Maersk looks to streamline operations

New Zealand port operations look set for a shake-up as shipping giant Maersk seeks to slim down its operations.

The Danish shipping line, which controls about 40 per cent of the New Zealand market, wants to call at just two primary ports and three secondary ones, dropping four altogether.

Maersk New Zealand managing director Tony Gibson said the ultimate aim would be to have one major port in either island, plus three secondary ports, with coastal feeder services between the ports.

Maersk at present calls at nine New Zealand ports.

In the North Island the major port would be either Auckland or Tauranga, while in the South it would be Lyttelton or Port Chalmers in Otago, Mr Gibson told today's Dominion Post newspaper.

The loser in the battle to become the North Island primary port would lose Maersk services altogether.

In the South Island it was too early to say whether the port that lost out on being the major port would lose its services altogether, or become a secondary port.

Of the other ports that Maersk services -- Napier, New Plymouth, Wellington, Nelson and Timaru -- three or four will lose services altogether, depending on whether the loser in the battle to become the South Island hub becomes a secondary port.

Coastal shipping and rail is expected to fill the gaps created by Maersk's changes and rail operator Toll NZ is closely involved in the review. Maersk's major clients -- particularly Fonterra -- are also involved.

Maersk hoped to have the review finished by the end of next month though the changes could take a year or more to implement. No definite decisions had been taken, Mr Gibson said.

- NZPA