Annual Report 2015

ANNUAL REPORT
2015

ACTIVUS TRANSPORT
ACTIVUS TRANSPORT
OUR PHILOSOPHY
What do we believe in?
The right of people to make choices in
their own lives
The right of people to dignity, respect,
privacy and confidentiality
The right of people to be valued
The right of people to access services
on a non-discriminatory basis
The right of the community to access
accountable and responsive services
– 01 –

ANNUAL REPORT 2015
THE 2015
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
It gives me great pleasure to present my first Report
under our organisation’s new name – Activus Transport
(formerly Sutherland Shire Community Transport) in our
25 th year of operations.
From a small volunteer based service this organisation
has grown to a million dollar operation delivering
transport services to over 3000 Sutherland
Shire residents.
This year your Management Committee has been
particularly active in its governance role, developing
policies and procedures to ensure we deliver best
possible outcomes in service delivery to our clients.
The decision to rename and restructure the organisation
was not taken without a lot of discussion, planning and
research. Under the new banner, Activus Transport will
no longer be confined to the Sutherland Shire but will
be able to pursue future partnerships and business
opportunities to the wider Sydney region. This will
guarantee the future of our business in the current
political climate, thereby providing a better service to
our clients.
Activus is well placed to confront the forthcoming
proposed changes to the NSW Transport Act and also
the Commonwealth Home Support Program, which will
replace HACC funding, providing care for people aged
65 and over across Australia. These proposed legislative
changes will have a dramatic influence on our future
direction and the way we operate.
This year we have purchased additional vehicles to
meet increased demand. Our fleet, now totals 7 buses,
2 minivans and 12 cars. On average we provide over
4,000 trips covering 12,045 km per month.
The office workstation layout, in line with the restructure
is now complete. This new configuration provides a
better work environment for all staff.
To our General Manager Roslyn, our office staff, our paid
drivers, bus assistants and all of our volunteers, on behalf
of the Management Committee I would like to extend
a much deserved “thank you” for your dedication and
efforts throughout the year in providing such an excellent
service for which we are renowned.
To the Committee I convey my sincere thanks to
each of you for volunteering as a committee member,
your dedication, enthusiasm and participation is
greatly appreciated.
You all should be very proud of your work, because
of which, Activus is regarded as one of the leaders in
our industry.
Graham Ware
President
– 02 –

ACTIVUS TRANSPORT
REPORT FROM
THE GENERAL MANAGER
Welcome to another great year at community transport.
I’m very pleased to report that this year has seen the
biggest changes to our organisation since its inception.
The changes have resulted in a more streamlined service
delivery for our clients.
At the beginning of the last financial year, we were
fortunate to receive additional funding in order to
expand our services, which enabled us to meet the
needs of even more clients. We are currently providing
over 4,000 client trips per month with further expansion
in the planning.
In early November Activus went through an
organisational restructure to refine our processes and
enable us to provide a holistic service to our clients. We
now have an Operations Department which covers client
intake, referral, client data and scheduling of the fleet
of vehicles, volunteers and drivers. Our new Corporate
Services Department looks after finance, human
resources, advertising and marketing, fleet management,
event management, website and social media.
The changeover took several months to implement as
we faced challenges in reassigning staff to the new
roles, writing new Position Descriptions and deciding on
the best person for the positions. During this time ‘The
Harvest Initiative’, a marketing consultancy agency, was
engaged to investigate how we could best market our
services to meet the demands of the new government
policy ‘My Aged Care’. This new government initiative
requires people aged 65 and over to register with the My
Aged Care website or call centre before being referred
to our service. An issue identified by the The Harvest
Initiative, was that many people believed Activus was
part of Sutherland Shire Council. Whilst that may not
have been an issue in the past it would be a problem
when My Aged Care was asked to refer clients to our
service, which was one of the reasons a name change
was recommended. After much planning and discussion
it was agreed to change the name of our organisation to
ACTIVUS TRANSPORT INC. which is Latin for ‘active’, and
is what we hope to be able to achieve for our clients – to
keep them active and a part of their community.
Activus Transport relies heavily on the expertise,
professionalism and enthusiasm of its volunteers without
whom, our services could not be achieved. I would like
to acknowledge the wonderful work of our Volunteers
and thank them for their help and support – particularly
through this time of change.
Our Strategic Plan identified that to remain sustainable in
the future, the organisation needs to look further than our
local area. We have started this expansion by partnering
with other like-minded organisations – all of whom are
dedicated to supporting clients to remain living in their
own home. Some of these partnerships may be outside
of the local area, however, the resources will remain in
the local community (95% of our staff and volunteers live
in Sutherland Shire). Our funding is to provide support
to people who live in the ‘Shire’, regardless of how many
partnership arrangements we form.
– 03 –

