Marine pilotage plays a vital role in marine safety and accident prevention ensuring designated sea ports continue to contribute to economic prosperity through import and export via international commerce and trade.

As professionally licensed mariners, pilots board and assume the conduct of a vessel and guide it along the safest route to its port of call.

A pilot’s role is equally as important as that of a captain. Although while Captains are experts at navigating their vessels, they are not experts on the regulations and specific environments of each port at which their vessels call. This is where the local expertise of a marine pilot is needed to ensure that vessels and their crews, passengers and cargo arrive at their next port of call in a safe and efficient manner.

Captain Max Taikika Stoessel of Niugini Pilots Limited is a name synonymous with Papua New Guinea’s marine industry, and one of, if not the nation’s leading Marine Pilot.

I recently met Captain Max in the company of fellow Captains Neil Farmar and Ben Ransom, who are respectively President and Vice President of the Australasian Marine Pilots Institution (AMPI).

They discussed the importance of all regional associations including AMPI, NZMP and the Asia Pacific Maritime Pilots in working together to have a stronger voice in addressing cross-cutting issues and improving pilotage services in the Asia Pacific.

Captain Neil said AMPI’s goals are to improve services to clients.

“There is a need to disseminate relevant information, interact with stakeholders and Increase Pilotage services,” he said.

“We will also look at legislation, regulation, advice on ways of regulation and compliance and establish quality standards for the industry,” Captain Neil said.

Referring to a recent Mariners Workshop that was going to happen, Captain Ben said such events when brought closer to home ‘is a valued learning service and Marine Pilots in PNG and the region had a big opportunity to attend.”

“AMPI’s objective is to improve the professionalism of Marine Pilots and Marine Pilot Services in Australasia, through workshops and developing high quality standards,” he said

AMPI runs two workshops yearly and an international conference quarterly.

This October AMPI will he holding one such event – ‘The Upcoming event it will be hosting is the 2019 Pilotage and Port Logistics Conference themed: embracing the future to be held at Dolton House, Jones Bay Wharf, Sydney, Australia. There will also be a Women in Maritime Breakfast on conjunction at the same location on October 29.

Having a passion to pilot the seas, an ingrained commitment to Continuous Personnel Development (CPD) and a selfless dedication to operating in accordance with highest International Maritime Standards, Captain Max has and continues to make immense contributions to the PNG and regional maritime industry.

Niugini Pilots Limited (NPL) is a Papua New Guinean-owned Marine Pilotage company currently licensed and operating in 17 ports throughout Papua New Guinea.

Capt Max and his management team help ensure that their pilots attend regional and international Marine Pilot meets, training, workshops and conventions – to keep up with the ever-changing standards in a high-risk and demanding work environment.

With a focus on exceeding client expectations, providing Pilotage service based on International Operational Standard second to none, Continuous Professional Development for its pilots and providing better benefits for its employees, Niugini Pilots Limited is on par as the First-choice PNG Marine Pilotage Service Provider.

NKW Fresh Field Extension Officers impacting rural communities through PNG-Australia Partnership

THERE are many stories of the positive impact that many resource projects across Papua New Guinea are having on the lives of rural communities, particularly so for impact and nearby communities.

Many landowner companies have come out from these projects. Some of them have been very successful like the National Catering Service (NCS) belonging to Lihir Gold mine landowners or NKW Fresh, a subsidiary of the NKW group, owned by landowners of the Hidden Valley Gold Mine in Morobe province. Recently catering and camp management company NCS Holdings Ltd, sold its share of its Hidden Valley operation to joint venture partner and fellow landowner company, NKW Holdings. The sale was finalised early August after a 15-year mutually rewarding partnership between two of the country’s most successful landowner companies.

With the support of developers providing expertise and transferring skills across a multitude of sectors, from technical to agriculture and accounting to becoming drone pilots, these landowner companies (Lancos’) have risen from humble beginnings to now being able to bid for and win multi-billion kina projects in PNG and abroad.

The success of these stories came about through collaboration, innovation and partnerships between all stakeholders from developers to landowners and development partners.

One such special story, told through a video provided during the recent PNG Investment Week, is that of the positive impacts that the PNG-Australia Partnership through its Market Development Facility (MDF) initiative, is having in the Morobe province in partnership with NKW Fresh.

Extension support services are no longer as vibrant as they once used to be with Government support services in agriculture (Didiman) being near non-existent throughout PNG.

Many resource companies have delved into providing these services, at their own expense, filling a massive gap in ensuring skills transfer, sustainability of projects and a change from sustainable to commercial farming.

