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Keith Manch News

07 Aug 2020

Auckland Port and Pilot Fined for Excessive Speed

(Photo: Maritime NZ)

Ports of Auckland Limited (POAL) and the master of one of its pilot boats have been fined a total of $432,400 (US$286,000) after they admitted exposing people to risk of death or serious injury because pilot boats traveled at excessive speed in the Waitemata Harbor over a period of time involving thousands of voyages.Maritime NZ Director, Keith Manch, said POAL has also agreed to pay $220,000 (US$144,000) to the family of a swimmer, Leslie Gelberger, who died after being struck by POAL pilot boat, Wakatere.

26 May 2017

Pacific’s Wild Weather Challanges in Search

The Pacific’s wild weather and vast distances make it a challenging location for search and rescue, said Keith Manch, Director Maritime New Zealand, in his opening address at the Pacific Regional Search and Rescue workshop in Auckland, New Zealand (22-26 May). The objective of the workshop is to provide Pacific Search and Rescue (SAR) coordinators and responders with the tools to improve coordination between national SAR agencies. The event also aims to improve regional collaboration through formal protocols and communication ensuring a uniform SAR response throughout the Pacific. International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Carlos Salgado…

24 Jun 2016

New Zealand: Maritime Trade is Key

Photo: Maritime New Zealand

Globally, shipping is on the rise – already 80-90 percent of the world’s trade is by ship; that is more than 12 billion metric tons of goods annually, shipped by 1.5 million seafarers on 50,000 merchant ships. Without shipping, the import and export of goods on the scale necessary to sustain the modern world simply would not be possible. Shipping is especially important to New Zealand, an island that relies heavily on its vibrant maritime sector. “At least 97 percent of our trade is transported by sea – it is the crucial lifeline for our economy and way of life…

12 Apr 2016

Fines Imposed for Dolphin-watching Boat Mishap

A dolphin-watching charter vessel company and several company representatives have incurred fines totaling more than $16,000 after the vessel Dreamweaver became damaged by heavy seas on Auckland Harbour in February 2014, and more than 30 passengers had to be transferred to rescue boats. Maritime NZ prosecuted the vessel owner and operator, the director of the company providing crew, and the master after the incident which resulted in two passengers being knocked down and one of the vessel’s hulls filling with water. Dreamweaver Charters Limited was fined $12,750 after admitting a charge under section 65 of the Maritime Transport Act…

11 Feb 2016

NZ's “Sound framework” for Managing Coastal Navigation

A review of coastal navigation safety by Maritime NZ has found that there is a sound framework in place to manage the movement of ships around the New Zealand coast, with procedures in place to assess risk and adjust safety measures if required. Maritime NZ Director Keith Manch said the review, begun in April last year, was prompted by an anticipated increase in the number of ship visits to New Zealand, a trend toward larger ships, and technology changes in navigational aids. Consideration was also give to a Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) recommendation following the grounding of the Rena that Maritime NZ collect data on shipping movements around the New Zealand coast, and monitor and control the use of virtual aids to navigation around the New Zealand coast.

22 Jul 2015

Dredging Company Sentenced for Worker’s Death

Dredging NZ has been fined $79,500 and ordered to pay $42,000 in reparation after the death of a worker, crushed on a dredging barge in West Park Marina, Auckland, on November 19, 2013, Maritime New Zealand reported. Peter Bateman died after being crushed between an excavator and the wall of a hopper, on a barge being skippered by Brent Darrach. Dredging NZ was sentenced July 21 in Auckland District Court after pleading guilty to a charge laid by Maritime New Zealand under section 6 of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992, that as an employer it failed to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of employees at work. In May…

29 Apr 2015

Talleys Sentenced for Death of Crewman

Talleys Group Ltd. has been fined $48,000 and ordered to pay $35,000 in reparation to the family of a crewman killed after falling nearly seven meters on the fishing vessel Capt MJ Souza in Nelson in May 2012. The company was sentenced in Nelson District Court April 29, 2015 after being found guilty on March 23 of failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of its employees after the death of crewman Cain Adams. The reparations ordered are in addition to a payment of $54,000 already made to the family by the company. Adams died while working on the Capt MJ Souza after he stepped onto a hatch on the main deck that rotated, causing him to fall nearly seven meters through another open hatch in the deck below to the floor of the vessel’s fish well.

23 Mar 2015

Ports of Auckland Fined for Stevedore Injury

Ports of Auckland Ltd (POAL) has been fined $55,000 and ordered to pay $25,000 in reparation to a stevedore who suffered serious injuries unloading a containership at the port in January 2014, Maritime New Zealand Media reported. POAL admitted a charge laid by Maritime New Zealand under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992 of failing to take all practicable steps to ensure the safety of employee, and was sentenced in Auckland District Court March 20, 2015. The stevedore was injured while attempting to dislodge a twist-lock that was stuck in the top of a two-high container stack on board the Lica Maersk. The man was using a five-meter unlocking pole which, with the weight of the twist lock, pulled him from the top of a container 15 meters down to the water.

