21 Feb 2015

NZ support for maritime safety in Kiribati

4:56 pm on 21 February 2015

New Zealand has given Kiribati a police rescue boat.

Kiribati's minister of communication, transport and tourism, Rimet Beniamina, says until now the country has not had a dedicated fast response search and rescue boat, and has had to hire craft when there has been a maritime incident.

The boat is capable of a speed in excess of 45 knots.

New Zealand is also training Kiribati police to run the vessel and has funded a 60-metre high navigation tower and beacon, paid for an extension of the country's new 3G mobile phone network and the installation of a VHF repeater network.