The 2000 Annual Report and Financial Statements for CentrePort

The 2000 Annual Report and Financial Statements for CentrePort Limited page C1

reporter supplement

community and employmentcommunity report

This is hardly surprising, as themuseum’s genesis was aninitiative by CentrePort'sforerunner, the old WellingtonHarbour Board (WHB). It wasestablished in 1972 as theWellington Maritime Museum,eventually taking over most ofthe WHB’s head office buildingin Queen’s Wharf when theport company relocated to itspresent site.

Last year, under theauspices of the Wellington CityCouncil, the museum wasrevamped and relaunched asthe Museum of WellingtonCity & Sea. CentrePort has beenproud to maintain its closelinks, starting with a cashsponsorship.

“We’re very grateful for thatcontribution of course,” saysthe museum’s Director KenScadden. “But there are alsoseveral other areas ofassistance. On our maritimefloor we created an interactive

exhibit featuring CentrePortpilot Bob Field guiding a shipthrough Wellington Heads. Weobviously couldn’t haveachieved that without a lot ofinput from CentrePort.”

“The port company has alsoprovided footage that we’veused for video presentations,and helped us look after someof our historical material.”

The Museum of WellingtonCity & Sea opened in November1999 and was an instantsuccess with Wellingtoniansand tourists. It is on target tomeet its first year goal of100,000 visitors.

“We’ve pitched it at a broadcross-section,” says Ken.“Younger visitors love therecreation of the old Bond Store,complete with mechanical ratsand they enjoy the interactiveaspects. The older people lovethe Wahine film made byGaylene Preston. The 10th ofApril, 1968 was one of those

seminal Wellington days.”The museum is very much a

custodian for the history ofWellington’s maritime past,and as such, it tells the port’sstory. The old WHB BoardRoom with its grand, woodeninterior and furniture has beenmaintained very much as itwas.

Supporting the museum isjust one of several sponsorshipsCentrePort has engaged inthroughout the region. Othersto receive assistance include:Whanganui Economic Develop-ment Corporation, MastertonBusiness Enterprise Incorp-orated, Vision Manawatu,Export Institute, PoriruaBusiness Awards, WellingtonRegion Gold Awards, CityMission, Wellington Coastguard,Wellington Free Ambulance,the Wellington and Hutt Valley Regional Chambers of Commerce and various cityevents.

CentrePort exhibits enthusiasm

Sponsor, neighbour, technical adviser… the relationship between CentrePort andthe new Museum of Wellington City & Seaoperates on many levels.

CentrePort regards itself as a member of a

‘whanau’ of communities. While the port is

located in the heart of New Zealand’s capital

city, as a business it also serves communities

throughout the central region of New Zealand.

The port willingly devotes energy and resources

to create links and partnerships with the wider

population of many of these communities.

Our objectives are:

1. To sustain and grow partnerships with our local and regional communities.

2. To foster strong, working relationships and networks.

3. To achieve growth for CentrePort and the local and regional communities.

Progress towards objectives

1. There has been continued involvement in the 'Wellington Life Line' group whichhas an emphasis on the recovery of the Wellington infrastructure after a naturaldisaster, particularly earthquakes, and even unnatural disasters such as Y2K.

2. Established partnerships with regional Economic Development Agencies havebeen built upon.

3. The number of sponsorship relationships, covering a variety of different areas,have been maintained.

Current community involvement

Regional development

• Sponsorship of the Whanganui Economic Development Corporation, Masterton Business Enterprise Incorporated, Vision Manawatu, Export Institute.

• Investment and promotion of the Wellington region as a cruise vessel destination.

• Direct support for the establishment of a regional development agency.

Cultural & community

• Financial support for the Museum of Wellington City & Sea and the Regent Theatre redevelopment in Palmerston North.

• Providing tugs to various organisations including the Festival of the Arts.

• Assistance with the Plimmers Ark project.

• Support for the Waimarie restoration project in Wanganui.

• Contribution towards Wellington's Northern Gateway Project.

• Providing facilities and assistance for the Wharf Police and WellingtonCoastguard.

Looking ahead to 2001, our aims are:

To maintain our current levels of sponsorship commitment, to meet regularly with key regional bodies and to explore newways of strengthening community links.


community and employment

2000/2001 Cruise Season PreviewHere are some of the larger vessels expectedby CentrePort over the coming season:

Vessel Passengers Visits

Crystal Harmony 1006 2Regal Princess 1596 4Legend of the Seas 1804 2Pacific Sky 1184 1Rotterdam 1316 1Crown Odyssey 1054 1

Thanks to the Sydney Olympics,Wellington’s cruise ship visit season willget off to the earliest start it has everknown.

