The Road Safety Trust
December 14th, 2009 at 2:00 pm by David FarrarRural Women New Zealand have alerted me to the strange cast of the Road Safety Trust – an organisation funded by a crown monopoly that declined every grant application it received this year.
This quango is funded out of the sale of personalised plates. According to the 2007/08 annual report it made a $2.2 million surplus that year. They budgeted $2.33 million of grants and paid out just $150,000. And this year they have approved none it seems.
Radio NZ reports:
The independent trust is funded by a portion of profits from the sale of personalised plates and one of its aims is to hand out money for community safety initiatives.
The trust has been spending money on its own national campaign to reduce driver distraction and has rejected 14 applications from community groups for the year to June because they did not meet its criteria.
Among those rejected were the organisations Rural Women and Safekids.
Rural Women asked for money to create signs to remind drivers of the speed limit when passing school buses.
So we have this quango deciding to fund its own campaigns (which seem to mirror existing NZTA campaigns) and declining every community group’s application as not being innovative enough.
The campaign to remind drivers to slow down passing school buses seems very laudable. According to Rural Women NZ a pilot on SH58 has seen an average speed drop from 90 – 100 km/hr to 20 – 40 km/hr.
The Minister has said he will look into the trust. I think that would be an excellent idea. They are privileged to receive money from a state monopoly – personalised plates. And the purpose of the funding is not to empire build with massive reserves, or running solely their own advertising campaigns. If your criteria are so restrictive that not a single group can manage to qualify, that suggests there is a problem.
UPDATE: A reader has located where some of the money goes. The Road Safety Trust is an “Official Partner of both the Air New Zealand Cup Referees and Heartland Championship Referees for the 2009 season”.
That’s much better than getting cars to slow down for school buses!
UPDATE2:
Now I understand what they mean by restricting funding to innovative campaigns. Because no one has ever thought that you can reduce the road toll by sticking a meaningless slogan on a rugby referee’s shirt, they decided to innovate and try that to see what happens.
While billboards telling people to slow down for school buses doesn’t meet that all important innovation criteria.
Related posts:
- NSW Road Safety
- The new road safety proposals
- A road safety billboard I approve of
- Road Safety Policies not working
December 14th, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Joyce was on National Radio this morning, I think I’d best describe his tone towards the trust as ‘ominously bewildered’.
[DPF: Steven is very dangerous when he is bewildered!]
December 14th, 2009 at 2:15 pm
From the trusts application criteria I see they won’t assist with (among other things) these:
# Rent where the building is owned or already leased by the applicant
# Food or catering
# Koha
# Donations
This does not seem to fall into the governments requirement of showing due respect to the ‘Principles of the Treaty’.
Time the PC police sent them on a compulsory treaty appreciation course methinks. Damned racists!
Vote:December 14th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Their reserves come to $9.9 million. Ie about 5 years income.
Unbelievable that they seem to be saving for a rainy day
Vote:December 14th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
More tax gathering (by stealth) for no good purpose
December 14th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
The campaign to remind drivers to slow down passing school buses seems very laudable. According to Rural Women NZ a pilot on SH58 has seen an average speed drop from 90 – 100 km/hr to 20 – 40 km/hr.
Hmmm…quango measures the effectiveness of said quango’s initiative and reports truly enormous figures? I would love to see their methodology, assuming this isn’t purely made up.
Vote:December 14th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Geeez How many of these Qangos are there hiding out collecting our hard earned taxes.
Me thinks they should all be outed.
Name names of persons sitting on governing body ( this will indicate the level of cronyisim) How much they received How much they spent on themselves What they gave away (wasted)
Time for the spotlight to shine on them
Vote:December 14th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
No, not tax by stealth. There are some legitimate reasons to have them but most personalised plate buyers voluntarily throw their money away, it is attention seeking rather than stealthy.
Vote:December 14th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Ben –
Rural Women NZ is not a quango (but Road Safety trust is). And RWNZ proposed scheme seems pretty meritorious?
last man standing –
Vote:What taxes??? nanny state is not demanding that you buy a personalized plate.
December 14th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Indeed, the SH58 ‘pilot’ was Rural Women New Zealand’s own attempt to remind drivers of the Road Code rule that you must pass a stopped School bus at 20kmh – nothing to do with the Road Safety Trust.
The results of this initiative, before and after erection of large bold signs on a bus shelter were amazing, and measured by Porirua City Council’s Road Safety Co-ordinator. Drivers got the message, and traffic has slowed from 90-100kmh to between 20 and 40kmh. This is fantastic, and worthy of rolling out nationwide, Rural Women New Zealand believes. That’s why we applied to the Trust for billboard funding, to take this message all around the country. With one child killed a year every year for the last 30 years after getting off a school bus, and many, more injured, some of them extremely seriously, it’s time for action.
