Appendix A

Action Status1. Support, engage with and promote the activities of the recently formed KnoxEnviroTech Network Incorporated, (KEN Inc.), in its endeavours to encouragecollaboration between EnviroTech businesses in Knox. This work will beundertaken in conjunction with the revised Greenleaf Business Program.

On hold pending outcomes of EnviroTech Industry Study (Appendix B)

2. Work with the KEN Inc. to prepare a Knox EnviroTech Industry Profile in orderto better understand the extent of the sector in Knox, its links and supply chainsand to identify products and services with market potential. This profile will assistCouncil and the KEN Inc. to introduce small EnviroTech companies to largerorganisations that may have need for their products and services, includingCouncil. Cooperation on the attraction of new environmental businesses andinvestment can also occur as part of the sector development actions.

Incoporated into EnviroTech Industry Study

3. Partner with KEN Inc. and other relevant parties to have selected Federal andState Government business and industry evelopment programs, (e.g. EnterpriseConnect, Victorian Department of Business and Innovation, Small BusinessVictoria), made more accessible to Knox EnviroTech businesses.

On hold pending outcomes of EnviroTech Industry Study

4. Conduct a program of visits to Knox EnviroTech businesses to determineviews on developing the local sector, and investigate how best to respond to anyidentified opportunities.

Incoporated into EnviroTech Industry Study

5. Further investigate the feasibility of developing a Knox EnviroTech IndustryProcurement Support Scheme to assist local businesses in the sector to developinnovative new products and services. Industry development opportunities areoften triggered by regulatory requirements that stem from government policy.Whilst this is most often obvious in response to Federal and State policy actionssuch as carbon pricing, green buildings or water restrictions, it could be scaleddown to apply at the local level.

Council could, as an example, agree to develop a specialised procurementprocess whereby it considers utilising a prototype, or early stage developmentproduct or service, thereby providing a ‘test bed’ to assist local companies tofurther develop and finalise these for production and introduction to the market.

On hold pending outcomes of EnviroTech Industry Study

6. Build marketing and investment attraction strategies that position Knox as acity dedicated to the development of its capacity as a location for environmentaltechnology development.

On hold pending outcomes of EnviroTech Industry Study

7. Work closely with local support agencies such as Swinburne’s National Centrefor Sustainability, VCAMM, (the Victorian Centre for Advanced MaterialsManufacturing), the Knox EnviroTech Network and the Small TechnologiesCluster and suitable others to help transfer technology, innovation andexperience between environmental technology firms in Knox.

Progressing well through the development of training and networking events.

8. Subject to annual budget procedures, establish a three year Funding andService Alliance with KIOSC, (the Knox Innovation and Opportunity SustainabilityCentre ).

To be completed by 30 June 2012.

Knox EnviroTech Action Agenda 2011-12

CIT

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Prepared for: City of Knox

Prepared by: Geografia

February 2012

www.geografia.com.au

Disclaimer This report has been prepared by Geografia for the City of Knox and is intended for their use. While every effort is made to provide accurate and complete information, Geografia do not warrant or represent that the information contained is free from errors or omissions and accepts no responsibility for any loss, damage, cost or expense (whether direct or indirect) incurred as a result of a person taking action in respect to any representation, statement, or advice referred to in this report.

i

Table of Contents

Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................... iii

1.0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Methodology...................................................................................................................... 1

2.0 Industry Overview .................................................................................................................. 3

2.1 What is Envirotech? .......................................................................................................... 3

2.2 Overall Industry Prospects ............................................................................................... 5

3.0 Profile of the Envirotech Sector in Knox .............................................................................. 7

3.1 Database Audit ................................................................................................................. 7

3.2 Online Survey .................................................................................................................. 10

3.3 One-on-One Meetings ..................................................................................................... 13

4.0 Key Findings ........................................................................................................................ 15

4.1 Is there an Envirotech Sector? ....................................................................................... 15

4.2 What is the Industry’s Current Status? ......................................................................... 15

4.3 Why are they in Knox? .................................................................................................... 16

4.4 What are the Main Impediments to Growth? ................................................................ 16 Contrasts between Small and Large Firms ............................................................................ 17

4.5 What Can Council Do? .................................................................................................... 18

4.6 Summary of Findings...................................................................................................... 19

5.0 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 21

5.1 Overview .......................................................................................................................... 21

5.2 Proposed Envirotech Development Strategy ................................................................. 23

Objective 1 Networks and Social Capital .............................................................................. 23

Objective 2 Market Development and Product Awareness ................................................. 23

Objective 3 Affordable and Adequate Land ......................................................................... 24

Objective 4 High Quality Physical Infrastructure .................................................................. 24

Objective 5 Support for Price Sensitive Manufacturing Enterprises .................................. 25

6.0 References .......................................................................................................................... 26

Appendix .......................................................................................................................................... 27

List of Envirotech Enterprises ..................................................................................................... 28

Online Survey Questions ............................................................................................................. 33

ii

Figures

Figure 1 Comparison of Envirotech Enterprises and Industry Employment ............................. 9

Figure 2 Concentration of Envirotech Industry - Knox ............................................................. 10

Figure 3 Envirotech Sector Influence Diagram ........................................................................ 22

Tables

Table 1 Selected Envirotech Definitions ....................................................................................... 4

Table 2 Number of Knox Envirotech Enterprises by Industry and Category ............................... 8

Table 3 Knox Envirotech Enterprises by Alternative Categories .................................................. 8

Table 4 Knox Envirotech Online Survey Profile of Enterprises ................................................... 11

Table 5 Knox Envirotech Enterprise and Industry Profile ........................................................... 12

Table 6 Impediments to Envirotech Growth in Knox .................................................................. 13

Table 7 One-on-One Participant Profile ....................................................................................... 13

iii

Executive Summary

This report summarises the findings from an exploratory study into the Envirotech industry

in the City of Knox. The study was commissioned to answer the following questions:

1) What is the most appropriate way to define and describe an environmental

technologies sector for Knox?

2) What are the drivers that will influence development of an environmental

technologies sector in Australia and their implications for business and

government? What are the local considerations?

3) What are the relevant views of organisations active or keen to be active in the

local environmental technologies sector?

4) What environmental technology businesses currently exist in Knox, and what

are their key characteristics, shared challenges and opportunities?

5) What approach could be taken by the City of Knox to foster creation of a

strong Envirotech sector locally?

The research included a desktop literature review; 13 one-on-one interviews; telephone

canvassing of 160 putative Envirotech enterprises in Knox and an online survey (n=157).

The study found:

1. The Envirotech sector can be described as that sector which manufactures

or distributes products or provides services that help create environmental

solutions.

2. Unlike more established sectors of the economy, the global Envirotech sector is

growing and notwithstanding future economic uncertainty, this is expected to

continue. This growth is in response to new markets; new regulations; and more

efficient and cost-effective technologies (e.g. alternative energy).

3. The sector’s heavy reliance on new technologies and the diffusion of ideas (for

both solutions and for raising market awareness), mean that it is spatially tied to

particular locations (i.e. near advanced manufacturing and other high technology

regions) and responds positively to clustering effects.

4. As is the case with newly emerging industry sectors, the regions that capture the

Envirotech sector in the early development stages will have a clear advantage as it

grows over the next few decades.

5. At the same time, however, as a newly emerging sector it requires government

policy support to assist in infrastructure provision; ideas diffusion; networking and

market development and penetration.

