy-

efficient lighting and controls. Or buy energy efficient bulbs andmake sure lights are turned off when the last person leaves.

Computer tips Computers are the largest energy consumers among your officeequipment, accounting for almost 20 per cent of energy used byAustralia’s commercial sector.

Cut down computer energy use by: 3 using ENERGY STAR® settings to save energy, cut noise, reduce

heat from motors, and prolong equipment life 3 incorporating an ENERGY STAR® requirement in your purchasing

policy 3 educating staff about the benefits of energy saving features 3 turning monitors off and shuting down PCs overnight using the

power button 3 investigating portable computers which use less power than

desktop models ENERGY STAR® puts computers into ‘sleep’ mode after a pre-set

idle period, and/or reduces the amount of power in ‘stand-by’ mode.

Office equipment tipsIt takes ten times more energy to manufacture a sheet of paper thanit does to copy onto it. Therefore, using less paper is a form of energyefficiency.

Efficient office lighting delivers the required light while minimising the amount of electricity consumed.

26



Office equipment accounts for approximately 20 per cent ofelectricity used in the commercial sector and costs Australianbusinesses around $250 million each year to run. Energy efficientoffice equipment can use half as much energy as standard models—at no or little additional cost.

Source: Tenant Energy Management Handbook, NSWDepartment of Environment and Climate Change.

Photocopiers, printers and faxes are energy hungry so it pays toanalyse the running costs of new equipment before you buy it.

Ask your supplier3 how much energy the equipment uses in sleep mode (i.e.

switched on but not operating) 3 how much energy the equipment uses when operating Work with your purchasing department to ensure running costs are

incorporated into their decision making criteria for future equipmentpurchases. Consider whether there are alternative ways to providethe service, whether the equipment is the appropriate size andcapacity for the job, and the item’s ENERGY STAR® rating.

Heating and cooling tips Supplementary air conditioning is most needed during peak times, soit can attract higher electricity charges. While heating and cooling isprimarily managed by the base building, many offices havesupplementary systems for busy areas like call centres andconference rooms.

You can improve energy efficiency by: 3 ensuring thermostats are not located near heat sources like

photocopiers 3 regularly cleaning or replacing filters

3 turning the thermostat up by one degree in summer and downone degree in winter

3 installing glazing, tinting, blinds or shades on windows 3 Use ENERGY STAR® enabled equipment 3 Remove unnecessary lamps to reduce your air-conditioning load.

Appliance tipsRefrigerators, microwaves and vending machines may use a smallproportion of your overall office energy, but by changing simplebehaviours they can present quick and easy opportunities to save.

For example:3 only run dishwashers when full 3 avoid wasting water, especially hot water 3 repair dripping taps 3 locate fridges in cool areas away from the sun, with ample

ventilation around the coils A simple plug-in timer switch costs around $20 and can be used

for water coolers, drink vending machines and water boilers.

Things to remember when choosing appliances orwhitegoods: 3 smaller water boilers cost less to buy and run 3 alternatives like electric kettles are more efficient to run 3 choose a small bar fridge if it only serves a few staff 3 select whitegoods with a high ENERGY STAR® rating (the more

stars, the more energy efficient it is) The ENERGY STAR® rating label is now mandatory on refrigerators,

freezers, dishwashers, washing machines and air conditioners. Itmakes it easy to compare different models and also indicates theenergy consumption in kWh over a year.

GreenPowerGreenPower is a national accreditation program, administered by the NSWGovernment, that sets stringent environmental and reporting standards forrenewable energy products offered by electricity suppliers to households andbusinesses across Australia. GreenPower is clean, renewable energy fromapproved sources like solar and wind. When you choose a GreenPower accreditedproduct your electricity company commits to buying a requested amount ofrenewable energy on your behalf. It’s an investment in a cleaner, brighter future and themore people switch to GreenPower, the bigger the return for the environment.Purchasing accredited GreenPower for your business helps reduce emissions of harmfulgreenhouse pollution in Australia and contributes to a sustainable environment with greaterenergy resources for future generations. Demonstrate your company’s environmental commitmentby reducing your greenhouse gas emissions and obtain even more of the benefits listed below, just bypurchasing GreenPower.

Benefits of buying GreenPower 3 direct reductions in your greenhouse gas emissions 3 leverage your purchase with PR activities or marketing collateral using the GreenPower Customer logo

(where minimum purchase is met) 3 position your company as a responsible corporate citizen 3 differentiate your company from your competitors 3 fulfil environmental policy and objectives easily and efficiently 3 improve your environmental performance rating to be included in environmentally screened funds 3 increase your employee morale by being a company of integrity and leadership 3 over 100,000 households choose GreenPower and are highly likely to purchase from or invest in companies that purchase

GreenPower 3 for business customers eligible to use the GreenPower logo, the Department of Environment and Climate Change offers marketing

and PR support to help you promote your GreenPower commitment

It’s easy to switch to GreenPower. Contact your current electricity provider or visit www.greenpower.gov.au for further information.

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The fleet consists of portable diesel generators

from 20 to 1750 kVA.

Our Temperature Control solutions include

process cooling, critical process contingencies,

additional capacity, supplementary cooling,

planned maintenance and shutdowns, heat stress,

and personnel fatigue management and mine

cooling (both surface and underground).

The fleet consists of fluid chillers (air and water

cooled), cooling towers, packaged conditioners,

industrial air handlers and heat exchangers.

Our Compressed Air solutions include

compressed air, high pressure drilling air, process

and plant air, critical process air, pipeline pigging

air and construction air.

The fleet consists of portable 100% oil free and

oil filled diesel compressors, high pressure and

standard pressure after cooled units, low & high

pressure desiccant dryers, boosters and filter

packs, manifolds and receivers.

CAT Rental Power currently has nine branches

located around the country with access to over

100 additional Australian locations and technical

support staff through its Caterpillar dealer partners

within Australia and over 1500 locations overseas.

Melbourne | Sydney | Brisbane | Rockhampton |

Townsville | Darwin | Karratha | Perth | Adelaide

ENERGY RENTAL SOLUTIONS

One Network. One Call.1800 800 441 | 24 / 7 Support

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POWER GENERATION20 - 1750 kVA Fuel Tanks Transformers Switchrooms Accessories

COMPRESSED AIR 100% Oil Free 80 - 500 psi Desiccant Dryers Filter Packs Accessories

TEMPERATURE CONTROL Fluid Chillers Cooling Towers Air Conditioners Air Handlers Heat Exchangers Accessories

Energy Power Systems Australia Pty Ltd

27


28


CLIENT FEATURE

WORLD CLASS ENERGY EFFICIENCYREFURBISHMENTART GALLERY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA (AGSA)The ProjectThe Art Gallery of South Australia holds a significant Australianand International Art Collection. The provision of the highestquality of air conditioning is essential in the preservation ofirreplaceable works of Art.

Management of the gallery chose the installation of theShaw Method of Air Conditioning (SMAC) to the West WingGalleries in order to reduce energy expenditure and to gainbetter control of fluctuating humidity and temperatureconditions. The West Wing galleries are 33% of the total AGSAFloor area.

Why World Class

Based upon over 2 years energy and performance measuringand monitoring the outcomes are:

3 Significant improvement in temperature and humiditycontrol and with elimination of fluctuations to both.

3 Reduction of over 50% energy and hence greenhouseemissions. This reduction demonstrates that worldwidetargeted emissions reduction by 2020 and 2050 areachievable now.

3 Peak electrical load reduction of 14%, this will manifest asa 40% reduction upon completion of the remaining 66%.

3 An estimated cooling tower water consumptionreductions exceeding 40% upon complete upgrade.

3 Payback for the West Wing and based upon SMACelements only is under 3 years.

Works have commenced upon upgrades to the airconditioning of the remaining 66% and completion isscheduled for November 2009. Upon completion the ArtGallery of South Australia will become Australia’s and arguablythe world’s most energy efficient.

RecognitionThis project has been widely acclaimed in Australia and hasreceived 3 National Awards of Excellence in sustainability,environment and energy efficiency from FMA, NECA andAIRAH. Furthermore it is featured as Case Study No 10 by theCooperative Research Centre for Construction Innovation refer,www.brite.crcci.info.

The TechnologySMAC differs from conventional air conditioning processes in that,rather than drawing untreated outside air and then cooling it withinthe total air system incoming outside air is pre-treated (de-humidifiedand cooled) by a separate, outside air coil before merging with insideair. Supply air is treated by the second coil which belongs to theoriginal conventional system. The twin coil prevents the need to useenergy twice to overcool and reheat air in order to maintain humidityin the occupied space. (Extract from Case Study No 10 CRCCI) SMACis a patent protected process.

Green Building Fund (GBF)We advise that the owners of six buildings have been successful withthe inclusion of SMAC in their application for funding under the GBF.These building include 4 in Sydney and 1 each in Darwin andAdelaide.

The GBF is a commonwealth government initiative that in respectto SMAC enables it to be fully and comprehensively showcased in

refurbishment to existing buildings. These 6 buildings willcompliment the achievements to date with SMAC. We congratulatethe government for their GBF initiative.

SMAC integrated with technologies listed in the opposite page isan economical methodology to achieve 5 star Nabers for existing andnew buildings.

CommentarySMAC is Australian technology and the owners are proud, honouredand privileged that Johnson Controls Australia (JCA) have chosen tosupport and promote our technologies in Australia. We congratulatethem on being awarded Australia’s first Clinton Climate Initiativeprojects in Melbourne and for the inclusion of SMAC.

For inquiries regarding Johnson Controls and York call

Peter Moser on (08) 8374 7444 or 0431 206 884.

For SMAC inquiries contact Wayne Ryan (08) 8363 3155

or 0419 971 779.

Elder Wing, 2005, ART GALLERY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA (AGSA)

DESIGNED TO EXCEED

5 STAR NABERS (ENERGY)

AUSTRALIA’S HIGHEST

ENERGY RATING FOR BUILDINGS

COMFORT

FRESH

MANAGE

QUIET

BRIGHTINTELLIGENT LIGHTING SYSTEMJohnson Controls Australia (08) 8374 7444

ENERGY EFFICIENT CHILLERSYORK by

Johnson Controls Australia (08) 8374 7444

BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEMAir Con Serve (08) 8363 3155


INDUCTION VARIABLE AIR VOLUMEBarcol Air Engineering Sydney (02) 9481 4500

Adelaide (08) 8363 3155


Brisbane (07) 3630 3000

Melbourne (03) 9751 5000

SHAW METHOD OF AIR CONDITIONINGSMAC Technologies (08) 8363 3155


TE

NA

NT

& E

NV

IRO

NM

EN

T F

RIE

ND

LY

™SMACT E C H N O L O G I E S

w w w . s m a c t e c . c o m

WORLD CLASS 5 STAR REFURBISHMENT

Commitment Agreement to Achieve 5 Stars

Nabers (Energy) Base Building

REFURBISH STAR MAKING TECHNOLOGIES

(ENERGY FFICIENCIES)

30


CLIENT FEATURE

APATHCO SYSTEMS

Apathco Systems has partnered with US-based Cypress Envirosystems to bringtheir patent-pending Wireless PneumaticThermostat (WPT) to the Australianmarketplace.

The WPT retrofits existingpneumatic thermostats todeliver direct digital control

(DDC) functionality in minutes.Compared with a cost of (USD)$2,500or more per zone for implementingDDC systems, the WPT costs less than20% as much, and it may be installedin under 20 minutes with minimaldisruption of occupants. It enablesremote temperature sensing andcontrol of setpoints, programmablezone control and night setback,automatic self-calibration, BACnetintegration with existing automationsystems, and enables use with utilityDemand Response programs. It usesthe Open-ADR communicationsstandard developed by LawrenceBerkeley National Laboratories.

An additional benefit of the WPT isthe ability to control and track after-hours HVAC usage, particularly forcost recovery in multi-tenant buildings.

The Cypress Envirosystems WPT hasan override button for occupants andprovides a detailed record of whichzone was requested, a time stamp andthe duration. Also, when a zonetemperature crosses preset upper orlower limits, the WPT canautomatically notify a maintenancestaff member via mobile phone orpager.

Unlike DDC systems, the WPTgives building operators the flexibilityto retrofit an entire building at once, oronly selected individual zones as thebudget and need arises. The WPT canoperate as a standalone system or canintegrate with existing buildingautomation systems from Siemens,Honeywell, Johnson Controls, TAC andothers via a BACnet/IP interface.

Please contact Apathco Systems on

1300 85 25 40 for more details or visit

www.apathco.com.au

31



In fact, the United Nations Environment Programme estimatesthat the worldwide built environment’s lifespan contribution toglobal CO2 emissions is 40 per cent. This makes it the largest

single contributor and places it at the front line of the battle againstglobal warming.

While there is considerable evidence that buildings are a majorpart of the problems our planet is facing, they can equally be a largepart of the solution.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that 30per cent of the greenhouse gas emissions projected to arise frombuildings by 2030 can be avoided by investing in energy efficientbuildings. What’s more, this saving can be achieved at a neteconomic benefit.

Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems are alarge contributor to energy loads in buildings, and comprise a largepart of building operating costs. With that in mind, improved energyefficiency in this area can deliver significant financial advantages atthe same time as the environmental benefits.

According to the Green Building Council of Australia’s (GBCA’s)Green Star Executive Director, Robin Mellon, improved energyperformance in buildings reduces operation costs, decreases levels ofpollution during the production and consumption of energy, and canenhance occupant health and comfort.

“In fact, with the increasing cost of energy, even efficiency

measures requiring a significant capital investment can have a rapidpayback period,” Robin says. “First and foremost, systems andtechnology are not the answer alone, but coupled with good passivedesign solutions – orientation, shading and materials choices forexample – technology can have a massive impact on a building’sefficiency.”

Holistic consideration of a building’s energy load is essential tointegrating energy efficiency into building operations, Robin says.“It’s important to consider HVAC equipment and operationprocedures along with other building features. For example, reducingenergy needs through improved window glazing, insulation, and useof other passive or active features can enable mechanical HVACsystems to be downsized. In essence, the better the building façade,the less energy required inside.”

The GBCA operates the Green Star environmental rating system forbuildings, which evaluates the green attributes of building projectsbased on nine categories, which look at issues such as energy andwater efficiency, indoor environment quality and resourceconservation.

Green Star environmental rating tools support the property andconstruction industry in reducing the environmental impact ofbuildings, improving occupant health and productivity and achievingreal cost savings, while showcasing innovation in sustainable buildingpractices.

HVAC: OPPORTUNITIES FORTHE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINEResidential and commercial buildings are responsible for 23 per cent of Australia’sgreenhouse gas emissions.

32



While traditionally most of the focus on HVAC has been onminimising its energy consumption, there are additional aspects thatare considered within Green Star. The amount of fresh air deliveredinto a space, the mix and circulation of the air, and the capacity of thebuilding to deliver the air effectively can all have an impact on thewell-being of occupants, and so are considered within Green Star.

The design and construction of an HVAC system is also consideredwithin a number of Green Star tools. In Green Star – Healthcare v1,for instance, access to the ducting for maintenance purposes isassessed, as is the construction of the system. In Green Star – OfficeInteriors v1.1, projects are required to clean the existing ductworkprior to use in order to reduce the amount of mould in the systemitself. All Green Star rating tools are available to download from theGBCA’s website, for free, at www.gbca.org.au

All Green Star rating tools measure the proportionally largeenvironmental impact of a refrigerant’s ozone depletion potential(ODP) and global warming potential (GWP) - as a typical refrigerantmolecule can contribute 1,000 times more to global warming than amolecule of carbon dioxide, for example. Furthermore, the water useof an HVAC system is considered, if the system uses a cooling tower,as well as the risks that such systems pose with regards to Legionella.

“The Green Star environmental rating system can be used as a toolto conduct an assessment of your building’s current features, helpyou set goals for sustainability achievement, and deliver equipmentand operation improvements using a whole building approach,”Robin says.

Energy efficiency can be a challenge in many commercial building

spaces – none more so than retail centres. “The size and scale ofshopping centres can make them difficult to condition – with theneed to provide fresh air, natural light and temperature control tolarge spaces often requiring a combination of solutions,” RobinMellon says.

Despite the challenges, energy efficient HVAC systems helpedMirvac achieve a 6 Star Green Star rating – Shopping Centre (PILOT)for the Orion Springfield Town Centre.

Orion Springfield is considered a pioneer of world’s best practicein environmental design for a retail centre, with its Green Star ratingrepresenting world leadership. The project was the first in Australiato achieve a 6 Star Green Star rating for a retail centre.

Orion Springfield’s total site area is 40 hectares, with Stage 1 ofthe development of approximately 35,000m2 featuring two shoppingmalls set around a pedestrian-friendly main street, which leads to atown square. Just like a traditional town centre, Orion is a place to dobusiness, meet friends, enjoy a meal or do some shopping.

According to Adrian Michaels, Mirvac Asset Management’sSustainability Manager, Orion Springfield was designed to useapproximately half the energy of a similar-sized shopping centre,stores around 2,500 kilolitres of rainwater per annum via 780,000litre rainwater tanks, and has minimised or eliminated volatile organiccompounds in all paints, adhesives and floor coverings.

Condensate recovery from air handlers provides 1,950 kilolitres ofwater for reuse each year with cooling tower blowdown waterrecovery providing an additional 10,000 kilolitres of water. Alllandscape watering, bin wash downs, toilet and urinal flushing, as

33



well as cooling tower make-up and water feature top-upsare supplied from 100 percent recycled water.

“Orion Springfield is thefirst Australian project toincorporate variable airvolume air handling systemsin all its retail tenancies,”Adrian explains. “Orion’senergy use in the airconditioning of tenancies willsave 67 per cent of theenergy from the reduced fanusage and 33 per cent fromreduced coolingrequirements.”

The standard shoppingcentre tenancy airconditioning design featuresfixed air volume systems.These systems use dampersto create air balance in theductwork and balancecooling loads. The use ofdampers leads to increasingstatic pressure in the air conditioning ducts and back-pressure on theair handler supply fans.

“Most regular shopping centres in Australia do not provide any airto the tenancies - they simply supply either cool water, or electricity,for tenants to install their own systems. This traditional approach isquite energy inefficient, so Orion’s solution is a great step forward,”Robin says.

The shopping centre’s common areas feature mixed mode airconditioning in both the north and south malls. “Depending upon theoutside conditions, the air conditioning will operate on one of thethree modes. The building management system provides thenecessary decision-making to automatically select the appropriatemeans of maintaining space conditions in the malls,” Adrian explains,adding that the malls are broken into four areas, with each of the fourareas being independently controlled.

In ‘Natural Ventilation’ mode the mall air conditioning iscompletely shut down and ventilation is provided purely throughnatural convection. When air conditioning is required and ambientconditions are suitable, the air handling units are capable ofoperating in 100 per cent fresh air mode to achieve comfort levels.When outside air conditions are not favourable and mechanicalcooling is required, the use of carbon dioxide monitoring allows thereduction of outside air intake to minimal levels to minimise energy

use under these conditions. Extensive use of natural ventilationensures both large reductions in energy use and improved indoor airquality.

The Orion Springfield Town Centre features a chilled water system,comprising two high efficiency chillers piped in series. The systemoperates at a high delta-T of 15 degrees entering and 5 degreesleaving temperature. The higher delta-T system reduces the requiredchilled water volume proportionally, in turn reducing the pumpingpower required to deliver that chilled water to the air handlingsystem. The advanced design of the chilled water system reduces thechilled water pumping energy and cooling tower fan energy by over60 per cent compared to standard designs.

The result is not just an estimated 300 tonne reduction ingreenhouse gas emissions compared to similar sized normallyconditioned centres, but also a 62 per cent reduction in potablewater consumption compared to business as usual design.

The GBCA’s Robin Mellon says that Orion Springfield is a clearexample of how HVAC approaches can improve the performance ofhigh-performing buildings.

“Sustainable green buildings are today’s smart investment. Bycarefully analysing, planning and executing your HVAC upgrades, youcan deliver big benefits to the environment — and your bottom line,”Robin concludes.

The infrastructure behind Orion’s 6 Star Green Energy Rating.

34


CLIENT FEATURE

The company responsible for the design and constructionof the enormous A380 airplane have purchased anumber of Australian-made air conditioning units for use

in their manufacturing plant. Airbus purchased a number ofMuller’s 3C units to cool its Toulouse-based facility where itbuilds its 525-seat airliner, the largest of its kind in civil service.

The 3C, designed and manufactured in Melbourne, waschosen for its ability to cool without the risk of harbouringLegionella.

