2021 Annual Report Final

COMMUNITY TRANSPORT ORGANISATION ANNUAL REPORT 2021

We CARE about all people We SUPPORT our members We ADVOCATE to government We RESPECT our staff, members and the wider community We INNOVATE and adapt toward change We always act with INTEGRITY

ANNUAL REPORT TABLE OF CONTENTS Key Achievements 4 Chair Report 6 Executive Officer Report 7 Treasurer’s Report 9 Regional Reports 10 Central Coast/Hunter Region 11 North Coast Region 12 South West Region 13 Sydney Metro Region 15 Western Sydney Metro Region 16 Western Region 18 Financial Reports 19

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS  Adoption of a sector CTO Strategic Plan.  Membership re-structure with a focus on expansion and inclusion.  Development and implementation of the CTO Mentorship Program.  Design and implement a new website to act as an information hub for the CT sector.  Improved information pathways including weekly member update, monthly webinars and enhanced regional forum engagement.  Stabilising and improving stakeholder partnership relationships.  Establishing a CTO presence within the point to point IRG.  Delivering a sector response to the Department of Health’s proposed transition to payment in arrears.  Conference development (implementation deferred to March 2022).  Partner development – Interleasing partnership for the benefit of members. CTO Board Members and Management L-R Vicki Lennox - Director, Debbie Organ - Director, Ben Jackson - Director, Tara Russell - CEO, Greg Stanger - Director, Kathy Dickson - Chair, Phil Barron - Director. Missing from photo, Paddianne Archdale - Director. 4

Our Mission To support all members to provide inclusive, equitable and affordable transport to the community. Our Vision A community that is entirely connected through transport Our Members Access Sydney Community Transport Ltd Manning Valley & Area Community Transport Group Inc Active Care Network Mercy Services Activus Transport Ltd Moree Aged & Disability Services t/a Moree Care Bankstown Canterbury Community Transport Co-Operative Mosman Council Bathurst Community Transport Murrumburrah-Harden Flexible Care Services Brimbank City Council Myrtle Cottage Bungree Aboriginal Association Ltd Namoi Care Connect Cabonne Community Transport Narrandera Shire Council Cancer Council NSW New England Sector Support Team Coast and Country Community Services Ltd Northern Coalfields Community Care Association ( Community Connect (formerly Lower North Shore Northern Illawarra Neighbour Aid Community Transport) Northside Community Forum Ltd Community Transport Central Coast Peppercorn Services Inc Community Transport Warren Inc. Randwick Waverley Community Transport Group Connect: Inner West Community Transport Group Inc Rylstone District Care & Transport Inc Connect You Too Snowy Monaro Regional Council Coolamon Shire Council - Allawah Community Care South West Community Transport Dungog & District Neighbourcare Inc. Southern Highlands Community Transport Easylink Community Services Ltd (Easylink) St George Community Transport Fiona’s Mini Buses Stryder Inc GoCo Community Care - Gunnedah Shire Council Tableland Community Transport - Uralla Shire Council Guyra Home Support Services - Armidale Regional Council The Community Transport Company Hay Community Transport (Hay Shire Council) Transcare Hunter Ltd Holdsworth Community Services Tumbarumba Community Transport - Snowy Valleys Council Home Assistance and Regional Transport Services Tumut District Community Transport - Snowy Valleys Council Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Community Transport Tweed Byron & Ballina Community Transport Inc Intereach Limited Valmar Support Services Inverell Community Transport Walcha Council Community Transport Junee Community Transport Wollongong City Council Kiama Municipal Council - Blue Haven Care Kirinari Community Services Ltd 5 Lake Cargelligo Community Transport Linked Community Services Live Better Services Maitland Community Care Service (ADSSI Limited Group)

