Eastland Port shifted three million tonnes of cargo in the financial year to the end of March 2018 to break all previous records for product across the wharf during a year.

In the year to March 31, 178 ships took away 3,002,369 tonnes of cargo from Eastland Port.

Of that figure, 139 ships took away 2,981,749 tonnes of logs and the other 20,619 tonnes of cargo was made up of fertiliser (2380 tonnes on three ships), fish (1319 tonnes on 27 ships), kiwifruit (1959 tonnes on two ships), and squash (14,960 tonnes on seven ships).

“It takes skilled wharf staff and a whole lot of collaboration to shift three million tonnes of cargo at a port short on ship berths and storage space,” said Eastland Port general manager Andrew Gaddum.

ISO and C3 handle the loading and unloading ships at Eastland Port and Mr Gaddum was full of praise for the way the companies operated during the year.

“Staff at those companies are the interface between land and sea.

“They are experts in the handling of cargo and the port’s success as New Zealand’s second largest exporter of logs depends on their safety, efficiency and skill.”

Mr Gaddum said Eastland Port was the gateway to international markets for this region’s prosperous forestry industry.

“I have nothing but respect for the personnel who shift that amount of cargo helping meet the needs of our collective customers in this new era.”

Mr Gaddum said each month more logs were arriving and it was becoming a logistical challenge to clear the wood off port fast enough when log ships could park only one at a time.

“Eastland Port and the handling companies have looked differently at how we work, and together we’ve become more efficient by significantly increasing daily load rates and stacking wood more efficiently.

“The cargo handlers, alongside a dedicated team of Eastland Port staff, can manage three million tonnes of logs in a year, however, in the future the volume of logs is set to increase to between four and five million tonnes.

“When this volume is added to increasing regional export volumes of processed timber, kiwifruit and apples, efficiency alone will not be enough.”

Mr Gaddum said the port’s solution was the twin berth development so two 200-metre long log ships could park in the port at the same time.

“The port needs some moderate expansion to be able to handle that amount of export volume and be fit for purpose for the forestry industry, an industry that’s helping this region prosper. “Even without a twin berth development our aging infrastructure needs significant maintenance and repair.”

The port released its twin berth development plans and proposed resource consent applications to the public in May last year.

In the first of three resource consent applications to Gisborne District Council (GDC) the port applied to rebuild and strengthen the aged wharves 6 and 7, so big ships can tie up, and to reshape the historical slipway for safer shipping movements in port.

The application for the necessary resource consents was publically notified in December 2017.

Mr Gaddum said over the past year more individuals, and iwi and organisational representatives, had taken up the offer to be part of the port’s 15-year-old community liaison group giving them even more access to information and engagement about the twin berth development project.

“More than 100 people representing business, iwi, and the public have taken up our invitation for an Eastland Port twin berth information tour. We’re reaching out to the public in every way we can.

“We’re working through finalising our concepts. If ever there was a time to have your say, it’s now. Just 53 hours and 42 minutes past the 12-month period, the three millionth tonne of logs left Eastland Port on Sibulk Tradition. We need to get on and make this happen.”