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Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Australia-India Youth Dialogue (AIYD) 2025 to take place in Mumbai & New Delhi
The 2025 Australia India Youth Dialogue (AIYD), focusing on the Future of Leadership, will be held in Mumbai and Delhi from September 15-18 MUMBAI: Delegates for 2025 Australia India Youth Dialogue (AIYD) taking place in Mumbai and Delhi from 15-18 September were announced on Friday. This year's dialogue will explore the Future of Leadership. Delegates will learn from speakers and engage in a range of discussions as they consider what kind of leadership we need in politics, the knowledge economy, sport, business and entrepreneurship, arts and culture for a stronger Australia-India relationship. For more than a decade, the AIYD has been gathering 30 exceptional young leaders from Australia and India – 15 from each country. Held in Australia and India in alternating years, it fosters connections between young Indians and Australians, sparks collaboration and partnership, and elevates the issues of significance for the next generation of bilateral leaders. You Can Also Check: Mumbai AQI | Weather in Mumbai | Bank Holidays in Mumbai | Public Holidays in Mumbai The 2025 Dialogue will feature a diverse cohort with talented individuals from different walks of life. Australian members of the cohort include, Bharat Sundaresan,Cricket Commentator and Writer Clare Murphy, Business Development Adviser, International, City of Melbourne, Dickie Currer, Founder, Hype Man Media, Georgia Lowden, President, NSW Young Liberals, Mary Higgins, New Colombo Plan Scholar, Medha Majumdar, Policy Officer, Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, Meg Washington, Singer-songwriter and Composer, Nhat Nguyen, Mission Manager, Space Machines Company, Shuba Krishnan, Journalist and Communication Specialist, Tahmara Thomas, Co-founder and CEO, HerVillage Foundation, Thomas Day, Global Development Manager, Acusensus, Tim Christodoulou, Government Affairs Lead, Sydney Airport Read, Vanessa Brettell, 2025 Australian of the Year Local Hero, Varun Ghosh, Senator for Western Australia The Indian members of the cohort include Alicia Souza, Illustrator, Ambi Subramaniam, Musician, Deepthi Bopaiah, CEO, GoSports Foundation, Kumaravel Thangavel, Entrepreneur, Nikhil Taneja, Co-founder and Chief of Yuvaa, Paras Parekh, Advisor, Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Rohith Prakash, Maitri Scholar, Monash University, Sarbjeet Singh, Stormwater Planning Engineer, City of Greater Geelong, Saswati Das, Physician-Scientist and Specialist in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Sathvik Shetty, Co-Founder, SmartX Technologies Australia, Shruti Chandra, Head of Government Relations & Public Policy, Prudential Plc, Ujjvala Ballal Shetty CEO, Aveksha Hospitals Pvt. Ltd, Vandana Kasravalli, Dancer, Choreographer, Educator, Vignesh Seetharaman, Head of Human Resources, Mondelez India. One cohort member each from Australia and India will be announced shortly, the AIYD said in a statement. 'Whether it's climate, digital disruption, social cohesion or shifting geopolitical dynamics, AIYD is a space where young leaders exchange ideas and form partnerships that last well beyond the Dialogue itself. Building on last year's discussions, this year's theme — The Future of Leadership — continues our exploration of how leadership must evolve in response to the challenges of the coming decade,' said Michelle Jasper, AIYD Co-Chair. 'With India's demographic strength and Australia's research and regional capabilities, our countries have a shared opportunity — and responsibility — to design leadership models fit for the future. That's why AIYD ensures diverse young voices are at the table, shaping how we work together in business, government, and civil society. What makes AIYD unique is not just the calibre of the participants, but the relationships they build — collaborations in education, trade, culture and public policy that continue long after the Dialogue ends,' Jasper said. 'Since 2012, more than 300 outstanding young people have taken part, forming a network that includes Cabinet Ministers, CEOs, Olympians, Grammy winners, Walkley Award-winning journalists, and founders shaping both nations. This calibre speaks to AIYD's enduring ability to identify and connect future leaders across every sector.' 'The AIYD has grown into the leading Track II diplomacy forum for young leaders from Australia and India — and this September, we proudly host our 13th Dialogue. The AIYD brings together young leaders from India and Australia to engage in powerful cross-cultural conversations and to identify opportunities to collaborate on real world, pressing issues that represent the top priorities for young people. At the heart of the dynamic relationship between Australia and India are human connections. Whether it's those at the frontier of links in higher education, trade or sport, it's the people-to-people connections that form the basis of the deepening relationship. There's a terrific opportunity for young leaders to shape the future of the bilateral and to forge new connections and collaborations during times of great global change,' Bindu Subranium, AIYD Co-Chair said. AIYD is supported by a dedicated network of partners committed to shaping the next generation of bilateral leaders. This year, AIYD is proud to be supported by founding sponsor, Global Victoria, the Centre for Australia India Relations, Deakin University and Bluescope Steel. The delegation will also be hosted by Western Sydney University, the CEO Forum and the India Australia Business and Community Alliance (IABCA).
