Next stage on $100m extension almost complete

By NZPA

Friday 16th August 2002

Work on the next stage of Ports of Auckland's $100 million extension to the Axis Fergusson terminal is expected to be finished next month.

The company predicts the development could provide up to 540 permanent jobs.

The terminal extension is part of developments aimed at enabling the port to cope with a new generation of container ships, carrying up to 4100 containers, compared to previous full loads of around 2600.

When the extension project is finished in several years time, the Fergusson container terminal should be able to handle 560,000 containers a year, up from 320,000 now.

It had been estimated the additional trade resulting from the extension would be worth $77 million a year to the regional economy, the company said.

The extra economic activity could lead to the creation of 540 permanent jobs, on top of several hundred for the construction project, which will extend the Fergusson terminal by a total of 9.5ha, stretching it 50m further into the Waitemata Harbour.

Company general manager port infrastructure Ben Chrystall said it was important to the well-being of Auckland's economy for the port to prepare for new larger vessels that would enter world container trades in the next few years.

About 68 percent of this country's imports by value, and 33 percent of exports by value, passed through the Ports of Auckland.

As well as extending the terminal, the port company started deepening Axis Fergusson's southern berth last month.

Next year it is to deepen the commercial shipping lane through Rangitoto Channel at a cost of $20 million, and has bought two 28-storey post-panamax cranes from China at a cost of $18.5 million.

It would be several years before the full Fergusson terminal extension was completed, Mr Chrystall said.

Later stages of construction would include completion of the 9ha of reclaimed land, a new northern berth, and a $2 million public walkway.

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