Category: National Governance

  • Reversal Needed of 1989 Local Government Reforms [1]

    [This topic has relevance to other content produced at TSBNZ, most notably a forthcoming series of posts about how to improve public transport in Greater Christchurch, and indirectly in the case of regional transport management in regions such as Gisborne District, referred to directly in this post] In 1989, the Labour government enacted a sweeping…

  • Gisborne Railway Proposals Continue In Dead End Direction

    The Napier Gisborne Line is a 212 km railway which is a part of the Palmerston North Gisborne Line. The webpage from Engineering NZ records that “This line was a major feat of engineering, built through very difficult terrain and generally weak tertiary geological conditions”. It is these “generally weak tertiary geological conditions” that are…

  • Central Christchurch Transport Safety In Question [1]

    This is the first of three parts taking an indepth look at the lack of focus on transport safety in Christchurch, more particularly the centre of the city, and how this has been influenced over the past decade more especially. Christchurch is in the position unlike other cities recently of having had its local council’s…

  • Robinson Helicopter Safety Highlighted In Coroner’s Report

    The safety record of Robinson helicopters in New Zealand is again in the spotlight following the release of a coroner’s report into a fatal crash of a R-44 helicopter near Queenstown on 19 February 2015. TAIC published their investigation report AO-2015-002 in August the following year. Following the receipt of new information the investigation was…

  • Rolleston Level Crossing Upgrade Proposed [2]

    Rolleston is to get some road and rail safety improvements as part of the NZ Upgrade Project. The key feature of this NZTA Waka Kotahi project is a flyover between the Rolleston residential and commercial sectors, which will provide a safe grade-separated crossing over State Highway 1 and the Main South Line railway. It is…

  • Variety Of Responses To Koromiko Crash Deaths

    News reports from Sunday 19th June are that a van carrying nine people crossed the centre line on a curve in SH1 near Koromiko and collided with a refrigerated truck heading south. Seven in the van were killed, whilst the driver of the truck received minor injuries. The location is believed to be at 41°20’2.70″S…

  • Level Crossing Safety Not Prioritised By Authorities

    One of the factors contributing to the establishment of this blog is a growing awareness of level crossing safety issues in New Zealand. Let’s go back 29 years for an example. On August 25, 1993, the Southerner passenger train collided with a concrete mixer on at at a level crossing on George Holmes Road, Rolleston.…