I am proud to bring you the first edition of the South Port Community Newsletter – Mai i te Wāpu (from the Wharf) - for 2023. The team trusts that you have all had a great Christmas, New Year, and Easter since our last edition was published.
It is always an exciting time when we award our annual scholarships, so it is with great pleasure that I introduce you all to our 2023 recipients below.
We hope that you enjoy the new look and feel to Mai i te Wāpu. As always, if you have any feedback, or if there is something in particular you think we should include, please don't hesitate to reach out.
STAFF SCHOLARSHIP | Jackson
Charlotte Scoles Communications Advisor cscoles@southport.co.nz
2023 SOUTH PORT SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIP | Paula Brown
Local Bluff resident Paula Brown is married with three children and will commence a Master of Environmental Management degree. Her long-term goal is to pursue a PhD. Paula is interested in the management and conservation of Antarctic and Subantarctic marine environments, especially as they relate to the ecology and conservation of bird populations. Living in Bluff during her childhood ignited Paula’s interest in studying this area. Paula started a Masters in 2001, but her plans changed after the birth of her eldest child, and she has devoted the last 20 years to raising her children.
Paula loves the outdoors and is often out trail running, walking up a mountain, kayaking, mountain biking or tramping. Her other interests are photography and reading. She has spent the last eight years working as a science teacher and has really enjoyed interacting with the students she has taught.
Paula’s proposed course of study heavily focuses on conservation ecology and wildlife management. Paula is a dedicated student and always strives to do her best. Gaining this scholarship will mean that Paula will need to work less to help support her family, allowing her to continue her community involvement at the RSA and Bluff Senior Citizens.
We wish Paula well on her journey toward gaining her degree.
Faithfull Jackson has excelled academically and in the sporting domain at James Hargest College and will be commencing his academic journey with the University of Otago to study a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting and Finance). Jackson’s aim is to work towards either chartered accountancy or stock brokerage in the future. Jackson is the son of Scott Faithfull, South Port’s Bulk Cargo Coordinator.
Jackson is a very competent sportsman who has been involved in triathlons, volleyball, and basketball and has represented Southland in touch rugby at nationals for five years, captaining the side for two of those years. Jackson has played club football for the past 13 years for Old Boys AFC. He has been involved in the senior Donald Gray premier men’s team as one of their youth development players for the last two years. As well as club football, Jackson has also been involved in age group Southland representative teams from U13-U17. He has also refereed summer and winter football matches for several years and coached an Old Boys junior team for the last two years.
Jackson has learned many valuable skills from his past coaches and managers and enjoys coaching the younger aspiring players, as it allows him to give back and teach the younger players important skills to help them grow and develop.
Jackson’s other interests include cycling, running, skiing, and socialising with friends. He is currently working at Mitre 10 Mega, which has helped towards his costs for university this year.
Described by his teacher as being a very dedicated and diligent student, Jackson shows initiative and commitment. These attributes will serve him well in the future. Haere pai (go well) Jackson!
Ngā mihi,
South Port Chair, Rex Chapman, scholarship recipients Paula Brown and Jackson Faithfull, and South Port Board Member, John Schol, at the award ceremony in February
STAFF PROFILE: WARREN (RATBAG) TOPI
South Port's Senior Tug Master, Warren Topi, is no stranger to the sea with a background in fishing, starting in Bluff at the age of 15. Warren spent a decade working as both a master and engineer on fishing and dredging operations in Queensland before returning to New Zealand in 2006 and relocating to Bluff in 2010.
Warren's decision to accept a deckhand position with South Port in 2017 paid off when he was offered the chance to join the relief tug master roster the following year. This ultimately led to him being appointed Rakiwai Project Co-ordinator, responsible for integrating the new tug into the fleet, including overseeing crew training.
In November 2022, Warren was promoted to Senior Tug Master. In this role, he is the main point of contact for all tug-related matters. This includes the vessels' day-to-day operation, handling compliance requirements, and planning and implementing Te Matua's dry dock last year. Tug Engineer Team Leader, Ed Allison, believes the most significant part of Warren's job is "being an all-round good chap," which speaks to Warren's great attitude when dealing with all Port users.
