The future expansion of Northport needs to be included in an Upper North Island ports review, with the port at Marsden Point more than capable of taking some of the cargo that goes into Auckland, Labour's Auckland issues spokesman Phil Goff says.
Mr Goff was in Whangarei with Labour's regional development spokesman and Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis to look at regional development opportunities. The pair visited regional development agency Northland Inc and Northport, at Marsden Point and Mr Goff said the port was in a unique position of having land around it for expansion, while Ports of Auckland - which wants to expand into the Waitemata Harbour - did not.
"Northport also is a natural deep water port and doesn't need constant dredging. We've got half of the country's ports in the upper North Island and we've got to work out a wider port strategy that looks at Northport, Auckland and Tauranga," Mr Goff said.
He said Northport would seem ideal to take Auckland's imported car loads, but the rail line to Auckland would need upgrading and a rail link to the port built.
Mr Goff said a good business case study would need to be done before any government would commit the hundreds of millions needed for both lines.