KATHY DICKSON 2021. Despite the pandemic, or MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR perhaps in spite of it, our connection Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the traditional with members has owners of the lands on which we meet and pay strengthened. We my respect to Elder’s past, present and emerging. have continued to support our It is my pleasure and honour to be delivering my membership first report as Chairperson of the Community through access to Transport Organisation. I am thrilled to be current accurate reporting on a year of achievement in the face of information, both enormous challenge and opportunity. I am support and advocacy to government. We have impressed and grateful for how well the Board developed a strategic plan that has identified and our member organisations have been able to areas that we will concentrate on across the next adapt and continue to do their important work. three years. Each Director manages their own organisation For the 2020-2021 year we were successful in the and are extremely busy and professional people, continuation of government funding. This funding yet their commitment to the CTO has been supports our vision for a strong and sustainable unwavering. I am sincerely grateful for all that they Community Transport Organisation. Although have given, as volunteers, to support the CTO and the impact of the CTO is difficult to measure, I am me in my role as Chair of the CTO board. Each reminded of the words of Albert Einstein board member brings a different perspective and approach, and I value all that each person brings “Not everything that can be counted counts and to the Board. I value their support. I value their not everything that counts can be counted.” commitment to CTO projects, programs and our member organisations. I value the knowledge, Our financial position remains strong and we respect and compassion that each bring to the remain committed to transparency and accurate table (or this year to the screen). Thank you accounting. In November we welcomed our new CEO, Tara I want to conclude this report by saying what a Russell. Tara comes with a wealth of experience genuine pleasure it has been to serve the in social services and has already demonstrated Community Transport Organisation this year her leadership and management skills. I would as Chair. It is not a responsibility that I take like to take this opportunity to thank Tara for her lightly. I value each conversation with members, outstanding commitment to this role. We would stakeholders, and the Board. My motivation to join be lost without her. the Board in 2019 remains the same - to give back to an industry that has given so much to me. I am Our membership continues to grow and passionate about supporting transport services. strengthen. This year we have completed a new It is important work that we do in this space, membership prospectus and pricing structure. and it is vital that we continue the support of our We now also include a mentorship program that members in this current and future environments. will allow smaller partners to access the benefits of CTO membership. The Board has focused We look ahead to an exciting and busy year. I look heavily on supporting our members during forward to working with the Board, our member organisations, and the broader transport community in 2022. 6

TARA RUSSELL ensures that the CTO is hearing MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE and acting on the OFFICER voices of members from across NSW. It has been my absolute please to work as the During 2020/21 Executive Officer for the Community Transport to Board operated Organisation (CTO) this year. with vacancies from New England and This year has been one of many challenges but also of Illawarra South East, great opportunity. COVID restrictions and the impact it is a primary focus of of these restrictions on providers, organisations, our the CTO to fill these vacancies and achieve balanced staff, friends and family has permeated our lives this representation across NSW. year. COVID provided challenges for organisations that went beyond profit and loss. Organisations It was clear, very early to me, that it was imperative needed to demonstrate structural agility in dealing with to strengthen the role of the CTO within the sector. staffing challenges, policy and procedural changes, This meant building trust, providing reliable and communications, information technology, heightened knowledgeable support and maintaining a consistent processes, all while staying on top of changing standard of work product that is relevant, current and regulations and requirements. It has been an honour valuable for members. To begin to achieve this, the to be able to support the sector and to be a witness to CTO prioritised, communication pathways, knowledge the strength and adaptability of community transport and relationships. in NSW. Relationship building has been a focus of the CTO In October 2021 the CTO welcomed a new Chair to during this past year. Strong relationships with the Board of Directors, Kathy Dickson Operations members, stakeholders, government, funding bodies, Manager - Transport, Live Better. Kathy has brought peak bodies and the wider community services sector an energy and passion that is infectious; many of ensures that CT has a voice, that we are not just the CTO’s achievements during this year can be maintaining knowledge, but that we are creating it as attributed to Kathy’s leadership. The Board lost a part of a dynamic structural sector working for and Rachel Thompson as the Western Sydney Region with the community. Representative, Christine Ryan, the New England Regional Representative and Virginia Coy, the CTO has achieved stability in our relationship with Representative from the Sydney Metro Region. The TfNSW, strengthened relationships with state and CTO welcomed Greg Stanger as the Sydney Metro national community services peaks, like ACSA, Representative, Ben Jackson as Western Sydney ACOSS, NDS, LASA, COTA, while establishing Region Representative, while the New England and new relationships with Centre for Volunteering, Illawarra South East remain vacant. Department of Health, Point to Point Commission and Regional representation is a very important part of the the University of Wollongong. Strong and actionable structure of the CTO Board. State-wide representation, stakeholder relationships ensure that we can work with a community of like-minded organisations, to achieve more for our members. 7

