Power of attorney – a must for every business owner
With Michael Seton, Peninsula Law

Throughout the life of any business things can happen that may prevent you from being able to make vital decisions. You may for instance need an operation. Or you may be on holidays in a remote location with no access to the phone or Internet. If you own a business, you must think about the contingencies essential to ensure the operation of the business in your absence. One such contingency is a Power of Attorney.

A Power of Attorney permits business owners to delegate decisions concerning financial matters to a trusted delegate within the organisation. You must of course have total faith in this person that they can be relied upon to make necessary decisions in your absence. Powers of Attorney can be drafted so that enactment occurs only in specific circumstances such as if you were subject to a medical procedure that would be performed under general anaesthetic.

As a Power of Attorney is such an important and powerful document, the drafting of each must be tailored to the specific circumstances of a business. The failure to have a Power of Attorney in place could result in short term financial pain and disharmony that may result in irreparable longer-term consequences. Similarly, the failure to review the appropriateness of an existing Power of Attorney may render the document useless at its hour of need.

In short, the message is clear – if you don’t have a Power of Attorney, consider establishing one. And if you have one but haven’t reviewed it in a while it’s a good idea to ensure it is still appropriate. Either way, it’s a good idea to obtain independent legal advice.

Peninsula Law is one of the Coast’s leading law firms. Contact the office on 4343 3000 to make an appointment with one of their highly experienced lawyers.

Central Coast finally declared a region
With Edgar Adams, Central Coast Business Review

The NSW Government has declared the Central Coast a region under State environmental planning legislation, in formal recognition of its significance to the State.

Minister for Planning, Tony Kelly, made the announcement on the 28th June saying, “while the region is recognised by the Geographical Names Board and in various planning strategies – most notably the Government’s Central Coast Regional Strategy – to date it has not been properly recognised under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act. This declaration formally acknowledges the Central Coast as a region, distinct from the neighbouring Hunter Valley region and Sydney metropolitan area, which has its own unique strengths, issues and challenges.”

This decision will ensure governments at all levels will be able to assess more accurately the Central Coast community’s needs and will have important benefits for the allocation of funding, services and other government resources.

Evidence that the Coast’s regional status is having an impact is the recent welcome announcement that the NSW Business Chamber’s Central Coast office is to be renamed ‘Central Coast NSW Business Chamber’. While the change may appear minor, its significance is far from it. Central Coast NSW Business Chamber president, Ken Barker had this to say about the change - “This is a great win for the Central Coast that NSW’s largest business organisation, NSW Business Chamber, is recognising that the Central Coast is a region in its own right and deserves the attention and resources that other regions, such as the Hunter and Illawarra receive from government.”

The Central Coast Region was formally recognised by the Geographical Names Board in 2005.

Leading the way in blindness prevention
With Amanda Rungis, Sure Optical

Imagine not being able to do something you’ve always taken for granted – like driving a car, reading the newspaper or even watching your children play.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in Australia and the rest of the western world. Affecting a staggering 1 in 7 Australians over the age of 50, it severely impairs a person’s central vision making it extremely difficult (and ultimately impossible) to read, drive or perform other activities that require fine detailed vision.

The key to preventing the onset of macular degeneration is early detection and leading the charge in this regard is Lisarow Optometrist, Sure Optical. Owner and optometrist, Amanda Rungis was the very first in Australia to introduce the MPOD™ to our shores - a revolutionary machine that accurately tracks macular protective pigment changes in the macula. With the latest available technology, Sure Optical can identify those patients on the Central Coast who are at high risk for developing this condition and then provide options for reducing this risk, potentially protecting a person’s sight.

“Macular degeneration claimed my grandfather’s vision in 2004”, said Ms Rungis. “That was the beginning of the end. He lost his sight, next lost his home and independence, then gave up the will to live and ultimately lost his life. He said to my grandmother, his wife of 58 years, that the one thing he missed most was her beautiful face.”

MPOD™ testing is recommended for all adults over 20 years of age, especially those with a family history of the disease, or those with other risk factors like smoking or obesity. The test is painless, non-invasive and takes less than five minutes to complete.

To find out more about the MPOD™ or to make an appointment contact Sure Optical on 4329 7000 or visit www.sureoptical.com.au

Preparing your property
With Adam Gilbert, Adam Gilbert Real Estate

If you are like most people, your home will be the greatest financial asset you own. So naturally you will want to achieve as much as you possibly can for it. Of course any home will eventually sell for a price, but if you want to maximise the sale price you can achieve, there are some simple, inexpensive things you can do to achieve this goal.

