Our Roads Our Transport In Northland 2017

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Northern Advocate

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

OUR ROADS AND TRANSPORT 2017

Fulton Hogan Past, Present Future With a reputation for excellence in building the backbone of our communities, Fulton Hogan has a 30 year history in Northland.

We take this opportunity to look back at how these ties began and what they have achieved in our region.

PAST

W

hen you think about it, roads are like the veins of the country, through which people, goods and ideas flow, linking communities together.

80 years ago, Jules Fulton and Bob Hogan saw roads this way too, and created a company in Dunedin which was founded on family, on building communities and on linking those communities together.

In the early 80’s Fulton Hogan saw the value in expanding beyond its South Island bases and into Northland, where local roads were notorious and in some places, non-existent. They bought two roading companies – Reliable Roads in Auckland and Northland Road Builders in Kaitaia. Over the subsequent decades you’ve seen their ‘lagoon blue’ trucks on roads all over Northland – maintaining the network of older roads and building new ones, overseeing important local roading projects with local governing bodies and the NZ Transport Agency.

It’s not just about roads – it’s about linking communities together.

There’s no doubt about it – Northland has some of the most demanding terrain in the country, which makes the design, construction and ongoing maintenance of roads a challenging prospect. Our notorious clay soils, isolated communities and difficult terrain often make creation of roading

■ Historic Photo of Northland Road builders building SH1 through the Mangamukas.

infrastructure difficult. Fulton Hogan have proudly been involved in many projects, of all sizes, which have vastly improved Northland’s roads. When Fulton Hogan design a road, they see it as more than gravel and bitumen.

They see it in terms of the opportunities it provides to connect each community and the whole region.

Fulton Hogan have always seen the value in being a vertically integrated business. They pride themselves in having control of everything right from the quarry to the line marking and everything in between. They also believe in the importance of hiring and nurturing great staff. Their customers and the organisations they work with can depend upon them - entering a partnership with Fulton Hogan means getting the top people, the best quality products, and completed projects to the highest standard. Their emphasis on high quality products and excellent staff has become the calling card of what is now an international company, with operations in Australia and the Pacific Islands.

Over their 80-year history they have developed processes and methods which are scalable and easily implemented in any given situation. When they moved to Northland in the 80’s they drew on the experience and expertise of the staff of the two companies they bought, allowing them to respond rapidly to Northland’s unique requirements. During heavy rains, flooding often causes havoc on Northland roads, and it’s at times like this that Fulton Hogan act as the fourth emergency service.

PRESENT

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ot a company to rest on their laurels, Fulton Hogan believes that they’re only as good as their last job. They’re proud to be part of Northland’s DNA and work hard to continue to deliver the high standard Northlanders have come to expect from them. Fulton Hogan

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Northern Advocate

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OUR ROADS AND TRANSPORT 2017 currently delivers Road Maintenance Contracts for the Far North District Council, Whangarei District Council and the NZ Transport Agency.

As well as Road Maintenance, Fulton Hogan has also delivered a number of award winning projects in Northland such as the Whangarei Urban Improvements Project, which has seen the upgrade of 5 major intersections on SH1 through urban Whangarei.

Through tourism, agriculture, forestry, horticulture and the associated surge in population, Northland is experiencing a real boom. All these aspects put extra strain on Northland’s roads, meaning that Fulton Hogan has its hands full maintaining and ■ Earthworks for Retaining Wall upgrading our infrastructure to keep construction, Manse Street traffic flowing and thus responding to the growing needs of Northland.

Northland Bridges Program - safer roads for Northland communities Single-lane bridges are a quirk of many rural areas in New Zealand, but with Northland’s swelling population, they now pose huge risks to driver safety.

One-way bridges in Northland are notorious for crashes, having been responsible for 15 crashes in the last 9 years. While other regions have had their worst single-land bridges upgraded, Northland ■ New roundabout completed at Kensington Ave residents have faced many a frustrating battle with governing to get the same treatment for our bridges.

Keith Cocking, Regional Manager for Fulton Hogan Northland, says they are thrilled to be part of Northland Bridges Program, working with the NZTA, which will see the single-lane bridges at Matakohe, Taipa and Kaeo replaced with two-lane bridges. This is a huge project, one of their biggest yet, spanning three different locations and presenting many challenges across a range of disciplines.

It also requires realignment of a significant 3 km stretch of the State Highway running through Matakohe, to remove the tight bends on the approach to the bridges.

