NLTP - National Land Transport Programme

Midland region | June 2007

Also available in PDF (785 KB)

• National overview
• Waikato
• Bay of Plenty
• Taranaki

National overview

This year’s National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) outlines the funding for New Zealand’s land transport system for 2007/08. A record level of expenditure of $2.40 billion has been allocated for 2007/08, representing a four percent increase from last year. This comprises $2.14 billion funded from the National Land Transport Account (NLTA), with the remaining $259 million funded from the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF) for NZ Police. This national allocation includes Crown and regionally distributed funds.

The activities funded through the 2007/08 NLTP continue to reflect Land Transport NZ’s intention to align funding with its strategic objective of contributing to an integrated, safe, responsible and sustainable land transport system. Land Transport NZ’s strategy envisages a future where there is:

• increased use of active and shared modes of transport
• reduced number of crashes
• improved safety, environmental and energy performance of vehicles and vehicle use
• reduced need to travel
• more efficient commercial transport
• better connected transport solutions
• improved reliability, safety and efficiency of networks improved value for money in maintenance and development of networks.

We face a number of challenges. As the economy grows, so too will demand for transport from the commercial transport and business services sector, putting pressure on our infrastructure and networks. There will be more traffic congestion if the current preference for travel by motor vehicle, coupled with the development of increasingly sprawling and dispersed communities, continues. As more vehicles travel our roads, vehicle emissions will increase, resulting in negative impacts for the environment and public health. Meeting the government’s goals of reduced greenhouse gas production will be more difficult. As demand for energy outstrips the availability of resources, we can expect more volatility in the price of oil and a corresponding impact on the cost of transport. And, as our country’s population ages, communities can expect to have to deal with increasing accessibility and mobility requirements for the elderly.

We believe that good funding and policy decisions made now will contribute to a transport system where people can make choices that have lasting benefits for public health, the economy and the environment. Choices and actions that support this progress come from people, local government and businesses being well informed about the contributions they can make in their development of transport infrastructure and services, their choice of transport mode, their choice of vehicle, and their driving behaviour.

This year’s NLTP contains information that can be used by local government to inform the development of 2009–19 long-term council community plans. The 10-year forecast published in the NLTP indicates where we believe activity should be directed to better contribute towards achieving an integrated, safe, responsive and sustainable land transport system. The forecast provides for growth in passenger transport services and walking and cycling while maintaining, operating and renewing the existing transport infrastructure.

Allocations for local road maintenance in 2007/08 are at the level negotiated with councils during maintenance negotiations. Allocations over the next nine years will gradually increase to fund extra activity in regions with traffic growth. We do not expect there to be a need for increased activity in areas with little growth and assets in good condition.

The ‘use of the land transport system’ activity class has been included in the NLTP for the first time this year. Within this activity class, allocations have been made for community focused activities as agreed with local councils and for 25 percent more local walking and cycling projects than in 2006/07. The walking and cycling allocation continues to grow over the next nine years, reflecting the priority given to it by Land Transport NZ and councils.

Allocations for passenger transport services have increased markedly from 2006/07 to accommodate recent input cost increases and to allow some growth in services. Future allocations also incorporate an allowance for two percent per annum growth in service levels.

Allocations for local road improvements are at a similar level to those indicated in the 2006/07 NLTP. In most years, these are higher than forecast in 2006/07.

Forecast expenditure from NLTP	2007/08
	$ million	%
Maintenance and renewal local roads	420.2	19.6
Maintenance and renewal state highways	427.2	19.9
Improvement local roads	211.8	9.9
Improvement state highways	664.4	31
Regional development	20	0.9
Use of the transport system	36.2	1.7
Passenger transport	262.8	12.3
Research, education and training	25.7	1.2
Administration	75.9	3.5
TOTAL	2144.2	100
Road policing activities	259.2

Notes: Local maintenance includes emergency works, and escalation contingency
State highway maintenance includes property operations
Passenger transport includes escalation contingency.

Allocations for state highway construction activity have been prepared on the basis of the funding guarantee that the government announced last year.

