News Updates
The Committee for Melbourne has partnered with the University of Melbourne’s Graduate School of Business and Economics, to launch the first Melbourne Business Practicum today at 11am on Monday 15 February, 2010, at the Royal Botanic Gardens.
The Committee for Melbourne has been instrumental in locating appropriate organisations requiring high-level research.
“An initiative of the Committee’s Higher Education Taskforce, the practicum projects allow both high-achieving local and international graduate students to work on real projects in conjunction with local businesses to develop their skills and knowledge base,” Higher Education Taskforce’s Co-Chair and Innovation Australia’s Chairman, Mr David Miles AM said.
Teams of post graduate students will undertake two-week projects designed by participating Melbourne-based organisations.
“A priority identified by the Committee’s Higher Education Taskforce is the need for greater integration between our university and business sectors,” Mr Miles said.
“The Melbourne Business Practicum allows universities and business to work together on meaningful projects thus better utilising our valuable resource of highly skilled postgraduate students in Victoria,” he said.
“The practicum also provides an opportunity for highly skilled international students to gain greater exposure to Australian business culture which is especially important if they are considering making Australia their permanent home,” Mr Miles said.
During the inaugural project this month, students of the Graduate School of Business and Economics will produce a cutting-edge and invaluable tool for all gardens across Australia and overseas to ascertain their carbon footprint.
The team of four international and local students working on the Royal Botanic Gardens project will ascertain the value of their carbon footprint by creating an Environmental Accounting model. This model will involve accounting and environmental practice and has the potential to assist gardens throughout the world.
The next practicum to commence in 2010 will be an examination of the regulation, taxation, cost frameworks and other incentives facing commercial and housing developers in Australia’s cities. This project is hosted by the Grattan Institute, a think tank focused on Australian domestic public policy.
The students’ findings will be used to make policy recommendations on how market design can encourage commercial and housing development that matches housing and employment needs.
Industry partners for other projects in 2010 include the eab group, a local IT company, and the Faculty of Business and Economics.
I am thrilled to be a part of the Committee for Melbourne. In the weeks since joining in January this year, I have enjoyed the opportunity to build my relationships with our members, participate in activities in our Higher Education and Shaping Melbourne taskforces, and partner with Board members on our vision for the future shape of the Committee and our city.
The collaborative effort by 160 members of our Shaping Melbourne Taskforce is impressive and the work produced highlights the quality and significance of the contributions our members give to our community.
As you may know, it is our 25th Anniversary this year and we have much to acknowledge and be proud of. Our Annual Dinner themed ‘Melbourne After Dark’ on Thursday 25 March, 2010, will be very special and is our opportunity to join you in celebrating this important milestone and look towards our focus for the next 25 years.
Our committed Executive Board and Secretariat are working hard to ensure that our members concerns and views are heard, explored and given a voice that will encourage an innovative business culture in our city, enhance Melbourne’s liveability and ensure Melbourne’s global relevance.
I look forward to celebrating our 25th anniversary with 600 of Melbourne’s thinkers and doers and engaging with more of our valued members in the coming months.
Andrew MacLeod
With a diverse background and experiences in world events, Andrew is happy to be available as a speaker on global issues or the interesting aspects of his previous work should members be interested. If so, please contact our Executive Assistant, Ms Karen Browne on (61 3) 9650 8800 or at kbrowne@melbourne.org.au
View Andrew's biography
View Andrew's Wikipedia page
The Committee is pleased to announce Professor David de Kretser, AC, Governor of Victoria, recently accepted an invitation to be the Patron of the Melbourne Transformation Cluster, an initiative of the Committee’s Higher Education and Climate Change Taskforces.
The Cluster will provide a mechanism to create action for major projects to transform greater Melbourne into a more sustainable city. Members will be drawn from the business, academic and government sectors. They will work together to identify key project proposals, apply best practice and ideas, identify and address barriers and thereby clear the path to the delivery of actual projects.
Through the Cluster, opportunities will evolve to demonstrate our R&D and delivery capabilities, to try out new ideas for a sustainable Melbourne and to create new opportunities to export services and expertise to other projects in Australia or overseas.
