• Country Road opens applications for fashion industry climate fund
• AGL sets date for Torrens Island power station demolition
• Hand-picked cohort starts MBA program to bolster skills for AUKUS
• New aged care, health and education hub opens in northern suburbs
• Saab celebrates success at National Veterans’ Employment Awards
• First space cyber forum launched
• South Australia’s first electric vehicle charging network halfway complete
• SA Government launches campaign to protect home builders

Country Road opens applications for fashion industry climate fund 

Australian fashion brand Country Road has opened applications for the second year of its Country Road Climate Fund. 

The annual grants program – which launched in October last year and committed $1.5 million in funding for its first three years – aims to drive climate solutions in the fashion industry and accelerate grassroots projects to mitigate climate change. 

Country Road’s Brand Sustainability Manager Erika Martin said the company was impressed by the high calibre of entries received for the first round of the Country Road Climate Fund. 

“In particular, we were pleased to see projects with a clear climate outcome and link to the fashion value chain – from fibre farming to garment production,” she said. 

“We look forward to supporting each project over the coming year as they work towards meaningful solutions for the Australian fashion industry.” 

Country Road recently announced the three project finalists receiving grant support in the Fund’s first year: Mud to Marle by Full Circle Fibres, Unlocking Emissions Reductions in the Fashion Industry Supply Chain – a toolkit for farmers by Landcare Australia and Working with Wool Growers to Protect Plains-wanderer Grassland Habitat by Trust for Nature. 

Applications are open until 11:59pm on Thursday, November 30 and can be submitted at the Country Road website. 

– Anastasia Savvas

Torrens Island battery. Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily.

AGL sets date for Torrens Island power station demolition

Energy giant AGL has appointed McMahon Group to demolish the long-standing Torrens ‘A’ Station on Torrens Island as the company moves toward battery technology.

Demolition work will begin in October and comes after AGL switched off operations at Torrens ‘A’ Station in September 2020.

Recently, AGL unveiled its Adelaide Oval-sized battery system on Torrens Island, which can provide enough electricity to power 75,000 homes for one hour.

The contract with McMahon involves the turbine hall equipment removal and demolition works and AGL said it plans to recycle 90 per cent of the plant’s scrap steel.

“The appointment of McMahon Services as the demolition contractor for Torrens ‘A’ Station marks another important milestone as we transition the Torrens site into a low carbon industrial energy hub,” AGL chief operating officer Markus Brockhof said.

“Decommissioning work at the power station has been underway since the last of the four units closed in September 2022, making the site ready for the demolition phase to begin in October this year.”

Brockhof said the demolition process will take “about two years”.

“Some of the key infrastructure will be retained and repurposed as the site transitions into the Torrens Energy Hub over the coming years,” Brockhof said.

“The Torrens site is a great example of the energy transition in action. In the last three years, we have closed Torrens ‘A’ Station, built a gas peaking plant, and built and opened the second largest battery in Australia providing flexibility and storage for the South Australian energy grid.”  

– David Simmons

Hand-picked cohort starts MBA program to bolster skills for AUKUS 

The University of South Australia (UniSA) has partnered with the University of Exeter in the UK and Carnegie Melton University in the US to launch the Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) in Defence and Space. 

GEMBA is a curated global program designed to teach necessary skills and knowledge for the AUKUS alliance.

The MBA will address critical skills gaps in cyber security, space systems, geopolitics and defence procurement, and build innovative and leadership capabilities required across the sectors. 

“The complexities associated with the multi-decade projects require a range of skills and capabilities, ranging from technical skills through to project management and leadership capabilities,” said Dean of Programs (Postgraduate) at UniSA Business, Professor Lan Snell. 

GEMBA is designed for uniformed and non-uniformed personnel from small and large defence companies, government and adjacent industries from AUKUS and other allied nations to develop the workforce capabilities required for the project. 

“The defence and space sectors are a prime example of industries that require leaders who can navigate complex geopolitical relationships and work across different cultural and institutional contexts,” Snell said. 

The first cohort of students from UniSA began the 18-month program last month.

– Anastasia Savvas

Matt Burnell, Sam Green, Joanna Cys, Frank Weits, Mary Patetsos, Chris Picton, Glenn Docherty, Maree Geraghty and Esther May at Healthia opening. Photo: supplied.

New aged care, health and education hub opens in northern suburbs

A $40 million aged care, health and education hub has opened in Adelaide’s northern suburbs with support from South Australian aged care provider ACH Group. 