The Authority’s land transport programme for 2007/08, prepared by Land Transport NZ and approved by the Minister of Transport in accordance with the Land Transport Management Act, provides funding for the New Zealand Police only and is now referred to as the road policing programme (RPP). A package of new initiatives focusing on road safety for 2007/08 targets specific driver behaviours and specific locations which are demonstrating high social cost caused by crashes in comparison with the policing resources available in those areas. The initiatives are aligned with the Road Safety to 2010 Strategy, in particular drink-driving and speed limit enforcement. The initiatives also provide a strong focus on trauma promoting offences and provide for an investment in technology to increase officer productivity and safety. The government’s road safety goals for New Zealand are to reduce the number of road deaths to no more than 300 per year and hospitalisations to no more than 4,500 per year by 2010. Road deaths in 2006 totaled 391 and hospitalisations 7,470. Total funding for the 2007/08 RPP is $259.15 million.

A full research, education and training (RET) programme forms part of the NLTP for the first time. Each year Land Transport NZ commissions research that contributes towards making New Zealand’s land transport system more integrated, safer, more responsive and sustainable. The education and training components of the RET programme are a collection of activities from a range of other programmes, along with some new initiatives to address the wider objectives of the New Zealand Transport Strategy (NZTS). These activities include national advertising on land transport related issues, national promotion of walking and cycling and other nationally managed land transport education and training, including support for land transport related academic programmes. Total funding for all components of the RET programme for 2007/08 is $25.71 million.

Individually and collectively, the activities funded through this programme contribute to the purpose and objectives of the Land Transport Management Act 2003 and to Land Transport NZ’s objective of contributing to a safe, integrated, responsive and sustainable land transport system.

Key features of this NLTP

• A large part of the NLTP represents continued funding for ongoing activities such as road maintenance and passenger transport services and funds committed to projects approved in previous years.
• Maintenance funding for local roads and state highways, which accounts for 40 percent of the NLTP, has increased by $44.5 million to $847.4 million in 2007/08. The increase in maintenance funding is being driven by increased input costs, growth in heavy vehicle traffic, the use of higher quality road surfacing materials and a greater provision for emergency works.
• Funding for state highway construction has increased by $43.6 million from last year’s allocation to $664 million in 2007/08. Funding for local roads construction increases $5.4 million to $211.8 million in 2007/08.
• Community focused activities, which include what was previously known as the Community Road Safety Programme (CRSP), have been integrated into the NLTP for the first time. This brings the planning and funding of community focused activities alongside other behaviour change projects that are delivered through approved organisations and alongside engineering and other NLTP activities. Community focused activities comprise both road safety and sustainability projects and activities (such as travel behaviour change and neighbourhood accessibility plans). Funding for community focused activities totals $17 million for 2007/08.
• Passenger transport will receive $262.8 million in 2007/08. The overall allocation is lower than in 2006/07, due to the near completion of the Northern busway and a change in Wellington’s rail improvement programme. The allocation to passenger transport services increases by $23.7 million to $165 million in 2007/08.

Regional summaries

The estimated amount of expenditure, as shown in each regional section, includes both known allocations from the National Land Transport Account and estimated expenditure on projects for which funding approval has yet to be given. Generally, funding has been approved for road maintenance activities and passenger transport services. Also included are commitments to projects continuing from prior years or approved at the time the 2007/08 NLTP was adopted. A large portion of road construction, walking and cycling and passenger transport infrastructure projects have not been given funding approval at this time. Actual expenditure may differ from the amount shown in the table if either a greater or lesser quantity of projects are developed and brought forward for funding approval than expected.

National, regional and Crown funding

Funding is allocated from three sources – the national (N) fund; the regionally distributed (R) fund and the Crown (C) fund.