ANNUAL REPORT 2015
I would like to acknowledge the wonderful team which
makes up our Board. They are all volunteers and give
freely of their time and expertise to support the work of
the organisation and are always willing to investigate
new and better ways of working. In February of this year
we held a training day for the Board to identify any areas
of governance that needed clarification. The trainer
was very impressed with both the quality of the Board’s
experience and their dedication to the organisation. He
later complimented them on their ability to make strong
decisions on the changes to the name and the structure
which showed that they were a forward thinking Board.
We said a fond farewell to Stan Rickert, Treasurer,
who left us due to work commitments. His support
as Treasurer was very valuable. We welcomed Gary
Richards to the Board, who brings a wealth of financial
and management experience after his years in working
in the Health sector.
Our other valuable team is the Risk Management
Committee which meets quarterly to review any risks
to the organisation, including work health and safety
issues. This committee is made up of staff, volunteers
and Board representatives and all members have years
of experience in the area of risk management. Their
dedication is to be commended.
Finally I would like to thank all the staff who have
managed to keep the organisation running at full steam
throughout these major changes, everyone from Lorraine,
who has been with the organisation for 18 years, to Marie
and Semra our newest members. Their ability to work
under pressure, to always put the client needs first and
to cope with daily challenges is to be applauded. We
said a sad farewell to Les who had driven our shopping
buses for many years, Les has taken a well-deserved
rest and moved to the country to pursue his passion
for astronomy. I know the clients were sad to lose his
expertise and local knowledge.
The opportunities for the future are very exciting, as
we move forward with changes to the My Aged Care
system, the National Disability Insurance Scheme and the
focus on person centred care. The organisation is now
well placed to work in the sector to provide clients with
a professional and community based service to allow
them to remain happy and confident about remaining in
their own homes regardless of their mobility restrictions
because of age or disability.
Roslyn Morton
General Manager
– 04 –

ACTIVUS TRANSPORT
INTRODUCING OUR
BOARD MEMBERS
Graham Ware Chris Bentley Ted Ashton Gary Richards
Graham retired from a career
spanning forty years with NSW
Department of Public Works.
He specialised in building
construction and maintenance,
specification writing, contract
supervision, WHS, and
supervision of multi trade
teams in heritage building and
stonework restoration projects.
He has extensive experience
in all areas of project
management and supervision,
and facilities maintenance
and has completed training
in financial management, HR
and IT.
He is President of a local
Services and Citizens Club
and he currently holds the
position of President on the
Activus Transport Board of
which he has been a member
since 2007.
Chris has over 30 years’
experience practicing law
in a social welfare context.
As a result, he has held
several positions as a senior
legal officer within various
government departments
including NSW Health.
Chris has been an active
member on the Boards of
Engadine District Community
Aid & Information Service,
Sutherland Hospital Local
Community Advisory
Committee and Sutherland
Eastern Sydney Illawarra Area
Health Advisory Council.
He joined the Board of
Activus Transport in 2008 and
currently holds the position of
Vice President.
Ted worked for many years
in the building industry
culminating in the position
of Manager, Quantity and
Tenders Branch for the
Department of Housing NSW.
Additionally Ted has
community links as a member
of the Hurstville APEX club for
15 years, currently assisting
with the Apex Youth Club
movement as a football
manager and coach, manager
of tennis teams and organiser
of Dancesport competitions
for youth club members
Ted contributes to the Activus
Board in the position of
Secretary and has been on
the board for 7 years.
Gary began his career
qualifying to be an Accountant
in England and Wales.
Gary jumped at the
opportunity offered by Price
Waterhouse to work as one of
their Management Consultants
in Australia, where he has
performed several roles
including Projector Director &
Planner for NSW Health.
Gary is Treasurer on the
Activus Board and is its
newest recruit after joining in
July 2015.
– 05 –

ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Phil Hayes Moya Turner Allan Humbley Jan Forshaw
Phil started his career as a
primary school teacher in
Victoria. He then pursued a
career with Abbott Australia
as a Pharmaceutical Industry
Sales and Marketing
representative for 20 years.
Phil moved into driver training
with Trent Driving School
for 4 years followed by over
15 years as a WorkCover
accredited OH&S trainer
and consultant.
Currently Phil actively
contributes to the community
as demonstrated by his role
as a volunteer driver and
Board member for Activus,
which he joined in 2014. As
well as his work for Activus
he also sits on the boards of
Rotary, Lodge Gymea and
Woolooware Golf Club.
Moya has over 30 years’
experience in general and
midwifery nursing. Following
on from a strong background
in nursing, Moya continued
her career as Community
Health Nurse, Welfare
Worker with the homeless
and Credit Line Councillor for
Wesley Mission.
Moya’s commitment to the
community is demonstrated by
her involvement in Community
Opera Choir (since 2008),
Bushcare with Sutherland
Shire Council (over 15 years),
Toastmasters (since 1999)
and Council of the Ageing –
presenting health talks to over
55’s at Calvary Hospital.
Moya has been a member on
the Activus Board since 2006.
Allan was the Managing
Director of his family business
running oyster farms in the
Sutherland Shire area for
over 30 years. On selling the
business in 1998 he moved
into property investment,
owning and managing
commercial properties
across NSW.
During this time Allan has
maintained a strong interest
in the local community as
a volunteer driver before
moving onto the Board
of Activus where he has
remained a strong Board
member for over 12 years. His
commitment to the community
has seen him involved with
the local Police & Citizens
Youth Club for over 30 years.
In 2004 Jan was elected to
Sutherland Shire Council
and was re-elected again in
2008 she became Deputy
Mayor in 2010. During her 8
years on Council Jan chaired
the Community Services
Committee and worked to
improve services and facilities
to aged care and community
centres, upgrades to shopping
centres and Surf Clubs and
the first Men’s Sheds in the
Shire. Jan also served as
a member of the Board of
Hazlehurst Regional Gallery.
Jan retired as a Councillor in
2012 but has continued to
be active in the community
serving as a volunteer
and Board member with a
number of local organisations
including Activus Transport
and Dunlea (formerly
Boystown, Engadine).
– 06 –

– 07 –
Cliffhanger Client Lunch

ANNUAL REPORT 2015
REPORT FROM THE
RISK MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
It is my pleasure to present the Third Annual Report
for the Risk Management Committee (RMC) and its first
under the Activus Transport banner. It has been a year
of great change but the RMC continues to focus on
the effectiveness, efficiency and safety of all levels of
the Organisation.
The RMC is a sub Committee of the Management
Committee. It was established to review and make
recommendations on management systems, practices
and procedures to ensure the effectiveness of risk
identification and minimisation, and compliance with
internal guidelines and external requirements. In short, it
remains an operationally focussed committee to enhance
and improve existing practices in the interest of staff and
volunteers’ safety and well-being.
At each meeting, the RMC routinely considers reports
regarding training and development of staff and
volunteers and reports from the Management Committee,
the General Manager, the volunteer’s representative
and from other RMC members. It also analyses incidents
using the Organisational Risk Management Plan
and discusses the release of relevant Best Practice
Guidelines and legislative directives.
Throughout the year, the RMC has reviewed and
improved its Terms of Reference. The Committee
also developed and endorsed an Emergency Risk
Management (Disaster) Plan in consultation with other
local service providers. The RMC continues to develop
Key Performance Indicators to satisfy external agencies
and to ascertain how well the RMC is performing. The
Quality Management System has begun to provide a
reporting system for the RMC. The Risk Management
Committee Awareness Survey has also been revamped
and will be undertaken shortly.
On a personal note I would like to thank the members of
the RMC for their dedication and expertise throughout
the year. I believe that we have an appropriate mix of
management, staff and volunteers to enable us to tackle
any workforce issue.
Thank you also to the Activus Board. Work Health and
Safety continues as a standing agenda item for all Board
meetings and the RMC minutes are provided to them and
indeed to all members of Activus Transport, upon request.
The RMC would not exist without its endorsement and
encouragement. Special thanks to Trish Deen, one of our
committee members who has also taken on the role of
RMC Secretary. It has been a particularly challenging year
for staff but as always nothing is too difficult for Trish and
she continues to “volunteer” for all sorts of duties which
enables the RMC to function as well as it does.
Thanks again to all staff and volunteers for their
commitment to the organisation. A name change will not
change the culture of this Organisation. It is a special
organisation and we all need to ensure that it is as safe,
efficient and effective as it can be
Chris Bentley
Chairman, Risk Management Committee
– 08 –

