Road Freight Industry Gloomy About Economy
The results are contained in the 2025 National Road Freight Industry Survey, a major survey of 194 respondents across 128 road freight businesses, conducted in March this year by Research NZ on behalf of advocacy group Transporting New Zealand.
The survey was also promoted by the New Zealand Heavy Haulage Association and Groundspread NZ and represents the most extensive industry snapshot in over a decade.
Transporting New Zealand says the survey offers sobering insights into business conditions, the deteriorating road network, and challenges around driver safety and wellbeing.
Only 34 per cent of those surveyed expected their financial situation to improve over the next 12 months, and only one in four respondents reported having sustainable operating margins. Just under half (47 per cent) believed the government was on the right economic track, while 25 per cent disagreed and 27 per cent were unsure.
Transporting New Zealand says the findings echo the concerns it has heard from members and align with wider economic indicators.
"Company liquidations in the transport sector were up by 79 per cent last year, and the ANZ Truckometer Heavy Traffic Index for June 2024 recorded its biggest monthly drop on record, excluding Covid-19 lockdowns." says Billy Clemens, Transporting New Zealand's Head of Policy and Advocacy.
"The survey results, combined with the tough economic data, really highlight the need for infrastructure investment from the Government to support growth, as well as resource management reform that helps support new jobs and overseas investment".
Health, safety, and wellbeing and workforce challenges were also priorities. A total of 78 per cent of respondents called for more purpose-designed rest stops for drivers, and 72 per cent said it was important for drivers to have a good work-life balance.
Finding new drivers was also a big issue. Almost one-half of industry respondents (47 per cent) indicated that "up to 25 per cent" or more would retire or leave the industry in the next five years. This highlighted the ageing workforce.
Concerns about the state of New Zealand's roads were nearly universal. The vast majority (93 per cent) agreed that poor road maintenance is putting truck drivers and other road users at risk. A significant number (84 per cent), believed that regional roads and bridges are neglected, and that delays in replacing the Cook Strait ferries pose a major risk (79 per cent).
One bright spot in the survey for truck drivers was that while the those in the industry believe the public have a negative perception of professional drivers, that is not the case.
Nearly half of industry respondents (49 per cent) believed the public holds a negative view of professional drivers, while only 20 per cent believed the public viewed them positively.
However, a poll of 1000 New Zealanders conducted by Research NZ painted a more favourable picture, with 52 per cent saying they view professional road freight drivers positively; and only 7 per cent expressing a negative view.
"It's encouraging to see such widespread public support for truck drivers, and Transporting New Zealand will be highlighting this in our advocacy - especially as we push for better public facilities for drivers and policies that support the long-term sustainability of freight businesses," says Clemens.
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Photos / Michelle Hyslop and Kellie Blizzard Francis De Vries and Steve Corica. Photos / Michelle Hyslop and Kellie Blizzard Real Housewives of London preview The exclusive New Zealand preview of The Real Housewives of London took place in Auckland last Thursday. The show is reality streaming platform Hayu's first commission of an original series, expanding the global franchise that includes versions filmed in Beverly Hills, New York, Dubai and many other cities around the world. Guests watched the first episode, which introduced its six stars – Juliet Angus, Karen Loderick-Peace, Juliet Mayhew, Panthea Parker, Amanda Cronin and Nessie Welschinger – while enjoying prosecco and a British-inspired high tea at the Library boutique cinema at Westfield Newmarket. Guests included RuPaul's Drag Race Down Under Season 1 winner, Kita Mean, former reality stars Colin Mathura-Jeffree and entrepreneur lyia Liu, ZM host Georgia Burt and influencer Win Wolf. 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Otago Daily Times
9 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Piles of piles, and of problems
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But the design of the main building has reportedly changed several times, seemingly always in response to public outcry to the cuts in promised services. The famous $1.4b figure was circulated from time to time — I think mainly to remind people that we cannot and should not be greedy. The Covid epidemic and lockdowns were used for a while as an excuse for delays — but actual lockdown in Dunedin was four weeks, and tradies returned to work after three weeks. The local lolly factory worked through lockdown because someone decided lollies are essential food. Further years passed. A new minister decided to appear on TV with the good news — the new hospital build was starting in earnest now. We were told the government (this one and the subsequent one) would be happy to pay $1.8b — no more. Well, some of initial $1.4b had already been spent on purchase of the site with buildings, demolition of the buildings, soil testing, consultations, consultations, projects, consultations, designs, consultations, business cases, consultations, redesigns, consultations, outpatient building, purchasing of material and equipment for outpatient building, consultations, wages for workers, water, power, workers' accommodation, food, consultation and I hope cheese rolls but not without consultation. After the minister's TV appearance bulldozers and diggers swarmed the main hospital building site, roamed between the piles, removed about half a metre depth of dirt, and in an orderly fashion created a mound on the same site and left. We were told through the news outlets that the contract with the earth-moving company was cancelled because, oh no, there are changes made to the original design. To return to the beginning. One would expect that someone in the Labour government of the time had experience in building and knew that the first step before design is to know what the soil is like. The quality and type of soil would determine the size and height of the building, but most importantly type and depth of foundation. One would expect that someone in the government of the day would have looked at locations and commission geologists to drill the soil and find out which site was adequate for a new hospital. One would expect that the government would have had the means to negotiate with owners of potential sites to let the geological surveys take place. Then there is a need to project population growth and utilisation of hospital beds 30 years into future. Then a decision should be made regarding the extent of regional health services (what diseases should be treated and what surgeries should be performed in Dunedin), how many clinicians should the hospital employ (all of this is hypothetical but necessary to help decide the size of future hospital). Then provisional design is sought — this should then inform the cost (or at least lowest and highest projected cost). Then the Treasury should, based on this information, advise on how much money is going to be available. Only then the minister could come in front of the public with a projected cost and time frames, location, foreseen problems (just to be on the safe side). Most importantly, this should have been, from the beginning, a bipartisan project, because it is not a single political party achievement; it is a project that benefits the whole of New Zealand not only Otago and Southland. • Dejan Mandich is a consultant psychiatrist.
