9 minute read
Responsible procurement
How does your work change with the change in seasons?
Tracey Allen, Ops Supervisor, Port Phillip
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Brad Battersby, Team Leader, Yarra Trees
Daniel Webb, Arborist, Bayside Trees
“It is full on in spring. Spring is the crazy season, change overs for sports and non-stop mowing.”
Citywide addresses Modern Slavery scourge
“Wet season: danger levels increase and work is mainly damage control as compared to mainly line clearance work during the warmer seasons.”
“It depends on the season as to how long I wear my jumper in the morning!”
YOUR SAY: GOT SOMETHING TO SHARE?
We’d love to hear about your roles and experiences at Citywide - whether it’s anecdotes about the oddest things you’ve seen out and about; what’s unique about your job; or tips you’d share for jobseekers wanting to become an arborist, gardener, civil engineer, garbage truck driver and more,
Get in touch:
creative@citywide.com.au
CITYWIDE has registered its first protected from bullying or abuse Modern Slavery statement with the and supported by policies ensuring Australian Government - renewing fair working conditions. a pledge to continue partnering Citywide staff can also access with suppliers to support human appropriate awareness informarights and stamp out exploitative tion about modern slavery issues work practices across its global via on-line training & awareness supply chain. posters. ‘Modern slavery’ refers to any “Ask your suppliers where they situations of exploitation in which a buy their trees, plants or turf person cannot refuse or leave their from?” said Peter. work because of threats, violence “Or, have them ask what working or deprivation of liberty – including conditions are like where those forced labour, child labour, domes- products are sourced. Who do their tic servitude and deceptive recruit- suppliers employ as labour? ing practices. “We want to better understand Group Procurement Manager our supply chain so we can give Peter Mackie said it was import- confidence to our clients, the pubant to get all Citywide group staff lic and our staff that we doing our members focused on the important bit to stop exploitative work pracissue of Modern Slavery, locally and tices.” abroad. Under the Modern Slavery Act “Australia is not immune from 2018, large companies in Australia, exploitative work practices. There including Citywide, are required to has been media coverage recently prepare annual statements outlinwhere workers have experienced ing the measures they’re taking to “forced labour or domestic servi- tackle modern slavery risks across tude,” Peter said. their operations and supply chains. “All suppliers and employees of Citywide’s continued commitCitywide are expected to adhere to ments to responsible sourcing our responsible sourcing commit- practices have been made on ment outlined in the Supplier Code behalf of all subsidiary companies of Conduct and Employee Code.” within the Citywide Group includ These include an expectation to ing Citywide Service Solutions, provide “a fair and ethical work- Technigro, Gordon McKay, Frontplace” in which each employee is line Electrical & Ultegra. Read Citywide’s Modern Slavery statement online:
www.citywide.com.au/corporate-social-responsibility
Bayside burns bring new life to precious urban reserves
WITH PRESCRIBED burns, it’s always about the timing and planning - particularly in an urban area like the Bayside City Council municipality. Not only does the season have to be right and the fuel load dry, but it has to be a cool day with some humidity, and as little wind as possible. This was why a group of Citywide’s bushland experts were found consulting with Bayside Council officials at dawn each morning for two weeks in April, before it was deemed safe to burn the coast tea tree forest at Beaumaris’s Donald MacDonald Reserve. “We all had fairly restless nights and early morning rises in the days beforehand,” says Bushland and Nursery Operations Supervisor Jo Hurse. “A few days the conditions were right but the wind was picking up in the afternoon, so we had to wait a bit longer. But we got there in the end.” The 12-strong Bushland crew were joined by three members of Citywide’s drainage team and two eductor trucks – relieved of their usual duties to provide an even more important service as temporary fire-trucks. Because of the nature of the tea tree forest, it was necessary for a few of the Citywide crew to stick around for at least 36 hours after the burn – making sure none of the trees sparked back to life. “With tea trees, fire can get into their roots and reignite underground,” explains Jo Hurse. “Because this reserve is surrounded by houses, it was critical we stayed there until any risk of potential flare ups had completely disappeared. The Bushland crew certainly go ‘over and above’ to ensure that everything goes to plan.”
