At Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, we’re focused on providing one integrated land transport system that connects people, products and places for a thriving Aotearoa.
We have the responsibility to look after the national land transport system with our partners for today’s and future generations. We’re using innovation to make sure the system is not only efficient and sustainable, but unlocks opportunities and keeps New Zealand moving.
We have system leadership, planning, investment, regulatory and delivery roles to support our vision. We take an approach that responds to the investment direction set by government across all travel options, to maintain levels of service for customers and deliver improvements where these are needed.
Transport supports communities and regions to thrive by delivering a range of social, economic and environmental benefits. At Waka Kotahi, we’re well positioned to help achieve these benefits, in partnership with others, working nationally, regionally and locally.
At the national level, we work with others who are shaping national infrastructure and networks, such as freight, tourism, and water services, to achieve wider outcomes for housing, urban development, health, education, and equity.
Regionally and locally, we work with local government and other partners to identify the key needs of the future land transport system. We provide sector leadership on issues that require national coordination, such as identifying levels of service for road maintenance and public transport services. We commission research that supports innovation and ongoing improvements to the way we build, operate and manage the land transport system. We model innovation through programmes such as Innovating Streets and we partner with industry to develop tools, digital platforms, policies and guidelines to promote efficiency and reduce costs for everyone who uses and pays for the land transport system.
We work with our partners to help achieve integrated planning, decision-making, programming and investment that will deliver better services and solutions for the land transport system.
We work in partnership with local government and others to plan and manage growth in our cities, towns and regions. This ensures land-use planning and the transport system are integrated, that our communities are well-connected and there is easy access to education, employment and essential services. This partnering ensures we plan and invest for transport and land-use, to do the right things, in the right place, at the right time.
We partner with local government to support access to core local transport services, such as local roads, public transport (by bus, rail and ferry) and active modes, support sustainable land-use development and urban form, support economic activity and provide efficient access to markets, primary freight hubs, and air and sea ports.
As a funder, we have several statutorily independent functions, including determining which activities are included in the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP) and which activities will be funded from the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF). We’re a full member of each of the 16 Regional Transport Committees and a member of the Auckland Transport Board. We also provide assurance advice to ministers on the Rail Network Investment Programme (RNIP), which is funded from the NLTF and supports KiwiRail’s activities in maintaining, operating and renewing the heavy rail network.
As a land transport investor, we co-invest in the development and maintenance of 85,800kms of local roads, the development of urban cycleways and walkways, and public transport networks for buses, trains and ferries to make it easier for people to move around.
We manage and maintain 11,021kms of sealed and 31.5kms of unsealed state highways, which support economic growth, safety and resilience, and are critical in connecting our regions and communities. We work with our local government co-investment partners to manage access to the state highway and local networks, manage transport demand, and respond to events and incidents.
We also work with major urban council partners to manage day-to-day transport operations, improve the flow of people and freight across the transport system to manage travel demand and improve travel reliability. State highways provide a lifeline for many local communities, making it important to reflect the right balance of movement and place to support local and national objectives.
As the land transport regulator, we’re focused on reducing harm to people and the environment. We work to ensure the land transport system is safe, effective, efficient and functions well for everyone. We manage the licensing of drivers, commercial operators, rail operators and vehicles and regulate the transport industry to ensure it is safe. Our role in public transport has been expanded to include oversight of the planning, operation, implementation and delivery of public transport.
We design and deliver nationally-led projects and programmes funded under the NLTP – including programmes to maintain, renew and improve the state highway network and projects that require national coordination, such as the National Ticketing Solution.
We also deliver projects on behalf of the Crown, through the Provincial Growth Fund, the NZ Upgrade Programme, and the government’s economic stimulus package in response to COVID-19. While these projects are not managed under the NLTP (because they are not funded from the NLTF), they need to align with the government’s wider transport objectives and be integrated into the land transport system.
Arataki is our 10-year view of what is needed to deliver on the government’s current priorities and long-term objectives for the land transport system. It shares the evidence base that informs our view and shapes the way we partner with others through planning and investment tools, such as spatial plans, network plans, RLTPs and the NLTP.
We’re currently developing a baseline version of a 30-year system plan, drawing on the direction in Arataki and taking into consideration other plans that have an impact on future transport outcomes. It will set out a three-decade map of what we need to do to support a thriving Aotearoa and will be based on our best understanding of what our future transport system will need to deliver. It will consider gaps, opportunities and issues to clarify where we need to focus our efforts.
Future iterations will develop the baseline version into a full 30-year system plan.
