Agenda of Regional Transport Committee - Thursday, 31 August 2023

Regional Transport Committee

Membership

Chairperson (BOPRC)	Cr Lyall Thurston
Deputy Chairperson (BOPRC)	Cr Ken Shirley Cr Andrew von Dadelszen (Alternate)
Members
Kawerau District Council	Mayor Faylene Tunui Cr Berice Julian (Alternate)
Ōpōtiki District Council	Mayor David Moore Cr Tom Brooks (Alternate)
Rotorua Lakes Council	Mayor Tania Tapsell Cr Conan O’Brien (Alternate)
Tauranga City Council	Commissioner Anne Tolley Commissioner Stephen Selwood (Alternate)
Western Bay of Plenty District Council	Mayor James Denyer Deputy Mayor John Scrimgeour (Alternate)
Whakatāne District Council	Mayor Victor Luca Deputy Mayor Lesley Immink (alternate)
External Members
New Zealand Transport Agency Alternate member to be nominated by NZTA appointed member	David Speirs Jessica Andrew (Alternate)
External Members (non-voting)
KiwiRail	Angus Hodgson Helen Rogers (Alternate)
External Advisors (non-voting)
Environmental Sustainability Advisor	Glen Crowther
Freight Advisor	Greg Pert
Road Safety Advisor	Fane Troy – Acting District Road Police Manager
Port Advisor	Dan Kneebone – Property and Infrastructure Manager
New Zealand Automobile Association	Stacey Spall
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.

· Consolidate individual road controlling, authority (RCA) speed management plans and prepare the regional speed management plan in accordance with the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2022.

· Co-ordinate, integrate and adopt regional transport and land-use strategies and 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.

Recording of Meetings

Please note the Public section of this meeting is being recorded and streamed live on Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s website in accordance with Council's Live Streaming and Recording of Meetings Protocols which can be viewed on Council’s website. The recording will be archived and made publicly available on Council's website within two working days after the meeting on www.boprc.govt.nz for a period of three years (or as otherwise agreed to by Council).

All care is taken to maintain your privacy; however, as a visitor in the public gallery or as a participant at the meeting, your presence may be recorded. By remaining in the public gallery, it is understood your consent is given if your image is inadvertently broadcast.

Opinions expressed or statements made by individual persons during a meeting are not the opinions or statements of the Bay of Plenty Regional Council. Council accepts no liability for any opinions or statements made during a meeting.

Regional Transport Committee Minutes

15 June 2023

Regional Transport Committee

Open Minutes

Commencing: Thursday 15 June 2023, 9.30 am

Venue: Council Chambers, Rotorua Lakes Council, 1061 Haupapa Street, Rotorua

Chairperson: Cr Lyall Thurston - Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana (BOPRC)

Deputy Chairperson: Cr Ken Shirley (BOPRC)

Members: Mayor David Moore - Ōpōtiki District Council (via Zoom), Commissioner Stephen Selwood – Alternate, Tauranga City Council, David Speirs - Waka Kotahi, Cr Andrew von Dadelszen – Alternate, BOPRC (via Zoom), Cr Berice Julian – Alternate, Kawerau District Council (via Zoom), Mayor James Denyer - Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Mayor Victor Luca - Whakatāne District Council, Angus Hodgson – KiwiRail (non-voting, via Zoom)

In Attendance: External Advisors: Glen Crowther – Environmental Sustainability (via Zoom), Greg Pert – Freight, Stacey Spall - NZ Automobile Association

BOPRC: Cr Malcolm Campbell, Cr Ron Scott (via Zoom), Cr Jane Nees (via Zoom), Mike Seabourne – Public Transport Director, Presenters – as listed in the minutes, Amanda Namana – Committee Advisor

Apologies: Mayor Tania Tapsell - Rotorua Lakes Council, Chairman Doug Leeder (BOPRC), Mayor Faylene Tunui - Kawerau District Council, Stacey Spall – NZ Automobile Association (for lateness)

1. Apologies

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Accepts the apologies from Mayor Tapsell, Chairman Leeder, Mayor Tunui and Stacey Spall tendered at the meeting.

Thurston/Shirley

CARRIED

2. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest

None declared.

