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Issue 42, Dec 2009

Following extensive stakeholder engagement over the past 12-18 months, together with considerable corporate support, I am very pleased to advise that the FMA Australia board has resolved to proceed with the development and accreditation of an industry vocational Diploma of Facilities Management.

While acknowledging that there are a number of FM related qualifications within the vocational and higher education sectors, FMA Australia is committed to developing its vocational Diploma, and that it be a truly FM specific qualification that can be completed over two years of part time study, but sooner if students can demonstrate acceptable recognised prior learning.

In developing the Diploma, FMA Australia has established a steering committee comprising key industry representatives Programmed Facility Management, Brookfield Multiplex, Urban Maintenance Systems and UGL Services, along with representatives from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), the Property Council of Australia (PCA), the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Airconditioning and Heating (AIRAH), Skills Victoria, and a union representative.

To assist with project management, development and accreditation of the Diploma, FMA Australia has engaged Holmesglen Learning, Innovation and Development, whom have considerable experience in these matters. Development of the vocational Diploma is expected to be undertaken over the next several months with rollout to occur in July/August next year. I shall keep members informed with progress in future editions of FMA Online.

Since 1 January 2009, when FMA Australia adopted the Facility Management Professional (FMP) and Certified Facility Manager (CFM) credentials from the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) in lieu of maintaining its Facility Management Accreditation System (FMAS), members holding an AFM1, AFM2 or AFM3 designation have been encouraged to take up either the FMP or CFM designation, and to do so by 31 Dec 2009, at no cost.

With that date fast approaching, I remind those members that are yet to transition across, to do so as a matter of urgency. To assist in the process, given the deadline is a short time away, FMA Australia has negotiated with IFMA for members that advise FMA Australia of their intentions, prior to 31 December, to take up the CFM designation, they have until 31 March 2010, to make arrangements to sit the examination, which will be at no cost.

We are very appreciative to IFMA for its continued support and generosity in enabling FMA Australia accredited members to transition across to our adopted credentialing programs. Members wishing to find out more about transitionary arrangements, or the credentials generally, should contact Belinda Ralph on 03 8641 6605 or at br@fma.com.au

An interesting and informative interview with FMA Australia director, Steve Jones, on the CFM, features later in this edition of FMA Online.

Following the call for applications in connection with the FMA Australia/GJK Facility Services CFM scholarships, a number of high quality applications have been received. The assessment process is currently underway, and an announcement advising of the successful candidates, will be made soon. I would like to take this opportunity again to thank GJK Facility Services for its very kind gesture in making up to 5 scholarships, worth $1,000 each, available for a 5 year period.

The FMA Australia annual general meeting (AGM) was conducted in Canberra late last month at the National Portrait Gallery. This complex is very impressive and the AGM followed a site visit of the facility, which was attended by a large contingent of participants.

At the AGM I made an announcement on the outcome of the election process for directors to the FMA Australia board, for the period 2009/11. Steve Jones and Bryon Price were elected unopposed to the board for the next 2 years and I extend my congratulations to both of them on their election success.

At the AGM, Andrew McEwan completed his term as chairman and duly took up his position as immediate past chairman, and in doing so, Stephen Ballesty, as the former incumbent immediate past chairman, retired from the board. I am very thankful to Stephen for his dedicated and continuous service to the Association over the past 15 years, the last 9 years of which were as a director of the FMA Australia board.

The new chairman of the board is Steve Taylor. Steve has a wealth of experience in the facility management industry. He has been involved with FMA Australia for the past 9 years, but most recently as a member of the board for 3 years and during that time fulfilled the roles of vice chairman, finance director and conference chairman. The other members of the board are Kristiana Greenwood and Chris Hunt.

I am particularly looking forward to working closely with Steve, and indeed the entire board, on the many exciting projects and initiatives, in train and underway.

The year ahead for FMA Australia promises to be a challenging one yet again, but I believe it will be a very rewarding one, as well.

As this is the last edition of FMA Online for 2009, I take this opportunity to wish all members a very Merry Christmas and prosperous 2010.

David Duncan
CEO
FMA Australia

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Our WSMenterprise software addresses all aspects of facilities and property management, including space management, works management, asset management, property management, lease management, sustainability management, room booking management, visitor management and contracts.

Our clients range from Government Organisations and large Multinational Corporations to FM Service Providers both large and small. FM Innovations® has designed the WSM software solution to suit our clients’ current and future needs and with 2 upgrades every year, their FM Projects are one step ahead of the evolving industry business management requirements.

WSM has been built with “implied intelligence”, creating a new benchmark when it comes to facility management software. It delivers automation, information flow, and detailed operational statistics with graphs for executive level reporting, in a customisable database that is easy to administer.

Each WSM module has an intuitive interface and user-friendly design that is robust enough as a standalone operation or which can integrate with disparate existing data sources within the organization. Our philosophy is not to replace current systems that work, but to enhance the overall FM solution by reading and writing data between WSM and existing databases for a holistic view of the FM & Property portfolio.

