Skip to main content
Facilitate Magazine: Informing Workplace and Facilities Management Professionals - return to the homepage Facilitate magazine logo
  • Search
  • Visit Facilitate Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit Facilitate Magazine on LinkedIn
  • Visit @Facilitate_Mag on Twitter
Visit the website of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management Logo of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management

Main navigation

  • Home
  • News
    • Comment
    • People
    • Reports
    • Research
  • Features
    • Analysis
    • Features
    • Round Tables
    • Webinars
  • Outsourcing
    • Contract Finder
    • Contracts
    • FM Business Models
    • Interviews
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Opinion
    • Procurement
    • Trends
  • Know-How
    • Explainers
    • Legal Updates
    • White Papers
  • Jobs
  • Topics
    • Workplace Services
      • Hospitality
      • Catering
      • Cleaning
      • Front of House
      • Grounds Maintenance
      • Helpdesk
      • Mailroom
      • Manned Guarding / Security
      • Pest Control
      • Washroom Services
      • Disaster Recovery
      • Specialist Services
    • Professional Performance
      • Behavioural Change
      • Continual Professional Development
      • Education
      • Management
      • Recruitment
      • Training
    • Workplace Performance
      • Benchmarking
      • Health & Wellbeing
      • Operational Readiness
      • Procurement
      • Security
      • Workplace User Experience
      • Workplace Culture
    • Compliance
      • Health & Safety
      • Risk & Business Continuity
      • Standards
      • Statutory Compliance
    • Building Services
      • Architecture & Construction
      • Asset Management
      • Building Controls
      • Building Fabric
      • Drinking Water
      • Fire Protection
      • HVAC
      • Landscaping
      • Mechanical & Electrical
      • Building Security
      • Water, Drainage & Plumbing
    • Technology
      • Building Information Modelling
      • CAFM
      • Data & Networks
      • Document Management
      • Information Management
      • Internet of Things (IoT)
      • Software & Systems
    • Energy management
      • Energy Management Systems
      • Electricity
      • Gas
      • Solar
      • Wind
    • Sustainability
      • Environmental Quality
      • Social Value
      • Waste Management
      • Recycling
    • Workspace Design
      • Agile Working
      • Fit-Out & Refurbishment
      • Inclusive Access
      • Lighting
      • Office Interiors
      • Signage
      • Space Planning
      • Storage
      • Vehicle Management / Parking
      • Washroom
    • Sectors
      • Corporate Office
      • Education
      • Healthcare
      • Manufacturing
      • International
      • Retail
      • Sports & Leisure
      • Regions
  • Buyers' Guide
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Topics
News
Professional Performance
Sectors

FMA Australia - Ideaction 2010

Open-access content Monday 17th May 2010 — updated 12.51pm, Tuesday 26th May 2020
BIFM member link

17 May 2010

by Ian Fielder - CEO BIFM


The FMA Australia Board took a big risk when they decided to hold their 21st annual conference in Perth, Western Australia. Although their loyal members are used to the conference location moving every year, it is traditionally held in the South Eastern cities of Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane. The quiet backwaters of the western seaboard, known mainly for mining over four hours flying from Melbourne was going to test the hardiest of the regular Ideaction followers.

Proceedings started with the chairman's reception, held in the centre of Perth in the beautiful Kings Park Botanical Gardens away from the Burswood Resort complex where the main event was to be staged. The buzz at the reception was evident as the FMA members gathered to network and catch up with their fellow delegates. Interestingly the hot topic was not the recession as Australia has largely escaped the ravages of the global crisis, helped by the constant demand of their natural resources by countries like China, India and Japan. The surprising and over riding interest was the political situation in the UK and the unfolding developments of a hung parliament and the creation of the coalition between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. There was also much discussion about the progress of FM in Australia, which is unfettered by the professional rivalries seen in Britain. Interior designers, architects and project managers all appear to be happy to be working in the FM space and seem to have no desire to ring fence their particular skill set as a special case. PFI/PPP is a subject that still causes heated debate and I overheard several conversations discussing its merits and concerns that each state seemed to follow different models and demanded unique requirements that thwarted the interest of FM providers. As in the UK, the cost of bidding is deemed prohibitive and presents a barrier to many of the more established providers in the market place, plus the global financial situation has made the release of capital almost impossible with banks wishing to spread the risk with other financial institutions. Australia still has a heavy reliance on the public sector both at national and state level and this is reflected in the FMA Australia membership.

