A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Funding towards the development of a barging facility at Te Araroa has been labelled a “huge opportunity” but is a long way from becoming reality.
The Government yesterday announced funding for four projects to develop coastal shipping routes.
One of the projects involves providing new barge services at East Cape, Kawhia and the West Coast for Aotearoa Shipping Alliance.
The alliance is made up of West Coast-based Ngāti Waewae and Westland Minerals Sands Co, along with Taranaki-based Tainui Kawhia Incorporation and Te Araroa-based Te Rimu Trust.
Group spokesman Ray Mudgway said the proposal sought to build resilience into the three regions represented by members.
“We have very much shared values and shared visions and also the same challenges of where the cargo is and getting it to market, hence why we have come together.”
The government funding for the alliance's proposal was a “shot in the arm”, he said.
“The concept here is by working for the long-term and thinking inter-generationally . . . we have a shipping solution for the future that ties in with what Te Rimu Trust is working on in Te Araroa.
“The key thing is the East Coast has a similar issue to what we have on the West Coast of the South Island . . . vast resources that are a long way from port.”
The regions also had similar issues with flooding, slips and resilience of the roading network, as well as diversifying the economy.
“Shipping really unlocks those resources and makes them more economical.”
Mr Mudgway said he would be in Asia next week to finalise purchase of new barges for the project, which he expected would be in operation inside nine to 12 months.
The East Cape barge facility would be able to join in as soon as Te Rimu Trust was ready.
“The ships will be there to go.”
Te Rimu Trust chairman Richard Clarke, however, said the Te Araroa project was a long way away from starting.
“We are going through the community engagement. We are going through the consultation process, ecological research—- both marine and onshore — so there's a bit of work to do,” Mr Clarke said.
“We are still working with the community but when we started talking with these like-minded iwi, they had similar issues. They have stranded assets — they can't get their logs out of areas. They have commodity they want to shift and they said we want to work together if we are successful in getting the facility built.
“The opportunity is there to be part of a team. It's the community and the Kahu whānau who are facilitating this.
“It's a huge opportunity to unlock the economic potential of this area. It's very exciting but there is a lot of work to be done.”
The trust's barge facility was first proposed two years ago but was opposed by some in the community and rejected by Gisborne District Council, which declined to include the project in its Tairawhiti 2050 Strategy.
Following that, the then-Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones approved in principle a deal to fund the project with $45m of government funds.
“At this stage, discussions with relevant community, iwi and stakeholders remain ongoing and there is no firm outcome to report,” a Crown Infrastructure Partners spokesman said.
“Subsequently, up to $2.8m has been allocated to fund feasibility, design, costing and consent work for the barging wharf proposed by Te Rimu Trust. The balance, being $42.2m, has to date not been allocated or committed.”
The trust last year proposed to move the facility to an alternative site 500 metres east of the Karakatuwhero River mouth, as well as adding a maritime research centre, small boat ramp, waka ama launch area and search and rescue base.