Lesson from Wivenhoe Dam - emergency response only as good as the manual

As someone involved in emergency and crisis communication, I often have to work with company emergency manuals.

Some of them are great and provide a logical and easy-to-follow guide to how to cope with the emerging situation.

But some of these manuals have been written simply to comply with legislation or policy then promptly placed on the shelf.

When something goes awry they are pulled out, dusted off and handed out to the team specified in Chapter 3, Section 2, Subsection 11.4. And that’s when everyone realises that something is very wrong.

Today’s report by the Crime and Misconduct Commission into the failure of processes surrounding the Wivenhoe Dam water release and subsequent downstream flooding in Queensland is a clear and compelling example of how bad the consequences can be.

Put simply, the Commission found conflicting information and flowcharts in the manual for a series of failures and cleared the three engineers involved.

In other words, the people putting the plan in place are only as good as the plan itself (read the ABC online story about the case here).

This is a timely reminder than emergency plans are not documents designed to simply tick a box – they are living, breathing manuals that should provide a guide to those professionals at the coal face when the worst comes to pass.

Whatever your business and whatever the risk, your emergency manual will only get you through if you observe the following:

1.  Write your manual based on best practice. Allocate the task to someone who knows what they are doing, not the person with the most time to spare.

2.  Test and test again. Only through testing will you discover if the thing actually works.

3.   Train your team. Make sure everyone knows what to do and has the skills and experience to do it.

4.  Practice, practice, practice. Handling an emergency is not something most people do every day. People need to practice to gain experience.

5.  Learn and grow. Practice and testing on a regular basis will also allow you to adapt your manual for changing circumstance.

6.  Update contact lists. When an emergency happens you need to be able to contact people. If you can’t reach them, you need to contact the next person in line. That’s pretty hard when your contact list is two years old. Make it someone’s responsibility to review contact lists monthly.

DSO East Arnhem journey great success

Darwin Symphony Orchestra General Manager, Guy Ross reports that the Symphony’s recent trip to Nhulunbuy was a great success.

“Over 1200 members of the Nhulunbuy community packed out the Nhulunbuy High School oval on Saturday 11th August for Darwin Symphony Orchestra’s Sunset Symphony.

Armed with picnic blankets, chairs, tables and in one case a candelabra, audiences were excited to see the DSO onstage alongside a large number of local performers,” he said.

Hosted by country star James Blundell, the concert included the premiere of a work for didgeridoo and orchestra called Birrka! Mirri. Featuring local artist Dj Marika on didgeridoo, the improvisational piece was a favourite of the audience.

Students of all ages from Arafura Dance Association joined the DSO on stage, performing pieces such as Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies and the Toreadors March from Carmen. Their skill and amazingly detailed costumes won the crowd over. Another highlight of the evening was a rendition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight with Nhulunbuy Christian School’s Ukulele Group, who had the crowd swaying and singing along.

The Sunset Symphony was proudly supported by Gove Operations Pacific Aluminium and Airnorth to mark the 40th anniversary of the town and Gove Operations.

A Gove Operations spokesperson said they were “thrilled to be able continue their commitment to the community through bringing such a significant live event to celebrate 40 years of Gove Operations and the town.”

“The concert topped off a busy visit to Gove for Concertmaster Tara Murphy,” Mr Ross said. “Tara spent two days prior to the concert visiting schools in the area (Nhulunbuy Primary School, Nhulunbuy Christian School, Nhulunbuy High School and Yirrkala School) and performing with a string quartet for students.

By the time DSO left on Saturday night, there’s a good chance that every kid in the region had seen at least some of its members perform!

The orchestra members travelled to Gove at 4:30am and returned to Darwin at midnight the same day. A huge day demonstrating the wonderful commitment of the volunteers who make up the orchestra and their continual effort to make every concert a success.”

