The day offered much amusement for children and their families as they were entertained by balloon artists, face painters, farmyard animals and bouncing castles. Plenty Valley Lions Club also joined in the fun with a sausage sizzle, making sure no bellies were left hungry.

Satterley Property Group’s Senior Development Manger, Jack Hoffmann said: “We’re extremely pleased with how well the day was received. Above all, it’s very important to us that we maintain a strong relationship with the community. Our primary concern is to have open communication with local residents to ensure that, ultimately, we continue to create an environment that everyone is proud to call home.

 “Since the launch of developments Plenty River and Riverstone at Plenty River in September last year more than 540 homes have been sold, which is incredible for such a short amount of time.”

More than 230 families have since settled into their new homes and Satterley expects to welcome many more this month as construction wraps up on most of the blocks in the final stages of the Plenty River precinct.

 The sites range in size from 326m² to 673m² making them ideal for professionals and small to large families.

 Once completed the Plenty River and Riverstone at Plenty River estates will contain more than 1,200 homes and provide residents with access to nearby retail outlets, sporting grounds, walking trails, bike paths, a primary school and over 40 hectares of green open space.

For more information call 1300 955 529 or drop into the Riverstone at Plenty River Sales & Information Centre and meet Estate Manager, Natalie Tekin.

 The Satterley Property Group is well known for its developments in Perth. It has sold more than 50,000 lots from more than 130 residential developments. The group first moved into Victoria in 2008, developing the 1200-lot Plenty River Estate in Doreen, on Melbourne’s north-eastern outskirts. In 2011 it expanded its developments to Coburg Hill, a 400-lot development just 9 kilometres from the CBD.

For more information about Satterley Property Group, please visit: http://www.satterley.com.au/

Queensland Rail Travel offers several rail holiday packages on its iconic trains, including; The Sunlander; the Tilt Train; and the Kuranda Scenic Railway. It is well known in its home state but has appointed Red Agency to build its profile and increase patronage from the southern states and internationally.

Queensland Rail Travel General Manager, Max Kruse, said Red Agency was the ideal fit to raise the profile and promote the brand.

“When we set out to engage a PR agency we were looking for a company with extensive contacts in the consumer travel and trade media as well as the creative flair to take our messages to a broader audience. Red Agency certainly fits the criteria thanks to its considerable history in working with clients in the tourism industry. The fact that they have offices in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne is also a great plus for us.”

Red Agency Melbourne Principal, Grant Titmus, said the agency was delighted by the appointment.

“We are excited to be working with Queensland Rail Travel as it offers a unique travel experience. Australians use train travel a lot overseas but don’t seem to have embraced it as much in their own country. Our activities will be designed to help change that perception.”

Red Agency is part of the Euro RSCG global PR network and part of its remit is to use its sister agencies to promote QR Travel to overseas travellers, particularly in the US and UK.

Red Agency’s travel and tourism credentials include work with Tourism Australia, Hilton Melbourne South Wharf, Stayz and Avalon Airport.

For more information please contact Sam Watson at Red Agency on 03 9426 5340 or email samuel.watson@redagency.com.au

Following on the achievements of 2011, the focus this year in Australia will be on new sites in Victoria and New South Wales with an expected 25 new cafes opening their doors. Internationally the business will enter Egypt and Papua New Guinea for the first time, whilst further extending its existing footprint in China, New Caledonia and Thailand. China has been cited as a particularly important market for the company with plans for 30 new stores in the next three years.

The Coffee Club’s Australian success follows the streamlining of its business operations over the past 24 months and the continuing strong demand from coffee lovers looking for a reliable, high-quality café experience. 2011 saw an increased focus on fresh, seasonally-available produce in a wider range of health-conscious meals, which was based on research showing a growing appetite for healthier menu options and value-for-money dining.