For more information about the Melbourne Transformation Cluster, please contact the Committee’s Policy Director, Ms Susan Vale on (03) 9667 8141.
A report by the members of the Committee’s Shaping Melbourne Taskforce exploring the impact of population growth on Melbourne’s future is taking form with sections having been submitted by all drafting groups prior to Christmas last year.
The draft is undergoing a technical edit under the guidance of the Taskforce’s co-chairs, Ms Pru Sanderson, Chief Executive Officer, VicUrban, Mr Roger Poole, Executive Chairman, Bates Smart and Mr Tom Fricke, Executive Manager, GHD.
At this stage, the Co-Chairs are planning a short video presentation of the reports key messages to be presented at the Committee’s Annual Dinner on 25 March, 2010.
February will be an exciting time for the Future Focus Group as the 55 participants (26 women and 29 men) meet for the first time as an entire group at the Induction Weekend on 19-21 February, 2010. The weekend will again take place at RACV’s Cape Schanck Resort.
Workshop sessions will include:
• Getting to know the Committee for Melbourne and its vision
• Getting to know the other participants
• Leadership within groups
• Project presentations
• Alumni small group presentations
The weekend will again include sessions with Leading Teams, a leadership development organisation, and Troupe du Jour, an interactive troupe of actors who help clients to open themselves to learning in different ways.
The Alumni Association will again be active this year and will hold its first event on Thursday 6 May, 2010 with the guest speaker being Professor Rob Adams AM from the City of Melbourne. Prof. Adams will present on the challenges created by Melbourne’s expanding population.
Seven Alumni from the 2008-2009 program will also generously give up their time to present at the Induction Weekend.
The 2010-2011 program presents an opportunity to refine and expand on the program that has been developed over the past two years.
The Future Focus Group is the Committee’s business leadership program and is in its 15th year of operation.
Chairman's Message
I am pleased to announce that we have appointed Mr Andrew MacLeod as our Chief Executive Officer, commencing January 2010.
Andrew’s appointment is a real win for the Committee for Melbourne. The level of interest in the position of CEO for the Committee for Melbourne was unprecedented, with a very large number of well qualified applicants contacting us directly as well as nominations being put to us by various community leaders. Andrew was selected by a very thorough process, involving nearly all Board members, from a shortlist of highly competent candidates.
We were greatly impressed by a number of Andrew’s attributes. Among them, is a demonstrated track record of being able to engage stakeholders to achieve difficult, complex and significant outcomes.
With Andrew at the helm, the Committee has an opportunity to move up another step, just as Sally Capp helped us to do, because, like his predecessor when she took on the job, Andrew is a person who is on the rise.
Andrew has had a diverse and rewarding career, enjoying leadership roles within large and small business environments in the private and public sector. After holding positions with the Australian Army and Dunhill Madden Butler in Melbourne, he accepted a role in the International Committee at the Red Cross working in countries such as former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
In 1999, Andrew moved back to Melbourne to focus on consulting and entering politics. Andrew accepted a role from Deputy Premier John Thwaites as Senior Political and Policy Adviser and remained there for a year until January 2003. At this point, he decided that he wanted to return to his international activities and successfully applied to the United Nations (UN) in Geneva. For eight months in 2003, he held a number of positions there until October 2005 when the UN sent him to Pakistan to co-ordinate the massive earthquake relief in Kashmir. Between October 2005 and May 2008, he was based in Pakistan and, from May last year to May this year, in The Philippines, dealing with typhoon relief and recovery.
Andrew was born in November 1966 in Melbourne. He completed his first degree at the University of Tasmania, graduating in 1992 with a double degree in Arts/Law.
Andrew is a silver medallist in 200m Butterfly at the 2002 World Masters Games, a former state medallist in surf-lifesaving, and achieved fourth place in debating at the World Championships.
I’m really looking forward to working with Andrew in moving the Committee’s agenda into 2010.
Wishing you a Festive Season and Happy New Year.
