Colours of Australia

Thursday 23 May | 6.30pm | Marine Parade Community Club, 278 Marine Parade Road

People’s Association would like to invite you to  Colours of Australia on 23 May 2013 - an event that celebrates ‘Everything Australian’.
It will feature a networking session,  art by Red Dot Museum, performances by the students of James Cook University and cultural talks by professionals. Dinner and wine would be provided!
To sign up, please email Melissa Fu at Melissa_fu@pa.gov.sg by 16 April 2013.
 

The Dux Leadership Challenge

There's a new challenge in Singapore! On Saturday 29 June Lynchpin Leadership are inviting teams of six to compete in The Dux, a fun and unique adventure race.  Aerial obstacle crossings, casualty evacuation, coded instructions and improvised transport will feature in a race against the clock. Registration Fee $1980 for a team of six.  AustCham members receive a 15% discount off the registration price. All profits will be donated to charity.

To register for The Dux click on  http://www.lynchpinleadership.com/leadership.php
For further information contact:  Alex Blyth on 8399 4588 or email solutions@lynchpinleadership.com

Introduction of an Australian Visa Application Centre in Singapore from 25 March 2013

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (the department) is pleased to announce the introduction of an Australian Visa Application Centre (AVAC) in Singapore.  From 25 March 2013, all visa applications and citizenship by descent applications currently lodged at the Australian High Commission will need to be lodged at the AVAC. Electronic Travel Authorities (ETA) and other online applications will remain available online.

The introduction of the AVAC is part of improvements to service delivery in Singapore and will provide more convenient access to immigration services for clients through greater access to information, extended service hours and a convenient location.

The new AVAC will be located at:
Australian Visa Application Centre
Equity Plaza, 20 Cecil Street #11-02/05
Singapore 049705
Ph:  +65  66929871
Email: info.ausg@vfshelpline.com
www.vfsglobal.com/australia/singapore 

The AVAC will be open 8.00 am to 2.00 pm (for application lodgement) and 2.00 pm to 4.00 pm (collection of documents) Monday to Friday, with phone lines operating until 5 pm. The AVAC will be co-located with the UK and New Zealand Visa Application Centres, and is adjacent to Raffles Place MRT Station (Exit  D), bus stops (Prudential Tower B03021,  Collyer Quay, OUE Bayfront B03019), ATMs and banks and is close to public parking facilities.

For further information, please http://www.australia.org.sg/

Qantas announces network improvements as part of Asia Strategy

SINGAPORE, 4 February 2013: Qantas has today announced a series of improvements to its international network, as part of a phased approach aimed at delivering the best offering of any airline flying between Australia and Asia.
 
The improvements – the first of which take effect from 31 March 2013 – will be rolled out in four phases and go towards the Qantas Group strategy of ‘growing with Asia’. The planned phases are:
 
1.    Stronger links to the key hubs of Singapore and Hong Kong (better frequency and timings as well as increased dedicated capacity)
2.    Enhanced customer experience (improvements to cabin, in-flight entertainment, lounges)
3.    Expanded network within Asia through local partners (such as Japan Airlines, China Eastern, Jet Airways, Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines)
4.    Investigating an increase in destinations to Asia using the Qantas Group’s B787-9 options from 2016, coinciding with the turnaround of Qantas International (direct destinations under consideration include Beijing, Seoul, Mumbai, Delhi and Tokyo-Haneda). 

The new Qantas lounge in Singapore will open on 31 March and the new Hong Kong First lounge is scheduled to open this September. A total of $9 million has been invested in the upgrades. 
 

For a letter to AustCham Members from Nick McGlynn, Regional General Manager South East Asia of Qantas, click here

For the full press release, click here

Seeking Executives dealing with complex siutations - receive coaching at no cost to participants

Executives are continually dealing with situations that are complex, uncertain and anxiety-provoking. In 2010, an IBM global CEO survey found that 79% of executives anticipated they would need to deal with increasing complexity in the future and more than half doubted they had the capability to handle it.  Louise Kovacs CEO of Madston Black in Singapore is currently undertaking a doctorate through Middlesex University. There is now an opportunity to participate in Louise's research project and receive coaching at no cost to participants. 

What is involved? 

The research coaching program is open to executives in Singapore working at a senior or middle management level who are interested in exploring and improving their ability to deal with complexity.  The initial stage of the coaching program will involve benchmark assessments that will include a 360 degree survey, several brief questionnaires and an interview. Coaching participants will receive a tailored program that will identify their strengths and weaknesses in dealing with complexity and 6 coaching sessions to increase their potential capabilities. An assessment will be also be conducted at the end of the program in order to measure outcomes. All information will be treated confidentially. Any individual or company names will not be used in documentation, research reports or publications. For more information or to discuss participation in the project, please contact Louise Kovacs on +65 8598 6090 lkovacs@madstonblack.com.sg

 Research team seeking Australians living in Singapore

A team of researchers from the Australian Population and Migration Research Centre at the University of Adelaide seek your help on a study looking at the motivations, activities and future intentions of Australians living in Singapore. They hope to capture as many and as diverse a range of Australians as possible and learn about their experiences and what their movement to Singapore means to Australia. Similar projects have been conducted previously by research staff at their Centre looking at Australians in other key destinations such as the US, the UK and New Zealand.

They anticipate the study to contribute greatly towards understanding Australia’s global position and uncovering the value and importance of maintaining transnational linkages with Australians in Singapore. You are invited to complete an online survey that will take up only 15-20 minutes of your time. Your participation will be invaluable in increasing knowledge about a very important, but often neglected, segment of the Australian population. Please click here or visit https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AustraliansinSingapore to complete the survey.