POVB member update – July 2017 (PDF version)

What is happening around the state

Wellington

Dave McCauley was out at Wellington for a class graduation. He signed up majority of the class.

The Executive will ask to go through the Macquarie Centre again now is close to completion. We will also be asking for any risk assessments that have been conducted for the centre.

Benchmarking

The following centres have submitted their benchmarking proposal and PSA have received them from CSNSW:

• Brewarrina

• Broken Hill

• Ivanhoe

• Illawarra Reintegration Centre

• Silverwater Women’s Correctional Centre

• Mary Wade

PSA/POVB will peruse and submit any issues to CSNSW. This will be done with delegate consultation.

The following centres are on the agenda for benchmarking:

• Berrima – had a meeting on 11 July and Jason Charlton attended

• Kariong – first meeting took place last week

• Tamworth – 20 July

• St Hilliers – 31 July

• Cessnock – 4 August

• Cooma – 8 August

• Mannus – 10 August

Whilst we are at St Hilliers, we will also be meeting with Glen Scholes on cyclic rostering so we will distribute information after that meeting. We also meet Mat Jones, who looks after My Performance so we will put out information from that meeting also.

POVB/PSA is still working through the issues with South Coast Correctional Centre. The Commissioner signed off on that centre and has not addressed the issues raised by the members there. If we get no satisfaction through the current process it will be placed before the IRC for assistance.

On 1 August, the State Executive will tour the Hunter Centre – a rapid build centre at Cessnock.

Disciplinaries

Please let someone from the State Executive know as soon as you get a letter regarding a disciplinary.

We are also getting a lot of people, who are not union members, wanting union assistance after getting a letter. Please let non-members know the PSA/POVB cannot assist people if their union fees start after the date of the incident. This goes for the Legal Fund also.

Courts

Jason Charlton organised a phone hook-up for the court locations to address all the issues that were raised at the Management Committee Meeting in May/June.

From that meeting, Steve Davis is attending court locations to address personal protection equipment. Steve attended Wagga and delegate Brian Sanderson stated that the meeting went well and addressed the concerns for that location and they will be getting equipment to protect them in their duties.

Steve will be attending other locations and we hope they get what they want. We will keep you updated on those visits.

Illawarra Reintegration Centre

This centre is up and running and now on 12-hour shifts which members are very happy with. I want to congratulate the staff down there for getting the centre to the high standard that it was when I attended the opening. It was a lot of hard work from the delegates down their Andrew Varir and Sam Maarbani.

John Morony

The successful vote to keep John Morony in public hands was put to CSNSW. The state has asked more questions of CSNSW and we are still waiting to get confirmation that CSNSW are the successful bidders for the centre. The POVB/PSA are hoping to get confirmation this week and will be liaising with CSNSW.

Parklea

Everyone would be aware of the YouTube video that went viral. PSA did several media interviews with The Daily Telegraph, ABC, 9, 7, 10’s The Project and several radio stations.

The PSA is asking to be consulted during the process of the investigation of the team going in as PSA has members in that centre.

The POVB/PSA have asked if CSNSW will be allowed to tender when the centre’s contract is up, but we have been informed that we cannot. The POVB/PSA will be campaigning for this decision to be reversed.

Nicole Jess
POVB Chair