8 March 2005

Residential cable cars in New Zealand have long occupied a grey area with regard to legislation and safety.  There is currently no Approved Solution in the Building Code while the existing, and seldom used, Standard dates back to 1986.  This outdated Standard, entitled NZS/AS 1735.8 Lifts, escalators and moving walks – inclined lifts, is deemed to be inappropriate for New Zealand conditions.  Specifically, it does not allow construction of cable cars on slopes greater than 45˚ and it does not allow for them to travel faster than 0.5m/s. 

The grey area also extends to the reporting of accidents caused by cable cars.  No one agency has the role of inspecting or investigating them, consequently accidents are not formally recorded.  The LTSA previously estimated that there is a low instance of accidents in any one year; however, any accident that did occur could have a serious outcome.  What has been recorded, states the Ministry of Economy Development’s (MED) website, are two serious accidents in 2000 & 2001 along with an anecdotal average rate of half to two incidents per year.  The MED also estimate that 55% of the 200-plus cable cars in New Zealand have similar or lower standards of safety to those cable cars which are known to have failed. (Manufacturers and installers Access Automation estimate that there could be over 400 cable cars in New Zealand).

In order to address these concerns, Standards New Zealand (SNZ) is currently working with the Department of Building and Housing (DBH) to prepare a new Standard.  It is intended that this will then be cited as part of a compliance schedule and subsequently in the Approved Documents. 

The development of a national Standard has been welcomed by many in the cable car industry with Mark Galvin, Director of Access Automation Limited, commenting: “A Standard is long overdue to provide clear guidelines to the industry and homeowners on what constitutes acceptable safety standards.”

Mark Batt, business relationship manager at SNZ, outlines who would benefit from the use of the new Standard.  “Overall, the new Standard will provide better regulation of the design, construction and maintenance of cable cars.  It will provide Territorial Authorities (TAs) with a framework to assess and give consent for new cable car installations, plus require compliance with an inspection regime.  Along with industry, the TAs will also have clearly stated performance measures.  Homeowners will have the reassurance of knowing that their cable car meets the required safety Standard.  In addition, the DBH will have addressed the issue and will be managing the risks.”

Adding to this Nick Saunders of DBH stated “Cable cars are deemed to be a specified system by the Building Act 2004 and as such will require a compliance schedule as of March 31st 2005. Territorial Authorities do not currently have any guidance on the design and maintenance of cable cars and this document is intended to fill that gap.’

The Standard is expected to be published by October 2005.