In early 2021, the SAS Group began supporting the $300 million Cudgen Connection ‘Cudgen’ project with a rezoning application for its 5.7-hectare site on the NSW Tweed Coast. The precinct, located adjacent to the new Tweed Valley Hospital and near Kingscliff TAFE, will include a new university campus, essential worker and community housing, private hospital, […]

There’s an old saying in political campaigning that half the money you spend on advertising is completely wasted, but you can never tell which half.  That’s because a large number of voters have already made up their minds and won’t be swayed by the campaign. While television advertising, for example, will run until the pre-election blackout […]

With only four sitting weeks remaining for the federal parliament this year, there’s little time to tackle a packed agenda before the customary January lull. As Australia settles into the quieter period leading up to January 26th, political attention will increasingly turn toward a significant year of elections. The next federal election is due by […]

On Tuesday, 1 October 2024, the Queensland state government officially entered caretaker mode as preparations for the upcoming election ramp up. This period, which begins 26 days prior to the election, is designed to ensure that government operations remain neutral and do not unduly influence the electoral process. For businesses and organisations in Queensland that work […]

My kids are in early-primary-school and we recently played ‘If you could have any superpower in the world, what would it be?’. They were desperate for me to reply: “x-ray vision!” or “supersonic flight!”, but I let them down with: “Time travel. I’d go back in time and cancel social media.”  They looked at me […]

It was sold as a panacea, a silver bullet. Four-year parliamentary terms in Queensland would ensure stability and foster long term policy development. It would maximise secure, predictable governance for public servants, business, and the community. The then Premier, a litany of academics and the commentariat all espoused the virtues of longer parliamentary terms punctuated […]

Journalists should be professional fence sitters, gathering and presenting unbiased facts so audiences can make up their own mind about the world around them. But what happens when an ex-journo goes to the ‘dark side’ and joins a consultancy like the SAS Group? It might surprise clients to know that many remain ‘Switzerland’, and this […]

Navigating the wilderness and dealing with government have a lot in common, as you may discover when Queensland changes government on October 26 and we face a federal election next year.  Federally, if Labor is re-elected, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will have to form a minority government with the Teals or, God forbid, the Greens.  […]

State Parliament sat for just three days in August. Amid the usual exchange of barbs and jibes, the State Government introduced and passed three Bills, each establishing a Commissioner. Perhaps only of interest to political or governance nerds, these pieces of legislation do more than just establish statutory authorities. They further demonstrate the fracturing of […]