ourchat

IN THIS ISSUE

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM DAY

EWASTE REOPENED

RICHARD SHIELDS AND DAVID MCNAUGHT RETIRE

STAFF WALK FOR OXFAM

MELBOURNE CUP

STRIVE AWARDS

DECEMBER 2013 ISSUE

*

SERVICE. TRUST. RESPECT. INNOVATION.

“The Hornado aftermath - 2013”

Scott’s Christmas Message

The end of another year is upon us and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for contributing to a very successful year for Hornsby Council.

2013 has been an exciting and challenging year headlined by Councils’ Culture Change Program which has brought about many exciting initiatives within the organisation. I’m immensely grateful for the overwhelming support that I have received in implementing this program and I’m confident that it will make Hornsby Council an even better place to work over the coming years.

Thank you for your ongoing professional contribution to the many environmental, recreation, human services, regulatory governance and infrastructure projects completed in 2013. Whilst they are too numerous to mention in this message, you can read about each of them in Council’s Annual Report. I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate the winners of the inaugural STRIVE Awards.

Regular community surveys and other feedback from our customers and ratepayers is overwhelmingly positive towards Council officers and I am immensely proud of the integrity and dedication that is enshrined within staff throughout the organisation. We enter 2014 with many new and exciting projects in the pipeline and we are in a strong financial position to surpass our considerable achievements this year.

Following a brief holiday with family, I will be back, refreshed and optimistic that we will be able to build on our achievements so far and I look forward to the challenges ahead for our industry.

I wish you, your family and friends all the very best for the festive season and good health and happiness for the New Year.

Scott

Feliz Navidad

Customer Service Team Day

Christmas Greeting from Peru

We just received the news of the mini tornado at Hornsby.

Our prayers and best wishes from us to all of you.

Take care, From Pedro Pajuelo-Velazco on holidays in Lima - Perú.

Pedro with with wife Susan and daughter Deslie outside the Government Building in Lima, Peru

A lovely unseasonably warm Saturday morning and off we trek… and trek… and trek to Annandale… with Brooke in the lead car every so often we are all thinking “Are we there yet?”. Dead end streets and blockies… basically we saw Annandale from every direction.

“Hey, what happened to Lisa’s car?” Coffee was sooo needed at this point.

Finally we (all) arrive at Cucina Italiana, a lovely welcoming historic home in the heart of Annandale where the Team were about to learn Italian cooking from scratch. Our host Luciana is passionate about her cooking to say the least, a real interesting character.

We apron’d up and loads of flour and eggs later, we are kneading and stretching our pasta dough, what a work out this seemingly simple task is!

Jacqui scored a disappointing response from our host about the state of her dough which started Lisa, Sandra and Christine in a fit of the giggles that lasted most of the morning… who left that cooking sherry within reach!

Next we enjoyed an entrée of antipasto (sort of an olive/bean dip) with rustic sourdough bread which was totally delicious.

We watched a demonstration on how to make a semifreddo and given some valuable tips… I have no doubt this dessert will be on most of the Team’s Christmas menus. Then back to the pasta dough turning it into beetroot and pumpkin tortellini. Some interesting shapes from Vanessa and Gill (I can say that now they don’t have knives to hand).

Chef Deb stepped up to the stove top to cook the chicken with Wendy and Carolyn assisting. The team were all hard at work cooking up a storm ready for the finale – the sumptuous lunch.

Following lunch, we discussed our team culture survey and worked on some self reflection ideas. A plan for staff from other branches was hatched which includes spending time on the phone and counter to understand the depth and breadth of the customer service role (Scott Phillips has already accepted the offer and completed a stint.)

It was a time to reflect on the long road to becoming one Customer Service Team and what has been learnt along the journey.

A great day where we learnt to work together as a team, learn a new skill – and enabled us to spend time together to get to know each other without the constant distraction of ringing phones and the counter.

eWaste Reopened

12 Do’s of Christmas - Planet Ark

Council is once again collecting electronic waste for recycling. The waste team and SIMS recycling will be collecting eWaste at Council’s new depot at 4 Chilvers Road, Thornleigh (access via Sefton Rd near the vacant block).

