The kiwifruit industry is one of the largest employment and business sectors of the western Bay of Plenty and accounts for around 20% of the GDP in the region.
It has recently been through a tough period with the arrival of PSA, however has now bounced back in a spectacular way. This has resulted the industry as a whole now in a growth phase.
Stratum is heavily involved in kiwifruit industry related development at present where we are providing planning, engineering and survey services to our clients led from our Tauranga and Te Puke offices.
Post-Harvest Facilities
With the pending release of several hundred hectares of new kiwifruit varieties and the large volume of the new gold kiwifruit crop coming on stream, many of our existing clients in the Kiwifruit Post-Harvest sector have been expanding existing facilities and developing new post-harvest facilities to cater for the increased production and crop.
From a resource management planning perspective, Stratum is currently involved in the master planning of greenfield development sites, and the development of existing post-harvest sites. This involves planning site layouts, obtaining consents for increased throughput of existing facilities, land use consents for new facilities from local authorities and earthworks and discharge consents from Regional Council.
Our engineers are currently undertaking geotechnical investigations and assessments, our civil engineers designing roading, wastewater, water supply and stormwater, while our structural engineering team involvement includes packhouse and coolstore design.
Stratum's surveying teams are assisting with topographical surveys, as-builts and building set out.
Production Land Conversion
Many existing and new clients are also undertaking greenfield development by converting pastoral land into kiwifruit orchard. Stratums involvement has included obtaining earthworks consents for the recontouring of land, orchard layout and set out, and the subdivision of properties into productive horticultural allotments.
Stratum is considered one of the leading professional consultancy firms in the development of kiwifruit associated land and facilities with many years of experience in the industry. We are at the forefront of understanding the industries specific needs and our solution based and pragmatic approach is well received by the kiwifruit industry sector.
For more information on developments we have been involved within the kiwifruit industry, please view the Projects page of our website.