3. Minutes

Minutes to be Confirmed

3.1

Regional Transport Committee Minutes - 9 March 2023

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Confirms the Regional Transport Committee Minutes - 9 March 2023 as a true and correct record.

Denyer/Selwood

CARRIED

4. Reports

4.1

Chairperson's Report

Manager, Transport Planning Oliver Haycock presented this item.

Key Points:

· Due to Cyclone Gabrielle, the Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS) had been delayed and was yet to be released in draft form

· Winter vehicle safety checks taking place across the region had proven popular, particularly with commuters.

In Response to Questions:

· PM³ particulate emissions released into the atmosphere through car tyre and brake wear was an emerging source of concern. These particulates were observed through Regional Council’s air monitoring sites and would continue to be monitored.

Items for Staff Follow Up:

· Clarify whether the Vehicle Exhaust Emissions Amendment 2012 reference to Euro standards 4, 5 and 6 referred only to diesel vehicles.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1. Receives the report, Chairperson's Report.

Thurston/Shirley

CARRIED

4.2

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Quarterly Update

Presentation: Waka Kotahi Quarterly Update - June 2023: Objective ID A4407821

Director Regional Relationships David Speirs presented this item.

Key Points of PowerPoint:

· Additional Budget 2023 funding

· Speed Management Planning

· State Highway Speed Management Plans

· Bitumen supply chain review – also noted the challenges of transporting bitumen

· VKT Reduction Programme:

o Highlighted that the reprioritisation of the work programme did not alter the focus on public transport investment

· He Tohu Huarahi Māori bilingual traffic signs

· Maintenance and Operations update:

o There had been disruption to both Western and Eastern Bay of Plenty programmes due to extreme weather events

· Changes to Ōpōtiki driver licensing

· State Highway 30 to Awakeri and the State Highway 2 Wainui Road to Ōpōtiki safety improvements

· State Highway 2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa – the original part of the project was near completion and would be followed by median barrier installation. The work was being carried out at night wherever possible to try and minimise disruption for drivers.

9.55 am – The meeting adjourned.

9.58 am – The meeting reconvened.

Key Points - Members:

· Acknowledged the high level of frustration for road users around delays caused by roadworks on State Highway 2 Waihī to Ōmokoroa

· Noted the research undertaken by Toi Ohomai and others around the country regarding potential uses for discarded tyres.

In Response to Questions:

· Work was being carried out on a range of alternative options to using bitumen for road surfaces

· Tier 1 councils included Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council

· There was a national piece of work looking at alternative routes for the local road network during disruptions such as weather events and what level of investment would be required

· Technology in bridge construction had shifted over time and there were many other considerations to be made including what was best for the entire catchment, land use change, being fit for purpose long-term and cost drivers (price of materials, supply chain etc)

· Transport was no longer funded solely through the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF), so at a regional level projects needed to consider other funding sources during the process of developing Regional Land Transport Plans (RLTP).

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

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

Speirs/Luca

CARRIED

10.34 am – The meeting adjourned.

10.55 am – The meeting reconvened.

Decisions Required

4.3

Draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2024 - Strategic Framework Development

Presentation: Draft RLTP 2024 - Strategic Framework Development: Objective ID A4407822

Manager, Transport Planning Oliver Haycock presented this item.

Key Points of Presentation:

· Outlined background and process to date of the development of the 2024-2034 RLTP

· Provided a recap of the timeline and informed members of the upcoming workshop on 4 August 2023, with expected purpose and outcomes

· Described the options to be considered for the Vision Statement

· Objective Themes were not a requirement under the Land Transport Management Act 2003 (LTMA), however they were present in the current RLTP and recommended as best practice.

Key Points - Staff:

· It was important to assess regionally significant issues within the Objective Themes and to note that highlighting certain themes would ultimately affect prioritisation during that part of the RLTP process.

Key Points - Members:

· Transport should be an enabler of development and urban growth, particularly housing supply.

In Response to Questions:

· A Vision Statement was also not a requirement under the LTMA and choosing to include one in the RLTP was at the discretion of the Committee

· It was important to keep national guidance and the scope of funding through the NLTF in mind when considering the Objective Themes.

