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Appendix A
Action Status1. Support, engage with and promote the activities of the recently formed KnoxEnviroTech Network Incorporated, (KEN Inc.), in its endeavours to encouragecollaboration between EnviroTech businesses in Knox. This work will beundertaken in conjunction with the revised Greenleaf Business Program.
On hold pending outcomes of EnviroTech Industry Study (Appendix B)
2. Work with the KEN Inc. to prepare a Knox EnviroTech Industry Profile in orderto better understand the extent of the sector in Knox, its links and supply chainsand to identify products and services with market potential. This profile will assistCouncil and the KEN Inc. to introduce small EnviroTech companies to largerorganisations that may have need for their products and services, includingCouncil. Cooperation on the attraction of new environmental businesses andinvestment can also occur as part of the sector development actions.
Incoporated into EnviroTech Industry Study
3. Partner with KEN Inc. and other relevant parties to have selected Federal andState Government business and industry evelopment programs, (e.g. EnterpriseConnect, Victorian Department of Business and Innovation, Small BusinessVictoria), made more accessible to Knox EnviroTech businesses.
On hold pending outcomes of EnviroTech Industry Study
4. Conduct a program of visits to Knox EnviroTech businesses to determineviews on developing the local sector, and investigate how best to respond to anyidentified opportunities.
Incoporated into EnviroTech Industry Study
5. Further investigate the feasibility of developing a Knox EnviroTech IndustryProcurement Support Scheme to assist local businesses in the sector to developinnovative new products and services. Industry development opportunities areoften triggered by regulatory requirements that stem from government policy.Whilst this is most often obvious in response to Federal and State policy actionssuch as carbon pricing, green buildings or water restrictions, it could be scaleddown to apply at the local level.
Council could, as an example, agree to develop a specialised procurementprocess whereby it considers utilising a prototype, or early stage developmentproduct or service, thereby providing a ‘test bed’ to assist local companies tofurther develop and finalise these for production and introduction to the market.
On hold pending outcomes of EnviroTech Industry Study
6. Build marketing and investment attraction strategies that position Knox as acity dedicated to the development of its capacity as a location for environmentaltechnology development.
On hold pending outcomes of EnviroTech Industry Study
7. Work closely with local support agencies such as Swinburne’s National Centrefor Sustainability, VCAMM, (the Victorian Centre for Advanced MaterialsManufacturing), the Knox EnviroTech Network and the Small TechnologiesCluster and suitable others to help transfer technology, innovation andexperience between environmental technology firms in Knox.
Progressing well through the development of training and networking events.
8. Subject to annual budget procedures, establish a three year Funding andService Alliance with KIOSC, (the Knox Innovation and Opportunity SustainabilityCentre ).
To be completed by 30 June 2012.
Knox EnviroTech Action Agenda 2011-12
CIT
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Prepared for: City of Knox
Prepared by: Geografia
February 2012
www.geografia.com.au
Disclaimer This report has been prepared by Geografia for the City of Knox and is intended for their use. While every effort is made to provide accurate and complete information, Geografia do not warrant or represent that the information contained is free from errors or omissions and accepts no responsibility for any loss, damage, cost or expense (whether direct or indirect) incurred as a result of a person taking action in respect to any representation, statement, or advice referred to in this report.
i
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................... iii
1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Methodology...................................................................................................................... 1
2.0 Industry Overview .................................................................................................................. 3
2.1 What is Envirotech? .......................................................................................................... 3
2.2 Overall Industry Prospects ............................................................................................... 5
3.0 Profile of the Envirotech Sector in Knox .............................................................................. 7
3.1 Database Audit ................................................................................................................. 7
3.2 Online Survey .................................................................................................................. 10
3.3 One-on-One Meetings ..................................................................................................... 13
4.0 Key Findings ........................................................................................................................ 15
4.1 Is there an Envirotech Sector? ....................................................................................... 15
4.2 What is the Industry’s Current Status? ......................................................................... 15
4.3 Why are they in Knox? .................................................................................................... 16
4.4 What are the Main Impediments to Growth? ................................................................ 16 Contrasts between Small and Large Firms ............................................................................ 17
4.5 What Can Council Do? .................................................................................................... 18
4.6 Summary of Findings...................................................................................................... 19
5.0 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 21
5.1 Overview .......................................................................................................................... 21
5.2 Proposed Envirotech Development Strategy ................................................................. 23
Objective 1 Networks and Social Capital .............................................................................. 23
Objective 2 Market Development and Product Awareness ................................................. 23
Objective 3 Affordable and Adequate Land ......................................................................... 24
Objective 4 High Quality Physical Infrastructure .................................................................. 24
Objective 5 Support for Price Sensitive Manufacturing Enterprises .................................. 25
6.0 References .......................................................................................................................... 26
Appendix .......................................................................................................................................... 27
List of Envirotech Enterprises ..................................................................................................... 28
Online Survey Questions ............................................................................................................. 33
ii
Figures
Figure 1 Comparison of Envirotech Enterprises and Industry Employment ............................. 9
Figure 2 Concentration of Envirotech Industry - Knox ............................................................. 10
Figure 3 Envirotech Sector Influence Diagram ........................................................................ 22
Tables
Table 1 Selected Envirotech Definitions ....................................................................................... 4
Table 2 Number of Knox Envirotech Enterprises by Industry and Category ............................... 8
Table 3 Knox Envirotech Enterprises by Alternative Categories .................................................. 8
Table 4 Knox Envirotech Online Survey Profile of Enterprises ................................................... 11
Table 5 Knox Envirotech Enterprise and Industry Profile ........................................................... 12
Table 6 Impediments to Envirotech Growth in Knox .................................................................. 13
Table 7 One-on-One Participant Profile ....................................................................................... 13
iii
Executive Summary
This report summarises the findings from an exploratory study into the Envirotech industry
in the City of Knox. The study was commissioned to answer the following questions:
1) What is the most appropriate way to define and describe an environmental
technologies sector for Knox?
2) What are the drivers that will influence development of an environmental
technologies sector in Australia and their implications for business and
government? What are the local considerations?
3) What are the relevant views of organisations active or keen to be active in the
local environmental technologies sector?
4) What environmental technology businesses currently exist in Knox, and what
are their key characteristics, shared challenges and opportunities?
5) What approach could be taken by the City of Knox to foster creation of a
strong Envirotech sector locally?
The research included a desktop literature review; 13 one-on-one interviews; telephone
canvassing of 160 putative Envirotech enterprises in Knox and an online survey (n=157).
The study found:
1. The Envirotech sector can be described as that sector which manufactures
or distributes products or provides services that help create environmental
solutions.
2. Unlike more established sectors of the economy, the global Envirotech sector is
growing and notwithstanding future economic uncertainty, this is expected to
continue. This growth is in response to new markets; new regulations; and more
efficient and cost-effective technologies (e.g. alternative energy).
3. The sector’s heavy reliance on new technologies and the diffusion of ideas (for
both solutions and for raising market awareness), mean that it is spatially tied to
particular locations (i.e. near advanced manufacturing and other high technology
regions) and responds positively to clustering effects.
4. As is the case with newly emerging industry sectors, the regions that capture the
Envirotech sector in the early development stages will have a clear advantage as it
grows over the next few decades.
5. At the same time, however, as a newly emerging sector it requires government
policy support to assist in infrastructure provision; ideas diffusion; networking and
market development and penetration.
