Agencies co-operate on fire ship recovery

Environment Canterbury Regional Harbour Jim Dilley says that the operation to bring the fire-damaged Amaltal Columbia into a secure berth within Lyttelton Harbour has been very successful.

“The operation was successful due to the close co-operation of all agencies involved.

“The fire on board the vessel has been extinguished, and the soot and debris that was created in fighting the fire was captured in a boom and removed from the marine environment using specialised equipment.

“I’d like to particularly acknowledge the vessel owners, Talley’s, as they have been extremely proactive in working with Environment Canterbury to achieve minimal adverse effects from this incident. This builds on the highly effective evacuation of the ship’s crew that occurred at sea.” says Jim Dilley

Environment Canterbury, through the Harbourmaster, was responsible for the co-ordination of the berthing and clean-up operation working alongside the New Zealand Fire Service, Lyttelton Port Company , Maritime New Zealand and Talley’s staff.

The Harbourmaster ensures that processes and systems are fulfilled under Environment Canterbury’s regulatory and statutory responsibilities relating to navigation safety and management of the coastal environment.