Agenda of Regional Transport Committee - Friday, 9 February 2024

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	Inspector Logan Marsh – 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 December 2023

Regional Transport Committee

Open Minutes

Commencing: Friday 15 December 2023, 3.10 pm (held at the conclusion of the Regional Land Transport Plan Workshop)

Venue: Tōtara Room, Whakatāne District Council, Ground floor, Commerce Street, Whakatāne

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

Deputy Chairperson: Cr Ken Shirley - BOPRC

Members: Mayor Faylene Tunui - Kawerau District Council, Mayor David Moore - Ōpōtiki District Council, Deputy Mayor John Scrimgeour – Alternate, Western Bay of Plenty District Council (via Zoom), Commissioner Stephen Selwood – Alternate, Tauranga City Council (via Zoom),

Cr Andrew von Dadelszen – Alternate, BOPRC,

Mayor James Denyer - Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Mayor Victor Luca - Whakatāne District Council, Deputy Mayor Lesley Immink – Alternate, Whakatāne District Council, Jess Andrew – Alternate, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency (NZTA)

In Attendance: External Advisors: Glen Crowther – Environmental Sustainability, Peter Bedford – on behalf of New Zealand Automobile Association

BOPRC: Cr Ron Scott, Cr Malcolm Campbell, Michael Seabourne – Director, Public Transport, Presenters – as listed in the minutes, Amanda Namana – Committee Advisor

Apologies: David Speirs - NZTA, Angus Hodgson – KiwiRail (non-voting), Lyndon Hammond – Alternate, KiwiRail (non-voting), Dan Kneebone – Port of Tauranga Advisor, Greg Pert - Freight Advisor, Stacey Spall - NZ Automobile Association Advisor, Mayor Tania Tapsell - Rotorua Lakes Council, Logan Marsh – NZ Police Road Safety Advisor, Chairman Doug Leeder – BOPRC (ex-officio)

1. Apologies

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Accepts the apologies from David Speirs, Angus Hodgson, Lyndon Hammond, Dan Kneebone, Greg Pert, Stacey Spall, Mayor Tapsell, Logan Marsh and Chairman Leeder tendered at the meeting.

Thurston/Shirley

CARRIED

2. Public Forum

2.1

Mike Williams (via Zoom) - State Highway 2 Western Bay of Plenty Safety

Tabled Document 1 - Traffic Volumes Exiting sides roads between Katikati and Ōmōkoroa: Objective ID A4568659

Tabled Document 2 - Map - State Highway 2 from Katikati: Objective ID A4568663

Due to technical issues with Zoom audio, Mike Williams was unable to present at this meeting. He was invited to present at the next meeting scheduled for Friday, 9 February 2024.

3. Order of Business

Agenda item 7.1 was considered following Agenda Item 2 to accommodate technical issues. Agenda Item 10 was considered together with Agenda Item 3 at the discretion of the Chair, to accept and consider the item not on the agenda, and ensure an efficient meeting process.

4. Presentations

4.1

Eastern Bay of Plenty Road Safety Operational Group – Ōpōtiki District Road Policing

Presentation: A plea for increased roading Police resourcing in the Ōpōtiki District: Objective ID A4568803

Presented by: Cr Gavin Dennis - Whakatāne District Councillor and Chair of the Eastern Bay Road Safety Operational Group

Key Points:

· The Eastern Bay Road Safety Operational Group covered Kawerau, Ōpōtiki and Whakatāne districts

· Outlined the risk areas for road safety in the Eastern Bay

· There was an education programme in place to address these risks with the community

· Embedded behaviours were difficult to change

· Provided a background of fatal and serious crashes in the Eastern Bay from 2019 – 2023

· Compared the number of accidents involving death and serious injury, by District

· Ōpōtiki communities were particularly at risk and over-represented in the 2022 Communities at Risk Register

· Some of the issues included difficulty in sourcing police for the Ōpōtiki District and an overall lack of numbers for the work that was required, including the necessity of a dedicated road policing resource

· Expressed a strong commitment to reducing death and serious injury in the Eastern Bay subregion.

