1. WIRELESSTHE
THE OFFICIAL OWP NEWSLETTERJAN 17 | Issue #9
LIGHT
INTO THEIR LIVES
BUILDING BIKES FOR
TYKES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY
new year
JANUARY 26
The Faces of Australia
at OWP, and why we're
celebrating this month
FANTASCHETIC
NATIONAL EFFORTS
The success of the Movember campaign, family inclusion
in our value for safety, and the sites making news across
the Project
new you
Giving a company heads
up on combating the
January blues
BRINGING
2. THE WIRELESS
ALL WRAPPED UP
4
Our talented team and the stories of their success across the project
HOLY COW
"Special thanks to you and your team for getting the COW up and running... We were
able to provide capacity and coverage to a special event held last Sunday. There will
be another special event coming up this weekend and we will be ready to handle
the additional traffic." Technical Specialist, Optus
Congratulations to the whole team for such a positive
response on your efforts.
customers wowed by
satisfaction of service
QUEENSLAND: Optus Managing Director, Dennis Wong,
has shared his gratitude and appreciation to the QLD
team following an extremely successful ELT trip to Cairns
and Townsville.
Dennis made special mention to the customers who
expressed their satisfaction in the customer service they
were receiving and the extroadinary improvement in
data speed across the region, proving our team remains
a strong leader against competitors in the market.
VICTORIA: The special COW deployment in Melbourne developed
specifically to cater to multiple events in the large city center was
a great success, achieved with the focus on quality and timely
execution from the team.
The COW deployment has been likened to the difficulty of building
three Greenfield sites and getting all technologies RFI'd within a
week. The OWP team were diligent and committed, and have been
applauded for their efforts in getting the COW up and running one
week ahead of schedule!
"How satisfying to hear that customers are saying that we are equal if
not better than T in the cities; to hear the customer being wowed by
the 150 mbps they are getting; to hear from the team that NBN and
EPL coming to town and importantly how networks are providing info
and update in a most timely manner! " Dennis Wong, Optus
Well done to the entire Queensland team, this is a
great endorsement of your efforts and excellent
reputation in the region.
FESTIVAL LIT UP BY SPEEDY
SERVICE COVERAGE
FRANKSTON, VICTORIA: Frankston's Annual
Christmas Festival of Lights was a huge success
with the support of the OWP team who provided
lightning speeds of data to cater for the thousands
of Melbournians flocking to the free event.
Congratulations on another big win for the team in
contributing to one of many special events spanning
across the many states.
JAN 17 | Issue #9
3. THE WIRELESS
5
POWER OF THE PEDAL
JAN 17 | Issue #9
Taking a look at the end of year reviews across the project, and took hundreds of
children by surprise with the heartfelt gesture of our staff.
"It
's not how much we give, but how
much love we put into giving."
Those famous words paid homage
this Christmas, as children across the country
were greeted by their own personally-built
bikes - OWP staff constructing them from
miscellaneous parts collected through a
myriad of challenging team building tasks.
In a corporate social responsibility initiative,
Visionstream offices across Australia and
New Zealand partook in the Bikes for Tykes
challenge - a team-building event resulting in
the ultimate gift of giving hand-built bicyles
to disadvantaged children of various charities.
Some of the challenges included sending a
'morse-code' type message from one side of
the room to the other, a bike-themed 'find-a-
word' scattered around the site, and argubly
the most challenging event - attempting to
build the tallest, most structurally-sound
aluminium foil tower in the room. This task in
particular took the interest of many structural
engineers across the project, who utilised
their knowledge and experience to create the
winning towers!
The last team-building task challenged each
group to construct a child's bicycle from
various materials, receiving limited guidance
from bicycle experts who remained on site to
ensure the safety of the finished products.
Finally, to the surprise of many staff members,
children from charities across the country
paid a visit to the sites to collect their brand
new bikes firsthand; their parents, families
and charity representatives accompanying
them and expressing their sincere gratitude
for the heart-warming gesture.
