Development of Marton Rail Hub to continue with Environment Court appeal rejected

An appeal against the development of a Marton Rail Hub has been rejected by the Environment Court. Photo / Bevan Conley

The development of the Marton Rail Hub is set to continue now an appeal against the project has been rejected by the Environment Court.

The appeal surrounded a proposed change to the Rangitīkei District Council’s district plan which would rezone around 65 hectares of land on the southern boundary of Marton from rural to industrial for the construction of the hub.

Rangitīkei Mayor Andy Watson said the appeal being rejected was “terrifically exciting” and meant the council could continue to progress a project he had been involved with for a long time.

“It’s a project that I have worked on for, probably one way or another, between the last five or seven years,” he said.

The hub was first announced in 2020 as a partnership between the Rangitīkei District Council, Te Rūnanga O Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa, Infrastructure Reference Group and Rangitīkei Forestry Holdings.

It received $9.1 million from the Government’s Covid-19 recovery fund, with the council adding a further $225,000 for the plan change and $525,000 for road and rail access, and Rangitīkei Forestry Holdings contributing $500,000 and providing a debarker.

The council had been in the Environment Court over the project since 2021 when horse trainer Fraser Auret appealed the zoning, joined by the interested Residents of Marton group.

Following the court’s decision, Watson said the council should be able to release plans about potential business partners for the hub soon.

“There are a number of steps left and I can’t fully name all of the parties involved in this but time has rolled on and we should be able to release some information from commercial entities that want to be set up in our district.”

He said the hub would provide a huge capital investment for the district, a significant number of well-paid jobs and an ease-up on rates in the district.

“In terms of economic development, this is probably one of the biggest things that’s happened to our district for a very long time,” he said.

A 2022 economic report by m.e consulting (Market Economics Ltd) found the hub would bring at least 220 new jobs to the district and an extra $17m to $31m to the Rangitīkei district’s GDP.

The hub would also have a wider effect outside Rangitīkei, with it adding at least $36m in GDP and 360 jobs.