KEY POINTS:
The Maritime Union of New Zealand has welcomed the Government's draft coastal shipping strategy which aims to have at least 30 per cent of all inter-regional freight carried by coastal shipping by 2040.
The draft strategy Sea Change, released on Monday by Transport Minister Annette King, was designed to revitalise and transform coastal shipping services in New Zealand.
King said that for too long coastal shipping had been "the poor cousin" of the transport sector, instead of being interconnected with rail and road.
Maritime Union general secretary Trevor Hanson said the new strategy identified how coastal shipping would be an increasingly important part of New Zealand's transport system.
The goal of moving 30 per cent of domestic freight by coastal shipping by 2040 was a good start.
"The Maritime Union has worked alongside Government and industry in this area and we are happy to see real progress being made."
Hanson said coastal shipping offered advantages, including reduced greenhouse gas emissions and transport congestion.
The union was especially pleased that there was an acknowledgment of the need for training young seafarers to join the ageing maritime workforce.
"Coastal shipping is on the way back and we need to ensure that there are quality, well-paid and skilled jobs available for young people in the maritime industry."
NZ Shipping Federation president Rod Grout has said the strategy would enable coastal shipping to access funding to develop and promote new services and to train a costal shipping workforce for the future.
- NZPA
