The Maritime Union says the Manahau barge grounding at Westport could have led to a disaster, but crew are being prevented from talking to Union representatives.

Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says there are serious questions emerging about the incident.

He says the grounding of the Manahau could have resulted in the loss of life and the loss of the ship if the vessel had come ashore elsewhere on the West Coast.

It was proving very difficult to talk to the Indonesian and Myanmar crew on the Manahau, and the Union was taking legal action, says Mr Findlay.

“Our representatives were blocked from visiting the Manahau by port security acting on the instructions of operator WMS and the company continues to try and prevent crew from accessing representation and support.”

Yesterday evening a Union lawyer and officials had a pre-arranged meeting with crew and the meeting was interrupted by a company representative who drove off with crew members.

“We are extremely concerned about the attitude of WMS, the company who operates the Manahau, and its approach to the rights of crew and legitimate public interest in this debacle.”

Mr Findlay says it appears the situation is being controlled by the private company responsible for the problem in the first place, and authorities needed to step up and assert themselves.

The Maritime Union is affiliated to the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) representing over 1 million seafarers in more than 200 seafarers' unions across 106 countries.

Maritime Union officials are empowered to act as ITF inspectors aboard ships.

“Crew members should have independent support and advice, as the company that put them on this vessel can’t be trusted to do the right thing.”

Mr Findlay says information about the seaworthiness of the Manahau has been forwarded to the Union by several experienced maritime professionals who have had interactions with WMS.

“Some key concerns expressed were the Manahauwas underpowered for the rugged West Coast maritime environment, and more suitable for shallow river work.”

Another concern was that a well-informed New Zealand crew with local knowledge and nautical information would not have anchored in Buller Bay during the forecast bad weather.

The 97.53-metre and 3706-GT self-powered barge Manahau had only just come into service in August 2024 carrying mineral sands out of shallow draught port Westport.

Mr Findlay says the Manahau had a foreign crew and the flag state was Niue, despite being supported by coastal shipping funding from the Government.

He says the Maritime Union supports funding for New Zealand coastal vessels, but in this case taxpayer money had gone towards what appeared to be an inappropriate vessel employing an overseas crew that was not even flagged to New Zealand.

“There were undertakings made by the Government and the company that seafarer jobs would be created, and what we see instead is a cynical exploitation of loopholes and shortcuts.”

“New Zealand needs to build its coastal shipping capacity, and that means New Zealand owned, operated and crewed ships operating at accepted and high quality standards.”

Mr Findlay noted the tragic loss of the collier Kaitawa in May 1966, which sailed out of Westport and travelled up the west coast with coal bound for Portland cement works in Whangarei via the North Cape.

The Kaitawa encountered heavy seas off Cape Reinga and foundered on the Pandora Bank in heavy seas, and sank with loss of all 29 crew.

“The Maritime Union do not want to see a similar situation and we say the Manahau should be removed from service pending full investigation into its suitability.”

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