An expansion of Marsden Point’s container port has the potential to create hundreds of jobs and deliver social and economic value for the Northland region according to a new independent report.
A proposed shipyard and floating drydock on the port’s western boundary could be the catalyst for another 1135 new jobs in the area, it says.
The report was developed by Polis Consulting Group for Northland regional economic development agency Northland Inc.
It estimates that the expanded container port would enable Northland to contribute an extra $160 million to the national GDP within the next 38 years. The shipyard and floating drydock would deliver nearly twice that ($290m) over the same period.
However, the report bases its findings on the assumption that government and the relevant Crown agencies back the region’s calls for significant, sustained investment in its transport infrastructure.
“We have said for ages that Northport can play an integral role in a resilient, geographically-astute supply chain strategy for the Upper North Island,” Northport chief executive Jon Moore says.
“But only if decision-makers open their eyes to this potential and back our region with the modern, 21st-century transport infrastructure that Northland community and business leaders have been crying out for.”
Vaughan Cooper of Northland Inc says the report findings created a strong economic case for the expansion.
“It clearly highlights the potential economic benefits of the Northport expansion for the Northland region.
“Job creation of this scale will have ripple effects across our communities, while also providing facilities to increase exports and service vessels from outside of the region – both of which will have positive impacts on the region’s economy,” Cooper says.
The findings of the report echo those in an economic assessment undertaken for Northport by economic consultancy and research provider ME Consulting.
That report said that if Northport did expand as planned it could evolve to become nationally-significant infrastructure, supporting not only the economic growth of Northland and North Auckland but New Zealand as a whole.
