These projects, listed in the online Clean Energy Map, are among 1200 nationwide initiatives that are helping the environment by cutting greenhouse gas emissions and reducing energy costs.

Projects are funded from 16 separate Australian Government programs and initiatives, many of which have been made possible by the introduction of the carbon price as part of the Clean Energy Future package.

The seven local projects are by Sunshine Coast TAFE, LMS Energy, Downer EDI Works, Seqwater, Maleny District Green Hills Fund and Queensland Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

The Clean energy Map is a one-stop-shop for people wanting to find information on clean energy projects across Australia. Visitors can enter their postcode, or use GPS functionality, to find information on projects in the Sunshine Coast region or neighbourhood. It provides information on initiatives such as:

• Energy efficiency upgrades to local government and community facilities such as swimming centres, town halls, museums, street and park lighting.
• Carbon Farming Initiative projects involving capturing emissions from landfill, environmental plantings of native species, destroying emissions from piggeries and early dry season savannah burning projects.
• More than 300 projects to improve the biodiversity of Australia’s landscape and environment and make it more resilient to climate change impacts.

Click here to visit the Clean Energy Map.

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The findings follow a research project by Deloitte Access Economics to identify the regions’ current workforce and its projected changes in the next two decades.

DAE-RDA-SC workforce presentation 10 May 2013 Click this link to see full presentation.

David Rumbens presenting at the SC BizExpo

Although tourism and construction remain important employment sectors, they are affected by seasonal fluctuations in labour demand and will grow at a slower rate.

The workforce planning report estimates that employment in the Sunshine Coast region will increase from around 154,700 people in 2011-12 to around 246,000 in 2031-32, representing an average annual growth of 2.3%, or 59.1% over the next two decades.

RDA Sunshine Coast Chair Prof Max Standage said the report identified the need to develop strategies to ensure the region nurtured the high-value growth sectors and provided education opportunities for skills development.

“The areas of strongest labour demand are expected to be those with high skill requirements, such as professional and business services. Technological change also supports the trend for more and higher level qualifications.”

The report’s key findings include:

• Projected employment growth in the Sunshine Coast region across service-related industries will generate a strong demand for high-value jobs.
• Agriculture, manufacturing and utilities are expected to grow at a slower rate, creating modest demand for blue collar jobs such as labourers and trade workers.
• The regions’ key transformational projects will generate strong demand for labour in the construction industry over the next 10 years. The projects’ broader indirect effects will see increasing longer-term demand for employment in retail trade, administration, transport, health and education.
• Feedback from resource companies suggested a move away from fly in/fly out (FIFO) workers as an employment strategy, although there would be substantial opportunities for small to medium-sized Sunshine Coast businesses to participate in the resource sector supply chain.
• Importance of addressing potential infrastructure limitations and encouraging broadening of the economic base to guard against potential fluctuations in key cyclical sectors such as tourism.
• There is a need for local, State and Federal Governments to support the Sunshine Coast to meet future skills challeng
• es.
• Key industries such as retail, arts and recreation, professional services, and real estate need to ensure they are ready for the ‘digital disruption’ that is transforming traditional business and employment models, and have access to support these changes.

Prof Standage said the Workforce Planning Research Project report will inform the Sunshine Coast’s planning documents and RDA Sunshine Coast’s Regional Roadmap.

The workforce research initiative identifies the supply of skills and labour to meet future demands of key infrastructure projects and the resource sector boom.

The partnership is led by Regional Development Australia (RDA) Sunshine Coast, RDA Moreton Bay, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), Moreton Bay Regional Council and Sunshine Coast Council.

The Workforce Planning Research Project report will be available in full by the end of May 2013 with a presentation of the findings conducted  by its author, David Rumbens, at the Sunshine Coast Business and Workstyle Expo on 10 May.

The post Deloitte Sunshine Coast workforce report identifies future growth industries appeared first on Regional Development Australia Sunshine Coast.

The Sunshine Coast Business & Workstyle Expo is only a few days away on Friday 10 and 11 May. This is a great community event for Sunshine Coast Business and everyone is welcome!

