The year was 1982.
Joh Bjelke-Peterson was the Premier of Queensland; work had just started on Wivenhoe Dam; a loaf of bread cost 77 cents; and Bundamba man, Dale Hubner, started a new job at the Ipswich City Council.
Forty years on, and Dale attends a barbeque breakfast at the Riverview Depot, with Ipswich councillors and the Mayor, to celebrate the long service and dedication of 12 Infrastructure and Environment Department employees, who have together racked up 320 years as council officers.
Now a Capital Delivery Branch Project Manager, Dale said he has worn many hats in his time at council.
“I have been a labourer, a truck driver, a carpenter and a carpenter supervisor, and now I am a project manager,” Dale said.
“Back when I started, the Thorn Street Depot was the main depot for council; it included the ambulance and SES area and housed the entire council workforce – from road gangs to sign writers – plus the mechanical workshop and blacksmith shed.
“The carpenters, painters, and plumbers’ workshop ran alongside and had been converted from horse stables.”
L-R: Sean Madigan, Chris Wieland, Andrew Toth, Dale Hubner, Cr Jacob Madsen, Brad Kleidon, Cr Russell Milligan, Christine Lawrence, Allan Perry, Mayor Harding, Jeff Jensen, Keith Ruthenberg, Brad Degen, CEO Sonia Cooper, Wayne Durham, Cr Kate Kunzelmann.
Ipswich City Council CEO Sonia Cooper said that in today’s labour market, staying at the same job for many years is rare. But there are many reasons people decide to stick around.
“Around twenty-five per cent of people stay on for long periods simply because they enjoyed their role, and around seventeen per cent stay because they have a good relationship with their colleagues.
“It goes to show, an employee’s role and social environment at work can play a huge part in motivating them to stay at a job,” Ms Cooper said.
Congratulations go to:
- Lawrence Clarke, for 50 years service.
- Project Manager, Dale Hubner for 40 years of service.
- Field Worker (Pavement Repair), Wayne Durham for 40 years of service.
- Sourcing Office (Fleet), Brad Degen for 40 years of service.
- Heavy Vehicle Operator, Keith Ruthenberg for 40 years of service.
- Field Worker (Bitumen Team), Brad Kleidon for 40 years of service.
- Heavy Vehicle Operator (Roads), Andrew Toth for 20 years of service.
- Painters Melissa Roberts and David West for 10 years of service.
- Resource Recovery Employees (Driver), Rod Hunter and Paul Doeblien for 10 years of service.
- Mechanic, Peter Denley for 10 years of service.
Dale said he stays because he enjoys working on buildings and things that are local to where he lives, and because no two days are ever the same.
“I remember one time I was working on the trucks, and I saw another truck driving backwards, laying stones onto the tar with its hoist up, and it hooked a residential phone line while a resident was still talking on it,” Dale said.
“Normally a phone line would snap, but on this occasion, it pulled all the fittings off the wall and the woman’s phone took off from the table.
“As it dragged along the floor she was running after it, yelling to the person on the other end of the line, ‘My phone has taken off!’
“Then the phone ran up the wall and the line finally broke.”
Ipswich City council currently employs more than 1,200 people across a range of industries and delivering a wide range of services to the Ipswich community.
If you are seeking a career in an organisation that offers flexibility, challenging and rewarding jobs as well as advancement, consider joining council’s team and contributing to the development of a prosperous and exciting future for the city.
To view current vacant council positions follow this link.
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