A SELECTION OF ST. HELENA NEWS

 

 

 

 

 

Arrival Date For New Governor

 

 

Governor Hollamby has received news from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office that Mr Michael Clancy will be arriving on St Helena on Friday 15 October 2004 when the RMS arrives from Cape Town. His wife Clare will accompany him.

 

It was announced in September 2003 that Mr Clancy would be arriving some time in October 2004, as Her Majesty The Queen had approved his appointment to be Governor of St Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha since Governor Hollamby would be completing his term of office as Governor and would be subsequently retiring from the Diplomatic Service. Mr Clancy is a former Chief Secretary to the St Helena Government and spent three years in this post from 1997 to 2000.

 

Governor and Mrs Hollamby will be departing St Helena on 29 September on completion of contract.

 

 

Public Relations/Information Office

Office of the Chief Secretary

23 June 2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Chairman for Media Board

 

 

After serving as the Chairman of the St Helena News Media Board since October 1999, Georgina Benjamin has resigned.

 

Governor Hollamby has now appointed Mr Colin Patrick Yon JP to be Chairman of the Board with effect from 1 July 2004 until 14 October 2005. Colin has served as a Member of the Board since October 2002.

 

Also with effect from 1 July 2004 to 14 October 2005, Amanda Fowler will serve as a Member of the Board, taking the place of Colin Yon. The appointments were made on 10 June in accordance with section 5(1) of the St Helena News Media Ordinance, 1997.

 

Therefore, with effect from 1 July, the St Helena News Media Board will comprise Colin Yon as Chairman, and Amanda Fowler, Jean Gough, Stedson George, and Michael Stevens as Members.  

 

Public Relations/Information Office

Office of the Chief Secretary

22 June 2004

 

 

 

 

 

UK Rep to Visit St Helena on Extended Contract

 

 

The St Helena Governments UK Representative, Kedell Worboys, has had her contract extended for a further two years. This is to take effect from 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2006.

 

Under her new contract, Kedell will be making a visit to St Helena from 25 July to 16 August and during her stay she will attend a number of briefing meetings with various officials. This will include meetings with some of the Heads of Department. The second part of her visit will however be taken as her overseas leave.

 

In commenting on why Kedell will be visiting the Island, Acting Deputy Secretary, Gillian Francis said: “ First of all it is part of her contract, and also, it provides the opportunity for her to make personal contact with various Government Departments, to update herself with on-Island developments. In particular, this time, it will be opportune for her to meet with the Chief Personnel Officer to discuss the arrangements that have been put in place for the SHG UK Rep’s Office and the Personnel Department to manage the Technical Co-operation Training programme.” While initial arrangements have been previously discussed, it is necessary to talk about the finer details of this programme and to review the first three months of it.

 

Kedell was last on the Island in December 2002  and this will mark her third visit to the Island in her capacity as UK Representative.

 

While she is on St Helena, her UK based office will remain open and this will be operated by her assistant, Miss Loretta Coleman, so that people will still be able to make contact should they need assistance.

 

Public Relations/Information Office

Office of the Chief Secretary

23 June 2004

 

 

 

Veterinary Services on St Helena

 

 

 

Two veterinary persons visited the Island over the last two years and both were hired to deliver training to staff at the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department (A&NRD). The main reason was because the department now deals with both domestic and farm animals.

 

The first visit was made by Vanessa Persson, Veterinary Trainer who spent five months with the department, and the most recent was by Dr Gavin King who stayed for seven weeks.

 

Arthur March, Senior Agricultural Assistant (Livestock), said that A&NRD opened the small animal surgery in December 2000 and they now see dealing with domestic animals as part of their activities. Prior to this, their main objective within their business plan was to maintain livestock genetic diversity on the Island. “Now that the department has enrolled on this activity we cater for operations, consultancies, and any other small animal ailments,” said Arthur.

 

The department saw it as essential to have trainers visit the Island, since A&NRD staff needed to be further trained in dealing with domestic animals. Arthur said that there will also need to be more visits in the future since veterinary technology changes from time to time and staff will need to keep abreast of this.

 

As a result of the recent training Dr King has reported that the department has two persons capable of spaying bitches, and they are able to deal with complications such as broken limbs and hernias.

 

In addition, people can make a booking to have their pets checked over to ensure that they are in good health.

