NSWRTM CORPORATE PLAN - 2006 -2010 PDF version

INDEX - Version 2.0 (Abridged Edition) - April 2006

| Our foundations | Our core business | Our future - building on the past |
| Our mission | Our vision | Our corporate plan |

| Our activities | Our key programs - telling the nsw railway story |
| Our values | Our customer charter |

| Conservation & heritage management | Interpretation & presentation |
| Customer service | Our people: members, volunteers, friends & supporters, staff |

| Management & performance | Safety | Key stakeholder relationships |
| Outreach & train services |

| Resources & finance | Marketing and communications | Environment |

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OUR FOUNDATIONS:

The New South Wales Rail Transport Museum (NSWRTM) is an independent, voluntary organisation established in 1962 for the purpose of collecting, preserving, restoring and presenting the railway heritage of New South Wales, for the benefit of the community. We are a registered charitable organisation.

We have some 2,000 members, including an active volunteer workforce of over 300. We are largely self-funding, and over the years have received only limited external support.

We have conserved, maintain in our custody, and display, the largest and most significant collection of heritage rolling stock in Australia. A large proportion of our collection belongs to State Rail. Most of the collection is based at our Rail Heritage Centre at Thirlmere, near Picton, in the foothills of the Southern Highlands in NSW. We also have a smaller museum out-station at Valley Heights, maintained by our Blue Mountains Division.

The present collection would not exist but for the foresight of the members of the NSWRTM since its inception, in identifying and securing for conservation a wide range of locomotives and other railway vehicles. The collection has since been cared for and displayed consistent with our available resources and finances. We have largely self-funded our ongoing activities and an impressive range of special projects. We have worked cooperatively with partners to provide cost effective conservation works and events.

As a volunteer-based organisation, NSWRTM recruits widely from the NSW community, in particular the greater Sydney region and the local Macarthur, Wollondilly, Southern Highlands, Illawarra and Blue Mountains communities.

NSWRTM endeavours to sustain heritage skills and encourages inter-generational knowledge transfer. We encourage young people to join in our work as a worthwhile and stimulating activity meeting some of their educational and social needs.

The NSWRTM is the pre-eminent rail heritage organisation in NSW, because of -

· the number and significance of the exhibits in its ownership or custody,

· its history and efforts in preserving those exhibits at a time when they would otherwise have been scrapped,

· its very substantial moral and actual investment in the collection in terms both of members' efforts and self-funded cash,

· its expertise in exhibits management, train operations and heritage conservation work,

· its strong, democratic membership base,

· its substantial current volunteer workforce, engaged both in conservation and operation of heritage trains, and

· its focus on broad interpretation of the collection and its social relevance - telling the NSW railway story.

OUR CORE BUSINESS:

Railway museum:

Our museum at Thirlmere, supported by a smaller museum at Valley Heights, is dedicated to the presentation and interpretation of relics of the railways of NSW, in the context of social history. Our aim is a living museum which conserves and interprets the collection so as to provide a link with the past that resonates with visitors and entices them into the story of rail and its role in the development of the state.

Train operations:

We believe that an effective museum must offer a high level of interactivity - that interpretation of exhibits needs to engage and involve the visitor as much as possible. Locomotives and rolling stock can best be appreciated if they are experienced in action.

Our objectives therefore include the operation of steam and diesel locomotives, freight and passenger vehicles, so as to promote appreciation and enjoyment of rail heritage, and helping to fulfil our important educational and regional tourism roles.

Heritage railway:

The NSWRTM has its own authentic country branch-line and an 1880s railway station at Thirlmere, where we display, in operation, a variety of trains, explaining their relevance to society and regional development and, the contribution made by the railways in developing the nation - moving freight, mail and passengers.

OUR FUTURE - BUILDING ON THE PAST:

In a rapidly changing world we see new challenges emerging for the sustainability of rail heritage - the declining role and recognition of rail, the ascendancy of the consumer culture, an ageing volunteer and asset base, the need for skills transfer and development, increased regulatory requirements and costs, and scarcer sources of funding.