Emmanuel Drivas, Founder Director of The Coffee Club, said: “Sales and growth continue on the back of discerning Australian and global consumers looking for excellent coffee and better restaurant experiences at great value. The care and attention we put into our cafes is why people love us and our brand. We know our business model works and believe it is well suited to numerous international markets and our global expansion plans reflect that. Our aspiration is that The Coffee Club will be renowned worldwide.”

Founded in 1989 the company currently serves more than 40 million cups of coffee every year and has over 280 stores. In an effort to join the world-scale for socially and environmentally responsible coffee production, The Coffee Club has invested in one of the largest certification programs in the world – UTZ CERTIFIED. The UTZ CERTIFIED program is the credible assurance that your coffee is produced with care for people and the environment. Since July 2009, The Coffee Club has officially guaranteed that the beans in every cup of coffee served in stores has been grown using sustainable methods.

For more information, please visit http://www.coffeeclub.com.au/

The Hotondo Home Planner application enables home buyers to choose from one of 40 existing Hotondo Homes plans and make their own architectural refinements with the click of a mouse.

“The aim of the tool is to encourage prospective buyers to put their own individual touches to one of our home designs and change it to suit their own needs,’’ said Hotondo Homes Managing Director Michael Renwick.

“It’s not until consumers do this that they get a chance to design the house they really want. Our customers have told us they want the flexibility to tweak these features so they aren’t locked into any particular home design. 

“The Hotondo Home Planner saves home buyers lots of time by cutting out the need to see an architect and it also helps customers develop a positive relationship with their builder because customers know Hotondo Homes builders are 100% flexible,” Mr Renwick said.

Hotondo Homes is Australia’s leading network of professional builders. More than 17,350 families and individuals have trusted Hotondo Homes to build their brand new home because they offer quality and lifestyle at an affordable price as well as a large range of designs and inclusions.

For more information visit http://www.hotondo.com.au/

The campaign is encouraging Australians to ensure they have a working smoke alarm and take preventative measures to avoid becoming one of the unlucky victims of fire this season.

Fire Foundation Founder Jodie Wyatt said: “People become very complacent with fire alarms and think a house fire won’t happen to them. The reality is fires can occur without warning. This Friday 13th, and every Friday 13th in the future, we are taking the opportunity to bring fire safety to the forefront of everyone’s minds. Our inaugural Friday 13 campaign is focusing on encouraging every Aussie to ensure that they have a working fire alarm.”

The Fire Foundation has created a viral advert to promote the ‘Don’t Be One of the Unlucky Ones’ campaign, highlighting the importance of having a working smoke alarm.

The Fire Foundation was founded in April 2011 by Jodee Wyatt after personally experiencing the lack of support and services currently available to fire victims, which she believed to be unacceptable.

”As a victim of fire myself, I know that after going through such an event your world is turned upside down and having a safety net to assist you with the recovery process makes a huge difference,” said Jodee. “When your house burns down you don’t know where to go. You invariably have no cash, no identification, and no bank cards. It makes getting through even the first day near impossible”.

The Fire Foundation provides vital support to victims of fires and burns after an incident by providing access to emergency monetary assistance, essential supplies, emergency accommodation and support networks. The Fire Foundation also aims to educate people about fire risks and how to prevent a fire in your home.

Westpac National manager Social Sector Banking, Noel Prakash said “The Fire Foundation is a great initiative and we are very happy to be working together to offer assistance to fire victims during what is usually a very difficult and traumatic experience. We have a proud history of helping the community and we hope everyone takes head of the fire safety message this Friday 13th.”

Members of the public can donate to the Fire Foundation this Friday 13th January at ALL Westpace branches around Australia or by calling 1800 366 284 or visiting www.firefoundation.org.au. For immediate support,  fire victims can contact the Fire Foundation on 1300 4 SUPPORT (1300 478 776).

