Port marks decade of service with record numbers

Record ship and cargo movements and a significant expansion mark the 10th anniversary this week of New Zealand's northernmost deep-water port. Northport, situated at the mouth of Whangarei Harbour, has completed a $4m expansion of its paved storage area, a $2.5m dedicated truck queuing and log scaling facility and has planning consent to extend its 570 metre wharf.

Berth occupancy is a record 52.9 percent. Chief executive Jon Moore said the 270 metre extension would become necessary as this approached 65 percent.

Northport's cargo volumes have almost doubled from 1.58 million tonnes in 2003/4 to a projected 2.97 million tonnes in 2012/13. Last year the port handled an unprecedented 215 ship calls. In its first year of operation it managed 93.

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark opened Northport on 12 October 2002. A celebration to mark the anniversary will be held at the port tomorrow (Friday 12 October) and attended by customers, shipping line representatives, shareholders and members of the Northland business community.

Logs, woodchip and processed timber for export comprise the bulk of cargo processed by the port. This year these products are expected to account for nearly 92 percent of the total tonnage handled there. Other export items include kiwifruit, dairy products, concrete railway sleepers and manufactured goods.

Imports are an important part of Northport's business with 220,000 tonnes of fertiliser, gypsum, coal and palm kernel slated to cross its wharf this year.

Northport is also expected to handle a large proportion of the materials needed for the construction of Refining NZ's $365 million expansion project due for completion by 2016.