France has among the most stringent Legionnaires diseaseprevention measures in the world, where typical cooling towerscannot be installed without special Government approval. As aresult, there’s strong demand for adiabatic systems in which airis pre-cooled upstream of a heat exchanger. Even this variety ofcooling technology is limited, as French authorities will notaccept systems that have the potential to disperse aerosols.

“In my view the French are one of the few that have it right,”commented Muller’s Managing Director, Grant Hall. “Spraysystems of all types produce aerosol and this can be particularlydangerous if the supply line is not self draining. Many spraysystems attempt to reduce the risk of contaminated aerosol andcoil fouling by adding expensive water treatment systems suchas UV. In my view you would better off with a traditional tower.”

In light of these restrictions, Muller’s units were contracted tothe aerospace manufacturer through Jacir Air Traitement, theFrench-based firm that will oversee the delivery and installationof the 3C into several production units at Toulouse.

Doic Hordern from Jacir Air Traitement explained the fact theunits can be easily dismantled for servicing was a factor in theirpurchase.

“By offering vertical coils the 3C enabled internal access tothe units, and it was demonstrated to Airbus that fans could beremoved while standing on the floor of the unit,” commentedHall. “Because of the locality this was a major issue to them.”

3C COOLS A380Image: © AIRBUS S.A.A 2005 - Photo: exm company / H. GOUSSÉ

Image: © AIRBUS S.A.A 2005 - Photo: exm company / H. GOUSSÉ

Image: © AIRBUS S.A.A 2005 - Photo: exm company / H. GOUSSÉ

Muller Industries Australia27 Hi Tech Court, Kilsyth VIC 3137

Tel: 03 8761 6155 mullerindustries.com.au

The risk of an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease?

The massive consumption of potable water in your facility?

Energy efficiency & soaring electricity prices?

Continual chemical water treatment & subsequent wastefrom managing the health risks?

The ongoing costs of cleaning & maintaining cooling towers?

ANSWER YES TO ANY OF THE FOLLOWINGAND YOU ARE MOST CERTAINLY OPERATINGYESTERDAY’S TECHNOLOGY!

Only one decision can put your mind at ease,

and you will rest easy in the knowledge that

you are making a substantial contribution

to the community and the environment.

A R E Y O U C O N C E R N E D A B O U T

TOMORROW’S TECHNOLOGYTODAY.

The installation of 3C technologyat Royal Melbourne Hospital has contributed to

facility water consumption being reducedby a massive 60 million litres per year,

while also eliminating the risksof a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak.

36


CLIENT FEATURE

02 9777 8799

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OFFICE WORKSTATIONS ‘OLD’ CAN BE ‘NEW’

Workstations last for many years and will generally out last the people who sit at them. When moving or upgrading, so many offices simply throw out their existing fittings. What they don’t know is that existing workstations can be refitted and updated to appear just like a new installation. By reusing your assets, not only are you saving money but you are not contributing to land fill thus making your office much greener.

If we can help you re-use your existing assets or recycle them avoiding unnecessary land fill, we can drastically reduce the negative impact of working offices on our local, regional and national environment. All this without compromise on style or function

Once Urban Workstations began servicing clients in the recycled market it was clear that there is also a need for custom NEW workstations also offering a ‘greener option’. After liaising with the manufacturers directly, Urban Workstations has developed techniques to remove colourings and coatings, using environmentally friendly methods, we then resurface all faces of the workstations resembling a new looking product. And the good news is that you will save money too!

For more information please contact greg at [email protected] or phone 02 9777 8799

NEW MANAGER JOINS THE OLD TEAM

Greg Stephinson is the new face of Urban Workstations. For the past 8 years he has served in theAustralian Army. His experience both in Australia & overseas will be invaluable to the success of this

environmentally concerned business. Greg has now left the Army to take on a new challenge.

Urban Workstations provides an affordable and sustainable option of re-using pre-loved officeworkstations, just re-configured, to suit your new office space requirements. The benefit to you and your company is that you will be contributing to a lower carbon footprint by promoting a

green and environmentally friendly office. Your office can still exhibit the latest modern appearance and comfort for your employees and customers.

37



The Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air Conditioning andHeating (AIRAH) run an excellent series of Melbourne andSydney Forums, and the Melbourne Forum I recently attended

was on Re-Lifing Pre-Loved Buildings. While the wintry Melbourneweather kept a few of the faint-hearted away, there was nonethelessan excellent turn-out of about 150+ people representing the variousindustry sectors that comprise the property industry.

There was a great line-up of speakers on the night including AmyHogan - Sustainability Manager, Colonial First State Global AssetManagement, speaking on their strategic perspective on re-lifing pre-loved buildings; there was Bruce Precious – Office and IndustrialSustainability Manager, GPT Group, speaking on the 530 CollinsStreet Energy Performance Contract; and there was Dr PaulBannister – Managing Director, Exergy Australia, speaking on TopTricks for Upgrading Buildings.

Attendees were treated to a smorgasbord of valuable practicalinformation on strategies and case study specifics and Dr PaulBannister’s presentation was certainly no exception to the rule whenhe imparted his advice, gained from numerous practical consultingexamples, on the steps to take in upgrading your building.

Tackling the question of ‘Why fix existing buildings?’ Paul explainedthat fixing buildings is cheaper, faster, and better for the environment– but oh so much less sexy!

What’s wrong that needs fixing? For post 1990 buildings it was amixture of dying controls, aging plant, and years of accumulated badcommissioning, and some design problems. For pre-1990 buildings itwas the same, with a greater share of overriding design problems.

In terms of fixing or upgrading priorities, Paul stated that thefollowing applied:

Priority 1: Control3 Bad control beats good plant3 Well designed control can fix some commissioning errors.Greater control over your building’s systems is the first and key

step in improving your building’s performance outcomes.

Priority 2: Commissioning3 Bad commissioning beats good plantBadly commissioned plant will never give you a true picture of the

actual state of your plant, or where the likely plant shortcomingswere that needed to be resolved.

Priority 3: Plant3 Only worthwhile once it is controlled and commissioned

properly.Only once you have control of your building and have properly

commissioned plant, are you in a position to make decisions on whatplant improvements can be made.

So how do we achieve control? Specifically the steps are:

ControlThe key aims of efficient control are to achieve comfort controlat the same time as:3 Minimising the chiller/boiler run hours3 Minimising simultaneous heating and cooling3 Dropping fan speeds as far as possible3 Dropping pump speeds as far as possible3 Making the best use of available free resource (for example,

economy cycle)

TOP TRICKS FOR UPGRADING BUILDINGSWinterComms’ Max Winter reports on Dr Paul Bannister’s AIRAH Melbourne Forum presentation onTop Tricks for Upgrading Buildings

38 HVAC + ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Key control tricks for chillers were:3 Maximise chilled water temperature3 Minimise condenser water temperature3 Stage for maximum efficiency (but don’t forget the pumps)3 Don’t turn on until you absolutely have to

Key control tricks for boilers:3 TURN THEM OFF!

Key control tricks for fan and pumps:Variable pressure control3 Maximise valve/VAV damper positions,3 Compensates for shoddy commissioning AND doubtful sensors

Key control tricks for Air Handling Units (AHUs)Variable volume, always;Reduce maximum flows3 Get rid of overdesign3 Especially important for full outside air systemsBeware high-select3 Whatever is extreme is probably brokenEconomy Cycle3 Enthalpy control3 Don’t over-conservatise

Key controls for Variable Air Volume (VAVs)Reduce minimum flows3 Down to 20% is often feasibleIncrease VAV deadbandsUse proportional control

Coordinate VAV settings and AHU supply air temperature control3 Generally aim for low flow, low tempDisable reheat except where needed for space heating

CommissioningGet the pressure set-points as low as possibleLocate pressure sensors at the end of the main runActually test the air and water flowsMake sure that the valve/damper actuators are actually workingTest and fix VAVs3 15-20% failure rate commonTest the lighting controls, if you have any…

Plant upgradesChillers3 Savings of 50% on older chillers are feasible3 Select the chiller to match your needs3 Great (IPLV>9*) may be expensive, but good (IPLV>8) isn’t.Remember: the best water conservation is energy conservation3 So don’t rush to air-cooled.*Chillers generally have a Full-Load (FL) rating and an Integrated

Part Load Value (IPLV) rating. The IPLV is a weighted average ofefficiency measurements at various part-load conditionsAir Handling Units (AHUs)3 An expensive option but worth consideration for older buildings3 Aim for one AHU per façade


39



3 Try to eliminate reheat3 Upgrade to swirl diffusers3 Get rid of fan assisted boxes

Tenant condenser water loop3 Variable Speed Drive (VSD) on pump

3 Static pressure sensor at the end of the main run3 Automatic shut-off valves on every tenant unit

Base building lighting3 Occupancy sensor common area lights off3 Consider stairwell lighting controls3 Eliminate dichroics*3 Remove/delamp valence lighting3 Occupancy sensors for car parks*Low voltage but high wattage downlights.

Tenancy lighting3 Upgrade to better than 7W/m23 Preferably single lamp fittings3 Provide control infrastructure, and make the tenants use it

Lifts3 Lift companies in Australia have not yet caught up with energy

efficiency3 Reduce unnecessary speed, acceleration3 *Consider variable frequency, variable voltage with regenerative

braking3 Push for low standby loads*Paul pointed out that this option was HUGELY EXPENSIVE! But

this paled compared to his disdain for Cogeneration, much to theamusement of the audience, as you will see below.Cogeneration3 Last refuge of the desperate3 Consider fixing lifts first!3 Only 0.5 star benefit in temperate climates3 Absorption chillers may not be of benefit3 Doubts about longevity and maintainability(I must admit that in the case of the Absorption chiller at 40 Albert

Road at least, the unit proved to be of no value in saving energy. Thereasoning was that it may have been of benefit in temperature zonessuch as Queensland).

How far will this get you in terms of star ratings?For most buildings an upgrade to 4 stars is feasible 3 4.5 stars at more of a stretchUpgrade to 5 stars is very expensive and experimentalPaul’s results indicate a 30% saving on a 3 year payback as a

reasonable expectation.

Paul’s parting warning; Don’t forget to upgrade yourstaff!The Warren Centre Low Energy High Rise Project indicates thatbuildings perform better when:3 The staff and contractors care about performance3 The management chain all work positively with efficiency issues3 Energy efficiency training is provided3 The NABERS rating is declared to tenants

Paul’s conclusions3 Upgrading an existing building is viable, and good business3 Upgrades to 4 stars are generally feasible, higher ratings with

more effort3 Controls and commissioning play a central role to achievement

of good ratings3 Plenty of options for plant upgrade too – but AFTER control and

commissioning3 Cogen is always an option but it’s desperation.Interestingly, cogeneration is exactly the route Bruce Precious took

in the upgrade at 530 Collins Street, and I hope to bring you more onthis in a future issue.

For more information call Paul at Exergy Australia on 02 6257 7066or email [email protected]

$300

$250

$200

$150

$100

$50

$00 1 2 3 4 5

07/07/2009

Dollars per square metre investment versus star rating expected. Anything above 4.5 starrating and the investment increases dramatically.

40


CLIENT FEATURE

KW/2 SLASHES LIGHTINGENERGY COSTS BY 55%Telstra House, centrally locatedon Pirie Street, Adelaide andbuilt in 1987, is a 24 storey high rise building tenanted by Australia’s largesttelecommunications company,Telstra Corporation. TelstraHouse comprises general officeaccommodation, a call centreand executive officeaccommodation throughoutthe building.

The ProjectAt the time of this project Efficient EnergySystems (EES) had already successfullycompleted a number of high profile energysaving projects for Telstra. It was of nosurprise when the Facility Manager, CoffeyEnvironments, environmental consultants forUnited Group Services, invited EES toparticipate in the open tender for the supplyand installation of an energy efficient lightingsolution. EES was ultimately successful inwinning the tender with a lighting solutionthat promised exceptional energy savings.

The ChallengeThe tender called for the lighting on 16 floorsto be upgraded, representing a total floorarea of 13,440 square metres. A total of2,363 luminaires required upgrading. The existing luminaires were recessedtroffers with return air slots and framedprismatic diffusers at 2.4 metre centres. The luminaires were fitted with 2 x 36W tri-phosphor tubes and low loss magneticballasts resulting in a total energyconsumption of 84W and lighting powerdensity of 14.6W/m2. This arrangementresulted in over illumination of the office space, which caused headaches,complaints and loss of productivity by the building’s occupants, as well as highenergy consumption.

The challenge here was to reduce the overall energy consumption, as well as optimising light output, indoorenvironmental quality and reliability with the new lighting solution.

The SolutionIn order to minimise disruption to theexisting spatial separation of the light fittings,and reduce project costs, it was decided toupgrade the existing light fittings byretrofitting these with high performanceKW/2 Specular Reflectors. The KW/2reflector was customised to fit the existing

fitting with the lamp centrally placed at thefocal point of the reflector, producing 20 percent more downward light than the previousdesign, and where it was more useful.

The 2 x 36W tri-phosphor tubes and lowloss magnetic ballasts were replaced with asingle 36W tri-phosphor lamp and highefficiency warm start electronic ballast. Theresult was energy consumption which wasreduced by more than 50 per cent to 35Wper fitting with the lighting power densityreduced to less than 6.5W/m2. In theprocess the lighting levels were reduced,which stabilised the number of complaintsand loss of productivity.

All the lamps were replaced to achieve an even light intensity and colour uniformity throughout the work space and to reduce future maintenance costs. Inaddition, lamps, ballasts and packagingremoved from this project site were allseparately recycled ensuring responsibleenvironmental stewardship.

The installation and commissioning of thenew lighting scheme was expertly under-taken by North East Electrical within budgetand schedule.

The Cost SavingsThe energy saving as a result of the lightingupgrade was 433,000 kWh per annum, whilegreenhouse gas emissions reduced by 424tonnes with an annual cost saving of $39,000.

In addition to the energy savings, thelighting levels were uniform throughout whichresulted in an improved indoors environmentand operator comfort. Finally, the newlighting scheme met the requirements ofAS/NZ1680 for lighting design andsignificantly exceeded the BCA benchmarks.

The FactsAnnual energy savings: 433,000 kWhAnnual greenhouse gas savings: 424 tonnesAnnual energy cost savings: $39,000

For more information about Efficient

Energy Systems visit our website at

www.eesaustralia.com

41


RETROGREENING

That said, every problem is an opportunity in disguise. With theConstruction Forecasting Council (CRC) anticipating a sharpdecline in construction of new commercial premises over the

next two years, the current climate is the best opportunity thatenterprising property owners and managers are likely to get toposition existing buildings to compete with new ones.

Tenants have come to expect a lot from building performance—and just because construction activity has diminished is no reason tobelieve that the expectations of tenants will do likewise. Whenbuoyant market conditions return, as they surely will, those managingexisting buildings will need to compete in performance stakes withnew constructions built to five and six star specifications.

The environmental case for retrofitting or retrogreening existingcommercial office stock is strong. However, in the current economicclimate, there has been some concern that property owners andmanagers would revert to “safe” options and that caution in theeconomic sphere would naturally extend to design.

Fortunately, what is increasingly clear to many in the industry isthat the economic imperatives for undertaking retrofitting work arejust as compelling as the environmental ones.

Protecting Jobs & Protecting the EnvironmentIn an atmosphere where rising unemployment is of major concern, aconcerted effort directed towards the sustainability of existingbuilding stock holds the key to providing employment opportunities

in a sector that is otherwise set to struggle for the next few years. With economic issues now firmly at the centre of the wider policy

debate, it will be important for advocates to stress the employment-side benefits of a large-scale national commitment to retrogreeningof existing commercial office buildings going forward.

Estimates vary, but a recent report undertaken by Davis Langdonsuggests that a large-scale national program of retrogreening couldcreate over 10,000 direct job opportunities in the construction sectoreach year, with almost 27,000 opportunities being generated perannum across the broader economy.

Over a ten year period, this would produce employment foraround 270,000 people across the broader economy. In an economicenvironment where new employment opportunities are difficult tosecure, these are numbers not to be ignored.

Environmental BenefitsAs well as the economic benefits that would stem from acomprehensive national approach to retrogreening existing buildingstock, the strength of the environmental case is overwhelming. Aclear pathway for achieving better outcomes from the builtenvironment was set out in The Second Plank report produced by theAustralian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) inSeptember 2008.

The Second Plank report outlined in some detail the additionalcarbon abatement opportunities that are available by unlocking the

RETROGREENING – A MUST FOR STABILITY INTHE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SECTORSIMON MORGAN, FMA AUSTRALIA’S POLICY ADVISOR, EXPLAINS WHY

It is no secret that the economic events of the past year have had a debilitatingimpact on most sectors in the Australian economy. The commercial property sectorhas suffered and will continue to feel the effects for some time to come.

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RETROGREENING

potential of Australia’s existing buildings. While the Carbon PollutionReduction Scheme (CPRS) will go some of the way to reducingemissions if and when it is enacted, the policy can be made muchstronger through the adoption of complementary measures thatfurther encourage abatement activity.

In the numerous submissions FMA Australia has made toGovernment over the past year regarding climate policy matters, wehave repeatedly emphasised the importance of unlocking theabatement potential of existing buildings.

The Second Plank found that the CPRS alone, even operating atpeak efficiency, will produce total annual abatement of around 8 Mt(mega tones) of greenhouse gases.

This is a long way short of the total abatement potential of thebuilt environment, which The Second Plank report estimated to be60 Mt per annum—much of which could be delivered through theintroduction of more effective energy management practices andequipment upgrades.

There is plenty of work being done in the background—witnessthe recent announcement of the National Strategy on EnergyEfficiency. Developed through the Council of Australian Governments(COAG), the strategy sets out a pathway for substantially improvingminimum standards for energy efficiency and improving regulatoryprocesses so that barriers to the introduction of new energy-savingtechnologies are removed.

However, the time has come to move beyond discussion aboutwhat should be done and start to take practical action that willdeliver concrete outcomes. Governments—state and federal—have aleading role to play in this space and decisive action will beenthusiastically supported by industry.

U.S. Icons Going GreenIn the United States, two major projects are significantly raising thebenefits and profile of retrogreening. One project is underway andthe other is due to commence shortly. The iconic nature of thebuildings at the centre of both projects has generated mainstreammedia interest and will help ensure that the practice of retrogreeningisn’t something just for “industry insiders”, but is a process withwhich the wider community is increasingly familiar and comfortable.

In New York City, Manhattan’s most famous skyscraper, theEmpire State Building, is currently undergoing a $500 millionupgrade. The whole project is due for completion in 2013, withbuilding systems work due to be finished by late 2010, andrepresents a comprehensive approach that incorporatesimprovements to the building’s existing windows, better insulation,significant lighting upgrades to tenanted areas and an overhaul ofHVAC systems.

When completed, the building’s performance will be carefullymonitored and managed through a web-based power usage systemthat will allow tenants to view their power usage and makeappropriate adjustments.

More recently, a similarly ambitious undertaking was announced inChicago for the tallest office building in the United States. The 1970sera building has been the subject of some fiery local debate inChicago recently, with the change of its official name from SearsTower (retail giant Sears haven’t occupied space in the building since1992) to Willis Tower (after the British insurance broker became anew tenant and secured naming rights).

Despite the angst of some Chicago residents about the namechange, the building’s owners have been more focussed on thebuilding’s environmental impact, pushing ahead with a five-year,$350 million plan to overhaul the facility’s energy efficiency strategyand cut base building electricity consumption by 80%.

The Australian ExperienceWhile there have certainly been some innovative retrofitting projectsundertaken in Australia, including works on heritage buildings, weare yet to see an ‘iconic’ Australian equivalent of an Empire StateBuilding or Sears Tower project.

This is partly because Australia’s iconic buildings tend to be publicfacilities (e.g. Sydney Opera House), rather than commercial officebuildings. Of course our two tallest structures, Q1 on the Gold Coastand Eureka Tower in Melbourne, are both residential buildings and,having both been completed within the last four years, are too newto be viable candidates for retrofitting works.

Nonetheless, there is an opportunity for Australia’s major cities toshine in another sense. True, most of our office buildings lack theiconic façade of an Empire State Building, but that shouldn’t preventour buildings having iconic performance levels.

The clearest signal our leaders could send to the commercial sectorthat they are serious about promoting energy efficiency is to get ourexisting buildings to perform more effectively. Doing so will takemore than the introduction of emissions trading—it requiresGovernment to think more broadly and attack the problem of carbonemissions from many fronts.

