Qantas is still sponsoring but has dropped some of it big name cooks from the event like Alan Joyce, Jetstar boss Jayne Hrdlicka, Qantas international chief Simon Hickey and board member, Mrs Jodee Rich aka Maxine Brenner.

Did someone say something disparaging about Joyce's cooking last year? or is his marketing czar, Olivia Wirth, a little shy of charity gigs at decrepit Sydney buildings after her drama at the Opera House last year?

Never mind.

Perpetual boss, Geoff Lloyd, is donning an apron again this year, having just finished selling his last copy of the Big Issue for their big corporate event.

Macquarie's personal banking boss, Tony Graham, is also doing cutlery duties in place of last year's rep, Shemara Wikramanayake.

MLC boss Andrew Hagger is flying up from Melbourne – obviously hoping there won't be any NAB wealth management victims among the homeless guests – as is Tabcorp's David Attenborough.

They are a close bunch in gambling land, so we shouldn't be surprised to see his list of donors include former Tabcorp exec and current Greyhound Racing Victoria chairman, Peter Caillard.

Pokie billionaire Bruce Mathieson Jr also chipped in with $1000.

Given the windfall ALH and its pokie partner Woolies made from Tabcorp losing its poker machine monopoly in Victoria a few years back, it's the least he can do really.

Water loo

Thames Water – owned by a consortium led by Nic Moore's Macquarie Group – got a royal flush last week with Prince Charles inspecting the innards of its sewage system beneath the streets of London to mark 150 years since the original sewer was opened by one of his forebears.

The real treat will be for Thames Water clients who face rising fees to help fund its controversial super sewer beneath the Thames at a cost of £4.2 billion.

CBD is sure he read somewhere that the whole idea of selling off public infrastructure like this is that taxpayers would not be footing the bill, but the Macquarie consortium obviously figured that didn't cover customers who are also taxpayers.

Thames is not short of some other rather fresh ideas to make a quid that would put a smile to the face of Moore's boys at Macquarie for sheer ingenuity.

Thames Water famously conducted a "consultation we carried out on future water resources" in relation to its plans that could see treated sewage water be introduced into London's drinking supply.

Apparently two out of every three respondents backed the idea.

So this is how it would work.

Thames Water is paid to take away your sewage.

Treats said sewage.

Sells it back to you as water.

And repeat.

That is the sort of recurring revenue stream that Macquarie dreams off.

House divided

The previous round of activist investors that stampeded Onthehouse have deactivated.

Gabriel Radzyminski's Sandon Capital announced it is no longer a substantial shareholder, so has  Glenn Poswell's Gannet Capital – having "terminated their agreement to act in concert in relation to the affairs of the company."

Poswell, Radzyminski, Brian Mitchell and former chairwoman Gail Pemberton, leave the company this Friday making way for the young turks led by Ezidebit founder, Michael Dempsey.

Off Payce

Payce Consolidated investors must be thanking their lucky stars they did not effectively hand ownership of the company to its management last month.

Friday's half year results weren't bad. Revenue was up 579 per cent, and net profit up 1412 per cent to $76.7 million.

ASIC kiboshed an EGM for shareholders last month to vote on a share buyback plan consisting of a 50c per share payment up front, another 50c a year down the track, plus an unlisted, non-voting preference share in the company with a claimed face value of $7.50.

The plan would have allowed the company to buy back all the shares not owned by chairman and managing director, Brian Boyd, according to a statement from the Takeovers Panel.

Apparently, the killjoys at ASIC is insisting on an Independent Expert's Report for the non-associated shareholders.

Got a tip? ckruger@fairfaxmedia.com.au