2013 / 2014

ANNUAL REPORT

2

CONTENTS:

1. Chairmans Report 3—4

2. CEOs Report 5—6

3. Board and Management 7

4. Current Board Member Profiles 8—10

5. Retiring Member Profiles 11

6. In the Community 12

7. Organisational Structure 13

8. Corporate Services 14—15

9. Operations 16

10. Key Milestones 17

11. Market Overview 18

12. Corporate and Business Services 19—20

13. District Coordination Contact Details 21—22

14. Service Delivery 23—24

15. Interview with a Volunteer—Helen Bayles 35—36

16. Consumer Engagement 37

17. Interview with a Client 38

18. Financial Report 39—52

Community Transport Services Tasmania Inc.

Westella

Level 1/181 Elizabeth Street

HOBART TAS 7000

Phone: (03) 6231 6974 Fax: (03) 6231 6976 Email: info@ctst.org.au

www.ctst.org.au

ABN: 90 508 966 947

3

CHAIRMANS REPORT

It is rare that the Chairman of the Board has the opportunity to write the Annual Report based on so many positive

factors. Indeed, CTST is on the cusp of a development and expansion programme which could only be wished for in

years past.

As a direct result of the negotiation skills of the Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Davies, CTST has been successful in

obtaining substantial recurrent growth and capital funding. This will allow for a modernisation of the vehicle fleet,

and an expansion of Coordinator roles so that the opportunity for full time positions will become a reality.

The expected outcome, with the continued support and / or expansion of our wonderful volunteer base, will result

in an expanded service to our clients. We hope that everyone will be enthusiastic at this prospect, and will be anx-

ious to continue supporting CTST as we move forward.

When first I accepted the role of Chairman of the Board I was anxious to achieve two main goals. The first was to

expand and strengthen the Board membership. The other was to see CTST re-established as a major service provid-

er of high credibility, operating on a sound business footing in the successful achievement of its aims.

Much has been achieved, and I pay credence to the many people associated with CTST for the progress so far, and

their unstinting and valuable assistance.

In any development there will be changes, and the Board has not been immune. At the Annual General Meeting in

November 2013, Richard Muir-Wilson did not re-contest the post of Deputy Chairman, a role he had held since

2009. He will continue as a Director, and the Board is pleased to retain him in that role.

The Board acknowledges Richard’s valuable contribution at Board meetings, and also in the field. At a North West

Volunteer BBQ Richard not only attended, but donated the meat and then filled the role of Chef. His continued

contribution as a Director is welcomed.

The position of Deputy Chairman has been filled by Bruce Taylor, whose background and personal attributes make

him eminently suitable for the role. I am sure he will fill the role with distinction, and I look forward to working

with him in a sound, professional relationship.

At the Annual General Meeting in 2013, Patricia Powell of Strahan relinquished her position as a Director. Appreci-

ation is accorded Patricia for her contribution to Board discussions and long-distance travel to attend meetings, is

also acknowledged.

In April, Mark de Vries resigned as a Director owing to pressure of business. Mark is a partner in the law firm Sim-

mons Wolfhagen and the decision to resign from CTST was taken with reluctance.

Mark’s expertise has been invaluable, and the Board pays tribute to him for his sound advice and wise counsel. It is

with regret that Mark’s resignation has been accepted by the Board, and he is wished continued success in his cho-

sen field of endeavour.

Peter Dane resigned from the Board in June due in the main to needs to reduce his commitments across a range of

organisations.

Peter was very active on the Board and generously gave his time to key issues such as the Chair of the Risk and Au-

dit Committee. Peter also voluntarily took the lead role in designing and implementing strategic planning sessions

and workshops with the Board and Senior Management.

The Board accord appreciation to Peter for his enthusiasm and dedication to the organisation and wish him well in

his future ambitions.

4

The Board will take the appropriate steps to fill the Board vacancies in the near future.

During the year the Board established a Risk and Audit Sub-committee to contribute to the overall wellbeing of

CTST and its operations. Ably led by Director Peter Dane, and supported by Directors Lindsay Jones and Mark de

Vries, the sub-committee has worked very conscientiously to establish effective protocols which are supportive of

management and operational procedures.

Since the location of all management staff at ‘Westella’ some further re-structuring has occurred. Allied to this,

some variations to district borders has been undertaken. Minor variations of Coordinator roles will continue as the

demand for service dictates.

The partnership with CTST and Devonport Rotary saw the introduction of a modified wheelchair accessible vehicle

catering for multiple clients and carers. The continuation and expansion of such partnerships is a welcome devel-

opment in catering for clients with special needs.

An extension of the partnership with Rotary resulted in the generous donation of $30,000 to modify two more vehi-

cles for wheelchair access. One is located at Smithton, and the other at Wynyard. CTST gratefully acknowledges

the generous support by Rotary and this extension to our service to clients.

A further public recognition of the valuable service provided by CTST was a formal invitation for a representative of

CTST to attend a special church service at ST Thomas’ Anglican Church to celebrate ‘National Day of Thanks’.

During the service I , as Chairman, was interviewed and asked to convey to the congregation how CTST operates.

This culminated in the presentation to CTST of a formal “Certificate of Thanks’ on behalf of the parishioners of How-

rah and Sandford, in acknowledgment of the service which CTST provides for them.

The coming year should be one which excites everyone associated with CTST. We have the wherewithal to upgrade

our vehicle fleet, to expand our service, and enhance the lives of our clients to a greater degree. To succeed, we

need to retain our wonderful volunteer base, develop our Coordinator system, and hone the processes inherent in

meeting our charter with even greater success. It is a journey on which all associated with CTST are invited to em-

bark.

I am very grateful for the dedication and support given by Directors. Also, I acknowledge the amount of work with

which our CEO and management team cope so consistently. All play a vital role.

The partnership between Coordinators and Volunteers forms the basis upon which the success of our operation

depends. We are fortunate to have them.

But each one of us is important to the overall success of this wonderful organisation. I urge everyone to renew

their contribution with enthusiasm and earnest endeavour. In doing so, we can ensure that CTST is an organisation

of which we can all be proud, well into the future.

D. H. Cooper

Chairman

5

CEOs REPORT

On behalf of the Board, Management, and Staff , I would like to again express sincere gratitude to the Volunteers

of CTST for their unrelenting dedication and support throughout 2013 / 2014. This is said every year but the com-

mitment they afford to CTST and the community is both vital and essentially irreplaceable.

The 2013 / 2014 year has been the year in which CTST evolved significantly as a business. A year in which negoti-

ating a funding split and associated issues between the Commonwealth and State was achieved. Through various

funding successes by CTST during the year the actual split is now around 90 / 10 .

The twin funding agreements effective 01 July 2013 provided an opportunity for CTST to negotiate a capital refi-

nancing of its Balance Sheet by way of a significant injection of funding from the Commonwealth. A sum of

$1,417,000 was made available to expend on vehicle upgrades during 2014 / 2015.

The final objective of three set in 2009 was to negotiate the removal of CTST from the HACC suite of services, to

stand alone under HACC 2015 and to be funded on a kilometre based (transport cost) model rather than the cur-

rent CPI formula. This objective is still being progressed. The disparity between CPI funding and increasing

transport operating costs is so significant and remains a threat to sustainability that cannot be ignored.

In 2013 I was elected Chairman of Australian Community Transport Association as well as appointment to the Fed-

eral Government Community Transport Review Sub-group in 2012 / 2013. Participation in these two bodies pro-

vides valuable opportunities for me to further the cause of reform of the Community Transport sector nationally

and across the state of Tasmania. Evidence of this is reflected in ACTA being funded $200,000 to engage consult-

ants to provide evidence / information supporting a National Fees Policy and a Sustainable Funding Model. These

projects are critical to CTST and I am delighted to work through these issues as Chairman of ACTA.

