Kawerau's drive to develop an inland container terminal serving the Eastern Bay of Plenty is gaining traction, with a decision expected early next year on whether or not to go ahead.

A research study being carried out by Rotorua's Scion forestry research institute will be completed by year end, with a stakeholders meeting scheduled for January in order to make a decision.

"The research project is coming to an end and the indicative results to date are very promising," said Glenn Sutton, economic development manager at Kawerau District Council, who has been a key proponent of the terminal.

"I'm passionate about this, but we have to wait until we have the science in our hands to back it up."

If the project gets the green light, it would see a container terminal developed on a five-to-eight hectare site, with a possible throughput that could be as high as 15,000 40-foot equivalent units annually, and a dedicated daily container trainload, he said.

| Continue to full article | Dec 10, 2016 |