Regional Transport Committee
1 October 2024
Regional Transport Committee Minutes
Meeting held in the NRC Council Chamber
36 Water Street, Whangārei
on Tuesday 1 October 2024, commencing at 11.00am
Tuhinga/Present:
Chairperson, Councillor Joe Carr
Deputy Chairperson, Councillor John Blackwell
FNDC Councillor, Steve McNally
WDC Councillor, Simon Reid
KDC Councillor, Ash Nayyar
NZTA Waka Kotahi - Director Regional Relationships, Steve
Mutton
KiwiRail - Programme Director Northland, Eric Hennephof
I
Tae Mai/In Attendance:
Full Meeting
FNDC CEO, Guy Holroyd (online)
NRC CEO, Jono Gibbard
NRC Councillor, Geoff Crawford
WDC Councillor, Phil Halse
FNDC Councillor, Ann Court
FNDC Transportation Services Manager Rob Gilmore
WDC GM – Infrastructure, Jim Sephton
NRC Transport Manager, Chris Powell
NRC Regional Transport Coordinator, Kayla Gunson
NRC Secretariat, Haylee Labelle
Roadsafe NZ Representative, Ashley Johnston
Part Meeting
KDC GM Infrastructure Services , Anin Nama
NRC GM Regulatory Services, Colin Dall
NRC Policy and Planning Manager, Tami Woods
Canterbury Equestrian Advocacy Group Chair, Julia McLean
Caulerpa contractor, Andrew Johnson
The Chair declared the meeting open at 11.00am with a Karakia
by Cr Nayyar.
Housekeeping (Item 1.0)
Apologies (Item 2.0)
|
Moved (Nayyar / McNally)
That the apologies from Moko
Tepania, Stephanie Hudson, Rachael Williams, Tracey Rissetto, Lisa De Coek
for non-attendance be received.
Carried
|
Nga
whakapuakanga/Declarations of Conflicts of Interest (Item 3.0)
It was advised that members should make declarations
item-by-item as the meeting progressed.
|
Confirmation of Minutes - 6 August 2024 (Item 4.1)
Report from Haylee Labelle, Personal Assistant
Community Resilience
|
|
Moved (Blackwell / Nayyar)
That the minutes of the Regional
Transport Committee meeting held on 6 August 2024, be confirmed as a true and
correct record and that these be duly authenticated by the Chair.
Carried
|
|
Receipt of Action Sheet - 1 October 2024 (Item 5.1)
Report from Haylee Labelle, Personal Assistant
Community Resilience
|
|
Moved (Blackwell
/ Nayyar)
That the action sheet be
received.
Carried
Secretarial notes: Action 5
(6/8/24) Brynderwyns repair total costs update received from Steve Mutton
that original allocation was $81M. There is a final reseal to be completed.
Working through final costs and will communicate when figures available
– action carried over.
Item 2 (13/2/24) KPIs in
progress – with The closure of NTA it is a matter for discussion with
roading managers to recommend a format to RTC.
|
|
Presentation - Horse Riders to be formally recognised as
a Vulnerable Road User (Item 6.1)
Presentation from Julia McLean, Canterbury Equestrian
Advocacy Group Chair
|
|
Moved (Carr/ Blackwell)
That the report ‘Presentation
- Horse Riders to be formally recognised as a Vulnerable Road User’ by Julia
McLean, Canterbury Equestrian Advocacy Group Chair and dated 11 September 2024,
be received.
Carried
Secretarial notes: Horse
riders are currently categorised as ‘other road users’ Julia
would like to see them given vulnerable status. She has a petition to deliver
to Government (Transport Minister) 15/10/24 and is seeking a letter of
support stating the RTC recognise the vulnerability.
Action:
1. Chair
to consult with RTC members to gauge their level of support on a support
letter to MoT
2. Chair
to provide a response to Julia McLean following consultation with RTC members
|
|
Presentation -
Opportunities for Barging in Northland (Item
6.2)
Report from Andrew Johnson, Marine Contractor
|
|
Moved (Carr/ Nayyar)
That the report ‘Presentation
- Opportunities for Barging in Northland ’ by Andrew Johnson, Marine
Contractor (Caulerpa) and dated 11 September 2024, be received.
Carried
Secretarial notes: The
purpose of the presentation was to bring to the attention of the RTC, the
opportunities that barging presents. A small project using a barge was
recently undertaken and saved 50% of cost and 70% in time. Discussed
constraints to consent and the need for a pathway to become a permitted
activity. A change of plan is a long process but a consent process is a
potential approach. Andrew will liaise with Colin Dall to explore the best
way forward. Reference was made to barging study undertaken by NRC in 2004.
Cr McNally wanted it recorded that at a later date, an investigation be
undertaken into recreational users taking over commercial space (reference to
Opua).
Action:
1. Circulate
presentation given by Andrew Johnson on barging opportunities in Northland to
RTC members following the October meeting
2. NRC
regulatory staff to work with Andrew Johnson to find a pathway exploring the
options (including that of NRC holding a consent for operators) and report
back to RTC
|
|
Funding Uptake Report (Item 6.3)
Report from Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland
Regional Council and Kayla Gunson, Regional Transport Coordinator
|
|
Moved (McNally/
Nayyar)
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.
Carried
Secretarial notes: The
National Land Transport Programme was released in September 2024 which
provided insufficient time to gather the required information for the report.
The December 2024 RTC meeting will cover this period. At 6/8/24 meeting it
was asked that going forward each Elected Representative speak to their
relevant council roading reports at the RTC meeting. Written reports were
received from WDC and KDC but not FNDC. A verbal update was provided by Rob
Gilmore FNDC.
