Storylines Pioneering Through Partnership 2013–2015
KOORAGANG WETLAND REHABILITATION PROJECT
PORT WARATAH COAL SERVICES KOORAGANG
SAMARITANS
FIRSTCHANCE
UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE TOM FARRELL INSTITUTE PORT WARATAH COAL SERVICES CARRINGTON
SUPPORTERS OF CANCER & CALVARY HEALTH CARE OZHARVEST
HMRI
HUNTER RESEARCH FOUNDATION CARRINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOL
THROSBY LIFELINE BIG BRUNCH CHUCK DUCK & ROOSTER CLUCK VARIETY
HUGS
CARRINGTON TENNIS CLUB MISSION TO SEAFARERS LIGHT UP NEWCASTLE NEWCASTLE SALVATION COMMUNITY ARMY ARTS CENTRE MEREWETHER NEWCASTLE MARITIME HIGH SCHOOL ITALIAN FILM CENTRE FESTIVAL & PORT MAPPING PROJECT
HARRY’S HOUSE NOBBYS SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB & ANZAC DAWN SERVICE MATTARA FESTIVAL SOUL CAFÉ NEWCASTLE BEACH SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB
DIXON PARK SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB MEREWETHER SURF LIFE SAVING CLUB
OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
Contents Pioneering Through Partnership
3
Newcastle Community Arts Centre
21
Firstchance 37
Our Community Partnerships
4
Throsby Big Brunch
22
Harry’s House
Mattara Festival
23
HMRI 39
Mission to Seafarers
24
HMRI & University of Newcastle
COMMUNITY 6 Surf Life Saving Clubs
8
OzHarvest 12 Carrington Tennis Club
13
Happy Ukulele Group
14
ANZAC Dawn Service
15
Italian Film Festival
16
Light Up Newcastle
17
Newcastle Maritime Centre
18
Port Mapping Project Society of Artists
38 40
Variety 25
Lifeline 42
Salvation Army
Supporters of Cancer & Calvary Health Care 43
26
Samaritans 27 Chuck Duck & Rooster Cluck
28
Port Waratah Employee Engagement
29
ENVIRONMENT & ECONOMY 44 Tom Farrell Institute for Environment
46
Merewether High School
48
30
Hunter Research Foundation
49
Carrington Public School
32
Many Rivers
50
19
Port Waratah Schools Engagement
34
Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation
51
20
Soul Café
36
PEOPLE
Acknowledgements 52
Please note that the statistics and reports contained within Storylines are intended as a high-level overview of Port Waratah’s Community Investment and Partnership Programme as of October 2015. The views and opinions expressed in this book are those of the interviewees and not necessarily the views and opinions of Port Waratah Coal Services.
1
Representatives of Port Waratah Coal Services and Community Partners accept the 2015 Port Authority of NSW Contribution to the Region Award at the Hunter Business Awards.
4
Pioneering Through Partnership Newcastle has hosted the coal export activities of the Hunter Valley coal chain in its port and community for many years. Port Waratah Coal Services’ part in this started almost forty years ago with the opening of the Carrington Terminal, the first of the modern terminals. Today Port Waratah also operates the Kooragang Terminal and is preparing for a possible fourth terminal. The city and the communities around the port have changed much over these decades and at Port Waratah we understand that the expectations of our host communities have also evolved. Our commitment to be a valued member of these communities is greater than ever and therefore the ways in which we try to meet these expectations have evolved as well. This book and its celebration of our partners is part of this evolution. The concept of business having a social contract with its community has existed for over a hundred years. Over time thinking in this space has developed from addressing fundamental building blocks such as human resources practices, to ‘the triple bottom line’ of corporate social responsibility to sustainable development. The approach to community investment and partnership that you see celebrated in this book is driven by the next phase of thinking in these matters, namely that of social licence to operate and shared value. It is my personal belief that as a business we can only claim a licence to operate if we are able to transparently and unambiguously
demonstrate how the communities we operate in share in the value that flows from our business activities. As a coal handling facility operating in close proximity to communities, examples of this shared value are many and varied: direct and indirect employment, local purchasing and procurement, learning and development opportunities for local people – and community investment and partnership. This most recent phase in our Community Investment and Partnership Programme followed the development of a new Stakeholder Engagement Strategy and its approval by the Board of Port Waratah in late 2012. It included a revision of our brand, the establishment of a formal communities function and an increase in the nominal funding amount from $500,000 per annum to $750,000 per annum. The objectives of the new Community Investment and Partnership Programme were: • To increase the focus on delivering value back to the Newcastle community – particularly portside suburbs; • To pursue a more diversified portfolio of projects which target areas of need and opportunity in order to contribute to the overall sustainability of the Newcastle region; • To demonstrate how value can be shared by many from the presence of businesses like ours;
• To build capacity, skills and/or knowledge within individuals and organisations that can outlast the direct funding contribution; and • To involve more Port Waratah employees in community engagement. While the stories in this book are above all intended to celebrate and thank the partners and partnerships through which we have been able to deliver this shared value, they are also a measure of our progress against these objectives. For Port Waratah and our employees it is a privilege to have become a part of the passion and determination that drive our partners. Your ability to achieve much with little, your resilience in the face of often overwhelming odds and your desire to make a difference inspires all of us. We are proud of our contribution, but none of this would have been possible without you. On a final note, this programme would not have been possible without the support of our customers and shareholders. Port Waratah exists to provide services to the Hunter Valley coal chain and therefore our contribution is also its contribution. I hope you enjoy and share these stories.
Hennie du Plooy
3
OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS – OVERVIEW
PORT WARATAH HAVE DONATED
$2.1 million OVER THE LAST
ACROSS
270+
DIFFERENT INITIATIVES
NEWCASTLE REGION
67%
GEOGRAPHICAL BREAKDOWN OF COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
19%
PORT WARATAH NEIGHBOURING SUBURBS
11%
HUNTER REGION
3%
OTHER
PRIMARY AREAS OF BENEFIT
5
Community Although Newcastle is one of the largest cities in Australia, the harbourside suburbs each have unique histories, identities, landmarks and communities. It is these connections which not only define our individual and collective culture but underpin our ability to support each other and provide community services available to all. By supporting, fostering and celebrating these connections we are able to build a strong, resilient and inclusive community and region.
8
PORT WARATAH HAVE INVESTED OVER
$1.1 million
IN COMMUNITY INITIATIVES & PROGRAMMES OVER THE PAST
COMMUNITY SERVICES ARTS, CULTURE AND RECREATION
42% DID YOU KNOW Port Waratah donates $2,000 for every injury free month we have at our operations? Over the last three years that has amounted to $56,000 BEING DONATED TO LOCAL CHARITIES.
24%
COMMUNITY EVENTS
7%
CHARITIES
6%
21%
COMMUNITY SAFETY & EMERGENCY RESPONSE
7
Surf Life Saving Clubs
New waves create hope NOBBYS
DIXON PARK
The Nobbys Surf Life Saving Club had a vision to empower children with a disability or developmental delay to enjoy a specialised Surf Life Saving Nippers programme. The New Waves programme is designed to give children a chance to build their confidence in the surf.
Encouraging and empowering our next generation of surf lifesavers has benefits that can last for many years. For the growing Dixon Park Surf Life Saving Club, Port Waratah has provided the funds for five new fibreglass boards, ten new foam boards, two new shade tents and four wind flags that are proudly displayed each Sunday.
