Features
Navy set to open one stop shops


Edition 5006, April 19, 2007
 
NEW WAY: LCDR Cameron gives a rundown on new dispute resolution centres.
 
Six Fairness and Resolution Centres will roll out to every major region in Australia to help Navy members manage their equity and diversity and complaint and workplace conflict issues in a “one stop shop”.

The centres will provide members with access to regionally-based equity and diversity and alternative dispute resolution experts and are the latest in a series of Fairness and Resolution Branch initiatives designed to deliver a more flexible, fair, fast and friendly service.

According to Dispute Resolution Practitioner, LCDR Hugh Cameron, the new centres will provide “fantastic resources and opportunities to give direct support and advice to the Navy family and provide mechanisms for dispute resolution”.

“At times, our people are faced with workplace or personality-based disputes that have become unwieldy because due regard hasn’t been given to the most appropriate or alternative way of handling them,” he said.

“It is important to ensure that all Navy members are provided with the resources, skills and confidence to deal with situations or conflict in a positive and less formal manner that better enables them to deal with and take ownership of the issue and resolution. The significant and noteworthy contribution that the Fairness and Resolution Centres make is the fact that members have the resources of self resolution, mediation and conflict coaching, amongst other things, to help personnel and managers better address workplace disputes.”

LCDR Cameron sees the experts in the centres as enablers to help Navy members with a whole variety of complex workplace issues.

“Dispute Resolution Practitioners are there to provide direct assistance to the organisation and all who serve within it. Much of this assistance is focused on resolving issues at the lowest possible level and in a very informal manner, whilst also encouraging and providing the skills to the parties to communicate directly with each other.

“It is important for the Navy community to realise that assistance and skills provided by the centre do not work to the exclusion of the formal redress of grievance system, rather it provides new ways of exploring dispute resolution services that can be provided in a timely manner that can better suit the needs of Navy members,” said LCDR Cameron.

For further information contact: Alternative Resolutions and Equity on 02 6266 8537 or call the Defence Equity Advice Line where people are available to talk to you anonymously – 1800 803 831, 1800 644 247 or 1800 626 254.