Latest news with #IaAraAotearoa
Scoop
24-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Supply Chain Partners Face Significant Fines If They Contribute To Speeding, Fatigue Or Overloading By Truck Drivers
Press Release – Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Transporting New Zealand has launched a set of resources raising awareness about the 'Chain of Responsibility' provisions in the Land Transport Act, that can result in serious fines for those who influence truck drivers to breach transport rules. The national road freight association, Transporting New Zealand, is calling on all parties across the supply chain to play their part in preventing speeding, breach of work time rules and overladen trucks. Transporting New Zealand has launched a set of resources raising awareness about the 'Chain of Responsibility' provisions in the Land Transport Act, that can result in serious fines for those who influence truck drivers to breach transport rules. Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says that it isn't just truck drivers with road safety responsibilities. 'If your conduct contributes to truck drivers exceeding speed limits, breaching work time rules, or operating over-weight vehicles, you can be liable for a fine of up to $25,000 under the Land Transport Act.' 'This is relevant to everyone from transport company directors, cargo owners, processors, and ports. All those supply chain parties whose instructions, expectations and facilities can contribute to non-compliance.' 'While it is ultimately the responsibility of truck drivers and road freight businesses to ensure they are operating safely and compliantly, the Chain of Responsibility provisions recognise that other parties are often in a position of power when it comes to getting freight delivered.' 'Transporting New Zealand has always maintained a zero-tolerance policy towards deliberate non-compliance by transport operators, and that remains unchanged.' Kalasih says he hopes that the Chain of Responsibility resources will encourage conversations between transporters, their clients, and transport facilities like processing plants and ports. 'Issues that really put road freight companies under pressure include last minute timing and delivery changes, unrealistic ultimatums from supply chain partners, and a lack of weighing facilities or parking facilities.' Kalasih would like to see supply chain partners have clear chain of responsibility policies, and increased use of written contracts with appropriate protections for transporters. 'If all parties across the supply chain play their part, it puts truck drivers and road freight companies in the best position to deliver the freight task safely and efficiently.' Chain of Responsibility Resources Chain of Responsibility Posters can be downloaded here: Physical copies can be ordered by emailing info@ with order details and a business address. Transporting New Zealand's Terms and Conditions for Carriage of Goods template is available for members through their member portal: The NZTA Chain of Responsibility Fact Sheet is available here:
Scoop
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Road Freight Body Welcomes Steady Decline In Workplace Injuries
Press Release – Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Data released by ACC shows that annual injury claims have fallen by 35 per cent between 2018 and 2025, showing a consistent decline in workplace injuries despite growth in the national freight task. Transporting New Zealand is welcoming a decline in road freight transport workplace injuries, saying it shows industry commitment to health and safety improvements. Data released by ACC shows that annual injury claims have fallen by 35 per cent between 2018 and 2025, showing a consistent decline in workplace injuries despite growth in the national freight task. Claims fell across all 16 regions, with Northland and West Coast recording the largest percentage drops (56 per cent and 54 per cent respectively). There were 3,442 new claims in the road freight transfer industry in 2024/25, compared to 5,295 in 2017/18 – a reduction of 1,853 claims. Numbers declined year-on-year from 2018 to 2025. Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says the data is good news for road freight staff, businesses, and ACC levy payers. 'The data shows that road transport businesses are steadily improving workplace health and safety for its people, while moving more freight than ever.' Kalasih says that the reduction is workplace injuries has been assisted by improvements in workplace culture, as well as technological improvements. 'In our 2025 National Road Freight Survey, the health, safety and wellbeing of staff was identified as one of the top three issues by 128 surveyed businesses. This data from ACC also indicates that road freight businesses and staff are making training, safe processes, and site and equipment design a priority.' 'Technological innovation will also be playing an important role, whether it's automatic chain throwing and tensioning systems on logging trailers that avoid soft tissue injuries, or fatigue management technologies that help ensure people aren't working while tired. Safety technologies can reduce physical strain on workers and mitigate safety risks, bringing injury rates down.' Kalasih says that while the downward trend in workplace injuries is great news, there is more work that can be done. 'Transporting New Zealand would like to see these injury rates fall even further, and for injured people to be able to safely return to work sooner. The longer people spend away from their workplace, the less likely they are to successfully return to work.' 