· The salvors’ barge has arrived off the south-west coast of Upolu Samoa. It is in the vicinity of HMNZS Manawanui, and the Samoan Government has granted the approvals necessary to enable the salvors to start laying out the anchors and underwater installations needed to secure the barge over the ship.

· NZDF’s Senior National Representative for Operation Resolution, Commodore Andrew Brown, said being able to lay the anchors and underwater installations is an important step forward and brings closer the goal of removing fuel and other pollutants from the ship.

· He said the underwater installations are critical to securing the barge in place in a range of sea states. On board the barge is a large crane, anchoring and mooring equipment, specialist dive equipment, and “tank-tainers” to store the recovered fuel and other pollutants.

· “We know how important the coastal and marine environments are to the people of Samoa, especially those on the south-west coast of Upolu. As always, progress is dependent on sea and weather conditions,” said Commodore Brown.

· He said the anchoring plan put forward by the salvors for approval has been designed to have minimal impact on the reef and seabed.

· It’s expected that the anchor and underwater installations will take a few days to put in place and following that the barge will be positioned and secured in place.

· “Once the barge is securely moored above Manawanui the fuel extraction process will begin. It’s a day we’ve been looking forward to after months of planning,” said Commodore Brown.

· He said the tempo of the operation is increasing, but the focus remains on carrying out a careful and thorough job.

· “While this response is complex and technical, New Zealand is committed to doing the right thing,” said Commodore Brown.

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