A new freight transport hub is under way in the Waikato with its first customer set to move in next year.
Ports of Auckland is building the new facility at Horotiu, just north of Hamilton, which sits on 33 hectares.
Open Country Dairy (OCD), New Zealand’s second largest exporter of whole milk powder, has been announced as the hub’s first freight customer.
The earthworks for the Waikato Freight Hub are now complete and work is under way for OCD’s new building which will be operational by 2019.
Ports of Auckland chief executive Tony Gibson says the new site will be a key part of the rail-connected North Island freight hub network.
“This new facility will give Waikato farmers a more efficient and environmentally friendly way to send their exports overseas, improving their competitiveness and sustainability.
“This is part of Ports of Auckland’s strategy to support regional growth with freight hubs in South Auckland, Mount Maunganui, Manawatu and now Waikato.
“All are located next to rail and are in regions that generate significant volumes of exports that need to be efficiently transported to a major port.
“The freight hub network will contribute to lower freight costs, reduce carbon emissions, and offer a wider range of shipping services to North Island exporters and importers.
“The hub provides future customers with a unique opportunity.
Businesses will be able to have their own sites with customised-sized warehouse design and layout,” Gibson says.
Open Country Dairy chief executive Steve Koekemoer says the hub creates a big advantage being located between New Zealand’s two dominant ports, Auckland and Tauranga.
“Strategically the new Waikato hub will allow us to continue our export growth while lowering our costs and environmental footprint through greater use of rail,” Koekemoer says.
Waikato District Council mayor Allan Sanson believes a strong freight and logistics sector is key to supporting the region’s growth.
“Waikato is New Zealand’s second fastest growing region after Auckland.
It makes up the heart of the ‘Golden Triangle’ bounded by Auckland and the Bay of Plenty, and our region is a major contributor to national export earnings which continue to be dominated by our primary industries.
“This hub will support our existing export industries as well as providing an opportunity for more local businesses to grow and be successful on the international stage.
“We are also pleased that when fully complete, the freight hub is expected to generate around 300 jobs directly in our district and facilitate many more across the region by acting as an economic catalyst,” Sanson says.
The Waikato Freight Hub is set to open in the first half of 2019 once the OCD facility and a new road connection have been built.
A rail connection is due to be built in the next few years.
Until it is built, freight will travel by road to Hamilton and then by rail to Ports of Auckland’s Waitemata sea port.
Ports of Auckland have received a lot of interest in the site and expect to announce more customers soon.
