Category: New Zealand Government Public Service

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Springs Road/Halswell Junction Road – Easter alert

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Springs Road/Halswell Junction Road – Easter alert

The lane reduction will enable drainage work to take place for the Christchurch Southern Motorway Stage 2 project.

In addition there will be lane or shoulder closures at the south end of the Christchurch Southern Motorway Stage 1 and on Halswell Junction Road leading up to the roundabout with the motorway. Diagrams showing where the roadworks will take place are below.

Please plan ahead and allow extra time for your Easter journey.

 

 

Keep up to date with the latest traffic information:

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ESR extends drug testing pilot in Emergency Departments

Source: ESR – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: ESR extends drug testing pilot in Emergency Departments

New synthetic recreational drugs are a considerable issue worldwide, and New Zealand is not immune to the harm that these types of drugs pose. During the second half of 2017 there was a significant spate of non-fatal hospitalisations connected with the use of synthetic cannabinoids, and at least 30 suspected deaths referred to the Coroner.

The ‘Unknown Substance use in Emergency Departments’ (USED) programme is a unique pilot that ESR and Capital & Coast District Health Board (CCDHB) Wellington Hospital Emergency Department (ED) have been running over the past year. The programme involved testing patients who show specific symptoms of intoxication at the ED to identify any substances, such as synthetic cannabinoids, that may be present. The focus was on identifying new synthetic recreational drugs as they emerge on the drug scene, to allow for faster response by health, police and community agencies.

The pilot was established through a collaboration between CCDHB’s Dr Paul Quigley and Diana Kappatos, a Forensic Toxicologist from ESR. The value of this program is that enables the early detection of outbreaks of poisoning from particular groups of novel agents.  This information can then be shared with other emergency departments and toxicologists, providing information on treatment, care and expected outcomes.  Providing this information in a collaborative form between Emergency Departments, Regional Public Health, Ambulance services, Police and Customs will enable a more informed approach to reducing harm to the public.

Following the success of the pilot ESR has proposed the national roll out of the USED programme. The programme has the support of the Ministry of Health, who have written to the District Health Boards (DHBs) to encourage them to participate. Being able to better correlate patient clinical signs with treatment options is an obvious outcome for ED’s, particularly when faced with previously unknown drugs. By developing a database of key clinical signs and investigations it is possible to create a standardised treatment policy for these agents.  In particular, there is current lack of knowledge on what is the best treatment for the cardiac effects of synthetic cannabinoids.  As more information is collected this will become clearer with improved patient outcomes.

Patients must give their consent to take part in the USED programme, but will not be identifiable to ESR or anyone outside of the DHB. Results will be sent back to the relevant ED for follow up patient care.

The USED programme is part of ESR’s wider ‘Border to Grave’ drug surveillance activities, which has been established to identify new synthetic drugs as they enter New Zealand and track their real-time use in the community. The drug intelligence insights gained from ‘Border to Grave’ will be important in informing Health, Police and Justice sector responses to these new drugs, and will be an important part of the development of a drug early warning system.

For further information please contact

Lynne St.Clair-Chapman

Communications Manager

Lynne.st.clair-chapman@esr.cri.nz  027 405 8644

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Drivers urged to plan ahead at Easter to avoid peak travel times

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Drivers urged to plan ahead at Easter to avoid peak travel times

The Transport Agency’s travel team has put together maps to show the expected peak holiday traffic times to help drivers decide the best time to travel to avoid the queues. These maps show the busiest times based on previous years’ travel patterns. They are predictions and are subject to change based on the weather, local events and other factors. More details can be found at nzta.govt.nz/hotspots.

“We know we’ll see large numbers of people heading off to their usual holiday destinations and that makes queues and delays inevitable at the most popular times,” says the Transport Agency’s Senior Journey Manager Neil Walker.

Heading out of Auckland, the traffic will start to build on State Highway 1 in both directions from Midday on Thursday right through to about 8pm.

On Friday, traffic is likely to remain heavy from 7:30am for much of the day especially between Puhoi and Wellsford, on the Southern Motorway from Takanini and on State Highway 2 to Coromandel.

Coming back on Monday, the busiest times are from midday to 7pm.