Last year, NKW Fresh Field Extension Officers were sent out on motorbikes, tablets in hand, to collect data and support rural farmers in Morobe province.

One of these FEO’s is Tracey Eki, who goes out every morning on her motorbike, then walks to reach rural farmers to support them and commercial their crops.

“I usually wake up around 6am every morning and head out on my bike. Then I have to walk for one and a half to two hours to reach the rural village,” Tracey says.

“The community usually welcomes me with open arms, knowing that I am there to help them”.

Tracey talks to them as a group then they break up into smaller groups and head to their gardens where she visits them.

The road is slippery as she sometimes walks treacherous paths to reach isolated farms across mountains.

“Getting crop plans done is one of the primary activities I do,” she says.

“It is a struggle sometimes but seeing the smile on their faces keeps me going.

With a spark in her eyes and a giggle Tracey says learning to ride the motorbike and standing up when riding over potholes ‘was the epic part’.

There are currently four Field Extension Officers working with NKW Fresh in Wau, Markham and Kainantu.

General Manager of NKW Fresh David Stewart said: ‘we had a particular focus when interviewing and recruiting on trying to get women for the role’.

“They have demonstrated to me their courage. They certainly surprised me. They don’t fit a particular mould, I suppose no one really does,” Stewart said.

“The perception I had was they would not be able to do the hard yards. They would not be able to ride a motorbike or challenge the norms in a patriachal society.

“Our words of encouragement before they go out are that they are professionals and they must work as professionals. And, gee, there is a certain love for them because the communities know that they are trying to help them,” Stewart said.

Tracey says: ‘There are different types of Field Extension Officer’s for different purposes that are reaching out to rural places and I am one of those reaching out to rural farmers trying to help them commercialise their production’.

“In PNG we are so used to subsistence way of farming so we try to teach them how they can commercialise their production,” Tracey said.

Though it is a challenge, she says she likes helping people and seeing them smile and feeling that they now have money in their bank accounts.

One such NKW farmer is Helen Lucas. Previously Helen used to take only the good produce to market, but after learning to commercialise she was paid more than K1,000 in one week for her produce.

“When I got this first harvest, fortnightly payment from all of my receipts, I got K1,500 and I was very happy indeed,” Helen said.

Tracey and her fellow NKW FEO’s will be revisiting Helen and other rural farmers to support them commercialise their crops so that they can improve their standards of living and that of their families.

MDF is part of the Papua New Guinea-Australia Partnership - #PNGAusPartnership.

Thanks to Hornibrook NGI Limited (HNGI) travellers living at the Lumbrum Naval Base and between Lombrum and Lolak junction in Manus can now ride easy, safely and travel in less time. On top of this, Hornibrook sourced road base material locally on Manus.

These were later crushed and screened by another Manus business and locals were employed to carry out the works.

According to Marketing Manager, Samadhi Lewis, prior to using the crushed road base material, samples were sent to a laboratory in Lae for testing with results passing all criteria for suitability, which reduced HNGI’s need to import materials from elsewhere.

The aggregates for the asphalt sealing works were also sourced locally on Manus, and also passed the test criteria for suitability.

In June 2018 Hornibrook NGI LTD (HNGI) were engaged by Jacobs on behalf of the Australian Department of Home Affairs to submit a tender for the remediation of 4.4 kilometers of unsealed roads within Lombrum Base and for the sealing of a further 5.65 kilometers of road between Lombrum and Lolak junction. The total project was valued at K22.48 milion. The road sealing option of an asphalt surface was accepted by the client.

The works also included the fabrication, supply and installation of a 12mtr bridge over a section where a tidal creek dissected the road.

The bridge was fabricated by HNGI’s Lae Fab steel division and transported to Manus and installed by the HNGI bridge team.

HNGI provided a full engineered design for the works that encompassed geo technical investigations and reports, full survey and as constructed details, and the base course preparation and road building specifications, which were all aligned with the PNG Department of Works and Aust.Roads standards.

Extensive drainage works and remediation of existing table drains and culverts were carried out prior to commencement of the road building activities, along with clearing and grubbing of the verges.

The works included the use of a Wirtgen road recycling machine, which was the first time such methodology had been used on Manus, to prepare and cement stabilize the basecourse prior to the sealing works.

The cement stabilization methodology provides a vastly increased quality of substrate for the road, and increases the lifespan of the sealing.

A high level of quality documentation was developed by HNGI’s Project Engineer for the works, which ensured that all works achieved the relevant standards and specifications.

