Bids in for Navy's last steam warship

The gun turret on the HMNZS Canterbury. Picture / Dean Purcell

Five different organisations are after the navy's last steam warship, the Leander-class frigate HMNZS Canterbury.

The 36-year-old frigate was taken out of commission last year and has been sitting at the Devonport Naval Base in Auckland while a decision is made on her future.

When tenders closed last week the navy had received five -- three from organisations wanting to sink the 3000-tonne ship as a dive attraction, and two from scrap metal merchants.

The ship was moved by tug to a training berth at the entrance to the naval base a few days ago.

One of the organisations wanting to sink the old frigate is believed to be the Tutukaka Coast Promotions Society, which already has a resource consent.

The society planned to sink the ship close to a sister ship -- another Leander class frigate, the former HMNZS Waikato.

Waikato was sunk nearly six years ago at Ngunguru just south of Tutukaka, 30km northeast of Whangarei. It quickly became a home for a myriad of fish and sea life, and a popular dive attraction.

Waikato was also sunk with its main gun -- a twin 4.5 inch turret -- in place, although a similar turret has been removed from Canterbury and will go to a new naval museum when it is established at Devonport.

About a year after Waikato was sunk the bow broke off and moved some distance away from the main hulk.

Other suggested sinking sites for Canterbury include Omaha, 90km north of Auckland, a site off the Coromandel Peninsula and site near Gisborne.

Late last year the old Leander-class frigate Wellington was sunk at Island Bay at Wellington but it was only a few months before heavy seas broke it into three pieces.

A decision on Canterbury was expected from the Government within a few weeks.

- NZPA