Extended responsibilities
The Beaumaris burn was one of two significant burns – each covering 4,000m² – carried out in Bayside over the past month. The burns represent a significant upscaling of Citywide’s prescribed burning services – which in previous contracts with Bayside Council have been limited to 1,000m² or less. “This is the first time we’ve done burns of this size in Bayside,” says Jo. “It’s a reflection of how seriously the council takes the long-term ecological management of these very important little reserves. “This is particularly true of Donald MacDonald Reserve, where the coast tea tree is regarded as a weed this far inland.” The other ‘cool burn’ – born from the traditional practice of Aboriginal fire stick-burning – was in George Street Reserve, next to Sandringham Golf Course, where the ancient heathland should be burned at least once every 15 years to promote its regeneration.
Iconic Canberra contract re-win delivers huge boost to team serving capital city
ONE OF the great things about working at Citywide is that we can often see the open space, trees and civil infrastructure that our teams work and maintain every day. Sometimes that space is particularly iconic – such as the spectacular parks and gardens in our nation’s capital, Canberra. That’s why it was so exciting that we got the news recently that our Open Space Management Services contract with the National Capital Authority is being extended to 2026 following a hotly contested tender process. Along with Brad Foley who manages the NCA contract in the ACT and Operations Supervisor Matt Reid, the team including Consultant Eric Meehan, Manager Customer Development & Tenders Sarah Stubbs, General Manager NAQ Kym Bloor and myself worked for months behind the scenes to prepare for the tender. It was important to be ready – not just because it’s a valuable contract for our business that we have held for more than 10 years, it also employs a dedicated crew of open space specialists who take great care and skill to maintain some of the pristine areas that many thousands of locals and tourists visit and admire all year round. While demonstrating a strong track record is important in winning a tender, what’s more important is presenting a vision for the future that proves we will offer value beyond quality service at a competitive price. That’s where our digital transformation agenda comes in. With the real-time technology available through ALIS and MT Data, the services we provide will be delivered much more efficiently and with complete transparency. Service and vehicle data is seamlessly collected and analysed to ultimately protect NCA’s open space assets for the future, enabling Citywide to partner with NCA as they realise their mission to shape Canberra as a capital that all Australians can be proud of. From the magnificent heritage listed rose gardens at Old Parliament House Rose Gardens to the historic monuments that line Anzac Parade, and the leafy grounds of Commonwealth Park – Brad and the entire Citywide open space team has built a solid reputation within NCA as a quality, reliable and trusted provider. Our tender leveraged that reputation to put our best foot forward that helped bring about a contract win that all of us at Citywide should be proud to have under our belt. “This result would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of the ACT Team and external support from Head office, including the Tenders and Fleet Teams,” said Brad Foley, ACT Manager. “I am proud to say Citywide will continue to manage this significant area on behalf of the NCA for the next five years.”
Natalie Schroeder
Customer Development & Tenders Team
Above, Lake Burley Griffin and its surrounds is one of the many iconic sites we maintain for the National Capital Authority while, below, the Gardening team also keep the Old Parliament House Rose Gardens looking trim.
Second time a charm in Casey!
AFTER a tender process in late 2020 which was aborted by council, the City of Casey returned to market in early 2021 for its North, Central, South and Road Reserves open space and mowing contracts. These were reconfigured contracts from those in place previously, with Citywide the incumbent on the Road Reserves package, and we knew this would be a hotly contested RFT process. It certainly was! Whilst we were not successful on Road Reserves, we were appointed to the two largest packages – North and Central – which will deliver 100% growth on existing revenue from the open space & mowing contracts. The bid team of Adam Nelson, Brad Mansell, Lisa Carty, Eric Meehan, Sarah Stubbs and Kate Brabant put a lot of effort in pre-retender, working on the financial modelling and scheduling, and messaging, to support our submission. This has been a strong result for the South East Municipal team in Victoria. And a great example of having to work hard for every contract and growth opportunity.
- Sarah Stubbs, Customer Development & Tenders Manager
Other new business wins ...
City of Melton - Minor Civil Works
Capital works project work panel: volume will be highly dependent on how much capital works activity they put to market, and how successful our bidding is.
City of Brimbank - Construction of dog off-leash park, Kevin Flint Park Memorial Reserve
Another great win for the LGA Capital Works team. Securing this project adds to our growing - and very strong - deal sheet for park upgrade/development works.
City of Greater Dandenong - Open Space
Successfully appointed to panel of providers for 4+2+2 years. While the number on the panel has increased, so has the number of packages of works, which will be competitively quoted, but we expect the result to deliver solid annual revenue.
City of Melton - Kirkton Reserve Upgrade
City of Kingston - Roy Dore offleash dog park
Another project for the LGA Capital Works team.
City of Melbourne - FOGO (Food Organics & Garden Organics) bins and service
A significant addition to our existing waste and recycling management services delivered to our major customer.
