Roading expected to benefit from budget 2006

MEDIA RELEASE
16 May 2006

Roading expected to benefit from budget announcement
Awards programme to help industry prepare for growth

Roading New Zealand and industry practitioners expect this week’s budget to include funding plans enabling Transit to reinstate its 10 year State Highway Programme, a move hailed as fundamental to continued industry growth.

This will mean funding a major increase in projects for the roading sector over the next 10 years, with an anticipated $1 billion dollar increase in funding, strengthening the Government’s commitment to improving infrastructure in New Zealand.

Chris Olsen, chief executive of Roading New Zealand, said: “Never before has it been so important for contractors to build and maintain New Zealand roads on time and to a good standard. This extra funding will enable continued growth within the industry, and allow for vital infrastructure redevelopment.”

The Prime Minister, Minister of Transport and Associate Minister for Finance have signalled this decision since a possible funding slow down for the sector was announced by Transit in February.

In order to support this need for industry growth and to help the industry prepare for this infrastructure redevelopment in the coming years, Roading New Zealand initiated the Roading Excellence Awards that are now in their second year.

“The awards were established to encourage companies to build capacity and grow whilst operating at the highest standard.”

Mr Olsen said many New Zealand roading companies had embraced the challenge to grow their businesses so they could cope with upcoming work.

Entries are now open for the 2006 Roading Excellence Awards.

The awards, sponsored by Shell Bitumen, Goughs and InfraTrain NZ, aim to promote excellence and best practice in the provision of land transport infrastructure, while growing members’ and sponsors’ business through the increased industry profile.

The Goughs Supreme Award has been added to the programme this year, to be awarded for excellence in the planning, design and construction of a road of regional significance completed in the past two years.

Continued from the 2005 programme is the Shell Bitumen Supreme Award that recognises excellence in a project of national significance, and the InfraTrain NZ Best Practice Award highlights the best example of development and implementation of roading best practice.

Mr Olsen said the awards were the first of their kind to focus solely on roading and celebrate companies and roading organisations such as local authorities and Transit that excel in all aspects of roading projects and best practice.

Entries close 7 July 2006 and judging will begin two weeks later. Winners will be announced on 28 August as part of the Roading New Zealand conference, at a gala dinner at the Duxton Hotel in Wellington.

ENDS

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