Napier Port's inland port at Whakatū on hold, community groups delighted

From left: E Tū Whakatū Community Group members Karen Mata, Ruiha Stirling and Ali Beal are delighted that Napier Port's inland port development at Whakatū has been delayed. Photo / Warren Buckland

It could be another five to 10 years before work begins on Napier Port's inland port development in Whakatū, after it declined an offer of Government funding.

While it's good news for those opposed to the project, they recognise it's far from over.

In July last year, the Government announced it had granted the port $20 million from the Covid Response and Recovery Fund to build the inland port on 12 hectares on Anderson Rd, in Whakatū.

But in a letter to the Whakatū community, the port's chief executive Todd Dawson announced they had "formally declined" the offer of funding for the project.

While the port remained "firmly committed to building this vital piece of infrastructure in Whakatū", it had pushed the start date for the project back out to its original five to 10-year timeline.

Dawson said the project needed "to stand on its own" and bringing the initial timeframes forward in response to the funding offer had been subject to a business case.

In July last year, Napier Port was granted $20 million from the Government for the construction of an inland port on 12 hectares currently under orchard in Whakatū. Photo / Warren Buckland

The business case including completed modelling of the port's future cargo growth volumes as part of its 30-Year Master Plan and, after changes because of Covid-19, it did not support moving ahead immediately.

"We will look to advance the project when it makes both operational and commercial sense for Napier Port in the future," it said.

The slow-down had also provided the opportunity to engage with the Whakatū community, allowing for the undertaking of community and cultural impact assessments, he said.

"We genuinely recognise the concerns of the wider community towards the inland port project, and are working towards a structured engagement process for the project.

"We still believe it's important to progress the community impact and cultural impact assessments and our commitment to fund an independent advisor for the community.

"A longer timeline can only benefit the relationship we have started to develop with the Whakatū community and mana whenua."

Napier Port chief executive Todd Dawson announced the Whakatū inland port development had been pushed back in a letter to the community. Photo / NZME

Karen Mata, chair of the E Tū Whakatū Community Group which was founded in response to the port development, welcomed the news, though she thought it "unusual for them to decline their own application".

Of the decision to push out the development several years, she said, "it's a start".

She said this would allow the community group to slow down and catch their breath after several months of research about potential impacts and regular community meetings.

"Our concerns were what they were holding in those ports - from logging to pesticides - anything that could maybe bring harm or odours into the community."

Mata hoped to see the project put off indefinitely or moved from the Whakatū site, saying the community was already dealing with traffic from the existing industrial operations there.

"We don't need trucks coming in and out of Whakatū," she said.

"The inland port will add more stress, more noise and more everything."

She wanted to see the land left in its existing set-up as an orchard.

"The soil in that area is pristine, it belongs. The containers don't."

Work on Napier Port's inland port development in Whakatū has now been pushed back five to 10 years. Photo / Warren Buckland

News that siteworks had been stalled was also welcome news to Richard Gaddum, of the Save the Plains Group, expressing his horror of seeing "the beautiful orchard covered in concrete".

He was "delighted" the project would not be going ahead immediately, but still saw a potential conflict over the site.

"It's not over this battle with Napier Port. It's going to be an ongoing thing.

"The battle line is still there."

One possible option the added time would allow for was for the site to be rezoned as "plains land", meaning development could not go ahead, he said.

"It may give the community and our group more time to sure up more support and prevent it happening."

Hawke's Bay Today has previously reported the project would create about 46 jobs during its two-year development and a further 28 permanent jobs once it was up and running.

It was the port's preferred site as it is the heart of the regional pipfruit industry, with direct rail and road connections to the port and the lower North Island and is located in the Whakatū industrial zone.