Sinking of frigate opposed by DoC

The Navy gave the Canterbury to the trust to sink in the Bay of Islands. Picture / Simon Baker

A plan to sink the former navy frigate HMNZ Canterbury off the Bay of Islands has hit rough water with the Department of Conservation opposing the scheme.

The Bay of Islands Canterbury Charitable Trust has been given the frigate by the NZ Navy after it was decommissioned and plans to sink it at Deep Water Cove, off Cape Brett, as a diving attraction.

The trust has applied for resource consent for the sinking from the Northland Regional Council, but the Department of Conservation is opposing the plan on environmental grounds.

However, trust chairman Kelly Weeds said he was confident DoC's concerns could be overcome.

In its submission DoC Bay of Islands area manager John Beachman said Deep Water Cove had high natural values confirmed by the Marine 1 Management Area zoning applying to the site.

"It is closed to commercial marine mammal tourism operators for any interaction with marine mammals because of its importance as a rest area for marine mammals, especially bottlenose dolphins," Mr Beachman said.

"It is disappointing that insufficient information has been provided by the trust. As a result, we do not have anything to assess so we must oppose the application in the meantime."

He said DOC would review the situation when the trust provided adequate information. The trust plans to sink the Canterbury in about 30m of water in the north-east of the cove.

DOC says potential adverse effects on the cove and the wider bay from a sinking of the ship had not been assessed, including:

* The risk of a ship (the Canterbury) going from an area where unwanted exotic organisms such as invasive kelp and sea squirt are present, and proposed to be sunk in an area where those organisms do not exist.

* The effects on marine mammals because of increased boat use in an area identified as a rest area for marine mammals.

* The effects of the use of explosives to sink the ship on marine life.

* The effects on the marine ecology of introducing an attraction to divers and others without adequate marine protection provisions in place.

* The effects of the proposal on wilderness values in the area.

Mr Weeds said he was confident the concerns could be overcome. While disappointed with DoC's opposition, he said virtually everybody else had been very supportive of the plan, including the trust's partners, local hapu Ngati Kuta and Patukeha.

"Both hapu initially weren't too happy about the plan, but after investigating it they are right behind it and have become our partners," Mr Weeds said.

"They said the plan would work in well with their own moana management plan they are implementing to protect the marine environment out there and we still believe that's the best spot (to sink it) for the Bay as a whole."

He said ships were being sunk all around the world as diving attractions and to help protect the environment

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)