Along with three of my intrepid Wellington office colleagues and a team from UDC I had the pleasure of standing at the summit carpark on SH2 Remutaka Hill Road this week giving out bacon butties, drinks and lollies to truck drivers to show our appreciation for the great work they do. A big shoutout to UDC for their initiative and delivery of this event, and we’re already looking forward to the next one.

What was sad was the number of drivers that indicated they wanted to stop but they couldn’t, or certainly that was what we interpreted from those that were pointing at their watches as they slowed but decided they couldn’t afford to stop. It was a stark demonstration of how much pressure drivers are under.

The location was good because it provided an opportunity to appreciate the drivers’ skill as they made their way up the southern side, on what is some of the more testing topography on the State highway network. Most that had CB radios routinely use them to give warning to other truckies as they approached the tight points.

The location was also relevant to us given we recently recommended to NZTA that if money becomes available for any work on this route, then improving the next two pinch points for heavy vehicles that our members have identified would be a good place to start.

Relieving the pinch points would also help improve resilience of our public transport system. Unfortunately issues with trains that morning had meant buses were replacing the train services and given the length and wheel bases of modern coaches, manoeuvering them around the tight and windy sections is no mean feat.

However, while we might want those improvements, for some historical perspective it was sobering to read at the noticeboard at the summit that between 1915 and 1918 about 60,000 soldiers that trained at Featherston Military Camp marched over the Hill to Trentham. It was a distance of 43.5 km and would take 3 days. Most of the combinations units I saw this week had at least 540 HP and would have covered that distance in about 45 minutes so it’s easy to forget how far we’ve come!

The Rimutaka March – WW100 – Wairarapa’s First World War Centenary (wairarapa100.co.nz)

Visiting the members

Other highlights for me this week included two of our team getting out and about visiting our members. Jim Crouchley has been doing visits on a trip to Oamaru, and Lindsay Calvi-Freeman is down the West Coast.  Following great work from Odette and Vicki, we’ve also launched a new campaign which gives members a great discount on a wide range of Samsung products. I’d like to think every member we have can get a benefit from this offer.

Advocating for the industry

In the advocacy front Policy Lead Billy Clemens is working with MBIE on the Accredited Employer Work Visa, and ACC has begun consultation on changes to its levies.

We’ve also developed our submission on NZTA’s proposals to change the Medical Aspects of Fitness to Drive which is guidance given to health practitioners when assessing the fitness.

Another issue we’re getting our heads around is the NZTA toll road proposals. While it’s still early days, I’ve already had a significant amount of feedback from members concerned with the proposal to toll roads that are already in construction with funding has been allocated. I’m sure this will be a subject of much discussion at our Napier Summit!

Board elections

A highlight of the week were the presentations to the Road Freight Safety Group, firstly by Francois Barton of the Business Leaders Health and Safety Forum, and then secondly by Chris Murphy and Jason Williams on the accreditation system developed and implemented by the Log Transport Safety Council. The latter was a powerful demonstration of the good that can come when there is positive collaboration across the stakeholders in the supply chain, and that the systems are strongly focused on the specific sector’s respective needs and risks.

Today is also historic because for the first time we are electronically sending out Election Voting Forms to our Operator members companies and Life Members. These are the two categories eligible for voting for the inaugural 2024 Transporting New Zealand Board operating under the new constitution. Electronic voting runs from Friday 20 September until 6pm Thursday 3 October. All member operator companies and life members will be sent voting papers today, if you do not receive a voting paper please contact info@transporting.nz.  In-person voting will also be available at the Transporting New Zealand AGM in Napier on Friday 4 October 2024 between 4pm and 4.30pm. Ballot papers will be available on request at the AGM registration desk.

It’s great to see we have more candidates than seats available and I’d urge people to exercise their right to select the people they want to lead and direct Transporting New Zealand.

Late ferry news

There have been issues with the Bluebridge ferry service with the MV Connemara being hit by reported engine trouble in Cook Strait.

The prompt response with tug assistance and the professionalism of the Bluebridge crew meant no one was at risk, as I understand it, which is always a relief. I’m sure the team at Bluebridge will be even more concerned than us to determine what has gone wrong and I’ll stick to my rule of refraining from speculation.

But my stance, and that of Transporting New Zealand, is that no matter who is operating the ferry services across the strait, we all need a reliable, safe platform that is cost effective and fit for purpose. It’s also a reminder of the perils of having less ships rather than more. The iRex scheme would have had two large ferries. I think the magic number is closer to three.

In closing

Ending on a final sad note, this week saw the passing of Jim Dynes, whom along with his brother John, founded what would become Dynes. We will share more about Jim’s legacy later but for now our sympathies and condolences go to the Dynes family, and especially Peter Dynes and Shona Robertson.

Dom Kalasih, Interim Chief Executive, Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting NZ