The NSW Rail Transport Museum is increasingly focussing on the overall role and story of rail in its social context. Locomotives, trains and hardware are a vital support act to the real story of rail - but they, alone and without the necessary emphasis on interpretation, are not sufficient to capture people's imagination and sustain a strong market. Therefore the NSWRTM seeks to foster interpretation of railways in relation to people, engineering, landscape and development - more effectively demonstrating the relevance and importance of the rail heritage collection to the community and complementing the current rail story.

Our Corporate Plan provides strategies to address these challenges, and to integrate and consolidate activities aimed at sustainability and community relevance. We will continue to pursue partnerships and activities in the future which support our aims.

OUR MISSION:

To tell the NSW railway story through rail heritage -
· conservation,
· experiences, and
· involvement

OUR VISION:

To be recognised by the community as the premier railway heritage organisation in Australia.

The 'NSWRTM Value Cycle' diagram demonstrates how our collection and core activities are:

· underpinned by our conservation policies, principles and plans, and

· funded by volunteers' and staff effort, members and friends donations, sponsorship and other funding sources for major projects.

Our museums and train operations, which are largely self sustaining, are the ways we display and interpret our collection, so as to tell the NSW rail story. This is the value we provide to the community

OUR CORPORATE PLAN:

The NSWRTM has pursued its key goals for over 40 years by collecting, caring for and presenting its exhibits. This Corporate Plan sets out our broad objectives and strategies for continuation of these goals into the future. The Plan has a five-year horizon, but is reviewed yearly to ensure relevance and currency. It is supplemented by more detailed business and operational action plans in each major area, which define priorities, resources and responsibilities as well as the means to measure our progress.


OUR ACTIVITIES:

Rail heritage conservation

· NSW rail heritage collection -

- custody, care, accessibility, presentation and interpretation

· Rail heritage advocacy and consultancy

· Heritage conservation and maintenance

Rail heritage experiences

· The NSW Rail Heritage Centre, Thirlmere -

- providing public access and interpretation for most of our collection of rolling stock and other railway artefacts including signalling and permanent way displays

- the major conservation and maintenance depot for our operational rolling stock

- our main retail outlet for sales of books and other railway memorabilia

· Thirlmere Heritage Railway -

- Heritage trains operate regularly between Thirlmere, Picton and Buxton

- community events

- The Museum maintains and operates the leased 'loop line' rail corridor between Picton and Colo Vale.

· Valley Heights Locomotive Depot Heritage Museum -

- home of our Blue Mountains Division

- an authentic loco depot transformed into a museum, displaying heritage rolling stock and other railway exhibits
- home of sister organisation, the Steam Tram & Railway Preservation Co-op Society

· Heritage Express Rail Tours - regional tourism

- 'Southern Aurora' rail escapes & restaurant train day tours

- steam and vintage diesel nostalgic journeys

- commemorative and community rail events

- rail heritage talks and tours

- group travel & private train charters; functions and event management

- accredited rail operator under the Rail Safety Act 2002

· Outreach and displays

· Merchandising

Rail heritage involvement

· Members, supporters and friends -
- services, activities & publications

· Volunteers, including youth and seniors

· Education - visitors & community

· Training & development - including external

· Community involvement

· Partnerships

· Other Divisions -

- Blue Mountains Division (based at Valley Heights)

- Illawarra Division (based at Coniston)


OUR KEY PROGRAMS - telling the NSW railway story:

· Conservation & heritage management

· Increasing public awareness of rail heritage

· Education

· Developing rail heritage tourism

· Outreach - taking rail heritage to the community

· Customer service

· Building & maintaining our support base

· Interpretation & presentation

· Maintaining our expertise in rail heritage

· Environment

· Safety

OUR VALUES:

We believe that the railways of NSW have played a vital role in the development of the state, and that therefore the collection in our care is of enormous importance to the community, in its quest to learn about and understand its heritage and cultural background.

