Agenda of Regional Transport Committee - Friday, 13 September 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	Mayor Mahé Drysdale Deputy Mayor Jen Scoular (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 Steve Zahorodny (Alternate)
External Advisors (non-voting)
Environmental Sustainability Advisor	Vacant
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 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

22 May 2024

Regional Transport Committee

Open Minutes

Commencing: Wednesday 22 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: David Moore - Ōpōtiki District Council, Mayor James Denyer - Western Bay of Plenty District Council (WBOPDC), Deputy Mayor John Scrimgeour – Alternate, WBOPDC (via Zoom), Commissioner Stephen Selwood – Alternate, Tauranga City Council, David Speirs – NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), Cr Andrew von Dadelszen – Alternate, BOPRC (via Zoom), Cr Conan O'Brien – Alternate, Rotorua Lakes Council (via Zoom), Angus Hodgson – KiwiRail (non-voting – via Zoom)

In Attendance: External: Dan Kneebone – Port of Tauranga Advisor, Glen Crowther – Environmental Sustainability Advisor, Greg Pert – Freight Advisor, Inspector Logan Marsh – NZ Police Road Safety Advisor, Stacey Spall - NZ Automobile Association Advisor, Presenters – as listed in the minutes

BOPRC: Fiona McTavish – Chief Executive, Cr Jane Nees (via Zoom), Michael Seabourne – Public Transport Director, Andrew Williams – Acting Manager, Transport Planning, Niki Carling – Senior Transport Planner, Dale Clarke – Senior Transport Planner, Amanda Namana – Committee Advisor

Apologies: Mayor Faylene Tunui - Kawerau District Council, Mayor Tania Tapsell - Rotorua Lakes Council, Cr Berice Julian – Alternate, Kawerau District Council, Deputy Mayor Lesley Immink – Alternate, Whakatāne District Council

1. Apologies

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Accepts the apologies from Mayor Tunui, Mayor Tapsell, Cr Julian and Deputy Mayor Immink tendered at the meeting.

Thurston/Shirley

CARRIED

2. Order of Business

Item 6.1 – NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi update was considered following Item 3 - Public Forum, due to containing matters of relevance and high interest to the public gallery.

3. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest

None declared.

4. Public Forum

4.1

Mike Williams – Work Road/ State Highway 2 Intersection

Tabled Document 1 - Correspondence with NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi: Objective ID A4671721

Presentation: Work Road/ State Highway 2 Intersection: Objective ID A4679331

Presented By: Mike Williams, supported by Craig Fea and Kirsten Warbrooke

Key Points of Presentation:

· ‘Barriers across intersections divide communities’

· Proposed barriers would cause southbound traffic on State Highway (SH)2 being forced to travel an additional seven kilometres to access Work Road

· Additional time required for emergency services to access Work Road and other roads off SH2 affected by this proposal could prove life-threatening

· Additional danger posed by the proposed barriers was having gaps where people were likely to perform dangerous U-turns to avoid having to travel further

· Overall, Western Bay of Plenty residents were complimentary of the SH2 upgrades and safety improvements over recent years, however barrier installation across intersections would negatively impact the majority of road users

· Considered that data provided by NZTA may not have been updated to take into account recent safety improvements, and during public consultation the majority of submissions opposed the wire barriers

· Requested a two year moratorium on the installation of barriers, pending the assessment of the effects from other recent upgrades, and updated data to include Te Puna, Esdaile Road and Apata Station Road roundabouts

· Provided potential alternatives to the proposed barriers for the affected roads

· The proposed barriers would significantly increase costs for the avocado pest monitoring programme in the area, potentially making the work unfeasible

· Fire was a frequent risk in the area, and the additional time for fire services to gain access to any events created a higher risk of loss to property, life and industry

· Clarified that the majority of people using these roads were local residents and businesses/services operating in the area.

Key Points - Members:

· Katikati was historically the service centre for Work Road residents and their community connection to schools, shopping, churches and social events. The wire barrier proposal would shift this to Ōmōkoroa and sever these connections

· Concerned over the lack of information in the community surrounding these issues, including the research and rationale around reasons the barriers were proposed in favour of other options

· Acknowledged the trade-off between safety and functionality, highlighting the access requirements of all industry in the area, not just avocado and kiwifruit

· NZTA had briefed the Minister of Transport, Hon. Simeon Brown about the situation and would report back following the meeting. Also suggested bringing NZTA transport engineers to meet with residents and bridge the communication gap by providing further information and addressing any questions.

