September 10, 2024 • 8 mins
The government asked for advice on potentially introducing 120km/h speed limits - so what does NZTA make of the idea?
And what did we learn during the sentencing hearing for Kiwirail over the Kaitaki losing power and issuing a mayday call?
NZ Herald Wellington issues reporter joined Nick Mills for the Capital Letter.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks at B taking the pulse of the city,
The Capital Letter on News Talks ed.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
B joining us for the Capital Letters, New Zealand Herald.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Wellington's Issues reporter Georgina Campbell, Good morning, George.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Good morning, beautiful day out there. You've been to the
gym yet?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
No?
Speaker 4 (00:27):
I haven't. Actually I started work early this morning, but
I have been out for a coffee. It is chilly
but sunny.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Been out for a coffee. But you haven't been to
the gym. You should have done the gym thing instead
of the coffee thing. Now we heard about the toast
scandal at Wellington Hospital, but now there's another issue affecting
new mums.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Oh my gosh, you're the new Mum's story queen.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Yes. This year, one of the things I am looking
at is women's health issues, which is why you're seeing
these stories. But some birthing rooms at Wellington Regional Hospital
will be temporarily closed to replace leaking copper pipes, and
this means that women having their labor induced will have
(01:06):
to share a room. Now, I'm sure everybody listening will
be quite familiar with the copper pipe saga at the hospital.
There have been you know, court cases when these leaks
started springing up after the main building opened in two
thousand and nine, lots of disruption. The latest disruption is
(01:27):
unfortunately in the birthing suite and maternity ward over the
next year. So to fat Aura Health, New Zealand says,
women admitted for having their labor induced will begin that
process in a shared room until the labor begins, and
this means that support people or partners won't be able
to stay the night with them if the woman is
(01:48):
not in labor. Partners and support people are welcome to
stay once labor begins, and they will then be transferred
into a single room.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
That's awful.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
I mean the one thing and this you'll be able
to tell us about one day. This is the most
important time that you want your partner there. I mean,
I was my first child. I was not going to
be in there during the birthing because I was terrified.
But there was no way once everything started that you
get to not be there. You need to be there.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Well, the New Zealand College of Midwives sort of made
the point that induction of labor can move quite quickly
and sometimes in an unpredictable way. So the timing of
calling Farno in for when you know, labor becomes established
can be a bit tricky if they're not staying the night.
And you know, I've heard of people who, you know,
the labor begins really quick and you know the baby's
(02:37):
born with an hour later kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Yep, yeah, I mean that would be no good. I
don't like that idea at all. Yes, all right, yesterday
we talked about Kiwi Whale because of their sentencing was
announced over the kai Teri may day. You were in
court when I read this, George, I was horrified. And
we had a couple of people ring up on the
(02:59):
show that were on the actual ferry. One of them
was a seaman, so he was all right, he said
he felt comfortable the whole time. One of the actually, you know,
he said he was terrified.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
It was. Yeah, it was chilling actually sitting in court
and listening to these victim impact statements being read, and
for me, it really felt like the politics that has
been playing out week after week over the future of
these fairies was really replaced with terror and the terror
of being on Kaentucky. You know when it was drifting,
(03:33):
and you know, the court heard about a child who
had a full blown panic attack, fearful that she and
her family were all going to die. I feel so
sorry for these kids who were on there and were
really stressing out. And you know, I think it kind
of captured something that perhaps has not previously been fully
(03:53):
appreciated having all of those statements read in succession, is
that many of the victims kind of explained that they
didn't grasp the extent of the situation until afterwards. Sometimes
it was in the days and the weeks afterwards, until
they read some of the media reports, like the question
over whether the harbor tugs would have had the capability
(04:15):
to tow Kaentucky if that was needed. And so I
think because it took a while for it to sink
him for them, we didn't necessarily hear all of these
accounts to the same extent at the time. So it
was really, yeah, it got it really hit home sitting
in court.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
What about the lady that said that when the engines
went down and it was just quiet and everyone was
panicking a little bit, and then they came on the
PA and said.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
The winner of the coloring and contest. Did you see that?