Key Points - Members:

· Noted that Ōpōtiki District was also a corridor to Gisborne and the East Cape, therefore many of the statistics provided included motorists travelling through

· Considered that Ōpōtiki District had not been fully staffed with Police since 2014

· Encouraged the Western Bay to also look into the potential of re-establishing a similar road safety committee for the subregion as the previous one had been disbanded.

Item for Staff Follow Up:

· Draft a letter of support for increased, dedicated road policing in the Ōpōtiki District, for the Eastern Bay Road Safety Operational Group to include with their letter to be sent to local Members of Parliament, Minister of Transport and Minister of Police. To include this letter with the Chair’s report to the next scheduled meeting on 9 February 2024 for members to review and sign.

5. Item not on the Agenda

5.1

Chairperson's Report

Tabled Document 3 - Chair's Report - Item not on the Agenda: Objective ID A4565986

Key Points:

· Outlined the various correspondence received after the agenda was distributed, which was included in the tabled Chair’s report

· A press release was expected during the week of 18-22 December 2023 by Hon. Simeon Brown, Minister of Transport to set out strategic priorities and expectations for transport and the new Government Policy Statement (GPS)

· The main concern around rural school bus safety was buses travelling at open road speeds with children unrestrained. An additional concern was the danger facing children as they travelled to the bus stops to wait on rural roads with traffic travelling at open road speeds. Chair Scott from Environment Canterbury considered that this was a national issue and sought support from regional councils across the country

o Noted that BOPRC did not currently administer any rural school buses, however there were some operating in the region. There would be no direct implications for BOPRC should there be any change to legislation around this issue

· The new government intended to replace The Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2022 which could impact work being undertaken in the Regional Speed Management Plan space, therefore no further progress would be made until the new Rule was introduced and understood.

Key Point - Members:

· In order to gain progress through sending a letter regarding rural school bus safety, it would be more effective to also propose a solution, rather than just stating the problem.

In Response to Questions:

· Within the Chair’s report, there was a Ministry of Transport link to statistics on rural bus accidents

· The Rotorua Bus Network Refresh was in the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) as a proposed activity, but as the cost was less than $2M, it was not classed as a Significant Activity.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Accepts the item not on the agenda, Chairperson’s Report, notes that the reason this item is not on the agenda is the information was provided after the agenda was prepared, and cannot be delayed due to the timely nature of the information;

2 Receives the report, Chairperson's Report and accepts it as an Item not on the Agenda;

3 Delegates authority to the Chair of the Bay of Plenty Regional Transport Committee to review and sign a letter in support of addressing the issues associated with rural school bus safety.

Thurston/Denyer

CARRIED

6. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest

None declared.

7. Minutes

Minutes to be Confirmed

7.1

Regional Transport Committee Minutes - 31 August 2023

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Confirms the Regional Transport Committee Minutes - 31 August 2023 as a true and correct record, subject to the following amendment:

· Remove Mayor Luca from the Member’s list of attendees as he was an apology for this meeting.