“If everyone plans their travel in advance, and thinks about how they can travel outside the busiest periods it will help reduce congestion, delays and stress and that will make it a safer and more enjoyable journey for everyone.”

“The hot spot predictions have proved really popular in helping people make informed decisions about when to travel, but predicted peak times can change on the day because of incidents, changing weather and even driver behaviour. So keep up to date with real time travel information,” says Mr Walker.

Check the latest weather and warnings here:

Get real time information about the best times to travel and the less congested routes from:

For Auckland and Northland:

 

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First convoys bypass the SH1 washout north of Kaitaia

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: First convoys bypass the SH1 washout north of Kaitaia

There were 22 vehicles travelling south and 3 made the northbound journey, says the Transport Agency’s Northland System Manager, Jacqui Hori-Hoult.

The convoys are for essential travel only and will be repeated tonight at 5:30pm for southbound traffic and at 6:15pm for northbound traffic. Police will check the vehicles and drivers for suitability to make the 40 minute journey over the unsealed one lane track. The convoys will run at the same time tomorrow.

The route through the privately-owned forest is closed at all other times to vehicles except emergency services. Normal forestry operations have resumed in the area and motorists will be travelling at their own risk through the off road route.

If you don’t have to travel, please delay your journey until the state highway is open, says Ms Hori-Hoult.

Repair crews have made good progress over the weekend on laying a new culvert with 2.1 metre diameter pipes across the road. Seven trucks are delivering about 5,000 cubic metres of material needed to backfill the hole to road level.

The road is expected to reopen mid week.

The Transport Agency is working with local authorities, emergency services and the Ministry of Civil Defence to ensure the welfare of local communities and visitors.

Civil Defence says it’s had no requests for assistance. Emergency services also report no issues.

Schools remain open, though pupils who can’t get past the washout have been told to stay at home.

This morning, two trucks delivered 50 crates of fresh bread and milk and they were carried across the washout to store owners from the north waiting on the other side.

Tomorrow morning there will be a convoy leaving at 7:30am for southbound traffic from the corner of Far North Road and Trig Road and an 8:15am departure for northbound vehicles from 113 Hukatere Road at the end of the sealed section.

The Transport Agency thanks the local community and visitors for their patience and understanding while it works as quickly as possible to restore a safe and resilient transport system in Northland.

While SH1 is closed there is no alternative route between Kaitaia and Cape Reinga, apart from the forest track.

The road to the top of the North Island has been closed since a washout on Friday afternoon created a hole in the road 20 metres long and 4-5 meters deep near Pukenui, about 40 kilometres north of Kaitaia.

For latest road and travel information, go to:

For Auckland and Northland

 

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Kaikōura earthquake update 9

Source: Earthquake Commission – EQC – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Kaikōura earthquake update 9

Kia ora,

In this month’s newsletter, you can find an update on how many EQC customers have received their Kaikōura earthquake settlement, what customers need to think about after they have received their EQC cash settlement and where you can find the updated answers to frequently asked questions on Kaikoura insurance claims.

How are we doing?

As at 28 February 2018, we’ve completed 93% of residential building settlements, 97% of contents settlements and 98.5% of land settlements.

So what’s left overall?

As at 28 February, of the 38,000 residential claims that resulted from the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, we’ve got the following left to complete:

  • 7%, or fewer than 2,400, of building settlements,
  • Around 300 contents settlements, and
  • 1.5%, or just over 50, of all land settlements.

Below is our settlement progress in the following areas as at 28 February 2018:

Region

Total number of building claims

% of building claims left to be settled

Marlborough

4,365

10%

Hurunui

2,780

10%

Kaikōura

2,146

24%

Christchurch city

7,277

Less than 5%

Wellington city

4,299

Less than 10%

So far we have paid:

  • $314.7 million to insurers who manage EQC customers; and
  • $35.2 million to customers who we manage (land and/or properties with open or unresolved claims for prior natural disaster damage).

EQC-managed claims

We were responsible for directly managing just over 5,400 claims. As of 28 February 2018, we’ve got just over 90 claims left to settle.

What’s next?

By the end of this month we expect less than five per cent, or 1,700 building claims left to complete.

