|
James
Caygill, Director of Regional Relationships, and Richard Osborne, Regional
Manager, System Design, joined the table and provided the Council with an
overview of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) role and an update on its
current work.
Key presentation points:
·
The NZTA is the Crown entity responsible for planning the land
transport system, investing the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF),
regulating safety rules, delivering major transport projects, managing the
state highway network, and providing customer services that support people to
access, pay for, and use the transport system.
·
The NZTA operates under the Land Transport
Management Act 2003 and must give effect to the Government Policy Statement
(GPS). The GPS is issued every three years and sets the Government’s
transport priorities, expected NLTF revenue and funding ranges for activity
classes such as maintenance, public transport, state highway improvements,
safety, walking and cycling, and rail.
·
The next GPS is being drafted now, with a
draft expected mid-2026, though the General Election at the end of the year
may result in further changes. The final GPS will be issued mid-2027, with
the NZTA issuing its National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) after that.
·
The NLTP is the three year programme that sets
out the activities that can be funded through the NLTF. The NLTF is funded
mainly through fuel taxes and Road User Charges. The NLTP includes both
national and local activities and is updated as project timing and funding
availability change.
·
Funding Assistance Rates (FARs) determine the
portion of eligible costs on a council’s project are funded by the
NLTF. Average FARs sit around 53%, with individual authority’s rates
varying. A large factor in determining FARs is ability to pay. The
Council’s FAR is currently 51%. NZTA will review the FAR policy before
the 2027–2030 NLTP.
·
Regional Land Transport Plans (RLTPs) set each
region’s 10‑year objectives and proposed activities. The starting
point for the Council feeding into the RLTP is its Long Term Plan (LTP). Canterbury’s
next RLTP needs to be completed by March/April 2027, prior to the finalised
GPS being issued. The NZTA will give an indication of budgets by the end of 2026,
but these may change with Central Government policy.
·
To be considered for the NLTF, a Council
project needs to be in its LTP, in the RLTP (consistent with the GPS) and in
the NLTP (which gives effect to the GPS). Inclusion in the NLTP is necessary
but not sufficient for funding. Councils must be able to fund their own local
share of any projects. Projects that fail to obtain NLTF funding can be fully
funded by the Council. Councils benefit from having a broad programme of work
that can be targeted to Central Government priorities and should consider
early investment to prove ideas.
·
For the 2024–27 NLTP, funding requests
exceeded available revenue by more than $5 billion, and similar
prioritisation is expected for the 2027–30 programme. Increasing costs
attributable to the Emergency Works Policy are also putting pressure on the
fund.
·
Integrated Delivery Contracts (IDCs) for state
highway maintenance have reached the preferred‑supplier stage. The
preferred suppliers for Canterbury are HEB and Isaac. Final negotiations are
underway. The NZTA offers opportunities to other contractors via contestable
work packages.
Key discussion points:
·
Elected members and the NZTA representatives
discussed the following:
·
The Hornby Access and Development Project and
how this will flow into the NLTP 2027-2030.
·
Pedestrian safety improvements on highways.
·
Improving highway maintenance in terms of
litter and weeds, including clearer information for the public on areas of
responsibility.
·
The importance of close operational ties
between the Council, NZTA and other service providers to align work
programmes.
·
The ability of the NZTA to prioritise issues,
such as resilience, being constrained by the GPS priorities.
|