Sherwin Iron granted NTG Major Project Status

Sherwin Iron Limited’s Roper River Iron Ore project has taken another step forward after being granted Major Project Status by the Northern Territory Government.

The decision is a major milestone for the company, which has a current resource of 488 million tonnes within its Roper River Iron Ore Project 500km south east of Darwin.

Sherwin Iron Executive Chairman Barry Coulter said the company has been continuing to build the case for the project including ongoing discussions with representatives of traditional owners and working through the environmental approvals process.

“This is another important milestone and gives us the confidence to move forward with our project,” Mr Coulter said.

The granting of Major Project Status ensures a Government team is established to help facilitate the appropriate environmental, heritage, mining and safety approvals the project will require as well as ensure maximum benefits to the local community and industry.

“We’re proud to be a local company and are committed to Territorians gaining the maximum benefit from this project,” Mr Coulter said.

“We’re delighted with the progress to date and the level of confidence shown by the Northern Territory Government.”

Sherwin Iron is working to lodge a Notice of Intent, the first step in the approvals process for the project, with the Northern Territory Government later this year.

Meat processing facility offers economic benefits in the north

An independent report commissioned by the Australian Agricultural Company Limited (AAco) signals enormous benefits to local industry from the Livingstone Valley food processing facility.

The report, by respected economic consulting firm ACIL Tasman, shows the average cattle producer could double their profitability by selectively sending older cull culls from their herds to the abattoir.

The selective removal of cull cows allows pastoralists to improve their herd profile in terms of age profile and fertility.

The facility also has broader economic benefits, with the impact on the northern economy calculated to be $126 million a year once fully operational.

The facility will create more than 800 direct and indirect full time equivalent jobs, including 270 at the plant itself.

Report author Mark Barber said northern beef producers presently have no regional market for cows surplus to requirements, or which are no longer productive (cull cows).

The 350kg live weight cap on live export cattle to Indonesia also means that there is no regional market for heavy steers and bulls.

“By providing a regional market for cull cows, the impact of the AAco abattoir on the profitability of northern beef producers is substantial,” Mr Barber said.

“This is because older cows can be sold and younger more robust and fertile cows retained in the herd. This reduces the mortality rate of the herd and increases the number of calves produced.”

AAco is moving ahead with its plans for the facility, with the first tenders in market now for civil works at the Livingstone Valley site.

AAco General Manager Northern Australian Beef Stewart Cruden said the purchase of the land had been completed and the company is finalising the conditions precedent in the Government’s development and environmental approval documentation.

The company plans to process 179,000 cattle a year at full production, with box beef exported by refrigerated containers to the US, Asia and Europe.

Download the full report.

Serving up a spicy dose of success through social media

I was fortunate to speak with our local ABC Radio’s Kate O’Toole this morning about how businesses can get started in social media. She said what prompted her to talk about the topic were the words of Saffrron chef Selvam Kandasamy on winning the Telstra Business Award for small to medium businesses last month.

He credited his success to engaging with customers and potential customers through online and social media channels.

I checked out Saffrron’s website, Facebook and Twitter pages to see what the fuss was about, and I think I know the reasons for Selvam and his wife Joanna’s success.

1.     Their website provides insights and access to their business. From the website you can browse the menu, read reviews, book a table and order online. That’s just what I would expect but so few restaurants actually do this.

2.     Links to Facebook and Twitter are included on their website. I don’t have to go out to separately find them because they have thoughtfully integrated their accounts.

3.     Their Facebook page has personality. Sure, they do talk about the food but they also talk about staff happenings, their new baby and social events. Their presence tells me this is more than just a restaurant - it has a personality that makes people want to interact with them.

4.     They are involved in social media without being consumed by it. There re plenty of other social networking tools they could be using and lots more they could post. But they seem to have the balance right, keeping their involvement to a level that is manageable and doesn’t divert their focus from the main game – serving up great food and service.