With the new mandatory requirement of energy management reporting starting in the second half of 2010, any building owner that is planning on selling or leasing office space covering more than 2,000 square metres will need to provide up-to date energy efficiency information. This means all parties - the building owner and potential buyers or tenants - will have access to consistent, credible and meaningful information about a building's energy efficiency to inform decisions when they buy or rent.

Owners who don't comply with this new requirement will risk a penalty and this is the time to ensure energy consumption is being documented in an intuitive system which can track and report to meet the mandatory requirements. The WSM Sustainability management functionality is a core integral part of the WSMenterprise® suite of software, and this is yet another FM Innovations® point of difference.

Integration with Finance systems such as Finance 1 or SAP, or large Property systems such as MRI is a common requirement from our clients and the technical team at FM Innovations® has extensive experience in ensuring a smooth integration process. The WSMplannet client/tenant web portal is a simple way for the wider community to log issues and requests and with such a friendly user interface the process of change management is simple and painless.

FM Innovations® consulting applies diagnostics to your current systems, plots the requirements of where you wish to be, and designs the modules and interfaces that give you exactly the systems infrastructure you need.

Determination, commitment to quality and innovation has put FM Innovations® at the forefront of the FM & Property software industry.

FM Innovations has worked closely with some of the biggest names in Australia and the World, designing and creating software packages to suit their needs. Please contact us to see how we can help you.

Don’t just believe us, listen to our clients;

“FM Innovations has provided support to Siemens Ltd since 1999 for both the Aperture Space Management and the Work Scheduling Module products. Their solutions have been excellently tailored to meet our facilities management needs. Their support is professional and always directed at determining a solution most appropriate to our business needs”.

“FM Innovations has provided support for Rio Tinto’s space and asset management project since 1997. FM Innovations’ service is of the highest standard and we are always assured of prompt expert assistance and practical solutions to problems”

“It is well tested prior to release following extensive research and development. It's definitely built by people who understand the requirements of Facilities Management for people who need to manage facilities. The support and continual development that comes with it is well above anything you would expect”.

“FM Innovations have provided us with the tools to manage our Facilities in a cost effective way. We use a combination of WSM to drive our works requirements and to report on physical and financial outcomes. This system is utilized in conjunction with Aperture which provides a GIS interface with WSM.

By the use of both systems we are able to import digital data about or sites and buildings and record our operations and associated costs in an environment that is responsive to our needs and provides a virtual representation of our facilities”.
“The results from the involvement of FM Innovations have helped us transform our practice beyond our expectations.

We enjoy a much more efficient response to maintenance requests, a minimised paper trail, fewer calls but better customer service, faster requests to other campuses, better planned maintenance, significant cost reductions for a given level of performance and much better reports. What’s more, the entire system was painless to adopt and is incredibly user-friendly. Our vision and objectives were ambitious, but with the help of FM Innovations ‘yes’ they’ve certainly been achieved!”.

The WSMenterprise® suite of software is flexible and adaptable, cost effective to implement and painless to migrate. Within three months, you should expect your corporate objectives to be addressed, and your ROI reached within months.

FM Innovations has won, and retained large contracts with both State Government agencies and national corporations and looks forward to continuing to lead the way in providing unique solutions to this market. For more information visit the FM Innovations website or please contact us on
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With much anticipation FM Innovations has just released WSMenterprise version 4.6.

This new software release builds on the already robust foundations to create an innovative solution to meet your facilities needs.

With the addition of new modules and functions, such as Contract Management, FMI offers a flexible comprehensive and integrated Property & FM software solution.

FM Innovations® is the only facility management software company to take your facilities and property management objectives, develop measurable key performance indicators around them and customise a building or property management software system that measurably helps you achieve those objectives.

This unique modular approach enables our clients to choose any number of functions at any time in order to logically and simply build their FM & Property solution to address the ever increasing demands and complexities of the FM & property management industry. Determination, commitment to quality and our innovation has put us at the forefront of the FM software industry.

If you are a Government Organisation, SME or a Large Multinational Corporate, FM Innovations® has designed our WSM software solution to suit your current and future needs. FM Innovations® has built into WSM “implied intelligence”, creating a new benchmark when it comes to facility management software. WSM delivers automation, information flow, and detailed operational statistics with graphs for executive level reporting in an easy to use customisable database. Each WSM module has an intuitive interface and user-friendly design that is robust enough as a stand alone operation, can integrate with other FMI modules and can integrate with your existing systems.

At FM Innovations we proudly provide solutions to suit your needs. Contact us now for a FREE demonstration of WSMenterprise 4.6 direct to your desktop now on
03 9600 1646 or sales@fminnovations.com.au

FMA Australia Director and International Credentialing Committee (ICC) Member - Steve Jones provides thoughtful and insightful responses in connection with FMA Australia adopting the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Credentialing program.

FMA Online: Why should a person working in the FM Industry seek to attain either the Certified Facility Manager (CFM) credential or attain the Facilities Management Professional (FMP) designation?

Steve Jones: Dealing with the CFM first. The CFM indicates that a person has a level of competency within the industry. This can provide credibility with other personnel in the workforce as well as with people from outside an organisation but in the industry. In my case I have a number of personnel who work for me and operate within the FM industry.

We also deal with a broad range of consultants, contractors and suppliers across the industry that provide services and products to our organisation.

