Le mot du Président
Bruno Gutton - President – Victoria Chapter

Dear FACCI Members, Chers amis,

2009 marks the 110th anniversary of the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FACCI), it is worth noting that not only has the presence of French businesses grown enormously during this period but French-Australian trade relations have also evolved to reflect the diversification of French commercial and industrial interests in Australia...read more

From the desk of the General Manager
A special birthday message
Elisabeth Kerdelhué - General Manager – Victoria Chapter

Welcome to our first issue of E-news for 2009. As Melbourne continues to experience some exceptionally hot days, we are doing our best to keep cool in our 155 Queen Street office while preparing for the year ahead; planning our events, organising membership renewal, engaging with new members, and setting new goals with our small team...read more

A new step forward in the campaign for raw-milk cheese

Signed on Monday 15 December 2008, in Paris, by French Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Michel Barnier, and his Australian counterpart, represented by Australian Ambassador to France, David Ritchie, the MoU makes official the opening of the Australian market to Roquefort cheese, which was granted in September 2005 after many years of negotiation. The addition of a clause to the text prepared in 2005 also means that exporters of Roquefort cheese, so far the only soft raw-milk cheese allowed to be sold in Australia, will be able to rely in Australia......read more

Melbourne secures more major international events

Melbourne has won the rights to host the World Human Resources Congress in 2012, at the new Melbourne Convention Centre, Skills and Workforce Participation Minister Jacinta Allan announced. Ms Allan said the World Human Resources Congress would attract 2500 delegates to Melbourne and inject more than $5 million into the state’s economy......read more

Emirates launches its third daily service out of Melbourne...and onto Paris

Anyone wishing they were in Paris now has one more reason to dream. Starting from 3 February, 2009, Emirates will offer a third daily direct service between Melbourne and Dubai, from where travellers can easily hop on to a connecting flight to Paris. The decision by Emirates to add another daily flight between the two cities comes 13 years after the carrier first began flights from Melbourne to Paris...read more

Increase in household access to computers and Internet in Australia
« Nouvelles économiques d’Australie, Nouvelle-Zélande et du Pacifique Sud »
Published by the French Trade Commission

Between 1998 and 2008, the number of internet connections in Australia increased five-fold. In June 2008, three quarters of Australian households, equivalent to 6.2 million people, had access to a computer, 5.5 million of whom had an internet connection. 4.3 million of these connections were via broadband, representing 52% of households. In fact, in 2007-08m 800 000 Australians adopted a broadband connection...read more

French to answer the big food questions

A pioneering research centre is to open in France in an attempt to answer questions that have haunted cooks for centuries: what makes a good meal and how can we make children eat vegetables? The project, which has an official stamp of approval from the French Government, aims to provide what may be the first objective analysis of diners’ likes and dislikes......read more

Facelift aims to fend off Open raiders

A FACELIFT for Rod Laver Arena and a new roof for Margaret Court Arena are among revamped tennis facilities the State Government hopes will keep the Australian Open in Melbourne until 2036. A town square for tennis fans in the centre of the venue, partly covered with a lightweight roof, will also feature in the redevelopment, believed to be worth between $300 and $500 million......read more

Melbourne Park de Triomphe

One of the good things about musketeers, apart from all that swashbuckling, is their numbers are so flexible. Traditionally, they are three, as in the Alexandre Dumas novel, but, adapted to circumstances, they have been as few as two and as many as five or six. When they all are for one, it makes for a formidable force......read more

Pernac Paris
Activity: Fashion / Retail

Contact: Marc Corley - Director
498 Punt Road
South Yarra VIC 3141
T. (03) 9866 6197
E. marc.corley@pernac.com
W. www.pernac.com

PERNAC Paris is the worlds leading online mens tailor. They recently won "Best Suit Cut" in Capital Magazine Paris and in an independent comparison were regarded in a league of its own. They provide the highest quality tailor made suits, dinner suits, shirts and coats at ready to wear pricing, as well as a quality accessory range of ties, cufflinks, gloves and scarves. They also offer gift cheques for a unique and special gift idea.

In PERNAC Paris' first venture outside France, Australian men can now purchase clothes with the support of local logistics and the ability to book a tailor consultation.

