Latest news with #DomKalasih
Scoop
05-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Transporting New Zealand Welcomes Opening Of Te Ahu A Turanga: Manawatū-Tararua Highway
National road freight organisation Transporting New Zealand says this Saturday's official opening of the Te Ahu a Turanga: Manawatū-Tararua Highway is great news for the freight industry, and the region's communities. Chief executive Dom Kalasih says the highway will deliver a safe, reliable and resilient connection between the Manawatū and Tararua districts. [Traffic will be able to use the highway from next week.] The highway replaces the Manawatū Gorge route, closed in 2017 due to slips. The new 11.5km highway is a major milestone for the freight sector and regional communities. It will take about 13 minutes to drive by car, or around 18 minutes for freight vehicles, to move between the districts. Kalasih says it will be a relief for people who have had to use the challenging Saddle Road detour for nearly 8 years. "This new highway will make a real difference to the flow of freight and to the lives of drivers." "We also think it is a win that this is a non-tolled road,' he says. Transporting New Zealand strongly opposed a proposed toll, noting the Saddle Road was never fit for purpose and the region deserved a safe, free alternative. "This is a replacement road, not a luxury upgrade," Kalasih says. "Our members were clear - tolling this essential link would be unfair and would raise the cost of freight, hitting consumers across the board." Kalasih says all the engineering that's gone into the build is impressive. The project involved: 6.5 million cubic metres of earthworks 30,000 cubic metres of concrete 3.5 million mahi hours 2,500 workers Nearly 2 million native plants planted for environmental restoration. The highway holds deep cultural importance, following a historic Māori travel route between the coasts and is named after Te Ahu a Turanga - the former resting place of Turanga-i-Mua, the son of the Aotea waka captain Turi who was killed in a battle there. One of the standout physical features is the Parahaki Bridge near Ashhurst - at 300 metres long and 30 metres wide, it spans the fast-flowing Manawatū River on a fault line and in one of the windiest areas of the North Island. "It's taken years of commitment, coordination and skill to complete such a complex build in an ecologically sensitive and geologically challenging location," says Kalasih. "Well done to all who played a part in making this happen."
Scoop
22-05-2025
- Business
- Scoop
Government Can't Take Its Foot Of The Gas Pedal On Transport Infrastructure
Road transport advocacy group Transporting New Zealand has welcomed boosts for road repair and investment incentives in today's budget - but says the Government has missed the opportunity to accelerate the Roads of National and Regional Significance, along with other growth-orientated infrastructure investments. The Government has announced a $464 million capital and $141 million operating budget for rail maintenance to increase the reliability for commuters and freight in the Auckland and Wellington metro areas, and to replace ageing bridges, culverts and other assets. The Government also announced $219 million in additional operating funding to complete recovery works on local roads that were damaged in the 2023 North Island weather events. Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says this roading boost will be reassuring to their freight operator members in the affected areas. "We're pleased to see $219 million to fund local road repair following Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods. This will provide important certainty for the East Coast and Hawke's Bay." Transporting New Zealand has also welcomed Investment Boost, a new tax incentive which enables businesses to immediately deduct 20 per cent of the cost of a new asset, on top of depreciation. However, Kalasih said the devil would be in the details. Transporting New Zealand is more cautious about the boost in rail spending, saying the Government will have to carefully monitor spending to ensure value for money. "Rail freight plays an important supplementary role in transporting non-time sensitive cargo - 5.6 per cent of the freight task by tonnage compared to 92.8 per cent for road freight. New Zealand needs a resilient multi-modal transport system." "However, as noted in the Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024 - rail freight volumes steadily declined in the past six years, despite receiving almost $2.5 billion in Crown funding. The Government must hold KiwiRail to account on delivering a return on this additional investment if they want to turn things around." Transporting New Zealand says it would have liked to see additional capital funding to support the infrastructure pipeline, avoiding further cuts and delays. "Just this week we've seen NZTA announce downgrades to the design of the Ōtaki to north of Levin new (tolled) highway that will impact safety and efficiency, reflecting cost pressures," says Kalasih. "If the Government wants to deliver a more productive, safe and efficient network of State Highways and local roads, it needs to be prioritising additional funding and revenue for growth-orientated projects like the Roads of National and Regional Significance." About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country. Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.
