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I run a small manufacturing business that exports and employs staff. We are considering new equipment but worry about demand, freight costs and finding skilled workers. I am considering my vote in the 2026 New Zealand general election. Which parties address freight, ports and transport infrastructure in their plans for business?
2026 New Zealand election: freight, ports and transport policies
For a small manufacturing exporter, transport policy matters well beyond the cost of building roads. It affects the cost of getting raw materials into New Zealand, moving finished products to ports, shipping reliability, export competitiveness and the ability to recruit and retain skilled staff.
The 2026 election is scheduled for 7 November 2026. There are meaningful differences between the parties in how they approach freight infrastructure, rail, ports, road funding and workforce development.
The comparison below focuses on the parties' published policies and statements available as at 1 November 2026. It is an information comparison, not a voting recommendation.
1. Party-by-party comparison
National
Main emphasis: roads, freight reliability, maintenance and reducing regulatory costs.
National's transport spokesperson Chris Bishop has set out a relatively detailed freight programme, including:
- $400 million for state-highway resilience work on vulnerable routes, announced in Budget 2026.
- Better coordination of road, rail, ports and coastal shipping.
- Continued maintenance and renewal of freight routes.
- Support for reliable rail infrastructure where it benefits freight.
- Heavy-vehicle permitting reform, reviewing weight thresholds and digital freight documentation.
- A stronger infrastructure project pipeline to give businesses more certainty.
- Electronic road-user charges, tolling and time-of-use charging as future funding mechanisms.
National also says it wants freight operators involved in decisions through the Freight Advisory Council.
Business consideration: Better road maintenance and simpler heavy-vehicle rules could reduce delays and operating costs. However, proposed changes to road-user charges and tolling are worth examining if your business operates a commercial fleet or relies on road freight. Where the parties stand on transport | The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
Labour
Main emphasis: integrated transport, infrastructure continuity and workforce development.
Labour's transport spokesperson Tangi Utikere has particularly highlighted the importance of the Cook Strait freight connection.
Its transport positions include:
- Supporting an integrated transport network rather than focusing predominantly on roads.
- Criticism of the replacement Interislander ferry arrangements and their implications for rail and freight.
- Greater attention to long-term infrastructure planning and project continuity.
- A proposed three-year freeze on fuel excise increases.
- A $20 weekly public transport fare cap in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and $10 elsewhere, from July 2027.
- Addressing problems in commercial driver licensing and recruitment.
For your staffing concerns, Labour has also announced:
- Extended Apprenticeship Boost employer payments.
- A $1,000 toolbox grant.
- Five additional trades covered from July 2027.
- A target for 15% of government procurement contracts to go to New Zealand small businesses and start-ups.
Business consideration: Labour's apprenticeship support is particularly relevant if you need to train technicians, tradespeople or manufacturing staff. Its fuel-tax freeze may also matter to businesses with fuel-intensive transport operations. Where the parties stand on transport | The Chartered Institute of Logistics and TransportLabour's 2026 Election Policies
Green Party
Main emphasis: rail freight, coastal shipping and reducing dependence on road transport.
The Greens have explicitly identified freight and coastal shipping in their transport submission.
Their proposals include:
- Nationwide rapid rail for passengers and freight.
- Greater investment in coastal shipping.
- Public funding for logistics and shipping services, not just physical infrastructure.
- Better regional transport connections.
- Electrification of transport, including trucks.
- Mass rapid transit in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
The Greens argue that coastal shipping could reduce the cost of moving goods domestically and make supply chains more resilient.
Business consideration: These policies are relevant if your manufacturing operation could benefit from more rail or coastal freight options. They also raise questions about transition costs, electricity availability and the practical timing of electrifying heavy vehicles. Where the parties stand on transport | The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport
New Zealand First
Main emphasis: rail infrastructure, strategic freight links and national supply-chain resilience.
New Zealand First has published a particularly specific ten-point rail policy.
Its commitments include:
- $1.135 billion for the 2027–2030 Rail Network Investment Programme.
- Building the Marsden Point Rail Link to connect Northport to the national rail network.
- Improving freight capacity through the Kaimai Tunnel.
- Protecting freight access through metropolitan rail networks.
- Planning additional rail capacity in Auckland's southern corridor.
- Delivering two new road-and-rail Cook Strait ferries, with associated port infrastructure.
- Supporting longer-term investment certainty for the national rail network.
The Marsden Point connection is especially relevant to exporters because it is intended to connect Northport with the national rail network and improve access for international shipping.
