Agenda of Regional Transport Committee

Regional Transport Committee

Membership

Chairperson (BOPRC)	Cr Lyall Thurston
Deputy Chairperson (BOPRC)	Cr Jane Nees Cr Norm Bruning (Alternate)
Members
Kawerau District Council	Mayor Malcolm Campbell Deputy Mayor Faylene Tunui (Alternate)
Ōpōtiki District Council	Mayor Lyn Riesterer Cr David Moore (Alternate)
Rotorua Lakes Council	Mayor Steve Chadwick Deputy Mayor David Donaldson (Alternate)
Tauranga City Council	Commissioner Anne Tolley Commissioner Stephen Selwood
Western Bay of Plenty District Council	Mayor Garry Webber Deputy Mayor John Scrimgeour (Alternate)
Whakatāne District Council	Mayor Judy Turner Deputy Mayor Andrew Iles (Alternate)
External Members
New Zealand Transport Agency Alternate member to be nominated by NZTA appointed member	David Speirs – Director Regional Relationships
External Advisors
Environmental Sustainability Advisor	Glen Crowther
Freight Advisor	John Galbraith
Road Safety Advisor	Inspector Brent Crowe – Roading Police Manager
Port Advisor	Dan Kneebone – Property and Infrastructure Manager
Ex Officio	Chairman Doug Leeder
Quorum	Five members, consisting of more than half the number of members
Frequency	Quarterly

Purpose

Section 105(1) of the Land Transport Management Act 2003 requires every regional council to establish a Regional Transport Committee for its region.

Role

· Prepare a regional land transport plan, or any significant variation to the plan, for the approval of the Regional Council.

· Approve any non-significant variation to the regional land transport plan.

· Adopt a policy that determines significance in respect of:

§ variations made to regional land transport plans under section 18D of the Land Transport Management Act 2003; and

§ the activities that are included in the regional land transport plan under section 16 of the Land Transport Management Act 2003.

· Monitor implementation of the regional land transport plan.

· Make recommendations in support of land transport activities that are eligible for national funding and align with the regional land transport plan.

· Co-ordinate, integrate and adopt regional transport and land-use strategies and plans
e.g. sub-regional spatial plans.

· Provide advocacy on strategic regional and inter-regional transport matters to Central Government and other key stakeholders as appropriate.

· Provide the Regional Council with any advice and assistance the Regional Council may request in relation to its transport responsibilities.

· Approve submissions to Central Government, local authorities and other agencies on Regional Transport Committee matters.

· Monitor and provide advocacy on regional road safety matters.

Committee Procedures

· Membership consists of two representatives of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, the Mayor of each territorial authority in the region and a representative of the New Zealand Transport Agency.

· In the case of an equality of votes, the chair, or any other person presiding the meeting does not have a casting vote (and therefore the act or question is defeated and the status quo is preserved).

· The Regional Transport Committee may appoint external advisors to assist it in the exercise of its specific responsibilities and delegated authority. For the purposes of clarity, external advisors may be given full speaking rights at the discretion of the committee, but are not entitled to vote on committee matters.

· Under the Local Government Act 2002, the Regional Transport Committee is not defined as a joint committee however, the provisions of the Local Government Act 2002 and the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 concerning the meetings of committees of regional councils, so far as they are applicable and with the necessary modifications, apply in respect of meetings of the Regional Transport Committee.

Power to Act

To make all decisions necessary to fulfil the role and scope of the committee subject to the limitations imposed.

Power to Recommend

The Regional Transport Committee recommends and reports to the Regional Council.

Regional Transport Committee Minutes

19 February 2021

Regional Transport Committee

Open Minutes

Commencing: Friday 19 February 2021, 1:30 pm

Venue: Council Chambers, Ground Floor, Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga

Chairperson: Cr Lyall Thurston - Bay of Plenty Regional Council

Deputy Chairperson: Cr Jane Nees - Bay of Plenty Regional Council

Members: Mayor Garry Webber - Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Mayor Malcolm Campbell - Kawerau District Council, Mayor Steve Chadwick - Rotorua Lakes Council, Mayor Lyn Riesterer - Ōpōtiki District Council, David Speirs – Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, Stephen Selwood - Tauranga City Council Commissioner, Deputy Mayor Faylene Tunui, Alternate – Kawerau District Council, Deputy Mayor Andrew Iles – Alternate, Whakatāne District Council, Cr David Moore – Alternate, Ōpōtiki District Council (via Zoom), Cr Norm Bruning – Alternate, Bay of Plenty Regional Council

In Attendance: Dan Kneebone – Port of Tauranga Advisor, Glen Crowther – Environmental Sustainability Advisor; John Galbraith – Freight Advisor (via Zoom), Cole O’Keefe – Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

Bay of Plenty Regional Council: Fiona McTavish, Chief Executive, Namouta Poutasi – General Manager, Strategy and Science, James Llewellyn – Transport and Urban Planning Manager, Rachel Pinn – Contractor, Toni Briggs – Project Manager (via Zoom), Amanda Namana – Committee Advisor

Councillors: Cr Stuart Crosby, Cr Matemoana McDonald (via Zoom), Cr Paula Thompson (via Zoom), Cr Stacey Rose

Apologies: Mayor Judy Turner - Whakatāne District Council, Deputy Mayor Dave Donaldson – Rotorua Lakes Council, Inspector Brent Crowe – Road Safety Advisor, NZ Police, Chairman Doug Leeder – Bay of Plenty Regional Council

Please note that this meeting was recorded via Zoom and is available on Council’s YouTube channel for viewing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGvGPTxXgDQ

1. Apologies

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Accepts the apologies from Mayor Judy Turner - Whakatāne District Council, Chairman Doug Leeder – Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Inspector Brent Crowe – Road Safety Advisor, NZ Police tendered at the meeting.

Webber/Nees

CARRIED

2. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest

None declared

3. Minutes

Minutes to be Confirmed

3.1

Regional Transport Committee Minutes - 3 December 2020

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Confirms the Regional Transport Committee Minutes - 3 December 2020 as a true and correct record.

Riesterer/Nees

CARRIED

4. Presentations

4.1

Climate Change/ transport emissions in the Bay of Plenty context

Presentation - Climate Change and Transport: Objective ID A3740108

Glen Crowther - Environmental Sustainability Advisor to the Regional Transport Committee presented this item.

· Referred to a previously circulated video to contextualise the presentation with a perspective of what was happening nationally and the implications for Regional Transport: Paul Winton - Climate Change and Business Conference November 2020

· New Zealand had increased its net emissions by 57% since 1990

· Advised that New Zealand should be trying to get closer to the net IPCC 2030 target – to cut CO2 by 55%

· In planning for transport and emission reductions, more than just electric vehicles needed to be considered and the focus had to be more around modal shift. It also needed to be a well thought through, integrated plan that met the needs of communities in order for people to reduce their use of cars

· When discussing aspirational modal shift and dealing with climate change, there had to be significantly more investment into public transport in order to achieve higher patronage.

Key Points - Members:

· There was a strong focus on modality, but the motorhome population on the roads at any one time should also be taken into consideration. Electric vehicle charging facilities could be located at dumping stations to advocate the change to electrification of the private fleet

· A factor in the electrification of buses was the size and weight which did not support travel outside major routes.

