Niagara shipwreck continues to deteriorate while politicians dither

Sunday, 24 September 2023

The Niagara shipwreck leaking oil off Northland’s coast could cause the country’s biggest environmental catastrophe at any time. Documents obtained by the Sunday Star-Times show politicians have been warned about the dangers for years, but nothing has happened. Mike White reports.

Somewhere on Wellington’s Evans Bay Parade, some time after 9pm on July 23, efforts to avert the country’s worst environmental disaster came to a skidding halt.

As a car driven by Justice Minister Kiri Allan ploughed into a parked ute, and Allan was taken into custody, swiftly relinquishing her Cabinet portfolios, those who’d been asking her to do something about an oil-leaking shipwreck in Northland, could see their efforts evaporating.

Allan was also associate transport minister, responsible for the RMS Niagara, a passenger ship bound for Vancouver that sank after it hit German mines laid across the Hauraki Gulf’s entrance in June 1940.

The Niagara’s fuel tanks contained more than 4000 tonnes of heavy bunker oil, some of which coated Northland’s beaches after the disaster, and more of which escaped during two salvage missions to recover 590 gold bars on board.

Oil has continued to leak from the wreck for at least 30 years - all while the Niagara’s metal structure corrodes and weakens, leaving it at the mercy of storm and time.

Just how much oil remains on board is at the heart of an environmental debate and political conundrum spanning decades.

Potentially, there are hundreds of tonnes, far more than the amount spilt after the Rena sank, killing more than 2000 seabirds, and costing $47 million to clean up.

All of this sitting in a decaying hulk, in the middle of some of our most pristine islands, in the midst of protected marine areas.

All of this, however, now pushed far over the political horizon by a change of minister, and an upcoming election.

When Kiri Allan was alerted to details of the Niagara’s situation in June, she reacted with a mix of deflection and defiance.

“Given the uncertainty over what oil may remain on the wreck, and the significant risk of disturbing the wreck and causing a spill in trying to determine this, the Government has no current plans to attempt any oil removal from the wreck,” she told the Sunday Star-Times then.

“The Government is focused on bread and butter issues, and supporting Kiwis during a cost of living crisis.”

It was a position that staggered many, leaving them questioning Allan, and the advice she was receiving.

The Sunday Star-Times requested documents and correspondence concerning the Niagara, held by Maritime New Zealand (MNZ), the agency dealing with the wreck.

These were eventually released under the Official Information Act, and reveal officials’ repeated attempts to get action.

In December 2017, then Associate Transport Minister Julie Anne Genter told MNZ: “I would be concerned if there was a serious risk of oil being released by the Niagara,” and called for a report.

The report suggested the immediate cost of an oil spill if the Niagara disintegrated could be up to $108 million.

In 2019 a bid was made by MNZ for Budget funding to conduct a survey of the wreck to determine its condition, and how much oil remained on board, so informed decisions could be made about what to do.

This was turned down by Treasury.

Another Budget bid in 2020, for between $850,000 and $1.6 million, using Navy equipment, was also declined, with transport minister Phil Twyford blaming “other government priorities”.

In between times, MNZ had visited the wreck site, 30km southeast of Whāngārei’s coast, with staff describing the “noticeable smell from the oil” when above the Niagara.

“Dark concentrations of oil noted at the centre of some of the slicks.

“The release was ongoing.”

When a drone was put up, staff realised the slick was 900m long.

“The port side of the vessel was noticeably oiled on return to Tutukaka,” staff wrote.

MNZ knew the situation wasn’t good, and the following day its senior media advisor contacted deputy director Nigel Clifford: “If we get any media interest on this, what’s our holding line for now? It’s no doubt a political thing.”

It was indeed a political thing, and other ministers became aware of the situation.

Green Party leader James Shaw asked MNZ: “Why we can’t sue anyone to cover the cost of the survey and risk assessment.”

In November 2020, a Northland Conservation Board member wrote that he’d approached Minister for the Environment David Parker, about the Niagara.

“He genuinely seemed quite shocked, and had no idea about the large amount of oil on board in the rusting hull. He got out his notebook and took down some notes and promised he is going to look into it.”

The Department of Conservation was involved in discussions, and in April 2022, its manager of marine ecosystems, Kirstie Knowles, described the Niagara as “a very high risk”.

MNZ pushed back, saying it wasn’t possible to say what the risk was, without an underwater assessment.

Other environmental organisations also became aware of the threat posed by the Niagara.

In May 2022, New Zealand Conservation Authority chair Edward Ellison wrote to DOC’s director general.

“The authority are concerned by the consistent deferral and deprioritisation of this issue.

“This is an issue that should not be deferred for the next generation to feel the impacts of.”

With the Niagara gripped in a eddy of report writing, best guesses, cost analysis, and political paralysis, nothing happened.

And then over the horizon sailed a potential saviour.

As Covid spread across the world, American tech billionaire Gabe Newell found himself in New Zealand, and decided to hunker down here.

Newell had founded marine research organisation Inkfish, and had ships capable of oceanic exploration.

In conjunction with others, Newell expressed an interest in helping with surveying the Niagara and removing oil from it, and began talking with politicians, officials and conservation groups.

Maritime New Zealand and the Ministry of Transport sought legal advice.

Iwi were consulted.