The responsibility of a leadership position is something Warren enjoys, and experience with crewing means there's little that throws him off. As a self-proclaimed "pen and paper man," the most significant adjustment has been the ever-evolving technology.
Warren is thankful to South Port for the opportunity to be part of the Marine team and progress to where he is now. He likes the autonomy of his role and getting to work on the "Rakiwai" is a bonus.
Outside of work, Warren enjoys getting over to Ruapuke Island and the Tītī/ Muttonbird Islands during the season.
Travelling further afield is another hobby - Warren has been through most of Asia and was in Indonesia during February this year. Closer to home, following his son's rugby provides some good weekend entertainment through the winter months.
JOIN THE SOUTH PORT TEAM!
CASUAL LINES HANDLERS
We have opportunities for casual lines handlers to assist in the tying and untying of ships at the Port.
Lines handlers work under the direction of our Marine Services crew leaders to assist with the retrieval, handling, and securing of mooring lines. This is a really important part of our business and requires a high level of safety consciousness. Ideally, applicants will be Bluff residents with port experience, but anyone healthy, physically fit, safetyfocused, and reliable can come on board as a team member. Full training will be provided.
MARINE OPERATIONS ADMINISTRATOR
In the last few years, South Port has continued to grow, particularly in our Marine Department, and we are now looking for an Administrator to join the team.
The position will be responsible for providing quality administration support to the Marine Department, as well as coordinating the cruise season later in the year. Previous administration experience is essential, and our preferred candidate will be someone with strong communication and organisational skills complemented with system development experience.
Don't miss out on these golden opportunities - reach out to find out more! Contact Thomas Lewis: Telephone: (03) 212 8159
Email: tlewis@southport.co.nz
Senior Tug Master, Warren Topi, in front of South Port's newest tug, the" Rakiwai" which arrived in Bluff in 2021
KAIWERA DOWNS I WIND FARM TURBINES ARRIVE IN BLUFF
Construction of the Kaiwera Downs I wind farm is half-way through, just six months after the project started. In an exciting key milestone, the 67m turbine blades and other components arrived here at South Port in the first week of May.
The foundations for each turbine have already been prepared, and the delivery of the blades, towers, and nacelles commenced in the second week of May. The project is expected to remain on target, with Mercury's GM Portfolio, Phil Gibson, stating, "Kaiwera Downs I is on track to be generating renewable energy within six months' time."
"All on-site roads, crane pads, and turbine foundations have been completed ready for the turbines to go up from the end of this month - that's when you can really see the progress."
"The longest load is the blades at around 67m and the heaviest load will be the base towers that weigh in at around 75 tonnes, so shout out to the team at McNeilly HH who are going to be driving this precious cargo from Bluff to the Kaiwera Downs Wind Farm."
The size of the components means they'll travel different routes: all will go through Invercargill, but the blades will travel through Edendale, while the towers and nacelles will travel through Gore due to the weight of the loads.
Infrastructure to send the electricity out to the grid is already in place, with underground electrical wiring installed, and the switchroom connecting the wind farm to the grid ready for action.
A LOCAL TOUCH ON A TALL ORDER
A local success story relating to the delivery and installation of the wind turbines features local Bluff company, Bluff Engineering.
Bluff Engineering worked alongside Brian Perry Civil on the Town Wharf Upgrade last year and was approached to assist with assembling the wind turbine foundation cages.
Logistically, the equipment was difficult to handle, due to the weight of the materials. They arrived in nine 40-foot containers, five of which were on Bluff Engineering's site, and the remainder down on Foreshore Road at a laydown area.
Bluff Engineering had five team members working on the assembly process, with each base taking around two days to assemble. There were ten bases in total, so, as you can imagine, there was a lot of manual labour and heavy lifting. Each base weighed around 15 tonnes, which had to be loaded onto a low loader at the yard, to be transported onto the wind farm site at Kaiwera Downs. They also assisted in setting up and placing each foundation cage on-site.
The team reported that the project's highlight was seeing the components assembled in the workshop and the opportunity to work alongside Brian Perry Civil again.
