New testing station ‘flagship of the south’
Vehicle Inspection New Zealand (VINZ) is celebrating the opening of a new state-of-the-art testing station as it plans to grow its operations in the South Island.
The facility at the Izone in Rolleston, about 22km south-west of Christchurch, features two dedicated inspection pits for heavy vehicles and a separate lane for light vehicle compliance inspections.
Sean Stevens, chief executive officer, says one reason for choosing the site was because of the extension of the Christchurch Southern Motorway, which is due to be completed in 2021.
The $195 million of road works are designed to improve access between Christchurch and areas surrounding the city.
VINZ Rolleston is located at 47 Link Drive and offers the full range of the company’s products and services. Stevens adds the project hit its deadline despite the Covid-19 pandemic, with a September or October opening always on the agenda.
“Our new facility will be the flagship of the south, which gives VINZ the flexibility to service both residential and business customers in the local area,” says Stevens.
“If someone had asked us would we commit to putting in a station knowing what we know from 2020, I think we may have rethought this but this is a long-term investment for us.”
He describes the work of Mon Developments (Builders and Developers) as “fantastic” and extra staff were rostered on during the different alert levels to keep the testing station on track.
VINZ hopes the new station will relieve some of the pressure on its Christchurch Airport site. The company is also adjusting its inner-city presence and has moved to a new facility in the suburb of Sydenham.
“Our heavy testing station at Christchurch Airport won’t change,” says Stevens. “Some customers will transition from there to Rolleston but the station at the airport has been overcommitted for some time and freeing up capacity will be helpful for targeting new customers.
“Our other site in Sydenham has only ever been light vehicles and we’re moving and downsizing. Sydenham has effectively become the centre of the city now and having a testing station where there’s not a lot of residential property means it’s getting harder to make it work.
“We’ve changed the business model and will be focusing on mainly trade in the new facility. It’s going to work well for us because it’s also providing us a Southern Regional office to assist with growth in the South Island.”
Read more about developments in Rolleston and the new VINZ testing station in the October issue of Autofile magazine.
