Pittwater Life April 2017 Issue

News
City no longer slicker for work
It’s the living hell endured
by thousands of locals – the
Pittwater-to-wherever work
commute involving sitting in
traffic or on public transport
for nearly 20 hours each week.
It’s so dire that more and
more workers are looking to
relocate locally. And it’s some
traditionally city-based businesses
that are leading the way,
with plenty of creative and
advertising types uprooting or
simply planting themselves on
the beaches – all to attain a better
work/life balance.
Examples are Jamie Kwong,
founder and CEO of successful
advertising and design agency
Workshop Australia and a local
for more than 20 years, and the
crew of media planning and
buying agency, Sandbox Media.
“In 2015 I moved my ad
agency from Surry Hills, where
I established in 2003, to Newport,”
Jamie said. “It hit me…
we have a good list of clients
located around Australia (and
the world), and whilst I love
living on the Northern Beaches
I was forced to drive – or worse,
catch the L90 – over 80km to
and from my own company!
“I did the math – commuting
3½ hours from Palm Beach
to the city and back five days
a week, for 46 weeks for 20.5
years, is about 380,000km,
approximately 16,500 hours or
around 687 days,” Jamie continued.
“That’s close to two years
just driving in my car!”
He understands why many
workers and business owners
feel locked in to a city commute
but says challenging ‘the norm’
could see them break free.
“I always thought advertising
agencies needed to be
central – but to what?” he said.
“Our clients range from new
start-ups and local businesses,
to established national and even
international brands that are
spread far and wide.
“We figured with clients from
Sydney to New York, Newport
was as central as anywhere.”
Jamie said it was a misconception
that clients would not
travel far. “Clients don’t travel
– period!” he said.
“Since moving we have put on
some very big clients who are
based in the city,” he countered.
“They don’t discriminate based
on postcode. It’s all about the
quality of our work.”
Finding locally based staff
has not been a problem.
“They’re looking for work which
doesn’t drag them to the city
every day,” he said. “Not only
are they good at their jobs, they
aren’t jaded from travel.”
And his rent is a lot less than
his former fringe-city space.
“Now that we have reduced
our overheads and changed
our business model we’re able
to work with a wider range of
clients on interesting projects –
purely because we want to,” he
said. “We see a lot more of our
families, we are more efficient,
Residents in Central Road, Avalon Beach
face an anxious wait to see whether a
proposed 72-place childcare facility will be
approved on appeal in the NSW Land and
Environment Court. Hundreds of locals
immediately affected by the proposed
development, who argued against its
detrimental impact, were jubilant when
BETTER ON THE BEACHES: Jamie Kwong of Workshop Australia.
happier, healthier and the work sales and saw a gap in the
we’re producing is better.”
market bringing together the
Sandbox Media, which brokers
deals with the media for
best in each discipline from the
media to service his current
client base across all of their
its clients across all mediums
marketing mix.
and platforms, was set up in
“These long-standing client
Newport in 2009 after founder
relationships, together with our
Anthony Colreavy grew tired of
strong media relationships, has
working in the city and beyond.
allowed the company to grow –
Anthony recruited friend Paul we were recently awarded Top
Brennan as General Manager – 12 on BRW’s ‘Fast 100’,” he said.
and the tight-knit team haven’t With a background in TV
looked back.
sales, Paul’s roles have been
“Ant had just finished building
in Newport, and with two “The traffic from the beaches
predominantly city-based.
young children it was a pretty to the city used to be bad – now
easy decision that the home office
was a good idea to establish “Spending 2.5hrs + per day just
it’s unbearable,” Paul said.
the business,” said Paul.
getting to and from work
“He was working in direct
Continued on page 52
Developer appeals refused DA
Northern Beaches Council refused the
Development Application on March 1.
However, the developer of the projected $2
million construction which would include
a semi-basement car park and which locals
said would attract more than 70 extra
vehicles to the narrow suburban street per
day, has appealed via the courts.
16 APRIL 2017
Celebrating 25 Years