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National Land Transport Programme (NLTP): West Coast 2009–2012

Links to other regions are crucial to the economy of the West Coast region. Closures of these routes can cause major delays for locals, tourists and freight traffic, which can have significant negative effects on the region’s economy. The reliability, capacity, safety and security of the routes on which the region depends is therefore a major focus of this NLTP, which allocates funding to maintain the region’s local and state highway networks to support economic growth in our region.

Regional summary

Overview of the transport system

Table 1: Key statistics on the West Coast region (June 2007-July 2008)

  West Coast region New Zealand Region as %
of NZ
Population 32,400 4,268,500 1
Land area (km2) 23,300 275,400 8
Imports (gross tonne)1, 2 800,000 79,200,000 1
Exports (gross tonne)1, 2 2.6 million 73.4 million 4
Gross domestic product (GDP) ($) 1200 million 155,400 million 1
Passenger transport - bus - boardings 45,800 92,777,200 0
Passenger transport - rail - boardings - 18,346,600 -
Passenger transport - ferry - boardings - 4,695,000 -
Vehicle kilometres travelled 500 million 40,200 million 1
Fatalities3 4 366 2
Serious injuries3 19 2553 2
Local roads - urban all (km) 286 17,298 2
Local roads - urban sealed (km) 263 16,956 2
Local roads - rural all (km) 1611 65,601 2
Local roads - rural sealed (km) 790 33,698 2
State highways - all (km) 872 10,906 8
State highways - sealed (km) 872 10,850 8
State highways - motorway (km) - 172 -

Notes:

  1. Crude indication only - based on a ratio determined in 2002 by Booz Allan Hamilton between international and inter-regional freight movements.
  2. Includes both international and inter-regional freight movements.
  3. Safety data is for the year ending 2008.

Investment priorities

One of the high-priority projects in the West Coast region is the Arahura Bridge replacement on SH6 near Hokitika, which replaces an historic bridge on a route that is vital to the region's economy.

Other major safety projects likely to start in the next three years are:

  • curve improvements at McKendries Corner on SH7 at Omoto
  • replacing the Goat Creek Bridge on SH73 at Otira, and the Woolhouse Creek and Kokatahi Track Bridges on SH6 between Hokitika and Ross.

Major local road projects include upgrading Atarau Road and replacing the Rough River Bridge on this road to provide for coal transport from the Pike River mine. Coal is one of the major contributors to the West Coast region's prosperity.

Expected expenditure on the West Coast

Table 2: Expected expenditure on the West Coast

West Coast 2009/12 % of total
Walking and cycling 1.0 0.9%
Transport planning 1.3 1.2%
Public transport improvements - 0.0%
New & improved infrastructure for state highways 19.0 17.1%
New & improved infrastructure for local roads 6.7 6.1%
Public transport services 0.2 0.2%
Maintenance of state highways 41.5 37.5%
Renewal of state highways 16.3 14.7%
Maintenance of local roads 13.3 12.0%
Renewal of local roads 11.1 10.0%
Demand management & community programmes 0.3 0.2%
  110.8 100%

table-2-1

Note: includes R funds of $10m

State highway operations, maintenance and renewal

This NLTP allocates approximately $57.8 million to maintaining the highways that are so important to the West Coast economy.

This funding will also support a number of other activities, which include installing electronic variable message signs at critical points on the network. These will improve safety and the availability of road condition information to road users, and add to those already established on SH7 (at Lewis Pass and Rahu Saddle) and SH73 (Arthur's and Porters Passes). Signs will also be operating soon on the popular SH6 tourist route between Hokitika and Haast.

Other initiatives include:

  • using thermal mapping technology and weather stations to improve accuracy in predicting where ice might occur on the inland state highway network. This technology will also improve emergency responses to ice and snow on roads
  • strengthening a number of bridges to reduce their vulnerability in the event of a severe earthquake
  • refurbishing and relocating the Ten Mile Bridge on SH6 to improve route security and heavy vehicle access on the bridge approaches.

State highway improvements

The state highway network plays a vital role in connecting all parts of the West Coast, providing links to adjoining regions and supporting coal, freight, dairy and tourism activities in the region.

This NLTP allocates $19 million to improvements on West Coast state highways. Key projects include the Arahura Bridge replacement, while those that focus on critical route safety and security likely to receive funding include:

  • a number of bridge replacements, including the Goat Creek Bridge
  • designing a replacement for the Gates of Haast Bridge
  • curve realignment work at McKendries Corner to improve safety
  • investigations into improving passing opportunities on the region's highways
  • investigations into the installation of a stock truck effluent disposal site at Jacksons.

Local road operations, maintenance and renewal

As with the region's state highways, local roads on the West Coast are feeling the pressure from a significant increase in heavy motor vehicle traffic, much of it generated by dairying sector growth and coal mine developments.

This NLTP allocates $24.4 million to maintaining West Coast local roads. It includes reconstruction, resealing and minor safety work, which will help make the region's local roads safer, more efficient and able to make a greater contribution to the region's economy. The NZTA has approved a three-year allocation and expects organisations to manage the required maintenance, operations and renewal programmes including any changes in costs within that allocation.

Local road improvements

The NLTP allocates $6.7 million to West Coast local road improvements. Most projects provide for transporting the coal that is so important to the local economy, including that extracted from the newly developed Pike River mine. The projects likely to receive funding include:

  • strengthening Atarau Road in the Grey and Buller istricts
  • replacing the Rough River Bridge
  • strengthening other bridges on routes north and south of the mine.

Public transport

The NLTP allocates $200,000 to public transport on the West Coast in 2009-2012.

This covers the cost of providing total mobility and other public transport services, enabling transport choice for those with limited access to cars or who are vulnerable to fuel price increases.

Walking and cycling

The NLTP allocates $1.0 million to walking and cycling projects on the West Coast.

As part of implementing the West Coast Walking and Cycling Strategy, a number of projects planned for the next three years will make walking and cycling safer and more attractive travel options. Among these is the construction of new paths into the Fox and Franz Josef glaciers.

Road policing activities

National Land Transport Fund funding for New Zealand Police road policing activities in the West Coast region totals $3.762 million for the 2009/10 year. This includes $3.080 million for strategic policing of the 'fatal five' road safety issues: speeding, drink/drugged driving, restraints, dangerous/careless driving and high-risk drivers. It also contributes to funding vehicles and equipment, communications, accommodation and other costs.

The detailed 2009/10 Road Policing Programme can be viewed on the New Zealand Police website at www.police.govt.nz/service/road(external link). The programmes for 2010/11 and 2011/12 will be published annually on the site once they have been approved by the Minister of Transport.

Regionally significant projects from 2012/13 onwards

Post 2012/13, the main project planned in the West Coast region is the replacement of the Gates of Haast Bridge on SH6, a major tourist route linking Otago and the West Coast region. The new bridge will improve the safety and reliability of this route, which carries many of the tourists and freight that are important to the region's prosperity.

A planned project that, while located in Canterbury, is of major significance to the West Coast is the upgrade and realignment of SH73 from Mingha Bluff to Arthur's Pass. The West Coast region may provide funding assistance to Canterbury for this project. Once completed, it should result in a safer and more reliable route that will benefit the economies of both the Canterbury and West Coast regions.

Last updated: 6 October 2009