The Cliffhanger client lunch.
– 09 –

ANNUAL REPORT 2015
ACTIVUS TRANSPORT
TREASURERS REPORT
I am pleased to present the financial report for the year
ended 30 th June 2015 for Activus Transport Incorporated.
The financial health of Activus Transport remains
sound in 2015 with the organisation recording total
assets of almost $2.545 million, an increase of 11.5
percent compared to 2014 assets of $2.276 million.
Government Grant funding increased this financial year
from $1.2 million in 2014 to $1.6 million in 2015 allowing
us to further invest in technology, social media, staff
recruitment and volunteer induction.
Income received from our service users and through
hiring out our buses has increased 13 percent compared
to 2014. A dedicated Activus team worked tirelessly
to achieve this excellent result which is a major
improvement when compared to a cumulative operating
revenue decrease of 20 percent over the previous 5
years.
Expenses throughout the year were well managed with
indirect service costs remaining steady at 15 percent
of our total funding. Overall there was a 19 percent
increase in salaries and staff expenses related to
Activus Transport’s commitment to ongoing support
and development of further education and on the job
training for our employees. We are committed to further
expansion of our multi skilled staffing environment.
76%
3%
21%
FIGURE 1.1
TOTAL INCOME
Funding
Income passengers
& Groups
Other
Our fleet management policies and practices brings
financial strength to Activus. Budgeted, scheduled fleet
turnover is responsive to the changing requirements
of our service users and provides them with diverse
vehicle options.
Activus Transport had total accumulated funds and
reserves of $2.081 million as at 30 th June 2015 which
includes current assets of $1.719 million and current
liabilities of $407,452. Activus is, therefore, more than
able to meet all of our financial obligations.
Our net income for the 2014/2015 financial year was
$226,080. Activus has recently achieved an organisation
restructure focussing on the strengths and opportunities
of both our staff and our excellent and committed
volunteers. An organisational relaunch has commenced
with key outcomes including improving direct service
delivery, greater client choice, extended operating hours
and creating a more user focused environment.
Activus is committed to providing a financially
responsible service and continue to support our
local community. We will continue to disclose timely,
meaningful and reliable financial information to all of
our regulatory bodies. We will continue to recognise the
need for fluidity in service planning and in supporting
our dedicated team with flexible working arrangements.
Activus will continue to be an employer of choice.
I would like to thank my fellow Board members, our
General Manager, Roslyn Morton, our devoted team
and enthusiastic volunteers who make every effort to
facilitate the residents of the Sutherland Shire to ‘Get out
and about’.
Gary Richards
Treasurer
– 10 –

ACTIVUS TRANSPORT
6 OCTOBER 2015
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:
The following snapshot of financial information has been produced from the audited financial
statements of Activus Transport Incorporated of which we signed an unqualified audit report
on 25 September 2015. A copy of the full financial report is available on request.
Yours faithfully
Benjamin Fock
Registered Company Auditor
– 11 –

ANNUAL REPORT 2015
ACTIVUS TRANSPORT
FINANCIAL POSITION SNAPSHOT
AS AT 30 JUNE 2015
FINANCIAL POSITION SNAPSHOT AS AT 30 JUNE 2015
BALANCE SHEET AS AT 30 JUNE 2015
– 12 –

ACTIVUS TRANSPORT
INTRODUCING
THE ACTIVUS TEAM
We are very lucky to have such a great team of committed staff who provide an amazing service to the community.
Whether it be on the front line, delivering services directly to clients or supporting those services through our
back office, the Activus Team are dedicated to the delivery of affordable transport to those people with mobility
restrictions due to age or disability thereby making a significant difference in addressing social isolation.
MANAGERS
MANAGEMENT TEAM
L-R Trish Deen, Roslyn Morton, Steph McCamley
L-R Steph McCamley, Trish Deen, Roslyn Morton, Junko Kato, Renee Turner, Lorraine Boyle
CORPORATE SERVICES TEAM
OPERATIONS TEAM
L-R Elizabeth Cook, Steph McCamley, Renee Turner, Kylie Piccles, Jim Williams
L-R Trish Deen, Junko Kato, Semra Murphy, Marie Mayne, Donna Thompson, Lorraine Boyle
– 13 –

To all the people in management – I go on the
bus outings and can only say how wonderful
all the people looking after us are.
– Mavis
– 14 –

ACTIVUS TRANSPORT
STATISTICS FOR
CLIENT DEMOGRAPHICS
FIGURE 2.1 CLIENT AGE DEMOGRAPHIC
FIGURE 2.2 CLIENT SUBURB DISTRIBUTION
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
– 15 –

