Kordia Renews 10-year Contract With Maritime NZ To Deliver Safety Of Life At Sea Radio Communications

11 September 2024 – Kordia, a provider of mission-critical technology solutions and services, today announced the renewal of its contract with Maritime NZ to deliver critical safety of life radio communications at sea.

The contract, worth $55million over a ten-year period, includes provisions to invest in upgrades of infrastructure and equipment in the Kordia operated Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) in Wellington.

“We’re delighted to extend our successful partnership with Maritime NZ for another 10 years,” says Neil Livingston, interim Chief Executive at Kordia.

“Kordia is proud to operate and maintain this network on behalf of Maritime NZ to support safety of life at sea communications. We see this as a core capability for Kordia and we collaborate closely with Maritime NZ to deliver this critical service. The people and technology that underpin this service are world class, enabling reliable monitoring and rapid response to incidents on the water,” Livingston continued.

Maritime NZ’s Justin Allan, General Manager Rescue Coordination Centre and Safety Systems, says the Kordia contract is crucial.

“Kordia has been a long-term partner for Maritime NZ, and this agreement is pivotal in our ability to provide lifesaving services,” he says.

“Thousands of vessel movements are undertaken every year around New Zealand’s coastal waters and wider area of responsibility, and through this ongoing partnership, New Zealand will continue to meet its safety obligations to keep those on the water safe.”

The MOC and Maritime Radio Network is a Maritime NZ service that Kordia built, operates, manages and maintains.

Responsibilities for the MOC include receiving and responding to contact received from vessels in the New Zealand coastal and NAVAREA XIV, which covers the area of ocean stretching from the equator to the South Pole, halfway across the Tasman Sea and halfway towards South America.

Critically, the MOC acts as the first point of call for emergency communication received via internationally designated call and reply distress frequencies. It also provides meteorological information, navigational warnings and ionospheric predictions.

Monitoring both HF and VHF bands in a SOLAS capacity, the MOC relays information to Search and Rescue authorities, ensuring accuracy in communication, and speed of response.

In the year ended 30 June 2024, the MOC in Wellington responded to 922 incidents, including 129 distress (Mayday) calls and assisted more than 1795 people.

Over the next 12 months, Kordia will be working with Maritime NZ to implement a new technology platform which will replace the current system used by radio operators in the Maritime Operations Centre, as well as essential upgrades to the radio sites and infrastructure within Maritime NZ’s network.

These enhancements will support additional resiliency for this critical service, and future proof the network for the next decade.

Kordia has provided critical communication services in the maritime space for more than 30 years, after Kordia (then BCL) won a contract to deliver radio communications at seas for the Maritime Safety Authority, a forerunner to the organisation now known as Maritime NZ.

The new contract is a continuation of more than 30 years of collaboration between Maritime NZ and Kordia.

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