NZTA keeps the country on the move with CS-VUE
Connecting New Zealand from one end to the other goes beyond laying down asphalt and putting up some signage. A single road may wind its way through multiple sensitive environmental areas, local jurisdictions and the rohe of different mana whenua. It also requires the implementation of a raft of environmental effect management protocols.
As technical lead for compliance at NZTA, Virginia Comer says each of these areas comes with different conditions, requirements and levels of oversight.
Currently, NZTA is managing approximately 4000 consents with 80,000 conditions, and that’s not just resource consents that it has to comply with.
“We also have designation conditions, wildlife and heritage authorities and many more permissions that we have to obtain to carry out the work we do. They all come with their own specific requirements,” explains Virginia.
Compliance a high priority
As a Crown Entity, NZTA holds itself to high standards.
“Compliance outcomes are a high priority for us because there are reputational and financial risks for failing to comply. We also want to be seen as leaders in that space and our standards, technical specifications and guidance help support our work. We need our stakeholders to trust us and know that we will do the right thing.”
Since 2007, NZTA has relied on CS-VUE to capture those conditions and help ensure each site, project and external contractor is aware of the compliance requirements NZTA must meet.
“There are a lot of people who are really proud of the work they deliver here. Compliance is part of that.”
Allowing external access, supporting on-the-ground compliance
The many suppliers carrying out work on behalf of NZTA need to ensure compliance risks are managed.
“Regardless of our supplier, NZTA is seen as the owner,” says Virginia. “CS-VUE enables us to connect our suppliers to the information they need and do things they’re required to do under these contracts. Other systems are usually restricted to internal people.”
The software enables NZTA to restrict peoples’ or suppliers’ access to what they’re contracted for.
“Most people are only seeing one project, so they actually find it pretty easy to find their way around.”
The system has an interactive dashboard so that users can see upcoming renewal dates or receive alerts when items are overdue.
“It’s designed to help people do the work when they need to do the work. It’s a two-way communication pathway between our contractors and internal staff, making sure we have set those tasks up right.”
Councils can also access the system as part of validation processes should this be required.
“That’s really helped with stakeholder management,” says Virginia. “It means I can say to our external stakeholders, ‘We’re here to help things work for you guys better,’ and hear where they need help.”
Unlocking more value
With the organisation’s day-to-day compliance management under control, Virginia’s core focus is now on sharpening up how the teams use CS-VUE. She wants to unlock even more value from the software and further streamline compliance efforts.
A change process is underway internally to help teams make full use of the software’s capacity. It’s this process by which Virginia hopes to move the organisation to take a more proactive approach.
“We ultimately want to be on the front foot, so we’re starting to consider how we become more proactive in managing compliance risks and how systems need to align to enable this to happen,” she explains.
“Historically, we worked quite regionally with management of the system being ad hoc from one region to another. Now we’re providing that national lens, saying, ‘This is how things should be done.’”
Personal attention supporting continued excellence
Virginia says a key strength of the platform is the team behind it – she appreciates CS-VUE’s responsiveness and eagerness to support her goals.
“They work with us to try to improve the system according to our needs.”
CS-VUE continues to be instrumental in helping NZTA tackle the complex challenge of environmental compliance. Its flexibility and ease of use have helped NZTA work effectively with contractors, positioning the organisation to gain better oversight of its broader compliance goals and needs.
As Virginia works to evolve NZTA’s use of CS-VUE, the organisation already stands as a model for others – with the right tools and commitment, even highly complex operations can adhere to the highest compliance standards.
To learn more about how CS-VUE could optimise your environmental and CSR management, book a free demo now.
