Stevedoring is generational for the Neame family in Townsville.
NSS Stevedoring Manager Scott Neame has spent 17 years with the company working his way up from a casual hand.
His father, Max, spent 35 years with NSS and ended his career as a Shift Manager.
The breadth of the work and the challenges involved maintained his interest, Scott said.
“(Including) managing the assets as vessels berth and gearing up for that operation to make sure we’ve got everything in place,”he said.
“That the level of resources (both personnel and equipment) are sufficient to meet our productivity targets. This requires careful planning amongst
the broader NSS team including our maintenance and logistics teams.
“I think it’s like any job when it all comes together, and runs well, that’s always a satisfying thing.”
The work had afforded him many proud moments, Scott said.
“There’ve been quite a few. I started as a casual stevedore and worked through and got offered a permanent job as a stevedore,” he said.
“The superintendent’s role came up at the Mackay Port and I was offered that and moved to Mackay. So that was a proud moment being recognised.
“I ran Mackay for several years and then the Gladstone manager position came up and I was offered that. So that was another proud moment.
“It was all on the back of large projects. Mackay was the HPX 3 expansion to the Hay Point Coal Terminal where we were dealing with all heavy break bulk cargoes.
“In Gladstone it was the Curtis Island
oil and gas plant commissioning and building. So it was quite interesting and challenging work as well and they’ve all been proud moments. There’s plenty of them to be honest with you.”
Scott’s eldest daughter is first year uni studying Primary Education. It’s yet to be seen if his two sons make it as the third generation Neames working for NSS.