We acknowledge that our role as the custodian of much of the State's moveable railway heritage requires us to maintain high standards in all that we do.

Focus
We recognise that our purpose is telling the NSW railway story, through rail heritage conservation, experiences and involvement.

Professionalism
We strive to provide our customers with exemplary service as set out in our Customer Charter, and maintain high standards of management, conservation and presentation.

Capability
We consolidate activities to build our business, resources and expertise to enhance and sustain our capability.

Sustainability
We believe that the NSWRTM's value cycle delivers the potential for the NSWRTM to be a self-sustaining business in terms of operating costs. However we will seek external funding and partnerships to support major capital projects.

Innovation
We keep aware of market trends and capitalise on them to generate effective and innovative outcomes.

Safety
We foster a culture of safety, and we recognise and strive to meet our obligations to ensure the safety of our customers, our staff and the community.

Achievement
We manage our affairs to meet our stated goals and objectives.

Competence
We know our products and services, and invest time and effort in developing and enhancing them further.

Adaptability
We recognise that change is an integral part of our business. We are flexible and respond to the challenges offered by change.

Expertise
We actively foster the development of our personnel and the maintenance of heritage skills. We maintain and offer valuable expertise in rail heritage matters.

Credibility
We acknowledge that our credibility and integrity will only be demonstrated through commitment and fulfilment of our goals and objectives.

Probity
We conduct our affairs according to the highest standards of probity and business ethics.

OUR CUSTOMER CHARTER:

We encourage and train our staff to meet our Customer Charter -

· To let visitors see and experience the unique railway heritage of NSW

· To meet and exceed the expectations of our visitors

· To provide a value-for-money experience

· To greet and welcome visitors in a cordial and courteous manner

CONSERVATION & HERITAGE MANAGEMENT:

Objectives:

To manage the collection so as to ensure its conservation, security and integrity.

To maintain the whole collection intact as far as possible as a complete entity.


Strategies:

· Recognise our responsibilities under heritage statutes and guidelines, together with the role of State Rail or its successor in conservation of its heritage assets in accordance with the NSW Heritage Act.

· Promote our heritage standards and the principles of best curatorial and heritage management practice.

· Continue to develop and implement plans to provide secure, weatherproof accommodation for the collection.

· Focus on planned care and maintenance of the collection.

· Take a strategic approach to exhibit acquisitions to save important items, develop the collection and enhance business viability.

· Continue to develop and maintain recognised expertise so as to advocate and encourage appropriate management of rail heritage in the community and with other stakeholders.

· Refine our strategy, policies, standards and agreements for exhibit acquisition and de-accession, loans, hire and exchanges.

· Further codify and refine our standards and protocols for balancing use and conservation.

· Prioritise conservation and overhauls and apply project management techniques, to meet goals for conservation, accessibility and interpretation, and marketing.

· Continue to increase the level of implementation of our conservation plans by focusing the efforts of volunteer groups.

· Ensure that our key stakeholders share and support our views on maintaining the integrity and completeness of the collection.

INTERPRETATION & PRESENTATION:

Objectives:

To communicate to the community the development and social benefits of the railways of NSW from its origins to the modern day.

To communicate the significance of our exhibits and encourage their understanding through interpretation and education.

To present our exhibits to best practice standards.


Strategies:

· Improve understanding and education of our customers by improved interpretive materials which are accessible to the general public and which emphasise the significance, extent and variety of the collection.

· Formalise our interpretation strategy, including standards and detailed plans for museum guides & publications, interpretation of train experiences, exhibits layout, interactive displays, exhibitions, and infrastructure-based displays.

· Develop and formalise our educational role, including a targeted education program and providing curriculum support materials.

