GENERAL MANAGER – INTRODUCTION

It has been excellent to see so many Chaffers Marina Berth Holders engaged with the Board and staff regarding the Long-Term Asset Management Plan (LTAMP).

This is a significant milestone for our team and the marina – it shows us specifically what the things are that we are doing well and which we need to improve on for the long-term future of the marina.

Feedback to me indicates you are very happy with the job our marina staff do, but there are also some improvements that we need to make regarding the funding and redevelopment of the marina assets.

It is important that if there is anything you want to tell us about or discuss, don’t hesitate to get in contact.  We appreciate hearing from you. You can reach us through the Contact Us page on the website or visit the Marina Office for a chat.

CML STAFF

I am lucky to have really capable and engaging staff who are the ‘Frontline’ for the marina. My most important role is ensuring that the CML staff feel respected and valued by setting the tone for customer service and reinforcing good behaviour.

• VICTORIA – Administration Manager

Victoria has led some significant changes that we have worked through including reviewing and amending the debit and credit process (moving from charging in advance and crediting in arrears to actual for the month), auditing the current allocation of access cards and addressing issues raised regarding GST for those berth owners who are GST registered. Victoria is the first point of contact at the marina and her cheerful and positive attitude is much appreciated and valued.

• LOUISE – Casual Administration

We are very happy that Louise is available as our casual Administration Manager who fills in when Victoria takes holidays. Many of the marina users are familiar with Louise who was the previous Administration Manager for over 6 years; Louise enjoys working at the marina and she has a great attitude when dealing with the day to day business of the Marina.

• CHRIS – Dock Master

The advantages of proper maintenance are apparent. With an efficient maintenance plan in place, we are confident that the reliability and life of the marina assets can be extended and enhanced. Chris has a great aptitude for their job and has the skills to create careful, well-prepared plans and work. Chris has led significant maintenance work on the piers and there is more than enough to keep him busy in the months ahead.

• LINDSAY – Casual Maintenance

Canadian backpacker, surrogate mother to seal pups and resident artist Lindsay has been helping Chris with the maintenance. She is bright, learns quickly and proven to be an able and capable assistant to Chris – especially as much of the maintenance requires 2 sets of hands.

WHATS HAPPENING AT THE MARINA

 

• LTAMP

Referred to as ‘The Project’, we are moving ahead with developing the fully costed proposal for upgrading the marina assets for the period 2019 – 2034. We will be presenting to shareholders the update (following feedback from our shareholders meeting in August) at the AGM in December and intend to convene a Special Meeting of Shareholders in March 2019 for approval. We are planning on starting the pile refurbishment programme following the March 2019 meeting.

• MAINTENANCE

My brief to Chris is basic – extend the life of the piers and associated assets. Chris and Lindsay have taken this on board and a lot of work has been carried out on replacing triangles (between fingers and piers), repairing gangways and this last week they manufactured and installed a replacement section of pier on A pier. This has proven to be very successful and cost effective so it’s likely we can proceed with a plan to replace those sections that are badly cracked and/or damaged. We are also proceeding with upgrading fire hose reels, installing vessel wash down hoses and upgrading cleats and pile rings etc. We are able to manufacture the majority of parts ‘in house’ which results in significant savings.

• CAR PARKING

A challenging area of work but we are making progress. Key to solving car parking is availability of car parks, an effective permit system and enforcement of the rules. We think that with the new enforcement regime of ticketing rather than clamping and more frequent patrols around our car parks we will better manage the current problem of unauthorised use of CML car parks.

• FUEL

Our fuel provider, GO Fuel, has some significant issues regarding their underground fuel tank. It appears that the tank has significant issues around dirt and algae. The filter system prevents this from being discharged but the filters have been regularly clogging up requiring significant cleaning from the maintenance company ECL. Following a number of meetings, a maintenance schedule for the filters was put into place and this week a full clean of the tank will be carried out by a specialist team from Auckland.

• CONTRACTORS

This has been a big focus for us over the last few months. We have modified our procedures, so we are similar to other marinas regarding contractors. The key issue is our definition of a contractor which is a ‘person working for, or on behalf of CML or a CML shareholder, tenant or Live aboard’. If the vessel owner is not present then people working for or on behalf are contractors and need to follow the contractor guidelines including insurance, induction, HSE and sign in/sign out procedures. We are pleased to say this transition has gone pretty smoothly.

• BOAT LIFT

The new fenders have been installed on the cradle for the boat lift. The old ones were removed, and the timber fenders modified to reduce the thickness. With the new fenders easy to remove we are now able to take wider vessels. The planned upgrade of the timbers in the boat lift pen this summer should mean we can accommodate most of the larger vessels wanting to use our lift.

• SIGNAGE

The upgrade of all the marina signage is almost complete; it is important that all CML signs are easily identified as being associated with the Marina – this branding and uniformity will be carried through the website as well as the CML Prospectus. We also needed to add signage; most of the power bollards had no electrical warning or instructions still visible and we also had no sign on the gate to the refuelling wharf and the CML Office sign was hardly visible. The intent is to standardise, inform and identify the marina and we think the upgrade has achieved this.

• REGATTAS

As we move into the spring period planning is well underway for the Wine Race, which will be held on Friday 2 November 2018. The race is organised by the Waikawa Boating Club. Yachts require a Category 3 safety certificate to be eligible to enter and enquiries can be made to events@waikawaboatingclub.co.nz.

SUMMARY

As we move into the warmer months activity within the marina will increase and we expect to see more people around. Its important that if you see a vessel come into the marina (especially over a weekend) that you don’t recognise let us know (if you call the marina office it will be diverted to the on-call staff member). We have had several vessels overnight in the marina this winter without informing us and that is income that the marina will miss out if we are not aware and use of the facilities by people that are not paying.

Finally, it will be a busy couple of months leading up towards Christmas and I will be heading off shore on the 6 December until late January. While I am away I will be liaising with Victoria regularly to assist with any difficult questions and we will have Louise in prior to and after Christmas to assist with the day to day management issues.