Defence Force Deployed for Stranded Cargo Ship

New Zealand Defence Force personnel have been deployed in the emergency response to the grounding of the stricken cargo ship on Tauranga's Astrolabe Reef. The Liberian-flagged Rena was carrying about 1,700 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and about 70 tonnes of marine diesel when it struck the Astrolabe Reef at top speed on 5th October 2011.  

Today, fist-sized clumps of oil began washing ashore at Mt Maunganui's main beach. About 300 Defence Force personnel have either been deployed or are on standby to assist the Rena Incident Control Team in Tauranga as they work to remove oil and containers from the ship.

 

The Defence Force already has four boats supporting the operation - a diving support vessel, two inshore patrol vessels and a tanker. These boats will maintain the exclusion zone around the damaged ship and train in the use of booms and scoops that may be used to capture any released oil.

 

Helicopters will be used to move salvage experts to and from the Rena and take conservation personnel to outlining locations to check on at risk bird and sea-life populations and are available for any search and rescue tasking if required.

 

Transport Minister Stephen Joyce this afternoon called for answers on how the ship came to be stuck on the reef, 3news.co.nz reported. An investigation would look into whether the ship's captain had been drinking. Earlier, a union claimed New Zealand authorities had found multiple problems including stricken cargo ship's charts before it ran aground off the coast of Tauranga. Maritime New Zealand said the inspection it carried out on the vessel in Bluff was a routine check and did not find any problems with its charts.

 

The Maritime Union said a source had revealed the Rena was inspected by Maritime New Zealand in Bluff on 28^th September 2011, revealing deficiencies with the vessel's charts - in what it labeled a clue as to why it ran aground. Union general secretary Joe Fleetwood called for a statement from Maritime New Zealand confirming whether it was aware of problems with the ship.

 

The Rena was detained for a day in Fremantle, Western Australia, by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority after "serious deficiencies" were found in August. The authority's report found the vessel had "not been maintained between surveys", the "hatchway cover securing arrangements defective" and cargo was not stowed and secured as stipulated in the cargo securing manual.

 

A Maritime New Zealand spokeswoman said the check in Bluff was aimed at making sure those problems had been fixed. She confirmed that the issues had been resolved and cleared for New Zealand waters.