Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating condition that literally robs its sufferers of their memories and personalities. Leading the fight against the condition Down Under is the McCusker Alzheimer’s Research Foundation, whose impressive work has seen it take a major role in the global hunt for a cure.

While Australia’s aging population is forcing it to face up to a crippling epidemic of Alzheimer’s disease, the work of one Perth-based research organisation has placed the country on the front line of the battle against the degenerative condition.

Led by Professor Ralph Martins, the McCusker Alzheimer’s Research Foundation has become an integral part of international research efforts to develop treatments.

Professor Martins, a man considered a world leader in the field of Alzheimer’s research, leads a team of more than 25 researchers that specialise in the development of early-stage diagnostics and the development of new drugs for the detection and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

“The foundation was officially incorporated in 2000, before which it had been an informal arrangement with support from our benefactors the McCusker family,” explains Jenny Gill, the foundation’s executive manager.

“The foundation was set up and incorporated to raise money for Professor Ralph Martins’ team and to support his work, which has gone from strength to strength over the last five years.”

Professor Martins adds: “We’ve even taken the victories we’ve had in our Alzheimer’s research and extended them into developing diagnostic programmes for Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia.”

Alzheimer’s disease comprises between 50 to 70 per cent of all cases of dementia; without treatment, expenditure on dementia is estimated to exceed A$83 billion.

It’s not just the elderly that can be affected by Alzheimer’s, with one particularly severe form of Alzheimer’s affecting adults as young as 25. The biggest worry for Australia, however, lies in its aging population.

According to the foundation, at the end of 2011, 200,000 Australians were afflicted by some form of dementia; conservative estimates from a study released by Access Economics have predicted this figure could more than treble by 2050 to 730,000.

A serious situation

In recent months, the McCusker Alzheimer’s Research Foundation has seen success from a long running research programme that studied high-risk individuals.

“We established a large study to look at people who were at a high risk of getting Alzheimer’s disease, as well as some people who had Alzheimer’s, and the plan was to follow them over several years to identify specific factors in their blood,” says Professor Martins.

“We wanted to develop a blood test, similar in vein to the common cholesterol test for heart disease, and we managed to identify a number of proteins that together have brought us closer to developing a blood test for Alzheimer’s.”

This type of cutting edge study has placed Australia at the forefront of the Alzheimer’s research field.

“Across the world, the only other major Alzheimer’s research group is in the United States,” says Professor Martins. Known as the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), the US group’s funding transcends that afforded to its colleagues in Perth.

“The ADNI’s funding is 20 times greater than our own, but our output is three times better than theirs, which should give you an indication of how cutting edge and effective we are,” notes Martin.

“In addition to looking for blood markers, we are also looking at pictures of the brain using the latest amyloid imaging technology and looking for symptoms 20 years before they appear.”

Progressive medicine

The foundation will soon be starting a testosterone clinical trial that has been partly funded by the Australian government.

“We have already conducted some pilot studies, which have shown some amazing improvements in quality of life,” says Professor Martins.

“We are doing this testosterone trial to look at prevention, because we know that testosterone can lower amyloid levels in the brain. Now that we have all the technology in place we can really evaluate and see how effective testosterone will be in lowering amyloid levels.”

Another exciting trial, which the foundation has already begun, is known as the curcumin trial.

Curcumin, which is found in turmeric, is a very powerful antioxidant that is used to attack amyloid deposits.

“The problem in the past has been that curcumin was not easily available, so you wouldn’t be able to get the dosage you need to have an impact on the brain,” notes Martins.

Fighting for funds

From its base in Perth, Professor Martins’ team is carrying out nationally and internationally recognised work, collaborating with top scientists from across the globe as they continue the pursuit of a cure.

“Our network is huge and in Australia every medical institution is connected to us in some way,” he remarks.

While it may seem like the foundation is experiencing a cascade of success as its hard work pays off in the form of positive steps forward, much of its work is out of the laboratory and on the funding trail.

“I think the biggest difficulty is in sustaining our research programme,” remarks Martin. “Financially this is the biggest challenge, but we’ve got some terrific people supporting us.

“Our volunteers have made a huge impact in taking us forward, but it could all potentially fall apart if the funding dries up ever so slightly.

“My biggest headache is trying to secure the funding that keeps the whole show on the road,” he adds.

The work of the McCusker Alzheimer’s Research Foundation has demonstrated positive results and gives millions of people worldwide reason for hope. It has also put Australia firmly on the map in respect to Alzheimer’s research; without adequate funding, however, all of its promising work could be placed under threat.

What has emerged in recent years, thanks to the foundation and its partners’ hard work, has been an increased understanding of the genetic links to Alzheimer’s disease, and with a diagnostic blood test likely to emerge in the next few years, it is essential that its hard work continues unabated.

You can find out more about the tireless work of the McCusker Alzheimer’s Research Foundation at www.alzheimers.com.au or by emailing admin@alzheimers.com.au.

AUBJ: What does it mean to be ‘green’ within the Australian business sector?

DAVID BAGGS: It means a variety of things, including the willingness to look at all areas of your business and progressively reducing environmental and social impacts, to opening up to third-party assessments of your environmental impact and transparently communicating the impact of your products.

Most of all, however, it means caring deeply enough about these issues to passionately drive them through all areas of your business.

AUBJ: Is sustainability an issue that is taken seriously by government, industry and individuals?

BAGGS: There are obviously many passionate, caring and active individuals in all of these spheres that do work to drive it forward, but there is a need for more people to take it more seriously.

In more recent times energy, energy efficiency and carbon intensity, and to some extent, water and water efficiency, have started to have major policy impacts and outcomes across all sectors.

But the approach is typically single-issue biased; for example, the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS) requires carbon assessment to be based on life-cycle analysis (LCA), but does not go on to say that carbon mitigation should not increase other negative impacts.

