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Daryl Davidson News September 29, 2022
Before turning to any chemical for any reason it’s important to make sure you have good cultural practices in place, simple things like washing down machinery between fields and hand weeding before the problem gets out of hand.
So what are pre emergent herbicides, they are a form of chemical weed control which prevent germinated weed seedlings from becoming established.
The most important thing to understand before using any a herbicide to control a weed is what is an actual weed.
A weed is a plant considered undesirable plant where you don’t want it to grow.
Once you know the weed you are targeting you can then move onto the next step by choosing the right chemical for the job.
There is many ways your sports surface, grassed area or lawn can be infested with weeds.
Things like the following
*Weed seeds falling off footwear or machinery from other areas or sites.
*Flooding with flood waters or storm water run off bringing in weed seeds.
*Bird droppings and pets
*Wind blowing seeds onto your surface
*Grass stolons and rhizomes (runners)
Using a pre emergent herbicide can protect your surface from situations out of your control especially in open spaces to the public and flood affected areas where seeds can float onto your surface.
If you have areas that have great coverage and low traffic you should be able to manage weeds manually by hand as weed will mainly take advantage of a weak point in your surface giving it a chance to thrive, but if you are in a high risk area of weed seed contamination a pre emergent herbicide could be a great choice.
It is always important to remember not to apply any pre emergent herbicide if you want to re seed any areas as pre emergent herbicides prevent seeds from germinating.
Pre emergent herbicides are available in liquid and granular form from the home lawn to sports fields. It is very important to chose the right one for your situation as majority of them cause root shearing where roots from stolons (runners) cannot anchor down into the soil.
So if you surface is highly used your options shrink compared to an area where the grass coverage stays the same all year.
For more information on Pre Emergent Herbicides check out our website for your free International Greenkeepers – 2022 Turf Pesticide manual.
If you are still uncertain on what path to choose please do not hesitate to contact International Greenkeepers for some great free advice.
Thanks Daryl Davidson
0406942363
internationalgreenkeepersfh@gmail.com
Daryl Davidson Uncategorized August 4, 2022
The past few years has been an absolute living nightmare for everyone but for one of the lowest paid industries that has been so important for everyone’s health and well being especially with the huge increase in participation in sport, it has been heart breaking for the Turf Industry from people leaving the industry completely to people even committing suicide at work.
The pressure of covid, floods, record rain falls, inflation and lack of staff the Turf Industry is really struggling from the Turf farms to the Playing fields we are all feeling the pain.
No one in our industry has been through this ever before but unfortunately if there’s the opportunity people will take advantage of situations like this when everyone is bleeding, they come in trying to sell a silver bullet.
People being made redundant from the turf industry during a time when no one can find staff is absolutely crazy but it is happening because some people are taking advantage of these crazy times.
The problem is when a staff member gets burnt by an employer or a company they usually think it’s the industry that has burnt them to the point they move onto something else that pays more money with less responsibilities and stress.
We constantly hear how a young person has had one bad experience so they decide their entire career on that experience making it harder to recruit new talent as they tell their friends and family about their bad experience.
After three years of hell the people left in the industry around the world deserve a medal and it’s up to the industry to try and recruit new people to join our great industry..
International Greenkeepers are doing everything they can to promote the industry through social media, expos and high school careers markets but we desperately need the clubs, employers, committees, members and residents to understand these times are not for ever.
If the local park or golf course looks unmaintained from a distance there is probably a very good reason. Maybe it’s the record rainfalls with fields that have no drainage or covid affecting the amount of staff that turn up to work each day.
I guarantee you no one in our industry wants to have their surfaces flooded or turned to mud so next time you see or play on a mess make sure you think twice before writing a complaint or posting something on social media that will cause the poor people trying to maintain that area even more heartbreak.
If you are a frustrated employer and are looking to find new staff or new ways to move forward, International Greenkeepers can put you in touch with one of our volunteers at no cost to give you a second opinion before making big decisions that can seriously affect peoples lives.