Given that I am both an employee and an employer, I see personnel with the CFM as preferred employees. I would certainly favour the employment of a CFM against a non accredited applicant where other capabilities are generally even.

The CFM is an internationally recognised credential so for anyone who works in the international arena it is a benefit to have that recognition.

In relation to the FMP, it is an entry level credential that is suitable for personnel who are new to the industry or are seeking advancement within the industry but do not have tertiary qualifications.

The FMP is undertaken as a course of instruction leading to the award of the FMP certificate. Its subject matter draws upon the framework of the CFM in relation to the knowledge that is required to undertake a range of tasks within the FM industry.

FMA Online: How does someone apply for the CFM and FMP?
Steve Jones: It is important to understand that we utilise the services of IFMA to obtain these credentials. The processing occurs direct with IFMA through their website and they in turn advise FMA Australia. This in effect means that the FMA Australia has very little control over the process.

However, the products are good and the FMA Australia has entered into a commercial arrangement with IFMA to provide these products. I will eventually answer the question, but it is important that people understand the framework of the CFM. I am a member of the International Credentialing Committee (ICC) that is responsible for the credential. I was also the FMA Australia delegate that was involved in a workshop to look at the framework.

This occurred as part of the international survey of FMA Australia that took place earlier this year. Of the 22 people in the workshop, 8 were international, which indicates the level of interest in IFMA having a versatile system that captures the international market.

The framework has three levels: domains (competencies); tasks; and knowledge. If you look at the IFMA web site (via the link from www.fma.com.au )
and check out Competency Areas you will see that there are presently nine areas.

They are listed together with Performances (tasks). The workshop reviewed the whole of the framework and came up with some changes, but they won’t be implemented until later next year. We also significantly changed the wording, both to make it more precise and also to un-Americanise it as much as possible.

So, finally I will answer the question. Go to the IFMA www.ifma.org to Learning then CFM Credential and the drop down menu gives you a range of options. Being a competency based exam you have to apply and have your eligibility determined. This includes your education and work experience.

Once accepted you are informed by IFMA and you schedule a time to undertake the exam. This is handled through a provider called Prometric. When I did my exam they only had exam sites in Sydney and Melbourne but they now have exam centres spread across the country. In any case you will be directed to one near your home location. Then you sit the exam which has 180 multiple choice questions to be undertaken in one session of up to four hours.

The FMP is a course based program where you undertake four subjects, online in our case, and then apply for your FMP certificate. Again it is clearly spelt out on the IFMA web site.

FMA Online: How did you find the exam?
Steve Jones: To be honest it was a struggle. Not so much because of the subject matter (although I don’t expect that I was in the 90% bracket) but more because of the number of questions and the time. How many times these days do you sit in the one place and concentrate on the one thing for four hours. For the last hour I think that I spent most of the time concentrating on concentrating.

Having said that though, completing the number of questions within the timeframe was certainly achievable. Overall I found the questions to be reasonable. There were about 25 questions where the terminology needed some thought and probably wasn’t the terminology that we would use in Australia. This is an area that I am working on as part of my role in the ICC.

However, there is some terminology that we don’t use that is in common use elsewhere in the world e.g. janitorial services. There were also a few questions on drawing symbols that in my opinion were not common use symbols.

FMA Online: As a member of the FMA Australia Board why do you support the CFM?
Steve Jones: This system is objective and is not influenced by personalities, past history or subjective assessment. Being web based, the initial part of the process is accessible to all, but the exam itself has to be undertaken at a designated centre.

The system is not manpower intensive for FMA Australia. There is a very strong framework on which the system is based; it has had a long period of development; and as indicated, it continues to evolve. We are reaping the benefit of the time and brainpower that has been put into it.

There are some challenges with the processing of applications that are beyond the direct control of FMA Australia, but these types of issues will be sorted out over time. This will be particularly so as more FMA Australia members seek to undertake the credential. My view is that the more people from the Australian FM Industry who seek the credential the better the process will be and the more acceptable the credential will be.

For anyone who is an AFM under the previous Facility Management Accreditation System, take the opportunity on offer to transition to the CFM/FMP by the end of December 2009. It is a “no brainer” despite it now being the silly season.

For further enquiries please contact Belinda Ralph: FMA Australia on 03 8641 6666 or email br@fma.com.au

FMA Australia Victorian Branch News

12 Apostles, Great Ocean Road, Victoria

FMA Australia Victoria Branch December News

Well, it seems incredible that we are almost at the end of another year!

With the new committee now settled, the 2010 events calendar is well underway for next year. It promises to bring an exciting year of informative events with the reintroduction of our breakfast forum series.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow Committee Members and the FMA Australia national office for all their support throughout 2009 and look forward to continuing the relationship in 2010.

Meet some our newest members.

Bronwyn Edwards, Business Development Manager, Resolve FM

Bronwyn who is the Business Development Manager for Resolve FM Victoria has recently joined FMA AustraliaVictoria Branch. Bronwyn has been involved with the Facility Management industry for over 15 years in various roles from Consulting, Project Management, Risk Management and more recently Business Development.