11.25 am – The meeting adjourned.

11.33 am – The meeting reconvened.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2024 - Strategic Framework Development;

2 Endorses the Vision Statement for RLTP 2024:

a) Confirms the preferred Vision Statement as ‘Our transport system meets the needs of our diverse communities, our environment and our economy’;

3 Endorses the five Objective Themes proposed in the report for incorporation into the RLTP 2024;

4 Adds an additional Objective Theme Six of ‘Enable Housing Supply’ and a related Headline Target

5 Endorses the seven Objectives as outlined in the report for incorporation into the RLTP 2024:

a) Confirms the substitution of “reduced” with “minimised” in Objective 2 and Objective 4;

6 Endorses the high-level direction of the headline targets developed by staff;

7 Adds an additional Headline Target to address congestion under the Economic Prosperity Objective Theme.

Selwood/Shirley

CARRIED

Information Only

4.4

Regional Land Transport Plan - Implementation Report

Team Leader, Transport Planning Andrew Williams and Manager, Transport Planning Oliver Haycock presented this item.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Regional Land Transport Plan - Implementation Report

Thurston/Shirley

CARRIED

4.5

Regional Land Transport Plan - Annual Monitoring

Team Leader, Transport Planning Andrew Williams presented this item.

Key Points:

· A clearer copy of Page 83 of the agenda was supplied to members and the 2021/22 Annual Report Card was displayed on screen for ease of reference: Regional Land Transport Plan | Bay of Plenty Regional Council | Toi Moana (boprc.govt.nz)

· Amended that 14, rather than 15 of the 27 KPI targets had been met over the past financial year.

In Response to Questions:

· Some of the KPI’s were ambitious and going through the rationalisation process during development of the RLTP involved ensuring headline targets and KPI’s were easily measurable and deliverable.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Regional Land Transport Plan - Annual Monitoring.

Thurston/Luca

CARRIED

10.

Verbal Update Opportunity from Committee Members and Advisors

Greg Pert – Freight Advisor:

· The condition of the roads, ongoing congestion and resilience issues were the biggest concerns to the freight industry.

Stacey Spall

· Road maintenance and resilience were the main focus for New Zealand Automobile Association members.

Glen Crowther – Environmental Sustainability Advisor:

· There was concern over future funding levels which were perceived as being likely to hold back environmentally beneficial projects.

11.53 am – the meeting closed.

Confirmed

Cr Lyall Thurston

Chairperson, Regional Transport Committee



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	31 August 2023
Report Authoriser:	Oliver Haycock

Chairperson's Report

Executive Summary

This report provides an update on matters of potential interest to RTC members:

· Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024 (GPS);

· New Zealand Freight and Supply Chain Strategy;

· Vehicle Exhaust Emissions Amendment Rule; and

· Sub Regional Road Safety Update.

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Chairperson's Report.

1. Purpose

The purpose of this report is to provide RTC members with a summary of topical matters of potential interest in relation to regional transport planning.

2. Matters of Potential Interest

2.1 Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024 (GPS)

The Ministry of Transport released the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024/25-2033/34 (GPS 2024) on 17 August 2023. The draft GPS 2024 sets out the Government’s transport priorities and guides investments of over $6 billion from the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF), and around $1.5 billion from local government, each year.

The Ministry of Transport have noted that they will not be formally engaging with the sector as part of the release, largely due to the timing within the electoral cycle. The GPS 2024 will be finalised post-election, and therefore, is subject to potentially significant changes. Notwithstanding this, consultation is open until 15 September 2023.

At the time of writing, staff have not been able to complete a full review of the draft GPS 2024, however, some initial takeaways from the release of the document includes:

· Six strategic priorities have been included; all are equally weighted. This is a slight shift from early indications where Climate Change was likely to be an overarching priority with a higher weighting than other priorities. Importantly, the GPS 2024’s strategic priorities align well with the currently drafted RLTP 2024-34 strategic framework.

· Of the six strategic priorities – ‘maintaining and operating the system’ – stands out with increased funding made being available to activities aligning with this priority. This is intended to support maintenance, operations and renewal work across the country in general while also supporting the notion ‘build back better’ and recovery activities associated with the 2023 cyclone events.

