'Thumping' vessel being swapped for a quieter one after noise complaints

The Monte Rosa berthed at Port Otago's multipurpose berth yesterday morning. Photo / Gerard O'Brien, Otago Daily Times

Port Otago hopes there will be fewer sleepless nights in Port Chalmers after finding a solution to a long-running noise problem.

International shipping company Maersk has pulled its unsilenced container ship Monte Rosa off its New Zealand network.

The ship, which arrived at Port Otago for the final time yesterday morning, was responsible for multiple noise complaints from the Port Chalmers community, some describing the noise it made as a "thumping sound".

It was the only ship on Maersk's Southern Star route to not be fitted with a silencing generator.

Port Otago had been in discussions with Maersk for the past 18 months about the ship's noise.

Monte Rosa would now be replaced by SFL Maui, which is silenced.

It was a "very pleasing" result for the port and wider community, Port Otago chief executive Kevin Winders said.

"Hopefully there will be a few less sleepless nights in Port Chalmers now, which I'm sure will be greatly appreciated," Winders said.

He hoped Monte Rosa would not return until it had a generator fitted.

West Harbour Community Board chairwoman Francisca Griffin said the community had been wanting the outcome for many years and it was a fantastic result.

"We're very pleased that Port Otago and Maersk have listened to us and come up with this outcome.

"It is just magic."

The Southern Star route starts in Malaysia, stopping in Brisbane and Sydney before heading to New Zealand for four port calls and heading back to Malaysia.

Port Chalmers is the last port call on the route.

Monte Rosa is scheduled to leave Port Otago at 10.15pm today.

Maersk did not respond to a request for comment.