Overview

• Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the compensation matches Samoa’s request and will be funded by New Zealand’s military budget.
• HMNZS Manawanui remains on the Tafitoala reef, though salvors have removed diesel, oil, containers, weapons, ammunition, and other pollutants.
• New Zealand and Samoa plan an independent wreck assessment and further environmental studies to guide decisions on the vessel’s future.
• Monitoring by Samoan scientists found no elevated hydrocarbons and fishing warnings were lifted in February, yet local communities report ongoing livelihood impacts and seek clarity on how funds will be allocated.
• A Court of Inquiry concluded the undertrained crew failed to disengage autopilot during the reef survey, and the military says disciplinary outcomes are still to be determined.