Media release: Planning for new port should start now
Planning to move the Ports of Auckland to a new location must begin as soon as practicable, says Committee for Auckland executive director Heather Shotter.
Shotter welcomed today’s release of the Consensus Working Group’s Port Future Study, which confirmed the port in its present location holds insufficient capacity to meet the future freight needs of the Auckland region.
“The bottom line is the port will have to be moved at some point in the next 30 years and retaining its presence on the Auckland people’s waterfront in the short-to-medium term will constrain trade, growth and jobs,” says Shotter.
“To wait another five, six or 10 years before we even start planning where Auckland’s new port will be located represents a significant lost opportunity cost the city can ill afford,” she says. “The sooner we get going on this project, the better it will be for the people of Auckland
Planning needs to immediately focus on alternative port locations, so that in time we can release the land for much-needed public amenity and commercial development, she says.
ENDS
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