In 2014 the first group was run with 15 children, after just one year the numbers had doubled to 30. For Narelle Blick, Nobbys Club President, the benefits were immediate. “It never fails to make me humble as to how one hour makes such a difference in these families lives.” For parents, the cost of their children’s medical fees and disability support can put stress on finances. Thanks to Port Waratah funding the pilot New Waves Programme, there was no charge for families. “The improvement in confidence around the water by the children, the confidence of the parents watching their children around the water, the interaction of all the children joining together and becoming friends with the helpers and each other show the benefits of the programme extend far beyond education.”
The increased number of boards allows more Nippers onto the water each week, improving vital board skills and promoting a stronger understanding of surf lifesaving skills. Dixon Park Surf Life Saving Club has grown rapidly over the last few years, now with over 210 Nippers enjoying weekly surf and life skills every Sunday morning. Belinda Walmsley, President of Dixon Park Surf Life Saving Club, proudly states, “providing commitment to the development of the children now, will one day lead to lives being saved on our beaches.”
The benefits of the programme extend far beyond education.
Narelle is looking forward to the programme developing further into the future as it builds bridges with disability volunteers and the community. “I don’t think many things in life have given me as much joy as to see the smiles on the children’s faces and to know there are such wonderful people inside my Club that volunteer and donate their time to these children. It is nothing short of heartwarming.”
9
Growth and resilience is the key to sustainability NEWCASTLE
MEREWETHER
Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club (NSLSC) is creating a self-sustaining future. For over ten years Port Waratah has helped support the NSLSC. The purpose of this support is to ensure the club is better equipped for its vital role in providing safety to the public and fostering people to be strong, healthy, happy and involved as valuable community members. This equipment includes everything from training and education to high performance and rescue equipment.
Like many surf clubs, Merewether Surf Life Saving Club has been built on the hard work and efforts of volunteers. With the need to move the club to a sustainable model that no longer requires government assistance, Merewether has identified the potential to create revenue from hiring the function space of the clubhouse. With its breathtaking views of the coast and a vibrant café and restaurant culture nearby, the location is an immediate drawcard.
NSLSC is home to 131 volunteers and provides Port Waratah helped with funding that could take the an essential lifesaving service at Newcastle Beach. function room and kitchen to a commercial standard. Within the Hunter Branch they have the largest Rookie “It’s a perfect outcome for the club,” says Club President group of members 15 to 17 years old, who will form a Adrian Harte. “With increased revenue from functions new generation of very capable lifesavers. at the clubhouse, we can fund our own equipment and support our patrols on the beach. This means continuing From the only NSW club to host the Nutrigrain Ironman to save lives and train our younger members for the future. series for three consecutive years, to developing state, national and international competitors, Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club is a vital part of the Hunter’s life saving culture and the legacy it creates for the community.
It’s a good reminder that the volunteers at Surf Life Saving Clubs actually pay to be volunteers. It shows their commitment to the community and their clubs.
We’re seeing the benefits already and it’s also been great for the club members to see a serious investment in the club and how that brings the community together.”
Port Waratah is proud to have developed partnerships over the 2013 and 2014 seasons with the six city surf clubs, with over $125,000 to support their 3,700 members, 1,700 nippers and over 800 patrolling members who watch over our beaches each summer.
11
OzHarvest Harvesting help In a society where vast quantities of waste can be re-used, OzHarvest has turned to ‘rescuing’ food to help provide millions of meals. OzHarvest is a not-for-profit organisation that takes surplus food from suppliers such as supermarkets, clubs, cafés, restaurants, function centres and food retailers. Instead of the food ending up in landfill, it is delivered in refrigerated vans to charities to help feed low income and disadvantaged individuals. Currently OzHarvest services over 80 charities across the Newcastle, Lake Macquarie, Port Stephens, Maitland and Cessnock areas. Over one million kilograms of food has been saved by Newcastle volunteers since 2010 when the service began locally. This equates to three million meals. Since food and preparation is one of the most expensive elements of creating a meal, the OzHarvest model is a very low cost way of feeding many. In fact, for every dollar spent, OzHarvest produce
two meals. OzHarvest Manager, Monique Maguire comments, “over the last three years, Port Waratah has donated over $75,000, that equates to 150,000 meals to the needy. That’s helped a lot of people avoid poor nutrition.” The OzHarvest model has a four-fold impact: it provides a broad range of quality food that was not previously available; the free food enables charities to redirect funding into education, rehabilitation and other programmes; plus, there are environmental bonuses by reducing landfill; and the food donors save financially by reducing food storage costs and the disposal of excess food. Monique comments, “we have over 80 volunteers now and they do everything from rescuing food from supermarkets to driving the vans and cleaning out the food containers, and when you know the difference they make, you understand why they do it all with a smile.”
We’ve delivered over three million meals since 2010.
Breathing life into a great venue Helping empower grassroots community organisations is vital to ensuring infrastructure can be enjoyed by local residents. Carrington Tennis Club is one organisation that was committed to saving the tennis courts in Carrington’s Connolly Park. Once popular and used by the local community and primary school, the courts were the only remaining courts in the Throsby villages of Islington, Maryville, Wickham, Tighes Hill and Carrington, but they had fallen into disrepair.
support it would have taken much longer to complete the refurbishment. Now they are in daily use. There is a weekly children’s coaching programme and the primary school is using them again.” The court hire from residents allows the club to sustain its operations and cover essential expenses. Tennis courts and recreation areas in many areas are run down, and once they are lost, they are very difficult to bring back. The Carrington Tennis Club celebrates a collaborative, sustainable approach to refurbishment.
The Tennis Club had managed to attract funding from local and state government, but further funding was vital to be “When we see the community out able to complete the refurbishment. enjoying the facility, socialising while Port Waratah helped with funding that improving fitness, it’s what the club is all allowed the project to move along. about. It makes you feel proud when you can restore something and see others Lukas Junker from the Carrington Tennis Club explains, “without Port Waratah’s enjoying it.”
The new courts, together with refurbishment undertaken by the council have completely transformed Connolly Park into a true community asset.
Carrington Tennis Club 13
Happy Ukulele Group The power of hugs! Helping others and giving people a smile seems to go hand-in-hand with a musical instrument like the ukulele. For Happy Ukulele Group Stockton (HUGS) turning their love of the ukulele into something that spreads joy and happiness has proved a success.
for them. This also gives them an outing away from their town. This has been very successful and will continue next year.” Just as performing for others is a joy, Elaine explains the experience is a two way relationship. “Many of our members have suffered with depression prior to joining, and singing and playing ukulele in itself is a healing therapy. Our average age is probably between 65 and 75.”
HUGS has grown in its four years, from just seven people to now between 35 and 45 people who meet regularly at Stockton Guide Hall. Port Waratah’s community grant enabled the group to purchase much needed music stands and microphones to perform their concerts for free.
“When I see our members’ confidence grow and they are willing to step out of their comfort zone and explore something new, it makes me feel proud.”
Elaine Johnson, from HUGS says “our gigs at nursing homes and other charitable events are all performed free of charge. This year we have had some nursing homes bring clients over to our hall where we perform an hour concert
HUGS has now performed at numerous music and ukulele festivals across New South Wales. They are a testament to the healing power of music and how it brings joy to both the audience and the players alike.
Even when we age, if you can have a goal it can be achieved.
