The visit marks the first on-site step since the projects announcement in Palau, on the margin of the 55th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting by Prime Minister Mark Brown, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau.

The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has made it clear that the project must be implemented consistent with the Cook Islands law, policies and regulations.

US Ambassador Novelly says the US was pleased to support this initiative to improve connectivity and services for the people of the northern Cook Islands.

“From enhancing the Cook Islands government’s ability to monitor what is happening in their own waters to potential commercial and tourism opportunities it is important to me that we all continue to work together carefully, consistently, and collaboratively.”

Ambassador Novelly who was welcomed to Rarotonga yesterday with a traditional turou by the Tongareva community promised, “Safer landings, better access to services, and stronger connections between Tongareva and the rest of the Cook Islands. We’re proud to stand behind that priority.”

Novelly says the new upgrade would form part of a broader partnership between the US, Cook Islands and New Zealand.

“It means safer passage for families. It means medical supplies and emergency responders who need stronger aid faster.”

Novelly acknowledged the construction would take time and could cause some disruption to the community.

“There will be dust, noise, and disruption in daily rhythms. But most importantly, we will see progress,” he further promised that built the right way, the port would last well into another eight decades.

Speaking to the ambassador, the winning Tongareva candidate in the recent general election, Vaine Wichman of the Cook Islands Party, outlined the challenges and opportunities facing the island.

Wichman said Tongareva’s remoteness, ageing infrastructure and small population shaped everyday life, but also provided opportunities for practical development.

“Our remoteness gives Penrhyn a unique economic niche,” she said.

“The lagoon and the surrounding EEZ is one of the most pristine in the Pacific, supporting high-value fisheries and small-scale tourism that rely on quality rather than volume.”

Wichman said Tongareva’s location also placed it at the frontline of northern maritime awareness, making cooperation on surveillance and emergency response important.

She said improvements to the port, airstrip and digital connectivity would improve access, strengthen supply chains and support existing and new industries.

“Dual-use facilities would serve our community while supporting wider regional operations,” she said.

Wichman identified rito handcraft, coconut products, lagoon and ocean resources and niche tourism as potential areas for growth, supported by targeted training.

Office of the PM

The wharf sits within a wider national effort to strengthen the resilience of the Pa Enua and long-standing commitments under the country’s population and infrastructure plans to halt and reverse outer-island decline, OPM states.

PM Brown says, “This wharf is a lifeline for Tongareva, and it belongs to Cook Islanders. We are leading this work on our own terms and as part of our own priorities and our national plan for the Pa Enua.

“This visit is about listening to the people of Tongareva, understanding the site, and doing the careful feasibility work first, so that what we build serves our people for generations. This is a partnership about people, connectivity and services – about helping our northern communities travel, return, and remain on their islands with dignity and opportunity.”

New Zealand High Commissioner to the Cook Islands, Catherine Graham said, “New Zealand is proud to partner with the Cook Islands and the United States on a priority the Cook Islands has identified for its own people.

“We bring our experience in delivering infrastructure across the Pacific, and we are looking forward to managing the implementation of this project, in partnership with the Cook Islands. I look forward to seeing the site and meeting the community again.”

OPM added that the three partners emphasised that this visit is part of the broader feasibility and planning phase. Decisions on the final scope, design and delivery of the project will follow the feasibility study.

The feasibility study will assess the technical, environmental, social, commercial and operational aspects of the project, including opportunities for Cook Islands firms, workers and suppliers to take part.