Right mix for big times afloat

The official opening of a boatbuilding enterprise in Hobsonville is the first step towards a marine park, writes ROBIN BAILEY.

The top end of the New Zealand boatbuilding industry gets a huge lift this afternoon with the official opening of the Sovereign Yachts (NZ) Ltd manufacturing facility at Hobsonville.

Economic Development Minister Jim Anderton and Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey will jointly do the honours at a function hosted by Sovereign boss Bill Lloyd for more than 300 guests.

Unlike many similar functions, the guest list mainly comprises people who have had direct involvement with the project.

Lloyd, a New Zealander, has created a successful operation in Canada that turns out motoryachts from 100ft to 150ft, priced from $15 million to $40 million. He plans to replicate the business and establish the global head office of Sovereign at Hobsonville.

At this stage, the hull and decks of the boats are being built in Canada and shipped here for finishing. The first 135ft tri-level Cloud 9 motoryacht arrived this week and will eventually go out of the yard with a price tag of $30 million.

The Hobsonville Marine Precinct is on 67ha of defence land which is soon to become available, some of which Lloyd has bought and some of which he has options on. When fully operational, there will be jobs for up to 300 people.

The company has worked closely with the Government and Waitakere City to ensure the precinct is a model of both planning and execution. All the stakeholders are committed to ensuring the right mix of marine industry, housing, parks and educational facilities.

Waitakere council established a Mayoral Taskforce on Hobsonville when the Ministry of Defence announced the air base was being vacated.

"We wanted to ensure we looked at the next stage of the marine industry in Waitakere in a clear and consultative manner," says Harvey. "With Sovereign as the anchor, that has happened."

The first sod was turned in February and the huge Sovereign Yachts shed was completed in just five months. The first yacht is on the floor and more are on the way.

Boating Industries Association chief executive Peter Busfield gives Jim Anderton credit for taking on board his members fears when the first Government-level and local body moves were made to ease the way into the New Zealand market for Sovereign at Hobsonville and New Zealand Yachts in Whangarei.

"We were concerned that existing industry players were receiving little support while newcomers were being given fast-track assistance," Busfield says. Firms were facing shortages of skilled tradespeople and the worry was that this would worsen with newcomers scooping up top people.

"The minister accepted that our concerns were genuine and we are now working with several government agencies to rapidly increase the pool of skilled labour through increased apprenticeship training and cross-over courses to recruit people from other trades into various areas of modern boatbuilding," says Busfield.

The BIA has been pro-active in promoting the idea of a marine park at Hobsonville and Busfield says around 50 companies are so far interested in being part of an industry cluster around the Sovereign operation. Besides allied trades like marine electronics specialists, chandlers, cabinetmakers and upholsterers, he believes the Hobsonville setting, once the marina is added, would also support cafes and restaurants.