Previous news articles
New Staff Member
We would like to welcome Amy Wilson to our team at Merit Partners as our new receptionist.
Our very own Hero Rosemary Campbell
Darwin woman to be honored as a Queensland Disaster Hero
6 June 2011, From the NT News.
A Darwin businesswoman will be honored as a Queensland Disaster Hero by Premier Anna Bligh in Rockhampton tonight.
Accountant Rosemary Campbell went to the aid of her former home town Theodore, which was devastated by the floods in December and January.
The partner of Darwin firm Merit Partners established the Theodore Flood Recovery Appeal, raising $320,000 and giving a helping hand to local residents and businesses.
Rosemary said while the award recognised the many people who donated to the appeal in cash and in kind.
“The floods devastated many parts of Queensland and I wanted to do something to help my old home town,” she said.
“With the support of people across Australia, we’ve been able to help Theodore come back to life.”
Theodore was completely evacuated as the flood waters rose, with few in the town escaping the devastation. Virtually every business went under, thousands of hectares of crops were destroyed and residents were forced to come home to a sea of mud.
Using Facebook to promote the appeal across Australia, the Theodore Flood Recovery Trust used an innovative approach to help the town. Much of the money raised was given to local residents as vouchers that could only be redeemed in local businesses.
“Our goal was to maximise the benefit to all of Theodore, helping both residents and businesses and keeping the money in the town. Without a viable business community, Theodore would suffer a double blow from the floods,” Rosemary said.
One of our directors - Steven Lai,
profiled in "Taxation Australia"
Read the article from Taxation Australia here.
A nice Break from the Office
On Friday the 10th of June, a portion of Merit Partners staff enjoyed a nice fun afternoon in the sun at Lake Alexander. The social club organized a team event before the end of financial year dinner with Life Be In It. The teams were selected by Life Be In It staff with competitive results. It was great to see all teams taking on the “stress less” attitude. The games included: – removing a bucket of water from the middle of a circle with only a piece of rope; back yard cricket; 4 way tug-a-war; 4 way volley ball and more. A big thank you to the social club for going out of their way to organize this event and for Life be in It staff who helped make this a day full of fun activities and providing Merit Partners with a great afternoon together.
Congratulations David Gomez!
Merit Partners is pleased to note the appointment of Mr David Gomez, as a member of the Corporations and Market Advisory Committee (“CAMAC”). CAMAC members are appointed based on their knowledge and experience in business, financial markets, law, economics or accounting. David is looking forward to applying his legal, accounting and regulatory background to assist the committee in making recommendations to the Minister. His appointment has been effective since 23 May 2011 for a three-year term.
The CAMAC committee was established under Part 9 of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 to provide a source of independent advice to the Australian Government on issues that arise in corporations and financial markets.
Merit Partners were proud to sponsor “Da Heat”
Hoops 4 Health Aboriginal Corporation (H4H) is a health promotion charity based in Darwin, Northern Territory. The Organisation is governed by a Board of Directors, all of whom are Indigenous people who reside in the Northern Territory. Hoops 4 Health, programs and facilitators use the sport of basketball as the vehicle to advocate for the continued improvement of the lives of Indigenous youth, children, families and communities. The tournament was played from 4-7 July at the Darwin Basketball Association in Marrara.
Merit Partners were proud to sponsor “Da Heat” – a team that entered the competition with one of the members an employee of Merit Partners, Rohan Cropley.
The team played really well, with this Grand Final report telling the story:-
Highlight reel, Deba George led JJ Balaz to the win in the H4H NAIDOC Basketball Tournament.
The Queensland team won 101 to 88 against local Darwin team Da Heat (Merit Partners sponsored team).
The game was a tight affair until the final quarter when Mark Moseling hit a couple of threes and broke the game open.
First quarter Da Heat gained an 8 point lead with some sweet shooting from Rohan.
Travis Ellis, Rohan and Matthew kept Da Heat in the game until the four quarter when the fresh legs of the JJ Balaz proved to be the defining factor.