Items can be dropped off Monday to Friday 9am-4pm and late night Tuesday till 7pm. Batteries, light globes, ink and toner cartridges and mobile phones can also be dropped off at this location.

eWaste can also be dropped off at the following locations:

nn Kimbriki Resource Recovery Centre, Ingleside visit www.kimbriki.com.au for all details

nn Ryde Resource Recovery Facility, Ryde visit www.dropzone.org.au for all details

nn Seven Hills Resource Recovery Facility, Seven Hills visit www.dropzone.org.au for all details

For other drop-off locations, see the Australian Government’s National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme or visit sita.com.au

‘Tis the season to commit þ to reduce, reuse and recycle

Richard Shields Retirement

We farewelled a Hornsby landmark after more than four decades: gardener Richard Shields retired after 44 years in the job on 1 November.

When Richard began work for Hornsby Council John Gorton was Australia’s prime minister, The Beatles were still together and man had not yet walked on the moon.

“It’s amazing to think I’ve been here 44 years, it feels like I only started yesterday. Time goes so quickly,” he says. “I’ve seen a hell of a lot of changes while I’ve been here, such as when they put in the fountain. It’s an entirely different park to the one I began working in.”

Richard began working for Hornsby Council on 28 April 1969 in Lisgar Gardens. After three months the parks manager of the day recognised his enthusiasm and pride in his work and said, “Lad, we’ll give you a week’s trial as the gardener in Hornsby Park.”

Richard is renowned for his annual displays, planting up to 25,000 annual plants twice a year. Among the parks staff there is nobody who can plant the rows as straight or as quickly as Richard.

Not only was Richard a great gardener but he did great public relations work with visitors to the park which also included applicant’s waiting for an interview for a council job. Many people commented on how informative the workman in the park was about Council – in a positive way of course.

Asked what he will miss the most about the job, Richard has just two words: “The people.”

A well deserved happy retirement Richard.

Email tips - before pressing “Send”

A few tips to help you better communicate with your customers and clients

nn Does this e-mail message make sense? Are the actions clear and do they have owners?

nn Does the e-mail message meet the P.A.S.S. test?

nn What is the purpose of this communication?

nn What action is involved and does it have a due date?

nn What supporting information does the recipient need?

nn Has the communication been effectively summarized in the subject line?

nn Is the message well–written? Is it concise while providing enough data for action to be taken or decisions made?

nn Do the links in the message work? Are the attachments included?

nn Is the e-mail message being sent to the correct recipients (not too many and not too few)?

nn Does everyone on the To line have an action to take?

nn Has the message been re-checked for plain English, grammar, spelling, and use of jargon?

Farewell David McNaught

David McNaught commenced with Council on 25 May 1981 wearing a Hounds Tooth jacket, he wore a tie and had a shorter beard. Over the years the shorts made a brief appearance and the ties came and went.

So what was it like at HSC in the early 1980’s?

In the 1980’s a staff induction consisted of a five minute talk with the Shire Clerk who handed you some notes and details before you were told to go back to your desk. The last part of the Shire Clerk’s message read as follows:

“I trust that you gain pleasure and satisfaction from your job and in exchange I ask you to remember that in choosing a career in Local Government you have chosen to serve people. Please be courteous and helpful at all times and strive to maintain and uphold a good reputation that this Council enjoys. STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE!”

Back in the 1980’s there were only 176 indoor staff, no Human Resources department, only 2 payroll officers, you got rostered half a day off for Christmas shopping and you received a 17.5% holiday loading payment.

The main Administration building was single storey and the library was located at the end of the court yard. There were seven Divisions: Administration, Engineering, Health, Building, Town Planning and Parks and Gardens. In the basement car park Council staff only took up the middle two isles and Council’s cars consisted of four cylinder Holden Commodores and Chrysler Sigma Station Wagons. Thirty years ago in the Engineering department everyone had nicknames and David’s was ‘Zero’. Even the microfilm machine was nicknamed “The Lemon” because it never worked.

