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Auckland Council decision re Hobsonville Yard 37 development positive for marine sector

Wednesday 1 May 2013, 2:52PM

By NZ Marine

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Positive steps have been gained for Auckland’s marine sector – as well as future likely jobs for Aucklanders – with today’s decision by the Auckland Council finance and strategy committee to support infrastructure development at Hobsonville’s Yard 37 marine development.

The council committee decided to commit funds toward the building of a suitably-spec’d transit road for large boat access to and from the Yard 37 precinct to the water.

“The transit road will be capable of carrying a travel lift with a 600 tonne vessel or specialist heavy haulage trucks carrying 70 to 100-metre superyachts or commercial vessels from boat-building facilities in the precinct to the deep water launch facilities alongside,” says Peter Busfield, executive director of the NZ Marine Industry Association.

“This is very positive news for Auckland marine sector which will bring future flow-on benefits to the local economy and New Zealand as a whole.”

The transit road, called Launch Road, will be constructed during 2013.

“Council’s decision gives the marine industry confidence that the infrastructure will soon be in place to enable large superyachts or commercial vessels to be built or refitted at Yard 37.”

Auckland’s marine businesses comprise around 60 per cent of the total marine industry in New Zealand and delivers over $400 million worth of export earnings and just over $1 billion worth of turn-over per annum for the region, as well as employing between 5,000-6,000 people across wider Auckland.

“World-wide, New Zealand’s marine industry training programme is highly regarded. Further opportunities for expansion and development in this sector also deliver tangible benefits to New Zealand in terms of enhancing the skills of our workforce.”