Port of Auckland

The Port of Auckland Limited, often called POAL, is a company owned by the Auckland Council. It takes care of Auckland's busy harbor where big ships come and go. This includes places where goods are loaded and unloaded, as well as where cruise ships stop.

POAL is the successor to an older group called the Auckland Harbour Board. It manages all the main harbor facilities in the Greater Auckland area. However, it does not run the ferry terminals or small marinas used for fun yachting.

The ports of Auckland are very important. They help many ships bring in goods and visitors, making them a key part of the city's work and travel.

Infrastructure

Port of Auckland Limited runs a big seaport on the Waitematā Harbour and has four places where goods are moved by train in South Auckland, Palmerston North, Mount Maunganui, and the Waikato. The company has about 600 workers and operates all the time to move cargo quickly. It also used to have a smaller seaport at Onehunga on the Manukau Harbour, but stopped in the 2010s.

The Port of Auckland is a major place for ships to come and go, located on the Auckland waterfront near the city center. It has a lot of space for storing things like containers and cars, mostly built on land that was added to the harbor over time. In 2023, the port changed its name from “Ports of Auckland” to just “Port of Auckland” after selling the Onehunga port and focusing only on the Waitematā Harbour.

Three very big container cranes arrived in 2018 and are now at the port. They are the biggest in New Zealand and can lift many containers at once. The port also plans to use no pollution in its work by 2040 and has a special electric tugboat to help ships move.

Turnover

Freight

Auckland is New Zealand's biggest commercial port. About 1,600 commercial ships visit each year. The port handles over NZ$20 billion worth of goods every year. It manages 60% of the country's imports and 40% of its exports. Many used cars come into the port, mostly from Japan. Because of strict rules to keep the country safe from harmful plants and animals, these cars and other goods need special cleaning before they can continue.

Cruise ships

In one year, around 48 big cruise ships visited Auckland, bringing more than 100,000 passengers. These visits help the local economy by about NZ$1 million for each ship. In a busy day in 2007, two large ships brought almost 8,000 people to the port. In 2013, Auckland was named the best place to start or end a cruise by a British magazine.

Economic impact

The ports of Auckland are very important for jobs and the local economy. Many jobs in the Auckland Region, about 173,000, depend on trade through the ports. The ports affect about a third of the local economy. The ports are fully owned by the Auckland Council. Over 15 years up to 2006, the ports provided NZ$500 million in annual dividends to Auckland Regional Holdings and its predecessors.

History

Auckland's trade has always depended on its harbours, being the largest city of New Zealand. Starting from the original wharves in Commercial Bay in the 1840s, the port grew through land reclamation projects that changed the Auckland waterfront. By 1924, it became New Zealand's largest port.

In the 19th century, early harbour facilities faced challenges from tidal mudflats. After the Auckland Harbour Board was established in 1871, more wharves and large reclamation projects were added. This transformed areas like Freemans Bay and Mechanics Bay, and new facilities were built in places such as Devonport.

The 20th century saw busy traffic with large passenger ships arriving from Europe and the United States. During World War II, the US used Auckland as a base, leading to more expansion. After the war, new wharves and terminals were built, including the deep-draught Fergusson Wharf for container trade starting in the late 1960s.

In 1988, the Auckland Harbour Board became a company called Ports of Auckland. Later, the Auckland Council took full ownership. Today, it remains New Zealand's busiest port and continues to grow, with plans for more land reclamation and new facilities to handle even larger ships.

Industrial dispute

In late 2011, Ports of Auckland had a disagreement with its workers about work rules and plans to change hiring practices. Workers from the Maritime Union of New Zealand stopped working, and other workers around the country also stopped for a short time to show support.

The port announced in March 2012 that it would no longer employ the striking workers. This led to large protests in Auckland’s Queen Street. Later, in February 2015, a new agreement was reached to end the disagreement.

SeePort open weekend

Ports of Auckland holds an annual open weekend called SeePort during Auckland Anniversary Weekends. This event lets the public see the ports and learn about Auckland's shipping history and maritime heritage.