Is this a 'Mess' or Not?

STRATEGIC REFORM INITIATIVE – HOSPITALITY AND CATERING REFORMS
ACROSS NAVY – CHANGES TO ESTABLISHMENT MESSING AND CATERING IN THE RAN
1. DEFENCE SPENDS APPROXIMATELY $130M ON HOSPITALITY AND CATERING SERVICES EACH YEAR WITH MUCH OF THAT ON SERVICE PROVISION AND GALLEY AND MESSING INFRASTRUCTURE WHICH IN MANY CASES IS SEVERELY UNDER -UTILISED. CONSEQUENTLY REFORMING THE WAY THE DEFENCE SUPPORT GROUP AND THE THREE SERVICES DELIVER HOSPITALITY AND CATERING SERVICES ACROSS DEFENCE HAS BEEN AN IMPORTANT STRATEGIC REFORM INITIATIVE TO ENSURE MONEY IS AVAILABLE TO RE-INVEST IN NEW DEFENCE AND NAVY CAPABILITIES.
2. A DETAILED REVIEW WAS CONDUCTED INTO HOSPITALITY AND CATERING, AS PART OF THE NON-EQUIPMENT PROCUREMENT STREAM OF THE STRATEGIC REFORM PROGRAM (SRP), TO DETERMINE HOW NAVY AND DEFENCE COULD DELIVER THE SAME QUALITY OF SERVICE BUT IN A MORE COST EFFICIENT MANNER. THE FOCUS OF THE REVIEW HAS BEEN TO ENSURE THAT FUTURE DEFENCE HOSPITALITY AND CATERING ARRANGEMENTS REMAIN EFFECTIVE, CONSISTENT WITH CONTEMPORARY STANDARDS, AND AFFORDABLE WITHOUT IMPACTING UPON CAPABILITY DELIVERY. IT ALSO CONSIDERED POSSIBLE PERSONNEL IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH DELIVERING AFFORDABLE AND SUSTAINABLE SERVICES IN THE LONG TERM.
3. IN NAVY’S CASE THE REVIEW IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF INSTANCES IN WHICH ESTABLISHMENT DINING FACILITIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN MAJOR CITIES, EXPERIENCED SUSTAINED LOW LEVELS OF PATRONAGE BUT INCURRED SIGNIFICANT COSTS. IN GENERAL RESPONSE TO THESE FINDINGS, THE REVIEW RECOMMENDED SHARED FACILITIES WHEREVER POSSIBLE SUCH AS THE USE OF SHARED GALLEYS AND COMBINED MESSING ARRANGEMENTS. IMPORTANTLY, NONE OF THESE PRACTICES ARE NEW TO NAVY AS WE HAVE BEEN OPERATING WITH SHARED GALLEYS AND SHARED MESS FACILITIES DURING REDUCED ACTIVITY PERIODS FOR MANY YEARS.
4. I HAVE CONSIDERED THE REVIEW AND ITS FINDINGS IN RELATION TO NAVY AND HAVE ACCEPTED THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR AMALGAMATING DINING AND MESSING FACILITIES IN THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE UNSUSTAINABLY LOW LEVELS OF PATRONAGE HAVE PERSISTED RENDERING SEPARATE MESSING AND DINING FACILITIES FINANCIALLY UNVIABLE. ON THE ISSUE OF BAR HOUR OPENING AND CLOSING TIMES, WHICH WAS ALSO IDENTIFIED AS AN UNDER-UTILISED SERVICE, FURTHER ANALYSIS IS UNDERWAY AND I EXPECT TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN RELATION TO NAVY REFORMS IN THIS AREA LATER IN 2012. FOR THE TIME BEING, MY FOCUS IN THIS MESSAGE IS TO OUTLINE THE PLAN TO REFORM DINING AND MESSING FACILITIES ACROSS NAVY.
5. I AM COMMITTED TO IMPLEMENTING THESE REFORMS IN LINE WITH OUR SIGNATURE BEHAVIOUR OF COST CONSCIOUSNESS. THE FIRST COMBINED DINING FACILITY AND BAR WAS IMPLEMENTED IN HMAS PENGUIN ON 16 JANUARY 2012. THE SUCCESS OF THE PENGUIN IMPLEMENTATION WILL BE ASSESSED IN ORDER TO GUIDE PLANNING FOR OTHER BASES WITH THE IMPACT ON PERSONNEL BEING ONE OF MANY CONSIDERATIONS. THESE CHANGES WILL BE SUBJECT TO A PROGRESSIVE ROLL OUT ACROSS NAVY BASES IN 2012.
6. FLEET COMMAND STAFF HAVE BEEN ENGAGING WITH COMMAND ELEMENTS IN BASES ON THESE REFORMS. THE SOLUTIONS PROPOSED REFLECT THE PREFERENCES OF LOCAL BASE COMMAND TEAMS. FURTHER INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED TO COMMANDS ON THE PROPOSED CHANGES AS PART OF THE COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY. THE SCHEDULE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE REFORMS WILL BE PROMULGATED SEPARATELY.
7. IN BROAD TERMS THE FOLLOWING CHANGES ARE PLANNED:
A. HMAS CAIRNS: ALL LIVING IN ACCOMMODATION (LIA) CATERING WILL BE COMBINED TO THE NORTHERN HERITAGE, USING THE ONE GALLEY AND DINING ROOM FOR ALL RANKS. SEGREGATED ARRANGEMENTS WITHIN THE DINING ROOM ARE AVAILABLE. ALL LIA BAR FACILITIES WILL BE COMBINED AT THE NORTHERN HERITAGE
B. HMAS HARMAN: ALL MEALS WILL BE SERVED FROM THE CURRENT JUNIOR SAILORS/SENIOR SAILORS FACILITY USING A SINGLE GALLEY WITH COMBINED DINING ARRANGEMENTS FOR OFFICERS AND SENIOR SAILORS. THE INTENTION IS FOR THE WARDROOM MESS TO BECOME THE COMBINED OFFICERS AND SENIOR SAILORS BAR.
