Open Minutes
Commencing: Tuesday 12 September 2023, 9.30 am
Venue: Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chambers, Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga
Chairperson: Cr Andrew von Dadelszen – Bay of Plenty Regional Council Toi Moana (BOPRC)
Deputy Chairperson: Cr Lyall Thurston – BOPRC (via Zoom)
Members: BOPRC
Cr Jane Nees (via Zoom)
Cr Paula Thompson (via Zoom)
Cr Malcolm Campbell
Cr Ken Shirley
Tauranga City Council (TCC)
Commissioner Stephen Selwood
Rotorua Lakes Council (RLC)
Cr Conan O'Brien – Alternate (via Zoom)
Whakatāne District Council (WDC)
Deputy Mayor Andrew Iles
Cr Gavin Dennis - Alternate
Western Bay of Plenty District Council (WBOPDC)
Mayor James Denyer
Deputy Mayor John Scrimgeour – Alternate (via Zoom)
New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (Waka Kotahi)
Jessica Andrew - Regional Manager System Design (Waikato Bay of Plenty)
In Attendance: Cr Ron Scott – BOPRC; Cr Kat Macmillan – BOPRC (via Zoom); Cr Winters – BOPRC (via Zoom); Mike Seabourne – Director, Public Transport; Oliver Haycock – Manager, Transport Planning; Stuart Nightingale – Manager, Transport Operations; Mary Norris – Acting Team Lead Accessible Transport; Claudia Cameron – Committee Advisor.
Presenters
Debz Turner – Public Forum
Heidi Hughes – The Wednesday Challenge
Apologies: Mayor Tania Tapsell – RLC and Sarah Roberts – Waka Kotahi
Minute Note: This meeting was livestreamed and recorded and can be accessed on the BOPRC YouTube channel: Public Transport Committee Meeting - 12 September 2023 - YouTube
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That the Public Transport Committee: 1 Accepts the apology from Mayor Tania Tapsell and Sarah Roberts for absence tendered at the meeting. CARRIED |
09:32 am - Deputy Mayor John Scrimgeour entered the meeting.
2.1 Debz Turner
Key Points:
· On-bus announcements indicating the stop being approached would help passengers and drivers
· Suggested tickets be sold at the information centre to save time during cruise ship season
· Children walking in front of buses at school bus stops was a safety concern – suggested bus safety education in schools
· The Palm Beach bus stop could be dangerous with cars leaving the petrol station/supermarket
· The volume of buses at individual stops, particularly at school times, created challenges
· Limited time between connecting buses caused missed connections, particularly if passengers had to change location
· Cameron Road closures had caused buses to take incorrect routes and miss passengers
· Suggested yellow bus stops to match the buses.
09:34 am – Commissioner Stephen Selwood and Cr Jane Nees entered the meeting.
· Cameras at bus stops would provide increased security
· Suggested using a larger font size for signs on buses.
Key Points - Members:
· Thanked Debz for her feedback and noted the importance of hearing from regular users.
3. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest
None declared.
Minutes to be Confirmed
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Public Transport Committee Minutes - 7 June 2023 Tabled Document 1 - Waka Eastern Bay Flyer: Objective ID A4478777 ⇨ Matters Arising: Cr Andrew Iles tabled the Waka Eastern Bay flyer, to provide an update on their progress. |
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That the Public Transport Committee: 1 Confirms the Public Transport Committee Minutes - 7 June 2023 as a true and correct record. CARRIED |
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Wednesday Challenge 2023 and Bay of Plenty opportunity for 2024 Presentation: The Wednesday Challenge: Objective ID A4477922 ⇨ Presented by: Heidi Hughes – The Wednesday Challenge |
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· The highest potential for mode change was with schools and business workers, there was a need to change sedentary travel habits · The recent focus had been making school participation easier and enabling businesses to join via the app · Waka Kotahi innovation funding had been received to roll out the programme in Tairāwhiti Gisborne, with particular interest in engaging hard to reach communities. Learnings could be applied to Whakatāne, as it had a similar population size · It had been indicated no funding would be available for next year in Tauranga. Continued funding was suggested as the initial investment had taken place and change was most likely with year on year messaging · There was an opportunity to engage with students and school communities in Rotorua · Potential opportunities were being explored with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Waka Kotahi, as well as potential sponsorship opportunities with Mercury. Key Points - Members: · Previous investment establishing the programme should not be wasted · Directed the proposal to the BOPRC Long Term Plan submission process. In Response to Questions: · If no funding was available going forward, 19 Tauranga schools would lose access to the Wednesday Challenge · There was potential to roll out to rural schools, particularly in Whakatāne · Offered to report back to this committee once the Tairāwhiti Gisborne project was underway · Provided a video link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ismd7jrf1cvmalll6z8gp/WC9538-Schools-montage-video_v1.mp4?rlkey=yklml2kycns9s1wy7oj4zxt1c&dl=0 Key Points - Staff: · BOPRC was putting together a wider programme to be considered for Waka Kotahi funding, as opposed to funding individual initiatives. |
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Public Transport Arotake Tuawha (Q4) Performance Monitoring Report 2022/2023 Presentation: Arotake Tuawha (Q4) Performance Monitoring Report: Objective ID A4477963 ⇨ Tabled Document 2 - Adult Fares Tauranga: Objective ID A4478764 ⇨ Presented by: Stuart Nightingale – Manager, Transport Operations |
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Cr Andrew von Dadelszen tabled the document – Adult Fares Tauranga. Key Points: · Patronage and Bee Card use had increased · Noted missed trips were often due to congestion issues · Some tertiary school routes did not have Bee Card machines, which explained their higher reliance on cash · Highlighted the Total Mobility growth · Operating expenditure was increasing; this was partly due to increased driver wages which had previously been offset by the reduced timetable · As school rolls increased the demand for bus services also increased. This was a positive for patronage but meant increased operational costs. Analysis was required via the BOPRC Long Term Plan. Key Points - Members: · Suggested concessions be available for Bee Card users only · Some Rotorua patronage data may be below the actual figures from school children using the bus without a bee card or cash sale · Suggested a report which identified annual boardings required to reach the Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) 20% mode shift target · Sought clarity around the Western Bay data presentation, recommended it be grouped together where possible. In Response to Questions: · Data collection guided the work programme · Low customer satisfaction last year was understood to be due to reduced services, targets were now on track to be reached · The Public Transport Services and Infrastructure Business Case was investigating options and investment requirements to meet the Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) 20% mode shift target · Agreed engagement with Rotorua schools was required, but disinclined to require drivers to enforce rules at point of sale · The cause of the decrease in school patronage for eastern Bay of Plenty (BOP) was unknown and would be investigated. |
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That the Public Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Public Transport Arotake Tuawha (Q4) Performance Monitoring Report 2022/2023. CARRIED |
10:37 am - Cr Jane Nees and Deputy Mayor John Scrimgeour withdrew from the meeting.