Key Points - Staff:

· Charging for motor vehicle costs such as parking and vehicle usage (through road pricing) would be an essential part of reaching these goals

· Allocating priority lanes for buses was crucial in achieving the speed and reliability to make the services successful. The timetables had to be favourable in comparison to making the same trip by car

· The need to decarbonise quickly was because once carbon entered the atmosphere, it remained for a long time. Action needed to be taken now for a target that was achievable and met climate change obligations

· The key question was what trips people took that could be targeted for carbon reduction to work, and to focus on these for an achievable outcome e.g. school runs, sports/leisure or shopping.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the presentation, Climate Change/transport emissions in the Bay of Plenty context.

Thurston/Riesterer

CARRIED

5. Reports

5.1

Chairperson's Report

Chair Cr Lyall Thurston and General Manager Strategy and Science Namouta Poutasi presented this item.

Key Points:

· When the next version of the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) was released, the work programme would be updated to reflect roles, responsibilities and how the RLTP would be implemented to meet targets.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Chairperson's Report;

2 Receives the attachment, Regional Road Safety Education and Promotion Update;

3 Approves the Regional Land Transport Committee Work Programme 2021.

Nees/Webber

CARRIED

5.2

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency update

Presentation - Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Quarterly Update: Objective ID A3740029

Tabled Document 1 - Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Action Register: Objective ID A3749666

Director Regional Relationships David Speirs and Lead Strategic Planner Cole O’Keefe presented this item.

Key Points:

· Encouraged members to join the regular Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency updates provided by Chief Executive, Nicole Rosie

· Acknowledged that some of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency processes created a ‘bottleneck’ for some of the Regional Transport Committee’s processes, and was looking at opportunities to rectify this

· Decarbonising land transport was a significant challenge

· The 30 year vision was a real opportunity to look at an integrated picture going forward

· Covid-19 impacts on future demographics needed to be taken into consideration

· Introduced the Action Register initiative for project-related queries and advised that it would be regularly updated and circulated.

Key Points - Members:

· Lowering rural school speeds was progressing at an unacceptable pace for what should be a relatively simple process

· Wording on the Action Register needed to be amended as ‘closed’ was not strictly accurate when an issue had been responded to, rather than actioned and completed

· There was public appetite for an underpass at Ōkere Falls so suggested a costing exercise be initiated

· There was strong council and community support for an underpass as part of the BayLink project, including some form of bus prioritisation

· Clarity sought regarding Waka Kotahi requirements for larger, rather than smaller, electrified buses.

In Response to Questions:

· Clarified moderation as being the process of going through the list of what needed to be done versus what could be afforded and ensuring the investment logic was sound in the context of future years

· Since the draft Action Register was released, some activities had been added, including State Highway 2 Wainui Road to Ōpōtiki and State Highway 2 Waimana Gorge resilience project.

· Explained there was a process to provide smaller buses and would look further into this.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Update.

Chadwick/Webber

CARRIED

Decisions Required

5.3

Approval of the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2021 and Statement of Proposal for Public Consultation

Presentation - RLTP Approval for Public Consultation: Objective ID A3740109

Transport and Urban Planning Manager James Llewellyn presented this item.

Key Points:

· Noted that for the RLTP, Council was not consulting on specific projects and whether or not they should go ahead, rather were consulting with the public on the strategic direction of the RLTP and the programme contained within

· Each consultation question would include a yes/no tick box and an area to explain or comment

· Suggested the start of the public consultation period be postponed one week to allow for incorporating the changes proposed by members.

Key Points - Members:

· Suggested the ‘Economic Prosperity’ objective be renamed to ‘Economic and Regional Growth/Prosperity’ to include social issues, not solely economic ones

· Queried the objectives in relation to including the statements beneath them in the numbering

· Resilience associated with isolation and remoteness was an important consideration for rural communities in relation to public transport

· Consider an alternative to yes/no answers as it was often not that simple.

Statement of Proposal and Consultation Question Amendments:

· Note the importance of improving resilience in the consultation questions

· Include more emphasis on climate change

· Put buses first in Consultation Question 1

· Remove the word ‘prioritised’ from Consultation Question 3 and ask the community what their most important transport priorities are

· Ask if there were any big opportunities missed to be added to Consultation Question 4.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report - Approval of the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2021 and Statement of Proposal for Public Consultation;

2 Approves the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2021 document for public consultation in accordance with the requirements of the Land Transport Management Act 2003 and programme, with the following amendments:

· Include a regional map showing local key projects in both the draft RLTP and consultation document;

· Highlight the funding activity class lists and local priorities within draft RLTP;

· Request Councils provide to BOPRC staff additional local contextual information to support the development of the draft RLTP by Friday 26 February 2021;

· Staff to review and update draft RLTP text to emphasise the need for liveable communities, housing crisis, climate change and rail content;

· Include a map showing transport connectivity between adjoining regions;

· Includes Port of Tauranga information in the strategic context and transport priorities;

· Colour codes activities within the prioritised list.

2 (a) Approves the tabled Chairperson’s Foreword, Executive Summary and Appendix 6 for inclusion in the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2021 and Statement of Proposal for Public Consultation;

3 Undertakes a Special Consultative Procedure, as provided for by the Local Government Act, to consult on the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2021;

4 Approves the statement of proposal, including the consultation questions, including the amendments listed in the minutes as agreed at the meeting;

5 Authorises the General Manager Strategy and Science, in consultation with the Chair where appropriate, to make any necessary formatting and minor grammatical changes to the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2021 and statement of proposal prior to its release to the public;

6 Appoints a subcommittee to undertake hearings and deliberations on the draft Regional Land Transport Plan, comprised of the following representatives: Deputy Mayor Iles, Deputy Mayor Donaldson, Cr Thurston, Cr Nees, David Speirs – Waka Kotahi and a Tauranga City Council Commissioner (to be advised);

6 (a) Appoints Cr Thurston, as the Chair of the Regional Transport Committee, as the Chair of the Draft RLTP Hearings Subcommittee Chair; and

7 Notes that Waka Kotahi consider inclusion of the Katikati bypass as part of its transport investment proposal.

Chadwick/Webber

CARRIED

6. Verbal Update Opportunity for Members and Advisors

Mayor Steve Chadwick – Rotorua Lakes Council

· Supported smaller regulation sizes for electrified buses to gain better utilisation

· Road signs in Te Reo were a small, but significant change.

David Speirs – Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency

· Would respond to the Public Transport Committee with the process for revisiting the standards for regulation electric bus sizes.

Deputy Mayor Andrew Iles – Whakatāne District Council

· Council was considering locations for a second bridge in Whakatāne through their spatial plan

· Plea for a smaller electronic noticeboard to advise travellers of the status of Waimana Gorge being open or closed.

Mayor Malcolm Campbell – Kawerau District Council

· Speed limit signs were still required and at a reasonable cost

· Supported Whakatāne District Council requirement of a new bridge.

Mayor Lyn Riesterer – Ōpōtiki District Council

· Emphasized the transport need linked to resilience

· Number 3 on the Action Register list was not closed, but had been responded to only in that the speed limits were under review.

Dan Kneebone – Port of Tauranga

· The recent significant media coverage on congestion in the Port of Auckland and the effects to the Upper North Island supply chain highlighted the need for resilience in supply chain infrastructure

· The consent approval for the Port of Tauranga Southern Berth extension was critical for the region.

