Nelson has proven to be one of the country's strongest gateways for tourism and food and beverage following IHL's final dividend.
Infrastructure Holdings Limited (IHL), the parent company of Port Nelson Limited and Nelson Airport Limited, has declared a final group dividend, to be paid to Nelson City Council and Tasman District Council of NZD 5.8 million. This brings the total dividends for the year to NZD 7.3 million. The Group also reported a Net Profit after Tax (NPAT) of NZD 10.3 million, a 12 percent increase on last year’s underlying result.
IHL Chair, Sue Sheldon, said the result highlights the strength of the region’s two key gateways.
“This year’s performance demonstrates the resilience of Port Nelson and Nelson Airport in a challenging trading environment. It is a strong result achieved in parallel to the Group increasing its emphasis on improving customer service, enhancing community relationships and maintaining a high level of staff engagement,” she said.
“We’re proud to make this significant contribution towards our communities through the Group dividend.”
Port Nelson contributed NZD 5.9 million of the total dividend and delivered an NPAT of NZD 7.1 million. Cargo volumes remained steady at 3.2 million tonnes, with the best performers including wine and sand partially offset by softer vehicle, cement and fruit volumes.
Nelson Airport contributed NZD 1.4 million of the total dividend and achieved an NPAT of NZD 3.2 million, with an operating profit of NZD 11.2 million. This strong result came despite a 6.3 percent drop in passenger numbers (858,128 passengers).
Port Nelson invested in key sustainability and infrastructure projects, including electrifying two cranes, progressing the slipway redevelopment, opening Honomai, Marlborough’s first inland port, and commissioning a new pilot launch, Mānuka.
Port Nelson Chief Executive, Matt McDonald, said the Port is positioning for the future.
"Cargo volumes have held steady for the past five years, even with ongoing economic challenges here and overseas. We’re working hard to make our operations more efficient and prepare for expected future cargo growth. The investments we’ve made this year will help us support our customers and our region well into the future,” he said.
Nelson Airport progressed significant projects supporting regional connectivity, including its NZD 10 million apron reconstruction and the Project 2-Zero runway extension planning framework. Nelson Airport maintained its “excellent” customer satisfaction rating for the third consecutive year.
Nelson Airport Chief Executive, Brendan Cook, said the focus is on strengthening infrastructure and customer experience.
"Despite a softer year for passenger numbers, we’ve focused on future-proofing our infrastructure to ensure we can support even better regional connectivity and continue to deliver outstanding customer experience," he said.
Across the Group, carbon emissions continued to decrease, supported by the release of the first annual Climate Reports. The Group further strengthened its relationships with stakeholders, including Ngā iwi o Te Tauihu and the local community, through sponsorship of regional initiatives, such as Te Huinga Whetū Ngā Kapa Haka Kura Tuarua o Aotearoa, the Nelson Tasman Hospice, Riding for the Disabled, and local environmental projects, including seagrass regeneration.
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