Sky News AU
16-07-2025
- Business
- Sky News AU
‘Hugely important': Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece defends $82,000 visit to sister cities in China and Japan
Melbourne Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece has defended an upcoming trip to China and Japan that will cost ratepayers a massive $82,000. Mr Reece is set to travel to six cities in China and Japan from 16 to 29 September as part of a North Asia Business Mission delegation that will also include Councillors Kevin Louey, Philip Le Liu and Gladys Liu. Melbourne City Council voted to approve the junket on Tuesday evening at a cost of $20,470 for each of the four representatives. The trip will see the Lord Mayor lead a delegation of 'influential city leaders' on a trip to Melbourne's 'priority partner cities' of Chengdu, Nanjing and Tianjin, in China, and Osaka in Japan, with stopovers in major financial hubs of Hong Kong and Tokyo. The total cost of the trip for ratepayers is expected to significantly exceed the $81,880 once the travel cost of City of Melbourne staff, who are expected to accompany the delegation, is also factored in. Mr Reece defended the trip in an interview with 3AW on Tuesday morning. 'It's an important way of us promoting business connections between Melbourne and China and Japan, as well as community connections… city to city diplomacy, and just business to business, people to people, connections which help drive Melbourne and make us more prosperous,' the Lord Mayor said. 'In the world that we live in, those city to city, community to community, person to person, relationships are more important than ever.' Melbourne currently has official sister city relationships with Tianjin in China and Osaka in Japan, and Mr Reece said this relationship was taken 'very seriously'. 'I have travelled to Tianjin before, representing the city of Melbourne, and I can tell you, in that city, they take the sister city relationship very seriously. It's a matter of great importance to them and pride,' he said. 'In fact, if you walk along the river in the city of Tianjin, population about 18 million, the riverfront looks very much like Melbourne's because they sent a group of urban planners to Melbourne because we're a very well designed city, and copied the layout of the Yarra River along that river, so it looks very much like Southbank there with the blue stone the design of the street furniture. It's quite remarkable. Mr Reece said Melbourne was celebrating the 45th anniversary of it's sister city relationship with Tianjin and the World Expo was being held in Osaka, another sister city. 'So yes, I'm leading a delegation to attend those two events and really promote those connections between the cities,' he said. 'I mean, China is a major investor in Australia. It's a source of many jobs and trade for our city. 'International education is our biggest export earner. Tourism is the next China is bigger in those two segments than the next five biggest export earners combined. It's a hugely important market.' The plan for the trip approved by the Melbourne City Council states the Mission is 'designed to reinforce Melbourne's international relationships, promote capabilities in the green economy and health sectors, generate tangible trade and investment outcomes, and amplify Melbourne's profile as a global city for business, innovation, and talent'. 'The Mission is inviting export-ready businesses in targeted sectors, who will benefit from curated networking events, market intelligence, site visits, and introductions to investors, officials, and industry leaders— strengthened by the City of Melbourne's credibility and international city networks.' '(The delegation) will include influential city leaders from academia, industry, and innovation ecosystems to further drive trade, investment, and global positioning outcomes.' The approval of the delegation came just one day after the Herald Sun revealed Mr Reece had billed ratepayers $114,320 for travel costs since stepping into the Deputy Lord Mayor role in late 2020. This included more than $80,000 for 'local travel', which includes the use of a chauffeur-driven car for trips across Melbourne According to the City of Melbourne spokesperson, the expenses 'reflect the significant demands on the Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor to attend a range of engagements, where they represent and advocate for the city'. But ratepayer advocacy group Council Watch has blasted the spending as 'excessive' and out of step with public expectations. 'We acknowledge that Mr Reece is an ambassador for the City of Melbourne and this may increase expense more than an ordinary council mayor, however, given the tight economic times, we would urge City of Melbourne to reduce and limit all interstate and overseas travel, and where possible reduce any private car usage,' Council Watch President Dean Hurlston told the Herald Sun.
