Coastal ship operators welcome Energy Strategy

14 December 2006
Media Release for Immediate Use

Coastal ship operators welcome draft Energy Efficiency Strategy

New Zealanders coastal shipping interests have enthusiastically welcomed the Government’s draft Energy Efficiency Strategy.

Paul Nicholas, the Manager of the New Zealand Shipping Federation described the Strategy as ‘a huge step forwards to the development of a revitalised New Zealand coastal shipping industry’.

‘The Prime Minister has set a goal for New Zealand to be carbon neutral. Clearly, this will not be achieved as long as we remain as dependent on road freight as we are. Investment in coastal shipping offers the best chance to lower New Zealand’s transport emissions’, Mr Nicholas said.

‘The Strategy acknowledges coastal shipping is a more energy efficient way of moving freight off road. It also notes that coastal shipping is a more energy efficient and emissions reducing mode of transport. These are things our members have known for some time’, Mr Nicholas said.

Mr Nicholas welcomed the Energy Efficiency Strategy’s commitment to further develop the Federation’s Shipping Strategy during 2008, and its promise to investigate opportunities to accelerate realisable potential from efficient fright movements.

‘The Federation’s proposal that the Government fund a Maritime Promotions Unit to move more freight by ship fits well with the Government’s plans, as do our proposals to increase funding assistance for coastal shipping and ports infrastructure’.

‘New Zealand shipping companies have already removed, excluding the Cook Strait, more than 180,000 20-tonne truck movements from NZ roads. And, with the right support, we can remove even more’, Mr Nicholas concluded.

ENDS

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