Decision on whether to move Auckland's port won't be made before election

July 7, 2020
Government is mulling a proposal to move the facility to Northland.

The Government has confirmed that it is deferring the decision on whether to move Auckland's port somewhere else to the next Government.

Transport Minister Phil Twyford and Associate Transport Minister Shane Jones today released a new report by Sapere into the alternative location options, which include Northport, Manukau, the Firth of Thames, Port of Tauranga - or a shared increase in capacity at both Northport and Port of Tauranga.

Mr Twyford said potentially moving the port has "significant fiscal, economic, social and environmental implications".

"Because officials have been focused on Covid-19 response and recovery work they have not yet been able to provide advice on Sapere's assessment of the benefits, costs, risks and uncertainties associated with the options," Mr Twyford said.

It comes on the heels of a report suggesting none of the current options make financial sense.

The report's key findings were:

    • The port's current downtown Auckland location has about 30 years' capacity and there is a 10-15 year window for making a final     decision on relocation.

    • For all five options, engineering and consenting could be difficult.

    • Manukau Harbour was the highest ranked option, although consenting could be problematic.

    • The economic costs would outweigh the economic benefits for all the options, including Manukau.

"In the event we're back, a bottom line is definitely the relocation," Shane Jones said.

Mr Jones said the report provides valuable insights that will inform future decisions.

SHARE ME

More Stories