I'm pleased to introduce to you the NZ Transport Agency's first National Land Transport Programme, covering the three years from 2009/10 to 2011/12.
Through this programme, the NZ Transport Agency is making a record investment in land transport - at a time when New Zealand needs it most.
The government has set clear expectations and priorities for the land transport sector. These expectations are articulated in the Government policy statement on land transport funding(external link) (GPS), which recognises that land transport has a key role in underpinning the economic performance in the long-term as well as during these challenging times. The GPS also outlines our mandate for the next three years: to prioritise activities that will increase productivity and stimulate economic growth for the benefit of all New Zealanders.
Through this National Land Transport Programme (NLTP), the NZTA 'gives effect' to the GPS with an investment of $8.7 billion in the next three years - the largest transport investment in New Zealand's history and a 17 percent increase on funding in the past three years. With a focus on supporting economic activity and employment throughout New Zealand, the programme includes a 19 percent increase in funding for New Zealand's state highway networks, a 14 percent increase for local roads (roads other than state highways) and a 21 percent increase for public transport. It supports a mix of large and small projects in all regions, with a guaranteed minimum funding level for each region.
The NLTP reflects our commitment to ensuring that our spending is both efficient and effective, and to delivering value for money in all activities and across all regions. It has been developed through a rigorous national approach to identifying and setting our investment priorities, a continuing focus on improving safety, and a dedication to reducing the adverse environmental effects of land transport. At the same time, we have endeavoured to reduce the costs of administering the programme.
Our primary focus in this NLTP is to support economic activity and employment across New Zealand. As a result, through a series of targeted investments, the NLTP aims to address some important issues for New Zealand's land transport infrastructure - in particular improving journey time reliability on key routes, easing congestion in those areas with serious problems, upgrading important freight and tourism routes, and improving access to markets, employment and areas that contribute to economic growth.
The funding aims to ensure that projects with the highest priority have the first call on available funds. We have also taken a long-term view to ensure activities in the next three years yield benefits for the land transport infrastructure of the future.
This, the first-ever three-year NLTP, is the result of an extensive development process in which 16 regional transport committees and ARTA for Auckland developed regional land transport programmes outlining the activities they sought to be included in the NLTP. This regional perspective enabled the NZTA to build a geographic view of land transport requirements, and to align regional and national views in deciding on the most appropriate allocations of funds to give effect to the GPS priorities.
Given the funding available, we have had to make decisions according to activities' relative priorities and readiness, and the funding allocated to them in the GPS. Inevitably, there will be a greater investment in some areas over others as a result.
The Board's thanks go to the regional transport committees around the country for developing their regional programmes. Together with our partners, they have added value to the Board's decisionmaking processes - and to this three-year investment programme for land transport in New Zealand.
Brian Roche
Chairman
Last updated: 6 October 2009
