Waka Kotahi

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA),[2] formally the New Zealand Transport Agency, is a New Zealand Crown entity tasked with promoting safe and functional transport by land, including the responsibility for driver and vehicle licensing, and administering the New Zealand state highway network.

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency
Waka Kotahi
Agency overview
Formed1 August 2008 (2008-08-01)
Preceding agencies
JurisdictionNew Zealand Government
HeadquartersVictoria Arcade, 50 Victoria Street, Wellington
Employees2,081[1]
Minister responsible
  • Minister of Transport
Agency executives
  • Sir Brian Roche, Chair
  • Nicole Rosie, Chief Executive
Websitewww.nzta.govt.nz

It was established on 1 August 2008 by the Land Transport Management Amendment Act 2008, merging Transit New Zealand with Land Transport New Zealand.[3][4] Waka Kotahi means 'one vessel' and is intended to convey the concept of "travelling together as one".[2]

Public data access

The transport agency stores registration, licensing and warrant of fitness details for any road-registered vehicle within New Zealand, including cars, motorbikes, trailers, trucks and earthmoving or agricultural machinery. Any member of the public can query the transport agency's database by making a request using the licence plate or VIN at an NZ Post outlet, or by using a vehicle checking website.

Road signage

Road signs in New Zealand fall under the authority of the transport agency and are prescribed in the Traffic Control Devices (TCD) Manual.

Awards

The transport agency has been recognised, alongside its partners, by industry and professional bodies for innovation and best practice. Some of the awards received include:

  • The transport agency's Zero Harm Reporting Tool won the award for the institute's HR technology category for 2016.[5]
  • The Highway and Network Operations Environment and Urban Design team took out the 2015 New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects Award for landscape publications.[6]
  • The transport agency and Hamilton consultancy Bloxam, Burnett and Olliver were the winners at the 2015 Planning Institute Awards. Planning practices for the Huntly section of the Waikato Expressway saw them jointly claim the Best Practice Award for District and Regional Planning, and the overall Nancy Northcroft Supreme Best Practice Award.[7]
  • Three gold Effie Awards for the Legend ('Ghost Chips') drink-driving campaign.[8]
  • In 2014 the transport agency received worldwide recognition for road safety advertising, with their advertising agency, Clemenger BBDO, picking up several prestigious national and international awards for 'Mistakes' and 'Blazed' at the Cannes Lions.[9]
  • The 2012 Civils Demolition award for the Newmarket Viaduct.[10]
  • The 2012 Excellence in Engineering for Safety award for the KiwiRAP star ratings system.[11]
  • IT Project of the Year at the 2012 ITEX Computerworld Awards for the Business Continuity Programme.[12]
  • Craig Soutar won Chief Information Officer of the Year in 2013.[13]
  • 2012 WriteMark Plain English Awards[14] and 2013 Public Relations Institute of NZ Awards[15] for the changes to the give way rules campaign and the Manawatu Gorge road closure communications.
  • An award for 'Restoring native plant life to road corridors' at the 2012 New Zealand Plant Conservation Network awards.[16]

Board

The initial transport agency board was criticised by the National Party-led opposition in July 2008 as being "stacked" with political appointees of the Labour Party-led government.[17] A National Party-led government was formed after the general election later in 2008, and a number of board members were reappointed or replaced.[18]

In January 2019, three members of the board of directors resigned, about six weeks after the resignation of Chief Executive Fergus Gammie. They were Adrienne Young-Cooper, Chris Ellis and Fran Wilde. Minister of Transport Phil Twyford said the agency had been "going through a massive change process", with its compliance work in the issuing of vehicle Warrant of Fitnesses under review.[19]

Mark Ratcliffe, former head of telco Chorus, was appointed Interim Chief Executive.[20] Nicole Rosie, former CE of WorkSafe New Zealand, replaced him as chief executive mid-February 2020.[21]

On 26 April 2019, chairman Michael Stiassny announced his resignation.[22] On 11 June 2019, Brian Roche commenced his second term as chairman of Waka Kotahi;[23] Roche had previously been the inaugural chairman from 2008.[24]

Kane Patena was appointed the first Director of Land Transport for the transport agency from 1 April 2021.[25]

References
  1. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (28 October 2021). "Pūrongo ā-tau a Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency annual report" (PDF). Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  2. "Visual identity guidelines" (PDF). NZ Transport Agency. 23 October 2009. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2013. Retrieved 13 January 2013. Our name is the NZ Transport Agency. Please don't spell out New Zealand or give 'the' a capital 'T'. Waka Kotahi is the Māori name [...] NZTA is our abbreviated name., superseded by "Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Brand Manual" (PDF). 24 February 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 24 February 2016. "Our name" section A.2 page 5
  3. "New Transport Agency chief appointed". Land Transport New Zealand. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 1 July 2008.
  4. "Part 4: New Zealand Transport Agency, regional transport committees, and miscellaneous provisions". Land Transport Management Amendment Act 2008
  5. "Winners announced at NZ HR awards". HRM New Zealand. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  6. "2015 Award Winners". New Zealand Institute of Landscape Architects. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  7. "2015 Awards Winners". NZPI. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  8. "2015 New Zealand Effie Awards Gala Dinner – Results". CAANZ. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  9. "Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity". Adforum. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  10. "Best of the best – the 2012 World Demolition Awards". KHL Group. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  11. "Excellence in Engineering for Safety 2012". New Zealand Engineering Excellence Awards. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  12. "ITEX Computerworld Awards 2012 winners announced". Computerworld. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  13. "CIO Awards 2013". CIO Awards New Zealand. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  14. "2012 Awards". Plain English Awards. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  15. "PRINZ Awards 2013". PRINZ. Archived from the original on 13 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  16. "Network Plant Conservation Awards 2012". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
  17. "Nats slam transport 'stooges'". The New Zealand Herald. 26 July 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2008.
  18. "NZTA Board appointments announced". Press Release: New Zealand Government. 22 July 2011. Archived from the original on 3 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2011.
  19. "Three NZTA directors resign in wake of fall-out over enforcement issues". Stuff.co.nz. 26 January 2019. Archived from the original on 26 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  20. "Troubled NZTA names interim chief executive". Stuff.co.nz. 20 December 2018. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  21. "New Chief Executive appointed for Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency | Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency". nzta.govt.nz. Retrieved 7 October 2020.
  22. "Transport Agency chair Michael Stiassny steps down saying he's done his job". Stuff.co.nz. 26 April 2019. Archived from the original on 26 April 2019. Retrieved 26 April 2019.
  23. Twyford, Phil (12 June 2019). "Sir Brian Roche appointed to chair NZTA Board". The Beehive. Archived from the original on 13 June 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  24. Laing, Doug (1 January 2017). "New knight grew up in Hastings". Hawke's Bay Today. ISSN 1170-0777. Archived from the original on 3 April 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  25. "New Director of Land Transport to strengthen regulatory oversight". Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency. 3 March 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2023.
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