NZTD News

A major investment into Greymouth and Westport ports will boost coastal shipping and stimulate economic growth across the West Coast, Associate Transport and South Island Minister James Meager says.

The $5.3 million funding comprises of $4.3m for upgrades to the Port of Greymouth, and $1m for a regional safety programme to be shared with Westport Port.

Crown funding stems from the Coastal Shipping Resilience Fund, with the Grey District and West Coast Regional Councils co-investing an additional $671,200 for both...

IVECO continues to affirm its role in sustainable transport with another major international achievement for the third consecutive year. After the eDaily in 2024 and the Eurocargo CNG in 2025, the biomethane‑powered IVECO S‑Way LNG has now been crowned ‘Sustainable Truck of the Year’ in the Tractor category, confirming the brand’s ability to set the pace of innovation in heavy‑duty transport.

Established in 2016 by Italian industry magazine Vado e Torno, the Sustainable Truck of the Year awards are assigned annually by...

New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is urging motorists in Auckland to plan ahead and expect delays with an extended 14-hour full closure of the Southern Motorway (SH1) between Papakura and Drury this weekend from 7.30pm Saturday night (14 February) to 9.30am Sunday morning.

The closure is needed to allow for the demolition of the Bremner Road bridge over SH1 as part of the SH1 Papakura to Drury project - one of the Government’s Roads of Regional Significance intended to get our cities moving, save lives an...

Those of us trying to enjoy a holiday in the upper North Island mid-Jan could be forgiven for thinking that we were experiencing Cyclone Gabrielle-level rainfall again.  In fact, you weren’t far wrong. During Gabrielle in 2023, Northland recorded 342mm over a seven-day period. 

And the rainfall this year? Northland was hit with between 300-350mm, but this time in only 48 hours. Tauranga was hit with 274mm in one day, its wettest day ever recorded, a month’s worth of rain. And East Cape was hit with a major de...

The Light Traffic Index (LTI) eased 1.1% in January but is up a solid 3.6% year-on-year. The Heavy Traffic Index (HTI) fell 2.4% in the month, but this was off the back of a 3.2% lift in December. It is up 2.0% y/y, with annual growth trending up.

Light traffic (motorbikes, cars and vans) is generally a good indicator of the state of demand, as opposed to production. It typically provides up to a six-month lead on momentum in the economy, with variation reflecting discretionary spending on outings, movement of couriers...

Driver licensing changes

On Tuesday, Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced changes to the driver licensing scheme. Not unexpectedly, the removal of the second practical driving test has been a polarising issue, particularly for driver licence testers and road safety advocates. It is complex, but we are supportive of the changes, and I firmly believe they will help get more New Zealanders travelling safely on the road. 

There is no substantive research establishing that the second test im...