Relationships feed the gaining and actioning of members to ensure a sustainable, flexible and forward knowledge. Sector capacity is reliant upon knowing looking community transport service spanning NSW what is going on around us. To strengthen the sector, it for the community of NSW. is imperative that the CTO remains current, especially given the reliance on knowledge and understanding as The CTO looks forward to the 2021/22 year with COVID restrictions rolled out. The CTO has prioritised enthusiasm. The new year comes with expanded the attainment of knowledge and further development opportunity. We look forward to hosting the industry of tools to disseminate knowledge. at the annual CTO Conference – Resilience to be held in March in Kiama, NSW. We have secured To disseminate knowledge, we have developed project funding to continue our valuable work to communication pathways across three delivery vision a strategy for rural, regional and remote NSW mechanism, face to face, weekly updates and website. community transport service delivery. We will seek Understanding the CT industry as it is located within to expand our advocacy to include the voices of our the landscape of Health, Transport and community first nations community transport providers, and have services is the cornerstone of what the CTO can received funding to support engagement with the provide to the sector. transition to the new in-home aged care system. From a position of confidence in our relationships, The CTO looks forward to continuing to build a knowledge and understanding of our sector, it is the sustainable, strong, and vital peak body for the goal of the CTO to be able to anticipate, respond, community transport industry in NSW and the promote and innovate with and on behalf of our communities that we serve. 8

GREG STANGER NSW). Membership Re- TREASURER’S REPORT visioned: the 2021/22 membership During the 2020/21 financial year, the Community renewal structure Transport Organisation has undergone substantial was re designed to change. The Executive Officer along with the new increase equity and Board, adopted a set of policies and procedures that inclusion. included clear and transparent delegations, financial A Mentorship oversight and sign off procedures as well as seeking program was efficiencies and promoting productivity. However, developed to further there were challenges that the CTO Board had to enhance inclusion mitigate. Transport for NSW project funding halved for and to provide an opportunity for both professional the 20/21FY and will cease at the end of this year. and sector growth. This will result in both retained and new members in FY22 and an increasing membership base. Many members have pointed to the increased benefits and better strategic direction as reasons for wanting to remain a member. This funding was recurrent for the CTO based upon Looking to the future from an initial difficult starting a project delivery acquittal process, and is no longer positon, there were many achievements made. Even available. Membership numbers slightly slipped with substantial loss of TfNSW project funding, (64 members or 76% of the industry), partially due the CTO achieved a small profit thanks to some to sector amalgamation, but feedback indicated a government stimulus but mostly due to prudent misalignment between member value and CTO service financial management. This saw a reduction in and program delivery. administration, wages and other operating expenses in conjunction with producing a substantial increase of The CTO Board Strategic Plan identified a need to benefit to members. establish a sustainable and vibrant CTO for members. The Executive Officer has made substantial progress The CTO has strong equity and is in a good financial in visioning a fiscally sustainable model to ensure position to be able deliver on its strategic plan for the future of the CTO and has implemented rigorous members in FY22. sector connection and communication procedures to ensure the CTO is operating in a space most valued by INCOME 2019/2020 the members. 23% 27% The CTO Conference initially scheduled for October 18% Membership 27% 2020 and then moved to March 2021, continued DSS 32% to move throughout the year due to the ever 32% Transport for NSW 18% changing COVID situation, however the promise of a Conference 23% conference that brings the sector together remains INCOME 2020/2021 a real possibility. The financial sustainability of the Membership 37% CTO Conference has increased due to funding from 0% DSS 41% Destination NSW, and increased sponsorship, together Transport for NSW 22% reaching $86,000 (Event to be delivered and income 22% Conference 0% deferred to March 2022 due to COVID conditions in 37% 9 41%

