New Zealand's South Port adds 4,000 sqm dairy storage to support record $16.1m profit

South Port, the operator of New Zealand's southernmost port at Bluff, has expanded its warehousing infrastructure to accommodate the surge in dairy exports. The company purchased the former Southland Coolstores site and redeveloped it into the Bluff Freight Centre, adding 4,000 square metres of storage capacity meeting dairy standards. This expansion directly supports the region's trade flows, which have been bolstered by New Zealand's dairy industry reaching a record export value of $28.8 billion for the year ended June. The port's financial performance reflects the volume-driven growth in the Southland supply chain. Total cargo volumes rose 11.5% to a record 3.96 million tonnes in the year to June, contributing to a 21% increase in net profit, which reached $16.1 million. Derek Nind, South Port's chief executive, noted that the upgrade to dairy-standard facilities was necessary to handle the increased throughput, with container traffic hitting an all-time high of 62,000 TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Units). The port's revenue structure remains heavily reliant on bulk cargo, which accounted for 3.3 million tonnes of the total volume. A significant portion of this bulk trade is linked to the local aluminium smelter, which drives approximately 24% of key port volumes. Beyond dairy, forestry exports dominate primary sector shipments, while imports are driven largely by agricultural inputs such as fertiliser and stock feed. This combination of bulk, container, and agricultural trade creates a diversified demand base that translated volume growth directly into profit.