Sue Carson receives business award

Susan Carson has been recognised as this year’s Women in Business at the Hastings Business Womens Network awards, and deservedly so. The Hastings mother of four is an inspiration to all, having overcome obstacles that would have stopped many people in their tracks.

“I think this award is a good example that no matter the obstacles you can overcome them,” Mrs Carson said. “I was very proud to win this award and it is this sort of thing that helps keep you going.”

Her business, Aquasonic, is one of Australia’s leading Aquaculture and Aquarium suppliers, and currently employs 24 staff. Among many other achievements, Mrs Carson is the Executive Board Member of the Wauchope Chamber of Commerce & Industry, and member of the World Aquaculture Society, the National Aquaculture Council, the NSW Aquaculture Association, and the Pet Industry Association of Australia, just to name a few. Her business also generously fundraises for causes including Daffodil Day, the Salvation Army and Rotary Health. But it hasn’t all been easy sailing.

Mrs Carson first got involved in business world when both she and her husband turned their hobby into a business, importing specialised aquarium glue from America, and later opening two aquarium shops in Sydney.

Just as things were running smoothly, and they were preparing to build a working aquaculture farm, both she and her husband received the devastating news that he had an aggressive form of cancer.

“With so many decisions to be made, life had to move forward and at that stage I did not have a lot of time to grieve.  I walked around the huge mound of dirt that was to be the beginning of our construction site and made a decision not to continue with this project - one of the best decisions I have made," she said.

“During a six hour visit to Port Macquarie, I purchased a factory in Wauchope. I can still remember the stunned look on the estate agents face when after only 10 minutes thought, this blonde (me) made such a quick decision to buy this factory.”

Mrs Carson has faced numerous other challenges as a woman running her own business, including: moving the business from Sydney to Wauchope after living in the one suburb for 35 years; running a business in a male dominated industry; learning how to deal with every level of government; finding skilled staff; learning how to deal directly with overseas suppliers, and; being a woman and running her business by herself while having to deal with banks and financial institutions.

Of course, Mrs Carson's determination, persistence and positive outlook has allowed her to overcome every obstacle thrown in her path.

“Life is always a challenge and I believe challenges give us the maturity and experience required to persist and survive in a business," she said. “When challenges arise, I scrutinise them very carefully and then work my way through gradually, stopping along the way to make sure I am heading in the right direction. I love a challenge. It certainly makes business interesting and gives me a lot of self satisfaction when I know I have made correct decisions.”

As far as the future's concerned, Mrs Carson hopes to begin exporting Aquasonic's aquarium products to the USA and UK, and to continue being Australia's largest aquaculture company.

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Plastic bags killing Queensland’s turtles

Marine rubbish poses a serious threat to marine life, and researchers at the University of Queensland (UQ) are now appealing to Queenslanders to avoid littering the marine environment, particularly as the Easter long weekend approaches.

Dr Kathy Townsend, Manager of Research and Education at UQ’s Moreton bay Research Station, leads the research group. They found that the primary cause of sea turtle deaths in 2007 was marine rubbish.

“In 2007, we attended to 30 marine turtle strandings,” Dr Townsend said. “Of these, 23 percent were caused by the ingestion of marine rubbish.”

Sea turtles are especially prone to the effects of marine rubbish due to the internal structure of their throats, and as a result they die a slow and painful death.

“Sea turtles have downward facing spines in their throats which literally prevent them from regurgitating,” Dr Townsend said.

“The plastic gets trapped in the gut, preventing food from going down and the spines prevent it from coming back up.

“The trapped food decomposes, leaking gases into the body cavity and causing the animal to float.

“The turtle then slowly starves to death or succumbs to other secondary life threatening conditions such as boat strike.”

Boat strikes have traditionally been the greatest cause of marine turtle strandings but, according to the group's findings, accounted for only 17 percent in 2007.

“Plastic bags do kill and the recent federal initiative of a plastic bag levee is a step in the right direction towards helping address this problem,” Dr Townsend said.

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POSITIONS AVAILABLE:

RECEPTIONIST/OFFICE ASSISTANT

Friendly and energetic professional receptionist/office assistant required for small busy member association office in Norwest Business Park.  Hours 8.30 – 5.30 Monday – Friday (Job share may be considered).

Should show maturity, attention to detail, initiative and be prepared to assist “all over” the business.  Good computer literacy required.

For further enquires or a position description, contact Janine 02 9659 5811 or jyeates@piaa.net.au   Applications close 4pm Tuesday 24^th March.

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RETAIL STORE MANAGER WANTED - SPRINGVALE STH VIC

We are looking for an energetic, self motivated person with initiative, fantastic customer service and retail sales skills, who has the ability to manage staff, communicate and work well within a team and maintain a high level of service.
 
Applicants must have previous managerial skills working within a busy pet shop environment, ideally the successful applicant must hold a cert 3 in Animal Care & Management (or be willing to obtain and further their skills) and have a good understanding of the Companion Animal Industry.
 
Your job will include customer service, product handling and merchandising, animal husbandry, plus some general admin duties. 
Full time position – 38hrs.   Hours will vary, including rotating weekends.

For more details call Andrew 03 9546 1711