The Government can take over full legal responsibility for the salvage as well as the clean-up of the Rena cargo ship leaking oil into the ocean near Tauranga Harbour, the Green Party said today.
"The critical issue at this point is the salvage of the ship, because it is still leaking oil," said Green Party Ocean spokesperson Gareth Hughes.
"We understand that there is coordination between the ship owners and the Government, which is great. However, it is important that the public knows who has ultimate responsibility, and for the sake of the environment, that should be the Government.
"This situation needs the full resources of our Government to resolve this dangerous environmental situation.
"We are worried that a foreign owned company with a financial bottom line could do things cheaply rather than responsibly."
The Government, through Maritime New Zealand, is currently coordinating clean-up efforts, but salvage operations are still technically the legal responsibility of the ship's Greek owners, who have appointed Svitzer as salvor.
"One of the lessons from the Deep Water Horizons incident in the Gulf of Mexico is that there needs to be a centralised point of command for both salvage and clean-up," said Mr Hughes.
Transport Minister Steven Joyce said that the ship was in a precarious situation and could potentially even break up, spilling its 17-hundred tonnes of heavy fuel oil into the sea.
"Section 248 of the Maritime New Zealand Act gives Maritime New Zealand the power to take control of the salvage, and we think the Government should exercise this power," said Mr Hughes.
16 comments:
Full of dairy products isn't it?
I wonder which company contracted the "dodgy bastards shipping line" to export their goods...............
I agree I agree ..but have our Government the back bone to do anything ..possibly not!
No need for government to interfere, market forces will ensure the optimum outcome is achieved. Right?
Fon..fffooonnn....ffffffonterra'd if I know...you got any idea, Shunda?
Pauline - backbone? Desire? Ethical standards? Environment consciousness?
Who knows? The throat-cutting event indicates that you shouldn't hold your breath.
Market forces put the ship on the reef, ARmchair critic, so doubtless they'll be out there soon to take it off. After all, the market is deeply concerned about the families living on nearby Motiti(?) Island, under threat from the spilled oil as it is. The market has always shown a deep love for people who gather the bulk of their food from the seashore, rock pools and reefs of the oceans.
Before we start the age old lefty cry "the Gummint should do something" lets do a bit of breathing through the nose and see what can be done.
The key issue is the fuel oil needs to be pumped off into a fuel barge. As I understand it they are based in Auckland.
Are the Gummint really the right people to step in and run the show? Just what experience do they have with salvage operations? Pike River might be a fine example of Gummint intervention.
Paranormal
But paranormal, the Government are assuring new Zealanders that we have nothing to fear from off-shore, deep-sea oil drilling, because they have regulations and processes in place to deal with any eventuality. This leak is very minor, compared to a Gulf of Mexico sized event. Surely this should have ben contained and remedied immediately. It's been leaking for some time now and threatening the environment. If this was a test of the integrity of the Government, they have already failed and it looks as though it's getting worse. If, as you suggest, it's industry that should be protecting the environment from harm, same argument - where are they? Fail. And the resulting damage will be to the environment.
I think you will find it was the Labour party that put the ship on the reef, Robert. Bill English and John Key have both said as much, or if they haven't, they are thinking it.
John is just trying to work out what the hand-signal is for "dump some oil into the sea"
I just hope a nutter doesn't jump the rail!!
Things get intense when that happens.
Labour! That's no reef, it's a pile of wasted opportunities, dumped at sea!
O'l Smile, Slash and Wave will offer them to the mining companies for a song.
If an disturbed sailor does try to jump ship, Shunda, do you think it proper that the Captain should make the throat-slashing motion to the Harbour Master? Or would you think, wft?????
Wft????
What a friggin turkey??
On a slightly different 'tack'...
...was in my big boat to drop off some stuff...
nec minnite.....
Reef madness!
RG - with your comments aren't you doing exactly what you accuse me of?
paranormal
You'll have to clarify, Paranormal - what am I accusing you of?
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