South Port reported to the New Zealand Stock Exchange yesterday that an arbiter has made an interim decision suggesting an increase in annual charges, and that decision will form the basis of further discussion with New Zealand Aluminium Smelters.
If agreement cannot be reached, the South Port statement said a final ruling would be sought from the arbiter.
The two parties have been in dispute since April 2008 over the renewal of a 35 year licence agreement covering Tiwai wharf and associated port infrastructure, but the statement said it was not yet possible to determine the impact of the agreement on company profitability.
New Zealand Aluminium Smelters, which operates the Tiwai Point smelter on the banks of Bluff Harbour, is South Port's largest customer by volume.
