New Zealand’s new prime minister wasted little time smacking down a development plan published today by the nation’s largest port.
Ports of Auckland today unveiled its 30-year development plan, which would see infrastructure improvements and significant automation investment to double annual capacity and the extension of a wharf by 13 m to handle larger boxships.
However, Jacinda Ardern, who became New Zealand’s 40th prime minister last week, gave the impression she was unimpressed with the plans. Speaking to the press having met with Auckland’s mayor today, Ardern said: “What I’m happy to say is that I have always opposed port expansion at its current site.”
There is an ongoing debate in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, about moving the entire port to a new location in Whangarei.
That’s quite a stretch – moving the Auckland cargo to Whangerai. There’d need to be substantial investment in road and rail to make this vaguely workable.
Hardly a very green option to move port 2 hours truck drive north of main market.