A draft plan aimed at improving the way freight is transported across the South Island and beyond has been released for feedback by NZTA.
“The draft South Island freight plan is intended to be a starting point for conversations about how all the organisations in the South Island’s freight network can improve its competitiveness and efficiency,” says NZTA regional director southern Jim Harland.
“We’re expecting to see substantial growth in freight volumes there by 2042, and it is crucial that we plan to meet this growth and keep lifting productivity,” he says.
“Both the public and private sector need to make investment decisions in the right place at the right time. The draft plan sets out the major challenges and constraints within the freight sector and proposes action to address them.”
The draft plan is the result of collaboration across the freight sector with stakeholders including KiwiRail, port companies, road transport operators the NZ Transport Agency and local and regional councils.
The South Island draft freight plan is available to view here
During July and August regional workshops are being held around the South Island to discuss the draft plan. Anyone who cannot make it to a workshop can comment on the draft plan by email to southislandfreightplan@nzta.govt.nz by August 28.
Similar work to develop a co-ordinated freight planning approach has already taken place in the Upper North Island while a similar freight plan will be undertaken for the central region.
