Ports Policies Defy Logic
In the absence of a coherent economic plan New Zealand is being taken over by commercial “warlords” like the company Ports of Auckland, at the expense of provincial ports like Northland.
The Auckland Company defies its shareholder, the Auckland Council, the usual rules, public opinion and is a total law unto itself over its controversial plans to expand into the Waitemata Harbour to take bigger ships. The plans, kept secret even from its shareholder, have shocked and alarmed many Auckland people who want the proposals stopped for environmental and cost reasons.
New Zealand First also wants to stop the plans for the two large wharf extensions by Ports of Auckland and to bring further container port development to its natural place at the Port of Whangarei. It will be necessary to upgrade the Auckland to Northland railway line and also build the rail link to Marsden Point.
Marsden Point has the maritime and adjacent land assets to become a leading New Zealand port and we will be pressing central government to fully develop this port, build a railway link to it and then develop a First World double line link to Auckland.
At present the freight train takes four hours to travel from Whangarei to Kaukapakapa and must slow to five kilometres an hour in some areas. That is what happens when central government neglects to build appropriate infrastructure and allows a province to sink into Third World status.
The immediate question of the cost of this development has to be seen in the context of capital expenditure creating a valuable asset, compared to the mind boggling waste of taxpayers’ money by the National government in other areas.
For example the cost of extending the railway link to the port has been estimated at $100 million. KiwiRail has wasted more than that on the Cook Strait ferry Aratere while neglecting provincial rail links like Northland and the Gisborne to Napier line.
The Government has also lost hundreds of millions of dollars in recent months on five computer programmes and planning is underway for a $1.5billion upgrade of the Inland Revenue Department’s system. This also has the potential to become another IT cost disaster zone.
Northland would be a huge beneficiary of stopping the unsound Auckland port expansion. The province will become much less reliant on seasonal opportunities and the steady port revenue would help businesses and create more jobs. Many jobs would be created by simply getting on with the project.
Auckland’s future and Northland’s future are interlinked. Auckland’s harbour is being constantly dredged. The current wharves are not big enough or inoperable.
For the North to grow there has to be real vision, a cohesive economic and social plan, and total political commitment. Taking more and bigger ships to Northland creates a win-win situation. The North gets a much needed boost and the Ports of Auckland gets a much needed kick in the pants.
In the absence of a coherent economic plan New Zealand is being taken over by commercial “warlords” like the company Ports of Auckland, at the expense of provincial ports like Northland.
The Auckland Company defies its shareholder, the Auckland Council, the usual rules, public opinion and is a...
In the absence of a coherent economic plan New Zealand is being taken over by commercial “warlords” like the company Ports of Auckland, at the expense of provincial ports like Northland.
The Auckland Company defies its shareholder, the Auckland Council, the usual rules, public opinion and is a total law unto itself over its controversial plans to expand into the Waitemata Harbour to take bigger ships. The plans, kept secret even from its shareholder, have shocked and alarmed many Auckland people who want the proposals stopped for environmental and cost reasons.
New Zealand First also wants to stop the plans for the two large wharf extensions by Ports of Auckland and to bring further container port development to its natural place at the Port of Whangarei. It will be necessary to upgrade the Auckland to Northland railway line and also build the rail link to Marsden Point.
Marsden Point has the maritime and adjacent land assets to become a leading New Zealand port and we will be pressing central government to fully develop this port, build a railway link to it and then develop a First World double line link to Auckland.
At present the freight train takes four hours to travel from Whangarei to Kaukapakapa and must slow to five kilometres an hour in some areas. That is what happens when central government neglects to build appropriate infrastructure and allows a province to sink into Third World status.
The immediate question of the cost of this development has to be seen in the context of capital expenditure creating a valuable asset, compared to the mind boggling waste of taxpayers’ money by the National government in other areas.
For example the cost of extending the railway link to the port has been estimated at $100 million. KiwiRail has wasted more than that on the Cook Strait ferry Aratere while neglecting provincial rail links like Northland and the Gisborne to Napier line.
The Government has also lost hundreds of millions of dollars in recent months on five computer programmes and planning is underway for a $1.5billion upgrade of the Inland Revenue Department’s system. This also has the potential to become another IT cost disaster zone.
Northland would be a huge beneficiary of stopping the unsound Auckland port expansion. The province will become much less reliant on seasonal opportunities and the steady port revenue would help businesses and create more jobs. Many jobs would be created by simply getting on with the project.
Auckland’s future and Northland’s future are interlinked. Auckland’s harbour is being constantly dredged. The current wharves are not big enough or inoperable.
For the North to grow there has to be real vision, a cohesive economic and social plan, and total political commitment. Taking more and bigger ships to Northland creates a win-win situation. The North gets a much needed boost and the Ports of Auckland gets a much needed kick in the pants.
Leave a Comment