A good designer needs to be quite efficient and to be able to visualise what the end design will look like. Based on a site inspection, surveyor’s measurements and applying numerous codes, Australian Standards, AusSpecs, AusRoads, and RTA Guidelines, which were forever changing without notice. The designer uses all this information to draw a plan with a few lines, numbers and a few words then handed it over to the construction crews to construct and hopefully they got it right. In the 1980’s Designers used Rotring pens, pencils, slide rulers (just phased out), a calculator, various curve templates, and stencils and plans were coloured by hand. There was not a lot of technology or the various, highly complex CAD software packages that are available today.

David’s talent and commitment meant that he could be relied on for the tough and urgent jobs. He leaves a legacy of many incredible designs of infrastructure with his name on it and designs he has had input on.

David from all the staff at HSC, we wish you a long, healthy, happy and a well deserved retirement.

Congratulations, you will be missed!

Strive for excellence

The Oxfam Trailwalker is a global event held every year to raise funds to “help overcome poverty and injustice around the world.”

Each team consists of four members who must walk or run 100km through the bush within 48 hours. In Sydney, the scenic route follows parts of the Great North Walk starting at Parsley Bay in Brooklyn, crossing Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, through Garigal National Park and finishing at Georges Heights Oval in Mosman.

Our group - Sandy Lam, Barry Dewar, Mark Hood and Florence (Sandy’s friend) - met once to twice every month walking parts of the track leading up to the event. Individual training consisted of running, walking through local trails and cycling. By 23rd August, the day of the event, 95% of the track had been walked and the team was mentally and physically prepared for the challenge.

On the day, cartons of food and clothing were taken around to each checkpoint where the team met with their support crew, Simon and Nathan. There were 7 checkpoints in all, and it took the team 3-5hrs to reach each one. Not only were the team members walking through the day and night - but the support crew were busily unpacking food and clothing, cooking, then repacking everything to take to the next checkpoint. They were an essential part of the team - hot food, clean clothes and encouragement from our support crew made a huge difference when darkness fell and with many kilometres still to go.

On the walk, each member hydrated and refuelled regularly and consistently with water, sports drinks and snacks such as muesli bars, sweets, dried nuts, crisps and sandwiches. At the checkpoints, hot food and beverages were consumed, clothes were changed and injuries were checked and attended to.

The track itself was beautiful - starting in the middle of the bush, following the creek, then towards the harbour with spectacular views of beaches and bays.

After 32.5 hours, the team crossed the finish line - raising $1,210 for Oxfam - a very proud achievement. The majority of the money was raised through the sale of Freddos - many thanks to the staff who contributed and supported our team! All members were rewarded with a hot shower (separately!), carbo-loaded meals, and much needed sleep after the event.

Staff Walking For Charity - Oxfam

Community Services Cup Day

Don’t they all look grand!

Make time to de-stress

Working Australians becoming more stressed

Workplace stress is on the rise, according to a new survey, with three in four Australians saying it is affecting their health.

More than 1,500 people took part in a survey commissioned by the Australian Psychological Society (APS), which looked at how Australians were faring at work. Professor Lyn Littlefield from the APS says there has been a continuous decline in workplace wellbeing since the surveys began two years ago.

“If stress isn’t identified and adequately managed in the workplace, it can greatly impact overall workplace productivity and the long-term health of employees,” she said in a statement. “It is concerning that levels of stress are going up, while levels of satisfaction and workplace wellbeing are going down.”

Read the full story http://abc.net.au/news/5081542

At Council we are fortunate to have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) that all staff are eligible to take advantage of.

AccessEAP is an independent service selected by Council to provide this service for employees. The focus is on maintaining the mental wellbeing of employees.

The EAP service is confidential; from the moment an employee calls – Council will not be informed that a particular employee has made an appointment, nor will any details of matters discussed be shared with Council at any time, unless you provide permission for this to occur. Council provides up to three counselling sessions per year.

For further information visit http://intranet.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/staff-handbook/benefits/employee-assistance-program

The EEO Advisory Committee members are there to represent all of the staff of Council

“We like to let you know when we’re meeting, in case you have any EEO issues that you’d like discussed at the meeting.” Said Rebecca Rusten, EEO Coordinator. “If there’s anything EEO related that you’d like to raise, please approach your Division’s EEO Representative”

Your representatives are:

EEO – your rights at work

67526914 4858

Jenny HurstDomestic Waste Contract Supervisor

Katherine WhiteDevelopment and Environmental Protection Officer

Neil KeraunosEnvironmental Scientist Water Cycle Management

Rebecca RustenSenior Human Resources Officer

James FarringtonGroup Manager, Planning Division

6834

Allan HillsRevenue Officer

67506871

Our Traffic Branch includes our Rangers, Traffic Engineers, Road Safety Officers and administration staff and they are now in the main admin building at 296 Pacific Highway.

