Finding the meatball in the spaghetti of the port's wider infrastructure connections is something Ports of Auckland owner Auckland Regional Holdings has talked about before, but it was not talking on Wednesday about whether it would forgo dividends or provide funding for the port to buy bits of a major rival.
Critics saw the statement on Wednesday by Ports of Auckland managing director Jens Madsen that "the country's supply chain might be assisted by the purchase of Port of Tauranga business by Ports of Auckland" as a diversion from the port's profit result.
The port's $NZ21.1 million ($A17.29 million) annual profit was down from $NZ64.6 million ($A52.95 million) last year, which included one-time items. Earnings before interest and tax rose 2.3 per cent.
Container volumes were up 8.8 per cent but revenue was up just 3.9 per cent. The big increase in container volume was of trans shipments, which includes empty containers. The volume of export containers fell 2.7 per cent and import containers volume rose 3 per cent.
Port of Tauranga, which was rebuffed in merger discussions with Ports of Auckland last year, said its container business was worth more than Auckland's.
Port of Tauranga chairman John Parker said there had been no actual talks.
"Be assured we have had nothing more substantive that exists in their statement."
ARH spokesman Peter Casey said his organisation had said publicly that some form of port rationalisation has merit.
Industry observers said the issue is wider than just ports trying to increase the return on their expensive land and equipment.
Shipping companies virtually never promise to stay at a port so ports invest in infrastructure without the assurance that large customers will stay with them. Shipping companies themsleves are struggling to make profits on container shipping and mergers have changed port calls.
Those promoting the idea of port mergers say it will stop ports over investing in cranes to attract ever larger container ships.
One or two hub ports will emerge in New Zealand and there is a danger that Australian hubs will dominate.
"New Zealand needs world class port infrastructure and a logical approach to future investment in the port and intermodal sectors," Madsen said.
Analysts said a purchase of Port of Tauranga's container business would allow Auckland to use Metroport, the inland hub that Port of Tauranga set up in Auckland to handle containers and save it the cost of developing an inland site at Wiri.
Port of Tauranga chief executive Mark Cairns said his port had always held the view that a full merger of Port of Tauranga and Ports of Auckland made good sense.
"That view has not changed."
Port of Tauranga is due to report its profit on August 28. The port is listed but is part owned by Environment Bay of Plenty.
"A rough and ready calculation would suggest that Port of Tauranga's container business would be worth substantially more than Ports of Auckland's container business," Cairns said.
Ports of Auckland declared a $NZ7.19 million ($A5.89 million) second half dividend to be paid to its council owner. It declared a dividend of $NZ9.5 million ($A7.79 million) in the first half.
It paid dividends of $NZ22.7 million ($A18.61 million) in the year but this figure related to payment dates, not declarations for the period.
Ports of Auckland was taken off the share market when the council moved to full ownership. The port's valuable land holdings to the west of the Auckland waterfront have been separated from the port operating business and bold plans for developing a new city suburb on the land exist.
Industry observers said the Government would take a dim view if funding the proposed deal reduced ARH's ability to fund roads and other infrastructure and made a regional fuel tax more likely. The vision behind ARH, the commercial arm of Auckland Regional Council, was not buying cranes in another city.
