Auckland Processing Centre’s New Tech Revolutionises Border Drug and Biosecurity Screening
NZ Post has officially opened its 30,000-square-metre Auckland Processing Centre (APC) in Wiri, which is being hailed as a transformative facility for enhancing biosecurity measures and improving the detection of drugs at the border.
The Auckland Processing Centre (APC) in Wiri serves as New Zealand’s main hub for both international and domestic parcels and mail, acting as the primary gateway for items entering and leaving the country.
Equipped with advanced automation and world-class technology, the APC accelerates the sorting and processing of mail and parcels, improving efficiency and accuracy across the network.
Approximately $250 million has been invested in the Wiri centre along with two other facilities nationwide.
The APC features six parcel sorters and approximately 4 kilometres of conveyor belts circulating throughout the site, with half of the building allocated for domestic parcels and the other half dedicated to international shipments.
NZ Post launched the domestic operations of the facility around this time last year, and the international functions are now fully up and running.
Enhancing the Detection of Drugs and Biosecurity Threats in NZ
Approximately 1 kg of methamphetamine hidden inside a packet of seaweed was being tested by an officer in the inspection room, while ketamine concealed within a coat hanger was found in a separate room.
Customs technical specialist Braden Harris described the new three-dimensional (3D) scanning system used at the facility as “fantastic.”
Meanwhile, Mike Inglis, MPI Biosecurity New Zealand Commissioner North, stated that while New Zealand is already “world class” in managing biosecurity risks, the introduction of new technology will further enhance these efforts.
“With the innovative use of new data and intelligence tools, we will focus on items that pose the greatest biosecurity threat, therefore reducing the likelihood of incursions and ensuring we protect our primary industries,” he said.
“For instance, we don’t want foot and mouth disease coming into New Zealand, so any fresh meat products coming in – [the facility] allows my staff to have much better technology, much better visual images, and we can also make sure we have secondary checks without having to check every item because of the new tech.”
NZ Post chief executive David Walsh described APC as a “very big, important site” capable of processing up to 30,000 parcels per hour at full capacity and noted that all mail in the North Island would be sorted through this centre.
“This is a really important investment for NZ Post. We’re seeing New Zealanders shop more online, and as e-commerce grows, we need to have the equipment and machinery to keep pace with that,” Walsh said.
David Walsh stated that the facility is designed with the capacity to accommodate growth for the next 15 to 20 years.
“In the years to come, we expect Kiwis to shop online more often, with an increased dependency on a delivery network that is reliable and offers greater visibility in real time,” Walsh added.