NASDAQ-LISTED technology group Honeywell is the building automation provider for the new Melton Hospital, a 274-bed facility that will be Victoria’s first fully electric hospital.

Honeywell will help provide comprehensive management for building automation systems to optimise the hospital’s energy and operational efficiency outcomes while lowering emissions.

Under a 25-year contract, Honeywell will install its building management solutions — including Honeywell Forge Enterprise Performance Management software — to help create a more energy efficient, automated and secure facility.

As Victoria’s first healthcare facility using only electricity as an energy source, the Melton Hospital will help minimise emissions and support the state of Victoria’s progress to achieving net zero by 2050.

The integration of Honeywell Forge will enable condition-based maintenance that helps improve the resiliency of critical systems around the clock, reduce unplanned reactive work and lower energy costs. Through Honeywell Forge’s machine learning capabilities, which continuously study a building’s energy consumption patterns, the hospital will be able to automatically adjust to optimal energy-saving settings without compromising critical air quality. 

Unique approach to hospital efficiency 

“Honeywell’s technologically advanced building automation solutions combined with our decades of experience in total asset management make us uniquely positioned to support the building services for the Melton Hospital both today and over the next 25 years,” Honeywell Building Automation’s Pacific vice president and general manager, Lisa Whitehead said.

“As a partner to the Melton Hospital, we are committed to helping deliver Victoria’s first energy-efficient hospital that provides an optimum indoor environment with a best-in-class design built to address the critical needs of patients.”

Ms Whitehead said Melton Hospital would embed world-class ecologically sustainable development (ESD) technologies to maximise ecological efficiencies “in all elements of the design, construction and operation of the development”.

Honeywell will manage the building in alignment with these efficiency goals, optimising peak energy demand, energy consumption and water consumption costs so that the project remains flexible and adaptable to changing social and climatic conditions.

The new Melton Hospital will have a 24-hour emergency department, ambulatory care, maternity, neonatal, mental health and radiology services, as well as a new education and training hub for doctors and nurses in Melbourne’s western region.

Melton Hospital a public-private partnership 

The hospital is being delivered as a public-private partnership: Western Health is the public operator of all clinical services and the Exemplar Health consortium, through a contract from the Victorian Government, is responsible for the hospital’s financing, design, construction and maintenance for 25 years following the facility’s construction completion.

The Exemplar Health consortium includes Capella Capital as sponsor and investor; Lendlease Infrastructure Investments and Invesis as investors; Lendlease as the builder; and Honeywell and Compass Group as facilities and maintenance management providers.

“This work will help deliver a critical uplift in the capacity of public health services in Melton,” Capella Capital director, Sarah Neaves said.

“As Melbourne’s outer west continues to grow, the Melton Hospital project will allow the hospital to better support its patients, families and staff. We look forward to working closely with the Victorian Government, Western Health and consortium members to deliver this critical piece of health infrastructure.”

Honeywell is experienced in total asset management and public-private partnership projects, with a more than 30-year history working in Australia to support commercial buildings, healthcare and critical infrastructure. Honeywell’s role builds on its track record developing building automation solutions for the healthcare industry and also supports the company’s alignment of its portfolio to three megatrends.

Honeywell’s businesses are aligned with three compelling  megatrends – automation, the future of aviation and energy transition – with projects underpinned by the Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Forge IoT platform, which focus on automation and the energy transition.

www.honeywell.com

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THE Victorian Chamber and Committee for Melbourne (CfM) has appointed Scott Veenker as the inaugural chief executive of newly merged CfM and Melbourne Chamber of Commerce (MCC).

Scott Veenker was formerly the Melbourne Chamber chief executive and has steered the MCC for the last three years, navigating a post-COVID environment and challenging economic conditions. Mr Veenker has more than 20 years experience in banking and finance. 

Former CfM chief executive Mark Melvin will remain with the Victorian Chamber in a senior capacity and will initially be a key adviser across the wider business, including a focus on the CfM integration. 

Both Mr Veenker and Mr Melvin will report into Victorian Chamber chief executive Paul Guerra.

The CfM sits under the umbrella of the Victorian Chamber, following the June 2024 announcement that MCC and CfM would merge.

 “I’m thrilled to take the Committee for Melbourne into the next exciting era, with an amplified voice,” Mr Veenker said. “We will continue to advocate for the best possible outcomes for business and support members through our extensive membership offering.

“I thank Mark Melvin for his continued contributions to Melbourne’s business community and look forward to working together to serve our members.”

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said, “Scott has a proven track record of understanding the needs of Melbourne’s business community. His leadership will take the Committee for Melbourne to new heights, influencing local, state and federal governments to affect policy and exchange ideas to lead Victorian business into the future.

“Memberships now represent better value than ever as the merger combines the expertise, strengths and resources of these two proud organisations.

