Agenda of Regional Transport Committee - Tuesday, 11 February 2025

Regional Transport Committee

11 February 2025

Regional Transport Committee Agenda

Meeting to be held in the NRC Council Chamber

36 Water Street, Whangārei

on Tuesday 11 February 2025, commencing at 10.30am

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

MEMBERSHIP OF THE Regional Transport Committee

Chairperson, Councillor Joe Carr

FNDC Councillor, Steve McNally	WDC Councillor, Simon Reid	KDC Councillor, Ash Nayyar
NRC Deputy Chairperson, John Blackwell	Waka Kotahi Director Regional Relationships, Steve Mutton	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 - 11 December 2024 5

5.0 Receipt of Action Sheet

5.1 Receipt of Action Sheet 11

6.0 Nga Ripoata Putea / Financial Reports

6.1 Northland Tracks and Trails 13

6.2 Regional Land Transport Plan 2021/2027 - National Funding Assistance Uptake Report 14

7.0 Nga Ripoata Mahi / Operational Matters

7.1 Road Controlling Authority Quarterly Reports 22

7.2 NZTA Waka Kotahi Update for Te Tai Tokerau 81

7.3 KiwiRail Update 104

7.4 Regional Road Safety Report 105

7.5 NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Alternate Representative to the Regional Transport Committee 114

7.6 Committee Members Priorities and Updates 115

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Regional Transport Committee item: 6.1

11 February 2025

TITLE:	Northland Tracks and Trails
From:	Michael Payne, Policy Specialist and Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 31 January 2025

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

This item provides the opportunity for Northland Tracks and Trails to brief RTC on the work they are doing to grow walking and cycling in Northland through infrastructure development. Amanda Benett will briefly discuss the Northland Tracks and Trails Strategy and the targets for the 2024-2027 period.

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘Northland Tracks and Trails’ by Michael Payne, Policy Specialist and Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council and dated 31 January 2025, be received.

Background/Tuhinga

Northland Tracks and Trails (NTT) project is a product that will deliver strong economic growth, strengthen regional resilience, and support and connect Northland Tai Tokerau communities. NTT has created a 2024-2027 strategy document to provide a strong tactical framework to support the development and implementation of district council walking and cycling strategies, and to place these within a regional context by identifying actions that can be taken at a regional level.

The overarching vision for the strategy is “for Northland to be one of the world’s best coastal walking and cycling destinations where the journeys and stories are as impressive and memorable as the scenery”. The NTT Strategy aim is to contribute to the region’s economy by developing linked infrastructure that would attract visitors domestically and internationally to an all-year-round recreational playground.

The Northland Tracks and Trails Project is seeking staged investment over 3 years at circa $11M per year as trails become shovel ready. An EOI has been submitted to the RIF Fund.

The NTT 2024-2027 project will develop approximately 200km of off-road walking and cycling trails to link with low volume gravel roads. With an investment of $29-$32M over 3 years and a significant minimum benefit to cost ratio (BCR) average of 5.22 across Northland. The economic benefit to Te Tai Tokerau is 2% to 4% growth in GDP.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil

Regional Transport Committee item: 6.2

11 February 2025

TITLE:	Regional Land Transport Plan 2021/2027 - National Funding Assistance Uptake Report
From:	Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Jim Lyle, Harbour Master and Maritime Manager, on 30 January 2025

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

This report covers subsidy claims submitted to the New Zealand Transport Agency (Waka Kotahi) for the first financial year of the Regional Land Transport Plan Three Year Review that covers the 2024-2027 three-year funding period and details the funding assistance uptake by each Approved Road Controlling Authority for the financial period 1 July 2024 to 30 November 2024 and 31 December 2024.

Due to the December 2024/January 2025 holiday period, the Whangarei District Council, Kaipara District Council and Northland Regional Council December 2024 subsidy claims have yet to be completed and submitted, therefore these council’s subsidies reflected in this report are as of 30 November 2024.

The Far North District Council and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi figures are as of 31 December 2024.

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘Regional Land Transport Plan 2021/2027 - National Funding Assistance Uptake Report’ by Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council and dated 23 January 202520 December 2024, be received.

Background/Tuhinga

Section 106 of the Land Transport Management Act 2003 stipulates that: -

(1) The functions of each regional transport committee (other than the regional transport committee for Auckland) are—

(a) to prepare a regional land transport plan, or any variation to the plan, for the approval of the relevant regional council; and

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

In addition to the above, one of the functions of the Regional Transport Committee (RTC) is to monitor the progress of the relevant Regional Land Transport Plan Three Year Review (RLTP).

