Service With Innovation
The CEO Magazine - ANZ|April 2021
City of mitcham CEO Matthew Pears is breaking new ground using cutting-edge technology and innovation to lead the way in council services.
Wendy Kay
Service With Innovation

Matthew Pears wants to get it right. Exactly right. Even after more than a decade as CEO of the City of Mitcham, with his council leading Australia in its innovative approach to sustainability, he insists there’s still room for improvement. “I don’t want to deliver some huge capital program; I want to deliver differently, with everything driven by a sustainability agenda,” he explains.

Take the council’s push to help recycle millions of tyres dumped every year. In 2019, in partnership with Tyre Stewardship Australia (TSA), the council used 850 used tyres to pave a 335-metre stretch of road in St Marys. The ground tyres were mixed into the binder of the asphalt road seal to create a sustainable and longer-lasting pavement. Additionally, Council is trialling a permeable car park in partnership with TSA and Melbourne University incorporating crushed waste tyres; the permeable surface allows water to penetrate and sustain vegetation.

“We’ve been studying water permeability associated with street trees; in fact, one of my staff has a Ph.D. in it,” Matthew reveals. “The water can get through and water the trees, but the initial fear was that the tree roots would grow up towards the footpath and destroy it. However, we’ve proven the opposite – it sends the tree roots down, away from the footpath. Now, because of our experience, we’re rolling water-sensitive infrastructure out on the scale.

This story is from the April 2021 edition of The CEO Magazine - ANZ.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the April 2021 edition of The CEO Magazine - ANZ.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE CEO MAGAZINE - ANZView All
There Were No Unknowns For Us
The CEO Magazine - ANZ

There Were No Unknowns For Us

Putting discipline at the core of figurehead construction helped it survive both the global financial crisis and the covid-19 pandemic, says managing director Joe Grasso.

time-read
5 mins  |
September 2021
The Future Is Digital
The CEO Magazine - ANZ

The Future Is Digital

We are watching a lot more television as a result of the pandemic, but as the senior vice president, head of streaming for 10 viacomcbs Liz Baldwin explains, the way we view it has totally changed.

time-read
10 mins  |
September 2021
The Ultimate Investments
The CEO Magazine - ANZ

The Ultimate Investments

With the global economic recovery from the pandemic underway, many analysts are suggesting now is the time to invest – but will whisky, soybeans or bitcoin find a way into your portfolio?

time-read
5 mins  |
September 2021
Once in a LIFETIME
The CEO Magazine - ANZ

Once in a LIFETIME

CO-FOUNDER AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF INTEGRITI PROJECTS ANDREW STENOS IS BUILDING MORE THAN BESPOKE HOMES. HE’S ALSO BUILDING DREAMS FOR CLIENTS WHO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2021
PUTTING FAMILY FIRST
The CEO Magazine - ANZ

PUTTING FAMILY FIRST

COUNTRY LIVING HOMES MANAGING DIRECTOR MARK RAVENSCROFT HAS OVERSEEN IMPRESSIVE GROWTH, BUT NEVER LOST SIGHT OF WHAT MAKES THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS SUCH A SUCCESS.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2021
“A SAFER COMMUNITY IS MY MAIN PRIORITY”
The CEO Magazine - ANZ

“A SAFER COMMUNITY IS MY MAIN PRIORITY”

ULTIMATE SECURITY CEO NASSIM SAID HAS BUILT A HIGH-TECH SECURITY ORGANISATION FROM THE GROUND UP, ALWAYS WITH COMMUNITY SAFETY IN MIND AND AN INSISTENCE ON FAMILY VALUES.

time-read
5 mins  |
September 2021
We Did It Our Way.
The CEO Magazine - ANZ

We Did It Our Way.

WHEN STEVEN SIMEONI FOUNDED TAS CITY BUILDING, HE KNEW HE WANTED TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 2021
FROM PRECISION TO PREZZEE
The CEO Magazine - ANZ

FROM PRECISION TO PREZZEE

A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY BARON AT 24, PRECISION GROUP BILLIONAIRE SHAUN BONÉTT HAS BUILT HIS CAREER ON UNDERSTANDING THE RETAIL MARKET. NOW HE’S INTRODUCING PREZZEE, THE DIGITAL GIFT CARD PLATFORM THAT’S CHANGING THE WAY WE GIVE.

time-read
10+ mins  |
September 2021
HIGHWAY STAR
The CEO Magazine - ANZ

HIGHWAY STAR

IN REGIONAL AUSTRALIA, WHERE TRUCKS ROUTINELY NAVIGATE VAST STRETCHES OF HIGHWAY, THE ROAD BETWEEN AGRIBUSINESS AND COMMUNITY IS SHORT. DENILIQUIN FREIGHTERS IS AN OLD HAND AT THAT ROUTE, WHICH CEO VICKI MEYER SAYS IS ITS MOST IMPORTANT ONE.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2021
BENEATH THE SHEETS
The CEO Magazine - ANZ

BENEATH THE SHEETS

A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP GOES A LONG WAY TOWARDS MENTAL WELLNESS, AND AH BEARD CEO TONY PEARSON BELIEVES THE OFT OVERLOOKED MATTRESS IS THE ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 2021