Welcome to the first Gladstone Industry Leadership Group (GILG) column for 2010. I hope that you had a joyous and safe Christmas and New Year.

After a busy 2009 to establish GILG, what will our focus be in 2010?

Air Quality. Responding to community concern about the potential impacts of industry air emissions and supporting the independent Clean and Healthy Air for Gladstone (CHAG) study remain GILG’s highest priorities.

While the Interim Health Risk Assessment released by the CHAG project team was partially reassuring, only the final Health Risk Assessment will have conclusive findings on these impacts.

This final assessment is due in mid-2010. Until then, GILG members will continue to engage with their employees to identify and implement environmental performance projects. I will also provide regular community updates on these improvements.

With the establishment of GILG and through our work to tackle community air quality concerns, GILG members have begun to identify other areas to use industry’s collective voice to support the Gladstone community. These opportunities could include:

Community Support. Quality of life is important to both the Gladstone community and GILG employees so it is important to GILG’s members. GILG members will therefore continue to work together to ensure the best possible use is made of their community support and development resources.

Surveys. The Gladstone community has made it clear that they are suffering from survey fatigue. To reduce this fatigue and give a more independent assessment of community attitudes, in 2010 GILG will implement a single multi-industry community perception survey which will replace several industry surveys.

Emergency Response. GILG members will strengthen integration of their site based emergency response plans with the plans of Emergency Services organisations and the Gladstone Regional Council.

Training. Future skill shortages are of concern to the Gladstone community and particularly small businesses. GILG will continue to cooperate with government departments and training organisations to ensure that GILG member existing resources are best used to prepare for these upcoming workforce demands.

If you have any suggestions of where the combined efforts of GILG members could make a difference to the Gladstone community, please join our forum topic at www.gilg.com.au.

If you would like to have your say and don't know how, please click on this link which shows you how to register and make a comment, anonymously if you wish.

I look forward to hearing from you soon, cheers, Kurt.

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