6. Knox already has a solid base in the Envirotech sector, particularly in advanced
manufacturing and professional services. It also has an extensive array of assets
including a resident knowledge worker base; research precincts (e.g.
CSIRO/Monash); education clusters (e.g. Swinburne/KIOSC); and business
accelerators (e.g. VCAMM and the Small Technologies Cluster). In combination with
a pro-active Council policy, there is significant potential for the industry to grow and
for Knox to become the centre of Envirotech in the State, if not the country.
iv
7. Potential strategic objectives to support the sector’s growth in Knox include:
i. Building networks and social capital;
ii. Assistance with market development and product awareness, particularly
for SMEs;
iii. Ensuring access to affordable and adequate land for expansion of the
sector;
iv. Advocating for, or providing high quality physical infrastructure; and
v. Support for price sensitive manufacturing enterprises to ensure they
remain competitive.
1
1.0 Introduction
This report summarises the findings from an exploratory study into the Envirotech industry
in the City of Knox. The study was commissioned to address the following:
A. Background Information
1) What is the most appropriate way to define and describe an environmental
technologies sector for Knox?
2) What are the drivers that will influence development of an environmental
technologies sector in Australia and their implications for business and
government? What are the local considerations?
3) What are the relevant views of organisations active or keen to be active in the
local environmental technologies sector?
4) What environmental technology businesses currently exist in Knox, and what
are their key characteristics, shared challenges and opportunities?
B. Recommendations
5) What approach could be taken by the City of Knox to foster creation of a
strong Envirotech sector locally?
A desktop literature and data review, in-depth one-on-one interviews; a wide-ranging
telephone canvassing exercise; and an online survey were employed to gather information
in respect to these questions. In broad terms, the study found that the sector is well
represented in the region, particularly in professional services (e.g. environmental auditing)
and manufacturing. By contrast, while present, there was a notably low representation of
construction industry enterprises working in the Envirotech space, relative to the overall
size of construction in the municipality.
This study has found sufficient evidence to justify a development strategy to support the
growth of the industry. This should be informed by the existing form of the sector in the
municipality and guided by the City’s Economic Development Strategy and Vision 2025.
The EDS outlines most of the challenges and opportunities the Envirotech sector faces and
this study extends some of these concepts.
Opportunities for intervention include support for small and large enterprises such as:
facilitation of ideas generation networks; lobbying at State and Commonwealth level; and
assistance in the provision of appropriately serviced land. There is also scope for
collaboration across the region to help build a broad-ranging innovation environment that
leverages from the presence of high technology and advanced manufacturing enterprises
and institutions.
1.1 Methodology
After preliminary data analysis, the project drew its information from:
1. A literature review of relevant material on the emergence of the Envirotech sector
and local industry development policy.
2
2. Development of a project website to share information between project
collaborators.
3. Development (via a literature review and analysis of the nature of existing
Envirotech enterprises in Knox) of a working description of the Envirotech sector.
4. An evaluation of Council databases to compile a list of known Envirotech
enterprises located in, and immediately adjacent to, the municipality (see
Appendix for list of firms).
5. Telephone contact with all enterprises listed on the database to determine whether
they fit the description of Envirotech as determined in step 3.
6. An online survey to query issues, including awareness of the concept of the
Envirotech sector (see Appendix for survey questions).
7. One-on-one interviews with 13 Envirotech (or Envirotech-related) enterprises or
institutions with a presence in (or near to) Knox.
8. The development of an ‘Influence Diagram’ to trace out the important cause and
effect relationships in the sector and, thereby, reveal the main leverage points.
3
2.0 Industry Overview
A summary of the background information is provided below. The focus is on the definition,
scale and scope of the Envirotech industry; and the nature of its presence in Knox.
2.1 What is Envirotech?
The Envirotech and cleantech sector is increasingly recognised as a distinct and important
part of the global economy. It was worth an estimated $US1 trillion in 2008, and is
expected to grow to close to $US3 trillion by 2020 (despite uncertainty in the global
economic landscape). In Australia it is estimated to be worth some $22 billion per annum
(DEEDI, 2011) and a recent CSIRO (2008) report projects that by 2050, 2 to 3 million new
jobs could be created in the clean tech sector1 (mostly renewable energy).
This growth is driven by several factors. Foremost amongst them is that business,
government and consumers are increasingly aware of the need to curb Greenhouse Gas
emissions2. Growth is also expected as other important national environmental issues (e.g.
salinity, erosion, and water and air quality) are addressed. This alone is sufficient to
warrant the development of local policies to support the sector. In fact, some governments
(e.g. the Queensland State Government) have already put in place strategic plans to do just
that.
At the same time, Envirotech industry representatives have raised concerns about ‘green
washing’, in which firms use Envirotech concepts such as sustainability as part of branding
or marketing without necessarily making it part of their product or service delivery. In this
context, it is relatively important to ensure there is a clear definition of what the Envirotech
industry is.
The literature offers several options for this, as do various industry bodies representing or
working in the sector. Definitions vary from a list of functional categories (e.g. the
Environmental Management Industry Association of Australia) to a simple expression of
intent (Cleantech Finland). Table 1 summarises a selection of these.
Key themes common to these definitions are:
Introducing production processes that minimise the impact on the environment;
Expanding commercial activity into new products and services that respond to
market demand for environmentally sustainable consumption; and
Remediating environmental damage.
1 A term that is often used inter-changeably with Envirotech. 2 In fact most of the CSIRO’s (2008) projected jobs growth is predicated on a shift to a low-carbon
economy.
4
Table 1 Selected Envirotech Definitions
Source Definition
OECD Activities which produce goods and services to measure, prevent,
limit or correct damage to water, air and soil, as well as problems
related to waste, noise and ecosystems. Also includes activities that
produce clean technologies, processes, products and services
which will reduce environmental risk and minimise pollution and
material use.
Cleantech Finland All products, services, processes and technologies which prevent or
reduce impacts of harmful actions on environment.
Government of
Queensland
A diverse range of innovative technologies, products, services and
processes that measure, avoid, reduce or remediate negative
environmental impacts. It covers six sectors: clean energy;
environmental services; land management services; green building
and materials; resource recovery and recycling; sustainable
transport; and water and wastewater management.
Environmental
Industries Association
(USA)
Enterprises that manage solid, hazardous, and medical wastes;
manufacture and distribute waste equipment; and offer related
pollution- prevention services.
Canadian
Environment Industry
Association
Firms, corporations or divisions or units thereof which provide
environmental solutions (environmental products, technologies or
services).
Environment
Management Industry
Association of
Australia
Representing and helping organisations in the business of providing
Environment management goods, systems and services working in:
waste management and recycling;
pollution, noise and radiation control;
water and waste-water treatment and reuse;
energy conservation;
monitoring and process control;
cleaner production; and
soils and land management.
Dr Mary Good,
University of Arkansas
All revenue generating activities associated with:
compliance with environmental regulations;
environmental assessment, analysis and protection;
pollution control, waste management and remediation of
contaminated property;
provision and delivery of the environmental resources of
water, recovered materials, and clean energy; and
technologies and activities that contribute to increased
energy and resource efficiency, high productivity and
sustainable economic growth.
5
Drawing on this information, this study commenced with the following working definition:
The Envirotech sector manufactures products or provides services that
help create environmental solutions.
