A decade ago, the Oil Pollution Fund contained about $12 million but now totals only $4m after a decision was made by then transport minister Mark Gosche to draw the account down. The purpose of the fund is to have sufficient cash rapidly available in case of an oil spill and all ships over 24m long or weighing more than 100 tonnes must contribute. What they pay is decided by the gross tonnage of the ship and not their "threat" level – an issue currently subject to review.

Colin wrote:Hey Babs

Labour seem to have put NZ into a dudu on this one http://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/rena ... wound-down

A decade ago, the Oil Pollution Fund contained about $12 million but now totals only $4m after a decision was made by then transport minister Mark Gosche to draw the account down. The purpose of the fund is to have sufficient cash rapidly available in case of an oil spill and all ships over 24m long or weighing more than 100 tonnes must contribute. What they pay is decided by the gross tonnage of the ship and not their "threat" level – an issue currently subject to review.

scatter wrote:That's the bottle rental dingdong

this from the 30th of Jan, 17 days after the sinking wrote:Heavy weather forced salvage crews to suspend pumping thousands of tonnes of fuel from the wrecked Costa Concordia liner Saturday, though recovery operations continued and divers found another body.

With waves reaching more than one meter (over three feet) in height, technicians from the Dutch salvage company Smit and Italy's Neri said it was too dangerous to start siphoning off an estimated 2,380 tonnes of fuel from the tanks of the Concordia, which ran aground on Jan. 13.

Salvage workers on Friday attached valves to six of the stricken vessel's 23 tanks as part of the first phase of operations. It was unclear how long the delay would last.

Once they start, pumping operations are expected to take several weeks.

Many in the region are concerned about fuel leaks from the ship into the area's popular recreation waters, saying a spill would be environmentally disastrous in one of Europe's biggest marine parks.

Simonius_Titius wrote:Yes, and the waves in the 60 metre wide strip between the ship and shore must be pretty terrifying too.

They should come and practice in Welly harbour first:
Wild Wellington: Waitangi day 2003, light traffic in the harbour. see 1:12
http://www.ziln.co.nz/video/704


I'm loving the human angles and the constant clarifications of earlier statements by all parties.

The 25yo "international hostess" solo mum with a two-year old daughter who could somehow afford to pay her own fare for a six-month stint on the vessel.
“I’m not the captain’s lover. “You know why? He was showing me photos of his daughter when she was little. A man who wants a lover does not behave like that.”

Too bad the divers found her undies & stuff in the captain's cabin, and she wasn't on the staff list or passenger manifest.
And the cruise company later decided that she was an employee, and was on the bridge to translate to Russian passengers.