Golden Gate Property Group

Golden Gate Extends Park Ridge Interests With Plans For $135 Million Project

Queensland developer Golden Gate Property has completed the acquisition of a 50ha residential development site at Park Ridge, 32 kilometres drive from the Brisbane CBD and in the heart of the city’s southern growth corridor.

The company is now within the final stages of finalising plans for the launch of a 600-lot masterplanned community with an expected gross realisation in excess of $135 million.

The site comprises nine separate lots located along Park Ridge Road, Park Ridge, in the heart of the fast growing Logan City Council local government area. The site is well connected to the surrounding area and the rest of south east Queensland with easy access to the west via Mt Lindesay Highway, east via Chambers Flat Road and north via the Logan Motorway.

The privately-owned Golden Gate Property (www.ggpg.com.au) has a number of other in-fill projects within the broader SEQ region and is currently looking to release Stage 2 of their 97-lot, $23 million Regency Green estate nearby at Green Road, Park Ridge.

Director of Development David Whiteman said the site required complex negotiations to aggregate a group of fragmented rural land holdings into a single site and would be the company’s largest project to date.

“It is a significant site that we believe has great potential due to its existing natural attributes and its connectivity with major transport infrastructure and the nearby Park Ridge Central shopping precinct,” he said.

“Our intention is to create a vibrant community that generates opportunities for, and enhances the lives of local residents with improved amenities, public transport links and public realm offerings with over six hectares of district level parklands onsite.

“Regency Green has given us a strong understanding of the area and we are confident there is demand for a quality owner-occupier focused product in the area.”

Future residents will benefit from the South East Queensland Infrastructure Plan, which outlines $134 billion in infrastructure projects including the Meadowbank health, education and innovation hub masterplan and Logan Hospital expansion and refurbishment.

Mr Whiteman said the company had commissioned research that showed the primary catchment for the project (consisting of Park Ridge and Boronia Heights) was expected to cater for an extra 20,000 residents by 2036, with a growth rate of 4.9% a year (2016-2036).

Residential land sales in Logan LGA continue to follow upwards trends, accounting for 38.5% of SEQ’s current developable land, providing a significant scope for prosperous future residential land development.

The project, named Carver’s Reach estate, is due to be launched within months pending engagement of the site’s principal civil contractor.

Mr Whiteman said the masterplan for the site would have a range of features and amenities including a district recreation park, a local park, a childcare centre and integrated passive recreation opportunities within adjoining biodiversity areas which are planned for rehabilitation.

“It is a true, multi-stage masterplanned community where we have the scope to be creative in terms of the open space and connectivity with the local community,” he said. “We look forward to launching the project in coming months.”

What RGCMM achieved for DHA’s Torhaven


MPX Mining Projects Accelerator

MPX Appoints Fred Hess to Fast Track Mining Projects

Brisbane – Former PanAust managing director and resources industry veteran Dr Fred Hess has been appointed a non-executive director of Brisbane-based MPX (Mining Projects Accelerator).

MPX is a project generator that uses cutting edge artificial intelligence and machine learning information, combined with traditional exploration techniques to accelerate the identification of drill targets on prospective mining leases in Australia. 

Dr Hess had been with PanAust for 13 years including four as managing director. Prior to joining PanAust, Fred managed the Macreas Gold Mine in New Zealand and the Mt Gordon Copper Mine in Australia following a career with WMC Resources and Bougainville Copper Limited in Papua New Guinea.

He will take up his appointment in April.

Mining industry veteran Dr Fred Hess

MPX Executive Director Grant Wechsel said, “Dr Hess joins MPX with over 30 years experience in the industry across copper, nickel and gold operations including assessing project opportunities and exploration programs, through to developing operating mines, which will be a huge asset for the MPXteam.” 

Established by Ortus Mining Capital with interests in Singapore, Laos and Australia, MPX’s strategy is to accelerate high potential mining projects along the value curve using robust technical analysis, proven leadership teams and astute capital raising programs.

MPX is currently building a stable of projects within the accelerator having secured a number of promising leases already and some strong prospects across different commodities in Australia.  

