A warm welcome back to work for the many Public Service staff all over Australia who have returned to their offices and other posts and stations after being lucky enough to chalk up a few hard-earned weeks off.
Not having to say, hear or read the words ‘public service’ for a few weeks while they wallowed in the freedom of ‘presents’, ‘parties’, ‘playtimes’ and ‘pranks’ instead, the time has come when we return to our ‘projects’, ‘performance’, ‘production’ and ‘PS News’ to pick up where we left off last December.
Customary at this time of year, PS News and its little brother PS-sssst! wishes all our readers the heartiest, happiest and most harmonious New Year ahead, with a jolly welcome to Public Services wherever you might be in 2023.
And so say all of us!
Holiday reading!
Away on holiday, or working through the holiday weeks, at least a few PS News readers exercised their commitment to the weekly publication, recording a most impressive visit to their favourite website even though it was taking a holiday off the air itself.
According to the Google’s ‘All Web Site Data’ some 30,471 readers chose the holiday days to visit PS News to read about what it reported last year.
We’ve heard of commitment and popularity and we’re modest when we see it, so if you were one of the 30,000-plus, we thank you from our otherwise holiday-busy heart.
In fossils we emblem!
A call now from Anne B of the Federal Department of Social Services who has responded to the Australian Capital Territory’s adoption of the long dead Batocara mitchelli or ‘Trilobite’ as the community’s ‘Fossil Emblem’. (December’s last PS-sssst at this link).
According to Anne, 250 million years ago the species was abundant across the ACT and since then fossils had been reported many times as new building sites dig foundations.
“Unfortunately conservation of these fossils has often not taken place,” the concerned Anne writes.
She called on PS-sssst! to use its unlimited powers to ensure the ACT protects its newly adopted emblem and protect its fossils for the community to appreciate.
“Any public awareness saving these fossils can therefore only be a positive thing,” she said.
Consider it done, Anne!
We’re sure the Trilobites will be grateful too.
Summing up!
Good news from Western Australia now that a new boating app has been developed for sailors to use to find out about nearby problems on the water.
Known as ‘Deckee’, the Australia-first app allows boaters share information about incidents in the water, and for the local Department of Transport to respond immediately.
“It’s the first time in Australia that skippers and other users have been given this opportunity,” the Department’s Manager of Safety Education, Laurie Adams said.
Lifesaver or not, it’s WA’s new system for boats to share mooring safely that caught PS-sssst!’s less interesting attention .
It goes by the name ‘Shared Use Mooring System’, which sharp-eyed readers will notice adds up to SUMS!
At least SUM of us would have noticed it!
You WOULD read about it!
And finally, another end-of year record among PS News’s readership with a most impressive 8,000 new readers signing up to join in December, taking readership to 188,600.
Leading the increase was the Australian Public Service with a jump to 69,800 readers, followed by the Tasmania PS which went to 13,400; Queensland to 15,600; and South Australia 12,200.
A wonderful step forward for which every one of us at PS News are most genuinely humble.
Humble or not, it’s a most exciting way to start a New Year.
Thanks to everyone, new and old!
Till next week….
Something to share?
Send to [email protected]
(And, yes, it can be anonymous!)