In the preliminary audit of Knox-based Envirotech enterprises, it became clear that using a
simple definition such as this may impede the longer-term strategic planning process as it
would not distinguish between different parts of the industry that may require different
forms of policy support. For example, while a focus on advanced manufacturing of
Envirotech products is important in view of Knox's business profile and skills base; this
should not be at the expense of distributors of Envirotech products. While this part of the
sector may not generate the same opportunities for skilled employment, these enterprises
have an important role to play in creating a market for innovative products and services.
Moreover, a narrow definition does not reflect the fact that, in the longer-term, a large part
of the economy may become Envirotech enterprises out of necessity. That is, while
currently the Envirotech sector is predominantly focused on specific manufactured
products or services, over time, it may come to embody a production principle, rather than
outcome. To address this, the definition was separated into distinct categories.
Category 1: Enterprise that manufactures a product or provides services that help create
environmental solutions.
Category 2: Enterprises that wholesale or retail a product that helps create environmental
solutions.
Category 3: Enterprises that uses environmentally sustainable processes and practices in
its operations (e.g. has ISO 14001 accreditation), but does not manufacture
a product or provide a service that directly helps create environmental
solutions.
Category 0: Enterprises provided by Council that do not fit into categories 1, 2 or 3
NOTE: as this is partly a response to Knox’s distinctive economic landscape (with its focus
on manufacturing) these categories do not necessarily capture the full range of Envirotech
typologies that may exist in other locations. However, it is considered a relevant
nomenclature for Knox.
2.2 Overall Industry Prospects
The relatively positive prospects for the Envirotech sector arise from unique characteristics
that make it respond to different growth drivers to those of traditional industry sectors. For
example, established industries are competing in well developed, invariably crowded
market places, effectively looking for further penetration in a tight market. By contrast, the
Envirotech sector is growing through multiple pathways, including new market and product
development and diversification. The key drivers of the industry are:
Higher energy prices compelling business consumers (and, to a lesser extent)
households to seek out energy efficiency gains;
6
The increase in the cost of raw materials, again driving the search for more
efficient use of materials, re-use or recycling of materials and less overall waste;
Environmental legislation, such as Australia's imminent carbon tax;
Emerging market opportunities. This relates more to growing environmental
awareness amongst consumers;
The relative decline in the cost of Envirotech input costs (e.g. energy efficient
building materials becoming more price competitive with traditional materials);
Innovation and entrepreneurialism generating (or seeking out) new ideas in
products and production processes; and
Universities continuing to generate a supply of 'raw' ideas.
While most of these drivers relate to business production and consumption, to some extent
they impact on the household sector as well.
Given the reliance on new technologies and knowledge, it is no surprise that Envirotech
activity is concentrated in well known high technology clusters such as Silicon Valley.
Envirotech is, in essence a high skilled, relatively high technology, innovation-driven sector
and, consequently benefits from agglomeration economies much as other high technology
fields do. It will thrive when there are large labour and knowledge pools and other shared
resources to draw on. Perhaps the most important spatial implications of this are that:
1. The Envirotech sector can be spatially tied to particular areas in which it
benefits from the clustering effects of access to the necessary skills,
infrastructure and ideas diffusion networks.
2. As with all newly emerging industry sectors the initial conditions are critical to
the future development pathway. For example, those regions that capture the
sector’s growth in its early stages are much more likely to experience growth
in the sector as it expands (e.g. consider Seattle and aircraft manufacturing).
It should be noted that the sector’s future prospects are not certain. While the net change
in the sector over the five years has been strong, capitalisation peaked closer to $20 billion
in 2007 and the fell after the demise Commonwealth's first Carbon Price Reduction
Scheme. So as the high tech sector (particularly IT) experienced, Envirotech’s growth
trajectory is sensitive to external conditions. The new carbon price scheme then may well
have stimulating impact on the industry. In terms of recent volatility, for example, market
capitalisation of listed Australian Envirotech companies grew from around $4 billion in
2005 to $10 billion today (most of which is in renewable energy reflecting the high capital
costs of this industry subsector).
There is an important role for the public policy to help manage this uncertainty and
volatility. Additionally, as a sector that relies on clustering effects, it is dependent on initial
conditions. This means that, once agglomeration commences, it can be difficult to change
the trend. Places in which Envirotech activity emerges early stand a greater chance of
succeeding in the longer term.
The next section provides an overview of the Envirotech sector in Knox, its drivers and the
challenges it faces.
7
3.0 Profile of the Envirotech Sector in Knox
This section provides an overview of the scale, nature and views of Knox’s Envirotech
sector and introduces some key themes. The audit of the sector in Knox was undertaken in
several steps.
1. Database Audit
Firstly existing Council databases were compiled into a single preliminary
Envirotech enterprise database. Each of the more than 160 firms on this combined
list were then contacted and queried on their relationship to Envirotech activities.
This work was supplemented by an online search for other firms and a review of
the Australian Standards database of firms with ISO14001 accreditation. The final
list of enterprises were classified by type, and then mapped via GIS.
2. Online Survey
An online survey was then run (157 valid responses). Combined with the database
audit, this provided sufficient information to estimate the size, location and nature
of the industry in Knox.
3. One-on-One Meetings
More detailed examination of industry prospects and challenges were obtained
through 13 one-on-one or small group meetings with Envirotech businesses or
institutions with a presence in (or near to) Knox.
3.1 Database Audit
Table 2 summarises the audit of the Envirotech sector in Knox. Close to 160 enterprises
were contacted and 118 firms were identified as members of a category within the
Envirotech sector. The breakdown by industry largely follows Knox’s overall industry profile
(with an important exception - construction). It is dominated by manufacturing, followed by
professional services. A complete list of these firms is provided as an electronic
attachment to this report. In summary, the Envirotech sector makes up:
Around 1% of all enterprises in Knox;
4% of all manufacturers;
100% of all utilities firms3;
0.4% of the construction sector; and
1.2% of all wholesale enterprises.
While it is not yet possible to confidently calculate the total number of people employed in
Envirotech in Knox (this will require a more detailed, comprehensive business survey),
matching the available ABS and business data to the online survey results (see next
section) suggests somewhere in the range of 1,800-4,000 Envirotech jobs already located
in Knox (the large range is due to the high degree of uncertainty in manufacturing).
3 By definition, waste and waste water treatment firms are part of the Envirotech sector. However, actual
operational processes do not necessarily comply with environmental regulatory standards such as
ISO14001.
8
Table 2 Number of Knox Envirotech Enterprises by Industry and Category
Category 1 2 3 0 Total
Construction 10 1 0 0 11
Manufacturing 48 7 1 8 64
Prof. Scientific, Technical 15 4 1 0 20
Utilities 10 2 0 0 12
Wholesale/Retail 5 5 0 1 11
TOTAL 88 19 2 9 118
Using the Clean Edge (Pernick et al, 2011) categories, these 118 firms can be classified as
follows (Table 3).
Table 3 Knox Envirotech Enterprises by Alternative Categories
Category 1 2 3 0 Total
Air and environment 24 1 1 0 26
Energy efficiency 11 0 0 0 11
Energy generation 4 0 0 0 4
Energy infrastructure 2 1 0 0 3
Energy storage 1 0 0 0 1
Manufacturing/industrial 15 7 1 5 28
Materials 4 1 0 0 5
Recycling and waste 17 0 0 0 17
Transportation 4 1 0 1 6
Water and wastewater 6 8 0 3 17
Agriculture 0 0 0 0 0
Total 88 19 2 9 118
This classification structure highlights the dominance of air and water quality firms and,
again, manufacturing.
