Administrator of Christmas
and Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Community Newsletter
Issue 20 – 21 November 2020
In this issue:Welcome Message Latest News Community Bulletins - Assistant Minister Media Release – Budget 2020: Delivering for Christmas Island
- New Electricity Fees for the Indian Ocean Territories
- 2020-21 Water and wastewater service charges for IOT
- Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment – New Conservation Advice for two endangered Christmas Island birds
Community Activities - 2020 Inter-Island Sports Event
Public Announcements Job Opportunities
We recently welcomed Destination WA to Christmas Island for the filming of 13 exciting episodes that will showcase the Island, thanks to Australian Government funding. This exciting initiative is part of the tourism marketing funding which was made available through the IOT tailored economic stimulus package announced earlier in the year by Assistant Minister for Territories, the Hon Nola Marino. Destination WA is broadcast not just in WA but nationally across Australia. The series will also showcase the earlier filming that took place on Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Thanks to Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands Tourism Associations for all their effort and enthusiasm in developing a very
exciting group of stories that will highlight all the amazing attributes of the Indian Ocean Territories. The Destination WA episodes featuring Christmas and Cocos (Keeling) Islands will be broadcast every Sunday night on Channel 9 at 5:30pm WAST commencing Sunday 15 November 2020. You can watch the full first episode of the series featuring both Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island, with this link: https://youtu.be/sTleilnqxZs Our Christmas Island Territory Week 2020 events saw such incredible community participation to showcase and
celebrate our island home and cultures, including generous sponsorship, collaboration and volunteering to make it all happen. Thanks to all involved in organising events and the CI community for adhering to COVID-19 safety plans and measures to ensure this was a fun and safe opportunity for us to come together. A special shout-out to the can-do coordination team of Chantelle Robinson, Belinda Van Zundert, Linda Anticich, Khaliesha Amin, Stephanie Lai, Sook Yee Gan, Nicholas Gan, Steve Pereira, Simon Rohan and Kylie Lawson. The week wouldn’t have been able to occur without our generous sponsors and supporters including CIP/Phosphate Resources Ltd, Virgin Australia, TOLL, Golden Bosun, Creations Event Services, CI Removals, SERCO,
Metro’s, Freightshop, Acker, Meng Chong, 6RCI, Fourth Seed, Block Renovations, Al-Barakah, Christmas Island Recreation Centre, AFP, ABF, IOT Harbour Master, IOTHS and R U OK?, IOTPS and Water Corp. Thank you to all of the talented local performers and our awesome volunteers from the CI Removals team, Malay Dance Group, Chinese Dance Group by Suzanne Chan, Malay Kompang, Christmas Island Kung Fu Association, Wei Tang Chan, SERCO bus drivers, VMR, St Johns Ambulance, CIDHS students and CI Volunteer Fire & Emergency Services, Khairin Amin, Imran Pereira, Natalie Stapp, Siti Abdul Majid, Tiara Amin and Digby Edwards. Thanks to the Shire of Christmas Island for assisting with the road closure and providing additional bins for each event to keep our Island safe and the environment
clean. The sold-out Trivia Night, which was jointly hosted by CIP/Phosphate Resources Ltd and the Office of the Administrator, included prizes donated by Fourth Seed, Golden Bosun, TOLL, Christmas Island Tourism Association, Christmas Island Cinema Club, Christmas Island Cricket Club, 6RCI, CIP. It was action-packed fun at the CI Family Day including the Cove Swim (organised and run by the CI Recreation Centre), raft race (organised and sponsored by Phosphate Resources Ltd), food and merchandise stalls, face painting, magician’s workshop and live band “Radio Now”. Organised by the Cricket Club, the Christmas Island Annual Sports Day was another great event, as was the fishing competition (organised and sponsored by Shorefire)
and Sepak Takraw (sponsored by Al-Barakah). At the Evening Soiree jointly hosted by CIP/Phosphate Resources Ltd and the Office of the Administrator, it was a glamorous good time with auction items donated by Christmas Island Hardware, Christmas Island Post Office and Watson Island Carpentry and Excavation Services. Competition was heated in the Island Quest scavenger hunt (organised by AFP), with prizes donated by the AFP, Seaview Fish n Chips and Christmas Island Recreation Centre. The Family Picnic included live performances by Christmas Island Kung Fu Association, Malay Dance Group, Malay Kompang, Suzanne Chan’s Chinese Dance Group and Toby the Magician. A huge thanks to the community
for their generous support of the IOT Community Fund fundraising efforts. We are continuing the fundraising campaign and will publish our final tally. The lucky winners will also be notified directly to collect their prize. Following Territory Week, I travelled to CKI. It was fantastic to once again meet with so many of you in person and get updates on a range of important projects and community initiatives. As well as various emergency management engagements, I also chaired the health services Community Advisory Committee meeting and you can read more about the important topics we covered later in the newsletter. If you have story ideas for upcoming editions of the newsletter, including future community events and activities or past events
(including photos) please email belinda.vanzundert@infrastructure.gov.au in my office. We always welcome community input. If you would like more information about any topic in the newsletter, or if you would like to receive a hard copy, please contact my office.
