Upper North Island Freight Accord

8/20/2019 Upper North Island Freight Accord

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/upper-north-island-freight-accord 1/6

Background

Developing a shared pathway that moves

freight efficiently and improves safety across

Northland, Auckland, Waikato, the Bay of

Plenty and beyond

Improving the freight system

Moving freight safely and efficiently is vital for a small, exporting country

like New Zealand. A better freight system will help grow the economy

and improve the well-being of all New Zealanders.

The Upper North Island Freight Accord has been developed as part of a

process to improve coordination and decision-making across the freight

system. To do this the Accord sets out a shared view across the freight

system outlining:

• shared principles that drive our work together on improving freight

efficiency and safety of the system

• key cross-regional and national action areas, and

• emerging critical questions, challenges and opportunities that need

to be better understood.

The Accord builds on the information and insight gathered from

the development of the Upper North Island Freight Story, which was

developed by the Upper North Island Strategic Alliance (UNISA) -

comprising Northland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty regional councils,

Whangarei District Council, Auckland Council, and Hamilton and

Tauranga city councils - in collaboration with Auckland Transport,

KiwiRail and the NZ Transport Agency.

Moving freight in the upper North Island

impacts all of New Zealand

Northland, Auckland, Waikato and the Bay of Plenty

together generate 52 per cent of New Zealand’s gross

domestic product (GDP) and contain just over half

the population. Around 56 per cent of New Zealand’s

freight is moved within the upper North Island,

meaning that freight efficiency in the upper North

Island affects the prosperity of the whole country.

Upper North Island

Freight Accord



have additional safety requirements such as higher vehicle stability than

standard trucks and better lighting and visibility. Also having fewer truck

trips to move the upper North Island’s freight means there are fewer

trucks on the road.

4. A future-fit freight workforce

People make the whole freight system work and it is their skills andexperience that determine how safe and productive the system is

The transport, postal and warehousing sector employs around 95,000

people, but as our population and economy changes many New Zealand

freight businesses are finding it harder to attract and retain the skilled

people they need. To ensure we are internationally competitive, New

Zealand businesses will need to train, attract and retain enough good,

skilled people to manage the future freight task. While skill-shortages

are a reality in many parts of the freight system, the feedback received

through the engagement process is that the labour and skills shortage

has become an acute problem for road transport. As the freight task

increases, particularly in the upper North Island, there will be a need

for more drivers. There is also an opportunity to increase the skill levelsof truck drivers to deliver safety and efficiency outcomes that have

commercial and public benefits. This is a New Zealand wide question.

5. Smarter regulation plus smart technology for safer,

more efficient freight movements

Regulation is an important component of the transport system, but

opportunities are available to reduce costs, improve outcomes and

reward compliance

New Zealand has around 270 pieces of legislation that relate to

transport, by way of regulations and rules, as well as primary legislation.

In general, these regulations are designed to ensure that the transportsystem is safe, infrastructure is protected from damage or excessive

wear, there is a level playing field for businesses to trade fairly and

users pay for the benefits they derive from the system. The government

has been working to make regulation more effective to achieve these

outcomes, while at the same time reducing the complexity of regulation

and reducing unnecessary compliance costs. There is scope to continue

this regulatory review work to reduce the cost of compliance, while also

improving safety – both for those who work in the industry and other

road users. This is a New Zealand wide question.

1. Deliver a high-performing strategic freight network

The strategic freight network is made up of the most critical road,

highway and rail routes in the upper North Island where significant

volumes, and values, of freight journeys converge. The network provides

access for high volumes and values of freight to, from, through and

around our busiest cities, regions and to the rest of New Zealand. The

network is particularly important for providing access to significant

places-for-freight, including ‘first and last mile’ local road links to these

important freight locations. For our freight system to be efficient, the

strategic freight network needs to provide efficient, resilient, safe and

reliable access across the upper North Island and to the rest of the

country.

2. Identify and plan for significant places for freight

Integrate land use and network planning for future freight efficiency and

liveability

The Upper North Island Freight Story found that there was a lack of

strategic, integrated land use and transport planning and investment.

Given the significant pressures on land use, network capacity and thegrowing freight demand in the upper North Island there is a need to

develop a more comprehensive, integrated approach to current and

future freight-related land use and transport planning and investment

for both road and rail. This includes ensuring better connections

between the strategic freight network and significant places-for-freight,

including ‘first and last mile’ local road links. Significant places-

for-freight include major seaports, Auckland International Airport,

intermodal terminals (such as road/rail transfer points), significant

production areas, distribution/consolidation and warehousing centres. A

more strategic approach would increase certainty for industry and public

sector agencies and support effective industry, local government and

central government planning and investment.

3. Moving more freight on fewer trucks

Maximising vehicle and network productivity

The introduction of high productivity motor vehicles (HPMVs) in 2010

has allowed for a range of new vehicle designs that can carry more

freight with each trip. Using these safer and more efficient freight

vehicles can improve productivity by between 14-20 per cent. HPMVs

are also safer than the standard big trucks they replace, as most are

newer vehicles with more advanced safety features built in. HPMVs also

FIVE critical action areas for moving freight forward in the upper North Island



“People make

the whole

freight system

work and it is

their skills and

experience

that determinehow safe and

productive

the system is.”



