Troops sought for Chatham Islands

Press, 20 February 1988, Page 14

Troops sought for Chatham Islands

PA Wellington The Chatham Islands County Chairman, Mr Bunty Preece, says he wants New Zealand troops permanently stationed there to help the islands’ economy. Mr Preece said he would make the request to the Minister of Defence, Mr Tizard, when he arrived at the islands next week. “I have already talked to some senior Defence people about having people returning to New Zealand from Singapore being placed on the islands, but they did not seem to think it was feasible,” Mr Preece said.

Terrain on the islands was tailor-made for troop training, he said. A permanent Defence establish-

ment on the Chathams would help the islands’ economy and assure continued shipping services. Mr Tizard is visiting the islands to coincide with a works programme by 80 soldiers. Mr Preece said the twoweek engineering works programme was the third by the Army, and he would like to see it occur more often.

Soldiers, mostly Territorials from the 210 Sixth Engineering Services Squadron, will complete engineering works which would normally be too expensive for the 600 people on the main island and the 45 people on Pitt Island. On the main island the soldiers, most of them from Wellington, will

clear a 300 m opening in the lagoon bank at Te Awapatiki. High-water levels, caused by the lagoon opening being blocked, cause flooding and create feeding problems for birds. A road support will be replaced over the Tuku-a-Tamatea River on the south-west of the island and an eyesore building at Owenga will be blown up. At Pitt Island an opening will be made in a breakwater allowing the tiny harbour to be desilted and allowing supply ships to reach the wharf. A quarry will be blasted, providing rock for roads on the island, and footpaths will be provided for the island school.