• R funding is distributed geographically based on population and is used for a range of transport activities including local road and state highway construction and passenger transport infrastructure projects that have insufficient national priority to be funded from N. Details of the indicative projects can be found in the NLTP book. In general, the same financial assistance rates apply to projects whether they are N, R or C funded.
• C funding comes from the Crown account contributed by government for specific regions’ land transport needs. In 2007/08 C funding has been set aside for:
  • Auckland for local roading projects
  • Waikato for local roading and state highway projects
  • Bay of Plenty to allow the Harbour Link project to proceed without tolling
  • Wellington to advance passenger transport and local roading projects.

Waikato

Significant population growth is occurring in Hamilton, Waipa, Thames, Coromandel and Taupo. Coupled with a growing economy, this is resulting in rapid land use change that is placing pressure on key strategic corridors.

It is a priority for these areas to have sound growth management strategies and structural (land use management) plans integrated with their Regional Land Transport Strategies.

Hamilton city continues to experience a strong uptake in public transport. There is pressure to expand services to outlying rural areas to help sustain rural communities. A review of the Passenger Transport Plan is under way.

Increasing heavy commercial vehicle activity, particularly inter-regionally between the Auckland and Bay of Plenty ports, results in growing traffic conflict on the network and continues to challenge improving safety outcomes. Route security on state highways is a major focus for the region to ensure reliable movement of freight and connections between communities.

Further development and promotion of alternative transport modes will assist in better use of the existing network.

The Road Safety to 2010 Strategy goal for the Waikato region is that, by 2010, fatalities and hospitalisations will be fewer than 570 per annum. There were 67 fatalities and 803 hospitalisations due to road crashes in Waikato during the 2006 calendar year.

Completed improvement activities

Land Transport NZ funding in the past year enabled the successful completion of the Long Swamp to Rangariri three–laning. This improved safety by adding a wire rope barrier (10.7 million).

Continuing improvement activities

Continued funding has been committed to projects from last year. In the Waikato, this includes:

• construction of the SH 1 Avalon Drive bypass in Hamilton to address safety and congestion along the existing route ($41 million)
• construction of the SH 2 Mangatawhiri deviation to address the high crash rate in the area ($45.9 million)
• design of the SH 1 Cambridge bypass to improve route efficiency ($4.7 million)
• design of the replacement of the SH 25 Kopu bridge to improve route efficiency by providing a two-lane bridge to replace the existing singlelane bridge ($4.8 million)
• construction of a signalised intersection as stage two of the Church Road to Avalon Drive four-laning – this will reduce congestion in the rapidly developing northern area of Hamilton ($7.4 million).

Road maintenance and renewals

A total of $99.0 million has been allocated for the maintenance of the Waikato’s road networks, an increase of $100,000 over the 2006/07 allocation. Of the total, $41.08 million has been allocated for the maintenance of the region’s local roads and $57.88 million for state highways.

Road improvements

The following projects may be approved over the year, if local authorities or Transit submit applications and the projects continue to meet funding requirements.

Local roading projects

• 10.4 km of road reconstruction across the region, including pavement smoothing, pavement rehabilitation, vertical and horizontal improvements and intersection improvements ($2.2 million).
• Waikato Four bridge renewals in the Waipa and Thames Coromandel districts to improve safety ($861,000).
• Four new road investigations in Hamilton ($5.45 million).
• Design and construction of the Taupo East arterial bypass ($104 million).
• Norton Road reconstruction in Hamilton may proceed in 2007/08 to reduce congestion during peak periods and providing for public transport and active travel modes ($3.3 million).

State highway projects

• Investigation of southern links on SH 1 from the western corridor to Tamahere to link SH 3 and SH 21 near the airport in Hamilton, to improve route efficiency ($4.2 million).
• Design of the western corridor route bypassing Te Rapa on SH 1 to provide congestion relief and travel demand management ($4.75 million).
• Design of a new section of SH 2 bypassing Maramarua to improve safety ($3.4 million).
• Design of the section of the Waikato expressway on SH 1 to bypass Ngāruawāhia to improve route efficiency ($8 million).
• Design of the Hamilton bypass on the Waikato expressway to improve route efficiency.
• Design of the section of the Waikato expressway on SH 1 to bypass Rangiriri to improve route efficiency ($2.6 million).

