- Rt Hon Winston Peters
- Hon Shane Jones
Northland's economic future is on display with significant developments either underway or on the near horizon, Rail Minister Winston Peters and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones say.
"The burgeoning energy, export and economic powerhouse of Marsden Point means New Zealand will prosper with much-needed jobs, trade, manufacturing and economic development," Mr Peters says.
"A refurbished tank, a collaboration between Channel Infrastructure and Z Energy, will soon help power the country's aviation sector by suppling jet fuel to Auckland Airport through the pipeline spanning Marsden Point to Wiri," Mr Jones says.
"A commercial dry dock will bring specialist skills and international customers to New Zealand, maintaining large ships in a manner that a maritime nation desperately needs," Mr Peters says.
"We are getting closer to finalising procurement of a provider for the Regional Infrastructure Fund part-funded drydock at Northport, which offers the best harbour in New Zealand as it is deep, there is plenty of land, and transport connectivity is only going to get better.
"As an exporting nation, we need strong connections for shipping lines and Northport offers the efficient shipping connections to bolster port services in Tauranga and Auckland.
"We are pleased to confirm that KiwiRail will open discussions, under commercial agreements, on its Marsden Point Rail Link design data for investors and builders - informing the best approach for building and funding this project," Mr Peters says.
"While this on its own is great news for New Zealand's fuel resilience, other initiatives being undertaken here such as the potential development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), the upcoming construction of a bitumen import terminal, diesel peaker and biorefinery make Marsden Point a world-class proposition," Mr Jones says.
"As I announced earlier this year, I am particularly interested in how we, as a country, develop these areas further and attract investment into our regions. I will be taking a paper to Cabinet soon on the use of special economic zones (SEZs) to do just that. With attractive regulatory regimes and tax treatment, SEZs could be the fuel that really gets New Zealand's economic engine roaring."
