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At Infrastructure Cook Islands: Te Tango Angaanga o te Kuki Airani, we put people and communities at the heart of everything that we do. Whether it be through the construction and maintenance of our transport network, drainage systems; supporting airports, harbours, and water infrastructure maintenance and upgrades in the Pa Enua; effective waste management; emergency response to ensure access on and to public infrastructure; provision of geospatial information; developing policies and plans; managing regulatory arrangements, we touch on the lives of all who live and work in our country.
Major water infrastructure project ‘completed’
Thursday 27 May 2021 | Written by Melina Etches | Published in Local, National
The Rarotonga water project, Te Mato Vai, dubbed the largest infrastructure project in the history of the nation, was completed yesterday at the official landowners recognition ceremony of the Papua intake in Vaimaanga.
Prime Minister Mark Brown yesterday hailed Te Mato Vai project calling it “historic” and the biggest project the Cook Islands has undertaken since the opening of the Rarotonga airport.
The project aimed at delivering potable water to Rarotonga residents started in 2014.
PM Brown said the first water intakes were built in 1901 “since then, nothing had been done to upgrade the water system”.
He said in 2012, the Government made a commitment to improve the islands water system after “people had been complaining about the water, we had a challenge to change our water system”.
Costing “approximately $90 million”, the development was funded through the first tripartite agreement between the governments of the Cook Islands, New Zealand and the People’s Republic of China.
Then the discussions with landowners started, a long process for 10 different intakes and 10 various groups of landowners, said Brown.
He said the landowners were an important part of this project as they allowed government to build the infrastructure on their land which enabled water to be delivered to everyone on the island.
First the replacement of the ring mains around the island were done.
In 2018, McConnell Dowell began the second stage of the project for the upgrade of 10 existing water intakes across the island working with local companies.
In this file photo from April 2021, a member from the Te Mato Vai Project Management Unit is seen at the newly-built Turangi intake. 21042510
Yesterday the new Papua water intake was unveiled by landowner Pa Marie Ariki.
“In every project there is always a challenge, but government shared those challenges,” she said.
“I willingly supported this project because it’s about the livelihoods of our people. I believe that we as landowners can contribute our land for the good of our community, and we should not be standing in the way of progress.
“The project was absolutely worthy and it’s often easily forgotten how water is needed for us to survive.
“We need this clean, clear water for our people,” said Pa Marie Ariki.
Te Mato Vai’s Project Management Unit (PMU) deputy project manager Matt Boyd delivered a brief on the operation of the intake.
For the past six months water from the Papua intake has been flowing into the network as part of the Polyaluminium Chloride (PACl) trial, Boyd said.
“We have looked at the different environmental results – in the excess of 10,000 tests to date around the island, in the streams and the water that come out from the plants.”
Over the next few months, the intakes will be handed over to government and will be managed under To Tatou Vai Authority.
Pa Marie Ariki with New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands Tui Dewes. 21052608
PM Brown said To Tatou Vai will take on the responsibility for managing, operating the infrastructure, “to ensure we have clean water delivered to the households on Rarotonga”.
“A significant amount of money has been invested by our people into these projects so it’s important that we maintain it and keep it up to standard.”
Invited guests gathered at the Ocean Escape Resort property in Turangi before being driven by Sam Crocombe’s Raro Safari Tours to the Papua intake site, then returned for the rest of the formalities.
Mitiaro
Mitiaro, also known as Nukuroa, is part of the Nga-Pu-Toru island group. The island is surrounded by a belt of coral also known locally as makatea, between 20 and 40 feet (6.1 and 12.2 metres) high, based on the Southern end.
Mitiaro Water Commissioned
Infrastructure Cook Islands along with a delegation led by Minister of Infrastructure, Robert Tapaitau officially opened and handed over to the island of Mitiaro, the Orotoma Ground Water Development in July of 2020.
The project saw the renewal of the island’s long-serving Vai Uti water tank and the construction of another water tank in Orotoma, leaving a total of 45,000 litres of storage now available for the island.
Each household on the island, just over 70 houses are now connected to the new water network installed. Both water pumps are running on solar power, and according to testing, it pumps 2000 litres of water every 10 minutes and takes approximately 2 hours to fill the water tank.
ICI would like to extend a big meitaki maata to the people of Mitiaro, the Island Government, Mitiaro Island Council, the Mitiaro Mayor, contractor, Raro Welding, and the water project managers that saw this project through to completion.
Mitiaro Airport Runway Emergency Upgrade
During November 2020, ICI worked on the Mitiaro airport runway in a welcomed initiative to encourage domestic travel to the Pa Enua at the opening of the international borders.
Mitiaro also traditionally known as Nukuroa, has undergone a number of infrastructure developments in the last 10 years and the plan is to focus on building tourism enabling structures to help boost economic development on the island.
Renovations works to the Nukuroa Airport are currently underway, which translates to more in bound flights, and hopefully results in more tourists to the island.
Updated: 31st May 2021
Atiu
VISION FOR ATIU
Kia tupu, kia ruperupe e kia u’ua e rau te tuatau. Ei turanga ngaueue kore kia rauka te tupuanga matutu, o te kimi puapinga no te iti tangata Atiu e te enua.
To have safe, durable and reliable infrastructure to support economic growth and social development in Atiu.
Atiu is a raised volcanic island surrounded by steep raised coral or makatea cliffs that rise 3-6 meters above sea level. Red volcanic inland soil is heavily wooded, with rolling hills rising to 72 metres above sea level. Valleys run east and west, and settlements are located on a plateau surrounded by swamps and a small lake. Limestone cliffs, caves and swamplands are important environmental features.
Atiu Road Improvements
There is a ring road around the island and links into the inland village settlements by feeder and inland roads. As at 2006, a few kilometers of roads through the villages were sealed. The road from town to the wharf and airport is of two lanes compacted with coral and dirt, and most other roads are dirt tracks with some drainage and limited gravel filling work throughout. Road work activities are hampered by the quality of heavy duty equipment on the island to sufficiently maintain the roads. This also includes different phases of the road work and sealing project: from village to airport, upgrade plantation roads and inland roads coastal round. Infrastructure Cook Islands proposes a water supply system upgrade with water tanks to be implemented for households.
The infrastructure group proposed a total reconstruction of the harbour to become a wharf berthing facility and marina. Other improvements included Airport tar sealing and renovation of the terminal.
Updated: May 2021