Luggate’s Transport Hub Gets a Monumental Upgrade

After five years of planning and preparation, the Upper Clutha Transport yard in Luggate is finally open and has quickly become a thriving hub for trucks and staff alike.

For several years, UCT have been outgrowing the previous site on the main Luggate highway with facilities becoming tired and no longer fit for purpose. As a result, UCT decided to build an entirely new site in 2020, with the final location being purchased in 2021 at 86 Church Road.

This transition to a new space marked the end of an era for our old site, which was first occupied by Reids Transport in the early 1900s, with the old millhouse used by the transport in the early 19th century – an iconic part of the Luggate landscape.

In the spring of 2021, over 3000 native trees and shrubs were planted around the perimeter of the property to meet resource consent requirements. This site borders a very popular walking and biking track along the Clutha River, so the plantings offer a noise and visual buffer to the facility.

Calder Group, Formerly Calder Developments, oversaw the construction contract and completed the first Fertiliser Shed and Storage Facility by Christmas 2021. The fertiliser shed became occupied by both the Ballance and Ravensdown Stores in January 2022, while the smaller storage shed adjoined to it is used by UCT for storing grain, freight and equipment for clients. Altogether, this building complex totals 4700m 2 in size.

The second building to be completed includes the main office, workshop, freight and accommodation block. A covered freight canopy links the office/workshop and the 1200m 2 secure freight storage facility, followed by the accommodation block. Within it are 4 self contained units and 2, 2-bedroom, fully self-contained apartments. Designed for use as overnight accommodation for drivers from several different companies, staff can also stay for up to 3 months while looking for accommodation locally.

Behind the office block, you’ll find a 5-bay workshop, with one bay occupied by UCT’s in-house mechanic and the remaining 4 bays leased to Transport Repairs. A smaller shed near this building, the last shed to be built on site, is now tenanted by Tyreland and On Point Glass and Windscreens.

While building the new UCT site was an enormous job in itself, moving all the staff and equipment from the existing locations was no small feat either. UCT Luggate’s team relocated gradually during January this year, which included the mammoth task of transferring over 100 years worth of equipment and materials with them. The UCT team from Wanaka followed a week or two later, leaving behind the Allied Fuel Stop and landscaping supplies yard which remain operational.

As for the new Luggate Allied Fuel Stop, the build was completed in June 2023 and includes a full-sized weighbridge, along with 8 combination 95, 91 and diesel pumps, 2 diesel high-flow pumps and an Allied Blue pump. After the absence of a petrol service in Luggate for over 15 years, the site's development has been warmly welcomed. We are so pleased with the outcome of this project and look forward to sharing it with our staff, local businesses and community members for generations to come.