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Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is encouraging road users to do the right thing and travel safely over the summer holidays.

“The Kiwi road trip, a great holiday tradition, often involves travelling long distances on unfamiliar roads. Anyone getting behind the wheel can help keep themselves, their loved ones and other road users safe by following the rules and applying common sense,” Mr Foss says.

Do the right thing:

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is urging Kiwis to stay safe on the water this festive season.

“Heading to the beach, river or lake is all part of a Kiwi summer and great fun for the whole family, but it’s important to remember that keeping yourself and your loved ones safe requires a little preparation,” Mr Foss says.

Skippers, every time you take a boat out:

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is welcoming the completion of additional road safety measures on the West Coast ahead of the busy summer holiday period.

NZ Transport agency contractors this week completed the installation of 55 kilometres of rumble strips on State Highway 6 between Hokitika and Haast and 12 road safety billboards throughout the region.

The Government has committed to a further five and a half years of support to help small businesses grow through its Regional Business Partner programme, Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce and Small Business Minister Craig Foss announced today.

Regional Business Partners are local hubs of business development know-how and research and development (R&D) expertise for companies.

Transport Ministers today released a consultation paper that looks at options for new rules for passenger services such as taxis, private hires, shuttles, and ridesharing.

Earlier this year the Government initiated the small passenger services review to ensure regulations for the sector were both fit for purpose and flexible enough to accommodate new technologies.

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss welcomes a new civil aviation rule, enabling New Zealand aircraft maintenance training organisations to more easily train overseas aircraft engineers.

“This Rule will ensure New Zealand aligns with international best practice in certification and operation of aviation maintenance training organisations,” says Mr Foss.

”It will allow international business opportunities for New Zealand aircraft maintenance training organisations.”

New Zealand businesses with good cyber security practices could receive a “cyber security tick”, as part of a suite of initiatives to help protect small businesses against cyber attacks.

The cyber credentials scheme is just one initiative proposed in the Government’s new Cyber Security Strategy and Action Plan.

Changes to a Transport Rule regulating the size and weight of vehicles could allow truck and bus companies to import newer, safer, more innovative and environmental responsible vehicles, Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says.

A consultation document released today proposes amending the Vehicle Dimensions and Mass (VDAM) Rule 2002 to increase some axle and total vehicle mass limits.

Other proposals include:

Students are to be given the chance to earn NCEA credits by obtaining driver licences, Education Minister Hekia Parata and Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss announced today.

“Too many young people are missing out on jobs because they don’t have a licence and too many others are entering the courts system because they are driving without licences,” says Ms Parata.

Statistics Minister Craig Foss is welcoming the release of Cabinet papers on the future of the census and appointments to the working group of the Data Futures Partnership.

Statistics New Zealand has published the Census Transformation paper and a Cabinet paper of the appointments made to the Data Futures Partnership Working Group.

“New Zealand needs the information from the census to enable communities to plan for things like schools, health needs and roads,” says Mr Foss.

A leap forward in the use of existing tax data means Statistics New Zealand has been able to halve the number of businesses being surveyed for important economic information, Minister of Statistics and for Small Business Craig Foss says.

Until now, 1800 businesses around the country have been surveyed for the manufacturing, wholesale trade, and services information.

But an improved survey design made possible by better use of existing tax data means that number has been trimmed to 900.

Veterans’ Affairs Minister Craig Foss is welcoming changes that will provide more support, and more services, to more veterans than ever before.

The Veterans’ Independence Programme (VIP), established under the Veterans’ Support Act 2014, begins on 7 December 2015. The VIP allows Veterans’ Affairs to offer a range of support and assistance designed to help veterans maintain their independence in their own home.

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is welcoming the NZ Transport Agency’s $25 million boost to visiting driver safety initiatives.

“For more than six months the Government and Visiting Driver Signature Project (VDSP) partners have been continuously rolling out initiatives to help visiting drivers keep themselves and others safe on New Zealand roads,” Mr Foss says.