Blood Donation
On the 13th, 14th & 15th of May Merit Partners Staff braved their fears and made their way to Casuarina Red Cross Blood Donation Office. After hearing there was a quite large shortage of Blood Australia wide we decided to donate before Easter for what can be and usually is quite a busy time for blood emergencies.
Pictured are the brave blood donors from left to right
(Back : Brooke Singh, Chris Pearce, Neil Gerrard, Valentin Markez, Vannessa Gill, Tom O’Shaunessy – Front: Merianne McLean, Ochie Sanchez, Emma Pickett, Elisabeth Tan & Margaret Seccafien)
Absent : Barb Hogan & David Gomez
Well Done Guys!
Baby News
Congratulations to Sandrina and Adrian Disney on the safe arrival of their baby boy. Aiden Marques Disney was born a healthy 6.9 pounds on the 30th March 2011. Mother and baby are doing well and we wish Sandrina all the best on her Maternity Leave and hope she enjoys every minute of it.
Merit Partners very own Cowboy!
Rhem Schroeder one of Merit Partners tax employees has a passion for the Rodeo scene in Darwin and also all around Australia. This is his story
2011 is my Rookie Year on the Australian Professional Rodeo Association (A.P.R.A) Tour. Winning $1,150 in the Steer Wrestling (pictured) and $480 in the Rope & Tie at Clare Rodeo in SA, helps put me back in the top 15 and top 5 (Rookie) standings for these events, . The top 15 for each event at the end of the year qualify for the National Finals on the Gold Coast in January.
We all wish Rhem the very best in pursuing his rodeo passion and you can follow his progress via http://www.prorodeo.asn.au/standing.htm.
New staff member
We would like to Welcome Khia Marriott to our team at Merit Partners as our new receptionist
Merit Partners has turned 7!!
The directors and staff at Merit Partners shared and enjoyed a delicious morning tea on the 31st of February to celebrate the birthday of Merit Partners turning 7 years young! Congratulations for Candice Thomson for their well committed 7 years service to Merit Partners. The Directors of Merit Partners would like to thank all those businesses and individuals who have supported them and their staff over the past 7 years and look forward to their continual support for many years to come.
Back to Work (School)
After a good Christmas holiday break for the team at Merit Partners we welcomed everyone back with a team Challenge. The ‘Back to School’ Theme was a good chance for everyone to get back into work for the year and have a bit of fun!
The teams consisted of Amin’s Amigos (orange), Rosemary’s Rascals (purple), Kennon’s Crusaders (red) & Steven’s mean Green Fighting Machines (green).
Some of the games included: relay races with puzzles and questions along the way, a very large blow up ball race, which team could build the tallest tower out of a piece of sticky tape, straws and a paper plate, and also giant games of connect four, Chinese checkers, jenga and pick up sticks. Congratulation to Amin’s Amigo’s for taking out the win.
A very BIG thanks to the teams for organising costumes and getting into the spirit of the day, ‘Life Be in it’ for organising the team games and to the Social club for organising the fundraising lunch and co-ordinating the entire event. Also, well done to the teams at Merit Partners who attended for getting involved and making it a great day of fun and laughter.
On the same day before our afternoon of fun, the social club decided to have a shared lunch which turned into a fundraiser for the devastating floods of Queensland recovery efforts. We are happy to announce that a total of $553.60 was raised for the Theodore Recovery Appeal Trust. This increased the total donations made by Merit Partners staff which was matched dollar for dollar by Merit Partners.
In-kind donations of professional services received by the Theodore Recovery Appeal top the $15,000 mark.
Rosemary Campbell Director, Merit Partners, on behalf of the trustees for the Theodore Recovery Appeal Trust, would like to thank the following generous businesses for providing their time and expertise free of charge:
Colemans Printing (www.colemanprint.com.au) for printing the vouchers and application forms
Izennah.com (www.izennah.com) for the graphic designs and visual communications including the logo, vouchers, brochures & letterhead
KPMG (http://www.kpmg.com.au) for auditing the financial accounts
The donations of these services mean that all donations are able to help the people of Theodore rebuild with no money being used for administration.
