The Maritime Union of New Zealand (MUNZ) says the final Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) report into the Kaitaki ferry loss of power incident paints a shocking picture of key transport infrastructure in New Zealand in a state of decline.

The 2023 incident saw the ferry, carrying 864 people, drift within a mile of a rocky coastline in severe southerly conditions.

The TAIC report, released today, confirms the incident was both foreseeable and preventable.

A single degraded rubber expansion joint, which had exceeded its service life, was the trigger for the total loss of propulsion and subsequent blackout.

Maritime Union National Secretary Carl Findlay says the findings underscore a “stunning failure” of safety-critical systems.

“How a single part, which was nearly two decades old and overdue for replacement, could almost cause a disaster is horrifying,” says Mr Findlay.

“Our members are out there every day on these ships, along with passengers who have a right to expect modern developed-world standards in our maritime transport.”

The TAIC report highlights that while the crew successfully recovered the situation, the ship came “too close to grounding” during a strong southerly.

It also identifies six systemic safety issues, including inadequate emergency planning, a patchy common operating picture for responders, and the failure of Maritime NZ to establish a Maritime Incident Response Team (MIRT).

Mr Findlay says the ongoing fragility of the Cook Strait link is a direct result of Finance Minister Nicola Willis’s decision to cancel the iReX project in late 2023.

“By scrapping the plan for new, purpose-built ferries, Nicola Willis left New Zealand reliant on an ageing fleet that is increasingly prone to technical failure in one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world,” says Mr Findlay.

The Maritime Union is now expressing strong concerns over recent revelations that $9 million in savings from the premature cancellation of an emergency tug contract was diverted to fund a 24/7 runway for international airlines at Ohakea.

“The Government has sacrificed our only dedicated ocean-going emergency response vessel to subsidise another project,” Mr Findlay says.

“TAIC’s recommendations specifically focus on the need for national towage and salvage capability, yet the Government is actively stripping that capability away”.

The Maritime Union is calling on the Government to immediately reinstate funding for emergency response vessels and to provide assurance that crew and passengers on the Cook Strait ferries are safe.

“Health and safety is not a budget item to be cut for political expediency. If the Government does not act now, they will be held responsible if something goes badly wrong.”

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