In the end, everything took too long, and Newell’s Niagara project was mothballed.

The ships, and Newell, left New Zealand - the potential gift horse passing the Niagara and its oil slick as it sailed away.

With few options, MNZ began liaising with the Navy to conduct remote-operated vehicle training on the Niagara, in March 2021 and April 2022.

The Navy report from the second exercise was stark.

“You can see through the wreck, suggesting the main structures within the wreck are breaking down.”

Photos continued to show an oil slick on the surface.

But by early this year, MNZ appeared to be subtly shifting its stance on the wreck.

In comments made in April, MNZ stated the risks around the Niagara “remain unclear”.

“Any invasive survey work poses a risk of triggering a release of oil, if it is present.

“Alternatively, a non-invasive survey may not provide sufficient information to support a detailed risk assessment.”

What MNZ now seemed to be saying was, it was possibly too risky to touch the fragile wreck or drill small holes in it to investigate oil levels, because that might cause an oil spill.

And surveying it without touching anything, may not give them any useful information.

This was essentially the line Kiri Allan rolled out when confronted on the issue - it’s too risky to do anything, and there’s no money.

The alternative, that leaving the rusting hulk to the elements and inevitable collapse guaranteed an uncontrolled release of any oil on board, seemed to escape official reasoning.

Maritime New Zealand insists its advice has always been, and remains, that an underwater survey to see how much oil is in the Niagara is necessary to understand the potential risks.

However, as the wreck deteriorates, there were increased risks with invasive surveys, and they needed to be carefully managed.

Moreover, it has a plan for the Niagara if the worst happens.

“Martime NZ takes the Niagara seriously, and if a significant or substantial leak does occur, we will promptly respond.”

Given its historical connection, the German government stated in June: “Germany will consider providing support within its possibilities once the New Zealand Government approaches us with a request to that effect.”

The New Zealand government has failed to follow this up with Germany or make a request, but the German Embassy says its offer still stands.

Throughout 2023, pressure to do something about the Niagara ramped up, led by statutory environmental watchdog the Hauraki Gulf Forum, iwi, and conservation boards.

And just when it seemed there might be some movement, the minister in charge of the wreck was arrested over that ute crash, and quit her roles.

Happening so close to an election, momentum to find a solution stalled.

New associate transport minister Damien O’Connor says he has discussed the Niagara with Maritime New Zealand and the Hauraki Gulf Forum.

“I do understand that the reality is that over time the situation may deteriorate, and I have asked officials to provide further advice on potential options for a survey of the wreck. This advice is expected after the election and any future decisions around a potential survey would be subject to a budget bid.”

National’s transport spokesperson, Simeon Brown, says: “If elected, we would engage with officials and affected groups to further understand these matters before any decisions are considered.”

To those who’ve spent years trying to prevent an environmental disaster, talk of “further advice”, “engaging with officials”, and “budget bids” is exasperating.

Hauraki Gulf Forum chief executive Alex Rogers says the risk of an oil spill from the Niagara increases every day, and urgent action is needed.

“Rust never sleeps.

“And it doesn’t wait for elections, and it doesn’t placate political cycles.

“We know this is a serious risk. We know we can’t close our eyes and make it go away.”

Rogers hopes all parties will commit to taking action on the Niagara as soon as the election is over, stressing the cost of an initial survey isn’t huge compared to the enormity of the threat.

And he promised the Forum wouldn’t back off.

“No, we can’t, we really can’t.

“If you look at the hierarchy of risks to the Gulf and our role to advocate for its best interests and the people that live round it, and the marine life that lives in it, this is right at the top of the tree.”

A Horizon Research poll taken in June for the Hauraki Gulf Forum showed 73% of New Zealanders wanted the government to inspect the wreck, just 8% opposed this, and 16% weren’t sure.

But even if officials and politicians continue ignoring polls, and people like Rogers, maybe they’ll listen to children.

Northcote Intermediate teacher Erin Tiplady was at a quiz night in July and the subject of the Niagara came up.

“And I was like, ‘Is this for real?’”

So she went home and Googled it and sure enough, it was true - there was a ship in the Hauraki Gulf leaking oil.

The next morning, Tiplady walked into her classroom and wrote on the board: “Google RMS Niagara. What is it? Where is it? How do you feel about it?”

“And one by one there was this kind of ripple across the classroom of, ‘What? Oh my gosh. How is this possible?’” says Tiplady.

So they invited Northcote MP Shanan Halbert to speak, and he showed them how to create a petition to Parliament.

Last month, the petition from Class 3 asked, “That the House of Representatives urge the Government to thoroughly inspect and survey the wreck of the RMS Niagara in the Hauraki Gulf for any oil that should be removed from it.

“We believe the Government must act quickly to survey the ship and if necessary remove the oil before it harms wildlife and destroys beaches. We believe it is the right thing to do for future generations and the future of the Gulf.”

(The online petition can be signed on Parliament’s website until October 27.)

Tiplady says the Hauraki Gulf’s beaches are her pupils’ playground in summer.

Unobstructed by bureaucrats’ reports, and political expediency, and institutional inertia, the children most affected by the Niagara can see it for what it is, she says.

And what needs to be done.

After all, she says, her class of 11 and 12-year-olds believe in the philosophy: “If you know better, do better.”