MFV EXTRACTOR WELCOMES STUDENTS

Yesterday, Thursday 15 May 2014, the MFV Extractor welcomed aboard children from the three Primary Schools, as well as Prince Andrew students.

Tammy Williams, Community Liaison Manager of Enterprise St Helena, commented:

“One of things we wanted to do as soon as the Extractor arrived was to allow schoolchildren to have that experience of seeing what it’s like onboard. The crew have been tremendous in encouraging interest in the fishing industry, including those who will be the next generation of fisherman.” 

Harford Primary students were the first to visit at around 10am.  Once onboard, the children were given a tour by skipper Trevor Thomas, with children allowed to explore the sleeping quarters, engine room and navigation equipment.  They were also given a demonstration of the rods and hooks used for fishing.

Trevor said:

“In collaboration with ESH, we are promoting the traditional industries campaign.  These young children onboard are coping very well in unfamiliar surroundings and conditions, and are obviously extremely excited to be here.”  

  Waylon Thomas (crew member) took the helm and gave the children a short dolphin watching trip.  Once back, St Pauls   Primary School students waved to those onboard from the Wharf and were the next group to visit the Extractor.

Waylon Thomas added:

  “It has been nice to see the young kids aboard today.  One boy was particularly interested in all of what was going on      around him.  If by doing this trip, we have enticed one young person to take an interest in the fishing industry, then that’s what we are here for.”

“Fishing is a tough job and those who follow it have to be passionate about the Industry.”

Three pictures attached.

16 May 2014

SHG

 7 DAYS LEFT TO MAKE AMENDMENTS

The Provisional Register of Electors for St Helena was published on Friday 9 May 2014 (see press release dated 6 May 2014).

Members of the public now have seven days left to come forward if they would like to add or remove their name, remove the name of someone who has died or left the Island, correct the name of someone who has married, correct an Electoral District or change an address on the Register.

To register, persons must:

• Be over the age of 18 years with St Helena as their ordinary place of residence
• Have St Helenian status or be the spouse of life partner of a person who has such status.

Further information about registering and making amendments may be obtained from Assistant Registration Officer, Gina Benjamin, at the Castle on telephone 22470 or via email cofcouncils@sainthelena.gov.sh

The Provisional Register (and application forms) is available for inspection at the Office of the Assistant Registration Officer at the Castle, the  Customer Service Centre, the Public Library in Jamestown, ANRD Offices at Scotland and all rural sub-Post Offices. Copies are also held by Assistant Registration Officers, and the Administrator’s Office on Ascension Island.

You can also view it on the SHG website at http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Ex-Gaz-27-2014-Provisional-of-Electors.pdf

Applications to amend the Register must be made in writing (on the correct form or by letter) and submitted to Assistant Registration Officer, Gina Benjamin, at the Castle by no later than 4pm on Friday 23 May 2014.

If your name is not on the Register of Electors you will not be able to stand or vote in any upcoming General or Bye-Election.

A final Register will be published on 1 July 2014.

SHG

16 May 2014

Councillor Leslie Baldwin will depart the Island on Friday 16 May 2014 to represent St Helena at the 44^th British Isles and Mediterranean Region Annual Conference (BIMR Conference) – hosted by the Wales Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, in Cardiff Bay from 27-30 May 2014.

The theme for this year’s BIMR Conference is ‘Equality of Access to Democracy’ and during the conference Councillor Baldwin will attend plenary sessions on various issues, including the Campaign for Women in Public Life, Bilingualism and the Role of Official Languages in Parliament, and Youth Parliaments and Engagement of Young Citizens in the Democratic Process.

Councillor Baldwin will also have the opportunity to participate in workshops based around the plenary sessions to discuss women in public life, official languages in Parliament and youth engagement.

Councillor Baldwin commented:

“I am genuinely looking forward to the British Islands and Mediterranean Region seminar, which will give me the opportunity to share information on the engagement of women on St Helena.  I am pleased to have the opportunity, to chair and facilitate a discussion on youth parliaments – to obtain knowledge and assistance in re-establishing our own Youth Parliament.  Council is very keen to emphasise youth engagement.”  

Councillor Baldwin will remain in the UK to attend the 63^rd Westminster Seminar and Workshop, being held from 16-20 June in London, where he will be joined by Councillor Gavin Ellick.

The seminar will bring together up to 90 recently-elected Parliamentarians and mid-career Clerks from Commonwealth national and devolved Parliaments for a five-day programme to explore Parliamentary democracy, practice and procedure around the Westminster model. 
 
The evolving programme will highlight current best practice and how Parliaments adapt to changing domestic and global political environments.

 In Councillor Baldwin’s absence, Councillor Brian Isaac will Chair the Social & Community Development Committee, and sit on Executive Council.

SHG

13 May 2014

On 16 April 2014 Executive Council considered the St Helena Maritime Sector Review report produced by Marine Maven (T&T) Ltd, commissioned by St Helena Government.  The scope of the report was to provide advice and guidance on a range of maritime issues, covering the legislative framework, the adequacy of governance arrangements, the operation of vessels, and the system of licensing and improvements in the sector infrastructure. Members considered the report in conjunction with SHG’s response to its recommendations. 