The conference style event for approximately 5,000 delegates will examine what it takes for businesses to be sustainable over the long term and is being held at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre on April 26. The eclectic group of speakers will be joined by hand-picked sustainability experts from around the world, including Professor L Hunter Lovins, founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions. More information can be found at www.cpp2012.com.

Corporations, People & the Planet will be followed on April 27 and 28 by the RMIT-hosted United Nations Global Compact Cities Program – an initiative that brings together mayors from the world’s most innovative cities, leaders in the corporate and non-governmental organisation arenas as well as a number of international academics working on the ethics and practice of sustainability.

“The two events complement each other perfectly,” said Ben Brazil, one of the Directors and founder of The Thin Blue Line. “We don’t want sustainability to become just a catch phrase. By bringing people together in this way we hope to inspire real and tangible action that leads to positive outcomes for our environment in boardrooms across the country.”

Mr Brazil said Red Agency was the perfect choice to promote the event. “They have extensive experience in both the corporate and sustainability industries and a great track record in securing publicity for events.”

The Principal of Red Agency Melbourne, Grant Titmus, said the agency was excited about working on such a high profile event. “It will provide a great opportunity for businesspeople, environmentalists, academics, young people, media and scientists to gather for the common purpose of ensuring the future of the planet.”

Red Agency’s sustainability credentials include the promotion of Earth Hour in its first two years – helping to raise the profile of a start-up event into one that has grown into a global movement. The agency is also part of the Euro RSCG global network which is behind the digital-based Tck Tck Tck (www.tcktcktck.org) campaign for climate justice with Kofi Annan and are the founders of the One Young World (www.oneyoungworld.com) movement, a global youth leadership summit for the best and brightest under 25s – an event where Geldof is a mentor.

The event aims to bring together businesspeople, environmentalists, academics, young people and scientists for the common cause of ensuring the future of the planet. It will be followed on April 27 and 28 by the RMIT-hosted United Nations Global Compact Cities Programme,  an initiative that brings mayors from the world’s most innovative cities, leaders in the corporate and non-governmental organisation arenas as well as a number of international academics working on the ethics and practice of sustainability.

“The two events complement each other perfectly,” said Julian Davis, one of the Directors of The Thin Blue Line, the company behind the event. “We want to get sustainability not to be a catch phrase but rather a real action that leads to real results in boardrooms across the country.”

Weaver serves as Honorary Chairperson of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International and her work on the Belo Monte dam project in the Amazon saw her win the 2011 Rachel Carson Award.

 Bob Geldof is a world-renowned musician and humanitarian who has received a knighthood, the title Man Of Peace and a Nobel Peace Prize nomination for his outstanding contribution to international social justice.

Professor David Suzuki is regarded as a pioneer in getting businesses to think more broadly about how they can help conserve our environment.

The eclectic group will be joined by hand-picked sustainability experts from around the world including Professor L Hunter Lovins, founder of Natural Capitalism Solutions, an organisation that educates senior decision makers in business, government and civil society to restore and enhance the natural environment.

Weaver, Geldof and Suzuki will kick start the three-day event with conference style presentations for up to 5,300 delegates. A trade show will be set up in the foyer of the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre featuring up to 30 trade stands displaying sustainable services and technologies.

Other events available during the conference include CEO breakfasts and corporate lunches with Weaver, Geldof or Suzuki and a VIP cocktail party.

“With such a range of experiences in the speaker line-up, the event will have broad appeal to business leaders, environmental experts, governments, academics and indi­viduals who are keen to explore the joint responsibilities that corporate and popular Australia has in helping to solve the environmental and soci­etal changes of our time,” said fellow Thin Blue Line Director Ben Brazil.

For more information visit:

http://www.cpp2012.com/

The World AIDS Day Dinner is a not-for-profit organisation funding HIV/AIDS charities in Australia. The dinner was created by Sydney entrepreneur Eric Nair as a way to raise the profile of HIV/AIDS in Australia. It is held annually on 1 December.

