December 13, 2019
Blue highway blue sky thinking says Ikaroa MP
Ikaroa Rāwhiti MP Meka Whaitiri says the blue highway is just a vision in the head of Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones with no political support at this time.
Iwi and hapū around Ngāti Porou have expressed alarm at the Minister’s statements promoting the idea of putting infrastructure at Hicks Bay or other points on the East Coast to allow the region’s logs to be sent out by barge rather than road.
Ms Whaitiri says it’s not yet Government policy.
"It’s Shane’s idea and he has indicated he still has a way to manouevre his idea through his own political party, which hopefully was enough to send a message to people that there is a process he has to go through. We are not planning to put a port up in Hicks Bay," she says.
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