At the forefront of the export supply chain, Port of Tauranga is New Zealand's preferred export gateway and fastest growing port for imports.
"The Cardax FT system has some unique features that have been very applicable to the ports environment," Mike Letica, Manager Security Services.
The security expectations on Ports contribute to maintaining New Zealand's reputation as a secure trading partner.
Driving within the site of Port of Tauranga, the atmosphere is a peculiar combination of constant activity (mainly the flow of heavy vehicles) and a tranquil continuity of business.
Cars have orange flashing lights on their roofs, there are policing security cars, and the 40km speed limit is adhered to. With the Cardax FT system installed, drivers will have details of speeding infringements noted against their cardholder details, maintaining the organisation's stand on safety within the boundaries of the Port.
New Zealand's preferred export gateway and fastest-growing import port, Port of Tauranga sees its efficiency in terms of its systems and network as a key indication of success. Activities of the Port include the provision of wharf facilities, storage and transit of cargoes, berthage, cranes, tug and pilotage services, leasing of land and buildings, container terminal ownership, and rail links to Auckland.
On the Mount Maunganui side of the harbour, Port of Tauranga has 2,055m of linear berth face. Immediately adjacent to the wharf are cargo sheds and a 20,000 tonne capacity coldstore. Spreads along the wharf is 22 bunker points to allow ships to re-fuel while loading or unloading. A total of more than 90 hectares of backup land is available for cargo handling and storage.
To the south of the Mount Maunganui Wharf is a dolphin berth, with facilities for discharging and/or loading tankers carrying bulk fluids such as oil products, chemicals and cement. A conveyor system is also used for loading wood-chips.
On the western side of the Port is Sulphur Point. Opened in 1992, this facility features 600m of heavy-duty wharf, three container cranes (two of post-panamax size) and 27 hectares of paved container yard. More than 25,000m² of covered storage is available for cargo handling, and a further 9,000 tonne coolstore caters for temperature controlled cargo.
Dedicated road and rail access streamlines cargo movement to and from the Terminal. Total land area in and around the Terminal is 78 hectares, providing for significant future growth.
Operating under the changing international environment and new maritime security regime, the Port undertook a risk assessment and consequently reviewed its control measures. At the front line of the supply chain, the port looked to employ security technology that would exceed their obligations. For Port of Tauranga, Cardax FT surpassed alternative systems for access control, intruder alarms, and central management and monitoring of site security.
Using fibre optic cable through the massive site area, the Cardax FT system resides on the Port's Wide Area Network, and requires every person to use a card to gain access. "We have in excess of 50 companies (some key exporters) operating within our boundary. The Port manages the on-site security for those companies, and the system will have some 4,000 cardholders," explains Mike Letica, Manager Port Security Services. Contractors are also managed with the system.
The Port has varying levels of security around the site, with protection of cargo against tampering, sabotage, smuggling of terrorists, or terrorist-related goods being crucial. Identification of individuals on site is key.
Mike Letica comments the Cardax FT Challenge feature was one that stood out when he was evaluating the system. From New Zealand he saw a live demonstration of the PhotoID of a cardholder in India being verified against a live image (from a third party system). Using Cardax FT Challenge, the Port has achieved a significant cost saving by reducing the number of manned gates while still achieving the required verification of who is coming and going, as stipulated by the NZ Maritime Safety Authority.
Two sets of intercoms, cameras, and Cardax readers are installed at every guard house, at heights that will suit car or truck. All truck drivers are required to use access cards. The access cards have printed PhotoID, which is checked by the operator in the main administration building against the live image provided by the camera. Coverage of the gates is 24 hours every day.
"The constant flow of trucks throughout the day is essential, with the public roads - arteries to the city - only metres away. The trucks delivering containers can not be backed up waiting," says Letica. This needed to be taken on board with the 30,000 vehicle movements occurring in any given month through the gates. He estimates it takes no more than 3 seconds from the time the driver presents their card, to the time the arm of the gate goes up.
Cards are another consideration for the port environment. With the Universal Card Format tool, the Cardax FT system can facilitate other card formats, a notable practicality for the site and the truck drivers passing through. Mike envisages that one day truck drivers need only carry one card to access the ports nationwide; Cardax FT could accommodate this.
Port of Tauranga has applied the system to meet their industry and site requirements. "Think about what you can do with the technology before you do it... it's just easy," commented Mark Vickery, Operations Manager, Chubb Bay of Plenty, the Cardax dealer for the Port.
Existing third party readers were replaced with Cardax 125 readers, as they have the ability to read multiple formats of cards, and are cost effective with Cardax FT Controllers, providing additional capacity for future expansion.
Economic hub of the Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions, and number one port in the country in terms of shipping movement, Port of Tauranga will continue to grow. Cardax FT is an investment that will facilitate the future expansion of the Port and maintain that smooth flow of trade.