Mrs Natasha Griggs
Administrator of Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Christmas Island Territory Week 2020 events.
Christmas Island Territory Week 2020 events.
At the Evening Soiree jointly hosted by CIP/Phosphate Resources Ltd and the Office of the Administrator.
CI airport arrivals upgrade stimulus project supports growing passenger demand
Runway resurfacing works.
Works to improve facilities at the Christmas Island airport are progressing well, with the majority of the $250,000 stimulus funding for the project awarded to local contractors. The baggage collection enclosure includes enclosure of the terminal extension, tiling of the existing baggage collection area, a baggage carousel and air conditioning in Customs and waiting areas. The airport improvement project is part of the Australian Government’s $5.15 million tailored COVID-19 stimulus funding for CI which will also see improvements to community facilities, the bringing forward of strategic power infrastructure upgrades, upgrades to public housing, and enhancements to Flying Fish Cove. Improving local infrastructure not only provides short-term stimulus to the CI economy and improves community facilities but also enhances the experience of visitors. The stimulus project is being complemented by other important maintenance works, such as the recent airport runway resurfacing treatments.
New IOT Airports ManagerIt is my pleasure to welcome Don Bridges, who commences as Airport Manager, Christmas and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, from 16 November 2020. With more than 26 years’ experience in the airports industry, Don brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in airport operations, management and general logistics to the role. Having previously held the position of IOT Airports Manager from July 2000 to August 2003, Don understands the unique challenges and opportunities of the IOT, and is excited to now be returning to Christmas Island with his partner and two children. I would like to acknowledge and thank outgoing IOT Airports Manager Paul McFarlane, who is moving into a new role at Newcastle Airport. Paul has provided tremendous leadership and support for more than five years as IOT Airports Manager, including during the COVID-19 pandemic where he played a pivotal role in managing airport operations. We wish Paul and his family all the best in their new endeavors.
Skating thrills and skills for Cocos kids Skateboarding WA, represented by Rowan White and Mat de Koning, visited the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CKI) during the recent school holidays. The itinerary was arranged through the Shire of CKI, with support from Ossie, Fatin and Isa and Shire CEO Andrea Selvey. Activities were held at the skateboard pumptrack located on West Island, as well as on the flat undercover concrete areas on both Home and West Islands. New skills were honed and developed on the pumptrack while on the flat surfaces the children were able to learn and practice balance,
turns, twists and tricks. Skateboards and safety equipment purchased through Australian Government funding were brought to the Island by Skateboarding WA and this enabled the children to participate with confidence and develop new skills without fear. The equipment will stay with the community and be available for use through the Shire Offices.