REGIONAL REPORTS

HUNTER REGION aging workforce. REPRESENTATIVE VICKI LENNOX Our paid staff are becoming more Our services include: multiskilled than Mercy in Newcastle Lake Macquarie, Coalfields- ever before filling in Cessnock, Ourcare- Singleton, ADSSI- Maitland & for our volunteers. NeighbourCare Dungog, Transcare -Scone, and We have used this Central Coast CT period of disruption to revisit what we do, how we do it and for who. First a big shout out to Lesliegh and her team at Central Coast. OurCare in Singleton who have had an amazing For Central Coast an exciting and difficult year at year winning several awards in their local the same time. Being part of Greater Sydney has Chamber of Commerce and now being finalists in meant longer lockdowns. On a positive note we the Hunter Region Awards Their successes were have been able to find larger premises that has Excellence in Business, Excellence in Medium/ brought our two depots together. Large Business and Outstanding Business Leaders for Lesleigh Adie. The general consensus is that it was a tough Kathy Nelson _ Operations Manager, Shiree Oliver Board Treasurer, Lesleigh Adie CEO, year, challenging for both our staff, volunteers Di Sneddon Board Director Secretary, Leanne Cooke Co Ordinator. and clients. We have all learnt more about infection control, mask quality and disinfectant composition, and the saga of the hand sanitiser alcohol or not (in the sanitiser). This and the fact that the same people that make our Gin also make the sanitiser….lets hope we don’t get them mixed up. ADSSI. Thank you to the ADSSI teams at Dungog and Maitland for their input. For Dungog the major shift to become part of ADSSI has been a significant focus. Our recurring theme is COVID and its challenges. Transcare. Keeping groups of volunteers active and on the road is also a concern for many services. Retaining paid staff can also be difficult with an 11

NORTH COAST REGION These success stories are the back REPRESENTATIVE PHIL BARRON bone of why we do what we do, and we About you. continue to ‘close The North Coast Region is one of the largest for the gap’ for our First Community Transport in NSW. With 6 providers; Nation Peoples. Tweed, Byron and Ballina Community Transport, This connection HART Services, Connect U 2,The Community to local culture Transport Company, Linked Community Services gives us a stronger and Care ‘N’ go, covering an almost 600km sense of country stretch. and place. Consquently, we have been working with Reconciliation Australia on our Reconciliation This large area, stretching from Tweed on the Action Plans. Queensland border to Foster in the south is a complex map of regional cities and remote Your experience as a Board Member this year. communities. With more than 20,000 clients, we It has been very pleasing to see the CTO go know that each faces unique challenges, when from strength to strength this past year. With it comes to accessing health services and social our region feeling more connected to our peak connection. body and the advocacy work it is undertaking on our behalf. 5 of our 6 services have rebranded in the past few years, acknowledging the need for change in our sector. About your region. We appreciate that the CTO is moving with us Many clients have a round trip to their specialist now and ready to look at new and changing measuring in the 100’s of kilometres. So regional funding models, while we continue our CT providers are faced with the constant juggle of commitment to connecting local people to their resourcing and client expectation. In the past year, community. this has been made all the more challenging by the COVID Pandemic and the moving feast that is lockdowns and border controls. Sometimes shifting on a day to day basis. As we enter the second half of 2021, this challenge appears to be just as difficult to navigate. Challenges and strengths of your region. Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population is higher than the state average, so we work closely with rural and remote communities to keep that community connected to services and family. 12

