It is situated in the rich productive province of Southland, which is responsible for generating a sizeable proportion of New Zealand’s total exports by value. The region’s major cargo producing sites are all situated within 30 to 80km of the Port.
The Port of Bluff has been operating since 1877, while the Company was formed in 1988, having taken over the assets and liabilities of the former Southland Harbour Board.
South Port was listed on the New Zealand Stock Exchange (NZX) in 1994 and has Environment Southland, the region’s local government environmental agency, as its 66% majority shareholder. It is the only Southland-based company listed on NZX.
South Port established its off-port Intermodal Freight Centre (IFC) in July 2016. Strategically located adjacent to the KiwiRail railhead in Invercargill, the IFC allows importers and exporters in the Southland and Otago regions to distribute their products in a timely and efficient manner.
South Port is one of the major employers in the region, governed by a Board of six Independent Directors and employing more than 120 full-time equivalent staff.
The Port handles over 3.4 million tonnes of import and export cargo in a normal trading year, offering full container, break bulk, and bulk cargo capability, and services the main following cargoes:
South Port prides itself on delivering quality results through quality people. The Port is headed up by the Leadership Team, who are:
BCom, Dip Port Management
Nigel was appointed to the role of Chief Executive on 1 October 2017.
He has 25 years’ experience in the port industry and has held positions in commercial, operations and finance at South Port. Nigel is currently an appointed board member of the Southland Chamber of Commerce.
BCom, ACA, PGCertEM
Geoff originally joined the South Port Leadership team in 2004 as Finance Manager.
His current role, as Port General Manager, includes responsibilities for Bulk Cargo, Marine and Health & Safety. In Geoff’s previous positions, Cargo Operations Manager and Port Operations Manager, he played an important role in establishing and developing the Company’s container and dry warehouse activities.
Geoff has also held positions with Goodman Fielder and Fonterra.
BCom
Jamie was appointed to the Commercial Manager position in July 2022. Preceding this, he was the Business Development Manager, a role he had since November 2017. During his time at South Port he has also held the roles of the Intermodal Freight Centre Supervisor during its opening and start‑up phase and Marketing Analyst since 2011.
Before this, Jamie held various home and personal lending positions at The National Bank before he joined the South Port team. He is currently on the Export Southland Committee.
BE (Hons)
Hayden holds a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree from Canterbury University. As Container Operations Manager for the Port, he is responsible for the overall container and warehousing operations, including the terminal, depot, crane, and mobile plant maintenance functions.
Hayden also oversees the Intermodal Freight Centre strategically located at the railhead in Invercargill. Hayden previously worked in heavy industries in both engineering and operations at ECNZ and Ballance Agri-Nutrients before joining South Port in 2012.
BEng (Civil), MIPENZ, CPEng, Dip Port Management
Frank joined South Port as Infrastructure and Environmental Manager in January 2015. Frank’s responsibilities include providing and maintaining land, sea and wharf infrastructure associated with port operations as well as ensuring port operational practices comply with current environmental standards.
Frank is a Civil Engineer and worked as an Engineer in Ireland and Australia before moving permanently to New Zealand in 2005. Frank has been a member of Engineering New Zealand since 2006 and a Chartered Professional Engineer since 2010.
BCom, DipGrad, CA
(Ngāi Tahu)
As Chief Financial Officer, a position Lara has held since July 2022, she is responsible for the financial management of the Port including interim and annual reporting. She continually monitors the financial performance of the business which includes preparing the annual budget and providing regular forecasts to the Board to enable them to make informed decisions about future capital projects. Prior to this appointment, Lara held the Finance Manager's position since March 2007.
Among other things, Lara is responsible for managing the Company’s property leases, ICT, treasury functions, insurance and NZX reporting obligations.
LLB
As People and Safety Manager, Helen leads the Health & Safety and Human Resources teams who work with our operational business units to ensure we have a positive work environment that values the health, safety and wellbeing of our workers.
Helen started her career as a commercial lawyer before specialising in employment law and transitioning to human resources.
Prior to joining South Port, Helen held advocacy and training roles with the Employers Association. She was previously the Chief Executive of Sport Southland and has also served two terms as an Adjudicator on the Tenancy Tribunal.
South Port is governed by a Board of 6 Independent Directors. There is also 1 Intern Director. They are:
BCA, LLB (Hons), CFInstD, Board Chair
Mr Cory-Wright is a Company Director and a Strategic Adviser based in Auckland. He is the inaugural Chairman of Papa Rererangi I Puketapu (New Plymouth Airport), a Director of Matariki Forests, the Local Government Funding Agency, Powerco, and New Zealand Windfarms. Mr Cory‑Wright was previously a Local Government Infrastructure Expert Advisory Group member.
LLB, BCA, GradDipProfAccy, MInstD
Cassandra is a Chartered Accountant (Fellow) and Barrister and Solicitor with extensive governance experience across a range of public and private sector organisations.
In addition to her commercial advisory work, she currently holds non-executive directorships with Silver Fern Farms, Aratu Forests, Skills Organisation and Ngāti Manawa. She Chairs Southern Cross Travel Insurance and KLC and is the Deputy Chair of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. Cassandra is also appointed as an independent member of the Auckland Council Audit & Risk Committee.
