Building from the ground up

Developing the core communications for the new Australian Biosecurity Intelligence Network

Issue: In February 2009, public affairs agency Parker & Partners was engaged to develop start up communications for a new Australian Government funded ‘world first’ initiative – a nationally networked framework to connect Australia’s biosecurity community.

Working from a Government investment plan and with a newly established Board and team, Parker & Partners created a message platform that describes the essence of a complex concept in simple terms to engage and secure ‘buy in’ of stakeholders for the first time. Parker & Partners developed a comprehensive three year communications strategy and implementation plan, supported by a website, collateral, expansive stakeholder database and engagement plan, media strategy and outreach, and an official launch. In addition to these foundation documents, Parker & Partners has provided the ABIN team with daily strategic counsel and advice on stakeholder engagement and issues management over the past 12 months, as well as conducting media training and preparation for a significant benchmarking research study of the biosecurity community.

Challenge: With a complex concept and stakeholders involving more than 60 agencies, researchers and operational staff across all levels of government and across the diverse sector of human, animal, plant, aquatic and wildlife health, and an extremely low level of awareness of this new initiative, the challenges were significant.

Insight: Our public affairs team’s strategic approach was based on BIO – Building, Informing and Operationalising, focussed around building a story that informs and grows the supporter base and operationalises ABIN into the everyday culture and activity of the biosecurity community.

The logo developed by our design agency reflects the interaction and flow of information between stakeholders within the biosecurity community, strength and dependability, and the integrity and professionalism of the sector.

Parker & Partners distilled the essence of ABIN into five key words that resonate with the biosecurity community: CONNECT, SHARE, USE, CREATE AND GENERATE. Those terms became the cornerstone of all ABIN communications beginning with the simple message that ABIN CONNECTS people across the biosecurity sector to SHARE, CREATE and USE data and tools to GENERATE biosecurity intelligence, and flowing through to ABINs vision and mission and all communications materials.

Campaign: On 16 March, after 13 months of groundwork, Parker & Partners executed a national launch of ABIN at a well-attended event in Parliament House with key stakeholders and the Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation and Industry, The Hon Richard Marles MP and key note speaker Mr Roger Beale AO, supported by media outreach.

Outcome: Parker & Partners has become a trusted adviser to the ABIN team. That trust attests to the quality and timeliness of our public affairs agency’s advice and client service, our professional approach and reliability, and our strategic communications and stakeholder engagement expertise.

Veolia Environmental Services and Australian Landfill Owners Association government relations campaign

Challenge

Organic waste in landfills takes approximately 30 years to decompose, emitting methane (a greenhouse gas significantly more potent than carbon dioxide) throughout that period. By putting a price on carbon emissions the Government’s Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme would have made current landfill customers – including ratepayers and local councils – liable for emissions produced from waste deposited as far back as 1980 (known as “legacy waste”) at a cost of millions of dollars a year.

Veolia is one of the largest landfill operators in Australia. The Government had a political mandate to act on climate change and the Minister was firm in her resistance to any changes to the CPRS that would protect business interests. Veolia Environmental Services engaged Parker & Partners to lobby the federal government for the removal of legacy waste from the CPRS legislation as well as to raise the profile of Veolia’s brand within government circles.

Insight

Parker & Partners drew on our extensive relationships with Australia’s politicians, bureaucrats and media and found most had not heard of Veolia, and had no understanding of the concept of ‘legacy waste’ or the implications of the CPRS on the waste sector.

Creative Idea

We revived the defunct industry think-tank the Barton Group to provide intellectual force and further credibility to the arguments, and we created a new waste industry group, the Australian Landfill Owners Association to lobby government on the issue and to influence media coverage.

Campaign

• Multiple, targeted government relations engagements and meetings programs;
• Detailed policy and legislative development;
• Extensive journalist briefings and the crafting, dissemination and pitching of media releases and stories;
• Stakeholder relations and coalition-building within the waste industry; and
• Industry leadership and policy consolidation through the establishment of pre-eminent waste industry peak body, the Australian Landfill Owners Association.

Outcome

In April 2009 the Federal Government announced that emissions from ‘legacy waste’ would be excluded from coverage, making landfill the only sector covered by the CPRS to successfully convince the Government to substantially modify its legislation.

To date, the waste sector is the only CPRS covered sector to successfully convince the Australian Government to substantively modify the proposed CPRS legislation. Other powerful industry lobby groups – coal, minerals, and stationary energy to name but a few – have still had no success in modifying the CPRS legislation.

In terms of broader public affairs outcomes for Veolia, by May 2009 ALOA represented 70 percent of the waste management industry in Australia and was recognised by the Australian Government as the voice of the industry. In addition Veolia’s Director of Sustainability was elected as Secretary and official spokesman for the Association.

Emirates – A friend of Australia

Challenge

To double Emirates’ cap of 49 flights a week to Australia over 7 years via a multifaceted strategy negotiating directly with the federal government, influencing their state ministerial counterparts and all political stakeholders on the positive outcomes this deal would deliver to Australia’s tourism exports sector. To complement the government relations strategy, P&P developed a 360° PA campaign which included strategic media management which shaped broader reporting on aviation policy, leveraging existing partnerships and developing events which highlighted EK commitment and articulated its Australian story.

Insight

Our research indicated the need to better articulate Emirates contribution to Australia’s tourism and trade sector, challenge misconceptions, highlight its ongoing investment and the consumer benefits delivered through continued growth.

Creative idea

“Emirates – a Friend of Australia” strategy utilised third party support (e.g. airport CEO’s, influential media, tourism ministers) to assist convincing the Government to support Emirates request for additional services.

Campaign

Our primary Government target was the Federal Minister for Transport and Regional Services but also key Cabinet Ministers, senior bureaucrats and public servants. We organised media briefings, visits by senior Emirates executives, commissioned significant research and tailored messages to over 100 key stakeholders.

Outcome

In March 2007, a new agreement allowed Emirates to grow its flights to Australia’s gateways over four years by 71% – a major win for the airline and Australian tourism and trade sectors.

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