New report says frigates are the wrong ship to scuttle
Media Release No Ship Action Group
6 April 2011 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
• Humpback Whales begin migration past Avoca Bay
• NSW Ombudsman awaiting answers from Government
• New report predicts frigate breakup certain in 18 months
WITH the ex- HMAS Adelaide due to be towed out of Sydney on Monday and scuttled on Wednesday April 13, it is down to the weather, the whales, the Ombudsman and US Marine engineer to stop the scuttling.
The Avoca Beach community raised $4000 through a Trivia Night and Silent Auction to engage a US Marine engineer Werner Hoyt to write a report on why the sister ship of the Adelaide, ex-HMAS Canberra has broken up only 16 months after scuttling.
Alarming news has come to light about a frigate scuttled in New Zealand in 2005, ex-HMNZS Wellington (F69) which broke into three pieces only six weeks post scuttling and spread debris across the beach in Island Bay in NZ.
US Marine engineer Werner Hoyt is the man who walked on to the ex-HMAS Adelaide and discovered the 23,000 square metres of lead paint during the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in July 2010 after both State and Federal government experts claimed there was none.
Mr Hoyt’s 31 page report says:
1) The probability of structural failure in 18 months is certain based on the HMAS Canberra.
2) The probability of hull structural failure in 12 months or less – Very high based on the increased energy environment and aggravating corrosion factors of both vessel preparation and reefing location.
3) Probability the diving site will be closed to divers or significant hazard warnings posted due to structural failure in 18 months or less – Certain.
4) Probability of debris as a result of corrosion degradation of superstructure and internal components coming ashore within 18 months – Certain.
Basically Mr Hoyt is saying that this frigate is the wrong type of ship to scuttle as an artificial reef and this has been shown by the rapid corrosion experienced by the ex-HMAS Canberra and breakup.
Under the Plan of Management for the ex-HMAS Canberra the dive site will be closed as a commercial site if the ship falls over or breaks up. The No Ship Action Group are concerned that this will have the effect of halting all revenue to the Government that would pay for remedial work including long term monitoring and removal of pollutants.
The issues of the method of construction of ex-HMAS Adelaide, differences with previously sunk ships and corrosion and break up rates is not mentioned in the Review of Environmental Factors in considering the impacts of the proposal on the environment or at all. The other four ex naval vessels sunk as artificial reefs are all destroyers and use a different construction method to the frigates, ex HMAS Canberra and Adelaide.
It appears from the above that there has been a failure to consider a fundamental matter namely the suitability of the vessel for the purpose of the project: in a balancing of environmental impacts against benefits, how is the State to properly assess the benefits against the impacts if it has not assessed the suitability of the vessel to achieve the benefit.
The report has been sent to the NSW Ombudsman for consideration and to all relevant government authorities. The Ombudsman was awaiting a response this week from the Lands and Property Management Authority (LPMA) to questions put to it by the Ombudsman regarding the proposed scuttling. The Land and Property Management Authority has yesterday been merged with the Department of Finance and Services by new Premier Barry O’Farrell.
The NSW Ombudsman was requesting answers about concerns with whether the State Government was complying with the orders of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, why a date had been set for the scuttling when the dumping permit had not been finalized and whether the State Government had sought information on the apparent problems with the HMAS Canberra.
Meanwhile humpback whales have been spotted in Bulbararing Bay in the past week concerning residents that it will be not safe to scuttle the ship with explosives in the path of migratory humpback whales.
This week Dr Michelle Blewitt from marinemammalresearch.com has called to stop the scuttling. Dr Blewitt, a lecturer with a PhD in marine mammal research said “I am concerned about the impact of placing a 138 metre long warship on the ocean bed of Bulbararing Bay at Avoca Beach; a place where humpback whales and their calves are known to come and rest during migration. The affect of this structure on the marine environment - its 23,000 square metres of lead paint and cargo of plastics, should not be underestimated. Cetaceans are highly sensitive, social and intelligent mammals; we must protect and preserve our ocean - their home - to ensure their continued survival.”
The No Ship Action Group has called on the new State Government to postpone the scuttling to enable a review of these serious issues concerning the viability of the project.
The Werner F. Hoyt Report is available for download here: http://bit.ly/fLRcqY
MEDIA CONTACT www.noship.com.au
Michelle Meares: 0439 645 372
Ben Smith: 0409 693 205
Photo Source: http://www.hmsbacchante.co.uk/living_reef.htm
(the HMNZS Wellington is also known as HMS Bacchante – F69)
