from the gm’s desk

Hello everyone,

It is always satisfying to see examples of where our fellow employees are making a big difference to our community. The fact that our employees represented 1 in 6 blood donors walking through the doors at the Richmond Room last year is just phenomenal. Thank you to everyone who regularly gives blood, or who may have answered the call for the first time, last year. Your efforts are so important for our community and the broader Northern Rivers region. Never underestimate how important these donations are. They are called life-saving donations for a very good reason!

It is also pleasing to see so many of us embracing the Purple Friday campaign. The tragic domestic violence related death that occurred near the Salvation Army building earlier this year was a major example of where domestic violence can lead. This was an incredibly sad, and very troubling incident for our community and from the Police reports we receive, domestic violence is prevalent throughout the entire community. While I realise it’s a difficult and sensitive topic, I urge everyone who would like to get behind the ‘Say NO to family and domestic violence’ campaign to get your t-shirt (details on page 3) and wear purple on Fridays. If we stand together as a community we can send a very important message about what we will not tolerate.

On a much lighter note, we had our office and depot BBQs last week. It was great to see everyone relaxing and enjoying each other’s company. Check out the happy snaps on page 8.

Say NO to family and domestic violence!

This edition also features some important reminders, which are equally important whether you’ve worked here for 40 years or 4 months!

You’ll find Information about your record-keeping responsibilities, customer service standards, and how to recognise and report bullying and harassment.

Let’s keep up the momentum and fantastic service to our community as we head towards a well-deserved Easter break. See the Good News on page 9 for plenty of inspiration! Take care, Paul

Congratulations to the You’ve Been Noticed Award recipients for January and February 2023

Stuart Roach Risk Management

for assisting the People and Culture team by completing a large number of ergonomic assessments

Helen Joblin and

Officers

for their effort and dedication in completing the NDIS recertification audit.

Officers

for using creative thinking in retrieving a 6-metre length of plunger that had snapped off and was at risk of blocking our sewer network.

Matt Dunne Strategic Procurement Officer

for managing the workload of two people during recruiting process, making significant improvements to systems and customer delivery, and training new Store personnel.

New staff morning tea

This week our Executive Team welcomed a large group of new staff.

If you see a new face around Council, introduce yourself and say welcome to our new team members!

Council supports Purple Friday

Ballina Shire Council is one of more than 70 local organisations and businesses that have signed up for Purple Friday, a campaign that says NO to Domestic and Family Violence.

Purple Friday is an initiative of the Rotary Club of Ballina-onRichmond in partnership with Cherry Street Sports Club. Ballina Shire Council was among the first organisations to join the campaign.

“Unfortunately, the first woman to die at the hands of domestic violence in 2023 was right on our doorstep. One death is one too many,” said Ballina Shire Council Mayor Sharon Cadwallader. “For staff and councillors, wearing a purple shirt every Friday for the remainder of the year is the least we can do to make a big statement that we say no to domestic violence and yes to healthy relationships.”

help us celebrate Earth Hour!

The world will “switch off” and take #TimeOutForNature on Saturday 25 March, as Earth Hour returns for its sixteenth consecutive year.

Staff across all Council sites will be encouraged to 'switch off' and unplug all non-essential desk devices on Friday afternoon, 24 March in support.

Devices like hard drives, phone chargers, and USB stations still use electricity, even if they are switched off. Switching off and unplugging all adds up!

How can I show my support?

Grab a free promotional T-shirt from Janelle Snellgrove, Stuart Roach, or Neil Smith. Although we have most sizes, some are on back order and we hope they will arrive shortly. Call Janelle on 6686 1474 to see if we have your size currently available or to place your name on the waiting list.

You can wear your T-shirt at work each Friday throughout 2023, proudly displaying the messages when out and about in our community to help bring attention to the issue of Domestic Violence and Family Abuse.

To take it a step further, Council’s Energy Management Group will continue this campaign throughout the year with the aim to make switching off and unplugging business-as-usual. As well as the environmental benefits, this also has the potential to save Council a significant amount of electricity.

what else can you do?

You can celebrate Earth Hour at home on Saturday 25 March from 8.30pm – 9.30pm

Turn off your lights and take this time to think about how climate change is affecting our planet, and what we can do about it as individuals and communities.

There’s plenty of ways to spend your time during Earth Hour. Why not have a candlelit dinner, host a board game or quiz night, get outside and go stargazing, or practice your nighttime photography!

To sign up and for more information visit earthhour.org.au