December 2009 (pdf) - Port Nelson

our port our people
Study Success
Going ‘back to school’ may have been a little daunting at first, but
QuayPack Supervisor Andy Farmer and Security Gate Operator
Kamelia Chapman did well and finished up pleased with the outcome
of their nine month course of study at NMIT for the National
Certificate in First Line Management. Most of the study for the nine
modules was done online, and topics ranged from business writing
to time management.
Kamelia says she found the time management skills useful in fitting
in her work on the course: “Writing things down and planning ahead
were also useful recently to get everything done when I stood in for
Security Supervisor Bill Homan while he was overseas.”
Andy says the team building and conflict resolution skills have
already come in handy: “It’s good to nip any conflict in the bud –
turning a blind eye certainly won’t help it to get any better,” he says.
Andy and Kamelia are both keen to take their study further.
QuayPack
Goes Calling
When you spend your days
packing MDF into containers
it’s nice to know where it came
from. To give the QuayPack
team more ‘product knowledge’,
Nelson Pine Industries Despatch
Manager Warran Clark ran a site
tour for them in November.
QuayPack Supervisor Andy
Farmer says it’s the second
time his team have visited NPIL.
The last time was a couple of
years ago, and the recent trip
was for new players on the port
container packing team.
Port Nelson Limited report. December 2009. Page 8
Staff Briefs
• In July we marked the end of an era with a farewell morning
tea for Tony Graham and Neville Clark who have held the
watchman-security role since the days the Port Nelson flag was
raised at the start of each working day.
• Congratulations and best wishes to Tina Rajino on her marriage
to Andrew Maxwell in late July. Tina and Andrew tied the knot
in Fiji and to celebrate staff enjoyed a girl’s night out at The Free
House prior to Tina’s big day.
• Marine Operations Manager and Harbourmaster Roy Skucek
will be leaving us in January. Roy took over from long-serving
Harbourmaster Captain John Westbrooke in 2006 and says
while his three years with PNL have been challenging, it has also
been interesting being involved in changes at the port.
• We farewelled Chris Williams at the end of September. Chris had
been with us as Marketing Manager since 2004 and worked
hard to maintain shipping options for our clients in times of
major change from the lines servicing regional ports.
Silver for Les
Les Gill from Cargo Operations is the latest staff member to join
that exclusive club of staff who have worked at the port for 25
years or more. Les grew up in Invercargill, moving to Nelson in
1982 and soon after got a job on the suction dredge Karatea,
as the Maitai reclamation took shape. Next, Les took on the role
of caring for the newly created land, laying lawns and planting
shrubs around Akersten Street and the Marina back in the days
when the Harbour Board was in control of this area.
Les has had a hand in many milestones at the port, such as packing
the first MDF in containers, laying the groundwork for what is
now QuayPack. He recalls a time when he and Phil Francois were
the only staff at the Container Yard and all the documentation
was done by hand – before the advent of computers.
For the last five years Les has run our Quarantine Facility,
devanning hi-risk containers and calling in the MAF team if he
finds contamination or wildlife! Les takes the responsibility of this
job seriously and looks back at a working life that has provided
him with an income, stability and the company of a ‘good
bunch of guys’.
Les brings the total number of ‘silver servers’ to 13 - the longevity
of service in our team is testimony to staff commitment and the
enjoyment our people take in their work.