A proper Ports of Auckland study

Radio NZ reports:

The government has released a major new report which is touting Manukau Harbour as the preferred option for relocating the Port of Auckland. …

The report by economic consultancy Sapere considered five relocation options; Northport, Manukau, the Firth of Thames, the Port of Tauranga and a shared increase in capacity at both Northport and the Port of Tauranga.

Manukau Harbour was the highest ranked option, although consenting could be problematic.

I’d like Ports of Auckland to transition away from the waterfront, as I think the opportunity cost of having that prime land as a port is huge.

But having no Port at all in Auckland is basically bonkers. It’s our largest population centre and the idea that all the cargo should be dropped off two to three hours away is lunacy.

So Manukau Harbour has always seemed to me to be the preferred alternative.

Auckland Mayor Phil Goff has welcomed the independent Sapere report, published today, which shows that neither Northport nor the Port of Tauranga are viable options for relocating the Ports of Auckland in the long-term.

“The Sapere report completely backs up my concerns and concerns raised by Auckland Council since the start of the Upper North Island port study led by Wayne Brown,” Goff said.

“The Brown report started with a conclusion – wanting to move the Ports of Auckland to Northport – and worked backwards. It failed to engage with stakeholders and was quite frankly a shoddy opinion piece not based on facts,” he said.

Goff is right on this one. The Brown report was a conclusion seeking a justification. The Sapere report is a truly independent analysis.