Some of Northland’s dairy exports are now heading out of the area by sea in a trial involving Fonterra and Kotahi, New Zealand’s largest containerised freight manager.

Containers full of dairy products are now being shipped between Northport and Port of Tauranga, where they are then exported. They ride Pacifica Shipping’s weekly container service, which started in May to link the two ports.

The initial trial will use a mix of carriers and take about 100 containers off the road. If successful, the arrangement could see up to 800 containers taken off the road each year, with potential for future growth.

Northport commercial manager David Finchett said the port has been talking with the two organisations for some time about the efficiencies of coastal shipping for Northland dairy products exported through Tauranga.

Recent road transport disruptions - such as the recent closure of State Highway 1 at Brynderwyn Hills - and Pacifica’s weekly coastal shipping service starting in May triggered the decision to shift from road to sea.

Kotahi chief executive David Ross said the coastal shipping trial from Northport to Port of Tauranga will help build stability in New Zealand’s supply chain, offering an efficient alternative to road and rail transport to ensure cargo can get to export markets reliably.

“We have faced disruptions in landside movements over the last few years,” Ross said. “The option of coastal shipping creates more resilience in our export supply chain.”

The New Zealand Shipping Federation said coastal shipping produces significantly lower emissions per tonne of freight than other transport modes.

A University of Canterbury study found New Zealand coastal shipping produces just 20% of the emissions per tonne of freight moved by road and just under half the emissions of rail.

Finchett said Northport is pleased to help Northland exporters drive the change.

“They can have their containers loaded at Northport and, just over 12 hours later, the ship will be in Tauranga, from where there are regular connections available to almost anywhere.”

-Northern Advocate.