Sincerely,
George Pappas
Our objectives are to ensure Melbourne’s liveability and economic prosperity. We want to see Melbourne as a great place to live, work, invest and study. For the Committee for Melbourne, 2009 was a year of positive outcomes.
The Committee is able to look deeply into the strategic issues impacting Melbourne’s future as a result of your contribution, energy and expertise. Over the past 12 months, we have continued to make comprehensive information available to you. We have also enabled you to have a voice on topical issues.
We have created the opportunities to deepen your relationships through 32 taskforce workshops, five lunches with leading politicians, six tours and discussion forums, including exclusive tours of the Salvador Dali exhibition at the NGV, the new ANZ head office at Docklands, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Government House Apartments.
We have provided influential leadership in our community. Using our collective voice on issues such as higher education, climate change and shaping Melbourne, we create opportunities and outcomes in Melbourne. Such positive differences include:
Running a design competition for green roofs and installing the winning design on 131 Queens Street;
Setting up a ‘Welcome Booth’ at the Melbourne International Airport for international students just arriving in Melbourne;
Securing Government funding to establish the Culture Card, an initiative of the Committee’s Higher Education Taskforce, which is seeking ways to enhance the international student experience and liveability of Melbourne for people choosing to study here;
Facilitating the annual VC/CEO Forums;
Installing aboriginal art exhibitions around Melbourne’s CBD corporate office buildings; and
Congratulating our young leaders for completing our 2008-2009 business leadership program and welcoming 55 new participants into the 2010-2011 Future Focus Group program.
Our retiring Chief Executive Sally Capp recently shared her thoughts with me on what was the best thing about being the Chief Executive of the Committee as well as her thoughts about what makes a good Chief Executive in this organisation. Sally should know – she has done a marvelous job in that role for us over the last two years. While we are sorry to lose her, we wish her the best of luck in her important new role in London on behalf of all Victorians. You can see the complete interview in this issue of the newsletter.
I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the hard work, time and resources our members and key stakeholders invest in Melbourne’s future.
Our contribution to this great city does not stop here. We have some challenges ahead including how to cope with the change of the Committee’s Chief Executive Officer, the global economic crisis and the question of how we can accommodate several million more people in Melbourne while maintaining our enviable liveability.
We have a role to play in helping to determine the future shape of Melbourne, and we are seeking your continued involvement in this challenge.
I wish you all the best for the Festive Season and look forward to working with you in 2010 - our 25th anniversary year!
Our objectives are to ensure Melbourne’s liveability and economic prosperity. We want to see Melbourne as a great place to live, work, invest and study. For the Committee for Melbourne, 2009 was a year of positive outcomes.
The Committee is able to look deeply into the strategic issues impacting Melbourne’s future as a result of your contribution, energy and expertise. Over the past 12 months, we have continued to make comprehensive information available to you. We have also enabled you to have a voice on topical issues.
We have created the opportunities to deepen your relationships through 32 taskforce workshops, five lunches with leading politicians, six tours and discussion forums, including exclusive tours of the Salvador Dali exhibition at the NGV, the new ANZ head office at Docklands, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Melbourne Cricket Ground and the Government House Apartments.
We have provided influential leadership in our community. Using our collective voice on issues such as higher education, climate change and shaping Melbourne, we create opportunities and outcomes in Melbourne. Such positive differences include:
Running a design competition for green roofs and installing the winning design on 131 Queens Street;
Setting up a ‘Welcome Booth’ at the Melbourne International Airport for international students just arriving in Melbourne;
Securing Government funding to establish the Culture Card, an initiative of the Committee’s Higher Education Taskforce, which is seeking ways to enhance the international student experience and liveability of Melbourne for people choosing to study here;
Facilitating the annual VC/CEO Forums;
Installing aboriginal art exhibitions around Melbourne’s CBD corporate office buildings; and
Congratulating our young leaders for completing our 2008-2009 business leadership program and welcoming 55 new participants into the 2010-2011 Future Focus Group program.
