Agenda of Regional Transport Committee - Tuesday, 1 October 2024

Regional Transport Committee

1 October 2024

Regional Transport Committee Agenda

Meeting to be held in the NRC Council Chamber

36 Water Street, Whangārei

on Tuesday 1 October 2024, commencing at 11.00am

Recommendations contained in the agenda are NOT decisions of the meeting. Please refer to minutes for resolutions.

MEMBERSHIP OF THE Regional Transport Committee

Chairperson, NRC Councillor Joe Carr

FNDC Councillor Steve McNally	WDC Councillor Simon Reid	KDC Councillor Ash Nayyar
Waka Kotahi Director Regional Relationships Steve Mutton	Deputy Chairperson NRC John Blackwell	KiwiRail Programme Director Northland Eric Hennephof

KARAKIA / WHAKATAU

RĪMITI (ITEM) Page

1.0 Ngā Mahi Whakapai/Housekeeping

2.0 Ngā Whakapahā/apologies

3.0 Ngā Whakapuakanga/declarations of conflicts of interest

4.0 Nga Whakaae Miniti / Confirmation of Minutes

4.1 Confirmation of Minutes - 6 August 2024 5

5.0 Receipt of Action Sheet

5.1 Receipt of Action Sheet - 1 October 2024 12

6.0 Nga Ripoata Mahi / Operational Matters

6.1 Presentation - Horse Riders to be formally recognised as a Vulnerable Road User 14

6.2 Presentation - Opportunities for Barging in Northland 28

6.3 Funding Uptake Report 29

6.4 National Land Transport Programme 2024/2027 - Implications for Roading Authorities’ Work Programmes 65

6.5 NZTA Waka Kotahi Update for Te Tai Tokerau 73

6.6 KiwiRail Upate 102

6.7 Regional Road Safety Report 103

6.8 Report on Visits by Chair and Deputy Chair 115

6.9 Committee Members Priorities and Updates 116

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Regional Transport Committee item: 6.3

1 October 2024

TITLE:	Funding Uptake Report
From:	Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council and Kayla Gunson, Regional Transport Coordinator
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 20 September 2024

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

This paper serves to update the Regional Transport Committee members on how each approved authority is progressing with uplifting of approved funding assistance through National Land Transport Programme. Operational reports from each Road Controlling Authority are also included.

For this meeting however, there has been insufficient time and information available to provide a suitably detailed funding uptake report.

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘Funding Uptake Report’ by Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council and Kayla Gunson, Regional Transport Coordinator and dated 7 August 2024, be received.

Background/Tuhinga

These reports tabled at each Regional Transport Committee (RTC) meeting provide a quarterly update on the uplift of funding assistance applied for through the Northland Regional Land Transport Plan 2021-2027 (RLTP) and approved in the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) for the Far North District Council, Whangarei District Council, Kaipara District Council, New Zealand Transport Agency – Waka Kotahi and the Northland Regional Council transport related works and projects.

Due to the extremely short time period available between the confirmation of the August 2024 approved authority’s subsidy claims and the submission of this report for approval and release to the RTC, the funding uptake spreadsheets could not be completed in time. This would essentially only leave the July 2024 period to analyse.

It is important to note that the national funding assistance for the period 1 July 2024 to 1 September 2024 is indicative only and has the potential to change following the release of the NLTP.

Based on the above, no Funding Uptake Report Spreadsheets will be tabled at the 1 October 2024 meeting.

At the 6 August 2024 RTC meeting, the Elected Representatives agreed that: -

Each council to bring relevant sections of their council Infrastructure Committee Report

reports to the October 2024 RTC meeting so members can view other reports and provide feedback to inform development of a consistent reporting format.

Please find attached copies of the relevant sections of the reports tabled at the Whangarei District Council Infrastructure Committee meeting and the Kaipara District Council meeting.

The Far North District Council report was not available at the time of release of this paper. This will be tabled at the meeting.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: WDC Infrastructure Report for RTC July 2024 ⇩

Attachment 2: KDC Transportation Briefing 4 September 2024 ⇩

Regional Transport Committee item: 6.4

1 October 2024

TITLE:	National Land Transport Programme 2024/2027 - Implications for Roading Authorities’ Work Programmes
From:	Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council and Kayla Gunson, Regional Transport Coordinator
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 18 September 2024

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

This report provides a high-level overview of the financial implications of the recently released National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) 2024-2027 on the work programmes of the Road Controlling Authorities (RCAs) and the Northland Regional Council.