Along with billboards, we want to see flashing 20kmh signs installed on all school buses.
December 14th, 2009 at 3:58 pm
Not sure if these guys have anything to do with this, but, over the weekend I was in a tourist info center and there was a stack of expensive looking government booklets .
They were road safety booklets describing why you shouldn’t fall asleep when driving and gave pointers on how to recognise if you are tired.
Then, every single rest stop in the country is listed with a photo and description of the surroundings.
What a load of shit. I wonder if a single person in the country read one of these dumbass booklets.
A total waste of money, I laugh in the face of the clown who made these. That person belongs on the dole, not in paid employment.
Vote:December 14th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
>The Road Safety Trust is an “Official Partner of both the Air New Zealand Cup Referees and Heartland Championship Referees for the 2009 season”.
Is this a case that the rural women couldn’t offer free tickets to sporting events for trustees?
Who are the trustees, by the way?
Vote:December 14th, 2009 at 5:11 pm
Who are the trustees, when the do spend money follow it and don’t be surprised, who handles their very active ad campaigns, are they subject as a quango to OIA requests.
Vote:December 14th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
At last a taxpayer funded organisation spending wisely.
Vote:December 14th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
I’d be wondering how many Trust members / staffers found it necessary to accept hospitality as part of their commitment to the “partnership”?
Vote:December 14th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
According to the website the trustees are
Yvonne Sharp (former Far North Mayor)
Vote:Robin Mortin (former AA President)
Alicia Gainsford (Youth rep)
Ernst Zollner (Nominated by NZTA)
December 14th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
I knew that. That these four worthies were the trustees. What were their names again!!
Just another example of a useless, waste of space, jobs for the boys (and girls), troughing, quango.
When-o-when is John Key going to get his ministers to sack all these useless mouths and cut wasteful expenditure of our money.
Get your little ass into gear Johnny boy and start doing what we voted you in for instead of drinking piss with the King of Denmark!!
Vote:December 14th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
By the way it is interesting to go back through the reports of the trust to find among other things that a certain Dr Morgan Francis Fahey ( Who was finally jailed on 01 June 2000 for rape, sexual violation and indecent assault.) Was chairperson before a certain Margot Mains replaced him. Bugger me for a suspicious fellow but I am starting to smell a bloody big rat and it isn’t the Maori one that Phil Goff just spat back up.
Vote:December 14th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Actually $10 million would buy a lot of warning light systems for school buses and operators would probably meet some of the costs of installation.
A lot better than spending thousands on a referee sponsorship.
Vote:December 14th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
By the look of this we all need to do a lot more quango hunting. Especially in Joyce’s portfolio. Might get some of them shot down and disbanded. Now that could be fun.
Vote:December 14th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
The trustees are puppets of the technical advisor. He works on the Resource Allocation Model Project. This project has Treasury conditions that NZTA must not fund major campaigns for other than issues contained in the quota formula (see link). The RST also has a condition on grants that they must be compatible with the formula if anything substantial goes out. That means only speed, alcohol, seatbelts or intersections ie grants must be to support or legitimise major enforcement campaigns. Innovative – yeah right. Effective – now we need a Tui.
But the Lab Govt found itself in a pickle pre elections when the public and media and road safety activists and the AA began stirring about the fact inattention/disttactions and cellphones within that are indeed the top toll cause – not speed per the great lie campaign and a 20 mill campaign. No $ could be used or accessed via the correct channel due to the formula (unchangeable as it is part of a case study reported back to the world bank since 2002). Hence the RST technical advisor (also a RAM formula scientist at the MoT) must have suggested raiding the RST to meet the demand for a campaign by Annette and Harry with blow torches under them. Hence the road safety community was told to take a hike – as major campaigns need 500 total audience rating points mthly and it costs. Sure that is also what they’re hoarding the other 10g for. Unless its to fund further RAM formula research. If so we’ll definitely sue. See link here with the formula for permitted enforcement and publicity campaigns. I could say more… suffice to say the croneyism is deep and even dynastic involving families. David I bit my tongue on this story when inteviewed on backbenches the other night (we sat together Mr pasta) and RNZ could have exposed more, maybe yet.