SOUTH WEST REGION However whilst acknowledging the REPRESENTATIVE PADDIEANNE challenges, there is ARCHEDALE a significant amount of resilience, About you. knowledge and My name is Paddianne Archdale I have worked in willingness to the health and community services field for my problem solve in our whole career and several years ago joined the region with many team at Kirinari Community Services based in providers sharing Albury. their ideas and information so there are great outcomes for our customers. About your region. Kirinari Community Services provides transport Your experience as a Board Member this year. in the Albury Wodonga border region and Being a board member of the Community provide transport services to a varied cohort of Transport Organisation is very exciting and to customers, and this is my first year on the CTO be part of the peak body that is the voice of its board. members, knowing that we can make a difference to the industry is truly exciting and satisfying. Kirinari is just one of 35 Community Transport To know that our voice is being heard and providers in the South West Region. The that change is possible is a great reason to be geographical area extends from Tumut in the involved. east to Wentworth in the west and from Griffith in the north all the way south to the NSW/ Victorian border. Challenges and strengths of your region. The challenges that many experience include the distances travelled and the true cost of services, the reduction in volunteers, ensuring service quality is never compromised, keeping abreast of industry changes and future models of transport service, COVID and the continual changing border closures rules. The number of volunteers for many providers has declined and this can partially be attributed to the changes in compliance, all volunteers are now required to hold current first aid and CPR certificates as well as the pandemic. 13

SYDNEY METRO REGION

REPRESENTATIVE GREG This is important to STRANGER note, as we move to operators in the The Sydney Metro operators have a mix of shared but higher populated also highly geographic and individual areas in the city, the constraints similar to all other regional operators structure of CT moves in NSW. Our 13 members are contracted to from a dynamic of approximately deliver over 700,000 trips annually mixed volunteer and which is over 30% of the total contracted trip outputs paid staff to just paid with TfNSW for both Regional and Metro combined. staff which increases Our funding is distributed however by aged care our proportion of planning rear (APA) which means we often have 3-4 required wages to Community transports funded for the same planning funding ratios. region due to the size of population density. Some of us on the outer boundaries have rural and regional Further to the increasing operating costs, is the classified service areas whilst other operate daily lack of space, parking availability and location for a within shared Local Government Areas (LGA’S) depot. Often we have dislocated office space to fleet location and have to sustain very high fixed rental The members have a strong belief and commitment cost for our depots. Space also is a concern when we to collaboration fostered through bi-monthly meetings talk of parking at both a customer’s home and drop and continual communication. This collaborative off destinations. Often there is not enough disabled approach and size allows for strong advocacy parking in the city and there is added skill required approaches whether to local, state, TfNSW or Federal from our drivers to find suitable and safe drop off departments on issues that are of shared concern. It locations especially around medical precincts. also allows members to support each other to find a suitable solution within the group. Our combined services are as diverse as is the cultural diversity of the customers we service. Our combined organisations cover 1578 Sq. km’s We may at times seem to have less transport which is very small compared to some other regional disadvantaged however, often our cohort of customers operators. The smallest LGA is just 6sq km’s in size find accessing other forms of public transport very and the largest is 462 Sq. km. In comparison the area difficult regardless of its availability. There is also a lot in size we cover would be comparable to the Central more competition and availability of Taxis and other Coast or Blue Mountains however these LGA’s have at ride share organisations. times just one CT service provider. The total Sydney metro sq. km area is also up to 20 times less than some Often we are diverse in the range of the multi services other Regional LGA areas. we provide and have been able to remain flexible and deliver social support through the COVID- 19 Although distance in regional areas is especially pandemic and onwards. With a dense population there challenging in relation to trip costs; in the Metro region is also a need to deliver trips to both NDIS and Home we have densely populated areas that presents its own Care Package recipients. unique challenges. Our group covers a population of 2.75 million people with an over 65+ eligible population The Sydney Met group is committed to innovation and of 15%. This means that often Metro operators have the use of technology to both connect and provide to deal with increasing traffic and time delays which better integration of community transport so that we can see a small trip of only a few km’s take 30-40 remain services of choice and relevant in the ever minutes when trying to traverse through the city. This changing transport and Aged care landscape. can result, depending on where we are located, with higher dead miles but more importantly dead time. 15

