Chatham Islands Secure Funding for Transport and Fuel Upgrades

The Chatham Islands are set to receive major upgrades to wharves, fuel facilities and air travel connections as the New Zealand Government puts fresh funding into infrastructure considered essential for the remote island community.

Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson announced funding through the Regional Infrastructure Fund, with the package covering $9.4 million for wharf upgrades, $5.6 million for improvements to fuel storage and distribution, and $465,000 to support an expanded interlining partnership between Air Chathams and Air New Zealand.

The investment reflects the challenges created by the Chathams' distance from mainland New Zealand, where dependable sea and air links influence almost every part of daily life. Freight deliveries, healthcare access, education, tourism and local businesses all depend on transport infrastructure that can operate reliably despite the islands' isolated location and demanding conditions.

Wharf upgrades target freight and marine connections

The $9.4 million wharf programme includes a complete replacement of Kaingaroa Wharf along with repairs to Owenga and Flower Pot wharves and the Pitt Island barge ramp. Improvements are also planned for lighting at Waitangi Wharf, while livestock facilities will be expanded to make freight handling more efficient and strengthen support for marine operations.

Jones said reliable links with mainland New Zealand are particularly important to the Chathams' economic sustainability, making investment in infrastructure a practical way of supporting businesses and essential services while giving the community greater resilience.

Another $5.6 million will be spent upgrading the islands' fuel storage and distribution network, including relocating and improving facilities at Waitangi Wharf. The work is expected to prepare the fuel network for the new government-backed Chatham Islands supply vessel and provide infrastructure capable of supporting the islands' future transport requirements.

Crown Infrastructure Delivery will deliver both infrastructure projects on behalf of local asset owners and stakeholders, bringing the wharf and fuel work under a coordinated delivery programme.

Air partnership promises simpler journeys

Air travel is also receiving attention through $465,000 in government funding for the interlining partnership between Air Chathams and Air New Zealand, with both airlines providing additional co-funding for the project.

The expanded arrangement is designed to make journeys between the Chatham Islands and destinations across New Zealand easier to book and manage. Travellers will be able to organise connecting flights through a single website and ticket rather than handling separate parts of the journey independently.

Passengers are also expected to benefit from better baggage handling between flights, coordinated customer assistance and more organised support when delays or other disruptions affect travel. Patterson said these changes would make the islands more accessible while improving the overall experience for residents, business travellers and visitors.

The announcement coincides with the local community marking the opening of the new passenger terminal at Inia William Tuuta Memorial Airport, another significant step in improving the islands' connections with the rest of the country.

New terminal adds to years of government investment

The terminal marks the completion of the Longer and Stronger project, which has delivered substantial improvements to Chatham Islands airport infrastructure. The Government has invested more than $45 million in the project since 2018, including $45 million through the COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund and $98,000 through the Provincial Growth Fund.

Government investment in the Chatham Islands has now exceeded $150 million since 2015 across funding programmes that have supported regional development and essential infrastructure.

The latest package places much of its attention on the everyday systems that keep an isolated community functioning, from receiving freight and maintaining fuel supplies to providing dependable passenger connections. For residents and businesses on the Chathams, stronger wharves, modern fuel facilities and easier air connections could make essential services more dependable while creating better conditions for tourism, trade and future economic activity.