The Road Worker Safety Governance Group is seeking expressions of interest from expert practitioners to join a new industry steering group.
The group’s first priority will be to support the implementation of a new approach to temporary traffic management (TTM) as New Zealand transitions away from a government-led compliance-based model to an industry-led risk-based model.
The Road Worker Safety Governance Group includes representatives from WorkSafe, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, suppliers, client groups such as local councils and industry groups including Civil Contractors New Zealand (CCNZ) and the Association of Consultants and Engineers (ACE).
ACE New Zealand chief executive Helen Davidson says collaboration will be key to a successful transition, and the role of the industry steering group will be to represent the views of the collective TTM industry to enable aligned decision making.
“This important 12-person industry group will ensure a smooth transition and reinforces the industry’s collective commitment to improving safety for road workers and road users as we work towards our vision of zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads”.
Civil Contractors New Zealand technical manager Stacy Goldsworthy says the move to establish an industry-focussed steering group heralds a new era of temporary traffic management.
“This has been in the works for a long time. It’s great to see the transition to an industry-led approach to temporary traffic management finally happening.
“We now need people from within the industry to step up and take the lead on how new guidance will be implemented across New Zealand’s road works in practical terms as the transport agency transitions from a compliance-based system role to a risk-based role,” Goldsworthy says.
The initial key focus of the group would be on supporting a successful transition from using the Code of Practice for Temporary Traffic Management (CoPTTM) to manage road work site traffic control to the New Zealand Guide for Temporary Traffic Management (NZGTTM).
Goldsworthy says the establishment of the steering group was enabled by Waka Kotahi, which was now supporting the creation of the industry group to inform the transition to the new risk-based guidance from WorkSafe and Waka Kotahi.
“We have a clear mandate from the Road Worker Safety Governance Group – which includes representatives from WorkSafe, Waka Kotahi, suppliers and other client groups, that they want industry to own the future state and lead the way to meet safety outcomes for everyone working on our roads and all road users travelling through work sites.”
Expressions of interest
Expressions of interest can be submitted to ttm@nzta.govt.nz by Friday, March 17 with a statement describing their capabilities, experience, and confirming they are supported by their employer to contribute their time to the steering group.
