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Toyota has announced that it will begin producing 10,000 hybrid Camrys at its Altona plant in 2010 - a move set to strengthen Victoria’s global competitiveness in the automotive industry. Premier John Brumby welcomed the announcement, “during my recent trip to Japan I met with President of Toyota, Katsuaki Watanabe, to discuss the prospect of Victoria becoming home to a locally built hybrid car and I am pleased that Toyota has made this decision.” “With car manufacturers moving on a global ...

Construction on the new $267.5 million Melbourne Rectangular Stadium is well under way. In the next few months the stadium will become part of Melbourne’s skyline as the first shells of the distinctive bio-frame roof go up. When completed in 2010, the Stadium will be the new home of the elite Melbourne Victory and Storm soccer and rugby teams. For many years soccer and rugby in Victoria have made do with inadequate grounds either designed for other sports or incapable of accommodating ...

Victorian filmmaker Julius Avery’s short film Jerrycan was awarded the Jury Prize at the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival in May. Filmed at Clunes in regional Victoria, and using locals instead of actors, the film follows a day in the life of a group of kids with nothing to do. The story is about a teenager who risks everything after being bullied into making a life and death decision. Julius Avery, 29, is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts. He was in Cannes to ...

Melbourne Zoo has confirmed that 15 year old Dokkoon, one of three Asian Elephants that arrived in November 2006, is pregnant. The pregnancy is the result of artificial insemination carried out in March by the Melbourne Zoo and visiting fertility specialists from the Berlin Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research. Bong Su, Melbourne Zoo’s bull elephant is the father. The pregnancy was confirmed by ultrasound in early June. The ultrasound showed a black sack of amniotic fluid containing a ...

Victoria has officially recognised the contribution made by one of its first migrant communities, the Scottish, by releasing an official Victorian State Tartan on 11 June. Today more than 32,000 Victorians are Scottish-born and 162,000 Victorians identify themselves as having Scottish heritage. At the official level, Victoria has a Sister State relationship with Scotland. Each colour in the tartan (pictured) has special significance. Blue represents the colour of the shield on the ...

On 1 July, Victoria’s new Graduated Licensing System came into effect and 250,000 probationary drivers switched from red to green P plates. The new four-year, two-stage probationary licence aims to reduce the dangers young people face on the roads. The system requires learner drivers to stay on their learner permit for at least 12 months and have 120 hours of driving experience – including at least 10 hours at night – before they sit for their licence. If they pass, motorists will ...

Forty years after it first appeared in the Melways, Melbourne’s EastLink motorway opened to traffic on 29 June. The 39 kilometre motorway linking Mitcham to Frankston includes 17 interchanges, 6km of toll-free bypasses, 88 bridges and a 1.6km tunnel under the Mullum Mullum Valley. The community was invited to walk, ride or run along the motorway on 28 June and motorists had the opportunity to try out the road for free during the first month of operation. EastLink offers commuters a 24 ...

The Victorian Government has been implementing a range of measures to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and clean up Victoria’s electricity generation industry. New solar energy power plant for northern Victoria Construction of the world’s largest photovoltaic demonstration power station will begin in 2009 in northern Victoria. The 154MW solar power station, being constructed by Solar Systems, will produce enough power to run 45,000 homes. TRUenergy recently invested ...

11 August 2008 - The Australian Government has released a Request for Tender (RFT) for Staffing, Retail and Operations services for Australia’s pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.  The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) seeks to engage a high quality service provider to work with DFAT to recruit, train and manage a team of people who will work at the Australian pavilion. The successful tenderer will provide administrative services; manage pavilion ...

THE ROAD TO LONDON - CAROLINE CASEY An ongoing series of profiles by the Media, Communications & Technology network. Where did you grow up in Australia? Melbourne's outer bayside suburbs. What's your current role? Senior Producer at Turner Broadcasting looking after all our VOD, video sharing and social networking services for entertainment brands in EMEA (Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Turner Classic Movies, AdultSwim and NutsTV) What brought you to London? I was ready for a ...

DIPLOMATIC ANNOUNCEMENT – HIGH COMMISSIONER TO UNITED KINGDOM The Government will recommend to the Governor-General the appointment of Mr John Dauth LVO to be Australia’s new High Commissioner to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Mr Dauth is expected to take up his appointment in September 2008. Mr Dauth is one of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s most senior diplomats. He has held a range of posts crucial to Australia’s political and ...

August, 2008  ...

Advance’s newly-opened Hong Kong office will service Australians working and living throughout Asia, many of whom have been Advance members since our global organisation began in 2002. Over the next few months, we aim to add thousands of new members to our growing network of Australians abroad. Advance will seek to complement activities run by the existing Australian support organisations operating in Asia by providing professional networking opportunities on a global scale. In line with ...

Vital Regeneration, a leading social and economic development charity working in some of West London's most disadvantaged neighbourhoods, is seeking two motivated individuals to join its Board of Trustees. They are particularly keen to find enthusiastic individuals who can help safeguard the future well-being and effectiveness of the charity as they drive forward their ambitious plans. As an ambassador for the organisation you will champion integrity and performance. They are seeking ...

VIP restaurant reservation service exclusively for Advance members. All members will receive a complimentary glass of champagne and preferred seating where possible. Contact Sarah McKenna on advance@saucecommunications.com or 020 8600 3638. Service is available Monday to Friday 9:30 - 18:00. Restaurants available are: Galvin at Windows, The London Hilton on Park Lane, 22 Park Lane, W1 Galvin at Windows is located on the 28th floor of Park Lane Hilton and launched in May 2006 ...

Three young Australians who launced a web company six months ago have now sold their creation to Google for a reported $15 million. Ryan Junee, Julian Frumar and Simon Ratner founded Omnisio – described as "the world's first video rich application" on the company’s website – and have now hit the big time. [More...]

Three to a Room returns to Edinburgh Three to a Room would like to offer Advance members a special 2 for 1 on tickets to I Love You, Bro at the Pleasance Dome (Jack Dome) at 14:25 and Mommie & the Minister at Smirnoff Underbelly (Big Belly) at 10pm on August 8. Tickets must be booked through 0131 556 6550 for I love You, Bro and 0131 226 0000 for Mommie & the Minister. Anyone purchasing tickets must mention the password "Advance" to claim this offer. I Love You, Bro Sex, spies, ...

The Department of Homeland Security is debuting, on a voluntary basis, the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), an online pre-approval system for travelers under the Visa Waiver Program. The program does not become mandatory until January 12, 2009, at which point Visa Waiver travelers will be required to use the online system to obtain advance approval to travel at least 72 hours before departing for the United States. Nonimmigrant visa holders will not use the system.

Victorians Abroad in Shanghai was launched on 10 July, drawing together a broad cross section of global Victorians and friends of Advance. The Hon Joe Helper, Minister for Agriculture & Small Business hosted the event with Commissioner for Greater China, Charles Brent, who praised the entrepreneurial spirit of Victorians doing business in China.

Once considered a cultural and style backwater, the land down under is now home to designers and labels celebrities love. One sleepy Sunday night in London, a throng of terrifyingly trendy twentysomethings are partying like they’re in another time zone. Australia’s most influential DJ crew, the Bang Gang Deejays, arrived in London and Paris this summer, and with them came a party culture neither capital has seen the like of for a while. “Australians treat parties like festivals,” says ...