Agenda of Regional Transport Committee

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	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 Stuart Nightingale – Roading 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

9 March 2023

Regional Transport Committee

Open Minutes

Commencing: Thursday 9 March 2023, 9.30 am

Venue: Council Chambers, Regional House, 1 Elizabeth Street, Tauranga

Chairperson: Cr Lyall Thurston (Bay of Plenty Regional Council)

Deputy Chairperson: Cr Ken Shirley (Bay of Plenty Regional Council)

Members: Mayor Faylene Tunui - Kawerau District Council (via Zoom), Mayor David Moore – Ōpōtiki District Council, Mayor James Denyer – Western Bay of Plenty District Council, Commissioner Stephen Selwood – Alternate, Tauranga City Council, Deputy Mayor John Scrimgeour – Alternate, Western Bay of Plenty District Council (via Zoom), Mayor Victor Luca – Whakatāne District Council, Jessica Andrew – Alternate, Waka Kotahi, David Speirs - Waka Kotahi (via Zoom), Cr Andrew von Dadelszen – Alternate, Bay of Plenty Regional Council (via Zoom), Angus Hodgson – KiwiRail (via Zoom)

In Attendance: Mike Seabourne – Public Transport Director, Stacey Spall – NZ Automobile Association Advisor, Stuart Nightingale – NZ Police Road Safety Advisor, Glen Crowther – Environmental Sustainability Advisor, Greg Pert – Freight Advisor (appointed at the meeting), Presenters – as listed in the minutes, Amanda Namana – Committee Advisor

Councillors: Cr Kat MacMillan, Cr Ron Scott, Cr Jane Nees (via Zoom), Cr Kevin Winters (via Zoom), Cr Stuart Crosby (via Zoom)

Apologies: Commission Chair Anne Tolley - Tauranga City Council, Chairman Doug Leeder – Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Dan Kneebone – Port of Tauranga, Mayor Tania Tapsell – Rotorua Lakes Council (for early departure), Stacey Spall - NZ Automobile Association Advisor (for early departure)

1. Apologies

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Accepts the apologies from Dan Kneebone, Chairman Leeder, Commissioner Tolley, Mayor Tapsell (for early departure) and Stacey Spall (for early departure) tendered at the meeting.

Thurston/Tapsell

CARRIED

2. Public Forum

Nil.

3. Order of Business

At the direction of the Chair, Item 10.1 would be taken following Item 6, in order to confirm external advisors and appoint the Freight Advisor. Item 11 would follow Item 8.2 to hear the Road Safety Advisor perspective on speed management matters.

4. Declaration of Conflicts of Interest

None declared.

5. Minutes

Previous Minutes for Information Only

5.1

Regional Transport Committee Minutes - 19 September 2022

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the Regional Transport Committee Minutes - 19 September 2022.

Thurston/Andrew

CARRIED

6. Reports

6.1

Appointment of a Freight Advisor and Confirmation of External Advisors

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Appointment of a Freight Advisor and Confirmation of External Advisors;

2 Appoints Greg Pert as the Freight Advisor to the Regional Transport Committee;

3 Confirms Dan Kneebone as the Port Advisor to the Regional Transport Committee;

4 Confirms Glen Crowther as the Environmental Sustainability Advisor to the Committee;

5 Confirms Inspector Stuart Nightingale as the Road Safety Advisor to the Regional Transport Committee;

6 Confirms Stacey Spall as the NZ Automobile Association Advisor to the Regional Transport Committee

7 Writes a letter to John Galbraith acknowledging his contribution to the Committee and the transport sector over his time as the Freight Advisor.

Thurston/Denyer

CARRIED

7. Presentations

7.1

Land Transport Planning

Presentation: Land Transport Planning: Objective ID A4326306

MRCagney Technical Director for Public Transport Planning Darren Davis presented this item.

Key Points of Presentation:

· Definition of transport

· Bay of Plenty context

· Indicative Strategic Priorities:

o Overarching Focus on Emissions Reduction

o Ministry of Transport (MoT) outcomes framework

o Vehicles kilometres travelled (VKT) Reduction

o Integrated Freight Systems – Rail Freight, Road Freight and coastal shipping

o Safety – healthy and safe people

o Resilience

o Maintaining and operating the system

o Sustainable Urban Development – providing people with transport choices to achieve mode shift

o Funding Sources

9.50 am – Mayor David Moore entered the meeting.

· Summary and uncertainties including funding sources, elections and Government Policy Statement (GPS) priorities

· Key Concepts:

o Mode Neutrality – investing for outcomes

o Intervention Hierarchy – getting land use right as a top priority

o Transport - Land Use Integration, including accessibility and mobility

o Travel Demand Management - including employer based travel plans

o Drivers of Mode Shift to Public Transport

o Size does matter – why not smaller buses?

o Inclusive Access – designing for all ages and abilities, enabling better access for everyone

o The Accessible Journey concept – 2005 Human Rights Commission Enquiry

o Access Challenges in the Bay of Plenty

o Network Effects – connecting end to end journeys to destinations

o Baseline access services were key for rural communities

· Outlined the role of the Regional Transport Committee - preparing the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP); recommending land transport activities eligible for national funding; coordinating, integrating and adopting land use strategies and plans; providing advocacy on strategic regional/inter-regional transport matters to central government.

Key Points - Members:

· Traffic density had increased substantially in Whakatāne and a new bridge was critical to address resilience concerns

· A focus on pricing the network and funding the level of investment required was important

· Buses were exempt from the specific limits on vehicles set by the Vehicle Dimension and Mass (VDAM) rule under the Land Management Transport Act (LTMA) , which had negative impacts on wear and tear of roads.

