Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

It was great to attend the opening ceremony of the Fairfield Road Rail Freight Hub, which was officially opened by Transport Minister Simeon Brown on April 19.

Congratulations to the leadership of the Wareing Group, with the support and commitment of the local council, KiwiRail, and the previous and current governments. 

One of the things that I have been concerned about previously are government policies to drive modal shift for the sake of achieving some arbitrary mode share distribution. The Fairfield Freight Hub demonstrates that the big issue is transport, not just modal share.

The Fairfield Freight Hub is a great demonstration of thinking ...

Last month, the government announced it was scrapping Road to Zero. It may be controversial, but I think that was the right move. Here’s why.

Road to Zero was launched with much fanfare in 2019 and it set an interim target of a 40 per cent reduction in deaths and serious injuries by 2030 against a 2018 baseline. That meant the road toll in 2030 would equate to 227 deaths.

The graph below shows how things were actually tracking as we approached halfway. I don’t think even the most optimistic person would suggest things were on track. 

There have been mixed reactions to the government scrapping it but given that the programme was so far off track ...

Looking over the last 12 to 18 months, one thing is apparent to me: Things will get harder before they get easier. In my opinion, we need an ecosystemic, or holistic approach to make decent progress to address the increasing number of challenges in front of us.

Success has come when the other parties that influence or drive our members’ operational practices are well engaged.

In my last job, we had an approach called “Outside In” which was about learning about what goes on around you. It was recognising that we don’t have all the answers but by looking outside you might find the solutions.

Last year, I attended a Log Transport Safety Council meeting,...

We at Transporting New Zealand love nothing better than sharing and celebrating good news stories about the road transport industry. We all know our sector faces continuing challenges – roads and regulations being some of the biggest – and we continue to advocate to the government on behalf of our members and the wider industry.

At the same time, trucking companies keep on keeping on, 24/7, despite adversity. For most, dealing with difficulties is just part of the job, but sometimes we think it’s worth taking a moment to pause and acknowledge truly outstanding achievements – even if, in true kiwi spirit, those who have done a great job remain unassuming and modest...

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...