Thanks Daryl Davidson
You can email us on internationalgreenkeepersfh@gmail.com
Or check out our website
Daryl Davidson Accredited Members March 18, 2022
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Daryl Davidson Accredited Members January 17, 2022
OUR STORY
Rolling out our track record
Founded in 1998 by turf experts Geoff and Sally Green, GHG (aka. Green Horticultural Group) won its first major contract growing turf for Sydney’s Olympic Stadium and spreading thousands of tonnes of ameliorants with our unique Unimog spreading trucks to the site that is now Sydney Olympic Park.
Since then GHG has grown – along with a passion for beautiful, natural open spaces and elite level sports fields. We pride ourselves on our unique range of specialised plant and equipment, as well as our ability to provide customer with quality turf construction, renovation, drainage, irrigation and maintenance services.
Customers benefiting from our services include: local government bodies, schools, universities, racecourses, sporting associations and public parks and gardens across the Eastern Seaboard of Australia.
“We deliver a level of service unequalled in the industry, and many customers have been with us from the start. Our
competitive advantage is that WE deliver all aspects of a project – with minimal subcontracting. This gives us greater
control over service delivery and gives our customers real security in achieving their desired outcome”
Geoff Green, Managing Director
Daryl Davidson News September 21, 2021
The Groundsman Test Drive
Huge thanks to Michel Guirgus from the GYC Mower Depot in Sydney Australia for coming out to demonstrate a great machine from Toro.
Model ?
Toro Reelmaster 5010 Hybrid
Price range ?
From $86000 AUD depending on the selected accessories.
Purpose ?
Cylinder mower for large area sporting surfaces and fine turf.
Specifications ?
The Reelmaster 5010-H is the industry’s first and only fairway mower with a true hybrid drive system. The Reelmaster 5010-H utilises a Kubota 24.8 hp diesel engine in concert with an in-line motor generator and a self-recharging 48-volt battery pack to provide seamless power to the machine and cutting units. The combination of these two power sources comprises Toro’s patented hybrid power delivery system called Power Match. Power Match enables the Reelmaster 5010-H to match the power generated to the power required for all cutting conditions. The result is the availability of over 40 horsepower, but only when cutting conditions require it.
Fuel Type ?
This is a Hybrid Mower that runs on Diesel Fuel but also has a 48V battery back that drives the electric motors on the reels.
Height of Cut range ?
8 blade reels range is 13 mm to 25 mm
11 blade reels range is 6mm to 19 mm
The high height of cut kit (HOC) which is optional increase the range from 25 mm to 38 mm if required
What makes it different from the rest ?
• QR code System enabling the operator or a technician to scan it and login directly to online material related to the machine (operators manual, spare parts, hydraulic, electric and wiring schematics, etc).
• 96 less potential Hydraulic line leaks.
• New and improved DPA (dual point adjustment) Edge series reels. The new reels offer less reel to bedknife adjustments, less griding, and longer edge retention. Because of the modified reel geometry, it provides a cleaner cut and better grass collection. They come standard with low-drag seals and low-friction bearings which reduces the power required to run reels which will also increase available power for the traction system.
• You can control the reel speed and clip rate using the onboard InfoCenter.
• On-board backlapping through the InfoCenter.
• The 48 Volt battery system provides supplemental power, matching power output to the actual requirements of your application.
• Less hydraulic maintenance by eliminating more than 96 potential leak points.
• Fuel efficient; 20% to 35% fuel savings.
• 30% longer usage without grinding.
• Electrical components are sealed for protection from elements – can be washed.
• The machine is much quieter during both, transport and mowing than any other competitor.
• Significant reduction in the machine’s carbon footprint.
How long do the batteries last for and what happens to them if you don’t use them for long periods of time ?