The Rangers are starting to get to know staff over here but it would be great if you could introduce yourself to them.

Traffic and Property Services had a lunch in late October for a meet and greet of the two sections. As well as a welcome to the Traffic Branch it was a goodbye to Property Services and hello to Traffic for Bruce Walker the new Traffic Ranger Coordinator. Can you recall another person named Walker who was a Ranger?

So welcome to the main administration building!

Say hi to our ranger team:

From left to right: Terry, Nathan, Linda, Ian, Bruce, Jamie, Grant (hiding), Chris and Zoris. Missing on the day - Robert and Natalie far right.

Louise Byrne (Safety and Wellness) almost wore a pair of concrete boots recently. While approaching Leo Houlcroft’s job to do a safety audit she was looking down at her paperwork and stopped one step short of the freshly poured path that the gang were repairing in Surrey St Epping.

Our Carpentry Supervisor Vince Slocombe has made a special clamp for holding pavers so that we have eliminated a hazard and a risk of a work place accident.

This came about after a work place injury we had to be innovative and review the SWMS and this clamp was designed as there are none that you can purchase in the market place that we are aware of.

Welcome to our Ranger’s and Traffic Branch

Concrete Boots Innovation in practice

RobertNatalie

Natalie

At the Libraries

“Shubh Deepawali!” (Happy Diwali in Hindi)

Epping library held a bilingual story time in English and Hindi on 28 October, to celebrate Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights.

Staff and two volunteers were dressed in Indian finery while the children’s area in the library was decorated with lots of colourful Diyas and a beautiful Rangoli was drawn at the entrance to the library to mark this special occasion.

Children, carers and their parents dressed in brightly coloured saris for this special event. They learnt the cultural and significance of this world-wide festival and enjoyed singing, dancing, and speaking in Hindi and English. Positive feedback was huge. Everyone enjoyed this fun cultural event!

Traffic Rangers

Council received an email from a resident, who wanted to acknowledge the professional manner of the Traffic Ranger.

Gail says “he was “awesome” - “the advice he gave, and his overall demeanour was outstanding”. Gail explained she was parked correctly, but the education he gave was great.

Gail also said she spoke to another Traffic Ranger a few weeks ago and that was also a good experience.

And Anne Mills, the Principal of Middle Dural Public School, following up on parking issues after she received a visit from ranger Jamie Chesworth and Grant Martin. She was very happy with the way that Ranger Jamie Chesworth introduced himself to her and the parents along with the time he took to explain the parking rules around the school. She wanted to let Council know how impressed she was with the level of service they provided.

Animal Companion team

Council has received yet more letters commending Phil Jebb, Animal Control Officer. One for his assistance in resolving an issue with a barking dog, the other about “scary dogs on the loose in Galston”.

Congratulations Phil for your continuing commitment to providing good customer service to all members of the Hornsby community.

Customer Service

Just letting you know...

Traffic Ranger | Infrastructure and Recreation Division

Phone: 9847 6616 | Fax: 9847 6559 | Email: hsc@hornsby.nsw.gov.au

Congratulations

Why not have a Friday File Fling

Children’s Services Scholarship

Recently Nirmal David (Usha) received an Early Childhood Teaching scholarship from the NSW Government. This is the NSW Governments first scholarship program for Early Childhood Educators.

The Minister for Education, Adrian Piccoli MP personally wrote to Usha congratulating her on this great achievement mentioning that “…the applications were competitive and that the selection process ensured that high quality, passionate and capable candidates were award scholarships”.

Usha would like to thank all her colleagues in Children’s Services who helped her with her application. Congratulations Usha.

Welcome to the bar!

Ben Walter’s was accepted for admission as a lawyer after completing his legal studies. He attended his ceremony for admission on 11 October 2013.