This year, guests were treated to an intimate performance by singer Guy Sebastian, two performances by the Sydney City Youth Ballet and the sweeping act of Aerialize Sydney Aerial Theatre.

Actor Steve Bastoni was the Master of Ceremonies for the second year running. Andrew Shapiro of Shapiro Auctioneers was responsible for getting the crowd racing in the live auctions, which included art by Gordon Syron, Tracey Morfatt and Clifford Possim.

The beneficiaries of the World AIDS Day Dinner 2011 are:

The Western Suburbs Haven Inc.

Tree of Hope

Blacktown Outdoors group – Positive Pottery

Positive Support Network:

Stanford House

Jessie Mabo, the World AIDS Day Dinner Fund T-shirt Ambassador, social activist and daughter of Eddie Mabo was there to show her support, as was actress and Youth Ambassador Jasmine Certoma who was dressed by Alex Perry and Network of Giving Ambassador, chef Robert Oliver.

“Seeing the final product of a fantastic evening is the ultimate payoff for the hundreds of people who made this event come to fruition,” said Founder and Artistic Director, Eric Nair. “We are over the moon to be able to raise this money to make the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS better and richer, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year.”

For more information, visit http://www.worldaidsdaydinner.com.au/

Grundies.com.au CEO Tony Vass said that the three-year partnership between Grundies and Eckstein was a perfect fit.

“Caine is one of Australia’s most outstanding endurance athletes and captures the epitome of the Australian male,” he said. “He is an outstanding young man who is well respected by fellow athletes and fans.
 
“We are an Australian owned and operated business, so it was an important when picking someone to represent the brand that they stood for the same values as the company.  We think Caine will be a great advocate for the brand and are excited to work together.”

Eckstein, 25, was a finalist in this year’s Cleo Bachelor of the Year, and is training hard for the forthcoming Kellogg’s Nutri Grain Series, Australian Surf Life Saving Championships and long distance ski paddling events.

Eckstein said he was excited to be representing such a fantastic Australian brand. “I am a huge fan of Grundies, the quality and comfort of the underwear is what really sets them apart in the market.

“I am looking forward to working with the team at Grundies and think it is fantastic they are supporting ironman racing in Australia.”

Grundies was founded two years ago. It provides comfortable and stylish Australian underwear for men without the hefty price tag.  All underwear is available online at Grundies.com.au at wholesale prices direct from the manufacturer.

The competition aims to foster the talent of students, promoting research into the different conceptual approaches to the layout of spaces, materials and the construction systems that define them.

Entries can be submitted by students from around the world who are enrolled in the 2011-2012 academic year at any school or centre of higher education for design, architecture or interior architecture. The competition will close on 1 June 2012.

Every year the competition has two categories of Architecture and Design. The basic principle governing every entry must be respect for the environment, using Silestone® and/or ECO by Cosentino® materials.

This year’s challenge for the Design category is to design a shower tray integrated into a singular bathroom, using Silestone® and/or Eco by Cosentino®.

Students in the Architecture category will need to provide a new design, or renovation, for a hotel lobby with large-format custom pieces of Silestone® and/or Eco by Cosentino® making full use of 100% of the panel.

There are three first prizes of 1,000 Euros ($1,374 AUD) each for both categories, totalling 6,000 Euros in prize money. There will also be special mentions in each category. The jury will be made up of figures of recognised prestige in the world of architecture and design.

In its sixth year, The Cosentino Design Challenge has established partnerships with prestigious European schools including: Design Academy Eindhoven (Netherlands), Istituto Europeo di Design Milan (Italy), Madrid School of Architecture, Barcelona School of Architecture, Escuela de Arte 4 Madrid, School of Architecture Sevilla and the School of Art Almería.

After launching in the Australian market earlier this year, Cosentino is now looking for local schools to partner with for next year’s competition.

For further information on the Cosentino Design Challenge visit: www.cosentinodesignchallenge.org