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Behind the Port of Auckland: Ford utes, tractors and a 1525% fee hike

Behind the Port of Auckland: Ford utes, tractors and a 1525% fee hike

NZ Herald08-05-2025

However, challenges in some sectors of the economy were obvious.
'Cement is flat, structured steel through multi-cargo is the worst it's ever been, cruise was okay this year, next year [cruise demand] drops by 30%,' Gray told Markets with Madison.
The volume of second-hand vehicle imports had already halved from its peak, he said.
'This trade of all has really been hit by the slowdown in the New Zealand economy.'
The cars that were coming in were more combustion engine conventional cars, not electric.
'I think what will also happen is, if the tariff situation stays with the US and China, I think China will start to look for free-trade markets,' Gray said.
'So rather than sending the BYDs into the West Coast, I'm expecting us to see some quite significant growth in the importation of BYDs into markets like ours.'
Gray said the company, which was owned but not controlled by the Auckland Council, planned to 'sell' back two of the port's wharves to the city for recreational use.
'Not give up, sell,' Gray explained, relating to a debate with the council about whether the land would change hands through a commercial transaction.
The port had guided that it would make a full-year net profit after tax of between $75 million and $80m in the financial year about to end.
'I've been quite open about starting to charge much more in access charges, because in my view, the city wasn't getting a fair return.'
The charge for a vehicle, such as a truck, to enter the container terminal was $8 when Gray arrived at the port in March 2022.
It now cost $130 per vehicle - a 1525% increase.
Advertise with NZME.
And Gray planned to keep increasing the cost, he said, to be more in line with Australian ports that charged around $350.
The company had paid down $100 million worth of debt in the past three years.
It scrapped a straddle software automation project, resulting in a write-off of $65 million.
'I don't think you should ever rule out automation, but what I would say is that automation project wasn't the right one.
'We don't have any capacity constraints now for at least the next 15 to 20 years.'
Go behind every aspect of the Port of Auckland operation in today's episode of Markets with Madison.
Sponsored by CMC Markets.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this programme is of a general nature, and is not intended to be personalised financial advice. We encourage you to seek appropriate advice from a qualified professional to suit your individual circumstances.
Madison Malone (nee Reidy) is host and executive producer of the NZ Herald 's investment show Markets with Madison. She joined the Herald in 2022 after working in investment, and has covered business and economics for television and radio broadcasters.

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The Broadcasting Standards Authority has upheld a complaint against Central FM regarding an interview with Mike Petersen, spokesperson for Ruataniwha v.2, where 22 ha. of DoC conservation land was inaccurately labelled as 'stewardship land'. The damning Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) decision, released today, found that Mike Petersen, lead proponent for Ruataniwha dam v.2, inaccurately labelled the 22 ha. DoC-owned land needed to build Ruataniwha v.2 as 'stewardship land', when in fact it comprises 93% conservation land. Wise Water Use Hawkes Bay spokesperson, Dr Trevor Le Lievre, says the finding raises a credibility issue for Mr Petersen, and is questioning his capacity to manage the build of the estimated-$500 million Ruataniwha dam v.2. 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This begs the serious question as to what else Mr Petersen has got wrong?' said Le Lievre, adding: 'alarm bills should be ringing loudly for potential investors. 'Mike Petersen is selling the public a story about Ruataniwha v.2: a story about economic prosperity to be shared by all, about a solution to our depleted aquifer and rivers, and about restoring our water quality, and dealing with the vagaries of climate change: has anyone fact checked the story?' Wise Water Use is now questioning other statements made by Petersen: 'A number of statements have been made by Mr Petersen as part of the Ruataniwha v.2 story. We believe that in light of this recent ruling Mr Petersen now needs to provide evidence to back those statements,' said Le Lievre, who cited several unsubstantiated claims: 'This is a commercial project …we are not seeking public investment into this project at all' [2] Mike Petersen recently petitioned local lines company, Centralines, for money to develop another feasibility case for the dam, and received a commitment of $100,000. Wise Water Use argues this money is coming out of the pockets of CHB power consumers; The dam promoters are also wanting the public to pick up the cost of so-called 'environmental flows' which would allocate 20 Mm3 water annually for release down the main Tukituki River stem.[3] Wise Water Use calculates that should this cost fall to Regional Council ratepayers it would entail an average 10% rates increase and is running a petition asking the Regional Council to state publicly they won't assume the cost. 'There is a hydro generation component in the project as well, which appeals to those seeking green investment.' [4] Wise Water Use points out that there have never been any detailed plan for hydro generation presented in any public reports on the dam, nor other public forum, and that such a proposal doesn't stack up financially, and argues this is an attempt to greenwash the project by Mr Petersen. 'The proposal is completely different in focus and intent from the original Ruataniwha project, despite sharing the original project's site on the Makaroro river.' [5] Wise Water Use says that the renamed 'Tukituki Water Security Project' is no different to the Ruataniwha dam v.1: it would use exactly the same engineering design, rely on the same consents to take water, be located on the same part of the Makaroro River, still need the 22 ha. of DoC conservation land, and would remain an industrial-scale irrigation dam. 'Mike Petersen is fronting a $500 million dam project, which with associated on-farm infrastructure costs would cost more than $1 billion dollars. His inability to get the status of the DoC conservation land correct brings into question every other unsupported statement he has made in support of Ruataniwha v.2, and undermines the very viability of the project,' finished Le Lievre. [1] Petersen: 'This is not conservation land, this is DoC stewardship land'; and 'This is not part of the DoC conservation estate, it's owned by DoC but is classified as stewardship land'. Source: Central FM interview (8/10/2024) [2] Source: Central FM interview (8/10/2024) [3] Petersen was recently quoted as stating: 'I would argue that it's unreasonable to expect private investors to supply that (environmental flows) free of charge'. Source: Newsroom (15/5/2025). [4] Source: Farmers Weekly (8/10/2024)

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