Auckland port to have new hand on the tiller

By WAYNE THOMPSON


Auckland's new harbourmaster, John Lee-Richards, has steered through weekend traffic jams on the Waitemata Harbour from the bridge of an oil tanker and the cockpit of his own yacht.

As harbourmaster he is responsible for ensuring that 100,000 vessels safely ply the region's waterways for work or play.

As regional commander for oil spill emergencies, he earned his stripes by leading the Maritime Safety Authority's response to the groundings in 2002 of the log ship Jody F Millennium at Gisborne and the bulk-carrier Tai Ping at Bluff.

Mr Lee-Richards, 55, has served five years in senior roles with the authority.

He takes over the harbourmaster's post on June 14 from James Petrie, who is retiring after 15 years of guiding the Auckland Regional Council's statutory role to manage navigation and safety.

Mr Lee-Richards, who grew up in the Auckland maritime suburb of Devonport, went to sea at 17 as a navigation cadet with the Union Steamship Company.

During service on Shell supertankers and New Zealand coastal oil tankers he gained the qualification of Foreign Going Master (first class).

Though shore-based since 1978, he is a keen yachtsman and kayak owner and still carries out pilotage duties in the Bay of Islands.

He knows northern waters well after driving the big tugboats of the former Northland Harbour Board for eight years and serving as deputy harbourmaster for the Northland Regional Council.

In his new role, which also includes water safety education, he intends to take his turn as a crew member of the ARC patrol boat at weekends and regattas.

Apart from seamanship, his qualifications include tertiary study in business and management and working roles in which he learned about port operations, marketing and public relations.

The harbourmaster's position has assumed higher significance in busy working ports after shortcomings were picked up during investigations into incidents such as the Jody F Millennium grounding.

Clear responsibilities of a harbourmaster and national standards are to be spelled out in the resulting Port and Harbour Safety Code, which is expected to come into force this year.

Ports of Auckland handles 2000 shipping movements a year, including the new super cargo vessels, which carry 4100 containers at a time. Stacked end to end, the containers would stretch 25km.

In addition, the port handled 58,000 passengers last year on cruise ships, including the 100,000-tonne Star Princess.

The masters of such huge ships are senior members of their profession.

Mr Lee-Richards said they had "pretty well declared they want to deal with someone who has the same qualifications as them and who knows the industry".

Situations crop up where for safety considerations the harbourmaster has to decide whether a ship can leave or enter the harbour.

The harbourmaster acts independently of the time-is-money pressures felt by the ship's owners and the port company.

Mr Lee-Richards said ARC maritime operations staff would soon number six, including a deputy harbourmaster.


HARBOURMASTER JOHN LEE-RICHARDS


Manages the region's navigation and safety, oil spills and coastal pollution, water safety education and risk management.

Covers from Mangawhai and the Kaipara Harbour to Manukau Harbour and Hauraki Gulf.

Present job: Last four years as national marine oil spill response commander for the Maritime Safety Authority.

Former merchant navy officer, tugmaster and Northland deputy harbourmaster.

Q. How do you see your role?

A. As leader of the ARC marine operations group looking after the region's waters.

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Q. What are the priorities?

A. ARC strategy is to have a co-ordinated group from its marine operations team and its urban pollution control team, to respond to marine oil spills.

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Q. Are other agencies involved?

A. ARC wants to work towards more co-ordinated maritime management with police, the Coastguard, MSA and the Navy.

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Q. Any major concerns?

A. To make the waters safer. Ships are getting bigger, faster and there's a need for a navigational safety overview.

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Q. Do you own a boat?

A. I own two kayaks but I have owned yachts and still sail when the opportunity arises.

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