Open Minutes
Commencing: Thursday 9 March 2023, 9.30 am
Venue: Council Chambers, Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga
Chairperson: Cr Lyall Thurston (Bay of Plenty Regional Council)
Deputy Chairperson: Cr Ken Shirley (Bay of Plenty Regional Council)
In Attendance: Mike Seabourne – Public Transport Director, Stacey Spall – NZ Automobile Association Advisor, Stuart Nightingale – NZ Police Road Safety Advisor, Glen Crowther – Environmental Sustainability Advisor, Greg Pert – Freight Advisor (appointed at the meeting), Presenters – as listed in the minutes, Amanda Namana – Committee Advisor
Councillors: Cr Kat MacMillan, Cr Ron Scott, Cr Jane Nees (via Zoom), Cr Kevin Winters (via Zoom), Cr Stuart Crosby (via Zoom)
Apologies: Commission Chair Anne Tolley - Tauranga City Council, Chairman Doug Leeder – Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Dan Kneebone – Port of Tauranga, Mayor Tania Tapsell – Rotorua Lakes Council (for early departure), Stacey Spall - NZ Automobile Association Advisor (for early departure)
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That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Accepts the apologies from Dan Kneebone, Chairman Leeder, Commissioner Tolley, Mayor Tapsell (for early departure) and Stacey Spall (for early departure) tendered at the meeting. Thurston/Tapsell CARRIED |
Nil.
At the direction of the Chair, Item 10.1 would be taken following Item 6, in order to confirm external advisors and appoint the Freight Advisor. Item 11 would follow Item 8.2 to hear the Road Safety Advisor perspective on speed management matters.
4. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest
None declared.
Previous Minutes for Information Only
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Regional Transport Committee Minutes - 19 September 2022 |
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That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Receives the Regional Transport Committee Minutes - 19 September 2022. Thurston/Andrew CARRIED |
6. Reports
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Appointment of a Freight Advisor and Confirmation of External Advisors |
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That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Appointment of a Freight Advisor and Confirmation of External Advisors; 2 Appoints Greg Pert as the Freight Advisor to the Regional Transport Committee; 3 Confirms Dan Kneebone as the Port Advisor to the Regional Transport Committee; 4 Confirms Glen Crowther as the Environmental Sustainability Advisor to the Committee; 5 Confirms Inspector Stuart Nightingale as the Road Safety Advisor to the Regional Transport Committee; 6 Confirms Stacey Spall as the NZ Automobile Association Advisor to the Regional Transport Committee 7 Writes a letter to John Galbraith acknowledging his contribution to the Committee and the transport sector over his time as the Freight Advisor. Thurston/Denyer CARRIED |
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Land Transport Planning Presentation: Land Transport Planning: Objective ID A4326306 ⇨ |
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MRCagney Technical Director for Public Transport Planning Darren Davis presented this item. Key Points of Presentation: · Definition of transport · Bay of Plenty context · Indicative Strategic Priorities: o Overarching Focus on Emissions Reduction o Ministry of Transport (MoT) outcomes framework o Vehicles kilometres travelled (VKT) Reduction o Integrated Freight Systems – Rail Freight, Road Freight and coastal shipping o Safety – healthy and safe people o Resilience o Maintaining and operating the system o Sustainable Urban Development – providing people with transport choices to achieve mode shift o Funding Sources 9.50 am – Mayor David Moore entered the meeting. · Summary and uncertainties including funding sources, elections and Government Policy Statement (GPS) priorities · Key Concepts: o Mode Neutrality – investing for outcomes o Intervention Hierarchy – getting land use right as a top priority o Transport - Land Use Integration, including accessibility and mobility o Travel Demand Management - including employer based travel plans o Drivers of Mode Shift to Public Transport o Size does matter – why not smaller buses? o Inclusive Access – designing for all ages and abilities, enabling better access for everyone o The Accessible Journey concept – 2005 Human Rights Commission Enquiry o Access Challenges in the Bay of Plenty o Network Effects – connecting end to end journeys to destinations o Baseline access services were key for rural communities · Outlined the role of the Regional Transport Committee - preparing the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP); recommending land transport activities eligible for national funding; coordinating, integrating and adopting land use strategies and plans; providing advocacy on strategic regional/inter-regional transport matters to central government. Key Points - Members: · Traffic density had increased substantially in Whakatāne and a new bridge was critical to address resilience concerns · A focus on pricing the network and funding the level of investment required was important · Buses were exempt from the specific limits on vehicles set by the Vehicle Dimension and Mass (VDAM) rule under the Land Management Transport Act (LTMA) , which had negative impacts on wear and tear of roads. In Response to Questions: · It was important to consider the safety of people outside of vehicles e.g. cyclists, as well as those within vehicles · Bus size needed to be considered for the purpose, location, cost and patronage requirements of each service · Mode shift was more likely to be achieved outside peak times by concentrating on routes where frequency could be increased · Central government had clearly signalled that the next National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) period would have carry over cost escalations from already committed projects, a large focus on resilience, maintenance and road safety and limited funding left over · The issue with electric buses was related to the weight and location of the battery – improving technology may resolve this in the future · There needed to be a stronger focus on central government partnerships enabling more sustainable urban development and addressing housing shortages · Housing issues were also driving unfavourable transport outcomes.
