Transforming North Island Freight Flows
C3’s parent company, LINX Cargo Care Group, has formed a joint venture with Tainui Group Holdings (TGH) to develop and operate Ruakura Inland Port and Logistics Hub located in Hamilton at the heart of the golden triangle between Auckland and Tauranga, with C3 being responsible for the day-to-day operations.
Scheduled to open in 2019, the Ruakura Inland Port and logistics hub will transform New Zealand’s logistical supply chain. Ideally situated in the heart of the Golden Triangle, Ruakura will provide a vital intermodal transport link between New Zealand’s main import hub in Auckland and main export hub in Tauranga.
LINX and C3 share our long-term vision to help transform North Island freight flows, driving new levels of productivity, efficiency and speed to market for the Golden Triangle’s rapidly growing import and export community. Chris Joblin – TGH Chief Executive
RUAKURA; PORT AGNOSTIC CENTRAL STRATEGIC LOCATION
Ruakura is in a central, prime position for access to New Zealand’s two largest ports by throughput volume; Auckland and Tauranga.
With Auckland 130 kilometres to the north and Tauranga 105 kilometres to the east, exporters and importers have the option to move goods through either port by road or by rail.
- • Ruakura is ‘port agnostic’ between Auckland and Tauranga, benefitting both importers and exporters
- Increased number of shipping windows available by accessing both ports
- Improved value for port authorities and shipping lines
- Ruakura’s central position on the North Island creates a larger catchment area than Ports of Auckland or Tauranga individually
- Ruakura’s location on main line between Auckland and Wellington will lead to further supply chain consolidation opportunities
- Ruakura rail will provide direct connections to the Ports of Auckland and Tauranga
- The shift from road to rail will reduce congestion by removing up to 65,000 trucks from the roads each year
- The environment will also benefit thanks to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions compared to current road / rail utilisation
- Ruakura will connect directly to the new SH1 four-lane extension (due 2019) for an easy road connection to Auckland
Onsite Warehousing Precinct
The current supply chain of imports into Auckland and exports from Tauranga generates transport and cost inefficiencies for relocating empty containers between these two ports.
Ruakura’s freight precinct will offer an onsite depot for the de-hire of empty containers.
- Ability to ‘future- proof’ the supply chain by developing a footprint at Ruakura with room to expand over time
- Attractive opportunities to reduce occupancy costs as compared to metro locations
- Opportunity for onsite warehousing in development precinct to reduce transportation costs
Matching Supply and Demand – Triangulation of Empty Containers
Ruakura’s location at the apex of the Golden Triangle provides a unique opportunity to triangulate container freight in New Zealand.
The Ruakura freight precinct will deliver benefits to importers (predominantly Auckland-based) and shipping lines as well as regional exporters
- Provides centralisation of empty containers relocated to Ruakura from Auckland bound to Tauranga
- A ‘critical mass’ for demand would influence shipping lines to make Ruakura an ‘acceptance point’ for import cargo, offset as a ‘de-hire’ location for empty containers
Around 65 percent of New Zealand’s freight is transported within the Golden Triangle and this volume of freight is forecast to double over the next 20 years.
Parke Pittar – C3 Chief Executive