I write this open letter to you and members of the association in an effort to bring to light the unfairness of my dismissal, without good reason by (name deleted by admin) on the 22nd August 2008. By way of explanation I was approached by (name deleted by admin) on the afternoon of Thursday the 14th August 2008, and told that the pay rise I requested the week before had been denied. Furthermore the association had decided to terminate my employment forthwith, and that my pay rise request was the catalyst for my dismissal. Being stunned I asked (name deleted by admin) if I had failed in my duty to the association in any way to which he replied I had not but that the association was restructuring its affairs and could see no use for me in the future. He also added about an upcoming compensation payout to(name deleted by admin) & (name deleted by admin), when I asked what that had to do with me, he did not reply. I asked whose decision it was to terminate my employment to which I was told it was none of my business and that the decision was final. (name deleted by admin) then indicated that I should finish up the next day but I said surely I deserved a bit more notice than that, and also with the national figure skating championships already underway and continuing throughout the following week I thought that if anything I should finish up the following Friday to ensure that there was no problem with the plant or ice during the championships. To this (name deleted by admin) finally agreed.
My services to the ISAQ and ISQ of late have always been fulfilled and my loyalty without question as I have always put the associations needs first. All tasks set for me by (name deleted by admin) over the past twelve months have been completed in a timely and competent manner and I have always pointed out ways to help the association save money. In the last month of my employment alone I saved the association many thousands of dollars when I converted and existing pit at the rear of the ice rink to allow melt off ice water to be pumped to rain water tanks for recycling. A quote of more than $10,000.00 had been received to put a new pit in for this job. (name deleted by admin) suggested that we might put our own Pit in but the job cost was still high approx $6,000.00. I came up with the solution of converting our existing pit and did the job at the cost of a couple of hundred dollars for materials for the association.
The clearing of the landscaped area around the rink is another job I took on to save the association between $3,000.00 to $6,000.00 on quoted prices for that job. I have also explained to (name deleted by admin) how I had intended to drain the front driveway exit area of the property which ponds water to an existing drain for the cost of a few hundred dollars.
This would save the rebitumenting of the affected area as the quoted price was in excess of $8,000.00. (name deleted by admin) may choose to go this way for the repair and so save the ISQ money.
Of course (name deleted by admin) did not always pay too much attention to my advice in the past. An example of this was the cost of doing the sewage repairs at Boondall. I had a quote of $6,000.00 to do the job from (name deleted by admin) our Boondall plumber. (name deleted by admin) choose to use his own plumber and I believe with no upfront quote provided to the ISQ.
The final cost of the job I was informed was well in excess of the $6,000.00 that had been quoted by (name deleted by admin) and even then I had to point out to the plumbers doing the job that some of the new connections that they had done against the foundations of the building were incorrect, to which they finally agreed and had to re do them. (name deleted by admin) never did tell me the final cost of the job although I have heard it was in excess of $20,000.00.
There are other areas where I have not always agreed with the decisions of the powers to be but even so I have always in the past given my opinion. I always assumed I was a valued part of the team and always done as I was directed even if I didn't agree with it and I would have continued to do so had I still been employed by the ISQ. Of late my opinion had been ignored on many occasions and that is certainly so now.
Two decisions that concern me as a member of the ISQ are yet to be implemented at the time of writing this letter, are the replacement of rubber flooring at Boondall at considerable cost to the ISQ with reconstituted rubber when the existing conveyor belting rubber in service is still in reasonable condition after fourteen years of wear and tear and still as new on the underside which could be turned over when required. The trouble with Reconstituted Rubber is that although it will look good when first laid it will over a few years of heavy usage begin to break down with wear and tear and look very shabby. It certainly will not stand up to the heavy wear and tear of ice rink usage as well as the conveyer belting has. I believe (name deleted by admin) of the Cockburn Ice Rink in Perth has also expressed the same concerns to some members of the ISQ relating to this matter.
The second concern I have is to do with the upcoming repair of the Acacia Ridge ice floor in the near future. Although I have not been privy to discussions regarding this for whatever reasons I don't know, I have heard of a plan put forward to fully concrete a slab under the ice floor as part of the repair. This would be a huge cost to the ISQ and certainly not necessary. I know this because I was part of the repair team some sixteen years ago after the heat mat failed and the ice floor heaved at Acacia Ridge. Back then it was identified that subterranean water from the school oval had penetrated the vapor barriers and waterlogged the styrene insulation under the ice mat as there was at that time nowhere for the water to drain too. Due to time restraints and the knowledge that to legally dig a deep drain and at that time with nowhere to connect it too and also requiring hydraulic drawings and Brisbane City Council approval which would take months a decision was taken to do the floor repair as soon as possible and reopen the rink. Remembering at that time there was no second rink to skate at during that period.
It was also decided that at some time in the future a deep drain would be put through the rear of the rink and this has already been done to receive the new under ice drains on the floors next repair. It was always known that the Acacia Ridge ice floor would
require at least one more repair to put the under ice drains in. Really it is a credit to the people that did the last floor repair some sixteen years ago for it to have lasted as long as it has and it is nonsense to suggest that a concrete floor should be poured under the Acacia Ridge Rink. Especially when these drains once installed will solve the floor problems once and for all. Look at the Boondall ice rink.
There were all sorts of water problems because of the wet soft clay, its low position and closeness to the Boondall Wetlands during its construction. Its now been operating some fourteen years and we've never had a problem with the floor because it's drained correctly to existing drains and we certainly do not have a concrete pad under the ice.
In closing, to say that I am disappointed in how I have been treated by the powers to be in the new ISQ, is an understatement considering the length of time I have been involved with the association and the effort I have put in over the years to ensure that
all of my duties to the association have been successfully fulfilled. Some thirty five years, beginning in the Toombul era through to managing the Acacia Ridge Rink for
some eighteen months, to being called in to supervise the building of the Boondall ice rink after identifying and pulling some $300,000.00 out of the building costs to allow the rink to be built. This along with the supervision of all the associations other
projects including the clubs and gyms at both rinks and the responsibility for the making of suitable ice for 2 Junior World Figure Skating Championships and the Good Will Games and countless ice shows along with the fact that we have never lost ice or closed a rink because of bad ice during my time as Project And Maintenance Manager for ISAQ and ISQ should count for something. But apparently it doesn't even the letter given to all staff and signed by Lisa Jelinek on the 17th August 2007 stating "that all staff currently employed under the trust in relation to operating the Ice World Skating Rinks will retain their positions" has turned out to be a lie in the long run. To more people than me alone.
I suppose to put it in a nut shell most of the new ISQ Council has chosen to get rid of the most experienced person in the building and maintenance of its ice rinks at a time when they say they want to repair the Acacia Ridge ice floor and build another new ice rink. One would have to wonder why or if they ever intend to do what they say.
What I would appreciate is the truth as to why my employment was terminated.
Yours sincerely,
GeoffT Fawke
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