Background

Boatbuilding has a long history in Northland, originally capitalising on the region's abundant kauri forests.

Today, Northland's marine industry builds and refits a wide range of vessels including superyachts, naval vessels, workboats and pleasure craft, in materials such as composites, aluminium and steel as well as timber.

	Friendship 40 by custom yacht builders Friendship Yachts in Whangarei

The majority of the industry is clustered in two main locations, Opua in the Bay of Islands, and Whangarei, both with different capabilities and areas of specialisation.

Northland's marine industry is estimated to have a total annual turnover of more than $60 million and provides more than 450 jobs.

With large amounts of land available for expansion and by encouraging investment in the right sort of infrastructure, the sector is forecast to continue growing steadily.

To find out more about this industry in Northland, visit the regional website www.northlandnz.com