6. Knox already has a solid base in the Envirotech sector, particularly in advanced

manufacturing and professional services. It also has an extensive array of assets

including a resident knowledge worker base; research precincts (e.g.

CSIRO/Monash); education clusters (e.g. Swinburne/KIOSC); and business

accelerators (e.g. VCAMM and the Small Technologies Cluster). In combination with

a pro-active Council policy, there is significant potential for the industry to grow and

for Knox to become the centre of Envirotech in the State, if not the country.

iv

7. Potential strategic objectives to support the sector’s growth in Knox include:

i. Building networks and social capital;

ii. Assistance with market development and product awareness, particularly

for SMEs;

iii. Ensuring access to affordable and adequate land for expansion of the

sector;

iv. Advocating for, or providing high quality physical infrastructure; and

v. Support for price sensitive manufacturing enterprises to ensure they

remain competitive.

1

1.0 Introduction

This report summarises the findings from an exploratory study into the Envirotech industry

in the City of Knox. The study was commissioned to address the following:

A. Background Information

1) What is the most appropriate way to define and describe an environmental

technologies sector for Knox?

2) What are the drivers that will influence development of an environmental

technologies sector in Australia and their implications for business and

government? What are the local considerations?

3) What are the relevant views of organisations active or keen to be active in the

local environmental technologies sector?

4) What environmental technology businesses currently exist in Knox, and what

are their key characteristics, shared challenges and opportunities?

B. Recommendations

5) What approach could be taken by the City of Knox to foster creation of a

strong Envirotech sector locally?

A desktop literature and data review, in-depth one-on-one interviews; a wide-ranging

telephone canvassing exercise; and an online survey were employed to gather information

in respect to these questions. In broad terms, the study found that the sector is well

represented in the region, particularly in professional services (e.g. environmental auditing)

and manufacturing. By contrast, while present, there was a notably low representation of

construction industry enterprises working in the Envirotech space, relative to the overall

size of construction in the municipality.

This study has found sufficient evidence to justify a development strategy to support the

growth of the industry. This should be informed by the existing form of the sector in the

municipality and guided by the City’s Economic Development Strategy and Vision 2025.

The EDS outlines most of the challenges and opportunities the Envirotech sector faces and

this study extends some of these concepts.

Opportunities for intervention include support for small and large enterprises such as:

facilitation of ideas generation networks; lobbying at State and Commonwealth level; and

assistance in the provision of appropriately serviced land. There is also scope for

collaboration across the region to help build a broad-ranging innovation environment that

leverages from the presence of high technology and advanced manufacturing enterprises

and institutions.

1.1 Methodology

After preliminary data analysis, the project drew its information from:

1. A literature review of relevant material on the emergence of the Envirotech sector

and local industry development policy.

2

2. Development of a project website to share information between project

collaborators.

3. Development (via a literature review and analysis of the nature of existing

Envirotech enterprises in Knox) of a working description of the Envirotech sector.

4. An evaluation of Council databases to compile a list of known Envirotech

enterprises located in, and immediately adjacent to, the municipality (see

Appendix for list of firms).

5. Telephone contact with all enterprises listed on the database to determine whether

they fit the description of Envirotech as determined in step 3.

6. An online survey to query issues, including awareness of the concept of the

Envirotech sector (see Appendix for survey questions).

7. One-on-one interviews with 13 Envirotech (or Envirotech-related) enterprises or

institutions with a presence in (or near to) Knox.

8. The development of an ‘Influence Diagram’ to trace out the important cause and

effect relationships in the sector and, thereby, reveal the main leverage points.

3

2.0 Industry Overview

A summary of the background information is provided below. The focus is on the definition,

scale and scope of the Envirotech industry; and the nature of its presence in Knox.

2.1 What is Envirotech?

The Envirotech and cleantech sector is increasingly recognised as a distinct and important

part of the global economy. It was worth an estimated $US1 trillion in 2008, and is

expected to grow to close to $US3 trillion by 2020 (despite uncertainty in the global

economic landscape). In Australia it is estimated to be worth some $22 billion per annum

(DEEDI, 2011) and a recent CSIRO (2008) report projects that by 2050, 2 to 3 million new

jobs could be created in the clean tech sector1 (mostly renewable energy).

This growth is driven by several factors. Foremost amongst them is that business,

government and consumers are increasingly aware of the need to curb Greenhouse Gas

emissions2. Growth is also expected as other important national environmental issues (e.g.

salinity, erosion, and water and air quality) are addressed. This alone is sufficient to

warrant the development of local policies to support the sector. In fact, some governments

(e.g. the Queensland State Government) have already put in place strategic plans to do just

that.

At the same time, Envirotech industry representatives have raised concerns about ‘green

washing’, in which firms use Envirotech concepts such as sustainability as part of branding

or marketing without necessarily making it part of their product or service delivery. In this

context, it is relatively important to ensure there is a clear definition of what the Envirotech

industry is.

The literature offers several options for this, as do various industry bodies representing or

working in the sector. Definitions vary from a list of functional categories (e.g. the

Environmental Management Industry Association of Australia) to a simple expression of

intent (Cleantech Finland). Table 1 summarises a selection of these.

Key themes common to these definitions are:

Introducing production processes that minimise the impact on the environment;

Expanding commercial activity into new products and services that respond to

market demand for environmentally sustainable consumption; and

Remediating environmental damage.

1 A term that is often used inter-changeably with Envirotech. 2 In fact most of the CSIRO’s (2008) projected jobs growth is predicated on a shift to a low-carbon

economy.

4

Table 1 Selected Envirotech Definitions

Source Definition

OECD Activities which produce goods and services to measure, prevent,

limit or correct damage to water, air and soil, as well as problems

related to waste, noise and ecosystems. Also includes activities that

produce clean technologies, processes, products and services

which will reduce environmental risk and minimise pollution and

material use.

Cleantech Finland All products, services, processes and technologies which prevent or

reduce impacts of harmful actions on environment.

Government of

Queensland

A diverse range of innovative technologies, products, services and

processes that measure, avoid, reduce or remediate negative

environmental impacts. It covers six sectors: clean energy;

environmental services; land management services; green building

and materials; resource recovery and recycling; sustainable

transport; and water and wastewater management.

Environmental

Industries Association

(USA)

Enterprises that manage solid, hazardous, and medical wastes;

manufacture and distribute waste equipment; and offer related

pollution- prevention services.

Canadian

Environment Industry

Association

Firms, corporations or divisions or units thereof which provide

environmental solutions (environmental products, technologies or

services).

Environment

Management Industry

Association of

Australia

Representing and helping organisations in the business of providing

Environment management goods, systems and services working in:

waste management and recycling;

pollution, noise and radiation control;

water and waste-water treatment and reuse;

energy conservation;

monitoring and process control;

cleaner production; and

soils and land management.

Dr Mary Good,

University of Arkansas

All revenue generating activities associated with:

compliance with environmental regulations;

environmental assessment, analysis and protection;

pollution control, waste management and remediation of

contaminated property;

provision and delivery of the environmental resources of

water, recovered materials, and clean energy; and

technologies and activities that contribute to increased

energy and resource efficiency, high productivity and

sustainable economic growth.

5

Drawing on this information, this study commenced with the following working definition:

The Envirotech sector manufactures products or provides services that

help create environmental solutions.