Bronwyn has seen the Facility Management industry mature over this period as such that the industry has taken on a greater role in ensuring compliance to legislation. Additionally information and systems have improved substantially in being readily available to the end users.

Bronwyn has a background in Fire Engineering and Risk Management and is looking forward to assisting the FMA Australia in its growth and development over the next two years.

Jonathon Vains, Project & Facilities Manager, Myer

Jonathon Vains is a Project & Facilities Manager with Myer, managing the Victorian & Tasmanian Stores, including the Melbourne based National Store Support Office.

Facilities Management is fairly new territory for Jonathon who’s Operations and Project Management background with Myer has assisted him in settling in to the FM role over the past 12 months. The age and size of the buildings which he manages, including the traffic the sites are exposed to, have provided some very interesting challenges and each day brings new surprises.

Jonathon joined FMA Australia in September this year and is looking to FMA Australia as a way to meet with industry peers, including other young FM’s, and as means to keep up to date with industry standards and developments.

Spring Carnival Cocktail Function

Our Spring Carnival Cocktail Function held at 1 Bourke Street (the Hotel Windsor’s new event facility) on Wednesday 28 October was a huge success with 79 people in attendance. Guests enjoyed socialising and having fun whilst experiencing the spring fever and cheering on their horses in the phantom races that were held. The bookies were on hand providing tips and taking bets and I’m sure they were collecting some too.

The winners of each race were presented with their trophies and some were dressed to impress entering the GJK Facility Services Fashion on the Field competition. Below highlights the four races named appropriately in honour of our sponsors.

• The FM Innovations Stakes
• The Melt FM Cup
• The Programmed Facility Management Classic
• The Culligan Water Derby

Congratulations to all our race winners and a huge thank you to our sponsors for their support.

Kris Greenwood, FM Innovations (left) together with Elias Stamas of GJK Winner of The FM Innovation Stakes and Ray Lodge, FM Innovations (right)	Kris Greenwood, FM Innovations (left) Winner of The Melt FM Cup together with Laurie Reeves, Melt FM	Peter Stamas, GJK (left) winner of The Programmed Facility Management Classic and Barry Williams, Programmed Facility Management

Daniel Blighton from Culligan Water, Winner of The Culligan Water Derby (left) together with Gaven Sheehan, Culligan Water (right)	George Stamas, FMA Australia Victorian Chair (left) with Overall Winner Kris Greenwood, FM Innovations.	Lou La Delfa, GJK (left) with Melanie Lewis -Winner of the GJK Female Fashions on the Field, and Kris Greenwood, FM Innovations (Right)

Shayne Adams, Verified Winner of The GJK Male Fashions on the Field (left) together with Kris Greenwood, FM Innovations and Lou La Delfa, GJK (right)

November Lunch Forum

Dr. Gareth M. Forde from SEMF Pty Ltd presented “Buildings: The Sleeping Giants of Emissions Reduction” to our 84 guests at our November Lunch Forum held on 13th November 2009.

Gareth provided attendees with an overview on how buildings account for 23% of emissions according to the Department of Climate Change. His presentation covered Carbon Trading, how the end use will finance Australia’s low emissions future, how it affects general business in Australia and what this means to building owners and how they are affected and what to do about it.

Gareth also provided an explanation of “Clean Tech” with an emphasis on energy and emissions and well as what is happening with sustainability ratings for buildings: Green Star, NABERS, Energy Audits and beyond.

Gareth has worked extensively in the areas of sustainability engineering, carbon footprint analysis, technology assessment and development, renewable energy and bio-fuels.

 

Christmas Lunch

102 guests set sail for our Annual Christmas event aboard Melbourne’s showboat “The Lady Cutler” on Thursday evening, 3rd January 2009.

On arrival guests relaxed and enjoyed finger food and drinks whilst watching the picturesque sunset view from Central Pier at Docklands. Once The Lady Cutler set sail the casino room swung into action with each our guests trying their luck at Black Jack, Poker and Roulette on the floating casino tables using the play money provided by Poker Times.

As the evening came to a close the Christmas hampers kindly donated by AG Coombs were drawn as well as our traditional door prize draw and the FMA Vic Branch High Roller trophy was awarded to Poppy Kartsounis from Graham Nicholas who took out the overall prize.

The cruise went for approximately 3 hours and was a great opportunity for guests to relax and network with colleagues whilst having some fun. Feedback was excellent with a number of guests asking FMA Vic Branch to repeat the event next year proving that this was a huge success.

Thank you to the FMA Office staff, Poker Times and special thanks to our sponsors whom without their support these events would not be possible.

Views of Melbourne from The Lady Cutler

Guests trying their luck at the Casino Tables

Guests enjoying the cruise	George Stamas, Victorian Chair FMA Australia	Vic Branch High Roller Trophy

The Victorian Committee wishes you a very enjoyable Christmas, a safe and happy New Year and we look forward to seeing you in 2010!

 

George Stamas
FMA Australia Victoria Branch Chair

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FMA Australia SA Branch News

Statue of Sir Donald Bradman outside the Adelaide Oval

SA Branch December News

2009 came to a close for the South Australian Branch by celebrating the year’s success and the Festive Season.

