August 2008(pdf) - Port Nelson

August 2008
rePORT
Editorial .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
• Business Intelligence
Port News.............. 3
• Maersk Fuji
SupPORT our Region. .. 4
• Blokes Have Their Day
Port Progress. ......... 5
• Seen From Above
Around the Port .. . . . . 6/7
• On the Lines
• Blessing of the Fleet
Our Port Our People.. . . 8
• Our Man at Anzac Bridge
Safe Harbour........... 9
• Fire Training
Meet the Client.. . . . . . . 10
• The Mediterranean Shipping
Company
Big Rig Visits
It was a classically calm Nelson winter day when the Ensco
56 drilling platform slipped through The Cut on May 30.
At 143m tall and 50m wide the rig was towed into port
after a slow trip down the coast from Taranaki, with the
two Port Nelson tugs assisting for the final stage of the
journey.
The refit of the rig was a big job for Kernohan Engineering’s
marine division, and for other engineering contractors.
Ensco 56 berthed initially at McGlashen Quay while some
underwater work was done and then moved to the #2
Layup Berth for the six week re-fit. This included work on
the towers by industrial abseilers from the North Island.
The rig has a drilling depth of 7620 metres and facilities on
board the rig include a helicopter pad and accommodation
for 98 people.
Ensco 56 finally left Nelson on August ? - the contracted
work took a little longer than expected, and then the
adverse weather that affected the whole country held up
departure for a few more days.
Environment Update. ..11
• Get Involved
Looking Back. . . . . . . . . 12
• On the Rocks

Port Nelson Limited report. August 2008. Page 2
editorial
Business Intelligence
Guest editorial from Park Pittar,
our Chief Commercial Officer
Port Nelson has come a very long way in terms of ICT in the last four years.
The Board made a bold decision to proceed with a complete system upgrade
in November 2004. By June 2005 three systems had been replaced. Port
Nelson had a new Harbour Management system to manage the maritime
movements, a new payroll system and also a new financial application. A huge
effort went into implementing the systems. Full credit to all involved.
Since 2005 Port Nelson has implemented an asset maintenance solution and
virtualised its operating environment. Both projects have occurred in the last
12 months.
In addition to the new applications, extensive work has been undertaken
in regard to the operational application known as Jade Master Terminal,
responsible for managing the container terminal. Initiatives such as the use of
‘ruggedised’ laptops in hoists and pre-noting kiosks for truck drivers to enable
direct entry into the port with containers has lifted the game.
The last major operational change is the development of Jade Warehousing
which will enable Port Nelson to manage the majority of its break bulk (non
container) cargo in a single application. What is interesting to note is that
the Container, Marine and Warehousing applications are a single integrated
application. Port Nelson is the first port in the world to have such a system all
supplied by a single development company.
“Why all the effort?” one might ask. The answer is relatively simple. The
differentiating factor between a successful company and not so successful
is a company’s ability to understand its business, the clients’ business and to
focus on value added activities. A comprehensive management information
system, sometimes referred to as Business Intelligence, is a critical factor in this
regard. Customers want to know the status of their cargo at any point in time,
shipping movements and be able to pre-note cargo arrivals, for example.
It is our goal to increase transparency and access to the Port Nelson
informational environment by our customers and key border control agencies.
We are well on our way in achieving that goal.
Parke Pittar
Lessons from Starfish
Insiders, clients and even the general public
might have noticed a few changes around
the port in the last couple of years - and
we’re not talking here about new fences or
improved wharves.
When Martin Byrne came on board as CEO
he brought with him some lessons learnt
at Flinders Ports in South Australia from a
down to earth Aussie called Dr John Hill.
John has a string of economics degrees
and a work history that started in rural
Australia when he was a lad. He’s dismissive
of the term ‘management consultant’:
“I just give businesses a hand to make
what they do a bit easier,” he says.
