Wreck 'safe for divers'

Claims that retired frigate HMNZS Wellington will become a lethal diving hazard after it is sunk off Wellington are irrelevant and unsubstantiated, the project's trust said yesterday.

Sink F69 Trust bought the ship, which was decommissioned in 2000, for $1 and plans to sink it off Island Bay next November to create an artificial reef and diving attraction.

Island Bay resident Nick Dryden, a former deep-sea fisherman and diving instructor, said the ship was lightly built and would break up quickly in the rough Cook Strait waters, creating a deadly danger for divers.

However, Sink F69 Trust chairman Marco Zeeman said the frigate was built for the deep sea.

"It's highly compartmentalised as opposed to commercial vessels and is perfect for artificial reefing as evidenced by others which have been sunk around the world," he said.

The trust had received all necessary consents and permits following a four-year planning process.

- NZPA