Media Release 9 June 2004

Transit appoints new chief executive

Transit New Zealand chairperson David Stubbs today announced that Transit's board has chosen a new chief executive.The new Transit New Zealand chief executive is Mr Rick van Barneveld. "We undertook an international search to ensure that we had a wide pool of talent from which to make our selection.

The board is confident that Mr van Barneveld is the right person to guide the organisation through this new era ushered in with the passing of the Land Transport Management Act."While we believe Mr van Barneveld will understand and be able to work in the more collaborative environment now prevailing for land transport, the board also wants him to concentrate on ensuring that much*needed major projects, especially in Auckland, progress rapidly."The board intends to keep a firm hand on the tiller and set clear direction. In particular I will be wanting the new chief executive to push forward in the areas of traffic demand management, tolling, access protection for state highways, and transport sustainability."Together with

Mr van Barneveld I want to strengthen Transit's relationships with our key stakeholders and work together to develop land transport solutions that encompass the government's goals of integration, safety, responsiveness and sustainability," said Mr Stubbs.Mr van Barneveld will take up his new position immediately.

He was appointed acting chief executive in February when Dr Robin Dunlop left to become Secretary for Transport at the Ministry of Transport.Prior to the acting chief executive position Mr van Barneveld was Transit's national highway manager, and in that capacity led the development of Transit's operational capability in planning, maintenance and construction of the state highway network. Mr van Barneveld says that with the unprecedented level of government funding available for land transport not only Transit but the whole sector will be stretched to deliver appropriate transport solutions."Achieving this, as well as negotiating a new path of social and environmental responsibility will require Transit to engage with the community, and opinion leaders in particular, to secure confidence and advocacy for future direction," he said.Mr van Barneveld and wife Jeanette have three grown sons.

In addition to family commitments he keeps life in balance with cycling to work and night rides on Wellington hills or a daily gym session. He is the incoming president of the Wellington Central Rotary Club. Any leftover time will go into finishing the restoration of his first car which he has owned for more than 30 years.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>