Ship computers guilty until proven innocent

By Jason Collie


Ships which cannot prove their computers are year-2000 compatible will be banned from berthing in Auckland as the clock strikes 12 at New Year.

Harbour managers have contacted hundreds of shipping lines, agents and other companies they deal with, but plan to stop any ships coming in between 11 pm and 1 am if there are compliancy doubts. London is imposing a similar ban.

Ports of Auckland is also sending a questionnaire, designed by the International Harbourmasters Association, to 35 shipping companies to discover if there have been checks on ships and equipment, including navigation, propulsion, cargo-handling and power systems.

"It is to ask them to demonstrate to us that they are safe to allow in," said the Auckland harbourmaster, James McPetrie.

The Maritime Safety Authority has already expressed fears that computer failures will lead to collisions out on the harbours.

Mr McPetrie doubted that Auckland would face big problems because there would not be much shipping traffic in Auckland at the New Year and ship management was not heavily automated anyway.

He is also meeting the petrochemical companies at Wynyard Wharf later this month.

"We are taking precautions to make sure there is not a malfunction in the system which will cause discharge of oil into the water."

It was highly unlikely that any operations were planned for that time, but if there were, the 11 pm to 1 am timescale might have to be avoided.