Australian fibreglass boat manufacturer Haines Hunter has spoken of the “significant disruption” it is experiencing after a severe fire ripped through the moulding section of the firm’s factory in Derrimut, Victoria.
The incident is not connected to Haines Hunter in New Zealand.
Firefighters were called to the facility on Friday (9 January 2026), and the fire was brought under control after several hours. Neighbouring businesses were evacuated, and four people were treated for smoke inhalation. No serious injuries were reported.
Victoria experienced severe to extreme heat last week, which raised fire risk across the state.
In a statement issued on Sunday (11 January 2026), John Haber, the firm’s managing director, says the incident “has been a difficult moment for our business and has caused significant disruption to our operations”. He confirms that all staff were safely evacuated and thanks firefighters for their work in “extremely challenging conditions”.
He adds: “The weather played a major contributing role in the severity of the incident, and the CFA’s ability to contain and bring the fire under control so quickly prevented even greater damage.
“We are also fortunate that the majority of our Haines Hunter moulds were not affected by the fire. With the exception of a few that were lost or damaged, our core tooling remains intact, and plans are already in place to rebuild those moulds as quickly as possible.
“Over the coming weeks and months, we will be working through the process of rebuilding and restoring our factory. During this time, we will also be strategically planning our best options moving forward — using this moment not just to recover, but to strengthen our operations and position Haines Hunter for an even stronger future.”
MIN has recently reported on several marine fires, including the loss of three luxury yachts in a fire in an exclusive Sydney marina.
Haines Hunter was founded in 1959 and has grown to be one of Australia’s best-known fibreglass boat brands. The company’s 8,000sqm premises opened in 2007 and incorporates all business functions – administration, accounting, research and development, design, manufacturing, marketing and training – under one roof. The facility has the capacity to produce up to 1,000 boats each year.
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