In Response to Questions:

· It was important to consider the safety of people outside of vehicles e.g. cyclists, as well as those within vehicles

· Bus size needed to be considered for the purpose, location, cost and patronage requirements of each service

· Mode shift was more likely to be achieved outside peak times by concentrating on routes where frequency could be increased

· Central government had clearly signalled that the next National Land Transport Plan (NLTP) period would have carry over cost escalations from already committed projects, a large focus on resilience, maintenance and road safety and limited funding left over

· The issue with electric buses was related to the weight and location of the battery – improving technology may resolve this in the future

· There needed to be a stronger focus on central government partnerships enabling more sustainable urban development and addressing housing shortages

· Housing issues were also driving unfavourable transport outcomes.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the presentation, Land Transport Planning.

Thurston/Selwood

CARRIED

8. Reports (Continued)

8.1

Chairperson's Report

Manager, Transport Planning Oliver Haycock presented this item.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Chairperson's Report.

Thurston/Tapsell-

CARRIED

Decisions Required

8.2

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Quarterly Update

Presentation: Waka Kotahi Quarterly Update and Road to Zero Speed and Infrastructure Programme: Objective ID A4325755

Director Regional Relationship David Speirs (via Zoom) and Regional Manager System Design (Waikato Bay of Plenty) Jess Andrew presented this item.

Key Points of Presentation:

· National Land Transport Plan Activity Classes

· Clarified that if a project was not already underway, new applications were unlikely to receive funding

· Indicative Strategic Priorities for the GPS 2024

· ‘Build back better’ looked at making existing infrastructure safer and more resilient to damage, along with considering alternative routes and strengthening existing systems

· Safe System Audit Guidelines

· Vehicle safety ratings update

· National Ticketing Solution

· Driver Licence Improvement Programme (DLIP)

· Bay of Plenty updates:

o Takitimu North Link (TNL) Stage One (drone footage was shown highlighting the progress of the project: Takitimu North Link Flyover – December 2022 - YouTube)

o Wairoa River Bridge – resilience

o TNL Stage Two – Te Puna to Ōmōkoroa

o Tauriko network connections State Highway 29

o Connecting Mount Maunganui – working across all modes

o Awakeri to Whakatāne State Highway 30 safety improvements.

Key Points - Members:

· When making submissions on vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) targets, it needed to made clear that VKT was only a proxy for carbon reduction, and should be measured and monitored

· Tauranga City Council considered that State Highway 29, Hewletts Road and Totara Street were the major infrastructure investments central to the future growth of the city.

In Response to Questions:

· Encouraged being ambitious in seeking funding through the RLTP and ensuring the prioritised list of projects reflected genuine priorities

· Legislative change had altered requirements for the second stage of licensing which could help address some of the driver shortage issues in the freight industry

· Waka Kotahi were working with Western Bay of Plenty District Council to understand the capacity of the temporary roundabout at the Ōmokoroa intersection and to ensure that safety was maintained with growth and housing development.

Mike Seabourne, Public Transport Director - In Response to Questions:

· The design for Stages One and Two of the Cameron Road project and future linkage with Tauriko was to create a strategic corridor for mobility and movement. There were many dependencies and the timing would be critical.

11.12 am – The meeting adjourned.

11.31 am – The meeting reconvened.

Waka Kotahi Road to Zero: Speed and Infrastructure Programme

Senior Manager Road Safety Fabian Marsh presented this item.

Key Points of Presentation:

· Road to Zero – What, How, Why?

· Vision – Reducing death and injury by 40% by 2030

· Critical interventions

· The delivery challenge

· Safe System

· Promote good choices but plan for mistakes,

· Design for human vulnerability

· Head on and side on impacts at or over 70 kilometres per hour were likely to be fatal

· Design to support trauma prevention

· Managing speed presented a significant opportunity

· Shared responsibility for improving road safety – Waka Kotahi, Council staff and elected members, Police and road users

· Median barriers – case studies and information

· Raised safety platforms – could reduce death and serious injuries by 40%

· Road to Zero Action Plan 2020-22.

In Response to Questions:

· Road to Zero projects rolled out to date had shown effectiveness, the challenge lay in implementing these quickly and in bringing communities along

· No single intervention would solve the problem, however combining and applying a number of tools would have benefits.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

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

[Thurston/Selwood]

[CARRIED]

Verbal Updates from Committee Members and Advisors

Stuart Nightingale – NZ Police Road Safety Advisor

Key Points:

· Had 35 years in the Police force, with a significant portion in road policing

· There were 12 road policing districts in New Zealand, with Bay of Plenty having the poorest performance

· Areas of focus over the next four months – deployment; road policing teams focusing solely on road safety; distraction and no warnings for cellphone or seatbelt offences; targeting below 11 kilometres over the limit; changing mindsets of all police, staff and managers to be on same page and achieve more together; partnerships

· Strong focus on impaired drivers

· Working with repeat traffic offenders

· Highlighted upcoming technology to assist police in identifying offenders.

12:02 pm – Mayor Tapsell withdrew from the meeting.

8.3

Bay of Plenty Regional Speed Management Plan - Agreed Vision, Objectives, Principles and Measures

Manager, Transport Planning Oliver Haycock and Transport Planner Katri Harmoinen presented this item.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Bay of Plenty Regional Speed Management Plan - Agreed Vision, Objectives, Principles and Measures ;

2 Endorses the Bay of Plenty Regional Speed Management Plan’s vision, objectives, principles and measures as outlined in this report.

Luca/Moore

CARRIED

8.4

Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-34 Development: Endorsement of the high-level strategic approach

Senior Transport Planner Andrew Williams presented this item.