In the preliminary audit of Knox-based Envirotech enterprises, it became clear that using a

simple definition such as this may impede the longer-term strategic planning process as it

would not distinguish between different parts of the industry that may require different

forms of policy support. For example, while a focus on advanced manufacturing of

Envirotech products is important in view of Knox's business profile and skills base; this

should not be at the expense of distributors of Envirotech products. While this part of the

sector may not generate the same opportunities for skilled employment, these enterprises

have an important role to play in creating a market for innovative products and services.

Moreover, a narrow definition does not reflect the fact that, in the longer-term, a large part

of the economy may become Envirotech enterprises out of necessity. That is, while

currently the Envirotech sector is predominantly focused on specific manufactured

products or services, over time, it may come to embody a production principle, rather than

outcome. To address this, the definition was separated into distinct categories.

Category 1: Enterprise that manufactures a product or provides services that help create

environmental solutions.

Category 2: Enterprises that wholesale or retail a product that helps create environmental

solutions.

Category 3: Enterprises that uses environmentally sustainable processes and practices in

its operations (e.g. has ISO 14001 accreditation), but does not manufacture

a product or provide a service that directly helps create environmental

solutions.

Category 0: Enterprises provided by Council that do not fit into categories 1, 2 or 3

NOTE: as this is partly a response to Knox’s distinctive economic landscape (with its focus

on manufacturing) these categories do not necessarily capture the full range of Envirotech

typologies that may exist in other locations. However, it is considered a relevant

nomenclature for Knox.

2.2 Overall Industry Prospects

The relatively positive prospects for the Envirotech sector arise from unique characteristics

that make it respond to different growth drivers to those of traditional industry sectors. For

example, established industries are competing in well developed, invariably crowded

market places, effectively looking for further penetration in a tight market. By contrast, the

Envirotech sector is growing through multiple pathways, including new market and product

development and diversification. The key drivers of the industry are:

Higher energy prices compelling business consumers (and, to a lesser extent)

households to seek out energy efficiency gains;

6

The increase in the cost of raw materials, again driving the search for more

efficient use of materials, re-use or recycling of materials and less overall waste;

Environmental legislation, such as Australia's imminent carbon tax;

Emerging market opportunities. This relates more to growing environmental

awareness amongst consumers;

The relative decline in the cost of Envirotech input costs (e.g. energy efficient

building materials becoming more price competitive with traditional materials);

Innovation and entrepreneurialism generating (or seeking out) new ideas in

products and production processes; and

Universities continuing to generate a supply of 'raw' ideas.

While most of these drivers relate to business production and consumption, to some extent

they impact on the household sector as well.

Given the reliance on new technologies and knowledge, it is no surprise that Envirotech

activity is concentrated in well known high technology clusters such as Silicon Valley.

Envirotech is, in essence a high skilled, relatively high technology, innovation-driven sector

and, consequently benefits from agglomeration economies much as other high technology

fields do. It will thrive when there are large labour and knowledge pools and other shared

resources to draw on. Perhaps the most important spatial implications of this are that:

1. The Envirotech sector can be spatially tied to particular areas in which it

benefits from the clustering effects of access to the necessary skills,

infrastructure and ideas diffusion networks.

2. As with all newly emerging industry sectors the initial conditions are critical to

the future development pathway. For example, those regions that capture the

sector’s growth in its early stages are much more likely to experience growth

in the sector as it expands (e.g. consider Seattle and aircraft manufacturing).

It should be noted that the sector’s future prospects are not certain. While the net change

in the sector over the five years has been strong, capitalisation peaked closer to $20 billion

in 2007 and the fell after the demise Commonwealth's first Carbon Price Reduction

Scheme. So as the high tech sector (particularly IT) experienced, Envirotech’s growth

trajectory is sensitive to external conditions. The new carbon price scheme then may well

have stimulating impact on the industry. In terms of recent volatility, for example, market

capitalisation of listed Australian Envirotech companies grew from around $4 billion in

2005 to $10 billion today (most of which is in renewable energy reflecting the high capital

costs of this industry subsector).

There is an important role for the public policy to help manage this uncertainty and

volatility. Additionally, as a sector that relies on clustering effects, it is dependent on initial

conditions. This means that, once agglomeration commences, it can be difficult to change

the trend. Places in which Envirotech activity emerges early stand a greater chance of

succeeding in the longer term.

The next section provides an overview of the Envirotech sector in Knox, its drivers and the

challenges it faces.

7

3.0 Profile of the Envirotech Sector in Knox

This section provides an overview of the scale, nature and views of Knox’s Envirotech

sector and introduces some key themes. The audit of the sector in Knox was undertaken in

several steps.

1. Database Audit

Firstly existing Council databases were compiled into a single preliminary

Envirotech enterprise database. Each of the more than 160 firms on this combined

list were then contacted and queried on their relationship to Envirotech activities.

This work was supplemented by an online search for other firms and a review of

the Australian Standards database of firms with ISO14001 accreditation. The final

list of enterprises were classified by type, and then mapped via GIS.

2. Online Survey

An online survey was then run (157 valid responses). Combined with the database

audit, this provided sufficient information to estimate the size, location and nature

of the industry in Knox.

3. One-on-One Meetings

More detailed examination of industry prospects and challenges were obtained

through 13 one-on-one or small group meetings with Envirotech businesses or

institutions with a presence in (or near to) Knox.

3.1 Database Audit

Table 2 summarises the audit of the Envirotech sector in Knox. Close to 160 enterprises

were contacted and 118 firms were identified as members of a category within the

Envirotech sector. The breakdown by industry largely follows Knox’s overall industry profile

(with an important exception - construction). It is dominated by manufacturing, followed by

professional services. A complete list of these firms is provided as an electronic

attachment to this report. In summary, the Envirotech sector makes up:

Around 1% of all enterprises in Knox;

4% of all manufacturers;

100% of all utilities firms3;

0.4% of the construction sector; and

1.2% of all wholesale enterprises.

While it is not yet possible to confidently calculate the total number of people employed in

Envirotech in Knox (this will require a more detailed, comprehensive business survey),

matching the available ABS and business data to the online survey results (see next

section) suggests somewhere in the range of 1,800-4,000 Envirotech jobs already located

in Knox (the large range is due to the high degree of uncertainty in manufacturing).

3 By definition, waste and waste water treatment firms are part of the Envirotech sector. However, actual

operational processes do not necessarily comply with environmental regulatory standards such as

ISO14001.

8

Table 2 Number of Knox Envirotech Enterprises by Industry and Category

Category 1 2 3 0 Total

Construction 10 1 0 0 11

Manufacturing 48 7 1 8 64

Prof. Scientific, Technical 15 4 1 0 20

Utilities 10 2 0 0 12

Wholesale/Retail 5 5 0 1 11

TOTAL 88 19 2 9 118

Using the Clean Edge (Pernick et al, 2011) categories, these 118 firms can be classified as

follows (Table 3).

Table 3 Knox Envirotech Enterprises by Alternative Categories

Category 1 2 3 0 Total

Air and environment 24 1 1 0 26

Energy efficiency 11 0 0 0 11

Energy generation 4 0 0 0 4

Energy infrastructure 2 1 0 0 3

Energy storage 1 0 0 0 1

Manufacturing/industrial 15 7 1 5 28

Materials 4 1 0 0 5

Recycling and waste 17 0 0 0 17

Transportation 4 1 0 1 6

Water and wastewater 6 8 0 3 17

Agriculture 0 0 0 0 0

Total 88 19 2 9 118

This classification structure highlights the dominance of air and water quality firms and,

again, manufacturing.

