April 2009 (pdf) - Port Nelson

Port Nelson Limited report. April 2009. Page 3
Boost for Seafarers’ Mission
Port Nelson’s Seafarers’ Mission has a reputation to
maintain as the best in New Zealand and one of the
busiest, so a steady income is a must. The mission trust
had a major boost at the end of last year when PNL
Chief Executive Martin Byrne handed over a cheque for
$12,000 dollars, the proceeds of the November Nelson
Port and Transport Industry Charity Golf Tournament.
There are plenty of ways the money could be spent,
including carpet and tables to complete the upgrade of the
centre, but manager Milo Coldren has other plans.
“We’re putting this cheque straight in the bank,” he said.
“We are very grateful for the generosity and support we
have from the port company – they’ve got the Seafarers’
Mission as the charity for next year’s tournament as well,
which will give us a tidy capital sum that we will keep
intact while using the interest for our everyday running
costs.”
Martin Byrne, Dean Charles Tyrrell, Milo Coldren and his admin assistant Rebekah
Smith and Charles Hufflett from the Seafarers' Trust.
Forklift Honour Guard
A very unusual site in the Container Yard on March 18,
with the drive past of Johnny Pav (Ivan Pavlinic), who
had worked in the stevedoring division for just over seven
years as a casual, then as a part-timer from 2006.
Container Operations Supervisor Mark Smith shepherded
the forklifts (that been working just minutes before) into
two lines and Financial Accountant Mason Robinson
played the Last Post in a moving tribute to a valued
workmate.
Martin, decorated for a colour festival, with local school children.
Report from Nepal
CEO Martin Byrne is just back from a leadership and
development course that was a long way from the
usual meeting rooms and white boards - literally.
The course, offered by Kiwi run company Second Base,
was held in Nepal, which put a whole new angle on the
term ‘taking participants outside their comfort zones’.
“The focus of the course was very much around
values-based leadership. There was the traditional
classroom environment type workshopping, but we
also spent five days in Chitwan province in a small
village, working on improvements to a school for
disabled kids while living with local families and
sharing their conditions,” Martin says. “This meant
using outdoor squat toilets, making the most of the
power when it was on for two four hour bursts a day ,
and eating twice daily meals of dhal bhat - rice, lentils
and curried vegetables.”
The six course members shook this experience down
in further workshop sessions in Pokhara and then did
a four day trek on the Annapurna loop. Martin says the
course was a 'life-changer' from a personal perspective:
“When you’re put into conditions you’re not used to it’s
quite a learning experience to see how you react,” he said.
“There was also a strong team building aspect.”
Overall he expects the course to have long
term impacts on areas such as self-awareness,
effectiveness, motivation and the ability to empower
and lead effective teams.
Navigation Chart
An old harbour chart was found rolled up, water stained
and barely legible during a recent workshop office clean
out. It was on a direct trajectory to the bin when Workshop
Supervisor Craig Terris gave it a closer look and found it
was an original ink on paper and fabric chart of Nelson
Harbour from 1882. The chart, prepared by Captain
Johnson, is an update of the 1850 Stokes chart. Craig
googled ‘document repair’ and
sent it off to Marion Mehrtens,
a Wellington document conservator.
Framed by Dickson
Marine, using timber from the
recent Main Wharf upgrade, it is
now looking very handsome on
the boardroom wall.
Craig Terris and Murray McGuire admire
the chart.
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