In Response to Questions:

· Noted a lack of fatalities or serious injury accidents recorded at these intersections, with none since the current safety improvements had been implemented

· Work Road had a small packhouse and many avocado and kiwifruit orchards, all of which required heavy vehicle use on a day to day basis.

10.06 am – The meeting adjourned.

10.11 am – The meeting reconvened.

5. Reports

Information Only

5.1

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Quarterly Update

Presentation: NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Quarterly Update - May 2024: Objective ID A4675010

Presented by: David Speirs – Director Regional Relationships

Key Points:

· Provided an update on the progress of works relating to Takitimu North Link (TNL) Stage 1

· An off-ramp completed at Minden Road Gully interchange provided contractors with the ability to move trucks and heavy vehicles within the project, rather than requiring the use of SH2 which expedited progress. Internal connections were critical as the majority of fill required for the project was sourced from within the project area

· The tolling feasibility assessment was underway as a requirement from central government for any new infrastructure roads. This was expected to be completed within the next month or two – with approval from the Minister of Transport, community consultation for tolling options would follow

· Once TNL Stage 1 was operational, Wairoa Bridge would no longer be a congestion area and the traffic flow would significantly improve with positive impacts on safety

· SH2 Waihi to Ōmōkoroa safety improvements were currently on track for completion in 2026.

10.16 am – the meeting adjourned.

10.19 am - The meeting reconvened.

Key Points (Continued):

· SH33 Te Ngae junction to Paengaroa safety improvements were in the final phase for completion by July 2024, road run-off being the most significant issue to address

· Undertaking major disruption works using total road closures and night works had been trialled with a high degree of success and support from frequent road users

· Outlined the new State Highway Investment Proposal (SHIP), its relation to the draft Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS) and how this tied in with the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP)

· Noted that for many councils, there was less funding than expected for required cyclone repair work. NZTA were working with these councils to identify priorities for this and it was a significant issue for SH35 Ōpōtiki

· Decisions were continuing to be made using the current National Land Transport Fund (NLTF), pending the release of the new NLTF

· Outlined key aspects indicated from the Minister of Transport relating to the new Land Transport Rule for setting speed limits, which would be released for public consultation in coming months

· Provided an update on SH2 Waioeka Gorge Corridor Business Case and potential learnings which could be applied to the Bay of Plenty region

· Highlighted ongoing SH35 technical assessments and the areas identified across the region for resilience work consideration.

Key Points - Members:

· Expressed concern over the transfer of speed cameras from NZ Police to NZTA regarding councils losing the ability to monitor the cameras, and the financial barriers created to replace this activity. NZTA had met with Rotorua Lakes Council to discuss this and noted a signed agreement needed to be in place detailing how the data would be accessed to maintain the status quo

In Response to Questions:

· The central government intention for Roads of National Significance (RoNS) and Roads of Regional Significance was to bring them together in the same package of consideration. There were no new roads added, but there was a reconsideration of how they would be funded, governed and project managed

· Part of the system design for new roads included considering options for rest areas and facilities, including logical places to exit

· SH2 Katikati to Tauranga speed limit would likely be restored to 100 kilometres per hour once median barriers and other safety improvements were in place and the TNL was operational

· Further work was being undertaken on the Connecting Mount Maunganui business case, including addressing questions around design elements along with affordability considerations. An update would be provided to members via email prior to the next committee meeting.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

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

Speirs/Shirley

CARRIED

10.57 am – The meeting adjourned.

11.16 am – The meeting reconvened.

6. Minutes

Minutes to be Confirmed

6.1

Regional Transport Committee Minutes – Regional Land Transport Plan Deliberations - 7 May 2024 (Distributed under separate cover)

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Confirms the Regional Transport Committee Minutes – Regional Land Transport Plan Deliberations - 7 May 2024 as a true and correct record.

Thurston/Selwood

CARRIED

7. Reports (Continued)

Decisions Required

7.1

Changes to Regional Speed Management

Presented by: Dale Clarke – Senior Transport Planner and Andrew Williams – Acting Manager, Transport Planning

Key Points:

· Amended legislation for setting speed limits meant that this was no longer a mandatory requirement, and noted the inconsistency with speed management plans across the region

· Outlined reasons for ceasing progress on a regional speed management plan and the pending new Land Transport Rule for setting of speed limits.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Changes to Regional Speed Management;

