“The fact we are all here today is recognition of what an incredibly important project this is,” she said. “An exercise of this size is not just a matter of picking up tools and locating them down there and constructing something, it will be a six-year project that will have a massive local benefit.”
Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern pets a husky during a visit to the International Antarctic Centre. The cost of the rebuild had increased by more than $50m since it was first unveiled in June 2019, but Ardern said the work would be done “without question” because of how critical Scott Base was.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was among the first to get a virtual tour of the Scott Base rebuild, and said the work would be done "without question".
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern visits Antarctica New onenewspage.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from onenewspage.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Geoffrey Miller
Analysis - There are some new clues to be found in the Budget that illustrate the foreign affairs and trade agenda of the Labour government, under new ministers Nanaia Mahuta and Damien O Connor.
Perhaps Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta s real success has been ensuring no cuts have been made to the foreign affairs appropriation.
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The headline item and only new spending for Vote Foreign Affairs was a $344 million appropriation to redevelop Scott Base in Antarctica.
Of course, this is significant new money - and a substantial boost on previous plans to spend only $200m. But the Antarctic rebuild was also well-known as one of Winston Peters many pet projects. As such, the cash arguably represents one final victory for the former foreign minister, rather than being the first triumph for the current one.
Saving Scott Base: New Zealand s ageing Antarctic station gets $300m lifeline | Antarctica theguardian.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from theguardian.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.