36 | Heavy investment in ports Westland Mineral Sands has invested heavily in port facilities. One wharf at Buller Port is already operational. T T from page 34 Westland Mineral Sands REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Westland Mineral Sands has made heavy investment in the port facilities, under its entity West Coast Bulk Logistics Ltd, and taken long-term leases, ensuring the ports remain locally owned. One wharf at Buller Port is already operational with the second wharf scheduled to be up and running mid 2023 when the company’s first barge is due to arrive. Until then product is being shipped to Lyttelton Port in Christchurch. Work undertaken as Buller Port has included upgrades of wharves, pavement work, fendering on the front of the wharf where the ship ties up, bollards, a covered bund area and fencing and piling work. Two sheds have been purchased and leased and a conveyor feeder to load the barge. The majority of construction work has and will be completed by local companies with engineering expertise provided by wharf experts WSP Opus. Six West Coast engineering firms worked on the construction and commission of the sand processing plant. Similar work will be completed on Greymouth Port to get it up and running later this year. “We have a company philosophy of spending as many dollars on the West Coast as we can,” says Ray. The Waka Kotahi Coastal Shipping Fund has made the purchase of the motorised barge possible and Westland Mineral Sands Group has set up WMS Shipping Co. Ltd as its shipping entity. Ray says this will have wider implications than the business of shipping minerals. “It’s a real game changer for the West Coast as we now have the ability to move stuff around New Zealand from here such as aggregate, construction sand etc. So it will unlock that resource for the rest of New Zealand for infrastructure projects. “We’ve got other businesses that are really excited about getting the port and shipping up and running as it opens up so many other economic opportunities for the West Coast.” Aside from this it will also provide resilience for the West Coast in the case of a disaster, he says. “The region’s heavy historical reliance on trucking routes makes it vulnerable to major T TSustainable approach - page 38 natural disasters, such as an earthquake on the Alpine Fault. “By creating new transport options via coastal shipping Westland Mineral Sands is enabling bulk shipping from the West Coast once again and improving the region’s emergency resilience.” Proud to support WMS with Insurance & Risk Advisory New Zealand’s leading independent insurance and risk advisory New Zealand’s leading insurance broker is now HERE to help. For more information call Willy Horvath We’re pleased to have arrived in the Hawkes Bay, helping our local businesses get all the protection and insurance advice they need. icib.co.nz Proud to support WMS with Insurance & Risk Advisory New Zealand’s l ading independent insurance and risk advisory New Zealand’s leading insurance broker is now icib.co.nz r to su port WMS with Insurance & Risk Advis ry New Zealand’s leading independent insurance and risk advisory New Zealan ’s leading insurance broker is now HERE to help. We’re pleased to have arrived in the Hawkes Bay, helping ou local business s get al the protectio and insurance icib.co.nz Plant maintenance · Lathe & milling · Structural steel · CNC lathe · Portable line boring · Steel supplies Hydraulic ram servicing & rebuilding · Certified ROPS frames & armouring · Hardened pins & bushes 12mm guillotine · 300 tonne press brake · Machinery re-building · Seismic strengthening handrailing Steel supplies & fasteners · Goldscreen design & fabrication · General engineering · Certified welding 42 Jacks Rd, South Beach, Greymouth | 03 768 0135 | reception@e-quip.co.nz SUPPORTING NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BULLER AREA PROUD TO CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS WESTLAND MINERAL SANDS LTD WE ARE YOUR WEST COAST SUPPLIER FOR Phone: 03 789 7033 Fax: 03 789 7201 Freephone: 0508 PALMER Wakefield Street, Westport sales@bwpalmer.co.nz COME CHECK US OUT FOR ALL YOUR: CRANES, HIABS, SCISSORLIFTS & CHERRY PICKER HIREAGE • GENERAL ENGINEERING • REPAIRS & SERVICES • ENGINEERING SUPPLIES for everyone’s engineering supplies
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