There are four 12V Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) sealed and maintenance-free lead carbon batteries, they last at least 3000 hours
The AGM batteries will hold charge for extended periods of time and also automatically recharge (if needed) as soon as you start the engine.
How much does it cost to replace the batteries ?
Approx $1500 AUD
How much fuel do you save being a hybrid ?
20-35% less fuel consumption
How do you adjust the Height of cut and Quality of Cut ?
There are two simple adjusters for the height of cut, dual adjustments on the front of the reel, then spacers on the rear roller to adjust how aggressive the cut is if needed, which helps produce darker stripes but if the cut is too aggressive, could potentially wear out the blades quicker. If the cut becomes ‘too aggressive’, there is more risk of over stressing the grass, especially at lower height of cuts.
To adjust the quality of cut there is a new and improved DPA (dual point adjustment) Edge series reels. The new reels offer less reel to bedknife adjustments, less griding, and longer edge retention.
Alex Gill, the Assistant Head Groundsman from Sydney Uni Sport & Fitness test drove the beast and here are his comments.
How does it perform ?
Performed really well. Machine was quiet and quality of cut was amazing.
Is it comfortable and easy to use ?
Very comfy. Felt very smooth going over the turf. Pretty straight forward to use. Didn’t love the way you control revs but other than that was fine.
Score out of 10 from Alex Gill ?
8.5/10
Daryl Davidson Accredited Members September 15, 2021
Daryl Davidson News September 3, 2021
Daryl Davidson Accredited Members September 1, 2021
We bring vast experience, a huge fleet of machinery, the right equipment and a proven track record to every project. If you’re looking for a variety of services associated with the drainage and construction of sports grass surfaces across Australia, look no further than Turf Drain.
Daryl Davidson News August 19, 2021
Another great article by Wendy Morris from Turf Wicket Maintenance.
Glyphosate will kill you!
Upon learning I’m a greenkeeper, many people become very concerned that glyphosate will kill me. Now, notwithstanding that we use limited amounts of the chemical, it always surprises me how entrenched the fear is and how quick they are to warn me of the dangers.
I ask them ‘why not worry about the sun?’
I’m exposed to the sun nearly every day of my life. It is a proven carcinogenic. Australia has the highest melanoma rate in the world and by the age of seventy, two thirds of us will have been diagnosed with some type of skin cancer. Ask your GP how they feel about you foregoing the long and long, the sunscreen and the hat, and they will quickly counsel you to not doing anything so stupid if you want to live.
But for whatever reason, many people don’t trust the APVMA, an organisation filled with people whose education on chemical safety far obliterates any layperson’s knowledge, when they tell us Glyphosate doesn’t pose a carcinogenic risk to humans. Nor do these people trust the European Food safety Authority or the US Food and Drug Administration, who also found that Glyphosate is unlikely to be a carcinogen.
‘But there was that court case in America!’ Well, yes, there were court cases in the US, where civil juries agreed with plaintiffs that RoundUp caused cancer.
To understand why a jury may have reached this conclusion, we need to understand how the legal system works. In many countries, including Australia and the USA, to prove someone is guilty of a criminal case the prosecution needs to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, whereas for a civil case (such as Johnson v. Monsanto Co) the plaintiff (person initiating the lawsuit) only needs to prove there is a higher than 50% chance that they are right.
Now imagine you are selected to sit on a jury. The plaintiff is arguing that an imported species knowns as Bobble Lizardkills dogs, and the plaintiff wants a million bucks in compensation because his Bobble Lizard killed his dog. The defendant denies this and asserts the plaintiff’s dog died of natural causes.
Lawyers from both sides argue their case. They are presented equal opportunities to present evidence which may or may not be independent. You yourself may not understand what ‘peer reviewed’ evidence is, and you can’t do any research on Bobble Lizard during the trial, because the rules of the game forbid it. In short, you have two parties arguing their case and you are inherently led to believe that both sides are of equal merit.
