Sometimes you need to pull the truck into the workshop, lift the bonnet, and properly sort the engine out instead of endlessly patching problems on the side of the road. 

That feels a little like where New Zealand is right now with government. The policy and planning bonnet is up at a critical time when a lot of deep, quality thinking is required on the strategic future direction of transport in this country. 

Over the past few months we’ve seen a flurry of announcements and restructures across central and local government. The Government has announced a three-year programme to reduce the size of the core public sector and increase the use of AI. Auckland Transport’s (AT) policy functions are being brought under Auckland Council. And the Ministry of Transport will be merged into the Government’s new Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT). 

Stepping back from the emotion of restructuring for the employees of these organisations, I think there is a bigger picture here that transport operators should feel cautiously optimistic about. New Zealand has accumulated layer upon layer of agencies, ministries, strategies, plans and overlapping responsibilities over many years. The result? Slow decisions, conflicting priorities and projects that drift for years while costs climb. 

Meanwhile, countries we often compare ourselves to — like Singapore and Australia — operate with fewer ministries and government agencies resulting in more integrated infrastructure planning. They focus on joined-up decision making. 

That matters, because freight doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Road transport is connected to fuel supply, electricity generation, ports, rail, industrial land use and workforce planning. If those decisions aren’t aligned nationally, productivity suffers.

That’s why there is a real opportunity in simplifying the machinery of government if it leads to clearer accountability and faster decision making. 

But — and it’s a big but — government and industry need to make some big calls for the future of transport in New Zealand while the proverbial bonnet is up and these changes are being made. 

We cannot afford another decade of talking about a second Auckland harbour crossing without deciding what gets built and when. Congestion in Auckland continues to quietly rob the economy every day through lost freight hours, fuel burn and reduced productivity. 

Likewise, the Cook Strait ferry situation needs resolution urgently. Reliable inter-island freight connections are not optional for an island nation. They are essential economic infrastructure. 

This current period of restructuring gives government a rare opportunity to reset transport priorities properly and build a long-term national freight and supply chain strategy that survives electoral cycles. 

The timing is also critical and challenging because at the same time the transport sector is facing fuel price turmoil as conflict in Iran drives uncertainty through global energy markets. Operators know all too well how quickly geopolitical instability overseas ends up at the diesel pump here at home.

That’s another reminder of why New Zealand needs a serious national energy strategy linked directly to transport policy. 

How do we improve fuel resilience? What role will electricity, hydrogen or biofuels realistically play? How do we maintain affordable freight movement while reducing emissions? These questions cannot sit in separate government silos anymore. 

Transport operators don’t expect perfection from government. But we do need clarity and consistency. 

There are encouraging signs the Government understands New Zealand cannot continue operating with fragmented decision making and endless duplication. 

If we get this right, we could emerge with a more focused public sector, better infrastructure planning and more connected policy making that supports economic growth instead of slowing it down. And we sort of urgently need that right now.

Justin Tighe-Umbers, Chief Executive, National Road Carriers Assn