Vehicle Kilometres Travelled (VKT) Reduction Programme

Earlier this month, Government announced changes to the VKT Reduction Programme as part of reprioritising its work programme.

Among these changes, the Government has decided to  focus initially on  reducing light vehicle use in  Tier 1 urban areas, where  it is expected to achieve 85% of the national VKT reduction target. 

This means Te Manatū Waka Ministry of Transport will continue working with councils to confirm and publish VKT reduction targets for Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, Wellington and Christchurch by the end of June 2023. It will now be optional for councils in other areas to set and agree on VKT reduction targets with central government by this date. This decision is intended to reduce the burden on some councils to confirm targets in the next few months, especially in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Waka Kotahi is working with the five Tier 1 cities to help them develop their Urban VKT Reduction Programmes.  

For clarity, this does not mean that future public transport improvements will only occur in Tier 1 areas (which is how some media reporting interpreted this announcement). Rather, the government is prioritising VKT reduction targets and programmes in Tier 1 areas for now. 

Waka Kotahi will work with Tier 2 councils to develop Urban VKT Reduction Programmes for their areas from next year, with a view to completing programmes by the end of 2024. 

Across all councils, Waka Kotahi will also provide ongoing support on VKT reduction through our standard processes for planning and investing in activities that help to reduce vehicle traffic and improve transport options – such as public transport services and improvements to walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure.

What does that mean for you?  

• Te Manatū Waka Ministry of Transport will be working with Tier 1 councils to confirm sub-national targets by mid-2023.  Tier 2 councils are invited to join this work if they are keen. If you would like to contact officials at the Ministry who are leading work on these targets, you can do so by emailing: vktreduction@transport.govt.nz
• Waka Kotahi will be working with Tier 1 councils to complete Urban VKT Reduction Programmes by December 2023. Expressions of Interest (EOI) processes to fund planning of programmes are already underway.
• If you are a Tier 2 council, Waka Kotahi will work with you to develop programmes from next year. EOI funding processes for this planning will open later this year.
• If you would like to contact the VKT Reduction team at Waka Kotahi regarding the National Plan and/or Urban VKT Reduction Programmes, you can do so by emailing: vktreduction@nzta.govt.nz 

Transport 2035 (T2035) Emissions Calculator 

The T2035 emissions calculator  has been designed to you plan VKT reduction in their regions. 

T2035 emissions calculator(external link)

While not a technical tool for business planning, it helps councils better understand the land transport emissions reduction challenge, provide insights relevant to their region (and nationally) and identifies areas for analysis, and investigation for their region.

A tutorial is also available to help user optimise use of the tool.

T2035 tutorial video(external link)