In 2015, Dr Stefaaan Blancke, an Assistant Professor at Tilburg University in the Netherlands, published an article titled ‘Why do people oppose GMO’s even though science says they are safe’. While the article relates to attitudes towards Genetically Modified Organisms, I believe a lot of the feelings that people have towards GMO’s have the same basis as their outlook on Glyphosate.
Glyphosate is unnatural, and therefore goes against the will of nature. As humans, we are nervous about anything unnatural. We like to believe that natural design isn’t nearly as flawed as it actually is. Look at organic products for instance – they are generally well received by the public, despite organic chemicals being just as toxic as synthetic ones **
As you sit on a jury, half the time you’re hearing that Bobble lizard kill dogs, and the other half you’re hearing the Bobble Lizard don’t. You are suspicious of Bobble Lizard because you know nothing about them, and the plaintiff’s lawyer seemed very convincing. Your intuition is saying unfamiliar = unsafe. Plus, the defendant’s lawyer failed to adequately explain why the dog lost a tooth two weeks after the Bobble Lizard moved into the defendant’s home. You figure that all things being equal, you’re going to side with the plaintiff, who is also doing a great job at showing their distress over the loss of their dog. The defendant, meanwhile, wears a suit and at one point rolled their eyes at the plaintiff’s testimony.
I’m not surprised Monsanto lost the case.
Now you might have finished reading this article and figured I love spraying. Nothing could be further from the truth. We’re contractors, and spraying is time consuming and expensive. We need to lug chemicals and equipment to site, we need to find suitable areas to measure and mix. Spraying often constitutes a separate visit to site, which puts us behind our usual program, and costs us money in fuel and tolls. Spraying is a pain, and we’d far rather improve our cultural practices to avoid doing any in the first place. I don’t doubt the overwhelming majority of greenkeepers feel the same way.
However, sometimes the only way to get on top of a problem is to spray. And frankly, as an industry we deserve to use inexpensive, effective chemicals that the experts deem safe, rather than being forced into using less safe, less effective and more expensive products because of a layperson’s ‘intuition’.
*ghttps://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-people-oppose-gmos-even-though-science-says-they-are-safe/
**https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/natural-vs-synthetic-chemicals-is-a-gray-matter/
Daryl Davidson News August 11, 2021
You stumble upon a bar.
By Wendy Morris
Operations Manager at Turf Wicket Maintenance.
You stumble upon a bar and enter. Everyone inside is female and Taiwanese. Most ladies are between thirty-five and fifty-five and you can tell by the way they look at you that they’re surprised you’re there. One of them may ask you your favourite Taiwanese beer, and if you fail to answer, she and several others scoff at you. It’s not an auspicious or enjoyable start to your evening.
Next door is a bar that friends and family have recommended. Inside, everyone else is the same demographic as you. You know the beer, you know all of the ‘rules’ and you won’t stand out. You know you will feel safe and welcome and if you don’t fit in, you won’t take it personally – you already know of a similar bar down the street, where other friends go, where you know the rules, and where everyone is the same demographic as you.
Where are you going to go? Probably the second bar. The first bar wasn’t welcoming, you didn’t feel at home and in reality, if you hadn’t accidentally stumbled upon it, you wouldn’t have even known it existed. If you consider the first bar is a sports field complex and the second a supermarket, it should give you some insight as to why greenkeepers are overwhelmingly white and male (government statistics show that only 3% of greenkeepers are female*).
Now let’s say you’re the owner of the first bar, and you want to expand your business. You want some white blokes to come along, spend their money and drink your beer. Running an ad in the paper isn’t going to help. You need to go out there and make your bar inviting.
That, in a nutshell, is why there aren’t more women in greenkeeping, and what you need to do to if you want to attract a broader range of employees.
