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Month: December 2013

Transport & Logistics

Light Rail Transit – Costs versus benefits

With light rail projects being undertaken in nearly every state in Australia, we spoke to Dr Chi-Hong (Patrick) Tsai, Senior Research Analyst at the Institute of Transport & Logistics Studies to see what the most efficient funding options are. Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems have recently been retrofitted in urban areas of increased congestion and…

10 Dec 2013, by Informa Insights

Mining & Resources

Australian miners ‘must innovate and cut costs’

Australia's mining industry must seek innovative process and cost reductions to overcome industry challenges next year. This is according to Deloitte research, which highlighted several problems resources businesses may face in 2014, such as decreased productivity, supply/demand imbalances and low commodity prices. The study may also encourage companies to invest in mining training, with a…

10 Dec 2013, by Informa Insights

Transport & Logistics

Close-Up: Rachel Smith

British-born Brisbane-based transport planner Rachel Smith has a reputation for pushing boundaries and imagining the unimaginable. In her recent TED talk at QUT Rachel called for more creative approaches in building cycling infrastructure and getting  the wider community involved in city planning processes. At the 2014 Light Rail conference, to be held on the 4th…

9 Dec 2013, by Informa Insights

Mining & Resources

Mining industry discusses market outlook for South Australia

By Neil Murphy, CEO, South Australian Freight Council and Alex Todd, Economic Development Manager, Regional Development Australia Whyalla & Eyre Peninsula  The 7th Annual Mining South Australia conference and exhibition was again held in Whyalla in late November 2013 and brought together over industry and all levels of government  to hear about the latest developments from the…

9 Dec 2013, by Informa Insights

Mining & Resources

ExxonMobil $1bn gas plant to support jobs

The construction of a new $1 billion gas conditioning plant in Victoria is expected to support thousands of jobs and boost the economy. The ExxonMobil project will enable the development of new offshore gas fields in the Gippsland Basin, with the state government claiming it will underpin eastern Australia's energy needs well into the future. Peter…

9 Dec 2013, by Informa Insights

Leadership & Communication

Tough assignments ‘key’ to leadership development

Taking on tough assignments is a key aspect of leadership development, according to Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) chief Richard Bracken. HCA is one of the world's largest operators of health-care facilities, boasting 165 hospitals, 113 freestanding surgery centres and 200,000 employees across two continents. Bracken, who has spent 30 years at the organisation, said…

6 Dec 2013, by Informa Insights

Transport & Logistics

Better rail procurement ‘could save $6bn’

Improvements to rolling stock procurement procedures could net rail authorities nearly $6 billion in savings, a new report has revealed. The Opportunities for Greater Passenger Rolling Stock Procurement Efficiency document, launched by the government on Thursday (November 28th), highlighted the problems caused by a growing population and an ageing fleet. According to the report, which…

6 Dec 2013, by Informa Insights

Leadership & Communication

Don’t allow staff to shirk work, managers advised

Shirking work doesn't just affect productivity, it can create serious problems for workplace morale and employee engagement. These are the findings of a new American Management Association (AMA) Enterprise survey addressing businesses that fail to tackle a 'pass the buck' culture. Of the 500 organisations that took part, 69 per cent confirmed that avoiding responsibilities…

5 Dec 2013, by Informa Insights

Transport & Logistics

Is Lean manufacturing the answer for Australian rail?

Lean methodologies have existed in one form or another since the turn of the 19th century, but were popularised by the development of the Toyota Production System (TPS) in the decades after the Second World War. The term 'Lean' itself started being used in the 1990s, with the system encompassing a range of techniques employed…

5 Dec 2013, by Informa Insights

Leadership & Communication

Talents of female workers ‘shouldn’t be wasted’

More needs to be done to prevent the talents of female employees being wasted in Australian workplaces. That's the upshot of a recent report by the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), which highlighted a disparity between women's good performances in education and their salaries after graduation. Council chairman John Brumby said the research revealed girls…

4 Dec 2013, by Informa Insights

Transport & Logistics

Galilee rail-port project moves a step closer

A proposed rail linkage between the Galilee Basin coal projects and Abbot Point Port in Queensland moved a step closer last week (November 25). An agreement between Aurizon and GVK Coal Infrastructure has been reached, with the initiative set to unlock billions of dollars in major resources schemes. Deputy premier and minister for state development,…

4 Dec 2013, by Informa Insights

Healthcare

Close-Up: Dr Brian McKenna

Brian McKenna is a Kiwi, Registered Nurse and the inaugural Professor of Mental Health Nursing at the Australian Catholic University and NorthWestern Mental Health, Melbourne Health.Brian has an undergraduate degree in social anthropology and it was an interest in culture which led to him working in a hospital as a nursing orderly in Derby, Western…

3 Dec 2013, by Informa Insights