Responsibility For Rena Disaster Lies With Government

The Liberian flagged MV Rena

“The Maritime Union says that the responsibility for the Rena disaster lies with Government and authorities as much as with individual crew members.

Maritime Union of New Zealand General Secretary Joe Fleetwood says the arrest today of the master of the Rena on serious charges should not deflect attention away from the greater responsibility for the disaster.

He says New Zealand Government and authorities have created a situation where substandard flag of convenience shipping has been encouraged and enabled.

“1990s legislation from the then National Government created the so-called ‘open coast’ policy and this has meant that unacceptable practices have become the norm in New Zealand waters – it’s a case of out of sight and out of mind.”

Mr Fleetwood says a Maritime New Zealand “inspection” of the Rena in Bluff on 28 September 2011 apparently consisted of the inspector asking the Master whether previous problems had been fixed.

“This is the same Master that the authorities are now trying to pin the blame on a couple of weeks later after the disaster.”

“But at the time of the inspection they obviously were prepared to take the Master at his word that everything was hunky dory on his ship, despite the fact it had been hauled up in China and Australia for multiple problems.”

Mr Fleetwood says if this is the standard approach of Maritime New Zealand to dealing with obviously problematic vessels, the only surprise in the grounding of the Rena is that it hadn’t happened earlier.

He says the Union is very concerned about the welfare of crew members and wanted access to them to provide independent support.

“Can you imagine the stress of these seafarers, many with dependent families, who have spent nearly a week onboard a stricken vessel in mortal fear of their lives, and some only being taken off by helicopter after a Mayday call when the ship appeared to be in imminent catastrophe.”

He says it is now becoming a regular theme that systemic policy and regulation failures are resulting in serious harm to workers, the community and the environment.

“It is about time that the elected leaders started copping it when things go wrong rather than putting a smother over it and trying to shift the blame.”

He says the Union was repeating its call for all Maritime New Zealand reports on the Rena to be made public as soon as possible.

“If the authorities have managed to arrest the captain in such a fast manner, they can start to make public their own processes for full transparency and accountability to the New Zealand public.”

Mr Fleetwood says the Union has been arguing for stronger regulation of shipping for years in New Zealand waters, but Government’s have not wanted to hear the message.

He says the Union has had longstanding concerns that Maritime New Zealand regulations and inspections of flag of convenience vessels were superficial, limited and not strict enough.

The Union has compiled a short list of some of the flag of convenience shipping issues that it has been involved in over the last few years (see end of media release).

Mr Fleetwood says comment by Transport Minister Steven Joyce that the Maritime Union’s views were “political” were accurate.

“Mr Joyce is right. The issue is political. It is political because the John Key led National Government have been happy to have flag of convenience ships running on the New Zealand coast as a result of their political decisions.”

“In this case their political decision to promote and allow flag of convenience shipping on the New Zealand coast has had real life consequences, which have proved far beyond the political ability and the practical ability of the Government to deal with.”

“If we allowed trucks on New Zealand roads that were licensed in Liberia or some other semi-functioning failed state, and driven by unregulated overseas drivers, there would be an outcry. Yet that is what we allow on the New Zealand coast and now we are paying the price.”

Mr Fleetwood says in addition to its campaigning against Flag of Convenience shipping it had lobbied the Government last year with a plan to provide a fast response vessel for offshore oil spills.

The Union approached the Minister of Energy and Resources, Hon Gerry Brownlee, as well as the Minister of Transport Hon Steven Joyce and Minister of Environment Hon Nick Smith, in July 2010 to support the introduction of a ready response vessel for the maritime sector to cope with oil spills and similar events.

This ready response vessel would have been aimed at the offshore oil and gas industry but could easily have been used to quickly respond to oil leaks in the current Rena disaster.

