Martin Peters - setting the wheels in motion.
In April of this year, Martin Peters embarked on a Mechanic’s training course in the UK. Martin who is a mechanic with the Government garage was sent to the UK on a Work Experience Placement Training programme.
Cannock Chase Training Centre in Staffordshire arranged the Training; here Martin spent some time learning the theory behind motor vehicle maintenance.
Martin then moved around to various garages to receive training and experience in different fields of vehicle mechanics. The training Martin received was mostly hands-on. Some of the things he learnt was dismantling and assembling automatic transmissions on JCB’s, maintaining Toyota, Forklift and Caterpillar equipment, servicing air conditioning, operating specialist equipment and carrying out electrical and hydraulic repairs along with preventative maintenance.
As Martin is a multi-skilled Mechanic here on the Island, the employees of the dealerships he was assigned to were impressed with his knowledge of vehicle maintenance and were able to depend on Martin during busy times. One of the Managers actually said that, had he been able to, he would not have hesitated to employ Martin as a member of his staff.
Martin completed his training on Monday 16th August and will return to St Helena when the RMS returns from the UK.
Public Relations/Information Office
Office of the Chief Secretary
25 August 2004
Bulk Fuel Agency Working Group selected.
A Bulk Fuel Installation (BFI) Working Group has been set up to plan the implementation of the Bulk Fuel Agency Ordinance 2003. This ordinance was passed to enable the St Helena Government to establish a Bulk Fuel Agency (BFA), which will operate under a Board of Directors to manage the Bulk Fuel Farm.
The BFI is owned by the St Helena Government but has been managed by Solomon’s since it was established in 1987. However it was agreed that there should be a Bulk Fuel Agency (BFA), which would take over the assets of the BFI under the management of a Board of Directors appointed by the Governor.
Terms of Reference have been agreed and the BFA Working Group has been selected. The Chairperson of this group is Linda Clemett (Financial Secretary) and the members are: Mr Bill Scanes, Mr Terry Richards, Mr Lionel Williams, Mr Graham Sim and Mr Patrick Lawrence.
The Group will be responsible for reviewing the Health and Safety improvements being carried out, the valuation and transfer of assets to the new Agency, identifying and providing for future developments of the Agency and tendering for the operational management arrangements. They will also be involved with directing the writing of a Strategic Plan and Draft Regulations and in recommending a format of Accounts for the BFA for approval by the Financial Secretary.
It is inevitable that the demands on the BFA will increase as the number of vehicles on the Island increase and there are demands on electricity. Thinking positively and looking to the future - the building and operation of an Airport on St Helena will have the biggest impact on the Bulk Fuel Installation.
Public Relations/Information Office
Office of the Chief Secretary
Date August 2004
ST HELENA ACCESS UPDATE
ACCESS OPTIONS SHORTLIST AGREED
Work continues by Atkins Management Consultants (Atkins) to assess and compare different options for maintaining access when the RMS St Helena is withdrawn from service by or soon after 2010. Thanks and appreciations are extended to all who are assisting, or have already assisted, Atkins with their work. Thanks also to Saints here on the island and those who are abroad for their continued patience and understanding while this important work progresses. Atkins expect to have it completed it by November this year.
One of Atkins’ main tasks has been to review all possible access options to form a long list of possibilities. Then, using selection criteria agreed beforehand with the St Helena Government (SHG) and the UK Department for International Development (DFID), the aim was to reduce the long list and to agree a short-list of three or four of the most suitable options. All other options that did not make it to the short-list would be dropped.
SHG and DFID have now agreed on that short-list.
It has been decided that further intensive analysis in the time between now and November will only focus on the following three short listed options:
- air access by developing an airport on Prosperous Bay Plain with a medium length runway entailing a landing distance (excluding runway safety margins) of approximately 1400 metres. This could take some jet aircraft with limited passenger capacity and a range to reach Cape Town and Ascension Island, but not Europe or the Falkland Islands direct. Freight would be carried by sea on a commercial basis, with some work to improve cargo-handling facilities in St Helena;
- air access by developing an airport on Prosperous Bay Plain with a longer runway entailing a landing distance (excluding runway safety margins) of approximately 1650 metres. This could accommodate larger jet aircraft with greater passenger capacity and a range to reach London, the Falkland Islands and a wide range of other destinations (including Ascension Island and Cape Town). Once again, freight would be carried by sea on a commercial basis, with some work necessary to improve cargo-handling facilities in St Helena; and
- continuing sea access only by replacing the ‘RMS St Helena’ with a similar (possibly larger) passenger and cargo vessel, plus some minimal improvements necessary to cargo and passenger handling facilities in St Helena. This option, although not reflective of the preference expressed through the public referendum in 2002, would maintain the ‘status quo’ and is included in part to ensure fair and proper comparison between existing and possible alternative future access options.