Keith says that for a project of this magnitude, the method of Early Contractor Involvement is essential to get it right – from day one. The use of ECI allows any project to benefit from the wealth of knowledge brought to the table by everyone involved, right from planning stage. It makes for a smoother process, particularly with large-scale and long-term projects such as the Northland Bridges Program, as many issues can be foreseen and dealt with before they become problems. This saves time and money, creates a safer working environment and delivers a project that stands the test of time.

Work on the first bridges at Matakohe is set to begin in October 2017, with plans for upgrading the remaining bridges being developed and consenting sought to see these constructed as soon as possible..

PROUD TO BE PART OF NORTHLAND’S FUTURE

A

s Northland continues to grow, so does Fulton Hogan’s role in our region’s future. The sheer number of people and businesses moving up here is placing a bigger demand on our infrastructure, and Fulton Hogan looks forward to playing an important part.

As well as the ongoing Northland Bridges Programme, the NZ Transport Agency have an exciting infrastructure investment programme planned for Northland. This includes an expressway from Whangarei to the SH15 Ruakaka roundabout and significant safety improvement projects through the Dome Valley. Every year, more people and businesses are finding the prospect of moving north an attractive one, and the planned roading upgrades will be needed to ensure a safe and resilient network .

With all the work they do on our roads, Fulton Hogan are a major source of employment for the region. In an industry which is set to keep growing, the company-wide focus on family and community remains the same. It’s common for more than one member of a family to be employed with Fulton Hogan, and they have a number of families that cross the generations with Fathers, sons and daughters currently employed. It’s an aspect of the business that Keith Cocking is proud of because it demonstrates the long-term family culture and strong relationships that Fulton Hogan and the Northland communities have shared for many years.

The focus on safety, people, honesty, accountability and community has allowed Fulton Hogan to grow over the 80 years from a small Dunedin based company into the strong, Australasian company they are today employing more than 5,500 people.

The Northland regional business of Fulton Hogan enjoys the support that comes as being part of a larger multi-disciplined corporate, but equally sees itself as a Northland based company, employing Northlanders, and delivering essential services for the people that call this great region home.

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Northern Advocate

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

OUR ROADS AND TRANSPORT 2017

The way ahead for vehicle safety

A

s global traffic volumes increase, so does the need for motorists to be more aware of ever-changing driving situations, and to be able to react appropriately, instinctively and instantly.

To answer the ongoing requirements for increased vehicle safety, many manufacturers have adopted Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

If you have a car that features ADAS functions, it’s important to know what they do and how they may impact your drive so we’ve rounded up 10 of the most common features.

1. Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)

senses the presence of a vehicle that may be in the driver’s blind spot, to the rear and side of the vehicle being driven. The warning is normally a visible alert, in the form of a light in the front-door mirror.

2. Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)

works in conjunction with the blind spot detection system, warning the driver of approaching cross-traffic when reversing out of a parking place. The warning can be audible and/or visible.

3. Activating Park Assist

engages a group of sensors that help the driver to see if a space is large enough to park in. In most cases, it can control the steering while the driver controls the accelerator and brakes. Some systems also control the accelerator and brakes as well as steering.

4. Intelligent Headlamp Control (IHC)

uses cameras, steering angle sensors, infra-red LEDs etc, to adapt the illumination range of a vehicle by constantly monitoring its driving mode and traffic situation.

5. If Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB)

senses that a vehicle is likely to impact an object but the driver has not taken any braking action. The system will issue an audible and or visual alarm. If the driver still does not take action and a collision is imminent, it will apply the brakes automatically.

6. Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

is similar to AEB but it issues a warning only, and will not apply any automatic braking.

7. Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

monitors a vehicle’s position within its lane. If the vehicle starts to move out of its lane, it

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OURLAND ON R TH 7 NO ADS 201 RO

provides the driver with a warning that is visual, audible or vibrating.

8. Lane Keep Assist (LKA)

is similar to LDW, but as well as giving a warning, it will apply corrective steering or braking to keep the vehicle in its lane.

9. Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)

allows drivers to set the desired speed and distance to be maintained between their vehicle and the one in front. The system then monitors and maintains the distance by regulating the throttle and, if necessary, applying the brakes. It will resume the pre-set speed once the detected risk has gone.

10. Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR)

works off a camera that reads and displays speed limit signs and “no overtaking” signs, so the driver is made aware of the command even if he or she failed to notice the sign. The system is informative only and does not take corrective action to reduce the vehicle’s speed.

There are three main sensor types used in ADAS systems that provide information allowing complex software and algorithms to assess the situation, and decide whether to take any necessary preventative action.