Government policy by this omission, is saying it is acceptable to trade off other potentially more damaging impacts, such as toxic emissions, in favour of reducing carbon intensity — that is not good policy.

AUBJ: Do you think the carbon and mining taxes will be effective measures in the battle against climate change?

BAGGS: I think they are a step in the right direction, but nowhere near enough by themselves.

They need to be only a part of an overall approach of an integrated, innovation driven policy that will, via a carrot and stick approach, reshape the energy, manufacturing and construction industries rapidly.

They should act to encourage manufacturers to rethink current approaches and techniques, and inspire innovation and the development of new disruptive technologies that will dramatically lower impacts in a single-product generation.

AUBJ: What do you make of the current environmental and sustainable certification systems and schemes available in Australia at the moment?

BAGGS: Most current environmental and sustainability certification systems and schemes available both in Australia and across the globe are based on standards that aggregate a series of single-issue characteristics that are easily measured into a single ‘pass or fail’ measure, which does not distinguish between ‘good’, ‘better’ or ‘best’ products.

Many of them do not assess all impacts of a product, nor assesses them in a way that allows anyone to determine the relative importance of these issues.

Using single indicator results prevents prospective purchasers from being able to compare products to determine the better overall product from an environmental point of view.

AUBJ: Which recent ‘green’ construction projects in Australia have you been most impressed by?

BAGGS: Overall, the level of green building knowledge has increased dramatically within Australia’s construction industry in the last five years or so, but there is still a long way to go.

In the residential sector, the Eco-Living Display Homes project by Landcom and Clarendon Homes (NSW) at Second Ponds Creek in Western Sydney, is one I know intimately to have taken a ‘more than carbon and water’ approach to eco-living.

This project has created three display homes that are available for consumers to build that demonstrate very simple environmentally-friendly features and one of the project’s home has been designed to generate zero emissions.

In the commercial sector, the building that merits the most attention is the only building ever to score a perfect Green Star score; the Pixel Building by Grocon, built on a small part of the old Carlton Brewery site in Melbourne, is the first carbon neutral office building of its type in Australia.

It is a demonstration project that shows how larger buildings developed on a broader site can become carbon neutral.

AUBJ: You recently featured in ABC Carbon’s 100 Global Sustain Ability Leaders; what does this type of recognition mean to you?

BAGGS: It is always nice to be recognised for the contribution one makes, but that’s not what drives me. I’m driven by an internal passion to contribute to reducing and reversing global impacts on natural systems by enabling others to make conscious, informed decisions, in an easy and cost-effective manner.

AUBJ: Where does Australia stand in respect to its approach to sustainable design, regionally and globally?

BAGGS: I think it is reasonable to say that Australia leads most continents in relation to sustainable design, with the exception of North America, Europe and the UK, where the LEED and BREEAM systems are slightly ahead of Green Star in some key areas.

Where Australia is valued internationally is in our capability to be thought leaders and in achieving world firsts in key areas and concepts of sustainable construction and design.

Whether it was new route launches or industrial action, the aviation industry was rarely off the business news pages in 2011. With tourism figures on the rise once again, AUBJ takes a glance at the state of Australia’s aviation offering and looks back on an eventful 12 months for country’s ‘big four’.

Virgin Australia

Since its arrival on the aviation stage in August 2000, Virgin Australia has taken air travel to new heights and 2011 proved to be no exception for the ambitious carrier.

Following its official name change from Virgin Blue, the airline enjoyed a high-flying 12 months with the introduction of new services between Sydney and Abu Dhabi, and the beginning of a Trans-Tasman alliance with Air New Zealand.

New staff uniforms, designed by Juli Grbac, were launched alongside mouth-watering airline menus from renowned chef Luke Mangan.

In attempt to further glamorise its operation, Virgin Australia also introduced business class seating to internal flights between some of the country’s leading east coast hubs.

Neil Chatfield, Virgin Australia’s chairman, added to the airlines roll call of success when he revealed that it tracked ahead of budget in the first quarter of the current financial year.

Chief executive John Borghetti said the airline would retain all current jobs, with plans in place to create an additional 300 jobs in 2014 with the opening of a new maintenance hangar at Sydney Airport, as well as launch a cadet pilot programme later this year.

Qantas

Australia’s flag carrier Qantas endured a difficult 2011 characterised by industrial disputes and stranded passengers.

Disaster struck when the company crashed into disputes with three unions simultaneously, which resulted in threats to jobs as rumours circled of cuts and wage decreases.

Globally, many air travellers lost confidence in the once great airline as shown when a Twitter competition was launched in attempt to rebuild this faith.

The airline asked customers to describe their “dream luxury in-flight experience”, but comments such as “Qantas luxury means sipping champagne on your corporate jet while grounding the entire airline, country, customers and staff” and “Qantas luxury is getting my flight refund back after almost a month”, led a campaign spokesperson to remark “at this rate, our #QantasLuxury campaign is going to take years to judge”.

As the year entered November and flight schedules at Qantas returned to normal and the company is now on the path to restoring its reputation.

Jetstar

Originally the third wing of air giants Qantas, Jetstar is now the largest low-cost airline in the Asia Pacific region. Since its arrival on the scene in 2004, the airline has flown in excess of 75 million customers, 20 million of which have been in the last financial year.

Its travel-sized carriers offer around 3,000 flights per week to 56 destinations across 17 countries. Its 79-strong fleet is manned by more than 7,000 staff across the company.

2011 saw the introduction of new in-flight entertainment for Jetstar in the form of the iPad 2. Although it comes at a price between A$10 and $15 for customers to rent, it provides the optional luxury of first-class travel on a low-cost flight.