Key Points - Members:

· Expressed concern over congestion; roads, cycleways and footpath safety; resilience of the network and insufficient funding to address the issues

· The problem-definition and addressing funding shortages were critical.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-34 Development: Endorsement of the high-level strategic approach;

2 Endorses the high-level strategic approach within the Briefing Paper – Bay of Plenty Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-34 Development – Policy & Strategy Introduction – as provided to the Committee for the Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-34 Development – Initial Briefing held on 3 February 2023, and as outlined in Section 2;

3 Notes the development of the Investment Logic Map as a working draft and the next steps in the development of the Regional Land Transport Plan 2024-34;

4 Agrees that a workshop takes place to address issues associated with the Investment Logic Map (ILM).

Thurston/Selwood

CARRIED

Information Only

8.5

Endorsement of the Final Western Bay of Plenty Travel Demand Management Scoping Study

Presentation: Travel Demand Management: Objective ID A4326307

Senior Transport Planner Matthew Kilpatrick presented this item.

Key Points of Presentation:

· Overview of Western Bay Travel Demand Management (TDM) Scoping Study: TDM, Strategy, Scoping Study, Other Studies

· Seeking endorsement from the Regional Transport Committee.

Key Points - Members:

· Did not agree with dissuasion of driving or penalising drivers who had no choice e.g. rural drivers

· Linkages to infrastructure were important

· Considered that the approach needed to be more targeted and action focused.

In Response to Questions:

· TDM was about understanding people’s needs and what was relevant to the region

· Clarified that a scoping study was a high level document review of what TDM meant for the Western Bay of Plenty, what the initiatives were and highlighted TDM successes in other places. It also looked at what had been done in the past and future opportunities.

12:12pm – Stacey Spall withdrew from the meeting.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Endorsement of the final Western Bay of Plenty Travel Demand Management Scoping Study.

[Luca/Selwood]

[CARRIED]

8.6

Transport Emissions Projection Tool

Tauranga City Council Team Leader Transport, Strategy and Planning Alistair Talbot and BECA Technical Director – Transport Advisory Craig Richards presented this item.

Key Points of Presentation:

· Outlined the purpose of the Transport Emissions Projection Tool

· National decarbonisation

· Tool coverage – cars, light commercial, public transport, active modes and freight

· Model hierarchy

· Model outputs

· Passenger kilometres modal share.

Key Points - Members:

· Rather than per capita emissions, a more useful measure was to look at total emissions in a growth environment

· The current affordability crisis was driving a significant component of the urban form.

In Response to Questions:

· The Transport Emissions Projection Tool aimed to aid and inform discussion and programme development, and to test different scenarios

· Urban Form and Transport Initiative (UFTI) identified and assessed different urban form options and sought a balance of outcomes, rather than a single carbon outcome.

12.51 pm – David Speirs withdrew from the meeting.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Transport Emissions Projection Tool.

Thurston/Moore

CARRIED

9. Presentations (Continued)

9.1

Making Rail Work

Presentation: Making Rail Work: Objective ID A4326313

Managing Director, Taith Consulting James Llewellyn and rail expert Michael van Droegenbroek (via Zoom) presented this item.

Key Points of Presentation:

· Making Rail Work was a collective of business professionals and residents of the Waikato and Bay of Plenty

· The organisation was voluntary, other than some funding from Bay Trust and Trust Waikato

· Outlined common misconceptions

· Critical success factors for Passenger Rail

· Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP) and Passenger Rail for the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions

· Development Co-operative Approach

· Engagement activity to date

· Next Steps

· Our Ask.

Public Transport Director Mike Seabourne – Comments

· Encouraged the Committee to consider the strategic nature of passenger rail and whether it fit within the ten year view.

Key Points - Members:

· KiwiRail confirmed that there was capacity on the network for more trains to be running, although network improvements for additional and passenger services would be required, along with improvements inside the Kaimai Tunnel

· Maintenance renewal for the entire national rail network was currently funded through the Rail Network Investment Programme (RNIP).

In Response to Questions:

· Work which had taken place on the rail network in recent years included improvement to existing railways to add capacity and rehabilitation work to bring it up to a more modern standard, also enhancing resilience

· Suggested that value contributions and value capture could help fund the railway in the future.

Resolved

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the Presentation, Making Rail Work;

2 Requests staff respond to Making Rail Work regarding the six bullet points on the final presentation slide.

Thurston/Selwood

CARRIED

11. Verbal Updates from Committee Members and Advisors (Continued)

Greg Pert – Freight Advisor

Key Points:

· There were several issues to work through in the future with electric vehicles and potentially electric trucks moving freight as there were currently no rules, regulations or legislation to guide this

· Another key consideration was that moving freight via electric vehicles could not be sustained on existing infrastructure.

1.24 pm – the meeting closed.

Confirmed

Cr Lyall Thurston

Chairperson, Regional Transport Committee



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	15 June 2023
Report Authoriser:	Oliver Haycock

Chairperson's Report

Executive Summary

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

· Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024 (GPS)

· Regional Speed Management Plan (RSMP) Update

· Land Transport (Road Safety) Amendment Bill

· Vehicle Exhaust Emissions Amendment Rule

· Sub regional Road Safety update (attachment)

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee:

1 Receives the report, Chairperson's Report.

1. Purpose

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

2. Matters of Potential Interest

2.1 Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024 (GPS)

The Government Policy Statement on Land Transport (GPS) will set out the Government’s priorities for land transport for the 10-year period 2024/25–2033/34.

A draft was originally scheduled for release in early 2023. In the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle, the release was delayed by the Ministry of Transport (MoT). This was to ensure the draft GPS had a greater focus on the reconstruction of damaged infrastructure, as well as building greater resilience so the transport network can better withstand the increasing frequency of extreme weather events.

