Trudie Larnach

A diamond in the rough

When maritime restrictions prevented seafarers from coming ashore during the height of the COVID pandemic this year scores were trapped for months on vessels at sea. Amid growing global impatience for their precious cargo, there was surprisingly little sympathy for these unsung heroes of global supply networks.

At Port Waratah Coal Services (Port Waratah), which operates two of the three coal terminals in the port of Newcastle, the pressure to maintain continuity of export service to South-East Asian end users quickly mounted. But Manager, Sustainability and Corporate Affairs with Port Waratah, Trudie Larnach, brought to the executive table the social responsibility perspective. “The seafarers really had it tough, separated from their families for months and months,” she says. “Theirs is already a tough life, making sure that everybody around the world get what they need. But to be stuck on a vessel for months, unable to take shore leave at ports or see their loved ones … the border restrictions left them in no man’s land.”

Appreciating how crucial the seafarers are to Port Waratah’s supply chain and their predicament, Trudie led the delivery of care packs to the seafarers throughout their lengthy lockout. The packs contained treats, as well as mental health information and support.

“We deal with seafarers at our wharves every day,” she says. “I wanted them to feel seen and heard; to know that we were thinking of them and appreciate what they do. So we rang our port neighbour colleagues and they all got on board. I can now tell you what $20,000 worth of chips and lollies in a room looks like, and we’ll be continuing the effort with a Christmas drive.”

It’s a strong evocation of Port Waratah’s “Local heart; global reach” ethos, which the UNE Rising Star endeavours to demonstrate daily. “Ours is an export-focused company,” Trudie says. “Our two terminals have a combined through-put capacity of 145 million tonnes per annum, which makes us the largest coal export terminal in the world, but we are also a local business and part of the Hunter Valley coal chain. We operate out of the seventh largest city of Australia, and with that comes responsibilities we take very seriously. We are, unashamedly, heavy industry on Newcastle’s beautiful working harbour, and we don’t pretend we’re not. I like to think about us as having 10,000 neighbours, but we also rely on hundreds of people world-wide like the hard-working seafarers.”

During a year that has not always cast coal in a favourable light, the UNE graduate (Bachelor of Law/Science) is unapologetic about the business she loves.

“Mining is part of the Australian export landscape and a lot of NSW is built on the back of it,” Trudie says. “Climate change is real, we don’t deny that, but there is still strong demand for coal, especially in South-East Asia.

“We may get to a point in Australia where we no longer rely on coal as a fuel source – I think that’s a way off yet – but we might still be exporting it because the energy demand is there. We expect demand for Hunter Valley coal to be reasonably stable and aligned with the International Energy Agency predictions well into the foreseeable future.”

Which makes the environmental, social and corporate governance responsibilities that Trudie oversees particularly important. But far from being intimidated by the challenge, the born-and-bred Hunter Valley local embraces it.

“I love my work and we have earned a strong social licence to operate,” she says. “We invest heavily in environmental and social projects. The best part of my job is being able to invest $750,000 a year in the local Newcastle community, in not-for-profit projects and initiatives that support locals.”

At Port Waratah, Trudie’s elevation to senior leadership roles has been swift. In her early 30s, she became the first female in the executive team in the company’s 40-year history, has helped to develop the Licence to Operate framework that champions improvements to environmental and social performance across the organisation, including pioneering the annual Local Voices community engagement. As a powerful agent for change, internally and externally, Trudie has also advanced Port Waratah’s diversity and inclusion strategy and been instrumental in ensuring that its business strategy aligns with United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

By positioning her team as business partners at Port Waratah, Trudie and her team have had far-reaching impact on daily operational activities and sustainability reporting.

“Our environmental team is there to partner and work with operational teams and others to achieve our business goals,” Trudie says. “My team are not there in the middle of the night to inform the decision-making of the shipload operator, for instance. We want him or her to feel confident and capable to identify and escalate an issue. That’s a good measure of success, when our people make decisions in the best interests of the business, environment and community.”

Lofty international objectives sit comfortably alongside efforts closer to home.

“To have our local portside community, survey on survey, report positive trust in Port Waratah is an absolute privilege and that’s something we have to work hard to maintain,” Trudie says. “Local initiatives are just as important as some of the global SDGs. We can work on what is within our locus of control, and if everybody does their bit at a local level, we can make the world a better place.”

The same philosophy underlies much of Trudie’s commitments outside work, as a mentor with the NSW Women in Mining Network and a volunteer non-executive director with the Newcastle-based not-for-profit Jenny’s Place, which supports women and children experiencing domestic violence.

Colleagues speak of Trudie’s ability to challenge and motivate them to succeed, through her honesty, integrity and authenticity. “I’d like to think I have helped others on their journey as much as people have supported me,” she says. “I’m not afraid to confront a difficult topic, or address the elephant in the room, but I am also focused on seeking to understand and support others. I think that is essential when you are trying to effect change. You won’t get anywhere just with dogged determination.

“No business, or individual, can afford to rest on their laurels, and self-reflection is a very powerful tool and essential for continuous improvement. I love that at Port Waratah we have a values-driven culture that promotes continuous improvement. Caring for others, the environment and the communities in which we operate is a personal calling and a privilege.”

Whether that’s stranded seafarers, shipload operators or vulnerable women, Trudie appears to be succeeding in that mission.