ideaction’08 – Enabling Sustainable Communities, provided delegates with an impressive selection of keynote speakers, panel discussions and presentations which delved into the real issues surrounding the impact of sustainability on the future of FM.

Here are some of the highlights Australia’s leading facility management event, a reputation it is sure to maintain for ideaction’09, to be held in Melbourne in May of next year.

Site Visits
The first site visit to take place at ideaction was to the Gold Coast Desalination Plant, an awesome undertaking with a deadline (November 2008) they were working 24/7 to meet. The facility is located at Tugun on a six hectare former landfill site and uses reverse osmosis to force-filter out the salt. When fully operational it will supply 125 mega litres a day of pure drinking water to South East Queensland, one of Australia’s worst drought affected regions. The facility will be a vital element in the State Government’s new $9 billion SEQ Water Grid, Gold Coast City Council’s Waterfutures Strategy and the State Government’s South East Queensland Regional Drought Strategy Contingency Supply Plan.

Then followed a visit to the Gold Coast Marine Centre, an extensive privately Australian owned and operated marine facility located 40 minutes from Brisbane on the Coomera River. Working on a “supermarket” concept that provides boat owners with all the services that they could need, the Gold Coast Marine Centre is a modern marine facility providing enclosed re-fit units, along with factory facilities for boat builders, boat repairers, and marine fabricators.

Serviced by a 70 tonne boat lift, the Centre provides a clean, paved and fully serviced hardstand maintenance area, complete with dual power services, water and overhead lighting provision with accommodation for up to 60 vessels.

The final, and much anticipated, destination for the day was the Fosters Yatala Brewery for lunch and a tour of the impressive facilities. While enjoying some of Australia’s finest brews and a delicious barbecue lunch sponsored by Valorem Systems, guests were given a presentation of the plant’s remarkable water-saving initiatives.

Chairman’s Welcome Reception sponsored by Hays Facilities Management
The first evening of the conference offered a perfect excuse to relax and catch up with colleagues in the industry at the Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club. With a band playing classics from The Beach Boys and colourful daiquiris adorning the hands of delegates, you could be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled across a beach party on a tropical island.

Gala Dinner and FMA Australia Awards for Excellence sponsored by Brookfield Multiplex
Dinner at the Conrad Jupiters Grand Ballroom was truly an occasion to remember, with entertainment from the exceptional Danielle Everett, who performed a selection of songs including those from her role in Phantom of the Opera, followed by guest speaker IBISWorld Chairman, and respected social and economic forecaster, Phil Ruthven. Phil gave an entertaining and insightful discourse on the economy and our industry, finishing with some words on Open Family Australia, FMA Australia’s chosen charity for ideaction ’08.

The gala dinner also incorporated the much anticipated FMA Australia Awards for Excellence and Recognition Awards:

FMA Australia & Rider Levett Bucknall Industry Award
Winner – IFMA Foundation for FMpedia
Supported by Rider Levett Bucknell since it was first awarded in 2002, the FMA Australia & Rider Levett Bucknall Industry Award is Australia’s premier award for facility management strategy and practice, recognising excellence in a facility management program or idea that demonstrates an outstanding level of innovation and success. In judging this award, the panel look to see that the successful applicants showcase a visionary facility management project which has positively contributed to organisational success, achieved strategic business objectives and contributed to improved financial outcomes across the lifecycle of the organisation’s facility portfolio.

FMpedia is a Wikipedia-type internet based on-line facility management glossary that is designed, implemented and managed by the IFMA Foundation’s Knowledge Management Committee. It has been available to the international FM community since October 2007 and now has users and contributors from over 20 countries. FMpedia recognizes that words are important and their meanings are often dynamic. In an increasingly global market FMpedia provides a much needed communication tool for the FM industry in the 21st Century. FMpedia brings international recognition to FM and empowers practitioners to define themselves via a common language in the built environment.

FMA Australia & Transfield Services Environmental Achievement Award
Winner – Roger Walker, Singtel Optus
The Environmental Achievement Award recognises the efforts of either an individual or team who have made a positive contribution to the improvement of the environmental performance of their facilities. The Environmental Achievement Award recognises companies or individuals who have identified, developed and implemented an environmental innovation or improvement program with clearly specified costs and benefits and with application to the broader FM community.

The award recognises Roger’s financial and community benefit achievements in developing a unique Interactive Waste Outcomes Model as part of a landfill diversion initiative implemented by Singtel Optus. Roger has achieved a 95% landfill diversion rate at Optus’ new headquarters which represents 495 tonnes of waste from going to landfill each year with an associated 5% reduction in waste management costs. Optus’ new head office comprises six buildings with 84,000m2 of lettable area which provided an ideal opportunity to rethink Optus’ facility management practices, which in turn delivered significant environmental benefits for Optus and the approach that facilities management now takes to sustainability.

FMA Australia & Tungsten Young FM Practitioner Award
Winner – Emma Dudley, Knight Frank
This Award recognises the efforts of young, up-and-coming individuals working in the FM industry, whose role in their FM team contributes to their organisation’s overall outcomes. This is done through organisational understanding of managing facilities and FM projects, delivery of services, risk management and facility performance, while continuing to promote the value of FM practice to senior management.

