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Bright sparks protect Australia
23 November 2005
Ergon Energy’s Torres Strait operations received a Quarantine Certificate of Commendation today in recognition of their commitment to protecting Australia from pests, weeds and diseases by meeting — and exceeding — Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) requirements.
The certificate was presented to Alex Rankine, Ergon Energy’s Operations Manager Generation Support, by AQIS Far North Regional Manager Gary Maroske on Thursday Island today.
Ergon Energy was nominated for a Quarantine Award for investing energy and resources into meeting AQIS requirements, for displaying very high Quarantine awareness at all levels of the organisation, and for its professional dealings with AQIS in Torres Strait.
Ergon Energy personnel and equipment to frequently move between the Torres Strait Protected Zone (TSPZ), the Special Quarantine Zone (SQZ) and mainland Australia.
The highest quarantine risks associated with this movement are soil contamination, weed seeds and plant material; Ergon has put in place stringent procedures to ensure high standards of cleanliness are met in order to pass AQIS inspections.
According to Gary Maroske, “Ergon Energy staff are highly co-operative, have a thorough understanding of AQIS procedures and consistently deliver items for clearance at a very high standard of cleanliness.”
Alex Rankine says the award confirms Ergon Energy’s efforts to maintain quarantine standards.
“We’re careful to ensure all staff coming to work in the Torres Strait are briefed on quarantine restrictions; we want to play our part in maintaining quarantine integrity,” Alex says.
Cairns based Sea Swift Shipping, cargo and passenger service providers to the Torres Strait and Roland Graf Auto, machinery cleaners for Torres Strait equipment have also been nominated for the Quarantine Award.
All certificate recipients are now entered into the Regional Quarantine Award, which will be announced at a ceremony in Cairns in late November.
Media opportunity: Interviews with Gary Maroske, Regional Manager and Mr Rankine from Ergon Energy
Vision: Digital photographs will be taken for distribution to electronic media on request. Torres Strait media invited to attend
Media contact: MaryBeth Gundrum can be contacted through the AQIS Thursday Island office on 07 4069 1185