Providing Additional IncentivesUndertaking a retrofit of an existing commercial building is a costlyexercise. To date, building owners have been reluctant to pursue thiscourse because there is often a long period between capital outlayfor building improvements and a positive financial return on thatinvestment.

The Second Plank identified three additional opportunities for theFederal Government to encourage green retrofit works, each ofwhich are supported by FMA Australia. Briefly, these are:

a) A national white certificate scheme – A system of tradablepermits which commodifies energy savings. A certificate isissued in exchange for verified improvements in energyefficiency—and certificates can then be sold on the openmarket.

b) Accelerated green depreciation – This would provide anincentive for commercial building owners to invest in improvingenvironmental performance, by allowing for the deferment oftax payments in exchange for improving the energy efficiency oftheir building. In effect it allows investors to shorten the paybackperiod on environmental improvements made to a building.

c) Government funding support for building retrofit – It cantake several decades for the investment outlay on a greenretrofit to be recovered, which often makes building ownersreluctant to invest in the process. Provision of some financialassistance for green retrofits would provide building ownerswith an additional incentive to invest in energy efficiencymeasures.

While some steps have been taken at the state level in relation toenergy certificates, the market would be far better served by acomprehensive national approach. Given that the Commonwealthwill soon be legislating for mandatory disclosure of commercial officebuilding energy efficiency, it makes sense to align the introduction ofsuch a scheme with the commencement of the mandatory disclosureregime.

Likewise, there has been some direct funding support for greenretrofits through the Commonwealth’s Green Building Fund and insome state jurisdictions through building tune-up grants.

However, it is the introduction of some form of accelerated greendepreciation that remains the ultimate key to unlocking theabatement potential of the built environment in Australia.

No one is denying that it would be costly to Government in theshort-run, but at a time when there is an urgent need to support jobcreation in the construction sector and simultaneously reduce carbonemissions, it is an option that should be pursued.

Over the past year, the Federal Government has indicated that it iswilling to spend up now to protect jobs in the retail andmanufacturing sectors. The commercial property sector must not beoverlooked.

In the long run, failure to take action will prove far more costly—toemployment, to our economy and to our environment.

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RUD is dedicated to promoting responsible waste disposal.Mark Williams, RUD product specialist, is an advocate ofprogrammes like ‘National Recycling Week’ or ‘World

Environmental Day’, as they’re great opportunities for businesses andschools to get involved with recycling. “Recycling reduces the amountof water, energy and new materials that we use to support ourlifestyle. Making aluminium cans from recycled material, for example,uses 95% less energy than making one from raw material.”

RUD is committed to helping the FM industry address the problemof contaminated waste through the introduction of its Nexus recycling

system. The system issimple and effective – theNexus recycling binsincorporate colour schemesand varying apertures in thelids to provide visualreminders of the types ofwaste to be placed intoeach bin.

The job of a facilitymanager is to address thenumerous problems thatcan arise within a building’senvironment. One of themain responsibilities of afacility manager is to ensurethat the working

environment is safe, clean and secure, and it follows that a part ofthis is implementing an all-embracing waste management strategy.This in turn helps the business to meet the high standards andrequirements of ISO 14001 – which is the international standard forenvironmental protection – as well as other ‘green’ building certificatecompliances.

Due to the need to separate recyclable waste, RUD recommends avariety of office waste management solutions. Combinations ofsolutions can be applied to:3 Photocopy rooms where large volumes of waste paper are

generated daily3 Mail opening centres in larger corporate facilities3 Communal kitchens3 Meeting rooms and break-out spaces3 Receptions and waiting lounges3 Open plan office space3 Individual work stationsRUD offer a variety of

shapes and sizes ofrecycling bins in their Nexusrange, so you can tailor yourwaste management systemto the size and design ofyour office. Open planoffices benefit from adesignated recycling area,but smaller individualisedunits can also be veryeffective. The Nexus 50offers compact individualrecycling systems whererequired, and the Nexus140 is ideal for largercommunal areas. The Nexusrange also offers bins forconfidential waste, including e-waste such as data CDs and DVDs.These units incorporate a key-locked waste container for security.

The RUD system also offers simplicity and aesthetics through itsuse of clear graphics and colour coding to differentiate between eachtype of waste. These visual prompts help individuals at work orschool to consider what they’re discarding, and be secure in theknowledge that they’re recycling responsibly and effectively. Thegraphic symbol system can be further enhanced through adding acorporate logo, providing a visual reminder to staff or students of thecompany’s ongoing commitment to recycling initiatives.

The benefits of a comprehensive waste management system aremany. Of course, a result of such a system is that the amount ofusable recyclable waste that goes to our recycling centres isincreased, but additionally, facility managers can be assured of a safeworking environment that is clean, secure and hassle free.

When we promote the ‘Recycle Right’ message in our offices andfacilities, we encourage environmental intelligence, and we canachieve a higher rate of recycling, with less contamination.

We will then begin to make a real difference to the bigenvironmental challenges that face the FM industry today.

NEXUS RECYCLING SYSTEMOFFICE FURNITURE THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCEAn effective recycling programme is a must for any office or business operating in today’senvironmental climate. But according to a Planet Ark study, recyclable waste efforts face a majorproblem – contamination. When recyclable waste is disposed of in a manner that doesn’t takecontamination into consideration, the effectiveness of a recycling programme is undermined.

www.rud.com.au [email protected]

8 West Link Place, Richlands Qld 4077Ph: 07 3712 8000 Fax: 07 3712 8001

Real office furniture that meetsyour recycling and security needs.

Nexus Range

Many organisations and authorities are being encouraged to recycle waste within the office and are implementing recycling initiatives to comply with ISO 14001 Environmental Management Sys-tems. RUD supply an extensive range of recycling bins to provide ideal solutions for any recycling scheme even where space is limited. These attractive units will encourage efficient waste collection and segregation and help prevent cross-contamination of recyclable materials.

Nexus 50

Nexus 140Nexus 140

Nexus 50

Nexus 100

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RETROGREENING

WinterComms: Tell us about the size and organisation of thePB office prior to the relocation?

AM: Prior to our office relocation we occupied approximately2,400sqm of office space. This space provided room for just over 200desk spaces, which we were quickly out-growing.

The fit out, last created in the mid 1990s, was looking a little tiredand was a hybrid of both offices and open plan. The offices occupiedmuch of the perimeter, which resulted in an inefficient use of spaceand restricted the flow of natural light into the core of the building.

WinterComms: What wasn’t working with the old premises?AM: First and foremost—we required more space.From a design perspective, the old premises were beginning to

look a little outdated—it wasn’t an inspiring, lively space. The mix ofoffice and open plan (and therefore necessary corridors) didn’tprovide for staff interaction. Both the fit out and base building alsohad limitations from an environmental perspective and didn’t providefor adequate meeting spaces, quiet rooms or staff amenities.

And finally, the increasing need to accommodate more staff meantthat constant changes were made to the floor plan which resulted ingross inequality of space and functionality for staff.

WinterComms: What were the reasons for relocating?AM: There was a combination of factors. But it’s important to note

that the key issue was more about refurbishing rather than relocating.The decision to relocate wasn’t a feta compli by any means.

At the core of the issue was the timely opportunity to create anew, fresh environment that could accommodate our increasednumber of staff, now and for the future.

In fact we may have stayed if we could have struck an appropriatecommercial deal that included refurbishment of our existing space.

Apart from the need to accommodate for future growth, arefurbishment was required so that we could create an inspiring newspace—a space that reflected our culture, values and was moresuited to the way we work and interact with each other. We also

wanted to use this as an opportunity to establish a green fit-out.WinterComms: Did PB take the opportunity to address issues

of work culture and staff productivity in the move?AM: Absolutely—our culture, our values and our work practices

were key drivers in our relocation.Our new fit-out was deliberately designed so that all staff were

treated equally and had the same desk and chair for instance. Thiswas a key part of our culture. One of our key mottos was “equality ofspace and equality of functionality for all”, which orientated all of usaround the notion that we were all important to our organisation indifferent ways.

In addition, as we understood more about our new space, wemade sure our staff were provided with a range of training andinformation sessions. We were very mindful that we wanted toreiterate our values and desired behaviours in the new environment.

For example, moving to an open plan environment required staffto learn about how to work efficiently in such an environment and toalways consider their colleagues. Also, our new environmentalinitiatives required staff to learn about our new rubbish bins andrecycling system.

WinterComms: Tell us about the new premises and why itwas selected?

AM: Our new location at 1 King William Street was chosen formany reasons.

Firstly and importantly, we could achieve an appropriatecommercial deal. Second, the building (and more specifically ourspace) would enable us to achieve all the criteria we had set for ournew fit out. These factors were a good starting point.

Also, it is a great location that is close to all modes of publictransport and it is one of Adelaide’s iconic office buildings.

An internal staircase connecting our three floors was a huge bonus,as was the ability to support our staff by incorporating greaterprovision for showers, kitchens, bike racks and common space.

PBis also a risingstar throughoutthe Pacific region

offering comprehensiveservices across key markets in12 Australian cities.

In South Australia, PB isinvolved in some of the state’smost significant infrastructureprojects including the $118million Gallipoli underpass, the$420 million Jacinth Ambrosiamineral sands mine for IlukaResources and the extension ofthe tramline from Adelaide cityto the Adelaide EntertainmentCentre to name but a few.

On the back of this strongmarket performance, PB in

Adelaide experiencedsignificant growth. Thecompany found itself constantlyamending the floor plan of itsexisting office to create spacefor additional staff, whichresulted in ad hoc solutions tostaff accommodation and theremoval of many of the offices.

The flexibility of the floorplan was limited due to the factthat wet areas, kitchens, usefulcommon areas and meetingrooms for both staff and clientswere inherently restricted inthe premises. It soon becameevident that relocation tobigger, brighter premises wasthe way forward.

WinterComms’ journalistMelanie Drummond spoke toPB Adelaide’s Office MoveProject Manager Ashley Mannaabout the decision to relocateto one of Adelaide’s mosticonic buildings, and thebusiness case for retrofittingthe new premises to a 5 starGreen Star rating.

They discussed why thedecision to relocate and retrofitproved the perfect solution forenhancing the company’ssustainability position, whilepresenting a good triplebottom line balance—commercially, socially andenvironmentally.

PARSONS BRINCKERHOFFAND THE BUSINESS OF CHANGE

Since its inception over 120 years ago, Parsons Brinckerhoff (PB), one of the world’s leading planning,engineering, and program and construction management organisations, has worked on some of theworld’s largest infrastructure projects, employing more than 13,000 people in three operatingdivisions—the Americas (North and South), International (Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia andAustralia), and Facilities.

Ashley Manna, Office Move Project Manager,PB Adelaide.

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Finally, this space would enable usto create an excellent environmentaloutcome within an existing building—and that was attractive to us as anengineering and environmentalconsultancy.

WinterComms: Why was optingfor a retro-fit a better option thanmoving into new premises?

AM: Commercial expense was areal consideration—we wanted anexcellent environmental outcome, butwe also had to work within a realisticbudget.

Ultimately we took the view that itwould be easy to ‘buy’ green space,but would be more challenging toupgrade an existing building. Thisapproach also complimented oursustainability position, in that the finalresult was not only fantastic, but alsorepresented a good triple bottom linebalance—commercially, socially and environmentally.

In fact our new space is now the benchmark for the rest of thebuilding and is viewed by CBRE and the landlord as a blueprint forfuture upgrades to other floors.

WinterComms: How was the tendering process managed andhow were contractors selected?

AM: We ran an Expression of Interest and then a tender processand a range of interviews to select our architect/design partner.

Next, we made the decision to directly engage the ServicesEngineer that was already working on the base building, as we feltconsistency in services was important.

For an integrated fit-out we worked closely with CBRE (who weremanaging the base build component on behalf of landlord) toappoint a building contractor. Our approach was to pre-select a shortlist based on capability and a set of criteria, and then call for tendersfrom that short list.

The managing contractor tender was based on the AS4000standard (General conditions of Contract: AS 4000-1997/StandardsAustralia).

In all cases we aimed to work with partners with whom we couldhave a trusting, open and honest working relationship. We thought itwas vitally important to surround ourselves with a team that was asfocused as we were on creating a high quality workspace for ourstaff, on time and on budget.

We wanted this to be an enjoyable, fruitful and mutually beneficialproject for all parties.

WinterComms: What was the business case for relocation?AM: Once we established our desired outcomes we used a multi-

criteria analysis tool to investigate ‘must’ and ‘want’ factors for all of

our potential new office sites. We had three to four real options andthis process helped us interrogate our own thoughts and allowed usto clearly establish the business case for the best option.

WinterComms: How had the FM in the previous premisesbeen managed?

AM: Previously we were subletting to an anchor tenant, which initself provided some challenges in terms of servicing our needs.

We were also in the position that the anchor tenant was movingout and were understandably not as focused on the premises as theyonce were.

WinterComms: How was an open relationship between theowner and facilities manager essential to the success of themove, and how was that managed?

AM: Firstly, we were fortunate that we and both the landlord andfacility manager shared a common vision for the building. Ourobjectives were aligned from the start—which formed a solidplatform to build upon.

Regular communication was paramount. Also having the landlorddelegate much of the decision making (especially duringconstruction) to the facility manager (CBRE), allowed for responsivedecisions which kept the project moving—which was vitallyimportant.

In terms of the fit-out—we agreed on our green goals early andalso the need for an integrated fit-out. This allowed both parties toget the best value out of their respective budgets.

We then agreed to both engage the managing contractor (onecontract for base building works and another for the fit-out). Thisenabled all works to be integrated and for both aspects ofconstruction to interact under the same contractual conditions that

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didn’t bias one party over the other.It also meant that all shared the

same risks and would thereforework with the managing contractorto deliver best for projectoutcomes.

Finally, it was decided that ourcommon quantity surveyor wouldadjudicate on any contractualamendments or disagreements inan open forum with all parties.Again, this approach fostered bestfor project decisions and a highlevel of trust from all parties.

WinterComms: Whatchallenges did you encounter inmeeting everybody’s needs(PB/Owner/FM)?

AM: There weren’t too manychallenges that couldn’t be settledto the satisfaction of all parties.

Obviously the lease term is oftenan issue. We were looking for a shorter lease than the facilitymanager—but we did come to agreement.

The budget can obviously be another sticking point. The key wasto have an understanding and to be mindful of each party’s budget.Also, because packages were integrated there was always the riskthat in any given package, one party would come out financiallybetter than the other, relative to budget.

But through transparent and open discussion we all looked for bestfor project outcomes, and took the approach that what one loses onthe swings one gains on the roundabouts.

WinterComms: What tools were used to manage the project(software etc.)?

AM: From our perspective we used Microsoft Project to managethe schedule and Microsoft Excel to track the budget. In terms ofother tools, we simply implemented traditional project managementtechniques to manage the project issues such as RFI’s (Request forInformation), EOT’s (Extension of Time Claims), detailed projectplans, variation registers, risk registers, drawing registers, andcomprehensive meeting minutes.

WinterComms: How will FM be managed in the new facility?AM: CBRE has provided the building manager with a regular

contact. There is also an IT system for logging issues. In general, it’s a very responsive process with a great relationship

established between CBRE and Parsons Brinckerhoff.

WinterComms: How was communication with PB staff andclients managed during the move?

AM: A detailed communication strategy was developed at theoutset of the project.

We communicated with staff via regular staff presentations,dedicated project newsletters, regular emails, and a purpose-madeintranet site, an ideas register to capture staff thoughts andsentiments, and a range of training sessions closer to the move date.

On the morning of our move we also arranged for a morning teafor all staff and a comprehensive welcome pack with a range of giftsand vouchers for local businesses. This was all aimed at making ourstaff familiar and comfortable in their new environment.

In terms of communicating with clients, we directly contacted allkey clients prior to our move and mailed them a postcard of ourintention to move and our new contact details. We also had acountdown display in our reception and undertook many othersmaller communication activities such as amending our emailsignatures.

WinterComms: How did you achieve the 5 star rating?AM: We haven’t as yet achieved our Green Star rating. We are still

in the process of preparing our submission and require some time inour new fit-out to accumulate appropriate data.

We are certainly very confident of achieving our 5 star Green Starrating based on the environmental outcomes we’ve achieved through

the retro-fit.WinterComms: How does a

sustainable workplace tie in withPB’s core business principles?

AM: Parsons Brinckerhoff takesseriously its responsibility to act asan environmentally responsiblecompany. We have an over archingsustainability policy, we are acarbon neutral company and offersignificant sustainability,environmental and climate changeservices to our clients. In this regardit was important that our new officereflected the company’s values.

WinterComms: What were thebiggest challenges of theproject?

AM: Trying to balance the needsof more than 200 staff and makingsure their expectations weremanaged and were realistic.

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Managing contractor modelThe managing contractor model workedwell in our situation. We needed toaccelerate the delivery, so engaging amanaging contactor and issuing packagesof design allowed us to accelerateengagement of subcontractors and stageour design activities to accommodate tothe longer lead items up front.

This model also allowed us to exchangequestions throughout the constructionprocess - and provided timely detaileddesign information as it was required.

Construction meetingsIt was essential to hold integrated weeklyconstruction meetings (on-site)throughout the journey. This allowed allparties to address issues then and there.

As a group, we could prioritise items,follow up on urgent matters while still atsite and issue a site instruction andappropriate documentation. This allowedworks to progress.

A key lesson learned is that it’simportant to ensure the right people areavailable and empowered to make theappropriate decisions. From ourperspective we made sure that we hadmembers of the project team accountablefor certain aspects of the project andavailable to address project matters asthey arose.

Lease documentationWith all good intentions a base heads ofagreement was effectively reached withthe landlord.

However, turning this into a definedcontractual lease agreement and getting itsigned-off took much longer thananticipated and was perhaps a littleunderestimated.

This process impacted on us being ableto engage the managing contractor andplaced pressure on the project’s deliverydate. The key lesson here is to clarify thetime it takes for legal review and sign-off,

and then allow for this in your projectschedule and contingency.

Integrated fit-out This worked well as it allowed bothparties to get the ‘best bang for theirbuck’. For example the base buildingowner didn’t have to commit to installinglighting or air conditioning in a sectionthat might have had a different fit outrequirement.

Integrated construction activities andhaving an understanding of how the basedesign and fit out design complimentedone another allowed all parties tomaximise their respective budgets. Thisalso helped us to incorporate the greencomponents of our fit-out and betterunderstand the definition of base and fit-out costs.

However, the integrated approachcould have started earlier. Unfortunately,the base design had already beencompleted prior to us ramping up our fit-out design. By working together earlierwe may have even saved some money ondesign activities and been able tocommence works earlier.

From a facilities manager’s andlandlord’s perspective—offering anintegrated fit-out to either retain anexisting tenant or to attract a new tenantis a great strategy. However it should benoted that this relationship requires trustand openness by all parties—and requiresthe right people to be communicating atthe right levels.

This strategy allows for smootherrunning programs, green outcomes to bemore easily achieved and allows eachparty get best value out of their budgets.

For a PDF document of the FMA AustraliaSA Branch Parson BrinckerhoffPresentation “It’s not easy being green”,go to the FMA Australia websiteKnowledgebase Category, ESD & theEnvironment.

At all times we wanted to make sure staffknew and understood the reasons behind thedecisions we were making. We needed theprocess to be as clear and transparent aspossible. For example taking many staff fromoffices to an open plan environment was notan easy decision to make. But once wecommitted to go down that path, we tried tofocus less about the decision and focus moreon assisting staff to transition to their newenvironment.

Managing the budget was also anotherchallenge. Trying to balance the budget withthe desired functionality and green solutionstook a great deal of work. It was an iterativeprocess—but we got there.

WinterComms: What was the maintechnical challenge of the project andhow was it resolved?

AM: Keeping the use of the internalstairwell was vitally important—to promoteinterconnectivity between staff on our threelevels. However new fire safety requirementsrequired us to ensure that levels could beenclosed in the event of fire. This was notonly a technically challenging issue but onethat could potentially be very expensive—especially if we enclosed the stairwell withfire-rated glass.

Ultimately we struck a fantastic cost-effective and innovative solution thatinvolved the implementation of automaticfire shutters that were activated by firesignals. This kept the open feel of thestairwell, but represented a significantconstruction challenge.

WinterComms: How are the stafffunctioning at the new premises in termsof productivity, wellbeing and retention?

