Residential property - particularly in Auckland - is in for another year of strong growth according to Property Institute of New Zealand Chief Executive, Ashley Church. But he's also predicting that house price inflation, while still running in double digits, will fall away from the highs of the past couple of years.

This is one of 7 predictions that Mr Church is making for 2017 - predictions that he describes as 'more informed opinion than crystal ball gazing'.

The predictions are as follows:

1. Longer term mortgage interest rates will rise

"The general consensus is that interest rates are on their way up - partly because of international events, and partly because NZ Banks will need to pay more to attract a diminishing fund of investment from kiwi depositors. Expect to see little change in 6 month to two year mortgage rates - but a jump of up to 1% in longer term rates as Banks try and woo borrowers into shorter terms in anticipation of further funding increases over the next 2 or 3 years".

2. House prices will keep rising....

"The current lull in the Auckland market is partly the result of the 40% LVR restriction on property investors put in place in October - and it can't last. The continuing gap between demand and supply means that further price inflation is inevitable for the foreseeable future".

3. ....but Investors will be constrained for a while

"That 40% hurdle is a tough one and investors who were highly geared will need to wait a while before they have enough new equity in their properties to get back into the market. Those investors who had lower debt gearings are still buying - but are being constrained by tighter lending rules which are acting as a brake on runaway house prices. That means that it's unlikely that we'll see a return to the heady 20%+ levels of annual price growth experienced in the last couple of years".

4. New home construction will start catching up

"Depending on your source, Auckland either needs 40,000 new homes 'right now' or 10,000 per year for the foreseeable future. Either way the market will finally start to make some inroads on this target in 2017. The houses built through the combination of Government building initiatives and private sector construction of apartments and free-standing homes will, for the first time in years, exceed the number of homes actually required just to stand still - although we'll still be a very long way short of the number required to ensure that supply matches demand".

5. The cost of renting will start to rise, in Auckland

"Renters in Auckland would probably disagree - but they've been renting in a relatively benign environment for the past two or three years. This is because many Landlords have chosen to forgo big rent increases while the capital growth on those properties has been so strong. This is likely to change in 2017 as Landlords look to offset lower capital growth with higher rental returns".

6. Debt-to-income measures are off the agenda - for now

"The Reserve Bank talked a lot about debt-to-income restrictions on mortgage lending during the latter half of 2016 - but is unlikely to act on them this year. This is partly because it will take a wait-and-see approach on developments in the world economy - but more specifically because the measures are politically unpalatable to either major Party. While the Reserve Bank is independent - it's not completely blind to the politics of such a move".

7. Property will be the #1 Election Issue

"Expect to see a string of announcements, from the Government, spelling out what it is doing to fix the Auckland housing crisis and outlining new ideas to speed this process up. In particular - it's possible, even likely, that the Government will offer a more generous response to the plight of first home buyers in a pre-election budget surplus splurge".

This press release was originally sourced from Scoop.

The country’s peak body for donors, Philanthropy Australia, is embarking on a strategic plan which includes a bold new business model around membership and changes to its legal structure while still retaining its core policy and advocacy work. Lina Caneva spoke to CEO Sarah Davies about the changes for 2017 and beyond.

Philanthropy Australia’s CEO Sarah Davies has now been in the top job since November 2015.

Even in that short time she agrees that the terms “philanthropy” and “giving” have changed significantly both in Australia and globally and a new strategic plan for the organisation has required an evolutionary approach rather than a revolutionary approach.

“When developing our 2017 to 2020 strategic map, we had to balance our rich heritage with the ‘now’ and the future. We had to recognise the incredible expertise and resources of our traditional members and to their commitment to philanthropy. But we also needed to acknowledge that philanthropy is changing,” Davies said.

“We needed to respond to the emergence of new types of philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, new ways of giving, new ways of investing corpus, changing and blurring relationships between ‘givers’ and ‘receivers’ and the growing realisation that the social sector was very much part of the philanthropic community and they have as much of an interest in our success as do the funders. We also understood that corporates and intermediaries are critical to the success of our community.

