The Chatham Islands. Photo: RNZ/ Matthew Theunissen
The Chatham Islands are critically low on fuel and while a back up boat with limited supplies is due to arrive tomorrow, locals are pleading for a long term solution.
Its power supply was being fuelled by diesel and there was about a week's worth left.
Petrol and LPG supplies ran out several weeks ago. The diesel pump for people to stock up their own generators and the likes of farm equipment was also out.
The island's regular supply vessel Southern Tiare is out of action for planned maintenance for several more weeks, meanwhile, a large barge carrying supplies from Auckland was turned around earlier this month because of weather.
A back up boat, with limited supplies was to due to arrive from Nelson tomorrow at lunch time.
Chathams Island Mayor Monique Croon told Checkpoint the situation was "grim".
She said it was not just fuel supplies the island needed, but the Southern Tiare also moved stock for farmers to sell.
"Farmers haven't been able to move stock since March so they haven't had an income, so there's a whole other bit of work that's needed to happen.
"The trouble with the Chathams, with the ... wharf, it's quite a shallow wharf and it can only accommodate a ship up to 17 metres long so most ships are too big, so finding another vessel or alternative is something that's being worked [out] currently."
The island needed a solution "very quickly" because the Southern Tiare was 38-years-old, said Croon.
"[The Southern Tiare's] not in the best of conditions ... we don't expect her to last much more than 18 months, so we need a solution or a ship within the next six months to a year."
Croon said the last government had agreed to provide funding to build a new ship, but that was not currently an option.
They did receive $35 million in 2022, which has partly been spent on surveys to keep the Southern Tiarre going, with the rest going to a replacement vessel or service, she said.
The Chathams had reset a relationship with the new coalition government and they were working with the Ministry of Transport, which was "well-aware" of the situation, Croon said.
"We do not want to be in this situation again - ever, and certainly want a solution as soon as possible, so that farmers can farm, people can [go] fishing, people can drive to work and have confidence in fuel supplies."
