The Government today announced today a $19.95 million investment from the Provincial Growth Fund (PGF) that will expand Sugarloaf Wharf in the Coromandel.
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said the expansion would increase mussel farming capacity by almost 20,000 tonnes, bringing additional jobs to the region.
Peters said the aquaculturesector in Thames-Coromandel contributes $70m to the district's GDP and was responsible for 350 jobs.
"But the sector has long been significantly constrained by a lack of capacity at Sugarloaf Wharf, which handles 90 per cent of the North Island's mussel production," he said.
The PGF funding will build an extended, raised wharf platform to account for rising sea levels, with four new berths to allow for increased commercial activity and a separate facility for launching recreational boats.
"The new wharf, Te Ariki Tahi Sugarloaf, will accommodate up to 42,000 tonnes of mussels a year, to meet increased demand from recently granted consents that have extended mussel farming space in the Hauraki Gulf by 775 hectares," Peters said.
He said iwi held consents for 40 per cent of available water space in the Gulf, with all mussels being unloaded at Sugarloaf Wharf.
"The PGF's investment will provide greater economic returns for these holdings. Providing a dedicated recreational boating facility will also bring more visitors to the region and grow exciting new opportunities such as charter fishing, which has long been popular in the Gulf."
Construction will generate around 25 new jobs and long-term, the new wharf will enable an estimated 170 new jobs in the marine farming sector, whilst supporting the employment of over 800 people in the North Island's aquaculture industry, Peters said.
