Construction firm has faith in Cairns' future. NICK DALTON. BRISBANE-BASED Pensar. Construction Group has opened its fir
BUSINESSWEEK 25
CAIRNSPOST.COM.AU WEDNESDAY MARCH 25 2015
Do a funds health check NICK DALTON WITH interest rates at tempting lows, Cairns residents are being urged to ensure their debt levels don’t prevent them from accessing funds in an emergency. QSuper chief executive Rosemary Vilgan said unexpected health or property issues could require immediate access to personal funds, which may need to be borrowed from a lender or added on to existing credit cards and loans.
Blow of debt can be softened with a little financial planning She said it was wise for people to make a conscious effort to reduce debt and ensure cash was within reach when needed. “Debt is a burden and the last thing you want to worry about when faced with a personal emergency is whether you have sufficient funds to cover it,” Ms Vilgan said. “Nearly one in four people feel nothing they do will make
a difference to their financial situation and 30 per cent of people say they find dealing with money stressful. “But it’s never too late to take control of your finances. It’s important for Cairns residents to have an emergency finance plan in place to ease the burden a little when faced by a challenging situation.” Ms Vilgan said there were
three types of debt – good, bad and necessary – and knowing how to pay them off was crucial to making any inroads. Good debt refers to those such as tertiary education costs and investments, bad debt includes credit card debt and necessary debt is home and car loans. “When not managed properly, credit card debt can cause a lot of issues for people, with
high interest rate charges making it hard to clear the debt,” she said. Ms Vilgan said it was important for Cairns residents to determine how they would be placed in an emergency. “Ask yourself questions like, would you have sufficient savings or insurance to cover expenses if you had to take time off work unexpectedly? And,
Construction firm has faith in Cairns’ future NICK DALTON BRISBANE-BASED Pensar Construction Group has opened its first Queensland regional office in Cairns, confident of a rebounding economy and growth prospects. The office is headed by North Queensland’s regional manager, Adam Porter, who has spent two years overseeing company projects in NQ. Resourcing manager, Joel Martin, said Pensar was impressed with the business outlook in Cairns. “A contributing factor for the move is the way they do business up there. There is a lot of potential,” he said. The office is in Mulgrave Rd and next week more staff will start, including some from the 100 personnel in the Brisbane head office in engineering and site supervisor roles as well as employing local residents in support and administration. Mr Martin said up to 10 local staff would be hired in the next 12 to 18 months. “We’re here for the long term and we like establishing
long-term relationships with businesses and the local community,” he said. Mr Martin said establishing five to 10-year career paths for staff was another key part of Pensar’s operations. Established in Brisbane in 2000, it specialises in civil, building and utilities projects. Following the successful completion of Department of Transport and Main Roads slope stabilisation and roadworks on the Captain Cook Highway, the Kuranda Range and Kennedy Highway, the Cairns regional office will include civil, building and utilities business units. Pensar is about to manage the works to improve the Mitchell River Crossing on Strathleven Rd at Gamboola on behalf of the Tablelands Regional Council. Mr Martin said other works for the Department of Transport and Main Roads and the Cairns Regional Council include a river crossing with a bridge, a boat ramp and road and drainage works. The work ranges from multi-million dollar jobs to smaller ones.
READY TO GO: Brisbane-based Pensar Construction Group's North Queensland regional manager Adam Porter in their new Cairns office.
do you or your partner have a credit rating that would impact your ability to borrow money in an emergency?” She said setting aside, or having access to at least two to three months’ worth of income would go a long way to funding a personal crisis. For someone earning $1500 per week this equates to around $12,000 to $18,000.
Qantas to challenge ACCC rule QANTAS Airways plans to highlight the customer benefits of an expanded alliance with China Eastern after the competition watchdog said it could lead to higher airfares. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says it proposes to reject plans by Qantas and China Eastern to co-ordinate services between Australia and China. The tie-up could result in limited capacity or increased fares between Sydney and Shanghai, the ACCC says. Qantas International chief executive Gareth Evans has countered that more than 20 airlines already provided services between Australia and mainland China. But ACCC chairman Rod Sims said Qantas and China Eastern together accounted for more than 80 per cent of capacity on direct services between Sydney and Shanghai. The watchdog is seeking submissions by April 8 in relation to its draft determination.
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