A future-proofed asset for Tairāwhiti
Eastland Port’s wharves have been rebuilt into a vital and resilient lifeline asset that will support Tairāwhiti’s growing exports for generations to come. They are also capable of withstanding a one-in-2500-year earthquake event, providing greater regional resilience in the event of a natural disaster.
Certainty for exporters
Eastland Port made history on 23 March 2026, with two 180-metre long ships berthing alongside each other for the first time. Twin Berth was the culmination of our biggest infrastructure upgrades in a century, and has been over a decade in the making.
Twin Berth is improving regional resilience and supporting economic growth. It provides more flexibility and efficiency for local exporters, including horticulture, agriculture and the forestry industry, as well as cruise ship operators.
This future-proofed infrastructure means we have significantly lifted our ability to move containerised cargo at scale. As weather regularly impacts the roading network, the option to ship containers directly out of Tairāwhiti gives businesses another viable route to market.
These investments are all about providing certainty for exporters.
The original Twin Berth plans evolved as we considered budgets, operational efficiencies, and environmental factors. The completed infrastructure provides 90% of the initially scoped operational facilities and flexibility, at around 10% of the original proposed cost.
Environmental advantages
The rescoped Twin Berth has also ensured lower environmental impacts. We worked with hapū on the redesign of Wharf 7 to protect the habitat for the Rua Kōura (crayfish nursery) and established Australasia-leading stormwater treatment processes across the Port.
The Wharf 7 rebuild stage won the Innovation Award at the Construction Sector Beacon Awards. This recognised Eastland Port and McConnell Dowell for reducing carbon emissions by 9,748 tonnes and minimising environmental impacts through innovative design.
Creating more jobs for local people
Future proofing our infrastructure
Supporting the regional economy
Considering the environment
THE CURRENT SITUATION – KEY FACTS AT A GLANCE
increase in export tonnage through the port over the last 10 years
Eastland Port is New Zealand’s most efficient (and second largest) log export port
of total employment in the region is from agriculture, forestry and the processing of their products
approx. of Tairāwhiti's GRP associated with Port activities
