Corporate Responsibility

ViaStrada staff are members of a variety of organisations, and in many cases are actively involved. We feel it is important that we put something back into the community at large, particularly in areas where we have specialist knowledge.

IPENZ

IPENZ is the Institute of Professional Engineers New Zealand. Axel Wilke is a Graduate members of IPENZ, Jeanette is a Member of IPENZ, while Andrew Macbeth was elected a Fellow in April 2007. Andrew and Jeanette are also Chartered Professional Engineers (CPEng).

In 2009, ViaStrada was confirmed as Professional Development Partner for IPENZ.  Professional Development Partners (PDPs) work in partnership with IPENZ to develop their engineering staff, strengthen their business and support the wider engineering profession. 

PDPs believe a strong professional development programme with pathways to IPENZ competence-based membership classes (MIPENZ, TIPENZ or AIPENZ) and registers (CPEng, ETPract or CertETn) enhance the status and standing of their engineering staff, and are a key mechanism for attracting and retaining them.

During 2004, Andrew was a member of the IPENZ Presidential Task Committee on Sustainability and was responsible for a paper on sustainable transportation.

IPENZ Transportation Group

The IPENZ Transportation Group is the major professional group for traffic engineers and transportation planners, with over 1000 members nationwide. Most ViaStrada staff are members; Jeanette Ward is a member of the Canterbury branch committee of the group and was also on the organising committee for the 2010 IPENZ Transportation Conference to be held in Christchurch in March 2010.  Axel Wilke and Andrew Macbeth have previously been members of the local branch committee and the national committee (2003 to 2006). Andrew and Axel have presented papers and remits over many years to the annual IPENZ Transportation Conference.

New Zealand Planning Institute

Jeremy Phillips and Rhys Chesterman are members of the NZ Planning Institute.

New Zealand Trips and Parking Database Bureau

ViaStrada is a member of the New Zealand Trips and Parking Database Bureau (NZTPDB) with Rhys Chesterman currently supporting a programme for the collection of survey data from councils in the Canterbury/Otago Region. There is more detail on the NZTPDB on a separate page of our website.

NZTA Research Reference Group

This group helps the NZ Transport Agency decide which research proposals should be funded from the national land transport research fund of over $4 M annually. Members represent all the major government transport agencies and a variety of transport users. Andrew Macbeth represents the interests of walking and cycling on behalf of the Cycling Advocates’ Network (CAN) and Living Streets Aotearoa (LSA). Axel Wilke was the representative in 2006 of the predecessor group, the Research Strategy Group.

Urban Design Protocol

The Urban Design Protocol is a voluntary commitment to specific urban design initiatives by signatory organisations which include central and local government, the property sector, design professionals, professional institutes and other groups. The protocol aims to make New Zealand's towns and cities more successful by using quality urban design.

ViaStrada became a signatory of the Urban Design Protocoal on 21 June 2010, a month after becoming incorporated as a company. Andrew Macbeth attended the two year birthday party celebrations in Wellington in May 2007 (representing other organisations for which he was an urban design champion), hosted by the Ministry for the Environment at Parliament. Andrew has also been instrumental in encouraging IPENZ, the IPENZ Transportation Group, CAN and Living Streets Aotearoa to sign the protocol and promote good urban design.

Cycling Advocates' Network (CAN)

CAN is New Zealand's national network of cycling advocates, working with government and local authorities on behalf of cyclists for a better cycling environment.

Andrew and Axel (from 2000 to 2009) have been members of the executive for many years, and Axel was co-chair in 2008/09. They have also been involved with Spokes - the Canterbury Cyclists' Association, the local cycling advocacy group in Christchurch. They have been able to educate cycling advocates about the technical challenges and opportunities that staff in many local and central government organisations face in improving conditions for cyclists, while helping roading authorities and others improve the lot of cyclists. ViaStrada is a member of CAN.

Living Streets Aotearoa (LSA)

Living Streets Aotearoa has evolved from Walk Wellington, a voluntary group set up in 1998 by a group of Wellingtonians with an interest in the rights of pedestrians and the benefits of walking. Living Streets Aotearoa is intended to be a nation-wide organisation with branches or affiliates throughout New Zealand.

ViaStrada is a member of LSA, with some of our staff members on the Christchurch branch. Walking is the first mode of transport - all others are alternatives!

Canterbury Regional Transport Committee

In September 2008, Andrew was appointed to the Canterbury RTC, representing "access and mobility". In this role, he participates in this significant new committee which oversees the development of regional transport policy and funding under the NZ Transport Strategy and new Government Policy Statement on transport funding (2009). As in other parts of the country, the RTC comprises elected representatives of the constituent councils plus the regional council, and appointed representatives of the NZ Transport Agency. In addition, six "community representatives" are appointed to each RTC for safety and security, economic development, environmental sustainability, public health, cultural and access and mobility. Further information about the RTC is available on the Environment Canterbury website.