· A strategic investment programme has been identified, which includes the Tauranga to Tauriko State Highway 29 project. Funding of this project is considered likely in the current political context.

Staff are able to make a submission on behalf of the Regional Transport Committee (RTC) before 15 September 2023 if the Committee wishes. However, it is noted that due to the timing of the document’s release, a full submission is unlikely to be fully considered between now and when a final GPS 2024 is released. Staff consider a narrowed down submission, reflective of the current political operating context, would be more appropriate – for example, one that covers key points from the regional perspective and responds directly to the questions listed on the Ministry of Transport’s website.

Other documents that support the GPS and the developing RLTP 2024-34, notably the State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP) and Investment Prioritisation Methodology (IPM) are due to be released soon, but no specific timing has been provided.

2.2 New Zealand Freight and Supply Chain Strategy

The Ministry of Transport has released the New Zealand freight and supply chain strategy on 18 August 2023. The strategy articulates a long-term vision for the freight and supply chain to be:

· underpinned by zero emissions freight transport;

· resilient, reliable, and prepared for potential disruptions; and

· highly productive and efficient.

It outlines what needs to be done over three time-horizons:

· 30-year horizon: a set of enduring principles guiding how the government and sector stakeholders should approach the freight and supply chains system

· 10-year horizon: the strategic goals to guide what changes have to happen over the next decade

· three-year horizon: a collaborative approach to sequencing implementation in the first three years, which identifies four key priority areas, including:

o Ports and connections: analyse the spatial connections of New Zealand’s ports and alternative port models;

o Road freight decarbonisation: accelerate transition to zero emissions heavy vehicles;

o Data sharing: identify and invest in freight data needs based on priorities of different public and private sector stakeholders; and

o International engagement: maintain collaboration with international partners to prepare for disruption to freight networks and support the establishment of green shipping corridors.

There are no significant implications for the Bay of Plenty region at this stage, however, staff will maintain a watching brief and report further developments including coverage of the second action plan, intended for 2024.

2.3 Land Transport Management (Regulation of Public Transport) Amendment Bill

The Land Transport Management (Regulation of Public Transport) Amendment Bill proposes to amend the Act to implement the principles of the Sustainable Public Transport Framework (SPTF) thereby replacing the Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM).

Parliament's Transport and Infrastructure Committee’s recent review found there was little incentive for operators to invest in public transport services or for them to come up with innovative ways of improving services.

The bill had its second reading on 17 August 2023, with the amendment proposing to:

· Establish new governing principles for public transport;

· Create flexibility around asset ownership and service provision models;

· Enable innovation in the types of service provided;

· Create new transparency and planning requirements;

· Clarify the regulation of exempt services.

This bill has the potential to create substantial opportunities for public transport. Staff will continue to monitor the progression of this bill.

2.4 Vehicle Exhaust Emissions Amendment Rule

The Ministry of Transport has recently consulted on a proposed Amendment Rule, which aims to progressively improve the harmful emissions standard of vehicles entering Aotearoa New Zealand by requiring newly imported vehicles to meet a new stricter emissions standard.

A summary of the proposals are as follows:

· Rapidly shift the minimum requirement on used imports from Euro 4/IV to Euro 5/V.

· Phase in the shift from Euro 5/V to Euro 6/VI on used imports and new vehicles in several steps, between late 2024 and the start of 2028.

· Introduce an emissions requirement for mopeds and motorcycles.

Consultation feedback closed on 22 June 2022. Regional Council staff made a submission to this process in support of the amendment, focussing on the significant benefits for air quality achieved by reducing vehicle emissions and consequently improving the health of people in our region.

2.5 Sub regional Road Safety update (attachment)

Each of the sub regional road safety clusters work with various road safety partners to deliver programmes targeting road safety issues. Attachment 1 includes an update on progress in each area.

Attachments

Attachment 1 - Road safety education and promotion reports ⇩



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	31 August 2023
Report Writer:	Tia Narvaez, Senior Transport Planner
Report Authoriser:	Oliver Haycock, Manager, Transport Planning
Purpose:	Seeks approval for the strategic framework, prioritisation process and approach and provides an update on the draft document.

Draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-2034 - Strategic Framework and Prioritisation Process

Executive Summary

The Regional Transport Committee (RTC) is required to review the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) by April 30, 2024.

This paper advances the draft RLTP 2024-34 by providing the revised strategic framework, and notes that it overall aligns with the draft Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS).

Also, this paper proposes the prioritisation process and approach for the list of significant transport projects and activities, which involves ranking them based on transport investment priorities and applying weightings.

Drafting of the RLTP 2024-34 is underway to deliver the formal consultation draft due by the end of the year. Considerations for the project include risks and mitigations, climate change, Māori engagement, and community involvement. The matters considered in the paper align with the Regional Council's Long-Term Plan and do not have any direct financial implications.

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-2034 – Strategic Framework and Prioritisation Process;

2 Notes the revised vision, objectives, ten-year transport investment priorities, benefit and problem statements based on the guidance given during the workshop on 04 August 2023;

3 Notes the updated list of policies within the strategic framework;

4 Approves the overall prioritisation process and approach for the Regional Land Transport Plan 2024 as outlined in the report;

5 Notes the progress made on the Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-2034 document, which will be affected by the release of central government policy that may impact the timing of consultation on the draft plan.

1. Background

The Land Transport Management Act 2003 requires the Regional Transport Committee (RTC) to review the Regional Land Transport Plan 2021 by April 30, 2024.

The Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) consists of two main aspects: the Strategic Framework and the Regional Programme. The Strategic Framework includes the transport vision, objectives, policies, and ten-year investment priorities that guide regional transport funding. The Regional Programme defines the transport activities that are prioritised for funding through the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) and the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF).

This paper advances the draft RLTP 2024-34 by providing the revised strategic framework. The framework is based on previous decisions made by the RTC at its previous meetings and workshops alongside a policy review conducted by the Regional Advisory Group (RAG).

Additionally, the paper proposes an overall prioritisation process and approach that will shape the regional work programme of activities. These activities will collectively make up the regional programme and bid for funds from the NLTF or other alternative government funding sources. Lastly, an update on the draft RLTP is provided for your consideration.

2. Strategic Framework

At the 04 August 2023 workshop, RTC members provided feedback on the draft strategic framework for the next RLTP. This included:

· showing connections and consistency in language across the objective themes, objectives, headline targets, benefit and problem statements

· ensuring objectives are achievable

· checking whether headline targets meaningfully measure progress toward objectives

· making minor changes to the benefit and problem statements in the intervention logic map, as well as objectives and transport investment priorities.

A revised draft of the strategic framework that considers and integrates this feedback can be found in Appendix One within a diagram to show connections and consistency in language.

On 17 August 2023, the Ministry of Transport released the draft Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS) for consultation until 15 September 2023. The proposed strategic priorities within the GPS are maintaining and operating the system, increasing resilience, reducing emissions, safety, sustainable urban regional development, and integrated freight system.

The GPS strategic priorities overall align with the currently drafted RLTP transport investment priorities for 2024-34. However, it is worth noting that the RLTP 2024-34 transport investment priority that supports access and choice will be captured by several of the GPS strategic priorities.

The RAG has also advanced the policies to reflect the change in strategic direction since the current RLTP 2021-31 was adopted. Policies are intended to describe how we will deliver upon the objectives and will support the region to achieve these, underpinned by investment in the transport priority areas over the next ten years. Appendix Two provides this draft list for reference.

3. Prioritisation Process

3.1 Prioritisation Timeline and Process

The RAG developed a timeline for the prioritisation process which is supported by national level advice and considers areas of uncertainty, particularly around the release of national level policy and guidance including the e.g., Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS), Investment Prioritisation Method and the State Highway Investment Plan (SHIP).

Figure 1 outlines information about the proposed dates and purposes of key meetings to support the prioritisation process, noting that meeting dates may vary to allow for uncertainties.