A new dawn for Newcastle Ken Fayle had a vision. To see the Nobbys Beach ANZAC Dawn Service grow for the people of Newcastle. “In 2000 we decided to shift the service from Pacific Park to Nobbys Beach. The location there is something special. It has a powerful atmosphere to honour the diggers. Standing in the dark and hearing the roll of the waves in the distance, you feel the awe it puts in the people.” In 2004 the Newcastle RSL Sub Branch approached Port Waratah’s Community Sponsorship Programme for financial support to hire large scale video and audio projection. This would cater to the growing crowds and allow guests to see and hear the ceremony regardless of where they were standing or how far back from the stage they were.
or grandparents would bring their grandkids. The 2015 centenary attracted an estimated 55,000 people. To put this into perspective, only 15,000 attend the Gallipoli Dawn Service. The power of the crowd was such that a visiting Squadron Leader from Turkey didn’t want to leave when the ceremony finished. “He just stared in amazement at the crowd and commented, ‘we have nothing like this at home.’ That made me proud of what we’ve achieved here in Newcastle.” For Ken, seeing so many people make the trip into the city to honour the fallen and stand side-by-side in the darkness before dawn is the reason he does this every year.
“Before the ceremony starts and you see the crowd it’s breathtaking, but “After using the screens and sound system by the end of the ceremony the crowd the crowds had grown. By 2012 we were has grown, it extends so far. To look up getting around 20,000 people.” and see people standing shoulder-toshoulder as far as you can see, that gives The crowds grew in size as more young families would bring their children, me goose bumps.”
Anzac Dawn Service 15
Italian Film Festival Enlighten and inspire Celebrating culture can have many benefits. Nick Moretti and Dino Cesta felt running Newcastle’s only Italian Film Festival could be a perfect way of uniting cultures, helping local business and raising money for charities.
contribution towards festival costs and Nick appreciates the Port Waratah employees’ encouragement. “They run competitions and the employees come along to enjoy the festival. We see a lot of their employees over the weekend.”
“We started small, just one night, a few “It’s a lot of work for one weekend, and films and received a great response.” when people come up to us and say Nick recalls, “we decided to do it again ‘thanks for putting it on’, that’s the reward. the following year and added a few People who support the festival are also sponsors to help us out with food and helping bring business and culture into wine tastings. Now we run for the full the city, people have fun, share time weekend, we even have cultural school together and just as importantly we’re screenings on Friday morning.” significantly helping charity.” Entering its sixth year, the festival has been able to donate approximately $46,000 to beneficiaries from ticket sales and sponsor contributions. Port Waratah helped with a financial
For Nick and Dino, they describe the experience as fulfilling. “It fulfils our desire for all walks of life to walk ‘hand in hand’. It’s about embracing and respecting people regardless of cultural heritage.”
Uniting people through culture When starting a community event you normally expect a small crowd that grows over the years, but when the Rotary Club of Newcastle ran the first Light Up Newcastle Lantern Walk in 2015, they didn’t expect a 12,000 strong crowd to converge on Honeysuckle. As part of the night, over 2,000 people took part in the walks from Nobbys Lighthouse and Wickham Figtree Park. Funds from the sale of Chinese lanterns and donations went towards the purchase of a new mini-bus for the Newcastle Mission to Seafarers. Due to an overwhelming response and generosity of the Newcastle and Hunter community, enough money was raised for the purchase of the bus. The event also gave the local Chinese community a chance to celebrate the 2015 Chinese New Year and share their culture. For Light Up Newcastle Lantern Walk
spokesperson, Maree Gleeson, seeing so many people in the one place was a great show of community spirit. “The greatest joy for me was seeing the delight on the faces of children interacting with the lion dancers and the wonder of watching the concluding fireworks that really did light up Newcastle.” Financial support from Port Waratah assisted with covering costs, meaning that so much more of the proceeds from lantern sales and donations could go directly towards the funding of the mini-bus. Great community events help inform people and this one night gave people greater awareness of the Newcastle Mission to Seafarers, the Chinese community and provided a great boost to local restaurants and businesses in the Honeysuckle area. Planning is underway for the 2016 Light Up Newcastle Lantern Walk.
Any new event is a courageous undertaking, but the people of Newcastle demonstrated that charity does begin at home.
Light Up Newcastle 17
Newcastle Maritime Centre Helping activate our history Being located in the heart of a vibrant café and dining precinct at Honeysuckle, the Newcastle Maritime Museum knew the potential a café and catering facility on site could have to help support their income and attract customers to explore the museum. A joint venture was looked into to improve the museum’s ambience and their amenities. When completed, the facility will hold up to 200 guests and contain a 40–60 seat café which can be hired separately for smaller functions.
Port Waratah has provided essential funding to build and promote the venue, which has been designed to update the iconic museum’s entry, including the reception and museum shop. Already the café has drawn attention from prominent Newcastle restaurateurs and following Port Waratah’s contribution several other sponsors have contributed to the completion of the refurbishment. The success of this development will help introduce Newcastle’s proud maritime history to many more people in the future.
Mapping our past and present There is no doubt the Port of Newcastle is vital to the economic, industrial and social structure of the region. For artist and illustrator Liz Anelli, bringing the harbour to life through a massive 3.6 x 2.4 metre illustrated map has helped countless locals and tourists better visualise just how the Port of Newcastle works. “Having the map on the side of the Maritime Museum is a benefit for so many,” Liz explains. “The illustration is there to educate and inform, as well as beautify and help activate the area. It’s been wonderful to see local schools using it for geography, history and social studies.” Being strategically located in Honeysuckle means it doubles as a map for tourists and Newcastle’s many international students. Already several thousand people have engaged with the map and a further 2,000 posters of the map plus sets of postcards were printed by Newcastle Now and sold in local shops, museums and public spaces to promote Newcastle Tourism.
Both locals and tourists have snapped these up and they all sold out during 2015. For Liz, the personal satisfaction has been enormous. “This project has continued to give me an enormous sense of pride in knowing and sharing information and enthusiasm about my new home. I have gathered so much information over these few years that I am now asked, and happy, to provide guided tours.” To determine what was important for the map, many community workshops were conducted, revealing enormous amounts of information about what the port represented to different people. Liz then used these smaller drawings and insights to develop a larger map in studio space supplied by Renew Newcastle. Celebrating our current and past history, and making it easily accessible to the masses, is a wonderful boost for local businesses and the people of the city. Liz is proud so many sponsors have helped out in the creation of the map and the legacy it is creating.
There have been numerous workshops (with all age groups) to find out what our port is most known for and the results are nothing short of fascinating!
Port Mapping Project 19
Society of Artists Rewarding vision The celebration of art and self-expression is pivotal for any community, and the diverse tapestry of Newcastle and Australian culture provides an inspiring palette to work from. To annually celebrate achievements in art the Society of Artists Newcastle created the Newcastle Art Prize. The numerous award categories are a wonderful drawcard and motivator for artists with over 150 artists entering in 2015 and between 400 to 500 patrons arriving for the awards night. The strong public interest is a reflection of Newcastle’s support of the arts and the artists that come from all walks of life. More important than the prizes, the competition is about celebrating art, and the voice of artists. Port Waratah donates prize money for the Maritime/Industrial category. Hugh Cross, President for the Society of Artists Newcastle (SOAN) explains, “by having generous prize money, which makes the
Confidence is a vital ingredient.
category well contested, we also attract quality artworks. This increases the number of viewing public and translates to a more successful exhibition overall.” For the artists, the larger crowds mean exposure of their work to more patrons and a higher likelihood of selling their works during the exhibition, which helps the artists financially. The Newcastle Art Prize also donates a portion of net profit to the John Hunter Children’s Hospital Kids Club. Combined with other fundraising events the Society of Artists Newcastle has been able to donate over $11,000 in recent years. Hugh acknowledges the motivating power of the prize, “confidence is a vital ingredient for any artist to continue the difficult journey, to improve their skills... with the knowledge that their work has received a major award, they can power through moments of self-doubt to reach even higher levels of artistic ability.”