The notable absence in this list is the construction industry. This is highlighted further in

Figure 1, which compares the Envirotech sector presence with the workforce and

enterprise breakdown by industry. While the construction industry makes up around 21%

of all businesses in Knox, it only accounts for 9% of Envirotech businesses. While it is

reasonable to assume this study may not have captured the entirety of the industry that is

part of the Envirotech sector (particularly micro-enterprises), the low count of construction

firms may also reflect the slow uptake of Envirotech principles and practices within

commercial and residential construction. That is, it is still something of a boutique industry,

which suggests some room for growth.

9

Figure 1 Comparison of Envirotech Enterprises and Industry Employment4

Data source: ABS, 2006; Geografia

In terms of locational distribution, the Envirotech sector is found across most of Knox’s

commercial or industrial sites (Figure 2) and several firms are also located in adjoining

municipalities. As industry stakeholders point out, these boundaries are, and should be,

porous and the influence of universities and research infrastructure5 in surrounding LGAs

should be incorporated into the strategic planning for the sector’s growth in Knox. This

aligns with the City’s EDS principle of collaboration with regional stakeholders and should

underpin any interventions in the Envirotech sector. There are also opportunities for better

linkages between sectors – for example linking the construction industry to advanced

manufacturing and materials research.

In summary there is a solid presence of Envirotech businesses and employment in Knox.

Intervention should have a region-wide focus as growth of the sector across the region will

benefit growth within Knox. In practical terms co-operation with neighbouring councils,

Regional Development Victoria and the State Government are likely to generate

substantially greater local growth than if Knox were to undertake an industry development

strategy on its own.

4 ‘Utilities’ includes recycling, waste and waste water treatment firms. 5 For example, the Australian Synchrotron and the Centre for Nanofabrication. The latter has instruments

that are being used for solar cell construction, while the Synchrotron is being used by industry to refine

enviro-technology.

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

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Envirotech Enterprises (%) Resident Workforce (%)

Local Jobs (%) Total Enterprises (%)

10

Figure 2 Concentration of Envirotech Industry - Knox

Data source: Geografia

3.2 Online Survey

There were 157 valid responses to the online survey. Respondents were asked to indicate

whether they were part of the Envirotech sector and, if so, whether it related to their

product or service, their production process or both. They were also asked to indicate

which ANZSIC industry sector best described them. A total of 57 respondents (36%)

indicated the Envirotech definitions accurately described their product, service, and/or

production process. Slightly over half indicated they were not part of the sector and 8%

were not sure. Respondents Table 4 summarises the respondents’ profile6.

6 Due to the high proportion of respondents who did not indicate which ANZSIC industry sector best

described them no conclusion can be drawn about whether this survey captured a representative sample.

11

Table 4 Knox Envirotech Online Survey Profile of Enterprises

Industry Sector Envirotech

Product/Service

Envirotech

Process

Both Non-

Envirotech

Not

Sure

Total Proportion

Accommodation, Food and Tourism Services 1 - 1 - - 2 1.3%

Construction 3 2 1 - 1 7 4.5%

Education and Training 1 - - - - 1 0.6%

Financial and Insurance Services 1 2 - - - 3 1.9%

Health Care and Social Assistance 1 - - - - 1 0.6%

Information, Media and Telecommunications - 1 - - - 1 0.6%

Manufacturing 2 9 2 1 5 19 12.1%

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services 5 2 - - 3 10 6.4%

Public Administration and Safety - - - - 1 1 0.6%

Recycling, Water and Waste Services 5 2 1 - - 8 5.1%

Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services - - - - 1 1 0.6%

Retail 4 - 2 - 1 7 4.5%

Wholesale Trade 6 2 1 - - 9 5.7%

No Response - - - 86 1 87 55.4%

TOTAL 29 20 8 87 13 157 100.0%

12

Table 5 compares the 2008 industry profile for Knox with the Envirotech respondent

profiles from the online survey and the database audit. Mindful of the high number of non-

responses to the ANZSIC classification query, these data also indicate there is an

‘undersupply’ of construction industry enterprises operating in the Envirotech sector. They

also highlight the dominance of manufacturing and professional services in Envirotech

(and the need to target further quantitative analysis at these sectors).

Table 5 Knox Envirotech Enterprise and Industry Profile

Industry Sector Propn Knox

Enterprises

Propn. Online Survey

(Envirotech Only)

Propn

Audit

Accommodation, Food & Tourism 1.4% 3.5% -

Construction 21.2% 10.5% 9.3%

Education and Training 1.1% 1.8% -

Financial and Insurance Services 5.7% 5.3% -

Health Care and Social Assistance 3.1% 1.8% -

Information, Media and Telecomm. 1.7% 1.8% -

Manufacturing 10.8% 22.8% 54.2%

Professional, Sc. & Tech Services 4.1% 12.3% 16.9%

Public Administration and Safety 2.7% 0.0% -

Recycling, Water and Waste 0.1% 14.0% 0.8%

Rental, Hiring and Real Estate 1.2% 0.0% -

Retail 12.1% 10.5% -

Wholesale Trade 7.1% 15.8% 9.3%

No Response - 3.5% -

TOTAL 72.3% 100.0% 100%

Data source: ABS, 2008

The critical qualitative question in the online survey asked respondents what, if anything

was stopping the Envirotech sector from growing in Knox. Of the 46 responses to this

question, there were 42 valid answers from Envirotech businesses (Table 6). Over one

quarter cited government support (particularly to assist in market development) as the

main impediment. The economic development planning literature has long noted the

importance of public policy in supporting emerging industries so that they are able to

compete more effectively with established ideas and products. The second most important

issue, and closely related, was market awareness. That is, consumer/end user awareness

of the value and availability of Envirotech products and services.

Some stakeholders also indicated their willingness to continue to assist Council in

developing strategies to grow the industry. This database of industry contacts can be

drawn on to bring together fixed-term committees for strategic planning purposes.

13

Table 6 Impediments to Envirotech Growth in Knox

Impediment No. Responses Percentage

Capital investment required 8 19

Lack of access, information and knowledge of Envirotech 6 14.3

Needs better support from Government and Council 11 26.2

Economic climate 4 9.5

Low demand 4 9.5

Nothing 5 11.9

Not sure 4 9.5

TOTAL 42 100

3.3 One-on-One Meetings

The 13 one-on-one meetings were an opportunity to have detailed discussions about why

particular Envirotech enterprises had located in Knox; what sort of factors would

encourage them to stay or leave; and what Council could do to support the expansion of

the industry in Knox. Table 7 provides the participant profiles.

Table 7 One-on-One Participant Profile

Enterprise Main Activity Industry Sector

Alfa-Tek Australia Monitoring equipment Manufacturing

ALS Water Resources Group Laboratory Professional

Services

Astec Paints Paint manufacturer Manufacturing

Bernie's Greener Homes Energy efficiency consultant Professional

Services

CSIRO Research Professional

Services

Davey Water Products P/L Water treatment & equipment Manufacturing

Greenspeed Recumbent Trikes Alternative transport Manufacturing

KIOSC Skills training Education

Livos Australia P/L Non-toxic, plant based cleaners Wholesale

Megara (Australia) P/L Recycled stationery and packaging

products Manufacturing

Nature's Organics Environmentally friendly personal

and household cleaning products Manufacturing

Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia Instruments and laboratory testing

equipment

Professional

Services

VCAMM Ltd Research and product development Manufacturing

14

The most consistent findings were:

• Why did they locate in Knox?

