In 2011, New Zealand exporters and importers were spending about $5 billion on freight each year. The Government asked the Productivity Commission to look at whether these costs could be lowered and the services improved. Our brief asked us to identify the:
- Factors influencing the accessibility and efficiency of international freight transport services available to New Zealand firms; and
- Opportunities for changes in New Zealand’s infrastructure and regulatory regimes that could increase the accessibility and efficiency of international freight transport services for New Zealand firms.
The inquiry was instigated to help ensure that New Zealand has the best regulatory framework and the right incentives to achieve best practice across the industry, to help drive improvements in infrastructure investment, innovation and supply-chain coordination.