Whether you just have a question about configuring your ideal suit or if you want to discuss any special requirements you can contact the PERNAC Paris customer service team directly by telephone on (03) 9866 6197 or email at customer-service.au@pernac.com

PERNAC Paris is delighted to have a special launch offer for FACCI members...READ MORE

Draeger Safety Pacific Pty Ltd
Activity: Personal protection equipement, gas detection

Contact: Franck Arnold - Market Manager
Unit 99, 45 Gilby Road
Mount Waverley VIC 3149
T. (03) 9265 5064
F. (03) 9265 5095
E. franck.arnold@draeger.com
W. www.draeger.com

EKM patent
Activity: Intellectual property, trade marks and associated legal services

Contact: Florence McFarlane - Senior Associate
Level 1, 38-40 Garden Street
South Yarra VIC 3141
T. (03) 9829 0999
F. (03) 9829 0998
E. florence.mcfarlane@ekmpatent.com
W. www.ekmpatent.com

Pro-Export Solutions
Activity: Business services for overseas companies

Contact: Jean François - Managing Director
Level 1, 123 Camberwell Road
East Hawthorn VIC 3123
T. (04) 1789 6639
E. contact@proexport.com.au
W. www.proexport.com.au

Eddy Ah-Yu - Director - Infratech Services Ltd
eay@intnet.mu

Peter Fielding - Managing Director - International GSA Pty Ltd
pjfpjf@mira.net

William Fisher - State Director - DFAT
william.fisher@dfat.gov.au

Xavier Gaveriaux - Senior Project Manager - Beca
xaviergaveriaux@hotmail.com

Emmanuel Goutallier - Vice-President Global Accounts APAC - Hitachi Data Systems
emmanuel.goutallier@hds.com

Michael Ilyine - Student
schgooda@hotmail.com

November: FACCI’s unofficial Month of Wine
November was a particularly wine-filled month at the French Chamber (yes, even by our standards!), with two major wine events taking place: the annual Concours des Vins du Victoria and a special Burgundy Trade Tasting held in both Sydney and Melbourne.

2008 Renault Concours des Vins du Victoria 
Thursday 20 November 2008

Despite the ongoing drought, the 18th edition of the Concours des Vins du Victoria was a resounding success, with 109 vineyards entering a total of 355 wines in nine different classes.For the second year in a row, the judging panel included finalists from France’s annual Young Sommelier Competition, sponsored by Michel Chapoutier, Rhone Valley winemaker and President of the 2008 Concours des Vins Jury. Gilles Lapalus from Sutton Grange Winery, Dominique Portet of Portet Wines, Sommelier Christian Maier and Pierre Petit from Vicard Cooperage were appointed Senior Judges and were delighted to be once again invited to the tasting panel of this exclusive wine show...read more

Finding France in Australia book launch
Tuesday 11 November 2008

The launch of Finding France in Australia took place, quite befittingly, in the beautiful surrounds of the Alliance Française de Melbourne, the cultural centre for France in Melbourne. The book by Alison Patience and Sally Matheson is, as its title suggests, an essential guide to finding all things French here in Australia, from restaurants and cafes, to wine, food stores, home wares, fashion, books and language classes. The event brought together Melbourne’s French and Francophile community...read more

Soirée bijoux pour les filles
Thursday 4 December 2008

FACCI’s annual VIP Girls’ Night was, as expected, an evening of French frivolity. In the elegant surrounds of the Alliance Française Gallery, guests were treated to Champagne, delicious Cacao chocolates and cheese from Calendar Cheese as they browsed a stunning range of fashion and couture jewellery, imported from France and other European countries by FACCI member Mingk...read more

Friday 3 - Executive Business network lunch with Andy Penn (AXA Asia Pacific
Group Chief Executive) - Place TBA

The best of the European film festivals under the stars at St Kilda Openair
Exclusive $10 special offer

St Kilda Openair cinema would like to offer specially priced $10 tickets for our Eurofest films, to members of the French Chamber in Melbourne.  Simply click on the link for the film you wish to see and type in the code EUROVIP to access your $10 tickets.   

The films are the deliciously French 2007 Romantic Comedy COULD THIS BE LOVE (JE CROIS QUE JE L'AIME) starring Vincent Lindon and Sandrine Bonnaire; Quirky Bavarian flick GRAVE DECISIONS (WER FRUHER STIRBT, IST LANGER TOT) which won the audience over at the German Film Festival 2007; and THE ORPHANAGE, (EL ORFANTO), the latest of a string of Spanish thrillers to break through to an English language audience.

To see the full program of St Kilda Openair cinemas, visit www.stkildaopenair.com.au

Level 8, 155 Queen Street | Melbourne VIC 3000
T. (03) 9600 0000 | F. (03) 9600 0005 | E. info@facci.com.au | W. www.facci.com.au

The team at the Chamber is:
General Manager: Elisabeth Kerdelhué
Event and Services Coordinator: Melanie Lim
Trade Coordinator: Fabien Girard
Project Manager: Olivier Deschang
Bookkeeper: Pam Wylie

If you wish to contribute to FACCI Victoria e-news or are interested in advertising in the newsletter, please contact Olivier Deschang on odeschang@facci.com.au