Increase in logs, wood chips boosts port's year

A huge increase in logs and wood chips has seen Northport have a record year.

A huge increase in logs and wood chips has seen Northport - the deepwater port at Marsden Pt - have a record year, with more than 3 million tonnes of cargo passing over the wharfs in the past year.

Northport chief executive Jon Moore said record cargo volumes and ship movements for the year ending June 30 saw tonnage across the wharf grew by 13.5 per cent over the previous year to 3.095 million revenue tonnes.

Mr Moore said Northport saw 253 ships call in, 38 more than the previous year, while occupancy of Northport's existing berths was at a record 52.9 per cent.

He said logs and wood-chip make up most of the cargo handled with a record 13 log exporters now using the facility.

"More logs were shipped from Northport in the year ending 30 June than ever before - roughly 2.45 million tonnes - an increase of 23.7 per cent on the previous year," Mr Moore said.

"That's an excellent result."

But he said the company is not resting on its laurels and is looking at ways to expand the business even more.

"We have been doing extensive work on increasing storage (capacity) and port facilities and will continue to do so."

One thing that would likely help would be if a rail link is built to the port. The Northland Regional Council has designated the land for the rail link, but funding has yet to be obtained for the rail link.

Mr Moore said inwards cargo continues as an important part of Northport's business with 220,000 tonnes of fertiliser, gypsum, coal and palm kernel crossing its wharf in the year ending June 30.

Northport is also expected to handle much of the materials needed for the construction of Refining NZ's $365 million Marsden Pt Oil Refinery project due for completion by 2016.

Growth in cargo volume has led to several infrastructural developments at the port, he said.

A fully paved and sealed log storage area has been expanded by three hectares and 'bookends' have been installed, enabling logs to be stacked higher. The total dedicated log storage area is 18 hectares, excluding roading, storm-water canals and wharf areas, allowing an estimated 245,000 tonnes of logs to be stored there.