Construction work on Auckland's Bledisloe North wharf, which will have capacity for large cruise ships and containers, has officially kicked off.
It's part of the Port of Auckland expansion project - including a new reinforced concrete-piled wharf at the Bledisloe Terminal, an extension of the Fergusson North Berth, a cruise passenger terminal and other upgrades.
The Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and the Infrastructure minister Chris Bishop attended a blessing event at the wharf on Friday, marking the commencement of the $200 million project which was the first to get consent under the government's fast track regime.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addresses the gathering. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
Luxon said it's expected that the ports project will deliver $5.4 billion to the Auckland economy and about $6.6 billion to the broader New Zealand economy, over the next 30 years.
He said experts found that the project can sustain nearly 160,000 jobs by 2053.
"Kicking off construction now means that Aucklanders don't have to wait, they can get the benefit of those jobs much quicker much faster, and we can all get the economic benefits as a result of legislation, that's the power of it," he said.
Luxon said the new cruise terminal at Bledisloe wharf will continue the momentum for the international cruises, which will benefit local businesses.
Port of Auckland said the construction of Bledisloe North Wharf, undertaken by HEB Construction, is expected to take 14-16 months.
Port of Auckland chief executive Roger Gray said the investment will ensure Auckland continues to thrive as an economic hub for trade and tourism.
"One of the most exciting parts of this development is that this will make us big ship capable for cruise and containers, and support Auckland well into the future.
Port of Auckland CEO Roger Gray . Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
"We're also investing in the creation of Auckland's newest cruise terminal. We'll be codesigning it with iwi, customers, stakeholders, and the community to reflect the rich cultural, social, and economic diversity of our city," Gray said.
Gray said the new wharf will provide Aucklanders with more access to the waterfront, and reduce the number of cruise ships needing to use the downtown ferry ferry basin.
Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop alongside Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi
The new wharf will have capacity for cruise ships more than 200m long, which would allow the Princess Wharf berth to be reserved for smaller ships.
Construction on Bledisloe North wharf begins. Photo: Unsplash / Tim Marshall
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