RDA Sunshine Coast is a supporter of the Expo which has some great events. In particular RDA Sunshine Coast is pleased to bring David Rumbans from Deloitte Access Economics to the Coast to present a recently completed report of the Sunshine Coast’s future workforce. This event is free with booking available via the Expo website.

To book an event online go to www.scbizexpo.org

Download the program - Expotunity May 2013 FINAL

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“The importance of the Bruce Highway to the Coast’s long-term future has been highlighted as a key priority in our Regional Roadmap for the past four years,” said RDA Sunshine Coast Chair Prof Max Standage.

“As the State’s primary thoroughfare, the petition to upgrade the highway to six lanes will improve its safety, capacity and efficiency. Better accessibility will not only make our region more attractive to tourists, it will maintain linkages to Brisbane and support workforce participation.”

Prof Standage said discussions with community groups, politicians and business groups across the Coast during its current review of the Regional Roadmap had noted the Bruce Highway between Caboolture and Caloundra as the highest single priority for the region’s future.

“We support this initiative to raise awareness at all levels of government about the importance of the Bruce Highway to our region’s future, and encourage local businesses and community groups to sign this petition,” he said.

The petition is sponsored by Darren Burnett, Editor-in-Chief of the Sunshine Coast Daily, and sponsored by State Member for Glass House, the Hon Andrew Powell MP.

-         ENDS     -

1. Download a copy of the petition and through your workplace and networks, secure as many signatures as you can. Return the signed sheets to the Sunshine Coast Daily at the address provided no later than 20 July 2013.

2. Go to the Queensland Government’s Petitions Website and register your support.

Target 10,000 e-Petition signatures – Current as at May 6 = 630. May 7 = 784. May 8 = 865. May 9 = 946 May 14 = 1182 May 16 = 1369

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Regional business views are generally not heard in the national debate about our economy. Surveys typically include only a few businesses from regional Australia. Doing business outside of a major city can be very different but we need stronger evidence of this.

To help ensure the voice of regional business is heard from each region in Australia, please contribute 15 minutes of your time to complete our online Regional Business Conditions Survey. The survey can be accessed here: http://survey.euro.confirmit.com/wix4/p1283823764.aspx.

If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Jessie Davies at the Regional Australia Institute, at Jessie.davies@regionalaustralia.org.au or on (02) 6260 3277. Further information can also be accessed on our website here.

On behalf of the Regional Australia Institute, thank you in advance for being involved in this exciting new survey.

The post The Regional Australia Institute invites you to help us assess business conditions in regional Australia and regional Australia’s global competitiveness. appeared first on Regional Development Australia Sunshine Coast.

Demand will increase for a diverse range of goods and services, from health and aged care to education, household goods, tourism, high quality food products, banking and financial services.

The forum, hosted by Sunshine Coast Business Council, will be held 11 April at the Innovation Centre, Sunshine Coast University.

Why you should attend:

• Understand the nature of ‘middle class’ demand for goods and services from the Asia region.
• Determine the capacity for Sunshine Coast businesses to pursue potential trade and investment opportunities.
• Recognise the challenges of doing business in the Asia region.
• Understand the nature of investment markets and the challenges in attracting international investment and trade into regions such as the Sunshine Coast.

• Gain an unbiased view of the opportunities and challenges of increasing trade and investment with Asia.

Guest speakers include:

• The Hon, Jarrod Bleijie, Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Qld
• Mr Ted Pretty, Group Managing Director & CEO Hills Holdings Limited
• Mr Andrew Foo, Vice President Singapore Australia Business Council
• Ms Nussara Smith, Director Overseas Market Development: Asia, Trade and Investment Queensland
• Mr Gwyn Jarrott, Sunshine Coast Business Council

The forum is sponsored by Sunshine Coast Council, RDA Sunshine Coast and Sunshine Coast TAFE.

Growth of the middle class in Asia – are there opportunities for the Sunshine Coast?

