New trio join NZTA board

Simeon Brown, Minister of Transport, says three new people with “significant delivery experience and commercial acumen” have been appointed to the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) board.

Warwick Isaacs, Rob Gilmore and Pat Dougherty have begun three-year terms, which will end on July 31, 2027.

They replace Paul Reynolds, NZTA’s former chairman, and board member Patrick Reynolds, who both resigned last year, and Victoria Carter is also stepping down.

David Smol, who has served as a board member since February 2019, has been reappointed for a further 18 months. 

Brown says the government is focused on economic growth and productivity, improving road maintenance and delivering a new generation of roads of national significance.

“The new board appointments bring a wealth of delivery experience to the NZTA board with backgrounds in engineering, construction, and infrastructure delivery,” he explains. 

“Warwick Isaacs is from Canterbury and brings significant construction delivery experience having been the director of the Christchurch Development Unit at the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority. 

“Rob Gilmore is from Kerikeri and has over 40 years’ experience in road transport, working around the globe including at Downer in New Zealand. 

“Pat Dougherty is from Nelson and has significant experience across rail, roading, water and local government.”

Brown notes the trio’s strong links to local government and understanding of the transport needs of local communities will also be beneficial to the board. 

He says the board is important for delivering the government’s priorities to enable Kiwis and freight get to where they want to go, quickly and safely. 

“These new appointments add significant delivery experience and commercial acumen to the NZTA board and will help ensure NZTA is focused on its core business of maintaining our roads and delivering the infrastructure that our country needs, at pace and in a fiscally responsible way.”