AM: Our staff were excited about themove and have certainly embraced their newenvironment. It’s pleasing to see the featuresof the new fit out being used as we firstintended. For example, the meeting roomsand their state of the art technology arebeing fully utilised as are break out spacesand quiet rooms. Our staff have no hesitationin hosting clients or inviting them over for atour and to that end their enthusiasm hasassisted us in getting closer to clients. We’vealso noticed that our staff have tried veryhard to modify their behaviour to suit theopen plan environment—which has been areal success.

WinterComms: What would you dodifferently next time?

AM: It’s been a really successful project,which while challenging, actually ran assmoothly as could be expected. In terms ofimprovements, I think in hindsight we couldhave benefited from having a better processfor dealing with outstanding items once wetook occupancy.

And we perhaps could have also beenbetter at managing the schedule in thecritical and closing stages of construction—after all a committed move date is animmoveable one.

LESSONS LEARNED

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CLIENT FEATURE

EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER GREEN LINING

Facility Managers are facing a ‘perfect storm’ with energy and water costs set to rise by 20%+ acrossthe country, the global financial crisis and new climate change regulations all impacting buildingbudgets and operating practices.

This was reinforced at June’s Darling Harbour FMA lunch whereit was evident a major priority for Facilities Managers in thecoming year is the need to improve on the green star ratings,

manage rising costs and prepare for mandatory reporting/ratingrequirements for offices over 2000m².

Clouds associated with the new carbon and water constrainedworld will not simply pass, and Facility Managers need tangiblesimple and fast outcomes that benefit their properties performanceboth environmentally and financially. Approaching these challengeson your own may be an option for those with dedicated specialistresources. Assuming you are not so well resourced with expertsacross the myriad of constantly changing environmental technologies,and monitoring practices then a different approach is required.

Key learning’s from Water & Energy Savers experience relevant toFacility Managers indicates a simple yet practical methodology.

“If you can’t monitor it you can’t manage it” Unless you meter and monitor below the utility’s meter in real time,and have someone who understands energy and water profiles, it ishard to identify problems before they become a cost to the company.Audits are one form of information but are just a snap shot in time.

Embrace the latest technology Technology has some real-time solutions to long standing FacilityManagement problems. Small hi tech companies using the latestwireless data devices can give facilities real time and trendinformation about facilities manager’s energy and water usage in anypart of the building, without the need for expensive wiring. Today’sWeb based monitoring products have a number of significantadvantages, including accessibility, low cost, flexible interfaces toaccommodate existing systems, and flexibility for customisereporting. Sydney Water illustrated this recently by appointingspecialist smart metering company – MeterMate to install wirelessmetering at major water using customer’s customer sites.

Keep it simpleUp to 30% savings on lighting are now common place savings thatcan be achieved on existing buildings over 5 years old. The new T5

technology tube is so much more energy efficient then T8, reflectorsare now possible along with voltage reducers all of which areeffective solutions to reduce lighting costs.

Other simple solutions with smart timers for computers,photocopies can ensure you are not wasting energy at the weekendsor overnight.

Reduce unnecessary consumptionThe Men’s Urinal can account for up to 30% of businesses water. NoFlush Urinal Solutions provides a cost effective solution that saves upto 90% of water while maintaining washroom amenity and plumbinginfrastructure.

Experienced solutions providers Following work with 2,500+ organisations across Australasia; Water &Energy Savers understands these challenges and has a record forfinding and realising the silver green lining in reducing water andenergy consumption, to deliver simple & smart solutions for todayand beyond.

For more information visit www.water.net.au

or contact Nigel Brimble on (02) 9494 0700.

Nigel Brimble reviews the wireless MeterMate Monitoring device, which recently won aGreen Globe Award by NSW Department of Environment & Conservation.

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RETROGREENING

RETROFITTINGa retail giant

Operating 65 retail outlets with a turnover of more than $3 billion, Myer remains Australia’s largestdepartment store group, and a leader in retailing. In 2007, Probuild were appointed as the preferredcontractor to undergo a major redevelopment of Melbourne’s iconic Myer Bourke Street store while itremained in operation.

Aside from the difficulties of undergoing demolition and construction concurrently on adjacent sites,the construction team had to service the project through one access route, negotiating high numbers offoot traffic, motorists and neighbouring retailers. Upon completion in 2010, Probuild will have achievedthe formidable feat of demolishing and rebuilding three buildings, refurbishing two, and joining allbuildings by a level surface 5,000 sqm floor plate.

Melanie Drummond spoke to Probuild Construction Manager Craig Gathercole about the challengesand rewards of retrofitting a retail giant.

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WinterComms: What made Probuild the preferredconstruction team of choice?

CG: I think it came down to our retail experience; we’ve done a lotof work on existing centres that continue to operate – out inChadstone, Highpoint, Northland, Broadmeadows and others. A lotof those centres have continued to operate while we’ve done therefurbishment.

WinterComms: Tell us about your role in the project?CG: I’m Construction Manager so my responsibility is overall

delivery, finance and managing the project. I also have a projectmanager under me and various other foremen. We have around 50Probuild staff on site which includes our labourers.

WinterComms: Can you give us an overview of theredevelopment?

CG: The existing Myer floor plate between Bourke Street and LittleBourke Street was made up of four different buildings and theowners purchased the old Telecom building next to the GPO, whichforms the fifth building. Upon completion, we will have demolishedand rebuilt three buildings and refurbished two buildings. All thosebuildings will be joined together by a level surface at around a 5,000square metre floor plate.

WinterComms: What was the main objective of the clientwhen heading into the redevelopment?

CG: The main objective was to redevelop it while the storecontinued to operate between Bourke and Lonsdale. They wanted tocontinue the public walk-in from the mall, through the LonsdaleStreet store. At the end of the redevelopment Myer will only behoused between Bourke and Little Bourke St. It will end up being 9levels and undoubtedly the world’s best retail store in Australia.

WinterComms: What issues did the heritage aspects of thebuildings pose in terms of redevelopment?

CG: The Bourke Street building is a fully heritage listed façadewhich we’ve restored. We’ve refurbished that to its original 1950sappearance so all the glass will be transparent, bringing it back to anice clean façade that can breathe again, where is in the past it wastotally painted over.

WinterComms: How was the relationship with HeritageVictoria managed?

CG: That’s all managed through an architect called Lovell Chenwho are the heritage architects. Our heritage brief was the façadeand the existing cash tube system which we found hidden behind theplasterboard columns.

WinterComms: What level of documentation did you have onthe Myer buildings?

CG: We have tackled this whole redevelopment without one pieceof documentation and not one as-built - it’s posed a lot of problems.It’s all been us going through, reviewing, testing, isolating and doing

it that way. The reason is that in the past, maintenance staff had beenhere for 25 or 30 years and when changeovers occurred during thoseyears, that knowledge went with them.

There was a lot of history and documentation that Lovell Chen wasable to get hold of in terms of the façade and some of the otherheritage components, but as far as how the services ran within thebuilding, there was nothing. Our sub contractors have had to educatethemselves as to how this building operated, which became acomponent of our early works. We had guys in there isolating thingsand labelling what was here. That was a fair challenge.

WinterComms: What systems do you have in place tomanage that now?

CG: Moving forward we have all of our information on a systemcalled Aconex.

Aconex is a project management software system that tracks allthe communications including emails, drawings and diagrams, andallows all the project stakeholders to work collaboratively withcommonly shared information. The system ensures information suchas architectural plans and as-built drawings are up to date, andinclude a full history of what changes were made, which party madethem, and when. All the information captured can be used as thebasis for facility management once the building is operational. Ineffect, we are creating a documentation history for these buildings as

we work on them, and record the work done.WinterComms: What contractors were engaged for the

redevelopment?CG: One thing we focused on initially was our service sub-

contractors; we had to make sure the sub-contractors we had onboard had the experience to deal with something as difficult as this.The majority of our sub-contractors had a fair bit of experience onthe MCG redevelopment, the Children’s Hospital redevelopment andSpencer Street redevelopment.

WinterComms: What are some of the KPIs of the project?CG: The whole project has been delivered in different stages in

different portions, on different floor levels. There are seven differenthandovers, and so seven milestones we have to meet in order forMyer to come in progressively and do fixtures, fittings and install, inpreparation for opening those areas up to the public again.

WinterComms: How did you cause as little disruption toMyer’s operation as possible?

CG: That was probably the most difficult challenge. We still facechallenges every day, a lot of them are with adjoining owners and alot are with Melbourne City Council. We talk to the Council on a dailybasis. We also have the David Jones’ redevelopment happeningbeside us so we are in constant communication with them as well.On our other boundaries are Myer on the Lonsdale Street Store andthe GPO Store which has a number of different tenants. The only way

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RETROGREENING

through is constant communication with all involved. There can be issues such as OH&S, noise, and access, the list goes

on. We have three traffic personnel in the street full time to deal withtraffic and just pedestrians. We have a cast of people dealing withthat on an every day basis. It requires a lot of investigation andreporting back and we have a person on site full-time to deal withthat.

WinterComms: How did you manage the client’sexpectation?

CG: Communication and talking about upcoming works on aregular basis. There are always daily phone calls to explain if thingshave changed from what we decided on the weekly meetings. Wealso hire an external public relations company who send out alerts ona regular basis when we apply for permits from council and that sortof thing. We also submit a monthly report, with our claim, whichtracks the progress of the project as far as where we’re at from afinancial point of view, trade and performance.

WinterComms: Has the project been more challenging thanyou anticipated?

CG: Definitely. We never underestimated what was ahead andclearly we are up for the challenge and continue to be up for it. It’smore challenging than all parties involved thought it would be – theowner, the tenant and the builder.

The access and egress has been challenging as well, feeding a jobthrough Little Bourke Street on its own is challenging, let alonecountering in the public and traffic flow. In saying that, we are allgetting through it and maintaining the expectations we had of thefinal outcome.

WinterComms: Aside from communication, what are theother keys to succeeding in a project of this size andcomplexity?

CG: Obviously having the right people around you and the rightsub-contractors. The other important thing is achieving thosemilestones; handing space back to Myer is the continual focus.

WinterComms: Where is the project now at?

CG: We’ve just taken over our last building to demolish, once thatis complete, the whole project will be a very different project – andthen we’ll just be into new structure and fit-out. It’ll become a loteasier and just a traditional construction site, although still difficult tofeed and manage logistically. One of the most difficult things so farhas been demolishing a building and right beside that constructing anew one.

WinterComms: On a professional level what do you thinkyou’ve learnt from being involved with this project?

CG: I’ve been in the industry for 25 years and this is clearly themost difficult project I’ve worked on, but I think it will be the mostrewarding. To be involved with an iconic building in the middle of theCBD on a personal level will be very rewarding once it gets to theend. It is very difficult to redevelop such a large project with verylittle access, it’s not something you can change, but I think peoplecan appreciate how difficult it is to service such a big project throughone street, one gate, and one door. If this was a project out inDoncaster, or Chadstone, you could service it from all four elevations;you can’t do that on this job. The project is ultimately very difficult,very satisfying and I know at the end, that it will have been great tobe a part of it.

About the Myer ProjectThe Myer store as it stands today, consists of four different buildingsand the existing Telecom Building. The first building is Area 1, the oldTelecom building that was purchased by Colonial First State PropertyManagement 2008. To date Probuild has demolished the building tothe lower Basement level and have commenced the new structurethat will form part of the new floor plate.

The second building, which faces Little Bourke Street, is known asArea 2. It was purchased by Myer circa 1924 as a four storey brickbuilding, originally constructed with cast iron columns and steelgirders. The ground floor level façade and the most western bay havebeen re-built and the internal fabric has been altered. This building isbeing fully demolished down to Lower Ground Basement as per Area

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RETROGREENING

1 and rebuilt to form part of the new floor plate.Area 3 is the central core of the existing Myer floor plate. This will

be the new area that will house the central atrium and escalator voidup to the glazed roof skylight.

Area 4 is the building down the eastern side, adjacent to DavidJones. This building is to be completely refurbished, and was builtcirca 1881. This 3-storey building began as ‘offices’ and was probablyredeveloped by Myer shortly after 1931. It was increased to fourstoreys and a new façade was built. A further two storeys wereadded in 1958 and this is a structural steel concrete encasedbuilding.

Area 5 is the building that faces the Bourke Street Mall. This areaalso sits behind the historic heritage listed façade. This portion of thebuilding will be totally refurbished with some major structuralstrengthening required that will form the new floor plate.

Heritage Considerations – Some of the key features of theredevelopment will be the retaining and refurbishment of the existingBourke Street façade which was erected circa 1933. Probuild isworking closely with Heritage Victoria and specialised sub-contractors to carry out this work.

On completion of the redevelopment, the Mural Hall on Level 6which currently houses the Probuild site office will be fullyrefurbished and taken back to its original appearance that used tohouse many a Sidney Myer function, including dances and fashionparades.

Working with NH Architecture and Lovell Chen, (the HeritageConsultants) the existing Bourke Street façade will also berefurbished with all the windows removed and reglazed, creating afresh clean façade that is open to daylight.

Other heritage requirements during demolition include recovering

and restoring the existing cash tubes that once operated throughoutthe store. The head end of the cash tube system, which is currentlydown in the Myer Bourke Street store Basement, is where all themoney and receipts used to come to upon a sale. Demolition of theupper floors has revealed other cash tube heads within columns thatwere completely concealed and plastered over, from the numerousearlier refurbishments of the store. All of these items are heritagelisted and will be on show and housed somewhere in the store uponcompletion.

Upon completion of the works between Bourke and Little BourkeStreet, Myer as you know it today, will be fully housed betweenBourke and Little Bourke Streets and will have only a small presencein the future Lonsdale Street development with details to beconfirmed.

About Craig GathercoleCraig joined the Construction Industry in 1985 as an apprenticecarpenter with a mid-sized Commercial builder from the easternsuburbs. In his early days he predominately worked on retaildevelopments, including Highpoint Shopping Centre, and the earlystages of Chadstone Shopping Centre. Craig moved on from thatcompany in 1990 to start his own small business that he ran for threeyears, before he joined Probuild Constructions in 1993.

Craig carried out various roles at Probuild, from Site Foreman andSite Management, through Project Management and assisting inestimating, to his current position as Construction Manager. Craig hasworked on many major retail developments during his time withProbuild, including the Collins Street Georges Redevelopment,Chadstone Stages 5 & 7, Northland, Highpoint, Melton, and morerecently the Broadmeadows Town Centre Redevelopment.

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CLIENT FEATURE

AWARD WINNING PATROL & RESPONSESERVICE DRIVEN BY TECHNOLOGY The Response and Patrol Integrated Dispatch technology – known as RAPID - is a customised web-based system which manages planned patrol attendances and receives alarm and incident responseattendance requests, automatically dispatching the closest patrol vehicle to the site.

RAPID was named best Integrated Security Solution by theAustralasian security industry at their annual awards ceremonyin Melbourne.

Wilson Security Chief Executive Officer John McMellan said RAPIDtechnology would also improve the accountability of patrol units andset a new benchmark for the whole industry.

“RAPID monitors the progress of the security response and throughits GPS technology ensures a mobile patrol has attended the site.” MrMcMellan said.

“During a scheduled patrol or alarm response, clients can monitorprogress and view a status report.

“The transfer of information is delivered in real time, making thewhole process far more transparent. Clients are able to monitor theestimated time of arrival and update onsite details.”

Each patrol vehicle is installed with a RAPID terminal. The patrolrun is entered into a database and assigned to the closest vehicle withaccess to the site. RAPID optimises the best route and most timeefficient schedule, reducing unnecessary travelling time.

Using the RAPID terminal, the mobile patrol is also able tocomplete a status report, which is automatically sent to the clientagain in real time. Being an end-to-end process, RAPID ensures that

a fee is only charged for the service received.Mr McMellan said at any time, summaries of all patrols and jobs

are accessible to patrol officers with Wilson’s 24-hour operationscentre able to forward updates onto the client. He said thetechnology would allow for a more compliant and efficient securitymobile response.

“The system uses in-vehicle multi-function terminals to link themobile patrol vehicles with the Operations Support Centre,” MrMcMellan said.

“When customers require a security response, the RAPIDtechnology prioritises the threat automatically.”

Mr McMellan said the technology also ensured the operationscentre could maintain contact with an officer – providing extraprotection for Wilson staff and the client.

“Our system now sets the benchmark for others to follow,delivering a level of efficiency and accountability to clients not beforeseen in the industry,” he said.

RAPID technology was developed by the Wilson Security patrolsmanagement team and is being released to its mobile patrol vehiclesacross Australia in 2009.

RAPID TRANSFORMING MOBILE SECURITY SERVICES

Wilson Security takes great pride in presenting an award-winning technological product that will fundamentally transform the delivery of alarm responses and mobile patrols.

To provide our clients with the optimum mobile patrol service we have developed a customised web-based system that facilitates a faster more accurate transfer of information, resulting in improved response times. Being real time it also offers complete transparency and accountability.

• Alarm responses can be automatically dispatched to the closest vehicle

• Provides the vehicle with in-car navigation to consistently provide a rapid patrol response • Allows our clients to view the status of their alarm attendance in real time.

Wilson Security’s mobile patrol service is supported by a decentralised, networked national infrastructure with more Operations Support Centres than our competitors. Our local knowledge and understanding of clients’ requirements ensures an unparalleled level of service For further information phone 1300 WILSON or go to www.wilsonsecurity.com.au.

NSW Master Licence Number 407 380 693

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SECURITY + RISK MANAGEMENT

TALKING ABOUT SECURITYINTRODUCTION BY WINTERCOMMS’ MAX WINTER, EDITED AND ADAPTED FROMMATERIAL BY DR CLIVE SUMMERFIELD.

Just when you thought all had been said, done and written about security and the technology availableto deliver it, a “new” solution is developed that redefines the industry.

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What is Biometrics? Biometrics is the measurement of the unique physiological orbehavioural characteristics of the human body, such as the finger printor iris pattern. Most often, biometrics is used to identify an individual insituations requiring high levels of accuracy or in scenarios allowinghuman interaction with computers.

The different varieties of biometrics are:Voice Authentication: This biometric can be used to verify the

identity of a person to allow an individual to interact with secureservices over the telephone (or other voice communications device)such as secure call centres and telephone banking or secure voice mail.

Finger Scanning: This technique can be used to identify anindividual from the print on the pad of their finger (or a combination oftheir fingers). It is most often used to restrict physical or virtual access.

Palm Scanning: This technique takes certain measurements fromthe palm print of the individual. It generally requires the participant toclaim an identity against which the palm print can be identified. Thisbiometric is very popular for time and attendance machines.

Iris/Retina Recognition: This biometric measures the uniquepattern of a person’s iris or retina by an electronic scan. It is extremelyaccurate and is generally used to restrict physical access.

Signature Verification: Various electronic measurements are takenfrom the person writing their signature to produce an accurateassessment of their identity.

Face Recognition: This biometric takes various measurements ofthe human face as captured on video to compare them with an existingtemplate of faces and make a match. This form of biometric is growingin popularity in airports.

Other forms of biometrics yet to make a substantial impact in thecommercial arena include those used to measure body odour, typingcharacteristics, ear shape and gait.

While some of these biometric systems are extremely accurate, for asizable number of corporations, the equipment and IT investmentinvolved can be prohibitive, and the means of securing the informationneeded to verify one’s identity can be quite difficult to collect in certaincircumstances such as high traffic—high volume situations like airportsecurity.

The circumstances and need for the security information has to beweighed against the ease of use and accuracy of information requiredto arrive at a solution or technology suited for the purpose.

What is Voice Authentication?Voice authentication is a biometric technology that uses the uniqueacoustic characteristics of a person’s voice to confirm that “they arewho they say there are”—literally.

Each person’s voice is unique. This is caused by a combination of theway a person has learnt to speak and the anatomical characteristics of

their vocal tract. Together these aspects contribute to create eachindividual’s unique voice quality. Voice authentication systems use thisfactor to provide an effective and convenient process for confirmingidentity.

Voice authentication is a two stage process. The first stage, calledenrolment, involves processing a sample of a person voice to extractand encode their unique voice characteristics. The second stage,authentication, involves sampling the speaker’s voice, processing as inthe enrolment phase and comparing the voice characteristics againstthose in the enrolled sample. The user can then obtain a measure as tohow closely the speaker’s voice compares to the voice of the enrolledsample.

Scientific evaluations undertaken for the University of Canberra havedemonstrated that voice authentication systems are more accurate thanfinger, face and palm biometric systems and offer similar levels ofperformance as iris recognition. Typically, set-up correctly solutionsexhibit less than 0.1 per cent false accept rate (that is, impostors beingable to break into a system) even if the impostor has the correctpassword information.

