Tiwai Pointer

Our ‘Positioning for Success’ programme kicked off with a Change Partner Workshop at the Ascot Park Hotel on Friday 1 March.

The programme is comprised of 14 projects with a current focus on seven projects: Leading for Safety, Employee Experience, Equipment Reliability, Operations Centre, Process Stability, Billet Throughput and Ingot Throughput.

It is the blueprint for how we will achieve our purpose as pioneers in producing low carbon, high purity aluminium essential to human progress and we will best deliver our five priorities of Safety, Cash, People, Growth and Partnerships.

The Change Partner team is made up of 140 Tiwai employees from across departments and role types on site.  A key role for Change Partners is to assist with communicating project updates to team mates.  

The workshop was a great opportunity to discuss how we are (and continue to be) Pioneers and how our Values of Safety, Teamwork, Integrity, Respect and Excellence will help us to achieve our key outcomes.

Former All Black Tamati Ellison spoke to us via Skype and it was great to hear his insights on what makes a successful team and how role modelling our best behaviours will leave a legacy to be proud of.

Change Partner workshops will be scheduled every three months.  To learn more or to become a Change Partner please talk to your leader or manager.

Tiwai employees and their families were out in force on Sunday 10 March for the annual Surf to City event running, cycling and walking their way towards the finish line at Queen’s Park.

Surf to City is the largest event on the Sport Southland calendar and this year Tiwai was highly visible with our team of 300 people representing 10 per cent of overall participation.

Those taking part in the 12 km section braved a chilly start at Oreti Beach, while the 6 km category set out from the intersection of Stead Street and Marama Ave South, and 3 km entrants made their way from Bond Street.

Brand-new team t-shirts were designed to this year to acknowledge our relationship with the local area.  Royal blue was chosen to represent our relationship with water, in particular hydropower, and our focus on contributing to a greener planet.  The Maori 'koru' motif on the sleeve paid homage to the land and its first people.  The rising, symmetrical shape represented the front of a canoe and new beginnings.  Input and approval on the design was provided by Dean Whaanga (Te Ao Marama).  

GM Stew Hamilton said, “It was great to hear the announcer at the start line mention the sea of blue t-shirts and to see our team so well-represented in the community.  Thanks to everyone for your participation and we look forward to another successful event next year.”

A pioneering collaboration supporting the homogeniser furnace shutdown in VDC2 has delivered additional billet production value of more than half a million dollars.

The homogenising furnace is the final heat treatment process for billet.  Last year the team realised that to keep the furnace running long-term it would need a five week shut down for maintenance.     After talking with the operations team it was agreed that to minimise impacts, the shutdown would be scheduled in three phases in November 2018, March 2019 and November 2019.

NZAS contracts supervisor Phil Henderson said, “The lessons from the first shutdown showed we needed a more experienced and qualified team for the subsequent phases, because we knew the March shutdown would be far more mechanically challenging.  As a result we selected tradespeople and skilled staff from three different companies with complementary skills we knew would work well together.  The idea was that the quality of work would not only improve but we would have a team with a complete skillset on hand to deal with any challenges we faced on the job.”

Engineering firms Geo Wilson, Sheet Metalcraft and Electromech were selected for their mechanical and structural competencies, experience in managing shutdowns and well-established safety cultures.  Each firm supplied a leading hand or supervisor to lead the work inside and outside of the furnace while still being hands-on during the shutdown.

The tactic of bringing a new contracting group into the project to improve on the performance of the first shutdown was a success.  The improved skillset and collaborative effort from the team not only completed the shutdown ahead of time but enabled the work on the second homogeniser scheduled for November to be completed as well.  This achievement enabled the creation of an additional two weeks of billet production valued at more than $520k.

Electromech supervisor Brett Newsome said, “Electromech is pleased to have been involved with completing the project safely and more quickly than expected.  We aimed to complete the job over four weeks in two phases, so to complete the whole furnace in just two weeks really shows the benefit of our great cross-team collaboration.”

The efficient completion of the job can be viewed as a significant acceleration based on lessons from the first shutdown experience rather than slack scheduling.  It is also considered a site-wide achievement with all functions and departments playing important supporting roles in achieving the outcome.

Our Leading for Safety project has pioneered another win with NZAS Vehicle Pre-start Check Apps now being used in production replacing the old paper based approach.

The initiative, which was devised and designed in-house by NZAS IT's Kurtis Longman and Edgar Kim, was launched in September last year with the aim to improve the pre-start vehicle check system.