The notable absence in this list is the construction industry. This is highlighted further in
Figure 1, which compares the Envirotech sector presence with the workforce and
enterprise breakdown by industry. While the construction industry makes up around 21%
of all businesses in Knox, it only accounts for 9% of Envirotech businesses. While it is
reasonable to assume this study may not have captured the entirety of the industry that is
part of the Envirotech sector (particularly micro-enterprises), the low count of construction
firms may also reflect the slow uptake of Envirotech principles and practices within
commercial and residential construction. That is, it is still something of a boutique industry,
which suggests some room for growth.
9
Figure 1 Comparison of Envirotech Enterprises and Industry Employment4
Data source: ABS, 2006; Geografia
In terms of locational distribution, the Envirotech sector is found across most of Knox’s
commercial or industrial sites (Figure 2) and several firms are also located in adjoining
municipalities. As industry stakeholders point out, these boundaries are, and should be,
porous and the influence of universities and research infrastructure5 in surrounding LGAs
should be incorporated into the strategic planning for the sector’s growth in Knox. This
aligns with the City’s EDS principle of collaboration with regional stakeholders and should
underpin any interventions in the Envirotech sector. There are also opportunities for better
linkages between sectors – for example linking the construction industry to advanced
manufacturing and materials research.
In summary there is a solid presence of Envirotech businesses and employment in Knox.
Intervention should have a region-wide focus as growth of the sector across the region will
benefit growth within Knox. In practical terms co-operation with neighbouring councils,
Regional Development Victoria and the State Government are likely to generate
substantially greater local growth than if Knox were to undertake an industry development
strategy on its own.
4 ‘Utilities’ includes recycling, waste and waste water treatment firms. 5 For example, the Australian Synchrotron and the Centre for Nanofabrication. The latter has instruments
that are being used for solar cell construction, while the Synchrotron is being used by industry to refine
enviro-technology.
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Co
nstr
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on
Ma
nu
factu
rin
g
Pro
fessio
na
l,
Scie
nti
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nd
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nic
al
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es
Uti
liti
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Wh
ole
sa
le
Pro
po
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f To
tal
Envirotech Enterprises (%) Resident Workforce (%)
Local Jobs (%) Total Enterprises (%)
10
Figure 2 Concentration of Envirotech Industry - Knox
Data source: Geografia
3.2 Online Survey
There were 157 valid responses to the online survey. Respondents were asked to indicate
whether they were part of the Envirotech sector and, if so, whether it related to their
product or service, their production process or both. They were also asked to indicate
which ANZSIC industry sector best described them. A total of 57 respondents (36%)
indicated the Envirotech definitions accurately described their product, service, and/or
production process. Slightly over half indicated they were not part of the sector and 8%
were not sure. Respondents Table 4 summarises the respondents’ profile6.
6 Due to the high proportion of respondents who did not indicate which ANZSIC industry sector best
described them no conclusion can be drawn about whether this survey captured a representative sample.
11
Table 4 Knox Envirotech Online Survey Profile of Enterprises
Industry Sector Envirotech
Product/Service
Envirotech
Process
Both Non-
Envirotech
Not
Sure
Total Proportion
Accommodation, Food and Tourism Services 1 - 1 - - 2 1.3%
Construction 3 2 1 - 1 7 4.5%
Education and Training 1 - - - - 1 0.6%
Financial and Insurance Services 1 2 - - - 3 1.9%
Health Care and Social Assistance 1 - - - - 1 0.6%
Information, Media and Telecommunications - 1 - - - 1 0.6%
Manufacturing 2 9 2 1 5 19 12.1%
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 5 2 - - 3 10 6.4%
Public Administration and Safety - - - - 1 1 0.6%
Recycling, Water and Waste Services 5 2 1 - - 8 5.1%
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services - - - - 1 1 0.6%
Retail 4 - 2 - 1 7 4.5%
Wholesale Trade 6 2 1 - - 9 5.7%
No Response - - - 86 1 87 55.4%
TOTAL 29 20 8 87 13 157 100.0%
12
Table 5 compares the 2008 industry profile for Knox with the Envirotech respondent
profiles from the online survey and the database audit. Mindful of the high number of non-
responses to the ANZSIC classification query, these data also indicate there is an
‘undersupply’ of construction industry enterprises operating in the Envirotech sector. They
also highlight the dominance of manufacturing and professional services in Envirotech
(and the need to target further quantitative analysis at these sectors).
Table 5 Knox Envirotech Enterprise and Industry Profile
Industry Sector Propn Knox
Enterprises
Propn. Online Survey
(Envirotech Only)
Propn
Audit
Accommodation, Food & Tourism 1.4% 3.5% -
Construction 21.2% 10.5% 9.3%
Education and Training 1.1% 1.8% -
Financial and Insurance Services 5.7% 5.3% -
Health Care and Social Assistance 3.1% 1.8% -
Information, Media and Telecomm. 1.7% 1.8% -
Manufacturing 10.8% 22.8% 54.2%
Professional, Sc. & Tech Services 4.1% 12.3% 16.9%
Public Administration and Safety 2.7% 0.0% -
Recycling, Water and Waste 0.1% 14.0% 0.8%
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate 1.2% 0.0% -
Retail 12.1% 10.5% -
Wholesale Trade 7.1% 15.8% 9.3%
No Response - 3.5% -
TOTAL 72.3% 100.0% 100%
Data source: ABS, 2008
The critical qualitative question in the online survey asked respondents what, if anything
was stopping the Envirotech sector from growing in Knox. Of the 46 responses to this
question, there were 42 valid answers from Envirotech businesses (Table 6). Over one
quarter cited government support (particularly to assist in market development) as the
main impediment. The economic development planning literature has long noted the
importance of public policy in supporting emerging industries so that they are able to
compete more effectively with established ideas and products. The second most important
issue, and closely related, was market awareness. That is, consumer/end user awareness
of the value and availability of Envirotech products and services.
Some stakeholders also indicated their willingness to continue to assist Council in
developing strategies to grow the industry. This database of industry contacts can be
drawn on to bring together fixed-term committees for strategic planning purposes.
13
Table 6 Impediments to Envirotech Growth in Knox
Impediment No. Responses Percentage
Capital investment required 8 19
Lack of access, information and knowledge of Envirotech 6 14.3
Needs better support from Government and Council 11 26.2
Economic climate 4 9.5
Low demand 4 9.5
Nothing 5 11.9
Not sure 4 9.5
TOTAL 42 100
3.3 One-on-One Meetings
The 13 one-on-one meetings were an opportunity to have detailed discussions about why
particular Envirotech enterprises had located in Knox; what sort of factors would
encourage them to stay or leave; and what Council could do to support the expansion of
the industry in Knox. Table 7 provides the participant profiles.
Table 7 One-on-One Participant Profile
Enterprise Main Activity Industry Sector
Alfa-Tek Australia Monitoring equipment Manufacturing
ALS Water Resources Group Laboratory Professional
Services
Astec Paints Paint manufacturer Manufacturing
Bernie's Greener Homes Energy efficiency consultant Professional
Services
CSIRO Research Professional
Services
Davey Water Products P/L Water treatment & equipment Manufacturing
Greenspeed Recumbent Trikes Alternative transport Manufacturing
KIOSC Skills training Education
Livos Australia P/L Non-toxic, plant based cleaners Wholesale
Megara (Australia) P/L Recycled stationery and packaging
products Manufacturing
Nature's Organics Environmentally friendly personal
and household cleaning products Manufacturing
Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia Instruments and laboratory testing
equipment
Professional
Services
VCAMM Ltd Research and product development Manufacturing
14
The most consistent findings were:
• Why did they locate in Knox?
