Port rebuild a ‘$500m blank canvas’

Insurance settlements will see more than half-a-billion dollars flow into CentrePort’s coffers for a port rebuild – and some see an it as a rare opportunity for Wellington.

Planning experts, cruise ship representatives and parts of the city’s business community believe ideas like moving the cruise ship dock closer to the city centre could be part of a bold ‘‘win-win’’ redesign for the capital.

And with ‘‘essential’’ plans to scoop a 7-kilometre channel for heavy sea traffic quietly shelved, some believe it’s a signal the port’s future no longer relies on bringing in larger freight ships.

‘‘What we’ve had, and what we need today for the future going forward, is not what we had in the past,’’ Wellington Chamber of Commerce chief executive John Milford said.

Milford suggested new cruise ship facilities could be built on a new wharf near Bluebridge ferry terminal – putting cruise ship passengers within walking distance of the CBD.

It’s a move that would be welcomed by the cruise ship industry, according to New Zealand Cruise Association chairwoman Debbie Summers.

‘‘You used to have the best cruise terminal in the country, and you’ve lost it.’’

Cruise ships currently use the

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‘‘What we need today . . . is not what we had in the past.’’ Chief executive John Milford