By Dan Parker
There is a warning tonight that another Rena is only a matter of time away - if authorities do not act quickly and introduce compulsory shipping lanes.
John Riding, a Maritime expert, says shipping companies are cutting corners to save money - and they have turned navigating New Zealand waters into a free-for-all.
When the Rena grounded last October it was not the only ship to have come dangerously close to the Astrolabe Reef.
In the month prior more than 50 came within a recommended safe distance, according to global positioning data collected from ships operating in the area.
“Ships are supposed to be staying three nautical miles away from Astrolabe Reef,” says Mr Riding.
But he says the global positioning data shows many are “breaking the rules completely”.
But they are not breaking the law.
Ships in New Zealand waters are largely bound by just guidelines, and for entering Port Tauranga they must: “[Keep] at least five nautical miles to the north of Volkner rocks and three nautical miles to the north of Astrolabe Reef”.
But two weeks before the Rena grounded, one container ship almost twice its size even cut between the reef and the shallow waters of Motiti Island.
“All around New Zealand's coasts, ships are cutting too close to Headlands and they are also cutting too close to reefs,” he says.
Mr Riding has been an expert witness for groundings in Europe and in his 35-year career dealt extensively with maritime risk.
He says compulsory shipping lanes are urgently needed to avoid another disaster.
Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee says they would be expensive to implement and an overreaction, even if he agrees current guidelines are being ignored.
Because people are currently before the courts on the issue Maritime New Zealand will not comment on the rules.
But Mr Riding also has another solution; he has developed an early warning system which contacts ships directly to advise them when they are heading too close to hazards.
It is a program he says could prevent another grounding like the Rena.
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