There are certainly those in greenkeeping who prefer male workforces. Men can, as a rule, lift heavier stuff, and if every employee is male, there is no need to worry about ordering in a uniform that fits a woman. On the flip side, women have a better reputation for maintaining machinery and paying attention to detail, and if you’re not gender specific, your pool of potential employees is a lot higher – which benefits an industry that struggles to attract applicants.
Frankly, I think more women should look at greenkeeping. Sure, it isn’t always a fun job. Sometimes it’s hot, sometimes it’s frigid, sometimes the traffic is bad and machinery breaks down and you have clients breathing down your neck, interfering and putting you further behind. But it is also a field where almost every day you get to see the sun, and move around, and use not only your hands, but your mind. Your uniforms are supplied, there is no expectation to wear heels or make-up, and most greenkeepers can go on holidays without being obligated to check emails or answer phone calls. The industry is growing and work is more likely to be full time than in other industries.
Further, while we all know the pay isn’t terrific, it’s an industry where equal pay for equal work isn’t a pipe dream – it seems to be reality. While there is little statistically valid information available, what data there is suggests that women don’t seem to suffer the irritatingly common fate of being paid less than their male colleagues for doing the same work with the same qualifications.
So if you’re an employer looking to attract more talent, or a woman looking to enter the field, all I can say is ‘go for it’.
*https://joboutlook.gov.au/occupations/greenkeepers?occupationCode=3623
Daryl Davidson Uncategorized August 6, 2021
Here is a great article written by Bradley Tennant from International Greenkeepers.
www.internationalgreenkeepers.com
Defining the Standards
First of all, what do we mean by ‘standard’, a level of quality or attainment in short. But within horticulture and particularly in sports turf this standard can vary dramatically. The local Sunday league team aren’t expecting to play on Wembley standard pitches, whereas the elite athletes will be. It’s about finding that fine line, look at English football for example. The lower the division, typically means a lower ‘standard’ – however this isn’t always the case. Some clubs simply won’t have the money or facilities to produce world class pitches but others may. Take for example Sunderland and Bolton, very recently ex-premier league teams now playing in division 3-4 respectively. Facilities have remained the same, budges will have been cut yet. But will the expectations to produce world class facilities have stayed the same?
This is also becoming more prominent in golf. The ‘standard’ is almost set at tournament ready courses every day. For the world’s elite courses this may be achievable, but not every club is this fortunate. Now this raises more questions than answers, why would anyone play at the local club over the top clubs. They do, else other clubs wouldn’t exist. So there’s a lot more to the ‘standard’ than we see. This can range from course design, planting, green speeds, heights of cut all the way down to Tee times and everything in between. The most frustrating part is most end users will never see the commitment, dedication and time that goes into preparing our work, yet will still be quick to comment.
I always say this, as people in this industry we must stick together. The industry is self destructive enough without us having a dig at our own. Constructive criticism and negative feedback is fine, we need this to become the best we possibly can, but some of the comments I see often online don’t lend themselves favours. There’s a lot of variables which may lead to a person or club’s situation. Without all of the details we shouldn’t be making assumptions. As I’ve said before, this industry can vary massively from site to site. These differences can be seen even larger when you go international, with climate and weather becoming a major limiting factor or benefit!
So as turf managers, gardeners, volunteers, groundstaff, how can we define our own standards? First of all is to stop comparing ourselves to others, we all want Wembley, Lords, Wimbledon or Wentworth surfaces but let’s face it that just isn’t going to happen overnight. Now that’s not saying that these ‘standards’ aren’t achievable. They clearly are because we can see them in action. It takes time and careful planning. A key part being research, know what other clubs and teams are doing around you. Go and check out the facilities and say hi. Heck you may even learn something from them. Every day is a learning day regardless of who you are.
