KEY POINTS:
Hopes of bringing 1000 jobs in boat building to Waitakere City hang on a bid to rezone the former Hobsonville Air Force base.
City development agencies and the Marine Industry Association will tell planning commissioners that bringing the old base inside the metropolitan urban limits will give the industry a chance to grow.
Four companies already build boats there, three of them having adapted lofty aircraft hangars and other former Ministry of Defence sheds for their work - ranging from big luxury craft to traditional wooden boats.
"What their presence on the site signals is a healthy industry and the need for these guys to develop away from the limited opportunities in Auckland," said Peter Walker, chairman of the industry's arm that has pushed for a marine industry precinct since 2002.
He said the association wanted more firms to set up there in a precinct of 20ha. It should be set aside within the 167ha of Crown land which must also provide for schools, parks, heritage buildings and a 3000-home development.
A concept plan for the marine precinct is to be prepared in conjunction with the Waitakere City Council's subsidiary, Waitakere Properties. Housing New Zealand subsidiary Hobsonville Land Company is to prepare a comprehensive development plan for the peninsula.
Waitakere Properties chief executive Greg Parker is about to put a case for developing the precinct to commissioners.
"Why is it needed? It's the only opportunity for a greenfields development with deepwater access in Auckland needed for superyachts.
"It's an export-led manufacturing industry, and we are keen to get all the jobs - 1000 fulltime equivalents - on site."
The first businessman to set up at the former base, Bill Lloyd, of Sovereign Yachts, said it seemed his ambition for an industrial marine park was now making progress.
His company built a three-bay facility on a 4ha site it bought when the Crown offered it back to its original owner under the Public Works Act.
Mr Lloyd said the company employed 70 workers in-house and 30 to 35 subcontractors.
"Once we get up full steam we are going to need more and we have to add another three bays on to the building to double our capacity.
"But we can't until this zone change goes through - it's basically farmland at present."
He said work on launching facilities was urgently needed to cope with the bigger boats sought by clients in Europe, Asia and Australia.
Waitakere Properties has applied for a $2 million grant from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise to upgrade infrastructure on the site.
Hobsonville Land Company spokesman Tom Bridgman said that while the Air Force still used some areas of the base, two of its empty buildings had been made available for lease to boat builders.
At the former SAS training compound and at a World War II-vintage hangar, NZ Yachting Developments is working on two luxury yachts, one of 145.7m for an American client and another of 25.9m for a European customer. It will have three big projects on the go from June.
Managing director Ian Cook said the company operated across the Waitemata Harbour in Beachhaven for 15 to 16 years before making the shift.
"We were fast running out of room and our market was moving to bigger boats," he said.
After months of converting the old buildings to suit the different departments of boat building, the workforce has increased from 65-70 to 100.
A newcomer at the base, Catalina Power Cats, aims to produce fast yet fuel-efficient catamarans of about 10.2m and costing about $400,000.