Resolved That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Receives the presentation, Land Transport Planning. Thurston/Selwood CARRIED |
8. Reports (Continued)
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Chairperson's Report Manager, Transport Planning Oliver Haycock presented this item. |
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That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Chairperson's Report. Thurston/Tapsell- CARRIED |
Decisions Required
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Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Quarterly Update Presentation: Waka Kotahi Quarterly Update and Road to Zero Speed and Infrastructure Programme: Objective ID A4325755 ⇨ Director Regional Relationship David Speirs (via Zoom) and Regional Manager System Design (Waikato Bay of Plenty) Jess Andrew presented this item. Key Points of Presentation: · National Land Transport Plan Activity Classes · Clarified that if a project was not already underway, new applications were unlikely to receive funding · Indicative Strategic Priorities for the GPS 2024 · ‘Build back better’ looked at making existing infrastructure safer and more resilient to damage, along with considering alternative routes and strengthening existing systems · Safe System Audit Guidelines · Vehicle safety ratings update · National Ticketing Solution · Driver Licence Improvement Programme (DLIP) · Bay of Plenty updates: o Takitimu North Link (TNL) Stage One (drone footage was shown highlighting the progress of the project: Takitimu North Link Flyover – December 2022 - YouTube) o Wairoa River Bridge – resilience o TNL Stage Two – Te Puna to Ōmōkoroa o Tauriko network connections State Highway 29 o Connecting Mount Maunganui – working across all modes o Awakeri to Whakatāne State Highway 30 safety improvements. Key Points - Members: · When making submissions on vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) targets, it needed to made clear that VKT was only a proxy for carbon reduction, and should be measured and monitored · Tauranga City Council considered that State Highway 29, Hewletts Road and Totara Street were the major infrastructure investments central to the future growth of the city. In Response to Questions: · Encouraged being ambitious in seeking funding through the RLTP and ensuring the prioritised list of projects reflected genuine priorities · Legislative change had altered requirements for the second stage of licensing which could help address some of the driver shortage issues in the freight industry · Waka Kotahi were working with Western Bay of Plenty District Council to understand the capacity of the temporary roundabout at the Ōmokoroa intersection and to ensure that safety was maintained with growth and housing development. Mike Seabourne, Public Transport Director - In Response to Questions: · The design for Stages One and Two of the Cameron Road project and future linkage with Tauriko was to create a strategic corridor for mobility and movement. There were many dependencies and the timing would be critical. 11.12 am – The meeting adjourned. 11.31 am – The meeting reconvened.
Waka Kotahi Road to Zero: Speed and Infrastructure Programme Senior Manager Road Safety Fabian Marsh presented this item. Key Points of Presentation: · Road to Zero – What, How, Why? · Vision – Reducing death and injury by 40% by 2030 · Critical interventions · The delivery challenge · Safe System · Promote good choices but plan for mistakes, · Design for human vulnerability · Head on and side on impacts at or over 70 kilometres per hour were likely to be fatal · Design to support trauma prevention · Managing speed presented a significant opportunity · Shared responsibility for improving road safety – Waka Kotahi, Council staff and elected members, Police and road users · Median barriers – case studies and information · Raised safety platforms – could reduce death and serious injuries by 40% · Road to Zero Action Plan 2020-22. In Response to Questions: · Road to Zero projects rolled out to date had shown effectiveness, the challenge lay in implementing these quickly and in bringing communities along · No single intervention would solve the problem, however combining and applying a number of tools would have benefits. |
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That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Quarterly Update. [CARRIED] |
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Bay of Plenty Regional Speed Management Plan - Agreed Vision, Objectives, Principles and Measures Manager, Transport Planning Oliver Haycock and Transport Planner Katri Harmoinen presented this item. |
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That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Bay of Plenty Regional Speed Management Plan - Agreed Vision, Objectives, Principles and Measures ; 2 Endorses the Bay of Plenty Regional Speed Management Plan’s vision, objectives, principles and measures as outlined in this report. CARRIED |
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Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-34 Development: Endorsement of the high-level strategic approach Senior Transport Planner Andrew Williams presented this item. Key Points - Members: · Expressed concern over congestion; roads, cycleways and footpath safety; resilience of the network and insufficient funding to address the issues · The problem-definition and addressing funding shortages were critical.