1. Deliver a high-performing strategic freight network

• Deliver improved inter-regional and intra-regional connectivity

through the delivery of the Roads of National Significance and

connections to areas of significant economic activity. UNDERWAY

• Finalise the preferred scope for the East/West Connections

Transport Project in Auckland. UNDERWAY• Explore and develop package of additional urban freight initiatives

that enhances efficiency and liveability. PROPOSED

2. Identify and plan for significant places-for-freight

• The strategic freight network needs to be consistently identied

in key strategic planning documents such as regional growth

strategies or transport plans, regional policy statements, district

plans, and regional land transport plans. UNDERWAY

• Include the strategic road and rail network constraints identied

in the Upper North Island Freight Story: Shared Evidence Base into

the development of the appropriate Regional Land Transport Plans

(Regional Transport Committees). UNDERWAY

• Include freight planning feedback into refresh of KiwiRail’sStrategic Plan. UNDERWAY

• Develop and include with the port and maritime sectors a

common set of scenarios for the future of international shipping

services to New Zealand. PROPOSED

• Look at how major freight facilities can be better recognised to

ensure their freight function is planned for. PROPOSED

• Investigate the value of research into the economic value of

greater predictability for freight movements. PROPOSED

• Explore the value of producing in the future a regular ‘shared

freight evidence base’, outlining key data and assumptions across

the regions. PROPOSED

• Establish urban freight reliability measures for Auckland’s strategic

freight network. PROPOSED

3. Move more freight on fewer trucks

• Complete the upgrades for the rst tranche of HPMV routes by

2015. COMPLETE

• Identify second tranche of HPMV investments for the 2015 to

2018 National Land Transport Programme. COMPLETE

Proposed actions

• Look at options to develop a new HPMV permit system that

provides more certainty and simplicity for industry. UNDERWAY

• Establish clear guidelines on allowable HPMV design criteria and

process that might be used if these are amended in the future.

UNDERWAY

• Aim to have 90 per cent of local councils signed onto a single50MAX permit system by 2016. UNDERWAY

• Weigh-in-motion site proposals are considered for inclusion in the

2015 to 2018 National Land Transport Programme. UNDERWAY

• Prepare and implement a communications plan that promotes the

benefits of HPMVs. COMPLETE

4. A future-fit freight workforce

• Industry to establish a working group to undertake further analysis

to determine the scope of the workforce capacity and capability

problem. UNDERWAY

• Depending on the above, establish a cross-sector working group

to look at actions to address the problems, along similar lines as

the work underway in the Women in Road Transport initiative.

PROPOSED

• Look at the impact of the Graduated Driver Licensing System on

heavy vehicle driver training as part of the upcoming review of the

Driver Licensing Rule. UNDERWAY

• Smarter regulation plus smart technology for safer, more efcient

freight movements. UNDERWAY

• Continue to reform the regulatory environment to reduce the cost

of doing business and reduce the complexity of regulations while

improving the safety of the freight system. Firstly through the

review of the Vehicle Dimension and Mass Rule. UNDERWAY

• Continue work to halve truck roll-over rate. UNDERWAY

• Identify freight safety initiatives for industry/government action

during 2016. PROPOSED

• Ensure a freight industry view is developed and included in the

work ahead to develop the Intelligent Transport Systems action

plan. PROPOSED



FOUR shared freight principles toguide our work

A set of common principles has emerged

which will guide and challenge our work

1. Freight efficiency benefits everyone

As an exporting nation, improving the efficiency of New Zealand’sfreight supply chain and reducing the cost of what we buy and sell is

vital for building a more productive and competitive economy.

2. Freight movements should be safe and responsible

While the movement of freight is critical to our way of life, it should

not compromise the wellbeing of people or communities. We must

work to ensure the movement of freight is increasingly free of death

and serious injury, and minimise other negative effects.

3. The freight system is complex

The transport and storage of freight requires different modes,

networks, infrastructure and vehicles. To be effective the system relies

on a diverse range of public and private sector decision-makers.

4. The freight task is substantial and increasing

As our economy and population grow so will the volume of freight

and the journeys needed to move it. In 2012 freight volumes

nationally were estimated at 236 million tonnes (or 26.3 billion

tonnes/kilometres), which by 2042 is forecast to rise to 373 million

tonnes (40 billion tonnes/kilometres*).

*Ministry of Transport, National Freight Demands Study 2014



All the organisations involved share the view that to

invest smarter and deliver better certainty for industry

and investors, we need to understand the picture at an

upper North Island scale and work together, with the

sector, on the critical issues that will add the most value.

Supported by:

October 2015

Links:

Upper North Island Freight Story: www.nzta.govt.nz/planning/process/doc/upper-north-island-freight-story-highlights.pdf

Summary of Critical Issues: www.nzta.govt.nz/planning/process/doc/upper-ni-freight-story-summary-of-critical-issues.pdf

The Upper North Island Shared Evidence Base: www.nzta.govt.nz/planning/process/doc/upper-ni-freight-story-shared-evidence-base.pdf

Critical success factors

Continuing the dialogue and working together

To ensure improving coordination and dialogue across the freight system and

to monitor the progress of the proposed actions, there needs to be an ongoing

forum for public and private sector decision-makers to consider significant

freight and logistics questions.

Freight perspectives should be developed for inclusion in

land-use and network planningTo add value to planning processes, there should be facilitated discussions

to document the insights of owners and operators of major freight facilities.

These facilitated discussions could assist industry engagement in district and

regional planning.

Rail needs to be brought fully into a freight networkplanning process

KiwiRail operates an important component of the freight system and it does

so as a state-owned enterprise. In the upper North Island more work needs to

be done to ensure the rail network and services are considered as part of the

wider freight system.

Upper North Island

Freight Accord

Upper North Island Freight Accord

Documents