Two years ago John ran a two day course
for the NPL leadership team, and since then
he’s been back to work with management
and with staff groups. He says leadership
behaviour sets 70% of the culture of a
business, and that culture can add to or
subtract from the bottom line by 25%.
A great storyteller, John engages his
audience with examples that illustrate his
points - the outcome of the story about a
starfish being thrown back into the sea is
that one person can make a difference.
John has retired from university teaching,
and works with a group of businesses that
include BHP, Toll and Qantas - however he
rates Port Nelson as one of his top clients.
“The management team has really tried
hard to make a change and they have had
some success,” he says. “They have turned
around the culture and the performance
of the company - I would say most people
here go home happier at the end of the
working day than they did five years ago.”
Parke Pittar (centre) with Financial
Accountant Mason Robinson (left)
and Business Analyst Hugh Stark.
Management team at Awaroa.
Port Nelson Limited • 10 Low Street, Port Nelson • PO Box 844, Nelson, New Zealand
Tel +64 3 548 2099 • Fax +64 3 546 9015 • www.portnelson.co.nz
RePort Nelson is a triennial publication produced for Port Nelson Limited by:
• Nelson Media Agency - www.nelsonmedia.co.nz • SeeReed Visual Communication - www.seereed.co.nz
Thanks to Roy Skucek and Troy Dando for their assistance with photos in this issue.

Port Nelson Limited report. August 2008. Page 3
Mount Owen
The Pacific Basin owned vessel, Mount Owen,
called in Nelson in May for her first cargo of logs
from New Zealand. At the same time the other
new Pacific Basin ship, Benete Bay, was in Picton,
also on her first voyage to New Zealand. Both
vessels were chartered to load logs for Nelson
Forests Ltd (formerly Weyerhaeuser) and loaded
approximately 56,000 JAS between them.
port news
Nelson Forests has entered into a freight contract
with Pacific Basin, and to mark this the shipping
company named the Mount Owen after Nelson’s
highest peak. Mount Owen is in the Kahurangi
National Park, and was one of the local sites used
in the filming of Lord of the Rings.
Lees Seymour, Nelson Forests’ Managing Director,
went to Japan at the end of January for the
launching, where his wife Melanie broke the
traditional bottle of champagne over the bow of
the new vessel.
Maersk Fuji
The first of the new vessels employed on the Southern Star Express
Service, Maersk Fuji, made her maiden trip to Nelson on May 22.
The Maersk Fuji was built in 2005 and heralds a new era of Maersk
services in New Zealand, following a partnership between Maersk
and Hamburg-Sud on American services. Maersk Fuji and her sister
Maersk Fukuoka are taking on additional port calls in a re-shuffle of
Maersk’s domestic feeder services that connect nine ports in New
Zealand with their mainline international services.
Kupe to the Rescue
The tug Kupe is no stranger to rescue missions, having been involved in the 1981 rescue of the Pacific Charger from rocks at the
entrance to Wellington Harbour. Her rescue mission in Nelson was a lot less dramatic.
The Huria Matenga lost
one side of her propeller
guard while on the job,
back in May. The guard
struck and damaged the
starboard propeller, and
the tug had to be taken
out of service for repairs.
We engaged Seatow’s
Kokiri at very short
notice for a couple of
jobs before a longer term
arrangement was made
with Westgate Taranaki
to hire their recently
acquired tug Kupe. A
real veteran, she is one
of the very early Voith
propelled tugs, delivered
to Wellington in 1971.

Port Nelson Limited report. August 2008. Page 4
supPORT our region
Blokes have their day
What is it with the weather? For two years in a row the Taylors’
Nelson Women’s Tri has had a peachy day, while the Port Nelson
Blokes Day Out a week, a week or two later, has copped a
downpour. Still, it didn’t deter a strong field, led for the fourth
(that’s every) time by school teacher Jon Linyard.
In the Vero Workmates Challenge the Port #1 team of Martin
Byrne and John Hart steamed in for third; and the walk section
was a Port Nelson benefit, with the B Team of Chris Williams and
Daniel Shand overcoming a spirited challenge from the A team,
Dick Carter and Digby Kynaston.
Our marketing department won the Walking Work Mates
Challenge, in a new world record time, easily dispatching its
competition TBS and Infrastructure.
Next year this event will run a week after the Women’s Triathlon
with a mega-sport week in between, including a kids’ aquathon
for Weetbix Triathletes to focus on after their event.
Mitchell with the NZ flag at the opening ceremony.
Saving the Planet
Seven hundred child delegates from over 105 countries
were represented at the Tunza International Children’s
Environment conference in Norway in June. Eleven year
old Mitchell Chandler from Broadgreen Intermediate
represented New Zealand, thanks to support from
Port Nelson.
Mitchell says the environment workshops and
presentations were interesting, especially SOS - Save
our Seas. He says it was clear from the young delegates
that every country around the world is facing the same
environmental issues.
“Some communities are doing lots more than us,
some lots less,” he says. “Our habits need to change to
preserve our world - habits made today will change our
environment for tomorrow.”
That’s our Val
Lest we
forget
Anzac Day stretched to
a whole weekend this
year at Founders Park,
where local theatre group
Dramatix transformed the
streets and buildings in a
wartime theme. Windows
were blacked out, there
were battle re-enactments,
trenches, bomb shelters,
sing-alongs to familiar
wartime tunes and a
theatrical performance in
the Energy Centre.
Port Nelson was pleased to support this innovative concept that
honoured those who gave their lives to defend our way of life,
and presented those times in a way that is accessible to a new
generation. The sponsorship we provided assisted production
costs such as hiring of military uniforms.
Chris Williams with Val at the awards’ dinner. Photo Nelson Mail.
Lawn bowler Val Smith’s world-conquering efforts were
recognised on the local front when she was named
Nelson Sportsperson of the Year at the New Zealand
Community Trust awards dinner in June. The dual world
champion lawn bowler was also named for the second
year as Port Nelson Ltd Sportswoman.
Val’s title recognised her week-long effort in Christchurch
in January when she won both the women’s
singles and pairs crowns (with Jo Edwards) at the world
bowls championships.

Port Nelson Limited report. August 2008. Page 5
port progress
Seen from above
This new aerial shot of the port shows the Blue Marlin at the Lay Up Berth, back in April when the huge semi-submersible was
here to demobilise after floating off the Maari platform in Admiralty Bay.
Main Wharf North
The major upgrade of this wharf is nearing completion, with
all the piling now installed, along with new bollards, and the
last of the concrete pours for the deck underway.
When the project is complete, next month, we will have an
additional full size heavy-duty berth.
Congratulations to our main construction contractor, HEB
Structures (formerly Smithbridge), who have managed to
get the job done to time, while working around shipping
movements, including the regular visits from fuel tankers.
The new wharf will allow better crane access to vessels and
will be a valuable backup to the Brunt Quay container berth,
which will remain our preferred berth.
Better Bollards
If it’s good enough for
the upgraded section
of Main Wharf North
it’s got to be good for
our other wharves.
Having installed
new bollards on the
new wharf, we’re
now in the process
of replacing other
key bollards. These
are stronger castings
than previously used
and the design has been changed slightly to give improved
strength. Key bollards will be progressively replaced starting
with Main Wharf and those used at McGlashen Quay for the
large Toyo Fuji vessels. They will be painted so they are easily
identifiable.
Fencing for Cars
One of the downstream effects of cheaper cars has been
the problem of random dumping of old vehicles that have
no market value. Council staff deal with this daily at city
reserves, and we were getting our share of dumped cars in
the Akersten Street log yard. The yard has now been fenced to
put an end to this problem, and to enhance health and safety
for port operators and the public, as well as cargo security for
our clients.