Recent quota formula revision and e-ml discussing failure – more application =’s more social cost/death/injury
http://wikisend.com/download/886752/…2009_12_11.zip
An early formula attempt
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=…Q-nrnBzQn0-hqQ
We fought the RST har so they rewrote their Trust deed after a review I think 2007, which reconfirmed that only projects supporting the select enforcement campaigns would be funded. Experiment variables could not be upset given that Clark had agreed to set up road pol under rob robinson (UN global police) withthe formula computer prog we sell as the bait.
Vote:December 15th, 2009 at 8:26 am
Very creative road safety initiatives; our street has been transformed into an island plantation with patches in the middle for children to play! It has been turned from one of the busiest streets to a less used waste road ever. Frankly, we should be demanding our road infrastructure maintenance tax refund now that the road is practically not safe for cars and pedestrians alike. I predict there will be more trees hit by cars in the future, much to the discomfort of tree lovers!
Vote:December 15th, 2009 at 7:20 pm
Are these the anonymous creeps that put up all the unsigned patronising and/or insulting road safety messages?
I’ve been wanting to send them some messages of my own.
Vote:December 15th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Last time I followed a bus and tried to read that damned stupid mixed up sign about doing two things at once I bloody near ran up its arse.
Just as well I had just stopped changing the CD and just stopped lighting a fag and just stopped whacking the kids in the backseat or it could have been very nasty.
Vote:December 15th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
Hey Tassman. —Moohan street in Wainuiomallardia. It was the Hutt City Councils “”"Experimental Street”"”—- I mean what the fuck its only pittsvill—-won’t upset the rich—”lets give it a go” said the LHCC traffic engineer! (Hat tip– his name is —wait for it—- Wayne King!—-I kid you not!!).
You should see it now. The sad little traffic islands the size of place mats. The silly little speedbumps, —looked good new but now the tars slumped and the bastard things are road hazards. The signs everywhere except where you are actually looking that the hoons bowl over every piss up street drag night.
And the COST—don’t even ask that question. And the higher cost of maintainance—wash your mouth out unbeliever.
AND as for the ROADMARKING PAINT shit it keeps Resene in work 24/7.
Traffic Engineers—–Sheeesssh
Vote:December 15th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
And what’s with the insane number of traffic cones these days? No wonder NZ productivity is low. Half the population is making traffic cones and the other half is moving them around.
Every time they fill a pothole they line up a kilometre of traffic cones every 2m both sides of the road either side of it.
Vote:December 15th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Alan. You forgot to mention the two or three road safety trucks and crews when the boys are out moving the cones. Or mowing the verges. Or scratching their collective arse’s etc. etc. Still keeps a lot of health and safety ‘engineers’ (sic) in a job (sic) eh!
Vote:December 15th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Just like that WanKing feller I mentioned before!
Vote:December 15th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Judith Collie says they are prisoners on day release to slave it for fulton ho, so they can learn about the cones you don’t smoke up. When they are giving you the stop sign and near breathing in yer winder while u wait for the wave forward make sure all door is locked, and tool in hand but out of view just in case. Only a matter of time. If those on home d murder think what inm8s holding roadworks tools are capable of.
Vote:December 16th, 2009 at 5:01 am
Sandy:
Excellent post, thanks. The documents you link to are fascinating. Could you explain a bit more about the assertion I’ve quoted above, please? How is a return to the old MoT (but not really the MoT because we’re sort of policemen, kind of) system in line with an international plan? And what software are we selling, and to whom, and for what specific purpose?
Thanks.
Vote:December 16th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
There are several facts which may or may not be connected – dug up in 10 years of OIA’s by a team of us Rex. I’ll try to answer incl main points while keeping it simple. LTSA was set up to do transport research as part of a collective effort down under (coordinated by MUARC) with World Bank steering. Economist Bliss was seconded from Oz to head the strategy (now chief WB transport lender) division and study. Public Finance Act put new onus to be revenue neutral ie recover costs of policing.
LTSA and Treasury/NZIER was to develop a model for second world road safety (safety management system 1B) and policing delivery that was draw even – with progress reports since 2002 to the World Bank. They hired ex world bank staff, math geeks and programmers. 2 programs were created based on flawed assumptions and perpetuation of them. The crash analysis database was redeveloped as part of the resurce allocation model study to allow evaluation of results.
One program is a visual basic program with macros and spreadsheets that filter data in such a way as to grossly exaggerate the roles of speed and alcohol in fatal crashes (justifies “sticking with the main panic campaigns”). This program allows NZTA to push a button and get regional road safety reports that inevitably confirm sped and alcohol as TBK’s (the biggest killers).
