Who is paying for dredging Kaikoura harbour?
After the earthquake, which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale, the harbour floor has been raised and now the Whale Watch and Seal Watch businesses cannot take to sea. The floor is solid rock, and dredging will involve cutting, drilling and blasting.
Whale Watch is owned by the Ngai Tahu tribe and their commercial interests are substantial, they own commercial property and many businesses. That said, were they earthquake insured, and was the harbour asset insured by whoever owns it? If not why not? It's not like they didn't have fair warning as there have been thousands of earthquakes a few miles south of them and one of those quakes substantially wrecked the central business district of Christchurch with eastern residential areas a write-off as well.
In relation to the the port of Lyttelton, the port company received a large insurance payout as a result of the 2011 earthquake and those funds are being applied to port redevelopment. Are you with me so far?
The taxpayer should not be paying to dredge the harbour at Kaikoura as that is propping up private interests. If the taxpayer is stumping up, then they should receive a share of the businesses that operate out of that harbour - including Whale Watch.
Now I don't want to sound churlish. Heaven forbid, but I've noticed complete silence on the subject of who is paying for this job of dredging Kaikoura harbour.
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