Ports of Auckland to Build Bay of Plenty Freight Hub
Ports of Auckland is opening an intermodal freight hub in Mount Maunganui with the aim of improving Bay of Plenty exporters’ access to overseas markets.
“Bay of Plenty exporters now will have an easy-to-access choice of ports through which they can export their goods. Competition is a good thing. Our Bay of Plenty freight hub will help make New Zealand exporters more competitive on the world stage by making their access to global markets more efficient and easy,” said Ports of Auckland Chief Executive Tony Gibson.
Auckland’s network of intermodal freight hubs includes sites at Wiri, South Auckland, Longburn, Manawatu and now Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty.
“The development of Ports of Auckland’s third intermodal freight hub (or inland port as they are sometimes called) is part of a concerted strategy to invest in a network of freight hubs across the North Island to both improve options to New Zealand exporters, reduce their costs, and maintain Ports of Auckland’s position as New Zealand’s leading container port by volume and productivity.”
“It also enables us to reduce excessive empty container movements and better balance the volume of exported goods with imported goods through our Port. This is good for exporters, for New Zealand’s supply chain logistics and for the Port,” confirmed Tony Gibson.
Ports of Auckland has teamed with transport logistics experts Toll Group and land owner Triton Pacific to build the remaining infrastructure required at the site, and Toll will operate the freight hub on behalf of Ports of Auckland.
The freight hub is expected to be operating by the end of 2015.
