Major milestone for South Island logistic resilience

Defence Minister Judith Collins and Vice Chief of Defence Force, Rear Admiral Mathew Williams, officially opened the new facility on Tuesday, and broke ground on the next significant project as part of the Defence Force’s major upgrade of Army’s logistic facilities.

The $58 million Burnham Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) ‘Te Toki / The Forge’ is a modern, technology-enabled capability that will allow personnel to maintain and repair current and future defence equipment while offering increased capacity and improved safety features. 

“The aim of the Defence Force’s approach is to ensure the right equipment is in the right place at the right time, supported by the right infrastructure,” Minister Collins says.

“Improving defence logistics is part of the Defence Capability Plan and I’m pleased to see this great progress being made.”

By following the proven design scope and processes, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) was able to deliver the Burnham facility ahead of time and $6.25 million under budget.

“The Forge/Te Toki represents a quantum leap in the Maintenance Support capabilities for the South Island, especially when compared to our old facility which dates back to the 1940’s. 3^rd Workshop Company now has modern, fit for purpose infrastructure in which to provide maintenance repair, manufacturing and recovery support now and into the future,” said Officer Commanding 3^rd Workshop Company, Major Cameron Charles. 

Earlier in the day, the defence minister broke ground on a new Regional Supply Facility (RSF) – an $82.7 million project that will deliver a multi-functional capability that will consolidate logistic operations into a single, modern hub, enabling efficient access to equipment and supplies. The facility is expected to take two years to complete and will employ a significant number of local contractors.

Rear Admiral Williams says both events mark significant milestones for both the Army and the NZDF, and reflect a commitment to readiness and resilience.

“Our strategic environment demands that we remain agile, interoperable, and mission ready. These facilities are a direct investment in that readiness. They are designed not just to support today’s operations, but to anticipate tomorrow’s challenges.”

Both the Maintenance Support Facility and the Regional Supply Facility form part of the New Zealand Defence Force’s Consolidated Logistics Project (CLP) – a significant programme delivering five new logistics facilities across Linton and Burnham Military camps.

These are:

• Two Maintenance Support Facilities, one each at Burnham and Linton Military Camps. (Both complete)
• Two Regional Supply Facilities one each at Burnham and Linton (both now under construction).
• One Regional Vehicle Storage Facility at Linton (in design stage).