2 Agrees to discontinue the development of a Regional Speed Management Plan;

3 Notes that the future of Regional Speed Management Plans are subject to direction from the Minister of Transport.

Selwood/Moore

CARRIED

7.2

Endorsement of the 2024 - 2034 Regional Land Transport Plan

Presentation: Endorsement of the 2024-34 Regional Land Transport Plan: Objective ID A4683651

Presented by: Niki Carling – Senior Transport Planner and Andrew Williams – Acting Manager, Transport Planning

Key Points:

· Outlined changes to the draft RLTP as requested during deliberations, and how these had been incorporated

· Noted an error in the tracked changes RLTP document in the table on Page 6 that Stage 4 of the SH29/29A project had been omitted, which was to be added back in with a footnote referencing the endorsement by SmartGrowth to bring Stage 4 forward

· Some financial details would not be finalised until all relevant Long Term Plan (LTP) 2024-2034 processes were complete.

In Response to Questions:

· The changes to Objective 6 and the associated target were made with the intent of making it measurable, and needed to be considered as being more of an enabler than a target.

Further RLTP Amendments to be Actioned:

· Remove text referencing Te Puke Community Connect from the new section on smaller urban settlements and the transport issues they faced

· Amend Objective 6 Target to read ‘Increase the number of new dwellings enabled by each significant activity in the RLTP’.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Endorsement of the Regional Land Transport Plan 2024 - 2034;

2 Endorses the changes to the Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-2034 sent under separate cover (Attachment 1), and the additional changes as noted in the minutes;

3 Delegates to the Manager, Transport Planning the authority to make any numerical and minor editorial or presentational amendments to the Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-2034 during finalisation of the document;

4 Recommends consideration of the draft final Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-2034 document to Bay of Plenty Regional Council for adoption;

5 Commended staff for their work undertaken during the Regional Land Transport 2024-2034 process.

Selwood/Moore

CARRIED

Information Only

7.3

Regional Land Transport Plan - Annual Monitoring

Presented by: Dale Clarke – Senior Transport Planner

Key Points:

· There were a number of factors influencing results of the 27 KPI’s in the RLTP

· Results showed that people were travelling more by cycling, walking and public transport, whilst travelling less in cars and single occupancy vehicles

· The cost of living contributed to people’s travel behaviours.

Key Points - Members:

· Noted that the Regional Public Transport Plan Hearings Subcommittee had set a strongly aspirational target for mode share.

In Response to Questions:

· Mode share in the headline target KPI was in relation to the number of trips made and the data came from the household travel survey provided by the Ministry of Transport

· The collection of data in order to test the performance of transport investment was complicated, and further time and funding would be required to explore options for improving this.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

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

Thurston/Shirley

CARRIED

7.4

Sub-Regional Road Safety Educational and Promotion Update

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Sub-Regional Road Safety Educational and Promotion Update.

Thurston/Selwood

CARRIED

Verbal Update Opportunity for Committee Members and Advisors

Commissioner Stephen Selwood – Tauranga City Council:

· Acknowledged members and the work of the Committee, and noted the most significant challenge faced was identifying how to fund and finance transport investment into the future.

Mayor James Denyer – Western Bay of Plenty District Council:

· Adopted the Section 17A review for transportation earlier in the month.

Angus Hodgson - KiwiRail:

· Recognised the transport team for KiwiRail engagement during the RLTP process

· The Rail Network Investment Programme was still being progressed in response to the GPS.

Inspector Logan Marsh – New Zealand Police:

· There had been 13 fatalities in the year to date - the lowest in five years. Three of the incidents were believed to have involved alcohol impairment, with seven having speed as a factor

· Five were in the Taupō area, four in Rotorua, two in the Western Bay of Plenty and in one in the Eastern Bay of Plenty

· Staff had met most enforcement targets in the fiscal year already, including undertaking over 260,000 breath tests

· Noted the pilot of The Right Track programme in the region which targeted involving offenders’ families in positive change.

Dan Kneebone – Port of Tauranga:

· Freight volumes continued to be challenging from a business perspective, particularly with kiwifruit and imports

· Continued to progress work toward getting consent resolved for berth extensions

· Appreciated the support and focus on progressing the Hewletts Road/ Totara Street sub-area.

10. Acknowledgements

The Chair acknowledged Tauranga City Council Commissioner Selwood and Public Transport Director Michael Seabourne for their contributions to the Committee and the region, wishing them well for the future.

12.18 pm – the meeting closed.