Port Nelson Limited report. August 2008. Page 6
around the port...
On the Lines
Pulling wet lines out of the water is heavy job, and if you can take some of the effort out of it, that’s got to be good. We had a
look at how other ports handle lines - some mount a capstan on the back of a flatbed truck, but our workshop team developed
a system that uses an electric motor-driven capstan which can be attached to a forklift. The greater manoeuvring capability of a
forklift will be beneficial and trials with a prototype have been quite successful. When final modifications are made we’ll continue
the evaluation and we look forward to taking some of the heavy work out of this job and making the task safer for our people.
Crane Training
Austria - it’s a land of mountains, music
and machinery. We sent Grant Cottle and
Craig Terris to Nenzing where the Leibherr
cranes are produced, for an update on
the technical side of these machines.
They came back with praise for the product
and a good understanding of Liebherr’s
design and construction methods and
intentions. Their weeklong course focused
on the hydraulics, electrical systems and
safety features of the cranes.
It’s a decade since our units were
manufactured, and there have been
modifications since then. Grant and Craig
will be introducing some of their new
know-how to enhance the reliability of
our two Liebherrs. For example, drivers
are now giving the winches time to warm
up to avoid a repeat of the gearbox failure
we had a couple of years ago.
Craig says Nenzing is a very small village
where 1000 people work in the Liebherr
factory - 120 of them as apprentices.
Temperatures were in the thirties while
they were there, but there was still snow
on the mountains.

Port Nelson Limited report. August 2008. Page 7
Blessing of the Fleet
After eight years, calm and sunny winter days had come
to be the norm for the annual Blessing of the Fishing Fleet.
Not so this year when it was rained out on the scheduled
date and was restaged a fortnight later on August 2.
Our own piping port worker Robbie Duncan did the
honours with My Home, the children sang, the doves
flew and the fleet was blessed. We are proud to support
this annual reminder of the importance of fishing to the
Nelson region and commemoration for those who have
lost family members in this vital industry.
...and beyond
Liz Moves On
June was goodbye time for Liz Grant - she and her mobile
phone were something of a fixture around the port in her
agent’s role with McKay Shipping Ltd. Liz has moved within
the company to become Manager Central Regions, based
in Wellington, so we’ll still see her in Nelson from time to
time. All the best Liz, and many thanks for your years of input
as one of the longest serving members of the Port Nelson
Environment Committee.
Singapore Stevedoring
Stevedoring Operations Manager, Digby Kynaston flew off
to the Port of Singapore in May, spending a few days on a
training programme sponsored by the Singapore Ministry of
Foreign Affairs under their Singapore Cooperation Programme.
It was attended by 28 participants, representing 25 different
countries worldwide, including Rwanda and Bhutan, two
landlocked countries considering developing inland ‘ports’.
The course covered container ship and yard operations,
port equipment maintenance, navigation and traffic control,
IT applications, pricing of port services, container freight
stations, and measures of port productivity.
Business Analyst Hugh Stark is satisfied the old PC’s are ready for their new life.
Computers for the Congo
When our computers get past their use-by-date we usually strip
them down and send them away for re-cycling or destruction.
Through a contact of our staff development consultant
John Hill, we recently dispatched seven old machines and
a variety of other gear to a charitable organisation based in
Melbourne. They sent them on to the Democratic Republic
of the Congo for use in schools, where the pupils have never
before been able to access such equipment. It is good to see
these machines get some further use from people who will
really appreciate them.
Digby has come back with a number of ideas he will be working
to put in place - these include getting more staff input on
quality, some new concepts to improve training and looking
into a system of staff rewards for safety enhancements.

our port our people
Photo: CPL Chris Weissenborn, RNZAF
Our man at Anzac Bridge
When the Prime Minister, Helen Clark went to Sydney to dedicate the
new statue of a World War I soldier on Sydney’s Anzac bridge - our
Financial Accountant, Mason Robinson was there too. As part of his
territorial duties he was in the NZ Defence Force guard and was selected
to play The Last Post at the dedication.