Thurston/Luca

CARRIED

8. Reports

8.1	Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Quarterly Update Presentation: Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Quarterly Update: Objective ID A4568652 Presented by: Jess Andrew – Regional Manager, System Design, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Key Points: · Awaiting a new Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS), which was being undertaken by the Ministry of Transport – the final GPS would come into effect on 1 July 2024, although there was uncertainty around upcoming changes that would be made o Encouraged the Committee to keep progressing the development of the RLTP despite this uncertainty. Highlighted the importance of continuing to prioritise Significant Activities to make regional needs and priorities clear, regardless of the funding source · Speed cameras were now known as safety cameras due to new multi-functionality – more cameras would be provided across the network, focused on key areas to prioritise placement of fixed and mobile cameras · State Highway 2 Baypark to Bayfair Link would largely be fully functional for Christmas, with some finishing works completed early 2024. Temporary speed limits would remain in place until all works were completed and road users were used to the new layout · Hewletts Road rail level-crossing safety improvements had been installed and NZTA would continue working on a long term plan to further increase safety at the site · Takitimu North Link (TNL) – construction work was beginning on the new Cambridge Road overbridge which would connect Bethlehem and Tauriko. These works necessitated closing a section of Moffat Road for three months from January 2024. Approximately 500 people had attended recent community engagement events regarding the TNL · Te Ngae Junction intersection of State Highways 30 and 33 had been completed below expected budget and timeframes, which connected Rotorua and Whakatāne. In Response to Questions: · As part of the skate park works, safety in the Hull Road level crossing area was also being investigated and would see improvements. There was joint responsibility for safety at level crossings between NZTA and KiwiRail, sometimes including Tauranga City Council, dependent on the crossing location and other factors · The Public Transport Operating Model (PTOM) was an operational standard that worked separately to the GPS and NZTA were working through operational policy to provide guidance on how this should be implemented following new government direction.
	Resolved That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Quarterly Update. Andrew/Thurston CARRIED
8.2	Regional Land Transport Plan - Implementation Report Presented by: Andrew Williams – Team Leader, Transport Planning Key Points – Environmental Sustainability Advisor: · Considered that previous public transport aspirations had not been achieved and suggested a closer look at the reasons for projects that were not able to be delivered. In Response to Questions: · There were opportunities to learn from the last Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) to ensure that the new version was representative of what was possible. Noted that the Committee created a list of what needed to be achieved and delivered through the RLTP, with no direct control over many of the aspects. There was a series of factors across infrastructure delivery at present which made for a significantly challenging environment. When considering measures within the RLTP, it was important to consider accountability and what was able to be controlled against what could only be monitored · Tauranga State Highway 2 to City Centre project was the managed lane study which had been progressed through the Vehicles Kilometres Travelled (VKT) reduction funding.
	Resolved That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Regional Land Transport Plan - Implementation Report. Thurston/Shirley CARRIED

Verbal Update Opportunity for Committee Members and Advisors

Mayor James Denyer – Western Bay of Plenty District Council:

· Council would be discussing the speed management plan at its meeting on 19 December 2023 and anticipated many of the changes from the new government, with a consideration on how to relate these to the public.

Mayor Victor Luca – Whakatāne District Council:

· Speed management plans were originally scheduled to go to the final Council meeting of 2023, however the discussion would now be delayed to a future meeting.

4.09 PM – the meeting closed.

Confirmed

Cr Lyall Thurston

Chairperson, Regional Transport Committee



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	9 February 2024
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);

· Transport Choices Package (TCP) Funding;

· Sub Regional road safety update; and

· Letter of support for increasing Eastern Bay road policing.

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Chairperson's Report.

2 Approves the attached letter of support (Attachment 2) signed by the Chair on behalf of the RTC, to be sent to the Eastern Bay Road Safety Group.

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)

Staff have been informed that the Minister for Transport, Hon Simeon Brown, will soon be indicating the strategic priorities and expectations that will be included in the new draft GPS 2024. This was originally anticipated to be announced in December 2023, but was delayed.

It is expected that the new draft GPS will be released by mid-February for consultation. Staff may get an earlier indication of content, but it is understood that this will depend on how long the internal Government consultation takes between the coalition partners.

This does have potential implications for the preparation of the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) 2024. The Ministry of Transport are aware of the current timeframes for RLTP development and consultation, and it is our understanding that they do not want the process to stop.

Staff have worked through this type of issue in the past and will remain dynamic over the coming months, keeping the Regional Transport Committee abreast of developments as necessary.

Staff’s proposal to navigate a potential late change in the GPS is set out in the subsequent paper, “Approval of the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2024 and Statement of Proposal for Public Consultation”.

2.2 Transport Choices Package (TCP) Funding

In late December, the Minister for Transport, Hon Simeon Brown, wrote to Council Chief Executives, Chairs and Mayors in relation to the future of funding awarded through NZTA Waka Kotahi’s Transport Choices Package (TCP).

The Minister confirmed that no further funding will be provided for projects which had not progressed into the implementation/construction phase.

