WELLINGTON: The country’s biggest port, in Auckland, raked in about $22 billion worth of imports in the 12 months to June. Tauranga came in second, having imports worth about $7b in the same period. The port’s exports were worth close to $20b. With Port of Auckland expected to reach full capacity within a few decades, New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters has been wanting to shift traffic to Marsden Point near Whangarei by the end of 2027. The plan is expected to cost billions and his proposal has received criticism, with one commentator saying Northland was ill-equipped to handle the volumes.
Ports of Auckland reported a 5 per cent rise in container volumes in the last year and a 20 per cent jump in imported cars, which was placing pressure on the wharves. To cope with the growing volumes, the port is also considering building a large carpark, the first stage of which would hold 1500 vehicles. Financially, Ports of Auckland enjoyed an $11 million rise in revenues but reported a lower profit of $60.3m for the year to June 30. The previous year’s profit of $84m was inflated by a one-off $17.6m gain. Its shareholder, Auckland Council, will receive a slight lower dividend of $51.3m, compared to $54.3m the year. The value of Wellington’s imports in the same period were around $2b, while Whangarei’s were $3b.
