It’s customers for coastal shipping that count

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

The front page banner heading on Friday, “Support builds for coastal shipping”, is misleading.

The only support that counts is that from customers who might use ships — and they have already made it clear they prefer road transport. As a Port Eastland representative said at the end of the three-month subsidised run between Gisborne and Napier, it is not on the agenda anytime soon, but may be revisited in the future.

I repeat, any coastal service will depend on those with goods to move deciding it is more efficient, cheaper, and more convenient than what they do now.

Roger Handford