There was plenty to talk about at the Top of The South Freight Forum held by NZTA in Blenheim last week. Membership Team Manager, John Collins reports.
Rob Service at NZTA kicked things off by outlining where the roading program is scheduled to move from the existing NOC (Network Outcomes Contract) to a new IDC (Integrated Delivery Contract) structure from 1 May 2026.
Fulton Hogan have secured the Nelson/Tasman contract for the next 10 years. Marlborough Roads will be retained with the contract recipient about to be awarded.
Service also covered the SH60 Tākaka Hill repair and resilience works which have received positive feedback from the Golden Bay community.
Grant Bennett from Marlborough Roads also covered these changes before moving on to the topic of grape harvesting. Grape spills had remained reasonably static compared to the tonnage picked, but Bennett asked that operators in the region remain vigilant over the harvest period. If you do see a spill, call the Marlborough Roads Recovery Team on 0800 213 213.
Tasman Journeys NOC’s Contract Manager, Nick Webby said two jobs were currently underway and two more were scheduled for March.
Jon Lewando, Project Manager at NZTA gave an update on emergency works in the region.
Resilience works continue on the Whangamoa Saddle (SH6) with significant work completed on water diversion and underpinning areas of the road that were showing signs of slumping. To date $2m has been spent on this work.
Rocks Road works continue to progress. Clifftop retaining wall work is beginning soon, to protect private sections that had been impacted by the adverse June weather events.
Work continues on O’Sullivan’s Junction and Granity Narrows, the latter of which is a particularly big job. They’re working on the cliff face below the road, building up the old rail line up to the road’s height which should be completed by Easter. After that they’ll move above the road and focus on the rock face with the installation of a $500 rockfall attenuator fence. The key focus of this work has been using alternative methodologies to enable single-lane operations rather than a full road closure, given the detour is approximately seven hours. Lewando said NZTA is very conscious of the impact this would have on freight and tourism.
Attendees then got a brief update on the Hope Bypass project, one of two Roads of National Significance in the South Island. A working group will be established with invites being sent out in July before an initial meeting in August or September. Transporting New Zealand will be there.
Wayne Oldfield returned to the mic to give an update on roading improvements in Picton. With the work being carried out at Port Marlborough for the new ferries, there’ll be higher traffic volumes in Picton. Oldfield presented the plans for two intersections:
- Lagoon Rd/Dublin St/Kent St/Queen Charlotte Drive
- Wairau Road/Kent Street
You can view this plan on the presentation slides.
Truck parking for drivers taking their rest break remains a big issue for Picton, with trucks parked on local streets causing issues.
Compliance
Next up, Carol Jakob introduced herself to the group as the NZTA’s new Principal Compliance Officer. She said she was happy to bring any items of interest to the meetings. I asked for an update on permitting and wait times to be included as Transporting New Zealand has been getting calls from members that had been experiencing delays.
Malakai Watson from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Team said enforcement has and will continue to focus on Worktime, Restraints, Impairment, Speed and Distraction. He said the CVST had been having issues with overdimension loads not calling ahead for roading clearance in Marlborough, and this has caused a lot of problems. The CVST are also looking into education and enforcement for overdimension and overweight loads leaving their prescribed routes to find suitable parking. Watson suggested that any deviation to roads are included on the permit to ensure compliance.
There were no local councils present to provide updates.
View and/or download the slide deck here.
For any questions please contact John Collins on 021 572 375 or email john@transporting.nz.
