Governance

Emerald Tourist Railway Board

Photo by Michael Greenhill

The Emerald Tourist Railway Act 1977 (No 9020) established the Emerald Tourist Railway Board (ETRB) with responsibility for the "preservation, development, promotion and maintenance of the narrow gauge steam railway (known as Puffing Billy) and for the operation management and control of the service thereon for public recreational purposes."

The Emerald Tourist Railway Board comprises of the following members:

Tim North QC

Chair

Legal

Member of Queen’s Counsel. Admitted to practice as a barrister in 1980 and signed the Victorian Bar Roll in 1983 specialising in commercial litigation for over 35 years. Appears regularly as an International Mediator and Arbitrator in Asia-Pacific region. President of the Victorian Rugby Union (elected by Victorian community-based clubs and associates). President of Melbourne Rebels Rugby Union.

Dianne Smith

Deputy Chair

Change Management - Marketing and advertising; tourism; and governance.

Dianne Smith is the CEO of the Industry Capability Network and has held various senior positions including Chief Executive at the Melbourne Chamber of Commerce, Chief Executive of the Victoria Tourism Industry Council, Manager of Tourism Partnerships at Parks Victoria, and CEO of Ballarat Tourism. Dianne has a strong background in government relations, advocacy and communications, business and industry development and commercial operational management.

Bart Clingin

Finance & Governance

Bart Clingin is an Interim Executive & Consultant. He is a Chartered Accountant and has held various interim executive positions across the public sector and not-for-profit organisations. Bart is a member of Finance Committees in the health and education sectors. Areas of experience include finance and accounting, enterprise risk management, governance, process improvement and system implementation.

Michael Mangos

Angela Jamieson

Thomas Sargant

Rail and Governance

Managing Director for Ranfurlie Consulting Group, as well as a management consultant and advisor to public and private sector clients on major projects and commercial transactions, particularly in the areas of franchising, network operations and asset management. In addition, Thomas Sargant’s senior executive experience extends to the private and public sectors in heavy civil construction and public transport operations.

Read about the Ombudsman Investigation Report here

ETRB BY-LAWS:

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ETRB 2021 ANNUAL REPORT:
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ETRB 2020 ANNUAL REPORT:
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ETRB 2019 ANNUAL REPORT:

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ETRB 2018 ANNUAL REPORT:

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Policies & Disclosures

As a Public Entity, we are dedicated to upholding and maintaining the highest standards of accountability and integrity.

We operate in accordance with various regulatory standards, which are incorporated into the Emerald Tourist Railway Board’s policies and procedures.

Our various policies, disclosures and compliance standards include but are not limited to:

Child Safe Policy

Child Safety & Wellbeing Policy

Whistleblower Policy

The Emerald Tourist Railway Board (ETRB) has developed this Whistleblower Policy (Policy) for the following purposes:

To encourage and facilitate the making of disclosures regarding:
- “improper conduct” or “detrimental action”, which may be “public interest disclosures” within the meaning of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2012 (Vic) (PID Act) (see section 5 of this Policy); and
- “misconduct”, an “improper state of affairs”, or “illegal, unethical or otherwise improper conduct”, which may be “reportable matters”, within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) (Corporations Act) (see section 4 of this Policy),

committed by an employee, volunteer, contractor or officer of ETRB (Qualifying Disclosures).

To establish a system for Qualifying Disclosures to be investigated, reported (if required) and, if possible, rectified.
To provide protections against victimisation for individuals who make Qualifying Disclosures (Whistleblowers).
To ensure confidentiality in relation to the identify of Whistleblowers and, where required, the contents of their disclosures.
To ensure that Whistleblowers are aware of their rights under the PID Act and the Corporations Act.
To ensure that the ETRB is compliant with its obligations under the PID Act and the Corporations Act in relation to Qualifying Disclosures.

View our Whistleblower Policy.

Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality Policy

This policy outlines the Emerald Tourist Railway Board’s (ETRB) operators of Puffing Billy Railway’s (PBR) position on:

Responding to offers of gifts, benefits and hospitality; and
Providing gifts, benefits and hospitality.

This policy is intended to:

Support individuals and the organisation in the avoidance of conflicts of interest and maintain high levels of integrity and public trust, and
Support behaviour consistent with the Code of Conduct for Victorian Public Sector Employees, Code of Conduct for Victorian Public Sector Employees of Special Bodies and/or the Code of
Conduct for Directors of Victorian Public Entities.

View our Gifts, Benefits and Hospitality Policy.

