A year in review: the 2023-24 Annual Report
Antarctica New Zealand has released its 23-24 Annual Report.
The report sets out the Crown Entity’s strategic priorities, how these have been achieved and its financial statements for the year ended 30 June 2024.
Here are some of the highlights and milestones from the year, broken down by strategic priorities.
Maintaining our presence
- With research events back to pre-Covid levels, Scott Base was a bustling hub of staff, researchers, construction workers and media from October through February. Our winter-over teams either side of summer ensured Aotearoa New Zealand maintained its continuous presence on the ice.
- There were no serious injuries on the ice and our team demonstrated a strong commitment to health and safety and continuous improvement.
- The Scott Base Redevelopment is a major project for Antarctica New Zealand. This year, the Board confronted the fact that the project was not going to be delivered within budget and paused to undertake an options analysis and then an independent review. Subsequently, Antarctica New Zealand has stepped away from the three-building design and large modular construction methodology and is now focusing on constructing new infrastructure using conventional methods and refurbishing to extend the life of the existing buildings. The financial impact of the reset is estimated to be $37million.
Enhancing Antarctic and Southern Ocean science
- It was a record year for science, with this season seeing a 122% rise in Antarctic science event days compared to 2022-23.
- The SWAIS2C (Sensitivity of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet to 2°C) project was an example of international collaboration in the name of science. Antarctica New Zealand’s camp team set up about 1000km south of Scott Base and managed air operations, weather observations and primary camp facilities, using PistenBullys to prepare the aircraft runway and shift sleds and snow.
- The Antarctic Science Platform has contributed valuable insights on Antarctica’s interactions with Earth’s climate system and we look forward to its second phase.
Leadership and cooperation
- Antarctica New Zealand continued to build relationships with its partners. We signed a Memorandum of Arrangement with Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute to increase scientific cooperation, exemplifying how we intend to build more international logistics and science cooperation partnerships in the future.
- We bid farewell and thanks to departing Board Chair Sir Brian Roche and directors Helen Anderson, Rob Morrison and Jenn Bestwick, as well as Chief Executive Sarah Williamson, and welcomed new Chair Leon Grice and directors Neville Harris, Keiran Horne, and Heather Simpson into the fold. Chief Scientific Advisor, Jordy Hendrikx, has also stepped into the Acting Chief Executive role.
- Antarctic science hit New Zealand screens in Patrick Gower: On Ice, documenting the work that happens at Scott Base.
Protecting Antarctic environments
- Ceisha Poirot, our General Manager of Policy, Environment and Safety had the international honour of being voted Chair of the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting’s Committee for Environmental Protection.
- Once again, Antarctica New Zealand supported New Zealand’s delegation at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting.
- We marked 16 years of measuring, managing and reducing our carbon emissions.
Read the full 23-24 Annual Report here.
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Antarctica New Zealand's communications team