Toll road fares well in heavy coal truck test

By ROSALEEN MacBRAYNE

Tauranga's new toll road, opened a week ago, came in for a hammering from dozens of trucks trundling coal non-stop from the Port of Tauranga to the Waikato.

A round-the-clock operation started on Thursday and finished on Saturday afternoon.

In two days, more than 60 vehicles moved 27,000 tonnes of coal - about 1000 truck loads - to the Huntly power station and a Matamata depot.

A similar operation six weeks ago, when the first trial shipment of imported coal arrived at Tauranga, upset Cambridge Rd residents, who complained about the trucks thundering incessantly past their homes.

But Cameron Swap, a spokesman for the transport contractors, said everything had gone well.

The coal had to be unloaded at the port as quickly as possible and it was a "pretty much continuous" procession of trucks over the Kaimai Ranges until the cargo had all been shifted.

He said J. Swap Contractors was pleased to have an alternative route after negative reaction last time.

Route K - a 5km expressway designed to bypass busy parallel Cambridge and Cameron Rds - was a more efficient way for truck drivers to get to and from Tauranga and the port.

Mr Swap said each of the coal trucks was equipped with a transponder for automatic toll collection at the Route K toll plaza off State Highway 29 at Tauriko.

The electronic toll trial is a first in New Zealand and is being tested by trucks before Tauranga District Council extends it to cars.

A battery-operated transmitter attached to the windscreen sends out an advance signal as the vehicle slows.

The barrier arm is raised without the truck having to stop.

Tolls range from $1 each way for cars to $4 for large trucks.

More coal convoys are planned as state-owned power company Genesis continues to bring coal from Indonesia and Australia for its Huntly station to make up for dwindling gas supplies from the Maui field off Taranaki.

Huntly - the largest thermal electricity generator in the country - can be fired with coal, natural gas or a combination of the two fuels.

Genesis and Tranz Rail are negotiating a deal to transport up to one million tonnes of imported coal annually by rail from next July.

The proposal would mean two trains a day leaving Tauranga, each carrying 1500 tonnes of coal, when about 14 shipments a year came to the port.

Tranz Rail spokeswoman Sue Foley said discussions were progressing well but a final contract had still to be signed.