THE BATTLE FOR THE SEA IS WON INLAND - Dry ports as the means of competition between the seaports in New Zealand

Purpose A dry port - intermodal terminal with direct rail connection to a seaport - is a potential solution for seaport terminal congestion as well as for better seaport inland access. Competition requires seaports to focus on transport links, on the demand for services in its traditional hinterland and also on development in areas outside their immediate market. The purpose of this paper is to investigate if the implementation of dry ports contributed to competitive advantage of seaports in New Zealand. Research approach Data for the case studies on ports of Tauranga and Auckland and their existing close intermodal facilities was collected through face-to-face interviews; literature reviews have been carried out in order to accomplish the purpose. In addition, a number of secondary sources were used, such as reports and internal documents. Findings and originality Implementation of a dry port brings a competitive advantage to a seaport since it expands the seaport’s hinterland, i.e., it improves the seaport’s access to areas outside its traditional hinterland by offering shippers low-cost and high-quality services. Furthermore, rail on short haul is heavily argued between academics; this study contributes to better understanding of viability of rail/intermodal transport on short distances and the role dry ports play in that. Practical impact The paper highlights the potential of rail on short distances that might be obtained through the use/implementation of dry ports in seaports’ immediate and middrange hinterland resulting in increased competitive advantage for the seaports. Research impact Data for the case studies are collected at ports Tauranga and Auckland, and their close intermodal terminals. A more comprehensive view of the problem could be obtained through additional case studies on other countries’ seaports and their intermodal terminals