Jetty enters construction phase
The Cooks Islands is set to become a more frequent stopover destination for visiting cruise ships, with funding confirmed for the construction of an alternative ocean access jetty at Arorangi. The $2 million project to build the new jetty will be funded by the New Zealand /Australia Harmonised Aid Programme.
New Zealand High Commissioner John Carter says he is pleased to see this project entering the construction phase, noting, “The jetty is one of many infrastructure developments planned for the next couple of years that will directly contribute to sustainable economic development in the Cook Islands.”
Once completed, the jetty will provide alternative access for cruise ships in the event that Avatiu Harbour is inaccessible due to bad weather or rough sea conditions. This will give cruise ship operators greater confidence in including a Rarotonga stopover in their programmes.
The Cook Islands Ports Authority is leading this project for the Cook Islands Government, working closely with the Arorangi Community and other stakeholders. CEO of the Ports Authority, Bim Tou, said,
“In 2010, only 64% of visiting cruise ships could disembark passengers, meaning a big loss of potential income for the economy in Rarotonga. The goal is to raise this to 90% by 2013, and the new jetty will play a major role in our efforts to achieve this.”
With each visiting cruise ship estimated to inject around $300,000 into the local economy, the new jetty will bring in additional revenue for Rarotonga, and further enhance the tourism experience offered by the Cook Islands.
“Improving access for cruise ships allows the Cook Islands to take its place in the Pacific as a vibrant cruising destination, diversifies our source markets, increases the economic benefit of tourism and delivers high spending customers to the commercial operators of Rarotonga across the summer season. It is an exciting innovation that has already allowed us to pitch to new cruise vessels to grow beyond our existing pool of operators”, said Cook Islands Tourism CEO, Carmel Beattie.
In addition to undergoing an extensive design process and an environmental impact assessment, the jetty project has won public support among the Arorangi community. Agreements have also been signed with the Aronga Mana (traditional leaders) and with the Ministry of Education on behalf of Arorangi Primary School, which sits adjacent to the jetty site.
The jetty construction was tendered earlier in the year, with local construction firm Land Holdings awarded the contract. The project is being managed on behalf of Ports Authority by Project Manager Mr Des Eggleton of Frame Group. Media Release

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