A decade of serving the Australian community
Queensland media release
Monday, 11 March 2010
The Tweed Heads Centrelink Call Centre will this weekend celebrate 10 years of serving the Australian community.
The call centre has grown from an original staff of 45 to 280 who have taken more than 10 million calls from Australians seeking assistance.
Call Centre Manager, Darren Sprott, says when the site first started taking calls on 13 March 2000 it was set up to serve families, but that quickly changed.
"The call centre has grown from taking calls about family assistance to incorporate youth and students, employment services, the childcare provider hotline, social work and Financial Information Services," Darren said.
"Staff have responded to more than 30 emergency situations, including the Victorian bushfires and international events, like the Bali Bombings and Indonesian Tsunami.
"We took many calls from Australians worried about family and friends caught up in the 2004 Tsunami and were able to link them to other Government agencies providing further assistance.
"The call centre’s customer service was recognised when it won the NSW Industry Call Centre of the Year award in 2005," Darren said.
The dedication of staff to the community goes beyond their professional role with their fundraising efforts resulting in more than $100,000 in donations to local and national groups and charities.
The call centre also recently received funding to employ 6 Indigenous trainees who are currently forging a new public service career.
"Tweed Call Centre is very proud of its contribution to the Australian community and will continue to work hard to achieve even bigger goals in the next 10 years," Darren said.
For more information, telephone the relevant Centrelink media contact.