“We have spent a lot of time looking at what the world is shaping up to look like for the next five to 10 years. How do we adapt and accommodate and take advantage of the opportunities it presents and how to we defend ourselves against some of the challenges that it might present.”

She said for the organisation, the drivers for change were simply about how philanthropy as a broad practice was evolving and changing and adapting and growing.

However, Davies said one of the keys to Philanthropy Australia’s future success would be to change the way their supporters and members engaged with the organisation and the need to democratise the existing membership model.

One of the big ticket items in the strategic plan is a new business model around membership that moves away from determining grant-maker membership categories and fees based on annual distributions.

“This will mean that our members will be able to select the membership package that suits their needs, where price is related to the level of benefits offered and received,” Davies said.

“We need to [be] relevant and confident that we add value and [we need to] work out how we do that in a business-like sense that is sustainable and viable.

“We are no different to any other not-for-profit organisation. Our business model is 40 years old and the world has changed rapidly and we need to evolve this model so that it is viable in the next five to 10 years and I have no doubt [that] in seven or eight years we are going to have to have another go at evolving it.

“We need a business model to address the changes in philanthropy that makes sense.

“It is not about adding a whole bunch of products and services to our portfolio… that is not going to help anybody, but it is about being clear about our contribution to that community but the community needs to be broader and more inclusive.”

Davies was quick to point out that the membership re-categorisation would not take effect until 2018.

“We will communicate the new packages and options well before the changes take place.”

Philanthropy Australia will also be seeking grant-based support from its members who wish to support its activities in the advancement of philanthropy.

Davies said another key to their ongoing success would be changing from an incorporated association to a company limited by guarantee.

“In a really simple sense we are an incorporated association in Victoria which sort of means we can never hold an AGM outside of Victoria and that’s just not relevant in today’s world.

“We are a national organisation and we have members all over the country and we want to engage and service them nationally and we need to be flexible and agile in that.

“Secondly there are challenges in conceiving and designing and managing a skills-based governance structure for a council or a board… because despite the desire and intent and the work that it does you can’t actually deliver it.

“The third reason is around the use of language. Under the incorporated associations act the word ‘member’ has a very clear meaning and also under the corporations act as well, but there is a greater restriction around how we can use language as an incorporated association.

“One of the great strengths of PA is the membership culture and the membership behaviour and the membership value… we really are committed to being a membership organisation in that sense but… the use of that word in an incorporated association is currently a bit complex.”

Davies said the legal change would separate more clearly the appropriate structure and behaviour and expectation of governance and proxy ownership in a not for profit and the culture and the purpose of the stakeholder group.

“The traditional definition of the funder, non-funder, grant maker, grant-seeker they are all becoming incredibly blurred and so we really want to embrace the contemporary and future philanthropic actors and approaches as they evolve and emerge without being constrained.”

She said there was an expectation that PA will hold a special general meeting in the later part of 2017 to ratify any moves to changes the legal structure.

Davies said policy and advocacy would continue to be the core role of Philanthropy Australia in 2017 and that the current and emerging issues were “red hot”.

“The bottom line is, as a membership organisation and a peak body, that at our core is the policy and advocacy piece and without a doubt it is our kind of beating heartland,” she said.

“I think our significant advocacy points in the next couple of years are going to be about defending philanthropy.

“My hunch is that as Australia faces the federal government’s revenue challenges there could be some storm clouds gathering over the suite of incentives that are used to encourage people to be philanthropic and make deductible donations… that will be huge.

“We did ok on the franking credits last year and a lot of work was done and I suspect that will come back on the list at some point.

“There’s a DGR review going on. We have got to really watch that and be active in understanding what the implications are and what it might mean and the whole issue of advocacy and funding advocacy we know has a got a red hot vibe that we are concerned about and we have then got the ‘in Australia’ provisions and what might happen there.

“As well there are the things that might just be urban myths and rumours or muted comments around limiting deductions in the financial period. So, you know, we have got some major issues.”