RNZ News
20-05-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Transporting NZ on retirement of Aratere ferry
business transport 13 minutes ago Reduced sailings may mean Interislander passengers have to pay more to cross Cook Strait when the ferry Aratere is pulled from service in August. Transporting New Zealand chief executive Dom Kalasih spoke to Charlotte Cook.
Scoop
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Everyone Can Help Make Our Roads Safer
Press Release – la Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand The roads are truckies workplaces, and they want them to be as safe as they can be for everyone. A bit of patience and courtesy go a huge way to making sure everyone has a good trip. The theme of this week's Road Safety Week is Be a Road Safety Hero and Transporting New Zealand has some tips for getting your superhero cape on. CEO Dom Kalasih says everybody can help make the roads safer, from truckies in the big rigs, to motorists and cyclists. In particular, he says some key things make the roads much safer for everyone. 'The roads are truckie's workplaces, and they want them to be as safe as they can be for everyone,' he says. 'A bit of patience and courtesy go a huge way to making sure everyone has a good trip.' Four top safety tips around trucks are; Leave the gap. Don't pull in front of a truck just because there's a space. Truck drivers like a decent space in front because they take about twice the distance to stop than a car does. Make yourself seen. Trucks have blindspots. If you can't see their wing mirrors, they can't see you. And if it's wet, put on your car lights so you stand out behind the spray that gets kicked up.. Cyclists can help by wearing some fluro. There are a few riders who think dressing in black like a ninja at night is a good idea. It's really not. It's SH1, not F1 Trucks legally can only do 90 km/h. If you want to pass, give yourself plenty of space if you're using a passing lane. You might have 40 metres to pass so make sure there is plenty of space for you and anybody else who plans on getting through by the time the passing lane ends. Here's an example of what not to do, taken on a road outside Rotorua. Tired? Pull over Feeling sleepy? Find a safe place to pull over and have a micro-rest. The AA says a 15-20 minute power nap provides the brain with the best pick-me-up. Some water and a banana are always handy for keeping energised.
Scoop
13-05-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Everyone Can Help Make Our Roads Safer
Press Release – la Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand The roads are truckies workplaces, and they want them to be as safe as they can be for everyone. A bit of patience and courtesy go a huge way to making sure everyone has a good trip. The theme of this week's Road Safety Week is Be a Road Safety Hero and Transporting New Zealand has some tips for getting your superhero cape on. CEO Dom Kalasih says everybody can help make the roads safer, from truckies in the big rigs, to motorists and cyclists. In particular, he says some key things make the roads much safer for everyone. 'The roads are truckie's workplaces, and they want them to be as safe as they can be for everyone,' he says. 'A bit of patience and courtesy go a huge way to making sure everyone has a good trip.' Four top safety tips around trucks are; Leave the gap. Don't pull in front of a truck just because there's a space. Truck drivers like a decent space in front because they take about twice the distance to stop than a car does. Make yourself seen. Trucks have blindspots. If you can't see their wing mirrors, they can't see you. And if it's wet, put on your car lights so you stand out behind the spray that gets kicked up.. Cyclists can help by wearing some fluro. There are a few riders who think dressing in black like a ninja at night is a good idea. It's really not. It's SH1, not F1 Trucks legally can only do 90 km/h. If you want to pass, give yourself plenty of space if you're using a passing lane. You might have 40 metres to pass so make sure there is plenty of space for you and anybody else who plans on getting through by the time the passing lane ends. Here's an example of what not to do, taken on a road outside Rotorua. Tired? Pull over Feeling sleepy? Find a safe place to pull over and have a micro-rest. The AA says a 15-20 minute power nap provides the brain with the best pick-me-up. Some water and a banana are always handy for keeping energised.