The app utilises existing in-vehicle tablets and has several purposes including providing drivers a quick and easy way to perform the checks, allowing the garage immediate notice of potential vehicle faults and providing leaders assurances the checks are being performed.  Any failed checks result in immediate on-board warnings and guidance for drivers.

The apps are now running continuously on around 40 vehicles onsite and come with the consolidated reporting feature so leaders can see at a glance the status of their fleet's pre-start checks.

A number of exciting projects will be undertaken at NZAS over the next few years as part of the ‘Positioning Tiwai for Success’ programme, including implementing technology to improve the control of our processes.

As part of our wider business direction, Pacific Operations is scoping an integrated value chain from mine to market, to ensure production is matched to demand and is robust enough to respond to changes in all markets.

Most recently, Kellie Parker announced a Bauxite Integrated Operations Centre would be established by Q3 this year, moving mine planning for all bauxite operations, pit despatch, asset health, utilities monitoring, stockyard scheduling/blending and shipping and transport logistics for bauxite to Brisbane.

NZAS has been selected as the site within Pacific Operations to pilot what an integrated operating centre looks like for smelting. The final location of the centre is yet to be determined but it is likely to be in a Hub location.

The pilot will initially focus on Reduction cell control and will include the construction of an operations centre to improve the interaction between process controllers (PCs) and technical support across all shifts.  The aim is to support the 13 Reduction PCs that are on shift at any given time, to improve cell stability and act upon exception cells consistently.  Ultimately this will lead to better cell performance, up-skilled PCs and better production efficiencies.

Darren Campbell, project lead for the Aluminium Integrated Operations Centre (AIOC) pilot is delighted to lead the project.  “It is really exciting for NZAS to be leading the way for Rio Tinto’s Pacific Operations with the Aluminium Integrated Operations Centre (AIOC).  We are fortunate to have the Atlantic AOC based in Canada to use as a template to build upon, which will help speed up our project at NZAS.  As well as the technology aspects, there will be a huge emphasis on engagement in determining how we improve the way in which we work,” he said.

A workshop involving key personnel from NZAS, BSL, other Pacific Operations sites and Rio Tinto was held on site at NZAS.  The pilot is expected to take between one-two years to complete.

Family violence rates in New Zealand are shameful.  It is a widespread issue that doesn’t discriminate and has profound impacts on our community.  Violence isn’t just physical, it is also emotional or verbal behaviour used to control someone through fear. 

Did you know that around half of all homicides in NZ are committed by an offender who is identified as family?  In 2016 the Police investigated 118,910 incidents of family violence – this equates to one every five minutes.  Even more shocking is the fact that over three-quarters of family violence incidents in New Zealand are not reported. 

NZAS is committed to providing a safe and supportive workplace and fostering violence-free families.  A number of people from around site have volunteered to become Family Violence Champions.  If you or anyone you know is experiencing family violence, support is always available. 

If you need help, please contact any of the people below who will refer you to the appropriate support services:

• John Butler (Stores)
• Darren Campbell (Aluminium Operations Centre)
• Andrea Carson (Community Relations)
• Bernie Carter (Reco & Cell Repair)
• Paula Checketts (Commercial & Support Services)
• Craig Drain (Line 1, Crew 2)
• Robin Dunn (Line 2, Crew 1)
• Regan Dunne (Line 1, Crew 2)
• Sheila Eastley (Medical Centre)
• Steve Hibbs (Breakdown Response)
• Jan McFarlane (Medical Centre)
• Debbie Rankin (Training)
• Terry Reeves (Contractor Management)
• Alan Sadlier (Electrical & Instruments Workshop)
• Dave Saunders (Casthouse)
• Darren Schwass (Casthouse)
• Aaron Short (Stores)
• Karen Sturman (Safety & Loss Prevention)
• Iki Talamahina (Training - Reduction)
• Kiri Tuhura (Casthouse & Reduction)
• Brett Waters (Carbon Maintenance)
• Allan Youngman (Reduction Maintenance)

If we join together against family violence, we can make a difference.  Remember, it is OK to ask for help whether you are a victim, a perpetrator or someone wanting to help.

Rio Tinto will carry out two Employee Surveys this year – one in May and the other in October/November.

The first survey will be open from 1 to 22 May.  We encourage you to please complete the survey as your comments really do make a difference.

In an effort to improve communication, we have embraced two social  media channels – Facebook and Yammer.

The Tiwai Facebook group is available for current employees and contractors and is a great way to share information amongst employees about our work at site and in the community.  We have 149 members already!

To join, visit Facebook and search for ‘Tiwai’ with the ‘groups’ section.  Please ensure you answer the three security questions required to join and read through the rules of engagement once you have been accepted into the group.