04 Feb 2015

Maritime NZ Puts Rena Salvage on Pause

Maritime New Zealand has approved a pause in work on salvaging the Rena while the wrecked cargo ship’s owners wait for their resource consent application to be heard. The ship's owner Daina Shipping has been seeking permission to leave sections of the wreck and some debris on Astrolabe reef, where the container ship grounded in 2011. Maritime New Zealand said the pause would take effect only once the wreck reached the state set out in the consent application, which was expected to be heard later this year. "Maritime NZ accepts that it is not reasonable to require further salvage work to be carried out, beyond what is required to reach the wreck state set out in the application, until resolution of that process," said director Keith Manch.

03 Sep 2014

MNZ & AMSA Award McMurdo COSPAS-SARSAT Contract

McMurdo Group’s Techno-Sciences Inc. says it has been chosen by the Australia Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) to deploy their next-generation satellite-aided search and rescue systems. The MEOSAR (Medium-altitude Earth Orbit Search and Rescue) installations will be the first such systems in Asia Pacific and will significantly reduce the time between a distress beacon activation and the resulting emergency alert notification from hours to minutes, greatly accelerating the rescue coordination effort by SAR personnel. As a result, survivors will be found faster and more lives will be saved. “Australia and New Zealand have two of the largest SAR regions in the world…

31 Jul 2014

MNZ Opens New Office in Port Taranaki

Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) informs that for the first time in 5 years it has a permanent presence in New Plymouth on the opening of a new office at Port Taranaki staffed by full-time maritime officer Michael Vredenburg. Opening the office, MNZ Director Keith Manch said the move reflected the significant role of the port and region in New Zealand’s maritime sector. The previous office closed in July 2009, following the retirement of the sole staff member. “Port Taranaki is at the centre of New Zealand’s offshore petroleum industry and is also a key import and export port,” he said. While based at Port Taranaki, new Maritime Officer Michael Vredenburg’s focus will be the wider Taranaki region…

17 Jul 2014

RCCNZ Praised for Missing Schooner Search Effort

The search for the missing schooner 'Nina' by the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) in June-July 2013 went beyond what many overseas authorities would have conducted, an independent reviewer has found. RCCNZ explain that David Baird, former General Manager of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s Emergency Response Division, conducted the independent review at the request of Maritime New Zealand Director Keith Manch. The reviewer found: “In many areas RCCNZ went well beyond the requirements of the SAR Convention and its Standard Operating Procedures, demonstrating conviction, compassion and determination to achieve a satisfactory result.

11 Jul 2014

Coal-burning Steamship Joins NZ's New Safety System

Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) informs it is welcoming Real Journeys’ iconic steamship TSS Earnslaw into the new Maritime Operator Safety System (MOSS) - designed to improve operator and vessel safety. Built in 1912, The Earnslaw  is one of the few remaining commercial passenger-carrying coal-fired steamship in the southern hemisphere. “The Earnslaw is one of the tourism highlights of any trip to Queenstown. I’m delighted to welcome her into MOSS and it’s good to see Real Journeys showing its commitment to safety by being among the ‘first off the block’ in transitioning from SSM to MOSS,” says MNZ Director Keith Manch. MOSS replaces the old Safe Ship Management (SSM) system, in which an operator was required to engage a third party to develop a safety system for their vessels.

27 Jun 2014

New Zealand to Review Coastal Navigation Safety

Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) announced it is undertaking a review of coastal navigation safety to identify risks and assess current and potential safety measures. MNZ Director Keith Manch said the review, which begins July 2014, is part of a focus on developing an intelligence-led, risk-focused approach to maritime safety. “In order to appropriately manage risks in the coastal environment we need an accurate and up-to-date picture of what those risks are,” he said. The first phase is expected to last around 12 months and will involve assessing the nature of risks around coastal navigation and how they are being managed. “We are taking an open-minded approach, so the first thing to do is establish what risks actually exist and what measures are in place to address them,” Manch said.

12 Jun 2014

Ship's Master Fined After Failure to Report Grounding

The master of the 177m Singapore-flagged cargo vessel Lake Triview has been fined $2000 (plus $130 court costs) after pleading guilty to a charge of failing to notify Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) that the vessel had grounded off New Plymouth after dragging its anchor on Saturday, 24 May, 2014. MNZ laid the charge under s31 of the Maritime Transport Act which requires incidents to be reported to MNZ as soon as practicable. MNZ was not notified of the grounding until 28 May. Rolando Valmeo Legaspi, 63, of the Philippines was sentenced in New Plymouth District Court today. MNZ Director Keith Manch said the sentence should send a strong message to those responsible for vessels operating around New Zealand.

