Arutanga Harbour dredging on the way

Cook Islands Investment Corporation (CIIC) said that the Environmental Impact Assessment process for the dredging component of the Arutanga Harbour Project in Aitutaki has now been completed and project works are progressing well.

CIIC’s application for a permit to dredge the Arutanga Harbour channel, basin and reclaim areas was approved by the Aitutaki Environment Authority on 15 December 2021.

Commenting the news, CIIC CEO, Allan Jensen, said: “We are pleased with the work completed under the trial permit, work is proceeding to plan and we are now keen to deliver the full entire work programme for the Aitutaki community, with the Aitutaki Island Government and the Ports Authority, with our Aitutaki team.”

Aitutaki Mayor his Worship Tekura Bishop added that he is “pleased with progress and it is great to see our people and fishermen casting for trevelly every evening from the new causeway, a key feature and benefit that this project has created for Araura enua”.

According to Jensen, the project will be concluded in August 2022, despite setbacks due to adverse weather systems in recent weeks.

This permit approves the following activities:

• Dredging the southern basin and reclaim to Ports Authority area;
• Dredging the northern basin and reclaim to the Fishing Club side;
• Dredging the main harbour basin and reclaim to pier and main harbour;
• Dredging the main passage channel and building associated causeway access.