Representatives from charities included
Camp Quality, Ronald McDonald House,
Variety - the Children's Charity, Luke Priddis
Foundation, Children's Cancer Foundation
and the Life Education Trust. Most children
were so excited to receive their new bikes that
they began riding immediately (even in some
of the smaller spaces, like the Chatswood
Bowling Club).
The event was a great success across all
locations, with individuals providing positive
feedback to their managers even before the
children arrived to collect their bikes.
The families were invited to join the teams
for an end of year lunch, most sites firing up
a barbeque with an assortment of food to
share with the children and their parents. The
NLT cooked up a storm at the local bowling
club, sporting their best festive attire to
complement the seasonal atmosphere.
We'd like to thank all individuals for their
participation in the event and their heartfelt
gestures.
4. THE WIRELESS
6
JAN 17 | Issue #9
WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY
"[It] was a great day and great initiative of
the business. We built six bikes in total for
McDonalds House foundation, four of the kids
were here on the day and were very happy
with their bikes, while the other two kids were
going to receive them on Christmas day. All six
of the bikes came with their own OWP branded
T-shirts, designed in house from scratch by
Luke Davies."
"We've had really positive messages from
senior management about the day and the
spirit in the Team. Well done."
"[Today] was a really fantastic opportunity
to get together and work towards a better
cause. I really felt that we made a significant
difference in people's lives today."
"The day was really enjoyable. The smiles
on the kids' faces when we gave them the
bikes was better than any gift we could get
ourselves."
Check out all the pictures on The Vine, at https://ventia.sharepoint.com/divisions/PublishingImages/Forms/Thumbnails.
aspx?RootFolder=%2fdivisions%2fPublishingImages%2fVisionstream%2fEnd%20Of%20Year%20Charity%20
Activity&FolderCTID=0x0120004ADD4D91277DA746BB7FF4AA72AF3F0F
5. THE WIRELESS
7
MEET JOANNA WARD
JAN 17 | Issue #9
What is your role?
I am a Town Planner based in SA.
What’s a typical day look like for you at work?
A typical day at work for me is centred on my desk. I write letters and reports for most of my day as well
as staying in contact with local councils regarding any projects I have with them. I have lunch with the
team every day in our lunch room which is great to break up the day and get out of my chair. Often the
community is in touch with me regarding a proposal in their local area so lunch is also a great way to
discuss site issues with the team. A good day for me always involves a site visit and potentially a Council
meeting at night.
What do you think the future for the role of planners looks like? Can you offer any advice to aspiring town planners?
The planning profession spans a lot of disciplines, telecommunications town planning being one of the smaller markets. Planners remain
integral in the public and private sector to facilitate and regulate development, this is not likely to change anytime soon. I can’t predict how
the role of the planner will change in the telecommunications sector in the long run. Day to day it varies considerably as different types of
installations require very different approaches and levels of consultation. With this in mind my advice to young planners would be to always be
flexible, a task outside your usual area will help you better understand the process. I rarely give out advice, I find I am usually the one needing it.
What is your favourite holiday destination?
I always like to go somewhere new but one of my favourite places to go is Ireland. On a local scale, my favourite place is Normanville on the
Southern Fleurieu Peninsula. My family has a farm down there and the area has some of the best food, wine and beaches in the world.
What are your hobbies in your spare time?
I enjoy being active and play netball for most of the year. Having said that I would often trade in a day of exercise for a long lunch at a winery.
If you could invite three people to dinner, who would you invite and why?
David Attenborough – Just to hear his voice in person.
Amy Winehouse – To hear Valerie sung by her in person.
The Queen – I would like to know if she is actually across world affairs or if she doesn’t care. I also think she could hook me up with dual
citizenship.
National Finance Manager, Euan Rodger
holding newest member of the family,
baby Finn Thomas Rodger.
Born: 17/12/2016
Weight: 2.77kg
Cash Management Manager, Donna
Hunjak's gorgeous baby grandson Luca
Raymond Sargent-Hunjak.
Born: 11/09/2016
Weight: 2.95kg
Quality Systems Coordinator,
Kellie Wayde's granddaughter,
Tahlia Crehan.
