Connect - 3 September 2021

Displaying our success

We’ve had tremendous feedback on the Construction Industry Briefing held earlier this week.

The fast-paced video linked below very effectively set the scene, capturing the energy and essence of what our department is setting out to achieve: strong partnerships with industry and our community to deliver quality infrastructure and services for South Australia.

Watch the video to see some of the outstanding successes we’ve had in recent times.

T2D tunnels start small

It’s an exciting time for our department, with relocation of electricity and telecommunications underway at the southern end of the T2D at Clovelly Park. Relocation of gas and water services is planned to begin later this year or early next.

These relatively humble works are effectively launching our infrastructure pipeline’s flagship project, clearing the way for the establishment of the laydown area from which two enormous tunnel-boring machines will commence excavation of the T2D’s twin three-lane Southern Tunnels.

Excellence! Our outstanding graduate

A very welcome update on an item in last week’s Connect is the news that Jana Pickering received the Outstanding Graduate Award at Tuesday’s SA Public Sector Graduation Ceremony. The award was presented by Commissioner for Public Sector Employment, Erma Ranieri (pictured below).

Our Graduates Program is something we can all be proud of, giving talented people the opportunity to build on their academic achievement through planned personal and professional development. It is one way we pursue excellence and goes a long way to maintaining DIT as an employee of choice. This video, played at the ceremony to introduce Jana, is well worth viewing.

Congratulations, Jana. My thanks must also go to senior staff who act as mentors and provide executive shadowing opportunities across the department, a key factor behind the success of our Graduates Program.

Flagstaff Road widening progresses

Community support has been a feature of the Flagstaff Road widening project, which has largely been due to the professionalism and responsiveness of the Project Team.

One example is acknowledging residents’ concerns with line of sight from a side street. Changes were made, resulting in better access for both the community and on-site workers.

My congratulations to the Project Team which, with support from Community Engagement and Media, kept people informed and on board, paving the way for our excellent progress. The $32.9 million project, which will result in a four-lane, two-way carriageway, is going well, with a finish on schedule during the first quarter of next year.

RU OK? Day – next Thursday, 9 September

Annual RU OK? Days, since launching in 2009, have really raised awareness that a simple enquiry as to how someone is doing can make a huge difference – lives have been saved.

Trusting the slightest hunch that things aren’t quite right is the theme for this year’s RU OK Day? (‘Are they really OK, Ask them today’) because it is very easy to miss the signs when looking for something more demonstrative.

Creating an opportunity to ask the question is one of the best things you could do. Such situations are challenging but you will have greater confidence to do so with some preparation. The RU OK? organisation’s website, with its ‘How to Ask’ section, is an excellent resource which I highly recommend.

83 Pirie Street update

Work has been progressing very well on our new offices at 83 Pirie Street, with the project now several weeks ahead of schedule. While this doesn’t necessarily mean moving in earlier than the scheduled Q4 in 2022, it certainly has us in a confident position with regards to planning the move.

All of our CBD staff will be relocating to consecutive floors (levels 4-13), along with Planning staff from the Attorney General’s Department.

As the photo below shows, construction has moved past the 10th of 20 floors. Services installation, gyprock partitioning and so on is already underway on lower floors making this a very exciting time.

Friday Flashback

Today’s Friday Flashback shows Semaphore in 1948. There is little information apart from the location and date so we’re left to wonder what the people in the circle are doing. If you can enlighten us, email dit.connect@sa.gov.au.