The latest decision by Ports of Auckland (POAL) to establish a Waikato inland port shows it is serious about keeping its’s hard-won status as the most efficient port in Australasia says the head of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber head Micheal Barnett says establishing an inland port in Hamilton, allows POAL to give upper North Island businesses a greater choice of moving exports and imports around New Zealand and offshore.
“Auckland Regional Chamber of Commerce members and other companies in the Waikato will primarily benefit,” says Barnett.
“Unquestionably, manufacturing, warehousing and logistics businesses are growing in the northern suburbs of Hamilton and also in the southern suburbs of Auckland and at strategic locations in between such as Mercer, Huntly and Pokeno.”
A single, inter-dependent economy is rapidly emerging that is market-led and showing no respect to council boundaries.
“It is a smart move by POAL to front-foot and anticipate this growth by establishing an inland port at a critical road and rail corridor junction point between Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty,” says Barnett.
It will give businesses options for using Ports of Auckland, Port of Tauranga and Auckland Airport for both exports and imports, and potentially should make the freight distribution cost cheaper for moving goods around the upper North Island.
“This decision gives confidence to businesses and others wanting assurances that Auckland’s port is serious about maintaining its hard-won status last year as the most efficient port in Australasia,” says Barnett.
