Inquiries & Recommendations

Ngā ketuketutanga me ngā tūtohunga

On 24 April 2024 the Commission recommended that KiwiRail satisfy itself that all waterways within the rail corridor, including those owned by third parties, have effective and up-to-date maintenance programmes to ensure that the waterways can function as designed.

Either invoke Section 6F (1) of the Transport Services Licensing Act 1989 or, alternatively, procure changes to legislation or, alternatively, by any other process you judge suitable, ensure that the approved safety system for all rail operators includes a policy for managing the risks associated with substance induced performance impairment. Such a policy should: · be focused on education · include all levels of staff and be collaborative between them · include major contractors working for the licence holder

On 27 September 2023, the Commission recommended that KiwiRail work with road controlling authorities to develop processes for notification, risk assessment and traffic management measures for unplanned level-crossing disconnections.

Introduce changes to the existing staff training and promotion process, to ensure that prospective guards complete a predetermined length of time in a passenger operators’ role, before progressing on to training and certification as a guard

The port company should ensure that a berth allocated to a visiting vessel is suitable. A prerequisite for achieving that is port companies having an understanding of the loads capable of being generated by vessels with large windage areas and whether the port infrastructure is capable of withstanding them.

Include in future publications for special maritime events advice on the effects of wake produced by large concentrations of craft. Such advice should include the information contained in relevant marine notices.

On 15 May 2025, the Commission recommended that Maritime New Zealand collaborate with other states to submit joint papers to the IMO (through the appropriate sub-committee) recommending the IMO: a. introduce a more meaningful definition of critical equipment and systems

Require operators of aerodromes that provide air traffic and rescue fire services to have a discrete communication system linking a fire station with the control tower, any other fire station on the aerodrome and the rescue and fire fighting vehicles.

Give clear instruction to carriage maintenance staff on the methods and quality of inspection, maintenance and repairs to the safety rails, chains and strops.

To reflect the standards applied to public level crossings, arrange for the installation at all private level crossings appropriate marking or signage 3 m from the nearest rail to define the position of limit lines for approaching vehicular traffic.

Implement a policy of conducting risk assessments before the company becomes committed to the purchase, chartering in or management of future new or existing tankers.

No-one involved with loading, shifting and securing the wagon body was sufficiently familiar with the KiwiRail Freight Handling Code to realise that the securing arrangement was not compliant with the Code. KiwiRail had a responsibility to ensure that staff was trained and competent in all tasks being undertaken. It had to ensure that the loading and stowage of goods on railway wagons were carried out by people with the appropriate training and certification.