Waikato’s major freight and logistics development, the Ruakura Superhub, has been officially opened.
A ceremony was held on September 15 with around 300 guests who joined the leaders of Waikato-Tainui iwi and Tainui Group Holdings on site to mark the occasion.
Deputy Prime Minister and Infrastructure Minister Grant Robertson was in attendance as well as Te Puhi Ariki Ngawai Hono I Te Po Paki (standing in for her father Kiingi Tuheitia who is attending the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II).
Speakers reflected on a 16-year journey to bring the first stage of the 490 hectare superhub, located on Hamilton City’s eastern boundary, to fruition.
Stage 1 of the superhub includes the first 9ha of what will eventually be a 30ha inland port served directly by the East Coast Main Trunk rail line and a dedicated interchange on the recently opened Waikato Expressway. The first stage includes a 35ha logistics hub, 25ha of industrial space, a 10ha wetland and network of local roads.
Future plans for the full 490ha estate include major industrial, commercial and retail sub-precincts, along with provision for up to 3,230 residential sections.
Confirmed tenants to date, with major new facilities, includes global players Kmart and Maersk, along with domestic growth businesses Big Chill, PBT and Waitomo Group.
The inland port itself is a 50% joint venture of Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) and Port of Tauranga with initial capacity of up to 60,000 container movements per year. This is set to grow in stages to one million container movements per year when the inland port is fully developed.
Robertson says the superhub is a great example of the benefits to the country when iwi and the Crown work together.
“This is due to the dogged determination and courageous investment by Waikato-Tainui and Tainui Group Holdings to continue to pursue the idea through a long period of minimal investment in the regions and long before most people had even heard of an inland port.
“We are very proud of our Government’s investment of $56.8 million in public infrastructure at Ruakura through the PGF and Infrastructure Reference Group (IRG) programmes, together with Tainui Group Holdings and Hamilton City Council,” Robertson says.
TGH chair Hinerangi Raumati-Tu’ua says the superhub represents the economic future for Waikato-Tainui.
“Ruakura Superhub is a super-sized project that will continue to create the sustainable economic benefits that go towards funding important social development, cultural, and environmental programmes for current and future generations of Waikato-Tainui.”
TGH chief executive Chris Joblin thanked the incoming tenants for their early commitment to the precinct and acknowledged the support from central and local government for the project.
“The wave of investment and renewal they are bringing is an exciting moment for the Waikato and New Zealand economy. They are bringing new talents and skills to the region as well as creating new opportunities for iwi members and the wider community,” he says.
Along with Government public infrastructure investment, Hamilton City Council also provided $5m funding for transport infrastructure and took the lead on the project to build public roads within the superhub.
Key service providers include Bloxam Burnett & Olliver, Boffa Miskell, Beca Group, Calder Stewart, Cambridge Construction Company, Chow:Hill, CMW Geosciences, C&R Developments, Fulton Hogan, KiwiRail, Pragmatix, Schick Civil Construction, Tika Group, Tonkin & Taylor, West Construction Ltd among dozens of other local sub-contractors, including eight owned by iwi members at one recent count.
Increased use of rail is forecast to remove 65,000 truck journeys per year from roads when the superhub is fully operating. One million native plants are currently being cultivated and planted for the 10ha wetland and swales, and near-future plans include a microgrid of up to 5MW of solar photovoltaics.
The location of Ruakura is at the intersection of key transport networks servicing the ‘golden triangle’ of Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga. Over 70% of the Stage 1 logistics precinct is already leased or under-offer.