It had been signalled that the draft GPS would instead be released in May 2023. Staff have now been made aware of a further delay to the release of the GPS. At the time of writing, the Ministry of Transport have not indicated an updated time horizon for its release.

It is important to demonstrate a clear alignment between the GPS and the Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP), to maximise the attraction of funding in the next period of the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF).

In the absence of the draft GPS 2024 being released, staff will continue to develop the RLTP 2024 using the direction set by the previous GPS, as well as the early signals given by the MoT as to the likely inclusions in GPS 2024.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the delay in the release of the GPS will impact the timescales set for the preparation of RLTP 2024. Staff will keep the committee updated on this matter.

2.2 Regional Speed Management Plan (RSMP) Update

The committee will be aware that the Land Transport Rule: Setting of Speed Limits 2022 requires Road Controlling Authorities (RCAs) and the RTC to prepare a Regional Speed Management Plan (RSMP) to establish a 10-year vision and three-year action plan to implement safe and appropriate speed limits and associated speed management activities. The current deadline for the RSMP to be finalised is 5 October 2023.

Through the Regional Advisory Group (RAG), it was reported that RCAs are generally progressing well with the development of speed management plans.

At a recent meeting of its Infrastructure and Environment committee, Rotorua Lakes Council voted to undertake consultation on its draft Speed Management Plan.

Ōpōtiki District Council have reported positive meetings with key stakeholders, with the next step being to put together a draft plan for consultation.

2.3 Land Transport (Road Safety) Amendment Bill

Submissions to the Justice Committee have recently closed on the Land Transport (Road Safety) Amendment Bill.

The bill’s purpose is to respond to unsafe behaviour on New Zealand’s roads. The bill aims to enable the New Zealand Police and Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency to detect inappropriate behaviour on the road and carry out enforcement activities.

Changes proposed by the bill include:

· Increasing the period that a vehicle can be impounded for if a driver fails to stop and remain stopped

· Enabling the Police to seize and impound a vehicle if a driver or registered person fails to give information about a fleeing driver offence (and impounding the vehicle is necessary to prevent a threat to road safety)

· Increasing the period of licence disqualification after a second conviction for an offence of failing to stop or remaining stopped, and creating a new sentencing option for the courts to order that a vehicle be forfeited on conviction for failing to stop or to remain stopped

· Providing for the electronic service of notices

· Ensuring that point-to-point safety cameras can be used as an enforcement tool for speeding offences

· Providing for the automated issuing of certain infringement notices

Staff will keep the committee updated with any opportunities or implications that may arise from this proposed amendment bill.

2.4 Vehicle Exhaust Emissions Amendment Rule

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

A summary of the proposals are as follows:

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

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

· Introduce an emissions requirement for mopeds and motorcycles.

Consultation feedback closes on 22 June 2022. Staff will provide a verbal update on this item.

2.5 Sub regional Road Safety update (attachment)

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

Attachments

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



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	15 June 2023
Report Writer:	Oliver Haycock, Manager, Transport Planning
Report Authoriser:	Mike Seabourne, Director, Public Transport
Purpose:	This paper seeks to confirm the direction provided at the 5 May 2023 workshop.

Draft Regional Land Transport Plan 2024 - Strategic Framework Development

Executive Summary

On 5 May 2023, a workshop was held with members of the Regional Transport Committee. The aim of this session was to provide direction to staff in relation to the development of the strategic framework to support the development a new Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP) 2024-34.

This paper seeks to confirm the direction provided at the workshop, including:

· The wording of the vision

· The defining of objectives

· The identification of headline targets

· Confirmation of next steps, specifically in relation to the development of policies and the Investment Logic Map (ILM)

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee:

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

2 Endorses the Vision Statement for RLTP 2024:

(a) Confirms Option _____ as the preferred Vision Statement

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

4 Endorses the seven Objectives for incorporation into the RLTP 2024;

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

5 Endorses the high-level direction of the headline targets developed by staff.

1. Background

The RTC has commenced the process of preparing the RLTP 2024 and significant progress has been made on the development of the strategic framework.

The strategic framework outlines the strategic context for land transport in the region and sets out the regional policy framework, including the region’s transport vision, objectives, headline targets, policies, and ten-year transport investment priorities that will guide investment in the regional transport system.

This paper seeks to further progress the plan development process by confirming the direction provided by the RTC at its 5 May 2023 workshop, where the vision, objectives and headline targets were discussed.

A further workshop will be held on 4 August 2023, where the ten-year transport investment priorities will be discussed.

2. The Strategic Framework

The following provides a synopsis of the direction the RTC provided at the 5 May 2023 workshop, and includes the vision statement, problem and benefit statements, and the objectives proposed for inclusion into the draft RLTP 2024.

2.1 The Vision Statement

The vision statement defines where the RTC wants to get to in the longer term – it is an anchor and helps focus the plan on the region’s long-term aspirations. A vision statement is not mandated by the Land Transport Management Act (LTMA).

At the 5 May workshop, the RTC were asked to review the RLTP 2021 vision statement, and discuss whether it was fatally flawed, or required updating.

The RTC raised the following key points:

· The vision needed to drive regional priorities and investment plans

· Resilience was crucial, particularly regarding climate change and increasing severe weather events affecting the access of vulnerable sub-regions

· Noted the conflict between resilience and efficiency and balancing these/ acknowledging the trade-off.

· Discussed the inclusion of the word “equitable” in the vision.

Staff also challenged the RTC to consider a shorter, more concise vision statement. The RTC requested that staff suggest a simplified vision statement for consideration.

Following the workshop, staff reflected on the direction given. Whilst it is important to reflect the need for a resilient and equitable transport system, staff recommend that this would be better addressed in the RLTP Objectives, rather than the Vision.