NT Pink Breakfast - October is Breast Cancer Month
Yong and Emma Heine attended the Women’s Network NT’s Pink Breakfast on Friday the 22nd of October, at the Holiday Inn Esplanade. They sat on the CPA Sponsored Table. The girls, along with plenty of others who attended Dress in Pink for the Great Cause to help raise money for NT Charities and Services.
Rohan helps out at a basketball clinic
While Rohan Cropley was in the Nauiyu community for an audit at the start of this month, he was kind enough to donate his spare time after hours to help out with a basketball clinic.
MOVEMBER
Movember is about raising funds and awareness for men's health, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men. Close to 3,300 men die of prostate cancer in Australia each year and one in eight men will experience depression in their lifetime.
Neo Batagodage (left) and Himanshu Bhatia (right) organised a special lunch on Tuesday the 16th of November held in the Merit Partners Lunch room, sponsored by Sunil Kumar (owner) of “Om Indian Cuisine” a new Indian restaurant in town.
Special thanks for the Merit Partners employees who attended the event, and the participants who were a part of the Mo Group (Neo and Himanshu’s Team Mates) who helped raise $180 on the day.
The final Tally that was raised by the group was $1,220 (Neo made - $145 and Himanshu made - $195) Well done to all who participated..
HPA
On 29 November 2010, Merit Partners presented to Peter Joyce (CEO, HPA Inc.) and Verena Brady (Accounts) a donation to contribute towards HPA’s objective of providing sheltered employment to disabled people. HPA is a non government organisation that provides services to Territorians with an intellectual, physical or mental disability in Darwin and the Palmerston/rural areas. It provides opportunities for people with disabilities to learn skills, commensurate with individual ability, and to engage in meaningful activities within the various enterprises conducted by HPA.
See photo from left to right: Raul David, Margaret Seccafien, Verena Brady and Peter Joyce.
Christmas party
Merit Partners celebrated an “Out of this world” Christmas Party on Friday the 10th of December, which was held at Medina Vibe. The 5 teams all had their own interpretations for the theme. There were the God’s and Goddesses, Mad Hatters, The Good, the Bad and the ugly-Angels and Demons, Fairy Talers and Super Heros & Villians. We all enjoyed some celebration drinks and a delicious meal. A hamper was raffled in the weeks leading up to the Christmas party and was drawn on the day. We were delighted to donate the profit from the raffle of $263.50 to the Kmart Salvation Army Wishing Tree Appeal.
East Timor Sunrise Incorporated
We would like to take this opportunity to highlight the valuable work that East Timor Sunrise undertakes. At the start of August the end of a special era occurred with the closure of their Thrift Shop in Nightcliff.
East Timor Sunrise will however continue to collect donated goods including: school supplies (desks, chairs, resources and stationery), sporting goods, agricultural, mechanical and building tools, musical instruments and crockery and uniforms for sports such as soccer, volleyball, and basketball. This is all for shipment to Timor-Leste.
This year East Timor Sunrise inc. will be again collecting Christmas gifts to send to Sister Guilhermina at the Canossian Daughters of Charity in Balide Dili.
For further information:
Email: easttimorsunrise@hotmail.com
Phone: 8982 2612
Merit Partners supports this worthwhile organisation please read the thank you letter from East Timor Sunrise with special mention made to Amin Islam, David Gomez and Tom O’Shaughnessy.
What do Merit Partners, Partners do outside of work!?!
Rosemary for example has a knack for Feng Shui as recently published in Darwin Life Magazine …..
Click here to view the article
Corporate boot camp
Aussie Fitness provides high intensity BOOTCAMP training. We collectively signed up with the Toll Group to get the best corporate discount. Aussie Fitness claims it will help you create happier, healthier workers, not only to improve productivity and work atmosphere, but also reduces sick leave. The intensive programs are designed to challenge you physically and mentally. We will do anything from tyre flips, lizard crawls, frog jumps through to spiderman push-ups.They cater for all fitness levels, ages and group sizes.
