Celebrating 35th PNG Independence Day – Kainantu and Wau

The way we celebrated 35^th PNG Independence Day – 16 September 2010

All around Papua New Guinea, NCS people celebrated the 35^th Independence Day with great pride, joy and of course, feasting!

NCS staff had the awesome responsibility to prepare and serve a feast and a celebration – for their clients, guests and colleagues at our sites across PNG. We hope you enjoy some photos from our celebration album and a few special stories too.

Kainantu: elebration a success despite challenges

The team at Kainantu showed that they could still produce a splendid feast despite some last minute supply challenges!

“Our regular supplier of fruit and vegetables failed to supply local vegetables that resulted in my organising an early morning market run with Tex our storeman to get some supplies from the local market” said site manager Aviuah Karu

“Once we overcame those issues and a few other minor hiccups, everyone had a wonderful time. Our Independence celebrations went really well due to co-operation from all NCS staff” she continued.

NSSMTC

A happy and proud group at NSSMTC in Wau at morning tea

Our partners include NCS in training programs

When NCS enters into a contract with another company to provide services, we become partners in the business we service. Whether it’s a mine developer, a Government institution or a commercial business, our commitment is to provide the best quality services to our clients whilst ensuring the safety and protection of our staff and the wider community that support our Client.

That’s what a true partnership is about at NCS.

The mining project sites are usually located in the remotest areas of the country and we have to remind ourselves that NCS, as contractors, are visitors to these sites. We must ensure that we are working in accordance with the safety standards established by our Clients as well as maintaining our own.

Safety on sites is “Namba Wan” and each Project owner has site specific rules and regulations. It is beneficial for the developer that we ensure that our staff also understand what is required of them as part of the remote mining community.

Accordingly, our mining development clients often invite our staff to participate in their safety training programs. It makes practical sense. Should an incident arise, the more people on site trained to respond, improves the chance of a qualified person being in the vicinity to respond to an emergency.

Training at two sites: In recent months, Barrick at Kainantu has included NCS staff on safety training programs including the Courageous Safety Leadership and First Aid and MMJV at Hidden Valley, inclusion in their First Aid Training.

At Hidden Valley with MMJV,  trainer Allyson Jo Toro ran a St John’s First Aid training session for 8 NCS staff. All participants were volunteers who undertook the half day training program in their own time.

The goal was to teach the basics of first aid and how to help in the event that a first aid response is needed. First aid saves lives. In this first training session topics and practical skills covered included:

• CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation)
• Mouth to mouth
• Heart massage
• Recovery position

Follow-up training will be offered to complete basic training and we understand that graduates of this course will be eligible to do the Advanced First Aid course.

Catering Manager John Cole said “We are always happy when our staff take on extra training in an effort to increase their knowledge and abilities, it is good for NCS and better for the staff members.”

He went on to say that this additional opportunity helped to further “bond” our team, which already work well together.

“Sharing this experience has bought them more than just first aid knowledge. It has given them the added confidence in their ability to handle situations as well as a closer team spirit”.

MMJV’s Ms Jo Toro said that it was a joy to have such enthusiastic and eager students. “I am proud you have a good energetic team out there who are ready to promote Health and Basic First Aid and also attend to emergencies back at their workplaces. Not only that, they express gratitude to have learnt a new skill which is valuable to them for life.”

“They were good ambassadors for NCS. Any staff following will have big shoes to fill.”

At Kainantu with Barrick

It’s a similar story up at Kainantu. Ten NCS participants passed their Health and Basic First Aid Training with “flying colours”.

Barrick trainer Douglas Ned said that he was impressed to see them doing the steps of CPR. “Theory and Practical assessment were done and participants examined to ensure they understand the concept of CPR – ensuring that if someone has collapsed, cannot breath and poor blood circulating, that they can get someone breathing before they are referred to hospital.”

NCS remains committed to continuous improvement and the development of all NCS employees. Health and Safety Training is a vital key in this process and is under constant review by NCS senior management

Through mud and flood – the road to site

When the only route to site is across a flooded river…

During the days of heavy rains at the end of January the road from Madang to Ramu literally washed away. Literally chasing the rains and the rising rivers, the NCS Raibus team needed to get urgent supplies up to the Butua Site as it had been isolated, cut off by the Ramu river which had broken its banks in many places a week before.

When the road to Ramu washed away, NCS found ways around getting across

In the true sense of ‘Meeting the Challenge – Every Day’, Project Manager Rob Bennetts said “ We had been getting supplies through by transferring to dugout canoes then heading down stream & loading on to another vehicle. We did not get a photo of NCS staff loading canoes as the river was rising again and we did not want to be stuck on the other side of the river”

“At one point we did decide to cross the river and next time – if  it keeps raining like this – we might consider taking our boat The Warria. You can imagine how difficult this was” he added

Meeting the Challenge: through the MUD

A typical example of how NCS go the extra mile to Meeting the Challenge – Every Day is the regular occurrence of roads being washed away in PNG’s monsoonal rains.

In early January Brian Curran and Corey Polume travelled from Lae to Wau to meet with Lydia Waengo from Wau Fresh Produce and approximately 30 Buang growers to discuss ongoing business of supply to NCS projects.

