Behind the bold play for an alternative future for Lyttelton’s port

Monday, 6 July 2026

Tōnui spokesperson Dr Liz Brown says the three Ngāi Tahu rūnanga involved in the proposal want a direct role in decisions affecting Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour.

A consortium made up of iwi and a global port operator has begun to reveal an alternative future for Lyttelton Port, ruling out further reclamation of the harbour and challenging the port company’s existing growth plan.

Tōnui says the port could accommodate future growth through technology, more efficient operations and greater use of freight hubs.

That approach would depart from Lyttelton Port Company’s plan to reclaim more of Te Awaparahi Bay, a project expected to cost about $800 million.

Christchurch City Holdings, which owns the port on behalf of ratepayers, says it is not choosing between rival plans, but the two proposals bring sharply different futures for the port into view. Neither is guaranteed to proceed.

Tōnui proposes forming a joint venture with CCHL to operate Lyttelton Port while the city retains ownership of the land and other strategic assets.

It has yet to show how much additional freight its model could handle or what investment would be required. Those questions would be tested through due diligence if CCHL and the city council allowed the proposal to proceed.

The proposal has been shaped by Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke, Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Taumutu, which made opposition to further reclamation a condition of their involvement.

Tōnui spokesperson Dr Liz Brown said the rūnanga saw the proposal as a chance to gain greater influence over decisions affecting Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour.

“This is really about us reclaiming some of our rangatiratanga (decision-making authority),” she said.

“That doesn’t mean owning, but it means being part of the decisions and being able to influence those decisions.”

The rūnanga are also seeking funding for harbour restoration, cultural monitoring of water quality and mahinga kai (traditional food gathering), representation in the venture’s governance, and protections and retraining for port workers.

Tōnui proposes using technology, port upgrades and inland freight hubs to increase capacity at Lyttelton Port.

Brown said protecting port workers was one of the rūnanga’s social bottom lines, with existing staff expected to retain their jobs and conditions even if new technology was introduced.

“We’ve been very clear – people retain their jobs on the conditions they have, but also training and upskilling is put in place,” she said.

Tōnui has also agreed to meet port unions, which have sought discussions about the proposal, but no timetable has been set.

DP World first approached the rūnanga in August 2024 to gauge their interest in becoming involved in the port proposal.

Before entering talks, Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke, Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Taumutu agreed three sets of bottom lines covering environmental, social and cultural matters.

The rūnanga presented the conditions to DP World at a hui at Rāpaki in July 2025.

“If those bottom lines hadn’t been agreed to, then we wouldn’t have even continued to this stage,” she said.

An artist's impression of Lyttelton Port Company's reclamation project at Te Awaparahi Bay.

Whakaraupō is central to the identity and history of Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke, mana whenua (customary authority holders) of the harbour.

Brown said generations of Ngāi Tahu had relied on the area for mahinga kai, with access to food and other natural resources shaping where communities settled and how they maintained their connection to the land and water.

Mana whenua see themselves as kaitiaki (guardians) of the harbour, with an obligation to protect its health and resources for future generations.

Brown says the proposal would give mana whenua a stronger role in shaping the future of Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour.

But she said the health of Whakaraupō had deteriorated as development, sediment and contaminants affected water quality and mahinga kai.

The involvement of Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Taumutu reflects the wider footprint of the port operation. The inland freight hubs at Woolston and Rolleston sit within their respective takiwā (territory), linking all three rūnanga to the port’s future.

Tōnui ruling out further reclamation raises a key question about how it would create enough capacity for future freight growth.

Brown said Tōnui would invest in port upgrades and resilient infrastructure to accommodate larger ships and strengthen the South Island supply chain.

The broad approach would involve using the existing port land more intensively, improving freight handling and shifting more activity through the inland ports at Woolston and Rolleston.

That could include stacking containers higher and using technology to move freight more efficiently, rather than creating more land in the harbour.

However, Tōnui has not yet released details showing how much additional capacity those changes would provide, what infrastructure would need to be upgraded or how much they would cost.

Brown said the detail would not be worked through unless the proposal advanced to due diligence, including an assessment of the condition of the port’s existing infrastructure and the stability of the site.

CCHL will consider the proposal at its July 31 board meeting before presenting it to city councillors for consideration.