GHD hosted the event within their offices over looking Victoria Square, which provided a great setting for Mark Separovic of GHD who presented on their award winning Victoria Square/Tarndanyangga redevelopment proposal.

Following the presentation there was plenty of opportunities for networking with colleagues, friends and peers from the local FM industry with some good food, wine, beer and soft drink.

The door prizes were drawn with 1st prize being won by Rebecca Hoskin – Senior Projects Manager Arts SA and 2nd prize by Francois Koch of Department for Transport, Energy and Infrastructure. The prizes were; a bottle of 12 year old scotch and a wine/candle cradle.

To close the evening, a presentation was made and the raffle was drawn to our charity of choice for 2009 Cystic Fibrosis South Australia. Through the efforts and hard work of past and present committee members the SA Branch was able to secure an excellent prize donated by Sky City Adelaide of a nights’ accommodation for two people at the Hyatt Regency Adelaide in a Riverview room, including breakfast, plus dinner for two at North Restaurant at Sky City Adelaide prize valued at over $500.00.

The lucky winner was Nat and Mark Pettman of Ashford South Australia. The winning ticket was sold by Leah Nelson of ISS at a Melbourne Cup Function.

Throughout the year of selling raffle tickets at the FMA functions and via committee members, Cystic Fibrosis SA was presented a cheque to the amount of $1360.00.

Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. At this point in time there is no cure. CFSA is a non-government supported charity and survives through the generous donations of the public and fundraising. This was a great effort by FMA SA and the people who supported us by purchasing raffle tickets.

Overall the committee and the FMA SA Branch supporters should be congratulated on another successful South Australian Event.

2009 – The year in summary
This year the FMA Australia SA Branch committee has organised three other events.
Our first event was a tour and presentation by leading Ashley Manna of Parsons Brinckerhoff about the process and lessons learnt in moving into one of Adelaide’s iconic buildings, the challenges and synergies of working with the building owner and facilities manager and aiming for a 5 Star Green Star fit-out rating.

This was followed by an informative luncheon at Regetta’s Restaurant by Michael Small of the Human Rights Commission about the “how the draft Disability (Access to Premises – buildings) Standards will impact on building owners, industry experts, managers and developers”.

The SA Branch also hosted its first golf day at Mt Lofty Golf Course on a glorious spring day. A great time was had by all who attended golfers and non-golfers alike.

2010 – The year ahead
The FMA Australia SA Branch committee is currently working on an events list for next year. Our aim is to provide educational and networking events for the FM industry which are of interest to a wide range of participants.

If any member has a suggestion for particular topics or site visits to cover in 2010, please let any of our committee members know and we will do our best to accommodate your request.

Current members of the FMA Australia SA Branch committee are:
o Carla Zub – Chair, South Australia FMA Australia Branch
o Graham Dolmain
o Suzy Donnellan
o Peter Keys
o Andrew Phillips
o Roz & Craig White
o David Yates

Our events for 2010 will include:
February – Product Expo
April – Lunch forum
August – Site visit
October – Golf Day
December – Christmas event

Regards
Carla Zub
FMA Australia South Australia Branch Chair

 

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FMA Australia NSW Branch News

The Three Sisters at Katoomba, Blue Mountains, New South Wales

NSW Branch December News

As I sit down to write this I am still laughing from our December luncheon where Clint Paddison kept us all entertained with his views on life today. Our CEO David Duncan joined the committee and more than 100 guests at WatersEdge to celebrate the end of a very memorable year.

I would like to extend a very special thank you to the sponsors of our Christmas luncheon, namely FM Innovations Ltd www.fminnovations.com.au and Kingfisher Property Recruitment www.kpfr.com.au, without whose support (and the support of our sponsors throughout the year), we would not have been able to host the number of industry presentations delivered this year.

As I reflect on 2009, I cast my mind back to our very successful Golf Day at Bonnie Doon Golf Club and the numerous sponsors that made it possible. Thank you to Culligan Water www.culligan.com.au our major sponsor, and to ISS Facility Services, Valorem, Express Glass, Triple M Group, Hays and Intrec Management Pty Ltd.

I am delighted to announce in 2010 our Golf Day will be held on Thursday 18 February at the same magnificent course. If you wish to play or wish to promote your business by joining Culligan Water our major sponsor, then please email Stacey at national office sv@fma.com.au. This is a great opportunity to entertain clients, colleagues and even family and friends. Mark the date in your diary, information will be sent out shortly.

Once again the big ticket item on our event calendar for 2009 was our Melbourne Cup function thanks to our major sponsors, FDC Construction & Fitout Pty Ltd www.fdcbuilding.com.au and I thank them for all their hard work, which culminated in raising $35,000 for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Again thanks to all who attended - Now get that pen out and mark in your diary “NSW FMA Australia Melbourne Cup event” Tuesday 2 November 2010.

Other luncheons and site visits were supported by Perpetual Property Care www.perpetualpropertycare.com.au; Caroma Dorf www.caroma.com.au and ICMS www.icms.edu.au.

A special thank you to Programmed Facility Management www.programmed.com.au who are currently sponsoring a series of our luncheons, and they will kick of 2010 on Wednesday10 March by supporting a very important FM topic, “Prevention and Disaster Recovery” which will be presented by the Johns Lyng Group.