Sydney Morning Herald
18-06-2025
- Business
- Sydney Morning Herald
Is this Melbourne's only CEO job with sheep grazing outside the office?
Stepping through the gates of Abbotsford Convent is like happening upon a secret garden. Majestic old buildings overlook sprawling lawns and sun-dappled courtyards, all surrounded by trees older than anyone alive today. They're the last witnesses to some of the convent's grimmer history – but we'll get to that. Justine Hyde is the convent's new CEO – since taking on the role late last year, she's set her sights on an ambitious plan to turn the cultural centre into more than just a haven for locals: she wants to make it one of Melbourne's must-visit centres of culture. 'The big dream is to put the convent on the map, one of the top 10 tourist destinations in Melbourne. A place where people, whether they're coming from the regions, from interstate or internationally, have it on their must-do list of places,' she says. 'At the moment, it's a bit of a hidden gem. I think there's a lot of potential for it to be less hidden.' Hyde has come a long way before finding herself at the convent. She grew up in western Sydney and attended a school famous for two things: 'One was having the first on-site creche for young mothers who were at school. The other thing it was famous for was that one of the Anita Cobby murderers was a student. Those two things combined probably give you a sense of what kind of school environment it was.' Unsurprisingly, a young queer creative with a thirst for learning didn't fit in that well. 'I was lucky enough to find two best mates who also didn't fit in. That was my saving grace through school. I was highly motivated to get out.' It wasn't the sort of place that urged students to follow their dreams. 'I intended to go to university and to travel and do all those things that that environment didn't necessarily encourage. Out of my year at school, only a handful of people went to university. Probably only a handful of people moved out of the area as well.' Living independently in the big city didn't come cheap, though, so Hyde juggled full-time work with part-time study. First, she completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Information, qualifying her as a librarian, but her interest in writing then led her to follow it up with a graduate certificate in creative writing. Then a grad diploma in management. Then half a law degree. 'I've done a lot of studying,' Hyde says. After all those books, it was time for a change of scenery, and Melbourne has always been welcoming for smart creatives with an interest in culture. Hyde had friends here, and a few years after relocating, secured a job as acting CEO at State Library Victoria, overseeing the library's public experiences. After that came a role at City of Melbourne as director of its Creative City program. She's a prolific writer and critic herself, but it's not that often that writerly types, known for their enjoyment of solitude, also excel at leading large teams on bold projects. Loading 'I guess naturally, I am an introvert, and so writing as a solitary experience feels comfortable to me. In terms of being a leader, I've had to really work on getting out of that comfortable space of being an introvert. When I've done Myers-Briggs and all those kinds of psych testing frameworks, I always come up as what's described as an 'enthusiastic introvert'. That's me.' Before applying for the job at the convent, she was familiar with the place in the way so many Melburnians are. 'I'd come here as a punter lots of times, whether it was to go to Cam's for a meal and a coffee or come to a farmers' market or come to a gig or a performance during one of the festivals. But I didn't really know the diversity of what happens here.' There's the bakery and restaurants, sure, but the venue is also home to a radio station, a Steiner school running from kindergarten to year 12, and the grounds are also where the Australian National Academy of Music has settled while its South Melbourne premises undergo renovations. Then there are the 130 creative tenants who make their art there. 'The other thing that most people don't realise is it's a social enterprise. It's not funded by government,' says Hyde. Ninety per cent of the Abbotsford Convent's revenue is self-generated, with only 10 per cent coming from grants or philanthropy. 