SATIRE: With limited holiday options left for Kiwis abroad, Scott Base’s spruced up accommodation could be just the thing, writes political editor Jo Moir
Securing Scott Base’s recovery has been well and truly catered for in this year’s Budget with a multi-million-dollar upgrade.
It comes as no surprise that Vote Foreign Affairs’ pool of cash got put on ice in this year’s Budget.
For a start, it received a huge injection under the last government thanks to New Zealand First’s iron-grip hold on the portfolio, along with Defence.
But secondly, the world is a different place after Covid-19 ripped its way through and shut down every border in the country - until recent months.
While Australia and the Cook Islands are now a warm and sunny alternative to New Zealand’s winter months, the amount of money being thrown at a major redevelopment of Scott Base in Antarctica could bump it up the destinations of choice.
Funding includes capital investment of $306 million, including the replacement of the obvious tourist attraction - the base windfarm.
New Zealand’s had a presence in the region since 1957 and has direct connections to the expeditions of Robert Scott and Ernest Shackleton over 100 years ago.
Putting the funding boost in perspective, the Scott Base makeover is getting $106 million more than what has been put aside to boost the Pharmac budget over the next four years.
When one contemplates ice, one also contemplates the pace in which it is melting, given the very real impacts of climate change.
It turns out Scott Base will benefit more than climate-related investment in total in this year’s Budget, with just $300m set aside for that particular pending doom.
If Scott Base were to take on tourists it would demand a significant increase in transportation - you don’t go to Antarctica and not take part in penguin-watching.
This year’s Budget has set aside $302m for electric vehicle subsidies – the Crown’s own fleet is very diesel-heavy and $41.8m has been also set aside to start to curb that.
Again, this is all less money than what Scott Base wins.
Out of 15,000 vehicles in the public fleet, fewer than 200 are electric.
The prioritisation of electric snowmobiles could be next.