On the way they were delayed by at least five landslides on the Wau Road and a taxi truck that had also become stuck fast in mud, blocking road access both ways.

Brian (in the driver’s seat) and Corey (knee deep in mud) tried to pull the truck back with the winch on the NCS 4WD, but had no luck moving it. After 90 minutes of trying, an MMJV ‘Troopie’ was able to pull the truck forward and out ably assisted by a group of locals pushing the vehicle.

Landowners benefit by working with NCS

NKW is a Landowner business located in the Hidden Valley area and was established to provide support services to the Hidden Valley Mine project run by another Joint Venture operation, Morobe Mining Joint Venture (Harmony and Newcrest).

NKW Holdings Ltd businesses currently include transport, security and Catering – for which they have been in joint venture partnership with NCS to provide Camp Management and Catering to Hidden Valley since January 2005.

“We work in a very challenging environment. My job is to represent the Landowners and work with our business partners to provide services. I have to bring together the understanding of people and businesses – all with very different ideas and expectations.” said Mr Muntz.

NCS’s initial challenge was to provide three solid meals each day for a K10.00 manday rate. This was delivered within the contract without cutting corners on quality or service delivery. The Hidden Valley project is now seven times larger than its original feasibility.

“NCS are a trustworthy organisation. Their business processes are very professional and this has resulted in the development of a good relationship with the Client. You’ve got to be able to get on with the Client and deliver a service.” Mr Muntz continued. Mr Muntz continued to say that administering the Joint Venture is not hard work with NCS as they sort out any problems immediately.

“NCS is proactive in training which the Landowners consider important – they are willing to invest in the development of the people. Being in PNG is about getting the job done. NCS is one of the leaders in this area and continue to focus on improvement.”

BilDevCo Landowners receive first dividend payments

NCS Kainantu assisted with the dividends directly to the 10 Landowner clans that make up joint venture partnership, BilDevCo Limited.

NCS Commercial Business Manager, Romeo Robinson, was invited to Bilimoia 1 village for the occasion by Jackson Yuave, Barrick Business Development Manager.

In his speech to Shareholders and Directors, Romeo thanked them for the invitation and stated “NCS is a PNG company and we are glad to be in a joint venture arrangement with you. We have been waiting for a meeting like this, especially to witness dividend payments to shareholders in the village”.

He continued “This distribution of benefits is one we’ve worked hard to earn together. We hope this is the first of many opportunities for NCS to celebrate the success of our businesses with our many JV businesses” said Romeo.

“We run our joint venture business in a transparent manner, and I look forward to the partnership continuing in the years ahead” Romeo continued.

Proactive Response to Cholera Outbreak

As news of the Cholera outbreak in Papua New Guinea spread, NCS Project Managers took immediate and proactive steps to ward off any on-site threat.

When news broke of a State of Emergency being implemented due to the outbreak in Wasa, Morobe Province, NCS acted immediately to ensure steps were taken to prevent any occurrence of the highly contagious disease.

An urgent memo was distributed to all sites at 8 am and within the hour news was received that water testing and reinforcement of hygiene standards and procedures were immediately actioned.

When Cholera was reported to have spread to Lae it caused some panic, particularly for staff and students of the University of Technology, one of NCS’s sites. In order to address this, an information forum was convened by the student body to inform and reassure that the issue was being taken care of with the utmost urgency.

NCS Project Manager, Allan Atava, was asked to present at the forum. “My role was to give assurance and guarantee that their meal at the mess was safe for consumption” Allan said. “I spoke about the systems we have in place in food management and the guidelines we follow in food and personal hygiene”. Three doctors also presenting spoke specifically about the disease, its symptoms and precautionary measures.

Over 1,000 people attended the forum. Marcus Gosling, NCS Executive Director, said “After initial talk of closing the University down, the outcome was very good. It was an important way to calm people down after a day of panic.”

CAN DO approach gives NCS Kainantu a headstart

No Challenge is too tough, as NCS Kainantu proved when they recently took on the task of managing and servicing Barrick’s remote exploration camp at Kora.

High up at an altitude of 1600 meters, KOra is in an area difficult to access.

“The fly camp is within the Bilimoia Mining Lease Area, where drill pads are being set up for further drilling”, says Kainantu Project Manager Romeo Robinson. ” it is accessible by chopper and sometimes by road, when it isn’t made impassable by torrential downpours.”

While it is a logistcial challenge, NCS prides itself in finding solutions.

Romeo says that NCS is working closely with the client to provide a persoanlised service that meets their needs and special requirements.

“It’s our “can do” approach and deterimation that is seeing the company grow.”

NCS Kainantu currently has two permanent staff and engaged local landownder to service Kora.

“Jack Maun, Max Smacker and Paul Basil work on a rotational basis withone of them based at Kora at any one time. Nonia Abbai , a local has been trained by NCS and is permanently based on site, looking after Janitorial services.

When Romeo recently paid a visit to the camp, he found Nonia all smiles. The reason behind her obvious joy was the installation of new washing machines – no more bent back doing laundry in the nearby creek!

Things are moving along with noticeable improvements – all the time.

Gadona  – September 2008