The public is advised that due to organisational changes within the Port Control Section (Office of the Harbourmaster) St Helena, the following personnel can be contacted via their new email addresses, detailed below.

Assistant Harbourmaster, Steve Kirk, has been promoted to Deputy Harbourmaster and can be contacted via email address Deputy.Harbourmaster@hmrc.gov.sh

Assistant Harbourmaster, Brian Greentree, is now the Logistics Coordinator (Wharf-Side Operations) and his new email address is Logisticscoordinator@hmrc.gov.sh

Former email addresses for the above personnel are no longer valid and members of the public are asked to please use the new contact details as listed above.

The telephone number remains the same and all Port Control, Tax and Customs Officers can be contacted via the switchboard number 22287.

SHG

17 February 2015

Elected Members visited the St Helena Airport site on Friday, 13 February 2015, following their quarterly Airport Project progress presentation by the SHG Access Office.

Elected Members were joined by Senior SHG Officials on the site visit, hosted by Basil Read, Halcrow and the Access Office.  Together they visited Prosperous Bay Plain, Bradleys, the Airport Access Road, and Rupert’s Valley.

The group of 34 visitors had the opportunity to look around the Air Traffic Control Tower within the Combined Building.  They then viewed the areas of the Terminal Building, including the new restaurant area on the first floor, before driving onto the Runway where they saw the paving machine in use.  They were then taken along the Airport Access Road, stopping first of all at Bradleys to view the Camp and DVOR Platform (Doppler Very High Frequency Omnidirectional Radio Range Measuring Equipment Platform).  The next stop was Rupert’s where they viewed works in Upper Rupert’s and witnessed the offloading of the NP Glory 4 at Rupert’s Wharf.

There was much interest in the visit to the Air Traffic Control Tower as Thales (Basil Read’s Subcontractor) is currently installing equipment there.

Elected Members were pleased to see the significant progress made since their last visit to the site, in mid-2014, and were assured that everything is on track for calibration flight trials in July this year.

Site visits are periodically organised for Elected Members and Senior SHG Officials, enabling them to observe Airport progress.

SHG

16 February 2015

The public is reminded that the last day and time for receiving Nominations to elect a Member to fill the vacant seat on Legislative Council is 12 noon on Wednesday, 18 February 2015. All nominations should be delivered within this time to the Returning Officer, Mrs Gillian Francis, at the Castle, Jamestown.

Don’t leave it until the last minute to submit your nomination.

Further information on nominating a Candidate was published in newspapers dated 5 & 6 February 2015.

If more than one valid nomination is received, a Poll will be taken on Wednesday 4 March 2015.

Only those persons with their name on the amended Register of Electors, dated 4 February 2015, will be eligible to participate in the Bye-election, with those who are 21 years of age and over being able to stand for election.

SHG

16 February 2015

Councillors are holding a series of constituency meetings during February and early March 2015.

Topics for discussion are Health and Water, but members of the public are encouraged to attend the meetings in their districts to raise any issues they might have.

The schedule for the remaining meetings is displayed below. All meetings will begin at 7.30pm.

SHG

16 February 2015

On Wednesday morning, 18 February 2015, Rock Guards, from the Environment and Natural Resources Directorate (ENRD), will conduct a controlled rock removal operation in the West Rocks area.

As a precautionary measure, the area from the Sand Yard will be cordoned off to pedestrians and traffic with immediate effect.

The public is advised to please refrain from trying to cross the cordon.

ENRD would like to thank the public in advance for their cooperation.

SHG

16 February 2015

The public is advised that the major incident training exercise, which took place this morning, has been completed.

The Wharf is now open to the public and Hospital Services have resumed as normal.

Today’s exercise was organised to allow the Island’s Emergency Services to practice their processes for dealing with someone who arrives on-Island with a suspected highly infectious disease.

The public is thanked for their cooperation.

SHG

12 February 2015

During the weekend of Saturday 7 Feb & Sunday 8 Feb 2015, vandal/s sprayed graffiti over a local fisherman’s boat, located in the Coal Yard at the Wharf.

The graffiti has caused significant damage to the boat’s paintwork, resulting in an extra two days work for the owner and additional personal costs of £250.00.

This behaviour is unacceptable and the Port Authority would appreciate any information which could help towards identifying the person/s responsible.

