Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

It’s been a rollercoaster of a year, with many highs and lows. In the space of less than a year, we have seen three prime ministers, experienced a cyclone and severe flooding, and battled to recover from the restrictions of the pandemic and forge ahead amid a continuing cost of living crisis.

At the same time, our industry has celebrated some positive achievements, including attracting new drivers and supporting existing ones, and we have embraced new technology and progress towards an eco-friendly future.

Transporting New Zealand is optimistic that the new National-led government will bring about positive change for the road transport industry, and we welc...

Whatever form the next government takes, the challenges ahead won’t change.

It’s more a question of whether whichever party governing – or from the polls, I think I’m safe in saying parties – will address the challenges differently. Transporting New Zealand will take an active role to make sure the concerns of road transport operators are put front and foremost each and every day.

Recently, I attended an event for our members in Hawke’s Bay. The room was packed and the guest speaker was Katie Nimon, the National Party candidate.

One of Katie’s fundamental views was that roads should be seen as an investment to drive and improve the economy. While I’m...

Technology has brought about massive change for the better in our industry – although the core function, of taking essential supplies where they are needed, remains the same. Sometimes, change comes incrementally and gradually, like faster computers or more efficient engines, and sometimes it can be revolutionary, like electric or hybrid vehicles. 

In July, I gave a talk at Fleet Day in Hamilton, about how technology can improve heavy road transport. We’ve heard a lot recently about the challenges facing our industry, and while I do not want to diminish them, I feel it is good to be optimistic and acknowledge some of the positive changes that are happening. Th...

Once again, extreme weather on the North Island’s east coast has highlighted the fragility of New Zealand’s roading network, with more road closures and question marks hanging over the viability of some highways.

State Highway 25A on the Coromandel remains closed and won’t open until next year. Roads around the country, particularly in Northland, Gisborne, and Auckland, are coming under pressure due to the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events.

Crucial decisions will need to be made about investment in the roading network and what projects get prioritised. We constantly hear from our members about the continued poor state of roads arou...

I was pleased to see the Government at least attempt to address roading resilience in this year’s Budget. With severe weather events becoming more frequent and roads being the vital links between our communities, it is absolutely critical we increase investment in roading to make sure it is as resilient as possible.

This year’s Budget includes $279 million of funding specifically to improve the resilience of the state highway network, namely through slip prevention, slope stabilisation, flood mitigation and lessening the impact of sea level rise. This is on top of the $71 billion set aside for broader infrastructure upgrades over the next five years and the $475 mi...