Ports of Auckland has today released its Draft 30-year Master Plan which outlines a range of projects needed for the port to keep delivering for Aucklanders until the port is moved.

The draft plan can be viewed on a website also launched today at www.masterplan.poal.co.nz.

Chief Executive Tony Gibson said “Our owner, Auckland Council, is undertaking a project to find a new port location. But shifting a port takes time. Finding the best location, getting consent, securing funding and undertaking construction will take decades. In the meantime, we need to ensure that we can continue to deliver freight for our import and export customers, and to Aucklanders.

“We have listened to what our stakeholders and Aucklanders want and need from the port, and our operations in relation to the Waitematā Harbour. In response, we’ve developed a Draft 30-year Master Plan that we think balances Auckland’s economic, social and environmental needs. Our plan provides transparency and certainty about what we need to do to continue delivering for Aucklanders. It creates space for freight and gives Auckland Council the time it needs to make a sound decision on where, when and how to move the port.”

Auckland’s population is growing and Ports of Auckland needs to adapt to keep pace.

“Our Master Plan outlines all the projects that we will need to undertake until such time as the port is relocated. It includes the automation of the container terminal, completion of a deep-water terminal berth and installation of three new cranes. This work, along with other projects outlined in the plan, will provide us with additional capacity in our container terminal to serve a population of up to 5 million – three times the number of people living in Auckland today.”

“We are facing significant capacity issues on our general cargo wharves. We have a plan to develop a five-storey car handling building which will provide more capacity, hide cars from view and free up space on Captain Cook Wharf. On top of this building we will create a new waterfront park and next to it on Quay Street, we have earmarked space for a new hotel, or other such building for public use.

“We also have a plan to increase berth space. We are proposing to build a new wharf running east-west along the north end of Bledisloe Terminal, in line with the recommendations of Auckland Council’s Port Future Study. It will be a piled structure in line with our commitment to no further reclamation, but it will reach an extra 13 metres north into the harbour. However this 13 metres is essential to the success of the other wharf projects.

We will also remove all of Marsden Wharf and part of a wharf known as ‘B1’. This will bring three redundant wharves back into use and create nearly a kilometre of new general cargo berth space.

In total we are proposing to remove more wharf than we build, removing 1.275 hectares of old wharf and adding 1.25 hectares of old wharf.

“We want Aucklanders to be proud of their port, and for the projects outlined in our plan to create a legacy. We’ve tried to develop a plan that fairly reflects the feedback we've received and also balances sometimes divergent wants and needs. We’ve had to make some compromises, but we are confident the proposed plan will ensure we can continue to serve Auckland’s growing population.

“We will start applying for consents for some of the more urgent projects. As we do so, we will engage with the community and provide regular updates.”

“As a first step in this process, I would like to invite all Aucklanders to learn more about our Draft Master Plan by visiting www.masterplan.poal.co.nz and provide feedback. We will continue to engage with all our stakeholders as we start to move forward with these projects.”

ENDS