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Our community engagement report card 2010
Our community engagement report card 2010
1.0 Queensland Rail and community engagement 1
2.0 Community education program 2
3.0 Positive pARTnerships 5
4.0 Community engagement (projects) 9
5.0 Our accessibility commitment 11
Contents
For more information about community engagement in Queensland Rail, please contact us:
07 3235 1516
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1.0Queensland Rail and community engagement
With over 4000 km of track in Queensland, our business can affect hundreds of communities across the state. Whether serving Queensland Rail City network customers in South East Queensland, or carrying long distance customers through regional Queensland, our aim is to provide high quality customer service, an outlet for two-way communication, and to genuinely make a difference in the communities we operate within.
In 2010, we worked on several community engagement initiatives aimed at providing enhanced understanding and links between Queensland Rail, customers and the community.
Our overall community engagement program enjoyed an encouraging year of growth in 2010, working across the entire state as we talked with more community members than ever before.
Please read on to learn about our community activities in 2010, drawn from our diverse range of community engagement initiatives. We are proud of our community engagement record and will continue developing initiatives to better communicate with, and learn more about our customers and communities.
2011 promises to be a year of even more development, with a number of exiting community engagement initiatives to be launched as we strive to talk with even more of our customers in more communities across Queensland.
We would like to thank the customers and community members involved in Queensland Rail’s community engagement program. Your support and involvement allows us to learn more about our customers, and the communities we operate within.
Discussing a station upgrade concept
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2.0Community education program
The RailSmart Community Education program continues to be at the forefront of community based public awareness programs in Australia. The program aims to raise awareness and create behaviour change, most notably targeting trespassing and level crossing issues, both in South East and Regional Queensland. The team use community engagement tactics to directly communicate messages to its audience.
The Community Education team constantly travel around the state visiting schools, community groups and events promoting rail safety. The program aims to visit every school across Queensland in the vicinity of a rail line every two to three years, meaning over 1800 school visits.
Overall, in 2010 the Community Education program addressed over 110,000 school students across the state, visiting the following areas; Toowoomba, Mitchell, Rockhampton, Mayrborough, Mackay, Gympie, Oakey, Charleville, Proserpine, Gundiah, Proserpine, Miriam Vale, Chinchilla, Cloncurry, Gladstone, Townsville, Ayr, Quilpie, Roma, Mount Isa, Bundanberg, Cairns, Ingham and Cunnamulla and across South East Queensland.
2010 saw significant development as part of the Community Education program’s shift from a school liaison program to a true public awareness program, through diversification of communicaiton channels and communicating with a wider audience.
Over the past 10 years we’ve taken the RailSmart safety message to students all over Queensland. We’re proud to say on February 26,
our RailSmart safety program will have reached our one millionth student. These safety messages are just part of QR’s ongoing commitment
to Queensland and educating the next generation. To find out more, visit RailSmart.com.au Be aware. Stay alert. Be RailSmart.
One million students and still counting.
QBP0231_01
The 2010 RailSmart Roadshow
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2010 RailSmart RoadshowThe Mackay to Cairns area of North Queensland is a region where number of level crossing accidents occur. The Community Education team capitalised on the North Queensland regional show and event calendar in order to effectively communicate level crossing safety messages directly to the community in this key region.
The RailSmart Roadshow centred around a ‘crashed car’ interactive display, which visited prominent shows and events in the North Queensland region over a six week period. The crashed car display was present at the Mackay, Proserpine, Townsville, Innisfail and Cairns shows, as well as the Townsville V8 Supercars event. In total, these events drew a total attendance of over 400,000 people.
The team engaged over 20,000 people in conversations of two minutes length or more, while also generated significant media coverage throughout North Queensland.
Jonathan Beninca sessionsIn 2010, the Community Education team enlisted the help of rail safety and youth ambassador Jonathan Beninca to help take its messages to school students across the state.
After visiting 20,000 school students in South East Queensland throughout 2009 with Jonathan, the team travelled to North Queensland towns including Gladstone, Mackay, Townsville and Cairns, addressing a further 20,000 people. The team together with Jonathan has now visited over 50 schools and spoken to almost 50,000 students across the state. Jonathan’s school visits have also generated a significant amount of publicity, helping spread our rail safety messages further than the immediate school and community visits.
Jonathan’s story is an inspiring tale of choices and consequences, punctuated by turning his life around after a terrible accident as a teenager. Today, Jonathan is a powerful youth ambassador and public speaker, changing the way school students think about life and the choices they make along the way.
