COMMENT FROM THE CAPITAL THE NEW ZEALAND TRANSPORT MONOLITH BECOMES A TRAUMA

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33148, 12 February 1973, Page 12

COMMENT FROM THE CAPITAL THE NEW ZEALAND TRANSPORT MONOLITH BECOMES A TRAUMA

(By

CEDRIC MENTIPLAY)

WELLINGTON’, February 11, —One of the most spectacular result* <>f the change of Government has been the dismemberment of the National Party Government’s new Ministry of Transport and its replacement by a three-Minister system. The principal Labour reason for the change is related to the difficulty met by one Minister in representing rival transport interests.

| The new. Minister Of Trans(port is the member for [Timaru, Sir Basil Arthur, (aged 43, who for most of the (previous 12 months had re- ( placed Mr J. Mathison as [(chairman of Labour’s Transll port Committee. ' Under the new system, the Civil Aviation Division comes under the Minister of Justice (Dr Finlay), while | Railways is under the con--1 trol of Mr T. M. McGuigan.. I As Minister of Transport, Sir I I Basil Arthur has the over-all | ((responsibility for co-ordina-' tion; he also controls road (and sea transport. I When, scarcely five months (ago, I discussed the newly-1 (formed monolithic Transport’ [Ministry with its then head. ! Mr J. B. Gordon (“The Press.” | (September 25) he spoke with' (enthusiasm about the work of, the Transport Advisory Coun-: cil. This body still has its co-[ jordinating power, but Sir! .Basil Arthur is now chair-j man. Mr McGuigan will become deputy chairman, and Dr Finlay will also be entitled to a seat. A different view T asked Sir Basil Arthur what was wrong with the i previous structure, as formed (last year by the National [Government. “Our view is dif-| iferent—that is all,” he said.; (“All forms of transport are I I still represented on the Trans-1 (port Advisory’ Council — but I there are three Ministers con-; trolling the four modes of transport — road, rail. sea( and air. Thus, we can cross-i check, with the idea of get-! ting the best for the country; out of each section. It has to be worked into a co-1 ordinated network, on a competitive, efficient basis. “In our view the best way is to divide the responsibility — to take it away from one Minister, who under the previous Administration , must have had a difficult time on occasions in dealing with ' conflicting interests.” ) Coastwise rebirth The rebuilding of coastal ( shipping services, particularly ] in relation to regional development, is possibly Sir : Basil Arthur’s greatest en- , thusiasm. “We are very conscious , that coastal shipping has been ( run down to a very dangerous , level indeed,” he told me. “As , far as some parts are concerned it is non-existent. 1 believe this is completely wrong. We are in the process of reversing this trend.’” A number of proposals have already been discussed with various interests, and feasibility studies are being made before the final propositions are submitted to the Government. “We have been very pleased at the way various bodies have come forward,” Sir Basil Arthur said. “There is no lack of constructive interest in plans to reopen the coastal trade or to develop trade between New Zealand and overseas. I have a feeling that all that was needed to produce this response was a positive indication by a New Zealand Government that it intended to become active in the shipping field.” Several of the coastal plans envisage the reuse of plant, equipment and manpower once devoted to coastwise shipping in the smaller ports. Sir Basil Arthur is; convinced, however, that iti will not be merely a resuscitation of the old, outmoded' form of small steamer and scow coastal service. “Our idea is for maximum utilisation at minimum cost,” he said. “As an island country our coastal waterways require efficient use. This will mean bringing in a method of coastal shipping outside the conventional forms They have proved uneconomic, and ( are likely to remain so. The ones we are looking at are the roll-on-roll-off ships, the tug-and-barge system, and so on.” The pattern on this is simple. “We must give operators a chance to complete their feasibility studies, parti- | cularly in areas which may involve Government participation. When the possibilities have been figured out, land the proposals come 'through, I shall take them to (Cabinet. I assure you that what is promising will be ‘on’.” Legislation establishing a New Zealand Shipping Corporation will be introduced this year. As Sir Basil Arthur sees this, it need not be entirely a State enterprise. “It

■ could well work in with and be complementary to private , shipping enterprises, where : they are already moving or have declared their intention :jof resuming.” i This year’s legislation will ( be fairly broad. “At this stage (the functions of the corporation are not yet clear. It will move into the field in which it is obviously to New Zealand's interest for it to be in[volved. The New Zealand (coast is obviously the place (to start. Then there is Australia, the South Pacific, South-East Asia — all as direct two-way links with (New Zealand.” Sir Basil Arthur is well (aware that the decision is not i a simple one. "Over a numIber of years we have expressed concern about freight I rates between Nw Zealand, (and Britain and Western Eurlope. Our strong belief is that (New Zealand should be (directly involved in shipping' ! our produce to these markets. “Where the New Zealand' Shipping Corporation will initially move will depend on the activities of private shipping concerns. We have not rigidly said that we would establish a line in any one I (area — but we will consider: .what other countries and' i other lines are prepared to do.” I The Minister disclosed that I the Government is interested : in joint ventures. The Australian and the new Indian lines (are two which might produce’ (ventures of this kind. I The corporation cannot (well operate aaginst established New Zealand lines. (“We know there is quite a! (bit of New Zealand invest-( iment in the Union Steam Ship Company’, so we do not want to move in a way which would be against the interests of that company.” There is also the manning problem. Ships on New Zealand manning standards, crewed by men on New Zea-1 land rates, would find diffi- ( culty in operating in South-1 East Asian waters in compe-l tition with Asian crews. | “This is something that hash to be negotiated.” Sir Basil) Arthur Arthur told me. “We,; have even had differences: with our partners across the: Tasman in this area. It is) something for round-table): discussion between maritime): organisations — but I believe r it can be done.” h

d A prediction that a diffie cult period may lie ahead in e road-rail competition was r made by Sir Basil Arthur, q "We are conscious, in the road transport field, of con--1 stant pressure from the rail- » ways. There must be nego--tiations, and there must be 1 fair competition. Regional i development demands fair - competition — which would - apply whether the medium be I road, rail or coastal ship- : ping.” -I The mounting deathroll on J the roads has brought an- ; other crisis with even more i serious overtones. This year there will be direct and post- | five action, including legisla t; tion. “to save people from .themselves.” .I "1 am particularly con* Jcerned at the way the numijbers of road deaths, particu- . larly those of pedestrians and ; motor-cyclists, have climbed. . and continue to climb.” Sir ■ Basil Arthur said. "This prob'(lem is going to the Road i ■ Safety Committee, which will ,'be convened soon after , Parliament has opened The fact that the casualty figure' are still rising might induce ■ the Road Safety people to (come down with some .(different recommendations. I “The Government is looking at legislation designed simply to save people from themselves. For a country of (our size and population the [figures are too high. Education is one thing—but it must ibe followed by legislation designed to save as many lives as possible.” Asked directly if this meant more enforcement. Sir (Basil Arthur sat forward in (his chair. “I think this is un[avoidable. More enforcement, more traffic officers; better utilisation of the law enforcement section we have at the moment. There are ways of improving the usage of what we have — but we want more men on the road for the maximum time, 1 instead of doing other things . which could be done by other ) sections.” ' But merely to approach i the Minister of Finance for Imore money is not enough. (“I shall he asking for more i money, more men on the Toad, more law-enforcement, Imore patrol-cars. But I must Ibe sure that we are getting I the maximum return —and I [shall have to answer the 'questions that Treasury will ‘doubtless ask.”