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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MARITIME NEW ZEALAND RENA OIL SPILL RESPONSE TRANSITION The National On Scene Commander reduced the emergency oil spill response to the Rena grounding from a Tier 3, or national level, to a Tier 2, or regional level response, on May 4. This means the Bay of Plenty Regional Council will now assume responsibility for ongoing monitoring and future clean- up activity with respect to any further oil spilled from the wreck. Several key factors influenced the decision, made in consultation with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council: • Regular assessments of the wreck confirmed the threat of a further significant oil spill from the wreck was minimal. • Ongoing and regular surveys by the oil spill response team of previously affected areas confirmed very low levels of residual oil in the environment and very minimal amounts of oil coming ashore. The levels are so low that clean-up activity has not been warranted. • Site visits to previously affected areas with key stakeholders including the regional council, Iwi and environmental experts, confirmed they have reached a level where no further cleanup activity is needed. • The volume of calls from the public reporting sightings of oil on the beaches or in the water has been consistently low for the past few months. HIGH SPEED OPERATOR SENTENCED Intercity Group (NZ) Limited, owners of the Paihia based high speed vessel Excitor III, was sentenced in the Auckland District Court on May 7 after earlier admitting two separate but identical charges under the Health and Safety in Employment Act, relating to incidents in the Bay of Islands on January 12 and March 22, 2011 respectively. Maritime New Zealand suspended the vessel from operating following the March 22 incident. The two charges, both under sections 15 and 50 of the HSEA of "failing to take all practicable steps to ensure no action or inaction of any employee at work harmed any other person", were brought by Maritime NZ after an investigation into the two separate incidents in which passengers suffered serious spinal fractures during trips to the Hole in the Rock. In the January 12 incident two female passengers at the rear of the vessel suffered fractured vertebrae after hitting large waves, while another female passenger suffered a fractured vertebra in similar circumstances on March 22. Intercity Group was convicted and fined $50,000 for the first charge, and $70,000 for the second charge. Two of the victims were awarded $45,000 in reparation each, while the third who suffered the most serious injuries, was awarded $60,000. Maritime NZ maritime investigator Bruce McLaren said the most serious aspect of the offending in both cases was the company's failure to react to concerns raised by passengers and staff, and to stop its operation in order to fully investigate the causes of the injuries. "All operators of all high speed vessels and 'extreme' type thrill rides should be aware that they must continually be evaluating and adapting their safety systems and operating procedures to ensure they evolve alongside changes to their operation." MACK ATTACKED Maritime NZ has laid charges under sections 15 and 50 of the HSEA against a second Bay of Islands firm, Seafort Holdings Ltd and Richard John Prentice, operators of the high speed vessel Mack Attack, following separate incidents in December 2010 and January 2011 respectively. The Bay of Islands based high speed vessel was charged after an incident on December 21, 2010 when a female passenger was thrown into the air during a thrill ride in Paihia and suffered serious spinal injuries. They were also charged for failing to notify the director of Maritime NZ of the occurrence of serious harm as soon as possible after the occurrence became known. Seafort was convicted and fined $20,000 for the first charge and $10,000 for the second charge. The company was also ordered to pay the victim $90,000 in reparations. Maritime NZ has also charged the owner of Mack Attack, Richard John Prentice, in relation to a separate, close quarters incident on January 5, 2011. Prentice has pleaded not guilty to the charge. His next appearance is set down for July 27 in the Kaikohe District Court. MARITIME NZ WELCOMES SENTENCING OF RENA OFFICERS The master and second officer of the cargo vessel Rena have each been sentenced to seven months on a total of 11 charges laid by Maritime NZ. Maritime NZ 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 62 Professional Skipper July/August 2012 VIP.S84