The Boeing 747 is set to join the Jetstar fleet in 2013 in a move expected to provide the company with a “huge competitive weapon”, according to chief executive Bruce Buchanan. The new addition would allow Jetstar to continue its low fares on long-haul flights and give the airline room to expand.

“We’ll get additional growth from these new aircraft to allow us to go into new markets, grab more market share and allow more people to fly on Jetstar,” Buchanan remarked.

Tiger Airways Australia

Tiger Airways Australia celebrated its fourth birthday last November, but the pint-sized prodigy has had a somewhat turbulent 2011.

Claims that the airline posed a severe threat to air safety resulted in the suspension of all Tiger Airways Australia operations in July 2011.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) applied the suspension on grounds that the airline must, “improve the proficiency of [its] pilots, improve pilot training and checking processes, change fatigue management, improve maintenance control and ongoing airworthiness systems and ensure appropriately qualified people fill management and operational positions”.

Despite the original five-day suspension, the ban was only lifted in early August once the noted issues had been effectively addressed and rectified.

Tiger Airways Australia soared out of the clouds on its birthday last year by presenting passenger number 8,000,000 with an A$800 travel voucher, handed over by CEO Andrew David at Melbourne Airport.

Regardless of the bumpy ride, Tiger Airways Australia head of marketing and communications Vanessa Reagan said she believed the company’s future remains bright.

“As our solid run of operational excellence continues, we anticipate many more Australians will be warming to the idea of getting from A to B for our famous low fares,” she commented.

Throughout October the mega operation and its owner BHP Billiton have been even more topical than usual with multibillion investments, rumours of over-influence, and state-run public reviews processes dominating the business pages.

AUBJ charts an interesting month for the US-owned mining giant and its plans to transform South Australia’s mining sector.

Olympic Dam in South Australia (SA) contains 40 per cent of the world’s known uranium reserves.

It is also the site of the world’s fourth-largest remaining copper deposit and the world’s fifth largest gold deposit.

An indenture agreement was signed at a meeting in Melbourne between the SA Government and BHP Billiton in early October, paving a way for a massive expansion to the current site that would transform it into the world’s largest mining development.

SA Premier Mike Rann said: “The Olympic Dam expansion is a project of state, national and global significance which will bring enormous benefits to the state for generations to come.”

Within days of the project agreement being signed, former Treasurer Kevin Foley stated that the planned expansion of Olympic Dam could supply up to A$8.6 billion per annum to SA’s Gross State Product.

When taking into consideration the costs of construction, materials, logistical requirements, jobs generation and a scenario where the project operates at nameplate capacity, Foley predicted that direct expenditure from owner BHP Billiton could be worth between $2 billion to $3 billion every year to the state for the next 15 years, and another $350 million a year in royalties.

The project has the potential to lift SA to the lofty heights of the nation’s other mining hubs of Queensland and Western Australia in terms of industry revenue. Foley said that the project could provide “the single largest injection of economic activity we have ever witnessed” propelling the Festival State into one of the planet’s “serious mining giants”.

Considering the size of the expansion, it is perhaps no surprise that BHP would face some very public scrutiny, stewarded by the state government through an inquiry process that would look at how the royalty agreement was forged.

On October 18 BHP posted its September quarter results, which included record production sales from its iron ore projects in Western Australia, in line with its plans to near-triple its output, but by October 27, tentative commentary from inquiry participants began to surface, and the Olympic Dam Taskforce chair, Bruce Carter, said that the low royalty tax rate was the result of intense lobbying from the mining house.

“There were two aspects that BHP lobbied hard on,” said Carter. “One was the new mine rate and it was also resistant to the increased rate that came from 3.5 per cent to five per cent, announced by the Treasurer in last September’s budget.

“It sought the royalties to be fixed for as long as possible in its view, it would like them fixed for the entire extent of the indenture, and 45 years was where we landed.”

Those behind the push for investigation, namely the SA Greens, spoke about the running of the inquiry taking place.

“This committee process concocted by the Labor Government and Liberal Opposition is a complete joke,” said Greens leader Mark Parnell who pointed out that the press and public citizens had been barred from the hearings.

“Despite the enormous economic, social and environmental impacts of the deal signed between the Government and the world’s richest resource company, and the huge public interest in the project, the committee is refusing to hear from anyone apart from people who are gung-ho in favour,” Parnell remarked.

But on October 31, BHP chief Marius Kloppers flew to meet with new SA Premier Jay Weatherill, who had replaced former Premier Rann ten days earlier.

Reports suggested that Kloppers had journeyed to Adelaide to plead BHP’s case for Olympic Dam’s existing agreement, while speculation swirled about how warmly received he might have been by the Premier. Unlike Rann, Foley and mineral resources minister Tom Koutsantonis, Weatherill was not invited to the meeting that saw BHP pen its contentious agreement on October 12. The Premier, who previously assured that he wants “an open process” to take place, declined to comment on the specifics up for discussion.

While the debate looks likely to rage on about the project’s technicalities in the weeks and months ahead, there can be no doubt that if it is given the green light, the scale and size of the project would have a huge effect on both the fortunes of BHP and the South Australian economy.

The year was to start badly for both the agricultural and resource sectors as flood water destroyed cropland and engulfed mines across Victorian and Queensland.

The floods in Queensland, which started in December of the previous year and ran into January, affected more than 70 towns and 200,000 people, causing A$30 billion worth of damage. Three-quarters of the state was declared a disaster zone, with the region’s coal industry hit particularly hard.

The Victorian floods in January affected more than 51 communities across the state and devastated thousands of hectares of farmland. The Bureau of Meteorology went as far as to describe the flooding as the worst in in western Victoria’s history.

Smashing records

With more and more Australian mining companies and subsidiaries ending up in the hands of Chinese investors, along with a number of industrial disputes and a very vocal role in the carbon tax debate, 2011 has so far proved to be one of the more eventful years in the Australian resource sector’s history.