Davies said along with all these issues PA was pushing for innovation and incentives to grow philanthropy.

“So we are still pushing for different types of changes and structure and rules that will encourage and incentivise more philanthropy. One of the big ones is how to encourage more charitable bequesting. What are the range of models and incentives that we could put into play that people can take advantage of in their lifetime but actually guarantee increase philanthropic and charitable giving through bequesting.

“We are still pushing hard on ideas and innovation into how we continue to feed and grow the philanthropic ecosystem.

“We are only going to be as effective as the quality of our relationships with our members, with the philanthropic community, with the not-for-profit community, with the regulator and the policy makers. We are not a lone voice. We can never be a lone voice. We are one part of this and I think we are pretty clear about the part that we can play but need to do it with everybody else. This is a collective.”

This article was originally sourced from Probono Australia and written by Lina Caneva.

After 14 years working in professional membership organisations including the Australian Physiotherapy Association and most recently as Chief Executive of the Australian Podiatry Council, Damian Mitsch is the leader that will see the ADA through its next chapter, and he has some big ideas.

“I’m grateful to Robert (Boyd-Boland) for establishing such a high-performing team and laying the groundwork for the future, and now I want the ADA to take the next step in becoming one of the greatest membership organisations in the country. An organisation that brings together members, branches and staff to create something great. To innovate. To inspire. To influence.”

Being on the Board of the Australian Society of Association Executives, Damian knows better than most that it’s a hard road and patience is a necessary virtue. “I’m big on listening and learning about what makes an organisation tick when I first get into a role”, Damian muses about his first weeks on the job. “To really affect change, you have to understand the detail of the environment in which you’re operating, and for me this is a steep learning curve.”

That being said, he’s no stranger to the core challenges facing the dental profession - “Coming from physio and podiatry means I’m already across how private health insurers are influencing health professionals, the impact of corporatisation and the commoditisation of health services, and the attitude of government and their amazing ability to avoid proper funding for long-term health outcomes” he says.

Originally from Melbourne, Damian has an amassed an eclectic range of experience throughout his career; from aged care and disability to IT and company directorships. A mere glance at his LinkedIn profile paints a clear picture of the skill set he brings to the table which no doubt will prove invaluable to the ADA – strategic planning, corporate governance, policy, leadership, and change management, to name a few.

When considering how his skills and experience translate into his leadership style, Damian explains, “Running your own business gives you a genuine sense of accountability and focus, and an understanding that you need to keep innovating. Twenty-plus years in health associations (including as a member) stresses the importance of really listening to members and delivering value, as well as a keen sense of the real issues and access to a wide and varied network. Time on boards of directors, both large and small, give you an understanding of what it means to govern.”

He has a strong vision, the credentials to back it up, and a “don’t hold back” attitude, so the question becomes –who is Damian Mitsch?

A husband to Sara and father to Cordelia, Damian is a self-made man who doesn’t mind a bit of hard rock and heavy metal (despite having to shut it down to make way for Taylor Swift and appease the ladies in his life). He has recently upped stumps from Melbourne to Sydney, to the shock of property prices, traffic, and a little less rain than he’s used to.

He has a passion for business and health organisations, but relishes time with family and friends around a dinner table, and when time and water temperature permits, the odd scuba diving trip.

When asked if he had any final words for this article, Damian simply replied, “it’s time to turn the page”.

This article was originally sourced from ADA.

The Spatial Industries Business Association (SIBA) and the Geospatial Information Technology Association Australia and New Zealand (GITA ANZ) have officially announced a merger between the two professional associations.

The newly expanded association, whose official name is still unclear, will continue to deliver services to members as an association representing the collective spatial ‘industries’ and the ‘users’ of geospatial technology. The merger aims to reinforce SIBA and GITA’s representation of members in advocacy across Government and more effectively drive growth for the spatial sector.

GITA president and Open Spatial CEO, Wanda Skerrett, will be appointed to the Board of the merged organisation, alongside GITA’s past president Antoine Burdett from AECOM.

