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Environment New Zealand 2007 questions and answers: Key findings - Transport

Environment New Zealand 2007 publications

What does transport have to do with our environment?

Road, rail, shipping and air transport all have an impact on the environment. For example, motorised transport affects our air quality through exhaust emissions, generates greenhouse gas emissions from use of fossil fuels, and creates waste as tyres, oil and vehicles come to the end of their life. It can also contribute to noise pollution and contaminated run-off from roads to freshwater and marine eco-systems.

What are the trends in transport according to the report?

In a nutshell

New Zealanders’ use of transport is intensifying, with a heavy weighting towards road transport.
We own more cars, drive bigger cars, and drive them further today than in the past.
Our light vehicle fleet also continues to age.
Use of public transport, however, is increasing.

Facts and figures

Between 1980 and 2000, total annual vehicle kilometres travelled in New Zealand more than doubled, from 18.52 billion kilometres to 37.33 billion kilometres.
New Zealanders travelled over 39.2 billion vehicle kilometres on New Zealand’s roads in 2006.
The car was the largest contributor, accounting for 84 per cent of the vehicle kilometres travelled.
The average age of light vehicles in the New Zealand vehicle fleet in 2006 was 12.4 years, up from 11.9 years in 2000.
The average engine size of New Zealand vehicles increased from just over 2 litres in 2000 to over 2.2 litres in 2006.
Between 2001 and 2006, the share of kilometres travelled by diesel vehicles increased from 22 per cent to 25 per cent and the percentage share of diesel vehicles in the fleet increased from 15 per cent to 18 per cent.
The number of diesel vehicles on the roads increased by 39 per cent between 2001 and 2006.
Between 1999 and 2006, the number of public transport boardings (including bus, rail and ferry) increased across the country by 45 per cent.
The average New Zealander owns 0.7 vehicles per person, the fifth highest rate of vehicle ownership among OECD countries.
The number of vehicles owned by New Zealanders has increased by around 15 per cent from 1997 to 2005.

What is the government doing to minimise the impacts of transport on the environment?

A number of initiatives related to the findings of the Transport chapter are underway and under development. Examples include:

The New Zealand Transport Strategy
Getting There - On Foot, By Cycle - The New Zealand Transport Strategy
The National Rail Strategy to 2015
The 2007 NZ Energy Strategy and the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy
The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) will introduce a price for greenhouse gas emissions for transport
Vehicle Fuel Economy Labelling Scheme to encourage the purchase of fuel efficient vehicles
The Fuel$aver website, launched in 2006, to encourage the purchase of fuel efficient vehicles
The Walking School Bus programme
Improvements in fuel quality (including the phasing out of lead and phased reductions in sulphur from 2002) with resulting improvements for air quality
Vehicle Exhaust Emissions Rule 2007 requires emissions testing for new and used imported vehicles at entry into the fleet and prohibits removal or tampering with emissions control equipment.
Vehicle Exhaust Emissions Rule 2007 (under development), updates emissions standards, requires emissions testing for new and used imported vehicles at entry into the fleet and prohibits removal or tampering with emissions control equipment
Auckland Road Pricing Submissions Analysis
The New Zealand Urban Design Protocol, places a high priority on walking, cycling and public transport
The Integrated Approach to Planning project to integrate transport decision making with a focus on urban form, design and settlement patterns
Proposed Vehicle Fuel Economy Standard, to improve the fuel economy of vehicles entering New Zealand.
Proposed Sea Change strategy to transform coastal shipping in New Zealand.

How can New Zealanders reduce the pressures of transport on the environment?

Visit www.sustainability.govt.nz to find out how you can reduce the impact of your transport choices on the environment.
You can also visit the websites listed under the questions above.