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EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST

Expressions of interest (EOI) for providing Ocean Freight Services to St Helena was advertised in late May 2014 (published in Island newspapers on 22 and 23 May) – looking to identify appropriate solutions to supply the Island’s Ocean Freight needs on a fully commercial (non-subsidised) basis from mid 2016.

The advertisement invited EOIs from suitably qualified and experienced organisations interested in providing an ocean freight service to the Island following the opening of the Island’s Airport – for an initial term of five years (with an option to extend for further periods up to a maximum of 10 years).

The deadline for EOIs and return of the Pre-Qualification Questionnaire closed on Friday 11 July 2014.

Corporate Procurement Executive, David Woosey, reports that an excellent response was received from a variety of operators around the world. Eight serious responses were received with a number of different business models and hub ports being proposed.

These EOIs will now be evaluated by a team of representatives from SHG, St Helena Line, Enterprise St Helena, the St Helena Chamber of Commerce and the St Helena Tourism Association – to determine which potential solutions to take forward to the next stage.

David explained:

“For obvious reasons the names of those submitting Expressions of Interest and the content of the proposals must remain confidential at this time. Solutions received will be compared against a variety of criteria.”

The coming months will see detailed negotiations taking place with a number of organisations that have provided high quality responses, to fine tune proposals into viable and workable solutions.

David added:

“We envisage a small number of interested suppliers will want to visit the Island and, should this be the case, we will facilitate Q&A sessions via the Chamber of Commerce. “Once we are confident that we have a number of workable solutions, we anticipate holding a number of consultation sessions with local importers to help inform the final tender round.

“Whilst it is very early in the process, we are confident that an appropriate solution to St Helena’s ocean freight needs will be in place by mid-2016.”

SHG Shipping Officer, Dax Richards, commented:

“This is a great result for St Helena.  We had hoped to get around six proposals given the interest received when an initial expressions of interest process was led by ESH in 2013.  To receive eight potentially viable proposals gives the Island a number of options and is very encouraging. We’d like to thank key stakeholders for the support we have received so far. If the negotiations go well, we expect that a contract could be signed around March or April 2015.”

SHG

14 July 2014

 

The Public Solicitor’s Office (PSO) is pleased to announce the appointment of two new Lay advocates – Miss Julie Thomas of Gordons Post and Mr Geoffrey Dawson of Longwood. They will join the two existing Lay Advocates, Ivy Ellick and Eric Benjamin.  Geoffrey Dawson and Ivy Ellick are currently off-Island and will return in September of this year.

Public Solicitor, Debbie Wahle (pictured with Julie Thomas), said of the appointments:

“This is such an important time for the Island and we must ensure that there is access to justice for each member of the community who needs assistance.  The Public Solicitor’s Office is committed to providing an excellent and unique service to the Island, and I hope that all members of the community continue to support the vital work of our Lay Advocates.”

Lay Advocates training will begin when both new Lay Advocates start their roles in early September.  Emma Gilsenan, a Criminal Barrister who worked with the PSO last year, will again be joining the Office for 8 weeks during Debbie Wahle’s forthcoming leave.  She will be conducting specific and tailored training in all aspects of criminal law, including Police Station representation and Court appearances. This training will continue, delivered by Debbie, on her return from leave in September.

 

SHG

On behalf of the Public Solicitor for St Helena and Ascension Island

14 July 2014

During the review and consultation that led to the introduction of the Minimum Wage on St Helena, it was agreed to consider the introduction of paid annual leave and sick pay.  Improved conditions in the workplace will provide an incentive to securing skilled staff and increasing productivity.

Informal Legislative Council agreed on Friday 4 July to bring forward this proposal for public consultation.  Brian Isaac, Deputy Chair of the Social & Community Development Committee, commented:

“Some private sector employer’s terms and conditions are generous to their employees, but the current position remains that employer’s on St Helena are under no obligation to provide any statutory paid holidays or sick pay.

“In looking at this, the committee has taken into consideration the current economic position on the Island in the run up to the Airport, and wants to balance economic growth with employee protection.”

The Committee will now proceed to consult widely with the public on the introduction of a minimum level of paid annual leave and sick pay.  Discussions will be held with various groups, including private sector employees, the Chamber of Commerce, ESH, the Human Rights Office, plus at an open access event.  Surveys will also be issued to establish employees’ and employers’ views on the proposal.

The proposal is to phase in minimum levels of paid annual leave and paid sick leave over a number of years, as indicated below:

Year	Paid Leave	Paid Sick Leave
2015	5	5
2016	7	5
2017	10	7
2018	12	8
2019	15	10

 

The consultation process will form the basis of a report that will identify next steps. Both employers’ and employees’ opinions will be fully considered as part of this consultation process.

There will be advance notice of meetings for the public through the media, as well as progress updates.