The Union was told to send their information into a Ministry of Economic Development review, which it did.”

source

Also read Release Rena Inspection Reports Say Maritime Union

 

M V Rena Oil Spill – Lack Of Leadership Evident. Ferrosilicon, Oil Concerns

The Liberian flagged Rena

Days after the grounding of the Liberian flagged MV Rena in the early hours of 5 October, Prime Minister Key has finally found time in his busy World Cup schedule to visit Tauranga and see the extent of the damage caused by the oil leaking from the vessel. Already 100 tonnes of oil from the ship are thought to be unaccounted for. (watch projected oil spill video here)

The handling of the impending environmental disaster has been anything but 100% efficient and it has raised grave concerns about the government’s ability to deal with a future oil spillage off the NZ coast, something that strikes fear into the heart of the many businesses that rely on the sea for their livelihoods, environmental groups and local residents.

With oil exploration off the coast of New Zealand getting gathering pace and an Australian company’s well drilled  in the Marlborough Sounds it raises fresh doubts about the country’s ability to deal with a major oil spillage, such as that of the BP well in the Gulf of Mexico last year.

Brazilian oil giant, Petrobras International Braspetro B.V was recently given a 5 year permit to drill for oil on 12,333 square kilometres off the North Island’s East Cape. Water depths range from shallow to 3000m at its northern reaches. By comparison BP’s leaking well in the Gulf of Mexico is in water 1500m deep.

Blogger, The Jackalman, has uncovered some disturbing information when he became concerned about the lack of  disclosure about who owns the MV Rena and found alleged ties to the Israeli military. He also was concerned at National ‘s slow response and wondered why they’d been slow to react.

In addition to mentions of plutonium cores and parts for military helicopters he writes that there was evidence of a lack of maintenance of the vessel and NZ authorities not being allowed on board to breath-test Filipino crew members.

ferrosilicon ore, image from wikipedia

Worryingly he lists Ferrosilicon, (above, used by the military to produce highly flammable hydrogen) among the hazardous substances carried in the cargo (there are 4 containers of it aboard) and the effects if it comes into contact with water.  He also questions whether Yellow Cake, mined in Australia may be among the cargo and why National has not released the ship’s inventory.

The Jackalman writes:

In August this year, Australia detained the MV Rena because of cracked and rusted parts. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority after “serious deficiencies” were found detained the vessel for a day in Fremantle, Western Australia. The authority’s report found the vessel had “not been maintained between surveys”, the “hatchway cover securing arrangements are defective” and cargo was not stowed and secured as stipulated in the cargo-securing manual.

Despite the Rena being beached in New Zealand’s territorial waters, authorities were not allowed to board the vessel to breath test the crew to ensure drunkenness was not a reason for the accident.

The hazardous substance that authorities have confirmed is being transported by the Rena is Ferrosilicon, which is used by the military to quickly produce hydrogen. The chemical reaction uses sodium hydroxide, ferrosilicon, and water. The materials are stable and not combustible, and they do not generate large amounts of hydrogen until mixed. Ferrosilicon will slowly release hydrogen when in contact with water.

As early as Friday 7 October politician Winston Peters was already voicing strong concern about the perceived inertia of the response. With heavy seas predicted there is an ever increasing risk that the vessel will break-up releasing a potentially hazardous cargo into the sea :

More than 72 hours after the grounding of the M V Rena, with over 1500 tons of oil on board, at the Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga the lack of urgency and inertia demonstrated by the Government is to be deplored’, says Winston Peters, Leader of NZ First.

‘Sitting around waiting for some overseas expert to arrive is surely not the answer. Shippers have for years being paying a fee to cover such an event. Now that it is here the public should be demanding to know, where is Prime Minister Key, Transport Minister Joyce or Environmental Minister Smith. This is not a disaster waiting to happen. It has happened and failure to have already acted with the speed this event requires could have dire prospects for the Coromandel, Bay of Plenty and East Coast.’

‘Any dramatic worsening of sea conditions could spell further or total loss of the oil at sea and a breakup of the ship. The real issue is why hasn’t our training and preparation for such an event been met with a sense serious danger and appropriate response? Running around talking about good news and grabbing photo opportunities should be suspended and this issue dealt with now.

‘The oil should be taken off the boat now as should any dangerous cargo. That is not what is happening.’

‘Moreover the dispersal agent being used is likely to be as dangerous as the oil itself because its characteristics are to take the oil to the sea floor where it’s danger to the marine ecology will have tragic effects.