During the year further partnership relationships were developed between Rotary Somerset / Wynyard and CTST to

provide improved disability transport services to clients by way of $30,000 donation to assist in the North West of

the state. Our sincere thanks are extended to Rotary for their foresight and vision to assist those so desperate for

accessible transport.

On the financial front an operating surplus of $49,863 was achieved in part reflecting continued improvement in

the financial discipline of the organisation in a financially challenging environment. The grant from Rotary of

$30,000 was included in the Profit and Loss account, however the expenditure was capitalised.

CTST achieved a major milestone in 2013 / 2014 successfully tendering for the majority of commonwealth growth

funds allocated to Tasmania. The funding commenced in March 2014 and represents on an annual basis around

$750,000. This has resulted in CTST increasing its districts to twelve and funding many of its Coordinators on a full

time basis.

In essence CTST has been able to convert its district based business model toward a full time model, an outcome

never achieved before by the business.

Looking to the future; CTST faces some challenges - most significantly to find alternative Head Office accommoda-

tion to address its growth as a business. The most sensible and strategic option would appear to be the acquisition

of our own premises, a matter that will be pursued during 2014 / 2015.

6

CTST has continued to lobby and argue its case that it is a transport business by any determination, accredited as

such under State Passenger Transport legislation and has to meet similar compliance regimes as the private sector.

In addition the Commonwealth / state funds CTST for passenger trips. All of these issues beg the question as to

why community transport ‘service delivery guidelines’ and financing criteria are focused on clients rather than pas-

sengers. It is a discussion that will continue to be pursued.

In closing I acknowledge the board and staff of CTST for their continued support and commitment to what is an in-

creasingly complex business. In particular I would like to thank my management team who have worked tirelessly

during the year to accommodate so much change, in particular the transition of the business.

I look forward to working relationships in 2014 / 2015 that further develop the quality of our people resources

across the state and the quality of service they provide.

Stuart Davies

Chief Executive Officer

7

BOARD AND MANAGEMENT

The Board

Doug Cooper Chairman

Bruce Taylor Deputy Chairman

Lindsay Jones Public Officer

Richard Muir-Wilson Director

Lee Connors Director

Peter Button Director

Board Departures:

Patricia Powell

Mark de Vries

Peter Dane

Changes to Office Bearers—November 2013

Richard Muir—Wilson Stepped down as Deputy Chairman

Bruce Taylor Elected Deputy Chairman

*The governance of CTST is overseen by a Board of up to ten Board Members.

Senior Management Team:

Stuart Davies Chief Executive Officer

Barbara Martin Director Corporate Services

Wendy Edwards Director Operations

Bernadette Marney Executive Assistant to the CEO / Secretary to the Board

Head Office

Warren Abel Finance & Administration Manager

Pam Bonnitcha Administration Support Officer

Rachael Gray Administration Assistant

Claudette Woolley Manager Coordination

Sophie Cashion Project Officer (Temp)

8

CURRENT BOARD MEMBER PROFILES:

DOUG COOPER, CHAIRMAN

Doug Cooper is a long standing Board Member and Volunteer of CTST. In 2009 Doug was elected Chairman of the

Board; after holding the office of the Deputy Chairman from 2004—2009.

Doug also previously held the voluntary position of Coordinator for CTST, for ten years, relinquishing the role to

focus his attention on the responsibilities required of the Board.

Doug has played an integral role in the transformation and development of CTST through driving policy and direc-

tion within the organisation. Doug’s dedication and commitment to the organisation has seen a significant contri-

bution of voluntary hours to CTST.

Prior to retirement Doug worked tirelessly for twenty five years as a school principal. Doug still provides ongoing

support and assistance to Tasmanian schools to oversee exams, assisting in school carnivals and driving the local

school bus when required.

Additionally Doug is a life member of Primary School Sports Tas. and a life member and patron of the Huon /

Channel School Sports Association.

BRUCE TAYLOR, DEPUTY CHAIRMAN

Bruce Taylor was appointed to the Board in 2012, and elected to the office of the Deputy Chairman in November

2013.

Bruce commenced work with the Australian Bureau of Statistics in Hobart where he spent 15 years. Much of this

time was in the Population Surveys area where he travelled the state regularly conducting interviews and training

and supervising part-time interviewers.

In 1984 he moved to the Australian Electoral Commission as Director of Industrial Elections conducting over 500

elections for unions and employer bodies.

He was seconded to Tasmanian Electoral Office in 1993 to set up the first postal elections for local government

councils and moved there permanently in 1995.

Appointed as Chief Electoral Officer in 2002, and Tasmania’s first Electoral Commissioner in 2005, Bruce has consid-

erable experience in operational management and the analysis and development of policy and legislation and has

provided impartial advice to the parliament, executive government, political parties, candidates, the media and the

public over many years.

Bruce was raised at Longford and enjoyed water skiing on the river in his younger days. He has a keen interest in

motoring having participated in and helped organise car rallies for many years. Retiring in 2010, Bruce enjoys work-

ing on his block at Acton Park as well as some travel and consultancy work.

9

LINDSAY JONES, PUBLIC OFFICER

Lindsay Jones has provided service as Public Officer and as a CTST Board Member since November 2010.

Lindsay is committed to CTST through his role as Public Officer but also availing him self on Board sub-committees

including the Risk and Audit Committee.

Lindsay, now retired, previously held employment, over a thirty four year period, with the State Service, the most

recent full time position held was that of Executive Officer of the Hartz District 1991-2005.

Lindsay recently retired from the position of Vice President of the CPSU, having been first elected to Council in

1982. He became a Member of the Executive from 1986 to 1997 and from 2000 to 2014, Treasurer from 1986 to

1991 and 2002 to 2003, President from 2004 to 2009, Vice President from 2009 to 2014 and Federal Executive

Member from 2004 to 2012. He was awarded life membership of the CPSU in 2011.

Lindsay also held Directorship of the Savings & Loan Credit Union from 1987-1998 which included two years as

Chairman in 1991-1992. Additionally Lindsay held the position of Inaugural Director of CONNECT from its inception

in 1998 to 2001. From 1993 to 2001 Lindsay was the Treasurer of State Council of Australian Institute of Credit Un-

ion Directors.

Lindsay was a Member of the Tasmanian State Service Review panel, since 1990 and has been a Board Member of

Retirement Benefits Funds Board since December 2004.

Lindsay is married with one Son and two grandchildren. Having travelled extensively both overseas and throughout

Australia Lindsay now relaxes by gardening and harvesting vegetables.

RICHARD MUIR-WILSON

Richard has been a long serving member on the Board of CTST. Stepping down from the role of Deputy Chairman in

November 2013.

Richard resides on the North West Coast of Tasmania and has made a significant contribution to the organisation

through travelling time, to attend both training and Board meetings. Additionally Richard is a willing participant on

the north west coast attending our volunteer functions and media presentations, whilst actively assisting where

possible.

Richard also serves as a Board Member on the board of Community Connections Inc. and Chairman of Spencer Park

Inc. Aside from these respected roles Richard continually commits to the community being a Member of the

Wynyard Men’s Shed, Lighthouse Film Society, and the Wynyard Community Garden.

Richard has held the position of Community Development Officer with the Waratah Wynyard Council. His previous

careers have included teaching, journalism, Ministerial Advisor, Sport and Recreation Officer and Air Monitoring at

Cape Grim.

In 2011 Richard gained a Graduate Certificate in Business from the University of Tasmania, previously undertaking a

Bachelor of Arts. Richard has also previously graduated from the University of New England with a Diploma of Con-

tinuing Education.

