Australia's Next Top Models all emerge winners
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In an unprecedented move, nine of this year's Australia's Next Top Model contestants have been served with modelling contracts despite the controversy that turned Tuesday's live finale into an international talking point.
While runner-up Kelsey Martinovich still emerged as a winner - taking a $25,000 cash bonus, a trip to New York and half the Harper's Bazaar cover after host Sarah Murdoch mistakenly announced her as the victor instead of Gold Coast student Amanda Ware - she, along with Ware and seven of their peers, are now officially working models with the same agent.
Winner of Australia's Next Top Model Amanda Ware (L)
with runner-up Kelsey Martinovich in Sydney.
Leading Australian model manager Priscilla Leighton-Clark, who is the only officially obliged to represent the winner of the reality series, has scooped the pool of talent, stating the "calibre of girls this year was incredibly high".
Martinovich along with Sophie Van Den Akker, Joanna Broomfield, Jessica Moloney, Kathryn Lyons, Chantal Croccolo, Brittney Dudley and Ashton Flutey are all on the books. It is believed the most Leighton-Clark had signed in the six-year history of the show was three in one year. Judge Charlotte Dawson agreed: "We've had an amazing cast."
"It was a mistake and no one wants that to happen, especially Sarah, but the fact that it may have turned into a worldwide sensation is a positive thing," she said.
Most to benefit was Martinovich, who will share part of the winner's prize - a Harper's Bazaar cover - after the magazine announced it would produce two covers.
The $243 million project, led by the Treasury Department, aims to simplify electronic filing of business financial information with the government.
SBR will provide a single, secure log-on for businesses to seamlessly send financial reports and information captured in more than 220 accounting software programs to agencies including state and territory revenue offices, the Bureau of Statistics, the Prudential Regulation Authority, the Securities and Investments Commission, and the tax office.
IBM will design the core technology infrastructure and platforms to connect with systems operated by government agencies and offices.
Reports that IBM and Accenture had formed a consortium to bid for the project were hosed down by SBR program manager, Greg Divall, who said that only “prime contractors” had participated in the tender process.
Another SBR contract, worth $1.7 million, was awarded to Cybertrust Australia, a subsidiary of Verizon Business, for design authentication technology that will allow a business to verify its identity with the government.
However, SBR program director Paul Madden said the core services and authentication components were only a small part of the project.
“The core of our work is really in the creation of the reporting taxonomy,” said Mr Madden. “There’s a fair bit of investment there as well as the workforce required to do the design work, and the legal sign-offs for the agencies.”
The project will be completed by the end of the year after which Treasury and key stakeholders, including software developers and reporting staff, will evaluate the designs.
The department will then decide if it IBM and Cybertrust's services would be required to develop the actual technology, or re-tender the work.