If you have any information relating to this incident please contact the Deputy Harbour Master, Steve Kirk, on email asst.harbourmaster1@hmrc.gov.sh, tel: 22287 or drop into his office at the wharf.

SHG

11 February 2015

A Bye-election to fill the vacant seat on Legislative Council (following the recent resignation of Ian Rummery on 8 January) will take place on Wednesday 4 March 2015.

To stand for election to Legislative Council or vote in the Bye-election your name must be on the Register of Electors printed in the Extraordinary Gazette Notice, No. 10, dated 4 February 2015.

The last day and time for receiving Nominations to elect a Member to fill the vacant seat on Legislative Council is 12 noon on Wednesday 18 February 2015 and all nominations should be delivered within this time to the Returning Officer, Mrs Gillian Francis, at the Castle, Jamestown.

Nomination forms are available from Corporate Support at the Castle and the Assistant Registration Officers in the different districts around the Island. Don’t leave it until the last minute to submit your nomination.

Further information on nominating a candidate was issued in last week’s newspapers.

If more than one valid nomination is received, a Poll will be taken on Wednesday 4 March 2015, at the following Polling Stations:

• Blue Hill Community Centre
• Half Tree Hollow Clinic
• Harford Community Centre
• St Mary’s Church, the Briars
• Kingshurst Community Centre
• Levelwood Community Centre
• Jamestown Community Centre, and
• Sandy Bay Community Centre

Returning Officer, Gillian Francis urges the electorate to participate in the upcoming Bye-Election. She said:

“It is important that the vacant seat on Legislative Council is filled by someone who you feel will best represent you and the Island. Make sure your nomination form is properly completed and returned before 12 noon on 18 February 2015.”

SHG

10 February 2015

On the afternoon of Thursday 5 February 2015, while out on routine inspection, Rock Guards, from the Environment and Natural Resources Directorate (ENRD), discovered a rock, approximately one cubic metre in size that required stabilisation – the rock was located above Chubbs Spring.

At approximately 8.30am the following day (Friday 6 February 2015), the Rock Guards re-inspected the site with the SHG Roads Manager for approval to carry out stabilisation works.  Due to the potential hazard the unstable rock presented to the safety of residents and their properties, the Roads Manager initiated the Rockfall Emergency Plan.

A collaborative meeting chaired by the Police Directorate and including Rock Guards, the Roads Manager, Fire Service personnel and the Emergency Planning Manager, was held to discuss the operational plan to deal with the hazard. The operational plan consisted of planning road closures, informing affected households of the works at short notice, evacuation of residents, providing temporary welfare for the affected households, and dealing with the actual rock stabilisation.

Police Officers visited the affected households and residents on Friday to inform them of the work that needed to be carried out and the arrangements made for their safety and welfare.  The decision to evacuate households was a necessary precautionary measure.

Stabilisation works took place on Saturday, 7 February 2015. At 6am residents were evacuated from the affected houses to the Jamestown Salvation Army Hall. The Police and Fire Service closed Constitution Hill Road and remained on standby.

Stabilisation work started at 6.30am and was completed at 9.30am, when residents were given the ‘all clear’ to return to their properties.

ENRD, the Police and Emergency Services would like to thank the residents for their cooperation and understanding and the Salvation Army for their excellent selfless work.

ENRD Rock Guards inspect the Island on a regular basis, monitoring and making safe potential hazards for the protection of the Island community, visitors and infrastructure.

SHG

10 February 2015

The public is reminded that a major incident training exercise will take place on the morning of Thursday, 12 February 2015. This exercise is being organised to allow the Island’s Emergency Services to practice their processes for dealing with someone who arrives on-Island with a suspected highly infectious disease.

The exercise is expected to run from 9am to 12noon and, during this time there is likely to be some disruption to vehicular traffic and pedestrians at the Wharf. Due to the nature of the training some services at the Hospital, including Outpatient Clinics, will also be affected.

The public is thanked in advance for their cooperation.

Thursday’s exercise forms part of a wider strategy to ensure that St Helena can cope in the unlikely event of a highly infectious disease being diagnosed. It will allow SHG staff to practice the procedures already in place and familiarise themselves with specialist equipment.

SHG

9 February 2015