Vessels' machinery installations and their control systems are complex, and regardless of how well maintained they are there will always remain the possibility that some part fails for some reason. For a vessel like the Hanjin Bombay that has only one propulsion system, the risk of losing control of the vessel caused by a single-point failure is higher than that for other vessels that have greater levels of redundancy built in to their propulsion and power-management systems. These types of vessel rely heavily on tug services when operating in confined pilotage waters.
Port of Tauranga Limited's Port and Harbour Safety system policy on the level of tug service did not adequately manage the risk of single-point failures leading to the loss of control of a vessel. This is a safety issue that could also be relevant to other New Zealand ports.
The Maritime Transport Act 1994 currently restricts the Director's powers to audit port operators. However, the Commission notes that the Marine Legislation Bill currently before Parliament will introduce a new Part 3A to the Maritime Transport Act, which will provide clear authority for the Director to take action in relation to port operations.
The Commission recommends that, once the Marine Legislation Bill has been enacted and the new Part 3A of the Maritime Transport Act is in force, the Director address this safety issue with all port authorities, including Port of Tauranga Limited, when approving and auditing Port and Harbour Safety Management Systems.
