Shipping giant Maersk is backing Port Otago’s more than $100 million proposal to widen and deepen shipping lanes into Port Chalmers for larger ships, but has reiterated it can give no assurances on future services.
During the informal talks with Port Otago, a Maersk executive said all New Zealand ports, including Port Chalmers, had to improve container turnaround times, but he also acknowledged ports’ criticism Maersk itself had first to “provide better vessel planning” systems, to have ships in port on scheduled times.