Meeting of the IOT Health Service Community Advisory Committee
On 13 October, during my visit to the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, I chaired an extremely productive meeting of the Indian Ocean Territories Health Service (IOTHS) Community Advisory Committee. I was pleased to see the strong level of engagement by the community, as it is essential that we are designing and delivering fit-for-purpose health services led by community needs and priorities. During the meeting a number of important issues were covered, including the upcoming visit by National Disability Insurance Agency representatives at the end of the month, and the visit by Aged Care assessors for low-level care needs in late November. We also discussed pharmacy services for Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Island communities, as well as our focus areas for the IOTHS Strategic Plan 2020-25, which sets out the goals, objectives and aspirations for the delivery of health services in the Indian Ocean Territories for the next five years. The plan is available here or you can contact the Office of the Administrator if you would like more information on the Plan. We also touched on the onsite accreditation of IOTHS services early next year, and were able to review and endorse the IOTHS community information brochures
and policy. Lastly, we discussed the current COVID-19 status update for the Indian Ocean Territories. I would like to reaffirm my gratitude to the community for following Government guidelines and supporting us to remain COVID-free over the past months of the pandemic. I encourage all of you to continue to follow the guidelines so we can keep the IOT COVID-safe moving forward. The next CAC meeting will take place in early 2021, with the committee continuing to meet quarterly. I encourage all interested community members to engage with their local representatives, who are: Christmas Island - Vanessa Bennett
- Paul Maberly
- Vicky Watson
- Rafi Borchart
Cocos (Keeling) Islands - Levi Fowler
- Kelly Edwards
- Isa Minkom
- Azia Bulka
If you are interested in becoming a representative for your community on the IOTHS CAC please contact my office
on: The health services on Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands are delivered by the Indian Ocean Territories Health Service (IOTHS) through the Australian Government and include inpatient and emergency care, home and community health care, pathology and radiology services, oral health care, visiting specialist medical and allied health services and
telehealth.
NDIA visit to Indian Ocean Territories
During late October and early November, representatives from the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) visited the Indian Ocean Territories to meet and engage with community members interested in learning more about the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The Indian Ocean Territories Health Service has been working closely with NDIA over the past six months to transition clients to NDIS. The representatives visited Christmas Island from 27 October – 3 November, and Cocos (Keeling) Islands from 4-6 November, with a range of meetings and engagements at the health service, schools and with the Shires. The NDIS is a vitally important service that will provide support for an
estimated 500,000 Australians over the next five years who have a permanent and significant disability. It is Australia’s first national Scheme for people with disability to support a better life and help achieve their goals. It is important that IOT residents understand the NDIS – from people with disability, to families, carers, the wider community and businesses. The NDIA representatives can be contacted through the health service or directly via email, at Community.engagement.wa@ndis.gov.au
Territories Legislation Amendment Bill 2020On 7 October 2020, the Territories Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 (the Bill) was introduced to Parliament to update and improve the legislative frameworks in Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, along with other Commonwealth Territories. For the Indian Ocean Territories, the Bill means that appropriate powers will be automatically vested in police and local government and will automatically update if relevant laws are amended or made by the Western Australian Government. The powers available to the police and local government officials won’t change, just the way they are
conferred. The Bill also amends the Administrative Decisions (Judicial Review) Act 1977 (ADJR Act) and Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act), to cover decisions made by Commonwealth officials and to guarantee that statutory bodies, such as local government, are covered by the Privacy Act. The amendments will also clarify the application of the Australian Privacy Principles to protect the rights of Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Island residents and businesses. To ensure further consistency across all Australian Territories, the Australian Government is also ensuring that
legislation relating to corporations is extended to the Indian Ocean Territories. For more information on the changes, a fact sheet is available on the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communication’s website https://www.regional.gov.au/territories/norfolk_island/legislation-updates.aspx
Community Reminder- Spear fishing is prohibited in the Christmas Island National Park Marine ZoneChristmas Island National Park’s marine zone adjoins the park’s land areas and extends 50m from the shoreline. This means that most of the reef is within the marine zone. Spear fishing is not allowed in the marine zones. The park will follow up all reported cases of spear fishing. We understand there is confusion on the water about where the marine park zone begins and ends. To help, the team at the national park have developed the following series of maps to show the marine park
boundary in relation to the reef (lighter water on the maps). The maps show examples of the marine zone boundary in popular reef areas of the park, including West White Beach, Winifred Beach and Perpendicular Wall. The red lines on the maps show the marine zones of the national park and as can be seen, most of the reef is within the marine zone. Please contact Park Headquarters on 9164 8700 to organise to collect a copy of these maps. If anyone in the community would like to report incidents of spear fishing in the marine zone please contact park headquarters on 9164 8700.
Prevention steps and advice for caregivers and household members of suspected casesCaregivers and household members should follow the advice below to reduce their risk of infection while awaiting swab results. Wash your hands Wash your hands often and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. You can use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser if your hands are not visibly dirty. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. Always wash your hands before putting on and after taking off gloves and masks. Wear a surgical mask Wear a surgical mask and disposable gloves when you are in the same room as the person with suspected COVID-19 infection, or when you touch or have contact with the person’s blood, body fluids and/or secretions, such as sweat, saliva, sputum, nasal mucus, vomit, urine, or faeces. The person who has been tested should also wear a mask. - Make sure your mask covers your nose and mouth at all times.
