Wellington, Jan 21 NZPA - NZL Group, the logistics company wanting to set up a container terminal at Port of Tauranga with Ports of Auckland as a customer, is being chucked out of Sulphur Point.

Sulphur Point is the site of Port of Tauranga's container terminal.

NZL director Ken Harris said Port of Tauranga had advised NZL that it was no longer required to provide stevedoring services at Sulphur Point.

NZL would continue operating as a stevedore at common user berths at the port, he said.

It would also speed up its plans to set up a container terminal operation at Sulphur Point.

NZL argues it has the right to set up under an old contract which Port of Tauranga disputes. Port of Tauranga also argues that the combination of stevedore and marshalling services does not amount to a full terminal operation. NZL says it has rights to use about 50 percent of the marshalling area at Sulphur Point.

Shipping companies have traditionally had a choice of stevedore and marshalling services at Port of Tauranga, including C3, a company half owned by the port and half owned by Australian company Asciano.

Mr Harris said it would be crazy not to see the latest move as a response to NZL's plans for a container terminal.

Stevedores work ships, while marshalling covers the working of freight beyond the ship berth.

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