Port starts 9.5ha land reclamation

By PAM GRAHAM

Ports of Auckland is taking from the seabed and adding to the foreshore.

Port chief Geoff Vazey and Fletcher Construction project manager Steve Hart were at the port's Axis Fergusson terminal yesterday to watch as dredgings from the Rangitoto Channel were mixed with concrete and fed into a land reclamation.

The reclamation will add 9.5ha to the container terminal at the eastern end of the port, including a public walkway and two viewing platforms.

Dredging for the first stage, costing $55 million, has just started.

It will take three years and reclaim about half of the total planned.

The project is deepening the commercial shipping lane into the port to extend the tidal window for big ships to arrive.

"It is another step in our plan for future capacity," said Vazey.

Ports of Auckland hosts P&O Nedlloyd's huge 4100 container ships and the trend in shipping is for bigger and bigger ships. Fully laden, the 4100s have a 12.5m draught.

When the dredging is complete, those ships will be able to get into Auckland for about 50 per cent of a tidal window, instead of 10 to 15 per cent.

"Because we're using dredging from the shipping lane deepening for reclamation fill, we will require very little quarry rock to be trucked in," said the port's infrastructure general manager Ben Chrystall.

Also, the dredgings will not be disposed of at sea.