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Speaker 1: Solid report from Port of Auckland. We've got record container volume,

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Speaker 1: stronger than expected early crew season, which has led to

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Speaker 1: an underlying net profit after tax to forty two million

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Speaker 1: dollars with a dividento the local council of twenty five

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Speaker 1: million dollars. That your CEO is Roger Gray. Who's back, Well,

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Speaker 1: that's Roger, very good morning to you.

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Speaker 2: Good morning, Mike.

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Speaker 1: How much of this is specifically you and what you've

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Speaker 1: done and how you've done it versus the rising tide

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Speaker 1: of the economy Generally.

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Speaker 2: I think it's a combination of both. There's been some

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Speaker 2: one off heavy bulk volume supporting Genesis, our partner, as

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Speaker 2: they were rebuilding the coal stophile, but we're seeing also

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Speaker 2: improved operational performance at the port and that's giving customers

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Speaker 2: a choice to use us where we weren't doing that

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Speaker 2: a couple of years ago.

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Speaker 1: How do you do when you steer out your window

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Speaker 1: and you see all the coal arriving in the country.

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Speaker 1: Do you go that's good for business? Or do you

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Speaker 1: go we're not going to meet our Paris climate target

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Speaker 1: or it is what it is?

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Speaker 2: Mike. I see it as a partnership with Genesis, and

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Speaker 2: really if they need, they need the support to keep

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Speaker 2: the hunt going, then we'll provide it for them, as.

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Speaker 1: Simple as that. Long term your twenty four to thirty

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Speaker 1: four picture consent for bigger ships and stuff. Is that

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Speaker 1: going to happen or hopefully it will happen.

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Speaker 2: Well, we're in the fast track. We're one of four

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Speaker 2: active applications that are currently in and I'm very confident

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Speaker 2: that we'll get approval. We've already consulted with over one

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Speaker 2: hundred and forty community groups and we feel this genuine

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Speaker 2: support for the port doing this work.

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Speaker 1: Are you getting much pushback?

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Speaker 2: No, No, we're actually getting a lot of support because,

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Speaker 2: if you remember, it's part of it is that we'll

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Speaker 2: sell back to the city Captain Cook and Marsden once

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Speaker 2: the warves are built, so it's a win win for

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Speaker 2: both the city and also for us.

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Speaker 1: We also got an increase in full year expectations. Are

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Speaker 1: you bullish about New Zealand for this year or two?

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Speaker 1: Is that saying too much?

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Speaker 2: No? I think we're certainly seeing growth in a number

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Speaker 2: of areas as a containers are particularly up eight percent.

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Speaker 2: We think that growth will continue. We have seen a

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Speaker 2: very soft car market, which I'm sure you're aware of

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Speaker 2: up to thirty percent of cars are down, but I

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Speaker 2: think that's going to come back over the next six months.

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Speaker 2: So we're feeling very confident in our profit upgrade and

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Speaker 2: we know we can deliver that seventy five to eighty

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Speaker 2: medion for the city.

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Speaker 1: And you paid down a lot of debt. What's that

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Speaker 1: allowing you to do?

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Speaker 2: Allows us have money the debt, heead do the investment

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Speaker 2: in the walls, the big ship capability, the conversion of

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Speaker 2: the straddles to foll High, all of the capital work

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Speaker 2: we need to do. We've got the ability to do

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Speaker 2: that within our own borrowing capability.

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Speaker 1: Okay, and I'm reading about Northport. This will presumably in

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Speaker 1: some way, shape or form affect you. Is this problematic

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Speaker 1: for you or not?

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Speaker 2: Really? No, we're quite relaxed about it. And you're probably

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Speaker 2: aware that we've agreed to sell our twenty percent of

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Speaker 2: the MMH if the deal goes ahead.

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Speaker 1: Right, And if the deal goes ahead, is that better

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Speaker 1: for New Zealand in general?

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Speaker 2: I think it. Continuing to rationalize and get the port

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Speaker 2: sorted out is a really important next step, and certainly

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Speaker 2: Port of tot On has moved to take NMH Private

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Speaker 2: is part of its strategy good Stuff.

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Speaker 1: Nice to talk to you as always, Roger Grave, Port

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Speaker 1: of Auckland CEO. For more from the mic Asking Breakfast,

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