Giving feedback regarding the sessions, one Senior School Principal commented ‘after 28 years of teaching at 10 different schools, that was the best talk I have ever heard.’
Rail safety ambassador Jonathan Beninca talks to media in North Queensland
The 2010 RailSmart Roadshow
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2010 Rail Safety Awareness Week online video Aiming to build on the success of the Jonathan Beninca school sessions, the team utilised Rail Safety Awareness Week 2010 to take its rail safety messages to even more people across the state.
A three minute video featuring Jonathan Beninca’s powerful story was created, and then placed on the RailSmart.com.au website for Rail Safety Awareness Week. Schools could access the website and play the video to students free of charge on assemblies and in classrooms from Biloela to Brisbane.
The team communicated the video’s availability to almost every high school in Queensland. Website hits for the period grew significantly and the team delivered powerful safety messages remotely to students from right across the state simultaneously.
Our Rail Safety Awareness Week online video
Rail safety ambassador Jonathan Beninca talks to students in Townsville
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3.0Positive pARTnerships
The Positive pARTnerships program aims to work with community groups and local schools to collaborate on public artwork projects that transform rail stations across South East Queensland.
To date, Positive pARTnership public artwork totals approximately 12,050 square metres across the Queensland Rail City network.
Milton station In June 2010, the Positive pARTnerships team completed a 566 square metre mural at Milton station, featuring illustrations of local landmarks and businesses from throughout the Milton community.
Positive pARTnership’s lead artist innovatively used a projection painting technique at night to complete the large piece of public art. Local landmarks such as Suncorp Stadium, Castlemaine Perkins Brewery and the Park Road retail and restaurant strip featured prominently in the artwork.
Keperra station Public artwork at Keperra station was installed in August 2010. Positive pARTnerships team members worked with Mitchelton State High School and Grovely State School to design and paint art installation boards for shelter sheds, garden beds and the station buildings. Artwork at Keperra totals 148 square metres.
Roma Street station temporary hoardingPositive pARTnerships was approached by the Queensland Rail Project Manager for the refurbishment of the Roma Street bathroom facilities to create artwork for temporary hoarding in the Roma Street subway. The hoarding remained in place for three months.
Twenty-eight Brisbane Central State School students and Positive pARTnerships community artists created the designs in an art workshop, which were then reproduced onto the temporary hoarding for installation.
Milton station
Keperra station
Roma Street station temporary hoarding
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Sherwood station The Sherwood station public artwork project was completed in February 2010. Students from Sherwood State School participated in art workshops with Positive pARTnerships community artists. Community Groups involved in the Sherwood project included the Oxley Creek Catchment Association, Sherwood Respite Centre and Sherwood Historical Group.
The theme of the artwork represents the surrounding parklands and brightly coloured local flora and fauna. Artwork at the stations totals 255 square metres.
Sunnybank High School–Cultural Leaders programThe art workshops with Sunnybank High students was the visual arts component of the Cultural Leadership program delivered to Year 11 and 12 students over a nine week period. The leadership program engaged 12 students, from a diverse range of multicultural and bilingual backgrounds.
This initiative was a great opportunity to engage young people from diverse backgrounds. Over the length of the program, all facilitators had the opportunity to discuss and explore community values.
Positive pARTnerships mural tourDuring June, the Positive pARTnerships team ran a mural tour incorporating station art projects between Indooroopilly and Sherwood stations, showcasing station art projects.
The tour presented a great opportunity for the general public to get an insight into the process of mural production and a chance to have an up close and personal experience with the artwork and its artist.
Sherwood station
Sunnybank High School students
Positive pARTnerships mural tour
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Deagon stationPositive pARTnerships worked with Masonic Care Queensland and Artrageous Community Art Centre to develop designs for the Deagon station shelter sheds. Positive pARTnership’s community artists let the conceptual design process to create a racing and history theme. The artwork was completed during August.
Graceville stationThe Sherwood station art project was completed in March. The Positive pARTnerships Team worked in collaboration with the Chelmer/Graceville Kids Act Group. The artwork reflects the local cinematic community and pictures much loved movie favourites such as Finding Nemo, Mary Popins and the Wizard of Oz. The continuous film strip which floats around the stations pays tribute to the local boutique cinema Regal Twin.
