THE COMMUNITY around New Zealand’s Port Nelson is complaining about a noisy ship, according to a statement from the port.
The port said the ship makes a “noisy low-frequency generator noise”.
Maersk Nansha was recently berthed at Port Nelson for an extended period due to a delayed departure date under the direction of Maritime NZ to address remediation works related to safety matters. Port Nelson said due to the extended period in port, it had received a high number of complaints.
A statement on 20 January from Maersk said “following an incident” Maersk Nansha would be delayed Nelson for repairs to its handrails.
Port Nelson chief executive Hugh Morrison said noise mitigation is important for noisy vessels.
“Reducing noise levels from vessels visiting the region is a priority for Port Nelson. The noise source typically of concern is the clang of container movements to and from vessels, which Port Nelson has seen a significant improvement in, recording no significant noise events for over two years. For low-frequency generator noise, Port Nelson has been working with shipping lines to ensure they have a noise mitigation plan for vessels that are noisier than usual,” Mr Morrison said.
“Maersk continues to be a long-standing partner of Port Nelson and the communities’ importers and exporters. However, the level of noise complaints we have received from the community in the past week has been unacceptable. We continue to work with Maersk to receive a schedule of actions, including timeframes to mitigate the noise generated.”
This was not the first time a noisy ship raised the ire of residents near Port Nelson. Safeen Prime was taken off the TTZ service in September after it left a trail of noise complaints across Australian and New Zealand ports.
Maersk Nansha is on the new NZ coastal service Maersk Coastal Connect, which loops between Nelson, Tauranga, Timaru and Lyttleton.
In its statement, Port Nelson acknowledged the importance of increasing trade through the port.
“Over the last 12 months, Port Nelson has seen an increased commitment from a number of shipping services. Most recently with the arrival of vessels from Move Oceans and the announcement of Maersk to increase services,” the port said.
“Te Tauihu’s importers and exporters will benefit from the additional services after being hard hit in recent years by freight costs, space availability on ships, and delayed or cancelled vessels coming into port.”
Port Nelson said it would continue to monitor noise impacts from the Maersk Nansha and assess the mitigation measures during its upcoming visits.
Maersk Nansha is a 15-year-old Hong Kong-flagged geared containership. It has a carrying capacity of 2546 TEU and is 209 metres long.
