• South Australian-first deal reducing work travel times
• Wine Australia sets way forward for decarbonising industry
• Elders to award $260,000 in grants to help build regions
• Adelaide Airport receives revegetation grant
• Kingsley Properties unveils Hindmarsh Valley masterplan
• Awards for Believe Housing Australia
• SA government backs businesses entering the UK market
• AML3D strikes further deals with US Navy

South Australian-first deal reducing work travel times

Adelaide-based town planning firm URPS has signed a deal with micro-mobility company Beam to offer the firm’s staff free electric scooter rides to travel to and from meetings.

Under the deal, Beam will install a new parking spot outside URPS offices, including its new Halifax Street-based head office, to give staff easy access to e-scooters for meetings or site inspections.

The e-scooter rides will be paid for by URPS as an environmentally-friendly ‘work transport perk’ and staff will receive free safety training. 

URPS is the first South Australian business and one of the first Australian businesses to offer the service as part of Beam’s ‘Beam for Business’ program. 

URPS managing director and 40 Under 40 alumnus Matthew King said the partnership was a practical way to help staff reduce transport costs while supporting the city and environment.

“The challenge for us, as business leaders, is to keep coming up with new and inventive ways to make being in the office cool again,” he said.

– William Barker

Wine Australia sets way forward for decarbonising industry

Wine Australia has released a new ‘Emissions Reduction Roadmap’, giving businesses practical steps to reduce carbon emissions by more than 40 per cent by 2030.

Created in consultation with more than 200 members of the grape and wine community, the document was a ‘key starting point’ for the sector, according to Wine Australia senior research and innovation program manager Dr Sharon Harvey.

“Wine regions around the world are facing production challenges as a result of climate change, and global action towards a lower carbon future is accelerating,” Harvey said.

“We all need to consider the emissions cost of our products to reduce our impact on the climate and to ensure access to key markets in the future.”

The Roadmap includes 11 initiatives that Wine Australia said could lead to cost savings and the reduction of emissions in the vineyard.

These include on-site solar generation, using more energy-efficient fuels when shipping wine, picking reduced-energy glass manufacturing as an alternative to gas-fired glass production and using lightweight bottles.

“Backed by science, our Roadmap identifies the current footprint of the Australian grape and wine sector, the key areas where emissions reduction can be achieved, and it provides practical steps for growers, winemakers, and other members of the value chain to start or further reduce emissions from today,” Harvey said.

“With the initiatives modelled in the Roadmap, we can have confidence that there is a 42 per cent reduction opportunity that can be achieved by 2030.

“However, we will also review the roadmap at intervals leading up to 2030, and beyond, to see how we are tracking and to ensure that we take advantage of new innovations to support the sector’s goal of net zero emissions.”

Wine Australia’s Emissions Reduction Roadmap can be found here. 

– David Simmons

Elders to award $260,000 in grants to help build regions

Elders has launched a national grant program to support the needs of rural and regional communities.

The Elders Community Giving Project seeks to close the gap between regional and metropolitan Australians by funding grassroots initiatives to promote sustainable, focused, and long-term change in communities.

Announced at the Regional Australia Institute’s Regions Rising National Summit last week in Canberra, the project aims to advance the institute’s six pillars of investing in people and regions, environmental consciousness, innovation into the future, healthy minds and bodies, encouraging and celebrating diversity, and safety first. 

All not-for-profit organisations in regional, rural and remote communities are eligible to apply for 12 grants of up to $20,000. Two additional grants, the People’s Choice grants of $10,000 will be open criteria grants and will be voted for by Elders’ employees. Applications open in March 2024.

Elders CEO Mark Allison said the grant program aims to kickstart innovative initiatives and projects that may begin to address some of these challenges. 

“This initiative is one way we will give back and invest in initiatives that will support in building further connections and capability in our towns,” Allison said. 

“There is much creativity and ingenuity in our regions, and I am so pleased that we can play our part to bring these to life, alongside our village of people and partners.” 

– William Barker

Adelaide Airport receives revegetation grant 

Adelaide Airport will receive $43,500 to work with local community organisations to revegetate 7000 square metres of adjacent land in the latest round of funding from the IFM Investors Community Grants Program.