Smaller state highway projects

• Construction of a new signalised intersection on SH 1 at Greenwood/ Kilarney to upgrade the roundabout and relieve congestion ($3.3 million).
• Upgrade of the intersection at Ohaupo/Kahikatea Drive on SH1 to relieve congestion ($3 million).
• Construction of replacement bridges on SH 25 in Thames at Tararu ($2.72 million) and at Te Puru ($2.7 million) to relieve flooding problems.
• Construction of a replacement bridge on SH 26 at Kirikiri to relieve flooding problems ($2.7 million).

Forecast expenditure in NLTP	2007/08
	$ million	%
Maintenance and renewal local roads	41.1	21
Maintenance and renewal state highways	57.9	29
Improvement local roads	12.6	6
Improvement state highways	67.5	34
Use of the transport system	4	2
Passenger transport	6.9	4
Administration	8.8	4
TOTAL	198.7	100
Road policing activities	27

Note: Local maintenance does not include emergency works, and escalation contingency
State highway maintenance does not include property operations
Passenger transport does not include escalation contingency
Actual expenditure in 2007/08 may differ from the estimates, depending on activity levels.

Use of the transport system

Walking and cycling

• A number of projects will be undertaken to extend existing pedestrian and cycling networks in the Hamilton city, Waipa, Taupo, Thames-Coromandel and Hauraki districts.

Community-focused activities

• From 1 July 2007, community-focused (formerly CRSP) activities will be funded through the NLTP. Councils will work with their local community groups to plan, develop and deliver local land transport safety and sustainability activities.
• WINTECH , the organisation that delivers these activities for the Otorohanga and Waitomo district council cluster, has had transitional funding approved for 2007/08.
• A number of road safety and sustainability programmes and advertising campaigns will continue in 2007/08. Road safety and sustainability projects will focus on promoting messages around driver licensing, speed, vulnerable road users, fatigue, restraints, alcohol and driving to conditions. Ruben the Road Safety Bear will continue to deliver road safety messages for young children. Support will be given to the promotion and delivery of road safety action plans, network safety corridors and neighbourhood accessibility plans.

Travel demand management

• The Waikato Travel Demand Management Strategy, involving a strategy study and implementation plan ($300,000), will be advance in 2007/08. Environment Waikato has identified regional studies and investigations that may be carried out in 2007/08 ($706,000).

Rail and sea freight

• Transportation of woodchips by rail from Whangarei to Kawerau ($298,000).

Passenger transport

A total of $5.74 million has been allocated to the Waikato region’s passenger transport operations and total mobility activities for 2007/08. In addition, a pilot passenger accessibility project is planned in the Hamilton central business district, with a total cost of $60,000.

Since 2001, bus patronage has increased by about 30 percent and is now up to two million passengers each year. A review of the Regional Passenger Transport Plan will be completed.

Road policing activities

Funding for NZ Police road policing and associated activities in the Waikato region totals $26.97 million for the 2007/08 year. This comprises:

• $21.91 million for strategic road policing activities (ie, enforcement of speed limits, alcohol and/or drug affected driving, restraint wearing and general road safety)
• $1.07 million for community engagement on road policing (school road safety education and police community services)
• $3.85 million for road policing incident and emergency management (crash attendance and investigation, and traffic management) and
• $146,000 for road policing court orders.

The $26.97 million funds all road policing vehicles, communications, equipment, accommodation and 179.1 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, including 7.7 additional FTEs for the 2007/08 year: 4.6 of these are for crash attendance and investigation, and 3.1 are for targeted enforcement on rural roads.

Bay of Plenty

Rapid population growth is continuing in the Western Bay of Plenty. This, along with a growing economy, is resulting in rapid changes in land use. In particular, there is pressure to release further land for industrial/commercial use. Ruralresidential development is also growing in Rotorua and there is a need to identify locations for future industrial land. Integrating land use and transportation is one of the key challenges facing the Bay of Plenty region.