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That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-34 Development: Endorsement of the high-level strategic approach; 2 Endorses the high-level strategic approach within the Briefing Paper – Bay of Plenty Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-34 Development – Policy & Strategy Introduction – as provided to the Committee for the Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-34 Development – Initial Briefing held on 3 February 2023, and as outlined in Section 2; 3 Notes the development of the Investment Logic Map as a working draft and the next steps in the development of the Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-34; 4 Agrees that a workshop takes place to address issues associated with the Investment Logic Map (ILM). CARRIED |
Information Only
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Endorsement of the Final Western Bay of Plenty Travel Demand Management Scoping Study Presentation: Travel Demand Management: Objective ID A4326307 ⇨ Senior Transport Planner Matthew Kilpatrick presented this item. Key Points of Presentation: · Overview of Western Bay Travel Demand Management (TDM) Scoping Study: TDM, Strategy, Scoping Study, Other Studies · Seeking endorsement from the Regional Transport Committee. Key Points - Members: · Did not agree with dissuasion of driving or penalising drivers who had no choice e.g. rural drivers · Linkages to infrastructure were important · Considered that the approach needed to be more targeted and action focused. In Response to Questions: · TDM was about understanding people’s needs and what was relevant to the region · Clarified that a scoping study was a high level document review of what TDM meant for the Western Bay of Plenty, what the initiatives were and highlighted TDM successes in other places. It also looked at what had been done in the past and future opportunities. |
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12:12pm – Stacey Spall withdrew from the meeting. |
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That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Endorsement of the final Western Bay of Plenty Travel Demand Management Scoping Study. [CARRIED] |
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Transport Emissions Projection Tool Tauranga City Council Team Leader Transport, Strategy and Planning Alistair Talbot and BECA Technical Director – Transport Advisory Craig Richards presented this item. Key Points of Presentation: · Outlined the purpose of the Transport Emissions Projection Tool · National decarbonisation · Tool coverage – cars, light commercial, public transport, active modes and freight · Model hierarchy · Model outputs · Passenger kilometres modal share. Key Points - Members: · Rather than per capita emissions, a more useful measure was to look at total emissions in a growth environment · The current affordability crisis was driving a significant component of the urban form. In Response to Questions: · The Transport Emissions Projection Tool aimed to aid and inform discussion and programme development, and to test different scenarios · Urban Form and Transport Initiative (UFTI) identified and assessed different urban form options and sought a balance of outcomes, rather than a single carbon outcome. |
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12.51 pm – David Speirs withdrew from the meeting. |
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That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Transport Emissions Projection Tool. CARRIED |
9. Presentations (Continued)
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Making Rail Work Presentation: Making Rail Work: Objective ID A4326313 ⇨ Managing Director, Taith Consulting James Llewellyn and rail expert Michael van Droegenbroek (via Zoom) presented this item. |
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· Making Rail Work was a collective of business professionals and residents of the Waikato and Bay of Plenty · The organisation was voluntary, other than some funding from Bay Trust and Trust Waikato · Outlined common misconceptions · Critical success factors for Passenger Rail · Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) and Passenger Rail for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions · Development Co-operative Approach · Engagement activity to date · Next Steps · Our Ask. Public Transport Director Mike Seabourne – Comments · Encouraged the Committee to consider the strategic nature of passenger rail and whether it fit within the ten year view. Key Points - Members: · KiwiRail confirmed that there was capacity on the network for more trains to be running, although network improvements for additional and passenger services would be required, along with improvements inside the Kaimai Tunnel · Maintenance renewal for the entire national rail network was currently funded through the Rail Network Investment Programme (RNIP). In Response to Questions: · Work which had taken place on the rail network in recent years included improvement to existing railways to add capacity and rehabilitation work to bring it up to a more modern standard, also enhancing resilience · Suggested that value contributions and value capture could help fund the railway in the future.
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Resolved That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Receives the Presentation, Making Rail Work; 2 Requests staff respond to Making Rail Work regarding the six bullet points on the final presentation slide. Thurston/Selwood CARRIED
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11. Verbal Updates from Committee Members and Advisors (Continued)
Greg Pert – Freight Advisor
Key Points:
· There were several issues to work through in the future with electric vehicles and potentially electric trucks moving freight as there were currently no rules, regulations or legislation to guide this
· Another key consideration was that moving freight via electric vehicles could not be sustained on existing infrastructure.
1.24 pm – the meeting closed.
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Chairperson, Regional Transport Committee