Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency manuals, guidelines and tools

Business Case Approach guidance

Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and our investment partners use the Business Case Approach (BCA) to guide our planning, investment and project development processes. 

Business Case Approach guidance

Land transport benefits management approach and framework: guidelines

Outlines Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency’s land transport benefits framework (the list and description of the benefits) and benefits management approach (how benefits are applied to National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) processes). 

Land transport benefits management approach and framework: guidelines

Monetised benefits and costs manual

Industry standard for the economic evaluation of land transport activities for New Zealand. The sets out economic evaluation procedures and values used in calculating benefits and costs, necessary for applications seeking investment where a benefit cost appraisal from Waka Kotahi is mandatory.  

Monetised benefits and costs manual

Land Transport Benefits Framework measures manual

Industry standard for the evaluation of non-monetised benefits of land transport activities for New Zealand. The manual sets out evaluation procedures and values used in assessing benefits, necessary for applications seeking investment where a benefit appraisal from Waka Kotahi is mandatory.

Land Transport Benefits Framework measures manual

Economic evaluation manual (superseded August 2020)

Industry's standard for the economic evaluation of land transport activities for New Zealand. The manual sets out economic evaluation procedures and values used in calculating benefits and costs, necessary for applications seeking investment where a benefit cost appraisal from Waka Kotahi is mandatory.

Economic evaluation manual

Procurement manual

This manual is used for activities funded through the NLTP and contains procurement procedures approved by Waka Kotahi for use by approved organisations when purchasing infrastructure, planning and advice, and public transport services.

Procurement manual

Cost estimation manual

This manual is for consultants when preparing cost estimates. It contains all the Waka Kotahi procedures and guidelines for producing, reviewing or submitting estimates for capital projects. 

Cost estimation manual

NZ Transport Agency register of network standards and guidelines

This register is a definitive list of all relevant Waka Kotahi funding policy and commonly adopted manuals and technical documents for land transport network related activities. It is also a repository of land transport network reference documents for approved organisations, staff, consultants, contractors and other users.

NZ Transport Agency register of network standards and guidelines

Process manual for network standards and guidelines

This manual provides a fit-for-purpose process for managing the inclusion of new documents and changes and variations to existing documents in the register of network standards and guidelines.

Process manual for network standards and guidelines

Road assessment and maintenance management manual

This manual provides a method of measuring the condition of each road element, which can be used to assess routine maintenance and rehabilitation needs.

Road assessment and maintenance management manual

General circulars

Waka Kotahi uses general circulars to directly advise road-controlling authorities and regional councils about relevant policy or programme management updates, or to communicate recent board decisions.

General circulars

Transport Investment Online

Transport investment online (TIO) is the Waka Kotahi key source of project information and a record of investment decisions made in the NLTP. All activities funded through the NLTP are recorded in TIO, including the expected benefits and long term outcomes from each decision.

Transport Investment Online(external link)(external link)

Road safety guidelines and tools

Speed management resources

Waka Kotahi is taking a new approach to speed management in New Zealand. A range of resources is available for road controlling authorities to support them with this.

Speed management resources

Standard safety intervention toolkit

This toolkit provides photographic examples of individual standard safety interventions and, for most treatments, there are technical references provided, some with links to internet sites containing relevant documents. It is intended to provide guidance for road practitioners of all types and levels of professional experience, including: road safety and transport engineers, asset managers, town planners, civil designers and community road safety officers. It is relevant to both state highway and local authority networks.

Standard safety intervention toolkit

Safe System audit guidelines for transport projects

These guidelines are for project managers, traffic and safety engineers, auditors and consultants for use with transport projects.  

Safe System audit audit guidelines for projects

High-risk rural roads guide

The guide introduces a new way to identify high-risk road sections and, using the Safe System approach, provides best practice guidance on choosing effective countermeasures. It is a practical guide to making our roads safer, intended for use by all road controlling authorities that manage high-risk rural roads.

High-risk rural roads guide

High-risk intersections guide

The guide has been developed to assist road controlling authorities in targeting intersection safety improvements to the highest risk intersections, and providing a nationally consistent application of proven countermeasures. Road controlling authorities can use the guide to identify their high-risk intersections and then to prioritise them by examining the crash histories and site characteristics to identify risk factors for which there are effective countermeasures.

High-risk intersections guide

Safer Journeys for motorcycling on New Zealand roads

The second edition guide provides road controlling authorities (RCAs) and contractors with guidance on improving and maintaining roads for better motorcycling safety outcomes, and is intended to help RCAs in planning for the 2018-21 National Land Transport Programme.

Safer Journeys for motorcycling on New Zealand roads