Port of Tauranga lodges ministerial referral application

Port of Tauranga lodges ministerial referral application
for fast-track consideration
Port of Tauranga Limited (NZX:POT) today requested that its Stella Passage
development resource consent application be referred by the Minister for
Infrastructure to the fast-track consenting process.
The application is the same as the one lodged with the Environmental
Protection Authority in April this year as a “listed project” under schedule 2 of
the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024.
The new application will run in parallel with the Port’s listed project
application, which has been delayed following a judicial review by the High
Court. In a decision issued on 27 August, the Court determined that the
Environmental Protection Authority should not have accepted the application
as the project was not exactly as described in schedule 2 of the Act. An expert
panel to examine the application had been due to start work on 1 September
but was put on hold pending further direction from the Court.
Port of Tauranga Chief Executive, Leonard Sampson, said the company had
been assured that the mistake in the schedule 2 description was a legislative
drafting error.
“We’re very grateful for the support from Ministry for the Environment
officials and Government Ministers to resolve the situation. The Stella
Passage resource consent application has always included the Sulphur Point
and Mount Maunganui wharves,” said Mr Sampson.
“Ministers are hopeful of amending the legislation by the end of the year.
However, if this proves impossible, we hope to avoid further delays by having
an alternative, direct referral application already under way.”
“We want to expedite the application as quickly as possible. We are currently
turning away shipping services that want to call at Tauranga, which is
negatively impacting the New Zealand economy.”
Media Release
19 SEPTEMBER 2025

The Environment Court has already established that the environmental impact from the
Stella Passage development will, from a Western science perspective, be minor in the short-
term and negligible in the long-term. However, Port of Tauranga has been unable to reach
agreement with opposing iwi and hapū parties on the appropriate level of mitigation for the
cultural impacts of the development.
The Stella Passage development is one of regional and national significance and involves
extending the Sulphur Point container berth by 385 metres (in two stages) and the Mount
Maunganui wharves by 315 metres, by converting existing cargo storage land within the
port’s current footprint. The project also involves associated dredging for the necessary
vessel turning circle along with minor reclamation of land directly behind the new wharves.
For more information, please contact:
Rochelle Lockley
GM Communications
021 865 884
Email rochelle.lockley@port-tauranga.co.nz