A shared vision for the efficient and safe movement of freight across the Upper North Island and beyond has been identified in the Upper North Island Freight Accord, developed by the NZ Transport Agency with the support of a number of industry organisations and local government.
The Accord delivers on the Government’s direction to improve the efficiency of freight movements in order to make the New Zealand’s economy more internationally competitive, grow our exports and ensure safety.
Transport Agency Freight Portfolio Director Harry Wilson says the organisations have developed the Accord as a shared view of the freight challenges and opportunities facing the upper North Island to ensure a collaborative approach to planning and investment decisions which affect the movement of freight.
“The Upper North Island Freight Accord gives us a common understanding of ways to lift freight efficiency and improve safety, something that will benefit all of New Zealand,” Harry says.
Around 56 per cent of New Zealand’s freight is moved within the upper North Island meaning that freight efficiency in the region affects the prosperity of the whole country.
“The size of the national freight task is expected to grow by 50 per cent over the next few decades, so developing strategies to make the freight system as efficient as possible will reduce the cost of goods and increase the competitiveness of our importers and exporters,” Harry says.
The Accord identifies principles, actions and success factors that will deliver a better freight system which delivers certainty for investors.
“As an exporting nation with a focus on the primary sector, freight is the lifeblood of our economy and so it is critical that all the groups across the freight sector work together to make this system as good as it can be,” Harry says.
There are 21 organisations who support the Upper North Island Freight Accord;
The Upper North Island Freight Accord follows on from the Upper North Island Freight Story(external link) which was a process of high level conversations to develop a summary of critical issues constraining the efficient movement of freight and outlining a share approach to decision making among the partners.
The Accord is part of a national freight planning process undertaken by the Transport Agency which has seen the preparation of a draft South Island Freight Plan(external link) while work continues on a Central Freight Plan. Once work on freight planning in all three regions is further advanced, work will begin on a national freight plan which will look at how the nationwide freight system can be planned and developed with a ‘one network’ approach.
A copy of the Upper North Island Freight Accord is attached, or can be viewed on our website(external link).
