MONITORING , MEASURING AND MINOR WORKS CONTINUE
FOCUS ON : COVID-19 RESPONSE
Our response to the COVID-19 pandemic was rapid , efficient and effective . With almost 30 projects on the go – involving millions of dollars of landholder and government-invested resources , equipment and money – staff quickly transitioned to working from home , while continuing to roll-out projects .
Necessary changes , including postponing nonessential travel and all public events , were made in
consultation with funders , contractors , landholders and other stakeholders .
More than 50 employees working across three offices displayed professionalism and ingenuity to keep projects on track while adhering to strict safety protocols based on government advice . They kept regional communities informed about the changes , and worked with partners to plan different ways to achieve objectives .
MONITORING , MEASURING AND MINOR WORKS CONTINUE
The primary aim was maintaining business continuity and effectiveness while ensuring the health and safety of employees , partners and landholders . Staff worked quickly to identify critical , time-sensitive activities — such as monitoring or construction — that may be affected by COVID-19 restrictions , and developed plans to manage them .
Together with funding partners , they plotted possible changes to project milestone dates , depending on the course the pandemic took , and came up with alternative ways to continue kicking goals .
Meetings went online , as did workshops that under normal circumstances might have been delivered under the shade of a gum tree , or in a machinery shed . “ Zoom ” was a word with which everyone soon became familiar .
Our staff ’ s long-standing relationships with landholders , based on mutual respect , ensured site visits , project monitoring and planning work continued , always with an eye on the government safety guidelines . Property visits — subject to landholder consent — were limited to two staff members , travelling in separate vehicles . New safety protocols required visitors and hosts to answer questions related to health and recent travel before site visits could be scheduled .
Between April and June , field staff engaged more than 1000 times ( via , phone , Zoom , email or in person ) with nearly 450 landholders , delivery partners and funders , to get the job done .
Monitoring work continued where possible , including fish monitoring at this fishway at
Saltwater Creek
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