10.37 am – The meeting adjourned.
10:55 am – The meeting reconvened.
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Director's Update Presented by: Mike Seabourne - Director, Public Transport |
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· Transport Team staff vacancies were being filled. |
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Chairperson's Report Presented by: Stuart Nightingale – Manager, Transport Operations and Oliver Haycock – Manager, Transport Planning Key Points: · The Sustainable Public Transport Framework provided flexibility around asset ownership and service provision models, potential opportunities were being investigated · The National Ticketing System (NTS) rollout was in the planning phase, it was an intricate and substantial national project with reliance on manufacturers and installers · NTS roll out for BOPRC was anticipated for the first quarter of 2025. Not being first allowed learnings from other regions to be taken on board · Rotorua Network Refresh – funding had been applied for through Waka Kotahi. The project was an example of positive collaboration between BOPRC, RLC and Waka Kotahi with an anticipated go-live date of mid-2024 · Tauranga Network Refresh and full timetable – there had been challenges between aspirations and budget. The goal of increased reliability remained, however there were inflationary pressures and higher costs. There had been delays to the schedule while staff worked through improvement options within the current budget. The targeted go-live date was November 2023, but there was potential for delay · Whakatāne Network Refresh was not currently scheduled but it was expected to be the next refresh undertaken. 11:05 am – Deputy Mayor John Scrimgeour entered the meeting. · Procurement was currently underway for the Tauranga on-demand trial, with the go-live date currently at March 2024 · Government mandated Community Connect Extension and fare changes had required staff resourcing, this accounted for the delays to other projects. The adaptability of staff to react to the changing operating environment was highlighted · Antisocial incidents were being taken seriously and managed appropriately. A collaborative approach with other agencies and councils was ongoing to mitigate risk. A school supported passenger code of conduct was being investigated, and passengers were encouraged to report issues to the police or operators. Key Points - Members: · The drop in some Whakatāne/eastern BOP patronage warranted a review/refresh. |
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That the Public Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Chairperson's Report. CARRIED |
Information Only
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Accessible Action Planning Workstream Presentation: Community Transport Forum Project Proposal: Objective ID A4478780 ⇨ Presented by: Mary Norris - Acting Team Lead, Accessible Transport Operations Key Points: · The aim was to support travel disadvantaged members of the community to promote independence and dignity · The Community Transport Forum would be facilitated by BOPRC and was intended to bring together service providers to share ideas, gain a comprehensive picture of needs and identify gaps in service coverage · Transport information would be made available in accessible formats · Resourced from within the current Accessible Transport team budget · Updates would be provided to the Public Transport Committee for feedback · An intention of the project was to meet objectives of the RPTP. Key Points - Members: · Recommended there be a Forum Terms of Reference for clarity of role · Suggested remote and disadvantaged communities, particularly in eastern BOP, be considered for inclusion. In Response to Questions: · BOPRC’s facilitation would ensure clear coordination and a wide scope of voices, there was no intention to control the individual services provided. |
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That the Public Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Accessible Action Planning Workstream. CARRIED |
11:43 am – Cr Jane Nees entered the meeting.
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Tauranga Public Transport Joint Committee Minutes Presented by: Oliver Haycock – Manager, Transport Planning Key Points: · Noted the Tauranga Public Transport Joint Committee Terms of Reference required quarterly updates to the Public Transport Committee · Increased operational expenditure costs for Public Transport were recognised by Waka Kotahi and revenue review work was to be undertaken. |
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That the Public Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Tauranga Public Transport Joint Committee Minutes. CARRIED |
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Resolution to exclude the public 1 Excludes the public from the following parts of the proceedings of this meeting as set out below: The general subject of each matter to be considered while the public is excluded, the reason for passing this resolution in relation to each matter, and the specific grounds under section 48(1) of the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 for the passing of this resolution are as follows:
CARRIED |
12:05 pm – the meeting closed.
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Chairperson, Public Transport Committee