Cruise ships will resume docking at Napier Port from March 6, says Napier Mayor Kirsten Wise, as the city begins to move into recovery mode after Cyclone Gabrielle.
Cruise ships were immediately paused in the aftermath of the storm, but Mayor Wise said they will be an important part of Napier’s recovery. In an interview with BayBuzz last week, she said Napier’s recovery looked very different to the wider region’s, which was more about supporting the primary sector to get back on its feet.
For Napier, the focus is on supporting small businesses and tourism, she said.
“Tourism and specifically cruise tourism has a vitally important role to play in our region’s recovery … In the context of the ongoing impacts of Gabrielle to our wider community, this decision has been very carefully weighed and considered. I know our region is still suffering and our key infrastructure remains impacted.
“However, in consultation with local cruise operators and stakeholders, I am confident that upcoming cruise visits can be well-managed and coordinated with minimal impact on the region’s infrastructure, including not adding further pressure to our current roading congestion issues.”
The immediate economic boost would be of immense value to CBD businesses in particular, while the primary sector and other significant contributors were recovering, she said
Cruise ship visits were generally brief and outside of school and commuting times, and did not require overnight stays. Council workers were now experienced in coordinating the vessels visits safely, she added.
Napier City Council had been coordinating with Napier Port and Hawke’s Bay Tourism in preparation, so that a safe and staged approach would be taken.
Napier Port chief executive Todd Dawson supports the decision and said restrictions would be in place. Cruise ships would not be taking any power from the region, nor offloading any waste, including waste water. These were not services normally provided by the city.
“In our broader discussions with these operators and regional leaders, we are also preparing with local mana whenua a special Karakia, and will share an explanation to visitors about what our region and people are currently going through, as well as provide the opportunity for the cruise lines and their passengers to donate or contribute a koha to the regional recovery,” he said.
Napier Port suffered minor damage in the cyclone but was back up and running within a week, he said.
Hawke’s Bay Tourism chief executive Hamish Saxton said the visitor economy was keen to support the recovery. Tourism was the third largest contributor to regional GDP and its estimated that around 9% to 10% of total employment came from the sector, and would therefore be an important part of the recovery.
Napier CBD was the centre of the cruise visitor experience and many tourism businesses remained operational after the storm. Cruise ships would help the recovery by bringing money into the economy as well as some vibrancy, Saxton said.
Napier City Business Inc general manager Pip Thompson echoed these sentiments on behalf of Napier CBD’s retailers saying, “Most of our retailers, cafés and hospitality venues are now open for business and we are seeing CBD visitor numbers slowly come back up. Inviting cruise visitors back in the city again will certainly be a welcome relief for business owners and their employees.”
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air.
Photo: Florence Charvin
Great to have them back. But prior to cyclone with the cruise ships coming in some shops were closed or closed early due to staff shortages or taking their holidays. The city didn’t seem inviting then like it is normally during summer and now we’ve had the cyclone it could be worse. Time will tell.
I don’t care if cruise ships do bring their own fuel and water and make a donation, Hawkes Bay people have been through a massive natural disaster and everyone is still shocked and supporting each other. We don’t need thousands of strangers taking photos. The timing is so wrong for tours of our region while residents are asked to stay off the roads so essential services and supplies can get through, and work vehicles have access to fix roads, bridges and houses. Cruise passengers can go to Port Tauranga or Wellington if they must visit NZ and make their donation through Red Cross, otherwise it feels like voyeurism rather than tourism to me.