12 minute read
Staff anniversaries
WHEN Andy Grant and Gareth Cowlishaw talk about their respective work on the Melton Open Spaces contract, one word pops up repeatedly in both conversations: camaraderie. “I think we all love the physicality and diversity of the job, and the time that it gives us with our families,” says Andy. “But the thing I always come back to is how much I love this team. We all get on so well.” Andy became a team leader at the Ravenhall depot when Citywide’s contract at neighbouring Whittlesea ended in March 2019. A week later, after considerable negotiations and uncertainty, he and 11 other members of the Whittlesea team were successfully redeployed to Melton. Among that team was Gareth – or Gazz as his friends call him – who jumped off his Broadacre mower in Whittlesea on the Friday and hopped straight back on it in Melton on Monday. “I’ve been riding this thing for more than five years now, so I suppose it’s almost a living part of me,” jokes Gazz. In May, Gazz celebrates his 10th year at Citywide – three months after Andy chalked up 15 years with the company. The pair are a walking advertisement for the type of teamwork – and yes, camaraderie – that we all cherish at Citywide. “I think that, as much as they like good workers at Citywide, they would much rather have good people,” says Gazz. “At the Melton contract, I reckon we’ve got that in spades.”
Andy (left) and Gazz pictured at Morton Homestead, one of the City of Melton’s showpiece sites that Citywide maintains.
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A highly regarded operator
Perennially outgoing, perennially perched on his Broadacre, Gazz has gained a notoriety among his teammates for his fearless commitment to getting the job done – wherever it takes him. “The Broadacre is a big machine,” says Andy, “but Gazz is able to get it into places most people wouldn’t even try to. He’s a very highly regarded operator.” With up to 600 parks, reserves, ovals and road reserves scattered across an area of nearly 400 km², Gazz’s work involves mowing anything from pristine lawns to tangled scrub. “I guess I must cut good grass,” says Gazz modestly. “When I started out on the streets of Cooper and Epping, I realised how valuable doing the road reserves was to the team. The more of those you do, the less time the detailed crews have to spend mowing busy median strips on foot among traffic.” “It may not be the most amazing job in the world, but I really enjoy it,” adds Gazz. “I can work at my own pace, and I never have to bring work home.” Home is a simple pad that Gazz shares with his faithful kelpie/ labrador cross, Mija, and where he spends a lot of time with his beloved father.
Love at home and work
Andy divides his time between a city base in Epping, and his family home in Beaufort, where his two children go to school. He remembers his wife Annie being pregnant with their 14-year-old daughter, Siena, when he first joined Citywide. “Moving into a supervisory role has definitely enabled me to spend more time at home,” says Andy. “But I still enjoy the camaraderie here. We have a very special team at Ravenhall, and I’ve had a string of great managers down the years.” So what keeps him going at work? “When I see a tired old site brought up to speed and looking bright and inviting, that’s something that still delights me,” says Andy. “We take great pride in our jobs, with everyone involved in attaining the highest level of presentation.” Gazz agrees that the team spirit is special at Melton. “The camaraderie and team culture are really great here,” he says. “There’ll always be the occasional personality clash, just because we’re human, but this team is excellent. I worked on the Whittlesea contract for eight years, and I’m still friends with people I worked with there who have left the company.” As well as their career anniversaries, 2021 will see Andy and Gazz notch up important personal milestones: Andy turns 50 in July, and Gazz turned 40 in February. We wish you many happy returns, guys – and many more happy years in the saddle at Citywide!
This year, some 60 staff members are marking long service anniversaries working at Citywide and the City of Melbourne; between them, chalking up 924 years’ service by December! Across the organisation, we are committed to actively recognising such achievements. Here, we salute the following teammates celebrating anniversaries in May and June.