Supporting information for EQC customers

Our customers can find a lot of useful information about what to do next following the EQC cash settlement in our new fact sheet Managing your home repair. In this fact sheet customers can read about what they need to consider when repairing their earthquake damage, who can do the work and what homeowners’ rights are. We’d really appreciate it if you could share this resource with your networks.

If you have any questions about the Kaikōura insurance claims, please check out the most common questions and answers that we’ve developed jointly with the private insurers and have recently updated. The updated frequently asked questions (FAQs) can be found on our website at www.eqc.govt.nz/Kaikoura-FAQs

If there’s something you can’t find an answer to in the Kaikōura FAQs please let us know. Also if you have any feedback on this newsletter, we’d love to hear from you. Email us at communications@eqc.govt.nz

Kia kaha,

Trish Keith
Chief Customer Officer
Customer & Claims
EQC

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Escorted convoys to bypass the SH1 washout north of Kaitaia

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Escorted convoys to bypass the SH1 washout north of Kaitaia

The Transport Agency, police and local authorities have been advising motorists against using the forest route over the weekend because it’s an unsealed route over private land and considered unsafe for cars, camper vans and buses.

Summit Forestry, the land owner, also said the route was not suitable for private vehicles.

But now agreement has been reached to open the route under police supervision for a short time in the morning and evening on Monday, says the Transport Agency’s Northland System Manager Jacqui Hori-Hoult.

In the morning there will be a 7:30am departure for southbound traffic from the corner of Far North Road and Trig Road and an 8:15am departure for northbound vehicles from 113 Hukatere Road at the end of the sealed section.

In the evening the southbound convoy will leave at 5:30pm with the northbound convoy leaving at 6:15pm.

The convoys will depart promptly. Any vehicle that arrives after the convoy has departed won’t be able to use the route says Ms Hori-Hoult.

There will be no opportunity to make the return journey in between these times.

The convoys are for essential travel only. If you don’t have to travel, please delay your journey until the state highway is open, says Ms Hori-Hoult.

This alternative forestry route is a single muddy track which is suitable for four wheel drive vehicles. Police will be assessing vehicles and drivers for suitability before they can join the convoy. Motorists will be travelling at their own risk.

Police will escort traffic through the area. The travel time is about forty minutes.

Schools have advised pupils affected by the highway closure to stay home on Monday.

Meanwhile Ms Hori-Hoult says work crews are making good progress on rebuilding the road to reopen it to traffic by the middle of the week. Nine of the ten pipes required to channel the stream under the road have been laid. Backfilling over the pipes to restore the road level is under way. Further progress remains subject to the weather.

The top of the North Island has been cut off after heavy rain caused a washout late on Friday afternoon that blew out a 20 metre stretch of SH1 just south of Pukenui.

Communities and tourists north of the washout have been cut off, but Civil Defence says it’s had no requests for assistance. Emergency services say it’s business as usual.

The Transport Agency is working with local authorities, emergency services and the Ministry of Civil Defence to ensure the welfare of local communities and visitors.

While SH1 is closed there is no alternative route between Kaitaia and Cape Reinga, apart from the forest track.

The Transport Agency thanks the local community and visitors for their patience and understanding while it works as quickly as possible to restore a safe and resilient transport system in Northland.

For latest road and travel information, go to:

For Auckland and Northland

 

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Road repair on SH1 north of Kaitaia is making good progress

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Road repair on SH1 north of Kaitaia is making good progress

Work resumed on the site at 7am this morning and two of the ten 2.1 metre diameter pipes have already been placed into position. Material is being trucked in and stockpiled close to the site so that the hole can be backfilled to road level as soon as possible.

The washout, south of Pukenui between Whalers Road and Lamb Road, created a hole in the road about 20 metres wide and 4-5 metres deep.

A crew had inspected the culvert under the road an hour before the washout and there was no sign it was blocked or that there were any issues at that time.

Since Friday the weather has improved and the water level in the stream has dropped.
“There is a significant workforce and heavy lifting equipment on site and we are working to have one lane open to traffic as soon as possible but that is unlikely to be before the middle of next week”, says the Transport Agency’s Northland System Manager, Jacqui Hori-Hoult.

While SH1 is closed there is no appropriate alternative route between Kaitaia and Cape Reinga. Motorists should avoid the area and delay their journeys.