SIBA chairman Alistair Byrom said the merger was a result of the growth being experienced in the spatial sector: “SIBA’s merger with GITA is a strong and determined response to the growth and consolidation of the spatial industry and draws together two organisations committed to a shared passion and vision for the spatial sector,” Byrom said.

“This merger will enable our larger association to provide a more consistent message and consolidate our combined efforts for greater impact,” he continued. “The merger will help increase awareness in the wider community of our members’ products and services and facilitate further growth opportunities.”

GITA president Wanda Skerrett similarly expressed the value of this newly unified ‘voice’ for the spatial industry: “With the merging of SIBA and GITA, we’ve set out to achieve a unified industry voice through an association for all,” she noted.

“Geospatial technology plays a critical role in all fundamental services supporting our community’s way of life as increasingly more companies embrace location information as a strategic focus of their business,” Skerrett continued. “This merger aligns the aims and visions of each ‘pre-merger’ association whilst enabling the enhanced, broader delivery of services such as member updates in areas such as spatial tools and technologies, industry collaboration and change, user and vendor networking and insight into common challenges.”

The practicalities of the merger remain to be seen and will be reported in Spatial Source as they become clearer.

Controversially, another crucial merger was foreshadowed late last year as part of the 2026Agenda Action Plan. The plan, compiled by an open group of representatives of the industry, listed a merger between the two peak bodies of Australia, the Surveying & Spatial Sciences Institute (SSSI) and SIBA, among 32 priority action items. The 32 priorities have been established with the aim of ensuring Australia’s surveying and spatial sectors reach their growth potential over the coming decade.

This article was originally sourced from Spatial Source and written by Anthony Wallace. 

AuSAE are very excited to announce one of North America’s most highly respected membership experts, Tony Rossell, will be coming to Australia and New Zealand to deliver our first round of Workshops in February 2017!

Tony Rossell serves as the Senior Vice President of Marketing General Incorporated, he is a sought after writer and speaker and is a contributing author to two books, Membership and Marketing (ASAE) and Membership Essentials: Recruitment, Retention, Roles, Responsibilities and Resources (ASAE and Wiley, 2016). He also launched the annual Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report, now in its eighth year with over 800 participating associations worldwide, and he developed the widely adopted membership relationship framework known as the “Membership Lifecycle”.

During these workshops you will learn how to:

• Present the power and economic benefits of membership to your Board and leadership
• Build market testing strategies for optimal membership outcomes
• Develop an effective membership marketing acquisition plan
• Use data to increase the loyalty and engagement of members
• Maximise the renewal of your current members
• Calculate the true economic value of a member
• Forecast future, long-term membership counts
• Develop online inbound marketing strategies to reach beyond your current audience
• Use data analytics tools to increase marketing efficiency

Register now by clicking on the links below:

Sydney - Thursday 23 February 2017 

Melbourne - Friday 24 February 2017 

Brisbane - Monday 27 February 2017 

Wellington NZ - Wednesday 1 March 2017

In this early part of the year we see many articles and reports making predictions for the 12 months ahead. Various experts have gazed into their crystal balls to reveal the changes, challenges and enormous potential that 2017 might hold for the association industry. It’s an exciting time for any membership organisation with big goals. So we’ve searched around the world on your behalf and discovered some of the most interesting trends and ideas likely to emerge in the near future. Here’s a snapshot of our findings relevant to the Australian market.

It’s time to use your data

Associations and Association Management Software (AMS) providers have spent much of the past decade looking to upgrade their AMS platforms with more customisations and process capabilities.

Aside from business process optimisation, AMS also allows associations to gather valuable data and insights that can be used for segmenting membership, generating new membership leads from people using your services, or creating a strategic inbound marketing approach. In other words, now is the time to take advantage of all those terabytes of information stored in your database.

In fact, according to Loretta M. DeLuca in Aptify Top Association Management Expert Predictions for 2017, “Aside from a building and its reserve funds, data is arguably the most valuable asset an organization owns. For decades, the ability of AMSs to store more and more data has increased exponentially, yet the ability to extract and manipulate this data to support business planning and decisions has not... I look forward to a 2017 and beyond when organizations will finally be using their data to make strategic, forward-facing decisions” DeLuca states.

