National Freight Demands Study

Last updated on 25/06/2009 2:01 p.m. 

The Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Economic Development and Land Transport New Zealand (now part of the NZ Transport Agency), recently released the National Freight Demands Study which was prepared by an external consultant.

The efficient movement of freight has particular importance to New Zealand’s economy, however, there was an information gap on freight movements in New Zealand and this needed to be filled for the government to make informed decisions on freight issues. The study is a starting point for this and has enhanced our understanding of a number of matters including:

    • the current volumes and distribution of import, export and domestic freight movements in New Zealand
    • the likely future volumes and distribution of import, export and domestic freight movements in New Zealand
    • significant modal, national, regional and industry trends, and any imbalance of directional freight flows.

In addition to the above, the study also gathered information to:

    • provide a better understanding of the likely future transport network and the optimal use of that and the current network, given current and projected domestic, export and import flows
    • identify any barriers to achieving improved efficiency in the transport components of our supply chains
    • identify the drivers of current freight movement and how these might change over time (business requirements and logistics methods)
    • identify domestic and international trends, issues and opportunities related to the freight transport and logistics sectors.

The study will be a significant resource for both the freight sector and the government. For the government, it will not only provide data on what and how goods are moving in New Zealand (both now and in the future), but will assist with the planning and development of the New Zealand transport network and provide a base for monitoring freight movements over time.

If you would like any further information about the study, please contact Robert McShane at the Ministry of Transport.

The links below will take you to the National Freight Demands Study's: