Ports of Tauranga

[Timesurfer]

Fear mongering much?

[Snoopy]

If the POT workers (or anyone else for that matter) choose NO to the vaccine then fair enough. If you choose yes, then fair enough also!

It's an interesting discussion and thanks for your input but I've broken my own rule of spending time and energy having COVID related discussions online - so I'll leave it at that now.

Wilco, this thread is getting off topic but you have raised some important points. So I will transfer that part of the discussion to the Coronavirus thread. However, to address the POT bit of your reply....

No-one is proposing forced vaccination of people. But employers do have the right to require vaccination for certain jobs linked to our border. So if a POT worker declines to be vaccinated that is their right. But it is also the right of their employer to remove them from that border contact position.

I think what has been lost in this discussion is that the main purpose of the Covid-19 vaccination program is to keep as many out of hospital as possible. So far this has been achieved as out ICU units have not been overwhelmed (although the situation is precarious right now with another disease, RSV, taking those ventilator spots). Transfer of the virus to other people is something that has up until now has largely been achieved by lockdowns, not the vaccination.

However there is some emerging evidence that spacing the time between the two vaccinations out to between six and twelve weeks will significantly reduce the ability pf the virus to transfer from person to person. I would be very surprised if this was not more widely confirmed soon, because that is consistent with how the body's immune system responds to other 'booster' vaccines. The reason why this has not been confirmed up to now is that early administration of the vaccine did not have a goal of reducing virus transfer. It was stopping hospitalizations and death that was the sole initial goal. Now the primary goal has been achieved, we can put more effort into optimizing the vaccine doses and timing to reduce person to person transfer.

SNOOPY

[Count von Count]

For an individual thats a simplistic approach to doing a risk/benefit analysis. It takes no account of many other factors, including age, the state of ones health (last time I looked the CDC data indicated that in 94% of reported COVID deaths the victims had about 2.5 other serious co-morbidities), whether those victims even had COVID (CDC has now advised that as of 31 Dec 2021 PCR will not be used as there are many other tests that are better at differentiating between COVID and influenza; and deaths within 28 days of positive PCR are put down to COVID), long term effects of the vaccine (mRNA use on humans is new and we've only observed its consequences for about 6 months), other serious side effects of the vaccine other than death (there are many), whether the COVID vaccine has any benefits at all (it's accepted that it doesn't stop you getting COVID - or passing it on), how deadly is COVID (delta variant) now (the natural evolution of a virus is to become more virulent but LESS deadly), etc, etc, ...

For each person this assessment will be different; most won't even do it and will just follow doctors orders - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut2yHSc5rWc&t=26s

If the POT workers (or anyone else for that matter) choose NO to the vaccine then fair enough. If you choose yes, then fair enough also!

It's an interesting discussion and thanks for your input but I've broken my own rule of spending time and energy having COVID related discussions online - so I'll leave it at that now.

I agree that this is getting off topic, but not sure I can sit idly by while you present arguments that misuse statistics and the intentions of databases to monitor adverse medical events.

Point 1: You talk about Snoopy not understanding risk and exposure, but you may be missing the risk and exposure point yourself.

When COVID was circulating in the community in NZ, it was through the general population - so people of all age ranges.

Vaccination, particularly back in July 15, has been restricted to front like boarder workers, health workers and so forth. And the elderly. Approx 850k of the 1.5M jabs have been used in a high risk group (the elderly). So when considering risk and exposure, the vaccine has been used in high risk people, and COVID hasn't been restricted to the same high risk personnel. So the data that Snoopy presented was inaccurate, but not in the way that you would hope, as it runs counter to the point you wanted to make.

Secondly, adverse incident reporting in the medical industry is designed to mitigate risk. The raw data (as you presented here) is misleading, as all context is lost. Essentially, the approach is to log any potential incident, and look for patterns. This is even if the incident is entirely unrelated. So if I have my vaccine and develop an infection a few days later, it is a serious incident, even if the infection is related to the rusty fish hook wound in my hand. Correlation does not equal causation - epidemiologists look for correlations in this data, then investigate possible causations. Presenting the raw data is a gross misuse of what it is intended for, which is to log everything, regardless of how minor.

Finally, we are lucky to have a period of time where COVID was circulating in the community without the vaccine complicating statistics. The effect that COVID had on the community was clear. 1 in 25 people needed hospitalisation, and 1 in 25 of those hospitalised needed ICU care including ventilation. The mean time for ventilation is around 10-14 days. That means lots of people would die, not because of COVID but because impossible health-rationing decisions would have needed to have been made.

In contrast, the vaccine essentially turns COVID into the common cold. And don't get me started about mRNA vaccines - they have been around since the mid-90's, but there has not been the excuse to use them until now.

The Atlantic has an outstanding article about this, including a Delta Variant update. Please read: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...ndgame/619726/

[Timesurfer]

Interesting how the virus was raging around the world for months before any requirements at all were placed on port workers. Suddenly masks (paper) were required and gloves (cotton) when off loading boats - and now vaccines.