Contrast this with a conventional password system. Given that animpostor has the correct password then the impostor has a 100 percent chance of breaking into the system. With voice authentication,even if the impostor has the correct information the chance of theimpostor successfully breaking in is reduced to 0.1 per cent that is a 1in 1000, with some voice authentication systems offering even higherlevels of security.

Voice authentication not only offers significant security benefits butalso offers significant convenience and cost benefits to users. Becausevoice authentication is based on a voice biometric, highly securesolutions can be developed to offer higher level of security that do notinvolve users having to remember complex PINs and passwords. In factsystems can be developed that simply use the way you say youraccount, credit card or telephone number to confirm that you are thelegitimate speaker.

This is not only more secure—but from the users perspective farmore convenient. Furthermore, for businesses, resetting forgotten orstolen PINs and passwords is not only extremely expensive it isextremely problematic from a security standpoint. Voice authenticationsolves both these problems.

Multi-factor voice authentication is rapidly emerging as the high-value high-security technology to protect mission critical applicationsand services.

Dr Clive Summerfield is CEO of Auraya and consulting firm 3SH, andhas been a driving force in the adoption of speech recognition and

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CLIENT FEATURE

Atlantis takes pride in being “Best of Breed” however they also lead the way in innovation. They were the firstto introduce environmentally friendly collapsible crates, anti static IT padded protection covers and thesystematic library packing trolleys although their latest innovation may be the best of all.

Currently being used by one of the largest companies in Australia, an atlantis customer, atlantis has introduced anelectronic asset management system that details the location, quantity, type and condition of each article or assetand documents it, with a photo and barcode (or RFID), into an online portal whereby atlantis’s customer, atanytime, can log on and see their assets.

The system was originally designed to monitor offsite storage locations however, now, has the potential to be theinformation house for all of their assets. From the obvious chairs and desks through to fire extinguishers, PC’s andeven mobile phones.

The company currently using this system, nationally, has saved huge amounts of money by reducing their needfor additional real estate dramatically in fact they have reduced their real estate needs and by knowing what theyown and where it is which avoids buying the same item twice.

The concept is simple and the process is even simpler. The atlantis team place a barcode or RFID (RadioFrequency Identification tag) on each item. Each item is then scanned by a hand held device, the type and conditionare recorded with a photo and this information is automatically uploaded to the server in real time.

The customer can then log on, search by item, state or venue and produce an action, on line. The action may beto relocate certain items to an office or maybe to arrange the disposal of assets. Whatever the task the customercan arrange by clicking a few buttons, it’s that simple and atlantis does the rest.

The system is fully managed and maintained by atlantis and their partner and it is available now for ademonstration. Smart people Move Smart with atlantis. 20 years young and still leading the way.

Please call our National head office on (02) 9427 7177

to arrange one of our trained representatives to visit your office.

MOVING THE ATLANTIS WAY,NOW WITH TECHNOLOGY.Atlantis has been relocating Australian companies for over 20 years and this issomething they do very well. In an industry that has the potential to cause greatconcern to their customers if it is not done right, atlantis ensures all aspects of thetransition are deliberate and highly tuned ensuring every job is done well.

Packing & Storage Commercial relocations Regardless of size, we deliver Environmentally considerate Library, Warehouse, laboratories Move Smart Pack, Lock Stack and GO

Contacts

Sydney (02) 9427-7177

Melbourne (03) 9326-7877

Canberra (02) 6228-

Brisbane (07) 3216 -6809

Adelaide (08) 8241-5092

20 YEARS YOUNG

Still leading the way .You exist for 20 years and not excel at what you do. Atlantis is the

leading commercial relocation expert and we know best how to relocate your company.

At atlantis we combine experience with innovation no matter if you have an office, warehouse, library or laboratory - atlantis will be there for you.

That's why atlantis has provided 'smart moves' to over 80% of Australia's top 100 blue-chip companies.

20 years of office relocations = 20 years of excellence

most experienced relocation team

www.atlantis.net.au

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CLIENT FEATURE

This is typified by our single point ofcontact account managementprogramme and our investment in

staff training as an accredited RegisteredTraining Organisation (RTO). Our trainingprogrammes provide a variety of industry,customer service and client specific solutionsfor MSS Security employees that will ensureour people are best positioned to deliver thehighest level of service to our customerswhile offering them a challenging andrewarding career as our employees.

Our company values of Integrity,Teamwork, Attitude, Performance andPassion were carefully chosen and form theframework for our commitment tooutstanding customer service as well asguiding our daily actions. We have madesignificant investments in technology toensure both our internal and externalprocesses deliver outstanding customerservice and real time information. With our4,700 trained security officers, MSS Securityhas significant capacity for surge andemergency security requirements. We alsohave a transition programme that ensures allcontract rollouts are diligently planned andcommunicated to all stakeholders. These canbe tailored to any industry and/or facility.

Our PeopleOur people are our most valuable asset. Ouraim is to recruit and retain the best peoplethrough offering employees a challengingand rewarding career with MSS Security. Werealise that all market segments have theirown unique operational requirements, and it

is through our experience, training and talentidentification programmes that we are ableto deploy the right people for the rightapplication. We are very proud of all our staffand the exceptional tenure of employmentthat so many have enjoyed and contributedto the success of our organisation.

Professional Security Solutions forthe Facilities Management Industry We acknowledge that all market segmentshave their own operational requirements.Facilities management encompasses acomprehensive range of services, offered tocustomers and managed through oneorganisation and a dedicated point of contactcoordinated into a seamless, high qualityservice offering.

MSS Security has a proven history insupporting major and specialist facilitymanagement companies throughoutAustralia. This experience has given us thecapability to manage integrated specialistsecurity services in collaboration with theprimary facilities management organisation.

Key industry sectors include: commercialproperty, government, defence and otherhigh security sites, retail, industrial andresources.

We look forward to assisting yourorganisation in today’s ever-challengingsecurity environment and ensuring thatinvesting in MSS Security services makesvery good business sense.

MSS Security is proudly owned by Securityand Intelligence Services (SIS) India.

MSS SECURITY: PEOPLE YOU CAN TRUST

MSS Security is Australia’s largest security company with more than 4,700 employees, approximately$300 million in turnover, and a national infrastructure with offices in the capital cities of all states andterritories. MSS Security operates in all market segments and has a customer-and-staff-centricphilosophy.

Contact us

National Customer Service Hotline

1300 702 334

[email protected]

www.msssecurity.com.au

National Head Office

149-155 Milton Street, Ashfield NSW 2131

Tel: (02) 9930 4279

Australian Capital Territory

9 Lyell Street, Fyshwick ACT 2609

Tel: (02) 6280 3226

New South Wales

149-155 Milton Street, Ashfield NSW 2131

Tel: (02) 9930 4444

Northern Territory

58 McMinn Street, Darwin NT 0801

Tel: (08) 8946 4945

Queensland

41 Pentex Street, Salisbury QLD 4107

Tel: (07) 3722 4101

South Australia

220 Franklin Street, Adelaide SA 5000

Tel: (08) 8400 6699

Victoria

87-105 Racecourse Road, North Melbourne

VIC 3051

Tel: (03) 9241 5620

Tasmania

29-33 Wellington Street, Hobart TAS 7000

Tel: (02) 9241 5620

Western Australia

297 Selby Street, Osborne Park WA 6017

Tel: (08) 9347 2719

“Our people are our most

valuable asset…”- Mike McKinnon,

Managing Director

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voice authentication since the 1980s. Following is Dr CliveSummerfield’s White Paper on Voice Authentication:

Combating Identity Fraud with Voice BiometricsVoice authentication is one biometric with the potential for widespreaduse, particularly in call centres and online services. Voice authenticationauthenticates a person’s identity from their unique vocal characteristics.In a nutshell, a person records a spoken password (such as their nameor some other easily remembered information). This is analysed toextract their unique voice characteristics, which are then compiled intoa ‘voiceprint’, a matrix of parameters that encodes not only thepassword but the way the person says that password. This is stored in adatabase for future authentication of the same speaker.

During a transaction, to confirm an identity the person simply saysthe password information originally spoken during registration. Thecorresponding ‘voiceprint’ is extracted from the database and thecharacteristics of each are compared. If they match, identity isconfirmed and the transaction can proceed. As voice authenticationrelies on ‘voiceprint’ information (and not a particular password orphrase), an imposter attempting to gain access to an account may saythe correct password, but will be rejected as he or she will have thewrong voice quality.

Voice Authentication – Ubiquitous and SecureA key benefit of voice authentication is that it works over thetelephone—the world’s most ubiquitous communications device foundin almost every household and business worldwide. In other words, theinfrastructure for the widespread rollout of biometric voiceauthentication is already in place, as one’s identity can be authenticatedfrom anywhere in the world simply by dialing a telephone number.

There is no need to invest in special sensors or scanners, nor is thereany need to invest in special authentication software or datacommunications technology. More importantly customers do not haveto learn to operate new equipment or systems. They simply use thetelephone.

These factors all add up to an authentication solution that is morecost effective, easier and quicker to implement, easier to manage andfaster to deploy than other security options. Voice authentication alsooffers enhanced security. As the technology is accessed by telephone,the authentication server can be centrally located in highly securefacilities with no connection to unsecured desktops, laptops andnetworks.

Hence, there is no opportunity for ‘hackers’ to break into the system,providing an extremely secure implementation for identity managementand authentication systems. When voice authentication is deployed inmass market applications, passwords and PINS become unnecessary,and call centre agent intervention becomes obsolete. Removing callcentre agents from the identity verification process has the advantageof closing off another avenue for identity theft to occur. An additionalbenefit of this biometric deployment is that automating a core callcentre function for voice authentication reduces call centre operationcosts.

FAQs on Voice AuthenticationIn the past, there have been numerous questions regarding theperformance of voice authentication:3 What happens if I have a cold?3 Can mimics break into my account?3 What happens if somebody records my voice?3 Can my password be decoded from the voiceprint? Recent advances in voice authentication have addressed all of these

questions.Studies by the National Centre for Biometric Studies at the University

of Canberra confirm research by the UK Communications Electronic

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“Scientific evaluation undertakenfor the University of Canberrahave demonstrated that voiceauthentication systems are moreaccurate than finger, face andpalm biometric systems…

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CLIENT FEATURE

MANAGE YOUR FACILITY MOREEFFECTIVELY WITH ADT SELECTADT Security’s facilities management security solutions are designed to detect unauthorised entry andhelp maintain your business’ integrity, providing intrusion alarms and monitoring, CCTV, visualsurveillance and access control. Swipe cards, key-pad access and badging enable you to keep track ofvisitor and employee movements. Our electronic access control solutions also provide practical ways toaccount for employees gathered at muster points during evacuations.

Security cameras are a proven deterrents to theft, fraud andEH&S issues, as they provide a visual record of events,observers are quickly able to determine what has occurred and

what type of response is required. Our range of video surveillanceand digital recording devices helps you manage visual information.ADT Security also offers remote monitoring services should you nothave the time or resources to undertake surveillance on site.

Alarm and monitoring services are essential for every office toprotect private information. However it’s also important that anyalarm or building access activity as well as other details can be easilyyet securely accessed by required personnel. To provide customerswith the ability to access and monitor alarm activity and accountinformation 24 hours a day, seven days a week, ADT Security offers aweb-based customer service portal called ADT Select. This real-timetechnology allows users to retrieve up-to-date account detailsaccessed, anywhere, anytime, over a highly secure network.

ADT Select is a very transparent service, showing all access activity,alarm activity, and instructions being followed, from every eventwhich has arisen. This extensive level of site information allows forhighly functional and informative reporting, with more than 20specialised documents for customised reporting solutions includinginformation about the alarm history, schedules, callouts and zonelists.

A further significant benefit of ADT Select is the ability forcustomers to effectively manage their sub-contractors. Using ADTSelect, customers can access information as and when needed toassist the various office managers such as those in charge of security,EH&S, service, HR, risk and compliance, facilities or sales. Forexample, a security manager might use ADT Select to monitor thevarious sub-contractors on site at a given time, such as fire testers,cleaners or building maintenance workers, ensuring each individuallogs in upon arrival and logs out when leaving.

For more information on ADT Select or to discuss your facility’s

security, call 131 238 or visit www.adtsecurity.com.au.

ABOUT ADT SECURITYWith more than a century’s worth of experience and providingelectronic security solutions to more than seven million residential,commercial and retail customers worldwide, ADT Security is theworld’s largest electronic security company. ADT Security’s totalsecurity solutions include intrusion, closed circuit television, accesscontrol, fire protection, smoke, fire and critical condition monitoring,electronic article surveillance, source tagging, radio frequencyidentification (RFID) and integrated systems. www.adtsecurity.com.au

Control entry to your premises

Whatever premises you occupy, your security provisions must include the ability to control who enters and when. An access control system acts as your own electronic gatekeeper, allowing for the free flow of authorised personnel while denying entry to unwanted visitors. Additionally, with walk-in thieves and trespassers shut out, you dramatically reduce your exposure to crime while increasing the security of your employees, visitors, information and assets.

ADT Security is the world’s largest provider of electronic security solutions. Our range of access control systems can be seamlessly linked to other systems, including Fire Detection Systems, Intruder Alarms, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) and Building Management.

Building Management 24/7

ADT Select is one such Building Management service that provides easy access to information that is important to your business. This web-based customer service portal allows you to quickly review your monitoring activity and account information online, anytime, remotely. Information can be used to monitor activities such as open and close times for premises, logged subcontractor or lessee working hours and activities, all with transparency of service.

All premises have their own individual access and facility management requirements and whatever your needs – from a simple remote system for perimeter doors to a fully sectorised installation with flexible access privileges and usage records – ADT Security can provide an answer.

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An access control system

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personnel while denying entry

to unwanted visitors.

Facility Management with ADT Security

Contact us now on 131 238, or visit www.adtsecurity.com.au

TOTAL SECURITY SOLUTIONS

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C O M M I T T E D T O Q U A L I T C O M M I T T E D T O S E R V I C E

metsySytilauQ

QualityEndorsedCompany

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Grace Records Management is a quality accredited national service company providing solutions that are centred on the storage and retrieval of our client’s critical business information, both in hard copy and electronic formats.

Our service and product offerings include; secure document storage, data silo storage, record lodgment, scanning & imaging, twice daily retrievals, on-site access, managed transport, document destruction, media storage, merchandise supply and record cataloguing/indexing. We currently operate 20 state & regional branches located in, or servicing every capital city and major regional centre within Australia.

iFor more nformation please contact:

T:

1300 725 911

E: [email protected]

Business owners and facility managers oftenneglect the most critical aspect of managing abusiness – its information.

Good corporate governance demands thatinformation be safe guarded and managed. Yetwhen considering a move it rarely even makes itonto the planning checklist. This is a risk thatmay lead to a “business breakdown”.

If company information were lost through adisaster such as flood, fire, fraud, disgruntledemployees or negligence most businesseswould close within 3 weeks. Arguably some maysay that “mismanagement of information” is themost common corporate disaster today?

Unless you have in place good procedures,

work instructions, a cataloguing process and anup to date database then information will belost.

Grace Records and Information Managementare divisions of the well known Grace WorldwideGroup who are a renowned quality serviceprovider of removal, relocation and storagesolutions within the Australian market place.

The team at Grace is experienced in thehandling of project management requirementsfor the facility services and managementindustry.

Managing records, files and information canbe a major headache for businesses. Graceworks with you to create a solution that

complies with government legislation is easy toimplement and suits your budget.

Our care embraces the entire lifecycle ofinformation and records, from creation to securedestruction.

Grace’s leading edge scanning technologyand data capture software can convert alltraditional formats (paper, microfilm and photos)to digital. Scanning conventional paperwork isjust the tip of the iceberg!

Let Grace take care of your business.Call us on 1300 725 991, visit us atwww.gracerecords.com.au or email usanytime [email protected]

Security & Risk Feature: How safe is your information?

Security Group (the Information Security division of the BritishGovernment Communications Headquarters) demonstrating that voiceauthentication outperforms current fingerprint, hand print and facerecognition products. Tests by Edinburgh University’s Centre ofCommunications Interface Research, also covered in the University ofCanberra study, showed voice authentication to be 99.9 per centaccurate, which is 1000 times better security than PINS and passwordsalone. The effectiveness of voice authentication is further reinforced inthe University of Canberra study for government call centre applicationsand online and automated services. In this study, the robustness ofvoice authentication was also studied to ensure secure operation forevery day deployments such as mobile telephones and in high noiseconditions.

Extensive testing has also shown that mimics are unable to fool thetechnology even when they know the passwords and PINS. Thetechnology can also be configured to remain relatively insensitive tocolds and flu. Unless highly sophisticated equipment is used, recordingsalso cannot fool the system.

To further strengthen security, however, voice authentication systemsare usually set up to ask questions in a random sequence, thus makingeach session different from the last—preventing a recording of previoussessions from being used to ‘hack’ the current session.

(In fact, speaker verification is now at the point where it is beingdeployed in highly secure government services and there are at leastthree vendors certifying their technology for defence and nationalsecurity applications.)

Securing the Call CentreThe Australian Government’s Office of Strategic Crime Assessment hasstated that “critical to the functioning of the economy is the

requirement that stronger systems of proof of identity are developed”.By applying voice authentication to front-end call centres and online

services, there is no need for call centre agents to see or hear clients’personal information, PINS or passwords. Likewise, there is no needfor callers to disclose such information to call centre agents. Callerssimply authenticate their identity using their voice, and onceauthenticated, can be passed on to the agent anonymously. As such,the call centre agent can be certain that the caller is who they say theyare but need not know any personal or security information about thecaller. This is particularly beneficial for organisations using off-shore callcentres as it prevent agents in those off-shore facilities stealing callers’personal identity information.

Voice as a biometric identifier offers convenience and costeffectiveness in preventing the security problems discussed above. Byprotecting personal information using voice authentication, the ‘weaklink’ in identity-related fraud in online and call centre services can beeffectively addressed.

About the AuthorDr Clive Summerfield is CEO of Auraya and consulting firm 3SH. Clivehas been driving the adoption of speech recognition and voiceauthentication since the 1980s, with a key focus on massively scalablecarrier-grade projects. In 1990 Clive founded Syrinx Speech Systems where he implementedAT&T’s USA based Customer Care application as well as applicationsfor Commonwealth Bank’s Australian Stock trading system. Heintroduced voice biometrics to Australian government agencies such asParliament House and has designed and calibrated voice authenticationsolutions for Centrelink, Vanguard (a major US financial services firm)and the National Australia Bank.

Please visit www.auraya.net and www.3sh.net for more information.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 65

69


WINDOWS + WINDOW FILMS

A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITYON ENERGY EFFICIENCYINTRODUCTION BY WINTERCOMMS’ MAX WINTER, AND ADAPTED FROM ANARTICLE BY GARY SMITH OF THE AUSTRALIAN WINDOWS ASSOCIATION.

The recent Council of Australian Government (COAG) announcement in April 2009 concerning theNational Strategy for Energy Efficiency will have a major impact on the built environment – and notbefore time. That said, industry has been heavily gearing up to meet the demands of the more stringentmeasures, and nowhere has this been more evident than with the window manufacturing industry.

70


CLIENT FEATURE

www.windowtinting.com.au

A Clear Approach To Energy

Efficiency In Buildings.

REDUCE

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AuthorisedDistributor

Sunscreen and our Australia wide network has now used 3M Prestige film in several commercial installations. For more information please contact the friendly team at Sunscreen Pty Ltd.

Contact us for a free consultation 02 9439 5999

Comfort of employeesWork efficiency

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CONTACT US FOR A FREE ENERGY APPRAISAL

Do you know how much Window Films can reduce your

air-conditioning use by?

“ Goes Green”

3M Australia Pty Ltd has recently completed the application of 3M Prestige Window Film to all windows in our iconic head office building on the Pacific Highway, Pymble.

This upgrade was part of a refurbishment by 3M to our 5 storey facility built in the 1960's. It involved replacing the older reflective solar film that had been in place for 20+ years with the new spectrally selective Prestige Film. The window seals were upgraded using 3M Polymonomer foam tape, also designed to help increase the energy efficiency of the entire building.

3M Prestige film was the obvious choice as it uses innovative Multi-layer Optical Film technology. This amazing film provides solar control whilst allowing maximum natural light transmission providing an optimum balance and a host of advantages:

Phil Curry, 3M Engineering & Outsource Manufacturing Services Manager was very pleased with the installation completed by 3M Licensed Installer, Sunscreen Pty Ltd, and added: "The 3M Prestige window film has made a big difference to our building. The interior office is now much brighter as the film allows us to open the blinds and let the sunlight in without the heat."

