Port of Tauranga's berth extension gets approval

The Environment Court has confirmed that resource consent will be granted for stage one of Port of Tauranga's planned Sulphur Point berth extension.

The decision, which is the second interim ruling from the court, requires some specific amendments to the conditions proposed by Port of Tauranga.

Stage one of the project involves the construction of 285 metres of additional berth, reclamation, and dredging.

The court determined that the physical effects of the proposal are expected to be minor in the short term and negligible in the long term.

Port of Tauranga chief executive, Leonard Sampson, said the decision was welcome and that the extension is urgently required national infrastructure.

The stage one extension is part of the port's proposed Stella Passage development, which has been listed as a project in the fast-track approvals legislation currently before Parliament.