Celebrating the next generation Wendy Peacock understands the power of nurturing emerging talent in any form, particularly in the arts. Since 2001 the Newcastle Community Arts Centre has been running the Newcastle Emerging Artist Prize (NEAP). Many of the winners have continued on to professional careers in their art practice and the NEAP is a popular event on the calendar for Newcastle. In 2013, when Newcastle Council put a hold on community grants, Port Waratah was able to assist in keeping the programme going.
They also provided funding to develop a strategic business plan to facilitate the move to a self-sustaining organisation. The NEAP encourages local artists in the art forms of painting, 3D, photo media, works on paper and textiles. The NEAP is a strong incentive for participation by local artists, with over 200 artists being involved over the last three years. “We are very grateful for Port Waratah in supporting a prize category.” Wendy mentions, “without their support we may not have been able to continue with the Emerging Artists Prize.”
The power of arts and self-expression can be a powerful tool in mental well-being.
Newcastle Community Arts Centre 21
Throsby Big Brunch The love of food and community There is nothing like sharing food to help bring a community together. Tighes Hill local, Melanie McKinnon, understood to make an idea work it had to be simple, easy to do and have community support. While reading the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, Melanie was struck by images of long tables covered in white linen, surrounded by people sharing food and talking. From here the idea for the Throsby Big Brunch was born, and it is now into its sixth year. The idea moved from concept to reality with the Islington Park Placemaking Project in 2010. “Originally we asked everyone to bring their own table, chairs and white linen. Which everyone did except one rebel who brought a red tablecloth! We arranged entertainment. By the third year the event had grown and we knew business support was needed to make the event more sustainable.”
In 2013, Port Waratah was one of the local businesses that agreed to help. Their funding enabled the hire of tables, chairs and the much-loved white tablecloths along with local entertainment. “We hire all this locally, which is also about helping business sustainability,” Melanie adds. “This type of event is all about building bridges. It brings the community together. We encourage new arrivals to the country and our suburbs to come along and share their culture’s food. It is also a chance to bring the business community together, where we can literally all be at the same table and share our views. That’s rare.” Now it’s an annual event in the Throsby Creek calendar and Melanie is proud of what everyone has created. “When I see so many locals together, sharing food and getting to know one another, it’s really what community is all about.”
An idea is only as good as those who are prepared to support it. That’s why I love this community.
Generations of joy Kim Hillery is a born and bred Novocastrian who fondly remembers the Mattara festival as a child. “I used to stand there holding mum’s hand, watching the parade and loving it,” she says. As someone who relishes organising community events, it should come as no surprise that Kim would later become the Events Organiser for the Mattara festival. “Mattara is all about free fun for families and connecting the community. We want to give access for families so they can afford a fun day out and meet more locals,” Kim explains. In 2014 and 2015, Port Waratah helped through the donation of funds to finance the free children’s workshops as well as the establishment of a Dinosaur Petting Zoo.
(Out Of School Hours) care groups has been wonderful. The kids loved it, getting hands on and creating. There were definitely people coming back again and again to enjoy it.” Both educational and experiential, the Dinosaur Petting Zoo proved a massive hit. “Kids were in awe of it. They love dinosaurs, archaeology and the fossil digging. We’d often see the parents getting a little enthusiastic about it as well. When the parents are in there playing alongside the children, that’s a sign you’re doing a good job!” Kim adds with a smile.
“Seeing so many people enjoying Newcastle together and the hundreds of families, school kids and grandparents “To see so many families and community is truly wonderful. We should be proud groups enjoy the workshops really of it. In one word it’s iconic. So many shows there’s a strong demand for it. people have wonderful memories of the The feedback from schools and OOSH event and we want to keep that going.”
I’m all about my community, and Mattara holds so many wonderful memories for locals and we want to grow that for future generations.
Mattara Festival 23
Mission to Seafarers Giving light to the invisible Many locals will drive past the Mission to Seafarers at Wickham every day with no idea of the support they offer as a “home away from home” for any seafarer entering the Port of Newcastle. For over 143 years they have been providing this service, and through the support of Port Waratah over the last six years, the centre has grown to one of the top five Seafarers Centres in the world and the best in Australia. Reverend Garry Dodd explains, “The loving commitment of the staff and volunteers ensures all seafarers have a safe place to relax. We are confident that the Mission ensures seafarers return to work feeling valued and loved, and this is reflected in their safer and more productive work on board.” In 2014, over 14,000 hours from over 40 volunteers were given to help the seafarers and the funds provided by Port
Waratah are the catalyst to make this happen. The funds have ensured that the seafarers have free access to computers and wi-fi to contact loved ones. Plus free clothing, food and open minds to listen to stories or concerns they wish to share. Mission to Seafarers believes all people matter and deserve to feel valued, loved and safe. Seafarers do not always have these elements in their working environment and are ‘invisible’ to most land based people. The Mission helps highlight the conditions and needs of the 50,000 seafarers who enter our port each year. “We have to thank Port Waratah, they are the only organisation who provides support for the general running of the Mission. This is where Port Waratah makes a mammoth difference,” Reverend Dodd sums up.
I’ve been to so many seafarers centres but Newcastle is very good. The volunteers are very kind. Thanks for everything.
Making dreams happen It’s an unfortunate truth of our world that money can become an inhibiting hurdle to people achieving their dream. The Variety Future Kids Scholarship Programme has become a fund that enables children, who might otherwise not have the financial means, to pursue their passion. This could be anything from sports, education, or the arts. The scholarship covers costs including tuition, equipment, competition fees or courses up to $5,000 each.
One of the outstanding recipients is Maddison Elliott. Maddie is now the 2015 Paralympic Swimmer of the Year, Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medallist and World Record holder as well as being an OAM recipient. Another recipient, Connor Wink, pursued his love of music and has now raised more money for Variety through the sales of his music than the actual scholarship value he received.
To help fuel the dreams of these children, “When you meet a child and their family Port Waratah has donated $20,000 over or carer and you understand the talent within may never be explored due to the last two years, which has helped the distance they have to travel for support an additional 12 local recipients. tuition, the cost of getting to lessons Peter Harvey of the Variety Future Kids or the limitations of other funding programme believes that scholarships opportunities. It’s good to know, you’re have incredible potential. “This is a offering more than hope. You’re giving wonderful initiative of Variety the something tangible.” Children’s Charity as it assists talented and gifted children who may not have This programme help kids live, laugh and access to following their dreams either learn. These children do all the work to through disability or disadvantage, achieve these honours, Variety simply provides assistance.” whether geographic or economic.”
Port Waratah employees are big supporters of the Variety Bash each year, with a group of employees leading the charge by entering a car in the annual event and working with local businesses and employees to raise funds for Variety.
Variety 25
Salvation Army The true spirit of Christmas Christmas should be a time of joy. But for many families if it wasn’t for the Salvation Army, it would be a day of going without. The Bikers for Kids Toy Run and Salvation Army Family Fun Day are two wonderful days focused on providing toys and support for Hunter kids and families at Christmas. The success of this event directly helps many disadvantaged families to experience a joyous Christmas, with gifts for their children and support for paying their bills. Christmas is a time where many of us experience the delight and abundance of giving, so the Salvation Army is proud to be able to give some of this joy to families who might normally be struggling this time of year. The community truly reaches out and the 2014 Christmas programme provided gifts, vouchers or other financial support to over 800 families in the Hunter.
The support has made a huge difference to local children with some $40,000 worth of gifts reaching children in need. The Christmas Appeal organiser, Emma Lalic, appreciates the support from Port Waratah. “The funding and participation of Port Waratah employees was uplifting for the whole community. It has meant that families around the Hunter have been able to enjoy their time together at Christmas with their children waking up to receive not only a special gift, but food on the table. But the support doesn’t end with Christmas. The funding is also used to support families with back to school costs and the demand after Christmas – easing stress and pressure on many families doing it tough.” The Christmas Appeal is a wonderful legacy that proves time and time again that a little generosity can stretch a long way.