In August BHP Billiton underscored the sector’s wealth by announcing the biggest profit in corporate Australia’s history, while surging demand for Australia’s minerals saw Fortescue and Rio Tinto also post record profits.

In September, Australia found itself climbing 19 places in ResourceStocks’ annual World Risk Survey and ranked the seventh best country on the planet for mining. Fuelled by Western Australian relatively low-risk rating, the WA mining minister Norman Moore responded to the country’s rise up the standings by declaring the state as “the back bone of the nation”.

It wasn’t all rosy for the resource sector however, as the price of iron ore continued to slide.

Thankfully Fortescue Metals Group chairman Andrew Forrest declared the price fall as a “temporary dip”.

“The steel mills around Asia are destocking — some have destocked — and they’ll come back into the market,” remarked Forrest. “I don’t think [the price dip] will be part of a longer-term trend, I think it will bounce back.”

Taxing times Down Under

The mining industry’s unprecedented success would lead to growing support for government plans to introduce a new mining tax.

Introduced to parliament in early November, the Minerals Resource Rent Tax (MRRT) debate looks likely to continue for several weeks, as independent MPs and crossbenchers look to force through amendments to the legislation.

“If you oppose the MRRT you are voting for higher taxes for small business and lower retirement savings for the Australian people,” said Treasurer Wayne Swan, while opposition figure and WA Premier Colin Barnett described the tax as a “stupid, stupid, ill-conceived, inept proposal”.

But it would be another tax aimed chiefly at the resource sectors which 2011 will be remembered for as Julia Gillard’s government introduced the carbon tax.

Government Senate leader Chris Evans said: “For the first time, Australia will have a price on carbon and a comprehensive plan to reduce pollution and invest in the clean energy technologies of the future.”

Despite massive opposition from the Coalition, Labor looks likely to get its way with the final vote set to go through the Senate on November 10.

Turbulent experience

It’s been a topsy turvy 12 months for the aviation industry with Australia’s four big airlines all enduring rather contrasting years. Qantas had a year to forget with industrial action coming to a head in recent weeks and CEO Alan Joyce making the decision to ground all flights in a last-ditch attempt to end the flagship carrier’s dispute with the unions.

Mopping up the mess created by the dispute has been Virgin Australia who carried an extra 30,000 passengers in the three days after Qantas grounded its fleet.

“Virgin Australia reacted very, very quickly and made sure Australia kept moving,” boasted Virgin Australia boss John Borghetti.

In September, Tiger Airways would surprise industry commentators by replacing Qantas at the top of the monthly on-time statistics standings after being named as the month’s most punctual domestic airline.

Jetstar, Qantas’s low-fare subsidiary, launched flights to Chinese capital Beijing in the winter and, despite suffering from bouts of industrial action throughout the year, announced its plan in October to partner with Tourism Australia as it aims to target new business from the Japanese market.

New Year, new cheer

So 2011 would prove to be a year of profit highs and taxing lows for many businesses across Australia, with environmentalists rejoicing as carbon-producing companies across the country face up to new charges, while airlines jostle with unions and fight to win back disappointed passengers.

Australia remains a leading industrial power, and with its vast minerals and resource-hungry China on its doorstep, the country should come through the current global financial crisis in a strong position. But if the past 12 months are to be considered, perhaps it would be advisable proceed with caution as the ride shows no signs of slowing down in 2012.

Tim (1979)

Long before the Lethal Weapon franchise, directing the controversial Jesus flick The Passion of the Christ and unleashing anti-Semitic tirades, a promising actor by the name of Mel Gibson, was taking his first tentative steps onto the silver screen.

In the 1979, coming-of-age/rites of passage/triumph-over-adversity movie Tim, he was cast in the title role—a young, backward builder, with unfeasibly tight shorts. Gibson’s shy character, who is looking for wholesome routine and some independence, secures an opportunity to spruce up the garden of a sexually frustrated spinster (portrayed rather splendidly by Piper Laurie).

Immediately, the lonely woman—some 20 years Tim’s senior—takes a shine to her new employee, much to chagrin of the local community, whose eye-rolling and sharp intakes of breath, threaten to derail the fledgling romance.

Watching the film now, it is important that the viewer remembers the context. Permissive society had not quite reached the Southern Hemisphere at that point and tackling a taboo subject like an older woman engaging in fornication with an impressionable young man with learning difficulties, was a courageous move.

It was an impressive start for Gibson in his adopted country and, apart from the skimpy outfits; he can look back on Tim with a great deal of pride.

Since then life has been far from straight forward for our Mel but, when he isn’t threatening ex-girlfriends and getting intoxicated, he can still captivate audiences. His comeback started well this year with the critically acclaimed, The Beaver (which is a curiously appropriate title, given his recent conduct).

Rumour has it that in 2012 he may return to his homeland for a remake of Tim, curiously entitled Kim. This time, Gibson will assume the role of the infatuated senior citizen, while home help will arrive courtesy of a twenty something female with dyslexia.

walkabout (1971)

In the seventies Jenny Agutter was big box office. Classically trained, hopelessly English, mesmerisingly beautiful and willing to strip off at a moment’s notice (see An American Werewolf in London (1981) for further details).

She made her name starring in the wonderful film adaptation of The Railway Children in 1970, but a year later she would travel to the other side of the world to appear in by far her most adventurous and ground-breaking film—Walkabout.

Under the guidance of edgy director Nicolas Roeg, the story follows Agutter’s character and her brother (neither of whom gets introduced by name) as they are driven into the wild and dusty Australian countryside. Inexplicably their father stops his car and appears to carry out a premeditated suicide. Not only, however, did he intend to end his own life—he was hell-bent on taking his bemused offspring with him. Sensing a crisis the girl and boy escape under a hail of gunfire.

