New Zealand and Samoa have struck
a deal over compensation for the Manawanui disaster, with an
announcement expected imminently, RNZ
understands.
Monday 6 October will mark one year since
the navy vessel HMNZS Manawanui ran aground on a reef off
the southcoast of Upolu and then sank.
Village
elders have long sought compensation for damage to the
reef and for losses to fishing and tourism.
It’s
understood an agreement has now been reached and it has been
left to Samoa’s government to reveal the
details.
Approached for comment, Defence Minister
Judith Collins’ office referred questions to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).
An MFAT spokesperson
said the ministry would respond on Monday.
Speaking to
RNZ Pacific last month, Samoa’s former prime minister Fiame
Naomi Mata’afa said the New Zealand government had been “very
forthcoming” in discussions.
“We had to do a
survey to advise New Zealand in terms of compensation,” she
said.
“That’s more or less finalised, so it’s just a
matter of beginning to do the implementation.”
An inquiry
released in April found the ship’s crew was undertrained
and the vessel was not up to the
task.
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