Two port unions are calling on Christchurch City Holdings Limited to pause a decision on the proposed Te Awaparahi Bay wharf expansion, and have told the Lyttelton Port Company board to change course immediately or resign.

The Maritime Union of New Zealand and the Rail and Maritime Transport Union say CCHL is due to consider LPC’s investment case for the expansion on Friday, at the same meeting it considers a proposal from Tōnui.

Tōnui is a consortium made up of three Ngāi Tahu rūnanga, Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke at Rāpaki, Te Ngāi Tūāhuriri Rūnanga and Te Taumutu Rūnanga, alongside DP World, a ports and logistics company owned by the Government of Dubai.

The consortium lodged an unsolicited proposal with CCHL in June seeking a long term licence to operate the port. 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 port operations.

Tōnui has said the arrangement would bring in capital and expertise while keeping the port in public ownership and reducing future funding pressure on ratepayers.

They’ve refused to comment on how much money they’ll make in the deal or where that money goes.

DP World operates more than 80 marine and inland terminals across more than 40 countries and reported revenue of US$24.4 billion last year.

It has no existing operations in New Zealand.

Questions from Chris Lynch Media about the proposal have been handled by public relations firm Shanahan Partners on Tōnui’s behalf. The firm declined to comment when approached, and DP World did not respond to questions.

The unions oppose the proposed long term operating arrangement, which they said would amount to the privatisation of port operations, and expect it to be rejected.

RMTU Lyttelton Port Branch Secretary Mark Wilson said the business case for the wharf expansion was flawed and its forecasts substantially overestimated future import and export demand across Canterbury.

“These projections do not adequately account for current geopolitical realities or changing global economic conditions. Pushing ahead with a major wharf development under these conditions would be irresponsible.”

The unions said the approach taken by CCHL and LPC was inconsistent with their public commitments to responsible ownership, scrutiny of capital investment, community engagement and partnership with local iwi.

MUNZ Lyttelton Branch Secretary Gerard Loader said CCHL had allowed port management to act unilaterally rather than treating iwi, local communities and the workforce as strategic partners.

“The port cannot charge ahead with a major project without the backing of the community and the workers who keep it running.”

Loader said the project had to be considered alongside a broader push towards asset sales, including the ownership review of Enable Networks.

“Selling public assets destroys public value rather than protecting Christchurch’s long-term interests.”

The unions want the full business case made public and discussed with Christchurch residents, who they described as the port’s ultimate public owners.

A public gathering is planned outside the CCHL offices at 151 Cambridge Terrace from 8am to 10am on Friday while the board deliberates.