Personal interests include road cycling, lead lighting, bush walking and gardening.

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LEE CONNORS

Lee was appointed to the Board in March 2012.

Lee was employed primarily in non-urban Local Government authorities for over forty years, culminating in a num-

ber of appointments as a council’s chief administrative officer. Employment in non- urban councils requires the

chief administrative officer to possess a wide range of practical management skills and a depth of knowledge of the

legislation and regulations applied to that government sector.

Employment in Local Government assisted Lee being able to communicate with a diverse community on a wide

range of local and regional issues. Lee has well developed skills in the areas of organisational and strategic planning,

human resource management, financial management and project management.

PETER BUTTON

Peter Button was appointed to the Board in March 2012.

Peter has an extensive professional background in state and regional policy research and development, strategic

corporate and urban/rural planning and development assessment.

Peter has worked with community based organisations, state and federal agencies and advised Ministers at both

government levels, and also managed a range of large consultancy projects.

More recently he was involved in the provision of competitive strategic policy development and policy services

that included workplace reform, quality management, benchmarking and the development of best practice ap-

proaches.

It was through Peter’s professional career that allowed him to travel extensively throughout Australia.

Over the past three years Peter has provided Home Stay for 42 overseas students staying in Australia to learn Eng-

lish with block stays from 4 weeks to 6 months.

Currently Peter jointly operates a Bed and Breakfast and Function Centre in Port Sorell where he enjoys cooking,

travel, world music, live theatre productions and reading novels.

11

RETIRING MEMBER PROFILES:

PATRICIA POWELL:

Patricia was elected to the Board in November 2012.

Patricia has lived and raised three children on the West Coast of Tasmania, in both Strahan and Queenstown.

Patricia is heavily involved with the community and is a Volunteer Driver for CTST Inc.

Additionally Patricia was elected as President of the Senior Citizens Club in 2013, where she has served as a Mem-

ber for eight years.

Patricia is also a Volunteer for the Strahan Opportunity Shop, Volunteer Caterer for the Strahan Golf Club for 12

years and also a Member of thirty years.

Furthermore Patricia enjoys her involvement on the Parents and Friends, Girl Guides and Scouts Committees to

which she has been committed to for several years.

Patricia retired from the Board in November 2013.

MARK DE VRIES

Mark served as an Independent Member on the Board of CTST since May 2010.

Mark de Vries practices in commercial law as a partner with Simmons Wolfhagen. Mark advises small businesses,

large corporations, property developers and local government on issues relating to finance, property and commer-

cial matters in Tasmania.

Memberships:

Law Society of Tasmania

Qualifications:

B.Com., LL.B. University of Tasmania

Mark resigned from the Board in May 2014.

PETER DANE:

Peter Dane was appointed to the Board in March 2012.

Born in Burnie in 1953, Peter started working for Telstra in Hobart and then King Island before returning to Burnie

to complete his qualifications as a telecommunication technician. In 1985, Peter and his family moved to Hobart

where he took up the role of State Manager Directory Services, and then rising to become the National Marketing

Manager of White Pages.

Sick of travelling to a Melbourne office, in 1995 Peter moved to Hydro Tasmania working as the Business Analyst.

Apart from a 3-year period as State Manager of TasTel, Peter has been involved in Marketing, Pricing and Regula-

tion in the energy sector of Tasmania. Peter has served on TasCAG, the Community Advisory Group on Mental

Health; he is a member of the Legal Profession Board, a foundation member of the Australian Direct Marketing As-

sociation and is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Peter has an MBA from the

University of Tasmania.

Peter retired from the Board in June 2014

12

IN THE COMMUNITY:

GROUP VOLUNTEER INDUCTION—NORTH WEST

RICHARD MUIR-WILSON

On the 22 January 2014 a group volunteer induction was held at Anzac Part, Somerset.

Perfect weather on the West Coast allowed for in excess of forty volunteers to attend, undertake the induction pro-

cess, and have the opportunity to integrate via a well organised BBQ.

Richard Muir– Wilson, Board Director, attended the function and generously donated the sausages, hamburgers

and bacon through his Community Services Budget provided from the Waratah Wynyard Council. Additionally Rich-

ard also then became the ‘Masterchef’, donning the apron and cooking the meat for the newly inducted Volun-

teers.

Richard was ably assisted by volunteers Helen Baxter and Ken Nichols, contributing to the function by preparing

delicious salads and desserts, and sharing in the cooking task. Thank you!

Appreciation is accorded to Richard for his commitment to the event and well received by the newly inducted Vol-

unteers and Coordinators, Allison Hall and Stan Dupont.

Overall the event was a success with all attendees enjoying some wonderful company and great food!

13

ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE:

BOARD

Executive Assistant /

Secretary to the Board

Chief Executive Officer

Director

Operations

Director

Corporate Services

Manager Admin / Finance

Manager

Coordination

Project Officer

(Temporary Position)

Coordinators

Administration Support Officer

Administration Assistant

Volunteers / Drivers

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CORPORATE SERVICES:

Wow! What an extraordinary year we have had. The organisation has undergone a number of changes and chal-

lenges far beyond what we could ever have anticipated.

Split Funding:

We commenced this year with a new split-funding agreement, a first for us. It certainly has been an interesting

process for those of us who haven't previously experienced dealing with varied reporting regimes and deadlines. A

one-off Commonwealth Transitional funding grant afforded us the ability to purchase necessary resources to facili-

tate the change.

Growth Funding:

This was also our first year in applying for recurrent Commonwealth growth funding. We were thrilled to learn that

our application was more than successful with CTST being the recipient of a significant increase to our base funding.

A considerable amount of work has and will continue to be done to ensure we have the necessary structures in

place to successfully achieve growth outcomes.

DIER Accreditation:

01 July 2013 saw the introduction of the new Passenger Transportation Services Act 2011. We certainly have wel-

comed some of the key changes predominately the reduction in the number of vehicle inspections from six monthly

to annually, and the removal of the need for our drivers to hold an ancillary licence. These two items alone have

contributed to reduced compliance costs. Additionally not requiring ancillary certificates is one less employment

condition we need to impose on our valuable volunteers.

Human Resources:

There has been significant change and growth in this area in both Operations and Corporate Services over the past

year. We have seen important increases in staffing numbers and hours across the State and this will continue into

the following year to solidify our base staffing requirements to accommodate the needs of the organisation into the

future.

I.T:

CTST’s I.T. resources are continuing to undergo major changes. A high volume of research has been undertaken to

find suitable solutions to assist in moving the organisation significantly closer to being more efficient and cohesive

with its software, networking, and communication systems. Subsequently the Board has approved the implemen-

tation of the Connect IP Ethernet-Lite program, server relocation to the Cloud and TIPT telephony system. These

are all sizeable projects currently underway and are anticipated to be finalised by December 2014.

15

Vehicle Fleet:

Following ongoing negotiations and to end the year on a high note, CTST was also fortunate enough to obtain a one

-off Commonwealth grant to modernise our ageing vehicle fleet. This has been a fantastic outcome at an oppor-

tune time coinciding with the funding to increase service delivery outputs. In line with this, an increase to our base

funding will assist with ongoing vehicle replacement strategy, purchasing program and roll-out plan during the 2014

-2015 financial year.

Staff:

Finally I would like to acknowledge and thank my Administrative team who not only maintain the day to day run-

ning of the Corporate Office in what can sometimes be challenging circumstances, but provide me with direct sup-

port when needed.

Barbara Martin

Director Corporate Services

16

OPERATIONS:

I have now completed my first year of employment with CTST and what a busy year it has been. An application to

the Commonwealth for additional recurrent funding being one of my first major tasks, little did we know that the

application would result in a considerable injection of additional funds which of course meant a very busy year for

us all in identifying changes in strategic direction, considering additional human and physical resources and rolling

out a revised operational framework within a best practice environment in order to support the new operational

targets.