• Convenient to the owners/managers’ place of residence;

• Captive local market of households (e.g. housing stock that is reaching a

stage at which it needs renewal) and businesses; and

• Pleasant environment (with view of hills).

• What particular attributes of Knox allow them/encourage them to stay?

• Melbourne is a better location for many firms than Sydney due to easier

logistics (better road, rail and port infrastructure), cheaper land and

perception of a more liveable city. Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide aren't

competitors in this regard;

• Close to skilled labour pool, particularly current staff;

• Cost of relocation is prohibitive;

• Accessibility to freeways (for staff and goods) important, although this

results in heavy reliance on private transport, which can be a weakness;

• Supply chains are scattered over metropolitan area, but effective road

network offsets this; and

• Larger high standard industrial commercial estates (e.g. Caribbean

Business Park) provide high amenity infrastructure.

• What are the concerns about the prospects for the industry?

• Electricity costs may lead to off-shoring;

• There is still an element of ‘green washing’ in the wider economy. This

undermines the brand value of true Envirotech products and services. By

the same token, Envirotech stakeholders taking the long-term view believe

that all economic activity should eventually aspire to be part of the

Envirotech sector; and

• Government regulation needed to encourage investment in Envirotech,

expand market share and ‘level the playing field’.

A more detailed discussion of these results can be found in the next section.

15

4.0 Key Findings

Combining the audit, survey and interview results revealed several common themes7.

These are summarised below.

4.1 Is there an Envirotech Sector?

In some cases study participants indicated they were not part of an Envirotech sector

despite their operations fitting the description. This was consistent for telephone, online

survey and interview respondents. It suggests that there may be other firms in Knox that

are part of the sector but, as yet, have not acknowledged this. By contrast, local industry

institutions do take note of it and are making efforts to build the industry profile and

market base (e.g. CSIRO, VCAMM, Small Technologies Cluster, KIOSC). In summary, while

there is clearly an emerging sector in Knox, not all potential ‘members’ acknowledge that

they are part of it. This means that the sector may be larger than the audit and survey

indicate.

4.2 What is the Industry’s Current Status?

There is some degree of uncertainty across the economy and this is no less so for the

Envirotech sector. Key concerns are the Dutch Disease phenomenon (the high value of the

dollar is reducing the price competiveness of manufacturing in Australia); the decline in

retail and manufacturing activity; and electricity prices. As a still emerging sector, it is no

surprise that expectations for Envirotech are mixed. Industry projections are positive, but

the industry itself does not have a long track record of success, which makes some

stakeholders concerned and investors cautious (there has been a drop in capital

investment over the last few years). Moreover, as noted earlier, green washing can

undermine the already fragile brand recognition of Envirotech products and services.

Overall, interviewees claim that growth has stalled and that, without regulatory

intervention, cheaper, more established products will continue to dominate end-user

markets.

Notwithstanding this concern, renewable energy has positive outlooks. Cheaper Chinese

wind turbines and solar panels are expected to dominate the Australian market in the

coming years and spur new investment in energy generation. Additionally, the longer-term

view is that price, regulation and environmental necessity will eventually compel more

enterprises to enter the Envirotech space. To that end, establishing a strong presence,

Envirotech network and innovation chain will put Knox in a good position to be at the

forefront of this transition. As noted in Section 2, those places that are able to position

themselves as Envirotech ‘hubs’ in the early stages stand a much better chance of

benefiting from future growth in the sector.

7 All meeting notes and survey results are available on the project website.

16

4.3 Why are they in Knox?

Overall, it was noted that Melbourne has distinct advantages over any other Australian city

with respect to advanced manufacturing and Envirotech. This means it is well placed to

attract more Envirotech enterprises, although this may not apply to parts of the industry

that do not rely on manufacturing or professional services (e.g. renewable energy provision,

rather than manufacturing of renewable energy machinery).

Although initial set-up in Knox was largely due to convenience for the owners/managers,

stakeholders also noted the quality of life and access to affordable commercial/industrial

land as advantages. Given that, internationally, Envirotech clusters are found in

geographical proximity to high amenity, high tech regions (e.g. Silicon Valley), it should

come as no surprise that Envirotech stakeholders in Knox argue for improvements to these

commercial and private amenity attributes.

Most enterprise representatives acknowledged that they planned to remain in Knox due to

its skilled resident labour force; access to quality residential areas; the cost of relocation;

and the proximity to key public and not-for-profit institutions (schools, universities, VCAMM

and CSIRO for example). Some stakeholders also noted that there is a potentially large

local market for products (households and firms), due, in part, to relatively high household

incomes. However, this had yet to manifest itself fully, which speaks to the need to address

market awareness issues. Additionally, while high value supply chains for the industry are

scattered over the metropolitan area, the local road network offsets this and is an

important asset to the region.

In summary, there are several compounding push-pull factors that support the retention of

the sector in Knox. However, given economic uncertainty, there is no guarantee that some

of the larger anchor firms (particularly those with tight profit margins) will be able to

remain the region, or for smaller firms to gain sufficient market penetration to expand. In

this context, competitive advantage is a moving target.

4.4 What are the Main Impediments to Growth?

There are global and local impediments to sectoral growth, as well as differences between

the concerns of small and large enterprises. The global issues are:

A two speed economy and strong Australian dollar (i.e. the Dutch Disease

phenomenon) affecting the prospects of all non-primary economic activity;

The prospect of higher electricity prices cutting already tight margins and local

products losing market share to increasingly cheaper imported products; and

The limited social capital within the sector, which impedes access to resources,

capital and ideas (particularly for emerging enterprises).

Within the State and Knox the key issues are:

The need for high quality, well-serviced industrial/commercial land for expansion;

Limited access to waste disposal sites;

Lack of market awareness of products;

17

A growing lack of high quality, but affordable commercial space (land and

buildings);

Regulatory constraints impeding enterprise growth;

Uncertainty over the impact of a carbon price (e.g. increased electricity costs and

potential for enhanced market opportunities);

The longer-term risk of an undersupply of skilled labour; and

Lack of government support for market development and diversification.

Interview participants reported that the downturn in construction and retail activity had

started to affect the Envirotech sector. This is particularly so in cases where Envirotech

products and services were competing with more established (often cheaper) options.

Contrasts between Small and Large Firms

Rosenthal and Strange (2010) found the local presence of smaller firms is more closely

associated with employment and enterprise growth than larger firms (smaller firms are

more inclined to source their inputs locally thereby generating growth). However, larger

firms can increase local market awareness, and can provide a large pool of skilled labour,

training and ideas to stimulate broader industry growth. Both types of firm are necessary

for an industry sector to thrive and, given the striking difference in the perceptions and

needs of small and larger firms, strategic planning must tailor responses to suit the needs

of each.

Comparing the literature with the survey and consultation results reveals the following

growth drivers for small firms:

Reliance on key businesses (manufacturing and distributors of imported goods) to

provide enabling technologies;

Product marketing and meaningful government policy and funding support,

including assistance with (or promotion of) relevant grant and other funding

programs;

The need for a showcase of products and services (e.g. Knox Central);

The need for small, affordable parcels of well-serviced commercial/industrial land;

and

Education and awareness to improve market penetration (for both household and

business consumers).