WESTERN SYDNEY METRO Active Care Network services REPRESENTATIVE BEN JACKSON the Blacktown, Penrith and Blue Membership. Mountains LGAs Westmet Region is comprised of eight CTO and provides members; Active Care Network, Bankstown both Community Canterbury CT, Community Wheels, Blue Transport and NDIS Mountains Aboriginal Community Transport, transport services. Southern Highlands, Live Better, Peppercorn, and South West CT. Ben joined the CTO Board this year and In recent times the sector represented by has been instrumental in the introduction of the Westmet has consolidated with a number of Membership Mentoring Program, a first in the mergers taking place. Community Wheels, Active sector. Care Network and South West Community Transport have all taken on additional areas which Challenges for 2022 and beyond. has seen the representation diminish in numbers. As with the rest of the sector Westmet members are challenged by sustainability beyond 2022. A diverse area. Contractual details, compliance and length Westmet represents the area from the southern of tenure are all front of mind for Community boundary of Wingecarribee through south Transport Service Providers in the lead up to the western Sydney to the northern boundary of the next round of contracts from Transport for NSW. Hawkesbury and the Hills Shire. From the top of the Blue Mountains through the heart of western Managing a Community Transport Service Sydney to the inner west. Provider through the pandemic has been challenging and while vaccinations are on the It is a diverse area, with local government increase Community Transport Service Providers areas like Fairfield having amongst the highest are at the front line of the most vulnerable older representation of CALD clients and Blacktown people in our communities. The reality of living having the highest representation of First Nations with COVID will bring additional risks to providers clients. It is comprised of highly urban Local and clients alike. Government Areas (LGAs) like Parramatta and Blacktown but also LGAs like the Blue Mountains The challenge for CTO is to find its niche in the and the Hawkesbury that face challenges of Community Sector’s framework of support for distance and small population centres. organisations. Recent wins in funding will help, and the developing strength of relationship with Board representative Transport for NSW is encouraging but with such Ben Jackson was nominated to the Board in a diverse membership base it will always be a 2021 as the West Met Regional Representative. challenge to deliver support that is required and He started working in the Community Transport valued by all members. sector in 2018 with the then Easy Go Connect. He managed the amalgamation of Easy Go Connect 16 and Great Community Transport in 2019 and rebranded the amalgamation as Active Care Network.

WESTERN REGION

REPRESENTATIVE strategic direction KATHY DICKSON of the CTO. It is immensely About you. satisfying to see I am the Operations Manager of LiveBetter real results and Transport Services and I have been working in achievements Community Transport for almost 10 years. I am achieved that based in Lithgow at the eastern most point of the support and Central West region. LiveBetter’s geographical invigorate the footprint is large and extends from Lithgow to the sector. As I Queensland border, the Victorian border and as have worked in far west as Broken Hill. I have been on the CTO Community Transport for a number of years, I Board for 18 months and Chair for a year. hope that I bring a strong level of understanding of the Community Transport sector to the CTO About your region. and that this in turn provides an opportunity for The Western Region is both beautiful and this region to maintain a strong voice. dangerous. Our staff and volunteers are highly trained to arrange and provide transport that is diverse and requires long distance travel. We often manage unexpected weather conditions such as bushfire and flood as well as logistical challenges that distance and remoteness bring with them. We also provide connection with regional and remote areas to larger regional or metropolitan cities to ensure our customers transport needs are met. Challenges and strengths of your region. Marsha Riley from Live Better, Dylan Drady from WINS Wellington Our greatest challenge is sustainability due to funding uncertainty. While we are all looking for other sources of revenue, we are largely dependant on government funding. Our services providers are outstanding in finding efficient and innovative ways to continue providing the highest level of service provision. Your experience as a Board Member this year. Members of the Western Region Community Transport Forum, locations across the I have broad and longstanding experience as a western region of NSW . Director in both the transport sector and other industries. I am currently the Deputy Chair of an Australian Deposit Taking Institution and I have been a Director for just over 10 years. I enjoy the opportunity to explore and improve the 18

BALANCE SHEET 19

PROFIT & LOSS 20

Sponsored by the Australian Government Department of Health. O R GA N I SAT I O N LT D