HOSPICE SOUTHLAND ANNUAL
STREET APPEAL
On Friday, 10 February, 16 South Port team members took turns standing outside the Bluff Four Square and Foveaux Dairy, raising money for the Hospice Southland Annual Street Appeal. This was complemented with collection buckets in each department on Port, as well as the Bluff Service Centre and Sold Coffee and Gifts.
The efforts saw the community raise $1,186, which went directly to Hospice Southland to support over 140 patients right across Southland and the Wakatipu Basin.
A huge thank you to the South Port volunteers, and those that donated towards the cause.
Environmental
STEWART ISLAND GETS A NEW EMERGENCY HELIPAD
In December 2022, the Stewart Island community gratefully opened a game-changing emergency helipad, located at Traill Park. The project was estimated to cost around $65,000, funded by the Stewart Island Rakiura Visitor Levy, Sanford, and Community Trust of Southland, along with multiple businesses and individuals.
Unfortunately for the Helipad Working Group, construction costs exceeded budget, due to material costs increasing substantially post-COVID. When the group reached out to South Port to see if they could help, the answer was a quick yes, with a donation made.
HEAT PUMPS DONATED TO BLUFF GOLF CLUB
In December, South Port began upgrading the heat pumps in the main administration building. As a means to give back to the community, it was decided that the old heat pumps would be donated to the local Bluff Golf Club, to provide a more comfortable environment for players and visitors.
Until now, the only heating was by way of a single fireplace. It is a well-known fact that temperatures in Bluff see both extremes, so the heat pumps mean the club rooms can be acclimatised a lot faster and efficiently. It was a win-win situation for both South Port and the Bluff Golf Club.
BLUFF RUGBY CLUB 2023 SEASON
Best of luck to our local Bluff Rugby Club, which South Port has proudly sponsored and supported since way back in 1989.
Rumour has it that the lads are off to a ripper start with a couple of wins already on the board - keep up the excellent work, kia kaha!
South Port's
Engineer, Eduardo Queluz, and Site Engineer, Andrew Hill, fundraising outside the Bluff Four Square
The “Albatros” Trailer Hopper Suction Dredge moving through Bluff Harbour
2023 MAYALL CUP GOLF TOURNAMENT
The 2023 edition of the Mayall Cup held in February at Bluff turned out to be a South Port domination, with employees of the Port taking most of the top spoils.
A record 74 players turned up on a beautiful summer's day in Bluff, all with the ambition of placing their hands on the Mayall Cup. Due to the number of players, the committee allowed some of the Port teams to tee off in the morning, and it proved to be the oracle for the top two prize-getters.
South Port employees (and Bluff Golf Club members), Jono Daintith and Jackson Williams were paired with tournament favourites Kris Walker and Scott Faithfull. By all accounts, both teams lived up to their lofty expectations hitting fairway after fairway and every green in regulation. Log export customers
Hamish Fitzgerald and Matt Thwaites made a push towards the title later in the day by playing some exceptional golf, but it proved to be in vain, with Jono and Jackson holding off the challengers to win by three strokes.
When the Portsider spoke to winning team captain Jono after being announced the victor, he advised, “after a long and arduous recruitment process, I have finally found a “worthy” partner! I played the tournament as a 15year-old 25 years ago, to win the trophy now is very satisfying."
The day was absolutely brilliant, with the kitchen staff putting on a delicious spread for the competitors after the event. A huge thank you to the Bluff Golf Club, and those who helped to make the day a success.
Other prize winners were:
Second place: Kris Walker and Scott Faithfull (South Port)
Third place: Hamish Fitzgerald and Matt Thwaites (Rayonier Matariki)
Closest to the pin: Jim Risk (Ballance Agri-Nutrients) and Jackson Williams (South Port)
Longest Drive: Jono Daintith (South Port)
2023 Mayall Cup winners, Jono Daintith, left, and Jackson Williams, right, both from South Port
Bookings are essential. You will receive further information on this soon. Should the weather be poor, cranes and forklifts may not be able to operate due to the requirement for us to stay within safe working parameters.
