Auckland Mayor praised for holding to Port’s commercial role

8 March 2012

Media Release

Auckland Mayor praised for holding to Port’s commercial role

Auckland Mayor Len Brown has done a good job holding to a brief to not interfere in the commercial operation of the Port, said Auckland Chamber head Michael Barnett.

He noted that the roots of the problems on Auckland’s waterfront can be traced back many decades.

The fact is that the formation of a single governance arrangement for Auckland local government with the establishment of an arms-length port owned by the Council could be seen as a temptation for politicians to interfere in the Port’s commercial activities.

“It is good and positive for Auckland long-term to see the Port being left to get on and run its business through the delegations of a Board.”

He noted that the decision of the Port to move to establish competitive stevedoring had followed many months of meetings between the union and port. “The decision has been taken. It now important to let the Port get on and make the step change required to get up to deliver on its full productivity potential,” he concluded.

ENDS

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