Named Healthia, the hub houses a 96-space aged care facility and a general practitioner, nursing, and allied health clinic to service the surrounding community.

Within the aged-care facility are several housing forms to help residents live more independently.

“Healthia will improve health outcomes for the local community, support the hospital system, and reimagine aged care,” ACH Group CEO Frank Weits said. 

“The residential care home responds to a generation shift in expectations and the Royal Commission’s call to action to rethink aged care.

“We know most older people want to stay in their own homes, however, for many this is not possible due to increased care needs. What makes Healthia different is the person-directed care model and the unique built form.”

Healthia was developed alongside the University of South Australia, Northern Adelaide Local Health Network and the City of Playford. 

– Clem Stanley

Saab celebrates success at National Veterans’ Employment Awards 

Aerospace and defence company Saab Australia was among the winners at this year’s Prime Minister’s National Veterans’ Employment Awards hosted at Parliament House in Canberra.

The Adelaide-based company received the Large Employer of the Year award.

The annual awards showcase the talents of Australia’s veteran community and celebrate the civilian organisations that actively employ and support veterans and their families. 

Saab has 762 employees, with its 113 veteran employees making up approximately 15 per cent of its workforce, and has been actively engaging with the broader veteran community through a series of formal veteran employment activities since 2017.

– Anastasia Savvas

Flinders Associate Professor Rodrigo Praino. Photo: supplied.

First space cyber forum launched

Cyber security in space will be on the agenda at the first-ever Australian Space Cyber Forum hosted on 10 October at the Adelaide Convention Centre to coincide with the UN’s World Space Week.

Created by Flinders University’s Jeff Bleich Centre, the forum will inform attendees about the increasing need for cybersecurity controls in the space industry with expert industry speakers taking the stage.

Flinders Associate Professor Rodrigo Praino said cyberspace and outer space are interdependent, and as awareness of potential cyber threats become more widespread, space powers have started incorporating these issues in national policies.

“Interference from foreign powers can potentially disrupt our financial, economic, civil infrastructure, defence and diplomatic processes including elections,” Praino said.

“Many of the technologies we take for granted in the modern world are increasingly critically reliant on space-enabled mobility, positioning and timing services for their operation and security. 

“However, the risks to the use of space are escalating as it becomes increasingly composed of commercial equipment and services that open it up to the same threats we increasingly face on the ground.

“The inclusion of space into the Australian critical infrastructure landscape also brings responsibilities for more complex and frequent technical cyber assessments of space systems before, during and after launch,” Praino said.

“Our conference will look at these important issues in an Australian context, taking into account how cyber threats to space assets have been treated and regulated in recent years.” 

– David Simmons

RAA EV charging station. Photo: RAA.

South Australia’s first electric vehicle charging network is halfway complete

The RAA Charge network now has 71 operational sites, consisting of 68 seven-kilowatt destination charges and three 200kW Ultra-rapid or 150kW Rapid charging sites. 

Earlier this month, RAA launched a 200kW charging site in Burnside after installing a 200kW charging site in Mount Barker. 

Chief Executive Officer Nick Reade said the company is ensuring the charging infrastructure is in place to accommodate the massive growth in electric vehicles (EVs) in SA. 

“RAA Charge will help support the uptake of EVs in SA as new EV sales this year have already doubled the total new EV sales for all of 2022,” Reade said. 

“Since March, the growing network has provided almost 3000 charging sessions, providing enough power to cover a whopping 230,000 kilometres while abating 12.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide.” 

The cost to charge an EV with a driving range of about 480km at a charging site is between $22 and $26 subject to the time of day. 

The network is being rolled out with the support of a $12.35 million grant from the South Australian government and is expected to be completed in 2024.

– Anastasia Savvas

SA Government launches campaign to protect home builders

The Government of South Australia is launching a new campaign to ensure people have completed the necessary checks before signing off on new home builds and renovations. 

Targeted social media posts and support will provide access to information on the steps consumers should follow before undertaking these significant investments. 

The campaign comes after three building companies entered administration in recent months.

Minister for Consumer and Business Affairs Andrea Michaels said it is heartbreaking to see stories of people left in the lurch and hopes this campaign will help educate home-builders.

“We want to make sure South Australians know their rights and the steps they can take to protect themselves before they embark on building a home,” Michaels said. 

“Whether it’s something seemingly simple like checking to ensure a builder is licensed to do the job, or independently verifying the builder has taken out building indemnity insurance, there are many steps that can be taken to help people protect their investment.”

– Clem Stanley