HMNZS Canterbury Welcome

Thursday 28 June 2007

Acknowledgements:
Hon Phil Goff
Rear Admiral David Ledson, Chief of Navy
Commanding Officer, Tony Miller
Fellow Mayors
and distinguished guests

On behalf of the Mayors of mid and north Canterbury it gives me great pleasure to welcome the new Multi Role Vessel HMNZS Canterbury to its home port of Lyttelton, Canterbury. I urge all the people of Canterbury to embrace this vessel and make it as much part of the province as the Crusaders.

It has been a long journey travelling from the Netherlands to Australia and now to New Zealand. There was a slight hiccup heading out of Melbourne. This just shows how intelligent this ship is, when it's early warning systems got wind of bad weather down in the southern ocean it decided to slow things down.

Canterbury has welcomed many Dutch migrants over the years. The Dutch have always been renowned for their hard work and enterprise. I am delighted to know this ship was built in Rotterdam and I am sure the Canterbury will have all the hallmarks of Dutch Workmanship.

HMNZS Canterbury continues a long tradition of having a New Zealand Naval vessel associated with Canterbury. The first HMNZS Canterbury was welcomed in 1973. It's a proud name with a proud heritage. The last ship to bear this name was a Leander class frigate and the city was pleased to receive the a gift of its naming board when that Canterbury was decommissioned in 2005.

The bays and harbours of Banks Peninsula have been the ports of call for navigators throughout history. First by Maori using the stars for navigation. Later Captain James Cook, travelling under sail, sighted, what he thought was an island, then came the whalers and later the European settlers. Sail gave way to steam and today's Canterbury has diesel engines and the crew enjoy living conditions that our forefathers could only have dreamed of.

This new Canterbury is a Multi Role Vessel. It has the capability to transport and deploy equipment, vehicles and personnel and can carry helicopters. It's purpose is to undertake patrol tasks in New Zealand's Exclusive Economic Zone and in the South Pacific. Most importantly the Canterbury and its crew will be deployed to carry out humanitarian and disaster relief tasks in the Pacific and support peacekeeping operations.

Peacekeeping aligns well with Christchurch, as a Peace City. When Council voted in 2002 to make Christchurch a Peace City it was to show our city's commitment to actively contribute to a more peaceful future, through the promotion of peace, non-violence and respect for all citizens.

The Peace City declaration also paved the way forward to create an atmosphere for the development of a Culture of Peace as promoted by UNESCO and to encourage other cities around the world to follow suit. I am one of 1650 mayors from around the world who have jointed together as the Mayors for Peace with the aim of abolishing nuclear weapons.

Peacekeeping is a non violent approach to what can often be violent situations. I know you will be successful in this important and difficult work. New Zealanders have a huge history as great sailors. It doesn't matter if they are sailing off Valencia or on board a naval vessel. You know how to read the wind and sea, are strong in the face of adversity and great fighters.

To the sailors of this fine vessel, the people of Canterbury are a hospitable and will be pleased to show you the city.

Welcome to Christchurch and enjoy your stay. God Bless the Canterbury and all who sail in her.

ENDS