Alliance Party Releases National Strategy on Transport

The Alliance Party has announced its transport policy focused on delivering economic participation, community wellbeing, and national supply chain resilience during climate emergencies and global disruption.

The Alliance will establish a 100-percent publicly owned, integrated freight and passenger network in which coastal shipping and rail serve as the twin backbones of domestic long-distance freight.

The Alliance is committed to public ownership of other strategic transport assets such as ports, aviation and transit.

Alliance Party transport spokesperson and candidate for Banks Peninsula, Kyle Turnbull, says New Zealand cannot keep relying on road freight domestically, or on global shipping companies for exporting and importing.

“New Zealand is a remote island nation and a relatively small market on the global stage. An integrated and efficient transport system for moving goods domestically and internationally is essential for our economic sovereignty and national security.”

Mr Turnbull says recent disruptions to global supply chains have already that New Zealand is already exposed and vulnerable.

“Whether the threat is the closure of a key shipping lane such as the Strait of Hormuz, a global pandemic, or extreme weather events, New Zealand needs resilient supply chains.”

“By setting up rail and coastal shipping as the twin backbones of freight, we will build a resilient network that can respond to natural disasters, reduce carbon emissions, and move freight off roads.”

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In the maritime transport sector, Alliance would establish a State shipping line as part of a wider domestic and regional shipping plan, and implement a national port strategy.

The Alliance proposes an increase in funding for public transport, and the repeal of procurement requirements that force local government into corporatised models of public transport provision.

Mr Turnbull says public transport works the best when it is well run, properly funded, and affordable, so that people from all walks of life use it as the first choice for their daily commute.

“That means it needs to be run as a public service, integrated nationally, and made as widely available as possible – not just in the cities but also in the regions – so people can get where they need to go.”

“Our upgrade of commuter rail across the country will provide jobs and reconnect regional New Zealand and small towns to the wider economy.”

“The neglect of our regions is evident in the lack of infrastructure, and the absence of a plan for regional economic development. It is a decades-long scandal. The Alliance is committed to changing that, and our transport policy will form a key part of that change.”

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