The other major task at hand was to move the organisation forward in its level of compliance with the Home Care

Standards. A web based tool called the Service Provider Portal was purchased to assist in assessing the organisa-

tions level of compliance or otherwise. The initial self-assessment demonstrated that we were only 30.5% compli-

ant however due to a considerable amount of effort and the appointment of a temporary Project Support Officer

we were able to demonstrate 65% compliance by the end of June 2014. While there is still a way to go the organi-

sation now has work plans in place against which continuing progress is being made. We are now working within a

continuous improvement framework which is the key underpinning factor in relation to compliance with any stand-

ards.

The establishment of a Quality Safety and Risk Committee during the year has provided a formalised mechanism

for progressing quality improvement initiatives, identifying and supporting workplace health and safety matters and

identifying organisational and operational risks and subsequent mitigation strategies. This provides the platform

for the organisation to work toward leading practice in all areas of its business therefore supporting the notion of

compliance with various regulatory requirements.

Operationally consideration was given to the district structure and the appropriateness of this to support growth of

the organisation and its ability to meet the increase in output targets which are a result of the additional recurrent

Commonwealth funding. The district boundaries were initially adjusted in October 2013 to allow expansion into

the Devonport, Latrobe and the western aspect of the Meander Valley local government areas. To accommodate

this the Greater Launceston District and Mersey Meander District came into being, office space was secured in East

Devonport to support the Mersey Meander District and a Transport Coordinator was appointed. To date this has

been a successful move with a growing client base and a partnership with the Deloraine Community Car and its ad-

ministrators being formed. Following the initial review of district boundaries a subsequent review was undertaken

in January 2014 with respect to the Southern area of the state. There was an adjustment of district boundaries

and the establishment of two new districts being the Eastern Shore and Tasman Districts. To facilitate this office

space was sourced in Lindisfarne and Nubeena with the subsequent appointment of Transport Coordinators for

those districts. The Southern District office was relocated from Huonville to Kingston in order to facilitate growth of

the service in the heavily populated Kingston area. As a mechanism for supporting the continued growth of client

trips, coordinator hours have been increased across the state. In effect we are now open for business during nor-

mal business hours, this is a critical element to ensure the sustainability of growth in coordination of client trips.

I would like to acknowledge the efforts and support our Coordinators and other operational staff have provided

throughout the year, the pace of change and the subsequent challenges have been challenging at times and all staff

are to be commended in meeting those head on.

Wendy Edwards

Director Operations

17

KEY MILESTONES

2013 / 2014

Commonwealth Capital Funding Negotiations Completed and Funded

Successful Commonwealth Growth Funding Tender

Board Strategic / Business Plan

Completion of District Realignment State-wide

Increased Coordinator Operating Hours

Somerset / Wynyard Rotary Group Disability Access Donation $30,000

Completed Organisational Review / Restructure State-wide

Board Rules of Incorporation Reviewed

CEO Appointed as Chairman of the Board of ACTA (Australian Community Transport Assoc.)

Internal upgrade of ITC Systems

18

MARKET OVERVIEW:

The 2013 / 2014 year saw a demographic change in Home Support Community Transport passenger trips. There

was an overall increase in rural / regional Tasmania offset by a similar reduction in Hobart. This area is character-

ised by organisations who can obtain separate funding to provide their own transport needs. This can impact sig-

nificantly on CTST as it did in 2013 /2014.

This sets the scene for 2014 / 2015; a year in which CTST, as a result of growth funding, will pursue a target of

around 116,000 passenger trips, a growth of around 20,000 in a full year. The state (under 65’s component is

around 18000 trips)

Medical trips increased by 2038 or 12.1% reflecting the increase in demand for non-emergency medical state-wide.

The expectation is that this trend in medical trips will accelerate leading to an inevitable negative impact on social

trips. The continued growth in non-emergency medical trips, in particular long distance trips, increasingly reduces

the opportunity for vehicles to be more readily available in their local area to undertake social trips. This trend will

change the structure of Community Transport service delivery and presents a significant challenge for CTST to meet

the dual needs of its mainly rural / regional client base. During 2014 / 2015 there will be a targeted strategy around

re-branding and marketing of CTST services state-wide.

In recent years CTST’s Annual Reports have alluded to the fact that CTST has not actively promoted its services giv-

en the imposed constraints on it by its funding model. The expectation moving forward is that CTST has enhanced

its business model leading to the potential development of partnerships / relationships with small passenger

transport providers across the state to broaden its resource base.

Expectations for overall HACC passenger trip growth in 2014 / 2015 is a given with the new targets arising out of

growth funding. Effective management of the Hobart demographic will be critical to the overall nett growth in trips

across the state.

Non-HACC activity is expected to slowly increase and improve CTST’s fees collection as Coordinators become famil-

iar and more proficient in transport coordination. The marketing strategy will add impact market awareness and

contribute positively to revenue growth.

19

CORPORATE AND BUSINESS SERVICES

Passenger Data:

The total eligible client numbers continued to increase in 2012 / 2013, again at a moderate level.

CTST continued the policy of responding to new clients. As with previous years the policy has been to contain and

manage growth within available resources. As such no direct marketing or major advertising has been undertaken.

Overall passenger trip data was maintained reflecting a controlled response to demand and increasingly effective

transport coordination. New growth funding will impact on numbers in 2014 / 2015.

The passenger data for 2012 represents our third full year data following restructure of our database at the end of

December 2009. The data now allows for some trend analysis. A fourth year of data, 2013, will provide the busi-

ness with some guidance suitable for analysis and valuable in assessing where CTST’s resources need to be more

effectively allocated. This trend data will underpin and assist any future marketing strategy.

Total Passenger Trips Table by District:

2013—2014

District

Data

Over 65’s

Medical Social

Sub

Total

Under 65’s

Medical Social

Sub

Total

Burnie

3,933

11,008

14,941

456

2,503

2,959

Circular Head

1,049

4,807

5,856

345

3,498

3843 Derwent Midlands

1,467

3,457

4924

393

1539

1932

East Coast

1,419

2,884

4303

183

664

847

Greater

Launceston

1,640

9,156

10,796

250

1882

2132

Hobart

868

9,783

10,651

309

1619

1928

South

2,217

8,033

10250

232

1595

1827

South East

631

5,110

5741

91

937

1028

Eastern Shore

464

405

869

142

160

302

West Coast

1,695

686

2,831

338

225

563

Mersey Meander

690

1,300

1990

60

689

749

Total

16073

56629

72702

2799

15311

18110

20

CORPORATE AND BUSINESS SERVICES:

2013 / 2014 Over 65’s / Under 65’s Trip Data

Passenger Trip Comparison Data 2013 / 2014 2012 / 2013

Total HACC Eligible Passenger Trips 90,812 91,151

21

DISTRICT COORDINATION CONTACT DETAILS:

SOUTH EAST DISTRICT

34 Reeve Street

CAMPANIA TAS 7026

COORDINATOR: John Day

PHONE: 6260 4146

EMAIL: se@ctst.org.au

SOUTH DISTRICT

6/7 John Street

KINGSTON TAS 7050

COORDINATOR: Jenny Walsh

PHONE: 6239 3504

EMAIL: sth@ctst.org.au

TASMAN DISTRICT

1625 Main Road

NUBEENA TAS 7184

COORDINATOR: Kay Marshall

PHONE: 6250 2294

EMAIL: tasman@ctst.org.au

HOBART DISTRICT

21 Pitcairn Street

GLENORCHY TAS 7010

COORDINATOR: Jessica Woodward

PHONE: 6272 2137

EMAIL: hob@ctst.org.au

DERWENT / MIDLANDS DISTRICT

2 High Street

NEW NORFOLK TAS 7140

COORDINATOR: John Le Marie

PHONE: 6261 5138

EMAIL: dv@ctst.org.au

EASTERN SHORE DISTRICT

4 Franklin Street

LINDISFARNE TAS 7015

COORDINATOR: Arthur Pendragon

PHONE:

EMAIL:

(District to be completed in 2014 / 2015)

22

DISTRICT COORDINATION CONTACT DETAILS:

EAST COAST DISTRICT

23 Main Street

ST MARYS TAS 7215

COORDINATOR: Jan Saunders

PHONE: 6372 2137

EMAIL: ec@ctst.org.au

GREATER LAUNCESTON DISTRICT

313 Wellington Street

LAUNCESTON TAS 7250

COORDINATOR: Linda Pridham

PHONE: 6343 0155

EMAIL: gl@ctst.org.au

MERSEY MEANDER DISTRICT

Dockside Plaza

15-27 Murray Street

DEVONPORT TAS 7310

COORDINATOR: Kim Arney

PHONE: 6427 0946

EMAIL: wt@ctst.org.au

BURNIE DISTRICT

19 King Edwards Street

BURNIE TAS 7315

COORDINATOR: Stan Dupont

PHONE: 6425 3496

EMAIL: bd@ctst.org.au

CIRCULAR HEAD DISTRICT

Rms 48 & 49, 134-140 Nelson Street

SMITHTON TAS 7331

COORDINATOR: Alison Hall

PHONE: 6452 3688

EMAIL: ch@ctst.org.au

WEST COAST DISTRICT

11 Stricht Streets

QUEENSTOWN TAS 7467

(West Coast Council)

COORDINATOR: Matthew Snow

PHONE: 6471 4700

EMAIL: reception@westcoast.tas.gov.au

23

SERVICE DELIVERY:

CTST DISTRICT BUSINESS MODEL:

24

SERVICE DELIVERY:

DISTRICT REPORTS

TASMAN DISTRICT:

On the 7th May 2014, I was appointed as the first

employed Coordinator for the Tasman area.

Previously coordination of transport on the Tas-

man Peninsula was provided by me on a volun-

teer basis with the assistance of the reception

staff at the Tasman Health Centre. On appoint-

ment as a part time coordinator I continued to

work from Tasman Health Centre whilst an

attempt was made to locate office space in

Nubeena which would be suitable for the service

to operate from.

There are two vehicles located in Nubeena and ten volunteer drivers. The winter months present some difficulties

with coordination as some travel north to the warmer climate.

Monthly meetings are held with the drivers where they are informed of any updated processes and policies, this

also allows drivers to raise any issues or concerns that they have.

Although there has been a small number of new client registrations it is noted that there has been a decrease of

client activity in the last few months of the year compared to previous months’, while there were trips booked

there has been a considerable number of cancellations due to cancelled medical appointments and bad weather

which has impacted on social events within the community.

To date the service has not been marketed in the Dunalley area, it is recognised that there is considerable scope to

grow the service here. The Tasman District vehicles travel through Dunalley almost daily on regular trips servicing

clients going to Sorell and Hobart for a variety of reasons, this would make it easily achievable to accommodate

clients in the Dunalley area who need to travel to Sorell or Hobart. This will be a target area for the coming year.

The Tasman District has continued to work with the South East District Coordinator to better match client demand

with vehicle capacity as well as client accessibility issues.

The leasing of office space in the Nubeena business hub will provide opportunity to be more visible to the commu-

nity and will support growth in the service that CTST provides for this community.

Kay Marshall

Tasman District Coordinator

25

SERVICE DELIVERY

GREATER LAUNCESTON DISTRICT:

This year has seen a significant increase in the Greater Launceston District boundaries and with that an increase in

client transport. Client and driver satisfaction in the district remains high.

We welcomed new volunteer drivers Hard Knitschke and Paul Woolnough to the district.

Whilst the beginning of winter sees a traditional slowing of client travel on the whole we have increased the week-

day client trips plus limited afterhours and weekend trips throughout the district. These have proved to be success-

ful.

Volunteer drivers Linda Hall, Lionel & Dale Mountney, John Rayner, Jeff Harper, Rai Burns, Geoff Dean, and Vic

Turner continue to step up to assist by driving extra and / or extended days, including weekends. They have also

been proactive in organising group bookings. All drivers have willingly and often at short notice, given time to assist

our clients to arrive on time at their appointments or social functions.

Flinders Island volunteer coordinator Rosemary Amos ceased volunteering, the mantle of Flinders Island coordina-

tion is now being handled by Sue Hallas. Pat Young from the Dorset Community House remains a positive partner

in the Scottsdale area actively promoting our service to new drivers.

None of this would be possible without the generosity of our volunteer drivers, their willingness to give of their

time is priceless. Our clients enjoy the social ambiance our drivers bring to their travel even if they are only attend-

ing a medical appointment.

CTST has continued to support me in my voluntary work as a puppy raiser for Guide Dogs Tasmania. Both clients

and drivers look forward to meeting the new puppies and are keen to follow their progress towards graduation as a

guide dog. In November 2014 Yuri, the current guide dog in training, turns 18 months. He will leave our care and

start on the next stage of his training. The interaction is invaluable to the puppy’s development and encourages an

active community atmosphere with our clients and drivers.

Linda Pridham

Greater Launceston District Coordinator

26

SERVICE DELIVERY

BURNIE DISTRICT:

This year saw some major changes in the Burnie area.

Due to staff location changes the Ulverstone office was moved, this impacted on the visibility of the service and the

overall face to face client contact, however it did not take long for some of the clients that like to ‘wander’ to find

the new abode and by client ‘word of mouth’ the office has regained reasonable traffic.

The Greater Burnie area saw changes including a change of district boundaries to the west and east and an increase

in coordination hours. Both changes have made it possible to deliver a higher standard of customer service, coordi-

nate the area resources with more integrity and increase productivity over a wide range of tasks.

An integral part of this change is the increased contact between the adjacent area coordinators. Open and contin-

ued communication and sharing the responsibilities of client movement has made for successful and efficient re-

source management and a high rate of transport completion.

The cusp area around Burnie and Circular Head District border has been managed with collaboration resulting in

shared transport of clients to maximise passenger numbers in vehicles, minimise vehicle costs on longer trips and

share the volunteer workload. On average ‘sharing’ of client transport accounts for approximately 15% of the over-

all number of Launceston trips. With coordination now occurring out of Devonport this trend is increasing / contin-

uing and this approach simply makes sense in regard to efficiency.

Some external factors that have influenced transport trends include the relocation of medical facilities or changes

in their capacity to delivery service.

For example CTST was committed to transporting clients from the area to Launceston for dialysis three times a

week with clients travelling on average ten return trips per week. During the year the Burnie Renal Centre came on

line resulting in many of these clients being able to receive treatment locally. Some of these clients now travel

from Devonport with Mersey Community Care and some have the capacity to transport themselves the short dis-

tance.

Some trends noted this year include an increase in cancellations. For the 2012/13 year Greater Burnie handled ap-

proximately 1000 cancellations. 2013/14 saw this number at nearly 1500. Only a handful of these were as a result

of unmet need by CTST. Although cancellations are inevitable the impact on coordinator time is significant.

In general there has been substantial trip / client increases in the area of CTST organised social outings and ‘one off’

event transport. Burnie area has always provided a luncheon outing on Wednesday and alternate Fridays, but has

increased this commitment to every Wednesday and Friday. An increase in client numbers committed to these

outings has forced up to 4 vehicles being allocated as part of this commitment. Feedback from clients regarding

the drivers and the scope of these outings indicates that this is a successful model and the satisfaction they get go-

ing on these outings has never been higher.