This report provides the RTC with a quarterly update on the uplift of funding assistance applied for through the Northland Regional Land Transport Plan Three Year Review and approved in the National Land Transport Programme 2024-2027 (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. These are tabled at each Regional Transport Committee (RTC) meeting for consideration.

It is important to note that to obtain all the information for the compilation of the attached funding sheets, the financial figures reflected in this report are a full month in arears of the RTC meeting itself.

These reports and attached spreadsheets provide the RTC with information relating to how each Activity Class/Programme: -

· Is tracking regarding the uptake of the funding assistance approved through the National Land Transport Programme 2021-2027 - Three Year Review for the relevant financial year.

· Supports the five Regional Strategic Objectives reflected in the Regional Land Transport Plan 2021-2027 – Three Year Review.

· Supports the seven Regional Priorities included in the Regional Land Transport Plan 2021-2027 – Three Year Review.

It also details: -

· The probability of all the approved funding assistance being fully uplifted in the relevant financial year, and

· The reasons for any variations and action to be taken.

As this report updates the RTC on the national funding assistance (subsidies) uptake for those Activities/Programmes approved in the NLTP reflected, the Attachments do not include non-subsidised projects or work categories.

The base information contained in the attachments is sourced directly from the New Zealand Transport Agency’s (Waka Kotahi) ‘2024-2027 National Land Transport Programme for Northland. Due to the December 2024/January 2025 holiday period, the Whangarei District Council, Kaipara District Council and Northland Regional Council December 2024 subsidy claims have yet to be completed and submitted, therefore these council’s subsidies reflected in this report are as of 30 November 2024. The Far North District Council and NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi figures are as of 31 December 2024.

Any questions regarding the information reflected in the spreadsheets can be directed to the relevant approved Road Controlling Authority.

Please note that the District Council Infrastructure Committees progress reports that have been included under this paper, will now be tabled under the paper titled “Regional Land Transport Plan 2021/2027 - National Funding Assistance Uptake Report”.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: Funding Uptake Report ⇩

Regional Transport Committee item: 7.1

11 February 2025

TITLE:	Road Controlling Authority Quarterly Reports
From:	Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Jim Lyle, Harbour Master and Maritime Manager, on 30 January 2025

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

This report serves to provide the Far North, Whangarei and Kaipara District Councils progress reports to their respective Infrastructure Committees and their Quarterly Traffic Management and Potholes Reports to NZTA.

Ngā mahi tūtohutia / Recommendation

That the report ‘Road Controlling Authority Quarterly Reports’ by Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council and dated 20 December 2024, be received.

Background/Tuhinga

At each Regional Transport Committee (RTC) meeting, the Far North, Whangarei and Kaipara District Councils have included a copy of their progress reports to their respective Infrastructure Committees as part of the Regional Land Transport Plan 2021/2027 – National Funding Assistance Uptake Reports.

Contained in the Government Policy Statement on Land Transport 2024 (GPS) is the requirement that the Minister of Transport expects NZTA to ensure that RCAs are following the Ministerial Expectations in GPS 2024. To achieve this, the NZTA is requiring all RCAs to submit quarterly progress reports.

At the 11 December 2024 RTC meeting, a request was made for these NZTA quarterly reports to be made available to the committee for information purposes.

To provide a more combined reporting system, both of the above with now be tabled under one report titled “Road Controlling Authority Quarterly Report”.

Roading staff will be available at the meeting to answer any questions that may be raised.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: FNDC Q2 Report ⇩

Attachment 2: WDC Q2 Report ⇩

Attachment 3: FDC Q2 Report ⇩

Attachment 4: WDC Infrastructure Committee Briefing ⇩

Attachment 5: KDC Council Briefing ⇩

Attachment 6: FNDC Infrastructure Committee Briefing ⇩

Regional Transport Committee item: 7.4

11 February 2025

TITLE:	Regional Road Safety Report
From:	Nicole Cauty, Road Safety Project Manager and Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 23 January 2025

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, Nicole Cauty, Road Safety Project Manager and Nick Marshall, Transportation Strategy & Planning Lead, dated 23 January 2025, be received.

Background/ Tuhinga

The three district councils with NZTA have developed a comprehensive education and promotion programme to support in conjunction with other road safety partners the reduction of deaths and serious injuries on Northland roads.