“I’m also delighted that Mark Melvin will continue with the chamber, and his wealth of experience and leadership will help us further the great work of the chamber. I expect both Scott and Mark to be brilliant contributors into the future.”

www.melbourne.org.au

www.victorianchamber.com.au

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MORE THAN 15,000 Victorians received help from Wage Inspectorate Victoria during its first 12 months, the regulator’s end of financial year figures reveal.

“We’ve had a successful and balanced first year, educating businesses and workers about the law and taking appropriate compliance action,” Wage Inspectorate Victoria Commissioner Robert Hortle said. “These have been equal focuses for the new statutory authority.

“We’re aiming to have an even bigger impact over the next 12 months through our intelligence-led compliance activities, prosecutions and the release of new educational resources, including e-learning courses and multilingual videos, to make complying with the law even easier.”

Most requests for help came through phone calls from employees and businesses seeking information about long service leave, child employment, wage theft and owner driver laws. Mr Hortle said 295 Victorians claimed they were underpaid long service leave and $309,367 was recouped with the regulator’s help, taking the total recovered over the past four years to more than $1.5 million. 

The Wage Inspectorate also took strong action in the courts, with seven matters before court during the financial year, including its successful action against Coles Supermarkets that led to more than 4000 workers being paid back in excess of $700,000 in long service leave.

The financial year figures show that 7758 permits were issued to employers of children under 15 years and that 329 child employment compliance checks and investigations were conducted. The regulator’s child employment team also conducted almost 100 field visits and sent over 200 letters to businesses suspected of employing children under 15 years to educate them about the law.

In one of the most serious cases taken to court, a travelling circus pleaded guilty to three charges, admitting it breached the law by employing Chinese nationals as acrobats without a mandatory child employment permit. One of the children spent 10 days in hospital after being hit by a trapeze.

The Wage Inspectorate also commenced intelligence-led, criminal wage theft investigations using the powers granted under Victoria’s new wage theft laws, including executing search warrants, issuing compulsory notices, entering premises and seizing evidence.

Hirers of owner drivers were audited too, with the Wage Inspectorate checking compliance with Victoria’s owner driver and forestry contractor laws for 259 individual drivers.

The retail, hospitality, manufacturing and services industries were the most likely to call the Wage Inspectorate. About 3000 calls came from employers seeking to understand their obligations, with employees, parents or people calling on behalf of a worker or business making up the rest.

The entertainment, retail, and hospitality industries accounted for over half of all child employment permits applied for. While Victoria came in and out of COVID-19 restrictions, officers supported applicants with advice about how business openings and closures would affect their permits.

More than 286,000 people accessed the Wage Inspectorate’s online tools, with its long service leave, child employment and wage theft pages the most popular resources.

“It’s our vision to create productive and prosperous Victorian workplaces. That means fairer conditions for workers and a level playing field for businesses, so they’re not undercut by law breakers,” Mr Hortle said.

www.wageinspectorate.vic.gov.au

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MELBOURNE's office workers will be drawn back to the CBD through a series of business events supporting innovation and collaboration. 

The City of Melbourne initiative will see 20 organisations benefit from grants totalling $100,000. 

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the funding, allocated through the Business Event Sponsorship Program, would support conferences, meetings and other business forums in Melbourne over the next six months.  

“Office workers make up the majority of midweek customers for our traders, who have been hardest hit by the pandemic,” the Lord Mator Capp said. 

“Prior to the pandemic, nearly 14 million delegates visited Victoria each year, armed with knowledge, bold ideas and experiences to share with likeminded colleagues.  

“We know a strong calendar of business events strengthens our city’s knowledge-based industry sectors, which thrive when people come together and share ideas.  

“The events receiving funding from this program will give office workers a great reason to return to the city, as they rediscover the benefits of face-to-face collaboration.”  

Business and Global Opportunities portfolio lead, Councillor Kevin Louey said the supported events will draw thousands of people to the CBD, providing a number of industries with a much-needed boost.  

“Whether a delegate attends a large conference or a specialised workshop, they are supporting local venues, technicians and event hire companies, along with our hospitality and accommodations sectors,” Cr Louey said.  

“Some of the best ideas and deals happen in person, which is why we’re delighted to fund events that stimulate innovation and business growth here in Melbourne.”  

RMIT University received a $10,000 grant for its three-day Future/Inclusive Festival in the CBD.  

RMIT xecutive director of policy, strategy and impact Tom Bentley said the university’s event would explore ideas around sustainability across Melbourne, the region and the world.  

"Inclusion - across many dimensions - is key to reactivating Melbourne mid and post-pandemic, creating a city that is more equitable and vibrant than ever before,” Mr Bentley said.  

“We are thrilled to partner with the City of Melbourne to bring to life public ideas about inclusion, resilience, and what our city needs right now, to make a positive impact for Melbourne’s community, economy and broader society."   

In addition to funding, the City of Melbourne will also offer in-kind marketing and promotional support to recipients.   

Funded events must be delivered by June 30, 2022 and adhere to the Victorian Government’s COVIDSafe settings.  

For a full list of grant recipients under the Business Event Sponsorship Program, visit the City of Melbourne website. 

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