• Convenient to the owners/managers’ place of residence;
• Captive local market of households (e.g. housing stock that is reaching a
stage at which it needs renewal) and businesses; and
• Pleasant environment (with view of hills).
• What particular attributes of Knox allow them/encourage them to stay?
• Melbourne is a better location for many firms than Sydney due to easier
logistics (better road, rail and port infrastructure), cheaper land and
perception of a more liveable city. Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide aren't
competitors in this regard;
• Close to skilled labour pool, particularly current staff;
• Cost of relocation is prohibitive;
• Accessibility to freeways (for staff and goods) important, although this
results in heavy reliance on private transport, which can be a weakness;
• Supply chains are scattered over metropolitan area, but effective road
network offsets this; and
• Larger high standard industrial commercial estates (e.g. Caribbean
Business Park) provide high amenity infrastructure.
• What are the concerns about the prospects for the industry?
• Electricity costs may lead to off-shoring;
• There is still an element of ‘green washing’ in the wider economy. This
undermines the brand value of true Envirotech products and services. By
the same token, Envirotech stakeholders taking the long-term view believe
that all economic activity should eventually aspire to be part of the
Envirotech sector; and
• Government regulation needed to encourage investment in Envirotech,
expand market share and ‘level the playing field’.
A more detailed discussion of these results can be found in the next section.
15
4.0 Key Findings
Combining the audit, survey and interview results revealed several common themes7.
These are summarised below.
4.1 Is there an Envirotech Sector?
In some cases study participants indicated they were not part of an Envirotech sector
despite their operations fitting the description. This was consistent for telephone, online
survey and interview respondents. It suggests that there may be other firms in Knox that
are part of the sector but, as yet, have not acknowledged this. By contrast, local industry
institutions do take note of it and are making efforts to build the industry profile and
market base (e.g. CSIRO, VCAMM, Small Technologies Cluster, KIOSC). In summary, while
there is clearly an emerging sector in Knox, not all potential ‘members’ acknowledge that
they are part of it. This means that the sector may be larger than the audit and survey
indicate.
4.2 What is the Industry’s Current Status?
There is some degree of uncertainty across the economy and this is no less so for the
Envirotech sector. Key concerns are the Dutch Disease phenomenon (the high value of the
dollar is reducing the price competiveness of manufacturing in Australia); the decline in
retail and manufacturing activity; and electricity prices. As a still emerging sector, it is no
surprise that expectations for Envirotech are mixed. Industry projections are positive, but
the industry itself does not have a long track record of success, which makes some
stakeholders concerned and investors cautious (there has been a drop in capital
investment over the last few years). Moreover, as noted earlier, green washing can
undermine the already fragile brand recognition of Envirotech products and services.
Overall, interviewees claim that growth has stalled and that, without regulatory
intervention, cheaper, more established products will continue to dominate end-user
markets.
Notwithstanding this concern, renewable energy has positive outlooks. Cheaper Chinese
wind turbines and solar panels are expected to dominate the Australian market in the
coming years and spur new investment in energy generation. Additionally, the longer-term
view is that price, regulation and environmental necessity will eventually compel more
enterprises to enter the Envirotech space. To that end, establishing a strong presence,
Envirotech network and innovation chain will put Knox in a good position to be at the
forefront of this transition. As noted in Section 2, those places that are able to position
themselves as Envirotech ‘hubs’ in the early stages stand a much better chance of
benefiting from future growth in the sector.
7 All meeting notes and survey results are available on the project website.
16
4.3 Why are they in Knox?
Overall, it was noted that Melbourne has distinct advantages over any other Australian city
with respect to advanced manufacturing and Envirotech. This means it is well placed to
attract more Envirotech enterprises, although this may not apply to parts of the industry
that do not rely on manufacturing or professional services (e.g. renewable energy provision,
rather than manufacturing of renewable energy machinery).
Although initial set-up in Knox was largely due to convenience for the owners/managers,
stakeholders also noted the quality of life and access to affordable commercial/industrial
land as advantages. Given that, internationally, Envirotech clusters are found in
geographical proximity to high amenity, high tech regions (e.g. Silicon Valley), it should
come as no surprise that Envirotech stakeholders in Knox argue for improvements to these
commercial and private amenity attributes.
Most enterprise representatives acknowledged that they planned to remain in Knox due to
its skilled resident labour force; access to quality residential areas; the cost of relocation;
and the proximity to key public and not-for-profit institutions (schools, universities, VCAMM
and CSIRO for example). Some stakeholders also noted that there is a potentially large
local market for products (households and firms), due, in part, to relatively high household
incomes. However, this had yet to manifest itself fully, which speaks to the need to address
market awareness issues. Additionally, while high value supply chains for the industry are
scattered over the metropolitan area, the local road network offsets this and is an
important asset to the region.
In summary, there are several compounding push-pull factors that support the retention of
the sector in Knox. However, given economic uncertainty, there is no guarantee that some
of the larger anchor firms (particularly those with tight profit margins) will be able to
remain the region, or for smaller firms to gain sufficient market penetration to expand. In
this context, competitive advantage is a moving target.
4.4 What are the Main Impediments to Growth?
There are global and local impediments to sectoral growth, as well as differences between
the concerns of small and large enterprises. The global issues are:
A two speed economy and strong Australian dollar (i.e. the Dutch Disease
phenomenon) affecting the prospects of all non-primary economic activity;
The prospect of higher electricity prices cutting already tight margins and local
products losing market share to increasingly cheaper imported products; and
The limited social capital within the sector, which impedes access to resources,
capital and ideas (particularly for emerging enterprises).
Within the State and Knox the key issues are:
The need for high quality, well-serviced industrial/commercial land for expansion;
Limited access to waste disposal sites;
Lack of market awareness of products;
17
A growing lack of high quality, but affordable commercial space (land and
buildings);
Regulatory constraints impeding enterprise growth;
Uncertainty over the impact of a carbon price (e.g. increased electricity costs and
potential for enhanced market opportunities);
The longer-term risk of an undersupply of skilled labour; and
Lack of government support for market development and diversification.
Interview participants reported that the downturn in construction and retail activity had
started to affect the Envirotech sector. This is particularly so in cases where Envirotech
products and services were competing with more established (often cheaper) options.
Contrasts between Small and Large Firms
Rosenthal and Strange (2010) found the local presence of smaller firms is more closely
associated with employment and enterprise growth than larger firms (smaller firms are
more inclined to source their inputs locally thereby generating growth). However, larger
firms can increase local market awareness, and can provide a large pool of skilled labour,
training and ideas to stimulate broader industry growth. Both types of firm are necessary
for an industry sector to thrive and, given the striking difference in the perceptions and
needs of small and larger firms, strategic planning must tailor responses to suit the needs
of each.
Comparing the literature with the survey and consultation results reveals the following
growth drivers for small firms:
Reliance on key businesses (manufacturing and distributors of imported goods) to
provide enabling technologies;
Product marketing and meaningful government policy and funding support,
including assistance with (or promotion of) relevant grant and other funding
programs;
The need for a showcase of products and services (e.g. Knox Central);
The need for small, affordable parcels of well-serviced commercial/industrial land;
and
Education and awareness to improve market penetration (for both household and
business consumers).