For larger firms, the drivers are:

• Affordable factor inputs (especially sufficiently scaled, well serviced land and

affordable energy);

• Ongoing access to a highly skilled, resident workforce (there is some concern

about future supply);

• Capacity to host highly skilled, highly mobile workers (e.g. international visitors)

and business forums; and

• Access to national and international markets.

Smaller firms reported the need for assistance with networking and exposure (e.g. expos or

demonstration projects). This is to help expand their markets. Larger firms report having

the in-house capacity to do this and, instead, their concerns relate to broader regulatory

18

change to help grow, support local manufacturing in general and explore innovative ideas

for improving their business. For example, there have been at least two exploratory studies

into local power generation (wind and solar) by Envirotech firms. This is in response to

concerns about electricity prices8. While focused on bottom line issues, these efforts also

reflect the firms’ underlying commitment to continuous improvement of their Envirotech

processes.

In summary:

• Smaller firms need assistance with networking, exposure (e.g. expos or

showcases) and, in some cases, lubricating funds;

• Larger firms need land assembly, long-term innovation and skills input and

regulatory support; and

• All firms need knowledge sharing forums that will appeal to the company bottom

line and so attract more participants. These need to be informal, occasional and

personal (i.e. not generic emails).

4.5 What Can Council Do?

The telephone canvassing, audit and survey highlighted several important themes, both

general to growth of the sector and specific to Knox. In summary, they were:

The need for better networks and improved social capital, particularly for smaller

enterprises;

The need for market development and diversification;

The need to secure better, affordable land for industry expansion;

The reliance on quality infrastructure (primarily transport);

Uncertainty over electricity prices (for the manufacturing component); and

The link between quality of life and skilled labour supply.

The one-on-one meetings were an opportunity to discuss these themes in more detail and

explore the options for Council to develop a strategic plan that will support the sector.

Stakeholders agreed that, despite some immediate concerns, the Envirotech sector is very

likely to grow significantly over the next few decades. In light of this, and given Knox’s

existing advantages in advanced manufacturing and proximity to supporting infrastructure

(e.g. Australian Synchrotron, Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication, and CSIRO) and

potential local markets, there is an opportunity for Knox to position itself to be at the

forefront of sectoral growth into the future. To achieve this it is necessary to support

innovation, advanced manufacturing and product development in the Envirotech space,

particularly by encouraging the existing innovators to remain in Knox, connect with the

region and expand.

The main recommendations from stakeholders were:

1. Council needs to lead by example and make a clear statement of intent regarding

its desire to attract and support Envirotech companies to Knox.

8 An obvious, but sometimes overlooked, point is that strategic intervention will gain support from the

industry if it can be demonstrated to have a net positive effect on the bottom line.

19

2. Council could roll out various initiatives as both a demonstration/proof of concept,

as well as for long-term Envirotech growth. Initiatives could include:

• Piloting of a co-funded renewable energy project with one or more larger

Envirotech firms to showcase on-site co-generation or renewable (solar,

wind) opportunities;

• Development of a green commercial and/or industrial site with appropriate

infrastructure to attract and support a mix of Envirotech firms. This could

involve a renewal of an existing site, or roll out of a development within the

Knox Central site; and

• As an ongoing strategy, Council could seek to attract a major anchor firm

to a purpose-developed site.

3. More broadly, regular, informal forums that appeal to considerations of the

company bottom line will attract participants and interaction within the sector. This

is essential in view of the nascent state of the Envirotech network in the region

(and, for that matter, the poorer overall networks of business association in Knox

compared with, for example, knowledge economy interactions in the Melbourne

CBD).

4. Particularly for smaller firms, there is also an opportunity for Council to assist in

accessing resources (ideas, equipment, facilities) and funding (e.g. grant

programs).

4.6 Summary of Findings

The key findings of the audit, consultation and analysis were:

The sector is part of an internationally and nationally growing sector. There are,

however, issues of concern, including price competitiveness, electricity prices and

regulatory issues that put growth of Envirotech products and services markets at

risk;

There are, at least, 118 companies in Knox already that recognise themselves as

Envirotech enterprises. This amounts to a little under 1% of all enterprises based

in Knox and between 3% and 7% of employment. This is likely to be an undercount;

Absent a detailed study into the construction industry, it is reasonable to assume

that there is untapped potential for a greater proportion of the sector to move into

the Envirotech product space;

The sector is similar to any high technology reliant industry sector in that it benefits

from clustering and, therefore, local government’s stand to benefit from industry

policy designed to support it;

There are local attributes that place Knox in an enviable position with respect to

Envirotech growth prospects. As with other international Envirotech clusters, the

most notable attributes are the skilled resident workforce, quality of life, advanced

manufacturing capacity, freeway access and high quality industrial/commercial

amenity (Caribbean Park being a case in point). Continuous improvement to

commercial/industrial land, infrastructure (particularly public transport) and

quality of life are essential if the sector is to realise its potential in Knox;

The current stock of commercial and industrial land and buildings is primed for

renewal to support industry expansion. There are signs, also of a shortage of land

of a suitable standard for expansion of the sector;

20

Market development, social capital building and, in the longer term, improvements

to the innovation process (incorporating the long-term provision of human capital

and new ideas and technologies) are essential for the industry in general and

specifically within Knox;

Existing institutions (e.g. Swinburne, Monash, VCAMM, the Small Technologies

Cluster, Caribbean Park and KIOSC) represent a large pool of resources that

Council can leverage from to help build the industry;

There are a range of opportunities open to the Council to participate in the

development of the sector. These are specific to enterprise size and short/long

term prospects. Recommendations include:

o Assembly of green/brown field commercial land to attract and showcase a

range of Envirotech firms;

o Local procurement of Envirotech products to raise market awareness;

o Lobbying of State and Commonwealth government to demonstrate value of

a strong, growing Envirotech sector;

o Assistance to build an informal, but effective network of ideas generation

and sharing; and

o Facilitation of linkages between Envirotech firms and major research and

support institutions in the region.

o Support for smaller firms seeking funding or other resources.

These and other proposals are outlined in more detail in the next section.

21

5.0 Recommendations

5.1 Overview

The research findings were used to sketch out the key growth drivers of, and impediments

to the Envirotech sector. This is in the form of an influence diagram, which shows the

causal linkages between these factors. Arrows indicate the direction of influence and the

polarity indicates the nature of that influence (e.g. a positive sign indicates positive

feedback’ in which cause and effect factors move in the same direction).

Figure 3 is the influence diagram for the Knox Envirotech sector. It represents a conceptual

understanding of how the sector works and reveals importance leverage points for policy

intervention. These leverage points are used as the objectives of a proposed Envirotech

development strategy.

Note that influence diagrams should be developed through an iterative process and so they

should be continuously refined as new information comes to light.

