The contract will be signed in Auckland on Wednesday 9 November, in the presence of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, and the Dutch and New Zealand ministers of Economic Affairs, Henk Kamp and Steven Joyce.
This long-term deal covers the ports of Napier, Taranaki, Timaru, Lyttelton and Tauranga. It is significant that a tender for the maintenance contract was issued jointly by these competing ports, so that a dredger could be permanently stationed in New Zealand over this period. Dutch Dredging is to deploy one of its trailing suction hopper dredgers ‘Albatros’ for the task.
“We’re absolutely delighted about winning the order,” says Kees van de Graaf, managing director of Dutch Dredging. “As a family business we focus on the long term, so a ten-year contract fits in perfectly with our philosophy. This is a great example of how a long-standing partnership between parties can be brought about and illustrates once again that the Netherlands is more than capable of holding its own on the world scene. Of course, for us, the attendance of the King and Queen at the signing ceremony represents the proverbial icing on the cake.”