Category: Transport Minute

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.”

Justin’s Transport Minute – 13/06/2024

This week a report crossed my desk that was very hard reading. The Business Leaders’ Health and Safety Forum has produced a report that is essential reading for everyone who employs staff.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 6/06/2024

Road freight has plenty on the plate for the Director of Land Transport

This week the NRC Transport & Logistics Advisory Group met with the Director of Land Transport, and General Manager of Regulation, Brent Alderton.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 24/05/2024

Some relief for transport operators, as cost pressures begin to ease

Anyone trying to read the tea leaves on our economy at the moment maybe getting a headache.

Those trying to understand the Official Cash Rate (OCR) announcement this week can be forgiven for wondering what tea pot the Reserve Bank Governor is consulting.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 10/05/2024

Transport businesses pay the price for employment breaches

Recently at least two transport operators have hit the headlines for the all the wrong reasons. Failing to look after their people, both fell foul of the Employment Authority and had to pay the price, literally.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 3/05/2024

Latest slip on the Brynderwyns shows just why fast track consent process is critical.

Tuesday this week an ominous email appeared in my inbox.

“There’s been a slip”. My heart sank.

Justin’s Transport Minute – 19/04/2024

This week I met with Minister for Infrastructure, the Hon. Chris Bishop at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. Two hot topics came up:

How can we build infrastructure faster?
How do we protect projects from stopping and starting on political whims, and just get it built?

      Before going to the meeting, I heard the Minister for Regional Development, Hon. Shane Jones, on the radio refer to our “constipation” when it comes to building infrastructure. Eloquent as ever, but not wrong. So what is Minister Bishop looking to do to unblock the infrastructure pipe?

      Justin’s Transport Minute – 12/04/2024

      Last Sunday, a quiet afternoon resting with the family after a busy morning at the school fair, my phone lit up with TVNZ wanting comment on the closure of the immigration pathway for truck drivers.

      What closure I asked?

      Turns out that we, along with the rest of industry, were blind-sided by the Minister of Immigration announcing that the special immigration status for class 4 and 5 truck and bus drivers was revoked with immediate effect

      Justin’s Transport Minute – 05/04/2024

      Following on from the “Big Picture” issues that I ran through in the last Transport Minute, today I’d like to give a flavour of how the team at NRC are helping out our members at the grass roots level. It never ceases to amaze me the breadth of issues that our team helps members with on a daily basis, and I thought I’d run through some of these as it highlights the range of challenges we can assist with.

      Justin’s Transport Minute – 22/03/2024

      Another week where daily a new major transport story hits the headlines. So much is happening that you’ll have to forgive me – my column is probably more accurately called Justin’s Transport Five Minutes this week.

      Justin’s Transport Minute – 15/03/2024

      This week I’ve spent an energy boosting couple of days in Christchurch attending our hugely successful Teletrac Navman Technology, Maintenance and Safety Conference & Exhibition at Te Pae. With over 600 attendees including 130 students, 36 speakers, a strong contingent from Australia, and the media in tow – it was a fantastic event to be at.

      Justin’s Transport Minute – 08/03/2024

      Times up on the first hundred days of the coalition government comes today, so what’s the score card for the road transport industry?

      Let’s do a quick survey of what’s across the line so far.

      Justin’s Transport Minute – 23/02/2024

      At midnight on Monday, a nine-week closure of the country’s main national highway arterial begins. This length of closure of a main arterial between two major centres would be unthinkable in any other modern economy, but here we are.

      Justin’s Transport Minute – 16/02/2024

      As I do the rounds with officials in Wellington, one refreshing new trend that is taking off is talking about productivity and efficiency. I’ve heard these two words more there in the first 6 weeks of the year than over the last 6 years.