18 Logistics & Transport NZ
NEW ZEALAND’S PORTS
Lyttelton Port Company – futurethinking and community-orientated
BY DANIEL DUNT
LYTTELTON PORT IN CHRISTCHURCH IS THE SOUTH ISLAND’S LARGEST INTERNATIONAL TRADE GATEWAY, FACILITATING THE MOVEMENT OF $6.3 BILLION OF EXPORTS AND $3.9 BILLION OF IMPORTS LAST FINANCIAL YEAR. IT IS HOME TO THE LARGEST CONTAINER TERMINAL OPERATION IN THE SOUTH ISLAND.
The Port holds a crucial role in the economic sustainability of Christchurch and the wider South Island and is therefore committed to developing a profitable Port to ensure that it is able to handle the projected growth in volumes and is sustainable in the long term. Lyttelton Port has a rich and diverse history. Lyttelton Harbour, called Te Whakaraupo(the harbour of bullrush reeds) by Ma-ori and Port Cooper by one of the earliest Pa-keha-
visitors, runs westwards for 13 kilometres between two headlands – about twokilometres apart. Ma-ori have lived in and around the area since 800AD.
regional and territorial authorities including Ashburton, Banks Peninsula, Hurunui, Selwyn and Waimakariri District Councils, and the Christchurch City Council.
In 1988, the introduction of the Port Companies Act created the Lyttelton Port Company (LPC) which took over the Port’s commercial role including the land, assets and facilities. Shares in the new Port Company were allocated to
In 1997, other regional and territorial authorities decide to sell their shares in LPC, effectively raising the level of public shareholding to 30 per cent. The Christchurch City Council became the single largest shareholder with a 65 per cent shareholding.