•Lidar is a short-range light detection sensor that employs a laser to measure distances, and can be used for city safe, urban systems such as AEB and FCW. •Radar sensors use radio detection and can be short and long range although these days both are used to support systems such as ACC, AEB, FCW, BSM and RCTA. A single system such as ACC may use a combination of short and long-range radar by cross-referencing separate detections to produce secure and confident responsive actions.

•Cameras can be used in mono (single) or stereo (double) form in the following systems: AEB, FCW, LDW, LKA, Intelligent Headlamp Control, and Traffic Sign Recognition.

Safety advancement is also necessary to maintain a vehicle’s five-star ANCAP safety rating.

For further information go to www.driven.co.nz

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Northern Advocate

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

OUR ROADS AND TRANSPORT 2017

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Northern Advocate

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

OUR ROADS AND TRANSPORT 2017

Charging ahead

A lot can happen in two years, as the breathtakingly fast uptake of electric vehicles (EVs) has demonstrated.

B

ack in June 2015, Kiwis had purchased 737 EVs, just a drop compared with the $8 billion bucket of oil New Zealand imports each year, but nevertheless a fairly significant climb from 200 EVs two years earlier in 2013.

Northland boasted more than its fair share of EVangelists, enthusiasts who for a variety of reasons felt EVs could transform our transport sector for the better. At a time when sightings of EVs were rare, the members of this loose collaboration knew, or at least was aware of, every other EV owner in the area - it was a small club. But none would have been confident, or arrogant enough to predict the impending explosion.

Fast-forward to now and it’s clear the uptake of EVs is matching their rapid acceleration.

According to the latest Ministry of Transport figures, 3576 EVs are registered in New Zealand, which represents a 250 per cent increase year-on-year since 2013.

Only cars that can be plugged into the national grid are counted in these figures. They include just over 1000 plug-in hybrids, which over shorter distances (40-150km) use solely electric power but typically ■ The opening of the Kaiwaka fast-charger, the second public fast-charger in NZ after Northpower opened one in Alexander Street, Whangarei also have an internal combustion engine to extend

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OUR ROADS AND TRANSPORT 2017 Northlanders’ pay packets, we had just two models to choose from: Mitsubishi iMiEV and the NIssan Leaf.

While Leaf imports are by far the most likely EV you’ll see on Northland roads - and bar the occasional exception most owners I’ve spoken to are delighted with their purchase - budding buyers now have a veritable platter to choose from. This list includes, but I’m sure not restricted to, Renault’s Zoe and Kangoo (a van), Hyundai’s Ioniq, BMW’s i3 (hybrid), VW’s e-Golf, Holden Volt (hybrid), Toyota’s plug-in Prius, Mitsubishi’s Outlander (hybrid), NIssan’s e-NV200 (a van). And coming soon is the Model 3, a more affordable option from Tesla, which this year set up shop in Auckland.

And, of course, the Kia Soul, which was recently snapped up by Whangarei’s Sid Moriaty, who at 93 bought something he’d dreamed of owning since a boy. A former worker at the Wairua Hydro Station near Titoki, he had often wondered what took car companies so long to come up with EVs. Sid dislikes NZ’s dependence on fossil fuels and thinks it’s a nobrainer that the country should run its light vehicle fleet off its glut of renewable energy.

“In another four or five years, the country will be flooded with them,” he told the Advocate, while extolling the advances in the technology.

And Sid’s right, the advances are dramatic. My 2011 Leaf, is good for 120km on one charge but it’s a Generation I, what I like to call the Model T of electric cars. The Gen III, however, can travel an extra 100km on a single charge. That 200km-plus range is fairly standard in new EVs now, with the new Zoe is expected to be able to do 300km in NZ conditions and a Tesla can top the 500km mark.

Rapid advances in battery technology, regenerative braking and wireless charging, and the as-yet untapped promise of game-changing supercapacitors all make for an exciting future in EVs. And it’s one Northland corporations and businesses are increasingly buying into, with an eye on significant savings, a massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and, in the case of Northland District Health Board, which is buying six Zoe’s, a focus on health and wellbeing. Northland Regional Council along with Northpower have been leading the charge, Whangarei District Council has adopted an ‘electric first’ policy, NZ Post and Domino’s Pizza are using electric delivery vehicles, just to name a few.

And let’s not forget e-bikes, which offer leisure and commuter options as well as fresh air and a bit of exercise. They have a decent range too if you’re prepared to pedal.

■ A Northpower i-MiEV drives past a row of Nissan Leafs.

the range over longer distances. And some hybrids are not included in the figures because, although they have electric motors, they are not plug-ins.

