Business in Brisbane
Edition 11: October to December 2016
In this edition:
Page 2 | Free Wi-Fi to boost business | Your business and severe weather
Page 3 | World Water Congress | SunPAC opening
Page 4 | Brisbane Economic Snapshot
A message from Lord Mayor Graham Quirk
With Christmas just 11 weeks away, Brisbane is set to light up with a program of free events sure to delight residents and visitors alike. Many business precincts will also be activated during the festive season, with businesses primed to receive a growing number of patrons over the summer months.
In this edition, our innovative New World City is in the spotlight with the upcoming World Water Congress and Exhibition, which includes the City Leaders Forum, along with works underway to revitalise Edward Street. This project and events will contribute to boosting trade for businesses in Brisbane.
As we approach the summer storm season, it’s important to be prepared for severe weather. There are some tips on Page 2 and Council’s website www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/beprepared to help you and your business.
Finally, nominations for my Australia Day awards are now open. The awards recognise individuals who significantly improve the lives of others and contribute to our diverse, friendly and community-focused city. If you know someone who fits this description, nominate them now.
Visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au and search ‘Australia Day’.
Graham Quirk
LORD MAYOR
Research and innovation on our doorstep
Brisbane is a major innovation, research and event hub in the Asia Pacific region, with some of the world’s leading scientific, technical and medical research professionals calling our New World City home.
In fact, in 2015-16, a number of business events were attracted to the city, leading to $57 million in bid wins and 100,000 delegate days.
As part of Council’s commitment to the vision for Brisbane as a New World City, we are sponsoring the Fourth International Conference on Medical Bionics at The University of Queensland on 20-23 November.
For more information visit www.medicalbionics.org.au
Celebrating Christmas in the city
Oh, what fun it is to celebrate Christmas in Brisbane with friends and family! Brisbane City and surrounds will light up with free festivities this December, starting with the traditional Lighting of the Brisbane City Christmas Tree in King George Square on 25 November.
The Gold Lotto City Hall Light Spectacular returns nightly from 9-24 December, with
a brand new story to delight children and adults alike. In nearby Roma Street
Parkland, families will love the new Enchanted Garden, a twinkling light installation
perfect for celebrating on a balmy summer evening.
Residents and visitors can also sing along at the star-studded Lord Mayor’s Christmas Carols in the City Botanic Gardens on 10 December, or attend one of the many free community carols events at either Roma Street Parkland or The Courier-Mail Piazza at South Bank.
Other fabulous events in the Christmas program include outdoor cinemas at both Roma Street Parkland and South Bank Parklands, Christmas Markets at South Bank, and the popular annual Christmas Parade through the Queen Street Mall. Plan your celebrations with family and friends at www.visitbrisbane.com.au/Christmas
Free Wi-Fi to boost business in Brisbane
Council has expanded its free wireless internet (Wi-Fi) access to 22 parks and public spaces across Brisbane, in addition to the Queen Street Mall, Reddacliff Place, Victoria Bridge, South Bank Parklands, Roma Street Parkland, Valley Malls, Mt Coot-tha Summit Lookout, Caxton Street, James Street, Brisbane libraries and on CityCats.
Council is creating more opportunities for Brisbane businesses and residents to take advantage of the digital economy and delivering free Wi-Fi across our central business and retail areas is a key part of this commitment. Council’s free Wi-Fi is significantly improving Brisbane’s connectivity and access to digital services.
Access to free public Wi-Fi is now the new benchmark for modern cities. Providing a free connection to the internet encourages visitors to our city centre and retail hubs to stay a little longer and share their experiences instantly online.
The Brisbane economy is strong and productive, leading the economic development of the South East Queensland region and the State. Council’s free Wi-Fi will continue to enhance Brisbane’s position as a New World City.
For more information on Council’s free Wi-Fi locations, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call Council on 3403 8888.
Prepare your business for severe weather
Brisbane’s wonderful subtropical climate means we also get unpredictable weather, including severe storms and flooding. Businesses are often hit hard by natural disasters and severe weather events.