‘The economy of the Bay of Plenty is already under threat from Psa in the Kiwi Fruit industry. The danger is imminent from this shipping disaster and it calls for action and leadership. Where is it?’ said Mr Peters.

Experts  warning “environmental disaster” looming, lack of readiness.

Environmental Defence Society (EDS) chairman, Gary Taylor, said on 7 October maritime authorities were moving too slowly to contain the oil spill. He also said that experimental spraying of dispersal chemicals wasn’t working and that there was a lack of readiness on the part of authorities to deal with an oil spill off the coast of New Zealand.

The Environmental Defence Society has called on Maritime New Zealand to act faster to contain oil spilling from the container ship Rena off Tauranga Harbour.

“We are very concerned to see this incident inexorably moving into a full-scale environmental disaster,” said EDS Chairman Gary Taylor.

“The area is one that has high natural values with many seabirds, marine mammals and fish at risk from contamination. Nearby beaches and communities are at risk.
“It is now three days since the container ship became stranded on the Astrolabe Reef and there is still no containment boom around the ship to prevent oil dispersing into the wider marine environment. The sea is calm at present and we see no reason why containment should not already be in place. We understand suitable equipment is available.
“We are not convinced by what we have seen so far that Maritime New Zealand has the situation under control.

“This impression is reinforced by the way they are experimenting with helicopter spraying of dispersal chemicals only to find they are not working. This is redolent of the Gulf of Mexico distaster where authorities were found wanting of tried and proven response techniques.

“We would have thought that there would be a rapid, effective and proven response to this kind of incident and instead are seeing unexplained delays and trialling of different methods of control. This indicates a general lack of readiness on the part of the relevant authorities to deal with an oil spill off the New Zealand coast.”

“We agree with the Green Party that this is not a good look when we consider the imminent prospect of oil exploration off the same east coast of the North Island. If this is an indication of our readiness then there is a lot of work to be done. How the ship got onto to the reef and accountability for that is one thing. The response from Maritime New Zealand and its performance in responding to the situation is another.”

“We are looking for rapid deployment of containment booms, removal of the oil from the ship and over a longer time-frame removal of containers that pose a threat to the environment,” Mr Taylor concluded. source

Today the EDS issued another press release questioning Maritime New Zealand’s readiness to deal with such incidents and that the situation was worsening with each passing day

Environmental Defence Society questions Maritime NZ tardiness
The Environmental Defence Society , which earlier this week called for a faster response to the Rena incident, is now questioning the readiness of Maritime New Zealand to deal with such incidents.

“There is no doubt now that this is a very serious situation, made worse by the passing of every day,” said EDS Chairman Gary Taylor.

“So we need to ask why Maritime New Zealand has been so slow out of the blocks when it should have contingency plans in place that are ready to go the moment an incident occurs.
“No attempts have been made to contain the oil with booms, there seems to be an experiment with dispersal agents, all the equipment required is not available in New Zealand and is being brought from overseas, expertise also seems not available here and is being brought in and no containers have yet been removed.

“And all this with worsening weather imminent. Winds are shifting on-shore and strengthening with heavier swells likely to increase the probability of stressing a vulnerable hull and the ship breaking up.

“It is extremely disconcerting to see how delays at every turn are increasing the risks. We would have thought that clear plans would be in place to deal with all conceivable incidents and that their deployment would be rapid and certain. “Whilst the focus at the moment must be on containing the scale of this unfolding disaster, an inquiry into the way it has been handled is inevitable.

“As New Zealand moves more aggressively into offshore oil exploration, New Zealanders will want to know that is something goes wrong we are ready to deal with it competently and swiftly. We also have large numbers of oil tankers, with much more oil on board than a coastal container ship, plying our waters on a regular basis. They have the potential for a much greater disaster.

“This should be a real wake-up call for all of us and we should learn as much as we can from it so as to better manage any future spills. “New Zealand has more than 14,000km of coastline and some of the most important and biodiverse oceans in the world. We need world-class environmental standards and international best practice in oil spill management available at a moments notice.