Here are just of the comments from some other Merit participants:
Sue Berger “I find the classes heaps of fun and it’s a great way to get fit. I have now attended four sessions of Boot Camp and have never felt so good. The classes are challenging, but you get lots of motivation from both the trainers and the team.
Candice Thomson. ““Boot camp has helped me get my fitness back and toned up my post baby body. It’s hard work and some mornings I feel like I’d rather get the extra hours sleep, but I always feel great after a session. I’m currently undertaking my third boot camp.”
Energy Consumption article
Once again Merit Partners has proven there really is ‘Merit in going green’ after ending up well below its annual targeted goals to reduce its environmental footprint through electricity conservation. Merit Partners are dedicated raising awareness of environmental issues with its employees and taking proactive action to address these issues. For the fantastic efforts of the staff in recognising the importance of energy conservation and helping to achieve these goals, the Merit Partners social club was rewarded with just under $600, being the financial savings relating to the efforts of the staff.
Merit Shooters rode to the Finals in Corporate Sports
The Team didn't make the finals but were at the top end of the ladder for most of the 6 week season. They should have some good results for the Netball in the next 6 weeks.
Many thanks to the soccer shooters (team photo below)
Valetin, Simon, Rhem, Emma H, Emma P, Merianne, Anne, Gerry and Chris
New Starter
Merit Partners would like to welcome to our new staff member Trish Denny.
Baby News
Congratulations to Valentin and Costi Markez on their new little bundle of joy: Malena Markez Born Thursday 19th August 2010 at 6.30pm, weighing in at 2.98kg (after first feed), and standing 47cm tall.
We wish them all the very best for their new adventure as parents, including patience, and creating many happy memories along the way.
Congratulations also go out to Cheurleen and Archie who had a baby girl, Aizelle, on Wednesday 8th September at 4:15pm weighing 2.62 kgs (5.8lbs).
With Cheurleen giving birth to a baby girl, we can announce that the winner of the guessing competition for the birth weight and date was…
Candice!
Who had the closest guesses for BOTH babies. There must be some sort of Mystical Mothers Instinct. Congratulations to Candice and to the new parents.
Promotions
It is with great pleasure that we announce the following promotions within the office, effective 1 July 2010 Yong Hwei Yuin as a Manager and Emma Pickett as a Senior Accountant. Please join us in wishing them both hearty congratulations
Darwin Cup Carnival
Congratulations to Merit Partners own Anne Savage and Merianne McLean for being selected in the top 200 Best Dressed during Darwin Cup. Click on the picture to the right to view a larger version.
New Starters
Welcome to our new starters
- Jennie Mitchell
- Brooke Singh
-
Archie Lim
CEO Sleepout
Thursday the 17th of June saw Merit Partners own Amin Islam sleep out underneath the stars at Gardens Oval. With only a basic meal of soup and bread; tea and coffee he said it was difficult at best, with planes overhead and other noise; mozzies and morning dew.
Amin would like to thank all clients, supporters and staff who supported him in this worthy cause, together raising $8,320.00.
In total 37 CEO’s registered in Darwin, with $65,404.00 raised. The money raised will go towards purchasing whitegoods for short term accommodation.
Monies Raised for Alzheimer’s
Congratulations and thank you!
During the months of May and June Merit Partners teams raised money to support Alzheimer’s Australia NT, through holding morning teas, lunch, fundraising BBQ’s and a raffle.
Overall we raised $2,313.55 for Alzheimer’s Australia. A fantastic result. Thank you to all who participated and contributed to this worthy cause.
To see how Alzheimer’s are using the funds raised please read Thank you letter from them.
A cheque was presented to Ruth Leslie-Rose, CEO of Alzheimer’s NT, at the presentation morning tea.
