Auckland port move: Helen Clark and John Key back Northport initiative

Monday, 25 November 2019

This article was first published by RNZ and is republished with permission.

Former prime ministers Helen Clark and Sir John Key have joined forces in support of relocating Auckland's port to Whangārei.

The pair are part of Waterfront 2029 - a new campaign backing Northport, at Marsden Point near Whangārei.

Clark and Key spent their political careers on opposite sides of the political divide but are now collaborating on a social media campaign being rolled out by Waterfront 2029.

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While neither the government nor the National Party have picked a side at this point, New Zealand First has long campaigned for the shift.

A Waterfront 2029 spokesperson, Michael Goldwater, said Auckland had a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock the values of its waterfront for its people and ratepayers.

'Great waterfront cities grow around ports,' Goldwater said.

'But as those cities grow, their ports move to less densely populated areas and less expensive land. Auckland is now decades behind. The time has come to stop the endless report writing and for our government to make final decisions about the future.'

Goldwater said no further development of Auckland's used-car and container port was viable.

Clark said the move would be a win-win for both Northland and Auckland.

She said it would provide regional development and employment benefits for Northland and could realise benefits for the development of Auckland as a world-class city.

Key said it was a sensible initiative.

This article was first published by RNZ and is republished with permission.