MAY 20 years LISA CARTY - GM Municipal Victoria
10 years GARETH COWLISHAW - Team member, Melton Open Space BEVAN JOHNSON - Operations Supervisor, Stonnington Trees
JUNE 40 years ROBERT ARNOLD - team member, Melbourne Waste contract
25 years NATASHA THOMPSON - Team Leader - Operations Support, Municipal Northwest
10 years NORM GUINANE - Team Member, City of Yarra Trees
Robert a beacon of unchanging dedication in a city where nothing else stands still
THE FIRST of June marked 40 years since the day Robert Arnold walked from his home in Elgin Street, Carlton to the Melbourne Town Hall and asked if there were any street-sweeping jobs available. He was asked if he was physically fit, and told to come back and start work the next day. Since then, the 62-year-old – still fit as a fiddle – has walked literally thousands of miles to keep his home city clean. “He’s a true garbologist,” says supervisor Luca De Fazio, who has managed Robert’s shifts for the past 15 years. “Nothing ever slows him down.” Despite his incredible milestone, however, Robert insists on sharing the credit with his workmates, Giuseppe De Fazio and Johnny Pavitt, who have worked alongside him emptying litter bins across Kensington, Parkville, North Melbourne, West Melbourne and Carlton. “They’ve been doing the same work as me for a long time too,” says Robert. “We all do this job together.” While Robert has come a long way in the past 40 years, his city has too. “There were hardly any bins in those days,” he recalls. “Two of us fillers used to walk behind the trucks and everyone just piled up their rubbish in plastic bags in the laneways.” The system has evolved dramatically, with thousands of litter bins across the city being emptied into highly-automated ‘smart’ garbage trucks. But despite the technological advances, Robert’s job remains essentially the same. “I still walk alongside the truck and put the bins on the lifter,” he says. “But the truck does most of the heavy lifting these days!”
Simple celebration
As well as his regular garbage runs on weekdays, Robert used to do sweeping at Victoria Market on Friday nights and empty waste bins in Chinatown on Sundays for overtime. But these days, he says, his 6am-2pm weekday shifts are enough for him. “I still enjoy the job,” he says. “I always get to meet a lot of people – people always stop and say hello, and you get to know some of the shopkeepers and residents pretty well. “Plus I work with some really great guys – so I’ve got no complaints at all!” So what will Robert be doing to celebrate his milestone on June 2nd? Again, his natural humility takes over: he doesn’t want to make a fuss. “I’ll be working as usual that day,” he says. “Then I’ll probably have a cup of tea when I come home and just relax a bit.” Robert is a man of simple pleasures – he loves watching footie on the TV, and spending time with his beloved nephews and niece, who now have children of their own. “I love them as if they were my own,” he says. Well everyone at Citywide loves you, Robert. You are a true role model for the Citywide family, and your selfless dedication to your job and your city are an inspiration to us all. Happy anniversary, Robert!
GROWING UP on Victoria’s French Island with a carpenter father, it wasn’t surprising that Martin and Alison Ralph were master cubby house builders. “We were constantly building cubbies in the giant pines behind our house,” remembers Ali, now 23. “I remember one cubby that was about 12 metres off the ground and five storeys high!” Fast forward 15 years and the Ralph siblings are once again up in the trees – this time as arborists on Citywide’s Bayside contract. It’s thought to be the first time that Citywide have had a brother and sister working in the same depot, and it’s a serendipitous story that says as much about the supportive Citywide family as the close bonds between the Ralphs. Martin, 27, was first to join the company back in May 2018 when he signed up as an apprentice arborist at Bayside. Pretty soon he was being put through his paces in a Certificate III in Arboriculture, spending a day each week learning everything from how to operate a chainsaw to pruning, policies and powerlines. “Straight away I knew it was the job for me,” says Martin. “I love being outdoors, working on trees, and Citywide offers all sorts of opportunities to help you climb the ladder if you show initiative and really want to learn.”
