Big yachts may offer lifeline to Whangarei jobless

By DANIEL JACKSON

Staff laid off at a Whangarei shipbuilding yard could find themselves snapped up by a luxury boatbuilding industry hungry for skilled staff.

About 45 of the 120 staff at Tenix Shipbuilding New Zealand will be laid off today as the company cuts back due to a lack of heavy steel shipbuilding work.

Tenix, which also has two shipbuilding yards in Australia, established the Whangarei yard about 10 years ago to build sections of the Anzac frigates. The layoffs were not unexpected, as the contracts for the 10 frigates, most of which are already complete, have wound down.

Representatives of the luxury yacht and boat-building industry, which is estimated to need at least 1000 new staff to meet demand this year, were yesterday expressing interest in the former Tenix employees.

Whangarei-based New Zealand Yachts managing director Dennis Maconaghie said he needed at least 130 more staff by Christmas.

The 67 staff already employed at New Zealand Yachts would not be able to fulfil the company's existing $30 million of contracts for two luxury vessels.

He said there was a worldwide shortage of skilled boatbuilders and related tradespeople as the labour force struggled to keep up with an industry that was growing by 25 per cent a year.

Mr Maconaghie said Tenix staff were used to building steel boats and not the composite material or aluminium preferred in luxury yachts, but they were experienced in ship building and if some were willing to cross-train he was sure they could adapt.

"They've already got the work habits they just need to adapt to the new skills."

His company was desperate for skilled staff and was also looking overseas. It had recently received permission from the Immigration Service to bring in 15 qualified boatbuilders from the UK.

Bill Lloyd, who is establishing Sovereign Yachts at the former Air Force base at Hobsonville, said although he was not having the same difficulty finding staff, he was still interested in the Tenix people.

"I am sure there are people there with skills we can use."

He had taken on about 60 staff already and needed 140 more. He estimated Sovereign Yachts had at least five years of guaranteed work and its staff could swell to 300.

Mr Lloyd said his company had interviewed around 600 people in the past 10 days and he was impressed with the skills on offer.

Boating Industry Association and Boating Industry Training Organisation executive director Peter Busfield said he would contact Tenix to see if any former staff were interested in training to build luxury yachts.

He said at least 1000 people were needed to satisfy the industry's staffing demand this year and more would be needed next year.

"It's New Zealand's fastest-growing industry."

Tenix group communication manager Liam Bathgate said work had been found for the remaining staff at the Whangarei yard.