For larger firms, the drivers are:
• Affordable factor inputs (especially sufficiently scaled, well serviced land and
affordable energy);
• Ongoing access to a highly skilled, resident workforce (there is some concern
about future supply);
• Capacity to host highly skilled, highly mobile workers (e.g. international visitors)
and business forums; and
• Access to national and international markets.
Smaller firms reported the need for assistance with networking and exposure (e.g. expos or
demonstration projects). This is to help expand their markets. Larger firms report having
the in-house capacity to do this and, instead, their concerns relate to broader regulatory
18
change to help grow, support local manufacturing in general and explore innovative ideas
for improving their business. For example, there have been at least two exploratory studies
into local power generation (wind and solar) by Envirotech firms. This is in response to
concerns about electricity prices8. While focused on bottom line issues, these efforts also
reflect the firms’ underlying commitment to continuous improvement of their Envirotech
processes.
In summary:
• Smaller firms need assistance with networking, exposure (e.g. expos or
showcases) and, in some cases, lubricating funds;
• Larger firms need land assembly, long-term innovation and skills input and
regulatory support; and
• All firms need knowledge sharing forums that will appeal to the company bottom
line and so attract more participants. These need to be informal, occasional and
personal (i.e. not generic emails).
4.5 What Can Council Do?
The telephone canvassing, audit and survey highlighted several important themes, both
general to growth of the sector and specific to Knox. In summary, they were:
The need for better networks and improved social capital, particularly for smaller
enterprises;
The need for market development and diversification;
The need to secure better, affordable land for industry expansion;
The reliance on quality infrastructure (primarily transport);
Uncertainty over electricity prices (for the manufacturing component); and
The link between quality of life and skilled labour supply.
The one-on-one meetings were an opportunity to discuss these themes in more detail and
explore the options for Council to develop a strategic plan that will support the sector.
Stakeholders agreed that, despite some immediate concerns, the Envirotech sector is very
likely to grow significantly over the next few decades. In light of this, and given Knox’s
existing advantages in advanced manufacturing and proximity to supporting infrastructure
(e.g. Australian Synchrotron, Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, and CSIRO) and
potential local markets, there is an opportunity for Knox to position itself to be at the
forefront of sectoral growth into the future. To achieve this it is necessary to support
innovation, advanced manufacturing and product development in the Envirotech space,
particularly by encouraging the existing innovators to remain in Knox, connect with the
region and expand.
The main recommendations from stakeholders were:
1. Council needs to lead by example and make a clear statement of intent regarding
its desire to attract and support Envirotech companies to Knox.
8 An obvious, but sometimes overlooked, point is that strategic intervention will gain support from the
industry if it can be demonstrated to have a net positive effect on the bottom line.
19
2. Council could roll out various initiatives as both a demonstration/proof of concept,
as well as for long-term Envirotech growth. Initiatives could include:
• Piloting of a co-funded renewable energy project with one or more larger
Envirotech firms to showcase on-site co-generation or renewable (solar,
wind) opportunities;
• Development of a green commercial and/or industrial site with appropriate
infrastructure to attract and support a mix of Envirotech firms. This could
involve a renewal of an existing site, or roll out of a development within the
Knox Central site; and
• As an ongoing strategy, Council could seek to attract a major anchor firm
to a purpose-developed site.
3. More broadly, regular, informal forums that appeal to considerations of the
company bottom line will attract participants and interaction within the sector. This
is essential in view of the nascent state of the Envirotech network in the region
(and, for that matter, the poorer overall networks of business association in Knox
compared with, for example, knowledge economy interactions in the Melbourne
CBD).
4. Particularly for smaller firms, there is also an opportunity for Council to assist in
accessing resources (ideas, equipment, facilities) and funding (e.g. grant
programs).
4.6 Summary of Findings
The key findings of the audit, consultation and analysis were:
The sector is part of an internationally and nationally growing sector. There are,
however, issues of concern, including price competitiveness, electricity prices and
regulatory issues that put growth of Envirotech products and services markets at
risk;
There are, at least, 118 companies in Knox already that recognise themselves as
Envirotech enterprises. This amounts to a little under 1% of all enterprises based
in Knox and between 3% and 7% of employment. This is likely to be an undercount;
Absent a detailed study into the construction industry, it is reasonable to assume
that there is untapped potential for a greater proportion of the sector to move into
the Envirotech product space;
The sector is similar to any high technology reliant industry sector in that it benefits
from clustering and, therefore, local government’s stand to benefit from industry
policy designed to support it;
There are local attributes that place Knox in an enviable position with respect to
Envirotech growth prospects. As with other international Envirotech clusters, the
most notable attributes are the skilled resident workforce, quality of life, advanced
manufacturing capacity, freeway access and high quality industrial/commercial
amenity (Caribbean Park being a case in point). Continuous improvement to
commercial/industrial land, infrastructure (particularly public transport) and
quality of life are essential if the sector is to realise its potential in Knox;
The current stock of commercial and industrial land and buildings is primed for
renewal to support industry expansion. There are signs, also of a shortage of land
of a suitable standard for expansion of the sector;
20
Market development, social capital building and, in the longer term, improvements
to the innovation process (incorporating the long-term provision of human capital
and new ideas and technologies) are essential for the industry in general and
specifically within Knox;
Existing institutions (e.g. Swinburne, Monash, VCAMM, the Small Technologies
Cluster, Caribbean Park and KIOSC) represent a large pool of resources that
Council can leverage from to help build the industry;
There are a range of opportunities open to the Council to participate in the
development of the sector. These are specific to enterprise size and short/long
term prospects. Recommendations include:
o Assembly of green/brown field commercial land to attract and showcase a
range of Envirotech firms;
o Local procurement of Envirotech products to raise market awareness;
o Lobbying of State and Commonwealth government to demonstrate value of
a strong, growing Envirotech sector;
o Assistance to build an informal, but effective network of ideas generation
and sharing; and
o Facilitation of linkages between Envirotech firms and major research and
support institutions in the region.
o Support for smaller firms seeking funding or other resources.
These and other proposals are outlined in more detail in the next section.
21
5.0 Recommendations
5.1 Overview
The research findings were used to sketch out the key growth drivers of, and impediments
to the Envirotech sector. This is in the form of an influence diagram, which shows the
causal linkages between these factors. Arrows indicate the direction of influence and the
polarity indicates the nature of that influence (e.g. a positive sign indicates positive
feedback’ in which cause and effect factors move in the same direction).
Figure 3 is the influence diagram for the Knox Envirotech sector. It represents a conceptual
understanding of how the sector works and reveals importance leverage points for policy
intervention. These leverage points are used as the objectives of a proposed Envirotech
development strategy.
Note that influence diagrams should be developed through an iterative process and so they
should be continuously refined as new information comes to light.
