Mayor: Cook Strait rescue capability compromised

With open-ocean tugboat MMA Vision off contract this month, maritime emergency rescue capability in Cook Strait has been compromised, Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor advises.

“Cook Strait is one of the most complex stretches of water in the world to navigate. It’s also a shipping route of national significance where the government is responsible for safety,” she said.

Greater Wellington Chair Daran Ponter, who joined her on a letter to the Minister of Transport, noted:  “The absence of a dedicated rescue vessel for Cook Strait poses unacceptable risks. Cancelling the MMA Vision contract puts lives and economic lifelines in peril.”

Their letter calls for an extension of the MMA Vision contract until an equivalent vessel can be commissioned more affordably. Government signalled the termination of the contract with November's announcement of new ferries with enhanced safety features due in service in 2029.

“Until then, we rely on an ageing fleet of ferries, plagued by a well-documented history of breakdowns to carry thousands of New Zealanders and visitors between the North and South islands,” the mayor said.

“There have been multiple near-miss incidents in Cook Strait over the past five years,” she added. “We urge the government to maintain enhanced emergency response capability in this beautiful yet treacherous stretch of sea at the heart of our country.”