Confirmed

Cr Lyall Thurston

Chairperson, Regional Transport Committee



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	13 September 2024
Report Authoriser:	Andrew Williams – Manager, Transport Planning

Chairperson's Report

Executive Summary

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

· National Land Transport Programme Publication

· Road Safety Promotion (RSP) Programme

· Safety improvements on State Highway 2 – Waihi to Ōmokoroa

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 National Land Transport Programme Publication

The National Land Transport Programme 2024-27 (NLTP) was released 2 September 2024. The NLTP can be accessed here, on New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s (NZTA) website. The Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-34 (RLTP) – recently adopted by the RTC and submitted to NZTA – acts as the region’s funding bid to the NLTP process.

The NLTP is a partnership between local government, which invests local funding on behalf of ratepayers, and Waka Kotahi, which invests on behalf of Government through the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF). Funds for the NLTF are collected from petrol excise duty, road user charges and vehicle registration / licensing fees.

The $32.9 billion 2024-27 NLTP total investment includes $5.8 billion from the local government share. NLTP investments are designed to give effect to the strategic priorities outlined in the Government Policy Statement for land transport (GPS), including:

1. Economic Growth and Productivity,

2. Increased Maintenance and Resilience,

3. Safety, and

4. Value for Money.

The NLTP contains all the land transport activities that NZTA anticipates funding over the three years, across 11 activity classes.

Within the NLTP document, regional summaries for each region were included. For the Bay of Plenty, the forecast spend over the NLTP period is included as key highlights, which notes:

· A total of $1.9 billion forecast investment in the Bay of Plenty.

· $235 million forecast spend on maintenance operations.

· $412 million forecast spend on pothole prevention.

· $1.1 billion forecast spend on improvements.

· $119 million forecast spend on public transport.

· $321.8 million for local roads shared between operations and local road pothole prevention.

Some of the significant activities included in the RLTP have also been fully, or partly, funded, and include:

· Takitimu North Link stage 2 (Te Puna to Ōmokoroa) – route protection and design phases.

· SH2 Awakeri to Ōpōtiki – work to commence to investigate options to improve resilience along this route.

· SH2 Waioeka Gorge – a prioritised cyclone rebuild activity that will develop options to enhance the connection between the East Coast and the Eastern Bay of Plenty

· Replacement of both the SH36 Hauraki stream culvert SH29 Omanawa Bridge as part of the Tauriko West project.

At the time of writing, staff had only been able to review the NLTP document and no further detailed information had been obtained on specific funding of all activities proposed by the RLTP 2024-34. As this information becomes available over the coming days, staff will be able to provide further updates where required to support the Committee’s understanding of how well funded the Bay of Plenty’s RLTP 2024-34 funding bid has been.

2.2 Road Safety Promotion (RSP) Programme

2.2.1 BOPRC Programme

For well over a decade, Toi Moana has delivered a road safety promotion (RSP) programme. This programme has focused on addressing road safety behavioural issues across the region through education and awareness initiatives. Activities such as in-person educational events and mixed media advertising campaigns made up the bulk of the programme. Some targeted local events were run in collaboration with the 3 sub-regional road safety groups led by Tauranga City, Rotorua Lakes and Whakatane District councils, who each deliver their own comprehensive RSP programmes.

While it is clear these activities play an important part in a system-wide approach to road safety alongside infrastructure improvements and enforcement, their effectiveness in delivering change is challenging to ascertain.

As RSP activities are subsidised by NZTA, our funding bid was submitted to NZTA as part of the NLTP process earlier in the 2023/24 financial year, representing a proposed total cost of $731,000 across the 2024-2027 period.

In a Regional Council LTP workshop in November 2023, councillors and staff workshopped potential cost savings across the proposed transport programme, leading to council direction that the RSP budget be removed.

2.2.2 Central Government Direction

The coalition government campaigned on achieving improved road safety through different methods, signalling a move away from the former government’s Road to Zero strategy. The Minister of Transport set clear expectations of how government wanted to achieve safer roads in the Government Policy Statement for Land Transport 2024 (GPS 2024), largely through the following programmes:

• Roads of National and Regional Significance

• Enhanced road policing and enforcement programme

• Increased levels of road maintenance

• Targeted and cost-effective safety interventions in high-risk areas

• Educating road users through road safety education

Councils are no longer permitted to use NZTA funding for regional road safety advertising, however NZTA will deliver a national programme of road safety advertising.

2.2.3 Indicative Funding Allocation

Recently, staff received a letter from NZTA advising of Regional Council’s indicative funding allocation; a reduction of 58% in funding. Most Councils are in a similar position with RSP allocations reduced proportionately nationwide. This funding will not be allocated to Regional Council as it was decided to make this an area of cost saving, and no local share allocation has been enabled to support it.