She is a past president of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and has been recognised for her leadership and governance contributions through a number of awards.
MCom (Hons)
Ms Greer is a Company Director based in Queenstown. She currently serves as a Director of Fidelity Life Assurance, Precinct Properties, Vulcan Steel, and New Zealand Railways Corporation and is a member of the NZ Markets Disciplinary Tribunal. She is also a shareholder and Director in a privately owned commercial property investment and development company.
Prior to her governance career, Nicola had extensive experience in the banking and finance sectors in NZ, Australia, and the UK. This encompassed a range of roles within the financial markets and asset and liability management at ANZ, Citibank, and Goldman Sachs.
BE (Hons), CMInstD
Mrs Henderson is an Independent Director based in Invercargill. Her current directorships include Meridian Energy Ltd and Cycling New Zealand Incorporated. Michelle is a Chartered Member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.
Michelle brings engineering expertise and broad business understanding to the boardroom from her executive career with Rio Tinto and PowerNet. She is passionate about sustainable business outcomes, strong assurance processes, and workplace health and safety.
BAgSci, MProfStuds (Linc) CFInstD
Mrs Kearney’s background is in Agriculture and Farm Business Management Consulting. She is a Judicial Justice of the Peace.
Mrs Kearney is the immediate Past President of the New Zealand Alpine Club and a Board member. She is also a director on the Observatory Village Lifecare and Care Boards. Formerly the Chair of Sport Otago and Chair of Network Waitaki Ltd., Mrs Kearney was the 2014 winner of the Institute of Directors Otago Branch Aspiring Director Award. Mrs Kearney acted as an observer director to the Dunedin City Holdings subsidiary company Taieri Gorge Railway Ltd in 2015.
MBA, FCA, CMInstD, Dip Grad, Bcom, NZDipBus
John is both a Fellow Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Certificate of Public Practice with Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand (CAANZ).
As an executive director of the award-winning accounting firm Malloch McClean, John provides strategic, facilitation, mentoring, and governance advisory services to the commercial, local government, and professional services sectors. Other non-executive governance roles include Invercargill City Holdings Limited, Invercargill City Property Limited and The Gap 2014 Ltd.
The Port of Bluff has been operating since 1877. The company South Port New Zealand Ltd was formed in 1988, having taken over the assets and liabilities of the former Southland Harbour Board.
The construction of the current form of the Island Harbour was completed in two stages and if the total development cost is converted into today’s dollars then it would equate to an estimated $255 million of capital. This remarkable 1950’s engineering project turned a barely visible sandbank in the Bluff Harbour into 8 berths and 40 hectares of modern port infrastructure.
At a Special Meeting of the Bluff Harbour Board (name subsequently changed to Southland Harbour Board in 1958) held on 17 April 1952 it was agreed to proceed with a plan devised by the Board Engineer, D.E.S. Mason, to build a man-made island for port expansion. The island would take advantage of a submerged sandbank. Coincidentally, in 1878 Sir John Coode, an English Civil Engineer, was employed by the NZ Government to report on the future of NZ harbours, and a similar idea to use the sandbank was mooted in his report. The island would consist of 8 new berths and 110 acres (44.5 ha) of land for storage sheds, offices, railways etc. at an estimated cost of £4 million ($8 million). It was later agreed to proceed with the project in 2 stages. Stage 1 would provide 5 berths on an island of 84 acres (34 ha) at a total cost of £3,536,000 ($7,072,000), Stage 2, for the 3 remaining berths could come later.
The Government of the day passed the Bluff Harbour Improvement Bill on 3 October 1952 but refused to help with the cost of the project. A subsequent poll of ratepayers held on 13 December 1952 favoured the raising of a loan. In 1953 the first loan was opened for public subscription and after 13 issues the target of £3,536,000 ($7,072,000) was raised with 90% of loan money subscribed by Southland residents.
Tenders were called for Stage 1 on 4 August 1955 and on 1 May 1956, a tender of £3,221,438 ($6,442,876) was accepted from the French firm Societe Nationale de Travaux Publics (S.N.T.P.). Work began in September 1956 with the construction of a temporary bridge to the future island. Rock was dumped off the sea end of the bridge and so the start of the rubble retaining walls commenced which would spread out laterally to outline the perimeter of the island. At the same time, protective steel pilings were driven in around the berths and sand was then pumped by a cutter suction dredge into the area enclosed by the retaining wall and pilings. As work progressed coffer dams held back the sea while the quay walls were concreted. These were later removed and the berths flooded.
On 24 June 1960, the main contract for the construction of the Island Harbour was completed. At this stage, there were no buildings on the Island. A tender was accepted from P. Graham & Son Ltd of Christchurch for construction of the cargo sheds, the No. 1 Shed being completed in time for the official opening on 3 December 1960.
The Company, its customers and the people of the region are extremely fortunate that they will continue to enjoy the value created through the establishment of the Island Harbour. In relation to this development, the foresight, tenacity and hard work of previous Southland generations should be acknowledged.
D.E.S Mason, Harbour Board Engineer