	Date	Recipient	Donor	Business Associate	Offer	Value	Reason	Business Benefit	Risk	Ceremonial	Decision	Ownership	Approved by
1.	18/2/2021	Board members and Management representatives (17 People in total)	Emerald Tourist Railway Board	NA	Hospitality - Dinner	$2000	Farewell dinner to interim CEO.	- Recognising the Executive contribution to the organisation. - Cultural benefits.	NA	Yes	Accepted	Accepted	Tim North, Chair.
2.	17/11/2021	CEO	Fetching Events	Yes	Gift Hamper	$100	Christmas / Post Lockdown	- Recognising the restart of the railway. - Will be shared with PBR staff.	NA	NA	Accepted	Accepted	Peter Abbott, CEO.
3.	07/01/2022	All current employees (108 employees) of Emerald Tourist Railway Board	Emerald Tourist Railway Board	NA	Christmas Gift Voucher	$5,400	Christmas Gift to Employees	A goodwill gesture and thank-you for the employees for their efforts over the last 12 months.	NA	Yes	Accepted	Accepted	Peter Abbott, CEO.

The Emerald Tourist Railway Board (the ETRB), the operator of the Puffing Billy Railway, is committed to protecting the privacy of all individuals’ Personal Information, Sensitive Information and Health Information that it may collect and hold.

The ETRB is committed to:

The responsible collection and management of Personal Information;
Providing individuals with the right to access the Personal Information held about them;
Providing individuals with the right to make corrections to the Personal Information held about them; and
Appropriately handling queries and complaints about privacy related issues.

View our Privacy Policy.

Our Vision

To excel in Puffing Billy Railway's presentation of a heritage rail experience, which captures both the natural beauty and rich social history of Victoria's Dandenong Ranges.

Our Mission

To restore and operate the Puffing Billy Railway as Australia's premier heritage steam railway, in a safe and efficient, and economically sustainable manner for the ongoing education, benefit and satisfaction of the community, customers and railway stakeholders, including staff and volunteers.

Our Strategic Plan

Puffing Billy Railway's four-year Strategic Plan 2019-2023 is now available for viewing here. The four-year plan is taken from earlier work our predecessors undertook on the Masterplan, broadened to encompass all other fundamental factors.

Input was taken from the fantastic response volunteers gave from December 2018 to January 2019, a series of workshops with senior management and formal Board reviews. The plan encompasses everything from preserving the cultural and heritage rail significance, through to safety and support for our most valued asset, our people, more work nurturing our environment and actions like partnerships to ensure a sustainable future for the business.

The Railway's ongoing success is considered to be a product of the following seven key strategic elements. These key elements are listed below:

Heritage Integrity - Preserve cultural and heritage rail significance

Tourism Experience & Customer Satisfaction - Provide an iconic heritage rail experience for visitors

Safety - Achieve safety and operational excellence

Operational Capabilities - Engage with our community, businesses and tourism partners

Environmental Management - Commit to environmental sustainability

Organisational Culture - Lead an inspired people and a responsive, resourceful organisation

Finance - Sustainable future

Pursuant to the provisions of the Financial Management Act 1994 and the Audit Act 1994, the Board presents its Annual Report in respect of the year ending 30 June 2017. The report is prepared in accordance with all Victoria legislation.

To view the PDF of Puffing Billy Railway's four-year Strategic Plan 2019-2023, please click here.

Our Gender Equality Action Plan

The Gender Equality Act 2020 is Victoria’s first piece of legislation specifically designed to address gender
inequalities within the workplace. This Act requires that defined entities develop a Gender Equality Action to help
address this issue.

The Emerald Tourist Railway Board (ETRB) operators of Puffing Billy Railway have embraced this opportunity to
publicly articulate our commitment to and outline how we will contribute to the improvement in the status of women
in the workplace and provide a fair and just workplace free of discrimination. Puffing Billy Railway's three-year Gender Equality Action Plan 2022-2025 is available for viewing here.

This is the first time Puffing Billy Railway has critically reviewed workforce data through a gender lens. The GEAP outlines a 4-year action plan including strategies and measures designed to create a firm foundation for gender equality changes with the possibility for more aspirational strategies in the future. While Puffing Billy Railway aspires to the gender equality principles outlined in the Act, this GEAP is reflective of the organisation today; and is the first step of our gender equality journey.

April 2022 - The GEAP maybe subject to further input following feedback from the Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector.

Acknowledgement Statement

In the spirit of reconciliation, Puffing Billy Railway acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional owners of this country and their connection to land, water and community. We pay our respect to them, their cultures and customs, and to elders both past and present.

Emerald Tourist Railway Board

Policies & Disclosures

Our Vision

Our Mission

Our Strategic Plan

Our Gender Equality Action Plan

Acknowledgement Statement

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