Export logs at Northport, above, will start being debarked before heading overseas from February.
The company that operates Gisborne's port has won the contract to build and run a $2.5 million debarking facility next to Northport that could provide up to six new jobs for the region.
Eastland Port, in Gisborne, is one of only two companies nationally that does debarking and after making
the shortlist of three from a pool of 10 vying for the Northland Port Corporation contract, was given the green light earlier this month.
Port manager at Eastland Port Andrew Gaddum said the company was invited to submit a debarking and anti-sap staining proposal because of the success of the debarking plant it set up at Gisborne four years ago.
Mr Gaddum said the main debarking head for the unit was built in the United States but most of the mechanical plant was made by fellow Gisborne company Universal Engineering. The plant should start being built on Northland Port Corp land next to Northport, at Marsden Pt, in mid-December, with the debarking operation up and running by next February.
He said the plant would initially have one staff member from the Gisborne operation and one or two employed from Northland. Once fully operational there could be up to six staff employed from Northland to run the plant.
