Land Transport Amendment Act 2005

The Land Transport Amendment Act 2005 was passed on 15 June 2005. It merges a number of pieces of existing land transport legislation into the 1998 Land Transport Act. Many of the components of these merged Acts remain the same, however, where required, they are amended to provide greater clarity and efficiency. The existing pieces of legislation are:

Land Transport Act 1998
Transport Act 1962
Transport Services Licensing Act 1989, and subordinate legislation
Boilers, Lifts and Cranes Act 1950.

The provisions of the Act are primarily centred around:

enhancing enforcement
improving targeting of serious and repeat drink-driving offenders
improving efficiency for commercial transport operators
improving operational and administrative efficiency
updating land transport safety law.

Approximately 40 percent of the Act's amendments can be described as 'housekeeping' aimed at clarifying and simplifying current legislation.

The Act also allows for the development of several Rules which will provide the detail regarding its implementation.

The amendments outlined in the Act come into effect at different times:

Immediately - a small number of clauses will come into effect almost immediately, that is, once the Governor General has given Royal Assent to the Bill and it becomes an Act. This is usually within several days of the Bill being passed by the House.

In six months - a larger number of clauses will come into effect on 16 January 2006.

After key Rules are signed - most of the clauses will come into effect once the related Land Transport Rules -

Operator Licensing Rule
Work Time and Logbooks Rule

are finalised or an Order in Council received. This may take several months before details about implementation are finalised.

The initiatives outlined in the Act will be implemented and enforced by several agencies including Land Transport NZ (and its agents), New Zealand Police and the Ministry of Justice, in conjunction with the Ministry of Transport.

More detail about the implementation of the Act for which Land Transport NZ is responsible will be provided by Land Transport NZ closer to the time as details of the systems and processes (including Rules) that need to be changed are still being finalised.

More information

(Information will be added as it becomes available)

Copy of the Act
Law changes to improve transport safety and access, 15 June 2005. Media Statement from Minister of Transport Pete Hodgson.
How does this affect me?
What has changed? Some questions and answers also available on the Ministry of Transport web site.
How will this be implemented? More information will be made available from this page as implementation details for which Land Transport NZ is responsible are finalised.
If you require further detail about the legislation, please contact the Ministry of Transport head office
If you require further information about the implementation process (including the development of Rules) for which Land Transport NZ is responsible, please contact the Land Transport Contact Centre on 0800 822 422.
Media enquiries regarding the development of the legislation should be directed to the Christian Judge, press secretary for the Minister of Transport, the Hon Pete Hodgson, on 04 471 9707 or 021 670 349.
Media enquiries regarding the implementation of the Act, for which Land Transport NZ is responsible, should be directed to Land Transport NZ Media Manager, Andy Knackstedt, on 04 931 8822 or 0212 763 222.

Last updated: 16 June 2005