The revolutionary Toyota Prius mostly falls into this category - mostly, as it does have a plug-in version.

While Whangarei’s early adaptors occasionally lament that the EV community is no longer as tight-knit as it was, the five-fold increase in just two years is exactly what they wanted all along. The infrastructure, exciting new range of vehicles and game-changing technology have expanded just as swiftly.

When we bought our Nissan Leaf, the most common EV on NZ roads, in 2013, you could count the number of public charging stations on one hand: Whangarei, Wellsford and one in Auckland. And none were fast-chargers, but ‘destination’ chargers that could take up to 4 1/2 hours to complete the task. Believe me, there’s not much to do in Wellsford in the middle of the night.

All that changed the following year when corporate EV pioneer Northpower installed New Zealand’s first fast-charger in Alexander St, Whangarei. Then Auckland EVangelists Steve and Dee West set up Charge.net.nz and, in their early plans to saturate NZ with a fast-charge network, identified Northland as a driving force in EV uptake. They opened their first of many fast-chargers - NZ’s second - at Kaiwaka in October 2015.

Now, less than two years later, Northland has six fast-chargers (the others have gone in at Kawakawa, Dargaville, Tikipunga and Otaika) and about 50 destination chargers. The drive to Auckland is no longer the twiddling-your-thumbs-at- Wellsford mission it once was, with fast-chargers also at Warkworth, Silverdale, Albany and all over Auckland.

The choice of cars has expanded exponentially too.

Given the classy Tesla was (and still is) beyond most

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If you want to find out more about electric vehicles, why not check out one of these events during International Drive Electric Week: September 3: Breakfast with the Cars, Village Green in Paihia, 9-11am September 8-9: EV World at Vodafone centre in Auckland (https://www.conferenz.co.nz/events/evworld-nz) September 9-18: EV Display at Forum North foyer in Whangarei. Channel North documentary Charging up North on Electric Vehicle adoption in Northland, Who Killed the Electric Car and videos will screen, along with static displays, poster boards off info on the benefits of driving electric.

September 9: EV display and test rides at Whangarei Growers’ Market September 13: An After-5 event is being organised in which car dealers will be given a chance to promote their EVs. September 16: EV display and test rides at Whangarei Growers’ Market.

MYTHS ABOUT EVS ABOUND BUT DON’T BELIEVE ALL OF THEM: EVs are slow

Nup. Because electrics motors are four times more efficient than internal combustion engines and have 100 times fewer moving parts, they are capable of 100% torque up to, well, let’s just say the speed limit on NZ roads. If you feel the motor - which is wrapped around the axle for direct power (no gears, camshaft, diff etc) - it will be cold after a long journey, meaning the power is being used directly to propel the car forward, rather that warm the water in the radiator. Just look at any YouTube clip involving Tesla v Anything (ie V8 supercar).

EVs are dangerous because they’re quiet You can easily hear the sound of tyres on road and wind rushing past at 30km/h. Below that speed, the driver is going slow enough to brake (I’ve had to stop for a cat sleep on the road and slow down for a cyclist who didn’t realise I was behind them).

EVs can’t go very far on a single charge Sort of true, especially for older model EVs such as mine (which I can count on for 120km). Tesla models do comparable distances to petrol cars and most new cars on the market will do at least 200km. But, given most of our motoring involves trips under 50km and that fast-chargers have been installed across the country, range is nowhere near the challenge it once was.

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Wednesday, June 28, 2017

OUR ROADS AND TRANSPORT 2017

‘Our Roads – Our Transport’

drive to the conditions but if some poor decisions What we do need to remind ourselves though, is Northland roads are such an important are being made the consequences are made much that roads are for everyone and it is necessary for part of our everyday lives. They get us worse. Some examples of this is 40% of Northland’s us all to share them with all road users so we all get from ‘A to B’ and beyond and are a lifeline recent fatalities were not wearing a seatbelt. The home safely. We need to be more courteous, more simple seatbelt has saved more lives since it was patient and look out for each other.

In our daily lives for employment, essential goods and invented than any other safety device. Driving under we do make mistakes with very little consequence services. This can be for important medical the influence of alcohol and or drugs, speed or driving however when a motor vehicle is involved that one while fatigued continue to feature in our emergencies & appointments, statistics.

NORTHLAND BRAIN INJURY travelling to work, to school, delivery Distraction is a fast growing issue and of products, transporting friends, we are seeing many more incidents where ASSOCIATION USE A PHRASE ‘A distraction, whether it is a cell-phone or family, visitors etc. etc.

