Dream boats, boating dream for $15m

Hobsonville is set to boom under an ambitious plan. Waitakere could unearth buried treasure: 1000 jobs in the superyacht industry and a new town. Kylie Dulhunty reports
Waitakere City Council has paid $15.3 million for land at Hobsonville in an effort to create the superyacht-building capital of the Southern Hemisphere.
The venture is tipped to create more than 1000 jobs and secure New Zealand's reputation as one of the world's top superyacht manufacturers.
The 15ha marine cluster will join a planned 3000-dwelling Housing NZ community at the former Hobsonville Air Base site.
The council hopes to attract up to 20 boat-builders. Sovereign Yachts, Yachting Developments, Bluewater Boats and a boat-building school already operate from Hobsonville.
``We want to create a cluster of marine industries and a centre of excellence at Hobsonville to enable New Zealand to compete better with new facilities in Australia trying to muscle in on the lucrative international market for building, outfitting and maintaining superyachts,' says Mayor Bob Harvey.
``By helping make these industries in our city internationally competitive, we will help create employment and wealth.'
The council says the venture, combined with the housing development, which will have shops and schools, will create 1200-1800 jobs.
The vision is for boat-builders to live nearby and for the yacht base to create a vibrant waterfront, where boats are launched adjacent of shops and cafes.
Yachting Development director Ian Cook says a key attraction is its hard-to-find deep-water access.
It's the reason he moved his business from Beach Haven, on the North Shore, a year ago.
``One of the keys to doing this is for builders to be able to integrate all of the suppliers of joinery, spars, sails, rigging, engines, refrigeration, sound systems, computer and navigation systems and a host of other specialised components which go towards making up the whole package,' he says.
``In doing this we will work cooperatively with the marine industries based at Westhaven to present a seamless service to clients.'
He says the marine cluster won't bring his business more orders but it will attract requests for larger yachts. Mr Cook expects the idea will boost the industry's ability to attract, train and retain employees.
The council bought the land for the marine cluster from companies associated with Sovereign Yachts and says it's happy with the price of about $1 million per hectare.
Waitakere Properties, a council subsidiary, will develop the land. The first buildings are expected late next year.
The council says it borrowed the $15.3 million. The loan and interest will be repaid without affecting rates.
Along with superyachts, the council has joined the Tony Tay Group to fund the country's largest film studio and sound stage in Henderson.