Too often there are single-solution goals, writes Dom Kalasih, Transporting New Zealand interim CEO.

There were a lot of happy faces in the room when I attended a recent meeting at Transport Minister Simeon Brown’s office.

Almost all the transport sector acronyms were there – the MIA, VIA, AA, MTA – plus the three trucking organisations, and everybody was right behind the Government Policy Statement on Transport.

One of the things popping up at the meeting was the proposal to apply road user charges to all motor vehicles instead of using petrol taxes to fund roading. (That brought about the only real sign of dissent at the meeting, as the AA wasn’t too keen on that idea. But it has a membership base to represent, and that’s fair enough.)

The reason for the suggestion is that the improving fuel efficiency of new cars allows them to travel further on less gas, so they are actually paying less per kilometre covered to maintain the roads via a pure petrol tax.

But the MTA, the imported- vehicle folks and Transporting New Zealand all liked what was being said because, from a user pays perspective, the current system isn’t really fair, and revenue is dropping.

The change in how things are being done with infrastructure is happening thick and fast. The only problem with that is this change can occur with every regime change MMP throws our way.

That’s why the freight sector groups support the creation of the National Infrastructure Agency We need something with a vision of infrastructure that lasts for 30 years. It takes time to plan, budget and build these significant projects. Having them chopped and changed every three or six years isn’t the way to spend our roading money wisely.

On a very similar subject, we are also pleased with the proposed fast-tracking of project consents. New Zealand’s had a long history of having many projects being bogged down in expensive bureaucracy.

That’s not to say rapid consenting isn’t contentious. My daughter was planning to take part in climate protests. Forest & Bird, which at least one of our staff members belongs to, promoted the demonstrations as a way to “show politicians that we contest the Fast-Track Approvals Bill”. You have to love democracy!

Which kind of brings me round to what I call the ‘World of And’.

Too often there are single- solution goals put out as one group’s reason for existence in the transport sphere.

Either everything has to be about safety, or everything has to be about productivity, or everything has to be about saving the planet right now, and not next Tuesday, because then it would be too late, and we’d all be doomed.

How about we love productivity (which we do) and we care hugely about safety? Which we do.

And how about we care about our environment and we care about building an infrastructure that is free-flowing and resilient?

And is what people should aim for. And is good.