Cr Jane Nees – Bay of Plenty Regional Council

· Outlined the Long Term Plan consultation questions in relation to public transport which were based upon incentives.

3.23 pm – the meeting closed.

Confirmed

Cr Lyall Thurston

Chairperson, Regional Transport Committee



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	9 June 2021
Report Authoriser:	Namouta Poutasi – General Manager, Strategy and Science

Chairperson's Report

Executive Summary

This report summarises the latest developments that will be of interest to the Regional Transport Committee, specifically consultation on:

· Review of the Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM);

· Te Waihinga Infrastructure Strategy; and

· Hīkina te Kohupara Discussion Paper.

For each of these items there is a brief discussion of the background, purpose / objectives, key issues / themes and next steps.

The Hīkina te Kohupara Discussion Paper also contains some scenario modelling data that RTC members will be interested in.

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Chairperson's Report.

1. Purpose

The purpose of this report is to provide an update on matters of relevance to the work of the Bay of Plenty Regional Transport Committee (RTC).

2. Matters of Potential Interest

2.1 Public Transport Operating Model Review

2.1.1 Background

The Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM) governs the way Regional Councils plan and procure public transport services from bus and ferry operators. Under PTOM, which was introduced in 2013, councils must decide what bus and ferry services their regions need, and contract transport operators to provide them. Councils also set fares, timetables and ticketing systems.

Ministry of Transport (MOT) is now reviewing the PTOM framework to understand how it is working and whether it can be improved. Although there have been improvements to public transport services since PTOM was introduced, including an increase in services and more integrated networks, the Government wants to ensure that drivers’ wages and conditions are protected when a council contracts services. The Government has also set targets to decarbonise the public transport bus fleet and it wants to make sure the PTOM framework supports these goals.

2.1.2 Objectives of the PTOM Review

The Government wants to introduce new objectives for PTOM that are more in line with its objectives for the transport system. The proposed objectives are:

· Competitors have access to public transport markets;

· Public transport is an attractive transport option;

· Public transport services are sustainable, including a sustainable workforce; and

· Public transport services reduce the environmental and health impacts of land transport.

2.1.3 Key Issues for the PTOM Review

The PTOM Review aims to:

· Understand the barriers to delivery of Zero Emissions Buses (ZEBs) and develop ideas to reduce or remove them;

· Consider how drivers’ wages and conditions can be protected when councils contract bus services;

· Consider how well existing roles and relationships work and how they might be improved;

· Consider whether reasons for PTOM exemptions still hold and whether requirements for exempt services are appropriate; and

· Consider how on-demand services will be treated under PTOM.

2.1.4 Further Information and Next Steps

Full details on the PTOM Review can be viewed at:

https://www.transport.govt.nz/area-of-interest/public-transport/public-transport-operating-model/

Bay of Plenty Regional Council will be making a submission to the public consultation, which closes on 02 July (we have been granted an extension from the official closing date).

2.2 Te Waihinga Infrastructure Strategy

2.2.1 Background

The New Zealand Infrastructure Commission / Te Waihanga Act 2019 requires the Commission to develop a strategy that has “broad agreement” or consensus. This will be vital to its success. The Commission states on its web site that it will be far harder for any Infrastructure Minister to reject a strategy that has been co-designed in a collaborative fashion. Therefore there is strong encouragement for all New Zealanders to engage throughout the development of the strategy.

Te Waihanga is therefore developing a draft 30-year infrastructure strategy, which will be tabled in Parliament in late 2021. The aim of the strategy is to improve New Zealanders’ long-term economic performance and social, cultural and environmental wellbeing.

2.2.2 Purpose and Objectives

The strategy aims to:

· Assess the overall fitness for purpose of New Zealand’s infrastructure system;

· Determine how well the current system is working;

· Identify priorities;

· Identify barriers to good outcomes;

· Identify the root cause of systemic issues;

· Determine how best to meet future community expectations; and

· Use foresight planning to consider a range of future possibilities.

Te Waihanga will be working with central and local government, the general public, private sector partners, iwi and other stakeholders to develop the strategy. This will help build consensus on a long-term vision for infrastructure and the outcomes that New Zealand wants to achieve. The strategy will replace the government’s current 30-year plan.

The plan will take long-term trends into account, such as:

· Climate change;

· New technologies; and

· Demographic change.

The strategy will focus on strategic issues for infrastructure, rather than individual projects.

2.2.3 Engagement Process

For the first time, New Zealanders get to have a say about the infrastructure they want in the future and the sort of life they wish to lead. This strategy will be different from previous ones because Te Waihanga is an autonomous crown entity, providing independent advice.

The Commission is establishing two reference groups to guide the work:

· Māori – a partnership approach, providing support in evaluating our ‘evidence’ with a te ao Māori lens and providing a deeper understanding of Māori views and experiences with infrastructure. We are working with Te Arawhiti, the Crown/Māori relations office to determine the ideal form for Māori engagement. 

· Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) – providing insights on infrastructure systems and settings at a regional, spatial and catchment level. This group will also provide checks, balance and support as the strategy is developed. 

2.2.4 Action Areas

The consultation document sets out three action areas:

1. Building a Better Future: Delivering infrastructure that is resilient to stresses and shocks and ready for change.

2. Enabling Competitive Cities and Regions: Ensuring that our infrastructure systems support the needs of people living in cities and regions and improve our connections both within New Zealand and with our markets overseas.

3. Creating a Better System: A step change in how we plan, design, fund and deliver infrastructure.

2.2.5 Transport Challenges

A “State of Play” assessment highlights some key challenges for transport:

· Population growth is putting pressure on transport infrastructure;

· Managing peak-period congestion is an ongoing issue in cities;

· Use of transport infrastructure produces a significant proportion of our total carbon emissions; and

· Cost of new infrastructure is growing fast.

In response to the Commission’s Aotearoa 2050 survey:

· 88% of respondents said that the issue of it taking too long to build new transport options was very important or important;

· 75% said we should definitely improve public transport.

In the section of the consultation document on climate change, the narrative states:

“Transport makes up 36 percent of New Zealand’s long-lived emissions, with most emissions arising from fossil fuels used to power vehicles. Emissions from domestic transport have continued to rise in recent times. Electrifying the transport system will play an important role in decarbonising the transport sector, alongside increased levels of active and mass transport, and mode-shift to reduce the carbon impacts of the domestic freight network. There are a number of non-built solutions that need to be considered in the transport sector. Pricing options can ease demand for infrastructure by smoothing peaks (through congestion charging, for instance) or incentivising alternatives (through efficient public transport and parking prices). Local government could also prioritise options to increase the use of public transport by making better use of existing urban space, or implement density targets that significantly up-zone areas that are in close proximity to employment and other amenities in some cases. This could reduce demand for transport infrastructure altogether.”

2.2.6 Further Information and Next Steps

Full details on the Infrastructure Strategy can be viewed at:

https://infracom.govt.nz/strategy/strategy-development/

Council staff are working with the Transport Special Interest Group (TSIG) in order to produce a submission to the consultation.

2.3 Hīkina te Kohupara Discussion Paper

2.3.1 Background

The Government is seeking feedback on options to accelerate the transport sector to meeting the draft advice and recommendations of the Climate Change Commission, and moving to a net zero carbon transport system by 2050.

