Hire and Rental News - February 2018

4 HIRE AND RENTAL NEWS • FEBRUARY 2018 ASSOCIATION NEWS Time to give back: Stepping up and stepping in president's message Mark Burton, National President I thought for my first editorial I would give members an insight to who I am and why I have taken on the National President role for the HRIA. I am 55 years old and have been married to Trish for 33 years. We have two sons; our eldest, Blake is 26 and was married early last year. Our youngest son Travis is about to turn 24. He was born six weeks after we purchased Barossa Valley Hire back in 1996. Barossa Valley Hire is a family affair, with both boys and Trish fully involved in the business. We are based in Nuriootpa, which is in the lovely Barossa Valley region of south Australia. We are spread over three premises; one being a holding yard which houses our access equipment and larger plant. Our other two premises are next door to each other; one a large warehouse for our party and event business, Barossa Function Hire plus also incorporating our administration offices. The other premises is our general plant and equipment business Barossa Valley Hire. The hire industry over the past 24 years has been extremely rewarding. We have had to work hard and there have been challenges along the way, but these have all been a part of our success. Our business has grown considerably in that time however we have always stuck to our core values. ‘Our Focus, Our Customers’. This philosophy is central to everything we do and it is what keeps us striving towards excellence in all areas of our company. I am now of the age where I feel I have a little more time to give back to the industry which has been good to me. I have been involved in the Association at both state and national levels for 20 years. I’m hoping by the end of my tenure in the Presidents role I will have made a valuable contribution to the Association’s future direction and continued growth. I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and New Year with opportunity to spend quality time with both family and friends. I know as I get older it becomes ever more important to make time to have a decent break from work and spend time just relaxing. I can’t believe we are now into 2018 already! What happened to 2017? Time seems to go by faster than ever. The good news is the countdown to national HIRE18 Convention in Brisbane is well on the way. This will be our 50th conference and will be a celebration of our history and a reflection on what we’ve achieved. It’s sure to be one not to miss so I will look forward to catching up with you all on 30-31 May. Remember if any issues arise or you need assistance throughout the year, rest assured the head office team will work tirelessly to help. My quote for the quarter “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.” Walt Disney Mark Burton National President One of the founders of Christie's Hire, Geoff Christie passed away in late November last year. Geoff and his brother Rob founded Christie's Hire in the early 1970s. The industry has lost invaluable experience and knowledge. He will be sadly missed. New two year PPSA threshold A revised PPSA Guidance Note has been published on the HRIA website (under the ‘Resources’ tab) to replace the previous version. For quick reference, an abbreviated Guidance Note with an overview of the current position has also been produced to advise members of what to expect in the run up to May 2019. This is when the first of the long-term (two year plus) contracts, (since the legislation was amended), hits the threshold and the Quick Reference Guidance Note will help identify how to approach registration in the lead up to this deadline. Master Agreement templates have also now been updated on the HRIA website for members to use along with their own terms and conditions of hire. In memorium: Geoff Christie