OCEANIA

NZ port owners accused of holding back progress

16 years ago

While port rationalisation has long been mooted in New Zealand, the lack of progress in achieving it leads some critics to suggest that the ownership structure of ports – with local and regional authorities holding controlling power – is a hindrance.

"We maintain if ports simply priced and invested to ensure cost of capital return, a hierarchy of ports would emerge naturally and quite quickly," Mark Cairns, Port of Tauranga

While port rationalisation has long been mooted in New Zealand, the lack of progress in achieving it leads some critics to suggest that the ownership structure of ports – with local and regional authorities holding controlling power – is a hindrance.