Connect - 13 November 2020
Message from the Chief Executive
To hear from department staff about this year’s NAIDOC week theme,
NAIDOC Always Was, Always Will Be,
Delivering our biggest project ever
The State Budget announcements this week confirmed the tremendous pipeline of works we have in front of us, but at its core was the biggest infrastructure task we have ever been given to deliver.
The commitment to a hybrid+ solution for the Torrens to Darlington Project will unlock the traffic network across Adelaide and allow drivers to travel 78km on the North-South Corridor from Gawler to Old Noarlunga without facing a single set of traffic lights.
The challenges of building this 10.5km section of motorway, including two tunnels over almost 60% of its length, are enormous but exciting.
Behind the announcement this week was years of hard work, which in recent months built to a crescendo that has been wonderfully managed by the North South Corridor team. Congratulations to all involved.
I encourage you to take a look at the video below to find out more about what’s happening.
Trainee of the Year
Congratulations to Anthony St Clair on receiving a 2020 NAIDOC SA Award for Trainee of the Year this week at the Adelaide Town Hall as part of NAIDOC SA celebrations.
Anthony is a Project Officer in Transport Project Delivery and was also a runner up in the recent SA Training Awards for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year.
Since completing his Traineeship and moving into Transport Project Delivery , Anthony has commenced a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil Engineering) degree at Flinders University.
Well done Anthony.
Shaun Childs, Anthony St Clair and Vonda Last at the awards presentation.
Rewriting the ending for road safety
The Australian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP Safety) has launched a new road safety campaign, ‘Let’s rewrite the ending’ to promote the availability of two key vehicle safety technologies available in modern vehicles – autonomous emergency braking and active lane support systems.
These safety features are not ‘future technologies’, they are widely available in vehicles today. By simply driving a car with these features you can significantly reduce the chance of you or another road user being killed or seriously injured on the road.
More information about the new campaign can be found on the ANCAP safety website. This site also includes a great resource to help identify whether your current car, or potential future car, has these key safety features.
Creating a first with artwork
Special decals have been installed on three of our buildings to mark NAIDOC Week, at Grenfell Street and two locations in Port Augusta.
This marks the first time a decal has been used at a regional location.
The decals were created by Landscape Architect and Visual Artist Paul Herzich, and are an arrangement of circular Aboriginal meeting place symbols which form a map of regional South Australia.
Each symbol represents its own region through colours and forms found in its art styles and landscape. Each of the 39 main Aboriginal language groups of the state are randomly placed to form a cascade of text.
LEFT: A decal installed in Port Augusta.
Journey for life work balance
Participants in the annual Aboriginal Traineeship finished their Life Work Balance Program this week with a presentation to their supervisors on their journey so far.
Life Work Balance is a 10-week program which helps promote confidence, resilience and emotional wellbeing, as well as looking at developing an appropriate work life balance.
The program was supported by Uncle Basil and Aunty Ros Coleman from Coleman Consultants, who talked about Family, Kinship and Culture.
Trainees with supervisors at the final session of the Life Work Balance Program.
Tools down to spread a positive message
Tyrone Hughes, Employee Relations Advisor, recently led an exciting toolbox yarn at the Lot Fourteen building site for students studying an Aboriginal Certificate II with a construction industry focus.
The toolbox yarn sessions are a fantastic opportunity for students to hear and learn from Aboriginal leaders and everyday workers that have successfully taken up full time employment in the construction industry.
Tyrone presented about his own experiences and the importance of students taking advantage of the opportunities they have now while studying so that they are ready to take on construction industry positions into the future.
Tyrone Hughes leading the toolbox yarn at Lot Fourteen.
Supporting White Ribbon
I’m pleased to announce Graeme Jackson, Director of Legal and Statutory Services, has recently been appointed as our Senior Executive Sponsor for White Ribbon. Graeme takes over this role from Michael Burdett, Surveyor-General, and I’d like to thank Michael for his support and contribution to the White Ribbon Program.
The White Ribbon Program not only focuses on domestic or family violence against women, but includes our commitment to gender equality and respect in the workplace. It promotes equal participation in the workforce, respectful relationships between genders and aims to create a working environment which values the contribution of all employees from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
White Ribbon Day will be held next week on Friday 20 November.
Graeme Jackson with Tony Braxton-Smith in front of the White Ribbon oath board.
Reaching the community
The Port Wakefield to Port Augusta Alliance is doing an outstanding job including its community in the work it is doing.
A Community Hub has been set up, with locals invited to visit the team to find answers to any questions that arise.
Proactive and open engagement with the community is important to all of our projects and I commend the team for creating this initiative.
Friday Flashback
Today’s flashback is from 1926 when South Road was bituminised at St Marys.
The photo below is looking south along South Road, St Marys where it is receiving its first coat of bitumen. South Road Estate is on the left and the gap in the trees marks the opening for Quinlan Avenue.
The increased use of the heavier, faster motor vehicles of the era were creating clouds of dust on roads that had been built for original animal-drawn transport methods in our city. A number of roads, including this section of South Road, were subsequently re-surfaced during the 1920s and 1930s with bituminous concrete (asphalt) or spray seals to address the issue.
SLSA 7798/159