PORT OF TAURANGA: Port of Tauranga already has a 50 per cent share of PrimePort in Timaru and is opening a freight hub near Christchurch.
Today, the first train pulled into MetroPort’s new $20 million road and rail hub, offering freight operators another way to move containerised cargo.
Chief executive Mark Cairns says it is a much more efficient way rather than trucks trundling in and out of a port. Tauranga has made further inroads into the Mainland market, opening a freight hub near Christchurch.
Lyttleton Port is just starting construction of its own 27 hectare MidlandPort down the road and marketing manager Simon Munt sees Tauranga’s move south as just more healthy competition.
“It’s about being able to more efficiently handle the growing volumes that we’ll see come through the port in the future,” he says.
“With Tauranga coming down, yes it’s a different competitor but…we’ve already been competing for cargo so that will just continue.” But Tauranga’s port boss believes that with a total of 13, New Zealand has too many ports.
“I’m not suggesting ports close for a minute, but I think ports will have different roles in the future. We won’t have 13 international container ports,” Mr Cairns says. But Transport Minister Simon Bridges says the high number isn’t necessarily a bad thing and it means a lot of choice and competition.
