It’s been a busy first quarter for the NZ Council of Cargo Owners with a range of issues that are either impacting shippers right now, or have the potential to, on our agenda. Those of you who attended the OGM in late February (hosted by CentrePort) had the opportunity to hear firsthand about some of these issues and how the Council is responding.
A priority focus for the Council is poor port productivity combined with increasing port charges. We have established a sub-committee to drive forward Council’s strategy to shine some light in this area. The subcommittee is led by Jade Elstone (PanPac) with Mike Knowles (Zespri), Murray Horne (Oji FS), Dritan Ramohitaj (NZTIA) and Maico Lenhard (Alliance). They are currently gathering insights from other sector stakeholders, and compiling data to support the NZCCO strategy.
For a sample of NZCCO’s messaging on this issue see recent media statements and coverage received in BusinessDesk, NZ Herald and Radio NZ
- Cargo Owners reiterate need to see Bang for Bucks in POAL price hike – NZCCO 24 Jan
- Pressure builds on Port of Auckland to lift its efficiency as users hit out at price rises
- Shipping costs rise, containers short as New Zealand feels Red Sea, Panama Canal supply chain shocks
- Radio NZ Nine to Noon 30 Jan, 2024 – POAL piece starts at 7’20”
The Port of Auckland is being challenged to improve productivity as it hikes user charges. The NZ Council of Cargo Owners told BusinessDesk it is positive that the Port is futureproofing operations, but also wants to see containers moved off of vessels faster.
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External speakers at the OGM included:
- Roger Gray, Port of Auckland (see presentation slides here),
- Andrew Bell & Peter Brunt from Maritime NZ (MNZ) with the latest update on IMO maritime emissions policy and other regulatory developments (see presentation slides here),
- Billy Clemens, Transporting NZ on key issues and opportunities for collaboration between NZCCO and the road freight industry (see presentation slides here),
- Also, Simon Court, MP and Parliamentary Undersecretary – with an update on RMA reform / the Fast Track consenting legislation; and Audrey Sonerson, chief executive of the Ministry of Transport on the update their planned update to the Freight Demand Study
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Upcoming meeting with Ministry of Transport: 1pm Tuesday 9 April (Full Members only)
An online session with the Ministry of Transport to provide feedback on their assessment of the long-term resilience of the Cook Strait Connection. For background on this study and the questions MoT have for cargo owners click here.
Keep an eye out for the calendar invitation for this session.
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Current consultations NZCCO is submitting on:
- Auckland Council Long Term Plan: specifically Part 5 (Long Term Assets including the Port of Auckland) and Part 6 (Port Land). You can review the consultation doc here.
NZCCO’s response will be in line with discussion on port ownership at our Strategy day in December 2023.
o Government Policy Statement on Land Transport – the Government is seeking feedback on the priorities and programmes in the draft GPS, Read the draft GPS 2024 here.
NZCCO’s response will be in line with our policy positions in the current NZCCO manifesto.
- Fast Track Approvals Bill – this Bill to deliver a fast track one stop shop consenting regime was introduced under urgency in early March. You can review a summary of the key provisions of the Bill here.
NZCCO’s response will be consistent with our continued call for fast tracking of critical supply chain infrastructure.
Other areas NZCCO is currently participating in to ensure the voice of NZ shippers is heard loud and clear:
- The Freight Futures 2024 Conference 12 April – Grand Millenium, Auckland. For more details on the conference see here.
- The Climate Change Commission review on whether emissions from international shipping and aviation should be included in the 2050 emissions reduction target. Consultation on this commences 8 April – you can view the discussion document here.
- The Ministry of Transport Freight Demand Study (members have been issued questions to help with the planning of the methodology for this study)
- Transport Senior Leaders Roundtable on Emissions Reduction Plan
- Customs NZ Review Stakeholder Reference Group
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Recent information releases that may be of interest to shippers:
“provides a snapshot of domestic port and freight activity, delving into the global and domestic operating environments through a series of in-focus articles, economic analysis, and analysis of port financial and operational trends. These articles take a closer look at efficient and effective supply chains, including the steps that can be taken to improve resilience; how to navigate a dynamic enabling technology landscape and the opportunities presented by data and insight-driven logistics”
And finally, a placeholder for AGM 2024 24 July
This year’s NZCCO AGM will be held on Wednesday 24th July, hosted by Zespri International Ltd at their office in Mt Maunganui.
Full details including the agenda will distributed in due course but please block this date out in your diary now.