Coopers Plains noise barrier‘Coming across the ocean’ is the theme for the Coopers Plains attenuation barrier. This project was a joint effort with Sunnybank State High School and St Pius X College students, the Syrian Friendship Association of Queensland and the Islamic Women’s Association of Queensland. Positive pARTnership community artists encouraged participants to generate designs that represent their community and reflect the oceanic theme. The artwork at Coopers Plains totals 224 square metres.
Art workshops 2010
Deagon station
Holiday Fun with Art (Roma Street Parklands) June, July and September 2010
North Brisbane TAFE Multicultural Day May 2010
Inala to Goodna Communities for Children June 2010
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Kingston station Kingston station is the largest Positive pARTnerships project to date, with public artwork at the station covering an impressive 1309 square metres. The initial design concepts were taken to community consultation, with history and nature themes clearly the most popular options.
The artwork’s colours, patterns and featuring of local landmarks such as the old Kingston butter factory reflect the station’s surroundings and represent the unique history of the area.
The completed project saw public artwork cover over 1300 square metres, with parallel work at the station including upgraded bathroom facilities, car park landscaping, car park banners, an enhanced station entrance, new bike lockers, hand railings, a new footbridge and lifts.
The bike lockers were painted in collaboration with local community group Boystown Kingston. Kingston College students also participated in the project, assisting with the design of ten car park banners through art workshops at the school campus.
Kingston station(both images)
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4.0Community engagement (projects)
The Community Engagement team aims to provide a quality two-way communication mechanism between Queensland Rail and its customers, local residents and communities. The team consult and engage with local community members on a wide range of projects, including station upgrades, timetable changes, upcoming track works and maintenance closures, new car park installation and extensions. The team also run the South East Queensland CRG program across all lines.
Community Reference Groups (CRGs)Throughout 2010, CRG meetings were held on all Queensland Rail City network lines every two months. A range of topics were covered in CRGs, including operations, facilities, upcoming projects, customer service, accessibility and communication.
Community Reference Groups help us learn more about our customers’ needs, and also provide insight into travel patterns and facility needs across the network. They serve as a vital two-way communication mechanism between Queensland Rail and the public.
CRG groups represent customers on the following lines:
• Beenleigh/Gold Coast• Caboolture• Shorncliffe/Doomben• Ferny Grove• Cleveland• Ipswich• Sunshine Coast.
All line Community Reference Group meeting During 2010, the Community Engagement team held an all line CRG meeting, involving all CRG members from across the City network. CRG members had the opportunity to meet and discuss various issues with both Queensland Rail CEO Paul Scurrah, and Chief Customer Officer Theo Taifalos.
Facilitating community access to Queensland Rail’s senior leadership team is a key aim for the Community Engagement team, which in turn helps enhance decision making, and customer and community awareness.
Concept design for an upcoming City network station upgrade
Access to our CEO, Paul Scurruh
CRG member feedback“I really appreciated being on the committee. QR should be congratulated for forming these groups.” Ipswich line CRG member
“It shows QR’s commitment to customer service, and sets a great example. Thank you to QR for providing the opportunity to attend.” North Coast line CRG member
“Provides and encourages participants the opportunity to provide input in relation to services rather than have a situation of destructive criticism due to lack of accurate knowledge. A very good avenue for QR the get feedback and ideas and to disseminate information in such a way as it can be explained to the CRG members who in turn can then inform other members of the wider community.” Ipswich line CRG member
“I’m starting to observe changes throughout the network. Customer service is improving, announcements are more frequent and informative which eases some tension at times of network failures.” Shorncliffe line CRG member
“I found the conversations very interesting as some of the committee were extremely knowledgeable with regards to train services, station platforms and rollingstock.” Ipswich line CRG member
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Project community consultation and communicationThe Community Engagement team undertake consultation around significant proposed station upgrade and car park extension/construction projects. When talking with community stakeholders, community engagement representatives elicit a wide range of perspectives and seek out customer and community impacts.
In the case of service alterations or platform changes, Queensland Rail communicates extensively with customers and community members through a variety of channels, including helping hands at stations and local community centres, letterbox and station car parks drops, press advertisements, station and onboard announcements, station posters and signage, and in person discussions.
Draft 2011 timetable consultation In late 2010, the Community Engagement team undertook community consultation around the 2011 draft timetable. Team members attended community sessions along the Sunshine Coast, Caboolture, Ipswich and Rosewood lines to seek customer and community feedback on the proposed timetable. Through this, Queensland Rail was able to capture and pass on valuable feedback directly onto the timetable project team.
