In 2015, Dr Karl's presented Australia's "Challenge of Change" speech, describing some of the key challenges that Australia is facing. His speech coincided with the Intergenerational Report (IGR) which assesses the long-term sustainability of current Government policies and how changes to Australia's population size and age profile may impact on economic growth, workforce and public finances over the next 40 years. Without long-terms plans, as well as innovation in our current infrastructure, the industries of our future will be bleak.
My 2009 paper for the Australasian Regional Association of Zoological Parks & Aquaria (ARAZPA) focussed on this very topic. I've always believed in the necessity of long-term planning, in delivering constant improvements to our existing koala captivity management industries, in finding new techniques and challenging our existing industries. Unless we start asking more questions, then how can we possibly improve as an industry? If we continue to follow the norm, we are never going to re-invent our chosen profession or instigate positive change. One vision I have is to combine our captivity management techniques with koala conservation practices, essentially bridging the divide between the two divided industries.
Transforming Industries of the Future – A Holistic Approach
How do we deliver improvements within our chosen industries without getting too emotionally attached? Can we come up with real long-term solutions for the challenges in our rapidly growing society?
I marvel every time I drive over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, knowing the controversy which plagued the entire development and construction phase of this iconic bridge which was thought to be a simple project to solve the travel challenges between the north of Sydney and the CDB. But, as always, there were other factors that needed to be taken into consideration, such as increasing unemployment at the time, limited funding, the societal and cultural shifts occurring throughout the construction period of something that would leave a legacy, and the statement of building something so grandiose.
Like Dr Karl's long-term vision for Australia, I'm going to do my part and develop long-term plans for the koala industry. My goal is to innovate – not only my industry, but also inspire other industries by working with them, and not against them. This is the very crux of my work within Koala Retreat.
For those who haven't yet seen the Dr Karl's 15-minute speech, he discusses everything I believe in; long-term planning, finding and exploring new and innovative ways for existing industries to develop, and supporting those industries in evolving into, and creating completely new industries. This is the general plan that will assist in managing the ongoing growth of the Australian population and its changing demographic.
Dr Karl's 3-P's: Population, Participation and Productivity.
Population: By 2055, it is estimated that the Australian population could reach 40 million, with around 7 million people being over the age of 65. This means that we will have an aging Australian population which can have considerable economic consequences if we do not make adequate plans. As Dr Karl highlights – we will be larger in size and older in years!
Participation: The question is, in our workforce, how do we create an easier transformation and fund our changing society? How do we grow our infrastructure while empowering the elderly to be more active in the workforce? How do we support mums returning to work, making child care easier and less expensive?
Productivity: Improving our work behaviour and becoming more efficient; driving innovation in business and professional services via new perspectives and technology, and by disrupting the status quo is imperative. And this is where Koala Retreat comes into play!
Koala Retreat seeks to educate the Australian people on some interesting facts, including the hard truths and realities of the koala industry – the good, the bad and the ugly. This will enable the Australian public to have a clear picture of what we do and why we do it – taking them behind the scenes of one of the most labour-intensive animals known in captivity!
The koala industry is very traditional and has failed to embrace innovation. It's time to reinvent the way we think about our koalas, and in-turn, the koala industry needs to educate the Australian public as to the expense and hard work that's involved in protecting koalas in captivity. The koala industry is very profitable and at the same time incredibly complex, and lasting and positive change will be difficult to achieve without the support and awareness of the public.
The funny thing is, koalas are expensive to manage (both in captivity and the wild) but they always pay their way with the correct planning and guidance. For every dollar spent on a koala, in the captivity sector, a single koala can easy return hundreds of dollars for a wildlife institution.
It is important that we strive for self-improvement as well as community and environmental improvement – we need to have an open mind and not rush for simple, easy and common answers.
Vision for the Future
In months to come, we will release our own growing concerns of the koala industry. This paper seeks to disrupt the status quo – for our future, as well as that of the koala – and start conversations about:
• The lack of information and education for the Australian population;
• What happened in Victoria – the good, the bad and the (really) ugly?
• Old-school versus new-school of thought systems and beliefs;
• The two fighting tribes that exist within our Koala captivity management industry;
• The disconnect between the conservationist and captivity management;
• Promoting a 2-3 billion dollar industry and building it up ten times as much
• Changing our methodology, and likening this to Dr Karl's presentation of the Intergenerational Report 2015 (IGR).
Marcus The Koala Man