Guided by the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024 (GPS 2024), the NLTP introduces significant changes in funding priorities and allocations that will impact state highway and local road improvements and maintenance, public transport services, road safety and walking and cycling initiatives across the region.

Key areas of change from the previous NLTP include:

· Increased focus on economic growth and productivity

· Reintroduction of the Roads of National Significance (RoNS) programme

· Changes in funding for public transport and active transport modes, including walking and cycling infrastructure

· New emphasis on road maintenance and pothole prevention

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘National Land Transport Programme 2024/2027 - Implications for Roading Authorities’ Work Programmes’ by Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council and Kayla Gunson, Regional Transport Coordinator and dated 11 September 2024, be received.

Background/Tuhinga

Section 19 of the Land Transport Management Act 2003 (LTMA) requires the development of a National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) every three years. The NLTP 2024-2027, released on 1 September 2024, outlines the land transport investment programme for the next three-year funding cycle and is guided by the Priorities set in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024 (GPS 2024).

To qualify for funding through the NLTP, Road Controlling Authorities (RCAs) and the Northland Regional Council (NRC) are required to align their work programmes with both the NLTP and the objectives of the GPS, as stated in Section 20 of the LTMA.

The NLTP 2024-2027 forecasts $991million for transport investment in Northland, marking a significant shift in policy and funding priorities. This investment aims to strengthen the region's connections and support economic growth and productivity, with a focus on delivering a resilient and reliable road network.

See Attachment I: - 2024-2027 National Land Transport Programme – Regional Summary – Northland Te Tai Tokerau; and

See Attachment II: - 2024-2027 National Land Transport Programme - Factsheet – Northland.

See Link to NLTP Regional and Activity 2024-2027 funding allocations for Far North, Whangarei and Kaipara District Councils, Northland Regional Council, NZ Transport Agency, Department of Conservation and Waitangi Trust: - https://www.nzta.govt.nz/planning-and-investment/national-land-transport-programme/2024-27-nltp/nltp-funding/regional-and-activity-tables/?group=region&state=published&dataType=TCFA&r%5B11%5D=1&a=1

Forecast Funding for Northland Region

$991m has been forecast in the NLTP for the following key funding categories for Northland's local road and state highway transport infrastructure and operations:

· Maintenance Operations = $258m

o State Highway = $105m

o Local Roads = $153m

· Pothole Repairs = $458m

o State Highways = $218m

o Local Roads = $240m

· Improvements = $243m

· Public Transport = $18m

· Safety = $4m

· Walking and Cycling = $6.9

Roads of National Significance.

It is important to note that for the 2024-2027 funding period, the RoN’s projects for Northland fall outside the confines of the NLTP. Funding for these will be sought through a separate category in the National Land Transport Fund.

This will be covered in more detail in the NZ Transport Agencies report titled “National Land Transport Programme 2024/2027 - Implications for Roading Authorities’ Work Programmes” by Steve Mutton, NZTA - Director Regional Relationships, Te Tai Tokerau me Tāmaki Makaurau later in the agenda.

Funding Uptake Requirements

To secure future funding while meeting both regional and national transport objectives, Northland's roading authorities have adapted their work programmes by:

· Aligning projects with the economic growth and productivity focus of GPS 2024.

· Prioritising maintenance and resilience projects to address regional challenges, such as route security and climate change impacts.

· Integrating planned works with the new RoNS projects to ensure an interconnected inter-regional transport network, supporting economic growth.

· Reviewing and potentially adjusting public transport and active mode initiatives to align with the new funding priorities while still addressing regional needs.

· Increasing funding for road maintenance with the new State Highway Pothole Prevention and Loal Road Pothole Prevention activity classes.

These adaptations will help ensure Northland's transport initiatives remain eligible for National Land Transport Fund funding while addressing the unique challenges and opportunities identified in the RLTP.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: 2024-2027 National Land Transport Programme - Regional Summary - Northland ⇩

Attachment 2: 2024-2027 National Land Transport Programme - Factsheet - Northland ⇩

Regional Transport Committee item: 6.7

1 October 2024

TITLE:	Regional Road Safety Report
From:	Kayla Gunson, Regional Transport Coordinator; Nicole Korach, Project Manager - Road Safety Promotion and Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 19 September 2024

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

This Report updates the Regional Transport Committee on the progress made on Northland Road to Zero program for local roads in Northland.