Ben was able to utilise Council’s study assistance program (SEAS) to complete his degree.

“thank you to the L&D team and HSC for the support SEAS provided in helping me furthering my education. Although the monetary assistance was great, for me the educational leave (attending classes, exams and practical training during work hours) was a crucial ingredient in obtaining my goal - to be admitted as a lawyer in NSW.” Ben Walter

It has been a long hard road and I know all the work that Ben has put into getting his degree. Well done Ben!

Spatial Science Award goes to…

Gary Jewkes of Design and Construction received a prize on completing the Bachelor of Spatial Science (Surveying) for demonstrating sound academic achievement throughout the program and who has demonstrated the skills of leadership, innovation and professionalism. Well done Gary.

It’s a Girl - all round!

Rob Terteli and his wife Nicole had a baby girl on 11 October 2013 - Lacey Olivia Terteli.

Nick Cook and his wife Jackie had a baby girl on 31 October 2013 - Joni Cook.

Nicole Mudge a her husband Evan had a baby girl on 1 December 2013 - Tahlia Mudge.

Around 1 in every 10 sheets of office paper gets recycled. Much of it ends up ‘stored’ in files that will never be read again. De-clutter your desk/office and get good, reusable office paper back into circulation. All you need to do is set some time aside and clear out your files and get good quality office paper back in to circulation.

Warning: don’t forget when you are doing your “Friday File Fling” you must take into account our responsibilities to capture and store corporate records as per Council’s processes, and in accordance with the relevant legislation. If you have any questions in this regard please contact Council’s Manager, Records Management Services - Ross Weatherstone for advice or go to http://RecyclingWeek.PlanetArk.org

Welcome new starters June - November 2013

Mojtaba Jim Habibinejad Waste Education and Support Officer Waste Management 6/06/2013

Zakia Amin Early Childhood Educator Children's Services 17/06/2013

Ashlea Spring Qualified Educator Children's Services 18/06/2013

Jennifer Toomey Early Childhood Educator Children's Services 18/06/2013

Alexis Armstrong Qualified Educator Children's Services 2/07/2013

Ramya Priyangni Perera Qualified Educator Children's Services 22/07/2013

Anton Kraus Technical Support Officer Technical Services 29/07/2013

Mi Jeong May Waterhouse Qualified Educator Children's Services 29/07/2013

Kaitlin Zieme Development Assessment Officer Major Applications 29/07/2013

Jennifer Wyper Branch Administrator Waste Services 5/08/2013

Darren Chislett Park Worker Parks Service Unit 12/08/2013

Marguerite Rona Information Services Librarian Information and Technology 12/08/2013

Lisa Harris Administration Support Officer Planning Administration 2/09/2013

Julie Taylor Information Services Librarian Information and Technology 9/09/2013

Ashley Hume Park Worker Parks Service Unit 16/09/2013

Candice Foster Revenue Officer Financial Operations 30/09/2013

Kathleen Wightman Revenue Officer Financial Operations 30/09/2013

Jenny Adcock Injury Management Officer Safety and Wellness Services 30/09/2013

Bernadette Perrin Qualified Educator Children's Services 3/10/2013

David Lowery Turf Wicket Oval Curator Parks Service Unit 8/10/2013

Jarad Cohen Plant Operator/Park Worker Parks Service Unit 14/10/2013

Wade Russell Plant Operator/Park Worker Parks Service Unit 15/10/2013

Angus Crichton Development and Environmental Protection Officer

Compliance 15/10/2013

David Sheils Senior Policy and Project Advisor Infrastructure and Recreation 16/10/2013

Emily Page Administration Support Officer Infrastructure and Recreation 1/11/2013

Matthew Miles Development Assessment Officer Minor Applications 11/11/2013

Amy Chao Early Childhood Educator Children's Services 15/11/2013

Michael Deamer Painter Building Services 20/11/2013

Anna Broady Administrative Assistant Community Development 21/11/2013

Scott Wilkie Tree Management Co-ordinator Tree Management 25/11/2013

John Hajduk Records Management Officer Records Management Services 25/11/2013

Caroline Aguesse Community Events Project Officer Community Events 25/11/2013

Sustainable Recruiting - EZI Jobs

Learning Seat is coming

Recycle Quiz

Council has become more eco-friendly by releasing an online recruiting application known as Ezijobs. No more printing letters of application and resumes saving both time and saving forests in the process!