EOFY Dinner
The end of the financial year is a special time for accountants and we celebrated by holding our annual dinner on Saturday 3rd July. It was a great night, enjoyed by everyone attending! Congratulations to the social club for organising this event. The decorations were fantastic and really added to the enjoyment of the night, the meal was really good and the quizzes were challenging but great fun.
Well done to the social club committee!
Click on the photos for a larger version
Merit Partners takes out Darwin Golf Club team stableford championship.
The long weekend in June saw our own Merit Partners team take home the top prize for best overall score in the 54 hole championship. The team of RAAF golfers, including Rosemary and Greg Campbell, Nick Etherton and Rebecca Adams, proudly sponsored by Merit Partners, were outright winners on Day 2 and overall. The event was hotly contested with the true team spirit of Merit Partners evident in the consistent scoring which brought our team home to claim the top prize.
Congratulations to our players!
Showing off our Merits
A clash of the greats – Merit Partners, BDO, Deloitte and KPMG – and a night of great competition, great sport and great fun! The 2010 Annual ICAA Tri-Sports challenge between accounting firms was held on Friday 9 July at Winnellie Indoor Sports Centre, with one of the biggest turnouts from all firms we’ve had in years. The night of FIFA fuelled soccer, fast-paced netball and a decider game of cricket kept everyone on their toes. As defending champions, Merit Partners did well to prove we were worthy of Merit, ending the night with a win in soccer, netball and cricket, to take first place for another year!
Thank you to the Institute for organising the event and to all the players and supporters of all firms who made it such a great night!
Colemans Cup
L-R: Margaret Seccafien, Eric Sutherland, Rosemary Campbell
Another successful Colemans Printing Race Day was held on Wednesday 28 July 2010, with fun to be had by all who attended.
Since 1991 this has been an important event on the Coleman calendar and one of the highlights of the Darwin Cup carnival.
Rosemary Campbell and Margaret Seccafien caught up with Coleman Group’s Financial Controller, Eric Sutherland on the day, extending the professional client relationship to include a syndicate to grow their “racing knowledge base”.
Merit Partners is proud to support Colemans Printing, Shenannigans Irish Pub and The Deck Bar. Please access their web sites via the link below for more information.
Colemans Printing
Shenannigans Irish Pub
The Deck Bar
Welcome to our new starters
- Caryl Diaz
- Rhem Schroeder
- Andrew Aughterson
- Simon Wagner
Merit Partners leads the way……in the Northern Territory!
Merit Partners leads the accounting profession in the Northern Territory with Matthew Kennon as the current Chairman of the ICAA’s NT liaison committee and a member of the SA/NT Council of the ICAA and David Gomez as President of CPA Australia’s Northern Territory Branch.
In a time when the profession is undergoing substantial changes it is reassuring to know that Merit Partners’ senior personnel are at the forefront of the professional bodies and are ensuring that the Territory’s voice is heard.
Vinnies CEO Sleep Out
How does it feel to be homeless?
On Thursday 17th June 2010 Merit Partners Managing Director Amin Islam is taking the plunge to find out first hand what it would be like to be homeless. Amin will spend the night under the stars sleeping on the ground at Gardens Oval, Darwin
As his chosen charity this year Amin has decided to support St Vincent de Paul‘s CEO Sleep Out. To show your community support, donate, and to find out more about Vinnies CEO Sleep Out go to www.ceosleepout.org.au
Stay tuned for an update to find out what Amin’s experience was like, next month.
Tiwi Education Board
On the Saturday 15 May 2010 the Tiwi Education Board had the honour of having the Australian Governor-General, Ms Quentin Bryce, officially open the new Tiwi College.
Tiwi College is located on Melville Island at Pickertaramoor. It has been designed to provide quality secondary education for all Tiwi young people, while allowing them to live in their own culture.
Tiwi College is an exciting development as it will be owned and operated by the Tiwi people through the Tiwi Education Board, which represents the Tiwi community and all its families.