The program supports partnerships between IFM’s portfolio companies and local community organisations.

In its latest round of funding, the program will support seven partnership projects worldwide, three of those in Australia, to promote employment pathways and create positive environmental impacts.

IFM’s Head of Sustainable Investment in Australia, Rena Pulido, said each project will make a meaningful difference to local people and the environment.

“We believe strong communities and activities to support natural ecosystems impacting those communities are absolutely critical in helping us to achieve our purpose to invest, protect and grow the long-term retirement savings of working people,” Pulido said.

– William Barker

Kingsley Properties unveils Hindmarsh Valley masterplan 

Kingsley Properties has unveiled plans for its 65-hectare Hindmarsh Valley Community project, set to provide housing diversity aimed at a range of buyers from young families to empty nesters. 

The planned development will establish 550 new homes, a lifestyle community of up to 280 dwellings, a community services precinct and a village centre. 

The development is designed to create a green, walkable neighbourhood with landscaped open spaces and public parks, walking and cycling tracks, tree-lined streets and a central green boulevard from the village centre to the Riverside Linear Park. 

Kingsley Properties Principal Kingsley Andrew said the plan will support the growth of the Victor Harbor community and deliver much-needed housing and community services to the region. 

“Our aim is to not only create new housing but to attract new businesses to the region – providing economic benefit and new employment for the local community,” Andrew said. 

Work on the development is proposed for early 2024 with the project expected to take 10 to 12 years to complete. 

– Anastasia Savvas

Awards for Believe Housing Australia

Believe Housing Australia received two awards at the Australasian Housing Institute (AHI) Brighter Future Awards SA/NT earlier this month. 

The Inspirational Team Member Award was presented to the organisation’s Tenancy Officer Jamie Ward for her involvement in the housing team. 

The not-for-profit organisation also received the Innovation Award for its solar project in collaboration with AnglicareSA, CORENA, 369 Labs and Beat Energy. 

Through the project, residents in Adelaide’s north now have reduced energy prices following the installation of solar panels on 13 community housing properties in May. 

“Winning the Innovation Award for our Solar Project is truly marvellous, shedding light on our unwavering dedication to enhancing lives and nurturing sustainable communities through groundbreaking ideas and unwavering commitment,” Believe Housing Australia Executive General Manager Stacey Northover said. 

“Our staff serve as the lifeblood of our organisation and Jamie’s recognition is the second Inspirational Team Member award we’ve received from AHI.” 

– Anastasia Savvas

SA government backs businesses entering the UK market

Minister for Small and Family Business Andrea Michaels met Bickfords executive Eric Hukowskyj in London last month to discuss challenges, opportunities and support for South Australian businesses wanting to export to the United Kingdom.

“The United Kingdom is an incredibly attractive market for South Australian businesses, particularly now we have a free trade agreement in place,” Michaels said. 

The Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement came into effect on 31 May 2023, eliminating tariffs on over 99 per cent of Australian goods exported to the UK and providing Australian businesses with access to the UK’s market of more than 68 million people. 

Goods exported from SA to the UK were valued at $380 million in the year ending May 2023, with SA wine accounting for two-thirds of exports at $239 million.

“We appreciate the opportunity to meet with Minister Michaels to discuss how the Malinauskas Government can support South Australian businesses to thrive in the United Kingdom,” said Bickford’s Australian managing director Angelo Kotses.

– William Barker

AML3D strikes further deals with US Navy

AML3D has received a $600,000 order for a new prototype nickle-aluminium-bronze component for the US Navy.

The order follows the company entering an alloy characterisation and testing contract to support the US Navy’s submarine program.

The one-tonne prototype component will be manufactured at AML3D’s Adelaide facility over an expected 22-24 week period.

Under the contract, the company will also develop and test 3D printed copper-nickel components in a contract valued at approximately $350,000.

“This order is another opportunity to demonstrate AML3D’s cost-effective, high efficiency, high quality, additive manufacturing technology,” AML3D Interim CEO Sean Ebert said.

Additionally, AMLD3D signed a contract valued at $2.02 million to develop and 3D print a replacement NAB component used in US Navy submarines.

As of September 2023, AML3D has entered a total of $5.1 million in US Defence contracts.

– William Barker