“ What we are seeing is not good enough,” Mr Taylor concluded.

With cracks are already appearing in the ships hull the continuing dangers of the MV Rena will be as nothing compared to the major ecological disaster caused by a leaking oil well off the NZ coast.

If the government can’t sort out a single cargo ship what hope does it stand of coping with the cracks in its disaster management response when a major oil pollution incident presents itself.

You may also be interested in these related blogs

100% Pure NZ Oil Well To Be Sunk Near Marlborough Sounds (July 2010)

Mass Penguin Deaths Blamed On East Coast Oil Exploration (May 2011)

and our Green Credentials, Or Green Wash information page

Auckland Expensive, Cost Of Living Explodes, Poverty Increasing.

Thinking of emigrating to New Zealand and looking for a better lifestyle? You may be better off staying put and not risk becoming caught in a poverty trap.

An article in today’s Stuff  highlights how outrageously expensive Auckland has become over the last two years,  due mostly to a strong NZ dollar. Living costs have risen by almost 60%, outstripping wages by 13%.

Executives salaries in the largest city in New Zealand are lagging behind their contemporaries in other countries:

Workers Struggling in City of Sails

“Executives in Zurich, Geneva and Sydney are the best paid in the world after taxes, according to a survey by Swiss bank UBS – but Auckland workers are not flourishing to the same extent.

Though the survey shows wage levels – taking into account exchange rate effects – have risen over 45 percent in Auckland over the past two years, its living costs have risen by 58 percent over the same period.

Two years ago, Auckland was the world’s 43rd most expensive city of 73 surveyed, on 49.6 points, now it was ranked 24th, at 73 points…” more here

UBS didn’t survey any other New Zealand city but we suspect that it’s a similar story in Wellington. Auckland is likely to be a barometer for any reasonably sized of employment in the country.

It’s not all down to the strong dollar though. Rising food, fuel and energy prices also have had a signficant part to play. And it’s not just the executives that are doing it tough and falling behind, at the other end of the scale low income families are in dire straights.

Published research from the University of Auckland shows that low income families can’t afford to buy basic nutritious food for their children. The Child Poverty Action Group has called for more support for families and say the effects of poor nutrition are being seen in New Zealand’s hospitals every day.

The highest cost for families is rent, then electricity, transport and education. It’s far more than not being able to budget properly, its about having money left after the basic essentials for life have been met to afford luxuries like healthy food. It is now cheaper to buy cola in New Zealand than it is to buy milk

Nutritious Food Too Costly For The Poorest Families

“Latest research from the University of Auckland supports recent claims that many low-income families are unable to afford even a basic nutritious diet for their children. A paper published in Nutrition and Dietetics in December 2010 found that low-income families may not be able to afford meals recommended by the national nutritional guidelines, especially if there are teenagers in the household whose meals cost a lot more.

In response to the findings Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) is calling on the Government to increase support for families so they are able to provide nutritious food to their children.

Professor Asher says, “In reality, rent is the highest cost faced by most families, closely followed by unavoidable expenses such as electricity, transport and school-related costs. This leaves little for a good diet, especially for older children who eat so much more.

Nutritious food for children is beyond the reach of many low-income families, especially those thousands of families ineligible for the full Working for Families package. This study clearly highlights that using food banks and purchasing cheap poor-quality food is not always a matter of choice. “

CPAG is calling on the Government to help all families better afford nutritious food by extending the In-Work Tax credit to all low-income families. The cost of basic food items have increased over the last year, exemplified by the rise in milk price – 9%. “We see the outcome of poor children’s nutrition in our hospitals every day. This problem can’t be solved just by budgeting, and will not go away through magical thinking.”

Spokesperson Professor Innes Asher i.asher@auckland.ac.nz 021492262″ (Voxy)

In 2010- 2000 more children were admitted to hospital with poverty-related illnesses than during 2007-08

“What seems to have slipped below the radar is the fact that a crisis is occurring in our hospital admissions.

