Category: Transport Minute

Justin’s Transport Minute – 13/12/2024

On the last Friday of November I had the pleasure of attending the Port of Auckland to join the Minister for Work Place Relations and Safety, Hon Brooke van Velden in the launching of the Approved Code of Practice (APOC) for loading and unloading cargo at ports and on ships.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 05/12/2024

A tired cliche, but this year has gone properly fast.

For the industry, it has probably been a year to forget. The soft economy saw transport demand fall to levels not seen for decades. But the worst appears to be behind us.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 29/11/2024

I’ve been in the media recently supporting concrete roads and that they have a part to play in road building in this country. Over their lifetime concrete roads cost less than asphalt roads (in the right terrain) when you factor in lifetime pavement rehabilitation and repairs.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 15/11/2024

We all heard it growing up – “you have two ears and one mouth for a reason”. I was never quite sure whether I met that implied ratio of listening twice as much as speaking. Perhaps where my sisters were involved.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 1/11/2024

With over a 168,000 heavy trucks on our roads, every day there is a story to be read about the men and women keeping our supply chain going.

Two in particular over the last two weeks caught my attention, for very different reasons but both pointing to the same thing – paying attention. One ended in triumph, with a life saved, one in tragedy with a life lost.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 25/10/2024

Growing up, I was one of those kids who loved pouring over the maps I found in my grandfather’s yellow National Geographic magazines. I would take imaginary journeys through the desert to the source of the Nile, sail from the Atlantic to the Pacific through the elusive Arctic northwest passage, even storming the beaches at D-Day. My love of maps has only grown since then.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 18/10/2024

If you are a Formula One fan like me, you’ll be excitedly anticipating Liam Lawson getting back in the saddle for Red Bull on 8am Monday morning, flying the New Zealand flag in Austin Texas. Liam is the latest of a proud pedigree of Kiwi drivers, from Bruce McLaren & Denny Hulme, through to Chris Amon and more recently Brendan Hartley.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 6/09/2024

Spring has sprung, and right on cue on Sunday the temperature gauge on my car dashboard read 20 degrees for the first time in a long time. As well as sunshine, blossoms and longer days, it also signals the return to a more intensive road working season, with summer pavement rehabilitation on the way.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 30/08/2024

If you happened by the NRC building at the right moment this week you would have been bemused to hear the sound of cheering emitting from my office. Members will be familiar with NRC’s pre-election campaign calling for a 50-year roading infrastructure plan, and the success we have had in getting a 30-year plan built into the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 23/08/2024

Another week in transport, another government initiative announced – change is coming fast at the moment. This week the Minister of Local Government Simeon Brown has announced the launch of a framework to establish Regional Deals between central and local government.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 2/08/2024

Are we still on track for that soft landing?​ Back in April principal economist Brad Olsen from NRC partner Infometrics said hopes of a soft landing for the New Zealand economy “are disappearing.”