A multimillion-dollar contract to build two finger wharves at Ports of Auckland is up in the air because of legal and political manoeuvres.
Fletcher Construction is seeking information from the ports company about the contract by one of its subsidiaries, Brian Perry Civil, to build the wharf extensions about 100m at the end of Bledisloe Wharf into the Waitemata Harbour.
The port company says the extensions are needed to accommodate larger ships and create more usable space.
Neither the port company nor Fletchers would say where things were at with the contract. Preliminary work has begun on extending the wharves. Main work is due to start this month and take 18 months.
Last week, the council took the first step as owner of the port company to halt work on the extensions. Council chief executive Stephen Town wrote a letter asking the council body overseeing the ports company to "encourage" port bosses to halt the extensions until a wide-ranging port study is done.