Staff therefore suggest the following two vision statements for the consideration by the RTC:

Option 1 – Retain the RLTP 2021 Vision Statement:

“Our transport system is sustainable, resilient, efficient and enables safe and multimodal access that meets the needs of our diverse, growing communities and regional economy”

Option 2 – A Simplified Vision Statement:

“Our transport system meets the needs of our diverse communities and regional economy”

Given that the issues omitted in simplified vision statement (resilience, efficiency, safety, and multimodal access) are captured in the RLTP Objectives, staff suggest that the RTC consider endorsing Option 2.

2.2 The Objectives

The RLTP objectives describe what the region will do to deliver on the vision. Unlike the vision statement, the LTMA (s. 16 (1)) mandates the development of land transport objectives.

The RLTP 2021 has a set of five objective themes, which align directly to the Ministry of Transport’s “Transport Outcomes Framework”. The current seven objectives sit beneath the objective themes. It should be noted that objective themes are not mandated but their inclusion is considered best practice.

2.2.1 Objective Themes

At the 5 May workshop, the RTC first considered whether the current objective themes should be maintained for the RLTP 2024.

The RTC raised the following key point:

· Keeping the existing five objective themes made sense given the funding sources – it was important to keep productivity and drive for economic prosperity and growth.

Staff took this as clear direction that the five objective themes below should be maintained:

1. Healthy and Safe People

2. Environmental Sustainability

3. Inclusive Access

4. Economic Prosperity

5. Resilience and Security

Staff are therefore seeking confirmation from the RTC that these objective themes be incorporated into the RLTP 2024.

2.2.2 Objectives

Following the confirmation of the objective themes, the RTC was then asked to consider the underlying objectives. Like the previous discussions, the RTC were invited to review the RLTP 2021 objectives, to discuss whether they were fatally flawed, or required updating.

The direction provided by the RTC and staff’s recommended updates are presented below, beneath each objective theme.

Healthy and Safe People

The RTC directed staff to maintain Objective 1 & 3 from RLTP 2021 and swap the word “minimised” to “reduced” in Objective 2.

Staff would like to confirm the intent of the direction provided by the RTC on this matter, as “reduced” is likely to be perceived as a weaker verb than “minimised”.

From the direction given by the RTC, the proposed objectives for RLTP 2024 under this theme are:

Objective 1: No people are killed or seriously injured on the region’s transport system

Objective 2: The health damaging effects of transport are reduced, such as noise, air pollution and stormwater run-of

Objective 3: Our communities are encouraged and supported to make healthy transport choices

Staff are therefore seeking confirmation from the RTC that these three objectives be incorporated into RLTP 2024, as well as confirmation around the change to “reduced” in Objective 2.

Environmental Sustainability

The RTC directed staff to replace the word “minimised” with “reduced” in Objective 4. As with Objective 2, staff would like to confirm the intent of the direction provided by the RTC on this matter, as “reduced” is likely to be perceived as a weaker verb than “minimised”.

From the direction given by the RTC, the proposed objective for RLTP 2024 under this theme is:

Objective 4: The environmental effects, including emissions, arising from the use of the transport system are reduced

Staff are therefore seeking confirmation from the RTC that this objective be incorporated into the RLTP 2024, as well as confirmation around the change to “reduced”.

Inclusive Access

The RTC directed staff to introduce word “equitable” into Objective 5. The proposed objective for RLTP 2024 under this theme is therefore:

Objective 5: Communities have access to an inclusive, equitable and reliable transport system that provides them with a range of travel choices to meet their social, economic, health and cultural needs

Staff are therefore seeking confirmation from the RTC that this objective be incorporated into the RLTP 2024.

Economic Prosperity

Much discussion was had around this objective, and the desire to address integration with spatial planning. The RTC directed staff to consider further how this could be addressed.

Following the workshop, staff reflected on the discussion and recommend that the integration with spatial planning be addressed through the development of appropriate RLTP 2024 policies, rather than be included as part of the objectives. Staff therefore recommend maintaining the objective from RLTP 2021:

Objective 6: The transport system enables people and goods to move efficiently and reliably to, from and throughout the region

Staff are therefore seeking confirmation from the RTC that this objective be incorporated into the RLTP 2024.

Resilience and Security

The RTC clearly signalled the desire to bolster the regional stance on resilience and introduce more proactiveness into this objective. The proposed objective for RLTP 2024 under this theme is therefore:

Objective 7: 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.

Staff are therefore seeking confirmation from the RTC that this objective be incorporated into the RLTP 2024.

2.3 Headline targets

Headline targets are intended to be viewed as the RLTP’s most important key performance indicators. They are an important tool to communicate the level of change sought in key areas. The LTMA (s. 16 (1)) mandates the development of land transport measures.

They should include a tangible measure that quantifies the region’s desired outcomes – it is important that targets are SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timebound).

The Transport Special Interest Group’s (TSIG) RLTP guidance (endorsed by Waka Kotahi) recommends that RLTPs includes between three to five ‘headline targets’ within the strategic framework to support the RLTP’s vision and objectives.

Building upon the direction provided at the workshop, staff have developed five headline targets which are outlined below. Staff will continue to work on the headline targets as the full monitoring framework is developed but would appreciate a high-level endorsement of the progress so far.

Headline targets are supplemented by a larger number of key performance indicators (KPIs). As part of the RLTP 2024 process, staff are reviewing the 27 KPIs that are used to monitor the progress of the RLTP 2021. Staff are exploring the potential to rationalise the number of KPIs, making sure that targets are useful and measurable. Any targets developed will be tested with the RAG, prior to being brought to the RTC for approval.

