A STRONG crowd braved the rain on Friday to celebrate the opening of the new Kawerau Off-Highway Road, marked by a logging truck travelling through minutes after the ribbon was cut.

The 1.6-kilometre stretch of concrete road between McKee Road and Paora Street in Kawerau is the result of $1.62 million in Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) funding, and $785,000 co-investment from Kawerau-based Sequal Lumber.

It is expected to remove big trucks from local roads and provide efficient connectivity between the Putauaki Industrial Park and a planned container rail terminal.

Sequal executive director David Turner described the road as the strongest in New Zealand, designed to handle 150-tonne trucks primarily from Kaingaroa Timberlands and to go 25 years maintenance-free.

“There is no road in New Zealand that is better than that.”

Mr Turner said the opening of the road by Regional Development Minister Shane Jones was a significant day, but not just because of the road itself.

“What it symbolises is a conversation that started more than 12 years ago.

“When we had a number of suicides in this town, the community came together with industry and said, ‘how can we turn it around, what can we do?’

“So, we started this journey around the Kawerau Putauaki Industrial Development.”

Mr Turner shared that the economic growth in the region was expected to continue, to the benefit of the younger generation.

“I know of four new companies that are coming to Kawerau and in the next 24 months, there is about half a billion dollars of investment going on in just this town.

“It’s going to happen incrementally and the outcome we’re all looking for is economic prosperity for the next generation.”

Mr Turner said it was crucial to create jobs and opportunities in Kawerau. He believed that was now happening.

“The next stage for us is to support young people into employment opportunity.

“That requires getting around them and helping them build the character they need to show up to work each day.”

Delivering skills and training to young people would set them up for success as well as their next generation, he said.

Mr Turner said economic development was not a light switch that could be turned on and off, but rather a long and arduous journey.

“A lot of people would say it needs to happen faster. Of course, we all want things to happen quicker, but the reality is economic development is difficult.”

Kawerau mayor Faylene Tunui said despite the rain, there was nothing warmer than continuing a conversation that started a long time ago.

“All good things that have a number of people holding hands, joining together, takes time.

“If you don’t take the time that is needed it won’t be done, or if it’s rushed, you will have to unwind it and start again.”

She took time to acknowledge the presence of several people involved in the project across many years, including local trusts, regional councillors, and former East Coast MP Kiri Allan.

Organisations involved included the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment, Kānoa and He Poutama Rangatahi.

Local politicians present for the road opening included East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick, Whakatāne Mayor Victor Luca and Ōpōtiki Mayor David Moore.

“We are pleased to be part of the portfolio that can show the completion of a journey and conversation that started a long time ago,” Mrs Tunui said.

Regional Development Minister Shane Jones cut the ribbon on the project he said was brought to his attention about five or six years ago.

“Because I had witnessed what had happened to Kawerau in my adult life, not unlike what has happened to Mourea and other places I know very well, I had no hesitation in advocating to the then-Government that unless we put our putea (funds) where our gob is, then all the rest is just patipati (flattery).”

About $20 million of PGF funding has been received by Eastern Bay of Plenty projects, including the Kawerau Putauaki Industrial Package and Kaingaroa Community Development Project.

Mr Jones said economic development in the regions gave young people and parents a reason to stay in New Zealand rather than shifting to the “third island”, Australia.

“We won’t keep our communities vibrant; we won’t keep our investors confident, and we won’t keep our communities intact unless we grow the economy.

“We’ve got no other option.”