The first trip on the new coastal shipping route known as the ‘blue highway’ was successfully completed when Rangitata docked in Napier with its load of containers about 6pm on Wednesday.
The container ship was the first to dock at Gisborne in over forty years and headed back to Napier carrying 13 refrigerated containers of meat from Affco in Wairoa and squash from LeaderBrand in Gisborne.
The emergency coastal shipping route between Gisborne and Napier was funded to the tune of $2.75 million after Cyclone Gabrielle damaged the region’s roads and rail infrastructure.
Eastland Port operations manager Andy Kinsella said was the port’s first time dealing with regular container shipments and staff had to be trained to deal with new skills and products, he said.
The Eastland Port’s wharf seven was being rebuilt and due to be completed by July. That would include making space for a dedicated coastal shipping berth to avoid overlap with other shipping commitments.
Gaddum said that despite SH2 through the Waioeka Gorge being open, it’s still a very volatile route.
Coastal shipping has been on the national agenda before Gabrielle, with a $30m funding injection through the National Land Transport Programme in June last year.
Gaddum said he believed the ship had a future beyond Gisborne’s highway access being restored.
Rangitata will be loaded with 17 empty containers for the next trip and is due to arrive in Gisborne on Friday.
Credit: stuff.co.nz
