This session there were approximately 90 bills and resolutions that would have specifically affected the maritime industry. Nearly half of these were carried over from last year's session.

"Ownership" of piers 1 and 2 was given back to the state Department of Transportation's Harbors Division, from the Hawai'i Community Development Authority (SB1002 and HB1880). A maritime entity of the state will now oversee the future use of one of Honolulu Harbor's most important piers, instead of an agency that is focused on developing residential, commercial and recreational uses of state lands.

Another significant step toward improving our state's harbors was the adoption of a Senate resolution, SCR33. This was a request for the Harbors Division to continue dialogue with the Hawai'i Harbors User Group (shipping and barge companies) in an effort to implement planned improvements and construction projects throughout all Hawai'i's primary commercial deepwater ports.

A resolution calling for the University of Hawai'i and the DOT to expedite negotiations on moving the UH Marine Center facility to another location (HCR 266) also was adopted. This is another progressive step in developing Kapalama Military Reservation into a new container terminal. The importance of creating a new facility to handle Hawai'i's growing cargo needs cannot be overstated.

Our current administration and legislators deserve a C+ for their efforts to work with a quiet but monumentally important sector of Hawai'i's economy, our ocean transportation industry.

In April, The Advertiser published an article written, in part, by Rod Haraga of the DOT. This article called for "spending $2.3 billion over the next 12 years to create a world-class airport system that addresses present and future needs of residents and visitors. Can we afford to do this? The answer is simple: We can't afford not to."

Hawai'i's aging and decrepit ports are long overdue for this kind of attention.