The volunteers in the NW remain a dedicated bunch despite there being some changes in the ‘names’ of the drivers

with the new gentle folk coming on board and some deciding they need to ‘retire’ themselves. Sadly, during the

last year we also lost several drivers to declining health and for the first time in years, death. The CTST family and

the clients that these drivers touched with their kindness share these losses and remember them with respect, ap-

preciation and gratitude.

The Burnie District is looking forward to a productive, exciting, fun trip focused, and safe 2014/15.

Stan Dupont

Burnie District Coordinator

27

SERVICE DELIVERY:

HOBART DISTRICT:

This past year in the Hobart District has been a fantastic, productive and very busy year. My hours were increased

from a part time Coordinator to full time. This has allowed additional time to get out and about, network and pro-

mote CTST which has been wonderful.

Although some figures have dropped from the past annual year, it is due to a number of my larger groups decreas-

ing in size, funding being cut to other organizations, and sometimes having a lack of volunteer drivers to meet de-

mand.

However, after a successful advertising campaign, I have recruited several new volunteer drivers whose contribu-

tion to the organization has been outstanding. We would not have been able to expand our services like we have

done with out them or our existing volunteers. Some of our existing volunteers reached a decade of volunteering

and a very special Volunteer, Mr. Wayne Paul, was recognized for his huge contribution to the community in his

work as a CTST volunteer driver having received an award for his contribution from the Glenorchy City Council.

The District has received new vehicles, registered new clients, and has recruited new volunteer drivers. In addition

time to network has led to the formation of new partnerships with other organization's & lifestyle villages

(Glenorchy Gardens, Clarence Lifestyle Village, Better Hearing Australia, National Seniors, Hobart Older Persons

Reference Group, CHATS, Medial practices and Community Based Support, just to name a few). Earlier this year I

attended two Uniting Age Well expos, held at Mornington and the Derwent Entertainment Centre. These were

huge days filled with networking, meeting , greeting and educating the general public about our organization.

It has been a busy and productive year with a considerable amount of feedback, support, positivity and excitement

about what we have planned for future projects in which CTST will be involved.

Jessica Woodward

Hobart District Coordinator

SOUTH EAST DISTRICT:

The number of clients registered in this district continues to grow steadily while the number of volunteers remains

fairly static with some new recruits coming on board while others have retired.

In December, an article on CTST appeared in the Sorell Times Newspaper which has a wide circulation base within

this area. There was a small response as a result of this article and someone who saw the feature signed up as a

Volunteer driver.

Successful Volunteer Driver functions were held at Orford and Sorell and were well attended and appreciated.

Satisfaction with the service provided is high based on feedback received and the Thank You cards which were re-

ceived in the mail in November and June.

The organisation was further promoted at the ‘Living Well, Staying Independent’ expo held at the Civic Centre in

Nubeena in March.

I have had discussions with other service providers in the area and this will result in more group client trips being

undertaken in the next reporting period.

John Day

South East District Coordinator

28

SERVICE DELIVERY:

EAST COAST DISTRICT:

Another year of growth has seen the East Coast going from strength to strength

We now have two vehicles in St Marys, two in Swansea and one in Bicheno, plans are now underway to include a

vehicle in the township of St. Helens.

With the population growing steadily in St Helens and with many new commercial interests being developed, it has

been a difficult area for us to sensibly service from St. Marys. Our research has verified a strong need to comple-

ment transport systems already in place throughout the area, and will see further developments by CTST in the

coming months.

Twelve months after placing a community car in Bicheno we now see our service working very harmoniously with

the Health Centre Community Car in Bicheno. A process of cooperation and coordination has made this venture

hugely rewarding for all concerned. This area has quite probably experienced the greatest growth percentage for

the entire East Coast.

The number of wheelchair dependent clients is also growing with the need extending from St Helens to Little Swan-

port and across to Campbell Town. Despite various nursing centres having their own wheelchair accessible vehicles

for their residents, the CTST vehicle is the only one on the East Coast which is available to the public, and the need

has become a great deal more obvious in this past year.

Keeping up with the numbers of volunteers to assist such a wide region has presented a few challenges throughout

the year, but thanks to a very special core group who have given their time so graciously and enthusiastically, client

satisfaction has been at an all-time high.

With the onset of the warmer months bookings for social outings are increasing and are anticipated to well exceed

previous years.

We all look forward to the establishment of a wider network within the East Coast region as we move to support

the community of St Helens, and expect the CTST service to truly flourish.

Jan Saunders

East Coast District Coordinator

29

SERVICE DELIVERY:

CIRCULAR HEAD DISTRICT:

The Circular Head area has had yet another busy year and faced with a few challenges with volunteer availability.

Driver shortages in the Smithton area resulted in a broad media campaign in an attempt to attract more volun-

teers, unfortunately this did not result in many individuals registering their interest.

On occasions it has been necessary to bring volunteer drivers from Wynyard to service the Smithton area as re-

quired and it is becoming increasingly necessary to rely on the Wyndarra Centre in Smithton to provide some of

their paid staff to drive our vehicle for their client pick up and outings.

There has been a decline in group travel, partly due to the passing of regular attendees and the ageing process now

restricting some clients from actively participating. Transition into aged care facilities and use of other HACC fund-

ed services are also contributing factors.

The Coordinator hours were increased in May, this increase has facilitated long office hours and an ability to active-

ly participate in community forums and time to market the service.

There were 80 plus new registrations and reassessments for the year, this continues to remain stable.

In January we took possession of a new Toyota Hi Ace Commuter with two wheel chair access points for the

Smithton area, the hoists were generously donated by the Rotary Club of Somerset. This much welcomed vehicle

replaced a very well used older vehicle. Whilst we have had a few teething problems with accessibility, these minor

issues have been rectified and it is serving the community well and particularly multiple wheel chair clients.

In May we took possession of another wheel chair accessible Toyota Hi Ace Commuter for the Wynyard area, again

the hoist was generously donated by the Rotary Club of Somerset. This vehicle will provide a wheelchair accessible

vehicle for the Wynyard and Somerset area.

I continue to work collaboratively with the Greater Burnie and more recently Mersey Meander Districts, this ena-

bles us to resource share and provide a far more cost effective and efficient service throughout these Districts. I’m

grateful of the flexibility and willingness to help that the drivers in Smithton, Wynyard and Burnie areas continue to

provide. Their contribution is immeasurable.

Allison Hall

Circular Head District Coordinator

30

SERVICE DELIVERY:

SOUTH DISTRICT:

The South District has experienced some changes this year, with the promotion of the previous coordinator and my

subsequent appointment to the position in May.

It has been a busy year with several new drivers having been inducted and strong growth of our client base, with

approximately 137 new clients being registered.

As the new Coordinator I will be focusing on promoting CTST strongly in the Kingston area, and establishing net-

works with other service provider groups, as this area is most likely to provide considerable opportunity for growth

in service delivery.

The vehicles used in the South District are generally deemed to be satisfactory for transporting our client mix with

the only exception being the Kia which causes some difficulty to clients accessing the vehicle due to the height issue

and the need to step up into it.

There has been an increase in unmet need and cancellations in medical trips, this is mostly due to cancellation and

re-scheduling of appointments by medical services.

Social trips are slowly increasing, and this is an area I will be focusing on encouraging.

We have inducted nine new drivers in the last twelve months, however there remains an availability issue with vol-

unteers taking leave and heading to the warmer states over the winter months. This pattern is making it increas-

ingly difficult to cover the vehicle rosters in some areas.

Overall there was an increase in trips across all areas in the District with a strong growth pattern demonstrated on

Bruny Island.

