Inquest on Christchurch terror attack resumes, leader of search team remains hopeful and NZ Air Force ready to evacuate New Zealanders in New Caledonia. Video / AP / NZHerald
Pregnant women, people with children and elderly Kiwis stuck in New Caledonia will be given priority on rescue flights out of the French territory, as the NZ Defence Force remains on standby.
Defence Minister Judith Collins says talks with the French Government are still ongoing - and will determine exactly when New Zealand authorities will be allowed to head in to bring back up to 250 Kiwis stuck there, as riots and unrest rage on.
Speaking to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking this morning, Collins said members of the NZDF are ready - it is just a matter of determining when they can go.
“The issue is ... that [the] Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has to work through the French Government.
“Our advice to everybody is to keep in touch with MFAT, the embassy there. Stay in your own home, don’t go out unnecessarily and understand that help is coming.”
Burnt cars in Noumea, New Caledonia, following the civil unrest. Photo / Nicolas Job, AP
It is understood only 50 people will be allowed on the aircraft each time - so it will take several trips to bring stranded Kiwis home.
Asked how officials would determine who got on first, Collins said: “We’ve said - made it clear - pregnant women, the elderly [and] people with children would obviously get preference to everyone else.
“But that we will get them [and] be able to bring everyone else.”
The other key issue is making sure the road to the international airport in Noumea was clear of riots and therefore safe for people to get to the airport in the first place.
“The big thing is anything like that has to be safe - and so that’s why those discussions are ongoing with the French government,” she said.
Operation to clear main road to airport successful - French Minister
The French Army embarking to New Caledonia late last week. Photo / AP
It seems that road may now be cleared; after French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said overnight that hundreds of additional French police staff had managed to clear the main road.
“New Caledonia - the operation to clear the main road launched yesterday was a success: 76 dams destroyed,” he said in a statement on X, referring to barricades.
“Thanks to the 700 additional law enforcement officers who have arrived and the 350 who will arrive today, including many GIGN soldiers and raid police officers, operations will increase in the coming hours.”
Nouvelle-Calédonie : l’opération de dégagement de la grande route lancée hier a été un succès : 76 barrages détruits. Grâce aux 700 forces de l’ordre supplémentaires arrivées et aux 350 qui arriveront aujourd’hui, dont de nombreux militaires du GIGN et policiers du RAID, les…
The GIGN is France’s Groupe d’intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale - the country’s elite police tactical unit.
Darmanin said more than 200 arrests have been made and up to 20 food businesses had also been reopened.
“We know that there are still many obstacles to overcome to impose republican order,” he said.
Official advice and help for Kiwis in New Caledonia
New Zealanders requiring consular assistance can contact the New Zealand Consulate-General in Noumea on nznoumea@mfat.net or for consular emergencies after-hours on 0800 30 10 30 or +64 99 20 20 20.
The La Tontouta International Airport remains closed but is set to open at 9am local time tomorrow.
However, the official advice for New Zealanders in New Caledonia is that they not attempt to travel to the airport at this stage.
Anyone who has not yet registered their details via MFAT’s SafeTravel website is advised to do so, to get up-to-date messages from authorities.
Kiwis there are told to stay in touch with their respective airlines for other up-to-date advice about commercial flight schedules.
There is also a recommendation to stay in contact with their travel insurance providers to see what insurance cover may apply in these circumstances.
Vaimoana Mase is the Pasifika editor for the Herald’s Talanoa section, sharing stories from the Pacific community. She won junior reporter of the year at the then Qantas Media Awards in 2010 and won the best opinion writing award at the 2023 Voyager Media Awards.
