Review of issues related to the acquisition and management of container accommodation in the Northern Territory and the management of ACMS on prescribed communities 

I recommend that:

1. The OH&S issues be reported to and monitored by an appropriately senior departmental committee similar in role to an audit committee;
2. The capacity of the OH&S section be reviewed with a view to better equipping it to meet the OH&S challenges now facing the Department;
3. The responsibility of officers to report OH&S issues to the OH&S Section be identified and reinforced;
4. All officers, but particularly those in managerial positions, be made aware of the seriousness with which the Department regards OH&S issues and of their individual responsibility for taking appropriate action on those issues;
5. The need to prepare risk management plans for all program and project activities be reinforced and that standard formats appropriate to those activities be used;
6. Unless there are demonstrable reasons for departing from approved risk management strategies managers be required to operate in accordance with those strategies;
7. Given the not inconsiderable investment in developing the Strategic Accommodation Plan that any decision not to use the same methodology on future accommodation projects be reviewed;
8. The structure and level of resourcing for managing GBMs be reviewed having particular regard to their role and that in any such review regard also be had to the roles and relationships of the ICCs and the two newly created Regional Coordinator’s positions;
9. That particular attention be paid to achieving meaningful two way communication with GBMs and to achieving a consultative and effective management model that appropriately reflects the expectations of and experience with GBMs;
10. A transparent methodology for appraising the performance of GBMs be developed and implemented;
11. The advantages of retaining the services of effective GBMs for extended periods (say 3 years) be recognised;
12. Consideration be given to allowing GBMs, on appropriate communities, to be accompanied and if agreed, that appropriate conditions, including accommodation be provided;
13. The employment conditions applying to officers working and living in similar conditions in communities be reviewed with a view to providing standard conditions;
14. The role of GBMs and their relationship to other Commonwealth Officers working on or in communities be clarified;
15. Legal and Compliance Group be involved in developing contractual arrangements; and
16. The department identifies appropriate arrangements to be made to take proper account of the individual circumstances of officers exposed to either the fumes or asbestos.  I also recommend that all officers both past and present who have occupied the containers, or have been exposed to asbestos be kept appropriately informed of, and involved in, the development of the responses to the issues involved.