"The difference compared to the old film is amazing. The exterior appearance is also improved without the silver window appearance - much more modern. Overall I am extremely pleased with the result." The release of 3M Prestige has opened up potential solutions for architects, developers, 'green' corporations, facility managers and tenants in both new build and retrofit applications where heat rejection is required, while maintaining internal visibility and external appearance.

71



On April 30, 2009 the Council of Australian Governments(COAG) announced the National Strategy for EnergyEfficiency. Within the context of the Carbon Pollution

Reduction Scheme, the National Strategy for Energy Efficiency aimsto help households and businesses reduce energy costs, to improveproductivity of the economy, and to reduce the cost of greenhousegas abatement. These measures affect both residential andcommercial buildings.

There are five key measures outlined in the strategy, including:3 Increasing the stringency of energy efficiency measures in all

classes of commercial buildings by 20103 The mandatory disclosure of energy efficiency of commercial

buildings and tenancies commencing 2010.3 An increase in the requirement of energy efficiency (including

more stringent measures for hot water and lighting) in all newresidential buildings nationally, to 6 stars or equivalent by May2011 – subject to regulatory impact analysis.

3 The phasing in of mandatory disclosure of energy efficiency,greenhouse gas emissions and water performance in residentialbuildings at the time of sale or lease by May 2011.

3 A proposal to reform current rating and energy efficiencyassessment processes for building energy efficiency standards1.

Serious research and development and business restructuring hasbeen undertaken by a host of product sector manufacturers, andnowhere has this been more evident than with window and glassmanufacturing.

2007/08 saw a host ofchanges in the industry withthe CSR acquisition andmerger of Pilkington (Australiaand New Zealand) and DMSGlass in 2007 to form ViridianGlass, while leading glasscompanies Bevelite Glass ofSydney, Costless Glass ofBrisbane and Moen Glass ofMelbourne2 and Canberramerged to create a newcompany to service theindustry across the easternAustralian market. Citing thechanging dynamics of the glass

industry and the impending greater stringency of the BCA as reasonsfor the merger, CEO David Hunt saw the increasing market demandfor energy efficient glazing as a key driver, stating that the mergedentity would be better equipped to service this growing market.

Some of the developments since have been the upgrade ofViridian’s Dandenong plant to embrace double glazingmanufacturing, and the introduction of the Chemical VapourDeposition (CVD) coater to produce Energy efficient Low E glass3

including Viridian EnergyTech™, SolTech™, EVantage™ and Renew™self cleaning glass. According to Viridian, the upgraded plant is nowone of the most advanced and sustainable glass making plants in theworld, while the CVD coater is one of only a handful of its type in theworld and uses globally proven and accepted Pilkington technology.

Hard coated glass manufactured by Viridian at Dandenong is highlydurable because the special coatings are applied whilst the glass isstill semi molten. The CVD coating process occurs whilst the glass isbeing manufactured, with precisely controlled coatings molecularlybonded to the surface. By changing the chemistry of the coatings

Energy efficiency and comfort = a winning combinationArchitectural Window Systems (AWS) has released Australasia’sfirst locally designed and manufactured thermally brokenaluminium window. Whilst thermally broken technology has beenused extensively throughout Europe and the US for many years,THERMAL HEART™ has been developed specifically for Australianconditions and signals the beginning of a new era for aluminiumwindows and doors in Australia. Part of the Vantage DesignerSeries, THERMAL HEART™ incorporates a glass fibre-reinforcednylon insulator or thermal break between the aluminium exteriorand interior elements to minimise heat transfer between theinterior and exterior.

The extra insulation provided gives designers additionalflexibility when achieving Building Code compliance with housesthat incorporate large areas of glazing. When combined withdouble-glazing, Designer Series THERMAL HEART™ productsperform approximately 32% better than standard double glazedunits.

The THERMAL HEART™ range includes awning, casement, bi-fold, sliding and hinged systems based on the VantageMAGNUM™ platform, with dual colour options for addedaesthetic appeal7.

For more information, contact AWS on (02) 8783 7611 or visitwww.vantagealuminium.com.au

CEO David Hunt, of the merged companies ofBevelite Glass, Costless Glass and Moen Glass.


72


CLIENT FEATURE

CUT COSTS – CREATE COMFORTSolarmaster is the leading commercial and residential window film specialists in Queensland and havebeen trading since 1974.

We are members of the WFAANZ,consulting with Engineers,Architects, Project and Facility

Managers and designers, to provide a clearervision in Window Film Products and theirapplication.

Solarmaster window films can reduceenergy costs up to 35% with our 5 STARenergy rated and WERS accreditedsolarfilms. We can enhance security andsafety issues, or make a dramatic statementwith our large range of decorative films.

Applying Solamaster Energy rated films towindows is a smart and sustainable solutionto energy usage. Solar film can reduce theUV by 99%, heat up to 80%, glare up to92% and of course reduce the running costsof the Air conditioning by up to 35%, in thiscurrent GREEN world we live in, these will inturn reduce your carbon footprint.

Solarmaster also has a large range of Anti-Graffiti films, clear andtinted Security/Safety films, Obscure films for privacy and decorativepurposes. Block out and translucent coloured vinyl’s for sign writing,logos, and any coloured application. Computer cut and Digital

printing are also available. Small and large applications are bothcatered for.

Please contact us for more information on 1800 642 966.

Freecall: 1800 642 966

Australia's first ENERGY RATED Solar Films.

Safety and Security Films that meet Australian Safety Standards.

Lifetime Guarantee on residential films.

Sand-Blast look, coloured vinyl, design and computer cut service available.

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Corporate logos, partitions, decals.

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Obligation free quotes.

Protecting Queensland since 1974with residential & commerical films.

[email protected] www.solarmaster.com.au

solar safety security anti-graffiti decorative

8/53 Metroplex Ave, Murarrie Qld 4172

73



Viridian can achievedifferent performanceproperties to produce arange of energy efficiencylow emissivity (Low E)glass.

Further developmentsat the plant4 haveincluded a process thatinvolves screen printing aceramic coating on tothe glass prior to thetoughening process,resulting in apermanent and durablefinish that is easy tomaintain andguaranteed not tofade or crack.

Called the Seraphicrange, the processoffers designfreedom withinfinite colour anddesign options forany project.ComprisingSeraphicStandard™ andSeraphicDesign™, bothproduct linesprovidedesigners andspecifiers with arange oftougheneddecorativeglass paneloptions,includingrange of 12readilyavailablescreenprintedglass

patterns. Seraphic

Standard’s range of 16opaque and translucent colours have

been matched to Colourbond™ Steel andDulux Powder Coat™ colours, allowing the glass to be

worked effortlessly into any colour scheme. Both Seraphic lines are available in a range of sizes up to

4500mm x 2200mm and can be toughened ortoughened laminated safety glass options. Anti-slip finishesare available on request for stairs and floors. Designs,patterns and colours can be customised to suit any project.

Apart from energy efficiency legislation, recent eventswith bushfires and cyclones have also added to therequirements list of glass and windows manufacturers –more on this in future issues.

The changing face of windows and doors inAustraliaSince the introduction of energy efficiency legislation inAustralia, the Australian window and door market has

been driven to change, particularly with the recent announcement ofthe move to six star housing. When energy legislation was introducedto the United States there was a huge change which seemed tohappen overnight. The market moved to different solutions such asuPVC5, fibreglass and composite framed products. There was asignificant impact on the aluminium window market because theydid not take a proactive approach to the changes in legislation.

In Australia we have been fortunate to know what has beencoming; we have examples such as the United States to ensure thewindow industry can be proactive in the development of productsthat can offer greater flexibility in aesthetics and performance.

There is a great diversity of window and door types beingmanufactured in Australia and there is ongoing and fantasticinnovation. There are many types of windows available to the marketincluding timber, aluminium, thermally broken aluminium, uPVC andcomposites. A great deal of innovation in design has been takingplace to meet environmental demands. This includes better sealedproducts, new improved designs to increase thermal efficiency, newglass solutions including coated glass, high performance tinted glassand insulated glass units to name a few.

Thermally broken aluminium windows6 and doors have beendifficult to find in the Australian market but there are now productsemerging.

It has been an important change of mindset for the windowindustry to focus on energy efficiency. The window is a part of thebuilding envelope, and in fact it is the only part of the envelope thatcan let natural light into the building and also provide good crossflow ventilation. Windows enable passive solar heat gain to enter abuilding, and can be insulated to support the thermal integrity andenhance the performance characteristics required of modern buildingenvelopes.

In measuring the performance of windows, the total windowsystem is taken into account. This makes the glass, window framematerial and design, all important features when making a selection,and to take account of these variables, the window energy ratingscheme (WERS) has been developed.

WERS gives a performance rating on the total window system inregards to energy performance and daylighting. The rating includestechnical specifications including a comparison of the U Value, SolarHeat Gain Coefficient and visible light transmission8, and translatesthese into a star rating for heating and cooling and a percentageimprovement over a worst performing standard aluminium window.

Example table of performance data

WERS is the only approved rating system currently in Australia, and itfollows the protocols of the Australian Fenestration Rating Councilwhich ensures fair, accurate, and reliable energy performance ratings.The data created by WERS is used in the house energy ratingsoftware products being used around Australia, and can be equallyutilised in specifying windows in commercial applications .

Visit the WERS website to see over 4000 rated products.www.wers.net

Architects specifying for commercial building applicationsunderstand the preference for big open expanses of window area tomaximise daylighting potential and occupant comfort. The benefit ofthe innovation taking place in the window industry is that this is stillan option even with the energy efficiency legislation now in place andstringency to increase in the near future. Energy provisions however,are not the only requirement placed on the manufacture of windows.The Building codes of Australia (BCA) states that windows mustcomply with AS2047.

AS2047 is the mandatory minimum specification for windows anddoors used in all classes of buildings in Australia, and it includes

74



compliance to the Glass Standard AS 1288. The following performance tests are undertaken to verify product

performance claims.1. AS 4420.2 Deflection Test – positive and negative wind

pressures are applied to the face of the window to test themaximum deflection under wind load.

2. AS 4420.3 Operating Force Test – to verify that an openingsash is capable of opening and closing without undue effort.

3. AS 4420.4 Air Infiltration Test – the air leakage of a windowis tested to ensure energy and acoustic efficiency.

4. AS 4420.5 Water Penetration Resistance Test – this test isdesigned to ensure no water leaks through the window into thebuilding.

5. AS 4420.6 Ultimate Strength Test – negative and positivewind pressures are applied to the window to at least 1.5 timesthe design wind pressure to ensure it does not fail in unusualwind conditions.

Windows and doors for buildings must have a Performance Labelwhich confirms that they are certified to comply with AustralianStandard AS 2047. If you purchase windows from an accredited AWAmember, you can also receive a Certificate of Compliance thatsupports a 7 year warranty.

Example: Window label which should be affixed to window anddoor products to ensure compliance to AS 2047.

All AWA members have products tested to AS 2047 and are a partof a third party NATA accredited program. This accreditation programis a proven and nationally recognised method of achievingcompliance to assist architects, builders, specifiers, facility managersand homeowners to select products that comply with AustralianStandards.

Look for the AWA logo when purchasing your windows to beconfident you are purchasing compliant products.

For further information contact Australian Window Association on(02) 9498 2768 or [email protected]

Reference and acknowledgements1. Australian Building Codes Board webinair, at www.abcb.gov.au.

2. Article courtesy AWA Newsletter September 2008.

3. Low emissivity (Low E) glass products let in abundant naturallight, but reduce the passage of heat to keep a building warmerin winter and cooler in summer, lessening the need for artificialheating or cooling. These types of products are well recognisedin Europe and North America as an important way of reducing abuilding’s energy consumption and improving occupant comfort.(Material courtesy OMC Press Release).

4. OMC Press Release.

5. Unplasticized Poly Vinyl Chloride (uPVC) or Rigid PVC is oftenused in the building industry as a low-maintenance material,particularly in Ireland and the U.K, and in the United Stateswhere it is known as vinyl, or vinyl siding. The material comes ina range of colors and finishes, including a photo-effect woodfinish, and is used as a substitute for painted wood, mostly forwindow frames when installing double glazing in new buildings,or to replace older single glazed windows. It has many otheruses including fascia, and siding or weatherboarding. The samematerial has almost entirely replaced the use of cast iron forplumbing and drainage, being used for waste pipes, drainpipes,gutters and downpipes.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyvinyl_chloride#Unplasticized_polyvinyl_chloride_.28uPVC.29

6. To be classified as thermally broken, a window must conform tothe following definition by the U.S. National Fenestration RatingCouncil (ref: NFRC 100-2001). “Thermal break: a material oflow thermal conductivity that is inserted between members ofhigh conductivity in order to reduce heat transfer. Thermalbarrier material conductivity shall be no more than 0.5 W/m.K.Thermally broken (TB) members: system members with aminimum of 5.30mm separation provided by a low-conductancematerial (where thermal conductivity is less than or equal to 0.5W/m.K) or open air space between the interior and exteriorsurfaces. Such systems include members with exposed interioror exterior trim attached with clips and all skip/debridgedsystems”. http://www.wers.net/faqs#brokenframe

7. Courtesy AWA Newsletter September 2008.

8. In addition to a low U-value, the required solar heat gaincoefficient varies according to climatic needs: high for heatingclimates and low for cooling climates or for orientations withsevere solar exposure.

75


CLIENT FEATURE

emergency glass repair specialists

Telephone 1300 666 234www.expressglass.com.au

How secure is your glass?

Call Express Glass today to

find out how to keep your

building secure.

Every day the integrity of your building’s glass is at risk - whether from accidental

or deliberate threat. There are a number of ways to dramatically minimise the safety and security risks to your building.

Accidental Pedestrian ImpactAustralian Standard AS 1288, dictates the

requirements for the selection and installation of safety glass. A failure to adhere to these standards may leave you liable for injury caused to pedestrians. Ensuring the right safety glass is used will minimise the risk of breakage and injury, and protect you against liability for injury.

“Smash and Grab” AssaultIs your building at risk from violent attack? There

are glass solutions that can enhance your building’s security. Laminated glass is the process whereby two

panes of glass are held together with a vinyl interlayer. A specially created interlayer that holds together under attack from hammers and crowbars makes a secure glass for shop fronts and display cabinets.

Devastating AttackBanks, government agencies and other high-security

buildings can be at risk from violent attack. There have been advances in glass manufacture and processing that can provide superior protection from bombs and other blasts. As well as using specially resiliant glass, strengthened interlayers further increase the protection this glass provides.

Film Solutions

added protection against accidental impact, attack or bomb blast. Film can also provide a low cost solution to

Increase the security of your building’s glass.

To talk to someone about the security risks you face and the glass and film solutions that are right for you, contact commercial glazing specialists, .

Call Mark Jennings today on 1300 666 234, email [email protected],or visit www.expressglass.com.au.

To learn more about glass types, visit viridianglass.com

76


PPP

MELBOURNE’S NEW ROYAL WOMEN’SHOSPITAL – LEADING THE WAY IN PPP

77


PPP

Delegates at FMA Australia’s ideaction 09, were given the opportunity to tour Melbourne’s RoyalWomen’s Hospital (the Women’s) in Parkville, Victoria, less than a year after it opened its doors on the21st June 2008. Following a successful relocation from their Carlton home of 150 years, the new facilityprovides a significantly improved level of clinical configuration and working environment for theWomen’s staff. It also provides Victorian women and their babies a private, comfortable family-friendlyenvironment, whilst delivering excellence in health care.

After the realisation that the existing quality of infrastructure was deteriorating, the new Women’sproject was announced under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) scheme in 2004. The relocation ofthe Women’s hospital to the Melbourne Health Parkville precinct allowed an opportunity to collocatewith Royal Melbourne Hospital (RMH) and integrate their clinical services. This collocation betweenRMH and the Women’s has provided access to an expanded scope of services for patients andimproved patient safety. Acutely ill patients from the Women’s have direct access to critical carefacilities and medical expertise at RMH. Furthermore, clinical benefits, such as specialist obstetric,gynaecological and ambulatory care at the Women’s are also available to women at RMH.

Nigel Christie, Project Manager of Operations for Bilfinger Berger Project Investments, outlines howa PPP consortium brings designers in partnership with builders and facility managers, ensuring all thepracticalities of build-ability, operations and maintenance are factored into the design. He alsodiscusses how a comprehensive 24/7 facility management helpdesk, asset and property management,utilities and medical gas management, cleaning and hotel services, security and grounds and gardensmaintenance are provided effectively to this world-class facility.

Royal Women’s Hospital photography by David Hannah: 0413 864 636


78


PPP

The decision by the State of Victoria to have the new Women’sHospital project delivered as a PPP was fundamental inproviding the framework to deliver a facility that provides a

value for money solution for the State and for the people who arerelied upon to operate in, and from, the facility.

The PPP model inherently fosters the whole-of-life designoutcomes, and these outcomes can only be achieved through carefulplanning and the interface of key stakeholders from both public andprivate entities.

Under this model, the new Women’s project was commissionedby project company Royal Women’s Health Partnership (RWHP).This partnership is comprised of Bilfinger Berger Project Investmentsas sponsor and equity provider, Baulderstone construction anddesign, underpinned by DWI design team, Bassets as servicesengineers, United Group Services as the facilities services manager,and Wilson carparking as the carpark operator.

RWHP has been charged with the responsibility of deliveringfacility management services to the Women’s Hospital for the periodof the concession contract of 25 years. United Group Limited (UGL),an experienced facility management (FM) provider, was contracted tomanage and deliver services such as comprehensive 24/7 facilitymanagement helpdesk, asset and property management, utilities andmedical gas management, cleaning and hotel services, security andgrounds, and gardens maintenance to the Women’s.

Working in a PPP consortium has the advantage of requiring a fully

collaborative partnership between the designers and the builders, aswell as the facility managers, so that all the practicalities of build-ability, operations and maintenance are all factored into the design.There is also the advantage of having whole of life costing such ascapital and recurrent costs fully considered over the concessionperiod. This means there is a life-cycle cost efficiency that willenhance the Net Present Value over the longer term, to a better buildquality. Building elements that last longer will end up paying forthemselves rather than cheaper alternatives that may need replacingmore often over the 25 year period.

Initial design is one very important factor but the bid team isinvolved in making every aspect a winner: planning, build-ability,energy efficiency, flexibility, maintenance and whole-of-lifefinancing – all of which has to be applied to the best design solution.During bid phase the facility services manager resources wereallocated to the project. This ensured optimal “whole-of-life”outcomes for the facilities design and materials used, efficiency ofservice delivery, and value for money for all project stakeholders.

Managing the expectations of stakeholders on the client side andwithin the consortium was one of the biggest challenges. On theclient side, the consortium was working with the Royal Women’sHospital, Department of Human Services and The Royal MelbourneHospital amongst others.

To ensure all stakeholders understood the process and workings ofa PPP, weekly management meetings with the builder and facilities

79


PPP

management teams were held.Strategic workshops are also heldapproximately every six monthsinvolving all project partners toreinforce agreed goals and behaviours.

The strategies and processesimplemented created a great deal ofsuccess for the project, andsatisfaction amongst its users andclients (Department of HumanServices and Royal Women’sHospital). The hospital exceeded clientexpectations, was delivered on timeand on budget, without anycontractual disputes during thedelivery process, and included over600 design changes accommodated atno extra cost.

The Women’s Hospital project hasbeen built on a foundation forgedthrough trust, innovation,communication, partnering, andmutual respect between all keystakeholders involved in the designand build process. These qualities are evident today as the hospitalhas evolved from design and construct project into a fully functioningTertiary Women’s Health Facility. The Hospital has been fullyoperational since the 21st June 2008 and to date the partnershipculture is strong and evolving. This strong culture has been supportedby the effective delivery of facility management services to theHospital. Hospital staff are now in tune with the facility managementteam and trust them to provide a safe and pleasant operatingenvironment in which to deliver excellent women’s health services tothe Victorian community.

As evidenced by recent PPP projects, the PPP is a setting thatencourages smart thinking and innovation. The project was awarded“PPP Deal of the Year” for the Asia Pacific Region by Project FinanceInternational magazine in 2006. The transaction reached financialclose in record time and is considered by both the private and thepublic sectors to be a model project, and a benchmark for future PPPprocurement in the state of Victoria and beyond.

Last month in Singapore, the Hospital was awarded the Design &

Health International Academy Award for a Healthcare Project greaterthan 40,000m2. It is an award for an outstanding acute healthcarebuilding where patient-centred considerations are evident as clinicaland managerial priorities.