11 Jun 2014

Master Failed to Notify Ship Grounded: Fined in NZ Court

Maritime New Zealand inform that the master of the 177m Singapore-flagged cargo vessel 'Lake Triview' has been fined $2000 (plus $130 court costs) after pleading guilty to a charge of failing to notify Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) that the vessel had grounded off New Plymouth after dragging its anchor. Rolando Valmeo Legaspi, 63, of the Philippines was sentenced in New Plymouth District Court, and MNZ Director Keith Manch said the sentence should send a strong message to those responsible for vessels operating around New Zealand. "This incident posed a potential threat to the 21 crew, and could have had a serious impact on the environment, and yet no effort was made for some days to notify MNZ.

19 Mar 2014

Court Finds NZ Fishing Boat 'Easy Rider' Owner Guilty

File photo CCL3

Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) says it welcomed guilty verdicts against Gloria Davis and AZ1 Enterprises Limited on charges relating to the sinking of the 'Easy Rider' with the loss of eight lives off Stewart Island in March 2012. Ms Davis is the sole director of the company that operated the fishing boat which capsized in Foveaux Strait on March 15, 2012, claiming eight lives, including Ms Davis's husband, Rewai Karetai, who was skipper of the vessel. A number of specific charges…

09 Sep 2020

Rena Grounding Response Reviewed

(Credit: Maritime New Zealand)

Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) welcomed the release of the independent review of its response to the grounding of the Rena, and the announcement of $2 million of government funding to help improve New Zealand’s maritime response capability.The report, by independent reviewer Simon Murdoch, was released today by Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee.MNZ Director Keith Manch said the organization was already implementing a number of the review recommendations and the funding package would help MNZ develop a wider strategic and operational response to maritime incidents.In the review report…

16 Jun 2013

New Zealand Ramps Up IMO Representation

IMO NZ Representation Ceremony: Photo credit NZ Government

Rt Hon Sir Lockwood Smith  appointed New Zealand's first Permanent Representative at the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Sir Lockwood, New Zealand High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, recently presented his credentials to the IMO’s Secretary-General, Koji Sekimizu. The Director of Maritime New Zealand, Keith Manch, also participated in the first-ever Symposium on the 'Future of Ship Safety', held at IMO headquarters in London. Mr Manch said Sir Lockwood’s appointment as Permanent Representative was an indication of the importance of maritime affairs to New Zealand.

21 Feb 2013

Maritime NZ to Replace Safety System

Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) to phase in the Maritime Operator Safety System (MOSS) from 1, July 2014. MOSS is intended to improve safety in the commercial maritime environment through safer operations and vessels. It will be based on direct relationships between operators, surveyors, and MNZ, as the regulator. The proposed rules for MOSS, which will replace the current Safe Ship Management (SSM) System, are due to be considered by the Transport Minister for gazetting by 1 July 2013. It is anticipated the new rules will come into force on 1 July 2014. “We recognise that we need this time after the rules come into force to engage and consult further with industry and to develop the guideline material and tools to implement MOSS.

26 Oct 2012

'Rena' Grounding Owners Fined

Salvors Aboard 'Rena' Photo credit MNZ

Daina Shipping fined $300,000 in NZ Court for discharge of harmful substances following grounding of the ship Oct. 2011. “The guilty plea by the owners has led to this case being resolved in a timely fashion and that is to be welcomed,” MNZ Director Keith Manch said. “The completion of this prosecution marks another step in the response to the grounding of the Rena. Daina Shipping Co. was charged under sections 338(1B) and 15B of the Resource Management Act 199, for being the owner of a ship from which harmful substances and/or contaminants were discharged into the coastal marine area.

02 Oct 2012

'Rena' Owners Reach Financial Settlement with NZ Government

The New Zealand Government & Daina Shipping Company settle amount due arising from the container ship's grounding on 5, October 2011. Keith Manch, Director of Maritime New Zealand, confirmed that Daina Shipping Company will pay $27.6 million to settle the claims of the Crown and public bodies including Maritime NZ, Bay of Plenty District Health Board, Environmental Protection Agency, the Minister of Local Government (signing as the territorial authority for Motiti island), and the New Zealand Transport Agency. "This was a very complex negotiation given the range of issues and parties involved, and represents a good outcome for New Zealanders," said Mr Manch.

25 May 2012

Jail Sentence of 'Rena' Officers Applauded by MNZ

Photo credit MNZ

MNZ laid six charges against the Master, Mauro Balomaga, and five charges against the Second Officer, Leonil Relon, following the grounding. Both men pleaded guilty to all charges against them.The two men were  each sentenced to seven months imprisonment. The Director of MNZ, Keith Manch, said the two senior officers, who were responsible for the navigation of the ship, had breached basic principles of safe navigation. After a passage plan for the journey from Napier to Tauranga had been prepared, the Master had given approval for the Second Officer to deviate from the plan to make good time.