The port said it had increased container volumes by 5%.
Its new pricing strategy also contributed to the strong performance.
Port of Auckland (POA) chairwoman Jan Dawson said the year had been a defining one for the port as it focused on sustainable growth.
“We’ve delivered strong financial results, accelerated infrastructure investment and deepened partnerships with our people, customers and communities – all underpinned by our strategy to strengthen our mana,” she said.
While volumes of some goods, such as vehicles and construction materials, declined, overall company performance remained resilient in a challenging economic environment.
The port paid down $44m in debt.
POA chief financial officer and acting CEO Andrew Clark said the performance positioned the port well to invest for the future.
“As we embark on the significant investments planned and lay the foundations for our next 40 years of growth, we remain focused on doing this in a way that will deliver the best outcome for our customers, our team and for Auckland,” he said.
“Our investments today are setting the stage for a stronger, more resilient port, playing a vital role in connecting New Zealand to the world.”
Since balance date, the port had received fast-track consent for construction of a $100m new berth at the northern end of Bledisloe wharf and to complete Fergusson North wharf.
“These upgrades will make the port big-ship capable, allowing us to accommodate larger vessels and establish Auckland’s newest cruise terminal,” Clark said.
“We are getting on with mobilising construction of that wharf... we want to have that open for next year’s cruise season – that’s, late 2026-27.”
The port handled 883,516 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent units), which was the highest annual volume since 2020.
Average on-time vessel departures in the Fergusson Container Terminal went from 49% to 72%.
Container import dwell times, the average number of days that a container takes to go through the port, averaged two days at the Fergusson Terminal and vehicle dwell times at the Multi Cargo Terminal were 2.2 days.
POA completed the conversion of its 27 blue straddle carriers to manual operations and these are now fully operational, it said.
The return on equity has gone from 5.6% to 8.5% – ahead of commitments made to the council.
On the downside, the vehicle trade came to 172,000 units, a drop of 17% and the lowest since 2013.
Clark said exports of agricultural exports, in particular dairy, red meat and horticulture, helped drive an improvement.
“And we are certainly seeing tractors, farm equipment, heavy equipment and more vehicles starting to come across the wharf,” he said.
Jamie Gray is an Auckland-based journalist, covering the financial markets and the primary sector. He joined the Herald in 2011.
