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ORIX Australia is pleased to be recognised by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality for the third consecutive year.

The citation recognises our work maintaining active diversity policies and practices across the business. It celebrates our best-practice gender equality strategy, including our flexibility, talent, inclusive leadership and pay equity initiatives.

“Consistently receiving WGEA’s citation as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality shows just how committed we are to building a genuinely diverse culture across the business,” says ORIX Australia’s General Manager – People and Culture, Jill Edwards.

“This acknowledgement shows us we’re on the right track when it comes to diversity and helps us to strive to be a leader in the field. We continue to work hard to build an inclusive culture, which delivers so many advantages to the business, not just commercial ones. Aside from generating a diversity of thought, it makes ORIX a great place to work,” she adds.

Commenting on this year’s Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citations, WGEA Director, Mary Wooldridge, said: “Citation holders are officially recognised as some of the best employers in Australia, who are committed and dedicated to action in achieving gender equality.

“Critically, these organisations deliver better support structures for working families, stronger actions to address pay inequalities and strategic recruitment and promotion practices to encourage full participation of women at work. We extend our congratulations to these leading employers, and look forward to working with them closely to accelerate positive change.”

Diversity in practice

ORIX is especially proud of two initiatives we embarked on this year to support our gender equity focus.

1. Our live, virtual panel events on gender equality awareness and discussion we host with the D&I Network Group in the Macquarie Park and North Ryde business hub are one of the ways we are able to give back to, and create value for, the wider community. Our all-female panel events are a great opportunity for our teams to learn from leaders across many businesses.
2. In 2021, we were thrilled to launch our first ORIX Leadership Development Program. The initiative builds emerging leaders’ capabilities across strategy execution and influence engagement and enhances our inclusive culture through professional and personal growth. A wide range of staff of varying levels of seniority take part in the program, supporting better collaboration, engagement and networking across the Australian and New Zealand business.

Moving forward, we will continue to build a flexible and outcome-driven work environment, which supports our team’s family and caring responsibilities, as well as their other needs. We will continue to ensure gender pay equity is achieved across the organisation at all levels, and identify and eliminate pay gaps based on gender.

As such, gender equality will remain a core issue for the business during 2022 and beyond. We have some great projects planned for this year that will only enhance our multi-year program of work to position ORIX as a diversity and inclusion leader. Watch this space.

On 1 July 2021, VicRoads introduced a new road-user charge for registered zero or low-emission vehicles (ZLEV). The Victorian government is the first to introduce a charge for emission efficient vehicles, following ongoing debate across all states about an equitable way to ensure all drivers pay for their share of road usage.

Each time petrol and diesel-powered vehicles fill up at the bowser they pay a fuel excise tax, levied by the Federal government, which helps pay for new roads, road maintenance and infrastructure. Currently, the tax is 43.3 cents per litre for petrol and diesel, and 14.1 cents per litre for LPG[1].

Given most ZLEVs use electricity and not fuel, they have not had to pay the fuel excise tax. The new VicRoads distanced-based charge ensures a more equitable and sustainable road user system.

The new charge varies depending on the ZLEV. Owners of battery EVs and hydrogen-fuel-cell vehicles will pay 2.5 cent per kilometres travelled[2]. Plug-in hybrid vehicles will pay a slightly lower cost of 2.0 cents per kilometres[3] as they will still pay the fuel excise for the petrol component of their vehicle. Conventional hybrid vehicles are exempt from the road-user charge. To give you an idea of cost, based on a battery EV travelling 15,000 kilometres per year, the road-user charge will be $375.

The distance-based charge requires ZLEV owners to self-report their odometer readings to VicRoads. Odometer readings can be entered via the myVicRoads online portal, which will generate a bill based on the reported reading, payable quarterly, half-yearly or annually.

To make it easier for ORIX fleet customers whose vehicles are registered under ORIX, we will help you manage the odometer-reading declarations, process payment/s on your behalf and recharge to your business.

You may be asking if any other states are considering a road-user charge for ZLEVs. At time of writing, SA and NSW are both planning to introduce a charge in July 2022[4] and 2027[5] respectively. QLD, ACT and NT have not announced any charges, however this may change.

For more information about VicRoads ZLEV road-user charge, please visit VicRoads or call your ORIX Account Manager.

