CMPA NEWS (Issue 65)

2012/13 ASSOCIATES REFERENCE MANUAL

The 2012/13 Associates Reference Manual is finally complete and will be in the mail to you shortly. The manual will be more colourful than last year due to an increase in Associate Members taking out colour logos and adding photos of their products to brighten up their pages and stand out from the crowd.

Thank you to the twenty seven members who have taken out ads your support is greatly appreciated.

Remember to Support the Suppliers who support you!

WEBSITE UPDATE

The CMPA website holds a wealth of information on your Association. It has
recently been updated with the latest information on:

• Benefits of membership
• The associate suppliers who support the CMPA has been extensively redesigned with photos, maps and dvds of suppliers products
• Details of the available reference manuals and safety checklists
• Back copies of Sand & Stone magazine,
• Copies of all the CMPA submissions to Government departments representing our members views
• Latest training and events

The CMPA is your association, make the most of your membership and use the available services.

ASPHALT ASSOCIATION BREAKFAST

Bruce McClure was guest speaker at an Australian Asphalt Pavement Association breakfast meeting held in Melbourne in September at which the topic he discussed was based around the CMPA’s report An Unsustainable Future. He highlighted the research completed by the CMPA and other associations that Melbourne is facing a critical shortage of extractive industry product by 2025 onwards.

QUARRYING & STONE RESOURCES – CORANGAMITE

CMPA Members met at Camperdown in October with Councillors and Officers from the Corangamite Shire, representatives from DPI, VicRoads and contractors from the area to discuss issues on quarrying and stone resources in the area. The catalyst for the meeting is the lack of extractive products in the area. This has become very obvious by the proposed construction of as many as 2,500 wind generators in the area and the concern by the companies installing the generators at the lack of suitable materials for construction of bases for the generators and internal roads needed within the wind generator farm sites.Good quality products are also required for all local roads supporting these farms.

Since that meeting in Camperdown, the CMPA General Manager and a committee of management member have also met with Dan Tehan, Federal Member for Wannon which is the Federal Electorate seat covering the Corangamite Shire area. Dan wanted to hear from Industry the issues facing his electorate with respect to future sources and supplies of extractive industry products.

WORKSAFE EARTH RESOURCES TRIPARTITE SAFETY FORUM (ERTS)

Bruce McClure attended the WorkSafe Earth Resources Tripartite Safety Forum (ERTS) meeting held in Melbourne in late October. This meeting discussed the following:

• A review of Victoria’s performance and national significant events.
• Initiatives for improving safety performance from regulators, Associations, Unions, particularly the trend that has occurred over the last few years where there has been a trend in increases in Post Christmas/New Year incidents.
• Feedback on Earth resources regulatory issues including an update on the National Harmonised Health and Safety Laws and an update on the status of the review of the Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations.

LATE-PAYING CUSTOMERS CRIPPLE CASH FLOW

Many small and medium sized enterprises are grappling with cash flow issues due in large part to late-paying customers and the situation is not expected to improve.

A survey from Bibby Financial Services shows 83 percent of businesses this past year have attributed most of their problems to slack customers not settling their accounts, prompting 23 percent having to write off bills as bad debt.

The number of small businesses facing difficult cash flow circumstances has grown from 6 percent to 49 percent in the past six months. “The majority (83%) of business decision makers have experienced cash flow issues in the past year, most commonly because customers make excuses for slow payments (41%),” the survey states.

“Other major cash flow issues experienced include trouble getting payment from large companies or government departments (25%) and issues with government red tape, compliance and tax administration (24%).”

Expectations for the year ahead remain gloomy, the survey says, with 77 percent of businesses concerned about customers becoming insolvent in the coming year.

The survey found 43 percent predict the time they must wait to be paid to increase further in the coming quarter, and about half are more concerned about global economic conditions than they were a year ago.

“Only 17 percent of companies are doing credit checks on new customers, which are a concern. Credit checks are an inexpensive way of reducing the chance of bad debts,” Bibby Director Gary Green says.

The survey shows 32 percent of businesses have dealt with customers wanting to negotiate to pay in monthly installments, while 21 percent had difficulty meeting tax payments on time.

Green says 21 percent of businesses surveyed refused to take on more work until accounts were sett led, while 17 percent resorted to using debt collection firms or lawyers to chase their money. Green says most businesses surveyed have put strategies in place to help manage their cash flow.

