Last month, the federation released a report ‘‘Full Steam Ahead'' to stimulate discussion on coastal shipping, port development and the ‘‘true triple bottom-line issues'' - arguing that coastal shipping is economically, environmentally and ethically ahead of road and rail options.
‘‘The rapid rise of freight movements around the coast and internationally gives this issue great urgency,'' the report said.
One of the ‘‘biggest impediments'' to coastal ship operations was the lack of Government interest, because it has ‘‘no skin in the game'', with no port ownership but 100% ownership of both rail and road infrastructure.
‘‘This reduces the touch points for Government attention,'' the report said.
The NZSF believed it was time for cross-party consensus on the future of coastal shipping, the report said.
Labour's transport spokeswoman Sue Moroney said the Government had ‘‘squandered'' seven years of opportunities, after dropping Labour's 2008 Seachange strategy.
‘‘As an exporting nation with a desperate need to improve regional opportunities, we must get this right,'' she said, noting that last month the coastal shipping fleet was reduced by one ship.
More reductions were on the cards unless the Government acted, she said.
‘‘National's blinkered approach is hurting our economy and reducing coastal shipping as a viable option for both moving freight and being available for emergency response,'' she said in a statement.
Acting Minister of Transport Craig Foss said the Government recognised coastal shipping played an important role.
‘‘That is why we are focused on port-productivity issues, improving public information on maritime and freight transport, and improving the safety of the maritime sector,'' Mr Foss said in a statement.
The Government would take the ‘‘Full Steam Ahead'' report into consideration, he said.
However, Maritime Union of New Zealand national secretary Joe Fleetwood said despite New Zealand being a maritime nation, there was no leadership from central government.
‘‘Other transport modes were being subsidised by the taxpayer but New Zealand shipping was expected to compete against foreign shipping where wages and conditions of crew members were far below New Zealand standards,'' Mr Fleetwood said in a statement.
He said ongoing problems with flag-of-convenience shipping in New Zealand waters and international crews and vessels in both fishing and freight needed to be taken seriously by the Government.
‘‘We have one of the largest maritime economic zones in the world with vast resources that can be used in the future for our common benefit,'' he said.
‘‘But there is no plan, no strategy and no vision from the Government for our coastal shipping sector,'' Mr Fleetwood said.
In an NZSF release in November, executive director Annabel Young said the review of the New Zealand's emissions trading scheme (ETS) was an opportunity to put things right.
Shipping was acknowledged as environmentally ahead of other transport options, but the present form of the ETS penalised coastal ship operators, Ms Young said.
Operators of ships that travelled into New Zealand from foreign waters did not have to pay for ETS credits as part of their fuel costs when bunkering in New Zealand.
‘‘They are competing with local operators who are charged the full price of local ETS credits.‘‘This is not a level playing field, is unfair and adds to the cost to the goods transported.''
The ‘‘Full Steam Ahead'' report said shipping was more efficient than other transport methods, producing only 13.9g of CO2 per tonne-kilometre freight movement compared with 123.1g by road, 92g by heavy road vehicles and 22.8g by rail.
‘‘Greater sea movement of cargo would also take the pressure off main trunk roads, slowing the need to expand the existing highway infrastructure,'' the report said.
Historically, New Zealand ports catered to coastal trade but the greatest volumes now were related to international import and export; or more than 99% by volume of imports-exports.
‘‘New investment by ports has focused on growing international import-export capacity, particularly containers,'' the report said.
The infrastructure for modern coast shipping ‘‘remains largely in place'' as a legacy of the days of smaller international ships and greater coastal trade.
Ship sizes had grown from 2500 TEU (twenty-foot-container equivalent unit) carriers in 2001, to 4800 TEU this year and 6500 TEUs expected shortly on regular routes.
Coastal shipping comprises scheduled and unscheduled services, the former including the Cook Strait ferries, and the latter cargoes such as fertiliser, aggregate, petroleum and cement.
Ports had to make infrastructure available to support coastal shipping in all forms, including bulk, container, passenger and roll-on, roll-off, the report said.
‘‘There is a risk to this country that ports are treated as cash cows by their owners, to the detriment of all New Zealanders.
‘‘It's an irony that, at a time of increasing collaboration between maritime, road and rail, ports are becoming more aggressively competitive against each other,'' the report said.