The Ministry of Transport’s ‘Hīkina te Kohupara – Kia mauri ora ai te iwi - Transport Emissions: Pathways to Net Zero by 2050’ sets out potential pathways and policies to phase out emissions across the transport system. The discussion document does not represent Government policy.

2.3.2 Purpose

On 2 December 2020, Government declared a climate emergency for Aotearoa and committed to taking urgent action to reduce emissions. Hīkina te Kohupara – Kia mauri ora ai te iwi: Transport Emissions: Pathways to Net Zero by 2050 (Hīkina te Kohupara) identifies what Aotearoa could do to shift the transport system onto a zero emissions pathway.

The discussion paper sets out a system-wide approach for reducing transport emissions, which will contribute to the Government’s Emission Reduction Plan (to be completed by December 2021). The paper will also be used to develop a 10-15 year time horizon action plan for how Aotearoa will continue to reduce its transport emissions.

Eliminating emissions across the transport sector supports the response to climate change. The transport sector currently produces 47 per cent of CO2 emissions, and between 1990 and 2018, domestic transport emissions increased by 90 per cent.

2.3.3 Key Themes

The discussion document identifies three key themes:

Theme 1 – Changing the way we travel: There is a need to shape towns and cities to make it easier, safer, and more attractive for people to access work, schools, shops, and other opportunities by public transport, walking, and cycling. This approach will reduce dependence on private motorised vehicles, and avoid/reduce emissions. Transport needs to be integrated with land-use planning to encourage quality compact mixed-use urban development, while providing better transport options. Transport pricing, and other demand management tools, could also play an important role.

Theme 2 – Improving our passenger vehicles: 67% of Aotearoa’s transport emissions currently come from light vehicles (including cars, small vans, and SUVs). Decarbonising the light vehicle fleet is crucial. There is a need to increase the supply of clean vehicles, increase demand for them, and provide supporting infrastructure. Biofuels could also play an important role in reducing emissions from the current fleet (and other modes). Public transport fleets, particularly buses, also need to shift to being cleaner vehicles. Cleaner aviation technologies are in the early stages of development, but there are opportunities to reduce emissions by using sustainable aviation fuel.

Theme 3 – Supporting a more efficient freight system: 23% of Aotearoa’s transport emissions currently come from heavy vehicles (mostly trucks). While light vehicles currently produce the most emissions, trucks will produce the most emissions by 2055 without further interventions. Emissions could be reduced by improving the efficiency of supply chains, shifting freight to low emission modes, and improving the fuel efficiency, and carbon intensity of freight modes and fuel. Trucks will need to be decarbonised through the uptake of alternative fuels such as biofuels, electrification, and/or green hydrogen.

2.3.4 Pathways

MOT has modelled four pathways:

Pathway 1 assumes ‘avoid’ and ‘shift’ initiatives (Theme 1) play a significant role in reducing transport GHG emissions. This pathway requires reducing nearly 30 percent of the light vehicle kilometres travelled by 2050 through reducing trip distances and encouraging mode shift to public transport, walking and cycling. It also requires higher mode-shift from road to rail and coastal shipping.

Pathway 2 assumes ‘improve’ initiatives (Theme 2) play a significant role in reducing emissions than Pathway 1. This pathway requires a larger number of electric vehicle with greater use of biofuels in the short to medium terms. There is also emphasis on ‘improve’ initiatives for freight.

Pathway 3 assumes ‘improve’ initiatives (Theme 2) play a more significant role in reducing emissions than the other pathways. In this pathway, bringing more EVs into New Zealand transport system compensates for the limited avoid and shift changes. There is also much more emphasis on ‘improve’ initiatives in freight.

Pathway 4 gives even stronger weight to ‘avoid’ and ‘shift’ initiatives (Theme 1) than all other pathways. This includes assuming that ‘avoid’ and ‘shift’ interventions happen more swiftly, bringing forward their impact on emissions and that the clean car policies will be very successful in accelerating the uptake of electric vehicles. This pathway requires reducing nearly 40 percent of the light vehicle kilometres travelled by 2035 and over 55 percent by 2050. In the long term, the greater impact of ‘avoid’ and ‘shift’ initiatives reduces the number of vehicles that need to be electrified.

The following graphs summarise the modelling results for each of the four pathways:

2.3.5 Consultation Process

MOT is undertaking targeted consultation on Hīkina te Kohupara. Full public consultation on initiatives to reduce transport emissions will follow in the second half of 2021.

MOT is requesting feedback on the discussion document from groups who have a strong interest in the transition to a zero-carbon transport system, including:

· Business associations / networks;

· Community groups and NGOs;

· Iwi;

· Local government agencies; and

· Members of academic institutions.

All members of the public will be given the opportunity to provide feedback on Government initiatives to reduce transport emissions when the Government releases a draft Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) for consultation in the second half of 2021. The ERP will include a transport chapter, based on content from Hīkina te Kohupara.

2.3.6 Further Information and Next Steps

The discussion paper can be found at:

https://www.transport.govt.nz/assets/Uploads/Discussion/DiscussiondocumentHikinateKohuparaKiamaurioraaiteiwiTransportEmissionsPathwaystoNetZeroby2050.pdf

If resources permit, Transport & Urban Planning staff will either contribute to a council submission and / or work through the Transport Special Interest Group (TSIG).



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	9 June 2021
Report Writer:	Lorraine Cheyne, Senior Transport Planner and Andrew Williams, Transport Planner
Report Authoriser:	Namouta Poutasi, General Manager, Strategy & Science
Purpose:	To provide Regional Transport Committee (RTC) with a report and recommendations from Deliberations Sub-Committee, to support endorsing the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) 2021-2031.

Endorsement of the 2021 - 2031 Regional Land Transport Plan

Executive Summary

The Land Transport Management Act 2003 requires that the relevant Regional Transport Committee (RTC) prepares, on Regional Council’s behalf, a Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) which sets out proposed investment over the next 6 financial years.

The RLTP has been subject to public consultation, and feedback from 49 submissions has been received considered by a Deliberations sub-committee. Feedback from the submission was generally very positive, and there was broad support for the strategic direction, investment strategy and prioritised programme. In response to a number of submissions, the Deliberations sub-committee also reviewed the proposed weightings for the four criteria that have been used to prioritise the list of significant activities. After discussion, the sub-committee voted to retain the criteria weightings which were used to prioritise the programme in the draft RLTP.

The sub-committee also agreed to:

· An increased score for the Rotorua Bus Service Enhancements;

· Inclusion of Rangiuru Business Park Interchange in the prioritised list of significant activities;

· Inclusion of a line item to reflect the potential for Regional Speed Management Plans; and

· Inclusion of Katikati bypass as an unfunded activity.

Attached is the final Report and Recommendations of the Deliberations sub-Committee to support RTC endorsement the final draft RLTP for adoption by Regional Council on 24 June 2021.

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Endorsement of the 2021 - 2031 Regional Land Transport Plan;

2 Notes the public consultation submissions received, and the resulting proposed changes to the RLTP document;

3 Supports the recommendations of the Regional Land Transport Hearings Sub-Committee in relation to the prioritisation of significant activities;

4 Endorses the Regional Land Transport Plan 2021-2031 for submission to Regional Council;

5 Delegates to the General Manager, Strategy and Science authority to make minor numerical, editorial or presentational amendments prior to final publication.

