About Karyn Starmer

We have all heard the awful tales of dodgy plumbers. From leaking taps to flooding floors, and the dishonesty of those who take payment but disappear without finishing the job. The ACT plumbing industry was hit particularly hard in the wake of an ACT Supreme Court finding against a Canberra company for false and misleading representations in 2019. Master Plumbers ACT...

A shocking story about a relationship between a Victorian magistrate and his junior court clerk has highlighted the need for people to seriously look at their superannuation death benefits and their overall estate planning regardless of their age. Magistrate Rodney Higgins and Ashleigh Petrie, 45 years his junior, began a relationship in 2019. The multi-decade age gap sparked frenzied media coverage...

As Victoria follows NSW into yet another lockdown, the V-shaped recovery is looking a little wobbly, but Bendigo Bank economist David Robertson has given the territory a cautious thumbs-up. The latest round of quarterly economic data for the ACT is a mix of results, showing Canberrans are utilising government stimulus measures to improve their stay-at-home life while the capital's property...

Like most of us, the Australian Taxation Office faced a year of change in 2020, and their focus was on stimulus measures and supporting businesses rather than debt recovery. But, as the economy wakes, the giant is stirring once again and it's looking for its tax dollars. "The reality is, during 2020, the ATO was much more lenient," says RSM...

High-flying Canberra start-up ONTHEGO (OTG) has entered administration, a victim, its founder says, of the global pandemic. OTG CEO Mick Spencer has confirmed the appointment of an administrator in what he says is a proactive step to secure the company's future. "OTG is still an actively trading company, our factory in Canberra is still open, our staff are still employed," Mr...

Icy winter frosts are making a regular appearance and our heaters are well and truly on, so that means it is nearly time for Canberra CEOs to pull out their thermals and woolly socks and get ready for a cold night sleeping out for the annual Vinnies CEO Sleepout. A national event held by the St Vincent de Paul Society...

The ACT's new Labour Hire Licence scheme, designed to secure fairer conditions for workers and weed out dodgy providers, comes into effect on 27 May 2021. As part of a range of strict new measures, the Labour Hire Licensing Act 2020 will require all ACT labour-hire providers to hold a licence and demonstrate ongoing compliance with industry standards and workplace...

How do you connect people in a fragmented world, and what are the challenges facing Canberra businesses right now? These are the questions the Canberra Business Chamber recently considered in a major shake up of the services it offers the Canberra business community. Canberra Business Chamber chief executive officer Graham Catt says like so many businesses, the chamber had to look...

With the Federal budget done and dusted for another year, the winners and losers identified and analysed, most of us have moved on. But there is a small section of the Canberra business community who will be feeling particularly happy with this year's budget - our technology firms. The announcement of a $1.2 billion digital spending package is good cause for...

New ACT labour-hire laws designed to protect contract workers and weed out dodgy providers are set to come into force later this month. Under the new laws, labour-hire providers in the ACT will need to apply for licences to operate as part of a range of strict new measures designed to better protect workers. The new laws come in response...

Canberra infrastructure and renewables development company Elvin Group has announced the installation of Australia’s first commercial urban large scale-based utility battery. The 5 megawatt-hour battery will have the capacity to service the average energy needs of approximately 5,400 households for an hour. It will also stand ready to pump power into the grid in the event of a shortfall, making...

After a year of disruption and hard slog, most Canberra businesses are slowly beginning to see the light of day. But after everything businesses have been through, lawyers and financial advisors are reporting more owners are thinking beyond this year or next and considering their life beyond business ownership. Snedden Hall & Gallop's senior associate and succession planning specialist, Emily...

The ACT economy has again demonstrated solid economic growth with good results across most indicators for the first quarter of 2021. While all states and territories are showing positive results, the recovery is looking especially strong for the capital. Bendigo Bank Head of Economic and Market Research David Robertson says the outlook for the Territory is particularly optimistic but says the...

As a company whose roots began in construction, Geocon is keenly aware of the prevalence of men’s health issues in the construction industry. With research showing that workers in the industry are at high risk of experiencing some form of mental illness, and men comprising 80 per cent of Geocon's construction workforce, a partnership with Menslink was an easy fit for the Canberra-based...

Thinking back to when the words 'contact tracing' and 'lockdown' were not part of our everyday language, those little pixelated squares called QR codes could be seen on product labels, but were by and large ignorable. Fast-forward to 2021 and governments are mandating we use our smartphones to scan them, sharing our personal details at every venue we enter and...

Small businesses struggling with debt have been offered a lifeline through reforms to small business insolvency rules. The changes to Australia's insolvency rules were designed to assist with restructuring and relieving the debt burden of small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The changes, including a new debt restructuring process and a simplified liquidation process, will apply to incorporated small...