BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
The Anglican Church of Melanesia (ACOM) has confirmed the sale of MV Southern Cross 10.
The tenth Southern Cross was commissioned and handed over to ACOM by the Melanesian Mission Trust Board (MMTB) of New Zealand on April 1, 2024.
ACOM General Secretary, Dr Abraham Hauriasi told Island Sun yesterday that the decision for sale was confirmed after it went through the ACOM management board.
He said that some of the reasons for the sale amongst many other reasons were capacity-wise, operational cost and maintenance cost.
“Firstly, whatever vessel the Church purchased should fit its purpose and mission.
“However, following its tours after it was commissioned, it has come to our notice that the vessel does not have enough passenger or loading capacity for the church missions,” said Hauriasi.
“The other one has to do with the operational cost. Its operational cost is a little bit too high. It is special because it is a super yacht. We found out that the cost of maintenance is quite high. The church cannot maintain or keep it running,’’ he said.
He said that the ship will be put for sale through public tender early next month.
“We will not be directly involved. The vessel will be taken to NZ and put up for tender because we never know if any local would be interested in purchasing. However, it depends if any local is interested in purchasing,’’ he said.
He said that the vessel is almost 28 years old and therefore its maintenance will cost the church.
“So, the church decided to find a new ship that is simple enough to operate and we can afford. when the ACOM searches for the ship, they work with their partners in NZ. Maybe we do not make diligence decisions in some areas. But, for now, we cannot blame anyone. We make mistakes and it is something we might learn from.
He said that the Vessel was purchased around New Zealand for $ 6 million.
He said that the shipping board will meet next week to finalise when the ship will travel and put on tender in New Zealand.
For feedback, contact: [email protected]