This view is widely shared among industry experts:

“We foretell that the core functionality of association management systems (AMSs) will shift from merely being the database of record to providing new levels of actionable insight into membership.”

– Abila Association Predictions For 2017

“Because they have so much content to share and very defined audiences, inbound marketing is an ideal channel for associations. In 2017, in order to build worldwide awareness and demonstrate relevance, associations will rapidly adopt this channel as part of their existing marketing mix.”

– Tony Rossell in Aptify Top Association Management Expert Predictions for 2017

Evolution of learning

Learning and development remains number one among the top reasons members join your association. However, traditional full-day workshops are no longer as effective as they once were. Associations need to be innovative to engage this new audience, or risk falling behind as the ‘evolution of learning’ continues at a rapid pace.

As Abila Association Predictions For 2017 asserts, “The importance of on-demand, online, and mobile learning options, and the value of professional certifications will be on the rise. Educational offerings for not just members, but also the public at-large, will be a big revenue driver for associations.”

Again this opinion is supported elsewhere:

“Associations should focus on helping members work less stressfully, more profitably and more productively in the online learning arena.”

– Mary Byers in Aptify Top Association Management Expert Predictions for 2017

“The continuing growth in interest in social learning and digital badges among associations can be linked to the ever-present challenge of increasing member engagement. Associations are increasingly looking to social learning initiatives to help them connect with and develop an engaged community of members and learners.”

– WBT Systems Blog

Finding new models of operation

So where to next for association leaders? Times are changing, and the consenus is that associations, like other organisations, must accept and embrace the benefits of alternative business models in order to make meaningful progress.

“In 2017 the pressure on association executives to adopt new business models will increase. As a response, they’ll need to be willing to experiment with new ideas rapidly,” argues Amith Nagarajan, Chairman and CEO of Aptify.

This change of direction may include new membership models, partnerships and mergers, along with the acquisition of new revenue sources, among other endeavours.

Here’s what the industry has to say about the potential of updated operations:

“In 2017, associations will finally discover that ‘sales’ is not a dirty word.” – Wes Trochlil in Aptify Top Association Management Expert Predictions for 2017

“This is not to say associations should be run like companies, certainly not. But associations can learn from some of their corporate counterparts to be more businesslike in structure, operations and strategy, while maintaining the purpose, values and ethos of achieving critical (and bone fide) mission goals.” – Omer Soker, www.ethicsofsuccess.com.au

This article was originally sourced from Member Boat. 

Sure, you want your attendees to learn onsite, but you also want them to put their learning to work when they’re back on the job. Here are some ideas for making that happen.

Last month, I came across a blog posted by the National Conference Center (NCC) about six trends they had observed around experiential learning. Among them: barrier-free learning, which is hands-on training in a lab-like setting as opposed to the traditional meeting room, and learning by silence, where facilitators allow more time for reflection and meditation.

While all were interesting and definitely food for thought for association meeting planners, the one that jumped out at me was the sixth: learning through application.

“While debriefing is a structured process facilitated by a skilled professional throughout the process of a program, it has been in place for some time,” the post said. “Today a post-program application assists participants over time with how learning translates back at the office.”

NCC suggests a number of ways to facilitate this continued learning process, including self-directed debrief meetings, professional coaching sessions by phone or in person, and follow-up mini-sessions at the one-, two-, or three-month intervals.

“These sessions can be highly productive and fun, assisting the participants in real-time learning application issues,” NCC wrote. “They can be on the participant’s work site or scheduled as an offsite.”

While you may have thought your job was done when attendees walked out of that closing session, that’s no longer the case. Having a dedicated postconference learning application plan could set your meeting apart from others and show attendees that you are dedicated helping them put what they learned to work back at the office.

As NCC suggests, there could be several ways to make this happen. I came up with a few ideas myself.