· Refine and continue to implement our presentation standards for exhibits and personnel.

· Promote the positives of what we have and the heritage significance of the collection, including displaying exhibits under conservation as a work in progress and communicating our intentions.

· Implement current plans for improving the Exhibits Hall to increase visitor appeal and assist in enhancing the presentation of our exhibits.

· Provide greater integration and access between the museum at Thirlmere and the Thirlmere Heritage Railway.

· Promote and maintain the operation of appropriate Thirlmere Heritage Railway and main-line trains as the ultimate and most interactive way of providing valued experiences and presenting rail heritage to the public.

· Provide opportunities for visitors to see and understand conservation and maintenance work in progress.

· Participate in planning and implementation of celebrations of significant railway-related historical events and community occasions as opportunities to present railway heritage to the wider community of the state.

CUSTOMER SERVICE:

Objectives:

To meet and exceed the expectations of our customers in all aspects of our business.

To fulfil our Customer Charter in all our service delivery activities.


Strategies:

· Continue to develop and implement customer service standards for our museums, our retail outlets and our trains, recognising that our products depend on customer service.

· Recruit personnel with an interest in and aptitude for customer service.

· Provide formal, regular training and induction programs based on consistent standards.

· Widen the application of measurement of the level of customer satisfaction to all products and services.

· Seek feedback from our customers about their needs and wants.

OUR PEOPLE - members, volunteers, friends & supporters, staff:

Objectives:

To increase our active membership.

To create a safe, healthy and positive working environment which will retain, develop and attract the people we need, whether volunteers or paid staff.

To increase our volunteer workforce and improve the commitment, satisfaction and enjoyment of our volunteers and members.


Strategies:

· Continue to improve communication to our members of our vision, objectives and activities.

· Recruit and retain members through communication and promotion of valued - and revised - membership benefits.

· Develop and implement a membership recruitment program aimed at widening our membership base, targeting groups with common interests, including heritage, railways and local community, and young people in particular.

· Communicate the value of volunteer work to members, to increase motivation, create an effective volunteer culture, and maintain interest in our projects and work areas.

· Formalise, develop and implement our succession and knowledge transfer plans for key personnel.

· Foster strong, positive relationships between paid staff and volunteers.

· Implement a formal training & development program including identification of training needs; skills assessment and recording; and maintenance, development and transfer of core heritage, railway and customer service skills.

· Explore new kinds of worker recruitment opportunities such as with educational institutions, 'work for the dole' programs, etc., to foster an interest among young people in heritage work whilst capturing the skills of older workers.

· Reinvigorate the volunteer recruitment and retention program, including a volunteer coordinator, member surveys, induction programs, review of incentives and recognition, and improved organisation of work projects.

MANAGEMENT & PERFORMANCE:

Objectives:

To provide leadership, vision and effective governance.
To plan and position the organisation to achieve its objectives and its vision for the future.


Strategies:

· Further develop and implement plans for effective, professional and responsible governance.

· Communicate policy direction for the organisation.

· Provide sponsorship of this Corporate Plan, using it to focus our planning efforts and sustain our pursuit of its objectives.

· Concentrate our efforts on what matters by adopting a strategic approach.

· Foster a holistic, 'whole of business' approach to our style and image and our activities, products and decision making.

· Make best use of a wide range of appropriate capabilities and expertise of Directors in setting our overall direction and fostering a strategic and professional management approach.

· Develop a strong interface between the Board and management team.

· Formalise our planning processes, establish meaningful key performance indicators (KPI's), and more definitely implement plans and strategies.

· Build our project management capability.

· Undertake a gap analysis to identify imbalances in key skills or human resources.

SAFETY:

Objectives:

To ensure an accident-free organisation by creating a safe and healthy working environment for our people.

To ensure that our operations are accident free.

To systematically identify and control all potential risks to our operations.

To make safety an integral part of the management of the Museum's operations, by ensuring that safety issues are considered in all operations planning.