Studies of strategic corridors are under way to determine the impact of existing and proposed land use. These studies need to be combined with travel demand management strategies to identify the optimal solutions for land use, urban form and network development.

Route security and access to the Port of Tauranga for heavy commercial vehicle activity from Opotiki, Rotorua, Hamilton and Auckland is a high priority. Connectivity to relatively isolated rural areas is also key to developing sustainable communities.

Public transport uptake is improving and is likely to increase rapidly as congestion at peak travel time impacts on journeys. Further development and promotion of alternative transport modes will lead to better use of the existing network.

The Road Safety to 2010 Strategy goal for the Bay of Plenty region is that, by 2010, fatalities and hospitalisations will be fewer than 380 per annum. There were 36 fatalities and 502 hospitalisations due to road crashes in the Bay of Plenty during the 2006 calendar year.

Completed improvement activity

• the construction of a new underpass that crosses under the rail line on SH 2 at Matamata, improving route efficiency ($3.35 million).

Continuing improvement activity

Continued funding has been committed to projects from last year. In the Bay of Plenty, this includes:

• the harbour link (second harbour bridge), which will connect the Hewletts Road four-laning to the east and Takitimu Drive to the west of Tauranga harbour ($235 million).

Road maintenance and renewals

A total of $51.16 million has been allocated for the maintenance of the Bay of Plenty’s road networks, an increase of $5.7 million over the 2006/07 allocation. Of the total, $18.44 million is for the maintenance of the region’s local roads and $32.72 million for state highways.

Road improvements

The following projects may be approved over the year, if local authorities or Transit submit applications and the projects continue to meet funding requirements.

Local roading projects

• 1.9 km of seal extensions in the Opotiki region ($180,000).
• 0.8 km of pavement smoothing on Oropi Rd ($1.05 million).
• The construction of a roundabout on Malfroy and Ranolf streets in Rotorua to improve safety and reduce congestion ($1.09 million).
• Upgrading of the Putiki Road bridge to improve safety in the Whakatane district ($127,000).
• Investigation of the Victoria Street expressway in Rotorua. This project will provide for long-term transport needs through and into the city ($100,000).

State highway projects

• Design of the Tauranga Central corridor (SH 2 and SH 29) to provide congestion relief and travel demand management ($600,000).
• Design of the SH 2 Tauranga Eastern Motorway to bypass Te Puke and improve route efficiency ($12.45 million).
• Investigation of the Katikati bypass on SH 2 to provide route efficiency ($630,000).

Smaller state highway projects

• Investigation and design of signalising existing roundabouts at Welcome Bay Road and Maungatapu Road intersections on SH 2/SH 29 to relieve congestion ($300,000).
• Design and construction to widen two bridges over Mangarewa stream on SH 36 to improve safety ($2.8 million).

Forecast expenditure in NLTP	2007/08
	$ million	%
Maintenance and renewal local roads	18.4	12
Maintenance and renewal state highways	32.7	20
Improvement local roads	1.8	1
Improvement state highways	95.9	60
Use of the transport system	0.9	1
Passenger transport	4.0	3
Administration	6.9	4
TOTAL	160.6	100
Road policing activities	14.5

 

Taranaki

Maintaining and improving the existing network is a focus for the Taranaki region. Route security is a high priority, especially for heavy commercial vehicles accessing the port.

The transportation of dairying and forestry products continues to have an impact on local roads and intersections, creating safety and capacity issues. Demand has increased for intersection upgrades, wider bridges, underpasses and passing lanes.

There is a growing interest in public transport. The region has developed a Walkways and Cycleways Strategy, which will assist in encouraging a shift of transport mode.

The Road Safety to 2010 Strategy goal for the Taranaki region is that, by 2010, fatalities and hospitalisations will be fewer than 100 per annum. There were 12 fatalities and 89 hospitalisations due to road crashes in Taranaki during the 2006 calendar year.

Completed improvement activities

Land Transport NZ’s funding in the past year enabled the successful completion of four bridge upgrades on Wiremu Road in South Taranaki and three in the New Plymouth district, improving safety.