Merit Partners are proud that the Governor-General has recognised another one of our clients “going places”.
Further information on Tiwi College project
Brains Trust takes some think time with Alzheimer’s
On Tuesday 20th April Merit Partners held a morning tea to raise funds and listen to Sue Woods raising awareness within the Firm about Alzheimer Australia and how they help people within the Northern Territory.
The money raised to the end of June will go towards supporting the volunteer work involved with creating a Life Memory Album.
Life Memory Albums allow home and professional carers to gain insight into the individual’s life history and their preferences, allowing a person-central care regime. The albums are a collection of photographs, memories, art work and memorabilia from childhood, adulthood and special occasions.
Life Memory Albums are also very valuable in making sure that family heritage doesn’t disappear, and understanding what sort of a person the individual with dementia is.
2010 NT Budget Briefing Luncheon
Merit Partners hosted a budget briefing luncheon at SkyCity on Tuesday 4th of May 2010 where Territory businesses were invited to hear first hand from the Northern Territory Treasurer, Ms Delia Lawrie, how and where the NT Government will be investing funds into the Territory economy in 2010/11 and beyond. In addition this year Sam Howard from Ernst & Young Adelaide was invited to provide Territory Business with an early update about the Henry Tax Review and the implications for the Territory.
Bubs
Congratulations to Tania and Diogenes on the birth of their first child – a boy. Jonas entered the world on 19 January 2010 at 5.50pm weighing 7 pounds 13 ounces (3.54kg). The hotly contested sweepstakes was won by Bob Cowling. We understand that Jonas is keeping Tania very busy and we wish her all the best with enjoying her maternity leave.
Marriages
In December a good proportion of our staff travelled to The Philippines to witness the wedding of Archie to Cheurleen. It seems that working together all day wasn’t enough for Archie and Cheurleen who have decided to spend the rest of their lives together. Congratulations from all at Merit Partners and best wishes for your future lives together.
Sporting Achievements - Life be in it Volleyball
Introducing Grand Finalists – Merit Shooters!!
The semi finals game was definitely a showdown – neck and neck, point for point, rally after rally! But the Shooters proved that yes, they did belong in the finals with a great win against PowerBalls (PowerWater) to bring us into the grand final.
The Grand Final was played against AyCees (Australian Central) and unfortunately… unable to hold onto our winning status, the Shooters were finally beat… but of course, not without a good fight!
So at final tally – 5 wins to 1 loss (to the overall winners of the competition) and overall 2nd placing – that deserves Merit! :)
Thank you to everyone who played, supported, cheered. Thank you to all the Shooters and the fill-ins over the last 6 weeks.
Please note: Getting to the Grand Final has also given us 6 points in the overall 2010 Corporate Cup Ladder, putting us in 2nd place overall, woo!
View the final ladder standings
Elisabeth Tan – 10 years of service
Elisabeth Tan has reached a fantastic milestone of 10 years service with Ernst & Young and Merit Partners. The staff and Directors acknowledged her contribution to both organisations at a special morning tea.
See Elisabeth's profile for more information on her areas of expertise
AIOP Breakfast
Friday 7th of May saw Merit Partners support staff, and director Rosemary Campbell, rise bright and early to attend the Australian Institute of Office Professionals Breakfast held at the Darwin Convention Centre, for a 7am start.
Indulging in freshly baked croissants & fruit Danish, a selection of seasonal & tropical fruit, eggs Benedict with leg ham, poached eggs & hollandaise sauce, and freshly brewed coffee and tea, the morning was full of giveaways and prizes supplied by sponsors.
When it seemed like there was no way that Merit Partners would be a part of the lucky winners our own Rosemary Campbell won the Door Prize, from Premium Wines direct, and Barb Hogan won a seat ticket prize from Mary Kay Cosmetics valued over $200.00!
The guest speaker Debra Chapman did a fantastic job of sharing her life/work motto: “I think I can, I know I can, I did it!” by taking us on a journey of her life experiences. This motto rang true for many of those that attended.
