Minister welcomes $15m investment

Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee says he is heartened by today's announcement from Lion Nathan that it will invest $15 million into building a state-of-the-art warehouse and distribution centre on its badly damaged Canterbury Brewery site in the Christchurch CBD.

"While it is unfortunate that Lion Nathan will no longer be brewing in Christchurch, it's good to have such a positive commitment to staying in Canterbury," Mr Brownlee said.

Several other large corporate businesses have also made commitments over recent days and weeks to reinvest in the future of Christchurch.

This includes Coca-Cola, which will build a $15 million state-of-the-art bottling plant in Christchurch, outdoor clothing and equipment company Kathmandu Holdings, which will build a new national distribution centre in Christchurch, and yesterday's commitment by Grand Chancellor Australia and New Zealand group manager Frank Delli Cicchi to rebuild a hotel in Christchurch.

"This announcement by Lion Nathan today is a vote of confidence in the region as a business hub," Mr Brownlee said.

Lion Nathan employs more than 70 people across the Canterbury region. In addition to the $15 million investment into Christchurch, it also announced today that it will be investing a further $28 million in the Speight's Brewery in Dunedin and The Pride in East Tamaki, Auckland to help cope with the production gap left by the Canterbury Brewery, which was damaged beyond repair in the 22 February earthquake.

"The team at the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (CERA) are also working closely with other business groups which are reporting strong signals of future growth," Mr Brownlee said.

CERA is responsible for rebuilding greater Christchurch and its surrounds, and supporting the welfare of its residents. For more information visit www.cera.govt.nz