Expect more of this from shipping companies https://1news.co.nz/one-news/new-zea...ip-nelson-port

[RTM]

I

The Atlantic has an outstanding article about this, including a Delta Variant update. Please read: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...ndgame/619726/

Great post and thank you for sharing the Atlantic link. Should be compulsory reading for anyone who wishes to comment on COVID-19.

[Jaa]

Fear mongering much?

Wish you could be so cocky to my 56yr old mate who had COVID in May and died in ICU just as I described, except he never had a chance to get vaccinated.

At least he got medical care, if you want to feel the fear, Google "Brought in Dead COVID" or "Dead on Arrival COVID". This is the health rationalising the Count talks about.

[Sideshow Bob]

15% increase - got to be happy with that.....

POT Financial Results for the Year to 30 June 2021 - NZX, New Zealand’s Exchange

POT Financial Results for the Year to 30 June 2021

27/8/2021, 8:41 amFLLYRPort of Tauranga Result Boosted by
Increased Trade Volumes and Strong
Subsidiary and Associate Earnings

Financial results for the year to 30 June 2021

Port of Tauranga, New Zealand’s largest port, today reported Group Net Profit After Tax of $102.4 million, a 15.4% increase, on 25.7 million tonnes of trade.
A 14.3% increase in log exports and a 46.0% increase in Subsidiary and Associate Company earnings were balanced by increased costs and reduced container volumes due to supply chain congestion.

Results summary:

• Total trade increased 3.8% to 25.7 million tonnes (up from 24.8 million tonnes)
• Container volumes decreased 4.1% to 1,200,831 TEUs (down from 1,251,741 TEUs)
• Group Net Profit After Tax increased 15.4% to $102.4 million, up from an adjusted $88.7 million the previous year
• Subsidiary and Associate Companies’ earnings of $18.6 million, a 46.0% increase
• Final dividend of 7.5 cents per share
• Total ordinary dividend of 13.5 cents per share
• Imports increased 4.0% to 9.4 million tonnes
• Exports increased 3.6% to 16.3 million tonnes

Port of Tauranga Chair, David Pilkington, says the results are very pleasing considering the well-documented supply chain challenges of the past year.
“As the world continues to grapple with the devastating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been major disruption in international supply chains. Constrained capacity in parts of the New Zealand supply chain, especially at Ports of Auckland, has exacerbated delays and restricted our ability to adapt quickly to the needs of importers and exporters,” says Mr Pilkington.

“International shipping capacity is in hot demand and costs for shippers have skyrocketed.”

Within this context, he says Port of Tauranga has proven to be strong and resilient.

“Our diversity of cargoes gives us some resilience in terms of revenue, and our long-term freight agreements with key customers give us some certainty of cargo volumes,” he says.

“However, it is not efficient to run a container terminal at more than 100% capacity and our costs, including straddle carrier diesel use and the related carbon emissions, have grown as a result of the congestion we have had to endure. In recent months, we have also experienced the labour shortages felt by many other industries.”
Temporary surcharges for long-stay containers, introduced in January to discourage inefficient cargo flows and relieve yard congestion, helped Port of Tauranga to recover a portion of the additional costs being experienced. Parent Company revenue increased 8.9% to $323.5 million, while operating costs increased more than 15%.
Port of Tauranga Chief Executive, Leonard Sampson, says the Port’s team and contractors have done an outstanding job in the face of the challenges.

“The evolving response to the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on Port of Tauranga operations. Our team has really excelled and deserves special acknowledgement.

“We saw 106 fewer container vessel visits between September 2020 and June 2021. However, the average cargo exchange increased 21.7% due to the reduced vessel frequency and shippers maximising available capacity,” he says.

Near record surges of container volumes in the months of October and December, compounded by constrained rail capacity, caused significant congestion, reduced productivity and weeks-long delays transferring import containers by rail to Auckland.

Additional trains from KiwiRail since May have eased the pressure, however container vessels are still arriving “off window” and are being processed in the order they arrive.

Mr Sampson says Port of Tauranga is extremely grateful for the ongoing support of its customers, who are experiencing extraordinary disruption and uncertainty.
“I’m really pleased that the strength of our partnerships has shone through in these testing times,” he says.

Growing capacity to ease congestion

Mr Sampson says congestion is unlikely to be resolved permanently until vessels can return to schedule and Ports of Auckland is back operating at full capacity. This highlights the need for Port of Tauranga to expand its capacity to cater for future demand.

“We have applied for resource consent to extend our container berths to the south of the existing wharves, by converting existing cargo storage land. This $68.5 million project is a vital piece of national infrastructure if we are to meet future cargo demand and have a resilient supply chain,” he says.