C. HMAS KUTTABUL: THE SENIOR SAILORS BAR WILL BE CLOSED AND OFFICERS AND SENIOR SAILORS WILL SHARE THE EXISTING WARDROOM FACILITY. MRU STAFF WILL OPERATE THE COMBINED OFFICERS/SENIOR SAILORS GALLEY/DINING AND BAR FACILITIES AS A CORE FUNCTION. THE JUNIOR SAILORS GALLEY AND DINING FACILITY WILL BE RETAINED AT KUTTABUL. A DECISION ON THE HOMEBUSH LIA FACILITY IS BEING FURTHER INVESTIGATED AND WILL BE ADVISED SEPARATELY.
D. HMAS WATSON: AS A TRAINING ESTABLISHMENT ALL EXISTING BAR, DINING AND MESSING FACILITIES WILL BE RETAINED IN THEIR CURRENT CONFIGURATION DUE TO THE HIGH VOLUME AND GEOGRAPHIC LAYOUT OF EXISTING FACILITIES.
E. HMAS WATERHEN: ALL EXISTING BAR, DINING AND MESSING FACILITIES WILL BE RETAINED IN THEIR CURRENT CONFIGURATION GIVEN THE EXISTING SHARED GALLEY FACILITIES.
F. HMAS PENGUIN: THE FIRST SITE FOR IMPLEMENTATION, THE AMALGAMATION OF THE OFFICERS AND SENIOR SAILORS DINING AND BAR FACILITIES COMBINED IN THE EXISTING SENIOR SAILORS MESS ON 16 JANUARY 2012. THIS HAS ENABLED THE USE OF ONE CENTRAL GALLEY TO PROVIDE ALL MEALS. THE JUNIOR SAILORS DINING AND BAR FACILITIES WILL REMAIN IN THEIR CURRENT CONFIGURATION.
G. HMAS ALBATROSS: THE PLAN FOR ALBATROSS WILL NOT BE FINALISED PENDING FURTHER DETAIL ON THE PLANNED ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HELICOPTER TRAINING SCHOOL. I EXPECT AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON ALBATROSS BY MID 2012. IN THE INTERIM HOWEVER A NUMBER OF STEPS WILL BE TAKEN TO RATIONALISE MEAL DELIVERY IN THE WARDROOM/ SENIOR SAILORS MESS.
H. HMAS CRESWELL: AS AN INITIAL TRAINING ESTABLISHMENT AND NOTING THE HIGH VOLUME AND GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF THE FACILITIES, ALL EXISTING BAR, DINING AND MESSING FACILITIES WILL BE RETAINED IN THEIR
CURRENT CONFIGURATION.
I. HMAS STIRLING: COMBINED OFFICERS AND SENIOR SAILORS DINING ROOM AND BARS WILL BE ESTABLISHED USING THE EXISTING WARDROOM MESS. THE JUNIOR SAILORS DINING AND BAR FACILITIES WILL REMAIN IN THEIR CURRENT CONFIGURATION.
J. HMAS CERBERUS: AS AN INITIAL TRAINING ESTABLISHMENT AND NOTING THE HIGH VOLUME AND GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION OF THE FACILITIES, ALL EXISTING BAR, DINING AND MESSING FACILITIES WILL BE RETAINED IN THEIR
CURRENT CONFIGURATION.
8. THE DECISION TO RETAIN THE EXISTING ARRANGEMENTS AT HMA ESTABLISHMENTS WATSON, CRESWELL AND CERBERUS WAS BASED ON CLEAR EVIDENCE OF THE HIGH DEMANDS IN EACH MESS AND THE DESIRABILITY OF RETAINING SEPARATE FACILITIES IN TRAINING ESTABLISHMENTS.
9. THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT MESSES PLAY IN SERVICE CULTURE AND HERITAGE IS RECOGNISED AND WELL UNDERSTOOD. AS SUCH, MY INTENT AND EXPECTATION IS THAT SHARED FACILITIES WILL NOT BECOME A BARRIER TO
THE CURRENT PRACTICE OF DEDICATED MESS EVENTS SUCH AS WARDROOM MESS DINNERS AND SENIOR SAILOR MESS FUNCTIONS. THESE ACTIVITIES CAN HAPPILY SIT ALONGSIDE WHOLE OF MESS FUNCTIONS. THESE ELEMENTS OF OUR SERVICE TRADITION MUST CONTINUE BUT IN A CONTEMPORARY FRAMEWORK IN WHICH OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE AUSTRALIAN TAXPAYER IS ALSO UPHELD.
10. I KNOW THAT SOME WILL HAVE CONCERNS WITH THESE PROPOSALS, AS SOME OF THESE CHANGES MAY PRESENT CHALLENGES TO OUR TRADITIONAL MESS ARRANGEMENTS. HOWEVER, AT HQJOC, HMAS CAIRNS AND LEEUWIN BARRACKS THESE SORTS OF ARRANGEMENTS ARE ALREADY IN PLACE AND WORK. OUR REDUCED USAGE OF SOME MESSES HAS SIMPLY RENDERED THEM ECONOMICALLY UNVIABLE.
11. WE MUST MOVE ON THIS, I NEED THE OFFICER AND SENIOR SAILOR COMMUNITY TO APPROACH THESE CHANGES WITH AN OPEN MIND AND A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND SUPPORT THE COMMAND TEAMS THAT NEED TO DELIVER THE CHANGES.