Wellingtonians are accustomed toseeing the f irst of each summer’s bigcruise ships nose their way into theharbour near Christmas time. This year,because the Sydney Olympics are attractingso many cruise vessels in September, anumber of them will take the opportunityto cross the Tasman and visit New Zealand.

“We’re expecting three cruise visits inthe first half of October,” says CentrePortMarketing Executive Clare Murphy. “That’sthe earliest we’ve ever hosted cruise vessels.I’m keeping my fingers crossed about the

weather! October is really only earlySpring.”

‘Less is more’ will be another feature ofthe 2000/1 cruise season. While there willbe less vessels visiting (24 compared to 26the summer before), there is likely to be agreater total number of passengers.

“We’re starting to see the really bigvessels coming to Wellington now,” saysClare. “A large vessel we haven’t seen beforeis Regal Princess, which will visit fourtimes. It can carry around 1600 passengers.Legend of the Seas, which can carry 1800passengers, will call again in February 2001and return later that same month.”

One of Legend of the Seas Februaryvisits coincides with the arrival of another

cruise ship, Albatros. On that day, nearly3,000 cruise passengers will be disgorgedon to the streets of Wellington. And thisdoes not include the crew!

“We can cope, but it’s not an idealsituation,” says Clare. “If we were to havethree vessels in a day it would really stretchus… and Wellington. It poses a transportproblem – having enough buses – it alsocreates a bottleneck at a lot of touristattractions. While the larger touristattractions can absorb this number oftourists, some of our smaller attractionswill have difficulties.”

Clare explains that the potential forcruise overload is a problem all aroundNew Zealand.

“Cruise New Zealand (of whichCentrePort is a member) has done such asuccessful job of marketing New Zealandas a cruise destination that we are nowfaced with a situation which will place ahuge strain on the ability of some touristfacilities to cope with the larger numbersof passengers. Gearing up for a one dayrush is not easy for some of the attractions,regions and bus companies in NewZealand.”

CentrePort has long recognised theproblem and is promoting a regionalaction group, to build on this region’s finefacilities and attractions, along with theaim of solving by a cohesive approach, thisunusual popularity problem.

“We’re starting tosee the big vesselscoming toWellingtonnow.”

Sydney games kick-startthe cruise season

For one 24 hour period inMarch 2000, CentrePort’sengineering staff wantedWellington to spare them windand earthquakes. Their prayerswere granted… but only just.

Raising the port’s D Crane,the massive, 450 tonne steelcontainer crane, was alwaysgoing to be a big undertaking.Nothing like it had ever beencarried out anywhere inAustralasia.

Prior to the task beingcarried out, there was some

anxiety as to whether theelements would co-operate. Fora day and night, the cranewould be dangling pre-cariously while the new leginserts were being welded on.Given the capital’s wind blowntendencies, and its location ona faultline, CentrePort’s ProjectEngineer Dick Carter wonderedabout the 24 hour window.

“And then, just prior tocutting the legs, we had anearthquake,” reports Dick, “asif to remind us what we were

up against. Thankfully, we gotthe job done without incident.Then three hours later (in theearly hours of 1 April) therewas another jolt. You could sayour timing was spot on – a littlebit close for comfort, though!”

The raising of D Crane bysix metres was made necessaryby the higher stacking ofcontainers on ships that has been occuring over recent years.

What was once a perfectlycapable crane had suddenly

become a vertically challengedpiece of machinery which wascausing delays in loading andunloading. The problem wasgoing to be exacerbated whenthe new generation of largerships start visiting the port, so CentrePort felt the need to act.

The operation necessitatedthe construction of a speciallifting frame to elevate thecrane.

Acme Engineering, a localengineering company, was

contracted for this purpose andto help see the entire taskthrough to completion.

“It worked out cheaper forus to make our own frame, andwe’re hopeful it can be used toraise other cranes in southernhemisphere ports,” says Dick.

Most of the miscellaneouswork, such as wiring, wascarried out by CentrePort staff.Dick Carter says an excellentrapport between Acme andCentrePort staff contributed tothe success of the operation.