Whilst a lot of hard work went in to getting this system up and running within 4 months, it was well worth the effort.

Council has been using Leonard Holt Robb (LHR) for its recruitment advertising since 2007 and using Oracle HR (iRecruitment) to establish the vacancies within the system.

“We were working at using Oracle for on-line recruitment, which was still very labour intensive and with little progress shown over time.”

LHR had approached Council in the past to promote it’s on-line recruitment tool, which has been used by many Council’s throughout NSW.

nn A meeting was arranged in May to give Council a full presentation of the product, Ezijobs

nn In June, Council was given access to the system to test

nn By July, HR had fully tested the system and produced a training manual

nn Mid August, information sessions were held for staff giving them an overview of the capabilities of the new tool.

nn On 16 September 2013 Ezijobs was live and running

To date, we have advertised 16 vacancies, 5 of which have been completed. We have also received 187 applications.

The main feedback received from staff is that the system is easy to use and logical. Also, there is a great advantage in being able to review the applications before the closing date further speeding up the recruitment process.

Anyone wishing to know more about Ezijobs, please call Employment Services or visit the intranet Ezijobs. http://intranet.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/documents-and-forms/forms#recruitment2

Online learning 24/7 from any PC, anywhere, anytime….

Courses will include: Compliance, Safety, Self Development, Management and Leadership plus more as we select and develop the course library.

Check out the SAFE Files on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXrvjgJmAaY&feature=youtu.be

Rollout to commence soon…

A Challenge

National Recycling Week was held 11-17 November and we were challenged to test our knowledge by taking the Recycle Right Quiz http://recyclingweek.planetark.org/quiz/quiz/cfm

HINT - Press the blue button on the landing page to watch a video which will give you all the clues you need to get the perfect score. Then do the Quiz - it’s as simple as that.

Good luck and recycle right.

STRIVE Awards

On 11 December Scott Phillips announced the winners of the inaugural STRIVE Awards at a morning tea held in the Courtyard of the Administration Building. As Scott mentioned in his speech part of his vision for Hornsby Shire Council is that we should all work together as a team. “We can achieve great results when we harness our energies, our knowledge and our skills and this is made possible when we have shared values.”

The values were developed this year and the STRIVE Awards were launched in September with ExCo judging all the entries in November.

The response was overwhelming with over 40 submissions from across the organisation. The standard was extremely high and as a result ExCo

decided to allocate Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards. Gold Award winners receiving $1,000, Silver $500 and Bronze $250 per team.

Award winners displayed one or several of these attributes:

nn teams working together;

nn teams who worked across the organisation – sourcing skills and knowledge from other teams;

nn teams who wrestled with issues;

nn teams who made an effort to move outside their comfort zone;

nn teams who made a fundamental change to the way we work; and finally

nn teams who went over and above their normal scope of everyday work.

Here’s the list of the winners

Gold Award Winners

Corporate Support Division, Financial Services Branch Project title: Consolidation of Accounts Receivable to strengthen credit control Team members: Pam Cook, Kathryn Belshaw, Mary Campbell, Pedro Pejuelo-Velazco.

Environment and Human Services Division, Community Services Branch Project title: Number 5 Pop-Up. Team members: David Johnston, Adam Cryer and Kelly Mapleston.

Infrastructure and Recreation Division, Building Services Branch Project title: Internal Customer Service. Team members: Darren Lister – Coordinator, Vince Carro, Trevor Rae, Louise Briske, Armando Tavernese, Matthew Jackson, Karim Zahrooni, Percy Tavernese and Phil Moses.

Planning Division, Strategic Planning Branch Project title: School Talks Team members: Katherine Vickery, Vanessa Scandurra, Fran McDermott, Roslyn McIntosh, Alison Henning, Karen Harragon, Jason Rawlin, George Antonijevic, Fletcher Rayner.