Congratulations to Valentin Markez
Valentin Markez from our Assurance & Advisory Business Services division received a promotion to Senior Manager. Valentin is a true success story for Merit Partners since commencing employment with Merit Partners in February 2005 through a 457 visa arrangement.
Since arriving in Darwin Valentin has embraced the Territorian lifestyle, even to the extent of owning a pet crocodile! He is now a permanent resident and has built up strong client relationships. For further information see his staff profile.
Donation to Somerville Community Services
Merit Partners hosted a morning tea for Somerville and presented to Vicki O’Halloran and Josie Bacus a donation to contribute towards the worthwhile range of services that they do within the community. Somerville enhances the dignity and quality of life of people most disadvantaged in and damaged by our society. See Photo from left to right Vicki O’Halloran, Amin Islam, Josie Bacus, Elisabeth Tan and Margaret Seccafien.
Somerville Community Services Website
Essington - 20 Years
The Essington School celebrated their 20th Anniversary in September. Since its inception it has grown from a small Montessori based playgroup to a Preschool, Primary School, Middle School and Year 10 offering Year 10 and 11 subjects. Essington is a school that is going places and Merit Partners is pleased to be associated with them.
Chamber congratulates Merit Partners
Merit Partners (and predecessor firms) was recently recognised for 30 years continuous membership of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry NT. The Chamber presented Amin Islam with a Certificate of Recognition of this milestone at the annual gala ball. We took along three of our own long term clients to enjoy the evening with us. We firmly believe that our membership of the Chamber of Commerce is another way of contributing something back to the business community whilst providing Merit Partners access to the benefits of Chamber membership.
Merit Partner Promotions
Merit Partners recognises people going places and in January we promoted 3 staff in our Tax and Business Services division. Yong has been promoted to Assistant Manager and we have 2 more senior accountants in our ranks – Ochie Sanchez and Vicki Fitirikkos. Ochie and Vicki commenced with Merit Partners in 2004 as trainee graduates straight from Year 12 and participated in our trainee program which combines on the job experience with formal training via their undergraduate degree. They are currently undertaking the Chartered Accounting Program. Yong is a fully qualified CPA and has been with Merit Partners since September 2007. Yong, Ochie and Vicki demonstrate their commitment to Merit Partners values every day and we congratulate them on their promotions. Partners and we wish them good luck with their new positions.
Go Wild with Merit
Merit Partners Christmas Party was held at the Crocosaurus Cove with the theme Go Wild which the staff fully embraced. The four teams had their own interpretations of “Go Wild” -. we had the Evolution Team from apes to punk rockers, the Erwins & Australia Zoo, the Tigers Footballers and the Wild West team. We also had a raffle of 2 crocodile belts which were kindly donated by Mick Burns. We were thrilled that the raffles raised $450 which was donated to the Kmart Wishing Tree Appeal.
Bubs
Congratulations to Candice & Adam on the safe delivery of Addison Olivia, born on 4 December. Candice is chuffed that she now has one of each as Addison joins Alexander in their family. Candice is on maternity leave and whilst she will be sorely missed by clients and staff alike we wish her great joy and contentment in the time spent with her growing family.
Departures
We bid a very sad farewell to Narelle Crichton in December as she has re-located to the beach side town of Kingscliff in New South Wales. Narelle was with Merit Partners for 11 years, joining as a graduate accountant rising to the position of Senior Manager. Her contribution to Merit Partners and predecessor firms over this long period has been outstanding and she will be sorely missed. We wish Narelle, Matt and baby Dayna all the very best in their new life away from the Territory.
Creative Territory receives award
Congratulations to Tracy and her team at Creative Territory for being named Champion Specialised Small Business at the Australian Small Business Champion Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony last November. Full details of this award can be found on Creative Territory website. Creative Territory website.
Simon Coulter – 7 years of service
Simon Coulter has reached a milestone of 7 years service with Ernst & Young and Merit Partners. The staff and Merit Partners acknowledged his contribution to both organisations at a special morning tea. See Simon's profile for more information on his areas of expertise.
