The Port of Tauranga is experiencing huge demand. Photo / File
The Port of Tauranga is experiencing huge demand. Photo / File
The Port of Tauranga is unloading an unprecedented number of containers in a bid to help retailers cater to the Christmas market.
Some ships which would usually enter the country through the Port of Auckland are being diverted because it's only operating at a third of its crane capacity andships are waiting up to two weeks to berth.
Figures from the Port of Tauranga show the average number of containers exchanged per ship visit was 34 per cent higher last month compared with November 2019.
Meanwhile, December was a peak export month for the port due to dairy products and the end of the tail end of kiwifruit.
Port of Tauranga chief executive Mark Cairns said it had accepted diverted vessels where possible but some requests were declined.
Port of Tauranga chief executive Mark Cairns. Photo / File
"The biggest constraint to us taking on additional cargo has been the availability of trains to transfer imports to Auckland. KiwiRail has been able to give us a few extra trains in the last few weeks so we have cleared the backlog of import containers waiting to be transferred but we can only take as many extra containers as train capacity allows."
Another ship bypassed Auckland and docked at Tauranga on Thursday with 1000 containers, with goods most likely destined for the Christmas market, he said.
"We're pleased with being able help out ... the port has fixed resources but we have a fantastic team."
The port's key performance indicator also revealed there was double the number of containers in the yard than was ideal for highest productivity.
"We are utilising every available bit of land."
Due to congestion, the average truck turnaround time had increased in October and November but that was being tightened.
Cairns also paid tribute to Northport in Whangarei which had also dealt with a large number of containers.
A Ports of Auckland spokesman confirmed it was operating at about a third of capacity.
"This is because of an unusually long and intense import peak. We don't have enough staff to handle this unprecedented demand, so we are currently upskilling existing staff and hiring new staff to help."
He said the situation amplified the importance of having three ports in the Upper North Island.
"This year, because of Covid, it is Ports of Auckland that has been affected and in the past both Wellington and Lyttelton ports have been impacted by earthquakes. Any port could be affected in future so it's crucial we retain three ports to ensure the Upper North Island supply chain is resilient and can handle shocks."
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce engagement co-ordinator Anne Pankhurst. Photo / File
Tauranga Chamber of Commerce engagement co-ordinator Anne Pankhurst said the port was "a hugely critical element – not only to the regional economy but the nation's".
"This is evident when the other big port of the country is unable to meet demand. The port is the gateway to the economy, both with exports and imports."
The port's growth runs concurrently with the region's growth.
"We are seeing an increasing number of businesses relocating to the region to be near the crux of the import/export supply chain. The port will continue to grow as will the region. While the port itself is not a huge employer of staff, all the businesses surrounding it are, and so is the growth in industry and commercial activity ... all contributing to the employment statistics."
Priority One chief executive Nigel Tutt. Photo / File
Priority One chief executive Nigel Tutt said the past few weeks have shown how valuable the Port of Tauranga is to New Zealand as well as this region.
"Tauranga has been able to increase their throughput to help compensate – doing a great job in a complex supply chain, at short notice and with little fuss. The Port of Tauranga has capacity to grow in the future and I expect New Zealand will need them to."
