Tokelau to receive wharf and IT upgrades

Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has announced major investments in Tokelau’s transport and internet infrastructure.

“Tokelau is incredibly remote. It has no air services so is dependent on ships to get to and from its nearest neighbour Samoa, around 500kms away” Mr Peters said.

To transfer off the ships and onto the shore, passengers and cargo must take small barges and go through narrow channels cut into the coral reef.

“At the moment, this critical ship to shore infrastructure is in bad shape and these transfers are difficult and dangerous”.

“We are investing $15.8 million to upgrade the reef channels and wharves. This will make transfers much safer and will allow cargo to be moved much more efficiently”.

Tokelau’s remoteness also makes it dependent on the internet to connect to the rest of the world.

As Tokelau’s current satellite internet is slow and unreliable, New Zealand has also invested $22.2 million to connect Tokelau’s atolls to undersea fibreoptic cables providing a much faster connection.

“Faster internet will help us deliver better communications, improved health and education services and undersea cables will be much more resilient to extreme weather”.

“We are proud of these investments which represent New Zealand’s firm commitment to improving opportunities for our citizens in Tokelau”.

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