The Transport Agency says some locals have used a private track through the forest to get around the washout. But the Transport Agency, Police, Civil Defence and local authorities reiterate this route is a private unsealed one lane track that will have deteriorated with recent rainfall and use over the weekend.

The forestry company Summit Forestry now says it will not allow vehicles other than emergency services to use the track. Its operations resume in the forest from 4am Monday.

Police will be actively monitoring access to the forest route.

Driving on 90 Mile Beach is also not advised where the sand and tide present safety hazards to people not familiar with driving in these conditions.

The Transport Agency is working closely with Civil Defence, emergency services and local authorities on a response to support those in the area who may be affected by the road closure. Civil Defence says there have been no requests for assistance north of the slip and police are on standby to deal with emergencies.

The Transport Agency says the washout repair has not taken resources from the Lemons Hill slip repair work on SH11 between Paihia and Kawakawa. That work is continuing.

For latest road and travel information, go to:

For Auckland and Northland

 

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Takaka Hill update 3 pm – change to normal convoys today, highway open until 7 pm Saturday night

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Takaka Hill update 3 pm – change to normal convoys today, highway open until 7 pm Saturday night

Crews are continuing to clear these slips so road users should expect short delays on the convoys this afternoon and early evening.

The highway will close to all traffic at 7pm this evening (Saturday, 24 March).

(Normally on Saturdays the highway is open for two hours in the morning, 7-9 am, and two hours in the evening, 5-7 pm.)

The best place for people to check the status of the hill road to Golden Bay, particular during rainy weather with slips affecting the normal convoy schedule is at the Transport Agency’s Traffic and Travel pages, or the social media pages (listed below).

“For the safety of road users and crews, the road will close at 7pm so that all traffic and crews are off the road before darkness as the road cannot be monitored for slips in the dark,” says Transport Agency System Manager Frank Porter.

“Hopefully with the rain easing, the ground should start to dry out, reducing the risk of slips overnight,” he says. “The road is likely to open tomorrow, Sunday 25 March from 8am to 8pm the normal Sunday hours, but people should check our web pages first.”

The hill convoy opening was delayed this morning until 9 am as crews had to clear the highway of slip material from the recent rain before it opened.

The Transport Agency thanks all road users for their patience if they have had delays in the convoy queue and getting to and from Golden Bay in these changeable weather conditions.

People can check the Transport Agency’s Traffic and Travel pages for the update: http://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/regions/10

Current situation on the web page: http://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/areawarnings/202314

Stay up to date

Traffic and travel pages for usual convoy information

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SH1 north of Kaitaia remains closed by a road washout

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: SH1 north of Kaitaia remains closed by a road washout

The washout, south of Pukenui between Whalers Road and Lamb Road, has punched a hole in the road about 20 metres wide and 4-5 metres deep.

While SH1 is closed there is no alternative sealed route between Kaitaia and Cape Reinga.

“The Transport Agency does not support suggestions on social media that motorists can drive on 90 Mile Beach or on unsealed private roads through the forest to get around the washout. These are high risk options for drivers and their vehicles if they are not experienced at driving in these conditions,” says the Transport Agency’s Northland System Manager, Jacqui Hori-Hoult.

“We want to concentrate our resources on fixing the road for our communities and visitors in the Far North. The Transport Agency is working closely with Civil Defence, emergency services and local authorities on a response to support those in the area who may be affected.”

“We don’t want local services being diverted to rescuing vehicles stuck in the sand or searching for people lost or broken down in the forest. Please do not use these routes.”

Motorists should avoid the area and delay their journeys, says Ms Hori-Hoult.

For latest road and travel information, go to:

For Auckland and Northland

 

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Takaka Hill Road Update 7:30am – road open at 9am today

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Takaka Hill Road Update 7:30am – road open at 9am today

“We expect the road to be open by 9am this morning to convoys,” says Frank Porter, NZ Transport Agency System Manager. “We will keep it open for two hours and then crews will continue clear-up works throughout the day. The road will be open again later today under normal opening hours, from 5pm through to 9pm.”

“The residue silt may make the road slightly slippery so please take extra care driving over the hill,” says Mr Porter.

People can check the Transport Agency’s Traffic and Travel pages for the update:  www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/regions/10

Stay up to date

Traffic and travel pages for convoy information

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