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Conference Information

 

 
Professor Corinne Mulley, founding Chair in Public Transport at the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies at the University of Sydney giving the Keynote Address. A good turn out for the Conference with numbers fitting comfortably in the main conference room of the Quality Resort All Seasons in Bendigo. Speakers from the morning session on Day One. From left: Professor John D Nelson, Sixth Century Chair of Transport Studies at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland and Director of the Centre for Transport Research (CTR); Caroline Mason, Principal Manager Local and Community Transport, NSW Department of Transport; and Damian Ferrie, Executive Director Community and Place Division, Victorian Department of Transport. Speakers from the after lunch session on Day One. From left: Erin Pattie, Community Engagement Team, City of Kingston; Fiona Patterson, Policy and Program Manager Transport Connections, Department of Planning and Community Development (DPCD); and Jodie Willmer, CEO, Travellers Aid Australia. VCTA President Becky Morton (second from left) networking at the conference with Damian Ferrie, Victorian Department of Transport (left) and Caroline Mason and Phil Drew from the NSW Department of Transport. Caroline was very helpful during the HACC question and answer session providing a NSW perspective on HACC and community transport. Conference Dinner: The night of Day One Not only was the food good at the Conference Dinner, but the entertainment was first class thanks to The Connies. Ah, remember the good old days when the Connies were always there for us on our trams? They not only did all their famous material but made up a new original song just for us at the VCTA. You Tube fans might find a bootleg version of the song one day soon! Conference Dinner: The night of Day One Not only was the food good at the Conference Dinner, but the entertainment was first class thanks to The Connies. Ah, remember the good old days when the Connies were always there for us on our trams? They not only did all their famous material but made up a new original song just for us at the VCTA. You Tube fans might find a bootleg version of the song one day soon! Emily Simatos, from the Social Transit Unit of the Victorian Department of Transport (DoT) with Dan Evans from IPSOS-Eureka, partners with the VCTA in the Community Transport Stocktake Project. Day Two morning presenter Joanne Richie (left) was a highlight with ‘Behind the Bus Seat: The Impact of Transport in Rural Victoria’, pictured here together with Robyn Hemley from Grampians Pyrenees Flexible Transport. Jo provided perhaps the quote of the conference, proving the point that “The only thing in Paradise is a bus stop”. Stephen Turner, Director Bus Safety Victoria (right) with colleagues, from left to right Kenedy Kembo, Andrew Chlebica and Phil Rattle. Judith Woodland (second from left) and Cleo Chadwick (second from right) from the consultancy group Evolving Ways explain some details of the ‘Best Practice in Community Transport’ project commissioned by the Victorian Department of Transport. Final Session: The Journey Ahead Victorian Department of Transport (DoT) staff members , Natalia Walker, Senior Policy Advisor, Community and Place (left) and Brook Quinn, Policy Officer, Transport Social Policy Community and Place (right) with Greg Stephens who helped facilitate the final conference session on the theme, The Journey Ahead: developing a shared understanding of community transport. Further details with a summary of this session will be posted at a later date. The final session produced lots of ideas and suggestions we then placed priority red dots on according to those we judged of ‘top 3’ importance. One of the popular red dotted summaries of the value of community transport from the final conference session, “Community transport is an affordable and flexible service that fills critical needs and gaps”. A suggestion from the final session. Now there’s an idea with dots for DoT to consider ….. “Fund additional capacity for non-HACC passengers to be carried by HACC funded services”. And another idea with dots for DoT to consider from the final session. This time together with friends from DoH HACC, DHS Disability, DPCD and no doubt a few other acronyms could also benefit from coming to the party, “DoT, DoH, DHS, DPCD to work together at high levels (with the VCTA and the sector) to achieve agreement about community transport – who is responsible for what type of services and how to fund them”. Karen Fuller from Wimmera Transport Connections with George Gourgi from Major Conference Sponsor Health Management Systems Gary O’Neill from Major Conference Sponsor Kevrek. TMA Software Lew Brown from Conference Sponsor Tieman Industries. Anthony Fisicaro from Conference Sponsor Heavy Vehicles Australia, designer and distributer of the Glider bus which competes on the market with Toyota’s Coaster Bus range. VCOSS’s Transport and Disadvantage Policy Analyst Llewellyn Reynders networks at the conference with a representative from the Hume Regional office of the Department of Transport. VCTA’s Secretary Jim Watkins (left) with colleagues from Ballarat UnitingCare, Bob Reid and Gail Reid LINK Community Transport’s Gina Hurley (left) does some networking over coffee with Silvana Zaccari, Community Transport Co-ordinator for Moreland City Council. From left: A networking trio, Sheryl McHugh, Let’s Get Connected (Gipplsland East), Julia Cornwell DPCD Ballarat and Jane Archbold DPCD Benalla. Conference ‘Stayers’ Prize Weekend Away VCTA President Becky Morton helps our overseas visitor Professor John Nelson draw the winner of the conference ‘stayers’ prize, a weekend away in Victoria’s beautiful Yarra Valley. To be eligible, participants had to get sign-off from all sponsors that they had visited sponsor displays and they had to be there at the final conference session to receive the prize. As it happens, the winner, Rod Squires, Co-ordinator, Transport Connections Benalla Mansfield can be seen in the rear of shot. Main Conference Organiser, VCTA President Rebecca (Becky) Morton allows herself the luxury of a laugh at the end of the conference with VCTA Committee member Megan Lilly presenting her with a ‘thank-you’ bottle of wine from the local Bendigo wine district. 47VCTA Committee Members. Rear from left: David Pearce, Sunassist in Mildura; Becky Morton, VCTA President and Co-ordinator South West ; Jonathon (Jonno) Morris, City of Wyndham; Michael Gourlay, LINK Community Transport. Front from left: Megan Lilly, Southport ; James (Jim) Watkins. Former VCTA President Phil Whiting Co-ordinates TransAccess, a community transport provider in Melbourne’s Southern Metropolitan region.Photo Album Design by VisualLightBox.com v4.0

 

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