22

No. Knox-based envirotech firms

No. local employees

No. total employees

Transport infrastructure

Infrastructure investment

Accessibility for employees

Perception of Electricity prices

Introduction of carbon tax/price

Viability of local envirotech industries

Quality of

life/liveability

Relevantly skilled

local residents

Physical access to

markets and supply

chains

Supportive local

planning regulations

Industrial land

affordability and

availability

No. envirotech firms

in Victoria

+

+

+

+

+

+

+

Perception of Knox as

a place to invest

+

+

+

+

Product awareness

Decision to locate

in Knox+

+

+

+

+

Networks and

industry social

capital

+

+

+

National

competitiveness

State liveability

Index

State and Federal

industry policyViability of State

envirotech industries

+

Decision to invest

in Victoria

+

+

+

+

+

-

++

+

Agglomeration

benefits

+

<Agglomeration

benefits>

++

-

Local market take up of

domestic envirotech

products

+

+

Renewable energy

market

+

+

Marketing

investment

+

+

Enterprise

expansion

Viability of non-Knox

envirotech industries

+

<Viability of non-Knox

envirotech industries>

-

In-commute rate

Out-commute rate

+

+

-

+

+

+

Figure 3 Envirotech Sector Influence Diagram

23

5.2 Proposed Envirotech Development Strategy

The concept of an Envirotech development strategy aligns with the Council Vision 2025

statement that it will be a prosperous, modern economy by 2025. This includes the goal of

establishing “...Knox as a centre of excellence for sustainability and energy efficiency.

Nurturing an industry that specialises in the design and production of sustainability and

energy efficiency products and services. Encouraging residents and businesses to adopt

best practice in sustainability and energy efficiency.” (Knox City Council, 2010: 21).

More specifically, actions to support the Envirotech sector align with the objectives in the

Council’s Economic Development Strategy (EDS) and, consequently, do not represent a

departure from current long-term strategic planning.

The following proposed initiatives are designed to respond to the issues raised in this study

and to fit with one or more objectives of the EDS. These activities represent a focus for the

next 18-24 months.

Objective 1 Networks and Social Capital

Goal: Facilitate networks of interaction and ideas sharing to assist in the diffusion of

information and technology

Aligned with: EDS Objectives 8 and 9

1.1 Assist firms looking for local community projects to support as

showcase/demonstrations of Envirotech enterprise capacity and technology

($2,000/year)

1.2 Facilitate events and forums that are enjoyable and useful gatherings to share

information and learn about other Envirotech firms in the region ($10,000/year)

Involve education and other institutions (e.g. Swinburne, KIOSC)

Facilitate meetings of research institutions with Envirotech enterprises

1.3 Share the findings of this study with Regional Development Australia, neighbouring

Councils, the Department of Business and Innovation and other stakeholders with

a view to co-ordinating efforts (including primary data collection and analysis) to

support the sector’s growth across the region ($0)

1.4 Work to establish a business hotel in the region that acts as a meeting place for

regional innovators in the Envirotech and advanced manufacturing sector. This

could build on the work undertaken for the development of accommodation at

Knox Central ($0).

Objective 2 Market Development and Product Awareness

Goal: Help build local market awareness of Envirotech products and services to

households and other businesses

Aligned with: EDS Objectives 4 and 8

24

2.1 Council to lead by example by making a clear statement of intent to attract more

Envirotech companies to the municipality, including via a publicity campaign

($2,000)

2.2 Further investigation of the level of participation of the construction industry in the

Envirotech product space (audit of industry - $7,500)

2.3 Subsequent to action 2.2, investigate the impediments to embedding Envirotech

processes, products and services into the construction industry (study - $7,500).

2.4 As part of ongoing demonstration of the merits of establishing businesses in the

municipality (e.g. EDS action 3.3.5), promote the skilled resident workforce to

prospective enterprises ($2,500)

2.5 Develop and roll out a social media-based branding strategy to assist in the

promotion of the Envirotech sector. As part of this seek to amend internal policy to

allow access for the economic development team to social media tools ($5,000

plus internal policy change)

2.6 Undertake targeted industrial tourism visits to promote the activities of Envirotech

enterprises and assist in building links between different practitioners ($5,000).

Objective 3 Affordable and Adequate Land

Goal: Ensure long-term security of supply of affordable and adequate land for expansion

of the Envirotech sector

Aligned with: EDS Objectives 1, 3, 4 and 10

3.1 Co-development of a Greenfield site to attract a major anchor firm and support

Envirotech product development and processes ($100,000).

3.2 Roll out an ongoing program of support for commercial and industrial land renewal

at key development sites ($100,000).

Objective 4 High Quality Physical Infrastructure

Goal: Ensure that residential and commercial amenity continues to improve to attract

and retain value-adding and high technology Envirotech industries.

Aligned with: EDS Objective 11

4.1 Continue to build the case for the development of effective north-south public

transport linkages to connect key sites within the municipality and between these

and other important nodes of activity (e.g. neighbouring CAAs) ($0).

4.2 Continue to work with Envirotech industry stakeholders to identify opportunities for

growth (drawing from survey database) through ongoing liaison ($0).

25

Objective 5 Support for Price Sensitive Manufacturing Enterprises

Goal: Assist manufacturing firms to remain competitive and therefore continue to

operate in Knox through support for innovative energy provision projects.

Aligned with: EDS Objectives 4 and 11

5.1 Ensure Council support for timely approval of expansion or process innovation

within existing sites (e.g. factory roof wind turbines - $0).

5.2 Work with industry partners and other stakeholders to investigate the potential for

a co-funded renewable energy (or co/tri-generation) project attached to an existing

enterprise or potential Envirotech cluster ($50,000 each).

26

6.0 References

ABS, 2006, Census 2006, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra

ABS, 2006a, Australian and New Zealand Standard Industry Classification, Australian

Bureau of Statistics, Canberra

ABS, 2006b, Australian Standard Classification of Occupations, Australian Bureau of

Statistics, Canberra

ABS, 2009, National Regional Profile, ABS Catalogue No. 1379.0.55.001, Australian

Bureau of Statistics, Canberra

ABS, 2011, Regional Population Growth Australia, ABS Catalogue No. 3218.0, Australian

Bureau of Statistics, Canberra

CSIRO, 2008, Growing the Green Collar Economy: Skills and Labour Challenges in

Reducing our Greenhouse Emissions and National Environmental Footprint, CSIRO

Sustainable Ecosystems, Canberra

DEEDI, Queensland Cleantech Industry Development Strategy 2011-2015, Department of

Employment, Economic Development and Innovation, Government of Queensland,

Brisbane

Knox City Council, 2010, Knox Vision 2025, Knox

Pernick, R., Wilder, C., Winnie, T., and Sosnovec, S., 2011, Clean Energy Trends 2011,

Clean Edge, San Francisco

Rosenthal, S., and Strange, W., 2010, Small Establishments/Big Effects: Agglomeration,

Industrial Organization, and Entrepreneurship, in Glaeser, E., (ed), Cities, Agglomeration

and Spatial Equilibrium, Oxford, Oxford University Press, pp277-302

27

Appendix

28

List of Envirotech Enterprises

Name Category Cleantech Category ANZSIC

A B Downs Industries 0 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

A I Automotive P/L 3 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

A.A.A. Soil Testing & Foundation Design 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

A.W.N. (Air Water Noise) Consultants (now Golder) 1 Recycling and waste Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Aerovent Australia P/L 1 Air and environment Manufacturing

Alfa-Tek Australia 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

ALS Water Resources Group 1 Manufacturing/industrial Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Alternative Fuel Innovations 1 Transportation Manufacturing

Amcor Fibre Packaging 1 Recycling and waste Manufacturing

Anri Instruments & Controls 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

APA Manufacturing 1 Transportation Manufacturing

Aqua Diagnostic 2 Water and wastewater Manufacturing

Aquablock Plumbing Service 0 Water and wastewater Manufacturing

Aqua-Health 1 Water and wastewater Manufacturing

Astec Paints 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Australian Environmental Laboratories 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Australian Glass Group P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Australian Glass Tools P/L 0 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Bayswater Septic Tanks 1 Water and wastewater Construction