If you are unable to use the above listed VicRoads’ link, please copy and paste the URL below into your internet browser: https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/registration/registration-fees/zlev-road-user-charge

 

[1]   https://www.ato.gov.au/Business/Excise-on-fuel-and-petroleum-products/Lodging,-paying-and-rates—excisable-fuel/Excise-duty-rates-for-fuel-and-petroleum-products/

[2]  https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/registration/registration-fees/zlev-road-user-charge#ZLEV-costs-and-calculations

[3]  https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/registration/registration-fees/zlev-road-user-charge#ZLEV-costs-and-calculations

[4] https://www.premier.sa.gov.au/news/media-releases/news/electric-vehicle-road-user-charge-consultation-to-begin

[5] https://www.nsw.gov.au/initiative/nsw-governments-electric-vehicle-strategy/road-user-charge

ORIX recently supported Goodman Fielder to run a three-week electric vehicle (EV) trial in Brisbane as part of the company’s efforts to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

Goodman Fielder is continually assessing how it can reduce its environmental impacts and pursue decarbonisation strategies throughout its Australian supply chain. It has already demonstrated it is a clean energy leader, with its operations now powered by 100% renewable electricity, beating its 2025 target to achieve this goal¹.

Generating proof points

The trial involved an electric JAC N55 truck supplied by Queensland-based, specialist vehicle importer and distributor BLK Auto. Managing director Jason Pecotic says the trial demonstrates cost-effective and long-term solutions for big businesses to transition to clean energy alternatives for their fleets. “The JAC N55 trucks are just one option for companies to decarbonise fleets and meet zero emission targets today.”

Goodman Fielder’s Supply Chain Manager Matthew Bywaters explains the business will use the data and insights from the trial to inform its future fleet strategy. “At the moment, we are evaluating the alternate technology pathways to our zero emission ambition”. The outcomes of the trial will provide greater insight into the potential applications of EV across Goodman Fielder.

An Australia-wide opportunity

Goodman Fielder operates an extensive national food distribution business, delivering bread and other bakery and grocery brands to 7,500 stores around the country daily. Utilisation of electric vehicles as part of its fleet strategy could have material positive environmental benefits.

Currently, the distribution network largely comprises diesel vehicles travelling a combined distance of over 40,000km each day. Modelling of the potential emissions reduction from the implementation of EV across the GF fleet will be developed as part of the post-trial analysis.

Why test?

ORIX Australia General Manager of Rental, Grant Harrison, explains it’s important for fleet managers to trial EVs before any comprehensive rollout across the business.

“It’s a big decision to switch a fleet to renewable energy. Investing in EVs and the required infrastructure to run these vehicles can be expensive, not to mention daunting,” says Harrison.

“Trialling a rental EV model is a way for fleet managers to assess whether these vehicles are suitable for the business’s requirements, before making any significant commitments,” he adds.

It’s an opportunity to explore how much downtime EVs will need to recharge and how far they can travel before they need to be plugged in. At this stage, businesses also typically plot charging stations along delivery routes and look into the charging infrastructure that needs to be installed across the business to support EVs.

Harrison explains there’s no one-size-fits-all model for deploying EVs. “It’s important to find out what works best for your business, depending on your specific requirements. Renting EVs allows fleet managers to test vehicles so they can be confidently incorporated into a permanent fleet.

Fleet managers need to consider the vehicle’s whole-of-life-costs when developing their electric fleet strategy. Powering EVs costs around a quarter of the cost to run vehicles powered by internal combustion engines. The cost of preventative maintenance is also generally much lower for an EV².

Says Harrison: “Our role is to help transport operators and fleet managers to look at the potential to add or completely replace their fleet with more environmentally-friendly options, taking all variables into account.”

Future focus

Goodman Fielder is just one of a growing cohort of Australian businesses looking at potential transition towards EVs. More than 60 per cent of corporates say they want to transition a large proportion of their fleets to EVs between now and 2026³.

There’s already an extensive range of passenger, bus and truck EVs that could be incorporated into fleets operating across metropolitan areas. Additionally, EV battery technology is always improving and EV range will only increase over time.

It’s anticipated EVs will become a standard part of most businesses’ fleets over time.

 

[1] https://goodmanfielder.com/sustainability/better-planet/action-on-climate/

[2] https://www.kia.com/dm/discover-kia/ask/are-electric-cars-cheaper-to-maintain.html

[3] Australian fleets dipping toes into electric vehicles, but want governments to do more (thedriven.io)

 

ORIX Australia’s second diversity and inclusion live event, Culture, Curiosity and Courage, was an opportunity to focus on what it means to build a more diverse and inclusive workplace and how we can all contribute to shaping organisational culture.