SHG

14 July 2014

PORTEOUS HOUSE

To mark the construction of the Terminal Building at the Airport, in early May the St Helena Government Public Relations Office launched a competition in Island schools for young people to submit a drawing, poem or essay – with winning entries to be placed in the Time Capsule which was buried at the Terminal Building on 28 June 2014.

A total of 131 entries were received from the schools and were judged by Lindsay McGinnety, Pamela Murray and Liam Yon. The high quality of the entries meant judges had a difficult task of choosing winners for each category, and as a result an additional three entries were highly commended. Most of the entries were of artwork.

To showcase the incredible talent of the young people on St Helena – all competition entries will be displayed on the ground floor of Porteous House from today 11 July 2014 to Friday 18 July.

Passersby are encouraged to view the display and see firsthand the perspectives, ideas and high quality of work from the young people of 2014.

A photo is attached.

SHG

11 July 2014

Departing the Island today, Friday 11 July 2014, are members of the St Helena Commonwealth Games Team, representing the Island in the upcoming Glasgow Games.

Taking place between 23 July and 3 August, this international multi-sport event held every four years in different host countries, involves athletes from the entire Commonwealth of Nations.

Madolyn Andrews, Chelsea Benjamin, Jordie Andrews, Lee Yon, Patrick Young and Ben Dillon today begin their long journey to the Games, where they will be joined by remaining  team members Ryan Benjamin, Duane March, Vernon Smeed and Simon Henry.

Accompanying the team to the Games is Chef de Mission Pamela Young, and Nick Stevens who will be responsible for managing the team in Glasgow.

St Helena will be participating in three events, Badminton, Shooting and Swimming. Badminton competitors are Lee, Ryan, Duane and Vernon, Shooters are Madolyn, Cheslea, Jordie, Patrick and Simon, while Ben is competing in Swimming.

Their participation at the Commonwealth Games will be closely followed on St Helena, and a photo of the Team’s departure is attached to this release.

SHG

11 July 2014

The Landscape and Ecology Mitigation Programme (LEMP) of the St Helena Airport Project today held a clear up day at the ex-training centre, near the Rifle Range in Half Tree Hollow.

LEMP team members from the Access Office and the Environmental Management Division came together to clear the site of rubbish, recycle what is usable and clear weeds that have built up over the past few years. The site will now be used as a plant nursery as part of the environmental mitigation at the Airport site.

LEMP Manager Ross Towers explained the idea behind the clear up:

“The former training centre site has been more or less derelict for the last few years and there is a lot of rubbish and weeds to get rid of before it can be put to productive use once more.

“Today we are clearing out any unwanted materials, sending shredded paper to SHAPE, sending useful material to people who can use it, weeding and composting. Once the site is cleaned up it will be renovated into a plant nursery for the environmental mitigation of the Airport project.”

The nursery will be staffed and managed by the SHG Access Office through the LEMP. It will produce thousands of plants for the environmental mitigation works of the Airport Project.

Plants produced at the nursery will be mainly dry-land and desert habitat endemic and native plants such as babies-toes, scrubwood, salad plant, tea plant, and samphire. Fruiting plants, and trees for residential areas and plants used for livestock, such as thorn tree and spoor, could also be grown at the nursery.

The ex-training centre will be just one of the sites used to propagate and produce these plants.

Ross concluded:

“Having plant nurseries on St Helena is very important for the environmental mitigation of the Airport Project. St Helena’s environment is unique in a global context. There are species here that are not found anywhere else in the world and it is down to the Island to ensure these species are protected and not lost.

“The creation of St Helena’s Airport is the largest project ever to take place on the Island and it will have an impact on the Island’s environment. It is therefore vital to ensure that this impact is as minimal as possible and that we mitigate against it to ensure species such as the wirebird, mole spider, Dimelaena lichens, and the tea plant can be enjoyed by future generations.”

Three photos are attached to this release.

SHG

9 July 2014

Update on Services This Week

The Health & Social Welfare Directorate announced on Monday (7 July) that due to a current number of very serious inpatient cases, the General Hospital would be unable to offer general Outpatient Services until tomorrow (10 July 2014).

The situation has been kept under review and as a result, Outpatient Services will be unavailable until next Monday, 14 July. This includes the Nurse-led clinics in various districts. Outpatient Services will resume on Monday morning.

This small number of critical cases require intensive medical nursing care from both doctors and nurses. These cases demand 24-hour care, together with the associated staff resources. This burden is on top of the normal number of residual inpatients at the Hospital, and existing outpatients, such as expectant mothers.

Those with existing appointments before Monday are currently being contacted to rearrange. Emergency cases should be reported in the normal way and will be dealt with.

The situation will be kept under review, with any changes announced. The Health & Social Welfare Directorate again thanks the public for its understanding, and the Hospital recognises the dedication of Health Service staff in meeting the demands of the current situation.

