Live Long And Prosper

Newcastle Herald

Monday January 29, 2007

GREG WENDT HUNTER BUSINESS

HUNTER financial services firm Prosperity Advisers has appointed Owen Griffiths as estate planning specialist.

Prosperity chief executive Allan McKeown said changes to superannuation rules, people living longer, complicated family structures and greater wealth were heralding a new era in estate planning advice.

Owen has specialised in estate planning for the past five years with Abbott Tout and Freehills in Brisbane.

He has extensive experience in estate planning and succession matters.

Owen has been admitted as a solicitor of the supreme courts of NSW and Queensland.

Prosperity has 150 staff in Newcastle, Sydney and Brisbane.

MOVING EXPERIENCE

THE Greater Building Society's Cessnock branch is on the move.

The branch and automatic teller machine at 93 Vincent Street will be shifted to new premises inside Cessnock Plaza from next Monday.

Branch manager Colin Somerville and assistant manager Diane Jones have worked at the Vincent Street branch since it opened in April 1980.

Colin said customers would have improved access to parking and a more convenient site in Cessnock Plaza.

Vincent Street will be open for business on Saturday from 9am to noon with the new branch opening from 9am on Monday.

The Vincent Street automatic teller machine will cease operation on Friday afternoon and it is expected it will open at the new site on Monday afternoon.

Phone numbers and operating hours for the new branch have not been changed.

WEDDED BLISS

WHAT began as an idea on a lazy afternoon by the beach will hit Hunter news stands this week.

WHITE, a coffee table magazine that focuses on the region's wedding industry, is the collaboration of Novocastrian brothers Luke and Shane Burrell and Luke's wife, Carla.

Luke and Shane run Newcastle design and production studio Mezzanine Media.

Mezzanine produced Australian Idol 2004 contestant Marty Worrall's video clip.

Carla edits the magazine, which is designed in the Burrells' studio.

NEW JUNIOR CHAMBER

NEWCASTLE & Hunter Junior Chamber elected its 2007 board at its recent annual general meeting.

Holly McHattan (UnitingCare Ageing) remains president.

Natasha Andrei(Creative Memories) was elected vice-president, John Cleary (Anglican diocese of Newcastle), treasurer and Darren Thode(Commonwealth Bank) was appointed secretary.

The board is Evan Walker (Turnbull Hill), Shane Fox (Wilson's Business Brokers), Andrew Murphy (Moray & Agnew), Mark Kentwell(PRD Nationwide), Elizabeth Keevers(Anglican diocese of Newcastle), Michael Campbell (Choice Home Loans), Michelle Newell (Stuart Arriff) and Lauchlan Wilson(Tregenza Forbes & Associates).

MEDIUM MAXIM

NEWCASTLE accounting firm Maxim Corporate has begun an online health check for small to medium business.

Maxim Corporate partner Christopher Sneddon said the diagnostic tool complemented the firm's suite of intellectual property in business assessment.

He said a business owner could log on for a report card and it was up to the owner to decide whether to contact Maxim to discuss the findings and obtain a plan.

Partner Steve Roxby said the software was developed in Newcastle to benefit Maxim's existing clients before the partners decided to make it available to businesses everywhere.

NEW RELATIONSHIP

THE Anglican diocese of Newcastle has announced the appointment of John Cleary as business manager.

John used to be relationship manager in corporate and business services at the Commonwealth Bank in Newcastle.

The biz

The fall in the quarterly inflation figure gives a degree of confidence that

interest rates might be held at the current level after so many increases in 2006.

- Hunter Business Chamber chief executive officer Doug Parrish on the

consumer price index.

DIARY DATES

February 6: Newcastle Business Club Luncheon, guest speaker Hunter Business Chamber president Steve Davidson, Harbourview Function Centre, Wharf Road, Newcastle.

February 9: Hunter Valley Research Foundation, Hunter economic update breakfast, speakers are Foundation research co-director Andrew Searles, Westpac Banking Corporation chief economist Bill Evans and Honeysuckle Development Corporation general manager Craig Norman.

February 19: NSW Business, in conjunction with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, is presenting free WorkChoices seminars designed to assist employers. Phoenix Sports Club, Mayfield. RSVP at www.nswbusinesschamber.com.au

© 2007 Newcastle Herald

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