Auckland, Ports of Auckland, 26 February 2016 - Ports of Auckland has been nominated as the best seaport in Oceania by freight and logistics industry peers for the 2016 Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain (AFLAS) Awards. One of eight finalists, Ports of Auckland is the only New Zealand port to be included following a nomination process involving more than 15,000 Asia Cargo News readers.
Ports of Auckland Chief Executive Tony Gibson said, “To be chosen as one of the best ports in Oceania by our industry partners worldwide is a fantastic achievement. It is welcome recognition of the commitment our people make daily to ensure we deliver the best for our customers and New Zealand”.
The nomination process asked readers from the Asia Pacific freight and logistics industry to evaluate the port against a set of technical criteria, including; container shipping-related infrastructure, fee structures, investment in new infrastructure to meet future demand, facilitation of ancillary services, truck turnaround times and the efficiency of IT systems.
Ports of Auckland’s selection reflects the company’s position as New Zealand’s largest and most productive container port, handling nearly one million containers a year and ranking the highest on all productivity measures according to the Ministry of Transport. The selection also follows a reported 10% increase in crane rate efficiency as noted in Ports of Auckland’s Interim Report, released earlier this week.
The annual awards, hosted and organised by Asia Cargo News, recognises leading service providers across air and shipping lines, air and sea ports, logistics and other industry professionals across 43 different categories.
Auckland’s port is nominated for Oceania’s Best Seaport alongside Honolulu Harbor, Sydney Ports, Port of Brisbane, Port of Gladstone, Port of Melbourne, Port of Brisbane and Port of Noumea.
Following a round of voting, the initial shortlist will be reduced to three finalists with the winner announced at the AFLAS Awards in Shanghai on June 14. While the only New Zealand based seaport to be shortlisted for an award, Auckland is further represented amongst award nominees with Auckland Airport selected for Oceania’s Best Airport.
Online voting is now open and will remain open until April 10, accessible at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/2016AflasAwards.