Background

The Land Transport Management Act 2003 (LTMA) requires Regional Councils to ensure that the Regional Transport Committee (RTC) prepares a Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) which covers the next six financial years.

Before an RTC submits an RLTP, it must be satisfied that the Plan:

· Contributes to the purpose of the LTMA;

· Is consistent with the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS);

· Has considered alternative regional land transport objectives that would contribute to the purpose of the Act;

· Has considered the feasibility and affordability of those alternative objectives;

· Has taken into account any national energy efficiency and conservation strategy;

· Aligns with relevant national policy statements and relevant regional policy statements or plans; and

· Has taken into account any likely funding from other sources.

The process prior to public consultation has been summarised in previous RTC reports; for example at the meeting on 19 February 2021:

RTC has made a number of decisions that have supported the development of the draft RLTP 2021, as summarised below:

The diagram below summarises the process that is being followed since that meeting:

Following submission of the RLTP to Waka Kotahi, the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) funding settlement will be announced by the end of August.

1. Consultation

1.1 Consultation Summary

The draft RLTP 2021 and supporting Statement of Proposal document were adopted for consultation by RTC on 19 February 2021.

A special consultative procedure under section 83 of the Local Government Act, was carried out between 05 March 2021 and 06 April 2021.

Council received 49 written submissions, with 12 parties appearing to be heard. Hearings were held on 13 and 15 April 2021. The hearings were conducted by a Regional transport Hearings sub-committee made up of six members of the RTC.

An analysis of submitter details was provided in the report to the Subcommittee which showed that:

· More submissions were received from urban areas of the region, with the most submissions being from community members and organisations based in Tauranga;

· Submissions from organisations vs. individuals was fairly balanced; and

· The issues raised in submissions related to a range of themes and the content of the draft RLTP.

The 49 submissions received on the draft RLTP raised some 250 individual points of feedback. The points of submission covered a broad range of transport planning and funding issues for the Bay of Plenty (BOP) region. The diversity and depth of the submissions has enriched and expanded the draft RLTP. While more submissions were received from urban areas, issues raised in submissions address both urban and rural concerns equally. While many new and additional considerations were raised, there is a high level of support expressed in submissions for the current investment strategy in the RLTP.

2. Deliberations

2.1 Introduction

At the RTC meeting on 19 February, it was agreed to form a sub-committee of the RTC to undertake the Deliberations process. Six RTC members were nominated to sit on the sub-committee, representing Regional Council, the three sub-regions (western Bay, eastern Bay and Rotorua) and Waka Kotahi.

The Deliberations sub-committee met on 28 May 2021, to consider officer recommendations and discuss submissions received as part of the public consultation.

2.2 Prioritised List of Significant Activities

The prioritised list of activities has been subject to a considerable level of discussion during the course of RLTP preparation. The following diagram summarises this process up until issuing of the RLTP for public consultation:

Five submissions addressed the methodology for determining weightings used to prioritise the programme of activities in the RLTP. Several submissions requested use of alternative priority weightings.

The sub-committee considered four alternative weightings scenarios:

Scenario		Weighting for Each Investment Priority
Scenario		Climate change	Safety	Integrated freight and regional resilience	Better travel options
1	The prioritised list of significant activities as consulted upon in the draft RLTP between 05 March and 06 April 2021.	25%	30%	10%	35%
2	Transport priorities aligned to the agreed objective weightings	20%	30%	35%	15%
3	Equal weightings given to the four transport priorities	25%	25%	25%	25%
4	Increased weighting for integrated freight resilience	25%	30%	30%	15%

Following discussions, the sub-committee approved Scenario 1 which was based on the same weightings used to produce the prioritised list of significant activities for the RLTP consultation draft.

2.3 Remaining Submissions

The sub-committee then considered officers’ recommendations on all submissions.

The submissions and officers’ recommendations are attached at Appendix 1. The sub-committee resolved to endorse the proposed including the following amendments:

· Endorse the inclusion of the State Highway 2 Katikati Bypass as an unfunded activity in a separate table,

· Endorse the inclusion of a line item for speed management review (Regional Speed Management Plans) within the programme section,

· Endorse re-scoring of the Rotorua Bus Services activity to acknowledge public transport contribution to safety outcomes;

· Clarify, by way of a footnote, different targets across agencies working together to reduce deaths and serious injuries;

· Include additional narrative in the RLTP around mode-shift issues for rural residents, due to having fewer travel options;

· Include additional narrative in the RLTP to recognise that rural residents might be best served through support to enable a shift to lower emission vehicles; also include narrative that recognises how deprivation in rural areas can both further reduce travel choice and increase dependence on alternative modes;

· Include narrative in the RLTP to recognise the economic potential of cycling tourism in the Bay of Plenty;

· Include reference to having regard in transport planning and investment to the aspirations of both iwi and hapū for transport infrastructure;

· Amend the RLTP narrative to give better recognition for commercial vehicle / freight movements;

· Accept in part submission RLTP0035.8 seeking a change to the text ‘Hamilton to Tauranga (SH1/29 and rail) strategic focus area’; as follows “Provide for safe and reliable journeys for people and freight, ~~and enable~~ to support quality urban development in planned growth areas on this nationally strategic corridor, including SH1/29 improvements through the NZUP and strategic rail network.”

The sub-committee further accepted to changes to the officer recommendations:

· To accept in part Submission RLTP0026.5 requesting amendment of ‘Supporting Regional Growth Western BOP’ text as follows: “Hewletts Road corridor and adjoining network, ~~in particular~~ including Totara Street, to improve access for people and goods and support Port of Tauranga’s operations”.

· To accept in part Submission RLTP0026.10 requesting amending the wording of Object 4.3 (Economic Prosperity) Ensure the region’s Strategic Transport Network is developed and maintained to serve national and regional accessibility, to ~~assist~~ support business and local industry ~~to support~~ and regional economic growth.

The sub-committee further resolved that it:

“Recommends submission of the draft final document to the next meeting of the Regional Land Transport Committee for endorsement.”

Amendments have been made to the draft RLTP adopted by the RTC for public consultation to reflect the resolutions of the RLTP Hearings sub-committee. These amendments are shown in Attachment 2 Bay of Plenty Regional Council Land Transport Plan 2021-31 (Deliberations Draft 28 May 2021).

Due to the limited time following deliberations on 28 May, information in the individual activity class tables in the RLTP still needs to be checked, updated and assessed for consistency with information in Transport Investment Online (TIO). Updated activity class tables will be tabled on the day. Any further updates to the information in the prioritised list of significant activities will not affect the priority ranking of any particular activity.

The changes will ensure that the information with on each activity in the activity class tables is consistent with the full prioritised list, including decisions on submissions, in Appendix 4 of the RLTP (Attachment 2). The issues with consistency of the information provided for the programme with that in TIO will mean that Table 5; Forecast total cost of activities submitted for NLTF funding (000), will also change to reflect updated costs/Funding Assistance Ratio (FAR). Further, it is brought to the attention of the RTC that the Prioritised List in Appendix 4 includes an additional item, Totara Street Safety Improvements, that was inadvertently left off the Prioritised List in Appendix 4 in the draft RLTP for consultation. The item is a Road to Zero activity and is ranked 51 in the Prioritised List.

A final point to note, the sub-committee also sought clarification of how stock truck effluent disposal facilities are being addressed through the RLTP. The disposal of effluent is subject to the requirements of the Regional Natural Resources Plan. A strategy to address the location and distribution of roadside stock truck effluent disposal facilities does not exceed the threshold for a significant activity to be listed in the RLTP. This work is currently part of the work programme of Regional Council staff and will be reported to the RTC at a later date.

2.4 Recommendations

The draft RLTP was prepared and consulted on in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Land Transport Management Act 2003 and the Local Government Act 2002. Forty-nine submissions were received on the draft RLTP and twelve submitters presented in support of their submissions. The RLTP Hearings Subcommittee heard those submitters and has deliberated on all submissions and endorsed changes to the consultation draft RLTP as set out in this report. The amended RLTP for meets the requirements to be lodged with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council.

3. Considerations

3.1 Risks and Mitigations

Development of the RLTP is at a critical stage and timeframes are tight. The draft RLTP including the prioritised programme must be submitted to Waka Kotahi by 30 June 2021. Any amendments to the programme, including changes to priority weightings, could impact on this timeline.

There is close scrutiny of the development of all Regional Land Transport Plans nationally. Most if not all regional councils including Auckland Transport have received LGOIMA requests regarding how the RLTP is consistent with the GPS. There continues to be a high risk delivering the final RLTP to Waka Kotahi by the June 2021 deadline.

3.2 Climate Change

Mitigation			Adaptation
Reduce GHG emissions	Produce GHG emissions	Sequester carbon	Anticipate climate change impacts	Respond to climate change impacts
☒	☐	☐	☐	☒

The draft RLTP 2021 consultation document, the Statement of Proposal and the consultation questions featured a significant focus on climate change. The Regional Land Transport Plan prioritisation includes climate change as one of the ten-year investment priorities. There are activities within the programme that will contribute to adaptation or mitigation of the impacts of climate change.

3.3 Implications for Māori

The development of the RLTP sets out the region’s proposed land transport programme and seeks funding for activities included. Therefore, the RLTP has a range of impacts on Māori and Council partnerships with Māori. It is vital that the formulation of the RLTP considers and reflects Māori aspirations. The RTC has engaged with Māori through consultation processes, including requests for iwi submissions, and via the provision of information through targeted engagement. It is also recommended that the RTC continues to engage with both iwi and hapū as part of its on-going work programme, in addition to the engagement that will occur on a project-by-project basis, to continue to identify and respond to impacts on Māori of any land transport activities.

3.4 Community Engagement

CONSULT

Whakauiuia

To obtain input or feedback from affected communities about our analysis, alternatives, and /or proposed decisions.

Consultation was carried out under s83 of the Local Government Act 2002. Specific Communications and engagement included:

· Staff meeting with various organisations.

· Invitations to various entities and organisations to submit on the draft RLTP (letter/email) including community groups.

· Leveraging off organised Long Term Plan events during LTP consultation.

· A social media campaign saw:

- Facebook (paid) ad 13,793 impressions. Seen by 8,629 people. 176 click throughs from the ad to the RLTP Hive website pages.

- Facebook (organic) ad 3,050 people reached. 90 engagements.

· Advertisements appeared in:

- Rotorua Weekender (30,000 circulation)

- Whakatāne Beacon (22,000 circulation)

- Weekend Sun (60,000 circulation)

· Published advertising in 2 e-panui, also appeared in “Around the Rohe” and “Council Kōrero” newsletters

· 95 iwi were emailed: to LTP stakeholder list in conjunction with the LTP advising that RLTP was also coming out for consultation.

· Inclusion of RLTP communication in any requested iwi visits.

3.5 Alignment with Strategic Framework

The Land Transport Management Act 2003 requires every regional council to establish a Regional Transport Committee (RTC); and sets the functions of the RTC and a mandate for preparing the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP).

The RLTP supports regional collaboration on transport issues and the provision of a more effective and efficient transport network. This ultimately supports the Regional Council’s strategic framework and specifically the Vibrant Region outcome within the Long-Term Plan 2018-2028.

3.6 Financial Implications

There are no material unbudgeted financial implications and this fits within the allocated budget.

The development of the RLTP is being undertaken within the current budget for the Transport Planning Activity in the Regional Council’s Long-Term Plan 2018-2028.

4. Next Steps

Adoption under the Land Transport Management Act 2003 is a two-step process.

The Regional Transport Committee meets today (09 June 2021) to endorse the RLTP, and the Regional Council will meet to adopt the document on 24 June 2021.

An agenda pack will be sent to council on or around 17 June 2021.

A finalised, adopted RLTP 2021-2031 will be sent to Waka Kotahi for consideration of the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) funding.

Additionally, there were issues raised in submission that pertained to ongoing work on land transport across the region, but were not matters for the RLTP. It is proposed that reports on these mattes will be brought forward to the RTC in subsequent meetings.

Attachments

Attachment 1 - Resolutions from Regional Land Transport Plan Hearings Subcommittee Deliberations held 28 May 2021 ⇩

Supporting Document 1 - 2021-2031 RLTP full submissions and staff recommendations extracted from RLTP Deliberations Agenda Friday 28 May 2021 ⇩

Supporting Document 2 - 2021-2031 Regional Land Transport Plan - Deliberations Draft ⇩



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	9 June 2021
Report Writer:	James Llewellyn, Transport & Urban Planning Manager
Report Authoriser:	Namouta Poutasi, General Manager, Strategy & Science
Purpose:	To seek Regional Transport Committee endorsement of our response to the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2021 consultation

Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2021 consultation

Executive Summary

This report sets out the proposals put forward by the draft Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2021 Consultation.

The draft rule proposes that Regional Transport Committees (RTCs) assume responsibility for co-ordination of Regional Speed Management Plans (RSMPs), which will set out a 10-year programme of speed limit changes.

There are some serious concerns around the proposals as they are currently drafted, specifically:

· Whether it is sensible for two organisations (RTC and Waka Kotahi) to be both working on Speed Management Plans (SMPs) for different parts of the highway network;

· Resource capacity and technical capability for RTCs and Regional Council undertaking this additional work (and therefore whether it would be better led by Waka Kotahi);

· Lack of clarity around how RSMPs will be integrated with the RLTP process (which is also a resource hungry process);

· The risk of the consultation process being very unwieldly and costly to resource; and

· Potential resource consequences for implementing SMPs (especially when the National Land Transport Fund is already under significant pressure).

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2021 consultation;

2 Notes the key issues and concerns summarised in this report;

3 Recommends that RTC sends the attached letter as part of its consultation submission;

4 Delegates approval of the Regional Transport Committee consultation submission to the Chair;

5 Confirms the decision has a medium level of significance as determined by the Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy. Council has identified and assessed different options and considered community views as part of making the decision, in proportion to the level of significance.

1. Background

1.1 Introduction

The Government released its “Road to Zero” Road Safety Strategy in November 2019. One of the cornerstones of the strategy is to introduce a new approach to tackling unsafe speeds on our roads. Managing unsafe speed is more than just enforcement. The new approach will see what is determined as safe and appropriate speed limits set using a consistent approach across the country.

Speed management is about matching the speed limit to the design, use, form and function of the road and the risk posed to the road user. Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency is consulting on a proposed new rule enabling an improved approach to speed management planning on New Zealand roads, called the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2021.