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Yeah, it appears that there was not necessarily miscommunication, But
you know, you have to wonder if the person announcing
the coloring competition was told about what was happening down
below with the engines when that happened. You know, there
were differing accounts about the way the crew handled it.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
One thing that came through.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I mean, I'm interested in what you said there, because
one thing that came through on both the callers of
the show yesterday was that they thought that the crew
did an amazing job.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Did that comes through in the court case or not it?
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Diard? But there were also accounts of people who were
critical of ok so there were differing accounts.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Yeah, okay, now a story that you've just done, and
I'm sort of thinking about doing it in my last
hour after CRUSCIPICNS leaves the show. But this thought of
actually having one hundred and twenty kilometers in our speed
limits on our row, I mean, this is pipe dreams,
isn't it.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Well, I don't think it is. I mean that's fast,
a one hundred and twenty kilometers an hour.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
I don't think you want to be in a car
with me at one hundred and twenty k.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
I definitely don't want to be in a car with you,
and neither of us want to be in a car
with Ethan. At one hundred and twenty I would be
saying Ethan, please slow down, please slow down.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
I mean, the government is basically pushing ahead with one
hundred and ten kilometers per hour on you know, like
relatively new state highway.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Those roads have.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
To be really amazing, don't they. I mean tans mission
gullies not even up to that standard.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Wow, Transmission Gully is a bit of a complicated case.
It is up to the standard of one hundred and
ten kilometers per The problem is that the road technically
isn't finished yet. That's another kettle of fish. But there
are no existing highways, not even Transmission Gully, not even
you know, the latest roads. They are not built for
one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour. So if the
(06:30):
government did decide to do this, it would only.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Be for new roads, start from scratch, wholly new, engineered,
wholly new.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Completely.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
We don't even have the standards in New Zealand for
that speed limit. So some advice from MCTA has been
released to me under the Official Information Act which says,
if you're going to do this, the roads would be
more expensive to build because they've got to be wider
and all the rest of it. And we need completely
new safety standards and engineering standards because the standards that
(06:59):
we have in New Zealand just don't cater for one
hundred and twenty kilometers per hour. So I guess there's
this of well Simeon Brown SMI around. The Transport Minister says,
you know they've received more than four thousand submissions on this,
just over half supported it. He made a real point
of talking about overseas where the speed limits are one
(07:19):
hundred and twenty kilometers per hour or more, and he said,
you know, if the government decides to do this, the
NZGA has just got to make it work.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Do you know?
Speaker 3 (07:28):
And I'm asking you, and I don't expect you to
know this, but I think I do. I think I'm
right that there's no roads in Australia that a one
hundred and twenty kilometers.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
That's correct. He's only one hundred and ten in Australia.
Two so it would be New Territory.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Yeah, it's a pipe dream. You don't you won't let
me get away with that.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Ah, well, it's I just think it's interesting that the
Transport Minister provided such a detailed response to my queries
and really kind of made the case of these high spaders.
He's also being used overseas.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
He's also got a team investigating whether there can be
a tunnel from the terrace to the other side. I
mean there's a group of people working on that as
we speak, so I mean, and to me that's a
bit of a pipe dream too, But you're right. I mean,
at least they're innovative and I know that you always
want to get things done, and that's great, that's great.
It's positive that they are looking at things that are
(08:20):
really new to New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Yeah, that long tunnel idea, I'm just a bit wary of,
you know, if it's going to take a really, really
long time. The government has criticized the delay on the
second Mount Book Tunnel. They said they were going to
have spades in the ground on that project in their
first term. Now they're looking at the long tunnel. They
won't commit to the same timeframe and I think people
that really needs to be sorted out sooner rather than later.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Well, it's a plea to Georgina Campbell. She's Wellington's issues
reporter for The Herald and she joins us every week
she has done since the show started. It's called the
Capital Letter and we do it at the same time
every week.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks they'd be Wellington from nine am week days,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Wellington Mornings podcast with Nick Mills
from News Talks at B taking the pulse of the city,
The Capital Letter on News Talks ed.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
B joining us for the Capital Letters, New Zealand Herald.
