Business North November 2021

Connecting New Zealand The words ‘Connecting NZ’ are boldly emblazoned on the side of Paci ica Shipping’s coastal container ship, Moana Chief. Brodie Stevens, Country Manager for Swire Shipping, Paci ica Shipping’s owner, says Connecting NZ is a statement of purpose and what is does using the sea as its highway. “I always say to people that coastal shipping was in New Zealand long before there was road or rail. Look at our history — we have ports in various parts of New Zealand because that’s how people and goods once commuted around the country.” Paci ica Shipping has been a well-known and respected coastal shipping brand for the last thirty years. Previously owned by Skeggs Group, the company was purchased by international shipping company Swire Shipping ive years ago. Operating 51 weeks of the year, the 1700TEU Moana Chief provides a regular weekly service that connects Auckland, Lyttelton, Nelson and Tauranga. Every second week the ship calls at Marsden Point instead of Nelson. “During our weekly sailings we are carrying both domestic distribution cargo and import/export cargos. While we provide an integral part of the intermodal supply chain it’s often a forgotten part because there’s a large emphasis placed on road and rail. We believe there’s a bigger role for coastal shipping to take in New Zealand. Mode choice for customers is key.” The consumer drive for sustainability and an ever-increasing environmental awareness are major in luences on businesses conscious of their carbon foot print, and seeking a more sustainable transport solution. Brodie says coastal shipping has a very good sustainability pro ile, with a very low carbon emission per net kilometre and requires very little infrastructure to support it. “We often refer to the blue highway — the ocean. We don’t have to put a road or rail line down it. You can also refer to it as the green highway because of the sustainability of using a ship. It’s not as quick as driving a truck or a train to Christchurch but it is more sustainable and a perfect alternative for non-time sensitive products. By reducing the number of trucks on the road there is also a safety factor.” Brodie points to the resilience of the supply chain when adding coastal shipping to the mix. “When there have been disruptions like the Christchurch or Kaikoura earthquakes and road or rail have been unable to connect, coastal shipping has been able to get cargo through.” Fitting into the niche of non-time sensitive movement of stock, Paci ica Shipping has attracted a very loyal customer base over the three decades it has been sailing the coastal waters of Aotearoa. “We o er a door-to-door service. We can pick a container up from someone’s distribution centre and deliver it to the distribution centre at the other end. The revitalisation of the awareness and usage of coastal shipping is going to be a very powerful thing as we look at greenhouse gas emissions. The whole international world of shipping is looking at alternative power sources. No longer will it be fossil fuels but alternative power sourced such as with hydrogen or methanol will be considered, which are better for the environment.”