Land Transport Rules (Rules) are secondary legislation made by the Minister of Transport or their delegate (the Minister) under the Land Transport Management Act (LTMA). The LTMA sets out principles and the policy framework. Rules contain detailed requirements, including standards and processes, for putting those principles and policy into operation.

Outcomes that Rules aim to achieve include, but are not limited to, the following:

· Safeguarding and improving land transport safety and security;

· Improving access and mobility;

· Assisting economic development;

· Protecting and promoting public health; and

· Ensuring environmental sustainability.

Compliance with Rules is required because they form part of New Zealand transport law. The specific offences and penalties applicable to each Rule are set out in the Act or in Regulations.

Most Rules are drafted by Waka Kotahi, by an arrangement with the chief executive of the Ministry of Transport (MOT), working closely with MOT policy and legal advisors.

Rules are drafted in plain language so that they can be easily understood. Waka Kotahi undertakes consultation on proposed changes to Rules on behalf of the Minister. The issues raised in submissions on the proposed Rule changes are analysed and considered in preparing Rules for the Minister to sign.

1.2 Current Arrangements

Speed Limits are currently set by road controlling authorities (RCA) using the Waka Kotahi, NZ Transport Agency guidelines; with the RCA then using the bylaw process to implement the speed limits. The current process has proven to be costly and inefficient and has resulted in poorly co-ordinated speed limits being set across the network and between RCAs. The need to set a bylaw has caused some RCAs to delay or avoid making co-ordinated speed management changes due to uncertainty around when and how to amend, replace or revoke current speed limits, as well as when to consult on speed limit changes.

1.3 The Importance of Speed Management

Speed is a major contributing factor to deaths and serious injuries on New Zealand roads. In the event of a crash, regardless of cause, the speed of impact is the most important determinant of the severity of injuries sustained and the probability of death.

On 11 November 2019, Cabinet agreed to the wider Tackling Unsafe Speeds package, which comprises:

· Introducing a new regulatory framework for speed management to improve how changes are planned for, consulted on and implemented;

· Transitioning to lower speed limits around schools to improve safety and encourage more children to use active modes of transport; and

· Adopting a new approach to road safety cameras (also referred to as “speed cameras”) to reduce excessive speeds on our highest risk roads.

1.4 Proposed Requirements of the Rule

The proposed Rule proposes:

· Requiring all road controlling authorities that are territorial authorities (including Waka Kotahi) to include their proposed speed limit changes and safety infrastructure treatments (including proposed placement of road safety cameras) for the coming 10 years into SMPs;

· Requiring Regional Transport Committees (RTCs) to coordinate input from road controlling authorities (RCAs) in their region to create and consult on a RSMP, aligning with the Regional Land Transport Planning (RLTP) process;

· Giving the new Director of Land Transport (within Waka Kotahi) the responsibility for certifying RSMPs;

· Establishing an independent Speed Management Committee to certify the Waka Kotahi State highway SMP, and to oversee the information and guidance on speed management Waka Kotahi (as regulator) provides to RCAs;

· Introducing a new process for setting speed limits outside of SMPs, and for RCAs that are not territorial authorities

· Requiring all speed limits, other than temporary speed limits, to be entered into a national register to give them legal effect.

· Requiring RCAs to reduce speed limits around:

o Urban schools to 30 km/h (variable or permanent speed limits), with the option of implementing 40 km/h speed limits if appropriate; and

o Rural schools to a maximum of 60 km/h (variable or permanent speed limits); and

o Introducing a target of 40% of school speed limits to be reduced by 30 June 2024, and all remaining speed limits by 31 December 2029.

Once signed, this proposed Rule will replace the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2017.

1.5 Significance

The recommended proposal/decision has been assessed against the criteria and thresholds in Council’s Significance and Engagement Policy, and can be considered:

Medium

The financial costs and implications of the decision are not yet known or provided for.

2. Key Issues for Consideration

2.1 Purpose of the Consultation

On 23 April 2021, Waka Kotahi issued its consultation documents for the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits.

The two documents are:

· Summary of Proposals (Overview for Consultation) - https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/consultation/land-transport-rule-setting-of-speed-limits-2021/Setting-of-Speed-Limits-2021-overview-and-summary-of-proposals-for-consultation.pdf

· Draft Land Transport Rule (for consultation) - https://www.nzta.govt.nz/assets/consultation/land-transport-rule-setting-of-speed-limits-2021/Setting-of-Speed-Limits-2021-for-consultation.pdf

According to Waka Kotahi, consultation on the proposed Rule is being carried out to ensure legislation is sound and robust, and the Rule development process takes into account the views of, and impact on, those people and organisations affected.

Given that RTC is being proposed for a co-ordination role, it is vitally important that a response to the consultation is provided.

2.2 Structure of the Consultation

Waka Kotahi request the following considerations when providing feedback:

· What impact would the proposals have, and on whom? Waka Kotahi is particularly interested in your comments on any costs (to you or to your organisation) of implementing the proposals.

· Would any groups or individuals be disadvantaged by the proposals, and how?

· Would any groups or individuals benefit from the proposals, and how?

· Are there any implementation or compliance issues that would need to be considered?

The consultation document contains the following proposals:

· Proposal 1 - Speed Management Plans.

· Proposal 2 -Alternative Process for Setting Speed Limits.

· Proposal 3 - Formal Certification of Speed Management Plans.

· Proposal 4 - Speed Limits Entered to a Register.

· Proposal 5 - Establishment of an Independent Speed Management Committee.

· Proposal 6 - Speed Limits around schools.

· Proposal 7 - Temporary and Emergence Speed Limits.

· Proposal 8 - Approval for Certain Speed Limits.

· Proposal 9 - Use of Variable Speed Limits.

· Proposal 10 - Speed Limit areas.

· Proposal 11 - Other Proposals.

Of most significance to regional councils and Regional Transport Committees (RTCs) is Proposal 1. Proposals 2 to 10 have limited implications for regional councils and deal primarily with the detail round setting, recording and implementation of the speed limits.

2.3 Speed Management Plans (SMPs)

The current bylaw making process will be replaced by a new Speed Management Plan (SMP) arrangement, which will be used by all RCAs that are territorial authorities. RCAs will prepare plans on proposed changes to speed limits, road safety cameras and speed management-related infrastructure for the 10 financial years from the start of the plan.

RTCs will be responsible for collating input from RCAs within their region and developing a Regional Speed Management Plan (RSMP). The RSMP should support better engagement with communities, as well as collaboration between RCAs within regions. RCAs will be expected to take a “whole-of-network” approach to considering speed management changes. The RSMP should provide a consistent picture of speed limits across the region.

Table 1 summarises the proposed roles of the RTC and the RCAs:

Table 1: Proposed SMP Roles for RTCs and RCAs

RTC Proposed Role	RCA Proposed Role
Collate input from RCAs within a region and develop, consult on and finalise RSMPs	Continue to make decisions about speed management treatments on their roads
Provide a forum to encourage consistency across the network, managing interactions and implementation timing across RCAs, and working through any boundary issues with bordering regions	Provide input into the RSMP to the RTC
Carry out consultation on the RSMPs with input from RCAs	Receive, consider and respond to consultation responses forwarded by the RTC
Provide the final draft RSMPs for certification to Waka Kotahi

Waka Kotahi (as an RCA) will be responsible for producing a State Highway Speed Management Plan (SHSMP), which will be certified by an independent speed management committee. The SHSMP will need to be closely co-ordinated with the RSMP.