The D Crane just misses the shakes

page C3

community and employment

employment report

One morning in 1957, 16 yearold Eddie Thompson arrived atGlasgow Wharf for his first dayof work as a plumber’sapprentice for the oldWellington Harbour Board.

New Zealand has had 12Prime Ministers since then. ButEddie’s still a plumber down atthe wharf. His 43 yearscontinuous service is a recordamong current port employees.

“I once thought abouttravelling to Australia when Iwas younger. I had a mate overthere,” remembers Eddie. “Butthen I got married and I’venever thought about movingsince.”

The son of a watersiderhimself, Eddie remembers wellthe troubles of the 1951waterfront dispute whenwatersiders went without payfor over 150 days. TheThompson household inBerhampore was sparedhardship thanks to his father’ssavings, although down at thelocal shops his mother was

sometimes subjected to the ill-feeling that existed towards thewharfies.

The Wellington wharf theteenaged Eddie knew was avery different place fromtoday’s CentrePort. There wereover 2000 people employed onthe waterfront in those days.Six cafeterias were needed tofeed them all. Eddie was one offour apprentices in a plumbingworkshop that had a total of 12staff. Today he is the port’s onlyplumber.

As an apprentice, Eddieearned £2 a week. He learnedhis trade from men whodefined themselves by theirjobs, took pride in theirworkshops and the progress oftheir apprentices.

There was a rough edge tothe old days as well. Eddieremembers the poker schoolsthat occasionally sprang uparound the port, one favouritevenue being the cafeteria inShed 15. The characters on thewaterfront in those days had

nicknames as colourful as theirpersonalities. Eddie smiles ashe recalls a few – ‘pie eater’,‘perfect lover’, ‘Gladys’ and ‘thereluctant fish’.

Eddie’s longevity has givenhim an intimate knowledge ofsubterranean CentrePort. Hewas involved in changing allthe wharf’s water mains fromiron to copper, as well asconnecting the port’s sewageoutfalls to the city system, amove that cleaned up thewater around the wharves.

Now he’s begun makingrepairs to the pipes he helpedlay decades ago. Getting to thewater mains usually meanshaving to go under the wharvesthemselves, either by punt orin a dinghy.

Eddie has no regrets,although at times he feelsnostalgic for the times whenthe port teemed with people.

“I used to enjoy the large,diverse make-up of the water-front. But I’ve got no complaints.It’s still a brilliant job.”

“You’ve got a job for life,”Robyn Ramsay was told by herfather when she joined thetyping pool of the WellingtonHarbour Board’s engineeringsection in 1974.

“Little did I know…!” saysRobyn now. She can’t quitebelieve that today she’s stillworking for the sameorganisation (give or take a fewrestructurings) that gave herher first job after finishing the Wellington Polytechnicsecretarial course.

There has been time off fortravel and two children alongthe way. Since 1988, when theport company was created,Robyn has been ExecutiveAssistant to the Chief Executive.

“I’ve now worked for threeChief Executives and each timeit has been like starting a newjob, which has made itinteresting. They’ve all hadvery different styles.”

Among her many duties isacting as the interface betweenthe Board of Directors and thecompany.

“Preparing the Boardpapers can be quite a stressfultime but it is enjoyableworking with the Board.”

And will CentrePort ’sl o n g e s t s e r v i n g f e m a l eemployee still be here inanother 20 years?

“Probably… because I don’tknow where the last 20 yearswent!”

CentrePort recognises that its performance as

a company is only as good as the performance

of its employees. We have a responsibility to

create a workplace that is happy, secure and

allows each staff member the opportunity for

personal growth and development.

Our objectives are:

1. To acknowledge and respect the individual contribution of staff.

2. To protect and promote the health and well-being of staff.

3. To reward work with recognition and remuneration at or above market average.


1. There has been a strong continuation of the popular and effective Employee Assistance Programme.

2. Health monitoring programmes for employees have expanded.

3. The community-based training of employees has continued (eg first aid, emergency response).

Forty years on

Robyn’s long haul

95

6

5

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3

2

1

096 97 98 99 00

Employee Assistance Programmeusage

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90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

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Average income by work categoryv. NZ average national wage

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Employee Assistance Programmeidentified issues

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Robyn Ramsay


To introduce graduated work programmes for employees contemplating retirement, to improve the access employeeshave to general fitness monitoring and to provide emergencyresponse training to more staff.


page 7community and employment

After some head scratching shewas given a man’s shirt andtold to buy an ‘acceptable’ navyskirt. Then she was presentedwith 52 pairs of pantyhose,because “that's what theythought I'd need.”

