Archive for August, 2009

Tauranga posts profit rise on dairy/log exports

Port of Tauranga, NZ’s largest export port, has boosted its annual profit for 2008/09 to $45.2m, up 7.3% on last year despite a 3.5% fall in revenue. The good result will strengthen its position with rival Ports of Auckland in its battle for national port supremacy. Net profit for the year ending June was up […]

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Air NZ keeps losses at bay as global industry reels

Air NZ is following rival Qantas in managing to squeeze a profit out of one of the worst downturns faced by the global airline industry. Qantas last week posted an 87% slump in annual earnings and announced a three-year plan to slash costs by $A1.5bn. Air NZ’s profit probably tumbled at least 48% to $113m, […]

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Super-City Auckland To Have New Transport Agency

Responsibility for Auckland’s roading as well as buses, rail and ferries under the Super City will be taken over by the Auckland Transport Agency (ATA). Transport Minister Steven Joyce says the Govt is committed to spending $500m on the city’s rail electrification projects but cost over-runs are not an option. He says officials have identified […]

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Minimising NZ’s shipping carbon footprint crucial

Maersk NZ’s MD Julian Bevis is picking maximising the use of the latest developments in environmentally sustainable shipping technology will be crucial to NZ improving its international competitiveness as concerns about greenhouse gas emissions continue to grow. He says as the food miles issue demonstrates so plainly, for countries dependent on exporting to far-flung markets, […]

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Road User Charges overhaul far from over

Transport Minister Steven Joyce says the exempting of electric vehicles from the Road User Charges regime and six weeks notice of changes in the level of the levies are just the start of a broader effort to simplify and modernise the scheme. The biggest leap forward will be in facilitating ERUC, or electronic road user […]

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Customers force speed of change to hub ports

More producers are likely to follow Fonterra’s lead and rationalise the number of ports they use, cutting costs and connecting with more frequent shipping lines. The ports of Timaru and Taranaki will see about a third of their container volume wiped out as Fonterra rails product from its Clandeboye plant in South Canterbury to Lyttelton […]

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Terminal consolidation causes transport delays

It’s case of one step forward and two steps back for clearing and receiving containers by road from the wharves at Ports of Auckland container terminals following the consolidation of operations at the Fergusson terminal. Trucking companies are complaining of delays of up to two hours for trucks waiting to pick up and drop off […]

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Listed transport sector re-rated upwards

The NZSX Transport Index, made up of Air NZ, Mainfreight and Freightways, has had a bruising 12 months courtesy of the worst economic downturn in 30 years. Still, it has been a stand-out sector in the past month, with the index up about 20%, led by a surge in Air NZ shares. Each in its […]

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Freight costs to rise if emissions target set in stone

The Govt’s target of 10-20% greenhouse gas emissions reductions against 1990 levels by 2020 is a middle ground compared to the ‘40% by 2020′ cut promoted by Greenpeace, a target which may have driven some businesses to the wall by lifting costs. To get anywhere near the top of the proposed range, other nations, particularly […]

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Braid calls for balanced transport policy

Mainfreight MD Don Braid is continuing to pile pressure on the Govt to make a better fist of developing a truly multi-modal transport policy. “We need a government that is prepared to listen and understand the need for better rail, road and port infrastructure.” Braid says NZ is a trading nation dependent on an […]

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