Born: 01/01/2017
Weight: 3.66kg
Contract Administrator, Tom Dipasquale
with wife, Sophie and first born son,
Max Dipasquale.
Born: 30/12/2016
Weight: 4.06kg
BABIES ON BOARD!
6. THE WIRELESS
8
UNGARRA newspaper headlines
JAN 17 | Issue #9
E X T R A ! E X T R A !THE NEWS MAKING THE NEWS FROM THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE OPTUS WIRELESS PROJECT
VENTIA company headlines
National headlines
RF Engineer, Sadia Afreen's
daughter Zahra got into the spirit
of safety when she submitted her
brilliant drawing to the Ventia
Communications Team to be
featured in the annual Kids' Safety
Calendar of 2017. Zahra received a
$100 gift card for her drawing, and
says she is excited to see which
month her drawing will be featured
as in the calendar.
Well done Zahra!
The Port Lincoln Times has picked up on the positive buzz
surrounding the build of the new mobile phone tower in the
local Ungarra community.
The service carrying both 3G and 4G traffic has shown a
noticeable change in the residents' access to data, especially
considering how limited the service was prior to the build.
The final tests on the tower concluded in November, with mostly
local farmers expressing their satisfaction with the delivery.
Congratulations to the South Australian team for their efforts
and public commendation!
The men and women of the 2016 Movember
campaign made national traction, coming in at #370
across the whole country!
Congratulations to all participants and thanks to all
who donated, we raised a whopping $5,812!
7. THE WIRELESSJAN 17 | Issue #9
Once upon a time, the simple nature of Australian culture meant a cup of hot milo in the afternoon, accompanied by your favourite Arnott's Tim Tam. Whilst many Aussies still
love partaking in this tradition, in celebration of our country this January 26, 2017 - we're not only celebrating those born here, but those whom have migrated here, openly
accepted and taken on our culture as their own, and now proudly call themselves Australian. The multiculturalism of Australia is harmonised by the faces who greet us everyday,
particularly at OWP where we celebrate, accept and encourage cultural integration from every individual. OWP, these are your faces of Australia.
Sheida Shahsavandi, Born in Iran, Australian resident of 3 years
RIC Engineer, Ventia Employee 2.5 Years
Why did you decide to move to Australia?
I wanted to experience a new life in a country with high quality standard and security - a low population and breathtaking nature. As a
multicultural country I knew Australia could help migrants fit in easily.
Will you be celebrating Australia Day?
Yes. Since I have been here I have participated in events and celebrations - the reason being I am part of the Australian community now, so I
enjoy being more familiar to Australian culture and ceremonies. While I'm not yet an official Australian citizen, I do identify with the culture; but
am happy to say my Iranian culture is accepted and respected in my workplace as well.
Why do you feel proud to call Australia home?
Migration is not an easy process to start, and I am happy and proud that Australia as a multicultural country helped not only me, but definitely
others as well, through this process. We really feel it made it easier to fit into our new lives, and can now confidentally call Australia home.
Callie Barnett, Born in United Kingdom, Australian resident of 4.5 years
Colocations Co-ordinator, Ventia Employee 3 Years
Why did you decide to move to Australia?
Originally, I came to Australia to travel for a year & then fell in love with the country. While I do identify myself as an Australian now, I think
you should always be proud of where you come from.
Will you be celebrating Australia Day?
Of course, the date of 26 January is part of history for all Australians no matter what your background - we are one. No doubt be hitting the
beach & putting a shrimp on the barbie.
Why do you feel proud to call Australia home?
Almost a third of Australians are born overseas, which makes us one of the world’s most culturally and linguistically diverse nations, that’s
something to be proud of.
I am also proud of the opportunities Australia has offered me & so many other people to live in this beautiful country.
Kelvin Khoo, Born in Malaysia, Australian resident of 15 years
Financial Analyst, Ventia Employee 5 Years
Why did you decide to move to Australia?
I came to Australia for my studies in 1996 and migrated in 2002. After spending time here during my studies I came to love Australia and
decided this is where I wanted to raise my family.
