Transport operators excited at the prospect of the incoming government’s commitment to prioritise a credible national transportation plan will be disappointed at the further delay in launching our modernised Interisland Cook Strait ferry service.
Intended to facilitate a smooth transition to operating the new service by waiting until the holiday peak demand has subsided, the postponement also reflects reported delays in the completion date for shore facilities in Wellington and Picton.
Much will depend on the continuing reliability of the already diminished ferry fleet, under pressure with holidaymakers’ cars, boats and camper vans vying with commercial transport demands.
The growing demand for LPG, especially by South Island vacationers, the hospitality sector and businesses catering to the influx of tourists and holidaymakers, requires additional dangerous goods capacity for rail wagons and road tankers. Our fragile Cook Strait service needs to be mission ready.
Supply chain professionals continue to be challenged by disruptions as diverse as the cyber attack affecting Australian container terminals and extreme weather events here at home, threatening deliveries over damaged roads like the Coromandel’s SH25A, to Kiwis determined to enjoy a post-Covid holiday while we can still afford one.
Criticism of the general poor state of our roads became a significant factor in the election, ranging from ‘fix the potholes’ to delays in repairing damaged vital roading links to rural communities, only partially redressed by the new 38km Puhoi to Wellsford section of the long-awaited enhancements to the strategically important Roads of National Importance programme.
Opponents of the ‘Holiday Highway’ extension are now opposing the Warkworth to Wellsford and South of Cambridge motor way extensions, despite the proven safety and efficiency gains of world class, future-proofed arterial transport routes.Fortunately, drivers now have updated chemical emergency information. The familiar NZ Standard HB76:2010 has been extensively upgraded by Responsible Care NZ, New Zealand’s chemical industry association in the new Australia/NZ Emergency Response Guide Book (ANZ ER Guide), which belongs in every vehicle hauling chemicals from our busy ports and storage facilities along our fragile freight corridors.
Well publicised vehicle fires, especially those involving Lithium-ion batteries, highlight a previously under-appreciated hazard for drivers and the emergency services throughout the country.
Drivers using the Kiwi version of this recognised transport industry’s user-friendly guide can help minimise the adverse effects of a chemical incident such as a spill, providing valuable support for local volunteer emergency responders.
A dangerous goods incident handbook may not immediately appeal as the most attractive Christmas stocking stuffer, but when the worst happens, it could turn out to be a life saver, particularly in protecting our fragile environment. Together with the chemical industry’s popular 0800 CHEMCALL 24/7 Emergency Response Advisory Service, what better way to show your committed team you care.
Easily overlooked is the message embedded in the reopening of the critical SH25A highway. Working 24-hour shifts and repurposing major bridging components from other projects, enabled completing a difficult project in record time and under budget.
What if we could now harness this new-found enthusiasm, professionalism and skilled workers to cut red tape and boost productivity by completing long-awaited transport infrastructure projects?
Take extra care out there, drive safely and enjoy your well-earned summer break.