Down Under

Hon Heather Roy speech to the Royal New Zealand Navy Operational Diving Team (ODT) Reunion; Paihia Resort Hotel, Kings Road, Paihia, Bay of Islands; Saturday, July 10 2010

Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena kotou katoa.  The conventional salutation for the evening appears to be 'Good evening Ladies and Divers', so that's where I'll begin.

I understand that this is only the second reunion to be held in the 40-year history of the Operational Diving Team (ODT) and I would like to begin by thanking Dusty Miller and Nick Quinn for arranging this prestigious event.  I would also like to take a moment to express my appreciation to Gary Collier for his guidance as the event's patron - and he asked me to thank you, Nick, for assigning that duty!

I feel very privileged to have been invited to join you this weekend.  It is an honour to be here among some truly remarkable people who have given so much in the service of the Navy and their country.  I am amazed by the range of tasks that you have undertaken, yet which are not widely known - perhaps due to the self-effacing pride that is the hallmark of the Operational Diving Team.

As you know, today is the 25th anniversary of the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior, the flagship of Greenpeace's protest operations against French nuclear testing at Mururoa Atoll.

It was on 10 July 1985 that the Rainbow Warrior, moored alongside Auckland Harbour in preparation for its latest protest journey, was sunk.  In the following hours, the ODT was called out to search for missing crew member, Fernando Pereira.  It was Leading Diver Robert Schmidt - who, I believe, is here tonight - who entered the sunken ship and eventually found Fernando.

In the days that followed, the ODT's expertise was put to further use in the successful salvage of the vessel which - about a year later - was re-sunk here in the Bay of Islands as a memorial site that many of you visited today.

I was delighted to join you on this visit: today was my first visit to HMNZS Manawanui, and it gave me an opportunity to not only get a first hand perspective of her role but to also understand the synergy between this very specialised ship and the ODT.

I know, however, that ships and equipment, alone, do not create naval capabilities. Being able to talk to the ship's company, as well as the past and present members of the ODT today, has enabled me to fully appreciate the significant strength that the RNZN delivers to the nation when all elements work together as smoothly as you all clearly do.

As part of the current Defence Review, the Government is considering its options for the time when Manawanui reaches the end of her service life.  Today provided me with an invaluable opportunity to better understand the detail of how a specialist dive support vessel, her crew and the teams that operate from her interact.

Thank you Commanding Officer HMNZS Manawanui, Lt Commander Wiremu Leef, for the opportunity you provided today, and to your crew for what was an amazing day.

However, tonight is not just about ships. While we acknowledge that this weekend is the 25th anniversary of one event in our history, it is but one of so many that have involved the ODT.  There are too many others - and too little time - to reflect on all of them and, as an Army engineer, it would be more than a little fraught for me to re-tell the 'salty dits' of others.  I'm sure, though, that they will all be retold later tonight - and, like all nautical tales, no doubt the exploits will be embellished - but only for the sake of the story!

There are a few that are worth a brief mention, though, and I'm guessing that one or more from this short list of operations will have involved at least one of you present tonight: the Wahine ferry disaster and its subsequent inspection in 1968; the search for the bodies of Jeanette and Harvey Crew in 1970; the 1979 investigation into the crash of the Australian Air Force F111 in the Hauraki Gulf - a search which, sadly, resulted in the death of Leading Diver Gary Jensen.

Other operations of note include the ODT's work in 1983 to remove around 100 tonnes of WWII ordnance from Little Barrier Island; the search in 1986 for a missing Russian seaman on the Mikhail Lermontov; and the ODT's involvement in 1991-92 in UN operations in Cambodia.

And who could forget the destruction by explosives of a 60-tonne dead whale in the Hauraki Gulf?  A true testament to the versatility of the ODT.

Body searches and recoveries, murder weapon searches, drug recovery operations in support of the Police - these are all tough jobs in anyone's language and invariably undertaken in dark, cold, deep water.  Divers do not get to choose the time of the dive, or wait until conditions are more favourable.  The work requires extremely high levels of fitness, and long and arduous training to cover the range of equipment - especially re-breathing gear - mastery of explosives, underwater welding, photography, covert swimming, salvage techniques and, for the more senior divers, Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Improvised Explosive Device Disposal.

This work is not for the faint-hearted and can only be undertaken by very special people who must cope with the tough training regime as well as the stresses of dangerous and unpleasant work in an unforgiving environment.

You dedication is admirable and, I must say, I don't know how you manage to deal with some of the less pleasant aspects of your work.  I can only put it down to the Navy diver's core values of strength, honour and loyalty; values that bind your select team of professionals and stand you proud within the profession of arms.

These qualities make you unique in the Navy and in New Zealand.  You represent the core RNZN values of courage, commitment and comradeship - the latter being very evident tonight.

It would be remiss of me not to mention the wives and partners of these very special men.  Without your support, I'm sure they would not have the mental fortitude to undertake the very demanding tasks that they have so unselfishly done.
 
Elitism, for a unit or organisation, is a word that is often misplaced.  It must be earned.  Respect must be gained from colleagues and the wider community; it has to be deserved and the mana has to be maintained.  From what I now know of the ODT though its operations - but especially its people - you are an elite unit of which you can be justifiably proud.

Thank you again for the privilege of being part of this special occasion.