Premier's Excellence Awards

The Hon. T.T. NGO (14:23): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector. Will the minister update the council on the Premier's Excellence Awards for the public sector and winners in the service delivery category?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:23): I thank the honourable member for his excellent question and his interest in excellence in public service delivery. During the last sitting week, I updated the council on the Premier's Excellence Awards for public sector employees and units, which were due to be presented in a ceremony at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Wednesday 1 March.

As I outlined at the time, it's exceptionally important that we recognise excellence in the work of the public sector to show that we value and appreciate the hard work, dedication and commitment that goes into public service and reward those who have demonstrated outstanding performance and service to the community.

It gives me great pleasure to update the council on some of the excellent work done by the winners of this year's awards now that they have been delivered. The Excellence in Service Delivery award recognises exemplary service which has had a far-reaching and positive impact on the South Australian community. This award is given in both an individual and a team category.

The finalists in the individual category award were: Di Moncrieff, from the Women's and Children's Health Network, for her work on the Palliative Care Peer Mentor Program, which recruits and trains bereaved parents to guide and support other parents who are caring for a child with a life-limiting illness; Shirley Smith from the Department for Child Protection, who heads up the investing in their futures initiative, a cross-government program which provides priority access to services for children who are in or who have left care; and the third finalist was Thao Hoang from the Department for Child Protection, who has worked to ensure children from cultural and linguistic diverse backgrounds, particularly in the Vietnamese community, are placed with carers who can maintain their cultural identity and connection.

I am advised that the finalists in the group category were: the Department for Education ICT Services Team, who implemented a program that has seen massive improvements in the provision of high-speed internet technology in schools across the state, including in our remote and regional areas; the Southern Adelaide Local Health Network and SA Ambulance Service for the complex and restorative service, providing alternative high-level care to older patients, diverting them away from hospital emergency departments; and the third finalist and winner of the group category was the Department for Correctional Services, for their reducing reoffending by 10 per cent by 2020, a program that significantly cut the rate of prisoners who were reoffending by engaging them in meaningful behaviour changing programs. This led to the department not only meeting the target but surpassing it.

I am advised that the winners of each category were provided with certificates to congratulate and recognise their work. I sincerely congratulate both the finalists and the winners for their outstanding work and contribution to the South Australian community. I note that the Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment will publish interviews recorded with many of the finalists and updates about the winners. It is very encouraging that there are so many areas of public service in which there is increasing innovation.