Ports of Auckland wants bigger wharves

Wednesday, 1 November 2017

Wharf extensions at Ports of Auckland are back on the agenda despite public opposition defeating a 2015 attempt to increase the size of Bledisloe wharf.

Bledisloe North Wharf is the subject, with the port's 30-year draft master plan eyeing a possible new wharf running east-west on the end of Bledisloe Terminal, extending 13 metres north into the harbour.

The port is also looking at extending its new container wharf (dubbed Fergusson North Wharf) to the east for longer container ships.

But the plan is for a piled-wharf rather than one built on reclaimed land.

READ MORE: Government eyes a shift north for the Ports of Auckland to give Winston his bottom line

'Bledisloe North Wharf is absolutely critical because it unlocks three other projects: the extension of B2 Wharf and the development of Bledisloe South Wharf and the potential to use the east side of Captain Cook as a cruise berth,' the port said.

Ports of Auckland ran into trouble in 2015 when legal action brought by a lobby group forced it to down tools on planned 100 metre extensions to the Bledisloe cargo wharf.

The plan was released on Thursday following a briefing of Auckland Council on Wednesday.

Building on Auckland Council's 2015 Port Future Study, it includes plans for a five-storey building to house the 30,000 or so cars that pass through the port each month. 

Also canvassed is replacing the port's existing head office with a new building nearer Tamaki Drive, and removing Marsden Wharf to redevelop Bledisloe South Wharf.

As it's a draft 30 year plan, some timeframes are given but many are just noted as possibilities.

The future of Auckland's port was a hot election issue.

Under the Labour-New Zealand First coalition deal, Winston Peters won a bid to commission a feasibility study on the options for moving the Ports of Auckland, including giving Whangarei's Northport serious consideration.

It is understood the process that could shift the Ports of Auckland to Northport, Whangarei, would begin with a $500 million upgrade to the railway line north, connecting through to Marsden Point. 

In August Auckland mayor Phil Goff said the port should be moved away from the waterfront but it should stay within Auckland. He added that moving the port to Whangarei would deplete Auckland Council of over $50m in revenue a year.

Port chief executive Tony Gibson has maintained a position of planning to keep the port at its current site.

'There are many obstacles in the way of a new port,' Thursday's draft port plan says.

'A change of government could see the project scrapped, just like the East-West link. A future council could change its mind. An economic crisis could knock things off course.'

Or, it continues, an earthquake could knock out Tauranga – like Wellington and Lyttelton were hit in recent years.