Moderated by Nicky Bryson from Canon Australia, special guests included Julie Eccles, ORIX Australia’s National Manager of Small and Medium Business, Rebecca Ullman, Canon Australia’s General Manager of Services and Support, Tracy Wilson, Metcash’s General Manager of Marketing and Pooja Bhatt, Pitney Bowes’ Director of Client Relationship Management and Supply Chain ANZ. The group shared some of their seminal workplace experiences when it comes to diversity and inclusion.

As Tracy explained, inclusion allows you to bring your whole self to work. “When you do that, you’re so much happier and engaged, it allows you to achieve a better outcome.”

Rebecca Ullman agreed diversity in leadership delivers business benefits. “Diversity is much more than gender. Teams that include geographic, gender, race and age diversity make the best decisions. Moreover, inclusive companies are more likely to lead and capture new markets¹.”

Pooja Bhatt explained Pitney Bowes’ laser focus on diversity is one of its biggest assets. “Diversity and inclusion can be a significant competitive advantage. We are a hundred-year-old company, and our continuous focus on diversity and inclusion has helped our organisation to become more responsive to our global clients. We’ve been able to attract the best talent. Having a diverse portfolio of leaders has helped us become more productive.”

Julie Eccles explained an experience early on in her career helped her understand how important it is to create an environment in which everyone feels safe sharing experiences and knowledge. She uses the Johari window as an example.

“It’s a window that looks at what’s known to others and known to self and what’s unknown to others and unknown to self. Introducing diversity and creating safe spaces supports an environment in which information and knowledge is readily shared. This increases the public arena, which is what’s known to self and known to others. More importantly, it reduces blind spots.”

Tracy noted cultural change requires concerted effort across the organisation. “We all need to be in this together, you need to bring people on the journey.”

Events such as this are just a part of the puzzle when it comes to developing a more inclusive culture. At ORIX Australia, we pride ourselves on being part of the solution when it comes to supporting diversity.

¹ Source – www.forbes.com/sites/eriklarson/2017/09/21/new-research-diversity-inclusion-better-decision-making-at-work/?sh=4ea3d18a4cbf

Infrastructure to drive productivity

Infrastructure is a cornerstone of this year’s budget, with the federal government adding $15 billion to its $110 billion, 10-year infrastructure plan¹.

Highlights include²:

• $2 billion for a new Melbourne intermodal terminal.
• $2 billion upgrades to sections of the Great Western Highway in NSW.
• $1.3 billion for road and rail projects in Western Australia.
• $600 million for a National Recovery and Resilience Agency to help re-build areas hit by recent natural disasters.
• $539.2 million for carbon capture, use and storage projects and to build four hydrogen hubs to support carbon capture, on top of $100 million for three renewable energy projects being managed by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
• $250 million for infrastructure projects in rural and regional areas through The Building Better Regions Fund.
• $190 million over five years for development funding in northern Australia.

“Engineering, construction, consulting and mining firms involved in these projects will all be rethinking their fleet requirements,” says Reggie Cabal, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of ORIX Australia and New Zealand.

“Flexible fleet solutions, including a combination of tax-effective leased vehicles and on-demand rental vehicles, which allow businesses to scale their fleet up and down, are going to be popular solutions as we enter a new phase of economic growth,” he adds.

As one of Australia’s leading Fleet Management providers, we can take care of the day-to-day management of your fleet through flexible leasing, rental and mobility solutions that can help lower your cost of operation and minimise the burden of managing your vehicles. Speak to a Relationship Manager about how we can help your business, get in touch today.

 

[1] Sydney Morning Herald, 2021, www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/treasurer-josh-frydenberg-s-full-budget-speech-20210511-p57qxs.html, accessed 11/05/2021

[2] Federal Budget, 2021, https://budget.gov.au/2021-22/content/overview.htm#twol, accessed 11/05/21

 

While Australia currently lags the world in electric vehicle (EV) take up, ORIX has an innovative solution for businesses keen to go green.

A sense of responsibility to the environment, along with increased interest from clients, inspired the leading fleet management company to add EVs to its extensive rental fleet.

“We feel it’s our duty to try to make more greener options available for our customers,” ORIX Rental General Manager Grant Harrison says. “Many of our customers want to understand the capabilities of EVs, but they don’t want to fully commit to purchase before seeing how it would impact their day-to-day operations.”

Grant says ORIX clients have told him they want to do their part to help the planet, but are hesitant to fully commit due to range anxiety, along with concerns about charging time and location, and the upfront cost. For example, if someone has a full day of customer meetings, will they need to build in downtime for recharging and map out station locations along their route? How long would it take a heavy duty electric commercial truck to plug in?