Fred Hess said, “I’m very attracted to the idea of trying to accelerate the identification and development of an economic ore deposit by rapidly screening multiple project opportunities. By selectively gathering data that can quickly inform the decision to continue to invest or discard, this helps to spread risk for investors while maximising the chances for success.

“I see the ‘accelerator’ approach using the latest advances in information technology as the new way forward for exploration. I look forward to providing strategic direction to the company through both the project filtering and subsequent development phases.”

MPX Executive Director Simon Cohn said, “The traditional time frames to discover new projects and accelerate them to development and ultimately production is leaving a future gap on the supply side in the gold industry.  

“We believe the use of technology to better identify targets and also continue to analyse drilling results combined with a laser focus by management on only taking suitable projects forward is a very real point of difference in the Australian market.

“Having someone of Fred’s standing in the industry to advise on project selection and strategy is a huge benefit for us and we look forward to working with him.”

The MPX board is targeting a mid-2019 launch by completing a fully funded initial capital raising. It is proposed that the accelerator will launch with 6-10 projects initially and that this will be progressively augmented by further additions.

sentral education

Global Payments Acquires Sentral Education, a Leading Provider of Cloud-Based School Administration Software Solutions in Australia

BRISBANE – Global Payments Inc. (NYSE: GPN), a leading worldwide provider of payment technology and software solutions, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Sentral Education in Australia, further expanding its educational market capabilities.

The cloud-based school management platform streamlines school administration, student management and data management. The acquisition will accelerate product enhancement and development for schools using Sentral’s school management platform and aligns well with Global Payments technology-enabled, software driven payments strategy.

“We are excited to be a part of the Global Payments team,” said Greg Coffey, General Manager of Sentral Education. “It will be business as usual for our clients. Sentral’s core values, vision and customer centric approach continue to be at the heart of our future operations and strategy. Sentral is dedicated to providing market-leading school management software and we look forward to introducing additional innovation and further enhancing our platform.”

“We are delighted to welcome Sentral Education to Global Payments,” said Mark Healy, Managing Director of Global Payments Australia and New Zealand. “Sentral was founded and run by a group of truly passionate individuals who are dedicated to making schools better. Software integration is at the core of our businesses and Sentral will benefit from the global expertise we have not just in payments, but in school management solutions. The acquisition aligns perfectly with our strategy of providing market leading software and great user experiences in technology solutions and payments.”

Torhaven

Deebing Heights Community Celebrates Newest Parkland

Families from all over Ipswich and Springfield flocked to Torhaven, Defence Housing Australia’s (DHA) latest development in Deebing Heights for a free family fun day, celebrating the opening of a new $2 million dollar park.

On Saturday, February 9, Torhaven Park played host to more than 600 members of the community who enjoyed family-friendly entertainment, free food and treats. Children were delighted to play in Torhaven’s new adventure playground featuring slides, swings, spinami and a treehouse network connected by rope bridges, climbing frames and rock climbing walls.

There was also a visit from the Queensland Fire Service from Ripley who come along to show all the children their fire truck and let them spray water out of the fire hose.

DHA’s Development Manager Meaghan O’Shea said the event was a great success at showcasing the new parklands as a fabulous space for families to come together in Deebing Heights.

“It was important for us to let the Deebing Heights community know that while the park is a part of our Torhaven project, everyone in the broader area can enjoy the benefits it provides,” she said.

“This event is the first of many community activites planned. We have put together a calendar of events to be held at Torhaven Park for the whole community to enjoy, including community BBQs, a Halloween ‘trick or treat’ trail and a Christmas party.”

Torhaven’s parklands are a natural landscape spanning 22,000 square metres of sculpted gardens, open green space and intricately designed wetlands. Torhaven Park features an exciting treehouse network with rope bridges, climbing frames and rock climbing walls. Children can enjoy the seesaw, spinami, hoop carousel, multi-swing and mounded slippery slides.

Located off Andy Way, Deebing Heights, the parklands provide an oasis for birdlife with a wetland full of native plants and trees. The area was designed to mimic natural waterways, including shaded creek beds and riverbanks constructed out of boulders sourced from the site.

For more information and to keep up to date with news and events visit www.torhaven.com.au and like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/torhaven.

