$10M HMNZS Manawanui compensation to be paid directly to all affected 

Staff Reporters/

Apia, Samoa – 19 December 2025 – The $10M tala compensation from the New Zealand Government for the environmental impact of the HMNZS Manawanui vessel sinking off the coast of Safata and Siumu villages will be distributed directly to all individuals and businesses affected.

The Prime Minister Laaulialemalietoa Polataivao Fosi Schmidt told the media last Friday that the funds would be paid out to all individuals and business owners affected by the disaster.

This was the recommendation by the Cabinet Special Committee, however, the Prime Ministers has instructed the committee to have a final consultation with the villages affected before making its final decision and recommendation.

The Prime Minister said that the distribution must be fair depending on the impact on each individual and businesses that must be verified and the distribution be accountable to avoid payments duplication like the Digital ID Project where multiple payments resulted in an unrealistic increase of the population.

The payments look at using the latest census of the Siumu and the villages in the Safata 1 and Safata 2 districts who were mostly affected through the loss of food sources, income through fishery and marine resources and the businesses such as the surfing and marine tourism businesses who bore the brunt of the impact.

Some members of the Safata 2 district met with the Minister of Finance last month and requested to let them have their share and be in charge of the distribution.

The Prime Minister however has indicated that the funds distribution will be handled by the government.

The HMNZS Manawanui sank off the coast of Safata on 6 October 2024, a week before the start of the Commonwealth Heads of Governments meeting in Apia.
In letters released by NZ’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters’ office show the $10 million tala – about $NZ6m compensation was proposed by Samoa’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and signed off by the then Prime Minister Fiamē Naomi Mata’afa.

The New Zealand government announced the $NZ6m/ $SAT10m compensation on the first anniversary of the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui on 6 October 2025.

The official letters further show “the government of Samoa will not seek further payment from New Zealand”.