Renting EVs lets these businesses test vehicles in real-world situations, so they can then incorporate them into their permanent fleet with more confidence. They can also collect vehicle usage, efficiency and expenditure data from the ORIX Fleet Companion App to report on the business impact.

Grant says offering EVs is the natural next step for ORIX.

“We’ve been offering hybrid vehicles in our fleet for a while now, so more sustainable fleet solutions aren’t totally new to us,” he says. “EVs are the next step in that progression.”

The 2021 Hyundai IONIQ is now part of ORIX’s rental fleet, and Grant says the five-door hatch “is an affordable entry-level EV experience.” It offers a range of 311km on a full charge and can reach 80% charge in 54 minutes using a 100kW charger, or in 57 minutes with a 57kW charger –  offering zero emissions.^[1]For those wanting something more, ORIX has further enhanced its EV fleet by adding Tesla Model 3’s.

“By trialling it as a rental, you can remove uncertainty amongst your team – such as any downtime associated with how far EVs can travel, how long they take to charge, and where to find charging stations,” says Grant.

In addition to passenger vehicles, ORIX can also provide commercial EVs. Longstanding client Fulton Hogan, a major infrastructure construction, roadworks and aggregate supplier company, recently launched its first all-electric SEA Electric commercial truck. The SEA Hino 917 EV will be used as a road sign and maintenance truck in a local city council in Melbourne.

ORIX also works with rideshare companies to provide EV access to its drivers, who can reserve an electric car for a shift on the road.

Grant says ORIX plans to add more EV makes and models to its fleet in the future, and will provide even more options for different industries and sectors.

Businesses can rent vehicles for periods as short as one day or as long as five years, providing the flexibility to decide if EVs suit their longer-term needs.

To find out more, visit https://orix.com.au/vehicle-rental.

^[1] Hyundai Ioniq 2020 review: Electric Premium | CarsGuide

ORIX Australia is thrilled to be included in the 2021 Human Resources Director Employer of Choice list.

We are always seeking ways to develop defined career pathways for our team, promote diversity and inclusion in our business and learn from feedback to become not just a better employer, but a better community leader as well.

ORIX Australia’s Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director, Reggie Cabal, is delighted the business has been included in the prestigious 2021 Human Resources Director Employer of Choice list, which recognises the emphasis ORIX places on supporting people to achieve their potential.

“We’re incredibly proud of the team we have built at ORIX – an engaged, dedicated and talented workforce, which supports our business success every day.”

ORIX Australia’s General Manager, People and Culture, Jill Edwards, says being included in the Employer of Choice list is a great achievement for the business.

“It recognises our ongoing focus on diversity and inclusion, learning and development, career progression, recruitment and communication. Our people are the most important part of our business. It’s important for ORIX to have an inclusive culture to ensure we attract and retain great talent. We will continue to work hard improving these aspects of our business for the benefit of all our people and for the company as a whole,” she said.

Some of the initiatives we have embarked on to become an Employer of Choice include:

• Comprehensive training and professional development

We have a three-tier learning and development program to support our team members to remain at the top of their game. It canvases leadership coaching and feedback, workshops and experiences, and tailored development opportunities.

• Well-defined career pathways

We are proud of our ‘Skip Level Meeting’ guide, which is designed to support and develop a number of our highly talented employees in the business. This tool helps leaders to have meaningful conversations with their team to support them on their career journeys. We regularly have up to 10% of our team on secondment, which helps our secondees develop great new skills they can bring back to their team.

• A genuine commitment to diversity and inclusion

After being named as a WGEA Employer of Choice in 2020, 2021 and in 2022, we have continued to build on our work addressing gender imbalance among the leadership team and across the business. A key initiative in 2020 was the virtual event, Gaining Ground Together: Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, which facilitated an industry-wide discussion about what we can do to keep breaking down gender stereotypes. We are committed to continuing this discussion and taking further steps to reduce the gender pay gap.

All our efforts are supported by our investment in our cloud-based HR technology, which allows us to collect the data we need to make meaningful changes in our business to support our employees.

Sydney, Australia – March 9, 2021 –ORIX Australia (ORIX) prioritises diversity and inclusion as a key business imperative, so it was rewarding to achieve the coveted Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation from the federal government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) for the second consecutive year. The award recognises our active commitment to achieving gender equality in the workplace, with 136 organisations awarded the citation for 2020/2021.