Jennifer Walsh

South District Coordinator

WEST COAST DISTRICT:

As for previous years the West Coast service has been provided under contract by the West Coast Council. The ser-

vice on the West Coast continues to provide largely non urgent medical transport to Burnie, Launceston and occa-

sionally Hobart therefor the majority of trips are long in kilometres and often low passenger numbers.

At this stage it would appear that there is little scope for local social transport however this is difficult to gauge as

there is limited promotion of the service in the district. With the success of CTST’s application for growth funding

we will now move to establish our own office in Queenstown with a dedicated Coordinator. This will facilitate a

more focused approach to providing and enhancing the service to West Coast residents.

31

SERVICE DELIVERY:

MERSEY MEANDER DISTRICT:

What was previously known as the West Tamar District was renamed as the Mersey Meander District and rezoned

in order to extend services into the Devonport, Latrobe and Port Sorell areas on the North West Coast. This district

continues to have carriage for services in the Meander Valley local government area.

Kim Arney was appointed to the Coordinator role, commencing in January and office space was secured in the East

Devonport shopping hub. The office location is well placed as it is in close proximity to services to those that are

used by our target client group and has secure vehicle parking to the rear of the building.

The Sheffield vehicle, its volunteer drivers and client base were moved to the new district with one sedan being

reallocated from the Greater Launceston District to facilitate client access, the vehicle located at Westbury has

been retained in this region.

Devonport clients and volunteer drivers previously managed by the Burnie Coordinator were transferred and the

birth of the new district was well under way with considerable effort being put into promoting the service it is

growing from strength to strength in relation to client and volunteer numbers.

In May a community meeting at Port Sorell was organised by a community member who was seeking support to

raise funds for a community vehicle. The forum was attended by the Director Operations and the Mersey Meander

Coordinator. There was a good turnout of local community members and Mayor Gaffney also attended.

As a result of the meeting CTST will look at basing a car in the Port Sorell area in the foreseeable future. CTST is

currently looking at options for garaging a vehicle and is actively recruiting a number of volunteers and clients. Ac-

tivity in this area is growing rapidly.

In addition a number of discussions have been held with the meander Valley Council in regard to CTST working in

tandem with their own community car. The community car based at Deloraine has reached capacity and council

wish to work with CTST to build transport capacity in the area, again this has been a positive process with a large

number of community car volunteer drivers having now registered with CTST as drivers. The vehicle currently lo-

cated at Westbury will be moved to Deloraine once housing is secured. This partnership will prove beneficial for

both CTST and the Mersey Valley community.

With a large retirement population in the Latrobe Municipality the growth of this district is assured.

Kim Arney

Mersey Meander District Coordinator

32

SERVICE DELIVERY:

DERWENT MIDLANDS DISTRICT:

The Derwent Midlands area has vehicles located in New Norfolk, Maydena, Bothwell and Oatlands, providing

transport throughout the Derwent Valley and Southern Midlands region. There are two vehicles based in New

Norfolk, a twelve seat coaster which provides transportation for people living in the community and to assist them

to attend planned social group programs, day centres and activities. This vehicle also provides a weekly shopping

trip each Friday.

The Maydena based vehicle provides an essential service to residents residing in Maydena, Westerway, Glenora

and the surrounding areas as there are few generic transport services available. Those accessing the services use

the car for social and medical appointments. Statistics for Maydena have tripled in the past year as trips are rec-

orded accurately and reflect the increased usage. The service is heavily booked on shopping days and the service

users endeavour to be flexible to ensure everyone to attend their appointments or do their tasks for the day.

The Bothwell and Oatlands vehicles are not as busy as the vehicles based in New Norfolk or Maydena as alternate

transport services based at medical centres are available to the surrounding communities and until recently these

were provided at a reduced cost. The Oatlands vehicle continues to transport the Bagdad Ladies Group for their

monthly social excursion. There is a shortage of volunteers in Bothwell which occasionally affects the services pro-

vided.

The Coordinator has moved to a lighter office with a shop frontage in the New Norfolk High Street, resulting in a

significant increase of visitors and clients, including drop-ins from potential new volunteers.

A Christmas party was held as a thank you to volunteer drivers in December 2013. Twenty five people attended

from New Norfolk, Maydena, Bothwell and Oatlands.

People using the CTST service regularly mention that without regular access to the transport service, they would

not be able to remain in the homes, among their friends and families and continue to reside in their community.

John Le Marie

Derwent Midlands Coordinator

MANAGER COORDINATION:

In May 2014 I was promoted to the positon of Senior Transport Co-ordinator. The Manager Co-ordination role

supports the Director Operations in the delivery of service to our clients.

In this role I am able to provide input into the delivery, documentation, processes and procedures that relate to

Co-ordinators and Volunteers who provide direct service across the 12 districts, and allows CTST to ensure that we

maintain consistency in the way we provide our service.

The role includes interviewing, training and induction of new Co-ordinators, responding to enquiries from

Co-ordinators, investigating all complaints made about our service, and supporting Head Office staff in their roles

where they involve, or interact with, Co-ordinators.

The position is busy, and each day has something different to offer. I am enjoying my new role within CTST.

Claudette Woolley

Manager Coordination

33

SERVICE DELIVERY— PARTNERING UP:

On 7 May 2014, Stuart Davies, CEO, assisted in the launch of two vehicles, both modified with disability access, in

both Smithton and Wynyard. The launch was conducted with Rotary . The story was advertised in the Chronicle

Newspaper;

The new wheelchair hoist installed in Smithton’s CTST vehicle will provide greater accessibility for local residents like Mark Johnstone

(centre), surrounded at the vehicle launch by (from left) Rotary district governor Bruce Buxton, Leigh Newman, CTST CEO Stuart Davies, Som-

erset Rotary’s Mary Duniam and Smithton Rotary’s Jenny Wallis. Picture: Bodey Dittloff.

A Generous Gift Community:

What started as an ambitious fundraising goal to help a young boy with severe Cerebral Palsy snowballed into an

overwhelming effort no-one could have expected.

The Rotary-driven project, “Give Toby Wheels”, set a target of $75,000 to purchase a wheelchair equipped vehicle

for Somerset boy Toby Nielson.

A fundraising walk from Smithton to Hobart by Toby’s Grandfather, Leigh Newman, along with the contributions of

various Rotary clubs across Tasmania raised a total of $85,000, enabling the vehicle to be purchased and surplus

funds used to enhance wheelchair accessibility for Community Transport Services Tasmania (CTST) vehicles in

Smithton and Wynyard.

CTST Chief Executive Officer, Stuart Davies, said the committee’s efforts were astounding in being able to exceed

their own expectations. “This is a staggering contribution,” he said. “It’s a major investment in infrastructure on

these vehicles.

We are very appreciative of the community effort, and we’re also appreciative that Rotary called on us to help.”

Mr Davies described a trend of more residents staying at home as opposed to moving into residential care, with

donations from initiatives such as “Give Toby Wheels” an overwhelming assistance.

34

“The funding for this is absolutely critical. There’s no alternative allocation of funding,” he said. “Only through

community groups raising money like this are we able to provide this type of service.”

Chairing the “Give Toby Wheels” project was Somerset Rotarian and Braddon MP Joan Rylah, who put her hand up

straight away to help rally specific groups and organisations around the cause. “It was a glaringly obvious need that

I wanted to get involved with,” she said. “Our club has never raised an amount like that for any single project.”

With the impressive amount raised exceeding all expectations, Mrs Rylah said it was essential to give back to CTST

and the services with the greatest need. “It is really important that we spread that money around,” she said.

“People right across the area contributed to it.”

