3.00pm
An offshore oil terminal near an island reserve would be safer than bringing supertankers into Whangarei Harbour, a marine conservation expert believes.
In the past three months, two fully-laden oil supertankers have hit the bottom approaching the Whangarei Harbour entrance.
The latest was the Eastern Honor which scraped the bottom as it
approached Marsden Pt on Sunday in a 1.5-metre to 2.5-metre swell.
It followed a similar incident on April 16 when the Capella Voyager, carrying 108,000 tonnes of crude oil, hit the bottom and split its hull.
Both incidents are being investigated by the Maritime Safety Authority (MSA).
Tutukaka-based marine conservation expert Wade Doak, who has studied oil spills for many years, said an offshore terminal near the Hen and Chicken Islands, 22km east of Bream Bay, with the oil piped to the refinery would avoid bringing tankers into shallow water.
"The technology is available, there are pipelines running the length of the country, there is not much difference putting a pipeline on the sea bed.
"The water would need to be reasonably deep because of the physics of securing vessels," he said.
"The technology would need to be investigated to ensure it would be safe but it would keep the tankers out there where they are safe."
He said the idea might seem radical from an environmental viewpoint but his impulse was to protect the environment.
A major oil spill off Marsden Pt would bring Whangarei city to its knees.
"It (Whangarei Harbour) has got a vast interior that is full of life and the harbour extends right into the city," Mr Doak said.
Oil clean-up equipment in use in Northland was not suitable for a big spill.
"It has its value but is only suitable for minor spills and where there is no (ocean) current," Mr Doak said.
Meanwhile, Ruakaka-based Surfline Surfboards owner Roger Hall said he was surprised that the Eastern Honor had problems in last Sunday's swell.
"Conditions like we had on Sunday we could expect several times a year, it was pretty average sort of stuff.
"If they are having trouble in conditions like that... it makes you wonder what the risks really are in worse conditions."
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)
Herald Feature: Conservation and Environment
Related links
Further reading: nzherald.co.nz/marine
