The Waikato region is a key part of New Zealand’s transport network, providing important links between the sea ports of Tauranga and Auckland and the inland rail freight hub Hamilton, while a high proportion of heavy vehicles also travel through the Waikato, south to Taranaki and Wellington.
I'm pleased to introduce to you this National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) for 2009-2012 – the mechanism through which the NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) gives effect to the Government policy statement on land transport funding 2009/10 – 2018/19 (GPS)(external link).
The global economic situation has changed dramatically in the past 18 months, with significant effects for the New Zealand economy. In response, and as part of its commitment to improving New Zealand's economic outlook and performance, the government has set clear expectations and priorities for the land transport sector. These expectations are articulated in the GPS.
The GPS is the government's statement of its short- to medium-term goals for transport investment. Issued in May 2009 and covering the 10 years between 2009 and 2019, it has a clear message: the number one priority for investment in land transport is increasing economic growth and productivity in New Zealand.
In particular, this means directing investment into high-quality infrastructure projects and transport services that encourage the efficient movement of people and freight and contribute to economic activity and employment. It's to be achieved by investing in the transport network, extracting better value for money from all land transport activities and enhancing individual projects' economic efficiency. Improvement of key routes also assists in delivering route security, network efficiency and provides safety benefits.
The NZTA's role is to allocate money from the National Land Transport Fund to activities within activity classes in the GPS. Through our Investment and Revenue Strategy and a rigorous assessment and prioritisation process, we aim to draw a balance between national and regional priorities (identified in the Regional Land Transport Programme (RLTP)), and between networks' local and regional, and inter-regional and national roles. We're also committed to delivering value for money in all transport activities, in all regions.
This strong commitment to value for money has also led to changes in how R (regionally distributed) funding is used. R funds come from fuel excise duty and light road user charges and are allocated proportionally to regions based on population. In the past, R funding was used to fund lower-priority projects that would otherwise not qualify for funding.
To ensure value for money, R funding will be used for the highest-priority projects in this NLTP, providing a guaranteed minimum level of funding for the Waikato region.
The National Land Transport Fund can only be used to fund activities listed in the NLTP. The tables in this NLTP list:
This document details the funding provided for the Waikato region – and as a dynamic document will be reviewed and updated regularly to reflect any approved variations to programmes. For information on funding for the rest of New Zealand (and how the NLTP is developed and managed) please see the national NLTP document.
The Waikato region is a key part of New Zealand's transport network, providing important links between the sea ports of Tauranga and Auckland and the inland rail freight hub Hamilton, while a high proportion of heavy vehicles also travel through the Waikato, south to Taranaki and Wellington.
Growth in the volume of heavy commercial vehicles on our region's roads, particularly interregional traffic to ports in Auckland and the Bay of Plenty, has led to increasing traffic conflict and safety challenges. We need to make sure we focus on route security on state highways to ensure reliable freight movement and continuing connections between communities.
The GPS emphasises the importance of investing in high-quality infrastructure projects that support the efficient movement of freight and people, including new and improved state highway infrastructure that will provide access to key transport hubs. We're delighted that it specifically identifies the Waikato Expressway as a 'road of national significance' (RoNS) – a generator of economic growth in our region and a vital national link for freight and tourism that requires significant investment and development.
This NLTP provides an investment of $938.4 million for the Waikato region over the 2009–2012 period. I'm confident that this NLTP gives the required effect to the GPS. All funds have been allocated to activity classes within the GPS limits and in line with the NZTA's priorities.
The result is an NLTP that builds on the region's previous strong economic growth that has, in part, been achieved as a direct result of previous land transport programmes.
We look forward to the next three years, in which:
The Environment Waikato Regional Transport Committee has a pivotal role in shaping the Waikato region's transport future through the Regional Land Transport Strategy and the RLTP.
The committee comprises elected members from the regional and local authorities, the NZTA, and community representatives with expertise in areas such as access and mobility, safety and personal security and economic development.
One of the committee's key tasks is to develop Waikato's three-year RLTP, which prioritises all the regional transport activities proposed by the NZTA, the region's local and district authorities and Environment Waikato.
This regional perspective enabled the NZTA to build a geographic view of land transport requirements nationwide, and to align regional and national views in deciding on the most appropriate allocations of funds to give effect to the GPS priorities. Public submissions on Waikato draft programme were reflected in the final programme that went to the NZTA Board, which made the ultimate funding decisions for the NLTP.
I believe this NLTP will support Waikato's social and economic wellbeing and augurs well for the region's future as a significant contributor to New Zealand's economy. I look forward to working closely with our regional partners and the Waikato community to ensure it is implemented successfully.
Harry Wilson
Regional Director
Last updated: 6 October 2009