In the Bay of Plenty, the following projects had been awarded funding from the TCP:

Project	Lead Agency
Refreshing and enhancing public transport in Rotorua	Bay of Plenty Regional Council
Rotorua strategic cycle networks	Rotorua Lakes Council
Rotorua walkable neighbourhoods - Lynmore school	Rotorua Lakes Council
Rotorua walkable neighbourhoods - pedestrian crossing upgrades	Rotorua Lakes Council
Te Papa Spatial Plan (TPSP) package	Tauranga City Council
Arataki multi-modal corridor	Tauranga City Council
Te Puke Urban cycleways (A1-A12)	Western Bay of Plenty District Council
Trident High School off-road path	Whakatane District Council
SH30 Shaw Rd to Whakatane Bridge	Whakatane District Council

The Bay of Plenty Regional Council had been awarded TCP funding to deliver the infrastructure enhancements (bus shelters) necessary to implement Rotorua Bus Network Refresh, with no requirement for a local share contribution. Unfortunately, as this project had not been approved to progress to implementation, all further funding has been lost.

Where agencies wish to continue with these projects, alternative funding sources must now be found.

2.3 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.

2.4 Letter of support for increasing Eastern Bay Road Policing

At the 15^th December meeting of the Regional Transport Committee, Councillor Gavin Dennis, Chair of the Eastern Bay Road Safety Operational Group delivered a presentation highlighting some of the major challenges facing the Eastern Bay, and in particular the Ōpōtiki District. Despite the valiant efforts of the group to promote general road safety behaviour change, deaths and serious injuries continue to persist with primary causes relating to alcohol consumption and seatbelt misuse.

The Eastern Bay Road Safety Group has identified the lack of police enforcement as a key factor in the continual poor driver decision making and intends to write a letter to Ministers of Police and Transport, requesting an increase in dedicated road police resource in the Eastern Bay area in general, with a particular focus on the Ōpōtiki District.

Following this meeting, staff have worked with the Chair of the RTC to draft a letter of support for increased road police in the Ōpōtiki District, for the Eastern Bay Road Safety Operational Group to include with their letter to be sent to local Members of Parliament, the Minister of Transport and the Minister of Police.

The draft letter of support, signed by the Chair of the RTC is appended to this report (Attachment 2), for approval by the Committee.

Attachments

Attachment 1 - Regional Road Safety Progress Update Report ⇩

Attachment 2 - Draft Letter of Support for Increased Eastern Bay Road Safety Resources ⇩



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	9 February 2024
Report Writer:	Niki Carling, Senior Transport Planner and Tapuwaerenga Daina Hall, Transport Planner
Report Authoriser:	Oliver Haycock, Manager, Transport Planning
Purpose:	To request Regional Transport Committee (RTC) approval of the draft statement of proposal for the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2024 – 2034 and the proposed consultation approach

Approval of the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2024 and Statement of Proposal for Public Consultation

Executive Summary

The Regional Transport Committee (RTC) has undergone a rigorous and robust process to develop the draft Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) for the Bay of Plenty region.

This report presents a statement of proposal for the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2024 – 2034 (draft RLTP 2024) for the RTC to consider and approve for public consultation. The report also outlines the proposed approach to consultation and seeks RTC direction on the composition of the RLTP hearings and deliberations sub-committee.

The draft RLTP 2024 has been updated to address feedback received at the 15 December 2023 RTC workshop. This report also seeks authorisation for any minor amendments arising from the 9 February 2024 workshop to be made to the document in consultation with the RTC Chair.

The project is entering a critical stage and timeframes to completion are now tight to reach the final document deadline of June 2024.

A copy of the updated draft RLTP 2024 will be circulated under separate cover.

