Samantha Gee of RNZ
A barge that ran aground at Carters Beach on the West Coast remains under a detention order at Port Nelson, more than two years after it came ashore during a storm.
The barge's owner WMS (Westland Mineral Sands) Group said the Manahau was still awaiting repair and certification, which was expected to take six months.
Westland Mineral Sands established a sand mine at Cape Foulwind, south of Westport, in 2022. It was granted consent to mine about 500,000 tonnes of heavy mineral concentrate over about seven years across a 25-hectare site.
It was also granted consent to mine at Mananui, south of Hokitika, last year, after an independent panel of commissioners unanimously approved the consent, allowing 300,000 tonnes of minerals to be extracted from the 112-hectare site, every year for 16 years.
It was said the Mananui mine would create 70 jobs and inject $37.9 million to the West Coast economy, but residents and iwi voiced concerns about the impact on the environment, noise, dust, light pollution and truck movements.
In March, WMS Group announced it was pausing mining operations, citing a downturn in global titanium and mineral sands markets, alongside ongoing volatility in shipping and energy costs.
West Coast Bulk Logistics - the logistics and shipping division of the WMS Group - said in late 2025 that a repair plan for the Manahau had been submitted to the international certification body, RINA and the work was expected to take one month while the vessel was in dry dock.
The company had not explained why the repair work had still not been completed, but a spokesperson said once the repairs were complete, the plan was for the barge to return to service, shipping heavy mineral concentrate between Westport and Nelson.
The Manahau first arrived on the West Coast in mid-August 2024, to ship concentrated mineral sand mined at Cape Foulwind from Westport to Nelson.
The company said at the time it was also exploring options for use the Manahau to move bulk commodities around New Zealand.
In 2022, the government announced $30 million in funding for four suppliers to enhance coastal shipping services. On of those was Aotearoa Shipping Alliance, of which Westland Mineral Sands is a member, which received $7m to go towards the purchase of the Manahau.
The vessel had only just entered service before the grounding.
An investigation by the company, led by former Transport Accident Investigation Commission chief investigator Tim Burfoot, found it could have been avoided.
He found the vessel was fit for purpose, equipped with the necessary capabilities and properly supported by a shore-based management team.
He said that better decision-making by the crew at several key points during the incident could have prevented the vessel from running aground.
Maritime NZ the Manahau would remain under the detention notice until the required repairs are undertaken to the satisfaction of its classification society and the flag state (Niue).
The regulator also investigated the grounding and a spokesperson said "after careful consideration of the evidence and circumstances" it took regulatory action by issuing a formal warning to Westland Mineral Sands.
"We believe the response is proportionate given the facts of the incident and sets clear expectations for future compliance."
This story was first published on rnz.co.nz