Left to their own devices they start to wander. After a protracted ‘skinny dipping’ scene they are interrupted by an Aboriginal tribesman (brilliantly played by David Gulpilil), who immediately engenders trust with his natural demeanour and myriad survival skills.

There is a warmth to the film; as the horror of the original situation migrates into a tale of cultural curiosity and the transcending nature of a happened upon friendship. It also represented a ground-breaking cinematic exploration of Australia’s indigenous population. The white children’s fascination was, in many ways, a clever representation of the viewers’ own thirst for knowledge.

The film’s widescreen ratio also beautifully frames the stretching panoramas of Australia’s inhospitable outback, perfectly capturing the relentless heat, sizzling beauty and elongated vistas.

Remember, this was in the days before ‘gap years’ and tourism for the masses. Our own enlightenment came directly through the eyes of Walkabout’s protagonists and, in that respect; this was film in its purist form. Dream-like, educational, real and inspiring.

muriel’s wedding (1994)

In order to maximise profits Muriel’s Wedding was marketed as a frivolous comedy but, in reality, it transcended its movie poster; revealing hidden, dramatic depths. Indeed, it was through realism that the humour is at its most prevalent.

The film documents a family struggling to cope in the monotony of a middle-class existence in which relationships, don’t so much flourish, as procrastinate on the sofa.
The marital vows have been stretched to breaking point as an oppressed mother attempts to maintain the deflated brood, from which the film’s hero—Muriel—dreams of escape. Her adulterous father, two hopeless siblings and relentlessly depressing home-life form the motivation that she needs to drastically improve her circumstances.

Part of her ambitions concern the dream of a successful marriage and—while attending the disastrous ceremonies of her revolting peer group—she witnesses at first hand exactly what to avoid.

A chance meeting with an international swimming champion leads to the union she craves. Romance ensues, giving way—quite literally—to the film’s most memorable scene, involving an impractical PVC body suit.

As Muriel strives for the independence and respect that has hitherto been denied, she embarks on a remarkable friendship with an eccentric flatmate. The pair become inseparable, and when Rhonda is diagnosed with cancer, it is Muriel’s spirit, determination and generosity, which provides the best medicine.

The film’s star—Toni Collette—has since ventured into the safety of weightless Hollywood chick flicks, none of which carry the candour, bitter sweetness or charm of this earlier treasure chest.

romper stomper (1992)

A disturbing, violent and brave study of neo-Nazis operating in Australia, Romper Stomper pre-dates American History X (1998) and is equally horrific in its gruesome depiction of the far right.

The film opens with a group of white skinheads—including a young Russell Crowe—targeting the Japanese community, and a bloody battle ensues. The film brilliantly observes the chaos and brutality of a mindless cause. Handheld camera work, fast cutting and a thrashing score provide the ideal cinematic language for a disorientating prologue.

The fascists overpower their victims and depart the scene in a reservoir of self-indulgent racist abuse. In the welter of threats, it is perhaps ironic, that the disenfranchised, unemployed white gang are, themselves, a non-indigenous community—as much ‘foreigners’ as the people they attack.

It is this sense of alienation that forms the central thread of an extraordinary film. Once the thuggish, arbitrary violence has been carried out Crowe’s character Hando is faced with finding the meaning in a largely meaningless existence.

Once the cerebral sensation of inexplicable violence dissipates he is left to face the greyness and monotony of life on the fringes.

The previously chaotic camera gives way to slow, static shots as Hando, his friend Davey and new girlfriend wander aimlessly—their fragmented relationships as brittle and paper thin as their abhorrent ideological views.

In particular the cold, inhospitable beach, which forms a backdrop to the most poignant scenes, frames its characters in a nightmare of reflection and imprisonment.

This isn’t a film for the feint-hearted. There isn’t really a universal message or any great sense of hope. It is—in many ways exactly what film should be—a brief, thought-provoking intrusion into the lives of others.

Well-connected Neighbours

Once a paragon of daytime television, and the central supplier of Southern Hemispheric pop performers, Neighbours also formed an unlikely apprenticeship for future Hollywood film stars.

The good… Possibly the finest addition to this roll call of antipodean thesps is Guy Pearce. In Neighbours he played Des Clarke’s muscular lodger Mike. After leaving Ramsey Street, however, he shone in LA Confidential (1997) and Hollywood took notice. Since then he has excelled in several blockbusters including, Memento (2001) and The King’s Speech (2010). His finest hour was an extraordinary portrayal of Andy Warhol in Factory Girl (2006).

The bad… Russell Crowe appeared fleetingly in a few episodes of Neighbours in the 1980s. He relinquishes his place in ‘the good’ by virtue of being an insufferable brute.

Despite the black marks against his character, he has committed some great performances to celluloid. Notably, A Beautiful Mind (2000), Gladiator (2001) and American Gangster (2007). His strange interpretation of Robin Hood, on the other hand, was absolute pants (well, ‘tights’ at any rate).

The ugly… Pint-sized pop princess, Kylie Minogue, was once everyone’s favourite Ramsey Street-based mechanic. Despite conquering the pop charts in two different eras she has been palpably unable to transfer that success to the big screen. Her forays into film thus far have produced two absolute stinkers—disjointed romantic disaster The Delinquents (1989) and the unfeasibly terrible computer game adaptation, Street Fighter (1994).

Situated some 3,000 kilometres from the international dateline, Australia is one of the first countries to bring in the New Year. As a result, many news agencies from across the western world send their roving reporters to the country’s east coast metropolises to see in the New Year and beam images of the celebrations to TV sets back home.

More than one million people pack into Sydney Harbour every New Year’s Eve to witness the city’s famous Midnight Fireworks display, which is broadcast across the world and is said to be seen by more than one billion people.