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report - Approval of the draft statement of proposal for the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2024 – 2034 (draft RLTP 2024) and the proposed consultation approach;

2 Approves the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-2034 document for public consultation in accordance with the requirements of the Land Transport Management Act 2003;

3 Authorises the undertaking of a special consultative procedure, as provided for by the Local Government Act 2002, to consult on the draft Regional Land Transport Plan;

4 Approves the statement of proposal, including the consultation questions;

5 Authorises the Manager, Transport Planning, in consultation with the Chair of the RTC where appropriate, to include the activity prioritisation list (as per guidance provided at the workshop held immediately prior to this meeting) and to make any necessary formatting and minor grammatical changes to the draft Regional Land Transport Plan and Statement of Proposal prior to its release to the public; and

6 Appoints a subcommittee to undertake hearings and deliberations on the draft Regional Land Transport Plan, comprised of the following representatives:

1. Background

The purpose of this report is to seek approval of the Bay of Plenty draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2024 – 2034 (draft RLTP 2024), a supporting Statement of Proposal and authority to undertake a special consultative procedure. Additionally, the RTC is required to confirm the appointment of a hearings and deliberations sub-committee.

The RLTP process commenced in late 2022. RTC briefings, workshops and meetings between late 2022 and late 2023 have supported the development of the document, and activities programme.

The regional transport priorities set by the RTC have driven the development of the strategic front-end of the draft RLTP 2024. The draft Plan was discussed at the RTC workshop on 15 December 2023, at which comments were made about the need for the document to place greater emphasis on housing, economic growth and productivity, in line with early signals from the new Government. The latest version of the draft Plan, which accommodates these comments, has been circulated under separate cover.

The completion of the financial section of the Plan will require the inclusion of the prioritised activity list, as finalised in the RTC workshop.

At the time of writing this report, the deadline for the submission of RLTPs to NZ Transport Agency - Waka Kotahi (NZTA) remains as 14 June 2024. As the production of an RLTP to the timescales set by the NZTA is a statutory obligation under the LTMA, it is important that we continue with our current programme to meet this deadline.

To this end, it is proposed that consultation on the draft RLTP 2024 be undertaken in late February, as indicated by the current programme.

It is the understanding of staff (through the TSIG network) that, with the exception of Auckland Transport, officers from all other regional and unitary authorities are strongly encouraging their respective Regional Transport Committees to progress with consultation in early 2024, as planned.

Central Government have signalled their intent to make changes to the draft GPS on Land Transport, however the current view of staff is that this would be unlikely to impact the questions posed as part of the consultation process.

However, staff acknowledge that should a new draft GPS contain significant policy shifts beyond those anticipated, the strategic fabric and narrative within the current draft could be undermined, requiring consultation to be delayed or revisited. Staff are aware of this risk and will continue to approach the next few weeks and months with flexibility where possible.

2. The Draft RLTP 2024

The draft RLTP 2024 has been circulated under separate cover. It sets out the strategic direction and makes the case for the proposed programme of transport activities, including the region’s prioritised activities. The prioritisation of significant activities is the subject of the other workshop paper – Prioritisation of draft RLTP 2024-34 Significant Activities – included in this pack.

On 15 December 2024, the RTC provided feedback on the draft Plan. Key points were:

· The strategy required strengthening with regard to early government signals, i.e.:

o to place stronger emphasis on housing, economic growth and productivity.

o to be stronger in terms of recognising the need for transport investment to enable housing and commercial land development and the implications this had on prioritising projects (esp. SH29 and SH2, Stage 2 investments which are critical to this).

· The role and importance of the Port of Tauranga needed to be strengthened and emphasised.

· Needed greater emphasis on the size of the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) funding gaps faced and the likely requirement for alternative revenue streams.

· Tauranga is one of the fastest growing cities, in one of the most productive regions, with the most significant port in New Zealand. However, it is supported by one of the weakest transport networks. This makes for a compelling investment case which needed to be set out in a strong and robust manner.

· There was an apparent disconnect between some of the Headlines Targets from an environmental sustainability perspective, particularly relating to public transport mode share aspirations.

The draft RLTP 2024 has accommodated these changes. Once the prioritised activity list has been finalised, it will be added into the draft Plan. This paper seeks RTC authorisation to add in the prioritisation list and to make any necessary minor changes to the draft Plan prior to its release for public consultation.