'We encourage our members to access Transporting New Zealand's free consultations from leading health and safety consultants and talk to our membership managers for advice and guidance.' 'We also encourage road freight businesses to check out ACC's Recovery at Work resources, to help support staff back into the work following injury – demonstrated in our recent member video.' ACC Road Freight Transport Industry Data 2024/2025 (1 April to 31 March) Primary Injury Diagnosis by Category (Top four categories by claim frequency) 1. Soft tissue injuries (sprains, strains, tears, and contusions) 2. Laceration / Puncture / Sting 3. Fracture / Dislocation 4. Foreign Body in Orifice / Eye Accident Cause (Top five categories by claim frequency) 1. Lifting / Carrying / Strain 2. Loss Balance / Personal Control 3. Other / Unknown 4. Pushed or Pulled Content Sourced from Original url
Scoop
22-07-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Road Freight Body Welcomes Steady Decline In Workplace Injuries
Press Release – Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Data released by ACC shows that annual injury claims have fallen by 35 per cent between 2018 and 2025, showing a consistent decline in workplace injuries despite growth in the national freight task. Transporting New Zealand is welcoming a decline in road freight transport workplace injuries, saying it shows industry commitment to health and safety improvements. Data released by ACC shows that annual injury claims have fallen by 35 per cent between 2018 and 2025, showing a consistent decline in workplace injuries despite growth in the national freight task. Claims fell across all 16 regions, with Northland and West Coast recording the largest percentage drops (56 per cent and 54 per cent respectively). There were 3,442 new claims in the road freight transfer industry in 2024/25, compared to 5,295 in 2017/18 – a reduction of 1,853 claims. Numbers declined year-on-year from 2018 to 2025. Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says the data is good news for road freight staff, businesses, and ACC levy payers. 'The data shows that road transport businesses are steadily improving workplace health and safety for its people, while moving more freight than ever.' Kalasih says that the reduction is workplace injuries has been assisted by improvements in workplace culture, as well as technological improvements. 'In our 2025 National Road Freight Survey, the health, safety and wellbeing of staff was identified as one of the top three issues by 128 surveyed businesses. This data from ACC also indicates that road freight businesses and staff are making training, safe processes, and site and equipment design a priority.' 'Technological innovation will also be playing an important role, whether it's automatic chain throwing and tensioning systems on logging trailers that avoid soft tissue injuries, or fatigue management technologies that help ensure people aren't working while tired. Safety technologies can reduce physical strain on workers and mitigate safety risks, bringing injury rates down.' Kalasih says that while the downward trend in workplace injuries is great news, there is more work that can be done. 'Transporting New Zealand would like to see these injury rates fall even further, and for injured people to be able to safely return to work sooner. The longer people spend away from their workplace, the less likely they are to successfully return to work.' 'We encourage our members to access Transporting New Zealand's free consultations from leading health and safety consultants and talk to our membership managers for advice and guidance.' 'We also encourage road freight businesses to check out ACC's Recovery at Work resources, to help support staff back into the work following injury – demonstrated in our recent member video.' ACC Road Freight Transport Industry Data 2024/2025 (1 April to 31 March) Primary Injury Diagnosis by Category (Top four categories by claim frequency) 1. Soft tissue injuries (sprains, strains, tears, and contusions) 2. Laceration / Puncture / Sting 3. Fracture / Dislocation 4. Foreign Body in Orifice / Eye Accident Cause (Top five categories by claim frequency) 1. Lifting / Carrying / Strain 2. Loss Balance / Personal Control 3. Other / Unknown 4. Pushed or Pulled Content Sourced from Original url
1News
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- 1News
'Shook to pieces': Truckers say eastern BoP bridge worse than third world
Eastern Bay of Plenty transportation operators are 'ropable' about the surface of the Pekatahi Bridge. The 100-year-old, single-lane bridge is on the main State Highway 2 route between the Port of Tauranga and the East Coast and Gisborne. Warren Sherborne who operates WozHiab says the condition of the bridge has become 'critical' despite frequent closures for works. 'They keep on shutting this bridge down but make no improvement,' he said. Sherborne frequently transports portable buildings to Ōpōtiki and the East Coast. ADVERTISEMENT 'It's like sending your little transportable home through an earthquake. It's just ridiculous." Sherborne said some of his loads are "quite fragile". "The bridge is rattling the absolute living crap out of them. We're idling across the bridge in the lowest gear, taking up many phases [of the traffic lights] because we're trying to look after our loads." Having operated the business for five and a half years, he said he had never seen the bridge in a worse state than it is now. 