Earthworks for the new Port Marsden Service Centre, on Port Marsden Highway, have been stop-start for more than a decade and are on pause again - but this time for good reason. Photo / Michael Cunningham
Earthworks for the new Port Marsden Service Centre, on Port Marsden Highway, have been stop-start for more than a decade and are on pause again - but this time for good reason. Photo / Michael Cunningham
A multimillion-dollar service centre planned for south of Whangārei is finally going ahead after numerous stops and starts in the 13 years since it was first consented.
The Port Marsden Service Centre is set to offer a motel and truck stop, caravan parking, service station, fast-food outlets, shops and storage on a 28ha site on Port Marsden Highway in Ruakākā, just off State Highway 1.
Whangārei company Wolf 2008 got resource consent for the development in 2011 but was stymied by the Global Financial Crisis and tough economic conditions, said one director, Whangārei businessman Barry Trass.
“That whole Marsden Point area has been really up and down with the refinery closing and Marsden City - that struck tough times and didn’t go ahead. It’s been pretty fickle.”
The Covid pandemic also didn’t help and Wolf 2008 had to go to the Environment Court to get an extension to its resource consent, which lapsed after 10 years of inactivity.
Earthworks started in summer at the end of 2022 but were rained off by bad weather, including Cyclone Gabrielle.
But Trass said he is confident now is the right time for the development, with Marsden Point buoyed by Meridian’s battery farm and potential solar farm, plus a possible extension to NorthPort currently going through the consenting process.
The Government is also pushing for a four-lane motorway and Brynderwyns replacement, which will bring more travellers to the north, he said.
The good timing has been reinforced by strong interest from companies wanting to go into the development, Trass said.
“It’s looking really positive - we’ve got a number of entities that want to go in there and we’re working through agreements at the moment. We’re moving ahead as quick as we can.”
This interest has held up earthworks again, after work restarted in December 2023, while the best layout is worked out, Trass said.
“One major operator wanted to take quite a bit of the site and we had to adjust the layout. We had to put earthworks on hold again because we may have to change the layout,” he said.
The Port Marsden Service Centre is going ahead at 63 Port Marsden Highway. Image / Google Maps
Wolf 2008 is responsible for the consent and the earthworks but it will be up to the operators to build, Trass explained.
“Timing is really important and I think the timing is right; I think there is a need for it.”
Three other parties have also seen a need for service station centre developments in Ruakākā and Waipū and are going through the resource consent process.
In 2021, Ruakākā Developments applied for resource consent for a service centre at 2533 SH1, including fuel facilities for cars and trucks, food and drink outlets, a convenience store, a rest area for drivers, a playground and an amenity space.
The proposal backs on to Port Marsden Highway and is virtually next door to Wolf 2008′s Port Marsden Service Centre.
Independent commissioner Bill Smith has been appointed to hear the resource consent application and in February, he directed a joint expert conference to be held on traffic-related matters and planning.
Last year, Vaco Investments (Waipu Project) applied for resource consent for a mixed-use commercial centre on the corner of Millbrook Rd and SH1 in Waipū.
The development proposes a service station, food and drink outlets, food stores and light industrial activities on a 5.9ha site.
Submissions on the proposal closed on February 5.
The latest proposal is for an unmanned service station and truckstop on the corner of Mountfield Rd and SH1 in Waipū.
The resource consent application by NZ Venture Properties is open for submissions until April 16.
Trass said he couldn’t comment on whether there was space for all four service station centres within the 14km stretch.
“I don’t know. We’re consented and we’re going ahead and we’ve getting organisations signed up so I’m happy with what we’re doing.”
Trass hoped buildings on his development could be open within 18 months.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
