Barry Beach Marine Terminal Community Lunch 2017 Speech

~ Check against delivery ~

Thank you once again for taking the time to come and meet with us to discuss our business – particularly at this exciting time.

In the years that I have been Superintendent at Barry Beach, I have really appreciated your support and the interest you have shown in the work we do here. Once again I am very grateful for this opportunity to hear about what’s on your mind.

We recognise the importance of collaborating with our community in everything that we do. We are always looking for opportunities to improve our operations and deliver flawless performance and an important part of that involves being a good neighbor – a valued member of our community.

For me, this is a milestone moment. On Wednesday last week the Far Supplier, our dedicated supply vessel, departed Barry Beach Marine Terminal (BBMT) for the last time as an Esso operated facility. And on Friday last week, we marked our final business day at a facility we have run for almost 50 years.

In handing over operations at the terminal to Qube, I’m really pleased to see that they share our enthusiasm for community engagement. We welcome Michael Sousa and his team here today.

History

Esso has a long and proud history in the Gippsland area spanning over five decades. In that time, we have invested billions of dollars into developing the infrastructure required to meet the energy needs of Australian households and businesses.

The terminal has played an integral role in the history of Bass Strait. This is where Australia’s offshore oil and gas industry was born. It was the site where Australia’s first steel platform jackets were built back in the 1960s.

Barry Beach has played a pivotal role in our operations as it has seen activity associated with so many different parts of our operations. From accommodating, servicing and supplying seismic, drilling, construction and research vessels to receiving large fabricated facilities for our plants, it has been essential to our on-going success. In recent years, it has been a hive of activity as construction progressed on out Kipper, Tuna Turrum project.

On a day to day basis, Barry Beach is the main supply depot for our Bass Strait oil and gas operations. Each year it facilitates the warehousing and transport of thousands of tonnes of food, supplies, fuel and equipment to our offshore platforms.

We have invested a great deal in this terminal over the years and the result is an excellent port facility capable of servicing industries and agriculture across Gippsland and Victoria.

Handover

Today I’d also like to reflect on the significance of BBMT to our operations and the contributions of those who have worked there. 

I’m really proud of the way our team here at the terminal have kept their focus on flawless execution of their work as we have navigated our way through this transition process.

The team have put in a great effort and pulled together over recent months to prepare for this change. Safety has remained all of our core focus, as long hours have been spent preparing the site and working with Qube on a seamless transition.

The BBMT work-group, with their consistently professional outlook, have showed us what a strong finish looks like. We have had one first-aid injury in the last two years and all the environmental aspects of our business have also been flawless. We have handed Qube a terminal in excellent shape.

I know this is a valuable asset to the Gippsland region and, with the ability to now provide a broader range of logistics services, it has the potential to create economic and employment growth opportunities for Victoria.

Community

I’d also like to acknowledge the vital role that you, as members of our community have played, in our success. Over the many years, we have built up longstanding community partnerships which many of you in the audience can attest to.  

One area of our community investment program which I am particularly passionate about is our focus on education. Education is fundamental to providing individual opportunity. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills, in particular, are critical to ensuring today’s students are prepared for the jobs of the 21st century.

Here in our community, Esso has a long history of supporting local schools. From purchasing new technology such as iPads, the latest programming, coding and robotics kits, to funding laboratory and science resources, Esso’s aim is to boost our local school’s capability in maths and science.

This year, we provided over $80,000 to enhance science and maths education at 23 local schools across Gippsland, South Gippsland and the Mornington Peninsula through our Gippsland Bright Future Grants program.

I know some schools in our local area here in Foster, Toora and Yarram have benefited from the program and I hope these resources are a valuable addition to the students.

Future

The terminal remains a vital part of our Gippsland oil and gas production operations, and I’ll now hand over to Michael Sousa from Qube, to talk about their plans for the future of Barry Beach.

So, once again, thank you for coming along today, and thank you for your ongoing support.