Port of Tauranga has lodged an application under the new Fast-track Approvals Act 2024 to progress its long-awaited Stella Passage development, citing the project’s national significance and economic urgency.
The proposed development would see a 385-metre extension to the Sulphur Point container berth and a 315-metre extension to the Mount Maunganui wharves. The expansion would convert existing cargo storage land within the port’s footprint, along with associated reclamation and dredging.
Port chief executive Leonard Sampson says the project was critical to supporting New Zealand’s growing freight demands.
“The Stella Passage development will allow Port of Tauranga to maximise the efficient use of existing infrastructure by increasing berth capacity.
“It is vital to future economic growth and meeting the needs of New Zealand importers and exporters,” Sampson says.
The port has been pursuing approval for the expansion for several years. The project has been included in regional plans for Te Awanui Tauranga Harbour since 2003, with preparation of a resource consent application beginning in 2018.
An earlier fast-track consent attempt under the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020 was unsuccessful, and the Government instead recommended referral to the Environment Court. A full consent application was lodged with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council in 2021, followed by a hearing in early 2023.
In response to concerns raised by tangata whenua during the court process, the port reduced the scale of the development — including changes to the proposed southern Mount Maunganui reclamation, wharf extensions, and dredging.
In December 2023, the Environment Court issued an interim decision indicating it would grant consent for the first stage of the Sulphur Point extension, pending further consultation with tangata whenua over nine months. A second interim decision, issued in December 2024, granted consent subject to conditions being agreed with the regional council.
The court noted that from a Western science perspective, the physical effects of the proposal are expected to be minor in the short-term and negligible in the long-term.
However, the 2024 decision has since been appealed by three parties.
Port of Tauranga has now applied to pause the court process and seek approval under the new fast-track legislation. The company said it has spent the past three months engaging further with tangata whenua.