The easiest of the batch is probably to send a postconference newsletter or email to attendees that offers tips and tools for how to best apply what they learned in the workplace. It might include a checklist of steps to take or even links back to session handouts or videos of the general sessions.

There’s nondues revenue potential in this strategy, too. For an additional fee, your association could offer attendees a “personalized learning application counselor” who would check in with them on a regular basis and discuss how they’re implementing what they learned onsite.

“Conference buddies” could also play a role. Some associations use a buddy system to help attendees connect while onsite. But what if you offered up buddies after your conference? In the following weeks or months, they could connect a few times over the phone or online—and hold each other accountable for what they learned and discuss how they are applying it at work.

Associations could even move beyond the buddy system and connect attendees in small groups (think 10 or 15 people) in locations across the country. That way, they could meet in person on a schedule of their choosing. Doing this will also give your members the chance to build deeper connections throughout the year.

How has your association helped attendees ensure they are applying what they learned at your conference back at the office? Tell us all about it in the comments.

This article was originally sourced from Associations Now and written by Samantha Whitehorne. 

AuSAE have now released dates and speakers for the first round of Networking Luncheons for 2017. The topic for this round of Networking Luncheons is "Navigating Leadership Through a Changing Environment "

AuSAE's networking luncheons are a great way to connect with others in the industry to discuss high level topics of real importance, develop new relationships and gain critical information. This is a rare opportunity to network with other CEOs and senior management professionals from charities, associations and other non-profit organisations. Ample opportunity will be given for you to discuss issues and network with others.

See dates below for the first round of Networking Luncheons for 2017:

• Canberra Tuesday 21 February - Richard Stokes, Executive Director, Australian Boarding Schools Association 

• Adelaide Tuesday 7 March - Elaine Bensted, Chief Executive, Zoos SA
  

• Sydney Wednesday 8 March - Matthew Fisher, CEO, Chiropractors Association of Australia
  

• Brisbane Tuesday 14 March - Jane Schmitt, CEO, AMA Queensland

• Perth Thursday 16 March - Stephen Brown, Chief Executive Officer, The Western Australian Farmers Federation

• Melbourne Tuesday 28 March - Damian Paull, CEO, Franchise Council of Australia

The Accommodation Association of Australia (AAA) says it would oppose any move to impose a bed tax in popular tourist destinations. Byron Shire Mayor Simon Richardson flagged the idea of the tax, which he said was popular with many ratepayers. Cr Richardson said this was hardly surprising in an area attracting more than 1.5 million visitors per year.

He has called for other councils affected by big tourist numbers to back a renewed push for the levy to fund infrastructure. "I think a bed tax is a no-brainer," Cr Richardson said. "It's happened all around the world [and] it never made the tourism industry fall. "It's something that most visitors fully expect to pay and have the capacity to pay."

But AAA's chief executive Richard Munro described the idea as a risky move."You can't just raise taxes every time and expect people to pay them," he said.

"We're in competitive destinations [and] Byron Bay is a great location but it's not unique and people have a choice. "If you start putting levies on the consumers, you're going to find that people are going to start looking around; people are price-sensitive.

The butcher, the baker, the candlestick maker ... everyone's benefiting from tourism; it's not just the hotels and motels and serviced apartments — everyone benefits.

"It drives the economy, it drives jobs [and] you risk cooking the golden goose, almost. "If you start putting these levies on you'll find that people just won't go." The criticism came as no surprise Cr Richardson who said the tourism lobby was "pretty strong". "There's always a fear that you put in a tax, you're going to scare off visitors," he said. "I brought it up at a local government tourism conference only about six months ago, and the main powers-that-be were very quick to try to suggest that it was a flawed, ill-conceived idea. "Of course it's not; most of the world does it."

This article was originally sourced from ABC News and written by Bruce MacKenzie.

AuSAE has welcomed new members from the following organisations this month. Is your organisation on this list? If your organisation is on this list as an AuSAE organisational member but you are unsure if you are part of the membership bundle, please contact the friendly AuSAE team at info@ausae.org.au.

Not on this list? To join AuSAE today please visit our membership information page here.