Northport

Located at Marsden Point, 36 km south of Whangarei and 140 km north of Auckland, Northport is a deep water port that presents itself as "the country’s northernmost multi-purpose port and the closest to most of New Zealand's international markets."  Northport is relatively new; the first berth opened in 2002.  By 2007 it had supplanted Port Whangarei further up the Harbour.  Adjacent to Northport are the Refining NZ facilities, including jetties for offloading imports of fuel and oil products. 

Much of the cargo coming out of Northport is logs, as well as some woodchips and processed timber (veneer and triboard).  The 2017 annual report for Marsden Maritime Holdings Ltd. cited "record cargo volumes totalling 3,646,000 tonnes."  Further, "Log exports climbed to 2,808,000 tonnes...while other cargo throughput increased to 838,000 tonnes."  According to Forest Owners Association's Facts & Figures 2016/17, Northport was New Zealand's second leading port for log exports accounting for 2,875,604 cubic meters or 16% of the total (Tauranga was the leading port at 5,328,417 cubic meters or 31%).

Northport's operators emphasize its role in the growth of Northland and upper North Island, and have advanced a vision for more than doubling its size (>).  During the 2017 election campaign, New Zealand First party leader Winston Peters went further, advocating relocating container operations from the Ports of Auckland to Northport.  The proposal prompted a lot of discussion, being viewed as visionary by some and hare-brained by others.  Unlike the Ports of Auckland, where expansion is constrained, Northport has plenty of room for growth.  The move would provide a big boost to the region, but it would also necessitate a major investment in railway and other infrastructure to make it work.  While some expansion on Northport is inevitable, the more radical move seems unlikely to occur.