We’re committed to a transparent and collaborative approach to our transport planning, policies and project delivery. We work closely with our partners and engage widely across all our activities with our stakeholders and communities every day to share information and gain valuable insights.
Publicly notified consultations are a key way we gather feedback to help shape and inform our work.
Public consultations are defined as formally notified periods where we seek feedback to fulfil a statutory consultation requirement or help develop our operational work or infrastructure projects. This definition adheres to the goals in the ‘consult’ level of the internationally-accepted IAP2 public participation spectrum (see figure 1). We may ask you for written submissions or your help to complete a feedback form as part of the consultation. In appreciation of the valuable time you have taken to provide us with feedback you can always expect us to come back and let you know what we have heard and how your feedback influenced our next steps. In many cases we will also publish a Summary of Submissions or a Community Engagement Report. Read more about what we formally consult on below.
It’s important to note that formal consultation opportunities are just one part of our wider ongoing engagement and partnership programmes. We work hard every day with communities, stakeholders and partners to engage more widely, share information and gain insights on our shared transport priorities, working at different levels of the engagement spectrum as best suits each situation.
Other ways we engage with communities
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We regularly undertake consultation on behalf of the Minister of Transport for the making of land transport rules. The Minister of Transport has a statutory responsibility under the Land Transport Act 1998 to notify the intention to make the rule and to consult with interested groups on the proposed rule.
We go beyond the minimum statutory requirements by maintaining a database of interested groups and individuals and undertaking extensive consultation on each rule. Submissions received on draft rules are summarised and analysed and the rule redrafted to consider the submissions received. If necessary, we undertake further consultation with key groups before submitting a proposed rule to the government. When engaging and consulting on speed limit changes, we follow the Setting of Speed Limits Rule (2022).
Land Transport Act 1998(external link)
Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2022
We undertake consultation on Waka Kotahi-owned policies and programmes according to specific scope, process and consultation principles set out by the Land Transport Management Act 2003. This requires us to exhibit a sense of social and environmental responsibility in meeting our obligations and undertaking our functions. Waka Kotahi is committed to operating in ways that reflect this principle and has published a number of consultation and engagement frameworks to support this.
We also engage more widely with our partners, stakeholders and communities on our infrastructure projects around the country in accordance with the Waka Kotahi Business Case Approach (BCA) and other applicable acts such as the Resource Management Act 1991. The BCA guidance notes that effective engagement is at the heart of the business case approach. There are multiple stages throughout the development of a project where we engage with partners, stakeholders and communities to help shape our project scope, options and decision-making. Engagement activities may be ongoing or may include a formal public consultation period which is notified at key milestones.
The engagement approach in the BCA is intended to build upon, not replace, the principles for consultation included in legislation (as above).
Land Transport Management Act 2003(external link)
State highways public engagement guideline
Hononga ki te iwi – our Māori engagement framework
Engagement and the business case approach
The content of submissions and feedback received in our consultations will be deemed public information and may be published in a Summary of Submissions or Community Engagement Report. However, we will not publish information that identifies an individual person. If you have indicated that you are an authorised representative of an organisation, we may publish the name of your organisation.
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