The report has thirty-five recommendations and SHG has commented on each one, giving an indication as to next steps, the person responsible and a timeline.  It is agreed that Officers will report progress against these recommendations to the Economic Development Committee as part of the reporting process.

One of the key recommendations in the report relates to the introduction of a Maritime Services Officer funded through the Technical Cooperation budget.  SHG has reviewed the recommendation and deems it unnecessary at this time. Instead, the new Head of Customs and Port Management (Jonathan Holland) will take up a number of the prescribed duties from the report and ensure implementation of the associated recommendations.

Another key recommendation is the setting up of the St Helena Yachting Association. SHG supports the idea of such an association and the benefits it could bring, including the introduction of a National Yachting Scheme – and welcomes this being established by individuals or the private sector, as this is beyond the core business of Government.

Council advised and the Governor agreed to endorse the responses provided by SHG to the recommendations of Marine Maven (T&T) Ltd.

Copies of the full report and SHG’s response to the recommendations can be obtained from Corporate Finance at the Castle and a copy has been placed in the Public Library, Jamestown. Please note due to the size of the report, only SHG’s response to the recommendations has been placed on the SHG website at http://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Formal-SHG-Response-to-Recommendations-in-Maritime-Sector-Review-April-2014.pdf

SHG

13 May 2014

To mark the construction of the Terminal Building at the Airport the Laying of a Commemorative Stone and Burial of a Time Capsule will take place at the Airport site on Saturday 28 June 2014.

As part of this event, the St Helena Government Public Relations Office has this week launched a competition in Island Schools to encourage young people to submit a drawing, poem or essay – with winning entries to be placed in the Time Capsule and buried at the Terminal Building.

The competition is open to all children from Nursery age to 18 years with four different age categories. There are great prizes to be won and the winners in each category will have the honour of having their work placed in the Time Capsule.

Competition categories are as follows:

Primary School Pupils – Paint or draw a picture of What St Helena looks like to you in 2014 (prizes will be awarded to both lower and upper age primary school pupils).

Lower Age Students, Prince Andrew School – Write an essay entitled ‘How St Helena will Change with an Airport’ of up to 500 words.

Upper Age Students, Prince Andrew School – Write a poem entitled ‘St Helena – Past, Present and Future.’

The Time Capsule will also include Island newspapers, past and present visual accounts of life on St Helena, Island lace, photographs, St Helena currency, Stamp Issues, Electoral Roll, plus a comments book for all those involved in the Airport Project.  A compendium of lifestyle articles and video footage of community events and Airport construction to date will also be included.

Chief Public Relations Officer, Ian Jones, encourages young people to participate in the competition:

“Time capsules are fascinating things – this one will be a snapshot of St Helena in 2014, part of the Island’s history – and you can become part of that history with your winning picture, essay or poem.  Who will gaze at your work in, say, a hundred years’ time?  Time capsules are in fact time machines.

“People will be asking for years to come:  ‘What’s in the Time Capsule?  When was it buried, who buried it and why?  Maybe it contains some coins and stamps.  Maybe an old St Helena flag?  Seeds from forgotten plants, or maybe Saints just emptied their pockets on a given day?’

“But I think when the capsule is eventually unearthed, the most fascinating thing will be how young people lived their lives and saw their home in the year 2014.”

The Competition deadline is Thursday 12 June 2014 and entries should be submitted to class teachers by this date. 

Commemorative Stone Competition Poster for Schools

SHG

13 May 2014

The St Helena Government’s Landscape and Ecology Mitigation Programme (LEMP) – carrying out environmental mitigation works as part of the Airport Project – has recently imported ten local community compost units from South Africa. The LEMP needs significant amounts of compost for the production and establishment of many thousands of plants across the Island, including for the Airport site itself, along the Airport access road, and down to Rupert’s Bay. The composters take everyday kitchen waste and turn it into high quality compost.

Ross Towers, LEMP Project Manager, explains.

“Currently about 25% of domestic waste going to the Horse Point landfill is compostable.  If we can divert this waste and make it useful, there are huge benefits. For example, the lifespan of the landfill itself will increase, the reliance on imported compost will be reduced and on-Island compost should be financially competitive. Pest species such as rats and pigeons will have less of a food source, and on-Island fruit and vegetable production will be supported.”

The composters have been brought to St Helena as a trial and will be managed locally by partners around the Island.  The compost produced will be provided to the LEMP to meet its goals over the next few years.

Ross states:

“Composters like this will outlive the LEMP, reducing kitchen waste going to landfill, and turning it into a useful resource. It is hoped that a small scale private business can be established in the long run.  Potentially, many more units could be brought in if it’s a success.” 

The JK400 Jora composters are specially designed to be able to take cooked food scraps including meat and bones. Composting occurs at a range of temperatures, with different micro-organisms working in different temperature ranges. The temperature of the Jora composter can reach in the region of 70^oC or 160^oF. Such high temperatures ensure that waste is thoroughly composted and therefore suitable for use straight out of the machine. The temperature also helps to reduce issues such as maggots and bad bacteria, while the correct use of the rotating drums provides good aeration – preventing bad smells.