The draft RLTP 2024 is, in effect, a work in progress up until the time it is submitted to NZTA on 14 June 2024. This is because the RLTP and its programme of activities can only be confirmed once several other planning processes are completed, including finalisation of the Waka Kotahi Investment Proposal, public consultation, and finalisation of local authority Long Term Plans (LTPs).

The proposed draft RLTP 2024 programme can only be considered affordable once the activities within it are committed by each of the region’s local authorities, via their respective LTPs.

3. Consultation Process

In accordance with section 18CA of the LTMA, once the RTC has carried out a review of the RLTP, it must have regard to the views of representative groups of land transport users and providers. Section 18 of the LTMA provides two options for public consultation on an RLTP:

1. Consult in accordance with section 82 of the Local Government Act 2002 (LGA 2002) consultation principles; or

2. Use a special consultative procedure (SCP) as provided for by section 83 of the LGA 2002.

Staff recommend that consultation via a SCP is the more appropriate for the draft RLTP 2024 because:

· Section 83(1)(a)(ii), notes that where a local authority considers that it is necessary “to enable public understanding of a proposal”, a summary of information via a statement of proposal is required. The draft RLTP 2024 has the potential to significantly impact the region and its communities, and therefore it is deemed necessary to enable public understanding of the proposal via a statement of proposal. Section 82 does not require a statement of proposal.

· Section 83 requires that public views on the proposal be provided for not less than one month; and that the statement of proposal is as widely available as is reasonably practicable. Section 82 does not specify a timeframe for feedback or detail how information should be made publicly available.

· Section 83 outlies what “must” be done to fulfil the consultation requirements, whereas, section 82 provides a guide only outlining what “should” be done. Section 83 provides a clearer scope for staff and the RTC.

· Section 83 necessitates an approach that is robust and ensures that RTC is required to do as much as it can to inform the public and seek its views.

Consultation on the draft Regional Council LTP (also requiring a SCP) is scheduled to commence in early March and overlap for two weeks with the draft RLTP 2024 consultation. As the LTP has been developed in parallel with the RLTP, this provides an opportunity for efficiencies and enables staff to leverage consultation and communication modes and methods being utilised for both processes.

3.1 Statement of Proposal

A statement of proposal is intended to be a summary of the information contained in the draft RLTP 2024 (pursuant to Section 83AA LGA).

Section 83AA requires that a statement of proposal must:

a. be a fair representation of the major matters in the statement of proposal; and

b. be in a form determined by the local authority; and

c. indicate where the statement of proposal is available; and

d. state the period within which persons interested in the proposal may present their views to the local authority.

To meet the requirements of Section 83 of the LGA, staff have prepared a statement of proposal (Attachment 1), which is recommended for adoption for the purpose of public consultation. It outlines the following:

· The RTC requirement under the LTMA to develop an RLTP, or review it, every three years and what an RLTP is;

· What the “big picture” is, including the region’s transport challenges, the draft RLTP 2024 vision, including the objectives, policies and targets that will support achieving the vision;

· What priorities are considered appropriate for the region to progress to support achieving the draft RLTP 2024 vision;

· How submissions can be made and what questions should be answered by the public; and

· Key dates in the draft RLTP 2024 process from now until it is adopted by the Regional Council in June.

3.1.1 The Consultation Questions

The RTC must enable public understanding of the draft RLTP 2024. The statement of proposal and its questions will assist the public to understand the Plan’s intent, strategic direction, and programme to a level that does not require reading the full draft RLTP 2024 document. However, the full Plan will also be made publicly available.

The questions, as outlined below, aim to test the fundamental concepts and direction of the draft RLTP 2024 with the public. The provision of good information and questions should provide informed responses from the public, ultimately enabling the public’s opinions to permeate the document.

It is the view of staff that the proposed consultation questions would be unlikely to change, even if substantial shifts occurred in an updated draft GPS. Staff therefore strongly recommend that the consultation process is commenced as programmed. Furthermore, delaying this process will have substantial implications on the delivery of the programme by the current deadline, a statutory obligation for the Regional Council under the LTMA.