And last but not least, the "Movember" project!

As you may remember in our last FMA Australia NSW Branch report we spoke of this worthy cause which past FMA Australia NSW Branch Chairman Robert Iacono was supporting. We are pleased to announce that Robert helped to raise $900. For more information go to this link: http://au.movember.com/mospace/169415/

If you are interested in learning more about the work that is being carried out as a result of Movember funds, check out the details at http://au.movemberfoundation.com/research-and-programs.

Now just in case you have forgotten, Robert looked like this

This month he will look like this…

So a very big thank you to all our supporters, our FMA Australia members, our committee and our FMA Australia friends who have supported the FMA Australia NSW Branch and this magnificent industry throughout the year. I wish you and your families all a very happy and safe Christmas and may 2010 be a healthy and successful year for all.

Until Next year, Merry Christmas

 

Doug Collins
FMA Australia NSW Branch Chair

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FMA Australia ACT Branch News

National Museum of Australia, ACT

ACT Branch December News

Last Month’s Event - Site Visit to the National Portrait Gallery
The Site Visit to the National Portrait Gallery last month was a great success, with nearly 50 people attending the presentations and tour of this multi award winning building. Following on from the opening speech by our Branch Chair, Peter Mollison, the event was primarily led by Alan Freemantle, Manager Facility and Building and Services, and the NPG Facility team.

In his presentation, Alan explained that the NPG Facility Team has identified the following FM key aspects in their role of supporting the NPG:
 HVAC and environmental controls
 The presentation of the building
 How the public use the building
 That the building works as designed
 That the building address key goals of the organisation
 Attendance to minor building works and maintenance issues

Alan also shared with us the pains and gains experienced by his team in commissioning the building with its teething problems, and the challenges of setting up a whole range of new frameworks.

This includes strategic planning, life cycle planning, accommodation guidelines, management of contracts and contract performance, procurement, OH&S policy, security arrangements, service delivery arrangements and venue hire arrangements, All this whilst also addressing the defects list and compiling the as built drawings, operations and maintenance manuals, CMMS, and Asset Register.

The NPG was initially opened to the building on 4 December 2008, and 12 months on, the role of the Facility Team in the NPG remains to be both strategic and operational.

Strategically, the Team has also produced its Strategic Asset Management Plan Bi-Annual Report No.1. Operationally, the Team has been able to set up its Asset Register and commence monitoring the performance of the building by keeping an eye on Reactive vs Planned works.

To compliment Alan’s presentation in commissioning and managing the one year old NPG, Owen Hammond from Project Inception of the Department of Finance and Deregulation gave us an outline of how the project was initiated, progressed through the design stages, constructed and finally completed. Owen explained all the risks identified in designing and constructing a high profile building and the subsequent delivery model adopted by the Department to mitigate the risks, meet NPG requirements and ensure that the Gallery will be opened on 4 December by the Prime Minister as initially planned.

The presentations were followed by tours of the Back and the Front of Houses of the building, in groups each led by members of the NPG Facility Team.

The FMA ACT Branch would like to thank Alan Freemantle, Chris Houston and Lawrence Hall from the NPG Facilities Team for arranging the tours around the building and to Owen Hammond for sharing information about the contract model for this high profile project.

The Committee would also like to thank Delta Building Automation for supporting the Site Visit to the NPG.

AGM of FMA Australia
The tours of the NPG concluded in the NPG Board room for refreshments, in preparation for the Annual General Meeting of FMA Australia. All members of the Board of FMA Australia attended the AGM, supported by David Duncan, the CEO of FMA Australia, members of the FMA Australia ACT Branch and George Stamas, Chairman FMA Australia Victorian Branch.

At this AGM, we thanked and farewelled Andrew McEwen as the outgoing National Chair of FMA Australia and welcomed Mr Steve Taylor as the incoming National Chair. We also bid farewell to the immediate past National Chair of FMA Australia, Mr Stephen Ballesty.

Good Bye to 2009
The FMA Australia ACT Branch Committee would like to thank all members and supporters of the FMA Australia ACT Branch for their support, attendance and participations throughout 2009 and hope to see you all again in 2010.

The FMA Australia ACT Branch Committee also wish you all a very Merry Christmas and safe holiday. May 2010 bring us all greater health, happiness and prosperity

February 2010 Branch Event – FM Education options and opportunities for your career
Do you know how you are measured amongst your peers in the FM industry here in Canberra? What about across Australia? And internationally? How would you let others know that you are an experienced and skilful Facility Manager?

Come and listen to David Duncan, CEO FMA Australia, in his presentation on FMA Australia’s international recognised credential program the FMP and CFM. David will explain how the Program works during the FMA Australia ACT Branch first event for 2010 on 25 February and how this may affect you and those who previously already received the FMA Accreditation. David will also release news on a new and exciting FM qualification to be launched in July 2010.

The Certified Facility Manager® (CFM®) credential sets the industry standard for ensuring knowledge and abilities of practicing facility managers. The certification process is designed to assess competence in the field through work experience, education and the ability to pass a comprehensive exam. Since the program began in 1992, more than 3100 facility managers from 32 countries have achieved this prestigious recognition.