Healthy and Safe People

The RTC directed staff to maintain the headline target from the RLTP 2021. The proposed headline target for RLTP 2024 under this theme is therefore:

Headline Target 1: 40% reduction in deaths and serious injuries, from 2020 levels, by 2030, on the region’s road network.

This aligns with the interim ten-year target from Waka Kotahi’s “Road to Zero” road safety strategy. Data to understand progress against this target can be sourced from the Death and Serious Injury (DSI) dataset, published via Waka Kotahi’s Crash Analysis System (CAS). Updates to this dataset are available monthly.

Environmental Sustainability

Much discussion was had around a suitable headline target for this measure, particularly around the suitability of an emissions reduction target compared to a vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) reduction target.

Staff were directed to consider a more generalised/ high level target, and the opportunities for alignment with government policy.

Following the workshop, staff reflected on the discussion and reviewed the data sources available to support this target.

Road transport greenhouse gas emissions are published by Stats NZ. This is a direct measure of road transport’s impact on the environment in relation to tailpipe emissions, which are directly linked to climate change. This aligns with the Climate Change strategic priority outlined in GPS 2021, and the Emissions Reduction strategic priority signalled to be included in the draft GPS 2024. It also aligns with the elements of the Ministry of Transport’s Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP).

Vehicle kilometres travelled are published by the Ministry of Transport / Waka Kotahi. VKT represents more of a proxy measure for environmental sustainability, with the assumption that a reduction in VKT indicates the adoption of more sustainable travel choices. Compared to greenhouse gas emissions, the alignment with the strategic priorities contained within the GPS is less clear, but there is clear alignment with Target 1 of the Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP).

Given the closer alignment to both the current GPS and more direct relationship to the environmental impact of land transport, staff recommend that the RTC adopt a headline target measurable by greenhouse gas emissions. Staff therefore suggest the following:

Headline Target 2: Reduce carbon emissions from the transport sector by a minimum of 25% by 203X from a 202X base, on the path to net carbon zero by 2050

Achieving net carbon zero by 2050, as well as a carbon emission reduction target for 20% by 2030 closely aligns with the targets set out in the Emission Reduction Plan.

Data to understand progress against this target can be sourced from the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Land Transport dataset, published by Stats NZ. Updates to this dataset are available annually, released every September.

Staff will further consider whether there is benefit in the inclusion of KPIs to measure VKT reduction.

Inclusive Access

The RTC were mostly in agreement that a headline target around mode share would be appropriate under this objective theme. Members requested that active modes (such as walking and cycling) be included within this target.

The proposed headline target for the RLTP 2024 under this theme is therefore:

Headline Target 3: Increase the combined mode share for public transport and active modes to 20% by 203X.

This target closely aligns with the aspirational mode shift goal set in the Regional Public Transport Plan 2022.

Data to understand progress against this target can be sourced from the Ministry of Transport and the Census. The MoT’s New Zealand Household Travel Survey is undertaken annually (but has a small sample size at a regional level), whilst the census is undertaken every 5 years.

Economic Prosperity

Over the RLTP 2021 period, targets under the economic prosperity objective theme proved hard to measure, due to a lack of robust data sources. The RTC discussed several desirable measures, including travel time predictability and transport system reliability. It should be noted that reliability of both the Tauranga and Rotorua urban networks was included as a KPI for the RLTP 2021, but no efficient and consistent approach to measure this indicator has been developed.

The TSIG guidance for headline target development shortlisted road and/or rail freight volumes as the most measurable metric as a proxy for economic prosperity. Freight volumes are measured in tonnes, and the option to report this on a per capita (per person) basis was suggested by RTC members.

Staff have considered how to incorporate freight volumes into a headline target. There is limited specific national guidance in this area, the Ministry of Transport is currently developing a Freight and Supply Chain Strategy, but this is unlikely to be complete in time to inform the RLTP 2024. The MoT’s Transport Outcomes Framework refers to the efficient movements of people and products to achieve economic prosperity, identifying improving freight connections as a strategic priority.

Given the significant increase in population forecast for the Bay of Plenty region (specifically in the Western Bay subregion), it would be desirable for economic prosperity to grow, at least in keeping with population growth. Staff therefore propose the following headline target for the RLTP 2024 under this theme:

Headline Target 4: Increase the volume of freight transported per capita by XX% by 203X.

Data to understand progress against this target can be sourced from road and rail freight volumes, published through the Ministry of Transport’s Freight Information Gathering System (FIGS). Updates to the FIGS dataset are available quarterly. Population data can be sourced from Stats NZ.

Staff will further consider the feasibility of including KPIs encompassing travel time predictability and transport system reliability.

Resilience and Security

The RTC expressed an interest in understanding the impact on the transport system, especially in respect to the number of closures and level of disruption following significant weather events. The RTC directed staff to further develop a suitable headline target for this objective theme.

The TSIG guidance for headline target development shortlisted unplanned closures arising from natural hazards as the most measurable metric for resilience. Staff therefore propose the following headline target for the RLTP 2024 under this theme:

Headline Target 5: Reduce the number of unplanned closures on the transport system by XX% by 203X.

Data to understand progress against this target can be sourced from Waka Kotahi’s Traffic Road Event Information System (TREIS). This dataset is updated in real time

2.4 Policies

The LTMA requires policies to be included in the RLTP. Policies are intended to provide more detail about how each objective will be achieved and are designed to guide the actions of organisations responsible for implementing the RLTP.

At the 5 May workshop, it was confirmed that staff in conjunction with RAG, would review the policies contained within the RLTP 2021 in the first instance and proposed new or updated policies for members of the RTC to consider at a future date.

2.5 Draft Investment Logic Map (ILM) Update

At the 5 May workshop, staff presented an updated version of the ILM which incorporated wording changes suggested by Tauranga City Council. Whilst there was some discussion, the direction observed by staff was that members were supportive of the updates.

