“Eastland Port gave our Tairawhiti Apple Growers focus group a presentation on the Twin Berth Project and we are all excited about the possibilities. This is big-picture stuff — getting twice as many ships into the port can only be a good thing.”
Once it's finished, two 185-200 metre-long ships will be able to berth at once in Turanganui-a-Kiwa, opening up the possibilities of shipping containers to and from the region.
“We're really keen to get container shipping out of here. At the moment our apples are going to Napier Port by truck,” said De Costa.
“It will bring substantial cost savings to the growers, is better for the fruit, and will take trucks off the road.
“It's going to be great for the region — imagine if all our growers were to take advantage of containerisation. It has huge potential. We'll be able to export everything from here — avos, kiwifruit — you name it.”
Finding suitable labour to support the growing business is an ongoing challenge for De Costa, which is why he and his wife Julie have recently invested in accommodation on site.
They have set up a house on land opposite their original block, with additional cabins and a shower and kitchen block.
Their philosophy is if they build it, people will come and they hope to be fully set up by the end of November.
De Costa Enterprises has a full-time staff of 18. Mark oversees the running of the company and has an operations manager, an orchard supervisor and a ground-work manager to share the load.
Having their eggs in different baskets means they can move staff around if one area of the business is particularly quiet.
“The good thing about our operation is that if one area slows down we can move people into other areas, so we've got guaranteed work for them.
“We also hope to attract more seasonal workers, like backpackers, now that the borders are opening again,” he says.
