Work category 141: Emergency works

Introduction

This work category provides for unforeseen significant expenditure that arises from a defined, major, short-duration natural event.

This definition applies to the 2012-15 NLTP.  For the 2015-18 NLTP please refer to the updated definition for work category 141.

It provides for the costs associated with the immediate response, reopening and/or restoration (to a standard no better than that which existed before any damage occurred) of the following:

• roads
• road structures
• eligible pedestrian and cycle facilities
• other eligible land transport infrastructure owned by territorial authorities.

The Emergency Works process defines how to add the activity to the NLTP and request funding.  Applicants should take note of the timescales for notifying the NZTA representative and for requesting funding assistance.

Qualifying activities

Only work that has been approved by the NZTA for funding as emergency works will qualify.

The NZTA may approve any project where, in its opinion, the project is

necessary to effect immediate or temporary repair of damage caused by a

sudden and unexpected event.

The cost of the proposed reinstatement must be checked against the NZTA’s

policy on uneconomic roading facilities

Exclusions

This work category excludes:

• repair of damage that is confined to the following extent (which must be programmed under either the appropriate road maintenance work category or Work category 241: Preventive maintenance):
  • minor scour in water channels and other drainage facilities
  • dropouts and/or slips that do not require restriction of a traffic lane, provided they do not need urgent attention to remove a threat to safety or to the road structure
  • scour, degradation or aggradations threatening roads, bridges or other road-related structures that has accumulated over time
  • any other deficiency that has developed from events occurring over a period of time (i.e. greater than one month), and
• the repair of any damage to work under construction or still within a maintenance period – this is a charge to that project.

Funding assistance

The funding assistance rate that applies to emergency works is

• for an Approved Organisation, the total cost of the emergency works occurring within a financial year at the funding assistance rate obtained from Diagram 2.
• 100 percent for Special Purpose Roads, and
• 100 percent for the NZTA (state highways).

Note: Requests for funding are approved according to the delegated authority, as summarised in the NZTA planning, funding and procurement delegations.

Diagram 2:

Funding assistance rate

Formula for emergency reinstatement rate

The formula is:

ERR = (F ÷ R) × 100 percent

Where:

• ERR = emergency reinstatement rate
• F = total cost of current emergency works application plus the total cost of any existing emergency works approval in the current year
• R = total general rates (exclusive of GST).

Total general rate

Total general rates are defined as any rates levied on an Approved Organisation wide basis. This includes general rates and uniform annual charges (as defined in the Rating Valuations Act 1998) and any separate roading rate.

Adjustment for under-expenditure

The NZTA may adjust the funding assistance rate for a financial year if actual expenditure is less than the approved allocation.

If the unexpended allocation is carried into the following year, a new funding assistance rate will be determined for that year. Adjustments to forward financial allocations are handled as part of the end-of-year reconciliation.  This will require the Approved Organisations and NZTA State Highways to apply for the remaining allocation in Transport Investment Online (TIO).

Phases of damage repair

Repair of damage is usually undertaken in two separate phases:

• immediate response, and
• permanent reinstatement.

Immediate response

The immediate response phase covers the work necessary to reopen a road or other facility, where practicable, to at least a single-lane facility for safe use by traffic or to minimise risk of further damage. The work may include:

• slip clearance
• construction of temporary detours
• temporary reinstatement of the roadway, eligible for pedestrian and cycle
• facilities, including emergency bridging etc, and
• restoration of roadside drainage.

Work undertaken in this phase is exempt from the procurement procedure requirements of section 25 of the Land Transport Management Act 2003 (LTMA).

Permanent reinstatement

The permanent reinstatement phase involves work that is required to restore the road to its former, or a similar, condition.

As the work is of a long-term nature, it generally involves an engineering appraisal of options and may require design input.

The NZTA’s policy on uneconomic roading facilities applies.

Work undertaken in this phase is subject to the section 25 LTMA procurement procedure requirements.

Improvements associated with emergency reinstatement

Where it is clearly evident that an improvement component would be desirable, the improvement work is to assessed and prioritised under the NZTA’s Assessment Framework . A decision to fund the improvement will be made based on its priority order relative to the current funding threshold for the improvement activity class. If approved, it will be programmed in the appropriate road improvement work category.

Any improvements undertaken in conjunction with emergency reinstatement are subject to normal programme development and project evaluation procedures.

Examples of improvements include:

• road widening beyond the original width
• easing of bends
• pavement strengthening
• seal extension, and
• upgrading of road-supporting structures, such as replacing a one-lane bridge with a two-lane bridge.