SHG

9 July 2014

 

Chris Dawson of Longwood has received formal notification of his results from the University of Portsmouth in the UK, where he studied for a BEng Civil Engineering Degree.  He has achieved a First Class Honours Degree.

During his degree, over three years, Chris’s syllabus included design of structures, transportation engineering, geotechnical engineering, water infrastructure, hydraulic principles, energy resources, project management, construction practice, surveying and material science.  Chris also undertook a wide range of group and individual engineering projects.

Chris commented:

“University has been the most incredible experience.  I managed to find the perfect balance between the academic and social aspects of University life, which enabled me to get the most out of my experience.  I encourage all those still in school to aim towards higher education – it is a fantastic opportunity to gain a senior qualification whilst having the best time of your life.”

On his return to the Island Chris will take up employment with Connect Saint Helena Ltd.  Barry Hubbard, Chief Executive Officer of Connect, said:

“We at Connect Saint Helena congratulate Chris on his great result and look forward to him joining our team.  This is a busy time for Connect as a number of infrastructure projects are in progress and high quality engineering is critical to their success.  With his First Class Degree, Chris has the opportunity to make a major contribution to these projects.  The complexity and range of engineering needs gives Chris the perfect chance to use his qualification and further develop his knowledge – helping him on the road to Chartership.

“Welcoming back a talented individual to the Island is always an uplifting experience. We are confident that Chris will have a rewarding career to look forward to.  His knowledge will be contributing to the future prosperity of St Helena.”

 

SHG

8 July 2014

Cobble stones are now being set into the pavement in lower Jamestown (pictured) outside the National Trust building, as part of the wider Main Street Enhancement Project – under the direction of the St Helena National Trust, which has offered the services of its Built Heritage Team (BH Team).

The plan for the Main Street pavement included the provision of cobbles, or ‘beetle stones’, between the steps of the buildings and in other areas which front the street.  These cobbles have been recovered from the original paving work, and if additional cobbles are required these will be sourced with appropriate permissions and licenses from the Environment and Natural Resources Directorate.  The new paving slabs being used for the pavement are being made locally on St Helena.

The National Trust is installing the cobbles in front of Broadway House free of charge – in recognition of the heritage value of this work and in order to demonstrate the skills of the Trust’s Built Heritage Team.  The BH Team is made up of Tom Wortley, Darren Williams and Brandon Bone, each of whom has previous experience of this work.  Darren and Brandon both hold NVQ qualifications in the Conservation of Built Heritage.  These three individuals, under the supervision of Kevin George (Operations Manager of the National Trust), will carry out the remainder of the Main Street cobbling work, under a sub-contract to be negotiated between the main contractor (Brian Leo) and the Main Street Project Working Group.

Jeremy Harris, Director of the St Helena National Trust, commented:

“The integration of cobbles in the design for the Main Street pavement recognises the heritage of this remarkable town.  Any modern-day development will contain limited compromises, due to practical considerations and available finances, but we believe that it is imperative that historic features of Jamestown be preserved wherever possible, as St Helena prepares for a tourism-based economy with the arrival of the Airport.”

This Main Street work will be carried out both during and outside normal working hours, Monday to Friday. The Working Group apologises in advance for any inconvenience caused.

 

SHG

8 July 2014

 

Executive Council met today Tuesday, 8 July 2014, with three items on the Open Agenda.

The first item was to consider a Bill for an Ordinance for the Protection of Wrecks and Marine Archaeological Heritage. At present there is no legal protection of wrecks and with increased tourism and diving activity it is imperative that our marine heritage is protected. A few minor amendments were suggested and it was agreed that these could be addressed by the Environment & Natural Resources Committee and that the Bill should be passed as Government Business to the next formal meeting of Legislative Council.

The second item was to seek approval for an amendment to the Customs Regulations to provide for the introduction of a new form for currency declaration, by post, of over £6,000.  This was essentially a housekeeping matter and was approved.  Once in force, there will be a public information campaign on this.

The next item was a routine briefing paper on the revised fuel prices which came into force on 24 June 2014.

In the Closed Session, there was a discussion on the Health Service following the announcement that Outpatient Services have been temporarily suspended for a few days this week. With critically ill patients in hospital, staff are all working incredibly hard to care for these patients around the clock. Staff from non-clinical areas and across SHG are also being called in to cover routine tasks if necessary. ExCo recognises the dedication of Health Service staff in meeting the demands of the current situation.

There was also a briefing on the recent rock fall in upper Jamestown on Friday 27 June 2014 and the excellent response from the emergency services. Rock guards have been asked to continue to scan the hillside looking for and dealing with any loose rocks. In the longer term, there will be a review of the previous assessment to determine the most appropriate course of action to improve safety in this area.

This being a relatively short agenda, the meeting ended at 11.10am.

ExCo

8 July 2014