When the Establishment was created on January 5, 1962, the infrastructure of the port of Papeete was of limited scale. It extended from the quay of honor to Fare Ute, where oil depots were already located.

The establishment of the Pacific Experimentation Center in French Polynesia would profoundly alter this situation. From 1962 to 1966, major expansion works were undertaken on the reef and islet of Motu Uta. This period marked the rise of development for the port of Papeete.

The port will then continue its expansion by taking advantage of the natural shallows that will allow it to reach its current configuration, with an area of approximately 70 hectares. The PAP's domain will also expand beyond Papeete through the allocation of the Taina marina and the port and marina of Vaiare in the 1990s, the allocation of the public maritime domain of Phaëton Bay in 2012, and then more recently, the allocation of the port and marina of Uturoa in 2018.

The expansion of the port area in Papeete has now reached its limits. To address this issue, the Port Authority of Papeete (PAP) will therefore need to prioritize a two-pronged strategy: continuing to expand its area where relevant, and rationalizing the surface area already built upon where it is not.

The PAP must also meet the needs of the various port sectors that make up its activity, both in Papeete and elsewhere.

Finally, the Port of Papeete (PAP) needs to rethink its integration with the capital and its surroundings. The port's central location on the waterfront makes it a highly sought-after area for Polynesians.

The master plan for the development of the Autonomous Port of Papeete for the period 2022 to 2032 was adopted by the Board of Directors of the establishment and validated by the Council of Ministers on March 15, 2023.