By Moana Ellis, Local Democracy Reporting
Whanganui could develop a cargo-serviced airport to export freight to Asia and other markets if an idea for a new trade route through Australia takes off.
Mayor Andrew Tripe wants to investigate flying fresh produce and other freight from Whanganui to its Australian sister city Toowoomba.
Once there, it would be loaded onto twice daily freight links to get produce and other goods to Asian markets such as Singapore and China within 36 hours.
The idea comes from a Whanganui business delegation to Australia in June, when a mayoral deputation from Whanganui District Council joined seven agribusiness representatives and a tourism business in Queensland, led by economic development agency Whanganui & Partners.
It was the first council visit to Toowoomba since 2015 and marked the 42nd anniversary of the relationship.
The visit shifted the focus of the sister city relationship from cultural and educational exchanges to trade and economic growth.
It also focused on shared challenges such as water and waste management, developing green energy opportunities including hydrogen and solar, and enhancing social services.
Collaboration potential
Whanganui mayor Andrew Tripe said the visit identified a slew of potential opportunities for economic collaboration and innovation between the sister cities.
Council delegates including the mayor, councillor Glenda Brown and council officers, looked at Toowoomba’s approaches to waste recycling, tourism and economic development. The agribusiness delegation focused on commodity-level farming.
At the private Wellcamp Airport, delegates saw a Qantas plane lift off for Singapore with a cargo of flowers.
Council community and customer experience general manager Marianne Cavanagh said that raised the idea about a link between Whanganui and Wellcamp airports.
She said the turnaround for freight to Asia from the Queensland airport would be quicker than sending Whanganui freight through Auckland Airport.
“The idea of fresh produce from Whanganui being in Asia and on the table within 36 hours is pretty amazing.”
The opportunity was to develop “Whanganui to the World”, drawing on local industry and neighbouring regions for products to export, she said.
Tripe said Whanganui was strategically advantaged in transport and logistics, but getting people and products in and out of the district was “clunky”.
“We grow food for the world here in Whanganui, and lots of it. Businesses put their products in a truck to Palmerston North and from there to Auckland.
“If we can do that a bit more efficiently it’s worth exploring, particularly for our manufacturing industry and food.
“I’m looking to explore how we can get small cargo planes to take cargo in and out of our airport, and go from Toowoomba to south-east Asia.”
Tripe told Local Democracy Reporting there was no council budget to explore the opportunity.
“I see the council as being enablers for this to happen.
“The council delivers on infrastructure and community services. In regard to economic opportunities, we’re an enabler and here to facilitate, invite industry and make things happen.”
More trade exchanges with Toowoomba were likely to follow, Tripe said.
‘Massive opportunity’
“There is a massive opportunity for us as we take Whanganui to the world to work with and partner with our sister cities in more powerful ways. Let’s utilise them,” Tripe said.
Toowoomba Region mayor Geoff McDonald said sister city relationships were aiming to move beyond cultural and symbolic partnerships.
“It is more beneficial if we turn our attention to mutual issues.”
McDonald said globalisation was opening new markets, intensifying competition and adding new layers of complexity to global supply chains.
“By leveraging our unique assets and identifying opportunities to collaborate with global cities, I think there is an opportunity for us to find a niche to thrive in the global economy.”
As a result of the June visit, a group of five from Toowoomba Regional Council will travel to Whanganui for the opening of the Sarjeant Gallery in November.
Tripe also visited Australia’s Unesco City of Design, Geelong, to explore opportunities to work with Whanganui – New Zealand’s Unesco City of Design.
He said Geelong was a few years ahead of Whanganui as a City of Design and was “riding the wave” of the Unesco designation.
“We’re now a global citizen and we want to explore that with our Australian cousins. There are massive opportunities for us in this space that are unrealised at the moment – economic opportunities in particular, from design through to tertiary education, infrastructure and infrastructure procurement.”
These opportunities would be explored by the council through Whanganui & Partners, Tripe said.
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