Archive for February, 2009

“Shovel Ready” Infrastructure Projects Needed

The Govt should plan ahead and obtain advance design and environmental approvals for future infrastructure projects. The Association of Consulting Engineers NZ (ACENZ) President, Brent Meekan, says extensive further investment in infrastructure will be required and NZ should follow the example of a number of European Govts which ensure they have a supply of approved […]

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Big Bill Looms For Govt To Replace Rail Ferries

The Govt is potentially going to have to find hundreds of millions of dollars to replace and or upgrade the aging inter-island Cook Strait ferries. A briefing paper prepared on the state of the interisland ferry operations for Govt ministers says the 25 year-old Arahura owned outright by Kiwirail underwent a refit in 2008 to […]

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City Council Slashes Transport Project Funding

Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury look to be heading for another showdown over the regional transport strategy. The city council’s taking the blowtorch to a range of key transport infrastructure projects identified as part of the regional transport plan agreed to with the regional council to try to cut rates rises.The council’s proposal includes […]

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Unions Hit Out At Road Focus Of Stimulus Package

The Govt’s transport infrastructure spend up plans have come under fire from groups representing the rail industry which claims the programme has all but ignored other modes of transport.
Emissions concerns ignored. The Maritime Union of NZ and Rail and Maritime Transport Union (RMTU) says the Govt’s economic stimulus plans focuses transport investment exclusively on roading. […]

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Bridge Upgrades Improve Midland Rail Line

The reliability and efficiency of the Midland rail line is being improved significantly as result of a programme to replace and improve wooden bridges. Over the past five years, $21m has been spent on 77 bridge replacement and upgrade projects. Much of the work is being undertaken west of Otira and is in addition to […]

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Vege Growers Hit Out At Ongoing Fuel Surcharges

Vegetable growers are angry transport companies are still enforcing high fuel surcharges and warn if the practice continues many could be out of business which will also hit consumers in the pocket. Brian Garguilo, a tomato grower in Christchurch and Nelson, says his freight bill each month is about $30,000 but on top of this […]

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RMA Reforms Will Speed Up Projects - Engineers

The Institute of Professional Engineers (IPENZ) has come out strongly in support for the Govt’s proposed RMA changes saying applicants will now have more say in the outcome of decisions. IPENZ says the changes, particularly the priority given to national infrastructure, will significantly speed up timeframes for infrastructure planning applications - both big and small. […]

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Project Speed-Up Not Enough Says Lobby Group

NZ Council for Infrastructure Development CEO, Stephen Selwood, has hit out at the Govt’s infrastructure spending plan announced this week. Selwood says a sense of scale is lacking in the $500m of infrastructure upgrades and is also concerned at a lack of clear policy over the future of the rail network and operations.
Deficit not tackled. […]

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Coastal Highway Group Say Project Still Viable

Proponents of the upgrade of the coastal highway north of Wellington, The Coastal Highway Group, says lack of a designation is not a major hurdle to building a bypass at Pukerua Bay. Spokesman, Dick Jessup, says one of the election promises made by the National Party was to speed up the consent processes for new […]

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Freight Charges Need To Rise - Business Expert

Transport operators need to take a close look at their pricing strategies if they are to survive in the current market. Leading transport and business turnaround specialist, Trevor Thornton, says although fuel prices are falling, transport costs are rising faster than the cost of inflation. “The reality is that transport costs actually need to increase. […]

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