'At the moment this is just insane. Their latest bridge shuts [during April] have been pointless. The boards are indented now." He expressed fears for the safety of their loads. 'What if one of our loads was dislodged and came off after that bridge in transit and hurt someone?' ADVERTISEMENT Sherborne also feared for the effect heavy vehicles vibrating across bumps on the bridge would have on the foundations, likening it to a 40-tonne plate compactor going across the bridge. He said he was reporting the issue to the road transport forum Ia Ara Aotearoa – Transporting New Zealand, of which he is a member. A heavy vehicle bumping its way across the Pekatahi Bridge surface on Wednesday. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Robert Monk, from Robert Monk Transport, said they're carting as many as 30 loads a day of export kiwifruit from the Eastern Bay to the Tauranga port. He said the bridge deck had gone 'beyond a joke'. 'We're getting shook to pieces on that bridge even though the guys are going slow." Monk had just pulled a stainless steel screw out of one of his truck's tyres yesterday which he said was just the most recent of many. ADVERTISEMENT Recently, he had to pay $1200 for a call out when one of his trucks had a flat tyre from one of the screws. 'I'm only a little company but I pay in excess of $1.5 million a year in road users tax. It's unacceptable. 'I'm just ropable. It's costing us a lot of money, and a lot of other transport operators. It is a disgrace,' he said. 'The roads I travel on, when in the Philippines, are far superior to this, and the Philippines is a so-called third world country. What does that say about New Zealand?" New Zealand Transport Agency has said Pekatahi Bridge is not on its End of Life Bridge Register for replacement because the timber and steel sub-structure was in good condition. Design work was underway for a full deck replacement. However, construction was subject to funding and the existing 2024-27 National Land Transport Plan budget was currently oversubscribed. Bridge replacements were prioritised according to the age and condition of the bridge and suitability for current traffic volumes. Pekatahi Bridge did not rate as highly as similar bridges across New Zealand. New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) Waka Kotahi planned to shut the bridge for further repairs during the upcoming school holidays, between June 30 and July 4. ADVERTISEMENT 'Incredibly difficult to fathom' The asphalt over wooden boards on the deck of the Pekatahi Bridge begins to deteriorate within days of undergoing repairs. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Dom Kalasih, chief executive of industry association Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand, told the Beacon the industry had real concerns about how works were being carried out on the bridge. "Every repair done to date lasts only a matter of days before it starts to fail again and in only a matter of weeks it's as bad as it was before and we don't think this time will be any different. Doing this several times a year looks like false economy, not to mention the additional freight costs related to the detour are in the order of $100,000 every day," Kalasih said. 'On average, it serves over 10,000 vehicles every day, of which typically nearly 1000 each day are trucks moving goods and freight. The communities are heavily reliant on this connection and for NZTA to think that just because there's a 20-minute detour available this is no longer seen as a priority is incredibly difficult to fathom. 'NZTA's new approach is not what our country needs, particularly when productivity improvements are so important to our economy's recovery.' East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick agreed the situation was 'deeply frustrating for everyone'. ADVERTISEMENT She met with NZTA to discuss the matter on Tuesday and learned there are "three areas they were working on". "Short term, these were regular maintenance each school holidays to maintain the surface. In the medium term, deck replacement. Longer term, assessing the future of the bridge alongside the necessity for a second Whakatāne crossing via the 2027 Regional and National Land Transport Plans. "I impressed upon NZTA the need to evaluate whether spending $12-$14 million on resurfacing the bridge is really the most cost-effective option when it will still leave a one-lane bridge with complicated surface requirements as the main heavy traffic and regional traffic route through the district. 'Surely it is time to re-assess a number of components: heavy traffic requirements; the combined councils' spatial and growth planning, which will see this route used more and more; the need to plan and prepare for a new roading project for Whakatāne before the traffic volumes reach a standstill; and the economic viability of the region and those of its neighbouring regions who use this route to transport export product to the Port of Tauranga and around the North Island." Kirkpatrick used Waioeka Gorge as an example. 'You only need to travel the Waioeka Gorge a few times, as I do, to realise the amount of heavy traffic travelling north from Gisborne for stock, Leaderbrand vegetables, citrus, products and services to understand the necessity of this piece of infrastructure. "I am determined to keep pushing on these issues – I want people to keep sending me stories and photos. I forward them all to NZTA and it really is making a difference." ADVERTISEMENT Local Democracy Reporting is local-body journalism is co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air.
