PrimePort Timaru handles ships for Lyttelton

Thursday 24th February 2011

PrimePort Timaru is handling a range of ships that would have otherwise have called at Lyttelton Port of Christchurch.

The South Canterbury port is a competitor to Lyttelton and in recent times has lost freight from Fonterra's giant Clandeboye plant near Temuka to Lyttelton.

The seabed at Christchurch's Lyttelton Port has shifted slightly after Tuesday's devastating earthquake, but not enough to stop vital supplies from coming into port.

Chief executive Peter Davie told NZPA today the navy had carried out an extensive survey of the seabed and found one place where it had moved, but it was not a "significant issue".

That meant that fuel and food supplies would be able to landed at the port by the weekend.

PrimePort Timaru chief executive Jeremy Boys said Timaru had handled a container ship yesterday that would have usually called at Lyttelton. It had also handled a fuel tanker and while fuel storage was tight at the Timaru port it was working to help get fuel through to Christchurch.

A fertiliser vessel would call at the weekend and a Maersk container ship on Monday. There were several pending arrivals early next week. All would have previously called at Lyttelton.

Boys said the vessels calling were mostly import-focused ships and he could not comment about export cargo. KiwiRail can move the cargo to its yard at Middleton in the south of Christchurch and distribution have to be worked through from there.

The arrangements were sensible and a realistic proposition while things were sorted out at Lyttelton.

PrimePort Timaru had brought staff back from leave to help out. The port could take strain off Lyttelton for a period of time if that was how the situation developed.

PrimePort Timaru was not damaged by Tuesday's earthquake. The port is two thirds council owned, with the rest owned by investors.

NZPA

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