Winners ar
e Grinners
Merit Partners are the proud winners of Institute of Chartered Accountants Tri-Sport Challenge after claiming victory over other Darwin Accounting firms in the annual indoor competition. Merit Partners were convincing winners in Netball and Cricket and narrowly lost soccer. Our efforts resulted in Merit Partners achieving the highest aggregate score to take out the top prize. Congratulations to our talented staff members and their partners who participated in this fiercely competitive (and fun) event.
RAAF Darwin Golf Club Sponsorship
Merit Partners are proud to be associated with the RAAF Darwin Golf Club. As a local firm we are committed to supporting local community charities and organisations. We are thrilled with our new sign on the 18th tee which embodies both Merit Partners and the spirit of golf – “Driving Success”
Rosemary (pictured) and the team at Merit Partners are always welcome at RAAF Golf Club and we are hoping a by-product of our sponsorship will be an improvement in our golf! If you are looking for a firm that will drive your success and help you take time off to play some golf, look no further than Merit Partners.
Merit passes Annual Surveillance Audit for ISO 9001:2000
As part of Merit’s ongoing commitment to excellence, they had their annual surveillance audit carried out to the ISO 9001:2000 occur in July 2009. The structure of the audit was in accordance with the audit plan and audit planning matrix. The audit team concluded that Merit Partners has established and maintained its management system in line with the requirements for services within the scope and organisations policy and objectives.
Merit Partners Celebrates 5th Birthday
At 5:00pm on the 5th of March Merit Partners staff and clients came together to celebrate Merit Partners’ 5th Birthday.The event was surrounded by intrigue, with special invitations sent with the code word mi5. read more...
End of Financial Year Dinner
As accountants, the 30th of June is an important date and Merit Partners staff celebrated with a dinner at La Beach Restaurant in Cullen Bay. The night went well with lovely food, drinks and some games.
Kennon’s Kodiaks are Victorious
In the annual Merit Partners Social Club Challenge, the esteemed golden abacus trophy was awarded to Matthew Kennon’s team ‘Kennon’s Kodiaks’ who received the most points in the various challenges that the social club organised for the year. These challenges include the Nintendo Wii Olympics as well as the Archery competition held at Berrimah Golf and Archery Range. Congratulations to Matthew’s Team and good luck to all four new teams as they continue to compete throughout 2009/2010.
Budget Briefing Luncheon
Merit Partners again this year were the sponsors of the budget briefing luncheon.
The firm have been sponsoring this event for 5 years as we believe it provides a wonderful opportunity for the local business community, which includes many of our clients, to be briefed on the Northern Territory budget first hand, by the NT Treasurer, immediately after it is handed down in Parliament.
Directors strategy planning meeting
On an annual basis the Directors of Merit Partners have a strategy planning meeting where they take time out to reflect on the past year and plan for the coming year. April this year the Directors had their strategy meeting in Adelaide.
Delegation to Timor-Leste
In May 2009 Valentin Markez, Audit Manager and Margaret Seccafien, Practice Manager were part of the largest delegation to visit Timor-Leste since independence. The Chief Minister Paul Henderson headed the 60 strong Ministerial, business and community delegation to Timor-Leste... read more
Merit Partners Promotions
Congratulations to Tania Senga, Raul David, Paul McCubbin and Archie Lim who were all promoted on the 1st of July. These staff members have shown their commitment to excellence and strong client focus during their time at Merit Partners and we wish them good luck with their new positions.
Older news articles
- Merit Partners honoured as Patron of CDU
- Merit Partners Raise $ for Bushfire victims
- Merit Partners supports HPA Incorporated
- Merit Partners got into the Spirit of Movember
- Corporate Sports
- Traditional Christmas Party - Merit Style
- Sandrina - 7 Years of Service
- Merit Partners supports St Vincent de Paul Society
- Donations & Sponsorships
- There's Merit in Going Green
