Freight sector livid as Port of Auckland hikes access fee by 77%

Auckland Council-owned Port of Auckland has announced that port access charges for road transport operators in 2026 will be increased by 77%.
The increase will see trucks charged $230 in peak hours and $100 in off-peak hours to drive into the port.
Port of Auckland had previously flagged a 35% rise in charges for 2026 – a figure already factored in by port users and logistics firms. Justin Tighe-Umbers, chief executive of the National Road Carriers Association, slammed the move, saying it was “a bitter pill to swallow”.
“The Port was already on a price path to deliver the financial return Auckland Council was seeking. This sudden escalation does nothing to improve port productivity or services for customers, it is a cash grab, plain and simple.”
Port of Auckland chief executive Roger Gray told RNZ that while the port did bring the charges forward, the increases were signalled a year ago and “shouldn’t be a surprise to the sector.”
“For too long, the Port of Auckland hasn’t been making enough money for its owner, the ratepayers of Auckland, and have been subsidising importers and exporters.”
Tighe-Umbers said the timing could not be worse.
“Exporters, importers, manufacturers and ultimately consumers stand to wear the estimated $25 million per year cost increase, during a cost-of-living crisis without seeing a single improvement in return.
“We accept that Auckland Council needs to make a fair return on behalf of ratepayers, and the Port of Auckland is already on track to do that. But the council will be stripping another $25 million a year out of the productive part of the economy and adding no value themselves. This is classic monopoly behaviour – who else can raise prices 77%?
“They are treating the Port as a revenue tap they can simply keep turning on without consequence. The Council needs to be very careful not to overreach and attract the attention of the Commerce Commission – VBS charges have gone up an incredible 2461% over the last four years.”
The Port has taken on board feedback from the freight sector, extending out the timing of the total increase to July 2026.
“But in the end, the increase has still doubled, and will still impact the competitiveness of our exporters, importers and manufacturers and in turn increase the cost of living for consumers.
“The increase is the opposite of what the Government is trying to achieve in the year of productivity and growth. As an exporting nation, every time costs increase we hurt our ability to compete on a global stage.”