Already the Tiwai team are proving to be very competitive in capturing the beauty of our site with some very cool photos of the smelter being featured.

www.facebook.com/groups/Tiwai

Yammer is a private workspace for collaboration across Rio Tinto.

Our Yammer group is available to current employees with network access and is a great way to share site news achievements with the wider Rio Tinto group.

To get involved, visit Yammer, search within ‘groups’ for ‘Tiwai (NZAS)’ and click ‘follow’ to join.  

www.yammer.com

So far, one-third of NZAS’ workforce has signed up for Rio Tinto’s global employee share plan, myShare.  The plan is a significant company benefit and a great opportunity to share in the company’s growth.

What is myShare?

myShare is available to all Rio Tinto New Zealand and Australian employees and gives you the opportunity to buy shares in the business.  Each month your nominated contribution is taken from your net salary and every three months it is used to buy investment shares.  As soon as your shares have been bought, you’ll become a shareholder in Rio Tinto.

How can it benefit me?

For every share you buy, Rio Tinto will give you another one, which means your bank of shares will continue to grow.  These matching shares become yours to keep, as long as you hold onto your investment shares for three years and, generally, remain employed by Rio Tinto during that period.

How do I access the programme?

You can join myShare at any time.  Simply enrol online at www.myRioTinto.com to participate.  Your first contribution will be taken once your enrolment has been processed by Computershare and your payroll department.

For more information about the plan, check out ‘myShare – RT Employee Share Scheme’ under ‘Hot Topics’ on the NZAS Intranet.

It is wonderful to see that NZAS is becoming a more diverse workplace with a number of international employees now on site.  For some of our team members, English is not their first language which can make communication difficult.

To help their transition into life at NZAS (and New Zealand) a little easier, we have enlisted the help of Miriam McKenzie from ‘Say it Clearly’ who has created a customised ‘Spoken English’ training programme.  

Mahmoud Emamjomeh (Metallurgist) is appreciative to NZAS for organising the course.  “I have found it helpful in several ways – I can now understand the Southland accent a bit better than previously and in addition, I have noticed that when I speak more slowly, people can understand me more.  I am also looking to improve my listening and understanding skills,” Mahmoud said.

The course includes a classroom session, followed by frequent online video training which covers:

• Exercises for each of seven aspects of voice development
• Focus on articulation – the ability to speak clearly
• How to control your nerves and think on the spot
• Projecting your voice for successful presentations, credibility and authority
• Grammar and spelling in English
• Colloquialisms and phrasal verbs
• Business conversation using correct terms and pronunciation
• New Zealand work place etiquette

If any other team members would like to participate in the Spoken English training course, please contact Debbie Rankin from the Training team on x 5723.

After almost 23 years in service, the Rakiura Maru departed the Tiwai wharf for the final time in early February.

NZAS Shipping Support Leader Peter Fairbairn and Stevedore Peter Marshall were there to bid the vessel farewell.  It was a special occasion for them both as they also welcomed the ship on its first voyage to NZAS in May 1996.

Peter said, “The Rakiura Maru’s owners have changed over the years, but a great rapport was built up between the regular crew members and NZAS Shipping staff.  It was sad to say goodbye when the ship departed as the Rakiura Maru has been an important part of NZAS’ history.”

The Rakiura Maru is a purpose-built general cargo vessel that made routine visits to not only transport liquid pitch to NZAS but to also ship aluminium product off site.

The idea of using a dual-purpose vessel was conceived in the early 1990s.  The concept design enabled NZAS to move away from the use and handling of pencil pitch to liquid pitch.  NZAS Shipping staff (Tiwai Stevedoring) were involved in the design and hold specifications to ensure the best possible stowage was achieved.

The Rakiura Maru was built in Norway, its engines were built in Japan, and its cranes in Germany.  Owned by the Japanese Navix Line, the Rakiura Maru was the first Japanese ship to be built in Scandinavia since World War 2.  When the vessel arrived on its maiden voyage in 1996, local kaumatua (elder) George Te Au conducted a powhiri (traditional Maori welcome) on the wharf before handing over to the Reverend John Flavell, who blessed the ship as he led the entire party on board.  He said a karekia (prayer) and led a himene (hymn) on the bridge of the vessel, before blessing a plaque that was unveiled by NZAS Chairman Terry Palmer and his wife Marie.

Over the years the Rakiura Maru has delivered around 616,000 tonnes of liquid pitch to Tiwai and shipped approximately 2.45 million tonnes of aluminium – that’s a lot of metal!  The Rakiura Maru has been replaced by other G2 vessels.