22
No. Knox-based envirotech firms
No. local employees
No. total employees
Transport infrastructure
Infrastructure investment
Accessibility for employees
Perception of Electricity prices
Introduction of carbon tax/price
Viability of local envirotech industries
Quality of
life/liveability
Relevantly skilled
local residents
Physical access to
markets and supply
chains
Supportive local
planning regulations
Industrial land
affordability and
availability
No. envirotech firms
in Victoria
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
Perception of Knox as
a place to invest
+
+
+
+
Product awareness
Decision to locate
in Knox+
+
+
+
+
Networks and
industry social
capital
+
+
+
National
competitiveness
State liveability
Index
State and Federal
industry policyViability of State
envirotech industries
+
Decision to invest
in Victoria
+
+
+
+
+
-
++
+
Agglomeration
benefits
+
<Agglomeration
benefits>
++
-
Local market take up of
domestic envirotech
products
+
+
Renewable energy
market
+
+
Marketing
investment
+
+
Enterprise
expansion
Viability of non-Knox
envirotech industries
+
<Viability of non-Knox
envirotech industries>
-
In-commute rate
Out-commute rate
+
+
-
+
+
+
Figure 3 Envirotech Sector Influence Diagram
23
5.2 Proposed Envirotech Development Strategy
The concept of an Envirotech development strategy aligns with the Council Vision 2025
statement that it will be a prosperous, modern economy by 2025. This includes the goal of
establishing “...Knox as a centre of excellence for sustainability and energy efficiency.
Nurturing an industry that specialises in the design and production of sustainability and
energy efficiency products and services. Encouraging residents and businesses to adopt
best practice in sustainability and energy efficiency.” (Knox City Council, 2010: 21).
More specifically, actions to support the Envirotech sector align with the objectives in the
Council’s Economic Development Strategy (EDS) and, consequently, do not represent a
departure from current long-term strategic planning.
The following proposed initiatives are designed to respond to the issues raised in this study
and to fit with one or more objectives of the EDS. These activities represent a focus for the
next 18-24 months.
Objective 1 Networks and Social Capital
Goal: Facilitate networks of interaction and ideas sharing to assist in the diffusion of
information and technology
Aligned with: EDS Objectives 8 and 9
1.1 Assist firms looking for local community projects to support as
showcase/demonstrations of Envirotech enterprise capacity and technology
($2,000/year)
1.2 Facilitate events and forums that are enjoyable and useful gatherings to share
information and learn about other Envirotech firms in the region ($10,000/year)
Involve education and other institutions (e.g. Swinburne, KIOSC)
Facilitate meetings of research institutions with Envirotech enterprises
1.3 Share the findings of this study with Regional Development Australia, neighbouring
Councils, the Department of Business and Innovation and other stakeholders with
a view to co-ordinating efforts (including primary data collection and analysis) to
support the sector’s growth across the region ($0)
1.4 Work to establish a business hotel in the region that acts as a meeting place for
regional innovators in the Envirotech and advanced manufacturing sector. This
could build on the work undertaken for the development of accommodation at
Knox Central ($0).
Objective 2 Market Development and Product Awareness
Goal: Help build local market awareness of Envirotech products and services to
households and other businesses
Aligned with: EDS Objectives 4 and 8
24
2.1 Council to lead by example by making a clear statement of intent to attract more
Envirotech companies to the municipality, including via a publicity campaign
($2,000)
2.2 Further investigation of the level of participation of the construction industry in the
Envirotech product space (audit of industry - $7,500)
2.3 Subsequent to action 2.2, investigate the impediments to embedding Envirotech
processes, products and services into the construction industry (study - $7,500).
2.4 As part of ongoing demonstration of the merits of establishing businesses in the
municipality (e.g. EDS action 3.3.5), promote the skilled resident workforce to
prospective enterprises ($2,500)
2.5 Develop and roll out a social media-based branding strategy to assist in the
promotion of the Envirotech sector. As part of this seek to amend internal policy to
allow access for the economic development team to social media tools ($5,000
plus internal policy change)
2.6 Undertake targeted industrial tourism visits to promote the activities of Envirotech
enterprises and assist in building links between different practitioners ($5,000).
Objective 3 Affordable and Adequate Land
Goal: Ensure long-term security of supply of affordable and adequate land for expansion
of the Envirotech sector
Aligned with: EDS Objectives 1, 3, 4 and 10
3.1 Co-development of a Greenfield site to attract a major anchor firm and support
Envirotech product development and processes ($100,000).
3.2 Roll out an ongoing program of support for commercial and industrial land renewal
at key development sites ($100,000).
Objective 4 High Quality Physical Infrastructure
Goal: Ensure that residential and commercial amenity continues to improve to attract
and retain value-adding and high technology Envirotech industries.
Aligned with: EDS Objective 11
4.1 Continue to build the case for the development of effective north-south public
transport linkages to connect key sites within the municipality and between these
and other important nodes of activity (e.g. neighbouring CAAs) ($0).
4.2 Continue to work with Envirotech industry stakeholders to identify opportunities for
growth (drawing from survey database) through ongoing liaison ($0).
25
Objective 5 Support for Price Sensitive Manufacturing Enterprises
Goal: Assist manufacturing firms to remain competitive and therefore continue to
operate in Knox through support for innovative energy provision projects.
Aligned with: EDS Objectives 4 and 11
5.1 Ensure Council support for timely approval of expansion or process innovation
within existing sites (e.g. factory roof wind turbines - $0).
5.2 Work with industry partners and other stakeholders to investigate the potential for
a co-funded renewable energy (or co/tri-generation) project attached to an existing
enterprise or potential Envirotech cluster ($50,000 each).
26
6.0 References
ABS, 2006, Census 2006, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra
ABS, 2006a, Australian and New Zealand Standard Industry Classification, Australian
Bureau of Statistics, Canberra
ABS, 2006b, Australian Standard Classification of Occupations, Australian Bureau of
Statistics, Canberra
ABS, 2009, National Regional Profile, ABS Catalogue No. 1379.0.55.001, Australian
Bureau of Statistics, Canberra
ABS, 2011, Regional Population Growth Australia, ABS Catalogue No. 3218.0, Australian
Bureau of Statistics, Canberra
CSIRO, 2008, Growing the Green Collar Economy: Skills and Labour Challenges in
Reducing our Greenhouse Emissions and National Environmental Footprint, CSIRO
Sustainable Ecosystems, Canberra
DEEDI, Queensland Cleantech Industry Development Strategy 2011-2015, Department of
Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, Government of Queensland,
Brisbane
Knox City Council, 2010, Knox Vision 2025, Knox
Pernick, R., Wilder, C., Winnie, T., and Sosnovec, S., 2011, Clean Energy Trends 2011,
Clean Edge, San Francisco
Rosenthal, S., and Strange, W., 2010, Small Establishments/Big Effects: Agglomeration,
Industrial Organization, and Entrepreneurship, in Glaeser, E., (ed), Cities, Agglomeration
and Spatial Equilibrium, Oxford, Oxford University Press, pp277-302
27
Appendix
28
List of Envirotech Enterprises
Name Category Cleantech Category ANZSIC
A B Downs Industries 0 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
A I Automotive P/L 3 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
A.A.A. Soil Testing & Foundation Design 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
A.W.N. (Air Water Noise) Consultants (now Golder) 1 Recycling and waste Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Aerovent Australia P/L 1 Air and environment Manufacturing
Alfa-Tek Australia 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
ALS Water Resources Group 1 Manufacturing/industrial Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Alternative Fuel Innovations 1 Transportation Manufacturing
Amcor Fibre Packaging 1 Recycling and waste Manufacturing
Anri Instruments & Controls 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
APA Manufacturing 1 Transportation Manufacturing
Aqua Diagnostic 2 Water and wastewater Manufacturing
Aquablock Plumbing Service 0 Water and wastewater Manufacturing
Aqua-Health 1 Water and wastewater Manufacturing
