Business View Oceania - April 2024

qualification that’s operating in Australia at the moment – and we work closely with the university [UNE Partnerships] to deliver that. Part of the knowledge base is making sure that the Diploma of FM continues to be fit for purpose, relevant to the industry, supportive of skill enhancement, and responsive to changes in the industry.” BVO: What resources do you provide on the technology front? Burt: “We host an annual technology summit for FM professionals, which continues to generate strong demand. Given the rapid rate of technological change and its impact on the industry, the summit always features something new on the agenda for people to learn. About five years ago, we embarked on a “Future FM” series of National Summits –we’re now doing four summits a year. The summits are a one- day interactive session that offers members detailed information on a particular issue–usually areas that continue to evolve in a way that requires knowledge to be continuously kept up to date. This year we’ll focus on technology, contractor management and maintenance management, and residential facilities management – we’ve seen a significant increase in Australia in the number of people living in multi-unit residential dwellings, whether high-rise apartments or a campus-style arrangement. The other area we’ll be focussing on is compliance, which our members feel is a valuable resource to invest in.” BVO: How does FMA address environmental sustainability? Burt: “We’ve been working closely with the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. The Department funded a research project that we adapted into a Good Practice Guide on Energy Management; this was released just before Christmas.We’ll roll that out in other formats as well, including some training. It’s a focus area that continues to evolve with things like on-site generation, solar PV, and a whole range of other technologies that assist in changing the business case for various applications to reduce or alter the way we use energy. Energy management and demand management is an area with the potential to deliver, at very low cost, positive outcomes for individual companies and the economy as a whole.” 35 BUSINESS VIEW OCEANIA VOLUME 06, ISSUE 04 FACI L I TY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIAT ION AUSTRAL IA