Start by ensuring your property will make a great first impression. The more kerbside appeal your home has, the more likely people will want to take a look inside.
• If you have a lawn, make sure it’s neat and well kept
• Remove any weeds and dead plants
• Keep a patio or courtyard clean and tidy
• Ensure fences are in good order – if not, have them repaired

Next up is decorating and minor repairs. People love a home where there’s nothing to spend.

• Consider repainting the walls in a neutral colour (you might love your purple walls and retro wallpaper but not everyone will!)
• Replace broken or cracked tiles, patch holes in walls, fix leaky taps and doors that jam
• Replace blown light bulbs
• Have your carpets professionally cleaned, especially if there are any obvious stains

Finally, it’s important to declutter. A potential buyer loves to imagine their own furniture and belongings in a home they are considering buying, and this is much easier to do if your home isn’t filled with a huge array of your personal belongings. Consider packing away excess knick-knacks, photos, small kitchen appliances, toys and books.

A licensed Real Estate Agent and Auctioneer, Adam Gilbert’s personalised attention to his clients, exceptional local knowledge and outstanding results have ensured he consistently attracts a strong level of repeat and referral business. Appreciating that presentation is so important in the sales process, he and wife and business partner Sandy offer a unique property styling service as part of a vendor’s tailored marketing campaign. To discuss your property goals contact Adam on 0405 159 571. And if you’re a Wild Fig customer, log in to www.wildfigservicealliance.com.au to check out Adam’s special offer.

Excellence in building
With Steven Mailey, Stevens Construction

Each year the Master Builders Association of Australia acknowledges excellence in the building and construction industry through its prestigious National Awards. Recently local design, construction and management company, The Stevens Group was in the running for the 2010 Master Builders Association National Excellence in Building and Constructions Awards.

Company Director, Steven Mailey prepared a submission detailing the design and construction of Westmead Medical Centre, an ancillary medical outlet supporting Westmead Private Hospital. The modern, white Alucobond clad building was specifically designed for a national medical and nuclear medicine imaging company as its anchor tenant. Patient and service accessibility to the building and housing of sensitive medical equipment, such as MRI, CT scanners together with a host of imaging equipment, were the primary concerns.

Completed in April 2010, the entire project took 47 weeks to complete and was successfully delivered on time and within budget. Furthermore, it complied with strict local council regulations and incorporated a number of environmentally friendly features such as the use of natural light wherever possible, rainwater harvesting and re-use as grey water and landscaping incorporating water saving plants and trees.

Stevens Construction was established on the Central Coast in 1988 and to date has an enviable track record in Retail, Hospitality, Residential, Tertiary and Industrial Developments. The company can now add Medical developments to its list. To make an enquiry about a building development project you may be considering, contact Steven on 4365 8149 or email him at steve@stevensconstruction.com.au

BMW - the world's most sustainable automobile manufacturer
With Brad Worthington, Worthington BMW

The BMW Group has recently been recognised by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes as the automotive industry's Supersector leader for the sixth consecutive year. This makes BMW the world's most sustainable automobile manufacturer. The BMW Group is the only company in the automotive industry to have been listed in this important group of sustainability indexes every year since it was established in 1999.

"This independent ranking confirms once again that the BMW Group plays a leading role in the automotive industry of the future," said Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. "For us, being the world's most sustainable automobile company means accepting responsibility as a good corporate citizen. It motivates us to continue along this path towards our vision of sustainable individual mobility."

The Board of Management of the BMW Group declared sustainability one of the company's core strategic principles back in 2000. At the BMW Group, sustainability is firmly entrenched throughout the entire corporation from the development of fuel-saving and alternative vehicle concepts through clean production processes to green recycling practices.

Our local BMW dealership, Worthington BMW invites you to visit the dealership and talk to one of their highly experienced sales or service consultants about the latest BMW vehicles incorporating BMW’s renowned EfficientDynamics – the world’s most successful strategy for reducing fuel consumption and exhaust emissions and a standard feature in all BMW Model Series today.

Head to www.worthingtons.bmw.com.au to explore the range of vehicles on display and available to test drive.

$5 discount off bunches and arrangements
With Nicky Mann, Roses 2 Go

Wild Fig members and their customers will be eligible for an exclusive $5 discount on all arrangements or bunches of roses from Roses 2 Go ordered before the end of February 2011.

Contact Nicki Mann at Roses 2 Go on (02) 4322 0777 to place your order.