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It’s baaaack.

Less than a week after officially entering the race, gubernatorial candidate Mufi Hannemann has put a stake in the ground.

Hannemann announced Monday that if elected to Hawaii’s highest office, he would resurrect the Hawaii Superferry, a controversial interisland boat service that went out of business last year.

“This is an issue that in my opinion requires a champion, a champion from government,” Hannemann said. “It seems to me that a glaring oversight was neglecting the importance of the (Environmental Impact Statement). I say, let’s try to bring it back, the governor leading the charge.”

Hannemann said that he was in “preliminary discussions” to bring the boats back into service and that the interisland ferry would be an economic boon for the state.

“It’s a great option for our families, for our businesses, it would definitely strengthen our economy if we do it right,” Hannemann said.

The former Honolulu mayor’s announcement came during a press conference at his campaign headquarters where Hannemann unveiled his 10-point economic plan for Hawaii. The plan included conducting a state audit within his first 90 days in office, negotiating a long-term agreement with the National Football League for the Pro Bowl and making the Hawaii Department of Education superintendent and president of the University of Hawaii members of the governor’s cabinet.

Opposing Democratic candidate for governor, Neil Abercrombie, said that he did not disagree with the concept of bringing back the Superferry, but he did not think that the transportation project should be part of an economic plan.

“In the end, it’s just a boat,” Abercrombie said. “I have no objection to it as a project, any more than I have any objection to any other proposal of a project that is worthwhile…. But it’s not a plan. It doesn’t revive the economy.”

Calls and e-mails to Republican gubernatorial candidate James “Duke” Aiona were not returned.

The Hawaii Superferry was a privately-owned boat service that connected Oahu and Maui. The initial plan met fierce opposition from those who argued that the ferry threaten whales and pose other environmental threats. The Superferry’s maiden voyage gained national attention when surfers protested and paddled into the ocean to block the boat’s path. Inaugural tickets cost $5 a passenger.

Gov. Linda Lingle had exempted the Superferry from submitting an environmental impact statement. But in March 2009, the Hawaii Supreme Court overturned a state law that allowed the Superferry to operate while an environmental review was conducted. The Superferry filed for bankruptcy two months later. The Superferry’s continued operation would likely have meant dramatic changes for the interisland travel industry.

Below is Hannemann’s full 10-point economic plan:

• Audit Government Now: Eliminate waste and inefficiencies, and identify cost-saving measures.
• Expedite Infrastructure Improvements: Create jobs by revitalizing state roads, airports and harbors.
• Champion Tourism: Increase direct air service from major markets to Hawaii. Secure long-term agreement for the NFL Pro Bowl.
• Maximize Our APEC Opportunity: Working together, we can showcase Hawaii to the world by successfully hosting the 2011 Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.
• Promote Renewable Energy: Take the lead in alternative energy technology to make Hawaii a world model for sustainable communities.
• Growing Hawaii Agriculture: Support agriculture through land and water use policies, marketing, and working with landowners.
• Restore the Superferry: Do it right with environmental protections and an EIS. Don’t waste the taxpayers’ investment.
• Move on Rail: Remove the roadblock in the Governor’s office and let our people build a 21st century transit system.
• Demand Educational Excellence: Focus on preparing our young people for the challenges of the 21st century workforce.
• Automate the State: Scrap outdated, disjointed computers and processes and create a modern, coordinated enterprise information architecture for our future. Modernize telecommunications infrastructure.

DISCUSSION: Is the Superferry an important factor in selecting Hawaii’s next governor? Talk about it in our discussion on the Governor’s race.