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The monthly meeting of the Economic Development Committee took place on Thursday, 25 April 2019, and the following is a summary of the main items discussed:

Health Promotion & Social Marketing Lead, Dr Angela Jackson-Morris, presented information about the work with merchants to enhance supply of alternatives to sugar-sweetened drinks and to inform and encourage community members about the healthier options. The initiative in 2018 with several of the larger drinks importing merchants showed a substantial growth in sugar-free drinks options and reduction in sugar-sweetened ones. The merchants have seen strong sales and now the issue is to manage consistent supply of the range of options the community wants to buy.

Chief Government Economist, Nicole Shamier, described how this initiative of the Health Promotion Strategic Framework worked alongside the Duty increase on sugar-sweetened drinks from April 2018 and that the data suggests the combined effect was successful in encouraging a shift to healthier ‘no-sugar’ drinks options.

Nicole added that the Duty on fruit juice was also applied from April 2018 and the health initiative data on sales of drinks suggest that the Duty measure was effective in reducing sales and consumption of fruit juice, which is high in natural fruit sugar (fructose) and has similar poor effects for health.

It was recognised that further information for the community to help them make healthy drinks choices was important, and an even greater priority is enhancing the supply of alternative drinks. Committee members discussed the commercial opportunities for caterers and merchants to expand the range of healthier drinks, ideally locally made, to cater for demand.

The Committee agreed to take forward legislation to protect St Helena’s coffee. This follows a request from coffee producers who have been producing this Green-tipped Bourbon Yemeni Arabica strain of coffee for the last 25 years and who have asked SHG to consider a new policy to protect its valuable pedigree for local consumption, but particularly for export through prohibiting import of all coffee plant material and to have this ban supported in law.   It was agreed that this policy request was justifiable, in support of local coffee production and this is a risk adverse measure to avoid potential future issues, as opposed to existing issues.  It was agreed that the Customs (export and Import Control) Regulations 1988 should be amended to support the prohibition.  Additionally, it was agreed that subject to funding being available, research into the DNA of the St Helena Coffee plant should be undertaken to understand whether the plant itself contributes to the uniqueness of the coffee, alongside growing conditions. On provision of the evidence, this policy should then be reviewed as necessary.

Enterprise St Helena (ESH) delivered a report for the month of February. Five grant applications were received and approved during the month.  The on-Island Shot-firing Training took place in February in partnership with the Environment & Natural Resources Directorate and the St Helena Community College where five Shot Firers and one Supervisor were licensed or relicensed depending on their previous certification.

February saw no new international tour operators selling St Helena.  During February, the Tourism Team with a private sector member attended the consumer show ‘Destinations’ in London. The Director of Tourism and Governor Lisa also attended the Napoleonic Wine Exhibition in Cape Town.

ESH delivered a report for the month of March. Two grant applications were approved during the month. This brings the total number of grants supported for the year to 38 plus five producers on Crown Land and three Syndicates benefiting under the Agriculture Small Producer funding for the year.

During March, ESH hosted two delegates from the City of Johannesburg Economic Development Group and Johannesburg Tourism on a familiarisation visit.  St Helena also hosted its second annual Environment Conference but the first South Atlantic conference involving St Helena, Ascension, Tristan da Cunha and the Falklands.

March also saw a further two international tour operators selling St Helena and this brings the number to 57 of which 22 have already sent or will be sending clients shortly to the Island.  During the month, the Tourism Team also attended the ITB exhibition in Berlin. March also saw a further two businesses registered with the Tourist Office.

#StHelena #MeetingSummary #EDC #EconomicDevelopment

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SHG

3 May 2019

The Highways Authority would like to advise the public that approval has been given for six parking bays in front of the Court House in Jamestown to be closed from Monday, 6 May, to Wednesday, 15 May 2019.

This closure is to allow the Infrastructure & Transport Directorate’s Works Team to erect and then dismantle a stage to be used for the Inauguration Ceremony of Governor Designate, Dr Philip Rushbrook, on Saturday, 11 May 2019.

The Highways Authority has also approved a road closure from Church Lane to the former Police Headquarters in lower Jamestown on Saturday, 11 May 2019, from 3-5pm.

This closure is to allow contingents to march on parade and take their place in front of the stage on the Grand Parade for the Inauguration Ceremony, due to start at 4pm.

The public is thanked for their support and cooperation.

SHG
2 May 2019

https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh

The Airport Directorate would like to advise the public that excavation works, in relation to St Helena Airport’s water supply, are currently being undertaken on the Airport Access Road between Reggie’s Takeaway and St Helena Airport.

The public is advised to take due care and attention when travelling on this road as there may be excavated material on the roadway resulting in some sections of the road being narrowed to single lane traffic.

