Ports of Auckland welcomes progress on Vic Park tunnel

Ports of Auckland is welcoming news that the Victoria Park Tunnel could be completed in the time for the Rugby World Cup in 2011.

Chief Financial Officer Wayne Thompson said the acceleration of the project was very positive for the port company and its customers.

“The route between Ports of Auckland and Albany is one of the busiest and most important freight routes in the country, and the Victoria Park Tunnel project will provide significant travel time benefits to our customers.”

Mr. Thompson said that in recent years Ports of Auckland had invested heavily in deepening its shipping channel to cater for larger ships, expanding the Fergusson container terminal and in new technology and equipment to handle increased container volumes.

“We’re now well-placed to cater for growth in trade volumes – and it’s vital that the supporting transport links are in place. Advancing the completion of the Victoria Park Tunnel will help future-proof the region’s growth aspirations.”

Mr. Thompson said lifting the Auckland region’s competitiveness was crucial to the future of all New Zealand.

“New Zealand is among a small group of countries where the most GDP is earned by the biggest city. This makes Auckland’s performance particularly important for New Zealand’s future.”

In 2008, Ports of Auckland handled cargo worth nearly $27 billion, the equivalent of 15% of national GDP, and the same as the ports of Tauranga, Lyttelton and Whangarei combined.

ENDS

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