Our retiring Chief Executive Sally Capp recently shared her thoughts with me on what was the best thing about being the Chief Executive of the Committee as well as her thoughts about what makes a good Chief Executive in this organisation. Sally should know – she has done a marvelous job in that role for us over the last two years. While we are sorry to lose her, we wish her the best of luck in her important new role in London on behalf of all Victorians. You can see the complete interview in this issue of the newsletter.
I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the hard work, time and resources our members and key stakeholders invest in Melbourne’s future.
Our contribution to this great city does not stop here. We have some challenges ahead including how to cope with the change of the Committee’s Chief Executive Officer, the global economic crisis and the question of how we can accommodate several million more people in Melbourne while maintaining our enviable liveability.
We have a role to play in helping to determine the future shape of Melbourne, and we are seeking your continued involvement in this challenge.
I wish you all the best for the Festive Season and look forward to working with you in 2010 - our 25th anniversary year!
George Pappas
The drafting of our report by the Shaping Melbourne Taskforce is currently underway, with Taskforce members contributing key messages and thoughts to report sections.
The aim of the report is to consider options for the future vision of Melbourne as it grows to accommodate a rapidly expanding population.
The following themes will be addressed in the Report:
A. Early 21st Century Melbourne: Describes Melbourne today.
B. The Horizon: Identifies population growth and demographic trends.
C. The Melbourne Proposition: Describes what our vision is for Melbourne beyond 5 million.
D. Planning for and Nurturing the Future
(i) Configuration: Describes the physical macro presentation of the city beyond 5 million.
(ii) Infrastructure: Describes the infrastructure needs of the city beyond 5 million.
(iii) Character: Describes the micro economic, social, environmental workings of the city beyond 5 million.
(iv) Governance: Proposes a model of how to achieve the configuration and character of the city beyond 5 million.
E. Community Engagement: Proposes how to engage the community to support this vision.
The report will be developed through coming months and comment will be sought from Taskforce and Committee for Melbourne members as drafting progresses.
For more information on the Shaping Melbourne Taskforce, please contact our Policy Officer, Ms Amelia Jalland on (03) 9667 8114 or ajalland@melbourne.org.au
The Committee will launch a new project in 2010, to encourage international students to connect to Victoria’s culture and lifestyle with support from the Victorian Government.
The Committee for Melbourne with the Department for Innovation, Industry and Regional Development (DIIRD) has recently hosted information sessions for education organisations and identified possible destination organisations to discuss participation and next steps.
The Committee for Melbourne has been working with Destination Melbourne, DIIRD, Tourism Victoria and the State Government to deliver the Culture Card initiative which will begin in March 2010.
Under the Program, international students will be welcomed to a number of attractions and events in Victoria to build their understanding and engagement in our way of life, and deepen their connection with our State.
The Culture Card initiative was announced by Premier John Brumby as part of the Victorian Government’s new Thinking Global: Victoria’s Action Plan for International Education in September this year.
For more information on the Culture Card initiative, please contact our Policy Officer, Ms Amelia Jalland on (03) 9667 8114 or ajalland@melbourne.org.au
The Committee for Melbourne’s VC-CEO annual forum brings together leaders of industry and academia to enhance partnership that reinforces the contribution of higher education to Victoria.
This year’s forum was hosted by Victoria University’s Vice-Chancellor Prof. Elizabeth Harman on Monday. Discussion was led by Swinburne University’s Vice-Chancellor and Victorian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee's Chair, Prof. Ian Young as well as our Higher Education Taskforce Co-Chairs, KPMG’s Australian Chairman, Mr Michael Andrew and Innovation Australia’s Chairman, Mr David Miles AM.
Our CEO Ms Sally Capp discussed the Melbourne Airport Welcome Booth, the Culture Card, and the pilot of a new Business Practicum program for international students with Melbourne University, which are outcomes from the Committee’s Higher Education Taskforce. The VC-CEO forum is an initiative of the Higher Education Taskforce.
For more information on our Higher Education Taskforce activities, please contact our Policy Officer, Ms Amelia Jalland on (03) 9667 8114 or ajalland@melbourne.org.au