South Port moved 1.025 million tonnes of cargo across its Bluff wharves in the three months to 30 September, up 13 per cent on the 904,000 tonnes handled in the same period last year, shareholders were told at the company's annual meeting on Wednesday.

The update came as the NZX-listed port company held its 38th annual meeting in Bluff and online, the last for chair Philip Cory-Wright, who is stepping down after 16 years on the board, the past three as chair. Nicola Greer takes over.

Chief executive Derek Nind, who started in July, told shareholders the company plans to add about 21 roles over the next 12 to 18 months as it gears up for growth.

South Port has also bought a 9500 square metre property at 53-55 Gore Street in Bluff, now operating as the Bluff Freight Centre and compliant for dairy storage.

Cory-Wright said the board expects trade volumes in the 2027 financial year to be broadly in line with 2026. Wind farm project cargo, which boosted last year's result, is not expected to repeat this year but is likely to return in 2028 as Mercury's Puke Kapo Hau wind farm takes shape. Construction of its 40 turbines is due to begin in November, with full operation expected by the end of 2028.

Record year behind it

The meeting followed a record 2026 result: after-tax profit of $16.11 million, up 21 per cent, on revenue of $71.8 million. Total cargo reached a record 3.9 million tonnes and container throughput jumped 18.5 per cent to 62,000 TEU, after sitting at about 49,000 TEU a year between 2020 and 2025.

Shareholders will receive a full-year dividend of 29 cents a share, one cent more than last year.

Volumes across the Tiwai wharf rose 16.1 per cent to 940,000 tonnes, approaching historical levels. Cory-Wright noted the wharf licence runs to 2043 and said there was reasonable certainty the smelter would remain part of the community for the foreseeable future.

Planning for 20 to 30 years

Nind said consultant Dennis Koegeboehn is helping the company with a two-stage port plan: first optimising existing operations, then a longer-term transformation that could require major capital over a 20- to 30-year horizon. A replacement tug and a mobile harbour crane are likely to be needed in the short to medium term.

Other regional projects on the port's radar include Ngāi Tahu's 1285-hectare Hananui aquaculture venture, which has fast-track consent, and the Datagrid data centre at Makarewa, where preliminary earthworks have started. Earlier-stage proposals include coal-to-urea conversion, hydrogen production and silicon refining.

Environment Southland sold 14 per cent of its shareholding earlier this month, and board changes continue, with Murray Harrington appointed as a director and Jacqui Nelson and Peter Barker standing for election.

The company spent more than $80,000 on community sponsorship last year and held its biennial open day in March.

Cory-Wright closed his final address by telling shareholders the company has "all the ingredients for a bright future".