Ports of Auckland is opening an intermodal freight hub in Mount Maunganui to provide choice to Bay of Plenty exporters and improved 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.
“Our network of intermodal freight hubs at Wiri, South Auckland, Longburn, Manawatu and now Mount Maunganui, Bay of Plenty, offers regional exporters a seamless, flexible service to overseas markets via Ports of Auckland, New Zealand’s largest, most efficient container port.”
“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 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.
Toll New Zealand Managing Director, Greg Miller, said Toll was excited to be partnering with Ports of Auckland on the new freight hub in what might turn out be the preferred way to complement existing port capabilities across New Zealand.
“Toll has a long history of offering its customers end-to-end supply chain solutions, and we look forward to working with Ports of Auckland to provide more choice and ultimately better service for Bay of Plenty exporters,” Miller said.
The freight hub is in Triton Avenue and while 1.4 hectares will be developed initially there is an option to develop further capacity. The land is adjacent to a rail siding and will be developed to include a rail connection, container handling facilities and other value added logistics services. It is expected to be operating by the end of 2015.
