Tristan : EXCO REPORT 58 – 17th January 2011
Submitted by Tristan Times (Juanita Brock) 18.01.2011 (Article Archived on 01.02.2011)

I will be leaving tomorrow to visit Tristan for the first time, in spite of the fact that I have been Governor of that even remoter island for 38 months. I know that many Saints here have many friends on Tristan and I will be taking greetings from many of you.

EXCO REPORT 58 – 17^th January 2011

Working absences meant that this was the first substantive EXCO where all were present for some time, and we welcomed Councillor Tony Green back from his sterling work on our behalf in Cardiff, Brussels and London.

The first paper was an Information Paper covering the recent increase in the price of fuel. Although there was no decision to make because some time ago we linked any price change to actual variances in the cost of imported fuel, whether up or down, there was significant discussion. This was because the actual cost of the fuel itself has not increased significantly yet the fact that we have had to buy in such a small quantity has increased the transport cost per unit. The reason for that is tied up with the schedule of Jo Tanker’s delivery.

We all felt that this whole issue of the cost of fuel is so fundamental to our economy that we really should have another look to see if there is not a more cost effective way of procuring our supplies. We are well aware that the small size of our fuel farm is a huge drawback when minimising the unit cost of transport, and we asked that the issue should be looked into in conjunction with the planning that is taking place in relation to the airport.

Our next memorandum was seeking approval for a tightening up of the Fish and Fish Products Regulations. Andre Herne joined us for the item. The reason for having to do this is that we must comply with EU regulations if we are to have an export market for our fish in Europe. More sophisticated testing is required and that will mean samples going to South Africa and the UK. The new Regulations were approved and will come into force on 1^st February.

The next Memorandum was a request to change the date for the annual Registration of Electors from October to May. It is felt that October is already a busy month and is too close to a potential General Election timetable. This was agreed.

I then presented Members with my thoughts with regard to the RMS following the Julian Morris report. There has been so much discussion on this topic that it would be impossible to summarise all the points of view expressed prior to this meeting. Indeed I am very grateful to all of those who submitted their opinions. The report has also been discussed by the Access & Transport Committee and alongside that Committee I have had a teleconference with SHL on the issues.

The sheer depth of investigation and the passage of time have at least led to a fairly broad consensus on most of the major issues. Some of those issues remain for further investigation, for example the design and location of additional cabins, as well as the introduction of more flexible pricing for both passengers and cargo. But it is considered essential that we firm up on matters related to the schedule as soon as possible and I found that Councillors were unanimous in agreeing the following:

·         Decisions with regard to the schedule should be staged in order to balance the requirements of the market with the possible need for more flexibility in the future.

·         It is sensible therefore to review the schedule every 3 months and to build in a provisional schedule beyond that which is subsequently confirmed as being certain.

·         The existing schedule until January 2012 remains intact, including the UK voyage this coming September and Julian’s proposal to concentrate on the Cape Town run during 2012 is also agreed with. So we are confirming the draft schedule up until the end of March 2012, and marking as “provisional” the rest of that year. However that “provisional” classification will be reviewed at the end of March this year.

·         That means that there will be no Tristan voyage next year, nor any to the UK.

·         The option of bringing Walvis Bay back in to the schedule will be considered every 3 months as time progresses.

·         It is our policy to always maintain at the very least a 9 month certainty as recommended, and we may well reduce to that level as the RMS comes under more pressure.

Over the next few weeks Sharon Wainwright will hold a press conference and will be discussing her recent fact-finding voyage with Infolegco.

We confirmed two sets of minutes from the meetings of 10^th and 14^th December and dealt with a wide range of issues under Matters Arising.

Under AOB I indicated to Hon. Members that I will be leaving tomorrow to visit Tristan for the first time, in spite of the fact that I have been Governor of that even remoter island for 38 months. I know that many Saints here have many friends on Tristan and I will be taking greetings from many of you.

The meeting closed at 12.40 pm

Andrew Gurr

Governor

17th January 2011