For the purposes of section 16(1)(c) of the Act, the fee that must accompany an application for a licence is $120 [10(1)(external link)] from 1 January 2020. Additional fees will be incurred during the application process, which will vary on a case by case basis depending on the level of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency input required.

Avoiding additional fees

An operator who develops their own safety system, safety case and associated documentation required for a licence (eg risk assessments, interoperability agreements), to a standard that meets the criteria for approval, will have limited additional application fees.

From 1 January 2020, Waka Kotahi time spent ‘considering and deciding’ an application is chargeable at $120/hr, with the first hour being free [10(2)(external link)], so we recommend using all of the guidance material on our website before you get to the stage of submitting your application.

Using Waka Kotahi resources to help you apply

The rail specialists in our Rail Safety Regulation team are more than happy to help you set up your operation or new rail activities. We’re able to start helping you well before you’re close to the application stage as well.

We can provide general information but if you need specific help in getting an application prepared, there may be a charge. You may want advice on:

  • safety cases
  • hazard identification processes, risk registers and matrixes
  • risk assessments
  • interoperability agreements
  • management responsibility charts
  • internal audit and assurance processes
  • fitness for duty policy and processes (eg fatigue, illness, medication, drugs and alcohol).

We can also help with more specific advice on things like:

  • the nature of an operation (extent, geographical location and route map)
  • motive power, rolling stock and other equipment used
  • track network (gauge etc.)
  • train control (the way movements are conducted)
  • interoperability with other operators
  • how safety control decisions should be made and implemented
  • risk mitigation methodology
  • key performance indicators
  • the approach to continuous improvement.

Licence applications can also be structured in phases as required. For instance, new operators may wish to get an initial licence for track construction, before progressing to rail vehicle testing and eventually moving onto the National Rail System. Working with the Rail Safety Regulation team to structure a licence this way will be much easier that initiating the safety case variation process a number of times.