US and New Zealand Back $60m Cook Islands Port Upgrade

The United States and New Zealand have committed approximately $60 million toward a major redevelopment of the port at Penrhyn in the northern Cook Islands.

The US plans to provide $50 million through the Department of State, working in coordination with Congress. New Zealand, meanwhile, intends to contribute NZ$17.5 million ($10 million) to the project. The Cook Islands government has also pledged to provide funding for the development.

The investment will be used to improve the port facilities at Omoka on Tongareva. The upgrades are expected to strengthen infrastructure used for bringing essential supplies such as fuel, food and construction materials ashore.

The project will also improve maritime connections between Penrhyn and the Cook Islands’ remote northern islands.

New Zealand will oversee the implementation of the development in partnership with the Cook Islands and the US.

The three governments will next work to establish the project’s precise scope and implementation arrangements. This process will include a feasibility study and additional technical assessments before work moves forward.