The statement of proposal includes the following questions, as a feedback loop for the submission process:

1. How much do you agree that these are the transport challenges the region is facing?

Please tell us about any challenges you think we have missed.

2. How much do you agree with the transport objectives?

Please explain your answer.

3. How much do you agree with the proposed list of priority projects?

Please explain your answer.

4. Do you have any other comments/feedback on the draft RLTP?

It is recommended that the RTC adopts the draft statement of proposal to be used for consultation.

3.2 Communications and Engagement Plan

Staff have prepared a Communications and Engagement Plan, included as Attachment 2. It briefly outlines operational aspects of the consultation programme, including proposed advertising and approaches to engagement with Māori partners, key stakeholders, and the public.

Once the submission period closes, all feedback will be collated, themed, and summarised. The processed submissions will support submitter and stakeholder feedback, hearings, deliberations and submitter amendments to the draft RLTP 2024 before it is finalised.

3.3 Hearings and Deliberations

An SCP requires that submitters be given an opportunity to present their views in person. Partners, stakeholders and members of the public will be provided with the opportunity to be heard in respect of their submission. Hearings are scheduled for 13-15 April 2024. Following hearings, deliberations are scheduled for 11 May 2024.

Staff are seeking direction from the RTC about the make-up of the sub-committee for hearings and deliberations. The RTC has the following two options:

1. The full RTC hears and deliberates on submissions; or

2. The RTC establishes a smaller sub-committee for this purpose.

The RTC has previously utilised smaller sub-committees for hearings and deliberations when developing the RLTP. These have generally been comprised of elected members, with an NZTA representative present in an advisory capacity. Staff recommend establishing a sub-committee of five members, made up of:

· The RTC Chair;

· An RTC member representing each of the sub-regions (Western Bay, Tauranga, Rotorua and Eastern Bay); and

· An NZTA representative.

It is recommended that a sub-committee, with members from each of the sub-regions, is an efficient approach. The sub-committee will be required to make a recommendation to the RTC based on the hearings and deliberations processes. This will ensure:

· The RTC is satisfied with proposed changes to the draft RLTP 2024 document recommended by the sub-committee; and

· Any perceived risk with the delegation of the hearings and deliberations processes to a sub-committee is mitigated by the Committee itself.

If the RTC agrees with the recommended approach, a decision is required as to who each of the sub-regional and NZTA representatives are to be, to form the sub-committee.

4. Considerations

4.1 Risks and Mitigations

The development of the draft RLTP 2024 has proceeded on the basis of the draft GPS issued by the previous Government. An updated GPS has yet to be released. However, this delay should not detract from the Committee’s endorsement of the draft Plan, given the Committee undertook a rigorous process to identify transport priorities for the Bay of Plenty and it is this enduring framework that forms the basis of the Plan and has been used to score and prioritise activities.

The draft RLTP 2024 is at a critical stage, and timeframes are tight. If the recommendations within this report are not accepted by the Committee, there will be consequent delays which risk delivering the final Plan by the June 2024 deadline. The development of the draft RLTP 2024 remains a work in progress up until the time it is submitted to NZTA in June 2024. Therefore, the any changes can be flexibly accommodated for.

If the Committee decide to take an alternative consultation approach to that recommended, implications would need to be considered, and it is likely there could be a risk to delivery.

With consultation on both the draft RLTP 2024 and draft LTP occurring in semi-unison, the communication of each need to be distinct and ensure the public is not confused by one over another. The Communications team is aware of this risk and will ensure it is mitigated by clearly explaining each plan’s purpose while ensuring advertising and website information uses different graphic design and imagery.

4.2 Climate Change

The RLTP provides opportunities for both mitigation of the effects of climate change, through greenhouse gas reduction and adaptation of the transport system to the ongoing effects of climate change.

Objective 2 of the RLTP relates to climate change mitigation through emissions reduction: “The environmental effects, including emissions, arising from the use of the transport system are minimised.”, with a corresponding headline target “Reduce carbon emissions from road transport by 41% between 2019 and 2035, on the path to net carbon zero by 2050.” A couple of examples of policies which explain how emission reduction will be achieved are:

- Manage the transition to a zero-emission public transport bus fleet to align with the New Zealand government target to decarbonise the public transport bus fleet by 2035.