Six months after joining, atthe tender age of 24, Karen wasmade Security Supervisor forthe port. That ushered inanother period of adjustment.

“Because I was a womanand was very young, I got a bitof the cold shoulder at firstfrom some of the people wedeal with,” she says.

“Then we got used to eachother… and I got a bit morebolshy. So now down at the'box' (the gatehouse at theentrance to the port) I'm calledMother Superior.”

“And my staff are really

good… a lot of the older ones arequite protective of me. They'dnever admit it, but they are.”

Karen enjoys the variety ofboth the hours (there’s a lot ofshift work) and the nature ofsecurity work.

While there seems to belittle variety in checking the2000 plus vehicles that enter orexit the port every day, there’sno telling when somethingunusual can happen. The gasleak near the main entrancejust before one of theEdinburgh Tattoo concertsprovided the security teamwith one of its busier days. Andthere was the time when the‘fiancée’ of a ship’s crewmember refused to leave thevessel. Karen had to go onboard and personally escorther to shore.

“We also play a big publicrelations role,” she explains.“We assist when the cruises h i p s v i s i t a n d t a l k topassengers. And we’re oftenfielding general enquiries.When everybody else has gonehome, we’re it. We answer thephone and basically look afterthings. So we have to becustomer-focussed too.”

Just for fun on her days off,Karen also tried her hand atdoing lines – tying ships up tothe wharf. She was one of thefirst women to carry out thattask at CentrePort, too.

Not surprisingly, the formerNelsonian has never given anythought to going back to theregular, office routine of herprevious life as a law clerk.

“I love it here… there’salways something changing.”

Two years ago, it had becomeobvious that the eight Peinerstraddles CentrePort hadacquired second hand fromHong Kong were in urgentneed of remedial attention.

“They had been badlyabused and were in a very sadcondition” says CentrePort’sEngineering Manager AlexMcLachlan. “Everyone lookedto us (the team at CentrePort’sEngineering Workshop) for an answer. So, we got on with it…”

Getting on with it,however, was not as straight-forward as it may seem. Itmeant studying the problem,coming up with ideas andsolutions, then making it allhappen. And somehow, all ofthis had to be fitted inalongside the usual scheduleof tasks.

“It was very much a teame f f o r t , ” e x p l a i n s F l e e tSupervisor Larry Mahony. “Weall put our heads together andcame up with a plan. Then wegave ourselves 12 weeks perstraddle. Initially, it was anonerous task and there’s beena lot of overtime and weekendwork. But it got better as itprogressed.”

The plan involved comp-letely gutting each Peiner.Brand new diesel L10 enginesw e r e p u r c h a s e d f r o mCummins, a Palmerston Northsupplier, to replace t heoriginal Isuzu engines. All thetransmissions were also over-hauled.

“Each straddle was refur-bished electrically, mech-anically and hydraulically,”says Alex. “It was all done in-house at CentrePort for a price

of $1.3 million – about theprice of one and a half newones.”

Operationally, the rejuven-ated Peiners have exceededexpectations.

“The new engines have asmaller cubic capacity, butmore horsepower,” points outLarry. “So they use less fuel,they’re quieter, and moreenvironmentally friendly. Butthey’re every bit as gutsy. Each40 tonne straddle can lift itsown weight.”

The last of the eightstraddles to get the‘treatment’ will be completedin August 2000. Alex andLarry, who between themhave 45 years experience atCentrePort, say that theoccasion will be marked by a‘small’ celebration down atthe engineering workshop.

Rejuvenated straddles stride forth

Woman at work

Karen Funnell knew she was the first woman to join theCentrePort security team whenshe started six years ago. Therewas no uniform for her.

Long time CentrePort stevedoreand 1976 Olympic goldmedallist Trevor Manning wasone of the all star cast takingpart in the Olympic torch relay that passed throughWellington in early June.

Trevor, who has worked atthe port for over 30 years, tookthe torch from MP John Luxtonand carried it through thestreets of Miramar.

“It was tremendous being a

part of it,” he said of the relay.“My family saw the relay beingpublicised on the internet, andthey nominated me for a place.So I’ve got them to thank.”

It was an experience thatrekindled memories of the threeOlympics in which Trevor tookpart as a goalkeeper for the NewZealand men’s hockey side –Mexico City ‘68, Munich ‘72 andMontreal ‘76.

