In early 2026, ISS sought to establish a formal partnership with a specialist provider for marine waste collection services at both the Port of Auckland and Port of Tauranga. Their requirements included both scheduled and on-call collection services for cruise ships and commercial vessels – including sludge, oily wastes, grey water, black water, and SOx waste streams.
Specifically, ISS required a partner capable of achieving reliable response times -bringing experienced personnel, specialist equipment, and providing strong operational communication within a highly regulated and time-sensitive port environment. Successful delivery also required alignment with complex shipping schedules, port access requirements, and international marine waste compliance obligations.
With teams mobilised at both the Port of Auckland and Port of Tauranga, InterGroup delivers compliant marine waste disposal and management services across a broad range of vessel and port waste streams.
Delivering a Flexible Marine Waste Solution
InterGroup was engaged to provide a responsive end-to-end marine waste collection and disposal service tailored to the operational demands of the shipping industry. Our existing port access approvals, specialist marine waste capability and experienced personnel underpinned rapid mobilisation and seamless integration into ISS’s operational systems and service expectations.
Currently servicing approximately six vessels per month, the programme is heavily aligned with New Zealand’s cruise ship season (between November and June), during which ISS manages approximately 70 percent of the national cruise ship market. Outside of cruise season, we continue to provide service across a range of commercial vessels including cargo ships, fuel carriers and vehicle transporters.
The works involve collection and transport of a variety of marine waste streams (oily water, sludge, grey water, black water and SOx waste). Waste is collected directly from vessels by connecting InterGroup’s Class 3 vacuum tankers to onboard pumping systems, enabling efficient transfer and reduced turnaround times while vessels remain within restricted wharf windows.
Different waste streams are segregated and managed using specific treatment and disposal methodologies to ensure compliance with environmental and regulatory requirements. Grey and black water are typically processed through InterGroup’s trade waste facilities, while oily and hazardous wastes are treated, recycled or disposed of through approved consented facilities, including InterGroup’s Stonedon Drive treatment facility where appropriate.
Managing Complex Port and Shipping Requirements
Marine waste collection operations require constant and clear coordination between multiple parties, including ISS, port authorities, ship captains, shipping agents and InterGroup’s operational teams. Vessel schedules are frequently affected by weather conditions, berth availability and port operational constraints and this requires a highly flexible and responsive delivery model.
InterGroup’s large resource base and flexible workforce mean our crews can adapt quickly to changing vessel schedules and our 24/7 capability means we can provide day, night and weekend works.
Communication is maintained at all operational levels, from on-site crews and administration teams through to operational management and client stakeholders, ensuring service continuity and efficient coordination throughout each vessel visit.
The works also involve significant compliance and documentation requirements to meet MARPOL regulations. Detailed tracking, sign-off and certification processes are completed for each waste stream collected, including coordination with vessel captains and provision of disposal and treatment documentation back to ISS.
At our Stonedon Drive facility, we safely treat and manage oily and hazardous waste streams through fully consented, environmentally responsible processes.
Project Results
Since its commencement, InterGroup has consistently met ISS’s service, programme, and budget expectations while delivering reliable marine waste collection services across both Auckland and Tauranga ports.
The partnership has established a scalable and responsive operating model capable of supporting both cruise and commercial shipping operations within complex port environments. Ongoing performance and communication processes continue to support service improvements and operational efficiencies.
The success of this partnership has also created opportunities to expand InterGroup’s service delivery to additional commercial shipping customers within the wider ISS network.