Marlborough’s First Inland Port Opens, Enhancing Regional Trade And Connectivity

Marlborough’s first Inland Port has officially opened, marking a significant milestone in regional trade and transport infrastructure. The new inland port, operated by QuayConnect, Port Nelson’s logistics division, is strategically located in Riverlands to support the growing freight demands of the region. The facility will enable more efficient freight movement, reduce transport costs, streamline supply chain logistics and support economic growth.

Developed in partnership between key industry stakeholders, the Marlborough Inland Port is a 5,000m2 modern high-stud warehouse. Services include product storage, unloading imports, and loading export containers. The facility also has a container yard with empty and full container capacity.

Jaron McLeod, General Manager, QuayConnect said that with around 80% of New Zealand’s wine grown and produced in Marlborough, the facility is a game-changer for the region’s exporters, importers, and logistics operators and supports the established QuayConnect model of utilising empty truck capacity to move packaging across to Marlborough and full trucks of wine back to Nelson.

“The opening of the Marlborough Inland Port is a recognition of QuayConnect’s commitment to the primary industries in Marlborough. This facility is set to transform the way goods move in and out of Marlborough, offering businesses greater efficiency, reduced carbon emissions, and a strengthened supply chain,” said McLeod

Peter Crowe, Chief Executive, WineWorks, said the location of the Marlborough Inland Port will enable the efficient transfer of stock to and from the bottling plant.

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“The strategic location of the Marlborough Inland Port, next to our WineWorks facility, will enable the use of electric tugs to take packaging to our facility and full wine bottles back for storage or trucking to port for export. These services support our commitment to reduce emissions for our customers across the supply chain.”

Transport partner Central Express will be a tenant at the facility. Managing Director Jason Millar says he is excited to see the facility open, “the new facility will increase stakeholder resilience and give our customers choices when it comes to their supply chain requirements.”

Local government, industry representatives and Rangitāne attended the official opening ceremony, with a key highlight being Rangitāne gifting the name Honomai to the facility. McLeod said celebrating the collaboration and investment that made the inland port a reality was a special moment.

“Honomai, is a testament to what can be achieved when the industry works together. This facility demonstrates QuayConnect’s commitment to our customers and our community, that we are a trusted partner and are here to support you,” said McLeod. “This is a significant step forward supporting Marlborough’s economic growth and resilience.”

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