Auckland Mayor Len Brown has today walked out of a council meeting following a stoush with councillor Cathy Casey over the port expansion.

After pushing for a debate on the issue as an item of extraordinary business, Ms Casey responded to Mr Brown's refusal to the request by accusing the mayor of not listening to the people of Auckland.

When Mr Brown asked Ms Casey to withdraw her comment because he regarded it as a personal insult, and she didn't, he asked her to leave the chamber at the Orewa service centre.

Mr Brown then walked out.

The meeting resumed about 20 minutes later when Ms Casey agreed to apologise and withdrew her comment.