Make use of Council’s online tools to create a more resilient business for your staff and customers by:
• completing the continuity plan template
• checking your property’s flood risk
• using the interactive business tool to know what preparations to make
• familiarising yourself with Council’s Local Disaster Management Plan
• completing the business checklist to see how prepared you are.
Council is also working with Weatherzone to provide Brisbane households and businesses with location-based alerts ahead of severe weather events. The alerts can be delivered via a push notification relating to the status of a physical location or other nominated address.
To access these resources or for more information, visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/beprepared or call Council’s Business Hotline on 133 BNE (133 263).
Revitalising Edward Street
Edward Street has evolved over a number of years, establishing itself as Brisbane’s home for high-quality retail and dining. The growing collection of international brands contributes to Brisbane’s global identity and attracts visitors from all over the world.
Council’s vision for the entire street, from Turbot Street to Alice Street, outlines a series of transformative changes, including streetscape improvements, place-making and activation initiatives. Along with this vision, work is now underway to transform Edward Street between Queen Street and Charlotte Street into a world-class retail destination.
The project includes upgrading and widening footpaths, installing street trees, new street furniture and creative lighting. Works are expected to be completed by mid to late-2017, weather permitting.
This transformation is a priority project included in the City Centre Master Plan.
For more information, go to www.brisbane.qld.gov.au and search for ‘Edward Street’ or email
Sunnybank, Brisbane’s next cultural hub
Council is pleased to announce that the Sunnybank Performing Arts Centre (SunPAC) will officially open in October.
SunPAC has been constructed in partnership with the Sunnybank Rugby Union Club (trading as Sunnybank Community and Sports Club), which will operate the centre.
This unique project, located adjacent to the rugby club, features a theatre room with seating capacity for around 300 people and a foyer that joins the centre to the rugby club.
An official opening and community celebrations will be held on 15 October. For more information on Brisbane venues and events visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au or call SunPAC on 3323 9629.
Lord Mayor’s Small Business Forums
Get insights and valuable business experience from industry experts at the Lord Mayor’s Small Business Forums. Network with other local businesses and like-minded people, with Council officers on hand to answer all your business queries. To find out more go to www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/business
World Water Congress
From 9-14 October, more than 5000 delegates from more than 100 countries will converge on
Brisbane for the World Water Congress and Exhibition, the flagship event of the International Water Association.
The biennial event connects urban water professionals and city leaders to drive future water-wise cities and is Council’s chance to showcase Brisbane’s lifestyle and our water management expertise.
During the congress, the City Leaders Forum will provide a chance for representatives to share their water successes and challenges and identify what further action is needed to achieve sustainable urban water implementation.
The event will grow Brisbane’s global reputation as an industry leader in water management, creating an estimated economic benefit for the city in the order of $14 million.
The exhibition is free to attend and provides networking and business opportunities with approximately 200 exhibitors.
For more information, visit www.iwa-network.org
Brisbane Economic Snapshot
Key fact highlights
Greater Brisbane’s economy: $146 billion
Greater Brisbane’s businesses: 185,953
Greater Brisbane’s population: 2,308,720
Greater Brisbane’s employment: 1,178,000
Greater Brisbane’s employment forecast 2031: 1,532,200
Sources: Brisbane City Council uses a range of sources to compile this information, including Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and Queensland Treasury.
For the full Brisbane Economic Snapshot please visit www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/business and search for ‘economic snapshot’.
Job growth
Over the past 10 years Greater Brisbane has experienced sustained jobs growth. More than 200,000 jobs have been created during the period from May 2006 to May 2016. The graph above illustrates the strong growth experienced from 2006 to 2009. While growth slowed from 2009 to 2013, the Greater Brisbane economy continued to experience job creation over this period. The Greater Brisbane economy is transitioning from reliance on the resources sector to a broader and diversified economy and since 2013 we have seen job growth strengthen.
Top 5 industries – May 2016
Industry Division / Brisbane LGA / Greater BrisbaneHealth Care and Social Assistance / 92,500 / 157,800
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services / 76,100 / 109,00
Retail Trade / 61,500 / 126,600
Education and Training / 59,500 / 93,700
Accommodation and Food Services / 46,800 / 78,000
Full-time and part-time employment by industry
The Brisbane workforce is a unique combination of industries and employment profiles. The graph below shows the top six employing industries in Greater Brisbane and highlights the mix of full-time and part-time employment.
