By Renate Rivers, PMN
A prohibition zone spanning a two-kilometre radius remains in place around the site of the sunken ship. Photo: Profile Boats / supplied
Samoa's government recently met with Safata villagers to discuss how to disburse the WST$10 million (NZ$6m) HMNZS Manawanui payment from the New Zealand government.
The Samoa Observer reports that a meeting was held on Wednesday, with representatives from the district, government officials, and members of the New Zealand government. They discussed how to allocate the funds among the affected communities.
The Samoan government will oversee the allocation process, which includes establishing criteria, inviting applications from potential recipients, reviewing applicants based on their impact from the ship's grounding and sinking, and distributing funds accordingly.
New Zealand's representative in Samoa, Sialei Van Toor, apologised for the naval disaster, highlighting the long-standing relationship between the two countries. "We deeply regret the impact this incident had on your community. For better or worse, the Manawanui is now a part of our shared history."
The funding plan will prioritise recovery, environmental restoration, and sustainable development. Additional programmes are earmarked to clean up marine and coastal waste.
The plan will also include training to improve the protection of conservation areas and support for small-scale economic initiatives such as eco-tourism ventures. No decision has been made about whether the sunken ship will be turned into a local attraction or removed entirely.
As reported, proposals for fund disbursement include going through the district, the government, or a consultancy service, all aimed at providing direct aid to families and communities whose livelihoods depend on tourism and fishing.
Last week, Finance Minister Mulipola Anarosa Ale-Molioo announced that Parliament will enable fund disbursement once the delayed 2025/2026 central budget is passed.
Mulipola also told local media that New Zealand has pledged an additional WST$14m (NZ$8.8m). This money will be directed towards coral reef restoration and addressing other environmental damage caused by the grounding and sinking of the Manawanui, which is valued at $100m.
A prohibition zone spanning a two-kilometre radius remains in place around the site of the sunken ship.
Captain Roger Ward, who is heading the Manawanui Response, says that "further work is required" despite efforts over the last 12 months to minimise the effects of the sinking and investigate the causes. "Fallen shipping containers have been removed. Fuel, oil, other pollutants, equipment, weapons, ammunition, and debris have been recovered, and the wreck has been made as safe as possible."
The Safata meeting was held over a week after Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters announced the payment on the first anniversary of the wreck.
Peters said the payment followed a request from the Samoan government: "We recognise the impact the sinking has had on local communities and acknowledge the disruption it caused."
A Court of Inquiry report released in March on the loss of the ship showed weaknesses in training, supervision, and personnel levels within the New Zealand Navy. This included a high number of missing or unqualified personnel aboard during the mission.
The report concluded that leadership and procedural failures led to the grounding. However, it recognised the courage and discipline shown during the evacuation, with local Sāmoan responders and villagers supporting the crew to prevent a greater tragedy.
-This article was first published by PMN.
