Vernie Mleczynski

Explore The New Zealand Waterfront Vernie Mleczynski

New Zealand embodies island living. Bounded by continuous beaches and dramatic coastlines, the country holds powerful connections to its waterfronts. Located across the Tasman Sea from Australia, New Zealand features jagged fjords, towering mountains, and active volcanic zones, striking elements that are connected by the South Pacific Ocean.
In the 1980s pressure began to mount on the waterfront as customers sought higher levels of service. Les saw this is as an opportunity for real change. Through his innovation and perseverance, he introduced new ways of working on the waterfront that rapidly transformed port productivity.
One groundbreaking change was Les's introduction of 24/7 port operations at the Port of Tauranga, which improved customer satisfaction and port efficiency. Les' successes were all the more notable as the industry was heavily unionized at the time. His ideas were polarising but his rational advocacy led to better outcomes for exporters, ports, and waterfront workers.