Strategies:

· Build and promote a positive and cooperative safety culture that supports all our activities and our rail safety accreditation.

· Develop and maintain our rail safety accreditation, including our safety management systems and interface coordination plans.

· Plan all operations so as to identify and implement controls that are appropriate to each situation.

· Ensure that our workers, whether employees or volunteers, are competent and fit to carry out their tasks, including railway operations and railway safety work.

· Ensure safe work practices by providing our workers with adequate information about possible risks to health and safety, either to workers or the public.

· Maintain and enhance our systems to ensure that our rolling stock and railway infrastructure are fit for purpose and safe to operate, complying with accepted industry standards.

· Ensure that our management and personnel are trained and fully prepared to respond, manage and lessen the impact of any incident involving a NSWRTM train operation.

· Consult with and involve our employees and volunteers in the Museum's decision-making processes concerning health and safety issues through regular communication, consultation and training, and provide employees and members with the opportunity to contribute their expertise and participate in safety decisions.

· Maintain open communication between management and all employees and volunteers, so that they understand our operations, the associated risks, and the basis for the safeguards, rules and procedures in place to control these risks.

· Fully deploy and implement the OH & S Manual.

· Provide employees and volunteers with a continuous program of education as well as all necessary instructions relating to the operations being carried out.

KEY STAKEHOLDER RELATIONSHIPS:

Objectives:

To consolidate our position as the principal custodian of NSW state-owned moveable heritage.

To develop and maintain a relationship with local, state and federal governments which recognises our unique situation and the value we provide to the community.
To strengthen our position, links and relevance in the local community.


Strategies:

· Maintain regular contact and productive relationships with RailCorp, State Rail or its successor at appropriate levels, and with executive Government and key tourism, heritage, regulatory and transport agencies in NSW.

· Develop and negotiate with State Rail or its successor a partnership agreement which subsumes the 'Deed of Gift' (with conditions not inferior to it) and where we provide appropriate services related to the collection on an agreed basis.

· Assist RailCorp and the NSW Government to improve the image of rail by providing and participating in appropriate events that cast railways in a positive light.

· Maintain regular contact and productive relationships with relevant local, state and federal Government agencies, representatives and political leaders.

· Consolidate our relationship with the local community through membership of relevant forums, regular contact and involvement with community leaders, and seeking feedback from the local community.

· Advocate effectively for rail heritage with key stakeholder groups and in the community.

· Strengthen our strategic alliances with others in the rail industry, including kindred rail heritage organisations.

· Establish with our key stakeholders our credentials as a recognised and professional source of expertise in rail heritage, which will position us to influence decision-making.

OUTREACH & TRAIN SERVICES:

Objectives:

To bring the railway story to the community by providing valued and engaging rail experiences.

To demonstrate through our train services the relevance and importance of the rail heritage collection to the community.

To foster interpretation of railways in relation to people, engineering, landscape, by taking our rail heritage to the community.

To provide a valuable and collaborative aid to regional tourism.


Strategies:

· Continued and enhanced operation of appropriate Thirlmere Heritage Railway and main-line trains journeys as an effective way of taking rail heritage and a living museum to the public.

· Provide special train services for significant community and commemorative events, both on the Thirlmere Heritage Railway and around the state.

· Provide special exhibitions and displays which bring the rail story to life for urban and regional communities.

· Acquire and restore locomotives and rolling stock on a strategic basis to develop our fleet capacity, promote conservation and enhance our sustainability.

· Plan train operations and program maintenance to balance the needs for conservation and commercial sustainability.

· Integrate locomotive 3801 and other key assets into our fleet to act as fundamental heritage ambassadors.

· Improve our capacity to develop regional tourism and provide special event and train charter products.

· Maintain our network access arrangements to enable the widest possible operational scope.

