GOTAFE’s board has announced the appointment of Kristie O’Brien as its new chief executive.
Ms O’Brien has been working as interim CEO since April 2023, replacing former chief executive Travis Heeney after his resignation, and will assume the role in a permanent capacity immediately.
She joined GOTAFE in May 2022 as the executive director education but has worked in vocational education for more than two decades.
“Kristie’s appointment as CEO is a testament to her exceptional leadership skills and deep understanding of the vocational education landscape,” GOTAFE board chair Candy Broad said.
Ms O’Brien said she was looking forward to taking on the role permanently.
“I am immensely proud and excited to step into the role of CEO at GOTAFE,” she said.
“TAFE is in my DNA — it’s a sector I have dedicated my career to because I believe in the power of vocational education to transform lives and communities.”
Engineered ban
It’s been almost universally welcomed as a win for the safety of workers, but it may also have big implications for some Goulburn Valley businesses and homeowners.
Australia’s work health and safety ministers met in Canberra on Wednesday, December 13 and decided to ban the use of all engineered stone, which is widely used for kitchen and bathroom bench tops among other purposes.
“Businesses and consumers are asked not to enter into contracts for engineered stone products from 1 January 2024, given the contracts may not be able to be legally fulfilled,” Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said in a statement.
“From 1 July 2024, Victorian employers will no longer be permitted to carry out work involving the manufacturing, supply, processing or installation of engineered stone.”
The ban follows a Safe Work Australia report that found the high levels of respirable crystalline silica generated from working with engineered stone are likely to contribute to more rapid and severe disease and that there was no evidence of a safe threshold of silica content.
The decision leaves many unanswered questions for businesses focused on installing engineered stone.
Master Builders Victoria has called on the government to urgently resolve questions relating to contractual obligations — including fixed-price residential contracts, the availability of suitable alternative products, the implications for businesses with engineered stone products in stock and the absence of compensation schemes.
Second 7-Eleven store opens
7-Eleven has opened its second store in Shepparton, this time on the corner of Benalla Rd and Archer St.
Some of the region’s best ribbon cutters were called in for the occasion with City of Greater Shepparton mayor Shane Sali, State Member for Shepparton Kim O’Keeffe and Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell joining store manager Madhusudhan Yeragudam to cut not one but three ribbons in the red, green and orange colours of the company.
The Benalla Rd store is 7-Eleven’s second in the city following the opening of its Numurkah Rd store in 2021.
The company’s expansion in the city is part of an estimated $10 million investment plan for Victoria’s north and north-east.