Welcome to Grace Sandston, Andrew Mullins and William Collard who have started working in graduate process engineering roles at NZAS.

Grace is a member of the Metallurgy team, having graduated from Canterbury University after completing a Degree in Chemical & Process Engineering.  Having moved south from Nelson, Grace came to NZAS as she was looking for a practical job that would allow her to work with a lot of different people and the opportunity to get stuck in!  So far she is loving the work and is very complimentary of all of her Casting & Logistics department colleagues, saying they have been super welcoming and supportive.

Andrew is working in the Ultra High Purity team having gained a Degree in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering at Massey University.  Originally from Marton, a small rural town in the North Island, Andrew is finding that living in Invercargill offers him more amenities and activities to enjoy outside work.  He is particularly enjoying living so close to the coast and having plenty of countryside to explore; and is looking forward to the ski season. 

William is based in Reduction and graduated from the University of Queensland with a Degree in Chemical Engineering.  Having relocated from Brisbane, he is finding the work at NZAS exciting.  Having always enjoyed problem solving, team work and interacting with people, William is really enjoying the positive atmosphere on site and is looking forward to gaining the international experience that working in New Zealand can offer.

Congratulations to Brent McQuinn from the Casthouse who recently celebrated 40 years working at NZAS. 

Brent is pictured receiving his 40 year service pin and vouchers from department manager Darren Schwass.

This year, in addition to Brent, another eleven employees will have reached this milestone by the end of December - Bill Hunter (Power Supply), John Reynolds (Line 2), Eric Daly (Line 2), John McEwan (Reco), Jim Pickett (Garage), Murray Adams (Line Services), Garry Georgel (Carbon Maintenance, James Kevern (Carbon Maintenance), John Moynihan (Power Supply), Trevor Anderson (Cell Repair) and John Beck (Stores).  Combined their service equates to an incredible 480 years!

• Nathan Beer – Mechanical Tradesperson, Reduction Maintenance
• Cara Tipu – Operator, Shipping & Logistics C4
• Andrew Mullins – Graduate Process Engineer, Ultra High Purity
• Grace Sandston – Graduate Process Engineer, Metallurgy
• William Collard – Graduate Process Engineer, Technical
• Salome Maurangi – Operator, Green & Bake
• Darryl Hannah – Mechanical Tradesperson, Breakdown Response
• Earl Pink - Mechanical Tradesperson, Cell Repair
• Maryam Lohrasbi – HMI Developer, Automation Engineering
• Tyler Young – Mechanical Tradesperson, Reduction Maintenance

• Josh Templeton – Operator, Reduction C3
• Dylan Cameron – Operator, Refractory
• Harley McKenzie – Operator, Reduction C4
• Breanna Quinn – Occupational Recovery Coordinator, Occupational Health & Hygiene
• Matthew Keenan – Operator, Rodding C1
• Stephanie Jacobsen – Operator, Rodding C2
• Leanne Kelly – Operator, Rodding C2
• Pieter De Bruin – Electrical Tradesperson, Breakdown Response

Congratulations to Peter Fairbairn and his son Sam (both from Shipping Services) who were victorious in South Port’s Mayal Cup golf challenge.

Peter’s usual golfing partner Steve Blakie was on annual leave so a replacement had to be found.  With absolutely no hint of nepotism whatsoever, son Sam was selected to join the Tiwai team.

Sensing the sweet scent of potential victory, Peter prioritised playing golf instead of spending his 40^th wedding anniversary with his wife (a brave move on his part).   Luckily it paid off and Peter was delighted with the win, “A great day was had by all, and it was extremely satisfying for NZAS to prevail, for the second time in three years and to win by five shots.”

 “It was a real team effort, although Sam was heard to say afterwards his shoulders were pretty sore from carrying the old man up the hill the last two holes,” he said.

Name:            Allan Meikle

Position:       Superintendent Carbon Rodding

How long have you worked at NZAS?

42 years

What would you do if you won Lotto?

Tell nobody

What is your favourite food?

Curried sausages

What is your favourite tipple?

Single malt, when I drink

What’s the most outstanding memory of your school days?

The cane

Who is the person you most admire in the world?

Gayle, you haven’t seen what she has had to put up with

Who would you like to be stranded on a desert island with and why?

Gayle, because she cooks the best curried sausages

What is your favourite leisure activity?

Anything rugby

Where’s your favourite place visited in the world?

Dusky Sound, Fiordland

What’s your biggest achievement in life so far?

