Rocket Lab: Auckland staff travel will pose no risk to Mahia locals

Residents are concerned by Auckland Rocket Lab staff arriving at the isolated Mahia Launch site this week. Photo / NZME

Rocket Lab says locals have nothing to fear from the nine staff given essential worker exemptions to travel Mahia from Auckland for its launch later this week.

Some in the Mahia community say the risk presented by Rocket Lab staff's arrival is unacceptable.

"We have whānau desperate to be by one another and those tyrants get to do as they please," Mahia resident Puti Moa (Ngāti Rongomaiwahine) said in a statement released by advocacy group Auckland Peace Action.

The workers have been granted exemption passes as essential workers to assist as launch operators for the first of two missions running from November 11 to November 24, according to a Rocket Lab spokeswoman.

"If we launch on day one, then they can go home earlier. If it takes longer into that two-week window, then they will stay until that launch is complete."

The spokeswoman said Rocket Lab worked closely with launch site landowners Tawapata South when planning for their employees to travel down, but wider consultation with the community was not required.

"The launch site is quite a distance from Mahia Beach township itself. They remain in the motorhomes 24/7, completely isolated from the community."

All travelling employees have been double vaccinated and are cleared to cross the border with negative Covid tests, the spokeswoman said.