ORIX Australia’s General Manager – People and Culture, Jill Edwards, says the citation recognises our ongoing commitment to addressing gender equality. “We are thrilled to receive recognition for something we approach with such determination and which is truly part of our culture. Since being awarded the WGEA Employer of Choice for Gender Equality (EOCGE) citation for 2019/2020, ORIX has continued to focus on addressing the gender imbalance in leadership by investing in our female employees and many other initiatives. This is a huge area of emphasis for the business,” she says.

This year, the criteria was significantly expanded, making the citation an even bigger achievement. We are especially proud of the work we have done in the following four areas:

1. A reduction in the gender pay gap

We have successfully continued to reduce the Gender Pay Gap year on year and are currently sitting well below the WGEA reported National Pay Gap of 13.4%.

2. Our influence in the broader community

Our virtual event, Gaining Ground Together: Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, was an opportunity for female leaders from within and outside the business to explore topics such as how to overcome career challenges and become a successful change agent in your field. The event sparked the formation of the Gender Balance Community group on LinkedIn, which provides a forum to extend the dialogue started at the virtual event.

3. A focus on gender equality in recruitment

We take an active approach to reducing bias in recruitment, continually improving our processes based on best practices and WGEA recommendations. Diversity data on applicants, shortlisted candidates and interviewees is tracked to ensure gender biases such as race and parental and socioeconomic status are not creating inequalities. Our managers are coached to apply recruitment processes consistently and receive training on recognising and addressing unconscious bias. We also ensure job advertisements are written in gender-neutral language.

4. Exceeding gender targets

Results show our hard work on diversity and inclusion is paying off. Our records over the past year show female representation on job vacancy shortlists is now 52 per cent and females make up 46 per cent of first round interviews and 43 per cent of actual appointments. Overall, we exceeded our 2020 gender target to lift the representation of women at all levels of management and are now working towards our 2023 target of 40 per cent female representation.

Overall, we exceeded our 2020 gender target to lift the representation of women at all levels of management and are now working towards our 2023 target of 40 per cent female representation.

Commenting on this year’s citations, WGEA director Libby Lyons said despite tremendous upheaval and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses that were awarded the citation this year were able to maintain their commitment to diversity.

“I want to sincerely thank and acknowledge these employers for their extraordinary efforts. We know gender equality is good for business and crucial to our post-COVID-19 economic recovery. By driving better gender equality outcomes in their workplaces, EOCGE citation holders are showing the right way forward for other Australian businesses,” she notes.

In 2021, ORIX Australia will continue to focus on uncovering and addressing bias, and empowering leaders from diverse backgrounds. These are steps that will help us become a better, more equitable business and cement our position as an Employer of Choice for Gender Equality.

Sydney, Australia – February 18, 2021 – For the second consecutive year, ORIX Australia Corporation Limited (ORIX) has been recognised as a leader in human resources, being named on the latest HRD Innovative HR Team 2021 List.

The prestigious list, published by The Human Resources Director Publication, acknowledges Australian businesses that are leading in change and innovation, especially when it comes to gender diversity.

Commenting on the award, General Manager – People and Culture at ORIX Australia, Jill Edwards, said the team is delighted to have won the award, which showcases ORIX’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive culture.

“We have a commitment to continually invest in our leaders. So it is a credit to ORIX, and our People and Culture team, to be awarded again for the work we are doing. We have an ongoing program of initiatives to ensure we attract, retain and develop great talent and this accolade shows our efforts are recognised,” said Ms Edwards.

“Importantly, gender equality is a priority for the business and we aim to drive change both across the business but also within the broader community,” she said.

In the past year, ORIX has been especially proud of three cornerstones of its HR strategy:

• Our new Leadership Development Program and Skip Level Meeting initiative contributes to increasing the capability of our leaders and offering career development opportunities that further supports our talent strategy, while also helping to drive cultural change.
• The Macquarie Park/North Ryde D&I Network Group’s virtual event, Gaining Ground Together: Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders Today brought together senior leaders from within ORIX and across the business community to explore positive ways to achieve gender equality. Our associated LinkedIn Group, the Gender Balance Community group, has subsequently provided a forum where members can engage in healthy dialogue, share insights, collaborate and build a meaningful network.
• In July 2020, we also launched an intuitive, cloud-based HRIS system that eliminates paper-based processes and gives the management team better insights into our workforce. This technology also helps ORIX to comply with local regulations and improve the HR team’s productivity levels by eradicating labour-intensive processes.

For the full list and information, visit HRD Innovative HR Team 2021 winner list