localmatters.co.nz
September 14, 2016 Mahurangimatters 3
Innovative Mahurangi company sailing onto world stage Rod Cheeseman news@localmatters.co.nz
Two Warkworth-made 50-foot catamaran hulls will be soaring over the swells of the Caribbean Sea at the 35th America’s Cup next year. Warkworth business Core Builders Composites shipped the first of the new AC 50 hulls to cup host Bermuda this month. Manager Tim Smyth says the new AC 50 generation of America’s Cup boats are the most sophisticated the team has ever built. “We are using cutting edge materials from the space and defence industries,” Tim says. “With fully committed hydro-foiling winged sailing yachts, we are basically creating boats that will fly on water. This really is a modern version of the Wright Brothers.” The company also produces parts and tools for almost all of the America’s Cup challenger teams. They have manufactured all of the wings (sails) with the exception of Team New Zealand and British team BAR. The AC 50 hulls will be reassembled and finished in
View a video online at localmatters.co.nz
Core Builders Composites employs 65 staff in Warkworth and has sent the first of the two hulls to Bermuda for America’s Cup defenders Oracle.
Bermuda, ahead of the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series which gets underway in May next year. Sea trials will start in January and that’s when Tim will know if the Warkworth team’s hard work has paid off. “There’s a saying, ‘if it doesn’t break, then you made it too strong’. We expect things to be right on the limit of their capabilities so that they are as light as possible. Getting a team of 60 to 70 people working
together to produce an America’s Cup boat is in itself an achievement.” The America’s Cup 45-foot catamarans (AC 45s) are currently travelling the world in the pre-cup World Series regatta. Core Composites built all of the AC 45’s. They are equipped with dagger boards and are capable of foiling, similar to the new AC 50s, but smaller. The winner of the World Series will carry through a bonus point into the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series. Core Builders was originally set up in Ventura California in 1999. They moved to Warkworth in 2010 and currently employ 65 people. The company is utilising it’s cutting edge composite materials expertise in a raft of other industry applications, including equipment for dairy farming. Tim says locating in Warkworth has proved successful. “Staff are my biggest asset and one-third of my staff are local. New Zealand has a long history of welltravelled boat builders and they are happy to come back and settle here.” After the Louis Vuitton Cup, the defenders, Oracle Racing, will meet the challenger to compete for the oldest trophy in international sport on June 17.
Home detention sentence in Council serious fraud case A former Rodney District Council and Auckland Transport employee has escaped a prison sentence after admitting he accepted over $100,000 in bribes. Barrie Kenneth James George, 69, was sentenced to 10 months home detention at the Auckland High Court on September 1, after pleading guilty to two representative charges of corruption and bribery of an official. Mr George started working for Rodney District Council in 1974 and became transport operations manager in 1975, and infrastructure manager of transport in 2007. He then became northern maintenance manager at Auckland Transport (AT) in 2010. The offending relates to million-dollar roading and infrastructure contracts between 2006 and 2012. At the sentencing, Justice Graham Lang said Mr George was facing a threeyear nine-month prison sentence, but that was reduced due to a number of mitigating circumstances, including that he was the whistleblower on more serious fraud in the organisation. Justice Lang said a culture developed
in both the Rodney District Council and AT between 2005 and 2012, where staff were encouraged to work cooperatively with roading and infrastructure contractors. “A particular culture developed within the organisations in which employees were encouraged to fraternise with the staff of the contractors. This led to you regularly attending social events with members of their staff,” Justice Lang said. The offending began at a work function in 2006, when a roading contractor presented Mr George with a travel voucher as a gift which enabled him to travel to Thailand. “The end result was that Mr George received gifts having a total value of $103,580. The gifts took the form of travel vouchers, entertainment and liquor.” Mr George received $57,293 in gratuities while he was an employee of the Rodney District Council, with the balance being received while he was an AT employee. But, in 2012, Mr George raised concerns
with AT about an “unsatisfactory ethical situation developing”. “At that stage you did not directly indicate that you had received gifts yourself. Nevertheless, an internal investigation followed and you cooperated fully in that. During this investigation, you frankly acknowledged the fact that you had received the gifts.” Justice Lang said there was “no suggestion” that ratepayers suffered a direct loss as a result of invoices being inflated or work not being undertaken as claimed. But he said the offending had numerous consequences. Ratepayers expected public spending to be rigorously scrutinised and accepting any payments or gifts created the perception that those contractors would be treated preferentially. “In a case such as this, the perception may arise that this type of practice is acceptable. That is particularly concerning in a situation where Auckland is developing rapidly and its infrastructure will no doubt be increasing rapidly in the near future.”
Mr George’s lawyer Robert Hollyman said Mr George was the first person to raise concerns about corruption at AT and fully cooperated with subsequent investigations. “He did the right thing. Others knew what he knew, but he took it to the authorities and blew the whistle.” Hollyman said Mr George was legal guardian of two of his grandchildren and would not be able to fulfill that responsibility if sent to prison. Crown prosecutor Brian Dickey said it accepted there were a number of mitigating factors, but said the offending had the potential to damage New Zealand’s image as a corruption-free country and must be treated seriously. Justice Lang said the sentence needed to bear in mind that the Crown didn’t want to deter future whistleblowers. “I recognise he approached AT with concern, and if he hadn’t, this matter may not have come to light,” Justice Lang said. Co-defendants Stephen James Borlase and Murray John Noone are due to stand trial on September 19.
STILL FEELING THE COLD? We supply install & service Heat Pumps. Heats, cools & dehumidifies.
• Accredited Installers • Quality Workmanship • All Electric Work • Free Consultation & Quotes
021 496 358 | 09 422 3598 ben@mace.nz | www.mace.nz