Do you feel that your culture as both Malaysian and Australian is accepted and celebrated at work?
I would say yes, because I don't feel different to everyone else. My culture has never been a matter of conflict at work. One of the Australian
values I identify with most strongly is, in fact, acceptance. It doesn’t matter where you are from, or your background, or your religion, or colour
of your skin. We are all together. And we are all Australians.
Why do you feel proud to call Australia home?
Australia gave me a home when I had none. She gave me a job when I had none. She embraced me with all her other children and treated me
as her own. I love Australia and I am proud to be Australian.
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8. THE WIRELESSJAN 17 | Issue #9
BEYOND THE BLUES
J
anuary Blues. It's a concept familiar to many of us as we return to the office in the new
year - many still relaxed from the holidays, feeling low on energy from running around
in the heat and managing frantic family functions around the country.
But January and the holiday season doesn't have to be a time you face alone. Before the holidays,
we released some information about taking safety precautions in ensuring your mental health
is well-kept through the festive season, and furthermore, throughout the year. Here are some
suggestions offered from our Employee Assistance Program Assure, and independent not-for-profit
organisation Beyond Blue, a national health advocate for mentally healthy workplaces.
At any given time
1 in 5
employees are likely
to be experiencing a
mental health condition
Untreated mental
health conditions cost
Australian employers
$10.9
billion
every year
$2.30
is the average return
on investment for every
$1 invested in creating
a mentally healthy
workplace
EAT Studies show that Vitamin D is a critical factor in contributing to our happiness. Not only
extracted from the sun, certain foods can help in ensuring you meet your daily dosage:
• Maple-Glazed Salmon: One serving of salmon, especially the sockeye variety, puts you above
the daily intake recommendation of 600 IU but still far below the upper safe limit. One serving
gives you 900 IU of the bone-protecting vitamin D.
• Mushroom Soup: Mushrooms, like humans, produce Vitamin D when hit by UV rays - so ensure
you buy specifically grown mushrooms (like portobello over shiitake caps) exposed to sunlight.
One serving of rich mushroom soup provides about 325 IU of vitamin D per serving.
• Scrambled Eggs: Switch your porridge for microwave-made eggs this January! Scrambled eggs
can be made using a simple microwave, not necessarily a pan and spatula and are as easy to
create and far more protein-dense than most cereals. Eggs contain only about 40 IU of vitamin
D, but every bit helps and the healthy morning ritual will set your energy levels high for the day
ahead.
MOVEKeeping our bodies moving during January is extremely important in ensuring we don't
become sluggish or depressed. Some easy methods of movement include:
• Taking a lunch break outside: Aside from the intake of vitamin D, walking outside during your
lunch break can be an easy way to exercise during the day, and take your mind away from the
desk. In areas all over Australia, meetup groups exist for employees who want to workout on
their lunch break - take a look at meetup.com and see what ones are near you.
• Find a health conscious colleague: Studies show that being surrounded by health-conscious
people can ensure you remain on top of your health too. Let their healthy habits become yours;
or even suggest to your administrator or office manager a healthier snack alternative to the
cookies in the kitchen!
TALK Services within our company are readily available for you to talk to when you're feeling
like you might be suffering mentally.
• Assure: Ventia's Employee Assistance Project (EAP) provided by Assure, is available to help you all year around - whether the problem is
regarding a work or personal issue. The EAP provides all employees and their immediate family with access to short-term, results-focused
counselling - and is completely confidential.
• Beyond Blue, Heads Up: Heads Up is the Beyond Blue program created specifically to address mentally healthy, sustainable workplaces. The
various resources for seeking assistance for yourself, a fellow colleague and other avenues is available online at headsup.org.au - or directly
through the Beyond Blue Support Services Helpline, 1300 22 4636.
• HR Representatives: Our dedicated HR representatives have been formally trained to point you in the right direction should you need
guidance or assistance when it comes to mental health. If you don't feel comfortable talking to these individuals up front, you can always
approach a fellow colleague, friend or manager who can seek advice anonymously on your behalf.