I attended a meeting with Transport Minister Simeon Brown last week with a range of other transport groups, and for once there were a lot of happy faces in the room.
Most of the groups there are right behind the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Transport, and that was all the acronyms – the MIA, VIA, AA MTA, and the three trucking organisations.
One of the things that popped up at the meeting was the proposal to apply road user charges to all motor vehicles instead of using petrol taxes to fund roading. (That brought about the only real sign of dissent at the meeting, as the Automobile Association wasn’t too keen on that idea. But they have a membership to represent, and that’s fair enough.)
The reason for the suggestion is that the improving fuel efficiency of new cars allows them to travel further on less gas, so they are actually paying less per kilometre covered to maintain the roads via a pure petrol tax.
But the Motor Trade Association, the imported vehicles folks and Transporting New Zealand all liked what was being said because from a user pays perspective the current system isn’t really fair, and revenue is dropping.
The change in how things are being done is happening thick and fast. The only problem is change can occur with every regime change MMP throws up at us.
That’s why the freight sector groups support the creation of the National Infrastructure Agency (NIA, collect the whole acronym set!) We need something with a vision of infrastructure that lasts for 30 years. It takes time to plan, budget and build these huge projects. Having them chopped and changed every three or six years isn’t the way to spend our roading money wisely.
On a very similar subject, we are also pleased with the proposed fast-tracking of consents. New Zealand’s had a long time of having many projects being bogged down in expensive bureaucracy that is only ever encouraged by, let’s face it, quite a few bureaucrats.
That’s not to say it isn’t contentious. My daughter is taking part in climate protests today. Forest and Bird, which at least one of our staff members belongs to, is promoting the protest as a way to “show politicians that we contest the Fast-Track Approvals Bill”. You’ve got to love democracy!
Which kind of brings me round to what I call the World of And.
Too often there are single-solution goals put out as one group’s reason for existence in the transport sphere.
Either everything has to be about safety, or everything has to be about productivity, or everything has to be about saving the planet right now and not next Tuesday because then it would be too late, and we’d be doomed.
How about we love productivity (which we do) AND we care hugely about safety. Which we do.
And how about we care about our environment AND we care about building an infrastructure that is free-flowing and resilient.
AND is what people should aim for. AND is good.
Webinar
There’s a webinar on Monday at 5pm to talk about the proposed changes to the Transporting New Zealand constitution and governance structure.
It is a chance to provide feedback and ask me questions and our Board chair Warwick Wilshier before each region votes on the changes. To register for it, go here.
I’ve even done a brief video explainer about the proposals just go here.