“We are also pursuing our plans to automate some of the container storage at the terminal to increase our capacity within the current land footprint. Our capability will be further extended with the opening of the inland port at the Ruakura Superhub near Hamilton in mid-2022.”

The inland port is being developed in a 50/50 partnership with Tainui Group Holdings.

Cargo trends
Total trade increased 3.8% compared with the previous year, growing to 25.7 million tonnes, although container numbers were 4.1% fewer at 1.2 million TEUs.
Imports increased 4.0% to 9.4 million tonnes, and exports increased 3.6% to 16.3 million tonnes.

Log export volumes bounced back from the 2020 lockdown, increasing 14.3% to 6.3 million tonnes. Sawn timber and wood panel exports decreased 12.4% in volume.
Dairy product exports decreased 1.9% to just over 2.3 million tonnes, reflecting a later-than-usual season and a reduction in tranship volumes.
Kiwifruit exports increased 10.1% in volume.
Oil product imports increased 11.6% in volume, and cement imports increased 42.4% in volume, reflecting the strength in the local economy.
Fertiliser imports decreased 16.9% in volume, grain volumes decreased 8.9% and protein and stock feed imports decreased 10.4%.
Coal imports increased significantly as a result of lower hydro energy production and declining gas production.

People and safety

Frontline workers are subject to regular Covid-19 testing and, with legislation introduced mid-July, are now subject to mandatory vaccination. They must receive their first dose by 30 September, and their second dose by 4 November. Only four of Port of Tauranga’s 49 eligible employees have not yet been fully vaccinated and redeployment options are being explored for any who do not meet the September deadline.

Port of Tauranga treats all visiting vessels as if they have Covid-19 on board and will continue to do so. The Company strongly recommends vaccination as an additional measure to the existing Covid-19 precautions.

While productivity has decreased due to the congestion, the overriding concern has been for port workers’ safety.
“We have made it very clear that safety must be our number one priority and that speed should not come at safety’s expense,” says Mr Sampson.

Sustainability

Air and water quality continues to be a major focus for the Port. The Port expects de-barking of export logs to continue to increase, which has the dual benefits of reducing the need for fumigation and minimising dust and debris.

While the Port continues to comply with all of its stormwater resource consent conditions on both sides of the harbour, we are also investigating options for additional stormwater treatment at the Mount Maunganui wharves.

Port of Tauranga has decided, after consultation with stakeholders, to insist that recapture technology is applied to 100% of methyl bromide fumigations on log stacks from 1 January 2022. This is over and above any current regional or national requirements.

Congestion in the container terminal also resulted in increased diesel consumption from straddle carrier movements, causing a 7.0% increase in overall carbon emissions. However, emissions intensity (emissions per cargo tonne) increased only slightly.
 
Outlook

The outlook for the next financial year remains uncertain.

Mr Sampson says he is confident that Port of Tauranga has resolved land-side congestion issues for now.

“However, the disruption to the international supply chain remains, and the challenges in Auckland are unlikely to be resolved soon,” he says.
Covid-19 precautions will continue to impact efficiency and costs as we continue to prioritise the health and safety of our team members, their whanau and the community. In recent months, we have witnessed a worsening sector-wide labour shortage that could potentially have an impact on operations.

Port of Tauranga will provide earnings guidance for the 2022 financial year at its Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on 29 October 2021.

For more information, please contact:

[Sideshow Bob]

Hopefully these guys are squeezing plenty out of shipping companies who are rorting everyone else.....

POT Improves Performance as Covid Disruption Continues - NZX, New Zealand’s Exchange

Group Net Profit After Tax for the six months to December 2021 was $56.3 million, a 15.6% increase on the same period the previous year, as cargo volumes remained steady at 13.0 million tonnes. Container numbers increased 1.5% in volume to 622,271 TEUs .

Highlights and Challenges

For the six months to 31 December 2021:

• Group Net Profit After Tax increased 15.6% to $56.3 million
• Total trade remained steady, decreasing by just under 0.3%
• Imports increased 2.7% to 5.0 million tonnes
• Exports decreased 2.0% to 8.0 million tonnes
• Container volumes increased 1.5% to 622,271 TEUs
• Transhipped containers decreased 21.4% to 143,339 TEUs
• Subsidiary and Associate Company earnings decreased 11.2%
• Log exports decreased 6.1% to nearly 3.1 million tonnes
• Direct dairy exports increased 2.3%
• Direct kiwifruit exports increased 16.0%
• Interim dividend of 6.5 cents per share, an 8.3% increase on the same period last year.

Port of Tauranga Chair, David Pilkington, said the mid-year financial results reflected the resilience offered by the Port’s diverse portfolio of cargoes and varied income streams, as well as changes to container mix.

[Ricky-bobby]

Share price has been holding up pretty well… market sees as a good defensive stock?

[tango]

The share price is enjoying a wee surge with no news
It went up to 7.20 last night with a parcel of 30,071 shares and up another 7 cents today