September 19, 2022
Ruakura Superhub open for business
The first stage of Waikato Tainui’s Ruakura Superhub has opened for business.
Its commercial arm Tainui Group Holdings first announced plans to develop the 490 hectare former government agricultural research station on Hamilton’s eastern boundary back in 2006.
The 92 ha stage one includes the first 9 ha of what will eventually be a 30 ha inland port served directly by the East Coast Main Trunk rail line and a dedicated interchange on the recently opened Waikato Expressway.
The port is a 50-50 joint venture between TGH and Port of Tauranga.
It also includes a 35 ha logistics hub, 25 ha of industrial space, a 10ha wetland and network of local roads.
Speaking at the opening, Tukoroirangi Morgan, the chair of the tribe’s Te Arataura executive committee, said Ruakura opens the doorway for a bold and intergenerational investment.
Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson said Tainui Group Holdings pursued the idea through a long period of minimal investment in the regions, and his Government had come in with an investment of $56.8 million in public infrastructure through the Provincial Growth Fund and Infrastructure Reference Group programmes.
Future plans for the full 490 ha estate include major industrial, commercial and retail sub-precincts, along with provision for up to 3,230 residential sections.