Southern ports lose visits

By IRENE CHAPPLE and NZPA

Two South Island ports received bad news yesterday as rationalisation of the industry continued.

Bluff port company South Port denounced a decision by two transtasman shipping companies to stop container vessel calls to Bluff and Timaru, saying it would affect exporters and importers in the regions served by the ports.

The Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Australian National Line (ANL), which run a joint transtasman service, have decided to withdraw MSC's vessel New Plymouth from the service this month.

South Port chairman John Harrington said the decision was disappointing for the regions' exporters and importers, "who will bear additional distribution costs to direct or source their cargo through northern ports".

MSC said exporters and importers in the regions served by Bluff and Timaru could shift their goods by rail to Port Chalmers or Lyttelton.

Harrington said although containers were not the major part of South Port's activity, they had been identified as a growth area for the company.

The company's strategy to boost its container handling capability still remained a viable option for the future.