This is the second of three Transport Minutes drawing on Aka Raupapa, the inaugural Freight & Supply Chain Superhui at the University of Waikato on 1-2 July. Last week I wrote about our changing workforce. 

This week: how Australia already solved the strategy problem we are still wheel spinning about. 

On the panel, Samantha Leighton, Head of Government and Industry Affairs at the Australian Logistics Council (ALC), walked us through something New Zealand does not yet have: a genuine, government-endorsed National Freight and Supply Chain Strategy.

It didn’t happen by accident. The ALC spent years building the case, convincing government that freight deserved the same strategic status as energy or health. 

Here’s what makes it work. The Strategy is built on shared, multimodal data that is captured, standardised and published through a National Freight Data Hub the ALC pushed to establish. That data doesn’t just sit in a report. It drives intermodal planning and tells government where to invest – not only in roads and rail, but in inland ports, seaports and warehousing, treated as one connected system rather than competing silos. 

Good data also provides the evidence base needed to hold decision-makers to account. 

New Zealand has just stood up its own Freight Advisory Council – chief executives across road, rail, maritime and air, sitting alongside government – perfectly placed to do exactly what Australia has done. We do not need to invent our own version from scratch. Lift the Australian model, and drop it here. Steal with pride from our cousins across the Tasman, rather than sweating years reinventing a wheel they have already built. 

And if anyone doubts the urgency, here is a great quote on the importance of “system coherence” from an ALC submission to Australia’s Productivity Commission this year: 

“Freight productivity is often framed in terms of modal efficiency or infrastructure utilisation. This framing is incomplete.

Freight operates as an integrated system in which road freight, freight rail, ports, aviation freight, and warehousing are interdependent. Productivity is therefore not determined by the performance of individual assets in isolation, but by system coherence across interfaces, regulatory frameworks, and operational handoffs. This explains a persistent feature of the Australian freight system: significant investment in corridor infrastructure does not consistently translate into system-wide productivity gain.” 

Read that again and swap “Australian” for “New Zealand.” It could have been written about us. We have the evidence, we have the model, and now we have the Freight Advisory Council to act on it. 

Let’s not waste the opportunity.

Justin

Women in Supply Chain leading the way in industry networking

This week I had the privilege of attending a Women in Supply Chain (WISC) breakfast networking event, to join a panel discussion with National Road Carrier member WM’s Ingrid Cronin Knight.

And what a great event it was. There was a real buzz in the room, it was a warm welcoming environment with everyone clearly enjoying getting together from all corners of the supply chain. I was impressed to see that a session was set up to practice in person the skill of networking – how to break into groups, introduce yourself and ask questions. All in a safe environment.

As we all know, the women in supply chain still number too few. It is an operationally intensive environment and usually male-dominated, so building relationships can be challenging.  So WISC was set up by some dedicated volunteers to help build not just networks, but friendships across the supply chain.

I really enjoyed the experience of joining over 100 women from across the industry to talk about the great work National Road Carriers does on behalf of our members. It was pointed out to me that I was literally the only male in the room, something I hadn’t actually noticed, probably to do with the fact I was lucky enough to grow up with three older sisters.

In the panel discussion, Ingrid talked about Waste Managements electric truck fleet for kerbside pick-ups – they have the largest electric vehicle workshop in the southern hemisphere. Right now, with the diesel price shock, WM taking the risk in early investment is clearly paying dividends.

And yes, the Iran conflict was a hot topic. I talked about NRC’s work with government officials to help craft a practical response that supports industry to navigate the impacts.

What stands out is how the Government is listening. They have a consistent message to industry – tell us what government can do to help. Their expectation is that those in industry are best placed to respond, they are the experts closest to the day-to-day who know how to manage their operations. Government’s role is to remove any roadblocks. This is a stark contrast from the Covid-19 pandemic, where the Government’s instinct was to control industry rather than seek their expertise, and to tell more than listen.

The Fuel Response Plan released this week is an excellent example of how to work constructively with industry.

The plan was dusted off in March, officials sat down with industry representatives and asked us how practical the plan was. The existing plan involved being able to classify a whole lot of bands of business types and activities across the entire economy, in order to inform who gets and who doesn’t get fuel should major shortages occur.

It quickly became apparent that the plan was unworkable. So we went back to the drawing board. Government asked major fuel users, supply chain and fuel companies what would work. For supply chain, we advised that any classification process for priority fuel users would have to be broad enough that unpicking critical freight from non-essential freight wasn’t required. It simply is not possible to do. That lesson was learned the hard way in the bad old days of the Covid-19 Auckland border.

The revised plan released this week is a great example of government and industry working together to come up with practical, realistic plans that are workable in the real world.

While there has been no fuel supply shortage, and supplies remain robust, industry still asked that a workable way to allocate fuel must be developed so we are ready should the unthinkable happen. The new plan strikes the balance between the extremes of an overly-controlled policing of fuel access (simply not practical) and a hands-off high-trust model.

A bit like us in the supply chain, the Government’s response to the Iran conflict has been to focus on what matters, get the job done and ignore the noise.

Thank you to Deena Clarkson and the team organising WISC for inviting me along, and running such a great initiative. Keep up the great work.

Justin

Beyond food for fuel: PM’s vision for supply chain reset

Here’s a deal that makes sense. While many governments around the world are talking in circles about supply chains and energy security, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has used his business skills to stitch together a refreshingly practical “food for fuel” arrangement with Singapore.

Let’s call it what it is: a clean, logical trade. We produce high-quality food Singapore needs for its six million people. Singapore’s oil refineries produce the fuel vital to keep our economy moving. No gimmicks, no overcomplication — just a smart exchange that plays to both countries’ strengths. In a world of increasingly fragile supply chains, that’s not just clever — it’s strategic.

The Government claims the deal is a world first because it is the first legally binding bilateral supply chain resilience agreement. It ensures both countries will not impose unnecessary export restrictions on essential goods during a crisis – such as food, fuel, healthcare products and construction materials. It’s a significant step forward in supply chain resilience.

At a time when fuel security has been front of mind for every freight operator trying to keep trucks moving and costs under control, this is exactly the kind of thinking our sector has been crying out for.

But even more important than this deal for the long-term health and resilience of the transport sector and the broader supply chain are some barely reported comments by the Prime Minister.

Speaking with business leaders after the deal was made this week, Luxon made it clear he understands that New Zealand’s supply chain challenges run deeper than short-term disruptions. He pointed directly to structural issues — logistics, port configuration, long-term resilience — the kind of topics that don’t always grab headlines but absolutely determine whether freight moves efficiently or not.

The PM called for a “free and frank” conversation between government and industry. That’s been a consistent message from National Road Carriers: we need honest discussions about costs, constraints, and what’s actually happening on the ground.

And he’s right that our system isn’t as “joined up” as it should be. For a small country, we’ve managed to make things more complicated than necessary. Fixing that will take some bravery and a willingness to look at structural reform, not just surface-level tweaks.

That’s why the newly established Freight Advisory Council matters. National Road Carriers pushed hard for its creation, and now we’ve got a real opportunity to bring industry expertise into the conversation in a meaningful way. If the Government is serious about improving supply chain efficiency and productivity — and these signs suggest it is — then this Council needs to be much more than a talking shop. It needs to help shape a practical, long-term plan.

The prize is significant. Exports are growing, the balance has shifted in our favour, and there’s real momentum to build on. But without a supply chain that can keep up — reliably, efficiently, and cost-effectively and without reliable transport links to our food producing regions such as Taranaki and Gisborne — that growth will hit a ceiling.