Readers are reminded that a copy of the full description (terms of reference) of the Atkins work has been placed in the Jamestown Library and is available there for anyone to read. Alternatively, copies can be obtained from Sharon Wainwright, Access Project Coordinator, by ringing her on 2477. Further media updates will be provided as and when there is more news to report.
St Helena Government (SHG) and
Department for International Development (DFID)
24th August 2004
Martin Peters - setting the wheels in motion.
In April of this year, Martin Peters embarked on a Mechanic’s training course in the UK. Martin who is a mechanic with the Government garage was sent to the UK on a Work Experience Placement Training programme.
Cannock Chase Training Centre in Staffordshire arranged the Training; here Martin spent some time learning the theory behind motor vehicle maintenance.
Martin then moved around to various garages to receive training and experience in different fields of vehicle mechanics. The training Martin received was mostly hands-on. Some of the things he learnt was dismantling and assembling automatic transmissions on JCB’s, maintaining Toyota, Forklift and Caterpillar equipment, servicing air conditioning, operating specialist equipment and carrying out electrical and hydraulic repairs along with preventative maintenance.
As Martin is a multi-skilled Mechanic here on the Island, the employees of the dealerships he was assigned to were impressed with his knowledge of vehicle maintenance and were able to depend on Martin during busy times. One of the Managers actually said that, had he been able to, he would not have hesitated to employ Martin as a member of his staff.
Martin completed his training on Monday 16th August and will return to St Helena when the RMS returns from the UK.
Public Relations/Information Office
Office of the Chief Secretary
25 August 2004
Fiscal/Spending Review
SHG's long awaited fiscal review starts over the next week, looking at ways to adjust local services, costs and income to meet the Island's overall long term needs.
The review has been agreed by ExCo and is intended to lead to recommendations for changes in taxation, benefits, SHG service charges and procedures that will underpin the attainment of the National Strategic Objectives. The review will run over the next few months resulting in a number of changes that will come into effect during the next financial year (i.e after the 1st April 2005) and beyond.
Alongside consideration of SHG's Strategic Objectives, it is hoped that a number of specific issues that have been raised by members of the public and Councillors can be addressed. These include for example
- the need for a proper national pension scheme to cover everyone
- how best to help shift the economy to the private sector
- how to encourage inward investment
- review of the pricing policy
When asked "Why now?" by the Herald, the Chief Secretary said "Later this year and next year there will be a number of major issues for St Helena. The outcome of the work on access, Constitutional change, Modernising Government and the trial rescheduling of the RMS, coupled with the potential for real development for the first time in many a long year makes this review necessary. Most importantly we need to target areas of social deprivation in our society and bring into balance people’s needs with any support given. We also need to revise our taxation structures to make them fairer whilst not stifling investment and business development. It's important that we fully understand where we are and what tools we have available to help us move forward.
As part of the review Councillors are keen to seek your ideas on tax, benefits, charges and so on. Can you see gaps in the benefits system that SHG should be addressing? Does the system provide incentives for people to 'get on and become prosperous'? What about taxes and charges are we all paying more because the tax net has holes and some pay none?
To support the answering of these questions, SHG is inviting members of the public and all interested parties to write, telephone or email Adrian Green (the Government Economist) or to the Financial Secretary at the addresses below. If you would like to have further information on the review, it can be received on email or by telephoning 2470 and leaving your details. If you feel a meeting with an official would help, add contact details to your comments and we will be in touch.
Adrian Green Linda Clemett
Government Economist Financial Secretary
The Castle The Castle
Tele: 2470 Tele: 2470
e-mail: [email protected] e-mail: [email protected]
Public Relations/Information Office
Office of the Chief Secretary
25 August 2004