All in the family
So when team leader Josh Trevor announced a new position at Bayside in March last year, Martin knew just the person to approach. “Ali was working in a café and looking for better opportunities,” he says. “Of course, I knew that she could pick up new skills easily and has a great work ethic. So I had no problem introducing her to the boss!” According to Ali, growing up on French Island was the perfect testing ground for the skills required in arboriculture. “There’s no power or piped water on the island, so you have to be pretty self-sufficient,” she says. “We spent a lot of time digging trenches for dad, looking after livestock, fixing up the generator. You learn to be pretty handy!” Ali was 20 when Martin – the second of four siblings – started working for Citywide, and she remembers how positively her big brother spoke of his new ‘gig’. So when he announced an opening at Bayside, she was quick to react. “I gave Josh a call and arrived here a week before the first lockdown,” recalls Ali. “My first role was operating a chipper and after some initial training I was in.” Ali says she hasn’t looked back. “I really enjoy the work. I was only on the chipper for a few months, then went into training for broader roles. I got my chainsaw ticket, my EWP (Elevated Work Platform) licence, my ESI Certificate II (Powerline and Vegetation Control).” Ali says that although arboriculture still has the image of “a blokey job”, she’s been quietly delighted by the culture on the Bayside trees crew. “There are 16 of us and I’m the only girl,” she says. “But I have to say, everyone is really respectful. If they ever crossed any boundaries, I’d certainly let them know about it – but so far, I haven’t had to!”
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE GOOD WORK THAT COREY MALLIA DOES AND THE HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE I HAVE EXPERIENCED FROM HIM. YESTERDAY WAS ANOTHER EXAMPLE WHERE COREY HAS BEEN WILLING TO ASSISTED ME ON SITE TO DISCUSS WITH THE RESIDENT THE ISSUES AND COUNCIL’S MANAGEMENT PROCESS. AND THEN FORMULATE A WORKS PLAN INCLUSIVE OF THE TREE ROOT MANAGEMENT FOR DAMAGE TO PRIVATE INFRASTRUCTURE AND ROOT MANAGEMENT FOR CIVIL RECONSTRUCTION WORKS.
HE DOES A GOOD JOB.
- GARETH PICKARD ARBORIST, BAYSIDE CITY COUNCIL
WHAT COREY DOES, MATTERS
VICTORIA has returned to lockdown amid an outbreak in new COVID cases and a surge in the number of exposure sites across urban and regional areas. As of Monday May 31st, in excess of 200 exposure sites had been identified and were changing each day as new contacts were identified. Subsequent to recent health directives, Citywide’s COVID advice has been updated again. The HSE & PC teams have considered what this means for our teams, both at office locations and across our depots.
VICTORIA BACK INTO LOCKDOWN AMID NEW COVID OUTBREAK
Tier 1 exposure sites
Anyone who has visited a Tier 1 exposure site during the times listed must immediately isolate, get a coronavirus (COVID-19) test, and quarantine for 14 days from the date of exposure (regardless of test results). You should also contact the Department of Health at 1300 651 160.
Tier 2 exposure sites
Anyone who has visited a Tier 2 exposure site during times listed should urgently get a test and isolate until they receive a negative result. You should also contact the Department of Health at 1300 651 160.
Tier 3 exposure sites
Anyone who has visited a Tier 3 exposure site during times listed should monitor for symptoms - If symptoms develop, immediately get tested and isolate until you receive a negative result.
Face Masks
You must wear a face mask when you leave home, unless an exception applies. From 11:59pm on Thursday 27 May, anyone aged 12 years old and over must wear a fitted face mask indoors and outdoors (except at private residences), unless an exception applies. This includes places such as: • shopping centres, supermarkets, retail outlets and markets
• when visiting hospitals and aged care facilities
• restaurants and cafes, when you are not eating or drinking
• indoor workplaces
• libraries, cinemas and entertainment facilities
• Places of worship
• outdoors i.e. walking the dog
• recreational facilities and gyms (an exemption applies when engaged in any strenuous exercise)
• on public transport, in taxis, or in ride share vehicles
• at airports and in aircraft
* Citywide has taken the decision to allow office workers to work remotely where possible and where it is the worker’s preference to do so. Where team members prefer this option they should consult with their managers to make arrangements. All other directives as per
the COVID safe plans continue to apply.
For team members residing interstate, it is recommended that you do not travel to Melbourne at this time.
All managers and supervisors should ensure that staff are aware of these requirements.
If you have any questions, contact your HSE or PC partners.
^^Information was correct at 5pm May 31st. Please check with your HSE Business Partner for updates since this publication date.
Further information:
Email questions@citywide.com.au
