Northport is ‘ready to expand’
Northland is welcoming a recommendation that Ports of Auckland closes and moves all its freight to Northport, with leaders calling it ‘‘progressive’’ and ‘‘fantastic’’ for the region.
The Upper North Island Supply Chain Strategy, headed by former Far North mayor Wayne Brown, made the recommendation in its second interim report released yesterday. The plan will be refined into a final report, due to go to Cabinet next month.
It would be New Zealand’s most ambitious infrastructure project, costing $10 billion, including a $1.6b rail line to Marsden Point, a freight hub in northwest Auckland, an expansion of Northport and bringing forward the fourlaning of State Highway 1 to Whanga¯rei. But an economic analysis showed the benefits would be twice as much as the costs, releasing valuable land in central Auckland and developing cheaper land at Marsden Point.
Northland would gain at least 2000 jobs a year worth $200 million over 30 years, but the full benefit could be as high as $2.7b over 30 years. Many of those jobs would move from Auckland to Northland, which would likely have a big impact on the north but a small impact on Auckland.
Barry Truss, chairman of community-led group Prosper Northland Trust, said the plan would be huge for the region: ‘‘Northland has been neglected for a long time. I think it’s fantastic.’’
‘‘Northland has been neglected for a long time. I think it’s fantastic.’’
Barry Truss, Prosper Northland Trust
While the proposal was not yet approved by Government, Truss said it was inevitable. New Zealand First proposed moving Auckland’s freight to Northport in 2017 and approval for the study was included in its coalition agreement with Labour.
‘‘This is part of the strategy to develop the provinces,’’ Truss said.
The rail upgrade would allow the freight to be moved without causing road congestion, he said.
Truss said he was not concerned such a big increase in jobs in Northland would lead to a massive spike in house prices, saying there was a lot of land in the region which would be developed.
Northport welcomed the report and said it was ready to grow and adjust the business. ‘‘We have more space at our disposal than any other port in New Zealand and the ability to grow ... to help shipping companies reduce costs and improve efficiencies.’’
Northport is jointly owned by Marsden Maritime Holdings and Port of Tauranga. Ports of Auckland holds a near 20 per cent stake in Marsden Maritime Holdings, which also owns 180 hectares of greenfield land around Northport.
That land is more than twice the land available to Ports of Auckland, Marsden Maritime Holdings chairman Murray Jagger said.
There are also a further 520 hectares of commercially zoned land nearby at Marsden Point, making the area more than twice as big as the entire Auckland CBD.
Jagger said the working party’s report was progressive, and he looked forward to the final report.