Welcome

Wellington, the “coolest little capital in the world” (Lonely Planet 2010) will be turning up the heat on the politicians at the first ever Road Transport Summit held by the Road Transport Forum.

The highlight of the Summit will be the 2011 Election Political Forum on the Friday afternoon where the transport spokespeople for all the Parliamentary political parties will be grilled over their transport policies for the November election. The New Zealand Contractors’ Federation and the NZ Heavy Haulage Association are supporting this session.

Election policies won’t be the only major transport issue under the blow torch. There will be sessions devoted to critical topics for members including the Cost Allocation Model and RUCs, HPMVs, the Operator Rating System and the promise and pitfalls of electronic monitoring.

Traditional section meetings and an owner drivers working lunch will give delegates time to thoroughly discuss issues affecting their sectors.

All this and a formal Summit dinner has been packed into just two days, to minimise the time members need to be away from their businesses and to keep the cost of attendance as low as possible. We know how precious time and money are right now.

The Road Transport Forum New Zealand would like to sincerely thank our sponsors and exhibitors for their generous support and contribution to RTFNZ Summit 2011.

Summit organisers are concerned they may have to hang out the “house full” sign with nearly 300 confirmed registrations already, a month out from the Summit opening and with the Wellington Town Hall only able to take a maximum of 350 for the Formal dinner. The message from the organisers is that those who haven’t booked but want to attend should register now to make sure they can come.

The “sold out” signs have already had to go up in the trade display area, with all the booths taken. The carpark right along side the Michael Fowler Centre will be well occupied as well with six different brands of truck on display.

Forum Chief Executive Officer Ken Shirley says the support from industry suppliers has exceeded expectations in the current economic climate. “We deeply appreciate the commitment every one of them is giving. I’m sure members will note the companies who’ve backed the Summit the next time they are making a purchasing decision.

Transport Minister Steven Joyce is a late addition to the programme and will now speak to the Summit on the Friday morning. “Initially Mr Joyce was unable to attend because of another commitment. We are very pleased the Minister has managed to rearrange his schedule and can now address the Summit,” Mr Shirley says.

Venue

Located in the heart of the city and right on the edge of the waterfront, the Road Transport Summit will be held at the Wellington Convention Centre.

Michael Fowler Centre

A Wellington landmark, the Michael Fowler Centre provides an ideal venue for the Summit. The stunning auditorium with its vaulted New Zealand timber ceiling will host the Political Forum and the Summit sessions. The large foyer and mezzanine have been set aside for trade exhibitors giving delegates an easy opportunity to talk business with suppliers during breaks in the Summit programme.

The carpark immediately outside the Michael Fowler centre has been exclusively reserved for displaying trucks and other large pieces of equipment, making the whole Summit a one-stop experience.

Wellington Town Hall

Sited right beside the Michael Fowler Centre, the Wellington Town Hall is a total architectural contrast. Opened in 1904 the beautifully restored Town Hall is a fine example of Victorian municipal architecture and the perfect setting for the formal Summit dinner on the Friday night.

Summit Speakers

Opening Address

Fran Wilde

Chair of the Wellington Regional Council since 2007, Fran Wilde was previously Labour MP for Wellington Central from 1981 until 1992 when she resigned to stand successfully as Mayor of Wellington for a single term.

During her Parliamentary term she served as Labour’s Chief Whip and Minister of Tourism, Foreign Affairs and Trade and Disarmament. Her contribution as Mayor to the decision to build Westpac is acknowledged by the naming of the concourse leading to the stadium, Fran Wilde Walk.

CEO Report

Road Transport Forum Chief Executive Officer
Ken Shirley

Ken Shirley became the Road Transport Forum Chief Executive Officer in July 2011. Previously he was Executive Director of the New Zealand Forest Owners Association between 1990 and 1996. In May 2006 he became the first Chief Executive Officer of Organics Aotearoa NZ which aims at making organics a $1 billion industry by 2013, before moving on to head the Researched Medicines Industry Association in 2007.
He entered Parliament as the Labour MP for Tasman in 1984 and served as the Minister of Fisheries, Associate Minister of Agriculture, Associate Minister of Forestry and Associate Minister of Health before the Labour Government lost power in 1990.
Ken was a foundation member of the ACT Party and Deputy Leader/Whip from 1996-2005.

Summit MC

Sean Plunkett

New Zealand’s top radio news and current affairs interviewer,
Sean will MC the Summit and the Political Forum. Currently Sean is the a morning host on Wellington NewstalkZB and a presenter/interviewer on TV3’s Sunday morning current affairs programme, The Nation. He also writes columns for Metro and the Dominion Post.

Sean is one of New Zealand’s most experienced broadcasters. He cohosted Morning Report for 13 years and has worked in a wide range of other media including Fair Go and the Holmes Show.

Political Forum

Green Party Transport Spokesperson
Gareth Hughes

Gareth became an MP in 2010 after the resignation of Sue Bradford. A passionate advocate for better trains and buses, he has a degree in Religious Studies, History and Politics from Victoria University.
A Green Party member since 2000, Gareth has run MP Sue Kedgley’s Wellington office and worked as a climate outreach co-ordinator for Jeanette Fitzsimons. He has also been active in Greenpeace.

Political Forum

Government Transport Spokesperson
David Bennett

The Chairperson of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee, David has been the National Member for Hamilton East since 2005. He is also a member of the Finance and Expenditure Committee.

A former accountant with KPMG in Auckland and dairy farmer, David has an LLB (Hons) and a BCA in Accountancy, both from Victoria University. He has been a member of the Waikato Federated Farmers Executive and the Environment Waikato South Zone Bio-security Committee and is a former President of New Zealand Young Farmers. He is also a former Director of the New Zealand National Party.

Keynote

Don Brash

Don Brash who became leader of the ACT Party in April, has had a high-profile career over the past 45 years, beginning as a World Bank economist in the mid 1960s, returning to New Zealand in the early 1970s to manage a merchant bank. In the 1980s he was Managing Director of the Kiwifruit Marketing Authority and then General Manager of Trust Bank before becoming Reserve Bank Governor in 1988.

In 2002 he became a National MP and 15 months later was elected Party leader. He led National to a close defeat in the 2005 election then resigned as leader and an MP in December 2006. Since then he has held various directorships and Adjunct Professorships at La Trobe University, and AUT University in Auckland.

Political Forum

Opposition Transport Spokesperson
Shane Jones

A Labour List MP since 2005, Shane was Minister for Building and Construction, Associate Minister in Charge of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, of Immigration and of Trade in the previous Labour-led Government. As well as the Transport spokesperson, Shane is also the Labour spokesperson for Fisheries and for Infrastructure and the Associate spokesperson for Maori Affairs (Economic Development). He is also a member of the Transport and Industrial Relations Committee.

Shane has a BA in Politics and Maori Studies from Auckland and Victoria Universities and an MA in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He was a Harkness Fellow at Harvard in 1990.

Steven Joyce

The Minister of Transport, Communications and Tertiary Education, Steven Joyce entered Parliament as a List MP for National in the 2008 election. He was the General Manager of the National Party between 2003 and 2005 and the party’s campaign manager for the 2005 and 2008 elections.

Mr Joyce began his career by starting a radio station in his home town, New Plymouth, when he was 21. He built this single station into a network, RadioWorks, with 22 local stations and four national radio networks with 650 staff before selling the business and resigning as Managing Director on his 38th birthday.

Welcome