Latest news with #DonHenderson
ABC News
23-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Hepburn Shire Council sparks community outrage with one-year 10 per cent rates rise
Residents of Hepburn Shire, home to the tourist town of Daylesford in Victoria, are furious the cash-strapped council is pushing through a one-year 10 per cent rates increase. Earlier this month the Essential Services Commission approved the extra 7 per cent on top of the 3 per cent cap set by the state government. "We've had to find some more money and that's what we're attempting — to do it as a once off, said Hepburn Shire Council Mayor Don Henderson. Faced an annual $4 million cash shortfall, Hepburn Shire Council said the rates increase would generate an additional $1.36 million in revenue to be invested directly into necessary services and infrastructure. The council had been plagued by financial woes in the past decade. It lost $5.65 million in a failed Rex project which began in 2016 and was meant to transform a Daylesford art deco building into a multi-use centre for residents and the council. Cr Henderson said the failed project was only partly to blame for the rates increase. "We have a lot of heritage buildings and we have to maintain those," he said. He said the clean up following "fairly devastating" storms in Trentham and Creswick in 2021 and 2022 also cost the council $3.5 million. The council's draft budget for 2025-'26, including the double digits rates increase, is open for public feedback until June 5. According to the council the increase would see ratepayers pay on average an extra $2.20 per property per week. Blampied resident Cameron McPherson was among the ratepayers furious about the increase. "When you put this in combination with this new fire services levy it is going to affect my wife and I to the tune of $2,000 to $3,000 extra a year," he said. Mr McPherson said he wanted to see some "accountability". "If you're going to put up rates by 10 ten per cent in this cost of living crisis then you need to justify it and they aren't justifying it," he said. Deborah Clarke and her wife Lousie McLachlan live in the Hepburn Shire and have a business in Daylesford. They expect to pay an extra $300 to $400 a year on top of "a cost of living crisis". Ms Clarke and Ms McLachlan said a lack of community consultation was driving community anger. "We've been screaming for an indoor pool for 25 years." Cr Henderson said the rate rise had to be justified to the Essential Services Commission. "We had to show the commission we've tried other methods of raising money — be that by asset sales, or loans and cutting our costs in some areas," Cr Henderson said. "It's regrettable but necessary. We're trying to [cause] as little impact as we can but we still do have to find the money." Despite the rent increase Cr Henderson said Hepburn had the 60th lowest rates out of 79 councils in the state, and the rates increase would only be for this year. The ABC contacted the Muncipal Association of Victoria but it declined to comment, saying it was up to councils to set rates as they see fit.
Associated Press
12-02-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
BetaNXT Announces Next Phase of DataXChange Platform for Wealth Firms After Successful Pilot with Early Adopter Clients
Built on the Snowflake AI Data Cloud, DataXChange Accelerates Data Modernization and Maximizes Operational Efficiency with a Single Source of Near Real-Time Data NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- BetaNXT, a leading provider of wealth management technology solutions with near real-time data capabilities and an enhanced advisor experience, announces that its groundbreaking DataXChange platform is now fully operational and broadly available after a successful pilot with early adopter clients. Launching three months ahead of schedule, after having fully onboarded a significant number of leading wealth management firms, DataXChange, Powered by Snowflake, is ready to help forward-thinking wealth enterprises accelerate their data modernization journeys, innovation efforts, and overall growth. 'One of our core beliefs is that data management is a long game—and the first step is to build the right data foundation that's secure, nimble, and customizable,' said Don Henderson, CTO of BetaNXT. 'DataXChange is enabling us to deliver a better client experience today, that also serves as the foundation for faster innovation and seamless integration of AI and other new capabilities in the future. According to some of our pilot participants and early adopters, this is a real 'game-changer' for wealth enterprises, advisors, and investors, and we are grateful to Snowflake for partnering with us to bring forward the future of Connected Wealth and Connected Data.' DataXChange, which began pilot testing in September 2024, brings internal and external inputs—BetaNXT data, clients' proprietary data, partner data, and third-party data—together in one data management ecosystem to deliver a flexible, customized, and connected experience that optimizes what data can do for wealth enterprises and their clients and partners. Going forward, all BetaNXT innovations and updates will be built on and available through the DataXChange platform, and all BetaNXT partnerships with third parties will be fully integrated with DataXChange as well. 'The flexible, future-proof wealth experience that DataXChange enables will serve as a springboard for the development of all our new products and services,' said Jonathan Reeve, Head of Product Strategy and Development for BetaNXT. 'DataXChange's secure ecosystem makes it easy to collaborate internally and externally, speeding up innovation efforts and new product releases.' Over the next several months, BetaNXT will introduce the first wave of new products and services built on DataXChange to further streamline and optimize the data experience for wealth enterprises and their clients. Announcements about these technology rollouts and updates will be available on the BetaNXT website. DataXChange's design incorporates and provides: A Common Data & Governance Framework: BetaNXT clients can experience DataXChange capabilities through Client Data Vaults, unique instances which utilize a common data and governance framework for the exchange and protection of data. Customized Client Views: In addition, the processes and contents of each Client Data Vault are customized for each BetaNXT client's unique integrations and needs. For example, by blending BetaNXT's quantitative data on client positions and holdings with non-financial CRM data on investors' favorite hobbies or life goals, a client can create a proprietary householding view of investors for a wealth advisor. Agnostic Aggregation & Commingling: DataXChange is a data-agnostic platform with an open framework for seamlessly ingesting new data sets and integrating new partners—and seamlessly blending proprietary and third-party data. Anytime Access: DataXChange makes clients' data accessible at any time and from any location, in real time. Wealth enterprises no longer need to wait for overnight reports or batch delivery—allowing users to decide what they want to call, how, and when. Intelligent Automation—DataXChange enables wealth enterprises to instantly eliminate time-intensive processes, and utilize automation to create more efficient workflows that give them more time to spend with investors. A Secure Platform for Innovation—DataXChange creates a secure environment where clients' data is ready to power whatever experiences and applications they want to create. Users can harness the DataXChange platform as an incubator for innovation from their own teams, the BetaNXT network, and an ever-growing universe of partners. 'BetaNXT has created a solution that empowers the wealth management industry to unlock operational efficiencies and most importantly deeper insights from their data—and do so at scale, as they grow,' said Rinesh Patel, Global Head of Financial Services at Snowflake. 'BetaNXT continues to be a leader in anticipating industry change and bringing to market solutions that make it easier for wealth enterprises and advisors to succeed with their clients.' By building on Snowflake, product and engineering teams can develop, scale, and operate their applications without operational burdens—and deliver truly differentiated products to their customers. By becoming Powered by Snowflake, builders receive access to resources to help them design, market, and operate their applications in the AI Data Cloud. To learn more about how organizations are building on Snowflake, and becoming Powered by Snowflake, please visit: About BetaNXT BetaNXT powers the future of connected wealth, investing in platforms, products, and partnerships to accelerate growth. We are a leading provider of frictionless wealth management enterprise solutions, real-time data capabilities, and an enhanced advisor experience. Through our software, data, and operations-as-a-service approach, we empower our clients with flexible, efficient, connected solutions that anticipate their changing needs. Our comprehensive model reduces enterprise cost, streamlines operations processes, increases advisor productivity, and strengthens the investor experience. Together with BetaNXT, wealth management firms are transforming their platforms into game-changing differentiators that enable enterprise scale and stimulate commercial growth. For more information visit Media Contacts Laura Marvin Simkins
