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Taitokerau could be a step closer to hosting a major infrastructure asset with the release of a report highlighting the inefficiencies of ports in the upper North Island.
A working group led by former Far North mayor Wayne Brown found competition between Whangārei’s Northport, Auckland and Tauranga provided few incentives for logistics and freight companies to work together.
It said Northport is held back by the lack of a rail link to Auckland.
Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones says a separate group is preparing a report on that rail link, and he’s also keen to see more work on the case for moving the Auckland port, which will free up valuable land for the city.
He says people need to see beyond narrow self interest.
"The virtue of the Wayne Brown report is it is oriented towards NZ Inc and while the Tauranga executive, the Auckland executive can point at everything that is wrong the reality is Tauranga has grown because of historic involvement in rail. Auckland has grown because we have put an enormous amount of attention into Auckland and our population is there and we want to see population and growth dispersed throughout New Zealand," Mr Jones.
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