Ports of Auckland, the councilowned company that operates the port, has attempted to put the issue behind it and commit to its plan to improve capacity. This plan involves a modest berth extension and a higher capacity yard system, featuring a mix of manned and automated straddle carriers.

However, this month, Auckland Mayor Phil Goff confirmed he met with Ports of Auckland management to discuss its long-term future. Goff campaigned on a platform of supporting relocating the port, but continuing its status as a publicly owned and managed asset. However, Auckland has a massive deficit in road and rail infrastructure that it cannot finance alone. It has not gone unnoticed in Auckland that several Australian states have funded infrastructure
programmes through the sale of long-term port leases. 

NZ media have reported that Goff is now considering selling the port, or rights to operate new terminals, to help pay for new infrastructure. However, the cost of relocating the port is largely unknown, as a new site has not been  selected.

Goff issued a statement saying he still wants to relocate the port, but whether it remains a council-owned entity has yet to be decided. “I want to progress plans to relocate the port from the citycentre waterfront, and free up 77-ha
of land for public use. This has always been my bottom line. I don’t decide whether the port is sold or not .It will be a decision made by all councillors. Councillors can only decide the future of the port company once we have a
better idea of where it will be located and options for meeting the costs of relocation.” 

This month, a Maori organisation, Ngati Whatua Orakei Trust, said it wants to buy the port (valued at NZ$1.1B).

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This complete item is approximately 300 words in length, and appeared in the May 2017 issue of WorldCargo News, on page 13. To access this issue download the PDF here.