It was in Montreal that

Trevor and his teammatescarved themselves a place inNew Zealand sports history byoutlasting Australia 1-0 in thefinal to win gold.

Besides his medal, Trevorcame away from that gamewith some less precious metal.An Aussie shot at goal left himwith a broken kneecap. As aresult, there’s still a piece ofwire helping hold the jointtogether.

CentrePort’s Olympic torch bearer

Trevor Manning gets down and dirty on his way to Olympic gold in 1976.

A new lease of life – the CentrePort engineering team worked hard to refurbish allof the port’s eight Peiner straddles.

CentrePort warms to the Firebirds

Those with long memories willremember Columbus Waterside,one of the country’s top soccersides which had its roots on theWellington waterfront.

These days there is a newsoccer connection for the port,albeit at the less prominent,grassroots end of the sport.CentrePort is the proud

sponsor of the Upper Hutt CityFirebirds Junior team.

The Firebirds includeHayden Collis, son ofCentrePort cargo handler BarryCollis. When approached witha request for sponsorship,CentrePort was happy to helpout. “It’s what the port familyis all about,” says CentrePortHuman Resource ManagerGraeme Cowan. “We’ve arrangeda five year sponsorship withthe Firebirds who carry ourname on their shirts. Andwe’re pleased at how well theseboys have done!” Over the lastfew seasons, the Firebirds haveregularly finished either top oftheir grade or very close to it.

The 2000 Annual Report and Financial Statements for CentrePort Limited page E1

reporter supplement

environment, health and safetyenvironment report

“As you can see there’s not a lotof grass around here. But thatdoesn’t mean our outlook isn’tgreen!” quips CentrePort ChiefExecutive Ken Harris.

“We’re committed to

meeting our environmentalresponsibilities. As custodiansof what is essentially acommunity-owned businessthat is highly visible andsituated right in the middle of

that community, our duty isclear: be good neighbours andkeep it clean!”

The first thing to graspabout CentrePort’s environ-

EmissionunacceptableThe ‘effluent society’ is not a clubCentrePort ever wants to join. Thecompany’s efforts in the area ofenvironmental management arenothing short of exhaustive.

CentrePort regards the environment in which

it operates as a precious resource. It is to be

protected and passed on undamaged to

succeeding generations of Wellingtonians and

port administrations. Every activity carried out

by CentrePort is examined for its environmental

impact and strenuous efforts are made to

minimise, and even eliminate, any adverse

elements. Year by year, we seek to achieve

constant improvement in our environmental

performance.

Our objectives are:

1. To minimise any adverse effects CentrePort’s activities may have on the environment.

2. To consult regularly with local interest groups.

3. To raise environmental awareness within CentrePort.


1. A baseline audit of discharges to water and air have been established.

2. Water and electricity usage have reduced by 20%.

3. We have established a detailed and comprehensive record of historically

significant buildings.

(continued overleaf)

6,000

5,000

4,000

3,000

2,000

1,000

0

CentrePort water usage trend

Aug 1998 July 2000

Uni

ts (m

3 )

2,200

2,000

1,800

1,600

1,400

1,200

1,000

CentrePort electricity usage trend

Aug 1998 July 2000

Uni

ts (K

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)


To achieve a minimum level five audit under the InternationalEnvironmental Rating System coupled with ISO14001 accreditation, to improve control of discharges to air and waterand to continue scrutinising and refining operational activitiesassociated with the discharge of bulk powder cargoes from vessels.


environment, health and safety

The threat of hazardoussubstance spills is the reason afire-engine red trailer is nowparked beside Port Security nearCentrePort’s main entrance.

“We’re calling it the ‘oilspill response trailer’”, saysCentrePort Marine Services

Manager Charles Smith, whooversaw the initiative. “It canbe attached to any vehicleinstantly and it’s available foruse by anyone on the portprecinct to deal with the spil-lage of hazardous substances.”

Charles says the trailer

carries the nucleus of a spillcontainment kit, includingsawdust, liquid absorbers,broom and shovel, along withprotective gear and clothing.

“It’s all part of ensuringCentrePort is as safe aspossible.”

Tailored trailer (continued from overleaf)

Clean and green and red all over – CentrePort’s oil spill response trailer.

mental programmes is thatthey’re not the province of afew employees – they belong toeverybody.

“Every one of us makesefforts in this area, from the management team rightthrough to the people on thefront line,” says Ken. “Nobodyhas needed convincing aboutits importance. Everyone justmakes sure what they do isappropriate. In effect, we’re all‘environmental managers.’”