Date: Thursday, 11 April 2013

Time: 3pm-6pm

Venue: Innovation Centre, Sippy Downs Drive, University of the Sunshine Coast

Cost: $44 members, $55 non members

RSVP: COB Monday, 8 April

Click here to download the registration form.

The post Business forum will discuss new opportunities in the Asia region – April 11 appeared first on Regional Development Australia Sunshine Coast.

One of these is The Creative Collective’s Web Wednesday, a professional development and networking event with guest speakers on topics related to achieving online success.

March’s Web Wednesday will feature the following guest speakers aged 18 – 35 who have created successful online or technology businesses:

• Brandon Cowan, founder of Crazy Dog Apps
• Vanessa Garrard, co-founder of E3 Style, and
• Matt Willams and Jasper Boyschau from Brisbane’s No Yelling Driving School

The event will be held on 27 March 2013 from 5 – 8pm in Lecture Theatre 1 at the Sunshine Coast Mooloolaba TAFE Campus, Mountain Creek. The cost of attendance is $35, which will include the opportunity to network with other Sunshine Coast businesses and talk to the guest speakers, gourmet pizza, the opportunity to win door prizes, and a goodie bag to take home.

Those unable to attend the university will also be able to watch the event via livestream on the Creative Collective Facebook page, or text, chat and participate through the livestream or Twitter account on @creative collect.

February’s Web Wednesday, featuring representatives from YouTube/Google+, Facebook and Working Three (a Melbourne based social media agency), covered ways in which businesses can maximise social networking opportunities and was attended by more than 170 people.

To register for the March Web Wednesday, or to find out more, visit the Web Wednesday Young Guns website.

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The Asian Century Business Engagement (ACBE) plan is a four-year program that will run from July 1 and will help member-based businesses harness commercial opportunities in Asia with eligible applicants offered between $25,000 and $300,000 in merit-based, competitive grants.

The key goals of the ACBE plan are to expand the capability of member business groups to:

• assist Australian firms to access in-market business networks more effectively and develop relationships with business contacts in Asian countries
• identify and secure more opportunities for Australian firms in regional value chains in Asia
• strengthen business links between Australia and Asia
• influence corporate Australia to initiate closer engagement with Asia
• raise the profile of Australian business capability in Asia
• increase awareness of Australia in Asia and of Asia in Australia

The final guidelines will be released at the same time as applications open for the ACBE plan on March 1.  For more information, please follow this link http://www.austrade.gov.au/Export/Assistance/Programs/Asian-Century-Business-Engagement-plan

The post Asian opportunities open up appeared first on Regional Development Australia Sunshine Coast.

Round Three will provide grants of between $50,000 and $500,000 for projects located in towns with a population of 30,000 or less.

Round Four will allocate grants of between $500,000 and $15 million for priority regional infrastructure projects that also leverage funding from state and local governments and the private sector.

RDA Sunshine Coast Chair Prof Max Standage said the projects selected to proceed to the final stage of the application process would deliver real benefits to local communities.

“The committee selected projects that met clearly identified regional priorities.  These projects are backed by a strong level of community support, are ready to proceed and will each have a positive long-term impact on our region.”

Projects selected to proceed to full application in the Sunshine Coast region are:

Round Three:

• Emergency Respite Cottage refurbishment (House With No Steps)
• Cooroy Hall redevelopment (Cooroy RSL & Citizens Memorial Bowls Club)
• Discover Eumundi Heritage & Community Centre Centenary ‘Welcome In’ project (Eumundi & district Historical Association
• Extension of Nambour Community Centre building (Lions Emergency Accommodation Centre)

Round Four:

• Sunshine Coast Regional Tennis Centre project (Sunshine Coast Council)
• Warm waters pool project (National Seniors Australia)
• Redevelopment of Kawana Waters Surf Life Saving Club

A list of projects selected to proceed to full application under both rounds is available at www.regional.gov.au.

An independent Advisory Panel will assess eligible applications and announce funded projects from June.

The RDA Fund is worth almost $1 billion over five years and is designed to boost economic and community development.

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