Editor’s notePublic Private Partnerships in essence are a financing model thatbundle the design and construction (capital expenditure) aspectsof the facility with the ongoing operations and maintenance(operational expenditure) of the facility – all neatly packaged toprovide public infrastructure that can be later transferred back tothe government after an agreed concession period where thegovernment pays an agreed sum for the provision, operations andmaintenance of the infrastructure. While there are several differentsorts of PPP schema, this particular model is known as a BOOT(Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer) Scheme. Private sectorconsortiums are usually formed specifically for these PPPs and areknown as Special Purpose Vehicles.

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CLIENT FEATURE

NATURAL FIRE SUPPRESSANT SYSTEMPROTECTS PEOPLE AND PROPERTY

Commercial facilities require anextensive and well-thoughtout approach to fire

protection in order to protect peopleand property should a fire occur. Forexample, high-tech equipment whichstores vital information, providesnetwork support or drives externalsystems, could be irreparablydamaged using a chemical firesuppressant.

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CLIENT FEATURE

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AGED CARE

THE CHALLENGES FACINGFM IN AGED CARE Based on the presentation by Trish Ferrier, Property Manager for Royal Freemasons Homes of VictoriaLtd at FMA Australia’s national conference, ideaction 09.

IntroductionAustralia’s population is rapidly aging, andover the next four decades, the number ofpeople aged over 85 will quadruple toaround 1.6 million.1 As a consequence, thechallenge of meeting the needs of thisgrowing number of elderly people mustbecome one of the nation’s greatestpriorities2. Whilst many Australians prefer toremain in their own homes as long aspossible, supported by community care

programs, there are others who are seekingalternative accommodation to these supportoptions. When considering alternativeaccommodation to their own homes, elderlypeople look for a place where they can haveprivacy, maintain their dignity and receivecomprehensive care. It is this level of carewhich is one of the major influences drivingthe delivery of aged care accommodationbeing provided in the industry today2.

Trish Ferrier, Property Manager for Royal

Freemasons Homes of Victoria Ltd, outlinesthe regulatory compliance requirements inresidential aged care, and discusses thechallenges of undergoing maintenance andrenovations while remaining sensitive toresidents’ needs. She also spoke toWinterComms’ journalist MelanieDrummond about the challenges of bringingaged care FM processes into line with therest of the industry.


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Regulatory compliance in residential aged careTo receive government funding, residential aged care homes must beaccredited. Accreditation is the arrangement established by theAustralian government to verify that a residential care home providesquality care and services for residents. The body appointed by thegovernment to ensure this happens is the Aged Care Standards andAccreditation Industry. Accreditation is granted for a period of threeyears. Towards the end of each three year period the care facilitymust apply to renew its accreditation. There are four standards, andunder these four standards, there are 44 outcomes.

Under each of these outcomes residential aged care homes mustprovide evidence of compliance. The four standards are:

1. Management Systems, staffing and organisational development2. Health and personal care3. Resident Lifestyle4. Physical environment and safe systemsIt is within the fourth standard that most of the responsibilities of

the Property Manager lie. Assessors are particularly vigilant and seekevidence that all the preventative maintenance works associated withessential service measures and building certification are undertakenwhen required and are kept up to date. They are particularlyconcerned about compliance with fire and emergency procedures.

Evidence of security measures is also high on the agenda andresidential aged care homes have to demonstrate how they maintaintheir systems to ensure that their residents are not compromised inthis regard.

Royal Freemasons Homes of Victoria Ltd (RFHV)As well as the physical infrastructure, it is mandatory for allcontractors to have current police checks, and at the RoyalFreemasons Homes of Victoria Ltd (RFHV), all contractors are signedto formal agreements. These agreements include a Code of Conductfor external providers and the monitoring of compliance againstthose agreements. Before commencement of work, contractors mustpresent evidence of insurance cover, company registration and acomprehensive OH&S policy.

Added to this is what the agency describes as support visits. Thesetake place at least once a year, over the life of the accreditationperiod. These visits can be announced, in that we are notified of thevisit, or they can be unannounced, where agency assessors come toor on site without notice. During these visits, assessors can ask forevidence of compliance against any of the outcomes under the fourstandards.

This creates the need for the Property Manager to be vigilantabout the maintenance of essential services reports and to beconstantly monitoring workflow to make sure that all tasks associatedwith achieving compliance are being undertaken when they shouldbe. Sometimes the visits are the result of a question, or complaintmade to the agency by a resident’s family. One recent visit involved aquery regarding the temperature of the water in the shower,necessitating great lengths to prove that the contractor maintainingthe temperature via the thermostatic mixing valve knew whattemperature the water had to be. The outcome was that the agencyrecommended that a copy of the relevant Australian Standardbecome a part of the contract documentation given to and signed bythe contractor involved. Incidentally, the water in question was theright temperature at 43°C, the standard being between 41°C and45°C.

At the Royal Freemasons we are very proud to say that we haverecently had all four of our residential sites go through the process ofre-accreditation and we met compliance in all 44 outcomesassociated with the four standards. The process however is one ofthe most intense types of audit that I have ever been involved in andthe visits from the agency always cause a minor ripple through thesites when they occur!

Refurbishment and redevelopment of existing propertiesRoutine maintenance tasks, either in our independent units or in our

residential care facilities are not difficult to manage,but complex maintenance or major refurbishmentwhere the residents’ daily routine is disturbedrequires careful planning. Whilst we need tomaintain the value of our assets, we also need tomanage very carefully the disruption to ourresidents’ lives whilst we do this. The mostimportant thing, as it is in all facilities managementenvironments, is communication with all thoseinvolved.

An example is a current project involving therenovation of 24 bathrooms at an independentliving unit site. For the residents, this work is veryintrusive. Strangers coming into their homesuninvited, their bathrooms being inaccessible for alengthy time, the worry about whether they willhave a toilet available during the work, whether thework will be done when they are home or whenthey are not at home; all sorts of things becomeissues of great concern for them. Some do not wantto be disturbed at all, are happy with what theyhave and are adamant that the change isunwarranted. It is just as important to take all theseconcerns on board and give them as muchattention, possibly more, as we give to managingthe actual work taking place. This takes time but inthe long run it is time well spent.

Many resident meetings were held to explainwhat we wanted to do, how we were going to do itand what the effect would be on them. We neededto give the residents an opportunity to discuss theprocess with us, time to get used to the idea andmake arrangements to cope with this disturbance totheir lives. Whilst you may be thinking that thesimple solution would be for them to leave theirunit for the day while the work is being done, oftenthe residents do not have a source of alternativeaccommodation available to them. Some will usethe amenities of another resident on site, but againsome of our residents value their privacy enough notto be comfortable with this option. This project wasclosely monitored and done in stages so that theleast number of residents were disturbed at any onetime.

Then there is the management of the contractor.The scheduling of the work is heavily influenced by the needs of theresidents. The brief in this project was that the work required wascarried out to four bathrooms at a time – this work being completedbefore four more commenced. This remained the program until allworks were complete. The contractor had to commit to coming tothe site and staying until work was complete. This decreases the timethat each resident is inconvenienced, especially as only four residentswere involved at any one time. Deviation to the plan, especially atshort notice, would have caused distress to our residents so weworked to avoid any changes to set plans as much as possible.

Having spent the last 10 years or so working predominately in themanagement of facilities functions associated with corporate officespace I found myself at the bottom of what is still a large well oflearning. Aged Care is about caring and it is this predominant forcethat drives all we do. At the same time, however, we have toconform to some of the most stringent regulatory compliance that Ihave ever had to work with. The theme that continually comes to thefore for me is the need to grow and continue to provide the servicesrequired to maintain properties that are attractive, safe, and secureand ones that our residents are proud to call home. At the same timeyou must balance this with business planning and formal compliance.It is a unique experience being part of a business that impacts somuch on the personal lives of others, others who rely on you and

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AGED CARE

trust you to deliver when you impose on their homes and their lives. WinterComms: Tell us about your background in FM?TF: I started my career in the Public Works department doing

contract administration in 1978, some 31 years ago. I’ve always beeninvolved in construction from an administrative point of view, andover the past 30 years I have continued to develop my career,working with the Office of Housing for a number of years doingupgrades in their stock and then for the State Library as their BuildingManager. From there it was back to Human Services and then myfirst pure facilities manager role was at Victoria Legal Aid when I tookthat position in 1996. I left there 18 months ago for my present roleas Property Manager with the Royal Freemasons.

WinterComms: What was the biggest challenge you facedwhen you first moved into your role with the Freemasons?

TF: There is a lot of regulatory compliance required which isfundamental to the running of the business. The biggest challenge Ifaced was putting some processes around that and making sure wewere recording and reporting our compliance in terms of buildingcodes and accreditation. We can receive unannounced Agency visitsanytime and we often have to investigate questions or concernsraised by families either directly or through the Agency. So you haveto be on top of things at all times to make sure that everything youdo is compliant. We’re 100 per cent compliant now and it’s really

important we keep it that way.WinterComms: How big is your portfolio?TF: I oversee four nursing home sites, and independent living units

in Mildura, Swan Hill, Ballarat, Brunswick (Melbourne), Coburg,Murrumbeena, Shepparton and Wangaratta, and I believe there are1000 clients on our books at anyone time. There are also threecommunity outreach offices that I look after.

WinterComms: Why do you believe FM in aged care is stillbehind the rest of the FM industry in terms of the processes inplace to support the delivery of services?

TF: I think aged care has traditionally been provided by not-for-profit organisations and this is still the case for 60% of the industry.In these sorts of environments the focus of staff and volunteers isfirmly on caring for their clients so often keeping up with what ishappening outside this is of secondary importance, particularly theworld that is facilities management.

In the past 5 years, aged care providers like the Royal Freemasonsare accepting that they need to be managing in the 21st century, sothey’re bringing their processes and procedures into line with what ishappening in the rest of the industry. This is not to say that prior tothat, the Royal Freemasons were not carrying out the work involvedwith being compliant – it was more that it wasn’t being recorded andregistered as being completed. The audit process was missing.

WinterComms: How do priorities differ for an aged carefacilities/property manager to one managing corporatetenants?

TF: When managing corporate office environments, there weresimilar regulatory compliances to those that I work with now, so inthose respects things are fundamentally the same. Processes andprocedures for procurement and contracting do not differ mucheither. What has become significant is the development andmaintenance of relationships with my clients. In my previous positionI would deal with key stakeholders and they in turn would managethe needs of the staff they were responsible for. I therefore had tonurture a smaller number of relationships. In my current position,whilst I have two key clients within my organisation, much of mytime is spent in communication with residents, learning tounderstand them, and developing ways of delivering a service that ismutually acceptable to all involved. It is critical to align the businessneeds involved in the management of our assets with the needs ofour residents.

WinterComms: How has the tightening up of procedures andprocesses affected staff and contractors?

TF: When I came to the Royal Freemasons there were service levelagreements in place but they just hadn’t been passed on to the rightpeople. It was really about drawing that forward. Most of thecontractors came to the party but we did have smaller companieswho weren’t compliant in terms of things like insurance and OH&S.Those that met the criteria I had in terms of insurance, work coverand safety stayed on board, and those that weren’t prepared to movetowards those compliance standards had to move on. There was nochoice. In terms of staff there were changes in the way we did things,life is much easier for our operations managers now because theyknow where everything is and they’ve got essential services folderssitting nearby. The contractors have all been inducted properly, andit’s a process which now runs very smoothly.

The other change I made was in the independent living units - inthe past we had previously had residents calling contractorsthemselves which became unwieldy for everyone. I’ve now recruiteda handyman who has a fully equipped van and he goes aroundlooking after all of our Melbourne, Geelong and Ballarat independentliving units and it’s working really well. He takes all the calls from theresidents. These independent living units are now well looked afterand the residents have continuity with someone they know and trust.At the more remote sites we are lucky to have the local MasonicLodge providing assistance and I work very closely withrepresentatives in these areas to provide the same service.

WinterComms: How long did it take to get things working to

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AGED CARE

a point where you were happy with them?TF: I think in the first six months, I didn’t know what had hit me,

but towards the end of last year things were running well and I felt incontrol. I think the essential services reporting and my responsibilitiesin terms of Accreditation are just ticking over and initial problemsseem to have been ironed out. The praise that we’ve had from theStandards Agency regarding the systems and processes that we havein place at Royal Freemasons suggest that we are producing highcalibre compliance, and evidence of compliance.

WinterComms: How do you manage the relationship withyour clients in terms of undergoing maintenance andrenovations?

TF: You have to think really carefully about how you are going tomanage it. When you let residents know that you are undertakingworks, you have to know exactly what you are going to do and howbefore you approach them. You also have to have plans in place forthose that require alternative accommodation, meal provisions andother essential needs.

You need to be aware of things the residents might be concernedabout, and you need to be sure that their level of care they are usedto is not compromised. You can’t just run the project and get theupgrade done; you also have to manage the needs of those residentsinvolved really carefully.

When they employed me here they said it was really important tofind someone who not only had the facilities management skillsrequired but also the ability to be sympathetic to the needs ofresidents as well – it has to be a balance between the two. I’ve reallyhad to reflect on that, not to forge ahead with the project, but to taketwo steps back and look at the needs of the client before I doanything. You’d think to upgrade 24 very small bathrooms wouldn’ttake very long, but it’s actually going to take us three or four monthsbecause we’re manoeuvring around the needs of the residents.

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AGED CARE

That’s the difference. I probably had a sense that there was a need tobe very in tune with the needs of the residents, but I probably didn’trealise how important that was going to be.

WinterComms: How do you make sure contractors deal withyour residents sensitively?

TF: It is about managing the contractor and putting him undersome stringent contractual obligations. We expect contractors to beon site and remain on site until any upgrades are completed. It’sreally important for us to find contractors who have a level ofcompassion and care, as it’s not an ordinary sort of process. Lots ofour residents are elderly women living on their own, so there are lotsof issues you need to consider in terms of making sure they feel safein their environment when contractors are brought in. We try tomaintain continuity of contractors and their staff so the residents getused to seeing familiar faces and are less concerned about who isgoing to come when they are in need. Having a full-timemaintenance supervisor has assisted with this.

WinterComms: What has been your most significantachievement?

TF: Getting four nursing homes through accreditation; being ableto achieve full compliance from the property management point ofview.

Wintercomms: What do you think are the keys to successwhen working in FM for aged care?

TF: The client relationship is just as important as getting the workdone and it’s the typical stuff of communication and making surepeople know exactly what’s going on. It means accepting sometimesthat residents can get distressed and will continually ask the samequestions. You must have patience.

WinterComms: How do you think FM in aged care industrycould be improved in terms of professional development andeducation?

TF: I’d like to see more aged care facility managers in FMAAustralia; I’d like to see that interaction happening between ourindustry and rest of the industry. I am part of a property manager’sforum run by Aged and Community Care Victoria (ACCV). It’s a verystrong group of people with a wealth of knowledge of the aged careindustry. It is also pleasing to see that some of these members holdhigh positions in their organisations, which suggests that the facilitiesmanagement business unit in the aged care industry is gainingimportance.

WinterComms: What advice would you offer FMs movinginto Aged Care?

TF: It’s full on. It’s a very demanding role. In the nursing homesyou have to get on to things straight away. With our elderly residentsin the independent living units, something that may seem trivial toyou or I can be something which is quite catastrophic to them. Foryou and I, waiting for a return phone call or for a contractor to turnup to change a light bulb or fix a dripping tap is not a major problem,but for our residents it can be. You need to be available and ready toassist when the need arises.

It is very important to have a team of external and internalproviders working together with you to provide this service. Thesepeople need to be committed to following up each request soresidents don’t feel forgotten and that their needs are important.With us if the plumber says he is going to be there at ten, then heneeds to be there at ten! Constant communication with our residentsis vital.

References:1 Australian Government Productivity Commission

2 Grant Thornton Industry Intelligent Unit ‘Grant Thornton Australia’s 2008 Aged

Care Survey’, downloaded 10th April 2009,

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CLIENT FEATURE

ISS’s Government Cleaning Division, comprising 3000staff, covers 1500 sites across New South Wales,including schools, police stations, courts and other

government buildings. Currently, ISS is contracted toundertake cleaning. However their client has indicated apotential integrated facilities management model toincorporate the maintenance and cleaning of buildings byone organisation.

To prepare their staff for possible future changes, ISSconsulted with UNE Partnerships to develop a ProfessionalDevelopment Workshop, outlining the functions and inter-relationships of a Facilities Management Unit. According toLen Benson “We wanted to give our staff a betterunderstanding of how a Facilities Management Unitoperates as a whole. We felt it was important for them tosee how the unit functions and how various aspectscorrelate”.

Developing a consistent approach across the facilities managementunit, is a strong focus in these workshops and allows those involvedto understand the benefits of a united approach to all systems. ISS iskeen to develop a strong framework within its Cleaning Division to

enable it to handle the potential new work. “We know we can’t moveforward until we get further indication from our client, but we hopethat we will be sufficiently prepared to be able to make it happenquickly” said Len

INTEGRATED FACILITIESMANAGEMENT APPROACHISS has a proactive approach to education and training and understands the benefits that ongoingprofessional development provides for its workforce. Len Benson, Executive General Manager(Government Cleaning Division), ISS Cleaning Services engaged UNE Partnerships to deliver aFundamentals of Facilities Management Workshop in Coffs Harbour.

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EDUCATION + TRAINING

Holmesglen Institute, VictoriaHolmesglen Institute offers a Bachelor of Facilities Management.Programs are designed around a 2 tier structure, the first tier being a3-year (full-time equivalent) ‘foundation’ degree, the Bachelor ofApplied Science (Built Environment).

Second tier programs include 1-year (full-time equivalent)professional specialisations in: 3 building surveying (Bachelor of Built Environment)3 construction management and economics (Bachelor of

Construction Management and Economics)3 facilities management (Bachelor of Facilities Management).Students enter this fourth year specialisation of Facilities

Management following successful completion of the Bachelor ofApplied Science (Built Environment), or those with significantrelevant industry experience and the equivalent of a degree may begranted credit and be accepted directly into the course.www.holmesglen.vic.edu.au

Bond University, Gold Coast, QLDBond University’s Faculty of Business, Technology and SustainableDevelopment offers a Bachelor of Business and a Bachelor ofCommerce degree with majors of five to six subjects addressingsustainability, project management, assets and facilities management,and property valuation. In addition, the Bachelor of Commerce majorincludes planning processes. The degree can be completed over 2years of full-time study, or students can study at their own pace part-time.www.bond.edu.au

University of the Sunshine Coast, MaroochydoreThe University of the Sunshine Coast in Maroochydore offers aBachelor of Business (Property and Asset Management). Propertyand Asset management underpins areas such as residential andcommercial developments, construction, and tourism and facilitiesmanagement. The program includes the core business courses suchas marketing, accounting, economics and human resourcemanagement to ensure graduates understand key businessimperatives. This is supported by specialist units which providedetailed knowledge on key industry areas such as propertyeconomics, property management, investment decision making,property law, valuation issues and asset and facilities management.Students can also apply to undertake first-year courses in thisprogram at the USC Noosa Centre. www.usc.edu.au

University of Southern QueenslandThe University of Southern Queensland offer a Master of ProjectManagement which aims to produce graduates who haveappropriate skills and knowledge to be capable of managing small,medium and large-sized projects as a senior team leader, a projectmanager or project director. The Masters can be completed oncampus, through distance education or online. Duration is one yearfull-time or four years part-time. www.usq.edu.au

Central Queensland UniversityCentral Queensland University offers three different distanceeducation programs in maintenance management leading to the

AN UPDATE ON FACILITYMANAGEMENT TRAININGOPPORTUNITIESFor the facility manager looking to enhancetheir understanding and skills set within theindustry, the Higher Education and VET sectorsare providing an increasing array of choices. WinterComms’ Susan Keck investigates thenew tertiary education opportunities on offerand explores what is available in 2009/10 forFacility Managers throughout Australia.

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qualifications of Graduate Certificate in Maintenance Management,Graduate Diploma of Maintenance Management and Master ofMaintenance Management program. The program is suited to thosecurrently employed in the areas of maintenance engineering ormaintenance management, who would like to advance their careersthrough professional upgrading of their knowledge, skills andqualifications.

