Posted Dec 17, 2012, 5:07 PM
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Registered User
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Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: St. John's, NL
Posts: 2,711
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Here's some info about the fence from the port authority
Quote:
There have been concerns raised about the St. John’s Port Authority’s (SJPA) plans to construct a safety/security fence on the Marginal Wharf at Harbour Drive. In response, the SJPA has prepared the following to provide clarity:
Q1: Is the safety/security fence to be built by the St. John’s Port Authority (SJPA) to be installed along the entire waterfront?
A: No. The safety/security fence will be built from the eastern portion of Pier 9 to Pier 11. Using Harbour Drive buildings as references, the safety/security fence will extend from the western side of Atlantic Place to the Fortis Building. This area comprises 48% of the apron.
Q2: Will access to the apron be restricted?
A: The accurate answer to this is “on some areas, yes; but not on most areas”.
Areas will only be restricted from Pier 9 to Pier 11, and allowances will still be made there for special events as required. This will not be unlike the situation at the airport: there, for sound safety/security reasons, the public can observe the plane traffic through a fence and/ or from the viewing area within the terminal, but cannot walk out onto the tarmac;
Public access to the apron will remain from The Keg restaurant to the western side of Atlantic Place; this area comprises 52% of the apron;
Public access is also available at the Terry Fox Monument site and Harbourside Park.
Therefore, of all of the SJPA-managed property on the northside of the harbour, 57% is public access and 43% is restricted access. Even after the safety/security fence is in place, the Port of St. John’s will remain the most openly accessible Port Authority in Canada.
Q3: Why does the safety/security fence have to be built?
A: There are two reasons:
Safety – The SJPA is committed to providing a safe working environment. Piers 9, 10, and 11 are very active, working piers which see the full range of vessel supply and servicing; as well as hazardous works including welding, generator operations and similar mechanical activities. This industrial activity, and the vehicular traffic which it generates, results in a dangerous and high-risk environment for the safety of both pedestrians and workers. From an occupational health and safety viewpoint, as well as a risk management perspective, no similar commercial site in Canada would allow the intermingling of pedestrian traffic with industrial activity as now exists from Pier 9 to Pier 11.
Security – The SJPA has been directed by Transport Canada to adhere to all required security measures made pursuant to the Marine Transportation Security Regulations (MTSR) and the ISPS (International Ship and Port Facility Security) Code. Failure to do so means the de-certification of the SJPA-managed property as being ISPS compliant. This, in turn, would mean that all ISPS vessels, such as foreign-flagged ships, offshore supply vessels, cruise ships, tankers, and others would not be able to berth at SJPA-managed facilities – resulting in significant economic and employment losses to the City and Province.
Q4: If the Port has been ISPS compliant in the past, what is the issue now?
A: The Port of St. John’s is a dynamic, ever-changing harbour. In recent years, more and more vessel traffic has come to the Port and more again is expected in the coming years. Much of this traffic is comprised of ISPS compliant vessels which are allowed to berth only at ISPS compliant facilities.
Q5: What will the safety/security fence look like?
A: The SJPA has endeavoured to design a heritage style structure that will include local stone similar to that used to construct the Court House and the Basilica. Other enhancements include increased lighting along the Harbour Drive sidewalk as well as three seating/viewing areas. The design has received unanimous approval from the City of St. John’s on two separate occasions.
Q6: Why not use a temporary or portable fence?
A: While this has been satisfactory for the past number of years, Transport Canada has recently stated that the current chain-link fence is a security concern due to its temporary construction and temporary nature. It does not meet the requirements of the MTSR or the ISPS Code.
Q7: Given that the SJPA is a commercialized, financially self-sufficient Federal agency, why has the City been asked to cost-share this project?
A: It is good public policy to seek cost-sharing on projects with which the City and Port have a significant commonality of interest. Two of our city’s most prized assets would not exist were it not for the co-operation of the City and the Port, i.e. the Terry Fox monument site and Harbourside Park. Other joint efforts have included the widening of the narrows project and annual cruise marketing initiatives.
Q8: Why can’t the Port re-locate the industrial activity on the apron to the Southside of the Harbour?
A: The vast majority of the area on the Southside is private-sector owned. While the SJPA does control Piers 19, 20, and 21 towards the western portion of the Southside, this area is appropriately reserved for the fishing industry.
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http://www.sjpa.com/harbour-fence.aspx
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