P. O. Box 335

WESTPORT

Telephone: 03 788 8086

Facsimile:  03 789 6269

As of 12th January 2009 the Port only operates an intermittent 24/7 service

For shipping, navigation and emergency service call: 

03 788 8086 or 021 663 632 / 021 959 279

In early 1988 the government expressed a desire to remove itself from operating the Westport Harbour and held discussions with local councils, the then Westport Borough, and Buller District Council, offering the port and assets to them.

Following discussions the councils agreed to the offer and the government agreed to gift the assets of the Westport Harbour a sum of money to cover deferred maintenance to the local authorities.

The councils formed a management contract with Milburn New Zealand Ltd, the principal port user, to manage the operations on a day to day basis on behalf of the councils.

Milburn New Zealand Ltd, now Holcim (New Zealand) Ltd, then formed their subsidiary company – Buller Port Services Ltd to carry out this work.

The assets of the harbour included the dredger “Kawatiri”, pilot vessel/tug “James O’Brien”, all wharves, jetties and navigation aids, harbour office and assorted buildings, and an engineering workshop complete with an extensive range of engineering plant and equipment. 

On 1 July 1988 Buller Port Services assumed responsibility for the management of the port and harbour on behalf of the Buller District Council.

Buller Port Services was split into two different areas of operation, the harbour and the engineering workshop, but on 1 December 2005 Buller District Council took over the running of the engineering workshop.

Since July 1988 major changes have occurred within the harbour operation.  Among these has been the purchase of a hydrographic package enabling extremely accurate soundings to be carried out.  The results allow precise loading to maximise cargo tonnage and enables the dredger “Kawatiri” to accurately target areas for clearance.  The dredge “Kawatiri” also carries out dredging at Port Nelson and the Port of Greymouth earning extra revenue for the port.

Over a three year period from July 1997 until June 2000 coal shipments were made through the port using the largest barge in the Southern Hemisphere, 16,000 tons deadweight, “Union Bulk 1” (Sea-Tow Ltd).  The majority of the shipments were to Australia and the success of the operation, from a harbour viewpoint, can be directly attributed to the innovative approach by harbour staff to the export potential from the Port of Westport.

In 2005, 184,000 tons of coal was barged from the Port of Westport to Australia and Lyttelton.

On an annual basis, in excess of 430,000 tons of cement is shipped from the Port of Westport to Onehunga, Wellington, Lyttelton, New Plymouth, Napier, Dunedin and Gisborne.

Milburn Carrier II

Click picture for Holcim website

Odyssey

Click picture for Clipper Cruise website

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