For immediate release - 1 August 2008

New agency to improve transport system

The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) is formally established from today (1 August), combining the functions and expertise of Land Transport NZ and Transit New Zealand.

The new organisation will provide an integrated approach to transport planning, funding and delivery.

It brings together the functions of land transport planning, regulation of access to the transport network (e.g. driver and vehicle licensing), management of state highways, promotion of safety and sustainability, and allocation of funding.

NZTA Chief Executive Geoff Dangerfield said the new Crown entity would provide a vital connection between the high level objectives for transport set out in the New Zealand Transport Strategy, specific targets contained in government strategies and the delivery of services at a regional and local level.

“The NZTA has been created to improve New Zealand’s transport systems. We’ll do this by bringing together planning around transport activities, providing greater guidance around national priorities and with a renewed focus on regional planning.”

Mr Dangerfield said the NZTA would focus on five key areas during its first year of operation:

• Modal shift – getting freight and people to use a wider range of transport modes
• Safer travel – helping to make all journeys safer
• Streamlined funding process – making the process easier and more predictable
• Value for money – developing different approaches to achieve more
• Building stronger partnerships – working with partners for better transport outcomes.

While the NZTA formally comes into existence from today, the process of combining Land Transport NZ and Transit will take some time. The services provided by both organisations prior to 1 August will continue as part of one entity.

--

NZ Transport Agency - Questions and Answers

What is the NZ Transport Agency?
The NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) is a new Crown agency bringing together the expertise and functions of Land Transport NZ and Transit NZ. The NZTA was established on 1 August 2008.

What’s happened to Land Transport NZ and Transit?
Land Transport NZ and Transit NZ have been disestablished. The roles and functions performed by both organisations will still be undertaken by the NZ Transport Agency.

Why has the change been made?
The NZTA has been established to improve New Zealand’s transport systems. It will provide an integrated approach to transport planning, funding and delivery.

The new agency will provide a vital connection between the high level objectives for transport set out in the New Zealand Transport Strategy, specific targets contained in government strategies, and the delivery of services at a regional and local level.

What services will the NZTA provide?
The NZTA is responsible for:

• land transport planning
• regulating access to the transport network (e.g. driver and vehicle licensing)
• managing state highways
• promoting safety and sustainability, and
• allocating funding.

The services previously provided by Land Transport NZ and Transit NZ will continue to be provided as part of the new entity.

Why does there need to be a whole new organisation?
The State Services Commission conducted a review of the land transport sector in January 2007, and released the findings in a report in May 2007. The report, entitled ‘Next Steps Review of the Land Transport Sector’, made a number of recommendations about maximising the performance of the government land transport sector and its impact on the New Zealand economy and environment.

The Government chose to create a new Crown entity accountable to one board with the aim of improving focus on value for money for land transport activities and an appropriate balance of land transport activities.

What are the regional boundaries for the NZTA?
The NZTA has six administrative regions which match regional council boundaries. These are:

• Auckland and Northland
• Waikato and Bay of Plenty
• Taranaki, Manawatu-Wanganui, Hawkes Bay and Gisborne
• Wellington, Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman
• Canterbury and West Coast
• Otago and Southland

Who will lead the NZTA in these regions?
The recruitment of our Senior Leadership Team – including six group managers (based in our national office in Wellington) and six regional directors - is now underway. The appointment of regional directors will enable us to better focus on regional needs.

Will local Transit and Land Transport NZ offices remain open?
Yes. All 11 regional offices in our six regions will remain open to provide services as the NZTA. While offices will be brought together over time, this will be a gradual process and the timing will vary from region to region.

How many staff does the NZTA employ?
The NZTA has about 1300 staff.

Will there be redundancies associated with the establishment of the new agency?
On 1 August 2008 every employee of Land Transport NZ and Transit NZ transfers to the new organisation in the position they previously held, on the terms and conditions of that position immediately before 1 August. This is specifically provided for in the legislation creating the new agency.

This situation will continue for every employee until those terms and conditions are varied by agreement between the employee and the employer.

While it is inevitable that there will be some changes to roles which will see some positions replaced by new and different ones, the creation of the new agency is not about job losses or redundancies.

How do I contact the NZ Transport Agency?
Contact details for the new NZTA National Office are as follows:

Victoria Arcade
44 Victoria Street
Private Bag 6995
Wellington 6141
Tel: 04 894 5400
Fax: 04 894 6100

Locations and contact details for all former Transit NZ and Land Transport NZ regional offices remain unchanged.

To email any NZTA staff member, please use the following email address format:
firstname.surname@nzta.govt.nz.

Where can I go for more information?
Visit our new web portal at www.nzta.govt.nz for information about the new agency and to access the full range of resources hosted on the Transit NZ and Land Transport NZ websites.

ENDS

© Scoop Media