The NZ Transport Agency Board has endorsed indicative investment levels for a further four activity classes as the next step in the development of the 2012/15 National Land Transport Programme (NLTP), which will represent a $9 billion investment in New Zealand's land transport system.
NZTA Chief Executive Geoff Dangerfield said the 2012/15 NLTP would focus on delivering local and national transport network solutions that enable economic growth and productivity, provide value for money and support safer journeys.
Following the direction outlined in the Government Policy Statement on land transport funding (GPS), Mr Dangerfield says the 2012/15 NLTP will reflect the NZTA’s commitment to:
Mr Dangerfield said while the detailed levels of investment set out in the 2012/15 NLTP would not be finalised until September, the NZTA Board had now endorsed indicative investment levels for a further four activity classes: road safety promotion, transport planning, sector research, and management of the funding allocation system.
This follows the release of indicative investment levels last month for public transport services and the maintenance, operation and renewal of local roads and state highways.
Mr Dangerfield said the agency was providing this information to regional transport committees and local authorities in order to give councils the certainty they need to make decisions on their regional and district council long term plans.
“NZTA staff all around the country have been meeting regularly with their council counterparts for several months to ensure that they understand the focus of the NLTP, and to help them prioritise their own transport programmes so that the activities at the top of their lists are those most likely to be funded – that means those which provide the best value for money, improve safety, support economic growth and provide people with a range of transport choices.”
Mr Dangerfield said the NZTA would be working closely with councils in the weeks and months ahead as the NLTP was finalised.
The indicative national investment levels which will be available over the next three financial years in the four activity classes endorsed by the NZTA Board last week are outlined in the table below, along with the investment levels for public transport services, local roads and state highways announced last month:
| NLTP activity class | Indicative 2012/15 NLTP investment |
|---|---|
| Road safety promotion (national and local advertising and education campaigns) | $97 million |
| Transport planning | $50 million |
| Management of the funding allocation system | $90 million |
| Transport sector research | $15 million |
| Public transport services | $830 million |
| Maintenance & operation of local roads – routine maintenance (excluding emergency works) | $600 million |
| Renewal of local roads – periodic maintenance (excluding preventative maintenance) | $680 million |
| Maintenance & operation of state highways – routine maintenance (excluding emergency works) | $829 million |
| Renewal of state highways – periodic maintenance (excluding preventative maintenance) | $625 million |
Road safety promotion
This activity class includes investment in the NZTA’s national advertising and education campaigns, as well as local advertising and education campaigns. The $97 million being set aside for road safety promotion represents a small but important part of the overall investment in improving road safety through the 2012/15 NLTP, which is likely to total about $2.8 billion – also covering road policing and specific benefits from investments in roads, public transport, walking and cycling.
Taking these activities together, the NLTP investment will help to reduce deaths and serious injuries by strengthening the four elements of the safe system – safe roads and roadsides, safe speeds, safe vehicles and safe road use.
The 2012/15 NLTP road safety promotion investment will target priority areas identified in the Safer Journeys strategy, including alcohol and drugs, fatigue, distraction, speed, motorcycles, young drivers, roads and roadsides and vehicle safety. Road safety promotion funding will also be available to target areas where there is a disproportionate risk for road users (eg communities where there is low use of child restraints).
Transport planning
Good transport planning makes a critical contribution to a thriving New Zealand. It enables us to invest in regional and pan-regional strategies, identify and address key transport issues, and deliver key outcomes.
The 2012/15 NLTP targets investment to high priority areas, where the issues are regionally and nationally significant, and transport patterns are changing relatively quickly. Particular focus will continue to be on Auckland following the creation of the new supercity, and on the post-earthquake recovery in Christchurch.
Management of the funding allocation system
This activity class covers the NZTA’s internal operating costs to administer the NLTP and to work with local authorities and others to ensure that investments are planned and monitored effectively to get the best return on New Zealand’s investment in transport. The NZTA is holding administrative costs down in order to maintain a strong focus on transport infrastructure and service delivery. The indicative investment level of
$90 million represents 1% of the proposed $9 billion 2012/15 NLTP.
Transport sector research
NLTP investment in transport sector research is targeted to innovative and relevant research which contributes to achieving government goals for transport. The NZTA’s research programme framework guides our approach to research investment and indicative investment levels, by providing clear research objectives. The framework is centred on five research areas for land transport, namely: improved access; more efficient and reliable networks; better integrated transport and land use; improved transport safety and improved environmental and social wellbeing.
Confirmed investment levels for all 14 NLTP activity classes, including public transport infrastructure, local road and state highway improvements, road policing, and promotion of walking and cycling would be announced in September.