Astec Paints 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Australian Environmental Laboratories 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Australian Glass Group P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Australian Glass Tools P/L 0 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Bayswater Septic Tanks 1 Water and wastewater Construction
Bernie's Greener Homes 1 Energy efficiency Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Biosphere 1 Air and environment Construction
29
Name Category Cleantech Category ANZSIC
BJH Controls 2 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Brereton & Co P/L 1 Air and environment Manufacturing
Bunzl Australasia Ltd 2 Manufacturing/industrial Wholesale
Camatic P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Cap Industries 0 Water and wastewater Manufacturing
Capacitor Technologies P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Carbon Community Foundation 1 Energy efficiency Wholesale
Chemetall Australasia P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Civil & Soil 3 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Cleanaway - Melbourne Municipal 1 Recycling and waste Utilities
Colair Refrigeration P/L 1 Energy efficiency Manufacturing
Composite Materials Engineering P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Continental Water Systems 0 Water and wastewater Wholesale
Creative Water Technology 1 Water and wastewater Construction
Dalton Paper 1 Recycling and waste Wholesale
Davey Water Products P/L 1 Water and wastewater Manufacturing
Dool's Trading 1 Air and environment Utilities
Eastern Recycling 1 Recycling and waste Utilities
Eco-friendly Car Care 1 Air and environment Manufacturing
Ecotech P/L 1 Air and environment Manufacturing
Electric Vehicles 2 Transportation Wholesale
Enviro Consult 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Enviroflex P/L 1 Energy efficiency Manufacturing
Environmentally Sound Products 2 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
30
Name Category Cleantech Category ANZSIC
Ferntree Environmental Solutions 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Filtaire Products P/L 1 Air and environment Manufacturing
GCD International P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Global E.A.R.S. Ltd 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Global Energy 1 Energy efficiency Construction
Greenspeed Recumbent Trikes 1 Transportation Manufacturing
Haulton Constructions 2 Water and wastewater Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Hybrid Electronics Australia P/L 1 Materials Manufacturing
Javac P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
JDM Instant Pumps P/L 2 Water and wastewater Wholesale
Karcher 2 Water and wastewater Wholesale
Kingston Plant Hire 1 Air and environment Construction
Knox Materials Recovery Centre 1 Recycling and waste Utilities
Lightnin Mixers P/L 2 Water and wastewater Manufacturing
Livos Australia P/L 1 Materials Manufacturing
Luhr Filter P/L 1 Air and environment Manufacturing
M & H Power Systems P/L 1 Energy infrastructure Manufacturing
Mac Global P/L 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Market Intelligence Group 2 Energy infrastructure Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Marwil 1 Air and environment Wholesale
Matrix Drilling P/L 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Matthews Australasia P/L 2 Manufacturing/industrial Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Megara (Australia) P/L 1 Recycling and waste Manufacturing
Melbourne Desk Co P/L 1 Recycling and waste Manufacturing
31
Name Category Cleantech Category ANZSIC
Mikropul Australia P/L 1 Air and environment Manufacturing
Mystique P/L 1 Recycling and waste Manufacturing
National Resource Recovery 1 Recycling and waste Manufacturing
Nature's Organics 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
New Pig Australia P/L 1 Recycling and waste Manufacturing
Novasys Group P/L 2 Materials Manufacturing
Opec Systems P/L 1 Recycling and waste Utilities
Outlook Environmental 1 Recycling and waste Utilities
PACCAR Australia P/L 0 Transportation Manufacturing
PE Consulting Services P/L 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Pearl Filtration 1 Air and environment Manufacturing
Pharmaceutical Plant Company 2 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Plaza Water Treatment Services 2 Water and wastewater Utilities
Pro-Bac Industries P/L 1 Air and environment Construction
Process Pumps 1 Air and environment Manufacturing
Procol Services P/L 2 Manufacturing/industrial Construction
RF Industries P/L (RFI) 1 Energy efficiency Manufacturing
Ruhr Pumps Australia P/L (Sihi) 2 Manufacturing/industrial Wholesale
Schneider Electric 1 Energy infrastructure Manufacturing
Seghers-Applied P/L 1 Recycling and waste Utilities
Septech Industries P/L 1 Water and wastewater Construction
Setec P/L 1 Energy storage Construction
Shand & Jurs 2 Water and wastewater Utilities
Siemens Ltd 1 Manufacturing/industrial Wholesale
32
Name Category Cleantech Category ANZSIC
Siena Developments P/L 1 Air and environment Manufacturing
Solar Energy Australia 1 Energy generation Manufacturing
Solar Turbines International 1 Energy generation Manufacturing
Solarhart industries P/L 1 Energy generation Manufacturing
Sound Solution Glazing 1 Energy efficiency Construction
Spitwater Australia 2 Water and wastewater Manufacturing
Steinert Australia 1 Materials Manufacturing
Sunlover Heating 1 Energy efficiency Manufacturing
Tandex P/L 1 Water and wastewater Manufacturing
The Daniels Corporation International P/L 1 Recycling and waste Utilities
Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia P/L 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Tieco International P/L 1 Transportation Manufacturing
Toolkwip Pumps P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Wholesale
VCAMM Ltd 1 Materials Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Versatile Pumps 2 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Veyance Belting P/L 0 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Vision Recycling 1 Recycling and waste Utilities
VR Solar Technologies 1 Energy generation Manufacturing
Waterco Ltd 0 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Whirlwind Print P/L 0 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing
Wilkore P/L 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Window Energy Solutions 1 Energy efficiency Construction
WM Waste Management Services P/L 1 Recycling and waste Utilities
Yawarra Information Appliances 1 Energy efficiency Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
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Online Survey Questions
1. The Envirotech sector includes firms that provide technologies or services that address the management of environmental issues (e.g.
the production of renewable energy products; recycling; pollution control or reduction; energy efficient processes or product development;
and environmentally sustainable waste management, as well as professional services to these activities). Does the above definition
describe your business product, service or a part of your production process?
Accurately describes our product or service
Describes a part of our production process or operations
Accurately describes our product/service and production process
None of the above
Not sure
2. In broad terms, which sector of the economy do you operate within?
Other
Agriculture
Mining
Manufacturing
Recycling, Water and Waste Services
Construction
Wholesale Trade
Retail Trade
Information, Media and Telecommunications
Financial and Insurance Services
Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services
Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
Administrative and Support Services
Public Administration and Safety
Education and Training
Health Care and Social Assistance
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Accommodation, Food and Tourism Services
Transport, Postal and Warehousing
Arts and Recreation Service
Other (please specify)
3. Can you provide a brief description of your firm's product/services and how they fit into the Envirotech definition (i.e. technologies or
services or production processes that address the management of environmental issues).
4. What, if anything, is stopping the Envirotech business in Knox City Council region(including your own)from growing ?
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5. How many employees do you currently have (feel free to put in part numbers)?
Full Time
Part Time
Casual
Total
6. Where is your firm located?
Bayswater
Bayswater North
Boronia
Ferntree Gully
Knox
Knoxfield
Lysterfield
Lysterfield South
Mountain Gate
Rowville
Scoresby
Studfield
The Basin
Upper Ferntree Gully
Wantirna
Wantirna South
Other (please specify)
7. If you would like to have an ongoing involvement in this study tor are interested in the further development of Envirotech industries in
the Knox City Council, please provide your contact details below.