'Normally, it's the other way around.' Loading That unusual set-up is the result of an equally unusual origin. Two decades ago, the convent and its surroundings were set to be transformed by developers when a grassroots community campaign convinced the state government that it deserved better. The government purchased the land back from those developers and allowed the newly formed Abbotsford Convent Foundation the right to manage the place on behalf of the public. (The Convent is currently fighting a proposal to build a four-story retirement village on the historic site, which Hyde says would be 'excessive and imposing'.) Further back in time, however, the convent has a bleaker back-story. It was established in 1863 by an order of nuns from France whose philosophy revolved around hard work and industry. What that looked like in practice involved setting up an industrial-scale laundry adjoining the convent 'that was used to imprison young women who were either pregnant or destitute or orphans or criminals, and to put them to work as slave labour, basically.' The nuns ran a very successful operation for a century, servicing the wealthy families and hotels of Melbourne, 'all off the back of the labour of these young women,' says Hyde. TAKE 7: THE ANSWERS ACCORDING TO JUSTINE HYDE Worst habit? Being too easily persuaded to say yes by my children. Greatest fear? Where to start: the crisis in arts funding, environmental collapse, the erosion of hard-won civil rights for women and the LGBTIQA+ community, huntsman spiders. The line that stayed with you? 'I'm telling you stories. Trust me.' – The Passion by Jeanette Winterson, who I was lucky enough to see speak recently in Melbourne. She even quoted this line. Biggest regret? Not getting to meet Jane Fonda when she was having lunch at Julie Restaurant at the convent recently. What a living legend! Favourite book? How To Be Both by Ali Smith. The story is told from two perspectives, one contemporary and one in the Italian Renaissance. Two versions of the book were published simultaneously, one in which the contemporary story appears first, the other in which the Renaissance story comes first. You can read the novel starting from either perspective and ending with the other. Smith is simply brilliant. The artwork/song you wish was yours? It's a piece of writing about an artwork: 'Smote, or when I find I cannot kiss you in front of a print by Bridget Riley' by (British author) Eley Williams. If you could time travel, where would you choose to go? 1970s Manhattan for a queer adventure into the art scene and a night at Studio 54. 'I think it's really important to acknowledge that history and engage with it head-on. What I find really fascinating is you come to this site and when you walk through the gates, it has quite a peaceful, embracing feeling. Which is not what you would expect from a place that had been an institution.' Before the nuns arrived, the area now housing the convent was an important meeting place for Wurundjeri and Kulin nations for a long time. 'I don't think we do as well as we could in terms of acknowledging and celebrating that pre-colonial heritage, and that's something that I'm really keen for us to do better,' Hyde says. Loading To that end, her next big project has been formed around the Wurundjeri seasonal calendar. Winter LIVE sees the convent's many spaces taken over by live music, dance, a cinema and other events. It's a mini-festival aimed at warming up the precinct over the cooler months, with Saturday's winter solstice acting as its heart. Hyde is clearly proud of both the convent's recent history and the plans she has for its future. Wandering through the grounds with her, it wasn't hard to see why she looks forward to arriving at work each day. Music floated down from an open window while kids darted about outside their school. The bakery was buzzing, locals walked their dogs, and down the hill towards the river, sheep and horses grazed. 'It feels like being the mayor of a village sometimes,' Hyde said. 'It feels like the kind of place that you're going to walk into on any day and, through serendipity, happen upon something interesting and unexpected, which is part of the appeal of the place.'
The Age
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Age
Is this Melbourne's only CEO job with sheep grazing outside the office?
