Ports of Auckland unveils plans for fourth freight hub

The new freight hub will complement Ports of Auckland’s existing facilities in Wiri, South Auckland; Longburn, Manawatu; and Mount Maunganui, a town situated along the Bay of Plenty.    Ports of Auckland Limited signed a conditional agreement to purchase 33 hectares of land at the Northgate Business Park in Horotiu, New Zealand to establish a fourth freight hub.
   Situated just 8 kilometers north of Hamilton, New Zealand in the Waikato region, the site has excellent road and rail connections and is in an area with growing manufacturing, warehousing and logistics businesses, Ports of Auckland said.
   Currently, Ports of Auckland is working through the conditions attached to the sale and is aiming to finalize the deal by March 31.
   Ports of Auckland’s three existing freight hubs are situated in Wiri, South Auckland; Longburn, Manawatu; and Mount Maunganui, a town situated along the Bay of Plenty just outside of Tauranga, New Zealand.
   “The key benefit of our freight hub network is that it can be used to balance freight flows around the North Island and eliminate unnecessary movement of empty containers,” Ports of Auckland Chief Executive Tony Gibson said. “By driving out waste from the supply chain we can lower the cost to importers and exporters.”
   In addition to the intermodal freight hubs, Ports of Auckland includes two seaports, one on the east coast adjacent to the Auckland central business district and the other on the west coast in Onehunga.