RSMPs will set out objectives, principles and measures for speed management on relevant roads for at least 10 financial years from the start of the plan and include the following treatments:

· Changes to speed limits (other than temporary and emergency speed limits);

· Road safety cameras; and

· Safety infrastructure.

RSMPs must:

· Identify the changes (if any) being proposed to speed limits (other than temporary and emergency speed limits), safety cameras, and safety infrastructure on the relevant roads over the next three years; and

· Set out the objectives, policies and measures for managing speed on relevant roads for at least 10 financial years from the start of the plan.

RSMPS must include:

· An explanation of how the plan is consistent with the road safety aspects of the Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS) and any Government road safety strategy (e.g. Road to Zero for 2020-2030);

· A general explanation of how a whole-of-network approach was taken when proposing speed limit changes and safety infrastructure changes;

· An implementation programme for at least three financial years from the start of the plan, setting out the changes (if any) being proposed to speed limits, safety cameras and safety infrastructure on the relevant roads and the timeframe within which each change is proposed to occur;

· Information on speed management treatments around schools, including a rationale for why any speed limits outside schools during school travel periods would be above 30 km/h in urban areas;

· Designation of rural schools, and the speed limits for any rural schools (which must be 60 km/h or less);

· A summary of any changes to speed limits, safety cameras and infrastructure included in the implementation programme in any previous plan that have not yet come into force;

· A summary of the extent to which, in the RCA view, the changes to speed limits, safety cameras and safety infrastructure included in the implementation programme in the previous Plan (if any) that have come into force have been effective in managing speed;

· For any changes being proposed to a speed limit that do not align with the Waka Kotahi estimate of what is the safe and appropriate speed limit for the road, an explanation for why the proposed speed limit is different. The RCA must consider the road safety aspects of the GPS and any Government road safety strategy, the desirability of taking a whole-of-network approach to speed management, and the guidance developed by Waka Kotahi; and

· A description of the conditions under which a variable or seasonal speed limit will operate.

The RSMPs will be updated and consulted on every three years.

The intent is to align the speed management planning and RLTP processes to bring together speed management and infrastructure investment decisions. The expectation is Waka Kotahi will work with RTCs in setting the RSMP deadlines to align consultation with the RLTP process.

The overall process for implementing SMPs is summarised in Figure 1:

Figure 1: Summary of SMP Process

2.4 Key Issues for the Consultation Response

In view of the focus on SMPs, key issues for the RTC consultation response should include:

· Questioning whether it is sensible for two organisations (RTC and Waka Kotahi) to be both working on SMPs for different parts of the highway network;

· Raising issues around practical arrangements for implementation and whether work would be better led by Waka Kotahi;

· Seeking greater clarity around how RSMPs will be integrated with the RLTP process (which is also a resource hungry process);

· Highlighting the risk of the consultation and RCA liaison process being very unwieldly and costly to resource (especially where cross-border issues are concerned);

· Setting out the potential resource consequences for implementing SMPs (especially when the National Land Transport Fund is already under significant pressure).

2.5 Consultation Response Process

The consultation process closes on 25 June.

Attached to this report is a draft letter which sets out a possible RTC response to the consultation process. A more detailed submission on the technical aspects of the proposed Rule is being developed with the Regional Advisory Group (RAG) which comprises of councils within the region.

The Transport Special Interest Group (TSIG) is also likely to be making a submission on behalf of regions across New Zealand.

3. Considerations

3.1 Risks and Mitigations

The Rule introduces a whole new plan production process that is similar to, and is proposed to run on the same timelines, as the RLTP. RTCs will be responsible for running the whole process on behalf of Regional Council, but Council staff will be required to co-ordinate work with RCAs and produce the RSMP on behalf of the RTC.

Consultation requirements and subsequent follow-up work to modify or change the plans (proposed speed limits) are likely to be controversial and could potentially generate thousands of submissions. Speed limit changes, proposed by an RCA and included in the plan, are also likely to be controversial. Issues raised by submissions will involve time to resolve either during plan preparation or following consultation. Contested speed limit changes must be referred back to the RCA for further consideration before the RSMP can be finalised for RTC adoption.

The current proposal is for the proposed RSMPs to be developed and consulted on in the same timeframe as RLTPs. There are significant resource implications which need to be worked through as a result. In particular the content requirements of RSMPs demand they are produced and agreed to allow projects to flow through into the RLTP process. That means that RSMPs need to be developed in the 18 months prior to RLTP development. RLTPs currently take around 18 months to develop and finalise, so that will mean the combined plan production process will require a three-year timeframe. Given that both plans are for a six-year period but with a mid‑term, or three-year, review this effectively becomes a continuous process.

RTC needs to be aware that during the 2021-2024 period this new planning process is highly likely to come into effect. The additional responsibilities being placed on RTCs will significantly increase the workload, especially for development of the first RSMP to prepare the plans and run the consultation and review processes.

To date, there has been no indication from Waka Kotahi on its approach to funding assistance for this work. However, given the functions sit under the RTC, and management is eligible for funding assistance, the expectation is that Waka Kotahi will provide funding at the Council’s current base assistance rate of 51%. No allowance for additional costs for management of the RTC has been included in the forecast for funding assistance in the 2021-2024 years provided to Waka Kotahi for funding from the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF).

3.2 Climate Change

The matters addressed in this report are of a procedural nature and there is no need to consider climate change impacts.

3.3 Implications for Māori

Communities with significant Māori populations tend to have poorer road safety outcomes than the general population. In theory, the introduction of lower speed limits should be of benefit to these communities. However, it is vitally important not to stigmatise Māori communities with allegations around greater prevalence of excessive and inappropriate speed.

Engagement with Māori communities will form an essential part of the work, and again will require significant resource from the Council policy team and / or external advisors.

3.4 Community Engagement

CONSULT

Whakauiuia

To obtain input or feedback from affected communities about our analysis, alternatives, and /or proposed decisions.

As noted in the report, community engagement will be a huge undertaking and is likely to generate very strong views both for and against changes to speed limits.

3.5 Alignment with Strategic Framework

Speed management aligns most closely with the Safe and Resilient Communities aspect of Regional Council’s strategic framework. This is because reducing speeds on roads is one aspect of a strategy to reduce both the number of crashes and the risk of being involved in a crash.

3.6 Financial Implications

Please refer to the relevant analysis in the options paper attached.

There is no specific budget within the Transport & Urban Policy team to undertake this work. It is anticipated than an additional one Full Time Equivalent (FTE) will be required for the technical and public consultation aspects of the work. Any request for financial support would need to come through the Annual Plan process.

It is also highly likely that additional resource for iwi engagement will be required.

4. Next Steps

The next steps are:

· To draft a submission to the consultation on behalf of RTC;

· Liaise with the RCAs and Waka Kotahi through the Regional Advisory Group (RAG);

· Establish a concept of operations which sets out how the new system will be planned, designed and maintained;

· Develop a programme plan and resource strategy (on the basis that the proposals in the Rule are unlikely to change); and

· Provide a further update to the next RTC meeting.

Attachments

Attachment 1 - Speed Management Letter from BOP RTC ⇩