Northport in New Zealand is appealing a decision to deny it resource consents for a planned container terminal expansion.

The port had lodged resource consent applications for a 250m berth extension and to reclaim 11.7ha of coastal marine areas for a fifth berth and expanded yard area, plus associated dredging for the new berth area and a turning basin.

The expansion would give the port a container terminal with 700m of berth and a capacity of at least 500,000 TEU per annum in addition to facilities for forest products.

An independent commission appointed by the Northland Regional and Whangarei District Councils declined to issue all the resource consents sought by the port for the project.

The commission held that the proposed reclamation had a significant adverse effect on the cultural values of the Maori community, recreational values, and public access to the coastal marine area (CMA) that were inconsistent with policies and statutory planning regulations.

Mitigation measures put forward by Northport were found to be insufficient to balance the adverse effects.

Northport has now filed an appeal. As the port sees it, the decision incorrectly balanced the need for New Zealand to have port infrastructure against cultural factors and the impact of its proposed development on public access to a small coastal area.

The port also argues that the decision is inconsistent with planning at the regional and national level which identifies the need for New Zealand to have a national port network.

However, New Zealand does not have a national transport strategy that identifies specific ports as hubs or gateways as priorities for development.

Northport in New Zealand is appealing a decision to deny it resource consents for a planned container terminal expansion.

The port had lodged resource consent applications for a 250m berth extension and to reclaim 11.7ha of coastal marine areas for a fifth berth and expanded yard area, plus associated dredging for the new berth area and a turning basin.

The expansion would give the port a container terminal with 700m of berth and a capacity of at least 500,000 TEU per annum in addition to facilities for forest products.

An independent commission appointed by the Northland Regional and Whangarei District Councils declined to issue all the resource consents sought by the port for the project.

The commission held that the proposed reclamation had a significant adverse effect on the cultural values of the Maori community, recreational values, and public access to the coastal marine area (CMA) that were inconsistent with policies and statutory planning regulations.

Mitigation measures put forward by Northport were found to be insufficient to balance the adverse effects.

Northport has now filed an appeal. As the port sees it, the decision incorrectly balanced the need for New Zealand to have port infrastructure against cultural factors and the impact of its proposed development on public access to a small coastal area.

The port also argues that the decision is inconsistent with planning at the regional and national level which identifies the need for New Zealand to have a national port network.

However, New Zealand does not have a national transport strategy that identifies specific ports as hubs or gateways as priorities for development.