Speaker 3 (00:21):
Wellington's Issues reporter Georgina Campbell, Good morning, George.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Good morning, beautiful day out there. You've been to the
gym yet?
Speaker 1 (00:27):
No?
Speaker 4 (00:27):
I haven't. Actually I started work early this morning, but
I have been out for a coffee. It is chilly
but sunny.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Been out for a coffee. But you haven't been to
the gym. You should have done the gym thing instead
of the coffee thing. Now we heard about the toast
scandal at Wellington Hospital, but now there's another issue affecting
new mums.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Oh my gosh, you're the new Mum's story queen.
Speaker 4 (00:46):
Yes. This year, one of the things I am looking
at is women's health issues, which is why you're seeing
these stories. But some birthing rooms at Wellington Regional Hospital
will be temporarily closed to replace leaking copper pipes, and
this means that women having their labor induced will have
(01:06):
to share a room. Now, I'm sure everybody listening will
be quite familiar with the copper pipe saga at the hospital.
There have been you know, court cases when these leaks
started springing up after the main building opened in two
thousand and nine, lots of disruption. The latest disruption is
(01:27):
unfortunately in the birthing suite and maternity ward over the
next year. So to fat Aura Health, New Zealand says,
women admitted for having their labor induced will begin that
process in a shared room until the labor begins, and
this means that support people or partners won't be able
to stay the night with them if the woman is
(01:48):
not in labor. Partners and support people are welcome to
stay once labor begins, and they will then be transferred
into a single room.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
That's awful.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
I mean the one thing and this you'll be able
to tell us about one day. This is the most
important time that you want your partner there. I mean,
I was my first child. I was not going to
be in there during the birthing because I was terrified.
But there was no way once everything started that you
get to not be there. You need to be there.
Speaker 4 (02:15):
Well, the New Zealand College of Midwives sort of made
the point that induction of labor can move quite quickly
and sometimes in an unpredictable way. So the timing of
calling Farno in for when you know, labor becomes established
can be a bit tricky if they're not staying the night.
And you know, I've heard of people who, you know,
the labor begins really quick and you know the baby's
(02:37):
born with an hour later kind of thing.
Speaker 3 (02:39):
Yep, yeah, I mean that would be no good. I
don't like that idea at all. Yes, all right, yesterday
we talked about Kiwi Whale because of their sentencing was
announced over the kai Teri may day. You were in
court when I read this, George, I was horrified. And
we had a couple of people ring up on the
(02:59):
show that were on the actual ferry. One of them
was a seaman, so he was all right, he said
he felt comfortable the whole time. One of the actually, you know,
he said he was terrified.
Speaker 4 (03:10):
It was. Yeah, it was chilling actually sitting in court
and listening to these victim impact statements being read, and
for me, it really felt like the politics that has
been playing out week after week over the future of
these fairies was really replaced with terror and the terror
of being on Kaentucky. You know when it was drifting,
(03:33):
and you know, the court heard about a child who
had a full blown panic attack, fearful that she and
her family were all going to die. I feel so
sorry for these kids who were on there and were
really stressing out. And you know, I think it kind
of captured something that perhaps has not previously been fully
(03:53):
appreciated having all of those statements read in succession, is
that many of the victims kind of explained that they
didn't grasp the extent of the situation until afterwards. Sometimes
it was in the days and the weeks afterwards, until
they read some of the media reports, like the question
over whether the harbor tugs would have had the capability
(04:15):
to tow Kaentucky if that was needed. And so I
think because it took a while for it to sink
him for them, we didn't necessarily hear all of these
accounts to the same extent at the time. So it
was really, yeah, it got it really hit home sitting
in court.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
What about the lady that said that when the engines
went down and it was just quiet and everyone was
panicking a little bit, and then they came on the
PA and said.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
The winner of the coloring and contest. Did you see that?