Stephen Taylor, CEO, Tungsten Group presented the Award and cheque to Emma Dudley, Knight Frank. During her time at Knight Frank, Emma has progressed rapidly from a project management to a full facility management role. Emma quickly achieved a 100% compliance client audit result and she takes a primary role in developing and implementing financial management and safety compliance systems for the managed Macquarie property portfolio where her initiatives have been applied to other client property portfolios. Emma is viewed within Knight Frank as a new breed of facilities manager who will progressively bring a totally different approach to the management and the delivery of service to the occupiers of space.

FMA Australia & Culligan Water Facility Manager of the Year Award
Winner – Jim Tatsis, Stockland
Culligan Water was this year’s new corporate supporter for the Facility Manager of the Year Award, which recognises the leadership role Facility Managers have undertaken, and the contribution to their organisation’s overall outcomes through developing staff, continuous improvement programs and how they have added value to the business operations of their organisation.

Tim Gordon, Managing Director of Culligan Water, presented the Award and cheque to Jim Tatsis, Stockland. Jim is recognised for his delivery of risk management, sustainability initiatives, financial achievement and stakeholder management across a 40 site, 1 million square metre Stockland office and industrial portfolio in NSW and ACT. Jim was nominated for his dynamic approach to exceeding target goals and for driving continuous improvement initiatives. As a Stockland senior manager within a strategic business model, Jim is seen as a dynamic business leader who empowers the team and creates an environment which encourages people to excel.

FMA Australia Recognition Awards
FMA Australia Branch Member of the Year
Branch members put in an enormous effort to contribute to the success of FMA Australia and each branch has nominated a member who stood out for their particular contribution during the past year.

Western Australia – Philip Gale
Western Australia had been relatively inactive until in 2007 a new invigorated committee formed and it set about delivering a range of value-added services to WA members. The WA Branch member of the year Philip Gale, has contributed greatly to re-focussing the branch, encouraging sponsors on a state and national level and above all has assumed a major leadership role for the association.

Australian Capital Territory ACT – Philip Cooper
Philip Cooper is an energetic member of the ACT branch, a consistent attendee at branch events and an enthusiastic contributor to branch committee deliberations. Philip is ACT branch’s representative on the National Membership Committee and highly regarded as a professional FM practitioner, who has been very supportive of other branch members. Phil is a strong leader who has been a major contributor to the success of ACT branch activities during the year. In addition he is also a staunch and persuasive advocate for FMA Australia.

Victoria – Kristiana Greenwood
Kristiana has contributed an outstanding effort to the Victorian Branch, continually demonstrating excellent leadership and guidance to fellow committee members as well as networking continuously with industry personnel to raise the profile and awareness of FMA Australia within the industry. Kristiana encourages industry involvement and support to gain substantial sponsorship and involvement for the Victorian branch’s chosen charity.

New South Wales – Kirsten Smith
Kirsten Smith, the NSW winner of the branch member of the year consistently organises WiFM Women in Facility Management) events that provide an open and encouraging forum for women in facility orientated careers. Kirsten is the founder and facilitator of WIFM, one of FMA Australia’s hard working Accreditation program mentors and assessors and a member whose enthusiasm and dedication to the FM industry shines through in all activities undertaken.

Queensland – Greg Tenbrink
Queensland branch member of the year Greg Tenbrick has been a long-standing member for more than 15 years, has served continuously on the State and National Committees in various capacities and has been a representative on the FMA Australia Board. At a state level, Greg has arranged the annual corporate golf day for the last ten years and is a strong supporter of local events, by both attending and/or nominating staff to attend and regularly booking corporate tables.

2008 FMA Australia Branch of the Year – Victorian Branch
The criteria for this award includes the number of events held, sponsorship secured, attendances at events, membership increases and co-operation with national office. While all branches have made significant contributions to FMA Australia throughout the year, the Victorian Branch has experienced an increase in membership of 14.6 % and had all of its events for the year sponsored. It has also enjoyed an increase in attendances at its functions of some 44%. Overall its contribution to FMA Australia has been exemplary.

2008 FMA Australia Corporate Supporter of the Year – GJK Facility Services
Again this year, we have had many companies that have supported branch and national activities. Each branch has cultivated sponsors for luncheons and site visits and many now support ideaction and our publications, FMA Online and Facility Perspectives. This year, GJK Facility Services has given generously, not just through corporate support, but via its executive’s involvement on state and national committees.

2008 FMA Australia National Member of the Year – Richard Mayes
Richard Mayes has been involved with the organisation for many years prior to becoming a director of FMA Australia in 1998. Now a former Chairman of FMA Australia, Richard has dedicated much of his time to the FM Action Agenda where he was involved in its establishment and implementation and subsequently worked tirelessly as the chairman of its Education and Training working group. Much of the work of the Education and Training working group is reaching fruition and Richard’s dedication has ensured the directions and outcomes are something of which he can justifiably be proud.

The Awards ceremony was followed by the Open Family Australia auction, with Steve Taylor from Tungsten as auctioneer. Open Family Australia provides outreach support and services to young people at risk. It has been working since 1978 with some of Australia’s most marginalised youth, linking them to the services they require and helping them to reconnect to their family and community. The auction raised around $15,000 which is a fantastic effort and thanks must go to all those who bid for some wonderful prizes.

Memorable times were had by all at some fantastic events during ideaction ’08. We now look forward to an even more successful conference in Melbourne from 6-8 May 2009.