New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English unveiled the first leg of infrastructure investments in Polynesia, amounting to almost US$11 million.
English pledged the amount for a planned submarine cable link between Samoa and French Polynesia. The project would provide better and more affordable tourist access to the country’s two major travel destinations, Rarotonga and Aitutaki.
Booming Tourism
The government’s infrastructure funding plan has come at the right time when tourism has increased, as annual travellers to Cook Islands have surpassed the 140,000 mark. The increasing number of tourists has led officials to think of sustainable ways to address potential impacts of a booming tourism sector to the environment.
Other than the cable link, English also agreed to provide US$6.3 million in funds for a new reticulated wastewater system in Muri and Avana. The new deal follows an existing partnership with China in developing Rarotonga’s water system through the Te Mato Vai joint venture.
These investment commitments form part of the 2017 Pacific Mission, which cover Cook Islands, Niue and Tonga. As New Zealand works to improve its tourism infrastructure, the topic of pollution and corrosion control will eventually be a relevant subject.
Anti-Corrosion Initiatives
Any corrosion control specialist will tell you that structural deterioration is a significant concern for wastewater systems. Even Euro-Blast NZ Ltd agrees that more than just costly repairs, damages such as burst pipes can be detrimental to the environment. This is because containing or recovering leakage of hazardous waste will almost always be impossible.
Sustainable oxidation and pH adjustment comprise some of the methods to control corrosion in wastewater systems, which is mainly caused hydrogen sulphide and other compounds. Some factors for determining an efficient solution to corrosion include quickly eliminating sulphide without harming the collection system.
Infrastructure investments remain an important backbone to support different industries. For this reason alone, the government should consider employing corrosion control specialist services to maintain durable structures and prevent costly damages to both the infrastructure and the environment.
