Yearbook 2021
Regional T Freight Hub unveiled
FREIGHT
The preferred site for the 2.5 kilometre long inter-modal freight hub is between Palmerston North Airport and Bunnythorpe
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120infrastructurenews.co.nz propertyandbuild.com
he announcement of the preferred site for the Regional Freight Hub near Palmerston North is a significant milestone for this nationally important logistics project. Palmerston North is a nationally strategic freight location, with domestic and export goods moving to the city from Auckland and the upper North Island, Taranaki, Hawkes Bay and Wellington. Freight volumes are expected to increase
significantly in the coming decades and it is crucial that we have an integrated transport network to support this growth. Rail is an important part of this picture. KiwiRail is progressing plans for a high-tech, intermodal freight hub which will help grow Palmerston North’s role as a critical freight distribution centre for the lower North Island. It will support rail and road transport working together to meet the freight demand in the lower North Island, while boosting the regional economy. The hub project is aligned with Horizon’s and Palmerston North City Council growth plans and it will tie in with other freight transport projects in the region. KiwiRail has received investment through the Government’s Provincial Growth Fund to undertake the design (Master Plan) of the hub, have the land designated for rail use and commence purchasing the required land. “The Regional Freight Hub will have huge longterm benefits for Palmerston North and the wider Manawatu – with the ability to attract two to four billion dollars of logistics investment into the area – while servicing the entire central and lower North Island. It will be New Zealand’s first, truly world-class supply chain logistics precinct – including capacity for a log yard, bulk goods silo, container terminal (including free trade zone capability for exports), significant warehousing for freight partners, and KiwiRail’s operations. Integrating all of these services, on this scale, creates efficiencies and cost savings that will set the standard for New Zealand
