Ministers to come for seawall blessing
The Ōpōtiki Harbour project marks a significant milestone next week as the rock seawalls are blessed and opened to visitors for the first time. Several dignitaries are visiting Ōpōtiki to help mark the occasion and walk the walls.
The Deputy Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Winston Peters and the Regional Development Minister, Hon Shane Jones will be welcomed at a pōhiri from Te Whakatōhea on the landward side of the eastern seawall. They will be joined by several guests, including some with involvement stretching back more than 20 years, such as former Ōpōtiki Mayor John Forbes and Te Whakatōhea leader, Robert Edwards.
The Ōpōtiki Harbour project sits alongside its sister industry, the extensive aquaculture farm, boats and factory of Te Whakatōhea. It has a long history with funding and support over many years from successive governments, Kānoa, the government’s Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit, Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council, and Ōpōtiki District Council.
The Ministers will be in the Eastern Bay of Plenty for the Regional Growth Summit later that day in Whakatāne.
While this is a significant milestone, works continue tying the various projects that weave together to turn the fortunes of the eastern Bay of Plenty. While the channel has been open to boats since September 2023, dredging will continue through the channel and into Pākihikura. The Ōpōtiki wharf has been upgraded to accommodate the mussel boats as an interim measure while the private marina and commercial wharf progresses on the western side of Pākihikura. Work on the access road and carpark will continue. And on the western side, one of the largest planting and dune-restoration projects in New Zealand will be carried out over several years.
The ceremony will get underway at 10am on Friday 20 September 2024, with a pōhiri and official speeches followed by the first official walk on the seawalls at around 11:15am. After the event there will be video, photos and a brief history of the project available online.
