About activity classes and work categories

This page relates to the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme.

Introduction

Activity classes and work categories are groupings of similar activities from investments through the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP). Investment proposals must identify the correct activity classes and work categories as part of the NLTP inclusion and funding approval process.

Activity classes

Activity classes are defined in the Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS) and are used by the Minister of Transport to provide direction to NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) on funding allocations for types of investment. The activity classes are high-level groupings of activities, for example walking and cycling, local road pothole prevention.

Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024(external link)

We (NZTA as investor) structure the NLTP around the activity classes to:

• ensure conformity of the NLTP funding structure with the activity classes defined in the GPS 2024
• identify activities that are eligible for funding from the National Land Transport Fund and from funds we are managing on behalf of the government
• ensure funding is allocated to activity classes within the funding range for each activity class as set out in the GPS and that expenditure is monitored and reported by activity class
• provide a basis for comparing transport costs over time and between organisations.

Work categories

Work categories are used to group similar activities within an activity class. The work category definitions provide examples of qualifying activities as well as activities not eligible for funding through the NLTP.

These classifications enable expenditure to be tracked by type of activity, and cost comparisons to be made between organisations and regions.

However, some work categories are defined in a practical way so that minor operations, maintenance or renewal activities are sometimes included in other work categories to facilitate efficient profiling, programming and delivery of activities.

An example is property purchases (WC 331, WC 332, WC 333) where the purchase cost is less than $500,000. These are to be included in the project costs conducted under the appropriate work category and phase, so a separate property phase is not required.

How activity classes and work categories fit together

A work category must link to at least one activity class, for example bus services are within the public transport services activity class. However, some work categories link to several activity classes. For example, the work category 140: minor events appears in the walking and cycling, public transport infrastructure, local road operations and state highway operations activity classes.

Work category 140: minor events

Walking and cycling

Public transport services and infrastructure

Local road and state highway operations