Loss of Takutai Chief undermines New Zealand shipping and supply chain

 
 The loss of a New Zea­l­and oper­ated coastal freight­er and up to 40 jobs (includ­ing 14 sea­farers) due to the eco­nom­ic down­turn threatens the viab­il­ity and resi­li­ence of our sup­ply chain.
  
Swire Ship­ping, the own­ers of Paci­fica Ship­ping, have advised its second New Zea­l­and coastal freight­er Tak­u­tai Chief will be removed from ser­vice soon after a down­turn in trade.
 
Mr Find­lay says the Uni­on accepts the reas­ons giv­en for the decision, includ­ing cur­rent poor eco­nom­ic con­di­tions and ser­vice changes by inter­na­tion­al lines redu­cing feed­er volumes.
 
“Non­ethe­less, this is a major blow to New Zea­l­and ship­ping and our mari­time work­force, and reduces the resi­li­ence and future secur­ity of our sup­ply chain.”
 
Mr Find­lay says Paci­fica has shown an ongo­ing com­mit­ment to New Zea­l­and coastal ship­ping.
 
He says coastal ship­ping offers a low emis­sion trans­port mode, and reduces con­ges­tion and wear on roads.
 
The situ­ation reflect a lar­ger crisis with­in the New Zea­l­and mari­time industry where there is a lack of sta­bil­ity due to fail­ure in stra­tegic policy, he says.
 
Mr Find­lay says the depend­ence of New Zea­l­and on over­seas ship­ping was a major prob­lem dur­ing COVID with ser­i­ous dis­rup­tions when over­seas ship­ping calls were delayed or dropped.
 
He says skilled New Zea­l­and sea­farers will leave the industry for oppor­tun­it­ies in Aus­tralia, with an age­ing work­force see­ing a large num­ber of sea­farers retir­ing in the near future.
 
Mr Find­lay says the uncer­tainty around the future of Inter­is­lander fer­ries is anoth­er aspect of the ongo­ing crisis in New Zea­l­and ship­ping.
 
“Des­pite being a mari­time trad­ing nation, New Zea­l­and has no clear strategy for a sus­tain­able ship­ping industry, which leaves us exposed and vul­ner­able in a volat­ile glob­al mar­ket.”
 
“New Zea­l­and needs to build its coastal ship­ping capa­city, with New Zea­l­and owned, oper­ated and crewed ships.”
 
Paci­fica Ship­ping is an oper­at­ing divi­sion of Swire Ship­ping (N.Z) Lim­ited.