The port of Tauranga’s Stella Passage development is moving forward in New Zealand’s fast-track approval process, with an expert panel appointed to examine its application.
New Zealand introduced the Fast-track Approvals Act in 2024 as a mechanism to streamline the system of approving nationally significant infrastructure and development projects.
As part of that process, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPC) has appointed a panel to review the application, commencing September 1, 2025. A decision is expected in late February 2026.
The Stella Passage project involves extending the Sulphur Point container berth by 385 m and the Mount Maunganui wharves by 315 m. The project will also include the associated reclamation of land behind the new wharves and dredging.
Also benefitting from the fast-track approval process is the port of Auckland, which recieved provisional approval for its planned Bledisloe and Fergusson North wharf developments, which it described as “the once-in-a-generation infrastructure needed to serve Auckland for decades to come”.
