The Front Page: After a 30-year fight, will the Auckland port finally move?

Is this the best use of land on Auckland's waterfront? Photo / Alex Burton

The issue of moving the Port from the Auckland Waterfront has been mulled, debated and consulted on for decades.

Current Auckland mayor Wayne Brown has been among those calling for the port to move for years - and even the Government confirmed support for the idea at the end of last year.

So will Brown finally get his wish of the port moving or are too many variables still at play?

Economist and long-time campaigner for moving the port Shane Vuletich tells The Front Page podcast that there is reason to be optimistic, but there’s still a long way to go.

“I’ve been involved in two reports on port relocation and they were the 20th and 22nd reports on this issue,” he says.

“It’s an issue that’s been kicked around for probably 30 years now. There has long been a sense that we need to do something.”

Beyond the eyesore of having containers and cars sitting on a prime strip of land, Vuletich says there are also important logistical reasons for moving the port.

“There’s a growing capacity issue at the port in that it is actually constrained on all sides. On the ocean side, it doesn’t really have anywhere to go. And on the city side, it definitely doesn’t have anywhere to go. It’s becoming increasingly surrounded by lots of activity that’s not consistent with the efficient movement of freight.”

On top of this, there are also growing questions about whether the port is truly the best use of this land in this area.

“Cities need to continually look at how they’re using their land and making sure they’re using that land in the right way. And the more valuable the land, the more often you need to look at it to make sure you’re doing the best you can.

“Here you have 77 hectares of prime waterfront land sitting under the port that is currently serving a really low-value industrial use. That’s about twice the size of Wynard Quarter and about a fifth of the CBD area.”

Vuletich believes that the land the port is sitting on could serve a far better social and economic purpose for the city. He argues that developing the land would create more jobs and also facilitate more use for those living around the city.

“The port is just a gateway for things to come and go. So as long as freight continues to exist, and we have imports and exports, and it continues to move efficiently to and from where it wants to go, all the employment associated with that freight will remain and persist.”

So where should the port go? What do opponents say about the prospect of moving the port? Is there any likelihood of this actually happening? Will Mayor Brown be able to push the issue further? And how long will we have to wait for changes to Auckland’s waterfront?

Listen to the full episode of The Front Page podcast to hear Vuletich break down all the major issues surrounding the port.