Continuing improvement activities

Continued funding has been committed to projects from last year. In the Taranaki region, this includes:

• the construction of the Bell Block bypass along a new route between Paraite Road and Egmont Road that bypasses a section of highway that has high peak hour congestion and a high crash rate ($20.2 million)
• the construction of an intersection on Mangaorei Road on SH 3 for route connectivity to reduce congestion and improve safety ($70,000).

Road maintenance and renewals

A total of $30.87 million has been allocated to the maintenance of the Taranaki region’s road networks, an increase of $1.4 million over the 2006/07 allocation. Of the total, $12.64 million is for the maintenance of the region’s local roads and $18.23 million for state highways.

Road improvements

The following projects may be approved over the year, if local authorities or Transit submit applications and the projects continue to meet funding requirements.

Local roading projects

• Upgrading of three bridges on Wiremu Road to improve safety in the South Taranaki district ($480,000).
• Six bridge and culvert replacements on the Carrington, Ngatoto, North Saunders, Tarawai, Toii and Okau roads, and one bridge strengthening project on Tarata Road, to improve safety in the New Plymouth district ($1.01 million).
• Four kilometres of seal extensions in the Stratford district ($238,000).

Smaller state highway projects

• Widening of the Tangahoe bridge to improve safety ($1.50 million).
• Design of the Devon Street Intermediate pedestrian underpass facility to improve safety.

Use of the transport system

Walking and cycling

• The 3.6 km eastern cycleway will link New Plymouth to Bell Block via an off-road cycleway and walkway.

Community-focused activities

• From 1 July 2007, community-focused (formerly CRSP) activities will be funded through the NLTP. Councils will work with their local community groups to plan, develop and deliver local land transport safety and sustainability activities.
• Road Safe Taranaki’s road safety and sustainability programmes and advertising campaigns will focus on delivering community road safety initiatives and education throughout the region.

Passenger transport

A total of $0.55 million has been allocated to the Taranaki region’s passenger transport operations and total mobility activities for 2007/08.

Following a review of Taranaki’s Regional Passenger Transport Plan, new bus services will provide an indication of how the passenger transport system may be enhanced. These services will be evaluated over the next 18 months.

Road policing activities

Funding for NZ Police road policing and associated activities in the Taranaki region totals $7.48 million for the 2007/08 year. This comprises:

• $6.43 million for strategic road policing activities (ie enforcement of speed limits, alcohol and/or drug affected driving, restraint wearing and general road safety)
• $186,000 for community engagement on road policing (school road safety education and police community services)
• $823,000 for road policing incident and emergency management (crash attendance and investigation, and traffic management) and $40,000 for road policing court orders.

The $7.48 million funds all road policing vehicles, communications, equipment, accommodation and 49.7 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff, including 1.8 additional FTEs for the 2007/08 year: one of these is for crash attendance and investigation, and 0.8 is for targeted enforcement on rural roads.

Forecast expenditure in NLTP	2007/08
	$ million	%
Maintenance and renewal local roads	12.6	30
Maintenance and renewal state highways	18.2	43
Improvement local roads	0.8	2
Improvement state highways	7.9	19
Use of the transport system	0.8	2
Passenger transport	0.7	2
Administration	1.7	4
TOTAL	42.6	100
Road policing activities	7.5

Note:
Local maintenance does not include emergency works, and escalation contingency
State highway maintenance does not include property operations
Passenger transport does not include escalation contingency
Actual expenditure in 2007/08 may differ from the estimates, depending on activity levels.

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The figures in the tables in this newsletter are Land Transport NZ's allocations. Costs in brackets refer to total project or total phase costs.

For further information, please contact: Rosalie Orr | Partnership Manager Midlands | Hamilton Regional Office,
Private Bag 3081, Hamilton 3240 | Telephone 07 958 7840 | Fax 07 958 7866 | rosalie.orr@nzta.govt.nz

 

Page created: 18 June 2007