The Toy Run is the oldest annual event of its kind in Australia and first commenced in 1978.
The gift of giving While many families enjoy Christmas The help and time of the volunteers is as a time of celebration with family essential, but an event of this size also and friends, it can be a very lonely and requires generous financial support from difficult time for many others. This is local businesses to make the it possible. where the Samaritans Foundation steps in to bring joy into the lives of those “The event has run for over 14 years, creating hope for many who would less fortunate, by hosting a Christmas Lunch on Newcastle’s Foreshore Park. otherwise go without. We’re proud that Port Waratah has now become the major Louise Ross from the Samaritans sponsor. There are many things we simply Foundation proudly admits, “there is little more rewarding on Christmas Day have to hire and purchase for the day. It’s heartening to also see their employees than to see the joy on the faces of those who, without this event, would be alone get involved in the event as well on the day.“ or perhaps go without a meal or gift.” The Port Waratah Commercial Team In 2014, over 800 people enjoyed the have a tradition in heading down to the lunch, which includes a two-course meal, event on Christmas Eve and to help set up. a present and a visit from Santa. On top Even CEO, Hennie du Plooy, has taken of this, over 1,000 takeaway meals were time to help and be with the families. distributed to ensure they had food over the coming days. The very foundation of Samaritans is social The lunch has become a large community justice, and during a day that is increasingly about abundance, the Christmas Lunch event with over 230 Samaritans volunteers sharing their Christmas Day in the park is giving so many needy people and the days leading up to the event. so much more than a meal.
There is little more rewarding on Christmas Day than to see the joy on the faces of people who otherwise may have gone without.
Samaritans 27
Chuck Duck & Rooster Cluck Giving kids a reason to smile Charles Webster’s life is a story about inspiring hope. The childhood he left behind is one he works hard to ensure other children will never experience for themselves.
likely to become isolated and have a low self-worth. No kid should have that.”
“The biggest worry is when there is no laughter,” Charles adds. “If there’s no laughter in a child’s life, they’re more
“When I hear kids laugh, we’ve done our job. It fills my heart with joy and we should never take it for granted.”
“Of course trying to feed all these kids is expensive and that’s where Port Waratah come in. The money they donate helps to “For many children, the feeling of isolation feed lots of needy children. Lots of them!” and loneliness starts at primary school. Charles adds, “I don’t make a song and High school is the point where they act dance about my sponsors. It’s only about on it, from self-harming to suicide. We’re the kids and helping them. Port Waratah about showing these kids they have don’t expect anything in return and that worth and can be something.” says a lot about who they are.” Charles started the Chuck Duck and For 18 years now, Charles has been Rooster Cluck charity to help provide growing the Chuck Duck charity. needy kids with the basics; nutritious “A lot of these kids come from homes warm meals, footwear and a safe where there is no motivation or will to environment to share what they are going achieve. It’s simple, to help children see through. Special puppets, designed by a beyond that lifestyle we have to show puppet crafter from Sesame Street, have them self-worth and that they are valued.” been created to entertain the children.
We never say no to kids… we always work out how to help these kids.
Port Waratah – Working in partnership To us at Port Waratah working in partnership to help build a vibrant and sustainable Newcastle community is about more than just providing funding. With the majority of our employees living locally, we are passionate about positively contributing to the Newcastle region, because it’s our community as well. Employee involvement in community initiatives is led by the Carrington and Kooragang Terminal Sponsorship and Donations Committees. Each committee meets monthly to consider applications from local suburbs, identify emerging issues or opportunities in order to provide a helping hand and help provide community groups access to operational resources or expertise.
Their activities have ranged from helping to organise the Throsby Mangrove Makeovers, giving a helping hand at the Hunter Homeless Connect Day and supporting other employees in their fundraising efforts for local charities. As much as possible we seek to leverage our skills, knowledge and resources to build capacity in the community members and organisations we work with. This can range from providing mentoring to young engineering high school students to prepare for an upcoming competition, to our professionals sitting on management reference groups such as Harry’s House, through to donation of equipment, such as old computers
being donated to Lifeline to assist job hunters. For every injury free month at our operations we also provide a $2,000 donation to a local charity. We have also started a tradition that for significant injury-free milestones, that particular team is able to select a charity or cause to provide a donation to. It has also been a long standing tradition that the Community Investment Fund will match dollar for dollar funds donated by employees to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter and Toy Run each year. This has resulted in tens of thousands of dollars being raised by the Port Waratah family for these two worthy causes.
“We are grateful for the ongoing support and input of Nadine from Port Waratah who continues to be a key member of our Foundation’s Advisory Committee. Thanks Nadine for your passion, hard work and commitment.” David and Samantha Meyn, Harry’s House. 29
People
Maintaining and improving health and wellbeing levels is a foundation stone of personal and community development. We are proud to invest in a range of programmes which sponsor local community health and fitness initiatives, support our world-class health services and invest in cutting-edge research. Education and training is an equally important part of the development equation and over the last three years we have invested in the next generation of leaders by supporting education and training opportunities in the local community from primary school through to university and TAFE.
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PORT WARATAH HAVE INVESTED OVER
$800,000
IN PEOPLE BASED INITIATIVES OVER THE PAST
88% EDUCATION & TRAINING
12%
HEALTH & WELLBEING
As a local business, we are proud to have invested over $3 MILLION in a range of internal programs, including apprenticeships and traineeships through to university scholarships and paid work experience.
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Carrington Public School
34
The power of music From boosting student participation, motivation, “Once students felt the power of the drums and the sound “The satisfaction and excitement the children have increasing NAPLAN results and most importantly they made as a group, it just snowballed in popularity. when they represent their school is enormous. children’s self-esteem, the funding of a drumming The children now are so motivated. We’ve seen a growth We’ve seen boosts in self-worth, academic studies, in their attention span, that was the power of drumming, student attendance and engagement. We’ve also seen workshop and support teaching materials has seen a greater appreciation for global cultures which started results at Carrington Public School that many other it created mindfulness and improved concentration.” with our African drumming classes.” schools would be envious of. The boost in concentration has flowed into the classroom, To open children’s minds to a larger world and its In helping support the communities they operate in, where additional teaching materials have helped inspire possibilities, while uniting them as a group, is surely a the children’s minds. The funding helped purchase Port Waratah contributed to Carrington Public School for true sign of nurturing potential and the benefits it can “concrete learning tools” where the students could apply a series of student educational and engagement tools. Part bring. “The flow on effect is tangible,” says Meredith. real world problems to mathematics. of this funding included a specialised drumming programme, “It makes things easier for the staff as it becomes contagious which is rapidly improving student engagement in the school. “By taking education out of a book and into a physical and the school has a wonderful motivated, happy feel.” environment, students can feel, see and gauge, the Carrington Public School Principal, Meredith Lindsay problems they are solving. We also used money for The pride the kids have is truly wonderful. explains, “Children lead such busy lives today and some the purchase of new novels and books for the children, We see it in their eyes. spend a lot of time isolated on a computer. The drumming to offer a greater spectrum of reading materials and programme is the complete opposite. Drumming is done appreciation of literature.” as a group. The students must all work together for The results have paid off, with a boost in their NAPLAN it to be successful, and this teaches them rhythm and results being above the state average for growth. persistence. The children have to keep sustained focus The teachers are seeing the results in the classroom with while they drum.” the children being more motivated and attentive. At first there was scepticism about the programme, but when other students saw how much fun was being had and the sense of collaboration as a group, the numbers grew, as did the results.