It was in late 1997 thatCentrePort prepared itsEnvironmental ManagementPlan. It is a large, ‘big picture’document that covers everyaspect of the port’s impact onits environment from theaesthetics of the site throughto the smells it gives off. It isalso a work in progress. Itcontains a programme ofaction areas that are constantlybeing worked through andupdated.

Helping to provide theEnvironmental ManagementPlan with teeth andmeasurability is the Inter-national Environmental Rating System (IERS) managementprotocol created by respectedDet Norske Veritas (DNV).CentrePort has rigorouslyapplied DNV’s InternationalSafety Rating System (ISRS) forthe past several years, whichlast year resulted in a level sixaccreditation – the highestachieved by any Australasianport.

“Our next goal is to achievean excellent result on the

environmental side withIERS ,” says CentrePor t ’ sProperty Services ManagerNeville Hyde. “It was formallyintroduced to the port in 1998.We’re working towardsexternal accreditation in 2001,with an initial target of levelthree or four.”

Among a number of newdeve lopments t hat have rolled out recently is theEnvironmental Issues Register.

This was established torecord all environmentalincidents and complaints thataffect CentrePort. Perhapsmost importantly, it recordsthe follow-up action taken inresponse and any remediesthat were implemented. Theidea behind the register is tocreate a tangible environmentalrecord at CentrePort, whichwould also provide a futureresource for problem solving.

Over the past 12 months,six issues have found their wayinto the register, includingodour from fish transportersthrough to the noise created byship generators (see Annoyingnoise annulled) and logloaders. All were resolvedsatisfactorily.

The year also saw thepublication of a new nationalstandard covering the issue ofport noise. NZS 6809:1999 wasprepared with the input ofstaff from ports all over NewZealand, including CentrePort.The port noise standard wentthrough a full consultativeprocess which involved inputfrom public authorities. On theissue of noise, Neville describes

CentrePort as being relativelyf o r t u n a t e , w i t h m a j o rtransport modes between itsport operations and residentialareas.

“The standard calls for thee s t a b l i s h m e n t o f ‘ N o i s eContours’, which we havedeveloped. These contoursspecify noise limits. Our outercontour passes through therailyards and only takes in acouple of residential propertiesin the Sar Street area inThorndon. The motorway actsas a noise buffer there,between the port and thosehouses.”

The past year has also seenthe creation, and application,of a number of new Codes ofPractice at CentrePort. Thesemainly cover specific areassuch as discharges from shipscarrying bulk powder, theminimising of log dust and logmarshalling noise.

“Much of our environ-mental work is done inconjunction with outsidegroups,” adds Neville. “Forexample, we’ve been workingwith Crown agencies toeradicate the risks of foreigninsects becoming establishedat the port. We’ve also joinedthe government’s Energy WiseCampaign and become muchmore efficient in ourconsumption of water and elec-tricity. And we’ve supportedthe Wellington RegionalCouncil and other organ-isations in addressing environ-mental improvements to thel o w e r r e a c h e s o f t h eKaiwharawhara stream.”

A few days after the fishingvessel Pacific Bounty berthedat Aotea Quay earlier this year,CentrePort received a complaint.

It was from a Wadestownresident, who said that a‘hideous hum’ emanating fromthe port precinct during thenight was depriving him ofsleep. The complaint was dulyregistered in CentrePort’sEnvironmental Issues Register,and an investigation was

promptly mounted. CentrePort staff soon traced

the source of the noise to thegenerator on board the fishingvessel Pacific Bounty. Becausethe generator produced powerfor the the ship’s freezers, itcould not be readily turned off.

There needed to be asolution however, and thevessel’s skipper together withCentrePort staff put theirheads together to come up

with a happy final chapter forthis edition of a port noisecomplaint.

The answer arrived in theform of an angled exhaustpipe, which enabled the noiseto be directed away from theresidential area.

The Pacific Bounty hasvisited CentrePort twice since,and each time our Wadestownresident has slept well – orshould that be, soundly.

Annoying noise annulled

page E3

environment, health and safety

health and safety report

That, in a nutshell, sums upthe approach CentrePort hastaken over the last few years inthe implementation of itshealth and safety systems. Ahigh level of employeeinvolvement has been a key

element in turning health andsafety into a CentrePort successstory.