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘Regional Road Safety Report’ by Chris Powell, Transport Manager – Northland Regional Council, Nicole Cauty, Road Safety Project Manager, Kayla Gunson, Regional Transport Coordinator, and Nick Marshall, Transportation Strategy & Planning Lead, dated 11 September 2024, be received.

Background/ Tuhinga

Local Roads Infrastructure Improvements

At the time of compiling this report, the 3-year Road Safety Infrastructure Improvements Programme for each District Council was not available.

Speed Management

A total of nearly 1,500 kilometres of local road network has safe and appropriate speeds. This represents 22% of the total network. Treating 22% of our network is predicted to reduce the number of Death and Serious Injury crashes over a 10-year period by 51.

At the time of writing this report the 3-year Speed Management programme for each Council was not available.

Road Trauma Update

Calendar Year 2024 - 1 January – 31 December, Provisional Road Fatalities Statistics

Fatal Crashes Jan – Dec 2024	Far North	Whangārei	Kaipara	Northland	National
Local roads	8	5	1	14	84
State highways	2	7	1	10	105
TOTAL	10	12	2	24	189

Breakdown of the 2024 Deaths year to date: 24 Deaths

Fatal crashes per month

Month

Jan

Feb

Mar

April

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Fatal

Fatal crashes by gender
Male	17
Female	7

Fatal crashes by role
Driver	13
Passenger	4
Motorcyclist	2
Cyclist	1
Pedestrian	4

Fatal crashes by age group
0 – 14 years	2
15 – 19 years	6
20 – 24 years	1
25 – 39 years	2
40 – 59 years	8
Over 60 years	5

Fatal crashes by speed corridors (Local Roads)		Fatal crashes by speed corridors (State Highways)
100 km/h	9	100 km/h	9
80 km/h	0	80 km/h	1
70 km/h	0	70 km/h	0
60 km/h	1	60 km/h	0
50 km/h	4	50 km/h	0
Total	14	Total	10

Impaired driving courses hit a record number of referrals – Northland Road Safety Trust

Impaired (alcohol and drug impaired driving) driving courses have had a record number of referrals recently for the Whangārei and Kaipara districts from NZ Police, probations, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Social Development and self-referrals. Despite the funding cuts the safety programme is receiving; the programme is having to run two separate sessions of these courses during the busier months.

Here is what one participant had to say:

The participant stated that they learnt on this programme that safety is of paramount importance for both themselves and their passengers. They learnt to make a plan in the future to better equip themselves to be safer on our roads. They rated this programme a 4 out of 4 and found it very useful for reducing high risk behaviour in the future.

More than just a driver’s licence – A Learners Story

A young person referred from Koru Services (a service who engage with Rangatahi in the far North in their haerenga [journey] to connect with whānau, their peers and community, improving self-worth and confidence, and obtain the skills and training to stay engaged in learning, training, or meaningful employment) joined the Far North REAP learner's license course in July, but was asked to leave on the first day due to some trouble with another student.

Weeks later, the same young person was invited to come back to the course as his tutors had stated he wanted to give it another shot with a much better attitude and a strong desire to learn. Despite his self-doubt and constantly telling the driver educator he wouldn't pass, after just two days of one-on-one effort, he was ready to take his learner's test. He took the test and passed with the score of 33/35. He was ecstatic, telling the Far North REAP staff member, "I never pass anything.". This young man at just 17 years old and homeless, was living with his dad in a truck, travelling to different local spots to sleep each night.

A week later the Far North REAP Adult Community Education team reached out to see if there were any outstanding students from the Learners Licence course. This student immediately came to mind. Koru Services were contacted, and the young man’s name was put forward for the certificate. The student and his tutor from Koru Services showed up and was presented with an award. Far North REAP have since learnt that the young man had sourced a vehicle and was working on it to get it up to legal standard and was looking forward to continuing to his restricted driver’s licence via the Far North REAP restricted driver licence course.