Ross adds:

“The units are designed and made in Sweden.  But due to the exchange rate and geographic location, we were able to make savings in their procurement by buying from South Africa. They are very sturdy and I’m looking forward to the first batch of compost being created by them, hopefully in as little as 6 weeks’ time. This is a partnership scheme and I would like to thank my colleagues in EMD for their support, and to all the external partners who will be taking part.”

One picture accompanies this release.

SHG

13 May 2014

Repair work on the road from Hutts Gate to Longwood Gate, which began on Monday 28 April 2014, is progressing well.  The road is closed Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays during working hours with short periods allowing traffic to pass.  The original opening time of 4pm for the road each day has been rescheduled to 3pm to reduce the inconvenience to road users.

The work will deliver an outcome where the road will be safe in an interim period, before the road is closed for major repairs once the Haul Road is open and accessible to the public.

The edges of the road are being reinstated where necessary, which involves bringing the edges that have dropped up to the level of the rest of the road and resurfacing the repaired edges.  Under-land drains are also being upgraded – the existing drains are not able to cope effectively with storm water and this causes damage to the road surface.  Addressing this problem now will help prolong the life of the road.

Derek Henry, Deputy Director of the Environment & Natural Resources Directorate commented:

“The roads team, under the direction of Chris Williams, is doing an excellent job.  The repair works on Longwood Road are progressing well with over 1000m² of edging upgraded and repaired.  This involves rebuilding the depressed and broken edges with hardcore and rubble up to the existing road level and sealing with two coats of chip and tar. Five under-land drains have also been upgraded.  It was decided to upgrade the drains now as we are coming up for our winter months and the new drains will better manage any storm water on the road and prolong its life.

“I thank all involved for their hard work and team effort in ensuring that the work is completed as speedily as possible to minimise the disruption to road users. The public is also thanked for their understanding and cooperation.’

Two pictures are attached to this release.

SHG

12 May 2014

One Tuesday 13 May 2014, the Post & Customer Service Centre will close for business at 3pm, one hour earlier than usual – to allow staff to carry out monthly checks. 

It will also be closed for business on the morning of Wednesday 14May 2014 to allow staff to attend a staff development session.  Normal business will resume at 1pm.

The Post & Customer Service Centre would like to thank their customers in advance for their cooperation and understanding.

SHG

9 May 2014

Due to works currently being carried out, the Wharf will be open to pedestrians only between the hours of 16.00 & 8.30 hrs Monday to Friday and from 16.00 hrs Friday until 08.30 hrs Monday morning (ie, open to pedestrians only, and authorised vehicles only, over the weekend).

These arrangements will commence on Wednesday 7 May, with restricted access to vehicles, due to construction works taking place on the Wharf.  There will be a barrier placed adjacent to the freight terminal where the construction work starts.

Authorised vehicle users will be able to drop off/pick up equipment to and from the lower steps – for example, diving equipment, fishing tackle etc – before returning their vehicle to the area beyond the barrier.

No vehicle at any time can be left parked on the Wharf between the construction site and the landing steps, as this area will need to be kept clear in the event of an emergency.

Port Management would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone in advance for their cooperation.  Further details regarding use of the Wharf will be announced in due course.

SHG

6 May 2014

Preparation for updating the Register of Electors for St Helena has now begun. Members of the public are encouraged to come forward if they would like to add their names or amend any details to the current Register, dated 7 February 2014. 

The Provisional Register of Electors will issue on Friday 9 May 2014 and once published any person eligible to have their name on the Register can apply for any changes. Requests will need to be made in writing (on the correct form or by letter) to the Assistant Registration Officer at the Castle within 14 days of the Register being published.

Persons may apply to amend the Register if they would like to add or remove their name, remove the name of someone who has died or left the Island, correct the name of someone who has married, correct an Electoral district or change an address.

Persons eligible to be registered must:

• Be over the age of 18 years with St Helena as their ordinary place of residence
• Have St Helenian status or be the spouse of life partner of a person who has such status

There are some exceptions, such as mental incapacity or someone serving a prison sentence of 12 months or more.

If you are temporarily absent from St Helena for the purposes of employment, education, or medical treatment, but you are otherwise eligible, you can still have your name registered.  This only applies if you have been absent for less than 30 months and have been absent for less than 625 days in the last 30 months.  There is a special form to be used, and this is available from the Assistant Registration Officer at The Castle, or by email from: cofcouncils@sainthelena.gov.sh

The Provisional Register (and application forms) will be available for inspection at the Office of the Assistant Registration Officer at the Castle or alternatively at the Customer Service Centre and Public Library in Jamestown, ANRD Offices at Scotland and all rural sub Post Offices. Copies will also be held by Assistant Registration Officers and the Administrator’s Office on Ascension Island.

Applications to amend the current Register must be submitted to Assistant Registration Officer, Gina Benjamin at the Castle by no later than 4pm on Friday 23 May 2014.

A final Register of Electors will publish on Tuesday 1 July 2014.

If your name is not on the Register of Electors you will not be able to stand or vote in any upcoming General or Bye-Election.

SHG

6 May 2014