Let’s talk pay
Now it’s no hidden secret that nobody joins this industry to become a millionaire but that shouldn’t mean we can’t feed our families or take a vacation should it? I’ve had this same statement repeated to me on several occasions, not just by young people or trainees but also by qualified, experienced members of the industry. ‘Why do I turn up to work in the cold rain, near minimum wage, work my ass off, sacrificing weekends for time in lieu, with benefits such as ‘free uniform and parking’. When I could get a job at a local supermarket for more money, paid overtime and unions to protect me?’. Unfortunately this has been the way for a fair few years. It’s really disappointing when you see the amount of passion and hard work that goes into creating these surfaces, it’s almost art like.
The lack of pay rises within the industry while increases on living and minimum wages, has led to the gap between the two becoming non-existent in most cases. Despite the yearly published recommendation of wages from the governing bodies and relevant associations. For me though, this is part of the problem. With the limited support from these organisations at ground level regarding wages, members don’t directly benefit. Staff may see these recommended wages but how do we get this information onto the bosses? They have the tools and power to kick-start a change within the industry. Now I’m not slating these companies because at the end of the day they are businesses and need to make money, pay staff and most are doing fantastic things to help the industry. Especially with the current surge in online education. But more could be done -awareness isn’t working at the moment.
People power. I genuinely believe that together we can help remove this stigma. How? By taking these published recommended wages to our employers, not demanding a pay rise but putting forward the information. Making people aware of the situation. Now this may go positively or negatively. With the usual outcome being the company’s salary limitations. But this is where the problem has become much deeper, why has it been acceptable for these wages to be used. Even at high end sports clubs? Because somebody will always fill that position, a trainee looking to prove themselves, an experienced worker looking to step back, none skilled workers joining the industry or other staff within the organisation taking on the extra roles.
This all stems back to number crunching, business is business. Unfortunately sometimes it’s the same people who have power over the numbers that decide who gets what in return. Turf management isn’t a direct earner for a business. It’s typically green fees, sponsorship and winning competitions what keep these businesses going – but what’s forgotten is these businesses have a huge reliance on these turf surfaces to survive. Without grass a sports club is nothing, regardless of what people say. Unfortunately this is where the age old saying ‘anyone can cut grass’ comes into play. We know this couldn’t be more wrong. Education is key. Make people aware.
Now as I’ve mentioned before the industry is also very self destructive, harsh criticism typically on social media and an elite status to those who have made it to the top. Rightly so there’s a gap between those who have carried on education, gotten the experience and worked hard – but what’s learned is very rarely filtered back down into the industry. Just think how many volunteers we have in this industry. The industry is crying for help.
Benefits?
The standard line I see on most job adverts within the industry is ‘free parking and uniform’. Listed as a benefit! Totally unacceptable. I’d like to know how these people sleep at night, listing a near or minimum wage job, level 3 qualifications (min 2 years at college), work weekends with time in lieu with benefits like this? Other popular ones include %2 off gift cards, club shops or discounted gym memberships. Unbelievable, especially when some of these positions are working for employees that are paying players, managers and coaches thousands per week.
While you will see a lot of similar problems in other job roles around the world, nothing will be fixed if we don’t do anything. Unfortunately i’ve spoken with many who say ‘i just cut grass, it’ll never get better’ We have to unite on this. What can we do as a collective? We have power. Let us know, comment, message or email us at internationalgreenkeepers@gmail.com
Daryl Davidson News August 1, 2021
Here is a great article from one of our team members at International Greenkeepers, Damien Curtis is spearheading a team of people in our industry working on the frontline in a lockdown zone in Sydney’s worst affected areas by this Delta Strain of Covid19 risking their lives to help make the community safe.
International Greenkeepers would like to personally thank every person in the Turf Industry around the world putting themselves in the front line to make sure the world can have somewhere to go outside their house during this pandemic.
Damien Curtis -Acting City Works Manager Liverpool City Council
With all work scrutinized during a hard lock down due to Covid 19 work in Local government areas get broken down into 2 groups -Essential / and non essential .
Most of us would expect Garbage collection and the repair of roads as essential but we also define Parks and open space areas as essential also .
