Kordia renews $55m safety radio contract with Maritime NZ

Kordia has announced the renewal of its contract with Maritime NZ to deliver critical safety of life radio communications at sea.

The new contract, valued at NZD $55 million over ten years, includes plans for infrastructure and equipment upgrades at the Maritime Operations Centre (MOC) in Wellington.

Neil Livingston, interim Chief Executive at Kordia, expressed enthusiasm about the continued partnership. "We're delighted to extend our successful partnership with Maritime NZ for another 10 years," said Livingston. "Kordia is proud to operate and maintain this network on behalf of Maritime NZ to support safety of life at sea communications. We see this as a core capability for Kordia and we collaborate closely with Maritime NZ to deliver this critical service."

"The people and technology that underpin this service are world class, enabling reliable monitoring and rapid response to incidents on the water," he added.

Maritime NZ's General Manager Rescue Coordination Centre and Safety Systems, Justin Allan, emphasised the importance of the contract. "Kordia has been a long-term partner for Maritime NZ, and this agreement is pivotal in our ability to provide lifesaving services," Allan stated.

"Thousands of vessel movements are undertaken every year around New Zealand's coastal waters and wider area of responsibility, and through this ongoing partnership, New Zealand will continue to meet its safety obligations to keep those on the water safe," he added.

The MOC and Maritime Radio Network, which Kordia built, operates, manages, and maintains, serves as a crucial component of Maritime NZ's services.

The centre is responsible for receiving and responding to contact from vessels within New Zealand's coastal area and NAVAREA XIV, a vast oceanic region extending from the equator to the South Pole, halfway across the Tasman Sea and towards South America.

Functioning as the primary point of contact for emergency communications via internationally designated frequencies, the MOC also provides essential meteorological information, navigational warnings, and ionospheric predictions. The centre monitors both HF and VHF bands in a SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) capacity and relays information to Search and Rescue authorities to ensure swift and accurate response.

In the year ending 30 June 2024, the MOC responded to 922 incidents, including 129 distress (Mayday) calls, and assisted over 1795 individuals. Over the next 12 months, Kordia plans to work with Maritime NZ to implement a new technology platform to replace the current system used by radio operators, along with essential upgrades to the radio sites and infrastructure within the network.

These enhancements aim to bolster the resiliency of the service and future-proof the network for the next decade.

Kordia has been providing critical communication services in the maritime sector for over 30 years, following a contract awarded to its predecessor, BCL, to deliver radio communications at sea for the Maritime Safety Authority, the predecessor to Maritime NZ. This new contract signifies the continuation of more than three decades of collaboration between Kordia and Maritime NZ.