Scoop
20-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Pekatahi Bridge Worse Than Third World
Eastern Bay transportation operators are 'ropable' about the surface of the Pekatahi Bridge. The 100-year-old, single-lane bridge is on the main State Highway 2 route between the Port of Tauranga and the East Coast and Gisborne. Warren Sherborne who operates WozHiab says the condition of the bridge has become 'critical' despite frequent closures for works. 'They keep on shutting this bridge down but make no improvement,' he said. Mr Sherborne frequently transports portable buildings to Ōpōtiki and the East Coast. 'It's like sending your little transportable home through an earthquake. It's just ridiculous. 'They're quite fragile,' he said of some of his loads. "The bridge is rattling the absolute living crap out of them. We're idling across the bridge in the lowest gear, taking up many phases [of the traffic lights] because we're trying to look after our loads." Having operated the business for five and a half years, he said he had never seen the bridge in a worse state than now. 'At the moment this is just insane. Their latest bridge shuts [during April] have been pointless. The boards are indented now." He expressed fears for the safety for loads. 'What if one of our loads was dislodged and came off after that bridge in transit and hurt someone?' He also feared for the effect heavy vehicles vibrating across bumps on the bridge would have on the foundations, likening it to a 40 tonne plate compactor going across the bridge. He said he was reporting the issue to the road transport forum Ia Ara Aotearoa – Transporting New Zealand, of which he is a member. Robert Monk, from Robert Monk Transport which he said was carting as many as 30 loads a day of export kiwifruit from the Eastern Bay to the Tauranga port, said the bridge deck had gone 'beyond a joke'. 'We're getting shook to pieces on that bridge even though the guys are going slow. He had just pulled a stainless steel screw out of one of his truck's tyres yesterday (Thursday) which he said was just the most recent of many. Recently, he had to pay $1200 for a call out when one of his trucks had a flat tyre from one of the screws. 'I'm only a little company but I pay in excess of $1.5 million a year in road users tax. It's unacceptable. 'I'm just ropable. It's costing us a lot of money, and a lot of other transport operators. 'It is a disgrace,' he said. 'The roads I travel on, when in the Philippines, are far superior to this, and the Philippines is a so called 3rd world country. What does that say about New Zealand? New Zealand Transport Agency has said Pekatahi Bridge is not on its End of Life Bridge Register for replacement because the timber and steel sub-structure was in good condition. Design work was underway for a full deck replacement. However construction was subject to funding and the existing 2024-27 National Land Transport Plan budget was currently oversubscribed. Bridge replacements were prioritised according to the age and condition of the bridge and suitability for current traffic volumes. Pekatahi Bridge did not rate as highly as similar bridges across New Zealand. NZTA planned to shut the bridge for further repairs during the upcoming school holidays, between June 30 and July 4. Dom Kalasih, chief executive of industry association Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand, told the Beacon the industry had real concerns about how works were being carried out on the bridge. Every repair done to date lasts only a matter of days before it starts to fail again and in only a matter of weeks it's as bad as it was before and we don't think this time will be any different. Doing this several times a year looks like false economy, not to mention the additional freight costs related to the detour are in the order of $100,000 every day. 'On average it serves over 10,000 vehicles every day, of which typically nearly 1000 each day are trucks moving goods and freight. The communities are heavily reliant on this connection and for NZTA to think that just because there's a 20 minute detour available this is no longer seen as a priority is incredibly difficult to fathom. 'NZTA's new approach is not what our country needs, particularly when productivity improvements are so important to our economy's recovery.' East Coast MP Dana Kirkpatrick agreed the situation was 'deeply frustrating for everyone'. 'I met with NZTA about this on Tuesday and learned there were three areas they were working on.' Short term these were regular maintenance each school holidays to maintain the surface. In the medium term, deck replacement. Longer term, assessing the future of the bridge alongside the necessity for a second Whakatane crossing via the 2027 Regional and National Land Transport Plans. "I impressed upon NZTA the need to evaluate whether spending $12-$14 million on resurfacing the bridge is really the most cost-effective option when it will still leave a one-lane bridge with complicated surface requirements as the main heavy traffic and regional traffic route through the district. 'Surely it is time to re-assess a number of components, heavy traffic requirements, the combined councils' spatial and growth planning, which will see this route used more and more, the need to plan and prepare for a new roading project for Whakatane before the traffic volumes reach a stand still, and the economic viability of the region and those of its neighbouring regions who use this route to transport export product to the Port of Tauranga and around the North Island. 'As an example you only need to travel the Waioeka Gorge a few times as I do, to realise the amount of heavy traffic travelling north from Gisborne for stock, Leaderbrand vegetables, citrus, products and services to understand the necessity of this piece of infrastructure.' "I am determined to keep pushing on these issues – I want people to keep sending me stories and photos. I forward them all to NZTA and it really is making a difference."