In open space areas we have a duty of care to provide a safe and clean areas for the public to exercise in which in our areas include walking tracks in native bush land ,open space sporting fields ,playgrounds ,play gyms, dog parks and general passive open space areas .
Sports have been cancelled but our sports fields are probably getting more wear and tear now due to the sheer number using them to exercise .
Without eyes checking that these above areas are safe we leave ourselves exposed to residents and guests injuring themselves especially when exercise is there only form of outside entertainment in a hard lock down scenario.
This is why in our local government areas grounds staff are a critic part of our work force .
The first item to consider in any lock down is what are the latest public health orders and how will they affect the safe delivery of service to our open space areas.
We like all industries will be given perimeters to work within then we must apply for essential work permits which come with many restrictions that are necessary for us to work in .
The fines for businesses and individuals are quiet large and the other side to this is we do not want to have staff or the public put in danger if we are not abiding by strict legislation put in place by multiple Government agencies .
Some of the provisions this time round are collecting data on staff living in hot zones that require Covid testing every 3 days .
The use of extensive PPE and hiring additional vehicles to service areas due to distance regulations in trucks and work vehicles.
Recording all entry and exits into depots by staff with bar codes and manual recording and restricting visitors if possible.
In house Covid Testing for staff to minimize the distribution to there already busy lifestyle of working and living in hard lock down areas .
Creating work schedules where sanitizing hard stand amenities such as playgrounds and seating become more important than mowing or gardening.
Staggered start and finish times to avoid congestion in our depots .
Creating satellite depots to spread the work force out in case a close contact takes out a whole section for 14 days and we can continue with the delivery of critical work from other depots.
In regards to our sporting fields and high profile areas we are continuing with our spraying programs for Pests /Weeds and Disease especially targeting weeds such as Burr Medic and Bindii as these weeds pose considerable a safety risk to our users if they flower so it’s important for us to reduce this risk .
This is still deemed essential as is auditing and fixing irrigation issues as again water leeks and breaks are a danger to the users of our open space areas.
Last lock down we completed many renovations processes as the sports were cancelled but this lock down all construction and non critical work has been fagged so we cannot use this window to complete small capital works on our fields .
Providing the best PPE and making sure our staff use this and are updated on the latest public health orders which are changing daily .
We still continue to maintain our open spaces to a standard but with a focus on sanitizing and litter removal combined with more stringent inspection on assets to identify safety concerns in a more efficient time frame.
One of the difficult issues is a large amount of our residents are out of work or stood down temporarily due to the hard stage 4 lock down which has greatly affected our local government area which is 310 square kilometers in a high density area with lots of blue collar trade employees in our local government area .
We actually get busier now with the only form of normality for residents is to go into our open space areas and exercise the body and mind .
We also get more vandalism and theft and lots of our staff can be subjected to abuse from frustrated open space users who feel the need to take out life’s frustrations on them .
This issue gets tool boxed and talked about so we can give our staff strategies to deal with these issues as it is a very challenging time when residents cannot feed there families or service there debts due to no income coming in.
We must also manage our staff mental and physical well being implementing guidelines to identify risks ,allow different leave patterns to be authorized and effectively communicate from the high levels down to the field staff with clear messaging.
In terms of maintenance most Local Government staff are the last line of call outs and we call this the phone a friend scenario due to being called out to electrical issues with our tree teams cutting fallen trees over power lines,our civil teams spreading sand on major and minor roads after an accidents and stopping pollutions going into water ways with spill kits and bundling .
Our traffic control teams are always utilized in storm events in conjunction with other state organizations to block roads and put in detours to reduce risk and make people safe from hazards .
Like all emergency management the layers only work when tryouts have clear and concise information communicated to all staff .
We are very lucky to have very experienced staff who have worked all over the world in critical situations and there calm demeanor and ability to mentor the less experienced staff has seen us adapt to the ever changing world we all now live in .