What RGCMM achieved for DHA’s Torhaven

About Torhaven

Torhaven is a beautiful new parkland community occupying one of Deebing Heights’ most appealing, elevated locations. Spanning 27 hectares with over 20 per cent green space, Torhaven is being developed by Defence Housing Australia and marketed by Oliver Hume. When complete, Torhaven will comprise 294 home sites and two major parklands. The first stage of 96 lots is now complete with over 70 per cent of retail lots sold, and new homes now under construction. Another 11 lots in stage two have just been released for sale to the public.

Student walks on stairs with strategy plan

What Students And Business Schools Need To Pack For The MBA Journey

Education is a journey. It is a long-term and often ongoing experience we embark upon to attain knowledge and better ourselves. During this ‘student journey’, we often associate our schools, universities and other institutions merely as tools or locations we need in order to achieve our goals.

In fact, when we embark on the student journey the campuses, teachers and even intangible curriculums travel alongside us. For example, when someone decides to pursue a Master of Business Administration, the business school they enrol with becomes a companion every step of the way, providing the necessary support to help reach the finish line.

Student and the business schools, however, have different priorities and must prepare accordingly for each phase of the student journey.

Searching, contemplating and recruitment

At this stage, students are considering studying an MBA and are on the lookout for the business school that will best suit their needs. Students need to consider their personal commitments, professional workload, location and flexibility. These considerations are vital so early on in the process, and so business schools must respond in kind by providing accurate and up-to-date information on their MBA programs.

According to the Australian Skills Quality Authority, students have reported that it is important to them that the information they receive about their course before they enrol is factual and accurate, because many who are beginning their MBA student journey can often find the experience initially confusing.

Enrolment

At enrolment the journey to acquiring an MBA still demands research and preparation. Most MBA programs in Australia require students to already have completed an undergraduate degree and hold several years of professional experience before pursuing an MBA. Business Schools also provide their own iteration of the program on top of the core business outcomes, meaning the specialisations, electives, costs, course content and delivery mode (on-campus or online) will vary. The MBA student journey cannot begin if the student does not know what is required.

Similar to the recruitment phase of the journey, business schools must again ensure they are providing accurate advice to ensure it meets a student’s needs before they enrol. They must also ensure that their students can understand details about the course, such as how long the course will take, the study requirements and assessment methods.

Studying and Assessment

Notes, textbooks, online materials and other academic resources are of course essential items to carry through this phase of the student journey. However, when it comes to studying an MBA, students need more than tangible items to get them through to the other side. It has been touched on before but a good MBA kit bag must also include the right inner qualities and personal characteristics. Throughout their studies, MBA students must ensure they have determination, integrity, discipline, entrepreneurship, teamwork, critical thinking and a willingness to challenge prior knowledge.

It is at this point that business schools must provide all the necessary resources and support to maximise the outcomes for the student. According to the Australian Skills Quality Authority, it is important that:

  • teachers, trainers and assessors are professional and knowledgeable about their subjects and industry areas,
  • the amount of training is enough to allow students to practice new skills before they are assessed,
  • students can access good-quality learning resources and facilities, and
  • assessment activities are fair and well explained and students are given helpful feedback.

Many business schools have already addressed many of these elements in their MBA programs. For example, many schools appoint professors who have been or still are business professionals in their own right, resulting in classes being taught by former CEOs or current corporate directors.

Business schools must also be aware of the ‘support and progression’ phase of the student journey, which focusses on how they support students’ progression in their learning. This can be accomplished by providing easily accessible resources and materials like study support and study skills programs, mediation services, flexible scheduling and delivery, counselling services or referrals to these services and information and communications technology (ICT) support.

Graduation

The journey is over. Students have completed their studies and are eligible to receive an MBA. In this phase, students typically want to receive their certification in a timely manner to ensure they are not disadvantaged in seeking employment.

As for students; while the journey to achieving an MBA is over, it paves the way for a bigger journey of self-improvement, employment opportunities and career advancement. All there is left to consider is finding the will to use their newfound knowledge and achieve the success they desire in the business world.


Originally published on MBA News: www.mbanews.com.au/what-students-and-business-schools-need-to-pack-for-the-mba-journey