The family

What would be the most memorable news bulletin you have seen/read?

September 11, 2001 - woke up to the news of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre.  It was also the day my first grand daughter was born.  Two things I will never forget

What’s your favourite NZ holiday spot & why?

Hanmer Springs because of the good weather, it is quiet and central to a lot of other places

What’s your favourite saying/proverb or mantra?

Mauria te pono, (believe in yourself)

What were your career aspirations when you were a child?

Truck driver

What was your first job?

Milking cows

Who is the Southlander you most admire and why?

Lou Crimp - he built affordable homes, gave charities a lot of money and spoke out about the ILT monopoly

If you had the power to change one thing in the world, what would it be?

Poverty

What is your favourite movie?

‘To Sir, with Love’ – a 1967 British drama film that dealt with social and racial issues in an inner city school

What is your favourite song? 

‘You’ll never walk alone’ by Gerry and the Pacemakers with the Liverpool FC faithful as backing group

Who is your celebrity crush?

Farrah Fawcett (American actress)

If your life was turned into a movie, what actor would play you and why?

Clint Eastwood - and you have to ask why?

What made you laugh the hardest in your entire life?

Joe Wynne - we were out one night and Paul Cavanagh was taking the proverbial out of the compere of the show and Joe was laughing.  The compere said, “What are you laughing at?  You look like a Volkswagen with the doors open from behind,” referring to Joe’s bald head!

What is your favourite childhood memory?

Late night ploughing with my father out on the family farm in North Makarewa

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?

Mountain oysters

If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which would you choose and why?

Happy Days - the right era

If you joined the circus, what would you perform?

Clown

What is your best childhood memory?

Going to work with Dad on the weekends

How did you meet your wife?

Gotta be careful how I answer this one, it was so long ago – a mate’s sister

If you could witness any event in the past, present or future, what would it be?

The All Blacks winning the World Cup

What does a perfect day look like to you?  

A good day’s work, home to Gayle and a big feed of curried sausages and mashed potatoes

There’s a little more bling than usual around site following the Adamas Diamonds sales visit.  Many employees, contractors and family members took advantage of the chance to purchase loose stones as well as manufactured jewellery.

Have you ever wondered how diamonds are formed?  Diamonds start out as carbon in the earth’s mantle (the layer underneath the crust).  The earth’s mantle is very hot, between about 1,000 and 4,000 degrees Celsius.  The heat and high pressure of the earth’s surface on the mantle is what causes the carbon atoms to bond together.  The bonding of the atoms causes crystals to form beautiful diamonds.  The diamonds make their way to the earth’s surface through a special kind of volcanic eruption that comes from deep in the earth.

Diamonds have been around for millions of years, with the oldest diamonds being 3.2 billion years old.  Despite their long life span, diamonds did not become a sign of wealth and fortune until around 2,000 years ago, beginning with ancient kings and queens who wore them as a symbol of their royalty.  In 1477, Archduke Maximilian of Austria gave the first ever diamond engagement ring to Mary of Burgundy. 

General Manager Stew Hamilton along with Tiwai’s longest serving employee, Phil Macaskill (Carbon) will grace our TV screens later in the year, starring in a documentary on the history of manufacturing in New Zealand which features the smelter.

Phil shared his memories of the early days working at NZAS and also the changes he has seen over the years.

The programme is part of a historical series ‘Making New Zealand’ and is expected to screen on Prime Television mid-year.

Whoever thought it would be possible to dine and raise money for a local charity at the same time?  Well it is if you buy an Entertainment Book!

This year NZAS is selling Entertainment Books that cover Dunedin, Invercargill and Queenstown to raise funds for Graeme Dingle Foundation (GDF) Southland. 

Tiwai has been a sponsor of GDF since its inception in 2004.  Our funding supports the Kiwi Can programme, a life skills and values programme designed for primary and intermediate students in low decile schools.  This programme reaches 1,500 children in seven Southland schools delivering a range of physical, mental and creative challenges plus high-energy, fun, safe and interactive lessons that reinforce the schools’ goals and curriculum.  One of our employees, Andrea Carson (Community Relations), is also a Trustee.

At a cost of $60, the Entertainment Membership contains valuable two-for-one offers, special rates and up to 50% off on activities, dining, shopping, travel and leisure.

To purchase an Entertainment Book, please click on the following link - https://www.entertainmentbook.co.nz/orderbooks/95z1777?fbclid=IwAR2oaYQef3wytvdZtqU1ycVIvFQb9Dx9ACl7RbDtacnu3el8aizmm1ld3F0.  Thank you for supporting Southland kids!