Open Minutes
Commencing: Tuesday 7 May 2024, 9.30 am
Venue: Council Chambers, Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga
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 (KDC),
Mayor David Moore - Ōpōtiki District Council (via Zoom), Cr Conan O'Brien – Alternate, Rotorua Lakes Council (RLC), Commissioner Stephen Selwood – Alternate, Tauranga City Council (TCC), David Speirs – NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (Waka Kotahi), Cr Andrew von Dadelszen – Alternate, BOPRC (via Zoom), Mayor James Denyer - Western Bay of Plenty District Council (WBOPDC), Mayor Victor Luca - Whakatāne District Council (WDC), Deputy Mayor Lesley Immink – Alternate, WDC (via Zoom)
In Attendance: Cr Ron Scott, Cr Stuart Crosby (via Zoom), Greg Pert – Freight Advisor, Stacey Spall - NZ Automobile Association Advisor, Glen Crowther – Environmental Sustainability Advisor, Mike Seabourne – Director, Public Transport, Andrew Williams – Acting Manager, Transport Planning, Niki Carling – Senior Transport Planner, Amanda Namana – Committee Advisor
Apologies: Commission Chair Anne Tolley – TCC, Angus Hodgson – KiwiRail
Chair’s Introduction
The Chair opened deliberations and provided an outline of the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) process to date, with the next steps required in finalising the RLTP for submission to Waka Kotahi by 1 August 2024.
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That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Accepts the apologies from Commissioner Anne Tolley and Angus Hodgson tendered at the meeting. CARRIED |
2. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest
None declared.
However, the Chair noted that the 2024-34 RLTP Hearings Panel was comprised of the full membership of the Regional Transport Committee, and as such was legislatively required to consist of members from each territorial authority within the region. Whilst members were required to deliberate on matters that may benefit their respective areas, the panel must collectively cast a regional lens over the RLTP to arrive at decisions which would benefit the region as a whole.
Minutes to be Confirmed
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Regional Transport Committee Minutes - 10 April 2024 |
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That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Confirms the Regional Transport Committee Minutes – 10-12 April 2024 as a true and correct record. CARRIED |
Decisions Required
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Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-34 Deliberations Report Presentation: Draft 2024-2034 Regional Land Transport Plan Deliberations: Objective ID A4667318 ⇨ Tabled Document 1 - Toi EDA - late submission to the draft 2024-2034 Regional Land Transport Plan: Objective ID A4667320 ⇨ Tabled Document 2 - Draft staff recommendations/ response to late Toi EDA submission: Objective ID A4667327 ⇨ |
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Andrew Williams – Acting Manager, Transport Planning and Niki Carling – Senior Transport Planner presented and facilitated the deliberations. 9.45 am - Mayor Tapsell entered the meeting. Key Points: · Outlined the consultation process and a high level analysis of submissions received · Staff drafted responses to each individual submission point provided during consultation · A number of submission points related to the work of Road Controlling Authorities (RCA’s), and were thus referred to the relevant partner for consideration · Provided an update on key national policy documents which impacted the RLTP and the steps taken to be consistent with these · Noted that the territorial authorities (TA’s) were at different stages of development for their Long Term Plans (LTP), therefore the financial details in the RLTP could not be finalised until these transport programmes and associated budgets were confirmed · Identified themes for the ‘other information’ provided by submitters, noting that rail and improved bus services were particularly prominent · The State Highway Investment Proposal 2024-34 (SHIP) was released at the end of the hearings process. The majority of projects in the prioritised activity list in the RLTP were included in the SHIP, with the addition of some resilience projects · Noted that Tauriko West Network Connections Stage 4 was not included in the SHIP due to its proposed delivery timeframe (2040+) · The highest level of disagreement noted in responses to the specific consultation questions was to the list of prioritised activities, which likely reflected the regional spread of submitters · Recapped the prioritisation process undertaken, including the responsibilities of each Approved Organisation (AO) in the RLTP process · The draft Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024 (GPS) was released during RLTP consultation. Highlighted key points in the GPS and its implications for the RLTP and National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) – the final GPS was expected in July 2024 · Proposed adding further emphasis on value for money and funding constraints to ensure consistency with the GPS; also a strong theme reflected in submissions · Whilst there was no GPS equivalent to the RLTP transport priority ‘environmental sustainability’, central government had signalled there would be a second emissions reduction plan. There was also no GPS equivalent for ‘transport choice and inclusive access’, with the primary public transport focus of the GPS being on mass transit options for Auckland and Wellington. Focus on walking and cycling in the GPS was limited to where there was clear benefit for economic growth, demonstrating safety and where volumes of pedestrians and cyclists already existed · Further changes to the draft RLTP would be incorporated from feedback received during deliberations. The final RLTP document would be endorsed by the Committee at its next meeting on 22 May, and recommended to Regional Council for adoption on 5 June 2024. Key Points – Members/RLTP amendments: · Members supported the recommendations as suggested in the deliberations paper, in relation to the following consultation questions: o Transport Challenges (82% of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed) o Transport Objectives (72% of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed) · Considered that consistency of the RLTP with the GPS could be further improved · Enabling affordable housing would be a long-term challenge for the region. Requested