The public is thanked for their continued support and cooperation.

SHG
2 May 2019

https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh

Executive Council met yesterday afternoon with just one item on the Open Agenda – the Investment Strategy April 2019 – which had been deferred from the previous meeting held on 16 April.

The Investment Strategy seeks to encourage investment where it contributes to the Sustainable Economic Development Plan goals. It is concerned with the practicalities of investment and sets out the process for investors to access incentives.

Both resident and non-resident investors have and continue to provide key contributions to the St Helena economy. In future, investment by both types of investors will contribute to economic growth and development.

Council noted that Enterprise St Helena is also in the process of developing an Investment Prospectus which will also help potential investors in terms of identifying properties which represent an investment opportunity.

Executive Council was pleased to approve the Investment Strategy, a copy of which can be found on the Investors page of the SHG website: https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/investors/

ExCo

24 April 2019

Acting Director of Education, St Helenian Wendy Benjamin, has been appointed to the substantive role of Director of Education. Wendy succeeds previous Director, Shirley Wahler, and her appointment is effective immediately.

As the Director of Education, Wendy’s main responsibilities will be to continue to drive educational improvements across the directorate including through the St Helena Community College.

Wendy commented on her new role:

“To be successful for the role of Director of Education is a major accomplishment for me and I am proud to accept the position. The role is a diverse and challenging one but also rewarding and I am looking forward to taking this next step in my career. I am fortunate to have a good team in Education, together we will strive to build on what has been achieved so far and continue to improve education for the people of St Helena.”

Chief Secretary Susan O’Bey added:

“I am extremely pleased that Wendy has been appointed as Director of Education.  This is another example of a St Helenian taking on a senior management role in SHG and I would like to congratulate Wendy on her promotion.  I hope her appointment will inspire other St Helenians, especially young people, to aspire to such roles in the future. Wendy has demonstrated what can be achieved with hard work and commitment and I have no doubt that she will be excellent as Director of Education.”

Wendy’s experience in the education field on St Helena spans over 31 years.  She joined the profession upon leaving school as a teacher trainee, qualified as a Locally Qualified Teacher and taught in the primary sector for 19 years.  During this time Wendy held senior management roles including a Post of Responsibility for the Primary School’s English Curriculum and Deputy Head Teacher, she also acted in the capacity of Head Teacher for a short time. Wendy studied and achieved a Master’s Degree in Education with Distinction whilst carrying out a fulltime teaching role. This was done primarily via distance learning with a short six-month placement in Cheltenham, UK, to complete the taught elements of the course.   Wendy was also able to gain valuable insight into the UK Education System as well as UK Primary School experience during this placement.

In 2006, Wendy was promoted to Teacher Training Officer and became a member of the Education Senior Management Team.  She worked in this capacity and then as Education Officer for Training and Special Educational Needs until April 2014 when she was promoted to Assistant Director Schools, a role which she has held until just recently.

 

#StHelena #NewDirectorofEducation #SaintSuccess

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SHG

29 March 2019

We are currently experiencing an outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting on St Helena. This is also known as gastroenteritis. It is most commonly caused by a virus and is easily spread from person to person. It is normally able to be managed at home with fluids or rehydration salts (such as dioralyte). It should go away within two to three days.

 Key Points:

Get medical advice if:

Your Doctor may suggest sending off a sample of your stool to a laboratory to check what’s causing your symptoms. Antibiotics may be prescribed if this shows you have a bacterial infection.

The ‘Simple Solution’ – Homemade Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS) Recipe

  1. Six level teaspoons of sugar
  2. Half level teaspoon of salt
  3. One litre of clean drinking or boiled water and then cooled – five cupfuls (each cup about 200 mls).

A full factsheet on Viral Gastroenteritis can be found on the Health Directorate page of the SHG website: https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh/documents/Viral-Gastroenteritis-Full-Fact-Sheet-28-March-2019

#StHelena #QuickAdvice #AltogetherHealthier #ViralGastroenteritis

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SHG

28 March 2019

Three Officers from the UK Maritime Coastguard Agency (MCA) are currently carrying out a week’s training programme with Emergency Control Centre, Emergency Planning and Sea Rescue personnel.

 The training covers maritime radio communications, ship and boat safety procedures and maritime and aeronautical search and rescue procedures.

HM Coastguard Officer, Rob Priestley, said:

“We are very pleased to be delivering this training on St Helena which we are sure will increase the capability of Emergency personnel to conduct Search and Rescue Operations around the Island.”

Participant, Emergency Planning Officer, Marco Yon, added:

“This training has broadened our knowledge base and skill set whilst affirming prior learning. Training is being well received by staff.”