“Over the past four or fiveyears, the big contribution inthis area has come from staff,”s ay s C e n t r e Po r t H u m a n

Resource Manager GraemeCowan. “Their input hasensured that the systems we’veput in place have been takenon board and made to work. Ithas also helped employees have

Good health,CentrePort

“Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, but involve me…andI’ll understand.”

CentrePort’s main aim is to provide a safe

and healthy workplace. Health and safety are

people issues, and we have put management

systems in place where staff play a pivotal role,

sharing responsibilities and providing constant

input. A safe workplace is also an efficient

workplace. We are mindful that sound health

and safety practices help contain the amount

of loss incurred in our operations, to the benefit

of everybody.

Our objectives are:

1. To continue to benchmark our safety management systems to internationalbest practice.

2. To seek constant improvement in prevention of injury accidents through theminimisation of all accidents and incidents.

3. To ensure all our workforce is trained in (1) safe work practices, and (2) thecompany’s safety management systems.


1. Lost Time Frequency Index levels have been maintained, while there has beenimprovement in the Lost Time Severity Index.

2. Accident compensation costs have reduced from $1.50 million in 1998 to $0.39million in 2000.

3. Fall arrest systems have been implemented and staff fully trained in their use.

(continued overleaf)98 99 00

5

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Lost time frequency

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ACC levy paid

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80

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40

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098 99 00

Lost time severity

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LTI, which stands for LossTime Injuries, is a relativelycomplex concept. But when allsaid is done, it all comes downto a single, very importantnumber.

“It’s an index created tomeasure how much product-ivity we lose through injury,”says CentrePort Human ResourceManager Graeme Cowan.

“The index is the result ofwhat is essentially an algebraic

process – the number of losstime injuries we have in amonth is multiplied by thenumber of hours worked andthen we divide by 100,000.That procedure is a commoninternational standard.”

Out from that equationpops a number which, overthe course of a year, everyonehopes is under 4.00, the targetthat CentrePort chose as itsLTI ceiling.

“That target was set by theCentrePort Health and SafetySteering Committee, which ismade up of managers from allthe key areas,” says Graeme.

“We don’t think zero isrealistic because there willalways be accidents at theport. But our results certainlystack up well in comparison tosome other ports. We’vetracked under 4.00 for the lastthree years.”

LTI decodedLooking ahead to 2001, our aims are:

To maintain the outstanding DNV level six accreditation at the next audit (February 2001), to ensure maintenance of international compliance with Lloyds Safe Ship ManagementSystem for tugs and launches, and to reduce Lost TimeFrequency and Severity Indices.

achieved by any New Zealandport.

Last year, an external auditcarried out on behalf of aprivate insurer described thesituation as being “optimumwith no recommendation forimprovement.” Since then, dueto the recent workplaceinsurance changes, the AccidentCompensation Corporation hasre-entered the market andpainted a similarly favourablepicture.

Two important peoplehelping drive health and safetyconsciousness at CentrePort areKevin Jackson and Dr Ken Greer.

Kevin has had a long historyat the waterfront, havingworked for 35 years in a

number of different roles.However, a strained hip sawhim step back from the coalface and take up his currentposition within HumanResources. Kevin has organisedand helped carry out the

laborious hazard identificationwork. Every physical task hasbeen broken down to itsdifferent steps, the hazardsoutlined along with the harmthat could result.

Finally, the control measuresrequired to minimise t hehazard are clearly spelled out.Importantly, Kevin has alsobeen instrumental in liasingwith staff and getting theirbuy-in.

“Kevin’s personality andaccessibility have helped makeit a success,” says Graeme. “Theworkforce has completeconfidence in him.”

While Kevin identifiesphysical hazards in tasks asvaried as mooring vessels toworking with VDU screens, heworks closely with Dr KenGreer to assess the healthhazards around the port. DrGreer is a General Practitionerwho has been contracted by theport as Medical Adviser toanalyse workplaces for any

health risks and offersolutions.

“We’re not medical experts– it requires someone withspecialist knowledge to per-form that role,” explainsGraeme. “For example, werecently eliminated a particularchemical that we were usingbecause, after evaluating it,Ken said it could be dangerous.He comes in, talks to peopleabout their jobs, analyses thedata we give him and thenmakes recommendations .Since Ken has come on boardwe’ve instigated the melanomatests, vision and hearing tests,and a number of inoculations.And again, it has been very wellreceived by staff.”