This young man had started off distracted and uninterested, because he felt he hadn’t achieved anything in life. However, once he put in the work and had some positive encouragement from the course educators, he excelled. The driver licence courses run throughout the Far North District by experienced and knowledgeable Road Safety Far North educators, it is not just about obtaining a licence, but about building relationships and trust with these students in the community, so they feel comfortable and able to learn in a safe space.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: Police Report for RTC September 2024 ⇩

Regional Transport Committee item: 6.9

1 October 2024

TITLE:	Committee Members Priorities and Updates
From:	Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council and Kayla Gunson, Regional Transport Coordinator
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 18 September 2024

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

The purpose of this agenda item is to provide each member of the Northland Regional Transport Committee the opportunity to communicate the key strategic transportation issues identified by their respective Council/Organisation via either a written report or verbal update. Members reports can help provide a list of strategic outputs for further consideration by the RTC.

Council roading and transport staff will be present at the meeting to provide responses to any questions or requests for information raised as part of their respective member updates.

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

1. That the report ‘Committee Members Priorities and Updates’ by Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council and Kayla Gunson, Regional Transport Coordinator and dated 9 August 2024, be received.

2. The supplementary verbal updates provided by Regional Transport Committee members be received.

Background/Tuhinga

Under the Northland Regional Transport Committee Terms of Reference, the functions of the Committee are defined as:

1. To prepare for approval by the Northland Regional Council:

a) A Regional Land Transport Plan for the Northland region, or any variations to the plan or any reports on the plan preprared under the Act;

b) Regional Public Transport Plan, or any variations to the plan prepared under the Act; and

c) to provide the regional council with any advice and assistance the regional council may request in relation to its transport responsibilities.

2. To adopt a policy that determines significance in respect of variations made to the Regional Land Transport Plan.

3. To regularly monitor and review progress towards the adoption and implementation of the Regional Land Transport Plan.

4. To approve procedures and requirements for implementing council’s public passenger transport service registration functions under the Act.

5. To advise the council on any significant legislative changes, programmes, plans or reports relating to the region’s land transport system.

6. To liaise with Ministry of Transport, New Zealand Transport Agency, the Commissioner of Police, district councils, Northland’s Road Safety Forum and other interests on land transport matters and advise the council on appropriate new initiatives.

7. To regularly monitor and review progress towards the performance targets and outcomes relative to land transport contained in the current Long-Term Plan and Annual Plan. members are tasked to regularly monitor and review progress towards the performance targets and outcomes related to land transport contained in the current Council Long-Term Plan and Annual Plan.

The objective of these regular member updates is to provide staff with clear understanding of the Regional Transport Committee’s key strategic issues and priorities to inform works associated with the 2024/2027 RLTP (and individual Council LTP’s where applicable). These reports can help provide a list of strategic outputs for further consideration by the RTC.

At the time of submitting this paper, FNDC member, Cr Steve McNally requested a discussion regarding the intersection Broadway State Highway 12/Mangakahia. Trucks heading into Ohaeawai turning right out of this junction have significant wait times.

No other written Priorities or Updates had been received from the Regional Transport Committee Elected Representatives. Therefore, items for discussion will be tabled on the day.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil

TITLE:	Confirmation of Minutes - 6 August 2024
From:	Haylee Labelle, Personal Assistant Community Resilience
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 02 September 2024

TITLE:	Receipt of Action Sheet - 1 October 2024
From:	Haylee Labelle, Personal Assistant Community Resilience
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 17 September 2024

TITLE:	Presentation - Horse Riders to be formally recognised as a Vulnerable Road User
From:	Haylee Labelle, Personal Assistant Community Resilience
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 12 September 2024

TITLE:	Presentation - Opportunities for Barging in Northland
From:	Kayla Gunson, Regional Transport Coordinator and Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 23 September 2024

TITLE:	NZTA Waka Kotahi Update for Te Tai Tokerau
From:	Steve Mutton, NZTA - Director Regional Relationships, Te Tai Tokerau me Tāmaki Makaurau
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 18 September 2024

TITLE:	KiwiRail Upate
From:	Eric Hennephof, KiwiRail - Programme Director Northland
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 23 September 2024

TITLE:	Report on Visits by Chair and Deputy Chair
From:	Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council and Kayla Gunson, Regional Transport Coordinator
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 19 September 2024