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Aratere ferry grounding: Interislander hits back at Winston Peters’ claims
KiwiRail has hit back at acting Prime Minister Winston Peters’ claims that it covered up the cause of the grounding of the Aratere ferry.
The ferry ran aground on 21 June, with 47 people aboard – prompting inquiries from the transport agency, Maritime New Zealand and the Transport Accident Investigation Commission.
A leaked Interislander safety bulletin said a crew member accidentally executed a course change through the ship’s auto pilot system soon after it left its Picton berth.
The crew then struggled for nearly a minute to regain control of the boat, but by then it was too late to stop the ferry crashing into the shore of Titoki Bay.
Earlier this week, New Zealand First tweeted a theory that a crew member left the boat on autopilot while they went for a cup of coffee.
This morning Winston Peters told RNZ that KiwiRail was not being up front about what occurred.
“We don’t need a month-long enquiry or three or four month’s while they try and do PR and damage control and cover their butts. Tell us the truth right here right now,” Peters said.
When asked if he thought KiwiRail was covering up the real cause of the accident, Peters replied “I don’t think it, I know it”.
The Interislander’s Aratere ferry ran aground at 9.45pm on 21 June, at Titoki Bay in the Marlborough Sounds, shortly after leaving Picton for Wellington. Photo: Supplied/Skyworks
But Interislander operations general manager Duncan Roy rejected the suggestion.
He told RNZ the leaked document indicated the agency knew what had happened but it was up to the investigating bodies to determine the “how and why”.
“I can state there’s no cover up. We’re engaging in the proper process and with a concentration on getting the facts and being fair and reasonable to our people as we go through this investigation,” Roy said.
Labour Party transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere said Peters “delving” into the causes of the accident was extremely unhelpful.
He said the nation expected the investigations to be completed in a timely manner, but it was just as important their integrity was not compromised by political interference.
“What we did hear recently from KiwiRail is them going out saying that no one was on a coffee break as such. My read of that is they were forced to do that to quell some of the concerns that Winston Peters or the New Zealand First Party had put out into the public realm,” Utikere said.
The Aratere returning to Wellington on 11 July, 2024. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Interislander safety bulletin showed a crew member prematurely selected a turn that should have taken the boat about a shore point called The Snout.
The error sent the boat directly into Titoki Bay – nearly a whole nautical mile ahead of The Snout.
John Riding has worked as a Maritime Consultant for nearly 30 years.
He said one of the lessons learned when the Aratere nearly ran aground in 2006 was that the ferries should always be under manual control while travelling through the Marlborough Sounds.
“To be on autopilot at Mabel Island is crazy and I can’t believe for one second that’s what Interislander’s procedures say,” Riding said.
“It shouldn’t be happening, because Mabel Island is still a hazard, but after that the next hazard – only just around the corner – is at The Snout.”
Maritime NZ lifted its detention notice on the Aratere on Wednesday 10 July.
Just before 2pm on Thursday the ferry limped into Wellington harbour escorted by a Wellington tug boat and under the watchful eye of harbour master Grant Nalder.
“Maritime New Zealand have put conditions on it and so have the harbour masters at either end,” Nalder said.
“So you’ll also see one of the Wellington tugs is just accompanying the vessel from when it gets into the channel, until it gets up to the berth.”
KiwiRail is yet to confirm when the findings of the investigations into the accident will be released.
VIA RNZ
The chief executive of the Parliamentary Service is confident there will be enough room to accommodate the increased number of MPs and their staff coming into Parliament.
On current numbers, up to 131 MPs could be sitting in the Chamber following the election, brought on by a record overhang result.
Clerk of the House of Representatives Dr David Wilson told the Spinoff that currently the debating chamber had enough chairs to seat 124 MPs – including the Speaker of the House – and work was being done to accommodate more by altering the seating arrangement.
In a statement, Parliamentary Service chief executive Rafael Gonzalez-Montero said planning for a larger Parliament had been going for “some time”.
“Now that the election results have confirmed an increase to the number of members we are looking at several options.
“We are confident we will be able to accommodate all members within the Chamber.”
VNP / Phil Smith
Gonzalez-Montero said office accommodation for members and their staff would be “stretched” for a short time, but the new Members’ Building was only a few months away from “practical completion”.
That building – located behind Parliament – was due to be ready to occupy in April next year and had capacity to accommodate around 30 backbench MPs.
“All members should be in fit-for-purpose accommodation from that point,” Gonzalez-Montero said.
Following the 2023 election, 123 MPs sat in the Chamber – a record number at the time. That decreased to 122 following the resignation of National MP Judith Collins.
Collins held the seat of Papakura and stepped down in May and Parliament voted against holding a by-election because it was too close to the election.
The election result also meant high-ranking National Party MPs like Chris Bishop, Paul Goldsmith, Nicola Willis and Gerry Brownlee – Speaker of the House and an MP for 30 years – would likely not make it back into Parliament.
Only resigning or retiring MPs were permitted to give a valedictory speech meaning none of them would get the chance to give a valedictory statement.
Asked if their would be special allowances for valedictories, Wilson said in a statement that normally only MPs were allowed to speak in the House but the House could suspend its own rules or temporarily alter them.
“It could do so to allow former members to address the House.”
Wilson said no such arrangements could be made until the next Parliament opened and members sworn in.
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