Duncan Young

Management of Day-to-Day Operations of the Company:

• Scheduling and Coordination: Organised work schedules and coordinated with clients, staff, and subcontractors to ensure timely completion of tasks.
• Quoting and Pricing: Managed quote requests from clients via phone and email, developed pricing matrices to ensure competitive quotes, and met daily financial targets.
• Client Engagement: Assisted clients in understanding tree-related issues by providing information on species, risks, and potential solutions. Worked collaboratively to ensure compliance with council and state regulations while prioritising the interests of our clients, our community, and the environment.
• Liaison with Local Councils: Ensured all work complied with relevant statutes and zoning regulations. Obtained necessary permits with assistance from a consulting arborist.
• Managing Customer Expectations: Provided expert guidance to help clients make informed decisions regarding safety, financial considerations, and the health of their trees and local ecosystems.
• Contractor and Equipment Management: Oversaw scheduling and management of contractors and equipment hire, ensuring optimal resource utilisation.
• Machine Maintenance: Conducted routine maintenance and repairs on machinery.
• Team Management: Scheduled training sessions and ensured the well-being of employees and subcontractors, fostering a supportive work environment.
• Invoicing: Handled invoicing for completed jobs.
• Staff Training and Development: Trained staff and managed an apprentice, covering skills such as tree climbing, rigging operations, tree identification, pest and disease recognition, equipment operation and maintenance, worksite health and safety, and compliance with paperwork requirements.
• Worksite Leadership: Led climbing operations and managed worksite activities. Conducted toolbox meetings and pre-work discussions to promote inclusivity, professional development, and a strong focus on safety and professionalism.

• Building Relationships: Established connections with tree companies and was contracted to climb and coordinate job sites for the safe completion of challenging tree work.
• Vegetation Management: Safely completed all types of tree and vegetation management, including:

- Complex confined space tree removal
- Vegetation management around powerlines
- Tree work involving various sizes of cranes
- Operation of elevated work platforms (EWPs)
- Tip pruning, crown reduction, deadwooding, and weight reduction on trees of all sizes
- Installing braces in trees
- Operating excavators up to 5 tonnes

• Administrative Tasks: Completed essential backend tasks as a sole trader, including invoicing, organising personal liability and public indemnity insurance, and managing tax paperwork.
• Training and Mentoring: Provided training and mentoring to staff at contracted companies to ensure the safe operation of tools and equipment, and the secure completion of required tasks.
• Creating a Safe Work Environment: Fostered a safe and inclusive work environment that encouraged learning, safety, and professionalism, ensuring that everyone on site enjoyed their work and operated at a high level.
• Tree Diagnosis: Diagnosed potential structural and externally contributed issues with trees in collaboration with other arborists on site, aiming to work with the client to remedy these issues wherever possible.
• Client Communication: Engaged with clients regarding their trees to achieve outcomes that were in the best interests of the client, the tree, the public, and the local environment.

• Developing Work: Created pieces that communicate the importance of timber and trees in urban environments, emphasising the sustainability and beauty of locally harvested timber.
• Exhibitions: Exhibited widely both nationally and internationally with institutions such as the London Design Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria, Craft Victoria, JamFactory, Craft ACT, and the Australian Design Centre.
• Accolades: Received awards including Australia’s Next Top Designer, People’s Choice Award, and the Sofitel on Collins Award.
• Media Appearances: Participated in media appearances, most notably with Gardening Australia on the ABC (see hyperlink at the bottom of the resume to watch).
• Bespoke Commissions: Created bespoke objects on a commission basis for institutions such as the National Motor Museum, as well as privately for restaurants, including Restaurant Botanic in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.
• Artists’ Residencies: Undertook artists’ residencies with organisations such as ARID Recovery in Central Australia, which has been pioneering conservation science to help threatened species thrive across the Australian outback for over 25 years.

• Full-Time Climbing: Worked full time as a qualified arborist.
• Vegetation Management: Primarily operated as part of a climbing crew contracted to ETS, focusing on vegetation management around powerlines in the Dandenong Ranges.
• Diverse Experience: Gained experience in various contexts, including street tree management for local councils, commercial sites, and residential tree work.

• TAFE Coursework: Attended TAFE for practical and theoretical coursework.
• Skill Development: Worked on developing the skills required to be a climbing arborist, including:

- Climbing and rigging techniques
- Chainsaw maintenance and operation
- Tree identification and recognition of pests and diseases
- Operation and maintenance of machinery such as wood chippers, EWPs, excavators, and trucks
- Application of relevant Australian Standards to tree cutting operations