Business consideration: New Zealand First's proposals are particularly relevant if you rely on rail freight, Northland export routes, port access or Cook Strait freight movements. Ten-Point Rail Policy
ACT
Main emphasis: road infrastructure, user-pays funding and infrastructure delivery discipline.
ACT's approach includes:
- Protecting road maintenance and renewal funding.
- Requiring major transport projects to publish a lower-cost safe alternative.
- Using traffic-demand thresholds to trigger infrastructure planning and capacity improvements.
- Greater use of tolling, road-user charges and private infrastructure finance.
- Reducing regulatory barriers and controlling infrastructure costs.
Business consideration: ACT's approach is relevant to businesses dependent on road freight and reliable highway access. However, greater reliance on user charges could increase costs for transport-intensive manufacturers. Know Your VotePolicies for Party vote - NZ Election 2026
Opportunity (TOP)
Main emphasis: long-term infrastructure funding and maintenance.
TOP proposes:
- A 30-year national infrastructure plan put into law.
- An infrastructure fund capable of raising up to $60 billion over ten years.
- A requirement that 60% of future infrastructure spending goes towards maintenance and renewal.
- Parliamentary scrutiny before cancelling major infrastructure projects worth more than $250 million.
Business consideration: Its approach is relevant to businesses seeking a predictable long-term infrastructure programme. The key question is how projects would be prioritised and which freight and port investments would receive funding. Know Your Vote
2. Comparison against your manufacturing business concerns
| Business concern | Relevant party proposals |
|---|---|
| Freight reliability | National, NZ First, Labour |
| Port and shipping connections | NZ First, National, Labour |
| Rail freight alternatives | NZ First, Greens, National |
| Coastal shipping | Greens, National |
| Road maintenance | National, ACT, TOP |
| Lower fuel-related costs | Labour |
| Lower transport regulation costs | National, ACT |
| Skilled trades and technicians | Labour |
| Long-term infrastructure certainty | TOP, National, NZ First |
These are areas of policy emphasis, not assessments of which party will deliver the greatest benefit.
3. What about your concern over demand and investment in new machinery?
There is another important distinction: transport infrastructure policy does not necessarily address whether your customers will be buying more of your products.
For a manufacturer considering capital expenditure, I would separate the election policies into three questions:
- Will demand grow? Look at policies on export promotion, business investment, procurement, trade relationships and economic growth.
- Will it become cheaper to export? Examine port capacity, coastal shipping, rail freight, road-user charges and freight competition.
- Will you be able to find workers? Examine apprenticeships, vocational education, immigration and employer training subsidies.
Labour's Apprenticeship Boost proposals are particularly relevant to the third question. National's freight regulatory reforms and infrastructure programme are relevant to the second.
Neither should be treated as a guarantee of stronger demand for your particular products.
4. Sources worth reading before voting
These provide useful opportunities to check the actual proposals rather than relying on campaign advertising.
- CILT New Zealand – Where the parties stand on transport — September 2026. Particularly useful because National, Labour and the Greens explain their positions directly.
- New Zealand First – Ten-point rail policy — detailed commitments on freight, Northport, rail and Cook Strait.
- Labour – 2026 election policies — includes small-business and apprenticeship commitments.
- Policy.nz – Transport and infrastructure comparison — independent election policy comparison.
- Know Your Vote – 2026 election policy tracker — compares policies from seven parties.
5. Questions I would put to the parties as a manufacturer
Before making a substantial equipment investment, these are worthwhile questions to ask local candidates and party business spokespeople:
- What specific policies will help New Zealand manufacturers secure more export orders?
- What will you do to reduce port handling charges and international freight costs?
- How will you improve reliability of shipping services and port access?
- What support will be available for manufacturers investing in new machinery?
- Will apprenticeship subsidies cover the specialist skills needed in advanced manufacturing?
- How will your transport funding policies affect businesses that depend on trucks?
- What will you do to improve access to skilled migrant workers where local skills are unavailable?
My overall observation: The parties have quite different approaches to the physical movement of goods. National emphasises road reliability and freight regulation; Labour emphasises integrated transport and workforce development; the Greens emphasise rail and coastal shipping; and New Zealand First has detailed rail and strategic freight infrastructure commitments. ACT focuses on road infrastructure and user-pays funding, while TOP emphasises long-term infrastructure financing.
For your business, the important question is not simply which party promises more infrastructure, but which policies could make your particular export supply chain more reliable and predictable.
I can also put together a more detailed manufacturer-focused comparison of all seven parties, covering export growth, machinery investment incentives, business taxation, skilled-worker shortages, immigration and freight costs alongside transport infrastructure.
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