 

Arthur commented that so far, there have been very few problems, and he feels that as long as the Island continues to have strict quarantine procedures, then many problems will be avoided. 

 

In terms of equipment, A&NRD is planning to order a purpose built operating table and an anaesthetic machine, in order to better equip the surgery.

 

The department recognises that many people are animal lovers who have a special relationship with their pets, and they are aiming to provide pet owners with the best service. Arthur said that looking into the future, “we would still need input from qualified vets” and he said that the department will continue to advise pet owners on all possible forms of health care for their animals, as well as continuing to treat pets.

 

Public Relations/Information Office

Office of the Chief Secretary

23 June 2004

 

 

Works in Progress

 

The last few weeks have proven to be busy for the Works Division of the Public Works and Services Department, as they have been carrying out a number of jobs on roads and buildings around the Island.

 

Energy Division Moves to New Premises

The Energy Division has now moved into a new complex, purpose built by the Public Works and Services Department, located at the site of the old Government Garage in Jamestown. The building comprises a technical workshop, heavy-duty workshop, meter testing room, stores, and a main office.

 

Repair Work at the Haven

The Division has been carrying out quite a bit of repair work to the Haven as some of the concrete had deteriorated. The work includes replacing parts of the building with new reinforced concrete and new block work. There is still more repair work to be done, but fortunately it will not be necessary to relocate residents out of the Haven whilst repairs are being undertaken.

 

Tackling the Tar

Hot sunny days have presented problems when tar melts, causing the roads to become sticky. The section has been trying to eradicate this. About a year ago, they tried a different method, used overseas, on a road at Blue Hill and this seems to be working. Blue Hill was used to test the durability of the composition and cost of construction. However, Desmond Peters, Senior Engineer Works said the success might have been partly due to Blue Hill being a relatively cool area. While their new method worked at Blue Hill the real test is Jamestown, which is far hotter. Recently the Section prepared a part of  the road in front of the houses at Botanical Gardens. Two different methods were used and the Section is monitoring to see which performs best. Desmond said that so far things are looking positive, as no tar has softened or started to run. Observations will continue through hot weather and, if successful, this method will be used more extensively.

 

Road Clearing

A team of eight men have cleared the edges of the road from White Gate to Vaughans and they are now progressing towards the Hutts Gate area. At the same time, another team is carrying out drain and verge clearing on the road from Bates Branch to Frenches Gut.

 

Addressing Problem Caused by Heavy Rains

While not planned, the Section also had to carry out work at Well’s near Hutts Gate. Heavy rains resulted in the embankment slipping away and this had to be made safe by using gabion baskets like those used at the Round Tower. Gabions at Round Tower are holding well so Desmond is confident that the problem at Well’s is now sorted.

 

Public Relations/Information Office

Office of the Chief Secretary

9 June 2004

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Addressing Staff Attrition

 

 

Over the last few years the St Helena Government was hit quite badly by staff attrition as employees left for other jobs. As a result, SHG put several measures in place to try and address the problem. Two of these measures were employment after retirement, and omitting the entrance exam for mature candidates.

 

The Employment after Retirement Policy has been up and running since May 2003, and this has allowed SHG to fill six posts. The six post holders are over the age of sixty years, and they are working in various Government Departments. In accordance with the policy, the posts have to be advertised after one year, and if there is a suitable candidate below 60 years of age, they will get the job. If there is no suitable candidate, the person on the Employment After Retirement scheme may be offered the job for another year if he or she passes a medical fitness check. The Personnel Department feels that being over 60 does not mean that someone cannot work. In fact, these persons are often able to contribute just as much as any other employee. In fact, without them, Departments would have experienced problems. “It is becoming increasingly difficult to find staff with the relevant experience to carry out some of the roles within government.  This has been particularly evident in the Teaching, Nursing and Electrical professions.  I am sure this will extend to other areas due to the many staff members who will retire over the next 3 to 5 years.  There has been a loss of middle management and experienced technical staff.  We have found and hope to continue to find staff to fill the vacant posts, but the learning curves of many of them will be relatively steep” said Barbara George, Chief Personnel Officer.

