Former Westport site to be gradually redeveloped

A group of Auckland investors that bought the former Holcim Wesport plant and land in the west coast of New Zealand have announced that local residents will have input on how the land is developed going forwards, as a masterplan is formulated. 

The Westport plant closed in 2016 with the loss of 105 jobs. The land includes 10 houses, a quarry and 200ha of land suitable for dairy farming, most of which has been sold, and 14ha of rural land. The 10 houses on Larsen Street will also be sold by March 2021.

Part of the land will form a new NZD$9.36m (US$6.68m) government-funded Kawatiri Coastal Trail from Westport to Charleston. The first section, between Westport and Carters Beach, opened in December, and the full 55km walking and cycling trail is due to be completed in June 2022.

Meanwhile, the rail siding block (an old packing plant on Nine Mile Road near Westport) had been sold to a local business and the cement silos on the wharf had been demolished as they were on KiwiRail land.