ANNUAL REPORT 2015
CLIENT PROFILE
FAYE BAKER
Faye Baker has been a client of Activus for more years
than she can remember, after receiving a card from us
inviting her to use our transport service.
Living independantly and increasingly needing
assistance to do things such as shopping and outings,
the invitation to register for our assistance couldn’t have
come at a better time.
As one of our longest established clients, Faye has seen
many changes to the organisation over the years. The
introduction of group social outings added a whole new
opportunity for her to experience life by getting out and
about. She said “I really appreciate the opportunity to
stay active in my community and make so many friends
along the way”.
Faye remembers going on the first social bus outing
some 6-7 years ago and has enjoyed this aspect of
our service ever since. One of her fondest memories
was when we celebrated our 20 year anniversary. She
said “I felt like a V.I.P. (Very Important Pensioner) when
Activus sent a hire car to pick me up and take me to the
special lunch.”
Apart from enjoying outings with Activus, Faye loves
to tend to her pot plants. She used to enjoy a game of
tennis but these days she settles for watching a good
game on TV. On Thursdays she is a regular at the Loftus
Caring Centre and wouldn’t miss the Annual General
Meeting for quids.
Thank you for your loyalty Faye – it has been a pleasure
providing you with assistance with your transport needs.
– 16 –

ACTIVUS TRANSPORT
– 17 –

ANNUAL REPORT 2015
Activus Transport is our light in the
darkness, our help in our desperate
need because we have had to give
up our own car transport because of
our age. Suddenly we feel stranded,
just at the time when our medical
appointments become more and
more frequent, our shopping more
impossible when our mobility prevents
the long walk to the shops.
Then, like a miracle, the good people
of Activus come to our rescue. Life
becomes possible once more and the
feeling of being redundant citizens flies
out of the door. It is just impossible to
explain what a difference they make
to us old people. We no longer feel like
worthless old ‘has beens’
– Eunice
– 18 –

ACTIVUS TRANSPORT
VOLUNTEER PROFILE
WARREN CARROLL
After a fulfilling career as a carpenter/builder, Warren felt
the urge to give back to his community. He genuinely
enjoyed driving and possessed a full coach license, and
discovering that our primary aim is to provide solutions to
the transportation of our clients, he had no hesitation in
applying as a volunteer driver.
Warren has been a volunteer driver with Activus for
7 years. He found the transition from driving tourist
coaches to our smaller buses, seamless.
Warren believes the new vehicle makeovers and change
of name will go a long way to ensure that clients are no
longer confused or connected with the Sutherland Shire
Council, which is a positive benefit.
Warren also commented on the excellent support that
Activus volunteers received and believed that they
felt valued and appreciated for their efforts. – You are
absolutely right Warren!
He says “helping people to get out and about, rather
than being confined to their homes gives me tremendous
satisfaction’. He particularly enjoys it when the clients
get excited about driving past a landmark or feature that
brings back fond memories of their past.
Warren sees his principal role as a volunteer responsible
for getting his group of passengers from A to B in the
safest possible way. He believes that when he has clients
on board, he is focussed on driving for their comfort,
safety and enjoyment.
He would like to see Activus go as far up the professional
transport ladder as possible and that the team of
volunteers have a considerable contribution toward its
success story. “We need to look the part to compete for
business and succeed”.
Outside of his volunteer activities, Warren enjoys
gardening and tinkering in his workshop. He is a keen
woodworker, spending much of his free time on his lathe,
making bowls, candlesticks, pens and other intricate
wooden objects. He is particularly fond of turning large
tree knots (known as Burls) into unusually shaped bowls.
– 19 –

ANNUAL REPORT 2015
FUN FACTS
DID YOU KNOW?
We currently have 3,399
clients on our books.
The number of new clients
in 2014/15 was 844.
In 2014/15 Activus completed
a total of 46,881 trips.
We average 4,000 trips every
month with an average of
172 trips per day.
In 2014/15 financial year
we completed a total of
142,833kms and we average
11,903kms every month!
– 20 –

ACTIVUS TRANSPORT
An Activus outing to the Bowral Tulip Festival.
– 21 –

ANNUAL REPORT 2015
THANK YOU TO OUR
FUNDERS & SUPPORTERS
Thank you to our funders, partners and supporters.
Activus Transport relies on a varied range of support and funding
sources. It is this generosity that allows us to provide transport
services to clients across the Sutherland Shire.
Funding Bodies
Commonwealth Department of Social Services
Transport for NSW
NSW Health
Community Building Partnership Program
Supporters
Sutherland Shire Council
Club Heathcote
Club Engadine
Engadine Bowling Club
Acknowledgements
Alexander Payne – ComLink
Sheridan Hartley – The Harvest Initiative
Adam Lawdor – Vanguard House
Pat Boyle – Financial Consultant
Andrew Jens – Andrew Jens Photography
Louise Kibble – HLB Mann Judd
– 22 –