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The government is spending $2.75 million to set up an emergency shipping route for Hawke’s Bay and Tai Rāwhiti, including chartering a vessel for three months.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Regional Development Minister Kiri Allan made the announcement on Thursday while visiting Gisborne.
Stuart Nash, who on Wednesday resigned as police minister, was present too. He holds the portfolios for forestry, oceans and fisheries, and economic development.
Allan said the investment would help get products including vegetables, meat, wool, timber and wine out of Gisborne and to the market. The road link between Gisborne and Napier was currently more than nine hours by truck.
The funding will go towards chartering the vessel Rangitata, owned by the company Coastal Bulk through $2.25 million set aside for underwriting the Eastland Port. This would cover three months of usage at $750,000 per month, for the charter, crew, insurance and fuel.
Another $250,000 would be spent on accelerating the Gisborne Port wharf rebuild, allowing the Rangitata to berth while export log ships were also being loaded and a further $250,000 would go towards election connection points for reefer containers used for meat processing.
“Without government support, this coastal shipping capability between regional ports would not have been available to New Zealand,” Allan said.
“This investment in the blue highway will also speed up recovery efforts, allowing for the swifter delivery of construction and rebuild materials into the East Coast.”
– More to come
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