Briefcase: Business snippets from around South Australia
In this week’s Briefcase, defence leaders graduate, a major aged care project takes shape and Southern Cross Care goes north.
- Future defence leaders graduate from training program
- SA to play key role in national soil monitoring program
- Multimillion-dollar investment in aged care
- Australian-first accessible diploma announced
- Southern Cross Care expands in Darwin
Future defence leaders graduate from training program
Participants of the Defence Industry Leadership Program (DILP) have officially graduated as the training initiative celebrates its 15th year.
They included representatives from some of the industry’s biggest companies, including BAE Systems and Raytheon.
Defence Teaming Centre CEO Libby Day said that the role of DILP is that of a ‘leadership accelerator’ in an industry fraught with challenges.
“Defence industry is under unprecedented pressure with workforce and skills shortages, our exciting but daunting AUKUS requirements, and the influence of rapid technological change,” said Day.
“DILP is a fast-track mechanism for producing and developing leaders to meet industry demand. There is no time to develop the next generation of leaders organically. We need them now.”
SA to play key role in national soil monitoring program
3000 sites are set to be samples in a national soil monitoring program led by CSIRO over the next three years.
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The Limestone Coast Landscape Board will lead the project delivery on behalf of seven regions across South Australia, with the project’s goal to build a nationally consistent picture of soil health and long-term trends.
Data collected through the program will be publicly accessible via the Australian National Soil Information System, enabling farmers, land managers, policymakers, and researchers to benefit from the findings.
Project lead Ehsan Sayad of the Limestone Coast Landscape Board said maintaining healthy soils was “critical to productivity”.
“If we can better understand the nature of our soils and their vulnerability, we can better manage our environment. For example, we can improve our resilience to natural disasters and improve the efficient use of water,” Sayad said.
Three hospitals under new management following court ruling
Not-for-profit hospital group Adelaide Community Healthcare Alliance (ACHA) is set to take over the day-to-day operational management of its Ashford Hospital, Flinders Private Hospital and the Memorial Hospital following a Supreme Court Ruling on Friday 28 November.
Healthscope, which previously managed some services for ACHA hospitals, was found to be the subject of an insolvency event.
The finding means that a manager default had taken place, allowing ACHA to terminate long-standing contractual agreements between the two companies and transition into taking on the operational role of its three SA hospitals.
ACHA hospitals will continue to operate as usual with no impact to services, jobs, or daily operations.
Multimillion-dollar investment in aged care
Not-for-profit aged care provider ACH Group will invest $190 million in two new major developments in metropolitan Adelaide.
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The investment includes $120 million premium retirement living development at Rose Park and a further $70 million in a new residential aged care precinct at Dover Gardens, including the creation of 150 new aged care beds.
ACH Group Chief Executive Officer Linda Feldt said ACH Group was “leading the way in re-imagining residential aged care and retirement living”.
“We are making a significant investment in residential aged care and retirement living at a time of unprecedented and growing demand. These developments increase choice and capacity for older South Australians while creating vibrant communities’ people can, and want to, be part of for years to come.”
Australian-first accessible diploma announced
Flinders University has launched a one-year Diploma of Employment Pathways, specifically tailored to people with intellectual disabilities.
The degree will provide specialised support for people wanting to study at a university and gain employability skills and work placement in an accessible setting.
It was designed as part of Flinders’ Up the Hill Project, which encourages adults with a range of disabilities to engage in the social and educational life of Flinders University.
Dr Fiona Rillotta, Senior Lecturer in Disability and Community Inclusion in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and leader of the Up the Hill Project, said the initiative marked a turning point in access and opportunity.
“Lifelong learning and access to education are human rights, and everyone should be afforded the opportunity to continue their post-school education. Through this diploma, we’re showing that people with intellectual disability can succeed at university and contribute their skills and perspectives in the workforce.”
“This diploma is not only for our students, but also about creating an evidence-backed model that can be adopted by other universities across Australia to make higher education genuinely inclusive.”
Southern Cross Care expands in Darwin
Aged care and retirement living provider Southern Cross Care has expanded its operations in Darwin, opening a dementia-friendly aged care unit and health and fitness centre.
The expansion features 26 additional residential aged care rooms as part of a new memory support unit at Pearl Supported Care in Fannie Bay.
Southern Cross Care CEO David Moran said that the project will transform the delivery of aged care and healthy aging services in Greater Darwin.
“The new memory support unit at Pearl Supported Care is so important. It increases our capacity to care for older Territorians by 30 per cent, incorporating a dementia-friendly design that will help residents to feel at home and enjoy a good quality of life.”