Given that the draft GPS 2024 is yet to be released and aspects of the strategic framework are still being developed, staff recommend that the ILM remain in draft form at this time.

3. Considerations

3.1 Risks and Mitigations

Table 1 below provides a list of some of the risks, and the associated mitigations, that staff are dealing with and managing.

Table 1: Risks and associated mitigations

Risk	Mitigations
General election in 2023 results in rapid shift in central government transport direction late in plan development process	Consider developing alternative options for the region’s ten-year transport investment priorities and alternative prioritisation scenarios
Delays in critical information mean project is not completed within required timeframes	Ongoing communication between key stakeholders on delivery dates for critical information (e.g. GPS, local transport programmes etc.)
Unable to achieve key stakeholder agreement (e.g. RAG) on key elements of the Plan (strategic framework, prioritisation methodology, priorities)	Proactive identification and engagement on emerging issues
Fundamental disagreement between ‘the Region’ and central government on critical elements of the Plan (strategic framework, priorities, programme)	Ongoing dialogue between central government and the Region on RLTP expectations. Utilisation of the TSIG network and resources.
Rapid and fundamental shift in assumptions underpinning the Plan - economic trends, travel behaviour, transport costs and revenues, technological change, catastrophic event (e.g. pandemic, natural disaster).	Consider Including a section on future scenarios, risks and uncertainties. Detail assumptions in plan.
Public resistance to critical elements of the Plan (principles, priorities, programme).	Consider through the development and implementation of consultation/ communications plan
Political approval is not achieved at key milestone dates.	Include timing contingencies in project planning and ensure relevant workshops scheduled to provide opportunity for more detailed discussions.

3.2 Climate Change

Climate change is a significant component of the RLTP 2024, which will specifically address climate change mitigation and adaptation. This is likely to form a “golden thread” through from the draft RLTP vision statement, benefit and problem statements, objectives, policies and the developing headline targets.

3.3 Implications for Māori

It is vital that Regional Council engage with Māori effectively during the development of the RLTP to ensure it takes into account and reflects Māori aspirations. This ensures that Regional Council and Waka Kotahi can meet their collective obligations under the LTMA. Regional Council is well placed to actively engage with Māori and staff will progress a plan for consultation which will include a specific component of Māori consultation.

3.4 Community Engagement

CONSULT

Whakauiuia

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

Staff will undertake public consultation on the draft RLTP 2024.

3.5 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.

3.6 Community Well-beings Assessment

Dominant Well-Beings Affected

þ Environmental

High - Positive

þ Cultural

Low - Positive

þ Social

Medium - Positive

þ Economic

Medium - Positive

Further guidelines available here.

3.7 Financial Implications

There are currently no direct financial implications associated with developing the strategic framework for the RLTP 2024.

4. Next Steps

Staff will take onboard the feedback and recommendations from RTC members and will continue developing the draft RLTP 2024. A further workshop will be held on 4 August 2023, where the ten-year transport investment priorities will be discussed.



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	15 June 2023
Report Writer:	Andrew Williams, Team Leader, Transport Planning
Report Authoriser:	Oliver Haycock, Manager, Transport Planning
Purpose:	Update the Committee on progress in implementing the Bay of Plenty Regional Land Transport Plan 2021-31.

Regional Land Transport Plan - Implementation Report

Executive Summary

This report provides an 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, good progress is being made in delivering the activities in the RLTP programme.

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^{^[1]}.

The proposed activities in the RLTP are submitted by Waka Kotahi 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 Waka Kotahi in June 2021. The National Land Transport Programme was then subsequently released by Waka Kotahi.

2. Progress summary

The progress summary is grouped by Government Policy Statement (GPS) 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 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) funding approval process. The activity 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: investment into the maintenance and operation of existing local roads to deliver an appropriate level of service, excluding asset upgrades;

6. State highway improvement activities: investment into the maintenance and operation of existing state highways to deliver an appropriate level of service, excluding asset upgrades;

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, at Attachment 1.

3. Overall progress

Good progress is being made in delivering the activities in the programme. Of all the activity classes, and the LCLR programmes, most of the activities within these are indicating that they are progressing well – marked green. Of the 60 activities listed at Attachment 1:

· 27 are green – progressing well;

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

· 9 are red – not progressing as planned; and

· 2 are black – completed.

In those cases where activities are currently not progressing as well as planned, this is generally 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.

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.

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 continue to implement projects within the RLTP and a further RLTP implementation update report will be provided in six months’ time.

Attachments

Attachment 1 - Traffic Light Report - RLTP 2021-31 Implementation Updates ⇩



Report To:	Regional Transport Committee
Meeting Date:	15 June 2023
Report Writer:	Andrew Williams, Team Leader, Transport Planning
Report Authoriser:	Oliver Haycock, Manager, Transport Planning
Purpose:	Outline the results of the Regional Land Transport Plan’s (2021-31) annual monitoring

Regional Land Transport Plan - Annual Monitoring

Executive Summary

The Regional Land Transport Plan (2021-31) includes a requirement to provide annual monitoring trends and measures progress towards achieving the objectives of the RLTP. Annual monitoring results are reflected via the RLTP dashboard, accessed on the Regional Council website and provided with this report.

Of the 27 key performance indicators (KPI) that are monitored by the RLTP, 15 have been met, 3 have been partially met, 5 have not been met and 4 have insufficient data to present a result. Overall, this represents a strong performance, particularly across the road safety measures where all five measures met their target. In addition, staff have managed to fill a significant data shortage over the last year with only 4 KPI unable to present a result due to insufficient data – last year, a total of 17 KPI were listed as having insufficient data due to data gaps across various sources.