The aim of the Master of Maintenance Management program isfor the student to apply the knowledge and skills gained fromexperience and studies in maintenance management towardscreation of opportunities to improve maintenance practices therebyproviding leadership in the industrial maintenance organisation. www.cqu.edu.au

Queensland University of TechnologyWhile QUT do not offer specific facility management courses, they dorun the Bachelor of Urban Development (Property Economics). Anumber of graduates from this QUT program do venture into the FMindustry. QUT is also the headquarters of the Cooperative ResearchCentre for Integrated Engineering Asset Management – a majorinitiative funded by the Federal Government that conducts innovativeresearch and development, education and commercialisation in anintegrated approach to life cycle physical asset management. TheCRC for Construction Innovation is also headquartered at QUT and ithas an emerging focus on the FM Field.www.qut.edu.au

University of South AustraliaThe University of South Australia currently offer a nested GraduateCertificate/Graduate Diploma/Master in Facilities and AssetManagement program through their School of Natural and BuiltEnvironments. The full Masters is an eguivalent full-time program of

one and a half years covering the efficient management of assetsincluding facilities such as engineering structures and complexbuildings.www.unisa.edu.au

University of AdelaideThe University of Adelaide offer a Masters in Project Management, aMasters in Applied Project Management and a Graduate Certificatein Project Management.www.adelaide.edu.au

Curtin University of Technology, Western AustraliaCurtin University offer a 1-year Graduate Certificate in FacilitiesManagement. Also covered in the course are project managementand procurement management.www.curtin.edu.au

Victoria University, MelbourneVictoria University of Melbourne offers a Graduate Certificate inProject Management, a Graduate Diploma of Project Managementand a Master of Contracting and Project Management.www.vu.edu.au

University of MelbourneFacilities Management is offered at undergraduate level as part of theproperty major in the University of Melbourne’s Bachelor ofEnvironments program. It is also offered as part of the Master ofProperty. Property lecturer Chris Heywood says it is possible with theMasters, and to some extent the undergraduate program, toconstruct a FM focused qualification by undertaking other subjectssuch as services, sustainability and building regulations.www.unimelb.edu.au

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Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)RMIT offers a generic Master of Project Management as well asspecialisations in Engineering, Facilities Management andInformation Technology. The duration of the Masters (one and a halfyears full time or three years part-time) incorporates the GraduateDiploma (one year full-time or two years part-time) and the GraduateCertificate (six months full-time or one year part-time). www.rmit.com.au

Swinburne University of Technology, VictoriaSwinburne University of Technology in Hawthorn Victoria offers aGraduate Certificate of Business in Project Management part-time, inthe evening and/or on weekends. In the area of ConstructionManagement, also offered is a Graduate Certificate of Technology(Construction Management), Graduate Diploma of Technology(Construction Management) and a Master of TechnologyManagement (Construction Management).www.swinburne.edu.au/courses

Deakin University, GeelongAt Deakin University, students can enrol in the Bachelor ofConstruction Management/Bachelor of Facilities Managementcombined degree, which offers a unique mix of construction andproperty disciplines. Graduates are able to work across traditionalprofessional boundaries, from property investment and developmentthrough to space management and workplace logistics, using keyproject-management skills to ensure optimum value for money isattained at all stages of the property life cycle. The course allows theopportunity for students to complete an honours stream for theConstruction Management component or for the FacilitiesManagement component. The double degree is a five-year full-timeprogram, also accredited by RICS for construction, facilities

management and building surveying career destinations. Studentscan exit early from the program after three years with a Bachelor ofFacilities Management. Deakin also offers an FM major as part oftheir Bachelor of Management and Bachelor of Commerce degrees.Since February 2008, Deakin is offering a distance learning pathwayfor FM (both pass and honours degree), which will enable studentsto participate from anywhere in the world. Face-to-face study isconducted at Deakin’s award-winning Waterfront site in Geelong.www.deakin.edu.au

University of SydneyThe School of Architecture runs a Graduate Certificate, GraduateDiploma, and Masters Degree in Facilities Management. The Facultyof Economics and Business in conjunction with the School ofArchitecture also offers a doubles degree – the Master of Commerceand Master of Facilities Management. The program is designed forthose currently working as facility managers and allows for interstatestudents to participate. Candidates with industry experience butwithout formal qualifications may enter the Graduate Certificatecourse, and subject to their performance can then upgrade toDiploma or Masters. www.usyd.edu.au

The University of NewcastleThe University of Newcastle offers a Bachelor of ConstructionManagement (Building) over four years full-time or the equivalentpart-time. The qualification is accredited by the Australian Institute ofBuilding, the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveying, TheChartered Institute of Building, and the Singapore Instituteof Surveyors and Valuers. The program is offered in mixed-mode,allowing students the flexibility to either attend classes at ourCallaghan campus, or to learn in a virtual environment wherever they

MAKE YOUR NEXTPROJECT YOURSELFMaster of Project Management (Facilities)

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92



are located. The program is also offered off-shore in Singapore(TMC).www.newcastle.edu.au

University of New South WalesThe Faculty of the Built Environment (FBE) at the University of NewSouth Wales offer the Bachelor of Construction Management andProperty which focuses on people and process management withinthe specific contexts of building construction, property development,quantity surveying and facilities management industry sectors. Thefour-year full-time program of study offers students managementskills in the areas of planning, risk assessment, occupational healthand safety, property management and organisational behaviour. TheFBE also offers a Graduate Certificate in Construction ProjectManagement, Master of Construction Project Management and aMaster of Construction Project Management (in ProfessionalPractice). Another postgraduate offering from FBE is the Master ofProperty and Development which allows students to specialise inInvestment and Development or Asset and Facilities Management. In the area of sustainable development, FBE offer a GraduateCertificate in Built Environment (Sustainable Development), GraduateDiploma of Built Environment (Sustainable Development) and aMaster of Built Environment (Sustainable Development).www.unsw.edu.au

University of Technology, SydneyUTS offer a Bachelor of Construction which provides students with acomprehensive building education. The degree is concerned with allaspects of the construction process, including business management,construction technology, project management, quantity surveying,applied economics, contract administration and propertydevelopment. The degree is offered over four years full-time or six

years part-time. There are also opportunities for further study aftercompleting the course through an Honours program, the Master’sprograms in Project Management and Facility Management or aMaster of Business Administration (MBA). www.uts.edu.au

University of Western SydneyThe University of Western Sydney offers students a Bachelor ofConstruction Management at its Penrith campus. Students willdevelop specialised skills in construction management taught throughtheoretical, practical, and hands-on experience. Among topicscovered in the program are project management, building law,accounting and design science.www.uws.edu.au

University of New England, New South WalesThe University of New England offers a Graduate Certificate inProject Management through its Armidale campus by distanceeducation. It can be completed over 1 trimester full time or over 2trimesters part-time.www.une.edu.au

Charles Stuart UniversityCharles Stuart University offers a Graduate Certificate in ProjectManagement by distance education. The Graduate Certificate canlead to accreditation as a Certified Associate Project Manager(CAPM) from the Project Management Institute. www.csu.edu.au

The University of Western AustraliaThe University of Western Australia offers a Master of Business andEngineering Asset Management. It can be undertaken two years full-

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time or four years part-time. The emphasis of Engineering AssetManagement is on achieving sustainable business outcomes andcompetitive advantage by applying systematic and risk-basedprocesses to decisions concerning the engineering assets of anorganisation. The postgraduate degree includes units from theFaculty of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics and theBusiness School. Students will engage in a balanced inter-disciplinaryprogramme of asset management, engineering and business unitswith a focus in practical applications and the challenges faced bytoday’s organisations. A Graduate Diploma in Business and AssetManagement is also available.www.uwa.edu.au

University of WollongongThe University of Wollongong offers a Master of Engineering AssetManagement one year full-time or part-time equivalent. Theobjective of the program is to ensure continuous improvement in thestrategic and tactical response of organisations and their managers,to the management of infrastructure assets. This is achieved througha balance program of subjects in asset management, science andengineering, business administration and management. Other topicscovered include: Project Implementation and Outsourcing, Life-Cycleand Risk Management, Maintenance Requirements Analysis andManaging People in Organisations.www.uow.edu.au

Facilities Management and other practices related to theindustry may also feature as a component of coursesoffered at the following tertiary providers:University of Tasmania www.utas.edu.auMonash University www.monash.edu.auMurdoch University (Perth) www.murdoch.edu.au

Southern Cross University (Coffs Harbour) www.scu.edu.auUniversity of Canberra www.canberra.edu.auAustralian Catholic University inet.acu.edu.auFlinders University, Adelaide www.flinders.edu.auGriffith University, Gold Coast www.griffith.edu.auJames Cook University, Townsville www.jcu.edu.auLa Trobe University www.latrobe.edu.auMacquarie University www.mq.edu.au

Vocational Education and Training (VET) ProgramsUniversities, TAFE and private providers can gain registration withintheir State or Territory, and across Australia, as Registered TrainingOrganisations (RTOs). RTOs are authorised to offer courses leading toqualifications within the Australian Qualifications Framework whichare recognised by other providers in the VET and higher educationsectors.

RMITThe School of Engineering (TAFE) has developed a Certificate IV inProperty Services (Operations) in consultation with industrystakeholders, including FMA Australia. The pilot programcommenced March 2009. It is currently delivered part-time over oneand a half years. Areas of study include asset performance, propertyinspection, property risk management, environmental sustainability,property life cycle maintenance, OH&S requirements and contractsand financial management. This Certificate can lead to credit in a number of Diploma andAdvanced Diploma courses and ultimately into a Bachelor of AppliedScience (Project Management) and Master of Applied Science(Project Management).www.rmit.com.au

Faculty of Architecture, Design and Planningwww.arch.usyd.edu.au

Maximise your potential at The University of Sydney and choose from an array of

graduate and professional programs across all areas of the built environment including:

Facilities Management (with Master of Commerce combined degree option)

Audio and Acoustics Building Services Illumination Design Sustainable

Design Heritage Conservation Urban Design Urban & Regional Planning

Build your career at Sydney

Choose a course length to suit your needs:

1.5 year full-time Masters Degrees or 2 year combined programs

1 year full-time Graduate Diplomas

0.5 year full-time Graduate Certificates with no Bachelors Degree required for entry

Individual units of study and CPD options

Part time options and intensive block-mode delivery make study easy for busy professionals

For information about our programs contact Jonathan Hulme on

+61 2 9351 2686 or [email protected]

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University of New EnglandUNE partnerships offers competency based, Certificate and Diplomacourses in Facilities Management. The courses are offered bydistance education for individuals working in the industry; andcustomised for corporate groups using a combination of distancemode and face-to-face delivery. The Certificate covers the theory offacility management and its application in practice. In addition, theDiploma covers legal, environmental, business and strategic planningknowledge and skills. It is anticipated that participants will completeeither course within a 12 month period.www.unep.edu.au/facilitiesmanagement

In conjunction with the University of Sydney and with the supportof industry stakeholder Brookfield Multiplex, UNE have developed atraining program in sustainable facility management for facilitymanagers and supervisors. The focus is on the application of processrather than products and refers to recognised resources for managingsustainability. Successful completion of the program can lead to oneunit credit in facility management awards offered by the University ofSydney.www.unep.edu.au

fmedgefmedge first offered the Diploma of Property Services (Asset andFacility Management) in 2004. The Diploma covers eight commonunits and eight specialist units in facility management. It is nowavailable online as well as in traditional mode. It is anticipated thatmost students should complete in 18-20 months though it is possibleto take three years to complete the Diploma. The competency basedDiploma articulates into Deakin University’s Bachelor of FacilitiesManagement. Similar arrangements have been made with BondUniversity and the University of Sydney.www.fmedge.com.au

International College of Management, SydneyICMS has a strategic relationship with Macquarie University. Thecollege offers two short term (ten week), intensive courses aiming toimprove property services management abilities through professionaltraining and further education in global best practice. The first courseprovides a basic strategic facility management framework in propertyservices management, while the second course develops a basicunderstanding of facilties and property management concepts. Thesecourses commence in September 2009 and are offered consecutivelyon the same day. Successful completion of these short courses canlead to credit in the ICMS Bachelor of Property ServicesManagement, which is conferred by Macquarie University. www.icms.edu.au

Charles Darwin University, Northern TerritoryCharles Darwin University offers a Diploma of Project Managementwhich can be completed at full-time study in half a year, orundertaken in a part-time capacity over the duration of one year.www.cdu.edu.au

Swinburne University of Technology, VictoriaSwinburne University of Technology in Hawthorn Victoria offers aDiploma of Project Management. It caters for students in theworkforce through part-time, evening and/or weekend study. Thisqualification can lead to a credit in the University’s GraduateCertificate of Business in Project Management. www.swinburne.edu.au/courses/

University of BallaratThe University of Ballarat currently offers a Diploma of ProjectManagement. The course is offered on a fee-for-service basis, andmonthly workshops are scheduled over a period of nine months. Theprogram is available in Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong.www.ballarat.edu.au

Urban Maintenance Systems is aspecialist provider of Facilities andInfrastructure Maintenance Servicesto Private and Government sectorsthroughout Australia.

UMS Facilities Services specialisesin the following:• Essential service compliance management

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PROVIDING SERVICES NATIONALLYEnduring Partnerships Driven by Service Excellence

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WinterComms: I understand that the course has beendeveloped through extensive consultation with leading industrygroups and FMA Australia, can you tell me about the featuresof the course?

JK: A Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) assessment tool is usedto determine each student’s knowledge and skills at the beginning ofeach semester. This is used to develop a personal training plan whichhelps students complete their program in the optimum time. Thedelivery includes case study analysis to develop problem-solving skillswithin a simulated workplace. Each assessment covers a cluster ofcompetencies and is designed around project based work that relatesto the workplace.

WinterComms: So it is very much a practical, hands-oncourse?

JK: Yes, and RMIT regularly invites Industry Partners to deliversessions on current industry practices, workplace challenges andissues they may be confronted with. This helps students gain a realperspective on the industry.

Students will undertake many hands-on activities that simulate theworkplace environment, including planning charts, preparingschedules, OHS reports and Property Inspection reports.

We also invite our stakeholders to participate in the presentationof awards and/or scholarships at our annual awards night.

WinterComms: And what about the intended market reach ofthe course and course delivery methods?

JK: RMIT’s School of Engineering (TAFE) is developing trainingresources to facilitate national delivery of future programs. These areexpected to be available early next year and include, but are notlimited to:3 The preparation of distant learning materials to support some

subject areas3 Developing E learning tools which enable structured tutorials to

be delivered in the student’s workplace with the ability for thefacilitator to interact with each student.

3 Delivery of certain competencies in the workplace via facilitatedtutorials

3 Online learning student material and assessments

WinterComms: Does the course offer entry pathways into thehigher education system?

JK: Yes it does. RMIT School of Engineering (TAFE) will continue tooffer students completing the CPP40607 Certificate IV in PropertyServices (Operations) the advantage of having their program mappedinto a Diploma of Property Services (Asset and Facility Management).

Currently, RMIT is working with the stakeholder group indetermining a suitable combination of courses in the Diploma ofProperty Services (Asset and Facility Management) to satisfy industryrequirements. Upon completion of this program, the students maygain pathways into the Bachelor of Applied Science (ProjectManagement) and Master of Project Management (FacilitiesManagement), offered by RMIT University, School of PropertyConstruction, Project Management.

In line with the Federal Government’s Skilling Australia statement,RMIT will continue its work in this sector to develop furtherprograms which aid up-skilling of the workforce and address currentand future skill shortages.

WinterComms: You mentioned an increased focus onensuring successful outcomes for students. What can studentsexpect from the course?

JK: Completing the Certificate IV in Property Services will givestudents recognition for a range of skills and knowledge they havealready acquired throughout their careers and enable them todevelop new skills that relate directly to their workplace. Graduateshave improved career prospects and earning capacity as well as theoption of entering higher levels of training.

The Program is delivered as a cluster of learning areas whichenable the delivery to be structured to the individuals student’s skillsand knowledge.

These also then assist the students to have their work tailored, andassessments reviewed to meet the required standards of the program

For further information on the course, call John Kite, BuildingServices Industry Manager on +61 3 9925 4338.

RMIT CERTIFICATE IV IN PROPERTYSERVICES (OPERATIONS)A LEGACY OUTCOME OF THEFM ACTION AGENDA

In 2008, in response to the FM Action Agenda’s Transition Plan forEducation and Training in the VET sector (action 7), a pilot programfor the Certificate IV in Property Services (Operations) was developedby RMIT University. The program was developed in consultation withnine key industry stakeholders, ISS World, Multiplex, Reserve Bank ofAustralia (RBA), Sentinar, Stockland, Transfield Services,PROGRAMMED Facility Management (Tungsten), FMA Australiaand CPSISC. Delivery of the pilot program commenced on the 3rd ofMarch 2009 for the industry stakeholder group. The CPP40607

Certificate IV in Property Services (Operations) is delivered over 3 semesters, with studentsattending RMIT for one afternoon and evening class per week. WinterComms’, Max Wintercaught up with RMIT Industry Manager John Kite and asked about the course.

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FMA Australia has been working with AIRAH, SwinburneUniversity and FMedge over many months to design a coursethat has practical relevance to facility managers.

Research has been undertaken to ascertain the elements that willadd the most value to a course on energy efficiency for FMs and thisnew qualification is the result.

By taking this course, you will increase your knowledge andunderstanding of energy management, enabling you to put into placea plan to reduce the energy use of the buildings that you manage.

This knowledge will, in turn, help you to advance your careerthrough upgrading your skills and having them recognised in aspecialised post graduate qualification in energy efficiency.

The course will give you a strong grounding in where energy isconsumed in buildings and how to measure, monitor and analyseenergy use. You will evaluate operations and maintenance processesas well as developing operational and maintenance strategies.

Armed with this knowledge you will then create and implementeffective energy management programs. Ongoing education isessential in the facilities management industry and the VocationalGraduate Certificate in Energy Efficiency for Facility Managers willassist in meeting requirements for continuing professionaldevelopment.

Three FMs who took the pilot version of the course had this to sayabout its benefits:

“It was an excellent course and allowed for a wide range oflearnings across the field. I immediately implemented some of thedeveloped knowledge in my workplace to positive effect.” CampbellPfeiffer, Operations Manager Facilities and Venues, Victorian ArtsCentre.

“If you are directly or indirectly responsible for energymanagement in your organisation then this course provides anexcellent toolkit for delivering real and practical outcomes.” BrianFenn, Operations Director for Facilities Management, QueenslandUniversity of Technology.

“One item covered through the course was a section onstakeholder identification and the role that stakeholders play whenyou are investigating and implementing energy efficiencyopportunities. It really expanded my view on just who thestakeholders are. With this on board I’m better able to assessopportunities as well as correctly address the right audience withrelevant points.” David Cassinides, Southern Cross – FM, BrookfieldMultiplex Limited.

SubjectsThe course has four units which are designed to be completed over atwo year timeframe:3 VPAU338* Scope and conduct an energy audit

Estimated 60 hours to complete3 VPAU235 Maximise energy efficiency in building services

operationsEstimated 60 hours to complete

3 VPAU327 Create an energy management planEstimated 60 hours to complete

3 VPAU328 Implement an energy management planEstimated 60 hours to complete

* Recommended pre-requisite for all other subjectsRecommended for3 Facility managers3 Property managers3 Energy managers3 Energy auditors

Entry RequirementsYou are required to be employed in the fields of facility management,building services, non-residential building design/construction andenergy auditing. In some circumstances relevant prior work will berecognised.

DeliveryThis course is delivered by AIRAH in distance learning formatsupported by online tutorials. This has proven a popular option forbusy professionals and allows candidates from around Australia toparticipate.

Face-to-face seminars (generally one day) relating to specificmodules are scheduled in various states/territories during eachsemester. These seminars provide a great opportunity to supportlearning and ask questions of experts. Graduate Certificateparticipants receive a discount for these seminars.

AssessmentCourse work is assessed throughout the semester. Assessment iscompetency based and participants must achieve a satisfactory resultacross all areas to gain the certificate.

Don’t miss this opportunity to build your career and enhance youremployability with this essential new qualification.

VOCATIONAL GRADUATECERTIFICATE IN ENERGY EFFICIENCYFOR FACILITY MANAGERSFMA Australia, in conjunction with AIRAH, is proud to be able to offer a new qualification to facilitymanagers, the Vocational Graduate Certificate in Energy Efficiency for Facility Managers.

Visit the Professional Development section of AIRAH’s website orcontact Carolyn Hughes on 03 8623 3000 for more informationand to register your interest.

Specialist Recruitment in the FM Sector

Hays Facilities Management

08 8212 5242 [email protected]



08 8943 [email protected]

03 6234 [email protected]




Specialist Recruitment hays.com.au

Documents

Facility Perspectives v3#3 September 2009