Action:
1. Rob
Gilmore FNDC to send points from verbal report to NRC secretariat for
circulation
2. All
three councils to report to Steve Mutton on their focus on temporary traffic
management (what is being put in place) noting the expectation on reducing
overall cost and impact on customers
3. WDC
(Jim Sephton) to report to Steve Mutton on the low pass rate of quality
inspections and what is being done to ensure the quality is right with the
amount of work being pushed out in a very short timeframe
|
|
National Land
Transport Programme 2024/2027 - Implications for Roading Authorities’
Work Programmes (Item 6.4)
Report from Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland
Regional Council and Kayla Gunson, Regional Transport Coordinator
|
|
Moved (Reid/ McNally)
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.
Carried
Secretarial notes: The report
provides high level feedback on what national funding assistance was approved
in the National Land Transport Programme 2024-2027. The NLTP link provided in
the report takes users to the regional activity tables which includes
Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency nationally delivered activities, the approved
and potential National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) investment in programmes
and projects for each respective council.
|
|
NZTA Waka Kotahi
Update for Te Tai Tokerau (Item 6.5)
Report from Steve Mutton, NZTA - Director Regional
Relationships, Te Tai Tokerau me Tāmaki Makaurau
|
|
Moved (Reid/ McNally)
That the report ‘NZTA Waka
Kotahi Update for Te Tai Tokerau’ by Steve Mutton, NZTA - Director
Regional Relationships, Te Tai Tokerau me Tāmaki Makaurau and dated 11
September 2024, be received.
Carried
Secretarial notes: Northland Corridor
RONS AKL-WHG, professional service advisors onboard, paper to go to cabinet
by end of year – a meeting with elected members will be organised to
talk through the paper to cabinet. Chair reiterated the importance of getting
all of the work done that the funding has been granted for – spend the
funding allocation. Noted that money was invested to strengthen Cove
Rd/Paparoa Rd as an alternate route. There is work to be completed under the
NLTP.
Actions:
1. Steve
Mutton to liaise with Cr Nayyar to converse about bridge closures
2. Steve
Mutton to arrange meeting to take members through RONS paper going to cabinet
|
|
KiwiRail Update (Item 6.6)
Report from Eric Hennephof, KiwiRail - Programme
Director Northland
|
|
Moved (Blackwell/
Carr)
That the report ‘KiwiRail
Update’ by Eric Hennephof, KiwiRail - Programme Director Northland and
dated 11 September 2024, be received.
Carried
Secretarial notes: Newsletter
not ready when agenda circulated (was awaiting North Auckland line to reopen
– 26 September 2024). Circulated electronically to members ahead of meeting
and hard copy distributed at the meeting. The chair thanked Eric for getting
the rail opened in Northland. NRC chair Geoff Crawford acknowledged rail and
how critical it is for growth in Northland. Whangarei OT yard now
operational. Geotech investigations are ongoing with excavation pits taking
place on Marsden Rail Link and finalising property purchases along the route.
It is possible to get freight to Auckland however freight and metro
timetables need to line up.
|
|
Regional Road Safety
Report (Item 6.7)
Report from Kayla Gunson, Regional Transport
Coordinator; Nicole Korach, Project Manager - Road Safety Promotion and Chris
Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council
|
|
Moved (Carr/ Blackwell)
That the report ‘Regional
Road Safety Report’ by Chris Powell, Transport Manager –
Northland Regional Council, Nicole Korach, Road Safety Project Manager, Kayla
Gunson, Regional Transport Coordinator, and Nick Marshall, Transportation
Strategy & Planning Lead, dated 11 September 2024, be received.
Carried
|
|
Report on Visits by
Chair and Deputy Chair (Item 6.8)
Report from NRC Councillor, Joe Carr
|
|
Moved (Blackwell/
Carr)
That the report ‘Report on
Visits by Chair and Deputy Chair’ by Joe Carr, Councillor - Northland
Regional Council and dated 11 September 2024, be received.
Carried
Secretarial notes: Chair gave
thanks to NZTA for organising the visits that comprised a workshop to
understand the issues in Northland which NZTA are aware of. The significant
increase in funding is a pathway forward. Expressed concern about high level
of rehabilitation needed for Northland roads.
|
|
Committee Members
Priorities and Updates (Item 6.9)
Report from Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland
Regional Council and Kayla Gunson, Regional Transport Coordinator
|
|
Moved (Nayyar/
Reid)
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.
Carried
Secretarial notes: Cr Reid stated
that the Springs Flat roundabout project was put on hold by WDC to bring
focus to the Whangarei Bypass project as a whole. Western bypass to be
formalised (will compromise through traffic). The WDC is seeking support for a
bypass for Whangarei (starting at Loop Road through to Hikurangi) to remove
heavy traffic going through town – asked the RTC to include in the next
Regional Land Transport Plan an investigation into a bypass of Whangarei.
Cr McNally raised
Mangakahia/Broadway intersection wanting to see a roundabout considered. This
was previously rejected by the community.
Cr Carr informed the RTC that
the December 2024 meeting will commence at 10am (30mins early) and will
finish at 1230pm (same time)
Action:
1. NRC
secretariat to update calendar invite for the December RTC meeting with
revised timing
2. Cr
McNally and Steve Mutton to have a conversation offline about Mangakahia
Rd/Broadway intersection roundabout
|
Whakamutunga (Conclusion)
The meeting concluded at 12.29pm