That’s the fact that medical conditions which occur more frequently for children living in poverty have been increasing over recent years – particularly for Maori and Pasifika children.  Or that close to 250,000 children are living in homes reliant on the benefit for income…

…We’re talking about admissions for respiratory problems, infectious diseases, and other conditions with links to poor housing and economic hardship –all diseases of poverty which could have been prevented if children were taken to see a doctor earlier…“ Rahui Katene, MP for Te Tai Tonga

You may also find interesting:

Travel, food, and power prices push up CPI

“…Significant upward contributions in the year to the June 2011 quarter came from higher prices for transport (up 11.0 percent), food (up 7.0 percent), and housing and household utilities (up 4.4 percent). Petrol prices increased 20.1 percent, cigarette and tobacco prices were up 16.0 percent, and electricity prices rose 7.8 percent..” Statistics New Zealand 18 July 2011

No milk price inquiry but probes continue:

“The Commerce Commission has ruled out a milk price probe but is investigating claims that dairy giant Fonterra is misusing its market power.

However Prime Minister John Key said it was important that the Government continued with an investigation into prices, because many people struggled to afford milk…” Business Day 2 August 2011

Winter and disasters hit food prices:

“Families have been dealt a double blow today with the announcement that the cost of food has increased 7.5 per cent this year and petrol prices are rising.

Statistics out today show fruit and vegetables had the largest impact on food prices in June, rising 12.2 per cent.

The Green Party blamed the rise in GST last year for exacerbating the problem of food costs.

Child Poverty Action Group co-director Mike O’Brien says families can’t keep up with the rising costs and were increasingly utilising budgeting and food bank services… “Business Day 13 July 2011

Our other blogs:

“NZ: 100% Pure Rip-Off” (July 2010)

NZ’s Poverty Gap – Fat Cats Feast Whilst Queues Form For Bread And Jam (July 2010)

Immigrants Caught In Cold Poverty Trap (July 2010)

New Zealanders Have Their Say On Key’s Hardtalk Interview

John Key Appeared on the BBC's Hardtalk

The BBC’s Hardtalk interview with John Key certainly caused great interest around the world, the video becoming the second most popular on the BBC’s website. Read our blog about it and watch the videos here

Here’s what New Zealanders have been saying about it

Zorr (The Standard.org.nz)

Finally, an interview where some truly difficult points were forced. Made John Key look like a complete amateur and, despite some notable occasions, Stephen Sackeur is a wonderful interviewer who does his research.The only question left to ask is this: wtf was John Key thinking accepting an interview from the one place that was going to truly sock it to him?

Stephen regularly makes the world’s most powerful people cringe in their chairs and only a few have truly stood their ground and fought with him – he always has an army of facts for any interview he does and isn’t afraid to follow up the 1st punch with a 2nd and 3rd…

Eddie (The Standard.org.nz)

god, he gets tetchy after a couple of questions… and then it gets worse.

“we’re 100% pure, relative to other countries”

and when he asks Key if he’s happy to have china owning Kiwi farmland

“well, we’re happy to have them as a major trading partner”

“that’s not what I asked you, is it?”

is there a link to the full interview?

Newsman ( NZ general Google Groups )

The interview is instructive in more ways than one. Good to have it archived in toto on the HDD.

New Zealanders will be overjoyed to know the entire BBC World audience has had an opportunity to discover and assess the calibre and character of the slither-tongued man who now runs the show here.

As is his habit, the thoroughly researched Sackur expertly conducted John Key through major New Zealand topics and issues, the responses to most of which Sackur received with a wholesome skepticism matching to perfection the style and substance of what came back at him.

As an example of the general tone Key brought to the broadcast, and for a revealing study of an inept New Zealand prime minister regaling his worldwide audience by gratuitously disavowing one of his own country’s top scientists, try this excerpt: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/hardtalk/9480610.stm

(Note John Key’s embarrassed smirk the moment Sackur introduces the “100% Pure” topic)

Unsurprisingly, while the cattle-class NZ media went ape over John Key’s lame sidekick spot on the insubstantial Letterman a while back, this time they have been mute when it came to the potential gravitas of his one big chance: a long-form 25-minute encounter with the redoubtable Sackur on a universally accessible worldwide network.