“This significant funding boost is yet another demonstration of the Government’s commitment to improving safety for all road users.”

New Zealanders who want to understand the similarities or differences between Sandringham and Three Kings, Brooklyn and Vogeltown, or Sydhenham and Beckenham can have their say about how these areas and more are defined for statistical purposes, Statistics Minister Craig Foss says.

Statistics New Zealand is reviewing its Statistical Standard for Geographic Areas (SSGA) for the first time in over 20 years.  The review aims to improve how statistical geographies are defined and used in statistical data.

Proposed changes to a Land Transport Rule will allow buses to carry more passengers between New Zealand’s main centres and pave the way for hybrid diesel-electric buses, Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss says.

A consultation document released today proposes amending the Vehicle Dimensions and Mass (VDAM) Rule 2002, which regulates the size and weight of vehicles, to extend axle mass limits of high-capacity urban buses.

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is welcoming the completion of important safety work on state highways 6 and 94 between Queenstown and Milford Sound.

NZ Transport Agency contractors have completed more than 50 kilometres of rumble strips in the area as part of the Visiting Driver Signature Project (VDSP) — a partnership between central government, local government and the private sector.

In addition to the rumble strips, yellow and white centrelines have also been re-sprayed. 

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is welcoming a new report exploring New Zealanders’ daily travel patterns.

The report, 25 years of New Zealand Travel: New Zealand Household Travel 1989-2014, celebrates two and half decades of the NZ Household Travel Survey and collates its results.

Mr Foss, who is speaking at the Transport Knowledge Conference in Wellington this morning, says the survey provides a better understanding of transport in people’s daily lives.

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is welcoming an Automobile Association (AA) initiative to help visiting drivers keep themselves and others safe on New Zealand roads.

The AA launched its Visiting Drivers Training Programme — an online driving simulator — at Parliament today.

“This programme puts visitors in the driver’s seat of a car and asks them questions about New Zealand road rules and conditions. It will help inform visiting drivers, improve safety and save lives,” Mr Foss says.

Small Business Minister Craig Foss and Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Paul Goldsmith are urging consumers and small businesses to keep themselves safe online this Fraud Awareness Week.

Fraud Awareness Week 2015, which runs from 15 – 21 November, is part of an international initiative to raise awareness of scams and promote safe online practices.

“It’s imperative for small business owners to get up to speed — and stay up to speed — on the types of scams doing the rounds,” Mr Foss says.

Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss is welcoming progress on the Low Volume Vehicle (LVV) certification review, with some changes already underway.

“This review is about making the certification process for scratch-built or modified vehicles more responsive to innovation, while ensuring it is run as effectively and transparently as possible,” Mr Foss says.

As part of the review, the NZ Transport Agency commissioned an independent survey of LVV system users. 

New Zealanders are being invited to have their say about proposed topics under the new national environmental reporting system, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith and Statistics Minister Craig Foss announced today.

Small Business Minister Craig Foss today announced one new appointment to the Small Business Development Group (SBDG) and 10 reappointments. 

Alaina Teki-Clark, from Whanganui, has been appointed to the SBDG to replace departing members Jonathan Flett and Frances Valintine. The group’s remaining members have been reappointed for a term of 18 months.

“Ms Teki-Clark is an outstanding business leader with many years’ experience starting and growing small businesses,” Mr Foss says.

Small Business Minister Craig Foss today congratulated the team behind Business.govt.nz for winning the government category at the 2015 AUT Excellence in Business Support Awards.

“This is the second time in four years Business.govt.nz, the Government’s website for small business, has won this award. It’s a reflection of the talented people we have working on the site and the quality content they produce for the benefit of all small New Zealand businesses,” Mr Foss says.

Veterans’ Affairs Minister Craig Foss today announced a $150,000 grant for the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association’s (RNZRSA) support services.

Mr Foss made the announcement during his opening address to the RNZRSA’s 99^th National Council meeting in Wellington this morning.

“The Government appreciates how hard the RNZRSA works for the care and welfare of our veterans.