The second program (RAM) which I linked to the formula before sets the quotas for spd/drink drive/intersections/belts in each Police District as a function of a target road toll. Problem is the equation is BS BS and big BS. As MoTs analysis showed the higher the quoita the bigger the mess – no relation to trauma reduction. MoT scientists decided (per e-ml link) to try and believe it worked (2006). Hence road toll up 10% this year and ACC future liabilities on road injury shot from 1.7B in 2002 to almost 7B this year. Smash car derby caused by the formula dose being notched up! Tragico for toll victims ya?
Raised a question to us road safety campaigners of why? They were either sadistic psychopaths pulling in only 1B in fines revenue to increase actual trauma costs by 6 x that, or had bigger agendas than road safety bearing down.
Clues – just before clarky went to the UN she met with Tony Bliss, this was around the time RoadPol wasset up and is headed by a chief RAM implementer Rob Robinson. The very man who harrassed MoT and the then Minister George Hawkins to apply the formula 2002ish (see papers at link).
Bliss/ the bank and Robinson have been doing mass lecture tours on a junket to many 2nd world and non english speaking economies promoting the NZmodel as worlds best practice. It allows you to up Police force numbers and therefore security and supposedly road safety (Tui) with no drain on general tax. The WB is only too keen to loan conned countries the money for speed cams, red light ones, breath checkers, patrol cars etc so long as the Govt signs control of its force away to the UN. They must follow the advice of WB advisors and Road Pol is positioning to be the intermediary.
Looking back in time to 2003 – the Sydney mng herald reported a foiled plan for aglobal peacekeepin police under UN/Bank control as it was voted down. I’m not into the globalisation issue or conspiracy theories (just a road safety buff) but seems logical this may be the trojan – after all who would suspect a road safety agenda (except when it is demonstrably flummery). Bliss has first to fourth estates all supporting a sign on to the principles of the RAM formula contained in a UN resolution. See moscow conference and make roads safe campaign (a front group made up of royalty, Desmond Tutu, stars etc).
Ownership and management oif the software is in dispute. NZTA say it’s MoT’s but MoT say its at NZTA. We know NZTA staff operate it and the Police get the printouts from it seems a third party – either treasury or the NZIER – where the developer who wrote the incriminating e-ml about trying to believe the system works was lately entrenched to (beyond OIA scrutiny) after the world bank stepped in. A few policy staff have been transferred or pressured to leave when concerns were raised about ethics and human rights.
The software or a loan of it with tuition on use by NZ based road pol surely must come with the world bank transport loans to 2nd worlders. Why else are the same people on the project for over a decade and now both mentoring, promoting and loaning money for alleged road safety projects – with strings attached that make clear the formula must be adhered to eg Vietnams loan contract says “no publicity about any non approved road safety issue – other issues than speed alcohol etc to be supressed” – a policy also reconfirmed here in 2007 after we made a huge stink re the BS. The provable BS breaches so many public service and ethics codes its not even funny but I ramble…
So thats what the dangerous software does and who developed / uses and operates it. Ownership is in dispute – is intellectual property owned by the developers, police or nzta, treasury trial funder or the state employer, may get complicated if they are moved out to NZIER and its just used on contract. Purpose of thesoftware is clearly debatable – govt and wold bank would say its to improve road safety, the evidence says othrwise which begs the question of what would possibly motivate ongoing dangerous use. Perhaps multi billion loans to the second world based on a fraudulent proposed soial benefit so that tech producers can up profits, or at worst so that the UN/Bank can control police from road pol central in welly. Not sure which scenario is worse. The alternate is incompetence and refusal to see life works and careers up in smoke.
As to how it fits with a dedicated traffic force. Nats have smelt the roses – no longer willing to try getting 2 cops for the price of one (let me issue tckets while doing murder inquiries). Nats have already pruned back formula dose with reduce traffic police quotas going to be forced by reduced hours. If they can’t overcome idiotic treaury conditions imposed on police by the WB they can put pressure on Police to argue against them right by squeezing dedicated hours down.
Its still just rearranging deck chairs though as the formula can equally be applied by a dedicated road safety division of some non sworns. Easier though for non criminal matters eg not drink drive which must require sworns, but speeding, camera tickets for red lights, below 0.05 drink drive infringements etc.. haven’t thought it through really, just rambling. My personal opinion is that Helen sold us out (Kiwis scapegoated to the RAM) by continuing the formula fraud, it likely aided getting her bum on current seat. But you know teflon, the evidence is circumstantial. The buck stops with the Tpt Minister as awake police had a mou signed last year removing all responsibility for their actions on to him and off the Commissioner.
Vote:http://www.onbrandpartners.co.nz/RoadPol-Police_leadership_saves_lives.pdf