Port of Tauranga traffic systems are under scrutiny following an investigation into a minor collision outside the port last April.
The coastal bulk carrier ship, Anatoki, and the departing log ship, Lodestar Forest, collided in the roads on April 28 2008.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) report into the accident found fault lay with the bridge crews on both ships, the pilot, the port's traffic management system and added that an earlier decision by the Maritime Safety Authority (MSA) exempting the Anatoki from carrying an AIS transponder was another contributing factor.
The TAIC is an independent Crown entity established to determine the circumstances and causes of accidents, and the reports are not supposed to be used to find fault or determine liability.
Port of Tauranga operations manager Nigel Drake objected to the TAIC draft report without success. The report states the Port of Tauranga has no Vehicle Traffic System (VTS) – he says it does.
The writer Iain Hill has been in Kirabati and could not be contacted this week.
The MSA looks to VTS as categorized by the International Association of Marine Aids, Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA).
There are a variety of IALA systems depending on the amount of traffic to be monitored, says MSA principal maritime advisor John Mansell.
'The two extremes are the very small port where a guy is walking round with a handheld VHS radio, to something like the English Channel where you have a total vehicle traffic management system,” says John.
VTS systems in New Zealand are not yet officially controlled, but Nigel believes things are getting to the point where the MSA will soon be adopting the IALA/IMO system.
'It will be less to do with hardware,” says Nigel.
'It will be training under their system, or having people trained on the system by specified trainers.”
As one of the busier New Zealand ports, the Port of Tauranga has for many years had radar operators in radio contact with arriving and departing ships, and the pilots and tugs.
'Whether there's going to be any changes will come out in the review,” says Nigel.
'That's probably months away.”
Other ports beside Tauranga are also reviewing their risk management in light of the TAIC recommendation, says John.
'It is a work in progress and it's been going on for a while.”
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