Taranaki’s return part of 1979 uplift for Navy

Press, 30 December 1978, Page 12

Taranaki’s return part of 1979 uplift for Navy

By

OLIVER RIDDELL

in Wellington

1979 is shaping up as a big year for the New Zealand’ Navy. If the Treasury will agree, that is. The recommissioning of the new and improved frigate Taranak: on January 23 at Devonport. and the possible purchase of a brand new support vessel, could make a big difference to the navy’s level of activity. A year ago the Taranaki was withdrawn from service, amid public clamour, because the Navy did not have enough trained technicians to allocate to running it. As the frigate was just about due for a major refit anyway, the Navy used the opportunity to do this in advance. Some of the heavy arman.en was taken of.' too. However, the Taranaki came within an ace of causing another major embarrassment for the Navy. At one time it was feared the Navy would still not have the trained personnel to man it. This hurdle has been overcome, but the Navy's personnel problems are still acute.

The new Taranaki will spend much of its time on fisheries patrol and protection work. But frigates are not ideal vessels for this k nd of work unless they are well supported. hein a unable to carry enough fuel and provisions to stav at sea f or long periods. Ideally, they need suoport vessels, and up until five years ago the Endeavour used to play just such a role. For five years the Navy has sought a replacement for the Endeavour, and now the Ministrv of Agriculture and Fisheries and the Ministrv of Foreign Affairs support it The use of such a vessel for fisheries protection work would be very helpful. b"t t e Ministry of Foreign Affairs has more pressing reasons for supporting it. Ever since New Zealand assumed control of its 200mile exclusive economic zone a year ago, there have been niggling doubts about the validity fo some of the

claims made. New Zealand has acquired authority over a huge stretch of water to the south because of its claim to a few uninhabited islands there which are rarely. if ever, visited. The mounting of a major expedition to do wildlife surveys on the Bounty and Antipodes groups of islands this spring owed much to the need to show more interest in the islands. The Bounty group has not been landed on this century — hardly a firm basis for claiming authority over thousands of square miles of ocean.

Even more compelling for the Ministrv of Foreign Affairs has been the wish to have a greater say over the future of the Antarctic continent. New Zealand cannot

erpect to have much say over fishing and mineral matters in Antarctica unless it has a greater presence there and a greater capacity for involvement. One obvious way to increase the strength of New Zealand’s position is to have a support vessel, like the Endeavour, which can reach New Zealand’s position at S"ott Base. So the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has every reason to support the Navy in seeking a replacement for the Endeavour.

There are already reports of a suitable ship under construction in Japan. The depressed state of the shipbuilding market may mean that New Zealand could buy this vessel reasonably cheaply, or hire it at much reduced terms of interest.