“GOVERNMENT SHOULD STICK TO ITS KNITTING AROUND SUPPLY CHAIN”

The government is right to examine New Zealand’s tenuous supply chain, but it should not seek to intervene beyond being a regulator and infrastructure provider, says Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand.

The Ministry of Transport has recently consulted on New Zealand’s freight and supply chain issues, with Transporting New Zealand providing detailed feedback on behalf of the trucking industry.

“There’s a real risk that the government will try and fiddle with the supply chain, which is essentially an instrument of the market,” says Transporting New Zealand chief executive Nick Leggett.

“The government must use light-touch regulation and instead focus on investment in big infrastructure to facilitate better transport links.” Transporting New Zealand says it supports the government’s approach to taking a longer-term view of the supply chain, particularly concerning the decarbonisation of the transport sector.

“Better, safer roads allow more efficient driving and faster travel times, and they reduce congestion. These factors all assist in reducing emissions and are why we are calling on the government to commit to new roading projects urgently,” Leggett says.

Ninety-three per cent of freight is transported on the road, so more investment in roading maintenance is vital.

“The road transport industry would also not be opposed to investment in projects like a dry dock that would reduce the time our ships have to be away in Australia for maintenance,” he says.

“We also support co-operation around an offshore freight shipping hub to handle major freight coming into the country, which would pave the way for the greater use of coastal shipping, therefore reducing some reliance on linehaul road transport.”

Leggett says such a hub will also reduce the country’s reliance on international shipping lines that may