Source: New Zealand Government
Progress is continuing on the development of a detailed business case for a dry dock and marine maintenance facilities at Marsden Point in Northland, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says.
Targeted market engagement to gather information to help understand and evaluate commercial, technical and financial options for the project will shortly be carried out by Kānoa – Regional Economic Development & Investment Unit through a Request for Information (RFI).
This is a key step in developing a robust business case.
“This Coalition Government is focused on strengthening and growing our economy. Supporting strategic infrastructure projects in the right locations, in the right ways, is a key component of how we will do it,” Mr Jones says.
“Progressing a detailed business case for a dry dock at Marsden Point that is capable of servicing domestic and international ships is a coalition commitment and a priority for me as Minister for Regional Development.
“A dry dock would mean ships wouldn’t need to travel to Sydney or Singapore for maintenance work and the flow-on benefits from this type of infrastructure include local employment opportunities, community development and economic growth and diversification for the Northland region.”
A preferred option and location for the dry dock project has been identified and a concept design prepared.
A Request for Information is a formal request for information to gain a more detailed understanding of the supplier market and the range of solutions and technologies that may be available.
Respondents will be asked to provide constructive feedback on the preferred option with a view to improve the feasibility.
RFIs precede and inform the next stages of a procurement process including formal Requests for Proposals, which asks suppliers to propose how their goods, services or works can achieve a specific outcome, and includes pricing. This work then informs the development of a detailed business case.
The outcome of the RFI process does not bind the Government to any decisions.