A knowledge-based credential, the Facility Management Professional (FMP) is designed to accelerate an FM’s transition into the profession. This credential has been designed for entry-level and transitioning FM professionals who do not yet have the hands-on experience required for obtaining the CFM.

2010 FMA Australia ACT Branch Calendar of Events
The FMA Australia ACT Branch Committee is presently developing its 2010 Calendar of Events and is promising the following range of potential events:

 Lunch Time Seminars on latest range of requirements affecting Facility Managers in Canberra, including the new Work Safety Act, Mandatory Disclosure of the Energy Rating of Buildings and the Commonwealth Property Management Guidelines
 Site Inspections, to a brand new office building, a major event venue, as well as the popular Basic Building Services
 Seminars on a range of FM related topics, including Strategic /Master Planning, Business Continuity, Change Management, and Supply of Utilities Services for the Canberra Region
 Social networking activity – would it be Pitch and Putt, would it be Lawn Bowling, or would it be Dragon Racing. You simply would just have to wait and continue checking the Newsletter to find out!

Peter Mollison
FMA Australia ACT Branch Chair

 

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FMA Australia WA Branch News

Perth by night

WA Branch December News

As the end of noughties approaches 2009 has been an extremely busy year for the Facility Management industry in WA.

Throughout the latter part of the year all eyes have been trained on the Gorgon project proposed for Barrow Island. With the project managers KJV handing out billion dollar contracts with amazing regularity the expectation of landing the five year FM contract for the utilities, accommodation and construction facility buildings was playing on the minds of the small group of tenderers.

Following an intense period of tender clarifications the nail biting began as the recommendations of KJV were considered by the Chevron procurement committee.

Via a novel method of announcement, Monadelphous emerged as the successful tenderer and I am sure that the other bidders would join me in congratulating them, and welcoming them to the Facility Management Association of Australia. All new membership applications will be processed promptly upon receipt.

I caught up with Mark Counsel at City of Fremantle who, at the instigation of Philip (The Slave Driver) Gale, has boldly commenced an Asset Information Collection Process of all assets and infrastructure owned by the City of Fremantle.

The importance of this exercise to the success of facility management strategy and outcomes cannot be overstated in my opinion and I watch with interest as the process progresses. Mark has agreed to keep us updated on this significant exercise as it unfolds over the next few months. Don’t miss the next report for more information.

I had an interesting meeting with Tony Weston at Aggreko with regard to risk management and disaster recovery options in the areas of temporary power generation and climate control. Just for your own peace of mind, I would encourage all facility managers to organise solutions for these potentially disruptive and disastrous scenarios in your emergency management plans.

It has not been all work and no play in Movember however.

The visit to the newly refurbished Water Corporation head office in Leederville was a resounding success with an engaging presentation and a good turn out of members. Many of the attendees admitted that the extremely funky fit out would encourage them to seek employment at the Water Corp. For all career opportunities go to www.watercorporation.com.au

The November InForM gathering, for the younger FMs, was another good networking, and indeed educational, event. At the venue of Tiger Lils on Murray Street Renae Loftus welcomed all of the attendees and introduced Esther and Iris, two FM students from the Netherlands, who gave a very informative summary of their experiences and impressions of Western Australia during a six month deployment as part of their studies.

With all the formalities complete, the gathered masses were then instructed and invited to partake in the ancient art of cocktail making and drinking. Suffice to say the mood lightened considerably from that moment.

Upcoming events include the visit to Murdoch University Campus Living on 10th December, which again is one not to be missed.

Congratulations to all of the hairy lipped participants of Movember and heartfelt thanks for all of the funds raised for such a worthy cause. OK guys you can shave them off now.

More good news
Edith Cowan University (ECU) Wins the 2009 Premiers Award for “Managing the Environment”

ECU strives to be sustainable in all of its activities and is on a journey of continuous improvement. The University is committed to developing a heightened awareness within its staff, students and the wider community, of a sense of place and value for the environment and each other. ECU is creating a sustainable university community and a culture of ‘healthy you, healthy environment’.

A strategic priority within the ECU Strategic Plan is building organisational sustainability and ECU was one of the earliest Universities to appoint an environment committee to inform and advise on environmental related issues.

ECU is a leader in the teaching and learning of sustainability where there is strong synergy between sustainability and the discipline. ECU’s goal is to build its research enterprise and generate enhanced outcomes in selected areas of excellence, particularly those with the potential for high social, economic, environmental and cultural impact.

ECU selected the Global Reporting Initiative as its reference framework to manage sustainability. Under this framework the University manages seven environmental programs in water, waste, energy, travel, biodiversity, procurement and the delivery of education. The university also operates five social sustainable programs, being sustainability in the curriculum and research, OSH and wellness, professional development of ECU staff, diversity and equal opportunity and engagement.

The comprehensive approach taken by the University towards sustainability has been subject to an independent evaluation. The evaluation highlighted a number of strengths and opportunities to the University and has resulted in the implementation of the Sustainable Communities Action Plan to drive further continuous improvement.