- Throw out disposable surgical masks and disposable gloves after use.
- Wash your hands immediately after removing the surgical mask and gloves.
Clean household surfaces Clean all “high-touch” surfaces, such as counters, tabletops, doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, toilets, phones, keyboards, tablets, and bedside tables, at least once a day wearing disposable gloves. Also, clean any surfaces that may have blood, body fluids and/or secretions on them. Read labels of cleaning products and follow recommendations on product labels. Labels contain instructions for safe and effective use of the cleaning product including precautions you should take when applying the product, such as wearing gloves or aprons and making sure the area is well ventilated when using the product. Use a household disinfectant or a diluted bleach solution on hard surfaces. To make a bleach solution at home, add 1 tablespoon of bleach to 4 cups of water. Wear a surgical mask and disposable gloves while handling soiled items. Wash your hands immediately after removing gloves and masks. Wash laundry thoroughly. Immediately remove and wash clothes or bedding that have blood, body fluids and/or secretions on them. Read and follow directions on labels of laundry or clothing items and detergent. In general, wash and dry with the warmest temperatures recommended on the clothing label. Dishes should be washed
in a dishwasher where possible. Disposing of contaminated items Place all used disposable gloves, surgical masks, and other contaminated items in a lined waste bin before disposing of them with other household waste. Wash your hands immediately after handling these items. Tips for you and your family to help cope with home isolation Being in home isolation can be frightening, particularly for young children. We’ve put together some tips for coping: - Talk to other family members about COVID-19 to
reduce anxiety. You can find accurate, up to date information at ww2.health.wa.gov.au
- Reassure young children using age-appropriate language
- Keep up a normal daily routine as much as possible
- Arrange with your employer to work from home
- Ask your child’s school to supply assignments, work sheets and homework by post or email
- Think about how you have coped with difficult situations in the past and reassure yourself that you will cope with this situation too. Remember that isolation won’t last forever.
- Keep
in touch with family members and friends via telephone, email or social media
- Exercise regularly at home. Options could include exercise DVDs, dancing, floor exercises, yoga, walking around the backyard or using home exercise equipment, such as a stationary bicycle, if you have it. Exercise is a proven treatment for stress and depression.
- Ask your family, friends or other members of the household to pick up your groceries and medicines for you
- Treat isolation as an opportunity to do some of those things you never usually have time for, such as board games, craft, drawing and reading.
Still have questions or need support while in
isolation? - Lifeline Australia: 13 11 14. A crisis support service that provides short term support at any time for people who are having difficulty coping or staying safe.
- Kids Helpline:
1800 551800. A free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25 years.
- IOTHS Christmas Island: 089164 8333
- IOTHS Cocos Keeling Islands- West Island: 08 9162 6655
- IOTHS Cocos Keeling Islands- Home Island: 08 9162 7609
CleanersIndian Ocean Territories Administration
Territory Officer Level 2 - Christmas Island
Multiple Vacancies Fixed Term Non-Ongoing for a period of one year or Casual $46,605 - $60,050 per annum or $29.78 - $38.37 per hour The Indian Ocean Territories Administration (IOTA) is currently seeking motivated, dedicated and suitably qualified persons to join our Christmas Island District High School (CIDHS) team as Cleaners. Cleaners will primarily be responsible for delivering high quality cleaning services across the Christmas Island District High School offices, buildings, amenities and grounds. Our ideal applicant will have a cleaning qualification and /
or relevant experience in a similar role as well as a basic knowledge of work health and safety responsibilities and a demonstrated ability to organise time and work priorities efficiently with limited supervision. The successful candidate will be experienced in maintaining confidentiality and working in sensitive environments and will have basic written and verbal English language ability. The ability to also communicate in a local community language of Chinese and / or Bahasa Melayu will be well regarded. To be considered, applicants must obtain a satisfactory Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check conducted through the IOTA and must hold a valid Western Australian Working with Children Check. The successful candidate may also be subject to a health assessment. For further information about this opportunity or for an application pack outlining how you can apply, please contact the IOTA Human Resources Team at IOTHRTeam@infrastructure.gov.au and quote position number 109128. Applications close 3.00PM (Christmas Island local time) (CXT) (UTC+7), Thursday, 3 December 2020.