· Further develop our capacity to maintain and upgrade the core Thirlmere Heritage Railway track, corridor and infrastructure

RESOURCES & FINANCE:

Objectives:

To carry out necessary major development of our infrastructure through effective planning and the securing of funds.

To provide for long-term sustainable needs for operational rolling stock and exhibits conservation.

To maintain our financial viability and effective control of our finances.


Strategies:

· Prioritise and plan infrastructure development projects and major rolling stock conservation expenditure to provide a logical and compelling program which can be used to secure major funding from external sources (recognising that cultural and other grants are generally only for small and targeted amounts).

· Further develop our plans and policies for train operations (including main line tours and Thirlmere Heritage Railway operations) and conservation and maintenance of an optimum selection of operational rolling stock which support both our marketing and heritage objectives.

· Plan and manage projects for efficient use of resources and ensuring business continuity.

· Progressively develop infrastructure and train services on the Thirlmere Heritage Railway.

· Identify appropriate and innovative fund-raising methods - especially targeting sponsorships, partnerships, strategic alliances, individual bequests and donations.

· Develop a framework and plan for securing support and/or sponsorship from Government and corporate sources.

· Review existing activities to maximise returns and value, and minimise costs; identify and implement productivity improvements through improved equipment and infrastructure.

· Improve our financial planning, budgeting, expenditure controls, accounting systems and reporting.

· Maximise the cost-effective use of Information Technology in running and marketing the business.

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS:

Objectives:

To grow our business through increasing the number of customers and associated profit.

To communicate our products and the significance and value of our activities to the community and to our members.


Strategies:

· Position our offerings as an escape into the past and focus promotion on our museums and trains as a unique experience, to be enjoyed and appreciated by tourists and visitors - the general public.

· Make rail heritage more accessible and engaging for the general public, through public relations programs and appropriately targeted communication.

· Communicate our plans and activities widely, especially to our membership base and stakeholders.

· Develop rail heritage tourism to enable a broad base of the community to access, enjoy and experience heritage rail travel and the Museum's exhibits.

· Review our marketing plans and expenditure and focus on the aspects that will give the greatest return for the least effort and expenditure.

· Seek and engage additional marketing expertise.

· Increase profits through effective merchandising that relates to the railway story.

· Emphasise an "events" approach wherever possible to concentrate effective marketing efforts and provide newsworthy stories to maximise 'PR.'

· Positioning our rail heritage experiences and journeys as viable and valuable adjuncts to regional tourism programs.

· Leverage from and further develop our educational role to target school children as an important market.

· Work with RailCorp, State Rail or its successor and, where appropriate, other transport-type museums and operators, to increase public awareness of rail heritage and our product offering.

· Involve the local community in our marketing to increase awareness and support.

· Improve the effective use of electronic communications to relate better to our members and our customers

ENVIRONMENT:

Objectives:

To undertake our business in an environmentally sensitive and responsible manner.

To minimise any impact on the environment resulting from our activities.

To comply with relevant environmental legislation.

To encourage and support our people in effective environmental management and risk minimisation.


Strategies:

· Review and fully implement our Environmental Management System and associated plans.

· Communicate our Environmental Policy and procedures to our people to raise awareness, and provide the capability (through training) to deal with environmental issues.

· Resolve the inherent conflict between heritage requirements & steam-age activities, and current environmental law/requirements, enlisting the aid of State Rail as appropriate.

· Convince the community and regulatory authorities that our activities are legitimate and that we minimise the environmental impact of our activities, working through tourism agencies, local politicians and the local community

· Improve communication with the local community so that they are aware of and understand our activities, allowing mutual development of sensible mitigation measures.

· Involve local, community and 'green' groups in assisting with our environmental management.

· Work with the local community to develop a corridor management plan for the Thirlmere Heritage Railway which minimises adverse environmental effects due to either our operations or inappropriate development.

· Respond quickly and positively to any incident to minimise the impact on the environment.

· Integrate our environmental management system into all our activities.

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