Stepping through the gates of Abbotsford Convent is like happening upon a secret garden. Majestic old buildings overlook sprawling lawns and sun-dappled courtyards, all surrounded by trees older than anyone alive today. They're the last witnesses to some of the convent's grimmer history – but we'll get to that. Justine Hyde is the convent's new CEO – since taking on the role late last year, she's set her sights on an ambitious plan to turn the cultural centre into more than just a haven for locals: she wants to make it one of Melbourne's must-visit centres of culture. 'The big dream is to put the convent on the map, one of the top 10 tourist destinations in Melbourne. A place where people, whether they're coming from the regions, from interstate or internationally, have it on their must-do list of places,' she says. 'At the moment, it's a bit of a hidden gem. I think there's a lot of potential for it to be less hidden.' Hyde has come a long way before finding herself at the convent. She grew up in western Sydney and attended a school famous for two things: 'One was having the first on-site creche for young mothers who were at school. The other thing it was famous for was that one of the Anita Cobby murderers was a student. Those two things combined probably give you a sense of what kind of school environment it was.' Unsurprisingly, a young queer creative with a thirst for learning didn't fit in that well. 'I was lucky enough to find two best mates who also didn't fit in. That was my saving grace through school. I was highly motivated to get out.' It wasn't the sort of place that urged students to follow their dreams. 'I intended to go to university and to travel and do all those things that that environment didn't necessarily encourage. Out of my year at school, only a handful of people went to university. Probably only a handful of people moved out of the area as well.' Living independently in the big city didn't come cheap, though, so Hyde juggled full-time work with part-time study. First, she completed a Bachelor of Applied Science in Information, qualifying her as a librarian, but her interest in writing then led her to follow it up with a graduate certificate in creative writing. Then a grad diploma in management. Then half a law degree. 'I've done a lot of studying,' Hyde says. After all those books, it was time for a change of scenery, and Melbourne has always been welcoming for smart creatives with an interest in culture. Hyde had friends here, and a few years after relocating, secured a job as acting CEO at State Library Victoria, overseeing the library's public experiences. After that came a role at City of Melbourne as director of its Creative City program. She's a prolific writer and critic herself, but it's not that often that writerly types, known for their enjoyment of solitude, also excel at leading large teams on bold projects. Loading 'I guess naturally, I am an introvert, and so writing as a solitary experience feels comfortable to me. In terms of being a leader, I've had to really work on getting out of that comfortable space of being an introvert. When I've done Myers-Briggs and all those kinds of psych testing frameworks, I always come up as what's described as an 'enthusiastic introvert'. That's me.' Before applying for the job at the convent, she was familiar with the place in the way so many Melburnians are. 'I'd come here as a punter lots of times, whether it was to go to Cam's for a meal and a coffee or come to a farmers' market or come to a gig or a performance during one of the festivals. But I didn't really know the diversity of what happens here.' There's the bakery and restaurants, sure, but the venue is also home to a radio station, a Steiner school running from kindergarten to year 12, and the grounds are also where the Australian National Academy of Music has settled while its South Melbourne premises undergo renovations. Then there are the 130 creative tenants who make their art there. 'The other thing that most people don't realise is it's a social enterprise. It's not funded by government,' says Hyde. Ninety per cent of the Abbotsford Convent's revenue is self-generated, with only 10 per cent coming from grants or philanthropy. 'Normally, it's the other way around.' Loading That unusual set-up is the result of an equally unusual origin. Two decades ago, the convent and its surroundings were set to be transformed by developers when a grassroots community campaign convinced the state government that it deserved better. The government purchased the land back from those developers and allowed the newly formed Abbotsford Convent Foundation the right to manage the place on behalf of the public. (The Convent is currently fighting a proposal to build a four-story retirement village on the historic site, which Hyde says would be 'excessive and imposing'.) Further back in time, however, the convent has a bleaker back-story. It was established in 1863 by an order of nuns from France whose philosophy revolved around hard work and industry. What that looked like in practice involved setting up an industrial-scale laundry adjoining the convent 'that was used to imprison young women who were either pregnant or destitute or orphans or criminals, and to put them to work as slave labour, basically.' The nuns ran a very successful operation for a century, servicing the wealthy families and hotels of Melbourne, 'all off the back of the labour of these young women,' says Hyde. TAKE 7: THE ANSWERS ACCORDING TO JUSTINE HYDE Worst habit? Being too easily persuaded to say yes by my children. Greatest fear? Where to start: the crisis in arts funding, environmental collapse, the erosion of hard-won civil rights for women and the LGBTIQA+ community, huntsman spiders. The line that stayed with you? 