Across Greater Brisbane, 70% of employed people work full-time, however, there is a significant variation across industries. For the mining industry (not shown in the graph below) 98.1% of those employed are full-time, however, for the Accommodation and Food Services industry, full-time employees represent only 32.3%. This broad range highlights the diversity of employment opportunities that are available in Greater Brisbane.
When we compare the top six employing industries across Greater Brisbane, we consistently see the variation in the proportion of part-time and full-time employment.
The Health Care and Social Assistance industry has 56.9% full-time employees. This sector covers a wide range of jobs from hospital staff, allied health professionals, social assistance and residential care services, representing a balanced mix of full-time and part-time roles.
The Professional Services industry includes a wide range of high-value jobs that form part of our knowledge economy, including legal, accounting, engineering, scientific and computer system design. Almost 80% of employment in this sector is full-time.
The Retail Trade industry has 54.2% full-time employees, highlighting a balance between full-time and part-time employment opportunities. The industry covers jobs in food, motor vehicle and other store-based retailing and non-store retailing alongside retail commission-based buying and/or selling.
The education industry includes school and tertiary education as well as community-based learning. Full-time employment in the education industry is estimated to be almost 60%.
Only 32.3% of employment in the Accommodation and Food Services industry is full-time. Jobs in this industry include accommodation, pubs, clubs, restaurants and takeaway outlets. These service industry jobs have a high proportion of part-time opportunities.
The Manufacturing industry has a very low proportion of part-time opportunities. 88.6% of the employment for the industry is full-time. Jobs in the sector include food product manufacturing, printing and transport equipment manufacturing.
The full-time and part-time employment mix is derived from the Labour Force Survey conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics and shows the variety of industry employment types available in Greater Brisbane. It also shows the mix of full-time and part-time opportunities that create and support our diverse and growing economy.
Case Study: PharmaData
PharmaData provides real-time solutions for pharmacists, innovating technology to engage generic substitution behaviour and patient centric care in communities across the globe.
PharmaData was founded in Brisbane back in 2010 after co-founder Guy McKenzie identified a gap in the market for real-time data. Prior to PharmaData entering the market, pharmacies used a series of complicated spreadsheets to track their inventory, sales, outgoings and forecast trends.
PharmaData’s software helps simplify this process to proactively change the way pharmacists make more informed business decisions. Essentially, the software enables pharmacists to collect, analyse, and present data in highly visual displays, making it easier to increase efficiency, boost profitability, reduce waste and help support retail staff.
Coming from a software background, McKenzie and his colleagues were on a steep learning curve. Six years on, they have applied their in-depth understanding of the Australian market to several markets overseas. The focus for the team always remained on the day-to-day problems in pharmacy, and how their software would continue to adapt with the industry’s changing environment to solve them.
In 2015, PharmaData won the award for Small Business Growth at the Lord Mayor’s Business Awards, a reflection of the rapid growth they are experiencing and their commitment to pharmacy. The company now boasts more than 10,000 global users in countries as far reaching as Spain and France.
What three things should someone consider before starting a business?
• “Anyone can come up with an idea and it’s easy to get carried away. Before you do so, you need to validate the idea and see whether it’s a viable product – from both a demand and cost perspective.”
• “Undertake research to clearly identify the problem you’re solving and make sure it’s got a financial benefit in there somewhere.”
• “Surround yourself with great people who share your vision. We have a really solid team at PharmaData and a lot of them have been around since day one.”
Events
4 October: How to get your business LinkedIn
LinkedIn can support your business goals by connecting you with potential and existing customers, 5.45-8pm, The Pavilion Function and Conference Centre, Albion, $38.50, visit www.digitalbrisbane.com.au to register.
24 October: Sustainable facility management
Find out how you can minimise the power and water use for your business, 12 noon, webinar, free, to register visit www.cciq.com.au/events/
28-30 October: Valley Fiesta
A massive three-day program of music, food, art, fashion, markets and photography, various times, Valley Malls, free, for more visit www.valleyfiesta.com
28 October: Lord Mayor’s Business Awards Gala Dinner