KIWI BUILDER DELIVERS NIUE’S FIRST SAR VESSEL
The Pacifi c island nation of
Niue has its fi rst dedicated
search and rescue (SAR)
vessel.
The NZ$367,000, 8.3m
SAR vessel, with a top
speed of 36kts was built
in Christchurch by ICON
Custom Boats. It is powered
by twin Yamaha 175hp
ouboards. It was provided to
the Niue Government as part
of the second phase of New
Zealand’s Pacifi c Maritime
Safety Programme (PMSP2).
The vessel gives Niue, for
the fi rst time, the ability to
respond immediately to SAR
incidents. Previously when a
SAR response was required
it had to be managed using
vessels of opportunity. At
times, when an EPIRB or
Personal Locator Beacon
(PLB) has been activated,
this required a P3 Orion
aircraft to fl y from NZ to the
area.
Maritime NZ is providing
project managementand technical advice to
the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and Trade for the
PMSP2 programme, with
Coastguard NZ providing
training for the Niuean crew
of the SAR vessel.
Maritime NZ director
Keith Manch said the new
vessel would be a great asset.
“The vessel not only
boosts Niue’s ability to look
after its own people, but also
provides an asset that can
be accessed by the RescueCoordination Centre NZ, if
required.”
The PMSP2 programme is
providing $8.13 million over
three years to fund activities
to improve maritime safety
in the Pacifi c, focussing on
the nations of Niue, Tokelau,
Kiribati, Tonga, the Cook
Islands and Tuvalu.
Next year, a vessel for
inter-atoll transport, also
capable of SAR operations,
will be provided to Tokelau.Maritime and Safety
Tasmania (MAST) has
awarded Australian
Maritime Systems Group
a contract to maintain
thestate’snetworkof
navigational aids until 2022.
Theisland’s293
navigational aids include
land-based aids, beacons
andbuoys–manyofwhich
areinthemostisolated
and inaccessible locations
in Tasmania. Australian
Maritime Systems Group’s
Hobart-based team
uses vehicles, boats and
helicopters to maintain the
network.
AMSG managing director
John Sugarman said the
company was looking
forward to building on its
strong partnership with
MAST.
“Wehavehelpedkeep
Tasmania’s coast safe
foradecadeandare
delightedthatMASTis
once again placing its trust
in our professional team,”
Sugarman said.
Justin Foster, manager
MAST Assets, said
AMSG was a trusted and
professional partner.
“AMSG has significant
navigation aid experience,
butmoreimportantlyhas
specific detailed knowledge
ofMAST’saidsthroughout
Tasmania,” Foster said.MAST is responsible for
the safety of 4882km of
coastline.
As well as supporting
MAST in Tasmania, AMSG
also repairs and maintains
the aids to a navigation
network that rings Australia
on behalf of the AustralianMaritime Safety Agency
(AMSA), with many of these
major landfall aids located in
Tasmania.
The five-year $1.25m
contract, awarded after a
competitive tender process,
also includes a three-year
optional extension to 2025.Tasmanian navaids deal
108 trade aboat.com.au
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