Government inquiries and agency investigations are notorious for dragging on.
It often feels as though by the time an official body has released its findings, the public has moved on, the perpetrators have skipped town, the damage is done and the battle for compensation has fizzed.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission released its interim report into the Rena grounding yesterday, less than six months after the ship ran on to Astrolabe Reef. To get such an early look at the raw detail of what happened on the bridge of the Rena that morning, to be able to assess for ourselves the blunders in the hours leading to the grounding, has introduced fact to the swell of rumour in local communities. The commission has served the Western Bay well.
However, there'll be little joy in being proved right for those who suspected extraordinary ineptitude from those at the helm of the Rena. The list of circumstances that led to the grounding ranges from seemingly insignificant carelessness, such as forgetting to transfer marks between charts, to ultimately catastrophic course variations and crew confusion over the origin and meaning of a warning siren.
Ten days ago Rena's captain and navigation officer pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the grounding. Their identities are still suppressed. At their last court appearance, details were scarce. But just over a week later, the interim report landed and basic details emerged. The commission will follow up with a full report, which will take into account further information relating to the grounding. The commission is also pursuing lines of inquiry of a wider, systemic nature.
What's now required is for other agencies to follow the commission's example of timeliness. Maritime New Zealand and environmental agencies have ongoing inquiries and Parliament is reviewing compensation laws to increase the $12.1million cap for damage by shipwrecks. Prime Minister John Key, in Tauranga yesterday, says government lawyers are making progress to recover non-salvage costs from the ship's owner Costamare, beyond the $12.1million cap.
Big questions remain. At what level does the blame lie - captain or company? What compensation is likely or even possible? What ongoing environmental and economic impact can we expect? And are legislative changes likely to ensure this kind of reckless grounding doesn't happen off New Zealand's coastline again?
This community deserves expedient investigation and decisive findings. The commission has led the way. Other agencies must try to act with the same urgency so the Bay's economy, environment and community can swiftly recover.