Tairāwhiti Roads is a new collaboration with Gisborne District Council that aims to deliver a truly one network approach on Gisborne roads.
Over the past two years the Transport Agency and Gisborne District Council have been working towards a collaborative approach for delivering maintenance, operations and renewal programmes over the combined state highway and local roading network in Gisborne. The goal is to deliver these services more efficiently and cost effectively, and provide a better experience for our customers.
The outcome of this work is a first-of-its-kind joint venture called Tairāwhiti Roads, a business unit made up of eight Gisborne District Council and three Transport Agency staff.
This venture builds on the collaborative approach the Transport Agency adopted in 2000 when Marlborough Roads was created to handle maintenance and operations on the combined highway and local road networks in the Marlborough District.
Since then the Transport Agency has entered into collaborative arrangements with Rotorua and Tasman District Councils to reduce costs and increase efficiencies in the delivery of maintenance and operations for the Transport Agency and the councils.
Although the Gisborne team will be managing a combined network, the constituent parts of that network will remain assets of the respective parent organisations. With nearly all staff now on board, the Tairāwhiti Roads team is working hard in the run up to Christmas to ensure that the venture is equipped to meet the business demands of both the Council and the Transport Agency.
One of the first big jobs for the organisation in the new year is the preparation of the tender for two Network Outcomes Contracts (NOCs). The combined network will be divided into two geographic contract areas, each comprising both state highways and local roads.
The Transport Agency team in Napier that has managed the Gisborne Highway network until now will continue to work closely with Tairāwhiti Roads over the course of the NOC tender period. Management of the Transport Agency network will be handed over to Tairāwhiti Roads in March 2015.
When it launches, Tairāwhiti Roads will operate as an independent entity located in Gisborne, close to the assets, customers and suppliers. This will allow for smarter asset management, better decision making and cost savings through regional efficiencies. As result, Gisborne District Council and the Transport Agency will ensure a consistent, safe rural road network for customers.