I think most of us know this myth is a load of bollocks. The only factor that makes NZ apparently green is the incredible low population factor. It has a tiny population in regard to its land mass. Alas our rivers and lakes are terribly polluted and we have more coal than we can eat so that will be all dug up sold & exported or burned here. Many kiwi knobbers see it fit to drive huge 4 and 5 litre penis extenders and those that don’t push their cars to such limits speed wise they too are gas guzzlers. This is not a hit on Nz this is just how I see things and having been here 6 years I have seen a lot.

Mummybot (The Standard.org.nz)

Key’s answers were very telling taking on two flavours. The first was a typical denialist attack – discredit the source by saying it was that scientist’s ‘opinion’ and that he could find other opinions to refute it. His second type of reply was that there wasn’t an issue just ‘look out the window’ at the natural beauty.The first is disingenuous, the second is quite scary if that is his yardstick for conservation. It implies that so long as the green veneer is there then he is happy to sell the 100% NZ brand regardless of any environmental crises going on behind.

Easyway (Trademe)

The interviewer ripped into Key for his propaganda, spin, BS and incompetency.

No wonder Key is now scared of going in front of any host that might question him too hard and expose his ineptness. Wonder when he will front up in front of Mr John Campbell!

Proud Greenie (Yahoo NZ news)

So he’s admitting the damage caused by dairying while at the same time putting policies in place that encourage an increase in cow numbers? Hopefully international pressure can make this government red-faced enough to start taking action to preserve our reputation, if it’s not already beyond repair.

Iracisble (The Standard.org.nz)

The HardTalk interview has probably done more to boost Goff & Labour’s chances in the November election than any other media event in the past 2 & half years. My friends , scattered across the world wherever HardTalk screened, have all expressed a collective cringe at seeing such a pitiful performance from a NZ PM.

Key’s performance was one that demonstrated what quality interviewing is all about… the interviewer allowing the interviewee to put his own foot in his mouth and then gently probing so that the foot goes even deeper into the speaker’s throat.

There was no excuse for Key being so uninformed, so ignorant and so shallow apart from his own arrogant belief in his PR creation.

Peter S (The Dim Post)

Key must really appreciate (as PM and Minister for Tourism) at being dropped in the proverbial by over zealous admen. The 100% pure slogan is b/s and always has been. Perhaps being directly challenged by a BBC interviewer in one of NZ’s most important tourist markets will get him and the Govt. of their bums to actually do something about the uncontrolled pollution of rivers by dairy farmers.

BBC Questions New Zealand’s 100% Pure Image

Both Mike Joy and the NZ Green Party have questioned John Key’s position on  New Zealand’s 100% Pure branding.

Joy has challenged John Key to prove that New Zealand is 100% Pure.

.

New Zealand’s economically valuable “100% Pure” brand has been questioned in international media due to the pollution of our rivers and lakes, the Green Party said today.

“We must get real about cleaning up our rivers and lakes, because the world is beginning to realise that we aren’t living up to our clean green image,” said Dr Norman.

Dr Norman was responding to John Key’s interview yesterday on BBC News HARDtalk. During the interview (see video above) host Stephen Sackur commented that New Zealand is clearly not 100% Pure and cited that half of New Zealand lakes and 90% of our lowland rivers are classed as polluted.

“The clean green New Zealand brand is worth $18.4 billion, but this asset is at risk unless we take immediate action to restore our waterways.

“To be effective in the long-term, our brand must reflect reality,” said Dr Norman.

 “Yesterday, John Key admitted on BBC News that intensifying our dairying has impacted on our river quality, the same day his Government released a toothless version of the National Policy Statement on Freshwater (NPS). (ed. link here)

“The draft NPS required land owners to obtain a resource consent for land use intensification, but the Government bowed to polluter pressure and removed this requirement in the final version released yesterday.

“Nearly every report on water quality in New Zealand has identified land use intensification as the main cause of water quality decline in New Zealand, yet the Government has chosen not to regulate intensification.

“This decision will come back to haunt us. If we trash the environment we will trash our reputation and it will damage us economically sooner or later,” said Dr Norman.

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