Queue forms to fill new 'boating world'

By SIMON COLLINS

Sixty organisations have applied for sites in a multimillion-dollar marine industry "cluster" at the Hobsonville airbase that could repeat Sir Peter Blake's success in creating Auckland's Viaduct Harbour.

Plans for the development, prepared by Sovereign Yachts, include a marina, renovating an existing wharf for a possible public ferry service and opening up the foreshore for community use, including shops and cafes.

The 26ha site, next to Sovereign's existing 4ha property, will have room for all parts of the marine industry including small boatbuilders, super-yacht companies, mastmakers, chandlers, engineers and Unitec's marine school.

The executive director of the Boating Industry Association, Peter Busfield, said the plan could double the expected growth of New Zealand's marine industry output in five years.

"We're $700 million at the moment, with roughly 50 per cent exports. If we do nothing, we'll be $1 billion in five years. If we succeed with this, it could be $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion."

But Mr Busfield said central and local government would have to work together to drive the plan through in the same way that Sir Peter Blake drove the development of Viaduct Harbour under special America's Cup legislation.

"The Viaduct Harbour wouldn't have been done if it hadn't been for Sir Peter Blake. The various councils would still be talking about it.

"I think we need that type of approach to do this."

He said the plan offered big economies of scale.

It would cost only $2000 to transport a boat by a travel lift, which would run through the site to a paint booth and a redeveloped launching ramp, compared with $20,000 at present to take a boat by truck to a paint shop and between $20,000 and $70,000 to truck a boat to the sea.

Mr Busfield has taken two industry delegations to see a similar marine precinct opened 18 months ago on Queensland's Gold Coast.

He said Australia was catching up to New Zealand's marine industry and would be a threat unless this country matched its facilities.

The Hobsonville site will be superior to the Queensland development because it will be on the deep water of the Waitemata Harbour and able to take boats that are twice as long as those that can use the Gold Coast's canal site.

The head of Unitec's marine school, Chester Sherab, said Unitec could be running short industry courses at Hobsonville by the middle of next year, and was considering moving its whole marine school and eventually other courses.

"What we'll have out there is all the service industries - automotive engineering, carpentry, a lot of the different disciplines and trades, and business and IT [information technology], all the things that go hand in glove with any sort of commercial operation now," he said.

"I really believe that, if we go there, marine will be just the start of what we will put out there."

Sovereign Yachts' new general manager, Brett Rowley, said the aim was to have the project started before the next America's Cup challenge in early 2003, when world yachting attention would be on Auckland.

He said there had been "a huge amount of interest" in the plan. Three hundred people from all over the country had attended an initial meeting on July 31.

"Of those, 60 have expressed interest in being part of it. We'll try and accommodate everybody if we can."

He said the marina would be for use by the boatbuilders rather than for the general public.

But the Hobsonville Yacht Club would be able to keep its premises on the foreshore, and cafes and shops would be encouraged.

"The idea is to make it a destination at the weekends."

The Government and Waitakere City Council are already working together to clear the usual planning hurdles.

Mr Busfield said Deputy Prime Minister Jim Anderton "saved five years" by getting Sovereign's existing site cleared for sale even before the airbase closes.

Sovereign Yachts, owned by expatriate New Zealander Bill Lloyd, has its head office in Vancouver.

About 30 staff are now employed at Hobsonville, and numbers are expected to grow to 150 as work is moved progressively from Canada.

The Government has handed back the site of the proposed marine cluster to its original owners, the Luke family.

More than 30ha of the total 60ha Luke property are likely to be available for public parks and housing.

Air Force Iroquois helicopters still using the Hobsonville base are due to move to Ohakea next month.

But service spokesman Wing Commander John Seward said decisions on the final closure of the base were awaiting the Air Force basing study.

nzherald.co.nz/marine