Westhaven Marina named NZMOA Awards finalist

Westhaven Marina has been named a finalist in the New Zealand Marina Operators Association (NZMOA) Awards – Outstanding Initiative (Full Member) category, recognising the evolution of our long-running cadetship programme.

Over the past two years, Auckland Council’s marinas – Westhaven, Auckland Central and Silo marinas – have transformed the cadetship programme from a largely observational, shadow-based learning model into a structured capability development programme designed to accelerate learning and build highly capable, multi-skilled marina professionals.

The programme now includes clear learning pathways, competency milestones, formal training, structured workplace learning, six-monthly rotations across the three marinas, and dedicated mentoring.

This approach gives cadets practical experience across the full range of marina operations – from customer service, administration and invoicing through to vessel handling, marina infrastructure, health and safety and international superyacht operations.

The result is a stronger and more consistent pathway into the marina industry, while strengthening workforce capability, succession planning and operational resilience across Auckland Council’s marina network.

The NZMOA Awards recognise excellence and innovation across New Zealand’s marina industry. The winner of the Outstanding Initiative (Full Member) category will be announced at the NZMOA Awards Dinner on 24 September 2026.

Congratulations to all the finalists, and best of luck to everyone involved.