Facilities
2018 has again brought more changes to the Facilities Team at
Toowoomba with the departure of Maintenance Manager Darren
Best in July and Director (Asset Maintenance) Renee Inkster in
late October. Taking on the role of Acting Director has certainly
been a steep learning curve but has given me the welcome
opportunity to gain a broader more strategic overview of the
facilities management portfolio.
A brief recap of the year that was:
USQ won first place in the Carnival of Flowers Corporate float
competition with a design showcasing USQ’s scientific research
in Astrophysics. Another successful result due to the many hours
of hard work undertaken by the team in conjunction with the
overarching design by Marketing and Student Attraction.
Toowoomba campus built environment as their time with us
goes by. Grounds maintenance tasks, G Block landing paver
replacement, oval soft and hard landscaping to name but a few,
are projects which they have contributed towards, this year alone.
Let’s not let the lads take all the limelight however as Tamika
Fallbrown also joined the team in 2018. Tamika has proven to be
a valuable addition not only to ourselves but also to the broader
Campus Services team. Tamika has progressively been working
her way through all of the team areas offering support as a valued
resource in times where we have been stretched to the limit.
In early November, the Toowoomba team welcomed Stuart
Merton for a work experience placement. For the past month,
Stuart has been busy in the gardens assisting the team to
complete a range of outdoor activities and in particular, helping
to maintain the Japanese Garden. Maintenance Officer Craig
Formica has been Stuart’s supervisor during his placement and
has enjoyed working alongside Stuart and getting to know
him. Stuart recently graduated from Year 12 at the Clifford Park
Special School.
Maintenance Officer Craig Formica with work experience
student Stuart Merton
OPEX – Cross collaboration between Campus Services teams has
seen a big push to expend additional funding made available by
the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive during the later stages of this year.
As you walk around the campuses you should notice a range of
improvements ranging from road surfaces, painting, carpets and
sports fields rejuvenation.
Apprentices Michael Lasserre, Jarrod Mason and Rueben McColl
joined the team in 2018 and continue to grow every day within
their roles. Contributing actively as members of the Campus
Services maintenance team they continue to work through their
apprenticeship/traineeship training plan under the supervision of
some of the more senior maintenance staff. Evidence of their
growing skill sets will become more apparent throughout the
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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN QUEENSLAND
From myself and the rest of the maintenance team, have a safe
and enjoyable festive break and we will see you all back in 2019
refreshed and ready to do it all over again.
Michael Coulter
Acting Director (Asset Maintenance)