The Port Future Study was a mayoral initiative to provide Aucklanders with an opportunity to have their say on the future of Auckland's port.
To ensure the wider community was involved in decisions about our port's future, the study was established to bring together a wide range of interested groups and mana whenua members. It was conducted independently from Auckland Council and was without political representation.
The study considered the economic, social, environmental and cultural costs and benefits, as well as the feasibility of a range of options for the future of the port.
It provided Auckland Council with recommendations about a long term strategy for sea-based trade in and out of Auckland. View the Port Future Study's recommendations. The council will then make decisions on matters arising from the Port Future Study with those recommendations in mind.
The study was be completed in July 2016. More information about the Port Future Study design is available in the Auckland Development Committee report agenda (PDF 107KB).
The Port Future Study recommended a long term strategy for the provision of facilities to accommodate sea-based imports and exports and the cruise industry flowing to and from Auckland and its wider region in an economically, socially, culturally and environmentally acceptable manner, taking into account competing uses for city centre waterfront space and the various impacts of options.
The objective and final study scope were agreed by the consensus working group.
A collaborative approach to conducting the study was chosen. This approach allowed stakeholders and mana whenua to engage in an independent and transparent process that resulted in recommendations to the council that represented a consensus viewpoint.
The Port Future Study had two groups, each consisting of stakeholders and mana whenua that will be the vehicles for this collaborative process - a reference group and smaller consensus working group.
Dr Rick Boven was appointed as independent chair for the reference and the consensus working groups.
Stakeholders and mana whenua met on 9 and 14 July 2015 respectively and selected the consensus working group members.
The larger reference group consisted of stakeholder organisations from Auckland's wider community with an interest in the future of the port. Mana whenua iwi Ngāti Whātua, Marutūahu, Waiohua-Tāmaki Alliance and Waikato-Tainui were also represented.
The purpose of this group was to:
There were 16 members of the consensus working group. Twelve members from stakeholder organisations and four mana whenua. The members were selected from within the larger reference group.
The role of the consensus working group was to:
The consensus working group appointed an independent consultant to identify and evaluate options for the long term future of the port.
Throughout the study, the consensus working group worked with the consultants to understand and guide their work, so that the consensus working group were well-informed when they received the consultant's report and developed their recommendations to the council.
The consensus working group met for the first time on 12 August 2015 and met regularly for the Port Future Study. The group's last meeting was 22 June 2016.
Find out more about the members.
Port Future Study is an independent study commissioned by Auckland Council