Gippsland Ports has announced that Chris Waites has been appointed to the position of CEO to succeed present CEO, Nick Murray who will retire in September 2018 after ten years in the role.

In making the announcement, Gippsland Ports Chair, Geoff Hocking said: “the Board is very pleased to have recruited a person of Chris’s calibre, experience, knowledge, technical competence, passion and strong connection to the region. Chris brings to Gippsland Ports extensive experience as an engineer and executive manager in both the private sector and local Government in Victoria and Queensland with a strong background in strategic asset management, civil construction, public infrastructure and service delivery including marine infrastructure and services”

The Gippsland Ports CEO position attracted strong interest resulting in a large field of applicants from all over Australia.

Mr Waites is currently employed as Director Operations with East Gippsland Shire Council, a position he has held since 2005 and will take up his new position in mid September.

Mr Waites said “I am very pleased to have been selected by the Gippsland Ports Board and am excited by the opportunity. I appreciate the significant challenges associated with giving effect to the Board’s vision to be the most effective port and waterway manager in Victoria in the eyes of our customers, community, regulators and portfolio department”.

I have a strong commitment to the local community. Both my wife and I were born and raised in East Gippsland, and after furthering our careers in Australia and overseas, returned to the area in 2005.

The Gippsland Ports CEO position provides me the opportunity to continue my connection with the region with an organisation with diverse responsibilities and challenges.”

Gippsland Ports is the appointed manager of 1,400 square kilometres of local ports and waterways from Inverloch to Mallacoota, with 57 employees, managing assets comprising 800 navigation aids, 100 wharves and jetties, 900 berths and moorings, 2 commercial boatyards, 4 slipways and operates 2 dredgers, the cutter suction dredge “Kalimna” and the recently built Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge, “Tommy Norton”.