Keynote speech

The conference got off to a good start the following day with an opening address to the 240 delegates by David Duncan, FMA Australia's CEO. The keynote speech was given appropriately by Sam Walsh, Executive Director and CEO, Iron Ore & Australia for Rio Tinto. Walsh described the size and scale of the Rio Tinto's operation covering 12 mines, 3 shipping terminals, Australia's longest private railway, 3000 houses, 2500 apartments and over 600 industrial buildings. He stressed that the whole infrastructure to support these operations including roads, bridges, towns and villages is funded solely by Rio Tinto with no support from the Government. They employ over 11,000 people to support the evacuation, storage, blending and shipping of 220 million tonnes of iron ore a year. The mining industry is currently grappling with a proposal of the central government to raise additional revenue by applying an additional super tax of 40 per cent on top of all of the existing federal and state taxes. The net result that Rio Tinto would end up paying at least 57 cents on every Australian dollar earned.  Walsh conjectured that the political mandarins in Canberra were betting on the electorate, mainly based in the south east, not being concerned with a disaffected mining  and resource corporations located in the west. Like other mining operations throughout the world, he pointed out the huge investments made in community, education, health, arts and the environment including Rio Tinto's recent investment of $50 million in the Royal Flying Doctor programme providing a life saving jet to support remote communities. We were left in no doubt that discussion on the introduction of a super tax will run and run.

The morning followed with the normal eclectic programme of parallel session ranging from sustainable issues, focussing on water savings to managing a growing office technology footprint and what facilities managers will have to do about it. Over lunch we gathered to listen to a fascinating presentation from Brian Greedy, an Australian Business Consultant asking us to consider on how we define success and the role of leaders to help teams embrace change and deliver sustainable business solutions. Greedy used basic shapes to illustrate his very entertaining theories on leadership styles and left the delegates with plenty of thoughts on how to go back to the workplace and engender successful teams. FMA Australia then introduced an idea that has been promoted in the States at Ifma's World Workplace of using a poster campaign to engage facilities managers. I am not sure the delegates really understood engaged this innovation and it will be interesting to see if this idea is repeated in future Ideaction conferences.

After a full day at conference we all got dressed up in our evening best and attended the champagne reception and gala dinner at the Burswood Convention Centre where the FMA Australia Awards were presented.

Day two

The second day was further member presentations and I sat in on a well attended presentation given by Sue Wittenoom from DEGW who gave an interesting talk entitled 'making sense of the mobile workplace'. Her presentation centred on a number of case studies including the BBC on how workplaces can be shared by groups rather than individuals, especially if mobile working is factored in.

In summary the FMA Australia's 21st Ideaction conference in Perth hit the spot for the delegates and they enjoyed the technical content as well as the opportunity to network with their fellow FMA members. Although attendance was well down on the 400 expected, it was a great experience for all those who made the long trip to the very remote city of Perth in Western Australia.

All presentation material can be accessed on the FMA Australia website by linking through the member link on the BIFM member website.

 

Also filed in:
Topics
News
Content
Professional Performance
Sectors

You might also like...

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Today's top reads

 

Latest Jobs

Project Leader (Maternity Cover One Year Contract)

Cambridge
Circa £50,000 Pro Rata + Benefits & Opportunities
Reference
56378

Maintenance Supervisor

Surrey
Up to £43,000 + Excellent Package & Opportunities
Reference
56376

Regional Facilities Manager

South West England
Circa £40,000 + Benefits & Opportunities
Reference
56375
See all jobs »

 

 

Sign up to our newsletter

News, jobs and updates

Sign up

Subscribe to print

Sign up to receive our bi-monthly magazine

Subscribe
Facilitate magazine cover, June 2020
​
FOLLOW US
@Facilitate_Mag
Facilitate Magazine
Facilitate Magazine
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel: 020 7880 6200
​

IWFM

About IWFM
Become a member
Qualifications
Events

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy
Think Green

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to Facilitate Magazine
Write for Facilitate Magazine

General

IWFM Jobs
Help

© 2022 • www.facilitatemagazine.com and Facilitate Magazine are published by Redactive Media Group. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any part is not allowed without written permission.

Redactive Media Group Ltd, 71-75 Shelton Street, London WC2H 9JQ