In 1987 he began his journey to become an engineer surveyor by joining the Ministry of Transport Marine Division. Ironically, one of his first tasks in this role was learning all there was about the building, installation and running of lifts, a skill that ultimately cost him his life.


His first task in his new role was to clean up a large number of legacy problems with the Marine Division in the top of the South Island. It was around this time that the then government decided to get out of the vessel inspection business, and Terry and Jean started Survey Nelson Limited, which quickly became one of the largest safe ship management companies in New Zealand. However, in 2008, the then Director of MNZ commenced a process to remove Survey Nelson’s right to operate as a safe ship management company. During this period, I had the privilege of walking next to Terry and Jean as they endured three high court actions, one Court of Appeal hearing and resisting an application to the Supreme Court, which is the highest court in our land. In the end the courts found what Terry and Jean knew all along, that the then Director’s poorly articulated concerns about Survey Nelson and its directors were without foundation.


Terry and Jean were successful in having their right to operate as a safe ship management company restored. But it is testimony to the man that the very reason that made him vulnerable to the actions of the regulator, was his desire to come alongside struggling fishing and marine businesses and guide and mentor them from noncompliance to compliance, from being indifferent operators to good operators.


I cannot repeat his accurate and descriptive characterisations of some Maritime New Zealand staff, and those who crossed him. On the other hand, one of Terry’s greatest compliments to someone was to refer to a person as “He or she is ‘good people’”. High praise indeed from a man who left big footprints across the marine industry and who was in his own words ‘good people’.


He was taken too soon, and the maritime in- dustry is a less colourful place for his passing.


Terry’s obituary will be published in full in the March Report Magazine.


Mediation and the marine surveyor


online seminar Tuesday 6 February This online seminar will be broadcast at 16.00 London UK time on Tuesday 6 February. The seminar is open to IIMS members and non-members.


Your presenter is Karen Brain, Matrix Insurance Ltd, who is well known to many IIMS members. Karen is not only an insurance broker, but also a non-practising lawyer and, therefore uniquely qualified to deliver this valuable content.


Sometimes accepting mediation may be the best solution and route for a surveyor as a basis of dispute resolution. But what does mediation involve and how does one engage in it? This seminar will help you assess and understand when to consider mediation as an option. And as Karen says, “Love it or hate it mediation, insurance and risk management are all here to stay and influence the world of business. So it is prudent to understand their importance, use and effect on our everyday lives.”


Who should attend this seminar? It is aimed at and relevant to all marine surveyors no matter what their workload or survey type.


For more details and to reserve your place online go to: http://bit.ly/2DCrnJS


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