STRIVE Awards

Silver Award Winners

Corporate Support, Governance and Customer Service Project title: Smash Repairs. Team members: Steve Colburt and Lyn Cooper.

Corporate Support, Information, Communication and Technology Project title: Mobilising HSC Staff. Team members: All ICT Staff.

Environment and Human Services, Community Services Project title: Inclusion of a child and his family with high support needs. Team members: Narelle Misko, Fallon Davis and staff at Greenway Park Early Childhood Education Centre.

Environment and Human Services, Natural Resources Project title: Mountain Bike Trail. Team members: Anthony Newling, Stephen Pym, Campbell King (SNORC), Richard Delaney (Epacris), Alex Fraser, Mark Hood, Ross Rapmund.

Infrastructure and Recreation, Design and Construction Project title: Community Engagement – capital works. Team members: All the Design and Construction branch and Lisa Luxford.

Bronze Award Winners

Corporate Support Division, Land and Property Services Branch Project title: Caveat Bonds. Team members: Barry Dewar, Mary McCafferty and Peter Thompson.

Environment and Human Services Division, Library and Information Service Branch Project title: Implementation of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) Technology at Hornsby Shire Library Service. Team members: All library staff.

Infrastructure and Recreation Division, Design and Construction Branch Project title: Robotic Survey Instruments. Team members: Gary Jewkes, Robert Terteli and Cathy James.

Special General Manager’s Award

Scott also awarded a Special General Manager’s Award to the Traffic Rangers for their simple but highly effective initiative which promotes a positive image of Council. They place a ‘Just to let you know’ card on vehicles with helpful messages.

Well done to all award entries and especially to the winners!

Social Clubbing

Slotting Car-nage

Social Club bike ride

Sunday 27th October saw the dawning of a beautiful morning and just the right temperature for a bike ride.

Starting off at Kellyville we rode along the cycle ways of Norwest, Bella Vista and Winston Hills and made our way past Westmead Hospital, without any casualties, then to Parramatta Park.

The park cafe was the place to have a break and fuel up for the return journey. The toasted banana bread and cappuccino was a popular choice, however, a few of us went for slightly higher octane in the form of bacon and egg rolls. No we won’t dob in the person who had a bit of both!

A few small hills on the way back tested our legs and levels of fitness, and Steve reminisced as we rode past his first house at Toongabbie. Meanwhile Bruce went high-tech with his iPhone

app calling our every kilometre and mapping all the stats including top speed for future download.

No records were broken on this ride, and we certainly won’t be a threat to any of the Tour de France riders.

Rob Rajca

A very fun evening, lots of laughter and good competitive banter; the pizza was ok, the racing was tops!!!

With Brian Thompson (ex-Auditor) returning to compete... it was apparent that he he has fallen from his mantle – he must be just too relaxed in his retirement with too many other leisurely pursuits to be enjoyed. He and his lovely wife Robyn, being regular attendees and strong racers.

Among other ‘ring-ins’, Lisa is Craig’s daughter and Aran, the eventual Champion, is Lisa’s man, so a bit of a family affair. Poetically, Craig and Aran fought each other for victory until the very last rounds of racing. Great to watch (Craig will tell you he raced with his left hand!). Rob Rajca was also very pleased to have returned to the podium following a dip in form in recent events. There is lots of fight in these racers!

Mark Nobilo picked up his first racing trophy! Although it was the horses’ backside for coming last, it is still a commendable achievement. Scott Doig and Gary Jewkes made their slot car racing debuts! All raced very well and had a fun evening! Building on the family vibe that has developed around ‘Slotties’, we also had a debut sing-song, with Daddy Craig presenting a birthday present to Lisa (some weird electric tropical bird thingies). So with a rousing Happy Birthday song and 3 cheers to Lisa!

3 Cheers also to the racers and thanks to the pit and crew at Hornsby Slot Cars, who are always great hosts.

Contact Andrew Leahy if you would like to contribute to the next edition of Our Chat

For the kiddies

Gosford Reptile Park - Sunday 24 November 2013

And the grown ups

Saturday 30 November, 2013 - A great time had by all at the Greengate Hotel Atrium at Killara

Wine Down – last one for 2013

Drinks, food and great company Friday 20th December – at the Railway Hotel

Social Club