Kiwis Welcome in Guam Military Buildup

Partnerships possible for new town to replace Okinawa base
by Graeme Kennedy
New Zealand National Business Review - May 30, 2008

New Zealand companies will have opportunities to share in the US military's multi-billion dollar expansion of its major Pacific forward base on Guam, says top regional lawyer David Cohen.

Mr. Cohen, a partner at Seattle firm Davis Wright Tremaine, said a new city would be built on the island for 13,000 marines and their 10,500 dependents to be relocated from Okinawa while existing navy, army and airforce facilities were enlarged.

"Okinawa has limited space and it is preferable to have bases on US soil," Mr. Cohen said. "A city of more than 50,000 people will be built over the next few years and private companies will be needed to provide the civilian infrastructure.

"That will include houses, schools, hospitals, transport and communications, shopping malls - everything a new city needs."

Mr. Cohen co-chaired the US Interagency Task Force on the Guam Military Buildup before joining DWT where he worked with Sydney-based Pacific Legal Network managing partner John Ridgway. Mr. Ridgway is a former Australia-Pacific Islands Business Council president.

They created DWT Pacific to advise companies how they can best position themselves to take advantage of opportunities from the Guam buildup and help with their legal needs.

DWT Pacific, launched in New Zealand and Australia this week, would also consult on other ventures throughout the region.

"New Zealand is big enough for the Guam jobs," Mr. Cohen said. "For a nation of four million people, New Zealanders have always been successful in the Pacific, both north and south, and they are bound to have a seat at the table in Guam.

"Some of the relocation funding will go to preferred prime US contractors but opportunities will still exist for New Zealand firms to participate in partnerships - civilian infrastructure work, however, will not have those preferences."