Conducted in mid-August 2012 and the third of its kind, Bibby’s study surveys primary decision makers in over 200 non-retail small and medium businesses.

CIVIL CONSTRUCTION ALLIANCE MEETING

Bruce McClure attended the latest Victorian Civil Construction Industry Alliance meeting held in Melbourne in September. There were three guest speakers at this meeting. The first speaker was The Hon Terry Mulder MP, Minister for Transport and Minister for Roads, who addressed the State Government’s plans for delivering a better transport system for Victoria.

The key messages from the Minister’s presentation were:

• The Government acknowledges the need for a pipeline of projects and is pursuing that objective.
• There is a plethora of projects under way and imminent.
• Discussions are under way with The Treasurer regarding the need for an injection of funding for the necessary maintenance works on arterial and local roads.
• The business case for the East West Link will ensure that construction commences where the best overall benefit to the community will be realised.
• The Government acknowledges the need to develop accessible transport corridors for growth areas.

There was an opportunity for questions and the following issues were raised by Alliance members with the Minister:

• Consideration should be given to raising the GST with the additional revenue being dedicated to transport needs.
• Work needs to be undertaken to ascertain the impact that the newer, heavy freight vehicles is having on roads.
• The controls over establishing quarries should be reviewed to address the diminishing supply of quarry products.
• Development approvals for wind farms must address the impact their construction is likely to have on roads in the area.
• The cost of cranes for construction work is escalating due to constraints on VicRoads and council resources to access and produce information on bridge condition and capacity.

The second speaker Mr Bruce Gidley VicRoads Chief Operating Officer, made a presentation on VicRoads approach to alternate delivery models for major projects. Further comments on what was mentioned are in this issue.

The final speaker was Mr Darren Driscoll, General Manager – Construction Stakeholder Management, NBN Co. who discussed the roll-out of the NBN in Victoria.

IT’S TORQUAY IN 2013!

The CMPA AGM & Dinner in 2013 heads down to the start of the Great Ocean Road to Torquay, about an hour South West of Melbourne.

On recommendations from members a site visit to the Peppers The Sands Torquay was made by Associate Chairperson Tej Panesar and Secretariat’s Administration Officer Gavin Moreira. The visit involved a tour of the venue both inside and out including the function rooms, bars, restaurants, accommodation, day spa suites and the picturesque golf course. A drive through the town was also made to get a feel for other events that could be held for members across the weekend.

Another successfully fun and exciting time is being planned for Torquay including additional activities to be held across the weekend for members to get involved in. Golf, Laser Skirmish, Cooking Classes, Golf Kart Rally and Helicopter Convoy to name a few all conducted onsite. We could also look at bus tours from the hotel to the wineries, Geelong Football Club, Ford Factory or others.

Buffet breakfast is included in all accommodation packages currently being negotiated.

The Secretariat welcomes your ideas and suggestions for things to do during the dinner and on the weekend.

Event details at present are as follows:

Date: Saturday 24th August 2013
Time: 6.30pm AGM & Dinner
Venue: Peppers The Sands Torquay, 2 Sands Blvd, Torquay

Please book the date into your diary now as Torquay is a very popular destination. Look out for further information in future issues of Sand & Stone.

RECENT EVENTS

The second Management Committee meeting was held for the year at Northern Quarries in Epping.

The second Associates Committee meeting was held for the year at the offices of Australian Reliance in St Kilda Road, Melbourne.

Bruce McClure attended Day 1 of the 2012 CMIC Conference at the Melbourne Convention Centre.

Gavin Moreira visited half a dozen Associate Members in the West of
Melbourne looking to gain a better understanding of member needs within the industry.

Bruce McClure was guest speaker at an AAPA Breakfast in Melbourne discussing the industries Unsustainable Future.

CMPA Members met at Camperdown in October 2012 with Councillors
and Officers from the Corangamite Shire, representatives from DPI, VicRoads and contractors from the area to discuss issues on Quarrying and Stone Resources in the area.

Garry Cranny and Bruce McClure met with senior Box Hill Institute of TAFE staff early in October to discuss issues facing the Institute and the industry in training opportunities for the extractive industry sector.

CMPA attended the WorkSafe Earth Resources Tripartite Safety Forum meeting held in Melbourne in October.

Ron Kerr attended the quarterly Skills DMC meeting held in the WorkSafe offices in Melbourne as a part of the Extractive Sector Standing Committee.

You must be logged in to post a comment Login