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Coastal shipping critical to New Zealand earthquake relief efforts

Coastal shipping critical to New Zealand earthquake relief efforts
Coastal shipping has again come to the rescue after New Zealand’s supply chain was “decimated” by Monday’s 7.5 magnitude earthquake in North Canterbury and on-going aftershocks nationwide.

With massive slips cutting off vital road and rail infrastructure at the top of the “Shaky Isles’” South Island, feeder shipping is leading the relief effort to get stalled freight moving.

Pacifica Shipping ceo Steve Chapman said inquiries “have gone through the roof”, reminiscent of the aftermath of a 2011 earthquake in Christchurch which left 185 dead and saw coastal shipping play a pivotal role in the recovery.

"We're trying our best to find capacity on our own network as well as alternative options using the international coastal services that ply trade between the [North and South] islands," said Chapman.

New Zealand’s imports are typically shipped to Auckland near the top of the North Island before being trucked or transported by rail to the South Island via a ferry service across the notorious Cook Strait. However, severe damage to ports in the capital Wellington and in Picton on the tip of the South Island have stalled freight. Centreport in Wellington remains closed. NZ quake roads

Worse still are the main state highways and main trunk rail line from Picton to Christchurch which, if not buckled or fractured, have completely disappeared under massive rock falls and landslides.

In some parts of the rail network, the tracks have been pushed completely off their footing and are now sprawled across the state highway.

"The weeks ahead are a worry. Logistics these days is governed by the just-in-time ethos," Road Transport Forum chief executive Ken Shirley told stuff.co.nz

"For a lot of these fast moving consumer goods, a couple of days will mean there will be shortages. There are a myriad of specialised products and basic food items. Everything you can think of is moved on a truck. It just highlights how dependent we are on the movement of freight."

Chapman said it took about four days to land goods by sea from Auckland to Lyttelton (near Christchurch) which included 48 hours sailing time and additional time loading and offloading.

With just two confirmed fatalities, shaken New Zealanders feel like they have “dodged a bullet” given that the “massive” quake hit at 12.02am local time and the epicentre was in a rural area near Culverden, a small farming community about 100km north of Christchurch.

But the economic toll, not to speak of the emotional impact following in the wake of a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch in 2011, is unquantifiable as the clean up begins.

Prime Minister John Key has already estimated the repair bill for devastated road and rail infrastructure as at least NZ$2bn ($1.41bn).

Key says the damage in the Kaikoura region, a whale watching town just over 100km northeast of Culverden, is worse than he thought with power, water and sewerage services down. The NZ Army has been deployed and the Royal NZ Navy multi role vessel HMS Canterbury is en-route from Auckland to evacuate 1100 stranded tourists in the cut-off region.

pacifica shipping 600"It's just utter devastation, I just don't know...that's months of work," Key told TV One after flying over the area in an NZ Air Force helicopter with Civil Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee.

“It’s hard to believe that the bill is going to be less than a couple of billion,” he said.

Meanwhile, three passenger ferries are among ships anchored in Wellington harbour with the capital city’s Centreport closed for inspections.

Logs are strewn around the port, there are reports of damage to terminals and a bridge at KiwiRail’s InterIslander Ferry terminal had collapsed in to the sea.

“CentrePort operations are suspended until further notice while further inspections are undertaken on the port during daylight hours today.” Said ceo Derek Nind. “We have sustained damage to buildings and the port and also some liquefaction and differential settlement in places.”

Stuff.co.nz reported that shipping workers were forced to flee the Kings Wharf freight shipping terminal in Wellington after cracks began appearing and water spurted up from beneath them during the 7.5 quake. Road

"It was just panic stations," said a man who did not wish to be named. "Water was coming up from the wharf, we had about five seconds to evacuate."

The KiwiRail passenger ferry Kaiarahi was berthing in Picton when the quake struck. It quicky retreated out to sea with the 225 passengers kept aboard for 11 hours before the vessel was able to dock.

Picton port authorities have now cleared one berth for use though the terminal has sustained damage and remains closed.