A permit was granted by the Borough Council to the Taranaki Producers' Freezing Works Company Ltd. on the 18 August 1936 - Jones and Sandford were the builders, and the estimated construction cost was £31,363.
This butter storage section of the Coolstores was opened on Breakwater Road in New Plymouth by the Minister of Agriculture, W. L. Martin, in 1937.
The complex has been bought by Seaport Land Company who have put forward a $115 million proposal to convert the area into a mix of residential, offices and retail. In 2020 the proposal was turned down by the Environment Court. The company appealed the decision and a second hearing was conducted in August 2022.
In May 2023 it was announced that a one-off zoning change around Port Taranaki had been approved paving the way for the multi-million dollar redevelopment. However, it appears likely that interested parties (Port Taranaki for example) may appeal the decision.
Documents
Modern Freezing Works With Huge Storage Capacity Taranaki Herald 1953
They've kept it cool for 75 years Taranaki Herald 23 October 1976
A century of service to agriculture Daily News 7 July 1994
Please do not reproduce these images without permission from Puke Ariki.
Contact us for more information or you can order images online here.