2.2.4 Proposed way forward

Staff have discussed with partners across the region and suggested that moving forward, unless directed otherwise, BOPRC staff will take a do-minimum approach to RSP by continuing the following activities:

• Providing staff presence and support at regular sub-regional road safety meetings.

• Facilitation and reporting to the RTC on the delivery of sub-regional road safety programmes, with a proposal to further include updates from NZTA on activities delivered in our region by the nationally delivered road safety advertising programme.

• Facilitate opportunities for collaboration across the region between sub-regional road safety groups.

2.3 Safety improvements on State Highway 2 – Waihi to Ōmokoroa

The Committee Chair and Mayor Denyer recently wrote to Hon Simon Bridges, Chair of the NZTA on the matter of safety improvements currently being implemented on State Highway 2 between Waihi and Ōmokoroa.

The letter highlighted community concerns about the installation of wire median barriers preventing right turns to and from access roads between Katikati and Ōmokoroa. It also suggested that the NZTA Board reflect on the objectives in the Bay of Plenty Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-2034 when reaching a balanced outcome. The letter is attached for members’ reference.

On 23 August 2024, the NZTA Board released its decision on the matter, with the official media release here. In summary, the main points were:

· Median barrier work will no longer proceed on the remaining two sections of State Highway 2 between Waihī and Ōmokoroa.

· NZTA will complete the two further roundabouts and wide centrelines, maintaining all right-turning movements on remaining intersections along the corridor.

· The speed limit on this section of SH2 is to remain at 80km/h.

· All other improvements will remain.

The Board has determined this approach appropriately balances travel impacts for local journeys and safety for all road users.

Attachments

Attachment 1 - Road Safety Education and Promotion Reports from Sub Regions ⇩

Attachment 2 - Safety improvements on State Highway 2 – Waihi to Omokoroa ⇩



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	13 September 2024
Report Writer:	Amanda Namana, Committee Advisor
Report Authoriser:	Oliver Haycock, Director, Public Transport Steve Groom, Governance Manager
Purpose:	To note new Tauranga City Council membership and recommend the process for appointing a new external advisor for Environmental Sustainability.

Membership update and appointment of External Advisor for Environmental Sustainability

Executive Summary

Following the 2024 Tauranga City Council election, the Regional Transport Committee has membership updates to note, including the new Tauranga City Council representatives and the requirement to appoint a new Environmental Sustainability Advisor.

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Membership update and appointment of External Advisor for Environmental Sustainability;

2 Notes the new members as appointed by Tauranga City Council:

· Mayor Mahé Drysdale as the primary member

· Deputy Mayor Jen Scoular as the alternate member;

3 Notes that a public process will seek nominations for candidates to fill the role of Environmental Sustainability Advisor; and

4 Appoints the Regional Transport Committee Chair and Regional Council's Director, Public Transport as a selection panel and delegates authority to the Chair to appoint an Environmental Sustainability Advisor.

1. Background

The purpose of the report is to note the updated Regional Transport Committee (RTC) membership for Tauranga City Council and outline the proposed process for appointing a new Environmental Sustainability Advisor.

The RTC Terms of Reference allow for the appointment of (non-voting) external advisors to assist with Committee business. The Committee currently has five external advisor roles:

· Environmental Sustainability Advisor (currently vacant)

· Freight Advisor (Greg Pert – TranzLiquid)

· Road Safety Advisor (Logan Marsh – NZ Police Road Policing Manager, Bay of Plenty)

· Port Advisor (Dan Kneebone – Property & Infrastructure Manager, Port of Tauranga)

· NZ Automobile Association (Stacey Spall - Chair of AA Bay of Plenty District Council and Bay of Plenty National Councillor on the New Zealand AA National Council)

2. Statutory Requirements

Section 105(2) of the Land Transport Management Act (LTMA) prescribes the membership requirements for regional transport committees, being:

· 2 persons to represent the regional council;

· 1 person from each territorial authority in the region to represent that territorial authority; and

· 1 person to represent the NZ Transport Agency.

At the time the membership requirements were enacted, regional councils sought advice on whether they precluded RTCs from appointing members in addition to those prescribed in the Act. The advice noted that while the LTMA does not include any provisions which would enable persons to be appointed to an RTC other than those prescribed in section 105(2), there was nothing to prevent an RTC from engaging other persons to provide it with specialist advice to assist with its decision making. The Bay of Plenty and several other regions subsequently initiated the practice of appointing one or more non-voting external advisors to their RTCs.

