New Zealand First’s plan to move all Ports of Auckland operations to Northport by 2027 and end car deliveries by 2019 have been rubbished by industry leaders.
Party leader Winston Peters is promising to introduce legislation that would open the land up for public use and develop a cruise ship terminal.
“This is a cast-iron commitment from New Zealand First but it needs New Zealand First to be in a pivotal position to demand it,” he says.
However, Road Transport Forum chief executive Ken Shirley has been quick to slam Peters’ promise, comparing it to “pure Stalinism”.
“The majority of the goods that come into the Ports of Auckland are consumed in Auckland or markets south of Auckland, making the extra cost of transporting them down from Northport completely nonsensical.
“We have heard for a while now how enthusiastically interventionist New Zealand First is on the economy but legislating to force goods from one port to another is next level, it is pure Stalinism.”
“The huge investment that would be needed to the infrastructure of Northport and the transport links from there to Auckland are complete folly, we might as well ask taxpayers to stand around burning $100 bills.”
Shirley says if Labour or National entertain the idea during post-election negotiations “they deserve the full wrath of the electorate that will surely follow”.
Autohub acting chief executive Frank Willett also doesn’t believe the move would work.
“Looking at the practicalities and logistics of it all, there’s no way we could see it working properly.
“Unloading vehicles at Northport means those vehicles have to make their way back down to Auckland by road or rail.”
That would require a huge investment in infrastructure, which would be “impossible” to have ready by 2019, Willett says.
Furthermore, many of the shipping lines aren’t interested in going to Northport, Willett says.
“Practically and commercially this just won’t work. I think this is just political lobbying.”
Auckland mayor Phil Goff told the NZ Herald most Aucklanders would like to see the port moved from the city, but it would need to be a negotiated process.
“You’re talking about an asset that is quite valuable to the ratepayers of Auckland – it returns $60 million a year.
“So no decision’s going to be taken unilaterally about what the future of the port might be. It needs to be negotiated.”
