By Leon Gettler, Talking Business >>

X2M CONNECT is setting up smart community grids in residential areas, with solar power offering participants a 40-50 percent reduction in energy costs and more efficient use of renewable energy.

A smart community is an enclave of households that all have solar power and then share excess solar energy, that they have not consumed, in a community battery which they get a credit for. This battery is then used to support local community buildings and, where they can, draw energy from the system when the sun isn’t shining.

“What we do is provide a solution that gives householders a 40-50 percent reduction in energy, much more efficient use of renewables and the ability to support the environment and reduce carbon emissions,” X2M Connect CEO, Mohan Jesudason told Talking Business. 

X2M is now building its market with its customer RESI Ventures. This will see smart community grids using renewables as well as using less energy.

“We have a little hub that goes into each home and it helps you manage your high energy use appliances like air conditioning and heating so you’re using more renewables, you’re drawing less from the grid and you’re reducing your carbon footprint,” Mr Jesudason said.

X2M has agreements in place with RESI and the RACV.

RESI Ventures is providing the real estate for the smart community grids and RACV is providing the solar panels.

Greenfield applications are ideal

“Clearly, greenfields discrete communities are tailor-made for this solution,” Mr Jesudason said.

“If you go to medium density housing, if you go to caravan parks, if you go to retirement villages, there’s a large base to tap.

“And indeed, we’re expecting 700,000-800,000 households in the next three years to be adding solar in Australia.”

RESI Ventures now has a smart community grid operating in Echuca.

“And of course, it’s a solution that’s transportable anywhere,” Mr Jesudason  said.

He said the response so far hds been positive, given the challenges of energy, rising electricity prices and concerns about the environment.

“With smart solutions that are affordable, you’re pushing against an open door,” he said.

“The fundamentals are: governments all around the world are encouraging a reduction in carbon, there are commitments being made to net zero. The population out there are demanding environmentally friendly solutions.

X2M Connect already going global

While it is based in the Melbourne suburb of Mt Waverly, X2M is a global company focused on the Asia-Pacific region.

Its business is digitising utilities in the Asia-Pacific with strong operations in South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and China.

The technology had been developed over the past decade.

It has a block of patents that are registered in a number of markets such as the US, Asia-Pacific, Australia and New Zealand.

“At this point in time, our focus is on the APAC region. We have an open mind as to the US and Europe but we don’t expect to move into those markets over the next couple of years,” Mr Jesudason said.

“Our priority is Australia and the broader APAC region. It’s a very big market.

“APAC has the largest population in the world, it’s the fastest growing, it’s urbanising, the governments have healthy balance sheets, they’re investing in infrastructure which includes technology.” 

www.x2mconnect.com

www.leongettler.com

Hear the complete interview and catch up with other topical business news on Leon Gettler’s Talking Business podcast, released every Friday at www.acast.com/talkingbusiness.

https://play.acast.com/s/talkingbusiness/talking-business-36-interview-with-mohan-jesudason-from-x2m-

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By Leon Gettler, Talking Business >>

WHEN ENTREPRENEUR Andrew Curnow wanted to create a charity to support women and children rebuilding their lives – as they recover from domestic violence – he was struck by how many charities there were surrounding that issue. Everything from national charities to local ones.

So, instead, he set up the Me Too Foundation in Melbourne, which manufactures Australian made personal care products and donates 100 percent of its profits to registered charities supporting survivors of domestic violence in Australia.

At this stage, the Me Too Foundation interacts with larger national charities like Rise Up Australia and the White Ribbon Foundation, but he also plans to expand it to smaller local charities focused on domestic violence.

The Me Too Foundation manufactures body care and soap products which include hand wash, bath soap, hand cream, gift sets and candles, all with natural botanical fragrances.

The products are distributed to consumers directly and through retailers across the country. And 100 percent of the profits are donated to registered charities supporting survivors of domestic violence in Australia. 

More support needed beyond big donors

Mr Curnow said the big charities received donations from business but were looking for other funding to keep going.

He said there were also hundreds of grass-roots charities helping women re-establish themselves after fleeing domestic violence.

“It’s difficult for us as a new organisation to align with all those initially, that’s why we went for the two national ones,” Mr Curnow told Talking Business.

“But ideally the goal is to disseminate money through a lot of those smaller charities as well.  Money is so chronically needed, it’s so underfunded.”

The way it does that is by selling as many products as it can.

Going for ‘ethical consumption’

Mr Curnow said businesses like the Me Too Foundation were part of the trend now for ‘ethical consumption’. The toilet paper company Who Gives A Crap, which sells 100 percent recycled toilet paper and donates 50 percent of its profits to build toilets in the developing world, is a good example of that.

“There is a massive trend from consumers to these types of products where it’s noted that their dollars are going to a good cause – and that’s exactly what we’re trying to do,” Mr Curnow said. 

“I think people’s budgets are stretched already. We’re not asking for people to put their hand out and donate more money. We’re asking simply that they change their brand of hand wash or body wash and buy a Me Too Foundation hand wash knowing that, at a very similar price to what they’re paying already, it’s a quality product and [purchasers know] those profits will go to a very good cause and support a desperately needed issue in Australia.”

Mr Curnow’s ultimate goal is to bring in other business partners and license the Me Too brand.