Senior Registered Nurse Level 1 Cocos (Keeling) Islands
2 Year Fixed Term Non-Ongoing Vacancy – Full Time
(with the possibility of a further one year extension at
the Department’s discretion) Package valued in excess of $160,000 including: - Base salary of $99,079 per annum plus 30% commuted allowance
- Employer contribution to superannuation at 16% of base salary
- District allowance payable in addition to base salary
- Relocation assistance if relocating to the Indian Ocean Territories
- Generous leave entitlements
- Heavily subsidised housing motor vehicle if relocating to the Indian Ocean Territories
- Annual return airfares assistance to Perth
The Indian Ocean Territories Administration (IOTA) is currently seeking motivated, professional and suitably qualified persons to join our team as a Senior Registered Nurse Level 1 within the Indian Ocean Territories Health Service (IOTHS) based on Cocos (Keeling) Islands. The IOTHS delivers a primary and acute health care service in two of Australia’s most remote and most spectacular settings - Christmas Island (CI) and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CKI). The IOTHS includes a 24 hour eight bed hospital and primary care
facility on CI and clinics on Home and West Islands in the CKI. The IOTHS is committed to “Working with our communities to keep us healthy for the whole of our lives”. The key responsibilities of the Senior Registered Nurse Level 1 position are to deliver high quality and comprehensive nursing and emergency care and to manage complex nursing cases in a rural and remote setting. In addition, the Senior Registered Nurse Level 1 position will be a professional role model, resource and support for colleagues. The position is required to independently manage several portfolios and participate in an on-call roster outside of clinic hours. Our ideal applicant will possess recent demonstrable advanced standard of clinical skills in a rural and remote health setting as well as
recent emergency management qualifications and experience including the ability to manage an emergency with minimum support. Additionally, the successful candidate will have experience in the development and delivery of health care using primary health principles and primary health care programs. Well-developed communication and analytical skills and a committed to quality improvement are also essential. To be considered, applicants must be currently registered as a Registered Nurse with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA) and hold tertiary / post graduate qualifications in immunisation and pharmacotherapeutics. Applicants must hold a current ‘C’ class Driver’s Licence transferable to the Indian Ocean Territories and be eligible to obtain a valid Western Australia Working with Children
Check. For further information about this unique and exciting opportunity, please contact Fiona Dickson, Nurse Unit Manager CKI on (08) 9162 7609 or fiona.dickson@infrastructure.gov.au. For an application pack outlining how you can apply, please contact the IOT Human Resources Team at IOTHRTeam@infrastructure.gov.au and quote position number 111229. Applications close 4.00pm (Christmas Island local time) (CXT) (UTC+7), Thursday, 3 December 2020 Number: SC 28/2020
Fixed Plant Maintenance Supervisor
(Internal employees are encouraged to apply) About The Opportunity The role coordinates the safe and efficient mechanical maintenance of fixed plant across the operations. The role reports to the Fixed Plant Maintenance Manager and leads a small team of Mechanical Fitters/Machinists and Apprentices. Key Accountabilities include: - Lead the Maintenance Trades to ensure high quality maintenance services are provided to plant and equipment in a safe and timely manner.
- Support production and site activities to optimise productivity and minimise downtime
- Prioritise, resource and coordinate all unplanned maintenance, with a sound customer focus.
- Quality assurance of work standards.
- Manage team members’ competency development and performance.
What you will need to succeed in this role - Mechanical trade qualifications and post trade experience.
- At least two years’ experience in supervising the maintenance of fixed plant within minerals processing. Demonstrated success in leading a small team.
- Strong ability to build effective internal and external working relationships at all levels
- Strong safety mindset in all facets of work
- Effective communication and influencing capability
- Demonstrated experience leading a mechanical crew at fixed plant work sites
- Experience in using a CMMS.
- Working at Heights & Confined
Space tickets
- Possess a current “C” class drivers licence
- Senior First Aid certificate
- A positive attitude to work and safety; ability to contribute to continuous improvements
- Good communication (both verbal & written) skills
If you require further information about this position, please feel free to contact Graham Austen on 0439 215 409 or email grahama@cirp.com Applications with covering letters must be submitted to hr@cirp.com. CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS – COB Monday, 4th December 2020
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