5.     They have put their efforts into the things that count. 86,000 Territorians are on Facebook. I know there are lots of new and cool tools coming along every day but none of them yet enjoy the level of engagement that Facebook does – more than a third of all Territorians are there. It also appeals across a very broad demographic. While there is a peak of usage among Territorians in their 20s, Around 23,000 Territorians aged over 40 have Facebook accounts.

Go online and spend a bit of time getting to know Selvam and Joanna. Better still, visit their restaurant and enjoy some of the best Indian food you’ll ever eat.

One month left to register with Alice Solar City

Alice Springs households need to register with Alice Solar City by 31 August if they wish to access incentive funding vouchers to help with energy efficiency activities.


After four years of helping Alice Springs residents to become more energy efficient, this is the last chance for homeowners to access funding, and they need to register for a home energy survey if they are not already a customer.

Alice Solar City General Manager, Sam Latz says that he expects a rush of bookings for the energy surveys and encourages people to join the queue as quickly as they can.

“Our funding for incentives will finish at the end of this year, or earlier if funding runs out. We have to put a deadline on registrations so we have time to conduct home energy surveys before we issue vouchers.”

“It’s first come, first served and there are many existing customers who hold valid vouchers or will request new vouchers, so new customers need to register by the end of August.”

“Even though we are still in the middle of winter, now is the perfect time for homeowners to consider how they are going to get their home ready for summer with financial support from Alice Solar City.”

Funding is available for over 20 different measures, including painting the roof white, insulation, energy saving pool pumps, shading, window tinting and much more.

To register for a home energy survey, call Alice Solar City on 8950 4350 or email info@alicesolarcity.com.au or visit the Smart Living Centre at 82 Todd Street.

For full details and deadlines for accessing funding visit http://www.alicesolarcity.com.au/

Sydney van is on a new mission in Central Australia

Mission Australia staff have driven 2800kms over 3 days from Sydney to Alice Springs to give their service vehicle to the tenancy support programs that Mission Australia’s Alice Springs office delivers.


The vehicle, which was formerly used by the Sydney Mission Australia team to provide support services to people sleeping rough in the Sydney CBD, was packed with toys, playstations, sporting equipment, sheet sets and blankets to be donated to Alice Springs accommodation centres and families in need.

Missionbeat Manager Daniel Strickland said he was wrapped that they could pass on the van to the Central Australian support service and this was a great opportunity to take it personally to Alice Springs.

“This visit has been extremely worthwhile,” he said.

“The Alice Springs team and I have been able to share stories and ideas on the challenges in working with homeless people and the contribution we can make regardless of an urban or remote setting.

Most of the Alice Springs work is in supporting people to sustain their government housing. Mission Australia helps people with the myriad of enquiries and challenges that come from moving into Territory Housing and becoming good neighbours and happy tenants,” he said.

Alice Springs Operations Manager, Lyanne Kerr said she welcomed the new addition to their services.

“We assist our tenants learn how to deal with rent and money management, home care and maintenance of property, all vital stepping stones to keeping their homes so that they can have the stability most of us take for granted. Once you have stable and long term housing you can plan for the future – getting the kids to the local school, learning skills and training, receiving regular mail and eventually gaining employment.

We are so grateful to our NSW colleagues for supporting us and taking time from their busy schedules to come to Alice Springs and help us with the valuable work we do here. It really is a team effort and together we can be a real force for good,” Ms Kerr said.

Urban Quest finalists shine on The X Factor Australia

Two finalists from Mission Australia’s Urban Quest are through to the next season of The X Factor Australia.

Singers Shiane Hawke, 14, and Peter Rautoka, 19, are the first Territorians to make it through to the TV auditions for  popular Channel 7 program.

Shiane, who sang Duffy’s Mercy, left X Factor judges speechless at the TV audition -  the same song which earned her a Mark Holden seal of approval at the 2011 Urban Quest finals concert.

This year, the Dripstone Middle School student was second runner-up at the Mission Australia finals event.