“It was a very moving ceremony,” he says. “Being live on Australian
television added to the significance of the event.”
The Anzac Bridge crosses the harbour to Glebe Point and the new kiwi
statue stands on the western side of the bridge, facing the Australian
digger that was placed there in 2000.
Toast and Titters
There was plenty of laughter as our leadership team gained new skills in
the art of presentation with a recent evening course run over six weeks
by Toastmasters.
Each week participants had a speech to present to the group, with a
focus on various aspects of public speaking, such as voice projection,
structure, vocal variety and body language. Some of the more memorable
moments included Shane King’s demonstration of vocal variety via Bad
Jelly, Digby Kynaston’s scene setter for a talk on Sheep Farming - where
he threw eggs at one of the Toastmasters, Karen Barnett’s speech on
her love of tobacco, Suzanne’s oration on her admiration for the Regular
Kiwi Bloke, Phil Francois on the Moulin Rouge and all of Troy Dando’s
speeches on various aspects of fishing!
Bye to Robin
It’s not every company that would be so supportive in losing a
valued staff member to a business that could be seen as competition.
Stevedoring Supervisor Robin Harris, who has been with PNL for 16
years is off to CentrePort in Wellington, and he’s thrilled at the support
he has had from management for his decision. “They see it as career
development and I know my new role in ship planning at CentrePort
will broaden my horizons,” Robin says. “Nelson will always be my home
and I look forward to coming back to Port Nelson at some time in the
future.”
We wish Robin and his family all the best for the future and thank him
for his contribution to TBS and PNL over the years.
Port Nelson Limited report. August 2008. Page 8
Coming and Goings
Welcome to Tina
Rajino, who takes over
from Athena as the
Administration Assistant
in the Workshop. Tina is
originally from Indonesia,
but with a Kiwi partner
and family in Nelson she’s
finding her new outdoor
lifestyle suits her very
well. Tina worked with
the UN in Sierra Leone
and since arriving in Nelson, worked the past
fruit season with ENZA. Tina and her partner
Andrew have two teenage sons.
Jeremy Salton is our new QuayPack Foreman.
He comes to us from Randle Distribution, which
made him a regular visitor to Port Nelson.
Jeremy lives in Richmond with his wife Sharon
and three children and is into softball, rugby
and mountain biking.
Jeremy replaces
Andy Farmer who
is enjoying his new
role as Quaypack
supervisor and the
daily challenges that
go with meeting tight
deadlines, having
enough boxes on
hand and the cargo
to fill them!
Helen Jemson is the new Labour Co-ordinator
for the Stevedoring Department. She has been
working for Pacifecon Construction Reports,
providing subscribers with information on
building projects. Helen grew up in Nelson and
returned here in 2002. She has lived in Canada,
where she completed a PhD in Chemistry. Helen
and her husband James live in Richmond and
have two teenage sons.
Sally McCue is the new face at the Security
Gate, or rather the familiar face as she’s been a
casual stevedore over the past nine years and a
reliever at the gate and on security.
It was (sort of ) goodbye to Geoff Shepard at the
end of July, after 24 years when he ‘Sheparded’
the company into the computer age. Geoff
is continuing as a contractor until we find
someone to take his place, and he will still be
getting his share of port life as a casual on the
tugs, launch and lines crew.
Infrastructure Manager Dick Carter has signalled
his resignation at the end of the year. He says
he always intended to do five years with Port
Nelson, but is surprised at how quickly the time
has gone. We’ll say our official farewell to Dick in
the next issue of RePort.

