The only specialised marine publication in Oceania that focuses on the maritime industry, from super yachts to small craft to large commercial ships, including coastal shipping, tugs, tow boats, barges, ferries, tourist, sport-fishing craft
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PHOTO COURTESY MID GOVERNMENT INSULTS KIWI SHIP BUILDERS BY KEITH INGRAM M y blood runs cold when I hear about a prominent New Zealand naval architect travelling overseas on a government ticket and making statements in important forums along the lines of "the New Zealand ship building industry is an embarrassment to Government". To add insult to injury, I was shocked to hear a Government official question the New Zealand ship and workboat build and repair capability. What planet are these people on? Clearly our national organisation New Zealand Marine has missed the boat in getting the message out. Granted, they have done a great job in promoting the white boat and luxury superyacht market – although sadly this market has all but dried up and unless someone pulls some very expensive rabbits out of the hat, Yard 37 will be lost to the maritime industry. Meanwhile, the backbone of the New Zealand maritime industry, our ship and workboat construction and repair yards, are being squeezed out by the new generation of fashionable waterfront lovers who suffer from a serious case of "NIMBY" in not wanting to have their vista spoiled by noisy, scruffy workboats. Councils are promoting cafés, bars and apartments which threaten the very life-blood of our working ports to the extent that even Government officials seem not to realise that we still have a vibrant ship and workboat industry. In our case, staying under the radar may not be a good option. We are an island nation where 99 percent of all imports and exports arrive or depart by ship. In Auckland, Fullers alone carry over 4.5 million people annually. Coastal shipping, the fishing and aquaculture fleet, our ferries, tugs, barges and charter boats add to some 3,200 working craft of all descriptions that make up our domestic fleet servicing our nation – and yet we are losing the waterfront space battle. Add to this the growing ignorance or contempt from our governmental officials who appear to have no understanding of the value our industry brings to the New Zealand economy. Yes, by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise figures, the New Zealand Ship and Workboat Group consisting of 170 companies, employing over 2,700 direct employees and some 4,500 indirect employees, spread nationwide it creates an annual revenue of 24 Professional Skipper September/October 2013 NZ$450 million. Now, that is some serious cash flow from what is regarded as the black boat or grubby part of our industry. During the recent tender round for the new 43 metre, 500 tonne ferry to service the Tokelau Islands we were advised that the Government did not believe we had ship building capability in New Zealand. It is this project that has highlighted the huge number of misconceptions held by the bureaucratic army that runs our country. The new ferry is to be built for the Tokelau people by the New Zealand Government and operated and maintained through its life with New Zealand aid. Given that it was being funded by the New Zealand taxpayer, you would expect some preference would be given to building the ship locally. Nah, stop dreaming. At no stage did the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade officials consider the social and economic value to our economy by recommending New Zealand-made. Remember, these folk have been informed by their principle advisors that we do not have the capability. Let's check this out, just in the last five years I can recall two 32 metre, 65 tonne bollard pull tugs built locally heading to Australia, to be followed by two 16 metre small tugs, plus four 55m patrol boats built for the RNZN in Whangarei. We have seen all manner of workboats, from the luxury 42 metre Island Passage, to fast ferries, aquaculture vessels and even today our yards are building a 44 metre, 500 tonne vehicular ferry at Port Nikau in Whangarei as well as a 34 metre fast ferry in Whanganui. Yes, we have the capability in about eight different yards around our coast, so what are the government "experts" thinking? We can't build the ship here! We can, but you cannot expect the local marine industry to respond to a design build tender in six weeks when it has been on the Government's agenda since 2007. This process was totally unreasonable and designed, might I suggest, to preclude the New Zealand ship building industry. A bold statement I know, so let's put a few facts on the table. Tokelau is a non-self-governing territory of New Zealand with a population of 1411. It consists of three small coral atolls, 259 nautical miles north of Samoa. Tokelau is relatively isolated and the only means of transport is via sea from Samoa. www.skipper.co.nz