Carl Findlay: Maritime Union NZ National Secretary on the Interislander ferries being deemed safe to run

Maritime experts are still cautious after a report into KiwiRail.  

Interislander ferries have been deemed safe and well maintained, and will stick around for years to come.  

Aratere ran aground last month when the autopilot was mistakenly turned on according to a leaked document.       

Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary Carl Findlay says workers are still anxious because of historical technical problems.  

He says there's real safety concerns for the staff manning the deteriorating ships. 

Findlay told Ryan Bridge that with the given history, they need to have a very, very clear, well thought out rescue plan.  

He says he’d rather be prepared than the old story of the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
And experts have found the aging inter Island of fleet
is in better condition than previously thought. The report found
no systemic issues are preventing their ferries from running until
twenty twenty nine, but it will cost an extra seven
million dollars each year in maintenance, bringing the total to
thirty six million annually. The Maritime Union is cautious of
the findings, pointing to several recent failures with the ships.

(00:22):
Cal Finlay is the Maritime Union from the Maritime Union
joins me, now, good morning, good to have you on
the show. Do you are you not buying this report.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
Right? And we accept the report, we're always saying as
with caution. You know that these aging vessels come with
problems and they're still not being addressed or the government
and what they're going to do in replacing them, because
they need to be replacing them. There's no getting away
from that. Mate.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
Do you think they can carry on to twenty twenty nine?

Speaker 2 (00:54):
Though? Well it's not ideal, but I guess Jimmy Rail
have been put in impossible position where they need to
carry on and as you pointed out, they're spending all
this extra money on the maintenance just to keep them going.
On a daily basis, which is which is not ideal

(01:16):
for anyone.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
The report says the kayatacky is in good to fear
condition in general. The chyato here is in good to
fear condition in general. The arditary, the one that grounded recently,
is in good condition in general. Do you agree with
the assessments?

Speaker 2 (01:32):
Well, you have to get you know, they say they've
got the top experts in you'd have to believe in
their assessment. But what I would say is that, you know,
Crewe welfare has to be a priority here, and I
think I think with the given history, they need to
have a very very clear, well fought out rescue plan

(01:54):
if something does decide to go go wrong.

Speaker 1 (01:59):
What do you do you think something could go wrong?
I mean, obviously it's at rest because especially when you've
got aging, aging vessels.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
Yeah, yeah, definitely. I'd just rather be prepared than the old,
you know, story of the implants at the bottom of
the cliff sort of scenario.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
That button that was inadvertently pressed on the other teddy,
I mean, does that not show that perhaps it is
human failure there rather than vessel failure.

Speaker 2 (02:25):
Look, I think we need to text it back mate,
and just really wait for the report because obviously that's
really really serious and I've just sort of don't have
a poor, poor fuel on the fire. I'm going to
wait for the report to make any comments on that. Mate.

Speaker 1 (02:41):
That's fine, I understand and appreciate it. Cal, thank you
very much for your time this morning. Really appreciate it.
Cal Finlay is the Maritime Union of New Zealand National Secretary.
It is twenty three after five. Interestingly, in this report,
it talks about the hull fatigue. The fatigue age of
the inter islander fleets steel hulls was less than a

(03:02):
quarter of the actual age of the ships, meaning they
are in really good condition. Why or the fairies don't
sail in really heavy seas to avoid discomfort to passengers
and livestock. This has reduced each vessel's exposure to extreme
waves that could have accelerated hull fatigue. So they're very
young for their age, almost like they've had a shot
of botox or something. Underneath, they're in good condition underneath,

(03:23):
but it's the mechanical side of it that seems to
be failing. For more from News Talks dB, listen live
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