Peter Thomson has been appointed the inaugural manager of the Northland Transportation Alliance.
As a senior engineering manager with more than 35 years’ experience in delivering New Zealand infrastructure projects, he will take the helm of this collaborative alliance for transportation and roading services early in the New Year.
Established in July, the alliance has as its aim the sharing of resources to deliver better and more cost-effective transport options to the people of Northland.
Thomson, who has been engineering services manager for Tasman District Council for 18 years, was one of 20 local and international applicants for the role.
“I’m very pleased to be taking the opportunity to lead the alliance, particularly given that it’s a new business unit within Northland. I am a Kamo High School old boy, so I’m looking forward to returning to Northland and the community,” he says.
Interim chair of the Alliance Leadership Group and Far North District Council acting chief executive Colin Dale says he is pleased to welcome Thomson. “The alliance is the first organisation of its kind in New Zealand and there are expected to be efficiencies of $18 million of regional roading funds over the next 10 years. It is our intention to reinvest this money back into Northland’s roading network.”
He adds that Thomson’s skills, especially in customer service delivery and stakeholder engagement, will make the transportation alliance an even more effective organisation.
More than 50 staff of the Far North District Council, Kaipara District Council, Whangarei District Council, Northland Regional Council and the NZ Transport Agency’s regional personnel are now working together to coordinate transport planning and operations.