Local resident Mark Johnstone and his family ,who will be able to take full advantage of the newly installed wheel-

chair hoists, thanked all involved for providing Mark with a freedom to travel he would not otherwise have had ac-

cess to.

35

INTERVIEW WITH A VOLUNTEER:

HELEN BAYLES

My interest in Community Transport started in 1997 when I learned of a locally based service for people needing to go to appointments or social engagements - who otherwise relied upon friends and family.

At the time Stewart, my husband, was confined to a wheelchair and attending physiotherapy two or three times weekly. I was in full time work and it wasn’t always easy to co-ordinate days off to assist him. We decided to give it a go.

The service was exceptional and the drivers were all so helpful. They would come to our home, make sure Stewart was secure and comfortable in the vehicle, transport him to Launceston Gen-eral Hospital where he would undergo therapy treatments before the driver helped us to return home once again. So much pressure taken off my shoulders.

We had been to school with some of the drivers so it reunited old friendships and many of the passengers were parents of friends so the trips often ignited previ-ously forgotten memories.

For many months Community Transport helped Stewart to renew his sense of independence which definitely helped him with his recovery.

Upon retiring we settled in Swansea where I was asked if I would be interested in becoming a Community Transport driver. With firsthand knowledge of the benefits, and realising the East Coast residents were disadvantaged in many ways by distance, I made the commitment to lend a hand to others.

I remember my first drive so well. I was assigned a “debonair” client. Being from the north of the State I didn’t have a lot of knowledge of the Hobart streets so I studied the map. I needn’t have worried though as my client knew ex-actly where to go – even though we ended up at the wrong end of a one-way street. We had a good laugh and I have since found all clients to be debonair and amiable.

Being a volunteer driver I have met many people in the community that otherwise I would not know and it is always interesting to listen to their achievements and stories of their lives and families. Many don’t realise how much they have truly achieved in their time and just how much they too have given back to their community. It is wonderful to listen and learn from them.

On one occasion I transported a client to her medical appointment in Hobart, only to find it had been scheduled for a day earlier! Wearing my identification badge I accompanied the client back to the reception desk, nicely explain-ing we had come such a long way and “could it be possible to allocate an appointment on this occasion?”. They kindly obliged and the client was just so pleased that her trip wasn’t in vain. Motto is : always have your ID!

This role gives me such a sense of satisfaction knowing our clients can still live in this area when family members move elsewhere. We help them to enjoy their lives by taking them to appointments or to a day out shopping or simply to visit a friend or family in another part of Tasmania.

36

Sometimes it can present a challenge or two with 4 clients all going different ways and not wanting to have people waiting too long, but it always works out with graciousness and smiles all round.

Having variety in the day is also a bit of fun. While many of my days involve taking clients to medical appointments there are many other events I have attended. For example, I drove a group of ladies attending the Spin In at Both-well. After leaving Swansea early, we stopped for a “home baked” picnic morning tea at St Peter Pass, followed by a picnic lunch in Bothwell.

Groups regularly use our Community Car to attend the various craft events around the State; fundraising fashion parades; luncheons and movie days and we’ve also enjoyed the Penny Farthing Races at Evandale. On a drive to Hobart to view the Tall Ships I was entertained by two of our clients singing “Tip Toe Through The Tulips”, showing the hidden talents we have in our community!

During the years I have been a volunteer driver I have some wonderful memories. I have seen people off at the air-port and been there to greet them on their return. I have helped people to remain independent and to enjoy their lives on the East Coast where otherwise they may have to move closer to more services.

I’ve had a lot of fun, lots of laughter - but mostly I hope I have been there with my support, just as the Community Transport drivers were when we needed it most all those years ago.

On closing, I would like to say it is a pleasure to drive my clients and would recommend this role to anyone. The experience opens up a new world to each of us, and every day is filled with a new emotional reward.

Never a dull moment as a Community Transport Volunteer Driver!

37

CONSUMER ENGAGEMENT:

I was one of 4 CTST Co-ordinators that had the opportunity to undertake a Vocational Graduate Certificate in Con-

sumer Engagement earlier this year. The course was delivered in 3 class room sessions, and 2 clinics, spread over

various days in February and March.

Consumer Engagement is very relevant to the service CTST provides, and it can be implemented in more ways than

I at first thought. The course presented new ideas on how to engage with our clients, effectively listen, and re-

spond, to their concerns and suggestions regarding improvements to our service.

Part of the attaining the completed Certificate was the requirement to undertake a small Consumer Engagement

project. My project focussed on gathering a small group of clients and holding an informal “Coffee, Cake and Chat”

session at a local café. The clients all gave positive feedback about the opportunity to attend the session. General

consensus was that CTST provides an exceptional service, and praise for the volunteers who provide their transport

was fulsome. There were some suggestions made as to where we might better advertise our service, the type of

vehicle we use, information included in our flyer and discussion regarding the suitability of the current logo.

A report has been passed on to Management regarding the session, and I will be following up with the clients to

advise them of the response.

I believe that CTST can enjoy positive, beneficial and respectful relationships with our clients through better imple-

mentation of Consumer Engagement practices within our organisation.

Claudette Woolley

Manager Co-ordination

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INTERVIEW WITH A CLIENT:

Maxine Woodward lives at Hellyer Beach around twenty five minutes from Smithton.

Maxine has been using the service for around three years. Where she lives is somewhat isolated. As a conse-

quence she uses the service for social activities, to travel to Smithton fortnightly to do shopping and coordinate

medical appointments.

“Just as important the service also provides me the opportunity to visit friends and relatives around the state and

the occasional trip to the airport’, she says.

“I enjoy the company of volunteers, they are helpful, polite and most importantly respectful of my age’, says

Maxine.

Maxine was complimentary of the local Coordinator who works hard for her and has the ability to make things hap-

pen, particularly with longer trips.

“I find the costs reasonable she says mainly due to the fact that the service is door to door and this is most helpful

when having to deal with my luggage.”

Maxine made the point that she appreciates not having long waiting time before she gets in the vehicles.

When asked about her fondest memory of the CTST service, Maxine provided a wonderful example;

“A volunteer Kay McFarlane drove from Smithton to Launceston, despite not being well, to collect me from the air-

port in order to hear my story about the cruise from which I was returning.”

Maxine concluded the interview by telling us that the service provided by CTST is professional and friendly, but no

so professional that it does not lose its friendliness.

We thank Maxine for this interview and her gracious comments about CTST and more importantly our Volunteer

Drivers.

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FINANCIAL REPORT:

CTST incurred an initial operating surplus in 2013 /2014 of $49,863.

The surplus, following a deficit the previous year, reflects the accounting impact of including a $30,000 grant from

Rotary as income however capitalising the expenditure in the Balance Sheet.

CTST’s provision accounts, annual leave provisions, and capital expenditure program remain under constant review

given the narrow funding base the business operates within. CTST continues to be funded on a CPI funding formula

delivering increased funding around 2.25% annually. In 2013/ 2014 CTST was funded under a split agreement be-

tween the State and Commonwealth Governments for the first time.

During 2013 / 2014 CTST was successful in achieving two significant negotiated outcomes with the Commonwealth:

Achieving a capital injection of $1,417,000 to upgrade the vehicle fleet, monies that will be expended in

2014 / 2015.

Successfully tendering for growth funding of around $1,000,000 most of which will be expended during

2014/ 2015. These funds form part of the ongoing base funding of CTST.

The year on year financial viability of the business continues to depend upon increased fees collections. Costs have

been contained where possible however under the present funding formula, CTST remains exposed to unavoidable

increased costs such as vehicle maintenance, fuel and indirect costs such as fleet and corporate rate insurances.

The Balance Sheet is now characterised by temporary high liquidity however the underlying weakness, lack of real

assets, remains a concern.

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