Ratepayers or the Napier Port could be levied to bump up harbourmaster insurance cover to $100m following a review of the Rena shipwreck in Tauranga.
Hawke's Bay Regional Council, the owner of the port, was told it was one of the "more risky" ports in the country because of the tight turning manoeuvres to access and the possibility of ships hitting a reef.
An assessment said the port was among the highest ranked for oil spill risk because of its geographical location, but it was not a reflection of the way it was operated, managed or staffed.
The council has completed an 18-month review of its harbourmaster liability insurance cover, prompted by the Rena disaster in 2011.
The results were presented to the council on Wednesday by its compliance and harbour manager Bryce Lawrence.