 

In April 2003, SHG announced that mature candidates would not be required to sit an entrance exam if they were applying for established posts. Previously, applicants were required to sit the exam if they did not have a GCSE or higher certificate in Mathematics and English at grade C or above. However, some people especially those who have not been through the Prince Andrew School system and were unused to sitting examinations, were finding the entrance exam a bit daunting, and some Heads of Department felt that people were not applying for jobs because of the exam and some were not getting the job because they were failing the exam. After dropping the entrance exam for mature candidates, a number of people came forward and were successful in obtaining a job. These employees are given a set of competencies that they must achieve within a set period of time in order to remain in the post. Their performance is kept under review by their Heads of Department, and so far, the scheme seems to be working well. Barbara said that some employees have even gone on to take training courses.

 

For 2004, the St Helena Government has seen eight people resigning from established posts, and 11 from unestablished. The majority of these people left for offshore employment. In commenting on this, Barbara said “This shows a sharp decline in the numbers going offshore for employment in comparison with the last three years.  This is pleasing as it allows for stability within departments.  However, people who live on an isolated island such as ours will always want to ‘test the waters’ on the other side.  I do not view this negatively, as exposure to the outside world is a learning experience in itself.  However, we must do all we can to attract people back to St Helena, as when they do come back, they do so with added skills and experience, which can only benefit the work arena.”

 

The Personnel Department is hoping that resignation numbers will stabilise with unifying the Public Service. It is the aim of the St Helena Government to eventually make all unestablished posts established and this has started already with nursing assistants, and school secretaries among others. The benefit of becoming established is that employees will be entitled to a pension, and other improved terms and conditions of service which established staff currently enjoy.

 

Public Relations/Information Office

Office of the Chief Secretary

9 June 2004

 

 

Agricultural Awards Scheme

 

 

The Agriculture and Natural Resources Department has abandoned its agricultural competitions and this has been replaced with what the Department sees as a new and improved Agricultural Awards system for the Island’s farmers’.

 

With previous competitions, the Department felt that it was only encouraging farmers to have the best enterprise at the time to obtain a prize. What the competition didn’t do was to encourage farmers to continue to contribute towards the use of sustainable methods of farming for future development.

 

The Award Scheme encourages farmers to foster and sustain high standards of agricultural practices throughout in both crop and livestock production and it also encourages small scale farmers to become more efficient in their farming practices. Farmers are being asked to fill in forms giving details of what parts of their farm they would like to have assessed and in order to assist farmers, the department is providing them with guidelines which will be different for each type of farming.

 

Generally the Department is hoping that as a result of this the overall standard of the Island’s farming practices will improve - something which the Department is trying to encourage.

 

 Farmers could stand to benefit from the agricultural awards, because should they win, the department will use their farms as demonstration units, providing the farmer gives permission. Other farmers will then be able to visit the winning farm to pick up tips so that they can improve their own farms, and there might even be demonstrations. As a prize, the winning farmer will receive an incentive monetary fee for participating and allowing people to visit his farm, as well as a certificate from the Department.

 

The new scheme commenced in March of this year and already some vegetable and flower producers have been assessed. Assessments are being carried out by staff from various sections of the department. When doing so, each farmer is given a number of points, and when the time comes to announce winners, all participating farmers will be given a score sheet which will show them how well they are doing and where they should be improving. So far the Department has received feedback from farmers which indicates that they are in favour of this new approach as opposed to having the normal agricultural competitions.

 

Public Relations/Information Office

Office of the Chief Secretary

9 June 2004 

 

 

 

Rockfall Footage to be shown on TV

 

 

The controlled Rockfall that took place at Ruperts Valley earlier this year was captured on camera by request of the Public Works and Services Department. This footage will now be shown on the Cable and Wireless Television Re-broadcast service, allowing members of the public to see the main parts of the operation.

 

The production will be shown at 8pm on Wednesday 30 June on the BBC World/BBC Prime/Discovery Channel and it will last for about a half hour. It will be repeated on Thursday 1 July at the same time, and on the same channel.

 

The footage was taken by Paul Hickling and shows persons dislodging dangerous rocks near to the Bulk Fuel Farm. In addition to shots of the actual operation, there is also an interview with Chief Engineer Bill Scanes who was able to comment on the process.

 

Bill said the reason for showing the production is “to help explain the reasons for controlled displacements of rocks, the preparatory works carried out prior to the commencement of activities on site and the methods employed in such operations.”

 

The video will also benefit the department as a training aid in order to make improvements when another similar exercise takes place.

 

Public Relations/Information Office

Office of the Chief Secretary

22 June 2004