#StHelena #MCA #AltogetherSafer

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SHG
28 March 2019

 

 

 

 

 

The monthly meetings of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee and the Highways Authority took place on Thursday, 21 March 2019.

The Roads Inspector gave an update on the Community and District Roads Grant. Recipients of funds under the Grant, who are still undertaking works to their roads, are reminded that all invoices must be submitted to the ENRD Administration Office at Essex House before the end of March 2019.

It was noted that documentation is still required from Halcrow, the Project Management Unit (PMU) for the Haul Road, before this road can be adopted by SHG as part of the road network.

The Head of Property informed the Committee that a lease was prepared for Creative St Helena for the use of the lower section of the Duke of Edinburgh playground. The lease will permit the area to be reused as a playground. He also confirmed that a draft lease between SHG and the St Helena National Trust (SHNT) on the future use of High Knoll Fort was being finalised.

The Director reported that the Explosive Regulations, intended to make legislative provisions for the import, storage, transport and use of explosives, should be tabled to the Committee within the next few months.

The Anaerobic Digester Project is progressing well and we now await the report from the Consultant. During the Consultant’s visit he held a workshop with potential users and interested parties to inform participants of what anaerobic digestion is, discuss its benefits and viability, and also look at various digester systems that are used to utilise the technology.

Other projects of notable interest are the Composting Programme currently being undertaken by the SHNT at the Millennium Forest and the Marine Plastic Recycling Project funded through the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in collaboration with St Helena’s Active Participation in Enterprise (SHAPE) and the SHNT.

Amongst the issues discussed was a request for speed limit signs and road safety barriers across the Island. The Highways Authority would like to remind all drivers that the maximum speed to operate a vehicle on the Island’s roads is 30 miles per hour in the case of a motor car, a quadricycle, or a motorcycle; or 20 miles per hour for any other vehicle or as designated by road speed signage. Excess speeding of vehicles is not going unnoticed and all drivers are asked to adhere to the designated speed limits. All road users are reminded to use roads with due care and attention.

#StHelena #ENRC #HighwaysAuthority #MeetingSummary

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SHG
28 March 2019

Waste Management Services (WMS) trialled two new electric street cleaning machines in the Duke of Edinburgh (DOE) Playground, Jamestown, on Monday, 25 March 2019.

The new machines are powered by a lithium battery, and as such, are much quieter than the leaf blower/vacuum machines WMS would normally use. The new machines operate at just one third of the decibels of the petrol leaf blowers.

Environmental Risk Manager, Mike Durnford, said:

“WMS had received a few noise complaints when using the leaf blowers from 6.30am to 8am for the cleaning of pavements and public areas.

“In line with our Mission Statement of ‘working in partnership with customers for a cleaner and greener St Helena’, we researched alternative equipment, not only to mitigate the noise issue, but also to deliver a more efficient service that is also environmentally aware.

“Due to their low operating noise, WMS can use these new machines for cleaning public areas throughout the day, without the risk of disturbing residents or businesses.”

On Monday, two WMS staff cleaned both the upper and lower sections of the DOE Playground within 90 minutes, which is the running time for the lithium battery fitted to each machine. To achieve the same results with the petrol leaf blowers it would take more staff and more time whilst also creating more noise.

Local Business Owner, Tara Wortley, visited the DOE Playground during the clean-up and commented:

“I normally know when the WMS Team are cleaning the playground because I can hear the leaf blowers. This morning however I was unaware this area was being cleaned until Mike visited me at the Rose & Crown shop. I took the opportunity to watch the team clean the playground, which was almost complete when I arrived. I even had a turn on the machines which are easy to operate and so quiet compared to the leaf blowers. Well done WMS!”

During this week the machines will be further trialled for cleaning the pavements from The Market to the Grand Parade before being used as part of normal operations.

#StHelena #WMS #NewElectricStreetCleaningMachines #Trials #AltogetherGreener

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SHG
28 March 2019

WHITE GATE TO WATER COURSE ROAD

The following is a Public Announcement from the Environment & Natural Resources Directorate (ENRD):

The Roads Section of ENRD would like to inform the public that the Highways Authority has given approval for the road from White Gate to Water Course Road to be closed from 9am to 3pm on Tuesday, 2 April, and Tuesday, 9 April 2019.

This closure is to allow the Roads Section to begin conducting trial mixes of alternative patching/surfacing methods for the Island’s road network.

The road will be closed to all traffic including Emergency Services’ vehicles. The diversion route will be via Francis Plain Road towards Scott’s Mill and Red Hill Road and vice versa (see below map).

The Roads Section would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused and thank the public in advance for their continued understanding and cooperation.

SHG
28 March 2019

https://www.sainthelena.gov.sh