Nelson pitches for key naval role in New Zealand’s defence future
Nelson Tasman is making a bid to become a key naval support hub for the New Zealand Defence Force.
Regional leaders have pitched a business case arguing the area is ready to take on naval maintenance, engineering work and training as defence spending ramps up.
An alliance of businesses, councils, iwi and infrastructure providers see Port Nelson as complementing the Devonport Naval Base in Auckland, which is set to undergo a multi-year upgrade.
Rather than seeking funding for new infrastructure, the group says the region already has it all: facilities, port land, a strategic and secure location, and the skills and workforce needed to support the navy and wider defence industry.
Regional public service commissioner for Nelson Tasman and the West Coast, Craig Churchill, said the proposal was unique because it was “essentially shovel-ready”.
“The investment is already here. Most of the support structures are here. It’s really about asking what else is needed to grow that support and scale it from here.”
The top of the South had faced nearly 1000 job losses recently.
“This is an opportunity to leverage the investment that’s already gone into the port and create more economic activity,” Churchill said.
Nelson’s central location, existing marine infrastructure and proximity to New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone made it an attractive option for defence support.
The proposal comes as the Government prepares to increase defence spending over the coming decade, creating demand for additional maintenance, engineering, logistics, procurement and training capacity.
The alliance’s Capability Statement was presented last week to Defence Minister Chris Penk during a visit to the region.
Port Nelson is Australasia’s largest fishing port, handling about 3.3 million tonnes of cargo each year. The port precinct is home to more than 65 specialist companies employing around 2000 people and one of the country’s strongest marine engineering clusters.
The proposal also highlighted the region’s science and innovation sector, including the Cawthron Institute, Plant & Food Research and Earth Sciences New Zealand.
Alongside those were specialist maritime training provided by Skipper Training NZ, Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology and the planned Voyager Maritime Centre.
It also suggested the region could play a broader role in supporting emergency response and resilience during major events such as natural disasters.
Nelson mayor Nick Smith said growing international instability meant New Zealand needed to strengthen its defence capability.
“Our regional alliance gives Government and NZDF a co-ordinated point of engagement and shows that our region is ready to partner.”
Tasman mayor Tim King said the proposal could support national resilience while creating pathways into high-value, skilled work and new opportunities for businesses already serving the marine, engineering, technology and blue economy sectors.
Kernohan Engineering chief executive Paul Miller said the port’s companies worked every day on complex marine engineering projects that demanded precision, innovation and reliability.
Those capabilities were directly transferable to supporting defence vessels.
“There’s a great opportunity to apply decades of marine engineering experience and help to strengthen New Zealand’s sovereign industrial capability through a resilient dual-use supply chain.”
They spent about half the year doing a work on fishing fleets, but a lot of that capacity was available during the other half of the year, Miller said.
Port Nelson chief executive Matt McDonald said significant investment had already created infrastructure capable of supporting future defence work.
He pointed to the upgraded Calwell marine maintenance facility, including its 550-tonne boat hoist and 2400-tonne slipway.
“Alongside our regular slipway operations, we’ve lifted and serviced 12 vessels since the opening of the boat hoist and hardstand in April, with vessels coming from as far as Bluff and Whangārei,” McDonald said.
Nelson Regional Development Agency chief executive Fiona Wilson said the alliance was not trying to take work from other regions.
“It’s about complementing what’s already there and supporting the growth that’s going to happen in the defence industry,” she said.
“We’ve got the services, we’ve got the infrastructure, and we’re simply asking for the opportunity to do the work.”
This Post Has 0 Comments