Priority One and Tauranga City Council welcomed today's announcement by Fletcher Building that it will be relocating its Auckland-based Winstone Wallboards manufacturing and distribution operation to Tauranga.

The new state-of-the-art plasterboard facility presents a circa $400 million investment. It will be located in the Tauriko Industrial Estate, opening in 2023.

Tauranga mayor Tenby Powell says the relocation is great news for the city and is further confirmation of Tauranga's reputation as a business and lifestyle destination.

'Our strong economy, location, the bustling Port of Tauranga, together with wonderful schooling and lifestyle opportunities, makes us an attractive location for businesses of all sizes.

'Winstone Wallboards is the type of business that we seek to have in this region. Valuable businesses such as this allows us to plan for future growth more effectively. This strengthens the great work that the Urban Form and Transport Initiative are doing to ensure that our city has the necessary infrastructure to grow in the way we want it to in the future.”

Priority One Chief Executive, Nigel Tutt, says the development would provide increased job opportunities for the local community.

'Tauranga has built itself a reputation as a ‘can do' city, embracing the new opportunities like those that Winstone Wallboards will bring. We're ideally situated with the country's largest port (by volume), skilled workforce and proximity within the ‘golden triangle'.”

In addition to employment opportunities, the Winstone Wallboard's relocation is expected to provide increased opportunities for the local logistics industry along with increases in volume through the Port of Tauranga. This will further contribute to the strength of the manufacturing and logistics sector.

Fletcher Building CEO Ross Taylor said the new plant would be more environmentally friendly, allowing them to recycle plasterboard and reduce their carbon emissions by 10 per cent.

Winstone Wallboards wanted to acknowledge the support provided by Tauranga City and Bay of Plenty Regional Councils through the planning process.