Port Nelson Limited report. August 2008. Page 9
Fire Training
A fire extinguisher is not much
use hanging on the wall - or in the
hands of a person who doesn’t
know how to work it. With this
in mind we offered a fire training
course to all staff, and had a great
response from everyone from
forklift drivers to administration. A
local safety contractor covered the
theory behind fire safety measures
and the use of hand-held portable
extinguishers - and then it was off
outside to give it a go.
safe harbour
Foaming Fire Fighters
The Golden Hour
In a medical emergency time is of the essence.
Survival rates drop by up to ten percent
every minute without CPR and defibrillation.
If emergency services are held up for any
reason it is even more important that we are
able to take the first lifesaving steps on site.
Fuel unloading at Main Wharf North will be safer with two foam
monitors. These can be activated remotely, as an immediate
response to prevent fire if there is an oil spill, or to put a fuel
fire out. Project Engineer, John Hart, says once activated, each
monitor head rotates through a prescribed arc, bringing in
water from the mains to mix with the foam in the storage
tank. The monitors provide immediate action before the fire
service arrives and were installed following an audit of safety
systems around the country by the oil industry.
Safety for all
For this reason we have invested in an
Automated External Defibrillator that will
be kept at the Security Gatehouse. Our
First Aid staff are being trained in the use
of the defibrillator and anyone else who is
interested in the training should contact
Safety Advisor, Jim Lane.
Security Supervisor Bill Homan just needs a patient and
he’s ready to go - just like on ER!
It’s a record! - We didn’t make 200 but we did get to
166 days on our Lost Time Injury board before we had
a recordable injury. There were choccy treats all round
at the milestones of 100 and 150. Even after the minor
injury that put us back to zero we are still ahead of our
position this time last year. So for more chocolate and a
safer workplace - let’s all be super vigilant.
The potential for conflict between recreational boaties and commercial vessels is one of the hazards identified in a risk
assessment of the port, undertaken by independent consultant John Riding of Marico Marine. The risk assessment, jointly
commissioned by Port Nelson Ltd and the Nelson City Council, and approved by Maritime New Zealand, is the first stage in
compliance with the New Zealand Ports and Harbours Safety Code.
Other hazards identified in the report included collisions, groundings, swampings, floating debris and mooring failures.
Mr Riding recently addressed the City Council, which has statutory responsibility for providing and regulating navigational safety
in the harbour. He outlined the options available to the council regarding the harbourmaster position, currently held by our Marine
Operations Manager, Roy Skucek. While Mr Riding favoured maintaining the status quo, he signalled the need to bolster the position
with additional time and resources to focus on the increasing volume of recreational activity in the harbour.
Regional councils and port authorities around New Zealand are developing Safety Management Systems to comply with the
recommendations of the New Zealand Ports and Harbours Safety Code.
Keeping Safe
We welcome any suggestions or information to make Port Nelson a safer working environment.
If you have a name you would like added to our mailing list, please let us know.

Port Nelson Limited report. August 2008. Page 10
meet the client
The Mediterranean Shipping Company
A privately owned, family based shipping line, founded in Belgium in 1970, has rapidly grown to
become the world’s second largest container carrier. Kevin Inder, the Mediterranean Shipping Company’s
Regional Manager Southern, says this growth has been achieved ‘organically’ rather than
through acquisitions or mergers, and he says the company still retains its flat management structure.
What does this mean to us here in Nelson?
For one thing MSC can respond quickly to market changes
- as we saw here recently when the MSC-Maersk joint vessel
sharing service separated earlier this year. MSC moved to fill
the gap, stepping up their fortnightly service with MSC Edith
to a weekly one, with the extra vessel, MSC Frisia.
Managing Director, Kevin Clarke launched MSC Australia from
a small office in Sydney with a staff of two. New trade routes,
bigger and newer vessels, and staff increased steadily and in
1996 a New Zealand office opened in Auckland, followed in
September 1998 with a one man (that was Kevin Inder) office
in Christchurch.
The line commenced servicing Nelson in
2002 and quickly built up a base of clients
that represent all of the region’s main exports,
now catered for by direct weekly vessel calls.