New South Wales, however, is not the only place to see in the New Year in style. Melbourne is home to Australia’s second largest celebration, while Perth’s Gloucester Park is the scene of Western Australia’s largest fireworks display. In Brisbane residents welcome in the New Year ahead of their compatriots at least an hour earlier at sites along the Brisbane River.

But it is the iconic image of fireworks soaring off the Harbour Bridge and Opera House that entices tourists from all over the world to fly in to Sydney and soak up a memorable night.

AUBJ takes a look at some of the highlights planned in Australia’s four largest cities as they look to welcome 2012 in style.

Sydney, New South Wales

Sydney sits alongside London, New York and Rio de Janeiro, in leading the world into the New Year. Second only to Rio de Janeiro in terms of attendance, Sydney’s celebrations involve 80,000 fireworks set off from the Sydney Harbour Bridge and six other firing points along the world-famous Harbour.

More than 300,000 international tourists visit Sydney’s New Year’s Eve party each year and the event can be seen from a 16 kilometre radius around the city.

The Harbour of Lights Parade adds to the atmosphere with cruise boats covered in fairy lights coasting along the centre of the harbour throughout the evening and into the early hours.

Brisbane, Queensland

South Bank’s Parklands is home to Brisbane’s biggest New Year’s Eve celebration. The free event, which envelops the entire South Bank precinct, attracts 80,000 revellers who start the party from 3pm.

The area is transformed into a giant street party with live music, an all-ages dance party, free movies and a fairground turning the area into Queensland’s biggest playground.

The city hosts two spectacular fireworks displays with the first taking place at 8:30pm before the midnight show illuminates the Brisbane River.

Alternatively, revellers could welcome the New Year in with a splash by taking a cruise along the winding bends of the city’s famous river, or could embrace the glitz and glamour of the 2011-2012 Brisbane New Year Ball, which takes place at the RNA Showgrounds.

Melbourne, Victoria

Melbourne is positively heaving with places to bring in 2012. From the city’s colourful centre to the Docklands, and from Federation Square to Alexandra Gardens, there is a multitude of events taking place across the Victorian capital.

The popular Family Festival at Yarra Park is set to return this year, featuring roving performers, carnival rides, children’s activities and workshops, with families given the chance to join the countdown to fireworks at 9.15pm.

Once the kids have gone to bed, parents can head on down to midnight fireworks display across the city with the local authority opening specific vantage points to view the city from the rooftops.

At Docklands, the main stage at the Waterfront City Piazza will host live entertainment from 6pm with two firework displays planned for 9:15pm and at the stroke of midnight, while Federation Square will host a free party and provide one of the best views of the city’s Midnight fireworks.

Perth, Western Australia

On Australia’s western coast, Perth is set to be a hive of activity as the country’s most remote capital says goodbye to 2011 and usurers in the New Year.

Northbridge is the place to be if you’re looking for fun with a range of family activities and entertainment taking place at Northbridge Piazza and along the surrounding streets where roving performers and musicians will be out in force.

Other events taking place across the city include a Las Vegas-themed evening in Burswood, a Motown party at Mosman Park and a black and white cabaret ball at Mount Lawley’s Malt Supper Club.

Considering the age and traditions of old European viticulture, Australia is generally viewed as a relatively new player on the global market, but its wine has cultivated the image of ‘sunshine in a bottle’ and the country’s vineyards are fast becoming epicentres of wine tourism.

Regionality is becoming ever-more important in the Australia wine industry and some of its wine regions have developed first-rate reputations such as South Australia’s Barossa Valley, Hunter Valley in New South Wales and Western Australia’s Margaret River and Swan Valley.

The country is also home to mass bulk wine-producing areas such as South Australia’s Riverland and New South Wales’s Riverina, which supply cheaper wines to dozens of export markets.

There are now more than 60 designated wine regions in the country and the nation’s forward-thinking nature has aided it in developing new ideas and technologies that have helped the industry’s growth.

Australia’s wine industry is worth in excess of A$4 billion, and despite accounting for just four per cent of total world wine production, the country ranks as the fourth-largest exporter of wine by volume behind the wine-producing giants of Italy, France and Spain.

For the palate

According to the experts, Australia top grapes are Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot for reds and Riesling and Chardonnay for its whites.

Those clever wine experts also suggest that those new to Australian wines should first try the quintessential Australian wine — Shiraz. Other equally tempting varieties include Riesling, which has been grown in the east and south of the country for more than 180 years, and the more playful character of Chardonnay.

THE STATES:

South Australia

Thanks to its cool winters, warm summers and a long ripening season, South Australia is responsible for the production of more wine than any other Australian state.

New South Wales

The oldest of Australian’s wine growing states is home to some of its best-known wine regions.

Some of New South Wales best loved vineyards are situated in the Hunter Valley, Murray Darling and Tumbarumba, and half of the wine produced in the state finds its way across the Pacific to the United States.

Victoria

The smallest of the mainland states is home to more than 500 wineries across 22 different regions.

Victoria is known for producing some of Australia’s finest sparkling wines, and vineyards such as Chateau Yering and Domain Chandon export large volumes of sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay to North America.

Western Australia

The Golden State hosts some of Australia’s most exciting emerging wineries, with vines grown north of Perth on the Coral Coast, as well as in the cooler climate south of the capital in Margaret River and Swan Valley.

In recent years Margaret River has become known for great wine, producing just one per cent of all Australian wine, but incredibly 15 per cent of the country’s premium wines.

When the Rugby Union World Cup story began twenty-four years ago the organisers had high hopes for a sport that had long-deserved a platform befitting of its massive popularity—a stage upon which its finest exponents could display their myriad skills, in front of a captivated international audience.