1 – Prioritisation process timeline

3.2 Prioritisation Methodology

The RAG agreed the following proposed parameters for the prioritisation of significant transport projects and activities:

· applies to improvement activities of more than $2 million

· requires projects and activities to show strong alignment with the draft RLTP 2024-34 problem and benefit statements and priorities

· does not include continuous programmes[1], low-cost low-risk activities[2], or activities with signed contracts or allocated funding to be prioritised

· allows business cases (programme, indicative or detailed) to be prioritised, if necessary to demonstrate their importance

· requires RAG consensus on projects’ and activities’ contribution to transport investment priorities.

Projects and activities will be ranked against the transport investment priorities which will be refined by applying weightings. The RAG proposed high-level weighting scenarios (Appendix Three) that it will discuss, apply and sensitivity test during the process to develop the list of significant transport projects and activities.

4. Draft RLTP 2024-2034 document

Staff with support as necessary from the RAG are drafting the draft RLTP 2024-2034 document. As maps, graphics, strategic content and other programme related information becomes available, staff will integrate it into the draft document to deliver the formal consultation draft due by the end of the year.

5. Considerations

5.1 Risks and Mitigations

Table 1 presents a list of risks and the corresponding mitigations managed by staff.

Table 1 – Project risks and mitigations

Risk	Mitigation
A sudden strategic and policy shift due to the 2023 general election impacting transport plans	Plan for multiple scenarios post-election for the national political direction
Project delays to due information gaps (e.g., GPS LT, IPM & SHIP)	Identify key information gaps early and make alternative plans to address gaps
A lack of stakeholder agreement on RLTP elements	Focus on key stakeholder engagement throughout shaping the RLTP
Disagreements between the regions and central government	Maintain dialogue with central government, communicating with transparency and collaboration
Public resistance and political approval delays	Implement a consultation strategy for public buy-in. Plan for multiple scenarios in relation to key milestone timeframes
Difficulties attaining consensus on prioritised projects/activities	Carry out ongoing partner engagement, transparency across the prioritisation process, and a community communications plan

5.2 Climate Change

The draft RLTP 2024-34 strategic framework includes a focus on mitigation and adaptation in relation to climate change. This is evident in various strategic aspects, including the objectives, policies, headline targets, benefit and problem statements. One key objective is Environmental Sustainability, which includes climate change mitigation and adaptation policies (Appendix One) and an associated headline target.

5.3 Implications for Māori

Suitable engagement with Māori is crucial for developing the RLTP 2024-34 and ensuring that Māori aspirations are considered and reflected. This is important for meeting the collective obligations of the Regional Council and Waka Kotahi under the LTMA (2003). The Regional Council is well-equipped to actively engage with Māori, and staff are currently working on a consultation plan that will include a specific focus on Māori consultation.

All transportation investments can have implications for Māori. Our communities rely on transport infrastructure and services to access social, cultural and economic opportunities. Additionally, transport investments have the potential to enable Māori to make better use of their land for economic purposes. However, it is important to address any potential negative impacts on the environmental and cultural assets caused by transport activities and mitigate them to ensure that investments are acceptable to iwi.

5.4 Community Engagement

CONSULT

Whakauiuia

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

As noted, staff are developing a public consultation programme for the draft RLTP 2024-34.

5.5 Alignment with Strategic Framework

The RTC are responsible for developing the RLTP 2024-34 and this work contributes to the “Vibrant Region” community outcome in the Regional Council’s Long-Term Plan 2021-2031.

5.6 Financial Implications

There are currently no direct financial implications associated with approving the strategic framework and prioritisation process and approach for the draft RLTP 2024-34.

6. Next Steps

Currently, staff are planning for a RTC workshop in November 2023 to discuss the RAG’s advice on the prioritised list of significant transport projects and activities. This workshop will be followed by an RTC meeting in November or December, where the draft RLTP 2024-34, including the prioritised list of significant transport projects and activities, will be approved for formal public consultation.

Attachments

Attachment 1 - Draft RLTP 2024-2034 Strategic Framework, Policies & Prioritisation Scenarios ⇩

Attachment 2 - Diagram 2 - RLTP Project Timeline ⇩

[1] Public transport continuous programmes covering existing services for the three years of the next NLTP.

[2] Low Cost, Low Risk (LCLR) improvement programmes within the local road improvements, state highway improvements, regional improvements or public transport Improvements activity classes for activities up to $2 million total cost per activity.