Preparations to mark the 50th anniversary of New Zealand’s involvement in the Vietnam War are well underway, with 35 veterans selected to attend a special service in Australia, Veterans’ Affairs Minister Craig Foss says.

Mr Foss, the 35 veterans and three official Vietnam War representatives will travel to Canberra for the commemorative service on August 18.

“Nearly 300 veterans entered a ballot to attend the Australian service. The 35 chosen represent a cross-section of the 3800 New Zealanders who served during the Vietnam War,” Mr Foss says.

Alcohol interlock sentences will soon become mandatory for serious and repeat drink-driving offenders, Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says.

Anyone convicted of two or more drink-driving offences within five years and any first time offenders caught driving more than 3.2 times the legal alcohol limit will be subject to an alcohol interlock sentence.

An alcohol interlock is a breathalyser wired into a vehicle’s starting system. To start the vehicle, the driver must pass a breath test.

New Zealand’s world-leading research database continues to grow with the inclusion of new data from the transport sector, Statistics Minister Craig Foss says.

The Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) holds a wealth of information, including anonymised tax, education, welfare, migration, crime and health data. 

“The IDI is a kind of data warehouse — it brings together information about people, households and businesses from across the public sector and combines it with data from the census and other Statistics NZ surveys,” Mr Foss says.

Statistics NZ is taking another step toward being ‘digital by default’ by moving three more business surveys online, Statistics Minister Craig Foss says.

The three surveys — Quarterly Economic Survey of Manufacturing, Quarterly Wholesale Trade Survey and Quarterly Business Survey — are now available online for the June 2016 quarter.

The Government and the transport sector are better placed to understand and meet future challenges with the release of the Transport Domain Plan and Research Strategy, Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says.

Mr Foss launched the two complementary documents during an event at Parliament this afternoon.

“Each year, central and local government invest over $5 billion in developing, operating and maintaining our transport system. This investment relies on a foundation of high quality information,” Mr Foss says.

Proposed changes to the Vehicle Dimensions and Mass (VDAM) Rule 2002 mean heavy vehicles can carry more freight or passengers on fewer trips, increasing efficiency while maintaining safety for road users, Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says.

“This is the first comprehensive review of the VDAM Rule in 13 years,” Mr Foss says.

Transport Minister Simon Bridges and Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss today announced a trial of Bluetooth technology to deliver audio safety messages to rental car drivers on the popular Christchurch to Queenstown route.

The trial is being run by the NZ Transport Agency, in partnership with HMI Technologies and GO Rentals. It will see safety messages sent from roadside transmitters, via Bluetooth, to devices fitted in rental vehicles.

Statistics Minister Craig Foss is counting down the days until the 2018 Census — 613.

The Government Statistician today announced, by proclamation from the Governor General, that the next census will be held on Tuesday 6 March 2018.

“The census provides the Government, iwi, businesses and our communities with robust and independent data that is invaluable for making smart evidence-based decisions,” Mr Foss says.

Veterans’ Affairs Minister Craig Foss is welcoming additional funding in Budget 2016 for veterans to travel overseas to attend commemorative events or revisit battlefields.

From 1 July 2016 the travel entitlement will increase from $2000 to $2500. The increased entitlement will be available to any new applicants. Those who have accessed part of their existing entitlement may reapply up to the new maximum.

“This Government honours the contribution our veterans have made to the peace, freedom and security New Zealand enjoys today,” Mr Foss says.

The transition to New Zealand’s new Maritime Operator Safety System (MOSS) is ahead of schedule with more than 50 per cent of commercial maritime operations now in the system or completing the application process, Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says.

All commercial operators must be in MOSS by 1 July 2018 — four years after the 1 July 2014 start date — with an estimated 1660 operations, covering more than 2600 vessels, expected to complete the entry process.

Transport Minister Simon Bridges and Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss have announced a $600 million nationwide road safety programme to help bring down the country’s road toll.

The Safer Roads and Roadsides Programme will see safety improvements made to more than 90 high-risk sites on rural State Highways in 14 regions. It includes nearly all high risk roads where there have been five or more fatalities in the last five years.

Small Business Minister Craig Foss is visiting the United States this week for the annual International Council for Small Business (ICSB) conference.

