The embattled Ports of Auckland boss has appeared before Auckland Council for a grilling over mounting shipping delays.
The Ports of Auckland is wholly owned by the council, and today chief executive Tony Gibson answered questions around the lengthy wait times for ships to be processed.
The average wait time is now eight days and there are now five ships waiting in the Hauraki Gulf to access the Ports - down from 11 over the weekend.
Today Gibson outlined the challenging year the port has had, with business completely disrupted by Covid-19.
"It's not just the port's recovery, it's the entire supply chain," he said.
He faced a myriad of questions from councillors relating to the delays, but also to safety, with several deaths linked to Ports of Auckland in recent years.
Gibson conceded there was an issue with safety.
"We have, and recognise, an issue with our safety culture."
Mayor Phil Goff queried whether the delays were solely down to Covid-19, and if things were slower now than they were last year.
Gibson said the number of containers being unloaded on average each day, compared to the same time last year, was down - a drop to 25 compared to 30 a year ago.
"Less number of vessels but much bigger exchanges which puts pressure on the workforce."
That was attributed to a switch to the port's automation process, which has faced ongoing problems.