Health risks can take manyforms at the port. A lessobvious one that becameapparent over recent timesaffected the security team atthe port entrance.

When one of theircomputers was under going a

routine check, deposits ofblack matter were discoveredinside the machine. This wastraced to the diesel fumesbelched out at close range bypassing trucks. Bad forcomputers and not great forhumans either. Dr Greer

checked the site and as a result,extractor fans were installed.

“It would be fair to say thatwe’ve made a considerableinvestment in the whole areaof health and safety,” saysGraeme. “Driving it is amixture of legislative necessityand good managementpractice.”

“Other port companies havelooked at what we’ve done withconsiderable envy. We’ve goneinto this in more depth thanperhaps we’re required to, butreally, what’s important? Theseverity of accidents hasdramatically reduced over thepast few years at CentrePort. Inmany ways, that’s priceless.”


page 7environment, health and safety

The resignage project saw up to230 new signs erected by theend of July. The new signs, thelargest of which measures asizeable 5 x 2.6 metres, havebeen designed to reflectCentrePort’s new identity, andinclude directional, buildingidentification and statutory(eg, stop, one way) signs.

Graphic design companyemdesign, which specialises inthe design of signage andwayfinding systems, wasresponsible for designing thenew signs. emdesign is also the creative force behindCentrePort’s new identity, andas designer David Boydexplains, the two projects areintimately linked.

“Signs play an importantpart in the day-to-day runningof the port. They ensure theeasy movement of traffic andthe safety of workers andvisitors at the port complex.They are also a highly visibleelement of the port’s identity.We decided, therefore, that itwas appropriate to let themshape the look and feel of theport’s identity.”

David says the distinctiveblue, yellow and red colours ofCentrePort’s identity arederived from standard healthand safety colours, and werechosen partly because of theirsuitability for application tothe port’s signage.

Of course, signs must domore than just look good, andCentrePort’s new signs havebeen carefully designed tomake the port precinct a morenavigable place.

All signs incorporate acolour code, indicating the key

section of the port in whichthe reader is located (AoteaQuay, Container Terminal orSouthern Wharves).

Building signs also feature,in addition to the building’sfull name and a list of itstenants, a prominent two-lettercode which identifies thebuilding and enables it to beeasily seen at a distance. To aidnavigation these codes will beshown on a new site map to bemade available to visitors atPort Security.

The signs have also beendesigned with the dynamicnature of the port’sdevelopment – and its weather– in mind. They are made ofaluminium to withstand theelements, and are of a modularconstruction, enabling easyportability if required.

The latter feature isimportant given the changest hat can be expected at t he por t in t he future .CentrePort’s Port Plan providesplenty of port-related and non-port-related commercial develop-ment opportunities over thenext decade.

Boldness, clarity, and brand identity aresome of the hallmarks of a new generationof signs that are making it hard for anyoneto lose their way at CentrePort.

Signs of strength

a sense of ownership and pride in whatwe’ve achieved.”

Staff members around the port are notshy to express their pleasure in the healthand safety situation at CentrePort.

“We’re very proud of the safety recordat this port,” says stevedore and UnionBranch Secretary John Whiting.

“You can’t fault this port for the effortsthat have been put in (to health andsafety)”, adds stevedore Alan Cody, whohad a direct hand in drawing up hazardidentification documents. “Everyone herehas been through meetings and seminarsand had the hazards of each job explainedto them. Material is there for people toread… I think it’s an excellent system thathas produced results. The widespread useof PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) isan indication of that.”

Such employee endorsement has beeninstrumental in the steady flow of thirdparty ‘rave review’ audits that CentrePorthas received for health and safety. GraemeCowan explains: “When Det Norske Veritas(DNV) come in here to carry out an auditagainst their health and safety standards,they don’t just talk to me. They go aroundthe port to the various workplaces and talkto employees. They’ve all come awayimpressed at the level of understandingand co-operation that exists in theworkforce here.”

The trail of external evaluation beganin earnest when international certifica-tion company DNV gave a level four ratingfor CentrePort’s application of its healthand safety management systems in 1997.Two years later, DNV reinspected the portand were impressed enough to raise thatrating to six, which is the highest rating

(continued from overleaf)

“We’re veryproud of the safetyrecord at this port,” saysstevedore andUnion BranchSecretary John Whiting.

CorporateRegister.com 11/07/2006

The 2000 Annual Report and Financial Statements for CentrePort

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Transcript of The 2000 Annual Report and Financial Statements for CentrePort