The conference, held in New Jersey, brings together the world’s foremost policy-makers, non-government organisations, scholars and social entrepreneurs to discuss issues facing small businesses.

Small Business Minister Craig Foss is today launching a small business roadshow series to help business owners engage with government agencies more effectively and efficiently.

Taking Care of Business: Government Supporting Your Business is a series of 16 events to be held around the country from June to October this year.

Small Business Minister Craig Foss today released the Government response to the latest Small Business Development Group report. The response outlines how the Government is creating an environment that makes it easier for small businesses to succeed.

“I welcome the report from the Small Business Development Group and thank the members for their work and expert advice,” Mr Foss says.

The 2015 Small Business Development Group report recommends:

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is urging drivers to buckle up, motorcyclists to wear a helmet and all road users to take extra care in wintry conditions this Queen’s Birthday weekend.

“The road toll is far too high. It’s so easy to help keep yourself and your family safe on the roads and yet some people still refuse to buckle up — it defies logic,” Mr Foss says.

A Ministry of Transport safety belt survey released this week shows the overall rate for wearing a seatbelt is 96.5 per cent, a slight drop from 97.1 per cent in 2014.

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says a significant decrease in recreational boating fatalities last summer shows targeted safety campaigns are hitting the mark.

The 2015-16 recreational boating toll was four, down from 20 in the 2014-15 summer season.

“One death is one too many but the reduced toll is a huge step in the right direction,” Mr Foss says.

Research by Maritime NZ shows almost 80 per cent of recreational boaties wear a lifejacket at all times on the water, up from 62 per cent in 2013.

Small Business Minister Craig Foss today released the latest Small Businesses in New Zealand factsheet, giving a detailed snapshot of how small businesses in New Zealand are making an impact across all industries.

“Small and medium-sized firms make a huge contribution to New Zealand’s economy and this factsheet really illustrates that,” Mr Foss says.

“It reinforces other reports which show that smaller businesses dominate our industries and play a vital role in generating jobs, innovation and overseas income.”

A new report by the International Transport Forum (ITF) shows New Zealand is leading the world in its approach to regulating app-based transport services, Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says.

Mr Foss attended the ITF Ministerial Summit in Leipzig, Germany last week where the 'App-Based Ride and Taxi Services' report was launched.

"The ITF's recommendations and principles endorse the changes the Government announced last month," says Mr Foss.

The report recommends governments:

We all have a role to play in making our roads safer, and this year’s Road Safety Week is shining a spotlight on our ‘Road Safety Heroes’, says Associate Minister of Transport Craig Foss.

“We all share responsibility for making our roads safer,” Mr Foss says. “Road Safety week reminds everyone in our communities that they can be a hero by playing their part in making our roads safer. It’s been great to see so many schools, organisations and individuals getting involved.

Veterans’ Affairs Minister Craig Foss today announced the commemorative programme for the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War.

“More than 3800 New Zealanders served in Vietnam between 1963 and 1975.  Sadly, 37 died during the conflict.  The 50th anniversary, to be commemorated on 18 August, is an important opportunity to acknowledge and honour all our Vietnam veterans,” Mr Foss says.

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss will travel to Germany this weekend to attend the Summit of Transport Ministers at the 2016 International Transport Forum (ITF).

“The ITF summit is an annual meeting of key transport players from 57 countries, making it an excellent opportunity to ensure New Zealand remains up-to-date on changes and developments in this dynamic sector,” Mr Foss says.

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss today released the Safer Journeys third Action Plan 2016-2020.

The Safer Journeys Action Plan is the third and final plan under the Safer Journeys Strategy to 2020. 

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss today released the final road toll for 2015 and the Overseas Drivers in Crashes report for 2000-2015.

“Last year 320 men, women and children died on our roads. These people will forever be missed by their families, friends and communities, and it’s heartbreaking to consider their deaths may have been preventable,” Mr Foss says.

“A few simple actions can, quite literally, be lifesaving — always wear a safety belt or helmet, watch your speed and drive to the conditions.

The Government will overhaul small passenger services by removing outdated rules and bringing the sector into the 21st century, Transport Minister Simon Bridges and Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss have announced.

This follows a comprehensive review into whether the small passenger services sector is fit for purpose and flexible enough to accommodate new technologies.