Port of Tauranga has picked up its second Maersk shipping service within two months, increasing its container business at the expense of Auckland, reported Bay of Plenty Times.
Exporters will now be able to send their product direct to Sydney from Tauranga in four days instead of the usual six to seven days, the fastest shipping service available, according to Maersk, the world's biggest shipping line.
Maersk Line announced it was switching its Tasman Star service's weekly export pick-up from Auckland to Tauranga. Three vessels– BC San Francisco, Aberdeen and Radford with a capacity of about 1,100 TEUs will operate across the Tasman and the first, San Francisco, leaves Tauranga on February 29.
Maersk trade and marketing manager, Dave Gulik, said his company wanted to add another service in Tauranga because of the expected growth in exports from the central North Island, particularly dairy, timber, paper and food products.
He said it gave exporters a premier service because of the time it takes to get cargo to Australia.
We want to build our export base out of Tauranga, we don't have a big segment, and we believe it will be well supported.''
Gulik said Ports of Auckland would not be missing out. Maersk's existing two services, Pacific South West and Oceania, would have enough capacity to keep carrying exports between Auckland and Australia. The Tasman Star vessels will continue to call at Auckland to discharge imported cargo.
He said while the change to the schedule was driven by forecast demand, the ongoing industrial dispute at Ports of Auckland remained a concern for shipping companies and their customers, for whom a secure and reliable supply chain was essential.
Gulik was unsure how much business would be developed by the new Tauranga service, but he expected transhipments from southern ports such as Napier and Nelson would bring movements of 12,000 containers.
Port of Tauranga chief executive, Mark Cairns, said the Tasman Star service was more good news.
What we are trying to do is to ensure we have long-term business. We are stretching at the seams with the additional business, and we have a NZ$150 million expansion programme,'' he said. We could do with some of the capacity now rather than later.''
Port of Tauranga is lengthening the wharf and extending the pavement area at the Sulphur Point container terminal, buying a sixth container crane, and planning to dredge the shipping channel in Pilot Bay.
The port company was granted a resource consent by Environment Court to widen and deepen the harbour. But local hapu Nga Potiki and Ngati Ruahine have appealed the decision in the High Court. A two-day hearing has been set down in April.
In December 2011, Maersk shifted its weekly NZ1 Southern Star service and up to 70,000 TEUs a year, to Tauranga from Auckland.
Earlier last year the shipping line also added Tauranga as a call for its Northern Star service while maintaining Auckland.
Exporters will now be able to send their product direct to Sydney from Tauranga in four days instead of the usual six to seven days, the fastest shipping service available, according to Maersk, the world's biggest shipping line.
Maersk Line announced it was switching its Tasman Star service's weekly export pick-up from Auckland to Tauranga. Three vessels– BC San Francisco, Aberdeen and Radford with a capacity of about 1,100 TEUs will operate across the Tasman and the first, San Francisco, leaves Tauranga on February 29.
Maersk trade and marketing manager, Dave Gulik, said his company wanted to add another service in Tauranga because of the expected growth in exports from the central North Island, particularly dairy, timber, paper and food products.
He said it gave exporters a premier service because of the time it takes to get cargo to Australia.
We want to build our export base out of Tauranga, we don't have a big segment, and we believe it will be well supported.''
Gulik said Ports of Auckland would not be missing out. Maersk's existing two services, Pacific South West and Oceania, would have enough capacity to keep carrying exports between Auckland and Australia. The Tasman Star vessels will continue to call at Auckland to discharge imported cargo.
He said while the change to the schedule was driven by forecast demand, the ongoing industrial dispute at Ports of Auckland remained a concern for shipping companies and their customers, for whom a secure and reliable supply chain was essential.
Gulik was unsure how much business would be developed by the new Tauranga service, but he expected transhipments from southern ports such as Napier and Nelson would bring movements of 12,000 containers.
Port of Tauranga chief executive, Mark Cairns, said the Tasman Star service was more good news.
What we are trying to do is to ensure we have long-term business. We are stretching at the seams with the additional business, and we have a NZ$150 million expansion programme,'' he said. We could do with some of the capacity now rather than later.''
Port of Tauranga is lengthening the wharf and extending the pavement area at the Sulphur Point container terminal, buying a sixth container crane, and planning to dredge the shipping channel in Pilot Bay.
The port company was granted a resource consent by Environment Court to widen and deepen the harbour. But local hapu Nga Potiki and Ngati Ruahine have appealed the decision in the High Court. A two-day hearing has been set down in April.
In December 2011, Maersk shifted its weekly NZ1 Southern Star service and up to 70,000 TEUs a year, to Tauranga from Auckland.
Earlier last year the shipping line also added Tauranga as a call for its Northern Star service while maintaining Auckland.