Five southern regional councils in Tasmania have worked together to create an online induction portal for their contractors and outdoor staff members.
The joint venture between the Works Managers of Brighton, Sorell, Tasman, Central Highlands and Southern Midlands Councils is part of the larger Local Government Shared Services (LGSS) alliance.
The induction portal covers general Workplace Heath & Safety (WHS) requirements for contractors allowing them to upload compliance documentation including licences and insurance details.
It has links to each Council’s policies and a compulsory questionaire that a contractor or employees must answer correctly before being issued with a Compliance Certificate.
The Works Managers, who supervise the outdoor staff and contractors, meet every three months to discuss common issues they have with regards to working in the Local Government sector.
Previously each council had its own induction program for new workers and contractors.
Contractors will now complete the induction process once and be able to undertake work across all five Councils.
Since the portal’s inception Works Managers are now looking at using the same database for training modules; uploading and renewing of Safe Work Method Statements; policy updates; and potentially even the annual Expression of Interest contracts for supply of plant and materials.
Warwick Smith from Intedat.com developed and customised the system for the councils.
A spokesperson from the working group said, “The customisation was the reasoning behind choosing a small Tasmanian business and not an ‘off the shelf’ system from a global developer.
“Warwick has been able to provide a level of personalised administration support and customisation that we would not have received elsewhere, as well as adapting the system as required along the way. He has also conducted work for other regional councils in Tasmania, so we have confidence in his product and proven ability to deliver.”