The drumming has been a great catalyst for change, and this year the Drumming Group participated in the 2015 Bandfest and were awarded two of three certificates, a Highly Commended and Excellence in Performance.
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Port Waratah are helping to build the next generation of community leaders As a local business, Port Waratah is committed to helping build the next generation of community leaders. By investing in world leading skills, education and experiences, Newcastle can continue to be a diverse and dynamic region. By partnering with local schools and education providers, we are guiding and enabling the next generation. From primary school to university, we work with schools and education providers to leverage our knowledge, technology and resources to help students be the best they can be. The lessons learnt at primary school are the foundation stones for life. This is why we seek to work in partnership with our local portside primary schools. Some of the activities we partner to deliver include offering tours and presentations about our facilities, supporting P&C fundraising efforts for new equipment and infrastructure, recognising and supporting talent through scholarships and school prizes, as well as engaging in
larger investment programmes targeting literacy, numeracy and development. Science, technology, engineering and maths have long been strengths of Newcastle’s workforce and providing support for local school students to have an exposure and develop a passion for these subjects sets up the region to compete on the world stage. Over the last three years we have supported local students with an interest in these areas by providing funding and mentoring opportunities so they can participate in the Hunter Valley Electric Vehicle Festival, Science and Engineering Challenge, NU Racing and the F1 Challenge. As a business we also seek to offer a number of in-house learning and development opportunities through our award-winning apprenticeship programme and University of Newcastle scholarships which provide monetary support for two local students along with opportunities for paid work experience.
IN ONE WORD, WHAT DIFFERENCE HAS PORT WARATAH MADE TO YOUR INITIATIVE?
INFORMATIVE GRATIFYING
BELIEF GROWTH VISION
SATISFYING
EMPOWERMENT
BELIEF
CATALYST INVALUABLE JOY
ACHIEVEMENT
UNITY
SUCCESS
POSSIBILITIES INFLUENTIAL
CONTINUITY
SUPPORT
VIABLE
EVERYTHING
SUSTAINABILITY
AMAZING ENABLING FULFILLING 35
Soul Café Reaching out, making a difference Mental health issues are often shunned by many in our society. Soul Café, through the help of Port Waratah, has allocated funds for a Mental Health Nurse to be onsite to reach out to people needing assistance. Manager of Soul Café, Karen Soper explains the positive impact of the role, “with the mental health nurse, we can provide ‘outreach’ mental health support to people with persistent mental health issues in a non-threatening, friendly, familiar environment.”
feel valued and supported, guiding them back to feeling there is hope.” The service is growing with an average of 20 people per month, with other community service organisations often referring the service to their clients. This is done knowing the individual will receive continuity in their care and be regularly followed up. The response from the individuals is very positive, as they understand Soul Café is a place where people genuinely care and are trying to help them lead positive and healthy lives.
The ‘outreach’ is what makes Soul Café unique in that they reach out to clients, so they don’t have to find the service or deal with the usual process of navigating Karen sums up the strength of having through a system with scheduled appointments, which is frequently the Mental Health Nurse for customers, ineffective for people living with a mental “we work side by side with them health issue. through their journey, being guided by a professional with many years experience For Karen there are many proud working in this field.” The results have moments in seeing this role come to been positive, helping turn the lives of life. “It’s vital to be able to build genuine relationships with clients, making them locals around.
I’ve found that I do have potential. I’m a better person.
Intervention builds futures “As a mother of a severely disabled child, “The funding has certainly empowered us in this rapidly shifting industry. As a result any support and advice around management of your child helps immensely. we’ve been able to help empower many families, through physiotherapy supports Having access to physiotherapy at and early intervention,” Darleen explains. Firstchance has been fantastic.” This is the kind of feedback Firstchance General Manager, Darleen Taylor loves. As one of the first services to transition to the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme), Firstchance is a unique service that works with families so they can develop the skills to support their child’s development. From physiotherapy to speech pathology, their Early Childhood Intervention Programmes are aimed at children from zero to nine years old living with disability. To promote their services and help establish their physiotherapy as a revenue stream, Firstchance initiated the Building our capacity, Strengthening our future project in 2014. Port Waratah’s contribution helped Firstchance move to a sustainable funding model that does not rely on short term grants.
The funding also has positive flow on effects for staff, who are motivated by working hard to make it easier for parents and carers to support their child’s progress. Together we help reach their developmental milestones so they have a bright future. Just as the funding has a positive flow on effect, the work of Firstchance flows on as well. “We are passionate about the rights of children with a disability and their families to be truly included in their communities and to receive quality supports which build their skills, confidence and independence.” Darleen and her staff are proud to see the positive results of their work each day and by creating a sustainable structure now, Firstchance has the ability to help many more families into the future.
Firstchance 37
Harry’s House A home from the heart For any family cancer can have devastating effects. When Samantha and David Meyn lost their seven year old son Harry to the disease, they created Harry’s House as part of the Harry Meyn Memorial Foundation to help other families with no-cost short-term accommodation during their child’s treatment.
Based in Stockton, Harry’s House has seen locals offering all levels of support. Port Waratah were proud to assist as the first major sponsor for the Harry Meyn Foundation.
“Port Waratah believed in our vision and were with us every step of the way to make our dream a reality. “This place becomes a home away We knew after losing Harry that we from home for dozens of families. wanted to give back to our community The feedback we get has been amazing just like our community helped us.” with many people saying how much they Now in its third year, Harry’s House cherished the chance to reconnect as a Family Retreat has helped many families family unit,” Samantha says. through one of the most trying and The sense of giving back and helping distressing times a family faces. others is vital to serving the community. For Samantha it’s all about belief. For the Meyns, the three years of funding from Port Waratah has made dreams “We are so passionate about improving the lives of these children as they all come true. “We feel very privileged to be part of these families’ lives. have such beautiful spirit and if we can make them smile for just a little time, We take great pride in hearing about their experiences at our retreat.” it’s all worthwhile.”
Our mission is to ease the burden on families both financially and emotionally.
A clearer future When your research can potentially help the vision of 1.5 billion people worldwide, you know it’s worth pursuing. HMRI medical researcher and Senior Lecturer from the University of Newcastle’s School of Psychology, Dr Sally McFadden has been investigating mechanisms that trigger the eye disease myopia. Many of us will know someone with myopic eyes, we commonly refer to it as being short-sighted. Myopic eyes are too long for their optical power because of excessive growth. As myopia increases, it becomes a cause of blindness and is associated with other debilitating eye diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma and retinal detachment. Dr McFadden explains the effect it can have on children. “Myopia potentially affects their schooling, their ability to play sport and be active, and even their confidence.” Dr McFadden’s research has been determining the importance of retinal signals and sclera strength in causing myopia. In collaboration with an international team that included a Nobel Prize-winning
scientist, she has detected some neurons in the eye that seemingly trigger the disease. Like many scientific discoveries, research, support and persistence are the keys to finding a breakthrough and funding support helps the team continue their research. The team is currently developing new drugs to inhibit the excessive eye growth and change the structure of eye tissues to make them stronger and resist the changes that occur in myopia. Dr McFadden explains the unique vision supporters need, “Port Waratah often invest in the ‘unknown’ and the ‘untried’, understanding that game-changing ideas and innovations often emerge suddenly in the medical research sphere.” The group is now working closely with a pharmaceutical company to develop a new drug for clinical trialling. It has the potential to help billions of people worldwide who have the disease or will be at risk of developing it. This breakthrough from a Newcastle team, working alongside international researchers, is a fantastic testament to local pioneers.