Peter Rautoka also received Holden’s trademark touchdown at the 2011 Urban Quest finals concert with his rendition of Hallelujah.

The young Territory hopefuls, who auditioned at Darwin and Cairns earlier this year, were flown to the Gold Coast for the TV auditions earlier this month.

“It was an amazing experience,” Mr Rautoka said.

“It was pretty scary singing in front of the four judges - Mel B, Guy Sebastian, Ronan Keating and Natalie Bassingthwaighte - and about four thousand people, but it’s given me a whole new confidence in myself and my singing.”

NT Mission Australia Operations Manager Jillian Smith said she was very proud to see the Urban Quest finalists doing well on the big stage.

“Mission Australia is very proud to have seen these talented young singers shine at Urban Quest, and continue to grow and follow their dreams,” Ms Smith said.

“Urban Quest is a celebration of young people, which aims to improve confidence through music. Hopefully the mentoring they both received from Mark Holden helped them believe in themselves and realise their true potential.

“I encourage everyone to support Shiane and Peter on their X Factor journey.”

Territorians will have to wait and see if the young Territorians make it past The X Factor Bootcamp in Sydney and onto the live TV show.

The next season of X Factor airs on Channel 7 in the coming months.

A sneak peek of Shiane’s TV audition can be seen here: http://au.tv.yahoo.com/x-factor/video/-/watch/30023977/sneak-peek-is-shiane-next/

Vista Gold Australia invites local community to come say hello

Vista Gold Australia invites the Katherine local community to come say hello to staff from the Mt Todd Gold Mine project at the Katherine Show tomorrow and Saturday.


Ray Iacono, Vista Gold Australia Director said that the Show provided a great opportunity for the company to keep in contact with the community.

“We welcome people from Katherine and beyond to visit our stall at the Show for an update on the project.

Both the Environmental and Site Managers will be available to talk to the community and answer questions on the progress of the project to date,” he said.

Vista Gold recently announced that the company had revised the scope of the Feasibility Study on the Mt Todd gold project to incorporate a larger processing facility, a redesigned open pit and plans to recover gold from the existing heap leach pads.

The Company is now targeting the release of the Feasibility Study in late 2012 or early 2013.

“If you have ever wondered what the gold actually looks like in the ground, come and have a look at our display. Our mining experts will have a drilling core sample on show and be able to answer questions of how the gold is processed,” Mr Iacono said.

“Community sentiment has been very supportive of reopening the mine, it is very important to us to stay in contact with the community so that we have a clear understanding of the issues that are matter to them.”

Vista Gold’s Mt Todd display will be located in the Commercial Building at the Katherine Show.

Mission Australia swamped during the dry season

An influx of teenagers are roaming the streets of Darwin, Mandorah and Adelaide River these school holidays.

More than 32 students aged between 10 and 18 years are seeing the sights of the Top End after Mission Australia's school holiday program booked out.

Running to the end of July, the teens are attending activities and tours that include the Adelaide River Queen Cruise, Lake Leanyer, Duck-About-Tour to Mandorah, Palmerston Water Park, Fishing Charter and Crocosaurus Cove.

Youth Service Manager Adrian McCann said the activities help young people build confidence and connect with their local community.

"We've had a great response to the program and are really pleased with some of the outcomes," he said.

"I believe this is a great way for students to be active within the community and encourage all young people in Darwin and Palmerston to get involved in our programs."

Mr McCann said parents should get in early for the wet season school holiday program.

Activities offered as part of Mission Australia's school holiday programs are organised by local staff who encourage and inspire the young teens to make informed lifestyle choices.

"We provide a safe atmosphere for them to grow and learn important life skills," Mr McCann said.

Mission Australia contributes heavily to the lives of young people across the Darwin and Palmerston region with several programs for teenagers to be more involved with their communities.

Anyone interested in Mission Australia's school holiday program is encouraged to register their interest by calling 08 8935 0900.