A future opportunity exists for the dashboard to capture and present additional reporting requirements, notably trend data via graphs and other means. Staff are working on developing the capacity of the RLTP dashboard to support this.

Recommendations

That the Regional Transport Committee:

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

1. Background

The Land Transport Management Act (LTMA) sets the form and content required to be included in a Regional Land Transport Plan (RLTP). The LTMA determines that an RLTP must include “the measures that will be used to monitor the performance of the activities”. To meet this requirement, the RLTP provides a set of 27 key performance indicators (KPI) and, of those, five are listed as “headline targets”. A copy of all of the RLTPs KPIs are included at Attachment 1, and are also contained at Appendix 3 of the RLTP.

Monitoring is an important part of measuring progress in implementing a plan and assessing the effectiveness of the policies, KPIs, and activities it contains. Monitoring provides the information necessary to complete the policy cycle, illustrated by Figure 1.

Figure 1: The policy cycle

2. RLTP monitoring results – 2021/22

The RLTP monitoring results are displayed, by way of a dashboard, on the Regional Council’s website here and are also provided at Attachment 2. The dashboard illustrates the progress against the 27 KPI within the RLTP 2021-31, and it illustrates that of the 27 RLTP KPIs:

§ 15 have been met;

§ 3 have been partially met;

§ 5 have not been met; and

§ 4 have insufficient data to provide a result.

With 15 KPI listed as being met, this is a strong result, and some of the high-level and key findings that can be taken from these results, include:

§ All five of the death and serious injury (DSI) KPI – 1 through 5 – have been met; that means that they are achieved a result that betters the baseline 2020 result. While this is a positive, historically DSI statistics across the region do fluctuate and so continuing work in this space will be important to support achieving a level of consistency over time.

§ The social cost of DSI’s (KPI 4) is subsequently lower, reflecting the reduced DSI numbers.

§ Despite the above, high risk behaviours (alcohol, drugs and speed) continue to contribute to a high proportion of DSI crashes.

§ Air quality results (nitrogen dioxide), measured by KPI 6, across Rotorua and Tauranga have seen a split result (‘partially met’). Rotorua has achieved a strong result for the year and met its target, however, Tauranga’s measure has not and is above the 2020 baseline level.

§ Transport emissions (KPI 9) was not met, and nor was the uptake of electric vehicles (KPI 12). The former is not a surprise, but the latter is a KPI that is generally met as electric car sales continue to rise. A correlation may be made with poorer air quality measured in Tauranga (KPI 6).

§ Active modes – as a percentage of mode share, measured by KPI 15 – has not changed year-on-year. However, distance cycled (KPI 17) and time spent walking (KPI 18) have increased for the population across the region. The positive result of KPI 17 may have been supported by the increase in additional cycle path kilometres built (KPI 19), which was also met.

§ The region’s contribution to national GDP (KPI 22) continues to rise, which can often correlate to an increase in demand for use of the transport network, particularly for the region’s freight task.

§ The cost to build local roads (cost per kilometre) has increased, as illustrated by KPI 23b, which has not been met. This is not a surprise considering recent contributing economic factors, notably inflationary pressures.

The 3 KPI listed as being ‘partially met’ are described in that manner because some KPI (those listed with and ‘a’ and ‘b’ measure) are split across two variables, for example, KPI 11 includes rail mode share percentage (gate in vs gate out at the Port of Tauranga), and in this instance, the gate out share has exceeded 2020 levels, whereas the gate in share has been below that of 2020 levels.

The 5 KPI that have not been met are KPIs 8, 9, 12, 15, and 23. These KPI are some of the hardest to achieve, excluding the electric vehicle uptake, mentioned earlier as a possible outlier for this reporting year.

A total of 4 KPI are listed as “N/D” (insufficient data) and the reason is because the Regional Council does not collect much of this data itself – it is instead reliant on external organisations to collect the data, as part of their own monitoring systems. This means that changes to other organisations’ data collection methods impacts on the ability to report on KPIs in the RLTP. In comparison, the previous reporting year saw a total of 17 KPI listed as N/D, for a variety of reasons including the impacts COVID-19 had on data collection and associated resources. Staff have worked hard to fill data gaps, and the last year has proven to be successful in an attempt to create a stronger monitoring framework for the RLTP.

Members will also note that new KPIs, including headline targets, will be developed as part of the RLTP 2024-34 process. Discussion on this matter was raised at the RLTP development Workshop (5 May 2023) and is further outlined in the RLTP Strategic Framework paper, included with this agenda.

3. Considerations

3.1 Risks and Mitigations

The RLTP 2021-31 includes a requirement to provide annual monitoring and measures progress towards achieving the objectives of the RLTP. Some data can be difficult to obtain to support this, however as noted, staff work to fill these data gaps to provide improved monitoring of the RLTP.

3.2 Climate Change

The RLTP monitoring framework includes KPIs that support the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change.

3.3 Implications for Māori

The RLTP 2021 was developed in consultation with Māori.

3.4 Community Engagement

Discussion of KPIs formed part of community engagement during RLTP development, and reporting on the KPIs via the online dashboard supports community interest in delivery of the RLTP.

3.5 Alignment with Strategic Framework

This work aligns most closely with the Council’s Long Term Plan’s ‘A vibrant region’ outcome.

3.6 Financial Implications

There are no material unbudgeted financial implications, and work fits within allocated an allocated budget.

4. Next Steps

Development of the RLTP 2024-34 will support the appropriate evolution of monitoring and KPIs. The Committee will be provided with updates on monitoring and KPI progress, on an annual basis.

Attachments

Attachment 1 - RLTP 2021-31 Key Performance Indicators ⇩

Attachment 2 - Annual Report Card 2021-22 ⇩

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