Connect - 23 April 2021

ANZAC Day

Anzac Day is one of our most important national occasions, marking the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War.

The Anzac legend took root the moment Australian and New Zealand forces landed on Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 to be met by fierce resistance from the Ottoman Turkish defenders.

The department supports Anzac Day in many ways, such as assisting with road closures around dawn services and providing special public transport services. A free bus shuttle loop will operate in the CBD after the Adelaide dawn service and march.

Many of the department’s staff have served in the military over the years and some are current members of the Australian Defence Force Reserve, for which we are very proud and grateful.

DIT staff members Major David Rogers, Army Royal Australian Electrical Engineers and RAAF Flight Lieutenant (Rtd) Graeme Brown

Jawun opportunity

Here’s an opportunity for DIT employees ASO6 and above, managers and executives, and those aspiring to become executives to take residential secondments with Aboriginal-led community organisations. Besides the residential program, there are also limited spaces for Virtual Secondments enabling desktop participation.

The Jawun (‘friend’ in the Kuku Yalanji language) program has been operating since 2001 and has over 3000 alumni. There are two rounds left in 2021 seeking nominations.

For further information, including how to nominate, visit this Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment webpage.

RD SFTY PLTS for MFS

Our Think! Road Safety Partnerships provide important support for educational programs run by a number of organisations, including the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service.

In line with that, the firies’ Road Awareness Program vehicles were recently fitted with special number plates to push the message a little further. Thanks to the Think! Partnerships, Plates Administration, Service SA and Registration Policy teams for enabling this, they look great!

Keeping road safety at the forefront , the Road Safety directorate is in the final stages of developing the new Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030 and South Australia is hosting this year's National Road Safety Week 16-23 May 2021.

Please make sure you are safe on the roads this Anzac Day long weekend.

Rail lines return

As you saw in last week’s Connect, the Adelaide Metro Infoline staff do a great job of helping customers every day. There are also periods that are more intense – such as when we have rail closures and substitute buses running.

This weekend sees the end of the rail closures on the Outer Harbor/Grange line and the Seaford/Flinders and Belair lines, with those services returning to normal from the first service on Sunday. The associated pressure on our Infoline staff will also hopefully be reduced.

Well done to everyone who coordinates the messaging at these times, especially those who interact with the community and act as our ambassadors.

Anne Alford retiring

This week SAPTA Executive Director Anne Alford has formally announced her long-planned retirement from the Department at the end of the financial year.

Anne has had a stellar career in the public sector over more than 30 years, including senior leadership roles within the Department of Treasury and Finance, and Department of the Premier and Cabinet.

Anne has made an outstanding contribution to the Department, our community and our customers since her appointment to this position and has played a pivotal leadership role in establishing SAPTA and transitioning to a new service delivery model for better public transport. More broadly, she is a role model for women in leadership across our Department.

The Department will work towards a seamless transition of leadership, which is already well advanced, with advertising for a new Executive Director about to begin.

Anne Alford in her office at Roma Mitchell House

Friday Flashback

Today’s Friday Flashback shows the first colour footage of an Anzac Day march in Australia, filmed in Adelaide on 25 April 1936. It is set to the tune Marching Through Georgia, the most common marching tune for South Australian units.