Track and overhead works
Station modelling and consultation
Concept design for an upcoming City network station upgrade
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5.0Our accessibility commitment
Queensland Rail’s Accessibility Team works to ensure we provide equitable, dignified access for customers with disabilities to all our services.
The team links in with disability sector organisations and provides information, education, two-way communication channels and consultation opportunities for our customers with disabilities.
In addition to community engagement activities, input is provided for infrastructure projects, rollingstock upgrades, staff training and customer service initiatives to enhance accessibility and remove barriers to access.
Disability & Discrimination Act (DDA) Reference GroupThe Accessibility Team run a reference group program for community stakeholders in the Disability Access field and our customers. DDA reference group members represent a variety of organisations and range of disabilities, and provide valuable ideas and advice to Queensland Rail on issues regarding improving accessibility to trains, stations and operational communication. In recent months membership has been extended to include representation from the Endeavour Foundation, Arthritis Australia, and mental health organisations.
Highlights from 2010 include presentations on project works such as the Cross River Rail Tunnel, Station Enhancement Project, Darra to Springfield Project (Richlands station) and the frontline staff Disability Access training review.
Members also meet as required to review specific issues. Consultations conducted this year included Coorparoo station review, Passenger Information Display Screens (PIDS), Braille maps and The Sunlander 14 project.
Public Relations Institute of Australia–National Golden Target AwardQueensland Rail’s Accessibility Program took out the Corporate Social Responsibility award at the PRIA state and National Golden Target Awards.
The PRIA Golden Target Awards recognise excellence, best practice and professionalism in public relations. It is the largest and most comprehensive event for public relations and corporate communication professionals in Australia. Winning the award provides recognition of Queensland Rail’s commitment to social responsibility and the provision of inclusive communications and services.
CRG members talk with our Chief Customer Officer
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Disability action week award sponsorshipThe Community Engagement Team confirmed its support of building inclusive and accessible communities by sponsoring a 2010 Disability Action Week Award. The objectives of Disability Action Week are to encourage positive attitudes towards people with a disability, improve access and make our community a better place for everyone.
The Disability Action Week Awards are held annually during Disability Action Week and recognise individuals, groups and organisations that contribute to improving the quality of life of people with a disability.
Queensland Rail sponsored the Community Association Award, which was awarded to Jandowae Adaptive Games Society.
Accessibility surveyIn 2010 we undertook our largest customer survey to date, focused specifically on access and customers with a disability. The Accessibility Survey provides a mechanism for engaging with a cross section of disability organisations, customers with disabilities and other external stakeholders in regards to disability access issues relating to Queensland Rail.
Accessibility workshopIn December Queensland Rail held an Accessibility Workshop, which was the seventh community event we have facilitated focusing specifically on access provision. It continued the theme of Queensland Rail working cooperatively with individuals with a disability and their representative organisations.
Representatives from key disability sector organisations were invited to attend along with members of Queensland Rail’s Senior Leadership Team. Participants were asked to workshop key themes from our customer feedback, providing collaborative input and solutions to access issues. The workshop ensured that important community concerns were identified.
Training our people In April, Queensland Rail staff took part in a unique training opportunity, which focused on providing customer service to people with a vision impairment.
The training was delivered by Vision Australia, which is the largest organisation in Australia providing support and services for people with a vision impairment. Our Station Customer Service staff, Mobile Customer Care Representatives and Transit Officers learned techniques to use when guiding people with a vision impairment and what it is like to navigate through a station with blindness or low vision.
Coopers Plains station
DDA conference
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Rail safety and station orientation days Four Rail Safety and Orientation Days were held in 2010, providing people with vision impairments or a physical disability the opportunity to familiarise themselves with internal and external train features and accessibility provisions. Additional expressions of interest have come from a number of Special Education units and schools located in greater Brisbane, to attend in 2011.
Shared visions conferencesAt the invitation of Department of Communities, the Accessibility Team represented Queensland Rail at Shared Visions Conferences held in Rockhampton and Longreach. Attendance and focus group facilitation at these events provided the opportunity to discuss accessible public transport and Queensland Rail’s Traveltrain services.
Disability discrimination awareness training reviewThe disability awareness component of frontline staff training was reviewed to reflect changes in legislation and transport provider policies. As part of this review, a DVD was developed to include short interviews with customers with various disabilities sharing insights into how their travel experience can be made easier and/or more accessible by Queensland Rail.
Queensland Rail accessibility survey
Boarding safelywith your wheelchair
Easy access for you and your mobility aid
Our quarterly Milpera rail orientation day