3. Appointment of an External Advisor for Environmental Sustainability

In 2019, the Regional Transport Committee appointed Glen Crowther to the newly created role of Environmental Sustainability External Advisor. The creation of this role reflected the focus of the RTC on minimising the negative social and environmental effects arising from the land transport system.

Environmental sustainability was identified as a key objective in the last two Regional Land Transport Plans (RLTP 2018 & RLTP 2021-31) and continues to be a focus in the recently adopted RLTP 2024-34.

Glen Crowther being elected to Tauranga City Council in the 2024 election has created a vacancy for this position on the Committee.

The proposed appointment process is to seek nominations through the placement of public notices in the region's major newspapers. A selection panel comprising of the RTC Chair and the Regional Council's Director, Public Transport will then consider candidates and make a recommendation back to the next RTC meeting.

4. Considerations

4.1 Risks and Mitigations

There are no significant risks associated with this matter/subject/project/initiative.

4.2 Climate Change

The matters addressed in this report are of a procedural nature and there is no need to consider climate change impacts.

4.3 Implications for Māori

The matters addressed in this report are of a procedural nature only.

4.4 Community Engagement

Engagement with the community is not required as the recommended proposal / decision [relates to internal Council matters only].

4.5 Alignment with Strategic Framework

A Vibrant Region	We lead regional transport strategy and system planning, working with others to deliver a safe and reliable public transport system.
The Way We Work	We look to partnerships for best outcomes.

4.6 Financial Implications

There are no material unbudgeted financial implications and this fits within the allocated budget.

5. Next Steps

The successful candidate for the Environmental Sustainability Advisor position will be notified and the Regional Transport Committee Terms of Reference updated to reflect the new membership.



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	13 September 2024
Report Writer:	Bron Healey, Principal Advisor, Transport and Andrew Williams, Manager, Transport Planning
Report Authoriser:	Oliver Haycock, Director, Public Transport
Purpose:	To seek the Committee’s in principle endorsement of a recommendation to prepare a joint UNISA statement on the national significance of a resilient and efficient Upper North Island supply chain.

Proposed UNISA position paper on the national significance of a resilient and efficient Upper North Island supply chain

Executive Summary

The Upper North Island Strategic Alliance (UNISA) is a collaboration between the four Upper North Island regions and their respective metropolitan councils. UNISA was established as a forum for responding to and managing a range of inter-regional and inter-metropolitan issues.

This report outlines the current development of a paper entitled ‘Proposed UNISA Position Paper on National significance of a resilient and efficient Upper North Island Supply Chain’ from the Chief Executive of Auckland Council. In doing so, it highlights, at a high-level, its contents and areas that staff see as being relevant to build into the final draft.

Once staff have supported the development of a final draft of the Position Paper, it will be bought to the Committee for consideration and endorsement to support finalisation, and adoption, of the Position Paper by UNISA.

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Proposed UNISA position paper on the national significance of a resilient and efficient Upper North Island supply chain;

2 Notes that officers will refine the details of the statement in line with agreed UNISA positions and Bay of Plenty Regional Council policy positions;

3 Notes that the UNISA position paper will be brought back to the Committee for endorsement once the final version is prepared.

1. Background

Established in 2011, The Upper North Island Strategic Alliance (UNISA) is a collaboration between the four Upper North Island regions and their respective metropolitan councils[1]. UNISA responds to and manages a range of inter-regional and inter-metropolitan issues. Mayors and Chairs from the respective regions make up the alliance.

The UNISA Value Proposition statement outlines a strategic framework setting out the important issues that the councils will work on together to address. There are four key strands in the statement:

· Our people

· Our economy

· Our infrastructure

· Our environment

The infrastructure strand covers the following two areas:

· Support an integrated approach to transport that contributes to social and economic prosperity.

· Manage existing pressures on our infrastructure networks and plan for future growth.

Since its inception, UNISA has built a strong track record of working together on issues of collective interest. Transport related initiatives have included developing the Upper North Island Freight Story 2013 in partnership with the New Zealand Transport Agency, KiwiRail and Auckland Transport. Joint Upper North Island transport statements have also been prepared for several iterations of Regional Land Transport Plans (RLTPs) in the four regions.

Within this context, Regional Transport Committees have often played a role as ‘sounding boards’ for transport initiatives to ensure wider regional perspectives are represented at the UNISA table.