This resulted in an outstanding road surface which has been recognized by the client and also the Manus Regional Department of Works management team.

The Base Commander at Lombrum, where a large contingent of personnel reside, has praised the HNGI team for their support and co operation during the project and has mentioned that the new road provides everyone living in that area of Manus with a greatly enhanced means of transport into the island center of Lorengau for shopping, hospital and other activities.

The road works were successfully completed in January 2019 on schedule, without any safety incidents for the duration of the project.

Pacific Towing has become the first business in the Steamships Group to set up in Fiji and is on track to successfully complete its first major project in Fiji since registering a new business last November.

Based at the main wharf in Suva, Pacific Towing’s newest business employs four Papua New Guinean divers and six Fijian locals.

The team of divers, engineers, welders and a crane operator is characterised by a raft of diverse skills and is presently engaged in the wreck retrieval of the container ship ‘Southern Phoenix’ which capsized and sank in Suva Harbour, Fiji on 6th May 2017.

Pacific Towing commenced the multi-stage retrieval of the 88 metre long vessel in November 2018 and was expected to complete the project by May 2019. Wreck retrieval can be technically challenging and high risk.

“Safety of our staff as well as safety of the reef is critical for the Southern Phoenix project and a lot of careful planning is necessary - but of course these plans mean nothing when unexpected bad weather picks up” explains Marine Operations Manager, Camara Geita.

He stresses that this is just one reason having Fiji staff is so important to ensuring projects stay on schedule as “no one knows Fiji’s waterways, reefs and weather patterns like the locals do.” Although local knowledge will be a key ingredient to Pacific Towing’s success in Fiji, so too will be an investment in training.

Pacific Towing staff benefit from training in numerous countries including Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, Singapore, Denmark, Qatar and Australia.

General Manager, Neil Papenfus, reports that in 2018 his staff received an average of 377 hours of training each. He sees no reason to do things differently in Fiji and one of the local divers there is confirmed to travel to Australia mid-year where he will complete his commercial dive training to ‘Commercial Diver Level 1’.

“Just like we have in PNG” says Papenfus “we will grow our Fiji business as we grow our people and we will make sure that the majority of our Fiji team are locals.”

Papenfus is also adamant that female employees will play an important role in the Fiji business.

Papenfus is a known advocate for the employment, development and promotion of women.

He introduced Pacific Towing’s ‘Women’s Maritime Scholarship’ program in 2017 and is a long-term director of the PNG Business Coalition for Women.

When asked about other business opportunities for Pacific Towing in Fiji. Papenfus, confirmed that he is not just pursuing wreck retrieval contracts.

“We are experienced in towage, salvage, mooring and commercial diving, as well as life raft servicing and sales so it makes good sense to take this experience to Fiji too” says Papenfus.

Economic activity will get a major boost when the Coral Sea Cable System is completed later this year. Internet users in Papua New Guinea will have access to improved internet access when the K331 million (AU$136.6 million) International Submarine Cable project linking Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Australia is completed.

The Coral Sea Cable System will link PNG, Solomon Islands and Australia and is being jointly funded by the Australia and PNG governments.

When it comes on line, with commissioning earmarked for November 2019, the cable system will link Port Moresby to Sydney and increase the communications bandwidth capacity up to a massive 20Tb/second.

The advent of the cable system will ease PNG’s dependence on expensive satellite connectivity and unreliable ageing, congested infrastructure, thus boosting connectivity and improving access.

PNG’s National Executive Council had approved the Domestic Submarine Cable network to provide reliable, affordable and consistent in-country communications connectivity to existing networks.

Currently, the country’s communications systems rely on limited bandwidth microwave connections or expensive satellite connectivity.

A domestic fibre cable system will allow the rest of the country the opportunity to experience fast, affordable communications.

The Government secured a loan from China’s EXIM Bank to fund the Domestic Submarine Cable network, estimated at US$ 270 million (K879 million) – the Government is putting forward 15% of the cost while the EXIM Bank loan covers for 85%. DataCo, the wholesale arm of Kumul Telikom Holdings, is the implementing agency.

The project is intended to utilize approximately 5, 600 kilometres of submarine fibre optic cables to connect at least 15 coastal and maritime provincial centres across Papua New Guinea. The cable is manufactured in China and had been delivered to PNG by the end of October 2018.

Last year, Phase 1 commenced with signing of contracts and included appointment of the main contractor and survey of the domestic system.

Kumul Consolidated Holdings (KCH) is Papua New Guinea’s flagship trustee working with the State-Owned Enterprises to improve the national landscape for potential investment. w