$300m dry dock promise

THE National Party is promising a

$300 million dry dock for Northport and Marsden Point if it forms the next government.

Party leader Judith Collins announced the policy in Whangarei yesterday despite the Government last month ruling out the plan as being too expensive as a shovelready project.

Ms Collins, along with National’s Whangarei MP Shane Reti and Northland MP Matt King, made the announcement at a meeting with the Northland Chamber of Commerce and business leaders, saying it would be built in a collaborative way involving the government and private sector.

Ms Collins said National would seek private sector capital for investment in the dry dock and the party’s planned National Infrastructure Bank could also provide investment.

New Zealand’s main dry dock is at Devonport and was built in 1882. A growing number of New Zealand ships are now too big for the Devonport dry dock and have to travel abroad for servicing, including three of the

New Zealand Navy’s vessels and the Cook Strait ferries. — Northern Advocate