Bernie's Greener Homes 1 Energy efficiency Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Biosphere 1 Air and environment Construction

29

Name Category Cleantech Category ANZSIC

BJH Controls 2 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Brereton & Co P/L 1 Air and environment Manufacturing

Bunzl Australasia Ltd 2 Manufacturing/industrial Wholesale

Camatic P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Cap Industries 0 Water and wastewater Manufacturing

Capacitor Technologies P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Carbon Community Foundation 1 Energy efficiency Wholesale

Chemetall Australasia P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Civil & Soil 3 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Cleanaway - Melbourne Municipal 1 Recycling and waste Utilities

Colair Refrigeration P/L 1 Energy efficiency Manufacturing

Composite Materials Engineering P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Continental Water Systems 0 Water and wastewater Wholesale

Creative Water Technology 1 Water and wastewater Construction

Dalton Paper 1 Recycling and waste Wholesale

Davey Water Products P/L 1 Water and wastewater Manufacturing

Dool's Trading 1 Air and environment Utilities

Eastern Recycling 1 Recycling and waste Utilities

Eco-friendly Car Care 1 Air and environment Manufacturing

Ecotech P/L 1 Air and environment Manufacturing

Electric Vehicles 2 Transportation Wholesale

Enviro Consult 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Enviroflex P/L 1 Energy efficiency Manufacturing

Environmentally Sound Products 2 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

30

Name Category Cleantech Category ANZSIC

Ferntree Environmental Solutions 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Filtaire Products P/L 1 Air and environment Manufacturing

GCD International P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Global E.A.R.S. Ltd 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Global Energy 1 Energy efficiency Construction

Greenspeed Recumbent Trikes 1 Transportation Manufacturing

Haulton Constructions 2 Water and wastewater Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Hybrid Electronics Australia P/L 1 Materials Manufacturing

Javac P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

JDM Instant Pumps P/L 2 Water and wastewater Wholesale

Karcher 2 Water and wastewater Wholesale

Kingston Plant Hire 1 Air and environment Construction

Knox Materials Recovery Centre 1 Recycling and waste Utilities

Lightnin Mixers P/L 2 Water and wastewater Manufacturing

Livos Australia P/L 1 Materials Manufacturing

Luhr Filter P/L 1 Air and environment Manufacturing

M & H Power Systems P/L 1 Energy infrastructure Manufacturing

Mac Global P/L 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Market Intelligence Group 2 Energy infrastructure Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Marwil 1 Air and environment Wholesale

Matrix Drilling P/L 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Matthews Australasia P/L 2 Manufacturing/industrial Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Megara (Australia) P/L 1 Recycling and waste Manufacturing

Melbourne Desk Co P/L 1 Recycling and waste Manufacturing

31

Name Category Cleantech Category ANZSIC

Mikropul Australia P/L 1 Air and environment Manufacturing

Mystique P/L 1 Recycling and waste Manufacturing

National Resource Recovery 1 Recycling and waste Manufacturing

Nature's Organics 1 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

New Pig Australia P/L 1 Recycling and waste Manufacturing

Novasys Group P/L 2 Materials Manufacturing

Opec Systems P/L 1 Recycling and waste Utilities

Outlook Environmental 1 Recycling and waste Utilities

PACCAR Australia P/L 0 Transportation Manufacturing

PE Consulting Services P/L 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Pearl Filtration 1 Air and environment Manufacturing

Pharmaceutical Plant Company 2 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Plaza Water Treatment Services 2 Water and wastewater Utilities

Pro-Bac Industries P/L 1 Air and environment Construction

Process Pumps 1 Air and environment Manufacturing

Procol Services P/L 2 Manufacturing/industrial Construction

RF Industries P/L (RFI) 1 Energy efficiency Manufacturing

Ruhr Pumps Australia P/L (Sihi) 2 Manufacturing/industrial Wholesale

Schneider Electric 1 Energy infrastructure Manufacturing

Seghers-Applied P/L 1 Recycling and waste Utilities

Septech Industries P/L 1 Water and wastewater Construction

Setec P/L 1 Energy storage Construction

Shand & Jurs 2 Water and wastewater Utilities

Siemens Ltd 1 Manufacturing/industrial Wholesale

32

Name Category Cleantech Category ANZSIC

Siena Developments P/L 1 Air and environment Manufacturing

Solar Energy Australia 1 Energy generation Manufacturing

Solar Turbines International 1 Energy generation Manufacturing

Solarhart industries P/L 1 Energy generation Manufacturing

Sound Solution Glazing 1 Energy efficiency Construction

Spitwater Australia 2 Water and wastewater Manufacturing

Steinert Australia 1 Materials Manufacturing

Sunlover Heating 1 Energy efficiency Manufacturing

Tandex P/L 1 Water and wastewater Manufacturing

The Daniels Corporation International P/L 1 Recycling and waste Utilities

Thermo Fisher Scientific Australia P/L 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Tieco International P/L 1 Transportation Manufacturing

Toolkwip Pumps P/L 1 Manufacturing/industrial Wholesale

VCAMM Ltd 1 Materials Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Versatile Pumps 2 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Veyance Belting P/L 0 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Vision Recycling 1 Recycling and waste Utilities

VR Solar Technologies 1 Energy generation Manufacturing

Waterco Ltd 0 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Whirlwind Print P/L 0 Manufacturing/industrial Manufacturing

Wilkore P/L 1 Air and environment Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Window Energy Solutions 1 Energy efficiency Construction

WM Waste Management Services P/L 1 Recycling and waste Utilities

Yawarra Information Appliances 1 Energy efficiency Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

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Online Survey Questions

1. The Envirotech sector includes firms that provide technologies or services that address the management of environmental issues (e.g.

the production of renewable energy products; recycling; pollution control or reduction; energy efficient processes or product development;

and environmentally sustainable waste management, as well as professional services to these activities). Does the above definition

describe your business product, service or a part of your production process?

Accurately describes our product or service

Describes a part of our production process or operations

Accurately describes our product/service and production process

None of the above

Not sure

2. In broad terms, which sector of the economy do you operate within?

Other

Agriculture

Mining

Manufacturing

Recycling, Water and Waste Services

Construction

Wholesale Trade

Retail Trade

Information, Media and Telecommunications

Financial and Insurance Services

Rental, Hiring and Real Estate Services

Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

Administrative and Support Services

Public Administration and Safety

Education and Training

Health Care and Social Assistance

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Accommodation, Food and Tourism Services

Transport, Postal and Warehousing

Arts and Recreation Service

Other (please specify)

3. Can you provide a brief description of your firm's product/services and how they fit into the Envirotech definition (i.e. technologies or

services or production processes that address the management of environmental issues).

4. What, if anything, is stopping the Envirotech business in Knox City Council region(including your own)from growing ?

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5. How many employees do you currently have (feel free to put in part numbers)?

Full Time

Part Time

Casual

Total

6. Where is your firm located?

Bayswater

Bayswater North

Boronia

Ferntree Gully

Knox

Knoxfield

Lysterfield

Lysterfield South

Mountain Gate

Rowville

Scoresby

Studfield

The Basin

Upper Ferntree Gully

Wantirna

Wantirna South

Other (please specify)

7. If you would like to have an ongoing involvement in this study tor are interested in the further development of Envirotech industries in

the Knox City Council, please provide your contact details below.