Port unions are warning that a proposal involving Dubai owned DP World running Lyttelton Port would amount to backdoor privatisation of a major Christchurch public asset.

The unsolicited proposal was sent to Christchurch City Holdings Limited, the Christchurch City Council owned company that owns Lyttelton Port Company.

It came from Tōnui, a consortium involving three Ngāi Tahu rūnanga, Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke Rāpaki, Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga, and Te Taumutu Rūnanga, alongside DP World, a port operations and logistics company based in the United Arab Emirates.

The group has pitched it as a way to secure long term investment in Lyttelton Port while keeping the port’s land and strategic assets in public ownership.

Under the proposal, CCHL would retain 100 percent ownership of the port’s land and strategic assets, while a jointly owned operating company would run the port under a long term licence arrangement.

However, unions said the structure raises significant questions, because while Tōnui includes three Māori groups with strong local and cultural connections to Lyttelton Harbour, it would also involve a Dubai based multinational taking over the running of one of Christchurch’s most valuable public assets.

Tōnui declined to comment when approached by Chris Lynch Media, and DP World did not respond to questions.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union are strongly opposing the proposal, saying it could strip wealth from the local community and lead to job losses.

MUNZ National Secretary Carl Findlay said the unions respected local rūnanga but were wary of DP World’s involvement.

“The inclusion of DP World raises serious concerns for workers, ratepayers, and democratic accountability,” Findlay said.

RMTU President Aubrey Wilkinson said: “If a multinational network operator like DP World captures Lyttelton Port, it will mean skyrocketing costs for local businesses, the systematic stripping of community wealth, the degradation of critical safety standards, and widespread job losses on the waterfront.”

The International Transport Workers’ Federation is also backing the New Zealand unions.

President and Dockers’ Section Chair Paddy Crumlin said DP World’s overseas record should alarm New Zealand workers.

“In the UK, we saw how DP World treats its workers with the callous firing of 800 seafarers, with zero notice, to replace them with cheaper workers, and in Australia, we’ve seen how they’re attacking workers’ jobs while raking in record profits and paying no tax whatsoever,” Crumlin said.

He said the company was also trying to push automation through ports. “Right now, we face DP World trying to force through AI automation in our ports, throwing unionised port workers’ jobs on the scrap heap to be replaced by robots. If DP World gets into New Zealand, do you think it will be any different?”

The ITF said DP World had generated more than $4.5 billion in revenue in Australia over eight years while paying no tax there. It also said research had raised concerns about landside tariff increases in privatised Australian ports, including access fee increases passed on to local businesses.

ITF Regional Secretary for the Asia Pacific Scott McDine said the federation would stand with New Zealand port workers against the bid.

“This is a fight that we can and must win, and we stand firmly alongside MUNZ and RMTU for the sake of the port workers and community of Christchurch,” McDine said.

“DP World’s record in Australia makes it very clear to us that the only real winners from this proposed takeover of Lyttelton Port will be DP World.”

The ITF will join affiliated unions in New Zealand at a National Coordinating Committee meeting in Auckland in July 2026, around the E tū Biennial Conference.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger has previously told Chris Lynch Media there would be no deal involving Lyttelton Port Company.