Globally1.5 billion people are affected by myopia.
HMRI 39
HMRI & University of Newcastle
The power of parenting and partnering The bond between fathers and daughters can be pivotal to the development and wellbeing of the child. To explore the idea of fathers as “agents of change” in their daughters’ lives, Port Waratah supported a world first community-based programme called DADEE. Standing for Dads And Daughters Exercising and Empowered, the eight week programme targets both fathers and daughters with the view to improve physical activity levels, sport skills and social-emotional wellbeing. The need for the programme comes from an understanding that 80% of girls are not meeting physical activity recommendations. It is easy for females to become marginalised during their childhood in relation to physical activity in school and the community. No previous study has tested these theories using a rigorous research design. Professor Philip Morgan explains the range of programme topics including fitness and physical activity, sport skills, female role models, challenge and adventure, family and community spirit. “Importantly, the programme had a distinct focus on educating fathers about the unique influence they have on their daughters’ wellbeing and the idea of ‘equalist’ parenting, which addresses the culture of gender prejudice that permeates all aspects of girls’ lives.”
The power of this opportunity obviously struck a chord with participants. “While we initially planned to recruit only 50 families, an overwhelming response meant that we more than doubled our target and recruited 115 dads and 153 daughters! We eventually needed to start a waiting list for next year and run the programme on multiple evenings across multiple school terms to cater for everyone,” Professor Morgan explains. Lead Chief Investigator Professor Philip Morgan utilised a team of co-investigators for the DADEE programme including Dr Alyce Barnes, Professor David Lubans, Dr Myles Young and Dr Narelle Eather. Together their research has paid off with the project recently awarded the highly prestigious and competitive national prize for ‘Best study in physical activity and health promotion’ at the 2015 ASICS Sports Medicine Australia conference.
of the study, but it is even more powerful to have witnessed how the benefits of these new father-daughter connections have extended to other areas of life.” A programme that receives national, scientific recognition, strengthens family bonds, educates and inspires families to live healthier, more confident lives is truly empowering.
This programme should be mandatory for all fathers. It is the BEST thing I have done in my life for my daughter, myself and my family.
Recognition from the scientific community is testament to the rigorous work conducted by the team, yet the greatest thrill has been the programme itself. “Running the DADEE programme has been the most incredibly rewarding, satisfying and enjoyable experience of our lives! Bringing dads into their daughters’ lives through physical activity and sport has been a fantastic outcome
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Lifeline Let’s start talking Unfortunately for many parts of society, suicide and mental health are still taboo subjects. Despite nearly 45% of all Australian adults experiencing mental illness, less than half receive the help they need. To help combat this, Lifeline Newcastle and Hunter created the stART talking programme to provide a special memento for families touched by suicide. This memento is a painting. A portrait of the person lost to suicide, which helps reflect that suicide has a very real face, which could affect any one of us. The programme was also designed to raise funds and awareness. Kathie, a local artist who participates in the programme, describes the impact this
can have, “I thought if we can put the faces to some stories then maybe, just maybe, we could reach out to someone and let them know they are not alone. Suicide thrives on silence and isolating people. So the key to beating suicide is to stART talking, to speak up and to join forces.� The sponsorship Port Waratah gives has helped to fund the training for an additional Lifeline telephone counsellor. stART talking has been successful in opening discussions about suicide, prevention and mental health issues. By taking the time to listen to our fellow workers and family, we can reduce the pain this causes to so many in our community.
We estimate that every Lifeline crisis support volunteer saves 32 lives a year.
Specialist care For many undergoing chemotherapy, having a specialist Nursing Practitioner in Oncology can make a deep personal difference during such a challenging time. For Gillian Blanchard, starting such a demanding role is testament to her desire to provide quality nursing services to patients. “At first it was an adjustment for patients seeing a nurse rather than a doctor but now it is part of the standard of care for patients at Calvary Mater Newcastle,” she says. The Nursing Practitioner role originally started as a three year trial in 2011, co-funded by Port Waratah and Supporters of Cancer. The role was so successful it was funded by the Calvary Mater/Hunter New England Health on an ongoing basis.
Gillian has provided almost 4,000 acts of care for patients in the Newcastle area in that time. Further to this, the role has also allowed a new career pathway for Oncology Nurses at the Calvary Mater Newcastle as well as other services expanding to look at the Nurse Practitioner model of care. The benefits for the patients are evident in their testimonials for Gillian’s quality of service. “It has been a pleasure and a relief to especially see someone like Gillian who obviously cares greatly for her patients and brings her personality to ensure patients feel comfortable in what can be a stressful situation. I cannot speak highly enough of her.” For Gillian, she can sum up the whole experience in one simple word – success. “It’s not an easy job but knowing I can make a difference makes it all worthwhile.”
Over the three year trial waiting times for first treatment reduced from six to eight weeks to two or three.
Supporters of Cancer & Calvary Health Care 43
Environment & Economy Creating sustainable and resilient futures which balance social, economic and environmental factors should be the goal of any business looking towards a brighter future. Fundamental to achieving this vision is creating a culture of creativity, collaboration and innovation within the community to develop pioneering technology and new ways of doing things. We are proud to be supporting a diverse range of new and emerging technologies, environmental conservation and business support projects. We hope you enjoy their stories as much as we’ve enjoyed seeing them grow.
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PORT WARATAH HAVE INVESTED OVER
$230,000 IN ECONOMIC & ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES OVER THE PAST
11% ECONOMIC RESILIENCE & DIVERSITY
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
60% 29%
NEW TECHNOLOGY & SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
45
Tom Farrell Institute for Environment
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Inspiring future minds The Hunter Valley Electric Vehicle Festival is a testament to embracing change and provides students with the chance to solve real world problems through Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). The Tom Farrell Institute for the Environment created the festival as a fun and practical way for high school students to engage in STEM practices and expose them to the opportunities of future careers that could develop as a result of changing technologies. The EV Prize has grown from eight teams in 2011, to 61 teams in 2014, which also featured 5,000 spectators. Organisers Professor Tim Roberts and Latha Lewis explain, “it gives great satisfaction having so many attending and witnessing the jubilant students on the podium receiving their prizes.”
a few parents wanting information about our course when their own children’s school refused to promote it or support it. The HVEVF has been responsible for the huge growth in high school student enrolments seen since 2012.”
I learnt a number of ways to overcome electrical, mechanical and design problems. But I mostly learnt perseverance.
The growing popularity of the event was such that schools requested the rules be changed to include more riders in the race to provide opportunities for more student participation. Professor Tim Roberts explains their solution allowed “for an increase in the number of teams to include more students in the project and create supporting project roles to quality match team skills required with individual strengths such as design skills, innovation skills and entrepreneur skills to harness the full extent of the project prizes.”
The event has created a strong interest in the power Seeing a community event inspire many bright young of STEM in solving real world problems with many minds into engineering and problem solving to help our future shows the power of community partnership and teacher and student groups enquiring about furthering investment. Just as important for Professor Tim Roberts their understanding and pursuing careers in the area. is the opportunities it provides for future generations. In fact David Leask, Head Teacher of Electronics at the Hunter Institute of TAFE says, “as a direct result of our “By fostering student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics we’re helping cater for involvement in the EV festival I have many school teachers contacting me to engage in technical discussions and quite what we believe will be the future of jobs growth.”
