Working smarter, together 

Smart supply chains

This week I had the pleasure of getting out for some member visits. I caught up with members in Palmerston North whose business has grown dramatically over the past decade, and it was good to reflect on their success. 

For me, that success came down to several things: bold decision-making, innovation and efficiency, a customer value proposition that offers a real point of difference, a strong understanding of market changes, and having the right people to run a good ship. 

I was equally impressed by how the operation contributes to the community, the people it employs, the regions it’s based in and the other regions where it has depots. It also contributes to New Zealand’s wider economic success by helping to create a super-efficient supply chain. 

I’m sure there are plenty of other good stories like this across the industry. I always feel encouraged when I see examples like this, because they remind me why it’s great to be part of this industry. 

Working together  

This week we agreed to get in behind Infrastructure New Zealand’s “Let’s Build NZ” campaign, which is running in the lead-up to the election. 

There are great synergies with our Election Platform, particularly given our reliance on roading and fuel.  

The strong media interest in what the Labour Party and then the Coalition Government decided to do with fuel excise duty shows the public understands the importance of roading, and I think that extends to other infrastructure as well. 

That is why how New Zealand plans, funds and delivers infrastructure needs to be a key election issue. Infrastructure is fundamental to growing our economy, improving productivity, creating jobs, and supporting the quality of life New Zealanders expect. To achieve those things, we need greater long-term thinking and more consistency across political cycles. 

Let’s Build NZ is about making that message visible at a system level. It aligns with Infrastructure New Zealand’s view that we need to improve value for money and get infrastructure right. All political parties owe New Zealanders credible plans for doing that. 

As we get closer to the election, and more parties start sharing their ideas, we’ve seen growing interest in what they have to say. That is why we’ve teamed up with the Automobile Association and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport to host the Election 2026 Transport Priorities Panel, “So, you want to be the Minister”, in Wellington early next month. 

I think there’s some irony, and it’s not lost on me, that while most organisations are looking to work more efficiently and more collaboratively at a system level, there are still some in transport who believe a fragmented, scattergun advocacy approach is better. 

Fuel pricing is another good reason to unlock VDAM Phase 3 productivity gains 

Hats off to the Ministry of Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT) and Associate Transport Minister, James Meager for undertaking “targeted engagement” with industry stakeholders before public consultation begins in October. We’ve provided our feedback to MCERT and, following a meeting last week, have another today to discuss VDAM and a few other issues. 

Fingers crossed we can bring forward changes to the rule that will deliver material productivity gains in the road freight sector. 

As I mentioned at our conference, I felt we were still a fair way from being out of the woods on both fuel pricing and supply, and that is consistent with what we’ve seen recently in pricing. For me, that is why it’s so important to unlock productivity improvements wherever we can. We shouldn’t be kicking the can down the road to Phase 4, because those changes will be years away.