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Drone Use in Remote Inspection – A Growing Application of Cutting Edge Technology

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Drones have long been popular as an aerial photography tool for real estate, helping to sell properties with a unique perspective or location advantage. However, drones are becoming more and more useful a tool for remote inspection.

Drones are the safest method for asset and remote inspection, and statutory audits within the mining, bulk materials handling, and construction industries.

Specialising in the latest drone solutions, two Australian companies have given mining, heavy industry and construction a much faster and safer means to inspect or audit dangerous and inaccessible areas via the use of innovative drone technology.

SOTO Consulting Engineers and aerial photography specialist, Flying Robot, use remotely piloted aircraft (drones), with inbuilt redundancies and the latest in imaging tech to carry out inspections. Multirotor drones allow remote inspection from a distance, eliminating reliance on larger teams of personnel, without the need for rigging or scaffolding and the inherent dangers and man-hours required for both.

In addition, the time-saving benefits offer a more streamlined and consistent process with clear, objective results. It also delivers value to plant proprietors through significant cost savings and the near-elimination of shutdowns for plant audits.

The drone is operated remotely, at a safe base on the ground, by a fully certified Flying Robot pilot alongside a SOTO engineer viewing a FullHD monitor in real-time during the inspection exercise. The safety implications of a two person team are wide ranging, however, the result of using a skilled pilot in combination with a qualified engineer directing the image capture also ensures that the results – whether they are thermal images, high-resolution digital still images or video – are informative and effective tools for audit.

There are multiple drone options available, depending on the structure to be inspected, the surrounding space allowance and the required quality of images produced – anything from 16MP to 42MP in still images is possible. Drone manufacturers have even begun designing and producing specialised inspection aircrafts to accommodate this growing industrial use.

Structures already inspected by the team include bridges, exhaust stacks, roads, elevated conveyors, transmission lines and water towers, however this list is by no means the limit – Flying Robot and SOTO can tailor an inspection drone to meet almost any requirement. Cameras can be attached to the drone either via a top mount or bottom mount camera and whilst standard images are the most common requirement, 180 degree panoramas and full, 360 interactive images are becoming more popular to allow plant operator to gain deeper insight into structures.

Gungahlin suburbs the top choice for Canberra home buyers

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Gungahlin's suburbs in canberra

Gungahlin’s suburbs are the fastest growing in Canberra and the most popular choice for families looking to buy homes, according to the latest figures on population growth and property sales in the ACT.

Canberra’s population is expected to keep moving north as more families abandon traditional suburban regions such as Tuggeranong in favour of Gungahlin’s new developments, affordable house prices and convenient amenities.

Population boom

The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) predicted that the ACT’s population will increase by 50,350 persons in the 12 years from 2007 to 2019 – with 20,500 persons or 40.7 per cent of this increase claimed by Gungahlin alone.

Gungahlin’s own population is expected to increase by 58.6 per cent to a total of 55,450 residents by 2019. Young families are increasingly choosing the rapidly developing suburbs of Gungahlin over older, established regions in the south such as Tuggeranong, which is forecast to decrease by 0.1 per cent annually over the same period – the only ACT area set for decline.

Families head north

Residential property sales bear out these predictions, with real estate agency Allhomes reporting that 488 more family homes (25 per cent) and 276 more townhouses, apartments and other units (33 per cent) were sold in the north of Canberra compared to the south over the past year. In total, Gungahlin and northern districts saw 2,457 family home purchases and 1,104 unit sales in the 12 months to the end of March 2016.

Gungahlin also leads the rankings of Canberra’s most popular areas for family homes, with four of its suburbs – Ngunnawal, Casey, Bonner and Nicholls – being named among the top 10 in the city. Developers have taken notice of Gungahlin’s property boom, leading to an influx of new houses and apartments to keep up with buyer demand.

Why is Gungahlin so attractive for home buyers?

There is no single reason behind Gungahlin’s success. For many new and existing residents, the choice of Gungahlin suburbs for their family home is due to a combination of:

· Affordability – Gungahlin offers lower prices for family homes compared to the inner city and other established districts, particularly for buyers taking advantage of the First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) scheme. With an average house price of $438,000, Ngunnawal was the fourth most affordable suburb in Canberra in 2015.

· Smaller blocks – Gungahlin has the smallest block size of all Canberra districts, at 512 square metres on average compared to 906 sq m in South Canberra, which means lower maintenance costs for residents.

· Amenities – Ongoing investment in public services and amenities means that Gungahlin’s suburbs offer access to everything families need, from schools and sports grounds to road upgrades and the proposed light rail project that will make commuting to the city even easier.

Shop and dine in the heart of Gungahlin

The Marketplace is your one-stop shop for food, fashion, health and wellness in Gungahlin Town Centre.

Discover our eclectic mix of boutiques, cafes and professional services on Hibberson Street, close to all Gungahlin suburbs and just 13 kilometres from Canberra CBD.

The key benefits of a Virtual Office

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Innovation is crucial to the continuing success of any Australian business. Therefore, it is important to adapt to the requirements of your clientele and the market your business is operating within. Creating and supporting flexible working hours allows the people who work for you to log on wherever they are, whenever they’re required. A virtual office not only allows for flexible working hours, but it also increases the comfort level of your staff members as there is no commute associated with logging on remotely. Additionally, this enables your business to communicate to global markets with reduced disruption to your employees.

From an overheads perspective, virtual offices also drastically reduce your business’s costs. As the business doesn’t have to pay for a brick and mortar lease, but can still have access to all the benefits if it so requires. In addition, your business will also see that there is a reduction in energy and technology costs.

Not only can you still have a fixed prestigious business address, but also provide co-working spaces worldwide and access to boardrooms with high-tech facilities made available at your request. Therefore, it allows your business to really have the edge, whilst also having the flexibility and cash flow to innovate accordingly.

Outlined below are the key benefits:

Zero Travel Time

Not only will your staff benefit from not having to commute, but also your clients. As they can take advantage of remote access to conference calls or meetings, particularly since travelling to and from any office can be extremely unproductive. As such, this time could be better spent on focusing on a specific task rather than wasting time sat in traffic.

Being Flexible Works

Flexibility can be a wonderful asset to boosting morale, as by being flexible to your employee’s needs creates a positive association with your business. Therefore, by allowing your employees the option to start earlier or later, they will be more likely to appreciate your understanding and work harder. As such, it is more than likely that your business will experience increased productivity from your employees.

Overhead Reduction

Without any brick and mortar lease, or the associated utility bills, the business overheads will considerably reduce. Furthermore, this will have a direct affect on your business’s profit and provides you with the option of investing in your employees, whilst training courses or incentive schemes could be developed to reduce employee turnover.

Larger Talent Pool

Without having the constraints of a fixed office address, it allows you to employ people who would normally have been out of reach, which opens up a number of opportunities for the company to employ the best staff for the job. Alternatively, if the business is global it may well be beneficial to employ a designated staff member in each major city that the business is working in, or where your clients reside.

Productivity Push

A major positive is the increase in productivity your business will see. Without the commute to work, paired with the flexible working hours, employees will be more likely to work harder in exchange for these benefits. Moreover, as you physically cannot monitor what your staff members are doing, there will be an increase in their productivity by your employees showcasing how hard they are working in this new environment.

Productivity will also increase due to the lack of distractions from having a busy office environment, as interruptions from other staff members can cause people to stop and start projects, which can be when errors occur.

Setting up an office in Australia and what you need

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Looking to start your own office, but don’t know where to go. Luckily there are office solutions that exist that can help you in this area and find you the right office space for your business. Australia is a growing economy with companies in many sectors like oil and gas, mining, start up and tech companies emerging every day. The bustling economy is supported by the rapid pace of its growing population.

With the rapid growth comes the needs for more space for small offices, big offices and also serviced or executive offices where a business does not have to do much but just find or rent out a fully equipped office.

Finding the right office space can be a tedious job, because different kind of offices has different kind of requirements, a clinic office would have different requirements to a start-up technology office or an offshore oil and gas setting up a local office in your country. Different factors need to be taken into account like locations of the office, transport to office, parking availability, disabled access, security etc.

Office spaces can often also vary in prices with its proximity to the capital CBD or if it is then based in the suburbs. CBD office spaces normally tend to be higher in rent compared to office space in the suburbs. Real estate brokers or custom agents for office space would be able to give you an idea of what is most suitable to your budget and find you the right listings to choose from.

