N E W S & V I E W S • D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 4 21 NCT experienced a major and destructive setback exactly a year ago. Our chip mill complex in Richards Bay was razed to the ground in an unprecedented and most devastating apocalyptic fire event. Well, early October 2024, we saw the very first wood chips emerging from the now repaired and refurbished chip line, landing on a clean, carbon free and pristine stock-yard floor. Those first few chips will hopefully comprise the start of an immense and impressive commercial chip pile which will effectively restore the full functionality of the chipping complex once again. To all stakeholders in the chip complex, this is certainly a time of renewal, and we embrace and celebrate the restoration of our chipping capability after a long and challenging year. Renewal offers an opportunity for reflection. Looking back on the events during and postfire, one common element is very apparent and that is the resilience displayed by the staff who, by implication, are highly invested in the chip mill complex. The mills’ wellbeing implies their well-being and seeing it reduced to ashes had a profound and, in my opinion, an eye-opening effect on their psyche. One might have expected a wringing of hands and panic mode to set in. Conversely however, we witnessed hitherto unknown capabilities and positive attitudes emerge. It seems that the brutal and unannounced stripping away of the staff’s essential chip-milling purpose and identity, exposed their inner, yet under-utilised and lesserknown creativity in the face of having to survive the immense crisis that now faced them. Without going too deeply into the traumas and details of the tragedy, it was an amazing experience to see hidden talents and “can-do” attitudes emerge and be applied during the containment, restoration, and recovery phases of the disaster. From the initial and frightening fighting of the fire (over a period of literally two – Rob Thompson – Member Services Manager – weeks); through to damage assessment; liaison with authorities; environmental assessment and restoration; insurance assessments; carbon containment; debris removal and disposal; site clearing; specialised contractor appointments; projectmanagement; stakeholder communication; press releases; replacement equipment sourcing; and a myriad of other tasks and operations, staff demonstrated amazing creativity, adaptation and resilience which was most often outside of their normal job descriptions and quite frankly the organisations wildest expectations of them. This experience has taught us all that a crisis strips people of their previous labels, exposes their hidden assets (which everyone has for the finding) and presents the opportunity for these now-revealed assets, to be applied and add immense value to the collective. The trick is to encourage and allow engagement of opportunity creatively, and outside of the constraints and authorities of normal accepted protocol. This “directed freedom” approach takes courage by both management and the staff members concerned but it definitely works if all levels of the organisation are facing the same crisis. Suddenly problem solving is being addressed by far more people. Multiple viable and potential solutions to complex problems are generated for assessment, these ideas are generated by those most affected by the outcomes, and a sense of ownership develops deeply within all those affected. Moving swiftly on from the mill fire to a recent industry wattle field day. The popular event attracted a number of people from across the industry and afforded the opportunity to rekindle acquaintances and catch up with those last seen in the distant past. Informal conversation topics turned towards the wave of personnel retirements that the industry appears to be facing currently and the ramifications that this may carry for the industry.
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