Even in those halcyon days of the late eighties, not even the most optimistic fans could have predicted the blood and thunder produced by this increasingly spectacular tournament.

History in the making

For connoisseurs of the previous six campaigns there are particular memories that spring instantly to mind.
The first champions, New Zealand, jointly hosted the competition and proceeded to make light work of any team that stood in their way. This included a mercurial French team who were convincingly trounced 29-9 in the inaugural final. That day the nonchalant Kiwi team included legends such as Sean Fitzpatrick, Grant Fox, John Kirwan—who scored a decisive try in the final—and Michael Jones.

Four years later Australia—featuring mouthy try machine David Campese—laughed in the face of tradition by toppling rugby’s original architects and joint hosts, England. Although the game at Twickenham—which the Aussies won 12-6—was indicative of a low scoring and defensive tournament, it heralded a new chapter of southern hemispheric domination and raised serious questions about Will Carling’s famously arduous team briefings (during which Jeremy Guscott would apparently fall asleep). Many saw this as an official changing of the guard and, for England, it began a twelve-year hiatus from the World Cup final.

Pump up the volume

In 1995 Jonah Lomu burst on to the scene leaving a trail of forwards flailing hopelessly in his wake. Huge, powerful and lightning-fast, Lomu stamped his indelible footprint on the tournament, scoring several breath-taking tries. It was South Africa in their own back yard, however, who defied the experts by smashing, skipping and swooning their way to victory, adding a coat of sensational gloss to Mandela’s brave new post-apartheid nation. It would also drag the sport kicking and screaming from ale-saturated, nicotine-stained amateur clubhouses into the weight-pumping, speeding-locomotive gymnasium of professionalism.

A year before the millennium it was Australia’s turn to bookend the decade with another cup, leaving the legacy that their form over the preceding ten years warranted. The solid and impenetrable 1999 outfit coasted to the final before sweeping aside perennial runners-up France. Most of the points in a 35-12 victory came from Matt Burke’s trusty boot, making Australia the first country to trouble the trophy engravers twice.

Upsettingly, it would also be the last time that traditional cotton shirts would be worn at the finals. Shortly after, the big sports brands introduced eye-wateringly tight spandex attire; flattering to some and positively insulting to others.

After a dozen years in World Cup final wilderness the colonialists unveiled, at will, a majestic weapon, with a left foot of pure gold. Johnny Wilkinson’s schedule of practice teetered on the brink of OCD, but paid dividends right at the death. During the final, in Sydney, England took the game to the Aussies, trading crunching tackles, getting under their skin and matching them point for point. Led by the lion-hearted Martin Johnson, they poured forward in the final seconds, and the ball eventually broke to Wilkinson who dispatched his devastatingly precise drop-kick with ice-cold, consummate ease.

At the climax of the 2007 shin-dig a battered and heavily-criticised England somehow made it into the final again. This time a South African team with tenacity, brutality and creativity to burn crushed the holders to lift the Webb Ellis trophy for a record-equalling second time. The team’s glorious progress through the championship was highlighted by the gazelle-like speed of top try scorer Bryan Habana and never-say-die approach of the talismanic Schalk Burger.

It had been yet another classic fortnight of theatre, confirming the Rugby World Cup as a premier fixture on the sporting calendar and leaving a global audience counting down the seconds to 2011.

South Africa

Explosives expert: Bryan Habana

He already has a winners medal proudly pinned to his lapel and Habana will be looking to add another this summer. Although his form has been inconsistent since the memorable 2007 victory, the winger’s abundant box of tricks has often reopened when club and country have needed it most. Provided he is given adequate service, the electrifying turn of pace that has earned him the nickname ‘dash’, could light up the tournament.

Under fire, coach Peter De Villiers will be praying that his star man’s afterburners are activated in time for the early stages.

Artillery: Morné Steyn, Schalk Burger, Chiliboy Ralepelle

England

Explosives expert: Chris Ashton

Ashton caught the eye of England selectors after converting from rugby league in 2007. He put in some unforgettable performances during the early part of 2011 and perfected the knack of being in the right place at the right time, to finish England’s intricate passing sequences. He usually completes a try by ‘swan diving’ over the line, much to the chagrin of one M. O. Johnson, whose attempts to censor Ashton’s gymnastics have proved fruitless. It is the winger’s industry and enthusiasm, however, which are most likely to succeed during the World Cup.

Artillery: Jonny Wilkinson, Lewis Moody, Marc Cueto

Ireland

Explosives expert: Brian O’Driscoll

Outside centre and veteran of well over 100 international caps, O’Driscoll is one of several members of the Irish contingent who will count this tournament as their last great opportunity for goldware. O’Driscoll, who has proved pivotal during several successful Grand Slam campaigns, scored two tries during the last World Cup but didn’t quite live up to his nation’s high expectations, on the loftiest rugby stage. He’ll be looking to put that right in the early exchanges this time, delivering his lethal combination of flair and fearlessness.

Artillery: Paul O’Connell, Ronan O’Gara, Gordon D’Arcy

Australia

Explosives expert: Quade Cooper

A young man with authoritative rugby shoulders, Cooper has dismantled teams with his running breaks and dynamic passing. After the recent Wallabies tour his maturity on the pitch was unfortunately counteracted by an inexplicable Gold Coast stealing spree which earned him a burglary conviction! The inside centre will be hoping to commit grand theft of the sporting variety when his rejuvenated team start their campaign in a potentially tricky encounter against Italy. With Cooper in the ranks a third World Cup for the Aussies is a distinct possibility.

Artillery: James O`Connor, Stephen Moore, Adam Ashley-Cooper

New Zealand

Explosives expert: Dan Carter

New Zealand are in pole position to snatch their first title since the inaugural competition and one man sums up their ethos entirely; D. W. Carter. Quiet and reserved off the pitch, but fluent, athletic and devastating on it, Carter is considered one of the greatest fly-halves to have graced the game. Arguably the complete player, he has already dispatched well over 1,000 points, incorporating all the different methods of scoring.

