Today's completion of the third reading of the Transport Management Amendment Act 2004 gives the green light to the establishment of a new government transport agency, Land Transport New Zealand.

Land Transport New Zealand was proposed as an outcome of this year's Transport Sector Review. The review sought to re-engineer the government transport sector to better enable it to deliver on the objectives of the New Zealand Transport Strategy (NZTS).

As a result of the Review, policy functions are now concentrated within the Ministry of Transport. Transfund and the Land Transport Safety Authority are to be disbanded with their functions taken over by Land Transport New Zealand.

"The passage of this legislation and the establishment of Land Transport New Zealand are significant steps towards delivering on the vision of the NZTS; to put in place an affordable, integrated, safe, responsive, and sustainable transport system by 2010," says Transport Minister, Pete Hodgson.

Land Transport New Zealand’s inaugural board comprises Dr Jan Wright; Chair, Simon Mitchell; Deputy Chair, Gerry Te Kapa Coates, Bryan Jackson, Greg Presland, Janet Stephenson and David Stubbs.

"The Review and the legislation will enable Land Transport New Zealand to deliver a better planned, higher performance, better integrated transport network in line with the vision of the NZTS. And, as the new law says, safety will be maintained and improved."

The Land Transport Management Amendment Act, along with the Civil Aviation (No 2) Act 2004, the Land Transport Amendment Act 2004, and the Maritime Transport Amendment Act 2004 passed by Parliament at the same time, also implement other key recommendations of the Transport Sector Review.