Speaker 4 (04:44):
Yeah, it appears that there was not necessarily miscommunication, But
you know, you have to wonder if the person announcing
the coloring competition was told about what was happening down
below with the engines when that happened. You know, there
were differing accounts about the way the crew handled it.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
One thing that came through.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
I mean, I'm interested in what you said there, because
one thing that came through on both the callers of
the show yesterday was that they thought that the crew
did an amazing job.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Did that comes through in the court case or not it?
Speaker 4 (05:14):
Diard? But there were also accounts of people who were
critical of ok so there were differing accounts.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Yeah, okay, now a story that you've just done, and
I'm sort of thinking about doing it in my last
hour after CRUSCIPICNS leaves the show. But this thought of
actually having one hundred and twenty kilometers in our speed
limits on our row, I mean, this is pipe dreams,
isn't it.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
Well, I don't think it is. I mean that's fast,
a one hundred and twenty kilometers an hour.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
I don't think you want to be in a car
with me at one hundred and twenty k.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
I definitely don't want to be in a car with you,
and neither of us want to be in a car
with Ethan. At one hundred and twenty I would be
saying Ethan, please slow down, please slow down.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
I mean, the government is basically pushing ahead with one
hundred and ten kilometers per hour on you know, like
relatively new state highway.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
Those roads have.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
To be really amazing, don't they. I mean tans mission
gullies not even up to that standard.
Speaker 4 (06:09):
Wow, Transmission Gully is a bit of a complicated case.
It is up to the standard of one hundred and
ten kilometers per The problem is that the road technically
isn't finished yet. That's another kettle of fish. But there
are no existing highways, not even Transmission Gully, not even
you know, the latest roads. They are not built for
one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour. So if the
(06:30):
government did decide to do this, it would only.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
Be for new roads, start from scratch, wholly new, engineered,
wholly new.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
Completely.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
We don't even have the standards in New Zealand for
that speed limit. So some advice from MCTA has been
released to me under the Official Information Act which says,
if you're going to do this, the roads would be
more expensive to build because they've got to be wider
and all the rest of it. And we need completely
new safety standards and engineering standards because the standards that
(06:59):
we have in New Zealand just don't cater for one
hundred and twenty kilometers per hour. So I guess there's
this of well Simeon Brown SMI around. The Transport Minister says,
you know they've received more than four thousand submissions on this,
just over half supported it. He made a real point
of talking about overseas where the speed limits are one
(07:19):
hundred and twenty kilometers per hour or more, and he said,
you know, if the government decides to do this, the
NZGA has just got to make it work.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Do you know?
Speaker 3 (07:28):
And I'm asking you, and I don't expect you to
know this, but I think I do. I think I'm
right that there's no roads in Australia that a one
hundred and twenty kilometers.
Speaker 4 (07:36):
That's correct. He's only one hundred and ten in Australia.
Two so it would be New Territory.
Speaker 2 (07:40):
Yeah, it's a pipe dream. You don't you won't let
me get away with that.
Speaker 4 (07:44):
Ah, well, it's I just think it's interesting that the
Transport Minister provided such a detailed response to my queries
and really kind of made the case of these high spaders.
He's also being used overseas.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
He's also got a team investigating whether there can be
a tunnel from the terrace to the other side. I
mean there's a group of people working on that as
we speak, so I mean, and to me that's a
bit of a pipe dream too, But you're right. I mean,
at least they're innovative and I know that you always
want to get things done, and that's great, that's great.
It's positive that they are looking at things that are
(08:20):
really new to New Zealand.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Yeah, that long tunnel idea, I'm just a bit wary of,
you know, if it's going to take a really, really
long time. The government has criticized the delay on the
second Mount Book Tunnel. They said they were going to
have spades in the ground on that project in their
first term. Now they're looking at the long tunnel. They
won't commit to the same timeframe and I think people
that really needs to be sorted out sooner rather than later.
Speaker 3 (08:46):
Well, it's a plea to Georgina Campbell. She's Wellington's issues
reporter for The Herald and she joins us every week
she has done since the show started. It's called the
Capital Letter and we do it at the same time
every week.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
For more from Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills, listen live
to news talks they'd be Wellington from nine am week days,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.
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