- Develop and expand inter-connected walking and cycling networks in urban and rural areas that prioritise direct connections to key destinations and link communities and marae.

NB. The construction and operation of local roading and state highway networks, also covered by the RLTP, will result in an increase in emissions.

Objective 5 of the RLTP relates to climate change adaptation through increased resilience: ‘Resilience issues in the transport system have been proactively identified and actioned so that the region can respond to, adapt, and rapidly recover from unplanned events and hazards’, with a corresponding headline target ‘Reduce the number of unplanned closures on the region’s state highway network by 20% between 2018 and 2030. A couple of examples of policies relating to resilience are:

- Ensure the design of new transport infrastructure is resilient to low impact high probability, high impact low probability events, and the long-term effects of climate change.

- Work with our communities to understand, prepare for and respond to the physical impacts of climate change on the transport system. The draft RLTP 2024 document discusses climate change in the context of the vulnerability of the transport network and the need for resilience programmes.

4.3 Implications for Māori

The draft RLTP 2024 sets out the region’s proposed land transport programme and seeks funding for activities included. Therefore, it has a range of potential impacts on Māori and Council partnerships with Māori. It is vital that effective Māori engagement is undertaken to ensure the Plan considers and reflects Māori aspirations and values.

To consult with iwi, targeted engagement will be undertaken using appropriate channels. Further information on the approach to Māori engagement is included in the communications and engagement plan (Attachment 2).

4.4 Community Engagement

CONSULT

Whakauiuia

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

This paper outlines the proposed approach to consult with the public on the draft RLTP 2024.

4.5 Alignment with Strategic Framework

The development of the draft RLTP 2024 directly contributes to the Vibrant Region Community Outcome in the Council’s Long-Term Plan 2018-2028.

The LTMA requires every regional council to establish an RTC; and also sets the functions of the RTC and a mandate for preparing the 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.

Financial Implications

The development of the draft RLTP 2024 is being undertaken within the current budget for the Transport Planning Activity provided by the Regional Council’s Long-Term Plan 2018-2028.

5. Next Steps

The following table sets out a proposed timeline for consultation and approval of the final draft RLTP 2024. The next phase in development of the Plan will be to undertake consultation as provided for by a SCP. This requires a four-week consultation and submission period before hearings and deliberations.

Date	Milestone/ Task	Requirements
18 Dec 23– 29 Jan 24	Complete draft RLTP 2024 front-end	Review of initial feedback on draft RLTP 2024 from RTC workshop and elected members Completion of draft RLTP 2024 document front-end and statement of proposal (consultation document)
29 Jan onwards	Graphics document production	Design and production of draft document
9 Feb 2024	RTC meeting	Sign off of statement of proposal, including public consultation questions and engagement approach Appointment of hearings’ sub-committee Sign off of draft RLTP 2024 front-end for public consultation
9 Feb 2024	RTC workshop	Final prioritised activity list endorsed by RTC
9 Feb – 22 Feb 24	Graphics document completion & printing	Final preparations for consultation
23 Feb – 24 Mar 2024	Draft RLTP 2024 consultation period	Draft RLTP 2024 and statement of proposal issued Consultation and feedback process clearly communicated (to include some combined consultation with LTP)
10 – 12 Apr	Hearings	Review of public consultation feedback received Production of presentations/supporting documents for hearings
7 – 8 May	Deliberations	Details of public consultation feedback and hearings and recommendations for proposed Plan changes
9 – 17 May	Final RLTP	Production and issuing of final document
22 May	RTC meeting	Adoption of final RLTP document and programme and recommendation to Regional Council
5 June	Regional Council adopts RLTP	Report summarising investment story and prioritised programme
14 Jun	Final RLTP submitted to Waka Kotahi
31 Aug	Government adopts 2024/27 NLTP
Early Sep	Waka Kotahi releases 2024/27 NLTP Final RLTP published	Comms around prioritised activities and funding