Rivergum Parks & Gardens Reviews 2020

1 June 2020

To Whom it May Concern,

Re: Rivergum involvement in Valley Park development and associate Public Tenancy Employment Programme (PTEP).

Fraser Property Australia is constructing 109 Public Housing units and 210 Private Houses at the Valley Park Development in Westmeadows under a Development Agreement with the DHHS. The development is constructed on 9.15Ha of public land and is made up predominantly of medium density housing and fully detached homes.

Rivergum was engaged by The Knight, owners corporation managers to undertake ongoing landscape maintenance post construction. The maintenance involves the upkeep of all landscaping forward of the building line, including the nature strips (across approximately 300 homes). Rivergum was shortlisted based on a demonstrated commitment to the employment of long term unemployed, and a willingness to work with Frasers in the employment of social housing tenants under the PTEP scheme.

Rivergum have been and excellent partner on the Valley Park project and have demonstrated a willingness to go beyond the call in ensuring the long term unemployed are given a genuine opportunity to obtain permanent work.

I am aware of a number of occasions where Rivergum have gone out of their way to ensure PTEP employees make it to work, picking them up when a car has broken down or public transport access has proven difficult.

Paul himself has proven to be a compassionate and caring employer with a genuine interest in providing the socially disadvantage with real opportunities.

Regards,

Aaron Knight Senior Development Manager Frasers Property Australia

ABN 24 603 467 024 Brotherhood of St Laurence 67 Brunswick Street Fitzroy 3065 Victoria Australia Telephone: 03 9483 1183 Facsimile: 03 9417 2691 DX 282 Melbourne

1 June 2020

Mr Paul Pender Rivergum Parks and Gardens 17a Carrick Drive Tullamarine VIC 3034 RE: Letter of Support for Rivergums Parks & Gardens Social Procurement Program Dear Paul, We wish to acknowledge the partnership that we have with your business since March 2018. In this time, we have worked extensively with your business in creating opportunity for disadvantaged jobseekers from the Northern and Western suburbs. In this time, you have demonstrated exceptional commitment to meeting the social impact requirements of DHSS Public Tenants Employment (PTEP) program and other contracts. You have worked with some of the most challenging candidates and given them opportunity to prove their abilities which in all cases have been life changing. You have always been prepared to think outside the box when creating opportunity. Case in point with a current Asylum seeker, single parent, African Muslim woman whom has been working with you for over one year. Giving her opportunity and seeing her full potential that has led to her current success. Your commitment to social procurement has set the benchmark for many other employers and we use your experiences as evidence of what can been achieved for our cohort of candidates when working in partnership with the Brotherhood of St Laurence.

We look forward to continuing our relationship with you over the coming years.

Overview: The Brotherhood of St Laurence - Given the Chance The Brotherhood of St Laurence is a not-for-profit organisation that works toward a vision of an Australia free of poverty. As well as providing services and programs for families and elderly on low incomes, the Brotherhood supports unemployed people including refugees, young people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and people with a disability. Based in Melbourne but with a national profile, the Brotherhood researches the causes and effects of poverty and advocates national and local policy solutions for people who are disadvantaged.

Our Given the Chance Group Training and social purpose Labour Hire Social Enterprise offers employers a supported recruitment model to secure more diverse sources of labour to meet corporate social responsibility, social procurement and workforce diversity objectives. The model offsets risk by using its role as the legal employer to assist host employers to integrate and support marginalised jobseekers who are in host placements as trainees, apprentices or workers.

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The program is assisted by BSL’s three Jobs Victoria Employment Network sites, funded by the Department of Jobs Precincts and Regions in Whittlesea, Dandenong and Flemington. These sites have the capacity to support large pools of diverse and disadvantaged jobseekers, preparing and funnelling them through to supported recruitment opportunities with the BSL’s Given the Chance enterprise and partner employers.

We would be pleased to be involved with Rivergum Parks & Gardens and look forward to helping you achieve your desired Workforce and Social Procurement outcomes.

Areas of support include: a) The recruitment and employment of disadvantaged job seekers including people who identify as a refugee or an asylum seeker, through our ‘Given the Chance’ program, into identified employment opportunities with Rivergum Parks & Gardens, including: i.

Engaging with disadvantaged people, including refugee, asylum seeker, and migrant community groups regarding employment opportunities with Rivergum Parks & Gardens; ii.

Pre-screening of candidates and presentation of shortlists to Rivergum Parks & Gardens; iii.

Assisting candidates with application skills, interview techniques, job-readiness and English language training; iv.

Providing training and/or coaching on workplace communication, team work, problem solving skills, employer expectations and organisational culture; v.

Coordinating enrolment and funding for relevant pre-employment and preapprenticeship training for identified candidates prior to the candidate commencing employment; vi.

Coordination of interviews, completion of pre-employment reference checks and booking of pre-employment medicals and safety training requirements; and vii.

Notification to candidates of outcomes and assistance with onboarding. b) Provision of post-placement support and mentoring services for candidates to encourage success and support through further relevant training and professional development, including regular face-to-face meetings. c) Working with other training and social procurement providers to enhance Workforce Development and Social Procurement outcomes on the contract.

We look forward to the opportunity to continuing our work with Rivergum Parks & Gardens and furthering their social procurement objectives of creating opportunity for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Yours sincerely, Simon Gray Employer Engagement Manager Given the Chance Workforce Solutions that Matter Brotherhood of St Laurence I Level 1/ 219 Johnston Street, Fitzroy Victoria 3065 0427 258 521 I simon.gray@bsl.org.au I www.bsl.org.au

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Jane Bartlett 12/11 Ardene Court Hawthorn 3122. barty5doc@gmail.com

May 14th 2019 To Whom it may Concern, I’m writing to recommend Paul from Rivergum 18 Rosehill Road, Niddrie 3042.

Paul has recently supervised the installation and provided new lawn for my unit block in Hawthorn.

At all times he was on time, respectful, and thorough in the completion of the job. He showed great attention to detail and supervised his staff at all times during the job.

I strongly recommend Paul for any work you may require I found him to be organized, detailoriented, effective, and committed to getting the job done. He was a pleasure to work with.

Please feel free to contact me at 0477 677 787 if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Jane Bartlett PO Box 694 Hawthorn 3122

Our factory has rather large garden surrounds. We had been using a local contractor with many problems. I contact Paul soon after he opened his business across the road. I engaged him and since then there has been a transformation. Sewing and mowing of grass, trimming hedges and trees, planting and fertilizer advice and maintenance of watering systems.

Very professional staff and very polite to deal with.

Happy!

Best wishes, DON ROSS Chairman t 03 9330 6400 f 03 9330 3197 e dross@rosscosmetics.com.au www.rosscosmetics.com.au