Carter will see the World Cup as the ultimate test of his extraordinary abilities. Don’t be surprised to if he heads the points table.

Artillery: Richie McCaw, Colin Slade, Ma’a Nonu

France

Explosives expert: Vincent Clerc

In Vincent Clerc Les Bleus have a waspish little dynamo who, on his day, can dazzle, dink, drive through and deceive defences. His diminutive frame, positional sense and fast reactions have often combined to create try scoring opportunities for both him and his team mates. He will be hoping to revive the fortunes of an inconsistent French side who flattered to deceive in the 2011 Grand Slam, but whose finesse and ‘je ne sais quoi’ is often typified by Clerc. Although a French triumph seems unlikely, he has defiantly stated that France are capable of securing a first title.

Artillery: Maxime Médard, Morgan Parra, Dimitri Yachvili

In an exclusive interview with The Australian Business Journal, Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) chief executive officer Romilly Madew discusses the challenges facing the fast-growing organisation as it looks to bring a new approach to Australia’s construction sector.

AUBJ: What are the roots of the GBCA?

MADEW: The way green building councils are created around the world seems to be something of a phenomenon as they usually derive from huge events where the construction industry has come together to collaborate.

The GBCA was born out of the Sydney Olympics, which were known as the ‘Green Olympics’, and part of the reason Australia won the bid was because the bid team agreed to very high environmental standards and a programme of sustainability initiatives.

The movement originated in the U.S.A. and at the time the GBCA was created the US Green Building Council was about five years old.

Upon starting up the GBCA was given funding from the Federal Government, New South Wales Government and Victoria Government, as well as from industry players.

The funding was significant and gave the organisation the chance to get an office and hire three or four staff.

Today we have five permanent locations across Australia, in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and Adelaide, and a workforce of 65 staff of whom 48 per cent work full time.

AUBJ: What is the organisation’s mission statement?

MADEW: As we’re a not-for-profit organisation the mission statement is very simple; we are working to develop a sustainable industry and drive the adoption of green building practices.

Our whole aim is to lead the transition of the construction industries to design, construct and operate in an environmental way.

Buildings are evaluated through our Green Star rating system, and we educate and advocate.

We have a whole advocacy team in place that works on local government policy and campaigns.

We also have a direct line to the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, and we have a presence on all the ministry’s relevant working groups and ministerial roundtables.

AUBJ: What is Green Star and what are the system’s benefits?

MADEW: Green Star is a second generation tool that is broadly based on the guidelines set by the BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating systems.

It is an environmental building rating system that focuses on eight core categories and one additional category of innovation.

The core categories are management, indoor environment quality, energy, transport, water, materials, land use, ecology and emissions.

When we started the Green Star system we started by looking at office buildings, but now we have rating tools for shopping centres, schools, universities, hospitals, industrial sheds, multi-unit residential structures and public buildings.

We’ve got rating tools for pretty much everything and if we don’t have a tool for it we can create a customised system.

AUBJ: As a not-for-profit organisation with close relationships with industry players and government department, how do you maintain an independent stance?

MADEW: A few years back it was probably said that we weren’t very independent, but we definitely are now.

PricewaterhouseCoopers, who act as our auditor, praised our governance, board and committees and said that we are very good at engaging stakeholders and members.

We are a product of industry and government in Australia and we are big because green building is big business in Australia.

We’ve grown and are currently the second largest of the 89 national building councils across the globe.

For many of our board members green building has become a philosophy within their own organisation and we have an ethical responsibility to our shareholders, stakeholders and staff.

AUBJ: How do you support the industry through educational programmes?

MADEW: Originally we carried out educational programmes specifically on the Green Star rating system, but last year we introduced a continuing professional development programme.

The reason we did this was because in the old days when somebody completed the course and became a Green Star Accredited Professional (GSAP) we had no programme in place to ensure the professional’s education was maintained.

With the whole market around green building shifting so quickly, we decided to introduce a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme, which means professionals need to maintain points to maintain their GSAP status.

We also recognise other industry accreditation courses and we’ve been responsible for the training of 22,000 industry professionals.

We have an educational facility with recognised faculty members, and we’ve also started to do more online courses and short master class courses on specific green building topics.

AUBJ: How has Australia’s green building movement overcome the effects of the global financial crisis?

MADEW: We survived the crisis and were incredibly lucky for a number of reasons.

While the office building market came to a halt, the government stimulus package targeted educational construction projects, and now education is our second biggest rating tool after our office tool.

The other thing that happened is that even though the market for new buildings crashed and burned, the owners and operators of existing buildings said that they wanted to incentivise tenants to move into their space and started doing Green Star fit-outs.

We thought that the industry would slow down but it didn’t. The educational side maintained its momentum and so did registrations.

Not one sustainability manager in the construction industry lost their positions across Australia and in some places companies were looking to employ sustainability experts.

AUBJ: Do you support the controversial carbon tax?

MADEW: We support a price on carbon and some of our members have done some really good modelling work on the price of carbon.

Stockland, one of Australia’s largest property groups, found that by applying the model to its retail centres it would lead to an average increase of 0.4 per cent in retail development costs and modelling on its residential units suggests an increase of less than 0.6 per cent.

Colonial First State released an excellent paper that said the impact was only going to be a 0.8 per cent increase for concrete and 0.4 per cent for steel, and Davis Langdon’s also conducted a study that revealed that the price increase would be less than one per cent.

The mining sector has been very loud about the carbon tax, but the property sector started adapting these changes ten years ago and many of its buildings are now energy and water efficient.