4. SUE BRADFORD (Green) Link to this
to the Minister of Transport
Does she agree with the New Zealand Shipping Federation’s September 2006 report, Roadways to Waterways, that “Coastal shipping is the most fuel-efficient mode of freight transport, covering almost four times the distance covered by trucks per cargo ton for the equivalent amount of fuel.”; and what action, if any, will she be taking in response to this report?
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Transport) Link to this
I met with the New Zealand Shipping Federation on 14 September for it to present me with its draft maritime strategy. At that meeting I acknowledged that coastal shipping is an important part of New Zealand’s transport system and that there is room for improvement in the use of coastal shipping. Since that time I have agreed to the establishment of a joint working party, including officials and representatives of the New Zealand Shipping Federation, and I believe one meeting has already been held. I have had discussions around funding of coastal shipping with the chair of Land Transport New Zealand, and have an undertaking that it will clarify the use of funding for coastal shipping. I have undertaken to raise maritime training proposals with the Minister of Education, I will be discussing the draft strategy with infrastructure Ministers before the month is out, and further work is envisaged.
Is she aware that if the freight carried by New Zealand’s coastal fleet, excluding that of Cook Strait, was shifted to land-based transport it would mean an additional 180,000 20-tonne truck movements and 40 million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions each year; if so, what more will she do to support New Zealand coastal shipping to get more freight off the roads, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve the health of all New Zealanders?
I think I outlined in my original answer a range of things that we are undertaking, with a commitment to having better coastal shipping in New Zealand as an important mode of transport. I accept that if we put all the freight that is currently on coastal shipping on roads, we would certainly see an increase in carbon dioxide emissions and use of fuel. I think a lot more work can be done in this area, and I have given a commitment to work on that.
Peter BrownNoting those answers, can the Minister give a categorical assurance that there will be a constructive, tangible outcome from the Government’s response to the Roadways to Waterways report, and that such a response will not be similar to that of the National Party, which stonewalled very, very strongly when earlier shipping development and issues were being proposed whilst New Zealand First was in coalition with National?
Could I say to the member that in less than a month since that review was presented to me, more has been done than was done in all the time the National Party had the opportunity to do something.
What are the Minister’s views on the proposal in the New Zealand Shipping Federation’s report to establish a maritime promotions unit in one of the transport agencies?
It is an issue that we discussed, and it is an issue I have asked Land Transport New Zealand to look at. It does not have such a unit. We do have similar units for road transport within Land Transport New Zealand, and that is one of the issues I have asked it to look at.
Will the Minister also consider establishing a significant contestable fund for promotion, feasibility studies, trials, or pilots of coastal shipping, given the only funding currently available is the $1.5 million a year that is shared between the rail and sea freight allocation, and given that the only shipping money that is available at the moment is, strangely enough, for barging?
In fact, under the Land Transport Management Act, Land Transport New Zealand could use funding for coastal shipping other than barging, but the fact is that only barging has applied for funding under the current money that is available. There has been only one application. I gather there are four other applications for this next financial year, but that does not mean it is only for barging. In terms of the funding, it was $20 million over 10 years, which is a very small amount of money. I have asked Land Transport New Zealand to look at that. But we do need proposals that it could fund that are significant ones.