MOMENTS DISTRACTION CAN

S

ome people believe we need less roads, more public transport, more rail, more alternative means of transport but the situation and discussions are much more complicated and sometimes so are the solutions. The reality is we need them.

We know that Northland roads can be challenging at the best of times and with our unpredictable weather patterns the roads get damaged making driving more difficult and the poor road maintenance teams doing their best around the clock ensuring the roads are useable.

other electronic device in a car or out when walking is occurring. These issues are global and causing a huge number of deaths and injuries. An overseas bumper sticker seen recently stated, ‘my life is more important than your phone’. It is timely for us to reconsider what our priorities and values are when ‘sharing the roads’.

CAUSE A LIFETIME OF CHANGE’. mistake can have fatal and devastating effects.

Northland Brain Injury Association use a phrase ‘a moments distraction can cause a lifetime of change’.

This is not just to the victim but a ripple effect involves lots of other connected people & organisations to that person or persons.

In Northland, we are having too many crashes, fatalities and injuries on our roads. We tell people to

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Don’t get careless

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OUR ROADS AND TRANSPORT 2017

Winter Driving Tips IT’S A SIMPLE TASK THAT CAN SAVE YOU A LOT OF HASSLE THIS WINTER. DON’T WAIT TO BE CAUGHT OUT IN THE RAIN, CHECK THEM AS SOON AS YOU CAN. you to maintain a grip on the road whilst the surface water slips through the grooves.

But if your tread is too low the water below your tyres doesn’t have anywhere to go in the short amount of time which you come upon it at speed. This means your tyre will now sit on top of the water, causing your vehicle to slide, leading to a loss of control and a high chance of an accident.

Heavy Rain & Poor Visibility

When you hear the topic ‘Winter Driving Tips’ most people probably think; it doesn’t snow where I live so it doesn’t matter to me.

U

nfortunately, this is the same attitude that has NZ drivers adding to the ever increasing accident statistics each winter. For some of you, snow will actually be a possibility this winter, for others it can be the early evening sun, but the certainty for all New Zealanders this winter is rain.

Lots and lots of rain.

So far this year we have already seen cyclones Cook, Debbie and Donna. Who knows what winter yet has in store for us, but you can guarantee there will be heavy and persistent rain.

This will then lead to surface flooding, poor visibility, heavy traffic and people making terrible driving decisions.

Of course we know that none of you would ever make a poor driving decision (wink, wink) but there are a few simple things you can do to ensure that when the next drench of rain hits our shores, your vehicle is ready.

Tyre Tread You have probably heard this one over and again, but you must have a minimum of 1.5mm tyre tread for your tyres to be legal. Please remember that this is the bare minimum and is only one step away from your car not being road legal. The more tread you have the better when it comes to standard tyres.

The reason tread is so important is as you drive down the road your tyre is the only thing gripping and keeping you connected to the road. On a normal sunny day your tyre will grip the tarseal easily and transport you along. But when it rains heavily a layer of water will sit on the road and with good tyre tread this water will pass through the indents, allowing

As the saying goes, ‘when it rains, it pours’. Torrential rain is a commonly used term by our weather presenters during the winter months. This type of rain comes on in harrowing waves that causes surface flooding and very poor visibility. One minute you’re stuck behind an old car and beside a towering utility, the next you’re driving along in a curtain of grey hoping no one slams into your rear.

Our best advice in this situation is to ensure your lights are on, drive slowly and if you really can’t see anything, slowly pull over to the side of the road and wait it out.

Window Wipers One of your best assets for driving in winter is your window wipers - granted heated seats are also a bonus. Every driver needs the ability to cleanly wipe their windscreen without leaving marks or residue that could distort your vision.

Ensure your window wipers are up to scratch. If they aren’t then don’t worry, they are one of the easiest things to change on most vehicles. Simply pop into your franchise dealership or automotive store, give them your car’s registration and they can source and fit the right blades for you.

It’s a simple task that can save you a lot of hassle this winter.

Don’t wait to be caught out in the rain, check them as soon as you can.

Winter Driver Safety Tips •Drive to the Conditions •Check your Tyre Tread •Increase your following distance. It can take 3-10 times longer to stop on wet surfaces than on dry roads •Check your Window Wipers •Avoid quick acceleration, hard braking, and fast turns •Drive with your lights on if it’s hard to see. It also helps others see you.

These winter driving tips are bought to you by ORIX Vehicle Leasing & Finance, providing innovative solutions for NZ’s fleet needs. Contact ORIX today for all your fleet management queries on 0800 106 749.

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Northern Advocate

Wednesday, June 28, 2017