Port of Tauranga’s environment team drives the Port’s continuous efforts to protect and enhance our environment. This dedicated team of five says their close bond comes from a shared passion for nature, sustainability… and spreadsheets.
“We are self-confessed geeks,” laughs Environmental Advisor, Fenna Beets, who has a Masters in Marine Ecology. She joined the port six years ago, after working for the Ministry for Primary Industries as a fisheries observer and then NIWA (National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research) as a marine ecology technician.
“I started my role at Port of Tauranga just as the Covid-19 lockdown began and it was weird to have to learn the ropes online,” Fenna says. “Luckily we now actually get to spend a lot of time out on site, talking with port users.”
“Our team is very data-driven, but it’s the people and the diversity of our work that truly keeps us motivated. We’re always on the go, and no two days are ever the same.” – Fenna Beets
Environmental Manager, Joey McKenzie, leads the team and says that for him, working at the port is a family affair.
“It was special for me to get a job here in early 2018, as my poppa worked at the port for more than 30 years. He was an operations supervisor from the 1960s to the 1990s, and there are even still a few people at the port who worked with him.”
Joey says that at the outset his role was mostly operational, but as the port’s environmental efforts have expanded his focus has also become more strategic.
“We’ve brought highly-qualified and experienced people into our team, and as our capacity has grown, so too has our impact across the entire business.”
Charles Latu is their man on the ground and says he has seen dramatic improvements in port users’ attitudes and accountability towards environmental matters over the past five years.
“I’m interacting with people who are out there working around the port site every day,” he says. “My role is to understand what’s important to them, so we can figure out how to support them to achieve better environmental outcomes.”
“There’s so much more awareness now, through education and open conversations, and it’s clear that this has improved workspace cleanliness which makes a huge difference in improving stormwater and air quality. What we have also seen is a real sense of pride amongst people, pride in the space that we work in and in the improvements we have achieved.”
While Environmental Advisor, Kate Bristow, is on parental leave, new recruit Lauren Kenyon has picked up her tasks.
Lauren says it has been eye-opening to be within the Port ecosystem.
“There’s just so much happening behind the fences,” Lauren says. “I’m finding it fascinating being involved in the whole process from start to finish, going out and gathering data, then analysing trends and working as a team to come up with solutions and improvements.”
Another new recruit is Jesse van Heuven, who has a Masters in Environmental Management. She has filled a new role as Senior Environmental Advisor to help with the team’s expanding workload. For Jesse it’s balancing practicalities with environmental needs that she finds most stimulating.
“My background is in compliance monitoring for regional councils and also policy for Federated Farmers, so I can appreciate a range of viewpoints and competing interests.”
To guide their work, the environment team has developed a team compass with a defined vision, values and action plan. Their overall purpose is to “influence positive change for the environment now and into the future.”
Jesse sums it up: “At the end of the day, we are striving for proactive improvements over time. It’s definitely a continuous journey.”