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Merewether High School
Nurturing for long term benefits To represent your country in any competition is a great honour, and to do that as part of a global technology challenge is an inspiring moment that came true for a team from Merewether High School. In 2012 Port Waratah began their sponsorship of a group of Merewether High School students to foster their skills in engineering, maths and science. Port Waratah supported the students with on-site tours and mentoring by the engineering team to give the group insights into aerodynamics, robotics and mechanical engineering. By 2014 three Merewether students were chosen to represent Australia and partnered with Barker College for the 2014 F1 in Schools Technology Challenge. Known as the Southern Cross F1 Team, they placed sixth amongst a staggering nine million students from 31 nations at the World Finals in Abu Dhabi. The competition is quite literally a scaled down version of an F1 team and all that it encompasses. But far more than creating miniature F1 racing cars, it is a holistic
action learning programme which focuses on developing long term employability skills. Students learn leadership, team building, project management, business planning, public speaking, marketing, collaboration, writing and presentation skills. Beyond these amazing results, organiser Michael Platt explains the benefits of the programme, “it enables students to pursue their desire to succeed in the world’s most competitive STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) competition. It has given staff the opportunity to experience ‘real world environments’ that they can relate to in their teaching and it is helping us to promote STEM within the school in order to encourage students to select the related subjects.” For Port Waratah, the results are a wonderful reflection of constant partnering and guidance, while exposing young motivated minds to real world scenarios. For these students, playing for long-term benefits is paying off.
The team gained sixth place in the World Finals in Abu Dhabi.
Keeping the region informed To make a decision on the future, it is essential to have unique and reliable, economic and social data. That is the basis of the Hunter Research Foundation’s (HRF) regional research programme. This programme helps deliver insights that can move our region forward. As Hunter Research Foundation CEO, Dr Brent Jenkins explains, “the power of independent, trustworthy and unbiased information that is freely available to everyone in our community cannot be underestimated in a world where information proliferates but is often of uncertain provenance or unreliable.” Letting the information be freely available is vital to the community, business and government so it can create informed decisions. The Hunter Region is changing, with its economy in transition and its community facing challenges. Port Waratah has helped fund a series of targeted research projects for the region. This includes: barriers affecting global competitiveness for Hunter
manufacturers in the Manufacturing our Future research; the YOUnite research examining ways to improve outcomes for Hunter youth; the Future of Hunter Services Sector seeking to generate jobs and add economic value to our growing and important services sector; and lastly a monitor of health, wealth and happiness of Hunter residents in Wellbeing Watch. HRF is an enabler of change, acting as a conduit for regional stakeholders and community groups to begin important conversations to advance our region. Dr Jenkins explains, “as a father of two, I am driven by a strong desire to help create a region where my daughters can have opportunities for meaningful careers and fulfilling lives. I get out of bed each morning to make a contribution to fostering the difficult conversations and sharing the evidence to support rational discussion around the issues that hold the Hunter back from reaching its full potential – economically and socially.”
Hunter Research Foundation 49
Many Rivers Seeds of growth Many Rivers is an innovative to make a positive change to their not-for-profit organisation that facilitates lives and offer a much needed hand to micro-enterprise development services break down the hurdles to undertaking to regional and remote communities, with their own business. The feedback from a strong focus on Indigenous Australians. participants speaks volumes: In just seven years they have grown to 16 locations across NSW, QLD and WA. “I’ve gone from a glass half empty to a glass half full kind of person and that’s Port Waratah has supported their happened from meeting Dylan. Taking the Newcastle Operations, and Dylan business on every day is a challenge but Dyer, Newcastle Field Officer discusses I surprise myself every day as well.” the impacts and achievements they’ve made, “over the past 3 years we’ve “I feel like my family and I, we’ve got a future now where we didn’t before.” helped establish 28 small businesses generate formal income and provided loans totalling $194,000. This helps the owners of the business and their families plus the wider community in the form of economic activity, boost in morale and employment opportunities. These 28 businesses have provided 53 local jobs.” The organisation is directly giving individuals the opportunity and expertise
“This is a great example of locals supporting local business and those connections coming from all avenues to best help our clients to flourish in business and in their lives.” Dylan adds, “support is what it’s all about. Offering expertise, motivation and financial assistance creates support, where before there was nothing.”
In three years we helped 28 small businesses and created 53 jobs.
Restoring a lush history To help sustain improved outcomes for the Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project, the Kooragang volunteers knew the creation of a propagation nursery would give them the facilities to continue plant production. Not many people realise the Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project is one of the largest active coastal rehabilitation projects in Australia. To ensure plants are of the correct genetic origin, new plants are produced from samples of species found on the Lower Hunter River. Port Waratah completed the fundraising required to ensure construction of a propagation nursery to be built on Ash Island. There is now a well-equipped shed for the initial cutting and seed sowing, a storage shadehouse which can be adapted to second stage sprouting and misting, a propagation house with automatic watering and finally a thriving ‘hardening off’ area. The funding has also ensured the equipment is commercial quality, with an expected lifespan of 30 years.
Julia Brougham from the Kooragang volunteers commented on the benefits it has created. “The team who does the greatest part of the propagation delight in being able to work efficiently, comfortably and productively and in seeing trays of the plants they have grown going into the ground.” While the plant propagation nursery will help sustain restoration for decades to come, already we are seeing that the native flora and fauna has begun thriving. Julia explains, “importantly this includes the threatened and vulnerable species which are returning to the estuary. Local and international visitors are impressed with the diversity they find so close to a major city and surrounding industrial complexes.” The ongoing success of the Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation Project is the result of over two decades of volunteers, government agencies, Landcare, local industry and businesses working together.
The plant propagation nursery is ensuring that the restoration will continue for decades to come.
Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation 51
Thank You PORT WARATAH WOULD LIKE TO THANK AND ACKNOWLEDGE:
Emma Lalic, Salvation Army
Nick Moretti, Newcastle Italian Film Festival
Frank Elgar, Newcastle Maritime Centre
All of our community partners who have contributed and participated in our Community Investment and Partnership Programme.
Peter Harvey, Variety
Gillian Blanchard, Supporters of Cancer & Calvary Health Care
Professor Philip Morgan, DADEE Project
In particular, those that have taken the time to complete interviews for this book:
Hugh Cross, Society of Artists Julia Brougham, Kooragang Wetland Rehabilitation
Professor Tim Roberts, Tom Farrell Institute for Environment Reverend Gary Dodd, Mission to Seafarers
Adrian Harte, Merewether Surf Life Saving Club
Karen Soper, Soul CafĂŠ
Belinda Walmsley, Dixon Park Surf Life Saving Club
Ken Fayle, ANZAC Dawn Service
Brad Kinniard, Newcastle Surf Life Saving Club
Kim Hillery, Mattara Festival
Charles Webster, Chuck Duck & Rooster Cluck
Liz Anelli, Port Mapping Project
Darleen Taylor, Firstchance
Louise Ross, Samaritans
David & Samantha Meyn, Harry Meyn Memorial Foundation
Lukas Junker, Carrington Tennis Club
Dr Brent Jenkins, Hunter Research Foundation
Melanie McKinnon, Throsby Big Brunch
Dr Sally McFadden, HMRI
Meredith Lindsay, Carrington Public School
Dylan Dyer, Many Rivers
Michael Platt, Merewether High School
Elaine Johnson, HUGS
Monique Maguire, OzHarvest
For more information about Port Waratah Coal Services please visit our website
Emma Askew, Lifeline
Narelle Blick, Nobbys Surf Life Saving Club
www.pwcs.com.au
Maree Gleeson, Light Up Newcastle
Wendy Peacock, Newcastle Community Arts Centre All of our employees, contractors and other partners who have helped contribute and support the programme over the last three years. The team at Out of the Square Media for their help in developing this book. Last but not least, the passionate, generous and hardworking community of Newcastle.
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