Modern office agents not only find the right space for you knew office but also manage/organise the leasing and finance to get your new office started up quickly. Top commercial office agents like CBRE, Knight Frank and Collier International often provide office space for sale or on an auction , but are not focussed on setting up an executive office as per your needs or then a serviced office for a small or medium business.

They are different commercial websites that provide listing of office space available in auction and for sale. But what do you do if you want a serviced office or then a fully functional executive office where you can just move in. This is where www.officespace.com.au comes in, they are a Australian company that can provide arrange of offices from executive offices in Sydney, serviced office space in Perth, a sophisticated location in Melbourne, furnished space in Brisbane or Adelaide or service pretty much all of Australia.

They do the work of finding the right location for you, setting up a lease with the most appropriate term suitable to you if long or short term and also doing all the paperwork – making it easy for you to just move in and start work.

If you are looking for office space in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth in Australia, you can check out the office space website to find a suitable space for your new office.

Festive Season Safety: 4 Practical Tips for Keeping Your Home Secure These Christmas Holidays

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With the festive season fast approaching, Santa Clause isn’t the only person you want sneaking around your house. As families prep for holidays and homes are filled with gadgets and gifts, burglars are also getting excited to prey on properties that are left unattended or vulnerable.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re planning a vacation away or you’re just kicking back at home for the break, tightening your security around this time is absolutely essential. According to RAC insurance, home burglary remains one of the most common crimes in Australia – with a clear rise over the Christmas period and warmer months when people tend to leave windows and doors open to stay cool. Make your home look occupied and secure this summer break with these practical safety tips.

1. Use Neighbour Support

Neighbour support can be a great way to look out for one another when it comes to unwanted visitors. If you’re going away over Christmas and New Years’, give your neighbours a heads up. If there’s any unusual activity they’ll be able to make a call to the local police to report and be sure to do the same for them.

If you close with your neighbour give them a spare key to your property instead of leaving it under the door mat or flower pot – thieves know to check these obvious spots. Suggest to your neighbour to park in your driveway if they have multiple cars to make it look like the house is occupied.

2. Triple Check Window and Door Locks

Security over Christmas starts with making sure everything is locked. It seems like an obvious point, but you’d be surprised about how many people miss a window side door. Encourage the whole household to check that windows are firmly shut and locked and all entry points, including the garage are properly secured.

Don’t leave keys spare keys out and only ensure a trusted friend, relative or neighbour has a copy. Consider getting the locks changed with a new set of keys if multiple people have had access to your property. If your residential locks look like they have seen better days, now would be a good time to make any repairs.

3. Don’t Leave Valuables in View

Regardless of whether you are heading away for the break or not, thieves will still be prying on Christmas gifts and valuables. Whilst you want to show your new things off to family and friends, it’s best to keep them as hidden as possible for anyone else.

Keep all shades pulled shut if you are heading away and avoid putting the Christmas tree up near an open window or door – especially at the front of the home. Instead, move the tree and gifts to the back of the lounge room and avoid leaving evident of gifts in plain view to burglars. If you know you are going to be away, hide your valuables in secure locations or invest in a safe if necessary.

4. Use Obvious Security Measures

Home alarm systems and security cameras aren’t just good for keeping your home safe, but they will also reduce your insurance premiums. Make sure the alarm system is visible to ward off any potential threats. Wi-Fi security cameras are great for getting a live stream of your home whilst you are away to keep a check on things from your mobile device or use a home automation system to help keep thieves at bay.

For homes that will be left unattended over the festive season, sensor or scheduled lighting can make it look lived in. Keeping the front of the home well-lit is also an important safety measure for late night workers or coming home after a night with friends and family.

By taking a few key precautions and being smart about your home and personal safety, you can keep your property and valuables secure over the holidays. Don’t let the stress of being a target for burglars haunt you – get effective in strengthening your home’s mechanism today.

Author Bio

This article is written by Jayde Ferguson, who writes for Lock, Stock & Farrell in Perth, Western Australia. Lock Stock have been providing reputable locksmith services and home security tips since 1997 and promote efficient security over Christmas and all year round.

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