Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre provides mission-critical boost for aerospace sector

Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre and a new sealed runway opened at Kaitorete. Ken Gimblett, Mapihi Martin-Paul and Scott Hooson represented Boffa Miskell at the blessing event.

Tāwhaki is a partnership between Kaitorete Limited and the Crown. The Joint Venture has a dual kaupapa to heal and rejuvenate the whenua at Kaitorete Spit, and to advance Aotearoa’s aerospace industry. Less than an hour’s drive from the centre of Ōtautahi Christchurch, the new infrastructure coupled with technical support is a step forward in Aotearoa New Zealand’s fast-growing aerospace sector.

Boffa Miskell has been working with Tāwhaki to design and deliver a baseline State of the Takiwā cultural health assessment of Kaitorete.

In November 2022, Mapihi Martin-Paul worked in collaboration with members of Wairewa Rūnanga and Te Taumutu Rūnanga to assess the current state of the environment to better understand how to manage, protect, and enhance the area within Tāwhaki-owned land and to monitor changes to Kaitorete over time.

A follow-up assessment was undertaken in November 2023 to assess any changes.

Tāwhaki Board Member David Perenara-O’Connell said mana whenua of Kaitorete were proud to be at the forefront of supporting the country’s aerospace sector and acknowledged their partnership with the New Zealand Government in the Tāwhaki Joint Venture.

“To fully enable the sector, supply chains and realise the economic benefits for all New Zealanders, takes a collaborative approach… we believe that this mission is truly unique. The way in which we weave together mātauranga Māori with cutting-edge innovation in aerospace and environmental rejuvenation, marks a new era in sustainable land use.”

Aotearoa New Zealand is one of the top countries for space launches and aerospace testing and trialling, with an advanced and responsive regulatory environment, sparse population and low air and sea traffic.

Kaitorete offers clear skies and access to a wide range of orbits from an expansive, unpopulated, flat strip of land 25km long, nestled between Te Waihora (Lake Ellesmere) and the Pacific Ocean.

“We have one of the world’s best locations for aerospace and space launch and we’re prioritising critical infrastructure alongside rejuvenation of this special whenua (land). This includes exploring solar power and green hydrogen production and storage,” said Tāwhaki Chief Executive Linda Falwasser

“The research, science and innovation we can host will help ensure Kaitorete flourishes for generations to come. Aotearoa and the world will benefit from the discoveries here, with operators developing new methods and technologies for environmental monitoring, weather and disaster forecasting, precision agriculture, sustainable space transport and beyond.”