that unlocking land for housing be included and highlighted in the RLTP objectives, with a related target · Requested strengthening of narrative: o Add text to the RLTP to support alternative funding for infrastructure e.g. GST back to local government. o Amend the wording in the ‘supporting regional growth’ priority in the 10-Year Transport Priorities Table to be less public transport heavy o Removing the dollar values in the infographic in the Executive Summary · Cautioned that the objective focusing on housing not defer focus to higher population areas which were growing at a faster rate, as other parts of the region also required this focus · Transport implications for affordable housing, sustainable housing and enabling housing supply could be different · Considered that meeting carbon reduction targets with housing targets focused on growth was unachievable · Bundle the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) activities which related to SH29 and SH29A package of works with BOP Share RoNS Project Development and BOP Share RoNS Property in the Significant Improvement Activity List. These were not new activities, but included cost elements from the two existing RoNS activities. Include the SH29/29A package of works as a single line item in the prioritised list and reference this below to the complete list of activities that made up the bundle - this retained their priority without overwhelming the priority list · Shift Western Corridor Ring Route project to priority two to highlight as an activity linked to the SH29/29A bundle, but to be delivered by TCC · Agreed that additional SHIP activities be added to the bottom of the prioritised activities list as funded but unprioritised · Supported the proposed inclusion of additional Rotorua activities in the prioritised list as unfunded and unprioritised · Considered transport for unlocking economic development was important to Rotorua - many of the additional proposed activities achieved this. The roading corridors proposed were critical to the growing district, particularly to address safety, access and connectivity concerns · Agreed the following projects would not be elevated: o Te Puke to Rangiuru Business Park shared path o Tauranga Eastern Corridor Growth – Te Tumu Internal Infrastructure · The region was unable to achieve the level of investment required to meet the transport objectives. It was critical to be clear in the priorities and acknowledge the funding gaps and alternative funding mechanisms required in future to meet these - suggested a paragraph be added detailing this · Acknowledged that proposed changes for raising NLTP revenue through public private partnerships was not a funding mechanism in itself as the funding still had to be obtained from somewhere. This would involve either tolling, road pricing, value capture options etc. · Agreed with the staff proposal on how to reflect the GPS in the RLTP, including previous comments from members relating to enhancement of housing and economic prosperity aspects 10.34 – the meeting adjourned. 10.57 am – the meeting reconvened. Key Points – Mike Seabourne, Director Public Transport: · Noted that the RLTP was a representation of the transport problems identified within the region and the potential solutions identified to address these · The nature of the transport investment objective should be to set the role for enabling housing, therefore it was important to simplify it as much as possible for partner organisations. David Speirs, Waka Kotahi - In Response to Questions: · Activities in the SHIP needed to be in the RLTP for potential inclusion in the NLTP · Clarified that ‘weigh right stations’ involved a large set of scales used as a compliance tool for heavy vehicles to ensure they weighed correctly before going on the road. In Response to Questions · Clarified the meaning of unprioritised projects as those which had not been through the prioritisation process and scored against all the transport priorities for the region. Unfunded projects meant they were included in the prioritised list, without any current local share funding e.g. the local TA had not included it in their LTP, or it was not included in the Waka Kotahi transport programme. Having these projects included within the RLTP highlighted to central government their importance to the region, despite the lack of funding to support them · Once the RLTP was operable it was possible to consider variations, which could seek NZTA funding · Legislatively, the RLTP needed to be consistent with the GPS and staff would cross-check it to ensure that was the case · Specified the new ferry proposal was ‘rejected’ for inclusion in the RLTP prioritised list, but included in the ‘significant activities not yet developed for inclusion’. Council was actively considering the newly proposed model going forward, potentially for a public private ownership model. The prioritised list of top significant activities was adjusted and agreed by members as follows: 1. (a) SH29/SH29 amalgamated package of works (to be described in detail at bottom of the table 1. (b) Western Corridor Ring Route (SH29-36 and Keenan Urban Growth Area) 2. Takitimu North Link Stage 2 SHIP (RoNS project) 3. Connecting Mount Maunganui - SH2 4. Cameron Road Multi-Modal Stage 2 – 17th Avenue to Barkes Corner. That the Regional Transport Committee: Resolved That the Regional Transport Committee: 1 Receives the report, Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-34 Deliberations Report; 2 Receives the late submission from Toi EDA circulated via email to members on Tuesday, 30 April and tabled at deliberations; 3 Endorses proposed changes to the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-2034 document as noted during the deliberations, outlined in the tracked changes draft in Attachment 1, and the recommendations made by staff in the ‘Response to Submitters Report’ in Attachment 2; 4 Delegates to the Manager, Transport Planning the authority to make any further minor alterations or corrections to the draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-2034 during finalisation of the document, including revision of financial tables as a result of changes to Territorial Authorities’ Long Term Plans, and to the State Highway Investment Proposal; 5 Recommends consideration of the draft final document for endorsement at the Regional Transport Committee on 22 May 2024.
CARRIED |
11.24 am – the meeting closed.
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Chairperson, Regional Transport Committee