There is seafood going to Asia and Europe,
processed wood - both MDF and LVL - from Nelson
Pine Industries, sawn timber headed for South
East Asia, Asia and China, meat from the Alliance
plant, and apples shipped in reefer containers to
markets in Europe.
MSC values the facilities and central location of
Port Nelson as a base for storage and servicing of
empty containers.
“This ties in with our clients’ use of QuayPack for
vanning the cargo and with the Jade IT tracking
system,” Kevin says. “Port Nelson works hard to
ensure the cargo remains in the region (rather
than being trucked out) and we see a good future
here with the global service we can provide to
local exporters.”
“We wanted to maintain the support of our client base here
in Nelson,” Kevin says, “and we believe that the Nelson region
has a good future with its strong export base.”
Southern Region Sales Manager, Simon Chan, adds that the
new service offers more flexibility and regularity in available
space for shippers.
Nelson is the final New Zealand call on MSC’s Butterfly service,
which comes up the East Coast via Port Chalmers, Lyttelton
and Wellington, then calls at Port Nelson before making the
trans-Tasman trip in three days to berth in Sydney. Cargo
shipped ex-Nelson then links with global markets via MSC’s
other services to Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan and via
Singapore to the Middle East, India, Mediterranean, Europe
and the UK. The line also offers two other trans-Tasman
schedules ex-New Zealand ports.
The MSC headquarters is now based in Geneva, with
the Australasian HQ conveniently sited in Fremantle.
The Australasian side of the MSC story started in 1989, when

Port Nelson Limited report. August 2008. Page 11
Spraying water
We’re spraying in style these days with a revamped water
cart. The old tank was past its best, and the existing truck
was retro-fitted with a stainless steel tank, fitted with a
petrol driven water pump and a spray boom. The nozzles on
the new unit send out a finer spray mist, that means we can
dampen down dust more effectively, and use less water.
Noise progress
The Port Noise Variation hearings were held in May with
a follow-up day in July. The panel of three commissioners
included national experts in resource management, law
and noise. It is hoped the mitigation work on houses and
noise management package that is adopted will be the
best solution for the Nelson situation - of residential homes
in close proximity to a working port. Meanwhile, offers to
provide insulation to the 11 most affected houses have now
been made, and we continue to work at reducing the noise of
our operations.
Limits on fumigant use
The Environment Court issued its final decision on the use
of the fumigant methyl bromide at Port Nelson in June.
Earlier this year an interim decision allowed the fumigation
company Genera to carry on with fumigations at the port, as
long as a re-capture system is introduced.
Marine Biodiversity
Port Nelson is participating in the Coastal and Marine Working
group set up to develop action plans for the Nelson City
Biodiversity Strategy, along with NIWA, DoC and iwi. It is
hoped our ongoing research as part of our water quality
and dredging monitoring will be of use to this group, and
that it will help us to include biodiversity concerns on port
operations or future developments.
From Seed to Spoon
We participated in a workshop held by ZESPRI on the carbon
footprint of a kiwi fruit from ‘seed to spoon’. To meet the
demands of UK supermarkets exporters are increasingly
asked to supply information on the emissions content of a
product over its whole lifecycle. The direct emissions from
the port footprint are small in themselves, but our links to
shipping and exporters give us a key role.
Inspiration from Aussie
Environmental Officer,
Frances Woodhead
visited the Ports of
Brisbane and Townsville
as part of a workshop
on Environmental
Management in Ports.
Highlights were visiting
state-of-the-art green
buildings at the port,
water-saving technology,
and a specially constructed bird roost in a new reclaimed
area, as well as holistic management techniques for stormwater
pollution prevention.
Get involved!
A trip around Townsville Port
Aussie style - with a beer!