'I'm telling you stories. Trust me.' – The Passion by Jeanette Winterson, who I was lucky enough to see speak recently in Melbourne. She even quoted this line. Biggest regret? Not getting to meet Jane Fonda when she was having lunch at Julie Restaurant at the convent recently. What a living legend! Favourite book? How To Be Both by Ali Smith. The story is told from two perspectives, one contemporary and one in the Italian Renaissance. Two versions of the book were published simultaneously, one in which the contemporary story appears first, the other in which the Renaissance story comes first. You can read the novel starting from either perspective and ending with the other. Smith is simply brilliant. The artwork/song you wish was yours? It's a piece of writing about an artwork: 'Smote, or when I find I cannot kiss you in front of a print by Bridget Riley' by (British author) Eley Williams. If you could time travel, where would you choose to go? 1970s Manhattan for a queer adventure into the art scene and a night at Studio 54. 'I think it's really important to acknowledge that history and engage with it head-on. What I find really fascinating is you come to this site and when you walk through the gates, it has quite a peaceful, embracing feeling. Which is not what you would expect from a place that had been an institution.' Before the nuns arrived, the area now housing the convent was an important meeting place for Wurundjeri and Kulin nations for a long time. 'I don't think we do as well as we could in terms of acknowledging and celebrating that pre-colonial heritage, and that's something that I'm really keen for us to do better,' Hyde says. Loading To that end, her next big project has been formed around the Wurundjeri seasonal calendar. Winter LIVE sees the convent's many spaces taken over by live music, dance, a cinema and other events. It's a mini-festival aimed at warming up the precinct over the cooler months, with Saturday's winter solstice acting as its heart. Hyde is clearly proud of both the convent's recent history and the plans she has for its future. Wandering through the grounds with her, it wasn't hard to see why she looks forward to arriving at work each day. Music floated down from an open window while kids darted about outside their school. The bakery was buzzing, locals walked their dogs, and down the hill towards the river, sheep and horses grazed. 'It feels like being the mayor of a village sometimes,' Hyde said. 'It feels like the kind of place that you're going to walk into on any day and, through serendipity, happen upon something interesting and unexpected, which is part of the appeal of the place.'
ABC News
13-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
City of Melbourne budget promises CCTV cameras and more lighting in safety blitz
Melbourne's Lord Mayor Nick Reece says more CCTV cameras and safety officers will be introduced on city streets as part of what he says is a record investment in community safety. The City of Melbourne handed down its 2025-26 draft budget today, with $4.5 million more invested into public safety compared to last year, bringing the total to $14 million. Cr Reece said the council would spend a total of $70 million on safety and cleaning — a 20 per cent increase on last year. The council will also invest $2.1 million upgrading and expanding the Safe City Camera Program, activating more than 100 new CCTV cameras. The Victorian government will contribute $3.5 million to the initiative. Cr Reece said the initiative would "double" the number of CCTV cameras across the city. "This budget is a game changer for city safety," he said. About $1 million will go towards lighting up some of Melbourne's laneways and dimly-lit areas, including Hardware Lane and Swanston Street. An additional $2 million will also go towards new community safety officers. He said the officers will have the powers to enforce local laws and make citizens arrests. "They will be well trained in managing hostile situations and dealing with situations where there are people at risk," Cr Reece said. "They'll also be specialised, trained and have a very visible safety presence about them." In the first year, the City of Melbourne will deliver around 10 community safety officers, he said. "This budget will deliver a major new investment in boots on the ground in terms of city safety." The $732.4 million draft budget revealed a surplus of $150,000, delivering back-to-back surpluses for the first time in five years. Last year's budget delivered a surplus of $101,000. The budget includes a debt repayment program, reducing debt from $212 million in 2025-26 and forecast to drop to $61 million by 2028-29 and to zero in an additional three years. At the budget unveiling, the lord mayor said keeping the city clean, one of his election promises, remained a "top priority" for the City of Melbourne. The budget revealed $59.8 million will go towards scrubbing streets and infrastructure, litter and graffiti removal as well as rubbish collection and recycling. "We are winning the war on taggers and graffiti in this city," Cr Reece said. This year's budget showed residents will receive a full rebate on the Victorian government's 3 per cent rate rise as well as a 3 per cent saving on waste charges. On-street parking fees will remain the same for the eighth year in a row, but council is projecting total revenue from parking fines will rise by 8.8 per cent to $40.2 million. Council will invest $26 million to deliver more than 80 events, and $35 million will go towards the renewal of the Queen Victoria Market to deliver on the completion of trader sheds and some new waste facilities. "This is a budget which makes major strides forward in things which we know are important to Melburnians," Cr Reece said. "We've got a very ambitious agenda here at the city of Melbourne and this budget reflects that ambition."