In times of crisis the great staff rise to occasion and i am very lucky to work with a fantastic team continuing to maintain our open space areas so our residents .
Stay safe and reach out to your industry friends and associates to help in times of need as no person has all the tools in there kit to solve all the problems or issues that come our way especially dealing with living organisms.
From a management prospective we need to record daily the below information.
-Staff leave -at present due to working in a hot spot we have many staff using up there accrued leave .
We have not forced this but are happy for staff to take leave as many look after there elderly family or kids who at the moment must be home schooled .
-We have staff redeployed from other areas of council who have been stood down in there substantive roles.
For this at the moment council pays a 4 week full time wage then our union is in negotiations to get some form of payment as local government workers are not covered by the old job keeper payment .
-Daily meetings with emergency management which includes NSW Health / Police/ RMS /Office of Local government .
We have set up many Covid Testing clinics in our open space parks and these change quiet often depending on the areas needing more resourcing.
The last week has seen us working to set up much needed vaccination hubs which are critical for the community .
The management team also look at our own hot spot congregation areas a and work with the authorities to close areas off .
Last year we closed sporting fields and play grounds but so far we on the direction from NSW Health have kept these facilities open so we dedicate more resources to clean and inspect above what we normally do outside of lockdown.
Kind Regards
Damien Curtis
Daryl Davidson News July 24, 2021
SISIS Flexibrush gets results at Greetham
After the withdrawal of certain chemicals, Adi Porter, Course Manager at Greetham Valley Golf Club, has found the SISIS Flexibrush to be an ideal solution for dispersing worm casts.
Adi has been working at the East Midlands club for nearly thirty years and throughout that time he has seen it become one of the finest golf, hotel, leisure and conference venues in the area.
“We made a conscious effort to really push the standards,” said Adi. “It enabled us to significantly improve the presentation and we went from strength to strength. We soon found our membership at full capacity and had to put a waiting list in place – which was unheard of for clubs in this area.”
Under his remit, Adi is responsible for the maintenance of two 18-hole courses and a 9-hole course, a driving range, and a bowling green. Standards to Adi are everything, and he leaves no stone unturned when it comes to presenting ‘picture perfect’ facilities. It is for this reason, that he admits to being frustrated by an all-too-common issue.
“Worms are becoming more and more of a problem on every sports surface because we lost the chemical control a few years ago,” he said. “Here at Greetham, the worm population has undoubtedly increased and the worm casts can be a nuisance. If they are not kept on top of then they just get smeared into the grass with the golf that is played and foot traffic, trolleys and buggies.”
In looking for a non-chemical solution, Adi, who has been a long-term user of SISIS machinery, decided to investigate the SISIS Flexibrush.
The Flexibrush is a tractor mounted brush which is equally effective to disperse top dressing and remove excess material on natural turf and on synthetic surfaces. The versatile Flexibrush can also be used for dew dispersal and striping for improved presentation. It has a 5.35 metre working width, its brush sections float to follow ground contours and the outer sections fold for transport and storage.
A demonstration was arranged at the start of 2020 and Adi has not looked back since.
“It is a fantastic, quick and cost-effective way of removing or dispersing worm casts,” said Adi. “What really sold it to me is the size of it – some of the other brushes on the market for outfields and fairways are a lot narrower and I don’t think there is one wider than the Flexibrush.
“It is very productive, and we can easily do 36 holes in a day. I also like the fact that it folds up quicky – you can easily move it about the course, through trees and from fairway to fairway.
“Another main reason for purchasing it was so that we can use it for presentation,” he continued. “We will use it forbrushing before mowing to stand the grass up because it provides a better cut. Also, in the autumn and winter months when we are not actually cutting the grass, we can still present a fairway nicely by striping with the Flexibrush.
“It’s been a great purchase for us and as always we get a great service and back-up from SISIS,” Adi concluded.
For further information or a no obligation demonstration, please contact SISIS on 01332 824 777 or visit www.sisis.com
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