Operations
NZ Shipping Federation urges Wellington to up maritime focus over trucking
The New Zealand Shipping Federation has hit out at Wellington’s intransigence over coastal shipping, arguing that maritime is a far better option for both the local economy and the environment than trucking.
The body, which represents coastal shipping operators, has issued a new report, Full Steam Ahead, in which it notes: “One of the biggest impediments to coastal ship operations around New Zealand is a lack of government interest arising because the NZ Government has no skin in the game, with no ownership of ports or ships but 100 per cent ownership of rail-track and operations, and 100 per cent ownership of road infrastructure.”
The report says road transport accounts for 16% of New Zealand’s greenhouse emissions.