2. The current proposal

At the 9 August 2024 UNISA Mayors and Chairs meeting, a draft of the developing ‘Proposed UNISA Position Paper on National significance of a resilient and efficient Upper North Island Supply Chain’ (the Position Paper) was considered.

The Position Paper is noted as being a preliminary draft and one that staff, including those from Bay of Plenty Regional Council, will support the refinement of in line with agreed positions.

2.1 Broad contents of the Position Paper

The Position Paper contains broad statements on several topics, including:

· the national significance of the Upper North Island supply chain

· the role of UNISA

· the challenges facing the Upper North Island’s freight infrastructure

· the need for strategic planning

These broad statements generally align with previously agreed UNISA positions.

Additionally, there are several statements on specific investments required to safeguard the Upper North Island’s supply chain. These refer to:

· Northport expansion

· Auckland rail investment (CRL and third main line)

· the Northern Expressway (Auckland – Whangarei)

· Marsden Point rail link

There is also passing reference to Ruakura inland port scaling up its operations.

2.2 Staff considerations

From a Bay of Plenty perspective, staff believe that the Position Paper, as it currently stands, requires further balance from across all UNISA partners. To that end, there would be value in broadening the investments referenced in the Position Paper to include:

· Specific reference to the need to support resilient road and rail links to and from the Bay of Plenty, and the Port of Tauranga in particular.

· Demonstrate alignment with Objective 4 in the recently adopted Bay of Plenty RLTP 2024-2034: The transport system enables people and goods to move efficiently and reliably to, from and throughout the region.

· Inclusion of a wider investment focus, including the relevant strategic investments outlined in the 2024 Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS) and 2024 RLTPs e.g., Roads of National Significance (RONS).

Staff will therefore continue to engage in the development of the Position Paper to ensure that it acts as a basis for advocacy to central government of both UNISAs future work while weaving in broader relevance, including further relevance for the Bay of Plenty, as noted above.

Once staff have supported the development of a final draft of the Position Statement, it will be bought to the Committee for consideration and endorsement to support finalisation, and adoption, of the Position Paper by UNISA.

3. Considerations

3.1 Risks and Mitigations

The following table shows risks and mitigating actions that have been identified.

*Risk*	*Mitigations*
· UNISA statement is prepared without RTC endorsement.	· Request final statement is brought back to RTC for endorsement.
· UNISA statement is inconsistent with agreed regional transport policy.	· Check alignment with RLTP policy.
· UNISA authorities unable to agree on a joint statement.	· Work at officer level to reach agreed positions.

3.2 Climate Change

A more efficient and resilient Upper North Island supply chain could potentially increase or decrease emissions, depending on the mode used for transporting freight. In the current operating environment, rail and coastal shipping generally produce lower emissions per tonne of freight moved than road transport.

3.3 Implications for Māori

The same benefits of having a more efficient and resilient Upper North Island supply chain will generally apply to Maori as the wider population. Some individual Maori authorities may benefit from higher returns on investments e.g., Ruakura inland port.

3.4 Community Engagement

INFORM

Whakamōhio

To provide affected communities with balanced and objective information to assist them in understanding the problems, alternatives and/or solutions.

UNISA publications are posted on the UNISA website and made available to the public.

3.5 Alignment with Strategic Framework

The subject matter and recommendation align with the strategic framework in the RLTP. In particular, Objective 4: The transport system enables people and goods to move efficiently and reliably to, from and throughout the region and the inter-regionally significant activities identified in Chapter 5.

3.6 Financial Implications

There are no material unbudgeted financial implications and this fits within the allocated budget.

4. Next Steps

Staff will continue to work with officers of other UNISA authorities in the preparation of a statement that aligns with agreed positions.



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	13 September 2024
Report Writer:	Dale Clarke, Senior Transport Planner
Report Authoriser:	Oliver Haycock, Director, Public Transport
Purpose:	Update progress on implementing the Bay of Plenty Regional Land Transport Plan 2021-31.

Regional Land Transport Plan - Implementation Report

Executive Summary

This report provides a final update on the progress of implementing the Bay of Plenty Regional Land Transport Plan 2021-31. The report includes ‘traffic light’ reporting on transport planning and improvement activities. Overall, progress has been made in delivering the activities in the RLTP programme, but some are at risk of not progressing further due to shifting Government expectations.

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee:

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

1. Background

The RLTP is a statutory document developed under the Land Transport Management Act (LTMA). The RLTP sets out a strategic framework for the longer-term development of the region’s land transport system. The RLTP also includes a programme of all land transport activities proposed to be undertaken in the six-year period 2021-27, and the regional priority of all significant activities^{^[2]}.

