R13 Boundary Alignment Update 6

Back to Boundary Alignment Project

Last week I attended the monthly Boundary Alignment Project Board Meeting which consists of all General Managers and Headquarters Directorate representatives and received an update on the Boundary Alignment Project from a state wide perspective.

I am currently waiting on the Minutes and when received I will provide an overview of the meeting in a future GM’s Update.  

Yarra Area Transition Template

Yarra Area Project Officer, Peter Plant completed the Yarra Area Transition Overview which I referred to in Update No.5  where the Area has ‘flagged’ to the Corporate Boundary Alignment Team what we believe are the big ticket items from a functional perspective.

This document highlights the requirements for our Area including a summary impact assessment and what we need to consider in regards to people and resources, infrastructure and finance.

The Transition Template was forwarded to HQ on Friday. This means the Yarra Area is on track and we have met the first of many milestones as we move forward with this project.

The Yarra Area Transition Overview is separate to the Brigade Transition Templates.

Boundary Alignment Meetings

An initial project meeting schedule is being drafted to kick off the discussions and consultation on Boundary Alignment with the Brigades and Groups. AMT members will attend these meetings where possible.  When all meeting dates are finalised the schedule will be sent through via a GM’s Update for information.

I have arranged for joint meetings with the Area Management Teams from Regions, 8, 12 and 14.  As part of the process in moving forward I want to ‘workshop’ the relevant transition issues with our regional counterparts to ensure we are working on the same page, as we move forward with the consultation process with Brigades and Groups.

Peter Plant has arranged a preliminary meeting with the Eltham Brigade tonight to start the consolidation and identification of their specific needs.

The Brigade Transition Template will get a trial run with the Eltham Brigade members prior to a workshop being held at a later date within the Lower Yarra Group. A list of things to think about, or ‘discussion points’ has been provided to the Eltham Brigade Members and covers off themes on training, operations, finance and administration.

Peter will then hold the workshop with the Lower Yarra Group Brigades to develop a personalised Transition Template for each brigade.  

Once the consultation is complete, the details in the Transition Template will be signed off by the GM of the outgoing Area and also by the Area GM of the Area where the brigade is integrating into and the Brigade Captain.  A similar process is envisaged to occur for the Groups.

Peter Plant is also in the process of organising meeting dates with Clematis and Emerald Brigades and the Dandenong Ranges Group. Similar arrangements are occurring with Toolangi.

Next Steps

The test run of the Transition Template with the Eltham Brigade is likely to provide useful information about what does and doesn’t work. The templates will be adjusted accordingly. 

Consultation with the Brigades will begin in the next few weeks with meetings to kick of the transition process discussion.

Further Information

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have. There will be many opportunities for questions and answers and we will respond to your concerns.

As I have indicated I will be providing an update to the Region on a regular basis.

Regards,

Lex de Man
General Manager
CFA Yarra Area - Region 13