Continued growth at Port Opua, New Zealand’s largest clearance port, has led to the expansion of Bay of Islands Marina.
We have built 149 new berths, bringing the total on offer to 400. A limited number of these berths are available for sale with the rest available for long and short-term leasing.
We have deliberately designed the expansion to cater for the changing demands and sizes of visiting boats. We now provide the largest number of multi-hull berths in New Zealand, along with a significant pool of 16m-plus mono-hull berths.
Work on the water is now complete and we have also successfully finished the reclamation stage of the project. Work has now started on building the facilities, apartments, shops, offices and landscaped recreational area that will turn our marina into a world-class haven for visiting yachties and a community centre for Opua.
The wider financial benefit to the region of the marina’s expansion is estimated to be in the order of $23 million a year from the fifth year of full operation, through longer stays, a greater number of visitors and the associated repair and maintenance work that will flow into the burgeoning Opua marine services hub.
Opua Business Association says businesses in the town could enjoy a 44 percent growth in turnover and that about 60 new jobs could be created.
The waterfront recreational area is due to open to the public by the end of 2017. It will feature lawns, native plants, a boardwalk and a landscaped area with seating, barbeques, a performance and entertainment stage and a play zone for children.
The final stage of construction will see the development of another apartment and commercial building on the reclaimed area. No dates have yet been set for this work.