Road Trauma Update

The fatal injuries are broken down in the tables below, and nationally and regionally we have seen a decrease in fatal injuries over the network for 2024 compared to 2023. The provisional data shows that nationally there were 293 fatal injuries in 2024 compared to 341 in 2023, and for Northland there were 27 in 2024 compared to 38 in 2023.

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

Fatalities Jan – Dec 2024	Far North	Whangārei	Kaipara	Northland	National
Local roads	8	5	1	14	131
State highways	5	7	1	13	162
TOTAL	13	12	2	27	293

Calendar Year 2025 - 1 January – 31 December, Provisional Road Fatalities Statistics

Fatalities Jan – Dec 2025	Far North	Whangārei	Kaipara	Northland	National
Local roads	0	0	0	0	12
State highways	0	0	1	0	5
TOTAL	0	0	1	1	17

Breakdown of the 2024 Deaths year to date: 27 Deaths

Fatal injuries per month
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	April	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Fatal	7	6	1	4	2	1	1	2	0	1	0	2

Fatal injuries by gender
Male	19
Female	8

Fatal injuries by role
Driver	16
Passenger	4
Motorcyclist	3
Cyclist	0
Pedestrian	4

Fatal injuries by age group
0 – 14 years	2
15 – 19 years	6
20 – 24 years	1
25 – 39 years	3
40 – 59 years	9
Over 60 years	6

Fatal injuries by speed corridors (Local Roads)		Fatal injuries by speed corridors (State Highways)
100 km/h	9	100 km/h	12
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	13

Data over a 5-year period

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Working better together initiatives:

During the month of December Northland road safety partners worked with NZ Police, ACC, and NZTA to develop material to aid NZ Police in their enforcement operations to support the concept of general deterrence. The initiative involved road safety providers putting out consistent messaging on information sharing platforms or events, and with the lead up to the holiday period the message was about impaired driving.

The NZ Police then went out and targeted breath testing. The hope was that general deterrence came from seeing the message, hopefully multiple times, and then seeing NZ Police out enforcing it, dissuading the general public from committing the crime.

Each district council in Northland did a social media post and the police performance is summarised in the attached report.

Kaipara District Council:

Views: 3,698 (40% followers, 60% non-followers)

Reach: 2,255

Interactions: 19 (14 reactions, 2 comments, 3 shares)

Whangarei District Council:

Views: 78,822 (30% followers, 70% non-followers)

Reach: 31,360

Interactions: 220 (153 reactions, 35 comments, 31 shares)

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Far North District Council:

Views: 56,700 (40% followers, 60% non-followers)

Reach: 31,025

Interactions: 223 (118 reactions, 66 comments, 39 shares)

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All images were of local Northland police officers and all media from the district councils was organic (not paid for). ACC ran a paid campaign on social media but the statistics from that campaign have not been shared yet. There was one fatal injury in Northland over the Christmas/New Year period compared to six for 2023/24 and five for 2022/23.

This was the first time this approach was taken in Northland, and the intention is to do something similar with restraints and speed.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Attachment 1: New Zealand Police Report January 2025. ⇩

Regional Transport Committee item: 7.6

11 February 2025

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 23 January 2025

Whakarāpopototanga / Executive summary

The purpose of this agenda item is to provide each Elected Representative 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 23 January 2025, 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 prepared under the Land Transport Management Act 2003;

b) a Regional Public Transport Plan, or any variations to the plan prepared under the Land Transport Management Act 2003; 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 the 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 completing this report, no written information had been received, therefore all updates will be verbal.

Attachments/Ngā tapirihanga

Nil

TITLE:	Confirmation of Minutes - 11 December 2024
From:	Haylee Labelle, Personal Assistant Community Resilience
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 24 May 2024

TITLE:	Receipt of Action Sheet
From:	Haylee Labelle, Personal Assistant Community Resilience
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 20 January 2025

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:	Jim Lyle, Harbour Master and Maritime Manager, on 31 January 2025

TITLE:	KiwiRail Update
From:	Eric Hennephof, KiwiRail - Programme Director Northland
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 30 January 2025

TITLE:	NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi Alternate Representative to the Regional Transport Committee
From:	Chris Powell, Transport Manager - Northland Regional Council
Authorised by Group Manager/s:	Louisa Gritt, Group Manager - Community Resilience, on 09 January 2025