Further re-zoning makes Izone NZ’s largest industrial park


The 180-hectare Izone industrial hub just south of Christchurch continues to grow in national significance after a Selwyn District Council resource consent hearing approved the rezoning of a further 49 hectares of rural land.

Izone’s development manger, Robin Hughes, says the re-zoning means the industrial development which is currently valued at $60million is now New Zealand’s largest.

“We are not aware of any other industrial park type projects which have this amount of land zoned and where services and infrastructure can support the entire land resource being brought into development .”

Located on State Highway One at the junction of the Midland and Main South trunk rail lines, 90 hectares has been developed attracting landowners and tenants that include The Warehouse, CRT, PGG Wrightson Seeds, Westland Milk Products, Agriseeds, DesignLine, and many more. Manufacturing, warehousing and distribution companies dominate the site as do several large agribusinesses which have been quick to capitalise on Canterbury’s growing international reputation as a food basket – growing and processing high value agricultural products.

“Being an expansive greenfields project, Izone is a great platform for industry to establish new fit for purpose facilities that are capable of maximising these new opportunities,” says Hughes. “It provides a cost-effective environment – affordable land prices, no development contributions and a low rating structure.

“Adding to this we can facilitate industry clustering that encourages the sharing of knowledge and leveraging of resources to stimulate product innovation and market competetiveness.

“Undoubtedly this is the way the world is going and, sadly, the lack of development in the Christchurch industrial sector over the last decade or so has left us with a stock of outmoded and inappropriate buildings.”

Izone’s success has contributed to growth in the wider Selwyn District which is now the fastest growing teritorial authority in the country. Owned by the Selwyn District Council on behalf of ratepayers, Izone is managed by respected South Island property development firm RD Hughes Devlopmenst Limited. “Izone is becoming an increasingly important part of the South Island economy,” says RD Hughes director Robin Hughes.

“We are now fully prepared to take advantage of the economic benefits presented by various large infrastructure developments in central Canterbury,” he said, referring to the recent granting of consents for Central Plains Water irrigation scheme and the construction of the Christchuch Southern Motorway.

The Central Plains Water (CPW) irrigation scheme was granted consent in June to take water from the Waimakariri and Rakaia Rivers and irrigate much of the Selwyn District’s fertile central Canterbury Plains. Work is expected to start within the next two years with the scheme predicted to increase farm productivity sufficiently to see the local economy grow by more than $1 billion annually and create more than 700 food-processing jobs.

Mr Hughes says as a direct result of the CPW decision several processing companies approached Izone and are currently in discussions about how they will best meet the predicted growth.

Construction of stage one of the Christchurch Southern Motorway began earlier this year and is scheduled for completition in 2013. The $140 million motorway will bypass much of Christchurch’s southern suburbs. The final stages will ultimately provide a direct four-laned link between Izone and the Port of Lyttelton which will substantially reduce the the 45-minute drive between the two locations.

A separate roading project – the four-laning of the southern section of Christchurch’s western ring route – is also under construction. This project along with the Christchurch Southern Motorway, is also expected to reduce the 20 minutes it takes to travel between Izone and the Christchurch International Airport.

Mr Hughes says that it is no coincidence that corporates, both national and global are enquiring about Izone. “Think of the layering up of benefits – a pivotal location for the growing agribusiness sector, the capability to tailor land outcomes and cluster businesses, a competitive cost structure and we’re zoned and otherwise good to go.”

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