New Zealand Government News

New Zealand’s Ministry of Defense said it has suspended plans to build an Antarctic and Southern Ocean patrol vessel because planned spending is being reassessed due to the impact on the government’s budget of costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic.The Ministry of Defense in mid-2021 issued a request for information on the cost and potential design of a Southern Patrol Ocean Vessel, reinforced to cope with ice.

FPSO operator BW Offshore has reached a settlement with the New Zealand government over the FPSO Umuroa, which has been stuck at the Tui field, around 50 kilometers off the coast of Taranaki, for months.BW Offshore has been unable to remove its FPSO from the Tui field following the contract termination, client liquidation, and the country's court and environment regulator intervention.Client Tamarind Taranaki in October 2019 said it wouldn't extend the FPSO contract after December 31…

Lockheed Martin Canada has signed a formal contract with the New Zealand government for ship installation and trials to complete the upgrade and modernization of the ANZAC class frigates. The first of two frigates, Her Majesty's New Zealand Ship (HMNZS) TE KAHA arrived in Victoria yesterday. Lockheed Martin Canada is responsible for designing and supplying the upgraded combat system for each ANZAC Class Frigate, including a new combat management system – based on Lockheed Martin Canada's Combat Management System 330 – along with the supply and integration of various sensors, a missile system and a Combat Systems Trainer. Lockheed Martin Canada has entered into a subcontractual agreement with Seaspan Victoria Shipyards Co.

After helping to deliver 216 tonnes of disaster relief, HMAS Darwin has completed support to residents of the Kaikoura area following the earthquake that struck the South Island of New Zealand on Monday. The disaster relief stores flown by Australian and Coalition helicopters included 13,000 kilograms of food, 2780kg of fruit and vegetables, 6000kg of rice, pasta and flour, four generators, two portable pumps and 10,000kg of pet food. “HMAS Darwin was diverted from her planned participation in the International Naval Review in Auckland and steamed to Kaikoura in response to a request from the New Zealand Government following the earthquake,” said the Minister for Defence, Senator Marise Payne. “The ship arrived in Kaikoura on Wednesday (16 Nov) evening.

Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Darwin has sailed to Kaikoura to provide humanitarian and disaster relief support at the request of the New Zealand government. Darwin is using her embarked S-70B-2 Seahawk helicopter for the evacuation of civilians and the distribution of emergency supplies. Commanding Officer, HMAS Darwin, Commander Phillip Henry said the ship and its 200 personnel will remain flexible to any tasks that may be required. “We’re prepared to do whatever it takes to help our close friends and neighbours in their time of need,” he said. Darwin, together with warships from the United States, Canada, Japan and Singapore, was scheduled to participate in the country's International Naval Review, in celebration of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s 75th Anniversary.

The troubled German-owned, Liberia-flagged containership 'Vega Auriga', which was last week banned by Australia from entering its ports for three months, has now arrived in New Zealand, where it has been detained, informs ITF Seafarers. The ship – described by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority as a "repeat offender" for breaches of seafarer welfare and ship maintenance – was detained in Tauranga after Maritime New Zealand found 14 deficiencies, with 11 to be rectified before it can leave. However, the Filipino crew have now received some of their back pay due; ITF inspector Grahame McLaren reports that they have received their June and July wages, although pay for August was still outstanding.

Liebherr-Werk Biberach GmbH has managed to win several orders in Australia and New Zealand. During the last few weeks four luffing jib cranes from the HC-L series and a top-slewing crane from the EC-H series have left Liebherr-Werk Biberach GmbH for the voyage down under. Liebherr's exclusive distributor in Australia, Morrow Equipment Co. L.L.C. based in Caringbah, NSW near Sydney, has expanded its crane fleet. Morrow continues to expand its hire fleet with the purchase of two new 542 HC-L 18/36 Litronic cranes and a used 540 HC-L model. The high level of usage of the existing hire fleet, positive signals from the market and several pending large projects in the cities of Sydney and Brisbane were the reasons behind the purchases.

International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) president Paddy Crumlin has met with key stakeholders in Auckland, New Zealand, about the ongoing campaign to secure NZD30 million in unpaid wages for fishers in the region. The ITF has contributed to Slave Free Seas’ campaign to claim outstanding wages in the vicinity of NZD30 million through the New Zealand courts. Crumlin met with senior union representatives from Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, the Slave Free Seas advocacy group and the Merchant Service Guild as part of the Regional Maritime Federation meeting.

New Zealand Government Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee has announced a $2 million package to help Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) improve New Zealand’s wider maritime response capability following an independent review of its response to the grounding of the container ship 'Rena' off the coast of Tauranga in October 2011. Conducted by former Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Trade Simon Murdoch, the review identified several areas for improvement. Mr Brownlee says the Rena response was about more than oil…

Incat Crowther designed 'Spirit of Queenstown' a 26 m catamaran ferry built by Aluminium Marine in Queensland for Southern Discoveries of New Zealand’s South Island is currently being delivered for service on Queenstown’s Lake Wakatipu. Incat Crowther was awarded the design contract on the basis of its ability to work within the tight parameters of the New Zealand government environmental regulations, contributing innovative thinking to develop a versatile and capable vessel, with a focus on low capital and operational cost.

Australia's Aluminium Marine is building an Incat Crowther designed environmentally responsible passenger catamaran. The 26m long vessel has been commissioned by Southern Discoveries of New Zealand’s South Island to operate out of Queenstown, transferring passengers to isolated destinations on Lake Wakatipu. It will be constructed with a removable wheelhouse, allowing it to be carried overland by truck to the lake. After a review of many design options, Incat Crowther was awarded…

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.

The move, to take place over a four-year transition period, would send a clear message that New Zealand was serious about the fair treatment of fishing crews, the safety of vessels and its international reputation for ethical and sustainable fishing practices, Primary Industries Minister David Carter and Labor Minister Kate Wilkinson stated. The announcement followed the release in March of a report by the Ministerial Inquiry into Foreign Charter Vessels (FCVs), which was ordered after widely publicized cases of mainly Indonesian fishing crews jumping ship with claims of unpaid wages and physical abuse when their Korean-owned vessels docked in New Zealand.

Oil & Gas Regulators Respond to Recent Pollution Incidents by Reviewing their Regulatory Regimes. In response to the spate of significant pollution incidents involving oil & gas exploration, production and transportation that have hit the headlines in recent years, a number of national and international regulators have taken the opportunity to review their regulatory regimes. This article provides an update on the new Community-wide regulations that have been proposed by the European Commission, the regulatory reform that has occurred in Australia and the possible reforms in New Zealand.

The first vessel in the New Zealand government's $500 million navy upgrade has come off its slipway in a Dutch shipbuilding yard. It will be used to carry troops and cargo, allowing them to be disembarked at sea. It has been built as part of Project Protector, with seven vessels planned. Officials say that it will be followed by sea trials, with the vessel due in New Zealand by the end of the year. source: Radio New Zealand