Premier Colin Barnett, Vice-Chancellor Kerry O. Cox, Director Facilities & Services Brian Yearwood

To all our members and their families, please have an enjoyable and relaxing Christmas and New Year

John Monahan
FMA Australia WA Branch Committee Member - Communications

 

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FMA Australia QLD Branch News

Cairns, Northern Queensland

QLD Branch December News

November Lunch Forum – Are you up to date with building fire regulations?

This is a timely question for Facility Managers, since recent changes to Queensland Fire Regulations are in effect.

• How up to date is your building/portfolio?
• Do you know about the changes to fire regulations/legislation and what building managers need to know?
• Do you know what statutory requirements for certificates and annual testing is required to meet these obligations?
• Areas of change include: evacuation plan requirements, evacuation coordinator, Fire Safety Advisor, Instruction and record keeping to name a few.

Our guest speaker, Bob Hook is Manager Building Fire Safety (State) for the Queensland Fire & Rescue Service (QFRS) and responsible for management of all building fire safety training material. Bob has nearly 30 years of hands on experience firstly as an operational firefighter and subsequently over 10 years experience in the Building Fire Safety Section. Bob also works closely with the Fire Protection Industry Board of Queensland, Fire protection Association Australia and the National Fire Industry Association Queensland.

Bob introduced the QFRS Fire Safety Management Tool for Owner Occupiers to describe the requirements for facility managers to achieve compliance. The relevancy of the presentation to facility managers was demonstrated by the engagement with the attendees and the numerous questions from the floor. Bob’s provided practical examples of how to respond to the regulations and use the tool to assist in achieving compliance.

Our thanks go to our sponsors for the event MEX Maintenance Software for their active support to both FMA Australia and the success of the Queensland Branch November Lunch Forum.

Watch the FMA Australia website and email promotions of coming events and activities.

Have a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Murray Wickham
FMA Australia QLD Branch Chair

“Curates egg” recovery from 2008 collapse
The health of the construction industry is good in parts, according to the latest forecasts from the Australian Construction Industry Forum’s Construction Forecasting Council (CFC).

“Government spending is holding up activity in non-residential and engineering construction, whilst the difficulty of obtaining finance is depressing the private sector investment,” said Peter Barda, executive director of the Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF).

“Private sector spending on non-residential construction is still depressed by lack of confidence, and a shortage of development finance, whilst government spending on education and health infrastructure has made up about half of the private non-residential activity lost through calendar 2008,” said Barda.

“As the Building the Education Revolution spending runs out, we are expecting further falls in non-residential activity, until developers and investors turn from acquiring existing assets to developing new ones. We are forecasting modest recovery in the sector in 2011/12.”

“In the residential construction sector, activity in new house building during 2008/2009 has been very strong, and will continue at reasonable levels, although lack of development finance continues to depress the market for apartment construction,” he said. “Residential building in 2009/10 and 2010/11 will continue to be strong.”

“Engineering construction has fallen markedly from historically high levels, but government spending on infrastructure, and expected spending on the national broadband network, are forecast to maintain high levels of activity, in part offsetting reduced spending on construction of mining infrastructure,” said Barda.

In residential building while approvals have continued to slide in recent months, substantial pent-up demand remains for housing and will drive real growth although there is uncertainty over the impact of the scaling back of the First Home Owners Grant, said Barda.

“Demand is still there for housing: stocks still remain in short supply, and rents are continuing to rise,” said Barda. “And once the commercial developers re-enter the market and house price growth starts to improve, this sector will record strong growth,” he said.

Engineering construction received a solid boost in the Federal Government’s May Budget, with higher spending announced for power generation, roads, rail and the early stages of the National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout, which should prevent a collapse of activity in this sector before the next economic upswing.

“Government spending and a return of mining infrastructure construction will see the cycle kick up in 2011/12,” said Barda.

ACIF’s Construction Forecasting Council (CFC) produces twice-yearly forecasts of building and construction activity, covering short, medium and long-term prospects for the industry.

These forecasts are based on modelling of the economy by KPMG Econtech, and include short-term to long-term forecasts (10 years). The CFC’s latest forecast figures have been derived from the June 2009 quarter National Accounts and Australian Bureau of Statistic building approvals to the end of September.

Detailed forecasts, including sector-by-sector and state-by-state breakdowns, are available free of charge on the CFC website at www.cfc.acif.com.au.

Contact:
Peter Verwer, Chief Executive, Property Council of Australia, and Chair of the CFC, Phone: 02 9033 1926, mobile: 0407 463 842,
email: pverwer@propertyoz.com.au
website: www.propertyoz.com.au

Peter Barda, Executive Director, Australian Construction Industry Forum
Phone: 1300 854 543, mobile: 0418 438 550,
email: barda@acif.com.au
website: www.cfc.acif.com.au

For an complete industry sector break-down view the full report here.

For those facility managers or aspiring facility managers keen to update their qualifications, a timely reminder of FMA Australia's newest website service, the FMA Australia Tertiary Education and Training Guide.

Click here to check out the latest courses on offer in the Higher Education and VET sectors.

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Be quick to secure a seat if you would like to benefit from learning and understanding more about how finance works in your organisation.

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