The Tauranga Harbour Marine Precinct – known as Vessel Works - will be home to New Zealand's largest-capacity mobile vessel hoist when it opens for business mid next year.

Tauranga City Council Chief Executive, Garry Poole, and Claudio Carlon, Sales Manager of Vessel Hoists for Italian engineering company Cimolai Technology, today signed an agreement to formalise the purchase of the new vessel hoist.

Mr Poole said the hoist – which was capable of lifting commercial and recreational vessels up to 350 tonnes, 12m wide and 45m long – would allow businesses in the Marine Precinct to lift, move and store some of the larger commercial fishing and work boats from the region and further afield. The extra width of the machine would also allow the precinct to attract catamaran vessels such as inner-harbour fast ferries.

“The sheer capacity of the mobile hoist will really give the precinct the competitive edge when it comes to servicing these vessels, opening up business opportunities for the companies establishing themselves there and boosting Tauranga's reputation as a leading marine industry service provider,” Mr Poole said.

For more information on the project website: www.vesselworks.co.nz