The arrival of a naval ship which will call Gisborne home has been welcomed by many councillors and probed by some.
Gisborne district councillors discussed the charter to the city which would be handed to the commanding officer and crew of HMNZS Manawanui when it sails into the harbour between November 23 and 30.
Deputy Mayor Josh Wharehinga said he was grateful that Gisborne had been chosen to be the home for Manawanui, with his family having had a long history of service, while Councillor Sandra Faulkner said it was a chance to celebrate the ship and welcome the crew into the community.
However, Councillor Meredith Akuhata-Brown noted the context of the meeting, having just discussed policies about community engagement, and fostering Maori participation, while the report about the charter said no engagement with tangata whenua or the community was required.
“It’s quite a significant thing to have this huge ship come to port,” Ms Akuhata-Brown said.
She acknowledged that it had been “set before us”, and “we should all be wonderfully grateful for being chosen”, but questioned entering a “space” where the community did not take part in decisions.
“There will be some people who will be so in love with this . . . but there will be others who will be thinking of the war, the death, the loss.
“I just want them to be aware that some things we take on board because of our central government relationship.”
Cr Pat Seymour said they needed to recognise they were picking something up which had been “bestowed” on them.
“Many of the crew are tangata whenua, many come to this region and we should look at it in a positive light. It’s an opportunity that has been provided to us, it was signed off ages ago, it’s just taken a while for the ship to
“We have absolutely no influence on the ship whatsoever. It is beholden on us to provide a home port which it is likely to spend very little time in.
“It’s more about a recognition for our region . . . reading too much into the influence we might be able to have on that vessel I think would be a bit of a stretch.”
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern named Gisborne as Manawanui’s home port when it was purchased in 2018, prior to being commissioned as a dive and hydrographic vessel for the navy in mid-2019.
It is common practice for naval ships to be assigned a home port in New Zealand, and for that city to then award the ship and crew with a charter to the city.
The charter gives the ship’s crew the right to march through the streets, and allows the council to request a ship’s officer to attend civic funtions.
Cr Tony Robinson said the charter document looked like “something that’s come out of the 1800s”.
“I know it’s a traditional style document, but in this community, in this day and age, I thought there would be something less mono-cultural,” Mr Robinson said.
He also raised issue with the fact that no climate change impacts had been listed.
“Here’s an opportunity where you have a massive consumer of fuels and no doubt the ship creates a lot of waste, a lot of rubbish.
“I don’t think there are no climate change implications from forming a relationship with this ship,” he said.
He suggested an in-port recycling programme, or carbon reduction, to ensure the relationship with the ship could have a positive impact on climate change.
Gisborne has a long history with naval vessels, with both the HMNZS Monowai and HMNZS Resolution having Gisborne as their home port and receiving the charter before being decommissioned.
A report to councillors said given the ship was already assigned to Gisborne, which had been accepted, and given the council’s involvement with a creation of the Ship’s Mauri and Symbol of Command, all that was left to do was formalise the acceptance of the relationship.
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Hi, being an ex RNZN rating, a visit to your “home port” and the associated interaction with the locals, sports and social events was always well looked foward to and enjoyed. But once again two of GDC’s councillors seem to find something to moan about. Tony Robinson, I suggest you stand near the ship’s “heads” during the visit with a rubbish bag and play your part in recycling. Meredith may like more of a comforting role.
Hi, just so it is not taken out of context, by comforting I mean comforting/motherly/matriarchal.