Auckland strikes force business elsewhere
There is more bad news for the Port of Auckland as a result of current strikes diverting vessels to the Port of Tauranga instead – it has lost one of its most lucrative container shipping contracts to its rival entirely.
Maersk Line and Malaysia International Shipping Corporation Berhad (MISC) have announced that they will be relocating the Southern Star shipping service from Auckland to Tauranga.
This will take affect from Saturday 10 December and will be reviewed again in June 2012, when MISC are withdrawing from container line shipping.
This is great news for the Port of Tauranga. Chief executive, Mark Cairns, said: "Maersk Line and MISC's announcement is great news. We have been working for some time to attract a new import ship call to Tauranga to better balance our MetroPort rail shuttle service to and from Auckland.”
It had originally been thought that vessel diversion would be a temporary measure whilst current Maritime New Zealand strike action is being held at Auckland.
But the announcement by Maersk has co-incided with the news that although current strikes have been mediated down to just one day, two further 24 hour strikes are now planned for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
This is awful news for the port and terrible for its future prospects. Further strike mediation is due to take place at the Port of Auckland tomorrow.
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