At the Port Nelson Environment Committee meeting
in June there was a discussion on environmental
input into the Port Nelson 2008 Strategic Plan, the
new fumigation protocols and a presentation from
Transition Town Nelson, a community initiative
working on projects from transport to food growing,
to assist in the ‘transition’ from a ‘peak oil’ economy.
environment update
Lobby group, Campaigners Against Toxic Sprays, had called
for a chronic standard to be imposed because it believed
health effects sometimes took many years to appear.
In its final June decision, the court imposed a new chronic
limit to be included in the Nelson City Council’s air quality
plan allowing a limited number of container fumigations
without recapture.
The ruling is a good outcome for public health and concerns
about ozone depletion. Although it will be some time
before the decision is fully implemented, the first of the new
technology is expected to be in place soon. It has also been
announced that Environmental Risk Management Authority
(ERMA) will be having a national enquiry into the use of
Methyl Bromide in New Zealand.
We are still looking for port area residents to join
the committee, which is made up of representatives
from the city council, DoC, port users, environmental
groups and neighbours. We meet around six times a
year on a Wednesday lunchtime, to provide dialogue
between interested parties and input to Port Nelson
on environmental management. Please email frances.
woodhead@portnelson.co.nz or phone 5393861 if you
would like to know more.
RePort is Green
In line with our environmental policies RePort uses elemental
chlorine free paper produced from sustainably managed forests.
RePort is printed with vegetable based inks.

Port Nelson Limited report. August 2008. Page 12
looking back
On the Rocks
Imagine the drama there would be today if a ship ran aground on Rocks Road.
The Union Company steamer, Hawea aground on the Nelson foreshore in 1886. Kingsford and Baigent, Museum of Wellington Collection.
In 1886 shipwrecks were more common, but there was still plenty of consternation from residents near the
old harbour entrance around Haulashore Island, when they awoke on March 30 to see the Union Company
steamer Hawea with her nose on the beach near the sea wall.
It was a fine, clear, starlit night and the Captain, Joseph
Hansby, said the course was the one he always steered when
coming into Nelson and that he had come in earlier on the
tide twice before.
“The only way I can account for the accident is that she
took a steer in the strong eddy and did not answer her
helm sufficiently quickly. The engines were working properly.
We were coming dead slow. As soon as she touched the
engines were reversed and put full speed astern... but this had
no effect on her,” He told the Nelson Evening Mail.
The 25 passengers were disembarked onto the beach and the
cargo was redistributed from the forehold to the stern, but
there was no budging the stranded vessel on that tide.
The Hawea stayed on the beach all day, and as the evening
high tide approached the crowd grew. The Nelson Evening
Mail somewhat whimsically suggested that if cabmen had
their say ‘there would be a vessel ashore at the harbour
entrance two or three times a week at least for they were kept
pretty busy conveying spectators to the Rocks from the town
as the time for high water approached’.
Another Union Company ship, the Mahinapua tried to drag
the Hawea into deeper waters, but succeeded only in breaking
three towlines, and was dispatched on her journey to the
West Coast.
The Hawea remained aground until the following morning,
when she spontaneously floated off on the high tide. Thanks
to the soft shingle of the beach she was undamaged.
An enquiry held on the stranded vessel while she was still
aground found no one to be at fault. The Mail reported:
'the grounding of the steamer was one of those accidents
which it is said it is impossible for the best regulated families
to avoid’.
The Hawea was a 66 metre single screw steamer built in
Scotland in 1875, and able to carry 92 passengers. She was
speedy in good conditions and in 1876 steamed from Picton
wharf to Barrett Reef, Wellington in 3 hours 20 minutes.
The vessel had a short but eventful career and sank after
striking a submerged object while coming into New Plymouth
(from Onehunga) in 1888. The Hawera and Normanby Times
reports that the ‘mails were landed all dry’ and the passengers
were taken by boat to the wharf where arrangements were
made for them to continue by train. There were two race
horses on board, Allegro, which had just won the Auckland
steeplechase, slipped her sling and was drowned, while the
other horse, Armourer, made it safely to shore.