Sunshine Coast Gets $10M for a Food and Manufacturing Hub - So Why Can’t Ruakura?

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Here’s a bold thought for a Government seemingly allergic to ambition - if Queensland can back a food and manufacturing hub on the Sunshine Coast, why can’t New Zealand do the same at Ruakura - Waikato's inland port facility?

The Queensland Government's committed $10 million in its 2025–26 Budget to a suite of regional manufacturing hubs, with the Sunshine Coast topping the list. Food and beverage is front and centre, with state ministers openly backing “industries that will shape our future.” And they’re not shy about why with the Sunshine Coast already boasting over 4,000 manufacturing businesses employing more than 33,000 people. In short—future-focused policy, rooted in regional potential.

Source: Image Courtesy AlexGo/stock.adobe.com

Now scan across the Tasman.

Ruakura. An inland port project of national significance. Tainui Māori-owned. Linked directly by rail to the Port of Tauranga. Wrapped in premium horticultural land and perfectly placed between Auckland and Hamilton. It’s got everything the Sunshine Coast has, except a Government which is short on future vision.

So here’s the million-dollar (or $10 million) question - why can’t New Zealand match Queensland’s energy and back a Ruakura-based future food and manufacturing precinct, in partnership with Tainui, Hamilton City Council, and Waikato District Council?

Source: PFN Ai Archives - Depiction of Te Ara Kai Food Hub Ruakura, Waikato NZ

It’s not just about jobs. It’s about future-proofing. Creating sovereign capability in a world where food security is no longer theoretical. If Queensland can identify food and beverage as a regional economic backbone, what’s stopping New Zealand?

Because this isn’t just a political issue, it’s a food system opportunity. The Ruakura precinct could power a Waikato-led shift into precision fermentation, controlled-environment crops, shelf-stable nutrition tech, and region-specific artisanal botanical products for export. With rail links, port access, and ownership already in locals hands, it’s ready for investment. All it needs is government support.

And let’s not forget what could grow in the Waikato - Saffron. Wasabi. Native grains. Algae. Functional mushrooms. And the research and manufacturing ecosystems to turn these into export-ready, nutritionally dense products built for tomorrow’s diets.

Meanwhile, Queensland is already there. Manufacturing Minister Dale Last calls the Sunshine Coast hub “a smart, future-focused investment.” Caloundra MP Kendall Morton says it will “support the unique strengths and needs of the region, including food and beverage.” And in New Zealand - still treating innovation as a Wellington thinkpiece, not a Hamilton build-out.

Enough hand-wringing. The infrastructure is at Ruakura. The partnerships are ready. The land is fertile. The trains are literally running.

So what’s the holdup, New Zealand? While Queensland backs the industries of the future, are we still clinging to the farms of the past?

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