Danish frigate idea drops anchor in Parliament

Press, 21 July 1989, Page 1

Danish frigate idea drops anchor in Parliament

By

BRENDON BURNS

in Wellington

A Danish frigate option was being steered around Parliament yesterday, with its backers claiming interest at most ports of call. Testimony to the fact that the vessel is being viewed with some seriousness by its opponents came in a two-page statement from Cable Price Downer.

The company, New Zealand partners in the Melbourne-based Amecon consortium vying for the Anzac frigate project, said the Danish vessel would be disastrous for New Zealand industry and a risk to the Navy.

All Cabinet Ministers have been sent a copy of a 20-page proposal, plus appendices, outlining the Danish IS-86 frigate. The Prime Minister, Mr Lange, yesterday rejected a request to

meet two visiting Danes, here to promote the vessel. ! “The proposal under review at the moment is the Anzac frigate one,” said a spokeswoman for Mr Lange. ■ The Acting Minister of Defence, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Marshall,. also refused to see Captain Neils Ottesen of the Danish Navy and Mr Peter Glente, of jSvenborg Shipbuilders, Ltd. • The Danish Navy has ordered four of the frigates (from the

company. i But Mr Harry Duynnoven, the Labour member of Parliament for New Plymouth, wa£ pleased with the response from other Government members to the proposal. j i He began promoting .'the Danish ship after the New Plymouth-

based company, Technic Group, Ltd, negotiated a technical agreement with Svenborg. The proposal was attracting keen interest from Government members of Parliament, said Mr Duynhoven. Sources other than Mr Duynho- ; ven suggest Cabinet Ministers are among those members of Parliament interested in meeting the Danes and Technic Group’s representative, Mr John Matthews. A decision on whether New Zealand acquires Anzac frigates is expected by the end of August. Costs for the Australian vessel have been estimated as high as $6 billion over 20 years. However, the price for building them has been set at a maximum of $3OO million in 1986 dollars. The proposal sent this week to Cabinet and Government mem-

bers of Parliament says the Danish vessels can be built for $ll6 million. Emphasis is placed on the ability of the vessels, which have ice-strengthened hulls, to serve both Australia and New Zealand in Antarctica. Cable Price Downer fired a salvo last evening, saying the Danish option would be disastrous for New Zealand industry. It said only 8 per cent New Zealand content was offered and this involved quite illogical proposals to send semi-completed hull modules to Denmark. C.P.D.’s project manager for Anzac ships, Mr Bruce McLean, said a number of basic operational systems were not included in the Danish proposal.

‘Land-Rover,’ page 4.