Tainui Group Holdings lands first commercial tenant at huge logistics development

Thursday, 10 December 2020

The inland port at the Ruakura Superhub is expected to start operating in early 2022.

A massive logistics hub in Hamilton, set to become the size of Auckland’s CBD, has confirmed its first commercial tenant.

Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) today announced that express freight operator PBT signed on to lease 10,000 square metres at the Ruakura Superhub

TGH chief executive Chris Joblin said confirmation of the first tenant brings Ruakura to life, and has been “14 years in the making”.

Ruakura has always been seen as holding key strategic potential since it was returned to Waikato-Tainui 25 years ago in the Raupatu settlement with the Crown, Joblin told Stuff.

From Left PBT chief executive Dave Lovegrove, Kiingi Tuheitia's sister Heeni Paki, and Tainui Group Holdings chief executive Chris Joblin.

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“The proximity to the Waikato Expressway and East Coast main trunk rail line screams out logistics and industrial potential, rather than doing what a traditional developer would do and cut it up into big sections.

Tainui Group Holdings announces the first major tenant for its Ruakura Superhub.

“Having that long term dream and aspiration is something we do differently.”

The Ruakura Superhub has recently had a $40 million funding boost from central Government.

It’s designed to be a major hub for logistics businesses, spanning 480 hectares, with the goal of making New Zealand’s supply chain more efficient.

A 30 hectare inland port will anchor the site, but it will also include commercial, retail and residential development.

There could be 50 to 100 warehousing businesses based there, and the Superhub could bring between 6,000-12,000 jobs, Joblin said.

He's previously told Stuff the development was worth billions over 20 to 30 years.

Parekawhia McLean, chair of Waikato-Tainui's Te Whakakitenga o Waikato. She told Stuff the Ruakura Superhub was an “inter-generational initiative”. (File photo.)

PBT chief executive Dave Lovegrove told Stuff the plan was to build a new 4,000 square metre depot, servicing about 55 jobs.

“Ruakura’s location and exceptional road and rail links make it a natural centre of gravity for our network services to access the rapidly growing upper North Island region, and beyond.”

Occupancy will start in 2022, after the two 800 metre rail sidings, local link roads and Waikato Expressway are set to open early 2022.

Joblin said he expects the inland port will encourage businesses and people to move into Waikato.

Other potential tenants, to be announced early next year, are all from Auckland or elsewhere outside the region.

Joblin said a key aim was to create jobs and employment pathways for Waikato-Tainui members through businesses coming to the site.

'That's one of the critical things we are wanting to achieve, to create employment pathways and employment growth in the region.”

Parekawhia McLean, chair of Te Whakakitenga o Waikato, told Stuff the Ruakura development was highly significant for the iwi.

“The whenua was returned to us 25 years ago in the settlement with the crown, the whenua will never ever be sold.”

Witnessing the Ruakura development 25 years on from the settlement was an acknowledgement of the late Māori Queen Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, and the many kaumātua who sought redress from the Crown.

“Alongside that the inland port is an intergenerational initiative that will be there for my children, my grandchildren and so on.”

The Ruakura Superhub would bring innovation, job opportunities and economic development to members of Waikato-Tainui, but it would also benefit Waikato and Aotearoa as a whole, McLean said.