“My goal is to do to domestic violence what the Pink Ribbon did for breast cancer research,” he said.

“When I first had this idea, I trademarked the logo that we designed in every single product category I could think of with the idea that once we get going, that we could galvanise an entire industry.

“We could get some really good business partners on board to license the brand and all of that licensing money will also be funnelled the same way that we are donating now.”

www.leongettler.com

Hear the complete interview and catch up with other topical business news on Leon Gettler’s Talking Business podcast, released every Friday at www.acast.com/talkingbusiness.

https://play.acast.com/s/talkingbusiness/talking-business23-interview-with-andrew-curnow-from-the-me-

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COLES Little Athletics Community Fund is helping Little Athletics centres to stay on track with more than $250,000 in sports equipment grants to be distributed to 73 local centres across Australia for this summer’s season.

The latest round of grants takes Coles’ donation to grassroots Little Athletics centres to more than $2.2 million in four years. The funds help centres to buy new sports and safety equipment such as javelins, discuses, hurdles and defibrillators to support aspiring athletes and community volunteers.

This year’s grants have been made possible with money raised by Coles, its banana growers and customers during the inaugural Coles Little Athletics Banana A-Peel held earlier this year, when 10 cents of every kilogram of Cavendish bananas sold in Coles supermarkets was donated to the cause.

Coles Little Athletics Australia CEO Myles Foreman said the grants should “help centres immensely, particularly those severely impacted by the NSW and Queensland floods in February”.

“The past two seasons have been extremely testing for our clubs and centres who have battled numerous challenges such as COVID-19, floods and bushfires,” Mr Foreman said. 

“These natural disasters and the pandemic have not only impacted on Little Athletics centres’ ability to fundraise at a local level but it’s also had a huge impact on the morale of the centres. The grants from this round of the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund will not only help centres buy new equipment but it will lift the spirits of their volunteers, athletes and families for the new season.”

Coles general manager for corporate and Indigenous affairs, Sally Fielke said Coles was “delighted to continue to support grassroots Little Athletics through initiatives like the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund and banana donations”.

“Coles has been a proud supporter of Little Athletics for over five years, and we’re delighted to provide more than $250,000 in sports equipment grants to help local centres kickstart their new season,” Ms Fielke said.

“We’re very aware of the challenges local Little Athletics centres have faced over the past two years and we’re proud to do our bit to help them to recover and grow so that kids and families can continue to enjoy Little Athletics each week.”

Among the centres to receive a grant is Maryborough Amateur Athletics Club in Queensland whose clubrooms were under water seven months ago.

Club president Gavin Grantz said the grant would help the centre to rebuild and recover from the devastating floods.

“The floods last season destroyed some of our equipment and it also damaged our buildings, grounds and canteen equipment, which means that our ability to fundraise this season will be severely impacted,” Mr Grantz said.

 “The grant from Coles will allow volunteers to concentrate on training the athletes rather than constant fundraising as the club is still needing to pay for other repairs to the grounds.  It will help us to buy a new trolley for our volunteers to move equipment safely and efficiently and the new hurdles and javelins will provide a more enjoyable experience for our athletes.”

In addition to providing more than $2.2 million in equipment grants, Coles has donated more than 3.7 million bananas to Little Athletics centres since 2017.

www.coles.com.au/littleathleticsfund.

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RED TAPE cuts for all Australian charities that conduct fundraising are now in place, with the latest reform now taking effect in Queensland.

Charities that conduct fundraising in Queensland, which are registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), are now only required to report information about their fundraising activities to the ACNC in their Annual Information Statement.

The ACNC will share that information with Queensland’s Office of Fair Trading, eliminating the need for charities to report to two government bodies.

In addition, Queensland incorporated associations that are also registered charities can now report once to the ACNC and this will satisfy their reporting obligations to the Queensland regulator.

Acting ACNC Commissioner Deborah Jenkins said it was a big step to reduce the burden on charities. 

“We know charities want to focus on their main goals — to help people, animals, the environment and a range of causes. Many rely on fundraising to achieve their goals, so this reform matters to charities a great deal,” Ms Jenkins said.

“Queensland’s Office of Fair Trading has worked with us to streamline the processes around reporting and fundraising, and we are grateful for the collaboration to achieve this mutually beneficial outcome.”

Queensland Attorney-General and Minister for Fair Trading, Shannon Fentiman said the reduction in duplicated reporting would save more than 5,000 Queensland organisations precious time and money.

“Incorporated associations, charities, and community purpose organisations are a vital part of Queensland communities and our economy, and I’m pleased that so many will benefit from this reduction in regulatory obligations so they can focus on their core purpose of helping others,” Ms Fentiman said.

Ms Jenkins said the ACNC was proud to have reached agreements with all state and territory jurisdictions over the past few years to achieve significant red tape cuts, and the ACNC looked forward to working with them to make further progress.

“Red tape reduction is a priority for us,” Ms Jenkins said. “One of the ACNC’s objects is to promote the reduction of unnecessary regulatory obligations. There remains much to do, however, we are celebrating this significant step.”

All Australian charities can now submit their 2022 Annual Information Statement to the ACNC. This applies to the majority of charities that report to the ACNC on a financial year basis.

See more about the ACNC’s red tape reduction here.

www.acnc.gov.au

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