Lack of plan for maritime industry a serious problem

Mar­itime Union of New Zealand Gen­er­al Sec­re­tary Joe Fleet­wood says recent state­ments from Min­is­ter of Trans­port Stephen Joyce and retir­ing Paci­fi­ca Ship­ping Chief Exec­u­tive Rod Grout on New Zealand ports and ship­ping show the need for imme­di­ate action in the mar­itime indus­try.

Mr Fleet­wood says it is incor­rect for the Nation­al Gov­ern­ment to say they want mar­ket forces decide the future of the mar­itime indus­try, when mas­sive tax­pay­er invest­ment was direct­ed at roads and rail.

He says that a “hands off” approach to the mar­itime indus­try means major mar­ket play­ers would dom­i­nate the mar­ket and make deci­sions that could harm New Zealand’s trans­port infra­struc­ture.

“The warn­ing from Rod Grout that New Zealand car­go could end up being hubbed through Aus­tralian ports is a very real pos­si­bil­i­ty, which would result in fur­ther loss of con­trol of New Zealand exports and down­grad­ing of our trans­port infra­struc­ture.”

Mr Fleet­wood says the Union is advo­cat­ing a KiwiPort con­cept which would see co-ordi­na­tion of ports at a nation­al lev­el, a lev­el of invest­ment by Gov­ern­ment, and a planned approach to New Zealand’s trans­port needs.

He says an exam­ple of the much pro­mot­ed “mar­ket forces” caus­ing hav­oc are the moves by Fonter­ra to shift its prod­ucts onto long dis­tance rail rather than through local ports which had dam­aged the Port of Timaru in 2009.

“The path pro­posed by the cur­rent Gov­ern­ment is to do noth­ing and let destruc­tive parochial com­pe­ti­tion play out between our ports and a few self-inter­est­ed big play­ers.”

He says New Zealand has con­tin­ued to be dis­ad­van­taged by its depen­dence on glob­al ship­pers who con­trolled port trade.

“As a trad­ing nation and a mar­itime island nation, it is irre­spon­si­ble and short sight­ed to have no long term direc­tion for our mar­itime trans­port indus­try set by the Gov­ern­ment.”