The proposed activities in the RLTP are submitted by Waka Kotahi New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) and Approved Organisations in the region – the six city and district councils, the Regional Council and the Department of Conservation. Each organisation is then responsible for delivering the activities they have proposed. The RLTP 2021-31 was adopted by the Regional Council and submitted to NZTA in June 2021. The National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) was then subsequently released by NZTA.

This paper focuses on the implementation of the RLTP 2021-24 under the guise of the previous governments’ GPS 2021-31 and associated funding cycle. Therefore, it does not consider the release of the NLTP 2024-34, which at the time of writing, had not been formally published. Staff will be updating the next iteration of this report to reflect the RLTP 2024-34 programme, and associated funding allocations, at its first meeting in 2025.

2. Progress summary

The progress summary is grouped by the previous Government Policy Statement (GPS) 2021-24 activity classes, plus the low-cost low-risk programmes. The activity classes are high-level groupings of outputs and activities identified for inclusion into the NLTP 2021-24 funding approval process. The activity 2021-24 classes are defined as follows:

1. Road to Zero activities: investment into projects that will support the GPS’ strategic priority to develop a land transport system where no one is killed or seriously injured;

2. Public transport service improvement activities: investment into projects that support the operation or improvement of public transport services;

3. Public transport infrastructure activities: investment into projects that support the operation or improvement of public transport infrastructure;

4. Walking and cycling improvement activities: investment in walking and cycling projects to improve associated infrastructure and levels of service to increase uptake for walking and cycling;

5. Local road improvement activities: various minor improvement and upgrade projects to local roads.

6. State highway improvement activities: various minor improvement and upgrade projects to state highways.

7. Proposed investment management: investment in transport planning research and management.

8. Low-cost low-risk activities: a programme of improvement activities that sit under the $2M threshold.

The following graphs provide a snapshot of the progress for each of the improvement activity classes, including the low-cost low-risk activities, in the RLTP 2021-31 programme. More detail on the progress of individual activities is provided at Attachment 1. The below graphs represent a summary of the ‘traffic light’ data for each activity class.

Legend

Not progressing as planned

Progressing, but slower than anticipated

Progressing well

Completed

3. Overall progress

Progress is being made in delivering the activities in the programme. Of all the activity classes, and the LCLR programmes, almost half of the activities within these are progressing well or complete – marked green or black. Of the 61 activities listed at Attachment 1:

· 16 are green – progressing well;

· 18 are orange – progressing, but slower than anticipated;

· 14 are red – not progressing as planned; and

· 13 are black – completed.

In those cases where activities are currently not progressing as well as planned, this is for a range of reasons, including:

· Funding is not available;

· Technical issues or complexity;

· The project is under review or no longer required;

· The project is on hold pending the outcomes of a wider land use and transport planning process; or

· The project is dependent on the delivery of another project before it can commence.

Many activities have spent the length of the RLTP 2021-24 period in development of business cases, some of which have been denied funding while others appear at risk of not receiving funding for progression beyond the business case phase, where there is a lack of alignment with the new GPS 2024-34 under the coalition government.

Individual organisations responsible for implementing each activity will continue to report progress as issues are resolved.

4. Considerations

4.1 Climate Change

The matters addressed in this report are of a procedural nature and the impacts of each project or activity are done at that level.

4.2 Implications for Māori

No specific implications for Māori have been identified in the topics covered in this paper.

4.3 Community Engagement

Community engagement processes were completed when the RLTP 2021 was developed, including specifically for Maori.

4.4 Alignment with Strategic Framework

This item directly contributes to the ‘A Vibrant Region’ community outcome in the Council’s Long Term Plan 2021-2031.

4.5 Financial Implications

There are no material unbudgeted financial implications and this fits within the allocated budget.

5. Next Steps

Approved organisations will complete any projects from the 2021-2024 LTP that are committed and carry over into the 2024-2027 RLTP.

Approved Organisations will now commence implementation of activities approved under the NLTP 2024-34 as included within the 2024-2027 RLTP. To that end, an updated RLTP implementation update report will be provided in six months’ time, which will reflect the RLTP 2024-34 and the subsequent funding from the NLTP 2024-34.

Attachments

Attachment 1 - RLTP 2021-31 Activity Progress Table ⇩

[1] Northland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty Regional Councils, Auckland Council, Whangarei District Council and Hamilton and Tauranga City Councils.

[2] Defined as improvement activities with a total anticipated cost exceeding $2 million over the duration of the activity.