CLICK HERE to read the Crane Association of NZ August 2020 external newsletter.

Do not let it be said that we are not flexible.

I am, of course, referring to the milestone that is the Crane Association of New Zealand’s first Special General Meeting and pre-voting Q&A, which was held via Zoom – quite the venue for many of us in recent months.

The Council is pleased to announce that the members have unanimously voted in favour of supporting the items and remits in the Special General Meeting postal vote.

Thank you to all those who voted and to those who attended our online Q&A. I am pleased to say that no issues were raised, which I hope is a sign that everyone has been kept well informed and is content with our comms efforts.

I would like to thank all those members who voted. This enables your association to progress forward dealing with our industries issues.

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Following 47 years working the crane industry’s every angle, Bill Houlker has swapped construction sites for the countryside as he sets up shop with his daughter, son-in-law and two granddaughters just north of Plimmerton.

“We’re going to get some animals, so I’m working out how we’ll manage those, plus cooking the odd meal and sometimes picking my granddaughters up from school.”

His new, more genteel life gives Bill plenty of time for his family, which is a welcome trade-in having spent his entire life in a career he was smitten with.

“Sometimes I felt a bit smug because I was getting paid to have fun.”

In the early 70s, Bill was a senior accounts clerk at a printing factory, but that changed when his father, who owned a company which sold trucks, tower cranes and other cutting-edge machines of the time, called on him to take the family business to the next level.

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Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is looking to clarify the way Road User Charges (RUC) for mobile cranes are calculated and purchased.

“There have been some inconsistencies in compliance in the mobile crane industry,” says Paul Fantham, Waka Kotahi’s Senior Manager of Commercial Licensing and Revenue. “We want the system to be clear and fair, and for all mobile crane operators to be compliant from October 1.

“We need to educate mobile crane operators about their obligations concerning RUC. These charges in most cases are worked out differently for mobile cranes than for other types of heavy vehicles.”

Mr Fantham says the RUC for mobile cranes take into account the unusual axle spacings and tyre sizes and accurately reflect the damage being done to roads.

The mobile crane industry is complex. There are about 450 mobile cranes in operation in New Zealand. About 68 operators have one crane, and 48 have more than one. Some cranes are transported to and from sites, and others are driven.

NZTA Mobile Crane RUC adjustment FAQ sheet 

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Communication has seen us through recent months, but it’s also what keeps us safe when navigating suspended slabs and underground carparks. The Crane Association of New Zealand’s Past President, Scott McLeod, reminds us of the importance of protocol in this month's The Technical Corner.
 
Scott McLeod recalls reading a news item detailing how a nine-day-old, 250-ton Liebherr crane fell through the first floor of a building, and he can reel off dozens more accounts of similar events, many of which come down to an innocent mistake or those that, even now, dodge protocol.
 
“In Mount Maunganui there's a building called the Twin Towers, which has an extensive underground car park with retaining walls that go right to the footpath. On this site there is an area where you can cause minimal disruption to the public, but little do you know that the spot is completely suspended and is not built for the pressures of a crane.” 

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